TY - JOUR

T1 - Dehydrogenase activity of the microbial biomass in soils from a field experiment amended with heavy metal contaminated sewage sludges.

AU - Obbard, J. P.

AU - Sauerbeck, D.

AU - Jones, K. C.

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - Dehydrogenase activity (DHA) of the microbial biomass was measured in sewage sludge amended soil samples collected from the Braunschweig experimental site, Germany. The site had received additions of sludge with or without heavy metals at two application rates (100 m3/ha per year and 300 m3/ha per year) on soils of ‘low’ (4.8–5.8) and ‘high’ (5.4–7.0) pH since 1980. DHA was found to be a sensitive and precise assay for determining the effect of heavy metals on substrate-induced (glucose) microbial biomass in sewage sludge amended soils. Effects on DHA were determined in relation to heavy metal concentrations and other soil factors. Addition of relatively uncontaminated sludge enhanced DHA, but this was dependent on the level and type of sludge addition. Adverse metal effects were only significant in the most contaminated soils where sludge had been added to the ‘high’ andd ‘low’ pH treatments at Braunschweig. However, these effects were small compared to the effects of high rates of sludge addition alone, despite exceeding statutory limits for Zn and Cu, where concentrations reached 341 and 99 μg/g, respectively.

AB - Dehydrogenase activity (DHA) of the microbial biomass was measured in sewage sludge amended soil samples collected from the Braunschweig experimental site, Germany. The site had received additions of sludge with or without heavy metals at two application rates (100 m3/ha per year and 300 m3/ha per year) on soils of ‘low’ (4.8–5.8) and ‘high’ (5.4–7.0) pH since 1980. DHA was found to be a sensitive and precise assay for determining the effect of heavy metals on substrate-induced (glucose) microbial biomass in sewage sludge amended soils. Effects on DHA were determined in relation to heavy metal concentrations and other soil factors. Addition of relatively uncontaminated sludge enhanced DHA, but this was dependent on the level and type of sludge addition. Adverse metal effects were only significant in the most contaminated soils where sludge had been added to the ‘high’ andd ‘low’ pH treatments at Braunschweig. However, these effects were small compared to the effects of high rates of sludge addition alone, despite exceeding statutory limits for Zn and Cu, where concentrations reached 341 and 99 μg/g, respectively.

KW - Dehydrogenase

KW - Soil

KW - Sludge

KW - Microbiol biomass

U2 - 10.1016/0048-9697(94)90323-9

DO - 10.1016/0048-9697(94)90323-9

M3 - Journal article

VL - 142

SP - 157

EP - 162

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 1879-1026

IS - 3

ER -