The ability of the accumulation of thorium and study of the stress responses on his presence was tested on a selected cultivar of tobacco, La Burley 21. Plants were cultivated in Hoagland's hydroponic medium under artificial light. Except to the ability of accumulation and distribution of thorium in the all parts of plant was investigated the effect of selected organic and inorganic additions on accumulation. Among organic substances included citric acid, tartaric and oxalic acid in their presence was observed the increase of thorium in all parts of the plant. Were also tested products from the diamine and polyamines (putrescine, cadaverine, spermine and spermidin). These substances, also known for their antioxidant activity in plants, had an impact on reducing the accumulation of thorium, especially in the root system of plants. The most important factor influencing the accumulation of thorium was the absence of phosphate ions in a hydroponic medium, which caused the rise of the concentration of thorium about several levels in all parts of the plants. The initial decrease of pH after additions of organic acids or addition of high concentrations of thorium and the gradual increase of pH during cultivation had proved significant. It was also compared the uptake of accumulation and distribution of...

Orientador: Wanderley José de Melo / Resumo: O mercúrio (Hg) é um metal potencialmente tóxico e não essencial para os organismos. Alternativas menos onerosas e ambientalmente corretas como a remediação com uso de plantas e bactérias podem recuperar áreas contaminadas. Por isso, avaliou-se, em ambiente controlado, o potencial de remediação de plantas e bactérias em Latossolo Vermelho eutroférrico (LVef) contaminado com HgCl2 em diferentes doses de Hg2+. Na primeira etapa, 5 kg de LVef foram contaminados com solução de HgCl2, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 4 tratamentos: controle positivo (sem Hg2+) e tratamentos com 5 mg kg-1 de Hg, 24 e 36 mg kg-1 de Hg2+, base seca, em 5 repetições e mantidos por 75 dias com plantas Hibiscus cannabinus para avaliar seu efeito remediador. A quantificação do Hg total foi por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica. O tratamento com 24 mg kg-1 de Hg apresentou fitomassa seca da raiz maior que dos demais. De modo geral, LVef foi responsável por reter maior concentração do Hg do que as plantas. O Hg acumulou em maior proporção nas raízes do que na parte aérea, sendo maior o acúmulo com aumento da dose. A planta que recebeu a dose de 36 mg kg-1 Hg acumulou 2,57 mg kg-1 de Hg por planta, diferindo dos demais tratamentos. Concluiu-se que o LVef adsorveu maior concentração de Hg do que as plantas. O H. cannabinus apresentou resistência a diferentes concentrações de Hg no solo e pode ser considerado como planta potencial estabilizadora de Hg2+, pois acumulou maior concentração de Hg... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Mercury (Hg) is a potentially toxic metal and not essential for organisms. Less costly and environmentally sound alternatives such as plant and bacterial remediation have been used to recover contaminated areas. Therefore, in a controlled environment, the potential for remediation of plants and bacteria in an Oxisol contaminated with HgCl2 at different doses of Hg2+ was evaluated. In a first experiment, 5 kg of Oxisol were contaminated with HgCl2 solution, in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments: positive control (without Hg2+) and treatments with 5 mg kg-1 Hg, 24 and 36 mg kg-1 Hg2+, dry basis, and 5 repetitions and maintained for 75 days with Hibiscus cannabinus plants to assess its remediation potential. Total Hg quantification was by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The 24 mg kg-1 Hg treatment presented higher root dry weight than the others. In general, LVef was responsible for retaining higher Hg concentration than plants. Hg accumulated to a greater extent in the roots than in the shoots, with greater accumulation with increasing dose. Plant that received the dose 36 mg kg-1 Hg accumulated 2,57 mg kg-1 Hg per plant, differing from the other treatments. It was concluded that Oxisol adsorbed higher Hg concentration than plants. H. cannabinus showed resistance to different soil Hg concentrations and can be considered as a potential Hg2+ stabilizing plant because it accumulated higher Hg concentration in the roots than in the shoots. In the second experimen... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

With rising valuation of mineral commodities, mining has been envisioned as a profitable industry regardless of many challenges it entails. This comprehensive review provides the state of knowledge about several aspects of the metal mining industry, including (a) the basic mining processes with reasons for mine closure, (b) the potential environmental and human health impacts associated with mining, (c) the potential techniques for impact mitigation, (d) the latest production statistics for the base and precious metals with identification of currently operational major metal mines for different countries, and (e) how mining activities are regulated in different nations. Finally, the authors provide critical appraisal on the debatable issue of mining and sustainability to stimulate thoughts on how metal mining can be made sustainable, and suggest a path forward.

