A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the soil to plant transfer factor (TFS-P) of K-40, Cs-137, Th-232 and U-238 in perennial plants from accessible areas of Mumbai, using high-resolution γ spectrometry. A total of 50 soil and 150 plants samples were collected from all over the Mumbai region where lithology is dominated by basaltic rocks. The mean concentration values for K-40, Cs-137, Th-232 and U-238 in soil was 170.06 ± 65.36, 5.19 ± 1.20, 25.72 ± 6.262 and 10.21 ± 2.82 Bq kg⁻¹ respectively, whereas in case of plants the mean concentration values were determined to be 181.82 ± 18.50, 0.44 ± 0.14, 0.84 ± 0.19 and 0.79 ± 0.22 Bq kg⁻¹ respectively. The mean activity ratio of Th-232/U-238 in plants is 1.06 while in soil the ratio is 2.5. The soil to plant transfer factor (TFS-P) calculated for K-40, Cs-137, U-238 and Th-232 are 1.05, 0.076, 0.071 and 0.031 respectively. Higher value of TFS-P for K-40, which is an integral part of stable potassium clearly indicates the physiological need of stable potassium, for maintaining the different biological mechanisms of perennial plants under tropical conditions.

Intensive cultivation of fen peat soils (Eutric Histosols) for agricultural purposes, started in Europe about 250 years ago, resulting in decreased soil fertility, increased oxidation of peat and corresponding CO₂-emissions to the atmosphere, nutrient transfer to aquatic ecosystems and losses in the total area of the former native wetlands. To prevent these negative environmental effects set-aside programs and rewetting measures were promoted in recent years. Literature results and practical experiences showed that large scale rewetting of intensively used agricultural Histosols may result in the mobilisation of phosphorus (P), its transport to adjacent surface waters and an accelerated eutrophication risk. The paper summarises results from an international European Community sponsored research project and demonstrates how results obtained at different scales and from different scientific disciplines were compiled to derive a strategy to carry out rewetting measures. A decision support system (DSS) for a hydrologically sensitive area in the Droemling catchment in north-eastern Germany was developed and is presented as a tool to regulate rewetting in order to control P release. It is demonstrated that additional laboratory experiments to identify essential processes of P release during rewetting and the site-specific management of the water table, the involvement of specific knowledge and experience of the stakeholders are necessary to develop an applicable DSS. The presented DSS is practically used to prevent freshwater resources from diffuse P pollution.

Temporal changes in microbial community function (enzymatic activities) and structure (phospholipid fatty acids) were studied in a post-mining chronosequence of coal discard sites of different rehabilitation ages. The objective was to determine whether temporal changes in microbial community function and structure were related to rehabilitation age or management practices. No trends consistent with the rehabilitation ages (1 to 11 years) of the respective sites were observed. A canonical correspondence analysis showed that sites clustered according to the time of sampling irrespective of their individual rehabilitation ages. Sites sampled in 2002 clustered together, while sites sampled in 2004 and 2005 clustered separately from the 2002 sites. This corresponded with a change in management practices applied after 2002. Dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase activities for all sites were higher after 2002. Urease activities were lower after 2002, with the exception of Site 3 (4 years old in 2002). Phospholipid fatty acid data showed significant (p < 0.05) differences between sites of different rehabilitation ages over the study period. There was a decrease in microbial biomass in all sites from 2002 to 2004 but an increase in 2005. Fungal to bacterial abundance ratios for all sites decreased over the study period. The proportion of the total microbial community comprised of Gram positive bacteria increased from 2002 to 2005. These data show the value of microbial community function and structure to elucidate management effects that may not be apparent through traditional assessments of rehabilitation status such as aboveground indicators.

Chemical ultraviolet (UV)-filters are used in sunscreens to protect the skin from harmful UV radiation which may otherwise cause sunburns and skin cancer. Commonly used chemical UV-filters are known to cause endocrine disrupting effects in both aquatic and terrestrial animals as well as in human skin cells. Here, source mapping and substance flow analysis were applied to find the sources of six UV-filters (oxybenzone, avobenzone, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl dimethyl PABA and homosalate) and to identify the most dominant flows of these substances in Denmark. Urban water, composed of wastewater and surface waters, was found to be the primary recipient of UV-filters, whereby wastewater received an estimated 8.5-65 tonnes and surface waters received 7.1-51 tonnes in 2005. In wastewater treatment plants, their sorption onto sludge is perceived to be an important process and presence in effluents can be expected due to a lack of biodegradability. In addition, the use of UV-filters is expected to continue to increase significantly. Not all filters (e.g., octyl dimethyl PABA and homosalate) are used in Denmark. For example, 4-MBC is mainly associated with self-tanning liquids and private import of sunscreens.

A simple analytical method for the quantitative analysis of fluoroquinolone group antibiotics, enrofloxacin (ENR) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) in soil was developed based on the mechanical extraction with vortex and ultrasonication and solid phase extraction followed by high pressure liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Type of extraction solvents and number of extraction cycles were optimized during the method development. The most efficient extraction solvent was found as phosphate buffer at pH 3 in combination with 50% of organic modifier acetonitrile with the extraction cycle of four. Overall method was applied on three different types of soils, namely, sandy, loamy sand and sandy loam and recovery rates ranged between 71-100% for ENR and 61-89% for CIP depending on the portion of organic and clay content in soils. The analytical method was also used for the estimation of fluoroquinolone concentrations in manure amended agricultural soils sampled from the different parts of Turkey and enrofloxacin was detected in the concentration range of 0.013-0.204 mg/kg. In addition, sorption of fluoroquinolone antibiotics on all types of soils was investigated and the highest distribution coefficients (Kd and Kf) of fluoroquinolone compounds were obtained for loamy sand (Kd = 1.29 l/g and Kf = 0.66 for CIP; Kd = 0.97 l/g and Kf = 0.56 for ENR) with the highest organic carbon.

