Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil-contaminated soil: A two-step method for the isolation and characterization of PAHs

A two-step analytical method is developed for the isolation and characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil contaminated soil. In the first step, those crude oil components were isolated which are easily mobilized with water from the contaminated soil (determination of groundwater pollution potential). In the second step, the fraction containing the remaining crude oil compounds was extracted using toluene. After the cleanup of the fractions, both fractions were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC of the toluene extracted fraction shows that along with the sixteen priority pollutants from the US-EPA list, many other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present as well. It is evident from the chromatograms that a significant amount of PAHs are present as is also the case in the fractions eluted by water. The described method allows the determination of total organic pollutants from crude oil, some of them being potential groundwater contaminants. The major part of the total pollutants could not be mobilized by water and therefore remains in the soil, which was extracted in the second step.     

Chemical oxidation of cable insulating oil contaminated soil

Leaking cable insulating oil is a common source of soil contamination of high-voltage underground electricity cables in many European countries. In situ remediation of these contaminations is very difficult, due to the nature of the contamination and the high concentrations present. Chemical oxidation leads to partial removal of highly contaminated soil, therefore chemical oxidation was investigated and optimized aiming at a subsequent bioremediation treatment. Chemical oxidation of cable oil was studied with liquid H₂O₂ and solid CaO₂ as well as permanganate at pH 1.8, 3.0 and 7.5. Liquid H₂O₂ most effectively removed cable oil at pH 7.5 (24%). At pH 7.5 poor oil removal of below 5% was observed with solid CaO₂ and permanganate within 2 d contact time, whereas 18% and 29% was removed at pH 1.8, respectively. A prolonged contact time of 7 d showed an increased oil removal for permanganate to 19%, such improvement was not observed for CaO₂.Liquid H₂O₂ treatment at pH 7.5 was most effective with a low acid use and was best fit to a subsequent bioremediation treatment. To further optimize in situ chemical oxidation with subsequent bioremediation the effect of the addition of the iron catalyst and a stepwise liquid H₂O₂ addition was performed. Optimization led to a maximum of 46% cable oil removal with 1469 mM of H₂O₂, and 6.98 mM Fe(II) chelated with citric acid (H₂O₂:FeSO₄ = 210:1 (mol mol⁻¹). The optimum delivery method was a one step addition of the iron catalyst followed by step wise addition of H₂O₂.     

Acute toxicity of cadmium to fish Labeo rohita and copepod Diaptomus forbesi pre-exposed to CaO and KMnO4

96-h LC₅₀ values of cadmium (Cd) to fish Labeo rohita and the copepod Diaptomus forbesi, determined by static bioassays, were, respectively, 89.5 and 10.2 mg/l. LC₅₀ values increased significantly when fish pre-exposed to 100–350 mg/l CaO or 0.5–1.5 mg/l KMnO₄ for 4 d and the copepod to 20–70 mg/l CaO or 0.25–1.0 mg/l KMnO₄ for same period. The LC₅₀ values also increased when the pre-exposure period of CaO was increased to 12 d at concentration 100 mg/l for fish and 20 mg/l for copepod. All fish died when pre-exposed to 1.5 mg/l KMnO₄ for 8 d. But LC₅₀ values of Cd to copepod increased when pre-exposure period of 0.5 mg/l KMnO₄ was increased from 4 to 8 d.     

Effect of clay and organic matter type on the ecotoxicity of zinc and cadmium to the potworm Enchytraeus albidus

Clay and organic matter are considered as important parameters influencing bioavailability and ecotoxicity of metals in soils. As there exists a large variation in the type of clay and organic matter in field soils, the quantity of these variables alone may not be good indicators of metal bioavailability. To test this hypothesis, toxicity experiments with the potworm Enchytraeus albidus were conducted in artificial soils with three types of clay and seven types of organic matter, while the soil pH was kept constant. The 14d LC₅₀ of zinc and cadmium varied from 83.0 to 1140 mg Zn/kg D.W. and from 55.2 to 704 mg Cd/kg D.W., respectively, depending on the type of clay and organic matter that were used. Simultaneous measurements of the cation exchange capacity showed that this soil parameter is a better indicator of the bioavailability as it takes into account the type of clay and organic matter as well as other adsorption phases such as metal oxyhydroxides.     

广州市蔬菜地土壤-蔬菜中重金属Hg的含量及变化趋势

测定了95份土壤样品、94份水样以及292份蔬菜样品中汞的含量,探讨了广州市蔬菜地土壤-蔬菜中重金属Hg污染状况.发现蔬菜中的Hg含量与土壤中的Hg含量较为密切.广州市土壤、蔬菜中Hg的含量水平均比过去大幅度降低.蔬菜中Hg含量与其它城市比较,污染情况较轻,处于其它城市的中低水平.     

