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Pollution from environmental rare earth elements (REEs) has increased due to the widespread use of these metals in medical applications. This has implications for the development of superbugs, new research has found.

According to a paper published in the journal Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, gadolinium (Gd) is commonly used in contrast agents and is released as a toxic monomer. Previous studies have detected the presence of Gd in both the influent and effluent of wastewater treatment plants. In addition, different types of antibiotics were detected in these waters, with some antibiotic concentrations being detected at mg/L levels.

The article notes that the accumulation of antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants is detrimental to microorganisms and negatively impacts these facilities’ performance.

In the researchers’ view, the combined pollution of REEs and antibiotics in wastewater cannot be ignored, especially in the context of the covid-19 pandemic. Notably, due to the increased risk of bacterial infections, medical institutions need more sulfamethoxazole (SMX) to treat infected patients.

Magnetic resonance imaging enables visualization of pulmonary structures and assessment of covid-19-related lung damage, inflammation, and complications like thrombosis and myocarditis. Gd is a key component of contrast agents in MRI, and the increased demand for MRI detection leads to an increase in the use of Gd. Therefore, Gd and SMX have been extensively used during this pandemic. However, the impact of co-occurring Gd and SMX in wastewater on bacterial resistance in wastewater plants remains unclear.

Superbugs

The Frontiers paper points out that there are similar situations that can be looked at. For example, the long-term use of antibiotics in medical, agricultural, animal husbandry, and aquaculture industries has proven to eventually lead to the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs).

ARGs pose a serious threat to human health and environmental safety. Therefore, many researchers have studied the effects of antibiotics on ARGs in wastewater treatment systems.

Scientists have also noted that heavy metals drive the co-selection of ARGs and heavy-metal-resistant genes (MRGs). Previous research has also reported an increased relative abundance of ARGs and MRGs in heavy metal-polluted environments, and high concentrations of metals could promote multi-metal and multi-antibiotic resistance.

Yet, only a few reports have investigated the effects of Gd on ARGs and MRGs, and the succession and transmission characteristics of resistant genes under combined Gd and antibiotics exposure remain unclear.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing can quantify some known ARGs and MRGs. Still, the mobility of ARGs and the correlation with host bacteria are also little understood.

Filling the gap

The work of Kangping Cui’s team fills the knowledge gap.

In the new study, the group investigated the co-occurrence of Gd and SMX in wastewater pollution by applying metagenomics to analyze the mechanisms of changes in ARGs, MRGs and genera in an activated sludge system.

This study offers an in-depth and new understanding of the mechanisms underlying the changes and interactions between antibiotic-resistant genes and heavy-metal-resistant genes in activated sludge, providing technical support for the removal of ARGs and MRGs in wastewater treatment plants.

The findings demonstrated that single SMX alone and co-occurrence of SMX and Gd(III) resulted in an increase in the abundance of ARGs, while most MRGs decreased in abundance.

At the same time, the co-occurrence of sulfamethoxazole and Gd(III) significantly promoted the HGT of antibiotic-resistant genes or ARGs and heavy-metal-resistant genes or MRGs. Gd(III) alone caused a decrease in ARGs and MRGs, whereas the abundance of Hg MRGs was increased.

Compared to core heavy-metal-resistant genes, core antibiotic-resistant genes exert a greater negative effect in the presence of Gd or sulfamethoxazole alone.

Streptomyces, Pseudomonas, and Thauera were abundant under sulfamethoxazole exposure and may be potential hosts for ARGs and MRGs. The bacterial community was sensitive to single Gd(III) stress.

The correlations among ARGs, MRGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and the bacterial community were discussed in this study, suggesting a positive relationship between internal ARGs and MGEs, while positive and negative relations were found in MRGs. Moreover, most ARGs and MRGs were closely related to MGEs.

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Chile’s state-owned copper giant Codelco has named Braim Chiple as its new chief commercial officer, in the latest of a series of top positions changes in the past year, as the miner grapples with falling production and its new role in the country’s lithium industry.

Chiple, who comes from the private mining sector having worked at BHP and Anglo American, will replace outgoing CCO Carlos Alvarado on March 15.

The new executive currently works at Mitsubishi RtM as an adviser and senior consultant for copper trading in South America, Codelco said.

Chile, the world’s top copper-producing country and no. 2 for lithium, saw some key policy shifts last year, with President Gabriel Boric hiking royalties for mining companies and announcing plans for more state control over the lithium sector.

The copper giant is struggling to keep up with the competition after years of underinvestment at its aging deposits. Its costs have increased while production dropped in 2022 to the lowest level in 25 years, putting its position as the world’s no. 1 producer at risk.

Output in the last quarter of 2023 fell to 358,000 tonnes, compared with about 384,000 tonnes in the same period of 2022, based on calculations using full-year output disclosed publicly. 

