• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.488-494
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• 2012

This study was conducted to determine the optimal ratio of sludges from milk processing industry (MPS), paper-mill industry (PMS) and night-soil treatment plant (NSS) for vermicomposting. Five different ratios, 0 : 80 : 20 (MPS-0), 25 : 60 : 15 (MPS-25), 50 : 40 : 10 (MPS-50), 75 : 20 : 5 (MPS-75), and 100 : 0 : 0 (MPS-100 : control) MPS : PMS : NSS by wet weight were tested in a small plot experiment. The experiment for each mixing ratio was performed for 2 weeks with the three replications. MPS-100 (100 : 0 : 0) only had the highest decomposition rate with 19.9%, followed by MPS-25, MPS-50, MPS-75 and MPS-0 with 19.5, 19.1, 17.6 and 16.7%, respectively. Except for MPS-100, Vermicomposting resulted in increase in ash, T-P, $NO_2{^-}-N$, $NO_3{^-}-N$, Mg, K, As, Cd and Cu, whereas moisture, VS (Volatile Substance), TKN (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen), $NH_4{^+}-N$, Ca, Hg and Pb were lower in the final cast than the initial feed mixture. Meanwhile Zn showed very slight difference and Cr and Ni did not show any tendency between the feed mixture and the final cast. In the case of MPS-100, where the decomposition rate was the highest, all the heavy metals in the final cast except for Hg were increased. All the vermicomposts produced from five different mixing ratios of the vermicomposting sludges met the Korea Standard as by-product compost.