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Oxidative stress, energy metabolism and molecular responses of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to low-density polyethylene microplastics
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Researchers exposed earthworms to various concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics for 28 days and measured oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and molecular responses. The study found dose-dependent increases in oxidative damage markers and alterations in energy reserves, suggesting that microplastic contamination in soils can trigger measurable physiological stress in soil invertebrates.
Soils are both a sink and a pathway of plastic wastes, but there is a great lack of knowledge regarding their impacts on soil biota. To tackle the mechanisms of toxicity of these contaminants to soil invertebrates, earthworms (Eisenia fetida Savigny, 1826) were exposed during 28 days to different concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics (62, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg MPs kg soil) with sizes ranging between 250 and 1000 μm, in an artificial soil. The ecotoxicological responses were evaluated by analysing various oxidative stress biomarkers (catalase, glutathione S-transferase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), a biomarker of energy metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase) and overall organism molecular changes by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. Significant effects resulting from an unbalanced oxidative stress system, expressed in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels were recorded on earthworms exposed at the three highest concentrations tested. Despite that, no significant changes were recorded on the molecular profiles of earthworms by FTIR-ATR. NMR analysis pointed out for differences from the control, only for earthworms exposed to the lowest concentration of MPs. Considering that stress responses are complex, and involve multiple mechanisms, a cluster analysis taking into account all the parameters assessed, clearly identified two groups of earthworms separated by the concentration of 250 mg MPs kg soil, above each meaningful effects were recorded.
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Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to increasing concentrations of polyethylene microplastics in soil showed lower body weight, reduced reproductive output, and disrupted antioxidant defenses — with oxidative stress markers climbing nearly 1.3-fold at the highest dose. These findings confirm that microplastic pollution degrades soil ecosystem health at concentrations that could plausibly occur in contaminated agricultural land.
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Researchers studied how environmentally realistic concentrations of polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics affect earthworms at the molecular level. They found that both plastic types triggered oxidative stress, damaged digestive and immune systems, disrupted lipid metabolism, and altered the earthworms' ability to regulate water balance. The study suggests that even at concentrations commonly found in the environment, microplastic-contaminated soil poses measurable health risks to earthworms.
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Researchers exposed earthworms to low-density polyethylene microplastics in soil at various concentrations for 28 days. They found that the earthworms ingested microplastics in a dose-dependent manner and actually broke some particles into smaller pieces during digestion, with about 30% more particles under 100 micrometers found in their excrement compared to the original soil. At higher concentrations, the microplastics triggered oxidative stress and neurotoxic responses, suggesting potential ecological risks to soil organisms.
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Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics of two sizes and found that smaller particles (13 micrometers) were more toxic than larger ones (130 micrometers), reducing survival and growth more severely. The microplastics caused oxidative stress in the worms and altered key soil properties including pH and organic carbon content. Since earthworms play a vital role in maintaining healthy soil for agriculture, this damage could affect soil quality and ultimately the food grown in microplastic-contaminated farmland.
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