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Long-term pollution by chlordecone of tropical volcanic soils in the French West Indies: New insights and improvement of previous predictions Full text
2022
Comte, Irina | Pradel, Alice | Grabit, Armand | Mottes, Charles | Pak, Lai-Ting | Cattan, Philippe
Chlordecone (CLD), was widely applied in banana fields in the French West Indies from 1972 to 1993. The WISORCH model was constructed to assess soil contamination by CLD and estimated that it lasts from 100 to 600 years, depending on leaching intensity and assuming no degradation. However, recent studies demonstrated that CLD is degraded in the environment, hence questioning the reliability of previous estimations. This paper shows how to improve the model and provides insights into the long-term dissipation of CLD. In-situ observations were made in nearly 2545 plots between 2001 and 2020, and 17 plots were sampled at two dates. Results of soil analyses showed an unexpected 4-fold decrease in CLD concentrations in the soil, in contrast to simulations made using the first version of WISORCH at the time. Neither erosion, nor CLD leaching explained these discrepancies. In a top-down modeling approach, these new observations of CLD concentrations led us to implement a new dissipation process in the WISORCH model that corresponds to a DT50 dissipation half-life of 5 years. The new version of the improved model allowed us to update the prediction of the persistence of soil pollution, with soil decontamination estimated for the 2070s. This development calls for re-evaluation of soil pollution status. Further validation of the new version of WISORCH is needed so it can contribute to crop management on contaminated soil.
Show more [+] Less [-]Fate of chlordecone in soil food webs in a banana agroecosystem in Martinique Full text
2024
Coulis, Mathieu | Senecal, Julie | Devriendt-Renault, Yoann | Guérin, Thierry | Parinet, Julien | Pak, Lai-Ting
Large quantities of chlordecone-based insecticides were produced and used throughout the world. One of its most important uses was to control the damage caused by Cosmopolites sordidus in banana-growing regions. In the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, 18,000 ha of farmland are potentially contaminated. Despite the key role played by soil macrofauna in agroecosystems, there are currently no data on their contamination. The aim of this study was to explore the fate of chlordecone (CLD) and its transfer to different organisms of the soil food web. Seven species of invertebrates representing different taxonomic groups and trophic levels of the soil communities of Martinique were targeted and collected in six experimental banana fields, with a level of contamination within a range of values classically observed. Soil samples and macrofauna from the study sites were analysed for CLD and chlordecol (CLDOH) its main transformation product. The contamination of the soil fauna were related to δ15N (trophic level), proportion of soil ingestion (diet) and types of epidermis (mucus or exoskeleton) in order to study the different mechanisms of macrofauna contamination. Presence of CLD and CLDOH could be quantified in all the soil organisms from contaminated fields. Results showed a significant relationship between the CLD contamination of detritivorous and the ash content of their faeces, suggesting that soil ingestion was the main contamination pathway. In contrast, the exoskeleton-bearing diplopod Trigoniulus coralinus and the soft-bodied earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae, both detritivores with a comparable diet, had similar contamination levels, suggesting that the type of tegument has little influence on bioaccumulation. At the scale of the entire trophic network, a significant relationship was uncovered between δ15N values and CLD contamination of the fauna, therefore providing some in situ evidence for a bioamplification process along the soil food chain.
Show more [+] Less [-]Analysis of surface water reveals land pesticide contamination: An application for the determination of chlordecone-polluted areas in Guadeloupe, French West Indies Full text
2020
Rochette, Romain | Bonnal, Vincent | Andrieux, Patrick | Cattan, Philippe
In Guadeloupe, the use between 1972 and 1993 of chlordecone, an organochlorine insecticide, has permanently contaminated the island's soil, thus contaminating the food chain at its very beginning. There is today a strong societal requirement for an improved mapping of the contaminated zones. Given the extent of the areas to be covered, carrying out soil tests on each plot of the territory would be a long and expensive process. In this article, we explore a method of demarcating polluted areas. The approach adopted consists in carrying out, using surface water analyses, a hydrological delimitation that makes it possible to distinguish contaminated watersheds from uncontaminated ones. The selection of sampling points was based on the spatial analysis of the actual and potential contamination data existing at the beginning of the study. The approach was validated by soil analyses, after having compared the contamination data of the watersheds with the soil contamination data of the plots within them. The study thus made it possible to highlight new contaminated areas and also those at risk of contamination and to identify the plots to be targeted as a priority during future analysis campaigns by State services.
