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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Freeze-thaw aging increases the toxicity of microplastics to earthworms and enriches pollutant-degrading microbial genera
ClearAging in soil increases the disturbance of microplastics to the gut microbiota of soil fauna
Researchers compared how fresh versus soil-aged microplastics affect the gut bacteria of small soil-dwelling worms called enchytraeids. They found that microplastics that had aged in soil for several months caused significantly greater disruption to the animals' gut microbiome than fresh particles. The aging process released chemical additives and encouraged biofilm growth on the plastic surfaces, making aged microplastics more biologically active and potentially more harmful to soil organisms.
Freeze-thaw aged polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alter enzyme activity and microbial community composition in soil
This study found that when polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics go through freeze-thaw cycles (as they would in cold-climate soils), their surfaces change in ways that alter soil enzyme activity and shift microbial communities. These findings matter because changes in soil microbes can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on human food systems.
Microplastics - Back to Reality: Impact of Pristine and Aged Microplastics in Soil on Earthworm Eisenia fetida under Environmentally Relevant Conditions
Researchers compared the effects of new versus sunlight-aged polyethylene microplastics on earthworms at real-world contamination levels, finding that aged particles caused more harm. The aged microplastics accumulated more in earthworm guts, caused greater tissue damage, and shifted gut bacteria away from beneficial species toward harmful ones. This is significant because most microplastics in the environment have been aged by sunlight, meaning their actual impact on soil health and the food chain may be worse than lab studies using fresh plastics suggest.
Influence of aged and pristine polyethylene microplastics on bioavailability of three heavy metals in soil: Toxic effects to earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Researchers studied how aging affects the ability of polyethylene microplastics to influence the bioavailability of zinc, lead, and cadmium in soil, and the resulting toxicity to earthworms. The study found that aged microplastics had different adsorption properties for heavy metals compared to pristine particles, which altered the bioavailability of these metals and affected earthworm health differently depending on microplastic concentration and aging status.
Effects of polyethylene microplastics stress on soil physicochemical properties mediated by earthworm Eisenia fetida
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics of two sizes and found that smaller particles (13 micrometers) were more toxic than larger ones (130 micrometers), reducing survival and growth more severely. The microplastics caused oxidative stress in the worms and altered key soil properties including pH and organic carbon content. Since earthworms play a vital role in maintaining healthy soil for agriculture, this damage could affect soil quality and ultimately the food grown in microplastic-contaminated farmland.
Co-exposure to UV-aged microplastics and cadmium induces intestinal toxicity and metabolic responses in earthworms
This study found that UV-aged microplastics (the kind that naturally degrade in sunlight) are more harmful than fresh microplastics when combined with the heavy metal cadmium in soil. Aging changed the microplastics' surface, making them better at absorbing cadmium and delivering it to earthworms, causing more gut damage and metabolic disruption. This highlights that weathered microplastics in the real environment may pose greater risks than lab studies using new plastic particles suggest.
Effect of polyethylene microplastics on tebuconazole bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and intestinal bacterial community in earthworms
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics of different sizes alongside a common fungicide and found that smaller microplastics caused the most severe oxidative stress and DNA damage. The microplastics also changed how much fungicide accumulated in the earthworms and disrupted their gut bacteria. This matters because earthworms are essential for soil health, and these effects could ripple through agricultural ecosystems that produce our food.
Adverse effects of microplastics on earthworms: A critical review
This critical review of 65 publications summarized the adverse effects of microplastics on earthworms, finding impacts on growth, behavior, oxidative stress, gene expression, and gut microbiota, with particle size, concentration, and co-occurring pollutants influencing toxicity outcomes.
Effects of farmland residual mulch film-derived microplastics on the structure and function of soil and earthworm Metaphire guillelmi gut microbiota
This study examined how microplastics from agricultural plastic mulch films affect soil and earthworm gut bacteria. Researchers found that aged microplastics from used farm films had different effects on microbial communities compared to new plastic particles, disrupting the normal bacterial networks in both soil and earthworm digestive systems.
