Located in northern Niger, the N70° DASA graben is a trough discovered recently in the Tim Mersoï basin. In this study, a tectonic history of the DASA graben was presented based on the combined use of satellite imagery, field observations and measures, available literature and borehole data. These data were used to analyse the sedimentary facies and the tectonic deformations in the DASA graben, and derive their relative chronology. For this purpose, uplift and rift deformations and their interactions with sedimentation were characterized. Overall, the analyses suggest that the DASA graben was affected from the Carboniferous to the Cretaceous by three major tectonic phases: the first phase was an uplifting stage with extension during the Carboniferous to Permian; the second phase was a rifting stage. The mean extension was ~ N160° and dominantly produced ENE-WSW trending normal faults; and the third phase was a postrift stage. It was characterized by a ~ N130° compression. The structural and sedimentological features defined the DASA graben as a particular type of syn-sedimentary basin evolving from a transpressive tectonic regime during the period ranging from Carboniferous to Permian to an extensive tectonic regime during the period ranging from Triassic to Lower Cretaceous. Thus, the second period marked by an extensional regime would probably be related to the initial stage of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. After this rifting period, the DASA graben was affected by a compressional phase related to the collision between Africa and Europe.

Significant proportions of debris containing pollutants are present in remote and unknown areas of the deep seabed. Although identified amongst the top threats to marine ecosystem and human health, the mechanisms that particulate materials entered rapidly these deep ocean systems are still matter of debate. This study use depicting radiogenic isotopes (Sr, Nd, Pb) to question the relationship between the seabed sediment contamination levels and ambient stratification in the North Atlantic Ocean. On this basis, we studied sedimentary inputs and related mechanisms from more recent sequences collected at three locations representing different deep-sea hydrodynamics along the Reykjanes Ridge. Sm-Nd concentrations, as well as Sm-Nd-Sr-Pb isotopic compositions, were determined in digested and purified fraction of the sediment cores by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS). The Sm-Nd-Sr-Pb data simply reflect the scale of the perturbation of upper part (0-15 cm) of the sequences, which is much more pronounced in east flank than crossing and west bordering ridge areas. The Pb-Pb systematics show that the intensity of water mass mixing modulates degree of contamination and induced the modal transport of detrital major transport processes of pollutant downwards to the sediments are proposed: (i) sediments entrainment in the eastern flank and over ridge axis primarily dominated by vertical flux of particulates controlled by repackage and dislocation by strong mechanical mixing; and (ii) in the west flank, advection of abyssal waters, due to well-stratified mixing layer, provides particulates from the NEADW1 and DSOW.

The wastewater from hollow titanium silicate (HTS) zeolite consists essentially of high concentrations of COD and salt, and low ammonia-nitrogen concentrations (or high, sometimes). These chemical pollutants are produced in very large quantities during oil refining and are very difficult to manage on site. In addition, they can be very harmful to the environment when released without any treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate, on the one hand, the feasibility of removing the COD from HTS wastewater using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and, on the other hand, to test the combined effect of nitrification and denitrification under different conditions of treatment on the elimination of Total Nitrogen (TN) from HTS wastewater containing a high concentration of ammonia-nitrogen. SBR intermittent domestication tests of sludge have been successfully carried out with wastewater from a municipal treatment plant with a COD removal rate of 87%. Subsequently, HTS wastewater containing high concentrations of COD was treated by this SBR system. After three months of operation, the efficiency of COD elimination fluctuated between 47% and 67%. Therefore this result could serve as a precursor to a possible second COD bioprocessing. The results obtained during nitrification of the same HTS molecular sieves wastewater with low C/N ratio gave, under an operating temperature below 10˚C (winter conditions), less than 16% of total nitrogen (TN) removal. When the temperature was increased to 40˚C, the TN removal efficiency remained worse.