Show more [+] Less [-]A Bayesian network approach for the identification of relationships between drivers of chlordecone bioaccumulation in plants Full text
2019
Liber, Yohan | Cornet, Denis | Tournebize, Régis | Feidt, Cyril | Mahieu, Maurice | Laurent, François | Bedell, Jean-Philippe
A Bayesian network approach for the identification of relationships between drivers of chlordecone bioaccumulation in plants Full text
2019
Liber, Yohan | Cornet, Denis | Tournebize, Régis | Feidt, Cyril | Mahieu, Maurice | Laurent, François | Bedell, Jean-Philippe
Plants were sampled from four different types of chlordecone-contaminated land in Guadeloupe (West Indies). The objective was to investigate the importance of biological and agri-environmental parameters in the ability of plants to bioaccumulate chlordecone. Among the plant traits studied, only the growth habit significantly affected chlordecone transfer, since prostrate plants concentrated more chlordecone than erect plants. In addition, intensification of land use has led to a significant increase in the amount of chlordecone absorbed by plants. The use of Bayesian networks uncovers some hypothesis and identifies paths for reflection and possible studies to identify and quantify relationships that explain our data.
Show more [+] Less [-]A Bayesian network approach for the identification of relationships between drivers of chlordecone bioaccumulation in plants Full text
2020
Liber, Yohan | Cornet, Denis | Tournebize, Régis | Feidt, Cyril | Mahieu, Maurice | Laurent, François | Bedell, Jean-Philippe
Plants were sampled from four different types of chlordecone-contaminated land in Guadeloupe (West Indies). The objective was to investigate the importance of biological and agri-environmental parameters in the ability of plants to bioaccumulate chlordecone. Among the plant traits studied, only the growth habit significantly affected chlordecone transfer, since prostrate plants concentrated more chlordecone than erect plants. In addition, intensification of land use has led to a significant increase in the amount of chlordecone absorbed by plants. The use of Bayesian networks uncovers some hypothesis and identifies paths for reflection and possible studies to identify and quantify relationships that explain our data. Graphical abstract
Show more [+] Less [-]A Bayesian network approach for the identification of relationships between drivers of chlordecone bioaccumulation in plants Full text
2020
Liber, Yohan | Cornet, Denis | Tournebize, Régis | Feidt, Cyril | Mahieu, Maurice | Laurent, Francois | Bedell, Jean-Philippe | Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA) ; Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL) ; Université de Lyon-Université de Lyon-École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | ToxAlim (ToxAlim) ; Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse (ENVT) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Ecole d'Ingénieurs de Purpan (INP - PURPAN) ; Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP) ; Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Amélioration génétique et adaptation des plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales (UMR AGAP) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro - Montpellier SupAgro ; Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro) | Département Systèmes Biologiques (Cirad-BIOS) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Agrosystèmes tropicaux (ASTRO) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Unité de Recherches Animal et Fonctionnalités des Produits Animaux (URAFPA) ; Université de Lorraine (UL)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | Unité de Recherches Zootechniques (URZ) ; Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE) | This study was funded by convention DRTT2017-162-68 of the prefectures of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the framework of the Plan Chlordecone III. | ANR-16-CE21-0008,INSSICCA,Stratégies innovantes pour sécuriser les systèmes d'élevage dans les zones contaminées par la chlordécone. Une approche modèle développée dans les Antilles et applicable dans les zones contaminées à l'échelle mondiale(2016)
International audience | Plants were sampled from four different types of chlordecone-contaminated land in Guadeloupe (West Indies). The objective was to investigate the importance of biological and agri-environmental parameters in the ability of plants to bioaccumulate chlordecone. Among the plant traits studied, only the growth habit significantly affected chlordecone transfer, since prostrate plants concentrated more chlordecone than erect plants. In addition, intensification of land use has led to a significant increase in the amount of chlordecone absorbed by plants. The use of Bayesian networks uncovers some hypothesis and identifies paths for reflection and possible studies to identify and quantify relationships that explain our data.
