Search results for "soil"
showing 10 items of 3493 documents
Determination and assessment of mercury content in calcareous soils.
2009
Abstract This paper provides the first available information on the determination of the total mercury content in different Mediterranean calcareous soils by thermal decomposition, amalgamation and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fifty-three samples from five soil use groups (natural, dry land, greenhouse, irrigated and rice farming soils) were analysed. The results show that the levels of mercury in these soils were 9.4–1585 μg kg −1 . Soil organic matter and the zinc equivalent index have been related to Hg content in soils, suggesting that Cu, Ni, Zn and Hg are of a similar origin. The background level (BL), geochemical baseline concentrations (GBC) and the reference value (RV) were…
Electrocoagulation treatment of peat bog drainage water containing humic substances
2015
Abstract Electrocoagulation (EC) treatment of 100 mg/L synthetic wastewater (SWW) containing humic acids was optimized (achieving 90% CODMn and 80% DOC removal efficiencies), after which real peat bog drainage waters (PBDWs) from three northern Finnish peat bogs were also treated. High pollutant removal efficiencies were achieved: Ptot, TS, and color could be removed completely, while Ntot, CODMn, and DOC/TOC removal efficiencies were in the range of 33–41%, 75–90%, and 62–75%, respectively. Al and Fe performed similarly as the anode material. Large scale experiments (1 m3) using cold (T = 10–11 °C) PBDWs were also conducted successfully, with optimal treatment times of 60–120 min (applying…
Biochar based remediation of water and soil contaminated by phenanthrene and pentachlorophenol
2017
Abstract Phenanthrene (Phe) and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are classified as persistent organic pollutants and represent serious concern for the environment as they are toxic and ubiquitous. Biochar based remediation is an emerging technology used in water and soil contamination. In this study we used poplar (BP) and conifer (BC) biochars to remediate water and soil contaminated by Phe and PCP. BP and BC were able to remove completely either Phe or PCP from contaminated water within one to three days. When biochar was confined in a porous membrane, BC and BP maintained their sorption efficiency for several remediation cycles. However, in these conditions BC allowed faster Phe removal. In soil …
Uptake rates of semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) for PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in water and sediment.
2000
Uptake rates of several PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs were measured for semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) under controlled conditions in bulk water and sediment. The study was performed at 19 degrees C and 11 degrees C, and water and sediment concentrations were measured during the exposure. Linear uptake rates for specific PCDD/Fs and PCBs in 19 degrees C water varied from 34 to 111 l/m2 day and in 11 degrees C water from 8.8 to 96 l/m2 day for the whole SPMD. Uptake rates at 19 degrees C sediment ranged from 9.0 to 80 mgOC/m2 day and in 11 degrees C sediment, from 3.0 to 31, mgOC/m2 day. Partitioning of the compounds between membrane and lipid was also measured during the linear uptake phase…
Degradation half-life times of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs for environmental fate modeling.
2000
Literature search of the knowledge on the degradation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in environmental compartments air, water, soil and sediment was done in purpose to find properties of POPs of interest for modeling. One degradation process, hydrolysis (chemical degradation), was omitted as negligibly slow for POPs studied. The other two, photolysis and biodegradation processes, were considered separately in purpose to develop estimation procedures. The estimates can be given as pseudo first-order rate constants kP for photolysis and kB for biodegradation. For each compartment, an overall degradation rate is k(tot) = kP + kB and lifetime t(1/2) = ln 2/k(tot). The latter values, li…
Previous fire occurrence, but not fire recurrence, modulates the effect of charcoal and ash on soil C and N dynamics in Pinus pinaster Aiton forests.
2021
Abstract Understanding the effects of fire history on soil processes is key to characterise their resistance and resilience under future fire events. Wildfires produce pyrogenic carbonaceous material (PCM) that is incorporated into the soil, playing a critical role in the global carbon (C) cycle, but its interactions with soil processes are poorly understood. We evaluated if the previous occurrence of wildfires modulates the dynamic of soil C and nitrogen (N) and microbial community by soil ester linked fatty acids, after a new simulated low-medium intensity fire. Soils with a different fire history (none, one, two or three fires) were heat-shocked and amended with charcoal and/or ash deriv…
An economic, perception and biophysical approach to the use of oat straw as mulch in Mediterranean rainfed agriculture land
2017
[EN] Soil erosion is a key cause of land degradation in agriculture lands; and it is a worldwide threat that must be solved by means of nature-based strategies to be able to achieve sustainability. The use of mulches can be a solution, but there is a lack of information on long-term effects of the use of straw. Furthermore, little is known about the perception of farmers and the economic cost on the implantation of straw as a conservation measure. Eight paired plots were selected in Sierra de Enguera on an agriculture field to determine the effect of straw cover on soil erosion. Four plots were tilled three times per year (Control) and four plots were not ploughed and 0.125 kg m(-2) y(-1) o…
A laboratory study of the mineralization and binding of 14C-labeled herbicide rimsulfuron in a rendzina soil
1999
Abstract The fate of pyrimidine-2- 14 C-rimsulfuron in a rendzina soil was investigated using a laboratory microcosm approach. Measurement of CO 2 evolution suggested that rimsulfuron applied at 5 times the recommended dose did not affect soil respiration. Under abiotic conditions, no mineralization of 14 C-rimsulfuron into 14 C-CO 2 occured and under biotic ones it was very low reaching 0.75 % of the applied 14 C-rimsulfuron after 246 days of incubation. The analysis of data showed that a three-half order model provided the best fit for the mineralization curve. Extractable 14 C-residues decreased over time to 70 – 80% of the applied 14 C-rimsulfuron at the end of the incubation. After 246…
Agricultural land abandonment in Mediterranean environment provides ecosystem services via soil carbon sequestration
2016
Abandonment of agricultural land leads to several consequences for ecosystem functions. Agricultural abandonment may be a significant and low cost strategy for carbon sequestration and mitigation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to the vegetation recovery and increase in soil organic matter. The aim of this study was to: (i) estimate the influence of different Soil Regions (areas characterized by a typical climate and parent material association) and Bioclimates (zones with homogeneous climatic regions and thermotype indices) on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics after agricultural land abandonment; and (ii) to analyse the efficiency of the agri-environment policy (agri-environment measur…
Microstructural and associated chemical changes during the composting of a high temperature biochar: Mechanisms for nitrate, phosphate and other nutr…
2018
Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of the nutrient status of biochar and soils prior to its inclusion in particular agricultural systems. Pre-treatment of nutrient-reactive biochar, where nutrients are loaded into pores and onto surfaces, gives improved yield outcomes compared to untreated biochar. In this study we have used a wide selection of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques to investigate the mechanisms of nutrient retention in a high temperature wood biochar, which had negative effects on Chenopodium quinoa above ground biomass yield when applied to the system without prior nutrient loading, but positive effects when applied after composting. We have compared non-co…