In this study, local air quality impacts of a proposed conventionalcoal-fired power plant in the İçel region has been investigated using numerical dispersion modeling studies coupled with a GIS application. Within the impact area of the facility, Industrial Source Complex Short Term (ISCST2) dispersion model has been used to estimate ground-level concentrations of air pollutants originating from the power plant. For the same impact area, GIS applications have been utilised to determine the agricultural yield distribution. For this purpose, relevant satellite images were digitised, classified and statistically analyzed. Based on the predicted ground-level pollutant concentrations and sensitivity of the agricultural crops to the pollutants, agricultural yield loss was estimated for the impact area.The results have been quantified and valuated in monetary terms for the purpose of performing an environmental cost benefit analysis. Comparison of the conventional cost benefit analysis with the environmental cost benefit analysis showed the significance of the external cost of the proposed facility, resulting from the environmental damages.

The contributions of different acidifying processes to the total protonload (TPL) of the soil in control plots (C) and ammonium sulphate treatedplots (NS) were studied in a Norway spruce stand in Southwest Sweden during 1988–1998. The annual deposition of inorganic nitrogen and sulphate was on average 18 kg N and 20 kg S ha⁻¹. In addition the NS treated plots received 100 kg N and 114 kg S ha⁻¹annually. The amounts of nutrients added to the ecosystem by wet and dry deposition and the leaching at 50 cm depth were calculated. The net atmosphericproton load, the proton load by nitrogen transformations in the soil, the sulphate sorption/desorption in the soil and the excess base cation accumulation in biomass were calculated. There was no leaching of inorganic nitrogen from control plots during the study period. The net atmospheric proton deposition, originating from sulphuric and nitric acid deposition, was the main contributor to TPL in control plots. The addition of ammonium sulphate increased the leaching of ammonium, nitrate, sulphate, magnesium and calcium but not of potassium. The TPL in NS plots was about ten times that in control plots. The nitrogen transformation processes were the main contributors to TPL to NS soil, in the beginning by ammonium uptake and later also by nitrification. The pH decreased by 0.4 units in the mineral soil. The between-year variation in TPL during the eleven year period in C plots (200–1500 molcha⁻¹yr⁻¹) and in NS plots (1000–13000 molcha⁻¹yr⁻¹) was mainly dependent on the sorption or release of sulphate. Both in C and NS, the TPL was buffered mainly by dissolving solid aluminium compounds, most probably some Al(OH)₃phase.

The adsorption characteristics of heavy metals: cadmium(II), chromium(III), copper(II), nickel(II), lead(II), and zinc(II) ions by kaolin (kaolinite) and ballclay (illite) from Thailand were studied. This research was focussed on the pH, adsorption isotherms of single-metal solutions at 30–60 °C by batch experiments, and on ion selectivityin mixed and binary combination solutions. It was found that, except Ni, metal adsorption increased with increased pH of the solutions and their adsorption followed both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Adsorption of metals in the mixture solutions by kaolin was: Cr > Zn > Cu ≈ Cd ≈ Ni > Pb, and for ballclay was: Cr > Zn > Cu > Cd ≈ Pb > Ni. The adsorption of metals was endothermic, with the exception of Cd, Pb and Zn for kaolin, Cu and Zn for ballclay. Kaolin and ballclay exhibited relatively hard Lewis base adsorption site. The presence of other metals may reduce or promote the adsorption of heavy metals. The presence of Cr³⁺induced the greatest reduction of metal adsorptiononto kaolin, as did the presence of Cu²⁺for ballclay.

More than 600 arable soils from Flanders (Northern-Belgium) were analysed for their total acid extractable contents of As, B, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in order to determine any increase in the natural background values. Samples were taken at random in several municipalities throughout Flanders. Areas with known historical or actual sources of trace element emissions were omitted although in some cases the distance between those sources and the sampling locations was not more than 20 km. The main soil types were, ranging from north to south: sand, loamy sand, light sandy-loam, sandy-loam and loam. In the coastal area, clay soils (sea polders) were sampled. In addition to the analysis of trace elements, the soil texture class, the pH and the carbon content were determined. Macro- or mesonutrients, Ca, K, P, Mg and Na, were determined from a weak acid extract of the soil samples. Correlations between trace elements and macronutrients provide some information about fertilisation practices and heavy metal sources.A limited number of soils showed slightly enhanced levels for As, Be, Cu, Co, Cr Mn, Ni Pb and Zn. In most cases, this could be linked to the regional industrial activities. However, a clear increase for Cu and Zn, above the natural background could be distinguished in areas with low atmospheric heavy metal deposits. In these cases, the excessive use of animal manure in the past may be the reason for this enrichment. However there was no indication that the Cd content of the soil was raised by the use of large amounts of pig slurry and/or by other common agricultural activities.

