The content of various chemical elements such as metals, metalloids, and nonmetals in the environment is associated with natural and anthropogenic sources. It is necessary to normalize the content of metals, metalloids, and nonmetals as potentially toxic elements (PTE) in the Haplic Chernozem. The soils of the Southern Russia are of high quality and fertility. However, this type of soil, like Haplic Chernozem, is subject to contamination with a wide range of PTE. The aim of the work was to rank metals, metalloids, and nonmetals by ecotoxicity in Haplic Chernozem. To assess the ecotoxicity of chernozem, data for 15 years (2005–2020) were used. Biological indicators used to assess the ecotoxicity of Haplic Chernozem: catalase activity, cellulolytic activity, number of bacteria, Azotobacter spp. abundance, to change of length of radish’s roots. Based on these biological indicators, an integral indicator of the state of Haplic Chernozem was calculated. The ecotoxicity of 23 metals (Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Mo, Mn, Ba, Sr, Sn, V, W, Ag, Bi, Ga, Nb, Sc, Tl, Y, Yb), 5 metalloids (B, As, Ge, Sb, Te) and 2 nonmetals (F, Se) as priority pollutants. It is proposed to distinguish three hazard classes of metals, metalloids, and nonmetals to Haplic Chernozem: I class — Te, Ag, Se, Cr, Bi, Ge, Sn, Tl, Hg, Yb, W, Cd; II class — As, Co, Sc, Sb, Cu, Ni, B, Nb, Pb, Ga; III class — Sr, Y, Mo, Zn, V, Ba, Mn, F. It is advisable to use the results of the study for predictive assessment of the impact of metals, metalloids, and nonmetals on the ecological state of the soil during pollution.

Contamination of water with Malachite green (MG) may threaten aquatic and human life. Nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter sp. is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of MG from dye solutions. The optimum pH for the biosorption process was determined. The maximum adsorption capacity and the effect of different adsorbate concentrations were detected. The kinetics and isotherm models for biosorption were constructed. Optimum adsorption of MG by Azotobacter sp. was obtained at pH 6.0, biomass concentration was 0.05%, initial dye concentration was 50 mg.L-1, and contact time was 600 mins. Dye adsorption exhibited an increase with contact time and initial malachite green concentration. The kinetics of the adsorption process was best followed by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model which confirms the chemisorption process. The adsorption equilibrium data fit well to the Langmuir model indicating a monolayer adsorption behavior onto a surface of Azotobacter sp. with a finite number of active sites. Maximum biosorption capacity was found to be 142.8 mg.g-1 of bacterial biomass. The dry biomass of Azotobacter sp. has proved to be an efficient biosorbent for the removal of synthetic dyes from actual industrial effluent that is contaminated with up to 400 mg.L-1 dye concentration.

