Influence of Particle Morphology on the Hydraulic Behavior of Coal Ash and Sand

Flexible-wall hydraulic conductivity tests were carried out on bottom ash, fly ash and compacted specimens of sand with additions of 0, 3, 6, 9 and 18% of bentonite. In order to study the effect of bentonite inclusion and particle morphology on the hydraulic conductivity of the admixtures, an investigation was undertaken based on thin section micrographs. It was found that, for both bottom and fly ash admixtures, bentonite addition reduced only one order of magnitude the hydraulic conductivity, from 1.78 × 10⁻⁶ m/s to 1.39 × 10⁻⁷ m/s. On the other hand, the sand hydraulic conductivity was reduced five orders of magnitude, from 3.17 × 10⁻⁵ m/s to 5.15 × 10⁻¹⁰ m/s. Among several factors that can be responsible for the difficulty in reducing hydraulic conductivity, such as ash grain size distribution and elevated cation concentration (leached from the ash) in pore water, it can also be recalled the high particle voids observed in the ash by means of microscopic analysis. The same is not true with the sand, which has solid particles, without inner voids.     

Characterization of the physical and hydraulic properties of the sediment in karst aquifers of the Springfield Plateau,Central Missouri,USA

Physical and hydraulic properties of sediment from two karst aquifers were measured to determine (1) the similarity of sediment between karst aquifer systems and (2) the importance of sediment in modeling flow through karst aquifers. The sediment from the two systems was similar in size and composition. Within both aquifers, the silt-sized sediment was composed primarily of quartz, with minor amounts of plagioclase and clays. Hydraulic conductivity of the sediment measured directly (falling-head test) ranged from 1.61×10⁻⁷ to 1.33×10⁻⁶ m s^–1 and estimated using the Campbell equation ranged from 8.30×10⁻⁸ to 8.98×10⁻⁷ m s^–1. These values of hydraulic conductivity fall within the span of hydraulic conductivities for carbonate rocks, indicating that the sediment and carbonate matrix could be represented as one mathematical unit in modeling flow through karst aquifers. Statistical agreement in the hydraulic conductivity values generated by the two methods indicates that the estimation technique could be used to calculate hydraulic conductivities; thus allowing karst scientist to collect bulk sediment samples instead of having to collect cores from within karst aquifers. Electronic Publication     

Assessment of Some Hydraulic Properties of Slime Slurries from Sand Mining Pits Using a Modified Triaxial Cell

The generation of massive volume of slimes from sand mining industry ascertains the need for effective waste treatment. The application of slimes in landfill barrier construction works has been identified as one of the processes that can be used to reduce their volume, enabling in this way the rehabilitation of dangerous sites. This article presents a modified triaxial cell specially built to investigate high water content soils and discusses the results obtained from the investigation of the hydraulic properties of two slimes. The results of laboratory filter cake tests show that the slimes have reasonably good sealing capacities due to the formation of a cake layer on other porous materials upon draining. A relatively low hydraulic conductivity (1.5–3 × 10⁻⁹ m/s) was achieved, once the cake layer was formed. This is close to the prescribed 1 × 10⁻⁹ m/s required by the local environmental governmental authority for a landfill hydraulic barrier material, indicating their potential suitability as landfill barrier.     

污泥屏障渗透性及重金属阻截效果试验研究

目前,废弃物处置场渗滤液中的重金属污染物只能依靠极低渗透性的水力屏障来控制,还不存在利用化学场专门拦截重金属污染物的反应型屏障。在有机结合生活污泥的低渗透性与丰富的有机质和厌氧微生物特性的基础上,提出“污泥屏障”的构想。研究利用柔性壁渗透仪测量不同有效应力作用下生活污泥试样的渗透系数,并对渗出液的化学性质进行了监测,验证污泥屏障的可行性。试验结果表明：随着有效应力的增大,污泥试样干密度提高,渗透系数的对数值随孔隙比的减小线性降低。试样内部微生物厌氧呼吸形成的生物膜和无机物沉淀以及黏土颗粒双电层厚度的增大,也是污泥渗透系数降低的原因,污泥渗透系数仅为 数量级。另外,污泥强烈吸附能力及厌氧微生物呼吸作用形成的中-弱碱性还原环境,对渗透液中的Zn和Cd都起到了很好的拦截作用。     

