ECOTOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF PAH-CONTAMINATED SOIL USING EARTHWORMS

摘要

Oligochaetes are one of the predominant members of soil fauna and they should be regarded as useful assessment endpoint in terrestrial ecotoxicology. Earthworms may not exhibit lethal toxic effects if exposed to soil samples with low PAH concentrations demanding the inclusion of sublethal toxicity endpoints such as effects on reproduction and the influence on enzymic systems. Concurrent analysis of bioaccumulation of PAH may deliver useful information for relating toxic effects shown by contaminated soil samples, to the bioavailable fraction of the contaminants. However, further research is necessary for a significant correlation of body burden to adverse effects.