groundwater-contamination
Groundwater contamination refers to the presence of pollutants in underground water sources that plants absorb through their root systems. This is significant in plant science because contaminant uptake can inhibit plant growth, reduce crop productivity, and disrupt normal physiological processes. Additionally, researchers study plant-based remediation strategies, as certain species can tolerate or accumulate contaminants, offering potential approaches to environmental restoration.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-02-15
Methane-cycling bacteria in contaminated groundwater dramatically accelerate arsenic release, potentially tripling toxic arsenic mobilization rates. The study reveals that microbial succession and types of organic matter directly control how arsenic transforms and spreads through groundwater systems.
Enhanced methane oxidation increased As(III) mobilization rate 3-fold from 1.04 to 3.30 μg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹
Methanotroph proliferation boosted methane oxidation rates 2-fold (94.99 to 190.76 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹) and methanogens produced up to 7.23 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ methane
Humified dissolved organic matter decoupled iron-arsenic geochemical linkage while labile DOM promoted arsenic mobilization through microbial methyl-related metabolism