Title: A combination of microplastics and glyphosate exacerbates negative affects on the microbiome of soil inhabitants

Microplastics and pesticides are emerging contaminants that threaten soil ecosystems, yet their combined effects on soil health and soil fauna remain poorly understood. In this study, researchers constructed a microcosm to assess the individual and combined effects of microplastics and glyphosate on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and the gut microbiome of soil invertebrates (Enchytraeus crypticus).

Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and conventional polyethylene terephthalate (PET) were introduced at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results revealed that PLA had a stronger disruptive effect on soil microbial communities than PET, altering microbial diversity and functional composition. Glyphosate, in contrast, primarily influenced the gut microbiome of E. crypticus, reducing microbial diversity and inducing oxidative stress.

Combined exposure to microplastics and glyphosate significantly intensified oxidative stress but did not amplify microbial dysbiosis beyond the effects of microplastics alone.

Compared to PET, PLA combined with glyphosate had the most pronounced effects on both soil and gut microbiomes, suggesting that biodegradable microplastics may pose greater ecological risks than conventional microplastics when used alongside pesticides.

These findings underscore the need for a reassessment of biodegradable plastic use in agriculture and highlight the complex interactions between microplastics and pesticides in shaping soil ecosystem health.



Huihui Yang, Guogang Zheng, Guoyan Qin, Qi Zhang, Ziyao Zhang, Bingfeng Chen, Chaotang Lei, Meng Liu, Rui Cui, Liwei Sun, Shengjie Xia, W.J.G.M. Peijnenburg, Tao Lu, Tao Tang, Haifeng Qian (2025). The combination of microplastics and glyphosate affects the microbiome of soil inhabitant Enchytraeus crypticus, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Volume 489.


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Attachments:
Regenerating the soil pic.jpg
Article: WeedsNews6894 (permalink)
Categories: :WeedsNews:research alert, :WeedsNews:glyphosate, :WeedsNews:worms, :WeedsNews:microbiome, :WeedsNews:soil research, :WeedsNews:microplastics
Date: 25 May 2025; 4:08:35 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time

Author Name: David Low
Author ID: adminDavid