堆肥, 石灰和磷酸二铵对铜尾矿土壤重金属的植物有效性的影响

Soil samples from a historic copper mine tailing site at the Parys Mountain,North Wales (UK) were amended with green waste compost (GC),GC+30% sewage sludge (GCS),lime and diammonium phosphate (DAP),to determine the effect of amendments on DTPA-and Ca (NO₃) ₂-extractable metals in the mine tailing and on the phytoavailability of heavy metals by a lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).Both compost were added at the rate of 10% by weight,lime was added as calcium carbonate equivalent (pH = 7) and DAP at a 2300 mg kg^-1 soil level.The experiment was arranged in randomised complete design with three replicates in pots under control environment.Addition of lime resulted in the largest reduction in metal extractability with DTPA and Ca (NO₃) ₂ and phytoavailability of Cu,Fe and Zn while DAP was effective in lowering Pb extractability and phytoavailability.With exception of Zn,all other metals extracted decreased with time after amendment applications.The distribution of heavy metals between and within the four procedures of potentially bioavailable sequential extraction (PBASE) varied significantly (P < 0.001).Stronger relationships were noted between the metals extracted with PBASE SE1 and Cu,Pb (P < 0.01) and Fe (P < 0.001) in the lettuce.These results indicate that addition of lime is sufficient to restore the vegetative cover to a high metal mine waste while DAP is good for stabilizing Pb,but its detrimental role on plant growth and the risk associated with presence of N in DAP (through N leaching) may restrict its chances for remediation of contaminated sites.     

Heavy Metal Immobilization in Contaminated Soils using Phosphogypsum and Rice Straw Compost

The application of soil amendments to immobilize heavy metals is a promising technology to meet the requirements for environmentally sound and cost‐effective remediation. The present study was carried out to evaluate the result of phosphogypsum (PG) used alone and in combination with compost (CP) at a mix ratio of 1:1 wet weight ratio (PG + CP) at 10 and 20 g dry weight kg⁻¹ dry soil, on heavy metal immobilization in contaminated soil and on canola growth. The results revealed that the Pb, Cd and Zn uptake of canola plants was reduced by the application of PG alone and when it was mixed with CP as compared with untreated soil. At an application rate of 10 g dry weight kg⁻¹ dry soil of (PG + CP) the dry weight of canola plants increased by 66·8% was increased in comparison with its weight in the untreated soil. The addition of PG alone resulted in more pronounced immobilization of heavy metal as compared with PG mixed with CP. Plant growth was improved with CP addition, but heavy metals immobilization was the greatest in PG alone treatments. Results suggest that PG may be useful for the immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil Immobilization of Heavy Metal Using Soil Amendments in a Greenhouse Study

ABSTRACT

The application of soil amendments to immobilize heavy metals is a promising technology to meet the requirements for environmentally sound and cost-effective remediation. The present work was carried out to evaluate the effect of phosphogypsum (PG) used alone and in combination with compost (CP) at a mix ratio of 1:1 wet weight ratio (PG+CP) at 10 and 20 g dry weight kg^?1 dry soil, on heavy metal immobilization in contaminated soil, and on canola growth (Brassica napus). The results were then compared with untreated soil (control). The results revealed that the Pb, Cd, and Zn uptake of canola plants was reduced by the application of PG alone and when it was mixed with CP. At an application rate of 10 g dry weight kg^?1 dry soil of (PG+CP), the dry weight of canola plants increased by 66.8%, which was increased in comparison on its weight in the untreated soil (control). The addition of PG alone resulted in more pronounced immobilization of heavy metals as compared to PG mixed with CP. Plant growth was improved with CP addition but heavy metals immobilization was greatest in PG alone treatments. Results suggest that PG may be useful for the immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soils.     

Removal of Heavy Metals in Storm Water Runoff Using Porous Vermiculite Expanded by Microwave Preparation

The main objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of vermiculite for removing heavy metals from water. Vermiculite components were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence, and the concentrations of metal ions were measured by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. Serial batch kinetic tests and batch sorption tests were conducted to determine the removal characteristics for heavy metals in aqueous solutions. Solution pH values of tests with the inflated vermiculites generally increased and then stabilized. Equilibrium pH was generally established within 5?h. Removal rates of inflated vermiculite were tested at the initial concentration of 3?mg/L. At equilibrium concentrations, except for chromium (36.23%), most heavy metals were effectively removed (96.08?C98.54%). Finally, sorption data were correlated with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. For each metal, the Q _max obtained using the Langmuir isotherm was as follows: lead, 725.4?mg?kg^?1; cadmium, 568.8?mg?kg^?1; zinc, 540.2?mg?kg^?1; copper, 457.2?mg?kg^?1; and chromium, 0.9?mg?kg^?1. The study results indicate that inflated vermiculite has outstanding removal rates and therefore can be used as an adsorbent for various heavy metals.     

Remediation of Lead Contaminated Soils by Stabilization/Solidification

Most available remediation technologies for treatment of heavymetal contaminated soils are very expensive and result in residues requiring further treatment. Stabilization/solidification (immobilization) techniques however, which aredesigned to decrease leaching potential of heavy metals from soil by addition of chemical additives, provide very cost-effective solutions for heavy metal contaminated soils. Thisstudy investigates the most efficient additive for immobilization of lead. To achieve this goal, several leachingexperiments were conducted for mixtures of different additives(lime, activated carbon, clay, zeolite, sand and cement) withartificially Pb contaminated (spiked) soil samples in accordancewith the Toxicity Characterization Leaching Procedure (TCLP) developed by U.S. EPA. Results showed that among the additivestried, activated carbon, clay, zeolite and sand are not very efficient for Pb immobilization. On the other hand, lime andcement are significantly effective in Pb immobilization with 88% efficiency at 1:21 lime:soil ratio and 99% efficiency at1:15 cement:soil ratio, respectively.     

Silicon alleviates the toxicity of cadmium and zinc for maize (Zea mays L.) grown on a contaminated soil

Although silicon (Si) is not an essential element, it presents a close relationship with the alleviation of heavy‐metal toxicity to plants. This work was carried out to evaluate the effects of Si application to soil on the amelioration of metal stress to maize grown on a contaminated soil amended with Si (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg kg^–1) as calcium silicate (CaSiO₃). Additionally, the cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) bioavailability as well as their distribution into soil fractions was also studied. The results showed that adding Si to a Cd‐ and Zn‐contaminated soil effectively diminished the metal stress and resulted in biomass increase in comparison to metal‐contaminated soil not treated with Si. This relied on Cd and Zn immobilization in soil rather than on the increase of soil pH driven by calcium silicate application. Silicon altered the Cd and Zn distribution in soil fractions, decreasing the most bioavailable pools and increasing the allocation of metals into more stable fractions such as organic matter and crystalline iron oxides.     

铅镉高污染土壤的钝化材料筛选及其修复效果初探

本研究以重金属高污染农田土壤(全Pb含量为1 277 mg/kg,全Cd含量为39.0 mg/kg)为研究对象,通过土培试验和玉米苗期盆栽试验,探讨海泡石、石灰、腐植酸、钙镁磷肥、磷矿粉、生物质炭等常用稳定材料不同剂量及复配组合对高污染土壤重金属的钝化修复效应。土培试验结果表明,石灰对Pb和Cd钝化效果最好,其次是海泡石,但两者表现为较高添加量处理间没有显著差异;而低剂量生物质炭和腐植酸显著增加土壤有效态Pb和Cd含量,高剂量生物质炭具有较好的钝化效果。盆栽试验表明,海泡石与石灰配施钝化效果较好,与对照相比,土壤氯化钙提取态Pb、Cd含量分别降低了97.5%、81.4%;玉米根和地上部Cd含量分别降低48.5%、34.0%,Pb含量分别降低35.6%、29.6%;但海泡石与磷材料配施显著增加玉米根Pb含量,对玉米Cd吸收没有显著影响。以上结果表明,重金属高污染农田土壤添加合适的改良剂,可较大幅度降低土壤重金属有效性和植物重金属吸收性。     

