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Leufroy A, Bouchoucha M, Riviere G, Guérin T, Jitaru P. Trace elements and arsenic speciation in Paracentrotus lividus from North-West Mediterranean Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:121851-121864. [PMID: 37962754 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30941-7] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Levels of 14 trace elements (Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sn, Hg, and Pb) and 5 arsenic species (arsenite/As(III), arsenate/As(V), monomethylarsonic acid/MA, dimethylarsinic acid/DMA, and arsenobetaine/AsB) were assessed in the gonads of sea urchin samples (Paracentrotus lividus) from North-West Mediterranean Sea (French coast). The samples were collected from 13 sites characterized by different types and levels of chemical contamination. Trace elements levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following microwave (acid) digestion in a closed system, whereas As speciation analysis was carried out by ion-exchange liquid chromatography coupled with ICP-MS after microwave-assisted extraction. High levels of trace elements were found in sea urchins sampled from Corsica whereas the samples from Théoule were found to be the least contaminated. From all the analyzed urchin samples, none showed Cd, Hg, or Pb concentrations above the regulatory levels set by the European Community (EC) No. 1881/2006 for seafood or bivalve mollusks. Regarding arsenic speciation, AsB was confirmed to be the predominant species. Inorganic As (As(III) + As(V)) was mainly constituted by As(III), which was quantified in all samples. Methylated As forms (MA and DMA) represent 9 to 23% of the total As.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Leufroy
- Laboratory for Food Safety, & Safety (ANSES), Université Paris Est, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France.
| | - Marc Bouchoucha
- Laboratoire Environnement Ressources Provence Azur Corse, Ifremer, CS 20330, F-83507, La Seyne Sur Mer, France
| | - Gilles Riviere
- Risk Assessment Department, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Thierry Guérin
- Strategy and Programmes Department, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Petru Jitaru
- Laboratory for Food Safety, & Safety (ANSES), Université Paris Est, 94706, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Kim CJ, Chung CS, Jung JM, Kim YR, Kang DW, Kim HE, Shin KH, Choi KY. Long-term effects of chromium from red mud (bauxite residue) ocean dumping on the benthic environment in South Korea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 196:115584. [PMID: 37774462 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115584] [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: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Between 1999 and 2009, 344,000 m3 of red mud was released into the red mud dumping zone in the East Sea-Byeong ocean dumping site in South Korea. This study aimed to assess the impacts before and after the 2010 red mud dumping ban. We quantified total Cr concentrations by depth from core sediment samples at the red mud dumping station and evaluated benthic communities in 2004, 2009, 2012, 2017, and 2019. At the dumping station DB-085, the Cr content in the upper layer (0-10 cm) exceeded the effect range median criteria in all study years and decreased with time. Geochemical fraction studies using sequential extraction methods from core sediment samples in 2004, 2009, and 2017 showed high ratios of non-residual fractions (anthropogenic inputs), indicating persistent potential long-term risk after the 2010 ban. Additionally, we confirmed that Thyasira tokunagai, an opportunistic and contamination-stress-resistant species, dominated the study station.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Joon Kim
- Marine Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University ERICA, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Chung
- Marine Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; KIOST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Mo Jung
- Marine Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; Major of Oceanography, Division of Earth Environmental System Science, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Ryun Kim
- Marine Eco-Technology Institute, Busan 48520, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Won Kang
- Marine Eco-Technology Institute, Busan 48520, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Eun Kim
- Marine Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University ERICA, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Young Choi
- Marine Environment Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea; KIOST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea.
