Metal contamination causes metabolic stress in environmental bacteria, shows study

Urbanization, agricultural practices, and industrial activities have left numerous global environments contaminated with elevated levels of multiple heavy metals. Elevated concentrations of metals can disrupt microbially-driven biogeochemical cycling. However, few studies have explored the impacts of multiple metals on microbial physiology. This study focused on the subsurface of the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The site contains elevated concentrations of multiple metals and nitrate.