scholarly journals New Topsoil Sampler for the Assessment and Monitoring of Forest Soil Contamination

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Cezary Kabala ◽  
Bernard Galka ◽  
Siarhei Yurkouski
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Dynamic Balance ◽  
Total Concentration ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Direct Analysis ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Mineral Layer ◽  
New Construction ◽  
Effective Inclusion

The forest litter and underlying mineral topsoil are typically sampled and analyzed separately although they are in a dynamic balance, which ensures macro- and microelement cycling in the forest ecosystem, including the flux and accumulation of xenobiotics in the contaminated sites. Although the national legal regulations specify single limits of element concentration for the entire “topsoil” layer, irrespectively of the kind of materials resting at the earth surface down to the specified depth, the direct analysis of bicomponent forest topsoil (litter + mineral topsoil) was problematic because of the lack of a suitable sampler. The paper presents a comparative analysis of Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the forest topsoil layers (0–25 cm), sampled using a new construction sampler invented for a joint collection of the litter layer and underlying mineral layer (to the specified depth). Litter samples (using a steel frame), mineral topsoil samples (0–25 cm, using gouge auger after litter removal), and mixed topsoil samples (0–25 cm, including litter) were collected in 16 replicates from four variably contaminated plots (copper mining and smelting area) afforested with poplar or pine. Pseudo-total concentration of Cu, Pb, and Zn was analyzed after sample digestion in aqua regia. The concentration of elements in the samples consisting of jointly collected litter and mineral layer was noticeably higher than in the samples consisting of the mineral topsoil only, which confirmed the effective inclusion of the litter. The concentrations of trace elements measured in the samples of jointly collected litter and mineral topsoil did not differ (NIR Fisher test at p < 0.05) from the concentrations calculated using the data for litter and mineral soil separately collected and analyzed, which confirmed the usefulness of the new sampler for reliable collection of the forest topsoil samples without skipping any material which may influence the results of soil contamination assessment and risk assessment.

Soil contamination assessment and potential sources of heavy metals of alpu plain Eskişehir Turkey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kadriye Taşpınar ◽  
Özgür Ateş ◽  
Melis Özge Pınar ◽  
Gülser Yalçın ◽  
Fatih Kızılaslan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Potential Sources

scholarly journals Seasonal shifts in export of DOC and nutrients from burned and unburned peatland-rich catchments, Northwest Territories, Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4455-4472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katheryn Burd ◽  
Suzanne E. Tank ◽  
Nicole Dion ◽  
William L. Quinton ◽  
Christopher Spence ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Permafrost Region ◽  
Spring Period ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Spring Freshet

Abstract. Boreal peatlands are major catchment sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients and thus strongly regulate the landscape carbon balance, aquatic food webs, and downstream water quality. Climate change is likely to influence catchment solute yield directly through climatic controls on run-off generation, but also indirectly through altered disturbance regimes. In this study we monitored water chemistry from early spring until fall at the outlets of a 321 km2 catchment that burned 3 years prior to the study and a 134 km2 undisturbed catchment. Both catchments were located in the discontinuous permafrost zone of boreal western Canada and had  ∼  60 % peatland cover. The two catchments had strong similarities in the timing of DOC and nutrient yields, but a few differences were consistent with anticipated effects of wildfire based on peatland porewater analysis. The 4-week spring period, particularly the rising limb of the spring freshet, was crucial for accurate characterization of the seasonal solute yield from both catchments. The spring period was responsible for  ∼  65 % of the seasonal DOC and nitrogen and for  ∼  85 % of the phosphorous yield. The rising limb of the spring freshet was associated with high phosphorous concentrations and DOC of distinctly high aromaticity and molecular weight. Shifts in stream DOC concentrations and aromaticity outside the early spring period were consistent with shifts in relative streamflow contribution from precipitation-like water in the spring to mineral soil groundwater in the summer, with consistent relative contributions from organic soil porewater. Radiocarbon content (14C) of DOC at the outlets was modern throughout May to September (fraction modern carbon, fM: 0.99–1.05) but likely reflected a mix of aged DOC, e.g. porewater DOC from permafrost (fM: 0.65–0.85) and non-permafrost peatlands (fM: 0.95–1.00), with modern bomb-influenced DOC, e.g. DOC leached from forest litter (fM: 1.05–1.10). The burned catchment had significantly increased total phosphorous (TP) yield and also had greater DOC yield during summer which was characterized by a greater contribution from aged DOC. Overall, however, our results suggest that DOC composition and yield from peatland-rich catchments in the discontinuous permafrost region likely is more sensitive to climate change through impacts on run-off generation rather than through altered fire regimes.

