Mechanisms and Related Environmental Impacts of Arsenic Transformation Coupled with Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mediated by Microorganisms

Arsenic (As) contamination poses a global threat to water security and human health. Microorganisms play a central role in their environmental fate, driving critical transformations like redox cycling and methylation, altering their mobility and toxicity. Intriguingly, these microbial As transformations often occur in anaerobic environments (flooded soils, aquifers, wetlands) alongside the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and other elements. Crucially, the metabolic pathways facilitating As detoxification or respiration (e.g., involving iron or sulfate reduction, methane production) can simultaneously produce potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). The complex interplay between microbial As transformations and GHG production creates synergistic environmental risks-exacerbating both contamination problems and climate impacts. Understanding the mechanisms linking these processes is vital for predicting risks and developing sustainable mitigation strategies.

This Research Topic aims to elucidate the fundamental microbial mechanisms driving the concurrent transformation of As and the production of GHGs in contaminated environments, and to assess their integrated environmental impacts. While microbial activity critically governs the fate of toxic As (via redox shifts, methylation, and respiration) and is a major source of GHGs (CH₄, CO₂, N₂O), the specific linkages between these coupled processes remain poorly resolved. Key knowledge gaps persist: 1) Which functional microbial guilds and metabolic pathways directly link As transformations (e.g., respiratory As reduction, As methylation coupled to methane) to GHG fluxes? 2) How do environmental parameters (e.g., redox potential, organic carbon, iron, sulfate levels) regulate this coupling? 3) What are the synergistic environmental consequences, including enhanced As mobility/toxicity and accelerated GHG emissions? To achieve this goal, we seek contributions that employ integrative approaches (e.g., advanced meta-omics to identify key genes and organisms, isotopic tracing to track element flow, controlled microcosm/mesocosm experiments under varying conditions, sophisticated biogeochemical modeling, and field validation studies). Unraveling these complex interactions is critical for predicting the dual environmental risks associated with contaminated sites and ultimately developing sustainable management strategies that simultaneously mitigate As contamination and curb GHG emissions.

This Research Topic seeks original research, reviews, and perspective articles that illuminate the intricate interplay between microbial processes driving As biogeochemical transformations and concurrent GHG production (CH₄, CO₂, N₂O). The key themes include:
1. Microbial Mechanisms: Identification and characterization of microbial functional guilds, genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways responsible for coupling As transformation (redox cycling, methylation/demethylation, respiration) with GHG production.
2. Environmental Regulation: Investigation of how key factors (e.g., organic carbon availability, electron acceptors (Fe(III), SO₄²⁻), pH, Eh, temperature, nutrient levels, co-existing pollutants) modulate the coupling efficiency and outcomes.
3. Integrated Impacts: Assessment of the resulting synergistic environmental consequences, including the amplification of As mobility/toxicity in water/soil systems, and quantitative contributions to GHG budgets and climate forcing.
We welcome empirical studies (field, lab microcosms/mesocosms), advanced molecular investigations (meta-omics, SIP, proteomics), isotopic tracing studies, modeling approaches, and synthesis/review articles focused on these specific intersections. Manuscripts must maintain high technical quality and clearly contribute novel insights into the linkages between the microbial transformation of arsenic and the emission of greenhouse gases.

Article types and fees

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

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

Keywords: arsenic, greenhouse gas, microbe, biogeochemical cycling, environmental effect

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.