Volume 24 (2013): Issue 2 (July 2013)

The purpose of this research was to examine whether the addition of waste rock dust to light soil contaminated with nickel will increase the yields of cultivated plants and reduce their excessive nickel content. The research was conducted in concrete microplots of 1 m² dimension in the complete randomisation system, as a twofactor experiment in four replications. The first factor was the level of soil contamination: (1) Ni₀ - soil with natural Ni content; (2) Ni₁ - 100; (3) Ni₂ - 150 and (4) Ni₃ - 270 mg • kg^-1 of the soil. The second factor was the level of remediation: (1) control without remediation and (2) rock dust at a dose of 3 kg • m^-2. The test results indicate that the use of waste rock dust can improve growth conditions of reed canary grass on the soil contaminated with nickel, in the first year of its cultivation. Addition of rock dust to the soil contaminated with nickel 150 mg • kg^-1 caused an increase in tolerance of reed canary grass to nickel (tolerance index) from 0.55 to 0.77. There was an increase in the yield of biomass of aerial parts and a decrease in the concentration of nickel in plants growing in soils with the addition of dust.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different doses of farmyard manure (FYM) and nitrogen on the total selenium content in soil from different crop rotation systems. The aim of this study was to determine the changes of some oxidoreductases activity and Se concentration in soil in relation to applied doses of fertilisers over vegetation period. The experiment was carried out with the crop rotation systems - depleting and enriching in organic matter. The soil was fertilised with manure under potato in the doses of 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 t • ha^-1 and with nitrogen in the doses of 0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N • ha^-1 under spring barley. The content of total selenium in the investigated soil was in the range of 0.060-0.230 mg • kg^-1. From the comparison of the results reported in literature, one can observe that the studied soil was poor in selenium. Over the investigated period, manuring resulted in an increase in the total selenium content in the soil and, for that reason, the FYM application can be recommended as a source of selenium in Se-deficient soils. Fertilisation with manure resulted in an increase in dehydrogenases and catalase activities in soil with increasing doses of FYM. The selenium content, as well as DHA and CAT activities, demonstrated clear seasonal variations. The present study indicated a significant relationship between the activity of soil enzymes, and the organic matter content, affecting the selenium status in soil and plants.

The aim of this work is to show the importance of monitoring the hygiene quality evaluation of soil profile in the Slovak Republic area. In the past, when no emphasis was laid on ecology, as it is nowadays, there was an uncontrolled emission of pollutants from different fields of anthropogenic activities. The consequences are manifested even today, and immediate and expensive solutions are much needed.

In this work, the results of the research on the degree of heavy metal contamination in the soil profile as well as plant availability have been presented, which depended on the soil reaction in the 'Štiavnica Hills' and 'Žitný ostrov' areas. The choice of these areas is related to specific areas mentioned above that are characteristic of anthropogenic activity, besides factors such as natural (geochemical) contamination and intensive agricultural activity.

All the soil samples were analysed to give a changeable soil reaction. Analyses on heavy metal in the aqua regia extract (total content) that is, risky elements in their mobile form contents in the NH₄NO₃ c = 1 mol • dm^-3 leach and humus content according Tjurin were conducted.

The risk of Cd and Pb transfer from the soil into the seeds of different cultivars of buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa cultivated in field trial was investigated. Five cultivars from each pseudocereal, that is, buckwheat (Špačinská, Siva, Bamby, Aiva, Madawska), amaranth (Golden Giant, Rawa, Annapurna, Oscar Blanco, Koniz) and quinoa (Temuco, Quinua, Yulai, Carmen, Ccankolla) were analysed. Content of risky metals in soil and pseudocereal seeds was assessed by AAS. Pseudototal contents of metals determined in the soil extract by aqua regia were lower than the limit values given by Law No. 220/2004 with exception of Cd (the soil content was 40% higher than the hygienic limit). Contents of bioavailable forms determined in the soil extract by NH4NO3 (c = 1 mol • dm^-3) of all observed metals with exception of Pb were lower than hygienic limits. The determined content of bioavailable Pb forms was 2.3-fold higher than the hygienic limit. The limit value for Cd content was not exceeded in any buckwheat cultivar. The determined Pb content was in cv. Bamby at the level of hygienic limit, and in cv. Madawska twofold higher than the limit given by Foodstuff Codex of the Slovak Republic (FC SR). On the other hand, in seeds of nearly all the investigated amaranth and quinoa cultivars, higher Cd and Pb contents than the maximal allowed amounts in cereals according to FC SR were determined. The presented results indicate the serious risk of Cd and Pb accumulation by seeds of minor plants which are utilised in the production of functional foods.

