Bacterial community dynamics and co-occurrence network patterns during different stages of biochar-driven composting

Stratified biofilm structure of MABR enabling efficient ammonia removal from aquaculture medicated bath wastewater

The presence of high concentrations of residual antibiotics in aquaculture medicated bath wastewater poses challenges to conventional biological nitrogen removal processes. Membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR), known for its energy efficiency and stratified biofilm structure that supports diverse ecological niches, was therefore introduced. Experimental results revealed that MABR achieved an exceptional NH4+-N removal efficiency of 98.2 ± 1.8 % even under high oxytetracycline exposure, attributed to the protective effects of the biofilm on functional bacteria colonized in the inner layer (e.g., ammonia- and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria). Genes mediating the nitrification process, such as amoA/B and nxrA, showed an overall upward trend, with the activation of efflux pumps synergistically constituting the microbial response. Conversely, total nitrogen removal efficiency decreased from 95.3 ± 2.5 % to 76.0 ± 8.8 %, despite enrichment of Denitratisoma oestradiolicum (14.5 %) and denitrifying bacterium clone NOA-1-C (41.7 %), likely due to limited expression of the narG gene. After ceasing oxytetracycline dosing and adjusting operational parameters, total nitrogen removal improved to 87.4 ± 5.8 %. The results of this study underscore the significance and resilience of MABR technology in the treatment of aquaculture medicated bath wastewater.

Synergistic effect and mechanism analysis of biochar regulator on heavy metal passivation and microplastic degradation in sewage sludge compost

Heavy metal passivation and microplastic in sludge threaten environment and cause human health risks, and thus necessary to find effective remediation strategies. To solve this issue, the synergistic effect of biochar on pollutants remediation during sludge composting is still not well explored. In this study, different doses of cotton stalk biochar (0 %, 2.5 %, 5 %, 7.5 %, 10 % CSB; and labeled T1-T5) were applied to sludge composting to investigate the synergistic effect of CSB on pollutants (copper, zinc, and microplastics) and explore the influence mechanism. Results showed that CSB could effectively increase the yield of humic acid (15.85-22.08 g/kg) and reduce the content of extractable copper (59.37-81.10 %) and extractable zinc (27.07-51.45 %). Among them, T5 was superior in the passivation of heavy metals. In addition, CSB optimized the environmental factors to increase the degradation rate of microplastics by 16.23∼57.86 %, exhibiting dose-dependent improvement. The microbiological analysis showed that CSB could decrease the relative abundance of Firmicutes (29.16-59.20 %) and increase the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (14.10-33.48 %), Actinobacteriota (2.55-46.25 %) and Ascomycota (11.36-65.71 %) in the high temperature stage of compost. For correlation analysis, T4 and T5 could better enhance the positive correlation between environmental factors and microorganisms. In summary, T5 could minimize the content of heavy metals and microplastics in compost products, and it had the highest level of application value. Hence, this study is of great significance for reducing the pollutant risk of sludge composting.

Unraveling the synergistic effect of biochar and potassium solubilizing bacteria on potassium availability and rapeseed growth in acidic soil

Potassium (K) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth. However, its bioavailability is low in acidic soils. Excessive K fertilization deteriorates the soil health, thus highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives. In previous studies, biochar application has been proven to be an effective amendment. Meanwhile, various potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) have been identified in soil that contributes to K bioavailability. However, their interaction under combine (co) application in acidic soil and its effects on K availability remain poorly understood. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the synergistic effect of co-application of rice straw biochar (BC) and KSB consortium on K availability to promote rapeseed growth. The treatment plan consisted of CK (control), recommended K fertilizer, 2 % BC (2 % w/w), KSB consortium, KSB consortium + 2 % BC (2 % w/w). Results of soil analysis conducted after crop maturity showed that co-application of 2 % BC and KSB consortium significantly improved the soil pH and organic matter contents by 0.62 and 12.52 units respectively, relative to CK. Meanwhile, soil available nutrients were greatly enhanced, as available K content increased by 52.1 %, which indicated that co-application of 2 % BC and KSB consortium could facilitate the better conversion of different forms of soil K and make it available for plant uptake. Furthermore, it also improved extracellular enzymatic activities (26.7-71.6 %) and soil bacterial community (Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes). These improvements greatly enhanced plant biomass (46 %) and yield (31 %). Overall results proved that co-application of 2 % BC and KSB effectively enhanced K availability for sustainable plant growth. Still, there is a need to identify the most efficient KSB strains that, in conjugation with BC, reduce the K fertilizer usage.

