Oxygenated derivative is more influential than unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon on ammonia-oxidizing archaea in an acidic soil

Purpose Oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) often co-occur with their parent compounds and may be chemically more reactive due to increased hydrophilicity and polarity. However, the influences of oxygenated PAH on soil functions and involved microbes, for example, nitrification and ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, are largely unknown.