Harmful evaluation of heavy metals from soil layer to the groundwater: Take the Jilin Hunchun Basin as an example

The continuous enrichment of heavy metals in soils has caused potential harm to groundwater.Quantitative methods to evaluate the harm of heavy metals in soil to groundwater are lacked in previous studies.Based on the theory of groundwater circulation and solid-liquid equilibrium,a simple and easy-touse flux model of soil heavy metals migrating to groundwater is constructed.Based on groundwater environmental capacity,an innovative method for evaluating the harm of heavy metals in soil to groundwater is proposed,which has been applied in Hunchun Basin,Jilin Province,China.The results show that the fluxes of soil heavy metals into groundwater in the study area are Zn,Cu,As,Pb,Cd,Ni,and Hg in descending order.The content of heavy metals in groundwater(As,Hg,Cu,Pb,Zn,Ni,and Cd)in most areas has not risen to the threshold of environmental capacity within 10 years.The harm levels of soil heavy metals to groundwater in the most townships soils are at the moderate level or below.This evaluation method can quantify the flux of soil heavy metals into groundwater simply and quickly,determine the residual capacity of groundwater to heavy metals,evaluate the harm level of soil heavy metals to groundwater,provide support for relevant departments to carry out environmental protection of soil and groundwater,and provide a reference to carry out similar studies for related scholars.

Spatial interpolation method based on integrated RBF neural networks for estimating heavy metals in soil of a mountain region

A novel spatial interpolation method based on integrated radial basis function artificial neural networks （IRBFANNs） is proposed to provide accurate and stable predictions of heavy metals concentrations in soil at un- sampled sites in a mountain region. The IRBFANNs hybridize the advantages of the artificial neural networks and the neural networks integration approach. Three experimental projects under different sampling densities are carried out to study the performance of the proposed IRBFANNs-based interpolation method. This novel method is compared with six peer spatial interpolation methods based on the root mean square error and visual evaluation of the distribution maps of Mn elements. The experimental results show that the proposed method performs better in accuracy and stability. Moreover, the proposed method can provide more details in the spatial distribution maps than the compared interpolation methods in the cases of sparse sampling density.

Study Progress in Remediation of Soil Contaminated by Heavy Metals and Its Application Prospect

Flax is an ideal crop for remedying soil contaminated by heavy metals. It has high tolerance to heavy metals and strong adsorption to heavy metals. Through properly using or adjusting external conditions such as regulator, moisture, fertilizer, microorganisms, and pH value, it is able to improve ability of flax to absorb, trans- fer, and accumulate heavy metals. To improve the ability of flax in remediating heavy metal contaminated soil, it is recommended to strengthen cultivation of flax varieties and screening of germplasm resources, actively carry out studies on tech- nologies of fax remedying heavy metal contaminated soil, implement large-scale and mechanized planting of flax, and promote control of heavy metal contaminated soil.

Investigation and Analysis of Soil Pollution of Heavy Metals(Hg,As) in Duanzhou District,Zhaoqing City

The soil heavy metals(Hg and As)in Duanzhou District of Zhaoqing City were determined by AFS200 T atomic fluorescence spectropho-tometer,and the soil environment in Duanzhou District was evaluated by several evaluation methods of soil heavy metal pollution,such as single factor index method,pollution load index method and Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method.Finally,according to the data and conclu-sions,the soil pollution situation in Duanzhou District of Zhaoqing was analyzed.The results will let more people pay attention to the changes of the environment and realize the harm of the environment,and the government can formulate a new plan conducive to the coordinated development of the environment and economy.

Control Approaches to Soil Pollution from Heavy Metals

With the continuous development of human society and economy and the continuous progress of industrial technology,more and more pollutants are discharged into the natural environment,and soil environment is also affected at the same time. Among pollutants leading to soil pollution,heavy metals have resulted in most serious soil pollution. Here,many control and restoration approaches to soil pollution from heavy metals are proposed,and characteristics and applicable conditions of various methods are compared,so as to provide theoretical references for the control and restoration of soil pollution from heavy metals in future.

