Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article: PII: S0165-0203(98)00017-8 Climate Impact and Adaptation Assessment by Martin Parry and Timothy Carter. PII: S0165-0203(98)00025-7 Environmental Accounting in Theory and Practice Edited by Kimio Uno and Peter Bartelmus PII: S0165-0203(98)00024-5 Biomass Energy Policy in Africa, Selected Case Studies Edited by D. L. Kgathi, D. O. Hall, A. Hategeka and M. B. M. Sekwela PII: S0165-0203(98)00023-3 Green Households? Domestic Consumers, Environment and Sustainability Edited by Klaas Jan Noorman and Ton Schoot Uiterkamp PII: S0165-0203(98)00029-4 Industrial Ecology: Towards Closing the Materials Cycle By Robert U. Ayres and Leslie W. Ayres.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book reviewed in this article:
Waste Management, Control, Recovery and Reuse. Proceedings of 1974 Australian Waste Conference. Edited by N. Y. Kirov.
Water Management and Agricultural Development: A Case Study of the Cuyo Region of Argentina, by Kenneth D. Frederick.
Wastewater Systems Engineering, by Homer W. Parker.
Discharge Measurement Structures, Edited by M. C. Bos.
Biogeochemistry of a Forested Ecosystem, by Gene E. Likens, F. Herbert Bormann, Robert S. Pierce, John S. Eaton, and Noye M. Johnson.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
New Horizons in Natural Gas Deregulation Edited by Jerry Ellig and Joseph P. Kalt, foreword by Robert L. Bradley
Amazonia: Resiliency and Dynamism of the Land and its People Nigel J. H. Smith, Emanuel Adilson S. Serrao, Paulo T. Alvim and Italo C. Falesi
Mineral Recovery, Recycling, Waste Prevention and Confinement for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific Region. Volume 1: Resource Assessment, Development and Management Adrian Brett (Part One) and Martin van de Munt (Part Two)
Ecological Economics—Concepts and Methods Malte Faber, Reiner Manstetten and John Proops
Mitigation Banking: Theory and Practice Edited by Lindell L. Marsh, Douglas R. Porter and David A. Salvesen     

Pilot-scale treatment of RDX-contaminated soil with zerovalent iron

Soils in Technical Area 16 at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are severely contaminated from past explosives testing and research. Our objective was to conduct laboratory and pilot-scale experiments to determine if zerovalent iron (Fe(0)) could effectively transform RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) in two LANL soils that differed in physicochemical properties (Soils A and B). Laboratory tests indicated that Soil A was highly alkaline and needed to be acidified [with H2SO4, Al2(SO4)3, or CH3COOH] before Fe(0) could transform RDX. Pilot-scale experiments were performed by mixing Fe(0) and contaminated soil (70 kg), and acidifying amendments with a high-speed mixer that was a one-sixth replica of a field-scale unit. Soils were kept unsaturated (soil water content = 0.30-0.34 kg kg(-1)) and sampled with time (0-120 d). While adding CH3COOH improved the effectiveness of Fe(0) to remove RDX in Soil A (98% destruction), CH3COOH had a negative effect in Soil B. We believe that this difference is a result of high concentrations of organic matter and Ba. Adding CH3COOH to Soil B lowered pH and facilitated Ba release from BaSO4 or BaCO3, which decreased Fe(0) performance by promoting flocculation of humic material on the iron. Despite problems encountered with CH3COOH, pilot-scale treatment of Soil B (12 100 mg RDX kg(-1)) with Fe(0) or Fe(0) + Al2(SO4)3 showed high RDX destruction (96-98%). This indicates that RDX-contaminated soil can be remediated at the field scale with Fe(0) and soil-specific problems (i.e., alkalinity, high organic matter or Ba) can be overcome by adjustments to the Fe(0) treatment.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Mediating Environmental Conflicts: Theory and Practice J Walton Blackburn and Willa Marie Bruce
Agroforestry in the Pacific Islands: Systems for Sustainability Edited by W C Clarke and R R Thaman
The Chao Phya: A River in Transition Steve van Beek
Human Development Report 1995 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Human Development Report 1994 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Taking Nature into Account: A Report to the Club of Rome Edited by Wouter van Dieren     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article: A ray of hope : RETHINKING TECHNICAL COOPERATION: Reforms for Capacity Building in Africa by Elliot J. Berg A lack of optimism : GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Perspectives on Sustainability Edited by Joel Darmstadter Conserving water : WATER SUPPLY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Developing World Applications by Mohan Munasinghe Learning to hedge : COMMODITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE Edited by Theophilos Priovolos and Ronald C. Duncan Alive and well? : THE MEXICAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Edited by Jonathan C. Brown and Alan Knight     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article:
Mathematical Models for Surface Water Hydrology, Edited by T. A. Ciriani, U. Maione, and J. R. Wallis
Ecosystem Modeling in Theory and Practice: An Introduction with Case Histories, Edited by Charles A. S. Hall and John W. Day, Jr.
Legal and Scientific Uncertainties of Weather Modification, Edited by William A. Thomas.
Water Production Functions for Irrigated Agriculture, Roger W. Hexem and Earl O. Heady.     

