Does anthracene affect microbial activities and organic matter decomposition? A comparative study in Pinus halepensis litters from Mediterranean coastal and inland areas.
The widespread concern about pollution caused by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) raises the question of how they affect soil microbial communities which are potentially involved in the transformation of these pollutants. Using microcosms, we describe the effect of anthracene, a model PAH, on microbial communities inhabiting a Pinus halepensis litter from both coastal (COS) and inland (INL) Mediterranean sites. The microcosms were incubated over 3 months (25°C, 60% WHC) and the effects of anthracene on microbial activities of both litters were monitored. Different enzyme activities (laccase, cellulase, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) and microbial respiration were measured and variations in litter chemical composition over incubation were determined using (13)C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) from both sites. Our results show that lignocellulolytic enzymes increased markedly after a 3-month incubation in COS microcosms, especially in the presence of anthracene, whereas INL microcosms were not similarly affected. These results show that anthracene not only has no toxic effect on the microbial activities tested but actually enhances the lignocellulolytic activities of the fungal communities from coastal litters, demonstrating the detoxification potential and resistance of stressed Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.
Equipe Systèmes Microbiens IMBE, UMR CNRS 7263, IRD 237, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de St. Jérôme, 13397, Cedex 20, Marseille, France. leila_qasemian@yahoo.com
Leila
L
Qasemian
Daniel
D
Guiral
Fabio
F
Ziarelli
Florence
F
Ruaudel
Anne-Marie
AM
Farnet
D000873:Anthracenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000187:drug effects; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D005658:Fungi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D028223:Pinus / Q000737:chemistry*; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D000873:Anthracenes; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C034020:anthracene