Soil Pollution Characteristics and Microbial Responses in a Vertical Profile with Long-Term Tannery Sludge Contamination in Hebei, China

Xiangke Kong, Chunhui Li, Ping Wang, Guoxin Huang, Zhitao Li and Zhantao Han
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Xiangke Kong: Institute of Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
Chunhui Li: School of Earth Science and Engineering, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Ping Wang: Institute of Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
Guoxin Huang: Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China
Zhitao Li: Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China
Zhantao Han: Institute of Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: An investigation was made into the effects of tannery sludge on soil chemical properties and microbial communities in a typical soil profile with long-term tannery sludge contamination, North China. The results showed that trivalent chromium (Cr(III)), ammonium, organic nitrogen, salinity and sulfide were the predominant contaminants in tannery sludge. Although the tannery sludge contained high chromium (Cr, 3,0970 mg/kg), the proportion of mobile Cr forms (exchangeable plus carbonate-bound fraction) only accounted for 1.32%. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results further demonstrated that the Cr existed in a stable state of oxides and iron oxides. The alkaline loam soil had a significant retardation effect on the migration of salinity, ammonium, Cr(III) and sulfide, and the accumulation of these contaminants occurred in soils (0–40 cm). A good correlation (R 2 = 0.959) was observed between total organic carbon (TOC) and Cr(III) in the soil profile, indicating that the dissolved organic matter from sludge leachate promoted the vertical mobility of Cr(III) via forming Cr(III)-organic complexes. The halotolerant bacteria ( Halomonas and Tepidimicrobium ) and organic degrading bacteria ( Flavobacteriaceae , Tepidimicrobium and Balneola ) became the dominant microflora in the soil profile. High contents of salinity, Cr and nitrogen were the main environmental factors affecting the abundance of indigenous microorganisms in soils.

Keywords: tannery sludge; soil profile; chromium; vertical migration; microbial community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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