The validity of the soil quality standard for copper (Cu) established by the Spanish legislation (Spanish Royal Decree 9/2005) is evaluated in representative agricultural Mediterranean soils under an accumulator crop (Lactuca sativa L. var. Romaine cv. Long Green), considering both the effect of the metal on crop growth (biomass production) and its accumulation in the edible part of the plant. For saline soils, such a soil quality standard seems not to be valid taking into account both of the aspects evaluated. For non-saline soils, the soil quality standard also seems not to be valid since, considering the metal accumulation in the edible part of the plant, the soil quality standard should be above such standard; but considering the productivity function of soil (biomass production), the standard should be much below, meaning that this function is being greatly affected by the presence of high concentrations of Cu. The soil quality standard for each soil considered should correspond to a value between its respective EC50 and EC10 values (effective concentrations of added Cu causing 50% and 10% inhibition on the biomass production), depending on the politicians and/or farmers' compromise with yield production and, therefore, with soil productivity. These threshold values were greater for the soil having more organic matter and clay content, showing that Cu toxicity also depends on these properties. Further research in other agricultural areas of the region would improve the basis for proposing adequate soil quality standards as highlighted by the European Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection.

Arsenic and heavy metal (specifically Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) uptake, translocation, and accumulation in ten native plant species spontaneously growing in soils polluted by mining activities were studied, with a focus on future phytoremediation work in polluted soils. Plant and soil samples were collected in the vicinity of the Mónica mine (NW Madrid, Spain). Soil analysis showed the ability of native plants for growing in soils with high concentration levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and especially As. From these elements, the highest percentage of extractable elements was found for Cd and the lowest for Pb. A highly significant correlation was observed between total and extractable element concentrations in soils, except for Cu, indicating that total concentration is the most relevant factor for element mobility in these soils. Extractable elements in soils were better correlated with concentrations in plants than total elements in soils; thus, extraction methods applied are suitable to estimate the element phytoavailable fraction in soils, which depends on the plant species and not only on the element mobility in soils. High element concentrations were found in the aboveground parts of Corrigiola telephiifolia (As and Pb), Jasione montana (Cd and Zn), and Digitalis thapsi (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn). However, considering the translocation and accumulation factors, together with the concentration levels found in roots and aboveground parts, only C. telephiifolia could be considered a Pb accumulator and an As hyperaccumulator plant, which could be used for future phytoremediation work in soils polluted with As.

In order to observe the variation in land use changes, satellite images from the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and the Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) for 1991, 2000, 2005, and 2008 were used to compare the differences between selected water quality parameters, including heavy metal (Cd, Pb, and Zn) content in both water and green mussels or Perna viridis (Linnaeus.) before and after the increase in land use activities beginning from 2006. The samples were collected at 11 points for water and 4 points for green mussels between the Second Link and the Causeway Link at the Johor Strait in 2009 and were analyzed for pH, temperature degrees Celsius), dissolved oxygen, ammoniacal nitrogen, and heavy metal (Cd, Pb, and Zn) content.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are both classes of persistent organic pollutants with potential major health and environmental concerns. Many PBDE- and PFC-containing products are ultimately discarded in landfills. In samples from 28 landfills and dumpsites across Canada, PBDEs and PFCs were detected in almost all landfill leachate samples, with concentrations up to 1,020 and 21,300 ng/L, respectively. Mean concentrations were 166 ng/L for PBDEs and 2,950 ng/L for PFCs. Landfill leachates from southern Canada generally had greater concentrations of PBDEs and PFCs than those from northern Canada. The dominant compounds were decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) (mean contribution 52 %) for the PBDEs and perfluorohexanoic acid (mean contribution 25 %) for the PFCs. There were strong correlations for some compounds within each contaminant class, such as the major congeners in the penta-BDE commercial mix (BDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-100). Estimated average ∑PBDE and ∑PFC loadings from an urban landfill to the environment were calculated to be 3.5 and 62 tonnes/year, respectively.

