Calcium carbonate accumulation in deep strata and calcrete in Quaternary alluvial formations of Morocco

Morphological studies on various scales of calcium carbonate accumulation which cements the Quaternary alluvial formations of the Sebou and the Moulouya (Morocco), show that there are two types of accumulation. The first, a thin layer always found near the surface, appears to be derived from the local redistribution of calcium carbonate under the influence of pedogenetical phenomena. The second, found in deeper strata, is a homogeneous thicker layer. It develops below the water table, after a long displacement of calcium carbonate in solution. These cemented layers affect the evolution of landscape

Reducing Ammonia Losses By Adding FeCI3 During Composting Of Sewage Sludge

The release of ammonia nitrogen during composting of sewage sludge mixed with a lignocellulosic bulking agent leads to a reduction in the agronomic value of the final compost and to harmful effects on the environment. We propose adding a cheap salt FeCl3 which can be used without special precaution to reduce ammonia losses by decreasing pH conditions. An in-vessel co-composting experiment was conducted in a large reactor (100 L) in which FeCl3 was added to sludge mixed with a bulking agent (pine shavings and sawdust) and compared with a control mixture without FeCl3. Temperature, oxygen consumption and pH were monitored throughout the composting of both mixtures. The final balance of organic matter, organic and inorganic nitrogen permitted to conclude that the addition of FeCl3 reduced nitrogen loss (by a factor of 2.4 in relation to the control) and increased mineralisation of the organic nitrogen by 1.6

Agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge on an Alfisol

A field experiment was conducted on Alfisols in South-West France to assess the agronomic and environmental impacts of a single application of heat-dried sludge pellets at 11.1 Mg dry matter ha-1. The sludge pellets, with a moisture level of 9.5%, were spread on an irrigated crop of maize (Zea mays L.). This treatment was compared with inorganic fertilization (urea and diammonium phosphate mixed with KCl). Soil properties, yield and the composition of maize and the quality of drained water were monitored over 1 year to detect any changes resulting from sludge application. Amongst several determined soil properties, only two were significantly modified by the sludge application: The nitric nitrogen stock of the soil was higher in the inorganic fertilized plot, whereas Olsen-P soil content was higher in the sludge-amended plot. Agronomic recovery rates of N and P added by sludge were high: For the first crop following application, total amounts of N and P supplied by the sludge had the same efficiency as approximately 45% of the N and P amounts supplied by inorganic fertilizer. This ratio was 7% for the N uptake by the second maize crop. The quality and quantity of maize were equally good with both types of fertilization. During the 2 years following sludge spreading, N leaching remained as low in the sludged plot as in the inorganically fertilized one. The Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni composition of the drainage water was affected by neither of the types of amendment. From the heavy-metal contents of the soil, water and maize monitored over 1 year in the field experiment and from literature data for cow manure and atmospheric emissions, a theoretical balance between crop soil heavy-metal input and output over one century was drawn up. The long-term impact of cow manure on Zn, Ni and Cr in soil is higher than that of the studied heat-dried sludge. Obviously, sludge tended to cause a strong increase in soil Cu storage, valued for these soils, which are otherwise very Cu deficient

A field study of lead phytoextraction by various scented Pelargonium cultivars

Phytoremediation appears to be a promising technique for metal soil clean up, although its successful application on a large scale still remains a challenge. Field experiments for six scented Pelargonium cultivars, conducted on two Pb-contaminated calcareous and acidic soils, revealed vigorous plant growth, with no symptoms of morpho-phytotoxicity in spite of high Pb accumulation levels. Lead contents in the harvestable parts of all plants grown on the acidic and more contaminated soil were significantly higher than those grown on the calcareous soil. Three cultivars (Attar of Roses, Clorinda and Atomic Snowflake) are Pb-hyperaccumulator plants: they accumulated more than 1000 mg Pb kg1 DW, with high biomass produced

Traitement par Lemna minor d’un effluent agro-industriel riche en ions Mg2+ et Ca2+ et contaminé par la vinchlozoline

Traitement par Lemna minor d’un effluent agro-industriel riche en ions Mg2+ et Ca2+ et contaminé par la vinchlozolin

