Bacterial community structures as a diagnostic tool for watershed quality assessment.

The analysis of bacterial community structures can be considered a promising instrument when assessing the quality and health of a body of water. Here, the representation of a new biological approach to studying such pollutant-based impact on freshwater sediments is explored. To test our hypothesis, sediment samples of Phragmites australis (common reed)-associated rhizosphere were collected at sites affected by different types and levels of pollution, all located in Zhangye, Gansu Province, China. The analyzed bacterial community structures showed a varying pattern according to the presence, characteristics and level of contaminants. Results of the study showed that bacterial community structures could be effectively used as diagnostic tools to map watershed quality status.