Sulphur transformation and deposition in the rhizosphere of Juncus effusus in a laboratory-scale constructed wetland

Sulphur cycling and its correlation to removal processes under dynamic redox conditions in the rhizosphere of helophytes in treatment wetlands are poorly understood. Therefore, long-term experiments were performed in laboratory-scale constructed wetlands treating artificial domestic wastewater in order to investigate the dynamics of sulphur compounds, the responses of plants and nitrifying microorganisms under carbon surplus conditions, and the generation of methane. For carbon surplus conditions (carbon:sulphate of 2.8:1) sulphate reduction happened but was repressed, in contrast to unplanted filters mentioned in literature. Doubling the carbon load caused stable and efficient sulphate reduction, rising of pH, increasing enrichment of S(2-) and S(0) in pore water, and finally plant death and inhibition of nitrification by sulphide toxicity. The data show a clear correlation of the occurrence of reduced S-species with decreasing C and N removal performance and plant viability in the experimental constructed wetlands.     

羽序灯心草作为酸性矿山废弃地先锋植物潜力

生态复垦是当前世界各国酸性矿山废弃地修复的主要方法.通过研究云南来利山锡矿区废弃地土壤pH值、肥力特征及重金属含量,以及矿区生长的羽序灯心草形态特征和植株体内重金属的分布特征,分析植株耐酸性、对废弃地土壤肥力的适应性及对Zn和Cu等重金属污染的耐性,探讨其作为酸性矿山废弃地先锋植物的潜力.结果表明,研究区域根际土壤pH值均值范围为3.46～4.01,呈酸性;土壤中有机质、全钾、全磷和速效磷含量分别为10.28～25.75g·kg~(-1)、 8.84～9.32g·kg~(-1)、 0.56～0.63g·kg~(-1)和1.82～5.72mg·kg~(-1),处于较低水平;土壤中Zn、Cu和Fe含量均值范围分别为54.93～114.49、 92.53～127.59和47 133.60～112 259.63 mg·kg~(-1),其中重金属Cu含量超出风险筛选值1.85～2.55倍;研究区域羽序灯心草株高均值范围为43.77～55.42 cm,对照组植株高度为51.38～57.66 cm,无显著差异,表明羽序灯心草具有耐酸性及对重金属污染具有耐性.进一步分析对重金属Cu和Zn的富集能力和转移特征,发现对Cu和Zn都具有富集能力,且对Zn具有运转能力,具有一定的富集吸收潜力.株高与根际土壤中速效磷的含量显著相关,后期羽序灯心草作为先锋植物在矿山废弃地进行种植时,可针对性地补充含速效磷的肥料改善土壤肥力条件.综合分析结果表明,羽序灯心草作为先锋植物修复酸性矿山废弃地具有巨大潜力.     

单一重金属污染对灯心草生长及重金属积累特性的影响

盆栽试验结果表明:在设置的低浓度范围内,Cd、Pb、Cu能够刺激灯心草的生长。而As(地上部除外)、Zn在整个浓度设置范围内对灯心草的生长都表现出抑制作用,且各重金属对灯心草地下部生物量影响不显著。各重金属对灯心草生长抑制程度为:Zn>As>Cu>Pb>Cd。以灯心草生物量减产10%为依据,将土壤中Cd、Pb、Cu3种重金属临界值分别设定为10、100、100~200 mg.kg-1。灯心草不适合在Zn污染的土壤中种植,土壤中As临界值尚需作进一步的研究来确定。除Cd外,其余4种重金属主要累积于灯心草根部。回归分析表明,Cd、Pb在灯心草地上和地下部以及As在灯心草地下部的积累量与土壤中各重金属添加量之间存在显著线性关系(P<0.05)。     

The Role of a Salt Marsh Plant on Trace Metal Bioavailability in Sediments. Estimation By Different Chemical Approaches * (7 pp)

