These worms had a copper content of 34.5 μg g −1 after 73 days and a zinc content of 184.9 μg g −1, showing a differential uptake. Both copper and zinc at sublethal concentrations affected growth and maturation in worms exposed to contaminated food. Apart from exposing worms experimentally for 73 days to contaminated food, a series of contact filter paper tests was also performed to determine LD 50 for copper and zinc. In this study we evaluated growth and maturation in the vermicomposting earthworm species Eudrilus eugeniae as marker of sublethal toxicity of copper and zinc. Growth rate change in earthworms is considered to be a suitable endpoint when determining sublethal effects.
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