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ACCUMULATION OF MICROELEMENTS IN THE SOIL-PLANT-FOOD-HUMAN SYSTEM

Contact details

Name Accumulation of Microelements in the Soil-Plant-Food-Human System

Acronym MICROTRANS

Logo

Site

Address 76, Victoriei Str., 430122, Baia Mare, Romania

Faculty Department

Faculty of Sciences, Chemistry and Biology Department

Telephone +40 262 276059

Fax +40 262 275368

Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gabriela Oprea

e-mail opreag@yahoo.com

Areas of expertise

Environmental chemistry Assessment of the degree of soil pollution due to microelements content. Determination of microelements in plants. Assessment of the health risk associated with the consumption of plants (vegetables and fruit) cultivated on polluted areas. Mathematical modelling of data; the influence of ionic exchange processes on microelements transfer in the soil-plant system.

Team and key skills

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gabriela Oprea Ed.: Babes Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Faculty of Chemistry, PhD (1982) Competences: Environmental chemistry, Physical and colloidal chemistry, Microelements chemistry, Assessment of health risk in the polluted areas Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zoiţa Berinde Ed.: Babes Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Faculty of Chemistry, PhD (1999) Competences: Organic chemistry, Structure of organic molecules, QSPR/QSAR studies, Didactics of sciences, Didactics of chemistry Cristina Mihali, PhD in Chemistry, lecturer Ed.: Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Babes Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Faculty of Chemistry, PhD (2006) Competences: Physical and chemical analysis of soil and of soil pollutants, Instrumental analysis Claudia Butean (Drinkal), PhD in Environmental Chemistry, lecturer Ed.: Polytechnic University of Bucharest (Romania), Faculty of Inorganic Chemistry. Competences: Instrumental analysis, Equilibrium, kinetics and modeling the ionic exchange in soil, Inorganic chemistry, Environmental chemistry

Infrastructure

-UV-VIS Spectrophotometer T60U, Wavelength range:190-1100 nm, wavelength accuracy: 0,1 nm, light sources: 12V, 20W tungsten lamp and deuterium lamp; detector: silicon photodiode; PC interface via RS 232 link. -Digital pH/mV/ISE –meter Hanna Instruments, PC interface via RS 232 link, range pH: -2 -16; ± 2000 mV; 0,01-19999 ppm, pH electrodes, ion selective electrodes for Cu

2+, Cl

-, Pb

2+ and ammonium ion.

-InoLab 740 Conductivity meter, with automatic temperature compensation and built-in printer equipped with Tetra Con standard conductivity cell. The Conductivity meter performs conductivity, salinity and temperature measurements for water samples, soil extracts or other samples. -Liquid chromatograph KNAUER HPLC with double beam UV/VIS detector; programmable functions include time, wave length, auto-zero, scanning rate: 0,2 -1 nm/sec, absorbance range 0.0005 – 3.000 AUFS, display LCD, flow cell: 12µl with 8 mm optic path, flow range: 0.01 – 10.0 ml/min, maximum pressure: 420 bar, growth rate of eluent flow: 0.01 at 0 -

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0.99 ml/min; 0.1 at1.0 – 10 ml/min; flow precision: < 0.3% RSD at 1 ml/min and 70 bar; flow accuracy: +/-1% at 1 ml/min and 70 bar, HPLC column C18 150x4.6 mm. -GPS (Global position system) provides location of the sampling points.

Development strategy

The research is focused on the following directions: - the scientific knowledge improvement for the food security in general, and especially for understanding the influence of the soil pollution on the amount of pollutants that are transferred in the plants growing on it; - the study and mathematical modeling of transfer factors of microelements from soil to plants; - to draw distribution maps of the microelement contents in soil in the polluted studied areas; the microelements distribution maps highlights the influence of the pollution sources and the distance from which they acts causing harmful effects. -the assessment of the health risk related to the consumer’s exposure to concentrations of microelements in food.

