Mercury in soil, vegetable and human hair in a typical mining area in China: Implication for human exposure

Concentrations of total mercury(T-Hg) and methylmercury(MeHg) in soil, vegetables, and human hair were measured in a mercury mining area in central China. T-Hg and MeHg concentrations in soil ranged from 1.53 to 1054.97 mg/kg and 0.88 to 46.52 μg/kg, respectively.T-Hg concentrations was correlated with total organic carbon(TOC) content(R~2= 0.50, p0.01)and pH values(R~2= 0.21, p0.05). A significant linear relationship was observed between MeHg concentrations and the abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria(SRB)(R~2= 0.39, p0.05) in soil.Soil incubation experiments amended with specific microbial stimulants and inhibitors showed that Hg methylation was derived from SRB activity. T-Hg and MeHg concentrations in vegetables were 24.79 – 781.02 μg/kg and 0.01 – 0.18 μg/kg, respectively; levels in the edible parts were significantly higher than in the roots(T-Hg: p0.05; MeHg: p0.01). Hg species concentrations in rhizosphere soil were positively correlated to those in vegetables(p0.01), indicating that soil was an important source of Hg in vegetables. Risk assessment indicated that the consumption of vegetables could result in higher probable daily intake(PDI) of T-Hg than the provisional tolerable daily intake(PTDI) for both adults and children. In contrast, the PDI of MeHg was lower than the reference dose. T-Hg and MeHg concentrations in hair samples ranged from 1.57 to 12.61 mg/kg and 0.04 to 0.94 mg/kg, respectively, and MeHg concentration in hair positively related to PDI of MeHg via vegetable consumption(R~2= 0.39, p0.05), suggesting that vegetable may pose health risk to local residents.     

Water level fluctuations influence microbial communities and mercury methylation in soils in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Reservoirs tend to have enhanced methylmercury(MeHg) concentrations compared to natural lakes and rivers, and water level fluctuations can promote MeHg production. Until now, little research has been conducted on the effects of microorganisms in soils for the formation of MeHg during different drying and flooding alternating conditions in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR). This study aimed to understand how water level fluctuations affect soil microbial composition and mercury concentrations, and if such microbial variations are related to Hg methylation. The results showed that MeHg concentrations and the ratios of MeHg to THg(MeHg%) in soils were higher in the seasonally drying and flooding alternating areas(DFAs, 175–155 m) than those in the non-inundated(NIAs, 175 m) and inundated areas(IAs, 145 m). However, MeHg% in all samples was less than 1%, indicating that the Hg methylation activity in the soils of the TGR was under a low level. 454 highthroughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA gene amplicons showed that soil bacterial abundance and diversity were relatively higher in DFA compared to those in NIA and IA, and microbial community composition varied in these three areas. At the family level, those groups in Deltaproteobacteria and Methanomicrobia that might have many Hg methylators were also showed a higher relative abundance in DFA, which might be the reason for the higher MeHg production in these areas. Overall, our results suggested that seasonally water level fluctuations can enhance the microbial abundance and diversity, as well as MeHg production in the TGR.     

Microbial methylation of mercury in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

正Methylmercury(MeHg)is an organic form of the global pollutant mercury(Hg)which readily accumulates in fish tissue.A majority of Hg methylation is a result of microbial activity and the abundance of inorganic Hg within the water reservoirs(Eckley et al.,2017).Compared to natural lakes and rivers,reservoirs have elevated Hg levels from the decomposition of recently flooded organic material which promote Hg     

土壤作物系统镉污染及其防治研究

选择我国北方主要粮食作物冬小麦和夏谷进行盆栽试验，研究了土壤镉污染对作物生长发育和产量的影响及泥炭、羊粪两种不同类型的有机肥缓减土壤镉污染危害的作用；分析了镉在两种作物不同器官中的迁移效率和累积规律；认为施加有机肥是缓减土壤镉污染危害的有效措施，且施羊粪的效果比施泥炭好。     

Secretion-grooming in aquatic beetles (Hydradephaga): A chemical protection against contamination of the hydrofuge respiratory region

Summary All Hydradephaga investigated so far crawl onto land when exposed to an increase in water temperature and light intensity and spread the secretion from their pygidial glands over the body surface (secretion-grooming). The secretions have antimicrobial properties and are mainly applied to hydrofuge body regions important for aquatic respiration. Experimental prevention of secretion-grooming leads to the loss of the respiratory air bubble and a significant increase in mortality. These findings support the view that the secretion-grooming of adephagous aquatic beetles, like in some aquatic Heteroptera, inhibits the growth of microor-ganisms, thus preventing the contamination and wetting of the cuticular respiratory structures. Thus it keeps functional the air-retaining hydrophobous body regions essential for aquatic respiration. A model is presented on how secretion-grooming may have evolved in the Hydradephaga. Other possible functions of the pygidial gland secretions are discussed.     

