High endemism and stem density distinguish New Caledonian from other high-diversity rainforests in the Southwest Pacific.

Background and Aims: The biodiversity hotspot of New Caledonia is globally renowned for the diversity and endemism of its flora. New Caledonia's tropical rainforests have been reported to have higher stem densities, higher concentrations of relictual lineages and higher endemism than other rainforests. This study investigates whether these aspects differ in New Caledonian rainforests compared to other high-diversity rainforests in the Southwest Pacific. Methods: Plants (with a diameter at breast height ≥10 cm) were surveyed in nine 1-ha rainforest plots across the main island of New Caledonia and compared with 14 1-ha plots in high-diversity rainforests of the Southwest Pacific (in Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands). This facilitated a comparison of stem densities, taxonomic composition and diversity, and species turnover among plots and countries. Key Results: The study inventoried 11 280 stems belonging to 335 species (93 species ha-1 on average) in New Caledonia. In comparison with other rainforests in the Southwest Pacific, New Caledonian rainforests exhibited higher stem density (1253 stems ha-1 on average) including abundant palms and tree ferns, with the high abundance of the latter being unparalleled outside New Caledonia. In all plots, the density of relictual species was ≥10 % for both stems and species, with no discernible differences among countries. Species endemism, reaching 89 % on average, was significantly higher in New Caledonia. Overall, species turnover increased with geographical distance, but not among New Caledonian plots. Conclusions: High stem density, high endemism and a high abundance of tree ferns with stem diameters ≥10 cm are therefore unique characteristics of New Caledonian rainforests. High endemism and high spatial species turnover imply that the current system consisting of a few protected areas is inadequate, and that the spatial distribution of plant species needs to be considered to adequately protect the exceptional flora of New Caledonian rainforests.

Assessment of the efficiency of photocatalysis on tetracycline biodegradation.

The use of photocatalysis to improve the biodegradability of an antibiotic compound, tetracycline (TC) was investigated. The toxicity of TC and its degradation products were also examined. The Sturm test was conducted to assess the biodegradability of by-products formed in the photocatalytic process. The toxicity of tetracycline and its by-products was evaluated using a dehydrogenase inhibition test, which showed a decrease in toxicity during photocatalysis. However, the Sturm test results indicated that, like tetracycline, the by-products are not biodegradable. Possible structures of these by-products were determined using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). It was found that, during the photocatalytic process, the TC aromatic ring is not opened and the structure of the identified by-products is quite similar to that of tetracycline. A reaction pathway is proposed.

Biodegradation of endocrine disrupters: case of 17beta-estradiol and bisphenol A.

The biodegradation of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) and bisphenol A (BPA) was compared to that of a reference pollutant, sodium benzoate (SB), known for its high biodegradability. The biodegradation was measured using the Sturm test (ISO 9439 modified Sturm test). The susceptibility of the target pollutants to be degraded by microorganisms of activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated by the production of carbon dioxide (CO2). Sorption experiments onto inactivated sludge were carried out to assess the contribution of sorption in E2 and BPA removal during biological treatment in a WWTP. E2 was more adsorbed than BPA onto inactivated sludge, probably making it less accessible to assimilation by microorganisms. In fact, E2 was less biodegradable than BPA with 66% and 74% of theoretical CO2 formation (Th(co2)) in 28 days, respectively. However, E2 showed faster biodegradation than BPA due to the shorter adaptation time of the microorganisms to start the assimilation. Final concentrations were measured and revealed that, under Sturm test conditions, E2 was totally removed from the aqueous phase while some traces of BPA were detected. This result could be explained by the lower adsorbability of BPA observed in adsorption experiments onto inactivated sludge. To investigate competition in a bi-component solution, Sturm tests were carried out with BPA/SB and E2/SB. Moreover, the biodegradation curves obtained did not indicate a toxicity of the target compounds towards microorganisms, which rapidly degraded SB. In the case of BPA/SB, an inflection in the curve confirmed the adaptation time of 4-5 days for BPA to be degraded.

Analysis of endocrine disrupting compounds in wastewater and drinking water treatment plants at the nanogram per litre level.

The determination of steroid hormones, alkylphenolic compounds and bisphenol A at the ng l(-1) level in environmental water samples (surface water and WasteWater Treatment Plant samples (WWTP)) is performed by a specific analytical procedure. Pre-concentration by solid-phase extraction conditions was optimized using C18 cartridges for steroid hormones and polymeric Oasis HLB cartridges for phenolic compounds. Identification and quantification were performed using a LCMS/MS system with electrospray ionization in the negative mode for both compound families. For steroid hormones, the need to have limits of detection lower than 0.5 ng l(-1) in WWTP samples led to the improvement of a purification step on silica cartridges. In the case of the phenolic compounds, no purification was required because of their lower estrogenicity. The limits of detection in WWTP effluents ranged between 0.02 ng l(-1)and 0.21 ng l(-1) for steroid hormones and 0.4 and 10.2 ng l(-1) for phenolic compounds. The method was then applied to determine concentrations of the target compounds at each step of a WWTP. The process efficiencies were evaluated. Finally, concentrations were measured in influents and effluents of a Drinking Water Treatment Plant showing the complete removal of estrogenicity.

