International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis

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Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater

Received: 23 April 2015    Accepted: 01 May 2015    Published: 13 May 2015
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Abstract

The increased deterioration of water resources in Lebanon from progressive urbanization, agricultural activities and development of industries is, according to the natural authorities, a major critical problem by the year 2010. At our study site, at Al-Ghadir River, aqueous solutions containing heavy metals are extensively released from many industries directly to the river. Sediments and soil, at these sites became contaminated with these elements and their potential mobility is of particular concern since downward leaching of the heavy metals may result in the contamination of the groundwater. The objective of the present work was to investigate the bioleaching of heavy metals from the sediments of Al-Ghadir River to underground water using ex-situ column experiments. In order to conciliate the field conditions and the laboratory constraints, we have chosen to experiment the heavy metal leaching from long-term contaminated and non-destructured sediments. Sediments were incubated under anaerobic conditions and enriched with nutrients to stimulate microbial metabolism. The evolution of carbon metabolism and metals leached from the incubated sediment columns were followed over time and the effect of leaching on the distribution of metals as a function of depth was also studied. Results obtained showed that after a phase of mobilization of the heavy metals and which was enhanced by the bacterial activity, the study of the distribution profile of the heavy metals showed that they were highly readsorbed at the surface of the sediment column and their readsorption was found to decrease with depth.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20
Published in International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis (Volume 3, Issue 3, June 2015)
Page(s) 180-190
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Heavy Metals, Bioleaching, Readsorption, Contaminated Sediment, Sediment Columns

References
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Author Information
  • Laboratory of Biogeochemistry and Ecology of continental regions (IBIOS – BIOEMCO), Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Paris-Est University, Creteil, France ; Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Department of Chemistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Department of Chemistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Department of Chemistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Department of Chemistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Laboratory of Materials, Catalysis, Environment and Analytical Methods (MCEMA), Department of Chemistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon

  • Laboratory of Biogeochemistry and Ecology of continental regions (IBIOS – BIOEMCO), Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Paris-Est University, Creteil, France

  • Laboratory of Biogeochemistry and Ecology of continental regions (IBIOS – BIOEMCO), Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Paris-Est University, Creteil, France

Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Amale Mcheik, Mohamad Fakih, Hiba Noureddine, Hussein Trabulsi, Joumana Toufaily, et al. (2015). Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater. International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis, 3(3), 180-190. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20

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    ACS Style

    Amale Mcheik; Mohamad Fakih; Hiba Noureddine; Hussein Trabulsi; Joumana Toufaily, et al. Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater. Int. J. Environ. Monit. Anal. 2015, 3(3), 180-190. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20

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    AMA Style

    Amale Mcheik, Mohamad Fakih, Hiba Noureddine, Hussein Trabulsi, Joumana Toufaily, et al. Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater. Int J Environ Monit Anal. 2015;3(3):180-190. doi: 10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20,
      author = {Amale Mcheik and Mohamad Fakih and Hiba Noureddine and Hussein Trabulsi and Joumana Toufaily and Taysir Hamieh and Evelyne Garnier-Zarli and Noureddine Bousserrhine},
      title = {Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis},
      volume = {3},
      number = {3},
      pages = {180-190},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijema.20150303.20},
      abstract = {The increased deterioration of water resources in Lebanon from progressive urbanization, agricultural activities and development of industries is, according to the natural authorities, a major critical problem by the year 2010. At our study site, at Al-Ghadir River, aqueous solutions containing heavy metals are extensively released from many industries directly to the river. Sediments and soil, at these sites became contaminated with these elements and their potential mobility is of particular concern since downward leaching of the heavy metals may result in the contamination of the groundwater. The objective of the present work was to investigate the bioleaching of heavy metals from the sediments of Al-Ghadir River to underground water using ex-situ column experiments. In order to conciliate the field conditions and the laboratory constraints, we have chosen to experiment the heavy metal leaching from long-term contaminated and non-destructured sediments. Sediments were incubated under anaerobic conditions and enriched with nutrients to stimulate microbial metabolism. The evolution of carbon metabolism and metals leached from the incubated sediment columns were followed over time and the effect of leaching on the distribution of metals as a function of depth was also studied. Results obtained showed that after a phase of mobilization of the heavy metals and which was enhanced by the bacterial activity, the study of the distribution profile of the heavy metals showed that they were highly readsorbed at the surface of the sediment column and their readsorption was found to decrease with depth.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Anaerobic Sediments Decrease the Leaching of Trace Metals to Groundwater
    AU  - Amale Mcheik
    AU  - Mohamad Fakih
    AU  - Hiba Noureddine
    AU  - Hussein Trabulsi
    AU  - Joumana Toufaily
    AU  - Taysir Hamieh
    AU  - Evelyne Garnier-Zarli
    AU  - Noureddine Bousserrhine
    Y1  - 2015/05/13
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20
    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis
    SP  - 180
    EP  - 190
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7667
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijema.20150303.20
    AB  - The increased deterioration of water resources in Lebanon from progressive urbanization, agricultural activities and development of industries is, according to the natural authorities, a major critical problem by the year 2010. At our study site, at Al-Ghadir River, aqueous solutions containing heavy metals are extensively released from many industries directly to the river. Sediments and soil, at these sites became contaminated with these elements and their potential mobility is of particular concern since downward leaching of the heavy metals may result in the contamination of the groundwater. The objective of the present work was to investigate the bioleaching of heavy metals from the sediments of Al-Ghadir River to underground water using ex-situ column experiments. In order to conciliate the field conditions and the laboratory constraints, we have chosen to experiment the heavy metal leaching from long-term contaminated and non-destructured sediments. Sediments were incubated under anaerobic conditions and enriched with nutrients to stimulate microbial metabolism. The evolution of carbon metabolism and metals leached from the incubated sediment columns were followed over time and the effect of leaching on the distribution of metals as a function of depth was also studied. Results obtained showed that after a phase of mobilization of the heavy metals and which was enhanced by the bacterial activity, the study of the distribution profile of the heavy metals showed that they were highly readsorbed at the surface of the sediment column and their readsorption was found to decrease with depth.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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