Shifts in soil microbiome surrounding a thermal treatment facility for hazardous waste: the hidden impact of environmentally persistent free radicals.
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| Title: | Shifts in soil microbiome surrounding a thermal treatment facility for hazardous waste: the hidden impact of environmentally persistent free radicals. |
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| Authors: | Zhang, Fan1 (AUTHOR) fanzhang@lsu.edu, Lard, Myron L.2 (AUTHOR), Khachatryan, Lavrent2 (AUTHOR), Guo, Chuqi3 (AUTHOR), Sandifer, Aiyanah1 (AUTHOR), Villafuerte, Nora M.1 (AUTHOR), Nde, Divine B.2 (AUTHOR), Cook, Robert L.2 (AUTHOR), Cormier, Stephania A.4 (AUTHOR), Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer3 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. May2026, Vol. 28 Issue 5, p1479-1490. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Microbial communities, *Incineration, *Soil microbiology, *Hazardous wastes, *Environmental health, Free radicals, Bacterial population, Fungal growth |
| Abstract: | The disposal of hazardous materials from Superfund sites often involves thermal treatment (TT), generating environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). While substantial evidence links EPFR exposure to negative health outcomes, its effects on the soil microbiome remain underexplored. Since the mid-1980s, a TT facility in Colfax, LA, has employed open-burn and open-detonation to process hazardous waste. In 2023, we collected soil samples from 13 residential sites within a 17-km radius of the TT facility and analyzed microbial communities and EPFR content. Our findings revealed a distinct microbial community near the TT facility (within 5-km), characterized by reduced bacterial abundance and increased fungal presence. Soil EPFR concentrations ranged from 0.81 × 1016–4.39 × 1016 spins per g with g-factor values of 2.0033–2.0040, indicating a mixture of carbon-centered radicals with adjacent oxygen and oxygen-centered radicals. Correlation analysis identified bacterial taxa, particularly Alpha-proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, positively associated with EPFR abundance. In vitro tests showed that laboratory generated EPFRs more strongly inhibited bacterial growth than fungal growth, though some bacterial isolates from the study sites exhibited resistance to EPFR exposure. The differences in microbial responses to EPFR exposure may contribute to the shifts in microbial communities near the TT facility. Our study advances the understanding of EPFR impacts on the soil microbiome and suggests potential long-term effects on environmental and community health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | GreenFILE |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: 8gh DbLabel: GreenFILE An: 194134860 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Shifts in soil microbiome surrounding a thermal treatment facility for hazardous waste: the hidden impact of environmentally persistent free radicals. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Fan%22">Zhang, Fan</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> fanzhang@lsu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lard%2C+Myron+L%2E%22">Lard, Myron L.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Khachatryan%2C+Lavrent%22">Khachatryan, Lavrent</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Guo%2C+Chuqi%22">Guo, Chuqi</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sandifer%2C+Aiyanah%22">Sandifer, Aiyanah</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Villafuerte%2C+Nora+M%2E%22">Villafuerte, Nora M.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nde%2C+Divine+B%2E%22">Nde, Divine B.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cook%2C+Robert+L%2E%22">Cook, Robert L.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cormier%2C+Stephania+A%2E%22">Cormier, Stephania A.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Richmond-Bryant%2C+Jennifer%22">Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Environmental+Science%3A+Processes+%26+Impacts%22">Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 28 Issue 5, p1479-1490. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Microbial+communities%22">Microbial communities</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Incineration%22">Incineration</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soil+microbiology%22">Soil microbiology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hazardous+wastes%22">Hazardous wastes</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+health%22">Environmental health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Free+radicals%22">Free radicals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bacterial+population%22">Bacterial population</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Fungal+growth%22">Fungal growth</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: The disposal of hazardous materials from Superfund sites often involves thermal treatment (TT), generating environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs). While substantial evidence links EPFR exposure to negative health outcomes, its effects on the soil microbiome remain underexplored. Since the mid-1980s, a TT facility in Colfax, LA, has employed open-burn and open-detonation to process hazardous waste. In 2023, we collected soil samples from 13 residential sites within a 17-km radius of the TT facility and analyzed microbial communities and EPFR content. Our findings revealed a distinct microbial community near the TT facility (within 5-km), characterized by reduced bacterial abundance and increased fungal presence. Soil EPFR concentrations ranged from 0.81 × 1016–4.39 × 1016 spins per g with g-factor values of 2.0033–2.0040, indicating a mixture of carbon-centered radicals with adjacent oxygen and oxygen-centered radicals. Correlation analysis identified bacterial taxa, particularly Alpha-proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, positively associated with EPFR abundance. In vitro tests showed that laboratory generated EPFRs more strongly inhibited bacterial growth than fungal growth, though some bacterial isolates from the study sites exhibited resistance to EPFR exposure. The differences in microbial responses to EPFR exposure may contribute to the shifts in microbial communities near the TT facility. Our study advances the understanding of EPFR impacts on the soil microbiome and suggests potential long-term effects on environmental and community health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=8gh&AN=194134860 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1039/d5em00439j Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 1479 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Microbial communities Type: general – SubjectFull: Incineration Type: general – SubjectFull: Soil microbiology Type: general – SubjectFull: Hazardous wastes Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental health Type: general – SubjectFull: Free radicals Type: general – SubjectFull: Bacterial population Type: general – SubjectFull: Fungal growth Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Shifts in soil microbiome surrounding a thermal treatment facility for hazardous waste: the hidden impact of environmentally persistent free radicals. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Fan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lard, Myron L. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Khachatryan, Lavrent – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Guo, Chuqi – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sandifer, Aiyanah – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Villafuerte, Nora M. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Nde, Divine B. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cook, Robert L. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cormier, Stephania A. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: May2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 20507887 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 28 – Type: issue Value: 5 Titles: – TitleFull: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
