The response of soil arylsulfatase enzymes to natural and artificial substrates was evaluated. An immobilized arylsulfatase reactor was used to hydrolyse ester sulfate compounds in two soils with different morphological properties and management schemes. Hydrolysable ester sulfates cleaved by the immobilized arylsulfatase reactor constituted 35 to 55% of the HI-reducible S in these soils. Naturally occurring low molecular weight (LMW) ester sulfate compounds were found to accumulate in soil and persist during storage. These compounds were examined as the naturally occurring substrate for soil arylsulfatase enzymes. / Arylsulfatase activity was evaluated using artificial (p-nitrophenol sulfate) and natural (LMW ester sulfates) substrates. The response of arylsulfatase activity in soil and humic-arylsulfatase complexes to p-nitrophenol sulfate did not reflect the ability of these complexes to hydrolyse natural soil substrates. / A preliminary experiment was conducted to examine arylsulfatase activity and soil sulfur in relation to sulfur in plant tissue and grain from wheat. Tissue sulfur was more strongly associated with soil sulfur than wheat grain.

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