title: Soil microbial respiration and PICT responses to an industrial and historic lead pollution: a field study.
abstract: We performed a field investigation to study the long-term impacts of Pb soil contamination on soil microbial communities and their catabolic structure in the context of an industrial site consisting of a plot of land surrounding a secondary lead smelter. Microbial biomass, catabolic profiles, and ecotoxicological responses (PICT) were monitored on soils sampled at selected locations along 110-m transects established on the site. We confirmed the high toxicity of Pb on respirations and microbial and fungal biomasses by measuring positive correlations with distance from the wall factory and negative correlation with total Pb concentrations. Pb contamination also induced changes in microbial and fungal catabolic structure (from carbohydrates to amino acids through carboxylic malic acid). Moreover, PICT measurement allowed to establish causal linkages between lead and its effect on biological communities taking into account the contamination history of the ecosystem at community level. The positive correlation between qCO2 (based on respiration and substrate use) and PICT suggested that the Pb stress-induced acquisition of tolerance came at a greater energy cost for microbial communities in order to cope with the toxicity of the metal. In this industrial context of long-term polymetallic contamination dominated by Pb in a field experiment, we confirmed impacts of this metal on soil functioning through microbial communities, as previously observed for earthworm communities.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1114 EMMAH, 84914, Avignon, France. annette.berard@avignon.inra.fr.|UAPV, UMR1114 EMMAH, 84914, Avignon, France. annette.berard@avignon.inra.fr.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bérard
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1114 EMMAH, 84914, Avignon, France.|UAPV, UMR1114 EMMAH, 84914, Avignon, France.
authors.forename: Line
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capowiez
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. de l'Agrobiopôle, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.|UMR 5245 CNRS-INP-UPS, EcoLab (Laboratoire d'écologie Fonctionnelle), 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mombo
authors.affiliation: Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, 14 avenue E. Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schreck
authors.affiliation: Université de Toulouse, INP-ENSAT, Av. de l'Agrobiopôle, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.|Certop, UMR5044-Centre d'Etude et de Recherche Travail Organisation Pouvoir, 31000, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumat
authors.affiliation: STCM, Société de Traitements Chimiques des Métaux, 30 Avenue Fondeyre, 31200, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deola
authors.affiliation: UR 1115 INRA PSH, 84914, Avignon, France.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Capowiez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D058448:Biota / Q000187:drug effects*; D017753:Ecosystem; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D005602:France; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007221:Industry; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Heavy metals; Lead; MicroResp™; Microbial ecotoxicology; Microbial physiological traits; Pollution-induced community tolerance; Soil microbial communities; Substrate-induced respiration