Concentration levels of technetium-99 in forest soils collected within the 30-km zone around the Chernobyl reactor

Technetium-99 (⁹⁹Tc) concentrations in surface soil samples collected from three forest sites within the 30-km zone around the Chernobyl reactor were determined. A simple and rapid analytical method, which consists of volatilizing and trapping Tc in a combustion apparatus, purifying the Tc with an extraction chromatographic resin and measuring it by ICP-MS, was used for the determination. The concentrations of ⁹⁹Tc in the samples ranged from 1.1 to 14.1 Bq kg⁻¹ on an air-dried soil basis. The activities of the nuclide in the soils around the Chernobyl reactor were one or two orders of magnitude higher than in other areas which were less affected by the accident. The activity ratios of ⁹⁹Tc/¹³⁷Cs ratios in the soils were calculated as on the order of 3.7×10⁻⁵ to 1.3×10⁻⁴.     

成都东郊稻田土中汞的分布特征研究

选取成都东郊唯一的火力发电厂周围的稻田土为研究对象,对稻田土中各种形态汞的分布特征进行了调查与研究,探讨稻田土中汞的分布规律,为分析和判断稻田土中汞的迁移和转化行为及该区汞污染土壤的修复提供重要依据。结果表明,处于火力发电厂烟尘排污口下风向的1#、2#、3#、4#采样点土样受到了严重的汞污染,呈现出高含汞特征,总汞平均质量浓度在9～41mg/kg,平均值为24.546mg/kg,远远超出《土壤环境质量标准》(GB 15618—1995)二级标准所规定的限值(0.5mg/kg),而处于排污口上风向的5#、6#、7#、8#土样没有受到明显的汞污染,大部分土样的总汞含量与成都市土壤汞平均含量接近;1#、2#、3#、4#土样中5种形态汞的垂直分布均呈现出随着土壤深度增加而减少的特征;1#、2#、3#、4#土样中的各形态汞平均百分比为有机结合态汞>硝酸溶汞>残渣态汞>铁锰氧化态汞>水溶和可交换态汞,土壤中含有的大部分汞化学性质比较稳定,难以被植物吸收利用,而易被植物吸收利用的水溶和可交换态汞虽然仅占极小一部分,但含量还是高于成都市土壤中水溶和可交换态汞的背景值。     

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in paddy soils and river sediments in Akita, Japan

Paddy soils and sediments from the Yoneshirogawa, Omonogawa, and Koyoshigawa River Basins in Akita were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The levels and compositions in those samples including soils from non-agricultural areas (non-agricultural soils) were investigated using isomer-specific analysis to determine characteristic sources. The PCDD/PCDF compositions in the samples were compared with respect to possible sources. The PCDD/PCDF concentrations in paddy soils were much higher than those in the non-agricultural soils and much higher than those found in other parts of Japan. Although PCDD/PCDFs were ubiquitous in sediments from river sources to mouths of the respective river basins, those concentrations were much lower than those from paddy soils and non-agricultural soils, and from other parts of Japan. Comparison of PCDD/PCDF homologues and isomer compositions for samples indicated that compositions of paddy soils and sediments, except for those from river sources, had similar characteristics to PCDD/PCDFs originating from impurities in herbicides, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl 4-nitrophenyl ether (CNP) and pentachlorophenol (PCP), and that compositions of river-source sediments and non-agricultural soils resembled those of atmospheric depositions. Results of statistical analyses suggest that PCDD/PCDF contamination of paddy soils and sediments is attributable mainly to three sources: CNP, PCP, and atmospheric deposition. Results of this study also demonstrate that CNP and PCP are not only important contaminants of local areas of Japan, but that they exist throughout Akita, in northern Japan. We therefore conclude that PCDD/PCDF pollution caused by those compounds has a widespread influence on paddy soils and river sediments in Japan.     

