Pedosphere 8(1): 27--32, 1998
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©1998 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Effects of cadmium, lead, and zinc on size of microbial biomass in red soil |
| K. S. KHAN, XIE Zheng-Miao and HUANG Chang-Yong |
| College of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural University, Hangzhou 310029 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to study the influence of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) on the size of the microbial biomass in red soil. All the three metals were applied, separately, at five different levels that were: Cd at 5, 15, 30, 60 and 100 μg g-1; Pb at 100, 200, 300, 450 and 600 μg g-1 and Zn at 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 μg g-1 soil. In comparison to uncontaminated soil, the microbial biomass carbon and biomass nitrogen decreased sharply in soils contaminated with Cd, Pb and Zn. A more considerable increase in the microbial biomass C:N ratio was observed in the metal contaminated soils than the non-treated control. Among the tested metals, Cd displayed the greatest biocidal effect followed by Zn and Pb, showing their relative toxicity in the order of Cd > Zn > Pb. |
| Key Words: cadmium, lead, microbial biomass, red soil, zinc |
| Citation: Khan, K. S., Xie, Z. M. and Huang, C. Y. 1998. Effects of cadmium, lead, and zinc on size of microbial biomass in red soil. Pedosphere. 8(1): 27-32. |
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