Raw data for: Terrestrial isopods as biotic generators of microplastics following chronic exposure to weathered low-density polyethylene

Terrestrial ecosystem function is driven in no small part by organisms that serve a vital role in the cycling of nutrients within. With increasing concern around the fate of microplastics in our environments, it is important to assess the direct and indirect impacts this can have on the overall function of these ecosystems.

Vital to healthy ecosystem function, detritivores such as isopods and springtails contribute significantly to cycling decaying organic matter back into available nutrients for soil leaf litter systems. This study investigated the fate and impact of microplastics on three species of isopods (Porcellio laevis, Porcellio scaber, and Porcellionides pruinosus) through exposure to weathered low-density polyethylene. Isopods were given a polyethylene foam fragment that had been weathered in a soil solution for three days.