scholarly journals Assessment of the Railroad Transport Impact on Physical and Chemical Soil Properties: The Case Study from Zduńska Wola Karsznice Railway Junction, Central Poland

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Ilona Tomczyk-Wydrych ◽  
Anna Świercz ◽  
Paweł Przepióra
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Railroad Transport ◽  
Central Poland ◽  
Potentially Harmful Elements ◽  
Main Track ◽  
Side Track

Contamination of the soil and water environment with harmful substances can be associated with many activities carried out on the railway. The problem is particularly relevant to liquid fuel loading and refueling facilities as well as to increased traffic at railway junctions. Studies were conducted in the area of railway junction Zduńska Wola Karsznice in central Poland (Łódź Voivodeship). Soil samples were collected from specific research points: from the inter-railway (A), 5 m from the main track (B), from the embankment—10 m from the main track (C), and from the side track (D), at the depth of 0–5 (1) cm and 20 cm (2). The following analyses were made: granulometric composition, pH in H2O, and percent content of carbonates (CaCO3). PHEs were determined in the fractions: 0.25 ≤ 0.5 mm, 0.1 ≤ 0.25 mm, and 0.05 ≤ 0.1 mm: Pb, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, Sr by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique (ICP-MS/TOF OPTIMass 9500). The objectives of the study were (1) to assess PHEs (potentially harmful elements) contamination of the topsoil level of railway area, (2) to determine the correlation between the concentration of PHEs and the size of the fraction, and (3) to identify the areas (places) where the highest concentrations of PHEs were recorded. Based on the studied parameters, significant differentiation in soil properties of the areas in Zduńska Wola Karsznice was found. The analyses carried out showed that the accumulation of potentially harmful elements was as follows: Cu > Zn > Sr > Pb > Ni > Cr > Co > Cd. The average concentrations of Cu, Zn, Sr, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co and Cd were 216.0; 152.1; 97.8; 64.6; 15.2; 14.4; 3.1 and 0.2 mg·kg−1 d.w., respectively. These contaminations occur in the topsoil layer of the railway embankment, which suggests a railway transport origin. The highest concentrations of PHEs were recorded in samples collected from close to the rails (inter-railway, side track), and in the embankment (10 m from the track) in the very fine sand fraction (0.05 ≤ 0.1 mm). The high accumulation index of copper, cadmium and lead in the surface layer of soil indicate their anthropogenic origin. The results presented in the paper can be used in local planning and spatial development of this area, taking into account all future decisions about ensuring environmental protection, including groundwater and soils.

scholarly journals Impact of Railroad Transport on Physical and Chemical Properties of Soils in the Railway Junction Zduńska Wola – Karsznice (Central Poland)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Tomczyk-Wydrych ◽  
Anna Świercz
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
Railroad Transport ◽  
Groundwater Environment ◽  
Chemical Properties Of Soils ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
And Chemical Properties

Abstract Railway operations and the accompanying infrastructure are responsible for the emission of pollutants and toxic substances that adversely affect both the atmospheric air, soil and the groundwater environment. The main groups include such compounds as: trace metals and aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Contamination of the soil and water environment with harmful substances can be associated with many activities carried out on the railway. The problem is particularly relevant to liquid fuel loading and refuelling facilities as well as to increased traffic at railway junctions.

Comparison of Antimony Determination Methods in Drinking Water

2013 ◽  
Vol 706-708 ◽  
pp. 478-482
Author(s):  
Nan Chen ◽  
Yong Sheng Shi ◽  
Meng Zhao ◽  
Meng Ru Xuan
Keyword(s):  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Graphite Furnace ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Hydride Generation ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Low Sensitivity

Antimony distributes widely in the environment. And antimony pollution in the water environment is becoming serious. How to detect the content of the antimony correctly and effectively is very important. Graphite furnace atomic absorption method is simple, but low sensitivity; hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry, low cost, good reproducibility, but is harmful to the introduction of substances; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for simultaneous multi-element analysis, high sensitivity, but the operation is cumbersome; inductively coupled plasma spectrometry has low detection limit, high accuracy, but the equipment is expensive, and cost of analysis is high.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Distribution of Some Potentially Harmful Elements (PHEs) in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, Gauteng, South Africa

