Impact of Vermicomposting with Soil Enriched with Plastic and Different Biodegradable Wastes on Physical, Chemical, and Biological Parameters of Soil

The present work is a comparative study to understand the impact of various biodegradable wastes (hair, flower, vegetable peel, and spent coffee) and plastic on the soil quality. The biological parameters like the growth rate of worms, biomass gain, and cocoon production rate augmented considerably in soil enriched with all biodegradable waste groups when compared with soil contaminated with plastic. The health parameters of soil like pH, temperature, moisture content, exchangeable acidity, total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) content significantly increased in soil enriched with vermicompost produced from coffee and vegetable peel wastes when compared with other groups. A moderate enhancement of nutrient parameters of soil was in hair and flower waste. The biological parameters growth rate, biomass gain, and cocoon production of worms in the plastic group was significantly reduced in five months of the composting period compared with other biodegradable vermicompost groups. Plastic-enriched soil showed a marked decrease in the physical, and chemical determinants of soil fertility. The present comparative study on various biodegradable wastes and plastic vermicomposting has evidenced increased soil quality parameters with biodegradable wastes and decreased content of the same because of the presence of plastic during vermicomposting.