Metagenomics of high-iodine groundwater in Hetao Basin, China

Iodine concentration in groundwater exhibits vertical heterogeneity, even within the same aquifer, which is mainly caused by specific biogeochemical processes. However, the microbial contributions on the vertical difference of iodine in groundwater remain unclear. In this project, we built a monitoring network of 24 wells targeting the depths of 20, 35 and 50 m in a semi-confined aquifer in the Hetao Basin, China and used groundwater metagenomics to elucidate microbial responses to vertical variations of groundwater iodine.