Characterization of two keystone taxa, sulfur-oxidizing, and nitrate-reducing bacteria, by tracking their role transitions in the benzo[a]pyrene degradative microbiome

Enhanced microbial degradation of hexabromocyclododecane in riparian sediments through regulating flooding regimes

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a persistent halogenated organic pollutant, has been commonly detected in river sediments, especially in riparian zones, but strategies for promoting its microbial degradation remain insufficiently explored. This study hypothesized that regulating the flooding regime of sediments could accelerate microbial degradation of HBCD in riparian zones and evaluated the underlying mechanisms. Results showed that, compared with high-frequency flooding-drying or no alternations, the low-frequency flooding-drying alternation (6 weeks of flooding and 6 weeks of drying, 6F:6D) significantly promoted microbial degradation of HBCD. This may be due to changes in sediment redox potential under the 6F:6D regime, facilitating the sequential reductive debromination and aerobic degradation process of HBCD. The abundances of organohalide-respiring bacteria (Dehalococcoides spp. and Dehalogenimonas spp.) were always high in the 6F:6D regime, irrespective of flooding or drying periods. Furthermore, the complex bacterial co-occurrence patterns, specific ecological clusters, and potential keystone species including the genera Methylibium, Nitrospira, and Dehalococcoides, may play important degradative roles of HBCD in the 6F:6D regime. Overall, microbial degradation of HBCD can be promoted under low-frequency flooding-drying alternation regulated by hydraulic structures, providing an effective and eco-friendly strategy for ecological restoration.

The key monooxygenase involved in phenanthrene degradation of Ruegeria sp. PrR005

As a typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), phenanthrene is often present in diverse environments, leading to severe environmental contamination. However, bacterial degradation plays a crucial role in remediating phenanthrene contamination and has been widely adopted. The widely distributed marine Roseobacter-clade bacteria are frequently found in phenanthrene-contaminated environments, but their catalyzing ability and related molecular mechanism have been rarely elucidated. Our previous work showed Ruegeria sp. PrR005 isolated from the Pearl River Estuary sediment could degrade phenanthrene and other PAHs. Integrated approaches including multi-omics and biochemical analysis were applied here to explore its catabolism mechanism. The genomic and transcriptomic analysis indicated that six new P450 monooxygenase proteins could be closely associated with phenanthrene degradation. Heterologous expression of P450 monooxygenase candidates revealed that PrR005_00615, PrR005_04282, PrR005_04577 have considerable activity in phenanthrene removal, with PrR005_00615 being the primary contributor. Further, the biochemical and metabolic analysis revealed that PrR005_00615 could catalyze phenanthrene to phenanthrene-9,10-epoxide by introducing an oxygen atom at 9,10-carbon positions, which functioned as a monooxygenase. The present study provides compelling evidences of a novel enzyme responsible for catalyzing the initial step of phenanthrene transformation in PrR005. These findings hold significant importance in unraveling the mechanism behind phenanthrene degradation by Roseobacter-clade bacteria.

In-depth metaproteomics analysis reveals the protein profile and metabolism characteristics in pork during refrigerated storage

Alterations in microbiotas and endogenous enzymes have been implicated in meat deterioration. However, the factors that mediate the interactions between meat quality and microbiome profile were inadequately investigated. In this study, we collected pork samples throughout the refrigeration period and employed metaproteomics to characterize both the pork and microbial proteins. Our findings demonstrated that pork proteins associated with the catabolic process are upregulated during storage compared to the initial stage. Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Goodfellowiella, and Gonapodya contribute to the spoilage process. Notably, we observed an elevated abundance of microbial proteins related to glycolytic enzymes in refrigerated pork, identifying numerous proteins linked to biogenic amine production, thus highlighting their essential role in microbial decay. Further, we reveal that many of these microbial proteins from Pseudomonas are ribosomal proteins, promoting enzyme synthesis by enhancing transcription and translation. This study provides intrinsic insights into the underlying mechanisms by which microorganisms contribute to meat spoilage.

