Papers by Fereidoun Rezanezhad
Transition zones separating the unsaturated and saturated domains in soils are a hotspot for biog... more Transition zones separating the unsaturated and saturated domains in soils are a hotspot for biogeochemical activity. They are challenging to study because they are dynamic, requiring high resolution temporal and spatial data acquisition methods to capture the biogeochemical processes across the water table. Non-invasive geophysical techniques, such as spectral induced polarization (SIP) and electrodic potential (EP), offer comparatively inexpensive monitoring approaches that yield data on changes in soil electrical properties, driven by reactive processes at high spatial and temporal resolutions. We investigated SIP and EP signal variations in artificial soil-filled columns, experiencing periodic water table fluctuations in order to: (1) assess the effectiveness of SIP and EP in monitoring a complex soil transition zone, and (2) couple the measured geophysical signals to changes in physical, chemical and microbial properties. SIP responses showed a clear dependence on the depth-dis...
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Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Pollution of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a major concern in the metal ore-mining env... more Pollution of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a major concern in the metal ore-mining environment. Active polymetallic industries and mines cause great continuous devastation of both terrestrial and aquatic environments on a local and regional scale. This study investigated the pollution of surface water and groundwater in the area containing six large-scale iron ore mines, which have been in operation for more than a few decades. In order to assess the PTEs pollution, the spatial and temporal distributions of 13 different PTEs (Al, As, Co, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Si, Sr, and Zn) were measured in 42 water samples collected from the multi-aquifer system including three distinct aquifers (upper alluvial aquifer (UAA), lower alluvial aquifer (LAA), and hard-rock aquifer (HRA)) of the Gohar-Zamin mining area in Iran. The highest concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS = 164,000 mg/l) and PTEs were measured in HRA. Three trends were identified between the PTE concentration and increasing of TDS based on Spearman correlation analysis: (1) an increasing trend for Al, Co, Li, Mn, Rb, Se, Sr, and Ni; there were strong positive correlations in HRA between TDS and Mn (0.83), Al (0.65), Co (0.74), Li (0.90), Ni (0.83), Rb (0.91), Se (0.82), and Sr (0.84), suggesting a common origin for these elements; (2) no obvious trend for As and Mo, no correlation was founded between As and Mo with other PTEs and TDS, indicating a natural geogenic origin and mutual dependencies of these elements; and (3) a decreasing trend for Si, Zn, and Pb; TDS had a significantly negative correlation with the PTEs and attributing to different chemical properties of infiltrated groundwater. In the principal component analysis (PCA), the first PC that covers 85.09% of the total observed variance is mainly attributed the groundwater salinization. This component is composed of Al, Co, Li, Mn, Rb, Se, Sr, and Ni. The second PC contains elements As and Mo. This PC explain 14.4% of total variance and may be referred to natural origin of PTEs. Si, Zn, and Pb are in the third principal component and cover 9.64% of the variance of the data. Third PC have been attributed to lithogenic and/or primary water chemistry factors. The PTE pollution were evaluated based on heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), and degree of contamination (Cd). The results indicated that all of the groundwater samples collected from HRA had HEI, HPI, and Cd values greater than 21, 264, and 14 (highly pollution limits of indices), respectively, and were classified as highly polluted groundwater. HPI values within the UAA, LAA, and salt playa (SP) were lower than the critical level of 100, suggesting a threshold for the drinking water pollution. Moreover, HEI and Cd with values of less than 10 and 7 suggested low-level pollution in UAA, LAA, and SP. However, the contaminated level of PTEs exceeded the WHO standard for drinking water in HRA only. Since groundwater in HRA is a brine with the high values of PTEs, pumping of this water out to the surrounding natural environment may cause harmful impacts on the environment and perhaps living species in Bahram-e-Goor protected area. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract
