title: Microbial communities involved in arsenic mobilization and release from the deep sediments into groundwater in Jianghan plain, Central China.
abstract: It was shown that groundwater in Jianghan Plain was severely contaminated by arsenic; however, little is known about the mechanism by which the mineral arsenic was mobilized and released into groundwater from the high-arsenic sediments in this area. Here, we collected sediment samples from the depths of 5-230m in Jianghan Plain. Although all of the samples contain high contents of total arsenic, the soluble arsenic was only detectable in few of the shallow sediments, but was readily detectable in all of the deep sediments at the depths of 190-230m. Analysis of the genes of arsenate-respiring reductases indicated that they were not present in all of the shallow sediments from the depths of 5-185m, but were detectable in all of the deep sediments from the depths of 190-230m; all of the identified reductase genes are new or new-type, and they display unique diversity. Microcosm assay indicated that the microbial communities from the deep sediments were able to reduce As(V) into As(III) using lactate, formate, pyruvate or acetate as an electron donor under anaerobic condition. Arsenic release assay demonstrated that these microbial communalities efficiently catalyzed the mobilization and release of the mineral arsenic into aqueous phase. We also isolated a novel cultivable dissimilatory As(V)-respiring bacterium Aeromonas sp. JH155 from the sediments. It is able to completely reduce 2.0mM As(V) into As(III) in 72h, and efficiently promote the reduction and release of the mineral arsenic into aqueous phase. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the deep sediments contain diversities of microbial communities, which were shaped by the environmental factors, such as As, SO42-, NO3-, Fe and pH value. These data suggest that the microorganisms in the deep sediments in Jianghan Plain played key roles in the mobilization and release of insoluble arsenic into the groundwater.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China. Electronic address: xianchun_zeng@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xian-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China. Electronic address: mateng@cug.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.lastname: Guoji E
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Department of Biological Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China; Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), People's, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: Arsenate-respiring reductase (Arr); Arsenic; Arsenic mobilization; Dissimilatoryarsenate-respiring prokaryote; High-arsenic groundwater; Jianghan plain