Microbial community characteristics and environmental response of fluorinated groundwater in arid areas

LI Ling; FAN Ting-yu; ZHOU Jin-long; YANG Chang-de; GONG Yun-xiao

PDF(1649 KB)

China Environmental Science ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1) : 354-364.

Environmental Ecology

Microbial community characteristics and environmental response of fluorinated groundwater in arid areas

LI Ling¹, FAN Ting-yu^1,2, ZHOU Jin-long³, YANG Chang-de¹, GONG Yun-xiao¹

Author information +

History +

Abstract

Microbial community structures, functional characteristics, and their relationships with hydrochemical environmental factors in arid areas of oasis area of the Hotan River Basin with fluoride-containing groundwater were investigated. Three groups of groundwater were analyzed: the LF group (ρ(F^-) ≤ 1.0mg/L), MF group (1.0mg/L<ρ (F^-) ≤ 2.0mg/L), and HF group (ρ (F^-)>2.0mg/L). The diversity, structural composition, and functional characteristics of the bacterial communities in the groundwater of the three groups were investigated using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that ① While the diversity of the bacterial communities in the three groups was less affected by F contents, significant differences in community compositions were observed. ②Proteobacteria represented the dominant phylum in all three groups, with relative abundance of 67.61% (LF group), 52.02% (MF group), and 41.43% (HF group). The dominant bacterial genus in the HF group was Sphingobium, which had relatively low abundance in the LF and MF groups. The relative abundance of Gallionella, Hydrogenophaga, Nitrospira, and Ferritrophicum was markedly higher in the LF or MF groups compared with the HF group. ③ F^-, HCO₃^-, Ca²⁺, NO₃^-, and Cl^- were key indicators that affected bacterial community structures in F-containing groundwater. ④ PICRUSt2 functional prediction indicated that metabolic functions dominated in all three groups, while bacteria in the HF group showed reduced activities in pathways involved in co-factor abundance and vitamin metabolism compared with the LF group. ⑤ Gallionella, Hydrogenophaga, Nitrospira, and other chemoautotrophic carbon-fixing microorganisms, which had relatively high abundance in the HF group were significantly negatively correlated with the F^- and HCO₃^- contents, and significantly positively correlated with the Ca²⁺content (P<0.01). At the same time, Nitrospira was also positively correlated with NO₃^- and negatively correlated with NH₄⁺(P<0.01). The structural and functional differences in microbial communities in the groundwater of the oasis area of the Hotan River Basin, as well as their correlations with environmental factors, reflect the bidirectional relationship between chemoautotrophic carbon-fixing microorganisms and groundwater F^- contents in arid areas.

Key words

fluorinated groundwater / community structure / functional prediction / chemoautotrophic carbon fixing microorganisms

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download Citations

LI Ling, FAN Ting-yu, ZHOU Jin-long, YANG Chang-de, GONG Yun-xiao. Microbial community characteristics and environmental response of fluorinated groundwater in arid areas[J]. China Environmental Science. 2026, 46(1): 354-364

