Risk-based remediation of polluted sites: A critical perspective.

Sites contaminated with chemical pollutants represent a growing challenge, and remediation of such lands is of international concern. Risk-based land management (RBLM) is an emerging approach that integrates risk assessment practices with more traditional site-specific investigations and remediation activities. Developing countries are yet to adopt RBLM strategies for remediation.

Earthworm Comet Assay for Assessing the Risk of Weathered Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contaminated Soils: Need to Look Further than Target Contaminants.

Earthworm toxicity assays contribute to ecological risk assessment and consequently standard toxicological endpoints, such as mortality and reproduction, are regularly estimated. These endpoints are not enough to better understand the mechanism of toxic pollutants. We employed an additional endpoint in the earthworm Eisenia andrei to estimate the pollutant-induced stress.

Gene expression profile changes in Eisenia fetida chronically exposed to PFOA.

Eisenia fetida is a terrestrial organism, which can be used to diagnose sub-lethal concentrations of PFOA by using molecular biomarkers. In order to identify potential molecular biomarkers, we have exposed E. fetida to 10 mg/kg of PFOA in soil for 8 months.

Effect of zero valent iron nanoparticles to Eisenia fetida in three soil types.

In this study, the influence of soil types on the effect of the commercial form of C-nZVI on tissue concentrations, cellular component, reproduction outcome in Eisenia fetida, and the soil health was investigated. C-nZVI at concentration level of 3 g kg(-1) soil showed no effect on the survival of E. fetida in the three soil types.

Chronic PFOS exposure alters the expression of neuronal development-related human homologues in Eisenia fetida.

PFOS is a toxic, persistent environmental pollutant which is widespread worldwide. PFOS contamination has entered the food chain and is interfering with normal development in man and is neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and tumorigenic. The earthworm, Eisenia fetida is one of the organisms which can help to diagnose soil health and contamination at lower levels in the food chain.