Effect of mercuric chloride on electron transport system (ETS) activity in sediment

The effect of mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) on electron transport system (ETS) activity in sediment was studied using the reduction of 2-(p-iodophenyl)-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl tetrazolium chloride (INT) to water insoluble iodonitrotetrazolium formazan (INT-formazan) by respiring microorganisms and sediment enzymes. The effect of HgCl₂ on ETS activity was more pronounced in aerobically incubated sediment than in anaerobically incubated sediment. The EC₅₀ value for the inhibition of ETS activity in aerobically incubated sediment at 10 and 20 °C was 40.9 ± 16.2 and 48.8 ± 4.1 μg g^?1 HgCl₂, respectively. The EC₅₀ value for anaerobically incubated sediment in the presence of HgCl, at 4, 10, and 20 °C was 153.0 ± 8.1, 173.1 ± 8.2, and 199.1 ± 15.2 μg g^?1 HgCl₂, respectively.     

Short-term bacterial growth,nutrient uptake,and ATP turnover in sterilized,inoculated and C-amended soil: The influence of N availability

Bacteria, Pseudomonas paucimobilis, were inoculated at two concentrations (6.56 × 10⁴ g^?1 and 6.56 × 10⁶g^?1) into sterilized soil amended with 700 μg glucose-C g^?1. Two levels of NH⁺₄-N (11.0μg g^?1 and 81.0 μg g^?1) were used. The subsequent development was followed for three days by measurement of several biological, chemical and physiological parameters.The amount of bacterial biomass-C (μg g^?1 soil) became twice as great in high as in low N treatments, and significantly decreased between 39.5 and 63.5 h for the high inoculum, high N level treatment due to decreasing cell size. By the end of the experiment the cumulative respired carbon was twice as great and more inorganic P was immobilized for high compared to low N treatments and all available NH⁺₄-N was taken up by the final sample time. Soil ATP concentrations were twice as large in high N treatments but the turnover times were twice as long compared to low N systems. The yield coefficient (Y), calculated from respiration and biomass-C values, equalled 0.61 while substrate was plentiful. Nitrogen limitation did not alter the efficiencey with which glucose was transformed into biomass, but rather controlled the total amount of glucose used and biomass produced.     

Nitrification in three soils amended with zinc sulfate

Zinc as ZnSO₄ was added to three soils at rates of 0, 10, 100 and 1000 μg Zn g^?1 soil. The soils were uniformly treated with 100 μg Ng^?1 as nh₄cl, incubated at 30°C and NH₄⁺-N and (NO₃^? + NO₂^?)-N determined weekly for 7 weeks. Nitrification in all three soils was totally inhibited by 1000 μg Zn g^?1. At the 100 μg Zn g^?1 rate, nitrification was significantly reduced in two of the three soils during some part of the incubation. This differential effect on nitrification at the 100 μg Zn g^?1 rate was related to differences in soil properties. These results imply that, with respect to nitrification, care should-be taken not to apply Zn-containing materials indiscriminately to soils.     

Forms of trace metals from inorganic sources in soils and amounts found in spring barley

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was grown on a sandy soil given different doses of cadmium carbonate (salt), copper carbonate (malachite), lead carbonate (cerussite), and zinc carbonate (smithsonite) in a pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse. The element compounds were added to the soil in amounts equivalent to the following levels of the metals: Cd 5, 10, 50 μq ^?1; Cu and Pb 50, 100, 500 μg g^?1; Zn 150, 300, 1500 μg g^?1. Sequential extraction was used for partition these metals into five operationally-defined fractions: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to Fe-Mn oxides, bound to organic matter and residual. The residue was the most abundant fraction in the untreated soil for all the metals studied (43 to 61% of the total contents). The concentration of exchangeable Cd (0.2 μg g^?1), Cu (0.01 μg g^?1), Pb (0.1 μg g^?1), and Zn (1.4 μg g^?1) were relatively low in the untreated soil but increased markedly in the treated soils for Cd (up to 31 μg g^?1) and Zn (up to 83 μg g^?1), whereas only small changes were observed for Cu and Pb. The pot experiment showed a significant increase in the Cd and Zn contents of barley grown on the treated soils, but only small changes in Cu and Pb concentrations.     

