Characterization of Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I capable of removing soluble selenium from the aqueous phase under aerobic conditions

Pseudomonas stutzeri strain NT-I was isolated from the drainage wastewater of a selenium refinery plant. This bacterium efficiently reduced selenate to elemental selenium without prolonged accumulation of selenite under aerobic conditions. Strain NT-I was able to reduce selenate completely at high concentrations (up to 10 mM) and selenite almost completely (up to 9 mM). In addition, higher concentrations of selenate and selenite were substantially reduced. Activity was observed under the following experimental conditions: 20–50°C, pH 7–9, and 0.05–20 g L^–1 NaCl for selenate reduction, and 20–50°C, pH 6–9, and 0.05–50 g L^–1 NaCl for selenite reduction. Under anaerobic conditions, selenate was reduced more rapidly, whereas selenite was not reduced at all. The high selenate- and selenite-reducing capability at high concentrations suggested that strain NT-I is suitable for the removal of selenium from high-strength industrial wastewater.     

Factors affecting soluble selenium removal by a selenate-reducing bacterium Bacillus sp. SF-1

High concentrations of soluble selenium, selenate and selenite, have acute and chronic toxicity toward living things. With the aim of developing a biological process for selenium removal, the effects of a variety of parameters on the reduction of soluble selenium by a Bacillus sp. strain SF-1, which is capable of reductively transforming selenate into selenite and, subsequently, into nontoxic insoluble elemental selenium, were studied. The bacterial strain could effectively reduce 20 mM of selenate to selenite and 2 mM of selenite to elemental selenium in the presence of an appropriate carbon source and in the absence of oxygen. The reduction rate of selenate to selenite was much higher than that of selenite to elemental selenium, resulting in the transient accumulation of selenite during selenate reduction. The selenate reduction rate increased with increases in the selenate concentration up to 20 mM, while the rate of selenite reduction decreased sharply at selenite concentrations of more than 2 mM. The elemental selenium transformed from selenate via selenite was found both inside and outside the cells. Bacillus sp. SF-1 was able to utilize a variety of organic acids or sugars as a carbon source in selenate reduction. Although the copresence of sulfate did not inhibit selenate reduction, it was completely inhibited by some other oxyanions, including nitrate. A model sequencing batch system using the bacterial strain was developed and exhibited good performance in the treatment of wastewater containing high concentrations of selenate.     

The effect of heat treatment on intrinsic and fortified selenium levels in cow's milk

The effects of two heat processing methods (pasteurisation and spray drying) routinely used in the processing of cow's milk and the production of infant formula powder on the selenium (Se) content of liquid milk, milk fortified with sodium selenite and sodium selenate were studied. Pasteurisation reduced intrinsic Se and selenate levels by 7.9% and 6.2% at p < 0.05 level and selenite levels by 7.0% at p > 0.05 level. Se losses following spray drying were 44.8% (p < 0.001), 11.4% (p < 0.01) and 10.0% (p < 0.01) for intrinsic selenium, selenite and selenate fortified milk, respectively. Total Se losses from unprocessed milk following processing (pasteurisation and spray drying) were 49.2% (p < 0.001), 17.6% (p < 0.001) and 15.6% (p < 0.001) for intrinsic selenium, selenite and selenate fortified milk, respectively.     

烟株对不同价态硒的吸收与分配

为了开发富硒烟叶生产技术和了解烟叶对硒的富集机理,采用水溶性Se（Ⅳ）（亚硒酸钠）和Se（Ⅵ）（硒酸钠）盆栽试验,探讨了烟株对硒的吸收和分配规律,以及不同价态和用量的硒对烟株生长发育的影响。结果表明,土壤施用适当浓度的两种价态硒（1～10 mg/kg）均有改善烟株形态性状和提高生物量的作用,高浓度硒（20～30 mg/kg）则有负面影响,且Se（Ⅵ）处理抑制效果大于 Se（Ⅳ）。相同浓度下,两种价态的硒均能有效提高烟株各部位硒含量,Se（Ⅵ）处理较 Se（Ⅳ）提高了3～30倍。土壤中的硒优先富集和分布于叶片中,其次是根系,茎秆最小。Monod方程拟合结果表明,Se（Ⅵ）处理烟株叶片、茎秆和根系最大硒含量分别是Se（Ⅳ）处理的1.83、15.81和20.98倍,烟株对Se（Ⅵ）的亲和能力显著大于Se（Ⅳ）,说明Se（Ⅵ）对烟株的生物有效性明显高于Se（Ⅳ）。     

