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Du Y, Shi L, Cao X, Zhao F, Hu P, Ying R, Gu S, Wu L, Luo Y, Christie P. Potential high-risk release sources of thallium and arsenic from surrounding rocks of a typical thallium and arsenic mining area in southwest China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173371. [PMID: 38772486 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Abundant naturally and anthropogenically exposed surrounding rocks (NESRs and AESRs) in mining areas may pose persistent threats as sources of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), but this has been historically overlooked, especially for thallium (Tl) and arsenic (As). Here, the release risks of Tl and As from both NESRs and AESRs in a typical TlAs sulfide mining area were investigated. In a single leaching process, AESRs released 10.4 % of total Tl (157 μg L-1) and 32.5 % of total As (4089 μg L-1), 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than NESRs. Prolonged multiple leaching tests revealed notable and long-term risks of release of Tl and As from AESRs, associated with oxidation and dissolution of iron/sulfur-bearing minerals. Substantial release of PTEs was linked to the transformation/degradation of the -OH functional group and extensive dissolution of secondary sulfate minerals in AESRs. Ultrafiltration and STEM-EDS indicate that 18.4 % of water-extracted As released from AESRs existed as natural nanoparticles consisting of iron/sulfur-bearing minerals. This study highlights the high risks of Tl and As release from anthropogenically exposed surrounding rocks and the importance of nanoparticles in PTE transport, and provides insights into the control of PTEs in mining areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanpei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lingfeng Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinyan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fengqi Zhao
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Pengjie Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China.
| | - Rongrong Ying
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China.
| | - Shangyi Gu
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Longhua Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China
| | - Yongming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China
| | - Peter Christie
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 211135, China
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Du Y, Shi L, Li X, Liu J, Ying R, Hu P, Wu L, Christie P. Potential mobilization of water-dispersible colloidal thallium and arsenic in contaminated soils and sediments in mining areas of southwest China. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133211. [PMID: 38101008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Water-dispersible colloids (WDCs) are vital for trace element migration, but there is limited information about the abundance, size distribution and elemental composition of WDC-bound thallium (Tl) and arsenic (As) in mining-contaminated soils and sediments solutions. Here, we investigated the potential mobilization of WDC-bound Tl and As in soils and sediments in a typical Tl/As-contaminated area. Ultrafiltration results revealed on average > 60% of Tl and As in soil solution (< 220 nm) coexisted in colloidal form whereas Tl and As in sediment solution primarily existed in the truly dissolved state (< 10 kDa) due to increased acidity. Using AF4-UV-ICP-MS and STEM-EDS, we identified Fe-bearing WDCs in association with aluminosilicate minerals and organic matter were main carriers of Tl and As. SAED further verified jarosite nanoparticles were important components of soil WDC, directly participating in the migration of Tl and As. Notably, high pollution levels and solution pH promoted the release of Tl/As-containing WDCs. This study provides quantitative and visual insights into the distribution of Tl and As in WDC, highlighting the important roles of Fe-bearing WDC, soil solution pH and pollution level in the potential mobilization of Tl and As in contaminated soils and sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanpei Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lingfeng Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xinyang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Juan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Rongrong Ying
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control, Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing 210042, China.
