Element determination in environmental samples using Z-GFAAS with variable magnetic field

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry methods with Zeeman effect background correction (Z-GFAAS) for determination of As, Sb, Se, Ag, Cd, Pb, Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr, and Ni in water and sludge samples were developed. The measurements using Z-GFAAS and variable magnetic field at the three-field dynamic mode permit the sensitivity adaptation for higher analytical concentrations. Calibration ranges were expanded over two orders of magnitude within one measurement run by the applying three-field dynamic mode of this correction system. There are presented calibration data, furnace programs, modifiers, and microwave digestion programs of the obviously monitored elements in the environmental samples. Very low detection limits (3σ criterion) were obtained. Quality assurance was checked by the suitable CRM. The study brings simultaneous determination of the samples with different element concentration range and different sample matrixes, as an important application information for an analyst working in the area of the eco-analytical research.     

Solid waste disposal site selection with GIS and AHP methodology: a case study in Senirkent�CUluborlu (Isparta) Basin, Turkey

The appropriate site selection for waste disposal is one of the major problems in waste management. Also, many environmental, economical, and political considerations must be adhered to. In this study, landfill site selection is performed using the Geographic Information System (GIS), the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and the remote sensing methods for the Senirkent?CUluborlu Basin. The basin is located in the E?irdir Lake catchment area, which is one of the most important fresh water in Turkey. So, waste management must be regulated in the basin. For this aim, ten different criteria (lithology, surface water, aquifer, groundwater depth, land use, lineaments, aspect, elevation, slope, and distance to roads) are examined in relation to landfill site selection. Each criterion was identified and weighted using AHP. Then, each criterion is mapped using the GIS technique, and a suitability map is prepared by overlay analyses. The results indicate that 96.3% of the area in the basin is unsuitable; 1.6%, moderately suitable; and 2.1%, most suitable. Finally, suitable regions in the basin are determined for solid waste landfill disposal and checked in the field. The selected and investigated regions are considered to be suitable for the landfill.     

Land degradation assessment by geo-spatially modeling different soil erodibility equations in a semi-arid catchment

Land degradation by soil erosion is one of the most serious problems and environmental issues in many ecosystems of arid and semi-arid regions. Especially, the disturbed areas have greater soil detachability and transportability capacity. Evaluation of land degradation in terms of soil erodibility, by using geostatistical modeling, is vital to protect and reclaim susceptible areas. Soil erodibility, described as the ability of soils to resist erosion, can be measured either directly under natural or simulated rainfall conditions, or indirectly estimated by empirical regression models. This study compares three empirical equations used to determine the soil erodibility factor of revised universal soil loss equation prediction technology based on their geospatial performances in the semi-arid catchment of the Saraykoy II Irrigation Dam located in Cankiri, Turkey. A total of 311 geo-referenced soil samples were collected with irregular intervals from the top soil layer (0-10?cm). Geostatistical analysis was performed with the point values of each equation to determine its spatial pattern. Results showed that equations that used soil organic matter in combination with the soil particle size better agreed with the variations in land use and topography of the catchment than the one using only the particle size distribution. It is recommended that the equations which dynamically integrate soil intrinsic properties with land use, topography, and its influences on the local microclimates, could be successfully used to geospatially determine sites highly susceptible to water erosion, and therefore, to select the agricultural and bio-engineering control measures needed.     

Short-term responses of soil chemistry, needle macronutrients and tree growth to clinker dust and fertiliser in a stand of Scots pine

Waste management of clinker dust by spreading it on forest soil was studied in a 25-year-old Scots pine stand on acidic sandy soil. Clinker dust (0.5 kg m?2), fertiliser (N, P, K, Mg, 0.05 kg m?2; N 190 kg ha?1) and untreated soil were applied on 120-m2 plots in four replicates. The fertiliser was included to confirm the nutrient limitation in the stand. Clinker dust increased the soil pH by 1.2 units relative to the pH of 4.6 in the untreated soil by the second year. Soil K and Mg concentrations were larger in the dust and fertiliser treatments. Nutrient diagnostics indicated that needles of untreated trees were deficient in N and K. Fertiliser treatment indicated that the growth of trees was limited by N, since the fertiliser tended to increase needle K, N, N/P, needle dry mass and diameters of stem and shoots. By an auxiliary dataset, no effects of the dust and fertiliser on possible excess of the micronutrient Mn were observed. Clinker dust increased needle K concentration, but due to the N limitation, there was no increase in the growth of stems, branches, shoots and needles. It was concluded that in plots of 120 m2 application of clinker dust at a rate of 0.5 kg m?2 was safe for the 21-year-old Scots pine stand in this trial on an acid nutrient-poor sandy soil during 4 years after the treatment.     

