Innovative green vermi-remediation of chromite-asbestos mine waste: From toxicity reduction to soil-crop-microbe health improvement utilizing novel multimodal statistical approach
Article Type
Research Article
Publication Title
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
Abstract
Chromite-asbestos mine waste (CAMW), a highly toxic byproduct induces significant environmental contamination, currently lacks sustainable recycling solutions. This study aimed to assess the potential of vermi-remediation technology for transforming hazardous CAMW into valuable agricultural resources. The key objectives were to determine the suitable feedstock combination for effective vermi-remediation, offer new insights regarding microbe-toxic elements (TEs) interactions during vermicomposting, and validate the efficacy of Eisenia fetida by examining the CAMW-induced alterations in microbial community structure, TEs removal, and nutrient dynamics. To achieve this goal, cow dung (CD) was combined with CAMW at ratios (1:1 and 1:2) for large-scale vermicomposting, with results compared to CD alone. The findings revealed that earthworm counts in CAMW-vermibeds increased by 4.89–5.92 times. Bioavailable TEs levels (Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Cu) were significantly reduced up to 80 % in vermibeds. Additionally, CAMW-rich mixtures [T1: CD+CAMW (1:1)] saw significant acidity neutralization, improved organic carbon mineralization, and increased NPK levels. Vermicomposting showed greater microbial proliferation and enzyme activity in T1 Species-diversity and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA)analysis revealed that the structure of microbial communities and fatty acid profiles showed substantial variation with varying CAMW content in vermibeds. Further Sobol analysis demonstrated the susceptibility and resilience of microbial populations in response to certain TEs. Ultimately, CAMW-vermicompost application boosted sesame growth and improved soil health with negligible TEs transfer. Overall, we believe this study provides an initial step towards understanding the eco-friendly transformation of toxic CAMW into beneficial organic soil amendments, promoting sustainable mine-waste management and ecosystem health.
DOI
10.1016/j.jece.2025.116019
Publication Date
4-1-2025
Recommended Citation
Banerjee, Sonali; Ghosh, Saibal; Jha, Sonam; and Bhattacharyya, Pradip, "Innovative green vermi-remediation of chromite-asbestos mine waste: From toxicity reduction to soil-crop-microbe health improvement utilizing novel multimodal statistical approach" (2025). Journal Articles. 5431.
https://digitalcommons.isical.ac.in/journal-articles/5431