Sebastian Fichter, Dominik Koll, Annabel Rolofs, Anton Wallner
{"title":"Case studies of three geological archives for rare radionuclide measurements using accelerator mass spectrometry","authors":"Sebastian Fichter, Dominik Koll, Annabel Rolofs, Anton Wallner","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1379862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1379862","url":null,"abstract":"Long-lived radionuclides in our environment provide important information on natural and anthropogenic processes. Their presence and concentration reflect the balance of production and decay. Geological archives store such information and the nuclides can be chemically extracted from the bulk sample. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) represents a sensitive method to quantify those nuclides at natural levels. Three different terrestrial archives are discussed here as examples for radionuclide extraction using various chemical separation methods for subsequent AMS measurements. We focus on sample preparation for the cosmogenic radionuclides 10Be and 26Al, various anthropogenic actinide isotopes such as U, Pu, and Am as well as the astrophysically interesting nuclides 41Ca, 53Mn, and 60Fe. The processed materials cover samples with masses between a few mg and up to a few hundred kg and protocols are presented for the quantitative extraction of some 10,000 atoms of cosmogenic or interstellar origin per sample and even as low as a few hundred actinide atoms.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":" 788","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140092147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mariem Fadhlaoui, Nolan J. T. Pearce, Isabelle Lavoie, Claude Fortin
{"title":"Interactive effects of bismuth exposure (water and diet) and temperature on snail fatty acid composition, antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation","authors":"Mariem Fadhlaoui, Nolan J. T. Pearce, Isabelle Lavoie, Claude Fortin","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1332967","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1332967","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the growing prevalence of Bismuth (Bi), very little research has been carried to assess its potential toxic effects on aquatic organisms. This study aimed to address this gap by investigating the interactive effects of Bi exposure and elevated temperature on freshwater snails of the genus Lymnaea, specifically on their fatty acid (FA) profiles, oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST)) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA) content). Bismuth exposure was introduced through two distinct routes: i) food via Bi-exposed biofilm (grown under 2 μM Bi), and ii) water (2 μM Bi). Exposed snails were maintained at two temperatures, 19°C and 25°C, over a duration of 14 days. Bismuth bioaccumulation occurred in Bi-exposed biofilm concurrently with a pronounced increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), likely as a protective mechanism to preserve cell structure and integrity. Bismuth bioaccumulation also occurred in snails with their FA composition largely reflecting the composition of their dietary source highlighting the direct link between diet and snail FA profiles. Additionally, the antioxidant enzymes studied exhibited diverse responses under Bi exposure and thermal stress, suggesting the induction of oxidative stress in snails. SOD activity increased at 25°C, suggesting a thermal stress. CAT activity remained high under all conditions, unaffected by temperature or Bi exposure. GPx levels increased in snails fed with Bi-laden biofilm, particularly at 19°C. GST activity showed great variability with a significant three-way interaction. The observed elevation in MDA levels among Bi-exposed snails suggested a potential deficiency in their antioxidant enzyme systems, leading to an increased susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. This research highlights the complex interaction between Bi contamination, temperature, and the physiological responses of aquatic organisms, and reveals the need for future research into the environmental impact of Bi in aquatic ecosystems. We further highlight the importance of food for Bi transfer to higher consumers and the importance of considering dietborne exposures in ecotoxicological studies.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"170 S369","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140428843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metal bioavailability in aquatic systems— beyond complexation and competition","authors":"Claude Fortin","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1345484","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1345484","url":null,"abstract":"Metal bioavailability in solution is mostly driven by two factors: complexation and competition. The first factor, complexation, contributes to decrease the overall reactivity of the metal by reducing the activity of the free metal ion, which is known as the common denominator of metal reactions involving either dissolved ligands or surface functional groups (abiotic or biotic). Ubiquitous in natural ecosystems, natural organic matter is, for several metals, the most important metal complexing ligand. The second factor, competition, contributes to