The use of Eisenia fetida as bioindicator of nuclear activities

Abstract

Environmental sampling is one of the most important measures to strengthen the nuclear safeguard system. The collection of environmental samples, in context of the safeguard, aims to reveal information on treated materials and declared or even undeclared activities, as well. Usually two steps are involved, the first to establish the environmental fingerprint of the installation under observation, the second is to obtain compared these values with the environmental signatures. This strategy can also be used in nuclear forensic investigations. Samplings can be performed inside, outside or even near the facility under investigation, on surfaces, air, water, sediments, vegetation, soil and the local biota. In soil the earthworm is part of the biota, assimilating the metallic components during feeding or by skin absorption. The Eisenia fetida earthworm belongs to the Annelida Phylum, Oligochaete Class, the species known as California redworm, in Brazil, is widely used for the production of humus, since it has great ability to convert little decomposed organic residues into stabilized material. In the literature it has been already reported the ability of E. fetida to bioacumulate several metals including uranium and other radionuclides. In this project we are studying the ability of E. fetida to identify nuclear signatures and its ability to be used as biomonitor in nuclear safeguards and nuclear forensic investigations.