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The Pedregal lavas are fresh, well-exposed basaltic flows erupted from the Xitle scoria-and-cinder cone in the southwestern part of the Basin of Mexico. These lavas cover an area of 70km2and were emplaced over pyramids and other buildings (e.g. Cuicuilco and Copilco archaeological sites). Today, a part of Mexico-City (including the National University) is built on the flows.

Abstract:  The effect of long-term waste water irrigation (up to 80 years) on soil organic matter, soil microbial biomass and its activities was studied in two agricultural soils (Vertisols and Leptosols) irrigated for 25, 65 and 80 years respectively at Irrigation District 03 in the Valley of Mezquital near Mexico City. In the Vertisols, where larger amounts of water have been applied than in the Leptosols, total organic C (TOC) contents increased 2.5-fold after 80 years of irrigation. In the Leptosols, however, the degradability of the organic matter tended to increase with irrigation time. It appears that soil organic matter accumulation was not due to pollutants nor did microbial biomass:TOC ratios and qCO2 values indicate a pollutant effect. Increases in soil microbial biomass C and activities were presumably due to the larger application of organic matter. However, changes in soil microbial communities occurred, as denitrification capacities increased greatly and adenylate energy charge (AEC) ratios were reduced after long-term irrigation. These changes were supposed to be due to the addition of surfactants, especially alkylbenzene sulfonates (effect on denitrification capacity) and the addition of sodium and salts (effect on AEC) through waste water irrigation. Heavy metals contained in the sewage do not appear to be affecting soil processes yet, due to their low availability. Detrimental effects on soil microbial communities can be expected, however, from further increases in pollutant concentrations due to prolonged application of untreated waste water or an increase in mobility due to higher mineralization rates.

Abstract:  In semi-arid regions wastewater irrigation is a valuable resource for agricultural production. The contamination of irrigated soils with surfactants is one of the ecological risks related to irrigating with untreated wastewater. In this study, the effects of branched alkylbenzene sulfonates (ABS) on microbial biomass, respiratory activity, and denitrification capacity of soil samples (eutric vertisols) taken from an irrigation district in the Mexico City area were investigated in laboratory experiments. Increasing concentrations of ABS lead to a decrease in soil microbial biomass and an increase in soil respiratory activity as well as in the metabolic quotient (qCO2) of the soils. Denitrification capacity was lowest without the addition of ABS and highest at a medium ABS concentration of 50 μg g–1. Denitrification capacity seems to be highly sensitive to ABS addition at moderate concentrations. From the laboratory results, high rates of denitrification and N2O evolution from fields irrigated with wastewater containing ABS are expected.