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The impact of microplastic and sulfanilamide co-exposure on soil microbiota
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This study investigated what happens when microplastics and the antibiotic sulfanilamide are present together in soil, finding that the combination significantly altered soil microbial communities compared to either pollutant alone. Both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics interacted with the antibiotic to change bacterial diversity and soil chemistry. The results show that microplastics and antibiotics in agricultural soil can have compounding effects on soil health, potentially affecting the crops grown in it.
Microplastics, as emerging contaminants, can absorb antibiotics, and their coexistence in soil ecosystems poses serious threats to soil health. While previous studies have primarily focused on the individual effects of microplastics or antibiotics, the interactions between these pollutants in soil environments remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of sulfonamide antibiotics and microplastics-both non-degradable low-density polyethylene and degradable polylactic acid-on soil microbiota and physicochemical properties. Our findings revealed significant changes in soil properties under co-exposure conditions. Dissolved organic carbon emerged as the most influential factor affecting bacterial and fungal diversity. Co-exposure altered the composition of bacterial and fungal communities at both the phylum and genus levels, with soil bacteria showing stronger responses than fungi. Importantly, co-exposure exacerbated the ecological risks associated with individual contaminants. We also observed differences in how non-degradable and degradable microplastics impacted the stability and complexity of microbial community networks. Notably, co-exposure to degradable microplastics and sulfonamides led to a significant increase in the expression of antibiotic resistance genes (sul1 and int1). These findings enhance our understanding of the combined effects of microplastics and antibiotics on soil ecosystems and underscore the need for further research into their ecological risks.
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Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect soil microbial communities and antibiotic degradation. The study found that co-loading of microplastics with antibiotics altered microbial community structure and affected the rate of antibiotic degradation in soil, suggesting microplastic contamination may influence how soils process pharmaceutical pollutants.
The effects of single and combined pollution of PE microplastics and antibiotics in soil on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings
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This study examined the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and antibiotic exposure on soil organisms, finding that mixture exposure altered soil microbial community structure and promoted antibiotic resistance gene abundance more than either stressor alone. Co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics poses compounded risks for soil microbiomes.
Combined contamination of microplastic and antibiotic alters the composition of microbial community and metabolism in wheat and maize rhizosphere soil
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A study found that when soil is contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics together, the damage to wheat and maize seedlings is worse than from either contaminant alone, with increased root oxidative stress and disrupted soil bacterial communities. This combined contamination, common in agricultural soils treated with plastic mulch and livestock manure, could affect crop health and food quality.
Effects of co-exposure of antibiotic and microplastic on the rhizosphere microenvironment of lettuce seedlings
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Researchers examined how the combination of antibiotics and polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil affects lettuce seedling growth and the microbial community around plant roots. They found that combined exposure altered soil bacterial diversity, changed the chemical profile of root-zone metabolites, and affected nutrient cycling differently than either contaminant alone. The study highlights the compounding environmental risks when antibiotics from animal manure and microplastics from plastic films co-exist in farmland soils.
Microbiome (rice soil)
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Researchers investigated the effects of polyamide microplastics combined with common antimicrobials — sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, and triclosan — on bacterial communities in rice paddy soil microbiomes. The project aimed to characterize how co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics alters soil microbial diversity and community composition in agricultural environments.
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