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Cited by 69Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsHeavy metals in environmentMicrobial Community Ecology and Physiology

Microbial-driven mechanisms for the effects of heavy metals on soil organic carbon storage: A global analysis

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Zeng, Kai, Huang, Xiaochen, Guo, Junjie, Dai, Chuanshun, He, Chuntao, Chen, Hao, Xin, Guorong·2024·Environment International
DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108467
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Abstract

Heavy metal (HM) enrichment is closely related to soil organic carbon (SOC) pools in terrestrial ecosystems, which are deeply intertwined with soil microbial processes. However, the influence of HMs on SOC remains contentious in terms of magnitude and direction. A global analysis of 155 publications was conducted to integrate the synergistic responses of SOC and microorganisms to HM enrichment. A significant increase of 13.6 % in SOC content was observed in soils exposed to HMs. The response of SOC to HMs primarily depends on soil properties and habitat conditions, particularly the initial SOC content, mean annual precipitation (MAP), initial soil pH, and mean annual temperature (MAT). The presence of HMs resulted in significant decreases in the activities of key soil enzymes, including 31.9 % for soil dehydrogenase, 24.8 % for β-glucosidase, 35.8 % for invertase, and 24.3 % for cellulose. HMs also exerted inhibitory effects on microbial biomass carbon (MBC) (26.6 %), microbial respiration (MR) (19.7 %), and the bacterial Shannon index (3.13 %) but elevated the microbial metabolic quotient (qCO 2 ) (20.6 %). The HM enrichment-induced changes in SOC exhibited positive correlations with the response of MBC (r = 0.70, p 2 (r = 0.50, p < 0.01), while it was negatively associated with β-glucosidase activity (r = 0.72, p < 0.01) and MR (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that the increase in SOC storage is mainly attributable to the inhibition of soil enzymes and microorga…

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Zeng, K., Huang, X., Guo, J., Dai, C., He, C., Chen, H., & Xin, G.
Affiliations
Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
Corresponding author
  • Guo, Junjie
  • Xin, Guorong
ORCID
Venue
Environment International
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-02
Volume
184
Pages
108467
ISSN
0160-4120 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.envint.2024.108467
OpenAlex
W4391346250
Cited by
69
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 9
FWCI
1.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Environment International (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171683, 32372808, 42007047)
  • Science, Technology and Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (JCYJ20220530145606015, JCYJ20230807111217035)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Heavy metals in environment
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Keywords
heavy metals, soil organic carbon, soil carbon storage, soil microbial processes, soil enzyme activity, microbial biomass carbon, microbial respiration, microbial metabolic quotient, soil carbon dynamics, soil pH, precipitation, soil temperature, soil contamination
MeSH terms
Carbon, Soil, Soil Microbiology, Ecosystem, Metals, Heavy, Cellulases

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