Micronutrient composition of plants in the Polar Urals under contrasting geochemical conditions

Natural variation in the level of micronutrients in plants and soils of the Polar Urals depending on the types of bedrocks has been evaluated. The contents of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Co have been determined by the atomic absorption method in 156 plant species of 25 families and in 38 soil samples. It has been found that the mineral composition of plant species varies depending on edaphic conditions. Taxon-specific features in the accumulation of chemical elements in plants of the Polar Urals have been revealed for the first time on the basis of a large amount of data.     

Heavy metals in organisms and sediments from Turkish Coast of the Black Sea, 1997-1998

During the period 1997-1998, macroalgae, sea snail, mussel, fish and sediment samples were collected at different stations of the Turkish Black Sea coast in order to establish the concentration of selected heavy metals. Heavy metals analyzed were Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn, Pb and Cu. The results showed that the Turkish Black Sea coast is facing heavy metal pollution. The metal concentrations in macroalgae, sea snail, mussel and sediment samples are very high. However, Cd, Pb and Cu concentrations in anchovy fish decreased, while Co, Fe, Zn, Cr, Mn and Ni contents had changed when compared previous data. The metal levels in macroalgae did not follow the same pattern as concentrations in sediments at the same station. On the other hand, concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in sea snail, mussel and fish samples were related to sediment data in the examined stations.     

Trace metal occurrence and distribution in sediments and mangroves,Pumicestone region,southeast Queensland,Australia

The Pumicestone region is a unique catchment in northern Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland. The region supports a wide range of land-use activities as well as attractions such as nature conservation areas. One environmental aspect that has not previously been addressed in this area is the occurrence of minor and trace metals in estuarine sediments associated with the main estuaries of the region. The trace metals included in this investigation are: vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and arsenic. To determine and evaluate the occurrence and distribution of metals in the area, several components have been analysed: bedrock material, pre-industrial settings, recent estuarine sediments, soils of estuarine origin and mangrove pneumatophores. The 40 sites chosen for sediment and soil samples cover a variety of estuarine settings and represent a range of natural conditions in terms of channel and bank morphology, tidal energy, vegetation cover, relationship to bedrock, water salinity and land disturbance. The chemical, mineralogical and statistical analyses employed in this study enabled (a) establishment of background values for the area, (b) determination of relationships between metals and (c) identification of sites with anomalous metal concentrations. All the metals found in the sediments of the area are sourced from the geological bedrock. The dominant trace elements identified in sediments are Zn, V and Cr. The remaining metals are highly variable spatially. All trace metals are controlled by the presence of Fe and Mn oxides, and by the grainsize of the sediment. Typically, fine-grained Fe-rich materials tend to adsorb more trace metals than sandy sediments. In soils that have developed from estuarine muds, some metals such as Cr, Mo, Pb and As tend to be in larger quantities than in the estuarine counterparts. Some of the elements, which occur in significant amounts in the sediment, have been detected in mangrove tissue (Avicenniamarina) such as V, Cr, Zn, Fe and Mn. Of particular note is Cu, which is present in mangrove tissue in quantities many times exceeding the sediment concentration. The comparative analysis of pre-industrial settings and recent sediments and soils highlighted some areas of metal enrichment such as acid-affected sites where oxidation of pyrite has mobilised metals from sediments; these metals are then redistributed in Fe-rich surficial layers. Disturbed banks within the estuaries are also likely to have low levels of metal enrichment due to boating activities.     

Speciation of elements in sediment samples collected at lakes Volvi and Koronia, N. Greece

A five-step sequential extraction procedure was applied for the determination of the distribution of seven elements (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe) in sediment samples collected at two lakes, Volvi and Koronia, located in N. Greece. Samples were taken in two seasons, and the average concentration of the elements was calculated. The accuracy evaluated by comparing total trace metal concentrations with the sum of the five individual fractions proved to be satisfactory. Based on the results determined at one sampling point in Koronia and two sampling points along the lake Volvi, it seems that the two lakes have not yet been polluted. There were no significant changes in the individual seasonal concentrations of elements in this monitoring period. Cd, Pb, Cu and Cr are associated with the oxidizable, carbonates and residual fractions. Zn and Fe are associated with residual and reducible fractions. The metals that we most easily extracted in the samples analysed in both lakes are Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu and also Mn in the case of Koronia lake.     

