A large-scale field investigation revealing the distribution characteristics of arsenic in earthworm tissues

Highlights

	● Arsenic characteristics in earthworms and soils across 47 sites in China were studied.
	● Earthworm tissues showed lower arsenic levels than surrounding soils.
	● Higher arsenite to arsenate ratio was observed in earthworm tissues.
	● Positive correlation of arsenic levels in earthworm tissues with soil nitrate.

Abstract

The total arsenic (As) and As species of earthworm body tissues and surrounding soils were investigated in 47 locations (16 forested lands and 31 agricultural lands) at a national scale across China using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (HPLC-ICP-MS). Earthworm body tissues had an average total As concentration of 6.21 mg kg⁻¹, significantly lower than the soil As concentration of 12.99 mg kg⁻¹. The ratio of arsenite to arsenate (As^III/As^V ratio) in earthworm body tissues (67%) was significantly higher compared to that in surrounding soils (19%). HPLC-ICP-MS analysis detected small amounts of organic As forms, such as arsenobetaine (2.9%), dimethylarsinic acid (1%), and monomethylarsonic acid (0.3%), mainly in earthworm tissues from certain locations. The total As content and As^III/As^V ratio in earthworm tissues exhibited a strong positive correlation with soil NO₃⁻ content. This field study enhances our understanding of As concentration and speciation in earthworm body tissues across China, contributing valuable insights into the biogeochemical cycle of As and its biological risks in diverse soil ecosystems. These findings provide crucial evidence for policymakers to formulate strategies addressing and mitigating soil As pollution and associated health risks.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

arsenic characteristics / earthworm body tissues / surrounding soils / HPLC-ICP-MS / China

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant numbers 42107138, 32101291, and 42007036), the NSFC-Henan Joint Fund (Grant number U1904204), and the Innovation Scientists and Technicians Troop Construction Projects of Henan Province (Grant number 182101510005).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

The authors affirm that all studies described in the manuscript were carried out in an ethical and responsible manner, adhering fully to all pertinent codes of experimentation and legislation.　　　　　　

Author contributions

S.L. Fu and H.T. Wang conceived the study; D. Zhu collected samples and conducted the arsenic characterization analyses; A. Yang and D. Zhu ran the statistical analyses and wrote the first draft. S.L. Fu, H.T. Wang, D. Zhu, Y.H. Shao, W.X. Zhang, and A. Yang discussed and commented on the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

Data availability statement

The data, materials and R codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Electronic supplementary material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s42832-024-0235-5 and is accessible for authorized users.

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