Uptake of Uranium by Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in Natural Uranium Contaminated Soils in Order to Assess Chemical Risk for Consumers

Uranium mining activity in Cunha Baixa (Portugal) village has left a legacy of polluted soils and irrigation water. A controlled field experiment was conducted with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in an agricultural area nearby the abandoned mine in order to evaluate uranium uptake and distribution in roots and leaves as well as ascertain levels of uranium intake by the local inhabitants from plant consuming. Two soils with different average uranium content (38 and 106 mg/kg) were irrigated with non-contaminated and uranium contaminated water (<20 and >100 μg/l). A non-contaminated soil irrigated with local tap water (<1 μg/l uranium) was also used as a control. Uranium in lettuce tissues was positively correlated with soil uranium content, but non-significant differences were obtained from contaminated soils irrigated with different water quality. Uranium in plants (dry weight) growing in contaminated soils ranged from 0.95 to 6 mg/kg in roots and 0.32 to 2.6 mg/kg in leaves. Lettuce bioconcentration is more related to available uranium species in water than to its uranium concentration. Translocated uranium to lettuce leaves corresponds to 30% of the uranium uptake whatever the soil or irrigation water quality. A maximum uranium daily intake of 0.06 to 0.12 μg/kg bodyweight day was estimated for an adult assuming 30 to 60 g/day of lettuce is consumed. Although this value accounts for only 10% to 20% of the recommended Tolerable Daily Intake for ingested uranium, it still provides an additional source of the element in the local inhabitants’ diet.     

Shooting range contamination: mobility and transport of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and antimony (Sb) in contaminated peatland

Purpose

Small arm shooting ranges located in peatland areas are gathering increased attention due to severe metal and antimony (Sb) contamination and challenging conditions for remediation. The goal of the present study was to gain further understanding of the distribution, binding and transport of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and Sb in peatland contaminated by small arm shooting range activities.

Materials and methods

A field experiment was carried out at a recently closed shooting range facility in Norway, including (i) peat soil sampling for various selective extractions (water, chemical extractions, extractions by diffusive gradients in thin films, DGT), (ii) establishing groundwater wells for groundwater sampling and monitoring of groundwater level and (iii) sampling of water and sediments in surface water. The results from groundwater monitoring were used to carry out hydrogeological numerical simulations using Seep/W and CTran/W. These models were used to evaluate the residence time of the contaminants in the peatland.

Results and discussion

Increased metal concentrations were observed in the top layer of the peatland, indicating low vertical transport. Groundwater revealed high concentrations of Pb (22 ± 5 μg/L), Cu (16 ± 6 μg/L) and Sb (11 ± 2 μg/L), the dominating contaminant source to the downstream surface water. Hydrogeological modelling indicated that transport mainly happened in the upper peat layer, as a result of a higher hydraulic conductivity close to the surface and a high groundwater table. Pb (6.9 ± 0.1 μg/L), Cu (24.0 ± 0.0 μg/L) and Sb (7.4 ± 0.1 μg/L) concentrations in the stream samples confirmed the spreading of contaminants at levels toxic to aquatic organisms. Pb and Cu were most likely associated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), whereas Sb showed no correlation with DOC.

Conclusions

The elements contaminating the peatland may leak to the nearby water course over a long-term period. Copper showed the highest concentration in the stream water despite considerably higher levels of Pb in the peat soil. Strong complexation of Cu to dissolved organic matter might explain this observation. Only a little fraction of the contaminants is transported in a particulate form, and therefore are increased sedimentation measures not considered as viable remediation option.

     

Arsenic Pollution in the Groundwater of Simav Plain, Turkey: Its Impact on Water Quality and Human Health

