Vermifiltration for the treatment of water contaminated with acetochlor: A study on the processes’ contributions to its dissipation

Vermifiltration is a biofiltration process where microorganisms are aided by the action of earthworms to boost decontamination of wastewaters. In this study, vermifiltration was applied for the first time for the treatment of water contaminated with a pesticide, acetochlor (ACE). Three types of filters were designed to investigate physicochemical and biological (microorganisms and earthworms) contribution to the dissipation of the herbicide. The systems were subjected to three successive increasing ACE concentration pulses, reaching homogenized concentrations in the whole system of up to 316 mg L −1 . A mathematical model was developed and applied to the experimental ACE dissipation kinetics. It integrates adsorption and biological degradation processes within the filters, considering first-order kinetics of both adsorption and degradation. Vermifilters achieved 12–14% higher removal than biofilters after high-concentration ACE pulses, with vermidegradation rate constants consistently exceeding those of biodegradation, and exhibited enhanced hydraulic stability compared to biofilters. The model satisfactorily reproduced the experimental trends and allowed quantitative differentiation of adsorption, biodegradation and vermidegradation contribution. Despite effective removal, phytotoxicity tests indicated residual toxicity in the effluents, and prolonged exposure to elevated ACE concentration reduced earthworm survival and biomass. These results demonstrate the potential of vermifiltration as a low-cost, sustainable technology for pesticide-contaminated water, while highlighting the need to optimize operational parameters to mitigate residual toxicity and ensure long-term system stability.