South Africa is one of the most important mining countries in the world, hosting the world's largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs). Even though mining is clearly an important activity in South Africa, contributing approximately US$ 7.4 billion annually to the countries' gross domestic product (GDP), the costs to the environment are not insignificant. One of the most severe environmental aspects associated with mining is the storage of mineral waste on tailings storage facilities due to their impacts on air quality, ground water quality, aesthetics and land use. It is also unknown whether the environmental effects of tailings storage facilities increase or decrease over time. The aim of this study was to determine the ecotoxicity of platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages by means of soil physical and chemical analysis, earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity and soil mesofauna studies. Samples were obtained from three platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages of which two were already rehabilitated while the third was still operational at the time this study was performed. The latter was used as a negative control for the purpose of the study. Soil samples were physically and chemically analysed. Earthworm ecotoxicological studies were conducted to determine changes in biomass, reproduction, mortality, neutral red retention times and tissue metal concentrations. Dehydrogenase activity was determined before the introduction of earthworms and manure, after introductions of manure and after introductions of earthworms and manure. Soil mesofauna were extracted and identified in order to determine species richness, diversity, abundance and functional grouping. Soil chemical analysis indicated that concentrations of certain heavy metals, especially chrome (Cr), present in platinum tailings materials could have a potential effect on microorganisms, microbial processes and earthworms. Earthworm ecotoxicological results indicated that earthworms that bioaccumulated higher levels of heavy metals showed poor hatchability of cocoons. Dehydrogenase activity indicated that earthworms play a significant role in increasing the number and biomass of soil microbes because significant increases in dehydrogenase activity were noticed after the addition of earthworms to platinum tailings materials. Results from the earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity, and soil mesofauna composition indicated that environmental impacts of tailings storage facilities did not increase with age, but is more likely to be an indication of the rehabilitation measures administered to the different tailings storage facilities. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

South Africa is one of the most important mining countries in the world, hosting the world's largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs). Even though mining is clearly an important activity in South Africa, contributing approximately US$ 7.4 billion annually to the countries' gross domestic product (GDP), the costs to the environment are not insignificant. One of the most severe environmental aspects associated with mining is the storage of mineral waste on tailings storage facilities due to their impacts on air quality, ground water quality, aesthetics and land use. It is also unknown whether the environmental effects of tailings storage facilities increase or decrease over time. The aim of this study was to determine the ecotoxicity of platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages by means of soil physical and chemical analysis, earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity and soil mesofauna studies. Samples were obtained from three platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages of which two were already rehabilitated while the third was still operational at the time this study was performed. The latter was used as a negative control for the purpose of the study. Soil samples were physically and chemically analysed. Earthworm ecotoxicological studies were conducted to determine changes in biomass, reproduction, mortality, neutral red retention times and tissue metal concentrations. Dehydrogenase activity was determined before the introduction of earthworms and manure, after introductions of manure and after introductions of earthworms and manure. Soil mesofauna were extracted and identified in order to determine species richness, diversity, abundance and functional grouping. Soil chemical analysis indicated that concentrations of certain heavy metals, especially chrome (Cr), present in platinum tailings materials could have a potential effect on microorganisms, microbial processes and earthworms. Earthworm ecotoxicological results indicated that earthworms that bioaccumulated higher levels of heavy metals showed poor hatchability of cocoons. Dehydrogenase activity indicated that earthworms play a significant role in increasing the number and biomass of soil microbes because significant increases in dehydrogenase activity were noticed after the addition of earthworms to platinum tailings materials. Results from the earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity, and soil mesofauna composition indicated that environmental impacts of tailings storage facilities did not increase with age, but is more likely to be an indication of the rehabilitation measures administered to the different tailings storage facilities. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

