Search results for " Contamination"

Remediation of Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals by Using Zeolite and Humic Acid Additives

2012

- Soil remediation at contaminated sites very often needs customized approach, because of the different content of pollutants. Various technologies from simple soil excavation and transporting to hazardous waste landfills to different kinds of remediation by vitrification and the use of additives can be used for the treatment of soil. A series of remediation experiments using zeolites and humic acids were applied to soil contaminated with copper. Remediation can be performed with easily available additive materials of natural origin found near the place of application, in order to diminish the leaching of contaminants. Soils contaminated and spiked with copper were mixed with additives, and…

Decomposer animal communities in forest soil along heavy metal pollution gradient

1996

Responses of soil decomposer animals to heavy metal contamination and to concomitant changes in organic matter quality and quantity and in soil microbial biomasses have been studied along a pollution gradient from a Cu-Ni smelter. Samples have been taken separately for nematodes, enchytraeids and microarthropods 0.5, 2 and 8 km from the smelter. Special attention has been paid to the changes in the collembolan fauna. The sampling sites have been located in homogeneous Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) forests with podsolic soil profiles. In addition, an experiment has been carried out in which intact soil cores have been transferred in mesh baskets between the sites 2 and 8 km from the smelter…

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments. V. Bottom of Baikal near a pulp mill

1990

Abstract Organically bound chlorine (OCl) together with inorganic chloride (Cl − ) was measured from bottom surface samples of the Lake Baikal near a pulp mill and compared to organic matter contents (OM). Although total contents of OCl, Cl − and OM were much lower than, the ratio of OCl to OM was of the same order of magnitude as in pulp mill recipients of Finland.

Responses of two earthworm populations with different exposure histories to chlorophenol contamination

1998

Two populations of the earthworm Aporrectodea tuberculata (Eisen), one from a chlorophenol contaminated and another from an uncontaminated site in central Finland, were exposed to acute, toxic, and sublethal concentrations of pentachlorophenol (PCP). Exposure history seemed to have only slight effect on the responses of the earthworms. Values of a lethal concentration of 50% in the humus-rich soil were very high, 1,870 μg PCP per gram for the earthworms from the contaminated site and 1,520 μg/g for the earthworms from the uncontaminated site. No differences in the accumulation of PCP from the soil into the earthworms between the two populations were found. Earthworms from both populations s…

Effects of soil organic matter content and temperature on toxicity of dimethoate toFolsomia fimetaria(Collembola: Isotomiidae)

1999

The purpose of these experiments was to study the effects of two major environmental factors, soil organic matter content (1.4–8.6%) and temperature (10–20°C), on chemical toxicity to a soil-dwelling collembolan Folsomia fimetaria. Dimethoate was used as a reference chemical. Effects on survival, reproduction, and juvenile size were investigated. Increasing soil organic matter content reduced toxicity significantly, but the differences disappeared when results were recalculated and expressed as soil pore-water concentrations. This supported the soil pore-water hypothesis. The effects of soil temperature were not so clear, because temperature affects not only the growth and reproduction of t…

Editorial: Mechanism of mycotoxins.

2018

Effect of Cd-containing wood ash on the microflora of coniferous forest humus

2000

The use of wood ash in forestry has been questioned because the cadmium (Cd) concentration of ash, which varies between 1 and 20 mg kg(-1) ash, exceeds the level allowed for fertilizers (3 mg kg(-1)) used in agriculture. To investigate the combined and separated effects of Cd and ash on the forest humus microflora, pumice or wood ash, spiked with a water-soluble (CdCl(2)) or -insoluble (CdO) form of Cd at three levels (0, 400 and 1000 mg kg(-1)), were applied at a fertilization level of 5000 kg ha(-1) in a laboratory microcosm study. The trial consisted of 60 microcosms (five replications per treatment), which were incubated in darkness at +20 degrees C and a constant relative air humidity …

Molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis cysts in the Oreto river (Sicily, Southern Italy)

2012

<p><strong>Background</strong>: The presence of Giardia was investigated along the Oreto river between January 2008 and May 2009 with the aim of understanding the source of contamination by molecular typing of cysts.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: A total of 38 water samples (10 collected from the river mouth, 24 from the whole Oreto basin and 4 sewage samples from the Monreale treatment plant) were processed. In addition, 22 faecal samples of livestock living close to the Oreto area, were analyzed. The presence of Giardia was determined by immunofluorescence assay and their genetic characterization was achieved by a nested PCR assay targeting the …

Elemental contamination of an open-pit mining area in the Peruvian Andes

2014

New technologies and higher prices of raw materials have promoted the expansion of mining activity throughout the world; if not properly regulated, this activity can lead to contamination of the local and regional environ- ment. The city of Cerro de Pasco is located close to a large open-pit mine and in recent years, several reports have pro- vided evidence of environmental contamination and related health problems. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the contamination in fluvial water, sediments and biological fluids from this area. The collective results show elevated metal and metalloid concentrations in rivers and sediments, especially in the areas downstream of the mine. For instance,…

<title>Refractive properties of separate erythrocytes of Chernobyl clean-up workers at different pH</title>

2000

This study is focused on the modifications in erythrocytes of Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident clean-up workers as a late health effect of short-term impact of high level radioactive contamination. As a result, a new method based on erythrocyte (RBC) refractive index properties at different pH has been elaborated. According to the light dispersion theory for fluids refractive index is associated with molecules mass m. This feature is widely used for estimation of cell dry mass. But there is another refractive index dependency from molecules charge q regardless of its sing. This feature is not being used for cell quantitative and qualitative characterization. In this study, RBC were in…