Nitrogen fixation by white clover (Trifolium repens) in grasslands on soils contaminated with cadmium, lead and zinc

The nitrogenase activity (potential nitrogen fixation) of a mixed white clover-grass sward growing on a range of soils containing up to 216 μg g^?1 Cd, 30 000μg g^?1 Pb and 20 000 μg g^?1 Zn was determined using the acetylene-reduction assay. The plants were incubated in situ using an intact soil-core technique. Little change in the rate of C₂H₂ reduction was observed during the daylight hours although a marked seasonal fluctuation was found, the maximum activity during the spring and declining to 20% of this by the autumn. Some reductions of nodule and plant size, and in nitrogenase activity, was observed in the most heavily contaminated sites. These effects were small; the plants and nodules otherwise appeared healthy. The potential for nitrogen fixation was equally high in all the sites at up to 80 g N ha^?1 h^?1 in the spring.     

Mineralization and immobilization of nitrogen in fumigated soil and the measurement of microbial biomass nitrogen

Immobilization of N was measured in a fumigated and in an unfumigated soil by adding (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ and following the disappearance of inorganic label from the soil solution and its simultaneous conversion to soil organic N. Calculations based on the measurement of organically-bound ¹⁵N gave more consistent values for immobilization than did calculations based on the measurement of the disappearance of label from solution. The fumigated soil immobilized 6.6 μg N g^?1 N g^?1 soil in 10 days at 25°C, the unfumigated control 4.8 μg. The corresponding gross mineralization rates were 34.9 and 5.6 μg N g^?1 soil in 10 days.Addition of 58 μg N as (¹⁵NH₄)₂SO₄ to the fumigated soil increased the quantity of the ynlabelled NH₄-N extracted at the end of 10 days from 33.8 to 37.8 μg Ng^?1 soil, i.e. there was a positive Added Nitrogen Interaction (ANI). The added labelled N produced this ANI, not by increasing the rate of mineralization of organic N, but by standing proxy for unlabelled N that otherwise would have been immobilized.A procedure for calculating biomass N from the size of the flush of mineral N caused by fumigation is proposed. Biomass N (B_N) is calculated from the relationship B_N = F'_N/0.68 where F'_N is [(N in fumigated soil incubated for 10 days — (N in unfumigated soil incubated for 10 days)].     

Dietary cobalt supplements and the growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia foetida

The effect of adding cobalt, as ⁶⁰Co, to the food source of the earthworm Eisenia foetida was studied. Cobalt was retained with a half-life of 387 ± 43 (SD) days in the worm. After 172 days more cobalt was concentrated in the gut than the body wall. ⁶⁰Co was not transmitted from adults to cocoons. Prolonged studies involving the addition of CoCl₂ (0, 8.2, 16.5 and 82.5 μg Co g^?1) to a food source low in Co indicated that total Co concentrations of 17.6 and 25.9 μg g^?1 resulted in significantly increased maximum weights compared to the control worms which were exposed to 9.4 μg Co g^?1. The highest Co addition (82.5 μg g^?1, total 91.9 μg g^?1) caused no increase in maximum weight over controls, but resulted in a statistically significant lag in early growth compared to that of all other groups. Significantly more cocoons were produced by worms fed 17.6 or 25.9 μg Co g^?1 compared with those fed 9.4 or 91.9 μg Co^?1 Co.     

