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Toxicity comparison of multiple biodegradable and conventional microplastics on earthworms: Ingestion, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and transcriptional responses
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This study compared the toxicity of four biodegradable microplastics and conventional polyethylene microplastics on earthworms across multiple biological endpoints. Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics caused tissue damage, oxidative stress, and altered gene expression at levels comparable to or sometimes exceeding conventional plastics, challenging the assumption that biodegradable alternatives are inherently safer for soil organisms.
Although the environmental risks pose by biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) have drawn increasing attention, the differences in toxicity and underlying mechanisms between BMPs and conventional microplastics (CMPs) toward soil organisms remain unclear. Furthermore, comparative safety assessments of various types of BMPs lack comprehensive multidimensional data support. This study systematically compared the toxic effects and mechanisms of action of four representative BMPs (polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, poly(butylene succinate), and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) and one mainstream CMPs (polyethylene, PE) through a comprehensive multi-faceted analysis. The study was performed at concentrations of 0.25 %, 0.5 %, and 1 % (w/w), using earthworms (Eisenia fetida) as the test organism, and employed multi-faceted analyses, including ingestion, oxidative stress, tissue damage, and transcriptomic responses. These results indicated that BMPs were more readily ingested by earthworms and subsequently fragmented compared to PE microplastics. Different types of microplastics affected different parts of the earthworm's epidermis and intestinal tissues, resulting in varying degrees of damage. Exposure to different types of microplastics induced oxidative stress in earthworms, which was closely related to the microplastics type, exposure concentration, and duration. At the transcriptional level, both BMPs and PE microplastics exposure affected pathways linked to carbohydrate, protein and lipid synthesis, inflammatory and immune responses, energy metabolism, and cellular homeostasis in earthworms, whereas BMPs exposure also significantly influenced pathways associated with apoptosis. Overall, the toxicity of BMPs to earthworms was comparable to or higher than that of PE microplastics. Our results provide novel insights into the ecological risk assessment of BMPs in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Researchers compared the toxic effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworms in two different soil types. Both types of microplastic caused oxidative stress and altered gut microbiota in earthworms, with toxicity increasing at higher concentrations. The study found that microplastic concentration was more important than the type of plastic or soil in determining the level of harm, and that biodegradable plastics were not necessarily safer for soil organisms.
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Impact of Conventional vs. Biodegradable and Compostable Microplastics on Eisenia fetida S.: An Ecopathological Approach
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Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional polyethylene microplastics on soil-dwelling earthworms and found that both types caused increased mortality, decreased biomass, and tissue damage after 14 days of exposure. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics are not necessarily safer than conventional ones, and that detailed tissue analysis can reveal harmful sublethal effects not captured by standard toxicity tests.
A comparison of the toxicity induced by the exposure to microplastics made of a conventional and a biodegradable polymer on the earthworm Eisenia fetida
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Researchers compared the toxicity of conventional versus biodegradable polymer microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, evaluating whether biodegradable alternatives present reduced ecotoxicological risk in soil environments where microplastic contamination is increasingly documented.
The comparison effect on earthworms between conventional and biodegradable microplastics
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Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworms over an extended exposure period. They found that biodegradable microplastics caused comparable or even greater harm than conventional plastics at certain concentrations, including reduced growth and reproduction. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for soil organisms.
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