Overview
My original post:
I decided to post about nickel (Ni) since this element is toxic to most plants, soils, and in nutrient solutions when found in excessive amounts. Ni is a transition element that is a mixture of ferrous and nonferrous metal properties. Majority of the nickel is concentrated in the earth’s core, and Ni deposits are usually associated with iron and magnesium. Nickel is used to make austenitic stainless steel, jets turbine blades, and rechargeable batteries; these are some of the applications.
Nickel is found in soil and water systems and this element has four oxidation states from +1 to +4 with number +2 being the most oxidation state. The negative effects of Ni have been known for a while, from delaying germinability in crops, retarding root grow, producing abnormal flower shape, and affecting nutrients absorption. However, nickel is still an essential component for plant growth and development, and their deficiency is also detrimental resulting in necrotic lesions on crop leaves.
Nickel contamination occurs in the ecosphere, which is composed of soil, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Ni is released to the soil and water from natural resources as a result of weathering and pedogenesis. Meanwhile improper disposal from industries such as nickel alloy industries, pigment manufacturing processes, and tannery industry wastewater continue to contaminate our environment. “Nickel contamination can be transferred directly from air and soil to surface water bodies through deposition and runoff from soil, or indirectly to groundwater via leaching” (Abbas et al., 2021). High concentrations of this element in drinking water and food chain is a significant threat for humans and animals threatening the ecological sustainability.
Understanding the biochemical behavior will assist with mitigation strategies in reducing nickel toxicity from the environment.
References
Abbas, Q., Ahmad, M., Albanese, S., An, Q., Krishnan, K. A., Antoniadis, V., Beesley, L., Bogusz, A., Bolan, N., Cameron, V., Cheng, S. Y., Deng, R., Deng, Y., Palma, L. D., Ding, Z., Donat, J. R., Eissa, M. A., Elkhlifi, Z., El-Naggar, A., … Rehman, M. Z. U. (2021, June 16). Nickel in soil and water: Sources, biogeochemistry, and remediation using biochar. Journal of Hazardous Materials. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/...
Stewart , A. A. (2024). Nickel Statistics and information. Nickel Statistics and Information | U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-inf...
Part I:
Answer the following questions:
1. What are the major reservoirs of nickel?
2. What are the transport mechanisms? What are the residence times in these places?
3. Where is which of the spheres has the the largest reservoir of nickel and is nickel ever in the atmosphere as nickel
like a nickel compound? Or is it ever in the atmosphere at all? Maybe
deposited on something else?Part II:
Reply to three classmates.