Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes
Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a threat to agricultural soils and may induce a significant loss of the soil quality and services provided by these ecosystems. Studies in marine environments suggest that this impact is mediated by shifts in the microbiome. However, studies on the mode of action of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.989267/full |
| _version_ | 1817998052334501888 |
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| author | Susanne Kublik Silvia Gschwendtner Tobias Magritsch Viviane Radl Matthias C. Rillig Michael Schloter Michael Schloter |
| author_facet | Susanne Kublik Silvia Gschwendtner Tobias Magritsch Viviane Radl Matthias C. Rillig Michael Schloter Michael Schloter |
| author_sort | Susanne Kublik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastic (MP) pollution poses a threat to agricultural soils and may induce a significant loss of the soil quality and services provided by these ecosystems. Studies in marine environments suggest that this impact is mediated by shifts in the microbiome. However, studies on the mode of action of MP materials on the soil microbiome are rare, particularly when comparing the effects of different MP materials. In this study, we characterized the microbiota colonizing two different MP materials, granules made of polypropylene (PP) and expanded polystyrene (ePS), introduced into arable soil and incubated for 8 weeks using a molecular barcoding approach. We further assessed the consequences on the microbiome of bulk soil. The complexity of the bacterial communities colonizing MP materials was significantly higher on ePS compared to PP. Many of the detected genera colonizing the MP materials belonged to taxa, that are known to degrade polymeric substances, including TM7a, Phenylobacterium, Nocardia, Arthrobacter and Streptomyces. Interestingly, in bulk soil samples amended with MP materials, microbial diversity was higher after 8 weeks compared to the control soil, which was incubated without MP materials. The composition of bacterial communities colonizing the MP materials and bulk soil differed. Mainly Acidobacteria were mostly found in bulk soil, whereas they were rare colonizers of the MP materials. Differences in diversity and community composition between the MP affected bulk soil samples were not found. Overall, our data indicate that MP materials form a new niche for microbes in soil, with a specific community composition depending on the materials used, strongly influencing the bulk soil microbiota in the short term. Long-term consequences for the soil microbiome and associated functions including different soils need to be further elaborated in the future for a proper risk assessment of the mode of action of MP materials in terrestrial ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:47:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e11b2f39a792430e9312d21878f725b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-665X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:47:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Environmental Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-e11b2f39a792430e9312d21878f725b32022-12-22T02:16:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2022-08-011010.3389/fenvs.2022.989267989267Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomesSusanne Kublik0Silvia Gschwendtner1Tobias Magritsch2Viviane Radl3Matthias C. Rillig4Michael Schloter5Michael Schloter6Research Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis (COMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, GermanyResearch Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis (COMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, GermanyResearch Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis (COMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, GermanyResearch Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis (COMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, GermanyInstitute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, GermanyResearch Unit for Comparative Microbiome Analysis (COMI), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, GermanyScience Center Weihenstephan, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, Chair of Soil Science, Technische Universität München (TUM), Freising, GermanyMicroplastic (MP) pollution poses a threat to agricultural soils and may induce a significant loss of the soil quality and services provided by these ecosystems. Studies in marine environments suggest that this impact is mediated by shifts in the microbiome. However, studies on the mode of action of MP materials on the soil microbiome are rare, particularly when comparing the effects of different MP materials. In this study, we characterized the microbiota colonizing two different MP materials, granules made of polypropylene (PP) and expanded polystyrene (ePS), introduced into arable soil and incubated for 8 weeks using a molecular barcoding approach. We further assessed the consequences on the microbiome of bulk soil. The complexity of the bacterial communities colonizing MP materials was significantly higher on ePS compared to PP. Many of the detected genera colonizing the MP materials belonged to taxa, that are known to degrade polymeric substances, including TM7a, Phenylobacterium, Nocardia, Arthrobacter and Streptomyces. Interestingly, in bulk soil samples amended with MP materials, microbial diversity was higher after 8 weeks compared to the control soil, which was incubated without MP materials. The composition of bacterial communities colonizing the MP materials and bulk soil differed. Mainly Acidobacteria were mostly found in bulk soil, whereas they were rare colonizers of the MP materials. Differences in diversity and community composition between the MP affected bulk soil samples were not found. Overall, our data indicate that MP materials form a new niche for microbes in soil, with a specific community composition depending on the materials used, strongly influencing the bulk soil microbiota in the short term. Long-term consequences for the soil microbiome and associated functions including different soils need to be further elaborated in the future for a proper risk assessment of the mode of action of MP materials in terrestrial ecosystems.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.989267/fullmicroplasticspolypropyleneexpanded polystyrenesoilmicrobiome16S rRNA gene sequencing |
| spellingShingle | Susanne Kublik Silvia Gschwendtner Tobias Magritsch Viviane Radl Matthias C. Rillig Michael Schloter Michael Schloter Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes Frontiers in Environmental Science microplastics polypropylene expanded polystyrene soil microbiome 16S rRNA gene sequencing |
| title | Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| title_full | Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| title_fullStr | Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| title_short | Microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat, with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| title_sort | microplastics in soil induce a new microbial habitat with consequences for bulk soil microbiomes |
| topic | microplastics polypropylene expanded polystyrene soil microbiome 16S rRNA gene sequencing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.989267/full |
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