Microbial biomass,activity, and organic matter accumulation in soils contaminated with heavy metals

Chemical characteristics and some parameters related to biological components were determined in 16 soils from a fairly homogeneous area in the north of Italy, contaminated with different levels of heavy metals. Correlation analysis of the parameters studied showed close positive relationships among the metals and with the organic C content in the soils studied. Negative relationships were observed among the heavy metals, soil respiration, and the ratio between evolved CO₂–C and microbial biomass C per unit time (specific respiratory activity). This was ascribed to an adverse heavy metal effect on the soil microflora, which appeared to increase the accumulation of organic matter as the heavy metal content increased, probably because the biomass was less effective in mineralising soil organic matter under these conditions.     

抚顺西露天矿大型煤矸石山及其周边土壤重金属污染研究

对抚顺西露天矿煤矸石山表层及其周边0～1500m范围土壤进行多点分层取样,分析测定土壤样品中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb、Ni等重金属元素含量。结果表明:矸石山碳质页岩与绿色泥岩重金属Cd含量较高,表层风化物中Cd、Ni含量较高,超过土壤环境质量2级标准,其中一些样点超过3级标准。随着与矸石山距离的增加,周边西南部风向方向上土壤Cd、Cr、Ni、Cu含量呈现规律性递减趋势。重金属Cd、Cr、Ni在20～40cm含量大于0～20cm含量,表明其具有一定的纵向迁移性。矸石山表层与周边邻近土壤pH较高,可有效减低重金属污染风险。     

Soil organic matter,microbial properties,and aggregate stability under annual and perennial pastures

The use of annually sown pastures to provide winter forage is common in dairy farming in many regions of the world. Loss of organic matter and soil structural stability due to annual tillage under this management may be contributing to soil degradation. The comparative effects of annual ryegrass pastures (conventionally tilled and resown each year), permanent kikuyu pastures and undisturbed native vegetation on soil organic matter content, microbial size and activity, and aggregate stability were investigated on commercial dairy farms in the Tsitsikamma region of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. In comparison with soils under sparse, native grassy vegetation, those under both annual ryegrass and permanent kikuyu pasture had higher soil organic matter content on the very sandy soils of the eastern end of the region. By contrast, in the higher rainfall, western side, where the native vegetation was coastal forest, there was a loss of organic matter under both types of pasture. Nonetheless, soil organic C, K₂SO₄-extractable C, microbial biomass C, basal respiration, arginine ammonification and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis rates and aggregate stability were less under annual than permanent pastures at all the sites. These results reflect the degrading effect of annual tillage on soil organic matter and the positive effect of grazed permanent pasture on soil microbial activity and aggregation. Soil organic C, microbial biomass C, K₂SO₄-extractable C, basal respiration and aggregate stability were significantly correlated with each other. The metabolic quotient and percentage of organic C present as microbial biomass C were generally poorly correlated with other measured properties but negatively correlated with one another. It was concluded that annual pasture involving conventional tillage results in a substantial loss of soil organic matter, soil microbial activity and soil physical condition under dairy pastures and that a system that avoids tillage needs to be developed.     

Temporal response of soil biochemical properties in a pastoral soil after cultivation following high application rates of undigested sewage sludge

Soil biochemical properties were measured annually between 1995 and 1999 in soil from an 8-ha site that had received over 1,000 wet tonnes ha^–1 undigested sewage sludge, 1–4 years earlier. Basal respiration generally declined with time and was usually greatest in the untreated control area. This trend was attributed to a similar trend in soil moisture content. In contrast, microbial biomass C increased with time and also generally increased with sludge treatment age. Microbial biomass C, and to a lesser extent sulphatase activity, accurately predicted the order of sludge application to the site. This was perceived as a function of time since tillage and pasture establishment, with activities increasing in parallel to the build up of C residues in the soil, and not an effect of sludge or its composition. Except immediately after sludge application, there was no effect on N mineralisation and nitrification. None of the biochemical properties was strongly correlated with heavy metal concentrations. Our results suggest that there was little effect on soil biochemical properties, either adverse or beneficial, of adding raw sewage sludge to this site. Although a companion study showed considerable mobility and plant uptake of heavy metals, this difference could mainly be attributed to a different sampling strategy and the effects of intensive liming of the site.     

