Source attributions of heavy metals in rice plant along highway in Eastern China

Air and soil pollution from traffic has been considered as a critical issue to crop production and food safety, however, few efforts have been paid on distinguish the source origin of traffic-related contaminants in rice plant along highway. Therefore, we investigated metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn and Cu) concentrations and stable Pb isotope ratios in rice plants exposed and unexposed to highway traffic pollution in Eastern China in 2008. Significant differences in metals concentrations between the exposed and unexposed plants existed in leaf for Pb, Cd and Zn, in stem only for Zn, and in grain for Pb and Cd. About 46% of Pb and 41% of Cd in the grain were attributed to the foliar uptake from atmosphere, and there were no obvious contribution of atmosphere to the accumulations of Cr, Zn and Cu in grain. Except for Zn, all of the heavy metals in stem were attributed to the root uptake from soil, although significant accumulations of Pb and Cd from atmosphere existed in leaf. This indicated that different processes existed in the subsequent translocation of foliar-absorbed heavy metals between rice organs. The distinct separation of stable Pb isotope ratios among rice grain, leaf, stem, soil and vehicle exhaust further provided evidences on the different pathways of heavy metal accumulation in rice plant. These results suggested that further more attentions should be paid to the atmospheric deposition of heavy metals from traffic emission when plan crop layout for food safety along highway.     

Biosorption mechanisms involved in immobilization of soil Pb by Bacillus subtilis DBM in a multimetal-contaminated soil

Mechanisms of soil Pb immobilization by Bacillus subtilis DBM, a bacterial strain isolated from a heavy-metal-contaminated soil, were investigated. Adsorption and desorption experiments with living bacterial cells as well as dead cells revealed that both extracellular adsorption and intracellular accumulation were involved in the Pb2＋removal from the liquid phase. Of the sequestered Pb（II）, 8.5% was held by physical entrapment within the cell wall, 43.3% was held by ion-exchange, 9.7% was complexed with cell surface functional groups or precipitated on the cell surface, and 38.5% was intracellularly accumulated.Complexation of Pb2＋with carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, amido, and phosphate groups was demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis. Precipitates of Pb5（PO4）3OH, Pb5（PO4）3Cl and Pb10（PO4）6（OH）2that formed on the cell surface during the biosorption process were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis. Transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis confirmed the presence of the Pb（II）precipitates and that Pb（II） could be sequestered both extracellularly and intracellularly.Incubation with B. subtilis DBM significantly decreased the amount of the weak-acid-soluble Pb fraction in a heavy-metal-contaminated soil, resulting in a reduction in Pb bioavailability, but increased the amount of its organic-matter-bound fraction by 71%. The ability of B.subtilis DBM to reduce the bioavailability of soil Pb makes it potentially useful for bacteria-assisted phytostabilization of multi-heavy-metal-contaminated soil.     

抚仙湖沉积物重金属垂向分布及潜在生态风险评价

基于环境放射性核素210Pbex和137 Cs计年法确定抚仙湖北、中和南部三个沉积物柱芯的沉积年代,分析了各个柱芯近150年的重金属(Cr、Cu、Zn、As和Pb)的垂向分布特征,并用潜在生态风险指数法进行了潜在生态风险分析。结果表明,抚仙湖不同湖区沉积物重金属的垂向分布存在明显差异,其中Zn、As和Pb呈现整体向上增加的趋势,Cr和Cu分别呈现微波动变化和下降趋势。重金属元素之间相关性表明Zn、As和Pb具有较好的同源性,而Cr和Cu来源不同。重金属元素与营养盐TP之间呈较好的相关性,与TN和TOC则相关性较差或无相关性存在。潜在生态风险指数评价显示近150年来抚仙湖不同湖区沉积物重金属污染水平差异明显,其中北部和南部As是主要的生态风险贡献因子,而中部Cu是主要的生态风险贡献因子。抚仙湖中部和南部沉积物重金属总体处于中等生态风险,而北部沉积物重金属由中等上升为较高生态风险出现在20世纪90年代末期。     

