Impact of Ag and Co engineered nanoparticles on soil microbial community structure in a soil perturbed by Lumbricus rubellus

Abstract

Knowledge on the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on both human and environment health is scarce. Several studies sustain that soil is the environmental compartment designed to be the major recipient of engineered nanoparticles (NPs). With the aim of investigating the impact of commercially relevant NPs on soil functioning, we compared the effect of Ag and Co NPs, as well as cobalt and silver ions, on soil microbial community in the presence of Lumbricus rubellus. Earthworms specimens were placed in a rich‐C soil and fed with horse manure spiked with Ag‐NPs, Co‐NPs, Ag+ and Co2+ for a total amount of 10 mg of single pollutant kg‐1 soil. At the end of acute exposure (4 weeks) to pollutants, the following analyses were performed: soil metal contents, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) , basal respiration, specific respiration (qCO2), phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). The pollutants introduced with the food in the soil‐earthworm system affected the microbial activity increasing basal respiration and qCO2, while MBC and MBN content decreased. PLFAs of soil were affected by both pollutant NPS and ions supplied. The fatty acids significantly affected by treatments were C18:17 and C18:26,9 in soil. These results suggested that NPs could induce stress on soil microorganisms.