Electron acceptors determine the BTEX degradation capacity of anaerobic microbiota via regulating the microbial community

Anaerobic degradation is the major pathway for microbial degradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) under electron acceptor lacking conditions. However, how exogenous electron acceptors modulate BTEX degradation through shaping the microbial community structure remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of various exogenous electron acceptors on BTEX degradation as well as methane production in anaerobic microbiota, which were enriched from the same contaminated soil. It was found that the BTEX degradation capacities of the anaerobic microbiota gradually increased along with the increasing redox potentials of the exogenous electron acceptors supplemented (WE: Without exogenous electron acceptors