Nematode-Capturing Hyphomycetes from Soils over Xerophytic Calcareous Rock in Upper Bavaria*

Nematode-capturing hyphomycetes were isolated from soil and plant debris on the south slope of a hill in the Jurassic of Upper Bavaria. The following species were found: Arthrobotrys arthrobotryoides, A. dactyloides, A. oligospora, A. superba, Dactylella astenopaga, Monacrosporium cionopagum, M. psychrophilum. Endozoic fungal parasites of nematodes were not isolated. With one fungal propagule of nematode-destroying fungi in 1.7 g soil, the density is only slightly lower than values given for agricultural soils.     

Kinetic Extractions of Nickel and Lead from Some Contaminated Calcareous Soils

The mobility of heavy metals in contaminated soils is dependent on the kinetics release from soils. Metal extraction over time is commonly used to distinguish two or more fractions of metal based on differences of extraction or release rates. Kinetic studies using 0.01 M CaCl₂, 0.01 M malic acid, and 0.01 M EDTA extractions were performed to characterize nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) kinetic release in 10 contaminated calcareous soils. Proportions of Ni and Pb extracted with EDTA were higher than when using malic acid and CaCl₂, respectively. The release of Ni and Pb was characterized by an initial fast rate followed by a slower rate and could best be described by a two first-order reactions model with rate constants k₁ and k₂ and two metal pools: readily labile (Q ₁) and less labile (Q ₂). In an EDTA extractant, different Q₁ /Q₂ ratios for Ni and Pb were observed, indicating binding energies to soil constituents is not comparable. The k₁ of the model for Ni (average of 10 soils: 0.2204 h^?1 and 0.2359 h^?1 for 0.01 M CaCl₂ and 0.01 EDTA, respectively) was higher than Pb (0.1044 h^?1 and 0.1631 h^?1 for 0.01 M CaCl₂ and 0.01 M EDTA, respectively), indicating a higher potential of Ni for leaching and groundwater contamination in contaminated calcareous soils. Relationships between the fraction of Ni and Pb determined with the two first-order reactions model and the soil composition and Pb fractions were established. The results indicated that the efficiency of the extractions Ni and Pb from soils depends both on the Ni and Pb content and soil composition. Overall, the results indicated that the use of a 0.01 M malic acid washing solution would be preferred in the field condition.     

Riverbank Stabilization of Lead Contaminated Soils Using Native Plant Vegetative Caps

Hamburg is a small borough located in Berks County, Pennsylvania. During the 1940s and 1950s, crushed automobile battery casings, containing high levels of lead, were used as fill in and around Hamburg. Several of the fill areas were along the eastern bank of the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Canal. To reduce exposure to human and ecological receptors, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) initiated actions at several of the fill areas. Remediation actions at three of these fill areas, the Berry Property, the Hamburg Playground City Playground, and the Port Clinton Avenue site, utilized native plants, slope stabilization, and soil caps.

The Berry Property consisted of a flat, wooded area adjacent to the river. The Hamburg Playground consisted of a steep wooded slope between the river and the parking lot for the municipal park. The Port Clinton Avenue site consisted of flat and sloped, wooded, and old-field areas between the canal and Port Clinton Avenue. At each of the three sites, some of the contaminated soils were excavated and the remainder was graded and capped. The clean soil cap was then covered with an erosion control mat, seeded with native grasses, and planted with native shrubs. At the Hamburg Playground and Port Clinton Avenue site, the existing trees and much of the existing vegetation were maintained to preserve the slope stability and the natural environment. Great care was taken to ensure community access to the municipal park. Some of the important considerations included retaining the existing trees, dealing with invasive species, maintaining the plants during a drought, and channeling storm-water runoff. The work was coordinated with the Hamburg Borough Council, the Schuylkill River Greenway Association, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).

The actions resulted in a stabillized slope with channelized storm water to control erosion and protect the river, a clean soil and plant cover that eliminates exposure to human and animal receptors, and an aesthetically pleasing and usable area that meets the needs of the community and the local conservation/environmental organization.     

