岩溶高原区农业地膜中邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯的释放及其对覆膜土壤的影响

随着邻苯二甲酸酯类(PAEs)增塑剂在塑料大棚、地膜覆盖栽培技术中的广泛应用,我国农业土壤中已普遍存在邻苯二甲酸二乙基己酯(DEHP)污染问题。针对我国中西部岩溶高原区农业土壤中存在的DEHP环境问题,本文选取云南岩溶高原区的红壤及烟草地膜作为研究对象,通过田间试验模拟覆膜土壤环境,并采用气相色谱-质谱分析法检测农膜、土壤介质中DEHP含量,定量研究了地膜中DEHP的释放及其在覆膜土壤中的浓度分布特征。结果表明:覆盖于原状土壤上的地膜,其DEHP释放量最大,均值为13.57mg/kg;覆盖于加生物抑制剂土壤上的地膜,其DEHP释放量略高于未覆土壤地膜,前者DEHP平均值为10.83mg/kg,后者为10.77mg/kg;地膜中DEHP的释放表现为缓慢释放和集中陡升两个释放段,总体释放量随时间的延长而增加。两组覆膜土壤中DEHP的检出浓度范围分别为0.17～3.74mg/kg(原状土)、0.34～4.29mg/kg(加生物抑制剂土壤),在国内外覆膜农田土壤PAEs类化合物检出浓度范围内;土壤中DEHP含量具有随时间呈先增后减的变化规律。相关性分析表明土壤中DEHP主要来自于地膜中DEHP的释放。研究认为在短周期内岩溶高原红壤不会出现DEHP的累积,合理安排农作物的覆膜种植可有效削减土壤的有机污染。     

Assessment of trace element contamination in soils around Chinnaeru River Basin, Nalgonda District, India

Concentrations of trace elements such as As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, Y, Zn and Zr were studied in soils to understand metal contamination due to agriculture and geogenic activities in Chinnaeru River Basin, Nalgonda District, India. This area is affected by the geogenic fluoride contamination. The contamination of the soils was assessed on the basis of geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor and degree of contamination. Forty-four soil samples were collected from the agricultural field from the study area from top 10–50 cm layer of soil. Soil samples were analyzed for trace elements using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Data revealed that soils in the study area are significantly contaminated, showing high level of toxic elements than normal distribution. The ranges of concentration of Ba (370–1,710 mg/kg), Cr (8.7–543 mg/kg), Cu (7.7–96.6 mg/kg), Ni (5.4–168 mg/kg), Rb (29.6–223 mg/kg), Sr (134–438 mg/kg), Zr (141.2–8,232 mg/kg) and Zn (29–478 mg/kg). The concentration of other elements was similar to the levels in the earth’s crust or pointed to metal depletion in the soil (EF < 1). The high EFs for some trace elements obtained in soil samples show that there is a considerable heavy metal pollution, which could be due to excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides used for agricultural or may be due to natural geogenic processes in the area. Comparative study has been made with other soil-polluted heavy metal areas and its mobility in soil and groundwater has been discussed. A contamination site poses significant environmental hazards for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are important sources of pollution and may result in ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial, groundwater and aquatic ecosystems.     

Occurrence of phthalate esters around the major plastic industrial area in southern Taiwan

The increasing usage and disposal of plastic products could cause the wide distribution of phthalate esters (PAEs) in various environmental media. In this study, six PAE compounds, namely dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, di-n-butyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate, were analyzed in various samples collected from the major plastic industrial area of southern Taiwan, including soil, fertilizer and plastic products, for the purposes of identifying of the possible sources of PAEs and assessing the related health risk. The results show that PAEs in soil samples was dominated by DEHP, with the total concentrations in the range of 0.7?±?0.5, 0.2?±?0.1, and 0.3?±?0.2 mg kg^?1 for soil samples from farmland, household back gardens and the roadside, respectively. Contents of PAEs in chemical fertilizer (ND—0 0.87 mg kg^?1) were higher than that in organic fertilizer (ND—0.08 mg kg^?1), and PAEs concentrations (ND—316 mg kg^?1) in plastic mulching films were much less than those in the other types of plastic products (ND—1719 mg kg^?1), implying that major sources of PAEs in agricultural soil could be the use of chemical fertilizer and plastic products other than plastic mulching films. Health risk assessment suggested that, via the exposure to PAEs in soil, the potential non-cancer and carcinogenic risks for adults and children are minimal in most cases, except that a “moderate” carcinogenic risk for children exposure to DEHP. The results of this study can serve as a reference for further pollution prevention and environmental protection plans in relation to the industrial operation and discharge as well as the farming practices.     

