Suitability of sludges from dairy and paper industries for growth and reproduction of Eisenia andrei

Sludges from a paper-mill and a dairy processing factory were used to grow Eisenia andrei (Bouche 1972). The growth and reproduction of this earthworm species in pure wastes and nine different mixtures of them with cow manure have been studied weekly over 72 days. Earthworms grew at rates ranging fr om 6 to 12 mg worm(-1) day(-1) and cocoons were produced in all the substra tes (average rate: 0.06-1.1 cocoon adult worm(-1) week(-1) l) with the exce ption of the purr: dairy sludge. Those mixtures with 30 % (d.w.) of paper s ludge and manure, and those with the three wastes together were thtr most f avourables for vermicomposting according to Principal Components Analysis o f the growth and reproduction data.