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Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
Published on: November 5, 2014
Distribution characteristics of emerging contaminants and microbial communities in Bohai Sea sediments
Jiale Tian1, Lichen Wang2, Yutan Wang3
1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Qingdao Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology Development and Offshore Eco-Environment Conservation, Marine Bioresource and Environment Research Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, 266061, China.
Abstract:
As a semi-enclosed marginal sea in China, the Bohai Sea has long been influenced by substantial pollutant inputs from surrounding rivers, making it an important region for investigating the distribution patterns of pollutants and microbial communities. In this study, the concentrations of emerging contaminants (ECs) in 19 sediment samples were determined, and metagenomic sequencing was employed to systematically analyze the structure and functional characteristics of microbial communities. The results showed that the detected ECs included synthetic musks (SMs, 7.96-22.85 ng/g dw), dominated by tonalide (AHTN) and galaxolide (HHCB); organophosphate esters (OPEs, not detected-282.27 ng/g dw), were not detected in most samples, but relatively high concentrations were observed at the NS-33 station; and polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs, 0.70-4.36 ng/g dw), with 3,6-dichlorocarbazole (36-CCZ) constituting 61.87% of PHCZs. The microbial community was dominated by Proteobacteria (68.36%). Further network analysis indicated significant correlations between PHCZs and nitrogen metabolism genes, suggesting that PHCZs may inhibit nitrogen fixation and nitrification, while enhancing denitrification. Overall, this study reveals the distribution patterns of ECs and microbial communities in Bohai Sea sediments and their potential associations, providing insights into their interactions in coastal ecosystems.
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