In the view of accepted ideas about the preservation of nitrite in freshwater, this short note presents experiments questioning standard laboratories procedures and tries to be a caveat to experimenters looking for sole total nitrite values more than for total nitrate plus nitrite concentrations. To validate an adequate preservation technique for nitrite, we realized a series of three experiments investigating the effect of filtration, freezing and ageing on initial nitrite concentrations found in freshwater samples collected in an agricultural watershed. Experiment results demonstrate no adsorption or dilution of NO₂ ⁻ concentrations during filtration. Nonetheless, we recommend using filtration only when sample turbidity is visible at the eye to avoid any contamination with laboratory materials during manipulations. Furthermore, results also indicate that freezing samples induces a significant decrease of NO₂ ⁻ concentrations whereas the long term storage at 4°C of samples induces a smaller variability on nitrite concentrations. In consequence, we forbid the use of freezing as a preservation technique for nitrite analysis from freshwater samples and rather recommend storage of samples at 4°C for a period of 48 h.

As a new member of the European Union (EU), Romania has to align its economy with that of other EU partners, including the addition of a proactive component to environmental protection. This requires the development of a transitive approach capable of overcoming the difficulties of implementing the sustainability paradigm within an emerging market-oriented economy, which despite its progress, is still not fully prepared to understand and accept sustainability. This paper describes such a transition, showing how INCD ECOIND (the main Romanian Research and Development entity in the field of industrial ecology) reshaped its policies to include in current projects developed with Romanian partners the following elements: the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive, components relating to the REACH Process; the Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) mainframe and assistance in cultivating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an intrinsic part of modern enterprise. Lessons learned from previous and current projects are presented, underlining the complexity of obstacles met and problem-solving procedures derived and verified in practice.

The contamination of 27 urban topsoils has been assessed around two lead and zinc smelters (Metaleurop Nord and Umicore) in the North of France. Eighteen trace elements have been analysed (Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, In, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, Tl, Th, U and Zn). The investigation included the study of the vertical distribution of Cd, Pb and Zn as indicators of pollution. It was shown that Cd, In, Pb, Sb and Zn were major pollutants followed in lesser quantities by Ag, Bi, Cu and Hg. In addition, As, Ni, Se, Sn and Tl were present at levels slightly higher than regional agricultural values. The other elements (Co, Cr, Th and U) were at endogenous levels. The observations have highlighted the strong heterogeneity of the physico-chemical parameters of urban soils and the existence of heavy contamination of the under layers by Cd, Pb and Zn. A potential transfer of metals from the topsoil to the deeper layers and especially Cd and Zn, is not excluded. Indeed the soil rework is not the only factor explaining contamination level of the deeper layers of the studied soils. The comparison of the studied element concentrations in urban soils with nearby local agricultural values shows that the dust emission originating from the Metaleurop and Umicore smelters were not the only source of contamination. Thus a large contamination of the studied urban soils by Sb and In could be explained by domestic combustion of coal for heating.

Soil and water samples were analysed for trace metals and As in two watercourses and 14 sampling plots in a salt marsh polluted by mine wastes in SE Spain. Groundwater levels, soil pH and Eh were measured 'in situ' for a 12-month period in each sampling plot, and total calcium carbonate was also determined. Low concentrations of soluble metals (maximum Mn 1.089 mg L-¹ and maximum Zn 0.553 mg L-¹) were found in the watercourses. However, total metal contents were extremely high in the soils of a zone of the salt marsh (maximum 1,933 mg kg-¹ of Mn, 62,280 mg kg-¹ of Zn, 16,845 mg kg-¹ of Pb, 77 mg kg-¹ of Cd, 418 mg kg-¹ of Cu and 725 mg kg-¹ of As), and soluble metals in the pore water reached 38.7 mg L-¹ for Zn, 3.15 mg L-¹ for Pb, 48.0 mg L-¹ for Mn, 0.61 mg L-¹ for Cd and 0.29 mg L-¹ for As. Variable concentrations with depth indicate a possible re-mobilisation of the metals, which could be related to spatial and temporal variations of water table level, pH and Eh and to the presence of calcium carbonate. A tendency for the Eh to decrease in the warmest months and to increase in the coldest ones was found, especially, in plots that received water with a high content of dissolved organic carbon. Hence, the existence of nutrient effluent-enriched water may modify the physical-chemical conditions of the soil-water system and influence metal mobility.

In this paper, downward movement and availability of copper in soils irrigated with CuSO₄ algaecide treated water were examined using column leaching experiments. Two simulations considering 1 and 10 years irrigation period were conducted at copper application rate of about 18.7 kg CuSO₄/ha/year. Effluent copper concentrations and vertical distribution of acid and DTPA-extractable copper in the soil columns were determined. Nearly 99% of the applied copper was retained in the soil with a C e/C ₀ values on the order of 10⁻³. Retention profiles showed that copper was retained in the upper 2 to 3 cm of the soil. However, a significant fraction of the retained copper was detected in available form (DTPA-Cu) suggesting that plants toxicity could be a major limitation for the use of CuSO₄ treatment in irrigation water.