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Equilibrium partitioning of heavy metals in dutch field soils. II. Prediction of metal accumulation in earthworms
Author(s) -
Janssen René P. T.,
Posthuma Leo,
Baerselman Rob,
Den Hollander Henri A.,
Van Veen Rens P. M.,
Peijnenburg Willie J. G. M.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620161207
Subject(s) - bioconcentration , bioaccumulation , soil water , eisenia andrei , environmental chemistry , chemistry , partition coefficient , metal , earthworm , soil contamination , contamination , soil science , environmental science , ecology , chromatography , organic chemistry , biology
To evaluate the adequacy of the equilibrium partitioning concept in predicting metal bioaccumulation, a soil invertebrate species was exposed in 20 Dutch field soils with moderate metal contamination. Earthworms ( Eisenia andrei ) were kept in the soils for 3 weeks under laboratory conditions. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for six metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni) and for As were calculated as the ratio of body‐ and solid‐phase metal concentrations. Multivariate statistical analyses suggested that the BCFs for As, Cd, Cu, and Zn are governed by the same soil characteristics that determine equilibrium partition coefficients between the soil solid phase and the pore water. This suggests that uptake of metals is either direct from the pore water or indirect through an uptake route closely related to pore water. Regression equations were derived for predicting BCF values as a function of easily determinable soil characteristics. By means of internal validation it was shown that the equations obtained can be used for predictive purposes within the range of soil properties encountered in the dataset. Due to a lack of data, external validation was possible only in a qualitative sense.