A Study on Transfer Factors of 60Co and 65Zn from Soil to Plants in the Tropical Environment of Bangladesh

Soil to plant transfer factor (TF) of⁶⁰Co and ⁶⁵Zn was determined fromradioisotope experiments on plants grown in pots underoutdoor ambient tropical conditions for three growingseasons (1995–1998). The TFs were obtained fordifferent plants/crops such as, rice, bean, peanutspineapple, cabbage, tomato, spinach and grass. Theaverage TF values of ⁶⁰Co are found to be 0.087,0.15, 0.12, 0.67, 0.28, 0.79, 1.03 and 0.34respectively for the above mentioned plants/crops. Incase of ⁶⁵Zn, the average TF values are found tobe 2.24, 1.17, 0.89, 1.09, 0.78, 1.34, 2.92 and 1.78,respectively, for the above mentioned plants/crops. Thedata will be useful to assess the radiation exposureto man associated with the releases of radionuclidesfrom nuclear facilities by means of radiologicalassessment models that require transfer factors asinput parameters to predict the contamination ofradionuclides in foodchain.     

The effect of catch crops on sulphate leaching and availability of S in the succeeding crop on sandy loam soil in Denmark

Sulphate leaching losses may reduce the long-term possibility of maintaining the S supply of crops in low input farming systems. The ability of catch crops (Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam), winter rape (Brassica napus L.) and fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L.)) to reduce soil sulphate concentrations in autumn and make it available to a succeeding crop was investigated in 1996–1998 on sandy loam soil in Denmark. All catch crops reduced soil sulphate concentrations in the autumn compared to bare soil. Especially, the cruciferous catch crops had the ability to deplete efficiently soil sulphate levels and thus, reduce the sulphate leaching potential. The S uptake in aboveground catch crop was 8, 22 and 36 kg S per ha for ryegrass, winter rape and fodder radish, respectively. In the following spring, sulphate levels of the autumn bare soil were low in the top 0.5 m and a peak of sulphate was found at 0.75–1 m depth. In contrast, where a fodder radish catch crop had been grown, high sulphate levels were present in the top 0.5 m, but only small amounts of sulphate were found at 0.5–1.5 m depth. In spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), that followed catch crops, S concentrations at heading and maturity revealed that the availability of soil S increased following winter rape and fodder radish, whereas there were indications that following ryegrass, the S availability was reduced compared to bare soil. This initial study showed that catch crops have a high potential for reducing sulphate leaching and may be used to synchronise S availability with plant demand in a crop rotation.     

Toxic metals in sewage sludge-amended soils: has promotion of beneficial use discounted the risks?

Land application of contaminated waste products has been defended as beneficial use by some scientists and regulators, based on the premise that the behavior of any toxins accumulated in soils from this practice is reasonably well understood and will not have detrimental agronomic or environmental impacts into the foreseeable future. In this review, I use the case of toxic metals in sewage sludges applied to agricultural land to illustrate that metal behavior in soils and plant uptake is difficult to generalize because it is strongly dependent on the nature of the metal, sludge, soil properties and crop. Nevertheless, permitted agricultural loadings of toxic metals from sewage sludges are typically regulated using the sole criterion of total metal loading or concentrations in soils. Several critical generalizing assumptions about the behavior of sludge-borne metals in soil-crop systems, built into the US EPA risk assessment for metals, have tended to underestimate risks and are shown not to be well justified by published research. It is argued that, in the absence of a basic understanding of metal behavior in each specific situation, a more precautionary approach to toxic metal additions to soils is warranted.     

重金属对农作物的影响初探

随着工农业的发展,重金属对农作物的影响日益严重.本文选取农作物中有代表性的一种-萝卜做为实验材料,研究的就是在不同浓度的重金属的影响下,萝卜的生长状况.通过所做的硝酸还原酶活性实验、过氧化物酶实验,针对重金属在生态系统中对农作物的影响问题,做了一个早期的、比较完整的分析.     

