Plant Soil Environ., 2009, 55(12):544-550 | DOI: 10.17221/124/2009-PSE

Microbial biomass dynamics after addition of EDTA into heavy metal contaminated soils

G. Mühlbachová

Crop Research Institute, Prague, Czech Republic

An incubation experiment with addition of EDTA and alfalfa into soils contaminated with heavy metal over 200 years was carried out in order to evaluate the EDTA effects on microbial properties. Alfalfa was added to soils together with EDTA to examine its abilities to improve microbial activities affected by EDTA. The obtained results showed that the addition of EDTA led to a significant decrease of microbial biomass C during the first 24 days of incubation. At the end of the experiment the microbial biomass C significantly increased quite close to the original level. The EDTA amendment caused, probably due to the toxic effects, a significant increase in respiratory activities and of the metabolic quotient qCO₂. An addition of alfalfa significantly improved the microbial biomass C contents in arable soils treated together with EDTA. Both, respiratory activities and qCO₂ significantly increased after the soil treatment with EDTA together with alfalfa. EDTA alone decreased the microbial biomass, alfalfa alone as organic substrate was mineralised and utilised by soil microorganisms for their metabolism.

Keywords: heavy metal contamination; soils; EDTA; alfalfa; microbial biomass C; soil respiration; metabolic quotient (qCO2)

Published: December 31, 2009  Show citation