Sandy Loam Sediments Research Articles

Лесопригодность экотопов Волго-Ахтубинской поймы для культур сосны

In the south of European Russia, the largest sand massifs are found in the zone of dry steppes and semi-deserts. Effective utilization of such lands requires creation of protective forest planting of drought-resistant coniferous species like Scots pine and Crimean pine. The productivity and longevity of such stands vary widely over the territory and depends on the presence of additional to atmospheric precipitation water supply and the root layer mineral supply. In this regard, sand massifs of steppificated river valleys composed of multiphase or single-phase polymineral rocks are of particular interest for afforestation. One of the most important objects of afforestation is the Northern (within the Volgograd region) highest and most drained part of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. Volga River damming by the Volga Hydroelectric Station (Volga GES) led to a restructuring of surface and ground water regimes, formation of new conditions of water and mineral nutrition and changes in other important factors of forest ecosystems in the area. The research aims at developing a classification of the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain ecotopes by water-mineral nutrition conditions, cultivation, expected productivity and longevity of pine plantings. We studied relationships of growth parameters of Pinus silvestris L. stands with soil-ground and hydrological conditions in different ecotopes of the large hilly and transitional floodplains after the Volga River damming by the Volga GES. Dynamics patterns of this relationship were revealed. It was found that in the northern part of the Volga-Akhtuba valley (approximately up to the Kapustin Yar – Kamenny Yar line) with increasing stratification, heavier granulometric composition of the root layer to sandy loam layer, lowering the surface level at a small distance from the drainage channel moisture supply and growth of Scots pine plantations improve, forest suitability of ecotopes increases. There is a risk of early decay and death of high-density pine forests in periods of low water and dry years on soils underlain by thick loams. Three groups of ecotope forest suitability were identified according to these indicators, as well as the conditions for the creation of forest plantations, productivity and longevity of plantings. The least favorable ecotopes are in the highlands of the hilly and transitional floodplains with minor soils of different composition on single-phase open-textured sands with deep (more than 4–5 m) groundwater table during low-water season. The most favorable are welldrained areas of the transitional floodplain with light soils on thick stratified predominantly sandy loam sediments, as well as on sands with close to the surface groundwater occurrence. Average ecotopes in terms of conditions are poorly drained areas of the transitional floodplain with minor sandy loam and loamy soils on deep loams.

A Review of Caffeine Adsorption Studies onto Various Types of Adsorbents.

A systematic literature review of publications from 2000 to 2020 was carried out to identify research trends on adsorbent materials for the removal of caffeine from aqueous solutions. Publications were retrieved from three databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Words “adsorption AND caffeine” were examined into titles, abstracts, and keywords. A brief bibliometric analysis was performed with emphasis on the type of publication and of most cited articles. Materials for the removal of caffeine were classified according to the type of material into three main groups: organic, inorganic, and composites, each of them subdivided into different subgroups consistent with their origin or production. Tables resume for each subgroup of adsorbents the key information: specific surface area, dose, pH, maximum adsorption capacity, and isotherm models for the removal of caffeine. The highest adsorption capacities were achieved by organic adsorbents, specifically those with granular activated carbon (1961.3 mg/g) and grape stalk activated carbon (916.7 mg/g). Phenyl-phosphate-based porous organic polymer (301 mg/g), natural sandy loam sediment (221.2 mg/g), composites of MCM-48 encapsulated graphene oxide (153.8 mg/g), and organically modified clay (143.7 mg/g) showed adsorption capacities lower than those of activated carbons. In some activated carbons, a relation between the specific surface area (SSA) and the maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) was found.

