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Overview of the impacts of microplastics on terrestrial crustacean Porcellio scaber: from immune response to higher-tier levels
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This review synthesizes research on the immune, energetic, survival, and feeding responses of the terrestrial woodlouse Porcellio scaber to multiple microplastic types including tire wear particles, textile fibers, polypropylene from medical masks, and LDPE fragments. Results across studies show that microplastic exposure triggers an initial immune response that gradually returns to baseline with prolonged exposure, with variation in effects depending on plastic type and associated chemicals.
Terrestrial invertebrates, including crustaceans, are exposed to various types of microplastics in soil. They ingest the soil with microplastics or are exposed through body surface contact. In recent years we have gathered considerable information regarding the response of woodlice Porcellio scaber to various types of microplastics in soil: tire wear particles, textile fibers, polypropylene microplastics from disposable medical masks, LDPE fragments from packaging, and LDPE fragments milled from non-degradable and biodegradable mulching films. We will present an overview how woodlice respond to microplastics exposure by inducing an immune response shortly after the exposure and how this alteration is gradually decreased to basal levels after longer exposure times. The immune response was followed at the cellular and humoral levels. We will shed a light upon what this change in immune status means for the overall immunocompetence of woodlice. In addition, higher-tier endpoints, such as energy related traits, survival and feeding were followed. We will discuss how the response differs between different types of microplastics and whether plastics associated chemicals might contribute to observed effects. Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/427011/document
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Researchers investigated the immune response of the terrestrial crustacean Porcellio scaber to polyester fibers and tire particles over different exposure durations, finding time-dependent immune changes that differed between microplastic types and natural particle controls.
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Researchers exposed terrestrial pill bugs (Porcellio scaber) to tire particle microplastics in soil for 14 days, then challenged them with a bacterial toxin to test their immune response. The study suggests that prior exposure to microplastics, especially in combination with the insecticide chlorpyrifos, can compromise the animals' ability to mount an effective immune defense against infections.
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