bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heavy Metal Accumulation and Growth of Seedlings of Five Forest Species as Influenced by Soil Cadmium Level
Authors: Kelly J. M. , Parker G. R. , Mc Fee W. W.
Published: July 2010

White pine (Pinus strobus L.), loblolly pine (P. taeda L.), yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), and choke cherry (Prunus virginiana L.) were grown from seeds in the greenhouse for 17 weeks. Plainfield fine sand, with pretreatment cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc concentrations of 0.6, 11.4, 2.0, and 20.6 ppm, respectively, was used as the growth medium. This soil was amended with CdCl2 to produce cadmium addition levels of 0, 15, and 100 ppm. Shoot elongation and root and shoot dry weights were reduced with increasing levels of soil cadmium. All species exhibited increased cadmium content in roots and shoots in response to increased soil cadmium levels; however, content varied according to species. Root and shoot accumulations of lead, copper, and zinc also varied with species as well as cadmium concentration in the soil.
Chemical Seepage from a Tail Water Recovery Pit to Adjacent Ground Water
Authors: Spalding R. F. , Exner M. E. , Sullivan J. J. , Lyon P. A.
Published: July 2010

Water samples from 10 tail water recovery (reuse) pits and 18 irrigation wells were analyzed for nitrate‐nitrogen (NO3‐N) and atrazine (2‐chloro‐4‐[ethylamino]‐6‐[isopropylamino]‐s‐triazine) to ascertain concentrations of these heavily utilized products in surface runoff of irrigation water and ground water beneath irrigated land in Merrick County, Nebraska. Atrazine concentrations in the reuse pit samples ranged from 1.02 to 23.1 µg/liter and in the ground water samples ranged from <0.005 to 6.96 µg/liter. The significant correlation (r = + 0.48) between NO3‐N and atrazine in the ground water samples indicated that atrazine probably enters the ground water by infiltrating the soil.

Addition of bromide (Br−), 15N, and atrazine as spikes to water in an established reuse pit in hydraulic connection with the ground water indicated that the pit loses water by seepage. Eighteen days after spiking, Br− and δ15N in downgradient shallow wells had approached onehalf the pit values, and atrazine concentrations had increased at least 100 times above background concentrations. These results indicated that seepage from reuse pits during late spring and early summer can increase the concentration of both NO3‐N and atrazine in ground water. However, throughout the remainder of the year, when water in the reuse pits generally contains much less NO3‐N and atrazine, seepage generally dilutes already contaminated ground water.
Water Quality in Channel Catfish Production Ponds
Authors: Boyd Claude E. , Romaire Robert P. , Johnston Ellen
Published: July 2010

A number of water quality variables were measured at 1‐ to 2‐week intervals in five channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus L.) production ponds at Auburn, Alabama, during the 1978 growing season. Concentrations of most variables increased with time since feeding rates were progressively increased as fish grew. The DO concentration at dawn was often lower than 2.0 mg/liter during August and September. Emergency aeration was used one or more times in each pond to minimize the danger of fish kills because of low DO. In addition, unionized ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide concentrations were occasionally high enough to possibly have had adverse effects on fish. A computer simulation model for predicting the early morning DO concentration in ponds proved efficient. The average difference between measured and predicted DO concentration, disregarding sign, was 0.47 mg/liter for 30 trials. Spillway discharge from channel catfish ponds was more concentrated in pollutants than streams near Auburn, Alabama.
Heavy Metal Interaction for Andropogon scoparius and Rudbeckia hirta Grown on Soil from Urban and Rural Sites with Heavy Metals Additions
Authors: Miles L. J. , Parker G. R.
Published: July 2010

Little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius) and black‐eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) were grown in two soils with all combinations of Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu at two levels each for 12 weeks. Germination and establishment were completely retarded by the addition of 2,000 µg/g Zn as ZnCl2, which was due to a salt effect. Neither Cd nor Cu additions affected germination. A slight decrease in germination was noted for Pb additions of 900 µg/g which may also be associated with a salt effect. Cadmium at 10‐ and 20‐µg/g addition rates did not affect top or root dry weight. Lead and Cu additions reduced shoot and root dry weight yields of Andropogon scoparius, root weights being more severely affected than shoot weights. Metal additions to the urban site soil did not reduce yields to the extent they did on the rural site soil. However, yields on the urban site soil control treatment were lower compared to those for the rural site control treatment.

DTPA extraction levels of heavy metals were not well correlated to plant concentrations for comparisons between the two soils. It was concluded that DTPA soil extraction may not be acceptable for metal availability comparisons among soils of differing pH.

Circumstantial evidence was found for both synergistic and antagonistic effects among the heavy metals. These were of a low level and no consistent response could be determined over species or soils.
The Effects of Ozone on the Growth, Yield, and Partitioning of Dry Matter in Cotton
Authors: Oshima R. J. , Braegelmann P. K. , Flagler R. B. , Teso R. R.
Published: July 2010

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Alcala SJ‐2 was grown in an activated carbon‐filtered greenhouse and exposed to biweekly 6‐hour ozone fumigations at a concentration of 490 µg m−3. Two ozone treatments were used, differing in age at initial exposure and total ozone dose. Sacrificial harvests were taken from all treatments at 14‐day intervals to monitor plant response and to provide the basis for growth analysis techniques.