The abundances of rarer trace elements in paddy (rice) soils of Sri Lanka

Concentrations of Ti, Ga, As, Sc, Zr, Sn, Hf, Th, U and Y have been determined for 70 paddy soils from 14 villages, selected throughout Sri Lanka by means of ICP-MS. The mean elemental contents of all paddy soil samples were 6120 Ti, 14.1 Ga, 0.84 As, 7.26 Sc, 129 Zr, 2.27 Sn, 3.64 Hf, 12.71 Th, 1.53 U, and 13.35 Y (all data in microg/g). Paddy soils were classified into groups based on morphology and climate. Higher contents of Th and U were found in the wet zone lowland soils whereas the higher Ti contents were observed in dry zone soils. Arsenic, Zr and Hf contents were comparatively similar in all regions. Factor analysis was used to identify the relationships between the contents of elements.     

Concentration and trend of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone in airborne particulates collected in Nagasaki city, Japan

9,10-Phenanthrenequinone (PQ), one of the components of atmospheric pollutants, has potent harmful effects on human health. PQ in airborne particulates collected in Nagasaki city was determined by HPLC with fluorescence derivatization. PQ extracted from airborne particulates using methanol was derivatized with benzaldehyde in the presence of ammonium acetate to give a fluorescent compound. The average concentration (mean+/-SD, n=52) of PQ found in airborne particulates collected from July 1997 to June 1998 was 0.287+/-0.128 ng m-3. Concentrations of PQ in winter were higher than those in summer. In a weekly variation study, PQ concentrations were higher during weekdays and lower at weekend. The levels of PQ were obviously correlated with those of phenanthrene (PH) that is considered as a parent compound of PQ. This observation suggested that PQ was emitted into the atmosphere from the same source as PH, or PQ was converted from PH in the atmosphere.     

Methane emission from fields with three various rice straw treatments in Taiwan paddy soils

Flooded rice fields are one of the major biogenic methane sources. In this study, the effects of straw residual treatments on methane emission from paddy fields were discussed. The experimental field was located at Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station in Chia-Yi county (23 degrees 25'08'N, 120degrees16'26'E) of southern Taiwan throughout the first and the second crop seasons in 2000. The seasonal methane fluxes in the first crop season with rice stubble removed, rice straw burned and rice straw incorporated were 4.41, 3.78 and 5.27 g CH4 m(-2), and the values were 32.8, 38.9 and 75.1 g CH4 m(-2) in the second crop season, respectively. In comparison of three management methods of rice straw residue, the incorporation of rice straw residue should show a significant tendency for enhancing methane emission in the second crop season. Moreover, stubble removed and straw burned treatments significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 28 approximately 56% emissions compared to straw incorporated plot. Concerning for air quality had led to legislation restricting rice straw burning, removing of rice stubble might be an appropriate methane mitigation strategy in Taiwan paddy soils.     

Methane emission from fields with differences in nitrogen fertilizers and rice varieties in Taiwan paddy soils

Flooded rice fields are one of the major biogenic methane sources. In this study, methane emission rates were measured after transplanting in paddy fields with application of two kinds of nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, NH4+-N and potassium nitrate, NO3(-)-N) and with two kinds of rice varieties (Japonica and Indica). The experiment was conducted in fields located at Tainan District Agricultural Improvement Station in Chia-Yi county (23 degrees 25'08"N, 120 degrees 16'26"E) of southern Taiwan throughout the first and the second crop seasons in 1999. The seasonal methane flux in the first crop season with NH4+-N and NO3(-)-N ranged from 2.48 to 2.78 and from 8.65 to 9.22 g CH4 m(-2); and the values ranged 24.6-34.2 and 36.4-52.6 g CH4 m(-2) in the second crop season, respectively. In the first crop season, there were significantly increased 3.1-3.7-fold in methane emission fluxes due to plantation of Indica rice. In comparison of two rice varieties, the Indica rice variety showed a tendency for larger methane emission than the Japonica rice variety in the second crop season. Moreover, ammonium sulfate treatment significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 37-85% emissions compared to potassium nitrate plots. It was concluded that the CH4 emission was markedly dependent on the type of nitrogen fertilizer and rice variety in Taiwan paddy soils.     

