Use of terrestrial gastropods in ecotoxicity tests

The subject of this disertation is the use of terrestrial gastropods in ecotoxicity tests. Specifically, the use of a cosmopolitan terrestric gastropod Helix aspersa aspersa (syn. Cantareus aspersus or Cornu aspersum). The whole life cycle of this snail is very closely related the soil ekosystem. Here, the snails participates in some of the very important processes like the decomposition of the dead organic matter. This work is focused on the use of these snails to evaluate potential negative effect of some selected elements, which could, in different volumes, enter the soil ecosystem. The next task is to divide the ecotoxicity tests to different categories, depending on the life stage of this organism and then to compare the sensitivity of those life stages to different levels of contamination by certain pollutants