Long-term use of galvanized steel in external applications. Aspects of patina formation, zinc runoff, barrier properties of surface treatments, and coatings and environmental fate

Galvanized steel structures are used in a large variety of external constructions in the modern urban society, and their beneficial properties from a corrosion and oxidation perspective are well known. Less investigated is the extent of their contribution to the diffuse dispersion of zinc in the society and also to the environmental fate of corrosion-induced released zinc. This paper presents long-term runoff rates of zinc from galvanized steel surfaces with main focus on hot-dipped galvanized steel exposed for up to 10 years at nonsheltered urban atmospheric conditions. The long-term capacities of a naturally formed patina and the presence of surface treatments and coatings to hinder and reduce corrosion-induced zinc runoff from galvanized steel are elucidated. The environmental interaction of zinc runoff and concrete surfaces in pavement and urban storm drain systems is highlighted and the high capacity of concrete to retain released zinc presented.     

Assessment of elemental distribution and trace element contamination in surficial wetland sediments, Southern Tibetan Plateau

In order to analyze and evaluate different trace metals on surface water of the Changjiang River, concentrations of dissolved trace metals (Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, Sc, Al, Zn, Pb, Cd, Se, As, Cr, and Hg), major elements(Ca and Mg), and nutrient(NO $_{3}^{-})$ were measured. Samples were taken at 76 positions along Changjiang River in flood and dry seasons during 2007?C2008. Spatial distributions identified two main large zones mainly influenced by mineral erosion (sites 1?C22) and anthropogenic action (sites 23?C76), respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to identify the variance distinguishing the origin of water. Four significant components were extracted by PCA, explaining 74.91% of total variable. Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, Sc, Al, Ca, and Mg were mainly associated with the weathering and erosion of various rocks and minerals, while an anthropogenic source was identified for Cd and As. Although erosion was one source of Pb and Zn, they were also input by atmospheric deposition and industrial pollutions. NO $_{3}^{-}$ and Se were mainly associated with agriculture activities. However, Hg and Cr showed different sources. CA confirmed and completed the results obtained by PCA, classifying the data into two large groups representing different areas. Group 1 referred to the upper reaches which represented samples mainly corresponding to natural background areas. Group 2 referred to the middle and lower reaches including samples under anthropogenic influence. Meanwhile, group 2 was subdivided into three new groups, representing agricultural, industrial, and various artificial pollution sources, respectively.     

Long-term changes of heavy metal and sulphur concentrations in ecosystems of the Taymyr Peninsula (Russian Federation) North of the Norilsk Industrial Complex

The Norilsk industrial ore smelting complex (Taymyr Peninsula, Russian Federation) has significantly impacted many components of local terrestrial and aquatic environments. Whether it has had a major impact on the wider Russian Arctic remains controversial as studies are scarce. From 1986 to 2004, data on heavy metal (Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg, Cd and Hg) concentrations in fish (burbot), moss, lichens, periphyton, hydric soils and snow in and around Norilsk and the most northern parts of the Taymyr Peninsula were analysed. Very high concentrations of Cu (203 μg L?1 ± 51 μg L?1) and Ni (113 μg L?1 ± 15 μg L?1) were found in the water of the Schuchya River close to Norilsk. Heavy metal concentrations in burbot liver were highest in Lake Pyasino near Norilsk compared to other study regions that were >100 km distant. From 1989-1996, Cu (121 μg L?1 ± 39 μg L?1 SD), Zn (150 μg L?1) ± 70 μg L?1) and Ni (149 μg L?1 ± 72 μg L?1) snow concentrations were greatest in Norilsk, but were low elsewhere. By 2004, these concentrations had dropped significantly, especially for Cu-74 μg L?1 (±18.7 μg L?1 SD), Zn-81.7 μg L?1 (± 31.3 μg L?1 SD) and Ni-80 μg L?1(±18.0 μg L?1 SD). Norilsk and its surroundings are subject to heavy pollution from the Norilsk metallurgical industry but these are absent from the greater Arctic region due to the prevailing winds and the Byrranga Mountains. Pollution abatement measures have been made so further investigations are necessary in order to assess their efficiency.     

