Toxicity of metals to the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Neuhauser, Edward F.; Loehr, Raymond C.; Milligan, Daniel L.; Malecki, Michael R.

doi:10.1007/bf00301782

Cited by 159 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…As stated by Neuhauser and Hopkin. 24 There are no published studies on Lumbriscus terrestris for bioremediation of motor oil to compare to my laboratory In conclusion, research work on the use of earthworm to remediate soil contaminated with motor oil needs expansion. The limited studies carried out by author, and others indicate that the type of oil, soil and species of earthworm all influence the quantity of oil that can be tolerated in soil.…”

Section: Impacts Of Ecological Factors On Earthworms Survivabilitymentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Metals have been shown to cause mortality [23][24][25][26] and reduce fertility, 27 , and growth 28 of earthworms. Therefore, a higher percentage survival of earthworms was expected in the pure motor oil than in the used motor oil due to the presence of toxic metals in the used motor oil, but the reverse was the case.…”

Section: Impacts Of Ecological Factors On Earthworms Survivabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Studies on the Role of Earthworms in Bioremediation of Motor Oil

Hanna¹,

Osborne-Lee²,

Ahlinvide³

2017

ECB

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This study focuses on the bioremediation of soil contaminated with motor oil. Laboratory investigations were conducted to determine the ability of macro-organism's (i.e., earthworms) survival in soil contaminated with motor oil, and the role of macro-organisms in the contaminated soil (i.e., exposure to high toxicity in the soil). The soil was contaminated with two types of car motor oil, one with used motor oil from cars and the second was the pure car motor oil (i.e. was not used prior) in different concentrations [0% (i.e. control), 1 %, 3 %, 5 % and 10 % by weight contamination]. The soil parameters such as soil moisture %, carbon %, nitrogen %, pH, Eh, organic matter (OM) % and C/N ratio, were measured before and after contamination. Water content was maintained during incubation by making additions as determined from reweighed containers. Four worms (Lumbricus terrestris) were inoculated in each jar of the experiments. The length of the experiments was 30 days. The data of earthworms' survivability were measured each day. Motor oil content between 1-5 % was not harmful to the survival of earthworms for 30 days but oil concentration of 10 %, increased mortality rate by 75 % in pure motor oil and 45 % in used motor oil. Further, there was a significant difference in survivability of earthworms in used and pure motor oil. Used motor oil can support the survivability of earthworms better than pure (i.e. unused motor oil) motor oil. The properties of the soil at the end of the experiment showed an average reduction of 5 % carbon content, which indicated that the earthworms could consume the organic carbon with the support of micro-organisms in their digestive system. It was concluded that macro-organisms could be used for soil cleanup and restoration but that, Soil contamination of motor oil above 5 % might not allow for a similar process.

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Section: Impacts Of Ecological Factors On Earthworms Survivabilitymentioning

confidence: 91%

Section: Impacts Of Ecological Factors On Earthworms Survivabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Studies on the Role of Earthworms in Bioremediation of Motor Oil

Hanna¹,

Osborne-Lee²,

Ahlinvide³

2017

ECB

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“…In our study, soil pH remained in the neutral to slightly alkaline range. Many other studies have reported the metal's toxicity to earthworms, tested both in artificial and field soil (Neuhauser et al, 1985;Spurgeon et al, 1994;Spurgeon and Hopkin 1995). They concluded that the toxic effects of metals were less severe in field soils (Spurgeon and Hopkin, 1995).…”

Section: Earthworm Adult Survival and Growthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of their capacity to accumulate and concentrate large quantities of organic and inorganic pollutants, earthworm species are widely recognized as suitable organisms for biomonitoring the effects of heavy metals in contaminated soils (Reddy and Rao, 2008;Peijnenburg and Vijver, 2009). Numerous studies investigated the effects of metals on earthworms in terms of mortality (Neuhauser et al, 1985;Fitzpatrick et al, 1996;Spurgeon et al, 1994Spurgeon et al, , 2000, loss of weight (e.g. Khalil et al, 1996;Spurgeon and Hopkin, 1996;Maboeta et al, 2004), cocoon production (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Earthworms Eisenia fetida affect the uptake of heavy metals by plants Vicia faba and Zea mays in metal-contaminated soils

