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Papers
96 resultsShowing papers from Finnish Environment Institute
ClearReproduction, growth and oxidative stress in earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to conventional and biodegradable mulching film microplastics
Earthworms exposed to microplastics from both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT mulch films showed signs of oxidative stress, though reproduction was not significantly affected. The biodegradable microplastics actually stimulated growth at lower concentrations but caused stress at higher levels, similar to conventional plastics. Since earthworms are essential for soil health, these effects could have broader consequences for agricultural ecosystems where plastic mulch films are widely used.
Strategy towards producing relevant and reliable data for the hazard assessment of micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soils
This paper outlines a strategy for producing better scientific data on the hazards of micro and nanoplastics in agricultural soils. Current research suffers from a lack of standardized testing methods, unrealistic experimental conditions, and inconsistent materials, making it hard to draw reliable conclusions. The authors provide specific recommendations for more environmentally relevant experiments that could support meaningful regulations to protect soil ecosystems and food safety.
Sediment Toxicity Tests: A Critical Review of Their use in Environmental Regulations
This review evaluates how sediment toxicity testing is used in environmental regulations around the world, finding that adoption varies widely between regions. While focused on general chemical contamination rather than microplastics specifically, the frameworks described are increasingly relevant as regulators begin to consider microplastic pollution in sediments and its potential effects on aquatic ecosystems and the food chains that humans depend on.
Microplastics originated from agricultural mulching films affect enchytraeid multigeneration reproduction and soil properties
This study tested microplastics from real agricultural mulching films, both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable types, on small soil worms over multiple generations. Even biodegradable film microplastics reduced worm reproduction and altered soil properties like pH and water-holding capacity. The results show that microplastics from agricultural plastics, including supposedly eco-friendly alternatives, can harm soil organisms and threaten long-term soil health and food production.
Radical changes are needed for transformations to a good Anthropocene
This paper argues that achieving a sustainable future requires radical changes to financial, legal, political, and governance systems, not just incremental improvements. The researchers present five key principles involving fundamental shifts in how societies think about growth, efficiency, government, shared resources, and justice. The study emphasizes that these transformations must happen together across neighborhoods, cities, and regions to stay within planetary boundaries.
Exploring the impacts of microplastics and associated chemicals in the terrestrial environment – Exposure of soil invertebrates to tire particles
Researchers exposed three species of soil invertebrates to ground-up tire particles and found that at concentrations similar to those found near roadsides, the particles reduced reproduction and survival in springtails and suppressed enzyme activity in woodlice. The tire particles contained high levels of zinc and various organic pollutants. The study suggests that tire wear microplastics, one of the largest sources of environmental microplastic, can have measurable harmful effects on soil-dwelling organisms.
Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient
Researchers tested how microplastics from both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable mulching films affect soil health across experimental plots in Finland, Germany, and Spain. They found that both types of microplastics consistently reduced microbial activity related to nitrogen cycling, with effects becoming more pronounced over the second growing season. The study raises concerns because the concentrations tested are already environmentally relevant in European agricultural soils.
Microplastics, chlorpyrifos and their mixtures modulate immune processes in the terrestrial crustacean Porcellio scaber
Researchers investigated how polyester fiber and crumb rubber microplastics affect the immune system of the crustacean Porcellio scaber, alone and in combination with the pesticide chlorpyrifos. The study found that while microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations caused only slight immune changes, mixtures of microplastics and chlorpyrifos produced different effects than either pollutant alone, suggesting microplastics may alter the bioavailability of co-occurring pesticides.
Towards an urban marine ecology: characterizing the drivers, patterns and processes of marine ecosystems in coastal cities
Researchers reviewed the emerging field of urban marine ecology, examining how coastal cities transform nearby marine environments through resource exploitation, pollution, and construction of artificial structures. They found that urban marine ecosystems are characterized by spatially heterogeneous pollution patterns and biotic homogenization over time. The study calls for an integrated framework to better understand and manage the unique ecological dynamics of marine environments adjacent to major cities.
Validation of an imaging FTIR spectroscopic method for analyzing microplastics ingestion by Finnish lake fish (Perca fluviatilis and Coregonus albula)
Researchers developed and validated an imaging FTIR spectroscopy method for identifying microplastics ingested by Finnish lake fish, including perch and vendace. The study confirmed that wild freshwater fish are ingesting microplastics and demonstrated that standardized analytical methods are needed to improve the reliability of microplastic detection in aquatic organisms.
Machine learning in marine ecology: an overview of techniques and applications
This overview examines how machine learning techniques are being applied across marine ecology, covering data types from satellite imagery and acoustics to underwater images and genomic data. Researchers built a database of roughly 1,000 publications to map which techniques work best for different marine research questions. The study highlights that growing data volumes and computing power are making machine learning an increasingly essential tool for understanding ocean ecosystems.
