Short- and long-term effects of heavy metals on urease activity in soils

Summary The inhibitory effects of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc on urease activity of five different soils during two different periods were investigated, in order to obtain information on the change in heavy metal toxicity with time. The results are presented graphically as logistic dose-response curves. When the ecological dose range was used as a measure of toxicity this value decreased significantly only for copper in the sandy soil. Considering toxicity as the ecological dose-50% (ED50) value, toxicity tended to increase over 1 1/2 years for cadmium, copper and zinc. For nickel and lead, however, the toxicity stabilized in all soils, except in sand and clay. The average ED 50 value of zinc varied between 100 and 300 mg kg^–1 and its toxicity was highest. It is emphasized that these data may help to set limits for the heavy-metal pollution of soils.