Urban soil contamination in Australia

Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
KG Tiller
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Medical Research Council ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Contaminated Sites ◽  
Site Evaluation ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Sampling Procedures ◽  
Environmental Agencies

The current knowledge of the pollution of Australian urban soils was reviewed with special reference to heavy metals. Increased community concern in recent years has resulted m a major upsurge in the investigation and rehabilitation of contaminated soils. This has led to a concomitant reassessment and development of regulatory procedures, and the establishment of some new environmental agencies. This review considers sources and extent of contamination, and approaches to the establishment of reference background levels in urban and rural areas. Assessment of contaminated sites has been largely based on overseas experience but site specific approaches relevant to Australian soils and climates are needed and are being developed by State authorities in collaboration with the Australian and New Zealand Environmental and Conservation Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. The need for soil-based research and for standardized soil sampling procedures for site evaluation and action is stressed. Many opportunities exist for soil scientists in solving problems of soil contamination and rehabilitation.

Antimony in the soil - plant system - a review

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Tschan ◽  
Brett H. Robinson ◽  
Rainer Schulin
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Contaminated Sites ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
System A ◽  
Industrial Use ◽  
Plant Surfaces

Environmental context. Soil contamination by antimony (Sb) has become an environmental problem of much concern in recent years, because increasing mining and industrial use has led to widespread soil contamination by this biologically unessential, but potentially carcinogenic element. We reviewed the available literature and found that Sb is generally taken up by terrestrial plants in proportion to the concentration of soluble Sb in soil over a concentration range covering five or more orders of magnitude, a finding that is relevant in particular for the assessment of environmental and health risks arising from Sb-contaminated soils. But very little is known about the mechanisms of Sb uptake by plants. Abstract. Soil contamination by antimony (Sb) due to human activities has considerably increased in the recent past. We reviewed the available literature on Sb uptake by plants and toxicity risks arising from soil contamination by Sb and found that Sb is generally taken up by terrestrial plants in proportion to the concentration of soluble Sb in soil over a concentration range covering five or more orders of magnitude. However, very little is known about the mechanisms of Sb uptake by plants. Also the deposition of resuspended soil particles on the surfaces of aerial plant surfaces can result in high plant Sb concentration in the vicinity of Sb-contaminated sites. Although soil pollution by Sb may be rarely so severe as to cause toxicity problems to humans or animals consuming plants or food derived from plants grown on Sb-contaminated sites, such risks may arise under worst-case conditions.

Soil contamination by metals with high ecological risk in urban and rural areas

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. B. V. da Silva ◽  
C. W. A. do Nascimento ◽  
P. R. M. Araújo ◽  
F. L. da Silva ◽  
L. H. V. Lima
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

scholarly journals The Study of Soil Contamination by Toxocara spp. Eggs in Different Areas of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Southwest Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 177-181
Author(s):  
Giti Shirvani ◽  
Rahman Abdizadeh ◽  
Koroush Manouchehri Naeini ◽  
Seifollah Mortezaei ◽  
Mina Khaksar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Public Areas ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Background and aims: Toxocariasis caused by the larvae of Toxocara spp. is a zoonotic infection with global distribution that is considered an important health problem in the humans. The soil is regarded as the main source of the transmission of Toxocara infection to susceptible hosts. This study investigated the existence of Toxocara spp. ova in rural and urban public areas of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Methods: A total of 180 soil samples were randomly collected from 74 public places from urban and rural areas of nine counties of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province during May to September, 2017. The samples were examined for Toxocara spp. eggs by the modified sucrose flotation method. Results: The contamination rate of the soil samples with Toxocara spp. ova varied within 0%-18.1% in different counties. Overall, 9 (5%) out of 180 examined soil samples were found positive for Toxocara spp. ova. Of nine investigated districts, Toxocara spp. ova were observed in four counties and the highest rate of soil contamination was found in Farsan county with 18.1%. Finally, the prevalence of Toxocara spp. eggs was more in the rural areas (6.7%) compared to the urban ones (3.3%). Conclusion: This study was the first investigation regarding the contamination of Toxocara spp. eggs in the soil of public places in rural and urban areas of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. According to the results, the rate of soil contamination in this region was lower compared with the other parts of Iran. Therefore, a further study is required to determine factors that may be involved in the distribution of Toxocara spp. in different areas of this province.

Three hundred years of House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) persecution in Germany

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. SEITZ
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
World War ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Second World

Modernization of agriculture, economic development and population increase after the end of the Thirty Years' War caused authorities in many parts of Germany to decree the eradication of so-called pest animals, including the House Sparrow. Farmers were given targets, and had to deliver the heads of sparrows in proportion to the size of their farms or pay fines. At the end of the eighteenth century German ornithologists argued against the eradication of the sparrows. During the mid-nineteenth century, C. L. Gloger, the pioneer of bird protection in Germany, emphasized the value of the House Sparrow in controlling insect plagues. Many decrees were abolished because either they had not been obeyed, or had resulted in people protecting sparrows so that they always had enough for their “deliveries”. Surprisingly, various ornithologists, including Ernst Hartert and the most famous German bird conservationist Freiherr Berlepsch, joined in the war against sparrows at the beginning of the twentieth century, because sparrows were regarded as competitors of more useful bird species. After the Second World War, sparrows were poisoned in large numbers. Persecution of sparrows ended in Germany in the 1970s. The long period of persecution had a significant but not long-lasting impact on House Sparrow populations, and therefore cannot be regarded as a factor in the recent decline of this species in urban and rural areas of western and central Europe.

Association of Age, Birth order and Family Income with Psycho-social problems in Rural Adolescents

JMS SKIMS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-95
Author(s):  
Noorul Amin
Keyword(s):  
Birth Order ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Psychosocial Problems ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Rural Adolescents ◽  
Youth Self Report ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Background: The present age is the age of stress. Everybody is disturbed due to one or the other reason irrespective of their age. However, adolescents are more prone to psychological and sociological disturbances.Objectives:To assess the psychosocial problems in adolescents.Methods: The study was conducted in selected schools of urban and rural areas taking 100 participants each for boys and girls using convenient sampling method. The tool used was youth self report. The data collected was analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.Results: The study revealed that 48.5% adolescents were well adjusted; 47% were having mild psychosocial problems; 4% had moderate psychosocial problems and 0.5% had severe psychosocial problems.Conclusion: Adolescents irrespective of their living places had varying degrees of psychosocial problems. JMS 2017; 20 (2):90-95

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