Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Cadmium on Microbial Activity and a Ryegrass Crop in Two Semiarid Soils

  • RESEARCH
  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Soil pollution with Cd is an environmental problem common in the world, and it is necessary to establish what Cd concentrations in soil could be dangerous to its fertility from toxicity effects and the risk of transference of this element to plants and other organisms of the food chain. In this study, we assessed Cd toxicity on soil microorganisms and plants in two semiarid soils (uncultivated and cultivated). Soil ATP content, dehydrogenase activity, and plant growth were measured in the two soils spiked with concentrations ranging from 3 to 8000 mg Cd/kg soil and incubated for 3 h, 20 days, and 60 days. The Cd concentrations that produced 5%; 10%;, and 50%; inhibition of each of the two soil microbiological parameter studied (ecological dose, ED, values) were calculated using two different mathematical models. Also, the effect of Cd concentration on plant growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne, L.) was studied in the two soils. The Cd ED values calculated for soil dehydrogenase activity and ATP content were higher in the agricultural soils than in the bare soil. For ATP inhibition, higher ED values were calculated than for dehydrogenase activity inhibition. The average yields of ryegrass were reduced from 5.03 to 3.56 g in abandoned soil and from 4.21 to 1.15 g in agricultural soil with increasing concentrations of Cd in the soil. Plant growth was totally inhibited in abandoned and agricultural soils at Cd concentrations above 2000 and 5000 mg/kg soil, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the concentration of Cd in the plants and the total or DTPA-extractable concentrations of Cd in the soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  • Adriano D. C. 1986. Trace elements in the terrestrial environment. Springer-Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Alloway B. J. 1995. Cadmium. in B. J. Alloway (ed.). Heavy metals in soils. Blackie Academic and Professional, Glasgow, UK. Pages 122–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Athar R., M. Ahmad. 2002. Heavy metal toxicity: Effect on plant growth and metal uptake by wheat, and on free living azotobacter. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 138:165–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Babich H., R. J. F Bewley, G. Stotzky. 1983. Application of the “ecological dose” concept to the impact of heavy metals on some microbe-mediated ecological processes in soil. Archives of Environmental Contamination Toxicology 12: 421–426

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bolan N. S., D. C. Adriano, P. A. Mani, A. Duraisamy 2003. Immobilization and phytoavailability of cadmium in variable charge soils. II. Effect of lime addition. Plant and Soil 251:187–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • C.E.C. 1986. Council directive on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. Official Journal of European Communities L181:6–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Ciardi C., P. Nannipieri. 1990. A comparison of methods for measuring ATP in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 22:725–727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Degens B. P., L. A. Schipper, G. P. Sparling, L. C. Duncan. 2001. Is the microbial community in a soil with reduced catabolic diversity less resistant to stress or disturbance? Soil Biology and Biochemistry 33:1143–1153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Doelman P., L. Haanstra. 1984. Short-term and long-term effects of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc on soil microbial respiration in relation to abiotic soil factors. Plant and Soil 79:317–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards C. A. 2002. Assessing the effects of environmental pollutants on soil organisms, communities, process and ecosystems. European Journal of Soil Biology 3:225–231

    Google Scholar 

  • García, C., T. Hernández, F. Costa, B. Ceccanti, and G. Masciandaro. 1993. The dehydrogenase activity of soils as an ecological marker in processes of perturbed system regeneration. Pages 99–100 in J.F. Gallardo (ed.). Procedings of XI international symposium of environmental biogeochemistry, 27 September–1 October 1993 Salamanca, Spain

  • Giller K. E., E. Witter, S. P. McGrath. 1998. Toxicity of heavy metals to microorganisms and microbial processes in agricultural soils: A review. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 30:1389–1414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guitián F., T. Carballas. 1976. Técnicas de análisis de suelos. Pico Sacro Editorial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Google Scholar 

  • He Q. B., B. R. Singh. 1994. Crop uptake of cadmium from phosphorus fertilizers: II. Relationship with extractable soil cadmium. Water, Air and Soil Pollution 74:267–280

