The Enchytraeid Reproduction Test (ERT): A Potentially Quick and Affordable Tool for the Assessment of Metal Contaminated Soils in Emerging Economies

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 91; no. 5; pp. 545 - 548
• Main Authors: Voua Otomo, Patricks, Wahl, Jurie, Maboeta, Mark S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-11-2013; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agriculture; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Aquatic Pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Developing Countries; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Emerging markets; Enchytraeus; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metal content; Metal concentrations; Metals - analysis; Metals - toxicity; Mine tailings; Mine wastes; Mining; Pollution; Soil - chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soil remediation; Soil Science & Conservation; South Africa; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; South Africa; Africa; Reproduction; Oligochaetes; Metal contamination; Survival; Toxicity; Agricultural soil; Natural soil; Metal; Soil pollution; Annelida; Oligochaeta; Industrial waste; Enchytraeidae; Invertebrata; Mining industry; Mining waste
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-013-1092-6

The enchytraeid reproduction test (ERT) was used to assess the ecotoxicity of selected mine tailings and agricultural soils from South Africa. The mine tailings had higher cumulative metal concentrations than agricultural soils. The most contaminated mine tailings significantly reduced the survival of the oligochaete
Enchytraeus doerjesi
whose reproduction was suppressed in all mine waste substrates. Because it reliably singled out the most contaminated substrate and was found easy to perform, we suggest that the ERT could be a quick and affordable tool for assigning intervention values for soil remediation in emerging economies such as South Africa.