Linking biosensor responses to Cd, Cu and Zn partitioning in soils

Soils bind heavy metals according to fundamental physico-chemical parameters. Bioassays, using bacterial biosensors, were performed in pore waters extracted from 19 contrasting soils individually amended with Cd, Cu and Zn concentrations related to the EU Sewage Sludge Directive. The biosensors were responsive to pore waters extracted from Zn amended soils but less so to those of Cu and showed no toxicity to pore water Cd at these environmentally relevant amended concentrations. Across the range of soils, the solid-solution heavy metal partitioning coefficient (K(d)) decreased (p<0.01) with increasing amendments of Cu and Zn; Cu exhibited the highest K(d) values. Gompertz functions of Cu and Zn, K(d) values against luminescence explained the relationship between heavy metals and biosensors. Consequently, biosensors provide a link between biologically defined hazard assessments of metals and standard soil-metal physico-chemical parameters for determining critical metal loadings in soils.     

Effectiveness of self-identified and self-reported environmental regulations for industry: The case of stormwater runoff in the US

US environmental controls for industry include numerous regulations that rely on the regulated community to self-identify, monitor, report, or complete other requirements on their own recognizance. These include state- and federal-issued general permits for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activities, effective in 1992, with known incomplete compliance by 2004. Results demonstrate highly incomplete compliance with variation in effectiveness among studied states and urbanized regions. Texas and Oklahoma, administered by US EPA during the research period, have attained higher compliance rates than California, administered by a state agency, or Florida, also administered by US EPA. Specific program designs and implementation strategies employed by states are evaluated for impacts on states' compliance effectiveness.     

Adsorption and absorption of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites (DDD and DDE) by rice roots

A three-step sequential extraction procedure was applied to measure the concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) on rice root surface and in root tissues collected from two sites in Tianjin. Bulk and rhizosphere soils were also analyzed. The measured DDXs in the rhizosphere soils were significantly higher than those in the bulk soils. On average, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE in the soil accounted for 38%, 47% and 15% of the total. For total DDXs, approximately one third remained on the outer surface of the roots. The partition of DDXs between rhizosphere soil and root surface depend on contaminant affinity to soil organic matter, soil organic matter content and root specific area. A case specific equation was developed to quantitatively describe the partition of DDXs between soil and root surface.     

Physical modeling of the feedbacks between a patch of flexible Reed Canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), wake hydraulics,and downstream deposition

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - Reed Canarygrass (RCG) is an aggressive invader in aquatic ecosystems that swiftly modifies the environment, resulting in biodiversity loss and reduced flood...     

Increasing food production and mitigating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union: impacts of carbon pricing and calorie production targeting

Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - This study focuses on the links between food production and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union. The analysis relies on two sets of...     

The Role of Macrophytes in the Retention of Phosphorus in the River Thame,England

The effects of the growth of the dominant species of macrophytes on phosphorus transport in the River Thame, a nutrient enriched lowland clay catchment in southern England, were assessed using a mass-balance approach. Macrophyte abundance was estimated between late March and early June at three sites along the river. the plant biomass of phosphorus and the total phosphorus content of sediments in the main part of the river channel and sediments associated with the plant roots were measured on each occasion. Total phosphorus concentrations in the river water were measured at weekly intervals at a gauging station at the lower end of the study reach.

The results showed that the phosphorus content of plants at the site most impacted by sewage derived phosphorus was < 1% of the flux of total phosphorus estimated for the water column in April and May. Phosphorus contained in the total standing crop of macrophytes at the least impacted site was estimated as approximately 3% of the mean daily flux of total phosphorus in the water. Although no trends were found in the total phosphorus contents of the roots, shoots or sediments through the season, differences in the phosphorus content of the sediments were found between sites with different phosphorus loading. Higher porewater and Equilibrium Phosphate Concentrations (EPC_oS) were recorded at the site most impacted by sewage effluent when compared to an upstream sampling site.     

Pyrolysis of tyres. Influence of the final temperature of the process on emissions and the calorific value of the products recovered

A study was made of the pyrolysis of tyre particles, with the aim of determining the possibilities of using the products resulting from the process as fuel. Three final temperatures were used, determined from thermogravimetric data. The design of the experiment was a horizontal oven containing a reactor into which particles of the original tyre were placed. After the process, a solid fraction (char) remained in the reactor, while the gases generated went through a set of scrubbers where most of the condensable fraction (oils) was retained. Finally, once free of this fraction, the gases were collected in glass ampoules. Solid and liquids fractions were subjected to thermogravimetric analyses in order to study their combustibility. The gas fraction was analysed by means of gas chromatography to establish the content of CO, CO2, H2 and hydrocarbons present in the samples (mainly components of gases produced in the pyrolysis process). A special study was made of the sulphur and chlorine content of all the fractions, as the presence of these elements could be problematic if the products are used as fuel. Tyre pyrolysis engenders a solid carbon residue that concentrates sulphur and chorine, with a relatively high calorific value, although not so high as that of the original tyre. The liquid fraction produced by the process has a high calorific value, which rises with the final temperature, up to 40 MJ/kg. The chlorine content of this fraction is negligible. Over 95% of the gas fraction, regardless of the final temperature, is composed of hydrocarbons of a low molecular weight and hydrogen, this fraction also appearing to be free of chlorine.     

Ammonia,methane, and nitrous oxide emission from pig slurry applied to a pasture in New Zealand

Much animal manure is being applied to small land areas close to animal confinements, resulting in environmental degradation. This paper reports a study on the emissions of ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from a pasture during a 90-d period after pig slurry application (60 m3 ha-1) to the soil surface. The pig slurry contained 6.1 kg total N m-3, 4.2 kg of total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN = NH3 + NH4) m-3, and 22.1 kg C m-3, and had a pH of 8.14. Ammonia was lost at a fast rate immediately after slurry application (4.7 kg N ha-1 h-1), when the pH and TAN concentration of the surface soil were high, but the loss rate declined quickly thereafter. Total NH3 losses from the treated pasture were 57 kg N ha-1 (22.5% of the TAN applied). Methane emission was highest (39.6 g C ha-1 h-1) immediately after application, as dissolved CH4 was released from the slurry. Emissions then continued at a low rate for approximately 7 d, presumably due to metabolism of volatile fatty acids in the anaerobic slurry-treated soil. The net CH4 emission was 1052 g C ha-1 (0.08% of the carbon applied). Nitrous oxide emission was low for the first 14 d after slurry application, then showed emission peaks of 7.5 g N ha-1 h-1 on Day 25 and 15.8 g N ha-1 h-1 on Day 67, and decline depending on rainfall and nitrate (NO3) concentrations. Emission finally reached background levels after approximately 90 d. Nitrous oxide emission was 7.6 kg N ha-1 (2.1% of the N applied). It is apparent that of the two major greenhouse gases measured in this study, N2O is by far the more important tropospheric pollutant.