Release of reduced inorganic selenium species into waters by the green fresh water algae Chlorella vulgaris

The common green fresh water algae Chlorella vulgaris was exposed to starting concentrations of 10 μg/L selenium in the form of selenate, selenite, or selenocyanate (SeCN(-)) for nine days in 10% Bold's basal medium. Uptake of selenate was more pronounced than that of selenite, and there was very little uptake of selenocyanate. Upon uptake of selenate, significant quantities of selenite and selenocyanate were produced by the algae and released back into the growth medium; no selenocyanate was released after selenite uptake. Release of the reduced metabolites after selenate exposure appeared to coincide with increasing esterase activity in solution, indicating that cell death (lysis) was the primary emission pathway. This is the first observation of biotic formation of selenocyanate and its release into waters from a nonindustrial source. The potential environmental implications of this laboratory observation are discussed with respect to the fate of selenium in impacted aquatic systems, the ecotoxicology of selenium bioaccumulation, and the interpretation of environmental selenium speciation data generated, using methods incapable of positively identifying reduced inorganic selenium species, such as selenocyanate.     

Factors affecting soluble selenium removal by a selenate-reducing bacterium Bacillus sp. SF-1

High concentrations of soluble selenium, selenate and selenite, have acute and chronic toxicity toward living things. With the aim of developing a biological process for selenium removal, the effects of a variety of parameters on the reduction of soluble selenium by a Bacillus sp. strain SF-1, which is capable of reductively transforming selenate into selenite and, subsequently, into nontoxic insoluble elemental selenium, were studied. The bacterial strain could effectively reduce 20 mM of selenate to selenite and 2 mM of selenite to elemental selenium in the presence of an appropriate carbon source and in the absence of oxygen. The reduction rate of selenate to selenite was much higher than that of selenite to elemental selenium, resulting in the transient accumulation of selenite during selenate reduction. The selenate reduction rate increased with increases in the selenate concentration up to 20 mM, while the rate of selenite reduction decreased sharply at selenite concentrations of more than 2 mM. The elemental selenium transformed from selenate via selenite was found both inside and outside the cells. Bacillus sp. SF-1 was able to utilize a variety of organic acids or sugars as a carbon source in selenate reduction. Although the copresence of sulfate did not inhibit selenate reduction, it was completely inhibited by some other oxyanions, including nitrate. A model sequencing batch system using the bacterial strain was developed and exhibited good performance in the treatment of wastewater containing high concentrations of selenate.     

Soil selenium treatments to ameliorate selenium deficiency in herbage

Sodium selenite, sodium selenate, and sodium selenate in a pill formulation were applied to three soils known to produce Se-deficient herbage ( < 100 μg Se kg^?1 dry matter (DM)). The ability of the salts, applied in spring 1985, to ameliorate Se deficiency was followed over 3 years by taking four harvests each year. Selenate treatment at 10 g Se ha^?1 and selenate prill treatment at 20 g Se ha^?1 produced herbage with Se levels (geometric means) of between 0.57-0.86 and 1.79-1992 mg kg^?1 DM respectively in the first spring harvest after treatment. Selenite was less potent and selenite at 100 g Se ha^?1 produced a response in herbage closely similar to that of selenate at 10 g Se ha^?1. Even at 300 g Se ha^?1 the selenite treatment produced herbage with only 1.00-1.36 mg Se kg^?1 DM at the first harvest. Application of selenate in the prill form at 60 g Se ha^?1 produced herbage potentially toxic to grazing animals with 4.81-4.94 mg Se kg^?1 DM. The addition of fertiliser N to Se-treated plots increased total Se uptake at the first harvest by a factor of 4 and had a small effect on Se concentration. The Se concentration levels in herbage from Se-treated plots declined exponentially (t_1/2 = 21-43 days). On one soil derived from Lower Old Red Sandstone and lava, selenite at 300 g Se ha^?1 gave herbage with Se contents significantly above background (P < 0.05) in all harvests over 3 years.     