Distribution and response of electroactive microorganisms to freshwater river pollution

Electroactive microorganisms (EAMs) play a vital role in biogeochemical cycles by facilitating extracellular electron transfer. They demonstrate remarkable adaptability to river sediments that are characterized by pollution and poor water quality, significantly contributing to the sustainability of river ecosystems. However, the distribution and diversity of EAMs remain poorly understood. In this study, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to assess EAMs in 160 samples collected from eight rivers within the Pearl River Delta of Southern China. The results indicated that specialized EAMs communities in polluted sediments exhibited variations in response to water quality and sediment depth. Compared to clean sediment, polluted sediments showed a 4.5% increase in the relative abundances of EAMs communities (59 genera), with 45- and 17-times higher abundances of Geobacter and cable bacteria. Additionally, the abundance of cable bacteria decreased with increasing sediment depth in polluted sediments, while the abundance of L. varians GY32 exhibited an opposite trend. Finally, the abundances of Geobacter, cable bacteria, and L. varians GY32 were positively correlated with the abundance of filamentous microorganisms (FMs) across all samples, with stronger interactions in polluted sediments. These findings suggest that EAMs demonstrate heightened sensitivity to polluted environments, particularly at the genus (species) level, and exhibit strong adaptability to conditions characterized by high levels of acid volatile sulfide, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated nitrate nitrogen. Therefore, environmental factors could be manipulated to optimize the growth and efficiency of EAMs for environmental engineering and natural restoration applications.

Unveiling the overlooked small-sized microbiome in river ecosystems

Enriching microorganisms using a 0.22-μm pore size is a general pretreatment procedure in river microbiome research. However, it remains unclear the extent to which this method loses microbiome information. Here, we conducted a comparative metagenomics-based study on microbiomes with sizes over 0.22 μm (large-sized) and between 0.22 μm and 0.1 μm (small-sized) in a subtropical river. Although the absolute concentration of small-sized microbiome was about two orders of magnitude lower than that of large-sized microbiome, sequencing only large-sized microbiome resulted in a significant loss of microbiome diversity. Specifically, the microbial community was different between two sizes, and 347 genera were only detected in small-sized microbiome. Small-sized microbiome had much more diverse viral community than large-sized fraction. The viruses had abundant ecological functions and were hosted by 825 species of 169 families, including pathogen-related families. Small-sized microbiome had distinct antimicrobial resistance risks from large-sized microbiome, showing an enrichment of eight antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) types as well as the detection of 140 unique ARG subtypes and five enriched risk rank I ARGs. Draft genomes of five major resistant pathogens having diverse ecological and pollutant-degrading functions were only assembled in small-sized microbiome. These findings provide novel insights into river ecosystems, and highlight the overlooked small-sized microbiome in the environment.

Widespread distribution of the DyP-carrying bacteria involved in the aflatoxin B1 biotransformation in Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria

Aflatoxin is one of the most notorious mycotoxins, of which aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most harmful and prevalent. Microbes play a crucial role in the environment for the biotransformation of AFB1. In this study, a bacterial consortium, HS-1, capable of degrading and detoxifying AFB1 was obtained. Here, we combined multi-omics and cultivation-based techniques to elucidate AFB1 biotransformation by consortium HS-1. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the key taxa responsible for AFB1 biotransformation in consortium HS-1 mainly belonged to the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Moreover, metagenomic analysis showed that diverse microorganisms, mainly belonging to the phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, carry key functional enzymes involved in the initial step of AFB1 biotransformation. Metatranscriptomic analysis indicated that Paracoccus-related bacteria were the most active in consortium HS-1. A novel bacterium, Paracoccus sp. strain XF-30, isolated from consortium HS-1, contains a novel dye-decolorization peroxidase (DyP) enzyme capable of effectively degrading AFB1. Taxonomic profiling by bioinformatics revealed that DyP, which is involved in the initial biotransformation of AFB1, is widely distributed in metagenomes from various environments, primarily taxonomically affiliated with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. The in-depth examination of AFB1 biotransformation in consortium HS-1 will help us to explore these crucial bioresources more sensibly and efficiently.

