Survival of Escherichia coli in soil with modified microbial community composition

► Progressively increased BS3 density decreased bacterial CFU counts in soil. ► Addition of BS3 significantly changed soil microbial community structure. ► Cluster analysis revealed that BS3 treatments grouped separately from controls. ► Soil microbial community composition significantly influenced survival of E. coli. ► E. coli die-off rate declined with the reduction of microbial community diversity.