Seasonal variation of different microorganisms with nickel and cadmium in the industrial wastewater and agricultural soils

Abstract

Wastewater and soil samples were collected from the industrial area of Ghaziabad City, India from January 2005 to December 2007 and were analyzed for the presence of heavy metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Test samples revealed high levels of Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Cd as 967.03, 34.63, 27.97, 19.7, 16.70, and 3.20 mg/L of wastewater, respectively. The concentrations of inorganic minerals were higher in the soil samples irrigated with wastewater. Total coliforms were found to be maximum (1,133x10(4) most probable number per 100 mL) during spring and summer followed by winter and postmonsoon in the wastewater samples. The microbial count in soil as well as in wastewater decreases as the metal concentration increases. The concentration 200 microg/mL of nickel and cadmium inhibits majority of the population, while, at some points, it inhibits 100% of the population. The exponential decay model for microbial count at the increasing metal concentrations indicate that asymbiotic N2 fixers were best fitted to the model. In all the seasons, the order of decline in terms of exponential decay of the population of different microbial groups in soil was asymbiotic N2 fixers>actinomycetes>fungi>aerobic heterotrophic bacteria. The different microbial groups that have different values of slope in different seasons indicate that the resistant population of microorganisms was variable with seasons.

The influence of the earthworm Lampito mauritii (Kinberg) on the activity of selected soil enzymes in cadmium-amended soil

“…Common letter (s) over the error bars do not significantly differ (p < 0.05) according to DMRT to polluted habitats (Sivakumar et al 2012). Heavy metals are known inhibitors of microbial growth and soil enzyme activity (Kizilkaya and Bayrakli 2005;Ying et al 2008;Lee et al 2009;Ansari and Malik 2010;Rehman and Anjum 2011). The activities of soil enzymes have also been correlated with certain soil properties, such as temperature, moisture content, nutritional status, organic matter content and pH (Salam et al 1998).…”

Microorganisms in Soils with High Nickel and Chromium Concentrations in Western Serbia

“…Niemeyer et al [10] reported a negative correlation between total Ni and Cr as well as other heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb) and ammonifiers. Previous findings in experimental conditions indicate that asymbiotic N 2 fixers are the most affected microbial group with an increasing concentration of Ni [33]. In addition, adding Ni to soil caused a 60% decrease in the number of oligotrophic bacteria and inhibits nitrification processes by up to 20% in comparison to clean soils [34].…”

“…In addition, adding Ni to soil caused a 60% decrease in the number of oligotrophic bacteria and inhibits nitrification processes by up to 20% in comparison to clean soils [34]. It seems that the microorganisms included in the nitrogen metabolism in the soil (ammonifiers and oligonitrofiles) are among the more sensitive to the heavy metal pollution/concentrations [27,33].…”

Effect of sewage-water irrigation on physico-chemical parameters with special reference to heavy metals in agricultural soil of Haridwar city

“…Soils also play an important role for the global flux for pesticides in the environment (Sanghi and Sasi, 2001;Ansari and Malik, 2010). They are very important in the fate and distribution of persistent toxic substances in the environment since they have a huge retention capacity and they may work as re-emission sources for the atmosphere (Harner et al 2001;Barra et al, 2005;Ansari and Malik, 2010). Heavy metals are dangerous because they tend to bioaccumulate in living things any time they are taken up and stored faster than they are broken down (metabolized) or excreted (Mashi and Alhassan, 2007).…”

“…The soil is a long-term sink for the group of potentially toxic elements often referred to as heavy metals like zinc, copper, nickel, lead, chromium, and cadmium. While these elements display a range of properties in agricultural soil, including differences in mobility and bioavailability, leaching losses and plant uptake are usually relatively small compared to the total quantities entering the soil from different diffuse and agricultural sources (Ansari and Malik, 2010). Metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and copper are cumulative poisons.…”