ALBERT

Description:    The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was determined in seawater, sediment, and Rock oyster Saccostrea cucullata collected from four sampling sites in the inter-tidal areas of Bushehr province. The total concentrations of 14 PAHs varied from 1.5 to 3.6 ng/L in seawater, 41.7 to 227.5 ng/g dry weight in surface sediment, and 126 to 226.1 ng/g dry weight in oyster tissue. In comparing PAH concentrations among the three matrices in Bushehr province, data showed that the pattern of individual PAHs in seawater, oyster, and sediment were different. The oysters tended to accumulate the lower molecular weight and the more water-soluble PAHs. Sediment samples were distinguished from the sea water and oyster samples by the presence of high molecular weight PAHs, especially six-ring PAHs. Three- and four-ring PAHs were the most abundant compounds among the 14 PAHs investigated in surface seawater, sediment, and oyster samples. As expected, differences in octanol/water partition coefficient among individual PAHs and the greater persistence of the higher molecular weight PAHs contributed to the accumulation patterns in oyster and sediment. The results of the study suggested that the main sources of PAHs in the seawater and sediment in the region were mixed pyrolitic and petrogenic inputs. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0850-5 Authors Roozbeh Mirza, Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khoramshahr Marine Science and Technology University, Khoramshahr, Iran Mehdi Mohammadi, Department of Marine Biotechnology and Environment, Persian Gulf Research and Studies Center, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, 75169 Iran Ali Dadolahi Sohrab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Khoramshahr Marine Science and Technology University, Khoramshahr, Iran Alireza Safahieh, Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khoramshahr Marine Science and Technology University, Khoramshahr, Iran Ahmad Savari, Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Khoramshahr Marine Science and Technology University, Khoramshahr, Iran Pavaneh Hajeb, Department of Fisheries, Persian Gulf Research and Studies Center, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, 75169 Iran Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Red lead (Pb 3 O 4 ) has been used extensively in the past as an anti-corrosion paint for the protection of steel constructions. Prominent examples being some of the 200,000 high-voltage pylons in Germany which have been treated with red lead anti-corrosion paints until about 1970. Through weathering and maintenance work, paint compounds and particles are deposited on the soils beneath these constructions. In the present study, six such “pylon soils” were investigated in order to characterize the plant availability and plant uptake of Pb, Cd, and Zn. For comparison, three urban soils with similar levels of heavy metal contamination were included. One phase extractions with 1 M NH 4 NO 3 , sequential extractions (seven steps), and extractions at different soil pH were used to evaluate the heavy metal binding forms in the soil and availability to plants. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine heavy metal uptake by Lolium multiflorum and Lactuca sativa var. crispa in untreated and limed red lead paint contaminated soils. Concentrations of Pb and Zn in the pylon soils were elevated with maximum values of 783 mg Pb kg −1 and 635 Zn mg kg −1 while the soil Cd content was similar to nearby reference soils. The pylon soils were characterized by exceptionally high proportions of NH 4 NO 3 -extractable Pb reaching up to 17% of total Pb. Even if the relatively low pH of the soils is considered (pH 4.3–4.9), this appears to be a specific feature of the red lead contamination since similarly contaminated urban soils have to be acidified to pH 2.5 to achieve a similarly high Pb extractability. The Pb content in L. multiflorum shoots reached maximum values of 73 mg kg −1 after a cultivation time of 4 weeks in pylon soil. Lime amendment reduced the plant uptake of Pb and Zn significantly by up to 91%. But L. sativa var. crispa cultivated on soils limed to neutral pH still contained critical Pb concentrations (up to 0.6 mg kg −1 fresh weight). Possible mechanisms for the exceptionally high plant availability of soil Pb derived from red lead paint are discussed. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0851-4 Authors Marcel Brokbartold, Department of Soil Science and Soil Ecology, Institute of Geography, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany Mareike Wischermann, Department of Soil Science and Soil Ecology, Institute of Geography, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany Bernd Marschner, Department of Soil Science and Soil Ecology, Institute of Geography, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Previous research in agricultural catchments showed that past inputs of nitrate continue to influence present observations and future characteristics of nitrate concentrations in stream water for a long period of time. This persistence manifests itself as a “memory effect” with a prolonged response of stream water nitrate levels to reductions of nitrate inputs on the catchment scale. The question we attempt to resolve is whether such a memory effect also exists in mountainous catchments with a snowmelt-dominated runoff regime. We analyzed long-term records (∼20 years) of nitrate-nitrogen concentrations measured in stream at three stations on the upper Váh River (Slovakia). Applying spectral analysis and detrended fluctuation analysis, we found a varying degree of persistence between the three analyzed sites. With increasing catchment area, the fluctuation scaling exponents generally increased from 0.77 to 0.93 (fluctuation exponents above 0.5 are usually considered as a proof of persistence while values close to 0.5 indicate “white” uncorrelated noise). The nitrate-nitrogen signals temporally scaled as a power-low function of frequency (1/ f noise) with a strong annual seasonality. This increase in persistence might be attributable to the catchment areas upstream the sampling sites. These results have important implications for water quality management. In areas where reduction of nitrate in surface waters is imposed by legislation and regulatory measures, two catchments with different persistence properties may not respond to the same reduction of sources of nitrogen at the same rate. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-12 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0854-1 Authors Milan Onderka, Department of Environment and Agro-biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public—Gabriel Lippmann, 41, rue du Brill, 4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg Lea Mrafková, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, Jeséniova 17, Bratislava, 833 15 Slovakia Andreas Krein, Department of Environment and Agro-biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public—Gabriel Lippmann, 41, rue du Brill, 4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg Lucien Hoffmann, Department of Environment and Agro-biotechnologies, Centre de Recherche Public—Gabriel Lippmann, 41, rue du Brill, 4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Lime was physically blended with Waste Activated Sludge (W.A.S) in various proportions. These blends were hydrated, dried, ground, and sieved to size of utmost 200 μm. The sorbents were then used in fixed-bed reactor for dry desulfurization tests. It was found that the blends had higher sorption capacities than lime alone which means that W.A.S augmented lime's sorption capacity. Higher surface area and porosity of the blended sorbents compared to lime was the main cause of the improved sorption capacity, a conclusion supported by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis (surface area increment with sorption capacity) and scanning electron microscopy imaging (rough morphology being formed). This higher surface area and porosity was caused by pozzolanic reaction between lime and the alumina silicate constituents of W.A.S. The products of this reaction are high surface area, complex calcium alumina silicates. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0856-z Authors Paul Maina, Tshwane University of Technology, P.O Box Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa Makame Mbarawa, Tshwane University of Technology, P.O Box Private Bag X680, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    The sorption of four endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A (BPA), estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in tropical sediment samples was studied in batch mode under different conditions of pH, time, and sediment amount. Data obtained from sorption experiments using the endocrine disruptors (EDs) and sediments containing different amounts of organic matter showed that there was a greater interaction between the EDs and organic matter (OM) present in the sediment, particularly at lower pH values. The pseudosecond order kinetics model successfully explained the interaction between the EDs and the sediment samples. The theoretical and experimentally obtained q e values were similar, and k values were smaller for higher SOM contents. The k F values, obtained from the Freundlich isotherms, varied in the ranges 4.2–7.4 × 10 −2 (higher OM sediment sample, S 2 ) and 1.7 × 10 −3 –3.1 × 10 −2 (lower OM sediment sample, S 1 ), the latter case indicating an interaction with the sediment that increased in the order: EE2 〉 〉 E2 〉 E1 〉 BPA. These results demonstrate that the availability of endocrine disruptors may be directly related to the presence of organic material in sediment samples. Studies of this kind provide an important means of understanding the mobility, transport, and/or reactivity of this type of emergent contaminant in aquatic systems. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-8 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0861-2 Authors Bruno B. Cunha, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), CP 355, 14801-970 Araraquara, SP, Brazil Wander Gustavo Botero, Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL), CP 61, 57309-005 Arapiraca, Alagoas, Brazil Luciana Camargo Oliveira, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), 18052-780 Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil Viviane M. Carlos, Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18087-180 Sorocaba, SP, Brazil Marcelo L. M. Pompêo, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo (USP), 05508–900 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil Leonardo F. Fraceto, Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18087-180 Sorocaba, SP, Brazil André H. Rosa, Department of Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18087-180 Sorocaba, SP, Brazil Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Understanding the acid-base chemistry of soil and the soil processes related to the release or retention of sulfate and nitrate is important in order to predict watershed recovery from long-term acid deposition. Soils were sampled from the Noland Divide Watershed (NDW), a small, high-elevation watershed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park receiving high rates of acid deposition over several decades. Soil samples were measured for chemical properties related to acidification and used to conduct sulfate adsorption and nitrogen (N) incubation experiments. Shallow soil was higher in acidic and basic ions than deeper soils, and the mean effective cation exchange capacity was 8.07, 5.06, and 3.57 cmol c  kg −1 in the A, Bw, and Cb horizons, respectively. In all three soil horizons, the base saturation was equal to or below 7% and the ratio of Ca/Al was below 0.01, indicating that the NDW is very sensitive to acid deposition. Based on results from sulfate adsorption isotherms, the NDW has not reached its maximum sulfate adsorption saturation and is likely able to retain further additions of sulfate. Desorption of sulfate from NDW soils is expected if sulfate concentrations in soil solution drop below 50 μeq L −1 but is highly dependent on soil pH and organic carbon content. Total soil organic N was 500 times greater than inorganic N in the A soil horizon, and net N mineralization and nitrification remained constant during a 28-day incubation indicating a large reservoir of N substrate for soil microbes. Nitrogen experiment results suggest that nitrate export from the watershed is largely controlled by biological processes rather than by nitrate deposition flux. Soil data collected in this study contributes to our understanding of biogeochemical processes affecting the response of acid-impacted ecosystems such as the NDW to future changes in atmospheric deposition. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-15 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0858-x Authors Meijun Cai, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA Amy M. Johnson, Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA John S. Schwartz, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA Steve E. Moore, US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA Matt A. Kulp, US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, USA Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    The modification effects of hematite with aluminum hydroxide were investigated on the removal of fluoride ions from water using batch experiments. The effects of pH, contact time, fluoride concentration, and the dose of sorbent on the sorption of fluoride ions by a modified hematite were studied. Characterization of hematite before and after the modification with aluminum hydroxide was studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller. Equilibrium was reached in 48 h of contact time and the maximum sorption of fluoride was found in the pH eq range between 2.34 and 6.26. The Elovich model described the kinetic sorption processes and the Langmuir–Freundlich model, the sorption isotherm process. These results indicated that the sorption mechanism was chemisorption on a heterogeneous material. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0860-3 Authors A. Teutli-Sequeira, Departamento de Química, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A. P. 18-1027, Col. Escandón, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11801 México, DF, Mexico Marcos Solache-Ríos, Departamento de Química, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A. P. 18-1027, Col. Escandón, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11801 México, DF, Mexico P. Balderas-Hernández, Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Paseo Colón y Tollocan s/n., C.P. 50000 Toluca Estado de México, Mexico Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Perchlorate (ClO 4 − ), a thyroid hormone disruptor, is both naturally occurring and a man-made contaminant increasingly found in a variety of terrestrial environments. The environmental presence of ClO 4 − is considered to be the result of atmospheric formation and deposition processes. The ultimate processes, particularly heterogeneous-based reactions, leading to natural ClO 4 − formation are not well understood. Oxidation of chlorine species by an energetic source such as lightning is considered to be one of the potential heterogeneous sources of natural ClO 4 − . Currently, there is very little information available on lightning-induced ClO 4 − . We designed a laboratory electrical discharge reactor capable of evaluating ClO 4 − formation by the oxidation of “dry” sodium chloride (NaCl) aerosols (relative humidity (RH) 〈70%) in electrical