SPATIAL—TEMPORAL VARIATION OF HEAVY METAL ELEMENTS CONTENT IN COVERING SPIL OF RECLAMATION AREA IN FUSHUN COAL MINE

Grid method is employed for sampling covering soil at the test field,which is reclamation area filled by coal mining wastes for cropland in the Fushun coal mine,Liaoning Province,the Northeast China.The soil samples are taken at different locations,including three kinds of covering soil,three different depths of soil layers and four different covering ages of covering soil.The spatial-temporal variation of heavy metal element content in reclamation soil is stud-ied.The results indicate that the content of heavy metal elements is decreasing year after year,the determinant reason why the content of heavy metal elements at 60cm depth layer is higher than that at 30cm depth layer and surface is fertiliz-er and manure application;the metal elements mainly come from external environment;there is no metal pollution coming from mother material (coal mining wastes)in plough layer of covering soil.     

Evaluation on environmental quality for heavy metal elements of Xihe soil

According to ＂Environmental quality standard for soil＂ and using As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn elements as evaluation index, the author evaluated soil environmental quality in Xihe area of Shenyang. The results show that the soil in Xihe area is polluted rifely by heavy metal elements. The polluted areas are mainly distributed near the upstreams of Xihe River, Shenxin River and Shenliao irrigation canal. There exist large distinctions among the heavy metal elements to the pollution degree. Cd pollution area is the biggest and the most serious in pollution degree.     

Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Paddy Soils of Yongshuyu Irrigation Area from Songhua River Basin,Northeast China

There is an increasing concern for potentially hazardous metals pollution, which can threaten crops production and human health. In this study, the spatial distribution and environmental risks of eight heavy metals in surface soil samples collected from the paddy fields in Yongshuyu irrigation area, Northeast China were investigated. The mean concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Hg and As were 34.6 ± 4.67, 82.8 ± 9.51, 17.3 ± 4.09, 21.2 ± 12.0, 88.6 ± 17.9, 0.18 ± 0.15, 0.22 ± 0.07 and 8.77 ± 2.47 mg/kg, respectively, which were slightly higher than their corresponding background values of Jilin Province, indicating enrichment of these metals in the paddy soils, especially for Ni, Cd and Hg. The spatial distribution of heavy metals was closely correlated with local anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural production, mining and transportation. The hot-spot areas of As and Cd were mainly concentrated in the up-midstream where were associated with agricultural activities. Cr and Cu showed similar spatial distributions with hot-spot areas distributed the whole irrigation area uniformly. Ni was mainly distributed in the downstream where Ni quarries concentrated, while the spatial distribution patterns of Hg was mainly located in the upstream and downstream where the soil was significantly influenced by irrigation and coal mining emission. The spatial distributions of Pb and Zn were mainly concentrated along the highway side. The pollution levels of Yongshuyu irrigation area were estimated through index of geo-accumulation(Igeo), Nemerow integrated pollution index(NIPI) and potential ecological risk index(PERI). The results showed that Cd and Hg were the main pollutants in the study area. Health risk assessment results indicated that children were in higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than adults with the carcinogenic metal of As. Ingestion was the main exposure pathway to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for both adults and children. Principal component analysis(PCA) indicated that Cr and Cu were mainly from parent materials, while Cd and As were mainly affected by agricultural activities. Pb and Zn were controlled by traffic activities, and the accumulations of Ni and Hg were associated with mining activities. This study would be valuable for preventing heavy metals inputs and safety in rice production of the Songhua river basin.     

The origin,historical variations,and distribution of heavy metals in the Qiongzhou Strait and nearby marine areas

