Advances in Understanding Environmental Risks of Red Mud After the Ajka Spill, Hungary

In the 5 years since the 2010 Ajka red mud spill (Hungary), there have been 46 scientific studies assessing the key risks and impacts associated with the largest single release of bauxite-processing residue (red mud) to the environment. These studies have provided insight into the main environmental concerns, as well as the effectiveness of remedial efforts that can inform future management of red mud elsewhere. The key immediate risks after the spill were associated with the highly caustic nature of the red mud slurry and fine particle size, which once desiccated, could generate fugitive dust. Studies on affected populations showed no major hazards identified beyond caustic exposure, while red mud dust risks were considered equal to or lesser than those provided by urban dusts of similar particle size distribution. The longer-term environmental risks were related to the saline nature of the spill material (salinization of inundated soils) and the release and the potential cycling of oxyanion-forming metals and metalloids (e.g., Al, As, Cr, Mo, and V) in the soil–water environment. Of these, those that are soluble at high pH, inefficiently removed from solution during dilution and likely to be exchangeable at ambient pH are of chief concern (e.g., Mo and V). Various ecotoxicological studies have identified negative impacts of red mud-amended soils and sediments at high volumes (typically [5 %) on different test organisms, with some evidence of molecularlevel impacts at high dose (e.g., genotoxic effects on plants and mice). These data provide a valuable database to inform future toxicological studies for red mud. However, extensive management efforts in the aftermath of the spill greatly limited these exposure risks through leachate neutralization and red mud recovery from the affected land. Monitoring of affected soils, stream sediments, waters and aquatic biota (fungi, invertebrates and fish) have all shown a very rapid recovery toward prespill conditions. The accident also prompted research that has also highlighted potential benefits of red mud use for critical raw material recovery (e.g., Ga, Co, V, rare earths, inform), carbon sequestration, biofuel crop production, and use as a soil ameliorant

Solvation and Protonation of Coumarin 102 in Aqueous Media - a Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study

The ground and excited state protonation of Coumarin 102 (C102), a fluorescent probe applied frequently in heterogeneous systems with an aqueous phase, has been studied in aqueous solutions by spectroscopic experiments and theoretical calculations. For the dissociation constant of the protonated form in the ground state, was obtained from the absorption spectra, for the excited state dissociation constant was obtained from the fluorescence spectra. These values were closely reproduced by theoretical calculations via a thermodynamic cycle – the value of also by calculations via the Förster cycle - using an implicit-explicit solvation model (polarized continuum model + addition of a solvent molecule). The theoretical calculations indicated that (i) in the ground state C102 occurs primarily as a hydrogen bonded water complex, with the oxo group as the binding site, (ii) this hydrogen bond becomes stronger upon excitation; (iii) in the ground state the amino nitrogen atom, in the excited state the carboxy oxygen atom is the protonation site. A comprehensive analysis of fluorescence decay data yielded the values kpr = 3.271010 M-1 s 1 for the rate constants of excited state protonation, and kdpr = 2.78108 s-1 for the rate constant of the reverse process (kpr and kdpr were treated as independent parameters). This, considering the relatively long fluorescence lifetimes of neutral C102 (6.02 ns) and its protonated form (3.06 ns) in aqueous media, means that a quasi-equilibrium state of excited state proton transfer is reached in strongly acidic solutions

Synthesis of N3S, N3O, N2S2, N2O2, N2SO and N2OS porphyrins with one meso-unsubstituted carbon

A simple straightforward synthesis of N3S N2S2, N2O2, N2SO and N2OS porphyrins and an improved method for the synthesis of an N3O porphyrin with one meso-unsubstituted carbon atom are reported from readily available precursors. The reactivity of the meso-unsubstituted carbon atom was demonstrated by carrying out bromination followed by Heck coupling reactions. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)

Solution and solid-state characterization of Eu(II) chelates: a possible route towards redox responsive MRI contrast agents.

