Microbiological and chemical analysis of air was carried out on the area of landfill of wastes other than inert or hazardous. The landfill covers 20 ha and 40 000 Mg of wastes is deposited annually. Municipal waste is not segregated at the landfill. The research was conducted in April, May and November 2012. Number of the psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria and fungi was estimated by a culture-based method. Quantitative determination of sulfur compounds and meteorological and olfactrometric examinations were also carried out. Chemical analysis was conducted with a Photovac Voyager portable gas chromatograph. Air samples were collected at 5 points. The largest group of microbes were psychrophilic bacteria, especially in summer. The highest concentration of hydrogen sulfide and other odorants was found at leachate tank and landfill body. According to the Polish Standard for the assessment of atmospheric air pollution the air in the area of the landfill is classified as not contaminated and sporadically moderately contaminated. In spring and summer the number of microscopic fungi was increased also in control samples.
Over the two-year study (2008–2009) we monitored the influence of integrated and conventional
production systems on microbiological activity in soil and strawberry yield. The experiment also involved
fertilizers applied in three variants of treatment. The studied parameters were monitored over 2008 and 2009 by
determining the total number of soil microorganisms, the number of ammonifying bacteria and the strawberry
yield. The results of the study suggest the pronounced inhibitory effect of insecticides on number of studied
microorganism groups in all three conventionally treated variants, over the both years of study, which further
infers negligible stimulative influence of strawberry plants on yield.
The paper presents microbiological characteristic of sewage sludge composted in controlled conditions together with biowastes (wheat, maize and rapeseed straw, sawdust and refined glycerol). An experiment was carried out in which the material was mixed at appropriate weight proportions and then placed in bioreactor chambers of constant air flow (4 lźmin-1). The performed composting process aimed at determining the developmental dynamics of heterotrophic bacteria, molds, actinomycetes as well as bacteria from Salmonella genus and Enterobacteriaceae family. Microbiological analyses were performed on selective substrates using Koch's plate method. Moreover, using the floatation method, the presence of live eggs of ATT (Ascaris spp., Trichuris spp., Toxocara spp.) intestinal parasites was assessed and levels of dehydrogenase activity were determined using 1% triphenylotetrazole chloride as a substrate. It was concluded, on the basis of the obtained research results, that the composting process reduced bacterial counts of heterotrophic bacteria, molds and the activity of dehydrogenases activity in all experimental treatments. On the other hand, no reduction was observed in quantities of actinomycetes in the composted materials whose changes in numbers were found to correlate positively most strongly with levels of dehydrogenases activity. In addition, it was found that changes in numbers of the analysed groups of microorganisms depended, primarily, on the pH value and concentrations of ammonia released from the composted materials. Furthermore, the obtained research results also revealed that the sewage sludge used in the experiment did not contain Salmonella spp. bacteria and live eggs of ATT intestinal parasites, and that the composting process reduced completely numbers of bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family in all compost treatments. The obtained composts fulfilled all sanitary standards complying with the requirements issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (2008) as well as with the EU regulation (EC) No. 185/2007 from February 2007 changing EEC regulations No. 809/2003 and No. 810/2003 connected with the extension of the period of transitional requirements for composting and biogas plants as provided by the EU regulation No. 1774/2002 of the European Parliament and Council.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of carfentrazone-ethyl (CE) doses of 0.265, 5.280, 10.560, 21.180, 42.240 μg kg-1 soil DM on fungi, Acnomycetes, organotrophic bacteria, total oligotrophic bacteria and spore-forming oligotrophic bacteria, and on the activity of dehydrogenases, catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase. Carfentrazone-ethyl had a stimulating effect on total oligotrophic bacteria and organotrophic bacteria, but it inhibited the growth of Azotobacter, fungi, spore-forming oligotrophic bacteria and Actinomycetes. The analyzed substance modified the structure of soil microbial communities, and it induced the most profound changes in fungi. The highest values of the colony development (CD) index and the eco-physiological (EP) index were observed in organotrophic bacteria. The optimal dose of carfentrazone-ethyl stimulated the activity of dehydrogenases, catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase and β-glucosidase, but it had no effect on arylsulfatase. The highest doses of the analyzed substance inhibited the activity of dehydrogenases (reduction from 11.835 to 11.381 μmol TPF), urease (reduction from 0.545 to 0.500 mmol N-NH4) and arylosulfatase (reduction from 0.210 to 0.168 mmol PNP). Dehydrogenases were most resistant to CE, whereas acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase were least resistant to the analyzed compound
The aim of the presented investigations was to examine changes in the intensity of dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities as well as of the dynamics of selected groups of microorganisms in the soil under the cultivation of winter triticale following the application of the following seed dressings: (a.s.) flutriafol 2.5% + fludioxonil 2.5% in two doses and (a.s.) carboxin and tiuram. The experiment had a field character. The number of microorganisms (total bacteria, fungi, oligotrophic, copiotrophic and Azotobacter) was determined by the plate method on adequate agar substrates. Activity levels of the selected enzymes were defined using the spectrometrical method.
