Ammonia volatilization and availability of Cu, Zn induced by applications of urea with and without coating in soils

Ammonia volatilization and the distribution of Cu and Zn were investigated in two types of soil treated with coated and uncoated urea. The rate of ammonia volatilization in two weeks after fertilizing with coated urea was 8% in soil 1 (soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain) and 5.15% in soil 2 (red soil derived from quaternary red clay), about half the rates observed when fertilizing with common urea, implying that the hydrolysis speed of the coated urea was lower than for common urea, and that the coated urea can increase nitrogen use efficacy. As for the availability of Cu and Zn, their concentrations decreased in the first week after fertilization, and then increased, which was contrary to the effect of treatment on soil pH. For example, when the pH was 7.99, there was 0.79 mg/kg exchangeable Cu and 0.85 mg/kg exchangeable Zn in the soil derived from river alluvial deposits in Dongting Lake Plain. However, the concentrations of exchangeable Cu and Zn were generally lower for the common urea treatments than those with the coated urea because the peak pH for the common urea treatment was greater. The concentrations of these elements correlated well with pH in the range 4-8 in second order polynomial fits.     

Nitrogen deposition alters soil chemical properties and bacterial communities in the Inner Mongolia grassland

Nitrogen deposition has dramatically altered biodiversity and ecosystem functioning on the earth; however, its effects on soil bacterial community and the underlying mechanisms of these effects have not been thoroughly examined. Changes in ecosystems caused by nitrogen deposition have traditionally been attributed to increased nitrogen content. In fact, nitrogen deposition not only leads to increased soil total N content, but also changes in the NH₄⁺-N content, NO₃^--N content and pH, as well as changes in the heterogeneity of the four indexes. The soil indexes for these four factors, their heterogeneity and even the plant community might be routes through which nitrogen deposition alters the bacterial community. Here, we describe a 6-year nitrogen addition experiment conducted in a typical steppe ecosystem to investigate the ecological mechanism by which nitrogen deposition alters bacterial abundance, diversity and composition. We found that various characteristics of the bacterial community were explained by different environmental factors. Nitrogen deposition decreased bacterial abundance that is positively related to soil pH value. In addition, nitrogen addition decreased bacterial diversity, which is negatively related to soil total N content and positively related to soil NO₃^--N heterogeneity. Finally, nitrogen addition altered bacterial composition that is significantly related to soil NH₄⁺-N content. Although nitrogen deposition significantly altered plant biomass, diversity and composition, these characteristics of plant community did not have a significant impact on processes of nitrogen deposition that led to alterations in bacterial abundance, diversity and composition. Therefore, more sensitive molecular technologies should be adopted to detect the subtle shifts of microbial community structure induced by the changes of plant community upon nitrogen deposition.     

Degradation of pyrene by immobilized microorganisms in saline-alkaline soil

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is very difficult in saline-alkaline soil due to the inhibition of microbial growth under saline-alkaline stress. The microorganisms that can most effectively degrade PAHs were screened by introducing microorganisms immobilized on farm byproducts and assessing the validity of the immobilizing technique for PAHs degradation in pyrene-contaminated saline-alkaline soil. Among the microorganisms examined, it was found that Mycobacterium sp. B2 is the best, and can degrade 82.2% and 83.2% of pyrene for free and immobilized cells after 30 days of incubation. The immobilization technique could increase the degradation of pyrene significantly, especially for fungi. The degradation of pyrene by the immobilized microorganisms Mucor sp. F2, fungal consortium MF and co-cultures of MB+MF was increased by 161.7% (P < 0.05), 60.1% (P < 0.05) and 59.6% (P < 0.05) after 30 days, respectively, when compared with free F2, MF and MB+MF. Scanning electron micrographs of the immobilized microstructure proved the positive effects of the immobilized microbial technique on pyrene remediation in saline-alkaline soil, as the interspace of the carrier material structure was relatively large, providing enough space for cell growth. Co-cultures of different bacterial and fungal species showed different abilities to degrade PAHs. The present study suggests that Mycobacterium sp. B2 can be employed for in situ bioremediation of PAHs in saline-alkaline soil, and immobilization of fungi on farm byproducts and nutrients as carriers will enhance fungus PAH-degradation ability in saline-alkaline soil.     

