Emmanuel Joussein

University of Limoges | UNILIM · PEIRENE-Eau E2Lim

Erosion and leaching of metal(loid)s from contaminated sites can spread pollution to adjacent ecosystems and be a source of toxicity for living organisms. Phytostabilization consists of selecting plant species accumulating little or no metal(loid)s in aerial parts to establish a vegetation cover and thus to stabilize the contaminants in the soil. S...

Soil stabilization/solidification is commonly employed remediation method for contaminated soils. Until now, limited attention has been given to the application of quicklime in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contaminated soil. We treated a tectogenic industriosol spiked with 50 mg.kg-1 of four PAHs (12.5 mg.kg-1 each of fluorene (FLU), phe...

The accumulation of metal(loid)s in soils, often linked to human activities, is a source of toxicity for living organisms. Erosion and leaching from contaminated sites can spread pollution to adjacent ecosystems. Phytostabilization is a method that consists of selecting plant species accumulating little or no metal(loid)s in aerial parts to establi...

Soil contamination linked to abandoned lead–zinc mining wastes represents a serious environmental hazard of worldwide concern, raising the need for cost-effective tools to spatialize the contaminated area and assess the risks. In worldwide industrial environments, positive correlation between magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal soil contaminati...

Layer charge is an important property of 2:1 phyllosilicates originating from isomorphic substitutions in the structure, from vacancies in the octahedral sheet and from unsatisfied bonds at the edges of the crystals. It is of particular interest in the case of smectites because it affects important properties of this mineral. Several methods have b...

The submicrometric fraction of surface sediments that accumulate in the bottom of dam reservoirs represent important sources of nutrients and contaminants in freshwater systems. However, assessing their stability in the presence of sediment bacteria as well as their bioavailability in the sediment remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that sed...

Anglesite (PbSO4) is a lead sulfate that belongs to the barite group and is naturally ubiquitous in the environment. This work describes a simple way to synthesize crystalline lead sulfate by using a straightforward hydrothermal procedure. Typically, Pb(NO3)2 and Fe2(SO4)3 precursors were mixed and heated at 94 °C for 24 h. The synthesized samples...

Mining activities are responsible for the increase of pollutants (i.e., metallic elements) in the environment. Mining wastes are highly contaminated by metallic elements which can induce environmental and sanitary risks. For better waste management, valorization appears to be significant especially when it comes to geopolymers since construction si...

Isotherms adsorptions were generated using calf thymus DNA (10–300 µg/mL), two types of clay minerals, namely kaolinite KGa-2 and montmorillonite STx-1b and two soil (Cambisols and Andosols with clearly different mineralogical features and organic matter contents). The adsorption of calf thymus DNA with or without humic acid (C = 60 µg/mL) by clay...

Kaolinite and its dehydroxylated forms are widely used in industry, including the growing field of geopolymers. Until now, a deep understanding of the dissolution mechanism of kaolinite particles in alkaline media is still lacking. This work aims to investigate the dissolution mechanisms through aluminum and silicon leaching of two references kaoli...

Our work has focused on evaluating the use of phenalenone (PN) for phenol photodegradation in aqueous solution. This evaluation was conducted using both free and supported (PN) on halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). The photodegradation study took place in an annular photoreactor with ultraviolet (UV) or visible irradiation, whose emission corresponded to...

Anthropogenic activities such as industrial, mining, or agricultural are the main sources of environmental contamination. One of the most problematic contaminations concerns metals and metalloids from mining activities. This contamination raises the question of the environmental risk induced and the spread of this pollution (geographical and trophi...

One of the most common ways of getting rid of sewage sludge is land spreading on agricultural fields as a source of nutrients and organic matter. However, sewage sludge may be contaminated with pharmaceuticals and can represent a cause of environmental contamination. The objectives of this study was (i) to determine the occurrence and the fate of p...

A large amount of contaminated sites is shown around the world which may induce a health risk due to the presence of contaminants such as metal (loïd)s bearing phases. Health risk assessment is based on contaminant bioaccessibility. However, it is needed to understand every contaminant behavior in physiological matrix to be a realistic way to asses...

