Study on the effect of textile effluent on the growth and fecundity of Eudrilus euginiae

Eudrilus euginiae is one among the well studied species of earthworms involved in the conversion of organic waste resources into value added products (vermicompost). Efforts were taken to understand the impact of textile effluent on the population of earthworms mimicking the condition prevalent in textile belt of Tamil Nadu, India where effluents are drained into the cultivable land through the water stream. Categories of earthworms were maintained and drained with calculated amounts of raw, chemically and biologically treated effluents for a period of eight weeks in which fecundity and growth were recorded. There was significantly high fecundity in the soil treated with raw effluent than that of control and the treated effluents suggesting us to use of these worms for bioremediation of textile effluent polluted soil.