decrease the availability of biotic ligands involved in the membrane transport of metals from the bulk solution to the intracellular medium. In freshwater systems, proton and hardness cation concentrations are the main parameters potentially modulating metal bioavailability. The above reflects the current accepted paradigm. In this paper, two knowledge gaps are identified: i) the role of natural organic matter other than metal complexation that may lead to an increase in metal bioavailability; and ii) the effects of multiple metals other than competition that may trigger biological feedback mechanisms which may, in turn, alter biotic ligand binding properties. More research efforts are needed to decipher the extent of these overlooked potential effects and to improve the predictability of metal bioavailability.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"1 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139957690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of organic matter of different origins on lanthanum speciation, bioavailability and toxicity toward a green alga","authors":"Louise Zilber, Edith Parlanti, Claude Fortin","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1342500","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1342500","url":null,"abstract":"Experimental design for the exposure of a green alga to lanthanum in the presence or absence of natural organic matter. Results show that accumulation and effects are greater than those expected based on the free ion concentration.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"35 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vincent Noël, K. Boye, Hannah R. Naughton, E. Lacroix, Meret Aeppli, Naresh Kumar, S. Fendorf, Samuel M. Webb
{"title":"X-ray chemical imaging for assessing redox microsites within soils and sediments","authors":"Vincent Noël, K. Boye, Hannah R. Naughton, E. Lacroix, Meret Aeppli, Naresh Kumar, S. Fendorf, Samuel M. Webb","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1329887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1329887","url":null,"abstract":"Redox reactions underlie several biogeochemical processes and are typically spatiotemporally heterogeneous in soils and sediments. However, redox heterogeneity has yet to be incorporated into mainstream conceptualizations and modeling of soil biogeochemistry. Anoxic microsites, a defining feature of soil redox heterogeneity, are non-majority oxygen depleted zones in otherwise oxic environments. Neglecting to account for anoxic microsites can generate major uncertainties in quantitative assessments of greenhouse gas emissions, C sequestration, as well as nutrient and contaminant cycling at the ecosystem to global scales. However, only a few studies have observed/characterized anoxic microsites in undisturbed soils, primarily, because soil is opaque and microsites require µm-cm scale resolution over cm-m scales. Consequently, our current understanding of microsite characteristics does not support model parameterization. To resolve this knowledge gap, we demonstrate through this proof-of-concept study that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) 2D mapping can reliably detect, quantify, and provide basic redox characterization of anoxic microsites using solid phase “forensic” evidence. First, we tested and developed a systematic data processing approach to eliminate false positive redox microsites, i.e., artefacts, detected from synchrotron-based multiple-energy XRF 2D mapping of Fe (as a proxy of redox-sensitive elements) in Fe-“rich” sediment cores with artificially injected microsites. Then, spatial distribution of FeII and FeIII species from full, natural soil core slices (over cm-m lengths/widths) were mapped at 1–100 µm resolution. These investigations revealed direct evidence of anoxic microsites in predominantly oxic soils such as from an oak savanna and toeslope soil of a mountainous watershed, where anaerobicity would typically not be expected. We also revealed preferential spatial distribution of redox microsites inside aggregates from oak savanna soils. We anticipate that this approach will advance our understanding of soil biogeochemistry and help resolve “anomalous” occurrences of reduced products in nominally oxic soils.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"17 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139836356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vincent Noël, K. Boye, Hannah R. Naughton, E. Lacroix, Meret Aeppli, Naresh Kumar, S. Fendorf, Samuel M. Webb
{"title":"X-ray chemical imaging for assessing redox microsites within soils and sediments","authors":"Vincent Noël, K. Boye, Hannah R. Naughton, E. Lacroix, Meret Aeppli, Naresh Kumar, S. Fendorf, Samuel M. Webb","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1329887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1329887","url":null,"abstract":"Redox reactions underlie several biogeochemical processes and are typically spatiotemporally heterogeneous in soils and sediments. However, redox heterogeneity has yet to be incorporated into mainstream conceptualizations and modeling of soil biogeochemistry. Anoxic microsites, a defining feature of soil redox heterogeneity, are non-majority oxygen depleted zones in otherwise oxic environments. Neglecting to account for anoxic microsites can