With rising valuation of mineral commodities, mining has been envisioned as a profitable industry regardless of many challenges it entails. This comprehensive review provides the state of knowledge about several aspects of the metal mining industry, including (a) the basic mining processes with reasons for mine closure, (b) the potential environmental and human health impacts associated with mining, (c) the potential techniques for impact mitigation, (d) the latest production statistics for the base and precious metals with identification of currently operational major metal mines for different countries, and (e) how mining activities are regulated in different nations. Finally, the authors provide critical appraisal on the debatable issue of mining and sustainability to stimulate thoughts on how metal mining can be made sustainable, and suggest a path forward.

Die Belastung des Bodens insbesondere mit toxischen Schwermetallen wird seit Beginn der industriellen Revolution im späten 18. Jahrhundert durch vielfältige Tätigkeiten der Menschen verursacht und tritt mittlerweile als flächendeckendes Phänomen auf. Im Unterschied zu organischen Kontaminationen werden Schwermetalle im Boden nicht abgebaut. Sie reichern sich vielmehr im Boden an und gelten daher als irreversible Immissionen. Schwermetalle können jedoch durch Pflanzen aus dem Boden aufgenommen und dadurch kontrolliert entsorgt werden. Für die Sanierung großer moderat belasteter Flächen bietet sich daher eine In-situ-Sanierung durch die so genannte Phytoremediation bzw. Phytoextraktion an, bei der die Pflanzen über die Nährstoffaufnahme aus dem Boden Schwermetalle mit aufnehmen und in der Pflanzenmasse anreichern. Eine geeignete Phyto-Pflanze ist Mais, der durch sein starkes Wachstum eine hohe Gesamtaufnahmerate an Schwermetallen besitzt. Für die Prozessunterstützung von Sanierungsmaßnahmen, aber auch für die Sicherung von großflächigen kontaminierten Arealen mittels Pflanzen sind geeignete Verfahren zur Dokumentation von vorhandenen Kontaminationen und Sanierungserfolgen erforderlich. Von der Blattfläche wurden auf Spektralon normierte Hyperspektralaufnahmen mit chemischen Cadmiumanalysen der Pflanzen korreliert. Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse mit Mais wurde die Methode auf weitere Pflanzen wie Rhabarber, Topinambur, Sonnenblume und Tabak und andere Schwermetalle wie Zink, Blei und Kupfer übertragen. Die Eignung der entwickelten Methode, verschiedene Schwermetalle in unterschiedlichen Pflanzen nachzuweisen, wurde auf der Grundlage der jeweiligen Bestimmtheitsmaße diskutiert. Die entwickelte Messanordnung und die untersuchten Indices führen mit geokodierten Makro-Hyperspektralmessungen zu einem neuartigen Monitoringkonzept für die Phytoremediation und somit zu einer detailliert ortsaufgelösten Begleitung von Bodensanierungsprozessen.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a carcinogenic, chlorinated volatile organic compound that was commonly used as a degreasing solvent for aircraft maintenance at many US Air Force bases. Past improper disposal of TCE has resulted in contaminated groundwater at many of these facilities. Phytoremediation, defined as the use of plants and their associated microorganisms to stabilize or remove contamination, has been implemented as part of a TCE groundwater cleanup at Travis Air Force base near Sacramento, CA and is being considered as a remediation option at other bases. Volatilization of TCE from leaves and the surface of the soil near the trees were shown to be the most important removal mechanisms at the Travis site. Past studies conducted on indigenous trees growing above TCE contaminated groundwater at several Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) locations have also shown that TCE is taken up and volatilized by the trees. However, phytoremediation has not been implemented, in part because of the difficulty in predicting the potential effectiveness of TCE removal over time. Flow through or recirculating chambers were used to quantify the amount of TCE removed by volatilization through leaf, trunk, and soil surfaces. Tenax™ sorbent tubes, used to collect TCE from the chambers, were analyzed by thermal desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Tree cores were collected using an incremental borer and analyzed by headspace GC/MS to quantify the TCE mass contained in the trees. Field measured transpiration stream concentrations (TSC) and groundwater data were used to calculate transpiration stream concentration factors (TSCF) for TCE. Comparing current and historical data, it was found that trees reach a steady state TSCF value of 0.26 after about 15 years. Using this information, it was predicted that a phytoremediation plot containing 40 poplar trees located in a seep area within HAFB OU2 would remove 4.82 kg of TCE annually. A larger plot covering the entire hillside above this seep (160 trees) could remove up to 19.28 kg of TCE annually, once trees reach a steady state TSCF.

