Evaluation of vermifilter-treated domestic wastewater for irrigation and fertigation: opportunities and challenges for implementation

Article Article scientifique Article Evaluation of vermifilter-treated domestic wastewater for irrigation and fertigation: opportunities and challenges for implementation eng 2025-07-21 2025-09 author Coppens Kayla 0009-0006-3718-3738 856275 Services communs de l'Institut des sciences de l'environnement (ISECO) author Geyer Tess 964088 author Monod Alexandre author Strande Linda author Stoll Serge 0000-0003-3158-4208 29148 Forel Communs (FOREL) 108295 10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108295 2214-7144 https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2214714425013674 Water reclamation can help meet agricultural irrigation and nutrient demands. Due to high nutrient loads, vermifiltration is often considered a suitable treatment solution for reclamation in agriculture. However, the ability of vermifiltration to meet irrigation standards is understudied. This study explores the feasibility of reclamation through irrigation and fertigation from two full-scale vermifilters treating black- and sedimented greywater in parallel and evaluates the removal efficiencies of metallic trace elements (MTEs), <i>E. coli</i>, and 15 organic micropollutants (OMPs). Microplastics in the effluent were also quantified. The results show that, for reclamation in agriculture, post-treatment of the vermifilter effluent is necessary to ensure reliable and sufficient effluent quality. Despite an overall log removal of 3.67, <i>E. coli</i> is the most restrictive parameter, conforming to irrigation standards only after the second post-treatment step. Various constraints, due to high nitrate concentrations and salinity, would also be necessary to avoid negative environmental and agronomic impacts. For fertigation, careful planning is needed to overcome excessive and variable nitrogen loads. Despite low and variable MTE removal, the effluent quality meets irrigation standards. Average removal of OMPs is 91 ± 15 %, and the coefficient of variation is <10 % for two-thirds of the OMPs. Suggested optimizations to improve the usability in agriculture include adding a disinfection step and urine separation. Future studies should focus on the impacts of vermifilter reclamation in agriculture on soil and crops, as well as the potential for designations such as toilet flushing and street cleaning, which are likely more advantageous in urban settings. Nature-based solutions Organic micropollutants Metallic trace elements Microplastics Wastewater reclamation Dewey 550 Dewey 333.7-333.9 18 Institut des sciences de l'environnement 0DB 41 Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau 153 false 755 Environmental Physical Chemistry https://doi.org/10.25678/000EHN Journal of water process engineering 77 59edc4d8-5c0a-4218-87a6-b563a2c44369 Article (Published version) Public JWPE-Coppens-Tess-Stoll-2025-FINAL.pdf 3620450 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 2374764ac7f01f0280e3f137b2a17259af801b1df712f9b98f947ee4e83b5955 openAccess Centres et instituts / Institut des sciences de l'environnement Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau

Title	Published in	Access level	OA Policy	Year	Views	Downloads

Evaluation of vermifilter-treated domestic wastewater for irrigation and fertigation: opportunities and challenges for implementation	Journal of water process engineering			2025	46	50

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Geyer, Tess