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Ammonia‐Oxidizing Bacteria Populations and Activities in Soils Irrigated with Municipal Waste Water Effluent
Author(s) -
Chopp K. M.,
Clapp C. E.,
Schmidt E. L.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1982.00472425001100020014x
Subject(s) - effluent , soil water , population , nutrient , nitrate , agronomy , fertilizer , nitrosomonas , nitrification , environmental science , wastewater , environmental chemistry , biology , chemistry , zoology , environmental engineering , ecology , nitrogen , nitrite , demography , organic chemistry , sociology
Land application of waste water when properly managed has the beneficial result of providing nutrients and water to crops without adverse environmental effects. Populations and activities of NH 3 ‐oxidizing bacteria were studied during one growing season of corn ( Zea mays L.) on soil irrigated with municipal waste‐water effluent. The method used to recover these bacteria from soil was shaking 1 hour in Soriano‐Walker medium. Soil populations of one serotype each of the genera Nitrosomonas, Nitrosolobus , and Nitrosospira were enumerated by the fluorescent antibody (FA) technique. Populations of the three genera peaked at different times, with “total FA‐detectable” populations fluctuating only slightly over the entire season. Higher effluent (220 cm, 470 kg N/ha) treatments tended to have slightly lower populations than either fertilized control (336 kg N/ha) or low effluent (120 cm, 250 kg N/ha) treatments. Ammonia‐oxidation activity was significantly (5% level) higher for soils treated with high rates of effluent. Soil N levels showed NH 4 ‐N decreasing sharply when the population of NH 3 ‐oxidizers peaked in June, but accumulating in the fall when populations declined. Concentrations of NO 3 ‐N in soil were directly related to effluent and fertilizer applications. Nitrate concentrations in soil water and ground water peaked approximately 1 month after the maximum NO 3 ‐N concentrations occurred in the soil.