Representative projects

CISPPA, “Interdisciplinary Research Concerning Soil-Plant Correlation, Establishing of Transfer Factors for Areas with Historic Anthropogenic Pollution”, (2008-2011) was a CNMP project in the frame of Program 4, Partnerships in priority areas. The project achieved a complex study concerning the soil pollution with microelements in Baia Mare and Caras –Severin areas comparing with unpolluted areas and established correlations which exist between its pollution and microelement content in vegetables. The human health risk related to the vegetables consumption was established. http://www.ubm.ro/sites/CISPPA_2008/cisppa_2008.html AIBD, “Data Bases Integrate Application for Adapting And Restructuring of Natural and Artificial Environment Protection Factors in Agricultural and Animal Breeding Farms”, (2005-2008) developed the national evaluation, processing and certification system of agricultural data conformity in order to reach comparability with the EU countries, by establishing shared criteria, methods and techniques in research – development units and in terms of technologic transfer, as well as in universities with agricultural or environment protection focus. Thermodynamic and kinetic ion exchange studies involved in environmental protection and green chemistry, Research, (2006-2008) was a Grant CNCSIS Type A. The results of the projects consisted in the experimental determination of H

+/M

+, M

2+ ion exchange isotherms on strong acid resins at constant temperature and constant total

equivalent concentration. These isotherms give the selectivity series for each resin, permit selecting the best resin to remove the sought ion from a specific wastewater and to model the ion exchange processes in multicomponent systems.

Significant results

Articles in ISI rated journals, in the past 5 years: 1. C. Mihali, A. Michnea, G. M. Oprea, I. Gogoasa, C. Pop, M. Senila, L. Grigor, “Trace element contents in soil and

vegetables around the lead smelter in Baia Mare, NW Romania”, Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, JFAE , Helsinki, Finlanda, Vol. 10, Issue 1, 2012, pp. 828 – 834.

2. M. Senila, E. A. Levei, L. Senila, G. M. Oprea, C. Roman, “Mercury in soil and perennial plants in a mining-affected urban area from Northwestern Romania“, Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering , Vol. 47, Issue 4, 2012, pp.614-621.

3. G. M. Oprea, A. M. Michnea, C. Mihali, “Adsorption kinetics of 8-hydroxyquinoline on Smithsonite”, Revue Roumaine de Chimie, Vol. 56, Issue10-11, 2011, pp.1021 – 1027.

4. M. Senila, E. Levei, L. Senila, O. Cadar, G.M. Oprea, C. Roman, “Comparative study of mercury determination in

soil and vegetable by methods based on thermal decomposition-AAS and wet digestion CV-AFS“, Studia Universitatis Babes-Boyai CHEMIA, Vo.l LVI, Issue1, 2011, pp. 27-34.

5. D. M. Bordean, I. Gergen, I. Gogoasa, G. Oprea, L. Pirvulescu, L. M. Alda, S. Alda, M. Harmanescu, “Mathematical Model Evaluation of Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables and Fruits“, Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment , JFAE , Helsinki, Finlanda, Vol.9, Issue 1, 2011, pp.680 – 683.

6. A. M. S. Oancea, C. Drinkal (Butean), W. H. Höll, “Evaluation of ion exchange equilibria on strongly acidic ion exchangers with gel-type, macroporous and macronet structure“, Reactive and Functional Polymers, Vol. 68, Issue 2, 2008, pp. 492-506.

7. Z. Berinde, “Using the topological index ZEP in QSPR studies of alcohols“, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Chemia, Vol. LIV, Issue 4, 2009, pp. 152-163.

8. G. M. Oprea, A. Michnea, E. Cical, C. Mihali, “On the sorbtion of 8-ydroxyquinoline by cerusite“, Revista de chimie, Vol. 60 , Issue 6, 2009, pp.517-521.

9. C. Mihali, G. M. Oprea, E. Cical, “PVC matrix ionic - surfactant selective electrodes based on the ionic pair tetra alkyl-ammonium –laurylsulphate“, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, seria Chemia, Vol. LIV, Issue 3, 2009, pp. 141-150.

10. E. Cical, G. M. Oprea, C. Mihali, L. Ardelean, G. Burtică, L. Lupa, “Systematic studies regarding the introduction of a new product in the flow of drinking water of an atypical surface source“, Revista de chimie, Vol.59, Issue 9, 2008, pp.1030-1035.

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Articles in B+ (BDI) journals, in the past 5 years: 1. G. M. Oprea, C. Mihali , A. Michnea, M. Senila, I. Gogoasa, Z. Vosgan, “Assessment of Lead and Cadmium Content

in the Soils and Plants in Industrial Area“, American Journal of Environmental Sciences, Vol. 7, Issue 5, 2011, pp. 402-408.

