Fires in the face of climate change: Indicators of fire disturbance in heath areas - Inference from military training lands.

Global warming significantly affects the frequency and intensity of wildfires in many fire-prone areas of the world and fire disturbance regimes are changing rapidly. Alongside this, controlled burning is often considered or implemented as an alternative method for nature protection. Here, we studied the post-fire secondary succession in dry heath habitat located in military training grounds to recognise the impact of fire on the effectiveness and rate of ecosystem recovery. We focus particularly on identifying indicator species for a given successional phase of Central European dry heath habitats and assessing their value for dating the last fire disturbance. The research involved 60 vegetation patches (plots of 25 m2), which were assigned to four post-fire age classes, namely: 1-5 years (Class A), 6-10 years (Class B), 11-15 years (Class C), and >15 years (Class D). In each study plot, species diversity and coverage of lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants were examined in addition to the physicochemical properties of the soil substrate. Cryptogams and vascular plants clearly differ in terms of the secondary succession pattern; specific sets of cryptogams correspond well to particular post-fire classes and are therefore good determinants of the post-fire succession stage. Spontaneous succession of plant vegetation eventually leads to complete recovery of the heath in a relatively short time. Nevertheless, great vegetation dynamics in the first years after a fire disturbance may result in seemingly different directions of succession. Post-fire classes did not differ noticeably in terms of soil properties, it follows that the effects of fire on soil conditions are negligible; though, a significant upward trend was observed for exchangeable form of K throughout the succession process. Our results indicate that sporadic fires reduce the undesirable overgrowth of heathlands or psamophilous grasslands and generally have a little negative side-effect on the ecosystem. The revealed succession patterns and defined sets of species characteristic for subsequent post-fire age classes are applicable to dating fire disturbances, regardless of whether the fire was planned or spontaneous.

Microbial Community Response to Various Types of Exogenous Organic Matter Applied to Soil.

Recycling of solid biowaste and manure would reduce the dependence of agriculture on synthetic products. Most of the available studies on the effects of exogenous organic matter (EOM) application to soil were focused on nutrients and crop yield, with much less attention to microbiological processes in soil, especially using modern molecular methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various types of manure, sewage sludge and bottom sediment on the biochemical activity and biodiversity of soil and plant yield in a pot experiment. The soil was treated with a range of EOM types: six types of manure (cattle, pig, goat, poultry, rabbit and horse manure; two bottom sediments (from urban and rural systems); and two types of municipal sewage sludge. All EOMs stimulated dehydrogenases activity at a rate of 20 t ha-1. Alkaline phosphatase was mostly stimulated by poultry manure and one of the sludges. In general, the two-fold greater rate of EOMs did not further accelerate the soil enzymes. The functional diversity of the soil microbiome was stimulated the most by cattle and goat manure. EOMs produce a shift in distribution of the most abundant bacterial phyla and additionally introduce exogenous bacterial genera to soil. Poultry and horse manure introduced the greatest number of new genera that were able to survive the strong competition in soil. EOMs differentiated plant growth in our study, which was correlated to the rate of nitrate release to soil. The detailed impacts of particular amendments were EOM-specific, but in general, no harm for microbial parameters was observed for manure and sludge application, regardless of their type. There was also no proof that the PAH and pesticide contents measured in manure or sludge had any effect on microbial activity and diversity.

Comparison of the effectiveness of various parasitological methods in detecting nematode eggs in different types of soil.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Natural fertilizers, sewage sludge, digestates, as well as organic fertilizers produced on their basis, can become a source of parasitological contamination of cultivated land. High concentration of invasive forms of parasites in the soil may pose a threat to human and animal health. Therefore, it is necessary to control the hygienic condition of fertilizers and fertilized soils with particular emphasis on parasites. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of methods commonly used for parasitological examination of soil with own methods which were used to develop the standards. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out using samples of sandy soil (SS), horticultural mix soil (HS) and peat-based substrate (PS). Each sample was spiked with 100 dyed Ascaris suum eggs and examined with the use of 6 methods: Vasilkova, Dada, Quinn, and 3 methods according to the Polish Standards (PN-19000, PN- 19005, PN-19006). For each variant, 8 repetitions were made. RESULTS: The largest number of A. suum eggs were found with PN-19006 (mean number of detected eggs was 21.25, 46.50, 23.00 for HS, SS, PS, respectively. Slightly lower results were obtained using PN-19005 - the mean number eggs was 21.25, 36.00, 16.75, respectively. On the other hand, the mean number of A. suum eggs found with the Dada method was about 2-3 times lower than with the PN-19006 - 15.75, 22.50, 6.50 for HS, SS, PS soil, respectively. Other methods were much less effective. CONCLUSIONS: PN-19006 method turned out to be the most effective in detecting A. suum eggs. This method can be used for parasitological examination of soils and can be the basis for developing a system of methods dedicated to testing different types of soils for the presence of nematode eggs.

