We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics and decabromodiphenyl ethane co-exposure exerts antagonistic effects on microbial communities in a soil-earthworm system
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists studying soil found that a common plastic pollutant (microplastics) and a flame retardant chemical (DBDPE) each disrupt the microbes living in soil and earthworms in different ways, but surprisingly, when both pollutants are present together, they partly cancel out each other's harmful effects on earthworm health. This matters because real-world pollution rarely involves just one contaminant, and this research shows that testing chemicals separately may not accurately predict what happens in nature, where soil health and nutrient cycling ultimately affect the food we grow.
The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) is of increasing concern due to their potential combined environmental impacts. This study examined microbial communities in earthworm epidermis, gut, and soil, alongside soil enzyme activities and nitrogenous substances, under separate and combined exposure to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene MPs (ABS-MPs) and DBDPE. MPs alone significantly reduced the microbial diversity in earthworms. At the genus level, MPs and DBDPE oppositely regulated Bacillus, Streptomyces, Rubrobacter, and Ammoniphilus, with combined exposure restoring abundances towards the control. Network analysis showed DBDPE enhanced competitive epidermal interactions (positive edges from 82.7% to 66.7%), whereas MPs simplified gut networks. Both pollutants, especially MPs, promoted gut nitrate reduction and denitrification while suppressing chemoheterotrophy. In soil, DBDPE dominated nitrogen transformations, increasing nitrate reductase and urease activities and elevating NO-N and NH-N, with MPs exerting negligible effects. Under combined exposure, antagonistic effects were observed for several microbial community parameters in earthworms (e.g., alpha diversity, co-occurrence network topology, and genus-level abundance of certain taxa), but DBDPE still dominated soil nitrogen transformations. These findings reveal that ABS-MPs primarily affect earthworm-associated microbiota, whereas DBDPE drives soil nitrogen cycling, and their co-exposure partially offsets each other's negative impacts, highlighting the complexity of risk assessment for co-contaminated sites.
More Papers Like This
Accumulation of microplastics and Tcep pollutants in agricultural soil: Exploring the links between metabolites and gut microbiota in earthworm homeostasis
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of polyethylene microplastics and the flame retardant TCEP in agricultural soils and their combined effects on earthworm health. The study found that co-exposure disrupted earthworm gut microbiota and metabolic homeostasis, suggesting that the interaction between microplastics and chemical additives in agricultural soil may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant alone.
Microbial metabolism in wormcast affected the perturbation on soil organic matter by microplastics under decabromodiphenyl ethane stress
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how microplastics combined with a brominated flame retardant affect soil health through earthworm activity. They found that microplastics altered the microbial communities in earthworm castings, which in turn changed how soil organic matter was processed. The study suggests that co-pollution from microplastics and flame retardants can disrupt important soil ecosystem functions that depend on earthworm-microbe interactions.
Ecotoxicological effects of combined exposure to bifenthrin and polyethylene microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia fetida
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that when a common pesticide (bifenthrin) and microplastics mix together in soil, they team up to cause more harm to earthworms than either one alone—damaging their gut tissue, cells, and nervous system. This matters because it shows how microplastics can act like tiny sponges that stick to other pollutants and make them more toxic, which raises questions about the combined effects of these everyday contaminants in the food and water supply we all share with soil ecosystems.
Combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and carbendazim on Eisenia fetida: A comprehensive ecotoxicological study
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the pesticide carbendazim on earthworms and found that the two pollutants together caused worse damage than either alone. The combined exposure led to growth problems, oxidative stress, and organ damage even at lower concentrations. Since earthworms are essential for soil health and microplastics and pesticides commonly co-exist in farmland, these findings suggest that agricultural soil contamination could have cascading effects on the food system.
Combined toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants and polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Biochemical and molecular insights
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics, chlorinated flame retardants, and their combinations to assess combined toxicity effects. They found that the most toxic flame retardant (TDCPP) had its effects reduced when combined with microplastics, likely because the plastics absorbed the chemical and lowered its bioavailability. In contrast, microplastics enhanced the toxicity of another flame retardant (TCPP), demonstrating that microplastics can act as both carriers and modulators of co-contaminant toxicity in soil ecosystems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.