Airborne concentration and deposition of trace metals and metalloids in an urban area downwind of a manganese alloy plant

The evaluation of the content of metals and metalloids in particulate matter (PM) and in atmospheric deposition in areas impacted by local industries is essential from an environmental and health risk perspective. In this study, the PM10 levels and atmospheric deposition fluxes of potentially toxic metals and metalloids were quantified at three urban sites of the Cantabrian region (northern Spain), located at different distances downwind of a Mn alloy plant. The content of Mn, V, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb and Pb in PM10 and in the water-soluble and insoluble fractions of the deposition was determined by ICP-MS. Among the studied elements, the highest concentrations in PM10 and deposition rates were found for Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb, associated with the Mn alloy industry, and for Cu, related to non-exhaust traffic emissions. The levels of Mn, Fe, Zn and Pb in PM10 were higher in autumn, when the most frequent winds blow from the S-SW, whereas their highest deposition rates were found in winter and autumn, which are characterized by high monthly average precipitations. The water-soluble fraction of the atmospheric deposition of most metals increased with distance from the Mn alloy plant. The highest water-soluble fractions were found for Ni (72%), Zn (62%), Cu (60%) and Mn (49%). These results will be useful for the health risk assessment of the metal exposure associated with Mn alloy plants, as well as for the evaluation of the metal burden to soil, water and ecosystems related to this industrial activity.This work was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the CTM2013-43904R Project. Ana Hernández-Pellón would like to thank the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for the FPI grant awarded, reference number BES-2014-068790

Source contribution to the bulk atmospheric deposition of minor and trace elements in a Northern Spanish coastal urban area

Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, V and Zn was investigated in Santander, a Northern Spanish coastal city. Bulk deposition samples were collected monthly for three years using a bottle/funnel device. Taking into account that heavy metals are bioavailable only in their soluble forms, water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions were evaluated separately for element concentration. The fluxes of the studied elements in the bulk deposition exhibited the following order: Zn>Mn>>Cu>Cr>Pb>V>Ni>>As>Mo>Cd. The fluxes of Zn and Mn were more than 10 times higher than those of the other elements, withmaximumvalues of 554.5 and 334.1 µg m-2 day-1, respectively. Low solubilities (below 22%) were found for Cr, Ti and Pb, whereas the highest solubility was found for Zn (78%). With the exception of Cu, all of the studied metals in the water-soluble fraction of the atmospheric deposition showed seasonal dependence, due to the seasonal variability of precipitation. The enrichment factors (EFs) of Cu, Cd and Zn were higher than 100, indicating a clear anthropogenic origin. The EF of Mn (50) was below 100, but an exclusively industrial origin is suggested. Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) was used for the source apportionment of the studiedminor and trace elements in the soluble fraction. Four factors were identified from PMF, and their chemical profiles were compared with those calculated from known sources that were previously identified in Santander Bay: two industrial sources, the first of which was characterised by Zn and Mn, which contributes 62.5% of the total deposition flux of the studied elements; a traffic source; and a maritime source. Zinc and Mn are considered to be the most characteristic pollutants of the studied area.The authors are grateful for the financial support from the CTM 2010-16068 project (Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation)

Contribution du compartiment atmosphérique au transfert des HAP dans le bassin versant aval de la Seine (bilan à l'échelle de deux bassins versants expérimentaux)

PARIS-BIUSJ-Thèses (751052125) / SudocPARIS-BIUSJ-Sci.Terre recherche (751052114) / SudocSudocFranceF

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon transport processes on the scale of a flood event in the rural watershed of Le Bebec, France

International audienceTransport processes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in a rural watershed in France, which led to new quantitative results on the scale of a flood event. For that purpose, principal components analysis (PCA) combined with signal decomposition of PAH Breakthrough curves were used. The results obtained by PCA enabled us to distinguish (i) the transport of low molecular weight PAHs in dissolved form and (ii) the transport of high molecular weight PAHs in particulate form. The intermediate molecular weight PAHs are distributed in these two clusters. The application of a signal decomposition method confirms the results of PCA and makes it possible to quantify the mass PAH resulting, respectively, from resuspension (13.3 mg, i.e. 77% of the total mass) and from direct transfer (2.8 mg = 16% of the total mass). For the resuspension phase, desorption of PAH (38% of the total exported mass) could be also distinguished from sediment resuspension (39%)

Atmospheric deposition of PAHs to an urban site, Paris, France

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A Single Law to Describe Atmospheric Nitrogen Bulk Deposition versus Rainfall Amount: Inputs at the Seine River Watershed Scale

International audienceAtmospheric nitrogen species (NH 4-N and (NO 3 +NO 2)-N) were determined in weekly samples of atmospheric bulk deposition (dry plus wet), collected in France at seven sites over the course of a year. Rural, semi-rural and industrialised-urban sites were chosen in the Seine river watershed from the Seine estuary to upstream from Paris. Mean NH 4-N concentrations varied from 0.7 to 1.7 mg L −1. Mean (NO 3 +NO 2)-N concentrations were approximately 0.5 mg L −1 for all sites except Paris (0.7 mg L −1), which has a local impact on the fallout contamination from urban emissions. The relation between concentration and rainfall amount obeys a power law, in the form of y = ax b. When the nitrogen sources are very local, this relationship turns into a dilution law. Annual atmospheric nitrogen deposition (NH 4-N+(NO 3 +NO 2)-N) was calculated and varied from 7.8 kg ha −1 yr −1 in the neighbourhood of a rural town to 17.3 kg ha −1 yr −1 in a very industrialised harbour. 58% of the atmospheric nitrogen deposition occurred during 'spring + summer' period. The total nitrogen atmospheric input to the Seine estuary, via direct deposition + indirect input via the watershed, was estimated to about 5% of the total nitrogen load within the Seine river basin

Investigation of Transport Processes inside Karst Aquifer by Means of STATIS

International audienceEnvironmental data sets are often multidimensional and consequently display complex structure. This article shows the limitations of principal component analysis (PCA) for the study of such three-dimensional (3D) data sets. These limitations can be resolved by the use of the statistical tool STATIS. The inlet (a swallow hole) and the outlet (a spring) of a karst system of the Western Paris basin were sampled during three rain events of various intensities. These 3D geochemical data sets (variables 3 sites 3 dates) for a karst system were analyzed by STATIS method to identify hydrological processes. STATIS proceeds in three steps (interstructure, compromise, and intrastructure), which allows us to focus the analysis of hydrologic systems at different temporal and spatial scales. Compromise plane shows that suspended matter and flood are not simultaneous and highlights a rapid flow, characterized by turbidity and phosphate, which represents a point source contamination, and a ground water flow contaminated by nitrate. Intrastructure plane allows us to compare hydrochemical variations between the swallow hole and the spring lead. By this way, hydrological processes such as direct transfer and resuspension of intrakarstic sediments before and after the flood were identified what cannot be realized by comparison of inlet and outlet breakthrough curves. Finally, results obtained from the same data set by STATIS and a coupled study using PCA and normalized hysteresis curves were compared. This comparison shows the efficiency of STATIS at the identification of transport processes and vulnerability of karst system and its potential for hydrological applications