Lemtiri

Liénard

Alabi

et al. 2016

Applied Soil Ecology

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A B S T R A C TEarthworms increase the availability of heavy metals in some situations and aid in maintaining the structure and quality of soil. The introduction of earthworms into metal-contaminated soils has been suggested as an aid for phytoremediation processes. In Wallonia, Belgium, a century of industrial metallurgic activities has led to the substantial pollution of soils by heavy metals, including copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), due to atmospheric dusts. Two plant species, Vicia faba and Zea mays, and earthworms (Eisenia fetida) (Savigny, 1826) were exposed to different concentrations of longterm-contaminated soils for 42 days. The soil samples, which were collected from the land surrounding a former Zn-Pb ore-treatment plant, exhibited different levels of heavy metals. Our aim was to evaluate the role of earthworms E. fetida on the availability of metals in soils and their effects on metal uptake by V. faba and Z. mays plants at different soil concentrations.The results suggest that earthworms and plants modified the availability of metals in contaminated soils after 42 days of exposure. Earthworm life-cycle parameters were affected by metal contamination and/or the addition of plants; cocoon production and weight were more responsive to adverse conditions than earthworm survival or weight change. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in earthworm tissues decreased in the presence of plants. Results showed that metal accumulation in plants depended on the metal element considered and the presence of earthworms. However, the presence of earthworms did not change the concentrations of metals in plants, except for Cd. In the presence or absence of earthworms, V. faba accumulated higher concentrations of Cu and Zn compared with Z. mays, which accumulated higher concentrations of Cd. These findings have revealed that earthworm activities can modify the availability of heavy metals for uptake by plants in contaminated soils. Moreover, the study results show that the ecological context of phytoremediation should be broadened by considering earthworm-plant-soil interaction, which influence both the health of the plant and the uptake of heavy metals by plants.

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“…In spite of the increase, the zinc content of the treated slurry was below the toxicity limit (2,800 mg Zn/kg) set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA 1994) for biosolid applications. However, it is important to note that elevated levels of zinc in the soil could pose potential risks to the soil microbial communities and plants (Broadley et al 2007;Moffett et al 2003;Davies 1993;Neuhauser et al 1985); thus, a full evaluation of the land application of the zinc oxide-treated manure should be conducted.…”

Section: Effect On Nh 3 Concentrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixing nanoparticles with swine manure to reduce hydrogen sulfide and ammonia emissions

Alvarado

Predicala

Asis

2014

Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Addition of nanoparticles into swine manure was investigated as a possible measure to mitigate the emissions of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia from swine production facilities. Bench-scale experiments were conducted, followed by room-scale tests in controlled environment chambers closely representing actual swine production rooms. Among the 12 types of commercial nanoparticles tested, zinc oxide nanoparticles achieved significant reduction in gaseous hydrogen sulfide and ammonia concentrations when mixed into the manure at a rate of 3 g zinc oxide nanoparticles per liter of manure slurry. Room-scale experiments showed that mean initial hydrogen sulfide concentrations of 596, 57 and 39 ppm measured at the pit, animal and human levels within each chamber, respectively, were reduced significantly to 5, 1 and 1 ppm, respectively, after the addition of zinc oxide nanoparticles into the manure. Effectiveness of the treatment was persistent in maintaining low hydrogen sulfide level up to 15 days after treatment application. Pig performance and manure nutrient properties were not adversely affected by the application of zinc oxide nanoparticles.

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Toxicity of metals to the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Cited by 159 publications

References 8 publications

Studies on the Role of Earthworms in Bioremediation of Motor Oil

Studies on the Role of Earthworms in Bioremediation of Motor Oil

Earthworms Eisenia fetida affect the uptake of heavy metals by plants Vicia faba and Zea mays in metal-contaminated soils

Mixing nanoparticles with swine manure to reduce hydrogen sulfide and ammonia emissions

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