Assessment and distribution of antimony in soils around three coal mines, Anhui, China

Thirty-three soil samples were collected from the Luling, Liuer, and Zhangji coal mines in the Huaibei and Huainan areas of Anhui Province, China. The samples were analyzed for antimony (Sb) by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method. The average Sb content in the 33 samples was 4 mg kg(-1), which is lower than in coals from this region (6.2 mg kg(-1)). More than 75% of the soils sampled showed a significant degree of Sb pollution (enrichment factors [EFs] 5-20). The soils collected near the gob pile and coal preparation plant were higher in Sb content than those collected from residential areas near the mines. The gob pile and tailings from the preparation plant were high in mineral matter content and high in Sb. They are the sources of Sb pollution in surface soils in the vicinity of coal mines. The spatial dispersion of Sb in surface soil in the mine region shows that Sb pollution could reach out as far as 350 m into the local environment conditions. Crops in rice paddies may adsorb some Sb and reduce the Sb content in soils from paddyfields. Vertical distribution of Sb in two soil profiles indicates that Sb is normally relatively immobile in soils.     

Geogenic Distribution of Arsenic (As) and Antimony (Sb) in Soils of the Murcia Region in Spain

The objective of this study was to determine the As and Sb contents in soils from the Murcia Region of Spain and the possible relationship between the mineralogical composition, soil properties, and As and Sb concentrations. In this study, 490 samples were selected from areas with different characteristics in order to study As and Sb variability. Results show that As and Sb concentrations are positively correlated with the phyllosilicate and quartz content but negatively correlated with the calcite content. The generic reference level (GRL) for these elements was determined according to the Spanish legislation. Established GRL values vary according to the established mineralogical groups, suggesting that GRL has to be determined considering the lithological characteristics of the study area.     

Sorption and Desorption of Three Endocrine Disrupters in Soils

Sorption of the estrogens estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) on four soils was examined using batch equilibrium experiments with initial estrogen concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 ng mL^?1. At all concentrations, >85% of the three estrogens sorbed rapidly to a sandy soil. E1 sorbed more strongly to soil than E2 or EE2. Partial oxidation of E2 to E1 was observed in the presence of soils. Autoclaving was more effective at reducing this conversion than inhibition with sodium azide or mercuric chloride, and had little effect on sorption, relative to the chemical microbial inhibitors. Sorption of EE2 was greater for fine-textured than coarse-textured soils, but greater than 90% of EE2 sorbed onto all four soils. The greatest degree of desorption of estrogens from the sandy soil occurred with the lowest initial concentration of 10 ng mL^?1 and reached levels ≥80% for E1 and E2. Desorption of EE2 was greater in coarser textured soils than finer-textured soils. Again, relative desorption from all soils was greatest with low initial concentrations. Therefore, at environmentally relevant concentrations, estrogens quickly sorb to soils, and soils have a large capacity to bind estrogens, but these endocrine-disrupting compounds can become easily desorbed and released into the aqueous phase.     

Distribution and Fractionation of Phosphorus,Cadmium, Nickel,and Lead in Calcareous Soils Amended with Composts

Abstract

Composts improve organic carbon content and nutrients of calcareous soils but the accumulation and distribution of phosphorus and heavy metals among various fractions in soil may vary under the south Florida conditions. The accumulation of P, Cd, Ni, and Pb with depth and the distribution of water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate, Fe–Mn oxides, organic and residual forms of each element were investigated in soils amended with municipal solid waste (MSW) compost, co-compost and biosolids compost and inorganic fertilizer (as control). Total concentrations of P, Cd, Ni, and Pb were higher in the 0–22 cm soil layers and decreased considerably in the rock layers. These elements were in the decreasing order of P ? Pb > Ni > Cd. Amounts of water soluble and exchangeable forms of P, Cd, Ni and Pb were negligible at 0–22 cm soil depths except for Cd in the 10–22 cm depth. Amending calcareous soil with either organic or inorganic amendments rendered phosphorus, nickle and lead in the residual form followed by Fe–Mn oxides form in the 0–10 and 10–22 cm soil layers. Cadmium was predominantly in the Fe–Mn oxides fraction followed by the residual and carbonate forms in both soil layers. A significant positive correlation was found between various organic carbon fractions and organic forms of P, Cd and Pb in the surface soil layer. Soil amended with MSW compost had higher concentration of Cd in the organic fraction whereas, co-compost and MSW compost amended soil had higher concentrations of organic Ni fraction in the 0–10 cm soil layer.     