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<p>High-latitude cold regions are warming more than twice as fast as the rest of th... more <p>High-latitude cold regions are warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, with the greatest warming occurring during the winter. Warmer winters are associated with shorter periods of snow cover, resulting in more frequent and extensive soil freezing and thawing. Freeze-thaw cycles influence soil chemical, biological, and physical properties and any changes to winter soil processes may impact carbon and nutrients export from affected soils, possibly altering soil health and nearby water quality. These impacts are relevant for agricultural soils and practices in cold regions as they are critical in governing water flows and quality within agroecosystems. In this study, a soil column experiment was conducted to assess the leaching of nutrients from fertilized agricultural soil during the non-growing season. Four soil columns were exposed to a non-growing season temperature and precipitation model and fertilizer amendments were made to two of the columns to determine the efficacy of fall-applied fertilizers and compared to other two unfertilized control columns. Leachates from the soil columns were collected and analyzed for cations and anions. The experiment results showed that a transition from a freeze period to a thaw period resulted in significant loss of chloride (Cl-), sulfate (SO42-) and nitrate (NO3-). Even with low NO3- concentrations in the applied artificial rainwater and fertilizer, high NO3- concentrations (~150 mg l-1) were observed in fertilized column leachates. Simple plug flow reactor model results indicate the high NO3- leachates are found to be due to active nitrification occurring in the upper oxidized portion of the soil columns mimicking overwinter NO3- losses via nitrification in agricultural fields. The low NO3- leachates in unfertilized columns suggest that freeze-thaw cycling had little effect on N mineralization in soil. Findings from this study will ultimately be used to bolster winter soil biogeochemical models by elucidating nutrient fluxes over changing winter conditions to refine best management practices for fertilizer application.</p>
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The world’s cold regions are experiencing some of the fastest warming, especially during the wint... more The world’s cold regions are experiencing some of the fastest warming, especially during the winter and shoulder seasons. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the non-growing season (NGS) to the annual carbon budgets of northern peatlands. Because of the positive feedback of soil microbial respiration to warming, a warmer NGS may be expected to alter the carbon balance of peatlands, which are estimated to store about one-third of global terrestrial organic carbon stocks. However, estimates of NGS net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) remain highly uncertain. In this study, we determine key environmental variables affecting the NGS-NEE from a temperate peatland (Mer Bleue Bog; Ottawa, Canada) and predict future NGS-NEE under three climate scenarios (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) using a variable selection methodology, global sensitivity analysis, and data-driven model. The model successfully reproduces the observed NGS-NEE fluxes using on...
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ABSTRACT In the Athabasca oil sands region, wetlands specially peatland dominate the landscape. P... more ABSTRACT In the Athabasca oil sands region, wetlands specially peatland dominate the landscape. Processing oil sands produces large volumes of wet material called oil sands tailing water. Discharge of organic liquid contaminants such as Naphthenic Acids (NA) and Sodium (Na) from tailing waters have a toxic effect on plants in this region. One of the greatest barriers to peatland creation will be the elevated amount of toxins (naphthenic acid, metals and salinity) present in the post-mined landscapes. Variability in solute transport properties in the unsaturated zone is of growing concern due to environmental hazards and there are no many scientific challenges in the field of organic liquid contaminants transport through the unsaturated peat soils. The attenuation, degradation and transport of NA and Na in peat are essentially unknown. The ionizable nature of NA and Na along with the complex structure of peat soils poses challenges to characterizing the transport properties of NA and Na in the filed and laboratory. In this experimental research project, we examine the plant responses in 64 greenhouse tubs filled with peat and process-water; and study the transport and attenuation processes of NA and Na through peat in a series of laboratory column experiments. We developed an analytical method for evaluating the transport and adsorption characteristics of NA and Na to derive a clear understanding of the transport, sorption mechanisms and desorption behaviour of NA and Na with temporal evolution of the solute concentration distribution from groundwater to fen plants. The goal of this research project is to investigate how oil sands process-affected waters will affect peatland vegetation, specifically fen vegetation. In particular, we would like to know how contaminants present in oil sand process affected water will be transported through peat and how typical fen vegetation will react to a realistic contamination scenario in a controlled macrocosm environment? Research that responds to the above-mentioned questions will be taking a clear step towards addressing the future outcomes of oil sand affected landscapes.
