Mercury releases from artisanal and small-scale gold mines (ASGM) condense and settle on plants, soils and water bodies. We collected soil and plant samples to add knowledge to the likely transfer of Hg from soils into plants and eventually predict Hg accumulation in livestock around ASGM in Bolivia. Mean contents of Hg in soils range from 0.5 to 48.6 mg Hg kg−1 soil (5× to 60× more compared to control sites) and exceeded the soil Hg threshold levels in some European countries. The Hg contents ranged from 0.6 to 18 and 0.2 to 28.3 mg Hg kg−1 leaf and root, respectively. The high Hg in Poaceae and Rosaceae may elevate Hg accumulation into the food chain because llama and alpaca solely thrive on these plants for food. Erosion of soils around ASGM in Bolivia contributes to the Hg contamination in lower reaches of the Amazon basin.

Mercury (Hg) is a globally ubiquitous pollutant that has received much attention due to its toxicity to humans and wildlife. The development of non-destructive sampling techniques is a critical step for sustainable monitoring of Hg accumulation. We evaluated the efficacy of non-destructive sampling techniques and assessed spatial, temporal, and demographic factors that influence Hg bioaccumulation in turtles. We collected muscle, blood, nail, and eggs from snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) inhabiting an Hg contaminated river. As predicted, all Hg tissue concentrations strongly and positively correlated with each other. Additionally, we validated our mathematical models against two additional Hg contaminated locations and found that tissue relationships developed from the validation sites did not significantly differ from those generated from the original sampling site. The models provided herein will be useful for a wide array of systems where biomonitoring of Hg in turtles needs to be accomplished in a conservation-minded fashion.

Streams impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) typically present water exhibiting low pH and high metal concentrations. These factors result in the environmental degradation of watercourses. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an ecotoxicological screening tool (EST) to prioritise future remediation of streams impacted by AMD. The Bloubank stream drainage system in South Africa, served as study area for this purpose. In the initial EST development phase physicochemical variables were assessed while in the second phase, epilithic filamentous green algae biomass (chl-a mg m−2), diatoms and filamentous green algae community structures were employed as bioindicators as well as Daphnia magna toxicity assays. Using a weight of evidence approach, the first three sites receiving AMD were critically and seriously modified, followed by site 4 that was modified. Sites 1–3 with EST scores ≤70% were assessed as priority candidates for future restoration.

Many urban areas are polluted by industrial activities and waste disposal in landfills. Since conventional soil remediation techniques are costly and unsustainable, phytoremediation might offer an alternative. In this article, we explore how phytoremediation can be integrated into the transformation of urban post-industrial areas, while improving public space. Buiksloterham, a polluted and deprived industrial area in Amsterdam, serves as case study. Buiksloterham is polluted with heavy metals, with Zinc (Zn) concentrations being the highest. A regression-model for Alpine Pennycress (Thlaspi caerulescens) is used to estimate the time needed to remediate the site. This reveals a conflict in time between remediation and urban development. A research by design experiment shows how to overcome this conflict by dealing with polluted soil innovatively while emphasizing spatial and aesthetic qualities of the phytoremediation plant species. The resulting landscape framework integrates phytoremediation with biomass production and gives new ecological, economic and social value to Buiksloterham.

Recently, biomagnetic monitoring of tree leaves has proven to be a good estimator for ambient particulate concentration. This paper investigates the usefulness of biomagnetic leaf monitoring of crown deposited particles to assess the spatial PM distribution inside individual tree crowns and an urban street canyon in Ghent (Belgium). Results demonstrate that biomagnetic monitoring can be used to assess spatial PM variations, even within single tree crowns. SIRM values decrease exponentially with height and azimuthal effects are obtained for wind exposed sides of the street canyon. Edge and canyon trees seem to be exposed differently. As far as we know, this study is the first to present biomagnetic monitoring results of different trees within a single street canyon. The results not only give valuable insights into the spatial distribution of particulate matter inside tree crowns and a street canyon, but also offer a great potential as validation tool for air quality modelling.

