Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Reproduction, metabolic enzyme activity, and metabolomics in earthworms Eisenia fetida exposed to different polymer microplastics

Researchers exposed earthworms to microplastics from three different polymer types, including both conventional and biodegradable plastics, at environmentally relevant concentrations. They found that polypropylene microplastics had the most pronounced effects on reproduction and metabolic enzyme activity, while biodegradable plastics also disrupted earthworm metabolism. The study demonstrates that different plastic polymers pose varying levels of risk to soil-dwelling organisms.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of the potential toxicity induced by microplastics made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polylactic acid (PLA) on the earthworm Eisenia foetida

Researchers compared the toxicity of microplastics made from conventional PET plastic and biodegradable PLA plastic on earthworms. Surprisingly, the supposedly eco-friendly PLA particles caused more harm than PET, triggering oxidative stress, tissue damage, and behavioral changes in the worms. This challenges the assumption that bioplastics are always safer for soil organisms than traditional plastics.

2024 Environmental Pollution 33 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

Biodegradable polymers boost reproduction in the earthworm Eisenia fetida

This study compared how conventional plastics and biodegradable polymers affect earthworms in soil. Surprisingly, biodegradable plastics like PLA and PBAT boosted earthworm reproduction, likely because soil microbes can partially break them down into usable carbon sources. However, conventional plastics like polystyrene and PET had neutral to negative effects, highlighting that not all microplastics impact soil organisms the same way.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Heliyon 5 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Toxics 6 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

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

Short- and medium-term effects of biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PHB) on earthworm development and reproduction

Researchers tested whether biodegradable plastics (PLA and PHB) are truly safer for soil organisms than conventional polyethylene by exposing earthworms to all three types of microplastics. While none caused immediate harm or death, both PLA and conventional polyethylene reduced earthworm reproduction over medium-term exposure, producing fewer cocoons and offspring. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally harmless and suggests they may pose similar risks to soil ecosystems as conventional plastics.

2025 Ecotoxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics in Agricultural Soil on Eisenia fetida (Annelida: Oligochaeta) Behavior, Biomass, and Mortality

Scientists tested how polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil affected the behavior, body mass, and survival of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Researchers found that earthworms actively avoided soil contaminated with microplastics and experienced changes in biomass at higher concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in farmland could negatively affect soil-dwelling organisms that play a key role in maintaining soil health.

2024 Agriculture 6 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

Microplastics as Soil Emerging Pollutants: Sublethal Earthworms Answers From Poly(propene) Photodegraded

Researchers exposed the earthworm Eisenia andrei to polypropylene microplastics at various concentrations in soil for 14 days, finding sublethal effects on survival, reproduction, and oxidative stress markers that varied with MP concentration and confirmed ecotoxicological risk to soil invertebrates.

2025 Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental
Article Tier 2

Effect of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on earthworms during vermicomposting process

Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on earthworms during composting and found that both types caused stress at higher concentrations. Earthworm weight, reproduction, and survival were negatively affected by both plastic types, though biodegradable microplastics caused somewhat less harm. The findings suggest that biodegradable plastics are not entirely safe for soil organisms and can still disrupt composting processes.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 6 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Reassessing Whether Biodegradable Microplastics Are Environmentally Friendly: Differences in Earthworm Physiological Responses and Soil Carbon Function Impacts

Researchers compared the toxic effects of conventional (PP, PS) and biodegradable (PLA, PHA) microplastics on earthworm physiology and soil carbon function in haplic phaeozem soil. Biodegradable MPs were not environmentally friendly — PLA and PHA caused comparable or greater physiological stress in earthworms and disrupted soil carbon cycling to a similar degree as conventional plastics.

2025 Antioxidants
Article Tier 2

Exposure to Microplastics Made of Plasmix-Based Materials at Low Amounts Did Not Induce Adverse Effects on the Earthworm Eisenia foetida

Researchers exposed earthworms to low amounts of microplastics made from recycled mixed plastic waste and monitored their health over several weeks. They found no significant adverse effects on survival, growth, reproduction, or cellular damage at the concentrations tested. The study suggests that microplastics from this type of recycled material may pose limited risk to soil organisms at low environmental levels.

2024 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2026 Environmental Pollution
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

Microplastic-Earthworm Interactions: A Critical Review

This critical review examines how microplastics from diverse plastic waste categories accumulate in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and interact with earthworms, a key soil organism. The authors synthesize evidence on the deleterious effects of increasing microplastic concentrations on soil properties, microbiota, and earthworm physiology.

2024 International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of polystyrene microplastics on earthworm (Eisenia fetida)

Researchers exposed earthworms to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics in soil for 14 days and found evidence of intestinal cell damage, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. The larger particles accumulated more in earthworm intestines, while both sizes triggered changes in key antioxidant markers. The study demonstrates that microplastic contamination in soil can cause measurable biological harm to important soil organisms.

2019 Environmental Pollution 383 citations