Geo-environmental study of heavy metals of the agricultural highway soils,NW Jordan

This study investigated the status and distribution patterns of selected heavy metals in roadside soils along Irbid-North Shooneh Highway, Jordan. This highway has experienced a growing number of vehicles that are likely to influence the levels of heavy metals in the surrounding agricultural lands. The average concentrations of Cr, Co, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni were 16.0, 36.0, 11.0, 4.0, 79.0, 122.0, and 60.0 mg/kg, respectively. Cd, Pb, and Co showed average levels that are higher than the average world soil background values. Elevated levels of heavy metals were measured in surface soil layer which decreased with depth, and with distance from the roadway. The contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), single ecological risk (Ei), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) generally indicated that the roadside soils are contaminated with Cd, Pb, and Ni. Heavy metals in soils are of geogenic and anthropogenic origins. Weathering of parent rocks in Wadi Al-Arab catchment is the primary natural source, whereas agrochemicals, vehicle exhausts, degradation of surface wear and paint of vehicles, vehicle wear debris of tire, and brake lining are the main anthropogenic sources of heavy metals.     

Levels and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in selected irrigated urban agricultural soils in Accra, Ghana

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous organic pollutants in urban environments including urban soils. Elevated concentrations of PAHs in urban soils are caused by incomplete combustion of petroleum and coal. This study assesses 16 individual PAH compounds in a total of 112 surficial soil samples. The objective was to assess and compare the levels of contamination as well as examine the main sources of PAHs in four urban agricultural soils using molecular ratios of some specific hydrocarbons. The study showed that PAH levels in soil ranged from 1.23 ng/kg in soil collected from Dzorwulu to 2.95 ng/kg in soil collected from Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (GBC) vegetable irrigation site. Of the total PAHs, the more water soluble PAHs (2–4 rings), which tend to be concentrated in the vapour phase were found to dominate the soils. The percentage dominance were Dzorwulu (52.8 %), Marine Drive (62.5 %), CSIR (53.2 %) and GBC (49.2 %). However, there were significant levels of the more carcinogenic PAHs (5–6 rings) present with percentages as 47.1, 37.5 46.8 and 50.8 % for Dzorwulu, Marine Drive, CSIR and GBC vegetable irrigation sites, respectively, and therefore, may impact negatively on public health. Based on the classification by the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Pulawy, Poland, urban soils in Accra could be classified as contaminated to different levels. Molecular ratios of Flu/pyr and PA/Ant were calculated to determine the main sources of PAHs. Results showed that PAHs could originate mainly from incomplete combustion of petroleum products, especially from atmospheric fallout from automobile exhausts. The study further showed that B(a)P concentration of 0.05 ng/kg in soil from GBC urban vegetable irrigation site requires immediate clean-up exercise and monitoring to mitigate human health impact.     

Biodegradation of phthalic acid esters in sewage sludge by composting with pig manure and rice straw

To comparatively study the biodegradation of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in sewage sludge by composting with pig manure or with rice straw, four composting modes were designed: Mode 1 (sewage sludge + pig manure + intermittent aeration), Mode 2 (sewage sludge + pig manure + continuous aeration), Mode 3 (sewage sludge + rice straw + intermittent aeration) and Mode 4 (sewage sludge + rice straw + continuous aeration). Physicochemical parameters of composts were measured according to standard methods and PAEs were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The biodegradation of each PAE was also discussed. The results showed that Mode 1 was the best mode to biodegrade PAEs, which might be related to the wide class of indigenous microbial communities in pig manure and high efficiency of intermittent ventilation for providing oxygen. During the biodegradation process, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was the most abundant and decisive for the removal of total PAEs. It showed a first-order kinetic degradation model. In conclusion, composting with pig manure could be suggested as an effective detoxification process for the removal of PAEs from sewage sludge, providing a safe end product.     

Comparison of different methods for assessing heavy metal contamination in street dust of Xianyang City, NW China

Street dust is one of the important indicators that reflect the status of urban environmental pollution. There are many studies of heavy metals contamination of street dust in capital cities; however, little attention has been paid to this kind of study in medium cities, including China. The dust samples were collected in the district of traffic crossroads in Xianyang city, Shaanxi Province. Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Mn concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results indicate that the concentrations of heavy metals are higher than the background values of soils in Shaanxi Province. The contamination level of heavy metals is assessed by potential ecological risk index (E _r), geoaccumulation index (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (Pi). The low I _geo, EF, E _r, Pi and PI_n (integrated pollution index) for Mn in street dusts indicate an absence of distinct Mn pollution. The high EF, Pi and PI_n of Cu and Zn indicate that there is considerable Cu and Zn pollution. It is suggested that more attention should be paid to heavy metals contamination of Cu and Zn. The assessment results of Pi and PI_n suggest that Pb, Ni and Cr present strong pollution; however, their EFs indicate that they cause moderate pollution and their I _geo indicates that they are unpolluted to moderately polluted. The contamination class value with different assessing methods is of the order: Pi ≈ PI_n > EF > I _geo > E _r.     

Heavy metals pollution in the soils of suburban areas in big cities: a case study

Soil pollution in agricultural areas surrounding big cities is a major environmental problem. Tabriz is the largest city in the northwest of Iran and the fourth largest city in the country. Soil samples were taken from 46 sites in the suburbs of the Tabriz city, and separate samples were taken from control site and analyzed. The results indicated that the mean pH value of the soil samples was 9.29, while the mean EC value was 354.33 μs/cm and the amount of TOC and TOM was 0.99 and 1.7 %, respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Zn in the soil were determined to be 1.61, 10.56, 101.25, 87.40, 38.73, and 98.27 mg/kg, respectively (dry weight). The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn), with the exception of Ni, were higher than the concentrations of the same heavy metals at the control site. Despite these elevated concentrations, the concentrations of heavy metals were lower than the toxicity threshold limit of agricultural soils. The values of the pollution index revealed that the metal pollution level was Pb > Cr > Cu > Zn > Cd > Ni, and the mean value of the integrated pollution index was determined to be 1.81, indicating moderate pollution. Nevertheless, there were some sites that were severely polluted by Cr (maximum values of 1,364 mg/kg). It was concluded that city probably has affected the surrounding agricultural area. Application of wastewater (municipal and industrial) as irrigation water, using of sludge as soil fertilizer, and atmospheric perceptions have been considered as main reasons of increased heavy metals concentrations found in the studied area.     

Environmental quality assessment and spatial pattern of potentially toxic elements in soils of Guangdong Province, China

The spatial distributions of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in surface soils of Guangdong Province, China, were investigated to evaluate the environmental quality of these potentially toxic elements using 261 samples. The following average concentrations were obtained: Cu, 17.4 mg/kg; Ni, 17.7 mg/kg; Cr, 56.7 mg/kg; Co, 6.8 mg/kg; Mn, 223.2 mg/kg; Pb, 36.6 mg/kg; Hg, 0.10 mg/kg; Cd, 0.09 mg/kg; Zn, 49.8 mg/kg. Correlation analysis was applied to the data matrix to evaluate the results and identify the possible sources of metals. Distribution maps of the elements were created using the inverse distance weighted interpolation method. The nine metals exhibited generally distinct geographical patterns. Results showed that 5,173 km² of the study area presented higher pollution indices and was slightly polluted.     