Occurrence and rates of terminal electron-accepting processes and recharge processes in petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated subsurface

The occurrence and rates of terminal electron acceptor processes, and recharge processes in the unsaturated zone of a boreal site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons in the range C(10) to C(40) were examined. Soil microcosms were used to determine the rates of denitrification, iron (Fe) reduction, sulfate (SO(4)) reduction, and methanogenesis in two vertical soil profiles contaminated with oil, and in a noncontaminated reference sample. Furthermore, the abundances of the 16S rRNA genes belonging to Geobacteracaea in the samples were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Analyses of ground water chemistry and soil gas composition were also performed together with continuous in situ monitoring of soil water and ground water chemistry. Several lines of evidence were obtained to demonstrate that both Fe reduction and methanogenesis played significant roles in the vertical profiles: Fe reduction rates up to 3.7 nmol h(-1) g(-1) were recorded and they correlated with the abundances of the Geobacteracaea 16S rRNA genes (range: 2.3 x 10(5) to 4.9 x 10(7) copies g(-1)). In the ground water, ferrous iron (Fe(2+)) concentration up to 55 mg L(-1) was measured. Methane production rates up to 2.5 nmol h(-1) g(-1) were obtained together with methane content up to 15% (vol/vol) in the soil gas. The continuous monitoring of soil water and ground water chemistry, microcosm experiments, and soil gas monitoring together demonstrated that the high microbial activity in the unsaturated zone resulted in rapid removal of oxygen from the infiltrating recharge thus leaving the anaerobic microbial processes dominant below 1.5 m depth both in the unsaturated and the saturated zones of the subsurface.     

Three approaches to define desired soil organic matter contents

Soil organic C is often suggested as an indicator of soil quality, but desirable targets are rarely specified. We tested three approaches to define maximum and lowest desirable soil C contents for four New Zealand soil orders. Approach 1 used the New Zealand National Soils Database (NSD). The maximum C content was defined as the median value of long-term pastures, and the lower quartile defined the lowest desirable soil C content. Approach 2 used the CENTURY model to predict maximum C contents of long-term pasture. Lowest desirable content was defined by the level that still allowed recovery to 80% of the maximum C content over 25 yr. Approach 3 used an expert panel to define desirable C contents based on production and environmental criteria. Median C contents (0-20 cm) for the Recent, Granular, Melanic, and Allophanic orders were 72, 88, 98, 132 Mg ha(-1), and similar to contents predicted by the CENTURY model (78, 93, 102, and 134 Mg ha(-1), respectively). Lower quartile values (54, 78, 73, and 103 Mg ha(-1), respectively) were similar to the lowest desirable C contents calculated by CENTURY (55, 54, 67, and 104 Mg ha(-1), respectively). Expert opinion was that C contents could be depleted below these values with tolerable effects on production but less so for the environment. The CENTURY model is our preferred approach for setting soil organic C targets, but the model needs calibrating for other soils and land uses. The statistical and expert opinion approaches are less defensible in setting lower limits for desirable C contents.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article:
Water Chlorination: Environmental Impact and Health Effects, R. L. Jolley, et al. (Editors).
Sewerage and Sewage Treatment, L. Escritt (Edited and Revised by W. D. Haworth)
Stabilisation, Disinfection and Odour Control in Sewage Sludge Treatment (An Annotated Bibliography Covering the Period 1950–1983), A. M. Bruce and E. S. Connor (Editors).
The New Nationalism and the Use of Common Spaces, Jonathan I. Charney (Editor).
Principles of Water Quality, Thomas D. Waite.
A Modular Three-Dimensional Finite-Difference Groundwater Flow Model, Michael G. McDonald and Arlen W. Harbaugh.
Renewable Resources Management: Applications of Remote Sensing, P. A. Murtha and R. A. Harding (Editors).
Groundwater Transport: Handbook of Mathematical Models, J. Javendal, C. Doughty and C. F. Tsang.
Natural Resources and the Environment, Paul R. Portney (Editor).
Coping With Droughts, V. Yevjevich, L. da Cunha (Editor).
A Citizen's Guide to River Conservation, R. Diamant, J. G. Eugster and C. J. Duerksen.     

