The potential for genetic contamination vs. augmentation by native plants in urban gardens

Native plants in gardens can potentially aid conservation by contributing to genetic diversity and buffering small and otherwise isolated populations from extinction. However, gene flow from such plantings may threaten the genetic integrity of natural populations. We assessed the morphological and genetic diversity of garden plants in an urban population of Grevillea macleayana in south-eastern Australia. There were two main groups of garden plants: some similar to plants in nearby natural populations; others with unusual morphology. Multivariate analysis of morphological characters separated these groupings, which were confirmed by genetic analysis. Both groups produced seeds and flowering phenologies overlapped, indicating a potential for gene flow. Hand pollination showed that plants in each group could fertilize flowers of the other. Thus, these garden plants contributed to genetic variation in an urban/bushland metapopulation but there was potential for gene flow from the unusual plants. Unless carefully managed, garden plants may therefore cause disruption of the genetic integrity of nearby natural populations.     

Gaseous emissions of nitrogen and carbon from urban vegetable gardens in Bobo‐Dioulasso,Burkina Faso

Urban and peri‐urban agriculture (UPA) is an important livelihood strategy for the urban poor in sub‐Saharan Africa and contributes to meeting increasing food demands in the rapidly growing cities. Although in recent years many research activities have been geared towards enhancing the productivity of this land‐use system, little is known about turnover processes and nutrient efficiency of UPA. The aim of our study therefore was to determine horizontal fluxes of N, P, K, and C as well as gaseous N and C emissions in urban vegetable gardens of Bobo‐Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Two gardens referred to as “Kodéni” and “Kuinima” were selected as representative for urban and peri‐urban systems classified as: (1) “commercial gardening + field crops and livestock system” and (2) “commercial gardening and semicommercial field crop system”, respectively. A nutrient‐balance approach was used to monitor matter fluxes from March 2008 to March 2009 in both gardens. Ammonia (NH₃), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the respective soils were measured during the coolest and the hottest period of the day using a closed‐chamber system. Annual partial balances amounted to 2056 kg N ha^–1, 615 kg P ha^–1, 1864 kg K ha^–1, and 33 893 kg C ha^–1 at Kodéni and to 1752 kg N ha^–1, 446 kg P ha^–1, 1643 kg K ha^–1, and 21 021 kg C ha^–1 at Kuinima. Emission rates were highest during the hot midday hours with peaks after fertilizer applications when fluxes of up to 1140 g NH₃‐N ha^–1 h^–1, 154 g N₂O‐N ha^–1 h^–1, 12 993 g CO₂‐C ha^–1 h^–1 were recorded for Kodéni and Kuinima. Estimated annual gaseous N (NH₃‐N + N₂O‐N) and C (CO₂‐C + CH₄‐C) losses reached 419 kg N ha^–1 and 35 862 kg C ha^–1 at Kodéni and 347 kg N ha^–1 and 22 364 kg C ha^–1 at Kuinima. For both gardens, this represented 20% and 106% of the N and C surpluses, respectively. Emissions of NH₃, largely emitted after surface application of manure and mineral fertilizers, accounted for 73% and 77% of total estimated N losses for Kodéni and Kuinima. To mitigate N losses nutrient‐management practices in UPA vegetable production of Bobo‐Dioulasso would greatly benefit from better synchronizing nutrient‐input rates with crop demands.     

Historical rates of atmospheric Pb deposition using210Pb dated peat cores: Corroboration,computation, and interpretation