Humus Soil Inhibits Antibiotic Resistance Gene Rebound in Swine Manure Composting by Modulating Microecological Niches

Aerobic composting is widely used for the degradation of organic matter, simultaneously reducing the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in swine manure. However, the phenomenon of abundance rebound or even enrichment of ARGs is still a problem. The effect and mechanism of humus soil (Hs) on ARG reduction by adding it into the piles (0% for the control group (CK); 10% for S1 group; 20% for S2 group; and 30% for S3 group) after the thermophilic phase of composting was investigated. The results indicated that Hs promoted organic matter degradation and nitrogen loss. During days 15-36, the greatest reduction of 69.91% in total ARG abundance was observed in S2, while the abundance rebounded by 222.75% in CK and decreased only 13.71% in S3. With the 20% Hs addition, 85.42% abundance reduction for mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and 100% removal rates for aadA5, aadA9, sul1, sul2, and tetX were achieved. Moreover, the addition of Hs immediately changed the bacterial community structure of the substrate and varied the bacterial community successional direction in the treatments. Additionally, significantly positive correlations (|r| > 0.6; p < 0.05) were found between the top 20 genera and ARGs. The potential host bacteria for ARGs changed from Lactobacillus, Fermentimonas, Pusillimonas, and Ruminofilibacter in CK to Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, and Streptococcus in S2, highlighting the shift and reduction in host bacteria driven by Hs, which, in turn, influenced the abundance variations in ARGs. This study verified the feasibility of inhibiting the rebound of ARG abundance effectively by influencing the microecological niche in the pile, offering an approach for promoting a reduction in ARGs in animal wastes.

Enhancing nutrient efficiency through optimizing protein levels in lambs: Involvement of gastrointestinal microbiota

Improving the nutrient utilization efficiency of ruminants is of utmost significance for both economic and environmental benefits. Optimizing dietary protein levels represents a key nutritional strategy to enhance ruminant growth performance and reduce nitrogen emissions. In a 63-day experiment, 24 healthy Hulunbuir lambs (initial weight 17.1 ± 2.0 kg, 2.5 months old) were subjected to three treatments: a low-protein diet (LP; crude protein of 78.4 g/kg dry matter [DM]), a medium-protein diet (MP; crude protein of 112.0 g/kg DM), and a high-protein diet (HP; crude protein of 145.6 g/kg DM), with 8 lambs in each treatment (4 males and 4 females). Lambs in the MP treatment presented greater daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio than those in the HP treatment (P < 0.05, quadratically). Compared with the LP treatment, the MP treatment resulted in greater crude protein digestibility (P < 0.001, quadratically) and acid detergent fiber digestibility (P = 0.022, quadratically). In the serum, the urea nitrogen level increased quadratically with increasing dietary protein levels (P < 0.001), while the LP treatment exerted the highest concentrations of glutamate, glycine, alanine, and histidine (P < 0.05, quadratically). The ammonia nitrogen concentrations in the rumen and colon increased quadratically with increase in dietary protein levels (P < 0.05). The HP treatment increased the molar concentrations of isobutyrate and isovalerate in the rumen and colon (P < 0.05, quadratically). In contrast, the LP treatment decreased the molar proportion of acetate (P = 0.007, quadratically) and increased the molar proportion of butyrate (P < 0.001, quadratically) in the colon. The microbial diversity and structure were significantly altered by dietary protein level intervention across all gastrointestinal regions. The rumen of the MP treatment was enriched with fiber-degrading bacteria Fibrobacter_succeinogenes and starch-degrading bacteria Selenomonas_ruminantium. The colon in the LP treatment harbored microbial biomarkers including Escherichia spp. and Lactobacillus amylovorus, and the colon in the MP treatment was characterized by the enrichment of Solibacillus_cecembensis. These findings suggest that the MP diet with a crude protein content of 112.0 g/kg DM improved the growth performance and nutrient efficiency of lambs, which was achieved via the involvement of the gastrointestinal microbiota.

