Effect of heavy metaltoxicity on biomolecules and antioxidative enzymes in earthworm, Eisenia fetida
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Date
2020-06
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CCSHAU, Hisar
Abstract
Earthworms are most easily obtained and one of the largest component of the soil
biota and these organisms are very suitable for estimating disturbance to soil ecosystems. The
worms have the ability to increase the availability of nutrients to plants due to the presence
and activity of micro flora in their gut. Many activities of human beings such as waste
disposal and land treatment etc. have led to increase in amount of metals in soil ecosystems.
These metals not only kill target species, but prove harmful to non-target organisms like
earthworms and due to this reason; the present study was carried out to investigate the effect
of heavy metals on biomolecules and antioxidative enzymes of earthwormE. fetida. The
maximum reduction in biomolecules i.e. 17.80% in crude protein, 33.37% in total tissue
carbohydrate and 37.59% in crude lipid was seen in earthworms treated with Cu + Sn (0.05
+0.05 ppm). There was a significant increase in the activity of antioxidative enzymes i.e.
SOD, 23.65% and 31.77% and POD 44.44% and 28.57% in worms exposed to Cu (1.00 ppm)
and Cu+Sn (0.05+0.05 ppm), respectively. Thus the study proves that copper is toxic to
earthworms as compared to tin.The maximum ethanol production i.e. 5.30% was observed
with 0.50% earthworm cast as compare to control in which no cast was used and ethanol
production was found to be 0.83%. After the observation it can be concluded that earthworm
cast, is also a rich source of nitrogen and phosphorous, may be considered as alternative of
chemical fertilizers like urea and disodium hydrogen phosphate, required for the growth of
yeast during fermentation.