Ozone reduced the vegetative growth and boll production in both ozone treatments. The dry weights of all partitioned plant parts were reduced with the largest reductions occurring in roots and bolls. Fumigated plants initially produced fewer leaves with significantly less leaf area. A period of stimulated leaf and branch production followed the initial growth depression. Boll production was depressed 48% in both ozone treatments. Mean relative growth rates of partitioned plant parts were extremely good predictors of absolute responses. Mean net assimilation rates of ozone‐stressed plants were reduced throughout growth. The ozone‐treated plants were characterized by larger mean leaf area ratios, which accounted for elevated plant mean relative growth rates at 64 days of age.
Tree‐Ring Analysis for Tracing the History of Pollution: Application to a Study in Northern Sweden
Authors: Symeonides C.
Published: July 2010

This study attempted to assess the validity of tree‐ring analysis in tracing the history of pollution in an area exposed to high atmospheric concentrations of heavy metals from a smelting complex. Tree cores, bark samples, and soil samples were collected from two sites, one close to and the other distant from the source of atmospheric emission. The samples were analyzed for cadmium, zinc, copper, and lead. It could be shown that the reduction of growth at the site of high exposure was positively correlated with the concentrations in the tree cores of copper and lead but not zinc and cadmium. The data show clear evidence for lateral transport of zinc and cadmium but not for copper and lead. Since the reduction of growth did not correlate positively with sulfur emissions into the atmosphere, it is concluded that the effect of the heavy metals was dominant and that the reduction was causally related to the heavy metal emissions.
Laboratory Evaluation of Design Parameters for Mound System Disposal of Septic Tank Effluent
Authors: Simons A. P. , Magdoff F. R.
Published: July 2010

Experiments in which columns filled with medium sand were dosed daily with septic tank effluent indicate that clogging of the infiltrative surface is influenced by effluent quality, aeration status, temperature, and loading rate. Columns representing the vertical dimensions of mound systems failed sequentially, with high loading rate treatments failing first, followed by the other treatments in order. Eventually all columns receiving loading rates as low as 3.4 cm/day failed. All three columns dosed with 1.2 and two of the three columns dosed with 2.2 cm/day continued to operate for the length of the experiment. Columns incubated at or below 3°C failed more rapidly than similar columns incubated at 20 to 25°C. Ten‐cm sand columns dosed with effluent failed after 18 days while 30‐, 60‐, and 90‐cm sand columns continued to operate satisfactorily for longer periods of time. The very low percent of air‐filled pore space near the infiltrative surface of the 10‐cm columns was probably responsible for the rapid development of clogging. Sand columns also clogged more rapidly when anaerobic conditions were maintained with N2 gas at the infiltrative surface than when the surface was aerobic.

Clogged columns that were drained and rested but returned to a daily dosing regime when crust resistances (Rc) were > 1.5 hours and below continued to operate until the end of the experiment (210 days). Columns originally dosed at the highest rate (17.5 cm/day) retained crust resistances well above 5 hours after 250 days of resting. Dosing was not resumed on these columns. Sand columns of 10 cm length did not recover during a 258‐day resting period. Columns of 30, 60, and 90 cm length recovered, but failed again within 24 days of renewed daily dosing. Columns maintained under aerobic (N2) atmosphere did not recover during an 127‐day resting period.
Soil Conservation Limitations on Removal of Crop Residues for Energy Production
Authors: Lindstrom M. J. , Skidmore E. L. , Gupta S. C. , Onstad C. A.
Published: July 2010

Potential soil erosion by water for Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) in the Corn Belt and by wind in the Great Plains was calculated using the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Wind Erosion Equation for current cropping practices. Crop statistics and components of the erosion equations were obtained from the States Crop Reporting Service, Soil Conservation Service, and information available from related literature. The calculations showed that only limited quantites of residue can safely be removed from either region because of soil erosion potentials. In the Corn Belt under conventional tillage with all residues removed only 36% of the cultivated area would have a soil loss at less than the soil loss tolerance (T) level. Residue and tillage management can increase the area adequately protected to 78%. In the Great Plains only 40 and 56% of the cultivated area produce enough residue to hold soil loss by wind at 6.7 and 11.2 metric tons/ha per year, respectively, when the fields are wide and the soil surface is smooth, i.e., K = 1.0. Increasing soil surface roughness, K = 0.5, increases the cultivated area to 81% where enough residue is produced to maintain a soil loss level of 11.2 metric tons/ha per year.
Atmospheric Emission and Plant Uptake of Mercury from Agricultural Soils near the Almadén Mercury Mine
Authors: Lindberg S. E. , Jackson D. R. , Huckabee J. W. , Janzen S. A. , Levin M. J. , Lund J. R.
Published: July 2010

