Bioaccumulation of pesticide residue in earthworms collected from the agricultural soils of Kuttanad-a unique agroecosystem in India.

Earthworms encompass significant soil faunal biomass and have tremendous potential to provide vital ecosystem services. Earthworms are considered bioindicators of chemical contaminants and can provide early warnings of ecosystem deterioration. Studies pertaining to the accumulation of pesticide residues in earthworm in biomass in agrarian ecosystems are scarce.

Risk assessment of heavy metals in Vembanad Lake sediments (south-west coast of India), based on acid-volatile sulfide (AVS)-simultaneously extracted metal (SEM) approach.

Contamination of estuarine system due to heavy metals is a severe issue in tropical countries, especially in India. For the evaluation of the risk due to heavy metals, the current study assessed spatial and temporal variation of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously extracted metal (SEM), and total metal concentration as toxicity indicator of aquatic sediments in Vembanad Lake System (VLS), India. Surface sediment samples collected from 12 locations from the northern portion of VLS for 4 years during different seasons.