Replication Data for: Does a decade of soil organic fertilization promote copper and zinc bioavailability to epi-endogeic earthworms?

Dataset of the paper entitled "Does a decade of soil organic fertilization promote copper and zinc bioavailability to epi-endogeic earthworms?" While long-term organic fertilizer (OF) application tends to decrease copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) availability in agricultural soils, earthworm bioturbation tends to have the opposite effect. Consequences in terms of Cu and Zn bioavailability to earthworms in bioturbated, OF-amended soils are hence still a matter of debate. Accordingly, we assessed the effect of a decade of agronomically-realistic OF applications on Cu and Zn availability in earthworm-inhabited soils and their consequence on Cu and Zn bioavailability to earthworms. An epi-endogeic species (Dichogaster saliens) was exposed in microcosms to three soils receiving at field scale either no, mineral or organic fertilization for a decade. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties (i‧e. concentration, aromaticity, and binding properties towards Cu), pH, and Cu and Zn availability (i‧e. total concentration and free ionic activity) were determined in the solution of earthworm-inhabited soils. Cu and Zn bioavailability was assessed by measuring the net accumulation and concentration of Cu and Zn in earthworms. Despite soil Cu and Zn contamination induced by a decade of OF applications, the organic fertilization-induced increase in pH and DOM properties drove the mitigation of Cu and Zn availability in earthworm-inhabited soils, while bioturbation had little effect. Consistently, Cu and Zn bioavailability did not increase with OF applications. From an ecotoxicological perspective, our results suggest that agronomically-realistic applications of OF for a decade should not constitute a risk for earthworms in terms of bioaccumulation and toxicity of Cu and Zn.