This study investigated the effects of the quantity of methylene chloride, used as a carrier solvent for phenanthrene when added to soil, on phenanthrene mineralization kinetics, soil phospholipid fatty add profiles (PLFA), and phenanthrene distribution. Methylene chloride dosages of 25 microL/g soil or more resulted in an enrichment of saturated PLFAs, suggesting soil microorganisms had adjust...

A comparison was made between the dissipation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil freshly spiked with pure PAHs, soil spiked with a coal tar mixture and a contaminated soil from a former coking works where the PAHs had been present for more than a century. The potential of five selected plant species for phytoremediation was investigated. The levels of all 7 PAHs in chemically am...

Explosives are a common soil contaminant at a range of sites, including explosives manufacturing plants and areas associated with landmine detonations. As many explosives are toxic and may cause adverse environmental effects, a large body of research has targeted the remediation of explosives residues in soil. Studies in this area have largely involved spiking 'pristine' soils using explosives ...

Due to the difficulty in dispersing some engineered nanomaterials in exposure media, realizing homogeneous distributions of nanoparticles (NP) in soil may pose major challenges. The present study investigated the distribution of zinc oxide (ZnO) NP (30 nm) and non-nano ZnO (200 nm) in natural soil using two different spiking procedures, i.e. as dry powder and as suspension in soil extract. Both...

Recognized as ubiquitous contaminants in soil, the environmental risk of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is of great concern recently. Effects of di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), an extensively used PAE compound to Eisenia fetida have been investigated in spiked natural brown yellow soil (Alfisol) for soil contact test. The toxicity of DnBP to E. fetida on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) act...

The influence of trace metals (Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Cd(2+) and Fe(2+)) on the photodegradation of α-cypermethrin (α-CYM) in agricultural soil was studied. The soil samples were spiked with α-cypermethrin with/without the presence of metal ions, irradiated under a UV irradiation chamber for a regular period of time and analyzed by using HPLC. The dark control sterile and unsterile soil samples spiked...

Triclosan (TCS) is a broad-spectrum bactericide that is used for a variety of antimicrobial functions. TCS is frequently detected in the terrestrial environment due to application of sewage sludge to agricultural land. In the present study, 48-h paper contact and 28-day spiked soil tests were conducted to examine the toxic effects of TCS on the antioxidative and genetic indices of earthworms (E...

The mixture of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) is used as a preplant soil fumigant. In comparison with individual fumigants, application of a mixture may affect the environmental dissipation and fate of each chemical, such as emission and degradation. We investigated the degradation of CP, 1,3-D, and their mixture in fresh soils and sterile soils, and evaluated the competitive...

The soil substrate membrane system (SSMS) is a novel micro-culturing technique targeted at terrestrial soil systems. We applied the SSMS to pristine and diesel fuel spiked polar soils, along with traditional solid media culturing and culture independent 454 tag pyrosequencing to elucidate the effects of diesel fuel on the soil community. The SSMS enriched for up to 76% of the total soil diversi...