Antioxidant responses in the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa of eastern Slovakia: application of principal component analysis as a tool to identify metal contaminated areas

The soil of Slovak Republic is severely contaminated with heavy metals, creating hazards to soil health. In order to assess the current status with the prospect of selecting the appropriate treatment methods and land use, this investigation aimed to determine a panel of complementary and ecologically relevant biomarkers that reflect adverse biological responses towards terrestrial pollutants. To attain this objective, the concentration of reduced glutathione and enzymes of glutathione antioxidant system were assessed in clitellate earthworm, Aporrectodea caliginosa sampled from selected sites of eastern Slovakia along with the pH and total metal concentration (As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) of soils. Positive, significant ( p