scholarly journals Effects of hydrocarbon spills on the temperature and moisture regimes of Cryosols in the Ross Sea region

2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
MEGAN R. BALKS ◽  
RON F. PAETZOLD ◽  
JOHN M. KIMBLE ◽  
JACKIE AISLABIE ◽  
IAIN B. CAMPBELL

Hydrocarbon spills have occurred on Antarctic soils where fuel oils are utilized, moved or stored. We investigated the effects of hydrocarbon spills on soil temperature and moisture regimes by comparing the properties of existing oil contaminated sites with those of nearby, uncontaminated, control sites at Scott Base, the old Marble Point camp, and Bull Pass in the Wright Valley. Hydrocarbon levels were elevated in fuel-contaminated samples. Climate stations were installed at all three locations in both contaminated and control sites. In summer at Scott Base and Marble Point the mean weekly maximum near surface (2 cm and 5 cm depth) soil temperatures were warmer (P<0.05), sometimes by more than 10°C, at the contaminated site than the control sites. At Bull Pass there were no statistically significant differences in near-surface soil temperatures between contaminated and control soils. At the Scott Base and Marble Point sites soil albedo was lower, and hydrophobicity was higher, in the contaminated soils than the controls. The higher temperatures at the Scott Base and Marble Point hydrocarbon contaminated sites are attributed to the decreased surface albedo due to soil surface darkening by hydrocarbons. There were no noteworthy differences in moisture retention between contaminated and control sites.

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Krčmáŕová ◽  
Hana Stredová ◽  
Radovan Pokorný ◽  
Tomáš Stdŕeda

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the course of soil temperature under the winter wheat canopy and to determine relationships between soil temperature, air temperature and partly soil moisture. In addition, the aim was to describe the dependence by means of regression equations usable for phytopathological prediction models, crop development, and yield models. The measurement of soil temperatures was performed at the experimental field station ˇZabˇcice (Europe, the Czech Republic, South Moravia). The soil in the first experimental plot is Gleyic Fluvisol with 49-58% of the content particles measuring < 0.01 mm, in the second experimental plot, the soil is Haplic Chernozem with 31-32% of the content particles measuring < 0.01 mm. The course of soil temperature and its specifics were determined under winter wheat canopy during the main growth season in the course of three years. Automatic soil temperature sensors were positioned at three depths (0.05, 0.10 and 0.20 m under soil surface), air temperature sensor in 0.05 m above soil surface. Results of the correlation analysis showed that the best interrelationships between these two variables were achieved after a 3-hour delay for the soil temperature at 0.05 m, 5-hour delay for 0.10 m, and 8-hour delay for 0.20 m. After the time correction, the determination coefficient reached values from 0.75 to 0.89 for the depth of 0.05 m, 0.61 to 0.82 for the depth of 0.10 m, and 0.33 to 0.70 for the depth of 0.20 m. When using multiple regression with quadratic spacing (modeling hourly soil temperature based on the hourly near surface air temperature and hourly soil moisture in the 0.10-0.40 m profile), the difference between the measured and the model soil temperatures at 0.05 m was −2.16 to 2.37 ◦ C. The regression equation paired with alternative agrometeorological instruments enables relatively accurate modeling of soil temperatures (R2 = 0.93).


2011 ◽  
Vol 414 ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Song Sun ◽  
Hang Zhou ◽  
Xiao Nan Sun ◽  
An Ping Liu ◽  
Jian Ming Sun

Select the former site of a chemical factory in Chongqing, China as the typical Cr contaminated site. According to “Technical guidelines for risk assessment of contaminated sites” and “Standard of Soil Quality Assessment for Exhibition Sites (Interim)” (HJ-350-2007), this paper conducts health risk assessment for the site, and provide a basis for contaminated soil remediation. At the same time, according to the contaminated condition, used the Golden Software Surfer 8 to draw the boundary of contaminated soils and thus calculate the volume of contaminated soil. By estimation the volume is about 3122.3 m3, which provide detailed data for the later remediation engineering.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Rodrigo Zambrano Passarini ◽  
Júlia Ronzella Ottoni ◽  
Paulo Emílio Santos Costa ◽  
Denise Cavalvante Hissa ◽  
Raul Maia Falcão ◽  
...  

