Effect of heavy metals on soil microbial processes and population

The effect of different toxic heavy metals ions was studied on the CO2 production of microorganisms in uncultivated sandy clay soil. The soils were treated by C, N and P in the form of sodium nitrate, potassium phosphate and glucose respectively. The inhibitions appeared even affecting three weeks, but highly significant effects could be estimated after six-week incubation period. Cobalt ions had smallest effect on decreasing CO2-production in uncultivated soil samples at the different incubation intervals .The strongest inhibition of the gas production was detected by the influence of cadmium ions.