• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.27-33
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• 2021

CO I gene sequence analysis was applied to earthworms that had been used as test animals in toxicity test in Institute of Kyeongbook Agrochemicals and earthworms used as vermicomposting agents in the farm of Youngdong province to identify their species names. In terms of molecular species, the former was identified as Eisenia fetida and the latter was Eisenia andrei. Cocoons produced from Eisenia fetida was more than those from Eisenia andrei. And No. of adults developed from eggs of Eisenia fetida was more or less higher than those developed from eggs of Eisenia andrei. These results were contradictory to previous reports on two Eisenia spp.. When Eisenia fetida was crossed with Eisenia andrei, hybridized eggs were produced and adults were developed from those eggs, but cocoons and adults were much less than those from non-crossed Eisenia fetida or Eisenia andrei. This indicated that two Eisenia spp. were not distinctly different biological species because there was no complete 'reproductive isolation' between Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei. However, this also meant that Eisenia fetida and Eisenia andrei had already been on the tract of speciation.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.93-99
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• 2007

Vertical distribution of tiger worm(Eisenia fetida) population in the earthworm rearing bed was investigated with feeding paper mill sludge. More than 50% of larva and adult population of Eisenia fetida lived within the depth of 5 cm from the surface of rearing bed. And more than 96% of the population of larva, adult and cocoon lived within the depth of 20 cm. Percental vertical distribution of Eisenia fetida population in the rearing bed was not much influenced by the changes in the height of rearing bed or density of earthworm population.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.112-118
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• 2004

Laying hens' excrement from eating food wastes was mixed with paper mill sludge, aged for 21 days and then provided to the juvenile earthworms(Eisenia fetida) for 10 weeks. Biomass of earthworm population decreased by 5.7% of initially introduced population. Very few juvenile earthworms developed into the clitellates and clitellated earthworms could not produce cocoons at all, which was supposed to be caused by inhibition effects of salts in laying hens' excrement upon the sexual development of Eisenia fetida. But there was no significant effect on the survivorship of earthworm population.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.115-122
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• 2011

Ecotoxicological effects of synthetic detergents such as laundry detergent and $Shampoo^{(R)}$ on cocoon productivity, hatchability, number of hatched individuals per cocoon and growth of next generation of Eisenia fetida population were evaluated. Synthetic detergents mixed with earthworm feed increased the cocoon productivity, number of hatched individuals per cocoon and growth of next generation of Eisenia fetida population, but there was no effect on hatchability. From those results, it could be concluded that synthetic detergents that might be present in the sewage sludge would not cause ecotoxicological effect on Eisenia fetida population.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2012

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of endocrine interupter, Nonylphenol and DEHP on the cocoon production, the hatchability of cocoon and the number of offsprings per cocoon of Eisenia fetida. And the cocentrations of Nonylphenol and DEHP of sewage sludges in Pocheon city (Northeastern area of South Korea) were also investigated. Nonylphenol below the concentration of 100 mg $kg^{-1}$ did not reduce the cocoon production, the hatchability of cocoon and the number of offsprings per cocoon. DEHP above the concentration of 1,500 mg $kg^{-1}$ reduced the cocoon production, and DEHP over the concentration of 2,500 mg $kg^{-1}$ could reduce the hatchability. There was no Nonylphenol in sewage sludge of Pocheon city, but maximum concentration of DEHP was 1,640mg $kg^{-1}$, which could make the population of Eisenia fetida extinct gradually if sewage sludge of Pocheon was supplied to Eisenia fetida for a long time.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.46-54
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• 2015

Toxicity and uptake of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in three different soils (OECD soil, natural soil and loess) to earthworm (Eisenia fetida) were investigated at several different spiked concentrations of TNT (0 to 200 mg/kg for OECD and natural soils, and 0 to 35 mg/kg for loess) and for different exposure periods (7, 14, 21, and 28 d). The LC₅₀ values for 7 d exposure were 160.1, 159.4, and 28.81 mg/kg for OECD soil, natural soil, and loess, respectively. The LC₅₀ values for 14, 21, and 28 d exposure were almost the same as those for 7 d exposure, showing that 7 d exposure time was enough to decide the toxicity (LC₅₀) of TNT to Eisenia fetida, because the highest concentration of TNT in earthworm body was observed within around 5 d. The LC₅₀ and uptake of TNT in loess were higher than those in OECD and natural soil. The uptake of TNT to the earthworm were correlated well with the initial concentration of TNT in the soil and TNT porewater concentration (R²> 0.9 in OECD, natural, and loess). The concentration of TNT in earthworm body decreased after 5 d, possibly caused by natural degradation of TNT by soil bacteria as well as earthworm.

