Radiocesium (137Cs) migration from headwater forested areas to downstream rivers has been investigated in many studies since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, which was triggered by a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The accident resulted in the release of a huge amount of radioactivity and its subsequent deposition in the environment. A large part of the radiocesium released has been shown to remain in the forest. The dissolved 137Cs concentration and its temporal dynamics in river water, stream water, and groundwater have been reported, but reports of dissolved 137Cs concentration in soil water remain sparse.In this study, soil water was sampled, and the dissolved 137Cs concentrations were measured at five locations with different land-use types (mature/young cedar forest, broadleaf forest, meadow land, and pasture land) in Yamakiya District, located 35 km northwest of FDNPP from July 2011 to October 2012. Soil water samples were collected by suction lysimeters installed at three different depths at each site. Dissolved 137Cs concentrations were analyzed using a germanium gamma ray detector. The dissolved 137Cs concentrations in soil water were high, with a maximum value of 2.5 Bq/L in July 2011, and declined to less than 0.32 Bq/L by 2012. The declining trend of dissolved 137Cs concentrations in soil water was fitted to a two-component exponential model. The rate of decline in dissolved 137Cs concentrations in soil water (k1) showed a good correlation with the radiocesium interception potential (RIP) of topsoil (0–5 cm) at the same site. Accounting for the difference of 137Cs deposition density, we found that normalized dissolved 137Cs concentrations of soil water in forest (mature/young cedar forest and broadleaf forest) were higher than those in grassland (meadow land and pasture land).

Environmental risk assessment (ERA) is a useful methodology to estimate the possible adverse effects to human health due to contaminants exposure. In the case of agricultural scenarios, this method requires knowing the concentrations of contaminants in soil solution and vegetation, among other parameters. This study aimed to develop multicorrelation models to estimate metal extractable from soil as a function of total metal concentration in soil and soil properties in a cattle manure application scenario. It also aimed to estimate metal concentrations in plant by soil–plant uptake factors (UF). All the multicorrelation models obtained were significant, ranging R² values from 0.44 for Cd to 0.92 for Cu. Soil–plant UF were an adequate method for the estimation of metal concentration in plant, since the relationship between the soil–plant UF and the extractable metal concentration from soil was significantly described by a power model, for all the heavy metals.

The aim of the proposed research is to investigate the effects of UV-radiation on chemical composition, palatability and digestibility of summer pasture plants of reindeer. The studies are planned to be conducted in natural peatland ecosystems with (I) enhanced UV-B radiation, provided by UV-B lamps and (II) with UV-filtration experiments with the same plant species in reindeer pastures in the Lappi Reindeer Herding Cooperative in Eastern Finnish Lapland. The results will provide information about the effects of ambient and enhanced UV radiation on summer pastures of reindeer and can be used to evaluate their consequences on reindeer management

Heavy metal(loid) rich ash (≤10,000 mg kg−1 total As, Cr, Cu and Zn) originating from the combustion of contaminated wood was subjected to several experimental procedures involving its incorporation into an upland pasture soil. Ash was added to soil that had been prior amended with local cattle manure, replicating practices employed at the farm scale. Metal(loid) concentrations were measured in soil pore water and ryegrass grown on soil/manure plus ash mixtures (0.1–3.0% vol. ash) in a pot experiment; toxicity evaluation was performed on the same pore water samples by means of a bacterial luminescence biosensor assay. Thereafter a sequential extraction procedure was carried out on selected soil, manure and ash mixtures to elucidate the geochemical association of ash derived metal(loid)s with soil constituents. Predictive modelling was applied to selected data from the pot experiment to determine the risk of transfer of As to meat and milk products in cattle grazing pasture amended with ash.The inclusion of manure to soils receiving ash reduced phyto-toxicity and increased ryegrass biomass yields, compared to soil with ash, but without manure. Elevated As and Cu concentrations in pore water and ryegrass tissue resulting from ash additions were reduced furthest by the inclusion of manure due to an increase in their geochemical association with organic matter. Zinc was the only measured metal(loid) to remain uniformly soluble and bioavailable regardless of the addition of ash and manure. Risk modelling on pot experimental data highlighted that an ash addition of >1% (vol.) to this pasture soil could result in As concentrations in milk and meat products exceeding acceptable limits.The results of this study therefore suggest that even singular low doses of ash applied to soil increase the risk of leaching of metal(loid)s and intensify the risk of As transfer in the food chain.

PCDD/Fs and PCBs are environmentally persistent substances that have been associated with adverse effects on human health. Contamination of soils, animal feed and pastures leads to their bioaccumulation of in food products of animal origin, which are considered the major source of intake of these contaminants in humans. We analyzed eggs from free-range hens, sampled from small farms, located within a distance of 4.5 km from a secondary aluminum smelter in Northern Italy. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and NDL-PCBs were higher in eggs from locations close to the plant, and strongly exceeded the limits set by EU Regulation 1259/2011 (2.5 pg WHO TEQ fat g−1 for PCDD/Fs, 5.0 pg WHO TEQ g−1 for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs L, 40 ng g−1 for NDL-PCBs). Consuming contaminated eggs may pose a risk for human health, especially for children (≤9 years) and infants (≤3 years), due to the 2-fold excess of the current exposure limits.

Limited studies on bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) along terrestrial food chains were conducted. The food chain air–grass–yak (butter) in the pasture region of Namco in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) was chosen for study. The air, grass and butter POPs in the TP were at the lower end of the concentrations generally found around the globe. HCB was the main pollutant in air and butter. Besides HCB, β-HCH and p,p′-DDE were the other major compounds in butter. Along the food chain, DDTs and high molecular weight PCB-138, 153 and 180 had higher Biological Concentration Factor values. The air–butter transfer factors of POPs were derived and demonstrated the practical advantage in predicting the atmospheric OCPs and PCBs to the TP. This study sheds light on the transfer and accumulation of POPs along the terrestrial food chain of the TP.

Increasing tropospheric ozone (O3) and nitrogen soil availability (N) are two of the main drivers of global change. They both may affect gas exchange, including plant emission of volatiles such as terpenes. We conducted an experiment using open-top chambers to analyze these possible effects on two leguminous species of Mediterranean pastures that are known to have different O3 sensitivity, Ornithopus compressus and Trifolium striatum. O3 exposure and N fertilization did not affect the photosynthetic rates of O. compressus and T. striatum, although O3 tended to induce an increase in the stomatal conductance of both species, especially T. striatum, the most sensitive species. O3 and N soil availability reduced the emission of terpenes in O. compressus and T. striatum. If these responses are confirmed as a general pattern, O3 could affect the competitiveness of these species.

Globally, the legume–rhizobia symbiosis, contained within specialised organs called root nodules, is thought to add at least 30 Tg N annually to agricultural land. The growth and functioning of a modern white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Crusader) and red clover (T. pratense cv. Merviot) cultivar were investigated in current and future ozone scenarios in solardomes. Both cultivars developed leaf injury and had significant reductions in root biomass and root nodule number in response to ozone, with Crusader also displaying a reduced size and mass of nodules. In-situ measurements of N-fixation in Crusader by acetylene reduction assay revealed reduced N-fixation rates in a future scenario with an increased background and moderate peaks of ozone. The implications for the sustainability of temperate pasture are discussed.

Spent shotgun pellets may contaminate terrestrial ecosystems. We examined the fate of elements originating from shotgun pellets in pasture and woodland ecosystems. Two source-receptor pathways: i) soil-soil pore water-plant and ii) whole earthworm/worm gut contents - washed and unwashed small mammal hair were investigated. Concentrations of Pb and associated contaminants were higher in soils from shot areas than controls. Arsenic and lead concentrations were positively correlated in soils, soil pore water and associated biota. Element concentrations in biota were below statutory levels in all locations. Bioavailability of lead to small mammals, based on concentrations in washed body hair was low. Lead movement from soil water to higher trophic levels was minor compared to lead adsorbed onto body surfaces. Lead was concentrated in earthworm gut and some plants. Results indicate that managed game shooting presents minimal risk in terms of element transfer to soils and their associated biota.

To decrease the concentration of the toxic metal cadmium (Cd) in topsoil, and the human food chain, many countries have limited the Cd concentration allowed in phosphorus (P) fertilisers. However, to inform those limits we need accurate estimates of Cd leaching from established farming systems. Different soil layers were sampled to 2000 mm depth of a long-term trial that had applied 22.5 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for 67 years to grazed pastures that received either no irrigation or were irrigated when soil moisture fell below 10 or 20%. The annual yield of Cd leaching from the top 150 mm of soil to the 151–250 mm layer was between 1.1 and 1.8 g ha⁻¹ with Cd leaching increasing with the frequency of irrigation. The rate of Cd accumulation measured to 2000 mm was within the mean and standard error estimated for treatments using a mass balance approach. Estimates of annual Cd leaching loss were like those established from field trials measuring leaching events over a year (0.3–1.8 g ha⁻¹) with a similar rate of P application (9–24 kg P ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Using a Cd leaching rate of 1.8 g ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and P applications rates of 22.5 kg P ha⁻¹, topsoil Cd concentrations may stop increasing if Cd concentrations in P fertiliser can be maintained at < 72 mg Cd kg⁻¹ P.