Objective  To evaluate the ecological environment quality of coal mining area in Huaibei, and provide a scientific and theoretical basis for monitoring the ecological environment change in the mining area.

Method  The growth and development condition of Caenorhabditis elegans in the water environment of the mining area and the change of soil nematode community structure were studied to evaluate the ecological environment quality.

Result  The water environment in the coal mining area reduced the life span, the survival rate, the body length and the number of eggs laid by C. elegans, meanwhile induced the apoptosis of C. elegans germ cells. The longer the coal mining time was and the closer the sampling site was to the mine, the more significant the inhibitory effect on the nematode development indicators was. Soil environment in coal mining area decreased the number of nematode genera, increased the relative abundance of phytophagous. At the same time, the Shannon diversity index, Wasilewska index and free-living nematode maturity index significantly decreased, and the phytophagous maturation index significantly increased, indicating that the mining environment reduced the soil health status. The longer the coal mining time was and the closer the sampling site was to the mine, the greater the influence on the soil nematode community structure was.

Conclusion  The responses of C. elegans growth and development index to water environment and soil nematode community structure to soil environment have well indicated the quality of water environment and soil environment in Huaibei coal mining area, therefore nematode can be used to evaluate the quality of water environment and soil environment of coal mining area.