Intensive cultivation of fen peat soils (Eutric Histosols) for agricultural purposes, started in Europe about 250 years ago, resulting in decreased soil fertility, increased oxidation of peat and corresponding CO₂-emissions to the atmosphere, nutrient transfer to aquatic ecosystems and losses in the total area of the former native wetlands. To prevent these negative environmental effects set-aside programs and rewetting measures were promoted in recent years. Literature results and practical experiences showed that large scale rewetting of intensively used agricultural Histosols may result in the mobilisation of phosphorus (P), its transport to adjacent surface waters and an accelerated eutrophication risk. The paper summarises results from an international European Community sponsored research project and demonstrates how results obtained at different scales and from different scientific disciplines were compiled to derive a strategy to carry out rewetting measures. A decision support system (DSS) for a hydrologically sensitive area in the Droemling catchment in north-eastern Germany was developed and is presented as a tool to regulate rewetting in order to control P release. It is demonstrated that additional laboratory experiments to identify essential processes of P release during rewetting and the site-specific management of the water table, the involvement of specific knowledge and experience of the stakeholders are necessary to develop an applicable DSS. The presented DSS is practically used to prevent freshwater resources from diffuse P pollution.

Two kinds of common turfgrass, fescue and ryegrass, were grown in soils amended with 20 x 80% sludge compost (SC) in this research. The effects of SC on two kinds of soil and response of fescue and ryegrass to the SC amendment were studied. The results showed that urease activity, extractable content of Cu and Zn and Electrical conductivity of both soils increased while pH decreased with the increase of SC amendment. However, the change of these parameters also depended strongly on soil characteristics. Sludge compost at the <=40 and <=60% levels can improve growth of fescue and ryegrass, respectively. The biomass of fescue grown in substrate with 40% SC increased 27% in a red soil and 44% in a yellow loamy soil compared to the control. The biomass of ryegrass grown in substrate with 60% SC increased 120% in the red soil and 86% in the yellow loamy soil. Sludge compost amendment at these levels did not significantly affect soluble salt contents of soil or Cu and Zn in plant tissue. Therefore, rational use of sludge compost can take advantage of its beneficial effect as a nutrient source for plant production while avoiding the potential deleterious effects on soil and plant.

Urban rainfall-runoff residuals contain metals such as Cr, Zn, Cu, As, Pb and Cd and are thus reasonable candidates for treatment using Portland cement-based solidification-stabilization (S/S). This research is a study of S/S of urban storm water runoff solid residuals in Portland cement with quicklime and sodium bentonite additives. The solidified residuals were analyzed after 28 days of hydration time using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and solid-state ²⁹Si nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the main cement hydration products are ettringite, calcium hydroxide and hydrated calcium silicates. Zinc hydroxide and lead and zinc silicates are also present due to the reactions of the waste compounds with the cement and its hydration products. ²⁹Si NMR analysis shows that the coarse fraction of the waste apparently does not interfere with cement hydration, but the fine fraction retards silica polymerization.

Total Suspended particulate matter (TSP) in urban atmosphere of Islamabad was collected using a high volume sampling technique for a period of one year. The nitric acid-perchloric acid extraction method was used and the metal contents were estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The highest mean concentration was found for Ca at 4.531 μg/m³, followed by Na (3.905 μg/m³), Fe (2.464 μg/m³), Zn (2.311 μg/m³), K (2.086 μg/m³), Mg (0.962 μg/m³), Cu (0.306 μg/m³), Sb (0.157 μg/m³), Pb (0.144 μg/m³) and Sr (0.101 μg/m³). On an average basis, the decreasing metal concentration trend was: Ca > Na > Fe > Zn > K > Mg > Cu > Sb > Pb > Sr > Mn > Co > Ni > Cr > Li > Cd [almost equal to] Ag. The TSP levels varied from a minimum of 41.8 to a maximum of 977 μg/m³, with a mean value of 164 μg/m³, which was found to be higher than WHO primary and secondary standards. The correlation study revealed very strong correlations (r > 0.71) between Fe-Mn, Sb-Co, Na-K, Mn-Mg, Pb-Cd and Sb-Sr. Among the meteorological parameters, temperature, wind speed and pan evaporation were found to be positively correlated with TSP, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn and Ag, whereas, they exhibited negative relationships with relative humidity. On the other hand, Pb, Sb, Zn, Co, Cd and Li revealed significant positive correlations with relative humidity and negative with temperature, wind speed and pan evaporation. The major sources of airborne trace metals identified with the help of principle component analysis and cluster analysis were industrial emissions, automobile exhaust, biomass burning, oil combustion, fugitive emissions, resuspended soil dust and earth crust. The TSP and selected metals were also studied for seasonal variations, which showed that Na, K, Zn, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sr, Co and Cd peaked during the winter and remained lowest during the summer, while Ca, Fe, Mg and Mn were recorded highest during the spring.

