Effects of perfluorinated compounds homologues on chemical property, microbial composition, richness and diversity of urban forest soil

Wei Zheng; Lei Hu; Zekai Chen; Jun Tang; Yuliang Pan; Wende Yan; Xiaoyong Chen; Yuanying Peng; Lijun Chen

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114458

Effects of perfluorinated compounds homologues on chemical property, microbial composition, richness and diversity of urban forest soil

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Jan 1:249:114458. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114458. Epub 2022 Dec 21.

Authors

Wei Zheng¹, Lei Hu¹, Zekai Chen¹, Jun Tang¹, Yuliang Pan², Wende Yan¹, Xiaoyong Chen³, Yuanying Peng⁴, Lijun Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Changsha 410004, China; Laboratory of Urban Forest Ecology of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China.
² Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in South China, Changsha 410004, China; Laboratory of Urban Forest Ecology of Hunan Province, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China. Electronic address: kaka1983924@163.com.
³ College of Arts and Science, Governors State University, University Park, IL 60484, USA.
⁴ Natural Sciences Division, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137, USA.
⁵ Faculty of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China. Electronic address: chenlijun199@gamail.com.

PMID: 38321677
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114458

Abstract

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), as an important class of new persistent organic pollutants, are widely distributed in the environment. Yet the effects of different types and concentrations of PFCs on soil microbial community in urban forest ecosystems are remain uncertain. Here, two typical PFCs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), were selected to carry out a pot experiment in greenhouse with singly and joint treatment at different concentrations, to examine their effects on composition and diversity of soil microorganisms and availability of soil macronutrients by using high-throughput Illumina sequencing approach. The results showed both PFOA and PFOS application significantly increased soil NO₃^--N and NH₄⁺-N content, but did not alter total phosphorus content, compared to the control check (CK) treatments. Total potassium content was reduced in PFOA treatments but increased in PFOS and PFOA×PFOS treatments. The most dominant bacterial phylum was Chloroflexi in low and medium PFCs concentrations and the CK treatments, but it was switched to Acidobacteria in high concentrations. No obvious change was detected for the composition of the dominant fungi community in PFCs treatments compared to the CK treatments. With the increase of PFCs concentrations, soil bacterial richness decreased but its diversity increased, whereas the richness and diversity of fungal community usually decreased. Redundancy analyses revealed that soil fungal community was more sensitive to PFCs pollutants than soil bacterial communities. Further data analysis revealed by structural equation model (SEM) that the PFCs exposed for 60 days indirectly affects the diversity and richness of soil bacteria and fungi by directly affecting NO₃^--N and NH₄⁺-N content. The results suggested the concentration of PFCs pollutants played a primary role in determining the composition, richness and diversity of forest soil microbial communities.

Keywords: Bacterial and fungal communities; PFOA; PFOS; Perfluorinated compounds.

MeSH terms

Alkanesulfonic Acids*
Bacteria
Caprylates*
Environmental Pollutants* / analysis
Fluorocarbons* / analysis
Forests
Microbiota*
Soil

Substances

Soil
perfluorooctanoic acid
Fluorocarbons
perfluorooctane sulfonic acid
Environmental Pollutants
Caprylates
Alkanesulfonic Acids