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Journal of Resources and Ecology >

2023 , Vol. 14 >Issue 5: 1086 - 1091

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2023.05.019

Animal Ecology

Effects of Six Household Detergent Dilutions on the Behavior and Survival of Eisenia andrei and Pheretima guillelmi Earthworms

  • LIU Baoping , *
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  • Jiangxi Yangtze River Economic Zone Research Institute, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang, Jiangxi 332005, China
*LIU Baoping, E-mail:

Received date: 2022-12-02

  Accepted date: 2023-03-08

  Online published: 2023-08-02

Supported by

The Scientific Project of the Department of Jiangxi Education of China(GJJ190916)

The PhD Research Startup Foundation of Chinese Jiujiang University(2019-liubaoping)

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Abstract

Soil health plays a vital role in sustainable agronomy development. Earthworms are visible organisms in the soil ecosystem, rendering them convenient to monitor soil health. Household detergents are widely used for daily cleaning purposes. To study their effects on two types of earthworms, Pheretima guillelmi and Eisenia andrei, dilutions of six household detergents (1‰, m/v), such as perfumed soap, washing powder, shampoo, dish washing liquid, bath lotion, and lavatory cleanser, were prepared to immerse 20 earthworms for 4 h or more, either directly or mixed with Yellow-brown soil samples from a peanut cultivation field; rain water without detergent dilutions served as the control. Surviving earthworms were counted, and the survival rate was calculated. The results showed that after 4 h of immersion in the six detergent dilutions, 100% of the E. andrei died, whereas 100% of P. guillelmi survived. When the immersion period was extended to 24 h, 100% of the P. guillelmi also died. However, after adding the six detergent dilutions to Yellow-brown soil after the earthworms had drilled into it, 100% P. guillelmi and E. andrei survived after 4 h in control solutions and two detergents dilutions, namely perfumed soap and lavatory cleanser. However, 100% of the P. guillelmi died in the other four detergent dilutions. In contrast, 30%, 24%, 19%, and 12% E. andrei survived in washing powder, shampoo, dish washing liquid, and bath lotion treatments, respectively. It can be concluded that dilutions of the six household detergents (1‰; m/v) can kill P. guillelmi and E. andrei both in soil and on direct exposure. This is the first study to report the mortality of earthworms after exposure to dilutions of household detergents.

Key words： household detergents; earthworms; Yellow-brown soil

Cite this article

LIU Baoping . Effects of Six Household Detergent Dilutions on the Behavior and Survival of Eisenia andrei and Pheretima guillelmi Earthworms[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2023 , 14(5) : 1086 -1091 . DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2023.05.019

1 Introduction

Earthworms generally have a positive effect on pedogenesis, development of soil structure, water regulation, nutrient cycling, primary production, climate regulation, pollution remediation, and cultural services (Blouin et al., 2013). Agricultural sustainability could be potentially boosted by using earthworm services in cropping systems (Bertrand et al., 2015). The ability of earthworms to decompose organic matter has been attributed to the microbial communities that inhabit their digestive tract and the structures built by them, which in turn contribute to creating drilospheres, a hotspot for microbial activity (Medina et al., 2019). They have long been used in traditional medicine because of their various inherent chemical compounds (Grdiša et al., 2013). They represent a valuable feed for fish and poultry with approximately 60%-70% of protein content (Olele and Okonkwo, 2012). They are also considered a delicacy by the Ye’Kuana Amerindians in Venezuela (Paoletti et al., 2003). Further, vermicompost reduce organic waste into valuable compost (Arancon and Edwards, 2011; Edwards et al., 2011; Bertrand et al., 2015). Earthworms can help overcome certain major problems of conventional agricultural intensive farming (Bertrand et al., 2015). The richness of earthworm species, size, population structure and their biomass are dependent on crop management (Pelosi et al., 2009).
In 2016, synthetic detergents completed 100 years of existence. During this period, they have evolved as cleaners and are currently a part of the daily routine of thousands of people worldwide (Ana et al., 2017). Examples of such usage include household detergents for cleaning, perfumed soap to wash hands, washing powder to wash fabric, shampoo to clean hair, dish washing liquid to clean kitchen utensils, bath lotion to clean the skin while bathing, and lavatory cleansers to clean the filth.
The final destination of all household detergents is the environment, especially soil and water. Because soil has a complex biological diversity and more than 99% of microbes cannot be cultivated on plates in the laboratory (Kirk et al., 2004), it is difficult to estimate the effect of detergents on soil total organisms.
The positive effect of earthworms on soil processes and plant growth has been extensively documented (Medina-Sauza et al., 2019). Soil is of vital importance in agronomy for producing food, and various chemicals are produced for application in fertilizing crops, killing pests, controlling weeds, restraining pathogens, managing growth, etc. However, the negative environmental effects of agriculturally applied chemicals have raised increasing concern.
This project intend to reveal the ecological effects of household detergents on soil from the crop root segment. The ecological effects could indicated by organisms include plants, soil animals, soil microbes. This work focus earthworms, which belong to soil animals. Compared with agronomically useful chemicals, the water discharge of detergents that are inapplicable to agronomy attracts minor interest for their agricultural environmental effects. Although the household detergents not use directly for agronomy, but use for irrigate passively. Because the household detergents were diluted and inflow to soil by using procedure. In the former trials, we had found that earthworm were agitated and crawled out of the soil when we irrigated with washing powder dilution after cleaning clothes. Therefore, Inspired by the former trials, this study aimed to demonstrate the effects of six household detergents on two types of earthworms.

