Heavy metals pollution in poultry and livestock feeds and manures under intensive farming in Jiangsu Province, China

The heavy metals pollution in poultry and livestock feeds and manures under intensive farming in Jiangsu Province was investigated. 97 feed and manure samples were sampled from 31 farming plants in 10 major cities of Jiangsu. 14 metals, including Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Mo, Mn, Ba, Co, Sr, Ti, As and Hg, were analyzed after samples acid digestion. The results showed that the most feed samples contained high concentration of metals exceeding National Hygienical Standard for Feeds. Meanwhile, it was found that Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr concentrations in animal manures were also high, for example, Cu concentration in a manure sample reached to as much as 1726 3 mg/kg. Heavy metals loading quantities in soil per year were then calculated when metals contaminated organic fertilizers were applied, and its effects on soil environmental quality were further evaluated.

Cropland physical disturbance intensity： plot-scale measurement and its application for soil erosion reduction in mountainous areas

Various kinds of human disturbances on cropland are the main reasons for soil erosion and land degradation.Farming practices in mountainous areas vary greatly among cropland plots because of the heterogeneity of biophysical conditions and differences in farmers'management behavior.The main purpose of this paper is to develop a composite index of cropland physical disturbance intensity(CLDI)to reflect the plot-scale discrepancy of potential soil erosion in mountainous areas.The study was based on both plot survey and household interview data,collected from six typical catchments in mountainous areas of southwestern China.Four kinds of physical disturbance practices and two kinds of conservation practices during one crop rotation period were synthesized to develop the CLDI index.The rough set theory was referenced to avoid subjectivity during weight allocation.The results show that conventional tillage,deep fertilization,and manual weeding are the main causes of cropland soil erosion,whereas manure application in combination with seasonal fallow reduces soil erosion.Different crop types as well as cropland location factors determine the spatial pattern of CLDI.Crop rotation modes with major crops of tobacco and maize resulted in a maximal CLDI,and cropland plots with a distance radius of 150 meters away from households received the most intensive physical disturbance.These results are critical to help better protect rural environments in mountainous areas.Based on the results,methods to reduce cropland soil erosion are suggested.

Characterising populations living close to intensive farming and composting facilities in England

Bioaerosol exposure has been linked to adverse respiratory conditions.Intensive farming and composting facilities are important anthropogenic sources of bioaerosols.We aimed to characterise populations living close to intensive farming and composting facilities.We also infer whether the public are becoming more concerned about anthropogenic bioaerosol emissions,using reports of air pollution related incidents attributed to facilities.We mapped the location of 1,257 intensive farming and 310 composting facilities in England in relation to the resident population and its characteristics(sex and age),area characteristics(deprivation proxy and rural/urban classification)and school locations stratified by pre-defined distance bands from these bioaerosol sources.We also calculated the average number of air pollution related incidents per year per facility.We found that more than 16%of the population and 15%of schools are located within 4,828 m of an intensive farming facility or 4,000 m of a composting facility;few people(0.01%)live very close to these sites and tend to be older people.Close to composting facilities,populations are more likely to be urban and more deprived.The number of incidents were attributed to a small proportion of facilities;population characteristics around these facilities were similar.Results indicate that populations living near composting facilities(particularly>250 to≤4,000 m)are mostly located in ur6an areas(80188%of the population),which supports the need for more community health studies to be conducted.Results could also be used to inform risk management strategies at facilities with higher numbers of incidents.

Contribution of Root Proliferation in Nutrient-Rich Soil Patches to Nutrient Uptake and Growth of Maize

Root proliferation can be stimulated in a heterogeneous nutrient patch; however, the functions of the root proliferation in the nutrient-rich soil patches are not fully understood. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to examine the comparative effects of localized application of ammonium and phosphorus (P) at early or late stages on root growth, nutrient uptake, and biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) on a calcareous soil in an intensive farming system. Localized supply of ammonium and P had a more evident effect on shoot and root growth, and especially stimulated fine root development at the early seedling stage, with most of the maize roots being allocated to the nutrient-rich patch in the topsoil. Although localized ammonium and P supply at the late stage also enhanced the fine root growth, the plant roots in the patch accounted for a low proportion of the whole maize roots in the topsoil at the flowering stage. Compared with the early stage, fine root length in the short-lived nutrient patch decreased by 44%-62% and the shoot dry weight was not different between heterogeneous and homogeneous nutrient supply at the late growth stage. Localized supply of ammonium and P significantly increased N and P accumulation by maize at 35 and 47 days after sowing (DAS); however, no significant difference was found among the treatments at 82 DAS and the later growth stages. The increased nutrient uptake and plant growth was related to the higher proportion of root length in the localized nutrient-enriched patch. The results indicated that root proliferation in nutrient patches contributed more to maize growth and nutrient uptake at the early than late stages.