Assessment of the State of Soil’s Microbial Community in Condition of Intensive Influence of Pollutants

Abstract

This paper presents the study of toxicological state of the soil. It shows ecological and microbiological properties of the soil mantle in the areas of technological environmental impact and evaluates changes in the number of soil microorganisms as a result of toxic contamination of urban soil at different distances from the Moscow loop highway, and also as a result of dumping aluminum foundry slag in Orel region. Soil-inhabiting invertebrates species composition was evaluated at different soil contamination conditions. It was proven that the state of microbiocenosis changes depending on the intensity and character of the anthropogenic impact. It was established that soil fermentation and microbiological activity changes depending on the value of the cumulative heavy metals’ build-up coefficient. Study of interelement ties between the heavy metals concerned showed that they too may have the same anthropogenic origin regardless of their sources of origin. Pollution index indicates medium to high level of soil contamination in explored urban territories where vehicle emission is the main source of pollution, and dangerously high contamination of light-gray soil in the small settlement impacted by a nearby slag disposal site.

Keywords

• microorganisms
• urbanozems
• invertebrates
• mesofauna
• heavy metals