We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Increasing microplastic abundance drives deterministic assembly of soil microbial communities and suppresses energy metabolism
Summary
A field study of agricultural soils in southwest China found that higher microplastic concentrations suppress the genes bacteria need for energy production and carbohydrate breakdown, while also pushing microbial communities toward less diverse, stress-filtered compositions. These disruptions to soil microbial function raise concerns for long-term agricultural productivity and ecosystem health in microplastic-contaminated farmland.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a global environmental issue, yet its effect on soil microbial energy metabolism and community assembly in agricultural ecosystems remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed agricultural soil samples collected from 15 sites in riparian zones within a typical watershed in Southwest China to quantify the level of contamination by MPs and the microbial community structure and function. We conducted an in-depth evaluation of the regulatory effects of MPs on microbial functional genes and community composition. The results indicated that the abundance of MPs in the soil ranged from 7.2 to 31.6 particles per gram of soil. A high abundance of MPs significantly suppressed the expression of key genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (nuoB, nuoD, and nuoI) and carbohydrate-degrading enzymes (GT35, GH13_11, GH13_9, and CBM48), indicating the impairment of energy metabolic functions. Neutral model and normalized stochasticity ratio analyses demonstrated that an increasing abundance of MPs weakened neutral dispersal processes while strengthening environmental filtering, resulting in decreased community similarity and elevated species turnover rates. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were the most sensitive phyla to pollution stress from MPs. This study elucidates how MPs in agricultural soils pose potential risks to ecological functions by damaging microbial energy metabolism and reshaping the microbial community. • Anning River farmland soils contained MPs in concentrations ranging from 7.2 to 31.6 n/g. • Increased abundance of MPs inhibits microbial oxidative phosphorylation. • Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria show high sensitivity to MP stress. • Increased abundance of MPs promotes deterministic assembly of microbial communities.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.
Characteristics of microplastics and their abundance impacts on microbial structure and function in agricultural soils of remote areas in west China
Researchers found that agricultural soils in remote western China using plastic mulch film had about four times more microplastics than fields without it, mostly tiny polyamide fragments under 50 micrometers. The microplastics changed the diversity and function of soil bacteria, including boosting organisms linked to organic matter breakdown. These microbial shifts could affect soil health and potentially increase health risks from crops grown in contaminated soil.
Assessing Microplastic Contamination Effects on Soil Microbial Communities in Agricultural Land
This study sampled agricultural soils with varying degrees of microplastic contamination to assess effects on microbial diversity, abundance, and enzymatic activity, finding that higher microplastic concentrations reduced microbial diversity and suppressed nutrient-cycling enzyme activity.
Investigation of Soil-Dwelling Bacterial Community Changes Induced by Microplastic Ex posure Using Amplicon Sequencing
Researchers analyzed soil bacterial community composition after microplastic contamination, finding that different polymer types caused distinct shifts in microbial diversity and functional groups, with implications for soil nutrient cycling and agricultural productivity.
Microplastics shape microbial communities affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil
Researchers found that microplastics shape soil microbial communities in paddy soils in ways that affect organic matter decomposition, revealing how bacterial succession and carbon cycling are altered by microplastic presence in agricultural systems.