Subsurface sediment contamination during borehole drilling with an air-actuated down-hole hammer

Drilling methods can severely alter physical, chemical, and biological properties of aquifers, thereby influencing the reliability of water samples collected from groundwater monitoring wells. Because of their fast drilling rate, air-actuated hammers are increasingly used for the installation of groundwater monitoring wells in unconsolidated sediments. However, oil entrained in the air stream to lubricate the hammer-actuating device can contaminate subsurface sediments. Concentrations of total hydrocarbons, heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, and Cd), and nutrients (particulate organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) were measured in continuous sediment cores recovered during the completion of a 26-m deep borehole drilled with a down-hole hammer in glaciofluvial deposits. Total hydrocarbons, Cu, Ni, Cr and particulate organic carbon (POC) were all measured at concentrations far exceeding background levels in most sediment cores. Hydrocarbon concentration averaged 124 +/- 118 mg kg(-1) dry sediment (n = 78 samples) with peaks at depths of 8, 14, and 20 m below the soil surface (maximum concentration: 606 mg kg(-1)). The concentrations of hydrocarbons, Cu, Ni, Cr, and POC were positively correlated and exhibited a highly irregular vertical pattern, that probably reflected variations in air loss within glaciofluvial deposits during drilling. Because the penetration of contaminated air into the formation is unpreventable, the representativeness of groundwater samples collected may be questioned. It is concluded that air percussion drilling has strong limitations for well installation in groundwater quality monitoring surveys.     

Detection of herbicides in water bodies of the Samambaia River sub-basin in the Federal District and eastern Goiás

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify and quantify herbicide residues in water samples of rain, cisterns, streams, ponds, springs, semi-artesian wells, dams and a river in the Rio Samambaia sub-basin in the Federal District and eastern Goiás. A total of 287 samples were collected from 20 farms in the sub-basin in the rainy (February, summer) and dry (August, winter) seasons in 2016. Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA, a glyphosate metabolite), clethodim, chlorimuron-ethyl, diuron, fluazifop acid (a fluazifop-p-butyl metabolite and the active ingredient), haloxyfop acid (a haloxyfop-methyl metabolite and the active ingredient), imazamox, mesotrione, metsulfuron, nicosulfuron and pendimethalin were not identified in any water sample. In the rainy season, approximately 99% of the samples contained residues at least one of the evaluated herbicides; in the dry season (, 100% of the samples contained residues of at least one of the evaluated herbicides. When considering only detection frequency, metribuzin, atrazine, clomazone and haloxyfop-methyl were the main herbicides found in the water of the Samambaia River sub-basin. In turn, based on levels higher than the limit of quantification, the main compounds detected were atrazine, clomazone, haloxyfop-methyl and glyphosate. In both seasons, the highest relative concentrations of herbicides for the rainy and dry seasons were found in spring water, 25% and 56%, respectively, and dam water, 23% and 16%, respectively.     

Concentrations of anthropogenic Pt and Pd in urban roadside soils in Xuzhou, China

The potential accumulation of platinum group elements (PGE) in the environment from automobile catalysts is high in urban areas, with the major sinks being roadside soils. Therefore, this investigation presented the detailed study on characterized concentrations of Pt and Pd and their enrichment ratios in urban roadside soils in Xuzhou, China in March 2003. Data from 21 roadside topsoil samples analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) illustrated that the medians of concentrations of Pt and Pd were 2.9 and 2.8 ng/g, respectively. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that Pt and Pd were mainly from traffic emissions. Compared to unpolluted soils, computation of Pt and Pd enrichment ratios suggested that the Xuzhou roadside soils had average enrichment factors of 3.53 for Pt (in range of 1.22–5.73) and of 3.37 for Pd (in range of 1.35–4.46). Lower Pt/Pd ratios (in range of 0.35–2.86) in relation to similar studies in other countries were observed, which might be due to the different Pt/Pd ratios in Chinese automobile catalytic converters. Moreover, fine fraction (<250 μm) contained higher concentrations of Pt and Pd compared to the coarse fraction (250–500 μmm).     

