Comparison of the groundwater microbial community in a salt-freshwater mixing zone during the dry and wet seasons

Lin Chen; Jin Zhang; Heng Dai; Bill X Hu; Juxiu Tong; Dongwei Gui; Xiaoying Zhang; Chuanan Xia

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110969

Comparison of the groundwater microbial community in a salt-freshwater mixing zone during the dry and wet seasons

J Environ Manage. 2020 Oct 1:271:110969. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110969. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Authors

Lin Chen¹, Jin Zhang², Heng Dai³, Bill X Hu⁴, Juxiu Tong⁵, Dongwei Gui⁶, Xiaoying Zhang⁷, Chuanan Xia⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 100083, Beijing, China; Shenyang Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, 110034, Shenyang, China.
² Institute of Groundwater and Earth Science, Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, China; Green Development Institute of Zhaoqing, 526000, Zhaoqing, China; Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, 510632, Guangzhou, China.
³ Institute of Groundwater and Earth Science, Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: heng.dai@jnu.edu.cn.
⁴ School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 100083, Beijing, China; Institute of Groundwater and Earth Science, Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: bill.hu@jnu.edu.cn.
⁵ School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 100083, Beijing, China.
⁶ Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystem, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China.
⁷ College of Construct Engineering, Jilin University, 130012, Changchun, China.
⁸ Institute of Groundwater and Earth Science, Jinan University, 510632, Guangzhou, China.

PMID: 32583802
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110969

Abstract

To gain a better understanding of the microbial community in salt-freshwater mixing zones, in this study, the influence of seasonal variation on the groundwater microbial community was evaluated by high throughput 16S rDNA gene sequencing. The results showed that notable changes in microbial community occurred in a salt-freshwater mixing zone and the groundwater samples in the dry season were more saline than those in the wet season. The increase in precipitation during the wet season relieved local seawater intrusion. Microbial diversity varied greatly with seasons, while no obvious change pattern was found. Proteobacteria was identified as the dominant phylum in all samples. The genus Hydrogenophaga dominated in the dry season, while the genus Acidovorax dominated in the wet season. Dissolved oxygen affected the diversity of the microbial communities during the dry and wet season, while groundwater level had a strong influence on the structure of microbial communities. Phylogenetic molecular network analysis of the microbial communities indicated that increased seawater intrusion led to a more compact microbial network and strengthening the groundwater microbial interactions.

Keywords: Functional profiles; Microbial diversity; Molecular ecological networks analysis; Seasonal variation; Seawater intrusion.

MeSH terms

Fresh Water
Groundwater*
Microbiota*
Phylogeny
Seasons