Comparison of Various Phosphate Stabilisation Agents for the Immobilisation of Ni and Zn in Sewage Sludge

The comparison of immobilisation efficiency of various phosphate stabilisation agents for heavy metals in sewage sludge collected from an urban wastewater treatment plant Domale-Kamnik (Slovenia) is reported. The sewage sludge, containing high total concentrations of Zn (2698 ± 8.1 mg kg^-1), Ni (1513 ± 5.7 mg kg^-1), Cr (1118 ± 3.0 mg kg^-1) and Cu (712 ± 2.2 mg kg^-1), was mixed with various types of phosphates: highly soluble Ca(H₂PO₄)₂, synthetic hydroxyapatite, with a solubility between Ca(H₂PO₄)₂ and rock apatite, and bone-meal as an alternative low-cost source of poorly crystalline phosphate, in order to reduce metal mobility. The amounts of stabilising agents added to 1 g of the sludge ranged from 0.05 to 1 g. Water and acetic acid extractions were used for the determinationof water-soluble and potentially bioavailable metal fractions in the sewage sludge and its mixtures with various stabilisation agents.     

添加物对镉、锌、铅污染土壤上小白菜的生长和养分吸收的影响

A pot experiment was carried out to study the effects of two amendments, lime and calcium magnesium phosphate, on the growth and Cd,Pd,Zn,Cu,Mn,Fe,N,P and K uptake of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis) in a Cd,Pb and Zn polluted acid soil in the southern part of China. The growth of pakchoi was apparently improved by lime and calcium magnesium phosphate application, the uptake of Cd,Pb,Cu and Zn by pakchoi was significantly depressed and the symptom caused by heavy metals pollution was eliminated. Meanwhile, the absorption of N,K and Mn was also inhibited by these amendments. Soil pH was the main factor controlling the uptake of the heavy metals by pakchoi. This suggests that lime and calcium magnesium phosphate could be used as effective amendments for eliminating the toxicity of heavy metals to the vegetable and inhibiting their absorption by the crop.     

Using humic products as amendments to restore Zn and Pb polluted soil: a case study using rapid screening phytotest endpoint

Purpose

Heavy metal contamination is a priority issue affecting millions of hectares of soil throughout the world. One of the most promising, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective approaches to restore polluted soils could be applying organic amendments. We investigated the remediation potential of three types of humic products with regard to their effect on the bioavailability of Pb and Zn, content of nutrients, and the ability to mitigate acute phytotoxicity in contaminated soil.

Materials and methods

Spodosol samples were spiked with Pb (550 mg kg^?1) and Zn (880 mg kg^?1). Then, two different commercial humic products (from peat and lignosulfonate) and natural humic acids (from brown oxidized coal) were added in two doses to reach an equal content of carbon: a 10% increment and a 30% increment of the initial total organic carbon in the soil. After 30 days, the content of metals and nutrients (S, K, Na, Ca, Mn, P) was determined by the sequential extraction (i?H₂O, ii?NH₄COOH pH 4.8, iii–CH₃COOH). The effect of humic products on heavy metals bioavailability was evaluated using the calculated partition indexes. Seed germination and root elongation of Sinapis alba were also determined. Chemical and biochemical variables were aggregated by the principal component analysis.

Results and discussion

Humic products reduced the amount of bioavailable fractions of Pb and Zn in soils. The partition index, which quantitatively describes bioavailable fractions of the Zn and Pb in the soil, was 28–49% lower than in the spiked (Pb+Zn) control. The inhibition of root elongation and seed germination of mustard by Zn and Pb was significantly mitigated by humic products; in the soil test, the root length and seed germination were up to 36–87% higher than those of the Pb+Zn control and did not differ from those in the non-amended treatments. This effect may have been associated with the structural differences (H/C and O/C ratio) and content of nutrients (Na and K) in humic products.

