Effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and plant species on nitrification, denitrification and anammox in mangrove soils

Little is known about polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and planting affect biogeochemical processes, and their impact on microbial nitrogen (N) transformation in soil. A 12-month microcosm experiment was conducted to understand the effects of a mixture of PBDEs at two contamination levels, 2 and 20mgkg−1dry weight representing low and high soil contamination, respectively, using two mangrove plant species, namely Kandelia obovata (Ko) and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (Bg), on nitrification, denitrification and anammox in mangrove soils. No significant changes in these N transformation processes were found at month 3 and at a low level of PBDEs in both plant species, suggesting that short-term exposure to 2mgkg−1 contamination did not affect microbial N transformation. At month 12, a high level of PBDE contamination significantly decreased the nitrification potential activity and the copy numbers of archaeal amoA and bacterial amoA gene in Ko soil, but such inhibitory effect was not significant in Bg soil. On the contrary, the denitrification-related parameters, including the activities of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase, potential denitrification activity and copy numbers of nirK, nirS and nosZ gene, were stimulated by a high level of PBDE contamination in both Ko and Bg soils, and the stimulation was higher in the more anaerobic Bg soil. Different from denitrification, a high level of PBDE contamination decreased the copy numbers of anammox bacterial 16S rRNA gene in Bg soil but not in Ko soil; this was possibly related to the lower nitrate concentration in Bg soil that might inhibit the growth of anammox bacteria. These results indicated that the effects of PBDEs on microbial N transformation were plant species-specific, with the nitrifying microorganisms in Ko soil more susceptible to PBDE contamination, while denitrification and anammox in Bg soil were more sensitive.