Yue Liu: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Yu-Hong Huang: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Huixiong Lü: College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Hui Li: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Yan-Wen Li: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Ce-Hui Mo: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Quan-Ying Cai: Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Environment Pollution Control and Remediation Materials, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: caiqy@jnu.edu.cn.
Urban rivers were heavily polluted, which resulted in blackening and odorization (i.e., black-odor rivers). Nevertheless, very limited information is available on sediment contamination levels of black-odor rivers and their linkage to the patterns of microbial functional genes. This study investigated distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalates (PAEs) and their linkages to bacterial community and related functional genes in river sediments. The results demonstrate that higher average levels of ∑16PAHs (1405 μg/kg, dry weight) and ∑6PAEs (7120 μg/kg) were observed in sediments from heavy black-odor rivers than the moderate ones (∑16PAHs: 462 μg/kg; ∑6PAEs: 2470 μg/kg). The taxon composition and diversities of bacterial community in sediments varied with significantly lower diversity indices in heavy black-odor rivers than moderate ones. Sediments from heavy black-odor rivers enriched certain PAH and PAE degrading bacteria and genes. Unfortunately, PAH and PAE contamination demonstrated negative influences on nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism related bacteria and function genes but significant positive influences on certain sulfur metabolism related bacterial taxa and sulfur reduction gene, which might cause nitrogen and phosphorus accumulation and black-odor phenomenon in heavy black-odor rivers. This study highlights PAH and PAE contamination in urban rivers may shift bacterial community and detrimentally affect their ecological functions.
