Long-Term Fertilization History Alters Effects of Microplastics on Soil Properties, Microbial Communities, and Functions in Diverse Farmland Ecosystem

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has caused a threat to soil ecosystem diversity and functioning globally. Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported effects of MPs on soil ecosystems. However, these studies mainly focused on soil bacterial communities and a few limited functional genes, which is why MPs effects on soil ecosystems are still not fully understood. Fertilization treatment often coinsides with MPs exposure in practice. Here, we studied effects of an environmentally relevant concentration of polyethylene on soil properties, microbial communities, and functions under different soil types and fertilization history. Our results showed that 0.2% PE MPs exposure could affect soil pH, but this effect varied according to soil type and fertilization history. Long-term fertilization history could alter effects of MPs on soil bacterial and fungal communities in diverse farmland ecosystems (P < 0.05). Soil fungal communities are more sensitive to MPs than bacterial communities under 0.2% PE MPs exposure. MPs exposure has a greater impact on the soil ecosystem with a lower microbial diversity and functional genes abundance and increases the abundance of pathogenic microorganisms. These findings provided an integrated picture to aid our understanding of the impact of MPs on diverse farmland ecosystems with different fertilization histories.