Soil Heavy Metal Pollution Around the Dabaoshan Mine,Guangdong Province,China

Soil contamination in the vicinity of the Dabaoshan Mine, Guangdong Province, China, was studied through determi- nation of total concentrations and chemical speciation of the toxic metals, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed that over the past decades, the environmental pollution was caused by a combination of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb, with tailings and acid mine drainage being the main pollution sources affecting soils. Significantly higher levels （P ≤ 0.05） of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were found in the tailings as compared with paddy, garden, and control soils, with averages of 1486, 2516, 6.42, and 429 mg kg^-1, respectively. These metals were continuously dispersed downstream from the tallings and waste waters, and therefore their concentrations in the paddy soils were as high as 567, 1 140, 2.48, and 191 mg kg^-1, respectively, being significantly higher （P ≤ 0.05） as compared with those in the garden soils. The results of sequential extraction of the above metals from all the soil types showed that the residual fraction was the dominant form. However, the amounts of metals that were bound to Fe-Mn oxides and organic matter were relatively higher than those bound to carbonates or those that existed in exchangeable forms. As metals could be transformed from an inert state to an active state, the potential environmental risk due to these metals would increase with time.

Using Multivariate Statistical and Geostatistical Methods to Identify Spatial Variability of Trace Elements in Agricultural Soils in Dongguan City,Guangdong,China

Dongguan （东莞） City, located in the Pearl River Delta, South China, is famous for its rapid industrialization in the past 30 years. A total of 90 topsoil samples have been collected from agricultural fields, including vegetable and orchard soils in the city, and eight heavy metals （As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn） and other items （pH values and organic matter） have been analyzed, to evaluate the influence of anthropic activities on the environmental quality of agricultural soils and to identify the spatial distribution of trace elements and possible sources of trace elements. The elements Hg, Pb, and Cd have accumulated remarkably here, incomparison with the soil background content of elements in Guangdong （广东） Province. Pollution is more serious in the western plain and the central region, which are heavily distributed with industries and rivers. Multivariate and geostatistical methods have been applied to differentiate the influences of natural processes and human activities on the pollution of heavy metals in topsoils in the study area. The results of cluster analysis （CA） and factor analysis （FA） show that Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, and As are grouped in factor F1, Pb in F2, and Cd and Hg in F3, respectively. The spatial pattern of the three factors may be well demonstrated by geostatistical analysis. It is shown that the first factor could be considered as a natural source controlled by parent rocks. The second factor could be referred to as ＂industrial and traffic pollution sources＂. The source of the third factor is mainly controlled by long-term anthropic activities, as a consequence of agricultural activities, fossil fuel consumption, and atmospheric deposition.

Spatial Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon Storage in China's Croplands

The soil organic carbon (SOC) pool is the largest component of terrestrial carbon pools. With the construction of a geographically referenced database taken from the second national general soil survey materials and based on 1546 typical cropland soil profiles, the paddy field and dryland SOC storage among six regions of China were systematically quantified to characterize the spatial pattern of cropland SOC storage in China and to examine the relationship between mean annual temperature, precipitation, soil texture features and SOC content. In all regions, paddy soils had higher SOC storage than dryland soils, and cropland SOC content was the highest in Southwest China. Climate controlled the spatial distribution of SOC in both paddy and dryland soils, with SOC storage increasing with increasing precipitation and decreasing with increasing temperature.

Study on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contents and sources in the surface soil of Huizhou City, South China, based on multivariate statistics analysis

Studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface soil were conducted in Huizhou City, which is located in the Pearl River Delta, South China. Sixteen PAHs in 42 soil samples were detected. The results showed that 4 components of PAHs were detectable in all soil samples, and other 12 components were also detect- able to some extent. The total PAHs contents range from 35.40 to 534.5 μg/kg with the mean value of 123.09 μg/kg. Soil in Huizhou was slightly polluted by PAHs according to Maliszewska-Kordybach’s study. It can be confirmed that the increase of PAHs contents in the surface soil of Huizhou City is closely connected to human activities. Mul- tivariate analysis was also made in this study. Principal component analysis was used to constrain their origins, and 3 principal components (PCs) were extracted. The results showed that coal combustion and oil spilling made the major contributions to PAHs. Cluster analysis was made and 16 priority PAHs were classified as 4 sorts, and the result revealed the differences in environmental behavior, chemical properties and sources of PAHs.

Distribution and deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in precipitation in Guangzhou, South China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） were measured in precipitation from March to August 2005 in Guangzhou, South China. Fourteen PAHs were studied, and their total concentrations varied from 616.6 to 3486.7 ng/L in dissolved phase and from 403.8 to 3125.5 ng/L in particulate phase. The estimated deposition loading of PAHs was 3568 ug/m^2 during the monitoring period. The deposition of PAHs was a potential source for Pearl River comparing with the contents of surface water. In addition, the high concentration in precipitation here implied that PAHs pollution was a potential environmental problem in Guangzhou. Most precipitation concentrations of PAHs in March （the last month in winter in Guangzhou） were higher than in the other months （in rainy season）. PAHs inclined to be adsorbed to particulate phase with the increase of molecular weight in rainwater. Combustion of fossil fuel and biomass might be the major source of PAHs, while the direct leakage or volatilization from petroleum products might be insignificant.

Mechanisms of Enhancement of Photocatalytic Properties and Activity of Nd^(3+)-Doped TiO_2 for Methyl Orange Degradation

Nd^(3+)-doped TiO_2 powders were prepared by the sol-gel method. Their crystal pattern and parameter, the specific surface area, the surface chemical state of Ti and the ratio of O/Ti were characterized. The results show that Nd impurity hinders the crystal transformation, and decreases the relative intensity of (101) peak. The crystallite sizes of Nd^(3+)-doped TiO_2 powders decrease while their specific surface area increase owing to the Nd^(3+) doping. The XPS measurement shows that the content of Ti(Ⅲ) and ratio of O/Ti on their surfaces increase significantly with the increase of Nd^(3+) dosage. The adsorption and photodegradation experiments show that the optimum molar content of Nd^(3+) is 1.2%.

Enhanced photo-catalytic activity of gold ion and gold modified

The gold ion modified TiO2 was prepared by means of sol-gel whereas gold deposited TiO2 was prepared by means of photoreduction. The physical properties were influenced significantly by the presence of gold ion or gold. The enhanced photo-activity of gold modified TiO2 vas quantified in terms of methylene blue degradation. The presence of gold ion in TiO2 lattices or gold on TiO2 surface enhanced their-photo-activity. The optimum molar content of gold ion doping and gold deposition all was 0.5%. The first-order rates constants of gold modified TiO2 was more than that of pure TiO2, and decreased by increasing the content of gold ion and gold when their contents were more than 0.5%. Gold ion doped in TiO2 lattices was more effective to enhance the photo-activity than gold on TiO2 surface. Moreover, the relationship between physical properties, chemical properties and photo-activity has been discussed.

TiO_2 photocatalytic antifungal technique for crops diseases control

TiO2 and 1% Ce^3＋-TiO2 prepared by hydrothermal method were characterized by means of XRD and UV-visible diffusive reflectance spectra（DRS）. The results of DRS analysis indicated that the 1% Ce^3＋-TiO2 catalyst had significant optical absorption in the visible region between 400-450 nm because electrons could be excited from the valence band of TiO2 or cerium oxides to Ce 4f level. To investigate the photocatalytic activity of different catalysts for crop fungal disease control, a series of Quine tests were carried out for cucumber powdery mildew and litchi downy blight control in home-made photocatalytic reactor. The results showed that TiO2 photocatalysis technique should be effective to inhibit the growth of fungal diseases to some extent and P-25 had a higher activity for antifungal control than home-made TiO2 catalysts. TiO2-A prepared with Ti（SO4）2 is more active to contro 1 antifungal disease than TiO2-B prepared with TiOSO4 as precursor because the crystalline of TiO2-A was higher than that of TiO2-B. The antifungal index litchi downy blight control was greatly enhanced by doping 1% cerium ion. The antifungal index of 1.0%Ce3^＋-TiO2 was（47.0 ± 4.7）%, （82.2 ± 3.5）%, （100 ±0.0）% under indoor weaker light, solar light and black light, respectively. The results of field experiments showed that the antifungal index of 1.0%Ce^3＋-TiO2 was more than that of P-25. The antifungal index of 1.0%Ce^3＋-TiO2 was （81.7 ± 6.5）%, （67.5 ±4.7）%, （38.6±1.9）% for litchi downy blight, maize southern leaf spot, and rice blast, respectively. It was concluded that TiO2 photocatalysis technique should be an effective way for litchi fungal disease control in practice.

Dependence of bisphenol A photodegradation on the initial concentration of oxalate in the lepidocrocite-oxalate complex system

To understand the degradation of endocrine disrupting chemicals （EDCs） in natural environment with existence of iron oxides and carboxylic acids, the dependence of bisphenol A （BPA） photodegradation on the initial concentration of oxalate （Cox） in lepidocrocite （y-FeOOH） aqueous suspension was investigated under both UV and visible lights in this study. Lepidocrocite powder was home-prepared by a hydrothermal process. It was found that BPA degradation was promoted greatly in the presence of oxalate owing to the formation of lepidocrocite-oxalate complex. And there was an optimal Cox, which was 2.0 and 2.4 mmol/L, under UV and visible lights, respectively. The first-order kinetic constant, k value increased 38 times from 0.17 × 10^-2 min^-1 in the absence of oxalate to 6.39 × 10^-2 min^-1 in the presence of oxalate with an optimal Cox （2.0 mmol/L） under UV irradiation, and almost 306 times from 0.02 × 10^-2 min^-1 in the absence of oxalate to 6.11 × 10^-2 min^-1 in the presence of oxalate with an optimal Cox （2.4 mmol/L） under visible irradiation. The BPA degradation rate increased and the first-order kinetic constants decreased with the increase in BPA initial concentration. The dependence of the variation of pH value, total-Fe and Fe^2＋ during the photoreaction on Cox was also investigated. The pH value increased obviously with the reaction time. Total-Fe increased dramatically at the first 5 min and then decreased quickly under UV irradiation and slowly under visible irradiation. The initial concentration of oxalate is a main factor to affect BPA photodegradation in aqueous suspension under both UV and visible lights.

Effect of surface state properties of modified TiO_2 powders on their photo-catalytic activity

With an attempt to investigate the effect of gold impurity and tungsten oxide on the recombination and separation of electron hole pairs, and disclose the effect of surface state on the photo catalytic activity of TiO 2, an innovative photo catalyst 3%WO 3/0.5%Au 3+ /TiO 2 was prepared by means of sol gel method. The photo oxidation efficiency of photo catalyst was evaluated by conducting a set of experiments to photo degrade methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The surface state properties were examined by means of surface photovoltage spectra (SPS) and electron field induced SPS (EFISPS). The experiments demonstrate that the strongest peak is attributed to electron excited from valence band to conduction band and the second strongest peak is attributed to electron excited from valence band to oxygen molecular for all samples. Electron is trapped by O 2 absorbed on the surface of TiO 2. And the surface state of O - 2 forms. For (1%, 3%)Au 3+ /TiO 2 sample, two new peaks that significantly present at 414?nm and 400?nm respectively should be attributable to gold impurity energy level. And for tungsten oxides doping samples, 4 peaks that significantly present in the region of 500～800?nm should be attributable to tungsten impurity energy level. The intensity of EFISPS decreases with increasing the content of gold ion or tungsten oxide when its content is no more than their optimal dosage. However, when the content of gold ion or tungsten oxide is more than their optimal dosage, impurity energy level becomes recombination center from separation center and the intensity of all peaks increases for them.

Apparent ages of suspended sediment and soil erosion of the Pearl River (Zhujiang) drainage basin

The carbon isotopic composition (Δ 14 C,δ 13 C) and apparent ages of suspended sediment were determined in the Pearl River in the years 1998,2000 and 2005.These results indicate that suspended POC consists mostly of young carbon and some "old carbon".Apparent ages of suspended POC range from 540 to 2050 a BP.The apparent ages are older in the Xijiang and Beijiang Rivers,while these values are variable in the Dongjiang River,including old and young samples.The suspended POCδ 13 C values increase with increasing Δ 14 C in the Pearl River,indicating that its source is soil and bedrock from depths under 15 30 cm.Since the organic carbon of the surface soil is quickly decomposed when it enters the rivers,its carbon isotopic characteristics are insignificant in suspended sediment.In the Pearl River drainage basin,there are areas with more severe soil erosion than others.For example,erosion is much more severe in the Xijiang River drainage basin when compared to the light soil erosion in the Dongjiang River drainage basin.

Fertilization regimes affect the soil biological characteristics of a sudangrass and ryegrass rotation system

The sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense) and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) rotation is an intensive and new cropping system in Central China.Nutrient management practices in this rotation system may influence soil fertility,the important aspects of which are soil biological properties and quality.As sensitive soil biological properties and quality indicators,soil microbial community activity,microbial biomass,enzyme activities,soil organic matter (SOM) and total N resulting from different fertilization regimes in this rotation system were studied through a four-year field experiment from April 2005 to May 2009.Treatments included control (CK),fertilizer phosphorus and potassium (PK),fertilizer nitrogen and potassium (NK),fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) and a fertilizer nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium combination (NPK).Soil microbial community activities in the NK,NP and NPK treatments were significantly lower than those in the CK and PK treatments after the sudangrass and ryegrass trial.The highest microbial biomass C,microbial biomass N,SOM,total N,sucrase and urease activities were found in the NPK treatment,and these soil quality indicators were significantly higher in the NK,NP and NPK treatments than in the PK and CK treatments.Soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities were positively associated with SOM in the sudangrass and ryegrass rotation system,indicating that fertilization regimes,especially N application,reduced microbial community activity in the soil.Proper fertilization regimes will increase microbial biomass,enzyme activity and SOM and improve soil fertility.

Bacterial reduction and release of adsorbed arsenate on Fe(III)-, Al- and coprecipitated Fe(III)/Al-hydroxides

Mobilization of arsenic under anaerobic conditions is of great concern in arsenic contaminated soils and sediments. Bacterial reduction of As（V） and Fe（III） influences the cycling and partitioning of arsenic between solid and aqueous phase. We investigated the impact of bacterially mediated reductions of Fe（III）/Al hydroxides-bound arsenic（V） and iron（III） oxides on arsenic release. Our results suggested that As（V） reduction occurred prior to Fe（III） reduction, and Fe（III） reduction did not enhance the release of arsenic. Instead, Fe（III） hydroxides retained their dissolved concentrations during the experimental process, even though the new iron mineral-magnetite formed. In contrast, the release of reduced As（III） was promoted greatly when aluminum hydroxides was incorporated. Thus, the substitution of aluminum hydroxides may be responsible for the release of arsenic in the contaminated soils and sediments, since aluminum substitution of Fe（III） hydroxides universally occurs under natural conditions.