Treatment of Organic Solid Waste by Vermicomposting and the Environmental Impacts caused by the inadequate disposal of this waste in Landfills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24221/jeap.10.1.2025.6326.001-011Keywords:
Environmental problems, Earthworms, Biofertilizer, SustainabilityAbstract
The management of organic solid waste is an extremely relevant topic in light of population growth, industrialization and rapidly rising urbanization. Inadequate disposal of this waste can cause environmental impacts such as air, soil and water pollution, as well as risks to human health. Given the above, vermicomposting is established as a sustainable and economically viable option to solve this problem. In this context, the present study aimed to investigate the global scenario of organic solid waste treatment by vermicomposting and the environmental impacts caused by the inadequate disposal of this waste in landfills. To this end, a systematic review of the literature was carried out, searching for articles on the CAPES Journal Portal and the PUBMED database. According to the data analyzed, there is an exorbitant presence of problems regarding organic waste, which due to its chemical composition can be easily treated through the action of earthworms, as in cases of industrial sludge, or even generate biofertilizers, a by-product present in 92.3% of research, bringing together excellent results regarding the composition of macro and micronutrients. Therefore, the results obtained demonstrated that vermicomposting is an efficient way of managing organic solid waste, and can be applied for the production of biofertilizer or for stabilization treatments of these wastes in order to reduce their harmful potential. This review is essential for encouraging the use of vermicomposting as an indicator of response to the dumping and incorrect treatment of organic waste, establishing itself as a way to reuse and treat this waste sustainably, achieving satisfactory results. In this way, vermicomposting is established as a promising way to mitigate the incorrect disposal of organic solid waste and reduce possible negative repercussions on the environment.Downloads
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