Genotoxicity of leachates from highly polluted lowland river sediments destined for disposal in landfill

The Matanza-Riachuelo is one of the most polluted rivers of Latin America. The complex chemical mixture of pollutants discharged into the river is accumulated in the river sediments. In this paper, Matanza-Riachuelo river sediment composition and genotoxicity were tested in order to develop a cost-effective, environmentally sound option for disposal and management of contaminated dredged materials. Sampling was performed in a rural area, in a solid waste dumpsite and also in an urban and industrial area. The concentrations of total heavy metals increased from the upper basin to the lower basin. The Ames Salmonella typhimurium test and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 test were performed using toxicity characteristic leachate procedure (TCLP) leachates. The concentrations of copper, lead, and chromium in the leachates exceeded the guide levels for the protection of aquatic life. Low concentrations of organic chlorinated compounds were detected in the leachates. Genotoxic profiles were obtained by testing TCLP leachates from polluted sediment samples with Salmonella typhimurium, Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7, and water sediment suspension with Allium cepa test. No mutagenicity effects on Ames test were observed. Gene conversion and mitotic reversion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae D7 and chromosome aberration in Allium cepa were induced by the sediment samples. Results obtained suggest that dredged sediments could be classified as genotoxic hazardous waste.     

Modification of soil humic matter after 4 years of compost application

Two soil plots, 1 ha each, were amended yearly for 4 years, respectively, with 35.8 and 71.6 Mg ha(-1) yr(-1) of mature compost (CM) obtained from food and vegetable residues. The compost, amended soils, and a control soil plot after 4 years (S4), were analyzed for humin (HUC), humic acid (HAC), fulvic acid (FAC), and non-humic carbon (NHC) content. Compared to S4, the amended soil contained more humified C (HAC, FAC and HUC) and less NHC. Further evidence of the effect of compost on soil organic matter was obtained by the analysis of the humic acid (HA) fractions isolated from both the compost and the soils. These were characterized by elemental analyses and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transformed spectroscopy. The HAs isolated from CM and from S4 were significantly different. The HAs isolated from the amended plots were more similar to HA isolated from CM than to HA isolated from S4. The experimental data of this work indicate that the compost application may affect significantly the soil organic matter composition, and that the approach used in this work allows one to trace the fate of compost organic matter in soil.     

Using textile industrial sludge,sewage wastewater,and sewage sludge as inoculum to degrade recalcitrant textile dyes in a co-composting process: an assessment of biodegradation efficiency and compost phytotoxicity

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recalcitrant dyes found in textile wastewater represent a threat for sustainable textile production due to their resistance to conventional...     

A 13C NMR investigation of CO2 absorption and desorption in aqueous 2,2′-iminodiethanol and N-methyl-2,2′-iminodiethanol

The carbon dioxide capture and release from aqueous 2,2′-iminodiethanol (DEA) and N-methyl-2,2′-iminodiethanol (MDEA) have been investigated by means of ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. We have designed two experimental procedures using a gas mixture containing 12% (v/v) CO₂ in N₂ or air and 0.667 M aqueous solutions of DEA and MDEA. To understand the CO₂–amine reaction equilibria, separate experiments of CO₂ absorption (at 293, 313 and 333 K) and desorption (at boiling temperature, room pressure) were carried out. The ¹³C NMR analysis has allowed us to establish: (1) the percentage of CO₂ stored in solution as HCO₃^?, CO₃^2? and DEA carbamate; (2) the formation of DEA carbamate as a function of absorption temperature and time; (3) the slower decomposition of DEA carbamate than that of bicarbonate. In the experiments planned to test the reuse of the regenerated amines, the absorbent solution was continuously circulated in a closed cycle while it was absorbing CO₂ in the absorber (set at 293 K) and simultaneously regenerating amine in the desorber (set at 388 K). After the equilibrium has been reached (13 h), the CO₂ absorption efficiency is comprised between 84.0% (DEA) and 82.6% (MDEA) and the average amine regeneration efficiency ranges between 69.6% (DEA) and 78.2% (MDEA). Additionally, MDEA is more stable towards thermal degradation than DEA.     

Infrared differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) measurements of hydrocarbon emissions

We report the application of an infrared (IR) differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) system (also capable of ultra violet measurements) built at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), UK, to field measurements of total site emissions (controlled and fugitive) from petrochemical and landfill installations. The validation of the IR-DIAL was carried out via a series of controlled field experiments including comparison to GC analysis and tests against controlled methane releases from a test stack, all detailing agreements on the order of ±20%. In volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements at a UK petrochemical site it was found that the American Petroleum Institute's methodology of the time for calculating the emitted flux underestimated by a factor of 2.4. Also, in a similar field trial it was found that scaling traditional point measurements at easily accessible flanges and valves to represent all flanges and valves on a site led to an underestimation by a factor of 6. In addition to petrochemical examples we also report field measurements from a landfill site to demonstrate the advantageous of the DIAL technique for monitoring area emission sources. In this case study it was found that active (still being filled) cells resulted in significantly greater VOC emission rates (30 kg h(-1)) than closed (≤ 10 kg h(-1)).     

