Mercapto-functionalized palygorskite modified the growth of Ligusticum Chuanxiong and restrained the Cd migration in the soil-plant system.

Ligusticum Chuanxiong is an essential medicinal and edible plant, but it is highly susceptible to the enrichment of soil Cadmium (Cd), which seriously affects its medical safety. However, the control of Cd uptake by Ligusticum Chuanxiong is little reported. In this study, we reported that a green Mercapto-functionalized palygorskite (MPAL) effectively promoted Ligusticum Chuanxiong growth, and restrained the Cd uptake by Ligusticum Chuanxiong both in the mildly contaminated soil (M-Soil) and severely contaminated soil (S-Soil). The experimental results demonstrated that the application of MPAL significantly increased the biomass and antioxidant enzyme activity of Ligusticum Chuanxiong. In the M-Soil, the Cd content in the roots, stems, and leaves of Ligusticum Chuanxiong decreased markedly by 82.46-86.66%, 64.17-71.73%, and 64.94-76.66%, respectively, after the MPAL treatment. In the S-Soil, MPAL application decreased the Cd content in roots, stems, and leaves by 89.43-98.92%, 24.19-86.22%, and 67.14-77.90%, respectively. Based on Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid (DTPA) extraction, the immobilization efficiency of MPAL for Cd in soils ranged from 22.01% to 77.04%. Additionally, the HOAc extractable Cd was transformed into reducible and oxidizable fractions. Furthermore, MPAL enhanced the activities of soil alkaline phosphatase, and urease, but decreased sucrase activity. Environmental toxicological analysis indicated that MPAL reduced the potential ecological risk of Cd in the soil. These findings revealed that MPAL can effectively reduce Cd accumulation in Ligusticum Chuanxiong and promote plant growth, suggesting its potential as a viable amendment for remediating Cd-contaminated soils.

Comprehensive bioremediation effect of phosphorus-mineralized bacterium Enterobacter sp. PMB-5 on cadmium contaminated soil-crop system.

Phosphate-mineralizing bacteria (PMBs) have been widely studied by inducing phosphate heavy metal precipitation, but current researches neglect to study their effects on soil-microbe-crop systems on cadmium (Cd) contaminated. Based on this, a strain PMB, Enterobacter sp. PMB-5, was inoculated into Cd contaminated pots to detect soil characteristics, Cd occurrence forms, soil biological activities, plant physiological and biochemical indicators. The results showed that the inoculation of strain PMB-5 significantly increased the available phosphorus content (85.97%-138.64%), Cd-residual fraction (11.04%-29.73%), soil enzyme activities (31.94%-304.63%), plant biomass (6.10%-59.81%), while decreased the state of Cd-HOAc (11.50%-31.17%) and plant bioconcentration factor (23.76%-44.24%). These findings indicated that strain PMB-5 could perform the function of phosphorus solubilization to realize the immobilization of Cd in the complex soil environment. Moreover, SEM-EDS, FTIR, XPS, and XRD analysis revealed that strain PMB-5 does not significantly alter the soil morphology, structure, elemental distribution, and chemical composition, which suggested that remediation of Cd contamination using strain PMB-5 would not further burden the soil. This research implies that PMB-5 could be a safe and effective bioinoculant for remediating Cd-contaminated soils, contributing to the sustainable management of soil health in contaminated environments.

Fe-CGS Effectively Inhibits the Dynamic Migration and Transformation of Cadmium and Arsenic in Soil.

