Toxicity of pharmaceuticals to earthworms

Abstract

Nowadays, most studies were conducted to assess effects of heavy metals to earthworms. However, there are limited data about toxicity of medical drugs to earthworms. The following study was conducted to assess toxicity of pharmaceuticals to them. The toxicity experiment was performed according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guideline toxicity test. Three pharmaceuticals (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen and Naproxen) were used to test their toxicity to Eisneia fetida earthworms in 0.1 mg/kg, 1.0 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg concentrations. It was found that earthworms are sensitive to pharmaceutical pollution. Acetaminophen caused fatality in high concentration and other pharmaceuticals deteriorated the development of worms