Soil and Environmental Sciences 

About: Soil and Environmental Sciences is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Soil water & Soil organic matter. Over the lifetime, 1139 publications have been published receiving 3107 citations.

Loss of Fertilizer N from Plants-soil System and the Strategies and Techniques for Its Reduction

Abstract: The present paper summarizes the studies conducted in China relevant to the improvement in the efficiency of fertilizer N by reducing N losses from crop plant-soil systems. It includes those topics such as the extent, pathways and mechanisms of fertilizer N losses from soil-plant systems, the agronomic efficiency of fertilizer N and the environmental impact of N loss, and the principles and techniques for reducing N loss and improving N efficiency. The efficacy of optimization of the rate and timing of N application, deep placement, irrigation-fertilization, urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors, and surface film for reducing ammonia loss from flooded rice fields are thoroughly discussed.

Contamination of heavy metals in soil present situation and method

Abstract: The article has herein presented a clarification of source and distribution of heavy metal contamination in soil and a systematic synthesis of the study on and control over the contaminations at home and abroad. The methods of treating polluted soils by environmental mineral materials are of characteristics of economical, effective, recontaminationless and retrieve metals. It opens up a vast range of prospects for researching and utilizing of environmental mineralogy .A general awareness of soil improvement and environmental protection has been suggested.

Progress of the research on the properties of biochars and their influence on soil environmental functions

Abstract: In the partial or total absence of oxygen,thermal decomposition of plant-derived biomass can be manipulated to yield a solid carbon-rich residue generically referred to as biochar.The research on biochar has received a wide attention recently because of its potential applications in various areas including agriculture,environment protection,and carbon abatement by increasing the car-bon sink in soils.This article summarizes various basic properties of biochars and their effects on soil environmental functions and discusses the future trends in this area.Biochars contain large amounts of nutrients,which can enhance nutrient cycling and plant growth.One important property of biochars is that they are commonly alkaline and thus can ameliorate soil acidity and reduce the toxicity of aluminum and heavy metals to plants.Many oxygen-containing functional groups such as-COOH,-COH,and-OH are present in biochars.These functional groups can increase the cation exchange capacity(CEC) of biachars and in turn increase the soil CEC when biochars are applied in soils.Biochars have a high adsorption capacity for organic pollutants and heavy metals and thus can be used to remediate contaminated soils.With enriched porous structures,biachars can increase the porosity and water retention capacity of soils and can thus reduce soil bulk density,which is beneficial to root growth.Biochars are carbonaceous materials that contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with an array of other functional groups.This feature is responsible for the high chemical and biological stability and strong resistance to microbiological degradation observed for biochars.It is also responsible for the en-hanced carbon sequestration capacity for soils and the reduction in the release of carbon to the atmosphere.This article should be of interest to large groups of researchers in various areas such as agricultural waste utilization,sequestration of carbon and its emission reduction,remediation of contaminated soils,and amelioration and management of soils.

Distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in surface sediment in Laizhou Bay

Abstract: Laizhou Bay is a semi-enclosed bay of weak water exchange capacity,and the impact of the pollution is increasingly heavier for the rivers into the sea,therefore,understanding and discussing the degree and ecological risk of heavy metal pollution in Laizhou Bay is very significant.According to the characteristics of Laizhou Bay,the contents of Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd,Hg,As,clay and organic carbon in the 30 surface sediments samples in Laizhou Bay were measured,in May of 2008.Firstly,the content and distributed characteristics of these heavy metals,and the relevance with different particle size and organic carbon were discussed,and methods of pollution assessment and the potential ecological risk assessment were used.The result indicated that the average contents of heavy metals were low,and most of them were lower than the first class of GB 18668-2002.Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd and As appeared high-value in the central region.Cd and Hg presented high-value in the Xiaoqiang Estuary and eastern region respectively.Cu,Pb,Zn,Cd and As showed the positive correlation between each other (except Cd and As) as well as clay and organic carbon.The single-factor of heavy metals in surface sediment indicated a lower pollution degree,and the order of polluted degree was CdPbZn CuAsHg.Approximately the contaminated index of 30% sites were more than 5,which reached the moderate level and mainly distributed in the Xiaoqing Estuary,the central and eastern region.A low level condition in Laizhou Bay was showed,and the order of potential ecological risk was HgCdAsPbCuZn.The eastern part had high-value,mainly due to Hg.

Technologies status and management strategies of municipal solid waste disposal in China

Abstract: In recent years,the production of municipal solid waste(MSW) in China has been increasing at a 10% annually,but the processing capacity is relatively laggard.This paper reviewed the advantages/disadvantages and application status of three commonly used treatment technology:landfill,incineration and composting.With reference to the outstanding issues during the waste collection,transport and disposal,the paper put forword explicit suggestions and measures.Firstly,improve laws and regulations,implement waste classified collection,strengthen of source control.Secondly,innovate of the management system,promote market-oriented operation mechanism,and the government should strengthen the policy guidance and supervision.Thirdly,according to Polluter Pays Principle,establish and perfect the garbage charge system.Lastly,make full use of various media to strengthen publicity activities and to improve the public environmental awareness.Meanwhile,the paper also discussed the technology development trend of MSW treatment and suggested that incineration will be the most promising technology in the near future;Gasifying and melting technology is a new-style incineration technology with efficient reutilization and waste’ near zero release.Bioreactor landfill technology is able to reduce leachate quantity and lower the processing cost,having abroad market potential.Composting technology can be a pretreatment method before incineration or landfill.MSW comprehensive treatment integrate the advantages of several treatment technologies,it can realize "Decrement,Resources and Harmless",at the same time,it saves the treatment cost and improves economic benefit,which could be the prior development trend of MSW treatment in future.