Sensibilité à la pollution métallique de deux grands lacs africains (Tanganyika et Malawi)

Les lacs Tanganyika et Malawi sont, de par leur volume, les deux plus grands lacs africains. Ces réservoirs semblent pour l'instant épargnés par la pollution en éléments en trace. Il est toutefois crucial, en raison de leurs caractéristiques hydrologiques, de poser la question du temps de réponse de ces systèmes à une pollution chronique potentielle véhiculée par les affluents. Cet article simule ainsi cette réponse dans la fraction dissoute suite à l'introduction pendant 50 ans de polluant par tous les affluents. Cette démarche s'appuie sur un modèle hydrologique intégrant les trois compartiments des colonnes d'eau (épi-, méta- et hypolimnion) et sur la prise en compte de la réactivité des éléments dissous dans ces compartiments par l'intermédiaire du taux de rétention élémentaire. Ainsi quatre types d'éléments sont considérés, (i) le type Cl, non réactif, (ii) le type Si, réactif-nutritif, (iii) le type Mn et (iv) le type V tous deux réactifs sensibles aux conditions d'oxydo-réduction. La réactivité de l'élément, l'efficacité du mélange vertical ainsi que la position de l'oxycline dans la colonne d'eau conditionnent l'amplitude et la cinétique de réponse des systèmes ainsi que le temps de retour à la situation initiale après l'arrêt des apports polluants. Ces caractéristiques propres à l'élément et au lac influent sur le risque potentiel encouru par l'écosystème et l'homme. Ainsi la pollution affecte principalement les eaux de surface (types Cl et V), les réseaux trophiques (type Si), les eaux profondes (types Si et Mn) et le compartiment sédimentaire (types Mn et V).Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi are the largest African lakes as measured by volume. They constitute essential water and protein resources for the surrounding populations. These aquatic systems have become stressed due to high human population density, growth and associated activities. While eutrophication was apparent locally and organic pollutants were detected in fish and water, concentrations of several dissolved trace elements of potential concern corresponded to uncontaminated systems. However, due to their hydrological features, it was important to characterise the lake response time to chronic contamination loaded by the tributaries. This paper presents two simulations of this response, in the dissolved fraction, following 50 years of pollutant input by the tributaries. The first simulation corresponded to an annual pollutant input that was the same for both lakes, resulting in mean river input concentrations of 5.0 U L-1 and 3.7 U L 1 (where U is a weight or molar unit), respectively, for lakes Tanganyika and the Malawi. The second simulation corresponded to an annual input proportional to the lake volume, with mean river input concentrations of 5.0 U L 1 and 1.5 U L 1, respectively, for lakes Tanganyika and the Malawi. The polluted input was loaded by the dissolved fraction with the exception of Mn-type elements, which were carried by the particulate fraction. This approach was based on an annual hydrological model of three water column compartments (epi-, meta- and hypolimnion) of these meromictic lakes. In addition, the reactivity of dissolved elements in the water column was taken into consideration. The reactivity was characterised by the elemental retention rate that quantifies dissolved-particulate interactions linked to biological and physico-chemical processes. The reactivity of trace elements was assessed through their concentration distribution profile in the water column. Four element types were considered: the non-reactive elements characterised by homogenous concentrations in the water column (Cl-like); the micronutrient-type elements (Si-like) characterised by a strong positive concentration gradient below the thermocline; redox-sensitive elements (Mn-like) characterised by a strong positive concentration gradient below the oxycline and other redox-sensitive elements (V-like) characterised by a strong negative concentration gradient below the oxycline. Trace elements (F, Al, Fe, Mn, V, Ba, Sr, Mo, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu and Pb) in both lakes were associated with these element types but they did not necessarily belong to the same type in both lakes. Other elemental types likely occurred (e.g., carbonate type and Fe types) but they were not clearly identified. After 50 years, surface