{
  "abstract": "Microplastic contamination can affect soil properties, microbial communities, and nutrient cycling. This study evaluated whether expanded polystyrene (EPS) microplastic exposure during vermicomposting affected nitrite-related absorbance in vermicast produced by Eisenia fetida. Fifty independent experimental units were divided into a control treatment without EPS (n = 25) and an EPS treatment (n = 25). After a 12-day exposure period, vermicast samples were extracted with calcium chloride and analyzed using a modified Griess-type colorimetric reaction. Griess-reactive absorbance was measured at 540.1 nm with a visible-light spectrophotometer. Mean absorbance was 1.25 absorbance units (AU) in the EPS treatment and 0.766 AU in the control, a 63% difference between group means. A Mann-Whitney U test indicated a significant difference between treatments (U = 75, z = -4.6, p < 0.01). Under these experimental conditions, EPS exposure was associated with greater Griess-reactive absorbance in vermicast. Because no nitrite calibration curve was generated, the results cannot be interpreted as absolute nitrite concentrations, and the mechanism underlying the observed difference remains unresolved.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Lucy Grey Guilfoyle"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jillian Paglinawan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Xiaojing Hu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fm690bykhb4nt.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.32942/x2r09v",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "fm690bykhb4nt",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/15324/",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "bepress",
      "Eisenia fetida"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "Expanded polystyrene"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "Griess assay"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "Life Sciences"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "microplastics"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "nitrite-related absorbance"
    ],
    [
      "bepress",
      "vermicomposting"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7215961485",
  "pdf_url": "https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/object/15324/download/26559/",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fm690bykhb4nt.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
      "native_id": "15324",
      "source": "ecoevorxiv",
      "url": "https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/15324/"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution",
      "subfield": "environmental-science"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Expanded Polystyrene Exposure and Nitrite-Related Absorbance in Eisenia fetida",
  "title_text": "Expanded Polystyrene Exposure and Nitrite-Related Absorbance in Eisenia fetida",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:37Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fm690bykhb4nt",
  "venue": "EcoEvoRxiv",
  "versions": []
}