Potential of Earthworm (Perionyx Excavatus) in food treatment in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, there are about 9 thousand tons of domestic waste every day and 73% of them are treated by using landfill sites [2]. With the population growth rate in recent years, the generated waste volume will then increase in the future and is estimated to reach a total of around 13 thousand tons that could cost Ho Chi Minh City about 260 thousand dollars in treating this waste in 2025 [3]. Although this treatment method is not without advantages, the downsides will be far more significant. Moreover, in recent years, the cultivation of Perionyx Excavatus, a species that had been reported to have the ability to treat organic waste in some foreign articles, has become increasingly popular in Vietnam. So, this research was aimed to evaluate the potentiality of Earthworm (Perionyx Excavatus) for food waste management of households in Lab-scale in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. According to this study, the average outdoor humidity and temperature of Ho Chi Minh City are higher than optimal conditions to raise Earthworm. In addition, the percentage of biomass is highest when rising the proportion of food waste and cow dung 4:6, respectively. It’s a point for encourage the applying Earthworm (Perionyx Excavatus) for food waste management in Ho Chi Minh.