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Effects of boric acid on various microbes, plants, and soil invertebrates

  • SOILS, SEC 2 • GLOBAL CHANGE, ENVIRON RISK ASSESS, SUSTAINABLE LAND USE • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

Terrestrial ecotoxicology includes the investigation of the impact of chemicals on soils and soil-inhabiting organisms, whereby ecotoxicological effects are mainly assessed using single-species laboratory tests. As part of laboratory testing, reference substances, with known toxicity, are regularly used to confirm the sensitivity of the cultivated test organisms over time. Furthermore, reference substances are also applied in ring test evaluations for the validation of new test methods. The present work evaluates boric acid for its suitability as a potential reference substance for tests with higher plants and soil organisms (e.g., invertebrates and microbial communities).

Materials and methods

To enhance our existing knowledge, standardized acute and chronic laboratory tests with boric acid were performed and statistically evaluated using the following organism groups: microorganisms, higher plants, nematodes, enchytraeids, earthworms, collembolans, and beetles.

Results and discussion

The results demonstrated that boric acid was amenable for use in standardized laboratory tests using a wide range of microbes, plants, and soil invertebrates. Methodological problems were not identified. In addition, several organism groups demonstrated a hormetic response that must be taken into consideration when determining appropriate test concentration ranges for the use of boric acid as a reference substance. Finally, it was clear that the sensitivity of the different test species differed by about an order of magnitude (with the exclusion of microorganisms), which seems little when considering the wide taxonomic and physiological range of the organisms tested.

Conclusions

Based on the present results boric acid can be considered as a suitable reference substance in soil ecotoxicology. It is also recommended that the suitability (i.e., sensitivity, robustness, and practicability) be proven in international ring tests.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all colleagues at ECT GmbH who helped in one way or another with the practical work in the laboratory. In particular the input of Tiago Natal da Luz for his help with the collembolan avoidance test and the information provided by Sebastian Höss on the performance of the nematode test are acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Leonie Becker

    Present address: Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation, Research Centre for BioSystems, Land Use and Nutrition (IFZ), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26, 35392, Giessen, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Böttgerstraße 2-14, 65439, Flörsheim, Germany

    Leonie Becker, Adam Scheffczyk, Bernhard Förster, Jörg Römbke & Thomas Moser

  2. Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Siesmayerstraße 70, 60323, Frankfurt/Main, Germany

    Leonie Becker & Jörg Oehlmann

  3. Environment Canada, Biological Methods Section, Wildlife Toxicology and Disease Division, Environment Canada, 335 River Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada

    Juliska Princz

Authors
  1. Leonie Becker
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  2. Adam Scheffczyk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leonie Becker.

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Responsible editor: Hailong Wang

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Becker, L., Scheffczyk, A., Förster, B. et al. Effects of boric acid on various microbes, plants, and soil invertebrates. J Soils Sediments 11, 238–248 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0282-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0282-7

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