Lead-210 dating of peat cores is one approach that has been used to arrive at historical rates of heavy metal deposition. Despite concerns regarding the validity of²¹⁰Pb dating due to Pb mobility,²¹⁰Pb dating can be used if the dates are corroborated with some other independent dating technique. In this study, based on analyses of²¹⁰Pb dated, pollen corroborated peat cores from two sites in the Czech Republic (Jezerní sla and Bo?í Dar Bog), we illustrate a previously unexplored problem concerning the computation of metal deposition, using Pb as an example. When peat cores are collected, sectioned into depth intervals,²¹⁰Pb dated and analyzed for metal contents, the²¹⁰Pb dates most appropriately correspond to the midpoint depth for each interval, whereas the metal contents correspond to the interval between the top and bottom of each section. Thus the²¹⁰Pb dates and metal content values throughout the core are offset by half the distance of each depth interval. In calculating historical rates of heavy metal deposition two approaches are available for correcting for the depth interval offsets, the traditional approach of date interpolation and our newly proposed metal content interpolation. We see noa priori reason for choosing one approach over the other, and suggest simultaneous use of both date and metal content interpolation. Additionally, acid-insoluble ash (AIA), which has been proposed as a dating technique in and of itself, may be more useful as an interpretive tool which may provide insights into the nature or sources of atmospherically deposited Pb. For example, plots of Pb content per core section versus AIA content per core section for Jezerní slat, located in a relatively pristine area, reveal increased Pb content without increased AIA contents in depths shallower than 6 cm, indicating deposition of gasoline-derived Pb after its introduction in 1922. Similar plots for Bo?í Dar Bog, located in a polluted industrialized region, indicate greater inputs of Pb than would be predicted from AIA, based on the Jezerní sla analyses. We interpret the apparent excess Pb deposition at Bo?í Dar Bog as being contributed by soil-derived dust from local metal mining. Elevated rates in Pb deposition at Bo?í Dar Bog are consistent with the history of local mining known to have occurred in the vicinity. Finally, magnetic susceptibility measurements identify combustion of fossil fuels as a source of atmospheric Pb deposition at Bo?í Dar Bog, but not at Jezerní sla      

东亚季风与城市活动影响下南京市大气沉降多元特征研究

Atmospheric deposition, a major pathway of metals entering into soils, plays an important role in soil environment, especially in urban regions where a large amount of pollutants are emitted into atmosphere through various sources. In order to understand the characteristics of atmospheric deposition in urban area and its relation with natural and anthropogenic sources, a three-year study of atmospheric deposition at three typical sites, industrial zone (IN), urban residential area (RZ) and suburban forested scenic area (FA), was carried out in Nanjing, a metropolitan city in eastern China from 2005 to 2007. The bulk deposition rate and element composition of atmospheric deposition varied spatio-temporally in the urban zones of Nanjing. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Ca in the atmospheric deposits were strongly enriched in the whole Nanjing region; however, anthropogenic pollutants in atmospheric deposits were diluted by the input of external mineral dust transported from northwestern China. Source apportionment through principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the background atmospheric deposition at the FA site was the combination of external aerosol and local emission sources. The input of long-range transported Asian dust had an important influence on the urban background deposition, especially in spring when the continental dust from the northwestern China prevailed. Marine aerosol source was observed in summer and autumn, the seasons dominated by summer monsoon in Nanjing. In contrast, the contribution of local anthropogenic emission source was constant regardless of seasons. At the RZ and IN sites, the atmospheric deposition was more significantly affected by the nearby human activities than at the FA site. In addition, different urban activities and both the winter and summer Asian monsoons had substantial impacts on the characteristics of dust deposition in urban Nanjing.     

Determination of Mn and Pb in atmospheric deposition at a remote coastal site

The electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometric determination of Mn and Pb in wet, dry and total deposition collected at American Samoa is hindered by interferences due to the dilute sea-spray matrix. Matrix modification procedures permit direct analysis below 1 ng ml^?1 for each trace metal. The median monthly deposition of Mn is 5.8, 5.0, and 10.0 ng cm^?2, and for Pb 9.5, 1.4, and 10.6 ng cm^?2 for wet, dry and total collections, respectively. Preliminary data suggest effective sampling using these methods at this remote site.     

