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The purpose of this study is to know the concentrations of some heavy-metal elements (Zn, Pb and Cd) in different types of soil and the effect of pH values on their solubility. Two types of soil were selected from area adjacent to the sewage treatment plant, as well as from an agricultural area in the city of Al-Rass, Qassim, KSA for this purpose. The results showed high concentrations of elements in the acidic medium at pH 2, while concentrations decreased as the pH increased to reach the neutral medium. The decrease in concentrations was very clear in the alkaline medium and reached the lowest values at pH10. On the other hand, the highest concentrations were detected in soil adjacent to the sewage treatment specially for Pb and Cd in comparison with agricultural soil. The previous results show the urgent need for wastewater treatment and checking for pH values at standard limits before use in irrigation or discharge it on soil surface, as well as soil analysis prior to the planting and selection of appropriate plants by specialists for the health of citizens, where each plant characterise by its absorption for specific elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current research aimed to characterize Sinai chickens genetically by using nine microsatellite genetic marckers. Twenty-eight birds used in the study were randomly collected (12 males + 16 females). Sinai chickens are a mongrel fowl raised by dwellers and farmers in Sinai Peninsula desert areas and chiefly habituated and adapted to fluctuating circumstances in this region. This strain has a small body size, golden neck feather, brown or golden saddle and brown or black feathered tail for males, while females had golden feathered body with some black feathers in tail and neck, red single comb and they have variable plumage color. Nine microsatellites used produced 53 alleles with mean value of 5.88 allel/locus. Averages of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.174 and 0.773, respectively. Informative content revealed was high overall loci ranging between 0.608 and 0.811 with average value of 0.718. Six out of 9 loci (66.66%) were not in genetic equaliprium. Bottleneck analysis revealed that, under graphical and SMM model analysis, Sinai chickens nonbottlenecked in recent past history. Results insured that, the utilized panel of markers showed their efficiency capturing genetic characteristics of Sinai chickens reflecting the valuable genetic variation in the studied population, enabling future genetic improvement for this strain avoiding inbreeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In order to study the relation of the mobility and distribution of metals between Tamarix parts and their crystal salts - soil system, different experiments were conducted with plant-rich and plant-free soils at the banks of river Nile, Aswan, Egypt. For these purposes, Tamarix top and subsoil samples near and far from the plant were collected from six different locations at the banks of river Nile. Elemental analysis of Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb in soil, and in different parts of Tamarix and their crystal salt samples was carried out by atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas Na and K were measured by atomic emission spectrophotometry. The bioavailability of metals in the soil samples was evaluated by determining their contents using sequential extraction single-step, providing higher metal concentrations in occluded Fe/Mn oxide fraction. The ratio of heavy metal concentrations in topsoil to that in subsoil enhancement (RTE) ranged from 0.67 to 4.4 and 0.22 to 4.61 for soil Tamarix and soil free from plant, respectively for all measured total element concentrations. Data indicate that the mobility expressed as transfer factor (TF) was obtained as Fe > Mg > Cr > Mn > Ca > K > Na, for Tamarix leaves. The major part of accumulated Na in Tamarix is retained in the plant leaves, while roots accumulated high concentration of Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To know the interrelationship between some metals in different ecosystem components (water, sediment, aquatic plant and fish), many samples from these components were collected from four bights at the Nasser Lake, Egypt, and analyzed for Fe, Mn, Zn, Ca, Mg, Pb, Cd, Ni, Co, Cu and Cr using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Different distribution factors (bioaccumulation factor - BF, discrimination factor - DF and enrichment factor - EF) were applied on the results of analysis. Data showed that the relatively high concentration of measured metals in water samples are derived from fish farms, and discharge of tourism and trade ships. Applying single leaching sequential technique on sediment samples, using different extracting solutions, revealed a strong ability of trace metals to adsorb on or co-precipitate with amorphous Fe/Mn oxides. High concentrations of Fe, Mn, Co and Ni were measured in