Assessment of As and Cd contamination in topsoils of Northern Ghorveh (Western Iran): role of parent material, land use and soil properties

The aim of this study was to investigate the influences of land use, parent materials (rock types) and soil properties on total arsenic and cadmium concentrations in the agricultural soils. A total of 87 surface (0–20 cm) soil samples were collected from four types of land use: irrigated farming, rangeland, dry farming and orchard. The average concentrations of the analyzed elements in topsoil were 84.426 mg As/kg and 3.289 mg Cd/kg. In addition, the pH, organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil grain sizes and CaCO₃ were measured for each sample. The results indicated that land use had no significant effect on As and Cd concentrations. Our findings indicated that the Cd concentrations were influenced by bedrock composition, but for As there were no significant differences between various soil parent materials (bedrocks). Soil pollution was assessed on the basis of pollution index (PI), comprehensive pollution index (P _n ) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo). Calculated indices showed high-pollution levels for As and low- to moderate-pollution levels for Cd.     

Metal contamination of agricultural soils in the copper mining areas of Singhbhum shear zone in India

The study was intended to investigate the heavy metal contamination in the agricultural soils of the copper mining areas in Singhbhum shear zone, India. The total concentrations of the metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICPMS). Pollution levels were assessed by calculating enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (\(I_\mathrm{geo}\)), contamination factors (CF), pollution load index (PLI), Nemerow index and ecological risk index (\(R_{I}\)). The metal concentrations in the soil samples exceeded the average shale values for almost all the metals. Principal component analysis resulted in extraction of three factors explaining 82.6% of the data variability and indicated anthropogenic contribution of Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Mn and Pb. The EF and \(I_\mathrm{geo}\) values indicated very high contamination with respect to Cu followed by As and Zn in the agricultural soils. The values of PLI, \(R_{I}\) and Nemerow index, which considered the overall effect of all the studied metals on the soils, revealed that 50% of the locations were highly polluted with respect to metals. The pollution levels varied with the proximity to the copper mining and processing units. Consequently, the results advocate the necessity of periodic monitoring of the agricultural soils of the area and development of proper management strategies to reduce the metal pollution.     

Impact of land use types on the concentrations of metals in soils of urban environment in Nigeria

The concentrations of metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) were determined in soils under different land use types in an urban environment in order to study the impact of land uses on the concentrations of metals in the soils. The mean concentration range of metals for all land use types were 42.1 to 410, 11.2 to 118.2, 4388.2 to 31891.1, 9.7 to 65.4, 0.1 to 1.8, 4.7 to 35.2, 2.0 to 16.8 and 77.9 to 881.7 mg/kg, for Mn, Pb, Fe, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni and Zn, respectively. The computed multiple pollution index (MPI) indicated that 67 % of the examined sites had MPI values between 1 and 20 i.e. at the pollution range, while 33 % of sites had MPI values of zero which indicated that these sites were not polluted with the studied metals. Zinc had the highest impact on the multiple pollution index values. Three main principal components were identified from the principal component analysis which include (i) Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni originating from both industrial and agricultural sources, and as well as automobile exhausts; (ii) Fe and Mn which originated from both natural and anthropogenic sources; (iii) Cd which its anthropogenic origin is different from components I and II. This study provided information on the sources of metals in the urban environment and extent of contamination associated with each land use, which are useful in the ranking of contaminated sites, environmental quality management, environmental forensic studies and guidance for remediation/redevelopment of contaminated land.     

