ARCHIVES
VOL. 11, ISSUE 4 (2026)
Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Earthworms Found in Industrial Areas of Sirohi District of Southwestern Rajasthan
Authors
Shweta Gupta and Suresh Kumar
Abstract
Earthworms are widely used as bioindicators of
soil contamination, yet information on metal bioaccumulation in the industrial
belt of south-western Rajasthan, India, is scarce. This study determined
cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in soil and earthworm tissue and calculated
bioaccumulation factors at four industrial sites in the Pindwara and Abu Road
tehsils of Sirohi district, three of them cement and mineral processing units
and one a mixed industry estate. Soil and adult earthworms were collected in
the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons for two consecutive years
(January 2024 to December 2025). Earthworms were identified to species level
and metals in acid digested soil and tissue were measured by atomic absorption
spectroscopy. Cadmium was quantifiable in soil only in the pre-monsoon season
(1.50-5.40 mg/kg), when earthworm tissue contained 13.50-42.66 mg/kg, giving
bioaccumulation factors of 7.9-9.0. Lead showed low transfer (bioaccumulation
factor 0.04-0.10) despite higher soil concentrations (21.5-31.7 mg/kg in the
pre-monsoon season). Arsenic showed a season-dependent pattern, with factors
slightly above 1 in the pre-monsoon season (1.3-1.6) and below 1 (0.6-0.8)
thereafter. Mercury was below the limit of quantification in all samples. The
order of bioaccumulation was cadmium > arsenic > lead. These results
indicate that earthworms accumulate cadmium efficiently from industrial soils
of the region and may serve as a biomonitoring tool for soil cadmium contamination,
whereas they were less informative for lead, arsenic and mercury at these
sites.
Download
Pages:83-92
How to cite this article:
Shweta Gupta and Suresh Kumar "Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Earthworms Found in Industrial Areas of Sirohi District of Southwestern Rajasthan". International Journal of Entomology Research, Vol 11, Issue 4, 2026, Pages 83-92
Pdf, Certificate, Cover Page, Index Page, Editorial Page, Accept Letter
Please enter the email address corresponding to this article submission.