植物修复的技术内涵及展望

植物修复是一类治理土壤污染且对环境相对安全可靠的方法,具有明显的技术先进性,有待全面开发利用,基于特异植物根及特异根圈效应,植物对污染物的同化能力与植物根圈的生物降解作用过程,植物修复技术有效性的影响因素及环境安全性能的保证,植物修复今后的动向等对该技术的基本内涵进行了论述,对其今后需要重点解决的疑难问题进行了探讨,旨在促进植物修复技术从小试到中试的发展甚至进入到实际运行的阶段,使它在我国环境污染治理特别是复合环境污染的安全治理方面发挥切实重要的作用。     

An Analysis of the Structure of the Simple Mass Balance Equation: Implications for Testing National Critical Loads Maps

The critical loads concept is used by the UN-ECEConvention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution(CLRTAP) for setting pollution reduction targets.Increasing numbers of countries are adopting the SimpleMass Balance equation (SMB) to calculate critical loads ofacidifying S and N for forest soils. The equation is madeup of a series of mass balances each of which is used tocalculate a leaching flux. The assumptions in the SMBequation were investigated by testing its ability topredict current sulphur load and by comparing each of thecalculated leaching fluxes to measured rates. It was notpossible to predict current sulphur load at our sites usingthe SMB equation. The leaching tests demonstrated that,primarily due to its steady state assumptions, the SMBequation generates critical loads that are theoretical longterm estimates of risk, and are untestable. Thesimplifying assumptions sometimes lead to illogicalresults. Some of these can be improved by adding a final,simple but dynamic, calculation step to determine theexpected time until effects are observed. Theacceptability of combining annual average data, which bestapproximates steady state, with a biological indicator isquestionable. It is not possible to test critical loadscalculated using the SMB equation when applied with all ofits assumptions but it is possible to test its fundamentalapproach using non steady state data.     

Distribution of Cd,Ck, Pb and Zn in Soil and Vegetation Compartments in Stands of Five Boreal Tree Species in N.E. Sweden

Concentrations and total quantity of cadmium (Cd), cupper (Cu),lead (Pb) and zink (Zn) were determined in biomass and soil compartments in a replicated tree species experiment with 27-yr-old stands growing on former farmland in N.E. Sweden. Sequentialextractions of soil samples were performed in order to estimate the exchangeable and an organically bound fraction of each element. The tree species included were Picea abies (L.)H. Karst., Pinus sylvestris L., Pinus contorta Dougl., Larix sibirica Ledeb., and Betula pendula Roth.Tree species influenced the rate of removal of Cu, Pb and Zn incase of stemwood harvesting, and of Cd, Cu and Zn in the case ofwhole-tree harvesting. B. pendula and P. abies had higher quantities and average concentrations of Zn in the biomass. For all species, >50% of the Zn in the stems was found in the bark. P. abies and L. sibirica had higher quantities of Cu in the biomass than the other species.P. abies and P. contorta had high quantities of Cd inthe biomass in relation to the other species. Branches and stembark contained high concentrations of Cd and Pb in relation to foliage and stemwood. Dead branches had especially high concentrations of Pb. The high accumulation rate of Zn in thebiomass of B. pendula was related to a low exchangeable amount of Zn in the A horizon. In the superficial centimeters ofthe A horizon, a depletion similar to that found for Zn was detected for Cu, whereas for Cd and Pb, no correlations were found between quantities of elements in the trees and element pools in the soil.     

Mobility and Methylation of Mercury in Forest Soils Development of an In-Situ Stable Isotope Tracer Technique and Initial Results

A method for investigating in-situmethylation and mobility of mercury has beendeveloped and applied to forest soil. The methodis based on additions of stable ¹⁹⁹Hgisotopes to forest soil plots followed bysampling and analysis of isotope ratios of totalmercury and MeHg using ICP-MS. Initial resultsindicate that a fraction (30%) of the mercuryadded to the forest soils is immobilised over atime scale of 16 months. A small but significantfraction of the mercury is methylated during thesame time scale. Higher methylation rates werefound in wetland soil than in dry forest podzolsoil.     

岩溶山区表土中~7Be、~(137)Cs、~(226)Ra和~(228)Ra的地球化学相分配及其侵蚀示踪意义

岩溶山区表土中７Ｂｅ、１３７Ｃｓ、２２６Ｒａ和２２８Ｒａ地球化学相分配的实验研究表明，４种核素绝大部分（８５％以上）存在于ＦｅＭｎ氧化物、有机质及残渣相中．它们在表土的迁移过程中具微粒迁移性，能较好地随土粒般运，可作为土粒侵蚀或沉积的示踪剂．但其微粒示踪类型又各具特征：７Ｂｅ的化学形态与其季节性微粒迁移示踪一致；１３７Ｃｓ的化学形态适用于示踪土粒累计性迁移和沉积计年；２２６Ｒａ和２２８Ｒａ存在于粘土矿物结晶骨架中，在表土中主要以残渣相存在，由矿物化学风化作用而转入可溶解、可交换及碳酸盐结合相的比例很小，二者比活度的形态变化分异具有很好的侵蚀堆积示踪价值．