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Peña B, Sosa D, Hilber I, Escobar A, Bucheli TD. Validation of a modified QuEChERS method for the quantification of residues of currently used pesticides in Cuban agricultural soils, using gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-33237-6. [PMID: 38684615 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33237-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
We present an analytical method to detect and quantify residues of currently used pesticides (CUPs), which include 31 active ingredients (ai) and seven transformation products (TPs) in tropical and agricultural soils of Cuba. Ten isotopically labeled analogous compounds served as internal standards (IL-IS). The novelty of this research is the inclusion of different tropical soils type scarcely studied for CUPs and TPs, based on the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) method, followed by chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. All figures of merit proved to be satisfactory according to SANTE guidelines 2020 and 2021. Matrix effects (ME) calculated by the external standard method were significant (|ME| > 20% for almost all compounds; grand mean ± standard deviation (STD) 104 ± 108%) in all soils. The internal standard method compensated ME to non-significant levels (8 ± 50%), even for analytes with a non-structure identical IL-IS (STD, 13 ± 57%). Repeatability (relative standard deviation, RSDr) and reproducibility (RSDR) for skeletic regosol (SR) were 7.5 ± 2.8% and 11.7 ± 4.7%, respectively. Absolute (quantified for 11 analytes with structure identical IL-IS) and relative recovery from SR was 92 ± 13% (mean ± STD) and 90 ± 12%, respectively. Limits of quantification for SR ranged from 0.1 to 10 ng/g, except metalaxyl and oxyfluorfen (25 ng/g each). Linearity of matrix-matched (MM) calibration curves (5 to 100 ng/g) had an R2 of ≥ 0.99 for all soils and almost all analytes. The method was successfully applied to 30 real soil samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brizeidi Peña
- Analytical Unit of Residues and Contaminants, National Center for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA), San José de las Lajas, P.O. Box 10, 32700, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Dayana Sosa
- Analytical Unit of Residues and Contaminants, National Center for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA), San José de las Lajas, P.O. Box 10, 32700, Mayabeque, Cuba
- Agroscope Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arturo Escobar
- Analytical Unit of Residues and Contaminants, National Center for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA), San José de las Lajas, P.O. Box 10, 32700, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Thomas Daniel Bucheli
- Agroscope Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
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2
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Hilber I, Bahena-Juárez F, Chiaia-Hernández AC, Elgueta S, Escobar-Medina A, Friedrich K, González-Curbelo MÁ, Grob Y, Martín-Fleitas M, Miglioranza KSB, Peña-Suárez B, Pérez-Consuegra N, Ramírez-Muñoz F, Sosa-Pacheco D, Bucheli TD. Pesticides in soil, groundwater and food in Latin America as part of one health. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2024; 31:14333-14345. [PMID: 38329663 PMCID: PMC10881636 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32036-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
We here report of a conference about "Pesticides in Soil, Groundwater and Food in Latin America as part of One Health" that took place at the "IV Seminario Internacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (SISA)" in Varadero, Cuba, 8-12 May 2023. Researchers of Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico) and Switzerland (workshop initiator) held presentations about occurrence and effects of pesticides on the environment, human health, the replacement of highly hazardous pesticides (HHP) by agroecological alternatives and the agri-food value chain. In a subsequent round table discussion, the presenters identified deficits, needs, interests and opportunities. According to them, the lack of awareness of pesticide use affects the health and safety of workers applying the chemicals. Despite Latin America representing the main agricultural area in the world with a very intense pesticide use, monitoring data of pesticides in soil, surface and groundwaters, food, as well as in humans are missing. Risks of pesticides to humans should be assessed so that authorities can withdraw or limit within "short time" the access to corresponding formulations on the market. Also, communication is not state of the art and should be improved as, e.g. the teaching of workers and farmers, how to correctly use and apply pesticides or the briefing of decision makers. Pollinators suffer from multiple stressors not the least due to pesticides, and alternatives are badly needed. On the technical side, the different analytical methods to determine residues of active ingredients and transformation products in matrices of concern should be harmonized among laboratories.Seven future actions and goals were identified to overcome the above deficits. Next steps after the publishing of this conference report are to harmonize and complete the information status of the presenters by exchanging the results/data already present. Therefore, a platform of interaction to address issues described above and to enhance collaboration shall be created. Samples of different matrices shall be exchanged to harmonize the chemical analysis and establish interlaboratory comparisons. Such activities might be facilitated by joining international associations or organizations, where researchers can offer their expertise, or by forming a new pesticide network for Central and South America that could present tailored projects to national and international organizations and funding agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Aurea C Chiaia-Hernández
- Institute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sebastián Elgueta
- Núcleo en Ciencias Ambientales y Alimentarias (NCAA), Universidad de Las Américas, Providencia, seat Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Karen Friedrich
- Centro de Estudios y Salud del Trabajador y Ecología Humana, Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública Sergio Arouca, Fundación Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Yael Grob
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Karina S B Miglioranza
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Nilda Pérez-Consuegra
- Universidad Agraria de La Habana "Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez", San José de Las Lajas, Cuba
| | - Fernando Ramírez-Muñoz
- Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
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Bucheli TD, Barmettler E, Bartolomé N, Hilber I, Hornak K, Meuli RG, Reininger V, Riedo J, Rösch A, Sutter P, Van der Heijden MGA, Wächter D, Walder F. Pesticides in Agricultural Soils: Major Findings from Various Monitoring Campaigns in Switzerland. Chimia (Aarau) 2023; 77:750-757. [PMID: 38047842 DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2023.750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic pesticides are widely applied in modern agriculture, where they are used against diseases, pests, and weeds to secure crop yield and quality. However, their intensive application has led to widespread contamination of the environment, including soils. Due to their inherent toxicity, they might pose a risk to soil health by causing harm to non-target organisms and disrupting ecosystem services in both agricultural and other exposed soils. Following the Swiss National Action Plan on the reduction of pesticide risks, Agroscope has conducted several soil monitoring studies that are briefly presented here. All of them resort to different multi-residue trace analytical approaches to simultaneously quantify up to about 150 modern pesticides by either accelerated solvent, or Quick, Easy, Cheap, Efficient, Rugged, Safe (QuEChERS) extraction, followed by separation and detection with liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. While partly still in progress, our investigations led to the following major findings this far: Multiple pesticides are commonly present in soils, with individual concentrations in agricultural soils often reaching up to a few tens of µg/kg. Pesticide occurrence and concentrations in agricultural soils primarily depend on land use, land use history and cultivated crops. Pesticides can prevail much longer than predicted by their half-lives, and were found in soils even decades after conversion from conventional to organic farming. Corresponding residual fractions can be in the order of a few percent of the originally applied amounts. We further found negative associations of pesticide residues with the abundance of beneficial soil life, underpinning their potential risk to the fertility of agricultural soils. Traces of pesticides are also detected in soils to which they were never applied, indicating contamination, e.g., via spray drift or atmospheric deposition. These results confirm the general notion of both scientists and legislators that prospective risk assessments (RA; as executed during registration and use authorization) should be confirmed and adjusted by retrospective RA (e.g., by environmental monitoring studies of currently used compounds) to jointly lead to an overall reduced environmental risk of pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
| | | | - Nora Bartolomé
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
- EMPA, St. Gallen
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
| | - Karel Hornak
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
| | | | | | - Judith Riedo
- Agroscope, Plant-Soil Interactions.
