Soil and Water Research, 2019 (vol. 14), issue 2
The influence of soil texture on the course of volume changes of soilOriginal Paper
Andrej Tall, Branislav Kandra, Milan Gomboą, Dana Pavelková
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):57-66 | DOI: 10.17221/217/2017-SWR 
Volume changes of soil associated with soil moisture changes are caused by the presence of clay minerals from illite and montmorillonite groups. Clay minerals are found in the so-called clay soil component which can be quantified by laboratory analysis of the soil particle-size distribution. Consequently, the potential for volume changes in soil can be assessed from soil texture. In our study, 172 soil samples with different textures were used to measure dependencies between volume changes in soil and changes in soil moisture under laboratory conditions. The samples were collected from 11 sites in the Eastern Slovak Lowland. On the basis of the measurements,...
Two types of biochars: one made from sugarcane bagasse, other one produced from paper fiber sludge and grain husks and their effects on water retention of a clay, a loamy soil and a silica sandOriginal Paper
Hana Hlaváčiková, Viliam Novák, Koji Kameyama, Katarína Brezianska, Marek Rodný, Justína Vitková
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):67-75 | DOI: 10.17221/15/2018-SWR
Biochar (BC) is used as a soil amendment to enhance plant growth by improving mainly soil chemical and hydrophysical properties. In this work the effects of two types of BCs on soil water retention properties were analysed. The first type of BC was made from sugarcane bagasse. It was added to a clay "Shimajiri Maji" soil at an application rate of 3 w%. The second type of BC was made from paper fiber sludge and grain husks. It was added into a loam soil at rates of 3.6, and 7.3 w%. It was assumed that the effect of BC amendment will be more pronounced in coarse-grained soil than in fine-grained one. Therefore, the second type of BC was applied additionally...
Evaluation of the SWAT model as an integrated management tool in the ©vihov drinking water supply catchmentOriginal Paper
Jan Gregar, Jan Petrů, Jana Novotná
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):76-83 | DOI: 10.17221/46/2018-SWR
©vihov dam, the largest drinking water source in the Czech Republic and Central Europe, has problems with eutrophication. The ©vihov dam catchment spreads over 1200 km2 and supplies over 1.5 million people in the capital of Prague and the Central Bohemian region with drinking water. Due to intensive agricultural activities and a lack of wastewater treatment plants in small settlements, the water quality is deteriorating. As a result, corrective measures need to be taken. Technological Agency of the Czech Republic supported this research which proposes different scenarios for a reduction...
Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soils along the Shatt Al-Arab River Delta in southern IraqOriginal Paper
Hamid Al-Saad, Wisam Farid, Wasen Abdul-Ameer
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):84-93 | DOI: 10.17221/38/2018-SWR
The soil samples from 0-10 cm depth were collected from three areas (Center of Basrah - CB, Garmat Ali - GA, and Abu Al-Khasib - AK) located along the Shatt Al-Arab River (SR) delta in southern Iraq to estimate the distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The PAH total concentrations in the soils decreased significantly from CB (72.16 ng/g dry weight (DW)), GA (36.48 ng/g DW), to AK (17.30 ng/g DW) gradually indicating the impact of pollution emissions on the distribution of PAHs in soils. The low (2 and 3 ring) and high (4, 5, and 6 ring) molecular weight PAHs accounted for 14%, 16%, 37%, 21%, and 12% respectively in CB...
The use of simple hydrological models to assess outflow of two green roofs systemsOriginal Paper
Vojtěch Skala, Michal Dohnal, Jana Votrubová, Vladimíra Jelínková
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):94-103 | DOI: 10.17221/138/2018-SWR
Hydrological response of anthropogenic soil systems, including green roofs, has crucial importance in many fields of water engineering and management. As a consequence, there is an increasing need for modelling of the anthropogenic soil systems behaviour. To obtain empirical data, two green roof test beds were established on a green roof of University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings, Czech Technical University in Prague. Each test bed is 1 m2 in area and is instrumented for the runoff monitoring. One test bed was filled with less permeable local soil, the other with highly permeable commercial...
Present restrictions of sewage sludge application in agriculture within the European UnionReview
Hana Hudcová, Jan Vymazal, Miloą Rozkoąný
Soil & Water Res., 2019, 14(2):104-120 | DOI: 10.17221/36/2018-SWR
The use of sludge in agriculture within the European Union (EU) is currently regulated only by the limits of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) listed in Council Directive 86/278/EEC. This document is now more than 30 years old. Several European countries have introduced more stringent requirements in comparison with the directive, and have adopted limits for concentrations of other heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds and microbial contamination. The paper provides an overview of the current limits of these substances in sewage sludge and concentration limits of heavy metals in soil intended for sludge application, together with applicable...