Plant uptake of trace elements on a Swiss military shooting range: uptake pathways and land management implications

Over 400tons of Pb enters Swiss soils annually at some 2000 military shooting ranges (MSRs). We measured elements in the leaves of 10 plant species and associated rhizospheric soil on the stop butt of a disused MSR. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Sb, Cu, Ni in rhizospheric soils were 10,171mg/kg, 5067mg/kg, 4125mg/kg and 917mg/kg. Some species contained Pb, Cu and Ni, above concentrations (30mg/kg, 25mg/kg and 50mg/kg) shown to be toxic to livestock. Most contaminants in leaves resulted from surface deposition. However, at soil Pb concentrations >60,000mg/kg, Equisetum arvense and Tussilago farfara took up >1000mg/kg Pb into the leaves. These plants are not hyperaccumulators, having <100mg/kg Pb in leaves at lower soil concentrations. Removal of soil with more than 30,000 Pb, from which one could smelt this metal to offset remediation costs, followed by revegetation, would minimise dust and hence leaf-borne contaminants.     

Effect of Coal Mine Soil Contamination on the Elemental Uptake and Distribution in Two Edible Amaranthus Species,A. dubius and A. hybridus

The impact of coal mine dump contaminated soil on the elemental uptake by two edible plants, namely, Amaranthus dubius (red herbs) and Amaranthus hybridus (green herbs), was studied by investigating their response and ability to tolerate and accumulate varying levels of elements in their roots and shoots. The vegetation was grown on varying amounts of contaminated soil, viz. 0%, 5%, 15%, 25% w/w using coal mine dump soil. The soil was analyzed for soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic matter (SOM), moisture content, and selected heavy metals. The distribution of six metals, namely, Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, Mn, and Fe, in roots, stem, and leaves of the plants was determined in two stages of growth after 5 weeks and 10 weeks. All soil and plant samples were microwave digested and subjected to heavy metal analysis using the ICP-OES, GFAAS, and CVAAS. The pH of the coal mine dump contaminated soil decreased with an increase in contamination. Both the SOM and CEC values decreased, which increases the availability of elements, by providing more binding sites in the soil. Relatively, the red herbs had higher elemental concentrations than the green herbs. Both plants recorded high manganese accumulation. No mercury was detected in the soils or plants.     

Kelp as a Bioindicator: Does it Matter Which Part of 5 M Long Plant is Used for Metal Analysis?

Kelp may be useful as a bioindicator because they are primary producers that are eaten by higher trophic level organisms, including people and livestock. Often when kelp or other algae species are used as bioindicators, the whole organism is homogenized. However, some kelp can be over 25 m long from their holdfast to the tip of the blade, making it important to understand how contaminant levels vary throughout the plant. We compared the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury and selenium in five different parts of the kelp Alaria nana to examine the variability of metal distribution. To be useful as a bioindicator, it is critical to know whether levels are constant throughout the kelp, or which part is the highest accumulator. Kelp were collected on Adak Island in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska from the Adak Harbor and Clam Cove, which opens onto the Bering Sea. In addition to determining if the levels differ in different parts of the kelp, we wanted to determine whether there were locational or size-related differences. Regression models indicated that between 14% and 43% of the variation in the levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, manganese, mercury, and selenium was explained by total length, part of the plant, and location (but not for lead). The main contributors to variability were length (for arsenic and selenium), location (mercury), and part of the plant (for arsenic, cadmium, chromium and manganese). The higher levels of selenium occurred at Clam Cove, while mercury was higher at the harbor. Where there was a significant difference among parts, the holdfast had the highest levels, although the differences were not great. These data indicate that consistency should be applied in selecting the part of kelp (and the length) to be used as a bioindicator. While any part of Alaria could be collected for some metals, for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and manganese a conversion should be made among parts. In the Aleutians the holdfast can be perennial while the blade, whipped to pieces by winter wave action, is regrown each year. Thus the holdfast may be used for longer-term exposure for arsenic, cadmium, chromium and manganese, while the blade can be used for short-term exposure for all metals. Cadmium, lead and selenium were at levels that suggest that predators, including people, may be at risk from consuming Alaria. More attention should be devoted to heavy metal levels in kelp and other algae from Adak, particularly where they may play a role in a subsistence diets.     

