Pesticides and the soil fauna

Edwards, C. A.; Thompson, A. R.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-8493-3_1

Cited by 130 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…In an extensive survey of pesticide concentrations detected in earthworms and soils from 67 agricultural fields in 1965, Gish and Hughes (Gish 1970) calculated mean concentration factors (dry weight) in earthworms as follows: dieldrin-9.9, DDE-7.4, and heptachlor epoxide-3.0. Edwards and Thompson (1973), writing at a time when insecticides had recently been applied, generalized that concentration factors of organochlorine pesticides were typically about 5, although it should be noted that they included values based on wet weight as well as on dry weight of earthworms. Concentration factors measured in recent studies are in the same range.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and Changes in Bioavailability of Dieldrin, DDE, and Heptachlor Epoxide in Earthworms Over 45 Years

Beyer

Gale

2012

AMBIO

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The finding of dieldrin (88 ng/g), DDE (52 ng/g), and heptachlor epoxide (19 ng/g) in earthworms from experimental plots after a single moderate application (9 kg/ha) 45 years earlier attests to the remarkable persistence of these compounds in soil and their continued uptake by soil organisms. Half-lives (with 95 % confidence intervals) in earthworms, estimated from exponential decay equations, were as follows: dieldrin 4.9 (4.3-5.7) years, DDE 5.3 (4.7-6.1) years, and heptachlor epoxide 4.3 (3.8-4.9) years. These half-lives were not significantly different from those estimated after 20 years. Concentration factors (dry weight earthworm tissue/dry weight soil) were initially high and decreased mainly during the first 11 years after application. By the end of the study, average concentration factors were 1.5 (dieldrin), 4.0 (DDE), and 1.8 (heptachlor epoxide), respectively.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and Changes in Bioavailability of Dieldrin, DDE, and Heptachlor Epoxide in Earthworms Over 45 Years

Beyer

Gale

2012

AMBIO

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“…1,2) These animals inhabiting farmland, pastures, and meadows, are possibly exposed to pesticides during various agricultural practices. Their limited ability to escape may result in the bioaccumulation of pesticides that greatly influence soil fertility due to their toxic effects on these animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4) The burrowing of many earthworm species in soil causes changes in the soil structure, resulting in the modification of water flow and microbial activity therein. 1,5,6) In addition to the ecological importance of the earthworms whose physiology is well understood, pesticide exposure via either the epidermal surface or soil ingestion is suitable for examining the terrestrial eco-toxicity of pesticides; 7) standardized toxicity test protocols are available. 8,9) From these viewpoints, the sublethal effects of pesticides on the growth, reproduction and behavior of the earthworm by soil exposure should be examined in its EU registration, together with risk assessment of bioaccumulation in birds and mammals when the log K ow (n-octanol/water partition coefficient) value of pesticide is >3.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicity, bioaccumulation and metabolism of pesticides in the earthworm

Katagi

Ose

2015

Journal of Pesticide Science

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The toxic effects of pesticides on earthworms, one of the most important bioindicators in the terrestrial environment, are closely related to their body burden determined by uptake, metabolism and excretion processes. Not only the passive diffusion via the outer skin from a dissolved fraction of pesticide but also the ingestion of contaminated soil and food governs the uptake process, with each contribution controlled by either the hydrophobicity of the pesticide or the soil organic matter. Although the available information is limited, earthworms are likely to metabolize pesticides via hydrolysis and oxidation (Phase I) followed by conjugation (Phase II), and low bioaccumulation is observed as a result for most pesticides. The acute toxicity in the soil exposure can be partly explained by the dissolved fraction of pesticide in pore water, but the contribution of dietary uptake and metabolism should be further studied to correctly evaluate pesticide toxicity.

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“…The impact of insecticides on the soil faunal density varies among insecticides (Edwards and Thompson 1973). In this study, we used the organophosphorus insecticides PAP, MEP, isoxathion, and diazinon.…”

Section: à2mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we used the organophosphorus insecticides PAP, MEP, isoxathion, and diazinon. Edwards and Thompson (1973) noted that organophosphorus insecticides generally reduce predatory mite abundance, but increase the populations of collembolans and other mites; predatory mites are generally sensitive to organophosphorus insecticides and the decrease of the predatory pressure of the predatory mites would increase in prey faunal abundance. However, we were not able to detect whether insecticides affected the soil faunal abundance because we did not have control (no insecticide) plots.…”

Section: à2mentioning

confidence: 99%

Significance of litter layer in enhancing mesofaunal abundance and microbial biomass nitrogen in sweet corn-white clover living mulch systems

Kaneda

Miura

Yamashita

et al. 2012

Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

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Living mulch is a type of sustainable farming system that consists of cover crops planted either before or with a main crop; a living mulch is maintained as a living ground cover throughout the growing season of the main crop. Microbial biomass and abundance of mesofauna (microarthropods and enchytraeids) are important soil biological parameters in relation to soil function, plant productivity, and nutrient cycling; however, the effects of living mulch on these parameters are not fully understood. In this study we examined the effects of living mulch treatment with nitrogen fertilizer (0, 40, 160, or 200 kg ha À1 ) on the abundance of soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, and Collembola) and the effects of living mulch treatment on the dynamics of the soil biota (mesofauna, microarthropods, enchytraeids, and microbial biomass nitrogen) from spring to autumn. Our results showed that living mulch treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the grain weight of the main crop in both experiments. Generally, living mulch treatment had a positive effect on the abundance of mesofauna and microbial biomass nitrogen, despite pesticide usage. Nitrogen levels did not affect the number of microarthropods. The litter layer in living mulch significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced microbial biomass nitrogen and the abundance of Oribatida, Prostigmata, and Collembola. We conclude that living mulch enhances mesofaunal abundance and microbial biomass nitrogen and that the production of a litter layer by living mulch is one of the major mechanisms for this enhancement.

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Pesticides and the soil fauna

Cited by 130 publications

References 103 publications

Persistence and Changes in Bioavailability of Dieldrin, DDE, and Heptachlor Epoxide in Earthworms Over 45 Years

Persistence and Changes in Bioavailability of Dieldrin, DDE, and Heptachlor Epoxide in Earthworms Over 45 Years

Toxicity, bioaccumulation and metabolism of pesticides in the earthworm

Significance of litter layer in enhancing mesofaunal abundance and microbial biomass nitrogen in sweet corn-white clover living mulch systems

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