The atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen on turf grassland in Tsukuba, central Japan, was investigated from July 2003 to December 2004. The target components were ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite ions for wet deposition and gaseous ammonia, nitric and nitrous acids, and particulate ammonium, nitrate, and nitrite for dry deposition. Organic nitrogen was also evaluated by subtracting the amount of inorganic nitrogen from total nitrogen. A wet-only sampler and filter holders were used to collect precipitation and the atmospheric components, respectively. An inferential method was applied to calculate the dry deposition velocity of gases and particles, which involved the effects of surface wetness and ammonia volatilization through stomata on the dry deposition velocity. The mean fraction of the monthly wet to total deposition was different among chemical species; 37, 77, and 1% for ammoniacal, nitrate-, and nitrite-nitrogen, respectively. The annual deposition of inorganic nitrogen in 2004 was 47 and 48 mmol m-² yr-¹ for wet and dry deposition, respectively; 51% of atmospheric deposition was contributed by dry deposition. The annual wet deposition in 2004 was 20, 27, and 0.07 mmol m-² yr-¹, and the annual dry deposition in 2004 was 35, 7.4, and 5.4 mmol m-² yr-¹ for ammoniacal, nitrate-, and nitrite-nitrogen, respectively. Ammoniacal nitrogen was the most important reactive nitrogen because of its remarkable contribution to both wet and dry deposition. The median ratio of the organic nitrogen concentration to total nitrogen was 9.8, 17, and 15% for precipitation, gases, and particles, respectively.

The health of near shore marine ecosystems has long been a concern because of its importance to coastal areas. Jiaozhou Bay (JZB) is one such marine ecosystem experiencing rapid water quality degradation in the last several decades. From the area surrounding the bay, the nutrients discharged into the bay through surface water and groundwater has been greatly changed. The thickness of the aquifers and the permeability is relatively high, the concentrations of nutrients in the groundwater are generally high, and so the groundwater discharged into JZB is very significant. However, no attempt has ever been made to evaluate the amount of nutrients discharged into the bay area via groundwater. In this study, the cross-section method and water balance method were used to estimate the amount of groundwater and nutrients discharged into JZB via the subsurface. Groundwater was monitored and sampled at aquifers surrounding the bay area, and some previously available data was also analyzed. The results indicated that groundwater from the Baisha Aquifer east of JZB now is the major source of nutrients (nitrate, dissolved SiO₂) being discharged into the bay. The concentrations of nutrients in the groundwater have been increasing with intensive agricultural land use. However, Dagu Aquifer, the largest aquifer north of JZB, only provides limited nutrients to the bay area because of the construction of a low permeability subsurface dam. Historically, during the 1970s to the 1990s, the Baisha Aquifer experienced seawater intrusion due to excessive groundwater withdrawal. The same was true for the Dagu Aquifer from the 1980s to the 1990s. Because of this, no significant nutrients were discharged into the bay.

A “multi-pollutant exposure programme” reflecting the new pollution situation where SO₂ is no longer the dominating pollutant has been performed by the International Co-operative Programme on Effects on Materials, including Historic and Cultural Monuments (ICP Materials) within the activities of the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. The main results obtained in the period 1997-2003 are summarised. Dose-response functions are presented for carbon steel, zinc, copper, bronze and limestone. Parameters involved in the functions include besides SO₂ and pH, which were included in the previously developed functions from ICP Materials, also the effect of particulate matter and HNO₃.

Drainage water from agricultural fields with applied manure can degrade the bacterial quality of surface and groundwater. The impact of conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) practices on Escherichia coli (E.coli) discharge through artificially drained soils is not well understood. Consequently, two field trials were conducted during 2002–2004. The first trial involved fall applications of beef manure while the second involved spring applications of dairy manure. Both surface and subsurface drainage water were monitored in the first trial while only subsurface drainage water was monitored in the second. Under fall applied beef manure (trial 1), no differences (p > 0.05) were observed in E.coli concentrations (cfu/100 ml) in combined drainage water under both tillage systems. However, during 2003–2004, subsurface drainage water under ZT had higher E.coli concentrations and loads than drainage water under CT. When the combined (surface + subsurface) annual E.coli loads were considered, CT loads were greater than ZT during 2002–2003 with an opposite situation during 2003–2004. Overall, annual E.coli loads were similar under ZT (4.7 × 10¹⁰ cfu/ha) and CT (4.8 × 10¹⁰ cfu/ha). Spring dairy manure application (trial 2) produced significant (p > 0.03) tillage effect on E.coli loads in subsurface drainage water only during the second year. During the study period, ZT plots (1.55 × 10¹⁰ cfu/ha) discharged 5× more E.coli than CT (0.23 × 10¹⁰ cfu/ha). A longer duration of ZT practices resulted in higher subsurface flow volumes and subsequently greater loads of E.coli discharge in both trials.

Interactions between Zn and Cd on the accumulation of these metals in coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum were studied at different metal concentrations. Plants were grown in nutrient solution containing Cd (0.05–0.25 mg l⁻¹) and Zn (0.5–5 mgl⁻¹). High concentrations of Zn caused a significant decrease in Cd accumulation. In general, adding Cd solution decreased Zn accumulation in C. demersum except at the lowest concentration of Zn in which the Zn accumulation was similar to that without Cd. C. demersum could accumulate high concentrations of both Cd and Zn. The influence of humic acid (HA) on Cd and Zn accumulation was also studied. HA had a significant effect on Zn accumulation in plants. 2 mg l⁻¹ of HA reduced Zn accumulation at 1 mg l⁻¹ level (from 2,167 to 803 mg kg⁻¹). Cd uptake by plant tissue, toxicity symptoms and accumulation at 0.25 and 0.5 mg l⁻¹, were reduced (from 515 to 154 mg kg⁻¹ and from 816 to 305 mg kg⁻¹, respectively) by addition of 2 mg l⁻¹ of HA. Cd uptake reached a maximum on day 9 of treatment, while that of Zn was observed on day 15. Long-term accumulation study revealed that HA reduced toxicity and accumulation of heavy metals.

