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Effects of Long-Term Heavy Metal Pollution on Microbial Community Structure in Soil

Summary

Heavy metals from mining operations contaminate farmland soil and reduce its quality. This research examined how different types of bacteria and fungi adapt to living in heavily polluted soil by collecting samples from a contaminated farm in China. The study found that specific microorganism species thrive in different levels of contamination and could potentially be used to help clean up polluted soils through natural biological processes.

Background

Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils is a critical environmental concern affecting soil quality and ecosystem health. Soil microorganisms are sensitive indicators of soil quality changes and play essential roles in maintaining ecological equilibrium in contaminated environments.

Objective

This study investigated the impacts of long-term heavy metal pollution at varying severity levels on soil physicochemical properties and the community structure and diversity of bacteria and fungi using high-throughput sequencing and field surveys.

Results

Heavy metal pollution significantly altered soil physicochemical properties and bacterial and fungal beta diversity. Chloroflexi, Myxococcota, Nitrospirota, Chytridiomycota, and Talaromyces showed increased relative abundance with rising pollution levels. Dominant bacterial species varied with pollution level: OTU10618 (Micrococcales) in low, OTU6447 (Chthoniobacterales) in medium, and OTU7447 (Burkholderiales) in high pollution soils.

Conclusion

Soil microorganisms in chronically heavy metal-contaminated soils exhibit adaptive shifts and develop pollution-specific community structures. These findings provide critical insights for assessing the remediation potential of diverse microbial taxa in heavy metal-polluted soils and selecting appropriate microorganisms for bioremediation strategies.
  • Published in:Toxics,
  • Study Type:Field Survey and Molecular Analysis,
  • Source: PMID: 41012427, DOI: 10.3390/toxics13090806
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