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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Biodegradable microplastics exert differential impacts from polyethylene on pesticide fate in soil-earthworm systems: insights into degradation selectivity and microbial mechanisms
ClearDivergent impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on pesticide fate and toxicity in a soil–chive system, underscoring a soil-plant-microbe disruption
Researchers found that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, despite being marketed as eco-friendly, significantly delayed pesticide degradation in soil and increased plant uptake of a toxic pesticide metabolite by up to 59%. PLA disrupted beneficial soil bacteria and interfered with plant detoxification pathways, while conventional polyethylene microplastics had comparatively milder effects. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks when they interact with pesticides in agricultural soils.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The combination of microplastics and glyphosate affects the microbiome of soil inhabitant Enchytraeus crypticus
Researchers tested how microplastics and the common herbicide glyphosate affect soil health when present together. Biodegradable PLA plastic combined with glyphosate had the most damaging effects on both soil bacteria and the gut microbiome of soil worms, worse than conventional PET plastic. These results suggest that using biodegradable plastics alongside pesticides in agriculture may pose greater ecological risks than previously thought.
Microbial metabolism influences microplastic perturbation of dissolved organic matter in agricultural soils
Researchers studied how microplastics from both traditional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid plastics change the chemistry of dissolved organic matter in farm soil. Soil microbes broke down substances released by the plastics, altering the soil's chemical composition over 100 days. Surprisingly, the biodegradable plastic released compounds that soil bacteria could more readily use, and after aging, it had roughly 10 times the pollutant-absorbing capacity of polyethylene, suggesting that so-called biodegradable plastics may pose their own environmental risks in agricultural soil.
Ecotoxicological effects of co-exposure biodegradable microplastics polylactic acid with cadmium are higher than conventional microplastics polystyrene with cadmium on the earthworm
This study compared the effects of biodegradable PLA microplastics and conventional polystyrene microplastics when combined with cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) on earthworms. Surprisingly, the biodegradable PLA combined with cadmium was more toxic than the conventional plastic combination, causing greater DNA damage and more disruption to antioxidant defenses. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for the environment and raises questions about their use as a replacement for conventional plastics.
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.
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.
Assessment of the Effects of Biodegradable and Nonbiodegradable Microplastics Combined with Pesticides on the Soil Microbiota
This study compared how biodegradable PLA and conventional PET microplastics, combined with common pesticides, affect soil microbial communities. Researchers found that PLA microplastics significantly increased microbial diversity but also enriched potentially harmful bacteria and elevated antibiotic resistance gene abundance more than PET, suggesting biodegradable plastics may pose underappreciated ecological risks in agricultural soils.
Earthworms mediate the influence of polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics on soil bacterial communities
Researchers studied how earthworms interact with both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics in soil over 120 days. Both types of microplastics changed the composition of soil bacterial communities, but in different ways, and earthworms appeared to mediate these effects by consuming bacteria or altering soil conditions. The findings show that even biodegradable plastics disrupt soil ecosystems, and that soil organisms play a complex role in how microplastics affect the underground environment.
Role of Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Microplastic in Modulating the toxicological Effects of Organic Pollutants in the Soil Organism Folsomia candida
Researchers exposed soil-dwelling springtail insects to combinations of microplastics and agricultural chemicals and found that biodegradable plastics (PBAT- and starch-based) made the toxicity of pesticides and veterinary drugs significantly worse, while conventional polyethylene plastic did not — raising concerns that "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastics may actually increase chemical risks in farming soils.
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.
Short-Term Effect of Poly Lactic Acid Microplastics Uptake by Earthworms, Eudrilus eugeniae.
Researchers tested whether earthworms (Eudrilus eugeniae) would ingest polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable microplastics when mixed with organic matter, finding they did but with reduced weight gain and reproductive output at higher concentrations. This suggests even biodegradable microplastics can harm soil organisms, which are essential for nutrient cycling and soil health.
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.
Combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic to earthworm (Eisenia fetida): a comparison of polyethylene, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate
Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PBAT) interact with arsenic in soil using earthworms as a model organism over 28 days. The study found that all microplastic types reduced arsenic bioaccumulation in earthworm tissues, with biodegradable plastics showing stronger reductions, though co-exposure still caused physiological and oxidative stress effects.
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.
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.
Deterioration of bio-based polylactic acid plastic teabags under environmental conditions and their associated effects on earthworms.
Researchers evaluated how polylactic acid (PLA) teabags break down under natural soil conditions and found that degradation was slower than expected, with released microplastics causing measurable harm to earthworms including reduced growth and altered gut microbiome.