The structure of urban and peri-urban gardens in Khartoum,Sudan

A verdant strip of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) lines the banks of the River Nile at Khartoum (Sudan), but little is known about its physical structure and species composition. This study was conducted in 120 gardens, covering 160 ha at the urban locations of Tuti Island and Shambat and the peri-urban location of El Halfaya to determine the extent and plant composition of UPA gardens in Greater Khartoum, which includes the cities of Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman. The survey identified 84 plant species from 35 plant families, of which 47 were utilised as crops predominantly for commercial production of fruits, vegetables, spices and condiments, grains, and fodder. The gardens of Tuti Island, where production of lime (Citrus aurantiifolia (L.) Swingle) was widespread, had a mean species richness of 1.7 and a Shannon index of 0.4. The gardens of Shambat, where leafy vegetables were common, had higher crop diversity levels with a mean species richness of 4.4 and a Shannon index of 1.2. The gardens of El Halfaya, which was the only location where the production of some spices and condiments was recorded, had a mean species richness of 3.7 and a Shannon index of 1.0. All three study locations were largely dominated by monocultural commercial production relying heavily on external inputs. The four groups of gardens distinguished by cluster analysis were cultivated by 21 ethnic groups, 46% of the surveyed households relied on additional off-farm income and gardens supplied 12% of household food. Economic and ecological benefits of the studied UPA gardens might be enhanced if crop diversity and structural complexity of these gardens were increased.     

河北板蓝根产地土壤-植物中镉铅汞砷含量特征及其污染评价

采用野外调查和室内分析相结合的方法,研究了河北省安国市和蔚县板蓝根产地土壤-植物中Cd、Pb、Hg、As含量特征及其在菘蓝中的累积特性,并对板蓝根产地土壤和草药中Cd、Pb、Hg、As污染状况进行了评价,为该地区安全、合理地发展中草药生产提供数据支撑和科学依据。结果表明,安国市和蔚县板蓝根产地土壤中重金属Cd、Pb、Hg、As含量差异不大,土壤重金属含量的变异系数在11.70%~97.65%。以《土壤环境质量标准》(GB 15618—1995)一级标准值进行评价,综合污染指数评价结果显示45%板蓝根种植区土壤Cd、Pb、Hg、As污染等级为警戒限,其他处于清洁水平;而以《土壤环境质量标准》二级标准值进行评价,种植区单项污染指数及综合污染指数结果均0.7,土壤环境清洁。此外,菘蓝地上部(大青叶)Cd、Pb、Hg、As平均含量分别为0.22 mg·kg~(-1)、0.89 mg·kg~(-1)、0.04 mg·kg~(-1)、0.25 mg·kg~(-1),对重金属的富集能力表现为CdHgPbAs;菘蓝地下部(板蓝根)Cd、Pb、Hg、As含量均值分别为0.14 mg·kg~(-1)、0.57 mg·kg~(-1)、0.04 mg·kg~(-1)、0.26 mg·kg~(-1),对重金属的富集能力表现为CdHgAsPb。所有菘蓝样品中Pb、Hg、As含量均未超出《药用植物及制剂进口绿色行业标准》(WM2—2001),大青叶9.09%样品中Cd超标,且Cd平均污染指数0.7,属警戒限污染等级。因此,在中药材GAP(良好的农业规范)产地环境质量评价时,除板蓝根产地土壤完全符合土壤环境质量二级标准外,也不应忽视板蓝根和大青叶吸收和累积重金属的自身特性。     

Study of wet and dry atmospheric deposition at two altitudes in central Switzerland

The analysis of various ions in atmospheric deposition at two altitudes (515 m and 950 m a.s.l.) in Switzerland during 1983/84 revealed that dry deposition depends more on altitude than wet deposition. During autumn and winter, when vertical air exchange is limited, dry deposition of substances from anthropogenic sources (e.g. SO₄-S) was higher at the lower site. In the course of the year, the pattern of wet deposition was independent of altitude and showed highest rates for S, N and Ca in summertime. A comparison between rates of wet, particulate and gaseous S and N deposition suggested that during the growing season wet deposition is the dominant flux. Total (wet + dry) deposition of S, N and Cl was lower than in other parts of Europe, but a substantial increase of NO₃-N deposition during the past 25 years must have occured.     

Dissolved humic substances supplied as potential enhancers of Cu,Cd, and Pb adsorption by two different mangrove sediments

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The external supply of humic substances has been recently suggested for the remediation of metal-polluted sediments; however, little is known about how to supply...     