Experimental Study of PhiX174 Resuspension from Mobile Bed Sediment

PhiX174 (or ΦX174) is a spherical single-stranded DNA bacteriophage used as a surrogate to study viral enteric pathogens in the environment. The resuspension of viral pathogen from bed sediment in irrigation canals impairs the quality of overlaying water and can result in the contamination of produce. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to evaluate the resuspension of PhiX174 from bed sediment in an open channel flume. Different flow conditions (e.g., flow rate, velocity, shear stress) and three types of sediment mixtures (i.e., loam, sand, sandy loam) were investigated. Results revealed that the resuspension rate increases with the dimensionless bed shear stress. Based on these results, for the first time, we proposed two models to correlate the concentration of PhiX174 with the dimensionless bed shear stress for different sediment. One model was proposed for sandy loam and loam, was verified favorably by the experimental data, and yielded a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.71 and R2 value of 0.72. The other model was proposed for sand, with NSE of 0.20 and R2 of 0.26. The application of these models also indicated viruses are more easily resuspended from sand than sandy loam or loam sediments. The models shed a light for studying the correlation between the viruses in water and sediment and will benefit the management of irrigation water quality.

Assessment of groundwater contamination risk by BTEX from residual fuel soil phase

The aim of this work is to assess the risk of groundwater contamination associated with BTEX dissolution from fuels as a residual phase. Numerical simulations of sixty scenarios were carried out with the software HYDRUS 2D/3D. Groundwater contamination risk was analyzed given the combination of different porous media textures (silt loam, sandy loam and clay), water fluxes (0.5%, 1% or 3% Rainfall), water table depths (1.5, 2.5, 5 or 8 m below ground surface) and biodegradation rate (active or null). Risk was calculated comparing leachate concentrations to the aquifer and limits established by an international guideline for human drinking water. In all cases, benzene and toluene had the highest mobility in the dissolved phase. Contrary, xylene and ethylbenzene tended to concentrate close to the source zone. These two compounds predominantly concentrated in the solid phase. Calculated risk was proportional to the water flux rate and inversely proportional to the unsaturated thickness. Without biodegradation, in fine-grained sediments risk was very high for shallow aquifers (> 1.5 m depth) and moderate or low for deeper aquifers. However, in sandy loam sediments risk was classified as very high for aquifers up to 8 m deep. When biodegradation was considered, leached concentrations were greatly reduced in the three textures. BTEX concentration in Bahía Blanca City´s aquifer showed acceptable agreement with simulated scenarios. The most sensitive parameters to model results were biodegradation > foc > water table depth > Ks. This study is important for assessing the risks and developing management strategies for fuel contaminated sites.

Sorption and biodegradation parameters of selected pharmaceuticals in laboratory column experiments

Pharmaceutically active compounds have increasingly been detected in groundwater worldwide. Despite constituting a risk for human health and ecosystems, their fate in the environment has still not been exhaustively investigated. This study characterizes the transport behavior of five selected pharmaceutically active compounds (antipyrine, atenolol, caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole) in two sediments (coarse quartz sand and sandy loam) using column experiments with long-term injection of spiked groundwater. Transport parameters were estimated using an analytical reactive transport model. When five selected compounds were injected simultaneously, transport behavior of antipyrine, carbamazepine and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole were similar to the conservative tracer in both sediments and under varying redox conditions. Atenolol and caffeine were retarded significantly stronger in the sandy loam sediment than in the coarse quartz sand. Biodegradation of caffeine was observed in both sediments after an adaption period and depended on dissolved oxygen. The identification of biodegradation processes was supported by monitoring of intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATPitc) as a measure for microbial activity. ATPitc was present in varying concentrations in all sediments and was highest when biodegradation of pharmaceuticals, especially caffeine, was observed. When only caffeine and sulfamethoxazole were injected simultaneously, sulfamethoxazole was degraded while caffeine degradation was reduced. The latter seemed to be influenced by low concentrations in dissolved oxygen rather than the presence of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole. Results of these experiments emphasize the impact on pharmaceutical sorption and (bio)degradation of sediment type and redox conditions, as well as available time for microbial adaption and the combination of pharmaceuticals that are released together into groundwater.