Important ecophysiological roles of Nocardiopsis in lignocellulose degradation during aerobic compost with humic acid addition

Improving lignocellulose degradation and organic matter conversion in agricultural and livestock wastes remains a great challenge. Here, the contribution of humic acid (HA) to lignocellulose degradation was investigated, focusing on the abundance of key microbial species and carbohydrate-active enzymes during aerobic composting. The results demonstrated that the addition of HA not only increased the complexity of the microbial network, but also enhanced the positive interaction between microorganism. The abundance of phylum Actinobacteria related to lignin degradation was significantly increased, especially genus Nocardiopsis (50.97 %), and Nocardiopsis was significantly positively correlated with HA and humus (HS) (p < 0.05). Additionally, the abundance of GH (43.45%) and AA (5.88%) enzymes and the activation of metabolic pathways of AA, carbohydrates and energy were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Remarkably, the quantity of lignocellulose-degrading genes and carbohydrate-active enzymes experienced a marked boost (p < 0.05), with the peak abundance observed in Nocardiopsis. The structural equation model revealed that the addition of HA boosted the abundance of Nocardiopsis, which in turn amplified lignocellulose degradation by up-regulating lignocellulose degradation genes and enhancing carbohydrase activity, and facilitating the conversion of HA and FA. The lignocellulose degradation experiment verified that Nocardiopsis alba exhibited good ability in the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. These findings provided a novel perspective on the mechanisms underlying lignocellulose degradation, and broaden the understanding of the ecophysiological role of Nocardiopsis in composting system.

Impact of cellulolytic nitrogen-fixing composite inoculants on humification pathways and nitrogen cycling in kitchen waste composting

Low humification and nitrogen loss pose substantial challenges to the resource utilization in kitchen waste composting. This study investigated the effects of brown-rot fungi (BRF), cellulolytic nitrogen fixing bacteria (CNFB), and their composite microbial inoculants (CMI) during composting. Results indicated that microbial inoculants extended the thermophilic phase and enhanced cellulose degradation. Compared with the control, the degree of polymerization (HA/FA) in BRF, CNFB, and CMI was 2.28, 1.85, and 2.68 times higher, respectively, while increasing total nitrogen by 11.15%, 15.50%, and 19.73%. BRF and CMI primarily enhanced the Maillard humification pathway, while CNFB promoted the polyphenol humification pathway. Additionally, BRF enhanced nitrification and reduced denitrification, whereas CNFB and CMI improved nitrification, nitrogen fixation, and ammonification while reducing denitrification. Overall, BRF primarily promoted humification, while CNFB excelled in nitrogen retention. The CMI achieved optimal humification and nitrogen retention, indicating a potential sustainable solution for kitchen waste composting.

Vermiculite changed greenhouse gases emission and microbial community succession in vermicomposting: Particle size investigation

Greenhouse gas emissions during composting inevitably cause environmental pollution. This study investigated the effects of 10 % vermiculite of four particle sizes (<1.5 mm, 1.5-3 mm, 3-5.5 mm and 5.5-8 mm) on greenhouse gas emissions during vermicomposting of corn stover and cow dung. The results revealed that vermiculite reduced CH4 and N2O emissions but increased CO2 emissions. Vermiculite with a particle size of 3-5.5 mm presented the greatest environmental benefits, increasing cumulative CO2 emissions by 19 % and reducing CH4 and N2O emissions by 49 % and 62 %, respectively. A negative correlation was found between the specific surface area of vermiculite and cumulative greenhouse gas emissions (r = -0.7949). Furthermore, vermiculite intensified microbial interactions and accelerated microbial community succession. These results have important implications for understanding how vermiculite regulates greenhouse gas emissions and microbial mechanisms during the vermicomposting process.

Effect of Warming on Soil Fungal Community Along Altitude Gradients in a Subalpine Meadow

The subalpine grassland ecosystem is sensitive to climatic changes. Previous studies investigated the effects of warming on grassland ecosystems at a single altitude, with little information about the response of subalpine meadows to warming along altitude gradients. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of warming on aboveground grass, belowground soil properties, and fungal community along altitude gradients in the subalpine meadow of Mount Wutai using the high-throughput sequencing method. Warming reduced the restriction of low temperatures on the growth of subalpine grass, resulting in increasing grass biomass, community height, and coverage. More grass biomass led to higher soil organic carbon resources, which primarily affected fungal community composition following warming. Warming might induce more stochastic processes of fungal community assembly, increasing fungal diversity at low altitudes. In contrast, warming triggered more deterministic processes to decrease fungal diversity at medium and high altitudes. Warming might improve the efficiency of soil nutrient cycling and organic matter turnover by increasing the relative abundance of soil saprotrophs and improving fungal network connectivity. The relative abundance of certain grass pathogens significantly increased following warming, thereby posing potential risks to the sustainability and stability of subalpine meadow ecosystems. Overall, this study comprehensively evaluated the response of the subalpine meadow ecosystems to warming along altitude gradients, clarifying that warming changes soil fungal community composition at different altitudes. The long-term monitoring of pathogen-related shifts should be conducted in subalpine meadow ecosystem following warming. This study provided significant scientific insights into the impact of future climatic changes on subalpine ecosystems.

