Taki, KalingKalingTakiGogoi, AninditaAninditaGogoiMazumder, PayalPayalMazumderBhattacharya, Satya SunderSatya SunderBhattacharyaKumar, ManishManishKumar2025-08-312025-08-312019-04-1510.1016/j.jenvman.2019.01.0062-s2.0-85061587327https://d8.irins.org/handle/IITG2025/2331030771679Efficacy of vermi-transformation for metal partitioning and transformation from Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) and Activated Sludge (AS) was investigated. Sludge samples were mixed with cow dung (CD) in two combinations (1:1 (UASB/AS:CD)) & (2:1(UASB/AS: CD)). Fractionation study revealed that Zn, Cd & Pb were associated with reducible fractions, and Cr, Cu with oxidizable fractions. Higher removal efficiency for 1:1 (UASB/AS: CD) combination over 2:1 (UASB/AS: CD) implies the non-significant contribution of cow dung during the metal stabilization process. After vermi-remediation, maximum metal removal was achieved at 1:1 ratio than 2:1 in AS. In UASB, 1:1 ratio worked better for Cr, Zn & Cd, whereas for Cu & Zn 2:1 ratio resulted in efficient removal. Overall for both AS and UASB, efficiency was found to be higher in 1:1 treatment ratio. The value of K<inf>d</inf> (Bio sorption) was highest in Cu followed by Cr, which indicates the closer association with the metal bound organic matter (R² ≥ 0.99). Based on the compliance study between two estimated sorption coefficients K<inf>d</inf> (Biosorption & Fractions), vermi-remediation was found to be effective for AS than UASB. Therefore, the obtained results clearly validate the feasibility of integration of vermi-remediation as a potential promising ecological techniques for removing metal contaminant from the wastewater. Further research is required to study the decontamination of emerging contaminants with such integrated technology, which have physico-chemical properties different than metal ions.falseFractionation | Metal | Sewage sludge | Speciation | UASB | VermicompostingArticle10958630603-61215 April 201918arJournal14WOS:000461410000059