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Journal article

From soil sorption to bioaccumulation: Tracing the endectocide ivermectin in soil and earthworms

Authors list: Heinrich, AP; Junck, J; Düring RA

Publication year: 2025

Journal: Chemosphere

Volume number: 375

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144228

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract:

Ivermectin (IVM), a widely used antiparasitic drug in veterinary medicine, has emerged as an environmental contaminant due to its semi-persistence and potentially harmful ecotoxicological impacts on non-target terrestrial fauna. This study investigates the innovative combination of sorption, desorption, and bioaccumulation dynamics of IVM in soil-earthworm systems, focusing on the species Eisenia fetida, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and Lumbricus terrestris. Sorption experiments in artificial soil (AS) and its components (sand, clay, peat) revealed a strong affinity of IVM for organic-rich substrates, reducing bioavailability and bioaccumulation.
Bioaccumulation studies showed that the kinetic bioaccumulation factor BAFk for IVM in E. fetida ranged from 0.505 to 0.727 g soil dw/g earthworm dw, with elimination kinetics best described by a biphasic model, and suggesting minimal net accumulation. A. caliginosa and L. terrestris showed slightly higher accumulation potential, with accumulation factors exceeding 1 during the uptake phase, although equilibrium was not reached within 21 days. The prolonged accumulation process, combined with a calculated DT50 of 142 days in AS, underscores IVM's potential environmental persistence and risk, particularly its ecotoxicological relevance. The results also suggest that strong sorption to organic matter in soils can mitigate bioaccumulation.

Citation Styles

Harvard Citation style: Heinrich, A., Junck, J. and Düring RA (2025) From soil sorption to bioaccumulation: Tracing the endectocide ivermectin in soil and earthworms, Chemosphere, 375, Article 144228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144228

APA Citation style: Heinrich, A., Junck, J., & Düring RA (2025). From soil sorption to bioaccumulation: Tracing the endectocide ivermectin in soil and earthworms. Chemosphere. 375, Article 144228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144228