Volatile Organic Compounds In Soil Research Articles

Unveiling the hidden impact: How biodegradable microplastics influence CO2 and CH4 emissions and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) profiles in soil ecosystems

Biodegradable plastics promise eco-friendliness, yet their transformation into microplastics (bio-MPs) raises environmental alarms. However, how those bio-MPs affect the greenhouse gases (GHGs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil ecosystems remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the effects of diverse bio-MPs (PBAT, PBS, and PLA) on GHGs and VOCs emission in typical paddy or upland soils. We monitored the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes in-situ using the self-developed portable optical gas sensor and analyzed VOC profiles using a proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). Our study has revealed that, despite their biodegradable nature, bio-MPs do not always promote soil GHG emissions as previously thought. Specifically, PBAT and PLA significantly increased CO2 and CH4 emissions up to 1.9–7.5 and 115.9–178.5 fold, respectively, compared to the control group. While PBS exhibited the opposite trend, causing a decrease of up to 39.9% for CO2 and up to 39.9% for CH4. In addition, different types of bio-MPs triggered distinct soil VOC emission patterns. According to the Mann-Whitney U-test and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), a recognizable VOC pattern associated with different bio-MPs was revealed. This study claims the necessity of considering polymer-specific responses when assessing the environmental impact of Bio-MPs, and providing insights into their implications for climate change.

Spatial distribution of volatile organic compounds in contaminated soil and distinct microbial effect driven by aerobic and anaerobic conditions

The vertical distribution of 35 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was investigated in soil columns from two obsolete industrial sites in Eastern China. The total concentrations of ΣVOCs in surface soils (0–20 cm) were 134–1664 ng g−1. Contamination of VOCs in surface soil exhibited remarkable variability, closely related to previous production activities at the sampling sites. Additionally, the concentrations of ΣVOCs varied with increasing soil depth from 0 to 10 m. Soils at depth of 2 m showed ΣVOCs concentrations of 127–47,389 ng g−1. Among the studied VOCs, xylene was the predominant contaminant in subsoils (2 m), with concentrations ranging from n.d. to 45,400 ng g−1. Chlorinated alkanes and olefins demonstrated a greater downward migration ability compared to monoaromatic hydrocarbons, likely due to their lower hydrophobicity. As a result, this vertical distribution of VOCs led to a high ecological risk in both the surface and deep soil. Notably, the risk quotient (RQ) of xylene in subsoil (2 m, RQ up to 319) was much higher than that in surface soil. Furthermore, distinct effects of VOCs on soil microbes were observed under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Specifically, after the 30-d incubation of xylene-contaminated soil, Ilumatobacter was enriched under aerobic condition, whereas Anaerolineaceae was enriched under anaerobic condition. Moreover, xylene contamination significantly affected methylotrophy and methanol oxidation functions for aerobic soil (t-test, p < 0.05). However, aromatic compound degradation and ammonification were significantly enhanced by xylene in anaerobic soil (t-test, p < 0.05). These findings suggest that specific VOC compound has distinct microbial ecological effects under different oxygen content conditions in soil. Therefore, when conducting soil risk assessments of VOCs, it is crucial to consider their ecological effects at different soil depths.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Soil: Transport Mechanisms, Monitoring, and Removal by Biochar-Modified Capping Layer

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as a primary pollutant in industrial-contaminated sites or polluted soils, cause severe damage to the soil. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the transport of VOCs in soil is imperative to develop effective detection means and removal methods. Among them, biochar possesses potential advantages in the adsorption of VOCs, serving as an effective method for removing VOCs from soil. This review provides an overview of the VOCs within soil, their transport mechanisms, monitoring technology, and removal approach. Firstly, the historical development of the VOC migration mechanism within the capping layer is described in detail. Secondly, the in situ monitoring techniques for VOCs are systematically summarized. Subsequently, one of the effective removal technologies, a capping layer for polluted sites, is simply introduced. Following this, the potential application of a biochar-modified capping layer for the removal of VOCs is comprehensively discussed. Finally, the major challenges in the field and present prospects are outlined. The objective of this study is to furnish researchers with a foundational understanding of VOCs, their relevant information, and their removal approach, inspiring environmental protection and soil pollution control.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from diffuse degassing areas: Interstitial soil gases as message bearers from deep hydrothermal reservoirs

