Toxicity of Drilling Waste from Oil Wells on Oligochaeta

• Published in: Floresta e ambiente Vol. 25; no. 4
• Main Authors: Machado, Hugo Maia, Amaral Sobrinho, Nelson Moura Brasil do, Correia, Maria Elizabeth Fernandes, Magalhães, Marcio Osvaldo Lima, Lima, Erica Souto Abreu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto de Florestas da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro 01-01-2018; Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro
• Subjects: barium; ecotoxicology; Eisenia Andrei; PLANT SCIENCES; sodium; soil contamination; sodium; Eisenia Andrei; barium; soil contamination; ecotoxicology
• ISSN: 1415-0980; 2179-8087; 2179-8087
• DOI: 10.1590/2179-8087.032016

ABSTRACT The most abundant and critical elements in residues from well drilling and prospecting are barium and sodium. Ecotoxicological tests have been used to evaluate the toxicity caused by toxic substances present in the soil. The objective of the present study was to verify the effect of the application of drilling residue from oil wells on Oligochaeta activity. After incubation of the soil with residue doses – BaSO4 and NaCl – three ecotoxicological tests were performed in which the species Eisenia andrei was used as a bioindicator. The avoidance behavior test showed that there was a negative effect of the application of the residue at a dose of 234 t ha-1 on Oligochaeta activity. However, the application of BaSO4 alone did not show damage to the earthworms, unlike what was observed for NaCl application. These results indicate that sodium was the element that most restricted the activity of these organisms.