Patrick Ollivier

French Geological Survey | BRGM · Direction Eau, Environnement, et Ecotechnologies

Soil contamination with chlordecone, an organochlorine pesticide, is causing serious health problems, affecting crop production and local livestock valorization in the French West Indies. In-situ chemical reduction (ISCR) processes for soil remediation have shown promise but need improvement in terms of time, cost and effective treatment, particula...

The objectives of this study are to characterize the input signal of a shallow carbonate aquifer in northeastern France and to clarify the recharge and groundwater mineralization processes, by analysing the chemical and isotopic (δ¹⁸O, δ²H) composition of rain and groundwater. The groundwater isotopic signature was very close to the calculated loca...

Volatile pollutants from former industrial sites can degrade the buildings' indoor air quality that were built after the industrial activities. Since 2010, environmental assessments have been conducted in French establishments hosting sensitive populations identified as being on or near potentially contaminated former industrial sites. These projec...

Groundwater of the unconfined Chalk aquifer in Champagne-Ardenne (NE France) is contaminated by perchlorate (ClO 4 ⁻ ), a persistent water-soluble anion. The Chalk aquifer is a crucial water resource of the region, with complex hydraulic properties. The presence of ClO 4 ⁻ is of concern due to its potential adverse human health effects. In France,...

Biofilms are naturally present in aquifers and can interact with zero valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) used as remediation agents in contaminated groundwater; thereby they may alter nZVI reactivity towards targeted contaminants in porous media. Laboratory scale experiments using columns filled with sand (50 cm long and 5.2 cm in diameter) were perf...

The contamination by chlordecone (CLD) of soils and water in the French Caribbean (FC) has major environmental and human health impacts. In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) is a promising method to degrade CLD but it generates transformation products (TPs). Here, the fate and transport of CLD and its TPs have been studied using three lysimeters, 65–7...

Perchlorate (ClO4⁻) has been detected at concentrations of concern for human health on a large scale in groundwater used for drinking water supplies in NE France. Two sources are suspected: a military source related to World War I (WWI) and an agricultural source related to past use of Chilean nitrate fertilizers. The sources and behavior of ClO4⁻...

Chalk groundwater is an important aquifer resource. It is intensively exploited for human use, with a large proportion utilized for drinking water. The improvement of the knowledge on Chalk aquifer hydrogeological functioning is essential for the management of this resource. Here, we developed a methodology based on a combination of hydrodynamic, h...

Soils, surface and groundwater in Martinique (French West Indies) are contaminated by chlordecone (CLD), a highly persistent organochlorine pesticide. In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) using zero valent iron has been tested as a remediation technique to lower CLD levels in soils but it produces derivatives whose fate in environment may differ from...

Perchlorate (ClO4⁻) is a persistent water soluble oxyanion of growing environmental interest. Perchlorate contamination can be a health concern due to its ability to disrupt the use of iodine by the thyroid gland and the production of metabolic hormones. Its widespread presence in surface water and groundwater makes the aquatic environment a potent...

Toxic and persistent contaminants in groundwater are technologically difficult to remediate. Remediation techniques using nanoparticles (NPs) such as nZVI (Zero-Valent Iron) are applicable as in situ reduction or oxidation agents and give promising results for groundwater treatment. However, these NP may also represent an additional contamination i...

Predicting nanoparticle (NP) fate in the environment continues to remain a challenge, especially for natural surface water systems, where NPs can hetero-aggregate with natural organic and mineral suspended matter. Here we present the interactions and aggregation behavior of TiO2 NPs with natural organic matter (NOM) in a natural lake water. NP fate...

Successive transport experiments of TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) suspension through fractured hard-rock column were done in laboratory. A low ionic strength (IS) water (0.8-1.3 10-3 M) at pH ∼4.5 was used, corresponding to the chemical composition of groundwater where the rock was collected (Naizin, France). The surface charge of TiO2 NP was positive wh...

Perchlorate (ClO4−) is an environmental contaminant of growing concern due to its potential human health effects and widespread occurrence in surface water and groundwater. Analyses carried out in France have highlighted the presence of ClO4− in drinking water of Champagne-Ardenne (NW of France), with two potential sources suspected: a military sou...

