Transfer of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in a soil-plant-invertebrate food chain: A microcosm study

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and chemistry 2006-03, Vol.25 (3), p.815-822
• Main Authors: Scheifler, Renaud, de Vaufleury, Annette, Cœurdassier, Michaël, Crini, Nadia, Badot, Pierre-Marie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Assay; Cadmium; Ecology; Ecology - methods; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exposure sources; Flowers & plants; Food Chain; Food chains; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Heavy metal content; Helix aspersa; Helix, Snails; Invertebrata; Invertebrates; Lactuca; Lactuca - metabolism; Lactuca sativa; Lead; Lettuce; Life Sciences; Metals; Metals - analysis; Mollusca; Mollusks; Risk Assessment; Soil; Soil - analysis; Soil Pollutants; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Soil testing; Terrestrial risk assessment; Terrestrial snails; Time Factors; Toxicology; Zinc
• ISSN: 0730-7268; 1552-8618
• DOI: 10.1897/04-675R.1

The transfer of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn was evaluated in a soil‐plant (lettuce, Lactuca sativa)–invertebrate (snail, Helix aspersa) food chain during a microcosm experiment. Two agricultural soils, polluted and unpolluted, were studied. Lettuce was cultivated for eight weeks before introduction of snails into the microcosms (M‐snails). In a parallel experiment, snails were exposed to lettuce only (i.e., without soil) in simpler exposure devices called containers (C‐snails). Snail exposure duration was eight weeks for both M‐ and C‐snails. No effects on snail survival were found. Both M‐ and C‐snails exposed to polluted soil showed a growth reduction, but only after two weeks of exposure. Time‐dependent accumulation in M‐snails exposed to the polluted environment showed a regular increase of Cd and Zn concentrations over time and a rapid increase of Pb concentrations within the first two weeks, which then remained stable. Copper and Ni concentrations did not increase during any of the experiments. Concentrations in M‐ and C‐snails were compared to estimate the relative contribution of soil and plant to the total bioaccumulation. The results suggest that the soil contribution may be higher than 80% for Pb, from 30 to 60% for Zn, and from 2 to 40% for Cd.