Removal of Lead from a Calcareous Soil by Chloride Complexation

Remediation of a lead-contaminated calcareous soil using NaCl solutions was examined. The removal of Pb from a coarser fraction of the soil was found to be 83% after three successive extractions at a NaCl concentration of 8?M, whereas an average of 9% of the calcium was removed. Multibatch extractions of Pb from finer soil containing a higher level of Pb were also performed. The removal of Pb from this soil after six successive extractions with 8?M NaCl was found to be 93%. The removal of Pb increased with time in a batch test and approached 80% after 90?h. It was found that the data were adequately described by a first-order rate, and hence it is believed that a single reaction mechanism controlled the release of Pb (i.e., from carbonate bound or exchangeable Pb fractions in the soil). Increasing removal of Pb was found as the volume of water added was increased as the mass of NaCl in solution remained constant. The removal of Pb from the leachate was found to be 90%, 99.7%, and 35% with lime (25.20?g/L), sodium carbonate (4.48?g/L), and calcium carbonate (82.0?g/L) addition, respectively. In the case of sodium carbonate, the removal of Pb was further improved when the pH was adjusted to 8.2. The recycling of free chloride that was generated from leachate resulted in 91% removal of Pb from the soil (particle size < 4.75?mm) after six recycles.     

Effects of Plant Residue and Salinity on Fractions of Cadmium and Lead in Three Soils

Bioavailability and mobility of heavy metals (HMs) in soils are determined by their partitioning between solution and solid-phase and their further redistribution among solid-phase components. A study was undertaken to determine the effects of organic matter (OM) and salinity on cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) distribution among soil fractions. Three agricultural soils were treated with 20 mg Cd/kg as Cd (NO₃)₂·4H₂O, 150 mg Pb/kg as Pb (NO₃)₂, 20 g/kg alfalfa powder, and 50 mmol/kg of NaCl, and then incubated at 60% water holding capacity (60% WHC) and constant temperature (25°C) for 12 weeks. Various fractions of Cd and Pb were extracted from the soils after 2 and 12 w of incubation using a sequential extraction technique. Results showed that in the early stage of incubation (2 w), added Pb were found mainly in the specifically sorbed (SS) and amorphous Fe oxides (AFeO) fractions and added Cd found in SS and Mn oxides (MnO) fractions. Addition of 2% OM decreased the exchangeable (EXC) Pb fraction almost in all soils, whereas it had a different effect on the EXC Cd fraction depending on soil pH. Addition of NaCl increased the EXC Cd fraction in two soils, but it did not alter Pb fractions. At the end of the incubation period, Pb decreased in the EXC and MnO fractions except in the neutral soil and Cd decreased mainly in the SS fraction.     

A Laboratory Assessment of Potentials and Limitations of Using EDTA,Rhamnolipids, and Compost-derived Humic Substances (HS) in Enhanced Phytoextraction of Copper and Zinc Polluted Calcareous Soils

Phytoextraction is an economically and environmentally attractive in-situ method for cleaning heavy metal polluted soil. Phytoextraction is a rather slow process, but it can be enhanced by the application of chelating agents such as the synthetic ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). However, EDTA is persistent, toxic, and can promote heavy metal leaching. Replacement of EDTA by natural, non-toxic compounds such as humic substances (HS) or rhamnolipids (bacterial-produced biosurfactants) might be environmentally attractive but before recommending such alternatives, their suitability must be assessed. Therefore, compost-derived HS and rhamnolipids were compared with EDTA as natural non-toxic alternatives in a multi-step batch extraction test. The test included 10 steps carried out on two Cu and Zn polluted calcareous soils using a solution:soil ratio of 10 (L/kg). In each step, soil was extracted with an extractant containing EDTA, HS, or rhamnolipids corresponding to 250 mmol DOC/kg of soil (3 g C/kg). By HS extraction, each step resulted in the release of ～0.29 mg Cu/L and ～0.19 mg Zn/L, which is considered to enhance plant uptake without leading to unacceptable leaching and toxification of the plants (and the environment), suggesting HS can enhance phytoextraction. In contrast, the EDTA and the rhamnolipid treatments were found to be unsuitable because the EDTA released Cu and Zn in concentrations that may be toxic to plants and can lead to leaching, whereas the rhamnolipids showed insufficient capacity to mobilize Cu (and Zn). However, future investigations in the field are needed to confirm these laboratory results.     