The iron-modified coal gasification slag (Fe-CGS) material has excellent performance in purifying heavy-metal-contaminated water due to its good surface properties and adsorption capacities. However, it is unclear whether it can provide long-term simultaneous stabilization of Cd and As in composite-contaminated soils in extreme environments. This study investigated the long-term stabilization of Cd and As in acidic (JLG) and alkaline (QD) soils by simulating prolonged heavy rainfall with the addition of Fe-CGS. Multiple extraction methods were used to analyze the immobilization mechanisms of Cd and As in soil and their effects on bioavailability. The results indicate that the stabilization efficiency was related to the dosage of Fe-CGS. The concentrations of Cd and As in the JLG soil leachate were reduced by 77.6% (2.0 wt%) and 87.8% (1.0 wt%), respectively. Additionally, the availability of Cd and As decreased by 46.7% (2.0 wt%) and 53.0% (1.0 wt%), respectively. In the QD soil leachate, the concentration of Cd did not significantly change, while the concentration of As decreased by 92.3% (2.0 wt%). Furthermore, the availability of Cd and As decreased by 22.1% (2.0 wt%) and 40.2% (1.0 wt%), respectively. Continuous extraction revealed that Fe-CGS facilitated the conversion of unstable, acid-soluble Cd into oxidizable Cd and acid-soluble Cd. Additionally, it promoted the transformation of both non-specifically and specifically adsorbed As into amorphous iron oxide-bound and residual As. Fe-CGS effectively improved the soil pH, reduced the bioavailability of Cd and As, and blocked the migration of Cd and As under extreme rainfall leaching conditions. It also promoted the transformation of Cd and As into more stable forms, exhibiting satisfactory long-term stabilization performance for Cd and As.

Risk assessment of antimony-arsenic contaminated soil remediated using zero-valent iron at different pH values combined with freeze-thaw cycles.

Soil in mining wastelands is seriously polluted with heavy metals. Zero-valent iron (ZVI) is widely used for remediation of heavy metal-polluted soil because of its excellent adsorption properties; however, the remediation process is affected by complex environmental conditions, such as acid rain and freeze-thaw cycles. In this study, the effects of different pH values and freeze-thaw cycles on remediation of antimony (Sb)- and arsenic (As)-contaminated soil by ZVI were investigated in laboratory simulation experiments. The stability and potential human health risks associated with the remediated soil were evaluated. The results showed that ZVI has a significant stabilizing effect on Sb and As in both acidic and alkaline soils contaminated with dual levels of Sb and As, and the freeze-thaw process in different pH value solution systems further enhances the ability of ZVI to stabilize Sb and As, especially in acidic soils. However, it should be noted that apart from the pH=1.0 solution environment, ZVI's ability to stabilize As is attenuated under other circumstances, potentially leading to leaching of its unstable form and thereby increasing contamination risks. This indicates that the F1 (2% ZVI+pH=1 solution+freeze-thaw cycle) processing exhibits superior effectiveness. After F1 treatment, the bioavailability of Sb and As in both soils also significantly decreased during the gastric and intestinal stages (about 60.00%), the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of Sb and As in alkaline soils are eliminated for children and adults, with a decrease ranging from 60.00% to 70.00%, while in acidic soil, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of As to adults and children is acceptable, but Sb still poses non-carcinogenic risks to children, despite reductions of about 65.00%. These findings demonstrate that soil pH is a crucial factor influencing the efficacy of ZVI in stabilizing Sb and As contaminants during freeze-thaw cycles. This provides a solid theoretical foundation for utilizing ZVI in the remediation of Sb- and As-contaminated soils, emphasizing the significance of considering both pH levels and freeze-thaw conditions to ensure effective and safe treatment.

Mercapto-based palygorskite modified soil micro-biology and reduced the uptake of heavy metals by Salvia miltiorrhiza in cadmium and lead co-contaminated soil.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is an important traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant that can easily accumulate excessive cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from contaminated soils. The soil contaminated with heavy metals severely threatened the quality of S. miltiorrhiza products. In this study, we investigated the effects of mercapto-based palygorskite (MPAL), a new passivation amendment, on restraining the uptake of Cd and Pb by S. miltiorrhiza, and the impact on soil micro-ecology. Results showed that the application of MPAL prominently enhanced the biomass and antioxidant enzyme activities of S. miltiorrhiza. With the treatment of 4% MPAL, the Cd and Pb contents in the roots were significantly decreased by 81.42% and 69.09%, respectively. The active ingredients of S. miltiorrhiza, including Danshensu, Cryptotanshinone, Tanshinone I and Tanshinone II were remarkedly increased by 1899.46%, 5838.64%, 54.23% and 200.78%, respectively. In addition, MPAL decreased the bio-availability of Cd and Pb by speciation transformation, which simultaneously boosted the activities of cellulase and sucrase. The application of MPAL also improved the bacterial community composition. These findings revealed that the application of MPAL regulated the soil micro-ecology, positively modified the growth and obstructed the Cd and Pb accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza.

