An experiment has been performed to determine the activity of arylsulphatase in soil submitted to pressure of four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: naphthalene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene, in the amount of: 0, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 mg kg-1 dm of soil. Soil samples were also applied some organic substances, such as: cellulose, sucrose, and compost, in the amount of 0 and 9 g kg-1 dm of soil. The experiment was run under laboratory conditions. It was established on soil which belonged to loamy sand. The soil resistance (RS) and resilience (RL) indices were computed. It has been discovered that the PAHs stimulated arylsulphatase activity, with anthracene raising the activity of the enzyme to the highest degree. The activity of arysulphatase depended significantly on the dose of a PAH, duration of pressure, and type of organic substances added to soil. The highest resistance (RS) was determined in soil exposed to phenanthrene, and the lowest one-in soil polluted with pyrene. Low values of the RL index prove that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons cause lasting disorders in the activity of arylsulphatase.
Keywords: Arylsulphatase; Organic substances; PAHs; Resilience; Resistance.