Dataset Information

Tracking the spatiotemporal variations of statistically independent components involving enrichment of rare-earth elements in deep-sea sediments.

ABSTRACT: Deep-sea sediments have attracted much attention as a promising resource for rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY). In this study, we show statistically independent components characterising REY-enrichment in the abyssal ocean that are decoded by Independent Component Analysis of a multi-elemental dataset of 3,968 bulk sediment samples from 101 sites in the Pacific and Indian oceans. This study for the first time reconstructs the spatiotemporal variations of the geochemical signatures, including hydrothermal, hydrogenous, and biogenic calcium phosphate components that were closely involved in the formation of REY-rich mud over the past 65 million years. An underlying key factor of significant REY-enrichment is a sufficiently low sedimentation rate that enables the mud to accumulate REY from seawater. In the early Cenozoic, a remarkably small supply of aeolian dust, compared with any other time and region, facilitated the deposition of very high-grade REY-rich mud in the South Pacific. This indicates an important link between the genesis of the seafloor mineral resources and Earth's dynamic phenomena such as climate change and plate tectonics.

SUBMITTER: Yasukawa K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4957207 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Tracking the spatiotemporal variations of statistically independent components involving enrichment of rare-earth elements in deep-sea sediments.

Yasukawa Kazutaka K Nakamura Kentaro K Fujinaga Koichiro K Iwamori Hikaru H Kato Yasuhiro Y

Scientific reports 20160722

Deep-sea sediments have attracted much attention as a promising resource for rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY). In this study, we show statistically independent components characterising REY-enrichment in the abyssal ocean that are decoded by Independent Component Analysis of a multi-elemental dataset of 3,968 bulk sediment samples from 101 sites in the Pacific and Indian oceans. This study for the first time reconstructs the spatiotemporal variations of the geochemical signatures, including ...[more]

PMID: 27444949

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Project description:The objective of this study was to analyse spatial variability of the trace elements (TEs) and rare earth elements (REEs) concentration in lake bottom sediments in Bory Tucholskie National Park (BTNP); Poland. The following research questions were posed: which factors have a fundamental impact on the concentration and spatial variability of elements in bottom sediments, which of the elements can be considered as indicators of natural processes and which are related to anthropogenic sources. The research material was sediments samples collected from 19 lakes. The concentrations of 24 TEs and 14 REEs were determined. The analyses were carried out using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ). Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to determine the spatial variability of the TEs and REEs concentrations, indicate the elements that are the indicators of natural processes and identify potential anthropogenic sources of pollution. The geochemical background value (GBV) calculations were made using 13 different statistical methods. However, the contamination of bottom sediments was evaluated by means of the index of geo-accumulation, the enrichment factor, the pollution load index, and the metal pollution index. The BTNP area is unique because of its isolation from the inflow of pollutants from anthropogenic sources and a very stable land use structure over the last 200 years. This study shows high variability of TE and REE concentrations in lake sediments. The values of geochemical indices suggest low pollution of lakes bottom sediments. It was found that TEs originated mainly from geogenic sources. However, the concentrations of Li, Ni, Sc, Se, Be, Se, Ag, Re, Tl, Cd, Sb and U may be related to the impact of point sources found mainly in the Ostrowite Lake. Almost all REEs concentrations were strongly correlated and their presence was linked to with geochemical processes. The elements allowing to identify natural processes and anthropogenic pollution sources were Cr, Co, Cu, Ag, Cd, Zn, Bi, Re, Ba, Al and Rb in TEs group and Nd, Gd, Yb, Lu, Eu, Dy and Ce in REEs group. The analysis shows high spatial variability of TE and REE concentrations in lake sediments. The values of geochemical indices point to low pollution of lakes sediments. The anthropogenic sources only for two lakes had an impact on concentrations of selected TEs and REEs. The analyses allowed to identify elements among TEs and REEs documenting geochemical processes and those indicating anthropogenic sources of pollution.

Project description:In the recovery of rare earth elements (REE) microbial biosorption has shown its theoretical ability as an extremely economically and environmentally friendly production method in the last few years. To evaluate the ability of two cyanobacterial strains, namely Anabaena spec. and Anabaena cylindrica to enrich dissolved trivalent REE, a simple protocol was followed. The REE tested in this study include some of the most prominent representatives, such as europium (Eu), samarium (Sm) and neodymium (Nd). Within the experiments, a fast decrease of the REE3+ concentration in solution was tracked by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). It revealed an almost complete (>99%) biosorption of REE3+ within the first hour after the addition of metal salts. REE3+ uptake by biomass was checked using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and showed that all three selected REE3+ species were enriched in the cyanobacterial biomass and the process is assigned to a biosorption process. Although the biomass stayed alive during the experiments, up to that, a distinction whether the REE3+ was intra- or extracellularly sorbed was not possible, since biosorption is a metabolism independent process which occurs on living as well as non-living biomass. For europium it was shown by TEM that electron dense particles, presumably europium particles with particle sizes of about 15 nm, are located inside the vegetative cyanobacterial cells. This gave clear evidence that Eu3+ was actively sorbed by living cyanobacteria. Eu3+ biosorption by cell wall precipitation due to interaction with extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) could therefore be excluded. Finally, with XRD analysis it was shown that the detected europium particles had an amorphous instead of a crystalline structure. Herein, we present a fast biosorptive enrichment of the rare earth elements europium, samarium and neodymium by Anabaena spec. and Anabaena cylindrica and for the first time the subsequent formation of intracellular europium particles by Anabaena spec.

Dataset Information

Tracking the spatiotemporal variations of statistically independent components involving enrichment of rare-earth elements in deep-sea sediments.

Publications

Tracking the spatiotemporal variations of statistically independent components involving enrichment of rare-earth elements in deep-sea sediments.

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