Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed in 70 soils distributed in mountain areas such as Montseny (300–1,700 m), Pyrenees (1,500–2,900 m), Alps (1,100–2,500 m), and Tatras (1,400–1,960 m). Average total PAH concentrations, excluding retene and perylene, were about 400 ng/g in the Pyrenees and 1,300–1,600 ng/g in the other mountain ranges. No correlations between PAH concentrations and total organic carbon were observed. Retene was the major PAH in the Pyrenean soils of lower altitude. No altitudinal dependence was found between soil PAH concentrations and elevation for the whole dataset. However, in the Tatra soils a statistically significant correlation with altitude was observed involving higher concentrations at higher altitude. This correlation was due to the statistically significant altitudinal dependence of the more volatile PAHs. Another observed altitudinal trend concerned the benz[a]anthracene/(benz[a]anthracene + chrysene + triphenylene) and the benzo[a]pyrene/(benzo[a]pyrene + benzo[e]pyrene) ratios that exhibited a decrease in the more chemically labile compounds, benz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene, respectively, in the soils located at higher altitude. This observation is consistent with the expected higher photooxidation at higher mountain altitude.

The risks of exceeding EU limit values for NO2 concentrations have increased in many European cities, and compliance depends strongly on meteorological conditions. This study focuses on meteorological conditions and their influences on urban background NO2 concentrations in the city of Gothenburg for 1999–2008. The relations between observed NO2 concentrations and meteorological conditions are constructed using two modelling approaches: multiple linear regression and synoptic regression. Both approaches assume no trends in emissions over the study period. The multiple linear regression model is established on observed local meteorological variables. The synoptic-regression model first groups days according to synoptic conditions using Lamb Weather Types and then uses linear regression on each group separately. A model comparison shows that linear regression model and synoptic-regression model perform satisfactory. The synoptic-regression model gives higher explained variance (R 2) against observations during the calibration years (1999–2007), in particular for the morning peak and afternoon–evening peak concentrations, but the improvement in the validation period is weak. The annual mean NO2 variations, and their trends during the study period, were assessed using the synoptic-regression model. The synoptic-regression model is able to explain 54%, 42% and 80% of the annual variability of daily mean, morning peak and afternoon–evening peak NO2 concentrations, respectively. The observed and modelled annual means of the daily mean and morning/afternoon–evening peak NO2 concentrations show decreasing trends from 1999 to 2008. All trends, except the trend in annual-average observed morning peak NO2 are statistically significant. The presence of trends in the modelled NO2 concentrations—even though emissions are assumed to be constant—leads us to conclude that weather and climate alone are responsible for a substantial fraction of the recent declines in observed NO2 concentrations in Gothenburg. Favourable meteorological conditions may have mitigated increases in local NO2 emissions during 1999 to 2008.

Lake Mallusjärvi in the cultural landscape of Mallusjoki, southern Finland, suffers from algal blooms during summers and oxygen depletions during winters due to increased nutrient input resulting from extensive agricultural activities in the catchment. In this study, a sediment profile from the lake was studied using fossil midge (Diptera: Nematocera) analysis and a hypolimnetic oxygen transfer function was applied to establish baseline conditions of hypolimnetic oxygen. In addition, physical properties of the sediment were determined. The inferred late winter hypolimnetic oxygen content was elevated in the beginning of the sediment sequence, but decreased dramatically at ca. 200 cal BP, as the inferred values indicated frequently anoxic condition coinciding with increased agricultural use in the catchment. The results indicated that dramatic changes have occurred in the taxon composition. The high-oxygen Stempellina–Ablabesmyia monilis-type community first changed to moderate-oxygen Procladius–Stempellinella community, and finally to low-oxygen Microchironomus tener–Chironomus plumosus-type community, following the eutrophication process. These changes in macrobenthic faunal assemblages reproduced considerably higher inferred hypolimnetic oxygen reference condition values for hypolimnetic oxygen, compared to the present status.

