Effect of Sargassum on the Behavior and Survival of the Earthworm Eisenia Fetida

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2024-09, Vol.113 (3), p.36-36, Article 36
• Main Authors: Martínez-Cano, Mayela, Dorantes-Acosta, Ana E., Lara-González, Rogelio, Salgado-Hernández, Enrique, Ortiz-Ceballos, Angel I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural ecosystems; agroecosystems; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Aversion; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biodiversity; Bioindicators; Biomass; Biomonitoring; bulls; Caribbean; Coffee; diet; Earth and Environmental Science; earthworms; Ecosystems; Ecotoxicology; Eisenia fetida; Environment; Environmental assessment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental impact; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Heavy metals; Humidity; Indicator species; Mexico; Mortality; Oligochaeta - drug effects; Oligochaeta - physiology; Pollution; risk; Sargassum; Sargassum - physiology; Shores; soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soil quality; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil testing; Survival; Toxicity; Toxicology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Worms
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-024-03935-5

The massive influx of Sargassum natans and S. fluitans to the shores of the Mexican Caribbean has raised concerns regarding their potential impact on soil quality and health in coastal and agroecosystems. The effects of Sargassum accumulation remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to assess the impact of Sargassum on soil ecosystems by examining the behavior and survival of the epigean earthworm Eisenia fetida . The earthworm was exposed to varying concentrations of Sargassum (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) in two toxicological tests. Results from the avoidance test demonstrated that E. fetida exhibited strong aversion (> 80%) to a diet containing 100% Sargassum . Conversely, the acute test revealed minimal mortality, but growth decreased with increasing Sargassum concentrations. These findings can serve as early warning bioindicators for assessing the environmental risk posed by Sargassum in soil ecosystems.