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Ants actively carry microplastics
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This study found that ants actively transport microplastic particles, carrying them both into and out of their nests, making them a previously overlooked pathway for microplastic movement in soils. Soil invertebrates may play a significant role in spreading microplastic contamination through terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastics (<5 mm in diameter) are found in many regions of the world – from urban to relatively undeveloped areas, from the tropics to the arctic – and are recognized as a critical environmental issue. Certain biotic and abiotic factors (such as soil fauna and wind, respectively) may affect the distribution of microplastics in the environment. For example, it has been reported that earthworms (Lumbricidae) can incidentally ingest microplastics (Sci Rep 2017; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01594-7), and springtails (Collembola) crawl over and push microplastics aimlessly in laboratory settings (Environ Pollut 2017; doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.03.009). However, we found that – unlike the accidental transport of microplastics by these fauna – ants (Pheidole sp; body length ~2 mm) were seemingly interested in microplastics, and actively carried them to their nests in both the field and lab.
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The transport of microplastics by ants cannot be neglected in the soil ecosystem
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Laboratory experiments demonstrated that ants can actively transport low-density polyethylene microplastics through soil, carrying particles both into their nests and across soil layers at rates that could meaningfully affect microplastic distribution at the ecosystem scale. The findings identify soil fauna as an underappreciated biotic driver of microplastic vertical and horizontal migration in soils.
Transport of microplastics by two collembolan species
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Researchers exposed two species of soil springtails (collembolans) to surface-applied microplastics and found that these small invertebrates can transport plastic particles vertically into deeper soil layers as they move. This is one of the first demonstrations that soil fauna can redistribute microplastics downward in terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastics are transferred by soil fauna and regulate soil function as material carriers
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Springtail soil invertebrates were found to actively transport microplastics through soil and to transfer them and their adsorbed contaminants during feeding activity. Microplastic-laden springtails also suppressed soil organic matter decomposition, demonstrating that soil fauna mediate both the spatial redistribution and the functional impacts of microplastic pollution.
Microscopic animals are busy distributing microplastics throughout the world’s soil
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Microplastics were discovered in the intestines of microscopic animals on a remote Antarctic island, demonstrating that even the most isolated terrestrial ecosystems are not spared from plastic contamination. These tiny soil-dwelling animals actively redistribute microplastics throughout soil layers worldwide, expanding the reach of plastic pollution far beyond initial deposition sites.
Microplastic accumulation in terrestrial insects on the example of social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
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Researchers analyzed microplastic accumulation in 466 wild wasps across 16 regions of Eurasia and North Africa from 2012 to 2024, finding that all species carried microplastic fibers and fragments in their bodies, with contamination highest near coastal areas. The findings show that terrestrial insects can act as carriers that spread microplastics through land-based food webs.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.