Constructed wetlands have been recognized as offering a removal treatment option for high concentrations removal of chemical and biological contaminants in domestic wastewater. The enteric protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is considered one of the highly resistant to treatment and highly infectious organisms to humans and animals. Moreover, some species of Cryptosporidium are known to have a zoonotic nature. In this investigation a pilot scale for domestic wastewater treatment system was used, consisting of the following steps in series: (1) up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor, (2) free water surface (FWS) wetland unit, and (3) sub-surface flow (SSF) wetland unit. This treatment system was fed with domestic wastewater to assess its efficiency in removing Cryptosporidium oocysts. The obtained Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected and enumerated by two different staining techniques 'acid fast trichrome (AFT) and modified Ziehl Neelsen (MZN) stains'. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was also used to detect Cryptosporidium DNA in wastewater samples. Results revealed that anaerobic treatment (using UASB reactor) could remove about 53.1% of Cryptosporidium oocysts present in raw wastewater. The in-series connection between the two wetland units allowed complete elimination of Cryptosporidium oocysts as the first (FWS) wetland unit removed 95.9% of the oocysts present in anaerobically treated wastewater and the remaining portion of oocysts was completely removed by the second (SSF) wetland unit. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 95.8% of raw wastewater samples with a mean count of 43.8 oocysts/l when AFT stain was used while they were detected in only 87.5% of raw wastewater samples with a mean count of 35.6 oocysts/l when MZN stain was used. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was able to detect Cryptosporidium DNA in only 45.8% of raw wastewater samples. Positive PCR results were only achieved in wastewater samples containing 52 oocysts or more per liter.

Two Elsholtzia haichowensis S. populations, copper-tolerant (TLS) and non-tolerant (HA) ones were studied in hydroponic experiment for the nitrogen assimilation and plant growth under excess Cu conditions. The results demonstrated that there were surely the differences in nitrogen assimilation and plant growth between the two populations. Excess Cu caused evident decreases in the shoot and root biomass and root/shoot biomass ratio in HA population while no significant changes happened in TLS population. In addition, in HA population, excess Cu also induced apparent declines in activities of nitrate reductase (NR, EC 1.6.6.1) and glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) in the leaves and roots as well as the contents of nitrate, ammonium and amino acids in the roots. In TLS population, excess Cu did not significantly affect the NR activities in the leaves and roots and the nitrate content in the roots, and apparently elevated the root ammonium and amino acids contents, although it also clearly reduced the GS activities in the leaves and roots. Besides, with the addition of Cu in the culture solution, the Cu contents in the leaves and roots of the two populations markedly increased. But this increase was significantly lower in TLS population than that in HA population; the fact might be partly responsible for the relative stabilization of nitrogen assimilation in TLS population compared to that in HA population.

According to recent insight, the toxicity of metals in soils is better related to the free metal ion (FMI) activity in the soil solution than to the total metal concentration in soil. However, the determination of FMI activities in soil solution is a difficult and time-consuming task. An alternative is to use empirical equations (so called transfer functions (TFs)) that relate FMI activity in solution to the reactive metal concentration in the solid phase and to soil properties (pH and organic matter content). Here we test the applicability of two sets of TF for Cd and Pb using independent data from a wide range of soil types and regions that are not represented in the datasets used to derive the TFs. From these soils, soil solution was extracted using four different methods. For all these extracts, FMI activities were calculated from total concentrations in solution using the speciation program WHAM VI. In some of the soils, Cd and Pb FMI activities were also measured using a Donnan membrane technique. Most of these FMI activities deviated from the TF predictions by less than one order of magnitude and were within the 95% confidence interval of the TFs, irrespective of the method used to extract soil solution. Predictability was higher for Pb than for Cd and differed also between the two TF sets.