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kandeler E., D. Tscherko, K. D. Bruce, M. Stemmer, P. J. Hobbs, R. D. Bardgett, W. Amelung. 2000. Structure and function of the soil microbial community in microhabitats of a heavy metal polluted soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 32:390–400

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lax, A. 1967. El intercambio iónico en suelos calizos. Ph.Dr. thesis, Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad de Murcia, Spain

  • Lindsay W. L., W. A. Norwell. 1978. Development of a DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese, and copper. Soil Science Society of America Journal 42:421–428

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, T. J., and J. W. Holmes. 1988. Soil structure. Pages 196–223 in Soil physics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  • McLaughlin M. J., K. G. Tiller, M. K. Smart. 1977. Speciation of cadmium in soil solutions of saline/sodic soils and relationship with cadmium concentrations in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.). Australian Journal of Soil Research 35:183–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy J., J. P. Riley. 1962. A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Analytical Chemistry Acta 27:31–36

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri, P., L. Badalucco, L. Landi, and G. Pietramellara. 1997. Measurement in assessing the risk of chemicals to the soil ecosystem. In J. T. Zelikoff (ed.). Ecotoxicology: Responses and risk assessment, an OECD Workshop. SOS Publications, Fair Haven, NJ

  • O’Connor G. 1988. Use and misuse of the DTPA soil test. Journal of Environmental Quality 17:715–718

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver M. A. 1997. Soil and human health: A review. European Journal of Soil Science 48:573–592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prince W. S., P. S. Kumar, K. D. Doberschutz, V. Subburam. 2002. Cadmium toxicity in mulberry plants with special reference to the nutritional quality of leaves. Journal of Plant Nutrition 25:689–700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sauerbeck D. R., P. Styperek. 1985. Evaluation of methods for assessing the Cd and Zn availability from different soils and sources. in R. Leschber, R. D. Davies, P. L’Hermite (eds.). Chemical methods for assessind biovailability metal in sludge and soils. Elsevier, London. Pages 49–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Sims J. R., V. A. Haby. 1971. Simplified colorimetric determination of soil organic matter. Soil Science 112:137–141

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh B. R., R. P. Narwall. 1984. Plant availability of heavy metals in a sludge-treated soil: II. Metal extractability compared with plant metal uptake. Journal of Environmental Quality 13:344–349

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Speir T. W., H. A. Kettles, A. Parshotam, P. L. Searle, L. N. C. Vlaar. 1995. A simple kinetic approach to derive the ecological dose value, ED50, for the assessment of Cr(VI) toxicity to soil biological properties. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 27:801–810

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiller, K. G. 1989. Heavy metals in soils and their environmental significance. Pages. 113–142 in Advances in Soil Science. Vol. 9. Springer-Verlag, New York

  • Webster J., G. Hampton, F. Leach. 1984. ATP in soil: A new extractant and extraction procedure. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 16:335–342

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilke B.-M. 1991. Effects of single and successive additions of cadmium, nickel and zinc on carbon dioxide evolution and dehydrogenase activity in a sandy luvisol. Biology and Fertility of Soil 11:34–37

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yeomans J., J. M. Bremner. 1989. A rapid and precise method for routine determination of organic carbon in soil. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 19:1467–1476

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil and Water Conservation and Organic Waste Management, CEBAS-CSIC, Espinardo, P.O. Box 164, Murcia, 30100, Spain

    José L. Moreno, Antonio Sanchez-Marín, Teresa Hernández & Carlos García

Authors
  1. José L. Moreno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Antonio Sanchez-Marín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Teresa Hernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlos García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to José L. Moreno.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moreno, J.L., Sanchez-Marín, A., Hernández, T. et al. Effect of Cadmium on Microbial Activity and a Ryegrass Crop in Two Semiarid Soils. Environmental Management 37, 626–633 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-5006-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-5006-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation