Shenglu Zhou

Evaluation of spatial and temporal changes of soil quality based on geostatistical analysis in the hill region of subtropical China

Abstract Studies on the effect of land use alteration on the spatial variability of soil properties are limited. This study addressed the spatial and temporal variability of soil properties and changes of soil quality in a hill region of subtropical China using geostatistical methods. Soil samples from 0- to 15-cm depth were collected within 105 locations, on a 100×100 m grid basis over a 112-ha field, in 1985 and 1997, respectively. Soil properties showed large variability, with the highest coefficient of variation being observed for available P, the lowest for soil pH. Over the 12-year period, a significant decrease of soil organic matter appeared with original land use patterns of wasteland and paddy field, whereas other properties showed no significant changes. In addition to the alteration of wasteland, fertilization in upland increased available P and K, whereas the opposite appeared in forest restoration system. Changing wasteland into paddy field was found to increase soil fertility. A geostatistical analysis showed that all the soil properties (pH, organic mater, available P and K) and their changes between 1985 and 1997 were spatially structured. The nugget-to-sill ratio indicates a strong spatial dependence for soil pH, and a moderate spatial dependence for other properties. The ranges for soil properties in 1985 were equal to or larger than the diameter of the hills. Changing the land use patterns decreased the ranges for soil chemical properties. The ranges for soil pH and available K were similar to the radius of hills. Interpolation using kriging showed a spatial similarity among the soil properties. Soil properties decreased in the southeast quadrant of the research area where the land use was paddy field, while they increased around the center where arable upland was initially from wasteland. Thus, we propose a process to evaluate soil quality using the geostatistical methods as a potential analysis tool for monitoring changes at a farm scale.

Heavy metals in wheat grain: Assessment of potential health risk for inhabitants in Kunshan, China

Heavy metals (HMs) may cause deleterious effects on human health due to the ingestion of food grain grown in contaminated soils. Concentrations of HMs (Hg, As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Cd) in wheat grains were investigated in different areas of a developed industry city in Southeast China (Kunshan city), and their potential risk to health of inhabitants was estimated. The results showed that concentrations of HMs in the top soil (0-15 cm) were in this order: Zn>Cr>Ni>Pb>Cu>As>Hg>Cd. The Zn, Cr, Ni Cd and Hg concentrations of several soil samples exceeded the permissible limits of China standard. In addition, concentrations of HMs in wheat grain decreased in the order of Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Ni>Cd>As>Hg. There were 1, 6 and 10 wheat samples whose Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations were above the permissible limits of China standard, respectively. In relation to non-carcinogenic risks, Hazard Quotient (HQ) of individual metal presented values inside the safe interval. However, health risk due to the added effects of eight HMs was significant for rural children and rural adults, but not for urban adults and urban children. HQ (individual risk) and HI (Hazard Index of aggregate risk) to different inhabitants due to HMs followed the same sequence of: country children>country adults>urban children>urban adults. Amongst the HMs, potential health hazards due to As, Cu, Cd and Pb were great, and that due to Cr was the minimum. It was suggested to pay more attention on the potential added threat of HMs to the health of country inhabitants (both children and adults) through consumption of wheat in Kunshan.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils from urban to rural areas in Nanjing: Concentration, source, spatial distribution, and potential human health risk

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have become a major type of pollutant in urban areas and their degree of pollution and characteristics of spatial distribution differ between various regions. We conducted a comprehensive study about the concentration, source, spatial distribution, and health risk of 16 PAHs from urban to rural soils in Nanjing. The mean total concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑16PAHs) were 3330 ng g(-1) for urban soils, 1680 ng g(-1) for suburban soils, and 1060 ng g(-1) for rural soils. Five sources in urban, suburban, and rural areas of Nanjing were identified by positive matrix factorization. Their relative contributions of sources to the total soil PAH burden in descending order was coal combustion, vehicle emissions, biomass burning, coke tar, and oil in urban areas; in suburban areas the main sources of soil PAHs were gasoline engine and diesel engine, whereas in rural areas the main sources were creosote and biomass burning. The spatial distribution of soil PAH concentrations shows that old urban districts and commercial centers were the most contaminated of all areas in Nanjing. The distribution pattern of heavier PAHs was in accordance with ∑16PAHs, whereas lighter PAHs show some special characteristics. Health risk assessment based on toxic equivalency factors of benzo[a]pyrene indicated a low concentration of PAHs in most areas in Nanjing, but some sensitive sites should draw considerable attention. We conclude that urbanization has accelerated the accumulation of soil PAHs and increased the environmental risk for urban residents.