The environmental fate of heavy metals arising from a MSW incineration plant

Pollutant fluxes from municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerators are of a certain concern, especially gaseous emissions from the stack, which constitute the major effluent from the plant. In this work, heavy metals in soil and vegetation sampled in different sites around the plant are compared with those found in the gaseous emissions from an incinerator: the suspected source and environmental matrices are observed together, in order to detect a possible relationship of cause and effect, using statistical methods. The incinerator examined, regarding dimension and technology, can be considered a typical Italian one. Heavy metal concentrations in soil and vegetation show a clear dependence on sampling year; similar behaviour can be found in emission fluxes referring to the same years. A dependence on the distance from the incinerator is also apparent. This study supplies a methodological approach that can be easily extended and applied to other suspected contamination sources.     

Shrines in Central Italy conserve plant diversity and large trees

Sacred natural sites (SNS) are instances of biocultural landscapes protected for spiritual motives. These sites frequently host important biological values in areas of Asia and Africa, where traditional resource management is still upheld by local communities. In contrast, the biodiversity value of SNS has hardly been quantitatively tested in Western contexts, where customs and traditions have relatively lost importance due to modernization and secularization. To assess whether SNS in Western contexts retain value for biodiversity, we studied plant species composition at 30 SNS in Central Italy and compared them with a paired set of similar but not sacred reference sites. We demonstrate that SNS are important for conserving stands of large trees and habitat heterogeneity across different land-cover types. Further, SNS harbor higher plant species richness and a more valuable plant species pool, and significantly contribute to diversity at the landscape scale. We suggest that these patterns are related not only to pre-existent features, but also to traditional management. Conservation of SNS should take into account these specificities, and their cultural as well as biological values, by supporting the continuation of traditional management practices.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0738-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Use of phytoproductivity data in the choice of native plant species to restore a degraded coal mining site amended with a stabilized industrial organic sludge

Coal mining-related activities result in a degraded landscape and sites associated with large amounts of dumped waste material. The arid soil resulting from acid mine drainage affects terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and thus, site remediation programs must be implemented to mitigate this sequential deleterious processes. A low-cost alternative material to counterbalance the affected physico-chemical-microbiological aspects of the degraded soil is the amendment with low contaminated and stabilized industrial organic sludge. The content of nutrients P and N, together with stabilized organic matter, makes this material an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner, fostering biota colonization and succession in the degraded site. However, choice of native plant species to restore a degraded site must be guided by some minimal criteria, such as plant survival/adaptation and plant biomass productivity. Thus, in this 3-month study under environmental conditions, phytoproductivity tests with five native plant species (Surinam cherry Eugenia uniflora L., C. myrianthum–Citharexylum myrianthum, Inga–Inga spp., Brazilian peppertree Schinus terebinthifolius, and Sour cherry Prunus cerasus) were performed to assess these criteria, and additional biochemical parameters were measured in plant tissues (i.e., protein content and peroxidase activity) exposed to different soil/sludge mixture proportions. The results show that three native plants were more adequate to restore vegetation on degraded sites: Surinam cherry, C. myrianthum, and Brazilian peppertree. Thus, this study demonstrates that phytoproductivity tests associated with biochemical endpoint measurements can help in the choice of native plant species, as well as aiding in the choice of the most appropriate soil/stabilized sludge proportion in order to optimize biomass production.

     

On shadow prices for the measurement of sustainability

The objective of this research is to discuss the direction of the bias of the existing estimates of genuine savings (also known as adjusted net savings). Such estimates rely on observed prices and quantities of investment and natural resource extraction. This has two consequences: first, it causes an overestimation of the shadow price of productive natural resources; second, it leads to omitting the depreciation of environmental services and amenities. We use simple numerical models to determine the path of optimal development under different assumptions. We find that the existing estimates of genuine savings are likely to be biased upward for countries with high levels of pollution, and biased downward for natural resource extracting countries.     

The contribution of alkali soluble (humic acid-like) and unhydrolyzed-alkali soluble (core-humic acid-like) fractions extracted from maize plant to the formation of soil humic acid

Alkali soluble (humic acid-like material) (HA-like) (yield of 132 gkgdm(-1)) and the unhydrolized-alkali soluble (core-humic acid-like material) (core-HA-like) (yield of 33.4 gkgdm(-1)) fractions were extracted from maize plants and characterized by C and N determinations, DRIFT, and 1H and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Fresh plants were subsequently incubated for 6 months in an artificial mineral soil, and the HA-like and core-HA-like trends were monitored quantitatively (C fraction content) and qualitatively (spectroscopic approach) in order to study their contribution to the formation of soil humic acid. During incubation the HAC-like partially degraded (loss of 320 gkgHAC(-1)) and partially formed new fulvic-like acids (160 gkgHAC(-1)). On the contrary, the stable fraction of HAC, the core-HAC-like, was maintained (loss of 153 kgcore-HAC(-1)), representing, after incubation, 846 gkg(-1) of the initial core-HAC-like content. The core-HA-like fraction is composed of lignin residues, polysaccharides, lipids and proteins, probably structured into a well-defined network, i.e. the plant cell wall.