The influence of time on lead toxicity and bioaccumulation determined by the OECD earthworm toxicity test (original) (raw)
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Environmental Pollution, 2003
In a series of experiments the toxicity of lead to worms in soil was determined following the draft OECD earthworm reproduction toxicity protocol except that lead was added as solid lead nitrate, carbonate and sulphide rather than as lead nitrate solution as would normally be the case. The compounds were added to the test soil to give lead concentrations of 625–12 500 μg Pb g−1 of soil. Calculated toxicities of the lead decreased in the order nitrate>carbonate>sulphide, the same order as the decrease in the solubility of the metal compounds used. The 7-day LC50 (lethal concentration when 50% of the population is killed) for the nitrate was 5321±275 μg Pb g−1 of soil and this did not change with time. The LC50 values for carbonate and sulphide could not be determined at the concentration ranges used. The only parameter sensitive enough to distinguish the toxicities of the three compounds was cocoon (egg) production. The EC50s for cocoon production (the concentration to produce a 50% reduction in cocoon production) were 993, 8604 and 10 246 μg Pb g−1 of soil for lead nitrate, carbonate and sulphide, respectively. Standard toxicity tests need to take into account the form in which the contaminant is present in the soil to be of environmental relevance.
Effect of Soil Properties on Lead Bioavailability and Toxicity to Earthworms
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2006
Soil properties are important factors modifying metal bioavailability to ecological receptors. Twenty-one soils with a wide range of soil properties (USA; http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/taxonomy/) were amended with a single concentration of Pb (2,000 mg/kg) to determine the effects of soil properties on Pb bioavailability and toxicity to earthworms. Earthworm mortality ranged from 0 to 100% acute mortality following exposure to the same total concentration of Pb (2,000 mg/kg) in amended field soils. Internal Pb concentrations in earthworms ranged from 28.7 to 782 mg/kg, with a mean of 271 mg/kg. Path analysis was used to partition correlations in an attempt to discern the relative contribution of each soil property. Results of path analysis indicated that pH was the most important soil property affecting earthworm mortality ( p Ͻ 0.01) and internal Pb ( p Ͻ 0.05). Soil pH was related inversely to mortality and internal Pb, soil solution Pb, and Pb bioavailability. The most important soil property modifying reproduction was amorphous iron and aluminum oxides (FEAL). Because FEAL is rich in pH-dependent cation-exchange sites, several soil properties, including pH, FEAL, and cation-exchange capacity, have a causal effect on Pb adsorption and soluble Pb. Path analysis is useful for assessing contaminated soils with a wide range of soil properties and can assist in ecological risk assessment and remediation decisions for contaminated sites. Soil properties are important factors modifying metal bioavailability and toxicity and should be considered during the ecological risk assessment of metals in contaminated soils.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 2002
The effect of bone meal (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH) amendments on lead (Pb) bioavailability to Eisenia fetida (Savigny 1826) was investigated. A standard uncontaminated soil was amended with Pb(NO 3 ) 2 solution to give Pb concentrations of 7,000 g/g of soil. After one week, bone meal was added to one half of the soil in the ratio 1:20 bone meal:soil. Immediately after addition of the bone meal, survival times of E. fetida were 23 and 41 h in the bone meal-free and bone meal-amended soil, respectively. Twentyeight days after addition of the bone meal, survival times of Eisenia fetida were 67 h in the bone meal-free soil and more than 168 h in the bone meal-amended soil. In a second experiment, a standard Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reproduction toxicity test was carried out, but in addition to Pb(NO 3 ) 2 solution, bone meal was added to the soil in the ratio 1:20 bone meal:soil. The bone meal-free soil was left for five weeks before addition of E. fetida. In the bone meal-amended soil, bone meal was added to the soil one week after addition of the Pb. The soil was left for a further four weeks before addition of Eisenia fetida. Calculated toxicities were significantly lower for the bone meal-amended soil than those calculated for the bone meal-free soil. Twenty-eight-day median lethal concentrations (LC50s; concentration that is statistically likely to kill 50% of the exposed test organism within a given time period Ϯ 95% confidence intervals) of Pb were 4,379 Ϯ 356 g/g of soil for bone meal-free soil and 5,203 Ϯ 401 g/g of soil for bone meal-amended soil. Twenty-eight-day median effect concentrations (EC50s; concentration causing a reduction by 50% of a stated parameter) of Pb for weight change were 1,408 Ϯ 198 g
Bioavailability of lead in contaminated soil depends on the nature of bioreceptor
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2012
Long-term lead (Pb) contaminated soils from two lead-zinc smelters and a shooting range, along with freshly spiked control soil, were studied by means of chemical, biological or a physiological method to examine the effect of ageing on Pb bioavailability. The freshly Pb spiked control soil was subjected to an earthworm toxicity test to observe the avoidance and mortality response of the earthworms. Meanwhile, an extractable fraction of Pb on the spiked soil as a result of ageing was examined and further compared with physiologically based in vitro bioaccessibility extraction tests. Their differences in lethal concentration, LC 50 , to the earthworm population from spiked soils varied substantially as a function of soil pH. The strong effect of ageing on toxicity was also reflected in the extractability of Pb which was far greater in acidic soil, labelled AC, compared to the alkaline soil, labelled BC. This demonstrates that the bioavailable fraction causing toxicity to earthworms was achieved at a much lower total Pb content for acidic soils relative to alkaline soils. Moreover, the effect of ageing also exhibits that a marked decline in bioavailable Pb results in lowering toxicity. Significant amounts of weight loss in earthworms during an acute toxicity test in long-term contaminated soils at a relatively low Pb concentration suggested that other metal or combined metal toxicity may also play a significant role. This study demonstrates that the soil characteristics and ageing period greatly influence the bioavailable fraction of Pb which is related to the bioreceptor.