In this research, geological and hydrogeological studies were conducted to determine the source of high arsenic levels in the surficial aquifer of Simav Plain, Kutahya, Turkey. One of the two aquifer systems isolated in the study area was a deep confined aquifer composed of fractured metamorphic rocks that supply hot geothermal fluid. The other one was an unconfined alluvial aquifer, which developed within the graben area as a result of sediment deposition from the highlands. This aquifer serves as the primary water resource within the plain. A water quality sampling campaign conducted in 27 wells drilled in the surficial aquifer has yielded an average arsenic concentration of 99.1 µg/L with a maximum of 561.5 µg/L. Rock and sediment samples supported the fact that local metamorphic rocks contained significant amounts of sulfur minerals where arsenic-containing lenses are present inside. It was also determined that a Cu–Pb–Zn mine was operated in the past in the same formation. Arsenic-containing wastes of this mine were deposited near the Simav district center in an uncontrolled manner. This mined formation had arsenic levels reaching to levels as high as 660 mg/kg, which was found out to be the highest arsenic level in the area. Another potential arsenic source in the study area was the geothermal fluid that was used extensively in three geothermal fields with levels reaching to levels as high as 594 µg/L. Uncontrolled discharges of waste geothermal fluid and overexploitation of groundwater were also found to contribute to arsenic pollution in surface/subsurface waters of the plain. Thus, natural sources and anthropogenic influences of arsenic were found to create high concentrations in local water reserves of the area and influence human health. Consequently, death statistics from the 1995 to 2005 period collected from the area has revealed increased rates of gastrointestinal cancers above Turkish average.     

Vulnerability of Coastal Aquifers Due to Nutrient Pollution from Agriculture: Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka

This study focuses on spatial and temporal nutrient pollution of groundwater in the unconfined sandy aquifers of Kalpitiya peninsula, Sri Lanka, where agricultural activities are intense. The study covers two consecutive dry and rainy seasons during the period from 2008 to 2010. Nitrate is the dominant nutrient pollutant in groundwater. The values of Nitrate-N contents ranged from 0.60 to 212.40 mg/L in the dry seasons and 0.20?C148.50 mg/L in rainy seasons. Phosphate in groundwater ranged from 0.20 to 5.70 mg/L in dry seasons and 0.04?C10.35 mg/L with few exceptions in rainy seasons. About 50% of the studied water samples had Nitrate-N concentrations above WHO drinking water guideline values both in dry and rainy periods. These high concentrations were recorded from wells in agricultural lands. Although there is a slight decrease in the Nitrate-N concentrations at random in rainy seasons, an increasing trend of average concentrations became evident over the study period as a whole, probably indicating building up of Nitrate-N in groundwater in the vegetable growing areas. The spatial distribution of Nitrate-N too shows a good match of high Nitrate-N bearing zones with vegetable cultivated areas indicating intensive leaching from application of excessive chemical fertilizers. High Nitrate-N zones also showed fairly steady lateral distribution indicating slow lateral mobility of Nitrate-rich groundwater probably due to low hydraulic gradients. Low phosphate concentrations in both groundwater and surface soils either indicates their less use in the area or that the available phosphate is leached and removed from the aquifer water and (sandy) soil solutions and probably adsorbed in clayey deeper horizons. Low concentrations of major cations (especially K, Ca, and Na) indicate less impact on cation concentrations in groundwater by the fertilizer application or sea water intrusions/up-coning.     

Legacy Arsenic Pollution of Lakes Near Cobalt,Ontario, Canada: Arsenic in Lake Water and Sediment Remains Elevated Nearly a Century After Mining Activity Has Ceased

Century old mine tailings in the Cobalt and Silver Center areas are widely dispersed throughout the terrestrial and aquatic environments and contain high concentrations of arsenic. Arsenic concentrations were found to be as high as 972 μg/L in surface waters and 10,800 mg/kg in lake sediment. The mean values for arsenic in surface waters and sediment from 9 lakes directly influenced by mining activity were 431 μg/L and 1704 mg/kg, respectively, whereas in the 12 control lakes with no mining activity in their catchment had mean values of 2.2 μg/L and 11 mg/kg in their water and sediment, respectively. Lakes impacted by downstream tailing migration (n?=?4) were also assessed and had intermediate concentrations of arsenic. Principal component analysis identified contaminated lakes as having different geochemical signatures than control lakes but lake sediment that was sampled below tailings in contaminated lakes, deposited pre-mining, can resemble the geochemistry of those found in control lakes. Arsenic concentrations in these samples ranged from 4.4 to 185 mg/kg, which can be considered reasonable background as these areas contained abundant mineral deposits that could naturally elevate background concentrations. Even though background concentrations are naturally elevated, the presence of arsenic-rich tailings in these lakes has prevented any natural recovery from occurring. Fe-Mn oxides at the water-sediment interface perpetually scavenge arsenic from buried tailings below and from contaminated surface waters that cause arsenic concentrations to remain enriched in the upper sediments even after tailings have been buried by lake sediment. This process has prevented recovery of the lake ecosystems even after nearly a century without mining.     