- Agroscope, NABO
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Agroscope, Soil Quality Quality and Soil Use
| | - Andrea Rösch
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
| | - Philipp Sutter
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich.
| | | | - Daniel Wächter
- Agroscope, NABO.
- Swiss Competence Center for Soil, University of Applied Sciences, Zollikofen
| | - Florian Walder
- Agroscope, Plant-Soil Interactions.
- Agroscope, Soil Quality and Soil Use
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Hilber I, Blum F, Schmidt HP, Bucheli TD. Current analytical methods to quantify PAHs in activated carbon and vegetable carbon (E153) are not fit for purpose. Environ Pollut 2022; 309:119599. [PMID: 35690223 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pyrogenic carbonaceous materials (PCM) are increasingly used in a wide variety of consumer products, ranging from medicine, personal care products, food and feed additives, as well as drinking water purification. Depending on the product category and corresponding legislation, several terms are commonly used for PCM, such as Carbo activatus, C. medicinalis, vegetable carbon (E153), (activated) charcoal, (activated) biochar, or activated carbon. All PCM contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) co-produced during pyrolysis. However, the actual PAH-content of PCM may range from negligibly low to alarmingly high depending on pyrolysis conditions and, if any, subsequent activation. Because of their health risk, PAHs need to be determined in many such PCM containing products, and concentrations are regulated by respective legally binding documents. Several such documents even specify the analytical method to be used. In this paper, we first argue that based on existing literature, currently legally binding methods to quantify PAHs in such products might not be fit for purpose. Secondly, we exemplarily determined PAH concentrations with a method previously optimized for biochar in a selection of 15 PCM or PCM-containing commercial products, illustrating that concentrations up to 30 mg kg-1 can be found. Consumer safety is of concern according to Swiss norms for drinking water and EU regulations for food additives for some of the investigated samples. In fact, some products would not have been allowed to be put on the market, if regulations with fit for purpose analytical methods existed. As PAHs were detected in considerable concentrations when extracted with toluene for 36 h, the authors suggest a corresponding adaption of existing methods and harmonization of the legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zürich, Switzerland; Ithaka Institute for Carbon Strategies, 1974 Arbaz, Switzerland
| | - Franziska Blum
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zürich, Switzerland.
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Buss W, Hilber I, Graham MC, Mašek O. Composition of PAHs in Biochar and Implications for Biochar Production. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 2022; 10:6755-6765. [PMID: 35634266 PMCID: PMC9131514 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c00952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in biochar has been studied extensively; however, the links between biomass feedstock, production process parameters, and the speciation of PAHs in biochar are understudied. Such an understanding is crucial, as the health effects of individual PAHs vary greatly. Naphthalene (NAP) is the least toxic of the 16 US EPA PAHs but comprises the highest proportion of PAHs in biochar. Therefore, we investigate which parameters favor high levels of non-NAP PAHs (∑16 US EPA PAHs without NAP) in a set of 73 biochars. On average, the content of non-NAP PAHs was 9 ± 29 mg kg-1 (median 0.9 mg kg-1). Importantly, during the production of the biochars with the highest non-NAP PAH contents, the conditions in the post-pyrolysis area, where pyrolysis vapors and biochar are separated, favored condensation and deposition of PAHs on biochar. Under these conditions, NAP condensed to a lower degree because of its high vapor pressure. In biochars not contaminated through this process, the average non-NAP content was only 2 ± 3 mg kg-1 (median 0.5 mg kg-1). Uneven heat distribution and vapor trapping during pyrolysis and cool zones in the post-pyrolysis area need to be avoided. This demonstrates that the most important factor yielding high contents of toxic PAHs in biochar was neither a specific pyrolysis parameter nor the feedstock but the pyrolysis unit design, which can be modified to produce clean and safe biochar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfram Buss
- Research
School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, 2601 Canberra, Australia
- UK
Biochar Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, EH9 3FF Edinburgh, U.K.
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Methods
Development and Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Margaret C. Graham
- School
of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown
Road, EH9 3FF Edinburgh, U.K.
| | - Ondřej Mašek
- UK
Biochar Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Crew Building, Alexander Crum Brown Road, EH9 3FF Edinburgh, U.K.
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Sosa D, Hilber I, Buerge-Weirich D, Faure R, Escobar A, Bucheli TD. Heavy metals in soils of Mayabeque, Cuba: multifaceted and hardly discernable contributions from pedogenic and anthropogenic sources. Environ Monit Assess 2022; 194:441. [PMID: 35596091 PMCID: PMC9123067 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10097-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cuba is a country with considerable potential for economic growth, and special efforts are made to increase the agricultural output. As food production depends on the quality of soils, heavy metal concentrations were measured in 39 soils in the province of Mayabeque, Cuba, and interpreted in light of anthropogenic activities and pedogenic conditions (soil type and properties). With median concentrations of 1.8 Cd, 60.3 Cr, 48.1 Cu, 36.2 Ni, 16.7 Pb, 55.0 Zn, and 0.1 mg/kg Hg, soils of Mayabeque were mostly below Cuban quality reference values (QRV) representing benchmarks of quality standards but no official threshold values. Only Cd concentrations were in many cases above the QRV of 0.6 mg/kg and some Cu concentrations above the one of 83 mg/kg. While Cd, Cr, and Ni concentrations were rather pedogenically driven, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Hg contents were rather anthropogenically influenced. When evaluated statistically, Cd and Cr showed most times a significant influence of both sources. In contrast, Ni and Zn could not be significantly related with the origins investigated in this study. Hence, the allocation of heavy metal concentrations to pedogenic or anthropogenic contamination or pollution sources is tentative and needs further investigations. Nevertheless, the present data adds information on soil heavy metal concentrations in the Caribbean region, serves as reference before further industrial development, and sets the ground for adaptation of the QRV for Cd and possibly future national environmental standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayana Sosa
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP32700, San José de Las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Diane Buerge-Weirich
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Roberto Faure
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP32700, San José de Las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Arturo Escobar
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP32700, San José de Las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba.
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046, Zurich, Switzerland
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Hilber I, Gabbert S. Choosing the best for preventing the worst: A structured analysis of the selection of risk management options in REACH restriction dossiers. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 118:104809. [PMID: 33122044 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2020.104809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Under the European chemicals legislation REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals), the use of chemicals posing an unacceptable risk for humans and the environment can be restricted. This requires that regulatory authorities of EU member states, or the European Chemicals Agency on request of the Commission, submit a restriction proposal in which they suggest one or multiple risk management options (RMOs). The options are recommended to be evaluated in a socio-economic analysis (SEA) using defined criteria. This paper explores the drivers of the selection of the preferred RMO in 32 restriction dossiers. Applying principal component analysis reveals that the selection of the preferred RMO, and the evaluation of possible trade-offs between alternative RMOs, is determined by criteria characterizing a measure's effectiveness and practicality, in particular its risk reduction capacity (R) and proportionality. A logistic regression using quantitative estimates provided in SEA suggests that the probability for an RMO to be selected is the higher the higher its R and the lower the costs of the restriction. Based on our analysis we conclude that the selection process of RMOs in REACH restriction dossiers could be strengthened by defining a limited but unambiguous set of criteria, conducting a score-based evaluation as a default, and by defining transparent decision rules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Methods Development and Analytics, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Silke Gabbert
- Wageningen University, Department of Social Sciences, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group, Hollandseweg 1, 6700, EW Wageningen, the Netherlands; National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721, MA Bilthoven, the Netherlands
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Gabbert S, Hilber I. Socio-economic analysis in REACH restriction dossiers for chemicals management: A critical review. Ambio 2020; 49:1394-1411. [PMID: 31808106 PMCID: PMC7239982 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01285-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper offers a critical review of socio-economic analysis (SEA) in Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) restriction dossiers. We examine the conceptual setup of SEA and identify the methods used for impact assessment. Moreover, we analyse the outcomes of quantitative impact assessment across restriction dossiers and substance groups. We find that impact assessment has largely focused on economic and health impacts. Environmental, social, wider economic and distributional impacts have either been evaluated qualitatively or not at all. While this can be explained by the specific scope of the proposed restriction or by lacking data, we also observe a lack of approaches for environmental and health impact assessment. This underlines the need to develop integrated methods that transform information about chemical effects and risks into impacts and, ultimately, into benefits and damages. Furthermore, to strengthen the function of SEA as decision-support tool in REACH restriction procedures, a comparative SEA of at least two alternative restriction options should be the default.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Gabbert
- Department of Social Sciences, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group, Wageningen University & Research, Hollandseweg 1, 6700 EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
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Hilber I, Arrigo Y, Zuber M, Bucheli TD. Desorption Resistance of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Biochars Incubated in Cow Ruminal Liquid in Vitro and in Vivo. Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:13695-13703. [PMID: 31682112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b04340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Biochar is a new, promising, and sustainable feed additive alternative in agricultural production, which may, however, contain a considerable amount of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). As a measure of their bioaccessibility to ruminants, we quantified PAH concentrations in biochars before and after three different incubation experiments. Specifically, the biochars were subjected to (1) an aqueous cyclodextrin suspension with a contaminant trap as (infinite) sink, (2) an in vitro experiment with cow ruminal liquid and a contaminant trap, and (3) an in vivo experiment within cow rumen. Three different biochars were used that contained 13-407 mg/kgdw of the sum of 16 U.S. EPA PAHs before the exposure. While experiment (1) resulted in no or minimal bioaccessibility (desorption resistance) of the PAHs expressed by their largely unaltered concentrations, experiments (2) and (3) caused concentration reductions on average by 35 and 56%, respectively, presumably mainly due to the presence of the ruminal fluid in (2) and (3), and the extended sorption capacity in (3). Thus, simple and "abiotic" passive sampling methods may not capture all processes contributing to bioaccessibility in complex biological systems. A comparison with average daily PAH intake of ruminants suggests that quality-controlled biochar containing <10 mg/kgdw PAHs will not pose an increased risk when applied as a feed additive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Research Group Environmental Analytics , 8046 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Yves Arrigo
- Agroscope, Research Group Ruminants , 1725 Posieux , Switzerland
| | - Martin Zuber
- Agroscope, Research Group Environmental Analytics , 8046 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope, Research Group Environmental Analytics , 8046 Zurich , Switzerland
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10
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Dieguez-Alonso A, Anca-Couce A, Frišták V, Moreno-Jiménez E, Bacher M, Bucheli TD, Cimò G, Conte P, Hagemann N, Haller A, Hilber I, Husson O, Kammann CI, Kienzl N, Leifeld J, Rosenau T, Soja G, Schmidt HP. Designing biochar properties through the blending of biomass feedstock with metals: Impact on oxyanions adsorption behavior. Chemosphere 2019; 214:743-753. [PMID: 30293028 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.09.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Metal-blending of biomass prior to pyrolysis is investigated in this work as a tool to modify biochar physico-chemical properties and its behavior as adsorbent. Six different compounds were used for metal-blending: AlCl3, Cu(OH)2, FeSO4, KCl, MgCl2 and Mg(OH)2. Pyrolysis experiments were performed at 400 and 700 °C and the characterization of biochar properties included: elemental composition, thermal stability, surface area and pore size distribution, Zeta potential, redox potential, chemical structure (with nuclear magnetic resonance) and adsorption behavior of arsenate, phosphate and nitrate. Metalblending strongly affected biochars' surface charge and redox potential. Moreover, it increased biochars' microporosity (per mass of organic carbon). For most biochars, mesoporosity was also increased. The adsorption behavior was enhanced for all metal-blended biochars, although with significant differences across species: Mg(OH)2-blended biochar produced at 400 °C showed the highest phosphate adsorption capacity (Langmuir Qmax approx. 250 mg g-1), while AlCl3-blended biochar produced also at 400 °C showed the highest arsenate adsorption (Langmuir Qmax approx. 14 mg g-1). Significant differences were present, even for the same biochar, with respect to the investigated oxyanions. This indicates that biochar properties need to be optimized for each application, but also that this optimization can be achieved with tools such as metal-blending. These results constitute a significant contribution towards the production of designer biochars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Dieguez-Alonso
