Community-level physiological profiles of microorganisms inhabiting soil contaminated with heavy metals

• Published in: International Agrophysics 2018-01, Vol.32 (1), p.101-109
• Main Authors: Kuźniar, Agnieszka, Banach, Artur, Stępniewska, Zofia, Frąc, Magdalena, Oszust, Karolina, Gryta, Agata, Kłos, Marta, Wolińska, Agnieszka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic absorption analysis; Atomic absorption spectroscopy; Biolog ECO plates; Cadmium; Clusters; Communities; community-level physiological profiles; Contamination; Dehydrogenase; Dehydrogenases; Heavy metals; Metal concentrations; Metals; Microbial activity; Microorganisms; Physiology; Smelters; Soil contamination; Soil layers; Soil microorganisms; Soil pollution; Soil surfaces; Soils; Spectral analysis; Spectrometry; Substrates; Zinc
• ISSN: 2300-8725; 0236-8722; 2300-8725
• DOI: 10.1515/intag-2016-0096

The aim of the study was to assess the differences in the bacterial community physiological profiles in soils contaminated with heavy metals soils without metal contaminations. The study’s contaminated soil originated from the surrounding area of the Szopienice non-ferrous metal smelter (Silesia Region, Poland). The control was soil unexposed to heavy metals. Metal concentration was appraised by flame atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas the the community-level physiological profile was determined with the Biolog EcoPlates system. The soil microbiological activity in both sites was also assessed dehydrogenase activity. The mean concentrations of metals (Cd and Zn) in contaminated soil samples were in a range from 147.27 to 12265.42 mg kg , and the heavy metal contamination brought about a situation where dehydrogenase activity inhibition was observed mostly in the soil surface layers. Our results demonstrated that there is diversity in the physiological profiles of microorganisms inhabiting contaminated and colntrol soils; therefore, for assessment purposes, these were treated as two clusters. Cluster I included colntrol soil samples in which microbial communities utilised most of the available substrates. Cluster II incorporated contaminated soil samples in which a smaller number of the tested substrates was utilised by the contained microorganisms. The physiological profiles of micro-organisms inhabiting the contaminated and the colntrol soils are distinctly different.