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Effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on a marine ecosystem engineer (Arenicola marina) and sediment nutrient cycling
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Researchers assessed the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on lugworms, a key marine ecosystem engineer, in outdoor mesocosms. The study found that both types of microplastics at increasing concentrations affected lugworm health and biological activity as well as sediment nutrient cycling, suggesting that even biodegradable plastics may pose risks to marine sediment ecosystems.
Effects of microplastic pollution on benthic organisms and ecosystem services provided by sedimentary habitats are largely unknown. An outdoor mesocosm experiment was done to realistically assess the effects of three different types of microplastic pollution (one biodegradable type; polylactic acid and two conventional types; polyethylene and polyvinylchloride) at increasing concentrations (0.02, 0.2 and 2% of wet sediment weight) on the health and biological activity of lugworms, Arenicola marina (Linnaeus, 1758), and on nitrogen cycling and primary productivity of the sediment they inhabit. After 31 days, A. marina produced less casts in sediments containing microplastics. Metabolic rates of A. marina increased, while microalgal biomass decreased at high concentrations, compared to sediments with low concentrations or without microplastics. Responses were strongest to polyvinylchloride, emphasising that different materials may have differential effects. Each material needs to be carefully evaluated in order to assess their risks as microplastic pollution. Overall, both conventional and biodegradable microplastics in sandy sediments can affect the health and behaviour of lugworms and directly or indirectly reduce primary productivity of these habitats.
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Researchers tested whether microplastics in sediment affect lugworm fitness and PCB bioaccumulation, finding that microplastics reduced worm energy reserves and increased PCB uptake, demonstrating that microplastics can simultaneously harm organisms directly and enhance their chemical contaminant burden.
Bioturbation of microplastics in the coastal zone: The role of the lugworm, Arenicola marina
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Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in casts of the lugworm Arenicola marina with those in intertidal surface and subsurface sediments, finding little difference in elemental content consistent with non-selective feeding, while documenting the worm's role in redistributing microplastics through bioturbation to depths of approximately 20 cm. The study advances understanding of how conveyor-belt feeding invertebrates influence microplastic cycling in coastal sediment reservoirs.
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Researchers used the lugworm Arenicola marina to test whether microplastics affect the uptake of co-occurring chemicals, finding that microplastics altered the bioavailability of chemicals and modified their uptake and distribution in worm tissues.
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Researchers compared the ecotoxicological effects of conventional low-density polyethylene microplastics and biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia andrei using an eight-week reproduction test across seven concentration levels. Both polymer types affected earthworm survival, reproduction, and oxidative stress markers, raising questions about whether biodegradable alternatives pose similar soil ecosystem risks.
Microplastics are taken up by mussels (Mytilus edulis) and lugworms (Arenicola marina) living in natural habitats
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.