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Review
. 2019 Oct;12(2):71-82.
doi: 10.2478/intox-2019-0008. Epub 2020 Feb 20.

World of earthworms with pesticides and insecticides

Rashi Miglani  1 , Satpal Singh Bisht  1
Affiliations
Review

World of earthworms with pesticides and insecticides

Rashi Miglani et al. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2019 Oct.

Abstract

Earthworms are important organisms in soil communities and are known for sustaining the life of the soil. They are used as a model organism in environmental risk assessment of chemicals and soil toxicology. Soil provides physical and nutritive support to agriculture system by regulating biogeochemical cycles, nutrient cycle, waste degradation, organic matter degradation etc. The biggest threat to soil health are pesticides and synthetic chemicals including fertilizers. Earthworms are most severely hit by these xenobiotic compounds leading to a sizeable reduction of their population and adversely affecting soil fertility. Earthworms are incredible soil organisms playing a crucial role in maintaining soil health. Pesticides used in crop management are known to be most over-purchased and irrationally used soil toxicants, simultaneously, used insecticides contribute to a quantum of damage to earthworms and other non-target organisms. LC50 and LD50 studies revealed that earthworms are highly susceptible to insecticides causing immobility, rigidity and also show a significant effect on biomass reduction, growth and reproduction by disrupting various physiological activities leading to loss of earthworm population and soil biodiversity.

Keywords: earthworms; insecticide; non-target organism; soil macrofauna; xenobiotics.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The consumption pattern of pesticides in India.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The consumption pattern of pesticides worldwide.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Behavior of pesticides in soil system.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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