concentrations ranged from 0 to 1.15 U L 1 in Lake Tanganyika and from 0 to 2.40 U L 1 in Lake Malawi. The difference between the lakes was linked to the greater volume of Lake Tanganyika, mainly in its hypolimnion, and to the longer vertical water exchange time in Lake Tanganyika. For Cl-type elements the concentration response decreased for both lakes from the epi- to the hypolimnion with similar kinetics for the epi- and metalimnion and a delay for the hypolimnion. For Si-type elements the response decreased in Lake Malawi from the hypo- to the epilimnion and for Lake Tanganyika the maximal concentration was calculated in the metalimnion. The concentration range was higher in Lake Malawi than in Lake Tanganyika. For the Mn-type elements, the maximum concentration was calculated in the hypolimnion with a higher response in Lake Malawi. The metalimnetic water concentration of Lake Tanganyika increased slightly and epilimnetic and metalimnetic waters of Lake Malawi did not react. For V-type elements the epilimnetic waters were more sensitive to the increase, with a higher response for Lake Malawi. In Lake Malawi concentrations also increased in the metalimnion. Concentrations in the hypolimnetic zone of both lakes and metalimnetic zone in Lake Tanganyika remained zero. Depending on the element type and on the lake, the time required to return to initial conditions, when contaminant inputs stopped, varied from 30 to 7 300 years. In the epilimnetic zone of both lakes the intensity of reaction and the pollution persistence were higher for Cl-type elements. For Si-type elements, mainly in Lake Malawi, the vertical input from deep waters was sufficient to sustain productivity even after the input of pollutants was stopped. For these elements the dissolved contamination was mainly stored in deep waters. For Mn-type elements the contamination was also stored in deep waters with a relatively slow net transfer to the sedimentary compartment. V-type pollutants were transferred from the dissolved to the particulate phase in deep waters leading to a relatively rapid net transfer to the sediment. Once the pollutant was in the system and until its evacuation to the outlet or to sediment, the risk for the ecosystem and for the population was associated with its presence in the dissolved phase of the surface water. The risk was then higher for Cl- and V-type elements as well as for the Si-type elements that were introduced into the web food. For the Si- and Mn-type elements that were mainly stored in deep waters, the associated risk was linked to a breaking of the thermo-haline stratification or to a reinforcement of vertical mixing. For the V-type elements and also for the sedimentary fraction of the Mn-type elements, the risk was also associated with possible remobilization from the sediments due to physico-chemical changes at the water-sediment interface.Element reactivity, efficiency of the vertical mixing and the depth of the oxycline control the importance and the kinetic response. They also controlled the time to attain initial conditions once contaminant inputs were stopped. These features, relative to the element and to the lake, were key parameters in the assessment of the potential risk for both the ecosystem and people that rely on these lakes. Even if the elemental typology was the same for both lakes, elements can be considered a different type from one lake to another. Contamination from the same pollutant would then have different consequences, for instance regarding the associated risk. Computed hydrochemical budgets were simple but realistic, illustrating the behaviour of elements in the water column. Computation of this budget requires the knowledge of global water column fluxes, which have to be improved mainly for Lake Tanganyika. The element's reactivity was mainly linked to liquid-solid reactions. It would be interesting in future studies to characterise particulate phases and their reactivity and to introduce such processes in hydro-geochemical models. Computations of chronic contamination response indicate that for both lakes, due to the inertia of the hydrochemical system, the lack of lake water contamination does not imply a systematic lack of pollution in the tributaries. Once pollution is detected, it will be persistent. A global watershed monitoring program should be organised in the near future. Monitored parameters should be relevant to metallic and organic pollutants, as well as eutrophication