Abstract The inappropriate disposal of toxic compounds generated by industrial activity has been impacting to the environment considerably. Microbial communities inhabiting contaminated sites may represent interesting ecological alternatives for the decontamination of environments. The present work aimed to investigate the fungal diversity inhabiting sediments from industrial waste containing heavy metals by using metagenomic approach. A total of twelve fungal orders were retrieved from datasets and, at phylum level, Ascomycota was the most abundant, followed by Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota and Blastocladiomycota. Higher abundance of sequences was encountered within the less contaminated site, while the lower abundance was found in the sample with the higher contamination with lead. Gene sequences related to DNA repair and heavy metals biosorption processes were found in the four samples analyzed. The genera Aspergillus and Chaetomium, and Saccharomycetales order were highly present within all samples, showing their potential to be used for bioremediation studies. The present work demonstrated the importance of using the metagenomic approach to understand the dynamics of fungal communities and their behavior under heavy metal contamination, aiming the use in bioremediation processes of environments contaminated with heavy metals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 237796082094062
Author(s):  
Jeong Hwa Yeon ◽  
Yong Soon Shin

Introduction Accurate doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the key practices of infection control because of increased risk of infection transmission caused by medical garments or environmental contamination. Objectives The study aimed to develop a reality-based education program and identify its effects on nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and contamination after PPE doffing. Methods Randomized control group pretest–posttest design. A total of 56 nurses were randomly assigned to experimental ( n = 28) and control ( n = 28) groups. The experimental group underwent a new reality-based education program to improve PPE use. Subsequently, participants were assessed on knowledge of and attitude toward PPE use, as well as number and area of contaminated sites after removing PPE and mask fitting test. Results There were no significant differences in knowledge and attitude to PPE use. The experimental group had significantly fewer contaminated sites than the control group (42 vs. 89), and a significantly lower mean contaminated site area (16.63 ± 24.27 vs. 95.41 ± 117.51 cm2). The tuberculosis mask fitting test success rates were 68% and 50% in the experimental and control groups, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Conclusion The reality-based education on use of PPE helps to reduce contamination and improve performance related to the use of PPE for infection control.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (S1) ◽  
pp. 141-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reidar Zapf-Gilje ◽  
Guy C Patrick ◽  
Robert McLenehan

Industrial production and use of creosote dates back to the middle of the 1800s, with the largest production occurring in the first part of the 20th century. In British Columbia, the historical use of creosote for wood treatment and other industrial applications has been large. The characteristics of creosote have led to widespread contamination from spills and leaks at sites where creosote was used. Three such sites are located along the Fraser River within the Fraser River delta. Two of these sites have been subject to provincial remediation orders, as the potential risk to aquatic life in the Fraser River was considered to be high. Several phases of investigation and remediation have taken place over the past three years, with varying rates of progress, influenced by the complexity of the individual groups of responsible persons and by site conditions. The remediation is, to a large extent, completed at two of the sites, and is well underway at the third site. The remediation involved a combination of reduction of contaminant mass through removal of the near surface contaminated soils, in-place management of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination at depth and in the river sediments, and hydraulic control of dissolved and free-phase contamination through pumping from on-site wells. The completed remediation works will allow for continued industrial and (or) commercial use of the site, and provide long-term protection of the Fraser River and its aquatic habitat. The measures implemented are expected to satisfy the provincial Waste Management Act and the Contaminated Sites Regulation for protection of human health and the environment, as well as the federal provisions under the Canadian Fisheries Act for controlling release of deleterious substances and for providing adequate foreshore fish habitat.Key words: coaltar, containment, contaminated site, creosote, hydraulic control, interception, regulatory process, risk-based remediation, river sediments.


2015 ◽  
Vol 737 ◽  
pp. 653-657
Author(s):  
Hong He Wei ◽  
Xiu Feng Cao ◽  
Zhao Jie Cui ◽  
Bin Fang

The pollution sources and characteristics, their environmental influences and the remediation techniques for the contaminated soils in mine were discussed systematically in this paper. For each remediation method, the applicable scope, and its merits or limits in the remediation of contaminated soils in mine were expounded respectively. Since the mine contaminated sites commonly had large pollution scope with combined pollutants, there was limited corresponding technique for the remediation of this complex contaminated site, not to mention the rare industrialized application, so combined with various remediation techniques to establish a complete set of remediation repertoire was needed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Georgios Michas ◽  
Evangelos Giannakopoulos ◽  
George Petropoulos ◽  
Anastasia Kargiotidou ◽  
Dimitrios Vlachostergios ◽  
...  

