Copper, Chromium, Nickel, Lead and Zinc levels and pollution degree in firing rage soils

Land Degrad. Develop. 27: 1721–1730 (2016)

DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2497

Small-arms firing ranges are an important source of metal contaminants in the ecosystems located near these facilities, owing to the constant fall and alteration of the ammunition remnants on the soil, particularly in nearby berms. The objectives of this study were to analyse the pollution of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in rifle/pistol shooting range soils, to estimate their availability and to evaluate the influence of the ammunition used. The concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni range from 55 to 6·309, 34 to 264, 19 to 98, 40 to 79 and 11 to 33 mg kg 1, respectively. The moderate acidity and organic matter content favour the availability of Pb, followed by Cu > Zn > Ni > Cr. The values of different contamination indexes (Igeo, pollution index and integrated pollution index) suggest that Pb soil contamination is moderate to heavy, especially in the berm area and moderate for Cu and Zn. Lead ammunition is the main source of pollution, but another one was identified owing to the concentrations of Fe, Cr and Ni detected. Further studies are needed to verify their long-term potential adverse effects.

Temporal and spatial changes in soil micronutrients in managed Nothofagus pumilio forest of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

Environmental Earth Sciences (2016) 75:738

DOI: 10.1007/s12665-016-5470-3

Soil organic components are important factors in the quality and productivity of forest ecosystems. Timber harvesting reduces plant cover and the amount of organic matter in forest floor layer, increases surface runoff, soil erosion and alters microclimatic conditions over large areas. These changes can have important implications for nutrient cycling dynamics and soil organic matter mineralization. Fueguian temperate forests of Nothofagus pumilio (lenga) have been intensely harvested for the last decades, mainly by shelterwood-cut silvicultural system. Harvesting removes nutrients contained in logs from the site, modifies light, temperature and soil humidity, constraining nutrient cycling process. In this study, we evaluate available copper (Cua), zinc (Zna), iron (Fea), and manganese (Mna) concentrations and reservoirs in stands that represent a chronosequence and their respective primary forests (controls): stands cut 1 year ago, stands cut 5–10 years ago, and stands harvested more than 50 years ago. Concentrations of Zna and Cua in primary forest were 39.9 and 2.6 mg/kg, and increased in harvested sites to 60.5 and 3.2 mg/kg, respectively. Fea and Mna concentrations showed similar ranges in both harvested and control sites. Recent harvested sites showed the highest Cua concentrations. Micronutrient reservoirs showed similar ranges in both harvested and primary forests. We concluded that micronutrient availability changes at short term after forest harvesting; thus, the inclusion of soil fertility assessment in forest management plans should be incorporated to preserve the fertility of lenga forests soils and ensure sustainability.

Changes in Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn Fractionation and Liberation Due to Mussel Shell Amendment on a Mine Soil

Land Degradation and Development 27 (2016) 1276–1285

DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2505

Mining activities are related to relevant environmental pollution issues that should be controlled. We used sequential extractions to fractionate Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn retained on unamended or mussel shell-amended mine soil samples, all of them treated with a mixture of the five heavy metals (total metal concentration of 1·57 mmol L−1), after 1, 7 and 30 days of incubation. In addition, we used the stirred flow chamber technique to study the release of each of the five heavy metals from these different unamended and shell-amended soil samples. The results indicate that the shell amendment caused a decrease in the most soluble fraction, while increasing the most recalcitrant (least mobile) fraction. With equivalent implications, the stirred flow chamber experiments showed that mussel shell amendment was associated to a decrease in heavy metal release and increased retention. The highest mussel shell dose and incubation time caused the most relevant changes in pH values and thus in metal retention, also indicating the importance of pH modifications in the mechanism of retention acting in the amended samples. In view of these results, the use of mussel shell amendment can be encouraged to increase heavy metal retention in acid mine soils, in order to minimise risks of environmental pollution.