Cattle, pollution effect

A given pollutant may penetrate in soil down to a specific depth, and therefore transport calculations need individual depth data. Owing to mass transport restrictions, residence times of many pollutants in soils are (unfortunately) much longer than those in the gas or liquid phases. In addition, partitioning effects in soils can be dramatic a case in point is the concentration effect that occurs with uranium, which sometimes reaches levels up to 104 times higher than its concentration in water with which the soil is in equilibrium. Biota plays a key role in the transport and mobilization of pollutants from soil, because for example, many of them bioaccumulate in vegetation and cattle (see Section 9.2). 

Acute respiratory effects were also observed in cattle at the famous Smith-field Club Livestock Show in London. The death rate was highest for the prize cattle, which were well cared for and had their litter promptly removed. The death rate was lower in the cattle that were not so well cared for. Presnmably, ammonia prodnced by microbes acting on the excreta had a beneficial effect in neutralizing snlfur oxides and sulfuric acid in the pollnted air. Other pollution episodes were observed in London and served as a major stimnlns to institntion of control measnres. Air pollution episodes with serious effects were not restricted to Europe. In October 1948, a period of particularly calm and stable meteorology,... 

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