Speciation of Se and DOC in soil solution and their relation to Se bioavailability

A 0.01 M CaCl(2) extraction is often used to asses the bioavailability of plant nutrients in soils. However, almost no correlation was found between selenium (Se) in the soil extraction and Se content in grass. The recently developed anion Donnan membrane technique was used to analyze chemical speciation of Se in the 0.01 M CaCl(2) extractions of grassland soils and fractionation of DOC (dissolved organic carbon). The results show that most of Se (67-86%) in the extractions (15 samples) are colloidal-sized Se. Only 13-34% of extractable Se are selenate, selenite and small organic Se (<1 nm). Colloidal Se is, most likely, Se bound to or incorporated in colloidal-sized organic matter. The dominant form of small Se compounds (selenate, selenite/small organic compounds) depends on soil. A total of 47-85% of DOC is colloidal-sized and 15-53% are small organic molecules (<1 nm). In combination with soluble S (sulfur) and/or P (phosphor), concentration of small DOC can explain most of the variability of Se content in grass. The results indicate that mineralization of organic Se is the most important factor that controls Se availability in soils. Competition with sulfate and phosphate needs to be taken into account. Further research is needed to verify if concentration of small DOC is a good indicator of mineralization of soil organic matter.     

Zinc,copper and nickel concentrations in ryegrass grown on sewage sludge-contaminated soils of different pH

Sewage sludges containing high concentrations of zinc, copper and nickel were added separately to samples of two soils, a silty clay loam and a sandy loam, on which pH levels between 4.5 and 7.5 had been established; there were also treatments with sludge of low metal content or no-sludge. Soil-sludge mixtures were either continuously cropped with ryegrass or kept uncropped in pots in the glasshouse for 6 months. Zinc and nickel concentrations in 0.1 μM calcium chloride extracts of soils from the cropped pots and in solutions displaced from the fallow pots decreased with increasing pH over the range tested, but copper concentrations remained steady above pH 5.5; individual metal concentrations in ryegrass tops followed the same pattern with pH as those in extracted solutions. Squared correlation coefficients (R⁷) between shoot metal concentrations and concentrations of metals in EDTA, DPTA or calcium chloride extracts or displaced solutions, when taken over all soil, pH and sludge treatments, were >0.60 (P<0.001). Ryegrass yield reductions occurred on soils contaminated with each of the three metal sludges when soil pH was 5.5 or below.     

Effects of selenate supplemented fertilisation on the selenium level of cereals — identification and quantification of selenium compounds by HPLC–ICP–MS

Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate whether the selenium content of different kinds of cereals grown on Austrian soil could be raised by the application of compound fertilisers containing selenium as selenate. An anion exchange chromatographic system coupled to an HP 4500 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP–MS) was used for the identification and quantification of selenium compounds in cereal samples. The HPLC–ICP–MS system was optimized for the separation of selenite, selenate, selenocystine, and selenomethionine using a Hamilton PRP-X100 column. Separation was obtained, with a 10 mM citrate buffer (pH 5), 2% methanol as mobile phase and a flow rate of 1.5 ml min⁻¹. Four baseline separated chromatographic peaks were obtained within 6 min. The retention behavior of a further five selenium [selenohomocystine (Sehcys), selenocystathionine (Secysta), selenoethionine (Seet), trimethylselenonium iodide (TmSe), and dimethyl(3-amino-3-carboxy-1-propyl)selenonium iodide (DmpSe)] compounds was investigated. Aqueous extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of the biological materials were also compared with respect to the amount of selenium extracted. In the aqueous extracts only 3–9% of the total concentration of selenium was found. When the cereal samples were exposed to an enzymatic hydrolysis, recovery rates ranging from 80 to 95% were obtained. A major part of the selenate, which had been taken up by the cereals was converted to selenomethionine.     

