Microbiological and Biochemical Indicators of Lead Pollution
in Soddy-Podzolic Soil

D. G. Zvyagintsev, A. V. Kurakov, M. M. Umarov, and Z. Philip

Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University, Vorob’evy gory, Moscow, 119899 Russia

Institute of Water, Soil, and Air Hygiene, Germany

Received June 6, 1996

Abstract—The effect of lead pollution on the total number of microorganisms, microbial biomass, the number
of bacteria of some ecological and systematic groups, and the activity of biochemical processes has been stud
ied. Increasing doses of lead exerted effects of different strength on microbiological and biochemical indicators.
Comparative analysis of methods based on their sensitivity to different levels of soil pollution and of the vari
ability of data obtained has shown that the nitrogen-fixation, emission of carbon dioxide, activity of denitrifi
cation, dehydrogenase, urease, and the number of free-living and oligotrophic bacteria constitute the most
promising indicators for detection of lead pollution. An estimate of the impact of lead on microbiota requires
knowledge of the biological properties of nonpolluted soils, along with that of the main physico-chemical
parameters, and the content of the pollutant in the studied soil.

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