Effects of bacteria on metal bioavailability,speciation, and mobility in different metal mine soils: a column study

Purpose  

Successful phytoremediation depends mainly on the bioavailability of heavy metals in the soil. Recently, soil microbes possess several mechanisms that are able to change metal bioavailability in the soil, which provides a new strategy for investigating biogeochemical cycling of metals in contaminated soils. Three metal mines soils with elevated concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn from China were applied in this column study to (1) evaluate the effects of metal tolerant bacterial inoculation (Burkholderia cepacia, accession number: AB051408) on metal release, (2) monitor the migration of metals in the rhizospheric horizon (0–20 cm), and (3) investigate metal speciation and sequential fractions in soil.     

Speciation and biochemical transformations of sulfur and copper in rice rhizosphere and bulk soil—XANES evidence of sulfur and copper associations

Purpose  

Contamination of heavy metals in soil and its subsequent accumulation along the food chain is a potential risk to human health. Cu speciation in soil–plant system, particularly on the availability to plant roots, has obtained great attention. X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) provides information about the bonding of Cu soil components at the molecular scale. In paddy soils, changes of redox conditions led to microbially mediated sulfur transformation, thus affecting heavy metal behavior. The objective of this work was to investigate how sulfur transformation in a paddy soil affected Cu biogeochemical processes.     

Arsenic,cadmium, and lead pollution and uptake by rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) grown in greenhouse

Purpose  

Hunan province is well-known for its extensive base-metal extraction and smelting industries. However, the legacies of excavation operations, transportation, and selective smelting activities within Hunan have resulted in the generation of large quantities of mine wastes, which will become the sources of metal contamination in the environment. Thus, there is an increasingly important health issue underlying the study of arable land pollution and transfer of As, Cd, and Pb in the paddy soil–rice system.     

Speciation of heavy metals in garden soils: evidences from selective and sequential chemical leaching

Purpose  

Gardening (especially food growing) in urban areas is becoming popular, but urban soils are often very contaminated for historical reasons. There is lack of sufficient information as to the bioavailability of soil heavy metals to plants and human in urban environments. This study examines the relative leachability of Cr, Ni, As, Cd, Zn, and Pb for soils with varying characteristics. The speciation and mobility of these metals can be qualitatively inferred from the leaching experiments. The goal is to use the data to shed some light on their bioavailability to plant and human, as well as the basis for soil remediation.     

Sediment geochemistry of streams draining abandoned lead/zinc mines in central Wales: the Afon Twymyn

Purpose  

Despite the decline of metal mining in the UK during the early 20th century, a substantial legacy of heavy metal contamination persists in river channel and floodplain sediments. Poor sediment quality is likely to impede the achievement of ‘good’ chemical and ecological status for surface waters under the European Union Water Framework Directive. This paper examines the environmental legacy of the Dylife lead/zinc mine in the central Wales mining district. Leachable heavy metal concentrations in the bed sediments of the Afon Twymyn are established and the geochemical partitioning, potential mobility and bioavailability of sediment-associated heavy metals are established.     

Use of Single Extraction Methods to Predict Bioavailability of Heavy Metals in Polluted Soils to Rice

Human exposure to toxic heavy metals via dietary intake is of increasing concern. Heavy-metal pollution of a rice production system can pose a threat to human health. Thus, it was necessary to develop a suitable extraction procedure that would represent the content of metal available to rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). The aim of this study was to predict, on the basis of single extraction procedures of soil heavy metals, the accumulation of heavy metals (cadium, lead, copper, and zinc) in rice plants. Six extracting agents [Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), DTPA–TEA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid–triethanolamine), ammonium acetate (NH₄OAc), and calcium chloride (CaCl₂)] were tested to evaluate the bioavailability of heavy metals from paddy soils contaminated with lead–zinc mine tailings to rice. The extraction capacity of the metals was found to be of the order EDTA > Mehlich 3 > Mehlich 1 > DTPA–TEA > NH₄OAc > CaCl₂. The correlation analysis between metals extracted with different extractants and concentrations of the metals in the grain and stalk of the plant showed positive correlations with all metals. The greatest values of correlation coefficients were determined between the NH₄OAc- and CaCl₂-soluble fractions of soil and contents in plants in all four metals studied. Therefore, NH₄OAc and CaCl₂ were the most suitable extractants for predicting bioavailability of heavy metals in the polluted soils to rice. The results suggested that uptake of heavy metals by rice was mostly from exchangeable and water-soluble fractions of the metals in the soils. Soil-extractable metals were more significantly correlated with metal accumulation in the stalk than in the grain. The pH had more significant influence on availability of heavy metals in the soils than total content of metals and other soil properties. The bioavailability of metals for rice plants would be high in acidic soils.     

