Bioaccessibility of arsenic in soils developed over Jurassic ironstones in eastern England

Jurassic ironstones outcropping over parts of eastern England give rise to soils with arsenic concentrations in excess of the UK soil guideline value of 20 mg kg⁻¹ for residential areas. Total arsenic concentrations were determined for 73 ironstone derived soils and bioaccessible arsenic determined using an in vitro physiologically based extraction test. The bioaccessible arsenic concentration for these soils was found to be well below the soil guideline value with a mean concentration of 4 mg kg⁻¹ and a range of 2–17 mg kg⁻¹. The bioaccessible fraction ranges from 1.2 to 33%. Data from a sequential extraction test based on the use of aqua regia as the main extractant is presented for a subset of 20 of the soils. Chemometric data reduction is used to demonstrate that the bioaccessible arsenic is mainly contained within calcium iron carbonate (sideritic) assemblages and only partially iron aluminosilicates, probably berthierine, and iron oxyhydroxide phases, probably goethite. It is suggested that the bulk of the non-bioaccessible arsenic is bound up with less reactive iron oxide phases.     

稀土工业污染土壤对外源钍的吸附行为研究

研究了外源钍在土壤上的吸附行为并评估其对土壤的污染风险.通过静态吸附解吸实验考察土壤样品对不同量外源钍的吸附容量、吸附平衡时间、分配系数和解吸能力.土壤样品对外源钍有很强的吸附能力,在吸附平衡时吸附百分比均大于92%,而解吸率均小于5%;钍在土壤溶液中分配系数最高可达104以上;吸附容量和平衡时间与土壤性质有关.吸附实验结果表明,可用Freundlich吸附等温式和Elovich方程分别描述土壤样品对钍吸附的热力学行为(r≥0.916 7)和动力学过程(R2≥0.898 0).较佳的拟合结果表明,土壤样品对外源钍的吸附是非线性物理化学吸附,吸附反应速率受钍在土壤表面和矿物内层扩散影响.采用形态连续萃取法分析外源钍在土壤上吸附后的赋存形态.由钍形态萃取结果,少量外源钍(10-7~10-6mol.L-1)进入土壤后主要以不稳定非残留态存在,其含量在58%以上;随着外源钍量增加,钍非残留态量增加,同时更多外源钍迁移到稳定残留态.     

LANDSCAPE‐SCALE ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF CUMULATIVE IMPACTS TO RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS: PAST,PRESENT, AND FUTURE1

ABSTRACT: Analyses of cumulative impacts to riparian systems is an important yet elusive goal. Previous analyses have focused on comparing the number of hectares impacted to the number of hectares restored, without addressing the loss of riparian function or the effect of the spatial distribution of impacts. This paper presents an analysis of the spatial distribution of development‐related impacts to riparian ecosystems, that were authorized under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Impacts on habitat structure, contiguity, and landscape context were evaluated using functional indices scaled to regional reference sites. Impact sites were mapped using GIS and analyzed for spatial associations. Positive spatial autocorrelation (i.e. clustering of impact sites) resulted from the piecemeal approach to impact assessment, which failed to prevent cumulative impacts. Numerous small projects in close proximity have resulted in adverse impacts to entire stream reaches or have fragmented the aquatic resources to a point where overall functional capacity is impaired. Additionally, the ecological functions of unaffected areas have been diminished due to their proximity to degraded areas. A proactive approach to managing cumulative impacts is currently being used in Orange County, California as part of a Corps of Engineers sponsored Special Area Management Plan (SAMP). The SAMP process is evaluating the ecological conditions and physical processes of the study watersheds and attempting to plan future development in a manner that will guard against cumulative impacts.     

