After exposure for 21 d to sediment spiked with Cd, Pb, Cu, or Zn, oligochaetes (Lumbriculus variegatus) held in clean water depurated metal rapidly over the first few hours but much more slowly from 8 h up to 32 h. Results are consistent with previous work suggesting a 6-h depuration period as generally appropriate for sediment bioaccumulation studies with L. variegatus.