Microplastics and benthic animals reshape the geochemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter by inducing changes in keystone microbes in riparian sediments

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in riparian sediments plays a vital role in regulating element cycling and pollutant behavior of river ecosystems. Microplastics (MPs) and benthic animals (BAs) have been frequently detected in riparian sediments, influencing the substance transformation in river ecosystems. However, there is still a lack of systematic investigation on the effects of MPs and BAs on sediment DOM. This study investigated the impact of MPs and BAs on the geochemical characteristics of DOM in riparian sediments and their microbial mechanisms. The results showed that MPs and BAs increased sediment DOC concentration by 34.24%∼232.97% and promoted the conversion of macromolecular components to small molecular components, thereby reducing the humification degree of DOM. Mathematical model verified that the changes of keystone microbes composition in sediments were direct factors affecting the characteristics of DOM in riparian sediment. Especially, MPs tolerant microbes, including Planctomicrobium, Rhodobacter, Hirschia and Lautropia, significantly increased DOC concentration and decreased humification degree (P < 0.05). In addition, MPs and BAs could also influence keystone microbes in sediments by altering the structure of microbial network, thereby indirectly affecting DOM characteristics. The study demonstrates the pollution behavior of MPs in river ecosystems and provides a basis for protecting the ecological function of riparian sediments from MPs pollution.

Optimizing roof-harvested rainwater storage: Impact of dissolved oxygen regime on self-purification and quality dynamics

Roof-harvested rainwater presents a promising, unconventional, and sustainable water resource for both potable and non-potable uses. However, there is a significant gap in understanding the quality evolution of stored rainwater under varying dissolved oxygen conditions and its suitability for various applications. This study investigated the evolution of rainwater quality under three distinct storage conditions: aerated, open, and sealed. Additionally, the microbial community and metabolic functions were analyzed to systematically evaluate the self-purification performance over long-term storage durations. The results indicate that aerated storage enhances microbial carbon metabolism, leading to a degradation rate of 54.4 %. Sealed and open storage conditions exhibited primary organic matter degradation during the early and late stages, respectively. Roof-rainwater harvesting (RRWH) systems showed limited denitrification activity across all three dissolved oxygen conditions. The maximum accumulation of NO3-N during the storage period reached 5.23 mg/L. In contrast, sealed storage demonstrated robust self-purification performance, evidenced by a comprehensive coefficient of 15.83 calculated by Streeter-Phelps model. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms governing rainwater quality changes under various storage conditions, emphasizing the necessity for developing effective management strategies for the storage and utilization of roof-harvested rainwater.

Potassium persulfate enhances humification of chicken manure and straw composting: The perspective of rare and abundant microbial community structure and ecological interactions

Improper disposal of organic solid waste results in serious environmental pollution. Aerobic composting provides an environmentally friendly treatment method, but improving humification of raw materials remains a challenge. This study revealed the effect of different concentrations of potassium persulfate (PP) on humification of chicken manure and straw aerobic composting and the underlying microbial mechanisms. The results showed that when 0.6 % PP was added (PPH group), humus and the degree of polymerization were 80.77 mg/g and 2.52, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in 0.3 % PP (PPL group). As the concentration of PP was increased, the composition of rare taxa (RT) changed and improved in evenness, while abundant taxa (AT) was unaffected. Additionally, the density (0.037), edges (3278), and average degree (15.21) in the co-occurrence network decreased compared to PPL, while the average path (4.021) and modularity increased in PPH. This resulted in facilitating the turnover of matter, information, and energy among the microbes. Interestingly, cooperative behavior between microorganisms during the maturation period (24-60 d) occurred in PPH, but competitive relationships dominated in PPL. Cooperative behavior was positively correlated with humus (p < 0.05). Because the indices, such as higher degree, betweenness centrality, eigenvector centrality, and closeness centrality of the AT, were located in the microbial network center compared to RT, they were unaffected by the concentration of PP. The abundance of carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways, which play an important role in humification, were higher in PPH. These findings contribute to understanding the relative importance of composition, interactions, and metabolic functionality of RT and AT on humification during chicken manure and straw aerobic composting under different concentrations of PP, as well as provide a basic reference for use of various conditioning agents to promote humification of organic solid waste.

