High nutrient loading and climatic parameters influence the dominance and dissimilarity of toxigenic cyanobacteria in northern bays of Lake Victoria

Eutrophication of Lake Victoria led to changes in its phytoplankton communities. However, different levels of eutrophication exist in the open lake and the bays, and between embayments. This study utilized spatial and temporal sampling of Napoleon Gulf and Murchison Bay, exhibiting different trophic conditions. Over one year, we investigated phytoplankton biomass, richness, diversity and dissimilarity, and related the dynamics of the dominant species to the limnological and climatic conditions. The results confirmed that Napoleon Gulf and Murchison Bay showed large differences in eutrophication status, with lower nutrient concentrations in Napoleon Gulf than in Murchison Bay, where a strong gradient was observed from inshore to offshore areas. These nutrient dynamics resulted in a 4 to 10 fold higher chlorophyll-a in Murchison Bay than in Napoleon Gulf. From the embayments, 135 phytoplankton taxa were recorded with no significant differences in alpha diversity. However, high dissimilarity in community structure was observed in beta diversity, mostly due to a turnover among the dominant toxigenic species. Thus, from a similar species pool, there was a shift in the dominant toxigenic cyanobacteria from Microcystis flos-aquae and M. aeruginosa in Murchison Bay, Dolichospermum circinale and Planktolyngbya circumcreta in Napoleon Gulf to D. circinale in the offshore stations. These cyanobacteria are toxigenic taxa with known health hazards. Using partial least square models, we showed that both climatic variables (e.g. wind, solar radiation) and levels of inorganic dissolved nutrients (e.g. SRP, NO₃^–, and NH₄⁺) are the main drivers of differences and dominance in cyanobacteria communities in northern Lake Victoria.     

Cathodic electrodeposition of cerium-based oxides on carbon steel from concentrated cerium nitrate solutions: Part I. Electrochemical and analytical characterisation

In this work the elaboration by cathodic electrodeposition of cerium-based oxides on carbon steel from relatively concentrated cerium nitrate solutions is investigated. In particular, the study presented here (Part I) focuses on the electrochemical and analytical characterisation of the films and on the correlations between the electrochemical features and the characteristics of the layers. The effect of other parameters such as concentration, temperature, pH and additives to improve the behaviour of the film against corrosion will be investigated in part II of the study.The electrochemical characterisation will reveal that Ce(IV)–steel interactions can be responsible for some weak electrochemical waves appearing in the cyclic voltammograms that often are attributed to oxygen or nitrates reduction. This results from the oxidation of Ce(III) solutions to Ce(IV) in contact with air. Furthermore, the deposits strongly depend on the applied current density. Low current densities do not render fully covering deposits on the steel and a carbonated green rust will appear. On the contrary, the increase of the current density leads to denser layers of relatively small crystallite size that readily covers the steel surface. The deposits have a needle-like morphology and the Ce content achieves a plateau of about 20–22 at.%. However, a significant network of cracks appears probably occurring during the deposition process itself. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicate that the deposits are not fully crystalline after 550 °C in contrast with the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns that unambiguously show a fluorite-type CeO₂ phase whose crystallite size decreases with increasing the current density. The rinsing medium also brings about different features of the films. Rinsing with water allows to incorporate more nitrates and to adsorb CO₂ than when rinsing with ethanol. However, R-OH bonds will be trapped in the latter.     

Electrochemical boron-doped diamond film microcells micromachined with femtosecond laser: application to the determination of water framework directive metals

Planar electrochemical microcells were micromachined in a microcrystalline boron-doped diamond (BDD) thin layer using a femtosecond laser. The electrochemical performances of the new laser-machined BDD microcell were assessed by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) determinations, at the nanomolar level, of the four heavy metal ions of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD): Cd(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Hg(II). The results are compared with those of previously published BDD electrodes. The calculated detection limits are 0.4, 6.8, 5.5, and 2.3 nM, and the linearities go up to 35, 97, 48, and 5 nM for, respectively, Cd(II), Ni(II) Pb(II), and Hg(II). The detection limits meet with the environmental quality standard of the WFD for three of the four metals. It was shown that the four heavy metals could be detected simultaneously in the concentration ratio usually measured in sewage or runoff waters.     

Corrosion behaviour of molybdate–phosphate–silicate coatings on galvanized steel

In this work, a Cr-free conversion layer based on molybdate–phosphate–silicate (MPS) was synthesised on a galvanized steel by simple immersion and its corrosion behaviour was compared to that of a typical chromate layer. Stationary electrochemical techniques and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to highlight the corrosion mechanisms of both coatings in different NaCl concentrations, immersion times and pH. Contrary to the chromate layer, the MPS coating showed good electrochemical stability even in concentrated NaCl solutions and remarkable electrochemical efficiency. With increasing time, two corrosion stages were associated with the two likely sublayers of the MPS coating. Furthermore, the MPS coating behaved better than the chromate layer in acidic and alkaline pH, especially the latter as a compact corrosion product layer formed. Finally, each coating/electrolyte interface was characterised by an electrical equivalent circuit giving a satisfactory correlation between the experimental and the calculated impedance. It derived that the MPS could be an environmentally friendly alternative to chromating.     

