Storage facilities reclamation using dredged sediments from waterways: Growing media formulation for plants according to the EU Ecolabel requirements

Dredged sediments display a great potential for growing media applications; however, there are few studies about their beneficial reuse for the waste storage reclamation. This research study aims at checking the agronomic values and environmental impacts of three growing media based on waterways sediments (WSs) and green waste (GW) according ecolabel requirements. For this purpose, three growing media named GW0, GW25, and GW50 were prepared at field pilot scale by co-composting WS and GWs during 12 months. Samples were submitted to ecolabel analyses package. Following to the ecolabel requirements, the growing media comply with criteria like pH, electrical conductivity, trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contents, chlorides, and pathogens, whereas they are not in compliance with the EU Ecolabel guidelines for propagules, organic matter, and zinc contents. Results of laboratory leaching tests performed according to NF EN 12457-2 for GW0, GW25, and GW50 have shown that sulfates, soluble fraction exceed limit for inert waste storage. Lysimeter tests at pilot scale were performed during 6 months to check the leaching potential of pollutants from growing media under real field conditions, including a European ecolabel product. Results demonstrate that Ba, Mo, Sb, Zn, Se, and Sb are higher in GW0, GW25, and GW50 than in the European ecolabel. As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and F − are more soluble in the commercial product compared to other growing media. This study allowed to demonstrate that main characteristics are fulfilling for reusing these growing media in the specific field of waste storage reclamation

Bone mineral density of young boy soccer players at different pubertal stages: relationships with hormonal concentration.

International audienceOBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of soccer in relation with the hormonal concentration, on the bone mass of young Tunisian players at different pubertal stages. METHODS: Two groups of 152 young boys (age: 13.3+/-0.9 years) participated in this study: (1) 91 soccer players, and (2) 61 non-athletic boys used as control subjects. The bone mineral density (BMD) and the bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Pubertal stages were assessed, and serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), growth hormone (GH) and the total testosterone were measured. RESULTS: The BMD and BMC for whole body, lumbar spine, femoral neck, pelvis and lower limbs were higher in soccer players than in controls (p<0.001). In early puberty, the soccer players also exhibited significantly greater BMD and BMC in the whole body and in weight-bearing bones compared with the controls (p<0.001). However, there was no intersubject variability due to puberty in either BMD or BMC. The pubescent soccer players had significantly higher hormonal concentrations of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 than their counterpart controls (p<0.05). Moreover, the whole body BMD was significantly (p<0.001) correlated with GH, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 but not with the testosterone concentrations. CONCLUSION: The soccer participation of boys is generally associated with the improvement of their bone mass which is mainly marked at early and late puberty. The relationships between somatotropic axis hormones and BMD of the players may be linked to the parallel development of these two parameters during puberty