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Kim YR, Kang DW, Lee S, Choi KY, Kim HE, Jung JM, Chung CS, Jang YS, Kim CJ. Distribution and assessment of heavy metal concentrations in the East Sea-Byeong ocean dumping site, Korea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112815. [PMID: 34388444 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Sediment cores were collected from three sites, the Control, Dumping, and Resting sites in the East Sea-Byeong ocean dumping site, Korea, and the enrichment and degree of accumulation of heavy metals were investigated. Further, to assess the level of heavy metal pollution and understand the potential effects of the ocean dumping activities that began in 1993, the results obtained corresponding to the different sampling sites were compared, and various criteria were employed. Indices, including the enrichment factor and the modified contamination degree, demonstrated that the sediments were contaminated with various heavy metals at different contamination levels. The results also indicated a significant upward enrichment in heavy metals, with the uppermost 0-10 cm sediment layer showing relatively high concentrations. Overall, this study confirmed that anthropogenic heavy metal contamination at the study sites, and the implementation of continuous monitoring, alongside the application of proper management tools, is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Ryun Kim
- Marine Eco-Technology Institute, Busan 48520, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Won Kang
- Marine Eco-Technology Institute, Busan 48520, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangjin Lee
- Marine Eco-Technology Institute, Busan 48520, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Young Choi
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Eun Kim
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Mo Jung
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Soo Chung
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Suk Jang
- East Sea Environment Research Division, Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology, Uljin 36315, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Joon Kim
- Marine Environmental Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea.
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Jacquet S, Monnin C, Herlory O, Mille D, Dufour A, Oursel B, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, D'onofrio S, Layglon N, Garnier C. Characterization of the submarine disposal of a Bayer effluent (Gardanne alumina plant, southern France): I. Size distribution, chemical composition and settling rate of particles forming at the outfall. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 263:127695. [PMID: 32818848 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The submarine discharge of the high pH clarified Bayer effluent of the Gardanne alumina plant (Marseille region, France) leads to the formation of concretions at the outfall 324 m underwater and to a plume of white particles. The bulk chemical composition of the concretions has been determined by SF-ICP-MS. Mg and Al are the major elements measured with concentrations of a few hundred mg g-1. Ca and S are also found at concentrations in the range of mg g-1. Among the measured trace elements there is a specific interest in As and V because of environmental concerns pointed out by regulation authorities. Their concentrations are of tens to thousands μg g-1, respectively. Concentrations of the other elements are in the range of a few ng g-1 to few hundreds μg g-1. In order to constrain the dispersion of particles in the environment and to understand how chemical elements can be scavenged from or released to seawater, the size distribution of particles composing the concretions has been measured by settling rate experiments and, for each size class of particles, their chemical composition has been determined. For example, As and V are mainly associated to particles with mean diameters between 15.6 and 63 μm and settling rates around 96 m d-1. Overall, all the main elements (Mg, Al, Ca, S) composing concretions are associated to this size class of particles which represents 53-60% of the total concretion mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Jacquet
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France.
| | - Christophe Monnin
- Geosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS - Université Paul Sabatier - IRD (Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Olivier Herlory
- CREOCEAN, Valparc - Bât B, 230 Avenue de Rome, 83500, La Seyne sur Mer, France
| | - Deborah Mille
- CREOCEAN, Valparc - Bât B, 230 Avenue de Rome, 83500, La Seyne sur Mer, France
| | - Aurélie Dufour
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Benjamin Oursel
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Sébastien D'onofrio
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Nicolas Layglon
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
| | - Cédric Garnier
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), UM 110, 13288, Marseille, France
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Bouchoucha M, Chekri R, Leufroy A, Jitaru P, Millour S, Marchond N, Chafey C, Testu C, Zinck J, Cresson P, Mirallès F, Mahe A, Arnich N, Sanaa M, Bemrah N, Guérin T. Trace element contamination in fish impacted by bauxite red mud disposal in the Cassidaigne canyon (NW French Mediterranean). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 690:16-26. [PMID: 31284191 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
From 1966 to 2015, the Gardanne alumina refinery discharged some 20 million tons of bauxite residue (called red mud) into the Cassidaigne Canyon (northwest French Mediterranean) with impacts on local ecosystem functioning. Although these red muds contained high levels of trace elements (TE), in particular titanium (Ti), vanadium (V), aluminum (Al) and arsenic (As), surprisingly, their impacts on fish contamination levels and the risk related to fish consumption have been little studied until now. Here, 11 trace elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti and V) were analyzed in muscle and, when possible, liver, from 1308 fish of 26 species from an impacted zone in the vicinity of the Cassidaigne Canyon and a reference zone, unaffected by red mud disposals. Moreover, 66 arsenic speciation analyses were performed. Although the impact of human activities on the levels of fish contamination by trace elements is generally not easy to assess in situ because it is blurred by interaction with biological effects, we highlighted significant contamination of the fish species collected from the Cassidaigne Canyon, especially by the main trace elements attributable to the discharges of the Gardanne alumina refinery, namely Al, V and Ti. Moreover, inorganic toxic As concentrations were higher in the impacted zone. The results of this baseline research also confirmed the concern previously raised regarding Hg in Mediterranean organisms and that trace element contamination levels in fish are generally negatively related to fish length for all TE except Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bouchoucha
- Ifremer, Lab Environm Ressources Provence Azur Corse, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne Sur Mer, France.