A novel approach for soil contamination assessment from heavy metal pollution: A linkage between discharge and adsorption

2010 ◽  
Vol 175 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 1022-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqing Dong ◽  
Chaolin Li ◽  
Ji Li ◽  
Jiaxin Wang ◽  
Suting Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Heavy Metal Pollution ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Novel Approach

Changes in Cu, Ni, and Zn availability following simulated conversion of biosolids-amended forest soils back to agricultural use

Soil Research ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 286 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. McLaren ◽  
A. Black ◽  
L. M. Clucas
Keyword(s):  
Soil Solution ◽  
Forest Soils ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Metal Availability ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Organic Complexes ◽  
Agricultural Use ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Wheat Germination

In this study we examined the bioavailability and chemistry of Cu, Ni, and Zn in metal-spiked, biosolids-amended forest (Pinus radiata) soils that had undergone a simulated conversion back to agricultural use. Mixing of the biosolids-treated forest litter into the underlying mineral soil resulted in high concentrations of each metal in easily extractable and soil solution forms. There was also very little change in these concentrations during a subsequent 2-year incubation period of the samples. Chemical speciation of the soil solutions using WHAM 6 showed that Cu was dominated by organic complexes, whereas most Ni and Zn was present as Ni2+ and Zn2+, with generally <5% of these elements present as organic complexes. Addition of lime to the soils substantially decreased both readily extractable and soil solution metal concentrations. However, even in their unlimed state, although plant metal concentrations were increased by the original biosolids treatments, there were no adverse effects due to the metals on plant growth as determined in a wheat germination and seedling growth test. In this study, the DGT technique showed considerable promise for assessing metal availability to plants. However, the study suggests that conversion of biosolids-treated forest soils back for agricultural use is unlikely to result in any substantial problems related to the metal loadings built up in the forest litter layer.

Equilibrium and kinetic approaches for modelling sorption processes on radiocesium soil profiles in Fukushima prefecture

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamza Chaif ◽  
Frederic Coppin ◽  
Aya Bahi ◽  
Laurent Garcia-Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Residence Time ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Organic Soils ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Sorption Model ◽  
Slow Evolution

&lt;p&gt;The study of radionuclides (RNs) retention processes onto the solid phases is a key element for the prediction of their transfer in soils. It allows a better quantification of the persistence of radioactive contaminants on the soil surface, their availability for root uptake and their vertical transfer towards groundwater.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This work addresses the comparison between equilibrium and kinetic hypotheses of sorption processes on real post-accidental soil contamination profiles. The equilibrium-kinetic (EK) sorption model was selected as a non-equilibrium parameterization embedding the K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; approach. It supposes the existence of two types of sorption sites. The first sites are at equilibrium with solution, whereas for the second sites, kinetics of the sorption and desorption are taken into consideration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We focused our study on four &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs soil contamination profiles measured in a cedar stand 35 km northwest of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Profiles were sampled at four different dates (between 2013 and 2018) by measuring &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs activity in both organic (humus + litter layer) and mineral soil layers reaching a maximum depth of 20cm.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To successfully simulate the &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs transfer throughout these soil profiles, the input flux at the mineral soil surface was reconstructed from monitored throughfall, stemflow and litterfall fluxes in the same forest stand from July 2011 to November 2016 crossed with initial deposit and dynamic of the organic layer activity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The EK model reproduced the measured contamination profiles slightly better than the fitted K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; model. While both models were able to reproduce the overall vertical distribution throughout the profiles, the persistent contamination at the surface was closer to the measured value with the EK approach. Additionally, the fitted K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; parameters (2000 L/kg to 6500 L/kg depending on the parcel) were considerably higher than the recommended value by The IAEA for organic soils (270 L/kg). When used, this recommended K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; value produced profiles with considerably faster transfer rate between layers and shorter persistence of the contamination at the surface.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To further distinguish the models behaviors, long term simulations were conducted. EK hypotheses induced much longer residence time of the contamination at the soil surface. For instance, by 2030, the EK approach predicted that 75 % of the contamination still remained in the 0-2 cm layer due to the slow desorption rate, whereas the K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; approach predicted it to be around 51 %. This fraction becomes even smaller (8 %) when using the K&lt;sub&gt;d&lt;/sub&gt; value (270 L/kg) recommended by the IAEA for organic soils.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These results prove that the choice of the sorption model is critical in post-accidental situations. An equilibrium approach, especially when using recommended parameter values, can result in an underestimation of the RNs residence time in the surface. Whereas a kinetic approach, by distinguishing different sorption and desorption rates, is able to reproduce the slow evolution of &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs soil profiles with time that is already observed in the case of Chernobyl contaminated areas 30 years after the accident.&lt;/p&gt;