Magnetic properties and heavy metal content of sanitary leachate sludge in two landfill sites near Bandung,Indonesia

Magnetic properties and heavy metal content of landfill leachate sludge samples from two municipal solid waste disposal sites near Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, and their correlation with heavy metals are studied in the present work. Leachate was found to be sufficiently magnetic with mass-specific magnetic susceptibility that varies from 64.8 to 349.0 × 10⁻⁸ m³ kg⁻¹. It is, however, less magnetic than the soils around the landfill sites. The magnetic minerals are predominantly pseudo-single domain and multidomain magnetite. Leachate samples from the older but inactive disposal site, Jelekong, are found to be more magnetic than that from Sarimukti, the younger and active site. The enhancement of leachate due to the soil-derived ferrimagnetic particles is possibly the same for both Sarimukti and Jelekong. The fact that strong correlation between magnetic parameters and heavy metals is observed in Jelekong but is absent in Sarimukti suggests that the use of magnetic measurement as a proxy measurement for heavy metal content in leachate is plausible provided that the magnetic susceptibility exceeds certain threshold value. Moreover, the accumulation of magnetic minerals and heavy metals in leachate might depend on the activity and the age of landfill site.     

Spatial and Temporal Variation of a Cyclonic Eddy Detected Downstream of the Tsushima Islands in November 2007

Horizontal, vertical and temporal distribution of a cyclonic (counterclockwise) eddy, where biological productivity is high, downstream of the Tsushima Islands in the eastern channel of the Tsushima Straits in November 2007 was revealed using conductivity–temperature–depth and acoustic Doppler current profiler data. The eddy had a horizontal scale of approximately 40–60 km, and the accompanying baroclinic current was more than 15 cm s⁻¹ at the edge of the eddy. The island-induced cyclonic eddy moved east-northeastward at about 10 km day⁻¹ (∼10 cm s⁻¹) along the Tsushima Warm Current and was intensified by the barotropic instability in the current shear. The cyclonic eddy with high surface chlorophyll a concentrations intensified in the vicinity of the Tsushima Islands and was advected by the Tsushima Warm Current towards the southwestern Japan Sea.     

Characterization of hydrogeologic properties for a multi-layered alluvial aquifer using hydraulic and tracer tests and electrical resistivity survey

A multi-layered aquifer, typical of riverbank alluvial deposits in Korea, was studied to determine the hydrologic properties. The geologic logging showed that the subsurface of the study site was comprised of four distinctive hydrogeologic units: silt, sand, highly weathered and fresh bedrock layers. The electrical resistivity survey supplied information on lateral extension of hydrogeologic strata only partially identified by a limited number of the geologic loggings. The laboratory column tracer test for the recovered core of the sand layer resulted in a hydraulic conductivity of 5.00×10⁻² cm/s. The slug tests performed in the weathered rock layer yielded hydraulic conductivities of 4.32–7.72×10⁻⁴ cm/s. Hydraulic conductivities for the sand layer calculated from the breakthrough curves of bromide ranged between 2.08×10⁻³ and 2.44×10⁻² cm/s with a geometric mean of 6.89×10⁻³ cm/s, which is 7 times smaller than that from the laboratory column experiment. The trend of increasing hydraulic conductivity with an increase in tracer travel length is likely a result of the increased likelihood of encountering a high conductivity zone as more of the aquifer is tested. The combined hydrogeologic site characterization using hydraulic tests, tracer tests, and column test with geologic loggings and geophysical survey greatly enhanced the understanding of the hydrologic properties of the multi-layered alluvial aquifer.     