贵阳市水文地质条件及环境效应研究

为了查明水文地质条件以及产生的各种环境效应,通过野外调查贵阳市环境地质背景,分析了研究区的水文地质条件,对各含水岩组的富水性进行评价,同时根据研究区地层植被发育情况、地下水环境监测数据、具体工程实例和近3 a的地下水水质检测等资料,运用空间信息统计方法,探讨了水文地质条件下产生的城市生态环境效应、环境水文地质效应、环境工程地质效应、地下水环境污染效应。取得的主要结果有:①贵阳市地表水、地下水丰富,地下水以岩溶水为主,其次为基岩裂隙水;②贵阳市形成宽1～7 km,长逾70 km的环城林带,为贵阳市提供了良好的生态环境条件;③由于大量开采地下水资源,在和尚坡、三桥地段形成降落漏斗群,破坏水文地质结构,产生环境水文地质效应;④在工程建设中抽排地下水产生地面开裂、地表塌陷等环境工程地质效应;⑤由于工业废水和人类生活污水的排放,使地下水环境在不同程度上受到了污染,产生水环境污染效应。该研究结论可为贵阳市城市环境的保护和可持续发展提供依据。     

Regional groundwater monitoring and examples of acidification trends in the province of Göteborg and Bohus,southwestern Sweden

Acidification is the most serious threat to the groundwater quality in the province, causing both corrosion on water pipe systems and increased leaching of metals from the ground. The regional groundwater monitoring programme focuses on parameters as pH, alkalinity, sulphate and total aluminium. Sampling is done regularly in 1) natural groundwater springs in the countryside, 2) public water supplies, 3) observation wells in the countryside and 4) observation wells in urban areas.For most of the sites, analysing has been carried out during a time period that is shorter than five years. These sites give valuable information about the general relationship between groundwater acidity and the hydrogeological conditions in the recharge area. Results from regular sampling of public water supplies have been used for studies of time series. The trends indicate that the hydrogeological conditions are of great importance for how the groundwater responds to acid input. In general, surficial groundwater in Quaternary deposits is more sensitive to acidification than groundwater in crystalline bedrock.     

The Effect of the Uranium Content in the Tailings on Some Cultivated Plants

Uranium is a radiotoxic and chemotoxic heavy metal. Uptake and accumulation of U has been studied in plants native to uranium mine sites, but not in cultivated plants which are commonly consumed by humans. The objective of this study was better understanding of U uptake and accumulation in cultivated plants and whether different contents of uranium (U) in the substrate affect its concentration in plants and their dry matter mass. Two substrate variants for growing plants, which differed in the uranium content: solid wastes (tailings) and tailings mixed with sand (w/w 1:1). Large amounts of solid wastes (tailings) resulting from the exploitation and treatment of uranium ore from the closed uranium mine Gabrovnica–Kalna, on southeast of Serbia, contained generally 15.33 mg U/kg. In the experiment, three plant species (corn NSSC 231, sunflower N.S. Dukat, and green peas Smederevska Palanka) were grown in pots on the four substrate variants during 40 days. Substrate was suffused by drinking water (DW) and “uranium water” (UW), which issue out from the mine, contained 0,053 mg U/ dm³. Obtained results show that when UW was added to tailing concentration of U in plants increased. When the content of U in the substrate was lowered by adding sand, the concentration of U in plants decreased, though was significantly higher in comparison to the variants to which DW was added. Dry matter mass was higher in variants where UW was used. Concentration of U was significantly higher in root than in above-ground parts.     

Hydrochemistry of Arsenic-Enriched Aquifer from Rural West Bengal, India: A Study of the Arsenic Exposure and Mitigation Option

