The distribution and bioavailability of Cd and Zn in cultivated soil of Henan Province

Abstract

Concentrations of surface soil Zn and Cd from agricultural areas of the Henan Province were measured. About 234 soil samples were collected. Total metal analyses, sequential chemical fractionation which were divided into seven fractions according to the method of the Geological Survey Technical Standard (DD2005-03) set by the China Geological Survey were carried out on the samples. Total Cd and Zn concentrations of the topsoil were 0.1909 (0.1–0.549) and 63.07 (33.3–344.3) mg kg^?1 respectively. Compared with the values permitted in China’s control standards for soil (GB 15618–1995) and background value in Henan Province, the soil samples showed high levels of Cd. The soil organic carbon has a significantly positive correlation with Cd and Zn concentration in the soil. Significant positive correlation between pH and Cd, Zn concentration was observed. On average, the order of Cd in each fraction was exchangeable, (27.3%)>weakly bound to organic matter; (22.7%)>strongly bound to organic matter; (16.4%)>residual; (15.1%)>carbonate; (12.1%)>Fe/Mn oxide bound; (4.5%)>water soluble; (2.0%), Zn was residual; (66.3%)>Fe/Mn oxide bound; (10.9%)> weakly bound to organic matter; (9.4%)> exchangeable; (6.0%)> strongly bound to organic matter; (3.9%)> carbonate (2.9%)> water soluble (0.6%). The accuracy of the sequential extraction was judged by the relative error (RE). RE for Cd ranged from 0 to 45% with a mean of 16.3%. RE for Zn ranged from 0.1 to 11.4% with a mean of 3.4%. On average, bioavailability index (BI) for Cd and Zn was 39.1% and 9.0% respectively. The mobility of the elements in the order Cd> Zn corresponds with the plant-availability of individual elements. Comparisons between activities of Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ calculated by Sauve semi-mechanistic equations and that of the water soluble fractions were demonstrated. The activities of Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ calculated by the semi-empirical equation are lower than its water soluble fraction.     

Effect of Organic Residues and Liming Materials on Metal Extraction from a Mining-Contaminated Soil

Incubation tests were used to assess the effectiveness of three different organic residues and three different liming materials, alone or in combination, in the remediation of a mine contaminated soil. The organic residues tested were sewage sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (SS), compost from the organic fraction of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSWC), and garden waste compost (GWC), applied at 100 and 200 Mg ha^{? 1}. The liming materials tested were agriculture limestone (6.4 Mg ha^{? 1}), calcium oxide (3.7 Mg ha^{? 1}), and sugar beet sludge (12.2 Mg ha^{? 1}) from the sugar manufacturing process. The soil and mixtures of soil and amendments were adjusted to 70% of the maximum water holding capacity and incubated for 28 days in a controlled-temperature room at 20°C ± 1°C. At the end of the incubation, samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, CaCl₂-extractable, and' NH4Ac/HAc+ EDTA–extractable metal fractions (Cu, Zn, and Pb). Correlations among the variables and/or similarities among the treatments were identified by principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. The amendments tested decreased the CaCl₂-extractable Cu and Zn fractions, considered as mobile metal fractions, to below analytical detectable limits, providing organic matter to the soil with levels between 1% and 2% at the end of the experiment, significantly different relatively to the original soil. pH and electrical conductivity reached high values when using 200 Mg ha^{? 1} SS or 200 Mg ha^{? 1} MSWC, with any of the liming materials tested, making these application rates excessive for this particular situation. Furthermore, the treatments using MSWC increased the NH4Ac/HAc+ EDTA–extractable Cu, Pb, and Zn fractions, considered as mobilizable metal fractions, as did the 200 Mg ha^{? 1} SS for Pb and Zn. Considering the overall results, the compost made from garden waste decreased metal solubility in the soil and increased soil pH and organic matter content, without the addition of large amounts of soluble salts, and without increasing the mobilizable metal content. Of the organic materials tested, this was the only one that can be considered adequate for remediation of the contaminated soil under study, at the application rates tested.     

