Correction to: Impact of precipitation disparity on groundwater fluctuation in a semi-arid region (Vellore district) of southern India using geospatial techniques

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13406-7     

Steel mill waste application in soil: dynamics of potentially toxic elements in rice and health risk perspectives

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of great concern in steel mill wastes. Therefore, in order to use them as potential fertilizers in soil, risk...     

The Cramer’s rule for the parametrization of phenol and its hydroxylated byproducts: UV spectroscopy vs. high performance liquid chromatography

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - A linear algebra theorem like Cramer’s rule was used for the analysis of a system of equations obtained from UV spectroscopy, and results were...     

Physiological responses of beet and cabbage plants exposed to copper and their potential insertion in human food chain

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Copper (Cu) can be toxic to vegetables when it is absorbed and accumulated at large concentrations, a fact that increases the risk of excessive...     

Bound pesticide residues in soils: a review

This article is a review of the current state of knowledge regarding the formation and biological/environmental significance of bound pesticide residues in soils. We begin by defining various terms used in our discussions and identifying the types/classes of pesticides which may be added to soil and interact with it. We then consider various soil properties and aspects of land management which will influence the nature and degree of the soil-pesticide association and discuss the possible physical and chemical binding mechanisms. We then move on to consider the role of microorganisms and other forms of soil biota in bound residue formation and the bioavailability of soil-borne pesticide residues. The review ends with a consideration of the significance of bound pesticide residues.     

Spatio-temporal behaviour and mass balance of fluorine in forest soils near an aluminium smelting plant: short- and long-term aspects

With the help of a large number of monitoring sites, the behaviour of F in forested ecosystems of a formerly polluted area (M?hlin and Rheinfelden, Switzerland) could be studied over 30 years. An aluminium smelting plant originated the pollution of this area in the past: however, after the installation of a filtration plant in 1958 the F emissions were reduced and since 1991 almost absent the primary production of aluminium was stopped. The present-day area with elevated F contents (water-soluble F with >20 mg/kg) is restricted to a radius of about 1000 m from the plant. In 1969 this area had a radius of about 3 and 5 km. Between 1969 and 2000 a significant decrease in the soluble F content in the soil was observed together with a substantial decrease of F in the vegetation. The net losses of water-soluble F in the soil were in the range of 35 up to more than 70% of the original concentration and the F losses in the vegetation between 60 up to more than 80%. After the reduction of high F deposition rates the accumulated SOM was decomposed within the observation period 1969-1993. The combined decrease in F and humus led to chain reactions with losses of major elements and a dealumination of clay minerals, i.e. removal of interlayered Al of 2:1 minerals and consequent formation of smectites.     

Profile analysis of organic micropollutants in the environment of a coal burning area, NW Greece

The concentrations and profiles of dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls and polynuclear aromatic compounds in various environmental matrices are presented in this study. The examined environmental matrices are total suspended particles, fly ash and soil collected in NW Greece, an area characterized by intensive coal burning for electrical power generation. Moreover, the occurrence of organic micropollutants in soot after an accidental fire was examined and the possible impact on the outdoor environment was evaluated. Results were statistically treated to obtain information on representative PCDD/F profiles in each matrix and to compare these profiles with the compositional patterns of possible sources from literature. Coal combustion, fly ash and vehicle exhausts appeared to be the most possible sources in local atmosphere.     

Comparison of different physiological parameter responses in Lemna minor and Scenedesmus obliquus exposed to herbicide flumioxazin

The sensitivity of different physiological parameters in Scenedesmus obliquus and Lemna minor exposed to herbicide (flumioxazin) was investigated to indicate the most convenient and sensitive parameter. To assess toxicity of flumioxazin, we used a panel of biomarkers: pigment contents, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and antioxidative enzyme activities. Algae and duckweed were exposed to 48-h IC50 for growth rate. In L. minor, the sensitivity of the parameters was as follows: QN > Oxygen emmision > phiS(PSII) > QP > phi(PSII) > CAT, GR > Pigment> APO > Growth. For S. obliquus, this ranking was as follows: CAT > Oxygen emission > QP > APO > GR > Pigment > phiS(PSII) > Growth > phi(PSII) > QN (from the greatest to the least sensitive). The results demonstrated that the observed toxicity is related not only to interspecific variations but also to the selected parameter.     

The effect of ozone on pollen development in Lolium perenne L

Perennial ryegrass plants (Lolium perenne L.) were exposed in "Closed-Top Chambers" to different ozone concentrations and to charcoal filtered ambient air to study the effect of ozone on the development of pollen. Ozone at ambient (65 nl l(-1), 8h) and elevated (110 nl l(-1), 4h) concentrations affected the maturing of pollen by inhibiting starch accumulation in pollen throughout the anther. Affected pollen persisted in the vacuolated state while normal pollen in the same anther were filled with amyloplasts. The percentage of underdeveloped pollen-determined in transversal sections-was significantly higher in exposed plants than in plants grown in filtered air. Results indicate that ozone stress was responsible for the disrupted development of pollen in L. perenne.     

Decolorizing of lignin wastewater using the photochemical UV/TiO2 process

Studies on applying the photochemical UV/TiO2 oxidation process to treat the lignin-containing wastewater for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), color and reducing A254 (the absorption at the wavelength of 254 nm) have been carried out. The data obtained in this study demonstrate that the UV/TiO2 process is effective in oxidizing the lignin thus reducing the color and DOC of the wastewater treated. The combined UV/TiO2 treatment can achieve better removal of DOC and color than the UV treatment alone. Color removal, based on American Dye Manufacture Index (ADMI) measurement, is greater than 99% if the pH is maintained at 3.0 with the addition of 1 g l(-1) TiO2. When 10 g l(-1) TiO2 is applied, the oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value is reached to result in an 88% removal of both DOC and color. A model was developed based on the variation of ORP during the photochemical reaction to simulate the decoloring process. The proposed model can be used to predict the color removal efficiency of the UV/TiO2 process.