The effect of applying model nanoplastic particles to soil on the composition of its microbial community

A one-month laboratory incubation experiment using 0.55 mkm polystyrene latex nano-plastics allowed us to investigate the microbial communities in soils in the southern taiga zone (near Saint Petersburg, Russia) react to the addition of polystyrene nanoplastics. It was found that Sandy Podzols were more resistant to the addition of nanoplastics than loamy Retisols and Fluvisols. The most responsive components of the soil microbiome were those that were initially more abundant. These include representatives of the follow-ing phyla: Pseudomonadota, Bacillota, Actinomycetota and Planctomycetota. The alpha diversity parameters of the microbial community, expressed in the number of operational taxonomic units and bio-diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson), decreased under the influence of nanoplastics. The dynamics of alpha diversity of the microbial community were the least pronounced in Podzol soil. Beta-diversity parameters changed the most in Hortic Retisol, slightly less in Fluvisol, and not at all in Podzol. Thus, it was found that agricultural soils were most affected by nanoplastics (in terms of microbial community dynamics) compared to the region's two zonal soils.