References

[1] Gao X B, Luo W T, Luo X S, et al. Indigenous microbes induced fluoride release from aquifer sediments[J]. Environmental Pollution, 2019,252:580-590.
[2] 张人权,梁杏,靳孟贵,等.水文地质学基础[M]. 北京:地质出版社, 2018. Zhang R Q, Liang X, Jin M G, et al. Fundamentals of hydrogeology[M]. Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 2018.
[3] Jiang C L, Cheng L L, Li C, et al. A hydrochemical and multi-isotopic study of groundwater sulfate origin and contribution in the coal mining area[J]. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2022,248:114286.
[4] Liu S X, Zheng T Y, Li Y X, et al. A critical review of the central role of microbial regulation in the nitrogen biogeochemical process: New insights for controlling groundwater nitrogen contamination[J]. Journal of Environmental Management, 2023,328:116959.
[5] Utom A U, Werban U, Leven C, et al. Groundwater nitrification and denitrification are not always strictly aerobic and anaerobic processes, respectively: an assessment of dual-nitrate isotopic and chemical evidence in a stratified alluvial aquifer[J]. Biogeochemistry, 2020,147:211-223.
[6] 孙群群,屈婧祎,童曼,等.地下水水化学组成对Fe(Ⅱ)氧化过程中锰氧化菌失活的影响[J]. 安全与环境工程, 2021,28(3):101-107,205. Sun Q Q, Qu J Y, Tong M, et al. Effect of groundwater hydrochemical composition on inactivation of Mn-oxidizing bacteria upon Fe (Ⅱ) oxygenation[J]. Safety and Environmental Engineering, 2021,28(3): 101-107,205.
[7] Lu S, Yang Y M, Yin H L, et al. Microbial community structure of arsenic-bearing groundwater environment in the riverbank filtration zone[J]. Water, 2022,14(10):1548.
[8] Ke T T, Zhang D, Guo H M, et al. Geogenic arsenic and arsenotrophic microbiome in groundwater from the Hetao Basin[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2022,852:158549.
[9] Kashyap S J, San Kanna Var R, Madhu, G M. Fluoride sources, toxicity and fluorosis management techniques-A brief review[J]. Journal of Hazardous Materials Letters, 2021,2:100033.
[10] Chauhan D, Kumar R. Molecular mechanism of fluoride-induced toxicity and associated health hazards[M]//Fluorides in Drinking Water: Source, Issue, and Mitigation Strategies. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2025:117-139.
[11] Gao X B, Naseem A, Luo W T, et al. Impact of microbial activity on fluoride release from sediments in areas with high fluoride groundwater: Mechanisms, sources and the lithology diversity[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2024,955,176940.
[12] Dong W, Xiang Q Y, Zhao H, et al. A combination of physiology, metabolomics, and genetics reveals the two-component system ResS/ResR-mediated Fe and Al release from biotite by Pseudomonas pergaminensis F77[J]. Microbiological Research, 2024,287:127861.
[13] Olsson-Francis K, Pearson V K, Schofield P F, et al. A study of the microbial community at the interface between granite bedrock and soil using a culture-independent and culture-dependent approach[J]. Advances in Microbiology, 2016,6(3):233-245.
[14] Dai G, Durige W, Geng X, et al. Fluorite dissolution by a phosphate- solubilizing bacterium isolated from groundwater of Xianghuangqi County, Inner Mongolia, China[J]. Geomicrobiology Journal, 2019, 36(10):933-939.
[15] 李平,谭添,刘韩,等.地下水微生物功能群及生物地球化学循环[J]. 微生物学报, 2021,61(6):1598-1609. Li P, Tan T, Liu H, et al. Functional microbial communities and the biogeochemical cycles in groundwater[J]. Acta Microbiologica Sinica, 2021,61(6):1598-1609.
[16] Zhang X, Gao X B, Li C C, et al. Fluoride contributes to the shaping of microbial community in high fluoride groundwater in Qiji County, Yuncheng City, China[J]. Scientific Reports, 2019,9(1):14488.