浙江省典型水稻产区土壤水稻系统重金属 迁移特征及定量模型

重金属在土壤?水稻系统中迁移转化规律越来越受到人们的关注。本研究采集浙江省3个不同区位(浙北南浔、浙中嵊州、浙南温岭)的水稻主产区土壤、水稻样品,基于水稻品种(杂交水稻和晚粳稻)进行重金属迁移转化的影响因子分析,明确主要驱动因子,建立定量评测模型并进行验证,以此掌握浙江省典型水稻产区重金属的迁移转化规律。研究结果表明,3个研究区土壤的理化性状存在差异,其中嵊州产区土壤的p H(均值为5.52)、有机质(均值为39.4 g?kg?1)、重金属形态含量等均低于其他两个研究区;3个产区土壤和水稻中重金属含量也存在显著性差异,温岭产区土壤重金属(Cd、Cu、Zn)含量显著高于其他两个产区(P0.05),而嵊州产区的水稻重金属含量则显著高于南浔产区(P0.05);Cd和Zn富集系数高于Cu和Ni,嵊州产区的重金属富集系数(0.018~0.521)显著高于其他两个产区(南浔为0.004~0.143,温岭为0.007~0.269)。土壤重金属形态和土壤理化性质均显著影响不同品种的富集系数,其中土壤理化性质的作用相对较大。对数线性迁移模型能够预测实际产地环境中土壤?水稻系统重金属的有效性(富集系数),晚粳稻的预测结果优于杂交水稻,重金属Ni的预测效果(杂交水稻和晚粳稻的回归系数r分别达0.61、0.70,P0.01)好于其他重金属,而杂交水稻重金属Cd的预测效果(r值为0.21,P0.05)偏低,需增加环境变量,并做进一步研究以提高预测精度。     

Incorporation of metal bioavailability into regulatory frameworks—metal exposure in water and sediment

Background, aim, and scope  

The cause for this position paper is the impression that risk assessors consider primarily the concentration of free metal ions dissolved in solution controlling metal bioavailability in aquatic systems. Aiming at a more realistic risk assessment of metals, bioavailability has to be discussed under the scope of main uptake routes of metals to organisms.     

Fractionation of copper and cadmium and their binding with soil organic matter in a contaminated soil amended with organic materials

Purpose  

The contamination of agricultural soils by heavy metals is a worldwide problem. Organic amendments can be used for the immobilization and binding of heavy metal ions in soils by complexation, adsorption, and precipitation. A field trial was carried out to evaluate the influence of some low-cost organic materials such as rice straw (RS), green manure (GM), and pig manure (PM) on the distribution of Cu and Cd and the retention of these metals by organic matter fractions in heavy metal-polluted soils.     

Heavy metal pollution of the world largest antimony mine-affected agricultural soils in Hunan province (China)

Purpose  

The present work concerns the distribution of ten heavy metals (Sb, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the surrounding agricultural soils of the world largest antimony (Sb) mine in China. The objective is to explore the degree and spatial distribution of heavy metal pollution of the Sb mine-affected agricultural soils. The presented data were compared with metal concentrations in soils from mining and smelting sites in China and other countries.     

Plant growth and heavy metal bioavailability changes in a loess subsoil amended with municipal sludge compost

Purpose

The effects of municipal sludge compost (MSC) as a soil amendment are often studied in agricultural soil or topsoil contaminated with heavy metals. However, little is known about the effects of MSC amendments on plant growth and heavy metal bioavailability in subsoil. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of MSC application on plant growth and the mobility and bioavailability of Cd, Cu, and Zn in an amended soil-plant system.

Materials and methods

A pot experiment was performed to evaluate the translocation of heavy metals to broad bean (Vicia faba L.) grown in loess subsoil previously amended with different application rates of MSC. The subsoil and MSC were homogeneously mixed to achieve six soil-amended treatments (total weight of 8 kg in each pot) in 0, 0.5, 2, 6, 15, and 30% mass ratios (MSC/total). Soil samples amended with MSC were aged for 60 days before sowing. Soil and plant samples were collected after 120 days of growth. Plant height was periodically measured until harvest. The total quantities of heavy metals and their different fractions were analyzed by using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GF-AAS).