Earthquake-related chemical and radioactivity changes of thermal water in Kuzuluk-Adapazan,Turkey

The movements of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) caused two devastating earthquakes within an 87-day interval, epicentered on G?lcük-Izmit (17 August, 1999) and Düzce-Bolu (12 November, 1999). The Kuzuluk geothermal area (KGA) is located in the middle of the epicenters and the distance between the geothermal area and the fault zone is less than 5 km. Hot water samples were collected from two thermal boreholes that supply hot water to the Kuzuluk thermal complex. The water samples taken prior to and after earthquakes were analysed by Neutron Activation and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Particularly, increase in total a and total beta activities, in the content of Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu and decrease in the content of Fe, Zn, Cd, Mn, and Co are significant. The highest values are 75, 35, 12 and 65 ppb for Pb, Cr, Ni and Cu, respectively. The lowest values are 45, 55, 15, 135 and 6 ppb for Fe, Zn, Cd, Mn and Co, respectively.     

江西省耕地土壤有效态微量元素含量空间变异特征及其影响因素

采用Pearson相关性分析、Spearman相关性分析、偏相关性分析、方差分析和地统计学方法,对江西省耕地表层(0~20 cm)土壤有效态B、Cu、Fe、Mn和Zn等5种微量元素含量空间变异特征及其影响因素进行研究。结果表明：研究区土壤有效态B、Cu、Fe、Mn和Zn总体处于中等以上水平,B表现为强变异性,其他有效态元素均呈中等变异性。空间结构方面,B、Cu、Fe、Mn和Zn的块金效应值依次为15.68%、12.09%、87.63%、77.98%和25.27%,表明B和Cu具有强烈的空间相关性,Zn呈中等空间相关性,而Fe和Mn空间相关性较弱。空间分布方面,土壤有效B含量表现出“两边低、中间高”的空间分布趋势,Fe、Cu、Zn呈现出较为平滑的空间分布格局,Mn在空间分布上并无明显规律。Pearson相关性分析和偏相关性分析表明5种微量元素之间存在一定的耦合关系但并无直接相关性。Spearman相关性分析和方差分析结果表明,高程、坡度、pH、有机质、全氮、成土母质、地貌类型、土壤类型、灌溉能力、秸秆还田方式和常年耕作制度对5种微量元素含量的空间变异影响显著(P<0.05)。结果可为江西省测土配方施肥卡制定与耕地资源利用与管理及优质高产种植提供可靠参考依据。 关键词： 江西省;微量元素;空间变异;相关性分析;偏相关性分析;影响因素     

Chemical composition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Juniperus sibirica</Emphasis> needles (Cupressaceae) in the forest–tundra ecotone,the Khibiny Mountains

The needles of juniper growing in spruce and birch forests of the Khibiny Mountains have been analyzed to evaluate the pattern of changes in their chemical composition (ADF, lignin, cellulose, lignin/cellulose, lipids, phenolic compounds, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, N, C, and also Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Zn, P, S, Al, and Fe). It has been shown that the concentrations of lignin, lipids, phenolic compounds, Ca, Al, and Fe in the needles increase with age, while those of flavonoids, soluble and bound proanthocyanidins, N, P, K, Mg, Zn, and Mn decrease. The needles of juniper from spruce and birch forests differ in the contents of nutrient elements, which is explained by differences in the composition of soils. The contents of lignin, cellulose, and lipids in aging needles are lower in birch forests than in spruce forests.     

Heavy metals in water, sediments, plants and fish of Kali Nadi U.P. (India)

The distribution of heavy metals viz., Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the water, sediments, plants and fish samples collected from the Kali Nadi (India) have been determined. The studies have shown that there was considerable variation in the concentration of heavy metals from one sampling station to the other which may be due to the variation in the quality of industrial and sewage wastes being added to the river at different places. The orders of the concentration of heavy metals in water, sediments, plants (Eicchornia crassipes) and fish (Heteropnuestes fossilis) were Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd; Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni > Cr > Co > Cu > Pb > Cd; Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cr > Cd and Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni > Pb > Co > Cr > Cu > Cd, respectively.     

Seasonal changes of redox potential and microbial activity in two agricultural soils of tropical Australia: some implications for soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides

Very little is known of the factors controlling soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides in tropical environments. As part of an IAEA/FAO coordinated research project (CRP) designed to elucidate some of those factors, near-surface samples of two agricultural red-earth soils (Blain and Tippera) were collected from a study site in the Northern Territory. The climate is tropical monsoonal with crops being grown over the wet season from December to March/April. It is important to understand soil variables that may be related to this dramatic seasonality. In this investigation, soil redox state and microbial populations were assessed before and after the growing season with a view to generating hypotheses for future evaluation. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) technique was used to determine overall changes in the solid-state redox speciation of Fe and Mn in soils across the growing period. Fe speciation did not change but approximately 10% of the total Mn was oxidised from Mn(II) to Mn(III) and Mn(IV) in both soils between October 1999 and April 2000. An apparent disconnect between Fe and Mn was not unexpected given the >10 times higher concentration of Fe in the soils compared with Mn. These results have implications for the bioavailability of redox sensitive radionuclides such as Tc and Pu. Similarly, microbial population estimates were derived before and after the growing period. Total bacterial populations did not vary from 10(6) to 10(7) colonies per gram. Fungal populations increased over the growing season from 3-6 x 10(5) to 1-4 x 10(6) colonies per gram of soil. Fungi have the potential to decrease soil pH and hence increase the bioavailability of radionuclides such as Cs. In addition, fungi act to facilitate plant nutrition. This could lead to enhanced accumulation of nutrient analogues (e.g. Sr and Ra for Ca; Tc for Mn), but this effect may be masked by improved biomass production.     

Radioactivity and elemental analysis in the Ruseifa municipal landfill, Jordan

In this study, a low background gamma-ray spectrometer based on a Hyper Pure Germanium detector was used to determine the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil samples from various locations within the Ruseifa municipal landfill in Jordan. The chemical composition of the samples was also determined using a Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer. The maximum and minimum annual outdoor effective doses were found to be 103 and 36muSva(-1) in the old landfill and Abu-Sayaah village, respectively. The annual outdoor effective dose at the recent landfill site was found to be 91muSva(-1). The annual effective dose equivalents from outdoor terrestrial gamma radiation at the old landfill and the recent landfill were higher than the typical worldwide value of 70muSva(-1). Thus, some remediation of the soils on both old and recent landfills should be considered before any development for public activities. This could be achieved by mixing with clean soil from areas which are known to have lower radiation background. The concentration of heavy metals Zn, Cr, and Ba in the three sites included in this study were found to be higher than the background levels in the soil samples of the control area (Abu-Sayaah village). The enrichment factors for the above three elements were calculated and found to be: complex building site: Zn=2.52 and Ba=1.33; old landfill site: Cr=1.88, Zn=3.64, and Ba=1.26; and recent landfill site: Cr=1.57, Zn=2.19, and Ba=1.28. There was a strong negative correlation between the concentrations of the metallic elements (Mg, Al, Mn, Fe and Rb) and the concentrations of Zn, Ba, and Cr. Moreover, a strong positive correlation was found between Zn, Ba, and Cr. Thus these elements were enriched in the solid waste.     

Speciation of heavy metals in marine sediments from the East China Sea by ICP-MS with sequential extraction

Twelve elements (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Sn, Cd and Pb) in 24 sediment samples at eight sites (S1-S8) from the East China Sea were analyzed with the BCR sequential extraction (SE) protocol to obtain the metal distribution patterns in this region. The results showed that the heavy metal pollutions in S4 and S8 were more severe than in other sampling sites, especially Cd and Pb pollution. In the top sediments at S4 and S8, both the total contents and the most dangerous non-residual fractions of Cd and Pb were extremely high. More than 90% of the total concentrations of V, Cr, Mo and Sn existed in the residual fraction. Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn mainly (more than 60%) occurred in the residual fraction. While Mn, Pb and Cd dominantly presented in the non-residual fractions in the top sediments. The metal distribution patterns with depth and the correlations between total organic carbon (TOC) and the total Fe-Mn content were also investigated. The results showed that, for most of the elements except Fe, the concentration of elements in fraction A in the top sediments was higher than that in other depth. The similar rule was also found in fraction B but not in fraction C. Besides, the distributions of V, Cd in fraction B and Pb, Cd, Cu in fraction C might be affected by TOC.     

上海城郊土壤重金属含量的空间变异与分布特征

为揭示城市化、工业化等人为活动对土壤环境质量的影响,选择上海城郊结合部为研究区域,采用地统计学方法对表层土壤样品Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr、Mn 5种重金属的空间变异结构和分布特征进行了分析。结果表明：土壤Cu、Cr、Mn、Pb、Zn均属中等变异,土壤Mn含量服从正态分布,土壤Cr、Cu、Pb、Zn含量服从对数正态分布;半方差函数模型拟合结果显示土壤Mn符合指数模型,土壤Cr、Cu、Pb、Zn符合线性模型、其中土壤Cu、Pb、Zn为纯块金效应模型,反映了城郊结合部土壤污染空间变异的复杂性。通过泛克里格插值可直观反应表层土壤重金属含量空间分布特征,发现土壤Cr、Mn呈岛状,土壤Cu、Pb、Zn呈多岛状分布的特点,工业和交通污染源是影响土壤重金属空间分布的重要因素     