Surface soils collected near the Almadén, Spain, mercury mine reflected increasing concentrations of mercury (Hg) with proximity to the mine due to weathered mineral deposits and to atmospheric deposition of Hg from the smelter. Extractions with NaHCO3 or NH4OAc removed small amounts of Hg from both control (20 km from the mine; total Hg = 2.3 µg/g) and mine site soils (1 km; total Hg = 97 µg/g). Density gradient centrifugation indicated a significant fraction of the Hg to be associated with a high‐density mineral fraction, presumably cinnabar. Accumulation of Hg by alfalfa suggested a dual mechanism of uptake; roots accumulated Hg in proportion to the soil levels, while aerial plant material absorbed Hg vapor directly from the atmosphere. Soil fertilization with and without liming significantly increased total Hg uptake, largely due to plant growth stimulation. Liming itself had no significant effect. The rate of volatilization of elemental Hg from both soils (∼0.13 and 0.33 µg/m2 per hour at 25°C, for control and mine site, respectively) exceeded reported background emission rates by factors of 4 to 10, increasing with surface temperature and Hg content and decreasing with increased plant cover.
Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Earthworm Eisenia foetida
Authors: Hartenstein R. , Neuhauser E. F. , Collier J.
Published: July 2010

Conversion of waste‐activated sludge into egesta by the earthworm Eisenia foetida resulted in neither an increase nor decrease of 0.1N HCl‐extractable cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, or zinc. The addition of 2,500 ppm copper as copper sulfate to activated sludge caused 100% mortality within 1 week, though feeding upon nonamended activated sludges with up to 1,500 ppm copper over several months was innocuous. Amendment of sludge with 10, 50, and 100 ppm Cd as CdSO4 resulted in 3.90‐, 2.04‐, and 1.44‐fold concentrations in the earthworm over the quantities present in the sludge, with a range of 118 to 170 ppm being found on exposure to the highest level for periods of 1 to 5 weeks at 25°C. in field trials with nonamended sludge, however, containing 12 to 27 ppm Cd, biweekly sampling for 28 weeks revealed accumulations in E. foetida ranging from 8 to 46 ppm; control earthworms not exposed to culture media with easily measurable Cd levels contained 0.3 to 2 ppm Cd. Upwards to about 50 ppm Ni, 325 ppm Pb, and 250 ppm Zn accumulated from sludges amended with ionic soluble forms of these metals. In the field, where these metals ranged from 2 to 46, 1 to 53, and 68 to 210 ppm, respectively, an upper concentration of about 50 ppm Ni, 55 ppm Pb, and 250 ppm Zn were found in the earthworm. Distinctions are made between “accumulable” and “concentratable” and a discussion is provided to show that each of the most problematic heavy metals, Cd, Zn, Ni, Pb and Cu, may accumulate or concentrate in the earthworm.
Field Testing Soybeans for Residual Effects of Air Pollution and Seed Size on Crop Yield
Authors: Howell R. K. , Rose L. P. , Leffel R. C.
Published: July 2010

Mean seed weights (g/100 seeds) for four soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], cultivars grown in 1973 and 1974 in cylindrical open‐top field chambers that provided carbon‐filtered air were significantly greater (17.2) than from plants grown in nonfiltered air in chambers (15.1), or in conventional plots without chambers (15.7). Using this seed, an experiment was designed to answer three questions: (i) does air quality influence seed yields from subsequent plants; (ii) do seed size differences, possibly induced by air pollutants, influence subsequent seed yields; (iii) is there a yield advantage from planting large seed vs. an original lot of seed. This experiment was designed as a split‐split plot with six replications. The whole plot treatments were the four cultivars; the split‐plot treatments consisted of the nine factorial combinations of three seed sizes and three environments. The split‐split plot treatment was a comparison between the specified seed size and an original lot of the seed from which the specific seed size was obtained. Six seeds per 30 cm of row were planted and evaluated in a field experiment near Queenstown, Md., in 1975. We found no residual air quality effects on subsequent seed yields. Differences in seed size observed for different air qualities did not significantly affect yields. In general, there was no significant yield advantage for plants grown from a selected seed size as compared with the original lot seed.
Precipitation Acidity: The Role of the Forest Canopy in Acid Exchange
Authors: Hoffman William A. , Lindberg Steven E. , Turner Ralph R.
Published: July 2010

Individual rain events were sampled above and below the forest canopy in Walker Branch Watershed, Tennessee, from August 1977 to June 1978 for the purpose of analysis of acidity and organic content. Strong acid content correlated with sulfate concentrations. Total acid concentrations were conserved as rain penetrated chestnut oak (Quercus prinus L.) canopies, although the strong/weak acid ratio declined substantially. Although weak acids constituted at least 30% of the total acidity of incident rain and increased to over 50% in throughfall, the increase could not be entirely attributed to organic acids. The results of the study support the fundamental importance of ion‐exchange models in systematizing rain‐vegetation interactions.
Instantaneous Degradation of Parathion in Anaerobic Soils
Authors: Wahid P. A. , Ramakrishna C. , Sethunathan N.
Published: July 2010

In flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.) culture, the pesticides are applied to rice fields after several days of submergence when the soil is already in a reduced state. Parathion (O,O‐diethyl O,p‐nitrophenyl phosphorothioate) was, therefore, equilibrated with soils previously reduced by flooding with water and then analyzed by isotope technique or by gas‐liquid chromatography. Instantaneous surface‐catalyzed degradation of parathion occurred when the insecticide was shaken for as little as 5 sec with soils prereduced by flooding. Aminoparathion was the major product of this reaction. The interaction of parathion with prereduced soil appeared to be mediated by soil enzymes and/or other heat‐labile substances produced by soil anaerobiosis.
Phosphorus Variations in Surface Runoff from Agricultural Lands as a Function of Land Use
Authors: Wendt R. C. , Corey R. B.
Published: July 2010

