Measurement of the leaching behaviour of granular solid wastes

Leaching of granular solids can be described in terms of specific mass transfer functions of a simple mathematical form.

The parameters can be determined by column leaching experiments under well known flow conditions.

Initially available concentrations are obtained from batch experiments at high dilution. Total concentrations in the solids are determined independently to calculate the available fractions.

The determination of the flow pattern is done by radiotracer measurements. Leachates are analyzed by various analytical methods including AAS and INAA. Total concentrations in the solids are determined by INAA preferably.     

Factors affecting the distribution of trace elements in harbour sediments

A large number of data (n=488) were acquired from 2003 to 2006 for five Italian harbours and three control areas to determine trace element (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cr, and Ni) levels in sediments. Results were utilised to evaluate, on a multivariate statistical basis, pollution levels, significant relationships between observed levels and specific factors, and enrichment factors. Of the factors tested, main human use of harbour, was best able to determine segregations in the observed trace element fingerprints. Compared with the concentration limit approach, the evaluation of enrichment factors, even if affected by mathematical approximations, represented a useful tool for environmental studies, allowing evaluation of the presence of sediments enriched by human activities and reducing the occurrence of both false positives and false negatives due to natural differences in aluminosilicate levels.     

Roe and red deer as bioindicators of heavy metals contamination in north-western Poland

The present paper examines the degree of environmental contamination in areas covered by the Natura 2000 programme, located in north-western Poland, with selected heavy metals based on their concentration in target organs of roe and red deer. Lead, cadmium, copper, iron, and zinc concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectrometry. Residues of lead and cadmium were found in most of the analysed samples of roe and red deer organs The concentration of cadmium in the organs of the animals studied was much higher than that of lead. The median for Pb in liver and kidneys was 0.055 and 0.092 μg/g dry weight (d.w.) in roe deer, and 0.067 and 0.081 μg/g d.w. in red deer, respectively. The median for liver and kidney cadmium was 0.770 and 6.139 μg/g d.w. in roe deer, and 0.422 and 6.365 μg/g d.w. in red deer, respectively. Our study has demonstrated that this area is laden with lead and cadmium. This is evidenced by the fact that maximum permissible levels of these elements in the organs of red and roe deer, which were used as bioindicators of environmental contamination, were exceeded.     

Rare earth elements distribution in seawater and suspended particulate of the Central Mediterranean Sea

Rare earth element (REE) content in suspended and dissolved phases from the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) has been measured. Vertical profiles of several dissolved REEs along the water column reflect the 3-D oceanographic features of the studied area and identifies the different water masses present there. Shale-normalized REE distribution patterns and derived parameters calculated for the suspended particulate show different atmospheric dust-surface inputs and their interactions with seawater. Finally, combined information from [La/Yb]_N, ratios, REE/La ratios and Eu anomalies measured in the suspended particulate suggest an important contribution of volcanic materials from the Etna volcano and Saharan dust to the lithogenic fraction of the suspended particulate.     

Trace Element Contaminants in Sediments From the Noaa National Status and Trends Programme Compared to Data From Throughout the World

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Status and Trends (NS&T) Programme has analyzed samples of surface sediment collected at almost 300 coastal and estuarine sites throughout the United States since 1984. the overall distributions for concentrations of each element are approximately lognormal allowing a definition of geometric means and of “high” concentrations as those exceeding the mean plus one standard deviation of the lognormal distribution. Those mean and “high” concentrations should be useful for comparing the NS&T data set and with other reports on sediment contamination. A world-wide data set, constructed from data in the literature, was summarized in an identical manner. It was found, after excluding locally extreme values, that the NS&T and world-wide data sets yielded very similar mean and “high” concentrations for Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Chromium was the sole element showing higher summary statistics in the NS&T data set, a result attributed to NS&T sampling in areas of naturally (not contaminated) elevated Cr content. It remains undetermined, however, why the world-wide data set, even with exclusion of “hot spots”, yielded higher means and “highs” for Cd, Hg, As, and Ag.     

Toxic elements leaching in different soils affected by the spill from the aznalcollar pyrite mine (Sevilla,Spain)

A study has been made of the leaching of Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu, Tl and As in three representative soils of the zone affected by the spill from a pyrite mine in Aznalcollar (Sevilla, Spain) employing packed soil columns. According to the breakthrough and cumulative leaching curves, the relative mobilities of the different toxic elements in the columns are as follows: Tl > Cd > Zn > As > Cu > Pb. The results also show that the soils themselves have a good capacity for immobilizing the soluble fraction of the elements from the spilled mud, this capacity varying as follows: clayey soil with a high carbonate content > clayey soil with a moderate carbonate content > sandy‐clay loam soil with a low carbonate content. The results obtained in the work are a valuable contribution to the necessary assessment of the impact of the toxic spill on underground waters.     

