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Farmland Microhabitat Mediated by a Residual Microplastic Film: Microbial Communities and Function
Summary
Researchers studied how leftover plastic film in farmland creates a unique microbial environment called a plastisphere, where different bacteria and fungi colonize compared to the surrounding soil. The plastic surfaces attracted more pathogens and bacteria involved in nitrogen and sulfur cycling, potentially increasing nutrient loss from agricultural soil. This finding is concerning because it suggests microplastic contamination in farmland does not just sit there passively but actively changes the soil ecosystem in ways that could affect crop health and food safety.
How the plastisphere mediated by the residual microplastic film in farmlands affects microhabitat systems is unclear. Here, microbial structure, assembly, and biogeochemical cycling in the plastisphere and soil in 33 typical farmland sites were analyzed by amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and ITS and metagenome analysis. The results indicated that residual microplastic film was colonized by microbes, forming a unique niche called the plastisphere. Notable differences in the microbial community structure and function were observed between soil and plastisphere. Residual microplastic film altered the microbial symbiosis and assembly processes. Stochastic processes significantly dominated the assembly of the bacterial community in the plastisphere and soil but only in the plastisphere for the fungal community. Deterministic processes significantly dominated the assembly of fungal communities only in soil. Moreover, the plastisphere mediated by the residual microplastic film acted as a preferred vector for pathogens and microorganisms associated with plastic degradation and the nitrogen and sulfur cycle. The abundance of genes associated with denitrification and sulfate reduction activity in the plastisphere was pronouncedly higher than that of soil, which increase the potential risk of nitrogen and sulfur loss. The results will offer a scientific understanding of the harm caused by the residual microplastic film in farmlands.