Assessment of heavy metal pollution in Vistula river (Poland) sediments by using magnetic methods

The present study evaluated the level of heavy metal (HM) pollution in Vistula river sediments in a highly urbanized Warsaw agglomeration (Poland). Magnetometry was used to assess the pollution level by measuring the fine fractions (0.071 mm and <0.071 mm) of sediments collected from the surface layer of the riverbank. The magnetic methods (e.g., mass magnetic susceptibility χ, temperature-dependence magnetic susceptibility, and hysteresis loop parameters) were supplemented by microscopy observations and chemical element analyses. The results showed the local impact of Warsaw’s activity on the level of HM pollution, indicated by the maximum concentrations of magnetic particles and HM in the city center. The sediment fraction <0.071 mm was dominated by magnetite and by a large amount of spherical-shaped anthropogenic magnetic particles. The pollution from the center of Warsaw was transported down-river over a relatively short distance of approximately 11 km. There was a gradual decrease in the concentrations of magnetic particles and HM in areas located to the north of the city center (down-river); furthermore, χ and concentrations of HM did not decrease to the values observed for the area to the south of Warsaw (up-river). The study showed two possible sources of sediment pollution: traffic-related and heat and power plant emissions. The influence of an additional source of pollution cannot be excluded as the amount of spherules in the sediments at the center was extremely high. The present study demonstrates that magnetometry has a practical application in detecting and mapping HM pollution in river systems

Mill pond sediments as the indicator of the environment of the drainage area (an example of Liswarta River, Odra basin, Poland)

The geochemical characteristics of sediments deposited within a channel-type reservoir situated behind the weir of a water mill on the River Liswarta (southern Poland) were studied in relation to land use in the catchment. The catchment in question is an agricultural one with large forest areas. The contamination of sediments with trace elements was assessed using the geoaccumulation index. The sediments studied were moderately to heavily contaminated with As, Cu, Co, Ni and Ba. They were also heavily contaminated with Sr. Additionally, V and Cr contamination ranged from heavy to extreme. The basic composition of sediments and the trace elements present in them indicate both natural and anthropogenic sources of pollution. Mill impoundments provide zones where the sediments transported by rivers accumulate. Within the Liswarta catchment, their removal may cause the remobilisation of contaminated alluvial deposits

Impacts of economic development on ecosystem risk in the Yellow River Delta

AbstractWith the economic development and population growth, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively to meet the rapidly growing demand for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel. This has led to a substantial and largely irreversible loss of the biodiversity on earth. The ecosystem risk is created as a new concept to understand the environmental problems. Therefore, it is important to develop quantitative methods for regional ecosystem risk analysis. Yellow River Delta is the widest, most intact and youngest delta both in China and in the world; its ecosystem environment is much more vulnerable due to its special location and industrial structure. Therefore, it is very important to manage them wisely and strategically. Therefore, Yellow River Delta is selected as the case area to reveal the impacts of economic development on ecosystem risk in this study. This study selected the ecological quality index to show the potential ecosystem risk and estimated the impacts of economic development on ecosystem risk using the panel data model on the pixel level based on the GIS, RS technique. It's found that the economic development will have impacts on the ecological environment to a certain degree, however, these impacts can exchange to a greater degree with the development. Then more funds and advanced technologies can be used to promote the intensive development of land use, which may decrease the impacts of economic development on the environment. Therefore, we need to ensure the coordinated development of the economy and ecological environment. The research results provide meaningful decision-making information for the urbanization process and environmental protection in the Yellow River Delta

Facilitative capture of As(V), Pb(II) and methylene blue from aqueous solutions with MgO hybrid sponge-like carbonaceous composite derived from sugarcane leafy trash

Enhancing the contaminant adsorption capacity is a key factor affecting utilization of carbon-based adsorbents in wastewater treatment and encouraging development of biomass thermo-disposal. In this study, a novel MgO hybrid sponge-like carbonaceous composite (HSC) derived from sugarcane leafy trash was prepared through an integrated adsorption-pyrolysis method. The resulted HSC composite was characterized and employed as adsorbent for the removal of negatively charged arsenate (As(V)), positively charged Pb(II), and the organic pollutant methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions in batch experiments. The effects of solution pH, contact time, initial concentration, temperature, and ionic strength on As(V), Pb(II) and MB adsorption were investigated. HSC was composed of nano-size MgO flakes and nanotube-like carbon sponge. Hybridization significantly improved As(V), Pb(II) and methylene blue (MB) adsorption when compared with the material without hybridization. The maximum As(V), Pb(II) and MB adsorption capacities obtained from Langmuir model were 157 mg/g, 103 mg/g and 297 mg/g, respectively. As(V) adsorption onto HSC was best fit by the pseudo−second−order model, and Pb(II) and MB with the intraparticle diffusion model. Increased temperature and ionic strength decreased Pb(II) and MB adsorption onto HSC more than As(V). Further FT-IR, XRD and XPS analysis demonstrated that the removal of As(V) by HSC was mainly dominated by surface deposition of MgHAsO4 and Mg(H2AsO4)2 crystals on the HSC composite, while carbon π–π* transition and carbon π–electron played key roles in Pb(II) and MB adsorption. The interaction of Pb(II) with carbon matrix carboxylate was also evident. Overall, MgO hybridization improves the preparation of the nanotube-like carbon sponge composite and provides a potential agricultual residue-based adsorbent for As(V), Pb(II) and MB removal

Des (bio)nano-composites utilisés dans le traitement d'eaux contaminées par de l'arsenic/gentamicine ou pour des applications médicales

Les composés dits 'bionano' (bionanocomposites) apparaissent comme un nouveau groupe de matériaux hybrides nano-structurés. Ils sont issus de la combinaison de polymères naturels et de solides inorganiques et sont de l'ordre du nanomètre dans au moins une direction. Ces matériaux hybrides conservent les structures et les propriétés fonctionnelles des polymères et matériaux inorganiques dont ils sont composés. Parallèlement, la présence de biopolymères permet de diminuer les risques environnementaux et de santés publiques liés aux nano-matériaux. Les propriétés inhérentes aux biopolymères (biocompatibles' et biodégradables) ouvrent des perspectives intéressantes pour ces matériaux hybrides en particulier dans les domaines de la médecine regénérative et en génie de l'environnement. La production de bionanocomposites de taille plus importante, que les nanoparticules qu'ils renferment, permet d'éviter les effets nocifs potentiels des nanoparticules (NPs) pour les organismes vivants et plus particulièrement pour l'homme. L'association de biopolymères et de nano-solides inorganiques permet la conception de bionanocomposites multifonctionnels qui peuvent être synthétisés et utilisés pour des applications dans des domaines variés. Cette thèse se propose d'étudier principalement (i) ma présence d'arsenic et d'antibiotiques dans les sources d'eau potable en Chine; (ii) l'évaluation d'un nouveau bionanocomposites, à savoir le CGB (chitosan goethite bionanocomposite), dans la décontamination des eaux contenant des espèces inorganiques d'arsenic; (iii) l'évaluation d'argiles comme adsorbants de décontamination de la gentamicine (un antibiotique aminoglycoside ) présent dans l'eau de même que celle de bionanocomposés fait d'argiles riches en gentamicine de polymères de methycelluloses hydroxypropyles Gt-Mt-HPMC (gentamicin-montmorillonite- hydroxypropyl methycellulose) utilisés comme pansement contre les infections qui ont lieu suite à des brûlures.Bionanocomposites represent an emerging group of nano-structured hybrid materials. They are formed by the combination of natural polymers and inorganic solids and show at least one dimension on the nanometer scale (Darder et al., 2007). These hybrid materials retain the structural and functional properties of nano-structured materials. Meanwhile, the presence of biopolymer can reduce the public health and environmental risk of nano-sized material. The properties inherent to the biopolymers, that is, biocompatibility and biodegradability, open new prospects for these hybrid materials with special incidence in regenerative medicine and in environmental engineering (Darder et al., 2007). Fabrication of large-sized bionanocomposites, rather than nano-sized particles, can prevent possible harmful nanoparticles (NPs) intake by humans and living things. Synergistic assembling of biopolymers with inorganic nano-sized solids leads to multifunctional bionanocomposites which can be synthesized and applied in several areas for designed purposes. This thesis focuses on (i) the presence of toxic arsenic and antibiotics in Chinese drinking water sources; (ii) evaluation of a novel tailored bionanocompsite, namely chitosan goethite bionanocomposite (CGB), as removal agent for inorganic arsenic species from water; (iii) using clay mineral as adsorbent for removing gentamicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, from water, and assembling gentamicin-loaded clay with biopolymer hydroxypropyl methycellulose leading to a bionanocomposites film, namely gentamicin-montmorillonite- hydroxypropyl methycellulose (Gt-Mt-HPMC), to be used as burn wound dressing.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