- Institute of Energy Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Chair for Energy Process Engineering and Conversion Technologies for Renewable Energies, Fasanenstr. 89, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Andrés Anca-Couce
- Institute of Thermal Engineering, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 25b, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Vladimír Frišták
- Department of Chemistry, Trnava University, Trnava, SK-918 43, Slovak Republic
| | - Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez
- Departamento de Química Agrícola y Bromatología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Markus Bacher
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU University), Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry of Renewables, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Cimò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze ed. 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Pellegrino Conte
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze ed. 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Nikolas Hagemann
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Haller
- Department of Applied Ecology, Hochschule Geisenheim University, von-Lade Str. 1, 65366, Geisenheim, Germany
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Husson
- CIRAD, UPR AIDA, TAB 115/02, Avenue Agropolis, F-34398, Montpellier, France; AIDA, University Montpellier, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Claudia I Kammann
- Department of Applied Ecology, Hochschule Geisenheim University, von-Lade Str. 1, 65366, Geisenheim, Germany
| | - Norbert Kienzl
- BIOENERGY 2020+ GmbH, Inffeldgasse 21b, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Jens Leifeld
- Climate and Agriculture, Agroscope, Reckenholzstr. 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Rosenau
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU University), Department of Chemistry, Division of Chemistry of Renewables, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Gerhard Soja
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Environmental Resources & Technologies, Konrad-Lorenz-Str. 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Hans-Peter Schmidt
- Ithaka Institute for Carbon Strategies, Ancienne Eglise 9, Arbaz, 1974, Switzerland
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11
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Bartolomé N, Hilber I, Schulin R, Mayer P, Witt G, Reininghaus M, Bucheli TD. Comparison of freely dissolved concentrations of PAHs in contaminated pot soils under saturated and unsaturated water conditions. Sci Total Environ 2018; 644:835-843. [PMID: 30743881 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Passive sampling (PS, equally used for passive sampler) methods have successfully been applied in situ to quantify the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds in air, water and sediments. However, very little is known on the applicability of PS in unsaturated soils. Here, we present the results of a greenhouse experiment in which we applied in situ PS methods in pots. Low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fibres with a newly developed PS holder were used to analyse freely dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations (Cfree) in a skeet shooting range soil and an uncontaminated control soil under water saturated and unsaturated conditions for up to nine months. A short exposure time of three months was not sufficient for the PDMS samplers to reach distribution equilibrium with the surrounding soil. Under saturated water conditions, the in situ results agreed well with measurements obtained from the conventional ex situ soil suspension method. They were in accordance with similar comparisons made in previous studies on sediments, as well as with model predictions. However, for unsaturated water conditions, the results differed considerably from the ex situ Cfree values, in particular for the light molecular weight (LMW) PAHs such as phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. The results of the two in situ PS methods were in good agreement with each other under both soil water conditions, indicating that dissipation mechanisms, such as degradation or volatilization, led to a substantial decrease in Cfree under unsaturated conditions, especially for the LMW PAHs (log10KOW < 5.85) over a period of six months or more. Thus, in their current state of development, in situ PS methods can be used in soils under water-saturated conditions. However, an adequate method to correct for non-equilibrium conditions needs to be developed before they can be applied to unsaturated conditions, mainly for LMW PAHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bartolomé
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Schulin
- Department of Environmental Systems Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitätsstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Gesine Witt
- University of Applied Science Hamburg, D-21033 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland.
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12
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Bartolomé N, Hilber I, Sosa D, Schulin R, Mayer P, Bucheli TD. Applying no-depletion equilibrium sampling and full-depletion bioaccessibility extraction to 35 historically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soils. Chemosphere 2018; 199:409-416. [PMID: 29453067 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.01.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the bioaccessibility of organic pollutants in contaminated soils is considered a complement to measurements of total concentrations in risk assessment and legislation. Consequently, methods for its quantification require validation with historically contaminated soils. In this study, 35 such soils were obtained from various locations in Switzerland and Cuba. They were exposed to different pollution sources (e.g., pyrogenic and petrogenic) at various distance (i.e., urban to rural) and were subject to different land use (e.g., urban gardening and forest). Passive equilibrium sampling with polyoxymethylene was used to determine freely dissolved concentrations (Cfree) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while sorptive bioaccessibility extraction (SBE) with silicone rods was used to determine the bioaccessible PAH concentrations (Cbioacc) of these soils. The organic carbon partition coefficients of the soils were highest for skeet soils, followed by traffic, urban garden and rural soils. Lowest values were obtained from soil exposed to petrogenic sources. Applicability of SBE to quantify Cbioacc was restricted by silicone rod sorption capacity, as expressed quantitatively by the Sorption Capacity Ratio (SCR); particularly for soils with very high KD. The source of contamination determined bioaccessible fractions (fbioacc). The smallest fbioacc were obtained with skeet soils (15%), followed by the pyrogenically influenced soils, rural soils, and finally, the petrogenically contaminated soil (71%). In conclusion, we present the potential and limitations of the SBE method to quantify bioaccessibility in real soils. These results can be used for additional development of this and similar bioaccessibility methods to guarantee sufficient sorption capacity to obtain reliable results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bartolomé
