A dynamic compartment model for assessing the transfer of radionuclide deposited onto flooded rice-fields

A dynamic compartment model has been studied to estimate the transfer of radionuclides deposited onto flooded rice-fields after an accidental release. In the model, a surface water compartment and a direct shoot-base absorption from the surface water to the rice-plant, which are major features discriminating the present model from the existing model, has been introduced to account for the flooded condition of rice-fields. The model has been applied to the deposition experiments of 137Cs on rice-fields that were performed at three different times to simulate the deposition before transplanting (May 2) and during the growth of the rice (June 1 and August 12), respectively. In the case of the deposition of May 2, the root-uptake is the most predominant process for transferring 137Cs to the rice-body and grain. When the radionuclide is applied just after transplanting (June 1), the activity of the body is controlled by the shoot-base absorption and the activity of the grain by the root-uptake. The deposition just before ear-emergence (August 12) shows that the shoot-base absorption contributes entirely to the increase of both the activities of the body and grain. The model prediction agrees within one or two factors with the experimental results obtained for a respective deposition experiment.     

Major and trace elements of selected pedons in the USA

Few studies of soil geochemistry over large geographic areas exist, especially studies encompassing data from major pedogenic horizons that evaluate both native concentrations of elements and anthropogenically contaminated soils. In this study, pedons (n = 486) were analyzed for trace (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) and major (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, Si, Ti, Zr) elements, as well as other soil properties. The objectives were to (i) determine the concentration range of selected elements in a variety of U.S. soils with and without known anthropogenic additions, (ii) illustrate the association of elemental source and content by assessing trace elemental content for several selected pedons, and (iii) evaluate relationships among and between elements and other soil properties. Trace element concentrations in the non-anthropogenic dataset (NAD) were in the order Mn > (Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu) > (Pb, Co) > (Cd, Hg), with greatest mean total concentrations for the Andisol order. Geometric means by horizon indicate that trace elements are concentrated in surface and/or B horizons over C horizons. Median values for trace elements are significantly higher in surface horizons of the anthropogenic dataset (AD) over the NAD. Total Al, Fe, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic C, pH, and clay exhibit significant correlations (0.56, 0.74, 0.50, 0.31, 0.16, and 0.30, respectively) with total trace element concentrations of all horizons of the NAD. Manganese shows the best inter-element correlation (0.33) with these associated total concentrations. Total Fe has one of the strongest relationships, explaining 55 and 30% of the variation in total trace element concentrations for all horizons in the NAD and AD, respectively.     

Trace element speciation in poultry litter

Trace elements are added to poultry feed for disease prevention and enhanced feed efficiency. High concentrations are found in poultry litter (PL), which raises concerns regarding trace element loading of soils. Trace metal cation solubility from PL may be enhanced by complexation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Mineralization of organo-As compounds may result in more toxic species such as As(III) and As(V). Speciation of these elements in PL leachates should assist in predicting their fate in soil. Elemental concentrations of 40 PL samples from the southeastern USA were determined. Water-soluble extractions (WSE) were fractionated into hydrophobic, anionic, and cationic species with solid-phase extraction columns. Arsenic speciation of seven As species, including the main As poultry feed additives, roxarsone (ROX; 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid) and p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA; 4-aminophenylarsonic acid), was performed by ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Total As concentrations in the litter varied from 1 to 39 mg kg(-1), averaging 16 mg kg(-1). Mean total Cu, Ni, and Zn concentrations were 479, 11, and 373 mg kg(-1), respectively. Copper and Ni were relatively soluble (49 and 41% respectively) while only 6% of Zn was soluble. Arsenic was highly soluble with an average of 71% WSE. Roxarsone was the major As species in 50% of PL samples. However, the presence of As(V) as the major species in 50% of the PL samples indicates that mineralization of ROX had occurred. The high solubility of As from litter and its apparent ready mineralization to inorganic forms coupled with the large quantity of litter that is annually land-applied in the USA suggests a potential detrimental effect on soil and water quality in the long term.     

A non-policing honey bee colony (Apis mellifera capensis)

In the Cape honey bee Apis mellifera capensis, workers lay female eggs without mating by thelytokous parthenogenesis. As a result, workers are as related to worker-laid eggs as they are to queen-laid eggs and therefore worker policing is expected to be lower, or even absent. This was tested by transferring worker- and queen-laid eggs into three queenright A. m. capensis discriminator colonies and monitoring their removal. Our results show that worker policing is variable in A. m. capensis and that in one colony worker-laid eggs were not removed. This is the first report of a non-policing queenright honey bee colony. DNA microsatellite and morphometric analysis suggests that the racial composition of the three discriminator colonies was different. The variation in policing rates could be explained by differences in degrees of hybridisation between A. m. capensis and A. m. scutellata, although a larger survey is needed to confirm this.     

Soil and litter phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: extractants, metals, and phosphorus relaxation times

Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an excellent tool with which to study soil organic P, allowing quantitative, comparative analysis of P forms. However, for 31P NMR to be tative, all peaks must be completely visible, and in their correct relative proportions. There must be no line broadening, and adequate delay times must be used to avoid saturation of peaks. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of extractants on delay times and peak saturation. Two samples (a forest litter and a mineral soil sample) and three extractants (0.25 M NaOH, NaOH plus Chelex (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA), and NaOH plus EDTA) were used to determine the differences in the concentration of P and cations solubilized by each extractant, and to measure spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times of P peaks in each extract. For both soil and litter, NaOH-Chelex extracted the lowest concentrations of P. For the litter sample, T1 values were short for all extractants due to the high Fe concentration remaining after extraction. For the soil sample, there were noticeable differences among the extractants. The NaOH-Chelex sample had less Fe and Mn remaining in solution after extraction than the other extractants, and the longest delay times used in the study, 6.4 s, were not long enough for quantitative analysis. Delay times of 1.5 to 2 s for the NaOH and NaOH-EDTA were adequate. Line broadening was highest in the NaOH extracts, which had the highest concentration of Fe. On the basis of these results, recommendations for future analyses of soil and litter samples by solution 31P NMR spectroscopy include: careful selection of an extractant; measurement of paramagnetic ions extracted with P; use of appropriate delay times and the minimum number of scans; and measurement of T1 values whenever possible.     