Extraction of heavy metals from e-waste contaminated soils using EDDS

Environmental contamination due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling activities is drawing increasing attention in the world. Extraction of these metals with biodegradable chelant [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) and the factors influencing extraction efficacy were investigated in the present study. Results showed that the addition of EDDS at low pH (5.5) produced higher metal extraction than that at high pH (8.0) solution. Metal speciation analysis indicated that Cu was completely complexed with EDDS at different pH conditions with various amounts of EDDS applied. For Pb and Zn, at low EDDS dose of 0.304 mol/kg soil, they were present as Pb- and Zn-EDDS. However, at high EDDS dose of 1.26 mol/kg soil, most of Pb was bound with dissolved organic matter. Ca and Al were found to be strong competitors for trace metals to EDDS at low application dose and low pH condition.     

Soil warming effect on net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide during the transition from winter carbon source to spring carbon sink in a temperate urban lawn

The significant warming in urban environment caused by the combined effects of global warming and heat island has stimulated widely development of urban vegetations. However, it is less known of the climate feedback of urban lawn in warmed environment. Soil warming effect on net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide during the transition period from winter to spring was investigated in a temperate urban lawn in Beijing, China. The NEE (negative for uptake) under soil warming treatment (temperature was about 5℃ higher than the ambient treatment as a control) was -0.71 μmol/(m².sec), the ecosytem was a CO₂ sink under soil warming treatment, the lawn ecosystem under the control was a CO₂ source (0.13 μmol/(m².sec)), indicating that the lawn ecosystem would provide a negative feedback to global warming. There was no significant effect of soil warming on nocturnal NEE (i.e., ecosystem respiration), although the soil temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of ecosystem respiration under soil warming treatment was 3.86, much lower than that in the control (7.03). The CO₂ uptake was significantly increased by soil warming treatment that was attributed to about 100% increase of α (apparent quantum yield) and A_max (maximum rate of photosynthesis). Our results indicated that the response of photosynthesis in urban lawn is much more sensitive to global warming than respiration in the transition period.     

碳源对工业污染场地土壤中HCHs和DDTs降解的促进作用

我国对有机氯农药的大量需求使得在农药生产、加工和分装等过程中造成了许多城镇中存在有机氯农药污染场地,限制了土地的后续开发利用.本研究选取3种类型的碳源组成有机修复剂A、B、C,添加到受有机氯工业污染场地土壤中进行微生物降解试验,并对比了3种修复剂的效果.试验过程中,反应体系水分含量为50％,添加零价金属调节氧化还原电位,采用好氧/厌氧交替循环方式进行生物降解.实验结果表明:3种修复剂对HCHs和DDTs的降解都有显著促进作用.与DDTs相比,HCHs较易降解.90 d内,添加修复剂(A、B、C)的处理中∑HCH的浓度分别从73.37~85.71 mg·kg^-1降解到了15.88~38.21 mg·kg^-1.与未添加修复剂的对照相比较,∑HCH的降解率提高了19%~52%,90 d内,ΣHCH的降解率最高可达81%.添加修复剂(A、B、C)的处理中ΣDDT的浓度分别从91.68~119.79 mg·kg^-1降解到了45.1~60.7 mg·kg^-1,相对未添加修复剂的对照试验,∑DDT的降解率提高了39%~45%,30 d内∑DDT的降解率最高可达到51%,但30 d后降解效率无明显增加.就不同类型碳源的促进作用来看,C/N最高,而含水率最低的修复剂B的效果最好,而C/N比最低而含水率最高的修复剂A效果最差.     