The chemical composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in interstitial soil gases from hydrothermal areas is commonly shaped by both deep hydrothermal conditions (e.g., temperature, redox, sulfur fugacity) and shallow secondary processes occurring near the soil-atmosphere interface. Caldara di Manziana and Solfatara di Nepi, i.e., two hydrothermal systems characterized by diverse physicochemical conditions located in the Sabatini Volcanic District and Vicano-Cimino Volcanic District, respectively (Central Italy), were investigated to evaluate the capability of VOCs in soil gases to preserve information from the respective feeding deep fluid reservoirs. Hierarchical cluster analyses and robust principal component analyses allowed recognition of distinct groups of chemical parameters of soil gases collected from the two study areas. The compositional dissimilarities from the free-gas discharges were indeed reflected by the chemical features of soil gases collected from each site, despite the occurrence of shallow processes, e.g., air mixing and microbial degradation processes, affecting VOCs. Four distinct groups of VOCs were recognized suggesting similar sources and/or geochemical behaviors, as follows: (i) S-bearing compounds, whose abundance (in particular that of thiophenes) was strictly dependent on the sulfur fugacity in the feeding system; (ii) C4,5,7+ alkanes, n-hexane, cyclics and alkylated aromatics, related to relatively low-temperature conditions at the gas source; (iii) C2,3 alkanes, benzene, benzaldehyde and phenol, i.e., stable compounds and thermal degradation products; and (iv) aliphatic O-bearing compounds, largely influenced by shallow processes within the soil. However, they maintain a chemical speciation that preserves a signature derived from the supplying deep-fluids, with aldehydes and ketones becoming more enriched after intense interaction of the hypogenic fluids with shallow aquifers. Accordingly, the empirical results of this study suggest that the chemical composition of VOCs in soil gases from hydrothermal areas provides insights into both deep source conditions and fluid circulation dynamics, identifying VOCs as promising geochemical tracers for geothermal exploration.

Effects of drought and recovery on soil volatile organic compound fluxes in an experimental rainforest

Drought can affect the capacity of soils to emit and consume biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here we show the impact of prolonged drought followed by rewetting and recovery on soil VOC fluxes in an experimental rainforest. Under wet conditions the rainforest soil acts as a net VOC sink, in particular for isoprenoids, carbonyls and alcohols. The sink capacity progressively decreases during drought, and at soil moistures below ~19%, the soil becomes a source of several VOCs. Position specific 13C-pyruvate labeling experiments reveal that soil microbes are responsible for the emissions and that the VOC production is higher during drought. Soil rewetting induces a rapid and short abiotic emission peak of carbonyl compounds, and a slow and long biotic emission peak of sulfur-containing compounds. Results show that, the extended drought periods predicted for tropical rainforest regions will strongly affect soil VOC fluxes thereby impacting atmospheric chemistry and climate.

Concentrations and health risk appraisal of heavy metals and volatile organic compounds in soils of automobile mechanic villages in Ogun State, Nigeria.

This report presents the findings of the concentrations, distributions and health risks assessment of heavy metals (HMs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in topsoils of two typical automobile mechanic villages (MVs) situated within Ogun State, Nigeria. One of the MVs is located in basement complex terrain (Abeokuta), while the second is in the sedimentary formation (Sagamu). Ten composite samples were collected at depth of 0-30cm with the aid of soil auger from spent oil-contaminated spots within the two MVs. The chemical parameters of interest were Pb, Cd, benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) as well as oil and grease (O&G). In addition, soil pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC) and particle size distribution were also evaluated in order to find out their impacts on assessed soil pollutants. Results revealed that the soils in both MVs are of sandy loam texture, slight acidic to neutral pH, mean CEC < 15 cmol/kg and mean EC > 100 μS/cm. The mean concentration of each of analyzed HMs and VOCs in soils from the two MVs was < 5mg/kg, while the mean values of TPH and O&G content were > 50mg/kg. The mean Cd values in soils of both MVs were higher than the national soil screening level of 0.8mg/kg, but lower than the Canadian and Italian guidelines. There is no significant correlation between each of HMs/VOCs and any of assessed soil physicochemical variables. The non-cancer risk expressed in terms of hazard index (HI) was > 1 via oral ingestion route for adults and children at the two MVs, indicating adverse non-carcinogenic health risk. The HI > 1 value was obtained for adults only through the dermal absorption pathway in Abeokuta MV. However, HI values for the two age groups at the two MVs via inhalation route were < 1, indicating no likelihood of any non-carcinogenic effects via the breathing exposure. The potential of non-cancer risk via oral ingestion route in both MVs was derived from the contributive ratios of HMs and VOCs in the order: Cd > benzene > Pb > toluene. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values due to ingested Cd, benzene and Pb for both age groups at the two MVs exceed the safe limit range of 10-6 to 10-4. Cadmium, benzene and lead made considerable contributions to the estimation of CR through dermal exposure for adults only in Abeokuta MV. The CR values via inhalation pathway for adults and children in both MVs were within the threshold range. Artisans and children should circumvent accidental ingestion of contaminated soils in addition to wearing of protective clothes during routine vehicle maintenance activities.

