Earthworm species

Francis GS, Fraser PM (1998) The effects of three earthworm species on soil macroporosity and hydraulic conductivity. Appl Soil Ecol 10 11-19... 

Spurgeon, D. J., Svendsen, C., Rimmer, V. R., Hopkin, S. P. and Weeks, J. M. (2000). Relative sensitivity of life cycle and biomarker responses in four earthworm species exposed to zinc, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 19, 1800-1808. 

Morgan JE, Morgan AJ. 1993. Seasonal changes in the tissue-metal (Cd, Zn and Pb) concentrations in two ecophysiologically dissimilar earthworm species pollution-monitoring implications. Environ Pollut 82 1-7. 

Eason, C.T., Booth, L.H., Brennan, S. and Ataria, J. (1998) Cytochrome P450 activity in 3 earthworm species. In Advances in Earthworm Ecotoxicology. Proceedings from the Second International Workshop on Earthworm Ecotoxicology, 2-5 April 1997, Sheppard, S. Bem-bridge, J., Holmstrup, M. and Posthuma, L. (eds), pp. 191-198. SETAC Press, Pensacola, FL. 

Van Gestel, C.A.M., Van Dis, W.A., Van Breemen, E.M. and Sparenburg, P.M. (1989) Development of a standardized reproduction toxicity test with the earthworm species Eisenia andrei using copper, pentachlorophenol and 2,4-dichloroaniline. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 18, 305-312. 

As for the soil compartment, the comet assay on coelomocytes of earthworms (Eisenia foetida) kept in PAH-contaminated soil samples had higher DNA damage than in control samples (Verschaeve, 2002). However no dose-effect relationship was observed. Also, the levels of PAH-DNA adducts in Lumbricus terrestris, another earthworm species, kept on industrially contaminated soils increased with exposure time (Van Schooten et al., 1995). Few surveys have been performed on terrestrial plant species, but trifluralin was shown to induce a significant increase in tail length in the comet assay applied on the leaves of Viciafaba (Bierkens et al., 1998). 

Moreover, some cDNA sequences were determined (see Genbank), such as Choi s in 1995 (U 25648 and U 25643), Sturzenbaum s in 1997 (AJ 223152). According the homologue analysis and sequence alignment, there could be some nonidentity homologs in sequences isolated from same earthworm species in different countries, this might be resulted from site-mutation occurred under dissimilar conditions. 

Bundy, J.G., Spurgeon, D. J., Svendsen, C., Hankard, P. K., Osborn, D., Lindon, J. C. and Nicholson, J. K, 2002, Earthworm species of the genus Eisenia can be phenotypically differentiated by metabolic profiling. FEES letters. 521, 115-120. Burstein, E.A, Vedenkina, N.S, and Ivkova. M. N, 1973, Fluorescence and the location of tryptophan residues in protein molecules. Photochemistry and Photobiology 18, 263-279. 

Wampler and Jamieson (1980) studied 12 species of luminous earthworms belonging to six genera (Diplocardia, Diplotrema, Fletcherodrilus, Octochaetus, Pontodrilus and Spenceriella) from the United States, Australia and New Zealand, and found that all of the species exude luminous coelomic fluid from their dorsal pores, except Pontodrilus bermudensis that exudes the fluid from the mouth. All of them emit luminescence of broad emission spectra with the peaks ranging from 500 nm to over 570 nm. 

Distributions of pesticide concentrations in potential food items for avian species are required to estimate the contribution of food to exposure of birds in different regions where the test chemical may be used. On treated fields, detectable CEF residues were found in 102 of 207 earthworm samples. No earthworm samples collected from control fields (N = 28) contained detectable CEF. Average CEF concentrations in earthworms reached maxima 1-4 days post-application (Table 3). Mean CEF residues in earthworms fell below 0.1 qg g after 8 days post-application. This... 

Data on toxicity of chromium to terrestrial invertebrates are sparse. Studies conducted in India showed that a concentration of 10 to 15 mg/L of CrM in irrigation water, when applied to soils for agricultural purposes, was lethal to two species of earthworms in 58 to 60 days (Soni and Abbasi 1981 Abbasi and Soni 1983). 

No evidence of copper deficiency exists in terrestrial species of invertebrates examined. However, relatively low concentrations of copper stimulated growth and reproduction. Reproduction in mites (Platynothrus peltifer) increases when fed diets containing 28 mg Cu/kg DW (vs. 13 mg/kg in controls) for 3 months (Denneman and van Straalen 1991). Also, juveniles of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) show increased growth at 18 mg Cu/kg DW soil after 12 weeks (van Gestel et al. 1991). 

Copper is toxic to sensitive species of terrestrial vegetation at >40 pg/L nutrient solution (seedlings of pines, Pirns spp.), at >10 mg/kg DW leaves (cucumber, Cucumis sativus), and >60 mg extractable Cu/kg DW soil (sweet orange, Citrus sinensis Table 3.4). Among sensitive species of terrestrial invertebrates, adverse effects on survival, growth, or reproduction occur at 2 pg Cu/cm2 on paper discs (earthworms), >50 mg Cu/kg diet (larvae of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar), and 53 to 70 mg Cu/kg DW soil (earthworms and soil nematodes Table 3.4). 

Earthworms, three species 40-238 mg/kg soil No effect on growth, survival, or reproduction 7... 

Data are limited on nickel concentrations in terrestrial invertebrates. Earthworms from uncontaminated soils may contain as much as 38 mg Ni/kg DW, and workers of certain termite species may normally contain as much as 5000 mg Ni/kg DW (Table 6.6). Larvae of the gypsy moth (Porthetria dispar) near a nickel smelter had 20.4 mg Ni/kg DW concentrations in pupae and adults were lower because these stages have higher nickel elimination rates than larvae (Bagatto et al. 1996). 

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