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Aged biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics alter metolachlor toxicity in the gut and liver of crucian carp
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Researchers compared how aged microplastics from conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid films interact with the pesticide metolachlor in crucian carp. They found that polyethylene microplastics increased pesticide accumulation in organs, while polylactic acid particles produced more complex and sometimes more severe toxic effects, likely due to their own degradation products. The study underscores that biodegradable agricultural films may not be inherently safer than conventional plastics when it comes to combined pesticide-microplastic toxicity in aquatic environments.
Degradable plastic mulch films in agriculture, like non-degradable films, can generate microplastics (MPs) and interact with pesticides. Although some studies have examined MP-pesticide combined toxicity, aquatic organism research remains scarce. This study investigated the combined toxicities of metolachlor (MET) at environmentally relevant levels (3 μg/L) and high concentrations (300 μg/L) with aged MPs from non-degradable polyethylene (PE) and degradable polylactic acid (PLA) on crucian carp. The PE significantly increased MET accumulation in the liver and gut compared to MET alone group, whereas PLA exhibited the opposite trend. The MET alone exposure induced gut and liver damage in crucian carp, including oxidative damage, immune inflammatory responses, and metabolic disorders. Co-exposure of 3 μg/L MET with PE induced greater gut toxicity than with PLA, but at 300 μg/L MET, the MET + PLA combination was more gut toxic, primarily due to degradation of PLA. The toxic effects in the MET + PE group had a higher similarity to MET alone exposure. In contrast, MET+PLA groups showed more complex toxic effects and mechanism, which might be caused by the co-action of aged small particle PLA and MET. This study underscores the necessity of considering the ecological risk assessment of biodegradable films in agricultural applications.
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Toxicity comparison of polylactic acid and polyethylene microplastics co-exposed with methylmercury on Daphnia magna
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Researchers compared the toxicity of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics, both alone and in combination with methylmercury, on water fleas. The biodegradable microplastics caused greater harm, significantly reducing survival and reproduction while also increasing mercury accumulation in the organisms. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment, suggesting they may actually enhance the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.
Roles of bio-based microplastics in modulating the toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor on the South American native species Palaemon argentinus: Single and co-exposure effects
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Researchers exposed South American native shrimp to polylactic acid microplastics and the herbicide metolachlor, both individually and in combination, over a seven-day period. They found that the bio-based microplastics caused oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and tissue damage, and also acted as carriers that increased pesticide accumulation in the shrimp. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can transport pollutants and pose ecological risks in aquatic ecosystems.
Biodegradable microplastics exert differential impacts from polyethylene on pesticide fate in soil-earthworm systems: insights into degradation selectivity and microbial mechanisms
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This study compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics affect pesticide behavior in soil with earthworms. Researchers found that PLA at high concentrations actually accelerated pesticide breakdown and increased the accumulation of pesticide byproducts in earthworms by up to 82%, while also causing oxidative stress and gut bacteria disruption, suggesting biodegradable plastics may pose their own set of environmental risks.
Divergent impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on pesticide fate and toxicity in a soil–chive system, underscoring a soil-plant-microbe disruption
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Researchers found that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, despite being marketed as eco-friendly, significantly delayed pesticide degradation in soil and increased plant uptake of a toxic pesticide metabolite by up to 59%. PLA disrupted beneficial soil bacteria and interfered with plant detoxification pathways, while conventional polyethylene microplastics had comparatively milder effects. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks when they interact with pesticides in agricultural soils.
Divergent composite contamination of pesticides on conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics and their contrasting toxic effects
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Researchers grew alfalfa in pesticide-contaminated soil containing either conventional polyethylene or biodegradable polybutylene succinate microplastics and found that biodegradable particles caused more severe toxicity by adsorbing more pesticide and acting as root-retention agents that shifted distribution away from leaves while amplifying oxidative damage and disrupting photosynthesis.
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