Distribution of microbial abundance in long-term copper contaminated soils from Topolnitsa-Pirdop valley, Southern Bulgaria

By

Petkova, Michaella
Nankova, Nadezhda
Kancheva, Viktoriya
Boteva, Silvena
Kenarova, Anelia
Radeva, Galina

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

BioRisk : biodiversity & ecosystem risk assessment

Volume

20

Pages

23--35

Subjects

16S rRNA gene , ITS rRNA gene , microbial abundance , qPCR , soil contamination

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/biorisk.20.97795

 

Abstract

This study presents the distribution of bacterial and fungal abundances in long-term copper (Cu) contaminated soils in Topolnitsa-Pirdop valley – a highly industrialized zone with a number of mines and processing plants for copper and other non-ferrous metals. The bacterial (16S rRNA gene copies) and fungal (ITS rRNA gene copies) were estimated using quantitative PCR technique in five topsoils, differently Cu contaminated (ranging from 28.05 to 198.9 mg kg-1). Bacterial abundance varied in a range of 1.68 × 1011 to 3.24 × 101116S rRNA genes, whereas fungi amounted from 1.95 × 108 to 6.71 × 108 ITS rRNA genes. Fungal and bacterial abundances were significantly (fungi) and insignificantly (bacteria) influenced by Cu contamination. The fungal/bacterial ratio related negatively with soil Cu, which shifted microbial communities’ structure towards bacterial dominance. Since the ratio between bacteria and fungi are vital in explaining many soil functions, the calculated changes in this ratio indicated deterioration in soil quality, being of primary importance for plant production.