Browsing by Author "Rabah Larbaa"

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    Diversity of the terrestrial gastropods in the Northeast Algeria: Spatial and temporal distribution
    (researchgate, 2013) Rabah Larbaa
    ABSTRACT A survey of terrestrial gastropods was carried out monthly in three sites located in the Northeast Algeria (El Hadjar, Sidi Kaci, El Kala) during the period of February 2010 January 2011. The sites were chosen according to their proximity of factories and other potential sources of pollution. Totally 8463 individuals were collected and 14 species identified (12 species of snails and 2 species of slugs) belonging to six families: Milacidae, Helicidae, Subulinidae, Cochlicellidae, Enidae and Hygromiidae. Among the species identified 4 are constant: Helix aspersa (Müller, 1774), Otala lactea (Müller, 1774), Trochoidea elegans (Gmelin, 1791), Rumina decollate (Linnaeus, 1758), 3 are accessory: Helix aperta (Born, 1778), Helicella virgata (Da Costa, 1780) and Theba pisana (Müller, 1774), and 7 are accidental: Cepaea vendobonensis (Ferussac, 1821), Zebrina detrita (Müller, 1774), Dupotetia A zonata (Pallary, 1926), Cochlicella barbara (Linnaeus, 1758), Milax gagates (Draparnaud, 1801), Milax nigricans (Phillipi, 1836), Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758). The specific richness of the gastropod species was found to vary between sites and by season. General seasonal peak was recorded during Spring and Winter while the lowest abundance observed during Summer. Helix aspersa is the most abundant species in all prospected sites and will be used as a bioindicator of soil pollution.
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    Use of the land snail Helix aspersa for monitoring heavy metal soil contamination in Northeast Algeria
    (researchgate, 2014-04) Rabah Larbaa
    Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of anthropogenic activities on soil quality using the land snail Helix aspersa as a bioindicator. Soil samples and snails were collected from several sites in Northeast Algeria during the summer and winter of 2010. All of the sites were chosen due to their proximity to industrial factories – a potential source of soil pollution via heavy metal contamination. The concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Mn, and Fe) in soil samples was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Activity levels of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), indicators of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity respectively, were measured in snails collected from each site. GST and AChE activity were found to vary between sites and by season. The highest levels of GST activity were registered during the summer at sites closest to potential sources of pollution. AChE activity levels also peaked during the summer with the highest values recorded at the site in El Hadjar. These increased levels of bioindicative stress response correlated with increasing metal concentration in soil samples collected at each site.