We report the first solid state X-ray crystal structure for a Eu(II) chelate, [C(NH2)3]3[Eu(II)(DTPA)(H2O)].8H2O, in comparison with those for the corresponding Sr analogue, [C(NH2)3]3[Sr(DTPA)(H2O).8H2O and for [Sr(ODDA)].8H2O (DTPA5 = diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N",N"-pentaacetate, ODDA2- =1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diazacyclooctadecane-7,16-diacetate ). The two DTPA complexes are isostructural due to the similar ionic size and charge of Sr(2+) and Eu(2+). The redox stability of [Eu(II)(ODDA)(H2O)] and [Eu(II)(ODDM)]2- complexes has been investigated by cyclovoltammetry and UV/Vis spectrophotometry (ODDM4- =1,4,10,13-tetraoxa-7,16-diaza-cyclooctadecane-7,16-++ +dimalonate). The macrocyclic complexes are much more stable against oxidation than [Eu(II)(DTPA)(H2O)]3- (the redox potentials are E1/2 =-0.82 V, -0.92 V, and -1.35 V versus Ag/AgCl electrode for [Eu(III/II)(ODDA)(H2O)],[Eu(III/II)(ODDM)], and [Eu(III/II)(DTPA)(H2O)], respectively, compared with -0.63 V for Eu(III/II) aqua). The thermodynamic stability constants of [Eu(II)(ODDA)(H2O)], [Eu(II)(ODDM)]2-, [Sr(ODDA)(H2O)], and [Sr(ODDM)]2- were also determined by pH potentiometry. They are slightly higher for the EuII complexes than those for the corresponding Sr analogues (logK(ML)=9.85, 13.07, 8.66, and 11.34 for [Eu(II)(ODDA)(H2O)], [Eu(II)(ODDM)]2-, [Sr(ODDA)(H2O)], and [Sr(ODDM)]2-, respectively, 0.1M (CH3)4NCl). The increased thermodynamic and redox stability of the Eu(II) complex formed with ODDA as compared with the traditional ligand DTPA can be of importance when biomedical application is concerned. A variable-temperature 17O-NMR and 1H-nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) study has been performed on [Eu(II)(ODDA)(H2O)] and [Eu(II)(ODDM)]2- in aqueous solution. [Eu(II)(ODDM)]2- has no inner-sphere water molecule which allowed us to use it as an outer-sphere model for [Eu(II)(ODDA)(H2O)]. The water exchange rate (k298(ex)= 0.43 x 10(9)s(-1)) is one third of that obtained for [Eu(II)(DTPA)(H2O)]3-. The variable pressure 17O-NMR study yielded a negative activation volume, deltaV (not=) = -3.9cm3mol(-1); this indicates associatively activated water exchange. This water exchange rate is in the optimal range to attain maximum proton relaxivities, which are, however, strongly limited by the fast rotation of the small molecular weight complex

Novel macrocyclic EuII complexes: fast water exchange related to an extreme metal-coordinated water oxygen distance

International audienceEuII complexes are potential candidates for pO2-responsive contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. In this regard, we have characterized two novel macrocyclic EuII chelates, [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− and [EuII(TETA)]2− (H4DOTA=1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid, H4TETA=1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-1,4,8,11-tetraacetic acid) in terms of redox and thermodynamic complex stability, proton relaxivity, water exchange, rotation and electron spin relaxation. Additionally, solid-state structures were determined for the SrII analogues. They revealed no inner-sphere water in the TETA and one inner-sphere water molecule in the DOTA complex. This hydration pattern is retained in solution, as the 17O chemical shifts and 1H relaxation rates proved for the corresponding EuII compounds. The thermodynamic complex stability, determined from the formal redox potential and by pH potentiometry, of [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− (lg KEu(II)=16.75) is the highest among all known EuII complexes, whereas the redox stabilities of both [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− and [EuII(TETA)]2− are inferior to that of 18-membered macrocyclic EuII chelates. Variable-temperature 17O NMR, NMRD and EPR studies yielded the rates of water exchange, rotation and electron spin relaxation. Water exchange on [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− is remarkably fast (k=2.5×109 s−1). The near zero activation volume (ΔV≠=+0.1±1.0 cm3 mol−1), determined by variable-pressure 17O NMR spectroscopy, points to an interchange mechanism. The fast water exchange can be related to the low charge density on EuII, to an unexpectedly long MOwater distance (2.85 Å) and to the consequent interchange mechanism. Electron spin relaxation is considerably slower on [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− than on the linear [EuII(DTPA)(H2O)]3− (H5DTPA=diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid), and this difference is responsible for its 25 % higher proton relaxivity (r1=4.32 mM−1 s−1 for [EuII(DOTA)(H2O)]2− versus 3.49 mM−1 s−1 for [EuII(DTPA)(H2O)]3−; 20 MHz, 298 K)