Determining the contributions of urbanisation and climate change to NPP variations over the last decade in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Terrestrial net primary production (NPP) is an important measure of global change, and identifying the relative contributions of urbanisation and climate change to NPP is important for understanding the impact of human and natural influences on terrestrial systems and the carbon cycle. The objective of this study was to reveal how urbanisation and climate drive changes in NPP. Satellite-based estimates of NPP collected over a 12-year period (1999-2010) were analysed to identify NPP variations in the Yangtze River Delta. Temporal and spatial analysis methods were used to identify the relationships among NPP, nighttime light urbanisation index values, and climatic factors from pixel to regional scales. The NPP of the entire Yangtze River Delta decreased slightly at a rate of -0.5 g C m(-2)a(-1) from 1999 to 2010, but this change was not significant. However, in the urban region, NPP decreased significantly (p<0.05) at a rate of -4.7 g C m(-2)a(-1) due to urbanisation processes. A spatially explicit method was proposed to partition the relative contributions of urbanisation and climate change to NPP variation. The results revealed that the urbanisation factor is the main driving force for NPP change in high-speed urbanisation areas, and the factor accounted for 47% of the variations. However, in the forest and farm regions, the NPP variation was mainly controlled by climate change and residual factors.

Heavy metals in food crops, soil, and water in the Lihe River Watershed of the Taihu Region and their potential health risks when ingested

Environmental pollution by heavy metals resulting from rapid economic development is a major concern. Soil, water, wheat, and rice samples were collected from the Lihe River Watershed in the Taihu Region (east China). In this study area, many types of industrial plants, including ceramics factories, plants working with refractory materials, and chemical plants are densely distributed and cause serious heavy metal pollution. In addition, well-developed transportation and agricultural activities are also important sources of heavy metals. Thus, the concentrations of selected heavy metals including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the samples were analyzed to evaluate their potential integral risk (IR) to the health of the local population. Accordingly, the spatial distribution pattern of the IR values was determined in the study. The soil in the study area showed heavy Cd pollution, whereas the pollution by other elements was relatively slight. When the proportions of grain samples in which the concentrations exceeded the tolerance limits were examined, the grains were primarily contaminated with Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn; and less contaminated with Cu and Cr. The drinking water of the local inhabitants was safe. The average IR value was 3.53 for adults and 3.91 for children, indicating that both adults and children may experience adverse health effects. The spatial distribution pattern of the IR values among the exposed populations in the study area showed high values in the eastern and middle parts, with maximum values >5, and low values in the western part, with minimum values <2. This is consistent with the distributions of the industries and the population. The study may provide a basis for comparison to other regions both in China and worldwide.

Soil Organic Carbon Transformation and Related Properties in Urban Soil Under Impervious Surfaces

Installation of impervious surface in urban area prevents the exchange of material and energy between soil and other environmental counterparts, thereby resulting in negative efiects on soil function and urban environment. Soil samples were collected at 0{20 cm depth in Nanjing City, China, in which seven sites were selected for urban open soils, and fourteen sites with similar parent material were selected for the impervious-covered soils, to examine the efiect of impervious surface on soil properties and microbial activities, and to determine the most important soil properties associated with soil organic carbon (SOC) transformation in the urban soils covered by impervious surfaces. Soil organic carbon and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) concentrations, potential carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization rates, basal respiration, and physicochemical properties with respect to C transformation were measured. Installation of impervious surface severely afiected soil physicochemical properties and microbial activities, e.g., it signiflcantly decreased total N contents, potential C mineralization and basal respiration rate (P < 0:01), while increased pH, clay and Olsen-P concentrations. Soil organic carbon in the sealed soils at 0{20 cm was 2.35 kg m i2 , which was signiflcantly lower than the value of 4.52 kg m i2 in the open soils (P < 0:05). Canonical correlation analysis showed WSOC played a major role in determining SOC transformation in the impervious-covered soil, and it was highly correlated with total N content and potential C mineralization rate. These flndings demonstrate that installation of impervious surface in urban area, which will result in decreases of SOC and total N concentrations and soil microbial activities, has certain negative consequences for soil fertility and long-term storage of SOC.

