MINAGRIS partners Paula Harkes, Esperanza Huerta Lwanga, and Violette Geissen, all of Wageningen University & Research, have co-authored a peer-reviewed paper about the influence of microplastics on bacterial community succession during the aging of earthworm casts. Read the full paper by clicking here. 

Key highlights from the paper: 

• Microplastics (MPs) influence on the aging of earthworm casts was studied.

• MPs affected the physicochemical properties of fresh casts but not in the long term.

• PBAT MPs had minor influence on the active community (RNA).

• Soil- and Gut-related core communities were likely to buffer the impacts of MPs.

• MP-containing casts may not cause additional effects on the soil microbiome.