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Gao K, Wang S, Zhou W, Zhang B, Dang Z, Liu C. Extracellular polymeric substances altered ferrihydrite (trans)formation and induced arsenic mobilization. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 473:134434. [PMID: 38762983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
The behavior of As is closely related to trans(formation) of ferrihydrite, which often coprecipitates with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), forming EPS-mineral aggregates in natural environments. While the effect of EPS on ferrihydrite properity, mineralogy reductive transformation, and associated As fate in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)-rich environments remains unclear. In this research, ferrihydrite-EPS aggregates were synthesized and batch experiments combined with spectroscopic, microscopic, and geochemical analyses were conducted to address these knowledge gaps. Results indicated that EPS blocked micropores in ferrihydrite, and altered mineral surface area and susceptibility. Although EPS enhanced Fe(III) reduction, it retarded ferrihydrite transformation to magnetite by inhibiting Fe atom exchange in systems with low SO42-. As a result, 16% of the ferrihydrite was converted into magnetite in the Fh-0.3 treatment, and no ferrihydrite transformation occurred in the Fh-EPS-0.3 treatment. In systems with high SO42-, however, EPS promoted mackinawite formation and increased As mobilization into the solution. Additionally, the coprecipitated EPS facilitated As(V) reduction to more mobilized As(III) and decreased conversion of As into the residual phase, enhancing the potential risk of As contamination. These findings advance our understanding on biogeochemistry of elements Fe, S, and As and are helpful for accurate prediction of As behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Gao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenjing Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bowei Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhi Dang
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chongxuan Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Zhou W, Zhu H, Hu S, Zhang B, Gao K, Dang Z, Liu C. Dynamic coupling of ferrihydrite transformation and associated arsenic desorption/redistribution mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 135:39-50. [PMID: 37778813 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Sulfate-reducing bacteria play an important role in the geochemistry of iron (oxyhydr)oxide and arsenic (As) in natural environments; however, the associated reaction processes are yet to be fully understood. In this study, batch experiments coupled with geochemical, spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermodynamic analyses were conducted to investigate the dynamic coupling of ferrihydrite transformation and the associated As desorption/redistribution mediated by Desulfovibrio vulgaris (D. vulgaris). The results indicated that D. vulgaris could induce ferrihydrite transformation via S2--driven and direct reduction processes. In the absence of SO42-, D. vulgaris directly reduced ferrihydrite, and As desorption and re-sorption occurred simultaneously during the partial transformation of ferrihydrite to magnetite. The increase in SO42- loading promoted the S2--driven reduction of ferrihydrite and accelerated the subsequent mineralogical transformation. In the low and medium SO42- treatments, ferrihydrite was completely transformed to a mixture of magnetite and mackinawite, which increased the fraction of As in the residual phase and stabilized As. In the high SO42- treatment, although the replacement of ferrihydrite by only mackinawite also increased the fraction of As in the residual phase, 22.1% of the total As was released into the solution due to the poor adsorption affinity of As to mackinawite and the conversion of As5+ to As3+. The mechanisms of ferrihydrite reduction, mineralogy transformation, and As mobilization and redistribution mediated by sulfate-reducing bacteria are closely related to the surrounding SO42- loadings. These results advance our understanding of the biogeochemical behavior of Fe, S, and As, and are helpful for the risk assessment and remediation of As contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Huiyan Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shiwen Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bowei Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kun Gao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Zhi Dang
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chongxuan Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Sun FS, Ma C, Yu GH, Kuzyakov Y, Lang YC, Fu PQ, Guo LJ, Teng HH, Liu CQ. Organic carbon preservation in wetlands: Iron oxide protection vs. thermodynamic limitation. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 241:120133. [PMID: 37262945 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The sequestration of organic carbon (OC) in wetland sediments is influenced by the presence of oxygen or lack thereof. The mechanisms of OC sequestration under redox fluctuations, particularly by the co-mediation of reactive iron (Fe) protection and thermodynamic limitation by the energetics of the OC itself, remain unclear. Over the past 26 years, a combination of field surveys and remote sensing images had revealed a strong decline in both natural and constructed wetland areas in Tianjin. This decline could be attributed to anthropogenic landfill practices and agricultural reclamation efforts, which may have significant impacts on the oxidation-reduction conditions for sedimentary OC. The Fe-bound OC (CBD extraction) decreased by 2 to 10-fold (from 8.3 to 10% to 0.7-4.5%) with increasing sediment depth at three sites with varying water depths (WD). The high-resolution spectro-microscopy analysis demonstrated that Fe (oxyhydr)oxides were colocalized with sedimentary OC. Corresponding to lower redox potential, the nominal oxidation state of C (NOSC), which corresponds to the energy content in OC, became more negative (energy content increased) with increasing sediment depth. Taken together, the preservation of sedimentary OC is contingent on the prevailing redox conditions: In environments where oxygen availability is high, reactive Fe provides protection for OC, while in anoxic environments, thermodynamic constraints (i.e., energetic constraints) limit the oxidation of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Sheng Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guang-Hui Yu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China.
| | - Yakov Kuzyakov
- Department of Soil Science of Temperate Ecosystems, Department of Agricultural Soil Science, University of Gottingen, 37077 Gottingen, Germany; Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yun-Chao Lang
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Ping-Qing Fu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Li-Jun Guo
- Tianjin Institute of Geological Survey, Tianjin 300191, China
| | - Hui Henry Teng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China; Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20006, United States
| | - Cong-Qiang Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin Bohai Rim Coastal Earth Critical Zone National Observation and Research Station, Tianjin 300072, China
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Gao K, Zhu H, Zhou W, Hu S, Zhang B, Dang Z, Liu C. Effect of phosphate on ferrihydrite transformation and the associated arsenic behavior mediated by sulfate-reducing bacterium. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 448:130863. [PMID: 36708694 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although PO43- is commonly found in association with iron (oxyhydr)oxide, the effect of PO43- on ferrihydrite reduction, mineralogical transformation, and associated As behavior in sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)-rich environments remains unclear. In this study, batch experiments, together with geochemical, mineralogical, and biological analyses, were conducted to elucidate these processes. The results showed that SRB can reduce ferrihydrite via direct and indirect processes, and PO43- promoted ferrihydrite reduction by supporting SRB growth at low and medium PO43- loadings. However, at high loadings, PO43- stabilized the ferrihydrite. PO43- shifted the transformation of ferrihydrite from magnetite and mackinawite to vivianite, which scavenges As effectively by incorporating As into its particle. In systems with 0.5 mM SO42-, PO43- exerted a weak effect on As mobilization. However, in systems with 10 mM SO42-, substantial amounts of As were released into the solution, and PO43- impacted As behavior strongly. Low PO43- loadings increased the mobilization of As because of the competitive adsorption of PO43- on mackinawite. Medium and high PO43- loadings were beneficial for As immobilization because of the substitution of mackinawite by vivianite. These findings have important implications for understanding the biogeochemistry of iron (oxyhydr)oxide and As behavior in SRB-containing sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Gao
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Huiyan Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wenjing Zhou
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shiwen Hu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Bowei Zhang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhi Dang
- The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Chongxuan Liu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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Soares MB, Duckworth OW, Alleoni LRF. The role of dissolved pyrogenic carbon from biochar in the sorption of As(V) in biogenic iron (oxyhydr)oxides. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 865:161286. [PMID: 36587679 PMCID: PMC9892336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Water contamination by arsenic (As) affects millions of people around the world, making techniques to immobilize or remove this contaminant a pressing societal need. Biochar and iron (oxyhydr)oxides [in particular, biogenic iron (oxyhydr)oxides (BIOS)] offer the possibility of stabilizing As in remediation systems. However, little is known about the potential antagonism in As sorption generated by the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from biochar, or whether DOC affects how As(V) interacts with BIOS. For this reason, our objectives were to evaluate the i) As(V) sorption potential in BIOS when there is presence of DOC from pyrolyzed biochars at different temperatures; and ii) identify whether the presence of DOC alters the surface complexes formed by As(V) sorbed in the BIOS. We conducted As(V) sorption experiments with BIOS at circumneutral pH conditions and in the presence of DOC from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) straw biochar at pyrolyzed 350 (BC350) and 750 °C (BC750). The As(V) content was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the BIOS structure and As(V) sorption mechanisms were investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. In addition, the organic moieties comprising the DOC from biochars were investigated by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The addition of DOC did not change the biomineral structure or As(V) oxidation state. The presence of DOC, however, reduced by 25 % the sorption of As(V), with BC350 being responsible for the greatest reduction in As(V) sorption capacity. Structural modeling revealed As(V) predominantly formed binuclear bidentate surface complexes on BIOS. The presence of DOC did not change the binding mechanism of As(V) in BIOS, suggesting that the reduction of As(V) sorption to BIOS was due to site blocking. Our results bring insights into the fate of As(V) in surface waters and provide a basis for understanding the competitive sorption of As(V) in environments with biochar application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matheus B Soares
- Department of Soil Science, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), 13418900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil; Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, 27695 Raleigh, NC, USA.
