Effects of artificial sweetener acesulfame on soil-dwelling earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and its gut microbiota.

Artificial sweeteners (AS) are the emerging contaminants with potential toxicity to living organisms. The effects of AS to soil typical invertebrates have not been revealed. In this study, the responses of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) and gut microbial communities to acesulfame-contaminated soils (0.1, 1 and 10 mg kg) were studied using transcriptomics, metabolomics and metagenomics analyses. The fresh weight of earthworms was significantly stimulated by acesulfame at concentrations of 1 mg kg. Sphingolipid metabolism, purine metabolism, cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis pathways were significantly affected. At 10 mg kg treatment, the amount and weight of cocoons were significantly increased and decreased, respectively, accompanied by the significant disorder of ECM-receptor interaction, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms pathways. Lysosome pathway was significantly affected in all the treatments. Moreover, the acesulfame significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Mucoromycota, and decreased Proteobacteria in the gut of earthworms. Our multi-level investigation indicated that AS at a relatively low concentration induced toxicity to earthworms and AS pollution has significant environmental risks for soil fauna.