A comprehensive analysis on the source-exposure and diffusion rule of VOCs for end-life vehicles dismantling activities

In recent years, the rapid development of technology has posed significant challenges to the waste management practices of the retired vehicle industry. How to minimize the environmental impact during the recycle process of scrap vehicle has emerged as a prevalent and pressing concern. This study employed statistical analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model to assess the origin of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at a scrap vehicle dismantling location situated in China. The quantification of potential hazards to human health arising from identified sources was achieved through the integration of source characteristics with exposure risk assessment. In addition, fluent simulation was employed to examine the spatiotemporal dispersion of the pollutant concentration field and velocity profile. The findings of the study revealed that the activities of parts cutting, disassembling air conditioning and refined dismantling were responsible for 89.98 %, 84.36 %, and 78.63 % of the total air pollution accumulation, respectively. Additionally, it should be noted that the aforementioned sources accounted for 59.40 %, 18.44 %, and 4.86 % of the aggregate non-cancer risk. The cumulative cancer risk was determined to be the disassembling air conditioning process, with a contribution of 82.71 %. Meanwhile, the average concentration of VOC in soil around the disassembling air conditioning area is 8.4 times higher than the background value. The simulation revealed that pollutants were primarily dispersed within the factory at a height ranging from 0.75 m to 2 m, which corresponds to the human respiratory zone and the concentration of pollutants in the vehicle cutting area was observed to exceed normal levels by over 10 times. These findings of this study may serve as a foundation for improving of environmental protection measures of industrialization.

Source apportionment and suitability evaluation of seasonal VOCs contaminants in the soil around a typical refining-chemical integration park in China

Accurate source apportionment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil nearby petrochemical industries prevailing globally, is critical for preventing pollution. However, in the process, seasonal effect on contamination pathways and accumulation of soil VOCs is often neglected. Herein, Yanshan Refining-Chemical Integration Park, including a carpet, refining, synthetic rubber, and two synthetic resin zones, was selected for traceability. Season variations resulted in a gradual decrease of 31 VOCs in soil from winter to summer. A method of dry deposition resistance model coupling partitioning coefficient model was created, revealing that dry deposition by gas phase was the primary pathway for VOCs to enter soil in winter and spring, with 100 times higher flux than by particle phase. Source profiles for five zones were built by gas sampling with distinct substance indicators screened, which were used for positive matrix factorization factors determination. Contributions of the five zones were 14.9%, 20.8%, 13.6%, 22.1%, and 28.6% in winter and 33.4%, 12.5%, 10.7%, 24.9%, and 18.5% in spring, respectively. The variation in the soil sorption capacity of VOCs causes inter-seasonal differences in contribution. The better correlation between dry deposition capacity and soil storage of VOCs made root mean square and mean absolute errors decrease averagely by 8.8% and 5.5% in winter compared to spring. This study provides new perspectives and methods for the source apportionment of soil VOCs contamination in industrial sites.

