Metal Contamination in Urban Soils of Coastal Tuscany (Italy)

Urban soils are often contaminated by metals deriving from human activities. Urban polluted soils can affect human health through direct physical contact or through the food chain. The behaviour of metals is affected by chemical and physical soil properties. Heavy metal concentration was determined in some soils of three medium sized towns of coastal Tuscany, Central Italy. Soil samples were collected in roadsides, urban agricultural soils (allotments), playgrounds and public parks. The analysis included total metal content (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cd), and sequential extraction. Lead reached the highest levels in the soils and was higher near roads. In urban agricultural soils and in allotments Cu was present in noticeable quantities (300 mg kg⁻¹). The presence of Cu in urban soils seems to be typical of soils used for a long period as agricultural land, especially vineyards in the area covered by this study. Sequential extraction was performed to evaluate the mobility of the metals and to better understand the impact of the anthropogenic activity on urban sites. In the present study principal components analysis (PCA) is employed to describe the characteristics of urban soils.     

Assessment and Treatment of Hydrocarbon Inundated Soils Using Inorganic Nutrient (N-P-K) Supplements: II. A Case Study of Eneka Oil Spillage in Niger Delta, Nigeria

Polluted soils from Eneka oil field in the Niger delta region of Nigeria were collected two months after recorded incidence of oil spillage as part of a two-site reclamation programme. The soils were taken on the second day of reconnaissance from three replicate quadrats, at surface (0–15 cm) and subsurface (15–30 cm) depths, using the grid sampling technique. Total extractable hydrocarbon content (THC) of the polluted soils ranged from 1.006×10³–5.540× 10⁴ mg/kg at surface and subsurface depths (no overlap in Standard Errors at 95% Confidence Level). Greenhouse trials for possible reclamation were later carried out using (NH₄)₂SO₄, KH₂PO₄ and KCl (N-P-K) fertilizer as nutrient supplements. Nitrogen as NO₃-N and potassium were optimally enhanced at 2% (w/w) and 3% (w/w) of the N-P-K supplementation respectively. Phosphorus, which was inherently more enhanced in the soils than the other nutrients, maintained same level impact after 20 g treatment with the N-P-K fertilizer. Total organic carbon (%TOC), total organic matter (%TOM), pH and % moisture content all provided evidence of enhanced mineralization in the fertilizer treated soils. If reclamation of the crude oil inundated soils is construed as the return to normal levels of metabolic activities of the soils, then the application of the inorganic fertilizers at such prescribed levels would duly accelerate the remediation process. This would be, however, limited to levels of pollution empirically defined by such THC values obtained in this study. The data on the molecular compositional changes of the total petroleum hydrocarbon content (TPH) of the spilled-oil showed the depletion of the fingerprints of the n-paraffins, nC₈–nC₁₀, and complete disappearance of C₁₂–C₁₇ as well as the acyclic isoprenoid, pristane, all of which provided substantial evidence of degradation.     

添加羟基磷灰石对土壤铅吸附与解吸特性的影响

采用羟基磷灰石对四种不同类型的土壤进行铅的吸附-解吸试验.结果表明:四种土壤对铅的吸附均可用Langmuir和Freundlich方程进行描述,土壤中加入羟基磷灰石明显增加了土壤对铅的吸附量和吸附亲和力,同时降低了土壤中铅的解吸百分数,在偏酸性的红壤上表现更为明显,其最大吸附量增加28%.羟基磷灰石对铅吸附的反应机理可能与磷灰石溶解后与铅形成磷酸盐沉淀及其对铅的表面吸附作用有关.土壤对铅的吸附量及吸附亲和力与土壤的有机质、阳离子交换量及粘粒含量有显著正相关,而与土壤砂粒的含量呈负相关.     

Distribution patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls in soils collected from Zhejiang province, east China

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in surface soil samples from Zhejiang Province, east China. Concentrations of total PCBs ranged widely from 7.50 to 263 ng kg⁻¹ with a mean value of 45.4 ng kg⁻¹ (dry matter basis). In general, concentrations in soil samples from the southern part of the test area and especially from some sites near hills tended to be higher than those from other sites. The prevailing winds may have been the main factor influencing the spatial distribution of PCBs in soils. Other factors may have included the distribution of residential areas and land use variables. In this paper we also discuss the relationships between OCPs and PCBs in soils and relationships between these and land use variables as revealed by correlation analysis.     

Salt Flushing,Salt Storage,and Controls on Selenium and Uranium: A 31‐Year Mass‐Balance Analysis of an Irrigated,Semiarid Valley

Salinity, selenium, and uranium pose water‐quality challenges for the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado and other rivers that support irrigation in semiarid regions. This study used 31 years of continuous discharge and specific conductance (SC) monitoring data to assess interannual patterns in water quality using mass balance on a 120‐km reach of river. Discrete sampling data were used to link the SC records to salinity, selenium, and uranium. Several important patterns emerged. Consumptive use reduced discharge by a median value of 33% and drove corresponding increases in salinity and uranium concentrations. Increased water availability for irrigation from rainfall and upstream snowpack in 1995–1999 flushed additional salinity and uranium into the river in 1996–2000; average annual total dissolved solids (salinity) concentrations increased 25%, and loads increased 131%. Smaller flushing events have occurred, sometimes lagging an increase in water availability by about one year. The pattern indicates flushing of salts temporarily stored, evaporatively concentrated, or of geologic origin. Mobilization of selenium from the reach was minor compared to salinity and uranium, and net selenium removal from the river was suggested in some years. Several processes related to irrigation could be removing selenium. The results provide context for efforts to improve water quality in the Arkansas River and rivers in other semiarid regions.     