Bioaccumulation and human health risk assessment of chromium and nickel in paddy rice grown in serpentine soils

The natural abundance of Cr and Ni in serpentine soils is well-known, but the food safety of rice grown in these hazardous paddy soils is poorly understood. The study evaluated the bioaccumulation of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) in rice (Oryza sativa) grown in serpentine-derived paddy soils in the Philippines. Surface soil (0–20 cm) samples were collected and characterized across three (i.e., Masinloc, Candelaria, and Sta. Cruz) paddy areas in Luzon Island, Philippines. At least 3 to 4 whole rice plants at mature stage were uprooted manually in each sampling point where the soil samples were collected. The total Cr and Ni concentrations in rice (i.e., roots, shoots, and grains) and soil, soil physicochemical properties, bioaccumulation factor (BAF), translocation factor (TF), and the hazard quotients (HQ) were determined. Results revealed that Cr and Ni in rice were accumulated mostly in the roots. Although paddy soils had elevated total Cr and Ni concentrations, the BAF and soil-to-root TF values for Cr and Ni were < 1. In terms of human health risks, results further revealed low risk for both male and female Filipino adults as HQ values for Cr and Ni were < 1. While it is safe to consume rice grown in the area in terms of Cr and Ni dietary intake, more studies are necessary to understand the dynamics and bioavailability of these heavy metals in other crops and drinking water from tube wells in these areas in order to provide a more holistic human health-based assessments and to ensure consumer safety in serpentine areas. In addition, a more reliable data on Cr and Ni speciation in serpentine soils and crops is critically important. Further studies are also needed to understand the contribution of bioavailable heavy metals in improving the soil health to achieve food safety.

     

Phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated paddy soils with Pteris vittata markedly reduces arsenic uptake by rice

Arsenic (As) accumulation in food crops such as rice is of major concern. To investigate whether phytoremediation can reduce As uptake by rice, the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata was grown in five contaminated paddy soils in a pot experiment. Over a 9-month period P. vittata removed 3.5-11.4% of the total soil As, and decreased phosphate-extractable As and soil pore water As by 11-38% and 18-77%, respectively. Rice grown following P. vittata had significantly lower As concentrations in straw and grain, being 17-82% and 22-58% of those in the control, respectively. Phytoremediation also resulted in significant changes in As speciation in rice grain by greatly decreasing the concentration of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). In two soils the concentration of inorganic As in rice grain was decreased by 50-58%. The results demonstrate an effective stripping of bioavailable As from contaminated paddy soils thus reducing As uptake by rice.     

Partitioning of arsenic in soil-crop systems irrigated using groundwater: a case study of rice paddy soils in southwestern Taiwan

The accumulation of As in rice due to groundwater irrigation in paddy fields represents a serious health hazard in South and Southeast Asia. In Taiwan, the fate of As in long-term irrigated paddy fields is poorly understood. Groundwater, surface soil, and rice samples were collected from a paddy field that was irrigated with As-containing groundwater in southwestern Taiwan. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the source and sink of As in the paddy field by comparing the As fractions in the soils that were obtained by a sequential extraction procedure (SEP) with the As uptake of rice. The risks associated with eating rice from the field can thus be better understood. The concentration of As in groundwater varied with time throughout the growing seasons of rice, but always exceeded the permitted maximum (10 μg L⁻¹) for drinking water by the WHO. The As concentration increased with the concentration of Fe in the groundwater, supporting the claim that a large amount of As was concentrated in the Fe flocs collected from the internal wall of the groundwater pump. The results of the SEP revealed that As bound with amorphous and crystalline hydrous oxides exhibited high availability in the soils. The root of rice accumulated the largest amount of As, followed by the straw, husk, and grain. Although the As concentration in the rice grain was less than 1.0 mg kg⁻¹, the estimated intake level was close to the maximum tolerable daily intake of As, as specified by the WHO.     