Volatile organic compound release across a permafrost-affected peatland

As the permafrost region experiences unprecedented climate warming, accelerated decomposition rates are potentially switching these cold landscapes to a hotspot of carbon emissions. In addition to the more widely studied greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane, permafrost-affected soils may also be a source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but these reactive trace gases have so far received little attention. Nevertheless, VOCs can i) prolong the lifetime of atmospheric methane, ii) contribute to hazardous ozone production, and iii) lead to the formation of secondary organic aerosols. Consequently, changing VOC emissions may exert significant impacts on climate forcing factors that can both exacerbate or mitigate future climate change. Here, we conducted in situ measurements of soil and pond VOC emissions across an actively degrading permafrost-affected peatland in subarctic Norway. We used a permafrost thaw gradient as a space-for-time substitute that covered bare soil and vegetated peat plateaus, underlain by intact permafrost, and increasingly degraded permafrost landscapes: thaw slumps, thaw ponds, and vegetated thaw ponds. Results showed that every peatland landscape type was an important source of atmospheric VOCs, emitting a large variety of compounds, such as methanol, acetone, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, isoprene, hydrocarbons, and oxygenated VOCs. VOC composition varied considerably across the measurement period and across the permafrost thaw gradient. We observed enhanced terpenoid emissions following thaw slump degradation, highlighting the potential atmospheric impacts of permafrost thaw, due to the high chemical reactivities of terpenoid compounds. Higher VOC emission rates were observed in summer (June, July and August) compared to early autumn (September). Overall, our study demonstrates that VOCs are being emitted in significant quantities and with largely similar compositions upon permafrost thawing, inundation, and subsequent vegetation development, despite major differences in microclimate, hydrological regime, vegetation, and permafrost occurrence.

Soil VOC emissions of a Mediterranean woodland are sensitive to shrub invasion.

Many belowground processes, such as soil respiration and soil-atmosphere VOC (volatile organic compounds) exchange, are closely linked to soil microbiological processes. However, little is known about how changes in plant species cover, i.e. after plant invasion, alter these soil processes. In particular, the response of soil VOC emissions to plant invasion is not well understood. We analysed soil VOC emissions and soil respiration of a Mediterranean cork oak (Quercus suber) ecosystem, comparing soil VOC emissions from a non-invaded Q. suber woodland to one invaded by the shrub Cistus ladanifer. Soil VOC emissions were determined under controlled conditions using online proton-transfer time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Net soil VOC emissions were measured by exposing soils with or without litter to different temperature and soil moisture conditions. Soil VOC emissions were sensitive to C. ladanifer invasion. Highest net emission rates were determined for oxygenated VOC (acetaldehyde, acetone, methanol, acetic acid), and high temperatures enhanced total VOC emissions. Invasion affected the relative contribution of various VOC. Methanol and acetaldehyde were emitted exclusively from litter and were associated with the non-invaded sites. In contrast, acetone emissions increased in response to shrub presence. Interestingly, low soil moisture enhanced the effect of shrub invasion on VOC emissions. Our results indicate that shrub invasion substantially influences important belowground processes in cork oak ecosystems, in particular soil VOC emissions. High soil moisture is suggested to diminish the invasion effect through a moisture-induced increase in microbial decomposition rates of soil VOC.

Soil volatile organic compound emissions in response to soil warming and nitrogen deposition

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play crucial roles in ecosystems at multiple scales, ranging from mediating soil microbial interactions to contributing to atmospheric chemistry. However, soil VOCs and how they respond to environmental change remains understudied. We aimed to assess how 2 abiotic global change drivers, soil warming and simulated nitrogen (N) deposition, impact soil VOC emissions over time in a temperate forest. We characterized the effect of warming, N deposition, and their interaction on the composition and emissions of soil VOCs during the growing season of 2 consecutive years. We found that chronic warming and N deposition enhanced total VOC emissions at certain times of the year (as high as 332.78 µg m–2 h–1), but that overall VOC composition was not strongly affected by these global change treatments. However, certain compounds, particularly sesquiterpenoids and alkanes, were sensitive to these treatments, with their emissions increasing under both chronic warming and N deposition. Moreover, specific signature VOCs—α-pinene, β-thujone, β-caryophyllene, and 2,4-dimethylheptane—were consistently found under chronic warming and N deposition. This suggests that emissions of specific VOC classes/compounds may increase under global change.

Role of water in unexpectedly large changes in emission flux of volatile organic compounds in soils under dynamic temperature conditions

Understanding the diffusive transport behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in near-surface soils is important because soil VOC emissions affect atmospheric conditions and climate. Previous studies have suggested that temperature changes affect the transport behavior; however, the effect of these changes are poorly understood. Indeed, under dynamic temperature conditions, the change in VOC flux is much larger than that expected from the temperature dependency of the diffusion coefficient of VOCs in air. However, the mechanism is not well understood, although water in soil has been considered to play an important role. Here, we present the results of experiments for the upward vertical vapor-phase diffusive transport of two VOCs (benzene and tetrachloroethylene) in sandy soil under sinusoidal temperature variations of 20–30 °C, as well as its numerical representation. The results clarify that the unexpectedly large changes in emission flux can occur as a result of changes in the VOC concentration gradient due to VOC release (volatilization) from/trapping (dissolution) into water, and that such flux changes may occur in various environments. This study suggests the importance of a global evaluation of soil VOC emissions by continuous measurements in various soil environments and/or predictions through numerical simulations with thorough consideration of the role of water in dynamic soil environments.