Effects of acetylene on nitrification and denitrification in two soils during incubation with ammonium nitrate

A loam from the Frilsham and one from the Wickham Series were incubated at 50 and 90 per cent of their water contents at saturation with 100 μg NH₄NO₃-N_g^?1 soil in the presence and absence of C₂H₂ (0.5 per cent, v/v). Acetylene inhibited nitrification in both soils, but had no effect on mineralization of N. No denitrification (measured as the production of N₂O in the presence of C₂H₂) occurred during incubation at 50 per cent saturation. At 90 per cent saturation, denitrification resulted in a loss of 28.4 and 36.7 μg N_g^?1 after 48 h from the Frilsham and Wickham soils, respectively. The concurrent inhibition of nitrification had no effect on the extent of denitrification at this time. In the Wickham soil, NO₃^? was exhausted after 168 h incubation in the presence of C₂H₂ and denitrification was underestimated by 13 μg N_g^?. The data suggested that concurrent inhibition of nitrification during measurement of denitrification using the C₂H₂ inhibition technique is most likely to affect the estimate of denitrification loss when NO₃^?supply is limited by the inhibition of nitrification.     

Laboratory Assessment of Nostoc 9v (Cyanobacteria) Effects on N2 Fixation and Chemical Fertility of Degraded African Soils

The potential of Nostoc 9v for improving the nitrogen (N)₂–fixing capacity and nutrient status of semi‐arid soils from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa was studied in a laboratory experiment. Nostoc 9v was inoculated on nonsterilized and sterilized soils. Inoculum rates were 2.5 mg dry biomass g^?1 soil and 5 mg dry biomass g^?1 soil. The soils were incubated for 3 months at 27 °C under 22 W m² illumination with a photoperiod of 16 h light and 8 h dark. The moisture was maintained at 60% of field capacity. In all soils, Nostoc 9v proliferated and colonized the soil surfaces very quickly and was tolerant to acidity and low nutrient availability. Cyanobacteria promoted soil N₂ fixation and had a pronounced effect on total soil organic carbon (SOC), which increased by 30–100%. Total N also increased, but the enrichment was, in most soils, comparatively lower than for carbon (C). Nitrate and ammonium concentrations, in contrast, decreased in all the soils studied. Increases in the concentration of available macronutrients were produced in most soils and treatments, ranging from 3 to 20 mg phosphorus (P) kg^?1 soil, from 5 to 58 mg potassium (K) kg^?1 soil, from 4 to 285 mg calcium (Ca) kg^?1, and from 12 to 90 mg magnesium (Mg) kg^?1 soil. Positive effects on the levels of available manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) were also observed.     

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web.) as phytoindicators of cadmium contamination

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Web.) were demonstrated to be potential indicator plants for heavy metal contaminated sites. Chicory, grown with 0.5–50 μM cadmium (Cd) in nutrient solution, accumulated 10–300 μM Cd g^?1 in shoots and 10–890 μg Cd μg^?1 in roots and rhizomes. With dandelion, 20–410 μg Cd μg^?1 was found in shoots and 20–1360 μg Cd μg^?1 in roots and rhizomes. An inverse correlation existed between chlorophyll and Cd concentrations in shoots of both species. Accumulation of Cd from nutrient solution was similar with the counter-anions SO₄ ^2?, Cl^1? and NO₃ ^? in chicory. In chicory grown in Cd-amended (11.2 kg Cd ha^?1 applied five years previously) soils, Cd concentrations were substantially higher than in controls in all plant parts following the order: leaf > caudex > stem > root and rhizome. The above trend was the opposite of that observed in solution culture, where Cd accumulation was higher in roots and rhizomes than in shoots. Higher cadmium accumulation was found from a Cd-treated sand (Grossarenic Paleudult) than from a loamy sand (Typic Kandiudult) soil type. Chicory and dandelion are proposed indicator plants of cadmium contamination, and both have the potential to be an international standard heavy phytomonitor species of heavy metal contaminantion.     

