Two varieties of Bechmeria nivea (L.) Gaud. (Ramie), namely, triploid Tri-2 and diploid Xiangzhu-3, were potted with soils from Guangdong for 15 weeks and treated with 10 mmol kg⁻¹ EDTA or EGTA before harvest at 17th week. Lead, Zn, and Cd in plant and soil materials were analyzed, and their potential ecological risk in soils was simultaneously evaluated. These three metals in soils was found to be above 14.4, 3.0, and 29.9 times higher than the national (China) background value, 10.9, 6.19, and 96.7 times higher than the local (Guangdong) background value, and 1.25, 1.20, and 9.67 times higher than the maximum permissible concentration for soils, respectively. An ecological risk analysis of metals using Häkanson's method indicated an extremely high contamination and a significantly high potential ecological risk by these three metals in soils. The both ramie varieties contained respective concentration exceeding the concentration of <10, <80, and <0.27 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, for Pb, Zn, and Cd in normal plants, suggesting they were multimetal tolerant. Tri-2 generally contained higher Pb, Zn, and Cd than Xiangzhu-3. Treatment with EDTA or EGTA applied at 10 mmol kg⁻¹ generally promoted Pb or Cd concentration in both plants while the uptake of Zn was depressed. The ramie variety of Tri-2 and Xiangzhu-3 could extract 0.161 and 0.147 t ha⁻¹ of Cd, respectively, equaling to the 0.17 t Cd per hectare by Cd-hyperaccumulating species Viola baoshanensis. Therefore, two ramie varieties in this study had a higher extracting potential for removal of Cd from contaminated soils.

This paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding sources of anthropogenic mercury emission in Poland for the year 2005 and presents projection of mercury emission in perspective to the year 2020. These projections are treated separately as emissions from by-product sources and from product use since abatement strategies for these two source categories are very different. Emission projections until the year 2020 were prepared for: Status Quo scenario, Extended Emission Control scenario (EXEC) as well as for Maximum Feasible Technical Reduction scenario (MFTR). The general results were that Hg emission in Status Quo scenario, where no further action is taken to reduce mercury emission is predicted to rise between 2005 and 2020 for by-product sources, as a consequence of growing production of industrial goods and the consumption of raw materials, and is expected to be at the same level for the year 2020 for product use sources in comparison to the base year 2005, where no changes in consumption model were assumed. For EXEC and MFTR scenarios, assuming implementation of efficient control devices and changes in consumption model, decrease of mercury emission from by-product sources is expected between 2005 and 2020. Emission from mercury use in products for these scenarios is also predicted to decrease as a result of drop in mercury consumption. This paper presents also the social benefits for Poland result from Hg emission reduction and considered separately for ingestion and inhalation pathway. The costs and the social benefits related to the reduction of the heavy metals and PM2.5 are also presented.

The objective of the investigations of the Cetina River, located in southern Croatia, was to record specific characteristics and properties of the Cetina waters at nine stations. In addition to measurements undertaken in the Cetina River, the water quality of its most significant springs and tributaries, such as Kosinac, Šilovka, Studenci and Mala Ruda, Velika Ruda and Grab, has also been measured. The water quality in the Cetina watershed has been evaluated in the following storage reservoirs: Peruča, Buško Blato and Prančevići. The nitrogen compounds and phosphorus concentrations have been estimated at all these sampling sites over a 3-year period (2005-2008). Concentration levels at the Cetina-Vinalić sampling site for total N (from August 2005 to December 2008) ranged from 0 to 1.759 mg/L, for NH₃-N from 0 to 0.374 mg/L, for NO₃-N from 0.063 to 0.916 mg/L and for PO₄-P from 0 to 0.099 mg/L. The results prove that the Cetina-Vinalić sampling site is not polluted by nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. The river section from Trilj to the Prančevići dam, where the water is used for the water supply of Omiš, Makarska and Dalmatian islands, has been polluted by wastewater because the majority of agricultural area, roads, industry and settlements are located upstream of it. The highest concentration for total N of 1.128 mg/L and of 1,527 total coliforms in 100 mL, expressed as a mean value for a 3-year period of investigations, was found at the sampling site Trilj. The results of concentration changes at the Čikotina Lađa and Cetina Radmanove Mlinice sampling sites show no regularities. The highest concentration for total N of 0.941 mg/L was measured at the Cetina Radmanove Mlinice during 2007. The highest concentration for NO₃-N of 0.916 mg/L was measured at the same sampling site. According to the investigations of the water quality of the Cetina springs and tributaries, the bacteriological most polluted river spring is Kosinac, and the bacteriological most polluted river tributary is Grab. With reference to the water quality in the Cetina storage reservoirs, it may be concluded that the lowest quality standard has been found within the Prančevići storage reservoir regarding nitrogen compounds and phosphorus concentration levels.

