A recently designed two-chamber-lysimeter-test-system allows the detailed investigation of degradation, transport and transfer processes of ¹⁴C-labeled substances in soil-plant-atmosphere-systems under outdoor conditions. With this test system it is feasible to distinguish between ¹⁴C-emissions from soil surfaces and ¹⁴C-emissions from plant surfaces in soil monoliths under real environmental conditions. Special soil humidity sensors allow the measurement of soil water content near to the soil surface, in 1 and 5 cm depth. The behavior of organic chemicals can be followed for a whole vegetation period and a mass balance for the applied chemical can be established. Some selected results of the herbicides isoproturon and glyphosate - using the two-chamber-lysimeter-test-system - are presented to demonstrate its applicability for the identification and quantification of the processes that govern pesticide behavior in soil-plant-systems. Mineralization of ¹⁴C-isoproturon was very different in four different soils; the mineralization capacity of the soils ranged from 2 to 60%. Leaching of isoproturon in general was very low, but depending on the soil type and environmental conditions isoproturon and its metabolites could be leached via preferential flow, especially shortly after application. For the herbicide ¹⁴C-glyphosate no accumulation of residues in the soil and no leaching of the residues to deeper soil layers could be observed after three applications. Glyphosate was rapidly degraded to AMPA in the soil. Glyphosate and AMPA were accumulated in soy bean nodules.

Aqueous phase adsorption of three textile dyes onto a granular activated carbon produced from acid activation of almond shells is presented. Primarily, the sorption of three basic dyes, methylene blue, rhodamine b, and malachite green oxalate were studied. Four models, the Freundlich, the Langmuir, the Redlich-Peterson, and the Toth isotherms were compared for their quality of fit to the single-solute sorption data. Next, sorption of the three likely binary systems was examined. Four bi-solute models, the extended Langmuir with and without an interaction term, the extended Redlich-Peterson with an interaction term, and the empirical extended Freundlich model were used to predict sorption in the binary systems. Nonlinearly determined constants of the corresponding single-solute isotherms were used in the binary models to compare with experimental binary sorption data. For the single-solute system, the three-parameter models of the Redlich-Peterson and the Toth isotherms outperformed the Langmuir and Freundlich models. The empirical extended Freundlich model produced the closest comparison to the binary data in each system. In general, the nonlinear method provided a simple and computationally effective technique of producing optimal fitting parameters for the bi-solute sorption models.

A 12 months study on urban atmospheric concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contained in the particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 10 microns (PM10) was carried out in Zaragoza (Spain) from July 12th, 2001 to July 26th, 2002 by using a high-volume air sampler able to collect the PAH supported on a Teflon-coated fibre glass filter. Samples were analysed by using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). PAH of high molecular weight, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP), benzo[g,h,i]perylene (BghiP) and coronene (Co) were the most abundant compounds. The concentrations of benz[a]pyrene equivalent carcinogenic power (BaP-eq) showed a mean value of 0.7 ng/m³ with 22.5% of the samples exceeding the 1.0 ng/m³ guide value established by the European Directive. These episodes were mainly produced during cold season. Regarding meteorological variables, a positive effect of the prevalent wind “cierzo” (NW direction) over the Zaragoza city was confirmed from the environmental point of view. The NE, E and S directions, corresponding to highway and industrial areas were the directions showing the high PAH atmospheric concentrations. Despite the proximity of a high-level traffic highway, stationary sources related to industry were the dominant source of PAH in the sampled area. Vehicular emissions and natural gas home heating also contributed to PAH concentrations. The predominance of local pollution sources versus long-range transport on PAH concentrations was shown. However, the contribution of long-range transport of anthropogenic origin from other European areas was reflected for specific dates on PAH concentrations and PM10 levels.

