高放废物处置地下实验室场址地下水中微生物群落与代谢功能研究

Research on Microbial Community and Metabolic Function in Groundwater of High-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Underground Laboratory Site

  • 摘要: 微生物对高放废物地质处置的长期安全性有潜在影响,但目前对我国北山实验室场址地下环境的微生物群落及其功能仍缺乏认识。本研究利用宏基因组学技术,揭示了北山实验室场址地下水的微生物组成与功能图谱。结果表明,变形菌门、未分类细菌(Unclassified_d_Bacteria)、髌骨细菌门、厚壁菌门和放线菌门是北山实验室场址地下水中的优势菌门,未分类细菌(Unclassified_d_Bacteria)皱纹杆菌、HB2-32-21、MEYI01和嗜甲基菌属是其中的优势菌属;钾离子浓度和温度可能是影响微生物群落的关键地下水理化因子;在关键生物地球化学循环方面,尽管乙酸营养型产甲烷代谢途径的基因(如ACSS1_2/acsackA)广泛存在,但关键的产甲烷标志基因mcrA完全缺失;而硫代谢以同化硫酸盐还原途径为主导,并非异化硫酸盐还原,cysDcysHcysJ为其中的优势基因。研究结果可为我国高放废物地质处置场址长期性能安全评价提供重要依据。

     

    Abstract: Microorganisms have the potential to affect the long-term safety of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). They not only drive the biogeochemical processes in the deep environment but also have a direct impact on the safety performance of the disposal process. China is currently constructing its first underground research laboratory for HLW disposal—the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory (URL)—at the Xinchang site in Gansu Province. However, the microbial communities and their functions in the underground environment of the Beishan URL site remain poorly understood. In this study, groundwater samples were collected from representative water-conducting fractures at various depths along the Beishan URL ramp, and metagenomics was employed for the first time to reveal the microbial composition and functional profiles of groundwater in the Beishan URL site. The results are as follows, bacteria are dominant in the groundwater community of the Beishan URL site, and the diversity is significantly higher than that of fungi and archaea. Proteobacteria, Unclassified_d_Bacteria, Patescibacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria are the dominant phyla, and Unclassified_d_Bacteria, Rugosibacter, HB2-32-21, MEYI01 and Methylophilus are the dominant genera. Correlation network analysis shows that K+ concentration and temperature are significantly correlated with multiple microbial phyla. Specifically, K+ concentration exhibits a positive correlation with multiple phyla, likely serving as an essential nutrient for microbial metabolism, whereas temperature shows a negative correlation, potentially inhibiting metabolic activities at elevated levels. These two factors may be key factors affecting the microbial community structure of groundwater in the Beishan URL site. Considering that the long-term safety of geological disposal of HLW depends on the stability of the site’s biogeochemical conditions, especially the microbial-driven methane production and sulfate reduction process, this study analyzed the functions of microbial methane metabolism pathway and sulfur metabolism pathway. Although genes associated with the acetoclastic methanogenesis pathway (e.g., ACSS1_2/acs, ackA) are widely present, the crucial methanogenic marker gene mcrA is completely absent. This absence may be attributed to redox conditions at the sampling sites being unsuitable for methanogenesis or the presence of more favorable electron acceptors in the groundwater. Consequently, the lack of the mcrA gene indicates an incomplete methanogenesis pathway, suggesting a limited risk of methane accumulation in the groundwater environment. And sulfur metabolism is dominated by assimilatory sulfate reduction, with cysD, cysH, and cysJ being the predominant genes, rather than dissimilatory sulfate reduction. These findings provide important evidence for the long-term performance and safety assessment of a geological disposal site for high-level radioactive waste in China.

     

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