Impact of river overflowing on trace element contamination of volcanic soils in south Italy: Part II. Soil biological and biochemical properties in relation to trace element speciation

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2006-11, Vol.144 (1), p.317-326
• Main Authors: D'Ascoli, R., Rao, M.A., Adamo, P., Renella, G., Landi, L., Rutigliano, F.A., Terribile, F., Gianfreda, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acid phosphatase; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; arylsulfatase; Bacteria - growth & development; beta-glucosidase; biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; biomass; chemical speciation; Chromium; Chromium - analysis; Copper; Copper - analysis; dehydrogenase; DGGE; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Pollution; Enzyme activities; enzyme activity; Exact sciences and technology; FDA hydrolase; floods; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal mycelium; Fungi - physiology; heavy metals; Implosive Therapy; Italy; Microbial biomass; mycelium; polluted soils; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; river water; Rivers; sediment contamination; silt; Soil - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; soil chemical properties; soil enzymes; soil fungi; Soil Microbiology; soil micromorphology; soil microorganisms; soil organic carbon; Soil Pollutants - analysis; soil pollution; soil pore system; Terrestrial environment, soil, air; trace elements; Trace Elements - analysis; urease; Volcanic Eruptions; volcanic soils; water pollution
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.11.017

The effect of heavy metal contamination on biological and biochemical properties of Italian volcanic soils was evaluated in a multidisciplinary study, involving pedoenvironmental, micromorphological, physical, chemical, biological and biochemical analyses. Soils affected by recurring river overflowing, with Cr(III)-contaminated water and sediments, and a non-flooded control soil were analysed for microbial biomass, total and active fungal mycelium, enzyme activities (i.e., FDA hydrolase, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, arylsulphatase, acid phosphatase) and bacterial diversity (DGGE characterisation). Biological and biochemical data were related with both total and selected fractions of Cr and Cu (the latter deriving from agricultural chemical products) as well as with total and extractable organic C. The growth and activity of soil microbial community were influenced by soil organic C content rather than Cu or Cr contents. In fact, positive correlations between all studied parameters and organic C content were found. On the contrary, negative correlations were observed only between total fungal mycelium, dehydrogenase, arylsulphatase and acid phosphatase activities and only one Cr fraction (the soluble, exchangeable and carbonate bound). However, total Cr content negatively affected the eubacterial diversity but it did not determine changes in soil activity, probably because of the redundancy of functions within species of soil microbial community. On the other hand, expressing biological and biochemical parameters per unit of total organic C, Cu pollution negatively influenced microbial biomass, fungal mycelium and several enzyme activities, confirming soil organic matter is able to mask the negative effects of Cu on microbial community. In studied soils organic C content resulted the principal factor influencing growth and activity of microbial community, with Cu and Cr contents having a lower relevance.