4 종류의 폐기물(생활하수오니, 공단하수오니, 피혁오니, 주정오니)과 대조구로서 돈분퇴비가 지렁이에게 미치는 독성을 평가하기 위하여 대표적인 유해성 평가 biomarker 3종류 (acetylcholinesterase, cytochrome P450, heat shock protein 70)를 사용하였다.
유기성 폐기물에 대한 acetylcholinesterase의 활성은 돈분퇴비의 경우 활성이 약간 촉진된 반면 생활하수오니, 공단하수오니, 피혁오니, 주정오니는 영향을 미치지 않았다. Cytochrome P450의 활성은 공단하수오니와 피혁오니는 활성을 억제하였고 생활하수오니, 주정오니, 돈분퇴비는 영향을 미치지 않았다. 또한 Hsp70의 발현량은 증류수보다 돈분퇴비는 1.9배, 주정오니는 3.0배, 생활하수오니는 3.3배, 공단오니는 4.4배, 피혁오니는 4.7배 순으로 지렁이 (Eisenia fetida)에게 스트레스를 많이 주었다.
이상의 결과로부터, 4 종류의 폐기물(생활하수오니, 공단하수오니, 피혁오니, 주정오니)은 돈분퇴비보다 독성이 강한 것으로 판단하였다. 또한 AChE, Cytochrome P450과 Hsp70은 추후 유기성 폐기물의 유해성을 모니터링하기에 적합한 biomarker로서 가치가 있다고 생각한다.The toxicitiy of organic sludge such as municipal sewage sludge (MSS), industrial sewage sludge (ISS), alcohol fermentation processing sludge (AFPS) and leather processing sludge (LPS) were evaluated with three environmental biomarkers as acetylcholinesterase, cytochrome P450, and heat shock protein 70 extracted from earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Their toxicities were compared with those of pig manure compost (PMC). MSS, ISS, LPS, and AFPS did not significantly affect the acetylcolinesterase activity, whereas only the elutriate of PMC slightly was increased the activity. MSS, AFPS, and PMC tended to slightly inhibit the cytochrome P450 activity, but ISS and LPS showed significantly the inhibitory effect on cytochrome P450. The hsp70 expression began to increase after treatments and showed high induction at 6 hour, followed by zero level at around 12 hour. The quantity of the hsp70 expressed by elutriate treatments of PMC, AFPS, MSS, ISS, and LPS was 1.9, 3.0, 3.3, 4.4, and 4.7 fold higher than that of distilled water. These results indicate that in toxicity tests of five organic waste materials, four kinds of sludge materials appeared more toxic than PMC. Results of AChE, P450, and hsp70 of earthworm might be useful for expecting or assessing an effect by exposure of organic wastes to earthworms in soil.