Decomposition by microorganisms of plastics in soils is almost unexplored despite the fact that the majority of plastics released into the environment end up in soils. Here, we investigate the decomposition process and microbiome of one of the most promising biobased and biodegradable plastics, poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), under field soil conditions under both ambient and future predicted climates (for the time between 2070 and 2100). We show that the gravimetric and molar mass of PBSA is already largely reduced (28–33%) after 328 days under both climates. We provide novel information on the PBSA microbiome encompassing the three domains of life: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya (fungi). We show that PBSA begins to decompose after the increase in relative abundances of aquatic fungi (Tetracladium spp.) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The PBSA microbiome is distinct from that of surrounding soils, suggesting that PBSA serves as a new ecological habitat. We conclude that the microbial decomposition process of PBSA in soil is more complex than previously thought by involving interkingdom relationships, especially between bacteria and fungi.

中文翻译：

---

回到未来：野外土壤环境中生物基和可生物降解塑料的可分解性及其在环境和未来气候下的微生物组

尽管释放到环境中的大部分塑料最终都进入了土壤，但微生物对土壤中塑料的分解作用几乎没有得到探索。在这里，我们研究了最有前途的生物基和可生物降解塑料之一聚（丁二酸丁二酸共己二酸丁二醇酯）（PBSA）在环境和未来预测气候（2070和 2100）。我们表明，在两种气候下 328 天后，PBSA 的重量和摩尔质量已经大大降低（28-33%）。我们提供关于 PBSA 微生物组的新信息，包括三个生命领域：古细菌、细菌和真核菌（真菌）。我们表明 PBSA 在水生真菌的相对丰度增加后开始分解（Tetracladium spp.) 和固氮细菌。PBSA 微生物组与周围土壤的微生物组不同，表明 PBSA 是一个新的生态栖息地。我们得出结论，土壤中 PBSA 的微生物分解过程比以前认为的更复杂，涉及界际关系，尤其是细菌和真菌之间的关系。