The present study aims to understand the hydrochemistry vis-à-vis As-exposure from drinking groundwater in rural Bengal. The characteristic feature of the groundwaters are low Eh (range, ?151 to ?37 mV; mean, ?68 mV) and nitrate (range, 0.01–1.7 mg/l; mean, 0.14 mg/l) followed by high alkalinity (range, 100–630 mg/l; mean, 301 mg/l), Fe (range, 0.99–38 mg/l; mean, 8.1 mg/l), phosphate (range, 0.01–15 mg/l; mean, 0.54 mg/l), hardness (range, 46–600 mg/l; mean, 245 mg/l) and sulphate (range, 0.19–88 mg/l; mean, 7.2 mg/l), indicating reducing nature of the aquifer. The land use pattern (sanitation, surface water bodies, sanitation coupled with surface water bodies and agricultural lands) demonstrates local enrichment factor for As/Fe in groundwater. Among these, sanitation is the most prevailing where groundwater is generally enriched with As (mean, 269 μg/l) and Fe (mean, 9.8 mg/l). Questionnaire survey highlights that ～70% of the villagers in the study area do not have proper sanitation. This demonstrating the local unsewered sanitation (organic waste, anthropogenic in origin) could also cause As toxicity in rural Bengal. In the agricultural lands, higher mean values of alkalinity, phosphate, sulphate, hardness and electrical conductivity was observed, and could be linked with the excessive use of fertilizers for agricultural production. Bio-markers study indicates that the accumulation of As in hair and nail is related with the construction of exposure scenario with time dimension. The strength and weakness of the on-going West Bengal and Bangladesh drinking water supply scenario and achievability towards alternative options are also evaluated.     

Understanding Phosphorus Mobility and Bioavailability in the Hyporheic Zone of a Chalk Stream

This paper investigates the changes in bioavailable phosphorus (P) within the hyporheic zone of a groundwater-dominated chalk stream. In this study, tangential flow fractionation is used to investigate P associations with different size fractions in the hyporheic zone, groundwater and surface water. P speciation is similar for the river and the chalk aquifer beneath the hyporheic zone, with ??dissolved?? P (<10 kDa) accounting for ~90% of the P in the river and >90% in the deep groundwaters. Within the hyporheic zone, the proportion of ??colloidal?? (<0.45 ??m and >10 kDa) and ??particulate?? (>0.45 ??m) P is higher than in either the groundwater or the surface water, accounting for ~30% of total P. Our results suggest that zones of interaction within the sand and gravel deposits directly beneath and adjacent to river systems generate colloidal and particulate forms of fulvic-like organic material and regulate bioavailable forms of P, perhaps through co-precipitation with CaCO₃. While chalk aquifers provide some degree of protection to surface water ecosystems through physiochemical processes of P removal, where flow is maintained by groundwater, ecologically significant P concentrations (20?C30 ??g/L) are still present in the groundwater and are an important source of bioavailable P during baseflow conditions. The nutrient storage capacity of the hyporheic zone and the water residence times of this dynamic system are largely unknown and warrant further investigation.     

Contamination of corn growing areas due to intensive fertilization in the high plane of mexico

The agricultural activities practice often demands an intensive application of fertilizers. Phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers are the most employed in the corn growing areas of the central Mexico highlands. The first ones presents an uranium content ranging from 50 to 200 mg. kg^?1 depending on the origin of the phosphate rock used in its production. It is crucial to analyze the rainwater, surface water, soil water at several depths, groundwater and soil to determine the simultaneous behavior of phosphate, nitrate and uranium, and their leaching in a specific agricultural land. Uranium concentration, 16 mg. kg^?1, in the soil water was higher than that in the surface water and groundwater. The different concentrations are due to an unequal uranium distribution in the environment. The phosphate concentration, 37.4 mg. kg^?1, diminished throughout the profile of the soil due to a sorption–precipitation process. The nitrates were leached toward groundwater after the application of fertilizers, but the nitrate concentration in it did not exceed the limit for drinking water.     

Transfer of Cd, Pb, Ra and U from Phosphogypsum Amended Soils to Tomato Plants

About 170 million tons of phosphogypsum (PG) are annually generated worldwide as a by-product of phosphoric acid factories. Agricultural uses of PG could become the main sink for this waste, which usually contains significant radionuclide (from the ²³⁸U-series) and toxic metals concentrations. To study PG effects on pollutant uptake by crops, a completely randomised greenhouse experiment was carried out growing Lycopersicum esculentum Mill L. on a reclaimed marsh soil amended with three PG rates (treatments), corresponding to zero (control without PG application), one, three and ten times the typical PG rates used in SW Spain (20 Mg ha^?1). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, U (by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) and ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Po (by γ-spectrometry and α-counting, respectively) were determined in soil, vegetal tissue and draining water. Cadmium concentrations in fruit increased with PG rates, reaching 44?±?7 μg kg^?1 formula weight with ten PG rates (being 50 μg kg^?1 the maximum allowed concentration by EC 1881/2006 regulation). Cd transfer factors in non-edible parts were as high as 4.8?±?0.5 (dry weight (d.w.)), two orders of magnitude higher than values found for lead, lead, uranium and radium concentrations in fruit remained below the corresponding detection limits—0.5 and 0.25 mg kg^?1 and 0.6 mBq kg^?1, respectively (in a d.w. basis). ²³⁸U (up to 7 μg kg^?1 d.w.) and ²¹⁰Po (up to 0.74 Bq kg^?1 d.w.) could be measured in some fruit samples by α-spectrometry. Overall, the concentrations of these metals and radionuclides in the draining water accounted for less than 1% of the amount applied with PG.     

