Effect of a pesticide, pentachlorophenol (PCP) on soil microflora. I. Effect of PCP on microbiological processes in soil percolated with glycine

Although pentachlorophenol (PCP) retarded the initial increase in total viable bacteria and gram-negative bacteria in the percolated soil, populations exceeded those in the percolated soils without the addition of PCP at a later period. This seems to be a phenomenon similar to "the partial sterilization effect". On the other hand, spore counts were continuously lower in the percolated soils when PCP had been added. Ammonification of glycine was also slightly inhibited, but nitrification of ammonium was strongly depressed by PCP. Other physicochemical changes of the percolate proceeded according to those of bacterial populations and biochemical reactions.