Microbial diversity in paddy rhizospheric soils around a large industrial thallium-containing sulfide utilization zone.

Thallium (Tl) is a rare and extremely toxic metal whose toxicity is significantly higher than cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and antimony (Sb). The extensive utilization of Tl-bearing minerals, such as mining activities, has led to severe Tl pollution in a variety of natural settings, while little is known to date about its effect on the microbial diversity in paddy soils. Also, the geochemical behavior of Tl in the periodical alterations between dry and wet conditions of paddy soils remains largely unknown. Herein, the sequential extraction method and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis were adopted to analyze Tl's migration and transformation behavior and the microbial diversity in the paddy soils with different pollution levels. The results indicated that Tl was mainly concentrated in reducible fraction, which is different from other types of soils, and may be closely attributed to the abundance of Fe-Mn (hydr)oxides in the paddy rhizospheric soils. Further analysis revealed that pH, total S, Pb, Sb, Tl and Cd were the dominant environmental factors, and the enrichment level of these potentially toxic metal(loid)s (PTMs) exerted obvious impacts on the diversity and abundance of microorganism in the rhizospheric soils, and regulating microbial community. The geochemical fractionation of Tl was closely correlated to soil microorganisms such as Fe reducing bacteria (Geothrix) and sulfate reducing bacteria (Anaerolinea), playing a critical role in Tl geochemical cycle through redox reaction. Hence, further study on microorganisms of paddy rhizospheric soils is of great significance to the countermeasures for remediating Tl-polluted paddy fields and protect the health of residents.