To assess the environmental fate of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), it is essential to understand their interactions with dissolved organic matter (DOM). The highly complex nature of the interactions between DOM and ENPs and other particulate matter (PM) requires investigating a wide range of material types under different conditions. However, des...

Supporting information. This file includes the full model description according to the ODD protocol and additional analyses and figures. (PDF)

Understanding biofilm interactions with surrounding substratum and pollutants/particles can benefit from the application of existing microscopy tools. Using the example of biofilm interactions with zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI), this study aims to apply various approaches in biofilm preparation and labeling for fluorescent or electron micro...

The influence of three pesticides (glyphosate, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)) on the colloidal fate of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs; anatase and rutile) has been investigated in aqueous conditions of variable chemical composition (Na+ or Ca2+), ionic strength (IS, 10-4–10-1 M), and pH (5 or 8). Sorption and...

Significance Understanding the environmental fate of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) is essential to the risk assessment of nanotechnology. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) strongly influences the behavior of ENPs in aqueous systems. This influence depends on many factors and, in particular, the types of ENPs and DOM. Accordingly, recent reviews have...

The identification of the sources of contaminants present in groundwater at industrial sites is primordial to address environmental and industrial issues. However, available tools are often inadequate or expensive. Here, we present the data of stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) of the water molecule at an industrial site where electrochemistry plant oc...

Noticeable concentrations of perchlorate ions have been measured since 2011 in numerous drinking water supplies of Northeast of France. Because the consumption of food and water containing ClO4- is suspected to result in thyroid tumors and mental retardations, authorities issued health recommendations for tap water beyond 4µg/L. Perchlorates have b...

Assessing the heteroaggregration of manufactured particles with naturally occuring colloids in a typical surface waters

Selection of realistic suspended particulate matter (SPM) analogues remains vital for realising representative experimental and modelling approaches in predicting the environmental fate of pollutants. Here, we present the characterisation of dissolved-ion and SPM compositions for nine sampling sites over the length of the Rhone River. Dissolved-ion...

L’utilisation de matériaux nanostructurés connaît un essor considérable en raison de leurs propriétés singulières par rapport aux matériaux de taille micro ou macrométrique. Les nanoparticules sont déjà utilisées dans de nombreux domaines d’activité et nous réservent une formidable révolution socio-économique. Cet engouement pour les nanotechnologi...

Thorough characterisation of natural organic matter (NOM) in natural surface waters remains vital for evaluating pollutant dynamics and interactions with NOM under realistic environmental conditions. Here, we present the characterisation of NOM and pesticide compositions for nine sampling sites over the length of the Rhone River, also evaluating th...

This study follows the recent findings of perchlorate ions in several French aquifers, and particularly in the South-West and in the North of France. The concentration measured in groundwater can exceed the 4 and 15 µg/L values defined by the WHO (World Health Organization) as toxicity thresholds for infants (and pregnant women) and adults, respect...

Nationwide screening of 411 emerging contaminants and other regulated compounds, including parent molecules and transformation products (TPs) having various uses and origins, was done at 494 groundwater sites throughout France during two sampling campaigns in the Spring and the Fall of 2011. One hundred and eighty substances (44% of the targeted co...

Engineered nanoparticle (ENP) fate models developed to date - aimed at predicting ENP concentration in the aqueous environment - have limited applicability because they employ constant environmental conditions along the modeled system or a highly specific environmental representation; both approaches do not show the effects of spatial and/or tempor...

In 2011, the French Ministry of Ecology and the Water and Aquatic Environment National Office have implemented a national screening campaign in groundwater focused on occurrence of "emerging" organic contaminants with various potential uses and origins. Among the 411 Organic compounds (OC) targeted, 131 pharmaceutical products, 13 life style produc...

In 2011, the French Ministry of Ecology and the Water and Aquatic Environment National Office have implemented a national reconnaissance effort targeting "emerging" organic contaminants with various potential uses and origins. This study presents this national screening and fully discusses the occurrence of selected organic compounds (OCs) in groun...

