Periphyton-Driven Arsenic Methylation in Paddy Soils: The Crucial Role of Trophic Interactions

) that in return foster the growth of the periphytic community, while these taxa simultaneously detoxify As through biomethylation to secure their ecological niches in periphyton. Such a symbiotic metabolism between phototrophs and heterotrophs facilitates carbon sequestration and shapes the functional community, collaboratively determining methylated As production in paddy soils. These findings offer new insights into the influence of trophic interactions within the periphyton on As speciation with potential implications for element cycling and soil remediation in paddy soils.