Assessment of avoidance behaviour due to Fluazifop-p-butyl herbicide in Eisenia fetida

A common aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicide that can infiltrate soil ecosystems and possibly impact non-target soil species is fluazifop-p-butyl (FPB).An effective ecotoxicological test criterion for assessing contaminated soil and examining its habitat function is earthworm avoidance behaviour.This study was focused on Eisenia fetida avoidance behaviour in response to various concentration of FPBin soil. In accordance with the recommendations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), a two-choice experimental setup was used to evaluate behavioural reactions to herbicide doses of 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg in controlled laboratory circumstances after 48 hours of exposure.One-way ANOVA was used to analyse the avoidance %. During the 48-hour exposure, no mortality were observed. A concentration-dependent avoidance response was evident as the mean avoidance rose from 6.67% in the control group to 83.33%, 90.00%, 93.33%, and 96.67% at 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg, respectively. This study supports the use of avoidance behaviour in soil ecological risk assessment and emphasises it as a sensitive indicator of FPB-induced stress in E. fetida.