title: Rapid cost-effective analysis of microbial activity in soils using modified fluorescein diacetate method.
abstract: Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) is commonly used to determine the hydrolyzing activity of microbial organisms in the soil. However, the costs of chemical reagents and time required to perform routine analysis of large number of samples by soil testing laboratories are limiting. Moreover, existing methods generate significant volumes of hazardous waste. In this context, this study was designed to determine the minimum amount of terminating chemical reagent needed to evaluate microbial hydrolyzing activity. The results showed that 0.2 mL of chloroform was enough to effectively stop the hydrolyzing activity in soil. This proposed terminating chemical reagent (0.2 mL chloroform) was also evaluated by comparing with the 10 mL of chloroform and 5 mL of methanol used in the Adam and Duncan method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eynard
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chintala
mesh_terms: D002725:Chloroform; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000032:analysis; D006868:Hydrolysis; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; D006256:Hazardous Waste; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002725:Chloroform; C018506:diacetylfluorescein