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Contemporary Problems of Ecology

2010 year, number 1

Use of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri (Tubificidae, Oligochaeta) for Purification of Bottom Sediments from Oil and Oil Products

D. S. Vorobyev, Y. A. Frank, S. V. Lushnikov, N. A. Zaloznyi, Y. A. Noskov
Keywords: bioturbation, bottom sediments, silt, Limnodrilus, Oligochaeta, oil, oil products, purification, worm mortality, tubificides
Pages: 21-27

Abstract

Possibility to use water worms Oligochaeta, Tubificidae for purification of bottom sediments from oil and oil products is considered.
It is shown in a set of experiments with Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparede, 1862 that oil, even in so high concentrations as 16,72 g/kg, did not cause their death. Mortality of the organisms during the experiment was caused by nаtural reasons. Active mixing of silt (bioturbation) under the action of the worms was observed, which was expressed as an increase in the thickness of the silt layer in comparison with the reference conditions. In this situation, a trend to increase the silt layer with an increase in oil concentration in bottom sediments was observed. It was established that oil concentration in bottom sediments decreased within 30 days as a result of the vital activity of Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri by a factor of 1,20-1,72 or by 16,67-41,90 % ( < 0,05) in comparison with reference aquarium without worms.