A comparative study of sediment trace metal levels in upland lakesin the southern and northern Carpathians of Romania

The Carpathian Mountains in Romania hold around 150-200 glacial lakes and traverse a region where there are considerable environmental concerns. Despite a long tradition of palaeoecological study in the region, to date relatively little has been published on the alteration of their sediment characteristics due to recent human-induced environmental impacts. This research project has investigated the physical characteristics, the mineral magnetic properties and the trace metal levels of sediment cores from ten selected lakes in the southern and northern Carpathians of Romania in order to evaluate the possibility of using these lakes’ sediment as records of recent human impacts and, in particular, trace metal deposition. Laboratory analysis has included sediment bulk density measurements, loss-on-ignition and laser diffraction based particle size determination, environmental magnetism and geochemical (ICP-OES) analysis. A single core from one of the south lakes (Lacul Capra) was radiometrically dated. There were distinct variations in catchment and lake area, the ratio of catchment area to lake size and in lake depth between both regions. The physical characteristics of the lake sediments demonstrated similar trends in their down core profiles in both regions, although the lakes from the south demonstrated a larger particle size range than those in the north. The environmental magnetism of the sediment cores demonstrated common characteristics in surface or near surface peaks magnetic concentration, but there were variations in the magnitude of the concentrations between both regions. The surface increase in concentrations indicated the influence of the atmospheric deposition of particulate deposition associated with fossil fuel combustion and vehicle emissions, but it may also be influenced by microbiological activities within the lakes’ sediment. The geochemical analysis (EFs and down-core profiles) showed that the same trends in metal concentration were repeated across the lakes in both regions, but the south lakes displayed higher peak in Pb and Zn concentrations, than were found in the north lakes. The research project has demonstrated the likely influence of atmospheric particulate deposition on the sediments of the lakes from both regions and it has demonstrated spatial and temporal variations in trace metal levels in the lake sediments. It has thereby provided a preliminary database and an overview of palaeolimnological information in two regions of the Romanian Carpathians. Thus, it provides an addition to the records of recent pollution in Romania and a gateway to further investigations in the area of recent palaeoenvironmental change in this region

Occurrence and distribution of organochlorinated pesticides and flame retardants in Spain and China