绥满公路路侧典型植被区土壤重金属污染特征及评价研究

以绥满公路(301国道)黑龙江境内海林至亚布力段为研究区,对公路沿线三种典型植被下,距公路不同距离的297个样点表层土壤(0～20cm)中Pb、Cd、Cu、Zn、As元素含量的分析。结果表明,所调查公路旁侧土壤重金属平均含量与背景值相比,5种金属含量普遍较高,但三种不同类型植被土壤重金属平均含量无显著差异。各种类型土壤的单因子和综合污染指数计算数据显示,Cd类型Ⅰ为重污染,类型Ⅱ和类型Ⅲ为中度污染,Zn、Cu、Pb、As轻度污染,综合污染指数等级均达到中度污染。相关性分析结果显示公路建设营运是造成公路路侧土壤Pb、Cd、Cu等重金属污染的主要原因。复层结构的林带土壤主要污染区距公路约40～60m范围之内,纯乔木组成的林带土壤主要污染区距公路约70～100m范围之内,农田土壤主要污染区距公路约70～100m范围之内。复层结构的林带能阻止重金属污染物向更远处扩散,能缩小公路污染影响范围,纯乔木组成的林带阻止重金属污染物扩散效果不明显。     

Effects of long-term waste water irrigation on soil organic matter, soil microbial biomass and its activities in central Mexico

 The effect of long-term waste water irrigation (up to 80 years) on soil organic matter, soil microbial biomass and its activities was studied in two agricultural soils (Vertisols and Leptosols) irrigated for 25, 65 and 80 years respectively at Irrigation District 03 in the Valley of Mezquital near Mexico City. In the Vertisols, where larger amounts of water have been applied than in the Leptosols, total organic C (TOC) contents increased 2.5-fold after 80 years of irrigation. In the Leptosols, however, the degradability of the organic matter tended to increase with irrigation time. It appears that soil organic matter accumulation was not due to pollutants nor did microbial biomass:TOC ratios and qCO₂ values indicate a pollutant effect. Increases in soil microbial biomass C and activities were presumably due to the larger application of organic matter. However, changes in soil microbial communities occurred, as denitrification capacities increased greatly and adenylate energy charge (AEC) ratios were reduced after long-term irrigation. These changes were supposed to be due to the addition of surfactants, especially alkylbenzene sulfonates (effect on denitrification capacity) and the addition of sodium and salts (effect on AEC) through waste water irrigation. Heavy metals contained in the sewage do not appear to be affecting soil processes yet, due to their low availability. Detrimental effects on soil microbial communities can be expected, however, from further increases in pollutant concentrations due to prolonged application of untreated waste water or an increase in mobility due to higher mineralization rates. Received: 28 April 1999     

Impact of pasture contamination by copper,chromium, and arsenic timber preservative on soil microbial properties and nematodes

Microbial properties and nematode abundance were measured along a gradient of increasing Cu, Cr, and As concentrations (50–1300 mg Cr kg^-1) in the top 5 cm of a pasture soil contaminated by runoff of preserving liquor from an adjacent timber-treatment plant. Microbial biomass C and N were significantly (P<0.05) lower in contaminated than uncontaminated soils. The amount of microbial biomass C as a percentage of total organic C declined significantly (r ² value with Cr 0.726^*) with increasing contamination, and the ratio of respired C to biomass C was significantly (P<0.05) higher with contamination. Substrate-induced respiration, microbial biomass P, and denitrification declined (r² value with Cr 0.601, 0.833^*, and 0.709^*, respectively) with increasing contamination. Increasing contamination had no effect on prokaryote substrate-induced respiration but eukaryote: eukaryote substrate-induced respiration declined significantly (r ² value with Cr 0.722^*). Accordingly, the ratio of prokaryote substrate-induced respiration increased significantly (r ² value with Cr 0.799^*) with contamination. There was a significant (r ² value with Cr 0.872^*) hyperbolic relationship between sulphatase activity and contamination, with activity declining by approximately 80% at >1000 mg Cr kg^-1. Increasing contamination had no effect on basal respiration, dimethyl sulphoxide reduction, and phosphatase, urease, and invertase activities. Numbers of plant-associated nematodes declined significantly (r ² value with Cr 0.780^*) with contamination. On a percentage basis, plant-feeding nematodes predominated in less contaminated soils, whereas bacterial-feeding and predatory nematodes predominated in heavily contaminated soils. The use of the fumigation—incubation procedure for measurement of microbial biomass C in heavy-metal contaminated soils is discussed.     