Distribution of copper, lead, cadmium and zinc concentrations in soils around Kabwe town in Zambia

The extent of pollution of the environment as a result of mining activities in Kabwe, the provincial capital of Central province in Zambia has not yet been evaluated. Mining of lead and zinc were the core activities of Kabwe mine while cadmium and silver were produced as by-products. The smelting processes produced a significant amount of copper. The spatial distribution of four heavy metals in soils in the northern, eastern, southern and western directions of the mine was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Samples were collected up to 20 km in each direction from the mine. Results were consistent with the wind flow patterns in the town. Results ranged between 0.08 and 28 mg kg(-1) (Cd); 0.20 and 0.61 mg kg(-1) (Cu); 0.10 and 758 mg kg(-1) (Pb) and 0.40 and 234 mg kg(-1) (Zn) suggesting high precipitation of metals from the core mining activities. These concentrations were for only the fractions of metals extractable by 0.5M nitric acid and that could be available for plant uptake in the environment. The distribution of metals indicated a decrease of metal concentrations with distance from the mine, which confirmed that precipitation due to mining activities was the main cause of soil contamination.     

Detection and assessment of dust mite allergens in an indoor environment in Anhui,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Dust in the home environment is thought to be a potential trigger for increasing allergic diseases, such as allergic rash, rhinitis, asthma, and other...     

Distribution,sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water in industrial affected areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Water samples were collected from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), drain water (DW), major tributaries (MT), and main course of the Yangtze River (MY) in areas of three industrial parks (IPs) in Chongqing city in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Sixteen EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollutants were quantified to identify the effects of industrial activities on water quality of the TGR. The results showed that 11 individual PAHs were quantified and 5 PAHs (naphthalene (Nap), acenaphthylene (Acy), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (InP), and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BgP)) were under detection limits in all of the water samples. Three-ring and four-ring PAHs were the most detected PAHs. Concentrations of individual PAHs were in the range of not detected (nd) to 24.3 ng/L. Total PAH concentrations for each site ranged from nd to 42.9 ng/L and were lower compared to those in other studies. The mean PAH concentrations for sites WWTP, DW, MT, and MY showed as follows: DW (25.9 ng/L) > MY (15.5 ng/L) > MT (14.0 ng/L) > WWTP (9.3 ng/L), and DW contains the highest PAH concentrations. Source identification ratios showed that petroleum and combustion of biomass coal and petroleum were the main sources of PAHs. The results of potential ecosystem risk assessment indicated that, although PAH concentrations in MT and MY are likely harmless to ecosystem, contaminations of PAHs in DW were listed as middle levels and some management strategies and remediation actions, like strengthen clean production processes and banning illegal sewage discharging activities, etc., should be taken to lighten the ecosystem risk caused by PAHs especially risks caused by water discharging drains.     

Particle-bound Dechlorane Plus and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in ambient air around Shanghai, China

In present study, atmospheric particles from Shanghai, the biggest city and the most important industrial base in China, were analyzed for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and Dechlorane Plus (DP). Concentrations of ∑(20)PBDEs and DP both exhibited the changing trend of industrial area > urban areas. Jiading District had the highest levels of particulate PBDEs and DP with values of 744 ± 152 pg/m(3) and 5.48 ± 1.28 pg/m(3), respectively. Compared with similar data in other areas of the world, PBDEs in Shanghai were at medium pollution level, while DP was at lower level, which reflected their different production and use in Shanghai. The results from multiple linear regression analysis suggested that deca-BDE mixture was the most important contributor of particulate PBDEs in Shanghai. The fractions of anti-DP showed no significant differences to those of the technical mixtures (p > 0.05), which suggested that no obviously stereoselective process occurred in ambient air around Shanghai.     

