title: The effect of heavy metal concentration and soil pH on the abundance of selected microbial groups within ArcelorMittal Poland steelworks in Cracow.
abstract: The present study aimed to identify the effect of heavy metal concentration and soil pH on the abundance of the selected soil microorganisms within ArcelorMittal Poland steelworks, Cracow. The analysis included 20 soil samples, where the concentration of Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Mn, Cr and soil pH were evaluated together with the number of mesophilic bacteria, fungi, Actinomycetes and Azotobacter spp. In the majority of samples soil pH was alkaline. The limits of heavy metals exceeded in eight samples and in one sample, the concentration of Zn exceeded 31-fold. Chromium was the element which most significantly limited the number of bacteria and Actinomycetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Agriculture in Cracow, Mickiewicza Ave. 24/28, 30-059, Kraków, Poland. annalenart82@gmail.com
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lenart
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolny-Koładka
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D011044:Poland; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants