2004 Environment and Ecology 42 (4C) : 2004—2014, October—December 2024 Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.60151/envec/SLAN9416 ISSN 0970-0420 Earthworms as Biological Tools for Assessing Soil Pollutants Shweta Gupta, Suresh Kumar Received 2 September 2024, Accepted 23 November 2024, Published on 27 December 2024 ABSTRACT Soil contamination has increased significantly over the last few decades due to anthropogenic activi- ties such as industrial waste disposal, agricultural practices, urbanization, construction, mining and drilling, waste dumping, and lack of regulation and enforcement. These activities cause soil contamina- tion with pollutants such as heavy metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and pathogens. These pollutants disrupt the food chain, contaminate crops and water, and threaten living beings and the environment. To effectively assess soil pollution, it is essential to establish non-hazardous threshold technologies for determining the quantity of pollutants in the soil. A bio-monitoring approach that focuses on metal toxicity and its availability in the soil, as well as its impact on unidentified metabolites, is appropriate. As a major component of soil biota, earthworms play a crucial role in organic matter decomposition and soil reconstruction in terrestrial ecosystems. Several Shweta Gupta 1 , Suresh Kumar 2 * 1 PhD Research Scholar, 2 Associate Professor 1,2 Department of Zoology, Government P.G. College, Sirohi, Rajasthan 307001, India Email: sureshgadhveer@gmail.com *Corresponding author studies have indicated that earthworms can serve as biological tools for monitoring soil pollutants and ex- hibit stress responses to contaminants. Their density and biomass are significantly affected by local soil pollution because they are directly exposed to the soil environment. This review article summarizes various research studies on how earthworm species function as bioindicators or biomonitors and their response to different soil pollutants. Further research is required to identify the species-specific responses of earth- worms and to understand their biochemical, anatom- ical, physiological, and genetic changes in particular pollutant-contaminated soils. These efforts are aimed at helping us maintain soil health for sustainability. Keywords Bioindicators, Biomonitors, Earthworm, Food chain, Pollutant, Soil biota, Sustainability. INTRODUCTION Soil health is essential for global ecosystems and sustaining life on Earth. It provides a wide range of ecosystem services, including food production, climate regulation, water management, energy pro- vision, and the support of diverse life forms. Addi- tionally, soil plays a crucial role in nutrient recycling, groundwater replenishment, maintaining soil fertility, decomposing organic matter, and forming fossil fuels (Yadav et al. 2021). The significance of soil health extends beyond agriculture to encompass broader environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Healthy soils support diverse and productive ecosys- tems by providing a stable substrate for plant roots and a rich reservoir of nutrients, organic matter, and microorganisms. Soil plays a crucial role in regulating