The collembola Lobella sokamensis juvenile as a new soil quality indicator of heavy metal pollution

We propose Lobella sokamensis Deharveng and Weiner, 1984 juvenile as a new soil quality indicator to assess heavy metal polluted soils. L. sokamensis is a collembola commonly found with earthworms, and it plays a key role in decomposing dead earthworms. The soil quality assessment of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), antimony (Sb), and zinc (Zn) on the survival of L. sokamensis adults were performed in artificial soil. The LC50 values for L. sokamensis adults exposed to Cd, Cu, Sb and Zn for 5 days were calculated to be 4729, 4472, 4702, and 2521 mg kg−1, respectively. L. sokamensis juveniles (10–12 days) were also exposed to Cd, Cu, Sb, and Zn, and 5 days-LC50 values for Cd, Cu, Sb, and Zn were 282, 229, 447, and 163 mg kg−1, respectively. Both adult and juvenile survivals of L. sokamensis in metal spiked soil were inhibited. We found that the soil quality assessment using L. sokamensis juveniles were sensitive enough to evaluate soil pollution, compared to conventional Folsomia candida assay which is widely used. In addition, L. sokamensis has advantage for easy detection in soil due to the big and orange-colored body. The 5 days-soil quality assessment using L. sokamensis juveniles appears to be rapid protocols for the collembola assay. This is the first report on the collembola assay of heavy metal contaminated soils using the L. sokamensis as a soil indicator.