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dayana Sosa
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Rainer Schulin
- Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
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13
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Sigmund G, Bucheli TD, Hilber I, Micić V, Kah M, Hofmann T. Effect of ageing on the properties and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon composition of biochar. Environ Sci Process Impacts 2017; 19:768-774. [PMID: 28466894 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00116a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The influence of ageing on biochar properties has been investigated by comparing three fresh biochars with biochars artificially aged by either H2O2 thermal oxidation or horseradish peroxidase enzymatic oxidation. In addition, a field-aged counterpart for one of the biochars was recovered from an agricultural field site, four years after application. Biochar properties, including surface areas and pore volumes (derived by N2 and CO2 physisorption) and elemental compositions, showed only minor changes following both artificial and field ageing, indicating high biochar stability. Concentrations of the 16 US EPA PAHs were measured in all of the biochars and a contaminant trap was used to investigate the effect of ageing on their bioaccessibility. The concentrations of total and bioaccessible PAHs ranged from 4.4 to 22.6 mg kg-1 and 0.0 to 9.7 mg kg-1, respectively. Concentrations of the 16 US EPA PAHs decreased following field ageing, but the proportion of low molecular weight PAHs increased. The observed changes in PAH composition with field ageing can be explained by uptake from the surrounding soil and intra-biochar transfer processes. To better understand changes in PAH composition with ageing, an additional broad range of alkylated PAHs was also analyzed in selected samples. Our results show that the tested artificial ageing protocols are unable to approximate the changes in PAH composition resulting from field ageing. Nevertheless, total and bioaccessible PAH concentrations decreased for both artificially and field-aged biochars, indicating that biochars release PAHs when they are freshly produced and that the risk of PAH release decreases with ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Sigmund
- University of Vienna, Department of Environmental Geosciences and Environmental Science Research Network, Althanstrasse 14, UZA2, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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14
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Hilber I, Mayer P, Gouliarmou V, Hale SE, Cornelissen G, Schmidt HP, Bucheli TD. Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from (post-pyrolytically treated) biochars. Chemosphere 2017; 174:700-707. [PMID: 28199946 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccessibility data of PAHs from biochar produced under real world conditions is scarce and the influence of feedstock and various post-pyrolysis treatments common in agriculture, such as co-composting or lacto-fermentation to produce silage fodder, on their bioavailability and bioaccessibility has hardly been studied. The total (Ctotal), and freely dissolved (i.e., bioavailable) concentrations (Cfree) of the sum of 16 US EPA PAHs of 43 biochar samples produced and treated in such ways ranged from 0.4 to almost 2000 mg/kg, and from 12 to 81 ng/L, respectively, which resulted in very high biochar-water partition coefficients (4.2 ≤ log KD ≤ 8.8 L/kg) for individual PAHs. Thirty three samples were incubated in contaminant traps that combined a diffusive carrier and a sorptive sink. Incubations yielded samples only containing desorption-resistant PAHs (Cres). The desorption resistant PAH fraction was dominant, since only eight out of 33 biochar samples showed statistically significant bioaccessible fractions (fbioaccessible = 1 - Cres/Ctotal). Bioavailability correlated positively with Ctotal/surface area. Other relationships of bioavailability and -accessibility with the investigated post-pyrolysis processes or elemental composition could not be found. PAH exposure was very limited (low Cfree, high Cres) for all samples with low to moderate Ctotal, whereas higher exposure was determined in some biochars with Ctotal > 10 mg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Mayer
- Department of Environmental Engineering, DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet B115, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Varvara Gouliarmou
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sarah E Hale
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute NGI, P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadion, 0806, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gerard Cornelissen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute NGI, P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadion, 0806, Oslo, Norway; Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway; Department of Applied Environmental Sciences (ITM), Stockholm University, 10691, Sweden
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15
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Sosa D, Hilber I, Faure R, Bartolomé N, Fonseca O, Keller A, Schwab P, Escobar A, Bucheli TD. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls in soils of Mayabeque, Cuba. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2017; 24:12860-12870. [PMID: 28364208 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8810-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cuba is a country in transition with a considerable potential for economic growth. Soils are recipients and integrators of chemical pollution, a frequent negative side effect of increasing industrial activities. Therefore, we established a soil monitoring network to monitor polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soils of Mayabeque, a Cuban province southeast of Havana. Concentrations of the sum of the 16 US EPA PAHs and of the seven IRMM PCBs in soils from 39 locations ranged from 20 to 106 μg kg-1 and from 1.1 to 7.6 μg kg-1, respectively. While such concentrations can be considered as low overall, they were in several cases correlated with the distance of sampling sites to presumed major emission sources, with some of the concomitantly investigated source diagnostic PAH ratios, and with black carbon content. The presented data adds to the limited information on soil pollution in the Caribbean region and serves as a reference time point before the onset of a possible further industrial development in Cuba. It also forms the basis to set up and adapt national environmental standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayana Sosa
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Faure
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Nora Bartolomé
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Osvaldo Fonseca
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba
| | - Armin Keller
- Swiss National Soil Monitoring Network, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schwab
- Swiss National Soil Monitoring Network, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arturo Escobar
- Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), Apartado 10, CP 32700, San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba.
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Environmental Analytics, Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland.