Combined influence of the nanoplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure on microbial community in seawater environment

Nanoplastics (NPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are recognized as persistent organic pollutant (POPs) with demonstrated physiological toxicity. When present in aquatic environments, the two pollutants could combine with each other, resulting in cumulative toxicity to organisms. However, the combined impact of NPs and PAHs on microorganisms in seawater is not well understood. In this study, we conducted an exposure experiment to investigate the individual and synergistic effects of NPs and PAHs on the composition, biodiversity, co-occurrence networks of microbial communities in seawater. Exposure of individuals to PAHs led to a reduction in microbial community richness, but an increase in the relative abundance of species linked to PAHs degradation. These PAHs-degradation bacteria acting as keystone species, maintained a microbial network complexity similar to that of the control treatment. Exposure to individual NPs resulted in a reduction in the complexity of microbial networks. Furthermore, when PAHs and NPs were simultaneously present, the toxic effect of NPs hindered the presence of keystone species involved in PAHs degradation, subsequently limiting the degradation of PAHs by marine microorganisms, resulting in a decrease in community diversity and symbiotic network complexity. This situation potentially poses a heightened threat to the ecological stability of marine ecosystems. Our work strengthened the understanding of the combined impact of NPs and PAHs on microorganisms in seawater.

Genotype of pioneer plant Miscanthus is not a key factor in the structure of rhizosphere bacterial community in heavy metal polluted sites

Miscanthus is a common pioneer plant with abundant genetic variation in abandoned mines in southern China. However, the extent to which genetic differentiation among species modulates rhizosphere bacterial communities remains unclear. Miscanthus samples were collected from 26 typical abandoned heavy-metal mines with different soil types in southern China, tested using 14 pairs of simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers, and classified into two genotypes based on Nei's genetic distance. The structure and diversity of rhizosphere bacterial communities were examined using 16 S rRNA sequencing. The results showed that among the factors affecting the rhizosphere bacterial community structure of Miscanthus samples, the role of genotype was not significant, and geographical conditions were the most important factors, followed by pH and total organic carbon (TOC). The process of rhizospheric community assembly varied among different genotypes; however, the recruited species and their abundances were similar. Collectively, we provided an approach based on genetic differentiation to quantify the relative contribution of genotypes to the rhizosphere bacterial community, demonstrating that genotypes contribute less than soil conditions. Our findings provide new insights into the role of host genetics in the ecological processes of plant rhizosphere bacterial communities in abandoned mines and provide theoretical support for microbe-assisted phytoremediation.

Living in mangroves: a syntrophic scenario unveiling a resourceful microbiome

BACKGROUND

Mangroves are complex and dynamic coastal ecosystems under frequent fluctuations in physicochemical conditions related to the tidal regime. The frequent variation in organic matter concentration, nutrients, and oxygen availability, among other factors, drives the microbial community composition, favoring syntrophic populations harboring a rich and diverse, stress-driven metabolism. Mangroves are known for their carbon sequestration capability, and their complex and integrated metabolic activity is essential to global biogeochemical cycling. Here, we present a metabolic reconstruction based on the genomic functional capability and flux profile between sympatric MAGs co-assembled from a tropical restored mangrove.

RESULTS

Eleven MAGs were assigned to six Bacteria phyla, all distantly related to the available reference genomes. The metabolic reconstruction showed several potential coupling points and shortcuts between complementary routes and predicted syntrophic interactions. Two metabolic scenarios were drawn: a heterotrophic scenario with plenty of carbon sources and an autotrophic scenario with limited carbon sources or under inhibitory conditions. The sulfur cycle was dominant over methane and the major pathways identified were acetate oxidation coupled to sulfate reduction, heterotrophic acetogenesis coupled to carbohydrate catabolism, ethanol production and carbon fixation. Interestingly, several gene sets and metabolic routes similar to those described for wastewater and organic effluent treatment processes were identified.

CONCLUSION

The mangrove microbial community metabolic reconstruction reflected the flexibility required to survive in fluctuating environments as the microhabitats created by the tidal regime in mangrove sediments. The metabolic components related to wastewater and organic effluent treatment processes identified strongly suggest that mangrove microbial communities could represent a resourceful microbial model for biotechnological applications that occur naturally in the environment.

