https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gpglulucf/gpglulucf_files/0_Task1_Cover/Cover_TOC.pdf

Good Practice Guidance for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry

Review of iron-free Fenton-like systems for activating H2O2 in advanced oxidation processes

Microbes play key geoactive roles in the biosphere, particularly in the areas of element biotransformations and biogeochemical cycling, metal and mineral transformations, decomposition, bioweathering, and soil and sediment formation. All kinds of microbes, including prokaryotes and eukaryotes and their symbiotic associations with each other and 'higher organisms', can contribute actively to geological phenomena, and central to many such geomicrobial processes are transformations of metals and minerals. Microbes have a variety of properties that can effect changes in metal speciation, toxicity and mobility, as well as mineral formation or mineral dissolution or deterioration. Such mechanisms are important components of natural biogeochemical cycles for metals as well as associated elements in biomass, soil, rocks and minerals, e.g. sulfur and phosphorus, and metalloids, actinides and metal radionuclides. Apart from being important in natural biosphere processes, metal and mineral transformations can have beneficial or detrimental consequences in a human context. Bioremediation is the application of biological systems to the clean-up of organic and inorganic pollution, with bacteria and fungi being the most important organisms for reclamation, immobilization or detoxification of metallic and radionuclide pollutants. Some biominerals or metallic elements deposited by microbes have catalytic and other properties in nanoparticle, crystalline or colloidal forms, and these are relevant to the development of novel biomaterials for technological and antimicrobial purposes. On the negative side, metal and mineral transformations by microbes may result in spoilage and destruction of natural and synthetic materials, rock and mineral-based building materials (e.g. concrete), acid mine drainage and associated metal pollution, biocorrosion of metals, alloys and related substances, and adverse effects on radionuclide speciation, mobility and containment, all with immense social and economic consequences. The ubiquity and importance of microbes in biosphere processes make geomicrobiology one of the most important concepts within microbiology, and one requiring an interdisciplinary approach to define environmental and applied significance and underpin exploitation in biotechnology.

http://dzumenvis.nic.in/Physiology/pdf/Metals,%20minerals%20and%20microbes.pdf

Metals, minerals and microbes: geomicrobiology and bioremediation

Use of cellulose-based wastes for adsorption of dyes from aqueous solutions.

Grasslands are heavily relied upon for food and forage production. A key component for sustaining production in grassland ecosystems is the maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM), which can be strongly influenced by management. Many management techniques intended to increase forage production may potentially increase SOM, thus sequestering atmospheric carbon (C). Further, conversion from either cultivation or native vegetation into grassland could also sequester atmospheric carbon. We reviewed studies examining the influence of improved grassland management practices and conversion into grasslands on soil C worldwide to assess the potential for C sequestration. Results from 115 studies containing over 300 data points were analyzed. Management improvements included fertilization (39%), improved grazing management (24%), conversion from cul- tivation (15%) and native vegetation (15%), sowing of legumes (4%) and grasses (2%), earthworm introduction (1%), and irrigation (1%). Soil C content and concentration in- creased with improved management in 74% of the studies, and mean soil C increased with all types of improvement. Carbon sequestration rates were highest during the first 40 yr after treatments began and tended to be greatest in the top 10 cm of soil. Impacts were greater in woodland and grassland biomes than in forest, desert, rain forest, or shrubland biomes. Conversion from cultivation, the introduction of earthworms, and irrigation resulted in the largest increases. Rates of C sequestration by type of improvement ranged from 0.1 1 to 3.04 Mg C-ha-l yr-l, with a mean of 0.54 Mg C-ha-l yr-l, and were highly influenced by biome type and climate. We conclude that grasslands can act as a significant carbon sink with the implementation of improved management.

/pdf/grassland-management-and-conversion-into-grassland-effects-lg2yr5vesx.pdf

Grassland management and conversion into grassland: effects on soil carbon

We have examined the effects of both pH and phosphate concentrations on molyb-date sorption by four Chilean Andisols with varying chemical properties. For both anions adsorption decreased with an increase in soil pH and also with organic matter content in the soils. In general, more phosphate than molybdate was sorbed by the soils. The Freundlich equation adequately described adsorption of both anions. Dif-ferences in the extent of sorption of molybdate and phosphate and in isotherm shape between soils were ascribed to variations in soil properties. The competitive sorp-tion data were adequately described by the multicomponent Freundlich equations. Phosphate strongly competed with molybdate for sorption sites on the Andisols, causing molybdate sorption to decrease by 10−27%. The competition coefficients for phosphate and molybdate sorption were variable, indicating that competition between the two anions was not symmetrical. The present results provide further evidence to indicate that the surfaces of Andisols are rich in reactive Al-OH and Fe-OH groups, exposed at colloidal particle surfaces. Molybdate sorption appeared to be mainly associated with free Al- and Fe-oxides, while phosphate sorption was primarily regulated by Al- and Fe-humus complexes.

/pdf/competitive-sorption-of-molybdate-and-phosphate-in-andisols-dw7b3d8fud.pdf

Competitive sorption of molybdate and phosphate in Andisols

Assessing the capacity of some New Zealand clays for decolourizing vegetable oil and butter

Clay–Organic Interactions in Soil Environments

Agricultural soils are an important source of greenhouse gases (GHG). Biochar application to such soils has the potential of mitigating global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Under irrigation, the topsoils in arid regions experience repeated drying and wetting during the crop growing season. Biochar incorporation into these soils would change the soil microbial environment and hence affect GHG emissions. Little information, however, is available regarding the effect of biochar addition on carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural soils undergoing repeated drying and wetting. Here, we report the results of a 49-day aerobic incubation experiment, incorporating biochar into an anthropogenic alluvial soil in an arid region of Xinjiang Province, China, and measuring CO2 and N2O emissions. Under both drying-wetting and constantly moist conditions, biochar amendment significantly increased cumulative CO2 emission. At the same time, there was a significant reduction (up to ~20 %) in cumulative N2O emission, indicating that the addition of biochar to irrigated agricultural soils may effectively slow down global warming in arid regions of China.

Benny K.G. Theng

Papers

Competitive sorption of molybdate and phosphate in Andisols

Assessing the capacity of some New Zealand clays for decolourizing vegetable oil and butter

Clay–Organic Interactions in Soil Environments

Effect of biochar addition on short-term N2O and CO2 emissions during repeated drying and wetting of an anthropogenic alluvial soil.

Geochemical characteristics of heavy metal contamination induced by a sudden wastewater discharge from a smelter