Concentrations and chemical forms of heavy metals in agricultural soil near the world’s largest and oldest tungsten mine located in China

Abstract

Tungsten (W) mining has taken place in Ganzhou in China for about 100 years. Such long-term W mining may release large amount of metals to soils and waters around these mines. Twenty soil samples were taken from the area around the W mines and 10 soil samples from an area much farther away. These soil samples were analysed for physicochemical properties, heavy metal content and their chemical forms. Results show that long-term W mining significantly increased both total and labile contents of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, but did not, or only slightly, increased the total content of Co, Cr and Ni in the soil near the mine. Average enrichment factor (EF) in the agricultural soils was 4.0, 2.4, 2.2, and 2.0 for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively. The labile fraction was dominated by the carbonate-bound fraction for Cd (54.5%) and organic matter-bound fraction for Cu (37.9%), while the major labile fractions for Pb and Zn were associated with carbonates (30.2% and 6.4%), oxides (17.9% and 10.6%) and organic matter (9.2% and 18.8%). Consequently, there is a need to be cautious about Cd in the soils contaminated by W mining.     

Manure Application and Cannabis Cultivation Influence on Speciation of Lead and Cadmium by Selective Sequential Extraction

The contamination of agricultural soils by heavy metals is a worldwide problem. Degradation of organic matter (OM) from organic amendments used in the remediation of metal-contaminated soils leads to changes in soil chemical properties shortly after their addition, which may affect the soil metal distribution. The effects of four differing organic amendments on chemical forms of Pb and Cd in a contaminated soil were investigated in a pot experiment of control unamended soil and soils amended with dry cow and poultry manures (20 g CM or PM kg^?1 soil), and cow and poultry manure extracts (2 g CME or PME kg^?1 soil) cultured with cannabis sativa. After eight weeks, a sequential extraction scheme was used to fractionate soil Pb and Cd into soluble-exchangeable (Sol-Exch), organic matter associated (AOM), and carbonates associated (ACar) forms. The addition of animal manures and their extracts increased the DTPA-extractable Pb and Cd in soil significantly. Soil Pb and Cd in Sol-Exch fraction were increased by manure applications. Both Pb and Cd in AOM fraction were increased by application of manures and their extracts. This increase was more obvious for Pb in application of cow and poultry manure extracts. The ACar chemical forms of Pb and Cd were also increased by application of manures and their extracts. The increases of Pb and Cd in Acar fraction was noticeable in soils treated with cow manure. Soil cultivation with cannabis sativa increased available, Sol-Exch, and AOM chemical forms of Pb in soil significantly compared to control soil. However, soil Pb and Cd in ACar fraction were decreased significantly by cannabis cultivation. The effect of cannabis cultivation on all of the Cd chemical forms (except on Sol-Exch) was similar to the results of Pb chemical forms. Plant cultivation had no significant effect on Cd in Sol-Exch chemical form.     

Fate and Mobility of Copper in Soil of Cocoa Plantations in Two Southwestern States of Nigeria Treated with Copper-Based Fungicides

Soils from cocoa plantations treated with Boudreaux mixture in two southwestern states of Nigeria were collected at different depths, 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm, and subjected to five-stage sequential extraction to obtain the speciation forms of copper: exchangeable, carbonate, manganese and iron oxides, organic and residual fractions. The Cu content in the extracts from the sequential extraction was read with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The total Cu content of the soil and the physicochemical parameters of the soils were also determined. The results from the study showed that the soils had high organic matter and copper is mostly bounded to the more mobile exogenic phase much more than the stable lithogenic phase, indicating higher mobility. Within the exogenic species, carbonate fraction was the highest followed by the organic bound and the exchangeable fraction in decreasing order. Cu was not detected in the Fe/Mn bound fraction. The implication is that the fate of the administered Cu-based pesticide is more in the relatively stable carbonate bound species than the other, more mobile phase. The results showed variation in the distribution of the copper species from one depth to another. The most transported metal from the surface to the lower layer is the exchangeable fraction. The carbonate bound species is less mobile and is not readily transported into the bottom soil layer. The organic bound Cu has nearly equal distribution between the top and bottom soils and there was little or no transport of the residual metal specie from the top to the bottom. The existence of copper in the soil largely in the anthropogenic (exogenous) phase is not the most desirable for the ecosystem. This may increase the availability of Cu in the cocoa plant and bean and may lead to potential exposure risk.     

