Research Article Open Access

Effect of Heavy Metals on the Enzymatic Activity of Haplic Chernozem under Model Experimental Conditions

Natalia Gromakova1, Saglara Mandzhieva1, Tatiana Minkina1, Olga Birukova1, Sergey Kolesnikov1, Galina Motuzova2, Victor Chaplygin1, Natalia Barsova2, Inna Zamulina1, Svetlana Sushkova1 and Yurii Litvinov1
  • 1 Department of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
  • 2 Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

The biological activity of soils is an essential parameter of their ecological status. The anthropogenic Heavy Metals (HMs) disturb the normal functioning of soil biota and, hence, the entire soil system. The aim of this work was to estimate the toxicity of loosely bound HM compounds in Haplic Chernozem using parameters of cellulose-degrading and urease activities. Contamination of Haplic Chernozem with Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb enlarged the group of mobile (loosely bound to soil) metal compounds, which includes exchangeable, complexed and specifically sorbed compounds of HMs. The increase of mobile HM forms content in soil inhibited the cellulose-degrading and urease activities after 30 days of the input of metal into the soil. A decrease in the toxic effect of metals on the studied parameters mainly occurred in the next 30 days. It was found that all HM forms similarly affected biological activity parameters. During two months from the moment of soil contamination with HMs, their toxic effect on cellulose-degrading and urease activities decreased. According to the degree of inhibition of biological activity in Haplic Chernozem, the studied metals formed the following series: Cd >Pb > Zn > Cu.

OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences
Volume 17 No. 3, 2017, 143-150

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2017.143.150

Submitted On: 15 March 2017 Published On: 23 July 2017

How to Cite: Gromakova, N., Mandzhieva, S., Minkina, T., Birukova, O., Kolesnikov, S., Motuzova, G., Chaplygin, V., Barsova, N., Zamulina, I., Sushkova, S. & Litvinov, Y. (2017). Effect of Heavy Metals on the Enzymatic Activity of Haplic Chernozem under Model Experimental Conditions. OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, 17(3), 143-150. https://doi.org/10.3844/ojbsci.2017.143.150

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Keywords

  • Heavy Metals
  • Soils
  • Enzyme Activity
  • Pollution