Data on fungal abundance and diversity in copper and cobalt contaminated tailing soils in Kitwe, Zambia

Mining activities in the Zambian Copperbelt Province have led to the release of heavy metal-containing waste, causing contamination in nearby areas. Despite this environmental challenge, limited knowledge exists regarding the mycobiota in copper mine sites. This study investigates fungal community structure in copper(Cu) and cobalt (Co) contaminated soils around decommisioned dams in Kitwe. Metagenomic analysis of the ITSF1 gene amplicons was used for the purpose. The composition of soil fungal communities was characterized, and the findings revealed significant insights. At the phylum level, Basidiomycota dominated the fungal profiles in the tailings (64.59%), followed by Ascomycota (21.30%), Glomeromycota (4.53%), and Rozellomycota (0.0275%). Several fungal genera, including Vanrija, Paraconiothyrium, Toxicladosporium, Neocosmospora, Septoglomus, and Fusarium, were more abundant in contaminated tailings soils, suggesting their potential in leaching, absorbing, and transforming heavy metals. In contrast, the reference soil at Mwekera National Forest exhibited different dominance patterns with four fungal phyla identified, with Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominating most samples. Glomeromycota, known for forming arbuscular mycorrhizae with plants, were found in contaminated soils, while Rozellomycota, which can serve ecological roles in various ecosystems, were also present. Notable fungal species such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Oidiodendron demonstrated resilience to Cu and Co, the primary contaminants in the Copperbelt.


a b s t r a c t
Mining activities in the Zambian Copperbelt Province have led to the release of heavy metal-containing waste, causing contamination in nearby areas.Despite this environmental challenge, limited knowledge exists regarding the mycobiota in copper mine sites.This study investigates fungal community structure in copper(Cu) and cobalt (Co) contaminated soils around decommisioned dams in Kitwe.Metagenomic analysis of the ITSF1 gene amplicons was used for the purpose.The composition of soil fungal communities was characterized, and the findings revealed significant insights.At the phylum level, Basidiomycota dominated the fungal profiles in the tailings (64.59%), followed by Ascomycota (21.30%),Glomeromycota (4.53%), and Rozellomycota (0.0275%).Several fungal genera, including Vanrija , P araconiothyrium, Toxicladosporium, Neocosmospora, Septoglomus , and Fusarium , were more abundant in contaminated tailings soils, suggesting their potential in leaching, absorbing, and transforming heavy metals.In contrast, the reference soil at Mwekera National Forest exhibited different dominance patterns with four fungal phyla identified, with Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominating most samples.Glomeromycota , known for forming arbuscular mycor-rhizae with plants, were found in contaminated soils, while Rozellomycota , which can serve ecological roles in various ecosystems, were also present.ITS region, along with partial gene sequence of 18S rRNA, was amplified using fungal specific primers (ITS1-F) from isolated metagenome Parameters for data collection Soil samples were taken on the 16 th and 17 th August 2022 between 8 am and 1 pm.

Description of data collection
For metagenomic, analysis of ITS1 fungal sequences, a total of ten soil samples were collected from various locations within the selected tailings dams.Two composite soil samples were gathered from the Mwekera Forest to establish controls for comparison.Each soil sample, collected from the uppermost layer (0-25 cm) using a trowel, weighed approximately 500 g and was placed in sealed polyethylene bags.The sampling locations and their respective coordinates are detailed in

Value of the Data
This information offers a thorough analysis and quantitative depiction of the diversity of fungi in Kitwe Tailing dam (TD25), Uchi Tailing dam (TD26) and control soils in Mwekera Natural Forest.
• Based on ITS sequences, data is useful for the comparative analysis of various heavy metal content in tailings and their impact on the overall fungal profile.• Probabilities of finding novel and uncultured fungi in the tailing dam's metagenome.
• Data provides information on the diversity, distribution, and coexistence of fungi.
• Researchers can use new tools to undertake secondary analysis owing to the availability of raw sequencing data

Study area description, soil collection, and list of plant species
Soil samples ( N = 10) were collected at three sites within the selected tailings dams ( Table 1 ).Two composite samples at Mwekera Forest were also collected to serve as controls.Approxi- 500 g of soil samples were collected from the top layer (0-25 cm) at each location using a trowel, placed in a polyethylene bag, and sealed.