Dynamics and Characteristics of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter in the Groundwater, River and Lake Water

Fluorescent dissolved organic matters (FDOM) in the groundwater-river-lake environments were investigated using three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) and measuring the dissolved organic carbon (DOC), inorganic anions and electric conductivity (EC) in shallow groundwater, river and lake waters. DOC concentrations were high and largely varied in groundwater, 16–328 μM C (mean 109?±?88 μM C), and in river waters, 43–271 μM C (mean 158?±?62 μM C) and were very low in the lake Biwa waters, 89–97 μM C (mean 93?±?2 μM C). The fluorescence properties of EEM showed that the fulvic-like components (peak C, peak A and peak M) were dominated in groundwater and river waters, but protein-like components (peak T) was in lake waters. The peak C was observed at $ {{\text{Ex}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\text{Ex}}} {{\text{Em}}}}} \right. \kern-0em} {{\text{Em}}} = {320 \pm 9} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{320 \pm 9} {424 \pm 5}}} \right. \kern-0em} {424 \pm 5}\;{\text{nm}} $ in groundwater, and 340?±?5/432?±?4 nm in river waters, but the lake waters detected the two peaks, 347?±?7/441?±?11 nm (peak C) as a minor peak and 304?±?2/421?±?8 nm (peak M) as a major peak. Emission wavelength of peak T was observed to shorten in wavelengths from groundwater to river and then lake waters. Peak T in lake waters showed at shorter in wavelengths (279?±?2/338?±?11 nm) at the middle point of Lake Biwa compared to those of lake shore site (283?±?3/350?±?7 nm). Photo-irradiation experiment on upstream waters suggested the changes in the fluorescence peaks of fulvic acid-like substances in lake waters, which might be caused by photo-degradation. DOC concentration was significantly correlated with inorganic anions and EC in river waters. However, such correlations were not observed in groundwater. Anion concentrations in lake waters were low with respect to DOC concentration. These results showed that the optical and chemical properties of FDOM are characteristically varied among groundwater, river and lake waters, indicating the impacts of environments to various FDOM at the same watershed level.     

Biodegradation of Synthetic Dyes—A Review

The upper Great Egg Harbor River watershed in New Jersey’s Coastal Plain is urbanized but extensive freshwater wetlands are present downstream. In 2006–2007, studies to assess levels of total mercury (THg) found concentrations in unfiltered streamwater to range as high as 187 ng/L in urbanized areas. THg concentrations were <20 ng/L in streamwater in forested/wetlands areas where both THg and dissolved organic carbon concentrations tended to increase while pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nitrate decreased with flushing of soils after rain. Most of the river’s flow comes from groundwater seepage; unfiltered groundwater samples contained up to 177 ng/L of THg in urban areas where there is a history of well water with THg that exceeds the drinking water standard (2,000 ng/L). THg concentrations were lower (<25 ng/L) in unfiltered groundwater from downstream wetland areas. In addition to higher THg concentrations (mostly particulate), concentrations of chloride were higher in streamwater and groundwater from urban areas than in those from downstream wetland areas. Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in unfiltered streamwater ranged from 0.17 ng/L at a forest/wetlands site to 2.94 ng/L at an urban site. The percentage of THg present as MeHg increased as the percentage of forest + wetlands increased, but also was high in some urban areas. MeHg was detected only in groundwater <1 m below the water/sediment interface. Atmospheric deposition is presumed to be the main source of Hg to the wetlands and also may be a source to groundwater, where wastewater inputs in urban areas are hypothesized to mobilize Hg deposited to soils.     