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16
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Gabbert S, Hilber I. Time matters: A stock-pollution approach to authorisation decision-making for PBT/vPvB chemicals under REACH. J Environ Manage 2016; 183:236-244. [PMID: 27594688 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A core aim of the European chemicals legislation REACH is to ensure that the risks caused by substances of very high concern (SVHC) are adequately controlled. Authorisation - i.e. the formal approval of certain uses of SVHC for a limited time - is a key regulatory instrument in order to achieve this goal. For SVHC which are, in addition to their toxicity, (very) persistent and/or (very) bioaccumulative (PBT/vPvB chemicals), decision-making on the authorisation is conditional on a socio-economic analysis (SEA). In a SEA companies must demonstrate that the gains from keeping a chemical in use outweigh expected damage costs for society. The current setup of the REACH authorisation process, including existing guidance on performing a SEA, ignores that PBT/vPvB chemicals are stock pollutants. This paper explores the implications of incorporating stock pollution effects of these chemicals into a SEA on authorisation decision-making. We develop a cost-benefit approach which includes stock dynamics of PBT/vPvB chemicals. This allows identifying the decision rules for granting or refusing an authorisation. Furthermore, we generalize the model to an entire set of damage functions. We show that ignoring stock pollution effects in a SEA may lead to erroneous decisions on the use of PBT/vPvB chemicals because long-term impacts are not adequately captured. Using a historic case of DDT soil contamination as an illustrative example we discuss information requirements and challenges for authorisation decisions on the use of PBT/vPvB chemicals under REACH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silke Gabbert
- Wageningen University, Department of Social Sciences, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group, Hollandseweg 1, 6700 EW Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope, Institute for Sustainability Sciences, Environmental Analytics, Reckenholzstr. 191, CH-8046 Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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Kołtowski M, Hilber I, Bucheli TD, Oleszczuk P. Effect of steam activated biochar application to industrially contaminated soils on bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and ecotoxicity of soils. Sci Total Environ 2016; 566-567:1023-1031. [PMID: 27267727 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of steam activation of biochars on the immobilization of freely dissolved (Cfree) and bioaccessible fraction (Cbioacc) of PAHs in soils. Additionally, the toxicity to various organisms like Vibrio fischeri, Lepidium sativum and Folsomia candida was measured before and after the amendment of biochars to soils. Three biochars produced from willow, coconut and wheat straw were steam activated and added to three different soils with varying content and origin of PAHs (coke vs. bitumen). The soils with the addition of the biochars (activated and non-activated) were incubated for a period of 60days. Steam activation of the biochars resulted in more pronounced reduction of both Cfree and Cbioacc. The range of the increase in effectiveness was from 10 to 84% for Cfree and from 50 to 99% for Cbioacc. In contrast, the effect of activation on the toxicity of the soils studied varied greatly and was specific to a particular test and soil type. Essentially, biochar activation did not result in a change of phytotoxicity, but it increased or decreased (depending on the parameter, type of biochar, contaminant source, and soil and soil type) the toxic effect to F. candida, and decreased the toxicity of leachates to V. fischeri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Kołtowski
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 3 Maria Curie-Skłodowska Square, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Patryk Oleszczuk
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 3 Maria Curie-Skłodowska Square, 20-031 Lublin, Poland.
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18
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Kołtowski M, Hilber I, Bucheli TD, Oleszczuk P. Effect of activated carbon and biochars on the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different industrially contaminated soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:11058-11068. [PMID: 26906001 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6196-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Coal production negatively affects the environment by the emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Two soils (KOK and KB) from a coking plant area was investigated and their total PAH concentration was 40 and 17 mg/kg for the sum (∑) 16 US EPA PAHs, respectively. A third soil was sampled from a bitumen plant area and was characterized by 9 mg/kg ∑16 US EPA PAHs. To reduce the freely dissolved concentration (Cfree) of the PAHs in the soil pore water, active carbon (AC) and two biochars pyrolysed from wheat straw (biochar-S) and willow (biochar-W) were added to the soils at 0.5-5 % (w/w), each. The AC performed best and reduced the Cfree by 51-98 % already at the lowest dose. The biochars needed doses up to 2.5 % to significantly reduce the Cfree by 44-86 % in the biochar-S and by 37-68 % in the biochar-W amended soils. The high black carbon (BC) content of up to 2.3 % in the Silesian soils competed with the sorption sites of the carbon amendments and the performance of the remediation was a consequence of the contaminant's source and the distribution between the BC and the AC/biochars. In contrast, the carbon amendment could best reduce the Cfree in the Lublin soil where the BC content was normal (0.05 %). It is therefore crucial to know the contaminant's source and history of a sample/site to choose the appropriate carbon amendment not only for remediation success but also for economic reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Kołtowski
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 3, 20-031, Lublin, Poland
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope ISS, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Patryk Oleszczuk
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska, pl. M. Curie-Skłodowskiej 3, 20-031, Lublin, Poland.
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Mayer P, Hilber I, Gouliarmou V, Hale SE, Cornelissen G, Bucheli TD. How to Determine the Environmental Exposure of PAHs Originating from Biochar. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:1941-1948. [PMID: 26777061 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Biochars are obtained by pyrolyzing biomass materials and are increasingly used within the agricultural sector. Owing to the production process, biochars can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the high mg/kg range, which makes the determination of the environmental exposure of PAHs originating from biochars relevant. However, PAH sorption to biochar is characterized by very high (10(4)-10(6) L/kg) or extreme distribution coefficients (KD) (>10(6) L/kg), which makes the determination of exposure scientifically and technically challenging. Cyclodextrin extractions, sorptive bioaccessibility extractions, Tenax extractions, contaminant traps, and equilibrium sampling were assessed and selected methods used for the determination of bioavailability parameters for PAHs in two model biochars. Results showed that: (1) the KD values of typically 10(6)-10(9) L/kg made the biochars often act as sinks, rather than sources, of PAHs. (2) Equilibrium sampling yielded freely dissolved concentrations (pg-ng/L range) that were below or near environmental background levels. (3) None of the methods were found to be suitable for the direct measurement of the readily desorbing fractions of PAHs (i.e., bioacessibility) in the two biochars. (4) The contaminant-trap method yielded desorption-resistant PAH fractions of typically 90-100%, implying bioaccessibility in the high μg/kg to low mg/kg range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mayer
- Department of Environmental Engineering, DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark , Miljøvej Bld. 113, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Varvara Gouliarmou
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University , Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sarah E Hale
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute NGI , P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadion, N-0806, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gerard Cornelissen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute NGI , P.O. Box 3930 Ullevål Stadion, N-0806, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Environmental Sciences (IMV), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) , P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- Department of Applied Environmental Sciences (ITM), Stockholm University , 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, CH-8046 Zurich, Switzerland
