Sphagnum
mosses are used for biomonitoring air pollution. In 2019, samples were taken from two peat bogs areas in Germany and two in Slovenia to determine differences in their levels of potentially ...toxic elements (PTE). The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) lockdown caused a global decrease in air pollution. Therefore, we repeated the monitoring in 2020 to see if this was also reflected in moss composition. Despite the variability within bogs and the areas, it is possible to distinguish the degree of air pollution between the two countries. In comparison to 2019, the German mosses have higher contents of almost all elements and the Slovenian are enriched in Cr and Hg in 2020. Comparison of the PTE contents, their ratios to Sc, and the enrichment factors show that the COVID-19 lockdown led to a decrease in long-range pollutants bound to finest particles and increased the influence of local soil dusting. The effect prevailed over lower precipitation in 2020 compared to 2019. Transport and industry continued to contribute significantly to contamination.
Sphagnum
mosses proved to be good indicators of the spatial and temporal extent of pollution. Even relatively short periods of lower air pollution are reflected in moss PTE contents.
When playing in sandboxes, children are particularly vulnerable to poisoning with potentially toxic elements (PTE) due to their hand-to-mouth behaviour. In Slovenia, the city of Celje is heavily ...contaminated due to zinc ore smelting and iron industry. In some sandboxes, sand from Mežica Pb-Zn mine waste was used. Granulometric and XRF analysis showed that all samples contain larger percentage of fine-sized particles and some have higher As, Ba, Cd, Pb and Zn contents than allowed. By XRD and SEM/EDS analysis we identified carries of PTE, and confirmed three possible sources of contamination: the waste material from the Pb-Zn mine, the emissions from local industry and from the old Zn-smelting stockpile used as a landfill. The total health risk (ΣHI) exceeds critical value in one sandbox. The bioaccessibility of PTEs is alarming due to presence of highly soluble metal-bearing particles. Study revealed importance of combining results of health risk evaluation with bioaccessibility of elements, which is a function of the carriers of PTE. This knowledge is essential for undertaking remedial measures. Improper use of waste material could result in introducing hazardous material in the environment. We propose frequent replacement of sand and stricter legislation regulating status and usage of waste materials.
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•Playground sandboxes and nearby soils are contaminated with PTE.•PTE sources are mine waste used as sand and local Zn-smelter stockpile resuspension.•PTE carriers are Pb-Zn ore minerals, Zn-smelting slag and pigments.•Improper reuse of mine waste material is important contamination source.•health risk indices are low, but high PTE bioaccessibility is of great concern.
•Clay-rich soils on limestones from the Dinaric Karst region are classified as Luvisols.•Illuvial processes explain differences in the geochemical and mineral composition of horizons.•Allochthonous ...contributions from different sources influence the formation of Luvisols.•Pedogenesis prevails over heterogeneity of profile sites and contribution of allochthonous material.•Well-developed soil horizons indicate intense pedogenetic processes.
In environments with high precipitation, eluvial–illuvial processes play a key role in pedogenesis. Vertical translocation of clay leads to the formation of an argic horizon. Such soils are of global importance and formed on different rock substrates under different climatic conditions. However, the pedogenesis of clay-rich soils developed on limestone in humid temperate climates has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the geochemical and mineral compositions and properties of Luvisols (10 profiles) from the Dinaric karst region and identify the geochemical indicators of eluvial–illuvial processes. The geochemical and mineral differences between the A, E, and Bt horizons could be explained by the pedogenic processes of biorecycling, migration, isomorphic substitution in minerals, surface adsorption to clay or Al/Fe oxide minerals, and precipitation from the soil solution. Illuviation is evident in the downward increase in Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, K2O, Ba, Co, Cr, Ga, Ni, Sc, Th, U, V, Y, and REE. Despite differences in the geochemical characteristics of the 10 studied profiles, eluvial–illuvial processes outweighed the heterogeneity of the soils from different sites and the probable contribution of allochthonous material to the soil. We established new textural and geochemical indicators that could explain the differences among horizons and profiles in light of the polygenetic origin of soil material and pedological processes.
The common human SNP rs3820282 is associated with multiple phenotypes including gestational length and likelihood of endometriosis and cancer, presenting a paradigmatic pleiotropic variant. ...Deleterious pleiotropic mutations cause the co-occurrence of disorders either within individuals, or across population. When adverse and advantageous effects are combined, pleiotropy can maintain high population frequencies of deleterious alleles. To reveal the causal molecular mechanisms of this pleiotropic SNP, we introduced this substitution into the mouse genome by CRISPR/Cas 9. Previous work showed that rs3820282 introduces a high-affinity estrogen receptor alpha-binding site at the Wnt4 locus. Here, we show that this mutation upregulates Wnt4 transcription in endometrial stroma, following the preovulatory estrogen peak. Effects on uterine transcription include downregulation of epithelial proliferation and induction of progesterone-regulated pro-implantation genes. We propose that these changes increase uterine permissiveness to embryo invasion, whereas they decrease resistance to invasion by cancer and endometriotic foci in other estrogen-responsive tissues.
