Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics in Agricultural Soil on Eisenia fetida (Annelida: Oligochaeta) Behavior, Biomass, and Mortality

Milica Baloš, Aleksandra Petrović (), Aleksandra Tubić, Tijana Zeremski, Sonja Gvozdenac, Dejan Supić and Vojislava Bursić
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Milica Baloš: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandra Petrović: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Aleksandra Tubić: Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Tijana Zeremski: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Sonja Gvozdenac: Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Maksima Gorkog 30, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Dejan Supić: Faculty of Ecological Agriculture, University Educons, Vojvode Putnika 87, 21208 Sremska Kamenica, Serbia
Vojislava Bursić: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: The presence of microplastic particles in agroecosystems has profound implications for soil quality, crop yield, and soil biota. Earthworms are widely recognized as valuable soil bioindicators due to their abundance, fast reproduction, and easy manipulation. The aim of this study was to observe Eisenia fetida avoidance behavior and changes in biomass and mortality rate in soil samples spiked with polyethylene microplastic particles. Three types of soil sampled from the agricultural fields (“Banat 1”, “Banat 2”, and “Bačka”) were tested, as well as three microplastic concentrations (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%). The calculated avoidance percentages ranged from 18.67% for “Banat 1” and 23.70% for “Banat 2” to 27.40% in the case of “Bačka” soil samples. Generally, E. fetida specimens avoided the sections with plastic in all bioassays: 38.42% of the earthworms were in the chamber section that contained microplastics, as opposed to 61.58% in the control section. The changes in the earthworms’ post-test biomasses were directly proportional to the number of surviving earthworms, with the highest loss in “Bačka” soil samples with 0.3% MPs (−53.05%). The highest mortality rate (46%) was noted in “Bačka” soil samples spiked with the highest concentration of microplastic particles.

Keywords: microplastic; soil; Eisenia fetida; avoidance test; biomass; mortality; bioassays; earthworms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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