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Li D, Ding Y, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Feng L, Zhang Y. Heavy metals in a typical industrial area-groundwater system: Spatial distribution, microbial response and ecological risk. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 360:142339. [PMID: 38754488 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142339] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The environmental burden due to industrial activities has been quite observable in the last few years, with heavy metals (HMs) like lead, cadmium, and arsenic inducing serious perturbations to the microbial ecosystem of groundwater. Studies carried out in North China, a region known for interconnection of industrial and groundwater systems, sought to explore the natural mechanisms of adaptation of microbes to groundwater contamination. The results showed that heavy metals permeate from surface increased the diversity and abundance of microbial communities in groundwater, producing an average decrease of 40.84% and 34.62% in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria in groundwater, respectively. Meanwhile, the key environmental factors driving the evolution of microbial communities shift from groundwater nutrients to heavy metals, which explained 50.80% of the change in the microbial community composition. Microbial indicators are more sensitive to HMs pollution and could accurately identify industrial area where HMs permeation occurred and other extraneous pollutants. The phylum Bacteroidetes could act as appropriate indicators for the identification. Significant genera that were identified, being Mesorhizobium, Clostridium, Bacillus and Mucilaginibacter, were found to play important roles in the microbial network in terms of the potential to assist in groundwater clean-up. Notably, pollution from heavy metals has diminished the effectiveness and resilience of microbial communities in groundwater, thereby heightening the susceptibility of these normally stable microbial ecosystems. These findings offer new perspectives on how to monitor and detect groundwater pollution, and provide scientific guidance for developing suitable remediation methods for groundwater contaminated with heavy metals. Future research is essential explore the application of metal-tolerant or resistant bacteria in bioremediation strategies to rehabilitate groundwater systems contaminated by HMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Li
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xinying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Liuyuan Feng
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yuling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Groundwater Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; College of New Energy and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China; Institute of Water Resources and Environment, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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Zhang K, Mao K, Xue J, Chen Z, Du W, Zhang H. Characteristics and risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater at a typical smelter-contaminated site in Southwest China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 357:124401. [PMID: 38906401 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
To explore the characteristics and evaluate the risk of heavy metals in groundwater at a typical smelter-contaminated site, this study focuses on a representative a historical arsenic smelting plant in Southwest China, where the primary historical products were metallic arsenic (∼1000 tons/year) and arsenic trioxide (∼2000 ton/year). The results demonstrated As and Pb as the main pollutants in soil, and As and Cd as main pollutants in groundwater through soil profiling and quarterly groundwater analysis. The maximum As and Pb in the surface soil were 76800 and 2290 mg/kg, respectively, with As vertically infiltrating the deep gravel-sand layer (18-20 m). The groundwater pollution distribution progressively increased along flow direction, influenced by seasonal surface runoff and infiltration fluctuations. The groundwater pollutant concentrations during the dry season notably surpassed those during the wet season, with maximum As and Cd concentrations of 111.64 mg/L and 19.85 μg/L during the dry season, respectively. Furthermore, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to evaluate the comprehensive risk of contaminated-site across pollution source load, regional groundwater intrinsic vulnerability, and evaluation of nearby sensitive receptors. The results revealed that the carcinogenic risk of lead in surface soil was moderate to high, while arsenic posed a high carcinogenic risk, contributing to an overall carcinogenic risk proportion of 89.6% in surface soil. Exposure through groundwater intake was identified as the primary pathway, with carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks exceeding those through skin contact. The final weights result demonstrated that the principal risk factors are the intrinsic arsenic load and protective target characteristics of regional groundwater at this site. This study provides a reference for comprehensive assessments of similarly contaminated industrial and smelting sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuankuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Kang Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| | - Jiaqi Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Wei Du
- Faculty of Environmental Science & Engineering, Kunming University of Science & Technology, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
