Hazard and Effects of Pollution by Lead on Vegetable Crops

Lead (Pb) contamination of the environment is an important human health problem. Children are vulnerable to Pb toxicity; it causes damage to the central nervous system and, in some extreme cases, can cause death. Lead is widespread, especially in the urban environment, and is present in the atmosphere, soil, water and food. Pb tends to accumulate in surface soil because of its low solubility, mobility, and relative freedom from microbial degradation of this element in the soil. Lead is present in soil as a result to weathering and other pedogenic processes acting on the soil parent material; or from pollution arising caused by the anthropogenic activities; such as mining, smelting and waste disposal; or through the adoption of the unsafe and unethical agricultural practices such as using of sewage sludge, and waste water in production of vegetable crops or cultivation of vegetables near highways and industry regions. Lead concentrations are generally higher in the leafy vegetables than the other vegetables. Factors affecting lead uptake included its concentration in the soil, soil pH, soil type, organic matter content, plant species, and unsafe agriculture practices. Generally, as Pb concentration increased; dry matter yields of roots, stems and leaves as well as total yield decreased. The mechanism of growth inhibition by lead involve: a decrease in number of dividing cells, a reduction on chlorophyll synthesis, induced water stress to plants, and decreased NO ₃ ^- uptake, reduced nitrate and nitrite reductase activity, a direct effect of lead on protein synthesis, a decrease on the uptake and concentration of nutrients in plants. The strategies to minimize Pb hazard can be represented in: (a) Phytoremediation, through natural plants are able to bio-accumulate Pb in their above–ground parts, which are then harvested for removal such as, using Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea), Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabium), or Poplar trees, which sequester lead in its biomass. (b) Good and ethical agricultural practices such as cultivation of vegetables crops as far from busy streets or highways and industry regions as well as nonuse of sewage sludge and waste water in cultivated soils. (c) Increasing the absorptive capacity of the soil by adding organic matter and humic acid. (d) Growing vegetable crops and cultivars with a low potential to accumulate lead, especially in soils exposed to atmospheric pollution. (e) Washing of leafy vegetables by water containing 1 % vinegar or peeling roots, tubers, and some fruits of vegetables before consumption may be an important factor in reducing the lead concentration.     

Experimental investigation of gas explosion in single vessel and connected vessels

Gas explosion in connected vessels usually leads to high pressure and high rate of pressure increase which the vessels and pipes can not tolerate. Severe human casualties and property losses may occur due to the variation characteristics of gas explosion pressure in connected vessels. To determine gas explosion strength, an experimental testing system for methane and air mixture explosion in a single vessel, in a single vessel connected a pipe and in connected vessels has been set up. The experiment apparatus consisted of two spherical vessels of 350 mm and 600 mm in diameter, three connecting pipes of 89 mm in diameter and 6 m in length. First, the results of gas explosion pressure in a single vessel and connected vessels were compared and analyzed. And then the development of gas explosion, its changing characteristics and relevant influencing factors were analyzed. When gas explosion occurs in a single vessel, the maximum explosion pressure and pressure growth rate with ignition at the center of a spherical vessel are higher than those with ignition on the inner-wall of the vessel. In conclusion, besides ignition source on the inner wall, the ignition source at the center of the vessels must be avoided to reduce the damage level. When the gas mixture is ignited in the large vessel, the maximum explosion pressure and explosion pressure rising rate in the small vessel raise. And the maximum explosion pressure and pressure rising rate in connected vessels are higher than those in the single containment vessel. So whenever possible, some isolation techniques, such as fast-acting valves, rotary valves, etc., might be applied to reduce explosion strength in the integrated system. However, when the gas mixture is ignited in the small vessel, the maximum explosion pressures in the large vessel and in the small vessel both decrease. Moreover, the explosion pressure is lower than that in the single vessel. When gas explosion happens in a single vessel connected to a pipe, the maximum explosion pressure occurs at the end of the pipe if the gas mixture is ignited in the spherical vessel. Therefore, installing a pipe into the system can reduce the maximum explosion pressure, but it also causes the explosion pressure growth rate to increase.     

Methods for more accurate determination of explosion severity parameters

Accurate determination of explosion severity parameters (p_max, (dp/dt)_max, and K_St) is essential for dust explosion assessment, identification of mitigation strategy, and design of mitigation measure of proper capacity. The explosion severity parameters are determined according to standard methodology however variety of dust handled and operation circumstances may create practical challenge on the optimal test method and subsequent data interpretation. Two methods are presented: a statistical method, which considers all test results in determination of explosion severity parameters and a method that corrects the results for differences of turbulence intensity. The statistical method also calculates experimental error (uncertainty) that characterises the experimental spread, allows comparison to other dust samples and may define quality determination threshold. The correction method allows to reduce discrepancies between results from 1 m³ vessel and 20-l sphere caused by difference in the turbulence intensity level. Additionally new experimental test method for difficult to inject samples together with its analysis is described. Such method is a versatile tool for explosion interpretation in test cases where different dispersion nozzle is used (various turbulence level in the test chamber) because of either specific test requirements or being “difficult dust sample”.     

Ecological effects of various toxic agents on the aquatic microcosm in comparison with acute ionizing radiation

The purpose of this study was an evaluation of the effect levels of various toxic agents compared with acute doses of ionizing radiation for the experimental model ecosystem, i.e., microcosm mimicking aquatic microbial communities. For this purpose, the authors used the microcosm consisting of populations of the flagellate alga Euglena gracilis as a producer, the ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila as a consumer and the bacterium Escherichia coli as a decomposer. Effects of aluminum and copper on the microcosm were investigated in this study, while effects of gamma-rays, ultraviolet radiation, acidification, manganese, nickel and gadolinium were reported in previous studies. The microcosm could detect not only the direct effects of these agents but also the community-level effects due to the interspecies interactions or the interactions between organisms and toxic agents. The authors evaluated doses or concentrations of each toxic agent which had the following effects on the microcosm: (1) no effects; (2) recognizable effects, i.e., decrease or increase in the cell densities of at least one species; (3) severe effects, i.e., extinction of one or two species; and (4) destructive effects, i.e., extinction of all species. The resulting effects data will contribute to an ecological risk assessment of the toxic agents compared with acute doses of ionizing radiation.     