From 1992 to 1994, trace metal concentrations of bog water, Sphagnum mosses and peat cores of the bog “Georgenfelder Hochmoor” at Zinnwald-Georgenfeld in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Germany) were ...investigated. A sampling campaign in September 2019 allows the comparison of the older measurements with today's trace metal concentrations. No changes were found in the bog waters, while the trace metal concentrations of the Sphagnum mosses have decreased significantly. Due to the low growth rate of the peat and despite certain heterogeneity between the peat cores, the investigated elemental data for the peat sampled in the 1990s and in 2019 are in the same concentration range. The maximum concentrations are measured in the upper samples of all peat cores for the analysed elements (except sulphur). Compared to upper crustal data, a different behaviour of the elements is observed: Cr, Sc, Ti, and V, rare earth elements show crustal ratios, while Al and Si are also influenced by crust-air fractionation. Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn are additionally enriched by anthropogenic atmospheric inputs from industry and transport. These results confirm the assumption that peat cores record past atmospheric deposition.
The present contribution reports new whole-rock major and trace element data, REE, and Sr–Nd isotopic ratios for the early Miocene Pohorje igneous complex (PIC) in Slovenia (Eastern Alps), which, ...along with published data, are used to investigate its genesis and evolution. The complex comprises three main rock-groups. The largest one is made of granodiorite and minor tonalite (GTD) enclosing mafic microgranular enclaves (MME), and a small Q-dioritic body. The second group prevailingly consists of dacite stocks and dykes, and porphyritic microgranodiorite (DAMG). Andesitic dykes (AD), intruding metamorphic rocks and less often the GDT, constitute the third group. Aplites and pegmatites intrude both the Pohorje igneous complex and the country rocks.
Evidence of interaction between magmas has been observed only in the GDT rocks. In the southeastern part of the complex the GDT rocks are less evolved and emplaced at greater depth (ca. 16.5–17.6 km) than the rocks cropping out in the northwestern part (ca. 12.4–13.8 km). DAMG rocks can be divided geochemically into two groups, high-Ga DAMG and low-Ga DAMG, having similar chemical composition with the most evolved GDT, and the most evolved andesitic dykes, respectively. The andesitic dykes can be divided into three groups that differ in LILE contents from each other up to three orders of magnitude.
A Mixing plus Fractional Crystallization (MFC) process between the least evolved MME and the most evolved DAMG rocks is considered responsible for the formation of the two diversely evolved GDT. Two of the three AD groups (AD1, AD3) originated in the mantle, whereas the third one (AD2) is considered as the result of an AFC process between the less enriched andesite (AD1) and continental crust (gneiss). The same process is considered responsible for the low-Ga DAMG genesis.
The most mafic magma is presumably the result of melting of mantle wedge differently metasomatized and enriched in LILE due to fluids, sediment melts, and bulk sediments. The felsic end-member magma of the MFC process originated from partial melting of intermediate-lower crust having intermediate to basaltic composition. Geodynamic sequence for the formation of the PIC comprehend mantle metasomatism during Alpine subduction, thickening of crust during the collision that followed subduction, and production of mantle melts in response to delamination caused by opening of the Pannonian basin and asthenospheric upwelling. Crustal derived melts resulted by underplating of mantle-derived magmas.
•Miocene Pohorje igneous complex comprises plutonic, volcanic and sub volcanic rocks.•Melting of mantle metasomatized by fluids, sediments, and sediment melts.•Delamination caused by opening of the Pannonian basin and asthenosphere upwelling.•Crust-derived melts generated through underplating of mantle-derived magmas.•Complex evolutionary process like fractionation, magma mixing and crustal assimilation.
Purpose
In spite of equal lithology, the local climate can affect soils’ geochemical characteristics. We investigated the dependence of heavy metal content on climatic factors according to a ...hierarchical nested analysis of variance design (ANOVA).
Materials and methods
We examined the heavy metal content in soils developed on the Upper Triassic dolomite at six locations situated at increasing distances from the Adriatic Sea towards inland. We tested the influence of the locations’ position, i.e. climate, vegetation cover, small-scale variability and analytical error. Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contents were determined by emission spectrometry.
