Bioaccumulation of hexachlorobenzene in Eisenia foetida at different aging stages.

The impacts of contact time on the extractability, the availability of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in different soils (paddy soil, red soil, and fluvo-aquic soil) and bioaccumulation in earthworm Eisenia foetida were investigated under controlled conditions in laboratory. Results indicated that the aging rate of HCB displaying a biphasic character in different soils: a rapid aging in the first 60 d followed by a slow aging in the next 120 d incubation time. Moreover, most of extractable HCB (about 90%) decline occurred in the first 60 d after HCB was spiked into the soils. The aging rate of HCB in the paddy soil was higher than that in the fluvo-aquic soil or the red soil. The amount of HCB accumulated in the earthworms and its accumulative ability, expressed as a bioaccumulation factor (BAF), declined as the aging time increased from 1 to 180 d. Although the extractable HCB decreased with increasing residence time in soil, much of HCB could still be accumulated by earthworms (457.6-984.3 ng/g) through bioaccumulation, which poses a potential risk to soil ecological safety.