Vermicomposting Bio Earth: A Sustainable Approach for Enhanced Nutrient Content and Heavy Metal Remediation in Soil Management

The present study obtained the Bio Earth sample from six locations, represented as LS-(1-6). The collected bio earth sample was blended with an adult earthworm (Eisenia fetida). The experimental investigation was conducted for 108 days, and earthworms showed maximum biomass and population ephemerality in Bio Earth samples (Bio Earth + cow dung). However, the pre-treated and post-treated samples were monitored through physicochemical analysis like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), bulk density (ρ), total organic content (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), total potassium (TK), C:N ratio, and heavy metals. Among the six Bio Earth samples, the most significant LS-3 reveals the reduction of operating parameters and finds the below detection limit of heavy metals. At the initial level of LS-3, samples were found to be pH-7.2, EC-1.4 ms/cm, ρ-0.8 g/cm³, TOC-8.6%, TN-0.6%, TP- 0.3%, TK-0.4%, C:N ratio-16.3%, heavy metals (Zn-448.8 mg/kg; Cu-132.5 mg/kg; Ni-61.4 mg/kg; Pb-91.2 mg/kg; Cr-116.3 mg/kg), whereas the post-treated vermicomposting sample results were exhibited at pH-6.8, EC-2.167 ms/cm, ρ-0.85 g/cm³, TOC-9.54%, TN-0.67%, TP-0.48%, TK-0.13%, C:N ratio-14.23%, heavy metals (Zn-64.13 mg/kg; Cu-5.5 mg/kg; Ni-7.26 mg/kg; Pb-101 mg/kg; Cr-51 mg/kg). The data displays that vermicomposting (using E. fetida) is an applicable technology for decomposing organic matter into prosperous nutrient soil enlargement.