The influence of glucose and nitrate concentrations upon denitrification rates in sandy soils

Dentrification rates in two soils were assessed separately as a function of NO₃^? concentration while providing a constant initial glucose concentration, and as a function of glucose concentration while providing a constant initial NO₃^?-N concentration. Of the soils used, a Hanford sandy loam and a Coachella fine sand, the bacteria in the former produced higher rates of denitrification with a maximum loss of 1500 μg NO₃^?-N/ml day^?1 as compared to a loss of 150 μg NO₃^?-N/ml day^?1 from the latter. Rates of loss closely approximated Michaelis Menten kinetics in the Coachella sand, and K_m values for glucose-C and NO₃^?-N were 500 μg/ml and 170 μg/ml, respectively. Rates of loss of NO₃^?-N from the Hanford soil did not approximate Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and this was attributed to failure to saturate enzyme systems in the denitrifying bacteria with glucose and nitrogen when each was held constant. C/N ratios around 2 appeared to provide the greatest rates of denitrification. High C/N ratios or high glucose concentrations (1.8 per cent) retarded denitrification, with fungal growth and a subsequent drop in pH occuring. A Pseudomonas was incubated aerobically for 24 h followed by a 72 h anaerobic incubation with nitrate as the sole nitrogen source at 0, 10, 50, 100, 250 and 500mg N/ml concentrations. Assimilatory nitrate reduction never exceeded 75 mg N/ml, and it was concluded that this mode of nitrate reduction is insignificant at higher nitrate concentrations by comparison to dissimilatory nitrate reduction, i.e. denitrification.     

Accumulation of acridine from water,food, and sediment by the fathead minnow,Pimephales promelas

Azaarenes are one of several classes of organic compounds which contain mutagenic and carcinogenic substances that are found in synthetic fuels effluents. This study investigated the potential for a mutagenic azaarene, acridine, to accumulate in freshwater fish (Pimephales promelas) via four possible pathways: (1) direct uptake from water, (2) uptake via interaction with contaminated sediments, (3) uptake via ingestion of contaminated zooplankton (Daphnia pulex), and (4) uptake via ingestion of benthic invertebrates (Chironomus tentans) living in contaminated sediments. The results showed that acridine was rapidly accumulated from water by fathead minnows. Equilibrium concentration was attained within 24 h at a concentration factor ([acridine]_{fish, wet wt}/[acridine]_water) of 125±10. Depuration was rapid and appeared to occur in two stages, with a net elimination rate of 0.23 h^?1 [acridine]_fish at equilibrium. Equilibrium concentration factors of 51±5, 30±2, and 874±275 were observed forChironomus, Daphnia, and sediment, respectively. The calculated rates of uptake of acridine via ingestion of contaminated invertebrates (0.02 μg g^?1 h^?1) and ingestion of sediment (0.01 μg g^?1 h^?1) were negligible compared with direct uptake from water (1.40 μg g^?1 h^?1) in a hypothetical system with all compartments in equilibrium.     

Mineralization of carbon atoms of 14C-2,4-D side chain and degradation ability of bacteria in soil

The time-course of ¹⁴CO₂ formation in chernozem soil samples enriched with 1- or 2-¹⁴C-2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (50 μg g g^?1 air-dry soil) was determined during incubation at 28°C. Except for the initial phase of decomposition, when the conversion of carboxyl carbon to ¹⁴CO₂ predominated over that of carbon in position 2, the rates of mineralization of the two carbon atoms of the side chain of the herbicide molecule exhibited no significant difference. The exponential phase of ¹⁴CO₂ evolution lasted from the 3rd to the 21st day of incubation; a semilogarithmic plot of its time dependence was strictly linear. The mineralization activity doubling time in this phase was 89.1 ± 3.6 h with 1-¹⁴CO-2, 4-D and 85.4 ± 5. l h with 2-¹⁴CO-2,4-D. An exponential decrease in mineralization activity was observed after 21 days, probably due to substrate exhaustion. The total proportion of radioactive carbon introduced into the soil in the form of 1- or 2-¹⁴CO-2,4-D and converted into ¹⁴CO₂ during 31 days of incubation was about 33%. Plate counts of bacteria increased during 35 days of incubation from 2.14 × 10⁸ to 2.8 × 10⁸ g^?1. The proportion of bacteria capable of producing ¹⁴CO₂ from the labelled herbicide increased in this period from 4.1 to 86.1%. This increase is probably directly responsible for the immediate onset of mineralization of the herbicide in soil treated previously with it or in soil inoculated with a suspension prepared from a sample previously incubated with the herbicide.     

