Soil invertebrates- an usefull tool in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution. A review

 

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Article Title: Soil invertebrates- an usefull tool in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution. A review
Authors: Manu M.
Affiliation: Romanian Academy, Institute of Biology Bucharest, Department of Ecology,  Taxonomy and Nature Conservation
Abstract: The atmospheric pollution and its impact on human life, increased attention paid to the invertebrates. It was determined that human intervention causes important quantitative (density) and qualitative (diversity) changes of the invertebrate populations from the affected ecosystems in comparison with those from natural areas. Studies concerning the invertebrates’ usage as biomonitors had been started from 1977-1978. The lab methods became more and more modern, being used in order to determine concentrations of heavy metals from invertebrate bodies. These modern techniques are present in this paper. Analyzing the concentrations of heavy metals from invertebrate bodies from Europe and Russia, the higher values of cadmium (Cd) were identified on different species of beetles, mollusks, mites-oribatids and earthworms. High concentrations of lead (Pb) were identified on earthworms, isopods and mollusks. The mercury (Hg) was identified only on few species of isopods and millipedes. The biomonitor groups for iron (Fe) are earthworms and beetles; for zinc (Zn): earthworms, springtails, beetles, spiders, millipedes, mites, pseudoscorpions and mollusks. Millipedes and mites are efficient biomonitors for copper (Cu). Most biomonitoring studies on invertebrates were realized on species from temperate zones, many of them being signaled also in Romania. However, the national biomonitoring studies that used invertebrates are few, in comparison with those from Europe, being necessary many researches with this topic.
Keywords: pollution, invertebrates, monitoring, heavy metal, review.
*Correspondence: Manu Minodora, Romanian Academy, Institute of Biology Bucharest, Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, street Splaiul Independenţei, no. 296, code 0603100, PO-BOX 56-53, fax 040212219071, tel. 040212219202, Bucharest, Romania; e-mail address: minodora_stanescu@yahoo.com.