Mobility and Distribution of Zinc,Cadmium and Lead in Calcareous Soils Receiving Spiked Sewage Sludge

Leaching column experiments were conducted to determine the degree of mobility and the distribution of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) because of an application of spiked sewage sludge in calcareous soils. A total of 20 leaching columns were set up for four calcareous soils. Each column was leached with one of these inflows: sewage sludge (only for two soils), spiked sewage sludge, or artificial well water (control). The columns were irrigated with spiked sewage sludge containing 8.5 mg Zn l^?1, 8.5 mg Cd l^?1, and 170 mg Pb l^?1 and then allowed to equilibrate for 30 days. At the end of leaching experiments, soil samples from each column were divided into 18 layers, each being 1 cm down to 6 cm and 2 cm below that, and analyzed for total and extractable Zn, Cd and Pb. The fractionation of the heavy metals in the top three layers of the surface soil samples was investigated by the sequential extraction method. Spiked sewage sludge had little effect on metal mobility. In all soils, the surface soil layers (0-1 cm) of the columns receiving spiked sewage sludge had significantly higher concentrations of total Zn, Cd and Pb than control soils. Concentration of the heavy metals declined significantly with depth. The mobility of Zn was usually greater than Cd and Pb. The proportion of exchangeable heavy metals in soils receiving spiked sewage sludge was significantly higher than that found in the control columns. Sequential extraction results showed that in native soils the major proportion of Zn and Pb was associated with residual (RES) and organic matter (OM) fractions and major proportion of Cd was associated with carbonate (CARB) fraction, whereas after leaching with spiked sewage sludge, the major proportion of Zn and Pb was associated with Fe-oxcide (FEO), RES, and CARB fractions and major proportion of Cd was associated with CARB, RES and exchangeable (EXCH) fractions. Based on relative percent, Cd in the EXCH fraction was higher than Zn and Pb in soils leached with spiked sewage sludge.     

Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Potatoes Grown on Calcareous Soils of the Hamedan,Western Iran

This study was conducted to investigate heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils and their transfer in a soil-potato system. A total of 59 pairs of potato and soil samples, representing different locations were collected from Hamedan, western Iran and subjected to heavy metals analysis. Average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 1.2, 13.1, 161.4, 13.2, 3.2, 19.5, and 41.5 mg kg^?1 dry weight in potato tubers, respectively. A sequence of decreasing plant transfer factors values: Cd > Pb > Cu > Zn > Ni ≥ Mn > Fe was obtained. Furthermore, the health risk index (HRI) values were within the safe limit (<1) except for Cd and Pb. HRI values for Cd and Pb were higher than 1, indicating potential health risk, especially for children. The results indicated that daily intakes of Cd and Pb in potato in the study area may present a future hazard.     

Effects of Ca- and Fe-rich Seepage on P Availability and Plant Performance in Calcareous Dune Soils

Ca- and Fe-rich seepage in wet dune slacks often sustains oligotrophic, species rich vegetation as a result of reduced P availability. While this effect has been attributed to pH buffering, we tested whether Ca- and Fe-rich seepage also immobilised P in calcareous soils with a strong pH buffer. Two oligotrophic species (Carex flacca and Schoenus nigricans) and two eutrophic species (Calamagrostis epigejos and Molinia caerulea) were planted in experimental sods. After 4 months supply with water of seepage or infiltration quality, with or without the addition of P, soil P fractions and a number of plant physiological responses were measured. A field validation was performed in a flow-through lake in calcareous dunes where the seepage flow had been restored recently. The readily available water soluble P fraction (Pw) was reduced by more than 80% by seepage, both in the greenhouse experiment and in the field, but the P Olsen-inorganic fraction was unaffected. All four test species had elevated N: P ratios in aboveground tissues when treated with seepage, indicating that seepage water had indeed reduced P availability to plants. Formation of dauciform roots by Carex flacca was diminished by P addition to less than 25% of treatments without P addition, indicating sensitivity to P availability, while seepage on average halved production of these root structures. Dauciform root formation by Schoenus nigricans was unaffected by the P addition and the hydrological treatment. Biomass of the test species in the experiment as well as vegetation biomass and relative abundance of oligotrophic species in the field were unrelated to seepage patterns, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms enabled the plants to sustain biomass production within the time frame of this experiment. In conclusion, Ca- and Fe-rich seepage can lower P availability in soils with a strong pH buffer. In the long term, this may create favourable conditions for species that have low P requirements or efficient P uptake. In the short term, however, existing vegetation seems to be resilient to changes in P supply.     

