A multibiomarker approach on the Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) in the St. Lawrence Estuary

A multibiomarker approach was developed on juvenile Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) to evaluate the pertinence of this approach for low-cost screening assessment of the environmental quality of various coastal sites within estuaries. Several biometric indices and biomarkers (ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, metallothionein concentration, and immune responses) were investigated on immature and maturing tomcods (≤31 months) collected in four environmentally contrasted sites in the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE). Simultaneous examination of various age classes provides the opportunity to detect short-term responses in sensitive young-of-the-year fish (e.g., EROD induction) and longer-time effects associated with chronic exposure and bioaccumulation (e.g., metallothionein induction). Principal component analysis was helpful to discriminate between responses possibly related to contaminant exposure (EROD, metallothionein) and responses that could be affected by upstream–downstream gradient (immune response, biometric indices). Measurement of a battery of biomarkers in young tomcods at several sites along the shore of the SLE is a low-cost screening investigation useful to identify hot spots requiring further investigation with chemical analysis and additional reference sites.     

Application of chemical oxidation to remediate HCH-contaminated soil under batch and flow through conditions

This is the first study describing the chemical oxidation of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in contaminated soil under water saturated and unsaturated flow through conditions. Soil contaminated with β-HCH (45 mg kg^?1) and γ-HCH (lindane, 25 mg kg^?1) was sampled from former lindane waste storage site. Efficiency of following treatments was tested at circumneutral pH: H₂O₂ alone, H₂O₂/Fe^II, Na₂S₂O₈ alone, Na₂S₂O₈/Fe^II, and KMnO₄. Experimental conditions (oxidant dose, liquid/solid ratio, and soil granulometry) were first optimized in batch experiments. Obtained results revealed that increasing dose of H₂O₂ improved the oxidation efficiency while in Na₂S₂O₈ system, maximum HCHs were removed at 300 mM. However, oxidation efficiency was slightly improved by Fe^II-activation. Increasing the solid/liquid ratio decreased HCH removal in soil samples crushed to 500 μm while an opposite trend was observed for 2-mm samples. Dynamic column experiments showed that oxidation efficiency followed the order KMnO₄ > Na₂S₂O₈/Fe^II > Na₂S₂O₈ whatever the flow condition, whereas the removal extent declined at higher flow rate (e.g., ~50% by KMnO₄ at 0.5 mL/min as compared to ~30% at 2 mL/min). Both HCH removal and oxidant decomposition extents were found higher in saturated columns than the unsaturated ones. While no significant change in relative abundance of soil mineral constituents was observed before and after chemical oxidation, more than 60% of extractable organic matter was lost after chemical oxidation, thereby underscoring the non-selective behavior of chemical oxidation in soil. Due to the complexity of soil system, chemical oxidation has rarely been reported under flow through conditions, and therefore our findings will have promising implications in developing remediation techniques under dynamic conditions closer to field applications.     

In situ stabilization of trace metals in a copper-contaminated soil using P-spiked Linz-Donawitz slag

Purpose  

A former wood exploitation revealing high Cu and As concentration of the soils served as a case study for assisted phytoextraction.     

Experimental evaluation of emission factors of cement kilns burning hazardous wastes

Cement industry is an interesting way to eliminate combustible wastes. Thermal valorization is maximal, conditions of combustion are especially favorable to the destruction and the trapping of pollutants, and there are neither ultimate residues (slag) nor aqueous rejects. Moreover the properties of the cement are not modified. Nevertheless the increased use of substitution fuel may lead to deal with unusual amounts of heavy metals. Tests were realized on several rotary cement kilns with varying substitution ratios of fossil fuels by wastes. Mass balances were fitted over the whole plant, and emission factors were explained.     

A new hypothesis concerning the nature of small pelagic fish clusters: An individual-based modelling study of Sardinella aurita dynamics off West Africa

Coastal populations of small pelagic fish display nested aggregation levels. Above the level of the school structure, clusters are observed the nature of which has not been definitively determined. We hypothesized that these clusters corresponded to a materialisation of the microcohorts originating from successive spawnings of fish populations in their vital domain.A candidate individual-based model was developed to investigate this hypothesis. This model is based on pattern-oriented modelling of a concrete documented case: the dynamics of the round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) population living off the West African coasts and subject to environmental fluctuations caused by seasonal upwelling. The simulated agents were round sardinella microcohorts situated and moving in a discretised physical environment. The combined effects of environmental forcing (temperature, wind, retention) and inner biological dynamics (reproduction, growth and mortality, competition) condition the dynamics of this population.The modelled behaviour generated realistic dynamic patterns (population distribution, spawning zones, periods and plasticity, biomass fluctuations), which were obtained simultaneously and successfully compared with observations. The steady-state number of microcohorts obtained after simulation convergence was similar to the number of clusters observed in situ in this area for this population.The realism and diversity of the patterns simultaneously simulated suggested the cluster-microcohort equivalence hypothesis as a candidate framework accounting for the origin of the clusters observed in situ. Within this preliminary exploration, we discuss the consistency of the hypothesis and the accuracy of the model. If the correspondence between clusters and microcohorts proves to be real, it may be transient and progressively modified by other environmental factors. If stable over time, as simulated in the model, the number of observed clusters should be related to the number of spawning events in the species’ lifetime.     

