HISTORICAL TRENDS IN SEDIMENTATION RATES AND SEDIMENT PROVENANCE,FAIRFIELD LAKE,WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA1

Sedimentation rates and sediment provenance were examined for lacustrine sediments deposited in Fairfield Lake, western North Carolina, during the past 111 years. Stratigraphic, radionuclide, and cartographic data indicate that sedimentation rates have increased several fold during the past three decades in response to localized development. The magnitude of increased sedimentation was surprising given limited development within the basin: 0.12 to 0.68 buildings/ha in 2000 in those parts directly delivering sediment to the dated cores. Thus, the analysis illustrates the potential sensitivity of watersheds in the southern Appalachians to changes in land cover. An approach that combined geochemical fingerprinting with sediment mixing models was subsequently evaluated to determine its ability to accurately estimate the contribution of sediment from (1) major bedrock formations that underlie the watershed and (2) potential sources associated with four land cover categories. Sediment sources in both analyses proved difficult to geochemically fingerprint to greater than 90 percent accuracy using data on acid‐soluble metals and selected isotopes of lead (Pb). The relative contributions of sediment from delineated sources, estimated by the mixing models, generally corresponded with known temporal and spatial patterns of land cover. However, the models were plagued by two significant problems — the chemical alteration of sediments as they were transported through upland streams to depositional sites within the lake and the loss of elemental mass. Thus, future investigations using the fingerprinting approach in this area of intense weathering, and presumably others, will need to modify the existing methods to more accurately elucidate changes in sediment provenance related to development.     

Leaf accumulation of trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Quercus ilex L

Quercus ilex L. leaves were collected four times in one year at six urban sites and one remote area in order to determine trace element and PAH accumulation through concomitant analyses of unwashed and water-washed leaves. Both unwashed and washed leaves showed the highest amounts of trace elements and PAHs in the urban area. Unwashed leaves showed greater differences between urban and remote areas and among the urban sites than washed leaves for trace element and PAH concentrations. Water-washing resulted in a significant (P<0.001) decrease in leaf concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, V and Zn. By contrast, Cd and total PAH concentrations showed no differences between unwashed and washed leaves.     

Study of Trace Elements and Soot in Aerosols from a Coal-Fired Power Plant in Northern Vietnam

Two measurement campaigns were conducted in two sampling sites, An Thinh and Duy Minh, in northern Vietnam during the months of November–December 2000 and November 2001–February 2002 in order to investigate the extend of the particulate air pollution from the Pha Lai coal fired power plant. Fine particle samples were analyzed by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry and soot samples were analyzed by reflectometer. The result showed that high concentration of soot and elements mostly coincided with the air masses originating from the power plant. Sea spray aerosol was found to be the major source of chlorine at both sites. Ratios of specific elements and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that coal combustion was the main contributor to the air pollution at both sites. PCA also indicated that there were other sources responsible for the elements emission, probably the influence of long distance transport and Asian Brown Cloud.     

流化床O2/CO2气氛燃煤痕量元素的排放特性及控制

通过平顶山烟煤在小型流化床中的燃烧实验,采用X-射线荧光光谱仪(XRF)对低压撞击器(LPI)收集到的细颗粒物元素组成进行定量测定,研究了O2/CO2气氛下硅藻土对煤粉燃烧痕量元素的排放控制.结果表明,Zn、Mn和Ni的含量随粒径呈双峰分布,峰值分别在0.1μm和2μm附近,Hg和Co的含量在0.1μm附近有一峰值;Hg和Zn在亚微米颗粒上有一定程度的富集,Mn、Ni和Co在亚微米和超微米颗粒上的含量基本相当;当颗粒物粒径一定时,随着硅藻土含量的增加,5种元素的富集因子呈减小的趋势;随着添加剂粒径的减小,颗粒物中Hg、Mn、Zn、Ni和Co的含量呈减少的趋势;当颗粒物粒径一定时,5种元素含量顺序为MnZnNiCoHg.     