Phosphorus (P) carried in surface runoff from agricultural lands can be a major source of algal‐available P in surface waters. The available P may include both dissolved and some fraction of the sediment‐bound forms. In this study the effects of land use, time of year, and application of animal manure on several forms of P in runoff from farmed and forested lands were investigated. Simulated rain was used to generate runoff. Losses of dissolved molybdate‐reactive P (DMRP), the majority of which is dissolved orthophosphate, were greatest from established or newly seeded alfalfa fields (Medicago sativa L.) in the fall after the foliage had been killed by frost. The fraction of total P lost as DMRP was greater for alfalfa than for corn (Zea mays L.) or a conventionally prepared seedbed. Greatest total P losses were from corn and seedbed areas due to greater sediment losses. Phosphorus potentially available to algae was estimated by extraction with hydroxy‐aluminum resin. Amounts extracted were equal to DMRP plus an average of 17 and 34% of the remaining total P for samples with and without apparent sediment, respectively. Greatest losses were associated with highest sediment loads. Surface‐applied manure on corn and alfalfa increased P concentrations in runoff but, due to increased infiltration, did not significantly increase P losses. Loss of P from forest land was less than from crop land.
Effects of Municipal Waste Water Effluent on Performance and Feed Quality of Maize vs. Reed Canarygrass
Authors: Marten G. C. , Larson W. E. , Clapp C. E.
Published: July 2010

No experimental comparisons have been reported of the yield of feed components of fodder maize (Zea mays L.) and of perennial grasses in production systems that use municipal waste water effluent. Our objective was to determine the feed quality and yields of maize fodder and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) when they were managed by conventional practices and when they received municipal waste water effluent during the growing seasons over a 4‐year period.

Three soil treatments included a control (well water and mineral fertilizer) and two municipal waste water effluent levels (usually ≅5 or 10 cm/week), each applied to reed canarygrass and maize (2 × 3 factorial).

In all except the first year, maize fodder was more digestible (X̄ of 74.4%) than reed canarygrass (X̄ of 68.9%) subjected to any soil treatment. Reed canarygrass always contained much more crude protein (X̄ of 17.5%) than did maize (X̄ of 7.2%).

Maize fodder yielded from 17 to 36% more dry matter and from 23 to 41% more digestible dry matter per hectare than did reed canarygrass. These differences were progressively less as effluent application increased from 0 to ≅ 10 cm/week. Reed canarygrass yielded from 30 to 52% more crude protein per hectare than did maize. These differences were progressively greater as effluent application increased.

We conclude that perennial grasses have superior capacity compared to maize to remove N from soil treated with large amounts of waste water effluent. The grasses are also most likely to yield the most protein per hectare, but the least digestible dry matter, in effluent‐treated systems. We documented that both reed canarygrass and maize can effectively renovate large amounts of waste water effluent applied to permeable soils.
Determining the Lime Requirement for the Blackbird Mine Spoil
Authors: Sorensen Darwin L. , Kneib Walter A. , Porcella Donald B. , Richardson Bland Z.
Published: July 2010

The production of acid from oxidation of pyritic inclusions in mineral mine spoil prevents the revegetation of the overburden and the amelioration of secondary environmental damage due to erosion and/or leaching of this toxic (soluble heavy metal‐bearing) material. A total lime requirement must be determined and met in order to control existing acidity and to prevent reacidification as oxidation of pyritic materials in the mine spoil continues. The total lime requirement consists of the summation of the amount of ground limestone needed to neutralize the acidity present due to the buffer capacity of the soil, the acidity generated from complete oxidation of the sulfide‐sulfur in the fine, highly reactive fraction (fine sand, silt, and clay‐size particles) of the soil, and the oxidation of sulfide‐sulfur exposed by weathering of larger size material.

Spoil samples from the Blackbird Mine, a copper‐cobalt mine in east central Idaho, had a total lime requirement ranging from 44 to 72 metric tons of ground limestones per ha, 30 cm deep.
Sorption of Dibenzothiophene by Soils and Sediments
Authors: Hassett J. J. , Means J. C. , Banwart W. L. , Wood S. G. , Ali S. , Khan A.
Published: July 2010

The effect of sediment and soil properties on adsorption of dibenzothiophene, a potential carcinogenic and/or mutagenic compound, was examined. Sorption isotherms were determined on soil and sediments collected from the Ohio, Missouri, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers and their watersheds. The sorption isotherms were approximately linear over the entire concentration range studied. The linear adsorption or partition coefficient was significantly correlated with the organic carbon contents of the soils and sediments. The other factors tested (e.g., total clay, clay mineralology, CEC, surface area, pH) were nonsignificant. The Koc value estimated from the octanol‐water partition coefficient (Kow) was in good agreement with the Koc value of 11,230 determined experimentally. The sorption of dibenzothiophene as a result of a weak solute‐solvent interaction rather than a strong sorbate‐sorbent interaction is discussed.
Effect of Preincubation Treatments on the Ratio of N2O/N2 Evolution
Authors: Letey J. , Hadas Aviva , Valoras N. , Focht D. D.
Published: July 2010

