Landsnail for ecotoxicological assessment of chemicals and soil contamination — ecotoxicological assessment of chemicals and contaminated soils using the terrestrial snail, helix aspersa, at various stage of its life cycle: A review

Abstract

To assess the fate and effect of pollutants in the environment, chemical measurements are efficient but not sufficient. Biological environmental indicators must also be used to provide information on environmental and toxicological or trophic bioavailability of soil contaminants. Among the biological indicators that can be affected by soil contamination, the ubiquitous landsnail species Helix aspersa (syn. Cantareus aspersus) is a primary consumer living at the soil-plant-air interface, which constitutes prey for many consumers, including humans. The rearing of H aspersa is possible under controlled conditions. This provides a year-round supply of eggs, juvenile, or adults for the ecotoxicological assessment of chemicals or more complex matrixes, such as sludges and contaminated soils. This chapter presents the field and laboratory methods available for using the common garden snail H aspersa to characterize the fate and effects of soil contaminants.