Monitoring tricyclazole residues in rice paddy watersheds

Pesticide application to rice paddies may affect the quality of environmental resources such as groundwater and surface water. The distribution of residues of tricyclazole, an environmentally persistent fungicide used widely in Italy, was monitored in the network of surface water bodies surrounding the main rice production area in Italy. The location of monitoring sites was based on the potential risk for contamination with tricyclazole. This was determined as a function of the area of rice grown, the geographical distribution of rice crops susceptible to the pest, and sales of tricyclazole. Monitoring sites were also located to represent different spatial scales (farm, catchment and basin). For water samples taken shortly after application in July and August, the highest concentrations of tricyclazole were measured at the farm sites. However, residues were also detected at the catchment and basin scale. The 95% of the measured residue levels was below 9.80, 1.20 and 1.15 microg l(-1), at the farm, catchment and basin scales, respectively. In sediment, tricyclazole residues were detected in 12 out 176 samples collected with the 95% of the measured residue levels below the concentration of 0.03 mg kg(-1). Residues were sporadically detected in samples taken after the crop was harvested in November and December. Variables such as the scale of sampling, the season and the year, were significant in determining pesticide residue distribution. The type of water body was less significant.     

Copper contamination in paddy soils irrigated with wastewater

Copper (Cu) contamination was investigated in paddy soils where Cu-rich wastewater (12 mg Cu/l) was used for irrigation. The results showed that Cu contamination increased the soil Cu content from 17.0 mg Cu/kg in the non-wastewater irrigated soils (NWIS) to 101.2 mg Cu/kg in the wastewater irrigated soils (WIS), and Cu accumulated mostly in the surface layer (0-10 cm) of the paddy soil. The average Cu contents in brown rice, rice hull and rice straw from NWIS were 1.4, 7.3 and 14.5 mg Cu/kg, while those from WIS were 15.5, 133.2, and 101.4 mg Cu/kg, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that the relationship between the Cu content in the rice straw and the rice hull with the total Cu content of the soil could be described by an exponential function (R2 = 0.921 and 0.831, respectively; P <0.01). Rice plants grown in the WIS showed symptoms of black roots, less effective tiller, etc. Subsequently, the rice yield decreased by 18-25%, compared with that grown in NWIS.     

The influence of paddy soil drying on Tc insolubilization by bacteria

Tc insolubilization in four soils samples was compared by pre-incubating them in both dry and wet states, then measuring Tc concentrations in solution when the samples were saturated with an excess of water spiked with 99Tc. Soils pre-incubated in a dry state showed higher Tc insolubilization than soils incubated in a wet state. To clarify the difference in Tc insolubilization, Eh, bacterial abundances, and bacterial species compositions in the dry and wet ponding water samples were determined. For the wet ponding water samples, Eh values were forced to decrease, but no increase in Tc insolubilization was observed. The dry and wet ponding water samples had similar numbers of bacteria. However, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that they had different bacterial species compositions. These results suggested the difference in bacterial species compositions would account for the difference in Tc insolubilization.     

Anaerobic biodegradation of biphenyl in various paddy soils and river sediment

The anaerobic degradation of biphenyl was investigated in four uncontaminated Japanese paddy soils and one river sediment sample contaminated with benzene and chlorinated aliphatics. Two of the paddy soils and the sediment were capable of degrading biphenyl anaerobically without any additional medium or electron acceptors. The half-lives of biphenyl biodegradation in the three samples were 212 d in the Kuridashi soil, 327 d in the Kamajima soil, and 429 d in the river sediment. The Kuridashi soil metabolized 1+/-0.3% of [U-14C]-biphenyl into CO2 and 5+/-2% into water-soluble metabolites after 45 d of incubation. Submerged conditions, which result in lower nitrate and iron oxide contents, and neutral pH, appeared to be the common properties among the samples that influenced their degradation capacities. The addition of 10mM sulfate and 20mM Fe(III) as electron acceptors did not enhance the biphenyl degradation rate, whereas 10mM nitrate completely inhibited biphenyl degradation. The addition of different electron donors (lactate, acetate, or pyruvate) slightly slowed the degradation. Molybdate (an inhibitor of sulfate-reducing bacteria) had an inhibitory effect on biphenyl biodegradation, but bromoethanesulfonic acid (an inhibitor of methanogens) did not. Most biphenyl degradation was observed when only water was added, with no other electron acceptors or donors. These results suggest that sulfate-reducing bacteria and fermentative microbial populations play important roles in anaerobic biphenyl biodegradation in paddy soil.     

