Avoidance, biomass and survival response of soil dwelling (endogeic) earthworms to OECD artificial soil: potential implications for earthworm ecotoxicology

• Published in: Ecotoxicology (London) Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 576 - 579
• Main Authors: Brami, C., Glover, A. R., Butt, K. R., Lowe, C. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-05-2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Avoidance; Avoidance behavior; Avoidance behaviour; Avoidance Learning; Biomass; Composition; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Oligochaeta; Oligochaeta - physiology; Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development; Particle size; Soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil invertebrates; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soil properties; Soil texture; Soils; Substrates; Survival; Technical Note; Texture; Toxicity Tests; Worms; Artificial soil; Avoidance test; Ecotoxicology; Soil dwelling earthworms
• ISSN: 0963-9292; 1573-3017
• DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1788-1

Soil dwelling earthworms are now adopted more widely in ecotoxicology, so it is vital to establish if standardised test parameters remain applicable. The main aim of this study was to determine the influence of OECD artificial soil on selected soil-dwelling, endogeic earthworm species. In an initial experiment, biomass change in mature
Allolobophora chlorotica
was recorded in Standard OECD Artificial Soil (AS) and also in Kettering Loam (KL). In a second experiment, avoidance behaviour was recorded in a linear gradient with varying proportions of AS and KL (100% AS, 75% AS + 25% KL, 50% KS + 50% KL, 25% AS + 75% KL, 100% KL) with either
A. chlorotica
or
Octolasion cyaneum.
Results showed a significant decrease in
A. chlorotica
biomass in AS relative to KL, and in the linear gradient, both earthworm species preferentially occupied sections containing higher proportions of KL over AS. Soil texture and specifically % composition and particle size of sand are proposed as key factors that influenced observed results. This research suggests that more suitable substrates are required for ecotoxicology tests with soil dwelling earthworms.