Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Evidence for strong environmental control on bacterial microbiomes of Antarctic springtails

Researchers studied the bacterial communities living inside four species of Antarctic springtails (tiny soil insects) and found that geography — where the springtails lived — was a stronger influence on their gut microbiome than which species they were. This finding helps explain how extreme environments shape the microbial ecosystems inside animals, including those exposed to microplastic contamination.

2021 Scientific Reports 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and quantification of macro- and microplastics on an agricultural farmland

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics affect the soil-dwelling springtail Folsomia candida and found that exposure altered gut microbiota composition and reduced reproductive output. The microplastics disrupted the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut of these important soil organisms. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils could have broader consequences for soil health by affecting the organisms that help maintain ecosystem functions like nutrient cycling.

2018 Scientific Reports 810 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term inorganic fertilizer exposure disturbed functional traits and gut bacterial conditionally rare or abundant taxa in collembolan (Entomobrya proxima Folsom)

Researchers examined how long-term inorganic fertilizer application disturbed soil functional traits and gut bacterial communities of earthworms, finding that fertilizer-driven changes in soil chemistry altered earthworm gut microbiomes in ways that may affect soil ecosystem services.

2025 Soil Ecology Letters
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics in Agricultural Soil Emerge With Increasing Test System Complexity

This doctoral thesis investigated the ecotoxicology of mulching film-derived microplastics on Collembola (soil springtails) in agricultural soil, testing their effects both in single-species assays and in mesocosm experiments designed to reflect more realistic ecosystem-level conditions.

2025
Article Tier 2

Toxicogenomic Fingerprint Identification in Springtails to Assess Pesticide-Contaminated Soils

Researchers used toxicogenomic fingerprinting in springtails (Collembola) to assess the effects of pesticide-contaminated soils, analyzing gene expression patterns to identify molecular signatures of pesticide exposure in these ecologically important soil invertebrates. The approach identified distinct transcriptomic responses linked to specific pesticide classes, offering a sensitive biomonitoring tool for evaluating soil contamination in agricultural landscapes.

2022
Article Tier 2

ferrinetal_Interactiveeffectsofwarmingabandnanoonthegutmicrobiomeofsoilcollembola

The springtail Folsomia candida was exposed to nanoplastics, antibiotics, and elevated temperature to examine interactive effects on gut microbiome composition in a standard ecotoxicology model organism. The study aimed to understand how combined exposure to these common soil pollutants under warming conditions affects gut microbial communities and ecosystem services.

2024 Figshare
Article Tier 2

A new trypan blue agar plate assay for in vivo evaluation of gut damage in Folsomia candida springtail

Researchers developed a simple trypan blue agar plate test to assess gut barrier damage in springtails, a common soil test organism. The method provides an accessible way to measure intestinal injury caused by soil contaminants including microplastics. Expanding toxicological endpoints for springtails improves the ability to detect subtle biological harm in soil organisms used in standard ecotoxicity tests.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Transport of microplastics by two collembolan species

Researchers exposed two species of soil springtails (collembolans) to surface-applied microplastics and found that these small invertebrates can transport plastic particles vertically into deeper soil layers as they move. This is one of the first demonstrations that soil fauna can redistribute microplastics downward in terrestrial ecosystems.

2017 Environmental Pollution 361 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of environmentally relevant mixtures of microplastics on soil organisms

Researchers exposed earthworms and springtails to environmentally realistic mixtures of microplastics commonly found in agricultural soils treated with sewage sludge. They found that earthworms ingested microplastics in proportion to exposure levels, and at higher concentrations, both species showed reduced reproduction. The study provides evidence that real-world microplastic mixtures in farm soils can affect important soil organisms at concentrations already found in the environment.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil microplastics inhibit the movement of springtail species

This study found that soil microplastics impeded the movement of springtail species in laboratory experiments, with effects dependent on plastic particle size and concentration, suggesting potential ecological consequences for soil-dwelling invertebrates.

2019 Environment International 257 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the ecological effects of the fungicide difenoconazole on soil and Enchytraeus crypticus gut microbiome

Researchers exposed soil-dwelling worms and surrounding soil microbiomes to the fungicide difenoconazole for 21 days, finding reduced body weight and oxidative stress in the worms alongside altered gut and soil microbial communities, with soil metagenomics revealing that bacterial detoxification genes and virus-encoded carbon cycle genes were enriched under pesticide stress.