Conclusions

Commercial humic products used in poor multi-contaminated soils can maintain plant growth by improving nutrient status due to heavy metals immobilization and can be a promising approach to remediate the soil contaminated with heavy metals at extremely high concentrations.

     

Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil amendments to remediation of a heavy metal-contaminated soil using sweet sorghum

Owing to their potential advantages such as waste reduction, recycling, and economic attributes, fast-growing bioenergy crops have the capacity to effectively phytoremediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, little is known about the role of microbial and chemical amendments in phytoremediation using bioenergy crops. Here, we studied the contributions of inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Acaulospora mellea ZZ and three soil amendments, i.e., hydroxyapatite (HAP), manure, and biochar, at doses of 0.1% and 1% (weight:weight) to heavy metal phytoremediation using sweet sorghum grown on an abandoned agricultural soil, with environmentally realistic contamination (2.6 mg kg^-1 Cd, 1 796 mg kg^-1 Pb, and 1 603 mg kg^-1 Zn), in a plant growth chamber. Mycorrhizal colonization, plant biomass and metal accumulation, metal availability, and soil pH were determined in harvested seedlings 12 weeks after sowing. The results showed that root colonization by indigenous AMF decreased by 28%-46% with HAP, but increased after manure and biochar applications as compared to the no amendment control (CK). The AMF inoculation increased root colonization rates by 16%-128% and in particular, alleviated the inhibition of HAP. The remediation effects were highly dependent on the amendment type and dose. Among the three soil amendments, HAP was the most effective in promoting plant growth and phytostabilization of Cd, Pb, and Zn and phytoextraction of Cd, particularly at a dose of 1%. Compared to CK, 1% HAP decreased DTPA-extractable Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations in soil by 31%-43%, 30%-38%, and 22%-23%, respectively. Manure and biochar also exerted positive effects on heavy metal immobilization, as indicated by lower DTPA extractability, but only the 1% manure treatment showed plant growth-promoting effect. The AMF inoculation did not affect plant growth, but increased soil pH and induced synergistic interactions with amendments on the immobilization of Cd and Pb. In conclusion, soil amendments, particularly HAP, produced positive impacts and synergistic interactions with AMF on the phytostabilization of heavy metals using sweet sorghum. Accordingly, sweet sorghum combined with soil amendments and AMF may be an effective strategy for heavy metal phytoremediation.     

Relationship Between Extractable Metals in Acid Soils and Metals Taken Up by Tea Plants

Abstract

The accumulation of heavy metals in plants is related to concentrations andchemical fractions of the metals in soils. Understanding chemical fractions and availabilities of the metals in soils is necessary for management of the soils. In this study, the concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in tea leaves were compared with the total and extractable contents of these heavy metals in 32 surface soil samples collected from different tea plantations in Zhejiang province, China. The five chemical fractions (exchangeable, carbonate‐bound, organic matter‐bound, oxides‐bound, and residual forms) of the metals in the soils were characterized. Five different extraction methods were also used to extract soil labile metals. Total heavy metal contents of the soils ranged from 17.0 to 84.0 mgCukg^?1, 0.03 to 1.09 mg Cd kg^?1, 3.43 to 31.2 mg Pb kg^?1, and 31.0 to 132.0 mg Zn kg^?1. The concentrations of exchangeable and carbonate‐bound fractions of the metals depended mainly on the pH, and those of organic matter‐bound, oxides‐bound, and residual forms of the metals were clearly controlled by their total concentrations in the soils. Extractable fractions may be preferable to total metal content as a predictor of bioconcentrations of the metals in both old and mature tea leaves. The metals in the tea leaves appeared to be mostly from the exchangeable fractions. The amount of available metals extracted by 0.01 mol L^?1 CaCl₂, NH₄OAc, and DTPA‐TEA is appropriate extractants for the prediction of metals uptake into tea plants. The results indicate that long‐term plantation of tea can cause sol acidification and elevated concentrations of bioavailable heavy metals in the soil and, hence, aggravate the risk of heavy metals to tea plants.     

