Quantitative modelling of the response of earthworms to metals

Abstract

Metals in soils can pose a serious threat to soil dwelling organisms, plants, and human beings. A major uncertainty in terrestrial ecological risk assessment for metals is theintegrated effect of the physicochemical properties of soil on toxicity and how this allows for extrapolation of toxicity data across soils. The recognition that soil type is an important factor that determines metal toxicity, goes along with the increasing insight into bioavailability. There is a growing consensus that only a proportion of the total amount of metal in soil isavailable for uptake by organisms and subsequently induces toxic effects. Development of mechanistically underpinned approaches for explaining and predicting availability effects onmetal toxicity has been the subject of many research efforts in terrestrial ecotoxicology.