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Wang M, Jiang D, Yang L, Wei J, Kong L, Xie W, Ding D, Fan T, Deng S. Natural attenuation of BTEX and chlorobenzenes in a formerly contaminated pesticide site in China: Examining kinetics, mechanisms, and isotopes analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170506. [PMID: 38307285 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170506] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Groundwater contamination from abandoned pesticide sites is a prevalent issue in China. To address this problem, natural attenuation (NA) of pollutants has been increasingly employed as a management strategy for abandoned pesticide sites. However, limited studies have focused on the long-term NA process of co-existing organic pollutants in abandoned pesticide sites by an integrated approach. In this study, the NA of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), and chlorobenzenes (CBs) in groundwater of a retired industry in China was systematically investigated during the monitoring period from June 2016 to December 2021. The findings revealed that concentrations of BTEX and CBs were effectively reduced, and their NA followed first-order kinetics with different rate constants. The sulfate-reducing bacteria, nitrate-reducing bacteria, fermenting bacteria, aromatic hydrocarbon metabolizing bacteria, and reductive dechlorinating bacteria were detected in groundwater. It was observed that distinct environmental parameters played a role in shaping both overall and key bacterial communities. ORP (14.72%) and BTEX (12.89%) were the main drivers for variations of the whole and key functional microbial community, respectively. Moreover, BTEX accelerated reductive dechlorination. Furthermore, BTEX and CBs exhibited significant enrichment of 13C, ranging from +2.9 to +27.3‰, demonstrating their significance in situ biodegradation. This study provides a scientific basis for site management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Dengdeng Jiang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lu Yang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Jing Wei
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Lingya Kong
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Wenyi Xie
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Da Ding
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Tingting Fan
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Shaopo Deng
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210046, China.
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Xiu W, Ke T, Lloyd JR, Shen J, Bassil NM, Song H, Polya DA, Zhao Y, Guo H. Understanding Microbial Arsenic-Mobilization in Multiple Aquifers: Insight from DNA and RNA Analyses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:15181-15195. [PMID: 34706533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biogeochemical processes critically control the groundwater arsenic (As) enrichment; however, the key active As-mobilizing biogeochemical processes and associated microbes in high dissolved As and sulfate aquifers are poorly understood. To address this issue, the groundwater-sediment geochemistry, total and active microbial communities, and their potential functions in the groundwater-sediment microbiota from the western Hetao basin were determined using 16S rRNA gene (rDNA) and associated 16S rRNA (rRNA) sequencing. The relative abundances of either sediment or groundwater total and active microbial communities were positively correlated. Interestingly, groundwater active microbial communities were mainly associated with ammonium and sulfide, while sediment active communities were highly related to water-extractable nitrate. Both sediment-sourced and groundwater-sourced active microorganisms (rRNA/rDNA ratios > 1) noted Fe(III)-reducers (induced by ammonium oxidation) and As(V)-reducers, emphasizing the As mobilization via Fe(III) and/or As(V) reduction. Moreover, active cryptic sulfur cycling between groundwater and sediments was implicated in affecting As mobilization. Sediment-sourced active microorganisms were potentially involved in anaerobic pyrite oxidation (driven by denitrification), while groundwater-sourced organisms were associated with sulfur disproportionation and sulfate reduction. This study provides an extended whole-picture concept model of active As-N-S-Fe biogeochemical processes affecting As mobilization in high dissolved As and sulfate aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
- Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Tiantian Ke
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Jonathan R Lloyd
- Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Jiaxing Shen
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Naji M Bassil
- Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Hokyung Song
- Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - David A Polya
- Williamson Research Centre for Molecular Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Yi Zhao
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Huaming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
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Stopelli E, Duyen VT, Prommer H, Glodowska M, Kappler A, Schneider M, Eiche E, Lightfoot AK, Schubert CJ, Trang PKT, Viet PH, Kipfer R, Winkel LHE, Berg M. Carbon and methane cycling in arsenic-contaminated aquifers. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 200:117300. [PMID: 34107428 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Geogenic arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater is a health threat to millions of people worldwide, particularly in alluvial regions of South and Southeast Asia. Mitigation measures are often hindered by high heterogeneities in As concentrations, the cause(s) of which are elusive. Here we used a comprehensive suite of stable isotope analyses and hydrogeochemical parameters to shed light on the mechanisms in a typical high-As Holocene aquifer near Hanoi where groundwater is advected to a low-As Pleistocene aquifer. Carbon isotope signatures (δ13C-CH4, δ13C-DOC, δ13C-DIC) provided evidence that fermentation, methanogenesis and methanotrophy are actively contributing to the As heterogeneity. Methanogenesis occurred concurrently where As levels are high (>200 µg/L) and DOC-enriched aquitard pore water infiltrates into the aquifer. Along the flowpath to the Holocene/Pleistocene aquifer transition, methane oxidation causes a strong shift in δ13C-CH4 from -87‰ to +47‰, indicating high reactivity. These findings demonstrate a previously overlooked role of methane cycling and DOC infiltration in high-As aquifers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Stopelli
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Water Resources and Drinking Water, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
| | - Vu T Duyen
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Henning Prommer
- CSIRO Land and Water, 6014 Floreat, WA, Australia; School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Martyna Glodowska
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Magnus Schneider
- Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Eiche
- Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Alexandra K Lightfoot
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Water Resources and Drinking Water, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Carsten J Schubert
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Surface Waters Research & Management, 6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pham K T Trang
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Pham H Viet
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Technology for Environmental Quality and Food Safety (KLATEFOS), VNU University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Rolf Kipfer
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Water Resources and Drinking Water, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lenny H E Winkel
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Water Resources and Drinking Water, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Berg
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department Water Resources and Drinking Water, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; UNESCO Chair on Groundwater Arsenic within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, QLD 4350, Australia.