硒酸化乳清分离蛋白抗前列腺癌细胞活性

采用干燥加热法制备硒酸化乳清分离蛋白(selenized whey protein isolate,Se-WPI),通过Se-WPI中有机硒质量分数、硒酸根稳定性、Se-WPI消化率测定,⁷⁷Se核磁共振(nuclear magnetic resonance,NMR)分析以及Se-WPI抑制前列腺癌细胞增殖实验等,研究其理化性质及抗前列腺癌细胞活性。结果表明,在pH 3.0、加热温度80℃、加热时间24 h条件下制备得到的Se-WPI中有机硒质量分数为2.09%。⁷⁷Se-NMR和硒酸根稳定性分析结果表明,Se-WPI中的硒以亚硒酸酯的形式存在。经硒酸化的WPI多种生物活性得到改善,消化性明显提高。Se-WPI与亚硒酸钠均具有抑制人前列腺癌LNCaP细胞、DU145细胞增殖的活性。细胞周期、细胞凋亡和Caspase-3活力检测结果从不同角度验证了Se-WPI具有诱导LNCaP细胞凋亡的作用。另外,Se-WPI还能抑制癌细胞与基底膜成分的黏附能力。实验结果可为进一步研究有机硒化合物的抑癌机制提供依据。     

Distribution of selenium and phenolics in buckwheat plants grown from seeds soaked in Se solution and under different levels of UV-B radiation

Seeds of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) were soaked in water, sodium selenate (5, 10 or 20 mg Se^VI/L), or sodium selenite (10 or 20 mg Se^IV/L) solutions. Plants grown from soaked seeds were exposed to reduced UV-B radiation, ambient, or enhanced UV-B. The mass fraction of selenium in leaves was much higher in plants obtained from seeds soaked with selenate (up to 185 ng/g) in comparison to selenite (up to 103 ng/g). In plants obtained from seeds soaked in water, regardless of UV-B levels, the highest concentration of selenium was found in leaves, where the values were between 45 and 66 ng Se/g. In buckwheat leaves 44.5–63.6 mg/100 g d.m. of fagopyrin was found, and in stems 14.3–26.4 mg/100 g d.m.; here no influence of seed soaking solution or UV-B exposure was found. The content of total flavonoids in leaves was 7.8–15.9% and in stems 1.4–4.1%.     

Interactions between soil and fertiliser in the supply of nitrogen to ryegrass grown on 21 soils

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was grown in pots on 21 UK soils, both with and without fertiliser N. The fertiliser N was applied in six equal applications of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium nitrate, each at the rate of 120 mg N per pot. The first application was mixed thoroughly with the soil, while subsequent applications were made in solution to the soil surface, after each of the first five of the six harvests of herbage. In the absence of fertiliser N, the proportion of the total soil N taken up by the plants, including stubble and roots at the sixth harvest, varied between 1.5 and 4.0%. In the presence of fertiliser N, the proportion varied between 2.1 and 4.7%. The apparent recovery of the fertiliser N was calculated from the difference between the amounts of N in the plants that received fertiliser N and in those that did not, expressed as a percentage of the amount applied. The actual recovery of the applied fertiliser N was determined by analysis of the plant material for ¹⁵N. With all soils at the first harvest, the apparent recovery was greater than the actual recovery. When calculated over all six harvests, apparent recovery of the total amount of fertiliser N was generally close to the actual recovery. This difference from the first harvest probably reflected (i) a reduction in the extent of turnover between fertiliser N and soil N when the fertiliser N was applied to the surface and (ii) a virtually complete uptake of available soil N by the end of the experiment, in both the absence and presence of fertiliser N. Differences between the 21 soils in actual recovery were not closely related, either positively or negatively, to a range of measured soil properties. A mean of 17.2% of the labelled fertiliser N was retained in the soil (excluding visible roots) at the end of the experiment. The lowest retention (6.2%) occurred with the soil which had the lowest contents of organic matter and silt plus clay but, with the other soils, the extent of retention varied only between 14.7 and 22.0% of that applied, and was not closely related to contents of total organic matter or macro-organic matter, or to the C:N ratio of the whole soil or the macro-organic matter.     

