ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Effect of Soil Pollution by Oil Derivatives
on Harpalus rufipes Deg. (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Agricultural Environment Protection, University of Agriculture, Kraków, Poland
2
Unit of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Horticulture,
University of Agriculture, Kraków, Poland
Submission date: 2018-08-24
Final revision date: 2018-10-25
Acceptance date: 2018-11-04
Online publication date: 2019-07-30
Publication date: 2019-09-17
Corresponding author
Janina Gospodarek
Department of Agricultural Environment Protection, University of Agriculture, al. A. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Cracow, Poland, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(6):4163-4170
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
We investigated the subsequent effect of oil derivatives on life parameters of Harpalus rufipes Deg.
(Coleoptera, Carabidae) and the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in its body. We also
attempted to determine the influence of the presence of H. rufipes on the total content of oil derivatives
in soil. The following objects were established: control – unpolluted soil; soil polluted with petrol;
soil polluted with diesel fuel and soil polluted with used engine oil. Oil derivatives were used in a dose
of 6 000 mg of fuel / kg d.m. of soil. In the laboratory, survival and body mass change of H. rufipes
reared in soil contaminated with petroleum products, as well as their influence on the oil content
in soil, was investigated. Harpalus rufipes Deg. reveals sensitivity to the presence in its vicinity of
engine oil and diesel fuel, visible as decreased survival rate, whereas petrol does not affect the beetle
condition. The analysed kinds of oil derivatives did not negatively affect beetle body mass gain. Soil
experiments did not reveal any dependence between the presence of the animals and the efficiency of
total hydrocarbon degradation. A tendency for accumulation was observed for anthracene and benzo[a]
pyrene in conditions of soil polluted with petrol, and benzo[b]fluoranthene in engine oil-polluted soil,
which may indicate a significant contribution of H. rufipes in the natural biodegradation of oil derivatives.