Investigation on Distribution and Risk Assessment of Volatile Organic Compounds in Surface Water, Sediment, and Soil in a Chemical Industrial Park and Adjacent Area.

The occurrences, distributions, and risks of 55 target volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water, sediment, sludge, and soil samples taken from a chemical industrial park and the adjacent area were investigated in this study. The Σ55-VOCs concentrations in the water, sediment, sludge, and soil samples were 1.22–5449.21 μg L−1, ND–52.20 ng g−1, 21.53 ng g−1, and ND–11.58 ng g−1, respectively. The main products in this park are medicines, pesticides, and novel materials. As for the species of VOCs, aromatic hydrocarbons were the dominant VOCs in the soil samples, whereas halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons were the dominant VOCs in the water samples. The VOCs concentrations in water samples collected at different locations varied by 1–3 orders of magnitude, and the average concentration in river water inside the park was obviously higher than that in river water outside the park. However, the risk quotients for most of the VOCs indicated a low risk to the relevant, sensitive aquatic organisms in the river water. The average VOCs concentration in soil from the park was slightly higher than that from the adjacent area. This result showed that the chemical industrial park had a limited impact on the surrounding soil, while the use of pesticides, incomplete combustion of coal and biomass, and automobile exhaust emissions are all potential sources of the VOCs in the environmental soil. The results of this study could be used to evaluate the effects of VOCs emitted from chemical production and transportation in the park on the surrounding environment.

Annual and seasonal variations in soil volatile organic compound concentrations in a Mediterranean shrubland and holm oak forest

Soil biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play an important role in soil ecology and function and may affect atmospheric chemistry. While previous studies of soil VOCs have predominantly measured surface flux exchange rates, VOC concentrations within the surface soil layer are largely unknown, especially in Mediterranean ecosystems. In this study, we measured seasonal and annual concentrations of soil VOCs in a Mediterranean shrubland and a holm oak forest over the period 2014–2016. Soil CO2 efflux, and soil enzyme and plant activities were measured as explanatory variables of soil VOC concentrations. There were greater total soil VOC concentrations in the shrubland (3.66 ± 1.01 ppb) than the holm oak forest (2.23 ± 0.51 ppb) across the study period. There were the greatest concentrations of monoterpenes (0.85 ± 0.43 ppb) and methanol (0.81 ± 0.20 ppb) in the shrubland and forest, respectively, and concentrations of methanol, acetic acid, formaldehyde, ethanol, and acetaldehyde were the dominant compounds in both ecosystems (>0.1 ppb). Although concentrations of some VOCs in both ecosystems were highest and lowest in spring and winter, respectively, the variability of other VOCs depended on compound and ecosystem. Soil temperature and water content, CO2 efflux, and enzyme activity were the best explanatory variables for variation in soil VOC concentrations in the two ecosystems: there was a stronger association between concentration of dominant compounds, except formaldehyde, with soil temperature and/or CO2 efflux than with soil water content. Activity of C- and N-degrading enzymes was positively associated with the concentration of VOCs, depending on ecosystem, and consistently correlated with high soil water content. In the holm oak forest soils, net photosynthetic rate (A) was positively correlated with soil concentration of monoterpenes. These results show that soil VOC concentrations in these Mediterranean ecosystems are driven by soil temperature and water content, and microbial activity, in combination with ecosystem plant activity. It is thus likely that projected climate change increases in temperature increase soil VOC concentrations and lead to increases in emissions to the atmosphere; however, microbial production and consumption of soil VOCs may be modulated by soil water content.