Characteristics and Source Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Urban Soils: A Review

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mainly produced by combustion processes and consist of a number of toxic compounds. They are always emitted as a mixture and have become a major type of pollutants in urban areas. The degree of soil contamination by PAHs is of special concern in areas immediately in proximity to cities with heavy traffic, factories, older buildings, and infrastructure. The accumulation of soil PAHs is also affected by non–anthropogenic factors, such as climate, vegetation, and soil property. This paper reviews three typical source identification techniques, including diagnostic ratios, positive matrix factorization, and principle components analysis. The advantages or disadvantages of these techniques are analyzed. It is recommended that multiple identification techniques be used to determine the sources in order to minimize the weaknesses inherent in each method and thereby to strengthen the conclusions for PAH source identification.

Monitoring and prediction of soil moisture spatial–temporal variations from a hydropedological perspective: a review

Accurate prediction of soil moisture spatial–temporal variations remains critical in agronomic, hydrological, pedological, and environmental studies. Traditional approaches of soil moisture monitoring and prediction have limitations of being time-consuming, labour-intensive, and costly for direct field observation; and having low spatial resolution for remote sensing, and inconsistent accuracy and reliability for landscape feature (e.g. topography, land use, vegetation) modelling. Innovative and effective approaches for accurate soil moisture simulation are needed. Pedological properties, including soil structure, particle size distribution, porosity, horizon, redox feature, and organic matter content, have been accepted as important factors controlling soil moisture and can be potentially used in soil moisture prediction. However, pedological properties mostly lack quantification (e.g. redox feature, horizon, soil structure), and soil sampling and analysis are time-consuming and costly, especially at large spatial scale. These limitations have restricted the utilisation of pedological information to predict soil moisture spatial–temporal variations at different spatial scales. To overcome these difficulties, new tools including geophysical tools and computed tomography, and new methods including mining soil survey information and integrating pedological information with landscape features and modelling, are proposed in this paper.

Density and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon beneath Impervious Surfaces in Urban Areas

Installation of impervious surfaces in urban areas has attracted increasing attention due to its potential hazard to urban ecosystems. Urban soils are suggested to have robust carbon (C) sequestration capacity; however, the C stocks and dynamics in the soils covered by impervious surfaces that dominate urban areas are still not well characterized. We compared soil organic C (SOC) densities and their stabilities under impervious surface, determined by a 28-d incubation experiment, with those in open areas in Yixing City, China. The SOC density (0–20 cm) under impervious surfaces was, on average, 68% lower than that in open areas. Furthermore, there was a significantly (P<0.05) positive correlation between the densities of SOC and total nitrogen (N) in the open soils, whereas the correlation was not apparent for the impervious-covered soils, suggesting that the artificial soil sealing in urban areas decoupled the cycle of C and N. Cumulative CO2-C evolved during the 28-d incubation was lower from the impervious-covered soils than from the open soils, and agreed well with a first-order decay model (C t = C 1+C 0(1-e -kt)). The model results indicated that the SOC underlying capped surfaces had weaker decomposability and lower turnover rate. Our results confirm the unique character of urban SOC, especially that beneath impervious surface, and suggest that scientific and management views on regional SOC assessment may need to consider the role of urban carbon stocks.

Installation of impervious surface in urban areas affects microbial biomass, activity (potential C mineralisation), and functional diversity of the fine earth

Artificial soil sealing in urban areas has attracted increasing attention due to its potential hazard to urban ecosystems. It has negative impacts on soil function and the urban environment, since the impervious surface can hamper the exchange of material and energy between the soil and other environmental compartments. However, information about the effects of artificial soil sealing in urban area on soil quality and properties, especially the microbiological components, is still limited. Ten plots which differed in land use were selected from Nanjing City, China, to investigate the effects of impervious surfaces on microbiological characteristics in urban soil. Plot types were paved road, residential paved square, residential paved alley, and grassed area. Soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and nitrogen (Nmic), and activities were analysed, and the microbial functional diversity of fine earth (<2 mm material) was characterised by the Biolog EcoPlate technique. Mean concentrations of soil organic carbon (SOC), Cmic, and Nmic in fine earth from the impervious areas (0–20 cm) were, respectively, 6.5 g kg–1, 55.8 mg kg–1, and 12.2 mg kg–1, which were significantly lower than concentrations from grass areas. Urban sealing also resulted in decreases in soil microbial activity and functional diversity, but the influences on soil microbial diversity varied among land uses, with road pavement having the most negative effect. Substrate use patterns showed that microorganisms in urban sealed soils had higher utilisation of polymers (P < 0.05) but lower use of carbohydrates and amines/amides (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that SOC in the sealed soils was more stable than in open soils, and the installation of impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete, which are very common in urban areas, can result in decreases in SOC content, soil microbial activity, and diversity in urban soil.