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Rabah Larba Azzeddine Zeraib

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (2): 0373-0383

    Rabah Larba Azzeddine Zeraib & Noureddine Soltani
    Assessment of soil metallic contamination in several sites from Northeast Algeria by use of terrestrial gastropod: Cornu aspersum (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Helicidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.2.373.383

    ABSTRACT
    The study aimed to determine concentrations of some trace elements (Fe, Mn, and Pb) in soils of five sites in Northeast Algeria (Sidi Ammar, Drean, Chatt, Besbes, and El-Kala) during the spring and autumn of 2019. All of the sites were chosen due to their proximity to industrial factories. In addition, the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), indicators of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity respectively, were measured in land snail Cornu aspersum (O.F. Müller, 1774) (Mollusca Gastropoda Helicidae) collected from all studied sites. The concentration of heavy metals in these soils decreases as follows: Fe > Mn > Pb. GST and AChE activities were found to vary between sites and by season. The highest levels of GST activity were registered during the spring at sites closest to potential sources of pollution. AChE values showed inhibition in spring as compared to autumn. In addition, the highest inhibition values were recorded at the Sidi Ammar site. These increased levels of bioindication stress responses correlated significantly with increasing metal concentration in soil samples collected at each site. The differences recorded between the sites studied are related to their level of pollution, while the seasonal variations were due to the effect of heavy metals leaching in autumn.