Intensive poultry farming: A review of the impact on the environment and human health.

Poultry farming is one of the most efficient animal husbandry methods and it provides nutritional security to a significant number of the world population. Using modern intensive farming techniques, global production has reached 133.4 mil. t in 2020, with a steady growth each year. Such intensive growth methods however lead to a significant environmental footprint. Waste materials such as poultry litter and manure can pose a serious threat to environmental and human health, and need to be managed properly. Poultry production and waste by-products are linked to NH3, N2O and CH4 emissions, and have an impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as animal and human health. Litter and manure can contain pesticide residues, microorganisms, pathogens, pharmaceuticals (antibiotics), hormones, metals, macronutrients (at improper ratios) and other pollutants which can lead to air, soil and water contamination as well as formation of antimicrobial/multidrug resistant strains of pathogens. Dust emitted from intensive poultry production operations contains feather and skin fragments, faeces, feed particles, microorganisms and other pollutants, which can adversely impact poultry health as well as the health of farm workers and nearby inhabitants. Fastidious odours are another problem that can have an adverse impact on health and quality of life of workers and surrounding population. This study discusses the current knowledge on the impact of intensive poultry farming on environmental and human health, as well as taking a look at solutions for a sustainable future.

Barriers and opportunities of soil knowledge to address soil challenges: Stakeholders' perspectives across Europe.

Climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soil is critical to improve soil health, enhance food and water security, contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity preservation, and improve human health and wellbeing. The European Joint Programme for Soil (EJP SOIL) started in 2020 with the aim to significantly improve soil management knowledge and create a sustainable and integrated European soil research system. EJP SOIL involves more than 350 scientists across 24 Countries and has been addressing multiple aspects associated with soil management across different European agroecosystems. This study summarizes the key findings of stakeholder consultations conducted at the national level across 20 countries with the aim to identify important barriers and challenges currently affecting soil knowledge but also assess opportunities to overcome these obstacles. Our findings demonstrate that there is significant room for improvement in terms of knowledge production, dissemination and adoption. Among the most important barriers identified by consulted stakeholders are technical, political, social and economic obstacles, which strongly limit the development and full exploitation of the outcomes of soil research. The main soil challenge across consulted member states remains to improve soil organic matter and peat soil conservation while soil water storage capacity is a key challenge in Southern Europe. Findings from this study clearly suggest that going forward climate-smart sustainable soil management will benefit from (1) increases in research funding, (2) the maintenance and valorisation of long-term (field) experiments, (3) the creation of knowledge sharing networks and interlinked national and European infrastructures, and (4) the development of regionally-tailored soil management strategies. All the above-mentioned interventions can contribute to the creation of healthy, resilient and sustainable soil ecosystems across Europe.

Activity and Diversity of Microorganisms in Root Zone of Plant Species Spontaneously Inhabiting Smelter Waste Piles.

