The ammonia stomatal compensation point of plants is determined by leaf temperature, ammonium concentration ([NH4+]apo) and pH of the apoplastic solution. The later two depend on the adjacent cells metabolism and on leaf inputs and outputs through the xylem and phloem. Until now only empirical models have been designed to model the ammonia stomatal compensation point, except the model of Riedo et al. (2002. Coupling soil-plant-atmosphere exchange of ammonia with ecosystem functioning in grasslands. Ecological Modelling 158, 83e110), which represents the exchanges between the plant’s nitrogen pools. The first step to model the ammonia stomatal compensation point is to adequately model [NH4+]apo. This [NH4+]apo has been studied experimentally, but there are currently no process-based quantitative models describing its relation to plant metabolism and environmental conditions. This study summarizes the processes involved in determining the ammonia stomatal compensation point at the leaf scale and qualitatively evaluates the ability of existing whole plant N and C models to include a model for [NH4+]apo.

The effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in photosystem II (Φ2) was shown to be reduced in the terricolous lichens Cetraria aculeata and Cetraria islandica by short-term exposure to aqueous SO2 at pH values occurring in the precipitation of areas with high SO2 pollution. Significant reduction of Φ2 was found at pH <= 3.3. At pH 2.8, Φ2 was close to zero and did not recover within 24 h. This suggests that sensitivity to SO2 (primarily associated with epiphytic lichens in the past) has contributed to the decline of both species in central Europe. In C. islandica, but not in C. aculeata, thalli with the natural content of lichen substances were more tolerant to SO2 than thalli where the extracellular lichen substances were extracted before the experiment. This supports published results that the depsidone fumarprotocetraric acid, a major lichen substance of C. islandica, increases the pollution tolerance in lichens. Artificial acidic precipitation with aqueous sulphur dioxide at pH 2.8-3.5 affects terricolous Cetraria species.

A wide variety of aquatic organisms, including juvenile salmonids, assess local predation risks using chemosensory cues. Such chemical cues are typically released from injured conspecifics and their detection may lead to species-typical antipredator behaviour, increasing the probability of prey to survive during predator encounters. Studies have demonstrated however, that under weak acidification (pH ~6.0), the response towards these chemical alarm cues is impaired. However, it remains unknown if the loss of response is graded (i.e., the behavioural response decreases with a reduction in pH) or if there is a threshold pH at which prey can no longer detect the alarm cues. We conducted two laboratory experiments to examine the effects of a graded reduction in pH on the behavioural response of juvenile rainbow trout to conspecific chemical alarm cues. The results of our first experiment suggest that at pH 6.6 and above, the alarm cues elicited a strong antipredator response, while alarm cues buffered to pH 6.2 did not (i.e. not different from distilled water). However, alarm cues buffered to pH 6.4 elicited a weak response, suggesting a graded response. We directly tested this in our second experiment using a repeated measures design. The response to alarm cues at varying pH levels did indeed follow a graded loss of function. Together, our results suggest that juvenile rainbow trout exhibit a reduction in the response to conspecific alarm cues proportional to ambient acidity and that the response to these critically important cues is lost at pH below 6.4. As the detection and response to these chemical alarm cues have been shown to confer direct survival benefit to individuals, these results are therefore presented in relation to possible sub-lethal effects of anthropogenic acidification to freshwater fish.

Inorganic nitrogen deposition and leaching in stream water were monitored from January, 2001 to December, 2004 in a subtropical evergreen mixed forest in central-south China. The seasonal concentration and flux of inorganic nitrogen in bulk precipitation and stream water, seasonal mean net retention of nitrogen and net flux of H⁺ transformed by nitrogen were estimated and quantified in Shaoshan forest. The research results show that the correlation coefficient of fluxes between bulk precipitation and stream water is significant, with a coefficient 0.916 at the 0.01 level. Mean fluxes of inorganic nitrogen input are 2.62 g m⁻² a⁻¹ and 0.516 g m⁻² a⁻¹ in form of bulk precipitation and dry deposition respectively, and output in stream water is around 0.22 g m⁻² a⁻¹, which indicates that most of nitrogen input is reserved in the forest. Net retention of nitrogen reaches 2.916 g m⁻² a⁻¹, just higher than other study plots over the world. Along with the translating of nitrogen ( [graphic removed] and [graphic removed] ), H⁺ is imported to the forest ecosystem at the same time. At our study plots, net flux of H⁺ transformed by nitrogen is about 73.57 mmol m⁻² a⁻¹. The positive value suggests that Shaoshan forest is still a finer buffering system to nitrogen deposition and it is far from nitrogen saturation in spite of the high nitrogen deposition.

