The Dead Sea — an economic resource for 10 000 years

The archaeological and historical record of the Dead Sea as an economic resource is longer than that of any other hypersaline lake. Although it is completely devoid of life, except for a few bacteria and algae, the climatic and geological conditions in the Dead Sea basin have produced circumstances which made this lake important for the economy of the area. The salt which was produced by evaporation of the water, or by quarrying from the salt diapir of Mt. Sodom, on the Dead Sea coast, is referred to in the Bible and in the Talmud. It was harvested until the 1930's. Potash has been extracted from the brine, by solar processes, since 1931 and today the Dead Sea is a major source of potash and bromine. The asphalt, which is found in seepages along the shores and in large blocks, occasionally found floating on the lake, has been used by the inhabitants of the area for waterproofing baskets and for decorative purpose, since the Pre-ceramic Neolithic Period, 10 000 years ago. Later, the asphalt became a major export item to Egypt. During the Early Bronze age, 4000 years ago, it was used mostly to glue flint implements to wooden handles and in the Graeco-Roman period it was used as one of the components in the embalming of Egyptian mummies. The area around the Dead Sea was the only source of balsam, perhaps the most important incense and medication of the Ancient World. Remains of a 7th century B.C. perfume factory, were found in Ein Gedi. During later periods, until the Arab conquest in the 7th century A.D., the growing of balsam was an imperial monopoly. The area of the Dead Sea was famous, for over 2000 years, for its dates and sugar. The therapeutical and medicinal properties of Dead Sea water and the hypersaline hot springs on its shore, were famous throughout the Ancient World. For example, King Herod the Great, 2000 years ago, used to visit the area to cure his many diseases. This practice continues today, and the lakes has become a major center for treatment of psoriasis. There is pictorial, archaeological and historical evidence to support the Dead Sea's importance as a trade artery for over 2300 years.     

Rock Biofertilizers with Acidithiobacillus on Sugarcane Yield and Nutrient Uptake in a Brazilian Soil

The experiment was conducted with the aim to evaluate the effects of biofertilizers with phosphate and potash rocks and soluble fertilizers (Triple super phosphate and potassium chloride) in chemical attributes of a Brazilian tableland soil grown with sugarcane. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized factorial design 2 × 4 × 3 + 1, with four replicates. Two varieties of sugarcane, three sources of P and K mixture (natural apatite + natural biotite; P + K biofertilizers with Acidithiobacillus and P + K chemical fertilizers) were applied in four levels. A control treatment with no P and K fertilization (P₀K₀) was added for comparative purposes. Significant differences between varieties were observed in all analyzed parameters, with better results when applied the recommended levels of biofertilizers and chemical fertilizers. Stalk fresh matter increased with fertilizers and biofertilizers applications, especially when applied in levels near recommendation. Total N, total P and total K in stalk dry matter increased significantly when biofertilizers were applied. The results indicate potential use of biofertilizers that may be used as P source; however, long-term studies are necessary due to soil pH reductions and its possible adverse effects.     

Distinct Weathering Ability and Populations of Culturable Mineral-Weathering Bacteria in the Rhizosphere and Bulk Soils of Morus Alba

In this study, we isolated and compared the weathering effectiveness and population of mineral-weathering bacteria from the rhizosphere and bulk soils of Morus alba grown in a mineral-rich soil. Eighty-four isolates could release Si, Al, K, and Fe from potash feldspar. Weathering effectiveness and pattern of the isolates differed between the rhizosphere and bulk soils. The proportion of the highly effective Si, Al, K, and Fe solubilizers was significantly higher in the rhizosphere soils than in the bulk soils. Notably, the proportion of the highly effective acid-producing isolates was also significantly higher in the rhizosphere soils. The 84 mineral-weathering isolates were affiliated with 15 bacterial genera. Distinct mineral-weathering genera were observed between the rhizosphere and bulk soils. The results suggested that the highly effective mineral-weathering bacteria were selected in the rhizosphere soils and the mineral-weathering bacteria from the rhizosphere and bulk soils might weather potash feldspar through different mechanisms.     

