Radiological consequences of amending soils with bauxite residue gypsum mixtures

Soil Research ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 533 ◽  
Author(s):  
KJ Summers ◽  
BH O'Connor ◽  
DR Fox
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Radiation Flux ◽  
Bauxite Residue ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
South West ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Incremental Dose

This paper reports on the gamma (�) radiation flux from sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain treated with bauxite residue/gypsum at various application rates and assesses the radiological significance of soil amendment in relation to currently accepted standards. Amendment rates of up to 2000 t ha-1 of bauxite residue were used. There is a linear increase of incremental � dose with increasing rate of residue. The 1 mSv limit for incremental � dose exposure for the general public is reached for 100% occupancy at an amendment rate of 1500 t ha-1 of bauxite residue. The gamma rate of approximately 0.15 �Gy h-1 is similar to that for soils of much of the area between Bunbury and Capel in the south-west of Western Australia and is significantly lower than levels for Minninup beach where there are deposits of mineral sands.

Reducing phosphorus leaching from sandy soils with red mud bauxite processing residues

Soil Research ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 651 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Vlahos ◽  
KJ Summers ◽  
DT Bell ◽  
RJ Gilkes
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Red Mud ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Phosphorus Leaching ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Phosphate Industry ◽  
Total Soluble Salt ◽  
Waste Gypsum

This study used field lysimeters to investigate the reduction in the leaching of phosphorus (P) applied as superphosphate fertilizer from a very sandy Swan Coastal Plain soil treated with bauxite processing residue (red mud) neutralized with either waste gypsum from the phosphate industry or ferrous sulfate (copperas) from the titanium dioxide industry. Addition of 500 t ha-' red mud/gypsum or 200 t hap1 red mud/copperas were found to reduce the leaching of P to below 3 kg ha-l for application rates of 270 and 80 kgP ha-1, respectively. Water retention from these excessively well drained soils was increased by 14 and 50% by the addition of 200 and 2000 t ha-l red mud, respectively. The pH of the leachate for all rates of red mud/copperas application increased from approximately 4 to range between 7 and 7-5. The concentrations of Na and SO4 were about 8 and 17 g1-l, respectively, in the initial leachates collected from the 2000 t ha-' red mud treatment but declined to approximately 0.4 and 2.0g l-1 after 3 years of leaching. The Ca leaching appeared to be initially controlled by the solubility of the excess CaSO4 remaining after red mud neutralization, with concentrations ranging between 0.3 and 0.5 g l-1 before declining to approximately the levels for untreated soils of 0.01-0.06g l-1. The Na, So4 and Ca concentrations in the leachates from the 500 t ha-l red mud/copperas treated soil decreased to acceptable levels after 2 years. High total soluble salt (TSS) levels associated with high levels of residue application may affect pasture production in the years immediately following soil amendment

scholarly journals Modelling the effects of climate and land cover change on groundwater recharge in south-west Western Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 2709-2722 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Dawes ◽  
R. Ali ◽  
S. Varma ◽  
I. Emelyanova ◽  
G. Hodgson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
South West ◽  
Recharge Rates

Abstract. The groundwater resource contained within the sandy aquifers of the Swan Coastal Plain, south-west Western Australia, provides approximately 60 percent of the drinking water for the metropolitan population of Perth. Rainfall decline over the past three decades coupled with increasing water demand from a growing population has resulted in falling dam storage and groundwater levels. Projected future changes in climate across south-west Western Australia consistently show a decline in annual rainfall of between 5 and 15 percent. There is expected to be a reduction of diffuse recharge across the Swan Coastal Plain. This study aims to quantify the change in groundwater recharge in response to a range of future climate and land cover patterns across south-west Western Australia. Modelling the impact on the groundwater resource of potential climate change was achieved with a dynamically linked unsaturated/saturated groundwater model. A vertical flux manager was used in the unsaturated zone to estimate groundwater recharge using a variety of simple and complex models based on climate, land cover type (e.g. native trees, plantation, cropping, urban, wetland), soil type, and taking into account the groundwater depth. In the area centred on the city of Perth, Western Australia, the patterns of recharge change and groundwater level change are not consistent spatially, or consistently downward. In areas with land-use change, recharge rates have increased. Where rainfall has declined sufficiently, recharge rates are decreasing, and where compensating factors combine, there is little change to recharge. In the southwestern part of the study area, the patterns of groundwater recharge are dictated primarily by soil, geology and land cover. In the sand-dominated areas, there is little response to future climate change, because groundwater levels are shallow and much rainfall is rejected recharge. Where the combination of native vegetation and clayey surface soils restricts possible infiltration, recharge rates are very sensitive to reductions in rainfall. In the northern part of the study area, both climate and land cover strongly influence recharge rates. Recharge under native vegetation is minimal and is relatively higher where grazing and pasture systems have been introduced after clearing of native vegetation. In some areas, the recharge values can be reduced to almost zero, even under dryland agriculture, if the future climate becomes very dry.

