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Magnitude of the mixture hormetic response of soil alkaline phosphatase can be predicted based on single conditions of Cd and Pb

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Abstract

In soil ecosystems, it is very challenging to predict mixture hormesis effects. In the present study, soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was selected to investigate and predict its potential hormetic responses under Cd and Pb stresses. Typical reverse U-shaped dose–response relationships between ALP activities and the single and combined Cd and Pb were observed, showing a hormetic response of soil itself. The maximum stimulatory magnitudes ranged in 8.0 – 8.6% under 0.004 – 0.2 mg/kg Cd and 80 – 400 mg/kg Pb, respectively. An enhanced stimulation of 15.7% occurred under the binary mixtures of 0.6 mg/kg Cd and 200 mg/kg Pb. In addition, a dosage-independent binary linear regression model was proposed based on an assumption of a linear relationship between the single and combined hormetic responses under Cd and Pb. Our model can well predict ALP’s responses in the presence of the two metals’ mixtures (p < 0.1). Our findings provided new understandings to hormesis in soil.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41471191) and Qing Lan project are greatly acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Yongli Zhu, Chenglei Liu, Jian Liu, Yanhui Guo & Jiangang Han

  2. Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, 100044, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

    Yang You

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Forestry University, 210037, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Jiangang Han

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  1. Yongli Zhu
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Correspondence to Jiangang Han.

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Zhu, Y., Liu, C., You, Y. et al. Magnitude of the mixture hormetic response of soil alkaline phosphatase can be predicted based on single conditions of Cd and Pb. Ecotoxicology 28, 790–800 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-019-02077-3

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