Trace element uptake by Eleocharis equisetina (spike rush) in an abandoned acid mine tailings pond, northeastern Australia: implications for land and water reclamation in tropical regions

This study was conducted to determine the uptake of trace elements by the emergent wetland plant species Eleocharis equisetina at the historic Jumna tin processing plant, tropical Australia. The perennial emergent sedge was found growing in acid waters (pH 2.45) and metal-rich tailings (SnAsCuPbZn). E. equisetina displayed a pronounced acid tolerance and tendency to exclude environmentally significant elements (Al, As, Cd, Ce, Co, Cu, Fe, La, Ni, Pb, Se, Th, U, Y, Zn) from its above-substrate biomass. This study demonstrates that geobotanical and biogeochemical examinations of wetland plants at abandoned mined lands of tropical areas can reveal pioneering, metal-excluding macrophytes. Such aquatic macrophytes are of potential use in the remediation of acid mine waters and sulfidic tailings and the reclamation of disturbed acid sulfate soils in subtropical and tropical regions.     

Hydraulic characterisation of the Stuttgart formation at the pilot test site for CO2 storage, Ketzin, Germany

The paper presents an approach for the interpretation of hydraulic tests of a CO₂ storage reservoir. The sandstone reservoir is characterised by a fluviatile channel structure embedded in a low-permeability matrix. Pumping tests were carried out in three wells, with simultaneous pressure monitoring in each well.The hydraulic parameters (permeability and storativity) and the boundary configurations were calibrated using three different approaches: (i) parameter calibration and type curve interpretation for single-hole tests, (ii) calibration of the entire build-up phase for cross-hole tests, and (iii) calibration of the initial pressure response for cross-hole pumping tests. In addition, the arrival time of the pressure response was determined and provides additional information about the pathways of hydraulic connection.The measured pumping test permeabilities of the formation were much lower than those measured on the cores, which is very unusual. The pumping test permeabilities are mainly between 50 mD and 100 mD (millidarcy), while core samples show a mean aquifer permeability of 500–1100 mD. Based on this it was concluded that some kind of continuous low-permeability structure exists, which was supported by core material. Three possible aquifer configurations were considered. The first and second were derived from traditional pumping test analysis and were conceptualised using flow boundaries. Each of the analyses provides a different result. A method was developed in which these differences were resolved by interpreting the pressure response with respect to its spatial and temporal sensitivity. This solution lead to a third configuration which was mainly based on spatially-variable permeabilities. Taking into account the pumping test results, the geological background and the behaviour of injected CO₂, we consider only the third configuration to be realistic. The results are in good agreement with modelled CO₂ arrival times and pressure history.     

Occurrence, behavior and effects of nanoparticles in the environment

The increasing use of engineered nanoparticles (NP) in industrial and household applications will very likely lead to the release of such materials into the environment. Assessing the risks of these NP in the environment requires an understanding of their mobility, reactivity, ecotoxicity and persistency. This review presents an overview of the classes of NP relevant to the environment and summarizes their formation, emission, occurrence and fate in the environment. The engineered NP are thereby compared to natural products such as soot and organic colloids. To date only few quantitative analytical techniques for measuring NP in natural systems are available, which results in a serious lack of information about their occurrence in the environment. Results from ecotoxicological studies show that certain NP have effects on organisms under environmental conditions, though mostly at elevated concentrations. The next step towards an assessment of the risks of NP in the environment should therefore be to estimate the exposure to the different NP. It is also important to notice that most NP in technical applications are functionalized and therefore studies using pristine NP may not be relevant for assessing the behavior of the NP actually used.     

Erprobung und Erfolgskontrolle eines Phytoremediations-verfahrens zur Sanierung Sprengstoff-kontaminierter Böden

Results of a field experiment (please refer to Warrelmann et al. 2000a) document TNT-degradation and regeneration after the establishment of a phytoremediation. Various approaches are included in a complex monitoring system, which are conducted in the field (nitroaromatics in soil, seepage water, and plants; soil fauna; soil fungi; decomposition) as well as in the lab (a battery of 6 biotests). The data document a high heterogeneity of the TNT-contamination, a rapid initial decrease and a mediocre displacement of nitroaromatics in plants and seepage water. The initial rapid transformation of TNT to aminodinitrotoluenes ceases significantly after 3 months. Results of the biotest battery allow a sophisticated assessment of soil toxicity; the results from the soil ecological field investigations make the long-term effects of TNT-contamination likely. In a third part of the series of articles, a synopsis and judgement of the project will be delivered.     

