Primitive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling releases large amounts of organic pollutants and heavy metals into the environment. As crucial moderators of geochemical cycling processes and pollutant remediation, soil microbes may be affected by these contaminants. We collected soil samples heavily contaminated by e-waste recycling in China and Pakistan, and analyzed the indigenous microbial communities. The results of this work revealed that the microbial community composition and diversity, at both whole and core community levels, were affected significantly by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Zn, and Pb). The geographical distance showed limited impacts on microbial communities compared with geochemical factors. The constructed ecological network of soil microbial communities illustrated microbial co-occurrence, competition and antagonism across soils, revealing the response of microbes to soil properties and pollutants. Two of the three main modules constructed with core operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were sensitive to nutrition (total organic carbon and total nitrogen) and pollutants. Five key OTUs assigned to Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Nitrospirae in ecological network were identified. This is the first study to report the effects of e-waste pollutants on soil microbial network, providing a deeper understanding of the ecological influence of crude e-waste recycling activities on soil ecological functions.

Organic waste has great potential for use as an amendment to immobilize heavy metals in the environment. Therefore, this study investigates various properties of cow manure (CM) and its derived vermicompost (CV), including the pH, cationic exchangeable capacity (CEC), elemental composition and surface structure, to determine the potential of these waste products to remove Pb2+ and Cd2+ from solution. The results demonstrate that CV has a much higher pH, CEC and more irregular pores than CM and is enriched with minerals and ash content but has a lower C, H, O and N content. Adsorption isotherms studies shows that the adsorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ onto either CM or CV follows a Langmuir model and presents maximum Pb2+ and Cd2+ adsorption capacities of 102.77 mg g−1 and 38.11 mg g−1 onto CM and 170.65 and 43.01 mg g−1 onto CV, respectively. Kinetic studies show that the adsorption of Pb2+ onto CM and CV fits an Elovich model, whereas the adsorption of Cd2+ onto CM and CV fits a pseudo-second-order model. Desorption studies indicate that CV is more effective than CM in removing Pb2+ and Cd2+. FTIR analysis demonstrates that the adsorption of Pb2+ and Cd2+ onto CM mainly depends on existed aliphatic alcohol, aromatic acid as well as new produced carbonates, whereas that onto CV may be contributed by the existed aliphatic alcohol, aromatic acids as well as some carbonates and phosphates. Thus, vermicomposting disposal of cow manure with destination mineral addition may broaden the way of its recycle and environmental usage.

Quantitative identification of nitrate (NO3−-N) sources is critical to the control of nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in an agricultural watershed. Combined with water quality monitoring, we adopted the environmental isotope (δD-H2O, δ18O-H2O, δ15N-NO3−, and δ18O-NO3−) analysis and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) mixing model to determine the proportions of riverine NO3−-N inputs from four potential NO3−-N sources, namely, atmospheric deposition (AD), chemical nitrogen fertilizer (NF), soil nitrogen (SN), and manure and sewage (M&S), in the ChangLe River watershed of eastern China. Results showed that NO3−-N was the main form of nitrogen in this watershed, accounting for approximately 74% of the total nitrogen concentration. A strong hydraulic interaction existed between the surface and groundwater for NO3−-N pollution. The variations of the isotopic composition in NO3−-N suggested that microbial nitrification was the dominant nitrogen transformation process in surface water, whereas significant denitrification was observed in groundwater. MCMC mixing model outputs revealed that M&S was the predominant contributor to riverine NO3−-N pollution (contributing 41.8% on average), followed by SN (34.0%), NF (21.9%), and AD (2.3%) sources. Finally, we constructed an uncertainty index, UI90, to quantitatively characterize the uncertainties inherent in NO3−-N source apportionment and discussed the reasons behind the uncertainties.

Phytoremediation, a technique used to reclaim heavy metal-contaminated soils, requires an understanding of plant physiological responses to heavy metals. However, the majority of studies documenting heavy metal impact on plant functioning have been performed in laboratory or greenhouse settings. We predicted that increased soil heavy metal concentrations reduce photosynthesis and biomass production in trees growing in metal contaminated soil in a naturally re-vegetated urban brownfield. Leaf gas exchange, leaf carbon and nitrogen concentration, and tree biomass were recorded and compared for Populus deltoides and Populus tremuloides growing in an urban brownfield. The CO2 compensation point (CCP) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations and species, with P. deltoides displaying a greater CCP and P. tremuloides displaying a lower CCP as soil metal concentration increased, despite no changes in dark respiration for either species. In terms of biomass, only total branch weight (TBW) and leaf area (LA) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations, though the difference was largely attributable to variation in diameter at breast height (DBH). Furthermore, TBW and LA values for P. deltoides did not decrease with increasing soil metal concentration. Soil metal concentration, thus, had minimal effect on the relationship between tree age and DBH, and no effect on relationships of tree age and height or LA, respectively. Significant differences between soil metal concentrations and species were found for δ15N (isotopic nitrogen ratio) while leaf nitrogen content (% N) also differed significantly between species. Long-term water use efficiency derived from carbon isotope analysis (iWUEisotope) differed significantly between trees grown on different soil metal concentrations and a significant species-metal concentration interaction was detected indicating that the two study species responded differentially to the soil metal concentrations. Specifically, P. tremuloides enhanced while P. deltoides reduced long-term iWUEisotope as soil metal concentration increased, further emphasizing the importance of species and possible genotype selection for phytoremediation.

