Dynamics modeling of multicomponent metal ions’ removal onto low-cost buckwheat hulls

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The process of adsorption from water solutions containing a ternary system of Cu (II), Zn (II), and Ni (II) ions onto buckwheat hulls as a biosorbent...     

Mikrobielle Sanierung von 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluol (TNT) kontaminierten Böden

Within the limits of a feasability study abouton-site bioremediation methods for TNT-contaminated soils, composting was chosen as a very promising and cheap method. This method was critically compared with those described in the literature and was primarily rated under ecotoxicological aspects. The investigated location is the former munition plant «Tanne» in the aerea of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Lower Saxony, Germany. To estimate the autochtonic microflora, we assessed the number of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria and determined their respiration activity in soils. In addition, we isolated bacteria and examined their capacity to metabolize TNTin vitro. Both the amount of autochtonic microrganisms (4.7×10⁸ to 1.2×10¹⁰ colony forming units (cfu)/kg dryweight) as well as their respiration activity did not correlate with the concentrations of nitrotoluenes in the soils. With high contaminated soil (20 g TNT/kg dry weight) we carried out a small compost in the range of 10 liters. During 28 days of composting TNT-concentration decrease over 90% and only minor amounts of monoaminodinitrotoluenes were generated. However, an acidic pretreatment of the compost material at the end of the reaction showed that TNT could be partially resolved under these extreme conditions and that an ecotoxicological risk may still exist. Possible changes in the realization of the composting process in order to make sure that the contaminants are savely bound to the humin matrix are discussed.     

Hazardous Waste Minimization: Part Vii (B) Hazardous Waste Minimization within the Department of Defense

This article is a series of representative case studies of Department of Defense hazardous waste minimization. Each Military Department and the Defense Logistics Agency describe actual accomplishments. Areas covered range from production line modification to product specification change. These efforts are part of a Department of Defense plan composed of individual programs executed independently by each military service and defense agency.

Part VII of the hazardous waste minimization series appears in two separate installments: the first installment, Part VII (A), dealt with Department of Defense waste minimization efforts in vehicle repair operations, explosives manufacturing, and abrasive blasting processes; Part VII (B) covers shipboard mercury wastes, industrial chemical control, solvent reclamation, and hazardous property sales efforts.     

Multi-stage sampling for large scale natural resources surveys: a case study of rice and waterfowl

Large-scale sample surveys to estimate abundance and distribution of organisms and their habitats are increasingly important in ecological studies. Multi-stage sampling (MSS) is especially suited to large-scale surveys because of the natural clustering of resources. To illustrate an application, we: (1) designed a stratified MSS to estimate late autumn abundance (kg/ha) of rice seeds in harvested fields as food for waterfowl wintering in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV); (2) investigated options for improving the MSS design; and (3) compared statistical and cost efficiency of MSS to simulated simple random sampling (SRS). During 2000-2002, we sampled 25-35 landowners per year, 1 or 2 fields per landowner per year, and measured seed mass in 10 soil cores collected within each field. Analysis of variance components and costs for each stage of the survey design indicated that collecting 10 soil cores per field was near the optimum of 11-15, whereas sampling >1 field per landowner provided few benefits because data from fields within landowners were highly correlated. Coefficients of variation (CV) of annual estimates of rice abundance ranged from 0.23 to 0.31 and were limited by variation among landowners and the number of landowners sampled. Design effects representing the statistical efficiency of MSS relative to SRS ranged from 3.2 to 9.0, and simulations indicated SRS would cost, on average, 1.4 times more than MSS because clustering of sample units in MSS decreased travel costs. We recommend MSS as a potential sampling strategy for large-scale natural resource surveys and specifically for future surveys of the availability of rice as food for waterfowl in the MAV and similar areas.     

The role of tending ants in host plant selection and egg parasitism of two facultative myrmecophilous butterflies