Effects of land use on soil respiration: conversion of oak woodlands to vineyards

We examined constraints on soil CO2 respiration in natural oak woodlands, and adjacent vineyards that were converted approximately 30 yr ago from oak woodlands, in the Oakville Region of Napa Valley, California. All sites were located on the same soil type, a Bale (variant) gravelly loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Cumulic Ultic Haploxeroll) and dominated by C3 vegetation. Seasonal soil CO2 efflux was greatest at the oak woodland sites, although during the summer drought the rates of soil CO2 efflux measured from oak sites were generally similar to those measured from the vineyards. Soil profile CO2 concentrations at the oak woodland sites were lower below 15 cm despite higher CO2 efflux rates. Soil gas diffusion coefficients for oak sites were larger than for vineyard sites, and this indicated that the apparent discrepancy in soil profile carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) may be caused by a diffusion limitation. Soil profile [CO2] and delta13C values showed substantial temporal changes over the course of a year. Vineyard soil CO2 was more depleted in 13CO2 below 25 cm in the soil profile during the active growing season as indicated by more negative delta13C ratios. This result indicated that different C sources were being oxidized in vineyard soils. Annual C losses were less from vineyard soils (7.02 +/- 0.58 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1)) as compared to oak soils (15.67 +/- 1.44 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1)), and both were comparable to losses reported in previous investigations.     

Speciation and long- and short-term molecular-level dynamics of soil organic sulfur studied by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy

We investigated speciation, oxidative state changes, and long- and short-term molecular-level dynamics of organic S after 365 d of aerobic incubation with and without the addition of sugarcane residue using XANES spectroscopy. Soil samples were collected from the upper 15 cm of undisturbed grasslands since 1880, from undisturbed grasslands since 1931, and from cultivated fields since 1880 in the western United States. We found three distinct groups of organosulfur compounds in these grassland-derived soils: (i) strongly reduced (S to S) organic S that encompasses thiols, monosulfides, disulfides, polysulfides, and thiophenes; (ii) organic S in intermediate oxidation (S to S) states, which include sulfoxides and sulfonates; and (iii) strongly oxidized (S) organic S, which comprises ester-SO-S. The first two groups represent S directly linked to C and accounted for 80% of the total organic S detected by XANES from the undisturbed soils. Aerobic incubation without the addition of sugarcane residue led to a 21% decline in organanosulfur compounds directly linked to C and to up to an 82% increase inorganic S directly bonded to O. Among the C-bonded S compounds, low-valence thiols, sulfides, thiophenic S, and intermediate-valence sulfoxide S seem to be highly susceptible to microbial attack and may represent the most reactive components of organic S pool in these grassland soils. Sulfonate S exhibited a much lower short-term reactivity. The incorporation of sugarcane residue resulted in an increase in organosulfur compounds directly bonded to C at the early stage of incubation. However, similar to soils incubated without residue addition, the proportion of organic S directly linked to C continued to decline with increasing duration of aerobic incubation, whereas the proportion of organic S directly bonded to O showed a steady rise.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article:
Water and Waste-Water Technology, SI Version, Mark J. Hammer.
Ground Water in the Western Hemisphere, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Natural Resource/Water Series No. 4
River Pollution Studies, G. A. Best and S. L. Ross.
Viruses and Trace Contaminants in Water and Wastewater, Edited by Jack A. Borchardt, James K. Cleland, William J. Redman, and Gordon Olivier
Environmental Impact Analysis: A New Dimension in Decision Making, R. K. Jain, L. V. Urban, and G. S. Stacey.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Macro and micro : FINANCIAL STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC POLICIES: BANKING, INSURANCE AND INDUSTRY. Edited by Zuhayr Mikdashi
Grassroots development : IN DEFENSE OF LIVELIHOOD: COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION. Edited by John Friedmann and Haripriya Rangan
Holistic approach : AMERICA'S WATER: FEDERAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. Peter Rogers     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
Bittersweet Harvests for Global Supermarkets: Challenges in Latin America's Agricultural Export Boom Lori Ann Thrupp, with Gilles Bergeron and William F Waters
View from the Helm: Mineral Industries in Transition Edited by John E Tilton
The Fragile Tropics of Latin America: Sustainable Management of Changing Environments Edited by Toshie Nishizawa and Juha I Uitto     

