A STUDY ON ECOTOXICITY OF CARTAP HYDROCHLORIDE ON “PERIONYX EXCAVATUS”Maminee Panda and Aliva PatnaikAbstract Soil is the largest terrestrial ecosystem supporting various biotic inhabitants. The correlation between the biotic and abiotic constituents gives a proper structure to it. With respect to this, earthworms have a major role in increasing the soil fertility factors by some of their physiological activities like nutrients cycling and immobilization. But their growth is inhibited by the unrestricted and intensive use of agricultural chemicals in crop field. In this study, Perionyx excavatus, an epigeic earthworm was exposed to experimental doses (0 ppm, 2 ppm, 5 ppm and 10 ppm) of pesticide cartap hydrochloride for 30 days to notice its impacts on some of their physiological processes. In the study it has been observed that, survivability, growth, feeding rate of the experimental groups decreased significantly with the increased dose of the pesticide, but an enhancement in their rate of respiration with the same experimental conditions. Statistical tools like two way ANOVA (p<0.001) and correlation were used to record significant differences as well as correlation between the physiological parameters and the doses of the pesticide. |