Sorption of selenate on soils and pure phases: kinetic parameters and stabilisation

This study was conducted to identify the principle selenate carrier phases for two selected soils, by comparing their reactivity with selenate to that of pure phases of the solids. Silica, calcium carbonate, aluminium hydroxide, goethite, bentonite and humic acid were selected as the main soil carrier phases. Comparisons were made first on the parameter values obtained with the best fit of a kinetic sorption model which can discriminate instantaneous sorption from kinetically limited sorption. Then comparisons were made of the ability for each solid to stabilise selenate by measuring the ratio of the partition coefficient for sorption (Kd_sorption) over that of the desorption (Kd_desorption). Kinetics and stabilisation were used to help elucidate the nature of interactions with the test solid phases for a large range of selenate concentrations. The experiments were conducted over 165 h in batch reactors, the solid being isolated from the solution by dialysis tubing, at two pH (5.4 and 8) and three selenate concentrations (1 × 10⁻³, 1 × 10⁻⁶ and 1 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹). The results obtained showed that only aluminium hydroxide can sorb selenate throughout the studied pH range (pH 5.4 to 8.0). The sorption capacity on this mineral was high (Kd_sorption > 100 to 1 × 10⁴ L kg⁻¹) and the selenate was mainly stabilized by the formation of inner sphere complexes. The sorption on goethite occurred at pH 5.4 (Kd_sorption 52 L kg⁻¹), mainly as outer sphere complexes, and was null at pH 8. On silica, a weak sorption was observed only at pH 5.4 and at 165 h (Kd_sorption 4 L kg⁻¹). On bentonite, calcium carbonate and humic acid no significant sorption was observed. Concerning the two soils studied, different behaviours were observed for selenate. For soil Ro (pH 5.4), Kd_sorption was low (8 L kg⁻¹) compared to soil Bu (pH 8) (70 L kg⁻¹). The sorption behaviour of selenate on soil Ro was mainly due to outer sphere complexes, as for goethite, whereas for soil Bu the sorption was mainly attributed to inner sphere complexes followed by reduction mechanisms, probably initiated by microorganisms, in which no steady state was reached at the end of the 165 h experiments. The sorption of selenate decreased when concentrations reached 1 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹, due to solid saturation, except for aluminium hydroxide. Reduction of selenate seemed also to occur on goethite and soil Ro, for the same concentration, but without preventing a decrease in sorption. Thus, this work shows that the comparison of selenate behaviour between soil and pure phases helps to elucidate the main carrier phases and sorption mechanisms in soil.     

Spectrofluorimetric study of the ageing of mixtions used in the gildings of mediaeval wall paintings

Introduction  

In the Middle Ages, we could find gildings on mural paintings. Gold, silver or tin leaves were applied according to distemper or mixtion technique. For the first one, a binder as glue is necessary, and for the second, a lipidic binder is used to stick the metallic leaf. Studies of gildings materials characterization show that the mixtion technique, with a mordant, is the most common. Linseed oil seems to be the binder used. It is always mixed with a siccative agent as lead. Because of bad conditions of conservation, the gildings do not resist anymore, only remain traces of metal or the adhesive under-layer. Thanks to the binder fluorescence, we can nowadays detect ancient gildings.     

Impact of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation on river sediment metal contamination

This study aimed at evidencing contaminant inputs from a rapidly growing population and the accompanying anthropogenic activities to river sediments. The Fez metropolitan area and its impacts on the Sebou's sediments (the main Moroccan river) were chosen as a case study. The Fez agglomeration is surrounded by the river Fez, receiving the wastewaters of this developing city and then flowing into the Sebou. The sediment cores from the Fez and Sebou Rivers were extracted and analysed for major elements, butyltins and toxic metals. Normalised enrichment factors and geoaccumulation index were calculated. Toxicity risk was assessed by two sets of sediment quality guideline (SQG) indices. A moderate level of contamination by butyltins was observed, with monobutyltin being the dominant species across all sites and depths. The lowest level of metal pollution was identified in the Sebou's sediments in upstream of Fez city, whilst the Fez' sediments were heavily polluted and exhibited bottom-up accumulation trends, which is a clear signature of recent inputs from the untreated wastewaters of Fez city. Consequently, the sediments of Fez and Sebou at the downstream of the confluence were found to be potentially toxic, according to the SQG levels. This finding is concerned with aquatic organisms, as well as to the riverside population, which is certainly exposed to these pollutants through the daily use of water. This study suggests that although Morocco has adopted environmental regulations aiming at restricting pollutant discharges into the natural ecosystems, such regulations are neither well respected by the main polluters nor efficiently enforced by the authorities.     

Microplastics in seawater: sampling strategies,laboratory methodologies,and identification techniques applied to port environment

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The European Interreg Italy–France 2014–2020 Maritime Project SPlasH! (Stop to Plastics in H2O!) focused on the study of microplastics...     

Copper and cadmium effects on growth and extracellular exudation of the marine toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella: 3D-fluorescence spectroscopy approach

In this study, metal contamination experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of copper and cadmium on the growth of the marine toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella and on the production of dissolved organic matter (Dissolved Organic Carbon: DOC; Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter: FDOM). This species was exposed to increasing concentrations of Cu²⁺ (9.93 × 10⁻¹⁰–1.00 × 10⁻⁷ M) or Cd²⁺ (1.30 × 10⁻⁸–4.38 × 10⁻⁷ M), to simulate polluted environments. The drastic effects were observed at pCu²⁺ = 7.96 (Cu²⁺: 1.08 × 10⁻⁸ M) and pCd²⁺ = 7.28 (Cd²⁺: 5.19 × 10⁻⁸ M), where cyst formation occurred. Lower levels of Cu²⁺ (pCu²⁺ > 9.00) and Cd²⁺ (pCd²⁺ > 7.28) had no effect on growth. However, when levels of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ were beyond 10⁻⁷ M, the growth was totally inhibited. The DOC released per cell (DOC/Cell) was different depending on the exposure time and the metal contamination, with higher DOC/Cell values in response to Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺, comparatively to the control. Samples were also analyzed by 3D-fluorescence spectroscopy, using the Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) algorithm to characterize the FDOM. The PARAFAC analytical treatment revealed four components (C1, C2, C3 and C4) that could be associated with two contributions: one, related to the biological activity; the other, linked to the decomposition of organic matter. The C1 component combined a tryptophan peak and a characteristic humic substances response, and the C2 component was considered as a tryptophan protein fluorophore. The C3 and C4 components were associated to marine organic matter production.