Synergistic effects of antimony and arsenic contaminations on bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of Miscanthus sinensis: Insights for nitrification and carbon mineralization

The impacts of metal(loids) on soil microbial communities are research focuses to understand nutrient cycling in heavy metal-contaminated environments. However, how antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) contaminations synergistically affect microbially-driven ecological processes in the rhizosphere of plants is poorly understood. Here we examined the synergistic effects of Sb and As contaminations on bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of a pioneer plant (Miscanthus sinensis) by focusing on soil carbon and nitrogen cycle. High contamination (HC) soils showed significantly lower levels of soil enzymatic activities, carbon mineralization and nitrification potential than low contamination (LC) environments. Multivariate analysis indicated that Sb and As fractions, pH and available phosphorus (AP) were the main factors affecting the structure and assembly of microbial communities, while Sb and As contaminations reduced the microbial alpha-diversity and interspecific interactions. Random forest analysis showed that microbial keystone taxa provided better predictions for soil carbon mineralization and nitrification under Sb and As contaminations. Partial least squares path modeling indicated that Sb and As contaminations could reduce the carbon mineralization and nitrification by influencing the microbial biomass, alpha-diversity and soil enzyme activities. This study enhances our understanding of microbial carbon and nitrogen cycling affected by Sb and As contaminations. [Display omitted] •High contamination results in low microbial alpha-diversity, extracellular enzyme activities and inter-taxa interactions.•Soil pH and available phosphorus, Sb and As fractions are major factors affecting the rhizosphere microbial communities.•The microbial keystone taxa provide better predictions for carbon mineralization and nitrification.•Sb and As contaminations inhibit the carbon mineralization and nitrification of the rhizosphere microbes.