Contribution of a sewage sludge application to the short-term carbon sequestration across a wide range of agricultural soils

The atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) have increased dramatically since the industrial revolution. The atmospheric enrichment with CO₂ and other GHGs has resulted in multiple negative consequences: such as the increase in the average temperature and the rise of the sea level. Hence, there is a growing interest in developing feasible methods to reduce the atmospheric levels of these gases. One of these strategies is to enhance C sequestration through the increase of soil organic carbon (SOC) pool by the amendment of agricultural soils with sewage sludge. However, there is considerable uncertainty about the effects (positive or negative) of sewage sludge applications on the SOC pool. Thus, a simple approach developed under laboratory conditions is presented to discern the effect of a single sewage sludge application of 50 t ha⁻¹ on the short-term SOC pool in 60 contrasting agricultural soils. The role of soil factors in the C sequestration of the recently added carbon was also studied. The application of sewage sludge supposed a mean increase of 1.7 ± 1.6 g SOC kg⁻¹, with peak increases of up to 3.8 g SOC kg⁻¹ and decreases of up to 4.6 g SOC kg⁻¹. The initial SOC contents conditioned the C sequestration after sewage sludge application, and no other soil property was related.     

The relationship between hydrodynamic properties and weathering of soils derived from volcanic rocks,Galapagos Islands (Ecuador)

The aim of this interdisciplinary study is to examine a component of the hydrological cycle in Galapagos by characterizing soil properties. Nine soil profiles were sampled on two islands. Their physical and hydrodynamic properties were analyzed, along with their mineralogical composition. Two groups of soils were identified, with major differences between them. The first group consists of soils located in the highlands (>350 m a.s.l.), characterized by low hydraulic conductivity (<10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹) and low porosity (<25%). These soils are thick (several meters) and homogeneous without coarse components. Their clay fraction is considerable and dominated by gibbsite. The second group includes soils located in the low parts of the islands (<300 m a.s.l.). These soils are characterized by high hydraulic conductivity (>10⁻³ m s⁻¹) and high porosity (>35%). The structure of these soils is heterogeneous and includes coarse materials. The physical properties of the soils are in good agreement with the variations of the rainfall according to the elevation, which appears as the main factor controlling the soil development. The clayey alteration products constrain soils physical and hydrodynamic properties by reducing the porosity and consequently the permeability and also by increasing water retention.     

Distribution and enrichment of trace metals in marine sediments of Bay of Bengal,off Ennore,south-east coast of India

In order to avoid the pollution of trace metals in marine environment, it is necessary to establish the data and understand the mechanisms influencing the distribution of trace metals in marine environment. The concentration of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co and Cd) were studied in sediments of Ennore shelf, to understand the metal contamination due to heavily industrialized area of Ennore, south-east coast of India. Concentration of metals shows significant variability and range from 1.7 to 3.7% for Fe, 284–460 μg g⁻¹ for Mn, 148.6–243.2 μg g⁻¹ for Cr, 385–657 μg g⁻¹ for Cu, 19.8–53.4 μg g⁻¹ for Ni, 5.8–11.8 μg g⁻¹ for Co, 24.9–40 μg g⁻¹ for Pb, 71.3–201 μg g⁻¹ for Zn and 4.6–7.5 μg g⁻¹ for Cd. For various metals the contamination factor (CF) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo) has been calculated to assess the degree of pollution in sediments. The geoaccumulation index shows that Cd, Cr and Cu moderately to extremely pollute the sediments. This study shows that the major sources of metal contamination in the Ennore shelf are land-based anthropogenic ones, such as discharge of industrial wastewater, municipal sewage and run-off through the Ennore estuary. The intermetallic relationship revealed the identical behavior of metals during its transport in the marine environment.     