Complexation of a Ligand with a Surfactant Micelle for Soil Heavy Metal Desorption

The ligands iodide (I^?) and thiocyanate (SCN^?), alone or in admixture, in combination with a non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100, were evaluated as washing agents for heavy metal desorption from a contaminated soil. After seven successive washings, selective sequential extraction (SSE) was performed to determine the heavy metal content that remained associated with each geo-chemical fraction of the soil. The surfactant with 0.336 mol L^?1 of ligand I^? removed 75% Cd and 23% Cu, whereas the mobilization of Zn and Pb were not significant after 7 washings. At a concentration of 0.286 mol L^?1, the ligand SCN^? in the presence of surfactant removed 36% Cd, 44% Cu and 77% Zn. Among the washing agents, the combination of I^? and SCN^? produced the highest desorption efficiencies 95% Cd, 48% Cu, and 3.1% Pb, but not for Zn. The SCN^? ligand extracted the most Zn (77%). The SSE procedure indicated that the I^? removed metals from the exchangeable, carbonate and oxide fractions whereas SCN^? removed metals only from the exchangeable fraction. Both ligands, in the presence of surfactant, removed Cu from all fractions except the exchangeable sites, whereas only SCN^? plus surfactant removed Zn from all fractions. The ligand mixture plus surfactant mobilized only limited quantities of Pb from the oxide and residual fractions.     

Quantitative speciation of heavy metals in soil and crops of agricultural fields of Islamabad,Pakistan

Abstract

Two root crops: carrot (Daucus carota) and spring onion (Allium fistulosum) and soil samples were selected from the agricultural fields located near Islamabad, Pakistan to determine their elemental content. Field soil speciation of the two crops was also carried out to analyse the correlation of the elements in field crop and soil. Concentrations of selected elements were evaluated in the leaf, stem, root and flowering part of the crops using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that elements are mostly concentrated in soil rather than crop parts following the sequence Zn>Cu>Pb>Ni>Cr>Cd. Furthermore, soil speciation showed that Ni and Cr are more prevalent in the Fe–Mn oxide fraction, Zn and Cd as the carbonate bound fraction and Cu is found in the organic bound form. However, concentrations of Pb are similar across the carbonate, Fe–Mn oxide and organic bound fractions. The highest average concentration of Zn is found as the carbonate bound fraction (2.09 ± 0.005 mg kg^?1) and Cu as the organic bound (1.51 ± 0.029 mg kg^?1) in soil samples taken from the agricultural field of Daucus carota.     

Effect of Soil Chemical and Physical Properties on Sorption and Desorption Behavior of Lead in Different Soils of India

Lead (Pb) is a non-biodegradable contaminant, present in the environment, especially near lead-based industrial sites, agricultural lands, and roadside soils. Bioavailability of Pb in the soil is controlled by the sorption and desorption behavior of Pb, which are further controlled by the soil chemical and physical properties. In this study, sorption and desorption amounts of Pb in soil were compared with soil physical (sand, silt, clay content) and chemical (pH; electrical conductivity, EC; percent organic carbon, (%OC); cation exchange capacity, CEC) properties. Twenty-six surface soils (0–5cm), expected to vary in physical and chemical properties, were collected from different parts of India and were treated with known concentration of Pb solution (40 μg/L). The amount of Pb sorbed and desorbed were measured and correlated with soil properties using simple linear regressions. Sorption was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) and positively correlated with pH, and %OC; desorption was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) negatively correlated with the same two factors. Stepwise multiple regressions were performed for better correlations. Predicted sorption and desorption amounts, based on multiple regression equations, showed reasonably good fit (R² = 0.79 and 0.83, respectively) with observed values. This regression model can be used for estimation of sorption and desorption amounts at contaminated sites.     

