Quantitative assessment on soil enzyme activities of heavy metal contaminated soils with various soil properties

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t sJoint effects of heavy metals and soil properties on soil enzyme activities were determined. Arylsulfatase could be used as an indicator to study the toxicity of heavy metals. Changes of arylsulfatase activity with SOM content fitted well an exponential model. The model illustrated the offset of SOM to heavy metal toxicity on soil enzymes activities.

Organic and inorganic amendment application on mercury-polluted soils: effects on soil chemical and biochemical properties

“…Generally, it has been recognized that metals, including Hg, have the capacity to inhibit enzymatic activities by interacting with enzyme substrate complexes, active sites, and denaturing protein (Megharaj and Naidu 2003). Nevertheless, the metal dose-response relationship can vary considerably with the properties of the soil, as was reported by Xian et al (2015). Biological oxidation of organic compounds is generally a dehydrogenation process, involving many enzymes, which are highly specific.…”

Assessing microbial activities in metal contaminated agricultural volcanic soils – An integrative approach

“…In addition, the efficient soil co-extraction of RNA and DNA makes possible to calculate the RNA:DNA ratio, which can be an important indicator of the metabolic status of soil microbial communities. These microbial activities can be used as indicators of soil quality to monitor soil metal contamination (Niemeyer et al, 2012;Xian et al, 2015) and agricultural soil management practices (Bowles et al, 2014;Pandey et al, 2015). Despite the numerous field studies demonstrating the adverse effects of metal contamination on soil microbial activities (Kuperman and Carreiro, 1997;Antunes et al, 2011;Niemeyer et al, 2012), there is a lack of knowledge regarding the soil microbial responses to chronic metal contamination when soils are naturally enriched with trace metals and have been extensively used for agricultural purposes, such as in agricultural volcanic soils (Andosols).…”

Comparisons of Soil Properties, Enzyme Activities and Microbial Communities in Heavy Metal Contaminated Bulk and Rhizosphere Soils of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in the Northern Foot of Qinling Mountain

“…They are important in catalyzing several vital reactions necessary for the life processes of microorganisms in soils and the stabilization of soil structure, the decomposition of organic wastes, organic matter formation, and nutrient cycling, hence playing an important role in maintaining soil ecology, physical and chemical properties, fertility, and soil health [11]. Soil enzyme activities, reacting faster than physical variables and/or after any chemical change in the soil, have been generally considered as one of a good bioindicators of soil fertility quality and can quantify changes as a result of the natural and anthropogenic disturbance in the soil ecosystem [12]. Therefore, a better understanding of the effects of HM on soil enzyme activities will potentially provide an opportunity for an integrated assessment of soil biology.…”