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A Review on the Role of Earthworms in Plastics Degradation: Issues and Challenges
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This review examines the role of earthworms in plastic degradation and finds that while earthworms can physically alter the size of microplastics, there is no evidence they can chemically break down plastics into basic elements. Researchers noted that earthworms exhibit selective feeding behavior, actively avoiding areas with high plastic concentrations. The study highlights that challenges to using earthworms for plastic degradation include plastic toxicity, environmental conditions, and the complexity of plastic materials.
Recently, the contribution of earthworms to plastic degradation and their capability to swallow smaller plastic fragments, known as microplastics, has been emphasized. The worm physically changes the size of microplastics and enhances microbial activities to increase the possibility of degradation. However, no research has shown that earthworms can chemically degrade microplastics to an element form, CO2 or H2O. In this review, previous research has been thoroughly explored to analyse the role that earthworms could play in plastic degradation in the soil. Earthworms can significantly affect the physical characteristics of plastics. However, earthworms' abilities to chemically degrade or change the chemical structure of plastics and microplastics have not been observed. Additionally, earthworms exhibit selective feeding behaviour, avoiding areas containing a high plastics concentration and rejecting plastics. Consequently, earthworms' abilities to adapt to the microplastics in soil in the environment can cause a problem. Based on this review, the challenges faced in earthworm application for plastic degradation are mostly expected to be associated with the toxicity and complexity of the plastic material and environmental factors, such as the moisture content of the soil and its temperature, microbial population, and feeding method.
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Earthworms As An Emerging Biotechnological Intervention in the Mitigation of Microplastics
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This review explores the emerging role of earthworms as biological agents for degrading microplastics in soil environments. Researchers found that earthworm gut microflora and mucous secretions actively contribute to breaking down plastic polymers through enzymatic depolymerization. The study suggests that earthworm-mediated biodegradation could be a promising biotechnological approach for mitigating microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soil: Fate, Impacts, and Bioremediation by Earthworms
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This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils and the role earthworms may play in breaking them down. Researchers found that microplastics can harm soil health by disrupting microbial communities, enzyme activity, and nutrient availability, but that earthworms can enhance microplastic degradation through their digestive processes and the microorganisms in their gut. The study suggests that earthworm-based bioremediation could be a practical strategy for reducing microplastic contamination in farmland.
Earthworm-Microplastic Interactions: Revealing the Feasibility and Obstacles of Utilizing Earthworms to Maintain the Health of Microplastic-Contaminated Soils
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Scientists reviewed existing research and found that earthworms might help clean up tiny plastic pieces (called microplastics) in farm soil by breaking them down in their stomachs and through helpful bacteria in their guts. This matters because microplastics in soil can harm the food we grow, but using earthworms as natural cleaners faces major challenges and needs much more research before it could actually work on farms. The earthworm method shows promise but isn't ready to solve our plastic pollution problem yet.
Fragmentation and depolymerization of microplastics in the earthworm gut: A potential for microplastic bioremediation?
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Researchers explored whether earthworms can break down microplastics in soil by passing them through their digestive systems. They found that earthworms fragmented and partially broke down polyethylene and biodegradable plastic particles, reducing their size and altering their chemical structure. This suggests earthworms could play a role in naturally reducing microplastic contamination in soil, though more research is needed to understand whether the smaller fragments pose their own risks.
Potential Use of Earthworms to Enhance Decaying of Biodegradable Plastics
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Researchers examined the potential of earthworms to accelerate the biodegradation of both conventional and biobased biodegradable plastics in soil, finding that earthworm activity can enhance the physical fragmentation and microbial degradation of some polymers, though effectiveness varies significantly by polymer type. The study suggests earthworm-assisted composting as a partial strategy to reduce agricultural plastic pollution.
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