从负载铅的DNNSA-P204煤油溶液中反萃铅

研究了从二壬基萘磺酸-二(2-乙基己基)膦酸(DNNSA-P204)负载有机相中反萃铅的影响因素.考察了反萃剂种类、反萃时间、反萃温度、反萃剂浓度和反萃油水比(VO/VA)对负载有机相中铅反萃的影响.实验结果表明,硝酸为最佳反萃剂,反萃平衡的时间为5 min,低温有利于反萃.反萃过程为放热过程,过程焓变为-942.7 J·mol-1.广角激光光散射和FT-IR结果表明:DNNSA浓度不变时,DNNSA-P204形成的混合反胶团随着P204浓度的增加而变大,负载有机相中的铅以Pb AD形式增溶进入混合反胶团内水相中.经多次反萃后,萃取剂DNNSA-P204对铅仍有较好的萃取能力.当反萃时间为5 min,温度为298 K,油水比为2∶1,硝酸浓度为0.6 mol·L-1时,反萃率可达到70%.     

铜、镍、铅、锌4种重金属对水田土壤藻类的综合效应

为确定污水、污泥的农田施用标准,使用正交试验表L₉（3⁴）研究了4种重金属铜、镍、铅和锌在低、中、高3种浓度下对土壤藻类的数量和种类的影响。混合重金属使土壤藻类的种群结构发生改变,使蓝藻数量减少,硅藻数量或减少或增加,视条件而定,裸藻成为优势种。在土壤－藻类体系中重金属临界值铜为50mg/kg,镍为50mg/kg,铅为150mg/kg,锌为300mg/kg。     

公路两侧土壤中铅的分布规律研究

我们对干线公路两侧土壤中的分布规律进行了研究，得出了公路两土壤铅的一与离公路国边沿的距离符合高斯衰减分布模型，通过比较在正常速率行驶和台速行驶路段的模型参数，对公路两侧土壤中铅含量的影响因素进行了讨论。     

用活化沸石处理含铅废水的试验研究

对用活化沸石处理含铅废水进行了试验研究。探讨了活化沸石用量、废水酸度、接触时间等因素对除铅效果的影响。结果表明,在废水ｐＨ４～１２、Ｐｂ２＋０～１００ｍｇ／Ｌ范围内,按铅／活化沸石重量比为１／２００投加活化沸石进行处理,铅去除率大于９８％。     

南极大气气溶胶中铅同位素比值的研究

通过对电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)的工作条件和参数进行优化,建立了ICP-MS测定铅同位素比值的精确方法,测量了2007—2009年南极中山站采集到的气溶胶样品中208Pb/206Pb、207Pb/206Pb和206Pb/207Pb的比值。结果表明,南极大气气溶胶中铅同位素比值在逐年缓慢地发生线性变化,线性相关系数为0.996 2;气溶胶铅同位素示踪揭示南极附近国家(除南非)释放的铅可能成为南极大气中铅的重要来源。     

Effect of calcite on Pb-doped solidified waste forms in leaching

The alkalinity of cementitious materials rectifies a low pH of leachant to be over 12 in leaching. The rapid change of leachant pH produces the remarked variation of solubility of heavy metals in the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure. The release of lead on cementitious solid waste forms in leaching was observed in the pH range of particularly 12. The release of lead is significant dependant on the changed values of leachant pH. The pH static leaching procedure (PSLP) was implemented for assessing a quantitative measurement of total potential leachability with the continuing addition of acidic leachant up to the point of no change of leachant pH. The release of lead on Pb-doped solidified waste forms (SWF), in the PSLP, was 27.0% of initial concentration at the maximum meq CH₃COOH (about 24.0) added to g dry solidified wastes. In this study, the immobilization effect of calcite on SWF was investigated in the acidic condition by the PSLP. Calcite additions to SWF make a good fixation efficiency of about 92%. Calcite addition abundantly provides the acid neutralization capacity to protect SWF from the attack of acid, with the marked development of hydrated minerals (mainly portlandite and C–S–H) in accordance with the accelerating effect of cement hydration.     

The legacy of lead pollution: (dis)trust in science and the debate over Superfund

Lead contamination is a significant health hazard in communities around the world, but this environmental toxin often remains unknown to residents living near hazardous sites. This research investigates a unique case where residents were informed of lead contamination but rejected official and scientific narratives regarding environmental risks. The case study involves a decommissioned smelter in Colorado. Drawing from data collected over three years, the researchers examine how officials and experts communicated the severity of environmental health hazards. Despite these efforts, residents opposed the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempts to place the site on the National Priorities List for federal cleanup. The government’s framing of science and environmental risk failed to resonate with homeowners, despite the known and significant scientific evidence confirming environmental health hazards, and residents’ perceptions of lead contamination were mitigated by material concerns, including property values and community stigma. Implications for future research on lead contamination, environmental risk, and trust in science are discussed.