We analyzed heavy metal concentrations in a number of surface sediments and cores from the Qiongzhou Strait and surrounding marine areas.The areas of high concentrations are primarily outside the eastern mouth of the Qiongzhou Strait and on the west side of the Leizhou Peninsula,whereas the areas of low concentrations are located primarily in the eastern Qiongzhou Strait.The maximum Cd,Pb and Zn concentrations in the samples collected in our study do not exceed the official standards for marine sediments,whereas the concentrations of Cr and Cu slightly exceed the standards.Correlations exist between the concentrations of Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr and Cd,and the concentrations of these metals are positively correlated with the mean particle size(φ value),indicating that the finer sediments have adsorbed greater amounts of heavy metal elements than the coarser sediments.An evaluation of the potential environmental risks demonstrates that certain indices of heavy metal pollution and environmental risks are relatively low and may be assigned low risk levels,thereby indicating that,in terms of heavy metals,the marine sedimentary environment in this region is only mildly impacted.Our analysis of the contaminant origins shows that the heavy metals in this region primarily originate in the Pearl River Estuary and that a small amount of them is derived from local runoff.The elevated heavy metal concentrations from the upper sections of the cores started 130 years ago,which indicats that heavy metals in the surface sediments are primarily due to human activities associated with industrialization.     

Soil Microbial Community and Enzyme Activity Responses to Herbaceous Plant Expansion in the Changbai Mountains Tundra,China

As one of the most sensitive regions to global climate change, alpine tundra in many places around the world has been undergoing dramatic changes in vegetation communities over the past few decades.Herbaceous plant species in the Changbai Mountains area have significantly expanded into tundra shrub communities over the past 30 yr.Soil microbial communities, enzyme activities, and soil nutrients are intertwined with this expansion process.In order to understand the responses of the soil microbial communities to such an expansion, we analyzed soil microbial community structures and enzyme activities in shrub tundra as well as areas with three different levels of herbaceous plant expansion.Our investigation was based on phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA) analysis and 96-well microtiter plates.The results showed that herbs have expanded greatly in the tundra, and they have become the dominant species in herbaceous plant expansion areas.There were differences for community composition and appearance among the shrub tundra and the mild expansion, moderate expansion, and severe expansion areas.Except for soil organic matter, soil nutrients were increased in herbaceous plant expansion areas, and the total nitrogen(TN), total phosphorus(TP), available nitrogen(AN), and available phosphorus(AP) were greatest in moderate expansion areas(MOE), while soil organic matter levels were highest in the non-expanded areas(CK).The total soil PLFAs in the three levels of herbaceous plant expansion areas were significantly higher than those in the non-expanded areas, and total soil PLFAs were highest in the moderately expanded area and lowest in the severely expanded area(SEE).Bacteria increased significantly more than fungi and actinomycetes with herbaceous plant expansion.Soil hydrolase activities(β-1,4-glucosidase(βG) activity, β-1, 4-N-acetylglucosaminidase(NAG) activity, and acid phosphatase(aP) activity) were highest in MOE and lowest in the CK treatment.Soil oxidase activities(polyphenol oxidase(PPO) activities and peroxidase(PER) activities) were also highest in MOE, but they were lowest in the SEE treatment.The variations in total soil PLFAs with herbaceous plant expansion were mostly correlated with soil organic matter and available phosphorus concentrations, while soil enzyme activities were mostly correlated with the total soil nitrogen concentration.Our results suggest that herbaceous plant expansion increase the total soil PLFAs and soil enzyme activities and improved soil nutrients.However, soil microorganisms, enzyme activity, and nutrients responded differently to levels of herbaceous plant expansion.The soil conditions in mild and moderate expansion areas are more favorable than those in severe expansion areas.     

Distribution Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from the Bay-Island-Estuary System(BIES): A Case Study in Coastal Waters of Fujian Province,China

Based on the contents of six heavy metal elements in surface sediments from coastal areas of Fujian Province, the distribution characteristics and controlling factors of six heavy metals in a bay-island-estuary system(BIES) were studied. This paper focuses on the influence of the hydrodynamic environment, and systematically discusses how grain size compositions, chemical environment, tidal current, ocean circulation and human activities influence the distribution and transportation of the heavy ...     

Source apportionment of heavy metals in soils around a coal gangue heap with the APCS-MLR and PMF receptor models in Chongqing,southwest China

This study studied the characteristics and source apportionment of heavy metal pollution in the agricultural soil surrounding a gangue coal heap in Chongqing, China by using absolute principal component scores-multiple linear regression(APCSMLR) model and positive matrix factorization(PMF)model. The applicability of the models was compared in the assessment of source apportionment. The results showed that the average contents of Cd, Hg,As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the surface soil were 0.46, 0....     