2. G. M. Oprea, C. Mihali, A. Michnea, M. Senila, L. Mihalescu, O. Mare, “The traceability of copper and zinc in some vegetables from old mining area in Baia Mare, NW Romania“, Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies, Vol. 17(3), 2011, pp.246-253.

3. G. M. Oprea, A. Michnea, C. Mihali, M. Şenilă, C. Roman, S. Jelea, C. Butean, C. Barz, “Arsenic and Antimony Content in Soil and Plants from Baia Mare Area, Romania“, American Journal of Environmental Sciences, Vol. 6, Issue 1, 2010, pp. 33-40.

4. Z. Berinde, “Matrix mathematical models used in the representation of molecular structures“, Scientific Studies and Research Series Mathematics and Informatics, Vol. 19, Issue 2, 2009, pp.59 – 70.

5. Gogoasa, G. M. Oprea, I. Gergen, E. Alexa, A. Cozma, D. M. Bordean, D. Moigrădean, L. M. Alda, “Researches regarding the soil contamination with heavy metals in the Banat mountains“, Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies, Vol. 15, Issue 1, 2009, pp.172-176.

6. Z. Berinde, “QSPR modelling of molar volume of alkanes using the ZEP topological index“, Creative Math. Inf. Vol. 17, Issue 3, 2008, pp. 308 – 312.

The offer addressed to the economic environment

Research & development in core areas

-Determination of soil characteristics related to the transfer process of the pollutant elements from soil to plants: pH, hydrolytic acidity, cationic exchange capacity, organic matter content (humus), total nitrogen content, mobile phosphorus and potassium, granulometric analysis of soil and clay content. -Studies on the historical and actual pollution sources with different microelements -Studies on the factors that cause bioaccumulation of microelements in plants by uptake from soil (sorption); -Quantifying the impact of microelements in soil on the plants grown in areas with historical anthropogenic pollution and comparison with unpolluted reference areas aiming to establish the real pollution level of the soil.

Research & development in applied fields

-Modeling the transfer factors soil-plant and the traceability of microelements on the food chain soil-plant-food-human. -Human health risk assessment due to the consumption of vegetables and fruit grown in areas polluted with microelements.

Consulting -Assessment of the traceability of microelements within the food chain, a very important aspect for human health as it will increase the safety and security of food products. -Assessment of the real level of soil pollution in different areas defined by the amount of microelements bioavailable to plants -The project will evaluate the health risk related to the consumer’s exposure to the assayed concentrations of microelements and will set-up the real level of pollution according to the microelements bioavailability it contains

Applied engineering services The estimation of the microelements content in plants in specific cases of soil-crop plants by the analysis of microelements content in soil and of the main characteristics of soil using the transfer factors.

Training -Training the students and high school students from Baia Mare and surroundings rural on the negative effects of microelements on soil, living organisms and human health as well as the measures of minimizing the risk to the health. -Training can be done for other cities and localities facing with the microelements soil pollution. -Training the residents in areas with anthropogenic pollution health risk due to the consumption of food (vegetables, fruit) with high content in microelements.

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Fig. 1. Aspects of research activities in the chemistry laboratory. (CISPPA, “Interdisciplinary Research Concerning Soil-Plant Correlation, Establishing of Transfer Factors for Areas

with Historic Anthropogenic Pollution”, (2008-2011), CNMP research project)

23,60 23,61 23,62 23,6347,66

47,67

47,68

47,69

47,70

47,71

Longitudine

Latitu

din

e

0

200,0

400,0

600,0

800,0

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

200023,60 23,61 23,62 23,63

47,66

47,67

47,68

47,69

47,70

47,71

Longitudine

Latitu

din

e

0

275,0

550,0

825,0

1100

1375

1650

1925

2200

Fig. 2. Spatial prediction maps of copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) distribution in topsoil of a polluted area around the lead smelter, Baia Mare zone. (CISPPA, “Interdisciplinary Research Concerning Soil-Plant Correlation, Establishing of Transfer Factors for Areas with Historic Anthropogenic Pollution”, (2008-2011), CNMP research project)

Fig. 3 Participation to “ASMDA 2011” international conference devoted to statistical analysis of environmental data

organized by “La Sapienza” University, Rome, Italy (CISPPA, “Interdisciplinary Research Concerning Soil-Plant Correlation, Establishing of Transfer Factors for Areas

with Historic Anthropogenic Pollution”, (2008-2011), CNMP research project)

Cu, mg/kg Mn, mg/kg