Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s10533-014-0040-9
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Title (Primary) Bacterial impact on the wetting properties of soil minerals
Author Achtenhagen, J.; Goebel, M.-O.; Miltner, A. ORCID logo ; Woche, S.K.; Kästner, M.
Source Titel Biogeochemistry
Year 2015
Department UBT
Volume 122
Issue 2-3
Page From 269
Page To 280
Language englisch
Keywords Bacterial cell wall fragments, lipids and proteins; Contact angle; Environmental scanning microscopy; icrobial biomass; Osmotic stress; Soil water repellency
UFZ wide themes RU3;
Abstract Soil–water repellency (SWR) is a widely observed phenomenon with severe impacts, but a physicochemical framework to explain the process of SWR development is still a major field of research. Recent studies have shown that microbial biomass residues, in particular cell fragments, contribute significantly to the formation of soil organic matter (SOM) and can decrease wettability. It was also shown that osmotic stress increases the hydrophobicity of bacterial cell surfaces. If microorganisms are an important source of SOM, the attachment of cells and their residues on mineral grains should decrease wettability of minerals, and the effect should be more pronounced in case of osmotic stress. Cultures of Pseudomonas putida, either unstressed or exposed to osmotic stress, and cell fragments were mixed with minerals and the impact on surface wetting properties was investigated by determining the solid-water contact angle (CA). Attachment of bacteria to quartz surfaces resulted in a significant increase in hydrophobicity of the surfaces (CA increase by up to 90°), in particular for stressed cells. Cell fragments and cytosol were also found to decrease wettability significantly (CAs of up to 100°). These findings may explain various phenomena related to SWR, like critical soil–water content, and may be one important explanation for the formation of SWR after irrigation with treated sewage effluents. The results also support the hypothesis of a microbial origin of SWR, in which macromolecular biological structures may have a greater impact than specific classes of organic compounds.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=15618
Achtenhagen, J., Goebel, M.-O., Miltner, A., Woche, S.K., Kästner, M. (2015):
Bacterial impact on the wetting properties of soil minerals
Biogeochemistry 122 (2-3), 269 - 280