Effect of sodium chloride on CO2 evolution,ammonification, and nitrification in a Sassafras sandy loam

Sodium chloride, at rates up to 100 mg g^?1, was added to a Sassafras sandy loam amended with finely-ground alfalfa to determine the effect of NaCl on CO₂ evolution, ammonification, and nitrification in a 14-week study. A NaCl concentration of 0.25 mg g^?1 significantly reduced CO₂ evolution by 16% in unamended soil and 5% in alfalfa-amended soil. Increasing NaCl progressively reduced CO₂ evolution, with no CO₂ evolved from the soil receiving 100 mg NaCl g^?1. A 0.50 mg NaCl g^?1 rate was required before a significant reduction in decomposition of the alfalfa occurred. The NO^?₂-N + NO^?₃-N content of the soil was significantly reduced from 40 to 37 μg g^?1 at 0 and 0.25 mg NaCl g^?1, respectively in the unamended soil. In the alfalfa amended soil, nitrification was significantly reduced at 5 mg NaCl g^?1. At 10 mg NaCl g^?1, nitrification was completely inhibited, there being only 6 and 2 μg NO^?₂-N + NO^?₃-N g^?1 in the alfalfa amended and unamended soil, respectively. In the alfalfa amended soil NH⁺₄-N accumulated from 6 μg g^?1 at the 0 NaCl rate to a maximum of 54 μg g^?1 with 25 mg NaCl g^?1. These higher NH⁺₄-N values resulted in a 0.5 unit increase in the pHw over that of the 0 NaCl rate in the alfalfa amended soil. At NaCl concentrations above 25 mg g^?1 there was a reduction in NH⁺₄-N. The addition of alfalfa to the soil helped to alleviate the adverse affects of NaCl on CO₂ evolution and nitrification.     

Degradation of metolachlor in soil inoculated with a mixed fungal culture

The effect of a mixed fungal culture on the degradation of the herbicide metolachlor in soil was evaluated. Metolachlor was found to degrade up to 92% and 87% after 20 days in sterile and nonsterile soils respectively, when inoculated with a mixed culture of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus terricola and treated with 20 g g^–1 metolachlor. When the soil was treated at 50 g g^–1 level, 84% of the added herbicide degraded in inoculated sterile soil and 80% in nonsterile soil. The half-lives of metolachlor were found to be 5 and 4 times faster at the 20 and 50 g g^–1 levels, respectively, in the presence of the mixed fungal culture. In treated soils, four metabolites could be identified by RP-HPLC.     

Effect of the herbicide fluazifop-butyl on fungal populations and activity in soil

The side effects of fluazifop-butyl on soil fungal populations and oxygen uptake were studied by incubating soil samples with a range of fluazifop-butyl concentrations (0, 0.6, 3 and 6 μg g^?1) over 8 weeks. Cellulose decomposition in soil was also studied in laboratory experiments with the herbicide which was either incorporated in soil or sprayed onto calico squares which were buried in soil. The mycelial dry weight of six fungal species under the effect of the herbicide was also examined. Fluazifop-butyl had no significant effect on total fungal propagule populations at 0.6 μg g^?1. At 3 and 6 μg g^?1, it caused temporary reduction in fungal populations observed after 1 and 2-wk of incubation. The herbicide had no significant effect on OZ uptake. The decay of calico buried in herbicide-treated soil was generally stimulated, while the decomposition of herbicide-treated calico, buried in untreated soil, was temporary delayed. The mycelial dry weight yields of Aspergillus favus (at 2 and 12 μg mL^?1 of fluazifop-butyl) and Cunninghamella echinulata (at 12 μg mL^?1) were significantly increased. At 24 μg mL^?1 the mycelial dry weight of A. flavus and Alternaria alternata was significantly reduced.     