Comparative Assessment of Tundra Vegetation Changes Between North and Southwest Slopes of Changbai Mountains,China, in Response to Global Warming

Vegetation in high altitude areas normally exhibits the strongest response to global warming. We investigated the tundra vegetation on the Changbai Mountains and revealed the similarities and differences between the north and the southwest slopes of the Changbai Mountains in response to global warming. Our results were as follows: 1) The average temperatures in the growing season have increased from 1981 to 2015, the climate tendency rate was 0.38℃/10 yr, and there was no obvious change in precipitation observed. 2) The tundra vegetation of the Changbai Mountains has changed significantly over the last 30 years. Specifically, herbaceous plants have invaded into the tundra zone, and the proportion of herbaceous plants was larger than that of shrubs. Shrub tundra was transforming into shrub-grass tundra. 3) The tundra vegetation in the north and southwest slopes of the Changbai Mountains responded differently to global warming. The southwest slope showed a significantly higher degree of invasion from herbaceous plants and exhibited greater vegetation change than the north slope. 4) The species diversity of plant communities on the tundra zone of the north slope changed unimodally with altitude, while that on the tundra zone of the southwest slope decreased monotonously with altitude. Differences in the degree of invasion from herbaceous plants resulted in differences in species diversity patterns between the north and southwest slopes. Differences in local microclimate, plant community successional stage and soil fertility resulted in differential responses of tundra vegetation to global warming.     

Distribution and source of main contaminants in surface sediments of tidal flats in the Northern Shandong Province

Twenty-nine samples of surface sediments from tidal flats in the Northern Shandong Province were collected for grain size, heavy metal(Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr), and oil pollution analyses. The geoaccumulation index(Igeo) and factor analysis were introduced to evaluate sediment quality and source of contaminants. The mean concentrations of Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, and oil in the surface sediments in the study area are 0.033, 17.756, 19.121, 55.700, 0.291, 59.563, and 14.213 μg g-1, respectively. The heavy metal contamination in the old delta lobe is slightly higher than that in the abandoned delta lobe; however, the opposite was observed for oil pollution. The Igeo results revealed that the overall quality of the surface sediments in the study area is in good condition. The heavy metal pollution levels show a descending order: Cd Hg Cr Cu Zn Pb, Cd being the main pollutant. The contamination level for in the study area is relatively lower than those for China's other tidal flats. Heavy metals are mainly derived from natural sources of rock weathering and erosion, partly influenced by industrial and agricultural discharge. However, oil pollution is mainly from runoff input, motorized fishing boat sewage, and oil exploitation.     

Assessment of heavy metals in sediment in a heavily polluted urban river in the Chaohu Basin,China

The Nanfei River(Anhui Province,China) is a severely polluted urban river that flows into Chaohu Lake.In the present study,sediments were collected from the river and analyzed for their heavy metal contents.Multivariate statistics and the fuzzy comprehensive assessment method were used to determine the sources of pollution,the current pollution status,and spatial and temporal variations in heavy metal pollution in sediments.The concentrations of arsenic(As),cadmium(Cd),chromium(Cr),copper(Cu),mercury(Hg),nickel(Ni),lead(Pb),and zinc(Zn) in sediments ranged from 5.67–113,0.08–40.2,41.6–524,15.5–460,0.03–4.84,13.5–180,18.8–250,and 47.9–1 996 mg/kg,and the average concentrations of each metal were 1.7,38.7,1.8,5.5,18.8,1.3,2.5,and 11.1 times greater than the background values,respectively.Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that Hg,Cu,Cr,Cd,and Ni may have originated from industrial activities,whereas As and Pb came from agricultural activities.The fuzzy comprehensive assessment method,based on the fuzzy mathematics theory,was used to obtain a detailed assessment of the sediment quality in the Nanfei River watershed.The results indicated that the pollution was moderate in the downstream tributaries of the Nianbu and Dianbu Rivers,but was severe in the main channel of the Nanfei River and in the upstream tributaries of the Sili and Banqiao Rivers.Therefore,sediments in the Nanfei River watershed are heavily polluted and urgent measures should be taken to remedy the status.     