应用铅锶同位素示踪研究泉州某林地垂直剖面土壤中重金属污染及来源解析

分别用原子吸收光谱仪(AAS)和电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)分析了泉州市某林地垂直剖面土壤中8种重金属元素(Sr、Ni、Fe、Cr、Cu、Mn、Pb、Zn)的含量及垂直剖面土壤的铅锶同位素组成,并采用BCR四步提取法对重金属形态进行了分析.重金属总量及形态分析结果表明,泉州市林地土壤重金属污染较轻,主要污染因子为Sr.Pb的非残渣态含量最高,活性最大.内梅罗综合污染指数的评价结果表明,Sr在0~60 cm深度处达到重度污染.次生相与原生相比值法评价结果表明,Pb活性最强,对土壤的潜在危害最大;富集因子计算结果表明,Pb、Sr、Mn、Zn受到外源的影响;因子分析结果表明,重金属主要受到交通源、自然源和农业生产的影响.根据垂直剖面土壤样品与泉州市潜在污染源在~(206)Pb/~(207)Pb-~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb图中的分布特征,Pb主要来源于汽车尾气尘和土壤母质层,利用铅同位素二元混合模型计算出土壤母质层对垂直剖面土壤中铅的贡献率为85.14%(62.53%~98.36%),汽车尾气尘的贡献率平均值为14.86%(1.640%~37.47%).锶同位素示踪结果表明,锶主要来源于汽车尾气尘和土壤母质.铅锶同位素联合示踪结果与前述研究一致.     

钙、氯对磷酸盐稳定污染土壤中铅的促进作用研究

为探讨促进磷酸盐稳定污染土壤中铅的方法,在全铅含量为517 mg·kg-1的铅冶炼污染土壤中加入5 mmol·kg-1磷酸盐,同时加入10mmol·kg-1硝酸钙或5 mmol·kg-1氯化钾,在15%或30%的含水率下培养40 d,之后种植黑麦草.结果表明,与单独施用磷酸盐相比,采用磷酸盐与钙、氯结合或增加培养期间的土壤含水率后,土壤DTPA-Pb含量下降3.92%~26.1%;对于同一添加剂处理,培养期间土壤含水率从15%增加到30%,土壤有效铅(DTPA-Pb)含量下降8.83%~24.4%.增加土壤含水率后,土壤有效磷(Olsen-P)含量均显著升高(p0.05).土壤铅的EXAFS分析表明,与未施用磷酸盐的对照相比,土壤中加入磷酸盐后矿物态铅的比例由57%上升至81%,加施钙、氯或增加土壤含水率后,多数处理矿物态铅的比例有所下降,而有机结合态铅比例上升.与对照相比,污染土壤中施用磷酸盐后,植物产量大幅增加,但施用钙、氯或增加培养期间含水率后,部分处理植物产量有所下降.以上结果表明,在铅冶炼污染土壤中加入磷酸盐时,加入钙、氯或者增加土壤含水率均有利于铅的稳定,但以上措施可能对植物生长产生不利影响.     

Ra–Po–Pb isotope systematics in waters of Sambhar Salt Lake,Rajasthan (India): geochemical characterization and particulate reactivity

The Sambhar Salt Lake hydrological system, including river waters, groundwaters, evaporating pans and sub-surface brines, has been analyzed for the salt content (TDS) and naturally occurring radionuclides (²¹⁰Po, ²¹⁰Pb and ^226,228Ra). The abundance of these radionuclides and their activity ratios show a wide variation in different hydrological regimes, which helps to geochemically characterize the lake system. A significantly lower Ra to total dissolved solids (TDS) ratio in the brines (by two to three orders of magnitude), when compared to the groundwaters and river waters, suggests removal of dissolved Ra by co-precipitation with Ca–Mg minerals at an early stage of the brine evolution. The concentration of Ra in evaporating lake/pan waters saturates at a value of about 35 Bq L⁻¹ over the salinity range of 100–370 g L⁻¹; attributable to its equilibration with the clay minerals. The two distinct regimes, saline lake system (lake water, evaporating pans and sub-surface brines) and groundwaters have been identified based on their differences in the distribution of ^226,228Ra isotopes. This observation points to the conclusion that the groundwaters and the lake brines are not intimately coupled in terms of their origin and evolution. The abundances of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb along with their activity ratios (²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb) are markedly different among the surface lake waters/evaporating pans, sub-surface lake brines and groundwaters. These differences are explained in terms of different geochemical behaviour of these nuclides in presence of algae and organic matter present in these water regimes.     

