While nitrogen input exceeded the critical loads of the WHO (1995), nitrogen deficiency and nutrient imbalances were verified by needle analyses. The atmospheric input of inorganic nitrogen was higher than the nitrogen output in 50 cm soil depth. A tracer experiment with 15N helped to prove that not more than half of the applied nitrate could be discharged. This allows the conclusion that nitrogen is stored in the system and that the site cannot yet be said to be saturated with nitrogen. The same result was also obtained by modelling

Cadmium (Cd) and its forms has recently been a focus of attention due to its toxic effects on human health and the environment. We evaluated the atmospheric deposition of Cd during three consecutive winter seasons (2009–2011) at 10 mountain-top locations in the Czech Republic along the borders with Poland, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. Cadmium concentrations of soluble and insoluble forms in both horizontal (rime) and vertical (snow) deposition were determined using sector-field ICP-MS. Across the sites, 94% of the total winter Cd deposition occurred in the soluble (environmentally available) Cd form. Mean concentrations of soluble Cd in rime were six times higher than in snow (398 vs. 66 ng L⁻¹). Vertical deposition contributed as much as 41% to the total winter Cd input. Between-site variability in Cd deposition was large, ranging between 13 and 108 μg m⁻² winter⁻¹. Overall, Cd concentrations in winter deposition did not reach the drinking water limits and did not pose a direct threat for human health. Long-term trends (1996–2017) in winter Cd deposition were evaluated at six GEOMON sites (a monitoring network of small forested catchments). Since 1996, Cd input in winter atmospheric deposition decreased by 73–93%. Simultaneously, we found declines in between-site variability in winter Cd inputs. The highest recent winter Cd inputs were found at sites located in the northeast of the country. A north-south pollution gradient, which has frequently been mentioned in the literature, was not observed, with both northwestern sites and southern sites being among those with the lowest Cd pollution. Backward trajectories of the HYSPLIT model for fresh snow samples identified Poland and Germany as major transboundary Cd pollution sources for the Czech Republic.

Genotoxic compounds, as common contaminants of the air environment, are of interest in air pollution monitoring. There are several methods to determine the level of these contaminants in different localities, many of which may be difficult to access with the use of conventional active and passive samplers. In the present study, the needles Pinus mugo Turra and Picea abies were used to monitor sampling localities in Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Needles were extracted and chemical analysis and the genotoxicity bioassay SOS chromotest were used to obtain complex information about the chemical mixture of pollutants present and their genotoxic effects. The SOS chromotest method was optimized by using a CPRG chromogenic substrate to reduce the false positive genotoxic effect of needle extracts. Pinus mugo Turra and Picea abies were identified as suitable passive sampling matrices for long-term air monitoring using the same plants sampled at the same time. The presented study brings an innovative method for the fast screening and identification of localities loaded by genotoxic active air contaminants.

Rigorous studies on long-term changes of heavy metal distribution in forest soils since the implementation of emission controls are rare. Hence, we resampled 97 old-growth beech stands in the Vienna Woods. This study exploits an extensive data set of soil (infiltration zone of stemflow and between trees area) and foliar chemistry from three decades ago. It was hypothesized that declining deposition of heavy metals is reflected in soil and foliar total contents of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn and Fe. Mean soil contents of Pb in the stemflow area declined at the highest rate from 223 to 50 mg kg−1 within the last three decades. Soil contents of Pb and Ni decreased significantly both in the stemflow area and the between trees area down to 80–90 cm soil depth from 1984 to 2012. Top soil (0–5 cm) accumulation and simultaneous loss in the lower soil over time for the plant micro nutrients Cu and Zn are suggested to be caused by plant uptake from deep horizons. Reduced soil leaching, due to a mean soil pH (H2O) increase from 4.3 to 4.9, and increased plant cycling are put forward to explain the significant increase of total Mn contents in the infiltration zone of beech stemflow. Top soil Pb contents in the stemflow area presently exceed the critical value at which toxicity symptoms may occur at numerous sites. Mean foliar contents of all six studied heavy metals decreased within the last three decades, but plant supply with the micro nutrients Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe is still in the optimum range for beech trees. It is concluded that heavy metal pollution is not critical for the studied beech stands any longer. Microsites, affected by beech stemflow, are very useful for studying the legacy of high atmospheric heavy metal deposition.