A large amount of fresh tobacco waste with high water content are produced in farmland, and it may cause environmental pollution if it is not properly treated. The fresh tobacco waste is not easily collected and transported, resulting in its centralized treatment is expensive. This study is to clarify whether it is feasible to treat fresh tobacco wastes by co-composting of them and soil in farmland and applied the obtained compost product into the soil instead of a part of tobacco-specific fertilizer. The results showed that, compared with that in original soil, the relative abundance of Pseudomonas, Azotobacter, and Coprinus of the co-composted products increased by roughly 244%, 323%, and 675%, respectively, and effective nitrogen and available potassium increased by roughly 157% and 132%, respectively. In addition, the nicotine content in co-composted products decreased dramatically compared with the discarded tobacco leaves. The application of the co-composted products and 20% fertilizer amount (15 g/plant) (YD5) exhibited the highest relative abundance of beneficial microbial communities in the soil and the best growth of tobacco plants. The co-composting of fresh tobacco waste and soil in farmland is an effective measure to treat the fresh tobacco waste, and its products increased beneficial microorganisms and stimulate the growth of tobacco plants by replacing an amount of the fertilizer.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of three active substances, diflufenican, mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, applied in combination, on soil microbial counts, the structure of soil microbial communities, activity of soil enzymes and their resistance to the tested product, the biochemical indicator of soil fertility, and spring wheat yield. Soil samples with the granulometric composition of sandy loam with pHKCₗ 7.0 were used in a pot experiment. The herbicide was applied to soil at seven doses: 0.057 (dose recommended by the manufacturer), 1.140, 2.280, 4.560, 9.120, 18.240 and 36.480 mg kg⁻¹ soil DM. Uncontaminated soil served as the control treatment. It was found that a mixture of the tested active substances increased the counts of total oligotrophic bacteria and spore-forming oligotrophic bacteria, organotrophic bacteria and actinomycetes, decreased the counts of Azotobacter and fungi, and modified the structure of soil microbial communities. The highest values of the colony development (CD) index and the ecophysiological (EP) index were observed in fungi and organotrophic bacteria, respectively. The herbicide applied in the recommended dose stimulated the activity of catalase, urease and acid phosphatase, but it had no effect on the activity of dehydrogenases, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase and β-glucosidase. The highest dose of the analyzed substances (36.480 mg kg⁻¹) significantly inhibited the activity of dehydrogenases, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulfatase. The values of the biochemical soil fertility indicator (BA₂₁) decreased in response to high doses of the herbicide. Urease was most resistant and dehydrogenases were least resistant to soil contamination with a mixture of diflufenican + mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium. The analyzed herbicide had an adverse influence on spring wheat yield, and doses of 18.240 and 36.480 mg kg⁻¹ led to eventual death of plants.

Lead (Pb) pollution is appearing as an alarming threat nowadays. Excessive Pb concentrations in agricultural soils result in minimizing the soil fertility and health which affects the plant growth and leads to decrease in crop production. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are beneficial bacteria which can protect the plants against many abiotic stresses, and enhance the growth. The study aimed to identify important rhizobacterial strains by using the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) enrichment technique and examine their inoculation effects in the growth promotion of maize, under Pb pollution. A pot experiment was conducted and six rhizobacterial isolates were used. Pb was added to 2 kg soil in each pot (with 4 seeds/pot) using Pb(NO₃)₂at the rate of 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg⁻¹Pb with three replications in completely randomized design. Rhizobacterial isolates performed significantly better under all Pb levels, i.e., 100 to 400 Pb mg kg⁻¹soil, compared to control. Comparing the efficacy of the rhizobacterial isolates under different Pb levels, rhizobacterial isolates having both ACC-deaminase and nitrogen-fixing activities (AN8 and AN12) showed highest increase in terms of the physical, chemical and enzymatic growth parameters of maize, followed by the rhizobacterial isolates having ACC-deaminase activity only (ACC5 and ACC8), and then the nitrogen-fixing rhizobia (Azotobacter and RN5). However, the AN8 isolate showed maximum efficiency, and highest shoot and root length (14.2 and 6.1 cm), seedling fresh and dry weights (1.91 and 0.14 g), chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids (24.1, 30.2 and 77.7 μg/l), protein (0.82 mg/g), proline (3.42 μmol/g), glutathione S-transferase, peroxidase and catalase (12.3, 4.2 and 7.2 units/mg protein), while the lowest Pb uptake in the shoot and root (0.83 and 0.48 mg/kg) were observed under this rhizobial isolate at the highest Pb level (i.e., 400 Pb mg kg⁻¹soil). The results revealed that PGPR significantly decreases the deleterious effects of Pb pollution and increases the maize growth under all Pb concentrations, i.e., 100–400 Pb mg kg⁻¹soil. PGPR chelate the Pb in the soil, and ultimately influence its bioavailability, release and uptake. The PGPR having both ACC-deaminase and nitrogen-fixing abilities are more effective and resistive against Pb pollution than PGPR having either ACC-deaminase or nitrogen-fixing activity alone. The ACC enrichment technique is an efficient approach to select promising PGPR.