Eisenia andrei

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). 

Sauve, S. and Fournier, M., Age-specific immunocompetence of the earthworm Eisenia andrei exposure to methylmercury chloride, Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety, 60, 67, 2005. 

LC50 for goldfish 1.8 mL/kg (quoted, Verschueren, 1983), 89.7 and 164 mg/L (soil porewater concentration) for earthworm Eisenia andrei) and 252 and 482 mg/L (soil porewater concentration) for earthworm Lumbricus rubellus) (Van Gestel and Ma, 1993). 

LC50 639 to 1,518 g/L (soil porewater concentration) for earthworm Eisenia andrei) and 3.5 to... 

Earthworms, three species 40-238 mg/kg soil exposure duration unknown Earthworm, Eisenia andrei juveniles exposure for 12 weeks 18 mg/kg DW soil 56 mg/kg DW soil 100 mg/kg DW soil... 

Belfroid, A., van Wezel, A., Sikkenk, M., vanGestel, K., Seinen, W., Hermens, J. (1993) The toxicokinetic behaviour of chlorobenzene in earthworms (Eisenia andrei), experiments in water. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 25, 154-165. 

Posthuma L, Weltje L, Anton-Sanchez FA. 1996. Joint toxic effects of cadmium and pyrene on reproduction and growth of the earthworm Eisenia andrei. No. 607506001. Bilthoven (the Netherlands) National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). 

Another example for species-specific differences in bioavailability of chemical mixtures is the study of Loureiro et al. (2005), where avoidance behavior of earthworms and isopods was studied in 2 soils from the vicinities of an abandoned gold mine. Isopods (Porcellionides pruinosis) turned out to show avoidance behavior, whereas earthworms (Eisenia andrei) did not, suggesting isopods to be more sensitive than earthworms for these soils that contained a mixture of metals. It remains unclear which factors explain this difference, but routes of exposure and bioavailability difference may have played a role. 

Belfroid A, Sikkenk M, Seinen W, Van Gestel K, Hermens J. 1994. The toxicokinetic behavior of chlorobenzenes in earthworm (Eisenia andrei) experiments in soil. Environ Toxicol Chem 13 93-99. 

Jager T, Fleuren RHLJ, Hogendoom EA, De Korte G. 2003. Elucidating the routes of exposure for organic chemicals in the earthworm, Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta). Environ Sci Technol 37 3399-3404. 

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2004b) OECD Guideline for the Testing of Chemicals, Earthworm Reproduction Test (Eisenia fetida/Eisenia Andrei), OECD 222, adopted 13 April 2004. 

Eason, C.T., Svendsen, C., O Halloran, K. and Weeks, J.M. (1999) An assessment of the lysosomal neutral red retention test and immune function assay in earthworms (Eisenia andrei) following exposure to chlorpyrifos, benzo-a-pyrene (BaP), and contaminated soil. Pedobiologia, 43, 641-645. 

Robidoux, P.Y., Svendsen, C., Sarrazin, M., Hawaii, J., Thiboutot, S., Ampleman, G., Weeks, J.M. and Sunahara, G.I. (2002) Evaluation of tissue and cellular biomarkers to assess 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) exposure in earthworms effects-based assessment in laboratory studies using Eisenia andrei. Biomarkers, 7, 306-321. 

Stokke, K. and Stenersen, J. (1993) Non inducibility of the glutathione transferases of the earthworm Eisenia andrei. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology C, 106, 753-756. 

Svendsen, C. and Weeks, J.M. (1997) Relevance and applicability of a simple earthworm biomarker of copper exposure 1. Links to ecological effects in a laboratory study with Eisenia andrei. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 36, 72-79. 

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. 

Other procedures using, for example, exposure on filter paper impregnated with the toxicant for earthworms clearly presents an ideal situation that does not appear to be environmentally realistic. Comparison of different routes of exposure to the toxicant has, however, been made with Eisenia andrei (Belfroid et al. 1993), and the acute toxicity was given as lethal body burden (LBB) after exposure to 1,2,3-trichloro- and pentachlorobenzene. Exposure was carried out in water, in soil via food, and on filter paper, and when LBBs were normalized to lipid content the values for pentachlorobenzene were comparable, although the value for 1,2,3-trichlo-robenzene for exposure on filter paper was higher than for the other routes of exposure. 

Belfroid, A., W. Seinen, K. van Gestel, and J. Hermens. 1993. The acute toxicity of chlorobenzenes for earthworms (Eisenia andrei) in different exposure systems. Chemosphere 26 2265-2277. 

Test organism Eisenia foetida or Eisenia andrei (red worm). Principle/Procedure The mortality of adult earthworms placed in potentially contaminated soil is determined. 

Robidoux PY et al., Chronic toxicity of energetic compounds in soil determined using the earthworm (Eisenia andrei) reproduction test, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 19, 1764, 2000. 

Robidoux PY et al., TNT, RDX and HMX decrease earthworm (Eisenia andrei) life-cycle responses in a spiked natural forest soil, Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 43, 379, 2002. 

Robidoux PY et al., Evaluation of tissue and cellular biomarkers to assess 2,4,6-trinitroluene (TNT) exposure in earthworms Effects-based assessment in laboratory studies using Eisenia andrei, Biomarkers 7, 306, 2002. 

Lachance B et al., Toxicity and bioaccumulation of reduced TNT metabolites in the earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to amended forest soil, Chemosphere, 55, 1339, 2004. 

Several studies demonstrated that TNT can be rapidly transformed by the earthworm Eisenia andrei in a forest soil [48], OECD artificial soil, or filter paper [52], However, TNT metabolites can be accumulated in the earthworm [50,52], Using standard toxicity exposure methods and different substrates, Robidoux et al. [49] determined that RDX or HMX accumulate in the earthworms. In these studies, earthworms were exposed for 28 d to different concentrations of TNT (ranging from 10 to 881 pg g 1 dry soil), RDX (ranging from 12.5 to 1671 pg g 1 dry soil), and HMX ranging from... 

Robidoux PY, Hawari J, and Sunahara GI, Uptake and transformation of RDX, HMX, and TNT in the earthworm (Eisenia Andrei) using different substrates (submitted). 

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