Purpose Soil provides important ecosystemic services, in particular through its biodiversity, which plays a major role for humans. It is therefore essential to detect and, above all, quantify soil DNA in order to better understand and conserve this biodiversity. However, the techniques commonly used are not specific and do not always allow an easy...

The objective of this work is to use stabilization/solidification (S/S) on the landfill leachates that often are heavily polluted by heavy metals and require proper treatment before discharge into the environment. The process consists of a S/S using a hydraulic binder in order to limit the solubility and mobility of the pollutants. While cement is...

The objective of this work is to use stabilization/solidification (S/S) on the landfill leachates that often are heavily polluted by heavy metals and require proper treatment before discharge into the environment. The process consists of a S/S using a hydraulic binder in order to limit the solubility and mobility of the pollutants. While cement is...

The aims of this study correspond to (i) determine the feasibility of synthesize geomaterial from two main Pb-contaminated mining sediments (Sed1 and Sed2) without prior activation in substitution to metakaolin (MK), (ii) understand the mechanisms involved toward two types of silicate solution (Na and K one), and (iii) to evaluate the change in the...

Background and aims The co-existence of large number of competing plant species with the same basic needs is a major question in ecology, particularly when this involves closely related species. Methods We investigated the ecology of six heather species (Calluna vulgaris & Erica spp., Ericaceae) able to cohabit in the same heathlands. We character...

Palygorskite is a natural clay mineral that has many potentially important uses in different industrial fields as it is an effective support for guests loading and controlled-release. The photofunctional properties of organic molecules, such as porphyrins, are described to stand as promising properties for various applications. In this context, our...

This work is conducted to study the mineralogical, petrographic and geochemical aspects of the basic volcanic Neogene rocks (hawaiites) as persistent in the Nefza region (northern Tunisia), and their alteration outcomes. The outcrops, as studied in the area, are those belonging to Moktaa El Hadid. These rocks appear to display argilization associat...

Phytoremediation of metal(loid)s by conifers is not widely studied, although conifers may be interesting, particularly in temperate-cold areas and/or on acidic soils. In this study, seeds of Douglas fir were sown in greenhouse and cultivated for 3 months on two Technosols highly contaminated with different concentrations of Pb, As and Sb and collec...

The valorization of oyster or mussel shells toward metakaolin-based geomaterials was investigated. The aim is to better understand the feasibility and the reaction involved during the incorporation of shells (natural or cal-cined) into a metakaolin-based alkaline solution for potential building or contaminants sorbents applications. Mixtures are re...

Phosphogypsum is the by-product of the acid process for producing phosphoric acid from a phosphate rock. In Tunisia, phosphate production generates very large volumes of the phosphogypsum near the city of Sfax, which is stored without a real management.

Mining activities are responsible for the increase of pollutants (i.e. metallic elements) in the environment. One of the main concerns of mining activities is the production of a huge amount of contaminated wastes, which are usually stored in the vicinity of mines.

Clay minerals represent natural and interesting host and guest organic chromophores components inducing the formation of dye molecular assemblies.

This study focused on understanding the behavior of brick clay containing a low calcium amount in an alkaline silicate solution. Silicate solutions were used and calcium (in calcite mineral form) was added during the brick clay preparation. The addition of calcium induces (i) a delay in the oligomer formation, (ii) a modification of the polycondens...

This study was undertaken to valorize naturally occurring clays in the synthesis of new geopolymers materials from the mixture of commercial metakaolins and calcined clays (550 °C). For the purpose of this work, three raw clay samples were collected from various locations in Tunisia where clayey deposits extended over large areas. A simple synthesi...

Alkaline silicate solutions are used for different industrial applications. Structural studies of these solutions performed by fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies have shown the presence of cyclic species. However, these techniques do not allow determining the variations of chain and ring size depending on the c...

Soil contamination is mainly caused by the presence of human-made contaminants from industrial and mining activity, agriculture, or improper disposal of wastes. The most common and problematic contamination involves metals and metalloids from mining wastes. The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks i.e., from direct cont...

Brick clay mixtures are raw materials with the potential for use in geomaterials other than tiles or bricks. This study concerns the effect of mixed alkali cation solutions on the polycondensation reactions of geomaterials based on brick clay mixtures. To evidence the feasibility and the understanding of such effects, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, t...