Salt stimulates sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification: Microbial network and metagenomics analyses

Sulfur autotrophic denitrification (SADN) is a promising biological wastewater treatment technology for nitrogen removal, and its performance highly relies on the collective activities of the microbial community. However, the effect of salt (a prevailing characteristic of some nitrogen-containing industrial wastewaters) on the microbial community of SADN is still unclear. In this study, the response of the sulfide-SADN process to different salinities (i.e., 1.5 % salinity, 0.5 % salinity, and without salinity) as well as the involved microbial mechanisms were investigated by molecular ecological network and metagenomics analyses. Results showed that the satisfactory nitrogen removal efficiency (>97 %) was achieved in the sulfide-SADN process (S/N molar ratio of 0.88) with 1.5 % salinity. In salinity scenarios, the genus Thiobacillus significantly proliferated and was detected as the dominant sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the sulfide-SADN system, occupying a relative abundance of 29.4 %. Network analysis further elucidated that 1.5 % salinity had enabled the microbial community to form a more densely clustered network, which intensified the interactions between microorganisms and effectively improved the nitrogen removal performance of the sulfide-SADN. Metagenomics sequencing revealed that the abundance of functional genes encoding for key enzymes involved in SADN, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, and nitrification was up-regulated in the 1.5 % salinity scenario compared to that without salinity, stimulating the occurrence of multiple nitrogen transformation pathways. These multi-paths contributed to a robust SADN process (i.e., nitrogen removal efficiency >97 %, effluent nitrogen <2.5 mg N/L). This study deepens our understanding of the effect of salt on the SADN system at the community and functional level, and favors to advance the application of this sustainable bioprocess in saline wastewater treatment.

The Combination of Buchloe dactyloides Engelm and Biochar Promotes the Remediation of Soil Contaminated with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cause serious stress to biological health and the soil environment as persistent pollutants. Despite the wide use of biochar in promoting soil improvement, the mechanism of biochar removing soil PAHs through rhizosphere effect in the process of phytoremediation remain uncertain. In this study, the regulation of soil niche and microbial degradation strategies under plants and biochar were explored by analyzing the effects of plants and biochar on microbial community composition, soil metabolism and enzyme activity in the process of PAH degradation. The combination of plants and biochar significantly increased the removal of phenanthrene (6.10%), pyrene (11.50%), benzo[a]pyrene (106.02%) and PAHs (27.10%) when compared with natural attenuation, and significantly increased the removal of benzo[a]pyrene (34.51%) and PAHs (5.96%) when compared with phytoremediation. Compared with phytoremediation, the combination of plants and biochar significantly increased soil nutrient availability, enhanced soil enzyme activity (urease and catalase), improved soil microbial carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism, thereby benefiting microbial resistance to PAH stress. In addition, the activity of soil enzymes (dehydrogenase, polyphenol oxidase and laccase) and the expression of genes involved in the degradation and microorganisms (streptomyces, curvularia, mortierella and acremonium) were up-regulated through the combined action of plants and biochar. In view of the aforementioned results, the combined application of plants and biochar can enhance the degradation of PAHs and alleviate the stress of PAH on soil microorganisms.

Novel insights into the synergetic degradation of pyrene by microbial communities from mangroves in China

Pyrene is a high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (HMW-PAHs). It is a ubiquitous, persistent, and carcinogenic environmental contaminant that has raised concern worldwide. This research explored synergistic bacterial communities for efficient pyrene degradation in seven typical Southern China mangroves. The bacterial communities of seven typical mangroves were enriched by pyrene, and enriched bacterial communities showed an excellent pyrene degradation capacity of > 95% (except for HK mangrove and ZJ mangrove). Devosia, Hyphomicrobium, Flavobacterium, Marinobacter, Algoriphahus, and Youhaiella all have significant positive correlations with pyrene (R>0, p < 0.05) by 16SrRNA gene sequencing and metagenomics analysis, indicated that these genera play a vital role in pyrene metabolism. Meanwhile, the functional genes were involved in pyrene degradation that was enriched in the bacterial communities, including the genes of nagAa, ndoR, pcaG, etc. Furthermore, the analyses of functional genes and binning genomes demonstrated that some bacterial communities as a unique teamwork to cooperatively participate in pyrene degradation. Interestingly, the genes related to biogeochemical cycles were enriched, such as narG , soxA, and cyxJ, suggested that bacterial communities were also helpful in maintaining the stability of the ecological environment. In addition, some novel species with pyrene-degradation potential were identified in the pyrene-degrading bacterial communities, which can enrich the resource pool of pyrene-degrading strains. Overall, this study will help develop further research strategies for pollutant removal.

