Determining the bioavailability and toxicity of lead contamination to earthworms requires using a combination of physicochemical and biological methods

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 185; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: WEI LUO, VERWEIJ, Rudo A, VAN GESTEL, Cornelis A. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier 01.02.2014
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Eisenia andrei; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lead (metal); Lead - analysis; Lead - toxicity; Oligochaeta; Projectiles; Reproduction; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soils; Toxicity; Trees; Uptakes; Weapons; Toxicity; Eisenia andrei; Biological method; Bioavailability; Mutagen; Annelida; Oligochaeta; Contamination; Eisenia; Heavy metal; Earthworm; Trace element; Pollution; Lead; Poison; Invertebrata; Physicochemical properties; Shooting range
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.017

This study aimed at assessing the bioavailability and toxicity of lead to Eisenia andrei in shooting range soils representing different land uses (forest, grassland, bullet plot). Soils contained 47-2398 mg Pb/kg dry weight (dw), but also had different pH-CaCl2 (3.2-6.8) and organic matter contents (3.8-13%). Therefore artificial soils with different pH and organic matter contents and two natural soils were included as control soils. Earthworms were exposed for 28 days and toxicity and uptake of Pb were related to total, water and 0.01 M CaCl2 extractable and porewater Pb concentrations as well as to soil characteristics. Pb uptake in the earthworms linearly increased with increasing soil concentrations. At >2000 mg Pb/kg dw and pH 3.3-3.5, high earthworm mortality with significant weight loss and complete inhibition of reproduction were recorded. At <1000 mg/kg dw, earthworm reproduction was more related to differences in pH and other soil characteristics than to Pb.