HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION IN FIRE WORM EURYTHOE COMPLANATA (PALLAS, 1766) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE

Abstract

Polychaetes are usually the most abundant taxon in benthic communities and have been most often utilized as indicator species of environmental conditions. The contamination through untreated industrial waste has become an issue of primary concern. Industrial waste generally contains large amounts of organic and inorganic pollutants including toxic heavy metals. Fire worms Eurythoe complanata are the important part of ecosystem. Therefore, it was thought that if these wastes specially sludge or ashes dumped in water channels what would be the possible effects on fire worm. For this purpose an aquarium based trial was conducted with Chemical industry wastes. The number of worms including fresh and dry weights was measured. Five heavy metals Zn, Fe, Co, Mn and Pb were analyzed in water and tissues (dry biomass) of this species to know the possible accumulation of these metals in the food chain through their tissues. Chemical industrial sludge-ash showed deleterious effects on overall growth parameters of this species. Growth parameters of the worms (wet weight P<0.01and dry weights P<0.001) were significantly reduced in both ash and sludge treatments. Study on fire worm for heavy metal accumulation is important with respect to the food chain.