Long-term responses of snails exposed to cadmium-contaminated soils in a partial life-cycle experiment.
Juvenile snails were exposed during their growth period to Cd-contaminated field and artificial soils and then transferred to uncontaminated soil to assess the sequels of previous exposure on adult reproduction. Growth modelling highlighted growth inhibitions of 5% and 10% after 70 and 84 days of exposure to 20 and 100 mg Cd kg(-1) in artificial soils, respectively. Growth disruption was accompanied by a decrease in the clutch number and a 4-week delay in the egg-laying cycle. Although it was also contaminated at 20 mg Cd kg(-1), the contaminated field soil did not lead to detectable effects in snails, suggesting a lower Cd bioavailability confirmed by the bioaccumulation analysis. We demonstrated that the 28-day growth test, as advised by the ISO-guideline, may not be sufficient to assess sublethal toxic effects of realistically contaminated soils. For this purpose, a life cycle experimental set-up is proposed, allowing a thorough assessment of toxicity during successive life stages.
Gimbert
Frédéric
F
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Franche-Comté, EA 3184 MR UsC INRA, Place Leclerc, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
de Vaufleury
Annette
A
Douay
Francis
F
Coeurdassier
Michaël
M
Scheifler
Renaud
R
Badot
Pierre-Marie
PM
D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects; D012908:Snails / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*
D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium