Abstract
We studied the effects of Pb pollution on soil dehydrogenase and phosphatase activity. Samples of four soils (Saxe, Podestà, Porto Teulada, and Sa Xia Manna) were collected from various locations in southwestern Sardinia, Italy. The soils, which differ mainly in heavy metal contents of pedologic origin (Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb), were treated with Pb (0, 100, 500, 1000, and 5000 μg Pb g-1 soil) and incubated in the laboratory. Samples of the incubated soils were collected periodically (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks) and the enzymes were measured. Soil dehydrogenase activity was influenced by both the Pb additions and variations in soil moisture content. Only the addition of 5000 μg Pb g-1 soil led to a significant decrease in dehydrogenase activity compared to the controls, while the other doses of Pb did not always result in a clear reduction in enzyme activity. Drying the soil led to a considerable reduction in dehydrogenase activity, sometimes so far as to render the differences found between the various treatments not statistically significant. Soil phosphate activity was also influenced by the Pb additions, but the effect of the variation in soil moisture content was less than that found for the dehydrogenase. After the 2nd week of incubation, the phosphate activity in the Podestà and Saxe soils had decreased proportionally to the increase in Pb content. At the end of the incubation period, in the Porto Teulada and Sa Xia Manna soils, a net reduction in phosphatase activity versus controls was found only at the highest Pb concentration. Although both enzyme activities were influenced by the Pb additions, the phosphate activity was less sensitive to variations in the soil moisture content and may thus be a more suitable indicator for soil pollution by Pb.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Khafaji AA, Tabatabai MA (1979) Effects of trace elements on arylrulphatase activity in soils. Soil Sci 127:129–133
Blum WEH (1989) Soil pollution by heavy metals: causes, processes, impacts and need for future actions: In: Proceedings of the 3rd meeting. Steering Committe for the conservation and management of the environment and naturals habitats (CDPE), Strasbourg
Brookes PC, McGrath SP, Klein DA, Elliot ET (1984) Effects of heavy metals on microbial activity and biomass in field soils treated with sewage sludge. In: Environmental contamination. International Conference, London. CEP Ltd, Edinburgh, pp 574–583
Chander K, Brookes PC (1991) Effects of heavy metals from past applications of sewage sludge on microbial biomass and organic matter accumulation in a sandy loam and a silty loam UK soil. Soil Biol Biochem 23:927–932
Chander K, Brookes PC (1992) Effects of Zn, Cu and Ni in sewage sludge on microbial biomass in a sandy loam. Soil Biol Biochem 25:1231–1239
Chaney WR, Kelly JM, Strickland RC (1978) Influence of cadmium and zinc on carbon dioxide evolution from litter and soil from a black forest. J Environ Qual 7:115–119
Ciavatta C, Govi M, Vittori Antisari L, Sequi P (1990) Characterization of humified compounds by extraction and fractionation on solid polyvinylpyrrolidone. J Chromatogr 509:141–146
Ciavatta C, Govi M, Vittori Antisari L, Sequi P (1991) Determination of organic carbon in aqueous extracts of soils and fertilizers. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 22:795–807
Davies BE (1980) Trace element pollution. In: Applied soil trace elements. Brisbane Toronto Chichester New York. John Wiley & Sons, pp 287–351
Doelman P, Haanstra L (1979) Effect of lead on soil respiration and dehydrogenase activity. Soil Biol Biochem 11:475–479
Doelman P, Haanstra L (1984) Short-term and long-term effects of cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead and zinc on microbial respiration in relation to abiotic soil factors. Plant and Soil 79:317–327
Doelman P, Haanstra L (1986) Short and long-term effects of heavy metals on urease activity in soils. Biol Fertil Soils 2:213–218
Doelman P, Haanstra L (1989) Short-and long-term effects of heavy metals on phosphatase activity in soil: An ecological dose-response model approach. Biol Fertil Soils 8:235–241
Juma NG, Tabatabai MA (1977) Effects of trace elements on phosphatase activity in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 41:343–346
Lindsay WL, Norvell WL (1978) Development of a DTPA test for zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Soil Sci Soc Am J 42:421–428
Math P, Kovacs G (1980) Effects of Mn and Zn on the activity of phosphate in soil. 1. Phosphatase activity of a calcareous chemozem soil under maize. Agrokem Talajtan 29:441–446
Ministero dell'Agricoltura e delle Foreste (1992) Metodi ufficiali di analisi chimica del suolo. In: Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 121 del 25 maggio 1992, pp 87
Tabatabai MA (1977) Effects of trace elements on urease activity in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 9:9–13
Tabatabai MA, Bremner JM (1969) Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biol Biochem 1:301–307
Thalman A (1968) Zur Methodik der Bestimmung der Dehydrogenase Aktivitat im Boden mittels Triphenyltetrazoliumchlorid. Landwirtsch Forsch 21:249–259
Thornton I (1981) Geochemical aspects of the distribution and forms of heavy metals in soils: In: Lepp NW (ed) Effect of heavy metal pollution on plants, vol 2. Applied Science Publishers, London, pp 13–123
Tyler G (1976) Heavy metal pollution, phosphatase activity, and mineralization of organic phosphorus in forest soils. Soil Biol Biochem 8:327–332
USDA (1975) Soil taxonomy: A basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys. USDA Soil Conservation Service, Agric Handb 436, US Govt Print Office, Washington DC, pp 1134
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Marzadori, C., Ciavatta, C., Montecchio, D. et al. Effects of lead pollution on different soil enzyme activities. Biol Fert Soils 22, 53–58 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384432
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384432