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Previous studies of the Doce River basin (Brazil) seem to be contradictory regarding the contamination of soils with potentially harmful elements (PHE). This research aimed to perform an integrated assessment of PHE in the soil–plant–tailing system from the area most affected by the iron waste after the Fundão Dam disaster in 2015. Different fractions of PHE (exchangeable, nonexchangeable, reducible, and pseudo‐total) were determined on deposited iron waste (DIW), soil waste mixture (SWM), and control soil (CS) samples. Total contents of PHE in Poaceae were also determined, and Allium cepa bioassays were performed to determine DIW and CS cytotoxicity and/or genotoxicity to plants. The Fe and Mn contaminations were the only ones related to the deposition of DIW on floodplains, and other harmful element content (such as As, Hg, Ni, Cd, Cr, and Pb) was not found above baseline values for soils. In addition, a significant part of the Fe and Mn in DIW is readily available or subject to acidification and prolonged flood reduction processes. The high available content of Fe favored its excessive accumulation by Brachiaria. The DIW chemical conditions reduced biological functions of A. cepa under a controlled environment. However, more drastic effects, such as genetic damage, were not seen. The postdisaster action of covering DIW with CS resulted in undesirable enrichment of Pb on the floodplain soils. The integrated results allow the conclusion that the iron waste is not a time bomb for PHE contamination of soils between the Fundão and Risoleta Neves Hydroelectric Dam (~100 km away from Fundão). Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:117–132. © 2023 SETAC Key Points: There was no contamination of Al, Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Sb, Se, Sn, Pb, and Zn on deposited iron waste (DIW).Fe and Mn contamination in DIW was found, and Mn was readily bioavailable; high levels of Fe were detected in Brachiaria.Genetic damage assessed by a bioassay with Allium cepa seeds has not been observed.Covering DIW with control soil resulted in undesirable enrichment in Pb on the floodplains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sorption and desorption of diuron by soil samples from Horizons A and B (HA and HB) and by their different clay fractions were investigated, using two soil samples, classified as Typic Argiudoll and Oxic Argiudoll. The sorption and desorption curves were adjusted to the Freundlich model and evaluated by parameters Kf, Kd and Koc. Based on the data of groundwater ubiquity score (GUS), leachability index (LIX) and hysteresis index (HI), the risk of groundwater pollution was evaluated. The Kd values obtained for soil samples were between 4.5 mL g−1 (Oxic Argiudoll – HB) and 15.9 mL g−1 (Typic Argiudoll – HA) and between 1.13 and 14.0 mL g−1 for the different mineral fractions, whereas the Koc values varied between 276 (Oxic Argiudoll – HB) and 462 (Typic Argiudoll – HA). According to the parameter GUS, only Oxic Argiudoll – HB presented leaching potential, and based on the LIX index this same soil presented the highest leaching potential. Some samples presented low LIX and GUS values, indicating no leaching potential, but none presented HI results indicative of hysteresis, suggesting weak bonds between diuron and the soil samples and, hence, the risk of groundwater pollution by diuron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antarctica is considered the most isolated continent, but it is not free of pollution, which arrives at specific localities mainly as a result of tourism and research activities. Among environmentally harmful substances, heavy metals are especially important because of their high toxicity to organisms. The aim of this study was to estimate the maximum adsorption of lead (Pb) onto the clay fraction of samples from two soil profiles from the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. Experimental data were fitted to the Langmuir isotherm, and the adsorption parameters were correlated to mineralogical attributes of this soil fraction characterized by chemical extractions and X-ray diffraction. Values of maximum adsorption of Pb in the clay fraction were extremely high (maximum value: 322 581 mg kg-1) when compared to those of soil samples from other regions of the world. Adsorption occurred in two stages: first stage in which a high percentage of Pb was adsorbed, and second stage in which adsorption was lower. From an environmental point of view, soils with high contents of clay and amorphous minerals, ones usually associated with ornithogenic activity in Antarctica, should have greater efficiency in filtering Pb, thus reducing risks of leaching and groundwater contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to propose a soil characterization methodology for forensic use, based on physical (textural and spectroscopic analyses), chemical (extractions with hydrofluoric acid, ammonium oxalate, sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate and NaOH solution) and mineralogical (thermal analyses and X-ray diffraction) analyses. The study was carried out in the State of Paraná, Brazil, in three neighborhoods of Curitiba city and in two cities within the Curitiba Metropolitan Region. In order to verify the similarity between samples, four composite samples (repetitions) were prepared in each of the five studied sites. It was obtained a great number of quantitative variables (56) from a reduced amount of soil sample (1g). The variables selected from the chemical extractions (16) were more precise in grouping similar samples (same horizon and sampling site) as well as in separating samples collected in different horizons or sites. Seven distinct groups were formed, each with high intragroup similarity, but the unexpected dispersion of two samples (from a total of 40 samples) reduced the distinction of three other studied groups. The placement of the two samples in a different group and the higher dispersion (24 samples) for samples collected in the city of Curitiba are due to the great pedological homogeneity of this area (physical–chemical horizon characteristics, soil color and parent material). The methodology used in this work (analytical method and data treatment) presents high potential for forensic studies and can be easily validated for other areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Amazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia., (© 2021 The Authors. Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)