Hydraulic properties of the crystalline basement

Hydraulic tests in boreholes, up to 4.5 km deep, drilled into continental crystalline basement revealed hydraulic conductivity (K) values that range over nine log-units from 10⁻¹³−10⁻⁴ m s⁻¹. However, K values for fractured basement to about 1 km depth are typically restricted to the range from 10⁻⁸ to 10⁻⁶ m s⁻¹. New data from an extended injection test at the KTB research site (part of the Continental Deep Drilling Program in Germany) at 4 km depth provide K=5 10⁻⁸ m s⁻¹. The summarized K-data show a very strong dependence on lithology and on the local deformation history of a particular area. In highly fractured regions, granite tends to be more pervious than gneiss. The fracture porosity is generally saturated with Na–Cl or Ca–Na–Cl type waters with salinities ranging from <1 to >100 g L⁻¹. The basement permeability is well within the conditions for advective fluid and heat transport. Consequently, fluid pressure is hydrostatic and a Darcy flow mechanism is possible to a great depth. Topography-related hydraulic gradients in moderately conductive basement may result in characteristic advective flow rates of up to 100 L a⁻¹ m⁻² and lead to significant advective heat and solute transfer in the upper brittle crust. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Sedimentary geochemical record of historical anthropogenic activities affecting Guanabara Bay (Brazil) environmental quality

A sediment core from Guanabara Bay (Brazil) was analyzed for ²¹⁰Pb dating, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen, carbon stable isotope ratio (δ¹³C), nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ¹⁵N) and the metals Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Pb, V and Zn, to assess the influence of land use changes on the aquatic system in a region for which large industrial and urban development is expected in the next few decades. To obtain baseline data for improving the monitoring of the expected increase in anthropogenic impacts from surrounding drainage basins, a multivariate analysis of data from different sediment layers was carried out to evaluate the dated sediment record. The geochemical data suggested three different sedimentary phases along the last 200 years. Before the 1880s, the highest clay and TOC contents were observed, where the C/N ratios and the δ¹³C values suggested a mixture of algal and terrestrial organic matter and the lowest concentrations of Co, Cu, Pb, V and Zn, for which background levels were estimated (4.6, 2.7, 14.9, 24.3 and 70.2 mg kg⁻¹, respectively). From the 1880s to the 1950s, the metal concentrations and sand particles increased, but no change in organic matter quality was observed, reflecting a period of land use change, still without significant sewage input. After the 1950s, the sedimentation rate increased from 0.42 to 0.77 cm year⁻¹ and increasing urban sewage input was evidenced by lower C/N ratios, higher δ¹⁵N, decrease of Fe and Mn concentrations and increased fluxes of metals and TOC, which showed a good relationship with population growth data.     

Heavy metals pollution in the soil of an irregular urban settlement built on a former dumpsite in the city of Tijuana, Mexico

The aim of this study was to evaluate soil pollution by heavy metals in an irregular settlement built on a dumpsite. The soil samples were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Ni. None of the concentrations found for the heavy metals analyzed were higher than the established Mexican official standards for contaminated soils. The mean concentrations found for the analyzed metals were as follows: 1.4 mg kg⁻¹ for Cd, 4.7 in mg kg⁻¹ for Cr, 304 mg kg⁻¹ for Cu, 74 mg kg⁻¹ for Pb and 6 mg kg⁻¹ for Ni. The results of the geoacummulation index values show that the site was very polluted with Cu and Pb (class 7), polluted to strongly polluted with Ni (class 4); moderately polluted to polluted with Cd (class 3), and moderately polluted with Cr (class 1). The correlation analysis shows a high correlation between Pb and Cu (r ² = 0.98), which would be explained if the main source of the polluting heavy metals was the result of electrical wire burning to recover Copper. Principal component analysis shows three principal components. The first main component (PC1) encompasses Cr, Cd, Pb and Cu. These heavy metals most likely have their origins from the open burning of municipal solid waste, tires and wire. The other two components are encompassed by Cr (PC2) and Ni (PC3). The sources of these pollutants are more likely related to the corrosion of junk metal objects and automobile use.     

