Acid sulfate soils and human health—A Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Acid sulfate soils have been described as the “nastiest soils on earth” because of their strong acidity, increased mobility of potentially toxic elements and limited bioavailability of nutrients. They only cover a small area of the world's total problem soils, but often have significant adverse effects on agriculture, aquaculture and the environment on a local scale. Their location often coincides with high population density areas along the coasts of many developing countries. As a result, their negative impacts on ecosystems can have serious implications to those least equipped for coping with the low crop yields and reduced water quality that can result from acid sulfate soil disturbance. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment called on by the United Nations in 2000 emphasised the importance of ecosystems for human health and well-being. These include the service they provide as sources of food and water, through the control of pollution and disease, as well as for the cultural services ecosystems provide. While the problems related to agriculture, aquaculture and the environment have been the focus of many acid sulfate soil management efforts, the connection to human health has largely been ignored. This paper presents the potential health issues of acid sulfate soils, in relation to the ecosystem services identified in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. It is recognised that significant implications on food security and livelihood can result, as well as on community cohesiveness and the spread of vector-borne disease. However, the connection between these outcomes and acid sulfate soils is often not obvious and it is therefore argued that the impact of such soils on human well-being needs to be recognised in order to raise awareness among the public and decision makers, to in turn facilitate proper management and avoid potential human ill-health.     

Hg concentrations and related risk assessment in coral reef crustaceans, molluscs and fish from New Caledonia

There is a dramatic lack of data on Hg levels in marine organisms from tropical areas, and in particular from New Caledonia. For the first time, this study reports the total Hg concentrations in the tissues of several marine taxa from the New Caledonian lagoon. Seafood from both wild and farmed populations was considered. Hg concentrations varied over three orders of magnitudes according to factors including species, age (size/weight), trophic level, lifestyle and geographical origin. Taking into account the edible tissues, estimations of the amount of flesh that should be consumed by a 60-kg person to reach the Hg Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) reveal acceptable risk for Human health in general. However, a risk was clearly identified in one site of the lagoon (i.e. Grande Rade) where high Hg concentrations were measured. These concentrations were higher than values reported in the current literature.     

Removal of trace elements in three horizontal sub-surface flow constructed wetlands in the Czech Republic

Between March 2006 and June 2008 removal of 34 trace elements was measured on a monthly basis at three horizontal-flow constructed wetlands in the Czech Republic designed to treat municipal wastewater. In general, the results indicated a very wide range of removal efficiencies among studied elements. The highest degree of removal (average of 90%) was found for aluminum. High average removal was also recorded for zinc (78%). Elements removed in the range of 50-75% were uranium, antimony, copper, lead, molybdenum, chromium, barium, iron and gallium. Removal of cadmium, tin, mercury, silver, selenium and nickel varied between 25 and 50%. Low retention (0-25%) was observed for vanadium, lithium, boron, cobalt and strontium. There were two elements (manganese and arsenic) for which average outflow concentrations were higher compared to inflow concentrations. Reduced manganese compounds are very soluble and therefore they are washed out under anaerobic conditions.     

Correlation of foliar MT2b expression with Cd and Zn concentrations in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides) grown in contaminated soil

Metal uptake and its effect on foliar metallothionein 2b (MT2b) mRNA levels were studied in hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides) in field conditions. The trees were planted on a site contaminated with several metals, including cadmium (mean 5.1 mg kg⁻¹), chromium (80 mg kg⁻¹), copper (180 mg kg⁻¹), nickel (81 mg kg⁻¹), vanadium (240 mg kg⁻¹) and zinc (520 mg kg⁻¹). Of the ten trace elements analyzed, only Cd and Zn accumulated in the leaves with maximal foliar concentrations of 35 and 2400 mg kg⁻¹ (dry weight), respectively. There was a strong correlation between Cd and Zn concentrations and bioaccumulation factors (concentration in plant/soil) in the leaves, branches and roots, suggesting similar transport mechanisms for these two metals. The levels of MT2b correlated with Cd and Zn concentrations in the leaves, demonstrating that increased MT2b expression is one of the responses of hybrid aspen to chronic metal exposure.     

On causes of gigantism in herbaceous plants

Landscape-geochemical features providing for manifestation of gigantism in herbaceous plants have been revealed in natural habitats in the south of Sakhalin and Kunashir islands. Tall herb assemblages have proved to be associated with geochemical landscapes characterized by reducing (gley or hydrogen sulfide) conditions and increased contents of petroleum hydrocarbons and some trace elements (total and movable forms). A hypothesis is put forward that gigantism in herbaceous plants is manifested in zones of active faults, which serve as a kind of conduits supplying endogenous heat, matter, and water to the root systems.     

