Summary
This controlled experiment investigated how the fungicide carbendazim affects enzyme activity in earthworms and microbial community function in soil, comparing manured and un-manured conditions. At 2 mg/kg carbendazim, earthworm AChE inhibition occurred sooner in manured soil, and CAT activity showed complex temporal dynamics. Notably, the same pesticide concentration increased overall activity and functional diversity of earthworm gut microorganisms, suggesting a compensatory response in the gastrointestinal microbial community despite systemic stress to the host organism.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK agricultural practice as carbendazim remains used in UK crop production, though increasingly restricted. However, the study uses laboratory conditions and Chinese soil types; replication with UK soils and field-realistic exposure scenarios would be needed to guide domestic pesticide risk assessment and soil health management recommendations.
Key measures
Earthworm acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity; earthworm catalase (CAT) activity; soil microbial carbon source utilisation; Simpson index; Shannon index; McIntosh index for soil and earthworm gut microorganisms
Outcomes reported
The study measured earthworm acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities, and soil and earthworm gut microbial functional diversity using the Biolog method in response to carbendazim exposure at different concentrations in manured versus un-manured soils. Results showed that carbendazim at 2 mg/kg inhibited earthworm AChE activity earlier in manured soil and altered CAT activity dynamics, whilst paradoxically increasing overall earthworm gut microbial activity and functional diversity indices.
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