Photocatalytic oxidation of methyl ethyl ketone over sol-gel and commercial TiO2 for the improvement of indoor air.

This work focuses on the photocatalytic oxidation of gaseous methyl ethyl ketone chosen as a typical indoor air pollutant. Two types of TiO coatings were prepared and deposited on glass plates: one using the commercial Degussa P25 TiO2 and the other one by sol-gel method. The first objective of this study was to compare different ways of preparing thin films of sol-gel TiO2 coated on glass plates, taking into account their general aspect and their photocatalytic efficiency. Several parameters were tested, such as the stabilising agent, the glass type of the support, the number of coatings and the calcination temperature. One of the synthesised materials was then kept to carry out the following study. The study aimed to assess the influence of TiO2 coating types on the effect of water vapour. This was achieved by performing MEK photocatalytic degradation kinetics under two levels of humidity at a fixed temperature. Experimental results were then modelled by the Langmuir-Hinshelwood equation. The obtained parameters gave specific trends in function of the considered catalyst. The second part of this work was to identify MEK degradation byproducts during its photocatalytic oxidation. The main detected intermediate was acetaldehyde, followed by methyl formate. A MEK degradation pathway was then proposed.

Comparison of different TiO2 photocatalysts for the gas phase oxidation of volatile organic compounds.

Gas-solid photocatalyzed oxidation of air contaminants is being explored more and more for possible application to decontamination, purification and deodorization of enclosed atmospheres. Indoor air is characterized by a huge number of pollutants at low concentrations. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) represent the main indoor air pollutants category, and are of great concern since some of them can act negatively on human health. Several treatments exist to reduce VOC concentrations in gaseous effluents, but photocatalytic oxidation appears to be the most appropriate regarding indoor air specific constraints. It is then necessary to develop photocatalysts, which can possibly be used in an application such as indoor air-quality improvement. In the present work, three different TiO2-based materials were studied and compared for the photocatalytic oxidation of a typical pollutant of indoor air: methyl ethyl ketone. Kinetic studies were performed for each material in dry and humid air conditions, and the Langmuir-Hinshelwood model was satisfactorily applied in almost every case. A second approach consisted of determining methyl ethyl ketone degradation by-products. Acetaldehyde was found to be the main gaseous intermediate, and could be taken into account in the general Langmuir-Hinshelwood modeling.

Photocatalytic: oxidation of volatile organic compounds present in airborne environment adjacent to sewage treatment plants.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater in municipal sewage or industrial wastewater treatment plants are often overlooked as sources of exposure to hazardous substances. The impact of such emissions on local airborne environments represents a growing source of scientific, toxicological and public health interest. Actually, VOCs are suspected to be quite dangerous for human health. Some of them belong to the family of odorous compounds and can cause serious annoyance in the neighbourhood of the emission sources. A way to remove VOCs released from sewers and wastewater treatment facilities could be to degrade them by photocatalytic oxidation. TiO2-based photocatalysts are known to be efficient for this kind of application. In the present work TiO2 P25 Degussa was deposited on glass supports. These materials were tested for the degradation of butanone-2 in a photocatalytic reactor. The influence of water vapour (relative humidity) was shown using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic model.

Photochemical processes for atrazine degradation: methodological approach.

Numerous studies have been carried out on s-triazines, and more specifically on atrazine, with the long-term objective of resolving the problems caused by these herbicides: removing them from drinking water. However, applications have remained too limited. So far, processes based on photochemical degradation have been little implemented. We, therefore, investigated the development of photochemical processes, emphasizing their capacity to degrade triazine by photolytic and photocatalytic mode. The study sought to assess the performance of these ssstems. Experiments ts showed that according to a medium pressure mercury source (UV-Vis irradiation), the photolytic degradation of atrazine was very efficient, with a best atrazine degradation half-life shorter that 5 min. The main degradation pathway was deshalogenation. The photocatalytic degradation of atrazine under irradiation over 290 nm in the presence of titanium dioxide was shown to be efficient too, with a half-life of about 20 min. In this case an experimental design was conducted so as to assess the influence of various parameters: pH, water medium, and amount of catalyst. There has been observational evidence for the efficiency of the processes investigated here and for potential technological developments as regards drinking water treatment.

Photocatalytic degradation of atrazine by porphyrin and phthalocyanine complexes.

This study principally focused on a new kind of photochemical reaction catalyst: porphyrin and phthalocyanine complexes. In a first step, the preparation of the catalysts was optimized. A resin has been chosen to be the support of the complexes. Efficiency of catalytic activity is performed on the degradation of a pesticide: atrazine. The best atrazine degradation occurs with 4.6% of complexes versus substrate. The role of the surface has also been shown to be important. Then, their performances were demonstrated in terms of kinetics and degradation routes, compared to a classical catalyst: titanium dioxide. This study seeks to assess the efficiency of these systems both in a mercury lamp reactor and under solar irradiation which reduces energy costs. The best atrazine degradation half-life found for the complexes is about 200 min with the iron phthalocyanine. These catalysts exhibit particular oxidation activities. Indeed, the degradation routes have been found different between the semi-conductor and the metallic complexes. These complexes are able to cleave the triazinic ring more efficiently than the titanium dioxide.