• The Korean Journal of Soil Zoology
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• v.6 no.1_2
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• pp.11-16
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• 2001

This study was carried out to investigate the species composition and its abundance in the heap of compost, wild-grass, and sewer. 1,525 individuals were collected from 11th July, 2000 to 3rd August, 2000 at the 108 sites. They encompassed 3 families, 4 genera and 6-8 species. Species composition and its percentile abundance were as follows: Eisenia fetida 86.2%, Aporectodea trapezoides 0.5%, Amynthas hilgendorfi 1.1%, Amyntha agrestis 2.8%, A. koreanus group 6.3%, Drawida sp. 17%, Others 1.4fo in the compost heap, Eisenia fetida 9.8%, Aporectodea trapezoides 9.1%, Amynthas hilgendorfi 12.1%, Amyntha agrestis 25.1%, A. koreanus group 27.8%, Drawida sp 2.8%, Others 13.2% in the wild-grass and Eisenia fetida 24.2%, Aporectodea trapezoides 5.4%, Amynthas hilgendorfi 10.2%, Amyntha agrestis 5.4%, A. koreanus group 26.3%, Drawida sp 1.6%, Others 22.6% in the sewer.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2011

Mercury known as quicksilver, is the most common cause of heavy metal toxicity. Toxicity caused by excessive mercury exposure is now being recognized as a widespread environmental problem and is continuing to attract a great deal of public concerns. The mercury genotoxicity could be its effect on DNA repair mechanisms, which constitute the defense system designated to protect genome integrity. The objective of this study is to confirm that mercuric chloride inhibits the repair of gamma ray-induced DNA damage. The earthworm of Eisenia fetida was chosen for this study because it is an internationally accepted model species for toxicity testing with a cosmopolitan distribution. Experiments were done to identify the levels of DNA damage and the repair kinetics in the coelomocytes of E. fetida irradiated with 20 Gy gamma rays alone or with gamma rays after 40 mg $kg^{-1}$ $HgCl_2$ treatment by means of the single cell gel electrophoresis assay. The Olive tail moments were measured during 0~96 hours after irradiation. The repair time in the animals treated with the combination of $HgCl_2$ and ionizing radiation was nearly five times longer than that in the animals treated with ionizing radiation alone. Also, E. fetida exposed to mercury showed a statistically lower repair efficiency of gamma ray-induced DNA damage. The results suggest that the mercury could even have deleterious effects on the DNA repair system. Influence of mercury on the DNA repair mechanisms has been confirmed by this study.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.66-78
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• 2003

The effects of several factors such as heavy metals, living microorganims, high molecular conglomerator in sewage sludge were analysed. And the effects of the sewage sludges which were mixed with other organic waste such as paper mill sludge or night soil sludge upon the feeding rate and biomass of earthworm population were also estimated. The earthworm populations could not survive when newly produced sewage sludges were fed without any pretreatment. The contents of heavy metals were under the levels that could inhibit earthworm's growth. The living microorganisms and the high molecular conglomerator in the sewage sludge had no relations with ecotoxicological effects of sewage sludge upon the earthworm population. Sewage sludge which had been mixed with paper mill sludge and aged for more than 21 days showed no ecotoxicological effects on tiger worm(Eisenia fetida) population. And the feeding rate of earthworm population and the turnover rate of earthworm biomass were higher in those sewage sludges than in the sewage sludges pretreated by other ways.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.50-60
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• 2012

This study was carried out to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of Alum and Ferric chloride on the population of Eisenia fetida in vermicomposting of sewage sludge. Using contact filter toxicity test, it was shown that LC50 of Alum and Ferric chloride on adult Eisenia fetida were 457.4 mg $kg^{-1}$ and 1,665.2 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively,which meant Ferric chloride had much higher acute toxicity on earthworm than Alum. Alum didn't affect on cocoon production, hatchability and number of hatched larvae of Eisenia fetida. Ferric chloride didn't have any efects on number of hatched larvae per cocoon, but reduced cocoon production and hatchability. Larval density of next generation was reduced by the food containing Alum and Ferric chloride. Above results indicated that the Alum and Ferric chloride could be one of the hazardous materials that made extinction of earthworm population when the sewage sludge treated with Alum and Ferric chloride was supplied to the earthworms.