PM10 and PM2.5 Levels in the Eastern Mediterranean (Akrotiri Research Station, Crete, Greece)

Particulate matter measurements (PM₁₀, PM_2.5) using a beta radiation attenuation monitor were performed at the Akrotiri research station (May 2003–March 2006) on the island of Crete (Greece). The mean PM₁₀ concentration during the measuring period (05/02/03–03/09/04) was equal to 35.0?±?17.7 μg/m³ whereas the mean PM_2.5 concentration (03/10/04–04/02/06) was equal to 25.4?±?16.5 μg/m³. The aerosol concentration at the Akrotiri station shows a large variability during the year. Mean concentrations of particulate matter undergo a seasonal change characterised by higher concentrations during summer [PM₁₀, 38.7?±?10.8 μg/m³ (2003); PM_2.5, 27.9?±?8.7 μg/m³ (2004) and 27.8?±?9.7 μg/m³ (2005)] and lower concentrations during winter [PM₁₀, 28.7?±?22.5 μg/m³ (2003/2004); PM_2.5, 21.0?±?13.0 μg/m³ (2004/2005) and 21.4?±?21.9 μg/m³ (2005/2006)]. Comparative measurements of the PM₁₀ concentration between the beta radiation attenuation monitor, a standardized low volume gravimetric reference sampler and a low volume sequential particulate sampler showed that PM₁₀ concentrations measured by the beta radiation attenuation monitor were higher than values given by the gravimetric samplers (mean ratio 1.17?±?0.11 and 1.21?±?0.08, respectively). Statistical and back trajectory analysis showed that elevated PM concentrations (PM₁₀, 93.8?±?49.1 μg/m³; PM_2.5: 102.9?±?59.9 μg/m³) are associated to desert dust events. In addition regional transport contributes significantly to the aerosol concentration levels whereas low aerosol concentrations were observed during storm episodes.     

Occurrence of PPCPs at a Wastewater Treatment Plant and in Soil and Groundwater at a Land Application Site

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) can reach soil and aquatic environments through land application of wastewater effluent and agricultural runoff. The objective of this research was to assess the fate of PPCPs at field scale. PPCPs were measured systematically in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and in soil and groundwater receiving treated effluent from the WWTP. A land application site in West Texas was used as the study site; it has received treated wastewater effluent from the WWTP for more than 70 years in order to remove additional nutrients and irrigate non-edible crops. Target compounds (estrone, 17??-estradiol, estriol, 17??-ethynylestradiol, triclosan, caffeine, ibuprofen, and ciprofloxacin) in wastewater, sewage sludge, soil, and groundwater were determined using HPLC/UV with qualitative confirmatory analyses using GC/MS. Samples were collected quarterly over 12 months for wastewater and sludge samples and over 9 months for soil and groundwater samples. Results indicated that concentrations of PPCPs in wastewater influent, effluent, sludge solid phase, and sludge liquid phase were in the range of non-detected (ND)-183 ??g/L, ND-83 ??g/L, ND-19 ??g/g, and ND-50 ??g/L, respectively. Concentrations in soil and groundwater samples were in the range of ND-319 ng/g and ND-1,745 ??g/L, respectively. GC/MS confirmation data were consistent with the results of HPLC/UV analyses. Overall, data indicate that PPCPs in the wastewater effluent from the WWTP transport both vertically and horizontally in the soil, and eventually reach groundwater following land application of the effluent.     

Mineral and Anthropogenic Indicator Inorganics in Urban Stormwater and Snowmelt Runoff: Sources and Mobility Patterns

Inorganic chemicals in urban stormwater and snowmelt runoff originate from catchment geology and anthropogenic activities. The occurrence, partitioning and mobility of six minerals and six trace metal (TM) indicators of anthropogenic activities were studied in stormwater, snowmelt and baseflow in four urban catchments, and the sampling of inorganics was supplemented by measurements of electrical conductivity (EC), pH and total suspended solids (TSSs). Minerals occurred at concentrations several orders of magnitude higher (1–10² mg/L) than those of TMs (10^?2–10² μg/L) and reflected the composition of local groundwater seeping into sewers. Concentrations of Ca, K, Mg and Na were enhanced by baseflow contributions and followed closely the electrical conductivity. Al and Fe minerals occurred in insoluble forms, and their pollutographs were similar to those of TMs, whose concentrations mimicked, to some extent, the flux of TSS. The TMs with the highest and lowest particulate fractions were Cr&Pb and Cu&Zn, respectively. The concentrations of total TMs in snowmelt were two to four times higher than those in stormwater, and both sources likely exceeded some of the stormwater effluent limits (for Cd, Cu and Zn) proposed in Sweden. Where such concentrations depended on water hardness, the risk of toxicity might be reduced by elevated hardness of the monitored snowmelt and stormwater. Recognizing the good ecological status of the study area receiving water, Lake Storsjön, some protection against polluted runoff and snowmelt may be needed and could be achieved by implementing stormwater management measures controlling TSS and TMs.     

