Impacts of the presence of microplastics in soil environment

Abstract

Living organisms, vertebrates and invertebrates depend on the soil for survival and, therefore, pollution or alteration of this environmental matrix is a critical factor for the survival of terrestrial species, including affecting food safety for humans. As industrial development accelerated and the manufacture and disposal of plastics grew, so did concerns about the growth of plastic pollution. Microplastics are small fractions of polymers that, due to the abundant use of polymeric materials, are being widely found in different environmental matrices. Soil ecotoxicology is a study area aimed at analyzing the toxicological impact that certain types of substances can cause to the environment. One of the main tools of this analysis are the bioindicators. This work aims to evaluate the impacts of the presence of photodegraded microplastics in the environment, in the soil, using the oligochaette Eisenia andrei as a test organism. Acute and chronic toxicity tests will be carried out, according to established norms (ISO, 1993; OECD, 1984), even considering potential effects at the cellular level, using cytological and histological techniques. With the data obtained from this study, it is expected to be able to assess potential negative impacts of terrestrial pollution by the presence of microplastics derived from the photodegradation of polypropylene, a polymer widely used and, thus, adding contributions to those already existing in the literature. (AU)