Current state of soil microbiota in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine
Abstract
The destruction of the Kakhovka HPP led to large-scale changes in the natural ecosystems of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, including changes in the soil microbiome. T he research i n the territory of Zaporizhia Oblast revealed nat u ral, intensive phenomena of soil cover purification from organic matter contamination, including feces, occurring in the dra i nage zone formed as a result of the destruction of the dam. Sanitary state control allows us to assess the safety of soils for the environment and determine the possible impact on humans. Thus, a local contamination was revealed. The sanitary state of the soil was characterized by the presence of sanitary indicator microorganisms ( Escherichia coli , Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp. , and Clostridium perfringens ), which indicated fresh or old fecal contamination. The detection of thermophilic bacteria, Bacillus spp., and saprophytic fungi was correlated with the degree of organic matter tran s formation processes and stages of soil self-purification. In the soils in unsatisfactory sanitary condition, the coli titer the perfri n gens titer measured ≤ 0.9 and ≤ 0.009 , respectively . Pathogenic Salmonella spp. were not detected in any of the soil samples, yet Mycobacterium spp. were isolated. In the soils of the drainage zone of most of the studied transects, the presence of E. coli and sulfite-reducing bacteria was established. The results obtained can be used for further monitoring and control of the sanit a ry condition of soils affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP in order to prevent the spread of pathogenic microorga n isms in natural ecosystems.References
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