Bioavailability and Accumulation of Cadmium and Zinc by Sedum plumbizincicola after Liming of an Agricultural Soil Subjected to Acid Mine Drainage

A glasshouse pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of liming on plant growth and zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation by Sedum plumbizincicola in a heavy-metal-contaminated acidified paddy soil. Lime application significantly increased the soil pH, which reached a maximum of 5.53 after addition of 4.0 g kg^?1 lime to soil, about 1.4 units more than that of the control. Sedum plumbizincicola grew larger after lime application but aboveground biomass did not increase significantly with increasing soil pH. Liming significantly reduced shoot Zn and Cd concentrations and uptake except at the lowest lime application rate (0.5 g kg^?1 lime to soil). This indicates that S. plumbizincicola can grow well in acidic soil at a soil pH of 4.15, and application of lime did not increase plant heavy-metal extraction. Consequently, it is promising to use this plant for Cd and Zn phytoextraction from agricultural soils polluted with acid and metals.     

土壤组分对广东省酸性水稻土磷吸附参数的影响

Soil components affecting phosphate sorption parameters were studied using acid paddy soils derived from basalt, granite, sand-shale and the Pearl River Delta sediments, respectively, in Guangdong Province.For each soil, seven 2.50 g subsamples were equilibrated with 50 mL 0.02 mol L-1 (pH=7.0) of KCl containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 25, 50 and 100 ng P kg-1, respectively, in order to derive P sorption parameters (P sorption maximum, P sorption intensity factor and maximum buffer capacity) by Langmuir isotherm equation. It was shown that the main soil components influencing phosphate sorption maximum (Xm) included soil clay, pH,amorphous iron oxide (Feo) and amorphous aluminum oxide (Alo), with their effects in the order of Alo ＞Feo ＞ pH ＞ clay. Among these components, pH had a negative effect, and the others had a positive effect.Organic matter (OM) was the only soil component influencing P sorption intensity factor (K). The main components influencing maximum phosphate buffer capacity (MBC) consisted of soil clay, OM, pH, Feo and Alo, with their effects in the order of Alo ＞ OM ＞ pH ＞ Feo ＞ clay. Path analysis indicated that among the components with positive effects on maximum phosphate buffer capacity (MBC), the effect was in the order of Alo ＞ Feo ＞ Clay, while among the components with negative effects, OM ＞ pH. OM played an important role in mobilizing phosphate in acid paddy soils mainly through decreasing the sorption intensity of phosphate by soil particles.     

Soil Lead Immobilization Using Phosphate Rock

Phosphate compounds of lead (Pb) are highly insoluble and their formation in contaminated soils would aid immobilization of Pb. The goal of the current research was to evaluate the immobilization of Pb by various treatments of phosphate rock on contaminated agricultural soils typical of Taiwan, and to determine the optimal amount of phosphate rock for use in field application. Samples of contaminated soil, each containing Pb concentrations ranging from 346 to 1873 mg kg^?1 were collected from arable land near a ceramic products manufacturing factory. Both batch immobilization experiments and in situ remediation were completed using phosphate rock additives. Results of the batch experiments demonstrate that the phosphate rock was effective in reducing Pb extractable by 0.1 M HCl, with a minimum reduction of 33–97% after 8 days of reaction, for initial Pb concentrations up to 1873 mg kg^?1. HCl-extractable Pb did not decrease after an additional 2-day reaction with a greater phosphate rock loading. It was also found that the reaction time had less effect on Pb immobilization than the amount of phosphate rock added. Results from in situ remediation experiments indicate that soil-extractable Pb was reduced by 93% (mean; range 85.2–97.2%), which is comparable with the results of the batch study. Additionally, the soil pH was increased from 6.25 (mean; range 5.96–6.76) to 7.2 (mean; range 6.92–7.53) after remediation. Based upon the HCl-extractable Pb content and the amount of phosphate rock added, various linear log-linear regression curves were obtained. These predictive equations have been used for field application. Our field results demonstrate that phosphate rocks have a potential to cost-effectively treat Pb-contaminated soils in Taiwan.     