Previous investigations demonstrated that air‐dry soils incubated in the laboratory under conditions to cause denitrification had an initial high N2O/N2 evolution ratio which rapidly decreased and approached zero. Two experiments were conducted to determine if the observed ratios were strictly related to using air‐dry soils. Three preincubation treatments were used in the first experiment: i) air‐dry, ii) moist to promote microbial activity under aerobic conditions, and iii) saturated to impose anoxic conditions. All soils had 15NO3 added and were incubated under saturated conditions following 1 week of the preincubation. Almost no N2O evolved during incubation of the soil preincubated under saturated conditions. Nitrous oxide evolution was generally highest during the first day of incubation and decreased thereafter for soils preincubated under air‐dry and moist conditions. During the second experiment, soils were preincubated under air‐dry and moist conditions and incubated under 0, 5, and 10% air‐filled porosity. The N2O and N2 evolution patterns were similar for the two preincubation treatments except that there was a higher rate of gas evolution from the air‐dry soils presumably because of a greater energy source. The results support a previous proposal that dissimilatory NO3 reductase develops rapidly and that dissimilatory N2O reductase develops more slowly following anoxic conditions. Our data provide indirect evidence that soils may act as a sink for N2O even in the presence of NO3 under appropriate conditions.
Nutrient and Coliform Losses in Runoff from Fertilized and Sewage Sludge‐Treated Soil
Authors: Dunigan Edward P. , Dick R. P.
Published: July 2010

Surface runoff losses of fertilizer elements from forage plots on Loring silt loam soil (5% slope) were monitored from three separate studies during an 11‐month period. Incorporating approximately equal amounts of N and P from commercial fertilizer (150‐66, kg N‐P/ha) and sewage sludge (177‐54, kg N‐P/ha) did not significantly affect differences in N and P losses. Surface application of sewage sludge resulted in higher N and P losses than those from incorporated sewage sludge. The surface‐applied sludge plots in the second experiment (14.8 metric tons/ha) had the highest N and P runoff losses of 3.24 and 0.39 kg/ha, respectively. These losses were due to a heavy rain that fell early in the test period. Increasing the rates of surface‐applied sewage sludge from 16.2 to 28.9 metric tons/ha did not increase runoff losses of N but did increase P losses by 28%. The N and P losses for all treatments were < 1% of that added. The highest K losses (1.24 kg K/ha) came from the fertilized plots. In all sewage‐treated plots, K losses were approximately equal to or lower than the control values.

Precipitation was found to contain substantial quantities of NH4‐N and NO3‐N with respect to losses of these ions in the surface water. Work with 15NH4‐N indicated that the 15NH4‐N in the rain could contribute substantially to the total amount of N lost in the surface runoff waters. There was also exchange of rain‐NH4 and soil‐NH4.

Fecal coliform indicator bacteria (FC) counts in surface runoff waters from sewage‐treated plots were very high in the first 11 to 17 days of the second and third experiments; Counts of FC were as high as 55,000/ml. However, numbers decreased rapidly as the soil became drier.
Nutrients and Associated Ion Concentrations in Irrigation Return Flow from Flooded Rice Fields
Authors: Turner F. T. , Brown K. W. , Deuel L. E.
Published: July 2010

A 3‐year field study of nutrient and common ion concentrations in irrigation return flow (IRF) from flooded rice fields utilized replicated plots which received either recommended or excessive fertilizer rates with continuous flow or intermittent flood irrigation. All P and K and 40% of the (NH4)2SO4 nitrogen (N) were applied preplant and incorporated. The remaining N was applied just prior to permanently flooding (40%) and at 2‐mm panicle stage (20%). The irrigation and plot water were analyzed for NH4+‐N, NO3−‐N, NO2−‐N, PO43−‐P, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, Cl−, and SO42−. Highest nitrate‐N concentrations occurred early in the season before the permanent flood period, but did not exceed drinking water standards. Nitrite‐N concentrations in the IRF were low at all times. Maximum NH4+‐N concentrations occurred following N fertilizer applications which were not incorporated into the soil and persisted in the floodwater for 5 to 7 days. These peak NH4+‐N concentrations exceeded acceptable drinking water standards concentration by a factor of 10 or greater. Concentrations of PO43−‐P and K+ in the floodwater were similar to those in the surface water used for irrigation. The concentration of the other common ions in the floodwater did not greatly exceed those in the irrigation water and all were within concentrations acceptable for drinking water. Method of fertilizer application had more influence on IRF nutrient concentrations than did fertilizer rates or irrigation management practices. Under the conditions of this study, it appears that only the ammonium concentrations may have a detrimental impact on the quality of IRF from flooded rice fields. This potential problem could be minimized by preventing IRF for a period of 1 week following surface applications of (NH4)2SO4 fertilizer.
Interception of Airborne Particles by Tree Plantings
Authors: Dochinger Leon S.
Published: July 2010

The ability of tree plantings to abate overland movement of particulate pollutants was examined. Estimates of deposition of dust and of total suspended particles indicated that, in comparison to clearcut sites, tree plantings in both urban and rural locations were effective in reducing the amount of participate matter in the atmosphere. During an 8‐month sampling period, the overall reduction of dustfall by deciduous trees was 30% (rural) and 27% (urban). In comparison, rural and urban coniferous stands reduced dustfall by 42 and 38%, respectively. Interception of total suspended particles was 11% for deciduous trees and 13% for conifers at the rural site, and 9% for deciduous trees and 13% for conifers at the urban site.
The Movement of Salts from Soils Following Heavy Application of Feedlot Wastes
Authors: Amoozegar‐Fard A. , Fuller W. H. , Warrick A. W.
Published: July 2010

