Removal of benzo (a) pyrene from soil using an endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857)

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 70; pp. 62 - 69
• Main Authors: Hernández-Castellanos, B., Ortíz-Ceballos, A., Martínez-Hernández, S., Noa-Carrazana, J.C., Luna-Guido, M., Dendooven, L., Contreras-Ramos, S.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01-08-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Autochthonous microorganisms; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Bioremediation; Brachiaria; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; earthworms; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; hydrocarbons; legumes; microorganisms; Mucuna pruriens; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; polluted soils; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pontoscolex corethrurus; Recalcitrant; Soil science; soil sterilization; Tropical earthworm; tropical soils; tropics; Urochloa; Urochloa humidicola; Zoology (interactions between soil fauna and agricultural or forest soils); Mexico; Mexico, Tabasco; Tropical earthworm; Recalcitrant; Bioremediation; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Autochthonous microorganisms; Hydrocarbon; Fauna; Pollution control; Tropical zone; Ecology; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Annelida; Oligochaeta; Earthworm; Soils; Macrofauna; Soil science; Microorganism; Subterranean medium; Invertebrata; Autochthonous
• ISSN: 0929-1393; 1873-0272
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2013.04.009

•P. corethrurus was tested for its capacity to remove benzo(a)pyrene (BaP).•The autochthonous microorganisms removed BaP from soil.•Addition of P. corethrurus further increased the removal of BaP 4-fold.•B. humidicola increased removal of BaP from sterilized and unsterilized soil.•P. corethrurus could be used in the remediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.
The endogeic earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) was the most abundant species (75%) in soil contaminated with hydrocarbons, mostly benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), in the state of Tabasco (Mexico). The earthworm P. corethrurus was tested for its capacity to remove 100mgBaPkg−1 from an Anthrosol soil (sterilized or not) and amended with legume Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis (Wall. ex Wight) Baker ex Burck (3%) or the grass Brachiaria humidicola (L.) DC (3%) (recently renamed as Urochloa humidicola (Rendle) Morrone & Zuloaga) in an aerobic incubation experiment. P. corethrurus removed 26.6mgBaPkg−1 from the sterilized soil and application of B. humidicola as feed increased this to 35.7mgBaPkg−1 and M. pruriens to 34.2mgBaPkg−1 after 112 days. The autochthonous microorganisms removed 9.1mgBaPkg−1 from the unsterilized soil and application of B. humidicola increased this to 18.0mgBaPkg−1 and M. pruriens to 11.2mgBaPkg−1. Adding P. corethrurus to the unsterilized soil accelerated the removal of BaP and 36.1mgkg−1 was dissipated from soil. It was found that the autochthonous microorganisms removed BaP from soil, but addition of P. corethrurus increased the dissipation 4-fold. The endogeic earthworm P. corethrurus can thus be used to remediate hydrocarbon-contaminated soils in tropical regions.