Alpine areas in north-western Italy are subject to high deposition of atmospheric pollutants. Chemical investigations on high-altitude lakes indicate that most of them are recovering from acidification; however, they are still affected by the deposition of pollutants from the atmosphere, especially of heavy metals. This study compares the concentrations of heavy metals in alpine lake waters with those found in atmospheric depositions, to identify the possible contribution of deposition inputs to surface water ecosystems. The results were analysed by multivariate statistical techniques to identify the main emission sources of the various metals. Levels of trace metals in alpine lakes are generally low, and bedrock and surficial geology proved to be a major factor controlling metal concentrations in lake water. In fact, terrigenous elements show a wide range of concentrations while metals of anthropogenic origin, such as lead and cadmium, are often below the detection limits of the method; chrome and nickel are also present in very low concentrations. The median values of heavy metals in Italian alpine lakes are similar to those found in other lake surveys performed in remote areas, especially as regards metals of anthropogenic origin. The Visual MINTEQ model was applied to long-term chemical data of selected alpine lakes, to calculate aluminium speciation and to simulate its change in response to gradual modifications in a unit of pH. The ultimate aim of the modelling was to evaluate the possible threat to aquatic organisms of these highly toxic compounds.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate how the addition of two vermicomposts (commercial or produced from damaged greenhouse tomatoes) and/or inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi affected availability and extractability of P, K and trace metals and biochemical quality of a soil contaminated with heavy metals. The pots were planted with Trifolium repens L., which was harvested 40 days after germination. Shoot and root dry matter of T. repens increased by the addition of both vermicomposts. P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn uptake by T. repens increased after vermicompost addition, whereas Ni, Pb and Cd concentrations were below the detection limit of the method used. After harvest, AB-DTPA-extractable Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb decreased in the organically amended soil, whereas AB-DTPA P, K and Mn increased. The addition of both vermicomposts, particularly which made from damaged tomatoes, boosted dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and urease activities in the postharvest soil, implying a higher microbial functional diversity and biochemical quality in this amended soil. Although phosphatase activities were greater in the postharvest soils with higher AB-DTPA-extractable metals, the other enzyme activities were negatively affected. The inoculation of the soils with AM fungi had weak effects on plant growth, as well as on the availability and extractability of metals and enzyme activities compared to noninoculation. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.

Sensitivity to magnesium chloride (MgCl2) was assessed on five common roadside tree species by maintaining soil concentrations at 0-, 400-, 800-, or 1,600-ppm chloride via MgCl2 solution over four growing seasons. Evaluations of growth, leaf retention, foliar damage, and ion concentrations were conducted. Water potentials were measured on two species. Foliar chloride and magnesium concentrations were positively correlated with foliar damage in all species. Conifers exhibited mild damage during the first growing season but moderate to severe damage during the first winter and second growing season. The two highest MgCl2 treatments caused leaf loss, severe damage, or mortality of Douglas-fir, lodgepole, and ponderosa pines after two seasons of treatments and of limber pine after four seasons. Aspen also displayed foliar damage and crown loss but abscised damaged leaves and flushed asymptomatic leaves throughout the growing seasons. The highest treatment caused mortality of aspen in 4 years. Approximately 13,000–17,000-ppm foliar chloride was associated with severe damage in conifers but ranged from 13,000- to 33,000-ppm in fully necrotic leaves. Aspen foliage contained the highest concentrations of chloride (24,000–36,000-ppm), and limber pine leaves had the lowest (<14,200-ppm). Although MgCl2 caused reductions in leaf water potential, aspen and ponderosa pine did not appear to be under substantial moisture stress and continued to take up ions. Mortality of common roadside tree species in 2 to 4 years can occur due to high MgCl2 soil concentrations, and transportation officials should consider these implications in their management plans.

The Mar Piccolo (surface area of 20.72 km2) is located in the Northern area of the Taranto town (Ionian Sea, Italy). It is an inner, semi-enclosed basin with lagoon features connected with the Mar Grande through two channels which are very important for water exchange. Mar Piccolo basin is subjected to urbanization, industry, agriculture, aquaculture and commercial fishing. Hence, it is important to have a temporal picture both of heavy metal content and of organic carbon and their distribution (hydrophobic fraction, hydrophilic fraction, humic compounds) to check the progress of pollution in time. Three sediment cores collected on the basis of the pollution sources have been analyzed. Both heavy metal and organic carbon concentrations underline the fact that the anthropogenic input is different in the three sites, and that in time the amount of pollutants coming into the Mar Piccolo have changed in different ways. The high amount of organic hydrophilic compounds present in sediments, both due to the small water depth and to the high accumulation rate, make the sediment site high in oxygen consumption due to a considerable chemical and biochemical transformations of organic matter.

Histochemical and biochemical approaches were used to investigate the phytotoxicity induced by microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in the shoots of Brassica rapa seedlings. MC-LR exposure was able to induce oxidative stress by triggering the over-generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) including superoxide anion radical (O₂ [Sʸᵐᵇᵒˡ: ˢᵉᵉ ᵗᵉˣᵗ] ⁻ ) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the shoots of B. rapa. MC-LR exposure led to the significant increase in the concentration of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in B. rapa. However, such increase was completely suppressed by the treatment with nitrate reductase (NR) inhibitor NaN₃, while L-NMMA, a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, had only slight effect on the content of endogenous NO in MC-LR-treated plant. These data suggested that NR-dependent pathway was the main source for endogenous NO generation under MC-LR stress. Afterwards, treatment with NaN₃ reduced the ROS generation, lipid peroxidation, and loss of membrane integrity in MC-LR-treated plant. MC-LR stress induced the increase in the expression of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and catalase. However, such an effect could be reversed by the treatment with NaN₃. These results indicate that NR-dependent NO production mediates MC-LR-induced oxidative stress by triggering the over-generation of ROS in B. rapa.