The pollution of soil by heavy metals is considered to be a big problem in the world today. Currently, attention is being paid to the content of individual heavy metals in the soil-plant-food system. In our work, mainly the effect of bivalent cations of lead, cadmium and zinc and its uptake by faba bean (Faba vulgaris M.) was surveyed.

The results obtained suggest that the incorporation of Pb (200 mg • kg^-1 soil) and Cd (10 mg • kg^-1) had a negative effect on the quantitative and qualitative parameters of faba bean. The incorporation of Pb in the faba bean crop is statistically significantly decreased by 24.86%, and the reduction of Cd represented 29.91% compared to the control. In the case of common application of zinc, cadmium and lead in soil (variants C, E), there was a slight increase in crop yield compared to the individual incorporation of heavy metals (variants B, D); in the case of Pb, the increase was 13.14%, and in case of Cd 27.77%. A common application of heavy metals with zinc had a positive influence on quality parameters of the faba bean. We have seen a decrease in Cd to 0.15 ± 0,018 mg • kg^-1 (a statistically significant decrease) and decrease in Pb to 0.61 ± 0.17 mg • kg^-1 (without significant differences).

Soil is one of the most important environmental backgrounds, as it provides water and nutrients for plant production. It is the starting point for the entry of heavy metals into plants and then into the food chain. Of risk elements studied (Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb), we found increased Cd and Pb content in the soil extract by aqua regia and NH₄NO₃, respectively. More than twofold content of Pb mobile forms (0.218 mg • kg^-1 ) resulted in enhanced Pb content in tubers of all three potato cultivars: cv. Volumia 0.404, cv. Cicero 0.580 and cv. Mozart 0.638 mg • kg^-1 FM. In all investigated cultivars, highly statistically significant differences in content of Pb between studied potato cultivars (P-value<0.01) were confirmed.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the extent of risk for the transfer of heavy metals from contaminated soil to selected parts of crops. The goal is to be achieved under the model conditions of vegetation pot experiment. Soil taken from the area of Výčapy-Opatovce and three types of cereals - millet (Panicum miliaceum) cv. UNIQUM, oats (Avena sativa) cv. ATEGO and amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus) - were used. For each crop, four variants (A - control with basic ferilization, B, C, D) were made and cadmium in the form of a water-soluble salt of Cd(NO₃)₂ was applied in gradual specific doses with 5- (variant B), 10- (variant C), 15-fold (variant D) as the limit values by Law no. 220/2004 Z.z. to assess the state of soil contamination. Crops were harvested at ‘full ripeness’ and using the AAS method (VARIAN 240FS) the heavy metal content was determined by the wet mineralization of plant samples. The lowest cadmium content in the aboveground biomass was observed in millet in comparison to other plants, while the highest was recorded in amaranth. The highest increase in the cadmium content in the aboveground biomass in this crop (appr. 18-fold) was noticed in variant C. The lowest cadmium content was also observed in millet seeds. The highest content of Cd in the seeds was recorded in oats in all variants.

In the years 2009 and 2010, studies were carried out on Polygonum lapathifolium L. subsp. lapathifolium population established in the cultivated fields of the Wigry National Park and its buffer zone. Every year, 30 plants of the Polygonum lapathifolium L. subsp. lapathifolium were picked and collected from each of the three habitats: potato fields, winter and spring cereals. The following traits were examined: plant height, stem length to the first branching, number of internodes and their length, number of first-order branches and their length, number of leaves, number of spikelet-like inflorescences (spikelets) and their average length, the top inflorescence (spikelet) length, seed number per plant and 1000-seed weight. The analysis of the obtained results indicated large morphological variability of plants, which depended on the type of cultivated land. The most favourable conditions for weed growth and development occurred in potato fields, where Polygonum lapathifolium L. subsp. lapathifolium plants were the highest, most branched and productive. The opposite result was noticed in winter cereals, where Polygonum lapathifolium L. subsp. lapathifolium managed to produce the least seeds. Comparisons of the results of morphological measurements for Polygonum lapathifolium L. subsp. lapathifolium taken in the same sites during two growing seasons demonstrated relatively small variation of the analysed traits.