Structural characterization of fulvic acids, extracted from sewage sludge during composting, by thermochemolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Thermochemolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were applied to determine the chemical structure of fulvic acids (FA) extracted from a sewage sludge and straw mixture at different steps of composting. The FA starting structures were composed mainly of mono-, di- and tri-methoxy (alkyl) benzoic acids representing lignin derivatives in an advanced stage of oxidation, as well as of methylated polyphenols and a series of fatty acids saturated C15, C16, C18, unsaturated and branched C18:1. Besides, there are many unidentified structures suspected to be N-containing compounds. During the composting process, the fate of the three structural typical monomer units of lignin was followed. The p-hydroxyphenyl units showed a strong relative decrease especially at the beginning of composting. The guiaicyl units showed a steady increase in course of composting. A relative decrease of syringyl units was noted at the beginning of composting, but they then relatively increased towards the end of composting. These changes support the formation during composting of more oxidized units. All subunits composing the fulvic acid structures have been subdivided into main five groups of similar chemical structure. The lignin-like C6–C3 subunits showed a relative decrease during composting attributed to microbial oxidation, but there was a relative increase during the intermediate step of composting related probably of an enhancing of lignin solubility. The C6–C1 subunits were reduced at the beginning of composting, which mainly attributed to the oxidation of 4-methoxybenzaldehyde to hydroquinones derivatives under the composting conditions. Although, the relative increase of these subunits (C6–C1) at the end of composting originates from oxidation of C6–C3 lignin side-chains or could be partly attributed to microbial neosynthesis. The unidentified N-containing compounds increased strongly during course of composting. The rise in the level of fatty acids at the beginning of composting is attributed to an increase of branched-chain fatty acids such as C18:1 commonly used as bacterial biomarkers. Their amounts were greatly reduced at the end of composting. Both the Shannon–Weaver and similitude indices show a relative increase in structural diversity at the start of composting conditions following the appearance of hydroquinone derivatives and unidentified nitrogen compounds in the FA network. But, the produced FA structure reaches a certain level of homogeneity at the end of composting through self-polycondensation or recombination of C6–C1 subunits and hydroquinones derivatives with N-containing compounds

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

In order to determine the role of termites in the recycling of organic matter and in humification processes, organic matter from the mound of a wood-feeding termite (Nasutitermes sp.) and from the litter directly below has been studied in secondary forest on the campus of Belem University, in Brazil. The carbon content was slightly lower in the litter ( just beneath the mound) than in the mound, but nitrogen was much more abundant in the mound. As a consequence, the C/N ratio of fragmented litter total organic matter is very high, which shows that the humification process is not complete. Therefore, plant debris seemed to be more degraded in the mound than in the litter, indicating a humification gradient from mound to litter. Humic acid extracted from the mound and from the litterwas compared by using elemental, E4/E6 ratio, spectroscopic (FTIR) analyses, and Sephadex gel chromatography. First, humic acids were more abundant in the mound than in the litter, showing that humification processes were more advanced in the mound than in the litter. Gel-permeation chromatography showed that the humic acids of the mound contained more low-molecular-weight fractions than those of the litter. In addition, the results of infrared spectra, E4/E6 ratio and elemental composition can confirm the fulvic character of mound material and the humic character of litter material. Therefore, the plant debris seems to follow two different humification pathways in the two environments, as long as the mound is alive

Some calcareous soils developed on recent quaternary basalt in southeast Syria

The atmospheric concentration of natural greenhouse gases has increased steadily since the industrial revolution. Soil scientists and ecologists recognize the importance of the global carbon cycle and its role in the greenhouse effect. Global Climate Change and Pedogenic Carbonates explores the potential of world soils to act as a sink for atmospheric carbon. Understanding the extent of this potential requires a thorough knowledge of the magnitude and nature of soil carbon pools and their dynamics in different ecosystems. The soil carbon pool plays an important -and well recognized - role in the global carbon cycle. It is not yet clear how and under what conditions this pool can be influenced by human intervention, especially the large inorganic carbon pool that occurs largely in arid regions. Global Climate Change and Pedegenic Carbonates summarizes what we know about soil inorganic carbon and develops strategies that could lead to the retention of more carbon in the soil. It covers basic concepts, analytical methods, secondary carbonates, and research and development priorities. With this book you will get a better understanding of the global carbon cycle, organic and inorganic carbon, and their roles, or what we know of them, in the greenhouse effect

Evolution de la fractale échangeable des éléments métalliques traces (Pb, Cu, Zn et Cd) lors du compostage des boues de lagunage

Evolution de la fractale échangeable des éléments métalliques traces (Pb, Cu, Zn et Cd) lors du compostage des boues de lagunage anaérobie avec de la paille sur l'évolution de la fraction échangeable des éléments métalliques traces (Pb, Cu, Zn et Cd) a été étudié. Les résultats montrent que cet effet est variable en fonction de la phase de compostage et du métal en question. Ainsi, à la fin de la phase de stabilisation, il y a une diminution du taux de la fraction échangeable des quatre métaux étudiés. Puis durant la phase de maturation, les quantités de la fraction échangeable de Pb et de Cu continuent à baisser, alors que celle de Zn et de Cd augmentent

Complexation du Ca++ par les substances humiques extraites de tourbe naturelle et de tourbe traitée aux oxydes d'azote

The study of the complexation of calcium by humic substances (SH) extracted from a natural peat (TN) and from a peat treated with nitrogen oxides (TT) was followed by conductimetry and potentiometry with pH variable and pH constant. The complexing capacity increases as the pH rises: complexed calcium is 130 cmol kg*[-1) SH (TN) and 135 cmol kg*[-1) SH (TT) with pH 5, and 330 cmol kg*[-1) SH (TN) and 410 cmol kg*[-1) SH (TT) with pH 9. These reactions involve various functional groupings of pKa1 < 4 for TN and TT, pKa2 = 5.9 for TN and pKa2 = 6.2 for TT; in all cases, the medium has exhibited an increase in acidity. The complexation of calcium by HS extracted from TT could then enhance the efficiency of the phosphatic nutrition of plants