Effect of Sodium and Magnesium on Kinetics of Phosphorus Release in Some Calcareous Soils of Western Iran

Knowledge of the rate of release of phosphorus (P) from soils resulting from poor water quality application is essential for long-term planning of crop production while minimizing the impact on groundwater quality. In this study, we examined the effect of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and Ca:Mg ratio of water on P release of some calcareous soils from western Iran. Nine different solutions at a total electrolyte concentration of 100 mmol_c l^?1 and three levels of SAR (5, 15, 45) each with Ca:Mg ratios of 1:3, 1:1, or 3:1, prepared using solutions of NaCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂, were used to extract P from the soils. The geochemical Visual MINTEQ was used to calculate saturation indices and P species at the initial and end of P release. Significantly different quantities of P were extracted by the solutions. The maximum (average of five soils) (233.6 mg kg^?1) and the minimum (162.9 mg kg^?1) P were extracted by an SAR 45 solution with a Ca:Mg ratio of 1:3 and SAR 15 solution with Ca:Mg ratio of 3:1, respectively. Elovich model adequately described P release. The release rate for SAR 15 with Ca:Mg of 3:1 and SAR 45 with Ca:Mg 1:3 ranges from 16.3 to 31.3 mg kg^?1 h^?1 and from 20.0 to 32.8 mg kg^?1 h^?1, respectively. In the initial stage of P release the solution samples in most soils were saturated with respect to hydroxyapatite, octacalcium phosphate, ß-tricalcium phosphate, and undersaturated with respect to dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, dicalcium phosphate, and mangnesium phosphates. At the end of P release, all solutions were saturated with respect to hydroxyapatite and under saturated with respect to other phosphate minerals. The results imply that P release from soils could be increased during use of saline and sodic irrigation water containing high Mg concentration and that P fertilization management may need modification.     

Characterization of Lead in Soils of a Rifle/Pistol Shooting Range in Central Florida,USA

The distribution of lead in soil samples collected from both surface (0 to 10?cm) and profile (O 0 to 10?cm, E 11 to 30?cm, Eb 31 to 50?cm, Bw 51 to 100?cm, and C 181 to 200?cm) at a 14-year-old rifle/pistol shooting range located in central Florida were determined using EPA Method 3051a (microwave, HNO₃/HCl=3:1, v/v). In addition to total lead analysis, Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis was performed on corresponding samples to determine whether the soils would require special handling as hazardous waste if the soils were to be removed from the range. Total lead in surface soils varied from 330 to 17 850?mg Pb kg^?1, with the greatest concentration in the middle of the backstop berm. The TCLP tests indicated that lead in all surface soils exceeded the 5?mg Pb L^?1 critical level of federal regulation for solid wastes and hazardous wastes provided by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and would be characterized as hazardous waste. Sequential fractionation and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that lead carbonate existed predominantly (91.3%) in the berm soil. The weathering of lead bullets in the soil environments formed primarily as hydrocerussite (Pb₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂), with small amounts of massicot (PbO) and cerussite (PbCO₃). However, the elevated soil pH, caused by the oxidization and transformation process of elemental lead in lead bullets, could be a significant factor in limiting the migration of lead in the soil.     