A brick clay mixture from a company localized in the north west of France is used for this study. The feasibility of producing geopolymer materials from a clay mixture was investigated. The final aim is to find a new application for this aluminosilicate material. One metakaolin (for a reference), the brick clay mixture, and the clay mixture calcine...

Purpose Technosol management is one of the greatest challenges for the future, more specifically as regards supporting and/or restoring ecosystems. The understanding of natural soil organic matter (SOM) dynamic from Technosol may give important information about soil functioning and Technosol evolution. Materials and methods According to this, SOM...

This chapter examines how the interaction between the geopolymer binder and alkaline earth cations such as Ca, Mg or Sr to determine the effect of the presence of these elements on polycondensation reactions. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in ATR mode was used to investigate the structural evolution of the geopolymer mixtures. The F...

This chapter focuses on the influence of alkali cations in pure and mixed alkali cation solutions on the polycondensation reaction during geopolymer formation. Metakaolin is the most used raw material for studies because it allows inhibition of the purity issues and provides a model geopolymer. Another key parameter is the characteristics of the si...

The purpose of the present study is to control the polycondensation reaction of various geopolymer samples based on six metakaolins and two potassium alkaline solutions with different reactivities. First, metakaolin characterization revealed three levels of reactivity, which increase essentially with the increase in the degree of purity, amorphous...

Halloysite, a 1:1 clay mineral, occurs in a variety of particle shapes (tubes, spheres, plates, etc.) and has different hydration states. The actual nomenclature is based onto the hydration status (ie, halloysite (10 Å) and halloysite (7 Å) for the fully hydrated and the dehydrated forms, respectively). Typically, halloysite forms by hydrothermal a...

Geopolymers are innovative mineral binders. These materials are still under research development in order to better understand the formation mechanism, the local structure and the final working properties. The aim of this study is to provide predictive tools permitting to control the geopolymerisation reaction. At first, it is important to determin...

This study is focused on understanding the role of molybdic species during polycondensation reactions. For this purpose, several geopolymers were synthesized using two metakaolins of different reactivities and various amounts of ammonium molybdate (0.40, 0.80 and 1.57% molar molybdenum). The reactions involved were investigated by FTIR, Raman, DTA...

Currently, many applications require the assembly of different materials to improve their properties in use. This work focuses on the production of a geopolymer binder coating based on metal or agglomerated sand. For this, several compositions based on sodium or potassium and different reactivities of metakaolin and their interactions in the presen...

This paper focuses on the influence of calcium on sodium silicate solutions activated with three additives: sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and boehmite. The calcium was added in two forms, calcite sand and slaked lime, as these two materials are widely used to restore historical coatings in Morocco. The aim of this work is to synthesize potenti...

The study of the feasibility of geopolymer formulations was realized from several aluminosilicate sources. Six of them led to the formation of geopolymer-type materials and were confronted with three other reference metakaolins. Several fundamental parameters were identified. A correlation was revealed between these parameters and the reactivity of...

The phytoavailabilities and potential remobilization of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as Zn, Pb, Cd, As, and Sb were assessed in contaminated technosols from former mining and smelting sites. The PTE concentrations in soil pore water (SPW) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT)-measured concentration (C DGT) methods were used to asses...

Alkaline silicate solutions are of great interest for several industrial applications. Previous studies demonstrated the influence of different parameters such as the Si/M (Na, K) molar ratio, the dilution level, the cation size and the manufacturing process on the silicate species. The aim of this study was to complete the data from previous works...

The architectural heritage needs to be preserved, especially coatings, because they communicate the historical building as it was created. The aim of this work is to develop a stable and durable restore coating mortar which would be compatible with the traditional elements of masonry, based on metakaolin-geopolymer binder mixed with traditional mat...

Geopolymers are new binders resulting from the activation of an aluminosilicate source by an alkaline solution. These binders are economically and environmentally profitable since they have the advantage of reusing recycled waste and industrial by-products as aluminosilicate sources. In this context, this paper focuses on the geopolymer wastes inco...

It is becoming increasingly popular to use phytoremediation methods for the reclamation of mine sites containing metal(loid)s. This study aims to assess the phytostabilization ability of two willow species (Salix viminalis and Salix purpurea) on technosols from a former gold mining site presenting polymetallic contamination (As, Sb and Pb). Differe...

