Temporal-spatial distribution and variability of cadmium contamination in soils in Shenyang Zhangshi irrigation area,China

Heavy metal contamination in soils has been of wide concern in China in the last several decades. The heavy metal contamination was caused by sewage irrigation, mining and inappropriate utilization of various agrochemicals and pesticides and so on. The Shenyang Zhangshi irrigation area （SZIA） in China is a representative area of heavy metal contamination of soils resulting from sewage irrigation for about 30 years duration. This study investigated the spatial distribution and temporal variation of soil cadmium contamination in the SZIA. The soil samples were collected from the SZIA in 1990 and 2004; Cd of soils was analyzed and then the spatial distribution and temporal variation of Cd in soils was modelled using kriging methods. The kriging map showed that long-term sewage irrigation had caused serious Cd contamination in topsoil and subsoil. In 2004, the Cd mean concentrations were 1.698 and 0.741 mg/kg, and the maxima 10.150 and 7.567 mg/kg in topsoils （0-20 cm） and subsoils （20-40 cm） respectively. These values are markedly more than the Cd levels in the second grade soil standard in China. In 1990, the Cd means were 1.023 and 0.331 mg/kg, and the maxima 9.400 and 3.156 mg/kg, in topsoils and subsoils respectively. The soil area in 1990 with Cd more than 1.5 mg/kg was 2701 and 206.4 hnl2 in topsoils and subsoils respectively; and in 2004, it was 7592 and 1583 hm^2, respectively. Compared with that in 1990, the mean and maximum concentration of Cd, as well as the soil area with Cd more than 1.5 mg/kg had all increased in 2004, both in topsoils and subsoils.

Effect of Long-Term Fertilization on Soil Enzyme Activities Under Different Hydrothermal Conditions in Northeast China

Human activities have altered weather patterns by causing an increase in greenhouse gas. The effects of climate change have been studied, including effects on some ecosystems throughout the world. There are many studies on changes in the soil due to climate change, but much of them did not extend their research to soil enzyme that integrates information on soil microbial status and soil physical-chemical conditions. Meanwhile, there are lots of experimental fields established to study effects of long-term fertilization on soil enzyme activities, but many did not compare the difference of soil enzyme activities and did not analyze the effect of climatic factors on soil enzyme activities with long-term fertilization under different hydrothermal conditions. In this study, we compared soil enzyme activities of three long-fertilization stations which had different hydrothermal conditions in Northeast China, and analyzed the relationship of hydrothermal condition, soil chemical properties with soil enzyme activities. Hydrothermal conditions （annual temperature and total rainfall） decreased in order of Gongzhuling （Jilin Province, China ） Harbin （Heilongjiang Province, China） Heihe （Heilongjiang Province, China） over the course of the long-term fertilization experiment. Sunshine hours showed the longest in Gongzhuling, the second in Heihe, and the last in Harbin. However, the order of soil enzymes was not in agreement with hydrothermal conditions. Overall, the order of soil enzymes for the same treatment among three stations was consistent in 2008 with in 2009. Correlation analysis demonstrated that different soil enzymes achieved the different affected levels by climatic factors under different fertilization treatments. Urease activity showed a significant relationship with sunshine hours in no fertilizer （CK） treatment （R=-0.91, P0.01） and relative humidity in mineral fertilizers plus manure （MNPK） treatment （R=0.82, P0.05）. Phosphatase activity exhibited a negative correlation with annual mean temperature, annual mean maximum temperature and annual mean minimum temperature, and their correlation coefficients were separately -0.83, -0.79, and -0.83 at P0.05 in CK treatment. Invertase activity was highly and positively correlated with sunshine hours in CK treatment （R=0.94, P0.01）. Catalase activity showed significant negative correlations with minimum relative humidity in CK treatment （R=-0.81, P0.05）, and positive correlations with sunshine hours in M treatment （R=0.83, P0.05）. There were no climatic factors which strongly affected on dehydrogenase in all treatments. Soil enzyme activities were closely related to the soil chemical properties. Soil urease activity was positively correlated with available P （P0.05）. With exception of correlation between invertase and total P at P0.05, phosphase, invertase, catalase, and dehydrogenase showed significant positive correlations with soil chemical properties （P0.01）. It was a comprehensive process that biologic and abiotic factors were effect on soil enzyme activities under different fertilization treatments. To sum up, the variation of hydrothermal conditions in different climate zones and soil chemical properties affect integrally metabolic activity and metabolic finger print of microbial communities in black soil.

Properties of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Husk Fibers With Chemical Treatment for Applications in Polymer Composites

Surface science of natural fibers plays an important role in polymer/natural fiber composites. The Xanthoceras sorbifolia husk fibers were selected and chemically treated by sodium hydroxide(Na OH) solution,coupling agents,their combination,and the mixtures of acetic acid with hydrogen peroxide,respectively. 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane(KH550),γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxylsilane(KH570) and organic titanate(JN-9A) were used as coupling agents in this work. Cellulose content was found to be increased after alkalization due to the removal of the non-cellulose substances,which was evidenced by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared(ATR e FTIR) spectroscopy spectrum analysis and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) measurements. The highest cellulose content was obtained in the bleached fibers. TGA analysis revealed an improvement in thermal stability of the treated fibers,especially for alkali-KH570 treated fibers. The tensile strength of the alkali-KH570 treated fiber and the alkali-bleached fiber were higher than that of other fibers due to high cellulose content and high crystallinity.

Physical and chemical properties of a durably efficacious ammonium bicarbonate as a fertilizer and its yield-increasing mechanism

A new fertilizer of cocrystal type,known as durably efficacious ammonium bicarbonate (DEAB),has been developed by adding a certain amount of dicyandiamide (DCD) as an ammonia-stabilizing agent to ammonium bearbenate(AB)during the process of its production.As compared with AB,DEAB was found to have a reduction of direct volatilization loss by 53%,a fertilizer availability period prolonged from 35-45 to 90-110 d,and an increase in the rate of nitrogen in fertilizer being utilized by 5.9%-10.2%,and a saving of the amount of fertilizer to be ap-phed by 20%-30% for the same level of yield,or an increase of the crop yield by over 10% for the same level of ni-tregen fertilization;in addition,it was found to show usually a function of promoting the crop to early mature.It can be apptied as basal dressing all in one time to soil and thus also used as a labour-saving and crop yield-increasing fertil-izer for is non-mtertillage,plastics film covering and water-saving