Occurrence of Polycyclic Musks in Sewage Sludge and their Behaviour in Soils and Plants. Part 1: Behaviour of Polycyclic Musks in Sewage Sludge of Different Treatment Plants in Summer and Winter (5 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope   Part 1: Behaviour of Polycyclic Musks in Sewage Sludge of Different Treatment Plants in Summer and Winter Part 2: Investigation of Polycyclic Musks in Soils and Plants -  Preamble. In Part 1 of the study, screening tests were performed to investigate the occurrence of PCMs in sewage sludges. For a preliminary risk assessment, further information is needed about their behaviour in the terrestrial environment. Hence, Part 2 examined the adsorption of PCMs to soil, their dissipation and leaching in soil and their uptake by plants. Background, Aim and Scope   Polycyclic Musks (PCMs) enter the environment via the waste water system. Because of their persistence, they can accumulate in different matrices like sewage sludge or biota. By the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer, PCMs are transferred to agricultural soils. Therefore, in Part 1 of the study, screening tests were performed to investigate the occurrence of PCMs in sewage sludge. For a preliminary risk assessment, further information is needed about their behaviour in the terrestrial environment. Hence, Part 2 of the study examined the adsorption of PCMs to soil, their dissipation and leaching in soil, and their uptake by plants. Materials and Methods: In the screening study, samples of activated sewage sludge were taken both in summer and in winter at 21 treatment plants. In order to get an overview of the contamination situation, sampling covered different types of treatment plants (in rural, urban, industrial areas). Analytical methods for the determination of HHCB, AHTN, ADBI, ATTN, AHDI and ATII in the sludge samples were developed and applied. Results: The analytical screening of PCMs showed their presence in activated and dried sewage sludge samples. HHCB and AHTN represented about 95% of the PCMs investigated. Their concentrations in the activated sludge samples varied between 2.9 and 10.4 mg/kg dry mass (dm) and 1.1 to 4.2 mg/kg dm, respectively. Although different types of sewage treatment plants were investigated, similar PCM levels were found, showing the widespread input of these compounds into domestic waste water. Discussion: PCM concentrations in activated sludge varied widely. The variation drops substantially when concentrations are related to the varying dry mass. In dehydrated sludge, PCM concentrations were up to 24 mg/kg dm for HHCB and up to 6.9 mg/kg dm for AHTN. These high values are comparable to those obtained in other investigations analysing PCMs. If the degradation of organic mass during anaerobic decomposition is included in the evaluation, the figures obtained are comparable to those for activated sludge. Elimination in sewage sludge was higher in summer than in winter. Therefore, the contamination of the sludges in winter reached higher levels compared to the summer. Conclusions: The results show that PCMs are widespread contaminants in sewage sludge. Recommendations and Perspectives: PCM should be considered in a risk assessment as potential contaminants of sewage sludge destined for agricultural use. Due to the high PCM levels in sewage sludge, further investigations into the degradation and elimination behaviour in sewage sludge have to be carried out, including that involving PCM metabolites such as lactone derivatives.     

Fractal features of soil particle size distribution and the implication for indicating desertification

Some of the effects of land desertification on soil properties are manifested by the coarsening of the soil particlesize distribution (PSD) and the losses in organic C and nutrients. The changes and characteristics of PSD and selected chemical properties in soils at the 0-15 cm plough layer from different degrees of desertified croplands are analyzed in the semiarid Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. The fractal dimension of the PSD is emanated to characterize the patterns of PSD. The relationships between the fractal dimension of the PSD and selected soil properties are discussed. The results show that: (1) in the transformation from potential desertified cropland to extremely desertified cropland, the sand content at the 0-15 cm soil increased from 69% to 93%, organic C and total N contents decreased by 65% and 69%, respectively; (2) the fractal dimension of PSD ranged from 2.179 to 2.611, the more the contents of sand, the lower the fractal dimension and the higher the desertified degree of farmland. In the desertification process within the studied area, the mean fractal dimension decreased from 2.555 for the potential desertified soils to 2.298 for extremely desertified soils; (3) there existed considerable linear relationships between fractal dimension and soil properties. It was shown that fractal dimensions of PSD are useful parameters able to monitor soil degradation and to estimate the degree of soil desertification.     

土壤侵蚀退化研究

土壤退化是全球性的重大环境问题之一,直接威胁人类的生存。在引起土壤退化的诸因素中,土壤侵蚀是最普遍和最重要的因素。在前人土壤侵蚀退化研究成果的基础上简单回顾了其发展现状,重点综述了土壤侵蚀退化机理,并针对性地提出了土壤侵蚀退化防治措施。     

我国土壤污染退化状况及防治对策

土壤污染退化已成为我国乃至全球性土壤退化的主要表现形式之一。本文在分析我国土壤资源污染退化状况和发展态势的基础上,着重分析了土壤污染退化对食物安全和生态环境效应的影响,并探讨了其原因,提出了防治我国土壤资源污染退化的对策。     