A chronological sequence of urban soils 3–92 years old was studied to determine the effects of time on morphogenesis, artifact weathering, and the geochemical partitioning of Pb. Key chronofunctions determined are an increase in ˆA horizon Development Index (defined herein based on soil color) and water-soluble Pb, and a decrease in pH and C/N, with increasing soil age. Key artifact weathering reactions are: 1) portlandite in mortar altered to calcite, 2) ferrite in wrought-iron altered to ferrihydrite and goethite, and 3) carbonaceous materials altered to water-soluble organic substances. Mortar and wrought-iron were found to be Pb-bearing, but weather to produce immobilizing agents. Hence, they are both a source and a sink for Pb. The origin and mobilization of water-soluble Pb is complex and probably includes microbial extracellular polymeric substances, biodegraded soil organic matter, and solubilized organic substances derived from carbonaceous anthropogenic microparticles (soot, char and coal-related wastes).

With the open-top chambers (OTCs) in situ in Yangtze River Delta, China in 2007 and 2008, the effects of elevated O3 exposure on nutrient elements and quality of winter wheat and rice grain were investigated. Grain yield per plant of winter wheat and rice declined in both years. The N and S concentrations increased under elevated O3 exposure in both years and C–N ratios decreased significantly. The concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, P, Mn, Cu and Zn in winter wheat and the concentrations of Mg, K, Mn and Cu in rice increased. The concentrations of protein, amino acid and lysine in winter wheat and rice increased and the concentration of amylose decreased. The increase in the nutrient concentration was less than the reduction of grain yield in both winter wheat and rice, and, hence, the absolute amount of the nutrients was reduced by elevated O3.

The fate and exposure risks of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in marine environments are not well-understood. In this study we developed a multi-residue analytical method for quantifying concentrations of forty target compounds in seawater from Singapore. Analyses of samples (n = 24) from eight sites showed the occurrence of several compounds, including gemfibrozil (<0.09–19.8 ng/L), triclosan (<0.55–10.5 ng/L), carbamazepine (<0.28–10.9 ng/L) and ibuprofen (<2.2–9.1 ng/L). A 3D hydrodynamic model for Singapore was used to predict residence time (tR). Principal Components Analysis revealed a strong relationship between tR and contaminant concentrations. While source emissions are undoubtedly important, proximate distance to a wastewater treatment plant had little influence on concentrations. The site with the greatest tR, which exhibited the highest concentrations, is adjacent to Singapore's largest protected wetland reserve. The results highlight an important linkage between hydrodynamic behavior and contaminant exposure risks in complex coastal marine ecosystems.

The performance of Cytisus striatus in association with different microbial inoculant treatments on the dissipation of the insecticide hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) was studied. Two soils with different organic matter (A and B soil) content were spiked with 0 or 65 mg HCH kg−1. Plants were either not inoculated (NI), or inoculated with the endophyte Rhodococcus erythropolis ET54b and the HCH-degrader Sphingomonas sp. D4 separately or in combination (ET, D4 and ETD4). Unplanted pots were also established. HCH phytotoxicity was more pronounced in the B soil. Soil HCH concentrations in unplanted pots were similar to initial concentrations, whereas concentrations were reduced after plant growth: by 20% and 8% in A and B soil, respectively. Microbial inoculants also modified HCH dissipation, although effects were soil-dependent. Inoculation with the combination of strains (ETD4) led to a significant enhancement in HCH dissipation: up to 53% in the A soil and 43% in the B soil.

Zlatna, Romania is the site of longtime mining/smelting operations which have resulted in widespread metal pollution of the entire area. Previous studies have documented the contamination using traditional methods involving soil sample collection, digestion, and quantification via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy or atomic absorption. However, field portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (PXRF) can accurately quantify contamination in-situ, in seconds. A PXRF spectrometer was used to scan 69 soil samples in Zlatna across multiple land use types. Each site was georeferenced with data inputted into a geographic information system for high resolution spatial interpolations. These models were laid over contemporary aerial imagery to evaluate the extent of pollution on an individual elemental basis. Pb, As, Co, Cu, and Cd exceeded governmental action limits in >50% of the sites scanned. The use of georeferenced PXRF data offers a powerful new tool for in-situ assessment of contaminated soils.