Thermal quenching of fluorescence of freshwater, planktonic bacteria

Potential mechanism of humic acid attenuating toxicity of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in Vallisneria natans

Humic substances are widely present in aquatic environments. Due to the high affinity of humic substances for metals, the interactions have been particularly studied. To assess the effect of humic acid (HA) on submerged macrophytes and biofilms exposed to heavy metal stress, Vallisneria natans was exposed to solutions containing different concentrations of HA (0.5-2.0 mg·L^-1), Pb²⁺ (1 mg·L^-1) and Cd²⁺ (1 mg·L^-1). Results suggested that HA positively affected the plant growth and alleviated toxicity by complexing with metals. HA increased the accumulation of metals in plant tissues and effectively induced antioxidant responses and protein synthesis. It was also noted that the exposure of HA and metals promoted the abundance and altered the structure of microbial communities in biofilms. Moreover, the positive effects of HA were considered to be related to the expression of related genes resulting from altered DNA methylation levels, which were mainly reflected in the altered type of demethylation. These results demonstrate that HA has a protective effect against heavy metal stress in Vallisneria natans by inducing effective defense mechanisms, altering biofilms and DNA methylation patterns in aquatic ecosystems.

Applicability of conventional and non-conventional parameters for municipal landfill leachate characterization

The disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills generates leachate, a highly polluting liquid to the aquatic environment. Leachate composition become a challenge to choose the best treatment process. Then, detailed techniques to determine the organic content, in terms of refractability, composition, sources and biodegradability in landfill leachate can help to choose the appropriate treatment and improve landfill management. In this sense, the aim of this study is to apply conventional and non-conventional parameters through inert chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyses and spectroscopic techniques of fluorescence and UV-vis absorbance for the characterization of municipal landfill leachate. Results indicated that physicochemical characterization cannot provided enough detailed information about leachate composition, which becomes the treatment process fragile. Inert COD, besides have high time to execution (∼30 days), presented additional information on potential of biological treatability in anaerobic conditions. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization showed transitions between labile and refractory organic matter compounds. Moreover, the cost estimated showed that non-conventional parameters analysis have lower investment than conventional, being their implementation feasible. In conclusion, the synergy between conventional and non-conventional parameters, and the detailed information provided by inert COD and DOM characterization, shown a useful tool to the landfill management and, consequently, improving treatment process and its efficiency.

Effects of depositional environment and organic matter degradation on the enrichment and mobilization of iodine in the groundwater of the North China Plain

Groundwater iodine has direct importance for human dietary iodine intake in areas where drinking water is of groundwater origin. However, little is known about enrichment and mobilization mechanisms of groundwater iodine in the North China Plain (NCP). Geochemistry, inorganic/organic carbon isotope and biomarker of groundwater and sediment samples were studied to reveal the effects of depositional environment and organic matter (OM) degradation on the generation of high iodine groundwater (>100 μg/L) in NCP. Results showed that groundwater iodine had a range of 7.2-800 μg/L and was increasing with increase in HCO₃ concentration and decrease in groundwater δ¹³C_DIC value, indicating the potential effects of microbial activity on the elevation of groundwater iodine. Sediments iodine ranged from 0.03 to 2.54 μg/g and higher contents occurred under the oxidizing depositional environment (higher Pr/Ph ratios). Biomarker analysis indicated that the marine iodine-rich OM is considered as the main source of groundwater iodine, which is prone to be released into groundwater by the microbial degradation under the reducing conditions. The hypothesis was evidenced by the ¹³C_org, ¹³C_DIC and 3-D excitation emission matrices of groundwater. These results suggest that carbon-related biogeochemical cycling and redox condition are important in the enrichment and mobilization of iodine in groundwater system.