塔里木河下游环境退化的因子分析

 为了研究土地荒漠化及其影响因子,对塔里木河下游沿河道布设的39个样地,进行环境退化因子分析。通过数学变换,8个观测指标被转换为3个综合指标(水分指标、沙化指标、盐化指标)。根据本地区的实际,对3个综合指标进行环境解释。依据这3个主分量的贡献率,计算塔里木河下游39个样地的因子得分,并据此进行环境退化程度(荒漠化)的分类。从因子得分结果看,塔里木河下游地区呈明显的随距大西海子水库距离的增加荒漠化程度加重的特点,引起这一结果的主要原因,是水、盐条件逐渐恶化带来的植被衰败。从分类的结果看,与该地区的实际基本相符合。这说明因子分析的方法综合了多指标的综合影响,划分的结果更加客观。     

蒸汽爆破过程麦秆木质纤维素的转化

采用低压蒸汽爆破技术处理小麦秸秆木质素。通过单因素试验,考察蒸汽爆破过程汽爆压力、液固比、物料粒度、维压时间对木质纤维素降解的影响,木质素的降解率达到22.67%。设计L9(34)正交试验,上述因素影响主次顺序为汽爆压力>液固比>维压时间>物料粒度,优化条件为汽爆压力0.6 MPa,液固比为20︰1,维压时间为30 min,物料粒度为20～60目,且对优化结果进一步验证。红外光谱分析表明,经汽爆后麦秆木质素结构受到了一定程度的破坏;扫描电镜观察,麦秆的纤维束受到了破坏,发生了断裂,且出现了多孔的结构。     

柿果和土壤中菊酯类农药的残留检测和消解动态研究

研究了柿果及土壤中菊酯类农药残留的测定方法以及这类农药在果实及表层土壤中降解的趋势。结果表明:柿果类样品在菊酯类农药残留量测定时不经过柱净化,采用恒温气相色谱测定既可获得满意的效果;甲氰菊酯、功夫菊酯、氯氰菊酯、氰戊菊酯和溴氰菊酯5种菊酯在柿果与土壤中的降解动态规律符合动一级动力学关系C=C0.e-kt;柿果中的菊酯农药残留量分别在9.1~33.2 d内降解到无公害水果的农药残留标准。     

国内外水土流失与土壤退化现状及特点分析

土壤侵蚀是土地退化的主要原因,全球约有1 965.0万km2的面积受到各种形式土壤退化的影响,水土流失与土地退化给人类的可持续发展带来了巨大的压力。我国水土流失尤为严重,根据最新第2次水土流失遥感调查结果表明,全国现有的水土流失面积为356.0万km2。轻度水蚀区主要分布在东中部,中度水蚀区绝大部分在中西部,强度及以上的水蚀区主要在西部地区。严重的水土流失使生态环境不断恶化,加剧土地资源危机,已成为严重的社会问题。     

转Bt基因作物毒素在土壤中降解特性的研究进展

总结了国内外转Bt基因作物在土壤中降解特性的研究结果,讨论了土壤有机、无机组分与毒素蛋白的关系,阐明了转基因毒素蛋白在土壤中的降解与影响因素,揭示了转Bt基因作物在土壤中降解的生态环境效应,并提出了今后应深入研究的问题和方向.     

Amelioration of a highly degraded tropical alfisol by planting I. Changes in soil physical and chemical properties 1989-91

This paper examines soil amelioration by planting 15 leguminous and graminaceous plant species, including herbaceous annuals, perennials and biennials, and woody perennials and biennials. Disturbed and undisturbed natural regrowth were planted with leguminous species, in some cases with fertilizer applied at planting (400 kg ha⁻¹ of 15:15:15 NPK). The studies were made on two highly degraded sites in southwestern Nigeria which had been subjected to intensive mechanized cropping for a period of 10 years. Changes in soil physical and chemical properties were monitored from 1989 to 1991. Acacia difficilis, Brachiaria lata and Mucuna utilis had the lowest survival rates by the following growing season. Soil fertility and compaction levels differed between sites. Planting had no effect on the latter. The decreases in compaction (i.e. macroporosity) between 0.00 and 0.10 m depth at both sites one month before and five and 17 months after planting were 43, 59 and 61 per cent, respectively were attributed to exclusion of heavy machinery from the sites. Large decreases in fertility occurred at both sites and were attributed to a combination of nutrient extraction and to leaching. Between fallow species, exchangeable Ca, pH and the cation-exchange capacity (CEC) were greater and total acids lower for herbaceous cover compared with woody perennials, and was attributed to a higher Ca demand by the latter. Highest and lowest values of Ca, CEC and pH occurred in plots where plant material was returned to the soil (i.e. by cutting or die-back) and in cropped plots, respectively. Natural regrowth was as effective or better than planted species in improving soil physical and chemical properties. Therefore the use of exotic plant species for ameliorating highly degraded alfisols is unnecessary. Amelioration of highly degraded alfisols may be best effected by allowing natural regrowth to occur while excluding all mechanized traffic from the site.