ACCUMULATION OF LEAD AND ZINC AND THEIR EFFECT ON SURVIVAL AND GROWTH ON EARTHWORM
B. Ramya Sree
Department of Biotechnology, Sree Vidyanikethan Engineering College, Tirupati
Jyothi M. Joy
Department of Pharmacognosy, Sree Vidyanikethan College of Pharmacy, Tirupati
The present study has focused to determine the concentration of heavy metals accumulation and the relative accumulation of Pb and Zn in earthworm by Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy. Well clitellate earthworm, Eudrillus eugeniae was exposed to different concentrations (75, 150 and 300 mg kg-1) of Pb and Zn separately for 30 days. The effects of the selected metals were studied on survival and growth of the earthworm. The levels of Pb and Zn accumulation in earthworm were assessed by Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The results revealed that presence of the Pb and Zn at the selected concentrations not affects the survival and growth of the earthworm. Pb and Zn were found to gradually accumulate in the earthworm without recording any significant change in tissue, metal concentration only increased. The low levels of metal concentration treatment could not apparently harm the earthworm in respect of their survival and growth. These factors need to be investigated in future studies with the increasing metal treatment in the soil.
6 , 1 , 2016
61 - 65