This study evaluated the copper ion adsorption capacity of sugarcane bagasse in natura and chemically modified with citric acid and sodium hydroxide. Adsorption analyses in batch system were carried out in function of contact time with the adsorbent and adsorbate concentration. Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the copper concentrations. Adsorption experimental data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich linear models, and the maximum adsorption capacity was estimated for copper ions in function of modifications. The chemical modifications were confirmed at 1,730 cm−1 peak in infrared spectra, referring to the carboxylate groups. The required time for the adsorption to reach equilibrium was 24 h and the kinetics follows the behavior described by the pseudo-second order equation. Besides, a significant improvement of the copper adsorption has been observed after the bagasse treatment, where the maximum adsorption capacity was 31.53 mg g−1 for copper using modified bagasse with nitric acid according to Langmuir isotherm linear model. The high uptake of copper ions from aqueous medium verified by chemically modified sugarcane bagasse makes this material an attractive alternative for effluent treatment and avoids environmental contamination.

As one of the important problems in global change, elevated ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation induced by the depletion of stratospheric ozone layer has received more and more attentions around the world. Field experiment with barley was conducted to investigate the effects of elevated UV-B radiation on microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil. The experiment was designed with two UV-B radiation levels, i.e., elevated (E, simulating 25% stratospheric ozone depletion) and ambient (A, control), and performed at the Station of Agricultural Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China. Compared with the control, elevated UV-B radiation significantly depressed shoot biomass by 13.2–42.6% and root biomass by approximately 50% from jointing to ripening stage. Elevated UV-B radiation significantly increased microbial biomass C and N in nonrhizosphere soil in most cases, but significantly decreased microbial biomass C and N in rhizosphere soil. Further researches are needed to elucidate whether the above findings are connected with the changes in composition and amount of root exudates induced by elevated UV-B radiation, which can mainly affect the dynamics of soil microbial biomass.

The roles of verapamil (VRP), a calcium channel blocker, on cadmium-induced physiological stress in freshwater teleost Oncorhynchus mykiss were investigated in this study. Forty-eight juvenile rainbow trout were divided randomly into four groups, i.e., control group, VRP group (100 μg/L VRP), Cd group (50 μg/L Cd2+), and VRP + Cd group (100 μg/L VRP + 50 μg/L Cd2+). After 1-week exposure, oxidative stress indices (lipid peroxidation and carbonyl protein) and antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and reduced glutathione) were measured in gill and liver of all tested fish. Additionally, the behavioral changes were recorded during the experimental period. Compared with the control, cadmium-induced stress was apparent as reflected by a serious oxidative stress in gill and liver tissues, inhibited branchial antioxidant parameters, and induced hepatic antioxidant responses, as well as abnormal behaviors observed. In the VRP + Cd group, the antioxidant defense system of fish returned to the control level, and the fish behavioral abnormalism markedly decreased. The present results suggested that VRP could reduce the cadmium-induced physiological stress in rainbow trout and provided further evidence that Cd2+ uptake through Ca2+ transport pathways in freshwater teleost.

The adsorption capacity of seven inorganic solid wastes [air-cooled blast furnace (BF) slag, water-quenched BF slag, steel furnace slag, coal fly ash, coal bottom ash, water treatment (alum) sludge and seawater-neutralized red mud] for Cd2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Zn2+ and Cr3+ was determined at two metal concentrations (10 and 100 mg L−1) and three equilibrium pH values (4.0, 6.0 and 8.0) in batch adsorption experiments. All materials had the ability to remove metal cations from aqueous solution (fly and bottom ash were the least effective), their relative abilities were partially pH dependant and adsorption increased greatly with increasing pH. At equimolar concentrations of added metal, the magnitude of sorption at pH 6.0 followed the general order: Cr3+ ≥ Pb2+ ≥ Cu2+ > Zn2+ = Cd2+. The amounts of previously sorbed Pb and Cd desorbed in 0.01 M NaNO3 electrolyte were very small, but those removed with 0.01 M HNO3, and more particularly 0.10 M HNO3, were substantial. Water treatment sludge was shown to maintain its Pb and Cd adsorption capability (pH 6.0) over eight successive cycles of adsorption/regeneration using 0.10 M HNO3 as a regenerating agent. By contrast, for BF slag and red mud, there was a very pronounced decline in adsorption of both Pb and Cd after only one regeneration cycle. A comparison of Pb and Cd adsorption isotherms at pH 6.0 for untreated and acid-pre-treated materials confirmed that for water treatment sludge acid pre-treatment had no significant effect, but for BF slag and red mud, adsorption was greatly reduced. This was explained in terms of residual surface alkalinity being the key factor contributing to the high adsorption capability of the latter two materials, and acid pre-treatment results in neutralization of much of this alkalinity. It was concluded that acid is not a suitable regenerating agent for slags and red mud and that further research and development with water treatment sludge as a metal adsorbent are warranted.