| | - Pengjie Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Longhua Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Peter Christie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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Fan L, Zhu T, Yang Y, Han T, Qiao Z, Huang X, Zhai W, Pan X, Zhang D. Iron colloidal transport mechanisms and sequestration of As, Ni, and Cu along AMD-induced environmental gradients. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165513. [PMID: 37451442 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Colloids are common in mine waters and their chemistry and interactions are critical aspects of metal(loid)s cycling. Previous studies mostly focus on the colloidal transport of metal(loid)s in zones where rivers and soil profiles receive acid mine drainage (AMD). However, there is limited knowledge of the colloid and the associated toxic element behavior as the effluent flows through the coal waste dump, where a geochemical gradient is produced due to AMD reacting with waste rocks which have high acid-neutralization effects. Here, we investigated the geochemistry of Fe and co-occurring elements As, Ni, and Cu along the coal waste dump, in aqueous, colloidal, and precipitate phases, using micro/ultrafiltration combined with STEM, AFM-nanoIR, SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR analysis. The results demonstrated that a fast attenuation of H+, SO42-, and metal(loid)s happened as the effluent flowed through the waste-rock dump. The Fe, As, Ni, and Cu were distributed across all colloidal sizes and primarily transported in the nano-colloidal phase (3 kDa-0.1 μm). An increasing pH induced a higher percentage of large Fe colloid fractions (> 0.1 μm) associated with greater sequestration of trace metals, and the values for As from 39.5 % to 54.4 %, Ni from 40.8 % to 75.7 %, and Cu from 43.7 % to 56.0 %, respectively. The Fe-bearing colloids in AMD upstream (pH ≤ 3.0) were primarily composed of Fe-O-S and Fe-O-C with minor Al-Si-O and Ca-O-S, while in less acidic and alkaline sections (pH ≥ 4.1), they were composed of Fe-O with minor Ca-O-S. The iron colloid agglomerates associated with As, Ni, and Cu precipitated coupling the transformation of jarosite, and schwertmannite to ferrihydrite, goethite, and gypsum. These results demonstrate that the formation and transformation of Fe-bearing colloids response to this unique geochemical gradient help to understand the natural metal(loid)s attenuation along the coal waste dump.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Fan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yixuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Tiancheng Han
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Zhuang Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xianxing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Xiangliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Daoyong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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Bruvold AS, Bienfait AM, Ervik TK, Loeschner K, Valdersnes S. Vertical distribution of inorganic nanoparticles in a Norwegian fjord. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 188:105975. [PMID: 37086530 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Due to the analytical challenges of detecting and quantifying nanoparticles in seawater, the data on distributions of NPs in the marine environment is limited to qualitative studies or by ensemble measurements subject to various analytical artifacts. Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) allows determination of individual inorganic NPs at environmentally relevant concentrations, yet only few studies have been conducted on selected elements in surface sea water. Here, a sequential multi-element screening method was developed and implemented to provide a first survey of the horizontal and vertical distributions of inorganic nanoparticles and trace elements in a pristine Norwegian fjord prospect for submarine tailings deposition. Statistical control of false-positive detections while minimizing the size detection limit was ensured using a novel raw signal processing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) gave confirmative and qualitative information regarding particle morphology and composition. Following SP-ICP-MS screening for particles of 16 elements, particulate Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Si and Ti were found and determined to mass concentrations in ng/L of 1-399, 1-412, below limit of detection (<LOD) - 269, <LOD - 1, <LOD - 1981 and <LOD - 127 ng/L with particle number concentrations up to 108 particles per liter. Total metals concentrations were at least an order of magnitude higher, at concentrations in μg/L of 1-12 for Al, 2-13 for Fe, 0.3-11 Mn, 0.02-0.5 for Pb, 46 to 318 Si and 0.04-0.4 for Ti. A strong depth dependence was observed for both trace elements and particles with concentrations increasing with depth. Our results provide a baseline for the fjord and new data on environmental levels of both total metals and metal containing nanoparticles including the vertical and horizontal distribution of natural nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Are S Bruvold
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway; University of Bergen, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 7803, N-5020, Bergen, Norway.
| | | | - Torunn Kringlen Ervik
- Norwegian Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 5330, Majorstuen, 0304, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrin Loeschner
- National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet 201, DK-2800, Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Stig Valdersnes
- Institute of Marine Research, P.O. Box 1870 Nordnes, NO-5817, Bergen, Norway; University of Bergen, Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box 7803, N-5020, Bergen, Norway
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Jiang C, Liu S, Zhang T, Liu Q, Alvarez PJJ, Chen W. Current Methods and Prospects for Analysis and Characterization of Nanomaterials in the Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7426-7447. [PMID: 35584364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Analysis and characterization of naturally occurring and engineered nanomaterials in the environment are critical for understanding their environmental behaviors and defining real exposure scenarios for environmental risk assessment. However, this is challenging primarily due to the low concentration, structural heterogeneity, and dynamic transformation of nanomaterials in complex environmental matrices. In this critical review, we first summarize sample pretreatment methods developed for separation and preconcentration of nanomaterials from environmental samples, including natural waters, wastewater, soils, sediments, and biological media. Then, we review the state-of-the-art microscopic, spectroscopic, mass spectrometric, electrochemical, and size-fractionation methods for determination of mass and number abundance, as well as the morphological, compositional, and structural properties of nanomaterials, with discussion on their advantages and limitations. Despite recent advances in detecting and characterizing nanomaterials in the environment, challenges remain to improve the analytical sensitivity and resolution and to expand the method applications. It is important to develop methods for simultaneous determination of multifaceted nanomaterial properties for in situ analysis and characterization of nanomaterials under dynamic environmental conditions and for detection of nanoscale contaminants of emerging concern (e.g., nanoplastics and biological nanoparticles), which will greatly facilitate the standardization of nanomaterial analysis and characterization methods for environmental samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjia Jiang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Rd., Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Songlin Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Rd., Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Rd., Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Wei Chen
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Rd., Tianjin 300350, China
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6
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Opitz J, Bauer M, Alte M, Schmidtmann J, Peiffer S. Sedimentation Kinetics of Hydrous Ferric Oxides in Ferruginous, Circumneutral Mine Water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:6360-6368. [PMID: 35507770 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Transport, transformation, and removal of iron in aqueous environments is primarily controlled by ferrous iron oxidation followed by aggregation and sedimentation of the resultant hydrous ferric oxides. The latter mechanisms are particularly important for passive iron removal in mine water treatment systems, yet the interrelation and underlying kinetics are poorly understood. In this study, the sedimentation behavior of natural hydrous ferric oxides was systematically investigated under different hydrogeochemical conditions via laboratory-based column experiments. The objective was to determine a robust model approach for the approximation of aggregation/sedimentation kinetics in engineered systems. The results showed that sedimentation is governed by two interrelated regimes, a rapid second-order aggregation-driven step (r1) at high iron levels followed by a slower first-order settling step (r2) at lower iron levels. A mixed first-/second-order model was found to adequately describe the process: -d[Fe]dt=kr2[Fe]+kr1[Fe]2 with kr1 = 9.4 × 10-3 m3/g/h and kr2 = 5.4 × 10-3 h-1. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate that the removal of particulate hydrous ferric oxides at low particulate iron levels (<10 mg/L) may be reasonably well approximated by a simplified first-order relationship: -d[Fe]dt=ksed[Fe] with ksed = 2.4 (±0.4) × 10-2 h-1, which agrees well with incipient literature estimates. Only minor effects of pH, salinity, and mineralogy on kinetic parameters were observed. Hence, the results of this study may be broadly transferrable among different mine sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Opitz
- Department of Hydrology, University of Bayreuth, BayCEER, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth D-95447, Germany
- BASE Technologies GmbH, Josef-Felder-Straße 53, Munich D-81241, Germany
| | - Martin Bauer
- BASE Technologies GmbH, Josef-Felder-Straße 53, Munich D-81241, Germany
| | - Matthias Alte
- BASE Technologies GmbH, Josef-Felder-Straße 53, Munich D-81241, Germany
| | - Johanna Schmidtmann
- Department of Hydrology, University of Bayreuth, BayCEER, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth D-95447, Germany
| | - Stefan Peiffer
- Department of Hydrology, University of Bayreuth, BayCEER, Universitätsstraße 30, Bayreuth D-95447, Germany
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Hou D, Zhang P, Wei D, Zhang J, Yan B, Cao L, Zhou Y, Luo L. Simultaneous removal of iron and manganese from acid mine drainage by acclimated bacteria. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 396:122631. [PMID: 32339872 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
A bacterial consortium for efficient decontamination of high-concentration Fe-Mn acid mine drainage (AMD) was successfully isolated. The removal efficiencies of Fe and Mn were effective, reaching 99.8 % and 98.6 %, respectively. High-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes demonstrated that the microbial community had changed substantially during the treatment. The Fe-Mn oxidizing bacteria Flavobacterium, Brevundimonas, Stenotrophomonas and Thermomonas became dominant genera, suggesting that they might play vital roles in Fe and Mn removal. Moreover, the pH of culture increased obviously after incubation, which was benefit for depositing Fe and Mn from AMD. The specific surface area of the biogenic Fe-Mn oxides was 108-121 m2/g, and the surface contained reactive oxygen functional groups (-OH and -COOH), which also improved Fe and Mn removal efficiency. Thus, this study provides an alternative method to treat AMD containing high concentrations of Fe and Mn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Hou
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Pan Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Dongning Wei
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Jiachao Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Binghua Yan
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Linying Cao
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China
| | - Yaoyu Zhou
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China.
| | - Lin Luo
- College of Resources and Environment, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, PR China.
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