Toxicity of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and short-term bioaccumulation by earthworms (oligochaeta)

The earthworms Allolobophora catiginosa and Lumbricus rubellus were used to study the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-TCDD (dioxin) for earthworms. The earthworms were exposed to soil containing concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 5.0 μgg^?1. No worms were killed or showed any other observable toxicological effects when exposed to concentrations up to 5 μg g^?1 for 85 days in soil. The lethal threshold concentration for TCDD to earthworms falls between 5 and 10 μg g^?1 in this study. In soils containing 0.05 μg g^?1 earthworms accumulated TCDD up to 5 times the original soil concentration within 7 days. Worms were also exposed to TCDD on filter paper to study the behaviour of earthworms and the uptake of TCDD after surface contact. The earthworms did not avoid TCDD in their environment, indicating an indifference to it. No active penetration of TCDD into the body occurred where earthworms were exposed to surface concentrations. No indication was found of possible biological breakdown of TCDD on passing through the earthworm gut, although the search for metabolites was limited to the mono-, bi- and trichlorinated dioxins. There was a steady decrease (a T_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}-value of 80–400 days) in the amount of TCDD recovered from worm-worked soil compared to soil without worms.     

Heterotrophic N2-fixation in arid soil crusts

The cryptogamic soil crusts of the Great Basin Artemisia, Ceratoides, and Atriplex plant communities contain a significant heterotrophic N₂-fixing microbial population in addition to the predominating filamentous cyanobacteria. The bacterial association with the cyanobacteria exhibits a phycosphere-like effect. Heterotrophically fixed N gains reached 17.5 μg N· g^?1 of soil (23.1% increase above the initial soil N content) and 45.9 μg N·g^?1 of soil (57.4% increase) after 3 and 5 weeks, respectively. (NH₄)₂SO₄ and native plant material amendments to soil resulted in a 41–100% reduction in N₂-fixation. The potential input of N to soil crusts may be reduced in the presence of shrub-produced allelochemic agents and by concurrent denitrification.     

Effect of lead on soil respiration and dehydrogenase activity

The effect of added Pb on the respiration and dehydrogenase activity of two sandy soils, a clay soil and a peat soil, (all with different physico-chemical properties), was studied.A concentration of 375 μg Pb· g^? inhibited the respiration of the sandy soil by ca. 15%, 1500 μg Pb· g^?ca. 50%. In the clay soil 1500 μg Pb· g^? caused a 15% reduction in respiration. The inhibition of respiration in the sandy soil was still ca. 30% 40 months after the addition of Pb. Respiration of the peat soil was not affected by even 7500 μg Pb· g^?.Dehydrogenase activity was affected by Pb in a similar way to soil respiration. In the sandy soil a considerable reduction occurred, while in the clay and peat soils dehydrogenase activity was not reduced.It was concluded, that a relationship exists between the inhibitory effects of Pb and the buffering capacity of the soil as expressed by its cation-exchange capacity. Because of these different effects of the same Pb concentration on the various soil types, no single value for the permitted concentration of lead pollution in soil could be established.     

Nitrification in soils incubated with pig slurry or ammonium sulphate

The effects of temperature, moisture content and the addition of pig slurry on nitrification in two soils were studed. There was no accumulation of NO₂^?-N under the incubation conditions investigated and the accumulation of NO₃^?-N was linear for additions of 50–250 μg NH₄⁺-N g^? soil, either as ammonium sulphate or as pig slurry. Nitrate formation was treated as a single step, zero order process to enable a rate constant to be calculated. Nitrification rate increased with increasing moisture content up to the highest level tested, soil water potential ?8.0 kPa, corresponding to approximately 60% of water holding capacity in both soils. Measurable nitrification was found in both soils at the lowest moisture content (soil water potential ?1.5 MPa) and temperature (5° C) tested. The nitrification rate constant in soils treated with 50 μg NH₄⁺-N g^? soil was not significantly affected (P = 0.05) by the form of ammonium added. Addition of 250 μg NH₄⁺-N as ammonium sulphate caused a marked inhibition of nitrification at all moisture contents and temperatures. Addition of 250 μg NH₄⁺-N as pig slurry caused a marked increase in nitrification rate, the increase being greater at the higher temperatures and moisture contents.