Show more [+] Less [-]Physico-chemical and agronomic results of soil remediation by In Situ Chemical Reduction applied to a chlordecone-contaminated nitisol at plot scale in a French Caribbean banana plantation Full text
2020
Mouvet, Christophe | Collet, Bastien | Gaude, Jean-Marie | Rangon, Luc | Bristeau, Sébastien | Senergues, Mathilde | Lesueur-Jannoyer, Magalie | Jestin, Alexandra | Hellal, Jennifer | Woignier, Thierry
The In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) process was tested in a nitisol in a French Caribbean banana plantation using five different soil amendments. The addition of 2.8% or 4.0% of Zero Valent Iron (ZVI; dw/dw, 2 different trial plots) in the 0–40-cm soil layer lowered the initial chlordecone (CLD) concentration by up to 74% or 69% in 37 days or 94 days, with 75% of the decrease achieved after only 21 or 24 days of treatment depending on the trial plot. The addition of commercially available Daramend® was also tested by applying the 6% dose (dw/dw) recommended by the manufacturer and using either the regular alfalfa-based product or a bagasse-based product specifically formulated for the study. Both significantly lowered CLD concentrations, but to a lesser extent than with the ZVI-only amendment. A bagasse-ZVI mixture prepared on site produced results slightly better than the two Daramend®. The percentage decreases in CLD concentrations were correlated with the negative redox potentials achieved. In all the trial plots, dechlorinated transformation products appeared in the soil and soil water as the CLD concentrations decreased, with H atoms replacing up to 4 and 7 of the 10 Cl atoms, respectively. None of these degradation products appeared to accumulate in the soil or soil water during the treatment. Instead, the reverse occurred, with an overall downward trend in their concentrations over time. The effects of ISCR treatment on agronomic and human health–related parameters were measured in three different crops. The radishes produced with some treatments were visually of lower quality or smaller in size than those grown in the control plots. Lower yields were observed for the cucumbers and sweet potatoes grown after applying the bagasse-based amendments. Mortality among cucumber seedlings was observed after treatment with ZVI only. Simple operational solutions should suffice to remedy these negative agronomic effects. As regards human health–related effects, the CLD concentrations in radishes grown with three of the amendments were significantly lower than in the two control plots and well below the maximum residue level (MRL), which was substantially exceeded in the radishes grown on untreated soil. For cucumbers, the treatments with regular Daramend® and with a local bagasse-ZVI mixture produced fruits with CLD below the MRL and also below the concentrations in one of the two control plots. As for the sweet potatoes, adding a bagasse-ZVI mixture had a significant positive effect by decreasing contamination below the levels in the two control plots and below the MRL.
Show more [+] Less [-]The pesticide chlordecone is trapped in the tortuous mesoporosity of allophane clays Full text
2018
Woignier, Thierry | Clostre, Florence | Fernandes, Paula | Soler, Alain | Rangon, Luc | Sastre-Conde, Maria Isabel | Jannoyer-Lesueur, Magalie
The pesticide chlordecone is trapped in the tortuous mesoporosity of allophane clays Full text
2018
Woignier, Thierry | Clostre, Florence | Fernandes, Paula | Soler, Alain | Rangon, Luc | Sastre-Conde, Maria Isabel | Jannoyer-Lesueur, Magalie
Some volcanic soils like andosols contain short-range order nanoclays (allophane) which build aggregates with a tortuous and fractal microstructure. The aim of the work was to study the influence of the microstructure and mesoporosity of the allophane aggregates on the pesticide chlordecone retention in soils. Our study shows that the allophane microstructure favors pollutants accumulation and sequestration in soils. We put forth the importance of the mesoporous microstructure of the allophane aggregates for pollutant trapping in andosols. We show that the soil contamination increases with the allophane content but also with the mesopore volume, the tortuosity, and the size of the fractal aggregate. Moreover, the pore structure of the allophane aggregates at nanoscale favors the pesticide retention. The fractal and tortuous aggregates of nanoparticles play the role of nanolabyrinths. It is suggested that chlordecone storage in allophanic soils could be the result of the low transport properties (permeability and diffusion) in the allophane aggregates. The poor accessibility to the pesticide trapped in the mesopore of allophane aggregates could explain the lower pollutant release in the environment. (Résumé d'auteur)
Show more [+] Less [-]The pesticide chlordecone is trapped in the tortuous mesoporosity of allophane clays Full text
2018
Woignier, Thierry | Clostre, Florence | Fernandes, Paula | Soler, Alain | Rangon, Luc | Sastre-Conde, Maria Isabel | Lesueur Jannoyer, Magalie
Some volcanic soils like andosols contain short-range order nanoclays (allophane) which build aggregates with a tortuous and fractal microstructure. The aim of the work was to study the influence of the microstructure and mesoporosity of the allophane aggregates on the pesticide chlordecone retention in soils. Our study shows that the allophane microstructure favors pollutants accumulation and sequestration in soils. We put forth the importance of the mesoporous microstructure of the allophane aggregates for pollutant trapping in andosols. We show that the soil contamination increases with the allophane content but also with the mesopore volume, the tortuosity, and the size of the fractal aggregate. Moreover, the pore structure of the allophane aggregates at nanoscale favors the pesticide retention. The fractal and tortuous aggregates of nanoparticles play the role of nanolabyrinths. It is suggested that chlordecone storage in allophanic soils could be the result of the low transport properties (permeability and diffusion) in the allophane aggregates. The poor accessibility to the pesticide trapped in the mesopore of allophane aggregates could explain the lower pollutant release in the environment.
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