Soil contamination assessment for Pb, Zn and Cd in a slag disposal area using the integration of geochemical and microbiological data

2016 ◽  
Vol 188 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Consiglio Kasemodel ◽  
Jacqueline Zanin Lima ◽  
Isabel Kimiko Sakamoto ◽  
Maria Bernadete Amancio Varesche ◽  
Julio Cesar Trofino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Disposal Area ◽  
Microbiological Data

Near infrared spectroscopy techniques for soil contamination assessment in the Nile Delta

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 632-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Mohamed ◽  
A. M. Ali ◽  
M. A. El Shirbeny ◽  
Afaf A. Abd El Razek ◽  
I. Yu. Savin
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nile Delta ◽  
Contamination Assessment

Assessing the Influence of Topography and Environmental Factors on Gamma-Ray Air Dose Rates Under Canopies 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misa Yasumiishi ◽  
Taku Nishimura ◽  
Jared Aldstadt ◽  
Pedram Masoudi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Contamination ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Remote Measurement ◽  
Contamination Assessment ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Contamination Levels

&lt;p&gt;Researchers have measured aerial gamma-rays using remote measurement devices to estimate the radionuclide concentrations in soils. However, an issue arises when measuring air dose rates in forested areas, where canopies exist between the remote sensing device and the ground. When researchers do the reverse conversion from soil contamination levels to the air dose rates, the conversion formula is derived by assuming a flat ground surface (Jacob et al., 1994; Saito and Jacob, 1998); however, topography in forested areas is often not flat. This study examines the relationships among the air dose rates under the canopies, topography, and the soil contamination levels on forested hillslopes in Fukushima, Japan. Gamma-ray air dose rates were measured using a hand-held scintillator during the summer of 2018 (two days), and in the winter of 2019 using KURAMA, a portable scintillator carried in a backpack (one day). This study employed numerical methods, including semivariogram and R's CAR (Companion to Applied Regression) package, to find aerial gamma-ray activities' spatial structure and the optimal combinations of topographic predictors. The survey routes and soil sampling points did not coincide completely. Thus, spatial and temporal reorganizations and re-definitions of the spatial boundary to incorporate the air (boundaryless mass), topography (three-dimensional structure), and soil samples (point measurements) were needed to overcome data analysis challenges. Some preliminary results show that the median air dose rate on a summer day with stronger winds (wind speed 7.1 m/s) was closer to the one on a winter day than to the median on the other summer day with calm air. Distance dependency (semivariogram range) on the windy summer day and the winter day was 30 to 60 m. Distance dependency on a summer day with calm air was much longer, &gt; 500 m. The aerial gamma-ray levels were not in a linear relationship with the elevation. Meanwhile, the areas under evergreen trees showed higher air dose rates (3-8 %) than the areas under deciduous trees in absolute measurements. However, the differences were not statistically significant. The combination of slope degrees, hillslope aspects, and curvature or upslope distance best described the air dose rates, depending on the survey routes, although their predictabilities (R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;) were low, 0.35 at the most. The air dose rates, which were estimated from soil samples' effective relaxation mass depths, did not correlate with the actual air dose measurements, but this result is under further investigation. This study's complete results will provide additional consideration points to the gamma-ray air dose vs. soil contamination assessment in the forested areas.&lt;/p&gt;

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