Silver and Hematite Nanoparticles Had a Limited Effect on the Bacterial Community Structure in Soil Cultivated with Phaseolus vulgaris L.

The amount of nanoparticles that enters the environment has increased substantially in the last years. How they might affect plant characteristics and the bacterial community structure when they enter the soil, however, is still debated, as there is a continuous interaction between them. In this study, we determined the effect of silver (Ag-NPs) and hematite (alpha-Fe2O3-NPs) nanoparticles (0.15 g kg(-1)) on the characteristics of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the rhizosphere, non-rhizosphere and uncultivated soil bacterial community. The application of Ag-NPs or alpha-Fe2O3-NPs did not affect plant growth, but changed the amount of some heavy metals in the roots and aerial parts. The application of nanoparticles had a limited effect on the diversity, structure and functional profile of the soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities, but they were altered by cultivation of the bean plants and changed over time. It was found that application of Ag-NPs or alpha-Fe2O3-NPs had no effect on bean plant growth and only a small effect on the bacterial community structure and its putative metabolic functions. These findings show that in a complex system, such as a soil, different factors might affect the bacterial community structure and alter the possible effect of nanoparticles on it.

Automated summary

This study investigates the effects of silver and hematite nanoparticles on common bean plants and soil bacterial communities. The application of nanoparticles did not significantly impact plant growth, but did alter the levels of certain heavy metals in plant tissues. The diversity, structure, and functional profile of the soil and rhizosphere bacterial communities were minimally affected by the nanoparticles.