It is hypothesized that episodic introductions of road salt severely disrupt the soil nitrogen cycle at a range of spatial and temporal scales. A field-scale study has confirmed impacts on the nitrogen cycle in soil, soil solution and river samples. There is evidence that ammonium-N retention on cation exchange sites has been reduced by the presence of sodium ions, and that ammonium-N has been flushed from the exchange sites. Increases in soil pH have been caused in naturally acidic uplands. These have enhanced mineralization of organic-N, especially nitrification, leading to a reduction in the mineralizable-N pool of roadside soils. There is evidence to support the hypothesis that organic matter content has been lowered over decades either through desorption or dispersal processes. Multiple drivers are identified that contribute to the disruption of nitrogen cycling processes, but their relative importance is difficult to quantify unequivocally. The influence of road salt on soil and soil solution declines with distance from the highway, but impacts on water chemistry in a local stream are still strongly evident at some distance from the road.

Advances in computing processing power and in availability of environmental and biological data have allowed the development and application of comprehensive modeling systems that utilize a holistic, integrated, approach for assessing the interactions of environmental and biological systems across multiple scales of spatiotemporal extent and biological organization. This approach allows mechanism-based environmental health risk assessments in a person-oriented framework, which accounts for simultaneous exposures to contaminants from multiple media, routes, and pathways. The conceptual basis and example applications of the Modeling ENvironment for TOtal Risk (MENTOR), and the DOse-Response Information ANalysis system (DORIAN) are presented.

This paper presents and discusses the method and results of account for material flows in Sweden for the year 2004. The results show that it is possible to compile material flow data from existing sources in the Swedish statistical system. By using the European classification system of goods, the Combined Nomenclature, as the basic unit of the data collection, both data collection and aggregation into material flow categories were made possible. Although these data exist in the statistical system, they are not easily available for the scientific community. This is due to several reasons, such as the aggregation of data in the system of statistics not corresponding to the material flow account structure and the fact that data on import and export of materials are organised differently than data for domestic extraction. Almost 50% of the material flows in Sweden are flows of minerals, mainly construction minerals followed by iron ores. Most of the extracted iron ores are exported. In comparison with other European countries this generates a unique situation with Sweden as the only net exporter of iron ores. The flow of biomass in terms of wood is also considerable (26% of the Swedish material flows in 2004). The domestic material consumption (inflow) per capita in 2004 was 8 tonnes minerals, 6 tonnes biomass and almost 3 tonnes of fossil fuels. Of the material flows of fossil fuels petroleum and natural gas dominates with 90%.

Two kinds of common turfgrass, fescue and ryegrass, were grown in soils amended with 20 x 80% sludge compost (SC) in this research. The effects of SC on two kinds of soil and response of fescue and ryegrass to the SC amendment were studied. The results showed that urease activity, extractable content of Cu and Zn and Electrical conductivity of both soils increased while pH decreased with the increase of SC amendment. However, the change of these parameters also depended strongly on soil characteristics. Sludge compost at the <=40 and <=60% levels can improve growth of fescue and ryegrass, respectively. The biomass of fescue grown in substrate with 40% SC increased 27% in a red soil and 44% in a yellow loamy soil compared to the control. The biomass of ryegrass grown in substrate with 60% SC increased 120% in the red soil and 86% in the yellow loamy soil. Sludge compost amendment at these levels did not significantly affect soluble salt contents of soil or Cu and Zn in plant tissue. Therefore, rational use of sludge compost can take advantage of its beneficial effect as a nutrient source for plant production while avoiding the potential deleterious effects on soil and plant.

The pulp left after the extraction of juice from Citrus reticulate (kinnow), is a waste material, which was used as a potential sorbent for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in the present study. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, biosorbent dosage, biosorbent particle size, initial metal concentrations, temperature, shaking speed and sorption time on the Cr removal is apparent from the obtained results. The Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second order kinetic models fitted well to the data of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) biosorption by Citrus reticulata waste biomass. Effect of several pretreatments such as gases, natural coagulant and many other chemicals on Cr(III) and Cr(VI) sorption capacity of Citrus reticulata waste biomass was first time analyzed in the present study. The metal sorption capacity of Citrus reticulata waste biomass after a specific pretreatment was not only related to the nature of chemical but also strongly dependent on the oxidation state of the metal.

Urban streams often are a major source of phosphorus (P) to rivers, primarily due to large inputs of sewage effluent. A good example of this is Chicago (Illinois, USA) area streams, which make up most of the flow of the upper Illinois River. Even though streams in this section of the Mississippi River basin are characteristic hard-water systems and exhibit high calcium and carbonate concentrations, the precipitation of Ca–P minerals is minimal and phosphate is not removed from the water column. The objective of this study was to determine the chemical mechanisms controlling P activity in Chicago area streams. Measurement of dissolved ion activities on filtered surface water samples demonstrated that an average of 79% of P in the study streams was dissolved and the remaining was particulate (<0.05 μm and >1.0 μm in diameter, respectively). Neither a P colloidal-size fraction nor a correlation between dissolved and particulate Fe and P was observed. Thermodynamic modeling and SEM-EDS analysis of particulate matter in filter residues indicated that dissolved P may adsorb and co-precipitate on the surface of calcite rather than precipitating in a pure Ca–P mineral phase. Although SEM-EDS results also suggested that P was adsorbed to silicate minerals, organic residues likely dominated the P-containing particulate fraction. Sediment extraction results indicated that organic P was one of two major P components in the stream bottom. The Fe-associated P fraction represented the largest sediment-P fraction, and with little association between Fe and P in the overlying water, dissolved inorganic P may have aided in the authigenic formation of an Fe–P sediment phase. Overall, results suggest that pH combined with Ca and Mg activity are the dominant chemical controls on P chemistry in this P enriched system.

The applicability of magnetic susceptibility measurements was tested for the detection of industrial pollution by fly ash in topsoil in a beech stand in the vicinity of a steel factory at Široka near Oravskyỳ Podzámok (Slovakia). The first trial measurements already showed that there is at least one spot near the trunk of each tree in which the susceptibility is significantly higher than anywhere else beneath the crown of the same tree. Detailed measurements showed that the susceptibility anomaly is associated with stemflow, and extends to some distance on the slope side of the trunk. Elsewhere beneath the crowns, at spots unaffected by stemflow, the variation of susceptibility is moderate. Samples were collected systematically from the topsoil around five trees in the beech stand, and another one elsewhere exposed to direct flow of fly ash from Široka. The results of measurements of low and high frequency susceptibility allow to conclude that in the beech stand where the ground is effectively shielded by the canopy from direct precipitation of pollution particles, all susceptibility values unaffected by stemflow are dominated by fine-grained magnetic particulates having formed by biogenic processes during pedogenesis, while those pertaining to the stemflow zone are dominated by larger multidomain particles conveyed to the ground in the stemflow. So, in this particular environment, it is the stemflow and its effect that makes magnetic pollution detectable by using susceptibility parameters. The case of the site exposed to direct precipitation of pollution particles is different in that that every susceptibility value irrespective of being small or large is dominated by large multidomain pollution particles. The heavy metal concentration of the soils investigated is elevated with respect to background levels of the Geochemical atlas of Slovakia, and have strong positive relationship, basically established by the effect of stemflow, with magnetic susceptibility. Without the stemflow effect the variation either in susceptibility or heavy metal concentration would not be sufficient to recognise existing relationships between them in the topsoil of the beech stand selected for the present study.

The role of land use on fate of metals in soils is poorly understood. In this work, we studied the incorporation of lead in two neighboring soils with comparable pedogenesis but under long-term different agricultural management. Distributions of anthropogenic Pb were assessed from concentrations and isotopic compositions determined on bulk horizon samples, systematical 5–10 cm increment samples, and on 24-h EDTA extracts. Minor amounts of anthropogenic lead were detected until 1-m depth under permanent grassland, linked to high earthworm activity. In arable land, exogenous Pb predominantly accumulated at depths <60 cm. Although the proximity between the two sites ensured comparable exposition regarding atmospheric Pb deposition, the isotopic compositions clearly showed the influence of an unidentified component for the cultivated soil. This work highlights the need for exhaustive information on historical human activities in such anthropized agrosystems when fate of metal pollution is considered.

Kinetic EDTA and citrate extractions were used to mimic metal mobilization in a soil contaminated by metallurgical fallout. Modeling of metal removal rates vs. time distinguished two metal pools: readily labile (QM1) and less labile (QM2). In citrate extractions, total extractability (QM1 + QM2) of Zn and Cd was proportionally higher than for Pb and Cu. Proportions of Pb and Cu extracted with EDTA were three times higher than when using citrate. We observed similar QM1/QM2 ratios for Zn and Cu regardless of the extractant, suggesting comparable binding energies to soil constituents. However, for Pb and Cd, more heterogeneous binding energies were hypothesized to explain different kinetic extraction behaviors. Proportions of citrate-labile metals were found consistent with their short-term, in-situ mobility assessed in the studied soil, i.e., metal amount released in the soil solution or extracted by cultivated plants. Kinetic EDTA extractions were hypothesized to be more predictive for long-term metal migration with depth.

Toxaphene contamination of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from North Atlantic waters was examined for the first time. Total toxaphene and SumCHB (sum of 11 chlorobornanes) concentrations in blubber samples ranged from 170 ± 110 and 41 ± 39 ng/g lipid weight (l.w.) for female minke whales from southeastern Greenland to 5800 ± 4100 and 1100 ± 780 ng/g l.w. for males from the North Sea, respectively. Very large variations in toxaphene concentrations among sampling areas were observed suggesting a spatial segregation of minke whales. However, much of the apparent geographical discrimination was explained by the seasonal fluctuation of animal fat mass. Patterns of CHBs in males revealed that recalcitrant CHBs were in higher proportions in animals from the more easterly areas than in animals from the more westerly areas. This trend may be influenced by the predominance of the US, over the European, input of toxaphene to North Atlantic waters.