Gaining insight into the effect of laccase expression on humic substance formation during lignocellulosic biomass composting

The aim is to enhance lignin humification by promoting laccase activities which can promote lignin depolymerization and reaggregation during composting. 1-Hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) is employed to conduct laccase mediator system (LMS), application of oxidized graphene (GO) in combination to strengthen LMS. Compared with control, the addition of GO, HBT, and GH (GO coupled with HBT) significantly improved laccase expression and activities (P < 0.05), with lignin humification efficiency also increased by 68.6 %, 36.7 %, and 107.8 %. GH treatment induces microbial expression of laccase by increasing the abundance and synergy of core microbes. The unsupervised learning model, vector autoregressive model and Mantel test function were combined to elucidate the mechanism of action of exogenous materials. The results showed that GO stabilized the composting environment on the one hand, and acted as a support vector to stabilize the LMS and promote the function of laccase on the other. In GH treatment, degradation of macromolecules and humification of small molecules were promoted simultaneously by activating the dual function of laccase. Additionally, it also reveals the GH enhances the humification of lignocellulosic compost by converting phenolic pollutants into aggregates. These findings provide a new way to enhance the dual function of laccase and promote lignin humification during composting. It could effectively achieve the resource utilization of organic solid waste and reduce composting pollution.

Potential contributions of keystone species to intestinal ecosystem in patients with Crohn's disease

AIMS

Ravelling the central but poorly understood issue that potential contributions of keystone species to intestinal ecosystem functioning of patients with certain life-altering diseases including Crohn's disease (CD).

METHODS AND RESULTS

In this study, a combination of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and amplicon-oriented metagenomic profiling was applied to gain insights into the shifts in bacterial community composition at different stages of CD course, and explore the functional roles of identified keystone species in intestinal microecosystem. Our results showed significant alterations in structure and composition of gut microbiota between CD patients and healthy control (HC) (P < 0.05), but was no difference at active and remission stages. Whole-community-based comprehensive analyses were employed to identify the differential species such as Escherichia coli, Anaerostipes hadrus, and Eubacterium hallii in CD patients, with healthy populations as the control. Metagenome-wide functional analyses further revealed that the relative abundance of specialized metabolism-related genes such as cynS, frdB, serA, and gltB from these bacterial species in CD group was significantly different (P < 0.05) from that in HC, and highlighted the potential roles of the keystone species in regulating the accumulation of important metabolites such as succinate, formate, ammonia, L-glutamate, and L-serine, which might have an effect on homeostasis of intestinal ecosystem.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings identify several potential keystone species that may influence the intestinal microecosystem functioning of CD patients and provide some reference for future CD treatment.

Keystone taxa enhance the stability of soil bacterial communities and multifunctionality under steelworks disturbance

Continuous discharge of wastewater, emissions, and solid wastes from steelworks poses environmental risks to ecosystems. However, the role of keystone taxa in maintaining multifunctional stability during environmental disturbances remains poorly understood. To address this, we investigated the community diversity, assembly mechanisms, and soil multifunctionality of soils collected from within the steelworks (I), within 2.5 km radius from the steelworks (E), and from an undisturbed area (CK) in Jiangsu Province, China, via 16 S rRNA sequencing. Significant differences were found in the Chao1 and the richness indexes of the total taxa (p < 0.05), while the diversity of keystone taxa was not significant at each site (p > 0.05). The deterministic processes for total taxa were 42.9%, 61.9% and 47.7% in CK, E, and I, respectively. Steelworks stress increased the deterministicity of keystone taxa from 52.3% in CK to 61.9% in E and I soils. The average multifunctionality indices were 0.518, 0.506 and 0.513 for CK, E and I, respectively. Although the soil multifunctionality was positive correlated with α diversity of both the total and keystone taxa, the average degree of keystone taxa in functional network increased significantly (79.96 and 65.58, respectively), while the average degree of total taxa decreased (44.59 and 51.25, respectively) in the E and I. This suggests keystone taxa contribute to promoting the stability of ecosystems. With increasing disturbance, keystone taxa shift their function from basic metabolism (ribosome biogenesis) to detoxification (xenobiotics biodegradation, metabolism, and benzoate degradation). Here we show that keystone taxa are the most important factor in maintaining stable microbial communities and functions, providing new insights for mitigating pollution stress and soil health protection.

