Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Hao, Yun-Yun
• Liu, Hui-Wen
• Zhao, Jiating
• Feng, Jiao
• Hao, Xiuli
• Huang, Qiaoyun
• Gu, Baohua
• Liu, Yu-Rong

Titel

Plastispheres as hotspots of microbially-driven methylmercury production in paddy soils

Ist Teil von

• Journal of hazardous materials, 2023-09, Vol.457, p.131699-131699, Article 131699

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Microplastics (MPs) as emerging contaminants have accumulated extensively in agricultural ecosystems and are known to exert important effects on biogeochemical processes. However, how MPs in paddy soils influence the conversion of mercury (Hg) to neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) remains poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the effects of MPs on Hg methylation and associated microbial communities in microcosms using two typical paddy soils in China (i.e., yellow and red soils). Results showed that the addition of MPs significantly increased MeHg production in both soils, which could be related to higher Hg methylation potential in the plastisphere than in the bulk soil. We found significant divergences in the community composition of Hg methylators between the plastisphere and the bulk soil. In addition, the plastisphere had higher proportions of Geobacterales in the yellow soil and Methanomicrobia in the red soil compared with the bulk soil, respectively; and plastisphere also had more densely connected microbial groups between non-Hg methylators and Hg methylators. These microbiota in the plastisphere are different from those in the bulk soil, which could partially account for their distinct MeHg production ability. Our findings suggest plastisphere as a unique biotope for MeHg production and provide new insights into the environment risks of MP accumulation in agricultural soils. [Display omitted] •Higher Hg methylation (as %MeHg) in the plastisphere than that in the bulk soil.•The community composition of the plastisphere was significantly different from that in the bulk soil.•The plastisphere had more dense connection between microbes than the bulk soil.