CCS scenarios optimization by spatial multi-criteria analysis: Application to multiple source sink matching in Hebei province

A method, based on spatial analysis of the different criteria to be taken into consideration for building scenarios of CO₂ capture and storage (CCS), has been developed and applied to real case studies in the Hebei province. Totally 88 point sources (42 from power sector, 9 from iron and steel, 18 from cement, 16 from ammonia, and 3 from oil refinery) are estimated and their total emission amounts to 231.7 MtCO₂/year with power, iron and steel, cement, ammonia and oil refinery sharing 59.13%, 25.03%, 11.44%, 3.5%, and 0.91%, respectively. Storage opportunities can be found in Hebei province, characterised by a strong tectonic subsidence during the Tertiary, with several kilometres of accumulated clastic sediments. Carbon storage potential for 25 hydrocarbon fields selected from the Huabei complex is estimated as 215 MtCO₂ with optimistic assumption that all recovered hydrocarbon could be replaced by an equivalent volume of CO₂ at reservoir conditions. Storage potential for aquifers in the Miocene Guantao formation is estimated as 747 MtCO₂ if closed aquifer assumed or 371 MtCO₂ if open aquifer and single highly permeable horizon assumed. Due to poor knowledge on deep hydrogeology and to pressure increase in aquifer, injecting very high rates requested by the major CO₂ sources (>10 MtCO₂/year) is the main challenge, therefore piezometry and discharge must be carefully controlled. A source sink matching model using ArcGIS software is designed to find the least-cost pathway and to estimate transport route and cost accounting for the additional costs of pipeline construction due to landform and land use. Source sink matching results show that only 15–25% of the emissions estimated for the 88 sources can be sequestrated into the hydrocarbon fields and the aquifers if assuming sinks should be able to accommodate at least 15 years of the emissions of a given source.     

Correlations between PAH bioavailability,degrading bacteria,and soil characteristics during PAH biodegradation in five diffusely contaminated dissimilar soils

The natural biodegradation of seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by native microorganisms was studied in five soils from Normandy (France) from diffusely polluted areas, which can also pose a problem in terms of surfaces and amounts of contaminated soils. Bioavailability tests using cyclodextrin-based extractions were performed. The natural degradation of low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs was not strongly correlated to their bioavailability due to their sorption to geosorbents. Conversely, the very low degradation of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs was partly correlated to their poor availability, due to their sorption on complexes of organic matter and kaolinites or smectites. A principal component analysis allowed us to distinguish between the respective degradation behaviors of LMW and HMW PAHs. LMW PAHs were degraded in less than 2–3 months and were strongly influenced by the relative percentage of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria over total bacteria in soils. HMW PAHs were not significantly degraded, not only because they were less bioavailable but also because of a lack of degrading microorganisms. Benzo[a]pyrene stood apart since it was partly degraded in acidic soils, probably because of a catabolic cooperation between bacteria and fungi.     

Bages-Sigean and Canet-St Nazaire lagoons (France): physico-chemical characteristics and contaminant concentrations (Cu,Cd, PCBs and PBDEs) as environmental quality of water and sediment

Environmental characteristics in water and sediments of two contrasted coastal Mediterranean lagoons, Bages-Sigean and Canet-St Nazaire, were measured over a three season survey. The urban pollution (treatment plant discharges) is very important in Canet-St Nazaire lagoon reflecting untreated sewages, while in Bages-Sigean, the northern part appears more impacted due to larger anthropogenic inputs. Dissolved Cd concentrations are on the whole similar in both lagoons, whereas Cu concentrations are by far higher in lagoon Canet-St Nazaire. Cu concentrations appear to be highly dependent on dissolved organic carbon whereas salinity seems to control Cd variations. Concerning the sediments, the confined northern part of lagoon Bages-Sigean shows organic carbon and total nitrogen enrichment whereas lipid concentrations are much higher in the Canet-St Nazaire lagoon. Cu complexation seems to be strongly related to organic matter as evidenced by the two significant positive relationships, on one hand between Cu and organic carbon, and on the other hand, between Cu and lipids. On the contrary, Cd concentrations appear to be mainly controlled by carbonates. PCBs and PBDEs were detected only in sediments and show relatively low concentrations compared to similar lagoon environments. Regarding the sediment quality guidelines, Cd, Cu and PCBs in both lagoons did not exceed any Probable Effect Concentration (PEC).