Periphyton Metagenome

Periphyton are microorganism communities living on substrata in natural waters. Periphyton samples were collected in four reservoirs along the Olt River (Romania), which is known to be impacted by Hg due to the release of a chlor-alkali unit. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of the water degradation (especially by Hg) on the diversity of periphytic communities (bacteria, microalgae and fungi). This study is relevant to assess Hg impacts on microorganisms grown in situ and exposed to environmental Hg concentrations in order to establish relevant water quality criteria.