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) is an important driver of global change, causing alterations in ecosystem biodiversity and functionality. Environmental assessments require monitoring the emission and deposition of both the amount and types of Nr. This is especially important in heterogeneous landscapes, as different land-cover types emit particular forms of Nr to the atmosphere, which can impact ecosystems distinctively. Such assessments require high spatial resolution maps that also integrate temporal variations, and can only be feasibly achieved by using ecological indicators. Our aim was to rank land-cover types according to the amount and form of emitted atmospheric Nr in a complex landscape with multiple sources of N. To do so, we measured and mapped nitrogen concentration and isotopic composition in lichen thalli, which we then related to land-cover data. Results suggested that, at the landscape scale, intensive agriculture and urban areas were the most important sources of Nr to the atmosphere. Additionally, the ocean greatly influences Nr in land, by providing air with low Nr concentration and a unique isotopic composition. These results have important consequences for managing air pollution at the regional level, as they provide critical information for modeling Nr emission and deposition across regional as well as continental scales.

In this study water balance components as well as nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon leaching were quantified by means of large weighable grassland lysimeters at three sites (860, 770 and 600 m a.s.l.) for both intensive and extensive management. Our results show that at E600, the site with highest air temperature (8.6 °C) and lowest precipitation (981.9 mm), evapotranspiration losses were 100.7 mm higher as at the site (E860) with lowest mean annual air temperature (6.5 °C) and highest precipitation (1359.3 mm). Seepage water formation was substantially lower at E600 (−440.9 mm) as compared to E860. Compared to climate, impacts of management on water balance components were negligible. However, intensive management significantly increased total nitrogen leaching rates across sites as compared to extensive management from 2.6 kg N ha−1 year−1 (range: 0.5–6.0 kg N ha−1 year−1) to 4.8 kg N ha−1 year−1 (range: 0.9–12.9 kg N ha−1 year−1). N leaching losses were dominated by nitrate (64.7%) and less by ammonium (14.6%) and DON (20.7%). The low rates of N leaching (0.8–6.9% of total applied N) suggest a highly efficient nitrogen uptake by plants as measured by plant total N content at harvest. Moreover, plant uptake was often exceeding slurry application rates, suggesting further supply of N due to soil organic matter decomposition. The low risk of nitrate losses via leaching and surface runoff of cut grassland on non-sandy soils with vigorous grass growth may call for a careful site and region specific re-evaluation of fixed limits of N fertilization rates as defined by e.g. the German Fertilizer Ordinance following requirements set by the European Water Framework and Nitrates Directive.

Moss nitrogen (N) concentrations and natural 15N abundance (δ15N values) have been widely employed to evaluate annual levels and major sources of atmospheric N deposition. However, different moss species and one-off sampling were often used among extant studies, it remains unclear whether moss N parameters differ with species and different samplings, which prevented more accurate assessment of N deposition via moss survey. Here concentrations, isotopic ratios of bulk carbon (C) and bulk N in natural epilithic mosses (Bryum argenteum, Eurohypnum leptothallum, Haplocladium microphyllum and Hypnum plumaeforme) were measured monthly from August 2006 to August 2007 at Guiyang, SW China. The H. plumaeforme had significantly (P < 0.05) lower bulk N concentrations and higher δ13C values than other species. Moss N concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in warmer months than in cooler months, while moss δ13C values exhibited an opposite pattern. The variance component analyses showed that different species contributed more variations of moss N concentrations and δ13C values than different samplings. Differently, δ15N values did not differ significantly between moss species, and its variance mainly reflected variations of assimilated N sources, with ammonium as the dominant contributor. These results unambiguously reveal the influence of inter-species and intra-annual variations of moss N utilization on N deposition assessment.

The source of anthropogenic nutrient and its spatial extent in three fringing reefs with differing human population gradients in Kenya were investigated using stable isotope approaches. Nutrient concentrations and nitrate-δ15N in seepage water indicated that population density and tourism contributed greatly to the extent of nutrient loading to adjacent reefs. Although water-column nutrient analyses did not show any significant difference among the reefs, higher δ15N and N contents in macrophytes showed terrestrial nutrients affected primary producers in onshore areas in Nyali and Bamburi reefs, but were mitigated by offshore water intrusion especially at Nyali. On the offshore reef flat, where the same species of macroalgae were not available, complementary use of δ15N in sedimentary organic matter suggested inputs of nutrients originated from the urban city of Mombasa. If population increases in the future, nutrient conditions in the shallower reef, Vipingo, may be dramatically degraded due to lower water exchange ratio.

China is the world's largest mariculture producer. However, there is limited detailed information on organic matter distribution generated by mariculture in China. This study assessed the total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) in surface sediments from Zhelin Bay in South China. TOC, TN, δ13C and δ15N ranged from 0.46–1.23%, 0.08–0.20%, −22.07 to −21.13‰ and 5.28–7.14‰, respectively, and followed similar spatial patterns. The C/N ratio coupled with isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N), indicates that the TOC originated from both terrestrial and marine sources. In general, surface sediments of Zhelin Bay were dominated by marine derived organic carbon; this form of carbon was separately calculated based on δ13C-based two end-member mixing and C/N ratio models.

As nitrogen entering coastal waters continues to be an issue, much attention has been generated to identify potential options that may help alleviate this stressor to estuaries, including the propagation of bivalves to remove excess nitrogen. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria) from numerous Cape Cod, MA, (USA) sources were analyzed for nitrogen content stored in tissues that would represent a net removal of nitrogen from a water body if harvested. Results showed local oysters average 0.69% nitrogen by total dry weight (mean 0.28gN/animal) and quahogs average 0.67% nitrogen by total dry weight (mean 0.22gN/animal); however, these values did vary by season and to a lesser extent by location or grow-out method. The differences in nitrogen content were largely related to the mass of shell or soft tissue. Nitrogen isotope data indicate shellfish from certain water bodies in the region are incorporating significant amounts of nitrogen from anthropogenic sources.