[17] 张怀胜,王梦园,蔡五田,等.深层含氟地下水微生物群落组成及环境响应特征[J]. 地球科学, 2023,48(9):3466-3479. Zhang H S, Wang M Y, Cai W T, et al. Characteristics of microbial community composition and environmental response in deep fluorinated groundwater[J]. Earth Science, 2023,48(9):3466-3479.
[18] 陈婷,李巧,宿彦鹏,等.奎屯河流域高氟地下水对微生物多样性的影响[J]. 环境科学与技术, 2023,46(11):144-152. Chen T, Li Q, Su Y P, et al. Effects of high fluoride groundwater on microbial diversity in Kuitun River Basin[J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2023,46(11):144-152.
[19] Nordstrom D K, Smedley P L. Fluoride in groundwater[M]//Selinus O, Alloway B, Centeno J A, et al. Essentials of Medical Geology. Revised ed. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013:311-336.
[20] Chouhan S, Flora S J S. Arsenic and fluoride: Two major groundwater pollutants[J]. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 2011,48(7): 666-678.
[21] Aydin Y, Orta-Yilmaz B. Synergistic effects of arsenic and fluoride on oxidative stress and apoptotic pathway in Leydig and Sertoli cells[J]. Toxicology, 2022,475:153241.
[22] 王建平,林勤,张玲,等.新疆南疆环境地理地质特点与地方性氟中毒流行现状[J]. 中国地方病学杂志, 1997,(5):313-316. Wang J P, Lin Q, Zhang L, et al. Environmental, geographical and geological characteristics and epidemic status of endemic fluorosis in southern Xinjiang, China[J]. Chinese Journal of Endemiology, 1997, (5):313-316.
[23] Zeng Y Y, Lu H, Zhou J Z, et al. Enrichment mechanism and health risk assessment of fluoride in groundwater in the oasis zone of the tarim basin in Xinjiang, China[J]. Exposure and Health, 2024,16(1):263-278.
[24] Li L, Ma L, Pan Z L, et al. Spatial distribution and health risk assessment of fluoride in groundwater in the oasis of the Hotan River Basin in Xinjiang, China[J]. Scientific Reports, 2025,15(1):11630.
[25] Feng F, Jia Y F, Yang Y, et al. Hydrogeochemical and statistical analysis of high fluoride groundwater in northern China[J]. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020,27(28):34840-34861.
[26] GB/T 5750-2023生活饮用水标准检验方法[S]. GB/T 5750-2023 Standard examination methods for drinking water[S]
[27] 李军,张翠云,蓝芙宁,等.区域地下水不同深度微生物群落结构特征[J]. 中国环境科学, 2019,39(6):2614-2623. Li J, Zhang C Y, Lan F N, et al. Structure characteristics of microbial community at different depths of groundwater[J]. China Environmental Science, 2019,39(6):2614-2623.
[28] 郭林,毛佳玲,何凯,等.煤矿开采区地下水微生物群落结构与功能及其对环境的响应[J]. 地球科学, 2024,49(9):3252-3263. Guo L, Mao J L, He K, et al. Microbial community structure and function in groundwater of abandoned coal mine and its response to environment[J]. Earth Science, 2024,49(9):3252-3263.
[29] 田瑞,寇谨,胡啸,等.增温和降水变化对旱作农田土壤细菌群落结构和功能的影响[J]. 中国环境科学, 2025,45(1):508-518. Tian R, Kou J, Hu X, et al. Effects of warming and precipitation changes on the structure and function of soil bacterial communities in dry-crop farmland[J]. China Environmental Science, 2025,45(1):508-518.
[30] 何泽,张敏,宁卓,等.区域地下水环境演化的分子生物学特征—以太行山前平原浅层水为例[J]. 中国环境科学, 2019,39(8): 3484-3492. He Z, Zhang M, Ning Z, et al. The environmental evolution research of regional groundwater using molecular biotechnologies: a case from the shallow groundwater in front of the Taihang Mountains[J]. China Environmental Science, 2019,39(8):3484-3492.
[31] 李想,温建康,莫晓兰,等.含氟生物浸出体系中阳离子竞争络合解毒机理研究[J]. 原子能科学技术, 2019,53(2):220-227. Li X, Wen J K, Mo X L, et al. Research of fluoride detoxified by cation and its competitive complexation mechanism in fluoride- bearing bioleaching system[J]. Atomic Energy Science and Technology, 2019,53(2):220-227.
[32] Dong L H, Wang X G, Tong H, et al. Distribution and correlation of iron oxidizers and carbon-fixing microbial communities in natural wetlands[J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2024,912:168719.
