It's a dirty job but someone has to do it: The role of marine benthic macrofauna in organic matter turnover and nutrient recycling to the water column

Benthic macrofaunal populations through their feeding, bioturbation, burrow construction and sediment irrigation activities have profound influences on organic matter inputs to marine sediments (biodeposition) and on the vertical distribution of deposited organic matter within the sediment. These effects in turn influence the rates and pathways of organic matter mineralisation, and element cycles. Similarly, bioturbation, burrow construction and burrow irrigation are major determinants of sediment-water column fluxes of oxygen and nutrients.

In this review, I discuss the influences of the different benthic macrofaunal feeding (functional) groups on mineralisation processes and sediment-water column fluxes of particulate and dissolved nutrients. How these effects influence diagenic processes, the balance between aerobic and anaerobic processes, and the redox status of the surficial sediments. Finally, I discuss some of the limitations of the predominantly laboratory techniques which have been used to study “macrofaunal effects” and how this hinders the inclusion of the effects in quantitative sediment biogeochemical models.     

Grazing as a measure against grass encroachment in Dutch dry dune grassland: effects on vegetation and soil

A grazing experiment was started in 1984 and 1989 respectively, in two parts of a dune grassland in the nature reserve ‘Zwanenwater’, North Holland; a third part with similar geology and topography was used as a control area and not grazed. An evaluation of the effects of grazing on vegetation patterns, species composition, vegetation structure and humus form was made with the help of vegetation maps from 1986 and 1992 as well as field surveys. Dense tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria increased over the period 1986–1992 in the grazed areas, and especially in the non-grazed area (increase in area to 20%, 22% and 50%, respectively). Open communities decreased in the grazed areas, but are still prevalent, while in the ungrazed area they virtually disappeared, with the result that the present percentage areas are 53%, 38% and 17%. Field survey data were classified by TWINSPAN producing four vegetation types. These occur more or less equally in grazed and ungrazed areas, albeit with different percentage areas: (1) open vegetation dominated byCorynephorus canescens; (2) open vegetation characteized, byKoeleria macrantha; (3) heathland dominated byEmpetrum nigrum; and (4) tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria. Within a vegetation type, species composition was only marginally affected by grazing regime. Within the open communities the number of species, vegetation height, vegetation cover and soil organic horizons were not affected by grazing. In the tall-grass communities the number of species was significantly larger and the height of the vegetation significantly lower in the area grazed since 1984. In the heathland community the number of species and cover of the moss layer were significantly higher in the 1984 area and ectorganic and endorganic horizons significantly thicker in the ungrazed area. It is suggested that these effects are the result of an increased availability of light, but possibly also of a decreased stock of organic matter and nutrients, due to a decreased input of litter and accelerated rates of decomposition.     

The Impact of the Hyperacid Ijen Crater Lake. Part I: Concentrations of Elements in Crops and Soil

In Asembagus (East Java, Indonesia) irrigation water is contaminated with effluent from the hyperacid Ijen Crater Lake resulting in a low pH and high levels of various elements. As a first step towards a risk assessment, locally produced food items (rice, maize, cassava leaf, cassava root, peanuts) were collected and concentrations of As, B, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, Zn were compared to samples from a reference area and with literature values. Further, concentrations in rice were compared to total soil concentrations in paddy fields. Compared to the reference area, food items produced in the contaminated area had increased levels of Cd, Co, Ni and Mn in particular, while levels of Mo were lower. In contrast, total soil concentrations of Cd and Mn in particular have decreased whereas especially Mo was increased. In combination with the observed soil acidification, it is likely that the bioavailable concentration of most elements in the contaminated soil is higher (except for Mo) due to an increased weathering rate and/or input via the contaminated irrigation water. In terms of human health, concentrations in foods were generally within normal literature values. However, it was observed that essential elements (in particular Fe) known for their inhibitory effects on e.g. Cd and Mn toxicity did not accumulate in crops whereas Cd and Mn did.     

镉污染土壤对潜在能源植物生长的影响

利用重金属污染土壤种植能源植物是一种同时解决环境问题和能源问题的新理念,但目前相关研究成果并不多。通过盆栽试验研究人工镉污染土壤中象草Pennisetumpurpureum和亚香茅Cymbopogonnardus两种植物植株的生长状况和两种植物对土壤镉的吸收和富集能力。结果表明,当外源可溶性镉加入到土壤后,其主要是以生物有效性较高的状态存在。土壤镉对象草和亚香茅生长的影响作用有很大的不同,亚香茅比象草具有更强的镉耐受力,其生物量受镉污染影响小。两种植物植株镉含量均随土壤镉添加量的增加而增加。除高镉处理象草外,植物地下部分含镉量比地上部分高很多。高镉处理象草地下部分含镉量比地上部分低的现象可能反映出根系已积累了太多的镉,因而加速了向地上部的转移,从而加剧了植物中毒的程度。赤泥添加剂具有降低土壤酸度,减少植物对镉的吸收和增加象草和亚香茅生物量的作用。     

向海湿地河道上下游土壤重金属污染程度分析

以向海湿地河道上、下游土壤沉积物为研究对象，以Al元素作为标准化元素，通过对重金属元素富集因子的分析，研究了Cu、Ni、Mn、Fe、Ba、Cr等6种重金属元素的人为污染状况及分级。结果表明，该区土壤沉积物中重金属元素均受到不同程度的人为污染影响，部分层面Ni、Ba等重金属元素污染程度达到显著水平，造成这种现象的主要原因是富含重金属的霍林河上游矿源物质的沉积及人类对湿地开发活动的历史变迁过程；此外，径流淹没频率不同造成了两断面土壤沉积类型和沉积效果的不同，使得受水文影响较大的上游断面的人为污染程度大于受影响较小的下游断面，说明向海湿地对人为污染具有一定的缓冲能力，或向海湿地具有较强的净化和过滤功能。     

Metal contamination of soils and dusts in Seoul metropolitan city,Korea

To investigate the dispersion patterns and the characteristics of heavy metal contamination due to urbanisation and industrialisation, soils and dusts collected from the Seoul area were analysed for Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd. The metal concentrations in most soils and dusts are higher than the world averages. The pollution index (( Metal concentrations in soils/Permissible level for metal)÷(Number of metals)) of soils and dusts is > 1 in most of the Seoul area, a result that concurs with the industrialisation and urbanisation index of the Seoul area. The soils are contaminated with Cu, Zn, Cd and particularly Pb. This suggests that the contamination of the soils in the Seoul area are mainly caused by vehicular emissions. The pollution index of soil is the highest in the Kuro area where Cu and Zn contamination in soils are due to the indigenous brass and bronze factories. From the discriminant analysis, the Seoul area may be partitioned into control, traffic and industrialized areas by the metal concentrations in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb.     

表面活性剂洗脱污染土壤中多氯联苯(PCBs)的研究与应用

多氯联苯(PCBs)为一类在环境中广泛分布且难以降解的持久性有机污染物。利用表面活性剂亲油和亲水的两亲特性．将多氯联苯从土壤中洗脱出来，从而修复受污染土壤是当前环境研究的热点之一。文章综述了近年来国内外使用表面活性剂溶液修复多氯联苯污染土壤的研究进展。表面活性剂对土壤中多氯联苯的洗脱作用主要是：(1)表面活性剂通过减小液一固之间的表面张力，将阻塞在土壤孔隙中的多氯联苯分散到溶液中来；(2)表面活性剂通过形成胶束，促使多氯联苯从土壤中重新分配到疏水的胶束核中。洗脱效果与表面活性剂种类、性质、质量浓度及土壤成份有关，通常非离子型表面活性剂效果较好，对多氯联苯的洗脱可达86％。含多氯联苯洗脱液可利用生物降解、紫外光照射及焚烧等方法进行后续处理。     

High Cu and Cd pollution in sediments from Sisimiut, Greenland. Adsorption to organic matter and fine particles

High concentrations of Cu of up to 200 mg/kg, and Cd of up to 4.0 mg/kg, were found in sediments from the aquatic environment around Sisimiut, Greenland. These concentrations are four times higher than the limiting concentration where toxicological effects are expected. The pollution could be linked to human activities in Sisimiut, a link that have not been investigated previously in Greenland. Except from the most polluted samples there was good correlation between heavy metal concentration and organic matter. Also some relationship between fine fraction and heavy metal concentration was observed.     

南京市郊主要蔬菜硝酸盐污染现状评价

以ＷＨＯ／ＦＡＯ规定的日允许摄入量换算得到的标准评价了南京市郊主要蔬菜品种的ＮＯ－３污染状况。结果表明，双闸镇蔬菜基地的大白菜和青菜样品属重污染，菠菜属轻污染，萝卜污染程度居中，因而有必要采取有效的污染防治措施     

废铁屑修复汞污染土壤的实验研究

应用工厂废弃物—铁屑做原料,探讨不同铁屑投加量对修复不同土壤类型、不同程度汞污染土壤的能力,并与修复水体汞污染作了对比;另外,首次将淋滤法与国际上新兴的土壤、地下水修复技术-PRB技术结合,研究其修复土壤汞污染的效果。结果表明,废铁屑可很快去除水体中的汞,去除率可达93%;在铁屑存在下,能一定程度预防和修复土壤汞污染,在相同水体汞污染程度条件下,时间是影响土壤汞污染程度的主要因素;在CaCl2淋洗液作用下的模拟PRB实验中,土壤有效汞含量降低,同时淋洗液中汞质量浓度低于1μg·L-1。因此,用废铁屑能有效预防和修复土壤汞污染,且将淋滤法与PRB技术联用,与将铁屑直接撒入土壤中相比效果好得多,且不会引起后续的水体二次污染,是一种很有应用潜力、值得深入研究的土壤修复方法。