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This project is centred around phytoremediation and is set in Glasgow. Phytoremediation is the engineered use of plants and associated microorganisms to decontaminate polluted soil and water. The goal of this thesis project is to re-integrate an abandoned post-industrial site that used to be a meat market and abattoir into Glasgow's urban fabric by decontaminating it through the use of phytoremediation. The project is centered around the application and design of this method on site.

Torshälla is located about 7 km north of central Eskilstuna. Since the 19th century, there has been a major steel industry at Nyby mill. Due to its location in direct connection to the city, the mill came to influence the city's development, through a large influx of mill workers during the years up to the 1970s. Many of the factory workers who moved in came from Finland and as a result the town today has a large Swedish-Finnish population. Since 2002, the plant at Nyby Mill has been part of the Finnish group Outokumpu Oyj, which manufactures stainless steel products. After research, I came to the conclusion that Torshälla's steel industry is an important node for the town. The industry is a big employer and something you are proud of. Outokumpu steel industry releases, against the wishes of the Swedish Board of Fisheries and the County Administrative Board, nickel, chromium and nitrogen in adjacent watercourses and nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, dust and carbon dioxide from fossil fuels into the air, and has previously also caused emissions of environmentally hazardous oil emulsion in Nybyån. For the industrial area, a remediation measure of land and water is designed as a first step in restoring the area after 200 years of industry. The remediation is carried out with the help of phytoremediation (remediation with plants), which is both a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative than excavating contaminated pulp and transporting it to a landfill. The entire decontamination process takes place on site, planting, incineration and extraction of heavy metals. Although the steel industry is a pride for Torshälla as a town, the industry does not offer direct insight into the process on site, the area is today fenced and not accessible to outsiders. My People's House will offer an insight into the process with an educational purpose, which both children and adults can take part in. / Torshälla ligger beläget cirka 7 km norr om centrala Eskilstuna och är en historisk handels- och hantverkstad. Sedan 1800-talet finns även en större stålindustri vid Nyby bruk. Genom sitt läge i direkt anslutning till staden kom bruket att påverka stadens utveckling, genom en stor inflyttning av bruksarbetare under åren fram till 1970-talet. Av de inflyttade bruksarbetarna kom många från Finland och som ett resultat av detta har orten idag en stor sverigefinsk befolkning. Sedan 2002 ingår verket vid Nyby bruk i den finska koncernen Outokumpu Oyj som tillverkar rostfria stålprodukter. Efter undersökningar kom jag fram till att Torshällas stålindustri är en viktig nod för orten. Industrin är en stor arbetsgivare och något man är stolt över. Outokumpu stålindustri släpper, mot Fiskeriverkets och Länsstyrelsens önskan, ut nickel, krom och kväve i intilliggande vattendrag samt kvävedioxid, svaveldioxid, stoft och koldioxid från fossila bränslen i luften, och har tidigare även orsakat utsläpp av miljöfarlig oljeemulsion i Nybyån. För industriområdet utformas en saneringsåtgärd av mark och vatten som ett första steg i att återställa området efter 200 år av industri. Saneringen genomförs med hjälp av fytoremediation (sanering med växter), vilket är både ett billigare och miljövänligare alternativ än att schakta bort förorenad massa och transportera till en deponi. Hela saneringsprocessen sker på plats, plantering, förbränning och utvinning av tungmetaller.  Trots att stålindustrin är en stolthet för Torshälla som ort, erbjuder industrin ingen direkt insyn i processen på plats, området är idag inhängnat och ej tillgängligt för utomstående. Mitt folkets hus kommer erbjuda en insikt i processen med ett utbildande syfte, som både barn och vuxna kan ta del av.