Elucidating the routes of exposure for organic chemicals in the earthworm, Eisenia andrei (Oligochaeta)

D.T. Jager, R.H.L.J. Fleuren, E.A. Hogendoorn, G. de Korte

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Earthworms take up organic compounds through their skin as well as from their food, butthe quantitative contribution of each route is unclear. In this contribution, we experimentally validate an accumulation model containing a separate compartment for the gut. Uptake from the gut is modeled as passive diffusion from the dissolved phase in the gut contents. For the experiments, we exposed Eisenia andreiin artificial soil spiked with tetrachlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, and PCB 153. Apart from the standard accumulation and elimination experiments, we ligatured the worm (using tissue adhesive) to prevent feeding. Model fits were good, thus supporting the validity of the model. The contribution of the gut route increased with increasing hydrophobicity of the chemical, and for PCB 153 the gut route clearly dominated. Despite the importance of the gut route, the final steady-state body residues did not exceed equilibrium partitioning predictions by more than 25%. Rate constants for exchange across the skin and the gut wall could be separately identified. The rate constant across the skin decreases with K
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)3399-3404
    JournalEnvironmental Science and Technology
    Volume37
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2003

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