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Enhancing earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) tolerance to plastic contamination through gut microbiome fortification with plastic-degrading microorganisms
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This study investigated microplastic concentrations in freshwater sediments of rivers draining densely populated urban catchments, finding strong positive correlations between microplastic abundance and population density in the watershed. The results support wastewater effluent and surface runoff as the dominant transport vectors delivering plastic particles to river systems.
Microorganisms from L. terrestris gut previously exposed to different types of plastic (PET, LDPE, LLDPE, and PS) were studied to be used as probiotics of earthworms in plastic-contaminated soils (LDPE, LLDPE and recycled mulching film) at mesocosm-scale trials. The most abundant morphotypes with enzymatic capacities of interest were identified. Pseudomonas alkylphenolica (PL4) and Pseudomonas putida (PL5) strains were selected to be used as inoculants using Morus alba leaves as carriers to strengthen the intestinal microbiota of earthworms. Culture (selective cetrimide agar medium) and molecular (qPCR) techniques were used to trace the presence of the inoculum in the intestine of the earthworms. Additionally, a metataxonomic analysis was carried out to study the biodiversity and functionality of the earthworm microbiome, and their measure of survival and weight. Probiotics improved the survival rates of earthworms exposed to plastics, which also increased the abundance of microbial groups of interest in plastic bioremediation tasks.
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Potential biodegradation of plastics through probiotic microbial consortia inoculated during vermicomposting (Eisenia fetida) of microplastic-spiked biowaste
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Probiotic microbial consortia derived from earthworm gut microbiomes and lignolytic compost microorganisms were tested during vermicomposting of microplastic-contaminated biowaste, with inoculated earthworms showing improved survival and reduced oxidative stress under plastic exposure. This biotechnological approach offers a promising biological strategy to degrade microplastics in organic waste streams before contaminated compost is applied to agricultural soils.
Decay of low-density polyethylene by bacteria extracted from earthworm's guts: A potential for soil restoration
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Researchers isolated bacteria from earthworm guts that were able to degrade low-density polyethylene, demonstrating that intestinal microbes from soil invertebrates may play a role in plastic breakdown. The findings suggest that earthworm gut microbiomes are a reservoir of plastic-degrading bacteria with potential applications for bioremediation of LDPE-contaminated soils.
Earthworm-microbiome interactions: Unlocking next-generation bioindicators and bioengineered solutions for soil and environmental health
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This review explores how earthworms and their associated microbiomes can serve as bioindicators of soil contamination from pollutants including microplastics. Changes in earthworm gut microbial communities can act as early warning signals of soil pollution, and engineered earthworm-microbiome systems show potential for environmental remediation. The study suggests that understanding these biological interactions could lead to new biomonitoring tools for assessing microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastics exert minor influence on bacterial community succession during the aging of earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) casts
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Researchers exposed earthworms to three types of microplastics commonly used in agricultural films and found that while microplastics altered some soil chemistry during gut passage, they had only minor effects on the overall bacterial communities in earthworm castings over 180 days. This suggests that earthworm gut microbiomes may be resilient enough to buffer the impact of agricultural microplastic contamination under the conditions tested.
Critical Ecological Niche in Soil Carbon Cycling and Environmental Remediation: The Gut Microbiota of Earthworms Pheretima aspergillum
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Researchers performed metagenomic analysis of the earthworm Pheretima aspergillum's gut microbiome and found a distinct microbial community enriched in Actinomycetota and Bacillota, with several genes linked to plastic degradation — suggesting earthworm gut microbiota may harbor potential for microplastic breakdown in soil.
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