Extent and causes of 3D spatial variations in potential N mineralization and the risk of ammonium and nitrate leaching from an N-impacted permanent grassland near York, UK

Changes in the dynamics of inorganic N species transformations with depth have been investigated for seven soil profiles from a nitrogen-impacted ancient grassland on a nature reserve outside York in the UK, using incubation experiments. In five of the profiles, both ammonification and nitrification are occurring below the rooting zone, probably partly in response to the low C:N ratio in the soils. This contributes to elevated nitrate concentrations found in an adjacent stream. Accumulation of ammonium during incubation in the sub-soils of these five profiles suggests a high probability of ammonium leaching down the profiles as ammonium inputs and outputs at a given depth approach equilibrium. This ammonium may also be nitrified at depth. However, in the two profiles with the most acidic surface horizons, net mineralization was negligible or negative; some initial ammonium-N and ammonium-N produced during incubation were nitrified, so the loss in ammonium-N was closely balanced by nitrate-N production.     

Thioarsenate formation upon dissolution of orpiment and arsenopyrite

Thioarsenates were previously determined as dominant species in geothermal and mineral waters with excess sulfide. Here, we used batch leaching experiments to determine their formation upon weathering or industrial leaching of the arsenic-sulfide minerals orpiment (As₂S₃) and arsenopyrite (FeAsS) under different pH and oxygen conditions. Under acidic conditions, as expected based on their known kinetic instability at low pH, no thioarsenates formed in either of the two mineral systems. Under neutral to alkaline conditions, orpiment dissolution yielded mono-, di- and trithioarsenate which accounted for up to 43-55% of total arsenic. Thioarsenate formation upon arsenopyrite dissolution was low at neutral (4%) but significant at alkaline pH, especially under suboxic to sulfidic conditions (20-43%, mainly as monothioarsenate). In contrast to orpiment, we postulate that recombination of arsenite and sulfide in solution is of minor importance for monothioarsenate formation during alkaline arsenopyrite dissolution. We propose instead that hydroxyl physisorption lead to formation of As-OH-S surface complexes by transposition of hydroxyl anions to arsenic or iron sites. Concurrently formed ironhydroxides could provide re-sorption sites for the freshly released monothioarsenate. However, sorption experiments with goethite showed slower sorption kinetics of monothioarsenate compared to arsenite, but comparable with arsenate. The discovery that thioarsenates are released by natural weathering and industrial leaching processes and that, once they are released, have a higher mobility than the commonly-investigated species arsenite and arsenate requires future studies to consider them when assessing arsenic release in sulfidic natural or mining-impacted environments.     

磷肥钝化修复重金属污染土壤及其环境风险

磷肥广泛应用于农田重金属污染土壤钝化修复,但不同类型磷肥对多种重金属复合污染土壤的修复效果及其环境风险尚不明确。通过室内土壤培养和土柱淋溶模拟实验,研究枸溶性磷肥-钙镁磷肥(CMP)和水溶性磷肥-磷酸二氢钾(MPP)对重金属Pb、Cd、Cu、Zn复合污染土壤的钝化效果以及磷在土壤剖面中的淋溶损失特征。结果表明,CMP和MPP施用量(以P₂O₅计)为8 g·kg⁻¹时,Pb、Cd的钝化率分别为35.05%和71.72%、31.76%和40.99%,而Cu、Zn则出现一定程度的活化(最高达29.62%)。MPP对Pb的钝化效果显著优于CMP,但对Cd而言,2者差异不明显,且磷肥用量的成倍增加并不能显著提升钝化效果。土柱中土壤全磷、有效磷和淋溶液总磷的质量分数均随着深度(20~65 cm)递增而显著下降,且在某一深度上随着施磷量(1~8 g·kg⁻¹)的增加而显著升高。MPP在高用量下造成的磷淋溶风险显著大于CMP。采用磷肥钝化修复复合重金属污染土壤应综合重金属类型、钝化效果以及潜在的磷流失风险,选择适当的磷肥种类和用量。本研究结果可为磷肥钝化修复重金属污染土壤提供参考。     

Characterizing sources of nitrate leaching from an irrigated dairy farm in Merced County, California

Dairy farms comprise a complex landscape of groundwater pollution sources. The objective of our work is to develop a method to quantify nitrate leaching to shallow groundwater from different management units at dairy farms. Total nitrate loads are determined by the sequential calibration of a sub-regional scale and a farm-scale three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport model using observations at different spatial scales. These observations include local measurements of groundwater heads and nitrate concentrations in an extensive monitoring well network, providing data at a scale of a few meters and measurements of discharge rates and nitrate concentrations in a tile-drain network, providing data integrated across multiple farms. The various measurement scales are different from the spatial scales of the calibration parameters, which are the recharge and nitrogen leaching rates from individual management units. The calibration procedure offers a conceptual framework for using field measurements at different spatial scales to estimate recharge N concentrations at the management unit scale. It provides a map of spatially varying dairy farming impact on groundwater nitrogen. The method is applied to a dairy farm located in a relatively vulnerable hydrogeologic region in California. Potential sources within the dairy farm are divided into three categories, representing different manure management units: animal exercise yards and feeding areas (corrals), liquid manure holding ponds, and manure irrigated forage fields. Estimated average nitrogen leaching is 872 kg/ha/year, 807 kg/ha/year and 486 kg/ha/year for corrals, ponds and fields respectively. Results are applied to evaluate the accuracy of nitrogen mass balances often used by regulatory agencies to assess groundwater impacts. Calibrated leaching rates compare favorably to field and farm scale nitrogen mass balances. These data and interpretations provide a basis for developing improved management strategies.     

Long-term depletion of calcium and other nutrients in eastern US forests

Both harvest removal and leaching losses can deplete nutrient capital in forests, but their combined long-term effects have not been assessed previously. We estimated changes in total soil and biomass N, Ca, K, Mg, and P over 120 years from published data for a spruce-fir site in Maine, two northern hardwood sites in New Hampshire, central hardwood sites in Connecticut and Tennessee, and a loblolly pine site in Tennessee. For N, atmospheric inputs counterbalance the outputs, and there is little long-term change on most sites. For K, Mg, and P, the total pool may decrease by 2%–10% in 120 years depending on site and harvest intensity. For Ca, net leaching loss is 4–16 kg/ha/yr in mature forests, and whole-tree harvest removes 200–1100 kg/ha. Such leaching loss and harvest removal could reduce total soil and biomass Ca by 20%–60% in only 120 years. We estimated unmeasured Ca inputs from rock breakdown, root-zone deepening, and dry deposition; these should not be expected to make up the Ca deficit. Acid precipitation may be the cause of current high leaching of Ca. Although Ca deficiency does not generally occur now in acid forest soils, it seems likely if anthropogenic leaching and intensive harvest removal continue.     

Characteristics of the stabilized/solidified municipal solid wastes incineration fly ash and the leaching behavior of Cr and Pb

Fly ash is a hazardous byproduct of municipal solid wastes incineration (MSWI). An alkali activated blast furnace slag-based cementitious material was used to stabilize/solidify the fly ash at experimental level. The characteristics of the stabilized/solidified fly ash, including metal leachability, mineralogical characteristics and the distributions of metals in matrices, were tested by toxic characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) respectively. Continuous acid extraction was utilized to extract metal ions and characterize their leaching behavior. The stabilization/solidification procedure for MSWI fly ash demonstrates a strong fixing capacity for the metals by the formation of C-S-H phase, hydrated calcium aluminosilicate and ettringite. The stabilized/solidified fly ash shows a dense and homogeneous microstructure. Cr is mainly solidified in hydrated calcium aluminosilicate, C-S-H and ettringite phase through physical encapsulation, precipitation, adsorption or substitution mechanisms, and Pb is mainly solidified in C-S-H phase and absorbed in the Si-O structure.     

