Relevance and Applicability of a Simple Earthworm Biomarker of Copper Exposure. I. Links to Ecological Effects in a Laboratory Study withEisenia andrei

Organic Matter Reduces Copper Toxicity for the Earthworm Eisenia fetida in Soils from Mining Areas in Central Chile

“…Similarly, the species Lumbricus rubellus did not show a decrease in the production of cocoons with a Cu bioaccumulation below the critical threshold of 40 mg kg -1 (Ma, 2005). In the present study, the bioaccumulation of 23 mg Cu kg -1 in the earthworms present in the control soil can be considered as normal, in accordance with Svendsen and Weeks (1997). A higher bioaccumulation of Cu (in the range of 37 to 64 mg kg -1 ) caused a reduction in cocoon production.…”

“…This, in turn, affects sexual maturity and production of cocoons and juveniles (Spurgeon and Hopkin, 1996). Likewise, the efficiency of excretion probably decreases with increasing concentrations of Cu, resulting in increased bioaccumulation (i.e., the concentration of assimilated Cu in earthworm tissue) in the soils with higher Cu concentrations (Svendsen and Weeks, 1997;ScottFordsmand et al, 2000).…”

“…For example, Svendsen and Weeks (1997) used the stability of the lysosomal membrane as a biomarker of sub-cellular stress in the earthworms E. andrei exposed to increasing concentrations of Cu. The degree of damage induced by Cu on the lysosomal membrane depended on its bioaccumulation.…”

“…A higher bioaccumulation of Cu (in the range of 37 to 64 mg kg -1 ) caused a reduction in cocoon production. Svendsen and Weeks (1997) proposed that earthworms can present individual differences in the efficiency of excreting assimilated Cu. Consequently, bioaccumulation of Cu is not a good biomarker of stress induced by this element, as is reflected in the low regression coefficient (R 2 = 0.37, P < 0.05) between the parameters of reproduction and bioaccumulation.…”

Copper Induced Lysosomal Membrane Destabilisation in Haemolymph Cells of Mediterranean Green Crab (Carcinus aestuarii, Nardo, 1847) from the Narta Lagoon (Albania)

“…It is wellknown that one of the main modes of copper toxicity action is the reduction of the membrane permeability, and lysosomal membrane stability is particularly sensitive endpoint for demonstrating the effects of this metal in several invertebrate species (Svendsen and Weeks 1997;Ringwood et al 1998;Viarengo et al 2007;Aguirre-Martínez et al 2013;Matozzo 2015). The NRR assay has been used previously in the field trials with C. means to demonstrate the differences between the polluted and non-polluted sites Astley et al 1999).…”