Tillage and crop residue effects on soil carbon and carbon dioxide emission in corn-soybean rotations

Soil C change and CO2 emission due to different tillage systems need to be evaluated to encourage the adoption of conservation practices to sustain soil productivity and protect the environment. We hypothesize that soil C storage and CO2 emission respond to conservation tillage differently from conventional tillage because of their differential effects on soil properties. This study was conducted from 1998 through 2001 to evaluate tillage effects on soil C storage and CO2 emission in Clarion-Nicollet-Webster soil association in a corn [Zea mays L.]-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation in Iowa. Treatments included no-tillage with and without residue, strip-tillage, deep rip, chisel plow, and moldboard plow. No-tillage with residue and strip-tillage significantly increased total soil organic C (TC) and mineral fraction C (MFC) at the 0- to 5- and 5- to 10-cm soil depths compared with chisel plow after 3 yr of tillage practices. Soil CO2 emission was lower for less intensive tillage treatments compared with moldboard plow, with the greatest differences occurring immediately after tillage operations. Cumulative soil CO2 emission was 19 to 41% lower for less intensive tillage treatments than moldboard plow, and it was 24% less for no-tillage with residue than without residue during the 480-h measurement period. Estimated soil mineralizable C pool was reduced by 22 to 66% with less intensive tillage treatments compared with moldboard plow. Adopting less intensive tillage systems such as no-tillage, strip-tillage, deep rip, and chisel plow and better crop residue cover are effective in reducing CO2 emission and thus improving soil C sequestration in a corn-soybean rotation.     

Stable sulfur isotope ratio indicates long-term changes in sulfur deposition in the Broadbalk experiment since 1845

Archived wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain and straw, and soil samples from the control plot of the Rothamsted Broadbalk Experiment, located in southeastern England and established in 1843, were used to investigate the effects of dramatically changing SO2 pollution inputs on the concentrations and stable isotope ratios (delta34S) of S in the samples. Representative coal samples from UK major coal fields were also determined for delta34S. Concentrations of S showed no clear trends in either grain or straw over the 155 years from 1845 to 1999. However, grain and straw delta34S decreased rapidly from 6 to 7/1000 in 1845 to -2 to -5/1000 in the early 1970s, and since then have increased to 0.5 to 2/1000 in the late 1990s. This pattern mirrored the trend of UK SO2 emissions over the 155 years. Both grain and straw delta34S correlated strongly and negatively with UK SO2 emissions (R2 > 0.89), but the relationships were different for the pre- and post-1970 data sets. Soil delta34S also decreased considerably, from 8.2/1000 in 1865 to 3.7 to 4.5/1000 during 1965-1999. A negative delta34S value was inferred for the anthropogenic S deposited at the experimental site before 1970, and further confirmed by negative delta34S values (-6 to -10/1000) found in the coal samples from southeastern England and southern Wales. Based on the S isotope ratios, we estimated that anthropogenic S contributed 62 to 78% of the S uptake by wheat at the peak of SO2 emissions, and accounted for 28 to 37% of the topsoil S in 1965.     