the intestine while high Cd and Cr concentrations were recorded in the stomach in both Tilapia (nilotica and galilea). Tilapia galilea accumulated high Pb, Cu and Zn concentrations in their stomach, while in nilotica high concentrations of Pb, Cu and Zn were measured in the intestine, liver and muscles, respectively. Myriophyllum spicatum (an aquatic plant) in the lake recorded high concentrations of Fe, Mn and Zn. Bioaccumulation factors of studied elements in the different bights components indicate that the elevated concentration of measured elements in the aquatic plant and Tilapia (nilotica and galilea) are derived from water, reflecting the increase of human activities in Nasser Lake in recent years. However, the present study concluded that all the elements studied were still below the natural back-ground levels, except Zn and Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine heavy-metal levels in soil from the banks of Lake Nasser, the ability of Tamarix nilotica to accumulate such metals from soil and hence its potential for phytoextraction. Soil and Tamarix samples were collected from the banks of four bights around Lake Nasser and analysed for Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb by atomic absorption spectrometry, whereas Na and K were measured by atomic emission spectrophotometry. Three different methods of extraction were used for the soil samples. Lead, copper and zinc were equally distributed between the exchangeable phase and Fe/Mn oxide-bound form, while other measured metals were mainly present in the Fe/Mn oxide fraction. With the exception of iron, all metals studied showed total concentrations within the geochemical background values. T nilotica exhibited elevated concentrations of Na (36.2–48.5mg g-1) and K (2.74–4.33mg g-1) in stems, and relatively high concentrations of Pb, Cd and Co (0.39–1.03 μg g-1, 0.24–1.3 μg g-1 and 1.94–5.3 μg g-1, respectively) are found in plant leaves. Bioaccumulation factors of Na and K (9.3 and 12.63, respectively) were high in T nilotica stems. While the bioaccumulation of Pb, Cd, Co and Ni (2870.1, 2035.4, 10.5 and 5313.2, respectively) was high in plant leaves, Fe, Mn, Ca and Mg were accumulated relatively equally in plant stems and leaves. T nilotica was found to secrete high amounts of Na, Ca and K, in addition to small amounts of all accumulated metals except Cd and Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Environmental chemical study were carried out on the Fatimid cemetery marsh at Aswan City(24°1' N and 32°9' E), Egypt. Marsh Contents (warter, soil, sediment, metal and nonmetal-bearing salts, and emergent weed) were analysed to known the source of marsh water. speciation of the different elements between the marsh contents, and the toleration of emergent weed (Phargmites australies) for different metals and their bioaccumulation coefficients. Thus, metals(Ca, Mg, Na, K, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) and nonmetals (CO[sub 2-, sub 3], HCO[sup -, sub 3], Cl[sup -], SO[sup 2-, sub 4], PO[sup 3-, sub 4], NO[sup -, sub 3], SiO[sub 2], organic matter and pH value) were determined in the samples. According to the chemical analysis, and applying the base exchange equation (water type) and calculate the hydrochemical parameters for marsh water samples, we can indicate that the marsh water is ground water with Na-SO[sub 4] type and deep meteoric genesis. Topsoil of marsh dry land characterized by CaCl as dominant salt, while NaCl is a dominant salt in subsoil. The elevated pH values of marsh contents minimized the metal solubilities in different samples. Phragmites australies showed a strong ability to accumulate Mn and Fe in the aerial part in opposite to Co, Ni and Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distribution and phase association of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Znand organic matter in Nile sediments taken from Lake Nasser (Aswan, Egypt) were investigated. The sediment samples were subjected to selective chemical extraction procedures designed to fractionate the particulate heavy metals into six fractions: (A) ammonium acetate-extractable metals; (B) sodium acetate-extractable metals; (C) acid oxalate-extractable metals; (D) hydroxylamine HCl-extractable metals; (E) aqua regia-extractable metals and (F) total metals (HF/HCl/HNO3 destruction). Exchangeable metals which can be extracted by ammonium acetate solution are generally considered readily bioavailable as they are weakly bound and may equilibrate easily with the aqueous phases. In the present study very small concentrations of all heavy metals considered were found in this phase. Between this phase and the metal phases which are not bioavailable (those exist in highly resistant phases) there exist several geochemical phases (fractions B, C & D)that may potentially release their associated metals under changing environmental conditions, such as pH and redox potential in the watersediment interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]