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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Influence of microplastics on feeding and energy reserves of terrestrial isopods Porcellio scaber
ClearPlastic bag and facial cleanser derived microplastic do not affect feeding behaviour and energy reserves of terrestrial isopods
Researchers fed terrestrial isopods microplastic particles derived from plastic bags and facial scrub beads for 14 days at realistic concentrations and detected no effects on feeding rate, food assimilation, body mass, survival, or energy reserves, suggesting that short-term microplastic exposure at these particle sizes is not acutely harmful to this common soil invertebrate.
Response of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber to lipopolysaccharide challenge after microplastic and insecticide exposure
Researchers exposed terrestrial pill bugs (Porcellio scaber) to tire particle microplastics in soil for 14 days, then challenged them with a bacterial toxin to test their immune response. The study suggests that prior exposure to microplastics, especially in combination with the insecticide chlorpyrifos, can compromise the animals' ability to mount an effective immune defense against infections.
Terrestrial Isopods Generate Microplastics from Low-Density Polyethylene Without Effects on Survival
This study found that terrestrial isopods physically fragmented low-density polyethylene plastic into microplastic particles during feeding and locomotion, without experiencing significant effects on survival. The results suggest that soil invertebrates may contribute to secondary microplastic generation in terrestrial ecosystems.
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.
What do we know about how the terrestrial multicellular soil fauna reacts to microplastic?
This review synthesized studies on how soil-dwelling animals — including earthworms, insects, and mites — respond to microplastic contamination, finding evidence of ingestion, tissue accumulation, and harmful effects across multiple soil organism groups. However, most studies used unrealistically high concentrations, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about risks at current environmental levels.
The influence of microplastics pollution on the feeding behavior of a prominent sandy beach amphipod, Orchestoidea tuberculata (Nicolet, 1849)
Microplastic pollution was found to reduce feeding activity and slow growth in a beach amphipod (small crustacean), even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This suggests microplastics can disrupt energy balance and population health in small invertebrates that play important roles in sandy beach ecosystems.
Urban mangrove ecosystems are under severe threat from microplastic pollution: a case study from Mangalavanam, Kerala, India
Researchers investigated how exposure to polystyrene microplastics affects the reproductive success of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber, finding reduced offspring viability and altered feeding behavior at concentrations of 1% microplastics by dry weight in food. The results suggest meaningful ecotoxicological risks in soil ecosystems.
Direct and indirect effects of microplastics from agricultural mulch films on terrestrial isopods Porcellionides pruinosus (Crustacea, Isopoda): A comparative exposure study
Researchers compared the direct and indirect effects of microplastics from three types of agricultural mulch films, including conventional polyethylene and two bioplastic alternatives, on the soil isopod Porcellionides pruinosus. Through feeding experiments and mesocosm studies, they measured survival, weight changes, and stress-related biomarkers including immune cell counts and enzyme activity. The study found that indirect effects of mulch film microplastics on soil organisms may be more significant than direct ingestion toxicity.
Sublethal effects of microplastics sourced from polypropylene agricultural plastics on four soil invertebrate species
Four soil invertebrate species were exposed to microplastics from polypropylene agricultural mulch at 0.005–5% concentrations in soil, finding reduced reproduction in enchytraeids and collembola and altered burrowing behavior in earthworms and isopods at higher doses.
Underestimated and ignored? The impacts of microplastic on soil invertebrates—Current scientific knowledge and research needs
This review highlights the critical gap in research on how microplastics affect soil invertebrates, noting that soil ecosystems receive far more plastic pollution than oceans yet the ecological consequences for soil fauna remain poorly understood and largely unstudied.
A pilot study to assess carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as potential bioindicators of microplastics contamination in soils
Researchers tested whether ground beetles (Carabids) could serve as bioindicators of microplastic contamination in soil, finding that 32% of sampled beetles had ingested microplastics — with ingestion rates reaching 87.5% at a heavily touristed beach. This pilot study suggests these common insects could offer a simple, cost-effective way to monitor soil plastic pollution.
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.
Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms
Researchers exposed marine worms to microplastics and found that ingestion reduced the worms' energy reserves, demonstrating that microplastic ingestion imposes a measurable energetic cost that could affect growth, reproduction, and survival.
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.
Effects of microplastic ingestion on hydrogen production and microbiomes in the gut of the terrestrial isopod Porcellio scaber
Researchers exposed terrestrial isopods (Porcellio scaber) to biodegradable (PLA) and non-biodegradable (PET, PS) microplastics for eight weeks, finding that despite isopods avoiding PS-containing food, fitness was unaffected while gut microbiome analyses revealed MP-type-specific microbial indicator taxa and stimulatory effects of PLA on hydrogen production.
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.
Disruption of midgut homeostasis by microplastics in Spodoptera frugiperda: Insights into inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the gut of fall armyworms, a common agricultural pest insect. They found that microplastics caused gut inflammation and oxidative damage, disrupting normal gut function, which provides insight into how microplastic contamination in soil may affect insects throughout the food chain.
Microplastic uptake with food increases risk-taking of a wide-spread decomposer, the common pill bug Armadillidium vulgare
Researchers investigated how six weeks of microplastic exposure through food affected the behavior of common pill bugs, a widespread soil-dwelling species. They found that pill bugs exposed to polystyrene microplastics became significantly bolder and more willing to take risks, which could increase their vulnerability to predators in the wild. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion can alter animal behavior in ways that may have broader ecological consequences.
Plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Current knowledge on impacts of micro and nano fragments on invertebrates
This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil-dwelling invertebrates like earthworms and insects, finding that effects vary widely depending on plastic type, shape, concentration, and exposure time. While no broad conclusions could be drawn, the documented sublethal effects on soil organisms could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support the crops humans depend on for food.
No short-term response of microbial or isopod-driven litter decomposition to microplastics
Researchers conducted controlled microcosm experiments testing whether microplastics at increasing concentrations affect microbially driven and isopod-driven decomposition of plant litter in soil over one month. Neither microorganism nor isopod decomposition rates were significantly altered by microplastic concentrations tested, suggesting that short-term litter breakdown may be more resilient to plastic contamination than other soil processes.
Exposure Pathways and Toxicity of Microplastics in Terrestrial Insects
This review summarizes what is known about how land-dwelling insects encounter, consume, and are affected by plastic pollution. Insects can accumulate microplastics and transfer them to animals higher up the food chain, and exposure has been linked to reduced growth, reproduction, and survival. Since insects play critical roles in pollination and soil health, widespread plastic contamination could have cascading effects on ecosystems and agriculture.
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.
Effect of Macroplastic on Soil Invertebrates: a Case Study Using Morphological and Molecular Approaches
Large plastic fragments — not just microplastics — were found to harm soil invertebrate communities in Russia, reducing diversity and abundance in contaminated plots, suggesting that macroplastic pollution poses underappreciated risks to soil ecosystems.
Microplastics affect assimilation efficiency in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum
Researchers examined how two types of microplastics affect the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced assimilation efficiency in these invertebrates, indicating that microplastic ingestion can interfere with nutrient uptake and energy processing in freshwater organisms.