A microcosm approach to assessing the effects of earthworm inoculation and oat cover cropping on CO2 fluxes and biological properties in an amended semiarid soil

We designed a microcosm experiment to assess the influence of inoculation with Eisenia foetida earthworms and the establishment of an Avena sativa cover crop on biological (enzyme activities and labile carbon fractions) soil quality indicators in a soil treated with a composted organic residue, and to determine the contribution of these treatments to carbon dioxide emissions from the soil to the atmosphere of the microcosm. The microcosms were incubated for 53 days under 28 °C/18 °C day/night temperatures. The addition of earthworms and the planting of A. sativa increased dehydrogenase activity of compost amended soil by about 44% after 23 days of incubation. The metabolic potential, calculated as the ratio dehydrogenase activity/water soluble C, was higher in the compost amended soil planted with A. sativa. The highest total amount of CO₂–C evolved occurred in the soil treated with composted residue and earthworms (about 40% of the total amount of CO₂ evolved came from earthworm activity). The planting of A. sativa increased the decomposition rate constant of organic matter in the amended soil but decreased the potentially mineralizable C pool. In conclusion, the establishment of an A. sativa cover crop and the addition of E. foetida to a degraded agricultural soil treated with composted residue were effective treatments for improving the biological and biochemical quality and the metabolic potential of the soil.     

Efficient use of Fe metal as an electron transfer agent in a heterogeneous Fenton system based on Fe0/Fe3O4 composites

In this work a novel heterogeneous Fenton system based on Fe(0)/Fe3O4 composites is described. The composites with several Fe(0)/Fe3O4 ratios were prepared by two different methods, i.e. mechanical alloying of Fe(0) and Fe3O4 powders and controlled reduction of Fe3O4 with H2. Reaction studies and detailed Conversion Electron M?ssbauer surface characterization of the composites Fe(0)/Fe3O4, Fe(0), Fe3O4, alpha-Fe2O3 and gamma-Fe2O3 suggested that Fe2+surf species are essential to produce an active Fenton system. Kinetic studies for the oxidation of the dye methylene blue, used as an organic model molecule, and for the peroxide decomposition suggest that the reactions proceed via HO* radicals generated from Fe2+surf species and H2O2 in a Fenton like mechanism. The increase in activity caused by the addition of Fe(0) is discussed in terms of a creation of Fe2+surf species during the preparation of the composite and by an electron transfer mechanism from Fe(0) to Fe3+surf during the Fenton reaction to regenerate the Fe2+surf active species.     

The economic benefits of fulfilling the World Health Organization’s limits for particulates: A case study in Algeciras Bay (Spain)

Algeciras Bay is an important industrial and port zone in the south of Spain whose pollution by particulate matter surpasses the threshold levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2005 Guide on Air Quality. This study analyses the mortality avoided and the economic benefit which would be derived from a reduction of the pollution of PM2.5 and PM10 to the levels recommended by the WHO in Algeciras Bay in the period 2005-2015. The analysis carried out shows that the industrial zones, such as Los Barrios and San Roque, are those which have greater levels of pollution and in which the relative risk is greater. The calculations for Algeciras Bay between 2000 and 2015 show 182 deaths which would be avoided if the particulate matter pollution were reduced to the levels recommended by the WHO. Likewise, the economic valuation which this impact has on health is carried out through two concepts: the cost of illness and the Value of Statistical Life (VSL). The result shows that the economic benefit that would come out with the cost of illness valuation is 5,329,110€ and from the VSL is 414,787,113€.

Implications: PM_2.5 has a greater concentration in industrial localities and is linked to the industrial activity. When the particulate matter pollution is reduced to the levels recommended by the WHO in an industrialised area such as Algeciras (Spain), 182 deaths which would be avoided. The result shows that the economic benefit that would come out with the cost of illness valuation is 5,329,110€ and from the value of statistical life is 414,787,113€.     

Heavy metal extractable forms in sludge from wastewater treatment plants

The analysis of heavy metals is a very important task to assess the potential environmental and health risk associated with the sludge coming from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). However, it is widely accepted that the determination of total elements does not give an accurate estimation of the potential environmental impact. So, it is necessary to apply sequential extraction techniques to obtain a suitable information about their bioavailability or toxicity. In this paper, a sequential extraction scheme according to the BCR's guidelines was applied to sludge samples collected from each sludge treatment step of five municipal activated sludge plants. Al. Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti and Zn were determined in the sludge extracts by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. In relation to current international legislation for the use of sludge for agricultural purposes none of metal concentrations exceeded maximum permitted levels. In most of the metal elements under considerations, results showed a clear rise along the sludge treatment in the proportion of two less-available fractions (oxidizable metal and residual metal).     

Convergent-flow tracer tests in heterogeneous media: combined experimental-numerical analysis for determination of equivalent transport parameters

In modeling transport within naturally heterogeneous aquifers, it is usually assumed that the transport equations valid at local scales can also be applied at larger scales. At larger scales, the heterogeneous domain is represented by an equivalent homogeneous medium. Convergent-flow tracer tests constitute one of the most frequently used field tests to estimate effective input parameters of equivalent homogeneous aquifers. Traditionally, statistical approaches applied to groundwater flow and solute transport have provided tools to estimate these equivalent parameters. These approaches are based on a number of simplifications including the assumption that the point transmissivity values follow a multilog-normal random function. Several investigators have found that this assumption may not be valid in many field cases. In order to study the applicability of the equivalent homogeneous formulation in a nontraditional stochastic field, a number of experimental and numerical studies were conducted. The results are used to determine the apparent values of porosity and dispersivity that would be obtained if convergent-flow tracer tests were conducted in a deterministically generated heterogeneous transmissivity field displaying anisotropy in the correlation structure. It is shown that in this particular heterogeneous media, apparent porosity strongly depends on connectivity rather than on transmissivity. This dependence on connectivity questions the theoretical results obtained in continuum equivalent fields to estimate effective porosity.     

