“…It was found that the interaction between Cu(II) and Fe(II) stimulates the reduction process of heterogeneous iron in organic matter, and a high dose of CuO NPs promotes the electron transfer process. Thiobacillus was found in high-As sediments and had an influence on As release, and the existence of Thiobacillus thiooxidans increased metal mobility. − Iron-reducing bacteria such as Anaeromyxobacter , Geothrix , and Geobacter could promote Fe and As reduction by boosting extracellular electron transfer, and Paludibaculum could also promote dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction. − In this study, the abundance of Fe(III)-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria such as Anaeromyxobacter , Paludibaculum , Geothrix , and Thiobacillus was decreased when exposed to 100 mg kg –1 CuO NPs, thereby decreasing As availability in the soil. Moreover, the RDA and correlation analysis demonstrated that the decrease in soil pH, DOC, and available As was related to the decrease in Fe(III)-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria under the 100 mg kg –1 CuO NP treatment (Figure S13).…”