A comparison of multiple esterases as biomarkers of organophosphate exposure and effect in two earthworm species.

Two different earthworm species, Eisenia fetida and Lumbricus terrestris, were exposed to 5 μg/cm(2) of malathion to evaluate their usefulness as sentinels of organophosphate exposure and to assess three different esterases, as biomarkers of malathion exposure and effect. Tissue xenobiotic burdens and esterase activity were determined for each species and each esterase in order to assess variability. E. fetida exhibited 4-fold less variability in tissue burdens than did L. terrestris and had less variable basal esterase activities. An attempt was made to correlate malathion and malaoxon tissue burdens with esterase activity post-exposure. There was no malaoxon present in the earthworm tissues. No significant correlations were determined by comparing acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, nor carboxylesterase activities with malathion burdens.