Nitrate input inhibited the biodegradation of erythromycin through affecting bacterial network modules and keystone species in lake sediments

Antibiotic contamination and excessive nitrate loads are generally concurrent in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the effects of nitrate input on the biodegradation of antibiotics. In this study, the effects of nitrate input on microbial degradation of erythromycin, a typical macrolide antibiotic widely detected in lake sediments, were investigated. The results showed that the nitrate input significantly inhibited the erythromycin removal and such an inhibitory effect was strengthened with the increased input dosages. Nitrate input significantly increased sediment nitrite concentration, indicating enhanced denitrification under high nitrate pressure. Bacterial network module and keystone species analysis showed that nitrate input enriched the keystone species involved in denitrification (e.g., Simplicispira and Denitratisoma). In contrast, some potential erythromycin-degrading bacteria (e.g., Desulfatiglandales, Pseudomonadales, Nitrospira) were inhibited by nitrate input. The variations in dominant bacterial groups implied competition between denitrification and erythromycin degradation in response to nitrate input. Based on the partial least squares path modeling analysis, keystone species (total effect: 0.419) and bacterial module (total effect: 0.403) showed strong association with erythromycin removal percentage. This indicated that the inhibitory effect of nitrate input on erythromycin degradation was mainly explained by bacterial network modules and keystone species. These findings will help us to assess the bioremediation potential of antibiotic-contaminated sediments suffering from excessive nitrogen discharge concurrently.

Metagenomic insights into the diversity of 2,4-dichlorophenol degraders and the cooperation patterns in a bacterial consortium

2,4-Dichlorophenol, which is largely employed in herbicides and industrial production, is frequently detected in ecosystems and poses risks to human health and environmental safety. Microbial communities are thought to perform better than individual strains in the complete degradation of organic contaminants. However, the synergistic degradation mechanisms of the microbial consortia involved in 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation are still not widely understood. In this study, a bacterial consortium named DCP-2 that is capable of degrading 2,4-dichlorophenol was obtained. Metagenomic analysis, cultivation-dependent functional verification, and co-occurrence network analysis were combined to reveal the primary 2,4-dichlorophenol degraders and the cooperation patterns in the consortium DCP-2. Metagenomic analysis showed that Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, and Pigmentiphaga were the primary degraders for the complete degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol. Thirty-nine phylogenetically diverse bacterial genera, such as Brucella, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Allochromatium and Bosea, were identified as keystone taxa for 2,4-dichlorophenol degradation by keystone taxa analysis of the co-occurrence networks. In addition, a stable synthetic consortium of isolates from DCP-2 was constructed, consisting of Pseudomonas sp. DD-13 and Brucella sp. FZ-1; this synthetic consortium showed superior degradation capability for 2,4-dichlorophenol in both mineral salt medium and wastewater compared with monoculture. The findings provide valuable insights into the practical bioremediation of 2,4-dichlorophenol-contaminated sites.

The remediation of marine sediments containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by peroxymonosulfate activated with Sphagnum moss-derived biochar and its benthic microbial ecology

This research was to study the efficiency of Sphagnum moss-derived biochar (SMBC) in removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from marine sediment using a peroxymonosulfate (PMS)-based carbon-advanced oxidation process (PMS-CAOPs). Sphagnum moss-derived biochar (SMBC) was generated via a simple thermochemical process for PMS activation toward enhancing decontamination of sediments. At pH 6, the SMBC/PMS system achieved a PAH removal efficiency exceeding 78% in 12 h reaction time. Moreover, PAHs of 6-, 5-, 4-, 3-, and 2-ring structures exhibited 98%, 74%, 68%, 85%, and 91%, of removal, respectively. The SMBC activation of PMS generated both radicals (SO4•- and HO•) and nonradical (1O2), species responsible for PAHs degradation, attributed primarily to inherent iron and carbon moieties. The significant PAHs degradation efficiency showcased by the SMBC/PMS process holds promise for augmenting the performance of indigenous benthic microbial activity in sediment treatment contexts. The response of sediment microbial communities to PAH-induced stress was particularly associated with the Proteobacteria phylum, specifically the Sulfurovum genus. The findings of the present study highlight the efficacy of environmentally benign reactive radical/nonradical-based PMS-CAOP using pristine carbon materials, offering a sustainable strategy for sediment treatment.