规模化猪场废水灌溉农田土壤Pb,Cd和As空间变异及影响因子分析

为了了解长期灌溉猪场废水对农田土壤Pb、Cd和As（简称重金属）的影响,采集了河北省京安猪场周边农田的清洁区和灌溉8年猪场废水的污灌区耕层（0～20 cm）共52个土壤样品,并测定了样品中重金属的全量和有效态含量,应用GIS结合地统计学方法对重金属进行了空间结构和分布特征分析,探讨规模化猪场周边农田土壤重金属积累的影响因子及其贡献。结果表明,重金属全量和有效态含量的变异函数均很好地符合球状模型,其中全铅、有效铅、全砷、全镉和有效砷受随机性因素和结构性因素共同影响,有效镉主要受结构性因素影响。根据背景调查、重金属与pH值和土壤养分的相关性分析以及重金属变异函数分析,土壤中Cd和As污染来源为猪场废水和化肥,Pb的污染来源为化肥。富集因子分析表明,污灌猪场废水对土壤Cd和As富集效应很小,施用化肥对Pb富集有较大贡献。灌溉猪场废水会降低土壤pH值而增加重金属有效态含量,因此,需注意施用猪场废水带来重金属污染风险。     

规模化猪场废水灌溉农田土壤Pb, Cd和As空间变异及影响因子分析

为了了解长期灌溉猪场废水对农田土壤Pb、Cd和As(简称重金属)的影响,采集了河北省京安猪场周边农田的清洁区和灌溉8年猪场废水的污灌区耕层(0～20 cm)共52个土壤样品,并测定了样品中重金属的全量和有效态含量,应用GIS结合地统计学方法对重金属进行了空间结构和分布特征分析,探讨规模化猪场周边农田土壤重金属积累的影响因子及其贡献.结果表明,重金属全量和有效态含量的变异函数均很好地符合球状模型,其中全铅、有效铅、全砷、全镉和有效砷受随机性因素和结构性因素共同影响,有效镉主要受结构性因素影响.根据背景调查、重金属与pH值和土壤养分的相关性分析以及重金属变异函数分析,土壤中Cd和As污染来源为猪场废水和化肥,Pb的污染来源为化肥.富集因子分析表明,污灌猪场废水对土壤Cd和As富集效应很小,施用化肥对Pb富集有较大贡献.灌溉猪场废水会降低土壤pH值而增加重金属有效态含量,因此,需注意施用猪场废水带来重金属污染风险.     

污染土壤上水稻生长及对Pb、Cd和As的吸收

通过温室盆栽试验研究了Pb、Cd和As于中国土壤环境质量标准III级水平(Pb:400 mg/kg;Cd:1.0 mg/kg:As:40 mg/kg)时对水稻在3种不同类型土壤上的生长和吸收Pb、Cd及As的影响.结果表明:在红壤上,As处理的稻谷产量显著降低,除Cd处理对稻谷产量影响不大外,其他处理也明显降低了水稻稻谷产量,且 Pb、Cd 的存在加重了As的毒性;对稻草产量只有Pb和Pb-Cd-As两个处理与对照有显著性差异.在乌栅土上,仅As和Pb-Cd-As处理与对照相比明显降低了稻谷产量,而所有复合处理均降低了稻草产量,且对稻草产量影响要大于其对稻谷产量的影响.在青紫泥上各处理影响较小.Cd-As、Pb-Cd和Pbr-Cd-As处理红壤其稻米Cd含量较Cd单独存在时分别增加了15.7%、11.5%和25.6%;红壤上Pb处理显著增加了稻米Pb的含量.但Pb-As处理降低了稻米Pb含量.稻米中重金属含量在3种不同性质土壤上的含量大小顺序为:红壤>青紫泥>乌栅土.     

