Reduced adsorption of caesium on clay minerals caused by various humic substances

The effect of the addition of various humic substances on the adsorption of caesium on two mineral clays has been studied. All measurements were carried out in dilute suspension under controlled conditions of temperature and ionic strength. Only a small proportion of the humic substance was adsorbed on the clays ((10%). In general, the anity of the clay}humic complexes for caesium was less than that of the bare clay. The decrease was greater for illite than for montmorillonite, and greatest at trace concentrations of caesium and increased with increasing concentration of each humic substance. However, no correlation was found between the amount of humic substance adsorbed and the decrease in Cs adsorption when all complexes were considered. Neither size nor the origin of the humic substances could explain the extent of the adsorption decrease. Since neither steric hindrance nor decrease in the number of adsorption sites was the driving force behind this phenomenon, it is hypothesized that the anity of the clay surface is modi"ed by the organic macromolecules. The highly selective frayed edge sites of illite are particularly sensitive to the adsorption of polyanions because of their proximity to anion adsorption sites. The observed decrease in Cs adsorption may contribute to the unexpectedly high bioavailability of Cs in organic soils

Possible role of organic matter in radiocaesium adsorption in soils

The aim of this review is to examine the hypothesis that organic matter decreases the adsorption of radiocaesium on clay minerals. The factors that determine radiocaesium mobility and bioavailability in soil are briefly outlined to show why a relationship between soil organic matter content and enhanced Cs bioavailability is paradoxical. In all the investigations reviewed the ionic compositions of both the solid and the solution phases have been strictly controlled. We show that the addition of organic matter to reference clay minerals causes decreases of up to an order of magnitude in the distribution coefficient of radiocaesium. Similarly, the chemical removal of organic matter from the clay-sized fraction of soil usually leads to an increase in Cs adsorption. We suggest that the nature of the organic matter and its interaction with mineral surfaces are as important as the amount present

Conclusion de l'exposition Sustainable Urban Agricultures (UA) : Vector for Ecological Transition !

The main characteristics of urban agriculture are inter-sciences, science and society, influence on ecological equalities and sustainable food considerations

Lead Uptake, Toxicity, and Detoxification in Plants

Lead has gained considerable attention as a persistent toxic pollutant of concern, partly because it has been prominent in the debate concerning the growing anthropogenic pressure on the environment. The purpose of this review is to describe how plants take lead up and to link such uptake to the ecotoxicity of lead in plants. Moreover, we address the mechanisms by which plants or plant systems detoxify lead. Lead has many interesting physico-chemical properties that make it a very useful heavy metal. Indeed, lead has been used by people since the dawn of civilization. Industrialization, urbanization, mining, and many other anthropogenic activities have resulted in the redistribution of lead from the earth’s crust to the soil and to the environment. Lead forms various complexes with soil components, and only a small fraction of the lead present as these complexes in the soil solution are phytoavailable. Despite its lack of essential function in plants, lead is absorbed by them mainly through the roots from soil solution and thereby may enter the food chain. The absorption of lead by roots occurs via the apoplastic pathway or via Ca2+-permeable channels. The behavior of lead in soil, and uptake by plants, is controlled by its speciation and by the soil pH, soil particle size, cation-exchange capacity, root surface area, root exudation, and degree of mycorrhizal transpiration. After uptake, lead primarily accumulates in root cells, because of the blockage by Casparian strips within the endodermis. Lead is also trapped by the negative charges that exist on roots’ cell walls. Excessive lead accumulation in plant tissue impairs various morphological, physiological, and biochemical functions in plants, either directly or indirectly, and induces a range of deleterious effects. It causes phytotoxicity by changing cell membrane permeability, by reacting with active groups of different enzymes involved in plant metabolism and by reacting with the phosphate groups of ADP or ATP, and by replacing essential ions. Lead toxicity causes inhibition of ATP production, Lead Uptake, Toxicity, and Detoxification in Plants 131 lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage by over production of ROS. In addition, lead strongly inhibits seed germination, root elongation, seedling development, plant growth, transpiration, chlorophyll production, and water and protein content. The negative effects that lead has on plant vegetative growth mainly result from the following factors: distortion of chloroplast ultrastructure, obstructed electron transport, inhibition of Calvin cycle enzymes, impaired uptake of essential elements, such as Mg and Fe, and induced deficiency of CO2 resulting from stomatal closure. Under lead stress, plants possess several defense strategies to cope with lead toxicity. Such strategies include reduced uptake into the cell; sequestration of lead into vacuoles by the formation of complexes; binding of lead by phytochelatins, glutathione, and amino acids; and synthesis of osmolytes. In addition, activation of various antioxidants to combat increased production of lead-induced ROS constitutes a secondary defense system

Interactions between metals and soil organic matter in various particle size fractions of soil contaminated with waste water

Only scarce field studies concern the consequences of natural soil organic matter (SOM) and metal interactions on SOM dynamics in soils. We investigated the interactions of four metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) with the SOM associated to five different size fractions (between 2000 μm and b2 μm) of a sandy top soil contaminated by waste water. Metal, organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations were measured and chemical extractions (with Na4P2O7 and EDTA) were also performed to assess the variations of SOM–metal interactions irrespective of the size fraction. In addition, as in that selected contaminated site, maize (C4 plant), replaced C3 crops 15 years ago, natural isotopic 13C labelling gave new insights into SOM turnover. First, the results suggest that metals influence the SOM dynamics in that sandy soil: a C3 "old carbon" enrichment was observed in the small or clay size fractions, while the "new" C4 carbon associated with sandy soil particles presents a rapid turnover. Metal accumulation in the clay fraction is attributed to particulate organic matter (poorly associated) and SOM decay which overtime accumulated metals and eventually these metal–SOM associations prevent the biological decomposition of such carbon pools. Moreover, the δ13C signals, C/N ratios and results from chemical extractions clearly showed differences in the origin, nature and reactivity of the SOM as a function of the size fraction with consequences on the metal behaviour. Differences were observed between metals studied: Zn seems to be mainly bound to SOM associated with clay particles, while Pb seems to prefer to interact directly with the mineral surfaces versus the SOM

Study of lead phytoavailability for atmospheric industrial micronic and sub-micronic particles in relation with lead speciation

Particles from channelled emissions of a battery recycling facility were size-segregated and investigated to correlate their speciation and morphology with their transfer towards lettuce. Microculture experiments carried out with various calcareous soils spiked with micronic and sub-micronic particles (1650 20 mg Pb kg1) highlighted a greater transfer in soils mixed with the finest particles. According to XRD and Raman spectroscopy results, the two fractions presented differences in the amount of minor lead compounds like carbonates, but their speciation was quite similar, in decreasing order of abundance: PbS, PbSO4, PbSO4$PbO, a-PbO and Pb0. Morphology investigations revealed that PM2.5 (i.e. Particulate Matter 2.5 composed of particles suspended in air with aerodynamic diameters of 2.5 mm or less) contained many Pb nanoballs and nanocrystals which could influence lead availability. The soil– plant transfer of lead was mainly influenced by size and was very well estimated by 0.01 M CaCl2 extractio

Study of the trace metal ion influence on the turnover of soil organic matter in cultivated contaminated soils

The role of metals in the behaviour of soil organic matter (SOM) is not well documented. Therefore, we investigated the influence of metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) on the dynamic of SOM in contaminated soils where maize (C4 plant) replaced C3 cultures. Three pseudogley brown leached soil profiles under maize with a decreasing gradient in metals concentrations were sampled. On size fractions, stable carbon isotopic ratio (d13C), metals, organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations were measured in function of depth. The determined sequence for the amount of C4 organic matter in the bulk fractions: M3 (0.9) > M2 (0.4) > M1 (0.3) is in agreement with a significant influence of metals on the SOM turnover. New C4 SOM, mainly present in the labile coarser fractions and less contaminated by metals than the stabilised C3 SOM of the clay fraction, is more easily degraded by microorganism