The use of microbial parameters in monitoring soil pollution by heavy metals

Microbial parameters appear very useful in monitoring soil pollution by heavy metals, but no single microbial parameter can be used universally. Microbial activities such as respiration, C and N mineralization, biological N₂ fixation, and some soil enzymes can be measured, as can the total soil microbial biomass. Combining microbial activity and population measurements (e.g., biomass specific respiration) appears to provide more sensitive indications of soil pollution by heavy metals than either activity or population measurements alone. Parameters that have some form of internal control, e.g., biomass as a percentage of soil organic matter, are also advantageous. By using such approaches it might be possible to determine whether the natural ecosystem is being altered by pollutants without recource to expensive and long-running field experiments. However, more data are needed before this will be possible. Finally, new applications of molecular biology to soil pollution studies (e.g., genetic fingerprinting) which may also have value in the future are considered.     

Soil C balance in a long-term field experiment in relation to the size of the microbial biomass

Soil C balances were calculated in a field experiment started in 1956. Treatments include a fallow and soils receiving different N fertilizers or organic amendments. By assuming the absence of a priming effect, the degree of mineralization of crop residues and organic amendments was calculated. Crop residue mineralization was not affected by a more than 50% decrease in the size of the microbial biomass in soil fertilized with (NH₄)₂SO₄, which had caused the pH of this soil to drop from 6.6 to 4.4. More C had accumulated per unit C input in peat-and sewage sludge-amended soils than in any of the other soils, suggesting that peat and sewage sludge were more resistant to microbial attack. Recalcitrance of substrate C was an adequate explanation for the low ratio of biomass C to soil C in the peat-amended soils, but not in the sewage sludge-amended soil. There was a close linear relationship (r=0.94) between the content of microbial biomass C in the soil measured in 1990 and cumulative C losses from the soil since 1956. Compared to the relationship between soil biomass C and soil organic C concentrations, the linear relationship between microbial C and cumulative C losses suggested that the significantly reduced biomass in the sewage sludge-amended soil was at least partially due to the presence of toxic substances (presumably elevated heavy metal concentrations) in this soil and was probably not affected by the somewhat low pH (5.3) in this soil.     

重金属污染农田土壤修复效果评价指标体系分析

重金属污染农田土壤经修复后,是否达到了预期的目标,是否可以复垦为农田,生产的农作物是否达到了安全水平,这些问题均需要通过对修复后的效果进行评价来给出明确的答复。然而,目前,有关重金属污染农田土壤修复效果评价指标体系方面的研究还很少。从污染农田土壤修复效果评价的实际需求出发,本着全面性、客观性、易测性、可评性的原则,提出了一套推荐评价指标体系,并给出了各指标的分析方法及评价标准,以期为重金属污染农田土壤修复效果评价体系的建立及土壤修复标准的制定等提供参考依据。     

云南省镇康甘蔗生产区土壤分析研究及对策

  目的  为评估云南省边境地区典型甘蔗地耕地土壤重金属的生态风险和人体健康风险,共采集281个耕层（0 ~ 30 cm）土壤样品和10个土壤背景样品,测定了镉（Cd）、铅（Pb）、铜（Cu）、镍（Ni）、锌（Zn）、铬（Cr）、汞（Hg）和砷（As） 8种元素的含量。  方法  利用地累积指数法和健康风险评估概率模型,分析研究区土壤重金属含量特征、生态风险和人体健康风险水平。  结果  研究区土壤中绝大部分重金属元素（Cd、Cu、Ni、Zn、Cr和As）的背景值均显著低于云南省土壤背景值,但Hg高于全省背景值,Pb未见显著差异;蔗田土壤中8种重金属的变异系数介于27.5% ~ 82.5%之间,处于中等变异水平。蔗田土壤Cd和Cr的含量显著高于该研究区的土壤背景值,但所有元素的平均含量均低于《土壤环境质量农用地土壤污染风险管控标准（试行）》（GB 15618—2018）的筛选值;人为活动造成了蔗田土壤Cd、Cr、Ni和Cu的生态风险。蔗田土壤重金属暴露导致的成人男性、女性和儿童的致癌风险和非致癌风险均处于可接受水平,致癌风险和非致癌风险的敏感性参数分别为土壤接触频率、土壤Cr浓度和体重,土壤接触频率、土壤Ni、Pb和As浓度和体重。  结论  土壤重金属评价反映该地区土壤质量处于清洁水平,建议今后加强施肥管理。     

Microbial properties and attributes of ecological relevance for soil quality monitoring during a chemical stabilization field study

