Remediation aspect of microbial changes of plant rhizosphere in mercury contaminated soil

Phytoremediation, an approach that uses plants to remediate contaminated soil through degradation, stabilization or accumulation, may provide an efficient solution to some mercury contamination problems. This paper presents growth chamber experiments that tested the ability of plant species to stabilize mercury in soil. Several indigenous herbaceous species and Salix viminalis were grown in soil collected from a mercury-contaminated site in southern Poland. The uptake and distribution of mercury by these plants were investigated, and the growth and vitality of the plants through a part of one vegetative cycle were assessed. The highest concentrations of mercury were found at the roots, but translocation to the aerial part also occurred. Most of the plant species tested displayed good growth on mercury contaminated soil and sustained a rich microbial population in the rhizosphere. The microbial populations of root-free soil and rhizosphere soil from all species were also examined. An inverse correlation between the number of sulfur amino acid decomposing bacteria and root mercury content was observed. These results indicate the potential for using some species of plants to treat mercury contaminated soil through stabilization rather than extraction. The present investigation proposes a practical cost-effective temporary solution for phytostabilization of soil with moderate mercury contamination as well as the basis for plant selection.     

Monitoring pollution in River Mureş, Romania, part II: metal accumulation and histopathology in fish

As a part of an exposure and effect monitoring conducted along the river Mureş, Western Romania in 2004, the health status of two indigenous fish species, sneep (Chondrostoma nasus) and European chub (Leuciscus cephalus) was investigated upstream and downstream the city of Arad. In fish, histopathology was assessed in liver and gills, and heavy metals (cadmium, copper, lead and zinc) were analyzed in liver samples. In both fish species, histopathological reactions in the gills (epithelial lifting, focal proliferation of epithelial cells of primary and secondary lamellae and resulting fusion of secondary lamellae, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of mucous cells, focal inflammation and necrosis of epithelial cells) were most severe at the two sampling sites upstream Arad city, which were shown to be polluted by copper, cadmium, faecal coliforms and streptococci in a parallel study. At these two sites, also histopathology in the liver of L. cephalus was more prominent than at the two downstream sites. In C. nasus, symptoms in the liver (focal inflammation with lymphocytic infiltrations, macrophage aggregates and single cell necrosis) were also highly pronounced at the sampling site located directly downstream the municipal sewage treatment plant of Arad. With the exception of copper accumulation in L. cephalus caught at the most upstream sampling site, in both fish species cadmium and copper accumulation were exceptionally high and did not differ significantly between the four sampling sites.     

Factor analysis and linear regression model (LRM) of metal speciation and physico-chemical characters of groundwater samples

An approach is described for viewing the interrelationship between different variables and also tracing the sources of pollution of groundwater of north Chennai (India). The data set of 43 variables which include major ions, minor ions and trace metal speciation (Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn) collected during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of the year 2000–2001, was subjected to R-mode factor analysis to comprehend the distribution pattern of the said variables. It was found that first factor measures salinity and hardness which explained 19.12% of the total variance (comprised of variables EC, TDS, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, total hardness, Cl⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻) during pre-monsoon, while it was 25.08% during post-monsoon. The second and third factors were attributed to speciation of zinc and copper ions during both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. Although there were two more factors, loaded with speciation parameters of lead and cadmium, the variance of them were less than 10%. From this study it is seen that sea water intrusion, municipal solid waste disposal are the identified sources of component of pollution. The importance of metal ions is taking a secondary role and the anthropogenic origin-industrial activity, is the reason in the evaluation of pollution status as they come in the second, third, fourth and fifth factors. As the trace metal speciation was grouped in separate factors, linear regression model (LRM) with correlation analysis was applied to check its validity for prediction of speciation and to apply LRM for rapid monitoring of water pollution.     