Typical mid-winter anthropogenic air pollution episodes are caused when pollutants are trapped in the lower atmospheric boundary layer due to the generation of surface inversion favored by synoptic conditions. We analyzed the optical properties of atmospheric aerosol particles obtained during one such episode using a sun/sky radiometer at two measurement sites: one located in the densely populated and industrialized central part of Israel, and the other in a reference site, about 150 km away. Aerosol optical thickness and volume size distributions showed an increased burden of fine aerosol particles in the central part of Israel. In order to verify the local origin and anthropogenic nature of the effect, the analysis was accompanied by examinations of the synoptic conditions, air mass backward trajectories, and conventional in situ air pollution measurements made by a ground-based sampling station. This case study shows the ability of optical measurements to track urban and industrial atmospheric air pollution expressed by high concentration of fine aerosol particles. In addition, it emphasizes the role of local Israeli air pollution sources and may explain the difference in the properties of long-term aerosol optical observations between the two sites. The advantages of the optical method presented are speed (almost instantaneous), automated measurement, and sensitivity to aerosol particle concentration as well as aerosol size fraction. The drawback is that the optical measurements discussed deal only with aerosol particles and cannot distinguish between different types of pollutant gases.

A glass house study was conducted to investigate the accumulation of arsenic in tissues of five widely cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties of Bangladesh namely BRRI dhan 28, BRRI dhan 29, BRRI dhan 35, BRRI dhan 36, BRRI hybrid dhan 1. Arsenic concentrations were measured in straw, husk and brown and polish rice grain to see the differential accumulation of arsenic among the rice varieties. The results showed that the concentrations of arsenic in different parts of all rice varieties increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the increase of its concentrations in soil. The rice varieties did not showed significant differences in arsenic accumulation in straw, husk, brown and polish grain when the concentrations of arsenic in soil was low. However, at higher concentrations of arsenic in soil, different rice varieties showed significant differences in the accumulations of arsenic in straw, husk and grain. Significantly higher concentrations of arsenic in straw and husk of rice were observed in BRRI hybrid dhan 1 compared to those of other verities. The BRRI dhan 28 and 35 concentrated significantly higher amount of arsenic in brown and polish rice grain compared to those of other rice varieties. The results imply that arsenic translocation from root to shoot (straw) and husk was higher in hybrid variety compared to those of non-hybrid varieties. Arsenic concentrations in brown and polish rice grain of five rice varieties were found to follow the trend: BRRI dhan 28 > BRRI dhan 35 > BRRI dhan 36 > BRRI dhan 29 > BRRI hybrid dhan 1. The order of arsenic contents in tissues of rice was: straw > husk > brown rice grain > polish rice grain.

Sewage sludge is a cost-effective media for the production of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) based biopesticides. To enhance the entomotoxicity of the fermentation broth, pretreatments of sewage sludge by alkali and ultrasonic were applied in this study. Effects of alkaline and ultrasonic pretreatments on the soluble COD (SCOD) and total COD (TCOD) were evaluated by altering the alkali addition dose and the ultrasonic specific energy. Suitable pretreatment conditions were optimized with 5 g l-¹ sodium hydroxide (NaOH) for alkaline treatment and 1.2 x 10⁵ kJ kg-¹ of total solid for ultrasonic treatment. Fermentations of raw and pretreated sludge for biopesticides were carried out in a bench scale fermentor. Results revealed that both pretreatments were effective for Bt growth and metabolism. Higher viable cells (VC) and viable spores (VS) counts, δ-endotoxin yields and entomotoxicity were achieved in the pretreated sludge. The enhancement was attributed to more available nutrients and better oxygen transfer. Moreover, ultrasonic pretreated sludge was superior to alkaline pretreated sludge for δ-endotoxin production and entomotoxicity owing to its higher soluble C/N ratio and finer particles.

A multi-stage particle sampling instrument and a particle counter were operated at the ground monitoring site in Fukuoka where was directly exposed to the outflow of air masses from the Asian continent during the springtime of 2005. The bulk and individual dust particles were analyzed simultaneously by ICP-MS and micro-PIXE, respectively. The ground-based observation of dust storm by the Japan Meteorological Agency and by the NOAA HYSPLIT dispersion-trajectory model indicated that dust storm was driven from the Chinese continent including dust source area. The number concentration of gigantic particles (e.g., larger than 5 μm) was measured to be 10 times higher in an Asian dust storm (hereafter called “ADS”) period than in a non-ADS period. There is an outstanding increase of mass concentration in the range of 3.5-7.7 μm in ADS event. In ADS event, soil fraction accounts 57.9-70.1% of particle mass concentration in coarse particles larger than 3.5 μm. Micro-PIXE analysis enables us to classify individual dust particles into several types. The particles with 3.5-5.1, 5.1-7.7, and 7.7-10.9 μm experienced aging processes by 60.6, 69.2, and 77.2%, respectively. On the basis of the reconstructed elemental maps by micro-PIXE analysis, the chemical transformation of dust particles was also presumed.