AI Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how certain soil microbes contribute to the formation of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) in rice, emphasizing the complexity of microbial communities in predicting MeHg accumulation.
- Researchers identified Geobacteraceae as crucial indicators of MeHg bioaccumulation in paddy soils, highlighting their influence over other factors like mercury input.
- By modeling the biogeochemical processes in rice paddies, findings suggest that small changes in Geobacteraceae abundance significantly affect MeHg levels, paving the way for improved strategies to reduce health risks from contaminated rice.
Article Abstract
Contamination of rice by the potent neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) originates from microbe-mediated Hg methylation in soils. However, the high diversity of Hg methylating microorganisms in soils hinders the prediction of MeHg formation and challenges the mitigation of MeHg bioaccumulation via regulating soil microbiomes. Here we explored the roles of various cropland microbial communities in MeHg formation in the potentials leading to MeHg accumulation in rice and reveal that Geobacteraceae are the key predictors of MeHg bioaccumulation in paddy soil systems. We characterized Hg methylating microorganisms from 67 cropland ecosystems across 3,600 latitudinal kilometres. The simulations of a rice-paddy biogeochemical model show that MeHg accumulation in rice is 1.3-1.7-fold more sensitive to changes in the relative abundance of Geobacteraceae compared to Hg input, which is recognized as the primary parameter in controlling MeHg exposure. These findings open up a window to predict MeHg formation and accumulation in human food webs, enabling more efficient mitigation of risks to human health through regulations of key soil microbiomes.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43016-024-00954-7 | DOI Listing |
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