Assessing metal contamination of sediments requires knowledge of the geochemical partitioning of trace metals at the sediment-water interface. Under controlled laboratory conditions, sequential extraction was conducted to determine the associations of metals (Cd, Cr, and Zn) and radiotracers (¹⁰⁹Cd,⁵¹Cr, and⁶⁵Zn) with various geochemical phases and the different partitioning and mobility of metals for two types of surface sediments collected from the Huanghe and Changjiang Rivers in Eastern China. The residual phase was the major phase for stable metal binding, indicating that these sediments had little subjection to recent anthropogenic influences. Fe–Mn oxides were the next important binding phases for metals. The partitioning of metals in various geochemical phases as a function of the duration of the radiolabeling was also examined. Trace metals transferred among the different geochemical phases over the 30 days radiolabeling period, particularly between the carbonate and Fe–Mn oxides phases. The freshwater-sediment distribution coefficients (Kd) of three metals were investigated in batch experiments using the radiotracer technique. The decreasing Kdwith increasing metal concentration(from 0.5 to 200 μg L⁻¹) may be explained by competitive adsorption. The metal Kdin sediments from the Changjiang River was greater than those from the Huanghe River, presumably because of the higher Fe/Mn and organic carbon contents in Changjiang River sediment. The Kddecreased with increasing total suspended solid load from 3 to 500 mg L⁻¹, and was Cr > Zn > Cd. For Cd and Zn, increasing the pH from 5 to 8 resulted in an increase in Kddue to the reduced H⁺competition and increasing sorptionpotential. However, the Kdfor Cr in the sediments from both rivers showed no relationship with pH, presumably becauseof the complexity of the Cr species and environmental behavior.

In this study, the adsorption of phosphate on gas concrete from aqueous solutions has been studied as functions of temperature, mixing rates and suspension pH. Over 99% of phosphate removal was found. The chemical composition of the gas concrete has been defined by X-ray analysis. Experimental data was fitted to the Langmuir equation in order to Langmuir coefficients. After calculating Langmuir coefficients, adsorption free energy (Δ G⁰ₐdₛ.) has been determined. In order to gather information about adsorption mechanism, electrophoretic mobilites of particles were measured at various pHs by using Zeta meter 3.0+. It has been found that the adsorption is driven by the interactions between the ionizations of CaO and Al₂O₃and the formation of AlPO₄. According to the BET (N₂) measurements, the specific surface area of gas concrete was found as 22 m²g⁻¹. The surface area after adsorption has been found as 17 m²g⁻¹. The surface area covered by adsorbate has been found as 5.23 m²g⁻¹by usingaₛ= nˢₘ. aₘ. NA. These two areas determined by BET and Langmuir model were close to each other (BET: 22 m²g⁻¹–17 m²g⁻¹).

Fourteen species of wild growing mushrooms and surface (0–10 cm) soils were collected near Lake Wdzydze in the northern part of Poland in 1996–1997 to understand the status of mercury pollution. Concentrations of mercury in mushrooms varied between 100±30 and 2400±1900 ng g⁻¹dry matter in caps and 60±1 and 1300±1500 ng g⁻¹dry matter in stalks. Concentrations of mercury in underlying soil were between 30±1 and 140±120 ng g⁻¹dry matter (between 36±18 and 63±100 ng g⁻¹depending on the soil type). Bioconcentration factors (BCF: concentrations in mushroom/concentrationin soil) of total mercury were between 2.3±1.1 and 90±110 for caps, and between 2.1±1.0 and 53±56 for stalks. Scaly tooth (Sarcodon imbricatum) contained the greatest concentrations of mercury in the flesh. However, there was no significant relationship (p >: 0.05) between mercury content in the fruiting bodies of this speciesto soil mercury concentrations. A significant (p < 0.01) positive relationship between mercury content in caps to underlying soil was noted for European cow bolete (Suillus bovinus), while a negative relationship between mercury content in caps and stalks to underlying soil was observed for Sandy knight-cap (Tricholomaflavovirens), Shaggy scale-head (Pholiota squaroso-adiposa),Gypsy mushroom (Rozites caperata) and Pine spike cap (Chroogomphus rutilus).