The aim was to assess plant driven changes in the activity and diversity of microorganisms in the top layer of the zinc and lead smelter waste piles. The study sites comprised two types (flotation waste-FW and slag waste-SW) of smelter waste deposits in Piekary Slaskie, Poland. Cadmium, zinc, lead, and arsenic contents in these technosols were extremely high. The root zone of 8 spontaneous plant species (FW-Thymus serpyllum, Silene vulgaris, Solidago virgaurea, Echium vulgare, and Rumex acetosa; and SW-Verbascum thapsus; Solidago gigantea, Eupatorium cannabinum) and barren areas of each waste deposit were sampled. We observed a significant difference in microbial characteristics attributed to different plant species. The enzymatic activity was mostly driven by plant-microbial interactions and it was significantly greater in soil affected by plants than in bulk soil. Furthermore, as it was revealed by BIOLOG Ecoplate analysis, microorganisms inhabiting barren areas of the waste piles rely on significantly different sources of carbon than those found in the zone affected by spontaneous plants. Among phyla, Actinobacteriota were the most abundant, contributing to at least 25% of the total abundance. Bacteria belonging to Blastococcus genera were the most abundant with the substantial contribution of Nocardioides and Pseudonocardia, especially in the root zone. The contribution of unclassified bacteria was high-up to 38% of the total abundance. This demonstrates the unique character of bacterial communities in the smelter waste.

Influence of a Commercial Biological Fungicide containing Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T-22 on Dissipation Kinetics and Degradation of Five Herbicides in Two Types of Soil.

Biological crop protection is recommended to be applied alternately or together with chemical one, to protect human health from the excessive use of toxic pesticides. Presence of microorganisms can influence the concentration of chemical pollutants in soil. The aim of this study is to estimate the influence of a commercial biological fungicide containing Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T-22 on dissipation kinetics and degradation of five herbicides belonging to different chemical classes: clomazone, fluazifop-P-butyl, metribuzin, pendimethalin, and propyzamide, in two types of soil. Results of the study revealed that T. harzianum T-22 influences pesticide degradation and dissipation kinetics of the non-persistent herbicides: clomazone, fluazifop-P-butyl, and metribuzin. In soil with a higher content of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter, degradation increased by up to 24.2%, 24.8%, and 23.5% for clomazone, fluazifop-P-butyl, and metribuzin, respectively. In soil with lower organic content, degradation was on a low level, of 16.1%, 17.7%, and 16.3% for clomazone, fluazifop-P-butyl, and metribuzin, respectively. In our study, the addition of the biological preparation shortened herbicide dissipation half-lives, from 0.3 days (2.9%) for fluazifop-P-butyl, to 18.4 days (25.1%) for clomazone. During the degradation study, no significant differences were noticed for pendimethalin, belonging to persistent substances. Biological protection of crops can modify pesticide concentrations and dissipation rates. On one hand, this may result in the reduced effectiveness of herbicide treatments, while on the other, it can become a tool for achieving cleaner environment.

Assessment of Pesticide Residue Content in Polish Agricultural Soils.

Pesticides belong to a group of xenobiotics harmful to humans and wildlife, whose fate and activity depends on their susceptibility to degradation. Therefore, the monitoring of their residue level in agricultural soils is very important because it provides very valuable information on the actual level of soil contamination and environmental risk resulting from their application. The aim of this study was to evaluate contemporary concentrations of organochlorine (OCPs) and non-chlorinated pesticides (NCPs) in arable soils of Poland as an example of Central and Eastern European countries. The results were assessed in relation to Polish regulations, which are more restrictive compared to those of other European countries. The sampling area covered the territory of arable lands in Poland (216 sampling points). The distribution of sampling points aimed to reflect different geographical districts, conditions of agricultural production, and various soil properties. The collected soil samples were extracted with organic solvents in an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE 2000). The OCPs, including α-HCH, ß-HCH, γ-HCH, and p,p'DDT, p,p'DDE, and p,p'DDD, were extracted with a hexane/acetone mixture (70:30 v/v) and determined by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-µECD). NCPs included atrazine, carbaryl, and carbofuran were extracted with a dichloromethane/acetone mixture (50:50 v/v), while maneb was extracted by intensive shaking the sample with acetone (1:1 v/v) and ethylenediamine-tertraacetic acid. The NCPs were identified by a dual mass- spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The total content of individual OCPs ranged from 0.61 to 1031.64 µg kg-1, while the NCP concentrations were significantly lower, from 0.01 to 43.92 µg kg-1. DDTs were detected in all soils samples (p,p'DDD (23.60 µg kg-1) > p,p'DDT (18.23 µg kg-1) > p,p'DDE (4.06 µg kg-1), while HCHs were only in 4% of the analyzed samples (ß-HCH (339.55 µg kg-1) > α-HCH (96.96 µg kg-1) > γ-HCH (3.04 µg kg-1)), but in higher values than DDTs. Among NCPs, higher concentration was observed for carbaryl (<0.01-28.07 µg kg-1) and atrazine (<0.01-15.85 µg kg-1), while the lower for carbofuran (<0.01-0.54 µg kg-1). Maneb was not detected in analyzed soils. Assessment of the level of soil pollution based on Polish regulations indicated that several percentages of the samples exceeded the criterion for OCPs, such as ∑3DDTs (14 samples; 6.5% of soils) and HCH congeners (α-HCH in one sample; 0.5% of soils), while NCP concentration, such as for atrazine, carbaryl and carbofuran were below the permissible levels or were not detected in the analyzed soils, e.g. maneb. The obtained results indicated that residues of the analyzed pesticides originate from historical agricultural deposition and potentially do not pose a direct threat to human and animal health. The behavior and persistence of pesticides in the soils depend on their properties. Significantly lower NCP concentration in the soils resulted from their lower hydrophobicity and higher susceptibility to leaching into the soil profile. OCPs are characterized by a high half-life time, which affect their significantly higher persistence in soils resulting from affinity to the soil organic phase.

