• • Norfloxacin input significantly increased short-chain PFAS release from paddy soil to overlying water, with PFBA showing a notable positive correlation (Spearman) with ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Nitrososphaera), indicating a microbial-mediated mobilization pathway.
• • Metagenomic analysis identified archaeal and viral communities as the primary contributors to PFAS interfacial release, with Bcep22virus exhibiting significant negative correlations with multiple PFAS, suggesting viral predation or gene transfer mechanisms influence PFAS fate.
• • QNs suppressed key functional genes in archaea and viruses, including those involved in nitrogen metabolism, secretion systems, and outer membrane proteins, as revealed by differential gene expression and gene-PFAS co-occurrence networks, providing a mechanistic link between antibiotic stress and PFAS mobility.
• • Long-chain PFAS remained largely retained in the soil solid phase, contrasting with short-chain PFAS, highlighting chain-length-dependent sorption behavior and the potential for differential environmental transport and bioavailability.