Are Biobased Microfibers Less Harmful than Conventional Plastic Microfibers: Evidence from Earthworms.

ABSTRACT: Biobased plastics are sometimes promoted as "environmentally friendly" compared to their conventional petrochemical-based counterparts, but their ecotoxicity is only partially understood. Biobased fibers are widely used in clothing and wet wipes and can accumulate in soils through the application of biosolid fertilizers. This study examined the lethal thresholds and sublethal toxicity of chemically characterized, additive-free, biobased (viscose and lyocell) compared to petrochemical-based (polyester) fibers on the key ecosystem engineer, Esenia fetida. Viscose and lyocell had LC₂₀ values of 14.00 and 22.66 mg·L^-1, respectively, and no observed effect concentrations (NOEC) of 0-2.8 mg·L^-1 (72 h, OECD TG207 filter paper method), while for polyester th

SUBMITTER: Courtene-Jones W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11580163 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature