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Issues

Chlordecone is an organochlorine insecticide that was used in the French West Indies from 1972 to 1993 to control the banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus). Its persistence in soil ranges from several decades to several centuries, meaning that since 2009, chlordecone has been classified as a persistent organic pollutant under the Stockholm Convention. It has caused various social issues (including an increased risk of prostate cancer), economic challenges (some farmland is too contaminated to grow chlordecone-sensitive crops) and environmental problems (soil and water pollution). It is therefore essential to study its impact on functional biodiversity and to identify ways to degrade it.

Description

The objective is to characterise the effects of chlordecone and its degradation products on earthworms, and to determine whether these soil macro-organisms can influence the fate of chlordecone and its degradation products.

The effects of chlordecone on earthworms have never been studied. However, based on the literature exploring the impacts of organochlorine pesticides on earthworms, it is assumed that they can bioaccumulate chlordecone and at least some of its degradation products, depending on their lipophilic properties. This bioaccumulation may affect earthworms, particularly some of their functional traits related to reproduction. In addition, recent studies have shown that certain soil bacteria can degrade chlordecone under laboratory conditions. Earthworms could therefore play a role in chlordecone degradation through their interactions with these bacterial strains.
To test these assumptions, field measurements and controlled experiments will be carried out in Martinique and in Avignon to study  the relationships between the different components of bioavailability, as well as the role of interactions between earthworms, chlordecone and microorganisms in the fate of this insecticide.

Expected results

1.    Developing new tools for monitoring chlordecone and its degradation products.
2.    Providing new insights into the fate and effects of chlordecone degradation products.
3.    Exploring more realistic alternative approaches for pollution remediation.