| | - Owen W Duckworth
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, 27695 Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Luís R F Alleoni
- Department of Soil Science, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ), University of São Paulo (USP), 13418900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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Kinsela AS, Payne TE, Bligh MW, Vázquez-Campos X, Wilkins MR, Comarmond MJ, Rowling B, Waite TD. Contaminant release, mixing and microbial fluctuations initiated by infiltrating water within a replica field-scale legacy radioactive waste trench. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158241. [PMID: 36007652 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Numerous legacy near-surface radioactive waste sites dating from the mid 20th century have yet to be remediated and present a global contamination concern. Typically, there is insufficient understanding of contaminant release and redistribution, with invasive investigations often impractical due to the risk of disturbing the often significantly radiotoxic contaminants. Consequently, a replica waste trench (~5.4 m3), constructed adjacent to a legacy radioactive waste site (Little Forest Legacy Site, LFLS), was used to assist our understanding of the release and mixing processes of neodymium (Nd) - a chemical analogue for plutonium(III) and americium(III), two significant radionuclides in many contaminated environments. In order to clarify the behaviour of contaminants released from buried objects such as waste containers, a steel drum, representative of the hundreds of buried drums within the LFLS, was placed within the trench. Dissolved neodymium nitrate was introduced as a point-source contaminant to the base of the trench, outside the steel drum. Hydrologic conditions were manipulated to simulate natural rainfall intensities with dissolved lithium bromide added as a tracer. Neodymium was primarily retained both at its point of release at the bottom of the trench (>97 %) as well as at a steel container corrosion point, simulated through the emplacement of steel wool. However, over the 8-month field experiment, advective mixing initiated by surface water intrusions rapidly redistributed a small proportion of Nd to shallower waters (~1.5-1.7 %), as well as throughout the buried steel drum. Suspended particulate forms of Nd (>0.2 μm) were measured at all depths in the suboxic trench and were persistent across the entire study. Analyses of the microbial communities showed that their relative abundances and metabolic functions were strongly influenced by the prevailing geochemical conditions as a result of fluctuating water depths associated with rainfall events. The site representing steel corrosion exhibited divergent biogeochemical results with anomalous changes (sharp decrease) observed in both dissolved contaminant concentration as well as microbial diversity and functionality. This research demonstrates that experimental trenches provide a safe and unique method for simulating the behaviour of subsurface radioactive contaminants with results demonstrating the initial retention, partial shallow water redistribution, and stability of particulate form(s) of this radioactive analogue. These results have relevance for appropriate management and remediation strategies for the adjacent legacy site as well as for similar sites across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Kinsela
- UNSW Water Research Centre and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Timothy E Payne
- Environmental Research Theme, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
| | - Mark W Bligh
- UNSW Water Research Centre and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Xabier Vázquez-Campos
- NSW Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Marc R Wilkins
- NSW Systems Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - M Josick Comarmond
- Environmental Research Theme, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
| | - Brett Rowling
- Environmental Research Theme, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Locked Bag 2001, Kirrawee DC, NSW 2232, Australia
| | - T David Waite
- UNSW Water Research Centre and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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