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Size effects of microplastics on accumulation and elimination of phenanthrene in earthworms
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Researchers examined how microplastic particle size affects the accumulation and elimination of the pollutant phenanthrene in earthworms. They found that smaller microplastics enhanced phenanthrene uptake in earthworm tissues, while larger particles had a less pronounced effect. The study demonstrates that microplastic size influences how organic pollutants interact with soil organisms, with finer particles potentially increasing contaminant bioavailability.
Microplastics (MPs) are a class of emerging contaminants with diverse sizes. They influence the behavior of pollutants in the environment and cause harmful effects on organisms. To date, the size effects of MPs on the accumulation of organic pollutants by terrestrial invertebrates remain unclear. Here, we study the impacts and mechanisms of polystyrene MPs on the accumulation and elimination of phenanthrene in earthworms. Results showed that larger-size MPs (10 and 100 µm) facilitated the accumulation of phenanthrene by earthworms in the first week, whereas 100 nm MPs inhibited the elimination of phenanthrene in earthworms afterwards. Higher genotoxicity to earthworms was observed for co-exposure of micron-size MPs and phenanthrene, and 10 µm MPs were detected at the highest concentration and caused the most serious DNA damage to earthworm coelomocytes. Biomarkers and their mRNA gene expression levels suggested that larger-size MPs caused severer damage to earthworms, thus leading to increased accumulation of phenanthrene by earthworms at the beginning. Moreover, high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that nano-size MPs significantly inhibited phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in earthworms, resulting in the highest residual concentration of phenanthrene. This study highlights the size effects of MPs and their impacts on the accumulation of organic pollutants by terrestrial organisms.
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Researchers investigated how nano- and microplastics affect the bioaccumulation of phenanthrene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) in soil-feeding earthworms using C-radioactive labeling, finding that fine plastic particles decreased phenanthrene bioavailability in soil and reduced uptake by Metaphire guillelmi earthworms, with nanoplastics showing a stronger dilution effect than microplastics. Soil properties remained the dominant factor controlling bioaccumulation efficiency, and only limited vector effects of the plastic particles were observed.
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Microplastics as a Vector for HOC Bioaccumulation in Earthworm Eisenia fetida in Soil: Importance of Chemical Diffusion and Particle Size
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