Effect of Zn^(2+)-Cu^(2+)combined heavy metal on mechanical properties and microstructure of clayey soil

The strength deterioration mechanism of soil polluted by heavy metals plays a crucial role in the research of mine site pollution.In this study,an unconfined compressive strength(UCS)test,a pH test,a scanning electron microscopy(SEM)test,a low filed nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)test,and an X-ray diffraction(XRD)test were conducted on Zn^(2+),Cu^(2+) and the combination of Zn^(2+) and Cu^(2+) polluted soil to investigate the strength deterioration mechanism.The results show that both the UCS and pH value of soil decrease with increasing heavy metal concentration.The UCS of Zn^(2+)-Cu^(2+) combined polluted soil is between Zn^(2+) and Cu^(2+) polluted soil at the same total concentration.However,the deterioration rate of combined heavy metal polluted soil is less than the sum of deterioration rate of the two single polluted soils at the same total concentration.In addition,heavy metal cations in polluted soil cause flocculent gels of cosmids to shrink,the micropores to become smaller and the macropores to become larger.The porosity increases slightly with the increase of heavy metal concentration due to decreased pH value.The results from SEM,low field NMR,and pH could explain the dynamic evolution process of soil structure with different heavy metals and concentrations,which provides an experimental basis for mine-site polluted heavy metal treatment technology and the prediction of clayey soil strength deterioration.

Impacts of methamidophos, copper, and their combinations on bacterial community structure and function in black soil

The potential ecotoxicologial risks of methamidophos, copper, and their combinations on microbial community of black soil ecosystem in the Northeast China were assessed in species richness and structures by using 16S rDNA-PCR-DGGE analysis approach, and functional characteristics at community levels by using BIOLOGGN system analysis method as well as two conventional methods(DHA and SIR). All results of DGGE banding fingerprint patterns(amplified by bacterial specific 16S rDNA V3 high variable region universal primer) indicated that the species richness of bacterial community in tested soil was significantly decreased to different extents by using different concentrations of single methamidophos, copper, especially some of their combinations had worse effects than their corresponding single factors. In addition,the structures of soil bacterial community had been disturbed under all stresses applied in this study because of the enrichment of some species and the disappearance of other species from the bacterial community. The effects of the single factors with lower concentrations on the communiy structure were weaker than those with higher concentrations. Moreover, the bacterial community structures under the combined stresses of methamidophos and copper were significantly different from those of control and their corresponding single factors. The change of DHA and carbon source substrate utilizing fingerprint patterns based on BIOLOGGNsystem were two relatively sensitive directors corresponding to the stress presented in this study. Between methamodophos and copper, there happened the significant joint-toxic actions when they were used in combination on DHA and carbon source substrate utilizing fingerprint patterns of soil bacterial communities. The DHA of soil under the combined stresses was lower than that of the control and that under the single factors, and the BIOLOGGN substrate utilizing patterns of soil treated by combinations were distinctively differentiated from the control and their corresponding single factors. From all of above, the methamidophos, copper, especially their combinations had the clearly potential ecotoxicological risks to influence the natural soil microbial ecological system by changing the structure, richness, and the functional characteristics of microbial community.