Contributions of the bacterial communities to the microcystin degradation and nutrient transformations during aerobic composting of algal sludge

Aerobic composting is a useful method for managing and disposing of salvaged algal sludge. To optimize the composting process and improve compost quality, it is necessary to understand the functions and responses of microbial communities therein. This work studied the degradation process of organic matter and the assemblage of bacterial communities in algal sludge composting via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The results showed that 77.08% of the microcystin was degraded during the thermophilic stage of composting, which was the main period for microcystin degradation. Bacterial community composition and diversity changed significantly during the composting, and gradually stabilized as the compost matured. Different composting stages may be dominated by different module groups separately, as shown in the co-occurrence networks of composting bacterial communities. In the networks, all bacteria associated with microcystin degradation were identified as connectors between different module groups. The algal sludge composting process was driven primarily by deterministic processes, and the main driving forces for bacterial community assembly were temperature, dissolved organic carbon, ammonium, and microcystin. At last, by applying the structural equation modeling method, the bacterial communities under influences of physiochemical properties were proved as the main mediators for the microcystin degradation. This study provides valuable insights into the optimization of bacterial communities in composting to improve the efficiency of microcystin degradation and the quality of the compost product.

Circular Utilization of Coffee Grounds as a Bio-Nutrient through Microbial Transformation for Leafy Vegetables

This study explores the production of bio-nutrients from bioactive compound-rich spent coffee grounds (SCG) and biochar (BC) through composting after inoculation with a biological agent and its impact on the growth performance of garden cress and spinach. The SCG was composted with six doses of BC (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%). The compost with 10% BC exhibited the best maturity, humification, and phytotoxicity index values of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), humification index (E4/E6), and germination index (GI). A metagenome analysis showed that compost starter enhanced the bacterial community's relative abundance, richness, and diversity in SCG and BC treatments. This improvement included increased Patescibacteria, which can break down noxious phenolic compounds found in SCG and BC. The BC enriched the compost with phosphorus and potassium while preserving the nitrogen. In plant growth experiments, the total chlorophyll content in compost-treated garden cress and spinach was 2.47 and 4.88 mg g-1, respectively, which was significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) than in unfertilized plants and similar to the plants treated with traditional fertilizer. Overall, the results show that the compost of SCG + BC was well-suited for promoting the growth of garden cress and spinach, providing adequate nutrients as a fertilizer for these leafy vegetables.

Analysis of bacterial community structure, functional variation, and assembly mechanisms in multi-media habitats of lakes during the frozen period

Ice, water, and sediment represent three interconnected habitats in lake ecosystems, and bacteria are crucial for maintaining ecosystem equilibrium and elemental cycling across these habitats. However, the differential characteristics and driving mechanisms of bacterial community structures in the ice, water, and sediments of seasonally frozen lakes remain unclear. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze and compare the structure, function, network characteristics, and assembly mechanisms of bacterial communities in the ice, water, and sediment of Wuliangsuhai, a typical cold region in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that the bacterial communities in the ice and water phases had similar diversity and composition, with Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteria, Campilobacterota, and Cyanobacteria as dominant phyla. The bacterial communities in sediments displayed significant differences from ice and water, with Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Desulfobacterota, and Acidobacteriota being the dominant phyla. Notably, the bacterial communities in water exhibited higher spatial variability in their distribution than those in ice and sediment. This study also revealed that during the frozen period, the bacterial community species in the ice, water, and sediment media were dominated by cooperative relationships. Community assembly was primarily influenced by stochastic processes, with dispersal limitation and drift identified as the two most significant factors within this process. However, heterogeneous selection also played a significant role in the community composition. Furthermore, functions related to nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, carbon, and hydrogen cycling vary among bacterial communities in ice, water, and sediment. These findings elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms driving variability in bacterial community structure and changes in water quality across different media phases (ice, water, and sediment) in cold-zone lakes during the freezing period, offering new insights for water environmental protection and ecological restoration efforts in such environments.