Solubility and Potential Mobility of Heavy Metals in Two Contaminated Urban Soils from Stockholm,Sweden

The solubility and potential mobility of heavy metals (Cd, Cu,Hg, Pb and Zn) in two urban soils were studied by sequential andleaching extractions (rainwater). Compared to rural (arable) soils on similar parent material, the urban soils were highlycontaminated with Hg and Pb and to a lesser extent also with Cd,Cu and Zn. Metal concentrations in rainwater leachates were related to sequential extractions and metal levels reported fromStockholm groundwater. Cadmium and Zn in the soils were mainly recovered in easily extractable fractions, whereas Cu and Pb were complex bound. Concentrations of Pb in the residual fractionwere between two- and eightfold those in arable soils, indicatingthat the sequential extraction scheme did not reflect the solidphases affected by anthropogenic inputs. Cadmium and Zn conc. inthe rainwater leachates were within the range detected in Stockholm groundwater, while Cu and Pb conc. were higher, whichsuggests that Cu and Pb released from the surface soil were immobilised in deeper soil layers. In a soil highly contaminatedwith Hg, the Hg conc. in the leachate was above the median concentration, but still 50 times lower than the max concentration found in groundwater, indicating the possibilityof other sources. In conclusion, it proved difficult to quantitatively predict the mobility of metals in soils by sequential extractions.     

Towards a long-term integrated monitoring programme in Europe: network design in theory and practice

Long-term integrated monitoring is an important approach forinvestigating, detecting and predicing the effects ofenvironmental changes. Currently, European freshwaters,glaciers, forests and other narural and semi-natural ecosystemsand habitats are monitored by a number of networks establishedby different organisations. However, many monitoring programmeshave a narrow focus (e.g. targeting individual ecosystems) andmost have different measurement protocols and sampling design.This has resulted in poor integration of ecosystem monitoring ata European level, leading to some overlapping of efforts and alack of harmonised data to inform policy decisions. The need fora consistent pan-European long-term integrated monitoring ofterrestrial systems programme is recognised in the scientificcommunity. However, the design of such a system can be problematic, not least because of the constraints imposed bythe need to make maximum use of existing sites and networks.Based on the outcomes of the NoLIMITS project (Networking ofLong-term Integrated Monitoring in Terrestrial Systems), thisarticle reviews issues that should be addressed in designing aprogramme based on existing monitoring sites and networks. Fourmajor design issues are considered: (i) users' requirements,(ii) the need to address multiple objectives, (iii) role ofexisting sites and (iv) operational aspects.     

GIS‐BASED HYIROLOGIC MODELING OF RIPARIAN AREAS: IMPLICATIONS FOR STREAM WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: Riparian buffers have potential for reducing excess nutrient levels in surface water. Spatial variation in riparian buffer effectiveness is well recognized, yet researchers and managers still lack effective general tools for understanding the relevance of different hydrologic settings. We present several terrain‐based GIS models to predict spatial patterns of shallow, subsurface hydrologic flux and riparian hydrology. We then link predictions of riparian hydrology to patterns of nutrient export in order to demonstrate potential for augmenting the predictive power of land use/land cover (LU/LC) maps. Using predicted hydrology in addition to LUILC, we observed increases in the explained variation of nutrient exports from 290 sites across Lower Michigan. The results suggest that our hydrologic predictions relate more strongly to patterns of nutrient export than the presence or absence of wetland vegetation, and that in fact the influence of vegetative structure largely depends on its hydrologic context. Such GIS models are useful and complimentary tools for exploring the role of hydrologic routing in riparian ecosystem function and stream water quality. Modeling efforts that take a similar GIS approach to material transport might be used to further explore the causal implications of riparian buffers in heterogeneous watersheds.     

Fractionation and Sequential Extraction of Heavy Metals in the Soil of Scrapyard of Discarded Vehicles

Chemical and physical size fractionation of heavy metals were carried out on 20 soil samples from the scrap yard area. Tessier method was used in sequential extraction. Cadmium showed the highest levels among the other elements studied in the exchangeable fraction (about 33%), while other elements showed low levels in this fraction (≥1%). Lead and manganese were mostly found in the Fe–Mn oxide fraction, zinc and iron were mostly in residual fraction, while copper was mostly found in the organic fraction of the soil. Soil samples were size-fractionated into four sizes: 1000–500, 500–125, 125–53, and less than 53 μm. The highest levels of Fe, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Cd were found in the medium fraction (500–125 μm), while zinc showed its highest levels in the fine fraction (125–53 μm). The order of heavy metal load in the size fractions was found to be medium > fine > coarse > silt for Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, and Cd, where it was found as fine > medium > coarse > silt for zinc.     