Evaluation des rôles relatifs d’une bande enherbée et d’un fossé filtrant dans un ouvrage de traitement des eaux de ruissellement de voirie

International audienceIn order to determine the relative importance of a vegetative filter strip and a biofiltration swale in a treatment train for road runoff, US EPA SWMM was used to model infiltration and runoff from the filter strip. The model consists of a series of subcatchments representing the road, the filter strip and the side slopes of the swale. Simulations were carried out for different rain scenarios representing a variety of climatic conditions. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was conducted for the model's different parameters (soil characteristics and initial humidity, roughness, geometry…). This exercise showed that for the system studied, the majority of road runoff is managed by the filter strip rather than the biofiltration swale, an effect observed especially during periods of low-intensity rainfall. Additionally, it was observed that the combination of infiltration of road runoff in the filter strip and direct rainfall on the system leads to a significant and variable dilution of the runoff reaching the swale. This result has important implications for evaluating the treatment efficiency of the system.Afin de déterminer l'importance relative d'une bande enherbée dans un ouvrage combiné bande enherbée-fossé de biofiltration de traitement des eaux de ruissellement de voirie, le ruissellement et l'infiltration au niveau de la bande enherbée ont été modélisés avec US EPA SWMM. Le modèle consiste en une série de sous-bassins versants représentant la route, la bande enherbée et le talus du fossé. Des simulations ont été menées pour différents scenarios de pluies représentant une variété de conditions climatiques et en menant une analyse de sensibilité sur les différents paramètres du modèle (nature du sol, humidité initiale, rugosité, géométrie…). Cet exercice a montré que pour le système étudié, la grande majorité de l'eau est gérée par la bande enherbée et non pas par le fossé de biofiltration dans lequel peu d'eau arrive, notamment quand l'intensité de la pluie est faible. De plus, il a été observé que la combinaison de l'infiltration de l'eau de voirie sur la bande enherbée et de l'apport en précipitation directe sur l'ouvrage conduit à une dilution significative et variable de l'eau atteignant le fossé. Ces résultats ont des implications importantes pour l'évaluation de l'efficacité épuratoire du système

Review submerged speleothems and sea level reconstructions: A global overview and new results from the mediterranean sea

This study presents a global overview of the submerged speleothems used to reconstruct paleo sea levels and reports new results from two stalactites collected in the Mediterranean Sea. Coastal cave deposits significantly contributed to the understanding of global and regional sea-level variations during the Middle and Late Quaternary. The studied speleothems cover the last 1.4 Myr and focused mainly on Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1, 2, 3, 5.1, 5.3, 5.5, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.5. The results indicate that submerged speleothems represent extraordinary archives that can provide detailed information on former sea-level changes. The two stalactites collected in the central Mediterranean Sea, at Favignana and Ustica islands (Sicily, Italy), are both characterized by continental, phreatic or marine layers. The U-Th and14C ages of the new speleothems provide results of great interest for relative sea-level changes over the last 1000 years

Dynamique du piégeage des micropolluants métalliques au sein des zones humides artificielles traitant des eaux pluviales urbaines strictes : Etude de cas à Strasbourg, Moulins-lès-Metz et Leuville-sur-Orge

Colloque avec actes et comité de lecture. internationale.International audienceStormwater constructed wetlands (SCW) in Strasbourg (Alsace, France), Moulin-lès-Metz (Lorraine, France), and Leuville-sur-Orge (Ile-de-France, France) receive and treat exclusively runoffs from urban catchments but with different soil uses. Made up of sedimentation ponds and a vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland, the treatment facilities lead to trap several trace metal pollution. Each site belongs to different hydroclimatic areas (modified oceanic, modified continental and semi-continental) and was designed for different purposes (watercourse protection in Strasbourg and in Leuville-sur-Orge, protection of drinking water wells in Moulins-lès-Metz). The aim of this study is to explore trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) behaviours in these SCW. We investigated trace metal trapping by determining concentrations in the systems compartments (filters media and plants). Then trace metal speciation was determined through sequencial extractions of the sediment and filter media. This allowed to determine their forms in soils and to anticipate their behaviour during physical and chemical condition changes. This study permits to obtain first results for the metals stability, to highlight a decrease of the concentrations through the SCW depth (from surficial sediment to clean filter media) and to observe a negligible metal trap in plants (mainly in roots)

U-series and radiocarbon cross dating of speleothems from Nerja Cave (Spain): Evidence of open system behavior. Implication for the Spanish rock art chronology