Clinoptilolite is investigated as a possible regenerable sorbent for acid rock drainage based on its adsorption capacity for Zn, adsorption kinetics, effect of pH, and regeneration performance. Adsorption of Zn ions depends on the initial concentration and pH. Adsorption/Desorption of Zn reached 75% of capacity after 1–2 h. Desorption depended on pH, with an optimum range of 2.5 to 4.0. The rank of desorption effectiveness was EDTA > NaCl > NaNO₃ > NaOAc > NaHCO₃ > Na₂CO₃ > NaOH > Ca(OH)₂. For cyclic absorption/desorption, adsorption remained satisfactory for six to nine regenerations with EDTA and NaCl, respectively. The crystallinity and morphology of clinoptilolite remained intact following 10 regeneration cycles. Clinoptilolite appears to be promising for ARD leachate treatment, with significant potential advantages relative to current treatment systems.

In six small catchments located at the Cordillera de la Costa in southern Chile (40° S), concentrations and fluxes of NO3-N, NH4-N, organic-N, total-N and total-P in bulk precipitation and runoff water were measured. The main objective of this study was to compare nitrogen and phosphorus retention of catchments with varying land cover of native forest and exotic plantations, in order to evaluate possible effects of land use change. Nitrate-N was the dominant fraction (>50%) of nitrogen loss, especially in the catchments dominated by exotic plantations. In the catchment with native forests, NO3 - only contributed with 34% of the nitrogen loss and DON was the main output with 55%. Annual NO3 - export was lower in the catchment with native forest compared to the catchments with exotic plantations where the streamflow output exceed the precipitation input. Average inputs of total-N were 2.6 kg ha-¹ year-¹ (DIN = 1.4 kg ha-¹ year-¹, DON = 1.2 kg ha-¹ year-¹) and outputs were 1.7 kg ha-¹ year-¹ (DIN = 1.2 kg ha-¹ year-¹, DON = 0.5 kg ha-¹ year-¹). Annual retention of total nitrogen fluctuated between 61% in a catchment dominated by native forests to 15% in catchments dominated by exotic plantations of Eucalyptus sp. Nitrogen retention was positively related with native forest coverage. The N retention capacity of the catchments could be both attributed to consequences of clear cutting practices and differences in vegetation cover.

The use of numerical modeling in oil spill incidents is a well established technique that has proven to provide cost-effective and reasonable estimates of oil surface drift. Good predictability of such models depends highly on the quality of the input data of the incident and on the model calibration effort. This paper presents the results of simulating oil spillage trajectory in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf. The study employed a 3-D rectilinear hydrodynamic model combined with oil spill model. Typical representative environmental conditions of the Arabian Gulf were first setup into a hydrodynamic circulation model using data from various sources. The performance of the hydrodynamic model was then tested against measurements of tidal fluctuation and sea currents at selected locations. The spill analysis model was setup using the flow field produced from the hydrodynamic simulation and its performance was further validated against documented events of Al-Ahmadi historical oil spill crisis in the Gulf. The comparison of the actual and simulated oil spill drift was found reasonably acceptable allowing for further application in risk assessment studies in UAE Coastal water and in the entire Arabian Gulf as well.

Over 70 wood chemical plants operated in northern Pennsylvania between ca. 1890 and 1950, all located within 72 km of the New York state border. Their original purpose was to salvage the small unwanted hardwood trees left behind by the lumber mills, and to make charcoal, calcium acetate and methanol for a number of industrial uses via destructive distillation. At many old wood chemical plant sites, unknown quantities of wood tar remain as a residual contaminant and pose a pollution threat to aquatic life in nearby streams. Research on the composition and properties of residual wood tars from five abandoned industrial sites in Pennsylvania are described. Weathered wood tars were more viscous and contained fewer volatile and semivolatile organic compounds than did soil-buried tars. Phenol, 2-methylphenol (o-cresol), 4-methylphenol (p-cresol), and 2, 4-dimethylphenol were found in all sampled tars. These water-soluble phenolic compounds were released quasi-instantaneously in aqueous solution, followed by a slower rate of release, consistent with the behavior of similar compounds in other dense non-aqueous liquids. Air-exposed wood tar deposits developed a hard crust, which contained fewer volatiles and semivolatiles and had a higher softening point than other samples. These tars eroded to form a powdered soil colonized by lichens and mosses. Residual wood tar material found at one site was shown to be thermally altered, likely during the historical destruction of the chemical plant by fire. Recovered wood tar wastes have a relatively high heating value and may have use as a potential, but limited, alternate energy source.

