Earthworm Research Paper

What is the effect of radiation on Earthworms?
Hypothesis:
The mass of the worms will decrease in size as the radiation can cause the worms to shrink in size, mortality or irregularity in muscles of worms causing death and unnatural movements.
Aim
To determine whether radiation will have an effect on the growth of earthworms or ultimately lead to fatality.
Synopsis
My research is about the effect of radiation once exposed to Earthworms. These creatures are asexual, live deep within soil and often assist in decomposition. I think it will be interesting to see whether they too are affected by something that we humans are exposed to and ultimately expose earthworms to, without knowing. I find this interesting as most of us do not often consider

Soil animals are the most suitable biological indicators of radioactive pollution because they are parts of nutritional chains and webs, occur in relatively high numbers and can be collected during most parts of the year. Insects and other forest-dwelling invertebrates are more resistant to radioactive pollution than vertebrates, probably because of the shielding effects of soil constituents. In experiments with 90Sr, 137Cs, 106Ru, 95Zr, 65Zn 125Sb and 239Pu on different components of the mesofauna, earthworms (Oligochaeta) and Myriapoda (Diplopoda and Chilopoda) were affected most intensively, probably because these organisms have an intimate inside and outside contact with soil constituents in the upper layers of the soils. Soil dwellers that are only transitorily in soil or characterized by rapid distribution (predatory Coleoptera, flying insects) are less affected by radiation. Under natural conditions, the doses of irradiation of animals in the upper forest layers are lower than those of dwellers within soil. Forest insects that hibernate in soils at the egg or larval stage are most intensively affected and reduced by radiation. Earthworms prove particularly sensitive to an increased Ra-radiation background. They are among the best bio-indicators of polluted

Observations proved that forest insects that hibernate in soils at egg stage are intensively affected and reduced. As well as Earthworms proving to be sensitive.
The above experiment is very valid as it was a conducted experiment and the formulated report by the scientist. However not very reliable as it was conducted in 1987 when there was not as much radiation as there is now and not as much as pollution as we have now and soil animals may have developed more of a resistance over the years. Moreover a limitation occurred as only ionizing radiation was used and not different