Cypress tree (Cupressus semervirens L.) bark as an indicator for heavy metal pollution in the atmosphere of Amman City,Jordan

Bio-monitoring of air quality in Amman City was investigated by analyzing 36 cypress tree (Cupressus semervirens L.) bark samples from three sites of different anthropogenic activities at the end of summer season 2001. Cypress barks were found to be a good bio-indicator for air pollution in arid regions. Variation in Pb, Zn, Mn, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Cu contents between sites was observed due to different types of activities. Traffic emissions were found to be the main source of heavy metal pollution in the atmosphere of Amman. Lead content was found to be the highest in highly traffic density areas. The industrial part of the city was characterized by high Zn, Mn, Cr, Ni, and Co contents. No significance variations were found in pH values of the bark between the sites. This was attributed to buffering effect of carbonate in the atmosphere originated from soil of the area.     

Revegetating fly ash landfills with Prosopis juliflora L.: impact of different amendments and Rhizobium inoculation

A revegetation trial was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of growing a legume species, Prosopis juliflora L., on fly ash ameliorated with combination of various organic amendments, blue-green algal biofertilizer and Rhizobium inoculation. Significant enhancements in plant biomass, photosynthetic pigments, protein content and in vivo nitrate reductase activity were found in the plants grown on ameliorated fly ash in comparison to the plants growing in unamended fly ash or garden soil. Higher growth was obtained in fly ash amended with blue-green algae (BGA) than farmyard manure or press mud (PM), a waste from sugar-processing industry, due to the greater contribution of plant nutrients, supply of fixed nitrogen and increased availability of phosphorus. Nodulation was suppressed in different amendments of fly ash with soil in a concentration-duration-dependent manner, but not with other amendments. Plants accumulated higher amounts of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Cr in various fly ash amendments than in garden soil. Further, inoculation of the plant with a fly ash tolerant Rhizobium strain conferred tolerance for the plant to grow under fly ash stress conditions with more translocation of metals to the above ground parts. The results showed the potential of P. juliflora to grow in plantations on fly ash landfills and to reduce the metal contents of fly ash by bioaccumulation in its tissues.     

Transfer factors of radioactive Cs,Sr, Mn,Co and Zn from Japanese soils to root and leaf of radish

Transfer factors (TFs) of some selected radionuclides from ten different Japanese soils to radish have been studied by radiotracer experiments. The geometric mean values of TFs (on a wet weight basis) of radioactive Cs, Sr, Co, Mn and Zn for edible parts of radish (tuber) were 0.0090. 0.029, 0.00094, 0.0034 and 0.067, respectively. TFs for leaf were higher than those for tuber. The geometric mean values of leaf/tuber ratios were 4.1 for Cs, 4.9 for Sr, 1.6 for Co, 11 for Mn and 1.9 for Zn. Most of the Cs TFs obtained for andosol, which is the most common arable soil in Japan, were higher than those for the other soils. This might be due to the high concentrations of organic matter and alophen in andosol. The obtained TFs were compared to reference values of IAEA Technical Report 364.     

Environmental geochemistry and pollution studies of Aliaga metal industry district

The Aliaga metal industry district located 50 km northwest of Izmir City, in Turkey, includes many metal factories. The geology of the area is represented by Mesozoic flysch deposits and Cenozoic volcano sedimentary rocks. Tectonic elements are NE-SW and NW-SE trending faults and a W-NW trending fault direction that is important for water supply. Rock, soil, stream sediment, and water samples taken at various distances from the industrial area were analyzed for Fe, Ti, Mn, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Mo. According to the results, the elements in rocks are reasonable for the range of "Clarke" values, but in the soils and stream sediment, they comprise higher values than are acceptable for agricultural activities. Toxicity analyses were carried out in the drinking artesian water of Cakmakli village and wastewater samples of the factories and river water both of which are used for irrigation of the agricultural areas in and around the investigated area. The people should, however be made aware that this waste and river water is unacceptable for agriculture. Additionally, the contamination of seawater in Nemrut Bay is probably caused by contaminated river and underground water running to the sea. The chemical and toxicity analysis of drinking water samples show that they are above accepted standards and harmful. Previous air pollution studies (funnel gas emission analyses) also show that gas emission contains high amount of dust particles with high Fe, Zn, Pb, and Cu concentrations. As a result, all elements analyzed are of great importance relative to problems concerning contamination of the soil, stream sediment, ground surface water, and air by individual metals from uncontrolled processing of some metal factories.     