Diazinon Mitigation in Constructed Wetlands: Influence of Vegetation

In intensively cultivated areas, agriculture is a significant source of pesticides associated with storm runoff. When these pollutants enter aquatic receiving waters, they have potential to damage nearby aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands are a best management practice (BMP) designed to help alleviate this potential problem. A constructed wetland system (180?×?30 m) comprised of a sediment retention basin and two treatment cells was used to determine fate and transport of a simulated storm runoff event containing the insecticide diazinon and suspended sediment. Wetland water, sediment, and plant samples were collected spatially and temporally over 55 d. Results indicated that 43% of the study’s measured diazinon mass was associated with plant material, while 23 and 34% were measured in sediment and water, respectively. Mean diazinon concentrations in water, sediment, and plants for the 55-d study were 18.1?±?4.5 μg/l, 26.0?±?8.0 μg/kg, and 97.8?±?10.7 μg/kg, respectively. Aqueous concentrations fluctuated in the wetlands between 51–86 μg/l for the first 4 h of the experiment; however, by 9 h, aqueous concentrations were approximately 16 μg/l. During the 55 d experiment, 0.3 m of rainfall contributed to fluctuations in diazinon concentrations. Results of this experiment can be used to model future design specifications for mitigation of diazinon and other pesticides.     

Amendment Application in a Multicontaminated Mine Soil: Effects on Trace Element Mobility

Investigations on the pollution of groundwater with pathogenic microorganisms, e.g. tracer studies for groundwater transport, are constrained by their potential health risk. Thus, microspheres are often used in groundwater transport studies as non-hazardous surrogates for pathogenic microorganisms. Even though pathogenic microorganisms occur at low concentrations in groundwater, current detection methods of microspheres (spectrofluorimetry, flow cytometry and epifluorescence microscopy) have rather high detection limits and are unable to detect rare events. Solid-phase cytometry (SPC) offers the unique capability of reliably quantifying extremely low concentrations of fluorescently labelled microorganisms or microspheres in natural waters, including groundwater. Until now, microspheres have been used in combination with SPC only for instrument calibration purposes and not for environmental applications. In this study, we explored the limits of the SPC methodology for its applicability to groundwater transport studies. The SPC approach proved to be a highly sensitive and reliable enumeration system for microorganism surrogates down to a minimum size of 0.5 μm, in up to 500 ml of groundwater, and 0.75 μm, in up to 1 ml of turbid surface water. Hence, SPC is proposed to be a useful method for enumerating microspheres for groundwater transport studies in the laboratory, as well as in the field when non-toxic, natural products are used.     

Assessment of Bioconcentration Factor of Chromium by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis in Argyrodiaptomus falcifer Daday, a Subtropical Freshwater Copepod

The objectives of this study were to determine the capacity of the freshwater calanoid copepod Argyrodiaptomus falcifer (Daday, 1905) to accumulate Cr from water, to know the bioconcentration factors in order to evaluate its potential as a biomonitor, and to compare this with data previously obtained with Daphnia magna Straus under identical conditions. By static bioassays using triplicates and a control, a pool of A. falcifer was exposed to three concentrations of Cr (VI): 150 μg/L (T1), 280 μg/L (T2), and 350 μg/L (T3) for 48 h to later determine by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis the amount of Cr accumulated. A. falcifer accumulated Cr in all the three concentrations tested. The comparison of T1, T2, and T3 and the control showed significant differences (p?<?0.05) but not between the treatments (p?>?0.05). On the other hand, A. falcifer accumulated more Cr than D. magna, but these differences were not significant (p?>?0.05). Almost no information is available about metal toxicity in freshwater copepods so the reported results are of high importance in order to detect good biomonitors of freshwater Cr-polluted environments.