Rigorous studies of recovery from soil acidification are rare. Hence, we resampled 97 old-growth beech stands in the Vienna Woods. This study exploits an extensive data set of soil (infiltration zone of stemflow and between trees area at different soil depths) and foliar chemistry from three decades ago. It was hypothesized that declining acidic deposition is reflected in soil and foliar chemistry. Top soil pH within the stemflow area increased significantly by 0.6 units in both H2O and KCl extracts from 1984 to 2012. Exchangeable Ca and Mg increased markedly in the stemflow area and to a lower extent in the top soil of the between trees area. Trends of declining base cations in the lower top soil were probably caused by mobilization of organic S and associated leaching with high amounts of sulfate. Contents of C, N and S decreased markedly in the stemflow area from 1984 to 2012, suggesting that mineralization rates of organic matter increased due to more favorable soil conditions. It is concluded that the top soil will continue to recover from acidic deposition. However, in the between trees areas and especially in deeper soil horizons recovery may be highly delayed. The beech trees of the Vienna Woods showed no sign of recovery from acidification although S deposition levels decreased. Release of historic S even increased foliar S contents. Base cation levels in the foliage declined but are still adequate for beech trees. Increasing N/nutrient ratios over time were considered not the result of marginally higher N foliar contents in 2012 but of diminishing nutrient uptake due to the decrease in ion concentration in soil solution. The mean foliar N/P ratio already increased to the alarming value of 31. Further nutritional imbalances will predispose trees to vitality loss.

The aim was to determine the prevalence of E. coli and coliform bacteria in playground sand of all public children's sandpits in Graz (n = 45), Austria, and to assess the frequency of antimicrobial resistance in E. coli. Molecular characterization included the discrimination of O-serotypes and H-antigens and the determination of virulence and resistance genes, using a microarray technology. E. coli isolates were tested for susceptibility to a set of antibiotics by VITEK2 system and disk diffusion method. In total, 22 (49%) and 44 (98%) sandpits were positive for E. coli and coliform bacteria. Median concentrations of E. coli and coliform bacteria in the sand samples were: 2.6 × 104 CFU/100 g and 3.0 × 105 CFU/100 g. Resistance rates were: ampicillin, 12.5%; piperacillin, 10.4%; amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, 9.4%; cotrimoxazole, 6.3%; tetracycline, 6.3%; piperacillin/tazobactam, 5.2%. No ESBL- or carbapenemase-producing isolates were found. The most prevalent serogroups were O15, O6 and O4. Isolates harbored 0 up to 16 different virulence genes.

The contribution of ZAMG to MONAROP consists of special weather forecasts to control the SOCs sampling procedure and of the analysis of the specific transport processes for SOCs, which is still in progress. In this paper, air pollutant transport into the Alps is demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants: Measurements of NOx and ozone provide evidence for air pollutant transport by local wind systems (valley and slope winds), especially at low elevated sites of the Alps. In addition, trajectory analyses for the high elevation sites demonstrate the importance of large scale synoptic air pollutant transport. The effects of these transport processes with different spatial and temporal scales are governed by the physical and chemical properties of the particular pollutant. First results for the high alpine MONARPOP stations show that air masses from east Europe influence mostly Sonnblick (Austria), whereas the influence of the Po basin is strongest at Weissfluhjoch (Switzerland). Effects of meteorological transport processes on air pollution in the Alps are demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants and first conclusions for SOCs are drawn.

This study focuses on magnetic susceptibility processing and analysis towards fast and cost-efficient discrimination and semi-quantification of anthropogenic heavy metal loads in soil. Spatial variability of magnetic susceptibility was investigated on sets of soil cores from both “polluted” and “less polluted” forest soil close to a steel mill near Leoben, Austria. Test sites of 10 m2 represent “site scale” dimensions. Statistical analysis of magnetic data provides a boundary depth indicating the transition from the “polluted” to the deeper, “unpolluted” zone in contaminated natural soil. Introduction of a block master curve simplifies the complex variations of individual curves, and represents magnetic susceptibility at “site scale”. For linking the block master curve to heavy metals we only require magnetic susceptibility data from one soil core and heavy metal data from two sub-samples from the same core. Our optimized magnetic susceptibility data processing scheme provides an applicable tool to semi-quantify anthropogenic heavy metal loads in soil.