Arsenic biogeochemical cycling association with basin-scale dynamics of microbial functionality and organic matter molecular composition

Abstract

Geogenic arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater is a sustaining global health concern that is tightly constrained by multiple interrelated biogeochemical processes. However, a complete spectrum of the biogeochemical network of high-As groundwater remains to be established, concurrently neglecting systematic zonation of groundwater biogeochemistry on the regional scale. We uncovered the geomicrobial interaction network governing As biogeochemical pathways by merging in-field hydrogeochemical monitoring, metagenomic analyses, and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) characterization of dissolved organic matter. In oxidizing to weakly reducing environments, the nitrate-reduction and sulfate-reduction encoding genes (narGHI, sat) inhibited the dissolution of As-bearing iron minerals, leading to lower As levels in groundwater. In settings from weakly to moderately reducing, high abundances of sulfate-reduction and iron-transport encoding genes boosted iron mineral dissolution and consequent As release. As it evolved to strongly reducing stage, elevated abundance of methane cycle-related genes (fae, fwd, fmd) further enhanced As mobilization in part by triggering the formation of gaseous methylarsenic. During redox cycling of N, S, Fe, C and As in groundwater, As migration to groundwater and immobilization in mineral particles are geochemically constrained by basin-scale dynamics of microbial functionality and DOM molecular composition. The study constructs a theoretical model to summarize new perspectives on the biogeochemical network of As cycling.