GeoBioSciences GeoTechnologies and GeoEngineering

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Geochemical, mineralogical and morphological characterisation of road dust and associated health risks

Publication . Candeias, Carla; Vicente, Estela; Tomé, Mário; Rocha, Fernando; Ávila, Paula Freire; Alves, Célia

ABSTRACT: Road dust resuspension, especially the particulate matter fraction below 10 mu m (PM10), is one of the main air quality management challenges in Europe. Road dust samples were collected from representative streets (suburban and urban) of the city of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. PM10 emission factors (mg veh(-1) km(-1)) ranging from 49 (asphalt) to 330 (cobble stone) were estimated by means of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency method. Two road dust fractions (<0.074 mm and from 0.0074 to 1 mm) were characterised for their geochemical, mineralogical and morphological properties. In urban streets, road dusts reveal the contribution from traffic emissions, with higher concentrations of, for example, Cu, Zn and Pb. In the suburban area, agriculture practices likely contributed to As concentrations of 180 mg kg(-1) in the finest road dust fraction. Samples are primarily composed of quartz, but also of muscovite, albite, kaolinite, microcline, Fe-enstatite, graphite and amorphous content. Particle morphology clearly shows the link with natural and traffic related materials, with well-formed minerals and irregular aggregates. The hazard quotient suggests a probability to induce non-carcinogenic adverse health effects in children by ingestion of Zr. Arsenic in the suburban street represents a human health risk of 1.58 x 10(-4).

2020Journal article

Open access

Type specimens alone have a strong correlation with taxa record by geological epoch: the case study of the fossil vertebrates named from Portuguese types

Publication . Mateus, Octávio; Estraviz López, Darío; Madeira Mateus, Simão Gustavo

ABSTRACT: Type specimens (holotypes, neotypes, syntypes, etc.) are of crucial importance because they are the only tangible evidence of the nomenclatural act that supports the understanding of paleobiodiversity. The list of the vertebrate species whose type specimen is based on fossils from Portugal is presented here. We counted 206 species, of which there are 45 bony fishes, 39 Late Jurassic Mammaliamorpha, 33 Cenozoic mammals, 28 non-avian dinosaurs, 25 non-dinosaur reptiles, 11 Cenozoic Aves, 22 Chondrichthyes and three other vertebrates. Except for the Quaternary fossil record, the type specimens can be used as a shortcut for measuring the fossil record and paleobiodiversity through geological time and rock units because they correlate in 95% with the fossil record by epoch in the case-study of fossil vertebrates of Portugal.

2022-12Journal article

Open access

Potentially toxic elements dynamics in the soil rhizospheric-plant system in the active volcano of Fogo (Cape Verde) and interactions with human health

Publication . Candeias, Carla; Ávila, Paula Freire; Sequeira, Cristina; Albuquerque, Manuel; Rocha, Fernando

ABSTRACT: Volcanic eruptions disturb directly and indirectly the ecosystems. Direct impact occurs on the soil-plant system with an input of new elements and indirect hazard occurs by consumption of these plants. Fogo island (Cape Verde Republic) has an active volcano and the last eruption occurred in 2014-15, expelling large amounts of materials that spread all over the island. Soils and edible plants were collected all over the island. Pollution indexes reveal contamination in all samples, mostly due to Hg and Ni and with moderate contribution of Co, Cr, Cu and Pb. Mercury is the PTE with higher contribution to the non-carcinogenic hazard quotient, both by soil ingestion and inhalation. Carcinogenic risk exceeds the target risk in all samples with the higher contribution of Ni. Transfer factor from soils to plants decreasing order is Mn > As > Zn > Cr > Cu > Cd > Pb > Ni > Co > Hg, being < 1 except for As and Mn (TF > 1 point to a significant accumulation of elements in edible plants). The hazard risk index and targeted hazard quotient shows that potential negative health outcomes can be induced by As, Cr, Cu, and Zn by consumption of edible plants.

2022-02Journal article

Open access

Highly efficient porous carbons for the removal of W(VI) oxyanion from wastewaters

Publication . Dias, Diogo; Don, Davide; Jandosov, Jakpar; Bernardo, Maria; Pinto, Filomena; Fonseca, Isabel Maria; Sanches, André; Caetano, P. S.; Lyubchyk, Svitlana; Lapa, Nuno

ABSTRACT: Pyrolysis chars derived from rice wastes were chemically activated and used in W(VI) oxyanion adsorption assays in synthetic and mining wastewaters. For comparison purposes, a commercial activated carbon (CAC) was also used. Different experimental conditions were tested in the adsorption assays: solid/liquid ratio (S/L), initial pH, contact time, and initial W concentration. The porous carbon P2C+KOH presented the overall best performance in both media, due to its high surface area (2610 m2 g-1), mesopore volume (1.14 cm3 g-1), and neutral pHpzc (6.92). In the synthetic wastewater, the highest uptake capacity of P2C+KOH (854 mg g-1) was found in the assays with an S/L 0.1 g L-1, an initial pH 2, and an initial W concentration of 150 mg L-1, for 24 h. This value was almost 8 times higher than the one obtained for CAC (113 mg g-1). In the mining wastewater, P2C+KOH showed an even higher uptake capacity (1561 mg g-1) in the assay with the same experimental conditions, which was almost 3 times higher than for CAC (561 mg g-1). These results suggest that P2C+KOH seems to be an efficient alternative to CAC in the W(VI) adsorption from liquid effluents.

2021-06Journal article

Open access

House dusts of a volcanic island: potential impacts on human health

Publication . Candeias, Carla; Ávila, Paula Freire; Cunha, Leandro; Sequeira, Cristina; Rocha, Fernando

ABSTRACT: Fogo island (Cape Verde), has an active volcano that last erupted in 2014-15, with melts mainly alkaline, of basanitic to tephritic composition. Dwellings dust composition is the result of natural and anthropogenic interactions. Nineteen house dusts were collected, in representative dwellings all over the island. Fractions < 2 mm was analyzed by ICP-MS, XRF and XRD and SEM for chemical, mineralogical, and morphological characterization. Mineral phases revealed several minerals linked to the volcanic origin. Iron mean concentration in soils, is above the 2014-105 eruption lava mean. Potentially toxic elements were below Acceptable Values (AV), e.g., As 0.6 to 3.3 mg/kg, except once sample 111 mg/kg (AV = 20 mg/kg); Cd, 0,5-3.6 mg/kg (AV = 3 mg/kg). Elements Ni and V presented concentrations above AV in all samples. But is Ti with concentrations much above AV. Risk assessment (USEPA) found As and Ni over the car cinogenic target Risk in most samples, while systemic toxicity in children is mostly due to Fe, V and Zr concentrations. Higher particles concentration is > 50 µm in diameter, suggesting that bioaccessible fraction might not be high, thus, reducing risk.

2021-11Conference object

Open access