Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Articles Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Enhancing the biodegradability and environmental impact of microplastics utilizing Eisenia fetida earthworms with treated low-density polyethylene for sustainable plastic management Subject The topic of the resource Eisenia fetida; Low-density polyethylene; Microplastics; Thermo-oxidative reaction Description An account of the resource Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is widely used in food packaging and agricultural mulching, but its disposal generates macro, meso and microplastics that infiltrate the food chain and carry harmful substances. The present study aimed to improve remediation strategies for soils contaminated with LDPE and enhance the survivability of Eisenia fetida. The study dissolved LDPE in trichloroethylene and treated it with starch, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid, initiating thermo-oxidative reactions. The treatment decreased LDPE's crystallinity index from 48.48% to 44.06% (single treatment), 44.06% to 40.02% (double treat-ment) and 40.02% to 32.98% (triple treatment), achieving a 15.5% reduction in crystallinity. LDPE microplastics with 40.02% crystallinity showed lower mortality rates in Eisenia fetida earthworms compared to those with 44.06% and 32.98% crystallinity and untreated LDPE. When introduced to E. fetida, microbiota in the earthworm casts included unidentified species from Pseu-domonas and Zoopagomycota, known polyethylene degraders. Microbial analysis of treated LDPE microplastics showed changes in gut microbiota, including potential degraders from Aeromonas and Malassezia restricta. XRD (X-ray diffraction techniques analyses) and FTIR(Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analyses provided insights into distinct LDPE degradation patterns, identifying hydroxyl and carboxylic groups as functional groups. The study also investigated the ability of altered mi-croflora with treated microplastics to degrade LDPE, favouring decreased earthworm mortality rates. The crystallinity index of treated polyethylene further reduced from 40.02% to 23.58% after 21 days of exposure to E. fetida. This research advances the understanding of oxidised plastics' ecological impacts and will help to develop environmentally sustainable and biodegradable LDPE. Author (s). Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Palanna A.P.; Sayantan D. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Journal of Applied and Natural Science, Vol-16, No. 3, pp. 1202-1212. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Applied and Natural Science Foundation Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024-01-01 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v16i3.5771" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v16i3.5771</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85213849200&amp;doi=10.31018%2Fjans.v16i3.5771&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=384da63116fb3ab1b0cd2d56ed44099a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85213849200&amp;doi=10.31018%2fjans.v16i3.5771&amp;partnerID=40&amp;md5=384da63116fb3ab1b0cd2d56ed44099a</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access Relation A related resource ISSN: 9749411 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Online Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Palanna A.P., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Sayantan D., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India