Innovation potential along the phosphorus supply chain: A micro and macro perspective on the mining phase.

Phosphorus is unique, given its characteristic of being essential for all life on Earth. The element is non-substitutable and finite in the form of highly concentrated phosphate-rock deposits. Thus, humankind should strive to utilize this resource in the most-efficient and sustainable manner.

Quantifying direct carbon dioxide emissions from wastewater treatment units by nondispersive infrared sensor (NDIR) - A pilot study.

Treatment of nutrient-rich wastewater potentially results in direct release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO, NO or CH - and thus affects Waste Water Treatment Plant's carbon footprint. Accurate CO quantification is challenging due to various chemical, physical and operational conditions. A floating chamber equipped with a nondispersive infrared, single beam, dual wavelength sensor has been evaluated for a pilot approach to quantify fugitive CO emissions above different wastewater treatment units.

GEMAS: CNS concentrations and C/N ratios in European agricultural soil.

A reliable overview of measured concentrations of TC, TN and TS, TOC/TN ratios, and their regional distribution patterns in agricultural soil at the continental scale and based on measured data has been missing - despite much previous work on local and the European scales. Detection and mapping of natural (ambient) background element concentrations and variability in Europe was the focus of this work. While total C and S data had been presented in the GEMAS atlas already, this work delivers more precise (lower limit of determination) and fully quantitative data, and for the first time high-quality TN data.

Assessment of the Spatial Distribution of Metal(Oid)s in Soils Around an Abandoned Pb-Smelter Plant.

Todos os Santos (All Saints) Bay area, NE-Brazil, is known for one of the most important cases of urban lead (Pb) contamination in the world. The main objective of this work was to assess and interpret the spatial distribution of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn in "background" soils of this environmentally impacted bay area, using a combination of geostatistical and multivariate analytical methods to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic sources of those metal(oid)s in soils. We collected 114 topsoil samples (0.

Pedogeochemistry in NE-Brazil - compared to Australia and Europe.

A soil geochemical dataset (major and minor elements), based on low-density sampling, is provided for NE-Brazil (ca. 1.7 million km²).

Experimental degradation of polymer shopping bags (standard and degradable plastic, and biodegradable) in the gastrointestinal fluids of sea turtles.

The persistence of marine debris such as discarded polymer bags has become globally an increasing hazard to marine life. To date, over 177 marine species have been recorded to ingest man-made polymers that cause life-threatening complications such as gut impaction and perforation. This study set out to test the decay characteristics of three common types of shopping bag polymers in sea turtle gastrointestinal fluids (GIF): standard and degradable plastic, and biodegradable.

Linking biological and physicochemical water quality.

To define water quality, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) demands complex assessments through physicochemical, biological, and hydromorphological controls of water bodies. Since the biological assessment became the central focus with hydrochemistry playing a supporting role, an evaluation of the interrelationships within this approach deems necessary. This work identified and tested these relationships to help improve the quality and efficiency of related efforts.

Lead and strontium isotopes as indicators for mixing processes of waters in the former mine 'Himmelfahrt Fundgrube', Freiberg (Germany).

To pinpoint the origin and mixing processes of mine waters, different mine water types from the polymetallic sulphide ore deposit 'Himmelfahrt Fundgrube' (Freiberg, Germany) were analysed by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry using lead and strontium isotope ratios. Results show that the lead isotope composition of different mine waters results from a mixture of at least two sources: released lead from oxidised sulphide ores (mainly galena) and anthropogenic lead from groundwater. Furthermore, there are indications for an additional lead source.

Regional and temporal (1992-2004) evolution of air-borne sulphur isotope composition in Saxony, southeastern Germany, central Europe.

The isotopic composition of air-borne sulphur was investigated in Saxony, Southeast Germany--a region with formerly very high atmospheric SO(2) concentrations. In addition, data from various authors were compiled for different Saxonian locations, spanning from 1992 to 2004, i.e.

Contribution to the geochemistry of trace elements in the sediments of the Noun River and tributaries, western Cameroon.

This study reports on the distribution of trace elements in the sediments of the Noun River valley. Two groups of trace elements have emerged based on their distribution and geochemical behaviour. The first group shows lower values whereas the second group aligns higher values.

Development of a robust technique for sampling volatile metal(loid)s in wetlands.

The formation of volatile organic and inorganic metals and metalloids in aquatic environments is a known, but not very intensively investigated, process. Several techniques have been developed over the past 10 years to determine these trace components. These techniques are of limited use in wetland environments, where samples have to be taken from the soil-water interface, and require an immediate sample analysis due to thermodynamic instabilities of the volatile metal(loid)s.

Arsenic in the geosphere--a review.

An attempt is made to quantify the global element cycle for arsenic, based on an extensive literature research with special emphasis on the most recent works. Reservoirs in and fluxes within and through lithosphere, atmosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthrosposphere are being presented. Crucial knowledge gaps are addressed and some simple model calculations partially question currently held ideas about sources, pathways, and the fate of arsenic in the environment.

Epilithic Lichen-Atmospheric Deposition Monitors of Trace Elements and Organohalogens?

Epilithic lichen (Xanthoria elegans in Canada, Lecanora muralis in Germany) were gathered from 17 locations in Ontario, Canada (from Lake Ontario to James Bay) and 43 locations in Germany (from the Alps to the North Sea and from the Baltic Sea to the Erzgebirge). Sample aliquots were digested in nitric acid and trace elements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrom-etry techniques. The organohalogens were determined as absorbable organic halogens (AOXs) by coulometry.

Catchment acidification-from the top down.

Three main factors define the speed of catchment acidification: the total input of pollutants; the thickness and character of soils, including the nature of the bedrock; and the size of subcatchments. The aerial input of pollutants in the Harz is among the highest in Central Europe (e.g.