TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of organic acids and sulfate on the biogeochemical properties of soil from urban subsurface environments
AU - Lee, Sunhui
AU - O'Loughlin, Edward J.
AU - Kwon, Man Jae
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Yidan Zhang and an anonymous reviewer for constructive criticism of the manuscript. This work was supported by a Korea University Grant and by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government ( MSIT ) (No. 2018R1A2B6001660 ). Support for EJO was provided by the Wetland Hydrobiogeochemistry Scientific Focus Area (SFA) at Argonne National Laboratory supported by the Subsurface Biogeochemical Research Program, Office of the Biological and Environmental Research, Office of Science , U.S. Department of Energy ( DOE ), under contract DE-AC02-06CH11357 .
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2021/8/15
Y1 - 2021/8/15
N2 - Urban subsurface environments are often different from undisturbed subsurface environments due to the impacts of human activities. For example, deterioration of underground infrastructure can introduce elevated levels of Ca, Fe, and heavy metals into subsurface soils and groundwater. Likewise, leakage from sewer systems can lead to contamination by organic C, N, S, and P. However, the impact of these organic and inorganic compounds on biogeochemical processes including microbial redox reactions, mineral transformations, and microbial community transitions in urban subsurface environments is poorly understood. Here we conducted a microcosm experiment with soil samples from an urban construction site to investigate the possible biotic and abiotic processes impacted when sulfate and acetate or lactate were introduced into an urban subsurface environment. In the top-layer soil (0–0.3 m) microcosms, which were highly alkaline (pH > 10), the major impact was on abiotic processes such as secondary mineral precipitation. In the mid-layer (2–3 m) soil microcosms, the rate of Fe(III)-reduction and the amount of Fe(II) produced were greatly impacted by the specific organic acid added, and sulfate-reduction was not observed until after Fe(III)-reduction was complete. Near the end of the incubation, some genera related to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis were observed in the lactate-amended microcosms. In the bottom-layer (7–8 m) soil microcosms, the rate of Fe(III)-reduction and the amount of Fe(II) produced were affected by the concentration of amended sulfate. Sulfate-reduction was concurrent with Fe(III)-reduction, suggesting that Fe(II) production was likely due to abiotic reduction of Fe(III) by sulfide produced by microbial sulfate reduction. The slightly acidic initial pH (~5.8) of the mid-soil system was a major factor controlling sequential microbial Fe(III) and sulfate reduction versus parallel Fe(III) and sulfate reduction in the bottom soil system, which had a neutral initial pH (~7.2). 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis revealed a variety of indigenous microbial groups including alkaliphiles, dissimilatory iron and sulfate reducers, syntrophes, and methanogens tightly coupled with, and impacted by, these complex abiotic and biogeochemical processes occurring in urban subsurface environments.
AB - Urban subsurface environments are often different from undisturbed subsurface environments due to the impacts of human activities. For example, deterioration of underground infrastructure can introduce elevated levels of Ca, Fe, and heavy metals into subsurface soils and groundwater. Likewise, leakage from sewer systems can lead to contamination by organic C, N, S, and P. However, the impact of these organic and inorganic compounds on biogeochemical processes including microbial redox reactions, mineral transformations, and microbial community transitions in urban subsurface environments is poorly understood. Here we conducted a microcosm experiment with soil samples from an urban construction site to investigate the possible biotic and abiotic processes impacted when sulfate and acetate or lactate were introduced into an urban subsurface environment. In the top-layer soil (0–0.3 m) microcosms, which were highly alkaline (pH > 10), the major impact was on abiotic processes such as secondary mineral precipitation. In the mid-layer (2–3 m) soil microcosms, the rate of Fe(III)-reduction and the amount of Fe(II) produced were greatly impacted by the specific organic acid added, and sulfate-reduction was not observed until after Fe(III)-reduction was complete. Near the end of the incubation, some genera related to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis were observed in the lactate-amended microcosms. In the bottom-layer (7–8 m) soil microcosms, the rate of Fe(III)-reduction and the amount of Fe(II) produced were affected by the concentration of amended sulfate. Sulfate-reduction was concurrent with Fe(III)-reduction, suggesting that Fe(II) production was likely due to abiotic reduction of Fe(III) by sulfide produced by microbial sulfate reduction. The slightly acidic initial pH (~5.8) of the mid-soil system was a major factor controlling sequential microbial Fe(III) and sulfate reduction versus parallel Fe(III) and sulfate reduction in the bottom soil system, which had a neutral initial pH (~7.2). 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis revealed a variety of indigenous microbial groups including alkaliphiles, dissimilatory iron and sulfate reducers, syntrophes, and methanogens tightly coupled with, and impacted by, these complex abiotic and biogeochemical processes occurring in urban subsurface environments.
KW - Alkaliphilic bacteria
KW - Calcium sulfate minerals
KW - Dissimilatory iron reduction
KW - Dissimilatory sulfate reduction
KW - Microbial community
KW - Syntrophic acetate oxidation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105462328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112756
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112756
M3 - Article
C2 - 33984641
AN - SCOPUS:85105462328
SN - 0301-4797
VL - 292
JO - Journal of Environmental Management
JF - Journal of Environmental Management
M1 - 112756
ER -