Soil microstructure and organic matter: keys for chlordecone sequestration

Past applications of chlordecone, a persistent organochlorine pesticide, have resulted in diffuse pollution of agricultural soils, and these have become sources of contamination of cultivated crops as well as terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Chlordecone is a very stable and recalcitrant molecule, mainly present in the solid phase, and has a strong affinity for organic matter. To prevent consumer and ecosystem exposure, factors that influence chlordecone migration in the environment need to be evaluated. In this study, we measured the impact of incorporating compost on chlordecone sequestration in andosols as a possible way to reduce plant contamination. We first characterized the transfer of chlordecone from soil to plants (radish, cucumber, and lettuce). Two months after incorporation of the compost, soil-plant transfers were reduced by a factor of 1.9-15 depending on the crop. Our results showed that adding compost modified the fractal microstructure of allophane clays thus favoring chlordecone retention in andosols. The complex structure of allophane and the associated low accessibility are important characteristics governing the fate of chlordecone. These results support our proposal for an alternative strategy that is quite the opposite of total soil decontamination: chlordecone sequestration.

Mechanical Properties of Silica Alcogels and Aerogels

The mechanical properties of silica gels (alcogels and aerogels) are measured by three point bending. The elastic moduli (E,G) and the fracture strength (σ) are investigated as functions of the concentration of silicon precursor, the catalysing conditions, and the aging time.

Elastic moduli and strength follow scaling laws as a function of the bulk density of the solid. The scaling exponents are discussed in terms of percolation theory.

The evolution of the mechanical properties is also followed during the steps of the gel to glass transformation:

- hypercritical drying

- oxidation of the organic groups

-densification heat treatment

At each step of the process the increases of the elastic moduli and σ are related to the gel structure. During the hypercritical drying flexible “dead ends” in the network can condense and form new links. The connectivity is also enhanced by the removal of the organic groups creating siloxane bonds. Finally densification leads to a material having mechanical properties identical to those of conventional vitreous silica.

Parameters Affecting Elastic Properties of Silica Aerogels

The Young's modulus of silica aerogels is measured using the three points flexural technique. Various parameters have been investigated such as the catalyting conditions used to elaborate the initial alcogel and the heat treatment performed to density the material. In a given sample porosity the elastic behaviour of aerogels depends on the conditions of gel preparation. This different elastic behaviour is related to the different spatial arrangement of the particles pointed out by fractal features.

Solid state polymorphism of liquid crystals in confined geometries

Solid polymorphism of 4-alkyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (nCB) was studied so far as a function of thermal history. In this paper we show that metastable solid phases of 4-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) are also formed when the mesogens are confined in porous silica matrices and we study their structure by neutron diffraction and by Raman spectroscopy. Three metastable solid states are identified: one crystalline phase K', two frozen-in smectic-like phases K(s) and K'(s). We discuss the relation between the structure of the metastable solid phases and that of the mesomorph phases.