Annelids and Nematodes as Sentinels of Environmental Pollution

Worms like polychaetes, oligochaetes, and nematodes, have been widely used in studies of aquatic and soil pollution. Several ecotoxicological characteristics make these animals suitable for use as a biomonitor, including the fact that these organisms live in close contact with sediments. Also important is that they posses little mobility, which could be useful in biomonitoring programs since it can reflect local environmental problems. Several toxicological aspects are reviewed in these zoological groups, including their antioxidant responses and detoxifying mechanisms of heavy metals. Interestingly, the nematodes and oligochaetes species show induction of proteins different from the well-known metallothionein, including cysteine-rich proteins, and phytochelatins, this last group until recently believed to be present only in plants and fungi.