The first record of urban speleothems used to reconstruct the history of heavy metal pollution of shallow groundwaters is presented. Two speleothems grew during the last 300 years in an underground aqueduct in the north-eastern part of Paris. They display high Pb, Mn V, Cu, Cd and Al concentrations since 1900 due to the urbanization of the site which triggered anthropogenic contamination of the water feeding the speleothems. Surprisingly, these heavy metal concentrations are also high in the oldest part. This early pollution could come from the use of Parisian waste as fertilizers in the orchards and vineyards cultivated above the aqueduct before urbanization. Lead isotopes were measured in these carbonates as well as in lead artifacts from the 17th-18th centuries ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.180+/-0.003). The mean (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratio, for one of the speleothems is 1.181+/-0.003 unvarying with time. These lead signatures are close to those of coal and old lead from northern European mines, lower than the natural background signature. It confirms that the high metal concentrations found come from anthropogenic pollution. Conversely, the lead isotopic composition of the second speleothem presents two temporal trends: for the oldest levels, the mean value (1.183+/-0.003) is similar to the first speleothem. For the youngest part, a lower value (1.172+/-0.005) is recorded, evidencing the contribution of a new lead source at the beginning of the industrial revolution. Pb isotopes were also measured in recent samples from a nearby superficial site. The first sample is a recent (AD 1975+/-15 years) deposit ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.148+/-0.003), and the second, a thin subactual layer ((206)Pb/(207)Pb=1.181+/-0.002). These data are compatible with the adding of anthropogenic sources (leaded gasoline and industrial lead from Rio Tinto ore).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.02.071 | DOI Listing |
BMC Vet Res
December 2024
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Benha University, Benha, 13518, Egypt.
Introduction: Heavy metal pollution threatens the biodiversity and ecological equilibrium of the Nile River. This study investigates the impact of heavy metal pollution on aquatic animals such as Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the Damietta branch of the River Nile and El-Rayah El-Tawfeeky canal in Benha City in Egypt.
Methods: Fish and water samples were collected from the Damietta branch and El-Rayah El-Tawfeeky during the fall of 2022.
Chemosphere
December 2024
College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address:
Heavy metals released from metallic sulfidic tailings pose significant environmental threats by contaminating surface and groundwater in mining areas. Sustainable rehabilitation methods are essential to remove or stabilize these metals, improving the quality of acid mine drainage and minimizing pollution. This study examines the adsorption capacity of zinc ions (Zn) by different iron-silicate mineral groups under natural weathering and bacteria-regulated weathered conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
December 2024
Department of Chemistry, Imam Khomeini International University, P.O. Box 288, Qazvin, Iran.
A novel nanocomposite magnetic hydrogel was synthesized based on κ-carrageenan, acrylic acid, and activated carbon as an absorbent for removing heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. FT-IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) were employed to confirm the structure of the nanocomposite hydrogels. The effects of contact time, pH, particle size, temperature, and metal ion concentration on the metal ion adsorption were investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
December 2024
The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, China. Electronic address:
Nanoplastics (NPs) are an emerging class of pollutants. They can act as a"Trojan horse" to change the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in the environment. However, research on the combined toxicity of heavy metals and NPs is scarce, especially during the critical developmental period of adolescence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Physiol Biochem
December 2024
College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China. Electronic address:
Moderate mowing of the shoot is an effective strategy for improving Pb-contaminated soil remediation using bermudagrass. However, the mechanisms by which mowing facilitates Pb uptake and accumulation remain insufficiently understood. Root radial transport is critical in efficient heavy metal uptake and translocation in plants and is influenced by root physiological-biochemical characteristics.
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