ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Levels, Spatial Distribution, and Sources
of Heavy Metals in Karst Caohai Wetlands
and Their Impact on Bacterial Community
Diversity and Symbiotic Patterns, China
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1
College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment,
Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China
2
Guizhou Institute of Biology, Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550009, PR China
3
Guizhou Jiamu Environmental Protection Technology Co, Ltd, PR China
Submission date: 2024-09-21
Final revision date: 2024-12-18
Acceptance date: 2025-03-25
Online publication date: 2025-06-27
Corresponding author
Jing Hu
College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, 550025, China
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ABSTRACT
Karst wetlands play a crucial role in heavy metal transport and biogeochemical cycles. This study
analyzed heavy metal contents and morphological distribution in sediment samples from Caohai
wetlands, Guizhou Province, and investigated bacterial community composition and its interaction
with heavy metals using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results showed severe heavy metal pollution in Caohai
wetlands, with high bacterial diversity. Bacterial community structure significantly correlated with
heavy metal content. The microbial covariance network demonstrated more coexistence than exclusion
among bacterial taxa. This study revealed heavy metal pollution characteristics in Caohai wetland
sediments and provided a theoretical basis for ecological risk assessment and microbial remediation of
heavy metal contamination in karst wetlands.