A field study was performed on the effects of acid mine leachate from slate mine tailings seeping into a small river passing through the tailings. Before entering the tailings the river water has high alkalinity which neutralizes acidity upon mixing with leachate within the tailings. Donwstreams of the tailings the pH of the river water ranges about pH = 8, the water contains high concentrations of sulfate (≈1500 μmol/1 and particulate bound aluminium (≈80 μmol/I), but low concentrations of dissolved aluminium (≈3 μmol/1). It is therefore assumed that AI(OH)₃ colloids are precipitated during the neutralisation process and transported out of the tailings. The concentration of particulate bound aluminium along the river shows a strong correlation with the concentration of sulfate, which indicates that particulate bound aluminium is conservative. It therefore seems that under dry weather conditions (under most of the sampling was performed) no chemical retention mechanism exists which confines the distribution of aluminium to a restricted part of the catchment area. In contrast, the white river sediment is rich in both aluminium and sulfate, which suggests the temporary formation of aluminium hydroxosulfate minerals. Favorable (i.e. acidic) conditions may prevail at high discharges where the acidity accumulated in the tailings is flushed into the river with its subsequent acidification.

The concentrations of As, Br and I were measured in needles, in the material deposited on the needle surface and in the soil. Results from 8 unpolluted and one polluted continental sites and from one maritime site are reported. The mass of al13 elements on the needle surface is similar to that in the needles. Needle concentrations increase linearly with the needle age class, but net accumulation during the first year is larger than during later years. There are significant correlations between the material on the needle surface and the needle concentrations for As and Br, but not between the soil and the needle concentrations. Bromine values are much higher at the polluted and at the maritime site than at the unpolluted sites.

In view of the toxic nature of Beryllium and its compounds the disposal of waste materials containing beryllium needs prior evaluation. The present study was undertaken to obtain information on the leachability and immobilisation of beryllium from solid waste red-mud generated in processing Beryl at the Beryllium Metal Plant at Vashi, New Bombay. The studies showed that 62% of the total beryllium in red-mud can be extracted by water by repeated leaching over a period of 445 d. The mixing of the waste material with cement and casting into cement blocks reduced the leachability of beryllium to 0.11% which got further reduced to 0.02% by thermal curing of cement blocks.

In June 1983 a whole-catchment liming experiment was conducted at Tjønnstrond, southernmost Norway, to test the utility of terrestrial liming as a technique to restore fish populations in remote lakes with short water-retention times. Tjønnstrond consists of 2 small ponds of 3.0 and 1.5 ha in area which drain a 25-ha catchment. The area is located at about 650–700 meters above sea-level in sparse and unproductive forests of spruce, pine and birch with abundant peatlands. A dose of 3 ton/ha of powdered limestone were spread by helicopter to the terrestrial area. No limestone was added to the ponds themselves. The ponds were subsequently stocked with brown and brook trout.Liming caused large and immediate changes in surface water chemistry; pH increased from 4.5 to 7.0, Ca increased from 40 to 200μeq/L, ANC increased from −30 to +70μeq/L, and reactive-Al decreased from about 10 to 3μmol/L. During the subsequent 11 years the chemical composition of runoff has decreased gradually back towards the acidic pre-treatment situation. The major trends in concentrations of runoff Ca, ANC, pH, Al and NO₃ in runoff are all well simulated by the acidification model MAGIC. Neither the measured data nor the MAGIC simulations indicate significant changes in any other major ion as a result of liming.The soils at Tjønnstrond in 1992 contained significantly higher amounts of exchangeable Ca relative to those at the untreated reference catchment Storgama. In 1992 about 75% of the added Ca remains in the soil as exchangeable Ca, 15% has been lost in runoff, and 10% is unaccounted for.The whole-catchment liming experiment at Tjønnstrond clearly demonstrates that this liming technique produces a long-term stable and favourable water quality for fish. Brown trout in both ponds in 1994 have good condition factors, which indicate that the fish are not stressed by marginal water quality due to re-acidification. The water quality is still adequate after 11 years and >20 water renewals. Concentrations of H⁺ and inorganic Al have gradually increased and approach levels toxic to trout, but the toxicity of these are offset by the continued elevated Ca concentrations. Reduced sulphate deposition during the last 4 years (1990–94) has also helped to slow and even reverse the rate of reacidification. The experiment at Tjønnstrond demonstrates that for this type of upland, remote terrain typical of large areas of southern Norway, terrestrial liming offers a suitable mitigation technique for treating acidified surface waters with short retention times.