土壤中钾细菌的筛选及筛选底物加入量对其数量的影响

研究土壤中加入不同数量的钾长石粉后其解钾细菌数量的变化,同时初步筛选钾细菌,为进一步研究土壤中解钾细菌的分离、筛选及其鉴定提供参考。测试土壤中加入不同数量的钾长石粉后其解钾细菌数量,对结果进行比较分析;利用四苯硼钠法测试菌株解钾能力,并进行初步筛选。结果表明,按钾细菌数量由多到少的顺序,筛选底物加入量为0.2%0.1%0.4%空白对照;筛选菌株的解钾效率高于K01的共14株,高于K02的共9株。解钾效率最高的菌株5.15-2解钾效率为35.4%,较外购生产菌种K01高13倍,与本实验室保存菌种K02相比高3.6倍。     

中国氮磷钾肥制造温室气体排放系数的估算

通过收集、整合国内相关数据,推算了符合中国目前情况的各种氮肥、磷肥和钾肥的制造过程中的温室气体排放系数(从原料到工厂大门)。结果显示,我国平均水平的氮肥制造碳排放系数为:合成氨(液氨)1.672 t CE/t N,尿素2.041 t CE/t N,碳铵1.928 t CE/t N,硝酸铵4.202 t CE/t N,氯化铵2.220 t CE/t N,氮肥综合系数为2.116 t CE/t N。我国一般水平的磷肥制造碳排放系数为:重钙0.467 t CE/t P2O5,磷酸二铵1.109 t CE/t P2O5,磷酸一铵0.740 t CE/t P2O5,普钙0.195 t CE/t P2O5,钙镁磷肥2.105 t CE/t P2O5,磷肥综合系数为0.636 t CE/t P2O5。我国先进水平的钾肥制造碳排放系数为:氯化钾0.168 t CE/t K2O,硫酸钾0.409 t CE/t K2O(其中罗钾法硫酸钾0.443 t CE/t K2O、曼海姆法硫酸钾0.375 t CE/t K2O),钾肥综合系数为0.180 t CE/t K2O。我国大部分氮磷钾肥的温室气体排放系数普遍为欧美平均水平的2倍左右,因此利用国外系数来估算我国的农业温室气体排放量将严重低估化肥施用的影响。     

Assessment of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Urban Soil around Potash Industrial Site in the East of the Dead Sea and their Environmental Risks

The aim of this study was to assess the extent and severity of metal contamination of soils in the east of the Dead Sea, southwestern Jordan. This area was affected by a potash plant and intensive agricultural production. The samples were obtained at two depths, 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm, and were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, and Cr. Physicochemical parameters that are expected to affect the mobility of metals in the soil such as pH, TOM, CaCO₃, CEC, and conductivity were determined. The relatively high concentrations of metals in soils of the studied area were related to anthropogenic sources such as the potash industry, agricultural activities, and traffic emissions. The mean concentrations of the metals were of the order: C_Fe > C_Pb > C_Zn > C_Cr > C_Mn > C_Cu and C_Cd where C is the concentration of these metals in solution. Heavy metals such as Zn, Cd, and Pb showed higher concentrations in the area that is closer to the potash plant, while Cr concentration was low. These metals were concentrated in the soil surface and decreased in the lower part of soil due to their mobility, movement and physicochemical properties, and alkaline pH. Metals of anthropogenic origin, including Cd, Pb, and Zn, were highly enriched with respect to crustal composition. The non-clay minerals of the sand-sized fraction are composed mainly of quartz and calcite as major minerals, with dolomite and feldspar as minor minerals. Factor analysis revealed three groups of elements that differ in their distribution. The first of these components is unpolluted soil, which was distributed in the study area. The second is the polluted soil, which occurs mostly around the potash plant and Ghore El-Safi area. The third factor represents the physicochemical sources, and is not significant.     

不同栽培措施对降香黄檀内源激素含量的影响

为了了解不同栽培措施对降香黄檀叶片内源激素的影响,本研究通过铺设修枝、移植、钾肥、乙烯4个试验,分析各处理叶片激素含量特征。结果表明：修枝实验中,重度修枝处理IAA、GA₃、ZR、ABA含量均最大,分别为69.849、6.619、8.805、77.998 ng·g^-1。移植各处理中,去冠移处理IAA、ZR含量最高分别为73.195和9.472 ng·g^-1,而其ABA含量最低为52.001 ng·g^-1,GA₃含量最高的为断根处理8.418 ng·g^-1。IAA、ZR、GA₃含量K1钾肥配比最高分别为75.188、8.383、6.127 ng·g^-1;ABA最大含量71.082 ng·g^-1为CK处理。乙烯试验中,CK处理的IAA、GA₃含量最高分别为47.762、4.967 ng·g^-1;E2.5%处理的ABA含量96.94 ng·g^-1最高。E0.1%处理的ZR含量最高为9.378 ng·g^-1。修枝对GA₃/ABA和ZR/GA₃影响较大,其最小值分别比最大值降低了29.7%、19.0%。移植对IAA/ABA、GA₃/ABA影响较大,最小值比最大值依次降低了52.47%和51.47%。树干注射乙烯和钾肥对IAA/ABA、GA₃/ABA影响较大,乙烯试验最小值分别比最大值降低了55.4%、49.2%,钾肥试验最小值分别比最大值降低了48.8%和37.1%。