应用反射光谱法估测矿区附近农田土壤As, Cu污染

Concentrations of Iron (Fe), As, and Cu in soil samples from the fields near the Baoshan Mine in Hunan Province, China, were analyzed and soil spectral reflectance was measured with an ASD FieldSpec FR spectroradiometer (Analytical Spectral Devices, Inc., USA) under laboratory condition. Partial least square regression (PLSR) models were constructed for predicting soil metal concentrations. The data pre-processing methods, first and second derivatives (FD and SD), baseline correction (BC), standard normal variate (SNV), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), and continuum removal (CR), were used for the spectral reflectance data pretreatments. Then, the prediction results were evaluated by relative root mean square error (RRMSE) and coefficients of determination (R²). According to the criteria of minimal RRMSE and maximal R², the PLSR models with the FD pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.24, R² = 0.61), SNV pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.08, R² = 0.78), and BC-pretreatment (RRMSE = 0.20, R² = 0.41) were considered as the final models for predicting As, Fe, and Cu, respectively. Wavebands at around 460, 1 400, 1 900, and 2 200 nm were selected as important spectral variables to construct final models. In conclusion, concentrations of heavy metals in contaminated soils could be indirectly assessed by soil spectra according to the correlation between the spectrally featureless components and Fe; therefore, spectral reflectance would be an alternative tool for monitoring soil heavy metals contamination.     

Atlantic salmon resources in the Northeastern United States and the potential effects of acidification from atmospheric deposition

The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was formerly abundant in northeast coastal rivers in the United States from the Canadian border to the Connecticut River, and possibly as far south as the Delaware River. It was eliminated from most of its former range by a combination of overfishing, construction of dams impassable to migrating fish, and municipal and industrial pollution. Reproducing populations are now limited to a few rivers in Maine, but attempts are under way to reintroduce the species to some rivers where populations formerly existed. Most of the native Atlantic salmon rivers are low in acid neutralizing capacity and receive acidic precipitation. The third order streams are not now acidic; however, in some first and second order streams in Maine, pH episodically declines to 4.7 and Al increases to 350 μg g^?1. These conditions could be toxic to sensitive early life history stages of Atlantic salmon. Comparison of chemical conditions in two Maine rivers in 1980–1982 with those in 1969–1970 indicated that the streams have not become more acidic during this interval. Data on the sport catch of Atlantic salmon indicated that populations have generally remained stable or recently increased in the Maine rivers having naturally reproducing populations. The recent increase probably resulted from introductions of hatchery smolts to supplement natural reproduction, and the occurrence of strong year classes in 1978 and 1980. The population in one stream has declined significantly in recent years, but the cause of the decline is probably not related to acidic precipitation. Atlantic salmon resources in the U.S. have apparently not been adversely affected by atmospheric deposition at the present time.     

An in vitro study of wheat bran binding capacity for Hg, Cd, and Pb

Water-soluble dietary fiber (WSDF), water-insoluble dietary fiber (WIDF) from wheat bran, and the carboxymethylated product of WIDF (CIDF), all having low contents of protein, ash, and phytic acid, were evaluated for their scavenging capacity for three heavy metals, Hg, Cd, and Pb. The results showed that WIDF had higher BC(max) (maximum amount of bound heavy metal ions) and BC(min) values (minimum concentration of heavy metal ions below which the ions cannot be bound by dietary fibers) than WSDF at two pH conditions (pH 2.0 and 7.0). Carboxymethylation of WIDF improved its binding capacity for heavy metals (increase in BC(max) and decrease in BC(min)). The pH value significantly affected the binding capacity for heavy metals; BC(max) sharply increased and BC(min) sharply decreased for each heavy metal ion for all of the dietary fibers when the pH was raised from 2.0 to 7.0. The binding capacity of dietary fibers for heavy metals was slightly affected by amino acids, calcium, iron, and zinc but significantly affected by copper. Colon fermentation released part of the heavy metal ions from dietary fibers. From the results it can be concluded that dietary fibers from wheat bran can effectively bind all three tested metal ions to prevent the body from being affected by their toxicity.     

historical deposition rates of Cd,Cu, Pb,and Zn in Norway and Sweden estimated by 210Pb dating and measurement of trace elements in cores of peat bogs

From six ombrotrophic mires located far from distinct local sources in Sweden and Norway, a core was sampled in bog hummocks in 1988 and dated by 210_Pb. Ten slices from each core were analyzed for Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Based on the datings, the accumulation rates of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn have been estimated for the last 150 years. A reasonable agreement exists in the comparison between the recent deposition in the peat bog and nearby bulk deposition measurements. Highest deposition has been measured in southern Norway and the western part of Sweden. Generally, deposition has increased during the last 150 years, except at a station on the east coast of Sweden. In a study in Sweden where heavy metals have been measured in mosses every five years time since 1970, significant decreases in the concentrations of heavy metals have been found. Similar decreases have not been measured in the present study, although both methods are expected to reflect atmospheric deposition. Several studies have indicated that peat bogs are not suitable for measuring the historical evolution of trace metals. However, despite the disagreement, the recent literature suggests that it can be done with reasonable accuracy when performed with samples from hummocks in the peat bog.     

施用禽畜粪对两种土壤As、Cu和Zn有效性的影响

在水稻土和赤红壤中分别以2%和4%(w/w)比例施入含As、Cu和Zn的鸡粪和猪粪,以不施肥为对照进行苋菜盆栽试验,研究施入粪肥对土壤As、Cu和Zn有效性的影响。结果表明,与对照相比,施用粪肥均提高苋菜生物量,但几乎均显著降低苋菜As、Cu和Zn含量。试验前,赤红壤As、Cu和Zn总含量及有效含量明显低于水稻土,但赤红壤中施用粪肥处理的苋菜As、Cu和Zn含量及As和Zn吸收量均极显著高于水稻土的。苋菜收获后,各处理的土壤As总含量和有效含量均较试验前下降,施用高量鸡粪和猪粪处理的土壤总Cu、总Zn及有效Cu、有效Zn均出现累积。与对照比较,施用粪肥提高了土壤As、Cu和Zn的总含量、有效含量及有效含量占各自总量的百分数。如以土壤重金属有效含量增量及有效百分数增加来衡量粪肥提高土壤重金属有效性作用大小,则鸡粪提高土壤As有效性的作用较猪粪大,但其提高Cu、Zn有效性的作用不如猪粪,且高量粪肥处理较低量处理作用明显,粪肥在赤红壤中提高As、Cu和Zn有效性的作用大于在水稻土中。     

Distribution of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in redox features of mine-waste impacted wetland soils

Purpose

Wetland soils of the Coeur d??Alene (CdA) River Basin of northern Idaho, USA are contaminated with toxic elements released during mining activities. In this paper, we report results from a multi-scale investigation of total As, Cd, Pb, and Zn distributions along a transect of these contaminated soils.

Materials and methods

Four sites along an 80-m transect were established at the Black Rock Slough wetland in CdA River Basin. The elevation difference between the upslope and lowland site was 1.1?m. Soils were sampled from three depths, down to 45?cm. Redoximorphic features were isolated from the soils and categorized into five types of cemented particles, and Fe-enriched and depleted soil masses. Soils and isolated soil separates were analyzed for total elemental concentration.

Results and discussion

Within soil profiles, contaminants are enriched in surface horizons as compared to the original depositional profiles. Enrichment was more dramatic in the upland sites than the lowland sites. Fe-enriched masses that ranged in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters were also enriched in As, Pb, and Zn. At the smallest scale investigated, five different soil aggregate types ranging in size from 1 to 2?mm in diameter had distinct contaminant associations: Fe-cemented aggregates were elevated in As and Zn; Mn-cemented aggregates had more than five times as much Pb as the bulk soil; root channels were elevated in As; and charcoal particles were elevated in all contaminants, particularly Pb and Cd.

Conclusions

Results show that in wetland soils pedogenic processes differentially distribute contaminants amongst the redoximorphic features. The distribution is affected by landscape position and water table influence. At the pedon scale, there is an enrichment of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in surface horizons, suggesting that upward flux of contaminants is occurring. This contaminant redistribution should be considered in design of management and remediation strategies.     

Plastic contamination of forest,urban, and agricultural soils: a case study of Yeoju City in the Republic of Korea

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Microplastics have been widely reported to contaminate aquatic environments, particularly impacting marine organisms, but little is known of microplastic...