集约化种植区硝态氮在土壤剖面中的分布与累积特征

采用GPS定位、土钻取样的方法,在北京市大兴区14个乡镇的农田土壤中选取了91个土壤剖面,分别在0～20cm、20～40cm、40～60cm、60～80cm4个不同深度取得土壤样品,并在一次种植期结束后,综合考虑种植类型和土壤质地后选取24个重复取样点.在此基础上,分析了种植类型及土壤质地对硝态氮分布及累积情况的影响.结果表明,研究区土壤中的硝态氮含量有随土壤深度的增加呈降低的趋势.露地菜田和设施菜田最容易出现硝态氮淋洗现象,果园和粮田的总体状况较好,但粮田个别地区有一定的污染风险,细质地土壤具有较强的保水保肥能力.大兴区采育镇及长子营镇地区有较高的硝态氮累积量,为硝态氮淋洗污染危险区,应进行合理施肥,以免在一个种植期结束后造成较深层土壤中硝态氮的累积.研究结果可为大兴区地下水环境保护提供参考.     

三种磺酰脲类除草剂在土壤中的降解及吸附特性

采用室内模拟试验方法,研究了氟胺磺隆、氯吡嘧磺隆和磺酰磺隆3种磺酰脲类除草剂在5种不同种类土壤(江西红壤、太湖水稻土、东北黑土、南京黄棕壤、陕西潮土)中的降解及吸附特性.结果表明,这3种磺酰脲类除草剂在这5种不同土壤中的降解速率均比较快,且降解过程均遵循一级动力学方程,土壤pH值是影响土壤降解速率的主要因素.3种磺酰脲类除草剂在土壤中的吸附均符合Frendlich模型,且具有较低的吸附容量.3种磺酰脲类除草剂在不同土壤中的吸附自由能变化均小于40kJ.mol-1,吸附主要以物理吸附为主,吸附常数随土壤pH值的增大而逐渐减小.     

贵阳市道路灰尘和土壤重金属来源识别比较

通过对89个城市土壤样和78个道路灰尘样中重金属含量的对比,利用多元统计方法识别研究区的元素来源.结果显示道路灰尘元素含量一般高于土壤.就均值而言,灰尘中Hg、Cd、Pb、Cu、Cr含量超过土壤中相应元素含量,灰尘中Zn含量与土壤中Zn含量相当,只有灰尘中As含量略低于土壤.灰尘中元素含量都高于中国和贵州表层土壤背景值,土壤中元素含量除Pb外都高于中国和贵州表层土壤背景值.Cd,Cr,Pb,Hg,Cu和Zn含量较高主要是受人为因素的影响.贵阳市道路灰尘和土壤中8种元素有着不同的来源.相关分析、主成分分析表明交通排放等人为因素是重金属主要来源,外来客土也是重金属重要来源;灰尘Pb主要来源于交通排放和钢铁厂;而土壤Cr具有复合污染的特征,主要来源于外来客土.     

三峡澎溪河回水区消落带岸边土壤重金属污染分布特征

在对澎溪河回水区消落带及岸边土样品中重金属含量和样品理化性质测定的基础上,重点分析了该区域内重金属分布特征,并对重金属元素间的相关性展开研究.同时,应用地累积指数对研究区域污染现状进行评价.结果表明,消落带样品中Cu、Cr、Zn、As、Cd、Pb、Hg的平均含量分别为28.17、59.21、108.98、4.77、2.02、28.85、0.52mg·kg-1;岸边土样品中重金属的含量范围分别为22.32、54.90、98.05、7.87、0.77、22.97、0.94mg·kg-1.Cd是三峡库区污染较严重的重金属元素.相关性分析表明：在消落带样品中,Cd与Zn显著相关（p〈0.01）,Pb、Hg和Cu、As都存在显著的正相关关系,说明这4种重金属元素在接受外来污染时可能存在相似性;在岸边土样品中,Cd与Zn、Cr与Cu、As与Hg显著相关（p〈0.01）,Pb与Cu、Cr、Zn、Cd显著正相关,表明这几种重金属可能有着相似的来源.消落带样品重金属污染程度评价结果为：Cd〉Hg〉Zn〉Pb〉Cu〉As〉Cr,岸边土样品重金属污染程度评价结果为：Hg〉Cd〉Zn〉As〉Pb〉Cu〉Cr,Cd和Hg在个别站位达到了严重污染水平.消落带土壤受人为扰动后会成为水体的二次污染源,因此,消落带土壤重金属对水体的潜在影响不容忽视.