title: Effects of historic metal(loid) pollution on earthworm communities.
abstract: The effects of metal(loid)s (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As and Sb) from atmospheric fallout on earthworm communities were investigated in a fallow meadow located close to a 60-year-old lead recycling factory. We examined abundance and species diversity as well as the ratio of adult-to-juvenile earthworms, along five 140 m parallel transects. The influence of soil pollution on the earthworm community at the plot scale was put in context by measuring some physico-chemical soil characteristics (OM content, N content, pH), as well as total and bioavailable metal(loid) concentrations. Earthworms were absent in the highly polluted area (concentration from 30,000 to 5000 mg Pb·kg(-1) of dried soil), just near the factory (0-30 m area). A clear and almost linear relationship was observed between the proportion of juvenile versus mature earthworms and the pollution gradient, with a greater proportion of adults in the most polluted zones (only adult earthworms were observed from 30 to 50 m). Apporectodea longa was the main species present just near the smelter (80% of the earthworms were A. longa from 30 to 50 m). The earthworm density was found to increase progressively from five individuals·m(-2) at 30 m to 135 individuals·m(-2) at 140 m from the factory. On average, metal(loid) accumulation in earthworm tissues decreased linearly with distance from the factory. The concentration of exchangeable metal(loid)s in earthworm surface casts was higher than that of the overall soil. Finally, our field study clearly demonstrated that metal(loid) pollution has a direct impact on earthworm communities (abundance, diversity and proportion of juveniles) especially when Pb concentrations in soil were higher than 2050 mg·kg(-1).
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. Agrobiopôle, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; UMR 5245 CNRS-INP-UPS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d'écologie fonctionnelle), Avenue de l'Agrobiopôle, BP 32607, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; ADEME (French Agency for Environment and Energy Management), 20 avenue du Grésillé, BP 90406, 49004 Angers Cedex 01, France.
authors.forename: Thibaut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lévêque
authors.affiliation: INRA, UR 1115, Plantes et Systèmes Horticoles, Site Agroparc, 84914 Avignon cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Capowiez
authors.affiliation: Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, 14 Avenue E. Belin, F-31400 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schreck
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. Agrobiopôle, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France; UMR 5245 CNRS-INP-UPS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d'écologie fonctionnelle), Avenue de l'Agrobiopôle, BP 32607, 31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mombo
authors.affiliation: IMBE, UMR CNRS 7263-IRD 237, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazzia
authors.affiliation: STCM, Société de Traitements Chimiques des Métaux, 30 Avenue Fondeyre, 31200 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Foucault
authors.affiliation: Certop, CNRS UMR 5044, Université Toulouse J. Jaurès, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058955:Metalloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000502:physiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D058955:Metalloids; D008670:Metals; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Aporrectodea longa; Lead; Metal(loid) bioavailability; Soil physico-chemical properties; Soil pollution