Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Diverse Perspectives Illuminate the Intestinal Toxicity of Traditional and Biodegradable Agricultural Film Microplastics to Eisenia fetida under Varying Exposure Sequences

Researchers compared how traditional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics from agricultural films affect earthworm intestines. Regular polyethylene caused more severe gut damage and immune disruption than the biodegradable alternative, though PLA still impaired digestive function. This matters because earthworms are essential for soil health, and damage to them from agricultural plastic film fragments could reduce soil quality and affect the crops humans depend on for food.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on the intestine, intestinal community composition, and metabolic levels in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

Researchers exposed tilapia fish to both biodegradable (PLA) and conventional (PVC) microplastics for 14 days and compared the effects on their intestines and gut bacteria. Both types of microplastics caused intestinal inflammation and disrupted the gut microbial community, though the specific effects differed between the two plastic types. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics may not be substantially safer for aquatic life than conventional ones.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of terrestrial crustacean Porcellio scaber and mealworm Tenebrio molitor to non-degradable and biodegradable fossil-based mulching film microplastics

Researchers tested how two soil organisms, woodlice and mealworms, responded to microplastics from both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable mulching films used in farming. Both types of microplastics affected the organisms' gut bacteria and caused stress, though the effects varied by plastic type. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable farm films are completely safe, since their microplastic fragments can still harm soil organisms important for healthy agricultural ecosystems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity comparison of multiple biodegradable and conventional microplastics on earthworms: Ingestion, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and transcriptional responses

This study compared the toxicity of four biodegradable microplastics and conventional polyethylene microplastics on earthworms across multiple biological endpoints. Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics caused tissue damage, oxidative stress, and altered gene expression at levels comparable to or sometimes exceeding conventional plastics, challenging the assumption that biodegradable alternatives are inherently safer for soil organisms.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Conventional vs. Biodegradable and Compostable Microplastics on Eisenia fetida S.: An Ecopathological Approach

Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional polyethylene microplastics on soil-dwelling earthworms and found that both types caused increased mortality, decreased biomass, and tissue damage after 14 days of exposure. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics are not necessarily safer than conventional ones, and that detailed tissue analysis can reveal harmful sublethal effects not captured by standard toxicity tests.

2026 Environmental Toxicology
Article Tier 2

A comparison of the toxicity induced by the exposure to microplastics made of a conventional and a biodegradable polymer on the earthworm Eisenia fetida

Researchers compared the toxicity of conventional versus biodegradable polymer microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, evaluating whether biodegradable alternatives present reduced ecotoxicological risk in soil environments where microplastic contamination is increasingly documented.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the gut’s plastic predicament: How micro- and nano-plastics drive distinct toxicological pathways in Enchytraeus crypticus

Researchers exposed the soil invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus to environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics (50 µm) and nanoplastics (100 nm), finding that nanoplastics caused greater gut microenvironment disruption and more severe biotoxicity than microplastics, acting through distinct mechanistic pathways.

2025 Environment International
Article Tier 2

Effects of conventional versus biodegradable microplastic exposure on oxidative stress and gut microorganisms in earthworms: A comparison with two different soils

Researchers compared the toxic effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworms in two different soil types. Both types of microplastic caused oxidative stress and altered gut microbiota in earthworms, with toxicity increasing at higher concentrations. The study found that microplastic concentration was more important than the type of plastic or soil in determining the level of harm, and that biodegradable plastics were not necessarily safer for soil organisms.

2022 Chemosphere 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated microbiota and multi-omics analysis reveal the differential responses of earthworm to conventional and biodegradable microplastics in soil under biogas slurry irrigation

Researchers compared how conventional and biodegradable microplastics from agricultural mulch films affect earthworms in soil treated with biogas slurry fertilizer. Using multi-omics analysis, they found that both types of microplastics disrupted earthworm gut bacteria and metabolic pathways, though through different molecular mechanisms. The study suggests that biodegradable plastic alternatives may still pose risks to soil organisms that warrant further investigation.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of earthworms to microplastics in soil under biogas slurry irrigation: Toxicity comparison of conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Researchers compared the toxicity of biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene microplastics to earthworms in soil irrigated with biogas slurry. They found that all microplastic types caused time-dependent toxicity, including tissue damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of antioxidant defense systems at higher concentrations. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics may pose similar ecological risks to conventional plastics for soil organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Different mulch films, consistent results: soil fauna responses to microplastic

Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA/PBAT microplastics affect earthworms and springtails in soil over 28 days. Neither plastic type significantly harmed reproduction, but subtle cellular stress responses were detected, and the effects were similar for both conventional and biodegradable plastics, suggesting that biodegradable alternatives may not be safer for soil organisms.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on juvenile Lates calcarifer: Bioaccumulation, antioxidant response, microbiome, and proteome alteration

Researchers found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics from plastic bags caused bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, microbiome disruption, and proteome alterations in juvenile barramundi, indicating that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for marine organisms.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on earthworm Eisenia andrei in two generations

Researchers exposed earthworms (Eisenia andrei) to conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT mulching film microplastics across two generations (7 months) and found that both types caused reproductive and growth effects, with impacts accumulating across generations under environmentally relevant concentrations.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Plastics
Article Tier 2

Assessment on intestinal health from polylactic acid microplastics degradation on rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus): Inflammation regulation by mitochondrial dysfunction

Researchers exposed rare minnow fish to photodegraded polylactic acid microplastics to assess intestinal health effects. The study found that these biodegradable plastic particles induced visible intestinal damage, triggered inflammation through mitochondrial dysfunction, and caused oxidative stress, suggesting that even biodegradable plastics may pose ecological risks after environmental degradation.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of different size ranges of industrial-grade polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on earthworms Eisenia fetida

Researchers exposed earthworms to industrial-grade polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics of various sizes and found that the worms ingested all types of particles tested. The microplastics caused oxidative stress and DNA damage in the earthworms, with the severity depending on both the size and type of plastic. Gene analysis revealed that exposure disrupted pathways related to nervous system function, oxidative stress, and inflammation, indicating that microplastics pose ecological risks to important soil organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil application of PE and PLA microplastics alter earthworm (Eisenia nordenskioldi) gut bacterial community and soil microbiome-metabolome dynamics

Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworm gut bacteria and soil ecosystems over 120 days. They found that polyethylene had a more significant impact on soil microbial communities and metabolic processes than PLA at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study highlights that both types of microplastics can alter soil ecosystems, but conventional plastics may pose greater ecological risks.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic: A potential threat to human and animal health by interfering with the intestinal barrier function and changing the intestinal microenvironment

This review summarizes current research on how microplastics disrupt the gut environment in both animals and humans, focusing on damage to the intestinal barrier. Studies show that microplastic exposure can cause oxidative damage, inflammation, destruction of the gut lining, thinning of the protective mucus layer, and disruption of beneficial gut bacteria. While direct human evidence is still limited, the growing body of animal research suggests that microplastics could pose a meaningful threat to intestinal health.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 225 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro- and nanoplastics on gastrointestinal diseases: Recent advances

This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics can harm the digestive system by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and disruption of gut bacteria. These connected pathways can damage the intestinal lining and may contribute to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how everyday plastic exposure through food and water could affect gut health over time.

2025 European Journal of Internal Medicine 7 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of aged and unaged conventional or biodegradable mulching films microplastics to the estuarine bivalve Scrobicularia plana

Researchers tested the toxicity of aged and unaged microplastics from both conventional and biodegradable mulch films on soil organisms under realistic agricultural exposure conditions. Aged mulch film microplastics were more toxic than virgin particles, and biodegradable alternatives were not inherently less harmful to soil biota.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)