Tuesday, 8 November 2005
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Using the Earthworm, Eisenia Fetida, to Assess the Ecotoxicity of Waste Foundry Sands.

Robert Dungan and Nikki Dees. USDA-ARS-AMBL, 10300 Baltimore Ave. BARC-EAST, Bldg. 306 Rm. 113A, Beltsville, MD 20705

Earthworms are often used to monitor the toxicity of contaminated soils. In this experiment, the earthworm, Eisenia fetida, was utilized to assess the ecotoxicity of waste foundry sands. Each year the U.S. foundry industry generates several million tons of waste sand that is no longer useful to produce metalcasting molds. In states such as Ohio, foundry sands are being successfully used in manufactured soils and for geotechnical applications; however, additional toxicity data is needed before other states will consider similar beneficial use options for waste foundry sands. Following the guidelines established by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), we initiated an experiment to assess the viability and reproducibility of earthworms in soil blends containing 10, 30, and 50% foundry sand. The waste sands tested were from iron, aluminum, and brass foundries. Upon termination of the experiment, the trace metal content of the adult earthworms will be quantified. Data will be available during meeting time.

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