Water-Enhanced Flux Changes under Dynamic Temperatures in the Vertical Vapor-Phase Diffusive Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds in Near-Surface Soil Environments

The quantitative understanding of the transport behavior of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in near-surface soils is highly important in light of the potential impacts of soil VOC emissions on the air quality and climate. Previous studies have suggested that temperature changes affect the transport behavior; however, the effects are not well understood. Indeed, much larger changes in the VOC flux under in situ dynamic temperatures than those expected from the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients of VOCs in the air have been suggested but rarely investigated experimentally. Here, we present the results of a set of experiments on the upward vertical vapor-phase diffusive transport of benzene and trichloroethylene (TCE) in sandy soils with water contents ranging from an air-dried value to 10 wt% during sinusoidal temperature variation between 20 and 30 °C. In all experiments, the flux from the soil surface was correlated with the temperature, as expected. However, the changes in flux under wet conditions were unexpectedly large and increased with increasing water content; they were also larger for TCE, the volatility of which depended more strongly on the temperature. Additionally, the larger flux changes were accompanied by a recently discovered water-induced inverse correlation between temperature and flux into the overlying soil. These results demonstrated that the flux changes of VOCs under dynamic temperatures could be increased by volatilization-dissolution interactions of VOCs with water. Future extensive studies on this newly discovered phenomenon would contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of soil VOC emissions on the air quality and climate.

Short-Term Effect of Green Waste and Sludge Amendment on Soil Microbial Diversity and Volatile Organic Compound Emissions

Soil amendments with organic waste products (OWPs) have been widely supported in Europe to improve soil fertility, causing wide changes in the microbial community structure and diversity, especially in the short-term period. Those changes are known to affect the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by soil. This work aimed to characterize, in terms of quantity and composition, the effect of green waste and sludge (GWS) application on soil VOC emissions and microbial community 49 h after the last GWS application. Two different soil samples were compared to test the effect of the soil history on VOC emissions and microbial communities. For this reason, we chose a soil that received GWS input for 20 years (GWS sample) and one that did not receive any organic input during the same period (CN sample). Furthermore, samples were manipulated to generate three microbial dilution diversity gradients (low, medium, and high). Results showed that Bacteroidetes phyla took advantage of the GWS application in all samples, increasing their relative abundance by 22% after 49 h, while the Proteobacteria phylum was penalized by the GWS amendment, passing from 58% to 49% relative abundance 49 h after the GWS application. Microbial structure differences between microbial diversity dilution levels remained even after the GWS application. GWS amendment induced a change in the emitted VOC profiles, especially in samples used to receiving GWS. GWS amendment doubled the VOC emissions from samples used to receiving GWS after 49 h. Finally, the microbial community was strongly correlated to the VOC emissions. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Crenarchaeota were positively correlated (Pearson coefficient &gt; 0.6), while other phyla, such as Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia, were found to be negatively correlated (Pearson coefficient &lt; −0.6) to the VOC emissions. After the addition of GWS, these correlations shifted from positive to negative and from negative to positive.

Method validation for the determination of aniline and 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

This article uses and validates the analytical methods for the determination of aniline and 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine in soil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and discusses the determination of semi volatile organic compounds in soil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The feasibility of the application. The results showed that the semi volatile organic compounds aniline and 3,3’-dichlorobenzidine target corresponding to the internal standard response value and concentration showed a good linear relationship, the correlation coefficient was between 0.9997 and 0.9983 respectively; the detection limit was 0.04 mg, respectively/kg and 0.04mg/kg, the limits of quantification are 0.2mg/kg and 0.2mg/kg; the relative standard deviations of the two semi-volatile organic compounds in the precision are 2.5∼16.9% and 3.6∼6.2%, respectively; the accuracy is 2 The recovery rates of these volatile organic compounds were 64.5-83.9% and 72.6-74.3%, respectively. The verification results show that the linear relationship, detection limit, precision and accuracy all meet the requirements of “Determination of Semi-volatile Organic Compounds in Soils and Sediments by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry” (HJ 834-2017). Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technology can achieve fast, accurate and sensitive detection of target substances, and can meet the detection requirements of trace semi-volatile organic compounds, so this method can be better applied to the detection of soil and other environments.

Profiling soil volatile organic compounds after N fertilization in a soil grown with Rosmarinus officinalis

The biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emissions from cultivated plants-soil systems and N fertilization's role on these emissions are mostly unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the BVOCs emissions from a plant-soil system receiving N fertilization using Rosmarinus officinalis as a model case study. We put forward the hypothesis that N fertilization changes the BVOCs emissions patterns irrespectively the presence of Rosmarinus officinalis and that the emissions are related to N availability and bacterial abundance. To test our hypothesis, we established a microcosm (glass static chambers) study in a fully randomized design with four treatments: soil (S), soil and plant (S + P), soil and fertilizer (S + F), soil, plant, and fertilizer (S + P + F); using NH4NO3 as N source. BVOCs were sampled from the microcosms, using the static headspace sampling technique with a solid-phase microextraction (SPME) device and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC–MS). Sampling occurred 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 15, 17, 22, 25, and 31 days after applying the NH4NO3 and besides BVOCs, we measured soil NH4+ and NO3− concentration as well as 16S rRNA bacterial abundance. Time drives a significant portion of the variation in the chemical diversity and quantity of the different VOCs found throughout the experiment (PERMANOVA; R2 = 0.28, p < 0.001); however, this was dependent on the presence of plant and fertilizer leading to a significant interaction (PERMANOVA; R2 = 0.33, p < 0.001). Individual BVOCs emissions were strongly affected by nitrogen fertilization, plant presence and declined during the time. The most dominant BVOCs detected were benzyl alcohol, acetone, toluene, benzaldehyde, and caprolactam. Interestingly, the BVOCs concentration was negatively associated with soil concentration to NH4+, NO3− and total bacterial abundance.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) allow sensitive differentiation of biological soil quality

Understanding the change in function of the biological community under different soil conditions is key to effective soil quality monitoring and mitigation of soil degradation. Current measures of biological soil quality suffer from drawbacks with most techniques having high expense, low throughput or a narrow focus on one component of the community. The aim of this study was to assess the use of volatilomics as a method to profile the soil microbial community and compare the technique to phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling as a measure of biological soil quality. An agricultural grassland soil (Eutric Cambisol) was subjected to a range of stresses in replicate laboratory mesocosms. Treatments included the imposition of hypoxia/anoxia by flooding with freshwater or saltwater in the presence or absence of plant residues. The volatile organic compound (VOC) and PLFA profile of each treatment was then compared to unamended mesocosms. We hypothesized that the VOC fingerprint of soil would be highly responsive to changes in microbial metabolic status/functioning and thus provide a complementary approach to PLFAs for evaluating soil biological health. We also hypothesized that the VOC profile would have greater discriminatory power than PLFAs for determining differences between soil treatments. A headspace solid phase microextraction (HSSPME) method coupled with gas chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/Q-TOFMS) was used to analyse the broad spectrum of VOCs produced by each soil. Across all soil treatments 514 unique VOC peaks were detected. Overall, VOCs showed greater sensitivity than the PLFA analysis in separating soil quality treatments. Eighteen individual VOCs were identified which were primarily responsible for this separation (e.g. indole, α-ionone, isophorone, 3-octanone, p-cresol, 2-ethyl-phenol). Anaerobic soils amended with residues showed the greatest separation from other treatments, with most of this differentiation associated with ten individual VOCs. The anaerobic soils also showed a significant reduction in the number of VOCs emitted but an increase in total VOC emissions. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that soil VOCs rapidly respond to changes in soil quality and therefore hold great potential as a novel functionally relevant diagnostic measure of biological soil quality.

Soil organic matter determination based on artificial olfactory system and PLSR-BPNN

Soil organic matter (SOM) is a key indicator of soil fertility. For accurate measurement of SOM, a novel method based on an artificial olfactory system (AOS) was proposed. The response curves of soil volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured using a metal-oxide semiconductor sensor array, and four features (including maximum value, mean differential coefficient, response area, and the transient value at the 20th second) were obtained from the curves and used to build olfactory feature space. Then, prediction models were established using the pattern recognition algorithm. To further enhance the accuracy of AOS measurement, we used Monte Carlo cross-validation (MCCV) to identify and eliminate the abnormal samples of the soil olfactory feature space. Then, the dimension reduction method of the genetic algorithm (GA)back-propagation (BP) was used to find the appropriate feature vectors, and two types of hybrid models were presented. One was the support vector machine (SVM) and group method of data handling (GMDH) combined model—SVM-GMDH. The other was a combination of partial least squares regression (PLSR) and back-propagation neural network (BPNN)—PLSR-BPNN. The forecasting performances of three single models (BPNN, PLSR, support vector regression: SVR) and two combined models (PLSR-BPNN, SVM-GMDH) were comparatively evaluated. The evaluation indices included coefficient of determination (R 2), root mean square error (RMSE), ratio of performance to deviation and relative prediction error (RPE). It was found that the predictive capabilities of all five tested models were improved after elimination of abnormal samples and feature reduction. Moreover, PLSR-BPNN performed the best in predicting SOM concentrations, with R 2 = 0.952, RMSE = 1.771, PRD = 4.291, and slight variation of RPE within 0–0.185, and thus can offer a reference for predicting SOM via AOS.