城市生活垃圾焚烧处理过程中重金属迁移规律研究

通过采集厦门2个垃圾焚烧发电厂进厂垃圾、渗滤液、飞灰、炉渣和烟气样品，分析垃圾组成成分及各组分的重金属含量，结果表明，垃圾中以厨余、橡塑类和纸类为主，共占到垃圾干基的78．08％，重金属含量大小次序为Zn〉Cu〉Pb〉Cr〉Ni〉Cd〉Hg；垃圾渗滤液中除Zn外，其他金属的含量都较低，一厂渗滤液中重金属Ni、Zn迁移量较大，分别达到24．46％和8．52％。二厂渗滤液中重金属的迁移有相同的趋势，但含量相对较高。垃圾焚烧后其重金属主要分布在飞灰和废渣中，烟气中的含量非常少，不同金属的含量均有差别，这与金属的性质有很大关系；通过浸出毒性分析，飞灰中重金属酸溶态含量多，容易浸出，属于危险废物。同时，不同烟气处理工艺产生的飞灰的重金属浸出量有很大差别。     

垃圾焚烧飞灰中不同粒径的毒性特性

对广州市某垃圾焚烧发电厂的焚烧飞灰进行粒径分级毒性分析研究。主要研究了粒径在35～1 000μm范围内的飞灰的腐蚀性和短期浸出毒性,包括Cr、Cd、Mg、Pb、Mn、Fe、Cu、Zn、Ni、Co等重金属,SO24-,Cl-,NO3--N和NO2--N,同时也研究了飞灰的物质组成和矿物特性。研究结果表明,所有粒径飞灰的浸出液pH值在12.3～12.5之间,属于有腐蚀性的危险废物,重金属Mg、Pb、Zn的浸出浓度最高,分别为168.78、53.94和86.40 mg/L。飞灰浸出液和含量最高分别达到8.87g/L和1.38 g/L,同时浸出液中测出一定量的硝态氮和亚硝态氮,证明飞灰吸附了垃圾焚烧过程中产生的氮氧化物气体。另外,研究得出飞灰的基本组成元素为Ca、Si、Cl、K、Na、S、Al、Mg和Fe,而重金属则以Zn、Pb、Mn、Cu、Cr等为主。矿物相主要为含硅和钙的化合物及NaCl和KCl等氯化物。     

巢湖表层沉积物中重金属的分布特征及其污染评价

以巢湖表层沉积物为研究对象,利用BCR连续提取法研究了沉积物中Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、Cd、Zn、V和Pb等8种重金属元素的分布特征,同时运用潜在风险指数法和地累积指数法综合评价了巢湖沉积物中重金属的生态风险。结果表明,巢湖沉积物中的重金属含量在空间上表现出东西高、中间低的分布特征。巢湖表层沉积物中Cr、Co、Ni、V和Cu 5种重金属都主要以残渣态为主,Zn和Cd主要以弱酸提取态为主,Pb以可还原态为主,同时,Co和Cu 2种元素的可交换态及可还原态含量占有较高比例,具有潜在危害性。相关性分析显示,Cr、Cu、Pb、Ni、Zn和Cd 6种重金属元素的来源和分布可能具有相似性,Co和V 2种重金属元素具有相似的地球化学行为且其主要来源可能与其他几种重金属不同。潜在生态风险指数评价结果表明,巢湖表层沉积物中8种重金属元素构成的生态危害顺序为:Cd>Pb>Co>Cu>Ni>Zn>V>Cr,Cd具有高的生态危害等级,其他7种重金属元素均为低生态危害等级。地累积指数法评价结果表明:巢湖沉积物重金属元素的富集程度为Cd>Zn>Pb>Co>Cu>V>Ni>Cr,Cr属于清洁级别,Co、Cu、V和Ni处于轻度污染水平,Zn和Pb处于偏中度污染,Cd达到了重污染水平。     

水泥对垃圾焚烧飞灰中重金属的固化研究

采用水泥固化法处理垃圾焚烧飞灰,研究了飞灰与水泥质量比、养护时间、添加剂和化学预处理对垃圾焚烧飞灰固化块中重金属Zn、Pb、Cu、Cd、Cr浸出的影响.结果表明,当飞灰与水泥质量比为3:4,养护时间为11d的条件下,以砂浆塑化剂为添加剂,固化块Pb、Cu、Cd和Cr的浸出浓度分别降低了72.4％、70.6％、60.0％...     

金矿污染河流的水体和沉积物中重金属分布特征及生态风险评价

金矿开采导致严重的水体和沉积物重金属污染。采用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP/MS)分析了金矿开采区河道32个采样点的水体和表层沉积物样品,研究了水样的溶解态及颗粒态重金属(As、Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn)组成;通过分步化学提取法研究了各重金属在沉积物中的地球化学形态组成,利用地累积指数法和潜在生态风险指数法评价了河流沉积物中重金属污染状况。结果表明:水体中Cu、Zn、As主要以溶解态存在,Pb、Cr、Cd以颗粒态为主。水体中重金属元素形态分布主要受点源污染排放影响。沉积物中,Cd浓度较低;As、Zn主要以氧化物结合态、有机物结合态和残渣态存在;Pb、Cr、Cu以有机物结合态和残渣态为主。结合地累积指数和潜在生态风险指数分析表明,Cd和Cu为主要的风险元素。     

用通用浸提剂Mehlich 3研究城市污泥重金属生物有效性

采用Mehlich3(M3)通用浸提剂对经稳定化处理的城市污泥中重金属元素Cd、Cr、Pb、Ni、Zn、Cu的有效态进行提取,同时进行了小麦盆栽试验,将M3通用浸提剂浸提所得的重金属元素有效态含量与该元素在小麦幼苗茎叶和根系中的元素的富集量进行相关分析.结果表明,城市污泥中不同元素的有效态含量明显不同.M3提取的有效态Cd、Cr、Cu与幼苗茎叶富集Cd、Cr、Cu极显著相关,但Pb、Ni、Zn的有效态含量与植物茎叶富集量相关性不明显,主要原因可能与元素从植物根系向茎叶迁移能力有关.M3提取的污泥中重金属的有效态含量与小麦幼苗根系富集的重金属元素的含量呈现显著的相关性.因而M3可用于污泥中重金属元素潜在的生物有效性评价.     

黄石市冬/春季大气PM_(10)中重金属形态特征研究

采用三级序列提取程序分离黄石市黄石港区、西塞山区、大冶市、阳新县PM10中的不同形态重金属,并使用电感耦合等离子体质谱对分离后液体中8种重金属(Cu、Cd、Zn、Cr、As、Pb、Ni、Co)的含量进行测定。同时,将传统金属生物有效性系数(k)进行加权,从而以重金属生物有效性综合系数(K)直观表征4个区域空气PM10中重金属对人体健康的危害程度。结果表明:(1)As为黄石市主要重金属污染物,冬季西赛山区As的质量分数为85.5%。(2)黄石港区PM10中冬季Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb和春季Cu、Cr、Pb,西塞山区PM10中冬季Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb、Ni、Co和春季Zn、Cd、Cr、Pb、Ni、Co,大冶市PM10中冬季Cu、Zn、Pb、Ni和春季Cd、As、Pb,阳新县PM10中冬季Zn、Cd、As、Pb和春季Zn、Cd、Pb,其k均大于0.2,对当地居民的健康存在潜在风险或风险。综合评价,阳新县冬季和大冶市春季的大气重金属污染较严重,其K分别为0.544和0.340,对人体健康风险较大。     

飞灰热处理过程中基本特性研究

对不同粒径飞灰中重金属的分布情况进行了研究，并采用高温熔融管式电炉试验装置，对垃圾焚烧飞灰进行了高温热处理研究，探讨了热处理过程中飞灰减重率和重金属挥发率的变化规律，并对飞灰热处理后的收集物进行XRD实验。结果表明，Cd和Pb在小粒径飞灰中含量较高，Zn和Cu的分布与飞灰的粒径分布相似，Cr富集于相对较大粒径的飞灰中。热处理过程中，1 150 ℃和1 350 ℃时飞灰减重率增长快，而在650～1 050 ℃之间减重率增长缓慢，仅从8%增加至17%。飞灰中重金属经热处理后，挥发率依次为Pb＞Cd＞Cu＞Zn。XRD实验结果表明，Pb主要以双金属氯化物（KPb₂Cl₅）形式挥发。     

