Impacts of heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides on freeze tolerance of the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that the interactions between chemicals and climatic stressors can lead to synergistically increased mortality. In the present study, we investigated the effect of seven common environmental contaminants on survival at -6 and 15°C as well as on reproduction at 15°C in the earthworm Dendrobaena octaedra. Three classes of chemicals were considered: Heavy metals (nickel, lead, and mercury), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pyrene and phenanthrene), and pesticides (abamectin and carbendazim). Phenanthrene interacted antagonistically with freezing temperatures, whereas no interaction was observed with any of the tested pesticides. Two of the three tested metals (nickel and mercury) reduced the freeze tolerance synergistically (mercury was especially potent). This suggests that traditional laboratory studies, in which organisms are exposed to increasing concentrations of a single compound under otherwise optimal conditions, may underestimate the toxicity of some metals to field populations living in cold areas.

Exploring the Use of Species Sensitivity Distributions to Define Protective Limits for the Use of Organic Wastes as Soil Amendments

“…AIS = agro-industrial sludge; MMSWC = a mixed municipal solid waste compost: AWC = an agricultural waste compost; AWSSC = an agricultural waste and a sewage sludge compost; PMW = a paper mill waste; EC10 and EC50 = effect concentration, 10 and 50%, respectively; HC5 and HC50 = hazardous concentration to the soil community at 5 and 50%, respectively. extreme testing conditions, i.e., low moisture, low pH, course textured soils; Criel et al 2008;Bindesbøl et al 2009), only concentrations of Zn (in MMSWC, AWC, and SSAWC) and Ni (in AWC) were above the concentrations estimated at the different HC values. This finding indicates that, in most cases, in soil dilutions corresponding to the HC values estimated, even in wastes that have metal concentrations above legal limits (i.e., AWC, MMSWC, and PMW), most metal concentrations are still considerably below the lowest EC50 values found in the literature.…”

World of earthworms with pesticides and insecticides

“…Temperature also plays an important role in degree of pesticide toxicity. Bindesbol et al (2009) investigated effects of freezing temperatures on toxicities of abamectin and carbendazim. De Silva et al (2009) investigated influence of temperature and soil type on the toxicities of chlorpyrifos and carbofuran.…”

Important Issues in Ecotoxicological Investigations Using Earthworms

“…Better survival in polluted soil at 10 C compared to 22 C can was explained by the reduced tissue metal accumulation and mesophilic bacteria proliferation at the lower temperature. Regarding the pesticides, effects of freezing temperatures on toxicities of abamectin and carbendazim were investigated, but no interactions were determined (Bindesbøl et al 2009b). De Silva et al (2009) investigated influence of temperature and soil type on the toxicity of pesticides to E. andrei.…”

“…in case of herbicides fluazifop-p-butyl and glyphosate) in changes in toxicity. Besides metals and pesticides, the effect of temperature was investigated also on the toxicity of surfactant 4-nonylphenol and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pyrene and phenanthrene (Bindesbøl et al 2009b;Jensen et al 2009). …”