| | - R Chekri
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - A Leufroy
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - P Jitaru
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - S Millour
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - N Marchond
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - C Chafey
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - C Testu
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - J Zinck
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - P Cresson
- Ifremer, Lab Ressources Halieutiques, BP 699, F-62 321 Boulogne sur Mer
| | - F Mirallès
- Ifremer, Lab Environm Ressources Provence Azur Corse, CS 20330, F-83507 La Seyne Sur Mer, France
| | - A Mahe
- ANSES, Risk Assessment Directorate (DER), F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - N Arnich
- ANSES, Risk Assessment Directorate (DER), F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - M Sanaa
- ANSES, Risk Assessment Directorate (DER), F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - N Bemrah
- ANSES, Risk Assessment Directorate (DER), F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - T Guérin
- Université Paris-Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, F-94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
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Wen ZC, Ma SH, Zheng SL, Zhang Y, Liang Y. Assessment of environmental risk for red mud storage facility in China: a case study in Shandong Province. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:11193-11208. [PMID: 26920533 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6243-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Red mud storage facility (RM-SF) pollution remains a serious problem in China mainly due to the RM's huge quantity, little recyclability, and high alkalinity. And, there is also a risk of dam failure because almost all RM-SFs are processed by damming. In order to address this challenge and improve the level of risk management, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental risk of RM-SFs systematically. So, this paper firstly designs a comprehensive evaluation index system with a three-level evaluation index in the terms of RM characteristics, RM-SF characteristics, ambient environment of RM-SF, the management of RM-SF, and the application aspect of RM by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Then, a case of RM-SF from a typical alumina production enterprise is studied according to this system, as is assisted by several experts from different fields when determining the weights of all indicators. The results show that the risk of selected RM-SF primarily depends on the former factors, that is, RM and RM-SF characteristics, while the contributions of the other factors are quite smaller.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Chao Wen
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China
- China Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Shu-Hua Ma
- China Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Shi-Li Zheng
- China Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- China Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yan Liang
- Beijing Urban Drainage Monitoring Center Co., Ltd., Beijing, 100061, China
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Ecological impacts of large-scale disposal of mining waste in the deep sea. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9985. [PMID: 25939397 PMCID: PMC4419517 DOI: 10.1038/srep09985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep-Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP) from terrestrial mines is one of several large-scale industrial activities now taking place in the deep sea. The scale and persistence of its impacts on seabed biota are unknown. We sampled around the Lihir and Misima island mines in Papua New Guinea to measure the impacts of ongoing DSTP and assess the state of benthic infaunal communities after its conclusion. At Lihir, where DSTP has operated continuously since 1996, abundance of sediment infauna was substantially reduced across the sampled depth range (800–2020 m), accompanied by changes in higher-taxon community structure, in comparison with unimpacted reference stations. At Misima, where DSTP took place for 15 years, ending in 2004, effects on community composition persisted 3.5 years after its conclusion. Active tailings deposition has severe impacts on deep-sea infaunal communities and these impacts are detectable at a coarse level of taxonomic resolution.