In the context of artificial groundwater recharge, a reactive soil column at pilot-scale (4.5 m deep and 3 m in diameter) fed by treated wastewater was designed to evaluate soil filtration ability. Here, as a part of this project, the impact of treated wastewater filtration on soil bacterial communities and the soil's biological ability for wastewa...

Artificial groundwater recharge of aquifers by percolating water through the unsaturated zone (UZ) is a technique to enhance the water quality for drinking, irrigation, and industrial water supplies. The performance of the UZ to purify the infiltrated water is based on both the chemical and hydrodynamic properties of the porous medium. The chemical...

The production of volatile polonium (Po(v)), a naturally occurring radioactive element, by pure cultures of aerobic marine tellurite-resistant microorganisms was investigated. Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, a carotogenic yeast, and a Bacillus sp. strain, a Gram-positive bacterium, generated approximately one and 2 orders of magnitude, respectively, grea...

We previously described a marine, tellurite-resistant strain of the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa that both precipitates intracellular Te(0) and volatilizes methylated Te compounds when grown in the presence of the oxyanion tellurite. The uses of microbes as a “green” route for the production of Te(0)-containing nanostructures and for the remediat...

Dissolved and particulate major and trace element concentrations and suspended particulate contents were determined during three years on the lower Rhone River (France) from subsurface water samples collected about twice a month and more regularly during flood events. Dissolved elements can be grouped into two sets showing similar relationship betw...

Numerous studies of weathering fluxes have been carried out on major world rivers during the last decade, to estimate CO2 consumption rates, landscape evolution and global erosion rates. For obvious logistical reasons, most of these studies were based on large scale investigations carried out on short timescales. By comparison, much less effort has...

A comparison of atmospheric Fe and Al fluxes to their oceanic fluxes at Bermuda and nearby Sargasso Sea from June 1999-2000 shows a seasonal decoupling on monthly timescales, yet good agreement (within ±20-30 percent) on an annual timescale. This suggests that other than atmospheric input, the intrinsic physical and biogeochemical processes within...

The atmospheric fluxes of Fe and Al were determined from bulk (wet + dry) plus wet only deposition and aerosol samples collected at Bermuda from 1999 to 2001. During the sampling period, dry deposition accounted for majority (>70%) of total Fe deposition estimated by both modeled and measured means. This contrasts the North Pacific, where generally...

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is now recognized as an important pathway for water and chemical species fluxes to the coastal ocean. In order to determinate SGD to the Gulf of Lion (France), we measured the activities of 226Ra and 228Ra by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) in coastal waters and in the deep aquifer waters of the Rho...

Microbial resistance to tellurite, an oxyanion of tellurium, is widespread in the biosphere, but the geochemical significance of this trait is poorly understood. As some tellurite resistance markers appear to mediate the formation of volatile tellurides, the potential contribution of tellurite-resistant microbial strains to trace element volatiliza...

Fluxes of the heavy metals chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) delivered by rivers to the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea) were estimated over a three year study of the River Rhone and its smaller tributaries. Most of the particulate metal fluxes (80e90%) delivered by these rivers occurred...

Dissolved major and trace element concentrations were determined from November 2000 to December 2003 in the lower Rhône River (France). Subsurface water samples were collected about twice a month and more regularly during flood events. An unusual trend was observed for As, Sb, Ni and Ba concentrations which increased with river discharge at the beg...

In 2001, 2002 and 2003, four different floods occurred in the Rhône River. In December 2003, the most important flood in terms of water (350 yr return period) transported about 3.3 x 106 t of SPM measured at Arles. Sediment cores were collected from 30 m to 100 m water depth from the prodelta shortly after this flood and analysed for radionuclide d...

Radium is an interesting tracer for the estimation of fresh or brackish water inputs to the coastal zone by submarine processes. Indeed, exchange processes between seawater and the water table occur in a mixing zone where desorption from particles leads to a significant increase of dissolved radium in the groundwater. The estimation of the radium b...

Experimental measurements realised on the lower Rhône River have highlighted a spatio-temporal organisation of the suspended sediment during floods, depending on river morphology, water mass origins and phase of the event. Results indicate that for a discharge up to 3000 m^3/s, sedimentary flux is organised in laminar or concentric structure: SSM i...