Responses of bacterial communities in wheat rhizospheres in different soils to di-n-butyl and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate contamination

Abstract Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) are commonly used as plasticizers to enhance the flexibility of plastic products. They are universal pollutants and well-known endocrine disruptors, and their effects on rhizosphere organisms have aroused great concern. In the present study, the effects of DBP and DEHP contamination on bacterial community structure and functions in wheat rhizospheres in fluvo-aquic, cinnamon, and brown soils were investigated using Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencing. Operational taxonomic unit richness and bacterial diversity were decreased in DEHP-contaminated fluvo-aquic and brown soils, but not in DEHP-contaminated cinnamon and DBP-polluted soils. The relative abundance of some families was positively associated with soil pH, total nitrogen content (TN), and soil organic matter (SOM), and negatively correlated with DBP/DEHP concentration. The relative abundances of families that can extremely effectively degrade DBP/DEHP were enhanced by DBP/DEHP pollution, whereas the relative abundances of some genera that are beneficial to soil health were reduced in the DBP/DEHP-polluted soils. Soil pH, TN, and SOM were crucial in determining the fate and effect of PAEs in the soil ecosystems. In conclusion, DBP/DEHP pollution alters the rhizosphere bacterial community structure and affects microbial metabolic behavior and functional diversity during wheat growth.