Fourth-quarter output was however higher than the July-September period, and the newly named chief executive officer, Ruben Alvarado, has vowed to guide Codelco through a gradual recovery.

The top boss told a local newspaper in November that he expected total copper production for 2023 to reach close to 1.31 million tonnes, towards the lower end of the estimated range.

Codelco is scheduled to report its official results for 2023 in March.

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BHP (ASX: BHP) said on Friday it had yet to receive a formal notification from Brazilian authorities about a court decision sentencing it to pay 47.6 billion reais ($9.7 billion) in damage repairs over a burst tailings dam in 2015.

The world’s largest miner said the fine is part of a broader claim filed in 2016, seeking 155 billion reais (or $44 billion at the time) for reparation, compensation and moral damages in relation to the Fundão dam failure.

The Fundão dam, owned by the Samarco JV between BHP and Vale, burst in November 2015, releasing 39.2 million cubic meters of tailings waste into the Rio Doce Basin. It was Brazil’s worst environmental disaster ever, resulting in the death of 19 people.

BHP said this week’s ruling is interlocutory, which means it does not settle all of the issues of the case, as it refers only to the collective moral damages caused by the deadly accident.

It noted it would review the implications of the decision, as well as potential for an appeal and any possible impact on its provision related to the dam’s collapse.

In its 2023 annual report, BHP noted that it had earmarked $3.7 billion to cover issues related to the accident near Mariana, in Minas Gerais state.

The parties involved in the suit have been in negotiations to seek a settlement of obligations under a framework agreement since 2021, with talks scheduled to resume next month.

The news comes only two months after a British court rejected Vale’s appeal against its inclusion in a lawsuit worth at least $46 billion against Vale, Samarco and BHP due to the same dam disaster.

The Court of Appeal refused the Brazilian miner permission to appeal the dismissal of its challenge to the jurisdiction of the English Court.

This means that if the claimants are successful in holding BHP liable for their losses, the third party claim will proceed and the Australian mining giant will seek to hold Vale liable for 50% or more of any damages awarded to the claimants.

The lawsuit is the largest group litigation in English legal history and involves over 700,000 victims.

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Seaside LNG’s bunkering barge, Clean Jacksonville, has completed its first delivery to Carnival’s newest LNG-powered vessel, Carnival Jubilee, as part of a deal revealed last year.

In November, the US firm backed by Houston-based Arroyo Investors entered into a term bunkering agreement with cruise giant Carnival to fuel the first LNG-powered cruise ship to call Galveston, Texas its homeport, Carnival Jubilee.

Germany’s Meyer Werft delivered Carnival Jubilee last month to Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line, a unit of Carnival.

According to a statement by Seaside, the first delivery under the contract took place on December 30, 2023, marking the first in port ship-to-ship LNG bunkering delivery not only in Galveston but also along the entire US Gulf Coast.

Seaside’s 2200-cbm Clean Jacksonville was moved from Jacksonville, Florida to operate out of Galveston and serve the Texas Gulf Coast.

Clean Jacksonville has completed more than 350 bunkering operations to date, the firm said.

Seaside bought last year North America’s first LNG bunkering barge, Clean Jacksonville, from Tote Maritime Puerto Rico.

It also took delivery in October of the 5,500-cbm LNG bunkering barge, Clean Everglades, and now has in total three LNG bunkering barges.

Clean Everglades (Image: Seaside LNG)

Seaside said in the statement that Clean Everglades made its first delivery last week.

The delivery was made to Isla Bella at the TOTE Maritime’s terminal near Jacksonville, Florida.

Seaside said the operation was a regularly scheduled delivery per TOTE’s long-term service contract with Seaside’s maritime transportation company, Polaris New Energy.

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Spot charter rates for the global liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier fleet fell for the eighth consecutive week, while European prices rose slightly compared to the last week.

Last week, spot charter rates dropped below $60,000 per day in both basins.

“The Spark30S Atlantic decreased by $3,750 (7 percent) to $53,250 per day, whilst the Spark25S Pacific decreased by $4,000 (7 percent) to $55,000 per day,” Qasim Afghan, Spark’s commercial analyst told LNG Prime on Friday.

Image: Spark

The Atlantic freight prices have halved since the beginning of the year.

Spot rates are continuing to decline despite reports of vessels diverting away from the Red Sea.

LNG ships are now favoring the Cape of Good Hope for safer passage. These include Qatari LNG shipments heading to Europe.

Spark previously said that diverting a voyage via the Cape of Good Hope from the Arabian Gulf to North West Europe adds only $0.09 per MMBtu to the freight cost versus via Suez given Suez Canal savings, but increases laden voyage time by 9.5 days.

State-owned LNG giant QatarEnergy said in a statement this week that Qatar’s LNG production continues uninterrupted.

“While the ongoing developments in the Red Sea area may impact the scheduling of some deliveries as they take alternative routes, LNG shipments from Qatar are being managed with our valued buyers,” the firm said.