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Unexpected biotic resilience on the Japanese seafloor caused by the 2011 Tōhoku-Oki tsunami. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7517. [PMID: 25515588 PMCID: PMC4268652 DOI: 10.1038/srep07517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
On March 11th, 2011 the Mw 9.0 2011 Tōhoku-Oki earthquake resulted in a tsunami which caused major devastation in coastal areas. Along the Japanese NE coast, tsunami waves reached maximum run-ups of 40 m, and travelled kilometers inland. Whereas devastation was clearly visible on land, underwater impact is much more difficult to assess. Here, we report unexpected results obtained during a research cruise targeting the seafloor off Shimokita (NE Japan), shortly (five months) after the disaster. The geography of the studied area is characterized by smooth coastline and a gradually descending shelf slope. Although high-energy tsunami waves caused major sediment reworking in shallow-water environments, investigated shelf ecosystems were characterized by surprisingly high benthic diversity and showed no evidence of mass mortality. Conversely, just beyond the shelf break, the benthic ecosystem was dominated by a low-diversity, opportunistic fauna indicating ongoing colonization of massive sand-bed deposits.
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López-Belzunce M, Blázquez AM, Pretus JL. Recent benthic foraminiferal assemblages and their relationship to environmental variables on the shoreface and inner shelf off Valencia (western Mediterranean). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2014; 101:169-183. [PMID: 25060068 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2014.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The environmental variables that determine the distributions of benthic foraminiferal assemblages on the shoreface and inner shelf of the north of Valencia province (Western Mediterranean) are identified. The possible influence of variables such as water depth, distance from shore, hydrodynamics, substrate type, carbonate content, organic matter content and human activity is evaluated. Multivariate cluster-Q-type analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) are used to identify the environmental variables that have the greatest influence on the assemblage distribution. The spatial distribution of the assemblages is closely associated with water depth and substrate. The diversity and abundance of foraminifera shells increase with depth and their conservation improves. The most common species in the study area are Ammonia beccarii, Rosalina globularis, Buccella granulata, Planorbulina mediterranensis, and Lobatula lobatula. The presence of wastewater in the study area has not polluted the foraminiferal assemblages (absence of anomalous shells). The direction of the discharge plume is a potential source of nutrients for deep water.
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Affiliation(s)
- María López-Belzunce
- Environmental and Marine Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Valencia, C/ Guillem de Castro 94, Valencia 46003, Spain.
| | - Ana M Blázquez
- Environmental and Marine Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Valencia, C/ Guillem de Castro 94, Valencia 46003, Spain.
| | - Joan Lluís Pretus
- Department of Ecology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
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Mišík M, Burke IT, Reismüller M, Pichler C, Rainer B, Mišíková K, Mayes WM, Knasmueller S. Red mud a byproduct of aluminum production contains soluble vanadium that causes genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in higher plants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 493:883-890. [PMID: 25000584 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Red mud (RM) is a byproduct of aluminum production; worldwide between 70 and 120 million tons is produced annually. We analyzed RM which was released in the course of the Kolontar disaster in Hungary into the environment in acute and genotoxicity experiments with plants which are widely used for environmental monitoring. We detected induction of micronuclei which reflect chromosomal damage in tetrads of Tradescantia and in root cells of Allium as well as retardation of root growth with contaminated soils and leachates. Chemical analyses showed that RM contains metals, in particular high concentrations of vanadium. Follow-up experiments indicated that vanadate causes the effects in the plants. This compound causes also in humans DNA damage and positive results were obtained in carcinogenicity studies. Since it was found also in RM from other production sites our findings indicate that its release in the environment is a global problem which should be studied in more detail. CAPSULE ABSTRACT Our findings indicate that the red mud causes genotoxic effect in plants probably due to the presence of vanadate which is contained at high concentrations in the residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Mišík
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ian T Burke
- Earth Surface Science Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Matthias Reismüller
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Clemens Pichler
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernhard Rainer
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katarina Mišíková
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - William M Mayes
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Scarborough YO11 3AZ, UK
| | - Siegfried Knasmueller
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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