Aging enhancement and synergistic effect on toxicity to soil fauna by polystyrene microplastics-tetrabromobisphenol A toxicity exposure
Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of aged polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A on earthworms, finding that aging enhanced the microplastics' ability to adsorb and deliver the toxic chemical. The co-exposure produced synergistic effects including increased oxidative stress, gut microbiome disruption, and tissue damage beyond what either contaminant caused alone. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in contaminated soils may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring industrial chemicals.
Freeze-thaw differentially modulates the impact of agricultural film-derived microplastics on soil-crop system: Microbiome and metabolome responses
This study investigated how freeze-thaw cycling alters the properties and phytotoxicity of agricultural film-derived microplastics in soil, using both microbiome and metabolome analyses in wheat and soil systems. Freeze-thaw aging changed MP surface chemistry and differentially altered microbial community composition and plant metabolic responses compared to un-aged MPs.
Transcriptomic and metabolic responses of earthworms to contaminated soil with polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations
Researchers studied how environmentally realistic concentrations of polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics affect earthworms at the molecular level. They found that both plastic types triggered oxidative stress, damaged digestive and immune systems, disrupted lipid metabolism, and altered the earthworms' ability to regulate water balance. The study suggests that even at concentrations commonly found in the environment, microplastic-contaminated soil poses measurable health risks to earthworms.
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.
Understanding the harmful effects of polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: A toxicological evaluation
Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to increasing concentrations of polyethylene microplastics in soil showed lower body weight, reduced reproductive output, and disrupted antioxidant defenses — with oxidative stress markers climbing nearly 1.3-fold at the highest dose. These findings confirm that microplastic pollution degrades soil ecosystem health at concentrations that could plausibly occur in contaminated agricultural land.
Virgin and Photoaged Polyethylene Microplastics Have Different Effects on Collembola and Enchytraeids
Researchers compared how virgin and UV-aged polyethylene microplastics affect two types of small soil organisms at environmentally relevant concentrations. They found contrasting responses between species: one type showed reduced survival but increased reproduction with aged particles, while another showed the opposite pattern. The study highlights that microplastic aging and species differences both matter when assessing the ecological impact of plastic pollution in soils.
The effects of polyethylene microplastics on the growth, reproduction, metabolic enzymes, and metabolomics of earthworms Eisenia fetida
This study exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics in soil for 60 days and found that even when the worms appeared physically healthy, their internal enzyme systems and metabolism were significantly disrupted. The damage included signs of neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and reduced ability to break down harmful substances. Since earthworms are essential for soil health and crop growth, this disruption could indirectly affect the quality of food humans eat.
The impact of microplastic on nematodes: Soil type, plastic amount and aging as determinants for the fitness of Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers tested how two types of microplastics, conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA/PBAT, affected tiny soil worms called nematodes across different soil types. Conventional plastic at high concentrations reduced worm reproduction and growth, while the biodegradable plastic caused no harm. Importantly, as microplastics aged in the soil over time, their negative effects worsened, suggesting the long-term impact of plastic pollution in agricultural soil may be greater than short-term studies indicate.
Effects of Microplastics on Selected Earthworm Species
Researchers tested the effects of five types of microplastics on five earthworm species over one- and three-month exposure periods, measuring survival, respiration, and detoxification enzyme activity. They found species-specific responses to different polymer types and concentrations, with some earthworms showing significant changes in glutathione s-transferase activity, a marker of chemical stress. The study highlights that microplastic impacts on soil organisms vary considerably depending on both the type of plastic and the species exposed.
Unveiling the impact of short-term polyethylene microplastics exposure on metabolomics and gut microbiota in earthworms (Eudrilus euganiae)
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics and found significant disruptions in their metabolism and gut bacteria, even when no visible signs of stress were present. The microplastics affected energy and lipid metabolism, anti-inflammatory processes, cell signaling, and membrane integrity. The study suggests that microplastics can cause hidden biological harm to soil organisms well before any outward symptoms appear.
Earthworms on a microplastics diet
Researchers found that environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics added to plant litter on soil surfaces led to reduced growth and elevated mortality in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris, and that earthworms may themselves transport ingested microplastics deeper into soils.