Geotechnical properties of municipal sewage sludge

The geotechnical properties of municipal sewage sludge, in particular those pertinent to the handling and landfilling of the material, are presented. Index, drying, compaction, shear strength and consolidation tests were conducted on the material at different states of biodegradation. The organic content and specific gravity of solids were found to be inversely related, with typical organic contents of 50–70% and specific gravity of solids values of 1.55–1.80. The density of the compacted material was low in comparison with mineral soils. Standard Proctor compaction yielded a maximum dry density of 0.56 tonne/m³ at 85% water content. Laboratory vane-shear and triaxial compression tests indicated that, below about 180% water content, the shear strength of the sludge material increased exponentially with reducing water content. Consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests on the pasteurised sludge material indicated an effective angle of shearing resistance of 32° for the moderately degraded material and 37° for the strongly degraded material. Biogas was produced at rates of up to 0.33 L/day/kg slurry due to ongoing biodegradation and the resulting pore pressure response must be taken into account in any stress analysis. Consolidation tests using the hydraulic consolidation cell, oedometer and triaxial apparatus indicated that the sludge material was highly compressible although practically impermeable, for example the coefficient of permeability for the moderately degraded slurry was of the order of 10⁻⁹m/s. However, creep deformation was significant with typical coefficient of secondary compression values of 0.02–0.08 for the compacted material. A more free-draining material was produced at higher states of biodegradation.     

Magnetic enhancement of urban roadside soils as a proxy of degree of pollution by traffic-related activities

Detailed magnetic and geochemical measurements were performed on urban roadside soils collected from Lishui city, China, to establish a possible link between the enhanced concentration of traffic-related magnetic particles and heavy metals. Relatively higher magnetic susceptibility (mean: 124.1 × 10⁻⁸ m³ kg⁻¹) and concentrations of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) were observed for roadside soils. Concentration-dependent magnetic parameters (χ and SIRM) are highly significantly positively correlated to the concentration of metals (Ca, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Fe, and V), but not significantly correlated with As, Mn, Co, Mg, and K. The principal component analysis showed that χ and SIRM significantly correspond to elements Ca, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The χ and SIRM also have significant linear correlation with integrated pollution index, indicating that χ and SIRM can be used as effective proxy indicators for the pollution of heavy metals. Magnetite in the pseudo-single-domain/multidomain (PSD/MD) grain size was identified as the dominant magnetic carrier by temperature-dependent measurements of saturation magnetization (Ms–T curve), XRD and hysteresis loops. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the magnetic particles revealed the presence of large traffic-related angular-subangular, blocky, and spherical iron oxide particles. These iron oxide particles are typical for particles produced by traffic-related anthropogenic activities. It is concluded that vehicle emissions may be the major source of elevated heavy metals and magnetic particles in roadside soils. The results proved the applicability of magnetic method in detecting roadside pollution derived from vehicle emissions.     

Laboratory study of calcite–gypsum sludge–water interactions in a flooded tailings impoundment at the Kristineberg Zn–Cu mine,northern Sweden

Due to liming of acid mine drainage, a calcite–gypsum sludge with high concentrations of Zn (24,400 ± 6900 μg g⁻¹), Cu (2840 ± 680 μg g⁻¹) and Cd (59 ± 20 μg g⁻¹) has formed in a flooded tailings impoundment at the Kristineberg mine site. The potential metal release from the sludge during resuspension events and in a long-term perspective was investigated by performing a shake flask test and sequential extraction of the sludge. The sequentially extracted carbonate and oxide fractions together contained ⩾97% of the total amount of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the sludge. The association of these metals with carbonates and oxides appears to result from sorption and/or coprecipitation reactions at the surfaces of calcite and Fe, Al and Mn oxyhydroxides forming in the impoundment. If stream water is diverted into the flooded impoundment, dissolution of calcite, gypsum and presumably also Al oxyhydroxides can be expected during resuspension events. In the shake flask test (performed at a pH of 7–9), remobilisation of Zn, Cu, Cd and Co from the sludge resulted in dissolved concentrations of these metals that were significantly lower than those predicted to result from dissolution of the carbonate fraction of the sludge. This may suggest that cationic Zn, Cu, Cd and Co remobilised from dissolving calcite, gypsum and Al oxyhydroxides were readsorbed onto Fe oxyhydroxides remaining stable under oxic conditions. In a long-term perspective (≳10² a), ⩾97% of the Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn content of the sludge potentially is available for release by dissolution of calcite and reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides if the sludge is subject to a soil environment with lower dissolved Ca concentrations, pH and redox than in the impoundment.     

