Effect of pharmaceutical effluent on soil phosphatase, dehydrogenase and urease activities: linking ecotoxicity to soil infertility

  • Samuel Chibuike Ubani Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
  • Okwume Chidera Gloria Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
  • Victor Eshu Okpashi Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
  • Omeje Kingsley Omeje Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
  • Osuji Akudo Chigodiri Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
  • Onwurah Ikechukwu NE Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Keywords: Pharmaceutical effluent, Soil enzymes, Soil pollution, Soil ecosystem and Infertility

Abstract

There are different ways of affecting the soil micro-flora, starting from the crude oil spill to industrial effluent. This scenario usually impacts negatively on plant growth indices, with the assumption that the soil fertility is impacted in a negative direction. Special attention is given to the effect of medicament effluent on the soil microflora or enzymes. The discharge of pharmaceutical waste is often accompanied with antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral agents. In this study, effects of pharmaceutical effluents on the activities of some soil enzymes (in situ) - phosphatases, dehydrogenases and ureases were determined using spectrophotometric technique and other standard methods. Samples were collected from the point of discharge. The uncontaminated soil samples were spiked with pharmaceutical effluents. After thirty days, the soil samples were assayed for soil enzymes activities. The results showed significant de-regulation in activities of phosphatases, dehydrogenases and ureases on the effluents contaminated soil samples compared to the control. The soil obtained outside at the industrial site did not show a decrease in the urease activity. Comparing the results with the control samples, the present investigation suggests that industrial effluents if not treated before discharged may cause disruption and destruction of some soil enzymes.

References

Aishwarya P, Saida L, Reddy VK and Ranjit P. 2014. Impact of brewery industry effluents on soil enzyme activities. International Journal Current Microbiology Applied Sciences, 3(10): 686-692.

Bello D, Trasar-Cepeda C, Leirós MC and Gil-Sotres F. 2008. Evaluation of various tests for the diagnosis of soil contamination by 2,4,5-trichlorophenol (2,4,5-TCP). Environmental Pollution, 156(3): 611-617.

Bello D, Trasar-Cepeda C, Leirós MC and Gil-Sotres F. 2013. Modification of enzymatic activity in soils of contrasting pH contaminated with 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,4,5-trichlorophenol. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 56: 80-86.

Brodin T, Fick J, Jonsson M and Klaminder J, 2013. Dilute concentrations of a psychiatric drug alter the behavior of fish from natural populations. Science, 339(6121): 814-5.

Caldwell BA. 2005. Enzyme activities as a component of soil biodiversity: a review. Pedobiologia, 49(6): 637-644.

Chu H, Lin X, Fujii T, Morimoto S, Yagi K, Hu J and Zhang J. 2007. Soil microbial biomass, dehydrogenase activity, bacterial community structure in response to long-term fertilizer management. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 39(11): 2971–297.

Conn C and Dighton J. 2000. Litter quality influences on decomposition, ectomycorrhizal community structure, and mycorrhizal root surface acid phosphatase activity. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 32(4): 489–496.

Diana B, Carmen T and Fernando GS. 2014. Enzymes and environmental contaminants significant to agricultural sciences. Published by OMICS Group eBooks 731 Gull Ave, Foster City. CA 94404, USA.

Dick WA, Cheng L and Wang P. 2000. Soil acid and alkaline phosphatase activity as pH adjustment indicators. Soil Biology Biochemistry, 32(13): 1915–1919.

Diez MC, Gallardo FA, Saavedra G, Cea ML Gianfreda L and Alvear MZ. 2006. Effect of pentachlorophenol on selected soil enzyme activities in a Chilean Andisol. Journal of Soil Science Plant Nutrition, 6(3): 40-51.

Haynes RJ and Williams PH. 1999. Influence of stock camping behavior on the soil microbiological and biochemical properties of grazed pastoral soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 28(3): 253–258.

He ZQ, Honeycutt CW, Griffin TS, Larkin RP, Olanya M and Halloran JM. 2010. Increases in soil phosphatase and urease activities in potato fields by cropping rotation practices. Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment, 8(2): 1112–1117.

Kumar V and Chopra AK. 2010. Influence of sugar mill effluent on physicochemical characteristics of soil at Haridwar (Uttarakhand), India. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 2(2): 269-279.

Larsson DGJ. 2014. Pollution from drug manufacturing: review and perspectives. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 369(1656): 1- 15.

Nagaraju M, Narasimha G and Rangaswamy V. 2007. Impact of effluents of paper industry on Physicochemical and biological properties. Journal of Industrial Pollution Control, 23(1): 73-76.

Nannipieri P. 1994. The potential use of soil enzymes as indicators of productivity, sustainability, and pollution. In: Pankhurst CE, Double BM, Gupta VVSR, Grace PR (Eds.). Soil biota: management in sustainable farming systems, 238-244, CSIRO, Sidney.

Osaigbovo AE and Orhue ER. 2006. Influence of pharmaceutical effluent on some soil chemical properties and early growth of maize (Zea mays L). African Journal of Biotechnology, 5(18): 1612-1617.

Packham ED, Duxbury CL, Mayfield CI, Inniss WE, Kruuv J. 1982. Quantitative analysis of pollutant-induced lethal and sub-lethal damage in cultured mammalian cells. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 29(6): 739-746.

Rao M, Scelza R, Acevedo F, Diez MC and Gianfreda L. 2014. Enzymes as useful tools for environmental purposes. Chemosphere, 107: 145-162.

Sardans J, Penuelas J and Ogaya R. 2008. Experimental drought reduced acid and alkaline phosphatase activity and increased organic extractable P in the soil in a Quercus ilex Mediterranean forest. European Journal of Soil Biology, 44(5-6): 509–520.

Scelza R, Rao MA and Gianfreda L. 2008. Response of an agricultural soil to pentachlorophenol (PCP) contamination and the addition of compost or dissolved organic matter. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40(9): 2162–2169.

Singh DK and Kumar S. 2008. Nitrate reductase, arginine deaminase, urease and dehydrogenase activities in natural soil (ridges with forest) and in cotton soil after acetamiprid treatments. Chemosphere, 71(3): 412–418.

Sinsabaugh RL. 1994. Enzymic analysis of microbial pattern and process. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 17: 69-74.

Skujins J and Burns RG. 1976. Extracellular enzymes in soil. CRC Critical Reviews in Microbiology, (4)4: 383-421.

Sulaiman AA, Standing DB and Graeme IP. 2015. Effects of hydrocarbon contamination on soil microbial community and enzyme activity. Journal of King Saud University - Science, 27(1): 31-41.

Tabatabai MA. 1982. Soil enzymes, dehydrogenases. In: Miller, RH and Keeney, D.R. (Eds.). Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties. Agronomy Monography 9. ASA and SSSA, Madison, WI, 903-947.

Tabatabai MA and Bermner JM. 1969. Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 1(4): 301-307.

Zeilinger J, Steger-Hartmann T, Maser E, Goller S, Vonk R, and Länge R. 2009. Effects of synthetic gestagens on fish reproduction. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 28(12): 2663-2670.
Published
2019-02-11
How to Cite
Ubani, S. C., Gloria, O. C., Okpashi, V. E., Omeje, O. K., Chigodiri, O. A., & NE, O. I. (2019). Effect of pharmaceutical effluent on soil phosphatase, dehydrogenase and urease activities: linking ecotoxicity to soil infertility. Journal of Research in Biology, 9(1), 2636-2643. Retrieved from https://ojs.jresearchbiology.com/ojs1/index.php/jrb/article/view/489