Microbial bioindicators for monitoring the impact of emerging contaminants on soil health in the European framework
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Type
article
Volume
17
Issue
7
Start Page
1093
Journal
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is recognized by the World Health Organization as a major threat to human health, and recent studies highlight the role of microplastics (MPs) in its spread. MPs in the environment may act as vectors for antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Bacterial communities on the plastisphere, the surface of MPs, are influenced by plastic properties, allowing ARB to colonize and form biofilms. These biofilms facilitate the transfer of ARGs within microbial communities. This study analyzed data from the LUCAS soil dataset (885 soil samples across EU countries) using the Emu tool to characterize microbial communities at the
genus/species level. Functional annotation via PICRUSt2, supported by a custom tool for
Emu output formatting, revealed significant correlations between the genera Solirubrobacter,
Bradyrhizobium, Nocardioides, and Bacillus with pathways linked to microplastic degradation
and antibiotic resistance. These genera were consistently present in various soil types
(woodland, grassland, and cropland), suggesting their potential as bioindicators of soil
health in relation to MP pollution. The findings underscore MPs as hotspots for ARB and
ARGs, offering new insights into the identification of bioindicators for monitoring soil
health and the ecological impacts related to MP contamination.
Project(s)
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 862695 (European Joint Programme SOIL) “Towards climatesmart sustainable management of agricultural soils”