[eng] In the present thesis, analytical methods based on gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, both single (GC-MS) or tandem (GC-MS/MS), have been developed and optimized for the detection and quantification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated byphenils (PCBs) and emerging pollutants such as organophosphate esters (OPEs), which are currently used as flame retardants, additives and plasticizers. Another family of flame retardants, also classified as POPs, polybrominated diphenil ethers (PBDEs), was also studied and quantified using already optimized and validated methods. The presence of target POPs in environmentally protected areas of the Iberian Peninsula has been evaluated using seagull eggs as bioindicators. Two species, namely yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Audouin´s gull (Larus Audouinii), have been selected for this purpose. The former is an abundant and widely distributed species with scavenging and opportunistic behavior, while the later is more vulnerable, even though the population is growing during recent years and new colonies are emerging, and showed a strict fish-based diet. Pollution levels detected in gull eggs were dominated by PCBs, followed by various OCPs. Among OCPs, high levels of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) were found, which is a metabolic and degradation product of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), a pesticide widely used during the last decades of the 20th century, which showed high toxicity for birds, being able to reduce the reproduction success because it may affect the eggshell thickness and prevent hatching when present at high enough levels. PBDEs were also widespread in the marine environments of the Iberian Peninsula but at lower levels. Audouin´s gull eggs showed higher pollution levels than yellow-legged gulls from the same colonies, suggesting differences in their feeding habits and their bioaccumulation capacity of POPs. In general, Atlantic colonies were less exposed to POPs pollution than Mediterranean ones. POPS and OPEs were also found in soil and sediment samples from four different protected areas in southern China. Protected areas such as national parks and natural reserves are of especial importance to preserve biodiversity and the natural evolution of ecosystems and are supposed to be pristine because human activities are restricted or forbidden within their geographic boundaries. However, OPEs were commonly found in the samples studied, and were the dominant pollutants, probably due to their current use and related to human activities in the surroundings of the protected areas or the touristic activities that take place within these areas. POPs were detected at lower levels than OPEs, but the alfa isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane, as well as the decabrominated PBDE congener, BDE 209, were the most frequently detected pollutants, being widespread in the environment due to their high production and consumption volumes in China during last decades. The occurrence of POPs and OPEs was also evaluated in soils, sediments and free ranged hen eggs collected in Baihe village, Qingyuan County, Guangdong province of China. This is a hotspot for pollution, associated with electrical and electronic equipment waste (e-waste) because several non-formal workshops were set there. The disassembling of e-waste and recovering of valuable metals became the principal economic activity at the end of the last century and beginning of the present century. Non valuable residues, mostly plastics, have been dumped for years in a little pond that was identified as the main source of pollution of the surrounding ecosystem. The migration of OPEs from the plastic dump to the water and their accumulation in the sediment of the polluted pond has been evidenced, as well as the spread of pollution to other water bodies in the same area. Moderate to high environmental risks were estimated for the presence of target pollutants in abiotic matrixes. Human consumption of free-ranged hen eggs from Baihe village was found to be a route of exposure to pollutants through the diet, posing considerable risks to human health regarding the levels of PCBs and PBDEs found.[spa] En la presente tesis doctoral se ha estudiado la presencia y distribución de pesticidas organoclorados y retardantes de llama en áreas ambientalmente protegidas de España y China y en una zona afectada por residuos electrónicos en China. Para ello se han desarrollado y aplicado métodos multiresiduo basados en cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas, tanto simple como en tándem, para la detección y cuantificación de, por un lado, contaminantes cuyo uso ha sido restringido y prohibido bajo las directrices del Convenio de Estocolmo y conocidos por sus características fisicoquímicas como compuestos orgánicos persistentes (COPs), los cuales incluyen pesticidas organoclorados (OCPs por sus siglas en inglés), bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) y polibromodifenil éteres (PBDEs) y, por otro lado, una familia de contaminantes emergentes utilizados como plastificantes, aditivos y retardantes de llama como son los ésteres organofosforados (OPEs). En España, el estudio de COPs se ha llevado a cabo mediante el uso de huevos de gaviota como bioindicadores de la contaminación ambiental y se han evaluado los niveles de estos compuestos antropogénicos en las mayores colonias de gaviotas de la península Ibérica, constituidas en zonas con diferentes grados de protección ambiental. Los compuestos detectados a mayor nivel fueron los OCPs, y más en concreto el dicloro difenil tricloroetano (DDT) y sus productos de degradación, seguidos por los PCBs y a menores niveles los PBDEs. En China, se ha detectado la presencia tanto de COPs como de OPEs en suelos y sedimentos de zonas protegidas como parques nacionales y/o reservas naturales que, en principio, deberían ser prístinas. Los contaminantes detectados a mayores niveles fueron los OPEs, probablemente debido a su uso actual. Sin embargo, el isómero alfa del hexaclorociclohexano, así como el PBDE 209 demostraron ser ubicuos en el medio ambiente, lo cual concuerda con los grandes volúmenes de producción y consumo de los mismos en el país asiático. Los OPEs fueron identificados a muy elevadas concentraciones en aguas, suelos, sedimentos y huevos de gallina muestreados en Baihe, un pueblo del sur de China cuya principal actividad económica ha sido, durante las últimas décadas, el reciclaje de residuos electrónicos para la recuperación de metales valiosos. Esta actividad ha conllevado la acumulación de plásticos en un pequeño lago, que se ha identificado como la fuente de contaminación de los compartimentos ambientales del ecosistema. PCBs y PBDEs también se detectaron a elevadas concentraciones en suelos y sedimentos, e incluso en huevos lo cual permitió identificar riesgos, no sólo ambientales, sino también para la salud humana

