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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic to earthworm (Eisenia fetida): a comparison of polyethylene, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate
ClearExposure to microplastics lowers arsenic accumulation and alters gut bacterial communities of earthworm Metaphire californica
Researchers examined how microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in earthworms and their gut bacteria. They found that microplastics actually reduced arsenic accumulation in earthworm tissues by adsorbing the arsenic and lowering its bioavailability. The study suggests that while microplastics altered gut bacterial communities, their presence may lessen arsenic toxicity in soil organisms by changing how the metal moves through the food chain.
Unveiling the impact of polystyrene and low-density polyethylene microplastics on arsenic toxicity in earthworms
Researchers examined how polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics interact with arsenic contamination to affect earthworms in soil. While the microplastics did not change arsenic's effects on survival, growth, or reproduction, they did increase oxidative stress and reduce the activity of protective antioxidant enzymes when combined with arsenic exposure. The study provides evidence that microplastics in contaminated soils may subtly alter how organisms handle heavy metal stress, even when survival rates appear unaffected.
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.
Impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia andrei
Researchers compared the ecotoxicological effects of conventional low-density polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate microplastics (PBAT-BD-MPs) on earthworms (Eisenia andrei) across a range of concentrations in an eight-week reproduction test. Both polymer types were assessed for impacts on survival, reproduction, growth, and oxidative stress in soil organisms.
Exploring the toxicity of biodegradable microplastics and imidacloprid to earthworms (Eisenia fetida) from morphological and gut microbial perspectives
Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) combined with the pesticide imidacloprid caused more severe harm to earthworms than either pollutant alone, including higher death rates, tissue damage, and disrupted gut bacteria. This is concerning because PLA plastics are marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, yet they can still break down into harmful microplastics in soil. The study shows that biodegradable plastics may actually make pesticide contamination worse for soil organisms.
Biodegradable microplastics exert differential impacts from polyethylene on pesticide fate in soil-earthworm systems: insights into degradation selectivity and microbial mechanisms
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.
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.
Combined toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants and polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Biochemical and molecular insights
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics, chlorinated flame retardants, and their combinations to assess combined toxicity effects. They found that the most toxic flame retardant (TDCPP) had its effects reduced when combined with microplastics, likely because the plastics absorbed the chemical and lowered its bioavailability. In contrast, microplastics enhanced the toxicity of another flame retardant (TCPP), demonstrating that microplastics can act as both carriers and modulators of co-contaminant toxicity in soil ecosystems.
Ecotoxicological effects of soil microplastic types and concentrations on earthworms
Researchers tested the effects of conventional polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alongside biodegradable PBAT microplastics on earthworms over 28 days. They found that PP microplastics caused significant mortality at the highest concentration, while PBAT, despite being marketed as biodegradable, induced the highest levels of DNA damage and cellular stress. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily less harmful to soil organisms than conventional plastics.
Polylactic acid microplastics induce higher biotoxicity of decabromodiphenyl ethane on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) compared to polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics
Researchers compared the combined toxicity of the flame retardant DBDPE with three types of microplastics on earthworms and found that polylactic acid (a bio-based plastic) caused more severe damage than conventional polyethylene or polypropylene. The co-exposure led to neurotoxic effects, tissue damage, and significant transcriptomic changes in the earthworms. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer than conventional plastics when interacting with environmental contaminants.
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.
Impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia andrei
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.
The comparison effect on earthworms between conventional and biodegradable microplastics
Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on earthworms over an extended exposure period. They found that biodegradable microplastics caused comparable or even greater harm than conventional plastics at certain concentrations, including reduced growth and reproduction. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for soil organisms.
Responses of earthworm Metaphire vulgaris gut microbiota to arsenic and nanoplastics contamination
Researchers found that co-exposure to nanoplastics and arsenic significantly altered earthworm gut microbiota composition, with nanoplastics influencing arsenic biotransformation in the gut, revealing previously unknown interactions between these two soil contaminants.
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.
Microplastics and metals: Microplastics generated from biodegradable polylactic acid mulch reduce bioaccumulation of cadmium in earthworms compared to those generated from polyethylene
Researchers compared how microplastics from biodegradable (PLA) and conventional (polyethylene) plastic mulch interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in soil with earthworms. PLA microplastics absorbed much more cadmium than polyethylene, reducing the amount of this toxic metal available to earthworms. While this suggests biodegradable plastics may offer some protection against heavy metal exposure in contaminated soils, both types still contribute to microplastic pollution.
Conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected arsenic mobility and methylation in paddy soils through distinct chemical-microbial pathways
A 98-day paddy soil experiment found that conventional microplastics reduced arsenic in porewater but increased methylated arsenic fractions, while biodegradable microplastics increased both porewater arsenic and methylation, suggesting distinct chemical-microbial pathways affecting arsenic mobility and toxicity.
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.
The role of microplastics in altering arsenic fractionation and microbial community structures in arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments
The addition of microplastics to arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments altered arsenic fractionation and shifted microbial community structures, with biodegradable plastics producing different effects compared to conventional polymers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the environmental behavior of co-existing toxic metals in sediment ecosystems.
Oxidative stress and gene expression induced by biodegradable microplastics and imidacloprid in earthworms (Eisenia fetida) at environmentally relevant concentrations
Researchers exposed earthworms to biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA), both alone and combined with a common pesticide. Both treatments caused oxidative stress and DNA damage, and the combined exposure was often more harmful than either pollutant alone. This study is important because it shows that even so-called biodegradable plastics can harm soil organisms and may interact with other agricultural chemicals to create greater environmental damage.