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Song T, Tu W, Chen S, Fan M, Jia L, Wang B, Yang Y, Li S, Luo X, Su M, Guo J. Relationships between high-concentration toxic metals in sediment and evolution of microbial community structure and carbon-nitrogen metabolism functions under long-term stress perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:29763-29776. [PMID: 38592631 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33150-y] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Microorganisms are highly sensitive to toxic metal pollution and play an important role in the material cycling and energy flow of the water ecosystem. Herein, 13 sediment samples from Junchong Reservoir (Guangxi Province, China) were collected in December 2021. The spatial distribution of pollution levels for toxic metals and the effects of toxic metals on the composition, functional characteristics, and metabolism of microorganisms were investigated. The results demonstrated that the area is a proximate area to industrial zones with severity of toxic metal pollution. Their mean concentrations of As, Cu, Zn, and Pb were up to 128.79 mg/kg, 57.62 mg/kg, 594.77 mg/kg, and 97.12 mg/kg respectively. There was a strong correlation between As, Cu, Zn, and Pb, with the highest correlation coefficient reaching 0.94. As the level of toxic metal pollution increases, the diversity and abundance of microorganisms gradually decrease. Compared to those with lower pollution levels, the Shannon index in regions with higher pollution levels decreases by up to 0.373, and the Chao index decreases by up to 143.507. However, the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, and Chloroflexi increased by 23%, 20%, and 5%, respectively, indicating their higher adaptability to toxic metals. Furthermore, microbial carbon and nitrogen metabolism were also affected by the presence of toxic metals. FAPROTAX analysis demonstrated an abundant reduction of ecologically functional groups associated with carbon and nitrogen transformations under high toxic metal pollution levels. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that carbon fixation and nitrogen metabolism pathways were inhibited with increasing toxic metal concentrations. These findings would contribute to a better understanding of the effects of toxic metal pollution on sediment microbial communities and function, shedding light on the ecological consequences of toxic metal contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Song
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiguo Tu
- Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences, Sichuan, 610015, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu Chen
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Min Fan
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Jia
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Wang
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuankun Yang
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Sen Li
- Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences, Sichuan, 610015, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuemei Luo
- Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences, Sichuan, 610015, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyue Su
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Sichuan Provincial Academy of Natural Resource Sciences, Sichuan, 610015, People's Republic of China
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Grba N, Grengg C, Petronijević M, Dietzel M, Baldermann A. Substantial Copper (Cu 2+) Uptake by Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer and Its Resistance to Acid Leaching and Ion Exchange. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15081971. [PMID: 37112118 PMCID: PMC10146808 DOI: 10.3390/polym15081971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Geopolymers are inorganic, chemically resistant aluminosilicate-based binding agents, which remove hazardous metal ions from exposed aqueous media. However, the removal efficiency of a given metal ion and the potential ion remobilization have to be assessed for individual geopolymers. Therefore, copper ions (Cu2+) were removed by a granulated, metakaolin-based geopolymer (GP) in water matrices. Subsequent ion exchange and leaching tests were used to determine the mineralogical and chemical properties as well as the resistance of the Cu2+-bearing GPs to corrosive aquatic environments. Experimental results indicate the pH of the reacted solutions to have a significant impact on the Cu2+ uptake systematics: the removal efficiency ranged from 34-91% at pH 4.1-5.7 up to ~100% at pH 11.1-12.4. This is equivalent to Cu2+ uptake capacities of up to 193 mg/g and 560 mg/g in acidic versus alkaline media. The uptake mechanism was governed by Cu2+-substitution for alkalis in exchangeable GP sites and by co-precipitation of gerhardtite (Cu2(NO3)(OH)3) or tenorite (CuO) and spertiniite (Cu(OH)2). All Cu-GPs showed excellent resistance to ion exchange (Cu2+ release: 0-2.4%) and acid leaching (Cu2+ release: 0.2-0.7%), suggesting that tailored GPs have a high potential to immobilize Cu2+ ions from aquatic media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nenad Grba
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Cyrill Grengg
- Institute of Applied Geosciences and NAWI Graz Geocenter, Graz University of Technology, Rechbauerstraße 12, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Mirjana Petronijević
- Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Bulevar cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Martin Dietzel
- Institute of Applied Geosciences and NAWI Graz Geocenter, Graz University of Technology, Rechbauerstraße 12, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Andre Baldermann
- Institute of Applied Geosciences and NAWI Graz Geocenter, Graz University of Technology, Rechbauerstraße 12, 8010 Graz, Austria
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