scholarly journals Modelling the effects of climate and land cover change on groundwater recharge in south-west Western Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 6063-6099 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Dawes ◽  
R. Ali ◽  
S. Varma ◽  
I. Emelyanova ◽  
G. Hodgson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Groundwater Resource ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Groundwater Levels ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
South West

Abstract. The groundwater resource contained within the sandy aquifers of the Swan Coastal Plain, south west Western Australia, provides approximately 60% of the drinking water for the metropolitan population of Perth. Rainfall decline over the past three decades coupled with increasing water demand from a growing population has resulted in falling dam storage and groundwater levels. Projected future changes in climate across south-west Western Australia consistently show a decline in annual rainfall of between 5 and 15%. There is expected to be a continuing reduction of diffuse recharge across the Swan Coastal Plain. This study aims to quantify the change in groundwater recharge in response to a range of future climate and land cover patterns across south-west Western Australia. Modelling the impact on the groundwater resource of potential climate change was achieved with a dynamically linked unsaturated/saturated groundwater model. A Vertical Flux Manager was used in the unsaturated zone to estimate groundwater recharge using a variety of simple and complex models based on land cover type (e.g. native trees, plantation, cropping, urban, wetland), soil type, and taking into account the groundwater depth. These recharge estimates were accumulated on a daily basis for both observed and projected climate scenarios and used in a MODFLOW simulation with monthly stress periods. In the area centred on the city of Perth, Western Australia, the patterns of recharge change and groundwater level change are not consistent spatially, or consistently downward. In the Dandaragan Plateau to the north-east of Perth there has been groundwater level rise since the 1970s associated with land clearing, and with rainfall projected to reduce the least in this area the groundwater levels are estimated to continue to rise. Along the coastal zone north of Perth there is an interaction between projected rainfall decline and legislated removal to pine forests. This results in areas of increasing recharge and rising water levels into the future despite a drying climate signal. To the south of Perth city there are large areas where groundwater levels are close to the land surface and not expected to change more than 1m upward or downward over the next two decades; it is beyond the accuracy of the model to conclude any definite trend. In the south western part of the study area, the patterns of groundwater recharge are dictated primarily by soil, geology and land cover. In the sandy Swan (northern boundary) and Scott Coastal Plains (southern boundary) there is little response to future climates, because groundwater levels are shallow and much rainfall is rejected recharge. The profile dries out more in summer but this allows more rainfall to infiltrate in winter. Until winter recharge is insufficient to refill the aquifers these areas will not experience significant falls in groundwater levels. On the Blackwood Plateau however, the combination of native vegetation and clayey surface soils that restrict possible infiltration and recharge mean the area is very sensitive to climate change. With low capacity for recharge and low storage in the aquifers, small reductions in recharge can lead to large reductions in groundwater levels. In the northern part of the study area both climate and land cover strongly influence recharge rates. Recharge under native vegetation is minimal and is relatively higher where grazing and pasture systems have been introduced after clearing of native vegetation. In some areas the low recharge values can be reduced to almost zero, even under dryland agriculture, if the future climate becomes very dry. In the Albany Area the groundwater resource is already over allocated, and the combination of existing permanent native vegetation with decreasing annual rainfall indicate reduced recharge. The area requires a reduction in groundwater abstraction to maintain the sustainability of the existing resource.

scholarly journals Leaching Potential of Phosphite Fertilizer in Sandy Soils of the Southern Coastal Plain, USA

Environments ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Ariel A. Szogi ◽  
Paul D. Shumaker ◽  
Eric D. Billman ◽  
Philip J. Bauer
Keyword(s):  
Transgenic Plants ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Soil Microbial Activity ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Reduced Form ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Subsurface Layers

