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Broman E, Abdelgadir M, Bonaglia S, Forsberg SC, Wikström J, Gunnarsson JS, Nascimento FJA, Sjöling S. Long-Term Pollution Does Not Inhibit Denitrification and DNRA by Adapted Benthic Microbial Communities. Microb Ecol 2023; 86:2357-2372. [PMID: 37222807 PMCID: PMC10640501 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Denitrification in sediments is a key microbial process that removes excess fixed nitrogen, while dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) converts nitrate to ammonium. Although microorganisms are responsible for essential nitrogen (N) cycling, it is not yet fully understood how these microbially mediated processes respond to toxic hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) and metals. In this study, we sampled long-term polluted sediment from the outer harbor of Oskarshamn (Baltic Sea), measured denitrification and DNRA rates, and analyzed taxonomic structure and N-cycling genes of microbial communities using metagenomics. Results showed that denitrification and DNRA rates were within the range of a national reference site and other unpolluted sites in the Baltic Sea, indicating that long-term pollution did not significantly affect these processes. Furthermore, our results indicate an adaptation to metal pollution by the N-cycling microbial community. These findings suggest that denitrification and DNRA rates are affected more by eutrophication and organic enrichment than by historic pollution of metals and organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Broman
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Mohanad Abdelgadir
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Stefano Bonaglia
- Department of Marine Sciences, Gothenburg University, 413 19, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sara C Forsberg
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Johan Wikström
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas S Gunnarsson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francisco J A Nascimento
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Sjöling
- Department of Environmental Science, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
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