Microbial Adaptation to Sediment Contamination: Responses and Ecosystem Impacts

In recent years, environmental science has increasingly focused on the issue of sediment contamination by both major and trace elements, which has an impact on ecosystem integrity and human health on a global scale. Several contaminants, particularly, heavy metals, potentially toxic elements (PTEs), persistent aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) etc. pose considerable threats to microbial communities, affecting bacterial viability, diversity, metabolic functions, and ecosystem function. The complex interactions between pollutants and biological systems have been demonstrated in recent studies examining sediment pollutants' impacts on microbial populations. The broader ecological implications of microbial adaptation mechanisms to sediment contamination remain unclear, despite advances in analytical methods and risk assessment. Understanding microbial responses to sediment contamination is crucial for assessing ecosystem resilience and formulating bioremediation strategies.

The purpose of this Research Topic is to gain a deeper understanding of how microbes respond to sediment contamination, emphasizing biochemical, genetic, and behavioral adaptations. A major point of this special issue is to clarify how sediment-bound pollutants interact, adapt, and are detoxified or mitigated in their harmful effects. Another relevant point is to understand how microbial communities mitigate pollution, the long-term effects of contamination on ecosystem stability, and how microbial activity may be harnessed to restore degraded ecosystems. In addition, we hope to investigate the broader ecological impacts of microbial adaptation, including changes in microbial community structure, ecosystem services, pollutant bioavailability, and downstream impacts on human health and ecosystem resilience.

To gain further insight into microbial responses to sediment contamination and their ecological effects, this Research Topic welcomes articles that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Sediment-bound contaminants and microbial biochemical pathways.
• The genetic adaptation mechanisms and microbial gene expression profiles under prolonged contamination.
• Ecological consequences of microbial adaptations for sediment biogeochemical cycling and energy flow.
• Bioavailability, transport, and risk assessment of contaminants in relation to microbial adaptation.
• The role of microbial adaptation in sediment remediation strategies and ecosystem restoration.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Sediment contamination, Microbial adaptation, Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), Biogeochemical mechanisms, Genetic adaptation, Ecosystem health, Microbial communities

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.