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vol. 8, nr. 3 (2006)


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Activity of selected enzymes in soil loaded with varied levels of heavy metals
Aleksandra Nadgórska-Socha, Iwona Łukasik, Ryszard Ciepał, Sylwia Pomierny
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Ecology Department, Silesian University, ul. Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice

vol. 8 (2006), nr. 3, pp. 713-725
abstract: The investigations were performed using soil samples which came from the vicinity of the non-ferrous metallurgical plant Szopienice, from zinc wastes heap, and from a former calamine site. The aim of the experiments was to find relations between the activity of dehydrogenase, acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterase (phosphatases), urease, and the concentration of bioavailable metals: Zn, Cd, Pb (0.01M CaCl2 was used as the extractant). The soil enzyme activities were compared in soils with varied heavy metals levels. The results of the study showed the highest activity of dehydrogenase, phosphatases and urease in soil samples taken at the calamine site, where the lowest heavy metals content was found. Lower activities of the investigated enzymes were noted for 50 and 250 meter distances from the non-ferrous metallurgical plant Szopienice, where the highest content of heavy metals and lower organic matter content in soil was found. Soil enzyme activity (phosphatases and dehydrogenase especially) can be used as a highly sensitive indicator of the effect of heavy metals pollution.
keywords: soil enzyme activity, heavy metals
original in: English