含铁材料对污染水稻土中砷的稳定化效果

通过化学实验方法,向砷污染水稻土中添加4种含铁材料(FeCl3、FeCl2、Fe0和Fe2O3),分析稳定后土壤中pH、砷形态及砷毒性浸出量的变化,研究4种含铁材料对污染水稻土中砷的稳定化效果。结果表明,FeCl3和FeCl2处理降低了土壤pH,Fe0和Fe2O3处理对土壤pH影响不大。4种含铁材料均明显降低了土壤中易溶态砷(WE-As)和毒性浸出砷含量。在最大添加量为8.00 g/kg时,FeCl3、FeCl2、Fe0和Fe2O3分别使易溶态砷比对照降低了86.4%、63.6%、77.3%和36.4%,使毒性浸出砷比对照降低了96.3%、88.9%、70.4%和30.4%。4种含铁材料均对水稻土壤中砷具有较好的稳定化效果,且能力大小依次为:FeCl3FeCl2、Fe0Fe2O3。Fe0和Fe2O3处理使WE-As、铝型砷(Al-As)、铁型砷(Fe-As)向钙型砷(Ca-As)和残渣态砷(RS-As)转化;FeCl3处理使土壤WE-As、Al-As向Fe-As、Ca-As和RS-As转化;FeCl2处理使土壤WE-As、Ca-As向Al-As、Fe-As转化,对RS-As影响不明显。说明Fe0固砷的机理与Fe2O3相似,与FeCl3有一定差异,与FeCl2的差异可能更大。     

Determination of 99Tc deposited on the ground within the 30-km zone around the Chernobyl reactor and estimation of 99Tc released into atmosphere by the accident

Technetium-99 was determined in samples from the 30-km zone around the Chernobyl reactor. Concentrations of ⁹⁹Tc in soil samples taken from three forest sites ranged from 1.1 to 14.1 Bq kg⁻¹ dry weight for the organic soil layers, and from 0.13 to 0.83 Bq kg⁻¹ dry weight for the mineral soil layers. In particular, for the organic layers, the measured ⁹⁹Tc concentrations were one or two orders of magnitude higher than those due to global fallout ⁹⁹Tc. The ⁹⁹Tc depositions (Bq m⁻²), based on the sum of the depositions measured in organic and mineral layers, ranged from 130 Bq m⁻² within the 10-km zone to about 20 Bq m⁻² close to the border of the 30-km zone. Taking the corresponding measured ¹³⁷Cs depositions into account, it was found that the activity ratio of ⁹⁹TW/¹³⁷Cs ranged from 6 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.2 × 10⁻⁴. It was estimated that about 970 GBq of ⁹⁹Tc had been released by the Chernobyl accident. This figure corresponded to 2%–3% of the total ⁹⁹Tc inventory in the core.     

云南个旧矿区Pb污染稻田土壤钝化修复

针对云南个旧矿区铅污染稻田土壤,研究了复合钝化剂S1（纳米活性炭+硅钾钙镁肥）、S2（火山石+钙镁磷肥+有机肥）和叶面硅肥F单一及联合施用共5种不同调控处理 （S1、S2、F、S1+F、S2+F）的田间修复效果及对稻米铅累积的影响。结果表明,5种调控措施对水稻均能产生增产效应,其中两种联合处理（S1+F、S2+F）水稻的增产效果明显优于单一处理（S1、S2、F）;经过1个水稻生长周期,5种调控处理土壤pH值较对照均有上升,土壤酸可提取态Pb含量均有降低。与对照相比,S2+F处理水稻增产29.7%,土壤pH上升0.48个单位,土壤酸可提取态Pb降低45.5%,糙米Pb含量降低80.4%、且远低于国家食品卫生标准（GB 2762-2012）。采用复合钝化剂S2（火山石+钙镁磷肥）基施与水稻灌浆期和抽穗期分别喷施叶面硅肥F的土壤钝化-农艺联合调控措施能有效阻控个旧矿区污染土壤中Pb的迁移,降低糙米中Pb的含量,提高矿区稻米安全质量,可在Pb污染农田推广应用。     