Chemical stabilization is a soil remediation technique based on the incorporation of organic and/or inorganic amendments to metal contaminated soil in order to decrease metal bioavailability and improve soil quality. Consequently, the establishment of follow-up monitoring programmes is essential to ensure the long-term effectiveness of chemical stabilization in terms of both metal bioavailability reduction and soil quality improvement. In this study, three doses (20, 40 and 80 t ha⁻¹) of a lime-treated sewage sludge, that meets legal standards regarding metal contents, were added to a metalliferous mine soil and a variety of physicochemical and microbial indicators of soil quality were measured over time (immediately before treatment application and one and six months after such application). Soil CaCl₂-extractable and plant metal concentrations were also measured. We carried out a complementary interpretation of soil microbial properties through their grouping within a set of ecosystem attributes of ecological relevance: vigour, organization, stability, suppressiveness and redundancy. Sewage sludge addition led to an increase in soil pH, but this beneficial effect was transient. The addition of sewage sludge had a more pronounced effect on parameters used here to estimate soil vigour (dehydrogenase activity, basal and substrate-induced respiration). On the contrary, the addition of sewage sludge did not significantly alter the composition of soil microbial communities, as reflected by PCR-DGGE data. Chemical stabilization was only partly successful: it did improve soil quality but the expected reduction in soil metal bioavailability (as reflected by the values of CaCl₂-extractable metal concentration) was clearly observed only for Cd (not for Pb or Zn); however, SL addition led to a significant reduction in shoot metal concentration for the three metals under study. The assessment of soil quality at the attribute level has proven useful for the interpretation of the effect of chemical stabilization on soil functioning.     

辽东湾湿地微生物量与土壤酶的研究

研究考察了种植碱蓬(Suaeda Heteroptera K itag)对湿地的微生物量、部分土壤酶和土壤细菌总数的影响。实验发现:随着碱蓬的生长,种植碱蓬区的微生物量碳、氮均呈上升趋势,明显高于对照,微生物量碳变化范围为295~383mg kg-1,微生物量氮变化范围为29.74~41.81mg kg-1。土壤酶与微生物量的变化趋势相近,各种酶活性增幅大小不同,可能与植株分泌的养分对酶活性激活的程度不同。在种植碱蓬区,土壤微生物量碳、氮与土壤酶活性的相关性达极显著水平或显著水平。在恒定的条件下,裸土区细菌总数基本恒定,而种植碱蓬区随着土样中植株的生长,细菌总数增长很快,在实验的20~40d,细菌总数分别增加1.48~6.9倍。     

土壤健康的生物学监测与评价

土壤是维持陆地生态系统功能和持续性的至关重要的有限资源。土壤质量和土壤健康与农牧业的可持续发展和环境质量的改善息息相关。土壤健康可简单定义为:“土壤作为一个动态生命系统具有的维持其功能的持续能力”。土壤微生物是土壤生物区系的关键性功能要素,一些微生物学参数可以综合判断土壤健康状况。文中提出土壤健康评价的指标体系可区分为土壤中微生物的量、活性、多样性和功能性4个方面,其中与微生物生物量水平相关的基本指标和衍生参数可成为土壤健康的敏感性量化指标,并有潜力作为土壤生态系统受污染和胁迫的预警性监测指标。     

Prediction of Soil Cadmium Bioavailability to Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) using Single-Step Extraction Procedures

In this study, complexation extractants ammonium bicarbonate diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (AB-DTPA), diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and mild cation-exchange extractants calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) were used to evaluate the bioavailability of soil cadmium (Cd) to cacao in the field. Among the five extractants, the extractable Cd generally followed the order EDTA > DTPA > AB-DTPA > CaCl₂ > NH₄NO₃. Correlation analysis was done between the extractable Cd in soil and total Cd content of cacao tissues (nibs, shells, leaves, and pods). The Cd extracted by CaCl₂ and NH₄NO₃ was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with some of the tissues but their Pearson correlation coefficients were weak. In contrast, extractants AB-DTPA, DTPA, and EDTA showed stronger, significant correlations to the Cd concentration in all four tissues. Overall, regression analysis demonstrated that AB-DTPA, DTPA, or EDTA can be used to predict bioavailable Cd in soils for cacao. Of these, AB-DTPA and DTPA both showed the strongest correlations compared to EDTA. However, the ease of preparation and the superior shelf-life of DTPA over AB-DPTA make it the preferred reagent for Cd bioavailability extractions from cacao soils and is currently being used to develop cost-effective soil treatments to reduce bioavailable Cd to cacao plants.     