The effect of ecological and conventional cropping systems on the population of cellulolytic microorganisms under potato cultivation was evaluated in this study. The 3-year experiment aimed at investigating the development dynamics of microorganisms capable of decomposing cellulose in the soil beyond rhizosphere, in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane. The study indicated that in most cases larger populations of microorganisms occurred under potato cultivation in the ecological system in comparison with the conventional system. Only during the period of flowering, a smaller number of them were isolated from the soil cultivated in the ecological system. More favourable conditions for the development of cellulolytic microorganisms were found both in the rhizosphere and rhizoplane of potato than in the soil beyond the roots, irrespective of the cropping system. Moreover, the date of sampling, corresponding to the potato developmental stages, turned out to be a significant factor affecting the count level. A significant increase in their population was observed during tuber maturity at harvest

Using the small-sized snail species Cochlodina (Cochlodina) laminata, commonly found throughout Europe, an analysis was made of the accumulation of metals in the soft tissues and shells of these molluscs. Three locations were compared, all near cemeteries in Lublin, which were characterised by varying degrees of human impact. It was determined that this representative of the family Clausiliidae can be included in the set of Pulmonata taxa useful for biomonitoring, alongside Arianta, Cepaea, and Fruticicola. The soft tissues were found to have macro-concentration properties for Zn, Cu, and Cd in relation to the values determined in the soil, while micro-concentration was observed in the case of Fe, Pb, and Cr, both in the soft tissues and in the shells. Phenotypic differences were found in the Enterobacteriaceae bacteria associated with the digestive tract of the snails

An analysis was conducted of 9 experimental groups of Arianta arbustorum snails from a natural population whose diet was supplemented with different doses of molluscicides - metaldehyde, methiocarb, and potassium chloride. The search for biomarkers of exposure to harmful agents revealed changes in the snails’ intestinal bacterial flora of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Following taxa identification (API 20E), a preliminary phenotypic characterisation of Citrobacter was performed on the basis of susceptibility to 6 chemotherapeutic agents. Changes in resistance profiles induced by the diet supplements were observed in relation to the control group. Changes were also observed in the content of the main fatty acid groups in the hepatopancreas and foot tissues of the snails whose food had been supplemented with various doses of molluscicides. The microbiological and biochemical parameters analysed can be considered to be physiological indicators of changes in the bodies of the snails induced by the harmful agents applied.

Selected parameters of sewage sludge from two different sewage treatment plants: a rural one (in Mrozy) and a municipal one (in Siedlce) were compared. Samples from a mechanical-biological sewage treatment plant (Mrozy) showed a higher content of nitrogen and lower content of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium than the samples from the sewage treatment plant with the tertiary enhanced nutrient removal (Siedlce). The C/N ratio was 7.5 and 11.7, respectively. No differences were noted in the content of zinc in analysed samples. From among analysed metals (Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg), magnesium occurred in the greatest amounts in easily available form. The presence of ¹³⁷Cs was found in sewage sludge from both treatment plants.

Nine million tonnes a year of ash-slag wastes generated in Poland by power plants is a serious problem. On the other hand, it is a serious resource that may be used in earthworks, particularly in road engineering. Several mechanical and chemical properties of the mixture were estimated. The results are as follows: the properties classify it as useless for earthworks purposes. Norm requirements [PN-S-02205:1998] concerning usage of furnace waste were not fulfilled with reference to linear swelling value. What is more, frost heaving criteria categorised it as questionable soils, which in combination with high values of linear swelling can cause a decline in the stability structure, which was formed from a tested mixture with lack of proper isolation from water. Concerning fulfilling requirements of the norm, shear strength and load capacity, an attempt to reduce swelling should be made, for example through improving graining of ashslag mixture by adding some sand. However there are no doubts in matters pertaining to macro and trace elements’ content in the potential leachate from the structure, which was formed from the tested mixture.

The paper presents the results of biocidal action of quaternary ammonium salts and other compounds, such as disinfectants, on bacterial and fungal colonisers, isolated from the sheets of unbleached cellulose immersed in aqueous solutions of various disinfectants, kept for two years in the laboratory conditions in Biskupin. The experiments were carried out with an agar disc diffusion method. Bacterial strains colonising cellulose sheets that were in contact with disinfectants were more resistant to these compounds than those isolated from control samples (without contact with disinfectants). Isolated Aspergillus fumigatus and A. niger strains of fungi were resistant to the quaternary ammonium compounds.