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Krupčíková S, Stiborek M, Šimek Z, Vrana B. Factors affecting diffusion of polar organic compounds in agarose hydrogel applied to control mass transfer in passive samplers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:122470-122481. [PMID: 37968489 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30929-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Diffusive hydrogel-based passive sampler (HPS) based on diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) is designed for monitoring polar organic contaminants in the aquatic environment. DGT technique controls the compound's overall uptake rate by adding a hydrogel layer of known thickness, which minimizes the importance of the resistive water boundary layer in the compound uptake process. In this work, we investigated several factors which may influence the diffusion of a range of aquatic contaminants in 1.5% agarose hydrogel. Diffusion in hydrogel was tested using the sheet stacking method. We demonstrated that a thin nylon netting incorporated into the diffusive hydrogel for mechanical strengthening does not significantly affect the diffusion of 11 perfluoroalkyl compounds. Further, we investigated the effect of pH in the range from 3 to 11 on the diffusion of a range of 39 aromatic amines (AAs) -36 aromatic, 2 aliphatic, and azobenzene in hydrogel. AAs were chosen as representatives of compounds with pH-dependent dissociation in water. Analysis of variance showed no significant difference in mean diffusion coefficient log D value at five pH values. The demonstration that the diffusion coefficient D and thus the sampling rate Rs are independent on pH simplifies the interpretation of data from field studies because we can neglect the influence of pH on the Rs. log D values (m2 s-1) of tested AAs ranged from to - 9.77 for 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine to - 9.19 for azobenzene. A negative correlation of log D with molar mass (log M) and molecular volume (log Vm) was observed (R = - 0.57 and - 0.56, respectively). The diffusion coefficient presents a critical parameter for the sampling rate estimation of HPS. Theoretical sampling rates Rs of AAs were calculated for a HPS using the average D values. Theoretical Rs values calculated for AAs at 22°C ranged from 29 mL day-1 for 3,3'-dimethylbenzidine to 106 mL day-1 for 2-aminopyridine. Our calculated values of Rs are in the same range as those already published for a range of low-molecular polar organic contaminants, which supports the possibility of deriving sampler performance parameters in the field from laboratory-derived diffusivity of analytes in hydrogel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Krupčíková
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Stiborek
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Šimek
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Branislav Vrana
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 61137, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Trommetter G, Dumoulin D, Dang DH, Alaimo V, Billon G. On inorganic tracers of wastewater treatment plant discharges along the Marque River (Northern France). CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 305:135413. [PMID: 35750230 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Increase of water quality in aquatic systems has become a hot button issue in recent decades. However, with the aim to implement an effective remediation strategy, the first step is to identify the sources of diffuse and point-source pollution using several tracers. In urban areas, B isotopes, Gd enrichment, Cl- or carbamazepine concentrations can be used as wastewater treatment plant tracers. In this study, a focus was made on the quantification of a wide variety of inorganic compounds (elements, ions, isotopic ratios) all along the Marque River, a small stream located in Northern France receiving effluents coming from seven wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The objectives were (i) to determine the importance of the WWTPs discharge during low water events, (ii) to assess the efficiency of conventional tracers in quantifying the contribution of the WWTPs and (iii) to investigate new potential tracers less commonly used. The results have shown, through statistical analyses ANOVA (Analysis Of Variance) tests, PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and contribution calculations, that the WWTPs discharges strongly impact the water composition of all the watercourse and particularly during the first 6 km. However, due to high discharges of wastewaters not always well treated, some classical indicators (e.g. B, Rb/Sr) have shown limitations when used alone. The use of a set of relevant tracers including alkali metals could therefore be one solution for overcoming such a problem. Finally, other indicators like Rb/B or Gd/Pt ratios may also be a way to tackle this issue; they are indeed promising to discriminate the source of wastewaters.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Trommetter
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement F-59000 Lille, France
| | - D Dumoulin
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - D H Dang
- School of the Environment and Chemistry Department, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - V Alaimo
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement F-59000 Lille, France
| | - G Billon
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516 - LASIRE, Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement F-59000 Lille, France