Present research has delineated the biosorption potential of three different nonliving biomasses namely eucalyptus bark saw dust, mango bark saw dust, and pineapple fruit peel with respect to Zn (II) ion removal from liquid phase through batch experiments. The efficacy of Zn (II) ion biosorption onto surface of biosorbents was judged and correlated with biosorbent particle size, surface chemistry, and surface texture. Maximum metal ion uptake capacity, percentage removal, and minimum equilibrium concentration as 1.688 mg/g, 84.4%, and 1.56 mg/l, respectively, was obtained using eucalyptus bark saw dust mediated biosorption followed by mango bark saw dust as 1.028 mg/g, 51.4%, and 4.867 mg/l and pineapple fruit peel as 0.45 mg/g, 22.9%, and 7.71 mg/l, respectively, at a particle size of 0.5 mm. Additionally, present investigation also proved that biosorption efficiency and metal ion interaction with adsorbent surface also depends upon presence of functional groups involved in metal ion adsorption and surface porosity.

Cattle manure vermicompost has been used for the adsorption of Al(III) and Fe(II) from both synthetic solution and kaolin industry wastewater. The optimum conditions for Al(III) and Fe(II) adsorption at pH 2 (natural pH of the wastewater) were particle size of ≤250 µm, 1 g/10 mL adsorbent dose, contact time of 4 h, and temperature of 25°C. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms fitted reasonably well in the experimental data, and their constants were evaluated, with R ² values from 0.90 to 0.98. In synthetic solution, the maximum adsorption capacity of the vermicompost for Al(III) was 8.35 mg g⁻¹ and for Fe(II) was 16.98 mg g⁻¹ at 25°C when the vermicompost dose was 1 g 10 mL⁻¹, and the initial adjusted pH was 2. The batch adsorption studies of Al(III) and Fe(II) on vermicompost using kaolin wastewater have shown that the maximum adsorption capacities were 1.10 and 4.30 mg g⁻¹, respectively, at pH 2. The thermodynamic parameter, the Gibbs free energy, was calculated for each system, and the negative values obtained confirm that the adsorption processes were spontaneous.

This study examines the synoptic conditions controlling NOx pollution in the metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, using a semi-objective synoptic classification for the eastern Mediterranean. A day in which NOx concentration exceeded the Israeli standard in ≥1 of the seven monitoring stations was defined an “exceeding day” and in ≥5 as an “extensive exceeding day”. For 1998–2004, 19% and 3% of the days were found exceeding and extensive exceeding days, respectively, over 85% of them in the winter months, November–March. The inter-annual variation in the occurrence of the synoptic types was found to explain 72% of the variations in the number of exceeding days. A significant negative trend in the occurrence of types with high pollution potential explained the decrease of 10% per year in the number of exceeding days during 1998–2004. The Red Sea Trough, though being cyclonic system, contributed 51% of the exceeding days, while highs, though being more frequent, contributed only 35%. The “pollution potential” of a synoptic type was defined as the percentage of exceeding days belonging to this type. The majority of synoptic types with the highest pollution potential were cyclonic, most being the Red Sea Trough with western axis, with 82% potential. Our findings indicate that the identity of the synoptic system as cyclonic or anticyclonic is not the key factor for the pollution potential in the study region, but rather, the ambient atmospheric conditions they induce, i.e., high temperatures, static stability, and weak easterly offshore flow. Local processes are the direct cause of the pollution and that the role of the synoptic conditions is to enable, or even to reinforce, the supportive meso-scale processes. This study is a first step in downscaling synoptic features to local NOx pollution potential, constituting a basis for alarming against pollution events, based on the predicted synoptic conditions.