A framework to assess regional environmental impacts of dedicated energy crop production

Numerous studies have evaluated air quality and greenhouse gas mitigation benefits of biomass energy systems, but the potential environmental impacts associated with large-scale changes in land-use patterns needed to produce energy crops have not been quantified. This paper presents a framework to assess the potential soil, water, and biodiversity impacts that may result from the large-scale production of dedicated energy crops. The framework incorporates producer economic decision models with environmental models to assess changes in land use patterns and to quantify the consequent environmental impacts. Economic and policy issues that will affect decisions to produce energy crops are discussed. The framework is used to evaluate erosion and chemical runoff in two Tennessee regions. The analysis shows that production of dedicated energy crops in place of conventional crops will significantly reduce erosion and chemical runoff.     

Socio-economic Comparison Between Traditional and Improved Cultivation Methods in Agroforestry Systems, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

The East Usambara Mountains, recognized as one of the 25 most important biodiversity hot spots in the world, have a high degree of species diversity and endemism that is threatened by increasing human pressure on resources. Traditional slash and burn cultivation in the area is no longer sustainable. However, it is possible to maintain land productivity, decrease land degradation, and improve rural people’s livelihood by ameliorating cultivation methods. Improved agroforestry seems to be a very convincing and suitable method for buffer zones of conservation areas. Farmers could receive a reasonable net income from their farm with little investment in terms of time, capital, and labor. By increasing the diversity and production of already existing cultivations, the pressure on natural forests can be diminished. The present study shows a significant gap between traditional cultivation methods and improved agroforestry systems in socio-economic terms. Improved agroforestry systems provide approximately double income per capita in comparison to traditional methods. More intensified cash crop cultivation in the highlands of the East Usambara also results in double income compared to that in the lowlands. However, people are sensitive to risks of changing farming practices. Encouraging farmers to apply better land management and practice sustainable cultivation of cash crops in combination with multipurpose trees would be relevant in improving their economic situation in the relatively short term. The markets of most cash crops are already available. Improved agroforestry methods could ameliorate the living conditions of the local population and protect the natural reserves from human disturbance.     

Production costs and operative margins in electric energy generation from biogas. Full-scale case studies in Italy

The purpose of this study was to observe the economic sustainability of three different biogas full scale plants, fed with different organic matrices: energy crops (EC), manure, agro-industrial (Plants B and C) and organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) (Plant A). The plants were observed for one year and total annual biomass feeding, biomass composition and biomass cost (€ Mg^?1), initial investment cost and plant electric power production were registered. The unit costs of biogas and electric energy (€ Sm^?3_biogas, € kW h^?1_EE) were differently distributed, depending on the type of feed and plant. Plant A showed high management/maintenance cost for OFMSW treatment (0.155 € Sm^?3_biogas, 45% of total cost), Plant B suffered high cost for EC supply (0.130 € Sm^?3_biogas, 49% of total cost) and Plant C showed higher impact on the total costs because of the depreciation charge (0.146 € Sm^?3_biogas, 41% of total costs). The breakeven point for the tariff of electric energy, calculated for the different cases, resulted in the range 120–170 € MW h^?1_EE, depending on fed materials and plant scale. EC had great impact on biomass supply costs and should be reduced, in favor of organic waste and residues; plant scale still heavily influences the production costs. The EU States should drive incentives in dependence of these factors, to further develop this still promising sector.     