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed City of Conroe Stewarts Creek Wastewater System Improvements Project, Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas

Intensive Cultural Resources Survey of the Proposed City of Conroe Stewarts Creek Wastewater System Improvements Project, Conroe, Montgomery County, Texas

Textural, Mineralogical and Geochemical Assessment of the Pikrolimni Lake Sediments (Kilkis District, Northern Greece) and Suitability for use in Pelotherapy

Pelotherapy is the application of thermal muds (peloids) for recovering muscle, bone and skin pathologies. Specific criteria were established for the evaluation of the therapeutic suitability of peloids. Critical factors ruling the quality of the solid phase of peloids include granulometry, mineralogy, and physical-chemical properties. The aim of the present study was to investigate the textural, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Pikrolimni Lake sediments (PLS), Kilkis district (N. Greece) in order to assess their suitability for application as raw material into mud therapy technologies. Representative PLS samples were collected and analyzed by means of different techniques at the analytical laboratories of the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (HSGME). Results showed that, texturally, the PLS were classified as sandy loam sediments. X-ray diffraction (XRD) study revealed that the PLS consist mainly of quartz, clay minerals (kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite), and muscovite, with minor feldspar and calcite. X-ray fluorescence (XFR) analysis showed that PLS samples have higher SiO2 and lower Al2O3 contents compared to the average shale composition. Among the analyzed, by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique, potentially toxic elements only As and Pb contents were found significantly higher than those of the average shale. Based on the calculated mean values of enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) PLS displayed minor enrichment and moderate contamination by Pb and As, respectively. In conclusion, an improvement of the grain size composition of PLS by means of a sieving process is needed. Besides, the study of the concentration and behavior of toxic elements in peloids formed by the mixing of the processed PLS with salty thermo-mineral water is proposed.

The Robert Richey Site in Northern Van Zandt County, Texas

This article discusses a collection of ancestral Caddo ceramic and lithic artifacts found at the Robert Richey site in northern Van Zandt County in East Texas. The site is in a pasture on an upland landform facing year-round flowing Caney Creek about 130-180 m to the east, a northern-flowing tributary that merges with the Sabine River about 2.2 miles to the north. The site lies within the flood pool of the long-defunct Mineola Reservoir, but the Robert Richey site was not recorded at the time of the early 1970s archaeological survey of the reservoir. Sites 41VN53-56, prehistoric sites of either uncertain age (41VN53), Woodland period age (41VN54, 41VN55, and 41VN56), as well as ancestral Caddo (41VN55), likely Early or Middle Caddo period in age. were recorded on alluvial terraces on both sides of Caney Creek not far from the Robert Richey site. For years, Mr. Richey’s father had been advised by one of the old-timers who owned the adjoining ranch about a rise in his field “that particular mound in the pasture was an Indian mound.” Richey’s father identified the structure to him years ago. So, it was a known and identifiable rise in their land that had (tongue-in-cheek) been called an Indian mound for many years. Richey’s investigation into the rise was prompted by the fact that he had found a ceramic vessel sherd along the banks of a dam of a recently constructed pond. That sherd was discovered approximately 180 m south of the Robert Richey site, on a landform with tan sandy loam sediments; this place may be 41VN55 recorded by Malone. Malone indicated the site had plain sherds, scrapers, lithic debris, Gary points, as well as an ancestral Caddo sherd with a cross-hatched incised rim and rows of fingernail impressed punctations on the vessel body. From there, Mr. Richey took that rumor a step further last year and dug four test trenches about 3 feet deep and 10 feet long in the rise and waited for rain. Frankly, he did not expect to discover anything as he has not found much in the way of artifacts on the place. After digging the trenches he waited for rain. After a rain, the artifacts discussed in this article were found over an area about 15 m in diameter; they represent about 50 percent of what had been noted there. He did not note any charcoal in the trenches. The soil on the Robert Richey site appears to be a reddish-brown loam, and not the black lands characteristic of the soils in the Sabine River floodplain. There is an old and majestic Oak tree growing along the edge of the rise. Generally speaking, this is pasture land.

