Methane oxidation in lead-contaminated mineral soils under different moisture levels

Methane (CH(4)) oxidation in soil reduces the concentration of this greenhouse gas due to the activity of methanotrophic bacteria. This process is influenced by chemical and physical parameters of soil. We tested the methanotrophic activity of selected mineral soils (Mollic Gleysol, Haplic Podzol, Eutric Cambisol) contaminated with lead (Pb) under different soil water potentials (pF 0; 2.2; 3.2). The heavy metal was added as PbCl(2) in two doses. Together with the initial content of Pb in soils, the final contents of heavy metal in different soils were 11.6 and 30.8 mg kg(−1) in Eutric Cambisol, 7.1 and 26.3 mg kg(−1) in Haplic Podzol, and 12.2 and 31.4 mg kg(−1) in Mollic Gleysol (dry mass of the soil is specified in all cases). The results showed relatively low sensitivity of methane oxidation to the addition of the heavy metal. The major factor controlling this process was soil water content, which in most cases turned out to be the most optimal at pF = 2.2.