Contrasted effects of Metaphire guillelmi on tetracycline diffusion and dissipation in soil

Abstract

Earthworms are important in soil bioremediation because of their capability of pollutant degradation. However, the trade-off between pollutant dissemination and degradation arising from earthworm activities remains unclear, as well as the potential biodegradation mechanism. Herein, an earthworm avoidance experiment was established to investigate Metaphire guillelmi–mediated tetracycline (TC) diffusion and degradation. The results showed that above 1600 mg kg−1 TC pollution in soil induced avoidance behaviour of earthworms (p < 0.05), below which the random worm behaviour accelerated TC diffusion by 8.2% at most (p < 0.05), resulting in elevated levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes in the soil. Nevertheless, earthworms enhanced TC degradation regardless of whether their avoidance behaviour occurred (14.6–25.8%, p < 0.05). Compared with in soil, metabolic pathways affiliated with xenobiotic degradation and metabolism in the intestines were enriched (LDA >3). Given the abundant glutathione S-transferases in the intestines and their close relationship with Δ degradation, they may play a key role in intestinal TC biodegradation. In general, earthworms had good tolerance to soil TC contamination and their impact on promoting TC degradation outweighed that accelerating TC diffusion. This work provides a comprehensive view of earthworms as a potential remediation method for TC-contaminated soil.