Understanding and controlling air pollution in highly populated areas is very important, although interpreting the levels of gaseous pollutants and airborne particulate matter is complicated by dominant natural and anthropogenic emissions, micro-meteorological processes, and chemical reactions which take place directly in the atmosphere. For this reason, it is very difficult to relate the characteristics of air pollution to one or more specific emission sources. The aim of this paper is to detect associations among elements and organic compounds emitted from specific sources by means of chemical analyses, statistical processing of data, seasonal evolution study, and geochemical considerations to trace their origin. A detailed characterization of air quality during the period September 2000-September 2001 was carried out in three locations of the Venice region: A heavy traffic urban site, a public park, and the island centre of the city of Venice. Twenty-eight inorganic elements, four polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, CO and benzene were quantified and processed by a statistical procedure based on factor analysis considering variations on a seasonal basis. Results show the presence of associations between elements and compounds with the same behaviour in all sampling points. This indicates that several pollutants originate from a common source, and are then “diluted” throughout the study area, maintaining the imprint of their origin. Pt, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, CO and benzene originating from the exhaust gas of vehicles are all linked in the traffic factor, whereas Cd is associated with Se, having a common source in industrial processes.

In the present study, during a period of 16 months Colilert 3000 was validated in laboratory and field tests and compared to standard laboratory methods for monitoring of coliforms and E. coli. No false positive/negative results for coliforms/E. coli were found in 80 potable well water samples monitored with the Colilert 3000 and compared to standard methods. Although usage of Colilert 3000 to monitor raw water is not recommended by the manufacturer, the E. coli results of 100 samples were 100% positive by membrane filtration, Colilert 18 and MPN and only 80% positive by the Colilert 3000. In addition, in all positive samples, Colilert 3000 and Colilert 18 showed higher results of two to three orders of magnitude compared to MF and MPN. This significant difference was probably due to the presence of Aeromonas spp. and Vibrio spp. (natural inhabitants of the raw surface water) known to interfere with the Colilert test. Treated surface water was monitored by Colilert 3000 for the presence of coliforms and E. coli. Among the 100 samples tested in parallel by membrane filtration all were negative, while with Colilert 3000 only 76% were negative. Post-test identification of the positive samples did not reveal the presence of E. coli but interfering microorganisms. The last application was to evaluate Colilert 3000 to monitor accidental or deliberate pollution of drinking water with sewage sources. Among 20 samples spiked with raw sewage (0.1 and 1%) all results were positive for both coliforms and E. coli. The time span required for Colilert 3000 to detect positive samples was 6-10 h compared to 24 h with the standard membrane filtration.

The relationships between heavy metal concentrations and physico-chemical properties of natural lake waters and also with chemical fractions of these metals in lake sediments were investigated in seven natural lakes of Kumaun region of Uttarakhand Province of India during 2003-2004 and 2004-2005. The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in waters of different lakes ranged from 0.29-2.39, 10.3-38.3, 431-1407, 1.0-6.6, 5.3-12.1, 12.6-166.3, 0.7-2.7 and 3.9-27.1 μg l-¹ and in sediments 14.3-21.5, 90.1-197.5, 5,265-6,428, 17.7-45.9, 13.4-32.0, 40.0-149.2, 11.1-14.6 and 88.9-167.4 μg g-¹, respectively. The concentrations of all metals except Fe in waters were found well below the notified toxic limits. The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were positively correlated with pH, electrical conductivity, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand and alkalinity of waters, but negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen. The concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb in waters were positively correlated with water soluble + exchangeable fraction of these metals in lake sediments. The concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb in waters were positively correlated with carbonate bound fraction of these metals in lake sediments. Except for Ni, Zn and Cd, the concentrations of rest of the heavy metals in waters were positively correlated with organically bound fraction of these metals in lake sediments. The concentrations of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu and Zn in waters were positively correlated with reducible fraction of these metals in lake sediments. Except for Cd, the concentrations of rest of the metals in waters were positively correlated with residual fraction and total content of these heavy metals in lake sediments.