Ovipositing adult females of myrmecophilous lycaenids are expected to select plants based on ant presence in order to maximize the survivorship of immature stages. Usually, larvae feed ants with honey-like solutions and, in turn, ants ward off parasitoids. Nonetheless, a rarely investigated approach is whether ant partners can also extend their protective behavior towards lycaenids eggs. Here, we investigated the ant-related oviposition pattern of Allosmaitia strophius and Rekoa marius; then, we compared egg parasitism according to the presence of ants. Lycaenid oviposition and egg parasitism (in percent) were experimentally compared in ant-present and ant-excluded treatments. The study plant, Heteropterys byrsonimifolia, is an extrafloral nectaried shrub which supports several ant species. We sampled 280 eggs, of which 39.65 % belonged to A. strophius and 60.35 % to R. marius. Both lycaenids eggs were significantly more abundant on branches with ants, especially those with Camponotus crassus and Camponotus blandus, two ant species known to attend to lycaenids. A. strophius and R. marius parasitism was 4.5- and 2.4-fold higher, respectively, in ant-present treatments, but the results were not statistically significant. Our study shows that ant-mediated host plant selection in lycaenids might be much more widespread than previously thought, and not restricted to obligate myrmecophilous species. Tending ants may be inefficient bodyguards of lycaenid eggs, because unlike larvae which release sugared liquids, eggs do not offer obvious rewards to ants. Ants can ward off parasitoids of larvae, as observed elsewhere, but our findings show that positive ant–lycaenid interactions are conditional and depend on immature ontogeny.     

Comparative study of 137Cs partitioning between solid and liquid phases in Lakes Constance, Lugano and Vorsee.

The methodology for estimating radiocaesium distribution between solid and liquid phases in lakes is applied for three prealpine lakes: Lake Constance (Germany), Lake Lugano (Switzerland) and Lake Vorsee (Germany). It is based on use of the exchangeable distribution coefficient and application of the exchangeable radiocaesium interception potential (RIPex). The methodology was tested against experimental data. Good agreement was found between estimated and measured 137Cs concentrations in Lake Constance and Lake Lugano, whereas for Lake Vorsee a discrepancy was found. Bottom sediments in Lake Vorsee are composed mainly of organic material and probably cannot be described in terms of the specific sorption characteristics attributed to illitic clay minerals.     

Aktuelle Aerosoltrends an der GAW Globalstation Hohenpeißenberg und ihre Relevanz für Luftreinhaltung und Klima

Aim and Scope

This study was aimed at representing current aerosol trends measured at the GAW global station and their relevance for the present fine dust discussion and a possible impact on climate.

Results and Discussion

1) The intensive GAW measuring program at Hohenpeissenberg covers numerous parameters for the characterization of the physical, optical and chemical characteristics of the atmospheric aerosol. The time series of the number concentration of ultra fine particles with diameters of about 0.004 to 3 μm shows an increase of about 50% since 1995. 2) The introduction of soot particle filters would lower the dust mass only slightly since soot particles from diesel cars only about 8–10% contribute to the dust mass, but about 90% to the number concentration of particles. 3) The single scattering albedo (SSA) is a key parameter determining whether the existing aerosol mixture causes a cooling (negative radiative forcing) or a warming (positive radiative forcing) in the atmosphere. At Hohenpeißenberg the SSA changed from 0.85 to 0.91 in the time period 1999 to 2005, i.e. the regional aerosol as a whole is dominated by scattering rather than absorbing particles.

Conclusion and Perspective

From current aerosol trends at the GAW global station Hohenpeißenberg it was possible to analyze their relevance for air pollution control and possible influences on climate. Dust mass is not a suitable parameter for accessing the contribution of diesel engined vehicles. Measuring the number concentration of particles much more reflects the influence of diesel engined vehicles and also shows, as expected, an upward trend due to a strong increase of the fraction of diesel vehicles in comparison to the total number of cars. Aerosol particles scatter and absorb solar radiation and thus cause a cooling or warming in the atmosphere. Calculated values of the single scattering albedo at Hohenpeissenberg show, that in the initial years the aerosol did not diminish the temperature rise, but rather caused it to increase. Only a data comparison from a global network like GAW can demonstrate, if the results are even representative for the large scale situation.     

Heavy metals in urban soils of East St. Louis, IL. Part II: Leaching characteristics and modeling

The city of East St. Louis, IL, has a history of abundant industrial activities including smelters of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, a coal-fired power plant, companies that produced organic and inorganic chemicals, and petroleum refineries. Following a gross assessment of heavy metals in the community soils (see Part I of this two-part series), leaching tests were performed on specific soils to elucidate heavy metal-associated mineral fractions and general leachability. Leaching experiments, including the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TLCP) and column tests, and sequential extractions, illustrated the low leachability of metals in East St. Louis soils. The column leachate results were modeled using a formulation developed for fly ash leaching. The importance of instantaneous dissolution was evident from the model. By incorporating desorption/adsorption terms into the source term, the model was adapted very well to the time-dependent heavy metal leachate concentrations. The results demonstrate the utility of a simple model to describe heavy metal leaching from contaminated soils.