An integrated insight into the response of bacterial communities to anthropogenic contaminants in a river: A case study of the Wonderfonteinspruit catchment area, South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Bacterial communities in human-impacted rivers and streams are exposed to multiple anthropogenic contaminants, which can eventually lead to biodiversity loss and function. The Wonderfonteinspruit catchment area is impacted by operational and abandoned gold mines, farms, and formal and informal settlements. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing to characterize bacterial communities in the lower Wonderfonteinspruit and their response to various contaminant sources. The results showed that composition and structure of bacterial communities differed significantly (P<0.05) between less (downstream) and more (upstream) polluted sites. The taxonomic and functional gene dissimilarities significantly correlated with each other, while downstream sites had more distinct func

SUBMITTER: Jordaan K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6528982 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature