Colloid release and deposition in soils and sorption of inorganic and organic pollutants to soil colloids are strongly influenced by the composition and chemical heterogeneity of colloidal soil particles. To investigate the chemical heterogeneity of organic soil colloids at the particle scale, we used synchrotron scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and C-1s near-edge X-ray absorption ...

Using stable isotope dilution, we determined the bioavailability of soilborne lead (Pb) in human adult volunteers. Soil from a residential yard at a mining-impacted federal Superfund site that had negligible amounts of other priority pollutants was dried and screened through a 25-micron mesh sieve. The < 250-micron fraction, which likely represents that ingested via hand-to-mouth activity, was ...

Pollutants in the form of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), such as petroleum products, pose a serious threat to the soil and groundwater. A mathematical model was derived to study the unsteady pollutant concentrations through water saturated contaminated soil under air sparging conditions for different NAPLs and soil properties. The comparison between the numerical model results and the publi...

All research projects making conclusions or recommendations based on environmentally related measurements and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency are required to participate in the Agency Quality Assurance Program. This project did not involve environmentally related measurements and did not involve a Quality Assurance Project Plan. Mention of trade names or commercial products does n...

Background: Heavy metals are the main air pollutants in cities. Therefore, assessment of the risk of exposure to these metals through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact on inhabitants of contaminated areas of the world is of great importance. Methods: A weekly sampling of air particles smaller than 10 microns was performed in a residential area of Zanjan for two years. Risk assessment i...

As a crucial reciprocal partner, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can alleviate the negative effects of a variety of pollutants on their hosts and soil microbes. In our previous studies, such characteristics of AMF on plant growth were documented in response to metal engineered nanoparticle (ENP) treatments. However, the role of AMF in influencing ENP effects on soil microbes remains a matter...

This book covers broader aspect of bioremediation and biodegradation of environmental pollutants. The pollution due to industrialization is a global challenge for the sustainable development of human beings. Environmental pollutants may be organic or inorganic, like and many of them may cause various diseases in human beings and animals. After the green revolution, the indiscriminate use of che...

No other element essential for life takes as many forms in soil as nitrogen (N), and transformations among these forms are mostly mediated by microbes. Soil microbiology thus plays yet another crucial role in ecosystem function: in most terrestrial ecosystems N limits plant growth, and thus net primary production—the productive capacity of the ecosystem—can be regulated by the rates at which so...

To avoid the problem of groundwater contamination, mitigation techniques have been proposed that consist of creating barriers made of suitable materials that can facilitate the adsorption and degradation of the pollutants. This study aims at evaluating the capacity of two organo-clays (Dellite 67 G and Dellite 43 B) and one nanosponge to adsorb the herbicide, triclopyr. Triclopyr was chosen bec...

The genus Pseudomonas is one of the best-studied bacterial groups in soil, and includes numerous species of environmental interest. Pseudomonas species play key roles in soil, for instance in biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens and in bioremediation of pollutants. A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis system that specifically describes the diversity of...