Anthropogenic metal cycles in China

The flows and stocks of seven important industrial metals were characterized for mainland China for several years in the dynamically changing decade of 1994–2004. One-year snapshot cycles are provided for chromium, nickel, and silver. For copper, zinc, lead, and iron, multiple-year cycles have been completed; they demonstrate that the flows of these metals into use in China doubled between 2000 and 2004. Although the Chinese per capita flows from production to disposal are mostly shown to be below the global average rate, they are increasing or are expected to increase dramatically. The metal resource efficiency is evaluated for several indicators of material flow analysis; these metrics for China are also below the global average values. The research quantitatively illustrates that China’s metal cycles may pose significant resource and environmental challenges in terms of their magnitudes and potential for growth.     

Heavy metal removal and cyanide destruction in the metal plating industry: an integrated approach from egypt

Wastewater produced from a metal plating is a major environmental problem. Industrial auditing revealed that the main source of pollution mainly originated from rinsing water. The characterization of final effluent showed that it is highly contaminated with hazardous heavy metals and cyanide. The concentration of copper, hexavalent chromium, nickel, and cyanide in the rinsing water of metal plating department was 14.8, 40.9, 13.3, and 19 mg/l, respectively. The concentration of cyanide and zinc from the galvanizing department reached 60 and 80 mg/l. The remediation scheme included the application of in-plant control measures via changing the rinsing process followed by the destruction of cyanide and reduction of hexavalent chromium bearing wastes. The pretreated wastes were then mixed with other industrial wastes prior to a combined chemical coagulation-sedimentation using lime and/or lime in combination with ferric chloride. The results indicated that, after applying the waste minimization measures alone at the source, prior to final treatment of industrial waste, removal rates of cyanide, copper, nickel, and chromium concentrations were 23.2%, 14.9%, 32.3%, and 55.3%, respectively in the rinse water from metal plating department. Furthermore, the removal rates of cyanide and zinc in the galvanizing department reached 59.7% and 24.3. The integrated control measures and treatment scheme led to more than 99% removal of copper, nickel, chromium, and zinc, while the complete removal of cyanide was achieved in the final effluent.     

Particle-facilitated lead and arsenic transport in abandoned mine sites soil influenced by simulated acid rain

The role of acid rain in affecting Pb and As transport from mine tailings was investigated by pumping simulated acid rain at a infiltration rate of 10.2 cm/h through soil columns. Simulated acid rain with pH of 3.0, 4.5 and 5.6 were used as leaching solutions. Results showed that 86.9–95.9% of Pb and 90–91.8% of As eluted from the columns were adsorbed by particles in the leachates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that particles released from the columns were mainly composed of flocculated aggregates and plate or rod shaped discrete grains. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) showed that these particles were predominantly silicate minerals. Results from our experiments demonstrated that when rapid infiltration conditions or a rainstorm exist, particle-facilitated transport of contaminants is likely to the dominant metal transport pathway influenced by acid rain.     

Assessment of domestic water quality: case study, Beirut, Lebanon

In urban cities, the environmental services are the responsibility of the public sector, where piped water supply is the norm for urban household. Likewise, in Beirut City (capital of Lebanon) official water authorities are the main supplier of domestic water through a network of piping system that leaks in many areas. Beirut City and its suburbs are overpopulated since it is the residence of 1/3 of the Lebanese citizens. Thus, Beirut suffers deficiency in meeting its water demand. Water rationing, as a remedial action, is firmly established since four decades by the Lebanese Water Authorities. Consumers resorted then to private wells to supplement their domestic water needs. Consequently, household water quality is influenced by external factors relating to well water characteristics and internal factors depending on the types of the pipes of the distribution network and cross connections to sewer pipes. These factors could result in chemical and microbial contamination of drinking water. The objective of this study is to investigate domestic water quality variation in Beirut City emerging form the aforementioned factors. The presented work encircles a typical case study of Beirut City (Ras Beirut). Results showed deterioration pattern in domestic water quality. The predicted metal species and scales within the water pipes of distribution network depended on water pH, hardness, sulfate, chloride, and iron. The corrosion of iron pipes mainly depended on Mg hardness.     