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Yin X, Hua H, Burns F, Fennell D, Dyer J, Landis R, Axe L. Identifying redox transition zones in the subsurface of a site with historical contamination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143105. [PMID: 33131844 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reactive iron mineral coatings found throughout reduction-oxidation (redox) transition zones play an important role in contaminant transformation processes. This research focuses on demonstrating a process for effectively delineating redox transition zones at a site with historical contamination. An 18.3 meter core was collected, subsampled, and preserved under anoxic conditions to maintain its original redox status. To ensure a high vertical resolution, sampling increments of 5.08 cm in length were analyzed for elemental concentrations with X-ray fluorescence (XRF), sediment pH, sediment oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), total volatile organic carbon (TVOC) concentration in the sample headspace, and abundant bacteria (16S rRNA sequencing). Over the core's length, gradients observed ranged from 3.74 to 8.03 for sediment pH, -141.4 mV to +651.0 mV for sediment ORP, and from below detection to a maximum of 9.6 ppm TVOC concentration (as chlorobenzene) in the headspace. The Fe and S gradients correlated with the presence of Fe and S reducing bacteria. S concentrations peaked in the Upper Zone and Zone 1 where Desulfosporosinus was abundant, suggesting precipitation of iron sulfide minerals. In Zone 2, Fe concentrations decreased where Geobacter was abundant, potentially resulting in Fe reduction, dissolution, and precipitation of minerals with increased solubility compared to the Fe(III) minerals. Using complementary geochemical and microbial data, five redox transition zones were delineated in the core collected. This research demonstrates a systematic approach to characterizing redox transition zones in a contaminated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07032, USA.
| | - Han Hua
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07032, USA
| | | | - Donna Fennell
- Rutgers University, Department of Environmental Sciences, 14 College Farm Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - James Dyer
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808, USA
| | | | - Lisa Axe
- Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07032, USA.
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Li X, Tian T, Shang X, Zhang R, Xie H, Wang X, Wang H, Xie Q, Chen J, Kadokami K. Occurrence and Health Risks of Organic Micro-Pollutants and Metals in Groundwater of Chinese Rural Areas. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:107010. [PMID: 33124919 PMCID: PMC7598030 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Groundwater is a main drinking-water source for Chinese rural residents. The overall pollution status of organic micropollutants (OMPs) and metals in the groundwater and corresponding health risks are unknown. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to comprehensively screen for and assess the health risks of OMPs and metals in groundwater of rural areas in China where groundwater is used for drinking so as to provide a benchmark for monitoring and improving groundwater quality in future developments. METHODS One hundred sixty-six groundwater samples were collected in the rural areas of China, and 1,300 OMPs and 25 metals were screened by GC-MS, LC-QTOF/MS, and ICP-MS analysis. To assess the noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of the detected pollutants, missing toxicity threshold values were extrapolated from existing databases or predicted by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models. Monte Carlo simulation was performed to account for uncertainties in the exposure parameters and toxicity thresholds. RESULTS Two hundred thirty-three OMPs and 25 metals were detected from the 166 samples. The concentration summation for the detected OMPs ranged from 2.9 to 1.7×105ng/L among the different sampling sites. Cumulative noncarcinogenic risks for the OMPs were estimated to be negligible. However, high metal risks were calculated in 23% of the sites. Forty-two carcinogens (including 38 OMPs) were identified and the cumulative carcinogenic risks in 34% of the sites were calculated to be >10-4 (i.e., one excess cancer case in a population of 10 thousand people). The carcinogenic risks were estimated to be mainly associated with exposures to the metals, which were calculated to contribute 79% (0-100%) of the cumulative carcinogenic risks. DISCUSSION The overall status of OMPs and metals pollution in the groundwater and the corresponding health risks were determined preliminarily, which may provide a benchmark for future efforts in China to ensure the safety of drinking water for the local residents in rural areas. The joint application of QSARs and Monte Carlo simulation provided a feasible way to comprehensively assess the health risks of the large and ever-increasing number of pollutants detected in the aquatic environment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6483.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuehua Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xiaochen Shang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Ruohan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Huaijun Xie
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xuejian Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Hanwei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Qing Xie
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Kiwao Kadokami
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
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