Paulo Roger Lopes Alves

By Paulo Roger Lopes Alves and Elke Jurandy Bran Nogueira Cardoso

This chapter briefly describes the importance of the services provided by soil invertebrates in terrestrial ecosystems and highlights the role of soil fauna in the risk assessments of potentially polluting substances for the terrestrial environment, considering the sensitivity of these organisms, when compared to other indicators of soil quality (e.g., chemical and physical). The main invertebrate groups used in laboratorial ecotoxicological assays are presented and, based on its physiological characteristics and habit requirements, the advantages and disadvantages of using certain taxonomic groups in laboratory assessments are also discussed. The most frequently used methods to perform this type of toxicity tests are summarized, highlighting the fundamental steps of the assays with the species Eisenia fetida/Eisenia andrei, Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus albidus/Enchytraeus crypticus, and Hypoaspis aculeifer, as well as the possible adjustments that are being carried out in tropical countries. Finally, the future prospects, related to the challenge of increasing the realism of laboratory ecotoxicological analyses, are discussed to show the main needs of this study at global and regional perspectives.

Part of the book: Invertebrates