Novel biotechnology on transgenic plants capable of metabolizing phosphite (Phi), a reduced form of P, could improve the effectiveness of P fertilizers and reduce the P footprint in agriculture with the benefit of suppressing weed growth. However, potassium Phi (K-Phi) salts used as fertilizer are highly soluble in water. At the same time, sandy soils of the Southern Coastal Plain are vulnerable to leaching losses resulting from long-term Pi fertilizer application. We performed a replicated leaching trial using five soil materials that included three surface and two subsurface layers from cultivated topsoil (Ap horizon) with contrasting Phi and Pi sorption capacities. Each soil received three treatments K-Phi at rates 0 (control), 24, and 49 kg P ha−1 and leached twice with de-ionized water. All K-Phi-treated soils leached Phi except for the controls. A phosphorus saturation ratio (PSR) calculated from P, Al, and Fe in acid extracts indicated increasing environmental risk of Phi leaching in soils with lower Phi and Pi sorption capacities at rising rates of applied K-Phi. Because plants rapidly absorb Phi, further studies on the environmental impact of K-Phi fertilizer use should include the interaction of plants with soil properties and soil microbial activity at optimal Phi application rates for growing transgenic plants able to use Phi as a nutrient source.

Perth Plants

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell Barrett ◽  
Eng Pin Tay
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Native Plants ◽  
Significant Part ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
City Life ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
South West ◽  
The City

The city of Perth is well known and treasured for its areas of protected bushland in the heart of the city. Kings Park and Bold Park represent a significant part of the natural heritage of the Swan Coastal Plain and are an important part of city life. The city is also a gateway to the incredible biodiversity to be found in south-west Western Australia. Perth Plants provides a comprehensive photographic guide to all plants known to occur in the bushlands of Kings Park and Bold Park, both native plants and naturalised weeds. There are 778 species included, representing approximately one-quarter of all the plants in the greater Perth region, and one-tenth of all species known for the south-west of Western Australia. This new edition contains 22 additional species and updated photography throughout. It is an essential reference for anyone interested in the plants of south-west Western Australia, and particularly the Swan Coastal Plain.

Groundwater-induced accumulation of iron oxides and phosphorus retention in severely leached soils

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Song Qiu ◽  
Arthur McComb
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Phosphorus Retention ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Fe Oxides ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
Groundwater Irrigation ◽  
Soil Salinisation ◽  
Novel Concept ◽  
P Retention

Many sandy soils of the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia, are poor in Fe and P retention. A novel concept proposes to relocate Fe from groundwater to surface soils via watering, which should consequently improve P retention. To test the viability of this concept we examined several soils in Perth suburbs that had been watered for 3–27 years with groundwater containing high Fe. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis indicated that ‘Fe-watered’ soils had significantly higher Fe materials on the surface of soil particles. Oxalate-extractable Fe (Feo) increased by 52 times and citrate/dithionite-extractable Fe (Fed) increased by 6.6 times. Unusually high Feo/d ratios (average Feo/d = 0.71) in ‘Fe-watered’ soils strongly suggest that the accumulated Fe materials are predominantly amorphous and secondary Fe oxides, probably ferrihydrite. There was a substantial increase in P retention in top-soils, to a magnitude of 45–128 times, demonstrating that increasing Fe oxides in severely leached soils, caused by groundwater irrigation, increases P retention. This approach could be applied to other areas with similar physical characteristics and the present study demonstrates that watering with Fe rich groundwater might have strategic significance not only in the control of water pollution, but also in the rational use of water resources and the amelioration of soil salinisation associated with rising watertables.

Genotypic and morphological variation between Galaxiella nigrostriata (Galaxiidae) populations: implications for conservation

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Galeotti ◽  
Mark A. Castalanelli ◽  
David M. Groth ◽  
Clint McCullough ◽  
Mark Lund
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Coastal Wetlands ◽  
Morphological Differentiation ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Swan Coastal Plain ◽  
South West

Galaxiella nigrostriata is a freshwater fish that is endemic to the seasonally dry coastal wetlands of south-west Western Australia and considered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as lower risk–near threatened. This small fish (maximum total length<50mm) aestivates in the sediment over the long, dry Mediterranean summer and its dispersal is limited by lack of habitat connectivity. The objective of this study was to identify the historical and contemporary genetic connectivity between populations of G. nigrostriata and to assess morphological variation between these populations. Results showed that all populations were genetically divergent and no mtDNA haplotypes were shared between populations. In contrast, morphological differentiation between individual populations was weak; however, pooling populations into two broad regions (Swan coastal plain and southern coast) resulted in clear morphological differentiation between these two groups. Based on these results, we postulate G. nigrostriata distribution last expanded in the early Pleistocene ~5.1 million years ago and have since been restricted to remnant wetlands in the immediate area. Galaxiella nigrostriata populations at the northern end of their range are small and are the most vulnerable to extinction. Conservation efforts are therefore required to ensure the survival of these genetically and morphologically distinctive Swan coastal plain populations.

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