Helping stakeholders select and apply appraisal tools to mitigate soil threats: Researchers' experiences from across Europe.

Soil improvement measures need to be ecologically credible, socially acceptable and economically affordable if they are to enter widespread use. However, in real world decision contexts not all measures can sufficiently meet these criteria. As such, developing, selecting and using appropriate tools to support more systematic appraisal of soil improvement measures in different decision-making contexts represents an important challenge. Tools differ in their aims, ranging from those focused on appraising issues of cost-effectiveness, wider ecosystem services impacts and adoption barriers/opportunities, to those seeking to foster participatory engagement and social learning. Despite the growing complexity of the decision-support tool landscape, comprehensive guidance for selecting tools that are best suited to appraise soil improvement measures, as well as those well-adapted to enable participatory deployment, has generally been lacking. We address this gap using the experience and survey data from an EU-funded project (RECARE: Preventing and REmediating degradation of soils in Europe through land CARE). RECARE applied different socio-cultural, biophysical and monetary appraisal tools to assess the costs, benefits and adoption of soil improvement measures across Europe. We focused on these appraisal tools and evaluated their performance against three broad attributes that gauge their differences and suitability for widespread deployment to aid stakeholder decision making in soil management. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered to RECARE researchers. Although some tools worked better than others across case studies, the information collated was used to provide guiding strategies for choosing appropriate tools, considering resources and data availability, characterisation of uncertainty, and the purpose for which a specific soil improvement measure is being developed or promoted. This paper provides insights to others working in practical soil improvement contexts as to why getting the tools right matters. It demonstrates how use of the right tools can add value to decision-making in ameliorating soil threats, supporting the sustainable management of the services that our soil ecosystems provide.

Impact of rhizobacterial inoculants on plant growth and enzyme activities in soil treated with contaminated bottom sediments.

The impact of contaminated bottom sediments on plant growth and soil enzyme activities was evaluated in a greenhouse pot study. The sediments were moderately contaminated with zinc and heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans. The sediments were mixed with soil and planted with either Festuca arundinacea or Tagetes patula. The capacity of two rhizobacterial strains (Massilia niastensis P87 and Streptomyces costaricanus RP92), previously isolated from contaminated soils, to improve plant growth under the chemical stress was tested. Application of sediments to soil was severely phytotoxic to T. patula and mildly to F. arundinacea. On the other hand, the addition of sediments enhanced the soil enzymatic activity. Inoculation with both bacterial strains significantly increased shoot (up to 2.4-fold) and root (up to 3.4-fold) biomass of T. patula. The study revealed that the selected plant growth-promoting bacterial strains were able to alleviate phytotoxicity of bottom sediments to T. patula resulting from the complex character of the contamination.

Long term insight into biodiversity of a smelter wasteland reclaimed with biosolids and by-product lime.

