Understanding the geochemistry of basalt alteration is central to the study of agriculture systems. Various nano-minerals play an important role in the mobilization of contaminants and their ...subsequent uptake by plants. We present a new analytical experimental approach in combination with an integrated analytical protocol designed to study basalt alteration processes. Recently, throughout the world, ultra-fine and nano-particles derived from basalt dust wastes (BDW) during “stonemeal” soil fertilizer application have been of great concern for their possible adverse effects on human health and environmental pollution. Samples of BDW utilized were obtained from companies in the Nova Prata mining district in southern Brazil for chemical characterization and nano-mineralogy investigation, using an integrated application of advanced characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), High Resolution-Transmission Electron microscopy (HR-TEM)/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS)/(selected-area diffraction pattern) SAED, Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM/EDS), and granulometric distribution analysis. The investigation has revealed that BDW materials are dominated by SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, with a complex micromineralogy including alkali feldspar, augite, barite, labradorite, hematite, heulandrite, gypsum, kaolinite, quartz, and smectite. In addition, we have identified a number of trace metals such as Cd, Cu, Cr, and Zn, that are preferentially concentrated into the finer, inhalable, dust fraction and, thus, could present a health hazard in the urban areas around the basalt mining zone. The implication of this observation is that use of these nanometric-sized particulates as soil fertilizer may present different health challenges to those of conventional fertilizers, inviting future work regarding the relative toxicities of these materials. Our investigation on the particle size distribution, nano-particle mineralogy and chemical composition in typical BDW samples highlights the need to develop cleaning procedures to minimize exposure to these natural fertilizing basalt dust wastes and is, thus, of direct relevance to both the industrial sector of basalt mining and to agriculture in the region.
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•Expansion in Brazilian basalt mining studies will increase human health information in this area.•Several samples were advanced nanoparticles techniques.•The compounds showed strong sorption ability to hazardous elements.•The advanced methodology has been applied to investigate elements occurrence and ultra-fine/nano-particles properties.
Present study reports the laboratory and field scale application of different organic and inorganic amendments to immobilize cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in a co-contaminated alluvial paddy soil. For ...that purpose, lime, biochar, Fe-biochar and two composite amendments (CA) composed of biochar, lime, sepiolite and zeolite (CA1: composite amendment 1) and manure, lime and sepiolite (CA2: composite amendment 2) were firstly tested in an incubation experiment to ameliorate Cd and Pb co-contaminated alluvial soil. It was observed that liming and CA2 elevated the soil pH and reduced DTPA extractable Cd and Pb in the incubated soil leading to higher metal immobilization. Therefore, efficiency of lime and CA2 was further investigated in field conditions with mid rice as the test crop to evaluate field scale immobilization and precise application rate for the tested soil type. DTPA and CaCl2 extractable Cd (46 and 51%) and Pb (68 and 70%) in field soil were decreased with applied treatments. Speciation of Cd and Pb also promoted conversion of metal exchangeable contents to less-available forms. Activated functional groups on amendments’ surface (_OH bonding, C_O and CO, -O-H, Si–O–Si, carboxylic and ester groups) sequestered metals by precipitation, adsorption, ion exchange or electro static attributes. Application of lime at 2400 kg/acre (T4) and CA2 at 1200 kg/acre was more effective in reducing rice shoot and grains metal contents. Moreover, obtained results in terms of pH, extractable content, speciation and yield, and microanalysis of amendments highlights the remarkable efficiency of lime and composite amendment to sorb Cd and Pb providing the key evidence of these amendments for metals immobilization and environmental remediation. Considering these results, lime and CA2 are potential amendments for co-contaminated rice field especially in context of alluvial soil.
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•Inorganic, organic and composite amendments decreased the DTPA extractable metals.•Lime addition elevates incubated and field soil pH.•Cd and Pb speciation reduced exchangeable form of metals.•Lime and CA2 were effective in reducing metal availability in alluvial soil.
Inorganic and organic additives have potential to remediate metal polluted sites but their composite application was more helpful in reducing Cd and Pb availability in co-contaminated alluvial soil.
The association between vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS) and amniotic band sequence (ABS) has been previously reported in the literature, mostly in single patient case reports. Here, we aim to ...extend the current knowledge of this association through a case series of five unrelated individuals with ABS in association with molecularly confirmed vEDS, in addition to undertaking a comprehensive literature review. All the individuals were recruited through the EDS national diagnostic service in the UK following appropriate history, physical examination and genetic investigations. Clinical presentation ranged from a single constriction ring to complex craniofacial clefts to limb reduction deformities, reflecting the spectrum of ABS presentation. vEDS was inherited paternally (n = 2), maternally (n = 2) and de novo (n = 1). Previously, maternal vEDS was considered the risk factor for ABS, but our findings suggest that it may be the disease status of the fetus which poses the main risk. It is established that amniotic membrane is derived from fetal tissue, which supports our conclusions. Our observations suggest the increased risk of ABS in fetuses with vEDS. Therefore, exploring family history and features that may suggest vEDS diagnosis in patients with ABS might be useful. We also recommend that a collaborative international study would be useful to help gain a better insight into this association.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of hereditary diseases causing connective tissue fragility due to genetic abnormalities in collagen and its modifying enzymes. We report two surgical cases of ...pneumothorax associated with EDS. Case 1 was initial-onset left pneumothorax in a 43-year-old woman with a history of retinal detachment and multiple cavitary lesions of the bilateral lungs on preoperative imaging. Intraoperatively, air leakage was observed from the cavitary lesion of the left lower lobe, and wedge resection of the lung was performed. The lung tissue was extremely fragile, and additional air leakage was observed from both the grasped lung parenchyma and staple line. Additional stitches and biological tissue adhesive were needed to control the air leakage. The patient was diagnosed with classical EDS after the operation. Case 2 involved recurrent right pneumothorax in a 38-year-old woman. She had a history of perforation of the descending colon and was diagnosed with vascular EDS. Air leakage was observed from the cyst in the right upper lobe intraoperatively, and the cyst was sewn. Since the lung tissue was very fragile and another air leakage occurred from the grasped lung parenchyma, it was excised with an automatic suture device and covered with absorbent suture reinforcement. Parietal pleura scraping was added to promote intrathoracic adhesion. Although elastic fibers were pathologically maintained in the resected specimens of both cases, the lung tissues were extremely fragile. For patients with diagnosed or suspected EDS during pneumothorax surgery, it is essential to adopt protective measures that address the tissue fragility.
Microplastics have received widespread attention as an emerging contaminant, but limited information was available during wetland restoration. The occurrence and characteristics of microplastics and ...their interaction with heavy metals in surface sediments from the Jinjiang Estuarine restored mangrove wetland were investigated. The abundance of microplastics ranged from 490 ± 127.3 to 1170 ± 99.0 items/500 g dry sediment, and the restored regions were much higher than mudflats, indicating mangrove restoration promoted its accumulation. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the main materials of microplastics after Raman spectroscopy identification. SEM-EDS images illustrated the mechanical erosion and chemical weathering on microplastics' surface, and Cr, Zn, Pb, and Cd were observed in elemental composition. The contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Cd accumulated in microplastics were not correlated with their total concentrations in sediments except for Hg, indicating that they might not be derived from sediments.
•Mangrove restoration could promote microplastics accumulation and planting patterns could also influence the distribution of microplastic•EDS images illustrated that heavy metals such as Cr, Zn, Pb, Cd were observed in elemental composition of microplastics•The relationship of accumulated heavy metals between microplastics and sediments indicating that they might not derive from sediments.
