Illuminating the Black Box: Trace Element Biogeochemistry from a Microbial Perspective
Environmental Science & Technology | October 2025
Paper by Benjamin D. Peterson & Brett A. Poulin
Conceptual diagram of the microbial “black box” that drives transformations of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) and subsequently influences the fate and transport of these trace elements. Microbial transformations are influenced by a complex array of interacting variables that include redox conditions, energy pathways in the microbial community, resource availability, and ecological processes. Human impacts can simultaneously influence multiple factors and thus exert complex control over trace element fate and transport. (Figure caption by authors)


