In a redox transition zone, geochemical reactions are facilitated by active bacteria that mediate reactions involving electrons, and arsenic (As) and iron (Fe) cycles are the major electron transfer reactions occurring at such a site. In this study, the effect of repetitive redox changes on soil bacterial community in As-contaminated soil was investigated. The results revealed that bacterial community changed actively in response to redox changes, and bacterial diversity gradually decreased as the cycle repeated. Proportion of strict aerobes and anaerobes decreased, while microaerophilic species such as Azospirillum oryzae group became the predominant species, accounting for 72.7% of the total counts after four weeks of incubation. Bacterial species capable of reducing Fe or As (e.g., Clostridium, Desulfitobacterium) belonging to diverse phylogenetic groups were detected. Indices representing richness (i.e., Chao 1) and phylogenetic diversity decreased from 1,868 and 1,926 to 848 and 1,121, respectively. Principle component analysis suggests that repetitive redox fluctuation, rather than oxic or anoxic status itself, is an important factor in determining the change of soil bacterial community, which in turn affects the cycling of As and Fe in redox transition zones. 

Keywords: Redox transition zone, Bacterial community, Phylogenetic diversity, As contaminated soil