Changes in soil biological activities under reduced soil pH during Thlaspi caerulescens phytoextraction

Phytoextraction of soil Cd and Zn may require reduction in soil pH in order to achieve high metal uptake. Reducing the pH of high metal soil, however, could negatively affect soil ecosystem function and health. The objectives of this study were to characterize the quantitative causal relationship between pH and soil biological activities in two Zn and Cd contaminated soils and to investigate the relationship between metals and soil biological activities under low pH. Soils were adjusted to five or six different pH levels by sulfur addition, followed by salt leaching. Thlaspi caerulescens was grown for 6 months, and both the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil biological activities were tested after harvest. Reducing pH significantly lowered soil alkaline phosphatase activity, arylsulphatase activity, nitrification potential, and respiration. However, acid phosphatase activity was increased with decreasing pH. The relationship between soil biological activities and pH was well characterized by linear or quadratic regression models with R2 values ranging from 0.57 to 0.99. In general, the three enzyme activities, nitrification potential, and the ratio of alkaline phosphatase to acid phosphatase activity were very sensitive indicators of soil pH status while soil respiration was not sensitive to pH change. The rhizosphere soil had higher biological activities than non-rhizosphere soil. The negative effects observed in the non-rhizosphere soil were alleviated by the rhizosphere influence. However, rhizosphere soil after 6 months phytoextraction showed lower nitrification potential than non-rhizosphere soil, probably due to substrate limitation in our study.