Source, migration and toxicology of microplastics in soil.

Microplastics are emerging contaminants and their presence in water and soil ecosystems has recently drawn considerable attention because they pose a great threat to entire ecosystems. Recent researches have focused on the detection, occurrence, characterization, and toxicology of microplastics in marine and freshwater ecosystems; however, our understanding of the ecological effects of microplastics in soil ecosystems is still limited compared with that in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we have compiled literature, studying the sources, migration of microplastics in soil, negative impacts on soil health and function, trophic transfer in food chains, and the corresponding adverse effects on soil organisms in order to address the potential ecological and human health risks caused by microplastics in soil. This review aims to address gaps in knowledge, shed light on the ecological effects of microplastics in soil, and propose future studies on microplastic pollution and the resultant soil ecotoxicity. Furthermore, this review is focused on limiting microplastics in soil and establishing management and remediation measures to mitigate the risks posed by microplastic pollution.

Novel phosphate-solubilising bacteria isolated from sewage sludge and the mechanism of phosphate solubilisation.

A great amount of insoluble phosphate in agricultural soils is not available for crops. Three strains of bacteria (Bacillus megaterium YLYP1, Pseudomonas prosekii YLYP6 and Pseudomonas sp. YLYP29) isolated from activated sludge and soil could efficiently solubilise tricalcium phosphate. In particular, the novel strain P. prosekii YLYP6 produced 716 mg L-1 of available phosphate within 6 days under the optimal culture conditions [20 °C, pH 7.9, inoculum size of 0.5% (v:v)] determined by response surface methodology. P. prosekii YLYP6 demonstrated efficient phosphate solubilisation in response to broad variations in pH (5-9) and temperature (15-35 °C). The phosphate solubilisation curves of the strains fit well with a first-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.939), with a half-life of 1.51-5.94 d for 5.0 g L-1 calcium phosphate. Continuous culture experiments combined with scanning electron microscopic observations and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that 2,3-dimethylfumaric acid, gluconic and N-butyl-tert-butylamine that were produced by P. prosekii YLYP6 were responsible for phosphate solubilisation by supplying H+ ions and organic anions. Efficient phosphate solubilisation in actual soil by P. prosekii YLYP6 demonstrated the strong application potential to reduce the use of chemical P fertilisers and the resulting agricultural nonpoint pollution.

Variations in microbial community and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dissipation in different rhizospheric compartments between low- and high-DEHP accumulating cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a typical endocrine disrupting chemical with relatively high concentrations in agricultural soils of China. Here, a rhizobox experiment was conducted to investigate the variations in microbial community and DEHP dissipation among different soil rhizospheric compartments between low (Fengyousimiao) and high (Peizataifeng) DEHP-accumulating cultivars of rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in DEHP spiked soil (0, 20, 100 mg/kg). The dissipation rates of DEHP in rhizospheric soils of Peizataifeng were generally significantly higher than those of Fengyousimiao, with the highest removal rate in 0-2 mm rhizosphere. The results of Illumina-HiSeq high-throughput sequencing revealed that both bacterial and fungal diversity and community structure were significantly different in rhizospheric soils of the two cultivars. DEHP dissipation rates in 0-2 mm rhizosphere of Peizataifeng were positively correlated with bacterial and fungal diversity. The relative abundance of DEHP-degrading bacterial genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Bacillus of Peizataifeng was generally higher than those in the same rhizospheric compartment of Fengyousimiao in DEHP treatments, resulting in different rhizospheric DEHP dissipation. Cultivation of Peizataifeng in agricultural soil is promising to facilitate DEHP dissipation and ensure safety of agricultural products.

Variations in microbial community and ciprofloxacin removal in rhizospheric soils between two cultivars of Brassica parachinensis L.