不同类型森林石灰土的团聚体组成及其有机碳分布特征

选取中国西南喀斯特石灰土人工林、次生林、原生林3个主要森林类型的6个代表性群落,建立18个20m×20m的样方,按梅花型5点法采集各样方的原状土壤,基于团聚体的干湿筛2种分组方法,研究不同类型森林石灰土机械性、水稳性团聚体组成及全土、各粒级团聚体的有机碳分布特征。结果显示:(1)3类森林石灰土干湿筛团聚体均以>2mm粒径为主,分别为67.93%～81.24%和30.49%～76.81%,1～10mm粒径的干湿筛优势团聚体分别高达78.18%～88.67%和43.41%～84.00%。(2)团聚体的整体稳定性很好,干湿筛平均重量直径(MWD)为4.82～5.77和0.75～2.13,平均几何直径(GMD)为2.87～4.17和1.45～2.85;>0.25mm和>2mm粒径的团聚体破坏率(PAD)分别仅为6.15～20.91和2.04～52.79。(3)石灰土的有机碳含量很高,全土和干、湿筛团聚体的有机碳含量分别为17.28～58.85、19.12～91.47、17.16～78.86g/kg,其中干筛以<2mm粒径团聚体的有机碳含量较高,湿筛反之,但干湿筛均以>2mm粒径团聚体的有机碳贮量最高。研究表明,中国西南喀斯特石灰土林区土壤沿人工林、次生林、原生林土壤扰动递减梯度,石灰土的团聚化作用越来越强,稳定性越来越好,有机碳含量也越来越丰富。     

Biological Responses in the Earthworm Eisenia fetida Exposed to Soils near a Typical Lead Acid Battery Plant

There are increasing concerns over the environmental implications involved in battery plant due to the elevated metal concentrations in the surrounding soils. Earthworms are regarded as a model organism for evaluation of terrestrial environmental pollution. The biochemical responses in the earthworms, Eisenia fetida, exposed to polluted soils were investigated. Soil samples at 0, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 m from a battery plant were collected and used to assess the relationship between sampling distance and biochemical responses in E. fetida. Biochemical alterations were carried out on 1, 3, 7 and 14 d of exposure. The metallothionein (MT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD)) were measured. The results demonstrated that concentrations of heavy metals, especially Pb, decreased sharply with increase in distance, which may be due to the leaching and accumulation of Pb in soil during production processes. The concentrations of MT and MDA increased with exposure (dosage and time), indicating that E. fetida presented dose and time dependence after heavy metal exposure. The activities of SOD and CAT increased after heavy metal induction, while the activity of POD was lower than that of the control group. The SOD, CAT and POD present a cooperative effect for the protection of lipids and enzymes due to the pollution. The soils around the battery plant were polluted with metals giving rise to adverse biological effects.     

Comparison of Pesticide Sorption by Physicochemically Modified Soils with Natural Soils as a Function of Soil Properties and Pesticide Hydrophobicity

The objectives of this paper were to determine the efficiency of physicochemically modified soils with a surfactant in the sorption of pesticides, the stability against washing of the pesticides sorbed, and the effective sorption capacity of surfactant adsorbed by soils as a function of pesticide hydrophobicity and soil characteristics. Five soils of different characteristics and five pesticides (penconazole, linuron, alachlor, atrazine and metalaxyl) with different Kow values were selected and octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (ODTMA) was chosen as model of cationic surfactants. Sorption-desorption isotherms were obtained and constants Kf and Kfd for natural soils (from Freundlich equation) and K and Kd for ODTMA-soils (from linear equation) were determined. Sorption on ODTMA-soils was higher than on natural soils. K increased 27–165 times for penconazole, 22–77 times for linuron, 7–14 times for alachlor, 9–23 times for atrazine, and 21–333 times for metalaxyl in relation to Kf. Sorption coefficients normalized to 100% of total organic matter (TOM) from organo soils K_OM (K 100/%TOM), were always higher than those from natural soils Kf_OM (Kf 100/%OM), indicating that the organic matter (OM) derived from the ODTMA (OM_ODTMA) had a greater sorption capacity than the OM of the natural soil. K_OM values were also higher than the Kow (octanol/water distribution coefficient) value for each pesticide. The similarity of the high K_OM values for the sorption of each pesticide by the five soils and the linearity of isotherms point to a partitioning of the pesticides between surfactant and water. The use in this work of different soils and various pesticides, unusual in this type of investigation, allowed us to obtain equations to know the sorbed amount of a given pesticide by the surfactant-modified soils as a function of the OM content derived from the cation and the Kow of the pesticide. The results obtained are of interest when it becomes necessary to increase the sorption capacity of soils with low OM contents with a view to delaying pesticide mobility in soils from pollution point sources (high concentration in small area), and preventing the pollution of waters.     

