Effect of WWTP product application on soil bacteria and fungi - soil bed experiment

The reuse of treated wastewater and biosolids for irrigation purposes and fertilisation in agriculture is a common but controversial practice to save freshwater and/or provide plants with nutrients and increase soil organic matter content. It often leads to a change in physico-chemical properties and the introduction of uncontrolled amounts of pollutants into the soil. As a result, the structures and functions of soil microbial communities (SMC) can change to an unknown extent. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TWW-irrigation and biosolids (stabilized sludge and composted sludge) on the abundance, diversity and composition of SMC (bacteria and fungi). Two different arable soils, the Arenosol and Cambisol, were used to construct raised soil beds. The soil beds were regularly irrigated with tap water (W) or TWW and used for a vegetable crop rotation. Experiment was running for 2 vegetation seasons (2021 & 2022) in the Czech Republic. Soils were sampled several times per season. The amplicon metagenome sequencing was employed: 16S rRNA - V4 region for bacteria and ITS1 for fungi; and complemented with chemical and microbial parameters.