微量金属元素及其配合物对厨余垃圾甲烷发酵的影响

生物可利用的微量金属元素不仅能够保证污染物以最大的速率转化,而且还可以使某些特殊的转化得以发生,并提高微生物对有毒污染物质的耐受能力。在研究厨余垃圾总固体浓度(total solid, TS)、接种量和C/N比对厨余垃圾厌氧发酵影响的基础上,重点探讨微量金属元素钴及其配合物丝氨酸对厨余垃圾厌氧发酵甲烷产量及关键酶含量的影响。结果表明,当TS为0.5%、接种污泥量为100 mL/L和C/N比为20∶1时,厨余垃圾厌氧发酵的甲烷产率较高,为367 mL/g COD;添加2 μmol/L的微量金属元素钴-配合物丝氨酸时,甲烷产率则提高到432 mL/g COD,相应地,辅酶M的含量由空白实验的41.21 μmol/g VSS提高到54.64 μmol/g VSS,辅酶F₄₂₀的含量由0.31 μmol/g VSS提高到0.48 μmol/g VSS。     

地下饮用水中痕量NO2-的催化动力学法测定

报道了一种新的测定NO2-的高选择性和高灵敏度的催化光度分析法.基于H3PO4介质中,碘绿与溴酸钾的氧化还原反应受亚硝酸盐的催化使碘绿褪色.据此建立了测定NO2-的新方法.本方法检出限为0.29μg/L,该方法用于地下饮用水、环境标样的测定,相对标准偏差为1.05%～4.80%,加标回收率为95%～117%.     

Heavy metal contamination from mining sites in South Morocco: Monitoring metal content and toxicity of soil runoff and groundwater

The aim of the present work is the assessment of metal toxicity in runoff, in their contaminated soils and in the groundwater sampled from two mining areas in the region of Marrakech using a microbial bioassay MetPLATE™. This bioassay is based on the specific inhibition of the β-galactosidase enzyme of a mutant strain of Escherichia coli, by the metallic pollutants. The stream waters from all sampling stations in the two mines were all very toxic and displayed percent enzyme inhibition exceeding 87% except SWA₄ and SWB₁ stations in mine C. Their high concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) confirm the acute toxicity shown by MetPLATE. The pH of stream waters from mine B and C varied between 2.1 and 6.2 and was probably responsible for metal mobilization, suggesting a problem of acid mine drainage in these mining areas. The bioassay MetPLATE™ was also applied to mine tailings and to soils contaminated by the acidic waters. The results show that the high toxicity of these soils and tailings was mainly due to the relatively concentration of soluble Zn and Cu. The use of MetPLATE™ in groundwater toxicity testing shows that, most of the samples exhibited low metal toxicity (2.7–45.5% inhibition) except GW3 of the mine B (95.3% inhibition during the wet season and 82.9% inhibition during the dry season). This high toxicity is attributed to the higher than usual concentrations of Cu (189 μg Cu l⁻¹) and Zn (1505 μg Zn l⁻¹). These results show the potential risk of the contamination of different ecosystems situated to the vicinity of these two metalliferous sites. The general trend observed was an increase in metal toxicity measured by the MetPLATE with increasing total and mobile metal concentrations in the studied matrices. Therefore, the MetPLATE bioassay is a reliable and fast bioassay to estimate the metals toxicity in the aquatic and solids samples.     

Immobilization of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II) ions on kaolinite and montmorillonite surfaces from aqueous medium

The present study investigates the immobilization of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II) on clays (kaolinite and montmorillonite) in aqueous medium through the process of adsorption under a set of variables (concentration of metal ion, amount of clay, pH, time and temperature of interaction). Increasing pH favours the removal of metal ions till they are precipitated as the insoluble hydroxides. The uptake is rapid with maximum adsorption being observed within 180 min for Pb(II) and Ni(II) and 240 min for Cd(II). A number of available models like the Lagergren pseudo first-order kinetics, second-order kinetics, Elovich equation, liquid film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion are utilized to evaluate the kinetics and the mechanism of the immobilization interactions. Two isotherm equations due to Langmuir and Freundlich showed good fits with the experimental data. Kaolinite and montmorillonite have considerable Langmuir monolayer capacity with respect to Pb(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II), the values being in the range of 6.8-11.5mg/g (kaolinite) and 21.1-31.1mg/g (montmorillonite). The Freundlich adsorption capacity follows a similar order. The thermodynamics of the immobilization process indicates the same to be exothermic with Pb(II) and Ni(II), but endothermic with Cd(II). The interactions with Pb(II) and Ni(II) are accompanied by decrease in entropy and Gibbs energy while the endothermic immobilization of Cd(II) is supported by an increase in entropy and an appreciable decrease in Gibbs energy. The results have established good potentiality for kaolinite and montmorillonite to remove heavy metals like Pb(II), Cd(II) and Ni(II) from aqueous medium through adsorption-mediated immobilization.     

Assessment of the phytoextraction potential of high biomass crop plants

A hydroponic screening method was used to identify high biomass crop plants with the ability to accumulate metals. Highest values of shoot accumulation were found in maize cv. Ranchero, rapeseed cv. Karat, and cardoon cv. Peralta for Pb (18 753 mg kg(-1)), Zn (10 916 mg kg(-1)), and Cd (242 mg kg(-1)), respectively. Subsequently, we tested the potential of these three cultivars for the phytoextraction of a metal spiked compost, finding out that, in cardoon and maize plants, increasing Zn and Cd concentrations led to lower values of root and shoot DW. By contrast, rapeseed shoot growth was not significantly affected by Cd concentration. Finally, a metal polluted soil was used to check these cultivars' phytoextraction capacity. Although the soil was phytotoxic enough to prevent the growth of cardoon and rapeseed plants, maize plants phytoextracted 3.7 mg Zn pot(-1). We concluded that the phytoextraction performance of cultivars varies depending on the screening method used.