US EPA

2064242 

Journal Article 

Bioaccumulation and the soil factors affecting the uptake of arsenic in earthworm, Eisenia fetida 

Lee, B-T; Lee, S-W; Kim, K-R; Kim, K-W 

2013 

Yes 

Environmental Science and Pollution Research
ISSN: 0944-1344
EISSN: 1614-7499 

20 

12 

8326-8333 

English 

24026203 

10.1007/s11356-013-2087-x 

WOS:000327498600003 

To better understand arsenic (As) bioaccumulation, a soil invertebrate species was exposed to 17 field soils contaminated with arsenic due to mining activity. Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were kept in the soils for 70 days under laboratory conditions, as body burden increased and failed to reach equilibrium in all soils. After 70 days of exposure, XANES spectra determined that As was biotransformed to a highly reduced form. Uptake kinetics for As was calculated using one compartment model. Stepwise multiple regression suggested that sorbed As in soils are bioaccessible, and uptake is governed by soil properties (iron oxide, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon) that control As mobility in soils. As in soil solution are highly related to uptake rate except four soils which had relatively high chloride or phosphate. The results imply that uptake of As is through As interaction with soil characteristics as well as direct from the soil solution. Internal validation showed that empirically derived regression equations can be used for predicting As uptake as a function of soil properties within the range of soil properties in the data set. 

Earthworm; Arsenic; Uptake; Soil property; Multiple regression; Bioaccumulation; Biotransformation