EFFECTS OF ADJACENT AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AND WATERSHED CHARACTERISTICS ON STREAM MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES1

Benthic macroinvertebrate communities in streams adjacent to cornfields, streams where cows had unrestricted access, and reference locations without agriculture were compared to examine the effects of local land use and land use/land cover in the watershed. At each local site, macroinvertebrates and a variety of habitat parameters were measured upstream, adjacent, downstream, and farther downstream of the local land use. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to calculate drainage basin area, land use/land cover percentages in each basin, and the distance from sample sites to the stream source. Three‐way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests with date, site type, and sampling location as main effects were used to explore differences in macroinvertebrate metrics using median substrate size, percent hay/pasture area, and stream depth as covariates. The covariates significantly improved model fit and showed that multiple contributing factors influence community composition. Local impacts were greatest at sites where cows had access, probably because of sedimentation and embeddedness in the substrate. Differences between the upstream and the adjacent and downstream locations were not as great as expected, perhaps because upstream recolonization was reduced by agricultural impacts or because of differences in the intensity or proximity of agriculture to riparian areas in the watershed. The results underscore the importance of both local and watershed factors in controlling stream community composition.     

Climate change adaptation approaches with nomadic culture characteristics in Inner Mongolia grassland in China

Climate change adaptation is an important part of addressing climate warming. Inner Mongolia grassland is a sensitive and vulnerable area of climate and an important region for adaptation to climate change. New climate change adaptation approaches with nomadic culture characteristics should be exploded in the context of climate warming. In this paper, the different utilization pattern of grassland in different regions, the different modes of production and management and historical culture were analyzed first in Nenjiang–West Liaohe plain and Ke’erqin region, Inner Mongolia Plateau and Ordos Plateau. Then, nomadic culture on the grassland was discussed from the productivity to biodiversity, from local livestock variety to resource-used system. Finally, new approaches of climate change adaptation with inheriting the essence of nomadic culture were proposed, including protecting biodiversity and using resources reasonably, performing a practice of grazing suspension–rotational grazing system, fencing degenerated grassland to facilitate its growth, founding new farming and husbandry system on the grassland, and establishing an incentive mechanism favorable to grassland and ethical cultural protection.     

PM10中重金属的提取方法及生物可利用性研究

分别运用模拟生物提取法与化学连续提取法对PM10标准参考样品城市源（NIST-1648A）和工业源（BCR-038）中6种重金属（Cd、Co、Cu、Mn、Ni、Pb）质量分数及赋存形态进行分析。其目标是验证2种提取大气固体颗粒物中重金属方法的有效性,并比较2种方法的优缺点,为将来提取PM10中重金属的方法选取提供依据。模拟生物提取法中,使用Gamble溶液模拟人体肺液对 PM10样品进行溶解,实验方法操作较为简单快捷;化学连续提取法中,不同溶解步骤则可确定重金属的不同赋存形态。在需要快速确定 PM10中某种重金属总量时,应优先使用模拟生物提取法。化学连续提取结果表明,城市源PM10中重金属赋存形态分布没有统一规律,工业源PM10中重金属多以残渣态存在。通过对2种来源的PM10样品中重金属生物可利用性分析,城市源的大气颗粒物对人体的毒性更大,其中标准参考样品城市源 PM10中生物可利用性较高的是重金属Cd（BIBio为61.65%±3.45%;BISE为69.02%±3.82%）和Cu,最低的是重金属Co和Pb;标准参考样品工业源PM10中重金属的生物可利用性最高的是Cd（BIBio为27.66%±1.52%;BISE为15.05%±2.13%）,而Ni、Co和Pb的生物可利用性较低。