Soil microbial communities are disrupted by aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, leading to shifts in ecosystem balance and the emergence of mold-dominated microhabitats. This observation was reported by the press service of the RNF.
Beyond heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons form during various industrial activities and in internal combustion engines. They are recognized as pollutants of soil and air, and environmental monitoring programs track their releases to ensure concentrations stay within established safety limits. PAHs and metals can interfere with soil fertility and modify microbial communities, yet the precise ecological consequences remain only partly understood and are actively investigated by scientists around the world [CITATION].
In response, researchers at Southern Federal University assessed how these contaminants affect the ecology of Taganrog Bay. The study collected two sets of samples: one from areas distant from urban influence and another from zones adjacent to factories and buildings where contamination is more likely. Analyses detected sixteen distinct PAHs and several heavy metals, including chromium, zinc, and cadmium. The findings indicate that suburban soils tend to be comparatively clean, while portions of Taganrog itself show varying degrees of pollution, from moderate to high [CITATION].
The study further quantified microbial abundance in soils from different locations. It was found that spore-forming bacteria and copiotrophs—organisms that require abundant organic nutrients—are most sensitive to contamination, with their populations dropping by about an order of magnitude in heavily polluted sites featuring high PAH and metal levels. In contrast, actinomycetes, filamentous bacteria, and yeasts and molds demonstrated greater resilience, with the latter groups even showing preference for the more polluted microenvironments. This pattern suggests rapid adaptation by certain microbial groups, accompanied by a shift in community structure toward organisms better suited to humified, contaminated soils [CITATION].
The researchers hope their work contributes not only to basic ecological understanding but also to practical soil health assessment. If validated, microbiome profiling could offer a rapid, ground-based proxy for soil quality, enabling quick state assessments without the need for extensive chemical analyses, and supporting more efficient environmental management decisions [CITATION].
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