Microbiologically contaminated water severely impacts public health in low-income countries, where treated water supplies are often inaccessible to much of the population. Groundwater represents a water source that commonly has better microbiological quality than surface water. A 2-month intensive flow and quality monitoring programme of a spring in a densely settled, unsewered parish of Kampala, Uganda, revealed the persistent presence of high chloride and nitrate concentrations that reflect intense loading of sewage in the spring’s catchment. Conversely, thermotolerant coliform bacteria counts in spring water samples remained very low outside of periods of intense rainfall. Laboratory investigations of mechanisms responsible for this behavior, achieved by injecting a pulse of H40/1 bacteriophage tracer into a column packed with locally derived granular laterite, resulted in near-total tracer adsorption. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed the laterite to consist predominantly of quartz and kaolinite, with minor amounts (<5%) of haematite. Batch studies comparing laterite adsorption capacity with a soil having comparable mineralogy, but with amorphous iron oxide rather than haematite, showed the laterite to have a significantly greater capacity to adsorb bacteriophage. Batch study results using pure haematite confirmed that its occurrence in laterite contributes substantially to micro-organism attenuation observed and serves to protect underlying groundwater.

Lime was investigated as a soil amendment to decrease phosphorus (P) loss in runoff from two Delaware sandy loam soils, one high and one low in P. Soils were limed at three rates (control and target pH values of 6 and 6.8, respectively), packed into runoff boxes (2,000 cm²) and received simulated rainfall (80 mm h⁻¹ for 30 min). Lime showed potential to decrease P loss in runoff, but its effectiveness was soil specific and dependant on other management factors also. Lime decreased dissolved reactive P (DRP) and dissolved organic P (DOP) loss by 20–25 and 52–93 %, respectively, for the high-P soil and particulate P (PP) by 13 % for the low-P soil. The majority of P lost in runoff was DOP (3–29 %) or PP (64–96 %). Lime increased PP losses from the finer-textured soil following P application, indicating that increased P sorption can lead to increased losses if P is sorbed to more erodable particles. Initial soil P status was more important than liming in determining P loss. While amendments may decrease P losses in the short term, addressing nutrient imbalances at the field scale is clearly necessary in the long term. Losses increased significantly following inorganic P application. Although P was sorbed rapidly, with less than 2 % of added P removed in runoff, mean concentrations in excess of 700 μg l⁻¹ DRP, 2,500 μg l⁻¹ OP and 6,500 μg l⁻¹ PP were recorded for both soils immediately following P application.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation activities lead to soil degradation in vicinity with the livestock breeding facilities, mainly due to ammonia emissions from the various stages of the process. In this research, the soil degradation effects of an intensive hog farming operation (IHFO) located at a Mediterranean limestone soil coastal area, have been investigated. Soil samples of the upper mineral soil were taken in various distances (10–1,500 m) and directions from the IHFO boundaries. Thirteen experimental cycles were carried out in the duration of 1.5 years starting in March 2009 until October 2010. The soil samples were analysed on total, exchangeable and water-soluble Al, Fe and Mn. Significantly higher concentrations of the exchangeable and water-soluble Al, Fe and Mn were observed on soil samples at increasing proximity downwind from the farm (south). Southern soil average concentrations of exchangeable Al³⁺, Fe³⁺ and Mn²⁺ ranged between 3.56 and 7.45 mmol Al³⁺ kg⁻¹ soil, 5.85 and 7.11 mmol Fe³⁺ kg⁻¹ soil and 2.36 and 5.03 mmol Mn²⁺ kg⁻¹ soil, respectively. Southern soil average concentrations of water-soluble Al, Fe and Mn forms ranged between 1.1 and 4.6 ppm Al, 0.5 and 0.8 ppm Fe and 0.4 and 1 ppm Mn, respectively.

