Soil characteristics, heavy metal availability and vegetation recovery at a former metallurgical landfill: Implications in risk assessment and site restoration.

Pedological and botanical characteristics of a former metallurgical landfill were examined to assess the risks of heavy metals mobility and to evaluate remediation feasibility. In addition to very high heavy metals levels (Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn), the soil was characterized by a lack of clear horizonation, a relatively high pH, a high mineral and organic carbon contents, a low nitrogen level and a high C/N ratio. A two step sequential extraction showed that heavy metals were poorly labile (i.e. not soluble in diluted CaCl2), indicating that their leaching under natural conditions was probably very low. However, extraction with DTPA generated significant amounts of metals (mainly Pb and Cu), suggesting they were potentially mobilizable. A botanical survey of the area showed a biodiverse plant community (28 species and 11 families), with no obvious toxicity symptoms. Measurements of metal contents in dominant species confirmed that they were closely similar to those reported for species growing in unpolluted environments. Consequently, for an effective site restoration, indigenous species could be well suited to cope with local conditions in a phytostabilization strategy.

[Dynamic evaluation of lower limb arteries using the ECTRICKS MRI technique]. / La perspective d'une étude dynamique des artères des membres inférieurs en IRM grâce à la séquence ECTRICKS.

PURPOSE: This article presents a new MR angiography technique, Elliptic Centric Time Resolved Imaging on Contrast KineticS (ECTRICKS), which allows dynamic evaluation of the lower limb arteries opacification when venous return prevents adequate diagnostic evaluation of calf arteries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Comparative examinations could be compared. Additional arteries in 59 patients using a standard MRA technique and the ECTRICKS technique. RESULTS: A total of 33 examinations could be compared. Additional arteries could be evaluated in 10% of our patient population using the ECTRICKS technique, and in 20% for our diabetic population. Arterial evaluation was better with the ECTRICKS technique in patients with diabetes and venous insufficiency. CONCLUSION: ECTRICKS is a good complementary sequence for evaluation the calf arteries in patients with diabetes or early venous return.

[Fibrous tissue(s): a key for lesion characterization in digestive diseases]. / Le(s) tissu(s) fibreux, clé(s) de la caractérisation lésionnelle en pathologie digestive.

Fibrosis is one of the hallmarks of inflammatory and repair processes in pathology. Various exogenous and endogenous stimuli, including tumor development, can induce inflammatory reactions. During the post-equilibrium phase after IV injection of non specific contrast media, CT and/or MR allow the study of these inflammatory answers to tumoral or infectious processes. Delayed enhancement of collagenic fibrous tissue during the late post-equilibrium phase is an essential complementary data in the characterization of many liver lesions: cirrhosis, cholangiocarcinoma, focal nodular hyperplasia, fibrous metastasis. but also for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic diseases (groove pancreatitis vs ductal adenocarcinoma) or of gastro-intestinal diseases (gastric adenocarcinoma vs lymphoma, mechanical complication vs inflammatory bouts of ileal Crohn's disease).