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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Environmental Sources
Marine & Wildlife
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Effects of microplastics from disposable medical masks on terrestrial invertebrates
Journal of Hazardous Materials2022
59 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 55
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Ana Nagode,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Ana Nagode,
Andraž Dolar,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Ana Nagode,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Ana Nagode,
Gregor Marolt,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Luka Škrlep,
Gregor Marolt,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Gregor Marolt,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Gregor Marolt,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Luka Škrlep,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Gregor Marolt,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Luka Škrlep,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Damjana Drobne,
Gregor Marolt,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Andraž Dolar,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Gregor Marolt,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Luka Škrlep,
Andraž Dolar,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Luka Škrlep,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Ana Nagode,
Ana Nagode,
Ana Nagode,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Ana Nagode,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Andrijana Sever Škapin,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Anita Jemec Kokalj,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Andraž Dolar,
Andraž Dolar,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Damjana Drobne,
Damjana Drobne,
Cornelis A.M. van Gestel
Summary
Researchers investigated how microplastics from disposable medical masks affect soil invertebrates including woodlice, mealworms, and enchytraeids over 21 days. While the microplastics did not cause severe effects on survival or reproduction, the study found transient immune responses in woodlice and changes in energy metabolism in mealworms, particularly from outer-layer mask particles. The long-term fitness implications of these sublethal responses remain unclear.
This study investigated impacts of microplastics from disposable polypropylene medical masks on woodlice Porcellio scaber, mealworm larvae Tenebrio molitor and enchytraeids Enchytraeus crypticus. Effects of microplastics on survival, reproduction, immune parameters and energy-related traits were assessed after 21 days exposure in soil. Microplastics obtained from each medical mask layer separately differed in size and shape (inner frontal layer: 45.1 ± 21.5 µm, fibers; middle filtering layer: 55.6 ± 28.5 µm, fragments; outer layer: 42.0 ± 17.8 µm, fibers) and composition of additives. Overall, the concentrations of metals and organic chemicals were too low to cause effects on soil invertebrates. The microplastics from disposable medical masks at 0.06%, 0.5%, 1.5%, w/w did not induce severe adverse effects on survival or reproduction (for enchytraeids). A transient immune response of woodlice and a change in energy-related traits in mealworms were observed, which was most clearly seen for the microplastics from the outer layer. This was reflected in increased electron transfer system activity of mealworms and different immune response dynamics of woodlice. In conclusion, the tested soil invertebrates respond to microplastics from disposable medical masks, but it remains unclear what these changes mean for their fitness on the long term.