Immunotoxicity risks associated with land-treatment of petrochemical wastes revealed using an in situ rodent model

Land-treatment of petrochemical wastes is a widely used method to dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste by biodegradation. However, no comprehensive assessment of the impact of such disposal techniques on terrestrial ecosystems has been conducted. Despite the presence of suspected immunotoxicants in the soil, wild rodents frequently reside on these waste sites after closure or abandonment. We explored the seasonal sensitivity of the immune system of the hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) to in situ exposures on sites land-treated with petrochemical wastes. Animals were monitored on five contaminated land-treatment sites and five ecologically matched-reference sites in Oklahoma, USA, over two seasons (summer and winter). Most hematological parameters were not adversely affected by land-treatment; however, platelet counts were 26% greater in cotton rats from land-treatment sites compared to reference sites in winter. Significant treatment-related differences were observed in total serum protein concentrations, organ mass and organ cellularity, but these differences were not consistent across the five land-treatment units. Lymphoproliferative responses of cotton rat splenocytes stimulated in vitro were elevated for a T-cell mitogen and depressed for a B-cell mitogen in animals from land-treatment compared to reference sites. The ability of splenocytes to proliferate in response to interleukin-2 receptor-binding was not influenced by treatment. Total yields of peritoneal cells, yield of peritoneal macrophages, and yield of peritoneal lymphocytes were influenced to varying degrees by land-treatment. Functionally, in vitro metabolic activity of peritoneal macrophages was 114% greater in cotton rats from land-treatment sites compared to reference sites during summer. These results indicate that petrochemical wastes applied to soils on these five land-treatment sites had variable immunomodulatory effects in resident cotton rats. Immune alterations for some assays were indicative of enhancement on some land-treatment sites while suppressive on other land-treatment sites, which could have been a function of type and concentration of immunotoxicants present on each site and highlights the uniqueness of each land-treatment site.     

Laboratory degradation studies of bentazone, dichlorprop, MCPA, and propiconazole in Norwegian soils

Laboratory degradation studies were performed in Norwegian soils using two commercial formulations (Tilt and Triagran-P) containing either propiconazole alone or a combination of bentazone, dichlorprop, and MCPA. These soils included a fine sandy loam from Hole and a loam from Kroer, both of which are representative of Norwegian agricultural soils. The third soil was a highly decomposed organic material from the Froland forest. A fourth soil from the Skuterud watershed was used only for propiconazole degradation. After 84 d, less than 0.1% of the initial MCPA concentration remained in all three selected soils. For dichlorprop, the same results were found for the fine sandy loam and the organic-rich soil, but in the loam, 26% of the initial concentration remained. After 84 d, less than 0.1% of the initial concentration of bentazone remained in the organic-rich soil, but in the loam and the fine sandy loam 52 and 69% remained, respectively. Propiconazole was shown to be different from the other pesticides by its persistence. Amounts of initial concentration remaining varied from 40, 70, and 82% in the reference soils after 84 d for the organic-rich soil, fine sandy loam, and loam, respectively. The organic-rich soil showed the highest capacity to decompose all four pesticides. The results from the agricultural soils and the Skuterud watershed showed that the persistence of propiconazole was high. Pesticide degradation was approximated to first-order kinetics. Slow rates of degradation, where more than 50% of the pesticide remained in the soil after the 84-d duration of the experiment, did not fit well with first-order kinetics.     

Enzymatic characterization of organic phosphorus in animal manure

Information on the forms of P present in animal manure may improve our ability to manage manure P. In most investigations of manure P composition, only inorganic and total P are determined, and the difference between them is assigned as organic P. In this study, we explored the possibility of identifying and quantifying more specific organic P forms in animal manure with orthophosphate-releasing enzymes. Pig (Sus scrofa) manure and cattle (Bos taurus) manure were first sequentially fractionated into water-soluble P, NaHCO3-soluble P, NaOH-soluble P, HCl-soluble P, and residual P. The fractions were separately incubated with wheat phytase, alkaline phosphatase, nuclease P1, nucleotide pyrophosphatase, or their combinations. The released orthophosphate was determined by a molybdate blue method. Part of the organic P in those fractions could be identified by the enzymatic treatments as phytate (i.e., 39% for pig manure and 17% for cattle manure in water-soluble organic P), simple phosphomonoesters (i.e., 43% for pig manure and 15% for cattle manure in NaOH-soluble organic P), nucleotide-like phosphodiesters (2-12%), and nucleotide pyrophosphate (0-4%). Our data indicate that the enzymatic treatment is an effective approach to identify and quantify the organic P forms present in animal manures.     

如何推进环境损害评估鉴定与赔偿修复?

<正>目前国内还没有针对环境污染损害及其造成的经济损失开展过专项工作,缺乏一套科学的环境损害评价方法和相应的法律保障和制度体系,使环境污染事件的损害评估和环境资源的修复难以开展,也使环境污染犯罪案件的刑事量刑和民事赔偿缺乏依     

浅析危险化学品环境风险防控管理策略

随着我国经济的深入发展,化学品产业也迎来了巨大的发展机遇,但是一旦处理不当就会给环境带来恶劣的后果。本文主要从我国现有化学品管理制度、化学品现行管理制度存在的问题和危险化学品环境风险防控管理策略三方面进行了分析。