生活垃圾焚烧飞灰重金属的受热特性

研究了飞灰重金属在不同煅烧温度下的挥发情况及其存在形态.结果表明:重金属挥发能力由强到弱依次为Hg＞Pb＞As、Cd＞Zn＞Cr、Ni、Cu;其中Hg、Pb、As和Cd属易挥发重金属,在1 150 ℃时几乎全部挥发;Zn属较易挥发重金属,1 150 ℃时的挥发率在40%～50%;Cr、Ni和Cu属难挥发重金属,在1 150 ℃的挥发率不超过10%;在400～1 150 ℃,随温度的升高,部分Zn、Hg、Cu、Pb、Cd、Ni和As由可溶态向残渣态、铁锰氧化态转化;在400～900 ℃,随温度的升高Cr可溶态比例减少,而在900～1 150 ℃,随温度的升高其可溶态比例增加.     

滦河干流表层沉积物中营养元素和重金属含量分布特征及其风险评价

选取滦河干流为研究对象,采集表层沉积物并分析其粒径分布、营养元素(N、P、C、S)及重金属(Cd、Ni、Cu、Zn、Cr和Pb)含量分布特征,对重金属采用富集系数法进行源解析,并利用地积累指数法、污染指数法和潜在生态危害指数法进行系统性的生态风险评价。结果表明:沉积物营养元素TN、TP、TC、TS均值为1 047.6、1 427.4、20 060.9和1 564.2 mg·kg~(-1),且分布存在空间差异性;粒径分布特征为粉砂或砂占比重大,黏土占比重小;重金属Cd、Cu、Ni、Zn、Cr和Pb含量均值分别为0.28、40.48、31.48、88.67、16.45和21.5 mg·kg-1,Cd、Cu、Ni、Zn超过河北省土壤背景值;Cd富集系数均值为2.31,其污染主要源是人为输入,其余重金属未见明显富集现象;相关性分析和主成分分析表明Cd与Cr、Cu、Ni、Zn呈显著正相关,Cr与Cu、Ni、Zn呈显著正相关,Pb与Fe、TP呈显著正相关,Cu与Ni、Zn呈显著正相关,Ni与Zn呈显著正相关;基于地累积指数法得Cd为重金属首要污染物;单项生态危害指数均值大小顺序为Cd(94.39)Cu(9.28)Ni(5.11)Pb(2.16)Zn(1.13)Cr(0.48);沉积物风险指数(SPI)相应等级为低风险级别(SPI=2.755),且整体潜在生态风险指数(RI)相应的亦为低生态风险(RI=112.561150)。     

Radionuclides and trace elements in fish collected upstream and downstream of Los Alamos national laboratory and the doses to humans from the consumption of muscle and bone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine radionuclide and trace element concentrations in bottom‐feeding fish (catfish, carp, and suckers) collected from the confluences of some of the major canyons that cross Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) lands with the Rio Grande (RG) and the potential radiological doses from the ingestion of these fish. Samples of muscle and bone (and viscera in some cases) were analyzed for ³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ^totU, ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, and ²⁴¹Am and Ag, As, Ba, Be, Cr, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and Tl. Most radionuclides, with the exception of ⁹⁰Sr, in the muscle plus bone portions of fish collected from LANL canyons/RG were not significantly (p<0.05) higher from fish collected upstream (San Ildefonso/background) of LANL. Strontium‐90 in fish muscle plus bone tissue significantly (p<0.05) increases in concentration starting from Los Alamos Canyon, the most upstream confluence (fish contained 3.4E‐02 pCi g^‐1 [126E‐02 Bq kg^‐1]), to Frijoles Canyon, the most downstream confluence (fish contained 14E‐02 pCi g^‐1 [518E‐02 Bq kg^‐1]). The differences in ⁹⁰Sr concentrations in fish collected downstream and upstream (background) of LANL, however, were very small. Based on the average concentrations (±2SD) of radionuclides in fish tissue from the four LANL confluences, the committed effective dose equivalent from the ingestion of 46 lb (21 kg) (maximum ingestion rate per person per year) of fish muscle plus bone, after the subtraction of background, was 0.1 ± 0.1 mrem y^‐1 (1.0 ± 1.0 μSv y^‐1), and was far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection (all pathway) permissible dose limit of 100 mrem y^‐1 (1000 μSv y^‐1). Of the trace elements that were found above the limits of detection (Ba, Cu, and Hg) in fish muscle collected from the confluences of canyons that cross LANL and the RG, none were in significantly higher (p<0.05) concentrations than in muscle of fish collected from background locations.     