SENSITIVITY TO LEAD IN TWO SPECIES OF EARTHWORMS (OLIGOCHAETA: MEGASCOLECIDAE)
Toxicity endpoints of lead (Pb) to the two species of earthworms, Perionyx sansibaricus and Megascolex cochinensis were determined. During the 14 day test period, mortality increased in terms of concentration (1×10 4 , 1.5×10 4 , 2×10 4 , 2.5×10 4 ) and exposure time (7 th and 14 th days). The LC 50 , no-observable-effect concentration (NOEC) and lowest-observable-effect concentration (LOEC) were calculated. It is observed that most of the treated groups show the evidence of inflammation, fragmentation and inactivity. A comparison of the toxicity of lead has revealed that, P. sansibaricus is more sensitive than M. cochinensis, even though the former can survive extreme dry conditions and possesses high regenerative capacity. Here it appears that the selection favours the population of M. cochinensis. Thus, long term adaptability was found to be more pronounced in M. cochinensis when compared to P. sansibaricus. The study also helps to determine the tolerance limits of the heavy metal (Pb) to these two species of earthworms. This enables us to determine the related sublethal concentrations of the toxicant.
Environmental Pollution, 2014
The aim of this study was to estimate the bioavailability of essential (Zn, Cu) and non-essential metals (Cd, Pb) to the earthworm Lumbricus rubellus exposed to soils originating from a gradient of metal pollution in Southern Poland. Metal uptake and elimination kinetics were determined and related to soils properties. Experimental results were compared with tissue metal concentrations observed in earthworms from the studied transect. Cd and Pb were intensively accumulated by the earthworms, with very slow or no elimination. Their uptake rate constants, based on 0.01 M CaCl 2 -extractable concentrations in the soils, increased with soil pH. Internal concentrations of Cu and Zn were maintained by the earthworms at a stable level, suggesting efficient regulation of these metals by the animals. The estimated uptake and elimination kinetics parameters enabled fairly accurate prediction of metal concentrations reached within a life span of L. rubellus in nature.
Environmental Pollution, 2013
Due to diffuse atmospheric fallouts of process particles enriched by metals and metalloids, polluted soils concern large areas at the global scale. Useful tools to assess ecotoxicity induced by these polluted soils are therefore needed. Earthworms are currently used as biotest, however the influence of specie and earthworm behaviour, soil characteristics are poorly highlighted. Our aim was therefore to assess the toxicity of various polluted soils with process particles enriches by metals and metalloids (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As and Sb) collected from a lead recycling facility on two earthworm species belonging to different ecological types and thus likely to have contrasted behavioural responses (Eiseina hortensis and Lumbricus terrestris).
Uptake kinetics of metals by the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to field-contaminated soils
It is well known that earthworms can accumulate metals. However, most accumulation studies focus on Cd-, Cu-, Pb- or Zn-amended soils, additionally few studies consider accumulation kinetics. Here we model the accumulation kinetics of 18 elements by Eiseniafetida, exposed to 8 metal-contaminated and 2 uncontaminated soils. Tissue metal concentration was determined after 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 days. Metal elimination rate was important in determining time to reach steady-state tissue metal concentration. Uptake flux to elimination rate ratios showed less variation and lower values for essential than for non-essential metals. In theory kinetic rate constants are dependent only on species and metal. Therefore it should be possible to predict steady-state tissue metal concentrations on the basis of very few measurements using the rate constants. However, our experiments show that it is difficult to extrapolate the accumulation kinetic constants derived using one soil to another.
Chemosphere, 2010
Bioavailability of metals in soil is a major factor influencing estimates of risk associated with exposure of ecological receptors. Metal concentrations in soil are often compared to ecological screening benchmarks, which are based on total concentrations in soil. Often, the total concentration is not correlated with toxicity. No standardised method exists for determining the bioavailability of metals in soil to ecological receptors. Several surrogate measures of bioavailability were compared to the results of a battery of toxicity tests using copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)-contaminated soils collected from a former industrial area. A calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) extraction, cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction, simulated earthworm gut (SEG) test, and earthworm bioaccumulation test were performed using the soils. Extractable metals using the CaCl 2 solution were not correlated with any biological responses of earthworms (Eisenia andrei), collembola (Folsomia candida), northern wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus), or alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Concentrations of metals in the HPCD extracts were highly variable and were not adequate for revealing adverse effects. E. andrei tissue concentrations were variable but were predictive of adverse effects to invertebrates. The results of the SEG test correlated with most of the biological endpoints. Bioavailable Cu was correlated with adverse effects to invertebrates and plants using the SEG test. Overall, coefficients of determination associated with the relationships between the biological responses and each measure of bioavailability indicated that those for the SEG test were greater than those for the other surrogate measures of bioavailability. Further validation is required before this test is routinely used to estimate metal bioavailability and toxicity.