discharge plasma at voltages and energies up to 24 kV and 21 kJ, respectively. Similar to other non-electrochemical ClO 4 − production processes, the amount of ClO 4 − produced (0.5–4.8 μg) was 3 orders of magnitude lower than the input Cl − (7.1–60.1 mg). The amount of ClO 4 − generated increased with peak voltage (V) and theoretical maximum discharge energy with ΔClO 4 − /ΔV = 0.28 × 10 −3  μg V −1 ( R 2  = 0.94) and ΔClO 4 − /ΔE = 0.44 × 10 −3  μg J −1 ( R 2  = 0.83). The total ClO 4 − generated decreased with an increase in relative humidity from 2.8 ± 0.1 μg (RH ∼46%) to 0.9 ± 0.1 μg (RH ∼62%) indicating that the presence of moisture inhibits the formation of ClO 4 − . Additional modifications to the reactor support the hypothesis of ClO 4 − formation due to the action of plasma on Cl − aerosols as opposed to direct oxidation on the surface of the electrodes. Finally, the contribution of lightning-induced ClO 4 − in North America is calculated to have a wide range from 0.006 × 10 5 to 5 × 10 5  kg/year and is within the range of the measured ClO 4 − depositional flux in precipitation samples obtained across the USA (0.09 × 10 5 –1.2 × 10 5  kg/y). Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0857-y Authors Balaji Rao, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023, USA Suhas Mohan, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023, USA Andreas Neuber, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3102, USA William Andrew Jackson, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1023, USA Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Elevated emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, Alberta and higher foliar nitrogen (N) concentrations in jack pine ( Pinus banksiana ) needles close to major emission sources has led to concerns that the surrounding boreal forest may become N-saturated. Despite these concerns, N deposition and impacts on upland forests in the region is poorly quantified. The objective of this study was to characterize N cycling in five plots representing the two dominant upland forest types (jack pine and trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides ) close (〈30 km) to the largest mining operations in the region, during a 2-year period. Despite the high level of NO x emissions, bulk throughfall and deposition measured at both study sites were surprisingly very low (〈2 kg N ha −1  year −1 ). Internal N cycling was much greater in aspen stands; annual N input in litterfall was ten times greater, and net N mineralization rates were two to five times greater than in jack pine stands. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was much greater in jack pine when calculated based on N litterfall indices, but not when N pools in biomass were considered. Despite differences in internal cycling among forest types, nitrate leaching from mineral soil in both forest types was negligible (〈0.1 kg N ha −1  year −1 ) and patterns of 15 N in roots, foliage, and mineral soil were typical of N-limited ecosystems, and both sites show no evidence of N saturation. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0833-6 Authors Dayna L. Laxton, Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada Shaun A. Watmough, Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada Julian Aherne, Environmental and Life Sciences, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979

Description:    Alberta’s oil sands are located in the boreal forest where surface mining requires reconstruction of these landscapes using waste saline and sodic overburden (SSOB) piles. The impact of these SSOB materials, however, on root development of planted boreal species is unknown. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of SSOB material on the root distributions of planted boreal species. Root distributions for planted mixedwood stands were measured using soil cores and compared with soil physical and chemical properties on three reclaimed sites. Soil pH ranged from 6.1 to 7.5 across all three reclaimed sites. Sodium adsorption ratio ranged from 〈30 in the SSOB at the youngest site to 〈4 at the oldest site while soil electrical conductivity ranged from 〈12 and 〈4 dS m −1 in the SSOB at the youngest and oldest site, respectively. Root length distributions were concentrated in the upper 30 cm of the soil profile and ranged from 0.96 to 7.99 cm cm −3 . The roots were observed in the SSOB and accounted for 1.3% to 2.2% of the total root length in the profile. The root length density was also negatively correlated with Na and EC at all sites. The root distributions on these young reclaimed sites were similar to those from undisturbed boreal forest stands overlying saline soils, suggesting that root distributions on these reclaimed sites appear to be unaffected by the SSOB; however, further monitoring will be required as the stand matures to determine future impacts of the SSOB on forest productivity. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-17 DOI 10.1007/s11270-011-0852-3 Authors Heidi Lazorko, Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A8 Ken C. J. Van Rees, Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5A8 Journal Water, Air, & Soil Pollution Online ISSN 1573-2932 Print ISSN 0049-6979