The movement of salts from soils following heavy application of feedlot manure was studied. Air‐dried manure was formed into three uniform sizes: small (to pass 40‐mesh screen), medium (0.9 cm in diameter, 1.2 cm in length), and large (1.8 cm in diameter, 1.8 cm in length). Plastic cylinders of 15 cm inside diameter were packed with 30 cm of a mixture of Anthony sandy loam and manure aggregates over a 10‐cm depth of soil. The manure application rate was equivalent to 100 metric tons/ha. Deionized water was passed through the soil column either as a continuous or an intermittent water application. Leachates were collected in one‐half of a pore volume increments for determining EC, pH, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, Fe, Zn, Ni, Mn, and Cu.

Results were compared with an earlier study for a manure‐water system. Sodium and K replaced Ca and Mg on the soil exchange sites and their movement was consequently delayed compared to the earlier results. Chloride movement resembled that of leaching manure alone. Movement of trace elements from the system was not significant.
Effects of Cadmium and a One‐Time Drought Stress on Survival, Growth, and Yield of Native Plant Species
Authors: Miles L. J. , Parker G. R.
Published: July 2010

Andropogon scoparius, Monarda fistulosa, and Rudbeckia hirta were grown from seed for 6 weeks in an uncontaminated rural site soil and a heavy metal‐contaminated urban site soil. The rural site soil was amended with cadmium chloride. Plants grown in both soils were subjected to a one‐time drought stress. Survival, shoot weight, root weight, total weight, height, and weekly growth of Andropogon and Monarda were adversely affected by cadmium (Cd) addition and drought stress. Results were similar for Rudbeckia except that shoot, root, and total weight were not significantly affected by drought stress. Root weights of Monarda and Andropogon were more severely affected by Cd addition than were shoot weights. Root/shoot ratios were not significantly affected by drought stress for any species. Drought stress and Cd addition effects were found to be additive for Monarda and Andropogon.

The effect of soil Cd addition on growth was found to be primarily due to an initial delay in growth rather than a reduction in the overall rate of growth. However, on the heavy metal contamination urban site soil the growth rate was found to be reduced. This was especially true for Andropogon which was found to be most tolerant of Cd addition to the rural site soil for the species tested. The reduction in growth rate of plants on the urban site soil was probably not due to Cd alone.
Infrared Spectroscopic Study of the Water‐Soluble Fraction of Sewage Sludge‐Soil Mixtures During Incubation
Authors: Schaumberg Gene D. , LeVesque‐Madore C. S. , Sposito Garrison , Lund L. J.
Published: July 2010

Two anaerobically digested sewage sludges and two sandy soils having significantly different pH values were mixed to provide four sludge‐soil combinations. Each was maintained under two different conditions of soil water content: field capacity (1/3‐bar soil water tension) and complete saturation. The soil‐sludge mixtures were incubated at 25°C in the laboratory for 100 weeks, during which time saturation extracts were taken periodically. Infrared (IR) spectra of evaporated films prepared from the extracts were interpreted to obtain information about the principal changes which occur in the water‐soluble fraction of sewage sludge‐soil mixtures as the sludge decomposes in soil.

For the alkaline soil maintained at 1/3‐bar soil water tension, and for both sludges, IR absorptions assigned to polysaccharides, proteinaceous material, and sulfonate and/or sulfate compounds had disappeared after about 10 weeks of incubation. The important IR bands which increased in intensity or emerged during this period could be assigned to carboxylates and nitrates. For the alkaline soil maintained at water saturation, the IR spectra followed the same trends, but showed markedly slower changes, with absorption bands assigned to normally labile compounds remaining even after 100 weeks of incubation. For the acidic soil maintained at 1/3‐bar soil water tension, the changes in the IR spectra also were retarded, but much less so than in the spectra of extracts from water‐saturated soils. The least change occurred in the spectra of extracts from the acidic, water‐saturated soil mixed with either sludge.
Influence of a Nuclear Fuel Chemical Separations Facility on the Plutonium Contents of a Wheat Crop
Authors: McLeod K. W. , Adriano D. C. , Boni A. L. , Corey J. C. , Horton J. H. , Paine D. , Pinder J. E.
Published: July 2010

Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) was grown in very close proximity to a nuclear‐fuel chemical separations facility to determine the environmental behavior and potential health hazard of chronic low‐level releases of plutonium (Pu) to the atmosphere from that facility. The majority (>95%) of the contamination of wheat plants was surfical contamination resulting from direct deposition of recently released Pu‐bearing particles onto plant surfaces and resuspension of Pu from soil. Internal contamination resulting from root uptake of Pu was negligible compared to surface contamination. The major pathway (>70%) of Pu to wheat grain was via harvesting activities when Pu was transferred from the surface of vegetative portions of plants to the surface of the grain. Radiation dose resulting from consumption of grain grown in the vicinity of a nuclear‐fuel separations facility is negligible compared to that currently received from natural and fallout sources of radiation.
Utilization and Disposal of Fly Ash and Other Coal Residues in Terrestrial Ecosystems: A Review
Authors: Adriano D. C. , Page A. L. , Elseewi A. A. , Chang A. C. , Straughan I.
Published: July 2010

A major shift to coal as an energy source adjunct with more stringent air quality standards will result in the increasing production of vast quantities of the already difficult‐to‐dispose coal residues in the United States. Since coal residues contain potentially hazardous substances, improper handling and disposal could cause undesirable environmental effects. This report intends to summarize impacts of land‐oriented utilization and disposal of various coal combustion residues.

