Colorful worms

2003/02/27 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Biologia
• Ekologia
• Ingurumena

Not all worms, but those of a species, depending on the metals present in the soil, change color. If they are at high concentrations, these metals are toxic to both common worms and many other living things. However, these special worms are harmless and able to adapt to them. In addition, this ability is transmitted to the next generations through genes.

These superworms capable of living in soils with high concentrations of metals belong to the species Lumbricus rubellus. They have been investigated at the University of Lancaster (Great Britain) and have seen that in a soil with arsenic they acquire a bright yellow color, while with lead they are dark and almost transparent with zinc.

According to scientists, they can be used as markers of contamination and for the extraction of metals from the soil.