Long-term cropping system effects on carbon sequestration in eastern Oregon

Soil organic carbon (SOC) has beneficial effects on soil quality and productivity. Cropping systems that maintain and/or improve levels of SOC may lead to sustainable crop production. This study evaluated the effects of long-term cropping systems on C sequestration. Soil samples were taken at 0- to 10-, 10- to 20-, 20- to 30-, and 30- to 40-cm soil depth profiles from grass pasture (GP), conventional tillage (CT) winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-fallow (CTWF), and fertilized and unfertilized plots of continuous winter wheat (WW), spring wheat (SW), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (SB) monocultures under CT and no-till (NT). The samples were analyzed for soil organic matter (SOM) and SOC was derived. Ages of experiments ranged from 6 to 73 yr. Compared to 1931 SOC levels (initial year), CTWF reduced SOC by 9 to 12 Mg ha(-1) in the 0- to 30-cm zone. Grass pasture increased SOC by 6 Mg ha(-1) in the 0- to 10-cm zone but decreased SOC by 3 Mg ha(-1) in the 20- to 30-cm zone. Continuous CT monocultures depleted SOC in the top 0- to 10-cm zone and the bottom 20- to 40-cm zone but maintained SOC levels close to 1931 SOC levels in the 10- to 20-cm layer. Continuous NT monocultures accumulated more SOC in the 0- to 10-cm zone than in deeper zones. Total SOC (0- to 40-cm zone) was highest under GP and continuous cropping and lowest under CTWF. Fertilizer increased total SOC only under CTWW and CTSB by 13 and 7 Mg ha(-1) in 13 yr, respectively. Practicing NT for only 6 yr had started to reverse the effect of 73 yr of CTWF. Compared to CTWF, NTWW and NTSW sequestered C at rates of 2.6 and 1.7 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively, in the 0- to 40-cm zone. This study showed that the potential to sequester C can be enhanced by increasing cropping frequency and eliminating tillage.     

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:
The Roots of Change: Human Behaviour and Agricultural Evolution in Mali Brent M. Simpson Intermediate Technology Publications, London
The Political Economy of Water Pricing Reforms Edited by Ariel Dinar The World Bank, Oxford University Press
Environmental Policy Analysis with Limited Information: Principles and Applications of the Transfer Method William H. Desvousges, F. Reed Johnson, H. Spencer Banzhaf Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK.
Partnerships for Protection: New Strategies for Planning and Management for Protected Areas Edited by Sue Stolton and Nigel Dudley Earthscan Publications, Ltd., London, UK
The Economics of International Environmental Agreements Edited by Amitrajeet A. Batabyal Ashgate, Aldershot, England     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book review in this Article
Appropriate Methods of Treating Water and Wastewater in Developing Countries, George W. Reid.
Setprge and Gnnmdaater, Miguela A. Marino and James N. Luthin.
Hydrologic Modeling of SmaU Watersheds, C. T. Haan, H. P. Johnson, and D. L. Brakensiek
Remote Sensing for Resource Management, Chris J. Johannsen and James L. Sanders (Editors).
Proceedings of the Specialty Conference on Environmentally Sound Water and soil Management, E. Gordon Kxuse, Chuck R Burdick, and Yousef A. Yousef (Editors).
Handbook of Irrigation Technology, Volume I, Edited by Herman J. Finkel.
Water for Western Agculture. K. D. Frederick and J. C. Hanson.
Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries, Edited by E J. Schiller and R L. hoste.
Handbook of Chemical Property Estimation Methods (Environmental Behavior of Organic Compounds), Warren J. Lyman, William F. Reehl, and David H. Rosenblatt.
The Clean Water Act: The Second Decade, Morris A. Ward, E. Bruce Harrison Co.
Economic Benefits of hnproved Water Quality: Public Perceptions of Option and Preservation Values, D. A. Greenley, R. G. Walsh, and R A. Young.
Surface Water, Robert Bowen.
Nitrogen, Public Health. and the Environment: Some Tools for Critical Thought, John H. Timothy Winneberger.