HEAVY METALS, INSECTICIDE AND HERBICIDE INDUCED BEHAVIOURAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE EARTHWORM Eisenia fetida

Pesticides and heavy metals are introduced in soil by various anthropogenic activities. Farmers use pesticides for agriculture purposes. Electronic waste has a high content of heavy metals. Accumulation of heavy metals and pesticides have an adverse effect on soil fauna. Earthworm, which is one of the important animals that play a vital role in increasing soil fertility and important component of a food chain, is adversely affected. In this paper, we studied the effect of heavy metals, a pesticide and a herbicide on earthworm species Eisenia fetida. Behavioural and morphological changes were studied. Earthworms were treated with acute doses of heavy metals, a pesticide and a herbicide to see their mortality and change in behaviour. Heavy metals induced behavioural changes very early than the pesticide and the insecticide. There was mortality reported in case of heavy metals but no mortality was induced by the selected insecticide and pesticide.