The Influence of Linear Elements on Plant Species Diversity of Mediterranean Rural Landscapes: Assessment of Different Indices and Statistical Approaches

This paper mainly aims to study the linear element influence on the estimation of vascular plant species diversity in five Mediterranean landscapes modeled as land cover patch mosaics. These landscapes have several core habitats and a different set of linear elements -habitat edges or ecotones, roads or railways, rivers, streams and hedgerows on farm land- whose plant composition were examined. Secondly, it aims to check plant diversity estimation in Mediterranean landscapes using parametric and non-parametric procedures, with two indices: Species richness and Shannon index.Land cover types and landscape linear elements were identified from aerial photographs. Their spatial information was processed using GIS techniques. Field plots were selected using a stratified sampling design according to relieve and tree density of each habitat type. A 50×20 m² multi-scale sampling plot was designed for the core habitats and across the main landscape linear elements. Richness and diversity of plant species were estimated by comparing the observed field data to ICE (Incidence-based Coverage Estimator) and ACE (Abundance-based Coverage Estimator) non-parametric estimators.The species density, percentage of unique species, and alpha diversity per plot were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in linear elements than in core habitats. ICE estimate of number of species was 32% higher than of ACE estimate, which did not differ significantly from the observed values. Accumulated species richness in core habitats together with linear elements, were significantly higher than those recorded only in the core habitats in all the landscapes. Conversely, Shannon diversity index did not show significant differences.     

Ecogenetic features and functions of solods in transural forest-steppes (within Sverdlovsk Oblast)

Specific ecogenetic features of solods in the forest-steppe zone has been studied, and the role of biotic and abiotic factors of soil formation has been estimated. Differentiation of soil horizons with respect to the physical clay fraction accounts for specific features of their moistening, which is reflected in the ratio of strongly and weakly crystallized forms of iron. Periodic changes in redox conditions results in iron segregation, and a high content of fulvic acids accounts for its eluvial migration. These processes are controlled by soil geochemical barriers.     

On causes of gigantism in herbaceous plants

Landscape-geochemical features providing for manifestation of gigantism in herbaceous plants have been revealed in natural habitats in the south of Sakhalin and Kunashir islands. Tall herb assemblages have proved to be associated with geochemical landscapes characterized by reducing (gley or hydrogen sulfide) conditions and increased contents of petroleum hydrocarbons and some trace elements (total and movable forms). A hypothesis is put forward that gigantism in herbaceous plants is manifested in zones of active faults, which serve as a kind of conduits supplying endogenous heat, matter, and water to the root systems.     

Soil type affects migration pattern of airborne Pb and Cd under a spruce-beech forest of the UN-ECE integrated monitoring site Zöbelboden, Austria

Anthropogenic trace element emissions have declined. However, top soils all over the world remain enriched in trace elements. We investigated Pb and Cd migration in forest soils of a remote monitoring site in the Austrian limestone Alps between 1992 and 2004. Large spatial variability masked temporal changes in the mineral soil of Lithic Leptosols (Skeltic), whereas a significant reduction of Pb concentrations in their forest floors occurred. Reductions of concentrations in the less heterogeneous Cambisols (Chromic) were significant. In contrast, virtually no migration of Pb and Cd were found in Stagnosols due to their impeded drainage. Very low element concentrations (<1 μg l⁻¹) in field-collected soil solutions using tension lysimeters (0.2 μm nylon filters) imply that migration largely occurred by preferential flow as particulate-bound species during intensive rainfall events. Our results indicate that the extent of Pb and Cd migration in soils is largely influenced by soil type.     

Contamination by arsenic and other trace elements of tube-well water along the Mekong River in Lao PDR

Arsenic and other trace element concentrations were determined for tube-well water collected in the Lao PDR provinces of Attapeu, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Savannakhet, Saravane, and Vientiane. Water samples, especially from floodplain areas of central and southern Laos, were significantly contaminated not only with As, but with B, Ba, Mn, U, and Fe as well. Total As concentrations ranged from <0.5 μg L⁻¹ to 278 μg L⁻¹, with over half exceeding the WHO guideline of 10 μg L⁻¹. 46% of samples, notably, were dominated by As(III). Samples from Vientiane, further north, were all acceptable except on pH, which was below drinking water limits. A principal component analysis found associations between general water characteristics, As, and other trace elements. Causes of elevated As concentrations in Lao tube wells were considered similar to those in other Mekong River countries, particularly Cambodia and Vietnam, where young alluvial aquifers give rise to reducing conditions.     

Is the integration of hormesis and essentiality into ecotoxicology now opening Pandora's Box?

Hormesis and essentiality are likely real and common effects at the level of the individual. However, the widespread incorporation of stimulatory effects into applications of ecotoxicology requires the acceptance of assumptions, value judgements and possibly lowering of water/sediment quality standards. There is also currently little data appropriate for considering hormetic effects in the ecotoxicological context. Except perhaps in the case of fitting concentration-response curves, it is not clear that incorporation of hormetic and essentiality type responses into ecotoxicology is necessary. Furthermore, its incorporation presents considerable intellectual and practical changes for ecotoxicology and could have unanticipated consequences.