Srivastava Salil, Gautam Krishna, Prakash Ved, Tripathi Varsha, Thakur Ravindra Singh, Patel Devendra Kumar, Singh Dhirendra, Anbumani Sadasivam, Manickam Natesan
Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, FEST Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Ecotoxicology Laboratory, REACT Division, C.R. Krishnamurti (CRK) Campus, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, 226008, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
Environ Pollut. 2025 Sep 15;381:126645. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126645. Epub 2025 Jun 9.
Crude oil sludge contamination and its disposal pose significant threats to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. This study assessed the ecological risks of crude oil sludge through polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) quantification and multi-endpoint toxicity evaluation in Eisenia fetida. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of crude oil sludge from Ankaleshwar, India, revealed the presence of 3- to 5-ring PAHs at concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 10.35 μg/mL. The effects of crude oil sludge (0.01-500 g/kg) were examined across the earthworm life cycle, including cocoons, juveniles, and adults. Exposure to sludge caused a significant, concentration-dependent reduction in survival, biomass, and reproduction. Although cocoon exposure did not significantly affect hatchling numbers, it notably impaired adult reproduction by reducing hatchling counts. Juveniles displayed greater sensitivity, with mortality rates of 30-50 % at days 7 and 14, respectively, accompanied by decreased body weight following chronic exposure. In contrast, adult earthworms showed significant declines in cocoon production and juvenile formation without immediate effects on survival. Phenanthrene was the only PAH consistently detected in earthworm tissues, reaching concentrations up to 440.53 μg/g in adults and 0.212 μg/g in juveniles. Biochemical analyses revealed marked alterations in oxidative stress and neurotoxicity markers. Adults exhibited significant induction of antioxidant enzymes under chronic exposure, whereas juveniles showed minimal or reduced enzymatic responses, indicating stage-specific physiological resilience. Histological examination demonstrated concentration-dependent muscle degeneration and disruption of the gut epithelium. Overall, these findings identify phenanthrene as a key contributor to crude oil sludge toxicity and underscore the importance of assessing life-cycle responses in terrestrial ecotoxicology.
原油污泥污染及其处置对水生和陆地生态系统构成重大威胁。本研究通过对赤子爱胜蚓进行多环芳烃（PAH）定量分析和多终点毒性评估，来评估原油污泥的生态风险。对来自印度安卡莱什瓦尔的原油污泥进行高效液相色谱分析，结果显示存在3至5环的多环芳烃，浓度范围为0.02至10.35μg/mL。研究了原油污泥（0.01 - 500 g/kg）在蚯蚓整个生命周期（包括茧、幼体和成体）中的影响。接触污泥导致存活率、生物量和繁殖率显著下降，且呈浓度依赖性。虽然接触茧对孵化数量没有显著影响，但通过减少孵化数量显著损害了成体繁殖。幼体表现出更高的敏感性，在第7天和第14天的死亡率分别为30% - 50%，长期接触后体重下降。相比之下，成年蚯蚓的茧产量和幼体形成显著下降，但对存活率没有立即影响。菲是在蚯蚓组织中唯一持续检测到的多环芳烃，在成体中浓度高达440.53μg/g，在幼体中为0.212μg/g。生化分析显示氧化应激和神经毒性标志物有明显变化。成年蚯蚓在长期接触下抗氧化酶显著诱导，而幼体的酶反应最小或降低，表明具有阶段特异性的生理恢复能力。组织学检查显示浓度依赖性的肌肉退化和肠道上皮破坏。总体而言，这些发现确定菲是原油污泥毒性的关键因素，并强调了在陆地生态毒理学中评估生命周期反应的重要性。