Thidiazuron-induced shoot organogenesis from mature leaf explants of scented Pelargonium capitatum cultivars

Shoot organogenesis from mature leaf tissues of two scented Pelargonium capitatum cultivars, ‘Attar of Roses’ and ‘Atomic Snowflake’, grown in the greenhouse, were optimized in the presence of thidiazuron (TDZ). The protocol involved preculture of leaf sections on basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 10 lM TDZ, 4.4 lM of 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 5.4 lM a-naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) for a period of 2 weeks and followed by subculture of explants to a fresh medium containing 4.4 lM BA and 5.4 lM NAA. Frequency of regeneration reached approximately 93% for both cultivars, with the induction of more than 100 shoots per explant. Regenerated plantlets were rooted on half-strength MS medium supplemented with 4.4 mM sucrose and 8.6 lM of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). All regenerated shoots from both cultivars developed roots when transferred to organic soil mix, acclimatized, and successfully transferred to greenhouse conditions. When regenerated shoots were transferred to hydroponic conditions, frequency of survival was 76.2 and 61.9% for ‘Attar of Roses’ and ‘Atomic Snowflake’, respectively

Lead-induced genotoxicity to Vicia faba L.roots in relation with metal cell uptake and initial speciation

Formation of organometallic complexes in soil solution strongly influence metals phytoavailability. However, only few studies deal with the influence of metalspeciation both on plant uptake and genotoxicity. In the present study, Viciafaba seedlings were exposed for 6 h in controlled hydroponic conditions to 5 μM of lead nitrate alone and chelated to varying degrees by different organic ligands. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and citric acid were, respectively, chosen as models of humic substances and low weight organic acids present in natural soil solutions. Visual Minteq software was used to estimate free lead cations concentration and ultimately to design the experimental layout. For all experimental conditions, both micronucleus test and measure of leaduptake by plants were finally performed. Chelation of Pb by EDTA, a strong chelator, dose-dependently increased the uptake in V. faba roots while its genotoxicity was significantly reduced, suggesting a protective role of EDTA. A weak correlation was observed between total lead concentration absorbed by roots and genotoxicity (r2=0.65). In contrast, a strong relationship (r2=0.93) exists between Pb2+ concentration in exposure media and genotoxicity in the experiment performed with EDTA. Citric acid induced labile organometallic complexes did not demonstrate any significant changes in leadgenotoxicity or uptake. These results demonstrate that metalspeciation knowledge could improve the interpretation of V. fabagenotoxicity test performed to test soil quality

Characterization of lead-recycling facility emissions at various workplaces: Major insights for sanitary risks assessment

Most available studies on lead smelter emissions deal with the environmental impact of outdoor particles, but only a few focus on air quality at workplaces. The objective of this study is to physically and chemically characterize the Pb-rich particles emitted at different workplaces in a lead recycling plant. A multiscale characterization was conducted from bulk analysis to the level of individual particles, to assess the particles properties in relation with Pb speciation and availability. Process PM from various origins were sampled and then compared; namely Furnace and Refining PM respectively present in the smelter and at refinery workplaces, Emissions PM present in channeled emissions. These particles first differed by their morphology and size distribution, with finer particles found in emissions. Differences observed in chemical composition could be explained by the industrial processes. All PM contained the same major phases (Pb, PbS, PbO, PbSO4 and PbO·PbSO4) but differed on the nature and amount of minor phases. Due to high content in PM, Pb concentrations in the CaCl2 extractant reached relatively high values (40mgL−1). However, the ratios (soluble/total) of CaCl2 exchangeable Pb were relatively low (<0.02%) in comparison with Cd (up to 18%). These results highlight the interest to assess the soluble fractions of all metals (minor and major) and discuss both total metal concentrations and ratios for risk evaluations. In most cases metal extractability increased with decreasing size of particles, in particular, lead exchangeability was highest for channeled emissions. Such type of study could help in the choice of targeted sanitary protection procedures and for further toxicological investigations. In the present context, particular attention is given to Emissions and Furnace PM. Moreover, exposure to other metals than Pb should be considered