Solid speciation and availability of chromium in ultramafic soils from Niquelândia, Brazil

The sources and the potential availability of chromium were investigated in ultramafic soils from Niquelândia (Goïas State, Brazil), with chemical extractions associated to mineralogical studies, in order to evaluate its bioavailability and its potential impact on the soil biodiversity. Cr contents are particularly high in the studied soils and its partitioning among the solid phase varies with the position in the landscape and depth. Most of the Cr is associated to Fe-oxides but the amount of exchangeable Cr(VI) is high, particularly in one soil profile. Cr availability is higher than expected, and Cr-tolerant vegetation is probably growing on these soils.     

Ergodicity in Natural Fault Systems

— Attempts to understand the physics of earthquakes over the past decade generally have focused on applying methods and theories developed based upon phase transitions, materials science, and percolation theory to a variety of numerical simulations of extended fault networks. This recent work suggests that fault systems can be interpreted as mean-field threshold systems in metastable equilibrium (Rundle et al., 1995; Klein et al., 1997; Ferguson et al., 1999), and that these results strongly support the view that seismic activity is highly correlated across many space and time scales within large volumes of the earth’s crust (Rundle et al., 2000; Tiampo et al., 2002). In these systems, the time averaged elastic energy of the system fluctuates around a constant value for some period of time and is punctuated by major events that reorder the system before it settles into another metastable energy well. One way to measure the stability of such a system is to check a quantity called the Thirumalai-Mountain (TM) energy metric (Thirumalai and Mountain, 1993; Klein et al., 1996). In particular, using this metric, we show that the actual California fault system is ergodic in space and time for the period in question, punctuated by the occurrence of large earthquakes, and that, for individual events in the system, there are correlated regions that are a subset of the larger fault network.     

Spatial variation of metal bioaccumulation in the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus

The variability of the bioaccumulation of metals (Ag, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) was extensively studied in the mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus from five hydrothermal vent sites inside three main vent fields of increasing depth along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Rainbow. Metal bioaccumulation varied greatly between vent fields and even between sites inside a vent field with B. azoricus showing a great capacity to accumulate metals. The bioaccumulation of these metals also varied significantly among tissues. The main target was the gills where metals were mainly associated with soluble compounds whereas in the digestive gland they were mainly associated with insoluble compounds. Storage of metals under insoluble forms in B. azoricus seems to be a major pathway for the detoxification of both essential and non-essential metals. Mussels from the studied fields can be discriminated following their metallic load but the segregation relies partially on the composition of the metal-enriched fluids.     

Vulnerability to contamination by phosphorus in a zero-order basin with a high density of pigs and a history of slurry addition: extrapolation of an index

The application of phosphorus (P)-index methodology to assess the risk of water pollution from agriculture in river basins usually takes time and expends a great amount of resources. This study adapted the P-index methodology using digital mapping of key basin risk criteria for P loss in reference areas to evaluate the wider vulnerability to P loss in a zero-order basin with an intense concentration of pigs and with a history of pig slurry additions to the soil. The P content of eleven reference areas, where ten areas have received various applications of pig slurry and one area has no history of addition, was extrapolated to a zero-order basin using principal component analysis and analysis of hierarchical groupings. Estimated loss of soil and the distance between the P source and the watercourse were mapped using satellite images and in situ evaluations. The methodology of extrapolating was well correlated with a survey of P concentrations in land runoff and provides the potential to improve land management of those areas that are most vulnerable. Principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis proved to be useful tools for the separation of areas with different slurry application times. Our results suggest that the P loss risk could be reduced through the adoption of soil conservation techniques such as reduced-tillage incorporating slurry and crop residue management to provide adequate soil protection, reduce the impact of raindrops and reduce erosion risk and transport of chemical pollutants to water bodies.     

Macrobenthos and multi-molecular markers as indicators of environmental contamination in a South American port (Mar del Plata,Southwest Atlantic)

We evaluated benthic habitat quality along a presumed contamination gradient in the Mar del Plata port (Southwestern Atlantic) by coupling biological and chemical proxies in a multidisciplinary approach. Organic matter and photosynthetic pigment contents were higher in silty-clay bottoms of the inner port sites. Levels of all fecal steroids decreased from the inner sites to the port inlet. High concentrations of coprostanol in the inner sites seemed to derive from a permanent population of sea lions rather than from sewage outfalls due to coprostanol/epicoprostanol ratio (IV) values <2.5. PAHs levels were also higher in the inner sector, related to both biomass combustion and petroleum combustion associated to local marine traffic. High disturbance and low ecological status were reflected in low benthic diversity and high AMBI values in the inner sites.