Variation of humic carbon and microbial communities in bauxite residue following co-application of straw and phosphogypsum

Abstract

Humification is one of the critical processes in the ecological restoration of bauxite residue deposit areas. Straw addition is widely used strategy to increase organic carbon in bauxite residue. However, the effect of straw application on the humic carbon fractions in bauxite residue is largely unknown. In this study, the accumulation of humic fractions and associated microbial communities in bauxite residue following straw application were evaluated by humus fractionation and high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that straw application significantly increased humic carbon fractions (humic acid and fulvic acid) and humification degree in bauxite residue. The content of humic acid and fulvic acid increased by 27.1% and 22.9% in straw-amended bauxite residue after phosphogypsum addition, respectively. The glucosidase, cellulolytic enzyme, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase increased by 7.15–8.76 times, 5.64–7.12 times, 2.69–4.57 times and 2.59–4.24 times following the straw application. High-throughput sequencing results indicated that the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) numbers and Shannon index of both bacterial and fungal communities significantly increased following co-application of straw and phosphogypsum. In addition, co-application of straw and phosphogypsum significantly increased the relative abundance of Devosiaceae, Rhizobiaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, Caulobacteraceae, and Cellvibrionaceae in bauxite residue. These findings provide us with a biological perspective of straw on the humification process in bauxite residue.

Keywords

bauxite residue / straw addition / phosphogypsum / humic carbon fraction / microbial community / soil formation of bauxite residue

References

[[1]] Xue S, Wu Y-j, Li Y, et al.. Industrial wastes applications for alkalinity regulation in bauxite residue: A comprehensive review [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2019, 26(2): 268-288,

[[2]] Ruyters S, Mertens J, Vassilieva E, et al.. The red mud accident in ajka (hungary): Plant toxicity and trace metal bioavailability in red mud contaminated soil [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2011, 45(4): 1616-1622,

[[3]] Li W, Liu Y, Zhu X-bo. Enhanced extraction of scandium and inhibiting of iron from acid leaching solution of red mud by D2EHPA and sodium chloride [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2021, 28(10): 3029-3039,

[[4]] Yuan S, Huang C, Bai Z, et al.. A novel utilization of high-Fe bauxite through co-roasting with coal gangue to separate iron and aluminum minerals [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2023, 30(7): 2166-2178,

[[5]] Wei C, Pan X, Pei J-n, et al.. Preparation and characterization of unfired lightweight bricks using dealkalized calcium silicate residue from low-calcium sintering red mud [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2023, 30(6): 1787-1802,

[[6]] Xue S-guo. Soil formation in bauxite residue: The most promising way to large-scale and ecological disposal [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2019, 26(2): 265-267,

[[7]] Xue S, Kong X-f, Zhu F, et al.. Proposal for management and alkalinity transformation of bauxite residue in China [J]. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2016, 23(13): 12822-12834,

[[8]] Li Y, Luo X, Li C, et al.. Variation of alkaline characteristics in bauxite residue under phosphogypsum amendment [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2019, 26(2): 361-372,

[[9]] Jones B E H, Haynes R J, Phillips I R. Effect of amendment of bauxite processing sand with organic materials on its chemical, physical and microbial properties [J]. Journal of Environmental Management, 2010, 91(11): 2281-2288,

[[10]] Courtney R, Kirwan L. Gypsum amendment of alkaline bauxite residue-Plant available aluminium and implications for grassland restoration [J]. Ecological Engineering, 2012, 42: 279-282,

[[11]] Bray A W, Stewart D I, Courtney R, et al.. Sustained bauxite residue rehabilitation with gypsum and organic matter 16 years after Initial Treatment [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2018, 52(1): 152-161,

[[12]] Di C, Boullemant A, Courtney R. A field assessment of bauxite residue rehabilitation strategies [J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2019, 663: 915-926,

[[13]] Lipczynska-Kochany E. Humic substances, their microbial interactions and effects on biological transformations of organic pollutants in water and soil: A review [J]. Chemosphere, 2018, 202: 420-437,

[[14]] Liu M, Wang C, Liu X, et al.. Salinealkali soil applied with vermicompost and humic acid fertilizer improved macroaggregate microstructure to enhance salt leaching and inhibit nitrogen losses [J]. Applied Soil Ecology, 2020, 156: 103705,

[[15]] Zhou P, Yan H, Gu B-hua. Competitive complexation of metal ions with humic substances [J]. Chemosphere, 2005, 58(10): 1327-1337,

[[16]] Kobierski M, Kondratowicz-Maciejewska K, Banach-Szott M, et al.. Humic substances and aggregate stability in rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil [J]. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2018, 18(8): 2777-2789,

[[17]] Coban O, de Deyn G B, van der Ploeg M. Soil microbiota as game-changers in restoration of degraded lands [J]. Science, 2022, 375(6584): 990,

[[18]] You F, Zhang L, Ye J, et al.. Microbial decomposition of biomass residues mitigated hydrogeochemical dynamics in strongly alkaline bauxite residues [J]. The Science of the Total Environment, 2019, 663: 216-226,

[[19]] Zhang Y-f, Xue R, He X, et al.. Effect of acid production by penicillium oxalicum on physicochemical properties of bauxite residue [J]. Geomicrobiology Journal, 2020, 37(10): 929-936,

