Effects of petroleum products polluted soil on ground beetle Harpalus rufipes

Abstract

The effects of soil contamination of petroleum products: unleaded petrol, diesel oil and used engine oil on ground beetle Harpalus rufipes De Geer were investigated. We measured development parameters (the survival and growth rate) and biochemical defense system parameters (the activity of the cytosolic fraction enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione transferase, heat shock proteins HSP70, carboxyloesterase and acetylcholinesterase and microsomal fraction enzymes: cytochrome c (P450) reductase and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) in the ground beetle H. rufipes. Animals were reared on contaminated soil (6 g of each petroleum product per kg of dry soil weight) through four week. There was no difference in growth rate among animals from different experimental groups. The negative impact was revealed on survival rate of the ground beetles exposed to diesel oil (ca 30 % lower) at the end of the rearing in comparison with animals from control group. In turn, for animals exposed to other petroleum products, the inhibition of some examined enzymes was measured. The effects of each petroleum product were specific. The animals kept through four weeks on soil contaminated with diesel oil had only higher glutathione transferase activity than control ones. The decrease of catalase activity, HSP70 protein in animals exposed to used engine oil and the decrease of acetylcholinesterase, glutathione transferase activity in animals exposed to unleaded petrol were noted.