A field survey on the concentration of chemical species in particulate matter and gaseous compounds at two monitoring sites with different site classifications (urban and rural) was conducted over three years. Total (particulate matter + gaseous compounds) concentrations at the rural site were significantly lower than those at the urban site for all species (sulfur [graphic removed] and SO₂(g)), nitrate [graphic removed] and HNO₃(g)), ammonium [graphic removed] and ammonia (NH₃(g)), and chloride (Cl⁻ (p) and HCl (g))), which is thought to reflect classification of the site. The difference in the sulfur concentration at the urban and rural sites was characterized by the difference in SO₂ (g) concentration. Further, a clear seasonality was observed for the nitrate species. The HNO₃ (g) concentration was high in the summer compared with other seasons at both the urban and rural sites. The [graphic removed] concentration levels were approximately the same as those of NH₃ (g) at both sites. The molar ratios of the particulate matter concentration to the total concentration showed different characteristics; the nitrate, ammonium and ammonia, and chloride species showed a clear seasonal variation: low in summer and high in winter and the values were similar regardless of the site. On the other hand, the sulfur species showed constant values at both the urban and rural sites, however the concentrations were significantly different for the two sites. Ammonium accounted for the largest proportion of cations in the particulate matter, regardless of the site classification. In contrast, [graphic removed] accounted for the largest proportion of anions at the rural site, whereas [graphic removed] was comparable to [graphic removed] at the urban site. Ammonia accounted for the largest proportion of all chemical species at both sites. Seasonal analysis of the proportional distribution in particulate matter and gaseous compounds provides information on atmospheric conditions.

The increase of traffic and the rising energy consumption mean a challenge to the air pollution control and to environmental protection. Measures of air pollution control concentrated primarily on the reduction of gaseous pollutants. However, in the field of air hygiene in Central Europe, especially the load of near-surface atmospheric dust becomes threatening to human health. A SIMS microprobe for ultra fine feature analysis is used to image the elemental composition at the surface of submicrometer urban dust particles collected at two measurement stations in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The NanoSIMS 50 has been chosen because it creates one intensity image for each selected element in a high spatial resolution down to 50 nm. The atmospheric fine dust consists of a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. The elemental composition at the surface of particles was studied using a global image segmentation technique to separate the signal from the background of the particles. The analysis of the binary intensity images was carried out using several shape and proximity measures. The patch shape complexity and distribution for industrial/urban particles were found to differ significantly from the solids collected from a forest site. We conclude that the methodology developed in the study is a reliable tool to differentiate between potential sources of airborne particulate matter.

