Abstract

QUICENO-VALLEJO, Maria Fernanda; ESCOBAR, Maria C.  and  VASQUEZ, Yaneth. Impact of mine drainage on the microbial community of the soil. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2020, vol.44, n.170, pp.241-256.  Epub June 15, 2021. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.940.

Mine drainage is an unwanted pollutant generated during mining activities, which produces negative impacts on ecosystems. To evaluate the effects of acid and neutral mine drainage on microbial communities in the soil, it was determined the enzymatic activity by quantifying P-glucosidase, urease, acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase, and cellulolytic enzymes, while the diversity was evaluated using a clone library where we identified 45 genera. The results correlated to the biological and physiochemical parameters using canonical correspondence analysis and a biological network. The results showed that in soils affected with acid and neutral drainages, the activity of β glucosidase, urease, acid, and alkaline phosphatases enzymes decreased, while the dehydrogenases and cellulolytic activity increased. On the other hand, nutrients (carbon and nitrogen), metals (Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd, and Mg), and sulfates were the physicochemical variables with the greatest impact on bacterial diversity. Metals and sulfate play an important role in the adaptation of the microbial population in mining environments, however, some organic sources can reduce the impact on the community by conserving the biogeochemical cycles.

Keywords : Enzymatic activity; Biogeochemical cycles; Mine drainage; Shifts in microbial composition of soil.

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