Radionuclides in deer and elk from Los Alamos national laboratory and the doses to humans from the ingestion of muscle and bone

Abstract

This paper summarizes radionuclide concentrations (³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, and ^totU) in muscle and bone tissue of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) collected from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, lands from 1991 through 1998. Also, the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) and the risk of excess cancer fatalities (RECF) to people who ingest muscle and bone from deer and elk collected from LANL lands were estimated. Most radionuclide concentrations in muscle and bone from individual deer (n = 11) and elk (n = 22) collected from LANL lands were either at less than detectable quantities (where the analytical result was smaller than two counting uncertainties) and/or within upper (95%) level background (BG) concentrations. As a group, most radionuclides in muscle and bone of deer and elk from LANL lands were not significantly higher (p<0.10) than in similar tissues from deer (n = 3) and elk (n = 7) collected from BG locations. Also, elk that had been radio collared and tracked for two years and spent an average time of 50% on LANL lands were not significantly different in most radionuclides from road kill elk that have been collected as part of the environmental surveillance program. Overall, the upper (95%) level net CEDEs (the CEDE plus two sigma for each radioisotope minus background) at the most conservative ingestion rate (50 lbs of muscle and 13 lbs of bone) were as follows: deer muscle = 0.22 mrem y^‐1 (2.2 μSv y^‐1), deer bone = 3.8 mrem y^‐1 (38 μSv y^‐1), elk muscle = 0.12 mrem y^‐1 (1.2 μSv y^‐1), and elk bone = 1.7 mrem y^‐1 (17 μSv y^‐1). All CEDEs were far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection guideline of 100 mrem y^‐1 (1000 μSv y^‐1), and the highest muscle plus bone net CEDE corresponded to a RECF of 2E‐06, which is far below the Environmental Protection Agency upper level guideline of 1E‐04.     

Leaching of seven pesticides currently used in cotton crop in Mato Grosso State—Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the leaching of pesticides and the applicability of the Attenuation Factor (AF) Model to predict their leaching. The leaching of carbofuran, carbendazim, diuron, metolachlor, α and β endosulfan and chlorpyrifos was studied in an Oxisol using a field experiment lysimeter located in Dom Aquino – Mato Grosso. The samples of percolated water were collected by rain event and analyzed. Chemical and physical soil attributes were determined before pesticide application to the plots. The results showed that carbofuran was the pesticide that presented a higher leaching rate in the studied soil, so was the one representing the highest contamination potential. From the total carbofuran applied in the soil surface, around 6 % leached below 50 cm. The other pesticides showed lower mobility in the studied soil. The calculated values to AF were 7.06E-12 (carbendazim), 5.08E-03 (carbofuran), 3.12E-17 (diuron), 6.66E-345 (α-endosulfan), 1.47E-162 (β-endosulfan), 1.50E-06 (metolachlor), 3.51E-155 (chlorpyrifos). AF Model was useful to classify the pesticides' potential for contamination; however, that model underestimated pesticide leaching.     

