Use of soil amendments to immobilize antimony and lead in moderately contaminated shooting range soils.

Shooting ranges are a source of environmental concern around the world as they are a source of toxic antimony (Sb) and lead (Pb). In-situ chemical stabilization is a strategy to reduce metal(loid) leaching and bioavailability. However it is difficult to find the right treatment due to the fact that Pb is a cation and Sb an anion, under oxidised conditions and they often show the opposite mobility in soil, on the application of amendments. A batch experiment was set up with two soils (slightly acidic and alkaline), two red mud based amendments (ViroSoil™ 1 and 2) alone and in combination with two reducing agents (zero valent iron and iron sulphate), to assess the effect of the treatments on metal(loid) leaching and compare it to unamended soil and soil amended with goethite, a known Sb adsorbent. Iron sulphate was effective at reducing Sb leaching due to the reduction of SbV to SbIII which bound more strongly to iron (hyr)oxides in soil. However it had an adverse effect on the leaching of Pb due to its acidifying effect and reductive dissolution of manganese (hyd)roxides. Combining ViroSoil™ amendments with FeSO4 still reduced Sb leaching but also Pb leaching and proved a suitable treatment.

Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in a population sample from southwest Germany (Freiburg area).

In the present study Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) haplotypes of 433 unrelated male individuals from southwest Germany (Freiburg area) were analyzed. Population data for the loci DYS19, 389I, 389II, 390, 391, 392, 393, 385 and YCA II are given. Analysis of these loci provides the data that is defined as the "extended haplotype" and is available in the on-line Y-STR haplotpye reference database (YHRD) at http://ystr.org. Special emphasis is placed on the sequence and nomenclature of YCA II.

[Possible applications of Y chromosome STRs in examination of abortion tissue]. / Anwendungsmöglichkeiten von Y-chromosomalen STRs bei der Untersuchung von Abrasionsmaterial.

By application of Y-chromosomal STRs, DNA analysis of abortion material can be considerably facilitated since great excess of maternal DNA is tolerated without disturbing the Y-STR amplification. If paternity can't be excluded on the basis of the Y-STR haplotype, further examinations must follow, e.g. autosomal STR analysis. For this purpose, histological preparation of the abortion tissue might still be necessary. Different Y-chromosomal haplotypes of embryo and putative father usually lead to an exclusion from paternity. Based on four case examples, the feasibility of this method is discussed.