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Science of The Total Environment
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Naturally-ignited wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity in northern regions, contrib... more Naturally-ignited wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity in northern regions, contributing to rapid permafrost thaw-induced landscape change driven by climate warming. Low-severity wildfires typically result in minor organic matter loss. The impacts of such fires on the hydrological and geochemical dynamics of peat plateau-wetland complexes have not been examined. In 2014, a low-severity wildfire, with minimal ground surface damage, burned approximately one-half of a 5 ha permafrost plateau in the wetland-dominated landscape of the Scotty Creek watershed, Northwest Territories, Canada, in the discontinuous permafrost zone. In March 2016, hydrometeorological and permafrost conditions on the burned and unaffected plateaus were monitored including snowpack characteristics and surface energy dynamics. Pore water samples were collected from the saturated layer as thaw progressed throughout the growing season on the burned and unaffected plateaus. Repeated probing of the frost...
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Canada has extensive peat deposits in northern high latitude wetlands and permafrost ecosystems. ... more Canada has extensive peat deposits in northern high latitude wetlands and permafrost ecosystems. Peat accumulation represents a natural long-term carbon sink attributed to the cumulative excess of growing season net ecosystem production over non-growing season net mineralization. However, near-surface peat deposits are vulnerable to climate change and permafrost landscape transition. One specific concern is a potential rapid increase in the nongrowing season carbon loss through enhanced organic matter mineralization under a warming climate. Our experimental study explores the response of peat CO 2 exchanges to (1) temperature, using the conventional Q10 parameter, and (2) moisture content. The observed responses are expected to reflect, at least in part, differential soil microbial adaptations to varying wetland conditions, across two northern ecoclimatic zones. Laboratory incubations were carried out with shallow peat samples from different depths collected at seven Canadian wetlan...
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Soil Biology and Biochemistry
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Environmental Technology & Innovation
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Heliyon
Bacteria transport through soil is a complex process particularly when the cells are released fro... more Bacteria transport through soil is a complex process particularly when the cells are released from solid manures and co-transported with particles. This study focuses on understanding of the Escherichia coli release from different particle fractions (0.25-, 0.5-, 1-, and 2-mm) of solid manure and evaluating different influent boundary conditions during cell release from manure and when a solid manure is applied to the soil. The 0.25-mm and 2-mm particle sizes resulted a greater cell release compared to 0.5-mm and 1-mm fractions (p < 0.05). The shape and magnitude of the cell release curves (CRCs) from the original manure bulk were mainly influenced by the two 0.25-mm and 2-mm fractions, respectively. The arithmetic mean for normalizing the CRCs and the time variable- based normalized CRCs for the manure-treated soil were the robust variables in evaluation of the experimental data. However, a single maximum bacteria concentration could provide the realistic dataset for the modeling process. Evaluation of the root-mean-squared-error and Akaike criterion showed that the two- and three-parametric models are recommended for simulating the cell release from solid manure in comparison with one parametric models. This study also suggests considering separate microbial release evaluations, with regards to influent concentration, for manure and manure-treated soils to propose best management practices for controlling bacteria pollution. Further research will reveal the key roles of different woody components and soluble material ratios for the various solid manures in bacteria release.
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Goldschmidt2021 abstracts
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Goldschmidt2021 abstracts
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Communications Earth & Environment
Peatlands are important ecosystems that store approximately one third of terrestrial organic carb... more Peatlands are important ecosystems that store approximately one third of terrestrial organic carbon. Non-growing season carbon fluxes significantly contribute to annual carbon budgets in peatlands, yet their response to climate change is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the governing environmental variables of non-growing season carbon emissions in a northern peatland. We develop a support-vector regression model using a continuous 13-year dataset of eddy covariance flux measurements from the Mer Blue Bog, Canada. We determine that only seven variables were needed to reproduce carbon fluxes, which were most sensitive to net radiation above the canopy, soil temperature, wind speed and soil moisture. We find that changes in soil temperature and photosynthesis drove changes in net carbon flux. Assessing net ecosystem carbon exchange under three representative concentration pathways, we project a 103% increase in peatland carbon loss by 2100 under a high emissions scenario. We su...
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Papers by Fereidoun Rezanezhad