Endosulfan in China 2—emissions and residues

Background, aim, and scope  Endosulfan is one of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and also a candidate to be included in a group of new persistent organic pollutants (UNEP 2007). The first national endosulfan usage inventories in China with 1/4° longitude by 1/6° latitude resolution has been reported in an accompanying paper. In the second part of the paper, we compiled the gridded historical emissions and soil residues of endosulfan in China from the usage inventories. Based on the residue/emission data, gridded concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese soil and air have been calculated. These inventories will provide valuable data for the further study of endosulfan. Methods  Emission and residue of endosulfan were calculated from endosulfan usage by using a simplified gridded pesticide emission and residue model—SGPERM, which is an integrated modeling system combining mathematical model, database management system, and geographic information system. By using the emission and residue inventories, annual air and soil concentrations of endosulfan in each cell were determined. Results and discussion  Historical gridded emission and residue inventories of α- and β-endosulfan in agricultural soil in China with 1/4° longitude by 1/6° latitude resolution have been created. Total emissions were around 10,800 t, with α-endosulfan at 7,400 t and β-endosulfan at 3,400 t from 1994 to 2004. The highest residues were 140 t for α-endosulfan and 390 t for β-endosulfan, and the lowest residues were 0.7 t for α-endosulfan and 170 t for β-endosulfan in 2004 in Chinese agricultural soil where endosulfan was applied. Based on the emission and residue inventories, concentrations of α- and β-endosulfan in Chinese air and agricultural surface soil were also calculated for each grid cell. We have estimated annual averaged air concentrations and the annual minimum and maximum soil concentrations across China. The real concentrations will be different from season to season. Although our model does not consider the transport of the insecticide in the atmosphere, which could be very important in some areas during some special time, the estimated concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese air and soil derived from the endosulfan emission and residue inventories are in general consistent with the published monitoring data. Conclusions  To our knowledge, this work is the first inventory of this kind for endosulfan published on a national scale. Concentrations of the chemical in Chinese air and agricultural surface soil were calculated for each grid cell. Results show that the estimated concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese air and soil agree reasonably well with the monitoring data in general. Recommendations and perspectives  The gridded endosulfan emission/residue inventories and also the air and soil concentration inventories created in this study will be updated upon availability of new information, including usage and monitoring data. The establishment of these inventories for the OCP is important for both scientific communities and policy makers.     

Impact of spiked concentrations of Cd,Pb, As and Zn in growth medium on elemental uptake of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress)

This study is aimed at investigating the impact of water quality on the uptake and distribution of three non-essential and toxic elements, namely, As, Cd and Pb in the watercress plant to assess for metal toxicity. The plant was hydroponically cultivated under greenhouse conditions, with the growth medium being spiked with varying concentrations of As, Cd and Pb. Plants that were harvested weekly for elemental analysis showed physiological and morphological symptoms of toxicity on exposure to high concentrations of Cd and Pb. Plants exposed to high concentrations of As did not survive and the threshold for As uptake in watercress was established at 5 ppm. Translocation factors were low in all cases as the toxic elements accumulated more in the roots of the plant than the edible leaves. The impact of Zn on the uptake of toxic elements was also evaluated and Zn was found to have an antagonistic effect on uptake of both Cd and Pb with no notable effect on uptake of As. The findings indicate that phytotoxicity or death of the watercress plant would prevent it from being a route of human exposure to high concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the environment.     

Butyltin compounds in sediment and fish from the Polish Coast of the Baltic Sea

Concentrations of mono- (MBT), di- (DBT), and tri-(TBT) butyltin compounds were measured in eggs, liver, and muscle of nine species of fish from four regions of the Baltic Sea - the Firth of Vistula, the Gulf of Gdańsk, Puck Bay, and the mouth of the Vistula River. The overall concentration ranges among all the fish sampled from the four sites were: < 7 to 79 ng/g for MBT, 6 to 1100 ng/g for DBT, 7 to 3600 ng/g for TBT, and 16 to 4800 ng/g for total BTs, on a wet wt basis. The highest concentration of total BTs was found in herring liver from the Firth of Vistula (4800 ng/g, wet wt) and in roach muscle from Puck Bay (3300 ng/g, wet wt), while the least concentration was found in burbot eggs and liver from the Vistula River (39 and 32 ng/g, wet wt, respectively). TBT was the major form of BTs present in most samples analyzed. Sediment samples collected from shipyards in the Gulf of Gdańsk contained butyltin concentrations ranging from 1.2 to 46 μg/g (dry wt) for MBT, 2.0 to 42 μg/g for DBT, and 2.6 to 40 μg/g for TBT. As with the fish, the majority of the BTs in sediment were present as TBT, which suggested recent exposure of the aquatic environment of the region to TBT.     

Malathion-induced sublethal toxicity on the hematology of cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis)

The effect of malathion [diethyl(dimethoxythiophosphorylthio)succinate] at sublethal concentration (0.006 ppm) on hematological parameters of the cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) was studied for 24 hrs to 240 hrs of exposure and remarkable hematological alterations were observed. The study on hematological parameters revealed a highly significant decrease (P < 0.01) in the total erythrocytes count in malathion-exposed animals from 24 hours to 96 hrs of exposure as compared to control. Significant decreases (P < 0.01) of hemoglobin and packed cell volume were also observed from 48 hrs to 240 hrs. A significant increase (P < 0.01) in leucocytes count was noted throughout the exposure period. Elevated numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils as found in the present study revealed lymphocytosis as well as eosinophilia, suggesting that this was a result of direct stimulation of the immunological defense due to the presence of a toxic substance or may be associated with tissue damage. The cytomorphological and cytopathological study of erythrocytes and leucocytes in malathion-exposed frogs at 0.006 ppm concentration revealed various cytotoxic effects at different exposure times. It was noted that the size and the shape of the erythrocytes were subjected to variation in different blood disorders.     