广州地区蔬菜生产基地有机污染物含量状况及分布

为了解广州地区蔬菜基地有机污染物的分布情况,选取了6个代表性基地进行调查采样,测试分析了表层土壤、蔬菜及灌溉水中15种邻苯二甲酸酯(PAEs)化合物、16种多环芳烃(PAHs)化合物和19种有机氯农药(OCPs)化合物的质量分数及质量浓度.结果表明:在15种PAEs化合物的总质量分数(w(ΣPAEs))中,土壤样品为158.0~4 321.0 ng/g,蔬菜样品为1 134.0~48 576.0 ng/g;水样中15种PAEs化合物的总质量浓度(ρ(ΣPAEs))为632.0~14 271.0 ng/L;就单个化合物而言,以DiBP、DBP、DEHP三种污染物为主,其三项之和占所有PAEs质量分数的97.5%~99.1%;在16种PAHs化合物的总质量分数(w(ΣPAHs))中,土壤样品为28.48~1 121.96 ng/g,蔬菜样品为238.09~1 000.61 ng/g;水样中16种PAHs化合物的总质量浓度(ρ(ΣPAHs))为338.21~1 239.78 ng/L;在19种OCPs化合物的总质量分数(w(ΣOCPs))中,土壤为0.04~71.28 ng/g,蔬菜为1.08~9.18 ng/g.总体上看,各基地土壤中DBP质量分数均超标,多环芳烃类在灵山、花东、黄埔菜地土壤中存在轻微污染,有机氯农药均未出现污染.     

Interpretative matrices approach to ranking lake sub-basin pollution potential: an applied study in Brazil

In 2005 a Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii bloom occurred in the Rio Verde Lake Basin (Brazil). To address this concern, a field analysis was performed to measure physicochemical variables and flows in 14 sub-basins, between 2008 and 2009. Measurements of mean total P (0.039 mg/L ± 0.018 mean SD), mean total Kjeldahl N (0.260 mg/L ± 0.226 mean SD), and mean BOD (1.2 mg/L ± 0.4 mean SD) concentrations were low in most streams, while COD reached a high of 27.1 mg/L (±4.9 mean SD). One tributary was responsible for 85 % of TP load, 77.1 % of TKN load, 78 % of t-BOD load, and 79 % of t-COD load. These concentrations and loads were used to develop the pollution potential assessment matrix (2PAM), which considered three different perspectives: stream water quality, reservoir ecosystem equilibrium, and sub-basin management. Each factor (TP, TKN, BOD and COD) was weighted based on concentration, total load and unit-area load. Pollution potential differed depending on which perspective was considered. The matrix developed, 2PAM, provides a new way to analyze concentrations and loads, enabling basin managers to prioritize action plans according to desired use within the basin.     

Effects of sheet flow rate and slope gradient on sediment load

Sheet erosion is known as one of the most important forms of erosion, particularly in agricultural land. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of flow rate and slope gradient on runoff and sediment discharges in two different soils. Experiments were conducted using a tilting flume facility with the test area of 0.2?×?1.0 m. Overall, 24 experiments on two soils (clay loam and sandy clay loam textures) including six flow rates (75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and 200 ml/s) and two slope gradients (1.5 and 2 %) were performed. The selected flow rates and flume slopes were generated to simulate sheet erosion. The results showed that for both soils and slopes, unit flow discharge (q) and sediment concentration increased with increasing flow rate; however, the effect of slope gradient on flow discharge depends on soil type. In addition, sandy clay loam exhibited higher values of q and sediment concentration and consequently, it showed greater amounts of sediment load. At the start of event, sediment concentration was high but it decreased to approach a steady state. In addition, the time needed to reach a steady state condition was shorter for sandy clay loam than that for clay loam soil and in lower flow rates than higher flow rates. For each soil and slope, there was a direct relationship between sediment load and flow rate. The result implied that the effect of slope gradient on sediment load was almost greater in sandy clay loam soil than clay loam soil. Moreover, the differences between sediment loads of two soils are enlarged at slope 2 %.     