Toxicity attenuation of olive mill wastewater in soil slurries

Olive mill wastewaters are toxic for plants and microbes due to their high polyphenol content. We studied the effect of agricultural soil as a natural catalyst to promote polyphenol oxidation and polymerization, and in turn detoxify olive mill wastewaters. We show that model polyphenols are fully converted in soil slurries. Their products show no toxicity to the growth of a typical soil bacterium, Bacillus cereus, and reduced phytotoxicity in germination tests with English cress seeds. Those findings are promising for the sustainable treatment of olive wastewater in aerated soil slurries.     

Sorption of heavy metals on organic and inorganic soil constituents

Sorption of heavy metals to organic matter and mineral soil constituents can hardly be separated experimentally. Here we studied the retention capacity of organic matter and minerals from soils in a long-term field experiment in which the organic carbon content had been altered, but the mineral phase had remained constant over time. The sorption of Cu, Cd and Zn showed a non-additive contribution of soil organic matter and minerals to the sorption capacity of soil. Sorption on organic matter exceeded mineral sorption from 6 to 13 times. This is the first time that sorption to soil organic matter is quantified in bulk soils.     

森林生态系统中土壤呼吸研究进展

土壤呼吸是土壤微生物活性和土壤肥力的一个重要指标，是土壤碳流通的一个重要过程，也是陆地生态系统碳循环的一个关键部分，对研究全球变化有非常重要影响。文章综述了森林生态系统土壤呼吸的各种测量方法，比较了静态气室法和动态气室法的优缺点，认为动态红外气体分析法是最可靠的方法之一；探讨了影响土壤呼吸速率的各种因素，指出在各生物和非生物因素中，温度对土壤呼吸的影响最大；最后提出了土壤呼吸研究过程中存在的一些问题及今后的发展方向。     

Movement and transformation of35S-labelled sulphate in the soil of a heavily polluted site in the Northern Czech Republic

Changes in chemistry and vertical distribution of³⁵S were investigated in column experiments using intact topsoil and repacked mineral soil horizons 1 to 20 weeks after tracer application (901 kBq³⁵S-SO₄ ^2– per column 6.5 cm in diameter). Horizons O, A, AE and Bvs of an Orthic Podzol were incubated at 20°C and wetted twice a week with 11 mm of natural throughfall precipitation (38.5 mg S0₄ ^2– L^–1-, pH 3.3). The top 35 cm of the soil contained 1,290 kg S ha^–1, or 18 times more than is the annual atmospheric S input (71.4 kg S ha^–1 yr^–1). Of this amount, 17.8 % was stored as inorganic sulphate S, 4.6 % as reduced inorganic S, and 77.6 % as organic S. In O + A and AE, free sulphate was the most abundant³⁵S form, while in Bvs the 35S activity of free and adsorbed sulphate was similar. The proportion of adsorbed sulphate increased with depth, averaging 23, 30 and 47 % of total inorganic sulphate³⁵S in O + A, AE and Bvs, respectively. Total specific activity of chemically transformed³⁵S (i.e., of reduced inorganic S and organic S) constituted 3.4, 3.8 and 105 % of inorganic sulphate³⁵S activity in O + A, AE and Bvs, respectively, in averaged weeks 2–4, and 7.5, 6.4 and 39.6 % in averaged weeks 11–13 in O+A, AE and Bvs, respectively. The turnover time of C-bonded³⁵S was shorter than that of ester sulphate³⁵S. An increase in FeS_2– ³⁵S with time indicated anaerobic conditions suitable for bacterial sulphate reduction. After 13 weeks, 68 % of the tracer was found deeper than 8 cm below soil surface.     

广东山地丘陵土壤的特性

广东山地丘陵面积约占总面积的70％,山地丘陵在广东经济发展中占有重要地位。本文根据长达5年的南方山区土壤资源考察及前人的研究成果,论述了广东山地丘陵土壤中有机质、全氮、颗粒组成、代换性能、矿质营养元素和土壤水分等的特点。建议根据山地土壤资源的优势和生态系统的脆弱性,实行保护性开发、建立良性人工生态系统,因地制宜,因土种植,合理施肥和实行人工灌溉等土壤水分的调控措施。