Relation between forest vegetation, atmospheric deposition and site conditions at regional and European scales

Several monitoring programs have been set up to assess effects of atmospheric deposition on forest ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate effects on the understorey vegetation, based on the first round of a regional (the Netherlands) and a European forest monitoring program. A multivariate statistical analysis showed surprisingly similar results for both data sets; the vegetation appeared to be largely determined by the ‘traditional’ factors soil, climate, and tree species, but there was a small but statistically significant effect of atmospheric deposition. The effects of deposition include a slight shift towards nitrophytic species at high N deposition in the European network, and towards acidophytic species at high S-deposition in the Dutch network. The relatively small effect of atmospheric deposition is understandable in view of the very large natural variation in environmental conditions. Time series of both vegetation and environment are needed to assess deposition effects in detail.     

Influence of crop residues on trifluralin mineralization in a silty clay loam soil

Trifluralin is typically applied onto crop residues (trash, stubble) at the soil surface, or onto the bare soil surface after the incorporation of crop residues into the soil. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of the type and amount of crop residues in soil on trifluralin mineralization in a Wellwood silty clay loam soil. Leaves and stubble of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) (P); Canola (Brassica napus) (C), Wheat (Triticum aestivum) (W), Oats (Avena sativa), (O), and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) (A) were added to soil microcosms at rates of 2%, 4%, 8% and 16% of the total soil weight (25 g). The type and amount of crop residues in soil had little influence on the trifluralin first-order mineralization rate constant, which ranged from 3.57E-03 day^?1 in soil with 16% A to 2.89E-02 day^?1 in soil with 8% W. The cumulative trifluralin mineralization at 113 days ranged from 1.15% in soil with 16% P to 3.21% in soil with 4% C, again demonstrating that the observed differences across the treatments are not of agronomic or environmental importance.     

Concurrent nitrate and Fe(III) reduction during anaerobic biodegradation of phenols in a sandstone aquifer

The biodegradation of phenols (5, 60, 600 mg l⁻¹) under anaerobic conditions (nitrate enriched and unamended) was studied in laboratory microcosms with sandstone material and groundwater from within an anaerobic ammonium plume in an aquifer. The aqueous phase was sampled and analyzed for phenols and selected redox sensitive parameters on a regular basis. An experiment with sandstone material from specific depth intervals from a vertical profile across the ammonium plume was also conducted. The miniature microcosms used in this experiment were sacrificed for sampling for phenols and selected redox sensitive parameters at the end of the experiment. The sandstone material was characterized with respect to oxidation and reduction potential and Fe(II) and Fe(III) speciation prior to use for all microcosms and at the end of the experiments for selected microcosms.The redox conditions in the anaerobic microcosms were mixed nitrate and Fe(III) reducing. Nitrate and Fe(III) were apparently the dominant electron acceptors at high and low nitrate concentrations, respectively. When biomass growth is taken into account, nitrate and Fe(III) reduction constituted sufficient electron acceptor capacity for the mineralization of the phenols observed to be degraded even at an initial phenols concentration of 60 mg l⁻¹ (high) in an unamended microcosm, whereas nitrate reduction alone is unlikely to have provided sufficient electron acceptor capacity for the observed degradation of the phenols in the unamended microcosm.For microcosm systems, with solid aquifer materials, dissolution of organic substances from the solid material may occur. A quantitative determination of the speciation (mineral types and quantity) of electron acceptors associated with the solids, at levels relevant for degradation of specific organic compounds in aquifers, cannot always be obtained. Hence, complete mass balances of electron acceptor consumption for specific organic compounds degradation are difficult to confine. For aquifer materials with low initial Fe(II) content, Fe(II) determinations on solids and in aqueous phase samples may provide valuable information on Fe(III) reduction. However, in microcosms with natural sediments and where electron acceptors are associated with the sediments, complete mass-balances for substrates and electron acceptors are not likely to be obtained.