Earthworms strongly avoid soil mixed with hemp seed oil processing waste, whether raw or fermented, and the waste disrupts their nervous system and detox enzymes. This suggests hemp pomace, often proposed as a soil amendment, could harm soil life rather than help it.
1
Earthworms exposed for 48 hours showed strong, consistent avoidance behavior toward soil amended with both non-fermented and fermented (3-day and 10-day) hemp pomace.
2
Non-fermented hemp pomace caused the strongest disruption to acetylcholinesterase (nerve function) and detoxification enzymes (carboxylesterase, glutathione S-transferase, multixenobiotic resistance).
3
Oxidative stress markers (catalase, glutathione, reactive oxygen species) showed no consistent pattern, meaning behavior and enzyme biomarkers were more sensitive indicators of harm than oxidative stress tests.
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