Characterization of a cadmium-resistant functional bacteria (Burkholderia sp. SRB-1) and mechanism analysis at physiochemical and genetic level.

In this study, the capacity of cadmium (Cd)-resistant plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) Burkholderia sp. SRB-1 (SRB-1) and its mechanisms were explored through morphological characterizations, biochemical response, plant growth-promoting traits, and functional gene expression patterns. The results showed that SRB-1 was an excellent Cd-resistant bacteria (MIC was 420 mg L-1), and its maximum Cd removal rate reached 72.25%. Biosorption was the main removal method of Cd for SRB-1, preventing intracellular Cd accumulation and maintaining cellular metabolism. Various functional groups on the cell wall were involved in Cd binding, which deposited as CdS and CdCO3 on the cell surface according to XPS analysis and might be critical for reducing Cd physiochemical toxicity. Furthermore, metals exporting (zntA, czcA, czcB, czcC), detoxification (dsbA, cysM), and antioxidation (katE, katG, SOD1) related genes were annotated in the SRB-1 genome. The results of Cd distribution and antioxidative enzyme activity in SRB-1 also illustrated that Cd2+ efflux and antioxidative response were the main intracellular Cd-resistant mechanisms. These conclusions were further verified by qRT-PCR analysis. Overall, the strategies of extracellular biosorption, cation efflux, and intracellular detoxification jointly build the Cd-resistant system, which invested Burkholderia sp. SRB-1 with potential for bioremediation in heavily Cd-contaminated environmental sites.

Integrated biochemical and transcriptomic analysis reveals the effects of Burkholderia sp. SRB-1 on cadmium accumulating in Chrysopogon zizanioides L. under Cd stress.

Application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria plays a vital role in enhancing phytoremediation efficiency. In this study, multiple approaches were employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of Burkholderia sp. SRB-1 (SRB-1) on elevating Cd uptake and accumulation. Inoculation experiment indicated that SRB-1 could facilitate plant growth and Cd tolerance, as evidenced by the enhanced plant biomass and antioxidative enzymes activities. Cd content in plant shoots and roots increased about 36.56%-39.66% and 25.97%-130.47% assisted with SRB-1 when compared with control. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that SRB-1 upregulated expression of amiE, AAO1-2 and GA2-ox related to auxin and gibberellin biosynthesis in roots. Auxin and gibberellin, as hormone signals, regulated plant Cd tolerance and growth through activating hormone signal transduction pathways, which might also contribute to 67.94% increase of dry weight. The higher expression levels of ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamilies (ABCB, ABCC, ABCD and ABCG) in Chrysopogon zizanioides roots contributed to higher Cd uptake in Cd15 B (323.83 mg kg-1) than Cd15 (136.28 mg kg-1). Further, SRB-1 facilitated Cd migration from roots to shoots via upregulating the expression of Nramp, ZIP and HMA families. Our integrative analysis provided a molecular-scale perspective on Burkholderia sp. SRB-1 contributing to C. zizanioides performance.

Microbial response to antimony-arsenic distribution and geochemical factors at arable soil around an antimony mining site.

Antimony (Sb) mining often causes severe Sb pollution and associate arsenic (As) compound contamination. To further understand the interaction mechanism among soil microorganisms, heavy metal distribution, and geochemical factors, the effects of environmental factors on soil microbial communities under different levels of Sb-As co-contamination were studied in situ of Chashan antimony mine, Guangxi Province. The results showed that the range of Sb and As contents in soil were 1339.63-7762.28 mg/kg and 2170.3-10,371.36 mg/kg, respectively, and the residual fraction accounted for more than 98.0% with less than 2.0% of bioavailable fraction. Besides, the concentration of the two metals is both related to the distance to surface runoff. Different microbial communities in arable soils of each sample site were analyzed, which was significantly affected by soil environmental factors such as pH, ALN, AP, OM, Tot-Sb, Tot-As, Bio-As, and Bio-Sb. The phylum of Actinobacteria in sites 1, 4, and 5 was the most dominant and the phylum of Proteobacteria were the most dominant in sites 2 and 3. Moreover, the results of redundancy analysis (RDA), variation partition analysis (VPA), and Spearman correlation analyses demonstrated that microorganisms, heavy metal distribution, and geochemical factors interacted with each other and together shaped the microbial community. Our findings are beneficial for understanding the response of soil microorganisms to As-Sb distribution and geochemical factors in arable soils under Sb mining areas.

