Fate of Co at a sludge land application site

Vertical distributions of ⁶⁰Co are determined in soil cores obtained from a 10-ha grassland, where anaerobically digested sludge was applied by surface spraying from 1986 to 1995 on the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Reservation. These results, along with historical application records, are used to estimate vertical-migration rates and perform a mass balance. The presence of ⁶⁰Co results solely from the sludge-application process. Soil, vegetation, and surface-water samples were collected. Eleven soil cores were sectioned into 3-cm increments and analyzed by gamma-ray spectrometry. No ⁶⁰Co was detected in the vegetation or water samples. The downward migration rate of ⁶⁰Co in the upper 15 cm of soil ranged from 0.50 to 0.73 cm/yr. About 98%, 0.020 ± 0.011 Bq/cm², of ⁶⁰Co remained in the upper 15 cm of soil, which compared favorably with the expected ⁶⁰Co activity based on historical records of 0.019 ± 0.010 Bq/cm².     

三峡库区中低产土壤重金属含量及其与小麦吸收的关系

三峡库区中低产土壤的Hg,As,Cr,Pb,Cu五个重金属含量（除渝北区外），均在国家土壤环境质量标准内，属自然背景值一级标准。Cd和Zn高于全国土壤中的平均含量和背景值含量，属二级标准。土壤的重金属含量与土壤母质类型，pH值，阳离子交换量，有机质，无定形铁和物理性粘粒有关，同时存在一定的地域分布。重庆近郊的土壤所有重金属含量相对较高。土壤重金属的可给态或有效性含量极低，锌和铜不是过量，而是不足。小麦籽粒中As,Cr,Pb,Zn,Cu含量低于国家食品对重金属限量标准和小麦籽粒背景值标准，Hg,Cd含量高于国家规定标准。籽粒中的Cu,Zn含量是小麦茎叶中的2.0-2.2倍，而茎叶中的Hg,Pb,As,Cr,Cd含量明显高于籽粒。     

Mortality and recruitment of mountain birch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pubescens</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">czerepanovii</Emphasis>) in the impact zone of a copper-nickel smelter in the period of significant reduction of emissions: The results of 15-year monitoring

Long-term monitoring of mountain birch populations (1992–2006) was performed in 14 test plots located at distances of 1 to 63 km from the copper-nickel smelter in Monchegorsk (Murmansk oblast) and differing in the degree of disturbance. In the period from 1999 to 2006, atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals amounted to only one-third of those between 1992 and 1998, but birch mortality in heavily polluted areas (with nickel concentrations in leaves exceeding 160 mg/kg) remained at the same level, being absent (as previously) in less polluted areas. Throughout the observation period, birch recruitment was observed only in areas where nickel concentrations in the leaves were below 160 mg/kg; i.e., this concentration proved to be the threshold with respect to both mortality and recruitment of mountain birch. The course of demographic processes in its populations has remained unchanged after the reduction of emissions, confirming the hypothesis of the “inertial“ effect of industrial emissions on ecosystems. In some areas of industrial barrens, mountain birch may perish completely within the next decade.     

长江口潮滩沉积物中活性重金属的空间分异及控制机制

利用盐酸羟氨-25%醋酸溶液,提取了长江口潮滩沉积物中活性重金属含量。研究发现,长江口潮滩沉积物中活性重金属占总量的百分含量依次为Cu 26%,Pb 36%,Fe 7%,Mn 49%,Zn 32%,Cr 14%和Al 16%,沉积物基本未受到Cr污染,其余重金属污染程度处于中等偏下水平。除Zn、Cr外,其余活性重金属在夏季沉积物中的含量明显低于春季,其主要原因是夏季风暴潮将大量细颗粒泥沙及其富集的重金属带离潮滩进入了河口水体中。受点源污染排放及沉积物粒度影响,活性重金属在长江口南岸的浒浦、顾路和浦东机场出现峰值含量,且高潮滩含量明显高于中、低潮滩。在垂向上,重金属一般在沉积物表层或亚表层形成富集。在口门附近的滨岸潮滩沉积物中,Cu、Pb的空间分异主要受早期成岩作用的控制,在污染较为严重、水动力作用相对较弱的潮滩沉积物中,Cu、Pb的空间分异主要受沉积物中有机质含量变化的控制.     

New best estimates for radionuclide solid–liquid distribution coefficients in soils. Part 3: miscellany of radionuclides (Cd,Co, Ni,Zn, I,Se, Sb,Pu, Am,and others)

New best estimates for the solid–liquid distribution coefficient (K_d) for a set of radionuclides are proposed, based on a selective data search and subsequent calculation of geometric means. The K_d best estimates are calculated for soils grouped according to the texture and organic matter content. For a limited number of radionuclides this is extended to consider soil cofactors affecting soil–radionuclide interaction, such as pH, organic matter content, and radionuclide chemical speciation. Correlations between main soil properties and radionuclide K_d are examined to complete the information derived from the best estimates with a rough prediction of K_d based on soil parameters. Although there are still gaps for many radionuclides, new data from recent studies improve the calculation of K_d best estimates for a number of radionuclides, such as selenium, antimony, and iodine.     

