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Field experiments provide an opportunity to study the effects of fertilization on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. We sampled soils from a long-term (25 years) paddy experiment in subtropical China. The experiment included eight treatments: (1) check, (2) PK, (3) NP, (4) NK, (5) NPK, (6) 7F:3M (N, P, K inorganic fertilizers+30% organic N), (7) 5F:5M (N, P, K inorganic fertilizers+50% organic N), (8) 3F:7M (N, P, K inorganic fertilizers+70% organic N). Fertilization increased SOC content in the plow layers compared to the non-fertilized check treatment. The SOC density in the top 100 cm of soil ranged from 73.12 to 91.36 Mg/ha. The SOC densities of all fertilizer treatments were greater than that of the check. Those treatments that combined inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments had greater SOC densities than those receiving only inorganic fertilizers. The SOC density was closely correlated to the sum of the soil carbon converted from organic amendments and rice residues. Carbon sequestration in paddy soils could be achieved by balanced and combined fertilization. Fertilization combining both inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments is an effective sustainable practice to sequestrate SOC.

Biomass-derived black carbon, also named biochar, has the characteristics of high stability against decay and high capability of adsorption, and can affect the environment through its interactions with climate and geology, playing a significant role in global climate change, carbon biogeochemical cycle, and environmental system. In recent years, more and more researchers in the fields of atmospheric sciences, geology, and environmental science focused on the environmental behavior and effect of biochar. As one possible source of the components with high aromatic structure in soil humus, biochar is of great importance in increasing soil carbon storage and improving soil fertility, and in maintaining the balance of soil ecosystem. This paper offered the latest information regarding the characteristics and biotic and abiotic oxidation mechanisms of biochar, its effects on global climate change, and the environmental effect of biochar in soil. Research prospects were briefly discussed on the environmental behavior and effect of biochar in soil ecosystem.

As a main life element, carbon plays important role in the matter cycling in soil-plant system. Stable carbon isotope 13C has been widely used in the study of carbon cycling in soil-plant system, due to its safe, no pollution, and easy to be handled. Through the analysis of both natural and labeled 13C organic matter in soil-plant system, a better understanding of the mechanisms of photosynthesis, the distribution of photosynthates in plant-soil system, the fate of plant litter, and the source of new carbon in soil could be achieved. In this paper, the applications of stable carbon isotope technique in the researches of photosynthesis, reconstruction of paleoclimate, turnover of soil organic matter, and interactions between plants and rhizosphere microorganisms were briefly summarized, and the perspectives of the application of stable carbon isotope technique were also discussed, based on the issues existed in current researches.

Bioremoval of trimethylamine (TMA) in two three-stage biofilters packed with compost (A) and sludge (B), respectively, was investigated. Both biofilters were operated with an influent TMA concentration of 19.2-57.2mgm(-3) for 67 days. Results showed that all of the inlet TMA could be removed by both biofilters. However, removal efficiency and transformation of TMA in each section of both biofilters was different. In the Introduction section, TMA removal efficiency and maximum elimination capacity of the compost medium were greater than those of sludge medium under higher inlet TMA concentration. In comparison with biofilter A, considerably higher NH(3) concentrations in effluent of all three sections in biofilter B were observed after day 19. Although, NO(2)(-)-N concentration in each section of biofilter A was relatively lower, NO(3)(-)-N content in each section of biofilter A increased after day 26, especially in the Materials and method section which increased remarkably due to a lesser amount of TMA and higher ammonia oxidation and nitrification in compost medium. In contrast, neither NO(2)(-)-N nor NO(3)(-)-N were detected in either section of biofilter B at any time throughout the course of the experiment. The cumulative results indicated that compost is more favorable for the growth of TMA-degrading and nitrifying bacteria as compared to the sludge and could be a highly suitable packing material for biodegradation and transformation of TMA.

Using a multi-layer soil column device, the effect of new nitrification inhibitor DMPP (3,4-dimethyl pyrazole phosphate) on nitrogen leaching was studied for understanding the nitrogen vertical transformation and lowering the nitrogen leaching losses. The results indicate that, within 60 days of experiment, the regular urea added with 1% of DMPP can effectively inhibit the ammonium oxidation in the soil, and improve the concentration of NH4(+) -N in soil solution over the 20 cm tilth profile, while decline the concentrations of NO3(-) -N and N2(-) -N. No obvious difference is found on NH4(+) -N concentrations collected from deep layer soil solution under 20 cm between regular urea and the urea added with 1% of DMPP. There is also no significant difference for the NH4(+) -N and NO3(-) -N in the soil solution of deep layer under 40 cm among the treatments of urea by adding with 1% of DMPP within 60 days. So DMPP could be used as an effective nitrification inhibitor to control ammonium oxidation, decline the nitrate leaching losses, minimize the underground water pollution risk and be beneficial for the ecological environment.

Methane is the second largest contributor after carbon dioxide to global warming, while landfill is considered as one of the major sources of methane emission, accounting for 1.5%-15% of the global methane sources. Methanotrophic microorganisms play an important role in regulating global methane content, and landfill cover soil is proved to have high capacity of methane oxidation. The study of methanotrophic microorganisms in landfill cover soil and their mechanisms in methane oxidation becomes one of the hot research fields in environmental science and applied microbiology. This review summarized the recent progress on the research of methanotrophic microorganisms, mechanisms and dynamics of microbial methane oxidation, co-metabolism of methane and trace landfill gases, and environmental factors affecting methane oxidation in landfill cover soil. Some perspectives for further research on methanotrophic microorganisms in landfill cover soil were discussed.

Phytoremediation has long been recognized as a cost-effective method for the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil. A study was conducted to investigate the uptake and accumulation of PAHs in root and shoot of Lolium perenne L. Pot experiments were conducted with series of concentrations of 3.31-378.37 mg/kg for phenanthrene and those of 4.22-365.38 mg/kg for pyrene in a greenhouse. The results showed that both ryegrass roots and shoots did take up PAHs from spiked soils, and generally increased with increasing concentrations of PAH in soil. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of phenanthrene by shoots and roots were 0.24--4.25 and 0.17-2.12 for the same treatment. BCFs of pyrene by shoots were 0.20--1.5, except for 4.06 in 4.32 mg/kg treatment, much lower than BCFs of pyrene by roots (0.58--2.28). BCFs of phenanthrene and pyrene tended to decrease with increasing concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. Direct uptake and accumulation of these compounds by Lolium perenne L. was very low compared with the other loss pathways, which meant that plant-promoted microbial biodegradation might be the main contribution to plant-enhanced removal of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil. However, the presence of Lolium perenne L. significantly enhanced the removal of phenanthrene and pyrene in spiked soil. At the end of 60 d experiment, the extractable concentrations of phenanthrene and pyrene were lower in planted soil than in non-planted soil, about 83.24%--91.98% of phenanthrene and 68.53%-84.10% of pyrene were removed from soils, respectively. The results indicated that the removal of PAHs in contaminated soils was a feasible approach by using Lolium perenne L.

In this paper, downward movement of phosphorus and copper as dredged sediment applied on sandy loam soil was studied by column leaching experiments. Three sediment application rate, (i.e., 1, 2 and 5-cm depth of sediments) were applied to the top of the soil columns. Two and a half months leaching experiments were conducted, which include a 15-day un-watered period. Concentrations of phosphorus and copper in the leachate and the vertical distribution of Olsen-P and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable Cu in the soil columns were determined. The results showed that, un-watered period could increase the downward movements of phosphorus and copper. Sediment application significantly increased Olsen-P concentration in the top 15 cm of the soil columns, but has not significantly affected that in the deeper soil layer. The 1-cm depth sediment treatment did not increase the DTPA extractable Cu concentration in the whole soil column. The 5-cm depth sediment treatment, however, significant increased the DTPA extractable Cu in the deeper soil layers. This study suggested that the application of dredged sediment laden with P and Cu on sandy loam soil might cause the significant downward movement of phosphorus and copper.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the typical persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment. As a ubiquitous attenuation course of chlorinated organic compounds in anoxic environment, the microorganism-mediated reductive dechlorination process plays an important role in PCBs transformation, especially the transformation of higher chlorinated PCBs. The higher chlorinated PCBs can be dechlorinated in anaerobic condition, and thus, their persistence and toxicity can be decreased. The resultant lower chlorinated PCBs from the dechlorination can be further degraded and completely mineralized in aerobic condition. This paper summarized the research advances of PCBs microbial reductive dechlorination, introduced the mechanisms and characteristics of the dechlorination and the related specific microorganisms, and approached the affecting factors of PCBs bio-dechlorination, as well as the significances of anaerobic dechlorination coupling with aerobic degradation. The future research directions, including the complex metabolic networks of dechlorinating microbial populations, the screening of novel specific dechlorinators and their practical applications in the remediation of PCBs contaminated sites were also prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived black carbon, also named biochar, has the characteristics of high stability against decay and high capability of adsorption, and can affect the environment through its interactions with climate and geology, playing a significant role in global climate change, carbon biogeochemical cycle, and environmental system. In recent years, more and more researchers in the fields of atmospheric sciences, geology, and environmental science focused on the environmental behavior and effect of biochar. As one possible source of the components with high aromatic structure in soil humus, biochar is of great importance in increasing soil carbon storage and improving soil fertility, and in maintaining the balance of soil ecosystem. This paper offered the latest information regarding the characteristics and biotic and abiotic oxidation mechanisms of biochar, its effects on global climate change, and the environmental effect of biochar in soil. Research prospects were briefly discussed on the environmental behavior and effect of biochar in soil ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]