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20
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Bachmann HJ, Bucheli TD, Dieguez-Alonso A, Fabbri D, Knicker H, Schmidt HP, Ulbricht A, Becker R, Buscaroli A, Buerge D, Cross A, Dickinson D, Enders A, Esteves VI, Evangelou MWH, Fellet G, Friedrich K, Gasco Guerrero G, Glaser B, Hanke UM, Hanley K, Hilber I, Kalderis D, Leifeld J, Masek O, Mumme J, Carmona MP, Calvelo Pereira R, Rees F, Rombolà AG, de la Rosa JM, Sakrabani R, Sohi S, Soja G, Valagussa M, Verheijen F, Zehetner F. Toward the Standardization of Biochar Analysis: The COST Action TD1107 Interlaboratory Comparison. J Agric Food Chem 2016; 64:513-527. [PMID: 26693953 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Biochar produced by pyrolysis of organic residues is increasingly used for soil amendment and many other applications. However, analytical methods for its physical and chemical characterization are yet far from being specifically adapted, optimized, and standardized. Therefore, COST Action TD1107 conducted an interlaboratory comparison in which 22 laboratories from 12 countries analyzed three different types of biochar for 38 physical-chemical parameters (macro- and microelements, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pH, electrical conductivity, and specific surface area) with their preferential methods. The data were evaluated in detail using professional interlaboratory testing software. Whereas intralaboratory repeatability was generally good or at least acceptable, interlaboratory reproducibility was mostly not (20% < mean reproducibility standard deviation < 460%). This paper contributes to better comparability of biochar data published already and provides recommendations to improve and harmonize specific methods for biochar analysis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Jörg Bachmann
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas D Bucheli
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Daniele Fabbri
- University of Bologna, CIRI EA c/o CIRSA , Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Heike Knicker
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC) , Avenida Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Axel Ulbricht
- Eurofins Umwelt Ost GmbH , 09633 Halsbruecke OT Tuttendorf, Germany
| | - Roland Becker
- Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) , Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alessandro Buscaroli
- University of Bologna, CIRI EA c/o CIRSA , Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - Diane Buerge
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Andrew Cross
- UK Biochar Research Centre, University of Edinburgh , Crew Building, Room 119, The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Dane Dickinson
- UK Biochar Research Centre, University of Edinburgh , Crew Building, Room 119, The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Akio Enders
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University , 908 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Valdemar I Esteves
- CESAM & Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro , Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Michael W H Evangelou
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich , Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Guido Fellet
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine , Via delle Scienze 208, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Kevin Friedrich
- Fachhochschule Bingen , Berlinstraße 109, D-55411 Bingen am Rhein, Germany
| | - Gabriel Gasco Guerrero
- Departamento de Producción Agraria, ETSI Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid , Calle Ramiro de Maeztu 7, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Bruno Glaser
- Institut für Agrar- und Ernährungswissenschaften, Bodenbiogeochemie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg , von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, D-06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Ulrich M Hanke
- Department of Geography, University of Zürich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kelly Hanley
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University , 908 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dimitrios Kalderis
- Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Technological and Educational Institute of Crete , GR-73100 Chania, Crete, Greece
| | - Jens Leifeld
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS , Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ondrej Masek
- UK Biochar Research Centre, University of Edinburgh , Crew Building, Room 119, The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Mumme
- Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Potsdam-Bornim , Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marina Paneque Carmona
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC) , Avenida Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Roberto Calvelo Pereira
- Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University , Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Frederic Rees
- Laboratoire Sols et Environnement , 2 Avenue de la Forêt de Haye - TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
| | - Alessandro G Rombolà
- University of Bologna, CIRI EA c/o CIRSA , Via S. Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
| | - José Maria de la Rosa
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC) , Avenida Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ruben Sakrabani
- School of Energy, Environment and Agrifood, Cranfield University , Cranfield MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Saran Sohi
- UK Biochar Research Centre, University of Edinburgh , Crew Building, Room 119, The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Gerhard Soja
- Health and Environment Department, Environmental Resources and Technologies, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH , Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, A-3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Massimo Valagussa
- Minoprio Analisi e Certificazioni S.r.l. , Viale Raimondi 54, I-22070 Vertemate con Minoprio (Como), Italy
| | - Frank Verheijen
- Environment and Planning Department, CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro , Campus Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Franz Zehetner
- Institute of Soil Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) , Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Gosselin MC, Neufeld E, Moser H, Huber E, Farcito S, Gerber L, Jedensjö M, Hilber I, Di Gennaro F, Lloyd B, Cherubini E, Szczerba D, Kainz W, Kuster N. Development of a new generation of high-resolution anatomical models for medical device evaluation: the Virtual Population 3.0. Phys Med Biol 2014; 59:5287-303. [PMID: 25144615 DOI: 10.1088/0031-9155/59/18/5287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The Virtual Family computational whole-body anatomical human models were originally developed for electromagnetic (EM) exposure evaluations, in particular to study how absorption of radiofrequency radiation from external sources depends on anatomy. However, the models immediately garnered much broader interest and are now applied by over 300 research groups, many from medical applications research fields. In a first step, the Virtual Family was expanded to the Virtual Population to provide considerably broader population coverage with the inclusion of models of both sexes ranging in age from 5 to 84 years old. Although these models have proven to be invaluable for EM dosimetry, it became evident that significantly enhanced models are needed for reliable effectiveness and safety evaluations of diagnostic and therapeutic applications, including medical implants safety. This paper describes the research and development performed to obtain anatomical models that meet the requirements necessary for medical implant safety assessment applications. These include implementation of quality control procedures, re-segmentation at higher resolution, more-consistent tissue assignments, enhanced surface processing and numerous anatomical refinements. Several tools were developed to enhance the functionality of the models, including discretization tools, posing tools to expand the posture space covered, and multiple morphing tools, e.g., to develop pathological models or variations of existing ones. A comprehensive tissue properties database was compiled to complement the library of models. The results are a set of anatomically independent, accurate, and detailed models with smooth, yet feature-rich and topologically conforming surfaces. The models are therefore suited for the creation of unstructured meshes, and the possible applications of the models are extended to a wider range of solvers and physics. The impact of these improvements is shown for the MRI exposure of an adult woman with an orthopedic spinal implant. Future developments include the functionalization of the models for specific physical and physiological modeling tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Christine Gosselin
- Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT'IS), Zeughausstrasse 43, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland. ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Hilber I, Blum F, Leifeld J, Schmidt HP, Bucheli TD. Quantitative determination of PAHs in biochar: a prerequisite to ensure its quality and safe application. J Agric Food Chem 2012; 60:3042-50. [PMID: 22397545 DOI: 10.1021/jf205278v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Biochar is increasingly promoted as a beneficial soil conditioner. However, it may contain residues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as a result of its production by pyrolysis. To date, analytical methods to analyze PAHs in biochar quantitatively are hardly available. This study presents an optimized and validated procedure to quantify the 16 U.S. EPA PAHs in biochar. PAHs were best extracted with Soxhlet for 36 h using 100% toluene. Average absolute recoveries of isotope labeled internal standards used for each analyte from three different biochars ranged from 42% to 72%, and relative recoveries were between 71% and 105%. The limits of detection were biochar-dependent, but on average a factor of >50 lower than quantified PAH concentrations (9-355 mg kg(dry weight)(-1)). The established method prepares the ground for a harmonized protocol for PAH analysis of biochars, a necessity for biochar quality control, registration, and legislation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon, Research Station ART, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zürich, Switzerland
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Hilber I, Wyss GS, Mäder P, Bucheli TD, Meier I, Vogt L, Schulin R. Influence of activated charcoal amendment to contaminated soil on dieldrin and nutrient uptake by cucumbers. Environ Pollut 2009; 157:2224-2230. [PMID: 19427724 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2008] [Revised: 04/03/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Activated charcoal (AC) amendments have been suggested as a promising, cost-effective method to immobilize organic contaminants in soil. We performed pot experiments over two years with cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in agricultural soil with 0.07 mg kg(-1) of weathered dieldrin and 0, 200, 400, and 800 mg AC per kg soil. Dieldrin fresh weight concentrations in cucumber fruits were significantly reduced from 0.012 to an average of 0.004 mg kg(-1), and total uptake from 2 to 1 microg in the 800 mg kg(-1) AC treatment compared to the untreated soil. The treatment effects differed considerably between the two years, due to different meteorological conditions. AC soil treatments did neither affect the availability of nutrients to the cucumber plants nor their yield (total fruit wet weight per pot). Thus, some important prerequisites for the successful application of AC amendments to immobilize organic pollutants in agricultural soils can be considered fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
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Hilber I, Bucheli TD, Wyss GS, Schulin R. Assessing the phytoavailability of dieldrin residues in charcoal-amended soil using tenax extraction. J Agric Food Chem 2009; 57:4293-4298. [PMID: 19397375 DOI: 10.1021/jf900224e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Consecutive and single Tenax extractions were applied to characterize the effectiveness of activated charcoal (AC) amendments to reduce the phytoavailability of dieldrin in a natively contaminated horticultural soil. Dieldrin desorption from untreated and 800 mg(AC) kg(-1) soil was well described by a model with three dieldrin fractions of different kinetics: a rapidly (F(rap)), slowly (F(slow)), and very slowly (F(v.slow)) desorbing fraction. The AC amendment resulted in a transfer of dieldrin from the F(slow) to the F(v.slow) fraction. The F(v.slow) increased by nearly 10% compared to the control soil. Dieldrin extractability by Tenax from AC amended soils was not influenced by the cultivation of cucumber plants indicating the stability of this remediation technique. Dieldrin extractability by Tenax at the beginning of plant growth correlated only weakly with the dieldrin content of the cucumbers at harvest. Therefore, the potential of Tenax extractions to predict the uptake of dieldrin by cucumbers appears to be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland
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Hilber I, Mäder P, Schulin R, Wyss GS. Survey of organochlorine pesticides in horticultural soils and there grown Cucurbitaceae. Chemosphere 2008; 73:954-961. [PMID: 18691732 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2008] [Revised: 06/06/2008] [Accepted: 06/24/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) are still found in food and feed crops although they were applied about 40 years ago. There is a considerable knowledge gap concerning the extent of soil and crop contamination by OCP. We performed two surveys in 2002 and 2005 to assess the loads of OCP in 41 Swiss horticultural fields under organic and conventional production and corresponding Cucurbitaceae fruits (cucumbers, zucchini, and pumpkin), whereas these fields stay for intensive agricultural production in Europe. In addition, soil organic carbon, texture, and pH were measured also. OCP were detected in 27 out of 41 fields (65.9%). The farming practice had no influence on the contamination or level of OCP in soil. The sum of OCP-loads per field ranged from <0.01 to 1.3mgkg(-1) dry soil and pentachloroaniline (PCA, 2.1mgkg(-1)), p,p'-DDT (0.5mgkg(-1)), and p,p'-DDE and dieldrin (0.4mgkg(-1)) were the most detected pesticides over all investigated soils. PCA (up to 0.02mgkg(-1)), dieldrin (up to 0.04mgkg(-1)), alpha-chlordane and cis-heptachloroepoxide (<0.01mgkg(-1)) were detected in five cucumber samples out of 41 Cucurbitaceae samples. Statistical analysis revealed no significant influence of the measured soil properties on the OCP-load of soils and cucumbers, although there is evidence that the bioavailability of OCP in soils to Cucurbitaceae plants was influenced by the sorption of the compounds to soil organic matter and by the polarity of the pesticide molecules. It is suggested, that OCP contamination is widespread in all European regions with intensive plant production and associated pesticide use, and deserves more attention with respect to save food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Ackerstrasse, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland.
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Hilber I, Voegelin A, Barmettler K, Kretzschmar R. Plant availability of zinc and copper in soil after contamination with brass foundry filter dust: effect of four years of aging. J Environ Qual 2007; 36:44-52. [PMID: 17215211 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2006.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of 4 yr of aging of a noncalcareous soil contaminated with filter dust from a brass foundry (80% w/w ZnO, 15% w/w Cu0.6Zn0.4) on the chemical extractability of Zn and Cu and their uptake by barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.), and sunflower (Helianthus annus L.). Pot experiments were conducted with the freshly contaminated soil (2250 mg kg-1 Zn; 503 mg kg-1 Cu), with the contaminated soil aged for 4 yr in the field (1811 mg kg-1 Zn; 385 mg kg-1 Cu), and with the uncontaminated control soil (136 mg kg-1 Zn; 32 mg kg-1 Cu). In comparison with the uncontaminated soil, the growth of barley and pea was clearly reduced in both contaminated soils, while toxicity symptoms did not systematically vary from the freshly contaminated to the 4 yr aged soil. The sunflower did not grow in the contaminated soils. The slow oxidative dissolution of the brass platelets led to an increase in the solubility and the plant uptake of Cu from the freshly contaminated to the 4 yr aged soil. In an earlier study, we found that the fine-grained ZnO dissolved in the field soil within 9 mo and that about half of the released Zn was incorporated into a layered double hydroxide phase and about half was adsorbed to the soil matrix. These changes in Zn speciation did not lead to a reduction of the Zn contents in the shoots and roots of barley and pea grown in the aged soil as compared with the freshly contaminated soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hilber
- Soil Chemistry, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, ETH Zentrum CHN, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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