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Alessandrino L, Colombani N, Mastrocicco M. Modelling biogeochemical reactions triggered by graphene's addition in a fertilized calcareous sandy soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165558. [PMID: 37459980 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Graphene production has dramatically increased in the last years and new ways to recycle this engineered material need to be investigated. To this purpose, a reactive model network was developed using PHREEQC-3 code to quantify the relevant biogeochemical reactions induced by graphene scraps' incorporation in a calcareous sandy soil. The numerical model was calibrated versus a complete dataset of column experiments in water saturated conditions using two different fertilizers, a synthetic NPK fertilizer and fertigation water produced in a wastewater treatment plant. Column experiments consisted of 50 cm columns filled with a mixture of graphene scraps (0.015 % dry weight) and soil in the first 10 cm, while the remaining 40 cm had only soil. The model performance was tested using classical statistical indices (R2, Modelling Efficiency, and Index of Agreement), resulting to be satisfactory. Besides, a simple sensitivity analysis via the perturbation of relevant parameters showed a low degree of uncertainty. The main outcome of this study was the quantification of the increased denitrification rate triggered by graphene incorporation into the soil. Moreover, graphene incorporation substantially increased soil CEC and DOC sorption capacity, demonstrating a good adsorption capacity for ammonium and organic compounds, thus decreasing nutrients leaching that represents a major concern related to agricultural practice. Indeed, Graphene incorporation increased by 40 % the CEC in the first 10 cm of the CSG_NPK column (2.50e-02 mol/L) respect to the CS_NPK column (1.75e-02 mol/L) and increased it by 150 % in the first 10 cm of the CSG_FW column (2.50e-02 mol/L) in comparison with the CS_FW column 1.00e-02 (mol/L). pH fluctuations were most likely due to the precipitation of Ca5(PO4)3OH, indeed the consumption of H+ ions could have triggered the pH lowering during the experiment. These results could be relevant for future graphene applications as a soil improver or as suitable material to enhance soil bioremediation in order to include graphene in a circular economy loop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Alessandrino
- DiSTABiF - Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Campania University "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Nicolò Colombani
- SIMAU - Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Marche Polytechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche 12, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Micòl Mastrocicco
- DiSTABiF - Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Campania University "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
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Xia Q, He J, He B, Chu Y, Li W, Sun J, Wen D. Effect and genesis of soil nitrogen loading and hydrogeological conditions on the distribution of shallow groundwater nitrogen pollution in the North China Plain. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120346. [PMID: 37482006 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The North China Plain (NCP) has experienced increasingly severe groundwater nitrogen (TN) pollution. However, the factors influencing TN distribution are still poorly understood. Previous studies have identified surface soil nitrogen (TSN) loading and intrinsic groundwater vulnerability (Inv) as the main factors controlling groundwater TN pollution. However, in this study, based on 3245 shallow groundwater samples in the NCP, the multiple regression analysis results(R2=0.105, p<0.001) revealed that the TN was not mainly controlled by TSN and Inv. The lower prediction accuracy indicated the large data dispersion of TN, which might be affected by nitrogen attenuation or accumulation. Thus, the NCP was divided into balance, attenuation, and accumulation zones according to the regression equation. The attenuation zone was mainly distributed in the inter-fan and fan edge parts of the pre-mountain alluvial floodplain, as well as the west and south of the runoff area, while the accumulation zone was mainly distributed in the top part of the pre-mountain alluvial floodplain and the east of discharge area. Multi-indicators comparative analysis showed that compared to the balance (Eh= 76.2 mV) and accumulation (Eh=126.7 mV) zones, the attenuation zone has a stronger reducing environment (Eh=30.8 mV) favorable to denitrification, which can reduce the TN pollution (0.49 mg/L) caused by surface nitrogen input and consume more electron donors. Conversely, the stronger oxidizing environment in the accumulation zone limited denitrification, resulting in higher TN concentrations (19.14 mg/L) in the aquifers under the same TSN and Inv conditions as the other two zones. The standardized effects and significance on each path of the structural equation model (SEMs) fully confirmed the reliability of the above zonal analysis. Importantly, the feature importance (23.6%) of random forest and standardized effects (0.455, p<0.001) of SEMs showed that the Eh had the strongest influence on TN. Thus, the redox conditions of the aquifer, in addition to TSN and Inv, played a crucial role in controlling the TN pollution in the groundwater of a large region. The zoning work and the analysis of influencing factors are important to guide scientific prevention and control of groundwater nitrogen pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Xia
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Conservation of Ministry of Water Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiangtao He
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Conservation of Ministry of Water Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Baonan He
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Conservation of Ministry of Water Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Yanjia Chu
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Conservation of Ministry of Water Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Conservation of Ministry of Water Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jichao Sun
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050061, China
| | - Dongguang Wen
- Hydrogeology and Environmental Geological Survey Center of China Geological Survey, Baoding 071051, China
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Oh S, Cho K, Park S, Kwon MJ, Chung J, Lee S. Denitrification dynamics in unsaturated soils with different porous structures and water saturation degrees: A focus on the shift in microbial community structures. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 445:130413. [PMID: 36436452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Despite its environmental significance, little is known about denitrification in vadose zones owing to the complexity of such environments. Here, we investigated denitrification in unsaturated soils with different pore distributions. To this end, we performed batch-type denitrification experiments and analyzed microbial community shifts before and after possible reactions with nitrates to clarify the relevant denitrifying mechanism in the microcosms. For quantitative comparison, pore distribution in the test soil samples was characterized based on the uniformity coefficient (Cu) and water saturation degree (SD). Micro-CT analysis of the soil pore distribution confirmed that the proportion of bigger-sized pores increased with decreasing Cu. However, oxygen diffusion into the system was controlled by SD rather than Cu. Within a certain SD range (51-67%), the pore condition changed abruptly from an oxic to an anoxic state. Consequently, denitrification occurred even under unsaturated soil conditions when the SD increased beyond 51-67%. High throughput sequencing revealed that the same microbial species were potentially responsible for denitrification under both partially (SD 67%), and fully saturated (SD of 100%) conditions, implying that the mechanism of denitrification in a vadose zone, if it exists, might be possibly similar under varying conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjik Oh
- Water Cycle Research Center, Climate and Environment Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, South Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, South Korea
| | - Kyungjin Cho
- Water Cycle Research Center, Climate and Environment Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, South Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, South Korea
| | - Saerom Park
- Urban Water Circulation Research Center, Department of Land, Water and Environment Research, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), Gyeonggi-do 10223, South Korea
| | - Man Jae Kwon
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Jaeshik Chung
- Water Cycle Research Center, Climate and Environment Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, South Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, South Korea.