2 Materials and methods

2.1 Experimental materials

Two types of fresh and living earthworms were procured for use at the experimental plot through online shopping (Fig. 1), E. andrei (Wangjun fishing bait flagship store, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China), P. guillelmi (Diaokaduo fishing bait flagship store, Nantong, Jiangsu, China). The samples included approximately 2000 individuals per 1000 g of E. andrei and 300-320 individuals per 1000 g of P. guillelmi. For the E. andrei sample individuals, mature earthworms developmentally homogeneous with each individual has 5 cm long, 2 mm in diameter, 0.5 g in weight. For the P. guillelmi sample individuals, immature earthworms developmentally homogeneous with each individual has 7 cm long, 4.5 mm in diameter, 3.3-3.5 g in weight. A 5 L container was prepared to hold 20 earthworms. A plastic cup of approximately 200 mL was prepared with 3 g by weight of the selected household detergent (perfumed soap, washing powder, shampoo, dish washing liquid, bath lotion, or lavatory cleanser) and placed at the center of the container bottom.
Fig. 1 Two species of earthworms used in the trials
Yellow-brown soil derived from peanut cultivation fields was passed through an 8-mesh sieve. Yellow-brown soil could belong to Typical Pale Udalfs in USDA soil taxonomy systems and Luvisols or Eutric Planosols in FAO soil taxonomy systems. The bulk density is from 1.39×103 to 1.62×103 kg m−3 (Liu, 2016). 100.0 g Yellow-brown soil was balanced to mixture with 100.0 mL water in a glass volumetric cylinder, the volume is 146.0 mL, so the density of the soil sample is 100.0 g ÷ (146.0 mL-100 mL) = 2.17 g mL−1.
The six household detergents were purchased from a supermarket, Perfumed soap (Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, State of Ohio, USA), Washing powder (Nice, Lishui, Zhejiang, China), Shampoo (SLEK, Nanchang, China), Dish washing liquid (Liby, Guangzhou, China), Bath lotion (Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, State of Ohio, USA), Lavatory cleanser (SUPERB, Guangzhou, China).
Composition of the detergents generally include surfactant to decontaminate, such as sodium stearate was used to made solid perfumed soap and liquid bath lotion, petroleum sodium sulfonate was used to made dish washing liquid, the household detergents are mostly alkalinity, except Lavatory cleanser, which is acidic because the main composition include organic acid. Since detailed formula of the composition sometime is a secret of the company, we can not public more detail.