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Michael Shapi ◽  
Maryam Amra Jordaan ◽  
Devandren Subramoney Nadasan ◽  
Theophilus C. Davies ◽  
Emmanuel Chirenje ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Form Analysis ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Potentially Harmful Elements ◽  
Game Reserve ◽  
The Mean

The Mintails Mogale Gold (MMG) and the Rand Uranium (RU) are two large-scale mining consortiums active in re-mining old tailings dams and dumps in Krugersdorp and are a source of mine discharge feed into the Krugersdorp Game Reserve (KGR). This has resulted in a noticeable accumulation of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) over a number of years. Efforts were implemented to interpret the concentration levels of PHEs in soils of the study areas of which a total of 36 georeferenced soil samples were collected (in triplicate) from the MMG, RU and KGR, including samples from farmlands and waterways adjacent to the mining sites. Samples were then analysed by both inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for 36 elements. From the 36 elements of this study, detailed evaluations of the occurrence of 12 selected elements were discussed. The geochemical landscape at the KGR is shown to be in flux. The major mediating influences on the behaviour of As, Co, Cu, Hg and Pb, as they enter the KGR largely in the form of acid mine drainage (AMD), are the geological substrate (mostly in carbonate form). Analysis of the soils showed high levels of contamination for As and Co in ppm. The mean maximum of As ranged from (5.00–170.30) with the highest level found in the Krugersdorp site. The mean maximum of Co ranged from (46.00–102.30) with the highest level found in MMG. All of these values were well above the recommended maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) values, i.e., As (15–20) and Co (20–50). The mean maximum values for Pb (12.40–92.30); Cu (18.50–115.30) and Hg (12.40–92.30) content in surface soils of all four segments studied falls well within the MAC range for agricultural soils i.e., Cu (60–150); Hg (0.5–5) and Pb (20–300).

scholarly journals Multielemental Analysis of Bee Pollen, Propolis, and Royal Jelly Collected in West-Central Poland

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2415
Author(s):  
Eliza Matuszewska ◽  
Agnieszka Klupczynska ◽  
Krzysztof Maciołek ◽  
Zenon J. Kokot ◽  
Jan Matysiak
Keyword(s):  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Royal Jelly ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Elemental Content ◽  
Bee Pollen ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Central Poland ◽  
West Central

Beehive products possess nutritional value and health-promoting properties and are recommended as so-called “superfoods”. However, because of their natural origin, they may contain relevant elemental contaminants. Therefore, to assess the quality of bee products, we examined concentrations of a broad range of 24 selected elements in propolis, bee pollen, and royal jelly. The quantitative analyses were performed with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) techniques. The results of our research indicate that bee products contain essential macronutrients (i.e., K, P, and S) and micronutrients (i.e., Zn and Fe) in concentrations depending on the products’ type. However, the presence of toxic heavy metals makes it necessary to test the quality of bee products before using them as dietary supplements. Bearing in mind that bee products are highly heterogenous and, depending on the environmental factors, differ in their elemental content, it is necessary to develop standards regulating the acceptable levels of inorganic pollutants. Furthermore, since bees and their products are considered to be an effective biomonitoring tool, our results may reflect the environment’s condition in west-central Poland, affecting the health and well-being of both humans and bees.

Double Effect, Triple Effect and the Trolley Problem: Squaring the Circle in Looping Cases

Utilitas ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL OTSUKA
Keyword(s):  
Double Effect ◽  
Trolley Problem ◽  
Squaring The Circle ◽  
Main Track ◽  
Philippa Foot ◽  
Judith Jarvis Thomson ◽  
Side Track

In the Trolley Case (Figure 1), as devised by Philippa Foot and modified by Judith Jarvis Thomson, a runaway trolley (i.e. tram) is headed down a main track and will hit and kill five unless you divert it onto a side track, where it will hit and kill one.

scholarly journals Dynamic change in particulate palladium concentrations in a mangrove wetland water environment and its mechanism in Dongzhai Harbor, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (11) ◽  
pp. 2503-2512
Author(s):  
Caiye Ji ◽  
Yuyan Liu ◽  
Dan Wu ◽  
Bo Fu ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Microwave Digestion ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Spring Tide ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Vehicle Exhaust ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Light Rain ◽  
Mangrove Wetland

