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Exploring the toxicity of biodegradable microplastics and imidacloprid to earthworms (Eisenia fetida) from morphological and gut microbial perspectives

Environmental Pollution 2023 37 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Nan Jiang, Nan Jiang, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Ya-Jie Zuo, Xianxu Li, Ya-Jie Zuo, Xianxu Li, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Xianqiang Yin, Baikerouzi Baihetiyaer, Jie Song, Jun Wang Ya-Jie Zuo, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Xianxu Li, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xiaoteng Fan, Xiaoteng Fan, Jun Wang Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Jun Wang Ya-Jie Zuo, Jun Wang Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Jun Wang Xianxu Li, Xianqiang Yin, Xianqiang Yin, Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Ya-Jie Zuo, Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang Jun Wang

Summary

Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) combined with the pesticide imidacloprid caused more severe harm to earthworms than either pollutant alone, including higher death rates, tissue damage, and disrupted gut bacteria. This is concerning because PLA plastics are marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, yet they can still break down into harmful microplastics in soil. The study shows that biodegradable plastics may actually make pesticide contamination worse for soil organisms.

Polymers

PLA

Body Systems

Immune

Models

Invertebrate other

Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) pose serious environmental problems to soil organisms, and their adsorption capacity might make pesticides more dangerous for soil organisms. Therefore, in this study, polylactic acid (PLA) BMPs and imidacloprid (IMI) were used as a representative of BMPs and pesticides, respectively. Eisenia fetida was used as a test animal to investigate the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of single and compound contaminated PLA BMPs and IMI on mortality, growth, number of offspring, tissue damage, and gut microorganisms of E.fetida. Exposure to PLA BMPs treatment and PLA BMPs + IMI treatment resulted in a sustained increase in E.fetida mortality, reaching 16.7% and 26.7%, respectively. The growth inhibition rate of single treatments was significantly increased. The compound contamination had the greatest effect on E.fetida offspring compared to the control. PLA BMPs and IMI cause histological damage to E.fetida, with the compound treatment causing the most severe damage. Based on the results of 16S sequencing, the bacterial communities in E.fetida gut and soil treated to PLA BMPs and IMI were significantly different. PLA BMPs + IMI treatment suppresses the abundance and diversity of E.fetida gut microorganisms, disrupting the homeostasis of bacterial communities and causing immune and metabolic dysfunction. These findings highlight the more severe damage of combined PLA BMPs and IMI pollution to E.fetida, and help to assess the risk of earthworm exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of PLA BMPs and IMI.

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