Genotoxicity on earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to metaphedrone and ketamine

Abstract

Metaphedrone and ketamine are two psychoactive substances (PAS) used for recreational purposes that can be detected in terrestrial ecosystems due to soil irrigation with contaminated water, application of sludge from wastewater treatment plants, among others. Despite reaching soils, little is known about the toxic effects that PAS can induce on terrestrial organisms and soil ecology. Thus, the objective of this work was centred on the evaluation of the genotoxic effects of metaphedrone and ketamine on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, after an exposure period of 28 days. It was observed that metaphedrone induced significant DNA effects at the 2500 µg/kg concentration, whereas ketamine caused DNA damage at the 250 and 2500 µg/kg concentrations. Thus, it was concluded that these two PAS are genotoxic for this species, but only at high concentrations. More studies are needed in order to understand which metabolic pathways can induce these effects in DNA, such as the level of oxidative stress in earthworms and the consequences it may have in terms of immune defence and in the dynamics of their populations.