Two stalagmites from Nerja cave (Andalusia, Spain) were studied. The cave is well known because of its long human occupation from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Chalcolithic and its abundant parietal prehistoric Art. The aims of this study were twofold: i) to compare uranium/thorium (Th/U) and Carbon-14 (C) ages obtained all along the growth axis of the stalagmites in order to understand the consequences of diagenetic processes on the validity of radiometric ages; ii) as one of the stalagmites contains black layers, attributed to combustion soot, to establish when these intense hearths were used and by which culture. Th/U and C ages were coupled with mineralogical studies using FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) and thin section observations. The first stalagmite (GN16-9b) displays Th/U ages in stratigraphic order, and compatible with C ages corrected for a few percent of dead carbon. Homogeneous composition of aragonitic crystals characterized by their needle-like texture is observed throughout this speleothem. For the second stalagmite (GN16-7), in contrast, Th/U ages display large significant inversions and discordant results on the upper part and at the base of the stalagmite, suggesting a possible open system behavior for this chronometer. Interestingly, C ages are in stratigraphic order all along the stalagmite and are compatible with Th/U ages only in its central part. Mineralogical studies display evidence of aragonite to calcite transformation at the top and a complex mineralogical assemblage with interlayered silicates (possibly clays) and calcitic mineralogy for the base of GN16-7. In these parts, discordant Th/U ages were measured. In the middle part of the stalagmite, however, where the fibrous aragonite is well preserved, the C and Th/U ages agree. Our data suggest that in the case of aragonite to calcite transformation as shown here, Th/U ages are biased, but C ages seem to remain accurate, as already observed in aragonitic marine bio minerals. C ages obtained are used for the chronology of the soot layer, determined here between 7900 and 5500 years Cal BP, coherent with previous analysis of charcoals in the same sector of the cave. This study highlights the importance of working with at least two chronometers when stratigraphic age verification is not possible, as is the case of some parietal CaCO thin layers used for rock art dating. Recent Th/U ages published for carbonate deposits on Spanish parietal Art are discussed in light of this demonstration.This research was funded by ANR (grant number ANR-18-CE27- 0004, ApART project) and supported by the Paris Ile-de-France Region – DIM “matérieux Anciens et Patrimoniaux” for FTIR analysis. The authors thank LMC14 staff (Laboratoire de Mesure du Carbone-14), ARTEMIS national facility, for the results obtained with the Accelerator Mass Spectroscopy method, and the PANOPLY analytical platform. This research is part of the “Proyecto General de Investigación aplicada a la conservación de Cueva de Nerja” authorised by the Junta de Andalucía and financed by the Fundación de Servicios Cueva de Nerja. The authors also wish to thank the “Instituto de Investigación Cueva de Nerja” for supporting this research. M.A.Medina-Alcaide has a Postdoctoral Fyssen Grant; the results presented in this paper are included in the PID2019-107262GB-I00 and PDC2021-121501-I00 grants funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

The host metabolite D-serine contributes to bacterial niche specificity through gene selection

Escherichia coli comprise a diverse array of both commensals and niche-specific pathotypes. The ability to cause disease results from both carriage of specific virulence factors and regulatory control of these via environmental stimuli. Moreover, host metabolites further refine the response of bacteria to their environment and can dramatically affect the outcome of the host–pathogen interaction. Here, we demonstrate that the host metabolite, D-serine, selectively affects gene expression in E. coli O157:H7. Transcriptomic profiling showed exposure to D-serine results in activation of the SOS response and suppresses expression of the Type 3 Secretion System (T3SS) used to attach to host cells. We also show that concurrent carriage of both the D-serine tolerance locus (dsdCXA) and the locus of enterocyte effacement pathogenicity island encoding a T3SS is extremely rare, a genotype that we attribute to an ‘evolutionary incompatibility’ between the two loci. This study demonstrates the importance of co-operation between both core and pathogenic genetic elements in defining niche specificity

Ecological niche adaptation of Salmonella Typhimurium U288 is associated with altered pathogenicity and reduced zoonotic potential

The emergence of new bacterial pathogens is a continuing challenge for agriculture and food safety. Salmonella Typhimurium is a major cause of foodborne illness worldwide, with pigs a major zoonotic reservoir. Two phylogenetically distinct variants, U288 and ST34, emerged in UK pigs around the same time but present different risk to food safety. Here we show using genomic epidemiology that ST34 accounts for over half of all S. Typhimurium infections in people while U288 less than 2%. That the U288 clade evolved in the recent past by acquiring AMR genes, indels in the virulence plasmid pU288-1, and accumulation of loss-of-function polymorphisms in coding sequences. U288 replicates more slowly and is more sensitive to desiccation than ST34 isolates and exhibited distinct pathogenicity in the murine model of colitis and in pigs. U288 infection was more disseminated in the lymph nodes while ST34 were recovered in greater numbers in the intestinal contents. These data are consistent with the evolution of S. Typhimurium U288 adaptation to pigs that may determine their reduced zoonotic potential