Enhancing total nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands: A Comparative study of iron ore and biochar amendments

Efficient nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands (CWs) remains challenging when treating agricultural runoff with a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N). However, using biochar, iron ore, and FeCl3-modified biochar (Fe-BC) as amendments could potentially improve total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency in CWs, but the underlying mechanisms associated with adding these substrates are unclear. In this study, five CWs: quartz sand constructed wetland (Control), biochar constructed wetland, Fe-BC constructed wetland, iron ore constructed wetland, and iron ore + biochar constructed wetland, were built to compare their treatment performance. The rhizosphere microbial community compositions and their co-occurrence networks were analyzed to reveal the underlying mechanisms driving their treatment performance. The results showed that iron ore was the most efficient amendment, although all treatments increased TN removal efficiency in the CWs. Ammonia-oxidizing, heterotrophic denitrifying, nitrate-dependent anaerobic ferrous oxidizing (NAFO), and Feammox bacteria abundance was higher in the iron ore system and led to the simultaneous removal of NH4+-N, NO3--N, and NO2--N. Visual representations of the co-occurrence networks further revealed that there was an increase in cooperative mutualism (the high proportion of positive links) and more complex interactions among genera related to the nitrogen and iron cycle (especially ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria, NAFO bacteria, and Feammox bacteria) in the iron ore system, which ultimately contributed to the highest TN removal efficiency. This study provides critical insights into how different iron ore or biochar substrates could be used to treat agricultural runoff in CWs.

Enhanced denitrification and p-nitrophenol removal performance via hydrophilic sponge carriers fixed with dual-bacterial: Optimization, performance, and enhancement mechanism

Effective treatment of industrial wastewater containing complex pollutants, such as nitrate (NO3--N) and organic pollutants, remains a significant challenge to date. Here, a strain Nocardioides sp. ZS2 with denitrification and degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) was isolated and its culture conditions were optimized by kinetic analysis. Hydrophilic sponge carriers were prepared using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and chitosan (CS) to construct bioreactors. Furthermore, to further enhance the PNP degradation and denitrification performance of bioreactors, Pseudomonas stutzeri GF2 with denitrification capability was introduced. The results revealed that the removal efficiencies of PNP and NO3--N reached 97.9 % and 91.9 %, respectively, when hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 h, C/N of 2.0, and pH of 6.5. The bioreactor exhibited stable denitrification performance even with fluctuations in the influent PNP concentration. The potential functional prediction results revealed that the abundance of amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates increased as the influent C/N decreased, reflecting a tendency of the microbial community to adjust carbon source utilization to maintain cell growth, metabolic balance, and resist adverse C/N environments. This research provides new insights into the effective removal of organic pollutants and NO3--N in wastewater treatment.

Effect of microbial inoculation on nitrogen transformation, nitrogen functional genes, and bacterial community during cotton straw composting

The effects of microbial agents on nitrogen (N) conversion during cotton straw composting remains unclear. In this study, inoculation increased the germination index and total nitrogen (TN) by 24-29 % and 7-10 g/kg, respectively. Inoculation enhanced the abundance of nifH, glnA, and amoA and reduced that of major denitrification genes (nirK, narG, and nirS). Inoculation not only produced high differences in the assembly process and strong community replacement but also weakened environmental constraints. Partial least squares path modelling demonstrated that enzyme activity and bacterial community were the main driving factors influencing TN. In addition, network analysis and the random forest model showed distinct changing patterns of bacterial communities after inoculation and identified keystone microorganisms in maintaining network complexity and synergy, as well as system function to promote nitrogen preservation. Findings provide a novel perspective on high-quality resource recovery of agricultural waste.

Insight into N2O emission and denitrifier communities under different aeration intensities in composting of cattle manure from perspective of multi-factor interaction analysis