The obtained results indicate a change in the dehydrogenase and phoshatase activity in soil depending on the seed dressing applied in the experiment as well as at the date of investigations. The number of microorganisms in the soil underwent fluctuations depending on the developmental stage of triticale and the applied fungicide. The performed experiment demonstrated that counts of microorganisms in the soil underwent fluctuations depending on the developmental stage of triticale and the applied fungicide.
Recent studies in the area of biological air treatment in filters have addressed fundamental key issues, such as a biofilter bed of different origin composed of natural zeolite granules, foam cubes and wood chips. When foam and zeolite are mixed with wood chips to remove volatile organic compounds from the air, not only biological but also adsorption air purification methods are accomplished. The use of complex purification technologies helps to improve the efficiency of a filter as well as the bed service life of the filter bed. Investigations revealed that microorganisms prevailing in biological purification, can also reproduce themselves in biofilter beds of inorganic and synthetic origin composed of natural zeolite and foam. By cultivating associations of spontaneous microorganisms in the filter bed the dependencies of the purification efficiency of filter on the origin, concentration and filtration time of injected pollutants were determined. The highest purification efficiency was obtained when air polluted with acetone vapour was supplied to the equipment at 0.1 m/s of superficial gas velocity. When cleaning air from volatile organic compounds (acetone, toluene and butanol), under the initial pollutant concentration of ~100 mg/m3, the filter efficiency reached 95 %.
The aim of the research was to assess the microbiological (number of heterotrophic bacteria, actinobacteria and moulds) and biochemical (urease and acid phosphatase activity) state of peat with the admixture of composts produced from sewage sludge. An additional aim of the research was to demonstrate the influence of those substrates on the morphological traits of scarlet sage (height, number and length of shoots, number of buds and inflorescences, greenness index (SPAD)). Composts produced from sewage sludge, wheat, maize and lupine straw were mixed with peat, where their percentage varied from 25% to 75%.
The substrate which included the composts applied in the experiment had a higher number of heterotrophic bacteria and a higher acid phosphatase activity level than the control substrate (peat). The multiplication of moulds and actinobacteria was more intensive than in the peat only in the combinations with K3 (sewage sludge 50%+sawdust 20%+ lupine straw 30%) and K4 (sewage sludge 50%+sawdust 20%+fresh maize straw 30%) composts, whereas the highest urease activity level was observed in the soils produced from K1 (sewage sludge 50%+sawdust 20%+white straw 30%) compost.
The most optimal development of plants was observed in the substrate with compost produced from wheat straw. Composts produced from municipal sewage sludge were found to be suitable for growing scarlet sage. However, their effect depends on the percentage of high peat in the substrate.
One of the methods of sewage sludge disposal, which is based on its fertilizing properties, is its use in nature, e.g. in farming (if all the permissible standards are met). However, the sludge used for soil fertilization might also contain heavy metals, pathogenic microorganisms, thus causing contamination in soil foundation and deterioration of the conditions for development of indigenous organisms. Particular threat is posed by the existence of drug-resistant microorganisms in sewage sludge. This problem has not been researched in detail yet.
The authors of the present study aimed to determine qualitative changes in drug-resistant microorganisms in sandy soil fertilized with selected sewage sludge. Sewage sludge after different types of drying process (natural and solar) was added to the degraded sandy soil. The effect of the methods of sewage sludge drying on concentration of drug-resistant microorganisms in soil fertilized with the sludge was analysed.
The study demonstrated that sewage sludge dried naturally in drying beds pose threat to soil environment and, potentially, to people and animals which have contact with fertilized soils. In sandy soils fertilized with these types of sewage sludge, pathogenic forms which exhibit resistance to first-line antibiotics can be found.