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Hydrogen Oxidation in Soils as a Possible Toxic-Effects Indicator¹

ABSTRACT

Efficient soil bioassays are needed in a screening array to determine the toxicities of industrial products and wastes. Hydrogen consumption is a common soil microbiological process that we evaluated as a possible soil indicator of toxic effects. Elemental tritium was used as a tracer to determine the H₂ oxidation rates in soils. The H₂ bioassay can be completed within 24 h using liquid scintillation counting of the tritium tracer. This test was used to evaluate the effects of known toxic chemicals (e.g., heavy metals, herbicides, and air pollutants), as well as a variety of suspected environmentally harmful compounds (e.g., waste waters, particulates, and sludges from industrial processes) on H₂ oxidation in soils. This bioassay responded to test compounds at concentrations shown to be toxic in other soil microbiological investigations.

Key Words: soil bioassay • tritium • H₂ oxidation • heavy metals • herbicides • NO₂ • O₃ • tricresyl phosphate • chemical process wastes

¹ Contribution of the Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, USEPA, Las Vegas, NV 89114.

² Formerly Soil Microbiologist, USEPA, Las Vegas, presently Senior Scientist, EG&G Idaho Inc., Earth and Life Sciences Office, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415; and formerly Plant Physiologist, USEPA, Las Vegas, presently Environmental Scientist, USEPA, Toxic and Hazardous Materials Branch, 200 S.W. 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333; respectively.