H2O2 formation from photocatalytic processes at the ZnO/water interface

The paper focuses on the production of H2O2 by photocatalysis over ZnO in an aerated aqueous phase. The presence of different reductants that increase the H2O2 production in the aqueous phase is analysed; particular attention is paid to nitrite, which has been shown to be the reductant that produces the most significant increments in the H2O2 production. The photocatalytic anodic decomposition of ZnO in the presence of the different reductants is also investigated. From the results obtained, the relevance of the ZnO photocatalysis in the formation of environmental hydrogen peroxide is estimated.     

Kinetics of simazine advanced oxidation in water

Comparison of the effects and kinetics of UV photolysis and four advanced oxidation systems (ozone, ozone/hydrogen peroxide, ozone/UV radiation and UV radiation/hydrogen peroxide) for the removal of simazine from water has been investigated. At the conditions applied, the order of reactivity was ozone < ozone/hydrogen peroxide < UV radiation < ozone/UV radiation and UV radiation/hydrogen peroxide. Rate constants of the reactions between ozone and simazine and hydroxyl radical and simazine were found to be 8.7 M-1s-1 and 2.1 x 10(9) M-1s-1, respectively. Also, a quantum yield of 0.06 mol.photon-1 was found for simazine at 254 nm UV radiation. The high value of the quantum yield corroborated the importance of the direct photolysis process. Percentage contributions of direct reaction with ozone, reaction with hydroxyl radicals and direct photolysis were also quantified.     

Chemical response of the lichen Punctelia subrudecta (Nyl.) Krog transplanted close to a power station in an urban-industrial environment

The lichen Punctelia subrudecta (Nyl.) Krog was transplanted to 22 biomonitoring sites in a northwestern area of Córdoba city, Argentina and tested for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, phaeophytin a, soluble protein, hydroperoxy conjugated dienes (HPCD), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and sulphur accumulation. A pollution index (PI) was calculated for each biomonitoring site. The biomonitoring sites were set according to (1) traffic levels, (2) industrial density and (3) distance of the power station close to each site. The biomonitor's chemical response was associated with industries as well as power stations. Significant differences were observed in sulphur content, MDA concentration and PI values in lichen material transplanted to sites with different industrial densities. The higher values for these parameters were found at sites with high industrial levels. At the same time, significant differences were detected for sulphur content in samples at different distances from the power station, with higher accumulation in samples located far from the power plant. For MDA concentration, effect of different levels of industrial density was observed only at points close to the power station, probably because of higher levels of humidity near the power plant. For PI significantly higher values were observed in samples at points far from the power station and with high industrial density. This shows the additive effect of the principal emission sources that act on the response of P. subrudecta to air pollutants.     

Long-term trends and spatial variability in nitrate leaching from alpine catchment-lake ecosystems in the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia-Poland)

Relationships between catchment characteristics of 31 alpine lakes and observed trends in lake water concentrations of nitrate were evaluated in the Tatra Mountains. Nitrate concentrations increased from background levels <4 microeql(-1) in the 1930s to maxima (up to 55 microeql(-1)) in the 1980s, after which they declined to 4-44 microeql(-1) by the late 1990s. In-lake nitrate concentrations correlated negatively with parameters characterising catchment-weighted mean pools (CWM; kgm(-2)) of soil, i.e. with percent land cover with meadow and soil depth, and positively with grade of terrain, annual precipitation, and the highest elevation in the catchment. The CWM pool of soil and annual precipitation explained together 65% of the current spatial variability in nitrate concentrations. Denitrification and direct N deposition on surface area explained 14% of the variability. Increased atmospheric N deposition and declining net N retention in soils were responsible for long-term changes in nitrate concentrations. Long-term decline in %N retention in soils decreased along with the estimated decline in C:N ratios (from 21 to 18 on average during the last 70 years). An empirical model linking nitrate concentrations in different types of alpine Tatra Mountain lakes to four independent variables (CWM soil pool, annual precipitation, increased N deposition, and average trend in soil C:N ratios) explained 80% of the observed spatial and temporal nitrate variability over the period 1937-2000.     

Selection of an electrolyte to enhance the electrochemical decolourisation of indigo. Optimisation and scale-up

The investigation presented here focussed on the electrochemical decolourisation of a commercial, textile indigo dye, in an undivided electrochemical cell using graphite electrodes. The decolourisation values obtained employing halide salts--sodium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide--and a reductive agent--sodium meta-bisulphite--as electrolytes are higher than those attained when no electrolyte was used. The highest decolourisation value at a low level of electric power consumption was obtained with sodium chloride. Besides, this electrolyte is usually found in the coloured wastewaters of textile industry. Thus, a detailed study was carried out to determine the influence of electrolyte--sodium chloride--and dye concentration on the efficiency of the process expressed in terms of energy consumption and extension of the decolourisation reaction. The scale-up of the treatment with sodium chloride was satisfactorily tested in a 20 l cell.