Effects of acidification on the optical properties of dissolved organic matter from high and low arsenic groundwater and surface water

The optical properties of bulk dissolved organic matter (DOM) at ambient pH and upon acidification (pH ~2) by hydrochloric acid (HCl) or nitric acid (HNO₃) were examined in groundwater and surface water samples from the Bengal Basin. Samples of shallow high arsenic (As) and deep low As groundwaters and surface waters from the same geographic area were collected and preserved with HCl and HNO₃. The optical properties of groundwater samples responded to acidification differently than those of the surface water samples. The intensity of humic-like and protein-like fluorescence decreased by 47% and 80%, respectively, upon acidification with HCl in groundwater but remained unchanged in surface water samples. Similarly, the humification index (HIX) decreased only in surface waters (from 6.6 to 3.7) and remain unchanged in groundwaters upon HCl acidification. The absorbance at 254 nm (Abs₂₅₄) was not affected by HCl acidification; however, HNO₃ acidification increased Abs₂₅₄ in groundwater (by 9-fold) as well as in surface water samples (by 3-fold), possibly due to inherent absorbance of HNO₃ at 254 nm. Humic- and protein-like fluorescence intensities decreased by HNO₃ acidification by 49% and 78% respectively, which may be attributed to aggregation losses and changes in the protonation states of amines, hydroxyls and carboxylic functional groups. Parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis revealed a unique component that resulted from the acidification of samples with HNO₃. The other fluorescence indices such as fluorescence index (FI) and freshness index (β:α) remained unchanged upon either type of acidification of surface water as well as groundwater samples. These results reflect the effects of pH perturbation in groundwater environments where DOC concentrations may be lower as compared to surface water environments and provide insights into the structural, molecular and reactive properties of DOM in these environments.

In-situ tryptophan-like fluorescence: A real-time indicator of faecal contamination in drinking water supplies

Enteric pathogens are typically inferred from the presence of surrogate indicator organisms such as thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms (TTCs). The analysis of TTCs requires time-consuming incubation in suitable laboratories, which can limit sampling resolution, particularly during critical pollution events. Here, we demonstrate the use of in-situ fluorimeters targeting tryptophan-like compounds as a rapid, reagentless indicator of TTCs in groundwater-derived potable water supplies in Africa. A range of other common indicators of TTCs were also determined including nitrate, turbidity, and sanitary risk survey scores. Sampling was conducted during both the dry and wet seasons to investigate seasonality. Tryptophan-like fluorescence was the most effective predictor of both presence/absence and number of TTCs during both seasons. Seasonal changes in tryptophan-like fluorescence in deeper supplies suggest it is transported more efficiently through the aquifer than TTCs. Moreover, the perennial elevated concentrations in some wells suggest it is more resilient than TTCs in groundwater. Therefore tryptophan-like fluorescence could also be a better indicator of some smaller, more easily transported, and long-lived, pathogenic enteric viruses. These sensors have the potential to be included in real-time pollution alert systems for drinking water supplies throughout the world, as well as for mapping enteric pathogen risks in developing regions.

Characterisation of dissolved organic matter fluorescence properties by PARAFAC analysis and thermal quenching

The fluorescence intensity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in aqueous samples is known to be highly influenced by temperature. Although several studies have demonstrated the effect of thermal quenching on the fluorescence of DOM, no research has been undertaken to assess the effects of temperature by combining fluorescence excitation - emission matrices (EEM) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modelling. This study further extends previous research on thermal quenching by evaluating the impact of temperature on the fluorescence of DOM from a wide range of environmental samples, in the range 20 °C - 0 °C. Fluorescence intensity increased linearly with respect to temperature decrease at all temperatures down to 0 °C. Results showed that temperature affected the PARAFAC components associated with humic-like and tryptophan-like components of DOM differently, depending on the water type. The terrestrial humic-like components, C1 and C2 presented the highest thermal quenching in rural water samples and the lowest in urban water samples, while C3, the tryptophan-like component, and C4, a reprocessed humic-like component, showed opposite results. These results were attributed to the availability and abundance of the components or to the degree of exposure to the heat source. The variable thermal quenching of the humic-like components also indicated that although the PARAFAC model generated the same components across sites, the DOM composition of each component differed between them. This study has shown that thermal quenching can provide additional information on the characteristics and composition of DOM and highlighted the importance of correcting fluorescence data collected in situ.