Ordination of Plant Communities in Forest Biogeocenoses under Conditions of Air Pollution in the Northern Kola Peninsula

The species diversity and structure of the tree, herb–dwarf shrub, and moss–lichen layers in the biogeocenoses (BGCs) of pine forests of the Kola Peninsula were analyzed in the zone affected by the Pechenganikel Combined Works. Relationships of the diversity of phytocenoses with the amount of atmospheric fallout and the concentrations of accessible compounds of polluting elements (nickel and copper) and nutrients (potassium, magnesium, and nitrogen) in forest litters were revealed.     

The Response of Hydrophytes to Environmental Pollution with Heavy Metals

The effects of Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ at low and high concentrations (0.025 and 0.25 mg/ml) on the accumulation capacity, the state of the pigment complex, and photosynthesis rate have been studied in model experiments with three floating hydrophytes (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L., Lemna gibba L., and Potamogeton natans L.) and four submerged hydrophytes (Elodea canadensis Michx., Lemna trisulka L., Ceratophyllum demersum L., and Potamogeton lucens L.). Copper and cadmium are especially toxic at the concentrations studied. The effect of Cu²⁺ was the strongest in hydatophytes, and the effect of Cd²⁺, in pleustophytes. It is hypothesized that the differences between hydrophytes with respect to accumulation of metals and decrease in photosynthesis rate may cause predominant elimination of submerged species. Therefore, changes in the species structure of hydrophyte communities may be expected in waters polluted with metals.     

Organochlorine and heavy metals in newborns: Results from the Flemish Environment and Health Survey (FLEHS 2002–2006)

To collect regional information on internal levels of pollutants in humans in Flanders, 1196 mother–child pairs were systematically recruited in 2002–2003 via 25 maternities across Flanders. Cd, Pb, PCB congeners 118, 170, 138, 153 and 180, p,p′-DDE — a key metabolite of DDT- and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were measured in cord blood or plasma. Cd was detected in 64% of the samples (geometric mean 0.21 µg/L cord blood). p,p′-DDE (110 ng/g plasma lipids) and Pb (14.7 µg/L blood), were measurable in nearly all samples. The individual PCB congeners could be detected in 40 to 81% of the newborns (138 + 153 + 180 = 64.4 ng/g plasma lipids). HCB (18.9 ng/g plasma lipids) and dioxin-like compounds measured by DR-CALUX® (23 pg CALUX-TEQ/g lipids) were above detection limit in more than 75% of the samples. Age and smoking habits of the mothers, did not influence the cord blood Pb and Cd levels. The organochlorines increased 4 to 9% per year of the mother's age (partial R² = 0.05 to 0.22). Mothers had 2.6% less PCBs in cord blood (partial R² = 0.02) for each unit increase in pre-pregnancy BMI. Season of delivery, breastfeeding previous children or consumption of local dairy products, were minor determinants. Up to 20% of the variability in organochlorine concentrations was explained by residence area. It was concluded that the place of birth in Flanders is an important determinant of the load of pollutants measured at the start of life. This underlines the validity of human biomonitoring on (relatively) small geographical scale.     

“城郊乡”梯度下土壤Cu、Zn、Pb含量的空间变异特征

为揭示城市化、工业化等人为活动对土壤环境质量的影响,选择能反映上海城郊乡梯度差异的中心城区、城郊结合部和远郊,采用地统计学方法对表层土壤样品Cu、Zn、Pb的空间变异结构和分布特征进行了对比分析。结果表明:城市土壤Pb、Cu、Zn的变异系数范围为0.24~0.62,均属中等变异强度。徐汇区土壤Cu、Pb、Zn符合正态分布,闵行区土壤Cu、Pb和Zn符合对数正态分布,奉贤区土壤Zn呈正态分布,土壤Cu、Pb符合对数正态分布。由中心城区到远郊,城市土壤Cu、Pb、Zn的各项统计特征值和变异系数均有较大差异,存在明显的空间分布差异。半方差函数分析结果表明,徐汇区作为中心城区,土壤Cu、Pb、Zn符合球状模型,土壤Cu、Zn具有强烈的空间相关性,土壤Pb具有明显的空间自相关。奉贤区以农业用地为主,土壤Pb符合线性模型,土壤Cu符合高斯模型,土壤Zn符合指数模型,具有强烈的空间相关性。闵行区地处城郊结合部,土壤Cu、Pb、Zn的半方差拟合模型均为线性模型,表现为纯块金形式,以随机变异为主,空间相关性弱。采用Kriging最优内插法进行无偏估值,绘制了表层土壤重金属含量的空间分布图,中心城区、城郊结合部、郊区土壤重金属的空间分布受城市化、工业化、城市交通等因素的影响,均表现出不同的空间分布规律。     

水体沉积物重金属质量基准研究新进展——生物效应数据库法

根据加拿大、美国佛罗里达、澳大利亚、新西兰、中国香港等国家和地区水体沉积物质量基准研究的最新资料 ,综述了目前国际上广泛采用的用于制定沉积物质量基准的新方法——生物效应数据库法 ,介绍了该方法制定基准研究和应用的新进展