Abstract
BackgroundBio-based and biodegradable plastics are considered as plastics of the future owing to their ability to decompose under various environmental conditions. However, their effects on the soil microbiome are poorly characterised. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of an important bio-based and biodegradable plastic, polybutylene succinate-co-adipate (PBSA), on soil microbial diversity and community composition using high-resolution molecular technique (Illumina sequencing) targeting all three microbial domains: archaea, bacteria, and fungi.ResultsAdding high load of PBSA to soil (6% (w/w)) caused a significant decline in archaeal (13%) and fungal (45%) richness and substantial changes in both bacterial (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria) and fungal (Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Leotiomycetes, and Dothideomycetes) community composition compared with no PBSA addition to soil. The combined effects of PBSA and (NH4)2SO4 fertilisation on the soil microbiome were much greater than the effects of PBSA alone. We only detected opportunistic human pathogens in low abundance on PBSA and in the surrounding soil. However, some plant pathogenic fungi were detected and/or enriched on the PBSA films and in surrounding soil. Apart from plant pathogens, many potential microbial control agents and plant growth-promoting microorganisms were also detected/enriched owing to PBSA addition. Adding high load of PBSA together with (NH4)2SO4 fertilisation can either eliminate some plant pathogens or enrich specific pathogens, especially Fusarium solani, which is economically important.ConclusionsWe conclude that high load of bio-based and biodegradable PBSA plastic may negatively affect soil microbiome.
Highlights
Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are considered as plastics of the future owing to their ability to decompose under various environmental conditions
General information regarding microbial communities associated with poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) degradation We analysed the archaeal, bacterial, and fungal communities that were adhered to PBSA films in soils with and without (NH4)2SO4 addition (PSN and PS treatments, respectively), those present in the soil surrounding the PBSA in the aforementioned treatments, and those present in soil not treated with PBSA after 90 days of incubation; for comparison, we analysed the communities present in the initial soil without incubation
Bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) richness in soil under PS treatment was not significantly affected by PBSA, while archaeal ASV richness was slightly decreased and fungal ASV richness was strongly reduced by approximately 45% (Fig. 2a, c, e). (NH4)2SO4 as a single factor did not significantly affect the microbial richness
Summary
Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are considered as plastics of the future owing to their ability to decompose under various environmental conditions Their effects on the soil microbiome are poorly charac‐ terised. Bio-based and biodegradable plastics are considered as eco-friendly plastics because they decompose under various environmental conditions and are less toxic to ecosystems [4] Their production reduces the use of non-renewable resources, fossil fuels, and the emission of greenhouse gases, which are the main drivers of anthropogenic climate change, compared with petroleum-based plastics [5]. Because of the negative effects of petrochemical plastics on environmentally sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the European Union issued a law banning single-use plastics by 2021 and introduced taxes on other countries, such as China, India, and the United Kingdom [5] Owing to these constraints, the demand for biodegradable plastics has increased globally [4]. They are used as carriers for drug delivery and in medical materials for drug encapsulation systems [13]
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