Soil is filled with living microorganisms like bacteria and fungi that break down and build up matter. Individual microbes carry out different functions, affecting the soil composition in different ways. A rich and diverse soil microbial community aids in plant health and productivity, contributing to increased crop growth (Lakshmanan et al, 2014).

Certain agricultural practices have been found to have negatively impacted the soil microbiome. Chemical fertilizers and other industrial agricultural practices have decreased microbial diversity in the soil, decreasing crop yield and spreading harmful chemicals into other parts of the soil and the environment. Fertilizers using organic and inorganic sources have been found to have alternate impacts on the microbiome; Li et al. found that organic nitrogen fertilizers increase nitrification and fixation in the soil while inorganic nitrogen fertilizers increase denitrification (2020).

This study aims to investigate the impact that a biosolid derived from blackwater by Milorganite has on the soil resistome. I hypothesize that the addition of a black-water derived biosolid will cause the level of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the amount of carbon and organic matter content, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions to increase. The number of antibiotic resistance genes will increase as new antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes are introduced from the biosolid.