Chemosensory cues alter earthworm (Eisenia fetida) avoidance of lead-contaminated soil.
Earthworms were shown to significantly avoid soils spiked with Pb at concentrations lower than or comparable to concentrations that demonstrate significant effects for other endpoints. It was also shown that inclusion of a microorganism-produced volatile compound that attracts earthworms, ethyl valerate, decreased avoidance of spiked soils. These findings suggest that care should be taken when analyzing earthworm avoidance of soils in which microorganism communities are not controlled. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:999-1004. © 2016 SETAC.
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Zuby
Z
Syed
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Dana
D
Alexander
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Jasmine
J
Ali
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Jason
J
Unrine
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences, Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
W Aaron
WA
Shoults-Wilson
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead
Avoidance behavior; Chemosensory; Dose-response; Earthworms; Trace metals