Ref ID : 6750
Johanne Nahmani, Mark E. Hodson, and Stuart Black; Effects of metals on life cycle parameters of the earthworm Eisena fetida exposed to field-contaminated, metal-polluted soils. Environmental Pollution 149:44-58, 2007
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Two control and eight field-contaminated, metal-polluted soil were inoculated with Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826). Three, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42 days after inoculation, earthworm survival, body weight, cocoon production and hatching rate were measured. Seventeen metals were analysed in E. fetida tissue, bulk soil and soil solution. Soil organic carbon content, texture, pH and cation exchange capacity were also measured. Cocoon production and hatching rate were more sensitive to adverse conditions than survival or weight change. Soil properties other than metal concentration impacted toxicity. The most toxic soils were organic-poor (1-10 gC kg-1), sandy soils (ca. 74% sand), with intermediate metal concentrations (e.g. 7150-13,100 mgPb kg-1, 2970-53,400 mgZn kg-1). Significant relationships between soil properties and the life cycle parameters were determined. The best coefficients of correlation were generally found for texture, pH, Ag, Cd, Mg, Pb, Tl, and Zn both singularly and in multivariate regressions. Studies that use metal-amended artificial soils are not useful to predict toxicity of field multi-contaminated soils.