Radiation-induced impacts on the degradation of 2,4-D and the microbial population in soil microcosms.

In a soil microcosm experiment, the influence of low-level (137)Cs and (90)Sr contamination on the degradation of (14)C-ring-labeled 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was studied. Two differently treated soils (one native soil and one soil sterilized and reinoculated with a biotic soil aliquot) were artificially contaminated with various concentrations of (137)Cs and (90)Sr as nitrate salts. The cumulative doses increased up to 4 Gy for 30 days of incubation in soil microcosms. Changes in microbial community structure were observed with help of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A radiation-induced impact appeared only in the microcosms treated with 30 times the maximum contamination appearing in the exclusion zone around reactor 4 in Chernobyl. In contrast to the less contaminated soils, the mineralization of 2,4-D was delayed for 4 days before it recovered. Slight shifts in the microbial communities could be traced to radiation effects. However, other parameters had a major impact on mineralization and community structure. Thus the sterilization and reinoculation and, of course, application of the 2,4-D were predominantly reflected in the (14)CO(2) emissions and the DGGE gel patterns.

Do Chernobyl-like contaminations with (137)Cs and (90)Sr affect the microbial community, the fungal biomass and the composition of soil organic matter in soil?

(137)Cs and (90)Sr are the main radionuclides responsible for contamination of agricultural soils due to core melts in nuclear power plants such as Chernobyl or Fukushima. The present study focused on effects of Chernobyl-like contaminations on the bacterial and fungal community structure, the fungal biomass and the formation of soil organic matter in native and in sterilized and reinoculated soils. 2% wheat straw [m/m] was applied to a typical agricultural soil, artificially contaminated with (137)Cs and (90)Sr, and it was then incubated in microcosms for three months at 20 °C and 50% of the water-holding capacity. The development of the microbial communities was monitored with 16S and 18S rDNA denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The quantification of the ergosterol content was used as a proxy for changes in the fungal biomass. Changes in the soil organic matter were determined using the (13)C cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnet resonance technique ((13)C-CP/MAS NMR). Slight but significant population shifts in the DGGE gel patterns could be related to the applied radionuclides. However, radiation-induced impacts could not be seen in either the chemical composition of the soil organic matter or in the development of the fungal biomass. Impacts caused by sterilization and reinoculation prevailed in the microcosms of the present study. Contaminations with (137)Cs or (90)Sr up to 50-fold that of the hotspots occurring in Chernobyl led to minor changes in soil microbial functions suggesting a strong resilience of natural soils with respect to radioactive contamination.

Effects of low-level radioactive soil contamination and sterilization on the degradation of radiolabeled wheat straw.

After the explosion of reactor 4 in the nuclear power plant near Chernobyl, huge agricultural areas became contaminated with radionuclides. In this study, we want to elucidate whether (137)Cs and (90)Sr affect microorganisms and their community structure and functions in agricultural soil. For this purpose, the mineralization of radiolabeled wheat straw was examined in lab-scale microcosms. Native soils and autoclaved and reinoculated soils were incubated for 70 days at 20 °C. After incubation, the microbial community structure was compared via 16S and 18S rDNA denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The radioactive contamination with (137)Cs and (90)Sr was found to have little effect on community structure and no effect on the straw mineralization. The autoclaving and reinoculation of soil had a strong influence on the mineralization and the community structure. Additionally we analyzed the effect of soil treatment on mineralization and community composition. It can be concluded that other environmental factors (such as changing content of dissolved organic carbon) are much stronger regulating factors in the mineralization of wheat straw and that low-level radiation only plays a minor role.