The magnetic, nanocrystalline Fe₀.₂(Co₂₀Ni₈₀)₀.₈ alloy porous microfibers were prepared by the citrate gel thermal decomposition and reduction process. The morphology, chemical composition, microstructure, and magnetic properties of the microfibers were investigated by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, Brunauere–Emmette–Teller, and vibration sample magnetometer. The as-prepared magnetic, nanocrystalline Fe₀.₂(Co₂₀Ni₈₀)₀.₈ porous microfibers consisting of about 48 nm grains are characterized by diameters of 1–4 μm, specific surface area of 17.73 m²/g, and specific magnetization of 196.7 Am²/kg. The arsenic(V) absorption on these magnetic Fe₀.₂(Co₂₀Ni₈₀)₀.₈ porous microfibers at room temperature was determined by the ICP-AES measurement of arsenic(V) in aqueous solution. The results show that the pseudo-first-order kinetic model is consistent with the arsenic(V) adsorption process and a good correlation coefficient (R ² = 0.9862). By comparing among the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich–Peterson models for adsorption isotherms of arsenic(V) onto the magnetic Fe₀.₂(Co₂₀Ni₈₀)₀.₈ porous microfibers at room temperature, the Freundlich model and Redlich–Peterson model can be used to evaluate the arsenic(V) adsorption isotherm at room temperature. The arsenic(V) equilibrium absorbance of the magnetic Fe₀.₂(Co₂₀Ni₈₀)₀.₈ porous microfibers is up to 1.9 mg/g when the initial arsenic(V) concentration is 1.0 mg/L in aqueous solution.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the short-term effects of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) on juvenile sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) using a multiparameter approach. At the end of the 96 h of exposure to a range of BaP concentrations (2–256 μg l⁻¹) in laboratorial conditions, a suite of biomarkers involved in biotransformation pathways, oxidative stress and damage, neurotransmission and energetic metabolism were analysed. Levels of BaP metabolites in bile and BaP-type compounds in tissues were also included as biomarkers of exposure, and the post-exposure swimming velocity was used as a toxicity endpoint at a higher level of biological organisation. In addition, a time-series experiment on the levels of bile BaP metabolites was also performed. Increased levels of BaP metabolites in bile and BaP-type compounds in liver and brain of exposed fish were found, indicating BaP uptake, metabolisation and distribution by different tissues. BaP induced oxidative stress and damage, but no significant effects on the post-exposure swimming velocity, neurotransmission and energetic pathways were found. An increase in the levels of BaP metabolites in bile over time was also observed, reaching a threshold similar at all the concentrations tested. Overall, this integrative multiparameter study reflecting different biological responses of D. labrax was suitable to assess the effects caused by the short-term exposure to BaP and may be useful in the marine environmental risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution. The observed toxic effects also highlight the relevance of short-term exposure to relatively high concentrations of chemicals, as can occur in the case of punctual heavy chemical releases, such as oil spills in the marine environment.

Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is a cost-effective natural wastewater treatment and reuse technology. It is an environmentally friendly technology that does not require chemical usage and is applicable to both developing and developed countries. However, the presence of organic matter, nutrients, and pathogens poses a major health threat to the population exposed to partially treated wastewater or reclaimed water through SAT. Laboratory-based soil column and batch experiments simulating SAT were conducted to examine the influence of temperature variation and oxidation–reduction (redox) conditions on removal of bulk organic matter, nutrients, and indicator microorganisms using primary effluent. While an average dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal of 17.7 % was achieved in soil columns at 5 °C, removal at higher temperatures increased by 10 % increments with increase in temperature by 5 °C over the range of 15 to 25 °C. Furthermore, soil column and batch experiments conducted under different redox conditions revealed higher DOC removal in aerobic (oxic) experiments compared to anoxic experiments. Aerobic soil columns exhibited DOC removal 15 % higher than that achieved in the anoxic columns, while aerobic batch showed DOC removal 7.8 % higher than the corresponding anoxic batch experiments. Ammonium-nitrogen removal greater than 99 % was observed at 20 and 25 °C, while 89.7 % was removed at 15 °C, but the removal substantially decreased to 8.8 % at 5 °C. While ammonium-nitrogen was attenuated by 99.9 % in aerobic batch reactors carried out at room temperature, anoxic experiments under similar conditions revealed 12.1 % ammonium-nitrogen reduction, corresponding to increase in nitrate-nitrogen and decrease in sulfate concentration.