电感耦合等离子体-质谱法内标元素选择的研究

电感耦合等离子体-质谱(ICP-MS)测定土壤标样中不同质量段的Cr、Cd、Pb元素,借以研究内标元素选择对测定值的影响。结果表明:选择内标元素,首要考虑因素是样品中不含该元素,而非质量数或第一电离能与待测元素接近;选择样品中含有成分作为内标元素时,对低浓度含量的元素影响更大;单一内标元素即可校正基体效应,实现对低、中、高质量段的多元素同时测定。对地质标样和未知样品,分别推荐了内标元素和选择内标元素的方法。     

湖南省农田土壤中HCH和DDT残留状况研究

2009年6月采集了湖南省农田土壤中的160个样品,采用ASE萃取技术,用GC-MS方法测定了样品中的六六六(HCH)、滴滴涕(DDT)。结果表明:HCH和DDT的检出率为100%,说明湖南省农田土壤中有机氯农药残留现象普遍存在。HCH和DDT的平均含量分别为8.03和36.26μg/kg,范围分别在0.20～17.89μg/kg和5.05～45.96μg/kg。与国内不同区域的同类研究相比,湖南省农田土壤的有机氯残留水平处于中等水平。在不同类型土壤中,有机氯残留状况有所差异,HCH在水稻土中残留量最高,而DDT在棉花田最高。     

Chelant-aided enhancement of lead mobilization in residential soils

Chelation of metals is an important factor in enhancing solubility and hence, availability to plants to promote phytoremediation. We compared the effects of two chelants, namely, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) in enhancing mobilized lead (Pb) in Pb-based paint contaminated residential soils collected from San Antonio, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland. Batch incubation studies were performed to investigate the effectiveness of the two chelants in enhancing mobilized Pb, at various concentrations and treatment durations. Over a period of 1 month, the mobilized Pb pool in the San Antonio study soils increased from 52 mg kg⁻¹ to 287 and 114 mg kg⁻¹ in the presence of 15 mM kg⁻¹ EDTA and EDDS, respectively. Stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that pH and organic matter content significantly affected the mobilized Pb fraction. The regression models explained a large percentage, from 83 to 99%, of the total variation in mobilized Pb concentrations.     

Ion activity and distribution of heavy metals in acid mine drainage polluted subtropical soils

The oxidative dissolution of mine wastes gives rise to acidic, metal-enriched mine drainage (AMD) and has typically posed an additional risk to the environment. The poly-metallic mine Dabaoshan in South China is an excellent test site to understand the processes affecting the surrounding polluted agricultural fields. Our objectives were firstly to investigate metal ion activity in soil solution, distribution in solid constituents, and spatial distribution in samples, secondly to determine dominant environment factors controlling metal activity in the long-term AMD-polluted subtropical soils. Soil Column Donnan Membrane Technology (SC-DMT) combined with sequential extraction shows that unusually large proportion of the metal ions are present as free ion in the soil solutions. The narrow range of low pH values prevents any pH effects during the binding onto oxides or organic matter. The differences in speciation of the soil solutions may explain the different soil degradation observed between paddy and non-paddy soils.     

Selenium fractions in organic matter from Se-rich soils and weathered stone coal in selenosis areas of China

A high degree of association between Selenium (Se) and organic matter has been demonstrated in natural environments, but Se fractions and speciation in organic matter is unclear. In this study, a method for quantifying organic matter associated with Se (OM-Se) was developed to investigate Se fractions in organic matter in Se-rich soils and weathered stone coal from Enshi, China, where Se poisoning of humans and livestock has been documented. Initially, Se was extracted using water and a phosphate buffer. Subsequently, OM-Se was extracted using NaOH, and then speciated into Se associated with fulvic acids (FA-Se) and humic acids (HA-Se). Both FA-Se and HA-Se were further speciated into the weakly bound and strongly bound fractions using a customized hydride generation reactor. The results show that FA-Se (1.91-479 mg kg⁻¹) is the predominant form of Se in all Se-rich soils and the weathered stone coal samples, accounting for more than 62% of OM-Se (3.07-484 mg kg⁻¹). Weakly bound FA-Se (1.33-450 mg kg⁻¹) was prevalent in the total FA-Se, while weakly bound HA-Se (0.62-26.2 mg kg⁻¹) was variable in the total HA-Se (1.15-32.5 mg kg⁻¹). These data indicate that OM-Se could play a significant source and sink role in the biogeochemical cycling of Se in the supergene environment. Weakly bound FA-Se seems to act as a potential source for bioavailable Se, whereas strongly bound HA-Se is a possible OM-Se sink which is not readily transformed into bioavailable Se.