Cumulative Effects of Short-Term Polymetal Contamination on Soil Bacterial Community Structure

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 72; no. 2; pp. 1684 - 1687
• Main Authors: Ranjard, L, Lignier, L, Chaussod, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.02.2006
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - genetics; Bacteria - isolation & purification; bacterial automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis; Biological and medical sciences; cadmium; Cadmium - toxicity; community ecology; community structure; Copper; Copper - toxicity; DNA Fingerprinting; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Bacterial - isolation & purification; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - isolation & purification; Ecosystem; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; genetic techniques and protocols; Mercury; Mercury - toxicity; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; polluted soils; ribosomal DNA; soil bacteria; Soil contamination; Soil Microbiology; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; soil pollution; Soils; Bacteria; Metal; Toxicity; Microbial community; Contamination
• ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
• DOI: 10.1128/AEM.72.2.1684-1687.2006

In this study we evaluated the short-term effects of copper, cadmium, and mercury, added singly or in combination at different doses, on soil bacterial community structure using the bacterial automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (B-ARISA) fingerprinting technique. Principal-component analysis of B-ARISA profiles allowed us to deduce the following order of impact: (Cu + Cd + Hg) >> Hg [>/=] Cd > Cu. These results demonstrated that there was a cumulative effect of metal toxicity. Furthermore, the trend of modifications was consistent with the "hump-backed" relationships between biological diversity and disturbance described by Giller et al. (K. E. Giller, E. Witler, and S. P. McGrath, Soil Biol. Biochem. 30:1389-1414, 1998).