Note: Front Cover -- EARTHWORM TECHNOLOGY IN ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT -- EARTHWORM TECHNOLOGY IN ORGANIC WASTE MANAGEMENT -- Copyright -- Contents -- Contributors -- About the editors -- 1 - Earthworm-associated bacterial community and its role in organic waste decomposition -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Earthworms -- 3. Pollutant degradation mechanisms in vermicomposting -- 4. Bacterial diversity in the alimentary canal -- 5. Vermicast -- 5.1 Physical properties -- 5.2 Microbial properties -- 6. Vermiwash -- 7. Molecular techniques to detect earthworm gut microbes -- 8. Conclusion -- Acknowledgment -- References -- 2 - How do earthworms affect the microbial community during vermicomposting for organic waste recycling? -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Earthworm-microorganism interactions: Selectivity and diet -- 2.1 Bacteria -- 2.2 Fungi -- 2.3 Protozoa -- 3. Microbial abundance and diversity changes during vermicomposting -- 4. Microbial structural changes during vermicomposting -- 5. Microbial functional changes during vermicomposting -- 6. Substate effects on bacterial community during vermicomposting -- 7. Physicochemical properties affecting microbial changes during vermicomposting -- 8. Conclusion -- References -- 3 - Exploring the transfer and transformation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in vermifiltration for domestic w ... -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Materials and methods -- 2.1 Experimental setup and operation -- 2.2 Chemical analysis and sludge yield coefficient calculation -- 2.3 Sample pretreatment and extraction -- 2.4 Sequential solvent extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons -- 2.5 GC/MS analysis -- 2.6 FT-IR spectrum analysis -- 2.7 Three-dimensional fluorescence analyses for water-extractable organic matter -- 2.8 Data analysis -- 3. Results and discussion -- 3.1 Determination of 16 EPAs originating in sewage. , 3.2 Total removal performance of 16 PAHs by vermifiltration -- 3.3 Transferring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during vermifiltration treatment -- 3.4 Insights into polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon removal based on molecular weight -- 3.5 Stabilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in waste sludge -- 4. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 4 - Vermiremediation of organic wastes: vermicompost as a powerful plant growth promoter -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Vermicompost and its production -- 2.1 Factors influencing vermicomposting -- 2.1.1 pH -- 2.1.2 Moisture -- 2.1.3 C:N ratio -- 2.1.4 Temperature -- 2.2 Microbial community in vermicomposting -- 3. Vermicompost as a plant growth promoter -- 3.1 Stimulation of plant growth using vermicompost infused with beneficial microbes -- 3.2 Stimulation of plant growth by humic substances -- 4. Vermicompost as a plant disease suppression and pest control -- 5. Conclusions and future perspectives -- References -- Further reading -- 5 - Vermiremediation of plant agro waste to recover residual nutrients and improve crop productivity -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Vermiremediation technology -- 2.1 Basic process -- 2.1.1 Vermiaccumulation and vermiextraction -- 2.1.2 Vermitransformation -- 2.1.3 Drilodegradation -- 2.2 Vermiremediation for a cleaner environment and sustainable agriculture (nutrient amendment and degradation of toxins throug ... -- 3. Activity of suitable earthworm species and their associated microbes in composting and remediation -- 3.1 Earthworm species (Perionyx ceylanensis, Metaphire posthuma, Perionyx excavatus, Polypheretima elongata, Eudrilus eugeniae, ... -- 3.2 Structural and functional profiling of microbial diversity in the compost -- 4. Vermiremediation of different plant agro waste -- 4.1 Green manure amended pressmud -- 4.2 Patchouli bagasse mixed with cow dung. , 4.3 Jute mill waste -- 4.4 Lantana camara biomass -- 4.5 Vegetable waste and tree leaves -- 4.6 Pineapple waste -- 4.7 Waste biomass of medicinal herbs mixed with cow dung -- 4.8 Coir pith -- 4.9 Spent mushroom substrate combined with agro-residues -- 4.10 Leafy waste of cauliflower and cabbage -- 4.11 Distillation waste of Citronella plant -- 4.12 Lignocellulosic green waste of Saccharum spontaenum -- 4.13 Cassava peel waste -- 4.14 Banana crop waste -- 4.15 Sugarcane trash -- 4.16 Wetland plant waste -- 4.17 Crop residues -- 4.18 Coffee pulp -- 4.19 Oil palm empty fruit bunch -- 4.20 Water hyacinth and Salvinia sp -- 5. Different properties of plant agro waste compost -- 5.1 Biocidal properties of plant compost -- 5.1.1 Bacterial pathogen inhibition by Lantana compost -- 5.1.2 Tea-based compost inhibits the growth of Rhizoctonia solani in potato plants -- 5.2 Vermicompost's impact on various crop yields -- 6. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Further reading -- 6 - Biochemical alterations of vermicompost produced from Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) and cattle dung -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Materials and methods -- 2.1 Work site -- 2.2 Setting up units -- 2.3 Data collection and analyses -- 3. Results and discussion -- 3.1 Electrical conductivity -- 3.2 pH -- 3.3 Organic carbon -- 3.4 Nitrogen -- 3.5 Phosphate -- 3.6 Potassium -- 3.7 Calcium -- 3.8 Magnesium -- 3.9 Economic analysis -- 4. Conclusion -- References -- 7 - Use of vermicompost and vermiwash for the growth and production of tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.): A ... -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1 Vermicompost -- 1.2 Vermiwash -- 1.3 Soil properties and impact of vermicompost and vermiwash -- 1.4 Impact of vermicompost and vermiwash on plant growth parameters and productivity -- 1.5 Cultivation of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) -- 2. Materials and methods. , 2.1 Vermiwash production -- 2.1.1 Earthworm collection -- 2.1.2 Establishment of vermiwash units -- 2.1.3 Experimental design -- 2.1.4 Observation and measurements -- 2.1.5 Physicochemical analysis -- 2.2 Crop cultivation (tomatoes) -- 2.2.1 Experimental design -- 2.2.2 Sowing to transplanting -- 2.2.3 Fertilization -- 2.2.4 Data collection -- 3. Results and discussion -- 3.1 Vermicompost: physicochemical properties -- 3.2 Vermiwash: physicochemical properties -- 3.3 Cultivation of tomato plants -- 3.3.1 Climatic conditions -- 3.4 Soil: physicochemical properties -- 3.5 Greenhouse experiment -- 3.5.1 Plant height -- 3.5.2 Stem thickness -- 3.5.3 Biomass and root length -- 3.5.4 Production -- 3.6 Field trials -- 3.6.1 Plant height -- 3.6.2 Stem thickness -- 3.7 Biomass and root length -- 3.7.1 Production -- 4. Overall discussion -- 5. Conclusion -- References -- 8 - Earthworm mediated amelioration of heavy metals from solid organic waste: an ecotechnological approach toward v ... -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Sources of heavy metals in organic waste -- 2.1 Agricultural sources -- 2.1.1 Fertilizer -- 2.1.2 Pesticides -- 2.2 Biosolids -- 2.3 Industrial sources -- 3. Different methods applied for heavy metal removal from solid organic waste: a review of phytoremediation -- 3.1 Phytoextraction -- 3.2 Phytostabilization/phytoimmobilization -- 3.3 Phytovolatilization -- 3.4 Phytodegradation -- 3.5 Rhizodegradation -- 4. Role of vermitechnology in reduction of heavy metal load: a case study using paper mill wastes -- 5. Role of microbes in remediation of heavy metals -- 6. Mechanisms involved in combating heavy metal stress in earthworms -- 7. Conclusion -- References -- Further reading -- 9 - Vermicomposting as a tool for removal of heavy metal contaminants from soil and water environment -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Vermicomposting process and raw materials used. , 2.1 Composting -- 2.2 Harvesting of the product -- 3. Importance of vermicomposting -- 4. Vermicomposting for removal of metal ions from- -- 4.1 Detoxification of industrial wastes/sludges using earthworms -- 4.2 Removal of metals by vermicomposting from municipal solid waste -- 4.3 Vermicomposting to remove metal ions from polluted soil -- 4.4 Vermicomposting for wastewater sludge treatment -- 5. Vermicomposting for breaking down of heavy metal in organic pollutants -- 5.1 Immobilization -- 5.2 Reduction -- 5.3 Volatilization -- 5.4 Modification of the rhizosphere -- 6. Safe disposal of metal-enriched compost -- 6.1 Vermiaccumulation -- 6.2 Vermitransformation -- 6.3 Vermidegradation -- 7. Strategies for improving vermiremediation -- 8. Precaution to be taken during vermiremediation -- 9. Conclusions -- References -- 10 - Earthworms and microplastics: Transport from sewage sludge to soil, antibiotic-resistant genes, and soil remed ... -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1 Microplastics in sewage sludge and soil -- 1.2 Presence of antibiotic resistance genes in soil -- 1.3 Earthworms as targets of exposure to contamination and as tools for soil remediation -- 2. Microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes -- 2.1 Co-transport from sewage sludge to and within the soil -- 2.2 Effects on soil systems -- 2.2.1 Effects on earthworms and other soil invertebrates -- 2.2.2 Effects on plants -- 2.2.3 Effects on the soil microbiome -- 3. Impact of earthworms on microplastics and antibiotic resistance -- 3.1 Earthworm-mediated microplastic degradation -- 3.2 Impact of vermicomposting on antibiotic resistance genes -- 4. Discussion -- 5. Conclusions and perspectives -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 11 - Instrumental characterization of matured vermicompost produced from organic waste -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Characteristic of mature vermicompost: a brief overview. , 3. Traditional methods for understanding vermicompost maturity.