SRA

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widespread emerging contaminant in soil, with micro-ecological risks arising from it causing widespread concern. However, the response mechanisms of soil microorganisms to DEHP in saline environments and its carbon cycling effects are still unclear. Therefore, microcosmic experiments were conducted in this study to assess ecotoxic effects of DEHP on microorganisms and carbon cycling in salinized soils. Results showed that DEHP increased microbial abundance, altered enzyme activities, promoted carbon degradation and stimulated the growth of DEHP-degrading bacteria both in extremely salinized (ES) soil and slightly salinized (SS) soil. In ES soil, archaea abundance increased by 2.71 to 4.19 times compared to the control. Network analyses revealed that DEHP altered bacteria community structure and composition, revealing distinct ecological responses in two salinized soils. In SS soil, bacteria formed functional modules against DEHP, but these were insufficient to maintain ecological balance. For ES soil, DEHP upregulated the network complexity of microbial communities and altered the distribution and function of dominant bacteria in the communities. The result suggested a higher ecological risk of harming the micro-ecology of ES soil compared to SS soil. These results provide a novel perspective and basis for extreme soil environmental risk assessment of DEHP.