For a half century, total suspended solids (TSS) has been the most commonly utilized particulate matter (PM) gravimetric index for wastewater. While TSS has been extended to urban runoff, runoff phenomena are unique. Runoff is unsteady and transports heterodisperse inorganic granulometry, giving rise to the PM index, suspended sediment concentration (SSC). With respect to PM-associated chemical oxygen demand (CODp) in runoff, it is hypothesized that, while the TSS method can represent effluent CODp, the SSC method is required to represent influent CODp. CODp and PM indices (TSS and SSC) for runoff events with mass balances and manual sampling are analyzed to investigate this hypothesis. This study examined a series of rainfall-runoff events captured from an instrumented fully paved urban catchment subject to traffic loadings in Baton Rouge, LA. Results indicate TSS generated substantial event-based mass balance errors for CODp and Δm p (mg/g) across a hydrodynamic separator (HS) as compared to SSC. TSS underestimates sediment-bound COD (>75 µm), a significant portion (maximum of 63% and median of 50%) of influent load. Negative bias by the TSS method for influent CODp load increases as the heterodisperse particle size distribution becomes coarser. Above a PM of 250 mg/L, underestimation of CODp by the TSS method is statistically significant. Utilizing the SSC method, CODp reduction by a HS upstream of a batch clarifier (BC) indicates that a HS does not provide CODp reduction, compared to a BC with 60 min of residence time. Representative PM and CODP assessment suggests frequent BMP and drainage system maintenance to ensure proper operation and reduce pollutant elution.

This study is aimed at assessing the ability of metal-resistant yeast, Candida tropicalis, to uptake cadmium from the liquid medium. The minimum inhibitory concentration of Cd²⁺ against C. tropicalis was 2,800 mg L⁻¹. The yeast also showed tolerance towards Zn²⁺ (3,100 mg L⁻¹), Ni²⁺ (3,000 mg L⁻¹), Hg²⁺ (2,400 mg L⁻¹), Cu²⁺ (2,300 mg L⁻¹), Cr⁶⁺ (2,000 mg L⁻¹), and Pb²⁺ (1,200 mg L⁻¹). The yeast isolate showed typical growth curves, but low specific rate of growth was observed in the presence of cadmium. The yeast isolate showed optimum growth at 30°C and pH 7. The metal processing ability of the isolate was determined in a medium containing 100 mg L⁻¹ of Cd²⁺. C. tropicalis could decline Cd²⁺ 57%, 69%, and 80% from the medium after 48, 96, and 144 h, respectively. C. tropicalis was also able to remove Cd²⁺ 56% and 73% from the wastewater after 6 and 12 days, respectively. Cd produced an increase in glutathione (GSH) and non-protein thiol levels by 146.15% and 59.67% at 100 mg L⁻¹ concentration, respectively. Metal tolerance and accumulation together with changes in the GSH status and non-protein thiols under Cd exposure were studied in C. tropicalis.

Soil contamination may contribute to forest decline, by altering nutrient cycling and acquisition by plants. This may hamper the establishment of a woody plant cover in contaminated areas, thus limiting the success of a restoration program. We studied the nutritional status of planted saplings of Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp.), white poplar (Populus alba L.), and wild olive tree (Olea europaea var. sylvestris Brot.) in the Guadiamar Green Corridor (SW Spain) and compared it with established adult trees. Soils in this area were affected by a mine-spill in 1998 and a subsequent restoration program. The spill resulted in soil acidification, due to pyrite oxidation, and deposited high concentrations of some trace elements. In some sites, we detected a phosphorus deficiency in the leaves of Q. ilex and O. europaea saplings, as indicated by a high N:P ratio (>16). For O. europaea, soil contamination explained 40% of the variability in leaf P and was negatively related to chlorophyll content. Soil pH was a significant factor predicting the variability of several nutrients, including Mg, P, and S. The uptake of Mg and S by P. alba was greater in acidic soils. The monitoring of soil pH is recommended since long-term effects of soil acidification may negatively affect the nutritional status of the trees.

Urban drainage transports a complex and heterogeneous mixture of aqueous-phase chemicals and also solid-phase particulate matter (PM). In this study, event-scale particle size distribution (PSD) of wet and dry weather flows are measured, modeled, and compared. The flows are generated from a complex urbanizing sewershed (Liguori catchment) in Cosenza, Italy. Results indicate PSDs are heterodisperse, ranging from colloidal to sand-size PM. On an event scale, dry weather PSDs are coarser than wet weather flows, yet within each flow class results indicate flow-limited behavior and only nominal variability during and between events. PSDs from each event and flow category are modeled with a cumulative gamma distribution. Results produced nonparametric distributions of shape (γ) and scaling (α) parameters as well as a d ₅₀ index. Wet weather flows generated statistically significantly higher distributions of γ and α and statistically significantly lower d ₅₀. Nonparametric parameter distributions illustrate greater, yet still nominal variability for wet weather flows.