One objective in the field of alkali-activated mineral materials is the development of materials with greater thermal performances than conventional construction materials. The aim of this chapter is to highlight the fundamental role played by additives in the development of porous geopolymer binders and to highlight the applicability of these addi...

Recycling is of significant importance because it counteracts the increase of waste in industrial processes and it provides other environmental advantages. Geopolymer compounds based on various precursors, such as aluminosilicate or silicate solutions, are potential candidates for study in this field. In this work, the effect of source materials on...

Geopolymers are amorphous aluminosilicate binders showing good working properties. Despite the large and growing existing literature about these materials, the geopolymerization mechanism and the parameters that can influence still need a better and deeper understanding. The current study explores the effect of alkaline solution and metakaolin reac...

This paper investigates the addition of low reactive Tunisian clay into metakaolin-based geopolymer as a valorization way in alkaline media. To conduct this investigation, the aluminosilicate precursors used were primarily characterized. Then, several samples were prepared by varying the amounts of metakaolin and clay in the mixture as well as the...

Natural mineral materials such as tabular and spheroidal halloysites have recently been suggested as candidates for intercalating metal ions or organic molecules. Their potential use as nano-adsorbents is related to their porous structure and water content. Although the two morphologies can coexist in natural deposits, spheroidal halloysites remain...

Phytoremediation of metalloids by conifers is not widely studied although they may be relevant for several contaminated sites, especially those located in cold areas and sometimes under dry climates. Here, seeds of Douglas fir were sown in greenhouse on three soils collected in two French former mines: a gold mine (soils L1 and L2) and a lead and s...

This study investigated the leaching yields of Mo, Ni and Co from a mineral sludge of a metal recycling plant generated by rainfalls. The investigated mineral sludge had a complex heterogeneous composition, consisting of particles of settled soil combined with the metal bearing particles (produced by catalysts, metallic oxides and battery recycling...

One of the objectives in the field of alkali-activated materials is the development of materials having greater thermal performances than conventional construction materials such as aerated concrete. The aim of this paper is to present the possibility to obtain controlled porosity and controlled thermal properties with geopolymer materials includin...

Geopolymers are innovative ecomaterials resulting from the activation of an aluminosilicate source by an alkaline solution. Their properties depend on the used raw materials. This paper focuses on the possibility to obtain geopolymer materials with aluminosilicate laboratory waste. The effect of these additions on the geopolymer properties was stud...

This paper focuses on the influence of the addition of ammonium molybdate to geopolymer mixtures to better understand the formation of geopolymer structural networks and the effect of Mo-based additive on the thermal behavior of material. Several geopolymers were synthesized between two metakaolins and various amounts of ammonium molybdate. The mic...

This paper focuses on the effects of alkaline solution reactivity and metakaolin properties on geopolymer formation. To examine these effects, several geopolymer samples were synthesized from two alkaline solutions and four metakaolins. The structural evolution of the formed geopolymers was investigated using FTIR spectroscopy and pH values during...

Geopolymer materials are obtained by the alkaline activation of aluminosilicate sources, the best of which is metakaolin. Alkaline activation could be accomplished with potassium silicate solution synthesized by dissolution of silica. The aim of this work is to study the role play by the siliceous species within the activating solution in the prese...

The persistent presence of metal elements (ME) in the environment may cause health issues, particularly in a semi-arid climate where annual rainfall (in the range of 650 mm per year) is concentrated into just a few months. This climatic situation has exacerbated the spreading of pollution by means of hydric transport. The corresponding risk assessm...

In France, more than 250 million metric tons of sludges need to be treated each year. These sludges are either dumped on the landfills or reused as secondary resources in order to preserve natural resources. A large portions of these sludges are mineral sludges, originating from metal recycling plants. In order to estimate their metal recovery pote...

This study reports the chemical bioavailability of several potentially toxic elements (Zn, Pb, Cd, As, and Sb) in contaminated Technosols from two former smelting and mining areas. Though these elements have long been recognized as potentially harmful elements, understanding of their toxicity and environmental behavior in Technosols developed on fo...