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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Impacts of polyethylene microplastics on bioavailability and toxicity of metals in soil
ClearInfluence of polyethylene-microplastic on environmental behaviors of metals in soil
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the adsorption, desorption, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil. They found that adding microplastics altered how metals bind to soil particles and increased the mobility of certain metals like cadmium and lead. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may change the environmental behavior of heavy metals, potentially increasing their availability to plants and soil organisms.
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.
Influence of aged and pristine polyethylene microplastics on bioavailability of three heavy metals in soil: Toxic effects to earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Researchers studied how aging affects the ability of polyethylene microplastics to influence the bioavailability of zinc, lead, and cadmium in soil, and the resulting toxicity to earthworms. The study found that aged microplastics had different adsorption properties for heavy metals compared to pristine particles, which altered the bioavailability of these metals and affected earthworm health differently depending on microplastic concentration and aging status.
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.
Microplastics aggravate the joint toxicity to earthworm Eisenia fetida with cadmium by altering its availability
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics combined with cadmium and found that co-exposure caused significantly worse effects than either pollutant alone, including increased avoidance behavior, weight loss, and DNA damage. The microplastics increased the bioavailability of cadmium in soil by up to 1.43-fold and boosted cadmium accumulation in earthworm tissue by up to 2.65-fold. The study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen heavy metal toxicity to soil organisms by making the metals more accessible for uptake.
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.
Microplastics impact the accumulation of metals in earthworms by changing the gut bacterial communities
Researchers exposed earthworms to three sizes of polystyrene microplastics (0.1, 10, and 100 micrometers) to study effects on metal accumulation and gut bacteria. The study found that microplastics reduced nickel and lead accumulation in earthworms while significantly altering gut bacterial communities. The results suggest that microplastics influence heavy metal bioavailability in soil organisms by changing gut microbiome composition.
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.
Combined toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and nickel oxide nanoparticle on earthworm (Eisenia andrei): oxidative stress responses, bioavailability and joint effect
Researchers studied the combined toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and nickel oxide nanoparticles on earthworms over 28 days. They found that smaller microplastics caused greater oxidative stress, and the combination of both pollutants was more harmful than either one alone. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and metal nanoparticles in soil can amplify negative effects on soil-dwelling organisms.
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.
Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics from agricultural mulch and cadmium negatively impact earthworms by triggering neurotoxicity and disrupting homeostasis
Researchers exposed earthworms to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics from agricultural mulch film combined with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. The aged microplastics helped carry more cadmium into the earthworms' bodies, causing nerve damage, gut tissue injury, and disrupted metabolism. This study shows that microplastics in farm soil can make heavy metal contamination worse for soil organisms, with potential knock-on effects for the food chain.
Bioavailability of pyrene in soil affected by polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics and their toxic effects on earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Researchers investigated how polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics interact with the pollutant pyrene in soil and affect earthworm health. They found that while microplastics alone did not break down the earthworms' antioxidant defenses, combining them with pyrene produced more severe toxic effects including neurotoxicity and disruption of gut microbiota. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated soils can amplify the harmful effects of other pollutants on soil organisms.
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.
Ecotoxicological effects of polyethylene microplastics and lead (Pb) on the biomass, activity, and community diversity of soil microbes
A soil experiment found that polyethylene microplastics made lead (a toxic heavy metal) more available in soil and worsened its harmful effects on soil microorganisms. The combination reduced beneficial enzyme activity, lowered microbial efficiency, and shifted the soil microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution in contaminated soils could amplify heavy metal toxicity in ways that ultimately affect food crops and human health.
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.
The effects of microplastics on heavy metals bioavailability in soils: a meta-analysis
This meta-analysis of 790 data sets found that microplastics can increase the availability of toxic heavy metals like copper, lead, and cadmium in soil. This means plastic pollution may make it easier for dangerous metals to enter the food chain through crops, potentially increasing health risks for people.
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.
Effect of polyethylene microplastics on tebuconazole bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and intestinal bacterial community in earthworms
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics of different sizes alongside a common fungicide and found that smaller microplastics caused the most severe oxidative stress and DNA damage. The microplastics also changed how much fungicide accumulated in the earthworms and disrupted their gut bacteria. This matters because earthworms are essential for soil health, and these effects could ripple through agricultural ecosystems that produce our food.
Combined toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants and polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Biochemical and molecular insights
Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics, chlorinated flame retardants, and their combinations to assess combined toxicity effects. They found that the most toxic flame retardant (TDCPP) had its effects reduced when combined with microplastics, likely because the plastics absorbed the chemical and lowered its bioavailability. In contrast, microplastics enhanced the toxicity of another flame retardant (TCPP), demonstrating that microplastics can act as both carriers and modulators of co-contaminant toxicity in soil ecosystems.
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.
Interaction of Heavy Metals with Plastic Contaminated Soil
This study reviews and investigates how microplastic contamination in soil interacts with heavy metals, finding that plastic particles alter soil behavior and can change how toxic metals move through and bind to soil. Because microplastics increase soil permeability and adsorb metals, their presence in landfills and near industrial sites raises concern about groundwater contamination from combined plastic and metal pollution.
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.
Evaluation of the toxicity effects of microplastics and cadmium on earthworms
Researchers evaluated the combined toxicity of microplastics and cadmium on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) using both short-term and long-term exposure experiments. They found that the co-exposure produced interactive toxic effects on antioxidant enzyme activity and caused DNA damage, with toxicity severity influenced by microplastic particle size and concentration. The study suggests that the presence of microplastics in contaminated soils can modify how heavy metals like cadmium affect soil organisms.
Traditional microplastics alter microbial community, metabolites and nutrition in heavy metal-contaminated coastal saline soil
Researchers added three types of microplastics to coastal soil already contaminated with heavy metals (cadmium, copper, and zinc), finding that the plastics altered soil chemistry, shifted microbial communities, disrupted metabolic pathways, and changed how available the toxic metals were to organisms. These findings suggest microplastics can worsen existing heavy metal pollution by changing how metals move through soil ecosystems.