Integrative analyses of geochemical parameters-microbe interactions reveal the variation of bacterial community assembly in multiple metal(loid)s contaminated arable regions.

Soil microbes play crucial roles in biochemical and geochemical processes in contaminated arable ecosystems. However, what factors determine the assembling process of soil bacterial community under multiple heavy metal (loid)s (HMs) stress and how communities respond to geochemical changes have rarely been understood. Therefore, a number of contaminated soils were sampled to explore the interactions among geochemical parameters, HMs and innate bacterial community. The results showed that soil biochemical activities were inhibited obviously with the increase of HMs. Significant differences were observed in bacterial composition and abundance in studied areas, with Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria and Firmicutes governing the bacterial community structure. Redundancy analysis and variation partition analysis revealed that about 67.33% of the variation in bacterial assemblages could be explained by physiochemical parameters (21.59%), biochemical parameters (11.64%), toxic metal (loid)s (9.11%) and the interaction effect of these variables (24.99%), among which total-arsenic and moisture were the main factors. Spearman correlation analysis also demonstrated that dehydrogenase, moisture and TOC have a positive correlation with bacterial community structure with As-Cd-Pb gradient. Altogether, this study would provide a comprehensive relationship between major environmental factors and bacterial assemblages, which could offer some baseline data to investigate the mechanisms of how communities respond to physiochemical changes.

Soil migration of antimony and arsenic facilitated by colloids in lysimeter studies.

The migration behaviors of antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) and its influence factors have not been well understood among the different soils. In this study, we used lysimeter experiments to investigate the migration behavior of Sb compared with that of As in four representative soil materials from China. All the experiments processes and management measures were conducted to simulate the actual natural environmental conditions. Results indicated that after two years of leaching, the concentrations of Sb and As at the soil surface had decreased, whereas they increased in the deep soil profiles. In the polluted soil materials, 28.5%-39.2% of Sb and 0.4%-1.3% of As existed in the stable fraction, respectively. As and Sb levels were higher in the surface soil layer, and decreased with the soil depth in the different soil profiles. In soil leachate, Sb was mainly found in particle sizes smaller than 0.45 µm with the organic colloids, which had a peak in the spring and summer. On contrast, As was found in particle sizes larger than 0.45 µm with the inorganic colloids such as iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) oxides. Pearson correlation results showed that the concentrations of Sb in the soil leaching solution and 0.45-µm-filltered solution were all positively correlated with Fe and Al. The results confirmed that Sb was combined with Fe and Al in the solution, and As posed a greater environmental risk than Sb during the leaching process. This study will help us to describe and predict As and Sb pollution in the soil environment, providing a basis for managing soil contaminated by these pollutants.

Antioxidative enzymes activity and thiol metabolism in three leafy vegetables under Cd stress.

The enrichment of Cadmium in vegetables is threatening human health. The study aimed to screen Cd low-enriched leafy vegetables and explore whether antioxidative enzymes and heavy metal chelators are synergistic defensive mechanisms. In this paper, the Cd accumulation and translocation of garland chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) were examined by soil pot culture and hydroponic experiments. The responses of oxidative stress markers, antioxidative enzymes activity, and thiol pool (cysteine, γ-glutamylcysteine, glutathione, and phytochelatins) content to Cd stress were assayed. The results showed that Garland chrysanthemum was Cd low-uptake species. The soil Cd safety thresholds for spinach, lettuce, and garland chrysanthemum were 0.41, 0.49, and 9.10 mg kg-1, respectively. The order of root phytochelatins (PCs) concentration was consistent with that of plant tolerance index (TI): garland chrysanthemum > spinach > lettuce. While the order of the ratio of shoot Cd to root Cd (SR ratio) was exactly the opposite of that of TI. In lettuce root, activity of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase decreased significantly under Cd stress. Nevertheless those parameters in the roots of spinach and lettuce maintained steady, or even enhanced. In conclusion, the Cd translocation and partition in plant, antioxidative defense, and PCs homeostasis played an important role in the Cd tolerance of vegetables.