Evaluation of the macroalga,muskgrass, for the phytoremediation of selenium-contaminated agricultural drainage water by microcosms

Previous field studies suggested that the macroalga, muskgrass (Chara canescens Desv. & Lois), plays an important role in the removal of selenium (Se) from agricultural drainage water. This study evaluated the efficiency of Se removal from drainage water by muskgrass-vegetated wetland microcosms, and determined the extent to which muskgrass removed Se through phytoextraction and biovolatilization. Six flow-through wetland microcosms were continuously supplied with drainage water containing an average Se concentration of 22 microg L(-1) over a 24-d experimental period. The Se mass input and outflow and the rate of Se volatilization were monitored daily for each microcosm. Three microcosms containing muskgrass reduced the daily mass Se input in the inflow drainage water by 72.1%; this compared with a reduction of 50.6% of the mass Se input for three unvegetated control microcosms. Selenium accumulated in muskgrass tissues accounted for 1.9% of the total mass Se input in the microcosm, followed by 0.5% via biological volatilization. The low rates of Se volatilization from selenate-supplied muskgrass, which were 10-fold less than from selenite, were probably due to a major rate limitation in the reduction of selenate to organic forms of Se in muskgrass. This conclusion was derived from X-ray absorption spectroscopy speciation analysis, which showed that muskgrass treated with selenite contained 91% of the total Se in organic forms (selenoethers and diselenides), compared with 47% in muskgrass treated with selenate.     

Environmental Impacts of the Emerging Digital Economy: The E-for-Environment E-Commerce?

The Internet-led digital economy is changing both the production and consumption patterns at the global scale. Although great potential exists to harness information technology in general and the Internet in particular and improve the environment, possible negative impacts of e-commerce on the environment should also be considered and dealt with. In this forum, we discuss both the potential positive and negative impacts of e-commerce. Drawing from insights gained from the complexity theory, we also delineate some broad contours for environmental policies in the information age. Given the paradoxical nature of technological innovations, we want to caution the scientific community and policymakers not to treat the Internet as the Holy Grail for environmental salvation.     

Destruction of fecal bacteria in wastewater by three photosensitizers

Agriculture in Tunisia faces acute problems of water quality and quantity caused by limited conventional water resources. One possibility to cope with low water resources is to purify wastewater for reuse. Among different methods for the disinfection of wastewater, the inactivation of fecal coliforms using a combination of a photosensitiser (Rose Bengal, Methylene Blue, cationic porphyrin) with sunlight was determined on a small scale. In parallel the sensitizer photobleaching was also followed under the same conditions. The results described in this paper show that the meso-substituted cationic porphyrin is more efficient and more photostable than Methylene Blue and Rose Bengal in wastewater. A lower cationic porphyrin concentration, 1 microM, resulted in very little cell death. Higher concentrations, 5 microM or 10 microM, produced more cell death. Nevertheless there was a small difference between concentrations 5 and 10 microM. By increasing the duration of irradiation we can improve the log reduction in bacteria and compensate for a low concentration of sensitizer or for a less efficient type of sensitizer. The same log reduction in fecal bacteria was obtained with 5 and 10 microM of cationic porphyrin during the fourth hour of treatment.     

Determining effective interfacial tension and predicting finger spacing for DNAPL penetration into water-saturated porous media

The difficulty in determining the effective interfacial tension limits the prediction of the wavelength of fingering of immiscible fluids in porous media. A method to estimate the effective interfacial tension using fractal concepts was presented by Chang et al. [Water Resour. Res. 30 (1994) 125]. We modified the method in that the macroscopic interface length was used instead of the system width. Methods to determine the macroscopic and the microscopic interface length are given. Lab experiments of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) penetrating into water-saturated glass beads were carried out in a two-dimensional (2-D) transparent chamber. The displacement processes were recorded using a 35-mm camera or a video camera, which was directly connected to and controlled by a computer. Unlike the method of Chang et al. (1994), the modified method used here gives a constant value of the effective interfacial tension over time. The predicted wavelengths of fingering are relatively close to those observed except for the fine beads.     

A two-dimensional water-quality model for a winding and topographically complicated river

In this paper, a two-dimensional numerical calculation algorithm for water-quality modeling is presented. The algorithm is designed specifically for river systems with complicated geometric conditions. When velocity field data of the river are not available, the numerical calculation algorithm for the water-quality modeling can be used to project river-water quality by using a topographic map of the river course and a finite element method. The calculation results of the water-quality model can show the concentration fields of various pollutants. The water-quality model was applied to a case-study in the Hengyang City section of Xiangjiang River in Hunan Province, China. The river under consideration is winding and has an isle between two branches. In 1995, Chinese government secured a World Bank loan to conduct a Waterways Project in the study region. It was expected that construction works in the river section might affect water quality. Given that the project would change the hydrological regime of the river system and discharges, and so would affect water quality, there would be a need for model results that would predict the water-quality impacts of the Waterways Project. In particular, the study intended to apply the model to identify changes in river-water quality associated with the construction of Dayuandu navigation key project. It is hoped that the numerical calculation algorithm for the water-quality modeling presented in this paper can also be applied to other shallow rivers with similar topographical conditions.