Lead accumulation and phytostabilization potential of dominant plant species growing in a lead–zinc mine tailing

Screening out plants that are hyper-tolerant to certain heavy metals plays a fundamental role in remediation of mine tailing. In this study, nine dominant plant species growing on lead–zinc mine tailing and their corresponding non-mining ecotypes were investigated for their potential phytostabilization of lead. Lead concentration in roots of these plants was higher than in shoots, and the highest concentrations of lead were found in Athyrium wardii: 15542 and 10720 mg kg⁻¹ in the early growth stage (May) and vigorous growth stage (August) respectively, which were 426 and 455 times higher than those of the non-mining ecotypes. Because of poor lead translocation ability, lead accumulation in roots reached as high as 42 mg per plant. Available lead in the rhizosphere soils of A. wardii was 310 mg kg⁻¹, which was 17 times higher than that of the non-rhizosphere soil. Lead concentrations of roots for the nine mining ecotypes were positively correlated with available lead in the rhizosphere soils, whereas a negative correlation was observed in the non-mining ecotypes. These results suggest that A. wardii was the most promising candidate among the tested species for lead accumulation in roots, and it could be used for phytostabilization in lead polluted soils.     

Contamination and potential mobility assessment of heavy metals in urban soils of Hangzhou,China: relationship with different land uses

Concentration and distribution of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in urban soils of Hangzhou, China, were measured based on different land uses. The contamination degree of heavy metals was assessed on the basis of pollution index (PI), integrated pollution index (IPI) and geoaccumulation index (I _geo). The 0.1 mol l⁻¹ HCl extraction procedure and gastric juice simulation test (GJST) were used to evaluate the potential mobility and environmental risk of heavy metals in urban soils. The average concentration of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in urban soils was measured at 1.2 (with a range of 0.7–4.6), 52.0 (7.4–177.3), 88.2 (15.0–492.1) and 206.9 (19.3–1,249.2) mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The degree of contamination increased in the order of industrial area (IA) > roadside (RS) > residential and commercial areas (RC) > public park and green areas (PG). The PIs for heavy metals indicated that there is a considerable Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn pollution, which originate from traffic and industrial activities. The IPI of these four metals ranged from 1.6 to 11.8 with a mean of 3.5, with the highest IPI in the industrial area. The assessment results of I _geo also supported that urban soil were moderately contaminated with Cd and to a lesser extent also with Cu, Pb and Zn. The IP and I _geo values reveal the pollution degree of heavy metal was the order of Cd > Pb > Zn ≈ Cu. It was shown that mobility and bioavailability of the heavy metals in urban soils increased in the order of Cd > Cu > Zn ≈ Pb. Owing to high mobility of Cd and Cu in the urban soils, further investigations are needed to understand their effect on the urban environment and human health. It is concluded that industrial activities and emissions from vehicles may be the major source of heavy metals in urban contamination. Results of this study present a rough guide about the distribution and potential environmental and health risk of heavy metals in the urban soils.     

