Abstract

Due to their immediate influence on the fate of pollutants, earthworms are a focus of bioremediation research. However, the effectiveness of earthworm-assisted bioremediation largely depends on the sensitivity of the earthworm to the target pollutants and its ability to metabolise the contaminants. Eisenia fetida, a species that lives on the soil surface and feeds on organic waste decaying, has been the species most extensively investigated in soil bioremediation. As a result, its bioremediation capability might only apply to topsoil that is rich in organic materials. We evaluated the ability of three earthworm species, which are epigeic, anecic, and endogeic ecotype representatives, to detoxify against organophosphate (OP) pesticides. In the muscle wall and gastrointestinal tract of E. fetida, specific biomarkers of pesticide detoxification, including esterases, cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenase, glutathione S-transferase, and oxidative homeostasis total antioxidant capacity, glutathione levels, and glutathione reductase, were measured.