Effect of sorbed and desorbed Zn(Ⅱ) on the growth of a green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidosa)

Toxic effect of Zn(Ⅱ) on a green alga (Chlorella pyrenoidasa) in the presence of sepiolite and kaolinite was investigated.The Zn-free clays were found to have a negative impact on the growth of C.pyrenoidosa in comparison with control samples (without adding any clay or Zn(Ⅱ)).When Zn(Ⅱ) was added,the algae in the presence of clays could be better survived than the control samples,which was actually caused by a decrease in Zn(Ⅱ) concentration in the solution owing to the adsorption of Zn(Ⅱ) on the clays.When the solution system was diluted,the growth of algae could be further inhibited as compared to that in a system which had the same initial Zn(Ⅱ) concentration as in the diluted system.This in fact resulted from desorption of Zn(Ⅱ) from the zinc-contaminated clays,although the effect varied according to the different desorption capabilities of sepiolite and kaolinite.Therefore the adsorption and desorption processes of Zn(Ⅱ) played an important part in its toxicity,and adsorption and desorption of pollutants on soils/sediments should be well considered in natural eco-environmental systems before their risk of toxicity to aquatic organisms was assessed objectively.     

Trends in sediment metal concentrations in the River Avoca, South-East Ireland

Variation in sediment metal concentrations in the River Avoca, which is severely polluted by acid mine drainage (AMD) discharged from the abandoned sulphur and copper mines in Avoca, is reported. A survey of surface and subsurface sediments was repeated after seven years during exceptionally low flow conditions in 2001. The present study found that the reference (up-stream) site used in the original 1994 study was itself impacted by AMD, showing sediment metal enrichment by AMD to be greater than originally thought. The new reference site contained elevated Pb (570 µg g^–1) in the subsurface sediment due to abandoned Pb-Zn mines 25 km further upstream. Concentrations of Cu (43 µg g^–1), Zn (349 µg g^–1) and Fe (4.0%) were normal for uncontaminated rivers. All the downstream sites showed sediment metal enrichment arising from the AMD (Cu and Zn p < 0.001; Fe p < 0.01). Subsurface concentrations of metals immediately below the mixing zone were Cu 904 µg g–1 (sd 335), Zn 723 µg g–1 (sd 93), Fe 6.3% (sd 1.5) and Pb 463 µg g^–1 (sd 279). Monthly variation in metal concentrations at sites was not significantly different (p > 0.05). Although surface sediment metal concentrations were more variable, they followed similar trends to subsurface sediment. There were no significant differences in the subsurface sediment concentrations for either Cu or Zn over the period 1994 and 2001 immediately below the mines, although at the lowest site Zn had decreased by 35% over the period (p < 0.01). However there was a significant (p < 0.01) decrease over the period in the Fe concentration at all the impacted sites. This corresponds to a reduction in Fe concentration in the AMD and indicates that some remediation has occurred in the river since 1994.     

Status of Heavy Metals in Water and Bed Sediments of River Gomti – A Tributary of the Ganga River, India

The concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc in water and bed sediments of river Gomti have been studied in a fairly long stretch of 500 km from Neemsar to Jaunpur. Grab samples of water (October 2002–March 2003) and bed sediments (December 2002 and March 2003) were collected from 10 different locations following the standard methods. The river water and sediment samples were processed and analyzed for heavy metals viz., Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Zn, and using ICP-AES. The heavy metals found in the river water were in the range: Cd (0.0001–0.0005 mg/L); Cr (0.0015–0.0688 mg/L); Cu (0.0013–0.0.0043 mg/L); Fe (0.0791–0.3190 mg/L); Mn (0.0038–0.0.0973 mg/L); Ni (0.0066–0.011 mg/L); Pb (0.0158–0.0276 mg/L); and Zn (0.0144–0.0298 mg/L) respectively. In the sediments the same were found in the range: Cd (0.70–7.90 g/g); Cr (6.105–20.595 g/g); Cu (3.735–35.68 g/g); Fe (5051.485–8291.485 g/g); Mn (134.915–320.45 g/g); Ni (13.905–37.370 g/g); Pb (21.25–92.15 g/g); and Zn (15.72–99.35 g/g) of dry weight respectively. Some physico-chemical parameters viz., pH, total solids, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, hardness etc. were estimated as these have direct or indirect influence on the incidence, transport and speciation of the heavy metals. Based on the geoaccumulation indices, the Gomti river sediments from Neemsar to Jaunpur are considered to be unpolluted with respect to Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn. It is unpolluted to moderately polluted with Pb. In case of Cd it varies from moderately polluted to highly polluted. As far as Ni is concerned the sediment is very highly polluted at Barabanki and Jaunpur D/s. No correlation was found between enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index.     

