Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study

Following heavy metal pollution caused by thallium in watersheds, people typically employ emergency treatment methods such as water sampling and transfer for dilution or in situ coagulation and precipitation. However, the thallium that is adsorbed by the precipitates in the sediment persists for a l...

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Main Authors: Xiaodie Cai, Zeqiang Huang, Sili Chen, Zhengke Zhang, Jingsong Wang, Xinyu Wen, Yuyin Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1336
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author Xiaodie Cai
Zeqiang Huang
Sili Chen
Zhengke Zhang
Jingsong Wang
Xinyu Wen
Yuyin Yang
author_facet Xiaodie Cai
Zeqiang Huang
Sili Chen
Zhengke Zhang
Jingsong Wang
Xinyu Wen
Yuyin Yang
author_sort Xiaodie Cai
collection DOAJ
description Following heavy metal pollution caused by thallium in watersheds, people typically employ emergency treatment methods such as water sampling and transfer for dilution or in situ coagulation and precipitation. However, the thallium that is adsorbed by the precipitates in the sediment persists for a long time and is gradually released, posing a significant threat to the ecosystem. In this study, the 16S rRNA sequencing method was used to simulate the effects of water dilution or in situ coagulation and precipitation on microbial communities through thallium impact loading and thallium-containing iron floc shaking bottle experiments. The emendation of Fe(III) floc led to an increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota. Meanwhile, <i>Nitrospira</i> and Proteobacteria exhibited distinct tolerances to Tl shock and Tl floc stress, respectively. Thallium pollution inhibited the reduction in nitric oxide and nitrogen fixation while increasing the relative abundance of the napA/B genes and decreasing the relative abundance of narG/H genes involved in nitrate reduction. This study offers new insights into the effects of various emergency treatment measures on river ecosystems following sudden thallium pollution, particularly from the perspective of microbial community composition and biogeochemical cycles.
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issn 2076-2607
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series Microorganisms
spelling doaj-art-8dfaef56388248558f02065fce75ea002025-08-20T03:27:40ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-06-01136133610.3390/microorganisms13061336Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm StudyXiaodie Cai0Zeqiang Huang1Sili Chen2Zhengke Zhang3Jingsong Wang4Xinyu Wen5Yuyin Yang6School of Civil Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, ChinaSouth China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Guangzhou 510655, ChinaSouth China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Guangzhou 510655, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, ChinaSouth China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), Guangzhou 510655, ChinaFollowing heavy metal pollution caused by thallium in watersheds, people typically employ emergency treatment methods such as water sampling and transfer for dilution or in situ coagulation and precipitation. However, the thallium that is adsorbed by the precipitates in the sediment persists for a long time and is gradually released, posing a significant threat to the ecosystem. In this study, the 16S rRNA sequencing method was used to simulate the effects of water dilution or in situ coagulation and precipitation on microbial communities through thallium impact loading and thallium-containing iron floc shaking bottle experiments. The emendation of Fe(III) floc led to an increase in the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota. Meanwhile, <i>Nitrospira</i> and Proteobacteria exhibited distinct tolerances to Tl shock and Tl floc stress, respectively. Thallium pollution inhibited the reduction in nitric oxide and nitrogen fixation while increasing the relative abundance of the napA/B genes and decreasing the relative abundance of narG/H genes involved in nitrate reduction. This study offers new insights into the effects of various emergency treatment measures on river ecosystems following sudden thallium pollution, particularly from the perspective of microbial community composition and biogeochemical cycles.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1336microbial communitiesbiogeochemical processesemergency remediationThallium
spellingShingle Xiaodie Cai
Zeqiang Huang
Sili Chen
Zhengke Zhang
Jingsong Wang
Xinyu Wen
Yuyin Yang
Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
Microorganisms
microbial communities
biogeochemical processes
emergency remediation
Thallium
title Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
title_full Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
title_fullStr Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
title_short Impacts of Emergency Treatments on Sediment Microbial Communities Following Sudden Thallium Contamination Events: A Microcosm Study
title_sort impacts of emergency treatments on sediment microbial communities following sudden thallium contamination events a microcosm study
topic microbial communities
biogeochemical processes
emergency remediation
Thallium
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1336
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