Results and discussion

Compared with the control soil (0% treatment), the average biomass growth rates from the 0.5 to 30% treatments ranged from 14.5 to 170.4% (increasing order), respectively. Cd (0.42–1.85 mg kg^?1) and Cu (14.95–23.01 mg kg^?1) mainly concentrated in the plant roots, and Zn (22.06–36.48 mg kg^?1) mainly concentrated in the plant stems and leaves. Fortunately, the metal concentrations in the edible plant parts (0.03–0.1 mg kg^?1) remained below the Chinese national standard thresholds (0.2 mg kg^?1), possibly because of the alkaline soil pH (8.60–7.74), organic matter (7.4–65.9 g kg^?1) bound to metals, and translocation of less metal to the edible plant parts by biochemical modulation.

Conclusions

MSC can enhance subsoil fertility and promote plant development, especially in the 30% treatment. The mobility and bioavailability of heavy metals suggest that Cd is the element needing to be monitored during MSC application. High organic matter content and alkaline pH are the most important factors for controlling Cd levels. More work is required to determine the long-term impacts of sludge amendment on the soil and environment.

     

Effects of iron-ore mining and processing on metal bioavailability in a tropical coastal lagoon

Background, aim, and scope

In water systems, water quality and geochemical properties of sediments determine the speciation of trace metals, metal transport, and sediment–water exchange, influencing metal availability and its potential effects on biota. Studies from temperate climates have shown that iron-ore mining and tailing wastewaters, besides being a source of trace metals, usually show high levels of dissolved ions and particulate suspended matter, thus having the potential of indirectly changing metal bioavailability. For the first time in the tropics, we identified the effects of iron-ore mining and processing on metal bioavailability in a coastal lagoon. With an extensive sampling scheme, we investigated the potential sources of metals; the links among metal levels in water, sediments, and invertebrates; and the contrasting effects on metal speciation and bioavailability.

Methodology

The metals Fe, Mn, Al, Cr, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, Hg, and As were measured in water, sediments (surface and profiles), and invertebrates from Mãe-Bá Lagoon and in the sites directly influenced by the mining operations (tailing dams and nearby rivers). In addition, samples from two other lagoons, considered pristine, were analyzed. The study area is located in the southeast of Brazil (Iron Quadrangle Region and a coastal area of Espírito Santo State). General water characteristics included pH, dissolved organic carbon, alkalinity, and anion composition. Water metal speciation was assessed by a speciation model (Chemical Equilibria in Aquatic Systems). Grain-size distribution, organic carbon, carbonate, and acid volatile sulfide (AVS) were determined in sediments. Statistical methods included comparison of means by Mann–Whitney test, ordination and correlation analyses, and analysis of regression for geochemical normalization of metals with grain size.

Results and discussion

The dissolved metal concentrations, the total metal levels in sediments, and the normalization based on the fine sediment fraction showed that the mining operations constitute potential sources of Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, As, and Hg to Mãe-Bá Lagoon. However, trace metal availability was reduced because of increased pH, hardness, and sulfide content (356 μmol/g) in the sites influenced by the mining. The lagoon showed similar water chemistry as in the mining sites, with metal bioavailability further decreased by the presence of dissolved organic carbon and chloride. Although AVS levels in the lagoon were low (0.48–56 μmol/g), metal bioavailability was reduced because of the presence of organic matter. Metal levels in invertebrates confirmed the predicted low metal bioavailability in Mãe-Bá Lagoon. The lagoon was considered moderately contaminated only by Hg and As.

Conclusions

The iron-ore mining and processing studied here constitute potential sources of metal pollution into the tropical lagoon. Contrary to expectations, however, it also contributes to reducing the overall metal bioavailability in the lagoon.

Recommendations and perspectives

These findings are believed to be useful for evaluating metal exposure in a more integrated way, identifying not only the sources of pollution but also how they can affect the components involved in metal speciation and bioavailability in water systems, leading to new insights.     

Bioavailability of Cd in 110 polluted topsoils to recombinant bioluminescent sensor bacteria: effect of soil particulate matter

Purpose  

In this study, bioavailability and water extractability of Cd in a panel of 110 natural aged heavy metal-polluted soils from northern France containing up to 20.1 mg of Cd per kilogramme was evaluated.     

Redox conditions and heavy metals distribution in mangrove forests receiving effluents from shrimp farms (Teremba Bay,New Caledonia)

Purpose  

The mangroves of New Caledonia, in the south Pacific, act as a buffer between a lagoon of more than 20,000 km² and the island, which is characterized by ultramafic rocks and lateritic soils that are exploited for their richness in heavy metals. We will provide a better understanding of the redox conditions, and of heavy metal distributions in mangroves receiving shrimp farm effluents.     

