Effects of the joint exposure of decabromodiphenyl ether and tetrabromobisphenol A on soil bacterial community structure

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE209) and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are the main contaminants at electronic waste (e-waste) recycling sites (EWRSs), and their potential toxicological effects have received extensive attention. However, the impact on soil microorganism of joint exposure to the two chemicals remains almost unknown. Therefore, indoor incubation tests were performed on control and contaminated soil samples to determine the response of soil bacterial community structure in the joint presence of BDE209 and TBBPA for the first time. The results have demonstrated that the soil bacterial diversity generally declined with increasing BDE209 and TBBPA concentrations and moderate and high doses of both chemicals can cause inhibitory effects. PCR-DGGE analysis indicated that the correlations between Shannon-Weaver index and contaminant concentrations could be well represented by a second-order polynomial model. The combined toxicity of the two chemicals was antagonistic during the first 14 days and then synergistic. Pectobacterium carotovorum, Sinorhizobium fredii HH103, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were highly tolerant to joint exposure during the entire incubation period. Moreover, some Staphylococcus strains were enriched after 90 days exposed to TBBPA or low concentrations of BDE209, indicating that they might degrade the two chemicals effectively. The results of these observations have provided some basic understanding of potential ecological effects of joint exposure to BDE209 and TBBPA on soil microorganism at EWRSs.