[[20]] Tian T, Liu Z, Zhu F, et al.. Improvement of aggregate-associated organic carbon and its stability in bauxite residue by substrate amendment addition [J]. Land Degradation & Development, 2020, 31(16): 2405-2416,

[[21]] Schmalenberger A, O’Sullivan O, Gahan J, et al.. Bacterial communities established in bauxite residues with different restoration histories [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2013, 47(13): 7110-7119,

[[22]] Dong M, Hu S, Lv S, et al.. Recovery of microbial community in strongly alkaline bauxite residues after amending biomass residue [J]. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2022, 232: 113281,

[[23]] Wu H, Tang T, Zhu F, et al.. Long term natural restoration creates soil-like microbial communities in bauxite residue: A 50-year filed study [J]. Land Degradation & Development, 2021, 32(4): 1606-1617,

[[24]] Chen X, Wu J, Opoku-Kwanowaa Y. Effects of returning granular corn straw on soil humus composition and humic acid structure characteristics in saline-alkali soil [J]. Sustainability, 2020, 12(3): 1005,

[[25]] Bai L, Deng Y, Li J, et al.. Role of the proportion of cattle manure and biogas residue on the degradation of lignocellulose and humification during composting [J]. Bioresource Technology, 2020, 307: 122941,

[[26]] Paul E A. The nature and dynamics of soil organic matter: Plant inputs, microbial transformations, and organic matter stabilization [J]. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2016, 98: 109-126,

[[27]] Santini T C, Malcolm L I, Tyson G W, et al.. pH and organic carbon dose rates control microbially driven bioremediation efficacy in alkaline bauxite residue [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50(20): 11164-11173,

[[28]] Luo L, Meng H, Gu J-dong. Microbial extracellular enzymes in biogeochemical cycling of ecosystems [J]. Journal of Environmental Management, 2017, 197: 539-549,

[[29]] Liu B, Xia H, Jiang C-c, et al.. 14 year applications of chemical fertilizers and crop straw effects on soil labile organic carbon fractions, enzyme activities and microbial community in rice-wheat rotation of middle China [J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 841: 156608,

[[30]] Singh K. Microbial and enzyme activities of saline and sodic soils [J]. Land Degradation & Development, 2016, 27(3): 706-718,

[[31]] Bahram M, Hildebrand F, Forslund S K, et al.. Structure and function of the global topsoil microbiome [J]. Nature, 2018, 560: 233-237,

[[32]] Wu H, Sun W, Zhu F, et al.. Straw addition increases enzyme activities and microbial carbon metabolism activities in bauxite residue [J]. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2024, 135: 332-344,

[[33]] Wu H, Chen L, Zhu F, et al.. The dynamic development of bacterial community following long-term weathering of bauxite residue [J]. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2020, 90: 321-330,

[[34]] Antony C P, Kumaresan D, Hunger S, et al.. Microbiology of Lonar Lake and other soda lakes [J]. The ISME Journal, 2013, 7(3): 468-476,

[[35]] Smolyanyuk E V, Bilanenko E N. Communities of halotolerant micromycetes from the areas of natural salinity [J]. Microbiology, 2011, 80(6): 877-883,

[[36]] Guo T-f, Zhang Q, Song D, et al.. Varying microbial utilization of straw-derived carbon with different long-term fertilization regimes explored by DNA stable-isotope probing [J]. European Journal of Soil Biology, 2022, 108: 103379,

[[37]] Rousk J, Brookes P C, Bååth E. Contrasting soil pH effects on fungal and bacterial growth suggest functional redundancy in carbon mineralization [J]. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2009, 75(6): 1589-1596,

[[38]] Carson J K, Rooney D, Gleeson D B, et al.. Altering the mineral composition of soil causes a shift in microbial community structure [J]. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2007, 61(3): 414-423,

[[39]] Chao Y, Liu W-s, Chen Y-m, et al.. Structure, variation, and co-occurrence of soil microbial communities in abandoned sites of a rare earth elements mine [J]. Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50(21): 11481-11490,

[[40]] Spain A M, Krumholz L R, Elshahed M S. Abundance, composition, diversity and novelty of soil Proteobacteria [J]. The ISME Journal, 2009, 3(8): 992-1000,

[[41]] Hozzein W N, Abuelsoud W, Wadaan M A M, et al.. Exploring the potential of actinomycetes in improving soil fertility and grain quality of economically important cereals [J]. Science of the Total Environment, 2019, 651: 2787-2798,

[[42]] Hemati A, Aliasgharzad N, Khakvar R, et al.. Role of lignin and thermophilic lignocellulolytic bacteria in the evolution of humification indices and enzymatic activities during compost production [J]. Waste Management, 2021, 119: 122-134,

[[43]] Ding Y, Wei J-j, Xiong J-s, et al.. Effects of operating parameters on in situ NH₃ emission control during kitchen waste composting and correlation analysis of the related microbial communities [J]. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019, 26(12): 11756-11766,

[[44]] Lindström K, Mousavi S A. Effectiveness of nitrogen fixation in rhizobia [J]. Microbial Biotechnology, 2020, 13(5): 1314-1335,

[[45]] López-González J A, Del Carmen Vargasgarcía M, López M J, et al.. Biodiversity and succession of mycobiota associated to agricultural lignocellulosic waste-based composting [J]. Bioresource Technology, 2015, 187: 305-313,