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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic-Earthworm Interactions: A Critical Review
ClearAdverse 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.
Current Research Trends on the Effects of Microplastics in Soil Environment Using Earthworms: Mini-Review
This mini-review summarizes current research on how microplastics affect earthworms in soil environments, covering effects on growth, reproduction, gut microbiota, and soil physicochemical properties.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soil: Fate, Impacts, and Bioremediation by Earthworms
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils and the role earthworms may play in breaking them down. Researchers found that microplastics can harm soil health by disrupting microbial communities, enzyme activity, and nutrient availability, but that earthworms can enhance microplastic degradation through their digestive processes and the microorganisms in their gut. The study suggests that earthworm-based bioremediation could be a practical strategy for reducing microplastic contamination in farmland.
Current research trends on plastic pollution and ecological impacts on the soil ecosystem: A review
This review examines the current state of research on plastic pollution in soil ecosystems, an area that has received far less attention than marine plastic contamination. Researchers found that agricultural practices, sewage sludge application, and plastic mulch use are major sources of soil microplastic pollution, with earthworms being the most commonly studied organisms for assessing ecological impacts. The study calls for more research into how microplastics affect soil biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and long-term soil health.
Microplastics in terrestrial environments: Reviewing current understanding to determine the positive and negative aspects of soil
This review examines microplastics in terrestrial soils, covering sources, distribution, and effects on soil health and organisms. It finds both negative impacts — reduced soil function, harm to earthworms and plants — and some neutral effects, highlighting significant research gaps.
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.
Microplastics and earthworms in soils: A case study on translocation, toxicity and fate
This conference abstract presents research on how earthworms in agricultural soils interact with microplastics, examining whether worms translocate particles deeper into soil, experience toxic effects, and alter the fate of microplastic contamination. Earthworms are key soil engineers, and their exposure to microplastics could have cascading effects on soil health.
Exploring the Impact of Micro-plastics on Soil Health and Ecosystem Dynamics: A Comprehensive Review
This review examines how microplastics affect soil health, finding that they alter soil structure, water retention, and the organisms that live in soil. Microplastics can carry toxic substances into soil and interact with other pollutants to amplify harmful effects on earthworms and soil microbes. Since healthy soil is essential for growing safe food, microplastic contamination of agricultural land could have long-term consequences for the food supply and human health.
Implication of microplastics on soil faunal communities — identifying gaps of knowledge
This systematic review examines how microplastics in soil affect earthworms, springtails, mites, and other soil-dwelling creatures that are essential for healthy soil. The impacts are highly variable and depend on the type of plastic, particle size, and soil conditions, making broad conclusions difficult. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps, noting that most studies use unrealistically high microplastic concentrations, and calls for research at levels that match actual field conditions.
Interactions between microplastics and soil fauna: A critical review
This review summarizes how microplastics affect soil animals like earthworms and nematodes, which play crucial roles in maintaining healthy soil. Microplastics can harm these organisms through ingestion, tissue damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of their gut bacteria, reducing their ability to decompose organic matter and cycle nutrients. In turn, soil animals can break down and spread microplastics through the soil, potentially transferring them up the food chain to animals and humans.
What do we know about how the terrestrial multicellular soil fauna reacts to microplastic?
This review analyzed the available literature on how soil-dwelling animals respond to microplastics and found evidence of uptake, bioaccumulation, and harmful effects across many groups including earthworms, springtails, and beetles. Most studies used high concentrations not yet found in real soils, limiting conclusions about current environmental risks.
Ecological risk of microplastic toxicity to earthworms in soil: A bibliometric analysis
This bibliometric analysis reviewed 77 studies on the toxic effects of microplastics on earthworms in soil, identifying key research trends and knowledge gaps. Researchers found that microplastics cause oxidative stress, gut damage, and reproductive harm in earthworms, with toxicity varying by polymer type, size, and concentration. The review highlights the need for more standardized testing methods and long-term studies to fully understand microplastic risks to soil ecosystems.
Interaction of Invertebrates and Synthetic Polymers in Soil: A Review
This review summarizes how microplastics in soil harm invertebrates including nematodes, springtails, and earthworms, while some soil animals can fragment or ingest and transport plastic particles. The presence of microplastics in soil disrupts the gut function of soil organisms that play critical roles in maintaining healthy, productive soils.
Plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Current knowledge on impacts of micro and nano fragments on invertebrates
This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil-dwelling invertebrates like earthworms and insects, finding that effects vary widely depending on plastic type, shape, concentration, and exposure time. While no broad conclusions could be drawn, the documented sublethal effects on soil organisms could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support the crops humans depend on for food.
Earthworm-microbiome interactions: Unlocking next-generation bioindicators and bioengineered solutions for soil and environmental health
This review explores how earthworms and their associated microbiomes can serve as bioindicators of soil contamination from pollutants including microplastics. Changes in earthworm gut microbial communities can act as early warning signals of soil pollution, and engineered earthworm-microbiome systems show potential for environmental remediation. The study suggests that understanding these biological interactions could lead to new biomonitoring tools for assessing microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
Earthworms Exposed to Polyethylene and Biodegradable Microplastics in Soil: Microplastic Characterization and Microbial Community Analysis
Researchers exposed earthworms to biodegradable and conventional polyethylene microplastics in natural soil and found that worms ingested both types. The biodegradable plastic showed signs of partial breakdown in the earthworm gut, while conventional polyethylene remained unchanged. Although microplastics did not significantly alter the soil or gut microbiome in this study, the results confirm that earthworms transport microplastics through soil ecosystems.
Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the fitness of earthworms in an agricultural soil
Researchers exposed earthworms to polystyrene microplastics in agricultural soil at various concentrations. The study found that low concentrations had little effect, but high concentrations (1% and above) significantly inhibited growth and increased mortality, suggesting microplastic pollution poses ecological risks to soil organisms in terrestrial ecosystems.
Earthworms As An Emerging Biotechnological Intervention in the Mitigation of Microplastics
This review explores the emerging role of earthworms as biological agents for degrading microplastics in soil environments. Researchers found that earthworm gut microflora and mucous secretions actively contribute to breaking down plastic polymers through enzymatic depolymerization. The study suggests that earthworm-mediated biodegradation could be a promising biotechnological approach for mitigating microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
Effects of pristine microplastics and nanoplastics on soil invertebrates: A systematic review and meta-analysis of available data
About 49% of 1,061 biological endpoints were significantly affected by pristine micro- and nanoplastics across 56 studies on soil invertebrates, with polymers containing chloro and phenyl groups causing the most harm; concentrations above 1 g/kg in soil decreased earthworm growth and survival.
Current research trends on plastic pollution and ecological impacts on the soil ecosystem: A review
This review examined plastic pollution in soil ecosystems, covering sources including sewage sludge, plastic mulch, and stormwater runoff, and the effects on soil structure, microbial communities, and earthworms. Microplastics in soil are a growing concern because farmland soils represent a major global reservoir of environmental plastic contamination.
A Systematic Review on Earthworms in Soil Bioremediation
This systematic review found that earthworm-based bioremediation (vermiremediation), alone or combined with phytoremediation and bioaugmentation, effectively reduces soil contamination from heavy metals, pesticides, and hydrocarbons. The research is relevant to microplastics because earthworms interact extensively with soil microplastics, potentially fragmenting them further while also being harmed by plastic particle ingestion.
Micro- and nanoplastics in soils: Tracing research progression from comprehensive analysis to ecotoxicological effects
Researchers conducted a large-scale analysis of 2,451 scientific publications on micro- and nanoplastics in soil published between 2006 and 2023, mapping global research trends and identifying key gaps. The review found rapidly growing interest in soil microplastic pollution and highlighted the need for interdisciplinary approaches to understand how these particles harm earthworms, soil microbes, and ultimately human health.
Responses of earthworms exposed to low-density polyethylene microplastic fragments
Researchers exposed earthworms to low-density polyethylene microplastic fragments at various concentrations and studied the effects on their survival, growth, and reproduction. The microplastics affected earthworm behavior and caused measurable changes depending on concentration and exposure time. Since earthworms are critical for soil health and nutrient cycling, their sensitivity to microplastics raises concerns about how plastic pollution may degrade agricultural soils.
Effects of environmentally relevant mixtures of microplastics on terrestrial organisms
Researchers tested the effects of environmentally realistic microplastic mixtures on the earthworm Eisenia andrei and the springtail Folsomia candida as soil model organisms. Even at environmentally relevant concentrations, the microplastic mixture caused measurable negative effects on soil organism health and reproduction.