This study was conducted to determine the potential of in situ biodegradation and identify the geochemical and microbial processes of the petroleum-contaminated subsurface environment using integrated hydro-bio-geochemical markers so that the risk of contamination to subsurface environment can be better understood. The contamination process and corresponding bio-geo-chemistry were analysed in parallel with geochemical and multi-variant statistical modelling at a petroleum-contaminated site in the northeast China. The total petroleum hydrocarbon analysed in the monitoring wells and soil profile demonstrated heavy contamination with potential risk to human health and eco-environment. Further detailed analysis of petroleum fractions revealed a clear spatial variation of organic compositions in groundwater. It was evident that biodegradation and preferential biodegradability contributed considerably to the fraction distribution pattern, which can also be implicated by carbon and microbial respiration in the subsurface environment. The steady decrease in SO4 2- concentration, detection of S2-, and increase in pH and alkalinity (HCO3 -) in groundwater during the monitoring period demonstrated that sulphate reduction was the dominant biodegradation process in most contaminated zones. The results of statistical analysis further suggested that the hydro-geochemical environment was mainly controlled by the regional hydro-geochemical and sulphate reduction process associated closely with the total petroleum hydrocarbon. Knowledge from the comprehensive study provides useful insight on fate, transport and risk assessment of the petroleum contaminants in the shallow subsurface environment.

The speciation of mercury (Hg) in Minamata Bay (Japan) was studied over a 2-year period (2006–2008). Concentrations of dissolved total Hg, dissolved methylmercury (MeHg), particulate total Hg, and suspended solids were 0.43 ± 0.14 ng/l (mean ± standard deviation), 0.10 ± 0.06 ng/l, 3.04 ± 2.96 ng/l, and 5.94 ± 2.10 mg/l, respectively. Correlations between concentrations of particulate total Hg and suspended solids at four depths (surface: 0 m; mid-depth: −6 m, −10 m; and bottom +1 m layer) were only significant in the bottom +1 m layer. The mean dissolved MeHg concentration and the ratio of dissolved MeHg to dissolved total Hg were considerably higher in summer compared to other seasons. The data suggest that bottom sediment was not the sole source of MeHg, and that MeHg may be produced in the water column by the conversion of divalent Hg eluted from resuspended bottom sediment. The correlation between seawater characteristics such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved MeHg concentration indicates that Hg methylation could be influenced by the heterotrophic activity of microorganisms in the seawater. In particular, inverse correlations were observed between DO, salinity, and MeHg concentration. However, dissolved MeHg concentrations did not correlate with seawater characteristics such as pH or chlorophyll-a.

Arsenic (As)-contaminated irrigation water is responsible for high As levels in soils and crops in many parts of the world, particularly in the Bengal Delta, Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. While arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi markedly improve phosphorus (P) uptake, they can also alleviate metal toxicity. In this study, the effects of superphosphate and inoculation with the AM fungus Glomus mosseae on P and As uptake of lentil were investigated. Plant height, shoot dry weight, shoot/root P concentration, and shoot P content increased due to mycorrhizal inoculation. However, As concentration in roots/shoots and root As content were reduced, plant height, shoot dry weight, shoot/root P concentration/content, and root As concentration and content increased due to superphosphate application. Root P concentration decreased with increasing As concentration. It was apparent that As concentration and content in shoots/roots increased with increasing As concentration in irrigation water. Superphosphate interaction with G. mosseae reduced the role of mycorrhizal infection in terms of enhancing P nutrition and reducing uptake of potentially toxic As into plant parts. The role and relationship of mycorrhizal in respect of P nutrition and As remediation efficiency in plant parts was established. In conclusion, it was worth alluding to that lentil with AM fungal inoculation can reduce As uptake and improve P nutrition. However, in retrospect superphosphate increased P and As uptake and decreased the role of the mycorrhizal association. This resulted in stimulating increased P uptake while decreasing As uptake in lentil.