The effects of agricultural practice and land-use on the distribution and origin of some potentially toxic metals in the soils of Golestan province, Iran

Soil samples were collected from the agricultural lands of Golestan province, north of Iran and analyzed for 24 elements including eight toxic metals of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Se and Zn. Electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter, soil texture, calcium carbonate content as well as soil cation exchange capacity were also determined. The possible sources of metals are identified with multivariate analysis such as correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. In addition, enrichment factors were used to quantitatively evaluate the influences of agricultural practice on metal loads to the surface soils. The PCA and cluster analysis studies revealed that natural geochemical background are the main source of most elements including Al, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in the arable soils of the province (more than 90 %), however, those soils which have been developed on the mafic and metamorphic rocks were considerably contributed on metal concentration (43 %). Calcium and Sr were constituents of calcareous rocks and Na and S were mainly controlled by saline soils in the north of the province. Loess deposits was also accounting for high levels of selenium concentration. Phosphorous was mostly related to application of P-fertilizers and organophosphate pesticides. The comparison of metal load and enrichment factor for dry and irrigated farmlands showed that Cd, Co, Pb, Se and Zn had higher concentrations in the irrigated lands where considerable amounts of agrochemicals had been applied. However, it also found that proximity of arable lands to urban and industrial areas resulted in higher Pb and Cd values in the irrigated agricultural sources relative to dry ones.     

The use of multivariate statistical analysis of geochemical data for assessing the spatial distribution of soil contamination by potentially toxic elements in the Aljustrel mining area (Iberian Pyrite Belt,Portugal)

Aljustrel mine is located in SW Portugal, in the western sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The Aljustrel village was developed around the exploitations of massive polymetallic sulphides that occur in the area (4 orebodies mined, 2 in exploration phase). The pyrite ore was extensively exploited from 1850 to 1993, when production was discontinued. A mining restart occurred in 2008, only during a few months. The objectives of the study were to assess the levels of soil contamination, to determine associations between the different chemical elements and their spatial distribution, as well as to identify possible sources of contamination that can explain the spatial patterns of soil pollution in the area. Principal component analysis combined with spatial interpretation successfully grouped the elements according to their sources and provided evidence about their geogenic or anthropogenic origin. From this study, it is possible to conclude that soils around Algares/Feitais tailing deposits, Estéreis and Águas Claras mine dams and S. João mine show severe contamination. The highest concentrations of As (up to 3,936 mg kg^?1) and certain heavy metals (up to 321.7 mg kg^?1 for Bi, 5,414 mg kg^?1 for Cu, 20,000 mg kg^?1 for Pb, 980.6 mg kg^?1 for Sb, and 22 mg kg^?1 Cd) were obtained near Algares area while the highest concentration of Cd (up to 61.6 mg kg^?1) and Zn (up to 20,000 mg kg^?1) were registered in samples collected in the S. João area. The highest pollution load index (>4.0) was recorded at the Algares area where the metal concentrations exceed typical soil background levels by as much as two orders of magnitude.     

Assessment of soil geochemistry around some selected agricultural sites of Sri Lanka

Farming is the major source of income for the villagers of North-central Sri Lanka. However, chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology is a major health hazard in the area and it is assumed that agricultural contaminants are the major causative agents. This study focuses on the geochemistry of soils in the area to determine possible natural and anthropogenic impacts of the problem. X-ray fluorescence analysis was used to determine the abundance of selected major and trace elements. Results show that geo-enrichment for many elements indicates slight to significant variations between agricultural and non-agricultural soils. Geoaccumulation index (I _geo) shows higher pollution levels of Pb and V (2 < I _geo < 3) and very lower pollution levels of As, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn (1 < I _geo < 2) in agricultural soils. However, I _geo for non-agricultural soils implies lack of contaminations (I _geo < 1). Positive correlations of As with Pb and Zn and negative correlations with Cu, Ni and Cr suggest that they may have derived from different sources such as sulfide minerals of basement rocks, fertilizers and agrochemicals. The results of this study suggest that there is no significant threat from As and other trace elements to soils. The accumulation of these elements in agricultural fields may have been effectively controlled by seasonal farming practices. However, there is a potential environmental risk from elements such as Pb and V due to their significant enrichment in soils.     