Characterizing deep soils from an impacted subtropical isolated wetland: implications for phosphorus storage

Purpose  

Soils within the Lake Okeechobee drainage basin, FL, USA, have been impacted by beef cattle and dairy operations and the landscape ditched and drained to facilitate stocking and grazing pastures. Restoring wetlands located on pastures has been proposed to reduce overland loss of phosphorus (P) by retaining it within the soils. However, soil properties of deeper horizons within impacted wetlands are rarely investigated due to the assumption that most dominant biogeochemical interactions occur at the soil–water interface. In this paper, we investigate soil properties up to 160 cm below the surface from an impacted isolated wetland and its surrounding upland pasture.     

Heavy metal distribution and electrical conductivity measurements in biosolid pellets

Purpose

Contamination of soils by potentially toxic elements (e.g. Cd, Ni, Cr, Pb) from amendments of biosolids is subject to strict controls within the European Union. Today, the use of biosolids to improve the nutrient content in a soil is a common practice. The present research was conducted to determine electrical conductivity in biosolid pellets (dry wastes) using an innovative methodology. On the other hand, the present study was designed to examine the partition of selected heavy metals in biosolid pellets and also to relate the distribution patterns of these metals.

Materials and methods

In this context, heavy metal concentrations were studied in biosolid pellets under different pressures. Electrical conductivity measurements were taken in biosolid pellets under pressures on the order of 50 to 150 MPa and with currents of 10^?15 A. Measurements of electrical conductivity and heavy metal content for different areas (H1, H2, and H3) were taken. Total content of metals was determined following microwave digestion and analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). Triplicate portions were weighed in polycarbonate centrifuge tubes and sequentially extracted.

Results and discussion

The distribution of chemical forms of Cd, Ni, Cr, and Pb in the biosolids was studied using a sequential extraction procedure that fractionates the metal into soluble-exchangeable, specifically sorbed-carbonate-bound, oxidizable, reducible, and residual forms. The residual, reducible, and carbonate-sorbed forms were dominant. Higher Cr and Ni content were detected in pellets made with biosolids from the H3 horizon. The highest Cd and Ni values were detected in the H2 horizon.

Conclusions

The trends of the conductivity curves were similar for the sludge from the isolation surface horizon (H1) and for the horizon in the mesophilous area (H2). In the case of the horizon in the thermophilous area (H3), the electrical conductivity showed extremely high values. This behaviour was similar in the case of the Cr and Ni content. However, in the case of Cd and Pb, the highest values were detected in the H2 horizon. This experiment could be useful for establishing a general rule for taking measurements of electrical conductivity and heavy metals in biosolid pellets and other types of dry wastes.

     

A novel heavy metal chelating agent sixthio guanidine acid for in situ remediation of soils contaminated with multielements: its synthesis,solidification, biodegradability,and leachability

Purpose

The main objectives of the study were to (1) develop a one-step facile procedure for synthesizing a new chemical amendment agent with three chelating groups for solidifying multiple heavy metals, called sixthio guanidine acid (SGA), using guanidine hydrochloride and carbon disulfide as raw reactants and (2) assess its biodegradability, solidification effectiveness, and leachability in remedying soils contaminated with multiple heavy metals of various concentrations compared with other traditional amendment agents.

Materials and methods

Polluted soil samples were collected near a metalliferous mining site of Qixiashan in the southeast of Nanjing, China. Their concentrations were determined at 22.15–320 mg kg^?1 for As, 3.30–29.31 mg kg^?1 for Cd, 115.66–158.65 mg kg^?1 for Ni, 165.04–1677.06 mg kg^?1 for Pb, and 355.6–2426.91 mg kg^?1 for Zn. Biodegradability of SGA was assessed in accordance with GB/T 21831-2008 and OECD-301D. Total concentration of heavy metals was determined according to ISO11466:1995. A modified three-step sequential Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) extraction procedure was used to examine speciation of heavy metals in the soil sample, and concentrations of heavy metals were measured by using inductively coupling plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Leachate extraction tests were carried out before and after the soil sample was solidified with different amendments in accordance with HJ/T 557-2009.

