Biological activity in metal-contaminated calcareous agricultural soils: the role of the organic matter composition and the particle size distribution

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 21; no. 9; pp. 6176 - 6187
• Main Authors: Martin Calvarro, Luisa, de Santiago-Martín, Ana, Quirós Gómez, Javier, González-Huecas, Concepción, Quintana, Jose R, Vázquez, Antonio, Lafuente, Antonio L, Rodríguez Fernández, Teresa M, Ramírez Vera, Rosalía
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.05.2014; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetic acid; Agricultural land; agricultural soils; Agriculture; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; beta-galactosidase; beta-Galactosidase - metabolism; bioactive properties; Biological activity; Cadmium; Calcareous soils; Calcium Carbonate - chemistry; calcium chloride; Chemical contaminants; clay; Copper; correlation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Edetic Acid; EDTA (chelating agent); Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Environmental science; Environmental studies; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Enzymes; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Inhibition; Lead; Lead (metal); metabolism; Metals; Metals - analysis; Metals - toxicity; Microbial contamination; Microorganisms; Organic matter; Organic soils; Particle Size; particle size distribution; phenol; Phenols; Physicochemical properties; Pollutants; Research Article; Size distribution; Soil - chemistry; Soil contamination; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Soil pollution; Soils; Statistical analysis; Texture; Urease; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; zinc; Madrid Spain; Spain; MED; Microbial activity; Calcareous soils; Enzyme activity; Heavy metals; Metal availability; Organic matter composition
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-2561-0

Organic matter (OM) plays a key role in microbial response to soil metal contamination, yet little is known about how the composition of the OM affects this response in Mediterranean calcareous agricultural soils. A set of Mediterranean soils, with different contents and compositions of OM and carbonate and fine mineral fractions, was spiked with a mixture of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn and incubated for 12 months for aging. Microbial (Biolog Ecoplates) and enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, DHA; β-galactosidase, BGAL; phosphatase, PHOS; and urease, URE) were assessed and related to metal availability and soil physicochemical parameters. All enzyme activities decreased significantly with metal contamination: 36–68 % (DHA), 24–85 % (BGAL), 22–72 % (PHOS), and 14–84 % (URE) inhibitions. Similarly, catabolic activity was negatively affected, especially phenol catabolism (∼86 % compared to 25–55 % inhibition for the rest of the substrates). Catabolic and DHA activities were negatively correlated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-extractable Cd and Pb, but positively with CaCl₂, NaNO₃, and DTPA-extractable Cu and Zn. Soluble OM (water- and hot-water-soluble organic C) was positively related to enzyme and catabolic activities. Recalcitrant OM and fine mineral fractions were positively related to BGAL and PHOS. Conversely, catabolic activity was negatively related to clay and positively to silt and labile OM. Results indicate that the microbial response to metal contamination is highly affected by texture and OM composition.