Goal, Scope and Background The presence or absence of vegetation can condition sediment characteristics. The main aim of this work was to investigate the influence of the sea rush Juncus maritimus on metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) availability to organisms living on or in estuarine sediments, from Douro River (NW Portugal), by comparing the characteristics and chemical behaviour of rhizosediments (collected within the plant assemblage) and those of sediment (collected around the plant). In order to evaluate whether and how sediment characteristics condition the role of plants on metal availability, sandy and muddy sediments colonised by J. maritimus were studied in parallel. Methods Metal availability was estimated by enzymatic digestion with pepsin (ED), which may provide an estimate of metal availability to organisms living at estuarine sediments. Nevertheless, since no consensus exists yet on the most suitable methodologies to estimate metal bioavailability in sediments, two more conventional approaches, BCR sequential extraction (SE) and AVS/SEM model, were also used, in parallel, and the information these approaches provided was compared with that provided by ED. Total-recoverable metal contents were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry after sediment digestion using a high-pressure microwave system. Results and Discussion Plants could concentrate metals around its roots and rhizomes. In addition, they were capable of oxidizing (release of oxygen by the roots) the anaerobic medium surrounding their roots in muddy sediment (reducing AVS). As sulphide oxidation renders metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) into more soluble forms, according to the AVS/SEM model, metals from muddy sites would be more available in rhizosediment than in sediment. The SE approach led to a similar conclusion. Nevertheless, the results provided by ED pointed at opposite conclusion, particularly for Cd and Zn, indicating less availability at rhizosediments than in the surrounding sediment. ED results were interpreted as a consequence of an enrichment of the rhizosediment in organic ligands exuded by the roots or liberated by dead plants. The effect of complexation of metals by organic compounds, which ED could not decompose/dissolve, seemed to overcome that caused by sediment oxidation. In general, a comparison of the information about metal availability by ED, SE, AVS/SEM, showed that it did not always match and in few cases it was even contradictory. Conclusion and Outlook Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the metal availability in sediments requires a combination of different chemical approaches, so as to take into consideration differences in ways of organism exposure (interstitial water and/or ingestion of sediment particles). - * The basis of this peer-reviewed paper is a presentation at the 9th FECS Conference on 'Chemistry and Environment', 29 August to 1 September 2004, Bordeaux, France.     

EDTA调控下灯心草和龙须草对铅锌尾矿污染土壤的修复潜力

采用盆栽试验,研究了不同质量摩尔浓度EDTA(b(EDTA))调控下灯心草和龙须草对铅锌尾矿污染土壤的修复潜力.结果表明:当b(EDTA)为0.125～2.000 mmol/kg时能显著促进生长在铅锌尾矿污染土壤中灯心草和龙须草地上部生物量的增产,分别在0.500和1.000 mmol/kg时达到最大值.EDTA对2种草地上部生物量的影响大于地下部,分别通过影响株高和分蘖数实现,且对灯心草的影响程度大于龙须草.添加EDTA可以显著提高2种草对各重金属的富集能力,尤其以Pb, Cu最为明显.同时发现,EDTA对植物积累重金属能力的促进作用存在植物种类和重金属元素种类之间的差异.灯心草和龙须草分别在重金属积累、转运和生物量上存在优势,在EDTA调控下将2种植物合理搭配种植在铅锌尾矿污染土壤中能取得良好的重金属去除效果.      

Relationships of salt-marsh plant distributions to tidal levels in Connecticut,USA

A three-year study of Connecticut, USA, salt-marsh vegetation was undertaken to determine the relationship of its distribution on the marsh surface to tidal levels, particularly mean high water (MHW) as measured on each of three sites representing different tidal amplitudes. Elevations and species present were measured on 1-m² grids in 10x 70-m belt transects at each site. After the data were subjected to discriminant analysis and other standard statistical procedures, the results showed that 98.4% of all observations ofSpartina alterniflora Loisel. occurred at or below MHW. The data can aid in salt-marsh restoration by offering a reliable indicator of what species should be planted when restored elevations and on-site MHW are known.     

