<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><article><front><Journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type='publisher'>CWE/782/2017</journal-id><journal-title >Current World Environment</journal-title><issn pub-type='PPub'>0973-4929</issn><issn pub-type='ePub'>2320-8031</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Enviro Research Publishers</publisher-name></publisher></Journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type='other'>CWE--32-00</article-id><title-group><article-title>Soil Invertebrates As Bio-Monitors of Toxic Metals Pollution in Impacted Soils</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type='author'><name><surname></surname><given-names></given-names></name><xref ref-type='aff' rid='aff00'><sup></sup></xref></contrib></contrib-group><aff id='aff001'><sup>1</sup><instname>University of Uyo, Uyo</instname>,<deptname>Chemistry Department</deptname>, <instpincode>520001</instpincode>, <instcountry>Nigeria</instcountry>.</aff><pub-date pub-type='ppub'><publicationDate>2015-08-31</publicationDate></pub-date><doi>10.12944/CWE.10.2.02</doi><volume>Volume 10</volume><issue>Volume 10</issue><page>367-385</page><abstract><title>Abstract</title><p>&lt;p&gt;The bio-indicator potentials of two invertebrate species, &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae &lt;/em&gt;(earthworm) and &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus &lt;/em&gt;(millipede) in toxic metals impacted soils in Akwa Ibom State, in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria were assessed. The study involved collection of &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae &lt;/em&gt;and &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt;, and their site soil samples from different impacted and non-impacted soils in ten locations spread over four Local Government Areas. Toxic metals (Pb, Fe, Zn, Ni and Cd) in soils and in the bio-indicator organisms were analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, after acid digestion. Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) was used to measure the extent of soil pollution; Bio-Accumulation Factor (BAF) to compute the metal uptake from soil by bio-indicators; and multivariate statistics to identify interrelationships among metals and the pollution sources. Metals in all soils were higher than the background levels, and were classified as unpolluted to very strongly polluted. Pb, Fe, Zn and Cd were higher in &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae&lt;/em&gt;, and Ni in &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt; at 0.05 level. The organisms absorbed all metals (BAF&amp;lt;1), but &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae&lt;/em&gt; accumulated Cd and Fe and &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt;, Ni and Fe (BAF&amp;gt;1). Metals were clustered into three (&lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae&lt;/em&gt;) and two (&lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt;) dissimilar groups. Two principal components extracted, each for &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae &lt;/em&gt;and &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt; accounted for 64% and 72% of total variations, respectively. The invertebrates exhibited varying levels of affinity in metals uptake. &lt;em&gt;Eudrilus eugeniae &lt;/em&gt;appeared to accumulate Pb, Fe and Cd more, and could serve as a better bio-indicator for monitoring these metals. &lt;em&gt;Pachybolus ligulatus&lt;/em&gt; accumulated 3-folds more Ni, and could provide a monitoring tool especially in agriculture, in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria, plagued by crude oil pollution of its land and water bodies.&lt;/p&gt;
</p></abstract><kwd-group><title>Keywords</title><kwd>Soil bio-indicators</kwd><kwd> Pollution</kwd><kwd> Multivariate analysis</kwd><kwd> Atomic Spectroscopy</kwd></kwd-group><counts><ref-count count='' /><page-count count='' /></counts></article-meta></front></article>