Partitioning of Zn,Cd, Pb,and Cu in organic-rich soil profiles in the vicinity of a zinc smelter

Abstract

A five-step sequential extraction procedure was applied to organic-rich soil samples from five soil profiles situated 1–8 km from a zinc smelter. The partitioning of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu into five operationally defined fractions (exchangeable, “carbonate’’-bound, reducible, oxidizable, and residual) was studied at different soil depths down to 35cm. In the surface soil (0–1 cm) a major part of Pb and Cu was extracted in the oxidizable fraction, whereas for Zn and Cd slightly more was extracted in the ‘‘carbonate”-fraction than in the other four fractions. Extracted metal proportions in the oxidizable fraction were respectively of the order of 30%, 20%, 50%, and 80% for Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in the surface soil for all sites, but these proportions decreased with soil depth. In the surface soil less than 20% of all the elements were extracted in the residual fraction, but the proportions associated with this fraction generally increased with soil depth. In the C-horizon, differences in extracted proportions of Pb and Cu in the residual fraction were probably due to geochemical factors, whereas for Zn the low extracted proportion at a highly contaminated site (20%) may be due to Zn migration to the C-horizon at this site. For Cd the extracted proportions in the C-horizon were lower than for the other elements, generally below 20%, presumably because Cd is weaker in terms of its adsorption to the soil than the other elements studied. Total concentrations of the metals decreased strongly with increasing distance from the smelter, but less systematic differences were observed for their distributions among fractions. Potentially bioavailable metal proportions (exchangeable + “carbonate”-bound fraction) in the surface soil were about 50%, 60%, 20%, and 10% for Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu, respectively. In C-horizon soil the mobility sequence Cd>Zn>Pb = Cu was generally observed. The present results indicate that the concentrations and chemical fractionation of Zn, Pb, and Cd in these soils represent a considerable risk to natural terrestrial food chains.     

Leaching of Zinc,Cadmium, and Lead in a Sandy Soil Due to Application of Poultry Litter

Dissolved organic matter in poultry litter could contribute organic ligands to form complexes with heavy metals in soil. The soluble complexes with heavy metals can be transported downward and possibly deteriorate groundwater quality. To better understand metal mobilization by soluble organic ligands in poultry litter, soil columns were employed to investigate the movement of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Uncontaminated soil was amended with Zn, Cd, and Pb at rates of 400, 8, and 200 mg kg ^{? 1} soil, respectively. Glass tubes, 4.9-cm-diameter and 40-cm-long, were packed with either natural or metal-amended soil. The resulting 20-cm-long column of soils had bulk density of about 1.58 g cm ^{? 3} . Columns repacked with natural or amended soil were leached with distilled water, 0.01 M EDTA, 0.01 M CaCl ₂ , or poultry litter extract (PLE) solutions. Low amounts of Zn, Cd, and Pb were leached from natural soil with the solutions. Leaching of Zn, Cd, or Pb was negligible with distilled water. In the metal-amended soil, EDTA solubilized more Zn, Cd, and Pb than CaCl ₂ and PLE. The breakthrough curves of Zn and Pb in the PLE and CaCl ₂ were similar, indicating they have similar ability to displace Zn and Pb from soils. Compared with Zn and Cd the PLE had a small ability to solubilize Pb from metal-amended soil. Thus, the application of poultry litter on metal-contaminated soils might enhance the mobility of Zn and Cd.     

