Insights into the influence of potentially toxic elements on soil microbial health in Indian tea cultivating areas: A metagenomic and machine learning approach

Article Type

Research Article

Publication Title

Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Abstract

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are recognized for their capacity to modify soil ecosystems' variety, structure, and function. This study primarily aims to assess the impact of soil PTEs contamination on bacterial biomass, abundance, and diversity through metagenomic analyses. Soil samples were analyzed from four significant tea-growing zones in India: zone 1 (Terai), zone 2 (Dooars), zone 3 (Darjeeling), and zone 4 (Jorhat). Mean bioavailable PTEs (CrWs: 2.23 mg/kg, PbWs: 1.34 mg/kg) concentration was significantly higher in zone 1, and pH (4.63 ± 0.51) was lower. The soil microbial and enzymatic activities were found to be higher in zone 3 in the study site. Self-organizing maps and geostatistical methods were utilized to demonstrate that the localization patterns of soil PTEs and microbiological properties, primarily originating from tea growing zones, have been established. Principal component analysis demonstrated the adverse impact of the labile pool of soil PTEs on soil microbiological and enzymatic characteristics. Pseudomonadota exhibited greater abundance across the zones, with a higher operational taxonomic unit (OTU: 86) observed in Zone 3. The effectiveness of various machine-learning methods was evaluated using Taylor diagrams, and an attempt was made to identify a robust algorithm to forecast the causal factors contributing to the decline and adaptation of the soil microbial community. Sobol sensitivity analysis indicated that Cd and Cr substantially affected microbial activities and community structures in tea soil. The previously described insights into soil microbial health and maintenance under stress situations can aid in forecasting remedial methods and implementing sustainable tea cultivation.

DOI

10.1016/j.jece.2025.119862

Publication Date

12-1-2025

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