Mohamed Saber Ismaeil
National Research Center
Egypt
Title: Prolonged effects of irrigation with low quality water on soil biological characteristics
Biography
Biography: Mohamed Saber Ismaeil
Abstract
Surface soil samples irrigated with low quality water, i.e., agricultural drainage water or treated sewage effluent for prolonged time between > 35 to > 85 years `as well a control alluvial soil irrigated with Nile were collected. The microbiological characteristics of these soils were compared with the microbiological characters of a soil irrigated with Nile water collected from Tanash village. Results showed the microbial biomass represented by bacteria, fungi and Azotobacterwas in general more or less the same in the different investigated soils. On the other hand, the new indicators of pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas) exhibited positive existence even in the soil irrigated with Nile. Data showed that the most important parameter indicating the bioactivity of a certain soil ecosystem, i.e., dehydrogenase activity was highest in soils irrigated with sewage effluents from either Abu-Rawash or Zeneen sewer plants being even higher than in the soil irrigated with Nile.