XRF data acquisition
A portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t XRF analyzer (ThermoFisher Scientific, Tewksbury, MA, United States) equipped with a 4 W Rh X-ray tube and a Peltier-cooled Silicon Drift Detector (with 2048 channels, gain of ∼20 eV/channel) was used for XRF data acquisition.The following instrumental conditions were used: (i) X-ray tube voltage of 35 kV and current of 7 μA; (ii) dwell time of 30 s; (iii) no filter was used; and (iv) scans were performed under atmospheric pressure.Three measurements were taken from each soil sample at three different spots, and these were then averaged.

XRF data
In this study, soil samples were collected from Mwekera Natural Forest, and from tailing dams TD25 and TD26.They were then scanned using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF).Figs. 1 and 2 shows the heavy metal concentration in composite soils at Mwekera (Bare and Planted Soil), TD25 (Bare and Planted Soil), TD26 (Bare and Planted soil).The concentration is also reported in Supplementary Table 1.Figs. 1 and 2 show the heavy metal concentration data for Mwekera (MW), TD25 (Kitwe Tailing Dam), and TD26 (Uchi Tailing Dam), revealing varying levels of copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) across different sampling locations.At TD26 at Uchi Tailing Dam, elevated levels of certain metals such as Cu, Co, and Fe are observed, with distinct variations between sampling points TD26 (B1,B2,P1,P2).The concentrations of heavy metals in TD25, Kitwe Tailing Dam, also exhibit variability across different locations TD25 (B1, B2, P1, P2), with high concentrations of Cu, Fe, and Zn.Mwekera Forest (MW) and TD10 show unique metal composition at different sampling points MW(B1, B2, P1, P2) and TD10 (B1, P1).The average concentrations provide insights into the overall metal content, highlighting potential environmental implications and the need for further investigation into the factors influencing heavy metal distribution in these areas.

A brief overview of plant species diversity at mwekera natural forest and tailing dam areas in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia
Table 2 provides a comprehensive list of plant species commonly observed in the ecosystems of Mwekera Natural Forest and those in the tailing dam areas TD25 and TD26 within the Copperbelt Province of Zambia.This resourceful table offers valuable insights into the botanical composition of these diverse habitats, aiding in the understanding of the ecological dynamics and biodiversity of the studied sites [3 , 4] .

Fungal diversity at TD25, TD26 and Mwekera forest
The metagenomic data related to the study on ITS1 fungal sequences in soil samples collected from various locations, including controls from Mwekera Forest is available on the NCBI repository.The raw data, in FASTQ file format, can be accessed with the identification number PRJNA1013767 at the following URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/PRJNA1013767]( https: //www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sra/PRJNA1013767 ).
Four fungal phyla were identified in this study from all soil samples tested.Among them, Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominated.However, Basidiomycota predominated in metalcontaminated soils with the exception of one soil sample from TD25 where Ascomycota predominated.Ascomycota was the most prevalent in reference soil (LD-MW) ( Fig. 3 ).

Ethical Approval
It is not required for this study the research did not involve humans or animals.

Fig. 3 .
Fig. 3. Fungal communities associated with contaminated surface soils are major alternatives for bioremediation initiatives.The data presented in this figure are at the genus level, providing a detailed insight into the specific fungal genera contributing to the remediation potential of the contaminated soil environments.Using fungal ITSF1 community profiles, we may compare the more abundant taxa in polluted (TD25, TD26) vs. uncontaminated surface samples from Mwekera Forest.MW (Mwekera Natura Forest) (P1: Soil from planted area), TD25 (Kitwe Tailing Dam) (B2: Soil from Bare surface soil, P2: Soil from planted surface soil), TD26 (Uchi Tailing Dam): B2, B1: Soil from bare surface area), P2: Soil from planted surface soil.

Fig. 3 .
Fig. 3. Continued Notable fungal species such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium , and Oidiodendron demonstrated resilience to Cu and Co, the primary contaminants in the Copperbelt.©2023 The Author(s).Published by Elsevier Inc.

Table 1
Sampling location and coordinates. .