Eisenia andrei Behavioral and Antioxidative Responses to Excess of Copper in the Soil

Intense copper-based (Cu) fungicide using in agriculture has led to soil contamination in different places worldwide. Excess of Cu in the soil can have negative effect on the entire ecosystem. The aim of the current study is to determine the toxicological effects of different Cu doses on the biomass, reproduction, and biochemical responses of earthworm species Eisenia andrei. Soil samples were divided into 6 treatments, namely 0, 35, 70, 105, 140, and 175 mg Cu kg−1. Biomass assessment was based on earthworms’ exposure to different Cu doses for 21 days, whereas reproduction test was applied for 56 days. Biochemical analyses were carried out after earthworms were exposed to different Cu doses for 3 days and at the end of the experiment (28-day exposure). There was significant biomass decrease in earthworms exposed to the highest Cu dose after 14 days. Increasing Cu doses have decreased the number of E. andrei cocoons. The activity of enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) was higher in earthworms exposed to the highest Cu dose at the end of the exposure period. Lipid peroxidation (MDA) levels have changed in all treatments after 28 days, except for 175 g kg−1 of Cu. Excess of Cu in the soil has caused damage to E. andrei earthworms in all parameters evaluated in the current study; neurotoxic effects were evidenced by AChE activity, even at the lowest Cu doses.