[33] Alfreider A, Vogt C, Geiger-Kaiser M, et al. Distribution and diversity of autotrophic bacteria in groundwater systems based on the analysis of RubisCO genotypes[J]. Systematic and Applied Microbiology, 2009,32(2):140-150.
[34] Kämpfer P, Schulze R, Jäckel U, et al. Hydrogenophaga defluvii sp. nov. and Hydrogenophaga atypica sp. nov., isolated from activated sludge[J]. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2005,55(1):341-344.
[35] 汪夏雨.会仙岩溶湿地土壤及地下水中自养固碳微生物群落特征及其环境影响因素[D]. 武汉:华中科技大学, 2020. Wang X Y. The characteristics of autotrophic CO₂-fixing microorganisms and influence factors in soils and groundwaters of Huixian karst wetland[D]. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2020.
[36] 宁卓,蔡萍萍,张敏,等.某石油污染地下水溶解性无机碳低异常的微生物地球化学成因探析[J]. 环境科学学报, 2019,39(4):1140-1147. Ning Z, Cai P P, Zhang M, et al. Abnormally low dissolved inorganic carbon in petroleum contaminated groundwater caused by microbiological geochemistry[J]. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 2019, 39(4):1140-1147.
[37] Mueller A J, Daebeler A, Herbold C W, et al. Cultivation and genomic characterization of novel and ubiquitous marine nitrite-oxidizing bacteria from the Nitrospirales[J]. The ISME Journal, 2023,17(11): 2123-2133.
[38] Palomo A, Dechesne A, Pedersen A G, et al. Genomic profiling of Nitrospira species reveals ecological success of comammox Nitrospira[J]. Microbiome, 2022,10(1):204.
[39] Dong L, Lu J X, Dong Y, et al. Iron-scrap and pyrite mediated autotrophic denitrification in constructed wetland for enhancing nitrate-polluted groundwater remediation: Performance and mechanism[J]. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 2024, 187:83-90.
[40] Hoover R L, Keffer J L, Polson S W, et al. Gallionellaceae pangenomic analysis reveals insight into phylogeny, metabolic flexibility, and iron oxidation mechanisms[J]. Msystems, 2023,8(6): e00038-23.
[41] Jakus N, Blackwell N, Straub D, et al. Presence of Fe (II) and nitrate shapes aquifer-originating communities leading to an autotrophic enrichment dominated by an Fe (II)-oxidizing Gallionellaceae sp.[J]. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2021,97(11):145.
[42] Vaz-Moreira I, Nunes O C, Manaia C M. Diversity and antibiotic resistance patterns of Sphingomonadaceae isolates from drinking water[J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2011,77(16): 5847-5855.
[43] 李思思,张博源,符运会,等.一株高效溶磷细菌的条件优化及其溶磷特性研究[J]. 生物技术通报, 2022,38(12):274-286. Li S S, Zhang B Y, Fu Y H, et al. Condition optimization of an efficient phosphate-dissolving bacterial strain and its phosphate- dissolving characteristics[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2022,38(12):274-286.
[44] Uroz S, Calvaruso C, Turpault M P, et al. Mineral weathering by bacteria: Ecology, actors and mechanisms[J]. Trends in Microbiology, 2009,17(8):378-387.
[45] 邓远东,冶雪艳,吴亚敏,等.松嫩平原西部地下水氟和砷的富集机理与动态变化特征[J]. 中国环境科学, 2023,43(10):5277-5290. Deng Y, Ye X Y, Wu Y M, et al. Enrichment mechanism and dynamic variation characteristics of fluorine and arsenic in groundwater of western Songnen Plain[J]. China Environmental Science, 2023,43(10): 5277-5290.
[46] Tang W, Ward B B, Beman M, et al. Database of nitrification and nitrifiers in the global ocean[J]. Earth System Science Data, 2023, 15(11):5039-5077.
[47] Huang J, Liu X L, Liu J G, et al. Changes of soil bacterial community, network structure, and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur functional genes under different land use types[J]. Catena, 2023,231:107385.
[48] 王金翠.水文地球化学空间变化对地下水微生物群落特征的影响机制[D]. 长春:吉林大学, 2023. Wang J C. Influencing mechanism of hydrogeochemical spatial variation on groundwater microbial community characteristics-a case study of the alluvial-diluvial fan of the Hutuo River[D]. Changchun: Jilin University, 2023.