Effects of Embryonic Arsenic Exposure on Killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) Growth, Feeding Behavior, and Intestinal Morphology and Cell Types

Arsenic is found as a contaminant of drinking water, rice, and other crops. Epidemiological studies have shown that embryonic exposure to arsenic can cause changes in behavior and reductions in growth, but the mechanisms for these effects are not well understood. So, we were interested in examining potential mechanisms by which arsenic could be affecting growth. Additionally, while many studies have looked at higher levels of arsenic exposure, we wanted to focus on environmentally-relevant levels to see if these concentrations could have lasting consequences on growth, even after the exposure had ended. Killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) were used as the model organism for this investigation for two reasons. First, they produce a large number of eggs, which can increase statistical power when observing affects over multiple time points. Second, earlier studies have shown effects on developmental processes at arsenic levels similar to human exposures. In rodent or zebrafish models, investigators typically need to use arsenic concentrations that are 100X higher to see similar effects. Thus, killifish were exposed to 0, 10, 50, and 200ppb arsenic (as sodium arsenite) as embryos, and after hatching were reared in clean water until adulthood at 28 weeks. The study was designed to represent a full embryonic/fetal arsenic exposure in utero, and then to examine whether effects persisted, worsened, or resolved into early adulthood. We found that growth, assessed by condition factor (weight/length³), was significantly reduced by 24% in the 200 ppb embryonic exposure groups at 8 weeks, with a dose dependent decrease in the 10 and 50 ppb groups. These trends persisted up to 28 weeks, although variability was much higher. As we had seen similar reductions in growth in a previous embryonic arsenic exposure study that used higher arsenic concentrations, we therefore investigated three potential mechanisms responsible for the growth reduction. First, we analyzed feeding behavior, as it has been found to correlate to amount of nutrient intake. Embryonic arsenic exposure did indeed reduce the percentage of fish initially responding to food and increased the amount of time it took for the fish to start their response, particularly at the 28 week time period. So, one possibility is that arsenic reduces activity or alters olfaction, thus reducing their response to food. The second mechanism examined was whether embryonic arsenic exposure altered the morphology of the intestine, or altered several specific cell types needed for nutrient uptake. There was a slight, but statistically significant reduction in intestinal villus height at 16 weeks, this change did not persist. Intestinal enterocytes and Goblet cell number, as measured by immunohistochemistry, did not change with arsenic concentration or time. However, the number of PCNA-positive intestinal cells, indicating cell proliferation, was reduced in a dose-response manner at all sampling time points. This may indicate that embryonic arsenic exposure permanently altered the ability of intestinal stem cells to proliferate. The third possibility we examined was whether embryonic arsenic exposure altered the expression of skeletal and hepatic insulin like growth factor (IGF-1), its receptor (IGFR-1) on skeletal muscle cells, and its associated binding proteins (IGFBP-1 & -5) in the muscle and liver. We hypothesized that changes in their levels might alter growth and muscle body weight, since epidemiological studies have found an inverse relationship between arsenic and IGF-1 in plasma levels, which correlate to reductions in birth weight. Reductions of hepatic IGF1 and IGFBP-1 are highly correlated with condition factor reductions in the 8 week old fish. However, by 28 weeks, hepatic IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 still remain tightly correlated, but are actually increased in a statistically significant, dose-response manner. This might be a compensatory response to potentially making up for any growth deficits seen in earlier stages. Overall, the results from this study show that embryonic-only arsenic exposure can alter growth factor expression, such as hepatic IGF-1, which correlates with a reduction in condition factor during an essential growth period such as the juvenile stage. As the fish reach sexual maturity, it appears that by increasing levels of IGF-1 and restoring a consistent intestinal environment, they are able to compensate for early growth deficits after embryonic exposure to lower levels of arsenic