Mercury distribution in the Jiaozhou Bay

The Jiaozhou Bay is a semi-enclosed bay, Qingdao, China. More than 10 rivers enter the bay, of which most take wastes from industrial and household discharges. According to historical seasonal investigations in May, August, November 1979, the content, distribution, and development of heavy metal mercury are analyzed as a historical reference. Water samples were taken from the surface and bottom. The results revealed clear seasonal and regional changes in both horizontal and vertical directions, and close relation with major discharging rivers and plankton production. The seawater was polluted more seriously in spring than in any other seasons. However, it was the cleanest in winter during which least waste was input with low plankton production. According to historical data, the state of mercury pollution in seawater was worsening in the period, and has been improving in recent years. Terrestrial contamination was the main reason for mercury pollution in the bay.     

Application of ICP-AES with microwave digestion to detect trace elements in oysters from Jiaozhou Bay, China

Using ICP-AES with microwave digestion, we determined the concentrations of 16 trace elements in oysters from six sampling points in Jiaozhou Bay.The distributions of the wholesome elements Zn, Fe and Mn, and heavy metals such as As,Cd,Hg and Pb were studied.The oysters collected are all rich in the wholesome trace elements,and the oysters from Licun River have the highest concentrations of the three wholesome trace elements.The concentrations of heavy metals in oysters from Licun River are the highest and those from Hongdao are the lowest. Compared with the domestic and foreign sea-areas,the heavy metal contents in the oysters from Jiaozhou Bay are less in amount than those from some developed countries, and more than those in Southeast China.This implies that the Jiaozhou Bay’s oysters have been polluted by the environment to some extent.     

THE ESTUARINE CHEMISTRY OF THE ZHUJIANG RIVER I. TRACE METAL SPECIES IN WATER PHASE

Nine chemical species of Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in the Zhujiang River estuary were measured by using the technique of ion-exchange, ultraviolet irradiation and anodic stripping voltammetry. According to the distribution of the nine species in percentage an estuarine chemical pattern of the metal elements Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in the Zhujiang River estuary was roughly made, and it is suggested that this estuary has relatively great self purifying ability in respect to heavy metal pollution.     

Resources of coal methane and problems in their development

The coal deposits methane is one of the type ecological mineral-raw materials resources.The methane reasonable extract from coal-methane deposits at the same time with mining of coal.This is the most economical way of the coal methane mining.The Russian coal basins are a large domestic raw materials base for energy,metallurgical and coke industry.There are the 77% of all mines have volume of gas in Kuzbass,Vorkuta and other mining industrial regions of Russia.Russian coal deposits is disposed the most largest in the world coal deposits and are most methane-bearing capacity coal seams:8.1 kg/t methane of coal,to compare with 7.4 kg/t in Great Britain,6.7 kg/t in China,5.0 kg/t in USA and 3.6 kg/t in Germany.     

Geographical differences and influencing factors of rural energy consumption in Southwest mountain areas in China: A case study of Zhaotong City

China is a mountainous country,and Southwest mountain areas cover the most mountain areas in China and have the most serious problems.Taking Zhaotong city as the study area,based on 902 rural household questionnaires of 11 villages in 2 counties and Tobit model,this paper analyzes the geographical differences and influencing factors of energy consumption for non-production purposes of rural households living in different terrain conditions.This research finds that:(1) Coal takes up the main part of energy consumption in valley areas and coal consumption is mainly affected by per capita cultivated land area,household income,proportion of rural household energy expenditure in total expenditure,coal price,and family population size.Firewood takes up the main part of energy consumption in high mountain areas and firewood consumption is mainly affected by per capita firewood forest area,distance to purchase coal,household income,electricity price,and coal price.(2) Only when the distance is greater than 20 kilometers,that is the average distance of rural households living in middle mountain areas(1,600m~1,800m) to purchase coal,the transportation condition has a significant impact on coal consumption.(3) In high mountain areas,prices of coal and electricity are the main factors influencing energy consumption choice of rural households.Too high prices of coal and electricity would to some extent lead rural households to choose firewood as the main energy consumption type.Compared to coal,rural households prefer to choose electricity.     

