Environmental Science
8 years ago

Earthworms show promise in removing harmful pollutants from contaminated soil.

Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from soil amended with biosolid or vermicompost in the presence of earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Silvia Maribel Contreras-Ramos, Dioselina Álvarez‐Bernal, Luc Dendooven

Paper Summary

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Earthworms can help remove harmful chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil. In this study, researchers contaminated soil with PAHs and added earthworms, biosolid, or vermicompost. They found that earthworms significantly increased the removal of PAHs from soil, with up to 99% of Phenanthrene being dissipated. The microorganisms in the earthworms' gut also played a role in removing PAHs. Adding biosolid or vermicompost further accelerated the removal of PAHs from soil. This suggests that using earthworms could be an eco-friendly way to clean up contaminated soil, although it may require a large number of earthworms and careful soil management.