In this study, we evaluated the relative contribution of atmospheric particulate mercury (Hg(p)) and divalent reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) to mercury dry deposition in Japan. The dry deposition fluxes (on a water surface sampler) and atmospheric PM concentrations of Hg, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and V, which were measured concurrently from April 2004 to March 2006 at 10 sites across the nation, were used in this evaluation. We considered that Hg(p) and RGM, but not Hg⁰, are deposited on the water surface, and that our method of sampling Hg(p) without the use of KCl-coated annular denuders enables the exclusion of a significant amount of RGM artifact. The monthly average dry deposition velocities (= deposition flux/atmospheric PM concentration) of Cd and Pb were found to be similar to each other (Cd/Pb deposition velocities = 1.06 ± 0.58). It was assumed that the deposition velocity of Hg(p) is identical to the mean deposition velocity of Cd and Pb, because the particle size distribution of Hg(p) is likely similar to those of both elements. Using this deposition velocity, the monthly dry deposition flux of Hg(p) was calculated. The average contribution (±1σ) of Hg(p) to the annual deposition flux at ten sites was 26 ± 15%. The mercury dry deposition flux increased generally from spring to early summer, which was attributed mostly to the deposition of RGM. This seasonal change correlated to that in photochemical oxidant (primarily O₃) concentration in air at most sites. These suggest that mercury dry deposition in Japan is predominantly deposition of RGM, which was formed via oxidation of Hg⁰ by O₃ in the atmosphere.

The enrichment factor, multivariate analysis and metal speciation studies were used to identify degree, source and dispersal of metal contamination in Khli Ti watershed, Thailand. Topsoil samples were collected throughout the watershed, analyzed for total metal concentration. Sequential extraction was also carried out to determine geochemical phases of metals which were identified as exchangeable and bound to carbonates, Fe–Mn oxides, organic matter and residuals. Soil characteristics including pH, total organic carbon, redox potential, cation exchange capacity and texture were also analyzed. Principal component analysis yielded three metal groups which explained 83% of the variance. The concentrations of metals which were derived from lithogenic origin, such as Co, Cr, Fe, Ni and V were in natural background levels and were mostly bound to the residual phase. The remaining elements (i.e. Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn) were associated with the contamination from previous activities of the Pb-ore concentrator and Zn–Pb mining. Anthropogenic contamination mainly increased Pb and Zn bound to Fe–Mn oxides at the expense of residual fraction. Even though low exchangeable Pb contents in Khli Ti soils indicated low availability to plants, Pb bound to Fe–Mn oxides fraction might increase its mobility under reducing conditions.

A gully pot is often cleaned with the help of an eductor truck, which uses hydrodynamic pressure and a vacuum to loosen and remove the solids and standing liquid from a gully pot. This paper considers the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content in the gully pot mixture (water and sediment) after it has been discharged from the eductor truck. The results show that most PAH was attached to particles, and the dissolved phase represented approximately 22% of the total water concentration. No significant difference was found for the water phase between a housing area and a road, whereas a significant difference was found for NAP, ACE, FL, ANT, FLR, PYR, BaF, and BPY in the sediment at a 95% confidence level. Source identification showed that the PAH in the gully pot mixture came from mixed sources. Both the water and sediment phase exceed all or some of the compared guidelines. The result from this paper shows that not only the sediment needs to be discussed, but also the water phase created during the maintenance of different BMPs.

Despite many studies of the N₂O emission, there is a lack of knowledge on the role of subsoil for N₂O emission, particularly in sandy soils. To obtain insight into the entrapment, diffusion, convection and ebullition of N₂O in the soil, the N₂O concentration in the soil atmosphere was measured over a period of 1 year in 4 lysimeters (agricultural soil monoliths of 1 m2 x 2 m) at 30, 50, 80, 155, and 190 cm depth with altogether 86 gas probes. Additionally the N₂O emission into the atmosphere was measured in 20 closed chambers at the soil surface. Concurrently the soil temperature and soil water content were recorded in order to quantify their effects on the fate of N₂O in the soil. Results of the continuous measurements between January and December 2006 were: N₂O concentrations were highest in the deeper soil; maximum concentration was found at a depth of 80 cm, where the water content was high and the gas transport reduced. The highest N₂O concentration was recorded after 'special events' like snowmelt, heavy rain, fertilization, and grubbing. The combination of fertilization and heavy rain led to an increase of up to 2,700 ppb in the subsoil.