Dispersion of natural arsenic in the Malcantone watershed, Southern Switzerland: field evidence for repeated sorption–desorption and oxidation–reduction processes

Pfeifer, Hans-Rudolf; Gueye-Girardet, Anne; Reymond, D. Justus; Schlegel, C.; Temgoua, Émile; Hesterberg, Dean; Chou, Jeff W.

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2004.01.009

Cited by 58 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 64 publications

(79 reference statements)

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“…High concentrations of arsenic in groundwater can be found in almost every continent, affecting countries such as Canada, United States of America, Argentina and more drastically Bangladesh (Brunt et al, 2004). Recently, it has been shown that in some Swiss regions the content of arsenic-rich ores is leading to elevated concentrations of soluble arsenic in groundwater (Pfeifer et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrochemical As(III) whole-cell based biochip sensor

Cortés‐Salazar

Beggah

Meer

et al. 2013

Biosensors and Bioelectronics

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a b s t r a c tThe development of a whole-cell based sensor for arsenite detection coupling biological engineering and electrochemical techniques is presented. This strategy takes advantage of the natural Escherichia coli resistance mechanism against toxic arsenic species, such as arsenite, which consists of the selective intracellular recognition of arsenite and its pumping out from the cell. A whole-cell based biosensor can be produced by coupling the intracellular recognition of arsenite to the generation of an electrochemical signal. Hereto, E. coli was equipped with a genetic circuit in which synthesis of beta-galactosidase is under control of the arsenite-derepressable arsR-promoter. The E. coli reporter strain was filled in a microchip containing 16 independent electrochemical cells (i.e. two-electrode cell), which was then employed for analysis of tap and groundwater samples. The developed arsenic-sensitive electrochemical biochip is easy to use and outperforms state-of-the-art bacterial bioreporters assays specifically in its simplicity and response time, while keeping a very good limit of detection in tap water, i.e. 0.8 ppb. Additionally, a very good linear response in the ranges of concentration tested (0.94 ppb to 3.75 ppb, R 2 ¼0.9975 and 3.75 ppb to 30 ppb, R 2 ¼0.9991) was obtained, complying perfectly with the acceptable arsenic concentration limits defined by the World Health Organization for drinking water samples (i.e. 10 ppb). Therefore, the proposed assay provides a very good alternative for the portable quantification of As (III) in water as corroborated by the analysis of natural groundwater samples from Swiss mountains, which showed a very good agreement with the results obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrochemical As(III) whole-cell based biochip sensor

Cortés‐Salazar

Beggah

Meer

et al. 2013

Biosensors and Bioelectronics

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“…While lead, mercury, and other divalent heavy metals tend to be most soluble under acidic conditions, both inorganic As(V) and As(III) may also be very soluble in circumneutral and alkaline waters (Williams, 2001, 267;Pfeifer et al, 2004;Welch et al, 2000, 594;Razo et al, 2004). In some cases, the weathering of pyrite produces iron (oxy)(hydr)oxides that effectively sorb arsenic from mildly acidic to neutral mine drainage (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002, 524).…”

Section: Mine Drainage Properties and Neutralizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iron (oxy)(hydr)oxides are especially important and effective in both natural and artificial systems (Chapters 2 and 7). In nature, iron (oxy)(hydr)oxides sorb and/or coprecipitate arsenic in a wide variety of environments, including mine drainage Nesbitt and Muir, 1998), erupting hydrothermal vents at sea floor spreading ridges Canet et al, 2003), hot springs (Le Guern et al, 2003), marine water and sediments (Chaillou et al, 2003;Santosa et al, 1996), estuaries and fjords (Mucci et al, 2000;Abdullah, Shiyu and Mosgren, 1995), lakes (Ford, Wilkin and Hernandez, 2006;Viollier et al, 1995;Senn and Hemond, 2002), streams (Fuller and Davis, 1989;Pfeifer et al, 2004;Nimick et al, 2003;Mok and Wai, 1994), and porewaters in aerated sediments and soils (Widerlund and Ingri, 1995;McLaren, Magharaj and Naidu, 2006). Fe(III) oxyhydroxides, in particular, may contain up to 76 000 mg kg −1 of arsenic (Pichler, Veizer and Hall, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arsenic in Natural Environments

Henke

2009

Arsenic

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“…Percolating rain water easily oxidizes them (Fig. 1), resulting in the formation of aqueous As(V)-anions (H 2 AsO 4 − , HAsO 4 2− , Brookins, 1988;Vink, 1996;Pfeifer et al, 2004) and solid As-bearing phases such as scorodite. The anions can in turn be adsorbed by positively charged solid surfaces such as clay edges, Feand Al-oxy-hydroxides and related chelating organic matter (Smith et al, 1998;Halter and Pfeifer, 2001;Goldberg, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%