Investigation of electrodeposited cerium oxide based films on carbon steel and of the induced formation of carbonated green rusts

Cerium oxide based films on carbon steel were deposited using a cathodic electrodeposition approach and from relatively concentrated solutions. The effects of the relatively high cerium nitrate concentrations (0.1 and 0.25 M) and of applied current density (0.25 mA cm⁻² ? j ? 3 mA cm⁻²) on the composition and microstructure of the films were thoroughly investigated with the support of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. The results showed that the use of 0.25 M solutions brought about immediate formation of the films compared to the 0.1 M. As the applied current density was increased, the time elapsed for achieving a stabilisation of the potential decreased. Also, the CeO₂ crystallite size decreased with increasing applied current density. However, at high cathodic current densities, the crystallite size was similar regardless of the concentration, hence suggesting that the precipitation mechanisms became predominant. CeO₂ was the major species deposited on carbon steel. Ce(OH)₃ was also well distinguished in the deposits elaborated from 0.25 M solutions. Both concentrations led to the formation of a carbonated green rust in which some carbonates were probably replaced by nitrate anions. The mechanisms of formation of the green rust and its evolution with time are also elucidated in this work.     

Electrodeposition of ceria-based layers on zinc electroplated steel

CeO₂ layers were electrodeposited on a Zn-electroplated steel from relatively high concentrations of cerium nitrate. Increasing the current density resulted in a better coverage of the surface but cracks also appeared. Partial dissolution of the substrate occurred, but no defined conversion layer was observed by SEM. XRD, Raman and FT-IR indicated however the formation of zinc hydroxides and hydrozincite as corrosion products. The addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) limited such dissolution. DSC results showed that PEG was trapped in the coating. This limited the reduction of water, hence to decrease the number of cracks. The coatings microstructure remained however similar.     

On the use of the FluoroProbe®, a phytoplankton quantification method based on fluorescence excitation spectra for large-scale surveys of lakes and reservoirs

Although microscope analysis is very useful for studying phytoplankton community composition, it does not allow for high frequency (spatial and/or temporal) data acquisition. In an attempt to overcome this issue, fluorescence-based approaches that use selective excitation of pigment antennae have spread rapidly. However, the ability of spectral fluorescence to provide accurate estimates of phytoplankton biomass and composition is still debated, and only a few datasets have been tested to date.In this study, we sampled of a wide range of water bodies (n = 50) in the Ile-de-France region (North Central France). We used the resulting extensive dataset to assess the ability of the bbe-Moldaenke FluoroProbe II (FP) to estimate phytoplankton community composition in lakes and reservoirs.We demonstrated that FP data yields better estimates of total phytoplankton biovolume than do spectrophotometric chlorophyll a measures and that FP data can be further corrected using the average chlorophyll a to biovolume ratio among phytoplankton groups. Overall, group-specific relationships between FP and biovolume data were consistent. However, we identified a number of cases where caution is required. We found that Euglenophytes are expected to depart from the global FP vs. biovolume relationship of the ‘green’ group due to varying Fv/Fm and pigment content in response to environmental conditions (photoautotrophic vs. photoheterotrophic growth). Then, it appears necessary to consider the composition of the Chromophytes community in order to obtain a good agreement between both biomass estimation methods. Finally, we confirmed the misattribution toward the ‘red’ group of phycoerythrin-containing cyanobacteria and the occurrence of a strong scattering in the relationship between the FP vs. biovolume of the ‘blue’ group that can be partly attributed to the occurrence of large colony-forming cyanobacteria (e.g., Microcystis spp, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae).We propose correcting procedures to improve the quality of data obtained from spectral fluorescence tools in the context of large-scale sampling of lakes and reservoirs.     

Corrosion monitoring of galvanised coatings through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

In this work, corrosion of industrial galvanised coatings is monitored through potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) methods and supported by real-time immersion tests. For such purpose, the corrosion behaviour is studied in different media (NaCl, NaOH and rain water), at different concentrations and varying immersion times. The results show that EIS allows to establish the interfacial reactions and the dissolution mechanisms occurring in three corrosive media, hence to foresee the protection conferred by these coatings. The impedance diagrams of the coated steel do not provide information on the slowest reactions, which only occur in natural rain water. Finally, each Zn/medium interface is characterised by a specific equivalent circuit giving a similar impedance response.     

Corrosion Protection of Electro-Galvanized Steel by Ceria-Based Coatings: Effect of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Addition

A cerium oxide thin layer was deposited onto galvanized steel by cathodic electrodeposition from 0.1 M concentrated cerium nitrate solution. In this work, the influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) addition on the composition and morphology of the deposits is examined. The results showed that the addition of PEG to the cerium nitrate solutions leads to a decrease in the cracks in the deposits by decreasing the hydrogen reduction reaction and by decreasing the film thickness which provided enhanced corrosion protection. Moreover, the substrate dissolution reaction is inhibited.