Amending contaminated soils with organic wastes can influence trace element mobility and toxicity. Soluble concentrations of metals and arsenic were measured in pore water and aqueous soil extracts following the amendment of a heavily contaminated mine soil with compost and biochar (10% v:v) in a pot experiment. Speciation modelling and toxicity assays (Vibrio fischeri luminescence inhibition a...

The impact of different concentration of zinc (Zn) and boron (B) on growth and mineral composition of lemon seedlings (Citrus Aurantifolia L.) was studied under greenhouse conditions. We used five concentration levels of B (0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μg g-1 soil) and three of Zn (0, 5 and 10 μg g-1 soil). Fresh and dry plant weights of the control treatment were strongly decreased with B levels highe...

The aim of the present study was to elucidate consistent patterns in chronic polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) toxicity to soil and sediment inhabiting invertebrates. Therefore we examined our experimental dataset, consisting of twenty-one chronic effect concentrations for two soil invertebrates (Folsomia candida and Enchytraeus cripticus) and two sediment invertebrates (Lumbriculus variegatus...

Aluminum (Al) is the third most abundant metal in earth crust, whose chemical form is mainly dependent on soil pH. The most toxic form of Al with respect to plants is Al3+, which exists in soil pH <5. Acidic soil significantly limits crop production mainly due to Al3+ toxicity worldwide, impacting approximately 50% of the world's arable land (in North-Eastern India 80% soil are acidic). Al3+ to...

The toxicity of copper to the collembolan Folsomia fimetaria L. was studied in soil incubated with copper sulfate for different periods before the introduction of collembolans, to assess the effect of aging of contamination on the toxicity of copper. Adult survival, reproduction, and juvenile size were assessed. No clear influence of differences in contamination age was detected. The data were ...

Soil properties are important factors modifying metal bioavailability to ecological receptors. Twenty-one soils with a wide range of soil properties (USA; http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/taxonomy/) were amended with a single concentration of Pb (2,000 mg/kg) to determine the effects of soil properties on Pb bioavailability and toxicity to earthworms. Earthworm mortality ranged fr...

Slow equilibration of introduced chemicals through tortuous pore space limits uniform substrate distribution in soil biodegradation studies. The necessity of introducing poorly soluble xenobiotics via organic solvents, the volume of which is minimized to limit toxicity, likely also affects xenobiotic distribution. Our objective was to investigate relative effects of carrier solvent choice and v...

Urban and rural areas may have different levels of environmental contamination and different potential sources of exposure. Many metals, i.e., arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg), have well-documented negative neurological effects, and the developing fetus and young children are particularly at risk. Using a database of mother and child pairs, three areas were identified: a rural area wit...

To assess soil arsenic (As, in the form of arsenate) toxicity to plants, 6-d root elongation tests on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) were conducted in six Chinese soils freshly spiked with As. Plants were treated with 7 or 10 levels of As to establish concentration-effect curves. Median effective concentration and 10% effective concentration values were derived with r...

The presence of energetic materials (used as explosives and propellants) at contaminated sites is a growing international issue, particularly with respect to military base closures and demilitarization policies. Improved understanding of the ecotoxicological effects of these materials is needed in order to accurately assess the potential exposure risks and impacts on the environment and its eco...