Taming the torrents: The hydrological impacts of ancient terracing practices in Jordan

Extensive terracing was an important component of the water and agricultural management regime of Nabatean Petra. The exact function(s) of these terraces, qualitatively and quantitatively, is herein investigated. Field studies and computer modeling for two sites within the drainage basin of Petra show that these terraces were highly effective at reducing surface runoff. Different design features seem to have been adapted in order to achieve different objectives at varying sites. For example, the Beidha site in the lower reaches of the catchment area falls within the higher relief Ordovician Disi Sandstone formation area. Here, the terrace system was designed to slow water flow and trap sediments. The terracing greatly reduced surface water flow through the entrapment of sandy loam sediments behind it. On the other hand, the Baqa’a site falls in the upper reaches of the drainage basin within the Upper Cretaceous Amman Silicified Limestone formation. The effect of the terrace system here on runoff is significant, but less than that seen at Beidha. This system was more suited for soil conservation and agriculture, as the soil here in its natural state already had a high infiltration rate. Neglect and abandonment of these terraces at both sites have led to increased runoff, as evidenced by the development of gullies and by periodic flooding downstream in the core of the ancient city. Based on the six modeled cases, terraces can minimize the surface flow by an average of 28%, with values as high as 90% when 2010 precipitation data were used. Conducting an intensive survey within the catchment area surrounding the ancient city of Petra, mapping the ancient terraces, and reviving their function may produce significant results in flood mitigation and control there.

Trophic transfer of nano-TiO2 in a paddy microcosm: A comparison of single-dose versus sequential multi-dose exposures

In the present study, replicated paddy microcosm systems were used to investigate the environmental fate and trophic transfer of titanium nanoparticles (NPs) over a period of 14 days. Most TiO2 NPs immediately settled down in the sediment, and high accumulations of nano TiO2 in the sandy loam sediment and biofilm were observed. The test organisms (quillworts, water dropworts, duckweeds, biofilms, river snails, and Chinese muddy loaches) and environmental media (freshwater, sandy loam sediment) were exposed to sequential low doses (2 mg/L at 1 h, 4 days, and 9 days) or a single high-dose (6 mg/L) of TiO2 NPs. The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of nano-TiO2 in biofilms, quillworts, duckweeds, and Chinese muddy loaches were higher in the sequential multi-dose group than in the single-dose group. Chinese muddy loaches showed higher bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) over their prey than river snails. The difference in the carbon isotope ratios between Chinese muddy loaches and river snails was less than 2‰, and an approximately 4‰ difference in the stable nitrogen isotope ratio was observed in the two aquatic predators from their major prey (e.g., biofilms or particulate organic matter). The trophic levels between biofilms and river snails and between biofilms and Chinese muddy loaches were 2.8 and 2.4 levels, respectively. These results indicate that these two predators consumed biofilm and other alternative preys at a higher level than biofilm. Although the trophic transfer rates of TiO2 are generally low, relatively higher biomagnification factors (BMFs) were found in Chinese muddy loaches (0.04–0.05) than in river snails (0.01–0.02). These results suggest that TiO2 NPs show greater movement in the sediment than in the water and that TiO2 NPs can be retained through aquatic food chains more after a sequential low-dose exposure than after a single high-dose exposure.

Diversity of aquatic hyphomycetes in streambed sediments of temporary streamlets of Southwest India

Abstract Assemblages of aquatic hyphomycetes in streambed sediments of nine temporary streamlets in Southwest India were monitored during the wet and dry seasons. Sediments were baited with sterile banyan ( Ficus benghalensis ) leaf disks followed by conidial induction in bubble chambers. Species richness as well as conidial output were higher during the wet than dry season, while it was opposite for diversity. Anguillospora longissima , Cylindrocarpon sp. and Flagellospora curvula were common among the top five spore producers in both seasons. During the wet season, species richness was higher in sandy clay loam sediments than in loam and sandy loam sediments, while species similarity showed a decreasing trend from loam > sandy clay loam > sandy loam sediments. This corresponds to greater dispersal ability of filiform conidia than branched conidia in sediments. The conidial output positively correlated with organic carbon in sediments during the wet season.