Simulated Leaching Research on the Effects of Sewage Sludge on Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Aeolian Sandy Soil

[ Objective] The study aims at discussing the feasibility of urban sewage sludge applied to desertification forestland. [ Method] Through the simulated leaching test, the effects of sewage sludge application on the content of nutrients and heavy metals in aeolian sandy soil were ana- lyzed. [ Result] After the simulated leaching with sewage sludge, the contents of total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, available nitrogen （AN） and available phosphorus （AP） in each layer of aeolian sandy soil increased significantly, and the increase in 0 -20 cm soil was more signifi- cant than that in 20 -40 and 40 -60 cm soil. Meanwhile, the content of each heavy metal in 0 -20 cm soil rose significantly, while the increase was small in 40 -60 cm soil. In addition, after the application of sewage sludge, the Nemrew Index of aeolian sandy soil was 0.67, lower than the na- tional soil quality standard of forestland （0.70）, and the short-time application of sewage sludge to sandy soil did not cause serious pollution. How- ever, if sewage sludge has been applied to aeolian sandy soil for a long term, the potential hazard of heavy metals （especially Cd） caused by loneterm accumulation should be paid more attention to.

Effect of amendments on growth and metal uptake of giant reed(Arundo donax L.) grown on soil contaminated by arsenic,cadmium and lead

The effects of five amendments such as acetic acid（AA）, citric acid （CA）, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid （EDTA）, sepiolite and phosphogypsum on growth and metal uptake of giant reed （Arundo donax L.） grown on soil contaminated by arsenic （As）, cadmium （Cd） and lead （Pb） were studied. The results showed that the shoot biomass of giant reed was enhanced by 24.8% and 15.0%, while superoxide mutase and catalase activities slightly varied when adding 5.0 mmol/kg CA and 2.5 mol/kg EDTA to soil as compared to the control, respectively. The concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in shoots were remarkably increased by the addition of 2.5 mmol/kg AA and CA, 5.0 mmol/kg EDTA, and 4.0 g/kg sepiolite as compared to the control. The accumulations of As and Cd were also significantly enhanced in the above condition, while the shoot Pb accumulation was noticeably enhanced by amending with 4.0 g/kg sepiolite and 8.0 g/kg phosphogysum, respectively. The results suggested that AA, CA and sepiolite could be used as optimum soil amendments for giant reed remediation system.

Effects of Red Mud on the Remediation of Pb, Zn and Cd in Heavy Metal Contaminated Paddy Soil

[Objective] To study the remediation efficiency of red mud on Pb, Zn and Cd in the heavy metal contaminated paddy soil of mine area, to clarify its remediation mechanism and fertilizer efficiency on heavy metal contaminated soil. [Method] The soil incubation experiment was conducted to study the effect of red mud on the pH values and electrical conductivity （EC）, and the remediation efficiency of red mud on lead （Pb）, zinc （Zn） and cadmium （Cd） in heavy metal contaminated soil. [Result] Red mud addition reduced the content of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil significantly. Compared with the control, when incubated for 30, 60 and 90 d with the red mud dosage of 4% （W/W）, the exchangeable Pb content was decreased by 39.25%, 41.38% and 50.19%; exchangeable Zn content was decreased by 49.26%, 57.32% and 47.16%; and exchangeable Cd content was decreased by 19.53%, 24.06% and 25.70%, respectively. The application of red mud had significant impact on the share of Pb, Zn and Cd contents in five forms, and different amounts of red mud application all reduced the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to the total Pb, Zn and Cd. In addition, the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to total Pb, Zn and Cd decreased with the increasing amount of red mud addition. [Conclusion] The study provided references for reasonable application of red mud and reduction of heavy metal pollution in paddy soil.

Mechanical properties of anti-seepage grouting materials for heavy metal contaminated soil

Cement-based composite grouting materials were used to construct grouting cutoff wall for heavy metal contaminated soil in non-ferrous metal mining areas. Cement, fly ash, and slag as principal ingredients were mixed with water glass in different ways to produce three composite grouting materials. In order to investigate the effect of water glass mixing ratio, Baume degree, fly ash and slag contents on the mechanical properties of the composite grouting materials, particularly their gel time and compressive strength, the beaker-to-beaker method of gel time test and unconfined compressive strength test were conducted. In addition, the phase composition and microstructure of the composite grouting materials were analyzed by the X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscope（SEM） techniques. The test results show that their gel time increases when water glass mixing ratio and Baume degree increase. The gel time increases dramatically when fly ash is added, but decreases slightly if fly ash is partly replaced by slag. When the mixing ratio of water glass is below 20%, their compressive strength increases with the increases of the ratio; when the ratio is above 20%, it significantly decreases. The compressive strength also tends to increase as Baume degree increases, and improves if fly ash and slag are added.

Mechanical properties of fiber and cement reinforced heavy metal-contaminated soils as roadbed filling

The treatment of contaminated soil is a crucial issue in geotechnical and environmental engineering.This study proposes to incorporate appropriate polypropylene fibers and cements as an effective method to treat heavy metal contaminated soil(HMCS).The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of fiber content,fiber length,cement content,curing time,heavy metal types and concentration on the mechanical properties of soils.To this end,a series of direct shear test,unconfined compression strength(UCS)test,dry-wet cycle and freeze-thaw cycle test are performed.The results confirm that the appropriate reinforcement of polypropylene fibers and cement is an effective way to recycle HMCS as substitutable fillers in roadbed,which exhibits benefits in environment and economy development.

Zn-Cu Interaction Affecting Zn Adsorption and Plant Availability in a Metal-Contaminated SoilA

In a previous greenhouse experiment, we showed that there was an interaction between Cu and Zn, which affected growth and metal uptake by young barley plants grown on soil to which Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn had been added. We suggested that the underlying mechanism was the control of the amount of plant-available Zn by competitive adsorption between Cu and Zn. In order to test this hypothesis, the adsorption of Zn alone, and in the presence of added Cd, Cu and Pb, has been measured using the same soil. Following adsorption, the extractability of the Zn in CaCl2 solution was measured. The adsorption isotherms showed that of the added metals only Cu had a large effect on Zn adsorption. The effect of Cu was to reduce Zn adsorption and to increase the amount of CaCl2-extractable (i.e. plant-available) Zn, in agreement with the conclusions from the greenhouse experiment. The magnitude of the effect of Cu on plant-available Zn was similar in both experiments.

Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy with Multi-Parameters Optimization of Savitzky-Golay Smoothing Applied to Rapid Analysis of Soil Cr Content of Pearl River Delta

Using visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy combined with partial least squares (PLS) regression, the rapid reagent-free analysis model for chromium (Cr) content in tideland reclamation soil in the Pearl River Delta, China was established. Based on Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing and PLS regression, a multi-parameters optimization platform (SG-PLS) covering 264 modes was constructed to select the appropriately spectral preprocessing mode. The optimal SG-PLS model was determined according to the prediction effect. The selected optimal parameters d, p, m and LV were 2, 6, 23 and 8, respectively. Using the validation samples that were not involved in modeling, the root mean square error (SEPV), relative root mean square error (R-SEPV) and correlation coefficients (RP, V) of prediction were 11.66 mg·kg-1, 10.7% and 0.722, respectively. The results indicated that the feasibility of using Vis-NIR spectroscopy combined with SG-PLS method to analyze soil Cr content. The constructed multi-parameters optimization platform with SG-PLS is expected to be applied to a wider field of analysis. The rapid detection method has important application values to large-scale agricultural production.

Effect of cyclic drying and wetting on engineering properties of heavy metal contaminated soils solidified/stabilized with fly ash

Solidification/stabilization （S/S） is one of the most effective methods of dealing with heavy metal contaminated soils. The effects of cyclic wetting and drying on solidified/stabilized contaminated soils were investigated. A series of test program, unconfined compressive strength （UCS） test, TCLP leaching test and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test, were performed on lead and zinc contaminated soils solidified/stabilized by fly ash. Test results show that UCS and the leaching characteristics of heavy metal ions of S/S contaminated soils are significantly improved with the increase of fly ash content. UCS of S/S soils firstly increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles, after reaching the peak, it decreases with it. When the pollutant content is lower （1 000 mg/kg）, the TCLP concentration first slightly decreases under cyclic drying and wetting, then increases, but the change is minor. The TCLP concentration is higher under a high pollutant content of 5 000 mg/kg, and increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles. The results of scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test are consistent with UCS tests and TCLP leaching tests, which reveals the micro-mechanism of the variations of engineering properties of stabilized contaminated soils after drying and wetting cycles.

Lead Phytoremediation in Contaminated Soils Using Ornamental Landscape Plants

Lead (Pb) in the urban environment can have a negative effect on human health, especially children’s health. Reducing elevated Pb exposure in the home landscape is essential. The purpose of this study was to determine which ornamental groundcover landscape plants uptake Pb from contaminated soil. Plants for both shade and sun were selected. Plants for shade [Brake fern (Pteris vittata), Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum), “Big Blue” Liriope (Liriope muscari), and St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum)] and sun [Variegated Liriope (Liriope muscari “Variegata”), Asian Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum), Asparagus Fern (Asparagus setaceus), and Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)] adapted landscape groundcover plants successfully assimilated Pb grown in soil containing 250 ppm and 500 ppm Pb concentrations. Additionally, soil movement at both 25 mph and 50 mph wind speed was significantly different, with increased soil movement at 50 mph. Therefore, it was determined that landscape plants adapted to both sun and shade can help remove Pb from contaminated soils and stabilize soil particles reducing the movement of soil and be aesthetically pleasing.

Heavy Metal Distribution Map in Soil by Using GIS Techniques

A detailed investigation was conducted to understand the contamination characteristics and distributions of heavy metal pollution in terms of contributions of the heavy metal concentrations as mg/kg ofCd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Fe and Mn in the urban soil in Eskisehir city center. The amount of these heavy metals were determined from 15 soil sample points collected within urban area and every sample point included 6 separated samples for chemical analyses. The results indicated that concentration values of all metals except Ni and Cr in soils were below the risky limit pollution values which are recommended by Turkey Ministry of Environment and Forestry in some sample points. Spatial distribution maps were created and recoded, in terms of these heavy metals concentrations as contribution to heavy metal pollution in soil, through Geographical Information Systems techniques. As a result, risky areas were modeled in terms of contamination of heavy metal and it is shown that, every different risky area can be interpreted based on buildings in city center quickly and easily.

Growth, Metabolism and Yield of Rice Cultivated in Soils Amended with Fly Ash and Cyanobacteria and Metal Loads in Plant Parts

Soil amendment with fly ash（FA） and combined supplementation with N_2-fixing cyanobacteria masses as biofertilizer were done in field experiments with rice. Amendments with FA levels, 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 10.0 kg/m2, caused increase in growth and yield of rice up to 8.0 kg/m2, monitored with several parameters. Pigment contents and enzyme activities of leaves were enhanced by FA, with the maximum level of FA at 10.0 kg/m2. Protein content of rice seeds was the highest in plants grown at FA level 4.0 kg/m2. Basic soil properties, p H value, percentage of silt, percentage of clay, water-holding capacity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and organic carbon content increased due to the FA amendment. Parallel supplementation of FA amended plots with 1.0 kg/m2 N_2-fixing cyanobacteria mass caused further significant increments of the most soil properties, and rice growth and yield parameters. 1000-grain weight of rice plants grown at FA level 4.0 kg/m2 along with cyanobacteria supplementation was the maximum. Cyanobacteria supplementation caused increase of important basic properties of soil including the total N-content. Estimations of elemental content in soils and plant parts（root and seed） were done by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Accumulations of K, P, Fe and several plant micronutrients（Mn, Ni, Co, Zn and Cu） and toxic elements（Pb, Cr and Cd） increased in soils and plant parts as a function of the FA gradation, but Na content remained almost unchanged in soils and seeds. Supplementation of cyanobacteria had ameliorating effect on toxic metal contents of soils and plant parts. The FA level 4.0 kg/m2, with 1.0 kg/m2 cyanobacteria mass supplementation, could be taken ideal, since there would be recharging of the soil with essential micronutrients as well as toxic chemicals in comparative lesser proportions, and cyanobacteria mass would cause lessening toxic metal loads with usual N_2-fixation.

Soil Heavy Metal Absorption Performance of the New Sorghum Combination Dunuo 201

Dunuo 201, a new sorghum combination, was planted in heavy metal contaminated areas to explore the feasibility of sorghum for soil heavy metals remediation in southern China. Its yield and heavy metal contents in stems, leaves and grains were analyzed. The results showed that Dunuo 201 could accumulate heavy metals especially in stems and leaves without significant effects on its yield. The cadmium content in grains and brewed liquor of Dunuo 201 was lower than the national standard. Therefore, Dunuo 201 can be used in planting structure adjustment in heavy metal contaminated areas in southern China, which has positive significance for the rapid remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil and the improvement of farmers’ economic benefits.

Organic Materials Could Improve the Phytoremediation Efficiency of Soil Potentially Hazardous Metal by Sedum alfredii Hance

Soil potentially hazardous metal(PHM)is continually attracting public attention worldwide,due to its highly toxic properties and potentially huge damage to human being through food chain.Phytoremediation is an effective and eco-friendly way in remediation technology.A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of different organic materials(biogas residue(BR),mushroom residue(MR),and bamboo-shoot shell(BS))application on phytoremediation of two PHM-contaminated soils(Fuyang soil as‘heavily-polluted soil’and Wenzhou soil as‘moderately-polluted soil’,respectively)by Sedum alfrecdii Hance.The results indicated:1)for moderately-polluted soil,the 5%BR treatment had the strongest activation to Cu and Zn,for heavily-polluted soil,1%BS treatment had the highest activation effect for Cu,Zn,Pb and Cd.2)the above-ground biomass of Sedum alfredii Hance increased with the addition rate of organic materials.3)for Cd uptake of Sedum alfredii Hance in moderately-polluted soil,only 1%BS treatment had a better accumulation effect,compared to the control,for Zn element,MR treatments were weaker than the control,while other treatments were better than the control,of which 5%BR,1%BS and 5%BS accumulated more Zn element by 39.6%,32.6%and 23.8%,respectively;in heavily-polluted soil,the treatments of 5%BS,1%BR and 5%BR accumulated more Cd than the control by 12.9%,12.8%and 6.2%,respectively,the treatments with organic materials addition promoted Zn accumulation in shoots of Sedum alfredii Hance,and the best treatment was 5%BS.Therefore,an appropriate application rate of BS and BR could improve the remediation efficiency for Zn/Cd contaminated soils by Sedum alfredii Hance.

Characteristics and Source Analysis of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in a Mining Area

It is of great significance to study the degree and source of soil heavy metal pollution in geological high background value area for remediation of local contaminated soil. The 0 - 20 cm topsoil was taken around the mining area, and the contents of Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Hg, Cu and As in the soil were measured. Single-factor pollution index, Nemeiro comprehensive pollution index and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the degree of heavy metal pollution and ecological risk. Finally, multivariate statistical analysis was used to analyze the sources of soil heavy metals. The results show that the measured elements are polluted to different degrees, mainly due to the ecological environment problems caused by extensive mining development methods and inefficient utilization of resources. The key link is the release of pollutants at the source. Effectively blocking the release at the source can cut off the possibility of pollutants entering the food chain and the circulation of materials in the ecosystem. The results of potential ecological risk index showed that the potential ecological damage of seven heavy metals was ranked as follows: Cd (97.67) > Hg (68.97) > As (14.29) > Pb (11.55) > Ni (4.62) > Zn (1.61) > Cu (1.45) had a high ecological risk coefficient, and the potential comprehensive ecological risk index was 200.16 and the degree was medium. Principal component analysis shows that the sources of heavy metals are divided into Pb, Cd, As, Zn and Hg mainly from human activities such As mining, while Ni and Cu mainly come from soil parent materials, mining and agricultural activities.