Ciprofloxacin (CIP) is one of most used quinolone antibiotics detected frequently in agricultural soils and vegetables. In the present study, variations in microbial community and CIP removal in rhizospheric soils between two cultivars of Brassica parachinensis L. that accumulate higher and lower CIP (Sijiu and Cutai, respectively) were investigated under CIP stress (0mg/kg in CK, 2.94mg/kg in T1, and 67.11mg/kg in T2). The removal rates of CIP in rhizospheric soils of cultivar Sijiu were higher than those of cultivar Cutai, with a significant difference in T2 (48.7%>39.4%, P<0.05). The pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS gene indicated that the microbial diversity and community structure in rhizospheric soils of the two cultivars varied significantly. Spirochaeta and Trichosporon might be associated with CIP degradation, and higher relative abundances of Trichosporon in rhizoshperic soils of cultivar Sijiu might be responsible for higher CIP removal. Fourteen bacterial genera and ten fungal genera were screened as potential biomarkers for CIP removal process. The community level physiological profiling in rhizospheric soils of the two cultivars under CIP stress differed significantly, and more C substrates that favored CIP removal were observed in rhizoshperic soils of cultivar Sijiu. Our results demonstrate that variations in microbial community and the utilization of C substrates played important roles in differring the CIP removal in rhizospheric soils between the two cultivars.

Occurrence and risk assessment of tetracycline antibiotics in soil from organic vegetable farms in a subtropical city, south China.

This study investigated the occurrence of tetracycline antibiotics in soils from different organic vegetable farms in Guangzhou, a subtropical city, South China and evaluated their ecological risk. Four tetracycline compounds (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline) were extracted ultrasonically from soil samples (n = 69), with a solid-phase extraction cleanup, and were then measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that four compounds were detected in all samples, with the concentrations of the individual compounds ranging from 0.04 to 184.8 µg/kg (dry weight). The concentrations of tetracycline compounds in the soils from different vegetable farms varied greatly, but their patterns of distribution were similar. Doxycycline was the predominant compound with a mean of 21.87 µg/kg, followed by chlortetracycline. The concentrations of doxycycline and chlortetracycline in 7.46 % of the samples were higher than the ecotoxic effect trigger value (100 µg/kg) set by the Steering Committee of Veterinary International Committee on Harmonization. Additionally, the concentrations of tetracyclines in greenhouse soils were significantly lower than those in open-field soils. Risk assessment based on single compound exposure showed that doxycycline could pose medium or high risks. Compared with other studies, the levels of tetracyclines in this study were relatively low. The hypothesis that antibiotic residues in the soil of organic farms fertilized with manure are higher than in the soils of conventional farms was not supported in the area studied due to the high levels of moisture, temperature, and microbial activity.

Analysis of Trace Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) in Vegetables Using Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

A reliable, sensitive, and cost-effective method was developed for determining three quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) including dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and didodecyldimethylammonium chloride in various vegetables using ultrasonic-assisted extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The variety and acidity of extraction solvents, extraction times, and cleanup efficiency of sorbents were estimated to obtain an optimized procedure for extraction of the QACs in nine vegetable matrices. Excellent linearities (R(2) > 0.992) were obtained for the analytes in the nine matrices. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.7-6.0 and 2.3-20.0 µg/kg (dry weight, dw) in various matrices, respectively. The recoveries in the nine matrices ranged from 70.5% to 108.0% with relative standard deviations below 18.0%. The developed method was applied to determine the QACs in 27 vegetable samples collected from Guangzhou in southern China, showing very high detection frequency with a concentration of 23-180 µg/kg (dw).

Effects of the size and morphology of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the germination of Chinese cabbage seeds.

The toxicity of four zinc oxide nanoparticles (i.e., spheric ZnO-30, spheric ZnO-50, columnar ZnO-90, and hexagon rod-like ZnO-150) to the seed germination of Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis L.) was investigated in this study. The results showed that zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnOs) did not affect germination rates at concentrations of 1-80 mg/L but significantly inhibited the root and shoot elongation of Chinese cabbage seedlings, with the roots being more sensitive. The inhibition was evident mainly during seed incubation rather than the seed soaking process. Both the production of free hydroxyl groups (·OH) and the Zn bioaccumulation in roots or shoots resulted in toxicity of nano-ZnOs to Chinese cabbage seedlings. The toxicity of nano-ZnOs was affected significantly by their primary particle sizes in the minimum dimensionality, but large columnar ZnO-90 and small spherical ZnO-50 had comparable toxicities. Therefore, both the particle size and morphology affected the toxicity of nano-ZnOs.

Distribution and risk assessment of quinolone antibiotics in the soils from organic vegetable farms of a subtropical city, Southern China.

