Changes in soil properties after remediation influence the performance and survival of soil algae and earthworm

Abstract

Previous research on soil remediation focused on soil properties and not on its effects on soil ecosystems. The present study investigated the adverse effects of soil physicochemical changes due to remediation on the biological indicators Chlorococcum infusionum and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (algae) and Eisenia andrei (earthworm). Soil physicochemical properties, concentrations of total, bioavailable, and water-soluble heavy metals in soil were measured before and after remediation. Changes in soil pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and total phosphorous immediately after soil remediation were the primary causes of the biomass and photosynthetic activity inhibition observed in C. infusionum and C. reinhardtii, and the survival, normality, and burrowing behavior decrease observed in E. andrei in remediated soils showing dramatic changes in those properties. These findings suggest that remediated soils need some time to recover before restoring their functions, although heavy metals are no longer contaminating the soil.