Evaluation of an approach for the characterization of reactive and available pools of 20 potentially toxic elements in soils: part II--solid-solution partition relationships and ion activity in soil solutions

To assess environmental risks related to contaminants in soil it is essential to predict the available pool of inorganic contaminants at regional scales, accounting for differences between soils from variable geologic and climatic origins. An approach composed of a well-accepted soil extraction procedure (0.01 M CaCl(2)) and empirical Freundlich-type models in combination with mechanistically based models which to date have been used only in temperate regions was applied to 136 soils from a South European area and evaluated for its possible general use in risk assessment. Empirical models based on reactive element pools and soil properties (pH, organic carbon, clay, total Al, Fe and Mn) provided good estimations of available concentrations for a broad range of contaminants including As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se and Zn (r(2): 0.46-0.89). The variation of the pools of total Al in soils expressed the sorptive capacity of aluminosilicates and Al oxides at the surfaces and edges of clay minerals better than the actual variability of clay contents. The approach has led to recommendations for further research with particular emphasis on the impact of clay on the solubility of As and Sb, on the mechanisms controlling Cr and U availability and on differences in binding properties of soil organic matter from different climatic regions. This study showed that such approach may be included with a good degree of certainty for first step risk assessment procedures to identify potential risk areas for leaching and uptake of inorganic contaminants in different environmental settings.     

Ability of salt marsh plants for TBT remediation in sediments

Introduction  

The capability of Halimione portulacoides, Spartina maritima, and Sarcocornia fruticosa (halophytes very commonly found in salt marshes from Mediterranean areas) for enhancing remediation of tributyltin (TBT) from estuarine sediments was investigated, using different experimental conditions.     

Inferring episodic atmospheric iron fluxes in the Western South Atlantic

Iron (Fe) and other trace elements such as Zn, Mn, Ni and Cu are known as key-factors in marine biogeochemical cycles. It is believed that ocean primary productivity blooms in iron deficient regions can be triggered by iron in aeolian dust. Up to now, scarce aerosol elemental composition, based on measurements over sea at the Western South Atlantic (WSA), exist. An association between the Patagonian semi-desert dust/Fe and chlorophyll-a variability at the Argentinean continental shelf is essentially inferred from models. We present here experimental data of Fe enriched aerosols over the WSA between latitudes 22°S–62°S, during 4 oceanographic campaigns between 2002 and 2005. These data allowed inferring the atmospheric Fe flux onto different latitudinal bands which varied from 30.4 to 1688 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1 (October 29th–November 15th, 2003); 5.83–1586 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1 (February 15th–March 6th, 2004) and 4.73–586 nmolFe m^?2 day^?1(October 21st–November 5th, 2005).     

Evaluation of the efficiency of a Venturi scrubber in particulate matter collection smaller than 2.5 µm emitted by biomass burning

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Energy demand has increased worldwide, and biomass burning is one of the solutions most used by industries, especially in countries that have a great...     

Contamination Levels and Preliminary Assessment of the Technical Feasibility of Employing Natural Attenuation in 5 Priority Areas of Presidente Bernardes Refinery in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil

Five priority areas of potential impact by contaminants (API) were investigated at the Presidente Bernardes Refinery in Cubatão, São Paulo, Brazil with the following aims: (i) to identify both organic and inorganic contaminants present in soil and groundwater; (ii) to define the environmental conditions relevant for microbial activity at the site and (iii) to evaluate the feasibility of employing natural attenuation for treatment of the hydrocarbon contamination. One area (API 1) was an uncontrolled landfill, where waste materials from the refinery were deposited between 1954 and 1986, and four areas (API 4, 5, 7 and 11) were located in the operational section of the refinery. Soil contamination by regulated BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, total xylenes) was restricted to two samples from API 1. Nonregulated ethylbenzene was detected in one soil sample from API 4, one from API 5 and two from API 1. No soil contained regulated PAH above threshold levels. Several nonregulated PAHs were found in 6 soil samples from API 1, 3 soil samples from API 4 and 1 soil sample from API 5. Site soils contained very high aluminium concentrations, but metal contamination was restricted to one soil sample from API 1, which contained nickel above threshold limits. BTEX contamination of groundwater was due mostly to benzene. Of the 17 PAH molecules tested, only naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene occurred in groundwater. The sum of total BTEX and total PAH exceeded 200 μg/L in only a few monitoring wells in API 4, 5 and 11 and was always below 2.640 μg/L. Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Se, Ag, Tl and Zn were not detected in groundwater, which was contaminated in a few locations by aluminium (mostly below 1 mg/L), lead (<0.066 mg/L) and arsenic (<0.056 mg/L). S, K, Ca, Mg and Fe were present in groundwater in excess of physiological requirements for microbial growth, but low concentrations of N and P could become growth limiting. However, BTEX were efficiently degraded in saturated and unsaturated zone microcosms and nutrient amendments did not stimulate biodegradation rates measurably. The inorganic carbon pool in groundwater was up to one order of magnitude larger than the organic carbon pool. Total inorganic carbon (TIC) in API groundwater exceeded TIC of clean groundwater by factors of 2 (API 4), 6 (API 5, 7 and 11) or 10 (API 1). Most of the inorganic carbon incorporated into groundwater beneath the refinery originated from biodegradation in the unsaturated soil, which contained a microbiota (10⁶ cells/g on average) capable of growth with most of the pure (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) and mixed hydrocarbons tested (diesel oil, gasoline, naphtha, condensate, aromatic residue and fuel oil). A viscous hydrocarbon paste uncovered in API 1 was insoluble in water but dissolved in dichloromethane. Many organic components of this paste were biodegradable as evidenced by weight reduction of the hydrocarbon paste and by the growth of suspended and attached biomass in saturated zone microcosms, where the paste was the only carbon source. This study indicates that monitored natural attenuation may be a technically feasible and efficient means for plume control in API 1, 4 and 5, provided the plumes in API 4 and 5 are not expanding. This technique is not suitable for contaminant reduction in API 11.     

Humic substances formation during poultry litter composting and its influence on the structural characteristics of the compost

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This study aimed to elucidate the formation process of humic substances (HS) during poultry litter (PL) composting and its influence on the...     

Treatment of residual lubricating oil using rice husk-based material as ecological adsorbent

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - One of the most significant environmental problems the world population faces is the inadequate disposal of petroleum derivatives. Lubricant oil is...     

Biological activities of the essential oil from the leaves of Lantana montevidensis (Spreng) Briq. in mice

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This work aimed to analyze the chemical composition and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of the essential oil obtained...     

Strategies for applying gray water effluent on ornamental sunflower crops

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In a context of scarcity of good quality water, reuse is a mandatory practice to increase water availability, thus allowing the exploitation of more...