Eroded soil material may be an important transporting agent for pesticides that are strongly sorbed to soil. The abilityof the fungicide propiconazole to interact with colloidal andparticulate materials has been studied by means of sorptionand desorption experiments. Size separation of silty clay soilfrom Mørdre, Norway and subsequent characterization showedthat different size fractions of soil possessed different physical and chemical properties and, therefore, different capacity to associate with propiconazole. A large part of the soil organic carbon was associated with coarser material (2–0.02 mm), which also showed higher affinity towards propiconazole than for smaller size fractions (<20 and <2 μm). Similar K ₒc values (2306 and 2244) for the size fractions <2 and <20 μm indicate that organic carbon played a dominant role in the sorption of propiconazole. Furthermore, organic carbon associated with these size fractions seemed to have similar properties withrespect to binding of propiconazole. Although, poor in organiccarbon (0.4%), the smallest size fraction (<2 μm) had higher sorption capacity for propiconazole compared to the medium size fraction (<20 μm). Higher sorption for the smallest size fraction (<2 μm) is probably due to higherspecific surface area, cation exchange capacity and content of Fe/Al oxides (free, organically bound and amorphous oxides) than the other size fractions. Results from the desorption experiments indicate that a part of propiconazole associates with sites in the soil material that resist desorption. Fluvialsediments originating from propiconazole treated fields may, therefore, represent potential reservoirs of propiconazole.Treatment with H₂O₂ modified the sorption/desorptioncharacteristics of the soil beyond that which could be expectedsimply by the removal of organic material. The pH values for all the size fractions decreased, and the specific surface areaof the medium sized fraction (<20 μm) increased from 14 to 19 m² g⁻¹ after the treatment with H₂O₂,probably due to disruption of the aggregate structure. Carrying out fractionation and separation procedures, it is important to be aware of physical and chemical changes that areintroduced during the different steps. An effort should be made to develop fractionation methods that keep the original characteristics of the soil material as intact as possible.

The focus in the present study is the spatialvariation of anthropogenic volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC), mainly benzene and toluene, in parks and their built-up surroundings. Case studies were located in two large Scandinavian cities and measurements were made two meters aboveground level in maximum traffic periods. The results showedlarge variations in time and space but despite high pollutionlevels in the streets the air in parks and non-traffickedbuilt-up areas are substantially cleaner. The pollutantconcentration inside a large park decreased to a low level(i.e. 1/3 to 1/9 the concentration at the source) in a shortdistance (<40 m). An analysis showed that measured VOC wasassociated with fresh emissions, suggesting that the localtraffic intensity was the main governing parameter. It is,however, obvious that the spatial pattern of pollution is theresult of a combination of many different factors and variablesincluding traffic intensity, weather, local climate, land useand the character of park border.

Using ¹³C/¹²C ratios in particulate organic carbon(POC), this study evaluated the fraction of terrestrially derivedPOC in Winyah Bay, South Carolina, an anthropogenically impactedestuary in the southeastern United States. Results from themixing model, which should be viewed as an upper limit becauseof possible dilution from additional potential end-members,showed that between 50 and 90% of POC in the Winyah Bay estuaryis of terrestrial origin. As this POC may be associated withriver-transported pollutants, the potential for accumulation ofpollutants in Winyah Bay is high because POC may become trappedin the estuary as part of either estuarine bottom sediments,circulation or food webs. Thus strategies for pollutionmonitoring and control in the estuary and its watershed arenecessary for the future management of Winyah Bay naturalresources.

This study investigated the distribution of organic matters in airborne aerosols. Field observations were made at Takasaki and Karuizawa, which are located along the route of the long-range transport of photochemical air pollution in summer, in two urban areas (Okaya and Nagano) in late autumn and early winter, in a rural area (Nakano) in late autumn and in a mountainous area (Happo) in autumn. Organic matter in airborne aerosol was collected on a quartz fiber filter using a high-volume air sampler for 3 days to a week. Organic compounds collected on the filter were extracted with dichlorometane and subsequently with methanol, and the extracts were subjected to GC/FID and GC/MS analyses. Pinonaldehyde, C17-C33 n-alkanes, C12-C26 fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids, phthalic acids, benzoic acid, lower molecular unresolved mixtures (LUCM) and higher molecular unresolved mixtures (HUCM) were detected in the airborne aerosols. The total concentrations of the analyzed matter accounted for approximately 20% of the organic carbon (OC) in any of the samples. Pinonaldehyde, dicarboxylic acids and phthalic acids, which are produced by photochemical reaction in the atmosphere, were more abundant in summer. Concentrations of long-chain fatty acids and UCM (LUCM + HUCM) increased in rural Nakano in late autumn, probably due to the vegetative burning of asparagus fields nearby. A large part of the analyzed matter was made up of anthropogenic compounds (n-alkanes, dicarboxylic acids, phthalic acids, benzoic acid and UCM), while biogenic ones (pinonaldehyde, n-alkanes and fatty acids) were minor contributors to the airborne aerosols. In the mountainous area, pinonaldehyde, oxalic acid and LUCM were considered to be produced by photochemical reactions during transport to Happo.

Although confined animal production generates enormous per-unit-area quantities of waste, wastewater from dairy and swine operations has been successfully treated in constructed wetlands. However, solids removal prior to wetland treatment is essential for long-term functionality. Plants are an integral part of wetlands; cattails and bulrushes are commonly used in constructed wetlands for nutrient uptake, surface area, and oxygen transport to sediment. Improved oxidation and nitrification may also be obtained by the use of the open water of marsh-pond-marsh designed wetlands. Wetlands normally have sufficient denitrifying population to produce enzymes, carbon to provide microbial energy, and anaerobic conditions to promote denitrification. However, the anaerobic conditions of wetland sediments limit the rate of nitrification. Thus, denitrification of animal wastewaters in wetlands is generally nitrate-limited. Wetlands are also helpful in reducing pathogen microorganisms. On the other hand, phosphorus removal is somewhat limited by the anaerobic conditions of wetlands. Therefore, when very high mass removals of nitrogen and phosphorus are required, pre- or in-wetland procedures that promote oxidation are needed to increase treatment efficiency. Such procedures offer potential for enhanced constructed wetland treatment of animal wastewater.