To investigate the consequences of acidification and metal accumulation on the biology of aquatic bryophytes, the acid-tolerant liverwort Scapania undulata (L.) Dum. and the acid-sensitive moss Rhynchostegium riparioides (Hedw.) Cardot were transplanted from one stream to two other streams of differing acidity (pH 5.20 and 6.38). The bryophytes were collected in a circumneutral (pH 6.57) stream in the Vosges Mountains. Metal accumulation was semi-quantitatively measured in shoots by energy dispersive TEM X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). After 1 month, the two species remained green without alteration signs. Although no marked ultrastructural damage was observed in either species, some cells seemed to be necrotic, with flattened chloroplasts, in R. riparioides. Lipid droplet accumulation was observed in some leaf cells of S.undulata when transplanted to the most acidic stream. Metal was mostly localised in the cell wall, and was only sometimes detected in small vacuoles. Under acidic conditions, R. riparioides showed the highest relative amount of Al and the lowest amount of Fe, whereas the acid-tolerant bryophyte species S. undulata contained more Fe and less Al. The capability to limit the uptake of metals into the cytoplasm varies according to the bryophyte species. This could be an explanation of the tolerance of S. undulata to acidification.

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.

Aluminium is a non-essential element for biological systems and is used in water and wastewater processes that rely on (micro)biological purification processes. The effect of Al doses ranging from 100 to 2,000 μg/l on the microbial dissolved oxygen uptake (respiration) over a 24-h period was assessed. Results indicated that Al can reduce the 24-h respiration, but the effects of pH depression due to Al dosing during testing should be taken into account.

A 20-month column experiment investigated leaching of Al, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb during sulphide oxidation in mine tailings with and without sewage sludge (SS) amendment. Leachate pH decreased gradually in all columns during the experiment, irrespective of treatment, due to sulphide oxidation. As the degree of sulphide oxidation, and thus the pH trajectory, differed between replicates (n = 3), running data for each column used are reported separately and the relationships between sulphide oxidation, metal leaching and treatment in each column compared. Mean pH in the columns correlated negatively with total amounts of leached SO₄ ²⁻. In the beginning of the experiment the leachate concentrations of Al, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb were higher in SS-treated columns due to high initial concentrations of dissolved organic carbon. As leaching proceeded, however, the amounts of Al, Cu, Mn and Ni leached from the columns were closely related to the degree of sulphide oxidation in each column, i.e. to its mean pH. There were no statistically significant differences between treatments regarding the total amounts of metals leached and thus addition of sewage sludge to the tailings appeared to play a minor role for metal leaching patterns. Peak concentrations of Al and Cu in the leachate from untreated tailings and of Zn in the leachate from both untreated and SS-treated tailings at pH 4 exceeded national background values for groundwater.

The chemical composition of precipitation in the city of Mersin on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey has been studied. Spatial and temporal variability of rainwater constituents have been determined from samples collected at two central and two suburban stations for the December 2003-May 2005 period. A total of 246 samples covering all precipitation events were analyzed to determine pH, conductivity, as well as major anion (Cl-, [graphic removed] , [graphic removed] ); major cation (H⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, [graphic removed] ) and formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations. The pH varied within a range of 4.8-8.5, with only 8 out of 246 samples being acidic (pH < 5.6), and the remaining highly alkaline samples being neutralized by either [graphic removed] in rainwater, or by CaCO₃ resulting from wet deposition of atmospheric dust. The volume weighted mean ΣAnion/ΣCation ratio was 0.49. The equivalent concentration of major ionic species followed the order: [graphic removed] . Formaldehyde concentrations varied in the range of 0.01-17.9 μM, and was found to be dependent on precipitation volume. Relatively higher [graphic removed] , [graphic removed] , [graphic removed] and HCHO concentrations, mainly of anthropogenic origin, measured near the city center suggest increased pollution from local anthropogenic sources, e.g., residential heating, industrial and/or traffic emissions. In general, the results of this study suggest local precipitation chemistry is more strongly influenced by natural (mineral dust and marine) sources compared to anthropogenic ones.

The sorption behavior of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), an anionic surfactant, on marine sediments was systematically investigated. The experimental results showed that 100 min was required for the adsorption equilibrium. For the sediments treated by HCl and H₂O, sorption behavior of SDBS was fit with linear isotherm very well over the concentration range studied at 298 K. The sorption occurred primarily due to partition function of hydrophobic chains into organic carbon of sediments. Sorption of SDBS on H₂O₂-treated sediments was satisfactorily fit with Freundlich isotherm model and mainly through surface function of clay minerals in the sediment. The sorption was favorably influenced by the increased salinity, deceased pH and decreased temperature of seawater.