Excitation-emission matrices applied to the study of urban effluent discharges in the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina)

Natural and contaminated waters of the final reaches of the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) were studied to obtain information about river organic matter and effects of domestic and industrial discharges (fishery effluents and sewages). Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrices (EEMs) were obtained from samples only filtered (0.45 μm) and diluted, if necessary, to avoid the inner filter effect. In addition, physicochemical parameters were measured to know the quality of the water and the effluents. Results show that EEMs allow a rapid and simple control of the effluents from fisheries and domestic sewage in Chubut River estuary, necessary to take management decisions.

Characterization of dissolved organic carbon at low levels in environmental waters by microfluidic-chip-based capillary gel electrophoresis with a laser-induced fluorescence detector

A microfluidic analytical system for characterization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in environmental waters, based on a capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) device with a laser-induced fluorescence (LEF) detector, was developed. The applied voltage and the running buffer were investigated to control the simple floating injection and CGE separation for convenient cross-type microchips made from polymethyl-methacylate. We obtained reproducible peaks for standard organic solutions and the determination time is less than 70 s. The values of the relative standard deviation (RSD) were 0.17-2.01% for repetitive injection (n = 12). We demonstrated high-throughput characterization of DOC in environmental water from the Biwa Lake and the Hino River using microfluidic chip and determined that the content of DOC in the Biwa Lake changed with the seasons.

Utilization of a submersible UV fluorometer for monitoring anthropogenic inputs in the Mediterranean coastal waters

We evaluated the performances of a submersible ultraviolet fluorometer (EnviroFlu-HC, TriOS Optical Sensors) dedicated to the real time measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the aquatic media. We conducted calibration experiments and in situ measurements in the coastal Mediterranean Sea. We found that the EnviroFlu-HC was not strictly specific to PAHs, even though it exhibited the highest sensitivity for phenanthrene, but could response to tryptophan-like material as well, and in a much less extent, to humic substances. The sensor signal showed great spatial and temporal variations in clean and polluted sites, with likely a high contribution of PAHs in the harbors, and a high contribution of tryptophan-like and humic-like materials in the sewage effluent. We conclude that the EnviroFlu-HC is a good tool for monitoring anthropogenic inputs in the coastal waters, although its utilization should be combined to other fluorescence measurements to improve the information about the nature of the aromatic compounds detected.

Fluorescence as a potential monitoring tool for recycled water systems: a review

A rapid, highly sensitive and selective detector is urgently required to detect contamination events in recycled water systems - for example, cross-connection events in dual reticulation pipes that recycle advanced treated sewage effluent - as existing technologies, including total organic carbon and conductivity monitoring, cannot always provide the sensitivity required. Fluorescence spectroscopy has been suggested as a potential monitoring tool given its high sensitivity and selectivity. A review of recent literature demonstrates that by monitoring the fluorescence of dissolved organic matter (DOM), the ratios of humic-like (Peak C) and protein-like (Peak T) fluorescence peaks can be used to identify trace sewage contamination in river waters and estuaries, a situation analogous to contamination detection in recycled water systems. Additionally, strong correlations have been shown between Peak T and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in rivers, which is indicative of water impacted by microbial activity and therefore of sewage impacted systems. Hence, this review concludes that the sensitive detection of contamination events in recycled water systems may be achieved by monitoring Peak T and/or Peak C fluorescence. However, in such systems, effluent is treated to a high standard resulting in much lower DOM concentrations and the impact of these advanced treatment processes on Peaks T and C fluorescence is largely unknown and requires investigation. This review has highlighted that further work is also required to determine (a) the stability and distinctiveness of recycled water fluorescence in relation to the treatment processes utilised, (b) the impact of matrix effects, particularly the impact of oxidation, (c) calibration issues for online monitoring, and (d) the advanced data analytical techniques required, if any, to improve detection of contamination events.

Characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate with different landfill ages

The main objective of the study was to investigate the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in leachate with different landfill ages through the chemical, spectroscopic, and elemental analysis. Humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA), and hydrophilic (HyI) fractions were isolated and purified by the XAD-8 resin combined with the cation exchange resin method. The analytical results of fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) revealed that the fluorescence peaks were protein-like fluorescence for young landfill leachate, while the fluorescence peaks for medium and old landfill leachate were humic-like and fulvic-like fluorescence, respectively. Elemental analysis showed that carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen content decreased with landfill age, while the oxygen content increased. Moreover, the nitrogen content in these isolated fractions followed: HA > HyI > FA. The results of elemental analysis, FT-IR, and fluorescence EEMs also confirmed that aromatic carbons and portions of aliphatic functional groups were more abundant in leachate samples with increasing landfill age.

Principal component analysis of fluorescence changes upon growth conditions and washing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

We have measured the autofluorescence from suspensions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the growth medium and after one, two, and three washes. The bacterium was grown in two different media, nutrient broth and King's B broth. The bacterium was harvested after 12, 24, and 48 h of growth. The fluorescence was measured with excitation every 10 nm from 200 nm to 600 nm. The fluorescence profiles were analyzed using principal component analysis. We found that most of the information is in the first three principal components. Stark differences in the value of the first principal component were noted between the samples in broth and those with one, two, or three washings. The second and third principal components noted differences between the samples washed once and those washed two or three times. There was no significant difference between samples washed two and three times. There are small differences noted between the samples grown in the two different broths, and no differences were noted among the samples harvested at different times.

Characterisation of colloidal and particulate organic carbon in freshwaters by thermal fluorescence quenching

Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence with thermal quenching has been applied to raw and size-fractionated freshwaters. To size-fractionate organic matter, sequential filtration through mixed-ester-cellulose membrane filters with nominal pore size of 1.2, 0.1 and 0.025 microm were used. Humic-like fluorophores (peaks A and C) have been found to dominate EEMs of raw and all size fractions of studied waters. Peak A fluorescence intensity has been found to be more thermally sensitive than peak C fluorescence intensity. Humic-like fluorescence intensity was generally size independent, which indicated that it was present mainly in the smallest size fraction (<0.025 microm). This was confirmed by total organic carbon (TOC) measurements. Peak T (tryptophan-like) fluorescence, that is widely associated with biological activity, exhibited a greater thermal sensitivity of fluorescence intensity in the larger size fractions, demonstrating the presence of more than one fluorophore in different size fractions at this location in optical space. Thermal fluorescence quenching provides insights into organic matter variability and associated colloidal characteristics.

Effects of filtration and pH perturbation on freshwater organic matter fluorescence

Fluorescence of organic matter from six contrasting freshwaters was analysed after filtration (1.2 microm and 0.2 microm filter sizes) and pH perturbation (+/-2 pH units from ambient conditions). Two fluorophores were compared in detail: tryptophan-like fluorescence, whose filtration and pH characteristics are relatively poorly understood, and humic-like fluorescence, which is better characterised. Although there was some variability in both fluorophores, the tryptophan-like fluorescence showed the most significant decrease in fluorescence intensity between raw and 1.2 microm filter samples, and a much smaller decrease between 1.2 and 0.2 microm, demonstrating a significant source associated with particulate material as well as a significant <0.2 microm fraction. In contrast, humic-like fluorescence shows little change with filtration, suggesting that the majority of this fluorescence is associated with truly dissolved material. The pH perturbation experiments demonstrate that tryptophan-like fluorescence is less impacted by pH than with filter fraction. For humic-like fluorescence, pH effects are weak and are not as consistent as those reported in the literature for extracted humic substances. pH perturbation of the freshwaters shows a wide range of sample specific pH responses, significantly more variable than that observed in experiments using extracted humic substances and tryptophan standards, demonstrating the natural variability of freshwater dissolved organic matter.