Results and discussion
An initial increase in annual precipitation towards inland is followed by a steady decrease. Very high small-scale variability prevented statistically significant differences from being established at the location level due to the high variance components exhibited. However, the simpler one-way and non-parametric varieties of ANOVA confirmed significant differences in Co, Cr and Ni among locations. The differences are more pronounced in grassland soils where the Cu and Pb contents also differ between locations. There is a positive correlation among annual precipitation, Co, Cr and Ni, and it seems that the prevailing winds can also influence their content in soils.
Conclusions
The Co, Cr, Cu and Ni values are readily the highest in those locations with the greatest precipitation, possibly due to their resistance to leaching. The soils could be additionally enriched by an eolian contribution from the SW located outcropping flysch rocks. The established variability could be due to somewhat different dolomite composition. The reasons for the observed geochemical variability are complex and only partly due to climate.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a detrimental urban air pollutant primarily emitted by traffic and biomass burning, poses disproportionately significant health risks at relatively limited exposure ...during commuting. Previous studies have mainly focused on fixed locations when assessing PM2.5 exposure, while neglecting pedestrians and cyclists, who often experience higher pollution levels. In response, this research aimed to independently validate the effectiveness of bicycle-mounted low-cost sensors (LCS) adopted by citizens, evaluate temporal and spatial PM2.5 exposure, and assess associated health risks in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The LCS quality assurance results, verified by co-location field tests by air quality monitoring stations (AQMS), showed comparable outcomes with an average percentage difference of 21.29 %, attributed to humidity-induced nucleation effects. The colder months exhibited the highest air pollution levels (μ = 32.31 μg/m3) due to frequent thermal inversions and weak wind circulation, hindering vertical air mixing and the adequate dispersion of pollutants. Additionally, PM2.5 levels in all sampling periods were lowest in the afternoon (μ = 12.09 μg/m3) and highest during the night (μ = 61.00 μg/m3) when the planetary boundary layer thins, leading to the trapping of pollutants near the surface, thus significantly affecting diurnal and seasonal patterns. Analysis of exposure factors revealed that cyclists were approximately three times more exposed than pedestrians. However, the toxicological risk assessment indicated a minimal potential risk of PM2.5 exposure. The collaborative integration of data from official AQMS and LCS can enhance evidence-based policy-making processes and facilitates the realignment of effective regulatory frameworks to reduce urban air pollution.
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•PM2.5 poses significant health risks at limited exposure during commuting.•Air quality monitoring stations and citizens' initiatives data integration enhances air pollution assessment.•Air quality monitoring stations co-location validation of low-cost sensors results yielded comparable outcomes.•PM2.5 increased in cold months due to thermal inversions hindering pollutant dispersion.•Cyclist had three times higher PM2.5 exposure than pedestrians.
In the Karst region near Divača, Slovenia, soils are developed on the limestone of three geological formations: Sežana, Lipica, and Liburnian. In each formation, six soil profiles were dug, limestone ...insoluble residua was obtained, and in Liburnian Formation interbedded material and material filling fractures and cavities was sampled. All soils have silty clay and silty-clayey loam texture, pH levels in the range 4.5–7.0, high organic matter content and saturation with basic cations over 50%. However, soils on the Sežana Formation are deeper and more evolved, and besides as Rendzic Phaeozem classify also as Eutric Cambisol. Their insoluble residuum is richest in mineral part. The profiles on the Lipica Formation are a Rendzic Phaeozem, and the shallowest soils on the Liburnian Formation are either a Rendzic Phaeozem or a Rendzic Leptosol. Additionally, the soils formed over the Lipica Formation are characterised by a greater portion of the small rock fragments (<200 g), due to its paleo-karstification. The insoluble residuum of all three formations is rich in organic matter and fine grained. The general soil chemistry is in accordance with highly weathered upper crustal material and, compared to insoluble residua indicates the contribution of material from an additional source. The analysis of variance demonstrated differences in redox-sensitive elements (Cr, Mo, Ni, U, V, and Y) between formations, which are inherited by the insoluble residua. The insoluble residua contributed material and left a specific geochemical fingerprint in the observed soils, but regarding texture and general geochemistry, non-carbonate material must have been added. The material that fills karst forms inside the limestone profile is similar to the soils, but not identical. Other interbedded and probably also eolian material contributed to the final mass.
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•Soils are classified as Rendzic Leptosol, Rendzic Phaeozem and Eutric Cambisol.•Soils are homogeneous in pedological properties and mineral composition.•The limestone of all three formations is pure and insoluble residuum organic matter rich.•Limestone formations influence soil depth and leave geochemical fingerprint.•The contribution of different interbedded and eolian material is probable.
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