Survival of Sclerotium cepivorum Sclerotia and Fusarium oxysporum Chlamydospores in Soil Amended with Cruciferous Residues

The use of cruciferous plant residues to reduce the amount of sclerotia of Sclerotium cepivorum and chlamydospores of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in soil was investigated. Air‐dried and crushed mustard (Brassica juncea) added to the soil effectively reduced the viability of fungal propagules. Consequently, the reduction of white rot of onion, caused by S. cepivorum and wild of tomato caused by F. oxysporum was observed. The addition of rapeseed (Brassica. napus cv. Bolko and B. napus cv. Gorczanski) residues to soil also resulted in a significant decrease of number of S. cepivorum sclerotia but the effect on F. oxysporum chlamydospores was variable. Introduction of the plant material increased the total number of bacteria, spore‐forming bacteria, fluorescent pseudomonads, actinomycetes, and fungi in soil. One year after the soil amendment, the amount of sporeforming bacteria in treatments with cruciferous residues was higher as compared to the control soil without plant residues. The possible contribution of the decomposition of plant residues and soil micro‐organisms to the reduction of the pathogens population is discussed.     

Speciation and Vertical Distribution of Lead and Lead Shot in Soil at a Recreational Firing Range

In this study, the speciation, vertical distribution and soil particle size fractions of lead in soil samples at a recreational firing range was determined. This study was performed to gain a better understanding of how lead shot breaks down at ranges. Both the chemical form of lead and the types of soil particles with which lead is associated are important for understanding not only the mobility and persistence, but also the human and ecological impact of lead at these ranges. Lead as shot gun pellets was found to be the dominant form of lead in soil samples. The highest levels were measured in surface samples located in the “fall zone” of the range. Results indicate shot to be relatively absent below surficial samples. Lead concentrations in soil decreased markedly across a 0–6″ depth profile. Lead carbonates were the dominant non-shot form of lead present at all depths. Water-soluble lead species made up a minor fraction of the non-shot lead present in the samples. Based on soil particle sizes measured, highest concentrations of lead were measured in soil particles passing a 0.075 mm sieve.     

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a Potential Antidote for Cadmium and Lead Intoxication: Cadmium and Lead Distribution and Analysis in Different Mice Organs

Analysis and distribution of Pb and Cd in different mice organs including liver, kidney, spleen, heart and blood were evaluated after treatment with different aqueous concentrations of garlic (12.5–100 mg/l). Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used for analysis of Pb and Cd in these organs. Treatment of Cd–Pb exposed mice with garlic (12.5–100 mg/l) reduced Pb concentrations by 44.65, 42.61, 38.4, 47.56, and 66.62% in liver, kidney, heart, spleen and blood respectively. Moreover, garlic reduced Cd levels by 72.5, 87.7, 92.6, 95.6, and 71.7% in liver, kidney, heart, spleen and blood respectively. The suppressed immune responses in mice pretreated with Cd–Pb mixture were reversed by 48.85, 55.82, 81.4 and 90.7 in the presence of 100, 50, 25, and 12.5 mg/ml of garlic extract.     

Lipase Production and Activity as a Function of Incubation Time, pH and Temperature of Four Lipolytic Micro-organisms

S ummary . The lipolytic activity in supernatant fractions of cultures of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica, Micrococcus caseolyticus, Bacillus licheniformis , and a Staphylococcus sp. was studied. Nutrient broth with and without emulsified olive oil was used as substrate. Optimal pH values and temperatures for the lipase produced by the 4 different micro-organisms were determined. The lipolytic activity generally reached a maximum after incubation for 2–6 days. The subsequent decrease in the lipolytic activity was associated with a high proteolytic activity only for Micrococcus caseolyticus . The lipolytic activity was decreased by the presence of olive oil in the medium. Determination of the lipolytic activity after a certain time of incubation, the maximal lipolytic activity and a time-integrated lipolytic activity are compared as estimators for the potential hydrolytic capacity of micro-organisms.     

The Effect of Traffic Density on Lead Contents in Roadside Soils: An Analysis of Published Data

Data from eight published studies were combined to show that the influence of traffic density on Pb contents in roadside soils increases with proximity to the road.