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from composting is a significant contributor to greenhouse effect and ozone depletion, which poses a threat to environment. To address the challenge of mitigating N2O emission during composting, this study investigated the response of N2O emission and denitrifier communities (detected by metagenome sequencing) to aeration intensities of 6 L/min (C6), 12 L/min (C12), and 18 L/min (C18) in cattle manure composting using multi-factor interaction analysis. Results showed that N2O emission occurred mainly at mesophilic phase. Cumulative N2O emission (QN2O, 9.79 mg·kg-1 DW) and total nitrogen loss (TN loss, 16.40 %) in C12 composting treatment were significantly lower than those in the other two treatments. The lower activity of denitrifying enzymes and the more complex and balanced network of denitrifiers and environmental factors might be responsible for the lower N2O emission. Denitrification was confirmed to be the major pathway for N2O production. Moisture content (MC) and Luteimonas were the key factors affecting N2O emission, and nosZ-carrying denitrifier played a significant role in reducing N2O emission. Although relative abundance of nirS was lower than that of nirK significantly (P < 0.05), nirS was the key gene influencing N2O emission. Community composition of denitrifier varied significantly with different aeration treatments (R2 = 0.931, P = 0.001), and Achromobacter was unique to C12 at mesophilic phase. Physicochemical factors had higher effect on QN2O, whereas denitrifying genes, enzymes and NOX- had lower effect on QN2O in C12. The complex relationship between N2O emission and the related factors could be explained by multi-factor interaction analysis more comprehensively. This study provided a novel understanding of mechanism of N2O emission regulated by aeration intensity in composting.

Enhancing simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus availability through biochar addition during Chinese medicinal herbal residues composting: Synergism of microbes and humus

The disposal of Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHRs) derived from Chinese medicine extraction poses a significant environmental challenge. Aerobic composting presents a sustainable treatment method, yet optimizing nutrient conversion remains a critical concern. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of biochar addition on nitrogen and phosphorus transformation to enhance the efficacy and quality of compost products. The findings reveal that incorporating biochar considerably enhanced the process of nutrient conversion. Specifically, biochar addition promoted the retention of bioavailable organic nitrogen and reduced nitrogen loss by 28.1 %. Meanwhile, adding biochar inhibited the conversion of available phosphorus to non-available phosphorus while enhancing its conversion to moderately available phosphorus, thereby preserving phosphorus availability post-composting. Furthermore, the inclusion of biochar altered microbial community structure and fostered organic matter retention and humus formation, ultimately affecting the modification of nitrogen and phosphorus forms. Structural equation modeling revealed that microbial community had a more pronounced impact on bioavailable organic nitrogen, while humic acid exerted a more significant effect on phosphorus availability. This research provides a viable approach and foundation for regulating the levels of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients during composting, serving as a valuable reference for the development of sustainable utilization technologies pertaining to CMHRs.

Significant Differences in Intestinal Bacterial Communities of Sympatric Bean Goose, Hooded Crane, and Domestic Goose

The host's physiological well-being is intricately associated with the gut microbiota. However, previous studies regarding the intestinal microbiota have focused on domesticated or captive birds. This study used high-throughput sequencing technology to identify the gut bacterial communities of sympatric bean geese, hooded cranes, and domestic geese. The results indicated that the gut bacterial diversity in domestic geese and hooded cranes showed considerably higher diversity than bean geese. The gut bacterial community compositions varied significantly among the three hosts (p < 0.05). Compared to the hooded crane, the bean goose and domestic goose were more similar in their genotype and evolutionary history, with less difference in the bacterial community composition and assembly processes between the two species. Thus, the results might support the crucial role of host genotypes on their gut microbiota. The gut bacteria of wild hooded cranes and bean geese had a greater capacity for energy metabolism compared to domestic geese, suggesting that wild birds may rely more on their gut microbiota to survive in cold conditions. Moreover, the intestines of the three hosts were identified as harboring potential pathogens. The relative abundance of pathogens was higher in the hooded crane compared to the other two species. The hooded crane gut bacterial community assemblage revealed the least deterministic process with the lowest filtering/selection on the gut microbiota, which might have been a reason for the highest number of pathogens result. Compared to the hooded crane, the sympatric bean goose showed the least diversity and relative abundance of pathogens. The intestinal bacterial co-occurrence network showed the highest stability in the bean goose, potentially enhancing host resistance to adverse environments and reducing the susceptibility to pathogen invasion. In this study, the pathogens were also discovered to overlap among the three hosts, reminding us to monitor the potential for pathogen transmission between poultry and wild birds. Overall, the current findings have the potential to enhance the understanding of gut bacterial and pathogenic community structures in poultry and wild birds.