Antimony release from contaminated mine soils and its migration in four typical soils using lysimeter experiments.

Antimony (Sb) can pose great risks to the environment in mining and smelting areas. The migration of Sb in contaminated mine soil was studied using lysimeter experiments. The exchangeable concentration of soil Sb decreased with artificial leaching. The concentrations of Sb retained in the subsoil layers (5-25cm deep) were the highest for Isohumosol and Ferrosol and the lowest for Sandy soil. The Sb concentrations in soil solutions decreased with soil depth, and were adequately simulated using a logarithmic function. The Sb migration pattern in Sandy soil was markedly different from the patterns in the other soils which suggested that Sb may be transported in soil colloids. Environmental factors such as water content, soil temperature, and oxidation-reduction potential of the soil had different effects on Sb migration in Sandy soil and Primosol. The high Fe and Mn contents in Ferrosol and Isohumosol significantly decreased the mobility of Sb in these soils. The Na and Sb concentrations in soils used in the experiments positively correlated with each other (P<0.01). The Sb concentrations in soil solutions, the Sb chemical fraction patterns, and the Sb/Na ratios decreased in the order Sandy soil>Primosol>Isohumosol>Ferrosol, and we concluded that the Sb mobility in the soils also decreased in that order.

Sources and Distribution of Trace Elements in Soils Near Coal-Related Industries.

The degree of contamination of soil and the potential ecological risks associated with five different coal-burning industries were assessed in Shanxi Province, China. Results showed that the trace element concentrations in soil close to the coal industries were higher than those in the background soils, and the enrichment factors were >1. The potential ecological risk indexes ranged from 99 to 328 for the five coal-related industries. Results also illustrated that the trace elements were transported through the atmosphere. Concentrations of B, Hg, Mo, Pb, Se, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn, and Mn were high in the area around the steel plant. Principal component analysis and redundancy analysis indicated that the sources of Se, Mo, Hg, Cd, As, Cr, B, Ni, and Cu were mainly anthropogenic, whereas Pb, V, Cu, Zn, and Mn were from natural sources. The soil Hg and Se contents were simulated by an artificial neural network model, which showed that Hg and Se in soils were from atmospheric deposits and their spatial distributions were related to the dominant wind direction. The potential ecological risk from Hg was much higher (one order of magnitude) than that from the other trace elements, which highlights the fact that it deserves urgent attention. Control of emissions from the burning of coal and other raw materials (such as iron and phosphate ores) should also be prioritized.

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with a Sb Accumulator Plant, Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), in an Active Sb Mining.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have great potential for assisting heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the remediation of contaminated soils. However, little information is available about the symbiosis of AMF associated with an antimony (Sb) accumulator plant under natural conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the colonization and molecular diversity of AMF associated with the Sb accumulator ramie (Boehmeria nivea) growing in Sb-contaminated soils. Four Sb mine spoils and one adjacent reference area were selected from Xikuangshan in southern China. PCR-DGGE was used to analyze the AMF community composition in ramie roots. Morphological identification was also used to analyze the species in the rhizosphere soil of ramie. Results obtained showed that mycorrhizal symbiosis was established successfully even in the most heavily polluted sites. From the unpolluted site Ref to the highest polluted site T4, the spore numbers and AMF diversity increased at first and then decreased. Colonization increased consistently with the increasing Sb concentrations in the soil. A total of 14 species were identified by morphological analysis. From the total number of species, 4 (29%) belonged to Glomus, 2 (14%) belonged to Acaulospora, 2 (14%) belonged to Funneliformis, 1 (7%) belonged to Claroideoglomus, 1 (7%) belonged to Gigaspora, 1 (7%) belonged to Paraglomus, 1 (7%) belonging to Rhizophagus, 1 (7%) belonging to Sclervocystis, and 1 (7%) belonged to Scutellospora. Some AMF sequences were present even in the most polluted site. Morphological identification and phylogenetic analysis both revealed that most species were affiliated withGlomus, suggesting that Glomus was the dominant genus in this AMF community. This study demonstrated that ramie associated with AMF may have great potential for remediation of Sb-contaminated soils.