Concentration and spatial variability of mercury and other heavy metals in surface soil samples of periurban waste mine tailing along a transect in the Almadén mining district (Spain)

Mercury (Hg) is one of the elements with increasing environmental significance. A total of 22 samples (soils, rocks and gels) were collected along a 6 km transect around the Valdeazogues River valley in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Almadén, Spain). Samples were characterized by different soil types of depositional sequences associated with mining tailings, type and system tracts: 15 surface soil samples included in the transect; 3 of a Haploxerept soil profile developed on slates; 2 of quartzite and slates rocks (reference rocks in the area). Moreover, two of a gel substance (in the lower tract of the river). Soil samples were analyzed for Hg, Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Pb, Cd and As, as well as for organic matter, pH abrasion and calcium carbonate content. All samples were collected from the Almadén mining district. The level of occurrence of the elements (especially Hg) and the effect of some properties on its concentration distributions were investigated. The total mercury contents varied in the range 7,315–3.44 mg kg⁻¹. The mean concentration of total mercury in soils and rocks was 477.03 mg kg⁻¹dry mass. This value is very high compared to the regional background value of other areas. Only rarely is it higher than 1%: in one sample (7,315 mg kg⁻¹) it was almost eight times in comparison with the affected zones, with a high value of 1,000 mg kg⁻¹. Significant differences between samples were found in the total content of mercury. A large percentage of the samples registered detectable levels of V, Cr, Ni, Pb, As and Cu. Cd readings were below the detectable range for all samples tested. Cr mean concentration was 216.95 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun concentration 86, maximun 358); V mean concentration was 119.09 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun concentration 69, maximun 1,209); As mean concentration was 51.24 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun 13.3 and maximun 319.4); Ni mean concentration was 45.64 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun concentration 21.2 and maximun 125.6); Cu mean concentration was 33.25 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun concentration 19.3 and maximun 135); Pb mean concentration was 15.19 mg kg⁻¹ (minimun 1.12 and maximun 1013). Metal distribution generally showed spatial variability ascribed to significant anthropogenic perturbation by mining tailing type. Hg showed vertical profile characterized by surface enrichment, with concentrations in the upper layer (93.7–82.2 mg kg⁻¹ in front of 3.4 of the rock value) exceeding, in several occasions, the background value. The results obtained denote a potential toxicity of some heavy metals in some of the studied samples. Water-soluble mercury could enter the aquatic system and accumulate in sediments. Mercury and other heavy metals contamination depended on the duration and intensity of mining activities.     

Changes in soil quality indicators under long-term sewage irrigation in a sub-tropical environment

Though irrigation with sewage water has potential benefits of meeting the water requirements, the sewage irrigation may mess up to harm the soil health. To assess the potential impacts of long-term sewage irrigation on soil health and to identify sensitive soil indicators, soil samples were collected from crop fields that have been irrigated with sewage water for more than 20 years. An adjacent rain-fed Leucaena leucocephala plantation system was used as a reference to compare the impact of sewage irrigation on soil qualities. Soils were analyzed for different physical, chemical, biological and biochemical parameters. Results have shown that use of sewage for irrigation improved the clay content to 18–22.7%, organic carbon to 0.51–0.86% and fertility status of soils. Build up in total N was up to 2,713 kg ha⁻¹, available N (397 kg ha⁻¹), available P (128 kg ha⁻¹), available K (524 kg ha⁻¹) and available S (65.5 kg ha⁻¹) in the surface (0.15 m) soil. Long-term sewage irrigation has also resulted a significant build-up of DTPA extractable Zn (314%), Cu (102%), Fe (715%), Mn (197.2), Cd (203%), Ni (1358%) and Pb (15.2%) when compared with the adjacent rain-fed reference soil. Soils irrigated with sewage exhibited a significant decrease in microbial biomass carbon (−78.2%), soil respiration (−82.3%), phosphatase activity (−59.12%) and dehydrogenase activity (−59.4%). An attempt was also made to identify the sensitive soil indicators under sewage irrigation, where microbial biomass carbon was singled out as the most sensitive indicator.