Effects of sediment texture on in-stream nitrogen uptake

A comparative experiment was conducted in two cross sections with sandy and sandy loam sediment textures along an agricultural drainage stream in eastern China to address the effects of sediment texture on in-stream nitrogen uptake efficiency. Using dimerous chambers for in situ incubations, NO3-N and NH4-N uptake metrics (i.e., areal uptake rate and uptake velocity) and associated hydrochemical variables in the enclosed sediment–water column system were measured for 8 days and two nights across April–July in 2011 and March–June in 2012. For the investigated sites, in-stream uptake accounted for 2–45 and 9–36 % of the initial NH4-N and NO3-N within the enclosed water column, respectively. Although similar daytime, diel and day-to-day (daytime) variation patterns of NO3-N or NH4-N uptake metrics were observed for the two sites, the sandy loam sediments had average net NO3-N and NH4-N uptake efficiency ~50 % higher and ~40 % lower than for the sandy sediments, respectively. As NO3-N was the dominant nitrogen form in the studied water columns (typical of agricultural drainage rivers), the sandy loam sediment site had an average of about 47 % higher net uptake efficiency for dissolved inorganic nitrogen (i.e., NO3-N + NH4-N). This study demonstrates that sediment texture has a considerable effect on spatial variation of nitrogen uptake along the river system. Changing sediment texture due to anthropogenic modifications on catchment land use and stream channels has the potential to change stream nitrogen cycling as well as altering nitrogen inputs and forms to downstream aquatic ecosystems.

Sorption/desorption of non-hydrophobic and ionisable pharmaceutical and personal care products from reclaimed water onto/from a natural sediment

In the present work, the sorption of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) (acetaminophen, atenolol, carbamazepine, caffeine, naproxen and sulphamethoxazole) onto the natural organic matter (NOM) and the inorganic surfaces of a natural sandy loam sediment was quantified separately. The quantification was based on the PPCP charge, their degree of ionisation, their octanol–water partitioning coefficient (KOW) and the sediment organic carbon fraction (ƒOC). PPCP desorption from the sediment was examined under conditions of infiltrating water containing a high concentration of inorganic ions (mimicking infiltrating reclaimed water), and a low concentration (and smaller diversity) of inorganic ions (mimicking rainwater infiltration). Batch tests were performed using a sediment/water ratio of 1:4 and a PPCP initial concentration ranging from 1 to 100μgL−1. The results showed the type and degree of PPCP ionisation to strongly influence the sorption of these compounds onto the sediment. The sorption of cationic species onto the sediment was higher than that of anionic species and mostly reversible; the sorption of neutral species was negligible. The anionic species sorbed less onto the sediment, but also desorbed less easily. More than 70% of the total sorption was due to interaction with mineral surfaces. This holds especially true for cationic species (atenolol and caffeine) which sorption was enhanced by the negative surface charge of the sediment. The presence of inorganic ions had no impact on the desorption of the PPCPs from the sediment. According to the calculated percentages of removal, the mobility followed the order: carbamazepine>acetaminophen>naproxen>atenolol>sulfamethoxazole>caffeine.

