Potential transformation of organic matter by microbes in cryoconite,Tibetan Plateau

Microorganisms play an essential role in the glacier carbon cycle;how they transform organic matter in mountain glacial cryoconite remains to be studied.Here,we applied ultra-high resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry(FT-ICR MS)and deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene,to investigate the temporal microbial transformation of dissolved organic matter(DOM)of the Tibetan Plateau cryoconite.During the 60-day incubation,we found that DOM in cryoconite underwent a three-stage transformation,with decreasing bioavailability over time.The microbial community did not change much in the first week while degrading DOM molecules that were associated with higher H/C_(wa)and lower O/C_(wa).During days 15-30,DOM composition remained stable while microbial diversity increased.By day 60,the DOM was microbially converted into a higher state of recalcitrance,with higher values of aromatic index,O/C_(wa),and lower H/C_(wa),which contained molecules containing more heteroatoms.Cooperation among various microbial taxa,like Cyanobacteria,Bacteroidota,Gammaproteobacteria,Firmicutes,and Actinobacteriota,drove the DOM transformation in cryoconite.This study sheds light on the in-situ transformation of DOM composition meditated by microbial populations in cryoconite at a temporal scale,providing new insights into understanding the microbial roles in the glacier organic carbon transformation.

Microbial carbon pump shapes chemical signatures of refractory dissolved organic carbon in ocean water column

The global ocean sequesters a great amount of dissolved organic carbon(DOC),which is mainly originated from indigenous microbial activities(such as photosynthesis and chemoautotrophy)in the water column,as well as various exogenous sources such as riverine input,sediment mobilization,aerosol dissolution,hydrothermal vent effusion,and others(Cai and Jiao,2023).

Molecular characterization of organic matter transformation mediated by microorganisms under anoxic/hypoxic conditions

Dissolved organic matter(DOM) in the ocean is one of the largest carbon pools on Earth. Microbial metabolism is an important process that shapes the marine DOM pool. Current studies on the interactions between microorganisms and DOM focus mainly on oxic environments. Few studies have addressed the molecular characteristics of DOM in microbial-mediated transformation under anoxic/hypoxic conditions. As a result of deteriorating water quality due to eutrophication and global warming, anoxia occurs frequently in coastal waters. In this study, we performed an experiment to investigate changes in microbial community responses and the molecular characteristics of DOM in microbial-mediated transformation under hypoxic conditions. We compared microbial-mediated DOM transformation at different dissolved oxygen levels(7, 5, and 2 mg L^(-1)) and in different media(natural and artificial seawater with and without laminarin). We also investigated differences in DOM composition between groups using spectroscopic analysis and ultrahigh-resolution Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The results showed decreased microbial metabolic activity and delayed community succession at low oxygen(≤2 mg L^(-1)) in natural seawater supplemented with laminarin. The growth of strictly aerobic bacteria such as Pseudomonadaceae and Sphingomonadaceae was inhibited and the total organic carbon utilization rate was reduced by 36.9–46.7% from 4 to 32days. Moreover, tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like components were preserved, while DOM humification and modified aromaticity indices were significantly reduced under low oxygen conditions. This experiment provides justification for further study of the processes and mechanisms of improved labile DOM preservation in anoxic estuarine and coastal waters.

Excessive greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater treatment plants by using the chemical oxygen demand standard

Chemical oxygen demand(COD)is widely used as an organic pollution indicator in wastewater treatment plants.Large amounts of organic matter are removed during treatment processes to meet environmental standards,and consequently,substantial greenhouse gases(GHGs)such as methane(CH_(4))are released.However,the COD indicator covers a great amount of refractory organic matter that is not a pollutant and could be a potential carbon sink.Here,we collected and analysed COD data from 86 worldwide municipal wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs)and applied a model published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to estimate the emission of CH_(4) due to recalcitrant organic compound processing in China’s municipal wastewater treatment systems.Our results showed that the average contribution of refractory COD to total COD removal was55%in 86 WWTPs.The amount of CH_(4) released from the treatment of recalcitrant organic matter in 2018 could have been as high as 38.22 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent,which amounts to the annual carbon sequestered by China’s wetlands.This suggests that the use of COD as an indicator for organic pollution is undue and needs to be revised to reduce the emission of GHG.In fact,leaving nontoxic recalcitrant organic matter in the wastewater may create a significant carbon sink and will save energy during the treatment process,aiming at carbon neutrality in the wastewater treatment industry.