South Africa is one of the most important mining countries in the world, hosting the world's largest reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs). Even though mining is clearly an important activity in South Africa, contributing approximately US$ 7.4 billion annually to the countries' gross domestic product (GDP), the costs to the environment are not insignificant. One of the most severe environmental aspects associated with mining is the storage of mineral waste on tailings storage facilities due to their impacts on air quality, ground water quality, aesthetics and land use. It is also unknown whether the environmental effects of tailings storage facilities increase or decrease over time. The aim of this study was to determine the ecotoxicity of platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages by means of soil physical and chemical analysis, earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity and soil mesofauna studies. Samples were obtained from three platinum tailings storage facilities of different ages of which two were already rehabilitated while the third was still operational at the time this study was performed. The latter was used as a negative control for the purpose of the study. Soil samples were physically and chemically analysed. Earthworm ecotoxicological studies were conducted to determine changes in biomass, reproduction, mortality, neutral red retention times and tissue metal concentrations. Dehydrogenase activity was determined before the introduction of earthworms and manure, after introductions of manure and after introductions of earthworms and manure. Soil mesofauna were extracted and identified in order to determine species richness, diversity, abundance and functional grouping. Soil chemical analysis indicated that concentrations of certain heavy metals, especially chrome (Cr), present in platinum tailings materials could have a potential effect on microorganisms, microbial processes and earthworms. Earthworm ecotoxicological results indicated that earthworms that bioaccumulated higher levels of heavy metals showed poor hatchability of cocoons. Dehydrogenase activity indicated that earthworms play a significant role in increasing the number and biomass of soil microbes because significant increases in dehydrogenase activity were noticed after the addition of earthworms to platinum tailings materials. Results from the earthworm ecotoxicological studies, dehydrogenase activity, and soil mesofauna composition indicated that environmental impacts of tailings storage facilities did not increase with age, but is more likely to be an indication of the rehabilitation measures administered to the different tailings storage facilities. / Thesis (M. Environmental Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es festzustellen, ob die unterschiedliche Versorgung mit Protein (XP), Threonin (Thr) und Glycin (Gly) bei einer limitierten Threoninversorgung einen Einfluss auf die Threonindehydrogenase-Aktivität (TDG-Aktivität) in der Leber von Küken und Laborratten hat. Dazu wurden 7 Versuche mit federgesexten männlichen Cobb-Küken und weißen Wistar-Ratten in verschiedenen Altersstufen und Lebendmassebereichen durchgeführt: Versuch 1: Küken vom 15. - 25. Lebenstag bei unterschiedlichen Rohproteingehalten. Die kalkulierten XP-Gehalte lagen bei 5,5%; 11,0%; 16,5%; 22,0%; 27,5% und 33,0%. Versuch 2: Küken vom 17. - 30. Lebenstag bei XP-Gehalten von 18,5% und 22,5% mit jeweils 2 Threoninstufen von 0,45% und 0,60% wahr fäcal verdaulichem Threonin. Versuch 3: Küken vom 10. - 20. Lebenstag bei XP-Gehalten von 16,5% und 22,0% und einer Steigerung des Threoningehaltes von 0,65% auf 0,79% Threonin bei 16,5% XP und 0,86% auf 1,05% Threonin bei 22,0% XP. Versuch 4: Küken vom 1. - 49. Lebenstag in Bodenhalten bei praxisnaher Phasenfütterung. Die Prüfung der Leber-Threonindehydrogenase erfolgte am 7., 21., 35. und 49. Lebenstag. Versuch 5: Küken vom 5. - 15. Lebenstag bei einem XP-Gehalt von einheitlich 22,0% und Glycingehalten von 0,64% und 0,98% und wahr fäcal verdaulichen Threoningehalten von 0,45% und 0,60% bei 0,64% bzw. 0,98% Glycingehalt. Die Gly+Ser-Gehalte betrugen insgesamt 1,55% bzw. 1,90%. Versuch 6: Weiße Wistar-Ratten im Lebendmassebereich von 106 - 140 g bei XP-Gehalten von 0%, 6,0%, 12,0%, 18,0% und 24,0%. Vesuch 7: Weiße Wistar-Ratten im Lebendmassebereich von 149 - 167 g und XP-Gehalten von 12,0% und 18,0% mit unterschiedlichen Threoningehalten von 0,28%, 0,42% und 0,72% bei 12,0% XP bzw. 0,42%, 0,52% und 0,72% bei 18,0% XP. Am Ende des jeweiligen Vesuches wurden die Lebern von jeweils 6 Tieren entnommen und für die Bestimmung der TDG-Aktivität in vitro aufbereitet. Die Threoninwirksamkeiten wurden aus N-Bilanzversuchen mit einem exponentiellen N-Verwertungsmodell abgeleitet. Folgende Ergebnisse wurden erzielt: 1. Durch die Erhöhung der XP-Gehalte stieg die TDG-Aktivität in der Kükenleber ab 22,0% XP in der Futtermischung trotz limitierter Threoninversorgung signifikant an. Die Threoninwirksamkeit war unverändert bis zu einem XP-Gehalt von 27,5% und fiel bei 33,0% XP signifikant ab. D. h. durch einen verstärkten Abbau von Threonin durch die TDG erfolgte eine Verminderung der Thr-Wirksamkeit bei der Futtermischungen mit hohem XP-Gehalt. 2. Bei einem XP-Gehalt von 18,5% und einem Anstieg der Thr-Konzentration von 0,45% auf 0,60% dThr zeigte sich kein Einfluss auf die TDG-Aktivität in der Kükenleber, wohl aber bei einem XP-Gehalt von 22,5% und einem Gehalt von 0,60% dThr war die TDG-Aktivität in der Kükenleber erhöht. Das könnte den Bereich angeben, in dem Threonin nicht mehr limitierend wirkt. 