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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Biochemical response of earthworm, Eisenia fetida to heavy metals toxicity
ClearRole of earthworms as potent bioindicator of soil pollution: A Review
This review examines earthworms as bioindicators of soil pollution from pesticides, insecticides, and heavy metals, summarizing how behavioral, physiological, and biochemical responses in earthworms reflect toxicant levels in agricultural soils and their utility for assessing contamination risks to crops and human health.
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.
Exploring the Toxicity of Oxytetracycline in Earthworms (Eisenia fetida) Based on the Integrated Biomarker Response Method
Researchers exposed earthworms to the antibiotic oxytetracycline and measured changes in key stress-related enzymes to assess the drug's toxicity in soil environments. They found that the antibiotic caused significant oxidative stress, with the head tissue suffering the most damage from long-term exposure. The study provides a framework for using earthworms as biological indicators to monitor antibiotic contamination in soil ecosystems.
Oxidative stress, energy metabolism and molecular responses of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to low-density polyethylene microplastics
Researchers exposed earthworms to various concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics for 28 days and measured oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and molecular responses. The study found dose-dependent increases in oxidative damage markers and alterations in energy reserves, suggesting that microplastic contamination in soils can trigger measurable physiological stress in soil invertebrates.
Toxicological evaluation and metabolic profiling of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) after exposure to microplastics and acetochlor
Earthworms exposed to both UV-aged microplastics and the herbicide acetochlor suffered greater oxidative stress, tissue damage, and metabolic disruption than from either pollutant alone. Since earthworms are essential for healthy soil that grows our food, this combined toxicity from two common agricultural pollutants raises indirect concerns for the food supply and human health.
Impacts of microplastics and heavy metals on the earthworm Eisenia foetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus
Researchers assessed the combined effects of polypropylene microplastics and a heavy metal mixture (copper, chromium, and zinc) on the earthworm Eisenia foetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. The study found that co-contamination exacerbated adverse effects on earthworm survival and soil nutrient dynamics compared to single-pollutant exposures, highlighting synergistic risks of combined microplastic and metal pollution in terrestrial ecosystems.
A bibliometric analysis and literature review of earthworms used as bio-indicators for assessing soil heavy metal pollution
Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of two decades of studies on using earthworms as biological indicators of soil heavy metal pollution. They found that zinc, copper, cadmium, and lead are the most commonly studied metals, with growing interest in how earthworms accumulate and respond to these contaminants. The review highlights earthworms as valuable tools for monitoring soil health and identifies emerging research directions in soil pollution assessment.
Uptake of Potentially Toxic Elements in Microplastic-Contaminated Soils: A Controlled Laboratory Study Using Eisenia Fetida
Researchers exposed earthworms to tire-derived microplastics in soil and found that levels above 100 mg/g caused significant buildup of toxic heavy metals — including chromium, lead, tin, and zinc — inside the worms' bodies. This shows microplastics act as carriers that help move harmful metals from soil into living organisms.
Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics and cadmium on the earthworm Eisenia foetida
Researchers studied the effects of microplastics alone and combined with the heavy metal cadmium on earthworms over 42 days. They found that both exposures reduced growth and increased mortality, with the combined treatment causing the most damage through increased oxidative stress. The study also revealed that microplastics can increase cadmium accumulation in earthworms by up to 161%, suggesting microplastics may worsen heavy metal contamination in soil ecosystems.
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.
Effect of Microplastics on the Bioavailability of (Semi-)Metals in the Soil Earthworm Eisenia fetida
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the uptake of cadmium and arsenic by earthworms in paddy soil. They found that microplastics altered the soil chemistry in ways that changed how much of these metals the earthworms absorbed, with effects varying by metal type and concentration. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils can influence how toxic metals move through the food chain.
Ecotoxicological effects of micronized car tire wear particles and their heavy metals on the earthworm (Eisenia fetida) in soil
Researchers exposed earthworms to microplastics from ground-up car tires at various concentrations and sizes over 14 and 28 days. They found that the worms preferentially consumed smaller particles, which led to increased heavy metal accumulation and significant signs of oxidative stress at higher concentrations. The study highlights that tire-derived microplastics in soil can harm terrestrial organisms through both physical ingestion and the release of associated toxic metals.
Reproductive damage and compensation of wild earthworm Metaphire californica from contaminated fields with long-term heavy metal exposure
Researchers collected wild earthworms from fields with a gradient of heavy metal contamination and found dose-dependent reproductive damage — including sperm deformities and DNA strand breaks — alongside a compensatory increase in sperm velocity, suggesting adaptive reproductive strategies under chronic metal stress.
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.
Comparison of fitness effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to single or multiple anthropogenic pollutants
Researchers compared single and combined pollutant exposures on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, finding that mixtures of pesticides, heavy metals, particulate matter, and microplastics can produce synergistic negative effects on survival and reproduction beyond individual pollutant impacts.
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.
Earthworm stress adaptation: The pivotal role of viruses in microplastic‑cadmium co-exposure
Using an orthogonal experimental design with earthworms (Eisenia fetida) exposed to cadmium and microplastics of varying concentrations and sizes, researchers identified key stress response nodes through modeling and found that viruses in the soil microbiome play a pivotal regulatory role in how earthworms adapt to combined heavy metal and microplastic exposure.
Impacts of microplastics and heavy metals on the earthworm Eisenia fetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus
Researchers found that co-contamination by polypropylene microplastics and heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn) had synergistic adverse effects on earthworms and soil quality, reducing organic carbon and nitrogen levels more than either contaminant alone.
Cadmium and copper absorption by Eisenia fetida in the presence of different concentrations of microplastics
Researchers exposed earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to soil containing tire-derived microplastics alongside heavy metals cadmium and copper, finding that the microplastics increased the worms' uptake of both toxic metals. The results suggest that microplastics in soil act as carriers that make heavy metal contamination more bioavailable and dangerous for soil-dwelling 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.
A method to study the effects of combined stress of cadmium and microplastics on the acute toxicity of Eisenia fetida
Researchers developed an orthogonal test method to study the combined toxic effects of cadmium and microplastics on earthworms (Eisenia fetida), providing a more rigorous experimental framework for assessing the ecotoxicological risks of co-contamination in soil ecosystems.
Comparison of fitness effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to single or multiple anthropogenic pollutants
Researchers exposed earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to single and combined anthropogenic pollutants including pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics in a factorial design, finding that exposure to multiple pollutants simultaneously produced synergistic negative effects on earthworm fitness beyond what individual pollutant exposures predicted.
Assessing the presence of microplastic in agriculture soils irrigated with treated waste waters using Lumbricus sp.: Ecotoxicological effects
Researchers collected earthworms from agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewater in Morocco and found microplastics had accumulated in both the soil and the worms' tissues. The microplastic exposure caused oxidative stress and cellular damage in the earthworms. This study demonstrates that using treated wastewater for farming, a common practice in water-scarce regions, introduces microplastics into agricultural soil where they can harm soil organisms and potentially enter the food chain.
In vitro cultivation of primary intestinal cells from Eisenia fetida as basis for ecotoxicological studies
Researchers isolated living intestinal cells from earthworms to test how pollutants affect them at the cellular level, finding that silver nanoparticles and heavy metals reduced cell metabolism while microplastic particles (polystyrene and PLA beads) showed only minor effects and were not actively absorbed by the cells.