Transport patterns and numerical simulation of heavy metal pollutants in soils of lead–zinc ore mines

Exploring transport patterns of soil contaminants is essential for solving the problem of heavy metal contamination in mine soils. In this study, contamination of Pb, Zn, and Cd in the mountain soils of the lead–zinc ore mines in Ganxi Township, Hengdong County, Hunan Province, China was investigated, and their transport patterns were further explored using a soil-column model and numerical simulation techniques. In total, 111 mine soil samples were collected and placed into six experimental soil columns. By controlling the water flow, a control soil column group(CK), two mixed soil columns X_1 with daily water flows of 1 and 5 L, and three mixed soil columns X_3 with daily water flows of 2, 3, and 4 L were evaluated. The results showed that the residual fraction of Pb accounted for 71.93 % of the content on average, whereas the exchangeable fractions of Zn, Cd, and Fe-Mn oxide-bound fractions of Zn and Cd accounted for 28.60%, 31.07%, and 43.2% and 53.54% of the content, respectively. Pb, Zn, and Cd in the soils of the CK, X_1, and X_3 groups mainly were accumulated at a depth from approximately 0 to 20 cm, and the content at this depth accounted for 60.09% of that at a 0～40 cm depth. The soil at a depth range of 0～10 cm was most seriously contaminated, and the proportion of content was 32.39% of that at a 0～40 cm depth. Numerical simulation showed that on the 5 th day, the pollutant transport range was 0～24 cm, and on the 9 th day, the pollutant transport range exceeded 40 cm. On the 15 th day, the transport capacity of pollutants at depths of 0～40 cm was close to the stable state, but the soil at a depth of 0～10 cm was still heavily polluted. These results reflect the transport pattern of heavy metal pollutants in the soil of lead–zinc ore mines and may provide a reliable scientific support for the prevention of heavy metal contamination in mine environments.     

Effect of agricultural land use changes on soil nutrient use efficiency in an agricultural area,Beijing, China

Agricultural land use and management practices may affect soil properties,which play a critical role in sustaining crop production.Since the late 1970s,several new agricultural land use types had been introduced in the rural areas of China.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of these land use changes on the soil properties,nu-trient absorption rate,and nutrient use economic efficiency ratio in an agricultural area of Beijing.Specifically,the cropland,the orchard and the vegetable field were examined.Results of this study suggest that land use and farming management practices significantly affect the content of soil organic carbon (SOC),total nitrogen (TN),total phos-phorus (TP),and available phosphorus in the surface layer of 0-25 cm (p<0.05) in the Yanqing Basin,northwestern Beijing.Soil nutrients in each agricultural land use type decrease rapidly with the increasing soil depth.Orchard and vegetable field tend to have higher soil nutrients than the cropland does.However,the soil nutrient-absorption rate (NAR) of the orchard and vegetable field is lower than that of the cropland,even though orchard and vegetable field may provide much higher economic benefit.While increasing SOC,TN,and TP in the orchard and vegetable field by intensive farming may be a valuable option to improve soil quality,potential increase in the risk of nutrient loss,or agricultural non-point source pollution can be a tradeoff if the intensive practices are not managed appropriately.     

Eco-environmental spatial characteristics of Fildes Peninsula based on TuPu models

This study applies a TuPu analysis to investigate ecological and environmental aspects of an Antarctic ice-free area, using Fildes Peninsula as an example. The TuPu unit was determined using a vector-grid mixed data model. Information from the eco-environment elements was effectively extracted, and was generalized into different classes by means of data mining technol- ogy. A series of single-factor thematic information TuPu models, such as topography, soil, animal and vegetation, and human activities for Fildes Peninsula were built in this study. The topography TuPu model contained information on elevation and slope. The soil TuPu model involved soil development stages and soil thickness information. The animal and vegetation TuPu model contained the distribution of animals, plant types, lichen cover and lichen height. The human activities TuPu model included popu- lation density and human disturbance index information. The landscape comprehensive information TuPu model of Fildes Penin- sula also was established, and contains twenty-nine landscape units and twelve types of combined environments. The study quan- titatively revealed the spatial morphology and correlation of the regional eco-environment based on the analysis of these TuPu models. From these models, we can draw the conclusion that there is a regular differentiation of eco-environment from the coastal bands to the central hills in Fildes Peninsula, and that the eco-environment condition of the eastern coasts is different from that of the western coasts. The eco-environmental spatial variation also differs greatly from north to south. Based on analysis of spatial correlation, the vegetation in Fildes Peninsula has the greatest correlation with human activity, and has a certain correlation with topography and soil. This research may provide a new technical approach and scientific basis for the in-depth study of Antarctic eco-environments.     

