Response of Eisenia Fetida to Lead in Continuous and Pulse Exposure

Abstract

Laboratory acclimated Eisenia fetida were exposed to lead for 1, 3, 7, 14 days and the concentrations of metallothionein (MT), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in continuous and pulse exposure, respectively. The results indicated that the concentrations of MT, MDA and the activities of SOD increased with lead dose and time. Compared to pulse exposure, continuous exposure caused stronger effects on response of MT, MDA and SOD of Eisenia fetida under lead treat. This study demonstrated that MT and MDA were sensitive to Pb concentration, indicating that they may be regarded as biomarkers for monitoring.