石墨炉原子吸收分光光度法测定生活垃圾堆肥中镉

通过试验研究,建立了硝酸-氢氟酸-高氯酸消解、石墨炉原子吸收分光光度法测定生活垃圾堆肥产品中的镉。该方法的检出限为0.01mg/kg(按称取0.5g试样消解定容至50mL计算),用于不同地域堆肥样品中镉的测定,其相对标准偏差(RSD)在5.78%～11.9%之间,加标回收率介于88.0%～106.0%之间,可作为一种较理想的检验堆肥产品质量的方法。     

考虑参数不确定性的地下水污染源识别

为分析参数不确定性对地下水污染源识别的影响,本文通过模拟-优化方法、灵敏度分析方法、蒙特卡罗方法和克里格方法的综合运用,建立了描述渗透系数与污染物质释放强度之间关系的推算模型,进行了考虑参数不确定性的地下水污染源识别研究.研究结果表明,推算模型具有较高的精度,确定性系数和平均相对误差分别为0.9895和4.51％;运用...     

不同土壤调理剂对土壤镉和邻-苯二甲酸酯迁移转化影响

有机无机复合污染是目前普遍的土壤污染方式,镉是土壤污染中最主要的无机元素,因地膜的广泛使用,使得邻-苯二甲酸酯成为土壤中主要的有机污染物.故采用盆栽试验,以西南地区紫色土为供试土壤,小白菜为指示生物,分别添加不同含量梯度的镉(Cd)和邻-苯二甲酸(2-乙基己基)酯(DEHP)组成单一污染和复合外源污染模拟试验,研究钾长...     

谈农药污染与环境保护

由于生产体制的变革和农药供销途径的多样化,大量的不合理的滥用农药而造成的环境污染问题已相当突出。基于此,通过对农药污染循环途径的综合分析,就农药污染对生态系统及人类的危害作用进行了阐述,提出了合理施用农药的方法及必要的环保措施。     

城市生活垃圾处理的环境污染分析

随着人口的增长和城市化的迅速发展,城市生活垃圾产量逐年递增,成分更加复杂.城市生活垃圾填埋过程中产生的渗滤液和焚烧过程产生的烟气对环境的污染极为严重,一定程度上已经制约了城市的可持续发展.通过分析渗滤液的产生及对环境的污染,提出了分层填埋控制和渗透反应栅格修复技术.对焚烧过程中的污染,通过焚烧前分类处理从源头上减少二次污染,同时对焚烧产生的烟尘和有毒有害物质进行物理化学方法的去除.     

Environmental regulatory failure and metal contamination at the Giap Lai pyrite mine, Northern Vietnam

The causes for the failure in enforcement of environmental regulations at the Giap Lai pyrite mine in northern Vietnam are considered and the environmental impacts that are associated with this mine are evaluated. It is shown that sulphide-rich tailings and waste rock in the mining area represent significant sources of acid rock drainage (ARD). The ARD is causing elevated metal levels in downstream water bodies, which in turn, represent a threat to both human health and to aquatic ecosystems. Metal concentrations in impacted surface waters have increased after mine closure, suggesting that impacts are becoming progressively more serious. No post-closure, remediation measures have been applied at the mine, in spite of the existence of environmental legislation and both central and regional institutions charged with environmental supervision and control. The research presented here provides further emphasis for the recommendation that, while government institutions may need to be strengthened, and environmental regulations need to be in place, true on the ground improvement in environmental quality in Vietnam and in many other developing countries require an increased focus on promoting public awareness of industrial environmental issues.     

Tolerance and phytoremediation potential of Calopogonium mucunoides to boron

Soil contamination by trace elements (TEs) is a problem of great concern since the industrial revolution. However, not all TEs are essentially toxic, and several micronutrients such as boron (B) play essential roles during plant development and, in this case, B acts in plants as a structural element. Soil B levels above 3.0 mg dm^–3 may be toxic to many plants and the greatest input of B to the environment occurs through the anthropic way. An environmentally promising alternative is phytoremediation, in which contaminant‐tolerant plants are used to remove or stabilize TEs in soils. Therefore, this work has been carried out to aim C. mucunoides’ tolerance to increasing B concentrations and its potential as a phytoremediator. We found out that C. mucunoides tolerates B doses up to 480 mg dm^?3, the B uptaken is transported at a 1:1 ratio between root and shoot, suggesting that C. mucunoides can be used as a phytostabilizer and phytoextractor due to its potential to be used in phytoremediation techniques because it can tolerate toxic concentrations of B.