Smelter wastelands containing high amounts of zinc, lead, cadmium, and arsenic constitute a major problem worldwide. Serious hazards for human health and ecosystem functioning are related to a lack of vegetative cover, causing fugitive dust fluxes, runoff and leaching of metals, affecting post-industrial ecosystems, often in heavily populated areas. Previous studies demonstrated the short term effectiveness of assisted phytostabilisation of zinc and lead smelter slags, using biosolids and liming. However, a long term persistence of plant communities introduced for remediation and risk reduction has not been adequately evaluated. The work was aimed at characterising trace element solubility, plant and microbial communities of the top layer of the reclaimed zinc and lead smelter waste heaps in Piekary Slaskie, Poland, 20 years after the treatment and revegetation. The surface layer of the waste heaps treated with various rates of biosolids and the by-product lime was sampled for measuring chemical and biochemical parameters, which are indicative for metals bioavailability as well as for microorganisms activity. Microbial processes were characterised by enzyme activities, abundance of specific groups of microorganisms and identification of N fixing bacteria. Plant communities of the area were characterised by a percent coverage of the surface and by a composition of plant species and plant diversity. The study provides a strong evidence that the implemented remediation approach enables a sustainable functioning of the ecosystem established on the toxic waste heaps. Enzyme activities and the count of various groups of microorganisms were the highest in areas treated with both biosolids and lime, regardless their rates. A high plant species diversity and microbial activities are sustainable after almost two decades from the treatment, which is indicative of a strong resistance of the established ecosystem to a metal stress and a poor physical quality of the anthropogenic soil formed by the treatment.

Assessing phytotoxicity of trace element-contaminated soils phytomanaged with gentle remediation options at ten European field trials.

Gentle remediation options (GRO), i.e. in situ stabilisation, (aided) phytoextraction and (aided) phytostabilisation, were implemented at ten European sites contaminated with trace elements (TE) from various anthropogenic sources: mining, atmospheric fallout, landfill leachates, wood preservatives, dredged-sediments, and dumped wastes. To assess the performance of the GRO options, topsoil was collected from each field trial, potted, and cultivated with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) for 48days. Shoot dry weight (DW) yield, photosynthesis efficiency and major element and TE concentrations in the soil pore water and lettuce shoots were measured. GRO implementation had a limited effect on TE concentrations in the soil pore water, although use of multivariate Co-inertia Analysis revealed a clear amelioration effect in phytomanaged soils. Phytomanagement increased shoot DW yield at all industrial and mine sites, whereas in agricultural soils improvements were produced in one out of five sites. Photosynthesis efficiency was less sensitive than changes in shoot biomass and did not discriminate changes in soil conditions. Based on lettuce shoot DW yield, compost amendment followed by phytoextraction yielded better results than phytostabilisation; moreover shoot ionome data proved that, depending on initial soil conditions, recurrent compost application may be required to maintain crop production with common shoot nutrient concentrations.

Effect of spatial resolution of soil data on predictions of eggshell trace element levels in the Rook Corvus frugilegus.

Although a considerable research effort has gone into studying the dietary pathways of metals to the bodies of laying female birds and their eggs in recent years, no detailed investigations have yet been carried out relating the properties of the biogeochemical environment at large spatial scales to eggshell trace element levels in typical soil-invertebrate feeding birds under natural conditions. We used data from a large-scale nationwide monitoring survey of soil quality in Poland (3724 sampling points from the 43 792 available) to predict levels of five trace elements (copper [Cu], cadmium [Cd], nickel [Ni], zinc [Zn] and lead [Pb]) in Rook Corvus frugilegus eggshells from 42 breeding colonies. Our major aim was to test whether differences exist in the explanatory power of soil data (acidity, content of elements and organic matter, and particle size) used as a correlate of concentrations of eggshell trace elements among four different distances (5, 10, 15 and 20 km) around rookeries. Over all four distances around the rookeries only the concentrations of Cu and Cd in eggshells were positively correlated with those in soil, while eggshell Pb was correlated with the soil Pb level at the two longest distances (15 and 20 km) around the rookeries. The physical properties of soil (primarily the increase in pH) adversely affected eggshell Cd and Pb concentrations. The patterns and factors governing metal bioaccumulation in soil invertebrates and eggshells appear to be coincident, which strongly suggests a general similarity in the biochemical pathways of elements at different levels of the food web. The increasing acidification of arable soil as a result of excessive fertilisation and over-nitrification can enhance the bioavailability of toxic elements to laying females and their eggs.