Benthic fauna contribute to microplastic sequestration in coastal sediments
Researchers investigated how burrowing seafloor organisms contribute to the burial of microplastics in coastal sediments. They found that benthic fauna actively transport microplastics from the sediment surface to deeper layers through their burrowing and feeding activities. The study suggests that biological processes play a significant role in sequestering microplastics within marine sediments, which has implications for understanding the long-term fate of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Chemical leaching from polyethylene mulching films to soil in strawberry farming
Researchers analyzed whether polyethylene mulching films used in strawberry farming leach plasticizers into agricultural soil. The study found significantly higher concentrations of common plasticizers, including dibutyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate, and acetyl tributyl citrate, in soils exposed to polyethylene mulches compared to control soils. These findings highlight a potential pathway for endocrine-disrupting chemicals to enter the environment and food chain through standard agricultural mulching practices.
Trophic transfer increases the exposure to microplastics in littoral predators
Researchers studied how microplastics move through Baltic Sea food chains from zooplankton to shrimp to prawns in laboratory experiments. They found that predators accumulated microplastics both from the water directly and by eating contaminated prey, with trophic transfer significantly increasing overall exposure. The study suggests that animals higher up the food chain face compounded microplastic exposure from multiple sources.
Planetary Boundaries Nurturing the Grand Narrative of the Right to a Healthy Environment?
This paper argues that the planetary boundaries framework, which defines safe operating limits for Earth systems, can strengthen the legal case for the human right to a healthy environment recognized by the United Nations in 2022. Researchers discuss how breaching planetary boundaries, including those related to novel pollutants like microplastics, directly undermines fundamental rights to clean water, food, and health. The study calls on governments to use this science-based framework to guide stronger environmental and human rights protections.
Release of polyester and cotton fibers from textiles in machine washings
Researchers quantified the release of polyester and cotton microfibers from textiles during sequential machine washings. They found that the first wash released the most fibers, with amounts decreasing in subsequent washes, and estimated that household washing machines in Finland release hundreds of thousands of kilograms of textile microfibers annually. The study highlights laundry as a significant and ongoing source of microplastic and microfiber pollution entering wastewater systems.
Exploring the impacts of plastics in soil – The effects of polyester textile fibers on soil invertebrates
Researchers tested the effects of short and long polyester fibers on four species of soil invertebrates including worms, springtails, and mites. They found that overall effects were slight, though enchytraeid worm reproduction decreased by up to 30% with increasing concentrations of long fibers, and isopod energy reserves were affected. The study indicates that while polyester microfibers are not highly toxic to soil organisms in the short term, they are ingested and could pose risks at higher environmental concentrations.
Microplastics from biodegradable mulching films affect soil physicochemical properties and earthworm reproduction, but not microarthropod communities
Researchers conducted a 13-week mesocosm study examining the effects of biodegradable mulching film microplastics on soil properties and invertebrate communities. They found that even low concentrations (0.025%) significantly altered soil pH and aggregate structure, and earthworm reproduction was reduced at higher concentrations, while springtail communities showed no measurable differences between treatments.
Microbial plankton uptake enhances the degradation of a biodegradable microplastic
Researchers tested whether planktonic protists such as nanoflagellates and ciliates could enhance the degradation of biodegradable PLGA microplastics in seawater from the Baltic Sea. The study found that microbial plankton actively ingested PLGA particles and accelerated their degradation compared to sterile water controls, suggesting that biological activity plays a meaningful role in breaking down biodegradable plastics in marine ecosystems.
Microplastics pollution in the Brahmaputra River and the Indus River of the Indian Himalaya
Researchers sampled shoreline sediments of the Brahmaputra and Indus Rivers in the Indian Himalayas and found microplastics at all sites, with concentrations increasing downstream toward more populated areas, representing some of the first MP data for major Himalayan river systems.
Modulation of chlorpyrifos toxicity to soil arthropods by simultaneous exposure to polyester microfibers or tire particle microplastics
Researchers found that tire particle microplastics reduced the toxicity of the insecticide chlorpyrifos to soil arthropods by a factor of 2-4, while polyester microfibers had more limited protective effects depending on the species.
Effects of a mixture of mulching film microplastics on soil properties, microbial activities, and plants in terrestrial mesocosms with and without earthworms
Researchers assessed the effects of a mixture of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT mulching film microplastics on soil ecosystems using terrestrial mesocosms. The study found that microplastics increased soil compaction and stimulated microbial respiration while reducing nitrogen cycling, and although plant growth appeared unaffected, biochemical analysis revealed oxidative stress responses in lettuce at the molecular level.
How well is microlitter purified from wastewater? – A detailed study on the stepwise removal of microlitter in a tertiary level wastewater treatment plant
Researchers conducted a detailed step-by-step assessment of how well a wastewater treatment plant removes microlitter, finding that different treatment stages vary widely in effectiveness and that some treatment steps actually concentrate particles.
Ingestion and transfer of microplastics in the planktonic food web
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics are ingested and transferred through a planktonic food web, with particles passing from primary producers to zooplankton grazers and on to predatory plankton, establishing trophic transfer as a real pathway for microplastic movement through marine food chains.