Biological Cycles of Mineral Elements in a Young Mixed Stand in Abandoned Mining Soils

Phytoremediation as a sustainable and inexpensive technology based on the removal of pollutants from the environment by plants is becoming an increasingly important objective in plant research. In this study, biological cycles of five nutrient elements （N, P, K, Ca, and Mg） and eight heavy metal elements （Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Co） were examined in young paniculed goldraintree （Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm） and common elaeocarpus （Elaeocarpus decipens） mixed stands in an abandoned mining area. We found that after vegetation restoration in abandoned mining areas, the organic matter and concentrations of nutrient elements were significantly increased and the heavy metal elements were significantly decreased, the annual retention, uptake and return were 75.0, 115.4, and 40.3 kg/hm^2 for nutrient elements, and 1 878.0, 3 231.0 and 1 353.0 g/hm^2 for heavy metal elements, respectively, with the utilization coefficient, cycling coefficient and turnover rate of 0.92, 0.35 and 0.32 for nutrient elements, and 1.24, 0.42 and 1.92 for heavy metal elements, respectively. Our results suggested that the vegetation restoration in abandoned mining areas had significant effects in improving environmental conditions, enhancing soil available nutrients, and ensuring human health.

Persistence of Organic Pesticide HCH in Waters

[Objective]The research aimed to study HCH persistence in Jiaozhou Bay.[Method]Based on the investigation data in Jiaozhou Bay in April,August,September and October of 1989,we analyzed the source,distribution and migration status of HCH in sea area of Jiaozhou Bay.By using structural model of HCH environmental background value in Jiaozhou Bay,basic background value,input amount of terrestrial runoff and environmental background value of HCH in Jiaozhou Bay were calculated.[Result]Basic background value of HCH in water area of Jiaozhou Bay was 0.012 7μg/L,HCH input amount of terrestrial runoff was during 0-0.057 1μg/L,HCH content input by ocean current was 0μg/L.Then,environmental background value of HCH in water area of Jiaozhou Bay was during 0.012 7-0.069 8μg/L.[Conclusion]HCH needed long time migrating from land to sea bottom,and experienced terrestrial migration process,water migration process,settlement process and biological migration cycle process.In these migration processes,HCH was persistent,and always caused threats and harms on organism.

Nitrogen cycle of a typical Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary

The nitrogen（N） biological cycle of the Suaeda salsa marsh ecosystem in the Yellow River estuary was studied during 2008 to 2009.Results showed that soil N had significant seasonal fluctuations and vertical distribution.The N/P ratio（15.73±1.77） of S.salsa was less than 16,indicating that plant growth was limited by both N and P.The N absorption coefficient of S.salsa was very low（0.007）,while the N utilization and cycle coefficients were high（0.824 and 0.331,respectively）.The N turnover among compartments of S.salsa marsh showed that N uptake from aboveground parts and roots were 2.539 and 0.622 g/m2,respectively.The N translocation from aboveground parts to roots and from roots to soil were 2.042 and 0.076 g/m2,respectively.The N translocation from aboveground living bodies to litter was 0.497 g/m2,the annual N return from litter to soil was far less than 0.368 g/m2,and the net N mineralization in topsoil during the growing season was 0.033 g/m2.N was an important limiting factor in S.salsa marsh,and the ecosystem was classified as unstable and vulnerable.S.salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient status and vulnerable habitat,and the nutrient enrichment due to N import from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S.salsa marsh.Excessive nutrient loading might favor invasive species and induce severe long-term degradation of the ecosystem if human intervention measures were not taken.The N quantitative relationships determined in our study might provide a scientific basis for the establishment of effective measures.

Cadmium isotope compositions of Fe-Mn nodules and surrounding soils: Implications for tracing Cd sources

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in agricultural soils has become a severe threat to food security and human health in recent years. Stable Cd isotopes are a potentially powerful tool for identifying the sources of Cd in soils. However, many Earth surface processes, including adsorption, leaching, and biogeochemical cycles in plants, may generate Cd isotope fractionation, which can complicate the potential application of Cd isotopes in tracing the sources of Cd pollution in soils. In this work, the Cd isotope compositions of typical Fe-Mn nodules (FMNs) and surrounding soils in two different soil profiles are investigated. Our results show that the FMNs in lower layers (i.e., C and W horizons) are isotopically lighter than the surrounding soils by –0.114‰ to –0.156‰ (Δ114/110CdFMN-soil). We interpret this fractionation as the result of preferential adsorption of isotopically light Cd onto the surface of goethite. In the upper layers (i.e., P and A horizons), the Δ114/110CdFMN-soil values are more negative in the P horizon (–0.213‰ to –0.388‰) but more positive in the A horizon (0.061‰ to 0.204‰). We interpret these fractionations as the result of natural biogeochemical processes (i.e., leaching and biological cycling) during soil development. Soil leaching preferentially releases isotopically heavy Cd into the underlying soil (i.e., P horizon), shifting the topsoil towards lower δ114/110Cd values but the underlying soils towards higher δ114/110Cd values. Moreover, biological cycling contributes isotopically heavy Cd to the topsoil, probably shifting the topsoil towards higher δ114/110Cd values. Our study demonstrates that the formation of Fe oxyhydroxides, leaching, and biological cycling can considerably modify the soil Cd isotope signature, highlighting the need to consider natural biogeochemical processes when using Cd isotopes to trace heavy metal pollution in soils.