重金属尾矿是矿山酸性废水（acid mine drainage, AMD）的重要来源。过去多年的研究显著拓展了对微生物介导硫化物矿物氧化和产酸机制的了解；然而，厌氧尾矿环境中的微生物还原过程及其生态至今未有报道。本项目以广东省凡口铅锌矿大型尾矿库高度分层的尾矿底泥为研究对象，通过16S rRNA和dsrB基因扩增子深度测序，分析不同氧化还原分区总微生物群落和硫酸盐还原细菌的种类组成、结构、活性类群及其分布，同时利用宏基因组和宏转录组技术，研究底泥主要层次微生物群落的代谢潜能和原位功能活性，定量探求微生物群落结构、功能与底泥地球化学多变量之间的关系；结合室内模拟实验，构建厌氧尾矿底泥铁、硫还原过程的生物地球化学模型。本项目将填补尾矿微生物研究的一项重要空白，同时可为AMD污染环境的生物修复提供重要依据。

Sulfidic mine tailings are the major sources of acid mine drainage (AMD). Previous studies have significantly expanded our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the microbially-mediated sulfide minerals oxidation and acid generation processes in mine tailings. However, the microbial reductive processes in anaerobic tailings environments and their microbial ecology have not been investigated. In this study, highly stratified tailings sediments will be collected from the massive tailings impoundment of the Fankou Lead-Zinc Mine in Guangdong province, and the taxonomic composition, structure, active taxa and vertical distribution of the total microbial community and sulfate reducing microorganisms will be respectively profiled by deep sequencing of 16S rRNA and dsrB gene amplicons. Integrated metagenomics and metatranscriptomics analyses will be conducted to elucidate the metabolic potentials and in situ functional activities of microbial communities. These will enable a quantitative exploration of the relationships between microbial community structure, function and geochemical characteristics of the tailings sediments. By combining the data with those from subsequent simulation experiments, geomicrobiological models of the iron and sulfur reductive processes in anaerobic tailings sediments will be proposed. This study fills the critical knowledge gaps in microbial ecology studies of mine tailings, and could have significant implications for the bioremediation of AMD-affected environments.