Effects of different treatments on soil-borne DDT and HCH dynamics and plant uptake

Pot experiments were conducted to examine the effects of various fertilizers, as well as soil dilution treatments on the dynamics of soil-borne DDTs [sum of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and di- chlorodiphenyldichloroethane (DDD)] and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs, sum of α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH) and their subsequent impacts on the uptake of DDTs and HCHs by a test plant. The results show that the soil residual DDTs and HCHs concentrations in the iron-rich fertilizer-treated soil were significantly lower than those in other fertilizer-treated soils. There was a close relationship between the soil residual DDTs and the plant tissue DDTs. This suggests that the uptake rate of DDTs by the plant was dependent on the concentration of soil-borne DDTs. A less close relationship between soil residual HCHs and plant tissue HCHs was also observed. Dilution of pesticide-contaminated soil with the non-contaminated soil not only physically reduced the concentration of pesticides in the soil but also enhanced the loss of soil-borne pesticides, possibly through the improvement of soil conditions for microbial degradation. Soil dilution had a better effect on promoting the loss of soil-borne HCHs, relative to soil-borne-DDTs. The research findings obtained from this study have implications for management of heavily contaminated soils with DDTs and HCHs. Remediation of DDTs and HCHs-contaminated soils in a cost-effective way can be achieved by incorporating treatment techniques into conventional agricultural practices. Applications of iron-rich fertilizer and soil dilution treatments could cost-effectively reduce soil-borne DDTs and HCHs, and subsequently the uptake of these organochlorine pesticides by vegetables.     

Supercritical Fluid Extraction for Forensic Analysis of Hydrocarbons in Soil

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was investigated to evaluate its potential for obtaining high quality chromatographic fingerprints from soils encountered in environmental investigations. While the volatile and semivolatile fractions of light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) samples can be “fingerprinted” in a single chromatographic run, it is commonly not possible to obtain samples of LNAPL in the locations of interest. For this and other reasons, it was desirable to develop this method (SFE) of soil extraction, which allows chromatographic fingerprinting of the same quality routinely obtained with LNAPL so that environmental forensic investigations could be extended to areas beyond those containing LNAPL in monitoring wells. In this study, SFE was compared to conventional dichloromethane extraction. Both artificially spiked soil and soil from petroleum release sites were tested. Since water can be a problem when using the SFE method, particular attention was given to handling soils with high moisture contents. The SFE extracts showed excellent retention of low molecular components, including pentanes. Gas chromatography of SFE extracts yielded molecular distributions that showed no significant bias toward either low or high molecular weight components. These results show that SFE can be used to obtain an unbiased, single-run chromatographic “fingerprint” of both volatile and semivolatile hydrocarbons in contaminated soil samples.     

固定化微生物修复石油污染土壤影响因素研究

针对石油污染土壤修复,利用实验室已筛选的高效石油降解单菌SM-3,以天然有机材料为载体,吸附法制备固定化微生物。将游离与固定化微生物应用于室内花盆模拟修复石油污染土壤,对C/N/P、微生物投加量、石油含量、氧化剂和表面活性剂设计5因素4水平正交实验,探讨不同修复时期各影响因素的重要性顺序,最佳条件下各菌株的修复效果。结果表明,不同微生物在不同降解时期,各影响因素的重要性会发生变化;经过21 d的修复,固定化单菌SM-3石油降解率为22.77%,修复过程中,接种量是最重要的影响因素,营养元素N、P投加影响较大,表面活性剂和氧化剂影响次之。     

生物强化修复石油污染土壤

筛选高效石油降解菌,考察菌株的降解性能及降解机理,进行花盆模拟高效外源菌强化修复石油污染土壤实验,在降解后期添加激活剂H2O2以及木屑来试图改善微生物的修复环境,减缓微生物的衰亡,并考察修复效果。结果表明,菌株L-1的降解效果较好,其对pH和温度有较大范围的适应性,能分泌较多的表面活性物质,细胞疏水性较强。将其应用于土壤修复中,经过50 d的修复,石油残留率达到50.6%左右,生物强化比自然修复残留率降低了8%左右。在第45天添加激活剂能有效改善修复效果,70 d时添加外源菌的土样最小石油残留率达到37.9%。     

环境公害的本土化解读与法律应对——以四川藏区矿产资源开发公害为对象

以四川藏区矿产资源的开发利用为研究对象,一方面,从环境公害本土化的视角解读四川藏区的资源开发公害问题;另一方面,从法律的价值和应对的视角对资源开发公害问题进行法律规制,以期对四川藏区生态环境的保护有所裨益。     

唐山排污权交易模式浅析

对开展排污权交易的目的、意义、关键因素进行了分析,对唐山排污权交易的工作进程以及交易指标、交易主体、交易程序、指导价格、申购数量、交易范围、优先及限制条件等模式特点进行了阐述,以期为同类型城市开展排污权交易提供参考。     

Prediction of Streamflow Regime and Annual Runoff for Ungauged Basins Using a Distributed Monthly Water Balance Model1

