ABSTRACT
Biochemistry of soils derived from volcanic ashes. II. Microbial synthesis of humic-type polymers and their adsorption capacity for Zn(II) and Mg(II)

Hugo Zunino V.1, María Aguilera S.1, Pedro Peirano V.1, Mario Caiozzi M.1 y Astrid Rex1
 

Streptomyces, penvcyllium and aspergillius species, able to synthesize humic-type polymers, were isolated from several chilean dystrandepts. The species were grown in a liquid Chopex media, during 15 weeks. Al-ter the incubation period, the culture media was filtered and purified repeatedly by dialysis, using a semipermeable membrane (cut-of 12,000). The humic-type polymers were then subjected to Zunino and Martin method to determine their maximum binding ability (MBA) of Zn(Il) and Mg(ll) ions. MBA for the microbial polymers are of the order of 0.3 atom-ug of Zn(ll) and 0.1 atom-ug of Mg(ll) per mg of polymer. These data are in agree with previous experimental results given elsewhere, and confirm the hypothesis that microbial polymers play an important role on the physical chemical processes governing translocation, adsorption, and availability of micronutrients to biological systems in the soil.

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1 Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Farmacéuticas. U. de Chile, Casilla 233, Santiago, Chile.