How tiny soil creatures handle toxic mercury
A survey of bacterial and fungal community structure and functions in two long-term metalliferous soil habitats
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists studied tiny organisms in soil near old nuclear sites to see how they react to mercury pollution. They found that bacteria get less diverse as mercury increases, but fungi stay the same. Some bacteria and fungi have special tools to deal with mercury.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 5Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists studied tiny organisms in soil near old nuclear sites to see how they react to mercury pollution. They found that bacteria get less diverse as mercury increases, but fungi stay the same. Some bacteria and fungi have special tools to deal with mercury.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 5Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2025
Authors
Ashvini Chauhan, Christian Chukwujindu, A. Pathak, Rajneesh Jaswal
Related Content
Claims (10)
The fungi Ascomycota and Basidomycota are more common in soils with higher levels of total mercury and methylmercury.
The fungi Blastocladiomycota are more common in soils with higher levels of bioavailable mercury.
In soils with more mercury, there are fewer types of bacteria, but the variety of fungi stays about the same and is greatest in soils with the least mercury.
In soils with mercury contamination, the most common types of bacteria belong to groups called Pseudomonadota, Bacteroidota, Bacillota, Acidobacteriota, and Actinomycetota.
In soils with mercury contamination, the most common types of fungi belong to groups called Ascomycota and Basidiomycota.