Susceptibility of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms to carbon nanotubes and mineral nanoparticles

Nanoparticles (NPs) are produced and used in a wide range of applications, thereby getting unintentionally released into the environment including soil systems. However, we currently have a poor understanding of how NPs impact soil microorganisms and associated ecosystem functions. Here, we evaluated the effects of three of the most produced NPs worldwide, i.e., TiO2 NPs, carbon nanotubes and CeO2 NPs, on soil microbial community structure using high-throughput sequencing of prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomal markers. Application of carbon nanotubes altered prokaryotic but not micro-eukaryotic community structures. The other NPs showed no effects on soil microbial diversity. Our results raise awareness of the effects of certain nanoparticles on the soil microbiota with currently unknown implications for associated ecosystem functions.