Characterization and Mapping of Patterned Ground in the Saginaw Lowlands, Michigan: Possible Evidence for Late-Wisconsin Permafrost

We identified, mapped, and characterized a widespread area (>1,020 km2) of patterned ground in the Saginaw Lowlands of Michigan, a wet, flat plain composed of waterlain tills, lacustrine deposits, or both. The polygonal patterned ground is interpreted as a possible relict permafrost feature, formed in the Late Wisconsin when this area was proximal to the Laurentide ice sheet. Cold-air drainage off the ice sheet might have pooled in the Saginaw Lowlands, which sloped toward the ice margin, possibly creating widespread but short-lived permafrost on this glacial lake plain. The majority of the polygons occur between the Glacial Lake Warren strandline (∼14.8 cal. ka) and the shoreline of Glacial Lake Elkton (∼14.3 cal. ka), providing a relative age bracket for the patterned ground. Most of the polygons formed in dense, wet, silt loam soils on flat-lying sites and take the form of reticulate nets with polygon long axes of 150 to 160 m and short axes of 60 to 90 m. Interpolygon swales, often shown as dark curvilinears on aerial photographs, are typically slightly lower than are the polygon centers they bound. Some portions of these interpolygon swales are infilled with gravel-free, sandy loam sediments. The subtle morphology and sedimentological characteristics of the patterned ground in the Saginaw Lowlands suggest that thermokarst erosion, rather than ice-wedge replacement, was the dominant geomorphic process associated with the degradation of the Late-Wisconsin permafrost in the study area and, therefore, was primarily responsible for the soil patterns seen there today.

Archeological Investigations at the Polk Estates Site (41CP245), Camp County, Texas

The Polk Estates site (41CP245) is a prehistoric Caddo archaeological site in the Big Cypress Creek Basin, located just downstream of the confluence of Walkers Creek with Big Cypress Creek. This area is within the Pineywoods of northeastern Texas. It was also occupied in Woodland (ca. 500 B.C. to A.D. 800) and Late Archaic (ca. 2500-500 B.C.) periods, based on the recovery of temporally diagnostic dart points dating to these periods. The site is on a natural rise (300-310 feet amsl) atop an upland inter-stream divide, less than 300 m west from the current channel of Big Cypress Creek. The rise has deep Bowie fine sandy loam sediments, with 0-3% slopes. It covers about 4100 square meters (1.0 acres) in size.

MOBILIZATION OF COPPER AND ZINC HYDROXIDES THROUGH USE OF AMMONIA

Copper and zinc were separated from their hydroxides and mobilized out of contaminated sandy loam and lake sediment when the metals were in the presence of ammonia concentrations ranging from 0.1 mol/L to 0.3 mol/L. In the equilibrium leaching experiments with pure hydroxides, the 2 heavy metals were mobilized by ammonia complexation in low-alkaline regions in a manner dependent on the total ammonia concentration. Within the pH range studied, the major metals present in the soils either remained practically immobile in the solid matrix (Fe) or their solubility was not directly influenced by ammonia complexation (Ca, Mg). In all cases, the maximum local increase in both zinc and copper solubility was observed at pH ≈ 9.5.

Radiocarbon Dating of δ18O-δD Plots in Late Pleistocene Ice-Wedges of the Duvanny Yar (Lower Kolyma River, Northern Yakutia)

The Duvanny Yar cross-section located in the Lower Kolyma River valley of Northern Yakutia (69°N, 158°E, height above the Kolyma River level 55 m), has been studied and dated in detail by radiocarbon. The sequence mainly consists of sandy loam sediments with large syngenetic ice wedges. Their width at the top is 1–3.5 m. Allochthonous organic material occurs in high content, concentrating as 0.5–0.7 m lenses. Shrub fragments, twigs, and mammoth bones are accumulated in peaty layers. Through interpolation based on a series of 14C dates, dating of the host sediments provides an approximate age for the ice wedges. The 14C dates of various types of organic material are sometimes very close, but not all in agreement. Therefore, the dates do not accurately show the age of the δ18O and δD plots. A new approach is developed to a 14C dating strategy of syncryogenic sediments with high admixture of allochthonous organic material. The main purpose of this study is to consider detection of inversions or disturbances in the syngenetic permafrost sediment at the Duvanny Yar cross-section by 14C date series. Direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating of the ice confirmed the relatively young age of ice wedges.