The proper orthogonal decomposition: A powerful tool for studying drop oscillations.

Liquid metal drops are released onto different wettable solid substrates. Their post-impact oscillations are recorded at 1000 images/s as soon as the triple line is at rest. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is used to get and identify the frequencies involved.

Decomposition of leaves of the metallophyte Arabidopsis halleri in soil microcosms: fate of Zn and Cd from plant residues.

In order to better understand the fate of metals during the biodegradation of organic matter in soils, an in vitro incubation experiment was conducted with metal-rich and metal-free leaves of Arabidopsis halleri introduced in a non-contaminated soil. During incubation of these microcosms, we followed the partitioning of Zn and Cd between the solution and their solid components, by determining the metal contents of six soil fractions and dissolved metals after granulo-densimetric separations at selected times. Microbial biomass and exchangeable metals in K(2)SO(4) solutions were also determined at the same times, and two main stages were identified.

Decomposition in soil microcosms of leaves of the metallophyte Arabidopsis halleri: effect of leaf-associated heavy metals on biodegradation.

More knowledge is needed concerning the disturbance of soil organic matter cycling due to heavy metal pollution. The present study deals with the impact of heavy metal pollution on litter breakdown. Our aim was to assess whether heavy metals initially present in the leaves of the metallophyte Arabidopsis halleri: (i) slow down the rate of C mineralization, in relation to metal toxicity towards microflora, and/or (ii) increase the amount of organic C resistant to biodegradation, in relation to an intrinsic resistance of metallophyte residues to biodegradation.

Strategies of heavy metal uptake by three plant species growing near a metal smelter.

Some higher plant species have developed heavy metal tolerance strategies which enable them to survive and reproduce in highly metal-contaminated soils. We have investigated such heavy metal uptake and accumulation strategies of two absolute metallophyte species (Armeria maritima ssp. halleri and Cardaminopsis halleri) and one pseudometallophyte (Agrostis tenuis) growing near a former metal smelter.