Distribution and Fractionation of Copper in Soils of Apple Orchards (5 pp)

Background Frequent application of Bordeaux mixture, which includes copper, as a fungicide in fruit and grape orchards may lead to copper accumulation in the soil, especially when orchard age and application times increase. The objectives of this study were: (i) to investigate the copper content and its spatial distribution in orchard soils; (ii) to identify the copper fractionation in soil and its relationship with plant uptake; (iii) to understand the characteristics of copper contamination in orchard soils. Materials and Methods Soil profile samples were taken in apple orchards with ages of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30 years and pot experiments were also carried out to study the effects of external copper input on copper fractionation. All soil samples were air-dried, ground and extracted with 0.43 mol L–1 HNO3 for the total absorbed copper. Fractionation determination was conducted following Tessier and Shuman sequential extraction methods, and copper was measured with AAS. Plant samples were first dry ashed, dissolved with 6 mol L–1 HCl and then copper and other elements were measured with ICP-MS.Results and Discussion Soil total Cu was higher in the apple orchards than that in non-orchard fields and was seen to have increased with orchard age. Soil Cu increased substantially with the average annual copper increase, ranging from 2.5 to 9 mg Cu kg–1. The distribution of copper in the soil profile was uneven, decreasing from surface to deeper layers, and the differences were significant, but the contents in every layer were also significantly correlated with those in the next layers. For all copper fractions, the organically bound, crystalline Mn oxide bound, and amorphous Fe bound fractions extracted with the Shuman method were much higher than the exchangeable and residual fractions. Using the Tessier method, organically bound, carbonate bound and Fe-Mn oxide bound fractions were much higher. With an increase in external copper input, the organically bound, crystalline Mn oxide bound and amorphous Fe bound fractions in the Shuman method and organically bound, carbonate bound and Fe-Mn oxide bound fractions in the Tessier method all increased significantly, while the changes in other fractions were not significant. Soil total copper and copper fractions were found to have good correlations with apple tree uptake. Copper in fruit flesh had significant correlations with soil total content in the 0–10 cm layer, all the copper fractions in the 0–5 cm layer, and some fractions in the deeper layers. Conclusion Copper content in orchard soils increased significantly with intensive application of Bordeaux mixtures and orchard age. Copper content decreased sharply from the topsoil to deeper soil layers. The copper contents in different layers also significantly correlated with those in the next layers. Dominant fractions of the copper in soil were mainly associated with organic matter, iron and manganese oxides and carbonates. A close relationship was found between the copper content in soils and in apple tree organs (which contained 8.9 to 66mg kg–1 Cu). Recommendation and Perspective Though most copper in the soil was specifically adsorbed or immobilized, and copper was mainly distributed in topsoil, which was essentially devoid of roots, the copper concentration of fruit still had significantly positive correlations with soil copper and most copper fractions. Therefore, measures must be taken to control copper accumulation in orchard soils and to make the apple fruit production sustainable.     

Assessment of soil lead exposure in children in Shenyang, China

Soil lead pollution is serious in Shenyang, China. The paper brings together the soil work, the bioaccessibility, and the blood lead data to assess the soil lead exposure in children in Shenyang, China. Approximately 15.25% of the samples were above China Environment Protection Agency guideline concentration for soil Pb to protect human from health risk (350 mgkg(-1)). Pb concentrations varied among use scenarios. The main lead contamination sources are industry emission and automobile exhaust. Bioaccessibility also varied among use scenarios. Children, who ingested soil from industrial area, public parks, kindergarten playground, and commercial area, are more susceptible to soil lead toxicity. The industrial area soil samples presented higher bioaccessibility compared to the other use scenario soil samples contaminated by automobile exhaust. The result also suggested a most significant linear relationship between the level of Pb contamination and the amount of Pb mobilized from soil into ingestion juice. Soil pH seemed to have insignificant influence on bioaccessibility in the present study. Bioaccessibility was mainly controlled by other factors that are not investigated in this study. A linear relationship between children blood lead and soil intestinal bioaccessibility was present in the study. Children who are 4-5 years old are more likely to demonstrate the significant relationship between soil lead bioaccessibility and blood lead as their behaviors place them at greatest risk of soil lead toxicity, and their blood lead levels are more likely to represent recent exposure.     

