ABSTRACT
Introduction: The presence of pathogenic microbial agents and pathogens in organic fertilizers causes health problems and disease transmission. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify bacterial and fungal species present in vermicompost production
Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in pilot scale in the laboratory of Public Health School in Shahid Sadoughi Univerity of Yazd. Sesame crust obtained from sesame pudding factory and cow manure mixed in three reactors with the dimension of 50 x 30 x 15 cm were used and went under the vermicompost process. Another reactor was also provided from cow manure as the control variable. Treatments were studied simultaneously during 60 days. Experiments were conducted to detect bacterial and fungal species
Results: Totally 18 species of negative-gram bacterial species, i.e., Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella Paratayfi A, Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Providencia alkali Fasyns, Klebsiella oxy-Toka, Ponomonya Klebsiella, Citrobacter frondii, Citrobacter Diorsus, Serratia Marsns, Hafnya Olovia, pseudomalle Burkholderia, Enterobacter Peinous, Enterobacter Anrogenious, Enterobacter de Solonos, as well as Neisseria polysakarya, and 3 positive-gram bacterial species, i.e., Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Isteria monocytogenes grew. Overally, a total of five fungi species; Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium, Penicillium, yeasts, and Unknown fungal species grew
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that presence of the organism in vermicompost depends on various factors, such as the action of enzymes of gut earthworms, coelomic fluid secretion, as well as competition between different groups of microorganisms