Effect of foliar application of selenium on its uptake and speciation in carrot

Carrot (Daucus carota) shoots were enriched by selenium using foliar application. Solutions of sodium selenite or sodium selenate at 10 and 100 μg Se ml⁻¹, were sprayed on the carrot leaves and the selenium content and uptake rate of selenium were estimated by ICP–MS analysis. Anion and cation exchange HPLC were tailored to and applied for the separation of selenium species in proteolytic extracts of the biological tissues using detection by ICP–MS or ESI–MS/MS. Foliar application of solutions of selenite or selenate at 100 μg Se ml⁻¹ resulted in a selenium concentration of up to 2 μg Se g⁻¹ (dry mass) in the carrot root whereas the selenium concentration in the controls was below the limit of detection at 0.045 μg Se g⁻¹ (dry mass). Selenate-enriched carrot leaves accumulated as much as 80 μg Se g⁻¹ (dry mass), while the selenite-enriched leaves contained approximately 50 μg Se g⁻¹ (dry mass). The speciation analyses showed that inorganic selenium was present in both roots and leaves. The predominant metabolised organic forms of selenium in the roots were selenomethionine and γ-glutamyl-selenomethyl-selenocysteine, regardless of which of the inorganic species were used for foliar application. Only selenomethionine was detected in the carrot leaves. The identity of selenomethionine contained in carrot roots and leaves was successfully confirmed by HPLC–ESI–MS/MS.     

Extraction of Se species in buckwheat sprouts grown from seeds soaked in various Se solutions

The transformation of selenium (Se) in buckwheat sprouts grown from seeds soaked in various Se solutions (Se-methionine (10 mg Se L⁻¹), selenate or selenite (5, 10, 20 mg Se L⁻¹)) was investigated. The extraction procedure was optimised by (a) using optimal extraction media (water, phosphate buffer, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 M HCl, the enzyme protease alone or in combination with cellulase, amylase or lipase), and by (b) optimising the ratio between sample and enzyme. For Se speciation analysis extracts with the highest percentage of soluble Se were analysed, and additionally the stability of the extracts was investigated. The results showed that uptake of Se by sprouts was dependent on the form and concentration of Se in the solution used for soaking. Optimal extraction efficiencies were obtained by hydrolysis with 0.3 M HCl and protease. Selenate (23.7–29.7% from Se(VI) sprouts and in trace amounts from Se(IV) and SeMet sprouts), Se-methionine (2.4–7.9%) and selenite (traces) were detected in all supernatants, regardless of soaking solution.     

Acidity in upland and hill soils: Cation exchange capacity,pH and lime requirement

For 30 acid upland and hill soils, with initial pH from 3.5 to 5.8, and loss on ignition from 14% to 94%, cation exchange capacity varied with pH according to the relationship CEC = m pH+C, where m and C are characteristic of each soil. The slope m depended on loss on ignition (LOI), and is given by: m=Δ CEC/Δ=0.22 LOI+1.92. Because of these relationships, CEC measured at the natural pH of the soil (in 0.025 M MgSO₄ solution) is more relevant to field conditions than a conventional measurement at pH7. An improved method for estimating lime requirement (LR) of these soils was developed, based on the relationship found between LR and the difference in CEC (ΔCEC) between that at the natural pH of the soil and that at the target pH of 5.5: LR=1.12 ΔCEC+1.48. Lime requirement can therefore also be estimated from loss on ignition using the earlier relationships, and is given by: LR=(0.25 LOI+2.15) Δ+1.48, where Δ is the difference between the natural pH (in 0.025 M MgSO₄) and the target pH. Predictions based on this agreed well with results for a further 10 soils.     

Combined speciation analysis by X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, ion chromatography, and solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to evaluate biotreatment of concentrated selenium wastewaters

In this study we evaluate the potential of anaerobic granular sludge as an inoculum for the bioremediation of selenium-contaminated waters using species-specific analytical methods. Solid species formed by microbial reduction were investigated using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the selenium K-edge. Furthermore, dissolved selenium species were specifically determined by ion chromatography (IC) and solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). Least-squares linear combination of the XANES spectra for samples incubated with the highest selenate/selenite concentrations (10(-3) M) show the predominance of elemental selenium and a Se(-I) selenide, such as ferroselite, the thermodynamically most stable iron selenide. In contrast, elemental selenium and Se(-II) selenides are the main species detected at the lower selenate/selenite concentrations. In each repeated fed batch incubation, most aqueous selenite anions were converted into solid selenium species, regardless of the type of electron donor used (acetate or H(2)/CO(2)) and the selenium concentration applied. On the other hand, at higher concentrations of selenate (10(-4) and 10(-3) M), significant amounts of the oxyanion remained unconverted after consecutive incubations. SPME-GC-MS demonstrated selenium alkylation with both electron donors investigated, as dimethyl selenide (DMSe) and dimethyl diselenide (DMDSe). Selenite was even more alkylated in the presence of H(2)/CO(2) (maximum 2156 μg of Se/L of DMSe + DMDSe) as compared to acetate (maximum 50 μg of Se/L). In contrast, selenate was less alkylated using both electron donors (maximum 166 and 3 μg of Se/L, respectively). The high alkylation potential for selenite limits its bioremediation in selenium laden waters involving H(2)/CO(2) as the electron donor despite the fact that nontoxic elemental selenium and thermodynamically stable metal selenide species are formed.     