Molecular diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at a large-scale antimony mining area in southern China.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have great potential for assisting heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the remediation of contaminated soils. However, little information is available about the community composition of AMF under natural conditions in soils contaminated by antimony (Sb). The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of AMF molecular diversity, and to explore the effects of Sb content and soil properties on the AMF community structure in an Sb mining area. Four Sb mine spoils and one adjacent reference area were selected from around the Xikuangshan mine in southern China. The association of AMF molecular diversity and community composition with the rhizosphere soils of the dominant plant species was studied by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). Results from all five studied sites showed that the diversity of AMF decreased with increasing Sb concentration. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the AMF community structure was markedly different among these groups. Further redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that Sb contamination was the dominating factor influencing the AMF community structure in the Sb mine area. However, the multivariate analysis showed that, apart from the soil Sb content, extractable nitrogen content and organic matter content also attributed to AMF sequence distribution type. Some AMF sequences were only found in the highly contaminated area and these might be ideal candidates for improving phytoremediation efficiency in Sb mining regions. Gene sequencing analysis revealed that most species were affiliated with Glomus, suggesting that Glomus was the dominant AMF genus in the studied Sb mining area.

Bioaccessibility of antimony and arsenic in highly polluted soils of the mine area and health risk assessment associated with oral ingestion exposure.

In this study, the bioaccessibility and the human health risks of Sb and As in soils from Xikuangshan (XKS) Sb mine, Hunan, China were investigated using two commonly used in vitro extraction methods, Simplified Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET) and Physiologically Based Extraction Test (PBET). Soils in the XKS Sb mine area were mainly co-contaminated by Sb (74.2-16,389; mean: 3061mgkg(-1)) and As (7.40-596; mean: 216mgkg(-1)). The bioaccessibility values of Sb and As in most cases were less than 30%, and the average bioaccessibility values of Sb and As were 5.89±6.44% and 2.13±2.55% for the SBET extraction; 7.83±9.82% and 6.62±6.37% for the PBET (Gastric) extraction; and 3.03±3.53% and 2.40±2.01% for the PBET (Intestinal) extraction, respectively. The bioaccessible Sb and As were significantly positively correlated with the total concentrations, but negatively correlated with the Fe, Al, Mn and organic matter (OM) contents in soils. Risk assessment results based on total concentrations might overestimate the risk existing in the studied area. After considering the bioaccessibility, the Hazard Quotient (HQ) values of Sb for most of the sampling sites and of As for all of the sampling sites became lower than 1. The Carcinogenic Risk (CR) values of As were also significantly reduced, 8.77E-06 and 1.74E-05 on average for the SBET and PBET methods, respectively. Considering the bioaccessibility can provide more applicable guidelines for risk assessments and more rational suggestions in the management of the soils contaminated with Sb and As.

Occurrence, sources, and potential human health risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soils of the coal production area surrounding Xinzhou, China.

A comprehensive investigation of the levels, distribution patterns, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in agricultural soils of the coal production area surrounding Xinzhou, China, was conducted, and the potential human health risks associated with the levels observed were addressed. A total of 247 samples collected from agricultural soils from the area were analyzed for sixteen PAHs, including highly carcinogenic isomers. The PAH concentrations had a range of n.d. to 782ngg(-1), with a mean value of 202ngg(-1). The two-three ring PAHs were the dominant species, making up 60 percent of total PAHs. Compared with the pollution levels and carcinogenic potential risks reported in other studies, the soil PAH concentrations in the study area were in the low to intermediate range. A positive matrix factorization model indicates that coal/biomass combustion, coal and oil combustion, and coke ovens are the primary PAH sources, accounting for 33 percent, 26 percent, and 24 percent of total PAHs, respectively. The benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations had a range of n.d. to 476ngg(-1) for PAH7c, with a mean value of 34ngg(-1). The BaPeq concentrations of PAH7c accounted for more than 99 percent of the ∑PAH16, which suggests that seven PAHs were major carcinogenic contributors of ∑PAH16. According to the Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines, only six of the soil samples had concentrations above the safe BaPeq value of 600ngg(-1); the elevated concentrations observed at these sites can be attributed to coal combustion and industrial activities. Exposure to these soils through direct contact probably poses a significant risk to human health as a result of the carcinogenic effects of PAHs.

Source identification and health risk assessment of metals in urban soils around the Tanggu chemical industrial district, Tianjin, China.

