Amelioration of acidic soil increases the toxicity of the weak base carbendazim to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. (21st October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Kailin; Wang, Shaoyun; Luo, Kun; Liu, Xiangying; Yu, Yunlong
• Is Part Of: Environmental toxicology and chemistry. Volume 32:Number 12(2013:Dec.)
• Page Start: 2870
• Page End: 2873
• Publication Date: 2013-10-21
• Subjects: Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 615.902
• DOI: 10.1002/etc.2386
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0730-7268

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="etc2386-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <p>Ameliorating acidic soils is a common practice and may affect the bioavailability of an ionizable organic pollutant to organisms. The toxicity of the weak base carbendazim to the earthworm (<italic>Eisenia fetida</italic>) was studied in an acidic soil (pH–H₂O, 4.6) and in the ameliorated soil (pH–H₂O, 7.5). The results indicated that the median lethal concentration of carbendazim for <italic>E. fetida</italic> decreased from 21.8 mg/kg in acidic soil to 7.35 mg/kg in the ameliorated soil. To understand why the amelioration increased carbendazim toxicity to the earthworm, the authors measured the carbendazim concentrations in the soil porewater. The authors found increased carbendazim concentrations in porewater, resulting in increased toxicity of carbendazim to earthworms. The increased pore concentrations result from decreased adsorption because of the effects of pH and calcium ions. <italic>Environ Toxicol Chem</italic> 2013;32:2870–2873. © 2013 SETAC</p> </sec> </abstract>