Organic fertilizer or manure containing antibiotics has been widely used in organic farms, but the distribution and potential impacts of antibiotics to the local environment are not well understood. In this study, four quinolone antibiotics in soil samples (n=69) from five organic vegetable farms in a subtropical city, Southern China, were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Our results indicated that quinolone compounds were ubiquitous in soil samples (detection frequency>97% for all compounds), and their concentrations ranged from not detectable to 42.0 µg/kg. Among the targets, enrofloxacin (ENR) was the dominant compound, followed by ciprofloxacin (CIP) and norfloxacin (NOR). The average total concentrations of four compounds in the soils were affected by vegetable types and species cultivated, decreasing in the order of fruit>rhizome>leaf vegetables. Moreover, the average concentrations of quinolone compounds (except ENR) in open-field soils were higher than those in greenhouse soils. The concentrations of quinolone antibiotics in this study were lower than the ecotoxic effect trigger value (100 µg/kg) proposed by the Veterinary Medicine International Coordination commission. Risk assessment based on the calculated risk quotients indicated that NOR, CIP, and ENR posed mainly medium to low risks to bacteria.

[Concentrations of antibiotics in vegetables from manure-mended farm].

Sixteen typical antibiotics including four tetracyclines, four quinolones, and eight sulfonamides in vegetables from manure-amended farm were determined using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and their health risks to human via the diet pathway was assessed. Most antibiotics were frequently detected in vegetable samples, with the detection rate from 11% to 90%. Concentrations of a single compound were mainly less than 5 microg x kg(-1) (D. W.), with the maximum of 23.88 microg x kg(-1) and the average of 0.91 microg x kg(-1), respectively. Norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamehtaoid and sulfadiazine were the dominant compounds. At least one antibiotic was detected in a single vegetable samples, and even up to ten antibiotics. The concentration of quinolones in underground parts was higher than those in aboveground parts. Intake dose of antibiotics via the consumption of the detected vegetables was lower than ADI, suggesting a lower health risk. But combination toxicity and resistance of antibiotics should not be ignored.

[Concentrations and distribution of tetracycline antibiotics in vegetable field soil chronically fertilized with manures].

Occurrence of antibiotics in the soils substantially fertilized with antibiotics-enriched animal manures is very of concern. This paper investigated the concentration and distribution of four tetracycline antibiotics in soils from vegetable field chronically fertilized with manures in subtropical area using solid-phase extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The sum concentrations of four tetracycline compounds ranged from 1.35 microg/kg to 22.52 microg/kg with an average of 7.35 microg/kg. There were thirty one to one hundred percent of the soil samples were detected with average concentrations of 0.63- 3.11 microg/kg for four tetracycline compounds which dominated mostly with oxytetracycline and secondly with deoxytetracycline. Composition and levels of tetracycline compounds varied obviously in both horizontal and vertical soils. The concentration of tetracycline compounds in soil profile decreased rapidly with the depth and some of the compounds were still detected in 60 to 80 centimeter depth of soil. It is concluded that tetracycline antibiotics in soils from vegetable field chronically fertilized with manures in subtropical area were generally lower and less ecotoxic risk for soil ecosystem. But it should not be ignored in view of combined toxic effect and resistance of various compounds.

Investigation of sulfonamide, tetracycline, and quinolone antibiotics in vegetable farmland soil in the Pearl River Delta area, southern China.

Thirteen antibiotics in soil from vegetable farmlands of the Pearl River Delta, southern China, were investigated. At least three antibiotics were detected in each sample. Six antibiotics including four quinolones, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole were detected in >94% of the samples. The total contents of three tetracyclines, eight sulfonamides, and four quinolones were not detected-242.6, 33.3-321.4, and 27.8-1537.4 µg/kg, respectively. The highest antibiotic concentrations were observed mainly in vegetable farmlands affiliated with livestock farms. Chlortetracycline, sulfameter, and quinolones in some samples exceed the ecotoxic effect trigger value (100 µg/kg) set by the Steering Committee of Veterinary International Committee on Harmonization. The composition and concentration of antibiotics in soil were correlated with vegetable species. This study has revealed an alarming condition of antibiotics in vegetable farmland soil. Further investigation including environmental fate, plant uptake, and human exposure to antibiotics by plant-derived food should be conducted.