Distribution and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of different tropical water ecosystems in Niger Delta,Nigeria

Sediments are considered as suitable matrices to study the contamination levels of aquatic environment since they represent a sink for multiple contaminant sources. In this study, the influence of sediment characteristics on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and its potential risk in euryhaline, freshwater and humic aquatic bodies of Douglas/Stubbs creek, Ikpa River and Eniong River, respectively, were investigated. The level of PAHs in sediment was quantified using GC–MS, while sediment properties including total organic carbon (TOC) content and grain size were determined by the wet oxidation and hydrometer methods, respectively. The results revealed that the total levels of PAHs in sediment varied significantly between the euryhaline, freshwater and humic freshwater ecosystems. In Ikpa River freshwater ecosystem, a total PAHs load of 1055.2 ng/g was recorded with the suites concentration ranging from 13.0 ng/g (for acenaphthylene) to 161 ng/g (for pyrene). The humic ecosystem of Eniong River had a total PAH load of 11.06 ng/g, while the suites level recorded ranged from 0.04 ng/g for acenaphthene to 2.65 ng/g for chrysene. The total level of PAHs detected in the euryhaline Douglas/Stubbs creek was 14.47 ng/g, and suite concentrations varied between 4.27 ng/g for naphthalene and 5.13 ng/g for acenaphthylene. This shows variation in quantity and quality of PAH contaminants with the nature of ecosystems. It implies complex and diverse contamination sources as well as different capabilities to recover from PAH contamination. Correlation analysis has shown that sediment particle and TOC content influenced PAHs burden in bottom sediments, but the effects varied with the molecular weight of PAHs and the nature of the ecosystems. The TOC was the most significant determinant of PAHs load and distribution in sediment of the freshwater Ikpa River and euryhaline Douglas/Stubbs but had little or no influence in the humic sediment of Eniong River, while the influence of particle size was generally indefinite but slightly associated with PAHs accumulation in the euryhaline sediment. Generally, the total PAH levels (11.0–1055.2 ng/g) recorded were low and below the allowable limit for aquatic sediments. The ecological risk assessment revealed that these levels were lower than the effects range low and effects range medium values. This indicates no acute adverse biological effect although the accumulation of PAHs in freshwater ecosystem of Ikpa River may pose ecological risks as most of the carcinogenic PAH suites had relatively high pollution indices compared to other ecosystem types studied.     

Multivariate statistical approach to identify heavy metal sources in agricultural soil around an abandoned Pb–Zn mine in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

A study of agricultural lands around an abandoned Pb–Zn mine in a karst region was undertaken to (1) assess the distribution of heavy metals in the agricultural environment, in both dry land and paddy field; (2) discriminate between natural and anthropogenic contributions; and (3) identify possible sources of any pollution discovered. Ninety-two samples of cultivated soils were collected around the mine and analyzed for eight heavy metals, pH, fluoride (F^?), cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and grain size. The eight heavy metals included Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg. The average concentrations (mg/kg) obtained were as follows: Cd 16.76 ± 24.49, Cr 151.5 ± 18.24, Cu 54.28 ± 18.99, Ni 57.5 ± 14.43, Pb 2,576.2 ± 1,096, Zn 548.7 ± 4,112, As 29.1 ± 6.36, and Hg 1.586 ± 1.46. In a site where no impact from mining activities was detected, the mean and median of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, and Hg concentrations in investigated topsoils were higher than the mean and median of heavy metal concentrations in reference soils. An ensemble of basic and multivariate statistical analyses was performed to reduce the multidimensional space of variables and samples. Two main sets of heavy metals were revealed as indicators of natural and anthropogenic influences. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) and categorical PCA demonstrated that Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg are indicators of anthropogenic pollution, whereas Cr, As and Ni concentrations are mainly associated with natural sources in the environment. The contamination from Pb–Zn mining operations, coupled with the special karst environment, was a key contributing factor to the spatial distribution of the eight heavy metals in the surrounding soil. The values of heavy metals in the soil samples suggested the necessity of conducting a rigorous assessment of the health and environmental risks posed by these residues and taking suitable remedial action as necessary.