Original article Effect of fluidized bed combustion ashes used in metal polluted soil remediation on life history traits of the oligochaeta Eisenia andrei Fabien Grumiaux * ,1 , Sylvain Demuynck 1 , David Schikorski, Se ´bastien Lemie `re, Franck Vandenbulcke, Alain Lepre ˆtre Laboratoire d’Ecologie Nume ´rique et d’Ecotoxicologie, UPRES EA 3570, FR 1818 CNRS, Ba ˆt. SN3, Universite ´ des Sciences et Technologie de Lille, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France Available online 29 September 2007 Abstract The aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of two fluidized bed combustion (FBC) ashes (silico-alumineous and sulfo-calcical) used as immobilizing agents for metals in contaminated soils, on the earthworm Eisenia andrei life history traits in OECD artificial soil. A significant mortality of either juveniles or mature worms was observed following silico-alumineous (>60% mortality) or sulfo-calcical (100% mortality) ashes addition. This effect was due to a transient pH rise of soil. No mortality occurred when worms were introduced eight weeks after soils were amended with FBC ashes. However, growth rates were significantly reduced for both treatments and both ashes exhibited sub-lethal effects likely to affect population dynamics. Thus, cocoon productions were reduced for both amendments and no hatching was recorded with sulfo-calcical ashes. Most of the harmful effects observed on worms growth and reproduction could be attributed to an increase of pH and/or an osmotic disturbance caused by FBC ashes, especially sulfo-calcical ones. Ó 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. Keywords: Remediation; Life history traits; FBC ashes; Oligochaeta; Eisenia andrei 1. Introduction Since 1950s, the primary use of fluidized bed com- bustion (FBC) ashes has been in concrete and cement manufacturing. Recently, many authors reported novel potential applications such as synthesis of zeolites in order to decontaminate mining wastewaters or to- immobilize trace metals in contaminated soils [6,7,9]. However, the synthesis of zeolites is expensive and attempts were done to use directly FBC ashes as additives to immobilize trace metals in contaminated soils. The intrinsic toxicities of FBC ashes need to be as- sessed before their value for limiting metal availabil- ity. Thus, the primary aim of the present study was to investigate the possible adverse effects of two types of FBC ashes, SODELINE Ò and SOPROLINE Ò * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ33 3 20335939; fax: þ33 3 20436732. E-mail address: fabien.grumiaux@univ-lille1.fr (F. Grumiaux). 1 These authors contributed equally. 1164-5563/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ejsobi.2007.08.038 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com European Journal of Soil Biology 43 (2007) S256eS260 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ejsobi