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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbiological Chemistry and Geomicrobiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1453162

Soil microbial community composition and nitrogen enrichment responses to the operation of electric power substation

Provisionally accepted
Le-Xing You Le-Xing You 1*Zhi-Xin Xu Zhi-Xin Xu 2Bo Zeng Bo Zeng 2Sheng Chen Sheng Chen 2Sa Xiao Sa Xiao 2Lin-Gao Jiang Lin-Gao Jiang 2Xiang Li Xiang Li 2Yun-Fang Wu Yun-Fang Wu 2
  • 1 Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
  • 2 High Voltage Branch of State Grid Fujian Electric Power Co., Ltd.,, Fuzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The surge in global energy demand mandates a significant expansion of electric power substations.Nevertheless, the ecological consequences of electric power substation operation, particularly concerning the electromagnetic field, on soil microbial communities and nitrogen enrichment remain unexplored. In this study, we collected soil samples from six distinct sites at varying distances from an electric power substation in Xintang village, southeastern China, and investigated the impacts of electromagnetic field on the microbial diversity and community structures employing metagenomic sequencing technique. Our results showed discernible dissimilarities in the fungal community across the six distinct sites, each characterized by unique magnetic and electric intensities, whereas comparable variations were not evident within bacterial communities. Correlation analysis revealed a diminished nitrogen fixation capacity at the site nearest to the substation, characterized by low moisture content, elevated pH, and robust magnetic induction intensity and electric field intensity.Conversely, heightened nitrification processes were observed at this location compared to others. These findings were substantiated by the relative abundance of key genes associated with ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen production. This study provides insights into the relationships between soil microbial communities and the enduring operation of electric power substations, thereby contributing fundamental information essential for the rigorous environmental impact assessments of these facilities.

    Keywords: soil microbial community, Electric power substation, Nitrogen processing, distance, metagenomic sequencing technique

    Received: 22 Jun 2024; Accepted: 30 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 You, Xu, Zeng, Chen, Xiao, Jiang, Li and Wu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Le-Xing You, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.