安徽铜陵新桥河上游沉积物重金属污染及潜在生态风险评价

安徽铜陵新桥河的沉积物样中,重金属浓度为Cu〉Zn〉Pb〉Cr,按国家土壤环境二级质量标准评价,Cu、Zn含量已超标。其新桥河的沉积物样中,Cu、Zn的污染参数很高,含量为高风险或极高风险;Pb污染参数较高,含量为一般风险或高风险。同时新桥河的沉积物样中,Cu具有很高的潜在生态风险。     

Distribution of alkylphenols in the Pearl River Delta and adjacent northern South China Sea, China

The occurrence of alkylphenols (APs) was investigated in surface water and sediments from the Pearl River Delta and adjacent northern South China Sea. Most of the water samples contained detectable amounts of APs, ranging up to 0.628 microg l(-1) for nonylphenol (NP) and 0.068 microg l(-1) for octylphenol (OP). APs were found in all of the sediment samples with concentrations ranging from 59 to 7808 microg kg(-1) for NP and from 1 to 93 microg kg(-1) for OP. The Zhujiang River showed the highest concentrations of APs in both water and sediments. Significant decrease of APs concentrations going from the Zhujiang River to the Shiziyang River was observed. The Xijiang River contained concentrations of APs slightly higher in water but relatively lower in sediments than the Lingding Bay, which might be attributed to their different hydrodynamic and sedimentary characteristics. There was a decreasing trend of APs in water from the rivers to the estuary and further to the sea on the whole. In the Lingding Bay and its outer waters, concentrations of APs in sediments increased to a maximum and then decrease seaward, which was consistent with the distribution trend of the sediment organic carbon contents. Linear regression analyses showed the concentrations of APs were markedly correlated with the sediment organic carbon contents, indicating that the sediment organic carbon is an important factor controlling the levels of APs in sediments.     

Occurrence and human dietary assessment of sulfonamide antibiotics in cultured fish around Tai Lake,China

As the most important fishery medicines, sulfonamides are widely used to prevent diseases caused by pathogens in aquaculture. However, relatively little is known about the residues and dietary risks associated with cultured fish around Tai Lake. In the present study, a sampling strategy for a complete aquaculture period was conducted. Specifically, 12 selected sulfonamide antibiotics were measured among 116 fish samples recruited from four sampling periods, four species, four areas, and 18 fish ponds. All 12 antibiotics were detected at detection frequencies of 4.31–28.45%. Total sulfonamides were detected in 77.59% of the fish samples, with 57.76% of fish samples containing from 0.1 to 10 μg kg^?1. Sulfadiazine (SDZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMZ), sulfamethazine (SDD), and sulfamonomethoxine (SMM) were the main types of antibiotics used, and these were present at high concentrations (>100 μg kg^?1) with high occurrences, especially in the middle of the aquaculture season. Dietary assessment showed that residual antibiotics in all fish that were being sent to market were far below the maximum residue limit (MRL) of total sulfonamides and that there was almost no risk associated with fish consumption. The results of the present study will facilitate development of effective measures to produce safe aquatic products and meaningful suggestions for consuming aquatic products.     

Assessment of heavy metal content,distribution, and sources in Nansi Lake sediments,China

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Much attention has been paid to the heavy metal contamination of lake sediments in rapidly developing regions. In this study, heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Co,...     

Occurrence of veterinary antibiotics in animal wastewater and surface water around farms in Jiangsu Province, China

The objective of this investigation was to obtain a broad profile of veterinary antibiotics residues in animal wastewater and surface water around large-scale livestock and poultry farms in Jiangsu Province of China. Therefore, 53 samples collected from 27 large-scale animal farms in 11 cities and counties of Jiangsu Province in 2009, were monitored for 10 selected veterinary antibiotics using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) techniques. Ten veterinary antibiotics were found in animal wastewaters, eight antibiotics were detected in pond waters, and animal farm-effluents and river water samples were contaminated by nine antibiotics. The most frequently detected antibiotics were sulfamethazine (75%), oxytetracycline (64%), tetracycline (60%), sulfadiazine (55%) and sulfamethoxazole (51%) which were detected with a maximum concentration of 211, 72.9, 10.3, 17.0 and 63.6 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The maximum concentration of 0.55 μg L⁻¹ for cyromazine, 3.67 μg L⁻¹ for chlortetracycline, 0.63 μg L⁻¹ for sulfadoxine, 39.5 μg L⁻¹ for doxycycline and 0.64 μg L⁻¹ for sulfaquinoxaline were determined in the collected samples. In general, the maximum concentration of the selected veterinary antibiotics was detected in animal wastewaters except for chlortetracycline in animal farm-effluents. In addition, residue levels of selected veterinary antibiotics in animal wastewater and surface water around the farms were related to animal species and have a high spatial variation.     