Role of soil constituents in fixation of soluble Zn, Cu, Ni and Cd added to soils

Slow immobilization of trace metals in soil, termed ‘fixation’, affects their natural attenuation but it is still unclear which reactions occur. Twenty‐eight soils were selected to assess the role of Fe oxides and carbonates on fixation of Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni. Soils included samples from 2 toposequences (Vietnam, Spain) and 13 European topsoils with different soil characteristics (pH 3.4–7.7). Samples were amended with 250 mg Zn kg⁻¹, 100 mg Cu kg⁻¹, 80 mg Ni kg⁻¹ and 2.5 mg Cd kg⁻¹ as metal salts and incubated for 850 days. Fixation was measured as the increase of the fraction of added metals that were not isotopically exchangeable. Fixation increased with time and was, averaged over all the soils, 43% (Cu), 41% (Zn), 41% (Ni) and 28% (Cd) after 850 days. Metal fixation within samples from each toposequence was generally positively related to total Fe oxide concentration (Fe_d) for Zn, Ni and Cd. However, the fixation of Cd, Zn and Ni was mainly explained by pH and not by Fe_d when considering all soils. Fixation of Zn and Cd in soils with pH >7.0 increased with increasing concentrations of carbonates at initial ageing times. Fixed fractions of Zn, Ni and Cd were significantly released when experimentally removing 50% of carbonates by acidification. Fixation of Cu was most poorly related to soil properties. Our data suggest that fixation of Cd, Zn and Ni is related to a pH‐dependent diffusion into oxides and that of Cd and Zn also to diffusion and/or coprecipitation in carbonates. Fixation of Ni at neutral pH may also be related to stabilization of precipitates that form readily in soil.     

Retention of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn by Wood Ash, Lime and Fume Dust

Heavy metals are of interest due to their deleterious impacts on both human and ecosystem health. This study investigated the effectiveness of wood ash in immobilizing the heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn from aqueous solutions. The effects of initial metal concentrations, solution pH, ash dose and reaction time on metal sorption, as well as the metal sorption mechanisms were studied. To investigate the effect of initial metal concentrations, solutions containing Cd, Zn (25, 50, 75, 100 or 125 mg L^?1), Cu (25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 or 175 mg L^?1) or Pb (250, 500, 750, 1000, 1250, or 1500 mg L^?1) were reacted with 10 g L^?1 ash for two hours. For the effect of pH, solutions containing 100 mg L^?1 of Cd, Cu or Zn or 1500 mg L^?1 of Pb were reacted with 15 g L^?1 ash over a pH range of 4 to 7. The wood ash was effective in immobilizing the four metals with a sorption range of 41–100 %. The amounts of metals retained by the ash followed the order of Pb > Cu > Cd > Zn. As expected, absolute metal retention increased with increasing initial metal concentrations, solution pH and ash dose. Metal retention by the ash exhibited a two-phase step: an initial rapid uptake of the metal followed by a period of relatively slow removal of metal from solution. Metal retention by the ash could be described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, with the latter providing a better fit for the data. Dissolution of calcite /gypsum minerals and precipitation of metal carbonate/sulfate like minerals were probably responsible for metal immobilization by the ash in addition to adsorption.     

