Earthworm activity alters geogenic arsenic and soil nutrient dynamics

Abstract

Abstract Environmental pollution due to arsenic (As) has been well studied and most investigations have focused on inorganic As coming from industrial areas. However, the natural rock-borne contamination of this metalloid has been underestimated and few studies focusing on annelids have addressed the question of geogenic As distribution in earthworm biogenic structures. Our study concentrated on the earthworm drilosphere and investigated the distribution of As in surface-casts and burrow-linings. In this context, we assumed that the concentration of geogenic As should differ in biogenic structures (faeces, burrow-linings) compared to non-ingested soil. To test our hypothesis, microcosms in controlled conditions were filled with soil containing 157 mg As kg −1 from a geogenic origin. The soil was collected from a meadow in the Jura Mountains. The earthworm Aporrectodea giardi was selected because of its natural presence in the meadow and its anecic behaviour. We found that while earthworm surface-casts were enriched in carbon, nitrogen and available phosphorus compared to non-ingested soil, no enrichment was found for geogenic arsenic. The coarse sand fraction contained 3.5 times more As than silt and clay fractions but no significant difference existed between surface-casts and non-ingested soil. Iron was shown to be the main mineral bearing phase for As and predominated in the coarse sand fraction. No retention effect of organic matter on geogenic arsenic was observed. In conclusion, it appeared that geogenic As did not affect biological components and environmental aspects. These findings are particularly encouraging considering that most of the environments at an altitude of 1330 m in the Jura Mountains have exposed rocks, especially on meadows that are regularly grazed by cattle.