In the late 1980s, citrus plantations in the area of Villarreal (Spain) showed injuries similar to those previously reported for boron and fluorine toxicity. The area was affected by the disposal of industrial wastewater, mainly from ceramic industries. Conjunctive uses of surface water, groundwater and wastewater for irrigation had taken place. A survey was conducted at 25 orchards to assess leaves and soil for their boron, fluorine, lead, nickel and zinc contents. Wastewater and groundwater were also analyzed to corroborate the presence of these pollutants. The results showed that both boron and fluorine contents were greater than those reported as excess at the most part of the orchards included in the study. Heavy metals toxicity effects were not confirmed. Boron pollution was attributed to industrial wastewater spills and fluorine contamination from atmospheric pollution.

Groundwater in the Rio de las Avenidas sub-basin corresponds to the bicarbonate-sodium and bicarbonate-calcium hydrochemical facies, which result from the mineralization of water passing through alkaline rocks (andesites) which prevail in this basin. However, the presence of high concentrations of Na⁺ and K⁺ reveals the existence of an external inflow of these elements: the registered mean values are respectively 94.3 and 19.0 ppm, with the Tèllez and Tizayuca areas standing out with reported values of up to 142 ppm. As for the concentration of soluble water cations, we find in decreasing order: Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, along with the anions HCO₃ ⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, CO₃ ⁻, which combine to form the NaHCO₃, NaCl, Ca(HCO₃)₂, MgSO₄ and KCl salts. The presence of biological contaminants, P and detergents in the groundwater indicates that it may have been contaminated by waste water. In addition to the contaminants mentioned above, large quantities of Pb, B, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Co were detected and although Fe, Pb, Zn, B, and Mn are closely related to the local lithology, the high concentrations of these elements along with the occurrence of Co, Cr, Cd, and Ni confirm the gradual degradation of the aquifers in the sub-basin. The water temperature indicates the existence of low temperature thermal processes in the area.

The Catalonian river sediments were found to be rich in keratinolytic fungi. The keratinolytic fungal populations showed clear seasonal changes in the river sediments. The main factors ‘regulating’ these populations in such habitat were temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, ammonium, nitrates, total fungal number, BOD₅, water poisons (cyanides, detergents, phenols), salinity and, presumably, strong insolation associated with low water levels. The last was probably of special importance in the deterioration of the fungal populations in the spring/summer season. A toxic effect on keratinolytic fungi in sediments was observed.Chrysosporium keratinophilum was found to be most resistant to industrial contaminants and salinity. Therefore, this species could be used as an indicator of water pollution.

The foliage contents of Sₜₒₜₐₗ and Nₜₒₜₐₗ were determined in 405 Permanent monitoring plots in four National Parks and sixteen Landscape Protection Areas and were compared with 1483 Permanent monitoring plots on Slovakia. The foliage content of S ranged from 0.72 to 6.77 g kg⁻¹ in hardwoods and from 0.98 to 4.3 g kg⁻¹ in softwoods. A critical increase was determined in one National Park and in four Landscape Protection Areas. The foliage content of N ranged from 9.7 to 48.7 g kg⁻¹ in softwoods, and from 7.8 to 51.4 g kg⁻¹ in hardwoods. An insufficient level of N was determined in one Landscape Protection Area and a critical increase in four Landscape Protection Areas. The sulphur to nitrogen ratio ranged from 0.08 to 0.176 in softwoods, and from 0.078 to 0.253 in hardwoods. The foliage surface on hitherto explored four National Parks and sixteen Landscape Protection Areas in network 4×4 km was covered by all categories of rigid fallout particles. Fly-ash from coal combustion were observed each of National Parks and Landscape Protection Areas by scanning electron microscopy. Mycelia and spore, mineral matters, sand and soil particles were present on all National Parks and Landscape Protection Areas. Particles derived from aluminium production were observed at three Landscape Protection Areas. Particles derived from cement production and from lime works were observed at two National Parks and six Landscape Protection Areas. Particles derived from ferrous metals industry were observed at each of National Parks and Landscape Protection Areas and particles typical for other technologies were present in three of National Parks and twelve Landscape Protection Areas.