Incorporation of microplastics from litter into burrows of Lumbricus terrestris
Incorporation of microplastics from litter into burrows of Lumbricus terrestris
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DOI：
10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.096
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发表时间：
2017-01-01
影响因子：
8.9
通讯作者：
Geissen, Violette
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Huerta Lwanga, Esperanza;Gertsen, Hennie;Geissen, Violette
Pollution caused by plastic debris is an urgent environmental problem. Here, we assessed the effects of microplastics in the soil surface litter on the formation and characterization of burrows built by the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris in soil and quantified the amount of microplastics that was transported and deposited in L. terrestris burrows.Worms were exposed to soil surface litter treatments containing microplastics (Low Density Polyethylene) for 2 weeks at concentrations of 0%, 7%, 28%, 45% and 60%. The latter representing environmentally realistic concentrations found in hot spot soil locations. There were significantly more burrows found when soil was exposed to the surface treatment composed of 7% microplastics than in all other treatments. The highest amount of organic matter in the walls of the burrows was observed after using the treatments containing 28 and 45% microplastics. The highest microplastic bioturbation efficiency ratio (total microplastics (mg) in burrow walls/initial total surface litter microplastics (mg)) was found using the concentration of 7% microplastics, where L. terrestris introduced 73.5% of the surface micro plastics into the burrow walls. The highest burrow wall microplastic content per unit weight of soil (11.8 +/- 4.8 g kg(-1)) was found using a concentration of 60% microplastics. L. terrestris was responsible for size-selective downward transport when exposed to concentrations of 7, 28 and 45% microplastics in the surface litter, as the fraction
