Effects of agricultural microplastics in multigenerational tests with insects; mealworms Tenebrio molitor

Jemec Kokalj, Anita (author), Nagode, Ana (author), Drobne, Damjana (author), Dolar, Andraž (author)

Mulching films, widely used in agriculture, are a large source of microplastics (MPs) to soil. However, there is little knowledge on the long-term effects of agricultural MPs on soil invertebrates. We investigated the effects of MPs from conventional non-biodegradable, fossil-based, low-density polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable fossil-based poly(butylene adipate-coterephthalate) (starch-PBAT blend) mulching films on two generations of the mealworm Tenebrio molitor. No effects of MPs (0.005 %–5 %, w/w dry food) on mealworm development and survival were observed until the end of the experiments (12 weeks for the first generation, nine weeks for the second generation), but effects on their moulting and growth were observed. These were most evident for PE MPs (5 %, w/w), where a decrease in larval growth and moulting was noted in the first generation. On the contrary, PBAT MPs (5 %, w/w) significantly induced the growth of mealworms in the second generation. In addition, there was a non-significant trend towards increased growth at all other PBAT MP exposure concentrations. Increased growth is most likely due to the biodegradation of starch PBAT MPs by mealworms. Overall, these data suggest that PE and PBAT MPs do not induce significant effects on mealworms at environmentally relevant concentrations, but rather only at very high exposure concentrations (5 %).

• Language: English
• Keywords: insects, two generations, polyethylene, biodegradable microplastics, development, moulting
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 946, art. 174490
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-159516
• UDC: 504
• ISSN on article: 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174490
• COBISS.SI-ID: 201438467
• Publication date in RUL: 11.07.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of the total environment
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1879-1026
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23110917

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: žuželke, dve generaciji, polietilen, biorazgradljiva mikroplastika, razvoj