EPDM microplastic and earthworm effects on plants

Soil microplastic pollution can have negative effects on organisms, including plants, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We tested whether structural or chemical properties of a microplastic cause its effects on plant above- and belowground growth and whether these effects can be influenced by earthworms. We conducted a factorial experiment in a greenhouse with seven common Central European grassland species. Microplastic granules of the synthetic rubber ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), a frequently used infill material of artificial turfs, and cork granules with a comparable size and shape to the EPDM granules were used to test for structural effects of granules in general. To test for chemical effects, EPDM-infused fertilizer was used, which should have contained any leached water-soluble chemical components of EPDM. Two Lumbricus terrestris individuals were added to half of the pots, to test whether these earthworms modify effects of EPDM on plant growth...., 1. Material and methods2.1  Study species and pre-cultivation
The study was conducted on seven grassland species (Alopecurus pratensis L., Daucus carota L., Festuca guestfalica Boenn. Ex Rchb., Galium album Mill., Leucanthemum ircutianum Turcz. ex DC., Lolium perenne L., Prunella vulgaris L.) from five families (Table S1). These seven species were chosen because they are very common in central European grasslands, represent different guilds (grasses and forbs), and because a previous study had shown that their growth was reduced by the presence of EPDM microplastics in the soil (van Kleunen et al. 2020). Using multiple species from different guilds increases the generality of the results (van Kleunen et al. 2014), and therefore the results should be more representative for Central European grassland communities in general. Seeds were sown in cultivation pots (Kulturschalen TK1214; Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG TEKU ®, Lohne, Germany) filled with peat soil (Einheitserde ® CL P; Einheitser..., The data file is a txt file which can be opened in Microsoft Excel, R and most other statistical softwares., \# Negative effects of EPDM microplastic and cork granules on plant
growth are mitigated by earthworms and likely caused by their structural
properties

Science of the Total Environment Elina Rittelmann-Woods, Tom Lachaise
and Mark van Kleunen

Soil microplastic pollution can have negative effects on organisms,
including plants, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully
understood. We tested whether structural or chemical properties of a
microplastic cause its effects on plant above- and belowground growth
and whether these effects can be influenced by earthworms. We conducted
a factorial experiment in a greenhouse with seven common Central
European grassland species. Microplastic granules of the synthetic
rubber ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), a frequently used infill
material of artificial turfs, and cork granules with a comparable size
and shape to the EPDM granules were used to test for structural effects
of granules in general. To test for chemical effects, EPDM-infused
...