| | - Seunghak Lee
- Water Cycle Research Center, Climate and Environment Research Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, South Korea; Division of Energy & Environment Technology, Korea University of Science & Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, South Korea; Graduate School of Energy and Environment (KU-KIST Green School), Korea University, Seoul 02841, South Korea.
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Ncibi K, Hamed Y, Hadji R, Busico G, Benmarce K, Missaoui R, Wederni K. Hydrogeochemical characteristics and health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in groundwater and their relationship with the ecosystem: case study in Tunisia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:40031-40048. [PMID: 36602736 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-25016-y] [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: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sidi Bouzid basin knows for several decades a fast-growing anthropogenic activity and, consequently, an increase in groundwater pollution which attracted researcher attention. For this task, we performed an exhaustive study to evaluate groundwater geochemical evolution. Our research begins with analyzing the geochemical process, then determining the water quality indices and their impact on the ecosystem, and after that correlating between different compartments, and ends with the assessment of the human health risk toward NO3-, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, and Pb. The dominant facies of the groundwater in the study area are Ca-Mg-SO4 and Ca-Mg-HCO3 and are mainly influenced by evaporite deposits (CaSO4, CaSO4·2H2O, and NaCl). The pollution index of groundwater (PIG) displays values ranging between 0.5 and 4.5 indicating four classes of pollution (insignificant, low, moderate, and high). More than half of the samples (55%) belong to the low and moderate PIG classes. However, the results show elevated values of NO3- concentration; 76% of samples exceed 30 mg/L. Among the studied contaminants, the highest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks in study areas were related to NO3-. For all water samples, the risk levels for children were greater than those for adults. Lastly, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) shows that the chemical elements do not have a short-term potential impact of pollutants on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaouther Ncibi
- Department of Water Sciences, Higher Institute of the Sciences and Techniques of Waters of Gabes (ISSTEG), University of Gabes, 6072, Zrig, Gabes, Tunisia.
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, Laboratory for the Application of Materials to the Environment, Water and Energy (LAM3E), University of Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia.
| | - Younes Hamed
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, Laboratory for the Application of Materials to the Environment, Water and Energy (LAM3E), University of Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Science and Research Building 1, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Riheb Hadji
- Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Architecture and Earth Sciences (IAST), University of Setif 1, 19000, Setif, Algeria
| | - Gianluigi Busico
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Kaddour Benmarce
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Via Vivaldi 43, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Rim Missaoui
- Department of Water Sciences, Higher Institute of the Sciences and Techniques of Waters of Gabes (ISSTEG), University of Gabes, 6072, Zrig, Gabes, Tunisia
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, Laboratory for the Application of Materials to the Environment, Water and Energy (LAM3E), University of Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia
| | - Kkyria Wederni
- Department of Water Sciences, Higher Institute of the Sciences and Techniques of Waters of Gabes (ISSTEG), University of Gabes, 6072, Zrig, Gabes, Tunisia
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, Laboratory for the Application of Materials to the Environment, Water and Energy (LAM3E), University of Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia
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Three-Dimensional Hole Size (3DHS) Approach for Water Flow Turbulence Analysis over Emerging Sand Bars: Flume-Scale Experiments. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14121889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The many hydrodynamic implications associated with the geomorphological evolution of braided rivers are still not profoundly examined in both experimental and numerical analyses, due to the generation of three-dimensional turbulence structures around sediment bars. In this experimental research, the 3D velocity fields were measured through an acoustic Doppler velocimeter during flume-scale laboratory experimental runs over an emerging sand bar model, to reproduce the hydrodynamic conditions of real braided rivers, and the 3D Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) components were analyzed and discussed here in detail. Given the three-dimensionality of the examined water flow in the proximity of the experimental bar, the statistical analysis of the octagonal bursting events was applied to analyze and discuss the different flume-scale 3D turbulence structures. The main novelty of this study is the proposal of the 3D Hole Size (3DHS) analysis, used for separating the extreme events observed in the experimental runs from the low-intensity events.
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