Surface flux measurements of CO2 and N2O from a dried rice paddy in Japan during a fallow winter season

The CO2 and N2O soil emissions at a rice paddy in Mase, Japan, were measured by enclosures during a fallow winter season. The Mase site, one of the AsiaFlux Network sites in Japan, has been monitored for moisture, heat, and CO2 fluxes since August 1999. The paddy soil was found to be a source of both CO2 and N2O flux from this experiment. The CO2 and N2O fluxes ranged from -27.6 to 160.4 microg CO2/m2/sec (average of 49.1 +/- 42.7 microg CO2/m2/sec) and from -4.4 to 129.5 ng N2O/m2/sec (average of 40.3 +/- 35.6 ng N2O/m2/ sec), respectively. A bimodal trend, which has a sub-peak in the morning around 10:00 a.m. and a primary peak between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m., was observed. Gas fluxes increased with soil temperature, but this temperature dependency seemed to occur only on the calm days. Average CO2 and N2O fluxes were 27.7 microg CO2/m2/sec and 13.4 ng N2O/m2/sec, with relatively small fluctuation during windy days, while averages of 69.3 microg CO2/m2/sec and 65.8 ng N2O/m2/sec were measured during calm days. This relationship was thought to be a result of strong surface winds, which enhance gas exchange between the soil surface and the atmosphere, thus reducing the gas emissions from soil surfaces.     

Temporal trends and sources of PCDD/Fs, pentachlorophenol and chlornitrofen in paddy field soils along the Yoneshiro River basin, Japan

In order to understand the long-term behaviors of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl-4′-nitrophenyl ether (chlornitrofen, CNP) in paddy soil, we measured their concentrations in paddy soil samples collected in 1982 and 1984 (1980s) and in 2000 and 2002 (2000s) from the Yoneshiro River basin, Japan. The concentrations of PCP and CNP decreased from the 1980s to the 2000s, whereas the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and their toxic equivalency (WHO2006-TEQ) remained. The major sources of PCDD/Fs in the paddy soil samples were attributed to impurities in PCP and CNP as a result of comparisons of homologue and congener profiles and principal component analysis. Based on the results of comparison of total input and remaining amount, it is estimated that more than 99% of PCP and CNP applied to the paddy fields had disappeared, whereas most of the applied PCDD/Fs and TEQ remained.     

Environmental fate of rice paddy pesticides in a model ecosystem.

The distribution and metabolic fate of several rice paddy pesticides were evaluated in a modified model ecosystem. Among the three BHC isomers, beta-isomer was the most stable and bioconcentrated in all of the organisms. Alpha- and gamma-isomers were moderately persistent and degraded to some extent during the 33 day period. Disulfoton was relatively persistent due to the transformation to its oxidation products. Pyridaphenthion was fairly biodegradable. N-Phenyl maleic hydrazide derived from the hydrolysis of pyridaphenthion was not detected in the organisms though it was found in the aquarium water after 33 days. Cartap and edifenphos were considerably biodegradable, and the ratio of the conversion to water soluble metabolites was very high. There was a distinct difference in the persistence of Kitazin P and edifenphos in the aquarium water. It appeared that the hydrolysis rate of the pesticides affected their fate in the organisms. PCP appeared to be moderately biodegradable. CNP was considerably stable and stored in the organisms though the concentration in the aquarium water was relatively low. The persistence and distribution of the pesticides in the model ecosystem were dependent on their chemical structures. In spite of the limitation derived from short experimental period, the model ecosystem may be applicable for predicting the environmental fate of pesticides.