The increasing use of plastics in the agricultural fields has significant adverse effects on non-target soil organisms like earthworms. The overuse of plastic commodities in industries and agriculture practices has irrevocable effect on the ecosystem. The occurrence of microplastics from various sources in the terrestrial ecosystem has recently become a hotspot of current research. Therefore, the present study investigates the impact of microplastic on the growth and reproduction of earthworms, Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. In the present work, both the epigeic earthworm species were exposed to the No Observed Effect Concentration (NOEC) of Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) along with the cattle manure as a control. The observations were made with respect to biomass, growth rate, sexual maturity and cocoon production of both earthworms over a period of 17 weeks. The results showed significant variations in all the reproductive outputs. Based on the present study, it can be concluded that, the microplastic is going to influence and affects the growth and reproduction of the earthworms, especially more to Eudrilus eugeniae than Eisenia fetida.
Research Article | Published online : 07-Feb-2026