generate major uncertainties in quantitative assessments of greenhouse gas emissions, C sequestration, as well as nutrient and contaminant cycling at the ecosystem to global scales. However, only a few studies have observed/characterized anoxic microsites in undisturbed soils, primarily, because soil is opaque and microsites require µm-cm scale resolution over cm-m scales. Consequently, our current understanding of microsite characteristics does not support model parameterization. To resolve this knowledge gap, we demonstrate through this proof-of-concept study that X-ray fluorescence (XRF) 2D mapping can reliably detect, quantify, and provide basic redox characterization of anoxic microsites using solid phase “forensic” evidence. First, we tested and developed a systematic data processing approach to eliminate false positive redox microsites, i.e., artefacts, detected from synchrotron-based multiple-energy XRF 2D mapping of Fe (as a proxy of redox-sensitive elements) in Fe-“rich” sediment cores with artificially injected microsites. Then, spatial distribution of FeII and FeIII species from full, natural soil core slices (over cm-m lengths/widths) were mapped at 1–100 µm resolution. These investigations revealed direct evidence of anoxic microsites in predominantly oxic soils such as from an oak savanna and toeslope soil of a mountainous watershed, where anaerobicity would typically not be expected. We also revealed preferential spatial distribution of redox microsites inside aggregates from oak savanna soils. We anticipate that this approach will advance our understanding of soil biogeochemistry and help resolve “anomalous” occurrences of reduced products in nominally oxic soils.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"13 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139776587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on the degradation and metabolic mechanism of four quinolone antibiotics by mixed strains","authors":"Hongdan Wang, Qiaoning Wang, Min Lv, Zhihua Song, Jialuo Yu, Xiaoyan Wang, Jinhua Li, Lingxin Chen","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1326206","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1326206","url":null,"abstract":"Quinolone antibiotics are a common class of antibiotics in the environment and have received considerable attention. In this study, three groups of mixed degradation strains targeting mixed quinolone antibiotics, norfloxacin (NOR), and enrofloxacin (ENR) were selected through screening, enrichment, and microbial diversity detection experiments. The strains screened in this study are divided into two categories through degradation efficiency experiments, community composition detection and functional enrichment analysis. In groups mix and ENR, the resistant bacteria are the main microorganisms and the degrading bacteria are the secondary ones, while in group NOR, the strains with degradation effects are the main ones, and the strains with resistance effects are the secondary ones. What’s more, that carbon sources have little effect on the community composition of the quinolone antibiotic degrading and tolerant bacteria, the difference between groups is mainly controlled by the type of antibiotics. On this basis, we found the key to NOR degradation is the cleavage of carbon nitrogen bonds on the piperazine ring, followed by oxygenation and deethylation. Preliminary studies have confirmed that the optimal degradation conditions for NOR degrading strains, and also found that environmental factors did not significantly affect the degradation efficiency of the Mix and NOR degrading strains, which indicating that the mixed bacteria can degrade NOR in different real environments effectively such as tap water, seawater, river water, and lake water. This manuscript is the first report on a mixed strain of quinolone antibiotic microbial degradation, and it is also the study with the highest NOR degradation efficiency among known reports. It has great research value for the co-metabolism and biodegradation of quinolone antibiotics in the environment.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"41 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139870475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study on the degradation and metabolic mechanism of four quinolone antibiotics by mixed strains","authors":"Hongdan Wang, Qiaoning Wang, Min Lv, Zhihua Song, Jialuo Yu, Xiaoyan Wang, Jinhua Li, Lingxin Chen","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1326206","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1326206","url":null,"abstract":"Quinolone antibiotics are a common class of antibiotics in the environment and have received considerable attention. In this study, three groups of mixed degradation strains targeting mixed quinolone antibiotics, norfloxacin (NOR), and enrofloxacin (ENR) were selected through screening, enrichment, and microbial diversity detection experiments. The strains screened in this study are divided into two categories through degradation efficiency experiments, community composition detection and functional enrichment analysis. In groups mix and ENR, the resistant bacteria are the main microorganisms and the degrading bacteria are the secondary ones, while in group NOR, the strains with degradation effects are the main ones, and the strains with resistance effects are the secondary ones. What’s more, that carbon sources have little effect on the community composition of the quinolone antibiotic degrading and tolerant bacteria, the difference between groups is mainly controlled by the type of antibiotics. On this basis, we found the key to NOR degradation is the cleavage of carbon nitrogen bonds on the piperazine ring, followed by oxygenation and deethylation. Preliminary studies have confirmed that the optimal degradation conditions for NOR degrading strains, and also found that environmental factors did not significantly affect the degradation efficiency of the Mix and NOR degrading strains, which indicating that the mixed bacteria can degrade NOR in different real environments effectively such as tap water, seawater, river water, and lake water. This manuscript is the first report on a mixed strain of quinolone antibiotic microbial degradation, and it is also the study with the highest NOR degradation efficiency among known reports. It has great research value for the co-metabolism and biodegradation of quinolone antibiotics in the environment.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"86 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139810274","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Medjoubi, K. Benzerara, J. Debrie, E. Tang, D. Bazin, E. Letavernier, K. Desjardins, A. Somogyi
{"title":"State-of-the-art multimodal scanning hard X-ray imaging and tomography sheds light at multiple length-scales on biomineralization related processes","authors":"K. Medjoubi, K. Benzerara, J. Debrie, E. Tang, D. Bazin, E. Letavernier, K. Desjardins, A. Somogyi","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1339829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1339829","url":null,"abstract":"Biomineralization is a widespread process among living organisms, playing a significant role in the formation and preservation of geological structures, biogeochemical cycles, regulation of ocean chemistry, and carbon sequestration. Moreover pathological biomineralization has a huge impact on human health. The growth of biominerals provides a rich area for research at multiple length-scales since they have controlled hierarchical structures from nano-to macroscopic scales. Here, we provide an overview on the potentials of the state-of-the-art scanning hard X-ray imaging and tomography methods developed at the NANOSCOPIUM beamline at Synchrotron Soleil in such studies. Multimodal scanning imaging provides simultaneous information on the elemental composition by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, on the sample morphology by absorption contrast imaging, on the crystalline structure by X-ray diffraction, and on the luminescence characteristics by X-ray Excited Optical Luminescence. As illustrated through diverse research cases about biomineralization in stromatolites and pathological calcification, such a versatile portfolio of X-ray imaging techniques provides unique complementary information to conventional laboratory techniques on biominerals and the underlying mineral precipitation processes.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"33 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139603248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Methods for molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter in the alpine water environment: an overview","authors":"Yongbao Zhang, Jianqing Du, Kang Xiao","doi":"10.3389/fenvc.2024.1339628","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2024.1339628","url":null,"abstract":"The alpine area has become a sensitive indicator and amplifier of global climate change and human activities because of its unique geographical and climatic conditions. Being an essential part of biochemical cycling, dissolved organic matter (DOM) could effectively help understand the process, structure, and function of alpine aquatic ecosystems. Due to the low content and sampling difficulties, the analysis of DOM in alpine water demands high sensitivity with low sample volume, which has not been comprehensively reviewed. This review summarizes the DOM sampling, pretreatment, and analysis methods involving the characterization of concentration, spectroscopy, and molecular structure. Overall, conventional parameters are the basis of advanced characterization methods. Spectroscopic tests can reveal the optical properties of DOM in response to lights from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths, to distinguish the chemical composition. Molecular structure characterizations can provide microscopic information such as functional groups, element ratios, and molecular weights. The combination of multiple methods can depict DOM composition from multiple perspectives. In sum, optimized sampling and pretreatment, high-sensitivity molecular characterization, and method integration are crucial for effectively analyzing DOM components in alpine waters. These perspectives help to standardize the DOM characterization process and to understand the correlation between DOM composition and its properties, as well as the migration and transformation of DOM.","PeriodicalId":73082,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in environmental chemistry","volume":"114 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139614335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}