Selecting chemical and ecotoxicological test batteries for risk assessment of trace element-contaminated soils (phyto)managed by gentle remediation options (GRO).

During the past decades a number of field trials with gentle remediation options (GRO) have been established on trace element (TE) contaminated sites throughout Europe. Each research group selects different methods to assess the remediation success making it difficult to compare efficacy between various sites and treatments. This study aimed at selecting a minimum risk assessment battery combining chemical and ecotoxicological assays for assessing and comparing the effectiveness of GRO implemented in seven European case studies. Two test batteries were pre-selected; a chemical one for quantifying TE exposure in untreated soils and GRO-managed soils and a biological one for characterizing soil functionality and ecotoxicity. Soil samples from field studies representing one of the main GROs (phytoextraction in Belgium, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland, aided phytoextraction in France, and aided phytostabilization or in situ stabilization/phytoexclusion in Poland, France and Austria) were collected and assessed using the selected test batteries. The best correlations were obtained between NH4NO3-extractable, followed by NaNO3-extractable TE and the ecotoxicological responses. Biometrical parameters and biomarkers of dwarf beans were the most responsive indicators for the soil treatments and changes in soil TE exposures. Plant growth was inhibited at the higher extractable TE concentrations, while plant stress enzyme activities increased with the higher TE extractability. Based on these results, a minimum risk assessment battery to compare/biomonitor the sites phytomanaged by GROs might consist of the NH4NO3 extraction and the bean Plantox test including the stress enzyme activities.

Metal accumulation strategies in plants spontaneously inhabiting Zn-Pb waste deposits.

Metal (Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Cr) accumulation in shoots of 38 plant species spontaneously colonizing three Zn-Pb waste deposits in southern Poland was studied in order to find out if the age of the waste (30-130 years) or its type (slag or flotation residues) influence metal content in plants and to identify species potentially suitable for biomonitoring and phytoremediation. The total metal concentrations in the waste upper layers ranged from 7300 to 171,790 mg kg(-1) for Zn, from 1390 to 22,265 mg kg(-1) for Pb, and from 66 to 1,464 mg kg(-1) for Cd, whereas CaCl2-extracted fractions accounted for 0.034-0.11 %, 0.005-0.03 %, and 0.28-0.62 % of total Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations, respectively. The concentrations of Cu, Ni, and Cr in substrates and in plants were low and ranged within the background values. Metal accumulation in plant shoots was poorly correlated with both total and CaCl2-extracted forms of metals in the substrate and was highly variable among species and also specimens of the same species. The highest mean concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd were found in Anthyllis vulneraria L. (901.5 mg kg(-1)), Echium vulgare L. (116.92 mg kg(-1)), and Hieracium piloselloides Vill. (26.86 mg kg(-1)), respectively. Besides Reseda lutea L., no species appeared to be a good indicator of polymetallic environment pollution based on chemical analysis of shoots; however, metal accumulation in the whole plant communities of a particular contaminated area might be an accurate tool for assessment of metal transfer to vegetation irrespective of the type or age of the waste. All the species studied developed a metal exclusion strategy, thus exhibiting potential for phytostabilization of metalliferous wastelands.

Testing amendments for remediation of military range contaminated soil.

Military range soils are often strongly contaminated with metals. Information on the effectiveness of remediation of these soils is scarce. We tested the effectiveness of compost and mineral treatments for remediation and revegetation of military range soil collected in Aberdeen, MD. The soil was barren due to zinc (Zn) phytotoxicity while lead (Pb) posed a substantial risk to soil biota, wildlife and humans through various pathways. Seven treatments were tested: untreated control, agricultural NPK fertilization, high phosphate fertilization plus agricultural rates of NK, CaCO(3), "Orgro" biosolid compost, "Orgro" + CaCO(3), "Orgro" + CaCO(3) + Mn sulfate. All compost treatments alleviated Zn phytotoxicity to tall fescue; however compost combined with liming reduced plant Zn content up to 158-162 mg kg(-1). Compost added with lime reduced Pb in-vitro bioaccessibility from 32.5 to 20.4% of total Pb and was the most effective among the tested treatments. The study revealed the effectiveness of biosolids compost and lime mixture in the rapid stabilization of metals and revegetation of military range contaminated soils. The persistence of the remediation needs to be, however, confirmed in the long-term field study.