Heavy metal phytoextraction is a soil remediation technique, which makes use of plants in removing contamination from soil. The plants must thus be tolerant to heavy metals, adaptable to soil and climate characteristics, and able to take up large amounts of heavy metals. Most of the high biomass productive plants such as, maize, oat and sunflower are plants, which do not grow in cold climates or need intensive care. In this study three “weed” plants, Borago officinalis; Sinapis alba L. and Phacelia boratus were investigated for their ability to tolerate and accumulate high amounts of Cd and Pb. Pot experiments were performed with soil containing Cd and Pb at concentrations of up to 180 mg kg⁻¹ and 2,400 mg kg⁻¹ respectively. All three plants showed high levels of tolerance. Borago officinalis; and Sinapis alba L. accumulated 109 mg kg⁻¹ and 123 mg kg⁻¹ Cd, respectively at the highest Cd spiked soil concentration. Phacelia boratus reached a Cd concentration of 42 mg kg⁻¹ at a Cd soil concentration of 100 mg kg⁻¹. In the case of Pb, B. officinalis and S. alba L. displayed Pb concentrations of 25 mg kg⁻¹ and 29 mg kg⁻¹, respectively at the highest Pb spiked soil concentration. Although the Pb uptake in P. boratus reached up to 57 mg kg⁻¹ at a Pb spiked soil concentration of 1,200 mg kg⁻¹, it is not suitable for phytoextraction because of its too low biomass.

Regular additions of NH₄NO₃ (35-140 kg N ha-¹ yr-¹) and (NH₄)₂SO₄ (140 kg N ha-¹ yr-¹) to a calcareous grassland in northern England over a period of 12 years have resulted in a decline in the frequency of the indigenous bryophyte species and the establishment of non-indigenous calcifuge species, with implications for the structure and composition of this calcareous bryophyte community. The lowest NH₄NO₃ additions of 35 kg N ha-¹ yr-¹ produced significant declines in frequency of Hypnum cupressiforme, Campylium chrysophyllum, and Calliergon cuspidatum. Significant reductions in frequency at higher NH₄NO₃ application rates were recorded for Pseudoscleropodium purum, Ctenidum molluscum, and Dicranum scoparium. The highest NH₄NO₃ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ additions provided conditions conducive for the establishment of two typical calcifuges - Polytrichum spp. and Campylopus introflexus, respectively. Substrate-surface pH measurements showed a dose-related reduction in pH with increasing NH₄NO₃ deposition rates of 1.6 pH units between the control and highest deposition rate, and a further significant fall in pH, of >1 pH unit, between the NH₄NO₃ and (NH₄)₂SO₄ treatments. These results suggest that indigenous bryophyte composition may be at risk from nitrogen deposition rates of 35 kg N ha-¹ yr-¹ or less. These effects are of particular concern for rare or endangered species of low frequency.

Leaching experiments of rebuilt soil columns with two simulated acid rain solutions (pH 4.6-3.8) were conducted for two natural soils and two artificial contaminated soils from Hunan, south-central China, to study effects of acid rain on competitive releases of soil Cd, Cu, and Zn. Distilled water was used in comparison. The results showed that the total releases were Zn>Cu>Cd for the natural soils and Cd>Zn[double greater-than sign]Cu for the contaminated soils, which reflected sensitivity of these metals to acid rain. Leached with different acid rain, about 26-76% of external Cd and 11-68% external Zn were released, but more than 99% of external Cu was adsorbed by the soils, and therefore Cu had a different sorption and desorption pattern from Cd and Zn. Metal releases were obviously correlated with releases of TOC in the leachates, which could be described as an exponential equation. Compared with the natural soils, acid rain not only led to changes in total metal contents, but also in metal fraction distributions in the contaminated soils. More acidified soils had a lower sorption capacity to metals, mostly related to soil properties such as pH, organic matter, soil particles, adsorbed SO₄ ²-, exchangeable Al³⁺ and H⁺, and contents of Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃.