TEM evidence for intracellular accumulation of lead by bacteria in subsurface environments     

Nicolas Perdrial  Nicole Liewig  Jean-Emmanuel Delphin  Franoise Elsass 《Chemical Geology》2008,253(3-4):196-204

We monitored near-surface atmospheric fallout (15-cm above ground) and soil solution (at 15, 35 and 55 cm below ground) derived nanoparticles over an 8-month period by collecting the particles directly onto TEM grids in anthropogenically-influenced (vineyard) and pristine (native forest) sites in France. Particle clusters trapped on the grid were selected randomly and individual particles were binned into eight different groups (euhedral clays, weathered clays, salts, oxi-hydroxides, bacteria, non-living organic matter, aggregates and undetermined). Bacteria represent 9–23% of the collected nanoparticle area (ave. 9.4% and 18% for two atmospheric collection sites and ave. 23% for soil infiltration samples). Bacteria were most often associated with non-living organic matter and comprised a variety of morpho-types. Interestingly, 45% of all the bacteria analyzed by transmission electron microscopy and electron dispersive spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) showed the presence of intracellular grains significantly enriched in lead and phosphorus. Intracellular sequestration of Pb into polyphosphate bodies has been observed in the laboratory, but this is the first observation of this phenomenon in a natural environment. Furthermore, this suggests that microbial-bound Pb may be an important transport mechanism in subsurface environments.  相似文献   

Assessment of sandstone deterioration at Ta Keo temple (Angkor): first results and future prospects     

Marie-Françoise André  Samuel Etienne  Denis Mercier  Franck Vautier  Olivier Voldoire 《Environmental Geology》2008,56(3-4):677-688

A first application of geomorphological methods to the assessment of sandstone deterioration at Angkor is presented. Damage diagnosis was carried out on the first eastern tier of the central pyramid of the 1,000 year-old Ta Keo temple. Methods combine field observations and measurements at 230 sampling points, high-resolution lasergrammetry and stereophotogrammetry on a 2-m² test zone, and SEM observations. The first results indicate that decay operates through a synergistic combination of weathering phenomena dominated by scaling and solution, and exhibits a high spatial variability. Percentages of deteriorated surfaces vary from 17.6 to 93.8%, and average stone recession values from 0.00 to 2.71 cm (minimum) and 0.34 to 5.49 cm (maximum). On the test-zone, stereophotogrammetry and 3D-mapping of the present and reconstructed initial states using lasergrammetry indicate that erosion scars up to 6 cm deep have formed since 1963. On the whole, the amount of deteriorated surfaces more than tripled between 1963 and 2008. The degree of implication of salts in stone decay remains unclear for most efflorescences are composed of calcite (CaCO3), with secondary importance of barite (BaSO4) and gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O). Future prospects aim to evaluate the impact on stone decay of the clearing out of the temple from the forest in the 1920s.  相似文献   

Sediment Trend Analysis through the variation of granulometric parameters: A review of theories and applications     

Emmanuel Poizot  Yann Méar  Laurie Biscara 《Earth》2008,86(1-4):15-41

Spatial variations in grain-size parameters (i.e. grain-size trends) contain information on sediment transport patterns. Analytical procedures have been proposed using the grain-size trend to determine net sediment transport pathways. In the first part of this study, the fundamentals of the theory are presented through methods for analysing 1D and 2D variations. The methods used are critically discussed, while pointing out some severe problems. So far, these methods suffer from limitations leading to serious interpretational errors, making it necessary to take account of two kinds of uncertainties. Inputs uncertainties are linked to the physical sediment properties as well as procedures of sampling and analysis. Model uncertainties are then discussed for each step of the grain-size trend analysis. The validity of Sediment Trend Analysis under natural conditions is tested against published field studies to determine the most appropriate variation trend to use in a specific environment. Proposals are given for each step of the procedure for optimal use of the method using a Quality Assurance (QA) approach. Further developments are proposed, such as integration into a Geographic Information System.  相似文献   

Formation of Zn–Ca phyllomanganate nanoparticles in grass roots     

Bruno Lanson  Matthew A. Marcus  Sirine Fakra  Frdric Panfili  Nicolas Geoffroy  Alain Manceau 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2008,72(10):2478-2490

It is now well established that a number of terrestrial and aquatic microorganisms have the capacity to oxidize and precipitate Mn as phyllomanganate. However, this biomineralization has never been shown to occur in plant tissues, nor has the structure of a natural Mn(IV) biooxide been characterized in detail. We show that the graminaceous plant Festuca rubra (red fescue) produces a Zn-rich phyllomanganate with constant Zn:Mn and Ca:Mn atomic ratios (0.46 and 0.38, respectively) when grown on a contaminated sediment. This new phase is so far the Zn-richest manganate known to form in nature (chalcophanite has a Zn:Mn ratio of 0.33) and has no synthetic equivalent. Visual examination of root fragments under a microscope shows black precipitates about ten to several tens of microns in size, and their imaging with backscattered and secondary electrons demonstrates that they are located in the root epidermis. In situ measurements by Mn and Zn K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) with a micro-focused beam can be quantitatively described by a single-phase model consisting of Mn(IV) octahedral layers with 22% vacant sites capped with tetrahedral and octahedral Zn in proportions of 3:1. The layer charge deficit is also partly balanced by interlayer Mn and Ca. Diffracting crystallites have a domain radius of 33 Å in the ab plane and contain only 1.2 layers (8.6 Å) on average. Since this biogenic Mn oxide consists mostly of isolated layers, basal 00l reflections are essentially absent despite its lamellar structure. Individual Mn layers are probably held together in the Mn–Zn precipitates by stabilizing organic molecules. Zinc biomineralization by plants likely is a defense mechanism against toxicity induced by excess concentrations of this metal in the rhizosphere.  相似文献   

Participation in payments for ecosystem services: Case studies from the Lacandon rainforest, Mexico   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Nicolas Kosoy  Esteve Corbera  Kate Brown 《Geoforum》2008,39(6):2073-2083

Understanding people’s willingness to participate in projects and programmes of payments for ecosystem services (PES) has not been a key analytical concern of the scholarly literature around this new field of environmental policy and practice. This paper analyses participation in four communities benefiting from payments for biodiversity and carbon fixation in Mexico, and contrasts the results for each case with neighbouring communities that do not receive payments. We take a holistic approach that accounts for procedural rules, actors’ interactions, institutions and values, and individuals’ characteristics. We show that the nature of PES rules and the effectiveness of communication with government officers and NGOs influence resource managers’ ability and willingness to participate. We highlight community size, resource managers’ ability to diversify livelihood activities and local perspectives on the conservation of common forests, particularly sacred values and intergenerational concerns on forest conservation, as critical participation drivers. This analysis provides insights on why and how these new institutions may be attractive for some resource managers and permits to draw some recommendations for the future design of PES projects and programmes.  相似文献   

Leaching of lead metallurgical slags and pollutant mobility far from equilibrium conditions     

Nicolas Seignez  Arnaud Gauthier  David Bulteel  Denis Damidot  Jean-Luc Potdevin 《Applied Geochemistry》2008,23(12):3699-3711

Lead metallurgical slags are partially vitrified materials containing residual amounts of Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd and As. These hazardous materials are generally buried on heaps exposed to weathering. In this study, leaching behavior of lead blast furnace slags has been tested using pure water and open flow experiments. It appears that in such far from equilibrium and slightly acidic conditions, the main phase to be altered is the vitreous phase. As for lunar, basaltic and nuclear glasses, alkalis/proton exchanges prevail and lead to the formation of a non-protective altered layer enriched in Si, Fe and Al. The composition of the altered layer is quite constant except for Si whose concentration decreases towards the leachate interface. Owing to their sizes, micrometric Pb droplets are not always totally dissolved at the slag surface. Nevertheless, nanometric Pb droplets are instantaneously dissolved while a surrounding altered layer is formed. This leads to high Pb releases in open flow systems. Leachate chemistry and dissolution rates of the vitreous phase are closely comparable to previous leaching tests with basaltic and nuclear glasses in conditions far from equilibrium. Moreover, this study confirms that Fe is a stable element in such conditions.  相似文献   

Quantitative sinkhole hazard assessment. A case study from the Ebro Valley evaporite alluvial karst (NE Spain)     

Francisco Gutiérrez  Jesús Guerrero  Pedro Lucha 《Natural Hazards》2008,45(2):211-233

Quantitative sinkhole hazard assessments in karst areas allow calculation of the potential sinkhole risk and the performance of cost-benefit analyses. These estimations are of practical interest for planning, engineering, and insurance purposes. The sinkhole hazard assessments should include two components: the probability of occurrence of sinkholes (sinkholes/km² year) and the severity of the sinkholes, which mainly refers to the subsidence mechanisms (progressive passive bending or catastrophic collapse) and the size of the sinkholes at the time of formation; a critical engineering design parameter. This requires the compilation of an exhaustive database on recent sinkholes, including information on the: (1) location, (2) chronology (precise date or age range), (3) size, and (4) subsidence mechanisms and rate. This work presents a hazard assessment from an alluvial evaporite karst area (0.81 km²) located in the periphery of the city of Zaragoza (Ebro River valley, NE Spain). Five sinkholes and four locations with features attributable to karstic subsidence where identified in an initial investigation phase providing a preliminary probability of occurrence of 0.14 sinkholes/km² year (11.34% in annual probability). A trenching program conducted in a subsequent investigation phase allowed us to rule out the four probable sinkholes, reducing the probability of occurrence to 0.079 sinkholes/km² year (6.4% in annual probability). The information on the severity indicates that collapse sinkholes 10–15 m in diameter may occur in the area. A detailed study of the deposits and deformational structures exposed by trenching in one of the sinkholes allowed us to infer a modern collapse sinkhole approximately 12 m in diameter and with a vertical throw of 8 m. This collapse structure is superimposed on a subsidence sinkhole around 80 m across that records at least 1.7 m of synsedimentary subsidence. Trenching, in combination with dating techniques, is proposed as a useful methodology to elucidate the origin of depressions with uncertain diagnosis and to gather practical information with predictive utility about particular sinkholes in alluvial karst settings: precise location, subsidence mechanisms and magnitude, and timing and rate of the subsidence episodes.  相似文献   

Methodology of hydrogeological characterization of deep carbonate aquifers as potential reservoirs of groundwater. Case of study: the Jurassic aquifer of <Emphasis Type="Italic">El Maestrazgo</Emphasis> (Castellón,Spain)     

M. Mejías  J. Garcia-Orellana  J. L. Plata  M. Marina  E. Garcia-Solsona  B. Ballesteros  P. Masqué  J. López  C. Fernández-Arrojo 《Environmental Geology》2008,54(3):521-536

A methodology for the characterization of deep carbonate aquifers has been developed and applied to El Maestrazgo Jurassic aquifer in Castellón, Spain. Characterization of these aquifer formations, located at more than 300 m deep, consisted of a previous phase of compilation, analysis and synthesis of the existing information about the area, followed by a coordinated combination of different speciality studies: geology, stratigraphy, structural analysis, hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, geophysics and remote sensing. Geological studies included geological mapping, definition of stratigraphical units and facies and structural analysis. The aim of the hydrogeology study was to define aquifer formations, recharge area, aquifer points inventory and groundwater flow directions for the establishment of piezometric and water quality observation nets. Special techniques were applied, like thermal infrared aerial images and the evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge by means of natural radium isotopes. Hydrochemical techniques, including majority elements characterization and stable isotopes (¹⁸O, ²H and ³H) determination, allowed classifying hydrochemical facies and establishing a renewal pattern for water within the system. Geophysics was useful in determining the aquifer geometry, the features of the basement and the petrophysical characteristics of the geological formations. Preliminary results show an important tectonic complexity and the possibilities for groundwater uses in the area of study.  相似文献   

Correlation of atmospheric occurences over the United States with some physical and chemical parameters. Part III: Frequencies of precipitation     

Alberto C. Montefinale  Liliana A. Masironi  Henry M. Papée 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1963,54(1):207-211

Summary Correlation between some physical and chemical variables, measured at 28 stations of the United States Weather Bureau Network, and seasonal and annual frequencies of precipitation, has been attempted with the aim of gaining insight into the bearing of such variables, on occurrence of precipitation. — Concurrent trends of frequencies with local temperature functions, altitude parameters, precipitable water vapour increments, and some chemical species have been found.Contribution of the «Centro Nucleazione Aerosoli» of the National Research Council of Italy, Via Vettore 4 (Monte Sacro),Roma.  相似文献   

An attempt to the explanation and to the prediction of the eleven-year cycle of solar activity     

T. Németh 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1966,63(1):205-210

Summary According to the author the reason of the subsistence of the 11 years' sunspot cycle is to be found in the conjunction of the planets. As a result of the investigations it has been stated that from among the nine planets the joint tidal effect of Venus-Jupiter-Earth is a decisive factor in the variations of sunspot activity. The above three planets are every 10.4 years and 12.0 years respectively, in a close conjunction. The mean value (11.2 years) is in an almost full accordance with the average cycle-period. The fluctuations of the period of the cycle come from the fact that the planets' getting into approximately one line takes a different time within each cycle. This time delay is the cause of the stronger or weaker sunspot activity, and of the shorter or longer cycles.  相似文献