Rapid detection of toxic metals in non-crushed oyster shells by portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

The aim of this study was the multi-elemental detection of toxic metals such as lead (Pb) in non-crushed oyster shells by using a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. A rapid, simultaneous multi-element analytical methodology for non-crushed oyster shells has been developed using a portable XRF which provides a quick, quantitative, non-destructive, and cost-effective mean for assessment of oyster shell contamination from Pb. Pb contamination in oyster shells was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results indicated that Pb is distributed in-homogeneously in contaminated shells. Oyster shells have a lamellar structure that could contribute to the high accumulation of Pb on oyster shells.     

Radium and radium-daughter nuclides in carbonates: a brief overview of strategies for determining chronologies

Radium isotopes have been used extensively to trace the movement of groundwater as well as oceanic water masses, but these radionuclides (and their daughters) are also useful chronometers for the determination of the time scales of other Earth and environmental processes. The purpose of this overview is to present the application of Ra and Ra daughters in the dating of carbonates. We show that the choice of dating method (decay of excess radionuclide or ingrowth of daughter) depends strongly on the parent/daughter activity ratios in the water in which the carbonate was precipitated. Thus freshly precipitated carbonates uniformly show excesses of ²²⁶Ra relative to its parent ²³⁰Th, and ²²⁶Ra decay can provide ages of carbonates over Holocene time scales. In contrast, carbonates are precipitated in waters of greatly varying ²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra. Corals, deep-sea hydrothermal vent clams and the shelled cephalopod Nautilus live in waters with significant dissolved ²¹⁰Pb and all show excesses of ²¹⁰Pb in their carbonate. Bivalve molluscs from nearshore and coastal waters, and carbonates deposited from groundwater environments (e.g. travertines) in which ²¹⁰Pb is efficiently scavenged from solution, show deficiencies of ²¹⁰Pb relative to ²²⁶Ra. In contrast, fish otoliths strongly discriminate against ²¹⁰Pb regardless of the environment in which the fish lives. Deficiencies of ²²⁸Th relative to ²²⁸Ra are common in all carbonates. Useful time ranges for the ²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Th/²²⁸Ra chronometers are ∼100 y and ∼10 y, respectively.     

无污染农产品对土壤铅环境质量标准要求的变化——个案研究

研究了江苏南通某乡镇土壤铅的污染以及水稻对土壤铅的吸收。结果表明,研究区土壤与稻米铅污染严重。通过盆栽实验建立了水稻对铅的吸收积累及评估模型,提出了符合该地区大米安全生产的土壤铅临界含量值,为土壤铅环境质量标准的研究提供了参考实例。同时结合国内外环境质量标准的对比,提出无污染农产品对土壤铅环境质量标准要求的变化,建议制/修订土壤铅环境质量标准值。土壤环境二级标准值由现行的250～350mg/kg改为80mg/kg。     

Adsorption of Pb(II) on variable charge soils amended with rice-straw derived biochar

Two Ultisols and one Oxisol from tropical regions of southern China were incubated with rice straw biochar to investigate the effect of biochar on their surface charge and Pb(II) adsorption using batch methods. The incorporation of biochar induced a remarkable increase in soil cation exchange capacity after 30 d of incubation. The incorporation of biochar significantly increased the adsorption of Pb(II) by these variable charge soils; the enhancement of adsorption of Pb(II) by these soils increased with the addition level of biochar. Adsorption of Pb(II) involved both electrostatic and non-electrostatic mechanisms; however, biochar mainly increased Pb(II) adsorption through the non-electrostatic mechanism via the formation of surface complexes between Pb²⁺ and functional groups on biochar. There was greater enhancement of biochar on the non-electrostatic adsorption of Pb(II) by the variable charge soils at relatively low pH. Therefore, the incorporation of biochar decreased the activity and availability of Pb(II) to plants through increased non-electrostatic adsorption of Pb(II) by acidic variable charge soils.