Fenton-ultrasound treatment of corn stalks enhances humification during composting by stimulating the inheritance and synthesis of polyphenolic compounds-preliminary evidence from a laboratory trial

The impact of Fenton-ultrasound treatment on the production of polyphenols and humic acid (HA) during corn stalk composting was investigated by analyzing the potential for microbial assimilation of polysaccharides in corn stalks to generate polyphenols using a13C-glucose tracer. The results showed that Fenton-ultrasound treatment promoted the decomposition of lignocellulose and increased the HA content, degree of polymerization (DP), and humification index (HI). The primary factor could be attributed to Fenton-ultrasound treatment-induced enhanced the abundance of lignocellulose-degrading microorganisms, as Firmicutes, Actinobacteria phylum and Aspergillis genus, which serve as the primary driving forces behind polyphenol and HA formation. Additionally, the utilization of a13C isotope tracer revealed that corn stalk polysaccharide decomposition products can be assimilated by microbes and subsequently secrete polyphenolic compounds. This study highlights the potential of microbial activity to generate phenolic compounds, offering a theoretical basis for increasing polyphenol production and promoting HA formation during composting.

Bio-organic fertilizer facilitated phytoremediation of heavy metal(loid)s-contaminated saline soil by mediating the plant-soil-rhizomicrobiota interactions

Bio-organic fertilizer (BOF) was effective to promote the phytoremediation efficiency of heavy metal(loid)s-contaminated saline soil (HCSS) by improving rhizosphere soil properties, especially microbiome. However, there existed unclear impacts of BOF on plant metabolome and plant-driven manipulation on rhizosphere soil microbiota in HCSS, which were pivotal contributors to stress defense of plants trapped in adverse conditions. Here, a pot experiment was conducted to explore the mechanisms of BOF in improving alfalfa (Medicago sativa)-performing phytoremediation of HCSS. BOF application significantly increased the biomass (150.87-401.58 %) to support the augments of accumulation regarding heavy metal(loid)s (87.50 %-410.54 %) and salts (38.27 %-271.04 %) in alfalfa. BOF promoted nutrients and aggregates stability but declined pH of rhizosphere soil, accompanied by the boosts of rhizomicrobiota including increased activity, reshaped community structure, enriched plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (Blastococcus, Modestobacter, Actinophytocola, Bacillus, and Streptomyces), strengthened mycorrhizal symbiosis (Leohumicola, Funneliformis, and unclassified_f_Ceratobasidiaceae), optimized co-occurrence networks, and beneficial shift of keystones. The conjoint analysis of plant metabolome and physiological indices confirmed that BOF reprogrammed the metabolic processes (synthesis, catabolism, and long-distance transport of amino acid, lipid, carbohydrate, phytohormone, stress-resistant secondary metabolites, etc) and physiological functions (energy supply, photosynthesis, plant immunity, nutrients assimilation, etc) that are associated intimately. The consortium of root metabolome, soil metabolome, and soil microbiome revealed that BOF facilitated the exudation of metabolites correlated with rhizomicrobiota (structure, biomarker, and keystone) and rhizosphere oxidative status, e.g., fatty acyls, phenols, coumarins, phenylpropanoids, highlighting the plant-driven regulation on rhizosphere soil microbes and environment. By compiling various results and omics data, it was concluded that BOF favored the adaptation and phytoremediation efficiency of alfalfa by mediating the plant-soil-rhizomicrobiota interactions. The results would deepen understanding of the mechanisms by which BOF improved phytoremediation of HCSS, and provide theoretical guidance to soil amelioration and BOF application.

Microbial metabolism influences microplastic perturbation of dissolved organic matter in agricultural soils

An estimated 258 million tons of plastic enter the soil annually. Joining persistent types of microplastic (MP), there will be an increasing demand for biodegradable plastics. There are still many unknowns about plastic pollution by either type, and one large gap is the fate and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) released from MPs as well as how they interact with soil microbiomes in agricultural systems. In this study, polyethylene MPs, photoaged to different degrees, and virgin polylactic acid MPs were added to agricultural soil at different levels and incubated for 100 days to address this knowledge gap. We find that, upon MP addition, labile components of low aromaticity were degraded and transformed, resulting in increased aromaticity and oxidation degree, reduced molecular diversity, and changed nitrogen and sulfur contents of soil DOM. Terephthalate, acetate, oxalate, and L-lactate in DOM released by polylactic acid MPs and 4-nitrophenol, propanoate, and nitrate in DOM released by polyethylene MPs were the major molecules available to the soil microbiomes. The bacteria involved in the metabolism of DOM released by MPs are mainly concentrated in Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Bacteroidota, and fungi are mainly in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Our study provides an in-depth understanding of the microbial transformation of DOM released by MPs and its effects of DOM evolution in agricultural soils.