Bioavailability Assessment of Copper,Iron, Manganese,Molybdenum, Selenium,and Zinc from Selenium‐Enriched Lettuce

Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Selenium (Se), and Zn bioavailability from selenate‐ and selenite‐enriched lettuce plants was studied by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion followed by an assay with Caco‐2 cells. The plants were cultivated in the absence and presence of two concentrations (25 and 40 µmol/L of Se). After 28 days of cultivation, the plants were harvested, dried, and evaluated regarding the total concentration, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability of the analytes. The results showed that biofortification with selenate leads to higher Se absorption by the plant than biofortification with selenite. For the other nutrients, Mo showed high accumulation in the plants of selenate assays, and the presence of any Se species led to a reduction of the plant uptake of Cu and Fe. The accumulation of Zn and Mn was not strongly influenced by the presence of any Se species. The bioaccessibility values were approximately 71%, 10%, 52%, 84%, 71%, and 86% for Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn, respectively, and the contribution of the biofortified lettuce to the ingestion of these minerals is very small (except for Se and Mo). Due to the low concentrations of elements from digested plants, it was not possible to estimate the bioavailability for some elements, and for Mo and Zn, the values are below 6.9% and 3.4% of the total concentration, respectively. For Se, the bioavailability was greater for selenite‐enriched than selenate‐enriched plants (22% and 6.0%, respectively), because selenite is biotransformed by the plant to organic forms that are better assimilated by the cells.     

Selenium concentration and speciation in biofortified flour and bread: Retention of selenium during grain biofortification,processing and production of Se-enriched food

The retention and speciation of selenium in flour and bread was determined following experimental applications of selenium fertilisers to a high-yielding UK wheat crop. Flour and bread were produced using standard commercial practices. Total selenium was measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the profile of selenium species in the flour and bread were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ICP-MS. The selenium concentration of flour ranged from 30 ng/g in white flour and 35 ng/g in wholemeal flour from untreated plots up to >1800 ng/g in white and >2200 ng/g in wholemeal flour processed from grain treated with selenium (as selenate) at the highest application rate of 100 g/ha. The relationship between the amount of selenium applied to the crop and the amount of selenium in flour and bread was approximately linear, indicating minimal loss of Se during grain processing and bread production. On average, application of selenium at 10 g/ha increased total selenium in white and wholemeal bread by 155 and 185 ng/g, respectively, equivalent to 6.4 and 7.1 μg selenium per average slice of white and wholemeal bread, respectively. Selenomethionine accounted for 65–87% of total extractable selenium species in Se-enriched flour and bread; selenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine selenite and selenate were also detected. Controlled agronomic biofortification of wheat crops for flour and bread production could provide an appropriate strategy to increase the intake of bioavailable selenium.     

Laboratory measurements of dry deposition of sulphur dioxide on to several soils from England and Wales

A laboratory method for measuring the dry deposition of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) on to soils is described. The effect of soil type on deposition velocity (v_g) was examined using samples of soils collected from 16 sites in England and Wales. Although the values of v_g measured for soils at field capacity did not differ significantly they were related to soil pH; thus they ranged from 0.422 cm s^?1 at pH 4.5 to 0.648 cm s^?1 at pH 7.5. Oven drying reduced v_g from an average value of 0.535 cm s^?1 for soils at field capacity to 0.264 cm s^?1. A large proportion of deposited SO₂ was recovered from the soil as sulphate S. At an atmospheric concentration of 36 μg SO₂ m^?3, about the mean for Great Britain, the input of sulphur through this process would be 10 kg ha^?1 in a 4-month fallow period.