Risk assessment for and microbial community changes in Farmland soil contaminated with heavy metals and metalloids

Food security and human health can be seriously affected by heavy metal and metalloid (HM) pollution of soil. In this study, the risks posed by HMs and microbial community responses to HM pollution of agricultural soil in southwestern China were investigated. The C, N, P, and S (nutrients) concentrations were 12040.7-15912.7, 1298.06-1832.01, 750.91-2050.35, and 269.17-2115.52 mg/kg, respectively. The As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations were 3.11-8.20, 1.85-6.56, 22.83-43.96, 11.21-23.30, 0.08-0.81, 11.02-22.97, 24.07-42.96, and 193.63-698.39 mg/kg, respectively. Interpolation analysis indicated that the nutrient and HM concentrations varied spatially rather strongly. The concentrations of all of the elements were higher in soil from the northern sampling sites than in soil from the other sites. HMs in soil were found to pose high levels of risk (RI 898.85, i.e., > 600). Cd contributed more than the other HMs to the risk assessment values (Er-Cd 293.72-1031.94), so was the most serious contaminant. Microbial diversity decreased over time in soil with high HM concentrations (plot S2) and was lower than in soil with low HM concentrations (plot S8). The nutrient and HM concentrations correlated with the microbial community characteristics. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi were (in decreasing order) the dominant bacterial phyla. We speculate that these phyla may be strongly resistant to HMs. The fourth most common phylum was Actinobacteria. Bacteria in this phylum could be used as biological indicators of the HM pollution status. Soil micro-ecosystems can self-regulate. HM stress will affect the evolution of soil microorganisms and relevant functional genes. The spatiotemporal variability in the microbial community responses to HMs and the spatial analysis and ecological risk assessment results will be useful reference data for the remediation of HM-polluted soil.