TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of tungsten on environmental systems
AU - Strigul, Nikolay
AU - Koutsospyros, Agamemnon
AU - Arienti, Per
AU - Christodoulatos, Christos
AU - Dermatas, Dimitris
AU - Braida, Washington
PY - 2005/10
Y1 - 2005/10
N2 - Tungsten is a metal with many industrial and military applications, including manufacturing of commercial and military ammunition. Despite its widespread use, the potential environmental effects of tungsten are essentially unknown. This study addresses environmental effects of particulate and soluble forms of tungsten, and to a minor extent certain tungsten alloy components, present in some munitions formulations. Dissolution of tungsten powder significantly acidifies soils. Tungsten powder mixed with soils at rates higher than 1% on a mass basis, trigger changes in soil microbial communities resulting in the death of a substantial portion of the bacterial component and an increase of the fungal biomass. It also induces the death of red worms and plants. These effects appear to be related with the soil acidification occurring during tungsten dissolution. Dissolved tungsten species significantly decrease microbial yields by as much as 38% for a tungsten media concentration of 89 mg l-1. Soluble tungsten concentrations as low as 10-5 mg l-1, cause a decrease in biomass production by 8% which is possibly related to production of stress proteins. Plants and worms take up tungsten ions from soil in significant amounts while an enrichment of tungsten in the plant rhizosphere is observed. These results provide an indication that tungsten compounds may be introduced into the food chain and suggest the possibility of development of phytoremediation-based technologies for the cleanup of tungsten contaminated sites.
AB - Tungsten is a metal with many industrial and military applications, including manufacturing of commercial and military ammunition. Despite its widespread use, the potential environmental effects of tungsten are essentially unknown. This study addresses environmental effects of particulate and soluble forms of tungsten, and to a minor extent certain tungsten alloy components, present in some munitions formulations. Dissolution of tungsten powder significantly acidifies soils. Tungsten powder mixed with soils at rates higher than 1% on a mass basis, trigger changes in soil microbial communities resulting in the death of a substantial portion of the bacterial component and an increase of the fungal biomass. It also induces the death of red worms and plants. These effects appear to be related with the soil acidification occurring during tungsten dissolution. Dissolved tungsten species significantly decrease microbial yields by as much as 38% for a tungsten media concentration of 89 mg l-1. Soluble tungsten concentrations as low as 10-5 mg l-1, cause a decrease in biomass production by 8% which is possibly related to production of stress proteins. Plants and worms take up tungsten ions from soil in significant amounts while an enrichment of tungsten in the plant rhizosphere is observed. These results provide an indication that tungsten compounds may be introduced into the food chain and suggest the possibility of development of phytoremediation-based technologies for the cleanup of tungsten contaminated sites.
KW - Environmental impact
KW - Plant growth
KW - Toxicity
KW - Tungsten
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=24944438283&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=24944438283&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.01.083
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.01.083
M3 - Article
C2 - 16168748
AN - SCOPUS:24944438283
SN - 0045-6535
VL - 61
SP - 248
EP - 258
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
IS - 2
ER -