3. Bei einem Gehalt von 16,5% XP und einem Anstieg der Thr-Konzentration von 0,65% auf 0,79% wurde kein Einfluss auf die TDG-Aktivität in der Kükenleber ermittelt, dagegen stieg die TDG-Aktivität bei einem Gehalt von 22,0% XP und einer Erhöhung des Thr-Gehaltes von 0,86% auf 1,05% signifikant an. 4. Im Verlauf des Phasenfütterungsversuches zeigten sich altersabhängige Veränderungen der TDG-Aktivität, die mit Phasen eines besonders hohen metabolischen Bedarfes an Glycin erklärt weden können. 5. Bei einem XP-Gehalt von 22,0% (Gly + Ser-Gehalt 1,55%) führte die Erhöhung des Thr-Gehaltes von 0,45% auf 0,60% dThr zu einer mehreren Akkumulation von Gly in den Lebermitochondrien, jedoch nicht signifikantem Anstieg der TDG-Aktivität. Bei 1,90% Gly+Ser und 22,0% XP stieg die TDG-Aktivität nach Thr-Zulage signifikant an. Dieser Befund weist auf das Ende des Thr-Limitierungsbereiches hin. 6. Bei Laborratten lag die TDG-Aktivität bei einer proteinfreien Ration am niedrigsten, erhöhte sich bei einer XP-Steigerung bis 12,0% XP, verringerte sich geringfügig bis 18,0% XP und stieg von 18,0% bis 24,0% XP tendenziell an. Insgesamt beeinflusste das XP-Niveau die TDG-Aktivität aber nur zufällig. 7. Der Anstieg des Thr-Gehaltes von 0,28% auf 0,72% bei 12,0% XP bewirkte einen allmählichen Anstieg der TDG-Aktivität in den Rattenlebermitochondrien. Das trifft ebenfalls für die Futtermischung mit 18,0% XP zu, allerdings auf einem etwas höheren Niveau. Die TDG-Aktivität wurde nahezu ausschließlich durch die Aminoacetonakkumulierung moduliert. TDG-Aktivität und Thr-Wirksamkeit zeigten das Ende des Thr-Limitierungsbereiches an. Die in vitro TDG-Aktivitäten der Leber von Küken und Laborratten wird demnach nicht nur durch die Thr-Konzentrationen im Futter sondern auch vom XP-Gehalt und damit dem Angebot anderer Aminosäuren sowie vom Alter beeinflusst. Da offensichtlich Zusammenhänge zur unspezifischen Katabolisierungsrate anderer Aminosäuren bestehen, wird die Interpretation von TDG-Veränderungen (in vitro) erschwert. Bezüge zum Parameter Thr-Wirksamkeit sind mit Einschränkungen deutlich geworden und müssen, bevor quantitative Aussagen möglich sind, weiter erforscht werden.

New Zealand’s 5.3 million strong dairy herd returns approximately 106 million litres of urine to pasture soils daily. The urea in that urine is rapidly hydrolysed to ammonium (NH₄⁺), which is then nitrified, with denitrification of nitrate (NO₃⁻) ensuing. Nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), is produced via nitrification and denitrification, which are enzyme-catalysed processes mediated by soil microbes. Thus microbes are linked intrinsically to urine patch chemistry. However, few previous studies have investigated microbial dynamics in urine patches. Therefore the objective of these four experiments was to investigate the effects on soil microbial communities of cow urine deposition. Methods used included phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analyses of microbial community structure and microbial stress, dehydrogenase activity (DHA) assays measuring microbial activity, and headspace gas sampling of N₂O, ammonia (NH₃) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes. Experiment 1, a laboratory study, examined the influence of soil moisture and urinary salt content on the microbial community. Both urine application and high soil moisture increased microbial stress, as evidenced by significant changes in PLFA trans/cis and iso/anteiso ratios. Total PLFAs and DHA showed a short-term (< 1 week) stimulatory effect on microbes after urine application. Mean cumulative N₂O-N fluxes were 2.75% and 0.05% of the nitrogen (N) applied, from the wet (70% WFPS) and dry (35% WFPS) soils, respectively. Experiment 2, a field trial, investigated nutrient dynamics and microbial stress with plants present. Concentrations of the micronutrients, copper, iron and molybdenum, increased up to 20-fold after urine application, while soil phosphorus (P) concentrations decreased from 0.87 mg kg ⁻¹ to 0.48 mg kg⁻¹. Plant P was also lower in urine patches, but total PLFAs were higher, suggesting that microbes had utilised the available nutrients. Microbial stress again resulted from urine application but, in contrast to experiment 1, the fungal biomass recovered after its initial inhibition. Studies published during the course of this thesis reported that hippuric acid (HA) and its hydrolysis product benzoic acid (BA) significantly reduced N₂O-N emissions from synthetic cow urine, thus experiment 3 investigated this effect using real cow urine. Cumulative N₂O-N fluxes were 16.8, 5.9 and 4.7% of N applied for urine (U) alone, U+HA and U+BA, respectively. Since NH₃-N volatilisation remained unchanged, net gaseous N emissions were reduced. Trends in total PLFAs and microbial stress were comparable to experiment 1 results. Experiment 4 studied HA effects at different temperatures and found no inhibition of N₂O-N fluxes from HA-amended urine. However, mean cumulative N₂O-N fluxes were reduced from 7.6% of N applied at 15–20°C to 0.2% at 5–10°C. Total cumulative N emissions (N₂O-N + NH₃-N) were highest at 20°C (17.5% of N applied) and lowest at 10°C (9.8% of N applied). Microbial activity, measured as potential DHA, increased with increasing temperature. This work has clearly shown that the stimulation and inhibition of the soil microbial community by urine application are closely linked to soil chemistry and have significant impacts not only on soil nutrient dynamics but also on N₂O-N emissions and their possible mitigation.