Anthropogenic remediation of heavy metals selects against natural microbial remediation. Issue 1905 (19th June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hesse, Elze; Padfield, Daniel; Bayer, Florian; van Veen, Eleanor M.; Bryan, Christopher G.; Buckling, Angus
• Is Part Of: Proceedings. Volume 286:Issue 1905(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-06-19
• Subjects: detoxification -- human intervention -- metal pollution -- microbial communities -- selection -- siderophores; Biology -- Periodicals; 570.5
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0804
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0962-8452

Abstract

Abstract : In an era of unprecedented environmental change, there have been increasing ecological and global public health concerns associated with exposure to anthropogenic pollutants. While there is a pressing need to remediate polluted ecosystems, human intervention might unwittingly oppose selection for natural detoxification, which is primarily carried out by microbes. We test this possibility in the context of a ubiquitous chemical remediation strategy aimed at targeting metal pollution: the addition of lime-containing materials. Here, we show that raising pH by liming decreased the availability of toxic metals in acidic mine-degraded soils, but as a consequence selected against microbial taxa that naturally remediate soil through the production of metal-binding siderophores. Our results therefore highlight the crucial need to consider the eco-evolutionary consequences of human environmental strategies on microbial ecosystem services and other traits.