A biological source treatment (BST) technique using remote sensing and biogeochemistry has been developed to address acid mine drainage (AMD) at its source. The BST technique utilizes down-hole injections of microbial inoculum and substrate amendments to establish a biofilm on the surface of metal sulfides (AMD source material). The treatment results in an elevated groundwater pH (from acidic to circum-neutral levels) and prevents further oxidation of AMD source material. The first 2 years of an ongoing field study of the BST technique at a reclaimed coal mine in central Tennessee (USA) has produced successful results. For instance, the water chemistry in a monitoring well down-gradient from injection wells has improved substantially as follows: the pH increased 1.3 units from 5.7 to 7.3, the dissolved (0.45 μm-filtered) iron concentration decreased by 84% from 93 to 15 mg/l, the conductivity decreased by 379 μS/cm, and sulfate decreased by 78 mg/l. Electromagnetic induction surveys were conducted to identify AMD source material and monitor BST performance by measuring changes in subsurface resistivity throughout the site. These surveys revealed a treatment zone created between injection wells where the resistance of contaminated groundwater from up-gradient AMD sources increased as it flowed past injection wells, thus, suggesting this technique could be used to treat AMD sources directly or to intercept and neutralize sub-surface AMD.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been monitored in 12 sites of Canosa di Puglia, a city located in the Southern of Italy, in order to identify the main VOC source--vehicular traffic or industrial--and to evaluate the critical situations in the city. Monitoring, carried out by using Radiello® diffusive samplers, has been planned taking into account the traffic density and the architecture of the city. From the study of the data it has been emerged that, among all considered VOC, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX) are the pollutants at higher concentration. However no critical situation has appared from the present monitoring. Maps of daily benzene and toluene concentrations have shown that the most significant pollution phenomena happens in the center of the urban area which is in a valley with narrow roads and high buildings that do not allow an efficient dispersion of pollutants. The study of the diagnostic ratios between the toluene and benzene concentrations in the several areas (average T/B = 3.4) and the high Pearson's coefficient among the pollutants, and in particular between benzene and toluene concentrations (r = 0.9505), have suggested that in urban area these pollutants are emitted from the same source: the vehicular traffic.

The effect of Rhodopseudomonas pallustris bacterium on the sorption of 16 isotopes of lanthanides by quartz and goethite at different pHs values was studied. pH of sorption solution and affinity of elements to surface seems to be most important parameters in the interactions between metal ions and surfaces of biological and mineral sorbents. At acidic (pH°4) and neutral (pH°7) conditions these interactions was affected by electrostatic forces; at alkaline conditions (pH°9) the mechanism of lanthanides precipitation was dominant. Microorganisms sufficiently affected on lanthanides sorption by quartz at acidic and neutral conditions, but largest one was at pH°7. They increased sorption of all elements by goethite at pH°4. There was negligible effect of bacteria on the sorption of lanthanides at pH°7 and 9 by goethite that demonstrates greater affinity of the elements to goethite surface. Microorganisms increased concentration of lanthanides in the nonexchangeable states on the surfaces of quartz at pH°7 and 9, and on the surface of goethite at pH°7 in comparison to the minerals alone. It may be attributed to formation of low-soluble complexes of lanthanides with organic substances, produced by bacterium.

This paper presents transformations of saturated hydrocarbons of petroleum type pollutants during ex situ bioremediation of soil on the pilot heap (halde), during a period of 6 months, within the grounds of Petroleum Refinery Pančevo (Serbia). Samples for analysis were taken in time intervals of 2 weeks (P₁-P₁₂ samples). Organic substance was extracted by Soxhlet's method and quantified. Isoprenoid aliphatics, in particular pristane and phytane, and polycyclic aliphatics of sterane and triterpane types in saturated hydrocarbon fractions were analysed by GC-MS (SIM method). Significant amounts of n-alkanes have not been detected. The MS-chromatogram revealed only marginal amounts of pristane and phytane in sample P₁. Pristane and phytane occurred in sample P₈, and in even higher quantities in the final sample P₁₂. The proceeding bioremediation process was accompanied by the decrease of the relative amounts of pentacyclic terpanes of hopane type, compared to tri- and tetracyclic terpanes. In the initial sample P₁ the distribution of steranes and hopanes follows a pattern, which is characteristic for crude oils. However, their identification by SIM method was not possible in samples P₈ and P₁₂ because of the reduced concentration. The observed changes in the alkane fractions' compositions may be considered as atypical, referring to the fact that during oil biodegradation under natural conditions, decomposition of isoprenoids occurs much easier and faster than decomposition of polycyclic alkanes of tri-, tetra- and pentacyclic terpane, sterane and diasterane types, after the decomposition of n-alkanes has been almost completed.