Environmental risks of farmed and barren alkaline coal ash landfills in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The disposal of coal combustion residues (CCR) has led to a significant consumption of land in the West Balkan region. In Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) we studied previously soil-covered (farmed) and barren CCR landfills including management practises, field ageing of CCR and the transfer of trace elements into crops, wild plants and wastewaters. Soil tillage resulted in mixing of cover soil with CCR. Medicago sativa showed very low Cu:Mo ratios (1.25) which may cause hypocuprosis in ruminants. Total loads of inorganic pollutants in the CCR transport water, but not pH ( approximately 12), were below regulatory limits of most EU countries. Arsenic concentrations in CCR transport water were <2microgl(-1) whereas reductive conditions in an abandoned landfill significantly enhanced concentrations in leachates (44microgl(-1)). The opposite pattern was found for Cr likely due to large initial leaching of CrVI. Public use of landfills, including farming, should be based on a prior risk assessment due to the heterogeneity of CCR.     

Towards an experimental analysis of molecular self-organization and precellular Darwinian evolution

An experimental system is described, which opens up a novel pathway towards a molecular understanding of the origin of life. The systemic conditions for the evolution of biological macromolecules are investigated in detail.     

Abfallwirtschaft: Neue Sichtweisen und Techniken

In den letzten Jahren werden in vielen Ländern eher die Abfallkomponenten als vielmehr die Stoffmischungen betrachtet. Das gesetzliche Rahmenwerk des Stoffstrommanagement kann dazu beitragen, die Probleme auf wissenschaftlicher Grundlage zu lösen. Der Einfluss der neuen Gesetzgebung in Deutschland und Europa auf das Stoffstrommanagement sowie auf die Entwicklung neuer Techniken bei Abfallentsorgung und-recycling wird in diesem Beitrag untersucht. Neue Prinzipien für das Abfallmanagement werden vom Management der Stoffströme abgeleitet.     

Effects of urbanization on heavy metal accumulation in surface soils, Beijing

Urbanization processes affect the accumulation of heavy metals in urban soils. Effects of urbanization on heavy metal accumulation in soils were studied using Beijing as an example. It has been suggested that the ecological function of vegetation covers shifting from natural to agricultural settings and then to urban greenbelts could increase the zinc(Zn) concentrations of soils successively. The Zn concentration of urban soils was significantly correlated to the percentage of the impervious land surface at the500 m × 500 m spatial scale. For urban parks, the age or years since the development accounted for 80% of the variances of cadmium(Cd) and Zn in soils. The population density,however, did not affect the heavy metal distributions in urban soils. To conclude, the urban age turned out to be a notable factor in quantifying heavy metal accumulation in urban soils.     

Leaching standards for mineral recycling materials--a harmonized regulatory concept for the upcoming German Recycling Decree

In this contribution we give a first general overview of results of recent studies in Germany which focused on contaminant leaching from various materials and reactive solute transport in the unsaturated soil zone to identify the key factors for groundwater risk assessment. Based on these results we developed new and improved existing methods for groundwater risk assessment which are used to derive a new regulatory concept for the upcoming “Decree for the Requirements of the Use of Alternative Mineral Building Materials in Technical Constructions and for the Amendment of the Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance” of the German Federal Ministry of Environment.The new concept aims at a holistic and scientifically sound assessment of the use of mineral recycling materials (e.g., mineral waste, excavated soils, slag and ashes, recycling products, etc.) in technical constructions (e.g., road dams) and permanent applications (e.g., backfilling and landscaping) which is based on a mechanistic understanding of leaching and transport processes. Fundamental for risk assessment are leaching standards for the mineral recycling materials.For each application of mineral recycling materials specific maximum concentrations of a substance in the seepage water at the bottom of an application were calculated. Technical boundary conditions and policy conventions derived from the “German precautionary groundwater and soil protection policy” were accounted to prevent adverse environmental effects on the media soil and groundwater. This includes the concentration decline of highly soluble substances (e.g., chloride and sulphate), retardation or attenuation of solutes, accumulation of contaminants in sub-soils and the hydraulic properties of recycling materials used for specific applications. To decide whether the use of a mineral recycling material is possible in a specific application, the leaching qualities were evaluated based on column percolation tests with various samples and compared with application-specific maximum concentrations.In the upcoming federal decree this simplified concept is realized using detailed tables which classify the leaching quality of mineral recycling materials and demonstrate potential application. A quality assurance system will be mandatory which defines specific testing programs (material properties and limit concentrations to be tested, number and schedule of testing) for the different mineral recycling materials using standardized methods (column percolation test).