The microbiome and functions of black soils are altered by dibutyl phthalate contamination

• The richness and diversity of microbes in black soils declined under DBP contamination.
• DBP contamination altered microbiome structure in black soils.
• Functions of microbes in black soils were altered by DBP contamination.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is one of the phthalate esters (PAEs) and is often used as a plasticizer. After it had been used for various industrial purposes, it now is considered an environmental pollutant and is often found in soil. The purpose of this study was to estimate the impacts of DBP on the microbiome and functions in black soils using a microcosm model. The results indicated that the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness and the Shannon index of the bacteria were reduced by DBP contamination in black soils. The changes became more apparent when the DBP concentration increased. The OTU richness of fungi was also reduced in black soils. Interestingly, the Shannon index of the fungal community rose at the lowest DBP concentration (5 mg kg−1) and was reduced at the highest DBP concentration (40 mg kg−1) in black soils. Additionally, the results demonstrated that the relative populations of genera were altered by DBP contamination, and the structures of the bacterial and fungal communities were transformed. Clearly, DBP contamination changed the community structure of the microbes and disturbed the metabolic activity and functional diversity of the microbes in black soils. Therefore, we propose that DBP contamination could alter the biodiversity of black soils and the metabolism of resident microbes, and further impacting on the ecosystem function of black soils.