Heavy metal contents in whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) along a pollution gradient in a subarctic watercourse

Metallurgic industry is a source of serious environmental pollution related to the emission of heavy metals. Freshwater systems are focal points for pollution, acting as sinks for contaminants that may end up in fish and humans. The Pasvik watercourse in the border area between Finland, Norway and Russia is located in the vicinity of the Pechenganickel metallurgic enterprises, and the lower part of the watershed drains the Nikel smelters directly through Lake Kuetsjarvi. Heavy metal (Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb and Hg) concentrations in environment (water and sediments) and whitefish Coregonus lavaretus tissue (gills, liver, kidney and muscle) were contrasted between five lake localities situated along a spatial gradient of increasing distance (5-100 km) to the smelters. The heavy metal concentrations, in particular Ni, Cu and Cd, were highly elevated in Kuetsjarvi, but steeply declined with increasing distance to the smelters and were moderate or low in the other four localities. The study demonstrates that the majority of metal emissions and runoffs are deposited near the pollution source, and only moderate amounts of the heavy metal contaminants seem to be transported at further distances. Bioaccumulation of Hg occurred in all investigated tissues, and higher Hg concentrations in planktivorous versus benthivorous whitefish furthermore indicated that pelagic foraging is associated with higher levels of Hg biomagnification. Potential population ecology impacts of high heavy metal contaminations where mainly observed in whitefish in Kuetsjarvi, which showed depletions in growth rate, condition factor and size and age at maturation.     

The seasonal distribution of heavy metals in Mussel sample from Yalova in the Marmara Sea, 2008�C2009

Concentration of the some heavy metals (Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis from Yalova (Marmara Sea) were investigated seasonally. The mean concentrations of Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in the soft tissues were 4.08 ± 0.67, 5.54 ± 0.59, 156.72 ± 20.18, 3.71 ± 1.14, 2.92 ± 0.51 and 106.23 ± 5.66 mg kg(?-1) dry weights, respectively. There were no significant differences between the metal concentrations among the seasons (P > 0.05). The mean Pb and Zn concentrations were higher than the acceptable limit proposed by International Turkish standards.     

Benthic diversity gradients and shifting baselines: implications for assessing environmental status

The increasing pressure on marine biodiversity emphasizes the importance of finding benchmarks against which to assess change. This is, however, a notoriously difficult task in estuarine ecosystems, where environmental gradients are steep, and where benthic biodiversity is highly variable in space and time. Although recent emphasis on diverse, healthy benthic communities in legislative frameworks has increased the number of indices developed for assessing benthic status, there is a lack of quantitative baselines in benthic diversity that would enable comparisons across broad spatial scales, encompassing different environmental settings and bioregions. By taking advantage of long-term monitoring data, spanning hundreds of stations over the past 40 years, we provide a comprehensive analysis of benthic a, beta, and gamma diversity, encompassing the entire' salinity gradient of the open sea areas of the large, brackish-water Baltic Sea. Using a relatively simple measure, average regional diversity, we define area-specific reference conditions and acceptable deviation against which to gauge current conditions in benthic macrofaunal diversity. Results show a severely impaired condition throughout large areas of the Baltic for the assessment period 2001-2006. All ecosystems are plagued by baselines that shift in time and space, and their definition is not trivial, but average regional diversity may offer a transparent way to deal with such changes in low-diversity systems. Identifying baselines will be of increasing importance given the potential of climatic drivers to interact with local anthropogenic stressors to affect patterns of biodiversity. Our analysis provides an evaluation of the current condition in a system that has been heavily influenced by anthropogenic impact and changing oceanographic conditions, and it provides a basis for future impact assessment and ecosystem-based management.