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A survey of bacterial and fungal community structure and functions in two long-term metalliferous soil habitats

Summary

Scientists studied how bacteria and fungi adapt to living in soils contaminated with mercury at two former nuclear weapons sites in the United States. They found that bacterial diversity decreased in highly contaminated areas, while fungi remained relatively stable. The research identified specific microbes that can help clean up mercury pollution and showed that the amount of mercury that microbes can actually access is different from the total amount of mercury in the soil.

Background

Mercury contamination at legacy nuclear sites such as the Savannah River Site and Oak Ridge Reservation poses persistent ecological risks. The impact of mercury contamination on soil microbiomes remains incompletely understood, particularly regarding cross-kingdom interactions between bacterial and fungal communities.

Objective

To assess bacterial and fungal community structure, diversity, and functional potential across gradients of total mercury, methylmercury, and bioavailable mercury at two long-term metalliferous soil habitats using integrated molecular approaches.

Results

Bacterial α-diversity declined with increasing Hg levels while fungal diversity remained stable. Dominant bacterial phyla were Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Bacillota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinomycetota; fungal communities were primarily Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Functional analysis revealed enrichment of stress-response genes, membrane transporters, and phosphate metabolism pathways in contaminated soils.

Conclusion

The study highlights the adaptive plasticity of native microbiomes to mercury contamination and identifies microbial taxa and pathways relevant to bioremediation efforts. Bioavailable mercury did not correlate directly with total mercury, underscoring the importance of mercury speciation in assessing microbial exposure and ecosystem restoration.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Survey Study,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41598-025-25944-y, PMID: 41290854
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