Assessment of the Effects of Some Insecticides on Mortality of Earthworm (Eisenia fetida)

The toxic effects of 12 commercially available insecticides on the earthworm, Eisenia fetida (Savigny), were evaluated using artificial soil, surface sprayed soil, immersion, and contact filter tests. The risk to earthworm was assessed by the TER (toxic exposure ratio) value, which was calculated by the formula, TER=NOEC/PEC (predicted environmental concentration). TER was 3 for methomyl SL, 20 for carbaryl WP, 20 for phosphamidon SL, 30 for imidacloprid WP, and 60 for dichlorvos EC the in artificial soil test. At recommended, the earthworm mortality to methomyl SL reached 50% in the surface sprayed soil test, 72% in the immersion test, 30% in the contact filter paper test, whereas that to imidacloprid WP reached 56, 32, and 100 respectively. As a result of the four methods, methomyl SL and imidacloprid WP would be toxic insecticides to earthworm.