Anthropogenic remediation of heavy metals selects against natural microbial remediation.

ABSTRACT: In an era of unprecedented environmental change, there have been increasing ecological and global public health concerns associated with exposure to anthropogenic pollutants. While there is a pressing need to remediate polluted ecosystems, human intervention might unwittingly oppose selection for natural detoxification, which is primarily carried out by microbes. We test this possibility in the context of a ubiquitous chemical remediation strategy aimed at targeting metal pollution: the addition of lime-containing materials. Here, we show that raising pH by liming decreased the availability of toxic metals in acidic mine-degraded soils, but as a consequence selected against microbial taxa that naturally remediate soil through the production of metal-binding siderophores. Our results theref

SUBMITTER: Hesse E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6599979 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature