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The current research article investigates the remediation of methylene blue (MB), in continuous operation mode, utilizing compost as an adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared from the water hyacinth plant waste by using effective microorganism (EM) which acts as a decomposer for the materials used. EM contains the various microbes that are responsible for the decomposition and it is available in the dormant liquid form which requires activation. The researcher performed a continuous study in which the following parameters are varied—bed complexity and flow rate. The findings of the study revealed that a maximum uptake of 301.79 mg/g was achieved and the removal efficiency is found to be around 85.44%. The overall sorption time zone, exhaustion time, breakthrough time, and volume of dye treated are also calculated. Modeling of experimental data is performed using bed depth service time (BDST) model and Thomas model. 0.01 M HCL was used as an elutant for the regeneration studies and maximum desorption efficiency of 85.44% was obtained.

This study investigated the effects of effective microorganism (EM) in reducing the cyanobacterial density and improving the water quality and phytoplankton diversity. Four thousand litre of EM was sprayed over an area of 0.7 ha in a semi-enclosed area of the Putrajaya Lake. Sampling and analysis of water quality and phytoplankton were carried out at three locations over a period of 50 days. The results of the study showed that EM treatment temporarily reduced the cyanobacterial density from 3909.5 to 2200.9 cells/ml after 18 days, but the density began to increase again soon after. Similarly, mean phytoplankton density showed similar pattern to the cyanobacterial trend of decreasing density after application but started to increase 3 weeks afterwards. Cyanobacteria was the dominant phytoplankton group before and during EM treatment. Cyanobacterial dominance decreased 55.2% after EM application resulting in more balanced phytoplankton assemblages 18 days after treatment before regaining its dominance 3 week after EM application. Nostoc sp. was the main cyanobacterial species before-, during and after EM treatment. Only pH significantly differed after the EM treatment; while, other parameters such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, transparency showed no significant changes before and after EM application. This study illustrated that EM application did not provide sustained microalgae reduction nor water quality improvement throughout the experiment.

Sewage sludge, the most important by-product of biological wastewater treatment, is considered an important source of secondary pollution in environments. Simultaneously, sewage sludge is rich in nutrients and organic matter, therefore it is proposed for natural use. However, before such an application, sewage sludge should be properly prepared, so that it does not adversely affect on the environment. Apart from various methods commonly applied in sewage sludge conditioning, the utilization of bio-preparations seems to be an attractive alternative. The experiment was conducted in PVC boxes with one sewage sludge and one amendment treatment as Effective Microorganism (EMTM) preparation applied at two doses dissolved (the water: EMTM preparation ratio = 1:5) (T1) and concentrated (T2). Sewage sludge without EMTM preparation was a control treatment (T0). The chemical composition of sewage sludge was recorded at 12 incubation dates. The quantitative changes of macro and micronutrients during incubation sewage sludge were assessed and followed by evaluated by distance covariance which measure both linear and nonlinear relationship between variables. On the base of obtained results, one may state, that the significance of EMTM preparation in sewage sludge conditioning was minor. The positive effect of the bio-preparation was observed only in the case of carbon and nitrogen, which amounts increased along the incubation time. These conclusions were obtained thanks to the author’s method of selecting variables based on the covariance distance defined for multidimensional functional data. There is no doubt that modern statistical methods based on functional data lead to in-depth conclusions resulting from the conducted experiment.

Bio-fermentation has been routed as a viable alternative for the treatment of organic waste, which can provide renewable energy and can return nutrients to the soil with its byproducts. In this context, the objectives of the research were to analyze the benefits that a plastic plug-flow bio-digester can provide for treatment of bovine manure; and through bio-fermentation to control the E. coli number present in the bio-digester effluents. The concentration of macronutrients and amount of the E. coli in the effluent was determined by the methods of analysis purposed by APHA standard methods and AOAC standard methods, respectively. In addition, the percentage composition of biogas was analyzed for determining the operative of the system. The production of biogas showed of 52.55% mol of methane concentration which it fed one blowtorch and one kitchenette. The bio-digester effluents showed appreciable amounts of nitrogen, potassium, phosphates, calcium, magnesium and sodium but with E. coli presence; the reason why the bio-digester effluent was treated later by a second fermentation inoculated with mountain effective microorganism, post-treatment which eliminated in 100% E. coli presence. Both processes showed the viability as treatment of the bovine manure which brings renewable energy and effluents with nutritive loads to use it as a biofertilizer without risks to health and humanity. The project was located at the tropical zone into the Choco forest, at an average altitude of 1110 m above sea level and an average temperature annual of 21–22 °C.

The study was conducted to analyse and compare nutrient contents of farmyard manure, farmyard manure treated with effective microorganisms and effective microorganism solutions, also, to determine the effect of farmyard manure and activated effective microorganisms on rice growth, development and yield. Farmyard manure and effective microorganism solutions were characterized for nutrient status in the laboratory. A 3 × 3 factorial experiment in randomized complete block design and replicated thrice involved farmyard manure and activated effective microorganisms. Farmyard manure at rates 0, 5 and 10 t ha−1 was applied 2 weeks before sowing by broadcasting and incorporated into the soil. Activated effective microorganism solution at 0, 20 and 40 l ha−1 was sprayed weekly at vegetative stage. Farmyard manure and effective microorganism solution contained both macro- and micronutrients at varying proportions. Application of farmyard manure increased rice yields from 1.35 to 3.31 t ha−1, 1.35 to 3.03 t ha−1 activated effective microorganism solution, and 1.35 to 3.33 t ha−1 in both farmyard manure and activated effective microorganisms when integrated. Adoption of organic soil amendments would improve soil fertility for sustainable crop production to small-scale farmers.

Effective microorganism (EM) cultures have been applied in many research fields such as agriculture, environment and bioremediation. EM is a mixed culture of microorganisms including predominant populations of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts with smaller numbers of photosynthetic bacteria, actinomycetes and other types of microorganisms. Quantitative analysis of EM is requisite for the applications of EM, as its efficiency varies depending on the composition of its main genera of EM. In this study, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the main genera of EM were quantified by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction, (qRT-PCR). By using selected specific primers, photosynthetic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and yeast were quantified with high sensitivity and specificity. The ability of viable cell count by qRT-PCR was compared with agar plate cell count, showing linear relationship. Thus, PCR based quantification system is a rapid and highly specific and sensitive tool for the quantification of EM.

Microorganisms are nutritious resources for various soil fauna. Although soil fauna grazing affects microorganism composition and decomposition rate, the responses of soil fauna and leaf litter decomposition to added microorganism is little understood. In this study, in the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest of Tahe County in the northern Da Hinggan Mountains, China, three sampling sites (each has an area of 10 m2) were selected. The first two sites were sprinkled with 250 times (EM1) and 1000 times (EM2) diluted effective microorganism (EM) preparations evenly, and the third site was sprinkled with the same volume of water as a control site. The responses of soil fauna structure and leaf litter decomposition to EM treatment were conducted during three years. The results revealed that EM treatment resulted in significant increase of soil organic matter. The number of soil fauna in the EM1 and EM2 sites increased by 12.88% and 2.23% compared to the control site, and among them springtails and mites showed the highest increase. However, the groups of soil fauna in the EM1 and EM2 sites decreased by 6 and 9, respectively. And the changes in the diversity and evenness index were relatively complicated. EM treatment slowed the decomposition of broad-leaved litter, but accelerated the decomposition of coniferous litter. However, the decomposition rate of broad-leaved litter was still higher than that of coniferous litter. The results of this study suggested that the added microorganisms could help individual growth of soil fauna, and this method led to a change in the process of leaf litter decomposition. This paper did not analyze the activity of soil microorganisms, thus it is difficult to clearly explain the complex relationships among litter type, soil fauna and soil microorganisms. Further research on this subject is needed.