沿海滩涂区土壤重金属含量分布及其有效态影响因素

为揭示沿海地区土壤重金属含量的空间分布特征及其与自然、人为因素的关联,以近年来围垦开发强度较大的江苏沿海某滩涂区为研究对象,采用经典统计与地统计相结合的方法研究了表层土壤主要重金属Pb、Cr、Cd、As全量与有效态含量状况及其空间分布,分析了沿海滩涂区土地利用方式对重金属含量的影响,探讨了重金属有效态含量与土壤理化性质的相关性。结果表明:目前研究区土壤环境质量状况良好,土壤Pb、Cr、Cd、As均呈累积趋势但基本都低于土壤环境质量一级标准值;土地利用方式不同程度地影响了Pb、Cr、Cd全量与有效态含量,As全量与有效态含量受土地利用方式影响较小;研究区土壤Pb、Cr、Cd全量与Pb、Cr有效态含量具有明显的趋势效应,且研究区土壤重金属全量与有效态含量的空间分布受大尺度的潮汐作用与小尺度的人为因素的共同控制;土壤Pb、Cr、Cd有效态含量与黏粒含量、阳离子交换量和p H显著负相关,与有机质呈显著正相关,土壤As有效态含量仅与土壤p H显著正相关。本研究为沿海滩涂区土壤重金属源头减量、活性钝化、污染消减与风险防范提供科学依据。     

Concentrations and Availability Indicators of Soil Heavy Metals; the Case of Children’s Playgrounds in the City of Athens (Greece)

This study reports on the concentrations, distribution, and availability of heavy metals in the children’s playground soils of Athens. Playgrounds were chosen because they are open city areas; they show relatively even spatial distribution within the district of Athens and are used by a great number of young children and their escorts on a regular basis. Samples were collected from 70 playground surface soils, representing more than 70% of the city’s playgrounds. Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Co, Mn, and Fe were extracted by aqua regia and by diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) to estimate total and available metal forms, respectively. Their mean total concentrations were 43, 174, 110, 80, 82, 22, 312, and 17?×?10³?mg kg^?1, respectively. The DTPA-extracted fraction showed much lower values, with means of 2.5, 7.8, 5.8, 1.5, 1.3, 0.4, 8.4, and 2.0 mg kg^?1 respectively, which, however, should be carefully monitored since they relate directly to the bioavailable fraction of heavy metals. Though mean values of metal concentrations are not particularly high, the calculated enrichment factors indicate site-specific cases of high enrichment with heavy metals. Considering that the bioavailable fraction of a metal is possibly a more appropriate indicator for the recent soil pollution history, availability ratios were calculated and their distribution was visualized over the entire city profile using the appropriate GIS software. It was shown that recent metal pollution events appear to have affected mostly playground sites in the southern and eastern part of the municipality.     

Plant uptake of metals,transfer factors and prediction model for two contaminated regions of Kosovo

The bioavailability and plant uptake of heavy metals (HM), as well as finding the most reliable methods for the prediction of availability, continues to be one of the most crucial problems in agricultural and environmental studies. In agricultural soils from two regions in Kosovo, known for its metal pollution, we collected 60 soil and plant samples (wheat, corn, potatoes, and grass). Heavy metals were extracted from soil with aqua regia (pseudototal concentration), NH₄OAc‐EDTA (potential bioavailable), and NH₄NO₃ (mobile fraction), plant samples were digested with HNO₃/H₂O₂ (microwave assisted extraction). The pseudo total content of Cd, Pb, and Zn showed high value in Mitrovice (mean: Cd–2.92, Pb–570.15, and Zn–522.86 mg kg^?1), whereas in Drenas region Ni and Cr showed high value with a mean 258.54 and 203.22 mg kg^?1. Also, the potential bioavailability and mobile form of these metals were increased in Mitrovice (mean: Cd–1.59, Pb–217.05, Zn–522.86 mg kg^?1, respectively Cd–0.17, Pb–0.64, and Zn–15.45 mg kg^?1), compared to Drenas. Cd and Pb were elevated in potato tubers (mean Cd–0.48 and Pb–0.85 mg kg^?1). The TF was higher for micronutrients (Zn and Cu) than for non‐essential metals (Cd and Pb). Multiple regression analysis showed a good model for prediction of Cd, Pb and Zn content in plant with significance 99.9%, whereas this model was not significant for Cu, Cr, and Ni. Soil pH played a significant role in the content of Cd and Zn in wheat and potato plants. Clay content also showed significance in Cd concentration in wheat and potato plants, while carbon content was significant for Cd in grass plants, as well as for Zn in wheat and grass plants.