The Effects ofCuO and ZnO Nanoparticles on Survival, Reproduction, Absorption,Overweight, andAccumulation in Eisenia fetida Earthworm Tissues in Two Substrates

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Department of Crop Sciences and Plant Breeding, College ofAboureihan, University ofTehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tow nanoparticles (NPs) on the absorption,
accumulation, reproduction of the Eisenia fetida. A 4×2×2 factorial experiment in a randomized complete
block design with three replications was conducted. The factors included in the experiment are the content of
NPs at four levels (0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2gr/kg weight of substrate), the type of NPs at two levels (CuO and ZnO)
and the type of substrates at two levels (cow manure and spent mushroom compost (SMC)). After preparing
the substrates, adult worms were added to each pot that has 6kg of each type of substrates. The aqua solution
of NPs was added to the cultures. The NPs effects on the overweight, mortality, accumulation and reproduction
were measured at the end of seven- and fourteen-day two periods after exposure to NPs. The earthworm
tissues were enhanced with increasing the NPs concentration. The increases were more in cow manure than
SMC, and the accumulation of ZnO were more than CuO. The number of the earthworm egg decreased in both
7th&4th days through increasing the NPs concentration. The ZnO were more effective in reducing the
reproduction than the CuO in the seventh day after the substrates treatment. Overweight decreased in both
seventh and fourteenth days through increasing the NPs concentration. Nano CuO was more effective in
reducing the overweight than nano ZnO, The decrease of the worm tissues in the SMC substrate was more
than the cow manure substrate in the fourteenth day after the treatment

Keywords

International Journal of Environmental Research
Volume 9, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
January 2015
Pages 35-42

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