Reproduction, growth and oxidative stress in earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to conventional and biodegradable mulching film microplastics.

Autor: Forsell V; Finnish Environmental Institute Syke, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; University of Helsinki, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 4, 00014 University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland., Saartama V; Finnish Environmental Institute Syke, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014 University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland., Turja R; Finnish Environmental Institute Syke, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland., Haimi J; University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014 University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland., Selonen S; Finnish Environmental Institute Syke, Latokartanonkaari 11, 00790 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: salla.selonen@syke.fi.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Oct 20; Vol. 948, pp. 174667. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jul 10.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174667
Abstrakt: Plastic contamination in agricultural soils has become increasingly evident. Plastic mulching films are widely used in agricultural practices. However, the increased use of biodegradable plastics has, to some extent, replaced their non-degradable counterparts. The fragmentation of plastics generates microplastics (MPs), posing risk to soil functions and organisms. In this study the effects of low-density polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate biodegradable microplastics (PBAT-BD-MP) originating from mulching films on the earthworm Eisenia andrei were studied. The earthworms were exposed to seven concentrations (0, 0.005, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 5 % w/w) based on environmentally relevant levels and worst-case scenarios on soil contamination. Survival, growth, reproduction, and biomarkers for oxidative stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxidation (LPO)] were analysed. Additionally, the Integrated Biomarker Response Index (IBR) was calculated to assess the overall oxidative stress status of the earthworms. Results showed that PE-MP exposure slightly decreased the biomass of the earthworms towards higher concentrations, whereas PBAT-BD-MPs induced growth at lower concentrations. MPs did not have a significant effect on Eisenia andrei reproduction; however, a slight negative trend was observed in juvenile production with increasing PE-MP concentrations. Both PE-MP and PBAT-BD-MP affected antioxidant system, PE-MPs with changes in CAT and GR levels and PBAT-BD-MPs inducing effects on SOD and LPO levels. Additionally, both MPs exhibited effects on soil parameters, resulting in increased soil pH and water-holding capacity at 5 % concentration. Changes in soil parameters can further affect soil organisms such as earthworms. This study provides understanding of the ecotoxicological effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia andrei. It also shows that MP particles of both conventional and biodegradable mulching films induce oxidative stress, considered as an early-warning indicator for adverse ecological effects, in environmentally relevant concentrations.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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