Search

Aims: Fertilisating crops with zinc (Zn) is considered important to enhance agricultural productivity and combat human Zn deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is unclear on which soils Zn fertilisation can lead to higher yields and increased grain Zn concentrations. This study aimed to find soil properties that predict where soil Zn is limiting maize yields and grain Zn concentrations, and where these respond positively to Zn fertilisation. Methods: Zinc omission trials were set up at multiple farm locations in Kenya (n = 5), Zambia (n = 4) and Zimbabwe (n = 10). Grain yields and tissue Zn concentrations were analysed from plots with a full fertiliser treatment as compared to plots where Zn was omitted. Results: A positive maize yield response to soil Zn fertilisation was found at only two out of nineteen locations, despite soil Zn levels being below suggested critical concentrations at most locations. Soil properties nor plant concentrations were able to explain maize yield response to Zn fertilisation. However, positive responses in Zn uptake and grain Zn concentrations to Zn fertilisation were found at the majority of sites, especially in soils with low pH and organic carbon contents. Labile soil Zn measurements related more with Zn uptake (R2 = 0.35) and grain Zn concentrations (R2 = 0.26) than actual available Zn measurements. Conclusions: We conclude that soil Zn fertilisation did not increase maize yields, but can increase maize grain Zn concentrations, especially in soils with low pH and organic carbon content. Predicting a yield response to Zn fertilisation based on soil properties remains a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, irrigation has been fundamental for achieving large agricultural yields, especially in the more arid areas of the world. An example of this practice is represented by the vast water infrastructures found near Udhruḥ (southern Jordan). These engineering works were constructed, maintained and restored from the Nabataean to early Islamic periods (first century BCE to eighth century CE). It still remains unknown why the ancient agricultural landscape of the region shifted towards an unproductive desert. In this study, we analysed the soil chemical and physical properties of an ancient irrigated field to assess whether ancient agricultural practices have altered soil properties that are still noticeable today, and might have contributed to the abandonment of the area. Soil samples were taken randomly from within an ancient qanat‐irrigated agricultural field and from adjacent surfaces believed never to have been irrigated. Our results indicate that the effects of irrigation are still detectable today; electrical conductivity and total Na, B, Li and Sr in the soil of the ancient fields were significantly lower than those in the undisturbed control soils, which suggests leaching of soluble elements due to irrigation. Our results provide evidence of the mastery of ancient civilizations in their agricultural practices. Engineers and farmers apparently managed to conduct irrigation in the area of Udhruḥ for long periods of time without causing soil degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study evaluates the potential of biomass ash as raw clinker material and the influence of biomass feedstock and thermal conversion technology on biomass ash properties. Methods: A set of criteria for biomass feedstock and ash properties (i.e. CaO/SiO2 ratio and burnability) are established. A large dataset was collected and the best combination of biomass feedstock and conversion technology regarding the desired ash quality was identified. Results: Wood biomass has the highest potential to provide the right CaO/SiO2 ratio which is needed to form clinker minerals. Bark content and exogenous Si inclusion in wood biomass have a large influence on the CaO/SiO2 ratio. Paper sludge is composed of Ca, Si and Al and can potentially serve as a source of cement elements. Wood fly ash from pulverized fuel combustion can substitute a considerable amount of raw clinker materials due to its similar burnability. The replacement ratio is determined by the content of adverse elements in the ash (i.e. MgO2 and P2O5). Conclusion: Using biomass ash to lower the CO2 emission from clinker production depends on the joint effort of bioenergy producers, by providing higher quality biomass ash, and cement makers, by adapting the kiln operation to enable a high level of raw material replacement by biomass ash.The presented evaluation of the ash production chain, from biomass selection through combustion technology and ash management, provides new insights and recommendations for both stakeholders to facilitate this sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soil organic matter (SOM) supports multiple soil ecosystem functions, underpinned by processes such as C sequestration, N mineralization, aggregation, promotion of plant health and compound retention. We know little about the relationship between these functions and SOM quality. Scope: We aimed to develop "eco-functionality" as a framework to address questions on the relation between SOM properties and soil ecosystem functions. Conclusions: Paradigm shifts in SOM research have not led to metrics for eco-functionality beyond decomposability and C:N ratio. Recalcitrant OM is under-researched despite its essential role in aggregation and C sequestration, especially in C-saturated soils. Most soil functions are dependent on SOM decomposition and require labile compounds. We conclude that eco-functionality is context-dependent and needs to take time scales into account. We plea for attempts to link operationally defined SOM fractions to functions in order to make SOM research more applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale storage and inundation of contaminated soils and sediments in deep waterlogged former sand pits or in lakes have become a fairly common practice in recent years. Decreasing water depth potentially promotes aquatic biodiversity, but it also poses a risk to water quality as was shown in a previous study on the impact on groundwater. To provide in the urgent need for practical and robust risk indicators for the storage of terrestrial soils in surface waters, the redistribution of metals and nutrients was studied in long-term mesocosm experiments. For a range of surface water turbidity (suspended matter concentrations ranging from 0 to 3000 mg/L), both chemical partitioning and toxicity of pollutants were tested for five distinctly different soils. Increasing turbidity in surface water showed only marginal response on concentrations of heavy metals, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Toxicity testing with bioluminescent bacteria, and biotic ligand modelling (BLM), indicated no or only minor risk of metals in the aerobic surface water during aerobic mixing under turbid conditions. Subsequent sedimentation of the suspended matter revealed the chemical speciation and transport of heavy metals and nutrients over the aerobic and anaerobic interface. Although negative fluxes occur for Cd and Cu, most soils show release of pollutants from sediment to surface waters. Large differences in fluxes occur for PO4, SO4, B, Cr, Fe, Li, Mn and Mo between soils. For an indicator of aerobic chemical availability, dilute nitric acid extraction (0.43 M HNO3; Aqua nitrosa) performed better than the conventional Aqua regia destruction. Both the equilibrium concentrations in surface waters, and fluxes from sediment, were adequately (r2 = 0.81) estimated by a 1 mM CaCl2 soil extraction procedure. This study has shown that the combination of 0.43 M HNO3 and 1 mM CaCl2 extraction procedures can be used to adequately estimate emissions from sediment to surface waters, and assess potential water quality changes, when former sand pits are being filled with soil materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternating flooding and drainage conditions have a strong influence on redox chemistry and the solubility of trace metals in paddy soils. However, current knowledge of how the effects of water management on trace metal solubility are linked to trace metal uptake by rice plants over time is still limited. Here, a field-contaminated paddy soil was subjected to two flooding and drainage cycles in a pot experiment with two rice plant cultivars, exhibiting either high or low Cd accumulation characteristics. Flooding led to a strong vertical gradient in the redox potential (Eh). The pH and Mn, Fe, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations increased with decreasing Eh and vice versa. During flooding, trace metal solubility decreased markedly, probably due to sulfide mineral precipitation. Despite its low solubility, the Cd content in rice grains exceeded the food quality standards for both cultivars. Trace metal contents in different rice plant tissues (roots, stem, and leaves) increased at a constant rate during the first flooding and drainage cycle but decreased after reaching a maximum during the second cycle. As such, the high temporal variability in trace metal solubility was not reflected in trace metal uptake by rice plants over time. This might be due to the presence of aerobic conditions and a consequent higher trace metal solubility near the root surface, even during flooding. Trace metal solubility in the rhizosphere should be considered when linking water management to trace metal uptake by rice over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The study aimed to find soil parameters that are best related to Se plant uptake for low Se soils with predominantly organic Se, and to explore the mechanisms that control Se bioavailability in the soils under study. Methods: A pot experiment using nineteen soil samples taken from different fields of arable land (potato fields) in the Netherlands was conducted on summer wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Selenium in wheat shoots and soil parameters, including basic soil properties, C:N ratio, inorganic selenite content, and Se and organic C in different soil extractions (0.01 M CaCl, 0.43 M HNO, hot water, ammonium oxalate, aqua regia) were analysed. Regression analysis was performed to identify soil parameters that determine Se content in wheat shoots. Results: The regression model shows that Se:DOC ratio in 0.01 M CaCl soil extraction explained about 88 % of the variability of Se uptake in wheat shoots. Selenium uptake increased with Se:DOC ratio in CaCl extraction, which can be interpreted as a measure of the content of soluble Se-rich organic molecules. Selenium:DOC ratio in CaCl extraction and Se uptake increased towards higher soil pH and lower soil C:N ratio. The soil C:N ratio is also negatively correlated to Se:organic C ratio in other extractions (0.43 M HNO, hot water, ammonium oxalate, aqua regia), indicating that at low soil C:N ratio soil organic matter is richer in Se. Contrarily, the soil pH is positively and strongly correlated to Se:organic C ratio in CaCl and hot water extractions, but only weakly correlated to Se:organic C ratio in other extractions. Conclusions: Selenium-rich dissolved organic matter is the source of bioavailable Se in low Se soils with predominantly organic Se. The soil pH and quality of soil organic matter (i.e. soil C:N ratio) are the main soil properties determining Se bioavailability in these soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to determine how flooding and draining cycles affect the redox chemistry of metal (hydr)oxides and organic matter in paddy soils and how the pH influences these processes. Our secondary purpose was to determine to what extent a geochemical thermodynamic equilibrium model can be used to predict the solubility of Mn and Fe during flooding and draining cycles in paddy soils. Material and methods: We performed a carefully designed column experiment with two paddy soils with similar soil properties but contrasting pH. We monitored the redox potential (Eh) continuously and took soil solution samples regularly at four depths along the soil profile during two successive flooding and drainage cycles. To determine dominant mineral phases of Mn and Fe under equilibrium conditions, stability diagrams of Mn and Fe were constructed as a function of Eh and pH. Geochemical equilibrium model calculations were performed to identify Mn and Fe solubility-controlling minerals and to compare predicted total dissolved concentrations with their measured values. Results and discussion: Flooding led to strong Eh gradients in the columns of both soils. In the acidic soil, pH increased with decreasing Eh and vice versa, whereas pH in the alkaline soil was buffered by CaCO. In the acidic soil, Mn and Fe solubility increased during flooding due to reductive dissolution of their (hydr)oxides and decreased during drainage because of re-oxidation. In the alkaline soil, Mn and Fe solubility did not increase during flooding due to Mn(II) and Fe(II) precipitation as MnCO, FeCO, and FeS. The predicted levels of soluble Mn and Fe in the acidic soil were much higher than their measured values, but predictions and measurements were rather similar in the alkaline soil. This difference is likely due to kinetically limited reductive dissolution of Mn and Fe (hydr)oxides in the acidic soil. During flooding, the solubility of dissolved organic matter increased in both soils, probably because of reductive dissolution of Fe (hydr)oxides and the observed increase in pH. Conclusions: Under alternating flooding and draining conditions, the pH greatly affected Mn and Fe solubility via influencing either reductive dissolution or carbonate formation. Comparison between measurements and geochemical equilibrium model predictions revealed that reductive dissolution of Mn and Fe (hydr)oxides was kinetically limited in the acidic soil. Therefore, when applying such models to systems with changing redox conditions, such rate-limiting reactions should be parameterized and implemented to enable more accurate predictions of Mn and Fe solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste-derived aggregates are being considered as possible candidates for development of End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria at European Union (EU) level in accordance with Article 6 (1) of the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) as a means of increasing the recovery of resources from waste. If a waste-derived aggregate achieves EoW status, it will become a (construction) product and hence be regulated by the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) which means that in most EU Member States there will be no applicable environmental protection regulation. It is therefore important that the criteria a waste-derived aggregate must fulfil to achieve and maintain EoW status ensure sufficient protection of the environment and human health. It is shown that EoW criteria that do not include restrictions on the conditions of the use of waste-derived aggregates for specific construction purposes will result in leaching limit values that are so stringent that very few, if any, waste-derived aggregates can meet them. It is therefore proposed to impose restrictions and conditions on the use as part of possible future EoW criteria for waste-derived aggregates, and a step-wise methodology for development of more realistic leaching limit values for EoW is outlined. The methodology incorporates the mitigating effects of various measures that reduce the potential environmental impact of construction applications with waste-derived aggregates. Recommendations are also made of the practical testing and documentation procedures for aggregates with EoW status within the framework of the CPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of humic substances (HS) in environmental samples generally involves labor-intensive and time-consuming isolation and purification procedures. In this paper, the development of an automated system for HS isolation and purification is described. The novelty of the developed system lies in the way the multiple liquids and columns used in the isolation/purification procedure are handled in both forward and back-elution mode by solenoid valves. The automated procedure significantly reduces the total throughput time needed, from 6–7 days to 48 h, and the amount of labor to obtain purified HS for further characterization. Chemical characterization of purified HS showed that results were in good agreement with previously published values for HS from a variety of sources, including the IHSS standard HS collection. It was also shown that the general properties of HS were consistent among the different source materials (soil, waste, aquatic) used in this study. The developed system greatly facilitates isolation and characterization of HS and reduces the risk of potential (time-dependent) alteration of HS properties in the manual procedure. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquarium experiments were performed to quantify the inorganic fraction of suspended particles deposited on the external surface of aquatic biota. The mass of suspended particles retained on the surfaces of microalgae growing on submerged substrates and the algal biomass were determined by comparing the scandium content of suspended material with that in algal communities. Scandium, a predominantly soil-associated trace element, has been used as a `tracer' for the inorganic component of suspended particles, because this element is geologically ubiquitous in soils, and it is recognized that it cannot cross natural membranes of plants and other organisms. The algal biomass determined using the scandium content was compared with biomass values calculated using phytopigments as estimates of periphyton biomass. The results indicate that the suspended particle mass adhering to the external periphyton surface may accounted for up to 55% of the total mass collected on submerged artificial substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deposition of large amounts of radiocaesium from nuclear weapons testing and from accidents such as Chernobyl has necessitated study of the fate of these long-lived radioisotopes in the natural environment. Caesium is known to interact strongly with micaceous clay minerals in soils and sediments1-4. Radiocaesium can therefore be removed from the water column in lake systems by settling particles and surface sediments5. This process reduces its mobility and the risk of assimilation by biota. Nevertheless, there are indications that radiocaesium may be mobilized from lacustrine anoxic sediments6. Direct evidence, however, can come only from measurements on pore water from lake sediments, and here we report such measurements. Actual in situ solid/liquid distribution coefficients (Kd values), determined from our data, provide convincing evidence for post-depositional mobilization of particle-bound 137Cs. This is probably caused by ion exchange with NH+4 which reaches high concentrations in anoxic pore waters. The pore-water data indicate that radiocaesium is returned to the water column and thus becomes available for uptake by aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]