The effects of CuO and ZnO nanoparticles on survival, reproduction, absorption, overweight and accumulation in Eisenia foetida earthworm tissues in two substrates.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tow nanoparticles (NPs) on the absorption,accumulation, reproduction of the Eisenia fetida. A 4×2×2 factorial experiment in a randomized completeblock design with three replications was conducted. The factors included in the experiment are the content ofNPs at four levels (0, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2gr/kg weight of substrate), the type of NPs at two levels (CuO and ZnO)and the type of substrates at two levels (cow manure and spent mushroom compost (SMC)). After preparingthe substrates, adult worms were added to each pot that has 6kg of each type of substrates. The aqua solutionof NPs was added to the cultures. The NPs effects on the overweight, mortality, accumulation and reproductionwere measured at the end of seven- and fourteen-day two periods after exposure to NPs. The earthwormtissues were enhanced with increasing the NPs concentration. The increases were more in cow manure thanSMC, and the accumulation of ZnO were more than CuO. The number of the earthworm egg decreased in both7th&4th days through increasing the NPs concentration. The ZnO were more effective in reducing thereproduction than the CuO in the seventh day after the substrates treatment. Overweight decreased in bothseventh and fourteenth days through increasing the NPs concentration. Nano CuO was more effective inreducing the overweight than nano ZnO, The decrease of the worm tissues in the SMC substrate was morethan the cow manure substrate in the fourteenth day after the treatment