A pan-European art trade in the late middle ages: Isotopic evidence on the master of Rimini enigma.

The identity of artists and localisation of workshops are rarely known with certainty before the mid-15th century. We investigated the material used by one of the most prolific and enigmatic medieval sculptors, the Master of the Rimini Altarpiece or Master of Rimini, active around 1420-40. The isotope fingerprints (Sr, S and O) of a representative corpus of masterpieces but also minor artworks, attributed to the Master of Rimini and his workshop, are virtually identical, demonstrating the unity of the corpus and a material evidence behind the stylistic and iconographic ascriptions.

Natural gas of radiolytic origin: An overlooked component of shale gas.

Natural gas is an important fossil energy source that has historically been produced from conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. It has been interpreted to be of microbial, thermogenic, or, in specific contexts, abiotic origin. Since the beginning of the 21st century, natural gas has been increasingly produced from unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs including organic-rich shales.

A geochemical and multi-isotope modeling approach to determine sources and fate of methane in shallow groundwater above unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Due to increasing concerns over the potential impact of shale gas and coalbed methane (CBM) development on groundwater resources, it has become necessary to develop reliable tools to detect any potential pollution associated with hydrocarbon exploitation from unconventional reservoirs. One of the key concepts for such monitoring approaches is the establishment of a geochemical baseline of the considered groundwater systems. However, the detection of methane is not enough to assess potential impact from CBM and shale gas exploitation since methane in low concentrations has been found to be naturally ubiquitous in many groundwater systems.

Origins and processes of groundwater salinization in the urban coastal aquifers of Recife (Pernambuco, Brazil): A multi-isotope approach.

In the coastal multilayer aquifer system of a highly urbanized southern city (Recife, Brazil), where groundwaters are affected by salinization, a multi-isotope approach (Sr, B, O, H) was used to investigate the sources and processes of salinization. The high diversity of the geological bodies, built since the Atlantic opening during the Cretaceous, highly constrains the heterogeneity of the groundwater chemistry, e.g.

Isotope and ion selectivity in reverse osmosis desalination: geochemical tracers for man-made freshwater.

A systematic measurement of ions and 2H/1H, 7Li/6Li, 11B/10B, 18O/ 16O, and 87Sr/86Sr isotopes in feed-waters, permeates, and brines from commercial reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plants in Israel (Ashkelon, Eilat, and Nitzana) and Cyprus (Larnaca) reveals distinctive geochemical and isotopic fingerprints of fresh water generated from desalination of seawater (SWRO) and brackish water (BWRO). The degree of isotope fractionation during the passage of water and solutes through the RO membranes depends on the medium (solvent-water vs. solutes), chemical speciation of the solutes, their charge, and their mass difference.

Health impact evaluation of boron in drinking water: a geographical risk assessment in Northern France.

Objective: To evaluate health impact of boron in drinking water.

Methods: A regional scale geographical study in Northern France was conducted. Assessment of boron blood levels in a group of 180 healthy individuals and correlation with boron content in drinking water were followed by an assessment of health indicators such as birth rates, mortality rates, and sex ratios in zones of different boron content in drinking water.

Nitrate in groundwater: an isotopic multi-tracer approach.

In spite of increasing efforts to reduce nitrogen inputs into groundwater from intensive agriculture, nitrate (NO3) remains one of the major pollutants of drinking-water resources worldwide. Determining the source(s) of NO3 contamination in groundwater is an important first step for improving groundwater quality by emission control, and it is with this aim that we investigated the viability of an isotopic multi-tracer approach (delta15N, delta11B, 87Sr/86Sr), in addition to conventional hydrogeologic analysis, in two small catchments of the Arguenon watershed (Brittany, France). The main anthropogenic sources (fertilizer, sewage effluent, and hog, cattle and poultry manure) were first characterized by their specific B, N and Sr isotope signatures, and compared to those observed in the ground- and surface waters.

Environmental boron exposure and activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALA-D) in a newborn population.

Following boron intake, multiple effects have been observed in animal experiments. However, human data is lacking, and no data is available on the ability of boron to accumulate in fetal tissues. Positive responses in animal species suggest that developmental toxicity may be an area of concern in humans, following exposure to boron.