Influence of Matrix Composition on the Bioaccessibility of Copper,Zinc, and Nickel in Urban Residential Dust and Soil

This study examines factors affecting oral bioaccessibility of metals in household dust, in particular metal speciation, organic carbon content, and particle size, with the goal of addressing risk assessment information requirements. Investigation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) speciation in two size fractions of dust (< 36 μ m and 80–150 μ m) using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicates that the two metals are bound to different components of the dust: Cu is predominately associated with the organic phase of the dust, while Zn is predominately associated with the mineral fraction. Total and bioaccessible Cu, nickel (Ni), and Zn were determined (on dry weight basis) in the < 150 μ m size fraction of a set of archived indoor dust samples (n = 63) and corresponding garden soil samples (n = 66) from the City of Ottawa, Canada. The median bioaccessible Cu content is 66 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 5 μ g g^?1 in soil; the median bioaccessible Ni content is 16 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 2 μ g g^?1 in soil; and the median bioaccessible Zn content is 410 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 18 μ g g^?1 in soil. For the same data set, the median total Cu content is 152 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 17 μ g g^?1 in soil; the median total Ni content is 41 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 13 μ g g^?1 in soil; and the median total Zn content is 626 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 84 μ g g^?1 in soil. Organic carbon is elevated in indoor dust (median 28%) compared to soil (median 5%), and is a key factor controlling metal partitioning and therefore bioaccessibility. The results show that house dust and soil have distinct geochemical signatures and should not be treated as identical media in exposure and risk assessments. Separate measurements of the indoor and outdoor environment are essential to improve the accuracy of residential risk assessments.     

Suitable Chemical Properties of Animal Manure Compost to Facilitate Pb Immobilization in Soil

Chemical immobilization using animal manure compost is one of the most useful for low-cost, in-situ soil remediation techniques. The present study aimed to determine suitable chemical properties of animal manure compost to facilitate lead (Pb) immobilization in soil. The level of mobile Pb in soil amended with swine compost was higher than that amended with cattle compost during the early stage of incubation. However, the level of mobile Pb was almost the same in soil amended with both types of compost on day 184 of incubation. The ratio of the residual fraction after sequential extraction was enhanced in soil amended with both types of compost, particularly swine compost. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) results demonstrated the precipitation of Pb phosphate minerals, such as pyromorphite, in Pb-sorbed composts, particularly swine compost. Amendment using swine compost could reduce Pb solubility even when it had a high content of water-soluble organic matter because it significantly lowered Pb phase solubility. The amendment with swine compost improved plant growth and microbial activity. This study suggests that composts with high phosphorus (P) content are suitable for Pb immobilization amendment even if they have a high water-soluble organic matter content.     

Solid-Phase Chemical Fractionation of Selected Trace Metals in Some Northern Kentucky Soils

The fractionation and distribution with depth of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in 26 soils of Northern Kentucky were determined through a sequential extraction procedure in response to environmental concerns about increasing anthropogenic inputs in a fast-paced, urbanizing area. The selected sites have not received any biosolid- or industrial-waste applications. Average total concentrations per metal in soil profiles derived from alluvial, glacial till, and residual materials ranged from 0.43 to 56.00 mg kg^?1 in the sequence Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr > Cu > Cd, suggesting relatively small anthropogenic inputs. The distribution of Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn increased with soil depth, whereas Cd and Pb remained stable, indicating a strong geological or pedogenic influence. Residual forms were most important for the retention of Cu, Zn, and Ni. Cadmium and Pb exhibited a strong affinity for the Fe-Mn oxide fraction, while Cr showed the strongest association with the organic fraction. In terms of metal mobility and toxicity potential inferred from metal concentrations in labile fractions, Cd posed the greatest risk, followed by Cr ～ Pb > Ni > Zn > Cu. Soil pH, OM, and clay content were the most important parameters explaining the partitioning of metals in labile and residual fractions, emphasizing the importance of metal fractionation in soil management decisions. Alluvial soils generally contained the highest total and labile metal concentrations, suggesting potential metal enrichment through anthropogenic additions and depositional processes. These environments exhibit the highest risk for metal mobilization due to drastic changes in redox conditions, which can destabilize existing metal retention pools.     