We conducted an investigation to identify the sources of metals in urban surface soils, and to assess the associated human health risks, around the Tanggu chemical industrial district, Tianjin, China. The metal concentrations and spatial distributions in 70 soil samples from the study area were determined. Pollution sources were identified using multivariate statistical analysis. They mainly attributed Cu, Pb, and Zn pollution to vehicular traffic and industrial discharges, Cd pollution to industrial activities and anthropogenic waste including industrial discharges, sewage sludge, and municipal solid waste, As and Hg pollution to coal combustion and point source emissions from the chemical industry, and Cr and Ni pollution to the soil parent material. Soil properties, particularly the organic matter content, were found to be important factors in the distribution and composition of metals. A health risk assessment showed that samples from the northwestern and southeastern parts of the study area may pose significant health risks to the population.

[Factors influencing ammonia volatilization in a winter wheat field with plastic film mulched ridges and unmulched furrows].

The objective of this experiment was to quantify ammonia volatilization from a winter wheat field with plastic film mulched-ridges and unmulched-furrows (PMRF). The trial was conducted during the 2010-2011 winter wheat growing season at Yangling, Shaanxi Province. Ammonia volatilization from the soil was measured using the closed-chamber method. The results indicated that NH3 emission losses ranged between (1.66 +/- 0.3) and (3.28 +/- 0.51) kg x hm(-2) in the PMRF treatment. In comparison, the NH3 emission loss was (4.68 +/- 0.35) kg x ha(-1) in the conventional tillage treatment (i. e., smooth soil surface). The PMRF treatment reduced NH3 emissions by 29.8 to 63.8% compared with the conventional treatment. The NH3 emission losses were equivalent to 1.9% of the applied N in the conventional practice treatment. In contrast, the losses were equivalent to only 0.3% to 0.8% of the applied N in the PMRF treatment. Ammonia emissions were greatest during the first two weeks after sowing. Emissions before winter accounted for 82% of total NH3 emission in the conventional practice treatment, but only 49% to 61% of the total NH3 emission in the PMRF treatment. The soil NH4+ -N content and the soil moisture content had direct effects on NH3 emission before winter in the conventional treatment. In thePMRF treatment, the soil NH4+ -N content had a direct effect on NH3 emission before winter, whereas soil surface temperature and soil moisture had indirect effects. Ammonia emissions after the greening stage were mainly influenced by the soil NH4+ -N content. Simulation results indicated that logarithmic functions best described cumulative NH3 emission in the PMRF + high N rate treatment and the conventional treatment. A linear function best described cumulative NH3 emission in the PMRF + low N rate treatment and the unfertilized treatment. In conclusion, the PMRF treatment can significantly reduce N losses from winter wheat fields by changing the spatial-temporal dynamics of soil NH3 volatilization.

[Effects of seeding rate and nitrogen fertilization rate on physiological traits of winter wheat after anthesis in a field with plastic mulched rides and unmulched furrows].

Taking winter wheat cultivar Xiaoyan 22 as test material, a field experiment with central composite rotatable design was conducted to investigate the effects of seeding rate and nitrogen (N) fertilization rate on the physiological traits of the cultivar after anthesis under ridge-furrow cultivation with plastic film mulching, aimed to harmonize the relationships between winter wheat population and its individuals and to fully use the advantages of ridge-furrow cultivation in dry land areas. With increasing N fertilization rate, the leaf area index and the flag leaf chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis rate after anthesis increased; with increasing seeding rate, the leaf area index increased first and was stable then at early and middle milking stages but decreased at later milking stage, the flag leaf chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis rate decreased, and the grain yield per plant increased after an initial decrease. Appropriate seeding rate could optimize the relationships between winter wheat population and its individuals, and optimal N fertilization rate benefited the improvement of winter wheat physiological traits after anthesis and the enhancement of winter wheat yield. Under our experimental condition, seeding rate 112.5 kg x hm(-2) plus N fertilization rate 180-222 kg N x hm(-2) is a scheme beneficial to optimize the relationships between winter wheat population and its individuals and to establish a good winter wheat community structure with a reasonable leaf area index after anthesis, higher flag leaf chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis rate, higher grain yield per plant, and high yield per unit area.