2.2 Experimental design

Experiments were conducted on the experiment plot outdour from July 17, 2021 to July 18, 2021, after rains. Each plastic cup was prepared with 3 g detergent weighed on a balance scale, the cup was placed at the bottom of a 5 L container, and 3 L water was poured into the container.
For the first trial, 20 P. guillelmi individuals were placed in each container, and a dilution of 1‰ (m/v, that is to say that 1 g detengent 1000 mL solution) of the selected detergent was used to immerse the earthworms; immersion in plain water without any detergent was used as the control. The experiment was repeated four times in every trial. The P. guillelmi were replaced with E. andrei, and the same procedure used in the former experiments was repeated. For the second trial, 3 L of Yellow-brown soil was placed in each container and 20 P. guillelmi individuals were added, which then drilled into the soil. A detergent dilution of 1‰ (m/v) was then used to inundate the soil with the 20 earthworms hidden inside; watered soil sample without any detergent was selected as the control, and the experiment was repeated four times. The same procedure was then repeated by replacing the P. guillelmi with the E. andrei. The pH values of the dilution solutions and soil mixtures were determined along with the trials.

2.3 Data collection and calculation

The number of surviving earthworms was determined after 4, 14, and 24 h, and their survival rate was calculated. Data were subjected to one-way analysis of variance, and statistical significance of the means was compared using Duncan’s multiple range test at a 5% probability level using SPSS 17.0 software.

3 Results

3.1 Mortality of P. guillelmi against six household detergent dilutions after 24 h

The P. guillelmi individuals were observed to be highly agitated at the first contact of the washing powder and lavatory cleaner dilutions; however, the other four detergent dilutions only caused the P. guillelmi individuals to wriggle, and the control treatment only induced a gentle peristalsis (Table 1).
Table 1 Survival rate of P. guillelmi individuals immersed in detergent dilutions
Detergent dilutions
(1‰; m/v)		 0 h 4 h 14 h 24 h
Perfumed soap Wriggle 100%±0a 25%±5%c 0%±0a
Washing powder Agitated 100%±0a 0%±0a 0%±0a
Shampoo Wriggle 100%±0a 0%±0a 0%±0a
Dish washing liquid Wriggle 100%±0a 0%±0a 0%±0a
Bath lotion Wriggle 100%±0a 0%±0a 0%±0a
Lavatory cleanser Agitated 100%±0a 10%±5%b 0%±0a
Water (CK) Gentle 100%±0a 100%±0d 100%±0b

Note: (1‰; m/v) means 1 g detergent in 1 L dilutions, the same below. Different lowercase letters (a, b or c, d) show significant differences among lines (duncan’s test; P < 0.05).

After the first 4 h, all the P. guillelmi individuals were sickly but alive. Post 14 h, 25% and 10% of the P. guillelmi individuals on average were alive in the perfumed soap and lavatory cleaner dilution treatments, respectively. After 24 h, no earthworm survived. The results showed that although dilutions of lavatory cleanser triggered the strongest irritation response at the first contact, they did not cause the highest mortality among the six detergent dilutions.
The results of the control treatments showed that the first contact with water induced a gentle reaction from the P. guillelmi individuals, and no mortality was observed even after immersion for 24 h.

3.2 Mortality of E. andrei against six household detergent dilutions after 4 h

The E. andrei individuals were very agitated (furious) at the first contact of the dilutions of washing powder and lavatory cleaner; however, they only wriggled in the other four detergent dilutions and demonstrated gentle peristalsis in the water treatment (control) (Table 2). After 4 h, all E. andrei individuals died in the detergent solutions; however, all remained alive in the control treatments.
Table 2 Survival rate of E. andrei individuals immersed in detergent dilutions
Detergent dilutions (1‰; m/v) 0 h 4 h
Perfumed soap Wriggle 0%±0a
Washing powder Agitated 0%±0a
Shampoo Wriggle 0%±0a
Dish washing liquid Wriggle 0%±0a
Bath lotion Wriggle 0%±0a
Lavatory cleanser Agitated 0%±0a
Water (CK) Gentle 100%±0b

Note: Different lowercase letters show significant differences among lines (duncan’s test; P < 0.05).