Chemical pollution: Transfer of chemical elements to the aboverground phytomass of herbaceous plants

Changes in the species composition and a decrease in species diversity and total plant biomass along the gradient of soil pollution with heavy metals have been shown. Data on the concentrations of chemical elements (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Mn, Cr, and Fe) in the aboveground organs of herbaceous plants and the biomass of each species make it possible to estimate the role of higher producers in the incorporation of chemical elements into biogenic cycles in background zones and under conditions of chemical pollution. Plants of the composite family (Asteraceae) play the main role in accumulation of chemical elements. The results obtained indicate that natural ecosystems have mechanisms limiting excessive accumulation of chemical elements into the aboveground plant biomass.     

Strategies of heavy metal uptake by plants growing under industrial emissions

Total concentrations of Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Pb and Zn have been estimated in soil (A-horizon) and in leaves and stem samples of two Mediterranean species (Nerium oleander L. and Pinus pinea L.) growing in an industrial area in Spain (Huelva). Both species showed a different behaviour for the elements studied. Bark and leaves of both species acted as excluders of Al, Ba, Cr, Fe and Pb, N. oleander acted as indicator of Cu and Zn and, needles and bark of P. pinea behaved as accumulators of Cu. The enrichment ratio data indicated that Cu in soil and plant was enhanced with anthropogenic activities, with industrial activities being the primary contributor for Cu. All the other elements studied were controlled by natural source variations, but Pb could also be anthropogenically enhanced. Wood did not accumulate pollutants, with the translocation from bark being rather reduced. Uptake patterns of metals into foliage and bark tissues were more or less the same in both species for almost all the studied elements, which indicates that both plant parts could be indifferently used as biomonitors.     

安徽省土壤氟含量及其赋存特征

氟是生态系统中一种重要微量元素,过量和不足都会影响人和动物健康,人体氟主要来自饮水和食物,土壤氟含量、形态以及土壤理化性质等影响着水和食物氟含量。以安徽省主要类型土壤为材料,采用连续化学提取的方法,测定了安徽省主要类型土壤全氟、水溶氟以及不同形态氟含量,分析了土壤氟形态与土壤理化性质的关系。结果表明：安徽土壤全氟含量1066～1 2367 mg/kg,平均为4852 mg/kg,全氟含量高低排序为菜地土＞潮土＞石灰土＞黄棕壤＞黄褐土＞水稻土＞砂姜黑土＞黄红壤,成土母质是影响土壤全氟含量的主要因素。土壤水溶氟含量042～2248 mg/kg,平均为338 mg/kg,水溶氟含量高低排序为菜地土＞砂姜黑土＞潮土＞黄棕壤＞黄褐土＞水稻土＞石灰土＞黄红壤,北高南低。土壤氟主要赋存形态是矿物态氟,占土壤全氟95%以上,水溶氟、交换态氟、铁锰氧化物结合态氟和有机结合态氟占土壤全氟5%左右。土壤水溶性氟含量与土壤pH呈极显著正相关,与土壤全磷含量呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0660 2和0353 9,土壤交换态氟与土壤小于0001 mm土粒含量和土壤阳离子交换量呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0338 4和0345 8,有机结合态氟与土壤有机含量呈极显著正相关,相关系数为0526 8     

Analysis of soil characteristics of different land uses and metal bioaccumulation in wheat grown around rivers: possible human health risk assessment

The present study was conducted to determine the physico-chemical properties and heavy metal contents in soils under three land uses (agricultural, riverbank and roadside) from areas situated around rivers (Beas and Sutlej) in Punjab, India. Heavy metal contents in wheat samples (grain and fodder) growing in the area were also analyzed in order to find out potential human health risk through wheat consumption. The studied soils under the three land uses were found to be basic in nature with sandy texture, low soil organic matter and other soil nutrients. Comparatively higher amounts of soil nutrients were observed in soils under agricultural land use as compared to riverbank and roadside land uses. The amounts of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Co and Pb) analyzed in soils were lower than the various national and international maximum permissible limits, but heavy metal contents observed in wheat fodder samples exceeded the maximum permissible limits for fodder. The soil-to-plant metal bioaccumulation factor was found to be highest for Cu (3.812 for soil–wheat grain and 1.874 for soil–wheat fodder), which showed the bioaccumulation of heavy metals from soils to crops, and the wheat straw-to-grain translocation factor was found to be highest for Co (4.375). The hazard index calculated to assess non-carcinogenic health risks was found above 1 for children, meaning that the wheat grains can pose health risks to children.