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Microplastic impacts on soil and sediment bioturbation: insights from microcosm experiments across diverse ecosystems

Environmental Pollution 2025 Score: 48 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Mohammad Wazne, Camille Larue, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Laurent Simon, Franck Gilbert, Franck Gilbert, Franck Gilbert, Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Manon Vallier, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Manon Vallier, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Mohammad Wazne, Mohammad Wazne, Manon Vallier, Caroline Lise, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Camille Larue, Camille Larue, Manon Vallier, Caroline Lise, Solenn Bailly, Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Solenn Bailly, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Manon Vallier, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Manon Vallier, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause van Capowiez, van Capowiez, Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Stefan Krause Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Stefan Krause Camille Larue, Laurent Simon, Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Mohammad Wazne, Stefan Krause Laurent Simon, Laurent Simon, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Florian Mermillod‐Blondin, Stefan Krause

Summary

This study used microcosm experiments across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems to assess whether microplastics affect bioturbation — the physical reworking of sediment and soil by organisms. Microplastic exposure reduced bioturbation activity in multiple ecosystems, with implications for nutrient cycling and sediment health.

Polymers

PA PS

Models

Invertebrate other

Study Type Environmental

Ecosystem engineering by bioturbation shapes ecosystems by physically modifying soil and sediment habitats, affecting microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. Although bioturbation is a key process for ecosystem health and functioning, its response to contaminants like microplastics (MPs) remains poorly explored. To address this gap, we conducted three microcosm experiments across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, using three species of ecosystem engineers: Aporrectodea caliginosa (earthworm), Tubifex tubifex (freshwater worm), and Hediste diversicolor (marine worm). Each ecosystem was contaminated by a mixture of polystyrene and polyamide MP fragments and fibers, ranging from 10 to 1000 μm, at two MP concentrations: 0 and 100 mg kg soil/sediment dry weight. Tracer particles (luminophores) were used to quantify soil/sediment reworking activities of ecosystem engineers. After 21 days of exposure, distinct bioturbation proxies (i.e., maximum penetration depth, surface reworking, particle displacement coefficient, cast production, biodiffusion-like and non-local reworking coefficients) were measured in each microcosm experiment. Our results demonstrated contrasted effects of MPs on bioturbation across ecosystems/ecosystem engineer species. In the terrestrial ecosystem, surface sediment reworking by earthworms remained unaffected by MP contamination although the cast production by A. caliginosa tended to increase (+26 %) with MP contamination. Conversely, in the freshwater ecosystem, the presence of MPs significantly reduced bioturbation activity of tubificid worms, resulting in a nearly fourfold decrease in particle displacement and a substantial reduction in maximum penetration depth of the luminophores. In the marine system, although H. diversicolor maintained effective particle reworking activities with MP contamination, gallery-biodiffusion activity tended to decrease in presence of MPs. Overall, the impact of MP contamination on bioturbation process was context-dependent. It can be hypothesized that the impact of MPs on bioturbation process was dependent on the size of the ecosystem engineering species, with the strongest effect observed on the smallest organism (T. tubifex).

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