Microbial indicators in mine soils (S. Domingos Mine, Portugal)

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2006

Authors

Pereira, R (Author) Other; Sousa, JP (Author) Other; Ribeiro, R (Author) Other; Goncalves, F (Author) Other

Journal

Title: SOIL & SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION

Vol. 15

Pages: 147-167

ISSN: 1532-0383

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 29 Citations

Scopus - 29 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-QSD

DOI: 10.1080/15320380500506813

Abstract (EN): The risk assessment process planned for the S. Domingos mine, an abandoned cupric pyrite mine (Southeast Portugal), established as a task the assessment of soil microbial parameters to evaluate the long-term effects of heavy-metal contamination on the microbial community activity and subsequently on some important soil functions (e.g. nutrients cycling, decomposition of organic matter). Total metal contents as well as physical and chemical parameters (e.g. organic matter moisture, pH and conductivity) were measured. In the study area, the levels of As, Cd, Cr Cu, Ni and Pb were above soil quality criteria defined by some European countries. Nevertheless, sub-areas from the mining area with high concentrations of As, Cu and Pb and low soil pH levels were separated from the rest, along the first axis of a principal component analysis (PCA). The most sensitive microbial parameters were dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and potential nitrification (POTNI), which were highly depressed in the milling area. According to the redundancy analysis (RDA) of the microbial parameters and environmental variables, and Spearman rank order correlations, pH was positively correlated with these microbial parameters (DHA: r(s) = 0.733, p < 0.01; POTNI: r(s) = 0.676, p < 0.01). These results suggested that the contamination with some of the most toxic elements and low pH values adversely affected the biomass and the activity of soil microorganisms in the mining area. Therefore, the results of this study provided evidence about the importance of the assessment of microbial parameters, as a tool for the evaluation of direct impacts of heavy, metals in contaminated sites.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 21