锌冶炼区耕地土壤和农作物重金属污染状况及风险评价

对贵州省某典型锌冶炼区耕地土壤和主要谷类农作物(稻米、玉米和小麦)进行取样调查,测定了土壤和谷类农作物中重金属Pb、Cd、Zn和Cu的含量,采用单因子污染指数和综合污染指数法评价了土壤和作物籽粒中重金属的污染状况,并分别采用潜在生态风险指数(RI)和危险商(HQ)法评价了土壤重金属污染的潜在生态风险程度和作物中重金属对成人和儿童的健康风险.结果表明:(1)冶炼区耕地土壤受到了重金属不同程度的污染,污染程度排序:玉米地水稻田小麦地,且CdCuZnPb,内梅罗综合污染指数分析结果表明,玉米地污染程度为重污染,水稻田和小麦地为轻污染,且均以Cd对综合指数的贡献最大;(2)土壤Cd存在极强生态风险,4种重金属潜在生态危害大小顺序为:CdPbCuZn;生态风险指数(RI)研究结果表明,研究区处于轻微、中等、强的和很强的生态风险程度的采样点比例分别为1.41%、21.1%、35.2%和42.3%.(3)冶炼区农作物稻米中重金属Pb、Cd、Zn、Cu的平均含量分别为0.145、0.017、16.97和2.704 mg·kg~(-1);玉米中重金属Pb、Cd、Zn、Cu的平均含量分别为0.094、0.055、26.81和4.464 mg·kg~(-1);小麦中重金属Pb、Cd、Zn、Cu的平均含量分别为0.048、0.085、35.37和5.426 mg·kg~(-1).(4)研究区稻米、玉米和小麦均存在重金属超标现象,重金属污染程度为小麦最重,稻米和玉米的污染程度相当,稻米和玉米污染等级均为安全,小麦处于警戒线.(5)各重金属元素每日摄入量均低于美国环保署的参考暴露剂量,安全性较好,但食用该区域谷类农作物引起复合重金属污染对成人和儿童均存在健康风险.(6)耕地土壤重金属含量与谷类农作物可食部分重金属含量间无明显相关性.     

不同前茬冬小麦土壤呼吸特征及影响因子分析

以不同蔬菜前茬处理的冬小麦田为对象,研究土壤呼吸变化特征、各影响因子对土壤呼吸的响应的通径分析以及计算全生长季农田碳汇强度.结果表明：①温度对土壤呼吸速率的响应随深度增加具有滞后性;土壤呼吸与土壤水分呈显著二次相关.②有效磷、速效钾、土壤脲酶、土壤温度、土壤水分对土壤呼吸变化的贡献较大,为主要影响因子.5种主要因子中土...     

陕北某化工企业周围污灌区土壤-作物系统重金属积累特征及评价

对陕西北部某化工企业污灌区土壤-作物系统的重金属积累状况及空间分布进行了深入研究.结果表明,污水排放导致了周围农田土壤中Cd和Cu的聚集,其中Cd的积累量超过国家土壤环境二级标准;土壤Cu、Zn和Pb的单因子污染指数均小于1,Cd的单因子污染指数为1.21,属轻度污染,4种重金属综合污染指数为0.74,属警戒线等级.在剖面上,所有重金属元素均表现出明显的表聚现象,主要聚集在土壤表层0~10 cm范围内,在空间分布上,污水排放企业污灌区土壤和作物重金属Cu、Zn和Cd的强烈聚集区出现在企业排污口附近100 m范围内,而Pb集中在200 m范围内,并随着距企业距离的增加重金属含量呈降低趋势.在企业污水灌溉的影响下,玉米籽粒中Cu、Pb和Cd的平均含量分别为4.74、0.129和0.036 mg·kg-1,明显高于对照区,其中Pb达到5.7%的超标率.玉米籽粒中重金属单因子污染指数均小于1,大小为PbCuZnCd,综合污染指数为0.53,属安全清洁等级;4种重金属元素中,除Cd在作物中与土壤中有效态和全量之间均呈现极显著的正相关关系外,其余元素作物中和土壤中含量相关性均未达到显著水平.因此,该化工企业周围,尽管由于污灌引起重金属在土壤中的累积,但由于在农作物中的积累有限,暂时未对人体健康造成威胁,但由于交通及烟尘引起的Pb的超标应引起重视.