Background: Heavy metals are the most common form of environmental pollution and the evaluation of heavy metal contaminated soils is necessary for reducing the associated risks, making the land resource available for agricultural production, and enhancing food security. There are 2,000 contaminated sites in Greece, according to a previous survey report issued by the Greek Ministry of Environment, out of which 300 required immediate restoration. Objective: This study investigated the effects of Cd, Pb, and Zn on Triticale (Triticosecale wittm.) growth in an above-referenced multi-metal contaminated site. Methods: In order to evaluate Triticale growth in metal contaminated soil, Triticale plants were cultivated in pots filled with unpolluted and metal-polluted soils in the absence/ presence of Zeolite as an agent empowering the restoration of pollution and immobilizing heavy metals. Results: The results showed that the Triticale plant in polluted soils with high metal concentrations, namely 4.34, 295 and 1,467 mg/kg for Cd, Pb, and Zn, respectively, can act as a “moderate” accumulator of Zn and as a “weak” accumulator of Pb and Cd; while the presence of 1% Zeolite in multi-metal-polluted soils can significantly contribute to plant growth by limiting the uptake of Cd, Pb, and Zn. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the addition of 1% Zeolite to multi-metal contaminated soils could minimize metal (Pb, Cd, and Zn) pollution in the environment and positively contribute to the growth of Triticale biomass for use as an animal feed within the context of sustainable development.


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Fleming ◽  
T. A. Black ◽  
R. S. Adams ◽  
R. J. Stathers

Post-harvest levels of soil disturbance and vegetation regrowth strongly influence microclimate conditions, and this has important implications for seedling establishment. We examined the effects of blading (scalping), soil loosening (ripping) and vegetation control (herbicide), as well as no soil disturbance, on growing season microclimates and 3-yr seedling response on two grass-dominated clearcuts at different elevations in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Warmer soil temperatures were obtained by removing surface organic horizons. Ripping produced somewhat higher soil temperatures than scalping at the drier, lower-elevation site, but slightly reduced soil temperatures at the wetter, higher-elevation site. Near-surface air temperatures were more extreme (higher daily maximums and lower daily minimums) over the control than over exposed mineral soil. Root zone soil moisture deficits largely reflected transpiration by competing vegetation; vegetation removal was effective in improving soil moisture availability at the lower elevation site, but unnecessary from this perspective at the higher elevation site. The exposed mineral surfaces self-mulched and conserved soil moisture after an initial period of high evaporation. Ripping and scalping resulted in somewhat lower near-surface available soil water storage capacities. Seedling establishment on both clearcuts was better following treatments which removed vegetation and surface organic horizons and thus enhanced microclimatic conditions, despite reducing nutrient supply. Such treatments may, however, compromise subsequent stand development through negative impacts on site nutrition. Temporal changes in the relative importance of different physical (microclimate) and chemical (soil nutrition) properties to soil processes and plant growth need to be considered when evaluating site productivity. Key words: Microclimate, soil temperature, air temperature, soil moisture, clearcut, seedling establishment


2004 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Guglielmin ◽  
Hugh M. French

AbstractThis progress report classifies the different types of ground-ice bodies that occur in the Northern Foothills, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Oxygen isotope variations are presented, but interpretation is kept to a minimum pending further investigations. Surface ice, as distinct from moving glacier ice, occurs in the form of widespread buried (‘dead’) glacier ice lying beneath ablation (sublimation) till, together with perennial lake ice, snow banks and icing-blister ice.’Dry’ permafrost is uncommon, and interstitial ice is usually present at the base of the active layer and in the near-surface permafrost. This probably reflects the supply of moisture from the Ross Sea and limited sublimation under today’s climate. Intrusive ice occurs as layers within perennial lake-ice covers and gives rise to small icing blisters. Small ice wedges found beneath the furrows of high-centered polygons appear to agree with the model of sublimation-till development proposed by Marchant and others (2002).


Soil Research ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
KG Tiller

The current knowledge of the pollution of Australian urban soils was reviewed with special reference to heavy metals. Increased community concern in recent years has resulted m a major upsurge in the investigation and rehabilitation of contaminated soils. This has led to a concomitant reassessment and development of regulatory procedures, and the establishment of some new environmental agencies. This review considers sources and extent of contamination, and approaches to the establishment of reference background levels in urban and rural areas. Assessment of contaminated sites has been largely based on overseas experience but site specific approaches relevant to Australian soils and climates are needed and are being developed by State authorities in collaboration with the Australian and New Zealand Environmental and Conservation Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. The need for soil-based research and for standardized soil sampling procedures for site evaluation and action is stressed. Many opportunities exist for soil scientists in solving problems of soil contamination and rehabilitation.


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