Survival and reproduction effects of microplastics from three agricultural mulching films on Folsomia candida, Sinella curviseta, Heteromurus nitidus and Ceratophysella denticulata (Collembola).

An estimated 467 kt of plastic used in agriculture annually end up in European soils, potentially breaking down into secondary microplastics (MPs). Not much is known about the possible effects of these MPs on organisms residing in the soil. To properly assess their environmental risk, experimental data is needed on the toxicity of MPs to the survival and reproduction of model organisms.

Automated quantification of Enchytraeus crypticus juveniles in different soil types using RootPainter.

The manual counting of juveniles in enchytraeid soil toxicity tests is time-consuming, labour-intensive, repetitive, prone to subjectivity, but can potentially be automated through deep learning methods using convolutional neural networks. This study investigated if RootPainter can be used as a tool to automatically quantify Enchytraeus crypticus juveniles in toxicity tests using different soil types. Toxicity tests were performed following OECD guideline 220 using five different pesticides (two fungicides and three insecticides) and four different soil types (three OECD artificial soils and one natural LUFA 2.

Biodegradable microplastics induce profound changes in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) defense mechanisms and to some extent deteriorate growth traits.

The development of agricultural technologies has intensified the use of plastic in this sector. Products of plastic degradation, such as microplastics (MPs), potentially threaten living organisms, biodiversity and agricultural ecosystem functioning. Thus, biodegradable plastic materials have been introduced to agriculture.

Bioturbation Affects Bioaccumulation: PFAS Uptake from Sediments by a Rooting Macrophyte and a Benthic Invertebrate.

Despite the widespread presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in freshwater environments, only a few studies have addressed their bioaccumulation in macrophytes and benthic invertebrates. This study therefore aimed at investigating the presence of 40 PFAS in sediments, assessing their bioaccumulation in a rooting macrophyte () and a benthic invertebrate () and examining the effects of the presence and bioturbation activity of the invertebrate on PFAS bioaccumulation in the plants. The macrophytes were exposed to sediments originating from a reference and a PFAS-contaminated site.

Two-Dimensional Layered Nano-MoS Induces Earthworm Immune Cell Apoptosis by Regulating Lysosomal Maintenance and Function: Toward Unbiased Screening and Validation of Suspicious Pathways.

Molybdenum-based nanosheets (NSMoS) are increasingly applied in various fields and undergoing relevant risk evaluations on subjectively hypothesized toxicity pathways. However, risk assessment should be unbiased and focus on appropriate end points to avoid biased prescreening. Here, we developed an adverse biological outcome screening strategy based on nontargeted functional protein profiles in earthworm () immune cells exposed to NSMoS and their ionic counterpart (NaMoO).