新疆柴窝堡地区沉积物元素地球化学特征及其环境意义

通过对新疆柴窝堡地区湖泊沉积物和流域表层沉积物中元素含量的分析,研究了柴窝堡湖沉积物中元素的地球化学特征及其环境意义,并利用重金属潜在生态危害指数法对沉积物重金属的生态效应进行了简要评价。相关分析及主成分分析表明,柴窝堡流域Al、K、Na、Be、Ba、Ti、Ca、Mg、Sr等元素含量的变化主要受流域化学风化作用强度的影响,而Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu、Cr、Ni、Pb、Co等重金属元素与黏土含量之间相关性显著,反映了自然与人类活动的影响过程。1950年前,人类活动影响弱,湖泊沉积物重金属元素主要受控于流域水动力条件;1950年后,流域人类活动的加强使得湖泊沉积物中重金属含量显著增加。利用聚类方法进行了湖泊沉积物与流域表层沉积物元素组成的比较分析,结果显示不同湖泊沉积物元素的组合特征反映了流域人类活动和自然作用的影响。最后,通过重金属潜在生态危害指数法对柴窝堡湖泊沉积物中Cu、Cr、Zn、Pb等4种重金属的潜在危害程度进行初步评价,其中以沉积物中Pb和Cu危害程度较高,但潜在生态危害程度尚属轻微。     

镉对籽粒苋耐性生理及营养元素吸收积累的影响

初步阐明了镉对籽粒苋耐性生理及营养元素吸收积累的影响,为进一步揭示籽粒苋的镉耐性与镉富集机理奠定了基础。通过对生物量的监测,对叶绿素、蛋白质、游离氨基酸、大量元素及微量元素等的含量的测定,阐明镉胁迫对籽粒苋生长生理、抗胁迫耐性、营养元素吸收分配的影响。研究结果显示,镉胁迫对籽粒苋的生长抑制作用不明显,植株生物量随着镉浓度的提高而轻微降低。随着镉处理浓度的提高,叶绿素含量下降幅度显著;蛋白质和游离氨基酸含量变化幅度不明显;钾含量无大幅变化;镉、磷、钙、镁、锌、铁、锰、铜含量变化幅度较显著。镉、钾、磷、锰的迁移系数随着镉处理浓度的提高无显著变化;钙的迁移系数呈上升趋势;镁、锌、铁、铜的迁移系数均呈下降趋势。这些结果表明：镉胁迫降低籽粒苋叶绿素含量,抑制植株光合作用,继而抑制了植株的生长,但其程度不明显;镉胁迫条件启动活性氧防御机制;引起植株体内部分养分代谢紊乱。结论：低浓度镉处理条件下,籽粒苋受镉离子影响,抗氧化能力下降。在高浓度镉处理条件下,籽粒苋调节了营养元素的吸收和分配,启动了一系列活性氧防御机制,提高了抗胁迫能力。     

甘肃省陇东塬区土壤及农作物中微量元素的分布特征

通过测定甘肃省陇东塬区马岭、西峰和华庆油田区土壤以及小麦、苹果、油菜中Cu、Ni、Cd、Pb、Cr、Zn等6种微量金属元素质量分数,研究塬区土壤中微量元素的空间分布特征及其在植物体内的转移、富集能力.结果表明:塬区土壤中w(Zn)明显高于其他5种元素,其平均值达111.64 mg/kg;w(Cd)最小,在1.64～3.38 mg/kg之间;其余4种元素(Cr、Pb、Ni、Cu)质量分数在20～70 mg/kg之间.当地主要农作物对土壤中微量元素的富集系数均小于1,富集能力一般,其中根部的富集能力相对较大,地上部位均较小.      

安阳市冬季观测期间PM2.5污染特征及来源解析

为探究安阳市冬季PM_(2.5)的污染特征及来源,于2019年11月19—26日在安阳市3个站点(柏庄镇政府、红庙街小学、安阳师专)采集PM_(2.5)样品,并对PM_(2.5)质量浓度和无机元素、水溶性离子进行测定,利用正定矩阵因子模型(PMF)并结合大气污染源排放清单进行源解析。结果表明:观测期间安阳市的PM_(2.5)平均质量浓度为104.09μg/m~3,水溶性离子平均质量浓度为48.9μg/m~3,占PM_(2.5)质量浓度的46.9%。PMF解析结果为二次源58.9%、燃煤源15.7%、机动车排放源9.2%、扬尘源8.6%、工业源2.5%、其他源5.1%。结合2018年安阳市大气污染源排放清单对二次源贡献进行重新分配,得到安阳市PM_(2.5)主要贡献来自燃煤源29.8%、工业源28.5%、机动车源27.1%。后向轨迹聚类结果显示,安阳市气团输送路径主要有远距离传输、城市间输送和本地运输3类,其中本地运输占比最大,其次为正南和东南方向上的城市间输送。