Harnessing vermicomposted chromite-asbestos mine waste for sustainable chilli production: a focus on biochemical traits and yield enhancement with machine learning insights
Article Type
Research Article
Publication Title
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
Abstract
Massive mining operations and inadequate disposal of chromite-asbestos mine waste (CAMW) globally pose an urgent issue owing to the presence of toxic heavy metals (THMs). Vermitechnology offers a sustainable method to convert CAMW into an eco-friendly product; however, its role and effectiveness as an organic fertilizer remain insufficiently studied. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficacy of vermicomposted CAMW as an organic supplement for chilli cultivation, focusing on THMs bioavailability, microbial activity, yield, and human health concerns. Findings indicate that treatment C2 (1:1 CAMW vermicompost 50% + 50% NPK fertilizer) exhibited substantial soil nutrients, improved biochemical traits (capsaicin, pungency), higher yield, and reduced THMs bioavailability post-harvest, compared to raw CAMW amended treatments C9 (CAMW 100%) and C10 (CAMW 50% + NPK fertilizer 50%). In C2 treatment, THMs uptake in chilli was negligible compared to C9 and C10 and suitable for consumption. Furthermore, employing the free-ion activity model (FIAM) and severity-adjustment margin of exposure (SAMOE) models revealed that THMs (SAMOE_C9Ni: 0.004, SAMOE_C9Cd: 0.009, and SAMOE_C9Cr: 0.002) in CAMW-treatments pose carcinogenic health risks. THMs, mainly Ni and Cr, were identified as the key contributors to toxicity using the artificial neural network model. Sobol-based agronomic evaluation showed that THMs negatively affected chilli yield (C9: 11.24 ± 0.68 gm/plant) in the waste-amended treatments. Moreover, random forest analysis of chilli’s capsaicin content was positively influenced by soil nutrients and microbial activity. Overall, vermicomposted CAMW demonstrated effectiveness as a viable alternative to inorganic fertilizers, offering comparable benefits in enhancing crop yield, managing mine waste, and improving soil fertility.
First Page
8003
Last Page
8019
DOI
10.1007/s10098-025-03329-z
Publication Date
12-1-2025
Recommended Citation
Banerjee, Sonali; Jha, Sonam; Ghosh, Saibal; Mondal, Gourav; and Kumar, Sumit, "Harnessing vermicomposted chromite-asbestos mine waste for sustainable chilli production: a focus on biochemical traits and yield enhancement with machine learning insights" (2025). Journal Articles. 5404.
https://digitalcommons.isical.ac.in/journal-articles/5404