Results and discussion

It is found that the optimal conditions for SGA synthesis are a molar ratio of 4:1, a reaction temperature of 40 °C, and a reaction time of 2 h. Under such conditions, SGA yield is achieved as high as 91.5 %. The bioavailability and mobility of As, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn in highly contaminated soils can be reduced via using SGA. Our results indicate that SGA is nonbiodegradative and much more effective than other traditional chemical amendment agents in that it is highly effective in comprehensively solidifying As, Cd, Ni, and Pb.

Conclusions

SGA has the potential for comprehensive in situ remediation of soils contaminated with several heavy metal elements of various concentration levels, and such findings may be used as a guide to design new chemical amendment agents for rehabilitating soils contaminated with heavy metals.

     

Effects of combined sewer overflows and storm water drains on metal bioavailability in small urban streams (Prague metropolitan area,Czech Republic)

Purpose

The aims of the study were to evaluate the effect of combined sewer overflows (CSO) and storm water drains (SWD) on metal bioavailability in small urban streams in Prague and to evaluate levels of metals in water, sediment, and macroinvertebrates. The following working hypotheses were adopted: (a) sites dominantly affected by SWD are less polluted by metals, and (b) sites dominantly affected by SWD have higher bioavailability of metals.

Materials and methods

Physical and chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, NO₃-N, NH₄-N, COD, alkalinity, and water hardness) and concentrations of the metals Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, and Cr were determined in samples of water and sediment at five to six sites on four target streams—Záti?ský Creek, Ko?íkovský Creek, Boti? Creek, and Rokytka Creek—three to five times per year during the period 2002–2004. The sites from all studied creeks were categorized into five groups according to the prevailing type of urban drainage impact. Macroinvertebrates were sampled and analyzed for metals at each site for a period of 1 month. The concentration patterns of metals were interpreted by partition coefficient (Kd), hazard quotient (HQ), cumulative criterion unit (CCU), and biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF).

Results and discussion

Concentrations of metals in water as well as in sediment at sites receiving water from SWD were lower than at sites where creeks receive water from CSO, except for Pb. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb in sediment were higher at sites affected by CSO. Concentrations of metals in aquatic macroinvertebrates, expressed as BSAF, indicated higher values at sites affected by SWD. Frequencies of high BSAF (>1) were lower in CSO compared to SWD. This finding was explained by (a) a decrease of pH on SWD sites compared to the increase of pH on CSO sites during rain events, (b) a greater resuspension of sediment at SWD sites during rain events, and (c) an abundance of organic matter in CSO available for sorption of metals and a corresponding reduction of their bioavailability.

Conclusions

In the study area, the type of urban drainage affects the bioavailability of metals—while SWD increase metal bioavailability, CSO cause its decrease. The sediments in SWD sites do not indicate risk to the benthic community according to the applied environmental quality standards. Water and sediment in creeks affected by SWD are less polluted by metals. Both working hypotheses were therefore supported.

     

Heavy metal contamination of urban topsoils in a typical region of Loess Plateau,China

Purpose

Heavy metals pollution of city soil has become a serious environmental issue. Attention has been given to the issue of soil contamination in big cities, but little research has been done in the Loess Plateau, which is the largest loess deposition area in the world. The aim of this study was to assess the contamination of topsoil.

Materials and methods

Forty soil samples were collected from different districts and sieved through nylon sieves. The coarse particles (2 mm) were used to determine pH and electrical conductivity using a suspension of 1:5 soil to deionized water. The fine particles (150 μm) were used to determine soil organic matter and selected heavy metals. Metals were measured in digested solutions by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer.

Results and discussion

The mean concentrations of heavy metals in urban soils in the study area are significantly lower than the mean concentrations across China. The integrated pollution index was determined to be 1.13, indicating moderate pollution. Weathering of parent material, the use of pesticide and fertilizer, discharge of waste from traffic, wastes from commodities and industry, and coal combustion are considered to be the main sources of heavy metal pollution in the study area.

Conclusions

The results indicate that, at least in the study area, land use greatly influences the soil quality and heavy metal contents in urban topsoils. Soil backfill may change heavy metal contents to some extent. Deep digging and backfill can be effectively used for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil and sediments.     

Evaluating top soil trace element pollution in the vicinity of a cement plant and a former open-cast uranium mine in central Argentina

Purpose  

Heavy metals are especially dangerous because of their persistence and toxicity. Soil behaves as a sink of heavy metals by aerial deposition of particles emitted by different human activities. The aims of this work were to identify the levels and sources of heavy metal and trace elements in agricultural and residential areas in Argentina and to evaluate the enrichment of total and HCl-extracted heavy metals.