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Developments in the diffusive gradients in thin-films technique for the speciation of oxyanions and platinum group elements in aquatic systems. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2021.116513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Smolíková V, Pelcová P, Ridošková A, Leermakers M. Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films technique for uranium monitoring along a salinity gradient: A comparative study on the performance of Chelex-100, Dow-PIWBA, Diphonix, and Lewatit FO 36 resin gels in the Scheldt estuary. Talanta 2021; 240:123168. [PMID: 34954614 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.123168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring of uranium in the environment using the Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT) technique gains in importance as it can provide unique information about the bioavailability of the element and allows its long-term in-situ measurement. Hence, in this study, four DGT binding phases (Chelex-100, Dow-PIWBA, Diphonix, and Lewatit FO 36 resins) were evaluated for uranium monitoring to assess the robustness of their performance in estuarine and marine environments. These DGTs were deployed along the Scheldt estuary (Belgium and the Netherlands) over four campaigns between 2014 and 2021. The DGT performance (ratio of the DGT-determined vs. dissolved U concentration in grab water sample) varied with the water salinity. The Chelex-100 DGTs generally provided good performance in freshwater (median ratios close to 1.0), but an inverse correlation with the increasing salinity was observed (median ratios 0.7 at the stations with salinity >5). The Lewatit FO 36 DGTs provided good performance in the salinity range 0-18 (median ratios 1.0). However, a strong negative influence was observed at stations with high salinity levels (>18, ratio 0.6) and during the long-term deployment in seawater (ratios <0.5 over deployment periods ≥2 days). The Dow-PIWBA and Diphonix DGTs provided overall similar results with excellent performances along the whole salinity gradient (median ratios 1.1 and 1.0, respectively). Nevertheless, the long-term deployment trial in seawater (salinity ∼27) revealed the robustness of Diphonix DGTs that provided outstanding results even after 28 days of deployment (ratio 1.0). The differences in the performance of tested DGT resins were mostly given by the changes of U speciation along the salinity gradient. The speciation modelling of U showed that calcium uranyl carbonate complexes dominate along the Scheldt estuary (from 97 to 86% seawards) with increasing fraction of UO2(CO3)34- (from 2 to 14%) towards the mouth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vendula Smolíková
- Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Pelcová
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Ridošková
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martine Leermakers
- Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
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Abdulbur-Alfakhoury E, Trommetter G, Brion N, Dumoulin D, Reichstädter M, Billon G, Leermakers M, Baeyens W. Distribution of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh) in urban tributaries of the Scheldt River assessed by diffusive gradients in thin films technique (DGT). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 784:147075. [PMID: 33905928 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The performance of the newly developed DGT technique for the platinum group elements (PGEs) rhodium (Rh), platinum (Pt) and palladium (Pd) was evaluated in two tributaries of the Scheldt River, the Marque River close to the city of Lille (France), and the Zenne River which flows through the city of Brussels (Belgium). In the Marque River, an interlaboratory comparison was performed between the two laboratories where the DGT techniques dedicated to PGEs were developed (AMGC, VUB & LASIRE, U-Lille). PGEs were also analysed in an effluent of a Brussels hospital and monthly grab sampling was performed at the wastewater treatments plants (WWTPs) of Brussels. The concentrations of the 3 elements are higher in the Zenne River than in the Marque River and much higher Pt concentrations are found in the hospital effluent. Good agreement for Pt was observed between the three selected chelating resins and a relatively good agreement was observed between the two laboratories using the same chelating resin, whereas lower results were observed with the anion-exchange resin. Larger discrepancies between the two laboratories were observed for Pd and no comparison could be made for Rh due to the low natural concentrations. The results show that in small urban rivers with high impact of urbanization, WWTPs are an important source of Pt, resulting from the use of anticancer drugs in hospitals and households. The limited retention of PGEs in WWTPs results in increased concentrations in urban rivers downstream. For Pd and Rh, similar trends were found with other traffic related elements such as Cu, Zn and Pb, showing the highest concentrations in waters collecting runoff from a highway. The data show that these elements, together with Gd, can be useful to trace specific pollution sources and their dispersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehab Abdulbur-Alfakhoury
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Trommetter
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE - Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions, la Réactivité de l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Natacha Brion
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - David Dumoulin
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE - Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions, la Réactivité de l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Marek Reichstädter
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - G Billon
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8516, LASIRE - Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions, la Réactivité de l'Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Martine Leermakers
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - W Baeyens
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry (AMGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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