The poor mobility of organic pollutants in contaminated sites frequently results in slow remediation processes. Organics, especially hydrophobic compounds, are generally retained strongly in soil matrix as a result of sorption, sequestration, or even formation into non-aqueous-phase liquids and their mobility is thus greatly reduced. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility o...

Measurements of the methane flux and methane concentration profiles in soil air are presented. The flux of methane from the soil is calculated by two methods: a) Direct by placing a static open chamber at the soil surface. b) Indirect, using the (222)Rn concentrations profile and the (222)Rn flux in the soil surface in parallel with the methane concentration ((222)Rn calibrated fluxes). The met...

No-tillage cultivation offers significant advantages over con­ ventional tillage in terms of water, energy, and particularly soil conservation (Francis et al., 1987). However, continuous no-tillage farming on sandy Ultisols may lead to high bulk density that has a pronounced effect on soil strength due to traffic compaction and lack of plowing (NeSmith et al., 1987). This increase in soil stren...

The results of nine pre-emergence experiments involving fourteen herbicides used alone or in combination are reported. Herbicide effectiveness on sandy and clay soils was compared, and special attention was given to the degree of grass control. Alachlor treatments (Lasso) were consistently satisfactory, with a mixture of alachlor and atrazine (2 kg a.i. + 1 kg a.i./ha) being excellent. Sencor (...

When sewage sludge is applied to arable land, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is released into the environment. In soils, LAS has been shown to impede microbial processes, such as bacterial iron reduction. The aim of the present study was to quantify LAS adsorption and desorption to agricultural soils and iron oxides and relate this to the inhibition of microbial iron reduction. Two agricul...

Little is known about the contribution made by the egg stage of African malaria vectors to the rapid rise in adult populations following the onset of seasonal rains. To examine this issue, we evaluated the viability of Anopheles gambiae eggs in drying soil in the laboratory. Survival data were collected from field-caught mosquitoes kept in sandy loam soil and laboratory-reared colonies kept in ...

Based on elastic considerations, a new four parameter model of the hydrostatic compression curves of sandy soils is presented. Using a unique set of parameters, this model is capable of accurately representing the infinite family of compression curves that result when soil is subjected to stresses below particle breakage. The parameters are readily estimated from two hydrostatic tests conducted...

The kinetics of several steps in the microbial denitrification process in Brookston clay and Fox sandy loam, two soils common to Southwestern Ontario, were studied in the temperature range of 5 to 25 degrees C. The extent of chemical denitrification was also determined in otherwise identical but sterilized soils at temperatures up to 80 degrees C. A gas flow system was used in which soil gases ...

Characterization of a geosynthetic is necessary for its effective use in various field application of reinforced soil structure. In this paper, a new type of geosynthetic has been evaluated for its interaction properties for different backfill soils using direct shear device. The test results are compared based on the type of soils, inclusions, and interface mechanical properties. Three backfil...

Introduction Transfer of long lived radionuclides such as Cs, Sr and transuranic elements in contaminated soils at Chernobyl to edible plants were examined. Analysis of radionuclides uptake from contaminated soils by plants is important from the point of view of not only the re-use of the soil, but also the decontamination of the contaminated soils by plants. This is especially true in the envi...