3.3 Mortality of P. guillelmi in Yellow-brown soil after 4 h

The detergent dilutions were poured on the Yellow-brown soil after the P. guillelmi individuals had drilled into it after being placed there. The earthworms in the soil attempted to escape after the washing powder and lavatory cleanser dilutions were added; after 4 h, all P. guillelmi individuals survived the perfumed soap and lavatory cleanser dilution treatments as well as the control treatment; however, all earthworms in the other four detergent dilution treatments died (Table 3).
Table 3 Survival rate of P. guillelmi in Yellow-brown soil inundated with detergent dilutions
Detergent dilutions (1‰; m/v) 0 h 4 h
Perfumed soap Stayed in soil 100%±0b
Washing powder Tried to escape 0%±0a
Shampoo Stayed in soil 0%±0a
Dish washing liquid Stayed in soil 0%±0a
Bath lotion Stayed in soil 0%±0a
Lavatory cleanser Tried to escape 100%±0b
Water (CK) Stayed in soil 100%±0b

Note: Different lowercase letters show significant differences among lines (duncan’s test; P < 0.05).

3.4 E. andrei in Yellow-brown soil were partly killed after treatment with the four household detergent dilutions after 4 h

The detergent dilutions were poured over the Yellow-brown soil after the E. andrei individuals had drilled into it after being placed there. The E. andrei individuals in the soil attempted to escape after the washing powder and lavatory cleanser dilutions were added to the soil (Table 4). After 4 h, all E. andrei individuals in the perfumed soap and lavatory cleanser dilution treatments survived along with those in the control treatment; however, there were partial mortalities in the other four detergent dilutions. On an average, 30% of the E. andrei individuals survived in the washing powder dilution treatment, 24% in shampoo, 19% in dish washing liquid, and 12% in bath lotion.
Table 4 Survival rate of E. andrei in Yellow-brown soil inundated with detergent dilutions
Detergent dilutions (1‰; m/v) 0 h 4 h
Perfumed soap Stayed in soil 100%±0d
Washing powder Tried to escape 30%±5%c
Shampoo Stayed in soil 24%±5%bc
Dish washing liquid Stayed in soil 19%±5%ab
Bath lotion Stayed in soil 12%±5%a
Lavatory cleanser Tried to escape 100%±0d
Water (CK) Stayed in soil 100%±0d

Note: Different lowercase letters show significant differences among lines (duncan’s test; P < 0.05).

3.5 pH value of the solution determined at about 20 ℃

Results showed that the pH of the Yellow-brown soil solution was 7.0, whereas minor acidity was observed in the six detergent dilutions (1‰; m/v) (Table 5). Specifically, the dilution of lavatory cleanser showed the greatest acidity with a pH of 6.0, followed by the other five detergents with a pH of 6.5; however, when mixed with Yellow-brown soil, the pH of all solutions changed to 7.0, which is neutral.
Table 5 pH measurement of the experimental solutions
Detergent dilutions (1‰; m/v) pH (without soil) pH (with soil)
Perfumed soap 6.5 7.0
Washing powder 6.5 7.0
Shampoo 6.5 7.0
Dish washing liquid 6.5 7.0
Bath lotion 6.5 7.0
Lavatory cleanser 6.0 7.0
Water (CK) 7.0 7.0

Note: “1‰; m/v” means 1 g detengent 1000 mL solution.

4 Discussion

4.1 Eisenia andrei and Pheretima guillelmiare are both common in China

Eisenia andrei is red soil earthworm common in China, which is similar to Eisenia fetida, but different because it could be 8 cm long, however, E. fetida could be 13 cm long. Pheretima guillelmi is black or green or cyan, it could be 25 cm long. E. andrei and P. guillelmi are both common in China. Because much energetic earthworms that developmentally homogeneous needed in the trials, so we got the earthworms through online shopping other than digging in situ.
The container is 20 L that too easy to escape for P. guillelmi, so we selected the small size for the trials, however, the small size of E. andrei is too small to operate, so we selected the big size,which is no more than 8 cm long. The number of earthworm needed each trial is 560, that is four copies for each trial, 7 treatments for each copy, 20 individuals for each container.

