Bacterial community tolerance to Cu in soils with geochemical baseline concentrations (GBCs) of heavy metals: Importance for pollution induced community tolerance (PICT) determinations using the leucine incorporation method

PICT (Pollution Induced Community Tolerance) to Cu is a useful and sensitive tool assess the effects of pollution in soils under laboratory conditions. However, field situations, absence reference values, i.e. bacterial community tolerance baseline from non-polluted soils, make method uncertain when we want know if soil or not polluted microbiological point view. In order shed some light on this topic, concept was used determine uncontaminated developed five different parent materials, using log IC50 as index. calculated amount that inhibit 50% growth (estimated via leucine incorporation method) suspension extracted soil. With physico-chemical characteristics type material, linear multiple regression equation fitted explaining 80% variance values. This provides estimate general characteristics, allowing for more use without need soils.