Abstract Palladium (Pd), in platinum group elements (PGEs), is widely used as a catalyst in vehicle exhaust catalytic converters (VECs). The cumulative level of Pd in the environment is growing rapidly, and the potential threat to human health is increasing. In this paper, the mangrove wetland in Dongzhai Harbor, Hainan Province, China, was taken as the research area for the collection of water samples. The particulate Pd was determined by microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The particulate Pd showed a decreasing trend from the estuary to offshore. The land origin of Pd in the mangrove wetland was explained. The Pd concentrations in the suspended state were lower in the wet season than in the dry season. Tide had an obvious influence on particulate Pd. The concentrations of particulate Pd at spring tide were higher than those at neap tide. The concentrations of particulate Pd at ebb tide were higher than those at flood tide. The rainfall intensity also had a strong influence on the particulate Pd. The particulate Pd increased after moderate and light rain but decreased after heavy rain. The pH, redox potential(Eh), and Cl− had little effect on particulate Pd in the water environment. This study is helpful for understanding the environmental geochemical characteristics of Pd in mangrove wetlands and provides a theoretical basis for the study of Pd in urban coastal mangrove environment.

scholarly journals Ingestion of bivalve droppings by benthic invertebrates may lead to the transfer of nanomaterials in the aquatic food chain

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Kuehr ◽  
Noemi Diehle ◽  
Ralf Kaegi ◽  
Christian Schlechtriem
Keyword(s):  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Environmental Chemicals ◽  
The Body ◽  
Benthic Species ◽  
Surrounding Water ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Fecal Matter ◽  
Total Metal ◽  
Aquatic Food

Abstract Background Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) are released into the environment in increasing quantities. Consequently, MNMs also reach the aquatic environment, where they can interact with different organisms. Previous studies have already shown that filter-feeding bivalves can ingest nanomaterials from the surrounding water leading to higher concentration of the material. Furthermore, they have been shown to be vectors for environmental chemicals and pathogens to other organisms, as their feces/pseudofeces (F/pF) play a crucial role as a food source for other species. We exposed bivalves (Corbicula sp.) to MNMs and performed experiments to investigate the possible transport of MNMs by their feces to the benthic amphipod Hyalella azteca. Silver (Ag) and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) as well as fluorescent polystyrene nanoparticles were used in this study. They allowed the investigation of the metal content of the bivalves’ feces and the amphipods feeding on it, as well as the localization of the fluorescent particles in the body of the animals. Results Examination of the feces by fluorescence microscope and determination of the total metal content by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) showed a high accumulation of the exposed MNMs in the F/pF. The examination of fecal matter, using transmission electron microscopy confirmed the nanoparticulate character of the metals in the examined fecal matter. After exposure of amphipods to the MNMs containing fecal matter, the fluorescent MNMs were localized in the animals gut. The chronic exposure of juvenile amphipods over 21 days to feces enriched with Au MNMs caused significant effects on the growth of the amphipods. The transfer of both metals (Ag and Au) from the fecal matter to the amphipods was confirmed after total metal measurements. Conclusion Probably, for the first time, it has been shown that when exposed to MNMs bivalves can transfer these particles to other benthic species. Transfer is via released F/pF upon which the benthic species feed and thus could ingest the particles. The high concentrations of MNMs in the fecal matter raises concerns about the potential accumulation and transfer of the materials and associated ecotoxicological effects in invertebrates such as benthic amphipods.

Determination of Cadmium in Bivalve Molluscs by Microwave Digestion with Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

2011 ◽  
Vol 301-303 ◽  
pp. 569-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gao Wa Jin ◽  
Qian Gong ◽  
You Qiong Cai ◽  
Xiao Lei Li ◽  
Yong Fu Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Microwave Digestion ◽  
Standard Addition ◽  
Bivalve Molluscs ◽  
High Accumulation ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry

A method based on microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been established for the sensitive determination of cadmium in bivalve molluscs. The application of the internal standards calibration improved the accuracy and precision values of the method. The relative standard deviation (RSD), the standard addition recovery value and the detection limit were determined as 4.25%, 94.74% and 0.005 μg/L, respectively. This method has been verified by the determination of cadmium in certified reference material kelp (GBW08517) and mussel (GBW08571). The method has been applied to determine the contamination concentration level of cadmium in seven kinds of bivalve mollusk samples. The results indicated that, among them, mud clam, scallop and oyster have relative high accumulation ability to cadmium.

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