Plant Community and Nutrient Status of the Soils of Schirmacher Oasis,East Antarctica

Investigations on plant community and micronutrient status of Schirmacher Oasis, East Antarctica have been presented in this paper. The dominant plant communities include moss and lichen. The frequency of species occurrence and changes in species composition at different location varied. Thirty-four soil samples were ana- lyzed for chemical properties of the soils of Schirmacher Oasis and Nunatak, East Antarctica. The most common plant species growing throughout the areas of Sehirmacher Oasis and Nunataks are： Candelariella tiara （ lichen ） and Bryum pseudotriquetrum （moss）. Large variations were observed among different soil samples in all the nutri- ents and other measured soil chemical parameters. The soils are characterized by a-cidic pH ranging from 4.42 - 6.80. The mean organic carbon content was 0.62 and ranged from 0. 06 - 1.29%. The electrical conductivity in 1 ： 2 soil water ratio ranged from 0.06 - 1.29. The average content of macronutrient cation, which are ammonium acetate extractable was in the order of Ca 〉 K 〉 Na 〉 Mg. The average content of DTPA extractable micronutrient cations was in the order of Fe 〉 Mn 〉 Cu 〉 Zn. Thirty one out of 34 samples contained less than 0.80 ppm DTPA extractable Zn. Correlation studies revealed that content of macronutrient cations significantly and positively correlated to that of chlorides. Electrical conductivity exhibited significant and positive relationship with pH, K, Ca, Mg, Na and chloride content. Sodium （r =0.876 ＊ ＊ ） exhibited highest correlation followed by K （r =0. 831 ＊ ＊ ） with chlo- ride content. The correlation coefficient for chlorides was higher with electrical conductivity （r=0.732＊ ＊ ） than pH （r =0. 513 ＊ ＊ ）. Organic carbon content of the soil was positively correlated with Fe （ r = 0. 442 ＊ ）. The nutrient status did not appear to be a limiting factor in growth of plants. Lichen and moss community structure and composition in the study area were not related with fertility status o     

Soil phosphorus composition and phosphatase activities along altitudes of alpine tundra in Changbai Mountains,China

Alpine tundra ecosystems have specific vegetation and environmental conditions that may affect soil phosphorus(P) composition and phosphatase activities. However, these effects are poorly understood. This study used Na OH-EDTA extraction and solution31 P nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopy to determine soil P composition and phosphatase activities, including acid phosphomonoesterase(Ac P), phosphodiesterase(PD) and inorganic pyrophosphatase(IPP), in the alpine tundra of the Changbai Mountains at seven different altitudinal gradients(i.e., 2000 m, 2100 m, 2200 m, 2300 m, 2400 m, 2500 m, and 2600 m). The results show that total P(TP), organic P(OP), OP/TP, Na OH-EDTA extracted P and AcP, PD, and IPP activities over the altitude range of 2500–2600 m are significantly lower than those below 2400 m. The dominant extracted form of P is OP(73%–83%) with a large proportion of monoesters(65%–72%), whereas inorganic P is present in lower proportions(17%–27%). The activity of Ac P is significantly positively correlated with the contents of soil OP, total carbon(TC), total nitrogen(TN), and TP(P 0.05), indicating that the Ac P is a more sensitive index for responding P nutrient storage than PD and IPP. Soil properties, P composition, and phosphatase activities decrease with increased altitude and soil p H. Our results indicate that the distribution of soil P composition and phosphatase activities along altitude and Ac P may play an important role in P hydrolysis as well as have the potential to be an indicator of soil quality.