Long-Term Pollution Does Not Inhibit Denitrification and DNRA by Adapted Benthic Microbial Communities.

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

SUBMITTER: Broman E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10640501 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature