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In this study, we evaluated the antioxidant responses of wheat and maize growing in Zn-treated soils (200, 450 and 900 mg kg(-1)) at different exposure times (7, 14, 21 and 35 days). The Zn concentration in the plants increased with an increase in the Zn concentration in the soil, thereby causing an increase in the accumulation of Mg and Mn. The emergence of wheat and the growth of maize were inhibited by Zn. The chlorophyll levels increased in wheat, whereas the opposite effect was observed in maize. Regarding enzymatic activities, Zn only provoked pronounced increases in the ascorbate peroxidase activity in maize at the early exposure times and occasionally in the superoxide dismutase (14 days) and catalase (7 and 35 days) activities in wheat. The most notable effect of the exposure of plants to Zn was an inhibition of antioxidative activities after 35 days in both plant species. The reduced glutathione levels increased in wheat and maize after 35 days and the protein levels in wheat after 7 and 35 days. The only significant alteration of lipid peroxidation was a decrease in the malondialdehyde level in wheat after 35 days. Results of this work suggest that Zn may generate oxidative stress by interfering with the plant antioxidant defence system (peroxidases, catalases and superoxide dismutase) responsible for free radical detoxification. The enzymatic activities, particularly ascorbate peroxidase, and the content of reduced glutathione could be considered good biomarkers of serious stress by Zn in soils.

The interactions and relevance of the soil (total and available) concentrations, accumulation, and acute toxicity of several essential and non-essential trace elements were investigated to determine their importance in environmental soil assessment. Three plant species (T. aestivum, R. sativum, and V. sativa) and E. fetida were simultaneously exposed for 21 days to long-term contaminated soils collected from the surroundings of an abandoned pyrite mine. The soils presented different levels of As and metals, mainly Zn and Cu, and were tested at different soil concentrations [12.5, 25, 50, and 100% of contaminated soil/soil (w/w)] to increase the range of total and available soil concentrations necessary for the study. The total concentrations in the soils (of both As and metals) were better predictors of earthworm uptake than were the available concentrations. In plants, the accumulation of metals was related to the available concentrations of Zn and Cu, which could indicate that plants and earthworms accumulate elements from different pools of soil contaminants. Moreover, Zn and Cu, which are essential elements, showed controlled uptake at low concentrations. The external metal concentrations predicted earthworm mortality, whereas in plants, the effects on growth were correlated to the As and metal contents in the plants. In general, the bioaccumulation factors were lower at higher exposure levels, which implies the existence of auto-regulation in the uptake of both essential and non-essential elements by plants and earthworms.

This research reports the risk assessment of an abandoned pyrite mine using direct toxicity assays of soil and groundwater samples taken at the site. The toxicity of As and heavy metals from mining soils to soil and aquatic organisms was studied using the Multispecies Soil System (MS-3) in soil columns. Ecotoxicological assessment was performed with soil samples diluted with a control soil at concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50 and 100% test soil/soil (w/w). In this way, changes in the mobility and bioavailability of soil contaminants due to changes in geochemical soil properties via soil dilution were studied. The toxicity of water samples was tested on algae and Daphnia magna. The assessment of the mining area indicated that the current presence of As and heavy metals at the site may cause injuries to soil and aquatic organisms in the entire research area. Moreover, this investigation demonstrated that changes in geochemical conditions can increase the availability of arsenic and, consequently, the environmental risk of these soils. A good correlation was not found between toxicity parameters and the concentrations of soil contaminants based on total and extracted element concentrations. This finding reinforces the usefulness of direct toxicity assays for evaluating environmental risk., (© 2013.)

This paper describes a new methodology for assessing site-specific environmental impact of contaminants. The proposed method integrates traditional risk assessment approaches with real and variable environmental characteristics at a local scale. Environmental impact on selected receptors was classified for each environmental compartment into 5 categories derived from the whole (chronic and acute) risk assessment using 8 risk levels. Risk levels were established according to three hazard quotients (HQs) which represented the ratio of exposure to acute and chronic toxicity values. This tool allowed integrating in only one impact category all the elements involved in the standard risk assessment. The methodology was applied to an abandoned metal mine in Spain, where high levels of As, Cd, Zn and Cu were detected. Risk affecting potential receptors such as aquatic and soil organisms and terrestrial vertebrates were assessed. Whole results showed that impact to the ecosystem is likely high and further investigation or remedial actions are necessary. Some proposals to refine the risk assessment for a more realistic diagnostic are included., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)