Suitability of different salt marsh plants for petroleum hydrocarbons remediation

The suitability of the salt-marsh species Halimione portulacoides, Scirpus maritimus, Juncus maritimus and an association of the last two for remediation of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) in soil was investigated. An outdoor laboratory experiment (microcosm-scale) was carried out using contaminated soil collected in a refinery, as a complement of another study carried out in the refinery environment (mesocosm-scale). Soil samples with old contamination (mainly crude oil) and with a mixture of the old and recent (turbine oil) contamination were tested. Studies in both micro- and mesocosm-scale provided results coherent in substance. The presence of S. maritimus caused removal of old contamination which was refractory to natural attenuation (after 7 months of exposure, efficiency was 13% when only old contamination was present and 40% when the soil also contained recent contamination). H. portulacoides (only included in the microcosm-scale study) revealed also potentiality for PHC remediation, although with less efficiency than S. maritimus. Degradation of recent contamination was also faster in the presence of plants (after 7 months: 100% in the presence of S. maritimus vs. 63% in its absence). As these species are common in salt marsh areas in Atlantic coast of Europe, it is probable they will be also useful for recovering coast sediments. In contrast, J. maritimus and association did not reveal capability to remove PHC from soil, the presence of J. maritimus inhibiting the capability of S. maritimus.     

灯心草部分生理生化指标对土壤复合重金属胁迫的响应

通过盆栽试验,以叶绿素含量和POD、SOD、CAT3种抗氧化酶活性作为观测指标,研究了Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn和As复合重金属胁迫下灯心草部分生理生化指标的变化趋势和机理.结果表明,灯心草的生理毒害效应呈明显的剂量-效应关系.表现为与对照相比,叶绿素含量减少,叶绿素a/b值降低,叶片失绿现象明显.随着复合重金属胁迫浓度的增加,灯心草3种酶活性均呈先升后降的变化趋势,但出现抗性酶活性高峰所对应的重金属浓度不同,表现出不同的特征变化趋势.总体来说,在接近土壤环境质量标准低浓度设计范围内,酶活性有逐渐被激活的趋势.但在高浓度水平下,酶活性普遍受到抑制.生长在铅锌尾矿和模拟矿毒水污染土壤中的灯心草叶绿素合成受到显著抑制(P＜0.05),但POD和CAT两种酶活性均高于对照.     

复合重金属胁迫对灯心草生长及其积累特性的影响

盆栽试验结果表明：Cd、Pb、Cu、Zn、As5种重金属复合胁迫对灯心草地上部生长有一定程度的抑制作用,在土壤环境质量二级标准上限值处灯心草地上部生物量减产9．15％,小于10％,生长在矿毒水和铅锌尾矿污染土壤中的灯心草地上部生物量分别减产28．23％和37．1％,但地下部生物量减产趋势不明显。以地上部生物量为参考指标,可初步将土壤环境质量二级标准上限值拟设定为土壤中各重金属的临界毒性效应值。在Cd、Pb、Cu、Zn、As复合胁迫条件下,各重金属在灯心草茎叶和根系中的积累和分布存在明显差异,且与土壤中各重金属含量间存在一定的相关性。     

重金属单一污染对灯心草生长及重金属积累特性的影响

盆栽试验结果表明：在土壤环境质量标准低浓度设置范围内，Cd、Pb、Cu能够刺激灯心草的生长。而灿（地上部除外）、Zn在整个浓度设置范围内对灯心草的生长都表现出抑制作用。相对于地上部而言，各重金属对灯心草地下部生物量影响趋势不明显。单一污染条件下，各种金属对灯心草各项生长指标的抑制程度大小排序为：Zn〉As〉Cu〉Pb〉Cd。以灯心草生物量减产10％为依据，可以将土壤中Cd、Pb、Cu三种重金属临界值分别设定为10ms／ks、100mg／kg、100ms／ks。灯心草不适合在Zn污染的土壤中种植，土壤中As临界值则尚需作进一步的研究来确定。除Cd外，其余四种重金属均主要积累在灯心草根部。根据线性回归分析，Cd、Ph在灯心草地上部和地下部以及灿在灯心草地下部的积累量与土壤中对应各重金属添加量之间存在显著线性关系（P〈0．5）。