No abstract

1980. Deposition of atmospheric pollutants a s measured by lichen element content in the Athabasca oil sands area. Can. J . Bot. 58: 2323-2334.The aluminium, potassium, sulphur, titanium, and vanadium contents of the lichens Clrirlina arblrsclrla (Wallr.) Hale and W. Culb., Euernia mesornorpha Nyl., and Hypogyrnnia physodes (L.) Nyl. were determined for up to 69 sites in the Athabasca oil sands area in northern Alberta. The element accumulation by these lichens was related to both gaseous and particulate emissions from industrial sources and to a localized windblown dust component. The deposition of atmospheric emissions around an oil-extraction plant as measured by lichen thallus concentration closely followed the distribution patterns measured by physical and chemical methods. Visible changes in the thallus condition appeared to be related to the element concentrations. ADDISON, P. A , , et K. J . PUCKETT. 1980. Deposition of atmospheric pollutants as measured by lichen element content in the Athabasca oil sands area. Can. J. Bot. 58: 2323-2334. Les teneurs en aluminium, potassium, soufre, titanium et vanadium des lichens Cladina arb~rscula (Wallr.) Hale et W. Culb., Euernia rnesornorpha Nyl. et Hypogytnnia physodes (L.) Nyl. ont ete determinees pour 69 sites dans la rCgion des sables bitumineux d e I'Athabasca, dans le nord d e {'Alberta. L'accumulation d'elements par ces lichens etait reliee tant aux emissions gazeuses qu'aux emissions de particules provenant de sources industrielles, ainsi qu'a une composante locale d e poussiere eolienne. L e dCp6t d'dmissions atmospheriques aux environs d'une usine d'extraction d e petrole, mesure par la concentration dans les thalles des lichens, se rapprochait des modeles de distribution mesures selon des mCthodes physiques et chimiques. Les modifications visibles d e l'etat des thalles paraissaient reliees aux concentrations d'elements.

A method is proposed for determining elemental S (S9 in organic horizons of forest soils. Elemental sulfur is extracted from the soil with acetone and assayed by a colorimetric method. The procedure is a modification of several existing methods and allows for the extraction of all forms of S'. It also reduces the interference of colored extracts from forest litter. The detection limit is 100 mg'kg -t ( I mg S"'mlt of solution) and S" concentrations in excess of 50 000 mg'kg-I have been measured.

No abstract

Elemental sulfur is a by-product of sour natural gas processing in Alberta, Canada. Breakup and weathering of the storage elemental sulfur blocks has resulted in the deposition of large amounts of elemental sulfur into adjacent forest ecosystems. This has caused considerable damage to the understory vegetation. Certain chemical and biological properties of surface organic forests horizons (LFH) that have been exposed to elemental sulfur for several years were examined over a 2-year period. Increasing concentrations of elemental sulfur (4 100 to 50 400 mg S kg soil−1) and 1.0 M NH4Cl extractable S and decreasing pH (4.4 to 2.4) occurred in the LFH with increasing proximity (750, 250, and 50 m) to the elemental sulfur source. Thiobacillusthiooxidans appeared to be the main organism responsible for elemental sulfur oxidation in all LFH samples. The site immediately adjacent to the elemental sulfur block (50 m) showed reduced concentrations of total and 1.0 M NH4Cl extractable Ca, Mg, K, and Mn. In addition, in the 2nd year of sampling, CO2 respiration in nonamended and glucose-amended samples was significantly reduced. The other sites (250 and 750 m from the block) showed no significant decrease in nutrient status or heterotrophic microbial activity.