The capacity of an iron-modified zeolite was evaluated for the removal of two dyes (red 5 and yellow 6) use in foodstuff; the regeneration of the dye-saturated materials was also considered. The zeolitic material (clynoptilolite type) was treated with sodium chloride (Na-Ze) and then with ferric chloride (Fe-Ze). The sorption kinetics and isotherms were evaluated, considering the effect of pH on the sorption processes. Sorption–regeneration cycles using iron-modified zeolitic material were performed. The sorption kinetics showed that the sodium-modified zeolitic material removed neither red 5 nor yellow 6 dyes, while the iron-modified zeolitic material removed both dyes; the equilibrium time was reached in 48 h for yellow 6, and it was almost reached in the same time for red 5, the removal percentage for red 5 was 89.4 % and for yellow 6 was 96.7 %. The experimental data showed best adjustment to the pseudo-first-order model (Lagergren), which is based on a superficial reaction. The sorption capacities obtained by the sorption isotherms were 1.6 and 1.7 mg/g for red 5 and yellow 6, respectively. The experimental data were best adjusted to the Langmuir–Freundlich model which indicates that the sorption takes place on a heterogeneous material. It was also observed that the sorption capacities increase as the pH decreases. The results on the desorption processes showed that the best regenerator agent was Fenton’s reagent; the capacities increased in each sorption–regeneration cycle using this reagent; for the red 5, the sorption percentage was 73.6 % in the first cycle and 96.3 % in the third cycle and for yellow 6, the removal percentage was 66.7 % in the first cycle and 80.5 % in the second.

The adsorption of Brilliant Blue FCF from aqueous solution was evaluated using a Fe-zeolitic tuff. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Sorption kinetic, isotherms, dose and pH effects were determined and the adsorption behavior was analyzed. Kinetic pseudo-first order and linear isotherm models were successfully applied to the experimental results, indicating that the sorption mechanism is physisorption. Experiments in columns were performed and breakpoint was found in 100 min using a concentration of 5 mg/l.

The purpose of the research described here is to apply a new approach for generating aquatic critical load (CL) and exceedance calculations for an important acid-sensitive region of the eastern USA. A widespread problem in regional aquatic acidification CL modeling for US ecosystems has been the lack of site-specific weathering data needed to derive accurate model CL estimates. A modified version of the steady-state water chemistry CL model was applied here to estimate CL and exceedances for streams throughout acid-sensitive portions of Virginia and West Virginia. A novel approach for estimating weathering across the regional landscape was applied, based on weathering estimates extracted from a well-tested, process-based watershed model of drainage water acid–base chemistry and features of the landscape that are available as regional spatial data coverages. This process allowed extrapolation of site-specific weathering data from 92 stream watersheds to the regional context in three ecoregions for supporting CL calculations. Calculated CL values were frequently low, especially in the Blue Ridge ecoregion where one-third of the stream length had CL < 50 meq/m²/year to maintain stream ANC at 50 μeq/L under steady-state conditions. About half or more of the stream length in the study region was in exceedance of the CL for long-term aquatic resource protection under assumed nitrogen saturation at steady state. Land managers and air quality policy makers will need this information to better understand responses to air pollution emissions reductions and to develop ecoregion-specific air pollution targets.

With the development of the textile industry, there has been a demand for dye removal from contaminated effluents. In recent years, attention has been directed toward various natural solid materials that are capable of removing pollutants from contaminated water at low cost. One such material is sugarcane bagasse. The aim of the present study was to evaluate adsorption of the dye Acid Violet Alizarin N with different concentrations of sugarcane bagasse and granulometry in agitated systems at different pH. The most promising data (achieved with pH 2.5) was analyzed with both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms equations. The model that better fits dye adsorption interaction into sugarcane bagasse is Freundlich equation, and thus the multilayer model. Moreover, a smaller bagasse granulometry led to greater dye adsorption. The best treatment was achieved with a granulometry value lower than 0.21 mm at pH 2.50, in which the total removal was estimated at a concentration of 16.25 mg mL−1. Hence, sugarcane bagasse proves to be very attractive for dye removal from textile effluents.

Bioremediation strategies, including biostimulation, exogenous bioaugmentation and autochthonous bioaugmentation, were evaluated to determine their ability to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons in two recently polluted agricultural soils, one with a clayey texture and a silty loam soil. It was hypothesized in this work that the bioavailability of the pollutant may depend on the soil type, which would determine the biodegradation rate and the correct methodology to be used. The soils were artificially contaminated with diesel fuel, and several soil–water suspension batch microcosm experiments were conducted to observe the bioremediation process. The inocula used in the experiments included an autochthonous soil consortium and an exogenous consortium that had been acclimated to diesel consumption. The clayey soil desorbed diesel quickly, while the silty soil, with a higher organic content, did not. Hydrocarbon availability was limited in the latter case. After 48 h of treatment, the diesel removal efficiency in the clayey soil was clearly higher than that in the silty soil. However, after 11 days, the efficiencies were similar, and more than 95% of the diesel was biodegraded in most experiments. According to the efficiency and bioavailability analyses, the best methodology to bioremediate the silty soil was biostimulation with the native consortium. In contrast, bioaugmentation with a combination of native and exogenous consortia was chosen to treat the clayey soil. The results of this study suggest that when pollutants are easily available, bioaugmentation can successfully remediate the pollution. However, when availability is limited, biostimulation can be more efficient.