title: Earthworm effects on gaseous emissions during vermifiltration of pig fresh slurry.
abstract: Treatment of liquid manure can result in the production of ammonia, nitrous oxide and methane. Earthworms mix and transform nitrogen and carbon without consuming additional energy. The objective of this paper is to analyse whether earthworms modify the emissions of NH(3), N(2)O, CH(4) and CO(2) during vermifiltration of pig slurry. The experiment used mesocosms of around 50 L, made from a vermifilter treating the diluted manure of a swine house. Three levels of slurry were added to the mesocosms, with or without earthworms, during one month, in triplicate. Earthworm abundance and gas emissions were measured three and five times, respectively. There was a decrease in emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide and a sink of methane in treatments with earthworms. We suggest that earthworm abundance can be used as a bioindicator of low energy input, and low greenhouse gas and ammonia output in systems using fresh slurry with water recycling.
authors.affiliation: UMR 6553 EcoBio, IFR CAREN, Université Rennes 1/CNRS, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France. luth.saja@yahoo.fr
authors.lastname: Luth
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robin
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Landrain
authors.forename: Yinsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cluzeau
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D005308:Fertilizers; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis*; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008372:Manure; D008697:Methane / Q000737:chemistry; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D009835:Oligochaeta; D013552:Swine; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D005740:Gases; D008372:Manure; D000641:Ammonia; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D008697:Methane