Influence of heavy metals on the functional diversity of soil microbial communities

Three soil types-Calcaric Phaeozem, Eutric Cambisol and Dystric Lithosol-in large container pots were experimentally contaminated with heavy metals at four different levels (light pollution: 300 ppm Zn, 100 ppm Cu, 50 ppm Ni, 50 ppm V and 3 ppm Cd; medium pollution: twofold concentrations; heavy pollution: threefold concentrations; uncontaminated control). We investigated the prognostic potential of 16 soil microbial properties (microbial biomass, respiration, N-mineralization, 13 soil enzymes involved in cycling of C, N, P and S) with regard to their ability to differentiate the four contamination levels. Microbial biomass and enzyme activities decreased with increasing heavy metal pollution, but the amount of decrease differed among the enzymes. Enzymes involved in the C-cycling were least affected, whereas vartous enzyme activities related to the cycling of N, P and S showed a considerable decrease in activity. In particular, arylsulfatase and phosphatase activities were dramatically affected. Their activity decreased to a level of a few percent of their activities in the corresponding unpolluted controls. The data suggest that aside from the loss of rare biochemical capabilities-such as the growth of organisms at the expense of aromatics (Reber 1992)-heavy metal contaminated soils lose very common biochemical propertities which are necessary for the functioning of the ecosystem. Cluster analysis as well as discriminant analysis underline the similarity of the enzyme activity pattern among the controls and among the polluted soils. The trend toward a significant functional diversity loss becomes obvious already at the lowest pollution level. This implies that concentrations of heavy metals in soils near the current EC limits will most probably lead to a considerable reduction in decomposition and nutrient cycling rates. We conclude that heavy metal pollution severely decreases the functional diversity of the soil microbial community and impairs specific pathways of nutrient cycling.Dedicated to Professor J. C. G. Ottow on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

不同种植年限酸化果园土壤微生物学性状的研究

土壤微生物学指标能够反映土壤质量,是敏感的土壤质量指标。本文以山东果园土壤急剧酸化为背景,研究了山东5个不同种植年限酸化果园(5a～30a)土壤pH值、土壤的微生物数量、土壤微生物量和酶活性的变化,分析果园土壤微生物学性状与土壤pH值的相关性。结果表明:随着种植年限的延长,除真菌、磷酸酶活性只在一定范围内呈现波动趋势外,土壤pH值与微生物数量,土壤微生物量、土壤酶活性呈现不同程度下降。其中酸化果园土壤pH值与微生物量碳、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶之间都存在着极显著相关,相关系数分别为0.92、0.97和0.94。土壤微生物数量、土壤微生物生物量、土壤酶活性之间也存在着某种关联,集中体现在土壤酶活性之间及与土壤微生物生物量之间。     

生物质炭修复重金属及有机物污染土壤的研究进展

生物质炭是生物质原料在完全或部分缺氧条件下高温热解后的固体产物,它具有丰富的孔隙结构和较高的碳含量。该物质具有巨大的表面积和较强的阳离子交换能力等特殊性质,对受污染土壤中的重金属和有机物都具有很强的吸附能力,有效地降低这些污染物的生物有效性和在环境中的迁移,对改善土壤环境具有重大意义。近年来我国土壤污染严重,利用生物质炭修复受污染土壤的技术得到了广泛的关注。本文简述了生物质炭修复土壤污染的基本原理,探讨了与其他修复方法相比存在的优势,阐述了国内外近年来利用生物质炭修复污染土壤的研究进展,最后展望了今后需要进一步研究的领域。     

合肥大兴地区土壤重金属含量的空间分布特征

运用地统计学方法对合肥大兴镇地区土壤重金属含量的空间结构特征进行了定量描述,并探讨了研究区域内重金属空间结构的主要影响因素。结果表明:研究区域土壤中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、As、Hg等6种重金属元素的实验变异函数理论模型拟合效果较好。六种重金属具有明显的空间变异性,受人为影响较大。研究区内众多的工矿企业及农业活动是造成重金属累积的主要原因。同时,研究区存在重金属元素混合污染的潜在危害。     

制定我国污染场地土壤筛选值的建议

通过研究发达国家(地区)土壤重金属As、Cd、Cr6+、Pb、Hg和Cu筛选值制定的法律依据及其数值的差异,发现各国(地区)土壤筛选值均是依据其污染场地的法律法规确定,主要用于决策污染场地是否需要进一步的场地调查或风险评估。各国(地区)污染场地6种重金属土壤筛选值存在的差异既有政策层面(可接受风险水平),也有制定方法层面(暴露途径、暴露参数、场地水文地质参数、毒性数据、背景值等)的原因。建议我国尽快建立土壤筛选值的相关法律法规,并依据土地利用方式的敏感性确定不同层次的可接受风险水平;考虑具体场地的情况确定暴露参数和暴露途径,并落实各级筛选值的制定和实施办法。