The physical and chemical properties of coal ashes are dependent on the coal's geological origin, combustion conditions, efficiency of particulate removal, and degree of weathering before final disposal. Coal residues, applied on cropland, are not practical sources of essential plant nutrients N, P, and K; however, they can effectively serve as a supplementary supply of Ca, S, B, Mo, and Se to soils. Fly ash could also be an effective amendment in neutralizing soil acidity. Many of the observed chemical and biological effects of fly ash applications to soils resulted from the increased activities of Ca2+ and OH− ions. Most unweathered fly ashes, especially those coming from the subbituminous and lignite coals of the western U.S., are high in these constituents and usually will cause high soil salinity. The accumulation of B, Mo, Se, and soluble salts in fly ash‐amended soils appear to be the most serious constraints associated with land application of fly ash to soil.
Potential for Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) Before and Soon After Harvest—A Review
Authors: Mixon A. C.
Published: July 2010

Certain environmental conditions, microbial and biological activities, and genotypes of the peanut interact to influence the vulnerability of the peanut fruit to invasion by Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fr. and to the elaboration of alfatoxin during pod development and in the harvesting and drying period. Management procedures during this time may influence the degree of fungal invasion and alfatoxin contamination. Such procedures include: rotating peanuts with other crops that reduce the soil population of A. flavus; using cultural practices that remove plant residues from around peanut plants; preventing drought stress and biological and harvest mechanical damage; harvesting at optimum pod maturity; and continuous safe and rapid drying of peanuts after digging. The potential for using genotypes identified to be resistant to seed colonization by Aspergillus species for breeding agronomically suitable cultivars with resistance to the aflatoxin‐producing fungus was explored. Factors found to be associated with resistance to fungal colonization of the peanut seed testa are cell structure, cell arranement, permeability, waxy surface, tannin content, and amino acid components. Field application of fungicides have not proven effective in controlling contamination by the fungus.
Cadmium‐enriched Sewage Sludge Application to Acid and Calcareous Soils: Relation Between Treatment, Cadmium in Saturation Extracts, and Cadmium Uptake
Authors: Mahler R. J. , Bingham F. T. , Sposito Garrison , Page A. L.
Published: July 2010

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soil pH on the availability of saturation‐extract Cd. Four acid and four calcareous soils were treated with a uniform amount of sewage sludge enriched with different amounts of CdSO4 to yield soil Cd concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 160 µg Cd/g of sludge‐amended soils. These treated soils were placed in plastic containers and cropped for approximately 7 weeks with sweet corn (Zea mays L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. ‘cicla’). Shoot weights were obtained as a measure of yields. The concentration of Cd in the shoot (Cd uptake) was taken as a measure of Cd availability.

Saturation extracts from each treated soil (7 Cd rates × 3 replicates × 8 soils) collected at harvest time were analyzed for pH, ECe, principal soluble anions, and cations with Cu, Cd, Ni, and Zn. The chemical analyses of the saturation extracts were used as input data to calculate the concentration of free ionic Cd (Cd2+), the activity of Cd2+ (aCd2+), and the concentration of Cd complexes. These Cd parameters, along with the measured concentration of all Cd forms present in saturation extracts (CdT), were compared to Cd concentrations in each of the test plants (µg Cd/g shoot). Results of these comparisons showed: (i) CdT was more available in acid than calcareous soils; (ii) Cd uptake by the test plants correlated equally well with the concentration of CdT, Cd2+, or aCd2+; and (iii) uptake of Cd was plant‐species dependent. Chard and tomato accumulated 2 to 3 times more Cd than corn when grown on the acid soils.
Foliar Absorption of Transuranic Elements: Influence of Physicochemical Form and Environmental Factors
Authors: Cataldo D. A. , Garland T. R. , Wildung R. E. , Thomas J. M.
Published: July 2010

The accumulation of plutonium (238Pu) and americium (241Am) in seeds and roots of Phaseolus vulgaris L. was investigated following foliar interception. Under controlled conditions plants were exposed to well‐characterized aerosols of fresh and aged Pu‐dioxide, fresh Am‐oxides, and Pu‐nitrate and Pu‐citrate complexes to assess the influence of chemical form and long‐term weathering on foliar absorption and subsequent translocation to other plant parts. Mean values for Pu and Am accumulated in seeds and roots 28 days after foliar exposure ranged from 9 to 427 × 10−4% of that deposited on foliage. These results and previous plant uptake studies indicate that the foliar route is potentially of equal importance to the soil‐root pathway as a route of transport. The levels of Pu and Am in seeds and roots resulting from foliar absorption and translocation from foliage were significantly affected by simulated rainfall and by the size of particles to which foliage was exposed. The influence of relative humidity and solution aging of oxides was less definitive; however, results suggest that either or both may influence foliar absorption and subsequent translocation of Pu and Am to seeds and roots.
Forms of Sulfur in East Texas Lignitic Coal
Authors: Arora H. S. , Pugh C. E. , Hossner L. R. , Dixon J. B.
Published: July 2010

