title: Effect of cassava mill effluent on biological activity of soil microbial community.
abstract: This study assessed the effect of cassava effluent on soil microbiological characteristics and enzymatic activities were investigated in soil samples. Soil properties and heavy metal concentrations were evaluated using standard soil analytical and spectroscopic methods, respectively. The microbiological parameters measured include microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, catalase, urease, dehydrogenase activities and number of culturable aerobic bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. The pH and temperature regime vary significantly (p < 0.05) throughout the study period. All other physicochemical parameters studied were significantly different (p < 0.05) higher than the control site. Soil organic carbon content gave significant positive correlations with microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, catalase activity and dehydrogenase activity (r = 0.450, 0.461, 0.574 and 0.591 at p < 0.01), respectively. The quantitative analysis of soil microbial density demonstrates a marked decrease in total culturable numbers of the different microbial groups of the polluted soil samples. Soil contamination decreased catalase, urease and dehydrogenase activities. The findings revealed that soil enzymes can be used as indices of soil contamination and bio-indicator of soil quality.
authors.affiliation: Applied Microbial Processes & Environmental Health Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin PMB 1154, Benin City, Nigeria, eigbinosa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Etinosa O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Igbinosa
mesh_terms: D039903:Actinobacteria; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D002365:Manihot; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D009549:Nigeria; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002244:Carbon