Sequential extraction and speciation of Ba,Cu, Ni,Pb and Zn in soil contaminated with automotive industry waste

Abstract

Sequential extraction or fractionation of heavy metals in the solid phase and their speciation in soil solution are important tools for assessing changes resulting from land use and/or pollution. The distribution of the various forms of Ba, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was evaluated in soil samples taken from a polluted area, and the speciation of cations and anions in a soil solution contaminated with automotive industry waste. We evaluated the sequential extraction and speciation of Ba, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in a Leptosol associated with a Cambisol and contaminated with automotive industry waste. Soil samples were collected at 0-0.2 m (a mix of soil and waste); 0.2-0.4 m (waste only), and 0.4-0.6 m (soil only) both in the polluted area and in two contiguous unpolluted areas: a sugarcane plantation and a forest fragment. Total concentrations of metals in the polluted area were above limits for intervention established by European Community regulations. Cu was mostly distributed in the residual and in the oxide-bonded fractions, except for the waste-only sample, in which the carbonate-bonded fraction was significant. Zn was concentrated in the residual and carbonate-bonded fractions, while Ba, Ni and Pb predominated in the residual fraction of the contaminated samples. Metals in the soil solution were predominantly in the hydroxyl forms, except for Ba, which was mostly in the ionic form (Ba²⁺).     

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.     

Phytotoxicity and distribution of copper in tropical soil amended with sewage sludge and copper sulfate

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate phytotoxicity and distribution of Cu in a tropical soil amended with sewage sludge (Sw) and copper sulfate (CuSO₄.5H₂O). Samples of a clay soil from the State of Paraná, Brazil were collected at depth of 0–20; 20–40 and 40–60 cm, and brought to the laboratory to be properly accommodated in experimental units (PVC tubes). The Cu treatments were performed by the application of Sw (10 t ha-¹) amended with Cu (SB-T), and by CuSO₄. H₂O (WB-T). Lettuce plants were cultivated in the amended soil in order to predict the toxicity of the Cu. The experiment was conducted for 70 days, and then the lettuce plants and soil samples were collected for analysis. A sequential method was used to separate soil Cu into following fractions: exchangeable, amorphous iron oxide bound, crystalline iron oxide bound, organic matter bound and residual bound. The experimental results showed that Fe, Zn, K, P, Cu and organic matter amounts of the soil increased with the treatment SB-T. The toxic phyto-available Cu content in the soil for the lettuce plants was 80.00 mg kg^-1. A percolation study showed that the Cu contents were larger for the first 20 cm of depth, indicating that the metal was not transported down the soil profile. The Cu content of different fractions declined in an order residual > amorphous iron oxide > crystalline iron oxide > organic matter > exchangeable, regardless of treatment performed. Additionally, the Cu contents added from treatments were determined mainly in amorphous iron oxide fraction.     

The Effect of Compost Treatments and A Plant Cover with Agrostis tenuis on the Immobilization/Mobilization of Trace Elements in a Mine-Contaminated Soil

A semi-field experiment was conducted to evaluate the use of mixed municipal solid waste compost (MMSWC) and green waste-derived compost (GWC) as immobilizing agents in aided-phytostabilization of a highly acidic soil contaminated with trace elements, with and without a plant cover of Agrostis tenuis. The compost application ratio was 50 Mg ha^–1, and GWC amended soil was additionally limed and supplemented with mineral fertilizers.Both treatments had an equivalent capacity to raise soil organic matter and pH, without a significant increase in soil salinity and in pseudo-total As, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations, allowing the establishment of a plant cover. Effective bioavailable Cu and Zn decreased as a consequence of both compost treatments, while effective bioavailable As increased by more than twice but remained as a small fraction of its pseudo-total content. Amended soil had higher soil enzymatic activities, especially in the presence of plants.Accumulation factors for As, Cu, Pb, and Zn by A. tenuis were low, and their concentrations in the plant were lower than the maximum tolerable levels for cattle. As a consequence, the use of A. tenuis can be recommended for assisted phytostabilization of this type of mine soil, in combination with one of the compost treatments evaluated.     

Vertical and Horizontal Distributions of Zn,Cd, Pb,Cu, and Hg in Uncultivated Soil in the Vicinity of a Zinc Smelter at Odda,Norway

In the present work the extent and variation of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Hg loading in undisturbed surface soil (0–5 cm) and the vertical transport of the metals in soil profiles are studied in the vicinity of a zinc smelter in Norway. Three major controlling factors on the metal concentrations in soil have been assessed: 1) distance from the anthropogenic point source; 2) organic matter content (O.M.); and 3) the prevailing wind directions. Moreover metal distributions in proximal soil profiles in 1972 and 2003 are compared. Current concentrations of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Hg in surface soil reach 14000, 60, 980, 430, and 7.0 mg·kg ^{? 1} , respectively, near the smelter and decrease regularly with distance in the northerly direction according to the regression model (y = ax^{? b} ). The Zn concentrations are significantly different from the background range up to 30 km from the smelter, whereas the other metals approach background at only 10 km distance. Subsurface concentration peaks of Pb, Cu, and Hg are found at greater depth in soil profiles than peaks of Zn and Cd. Levels of Zn, Cd, and Pb in surface soil seem to have decreased from 1972 to 2003, whereas for Cu the levels appear not to be significantly different.     

基于多光谱遥感影像的表层土壤有机质空间格局反演

利用多光谱LandSat TM遥感影像反演辽宁省阜新镇表层土壤有机质的空间格局,筛选出与土壤有机质分布相关的TM波段,分析并确定表层土壤有机质含量与TM1、TM2、TM3、TM4、TM5、TM6、TM7波段亮度值(digital number,DN)的相关关系,建立了土壤有机质含量的光谱预测模型.结果表明:研究区表层土壤有机质含量与TM4、TM5波段DN值呈极显著的负相关关系(r分别为-0.617和-0.623,P0.001),与TM3、TM5波段DN值之间满足负二次多项式回归关系(R2=0.9134,P0.001);基于TM3、TM5波段DN值的回归模型对研究区表层土壤有机质含量的预测结果可靠(R2=0.9151,P0.001).研究区表层土壤有机质含量10g·kg-1的农田主要分布在山地边缘地带,而平坦地区农田表层土壤有机质含量一般10g·kg-1,部分达到15～20g·kg-1.     

Heavy metals in human hair and teeth

Biological samples were collected simultaneously with environmental quality investigations. Studies of metal levels in biological (hair and teeth) and environmental (soil and air) samples were performed in Zwardoń during 1991/1992. Zwardoń is a small mountain resort village, situated on the border pass of Zwardoń, in the close proximity of the southwestern border of Poland. Heavy metal levels in soil, air, and chemical metals forms in the soil were examined. Pearson’s product correlation in soil (for total concentration of heavy metals and each chemical form) in hair and in teeth was calculated to investigate bioavailability of heavy metals in human organism. We received essential correlations simultaneously between: Pb vs Mn in exchangeable form of metal in soil, in teeth and in soil (total); Cd vs Zn and Mn vs Co in organically bound form in soil and in teeth and soil (total); and Cu vs Zn in all investigated samples (teeth, hair, soil total, and organically bound form in soil); Mn vs Co and Cr vs Mn in residual form in soil, in teeth, and in soil (total) and between Co vs Ni for hair, soil (total), and residual form in soil.