Assessment of major food crops production-based environmental efficiency in China,India, and Pakistan

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Global warming and food security have led to increasing concern about agricultural crop production efficiency, especially wheat and rice farming. The...     

Distribution of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in tailings,soils, and plants around Gol-E-Gohar iron mine,a case study in Iran

This study investigated the concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) including Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn in 102 soils (in the Near and Far areas of the mine), 7 tailings, and 60 plant samples (shoots and roots of Artemisia sieberi and Zygophylum species) collected at the Gol-E-Gohar iron ore mine in Iran. The elemental concentrations in tailings and soil samples (in Near and Far areas) varied between 7.4 and 35.8 mg kg^?1 for As (with a mean of 25.39 mg kg^?1 for tailings), 7.9 and 261.5 mg kg^?1 (mean 189.83 mg kg^?1 for tailings) for Co, 17.7 and 885.03 mg kg^?1 (mean 472.77 mg kg^?1 for tailings) for Cu, 12,500 and 400,000 mg kg^?1 (mean 120,642.86 mg kg^?1 for tailings) for Fe, and 28.1 and 278.1 mg kg^?1 (mean 150.29 mg kg^?1 for tailings) for Ni. A number of physicochemical parameters and pollution index for soils were determined around the mine. Sequential extractions of tailings and soil samples indicated that Fe, Cr, and Co were the least mobile and that Mn, Zn, Cu, and As were potentially available for plants uptake. Similar to soil, the concentration of Al, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, and Zn in plant samples decreased with the distance from the mining/processing areas. Data on plants showed that metal concentrations in shoots usually exceeded those in roots and varied significantly between the two investigated species (Artemisia sieberi > Zygophylum). All the reported results suggest that the soil and plants near the iron ore mine are contaminated with PTEs and that they can be potentially dispersed in the environment via aerosol transport and deposition.     

Assessment of vehicular pollution in China

As the motor vehicle population in China continues to increase at an annual rate of approximately 15%, air pollution related to vehicular emissions has become the focus of attention, especially in large cities. There is an urgent need to identify the severity of this pollution in China. Based on an investigation into vehicle service characteristics, this study used a series of driving cycle tests of in-use Chinese motor vehicles for their emission factors in laboratories, which indicated that CO and HC emission factors are 5-10 times higher, and NOx 2-5 times higher, than levels in developed countries. The MOBILE5 model was adapted to the Chinese situation and used to calculate the emission of pollutants from motor vehicles. Results show that vehicle emission is concentrated in major cities, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Tianjin. Motor vehicle emissions contribute a significant proportion of pollutants in those cities, with contribution rates of CO and NOx greater than 80% and 40%, respectively, in Beijing and Guangzhou. Urban air quality is far worse than the national ambient air quality standard. In conclusion, although China has a relatively small number of motor vehicles, most of them are concentrated within metropolitan areas, and their emissions are closely related to urban air pollution problems in large cities.     

Distribution,fate, and risk assessment of antibiotics in five wastewater treatment plants in Shanghai,China

The project studied the occurrence, fate, and seasonal variation of 14 antibiotics, from five wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Shanghai. The results indicated that ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and oxytetracycline were the predominant antibiotics, with maximum concentrations of 1208.20, 959.13, and 564.30 ng/L in influents, while 916.88, 106.60, and 337.81 ng/L in effluents, respectively. The level of antibiotics in WWTPs obviously varied with seasonal changes, and higher detectable frequencies and concentrations were found in winter. The daily mass loads per capita of amoxicillin, enrofloxacin, and oxytetracycline in the study were all higher than those in other regions/countries, such as Hong Kong, Australia, and Italy. The elimination of antibiotics through these WWTPs was incomplete, and a wide range of removal efficiencies during the different treatment process and seasons were observed (?500.56 to 100 % in winter and ?124.24 to 94.21 % in summer). Sulfonamides were relatively easy to be removed in WWTPs and the ultraviolet (UV) process can effectively improve the removal efficiency. Risk assessment of antibiotics in effluents was estimated. Only AMOX’s hazard quotient (HQ) was higher than 0.01. Even though the environmental risks in the study were estimated to be low, the potential negative effects on aquatic ecosystems should call our attention as continually discharge in the long term.