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Can microplastics increase the uptake of agrochemicals by the soil biota and have bigger adverse effects?
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This study tested whether microplastics in soil can carry pesticides and harm earthworms. Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) were first exposed to soil containing different levels of the pesticide chlorpyrifos for 14 days, measuring enzyme activity and protein levels. A planned follow-up trial will add pesticide-contaminated microplastics to the soil to see if the pesticide causes further harm.
Microplastics (MP) are a serious environmental issue on aquatic ecosystems (oceans, rivers and lakes) due to the widely reported adverse effects on organisms. More than 700 papers are focused on MP research on marine and sediment ecosystems (beaches, etc.). Although the main source of plastic waste in marine environments are terrestrial ecosystems, the characterization of soils is still recent, and the impact of MPs on the physical, chemical, biological soil properties is poorly studied. MP are accumulating in agricultural soils because of the increased use of plastic on agriculture or soil amendment with wastewater sludge, which can contain MP, like fibers from clothes or microbeads from personal care products. MPs can enter the soil systems through three pathways: i) inputs from agricultural practices; ii) by water and winter erosion/deposition of plastics from other sources and iii) from environmental weathering of large plastic debris and macroplastics.Several questions can arise from this theme and our study focus on assessing the combined effect of MPs and adsorbed pesticides. In order to evaluate the effects of microplastics in soil-dwelling organisms, the earthworm Eisenia fetida was the chosen test organism. Earthworms were selected for this study due to their importance in maintaining soil structure and permeability, as well as their role in degrading organic matter. As a preliminary assessment, E. fetida were exposed to a reference soil contaminated with different pesticide concentrations (chlorpyrifos) for period of 14 days in which they were not fed. Later on, a new trial will be held in which some of the previously used concentrations will be chosen to once again contaminate 5mm MPs which will then be added to the soil. In both cases, acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity and protein quantity will be measured as a way to infer if the pesticide will desorb from MPs causing adverse effects on earthworms.
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Assessment of microplastics as a source and carriers of pesticides to earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
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This study assessed the potential of microplastics to act as sources and carriers of pesticides to earthworms in agricultural soils. The findings raise concerns about how soil-dwelling organisms may be exposed to pesticide contamination through microplastic ingestion, with implications for soil health and food chain contamination.
Impact of microplastics on nicosulfuron accumulation and bacteria community in soil-earthworms system
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Researchers investigated how microplastics affect the accumulation of the pesticide nicosulfuron in soil and earthworms. They found that at higher concentrations, microplastics nearly doubled the amount of pesticide that accumulated in earthworms while reducing the amount remaining in soil. The study also showed that microplastics decreased bacterial diversity in both soil and earthworm guts, suggesting they may alter how pesticides move through terrestrial food chains.
Low-density polyethylene microplastics as a source and carriers of agrochemicals to soil and earthworms
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Researchers investigated whether low-density polyethylene microplastics could act as carriers of agrochemicals in soil and found that the particles both released their own chemical additives and transported pesticides to earthworms. The study suggests microplastics in agricultural soils may serve as a previously underappreciated pathway for chemical exposure in soil organisms.
Effects of microplastics and chlorpyrifos on earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) and their biogenic transport in sandy soil
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Researchers conducted mesocosm experiments to examine the effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics combined with the pesticide chlorpyrifos on earthworms and their role in transporting these contaminants through soil. The study found that while earthworm reproduction was not significantly affected, earthworm burrowing activity facilitated the vertical transport of both microplastics and chlorpyrifos deeper into the soil profile.
Influence on the processes of retention and transport of pesticides and ecotoxicity of microplastics in a tropical soil
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Researchers investigated how high-density polyethylene microplastics from agricultural mulch films affect the behavior of three pesticides in tropical soil, finding that microplastics altered pesticide sorption, transport, and leaching while also increasing ecotoxicological effects on earthworms.
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