ABSTRACT
In the last two decades, vermicomposting has emerged as an eco-friendly technology for improving the physicochemical and biological properties of degraded soils as well as to increase crop yield. Although vermicompost, i.e., the final peat-like material of vermicomposting, has several characteristics suitable for mitigating soil pollution, it has scarcely been investigated in relation to bioremediation. This chapter provides up-to-date knowledge on two lines of active research in vermicomposting technology: (i) the use of vermicompost to remove hazardous chemicals from contaminated raw materials (detoxification), and (ii) the impact of vermicompost for remediating contaminated soils (bioremediation). The chapter is divided into four sections that tackle the functional features of the vermicomposting process, the detoxification capacity of vermicomposting to degrade or immobilize environmental contaminants present in feedstocks, and the potential use of vermicompost in the degradation and immobilization of pesticides and metals in soil.
