In recent years, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly used in various industries due to their antibacterial properties, which lead to an increase in pollution of the environment and soil ecosystems. However, the ecological effects of soil pollution by AgNPs were poorly studied than that with AgNPs of other metal-based NPs. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of AgNPs on the biological properties of Haplic Chernozem. Silver was introduced into the soil in the form of AgNPs with a concentration of 0.5; 1; 5; 10; 50, and 100 mg/kg in laboratory conditions. The influence of AgNPs on the biological properties of Haplic Chernozem was assessed 30 days after contamination. The degree of reduction in biological properties depends on the AgNPs concentration in the soil. This study showed that the sensitivity to contamination by AgNPs in the total number of bacteria and enzymatic activity was more than that in the abundance of bacteria of the genus Azotobacter. The integrated index of biological state (IIBS) of Haplic Chernozem was decreased by contamination with AgNPs. Silver nanoparticles in the concentration of 10 mg/kg caused a decrease in the indicator by 13% relative to the control. It also decreased IIBS by doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg by 22 and 27% relative to the control. All used biological indicators could be used for biomonitoring, biodiagnosis, bioindication, and regulation of ecological condition of soil contamination by AgNPs.

The influence of the duration and conditions of storage of soil samples on the activity of soil enzymes (catalase, β-fructofuranosidase, and dehydrogenase) was studied for the main soils of southern Russia (different subtypes of chernozems, chestnut soils, brown forest soils, gray forest soils, solonetzes, and solonchaks). The following soil storage conditions were tested: (1) the air-dry state at room temperature, (2) the airdry state at a low positive (in a refrigerator, +4°C) temperature, (3) naturally moist samples at a low positive temperature, and (4) naturally moist samples at a negative (in a freezer, −5°C) temperature. It was found that the sample storing caused significant changes in the enzymatic activities, which depended on the soil type, the land use, the type of enzyme, and the duration and conditions of the sample storage. In the course of the storage, the changes in the enzymatic activity had a nonlinear character. The maximum changes were observed in the initial period (up to 12 weeks). Then, a very gradual decrease in the activity of the studied enzymes was observed. Upon the long-term (>12 weeks) storage under the different conditions, the difference in the activities of the soil enzymes became less pronounced. The storage of soil samples in the air-dried state at room temperature can be recommended for mass investigations.

Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles (50–100 nm) of Cu, Ni, and Zn has been assessed by changes in biological indicators of an ordinary chernozem (Haplic Chernozem (Loamic)) of Rostov-on-Don in the laboratory model experiment with incubation of soil samples with nanopowders of these elements added to soil in concentrations 100, 1000, and 10 000 mg/kg. The effects of biological indicators have been determined 10, 30, and 90 days after soil contamination. The addition of Cu, Ni, and Zn nanoparticles led to a decrease of the total number of bacteria, abundance of Azotobacter bacteria, catalase and dehydrogenase activities, and germination and length of roots of radish sown. Reliable cases of hormesis were not detected. Nanoparticles of Cu and Zn showed higher toxicity than Ni nanoparticles, and this was inconsistent with the hypothesis, according to which the toxicity of nanoparticles depended only on their size and did not depend on chemical nature of the element. According to the integral indicator of biological state of soil, maximal toxicity of Cu, Ni, and Zn nanoparticles was observed on the 30th day after contamination.

Soil pollution with Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb oxides or crude oil has an adverse effect on biological properties of ordinary chernozem. The degrees of their deterioration in laboratory and field experiments do not differ statistically, indicating that the results of laboratory modeling may be correctly extrapolated to the field scale. Pollution of ordinary chernozem with oil affects biological properties of both topsoil and subsoil horizons, while Pb is harmful only for the upper soil horizon. Concentrations in excess of 25 mg/kg for Pb and 0.25% for oil in ordinary chernozem are not ecologically safe (not allowable).