Geographical location and key sensitivity issues of post-industrial regions in Europe.

Primary objectives of our work were to spatially delineate post industrial areas of the EU-27 and indicate key environmental, social and economic sensitivity issues for these regions. The density of industrial sites within NUTS-x regions for EU-27 countries was assessed by using CORINE 2000 land cover layer. A development of postindustrial society in Europe represents a strong geographic diversity. There are distinct historical and current differences between regions which form major groups, comprising similar internal characteristics and definable trends in environmental and socioeconomic sense. Regions grouped into postindustrial clusters are fundamentally different from the European average, and are facing specific problems related to global market and political changes. Eastern postindustrial regions can be characterized as socially and economically weak, exhibiting high unemployment rate, low GDP, negative population growth and a strong environmental pressure, represented by a high density of dump sites. Most of the western EU postindustrial areas have been successfully recovered and moved into new economy as shown by most of the indicators. In urban postindustrial zones, however, emission sources of pollutants seem to continually be a major problem--not necessarily in terms of exceeding thresholds, but through a remarkable difference in the amount of pollutants produced relative to other regions.

Biological aspects of metal waste reclamation with biosolids.

Smelter waste deposits pose an environmental threat worldwide. Biosolids are potentialy useful in reclamation of such sites. Biological aspects of revegetation of Zn and Pb smelter wastelands using biosolids are discussed in this report. The goal of the studies was to assess to what extent biosolid treatment would support ecosystem functioning as measured by biological indicators such as enzyme activities of revegetated metal waste or plant growth. Another crucial aspect was related to the assessment of metal transfer to the ecosystem which could affect the health of local fauna and also create a food chain risk. A field experiment was conducted on a smelter waste deposit in Piekary Slaskie, Silesia, Poland, with two separate fields - established on wastes from the Welz and Doerschel smelting processes. The tested methods allowed revegetation of the fields - application of municipal biosolid at the rate 300 dry t ha(-1) combined with the incorporation of commercial lime in a mixed oxide and carbonate form at the rate of 1.5 and 30 t for Welz waste or use of a 30 cm by-product lime cap followed by incorporation of biosolid at a rate of 300 t ha(-1) for the more acidic Doerschel waste. Studies on biological activities demonstrated that the reclamation methods used are an effective way to establish new, fully-functioning ecosystems that support plant growth. They also provided strong evidence that forage crops grown on Zn, Cd and Pb contaminated sites reclaimed using lime and biosolids do not pose identified risk for wildlife and food safety.

Near- and mid-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for measuring soil metal content.

Rapid and nondestructive methods such as diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy provide potentially useful alternatives to time-consuming chemical methods of soil metal analysis. To assess the utility of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffuse mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (DRIFTS) for soil metal determination, 70 soil samples from the metal mining region of Tarnowskie Gory (Upper Silesia, Poland) were analyzed by both chemical and spectroscopic methods. Soils represented a wide range of pH (4.0-8.0), total carbon (5.1-73.2 g kg(-1)), and textural classes (from sand to silty clay loam). Soils had various contents of metals (14-4500 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 18-6530 mg kg(-1) for Pb, and 0.17-34 mg kg(-1) for Cd), ranging from natural background levels to high contents indicative of industrial contamination in the region. Soil samples were scanned at the wavelengths from 400 to 2498 nm (near-infrared region) and from 2500 to 25000 nm (mid-infrared region). Calibrations were developed using the one-out validation procedure under partial least squares (PLS) regression. Mid-infrared spectroscopy markedly outperformed NIRS. Iron, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn were successfully predicted using DRIFTS. The coefficients of determination (R(2)) between actual and predicted contents were 0.97, 0.94, 0.80, 0.99, and 0.96 for those metals, respectively. Only Pb content was predicted poorly. Calibrations using NIRS were less accurate. Root mean squared deviation (RMSD) values were from 1.27 (Pb) to 3.3 (Ni) times higher for NIRS than for DRIFTS. Results indicate that DRIFTS may be useful for accurate predictions of metals if samples originate from one region.