煤矸石在新型动态循环淋溶装置中的淋溶特性

采用新型循环淋溶装置对煤矸石进行连续240h的淋溶实验,研究了煤矸石中重金属在淋溶过程中的溶出规律,通过向淋溶液中添加聚丙烯酰胺（CPAM）考察了固体颗粒物的沉降特性.结果表明： 随着淋溶反应时间延长,煤矸石中碱金属Na元素溶于水,形成碱性溶液,这两种因素导致淋溶反应初期淋溶液pH值升高.As、Zn离子浓度在淋溶时间为1~24h时呈上升趋势,而在24~72h,离子浓度呈下降趋势.淋溶液中Cr、Pb、Ba离子浓度在120h内均呈现上升趋势,而在120~240h,对于Cr离子来说,淋溶液的碱性环境促使Cr离子溶出率增大,但取样次数的增多也对Cr离子的浓度降低起到促进作用;淋溶液稀释和Ba离子的沉淀化合物形成,导致淋溶液中Ba离子浓度降低.120~240h,淋溶液中有机物被微生物的生化作用分解以及取样后外加塌陷区水体对淋溶液中COD和BOD起到稀释作用,使COD和BOD降低.在淋溶反应24h内,淋溶液中TON和NH₃-N出现波浪式变化,淋溶时间大于24h时,TON和NH₃-N总体呈升高趋势.随着淋溶时间延长,淋溶液中的固体颗粒物沉降速度逐渐变慢,延长了沉降时间.煤矸石中一些含氮化合物溶解于水中,使淋溶液中电离出 NH₄⁺离子,形成碱性环境.     

废催化剂浸出规律的静态实验方法

利用静态浸出实验方法对废催化剂中重金属在不同固水比和浸出次数条件下的浸出规律进行了系统研究。实验发现浸出次数大于３次后,重金属的浸出浓度和浸出速率趋于稳定,同时固水比的增加也没有明显改变废催化剂中重金属的浸出。认为在浸取次数大于３次以后,随着表面溶质的溶解,浸出过程主要为内扩散所控制。     

铜陵相思谷尾矿用于处理酸性矿山排水的实验研究

铜陵相思谷尾矿是夕卡岩型矿床尾矿的典型代表,以富含碳酸盐为特征.为了考察该尾矿砂在AMD淋滤作用下重金属的迁移行为及用于处理AMD的有效性,研究在自行设计的动态实验柱中填充尾矿砂,在保持进水理化性质不变的条件下对其进行80 d的连续淋滤实验,实验过程中定期检测出水的成分,实验结束后对尾矿砂中元素赋存特征进行分析.结果表明,实验过程中出水pH值始终维持在7.5以上;Cu、Zn、Fe离子浓度分别保持在0.1、0.4、1 mg.L-1以下;尾矿砂的渗透系数逐渐降低,由初始的0.23 cm.s-1降至实验结束时的0.10 cm.s-1;固体中元素赋存形态分析结果表明,进水Cu2+、Zn2+主要通过2种作用被固定:Fe氢氧化物的吸持和自身沉淀(形成碳酸盐).研究发现铜陵相思谷尾矿具有较强的酸中和潜力,在中和过程中不仅不会产生重金属离子的淋滤迁移,相反会对其产生沉淀和吸附,因此,可以考虑将该尾矿作为AMD处理的有用材料进行废物利用.     

铬渣秸秆共热解产物铬稳定性研究

生物质铬渣共热解工艺是新型的铬渣处理工艺,该工艺能有效地将铬渣中的Cr(Ⅵ)还原为Cr(Ⅲ).而由于共热解产物总铬含量较高,因此考察了铬渣与秸秆共热解过程中铬稳定性.通过考察共热解产物成分及形态分析、pH影响实验、淋洗实验及长期稳定性实验,对共热解铬渣的铬环境安全性进行评估.结果表明:(1)共热解温度对铬渣形态有较大影响,可交换态及碳酸盐结合态铬含量随共热解温度升高而逐渐降低,800℃时候可交换态铬降至＜0.1％(质量分数,下同),碳酸盐结合态铬为1.2％;共热解后最稳定的残渣态铬含量随共热解温度升高而逐渐升高.(2)当pH＞7时,两种共热解产物总铬溶出量极低,基本都小于6mg/kg;当pH≤7时,总铬的溶出量显著增加,最高超过500 mg/kg.但由于解毒铬渣的酸中和能力极强,因此铬释放风险较低.(3)共热解产物的总铬累积溶出量极低,根据拟合结果计算出其100年填埋时间的总铬溶出量不超过1.3 mg/kg.长期稳定性实验表明,自然堆置过程中共热解产物的Cr(Ⅵ)含量逐渐降低.