Heavy metal binding fractions in the sediments of the Godavari estuary,East Coast of India

Sequential chemical extraction was used to study the operationally determined chemical forms of five heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Co and Ni) and their spatial distribution in the sediments. The binding behaviour of heavy metals associating with Fe–Mn oxides showed a good correlation towards Cu, Zn and Co, but moderate linear dependence with Ni and Pb. Among the five metals, correlation between Fe–Mn oxide bound Cu and Fe–Mn oxides (r = 0.95) is highest. The coefficient of determination (r ²) in organically bound heavy metals versus organic matter (OM) ranges from 0.772 to 0.952, which indicates a good linear dependence. The OM fraction in the sediments is more accessible to heavy metals and is the major ligand available for complexation. In particular, Zn and Cu are preferentially bound to OM. In general, Zn co-precipitation with carbonates is the dominant chemical form when Fe–Mn oxide and OM are less abundant. In this study, however, carbonates were less abundant, hence Zn bound to carbonates was less pronounced. Based on the results, even if the excessive binding sites are contained in the sediments, competition of various complexation reactions between sediment phases and heavy metals could dominate metal association.     

Parameters affecting partitioning of 6 PCB congeners in natural sediments

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released by bottom sediments were determined by experiments in which the sediments were artificially resuspended using sediment contaminated with PCBs in a particle entrainment simulator (PES). Sediment cores, spikedwith PCBs, were collected from the Housatonic River in Connecticut and run in the PES at simulated shear stresses from 0 to 0.6 N m^-2. Experimental results from these simulations have shown that mean concentration of PCBs in thesolid phase for sites with high volatile organic carbon (VOC) were significantly greater than samples with low VOC; the reversewas true for the water phase. In addition, on a mass load basis,the amount of PCBs found in sediment increased when shear stresses were increased from 0 to 0.6 N m^-2, beyond which shear stress did not affect mass loads in the watercolumn. Partition coefficients (K _p) were determined from PESsediment and water data for the following congeners: PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 138, PCB 153, PCB 180. K _p was determined to be inversely proportional to total suspended solids (TSS), butdirectly proportional to chlorine content of the congener. Because of the strong influence of TSS and VOC concentrations onK _p values, agitation of samples using a PES better simulatedreal environmental conditions when compared to jar studies where no agitation was employed. Therefore, a device like the PES is more appropriate in obtaining K _p that would be found underreal stream flow conditions when compared to the traditionalway of measuring K _p using the jar study technique.     

Distribution of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from an Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

The concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper,chromium, iron, manganese and zinc in surfacesediments collected from Potter Cove, in the 25de Mayo Island (King George Island), Antarctica, andits drainage basin, were measured by atomic absorptionspectroscopy. The obtained results were use todetermine the areal and vertical distribution of themetals of in the Cove and potential sources of thesemetals to this environment. The geochemical datasuggest that most of the metals found in Potter Coveconstitute a redistribution of autochthonous materialswithin the ecosystem. Therefore, the metalconcentrations can be considered to be present atnatural background levels in surface sediments.     

Spatial Assessment of the Alder Tree in Kushiro Mire, Japan using Remotely Sensed Imagery – Effects of the Surrounding Land Use on Kushiro Mire

The relationship between alder (Alnus japonica) distribution and surrounding land use in Kushiro Mire was spatially assessed using remotely sensed imagery. From the result, it was found out that the expanding area of alder trees in Kushiro Mire was affected by the agricultural land area in the upper course of the river basin and flooding in the lower course of the river. The soil sediments flowing into the Kushiro Mire from the agricultural land resulted in heavy sedimentation that favors the growth of alder trees. Consequently, the number and density of alder trees has increased. The future distribution of alder trees was predicted based on the mechanism of expansion of the alder-tree area in Kushiro Mire, and it was found that large vegetation areas in Kushiro Mire will be changed to areas with alder trees.     

巢湖西部河口区沉积物氮磷分布特征与原位扩散通量估算

选取巢湖西部重污染入湖河口区,研究表层沉积物氮磷污染特征,并运用Fick定律估算沉积物-水界面氮磷原位扩散通量.结果表明:南淝河、派河、十五里河河口表层沉积物总氮平均含量达到2208.17 mg·kg~(-1),氮形态以有机氮为主,占比达到90%以上.表层沉积物总磷平均含量为704.59 mg·kg~(-1),其中铁铝结合磷、活性有机磷和钙镁结合磷分别占比27%、28%和18%.河口区水体氨氮浓度从上覆水到孔隙水中总体呈上升趋势,沉积物表层(0~5 cm)孔隙水中氨氮平均浓度为25.42 mg·L~(-1),是上覆水中的7倍.沉积物孔隙水中硝氮与正磷酸盐浓度在垂向上随深度的增加呈先上升后降低的趋势,在沉积物-水界面附近达到浓度最高值.3个河口沉积物孔隙水中氮磷营养盐均向上覆水扩散,其中氨氮扩散通量分别为25.87、74.85与18.08 mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1).硝氮与正磷酸盐扩散通量较低,范围分别在1.38~2.78和0.011~0.024 mg·m~(-2)·d~(-1)之间.总体上看,巢湖西部河流入湖河口区表层沉积物氮污染严重,且存在较高的氮磷营养盐释放风险,应是巢湖富营养化控制过程中重点关注的区域.     

基于油提取的土壤与沉积物中微塑料的分离方法

微塑料作为一种全球性新兴污染物受到学界与社会的广泛关注.由于土壤和沉积物中的微塑料难以分离提取,目前关于微塑料的研究主要集中于水体中,而关于土壤与沉积物中微塑料的丰度、分布与环境行为尚不清楚,迫切需要一种经济、快速、可靠的前处理手段将微塑料从土壤或沉积物中分离出来进而开展检测与监测工作.油提取法不同于传统密度浮选法,其利用塑料的亲油性,使用植物油代替密度液分离土壤与沉积物中的微塑料.通过油提取法在砂土（二长花岗岩风化层残坡积物）、壤土（菜地黄棕壤）、黏土（稻田水稻土）、泥质湖泊沉积物中获得的总加标回收率分别为88.3%±6.29%、88.3%±3.82%、90.0%±2.50%、90.8%±1.44%.其中,对于密度浮选法较难提取的聚氯乙烯（PVC）、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）,其回收率分别为93.3%±11.6%（壤土）、96.7%±5.77%（壤土）.植物油的加入会对后续微塑料的光谱表征识别产生影响,但可通过无水乙醇冲洗去除,与拉曼光谱仍具有良好的兼容性.利用该方法开展的实地研究获得黄冈市残坡积物（砂土）、武汉市菜地（壤土）、武汉市水稻田（黏土）、武汉市东湖泥质湖泊沉积物中的微塑料丰度分别为1 679、1 612、1 766、7 629个/kg.研究显示,油提取是当下密度浮选技术的可替代方案.      

滇中抚仙湖沉积物元素特征与流域侵蚀研究

通过对云南滇中盆地高原深水湖泊抚仙湖沉积岩芯进行X射线荧光光谱（XRF）元素与磁化率连续扫描,结合聚类分析、主成分分析方法和其它相关环境代用指标,探讨了抚仙湖流域自1840年以来的流域侵蚀与人类活动特征.研究结果表明,抚仙湖XRF元素扫描的聚类分析结果具有明显的阶段性特征,可将其大致划分为3个阶段,即34~24cm（约1715~1813年）,24~9cm（约1813~1947年）和9~0cm（约1947~2018年）.基于抚仙湖沉积物岩芯中元素比值和低频磁化率的主成分分析,识别出的主成分1与主成分2的方差贡献分别为37.72%和25.73%.指示抚仙湖流域侵蚀强度的元素比值Rb/Sr、Ti/Sr、Ti/Rb公因子载荷较大（>0.6）,该结果表明,抚仙湖外源碎屑沉积物的元素比值对流域侵蚀与人类活动具有良好的指示意义.因此,本文使用湖相沉积中的环境代用指标对抚仙湖流域侵蚀与人类活动强度进行重建.研究结果表明,1840年以来人类活动加剧了流域侵蚀强度.自1990年以来随着流域生态环境的逐步恢复,侵蚀强度总体较弱.