Distribution of sulfur and its three predominant forms in 10 lignitic coal seams developed in fluvial environments in east Texas was examined. The average sulfur content for individual seams varied from 0.88 to 3.98%, while the total sulfur content of 10‐cm sections of these seams varied from 0.53 to 16.79%. Sulfate sulfur was a minor component compared to pyritic or organic sulfur. The organic sulfur content determined by the standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) procedure as the difference between the inorganic sulfur (sulfate + pyritic sulfur) and the total sulfur in the original material, in general, remained uniform within a given lignite profile. A significant correlation was obtained between the organic sulfur content obtained by the ASTM procedure and a more direct method of density separation of specific gravity < 1.6 fraction and the determination of total sulfur in this fraction with an induction furnace and automatic titrator. Pyritic sulfur had the most variable distribution with a greater concentration of pyrite occurring at the seam fringes, which suggests the need for separate handling of these highpyrite content mine spoils for safe disposal.
Cadmium Accumulations and Bioavailability in Soils From Long‐Term Phosphorus Fertilization
Authors: Mulla D. J. , Page A. L. , Ganje T. J.
Published: July 2010

Soils from citrus groves that had been fertilized with the equivalent of approximately 175 kg P/ha per year [as treble superphosphate (TSP)] over a 36‐year period were sampled and analyzed for total P, Cd, and Zn as well as water‐soluble P and Cd. A P fertilization rate of 175 kg/ha (about 400 kg P2O5/ha) is much higher than normal field rates, which are typically about 30 kg/ha. Concentrations of total Cd in surface soil were highly correlated (r = 0.89) with concentrations of total P. The concentrations of Cd in surface soil receiving broadcast P for 36 years averaged 1.0 µg/g, and were considerably greater than those of the controls, which showed a mean concentration of 0.07 µg/g. Phosphorus in soil saturation paste extracts ranged from 0.10 µg/ml (controls) to 8.87 µg/ml in P fertilized soils. Water‐soluble saturation extract Cd ranged from 0.008 µg/ml in controls to 0.017 µg/ml in fertilized soils, and was not well correlated with watersoluble P.

Cadmium levels in barley (Hordeum vulgare var. U.C. 566) grain and leaves grown in the field on soil subject to long‐term heavy P fertilization were not elevated above levels in barley grown on the control soil. Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) was grown in the greenhouse on the above surface soils collected from the field. Although Cd levels averaging 1.6 µg/g in plant tissue were significantly elevated over those on the control soil (0.26 µg/gm), no yield depression was observed.

Long‐term heavy application of TSP caused measurable increases in total Cd of surface soil, but the accumulated Cd burden per year was much lower than levels reported from application of sewage sludge. Cadmium accumulating in soils as a result of P fertilization seemed to be less available to Swiss chard than Cd accumulations resulting from applications of sewage sludge reported in the literature.
Solution Species of Plutonium in the Environment
Authors: Rai Dhanpat , Serne R. J. , Swanson J. L.
Published: July 2010

Information regarding the oxidation states of Pu in environmental samples is needed for estimating its migration through the geologic media. Predictions based upon thermodynamic data indicate that in the Eh‐pH range of natural aqueous environments, the dominant species of Pu is likely to be Pu[V] in relatively oxidizing environments and Pu[III] in reducing environments. Because of the lack of methods of determining Pu[V] in environmental samples containing trace concentrations of Pu, Pu[V] has not been previously identified in these samples. Plutonium[VI] has generally been assumed to be the dominant species in relatively oxidizing environments. However, the results presented in this paper show that solutions in equilibrium with 239Pu[IV] hydroxide contain Pu[V]. The presence of Pu[V] in solutions contacting 239PuO2(s) is also inferred from the data.
A Field Study of a Soil‐Soybean Plant‐Rhizobium System Amended with Cadmium
Authors: Borges A. Chaer , Wollum A. G.
Published: July 2010

Soybean plants [Glycine max (L.) Merr.) were cropped over a period of 3 years, under field conditions, in a soil amended with Cd (as CdCl2·2½ H2O) at rates corresponding to 0, 3.3, 12.5, and 22.8 kg Cd/ha in order to evaluate the effect of Cd on seed yield, Cd accumulation in seeds, and the distribution of indigenous Rhizobium japonicum strains. Cadmium migration from the cultivated layers to the subsoil during 3 years was not significant. Soybean seed yields were affected significantly only when DTPA‐TEA‐extractable Cd was > 1.57 µg Cd/g in the cultivated layers of the soil, suggesting that only in cases of extreme Cd contamination would significant yield reduction occur. Cadmium content of seeds increased from year to year with values > 1 µg Cd/g being found only when Cd had been added. Grain yield decreased only in the high Cd treatments. Therefore, grain yield would be a poor indicator of Cd contamination in a soil cropped with soybeans. The results also suggested DTPA‐TEA‐extractable soil Cd does not accurately measure the readily available pool of Cd for soybean plants. Rather Cd content of seeds appears to be a better indicator of the extent of Cd contamination. Rhizobium japonicum strain distribution was not affected by the presence of Cd in the soil. Serogroups 24, 31, 76, and 94 dominated the area surveyed.