4.2 Yellow-brown soil suits E. andrei but not P. guillelmi

Peanuts originating from Hong’an County have received geographical certification from Chinese Geographical Indications for Agricultural Products in 2013, with the product number AGI01138. Soil samples were obtained for this study from these high-quality fields used for cultivating peanut for decades without the use of herbicides and other chemicals. Six large red earthworms (not specified, not the former E. andrei) were found in an entire field of approximately 0.14 hectares after turning the soil with a shovel in the winter of 2020. The six red earthworms individuals were approximately 20 cm long. Although the red earthworms are visible, P. guillelmi are absent in Yellow-brown soil, which may be because peanut needs infertile soil; however, the P. guillelmi prefer fertile soil. The soil sample obtained from the peanut tillage soil may be more suitable for E. andrei rather than P. guillelmi. Culturing in Yellow-brown soil could not prevent the death of earthworms after 24 h, but it may have played a minor role in delaying death. P. guillelmi are used as bait for catching eel (Monopterus albus), whereas E. andrei are used as bait for fishing. A previous study demonstrated that the concentration of microorganisms cultivated in five culture media in Yellow-brown soil was 6.05×105-4.19×106 CFU g‒1, which indicates that this type of soil is productive for peanut and it may be suitable for E. andrei but not P. guillelmi. Microorganisms in soil are quite difficult to be clearly determined because their size is too small to be observed by the naked eye; however, earthworms are visible and easy to monitor and thus may provide a commonly used method for monitoring soil environments.

4.3 Dilutions of detergents can kill earthworms

Dilutions of the six detergents (1‰; m/v) killed the two earthworms after 24 h. The deaths occurred in a container where the environment was sharply different from the natural environment. The results differed from those of previous studies. Synthetic detergents present in sewage sludge did not exert ecotoxicological effects on E. andrei population (Bertrand et al., 2015), and indiscriminate disposal of industrial detergent and corrosion inhibitors into the natural soils of the Niger Delta resulted in a slight toxicity (Medina-Sauza et al., 2019).
The trials conducted in this study were short term, the earthworms can avoid the deleterious effect of the chemicals by escaping, and the capacity of the ecosystem environments is far greater than 5 L, the capacity used in these trials. These may be the reasons for the differences between the results of this report and those of previous studies. Other reasons include different environments in different countries, different soils, and different types of earthworms. As earthworms play a vital role in soil ecosystems and dilutions of detergents killed them in this study, new methods for detecting water pollution should be developed.
Different responses of the same earthworm to various detergents may attributed to the chemical composition and its harmful effects, however, the prescription were company secrets.

4.4 Earthworms can be used to monitor soil pollution

Earthworms usually improve soil structural stability and porosity and reduce runoff. Earthworms feeding on the soil surface suffer the greatest exposure to pesticides and other agrochemicals (Bertrand et al., 2015). The earthworm can be a useful living organism for the biomonitoring of soil pollution (Takeshi and Kazuyoshi, 2011). The concentration of 1‰ used in this study may be closer to the concentration of the household detergent dilutions released by human activities. The environment continues to dilute the solution. The fate of the detergents in the environment thus remains unclear.

4.5 Yellow-brown soil delays the death of E. andrei but accelerates the death of P. guillelmi

Yellow-brown soil is a type of soil most productive for peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). The yield and quality of peanuts are famously high in the hilly areas of Hong’an County, Hubei Province, China (Liu, 2016). In 2012, the total and average output was 7.72×104 t and 2.895×103 kg ha‒1, respectively, both of which were ranked first in the province (Liu, 2016).
Although the soil in general is a sanctuary for earthworms and Yellow-brown soil used in this study is particularly suitable for E. andrei, it could not prevent their death. The results showed that Yellow-brown soil delayed the death of E. andrei but accelerated the death of P. guillelmi, especially in dilutions of washing powder (Fig. 2). Although different detergents and earthworm types resulted in minor differences, the ultimate results were the same: the dilutions of detergents killed the earthworms.
Fig. 2 Earthworm mortality against washing powder dilutions

5 Conclusions

The following conclusions can be drawn: 1) Dilutions of the six detergents (1‰; m/v) killed the E. andrei after 4 h and P. guillelmi after 24 h; 2) Yellow-brown soil from peanut cultivation delayed the death of E. andrei caused by the six detergents but accelerated the death of P. guillelmi caused by four detergents, namely, washing powder, shampoo, dish washing liquid, and bath lotion; 3) Dilutions of washing powder and lavatory cleanser agitated both types of earthworms and those of the other four detergents triggered wriggling in the earthworms at the first contact. This is the first study to report the mortality of two types of earthworms when treated with dilutions of six household detergents.

Acknowledgements

I thank my mother QIN Xiaoying for her assistance in the experiments and my colleague Mingguang Tu for his help in data analysis.

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