The use of the gaseous funaigant-nematicide methyl bromide in agriculture is scheduled to be phased out in the year 2001.1,3-Dichloropropene (1,3-D) in combination with chloropicrin and an herbicide is considered to be a viable alternative to methyl bromide for some crops. 1,3-Dichloropropene consists of two isomers, cis- and trans-l,3-D. A number of soil bacteria have been shown to initially d...

Soil enzyme activities are considered to be sensitive to pollution and have been proposed as indicators for measuring the degree of soil degradation. In this work we found that in three galician soils exposed to various degrees of pollution by tanning effluent, hydrocarbons or landfill effluent, the changes in the activities of individual enzyme did not allow precise quantification of soil degr...

A modified version of the model Opus was applied to measurements of soil water dynamics and atrazine (6-chloro-N2-ethyl-N4-isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) persistence in a Bruntwood silt loam soil (Haplic Andosol, FAO system) in Hamilton, New Zealand. The modified model, Opus2, is briefly described and parameter estimation for the simulations is discussed. Soil water dynamics were more ac...

one of the indicators of management and sustainability control of forest resources is the definition deforestation and degradation types. these factors hazard quantitative and qualitative of the iranian forests. in this study with integrated approach, different forms of forest degradation identified in the forest areas with a reviews of library resources and then investigation the degree of sta...

We report the soil microbial diversity and functional aspects related to degradation of recalcitrant compounds, determined using a metagenomic approach, in a landfill lysimeter prepared with soil from Ghazipur landfill site, New Delhi, India. Metagenomic analysis revealed the presence and functional diversity of complex microbial communities responsible for waste degradation.

Thirty samples of soil were taken at 50-m intersections on a grid pattern over an area of 250 x 200 m within a single field with nominally uniform soil characteristics. Incubations of isoproturon (3-(4-isopropylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea) under standard conditions (15 degrees C; -33 kPa soil water potential) indicated considerable variation in degradation rate of the herbicide, with the time to 5...

A number of scientific methodologies have been used in assessing land degradation globally. However, the use of local knowledge in eliciting indicators of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Researchers believe the two approaches could complement each other to provide a holistic assessment of land degradation. The objective of the study was to find out ...

Microbial consortia isolated from aged oil-contaminated soil were used to degrade 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (15.72 mgkg(-1)) in soil and slurry phases. The three microbial consortia (bacteria, fungi and bacteria-fungi complex) could degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and the highest PAH removals were found in soil and slurry inoculated with fungi (50.1% and 55.4%, respec...

Improving the existing knowledge on the enantioselectivity of processes affecting chiral pesticide enantiomers in the environment is necessary to maximize the efficacy and minimize the environmental impact caused by the use of pesticides with chiral properties. In this work, the enantioselectivity of the sorption, degradation, and leaching processes of the chiral fungicide metalaxyl in three sl...

Toluene is one of several cosubstrates able to support the cometabolism of trichloroethylene (TCE) by soil microbial communities. Indigenous microbial populations in soil degraded TCE in the presence, but not the absence, of toluene after a 60- to 80-h lag period. Initial populations of toluene and TCE degraders ranged from 0.2 x 10(3) to 4 x 10(3) cells per g of soil and increased by more than...