Moore, R.D. (Dan), J.W. Trubilowicz, and J.M. Buttle, 2011. Prediction of Streamflow Regime and Annual Runoff for Ungauged Basins Using a Distributed Monthly Water Balance Model. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 32‐42. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00595.x Abstract: Prediction of streamflow in ungauged basins is a global challenge, but is particularly an issue in physiographically complex regions like British Columbia (BC), Canada. The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of a simple water balance model that can be run using existing spatial datasets. The model was developed by modifying an existing monthly water balance model to account for interception loss from forest canopy, glacier melt, and evaporation from lakes. The model was run using monthly climate normals from the ClimateBC application, which have a horizontal resolution of 400 m. Each ClimateBC grid cell was classified as forest, open land, glacier or water surface based on provincial scale digital maps of biogeoclimatic zones, glaciers, and water. The output was monthly mean runoff from each grid cell. These values were integrated within the catchment boundaries for streams gauged by the Water Survey of Canada. Annual runoff was predicted with modest accuracy: after updating the predicted runoff by interpolating errors from neighboring gauged streams, the mean absolute error was 25.4% of the gauged value, and 52% of the streams had errors less than 20%. However, the model appears to be quite robust in distinguishing between pluvial, hybrid, and melt‐dominated hydroclimatic regimes, and therefore has promise as a tool for catchment classification.     

Reconstructions of Soil Moisture for the Upper Colorado River Basin Using Tree‐Ring Chronologies1

Anderson, SallyRose, Glenn Tootle, and Henri Grissino‐Mayer, 2012. Reconstructions of Soil Moisture for the Upper Colorado River Basin Using Tree‐Ring Chronologies. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(4): 849‐858. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00651.x Abstract: Soil moisture is an important factor in the global hydrologic cycle, but existing reconstructions of historic soil moisture are limited. We used tree‐ring chronologies to reconstruct annual soil moisture in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). Gridded soil moisture data were spatially regionalized using principal components analysis and k‐nearest neighbor techniques. We correlated moisture sensitive tree‐ring chronologies in and adjacent to the UCRB with regional soil moisture and tested the relationships for temporal stability. Chronologies that were positively correlated and stable for the calibration period were retained. We used stepwise linear regression to identify the best predictor combinations for each soil moisture region. The regressions explained 42‐78% of the variability in soil moisture data. We performed reconstructions for individual soil moisture grid cells to enhance understanding of the disparity in reconstructive skill across the regions. Reconstructions that used chronologies based on ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) and pinyon pines (Pinus edulis) explained more variance in the datasets. Reconstructed soil moisture data was standardized and compared with standardized reconstructed streamflow and snow water equivalent data from the same region. Soil moisture and other hydrologic variables were highly correlated, indicating reconstructions of soil moisture in the UCRB using tree‐ring chronologies successfully represent hydrologic trends.     

Recycling of EDTA solution after soil washing of Pb, Zn, Cd and As contaminated soil

Soil washing with EDTA is known to be an effective means of removing toxic metals from contaminated soil. A practical way of recycling of used soil washing solution remains, however, an unsolved technical problem. We demonstrate here, in a laboratory scale experiment, the feasibility of using acid precipitation to recover up to 50% of EDTA from used soil washing solution obtained after extraction of Pb (5330 mg kg⁻¹), Zn (3400 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (35 mg kg⁻¹) and As (279 mg kg⁻¹) contaminated soil. Up to 100% of EDTA residual in the washing solution and 100%, 97%, 98% and 100% of initial Pb, Zn, Cd and As concentration in the solution, respectively, were removed in an electrolytic cell using a graphite anode. We employed the recovered EDTA and treated washing solution to prepare recycled soil washing solution with the same potential for extracting toxic metals from soil as the original. The efficiency of soil washing depends on the EDTA concentration. Using twice recycled 30 mmol EDTA kg⁻¹ soil, we removed 44%, 20%, 53% and 61% of Pb, Zn, Cd and As, respectively, from contaminated soil.     

Minimal pesticide-primed soil inoculum density to secure maximum pesticide degradation efficiency in on-farm biopurification systems

Addition of pesticide-primed soil containing adapted pesticide degrading bacteria to the biofilter matrix of on farm biopurification systems (BPS) which treat pesticide contaminated wastewater, has been recommended, in order to ensure rapid establishment of a pesticide degrading microbial community in BPS. However, uncertainties exist about the minimal soil inoculum density needed for successful bioaugmentation of BPS. Therefore, in this study, BPS microcosm experiments were initiated with different linuron primed soil inoculum densities ranging from 0.5 to 50 vol.% and the evolution of the linuron mineralization capacity in the microcosms was monitored during feeding with linuron. Successful establishment of a linuron mineralization community in the BPS microcosms was achieved with all inoculum densities including the 0.5 vol.% density with only minor differences in the time needed to acquire maximum degradation capacity. Moreover, once established, the robustness of the linuron degrading microbial community towards expected stress situations proved to be independent of the initial inoculum density. This study shows that pesticide-primed soil inoculum densities as low as 0.5 vol.% can be used for bioaugmentation of a BPS matrix and further supports the use of BPS for treatment of pesticide-contaminated wastewater at farmyards.