Terrestrial isopods as model organisms in soil ecotoxicology: a review

Cornelis A.M Van Gestel,Promoz Zidar,Susana Loureiro

doi:10.3897/zookeys.801.21970

Abstract

Isopods play an important role in the decomposition of leaf litter and therefore are making a significant contribution to nutrient cycling and soil ecosystem services. As a consequence, isopods are relevant models in soil ecotoxicology, both in laboratory toxicity tests and in field monitoring and bioindication studies. This paper aims at reviewing the use of isopods as test organisms in soil ecotoxicology. It provides an overview of the use of isopods in laboratory toxicity tests, with special focus on comparing different exposure methods, test durations, and ecotoxicological endpoints. A brief overview of toxicity data suggests that chemicals are more toxic to isopods when exposed through soil compared to food. The potential of isopods to be used in bioindication and biomonitoring is discussed. Based on the overview of toxicity data and test methods, recommendations are given for the use of isopods in standardized laboratory toxicity tests as well as in situ monitoring studies.

Highlights

Increasing human activities have caused serious effects on man and the environment
Isopods are important organisms in terrestrial ecosystems. For that reason they should be considered as test organisms in soil ecotoxicology
The difficulties in culturing and testing could be overcome by selecting species with shorter life cycles, like Porcellionides pruinosus, and by putting more effort in optimising culture conditions for species like Porcellio scaber

Summary

Introduction

Increasing human activities have caused serious effects on man and the environment. Since the industrial revolution in the 19th century, pollution from industries and metal contamination from mining activities has increased. The added value of bioassays is that they provide information on the actual risk of bioavailable concentrations of all chemicals present in the contaminated samples; such information cannot be obtained from chemical analyses (see e.g., van Gestel et al 2001; Loureiro et al 2005, 2006) Together these approaches result in an assessment of the potential risk of soil contamination, for instance in the TRIAD approach, which combines three lines of evidence: chemistry (total or available concentrations of pollutants), toxicity of the polluted soil and on site ecological observations (Jensen and Mesman 2006). The ecological relevance of isopods, their typical routes of exposure (soil, food) and life history characteristics, the possibility to determine different endpoints (see below), and the fact that they have already been used for testing for more than 30 years, make them highly suitable test organisms (Drobne 1997; Van Gestel 2012).

72 EC50 Porcellio scaber food

Findings

Conclusions