Soil microbiome response to land application of wastewater treatment biosolids

摘要

Land application of concentrated biosolids containing microbes, residues of antibiotics, metals, and other compounds is a common practice in urban and agricultural waste management. A growing body of research has demonstrated that antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are commonly detectable in land application sites. While these genetic markers may be present in the soil, their long term impact on soil health, potential for horizontal transfer into other bacteria, and potential for impact on human health is less understood. Here, we examined the abundance of soil and biosolid-dwelling microbes as well as concentrations of ARGs present in both medias over a 4-week period. While the concentrated biosolids contained significantly higher concentrations of ARGs, we did not see any indication or evidence of ARG transfer between the biosolids and crop soils. Longer-term comparison studies would be required to determine the extent of microbiome changes associated with biosolids application on crop lands.