2023 Environmental Pollution 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of a soil-inhabiting collembolan (Entomobrya proxima Folsom) to organic fertilizer addition illustrated by functional traits and gut bacterial community

Researchers investigated how different concentrations of organic fertilizer affect the collembolan Entomobrya proxima at the level of functional traits and gut bacterial community composition. Organic fertilizer addition had multiple concentration-dependent effects on soil fauna, providing insights for optimizing sustainable agricultural management while maintaining soil animal functions.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanoplastics disturbs the gut microbiome in the soil oligochaete Enchytraeus crypticus

Researchers fed the soil oligochaete Enchytraeus crypticus diets containing different concentrations of nano-polystyrene particles and found that exposure significantly altered the gut microbiome composition. The study suggests that nanoplastic ingestion can disturb the microbial communities in soil invertebrate digestive systems, which may have cascading effects on nutrient processing and organism health.

2018 Environmental Pollution 353 citations
Article Tier 2

What do we know about how the terrestrial multicellular soil fauna reacts to microplastic?

This review analyzed published studies on how multicellular soil organisms (including earthworms, mites, springtails, and nematodes) ingest and respond to microplastics, finding that most studies used unrealistically high concentrations and that ecologically relevant effects on soil fauna remain poorly characterized.

2020 SOIL 106 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro assays reveal inherently insecticide-tolerant termite symbionts

Researchers discovered that certain termite gut bacterial symbionts show inherent tolerance to insecticides in vitro, suggesting these microorganisms may contribute to their hosts' resistance and could have applications in environmental bioremediation.

2023 Frontiers in Physiology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics shape the black soldier fly larvae gut microbiome and select for biodegrading functions

Researchers found that black soldier fly larvae can adapt their gut microbiome to digest a wide range of plastics, shifting their microbial communities to favor biodegrading functions. This suggests the insects could serve as living incubators for discovering new plastic-breaking enzymes for industrial cleanup applications.

2023 Microbiome 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of common artificial sweeteners at environmentally relevant concentrations on soil springtails and their gut microbiota

Researchers exposed soil-dwelling springtails to four common artificial sweeteners at concentrations found in the environment and observed changes in reproduction, gene activity, and gut bacteria across multiple generations. Initial exposure boosted juvenile production, but long-term exposure over six generations led to reduced reproduction and significant shifts in gut microbial communities. The findings suggest that even trace amounts of artificial sweeteners in soil can have cascading effects on small invertebrates and their microbiomes.

2024 Environment International 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Gammaproteobacteria, a core taxon in the guts of soil fauna, are potential responders to environmental concentrations of soil pollutants

Researchers identified a group of gut bacteria called Gammaproteobacteria as a key indicator of soil pollution stress in soil invertebrates, finding these microbes respond sensitively to environmental contaminants and could serve as a biological signal for assessing soil ecosystem health.

2021 Microbiome 111 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of high-density polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on the soil and earthworm Metaphire guillelmi gut microbiota

Researchers exposed earthworms to soil amended with high-density polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics for 28 days and examined changes in both the earthworm gut and soil microbial communities. They found that both types of microplastics significantly altered the composition and diversity of gut bacteria in the earthworms. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soil can disrupt the gut microbiota of soil organisms, with potential consequences for soil ecosystem health.

2020 Chemosphere 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Motion: How Earthworm Guts Become Microbial Gateways through Plastic Surface Dynamics

This study tracked how microplastics move through earthworm digestive systems and found that the gut environment alters the microbial communities colonizing plastic surfaces, potentially transforming earthworms into vectors that spread plastic-associated microbes through soil ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Earthworms Significantly Alter the Composition, Diversity, Abundance and Pathogen Load of Fungal Communities in Sewage Sludge from Different Urban Wastewater Treatment Plants

Earthworms exposed to microplastic-contaminated soil were found to significantly alter the composition, diversity, and abundance of potentially pathogenic soil bacteria, suggesting that earthworm bioturbation in MP-contaminated soils may have unintended effects on soil microbiome health.

2025 Pathogens 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the impacts of microplastics on soil meso- and macro-fauna

This study aims to extend understanding of microplastic impacts beyond earthworms to include mites, collembolans, and other key soil invertebrate groups, developing ecotoxicology tests to establish risk assessment levels for microplastics in soil ecosystems.

2025