Spatial distribution and transport of heavy metals in soil, ponded-surface water and grass in a pb-contaminated watershed as related to land-use practices

The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of heavy metal in soil and evaluate the dissolution of metal from soil to ponded-surface water, leaching through soil profiles and metal uptake in grass as related to different land-use practices. The data provided a scientific basis for best-management practices for land use in Khli Ti watershed. The watershed has a Pb-contamination problem from the previous operation of a Pb-ore concentrator and abandoned Zn–Pb mine. Sampling sites were selected from a land-use map, with land-use types falling into the following four categories: forest, agricultural land, residential area and road. Soil, ponded-surface water, grass samples and soil profiles were collected. The study related soil characteristics from different land-use practices and locations with observed metal concentrations in ponded-surface water and soil. High enrichment factors of Pb and As in soil were found. Partitioning coefficient, K_d values were in the order: Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu > Cd > Zn. Soil disturbance from land-use activities including tillage and traffic increased leaching of trace metal from soils. Pb in soil was significantly taken up by grass even though the Transfer Factor, TF values were rather low. Agricultural activities in the watershed must be limited. Moreover, land encroachments in the upper and middle part of the watershed which have high potential of Pb must be strictly controlled in order to reduce the Pb contamination from non-point sources.     

Environmental assessment of water-courses of the Turvo Limpo River basin at the Minas Gerais State, Brazil

A study was performed to evaluate the environmental contamination in the Turvo Limpo River basin which receives effluent discharges from domestic (residential and commercial) activities. The watercourses examined were the São Bartolomeu Stream, Turvo Sujo River, and Turvo Limpo River, located in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Water samples were collected at the river-side and analyzed for evaluation of pollutant inputs. The pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, redox potential (Eh), dissolved oxygen (DO), total and settleable solids, visual color, hardness, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chloride, total phosphate, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate, total coliforms and E. coli, as well as the Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn speciation were determined in the watercourses. The data obtained were compared with those of the Brazilian Environmental Standards and with data from non-contaminated areas. River water characteristics in some sites were far from the limit values established for superficial waters with satisfactory quality. For instance, the BOD values reached 411 mg L^?1 for a maximum limit of 10.0 mg L^?1, while the ammonia nitrogen concentration reached 28 mg L^?1 for a maximum limit of 13.3 mg L^?1. Some sites showed E. coli values above those of non-contaminated regions. Besides the effects of sewage discharges into the water-courses, agriculture activities and the use of the area for cattle husbandry influenced the quality of the river waters, for instance, the pH of a spring-water sample reached the value of 4.3. The São Bartolomeu Stream has been contributing to the deterioration of the water quality of the Turvo Sujo River, while the Turvo Limpo River has also been affected by anthropogenic discharges in the Turvo Sujo River. The speciation of Cd, Cu and Pb showed that these metals were mainly found in the particulate fraction (i. e., associated with the suspended material). Fifty five percent of the water samples showed labile Zn concentrations greater than that of the nonlabile Zn.     

Trace metals assessment in water, sediment, mussel and seagrass species--validation of the use of Posidonia oceanica as a metal biomonitor

The accumulation of trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb) was measured in water, sediment, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and the seagrass Posidonia oceanica. Samples were collected in three locations of the north-western Mediterranean (Canari, Livorno and Porto-Torres) which present different levels and sources of human impact. Analyses in the different compartments (water, sediment, M. galloprovincialis and P. oceanica) have allowed to identify Canari as the most Cd, Co, Cr and Ni contaminated site; Livorno as the most Hg contaminated and Porto-Torres as the most Pb contaminated. Furthermore, for the first time, metal concentrations found in P. oceanica have been compared with those found in the water column, in the sediment and in the recognized metal bio-indicator species M. galloprovincialis and the results obtained have led to the same conclusions. Thus, this study allows to validate the use of P. oceanica as metal biomonitor of coastal waters.