ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, D-65439 Flörsheim/Main, Germany.
University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, Beni-Mellal 23000, Morocco.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2015 Sep;119:90-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.04.040. Epub 2015 May 14.
Mining activity is an important economic activity in several North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and North African countries. Within their territory derelict or active mining explorations represent risks to surrounding ecosystems, but engineered-based remediation processes are usually too expensive to be an option for the reclamation of these areas. A project funded by NATO was performed, with the aim of finding a more eco-friendly solution for reclamation of these areas. As part of an overall risk assessment, the risk of contaminated soils to selected soil organisms was evaluated. The main question addressed was: Does the metal-contaminated soils from a former iron mine located at Ait Amar (Morocco),which was abandoned in the mid-Sixties, affect the reproduction of enchytraeids (Enchytraeus bigeminus) and predatory mites (Hypoaspis aculeifer)? Soil samples were taken at 20 plots along four transects covering the mine area and at a reference site about 15km away from the mine. The soils were characterized pedologically and chemically, which showed a heterogeneous pattern of metal contamination (mainly cadmium, copper, and chromium, sometimes at concentrations higher than European soil trigger values). The reproduction of enchytraeids (Enchytraeus bigeminus) and predatory mites (Hypoaspis aculeifer) was studied using standard laboratory tests according to OECD guidelines 220 (2004) and 226 (2008). The number of juveniles of E. bigeminus was reduced at several plots with high concentrations of Cd or Cu (the latter in combination with low pH values). There was nearly no effect of the metal contaminated soils on the reproduction of H. aculeifer. The overall lack of toxicity at the majority of the studied plots is probably caused by the low availability of the metals in these soils unless soil pH was very low. Different exposure pathways are likely responsible for the different reaction of mites and enchytraeids (hard-bodied versus soft-bodied organisms). The results of this study can be used not only for assessing the risk of contaminated soils but also could play a role for the identification of soil remediation programs.
采矿活动是北大西洋公约组织（北约）和北非几个国家的一项重要经济活动。在这些国家的领土范围内，废弃或正在进行的采矿勘探对周边生态系统构成了风险，但基于工程的修复过程通常过于昂贵，无法选择用于这些地区的复垦。一个由北约资助的项目进行了，旨在为这些地区的复垦寻找更环保的解决方案。作为全面风险评估的一部分，评估了受污染土壤对选定土壤生物的风险。提出的主要问题是：六十年代中期废弃的位于摩洛哥艾特阿马尔（Ait Amar）的一座前铁矿污染土壤是否会影响双胸蚓（Enchytraeus bigeminus）和捕食性螨（Hypoaspis aculeifer）的繁殖？在覆盖矿区的四条测线上的 20 个样点以及距矿区约 15 公里的一个参考点采集了土壤样本。对土壤进行了土壤学和化学特性分析，结果表明金属污染呈不均匀分布模式（主要是镉、铜和铬，有时浓度高于欧洲土壤触发值）。根据经济合作与发展组织（OECD）指南 220（2004 年）和 226（2008 年），使用标准实验室测试研究了双胸蚓（Enchytraeus bigeminus）和捕食性螨（Hypoaspis aculeifer）的繁殖情况。在一些 Cd 或 Cu 浓度较高的样点（后者与低 pH 值结合），双胸蚓的幼体数量减少。受污染土壤对 Hypoaspis aculeifer 繁殖的影响几乎没有。在大多数研究样点中，由于这些土壤中金属的可用性较低（除非土壤 pH 值非常低），大多数研究样点的毒性总体上都较低。不同的暴露途径可能导致螨类和双胸蚓类（硬体生物与软体生物）的反应不同。本研究结果不仅可用于评估污染土壤的风险，而且可能对确定土壤修复方案发挥作用。
