The Efficiency of Earthworms as a Biomarker for Environmental Pollution

Pollution from various sources is currently regarded as one of the most severe issues everywhere. However, certain biological indicators can detect a variety of contaminants, and each one is used to identify a specific pollutant or a group of pollutants. The use of molecular and biochemical biomarkers is one of the ecotoxicological approaches in assessing pollutant bioavailability and sublethal effects. One of the most rapidly growing fields in ecotoxicological research is biomarkers in soil invertebrates, such as earthworms. Due to the widespread use of biocides and fertilizers in agriculture, industrial operations, urban trash, and air deposition, soil contamination has risen in recent decades. Earthworms serve as an excellent bio indicator for monitoring soil pollution. There are a variety of biomarkers of toxic substances in earthworm ecotoxicology. The present review is focused on the use of earthworms as a biomarker to analyze the impact of toxicological substances.