In Europe, the SparkNWE DES LNG front month rose slightly compared to the last week.

The NWE DES LNG for February delivery was assessed last week at $8.126/MMBtu and at a $0.745/MMBtu discount to the TTF

“The SparkNWE DES LNG price for February delivery is assessed at $8.199/MMBtu and at a $0.62/MMBtu discount to the TTF,” Afghan said.

He said this is a $0.125/MMBtu week-on-week narrowing of the discount to the TTF, the third consecutive week this discount has narrowed and resulting in the smallest TTF discount since October 24, 2023.

“This indicates reduced demand for NW-Europe regasification, as falling freight rates have made routes via the Cape more competitive. Consequently, the US arb to NE-Asia is open via the Cape for the first time since September 2023,” he said.

Image: Spark

Levels of gas in storages in Europe remain high for this time of the year due to mild weather.

Data by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) shows that gas storages in the EU were 73.04 percent full on January 24.

This week, JKM, the price for LNG cargoes delivered to Northeast Asia dropped when compared to the last week, according to Platts data.

JKM for March settled at $9.390/MMBtu on Thursday.

State-run Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) said in a report earlier this week that Asian spot LNG prices continued to decline as inventories remain high across Northeast Asia, and demand remains weak.

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US energy services firm Baker Hughes booked record $5.6 billion of LNG equipment orders in 2023. The company said the outlook for LNG FIDs over the next few years “remains strong”.

Following record LNG equipment orders of some $3.5 billion in 2022, Baker Hughes booked $1.4 billion in LNG equipment orders in the first quarter of 2023, $900 million in the second quarter, and almost $2.5 billion in the third quarter.

In October, Baker Hughes said it is on track to book almost $9 billion of LNG equipment orders across 2022 and 2023, or about $5.5 billion for just 2023.

During the fourth quarter of this year, Baker Hughes booked about $800 million of LNG orders, including for Adnoc’s planned LNG export terminal in Al Ruwais, boosting the total to about $5.6 billion for the entire 2023.

“In 2023, we were extremely pleased to book almost 80 Mtpa of LNG orders, which outpaced FIDs of 57 Mtpa,” CEO Lorenzo Simonelli told analysts during the company’s earnings call on Wednesday.

“This variance was the result of the timing difference between orders and FIDs, which has been accentuated by the tightening LNG equipment market,” Simonelli said.

Simonelli said the outlook for FIDs over the next few years “remains strong”, and the company see projects progressing across all markets.

“For 2024 specifically, we expect LNG FIDs of around 65 Mtpa. However, it is important to note this includes a couple of major LNG orders that were booked during 2023, he said.

“As we look out to 2025 and 2026, we could see between 30-60 Mtpa of FIDs annually, bringing total potential LNG FIDs to between 125 Mtpa and 185 Mtpa through 2026,” he said.

Moreover, based on existing capacity, projects under construction, and future FIDs in the pipeline, “we have line of sight for global LNG installed capacity to reach 800 Mtpa by the end of 2030, representing an almost 75 percent increase in nameplate capacity from 2022 levels,” Simonelli said.

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​A Nuclear Regulatory Commission panel will hear arguments Tuesday about whether two citizen groups can challenge Energy Harbor’s application to extend the life of Ohio’s Perry nuclear plant through 2046.

The Ohio Nuclear-Free Network and Beyond Nuclear say they are worried about potential radioactive leaks into Lake Erie, as well earthquake risks that were not understood four decades ago when the plant was originally licensed. They also question whether the company adequately considered whether relicensing is necessary.

Both Energy Harbor and the NRC staff oppose the groups’ petition to intervene, which would give the anti-nuclear advocates a formal role as parties in the case, with the right to submit and challenge evidence at a hearing.

“The idea of having an adversarial proceeding is for us at least to have a chance to scrutinize the evidence more closely than the NRC staff might,” said Terry Lodge, an attorney in Toledo who represents the Ohio Nuclear-Free Network and Beyond Nuclear in the case.

However, it’s not unusual for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s staff to seek to limit interventions, according to national experts on nuclear licensing cases.

In general, “the ways they construct their rules on hearings and standards are very restrictive,” said Diane Curran, an attorney who works on nuclear power plant issues and is not involved in the case. And companies that want to keep their plants running have had a winning track record for getting license renewals granted.

The environmental groups’ reply brief said they plan to withdraw their contentions about earthquake risks, which the NRC staff argued can be “addressed by ongoing regulatory processes.” Although new information came to light after the plant began operating, those risks presumably existed when the plant was first licensed. So, the staff said, they don’t belong in a relicensing case.

Beyond Nuclear and the Ohio Nuclear-Free Network argue that neither the renewal application nor its environmental report address the impacts of radioactive tritium or other radionuclides that can leak from the plant, including how they might interact with other contaminants in Lake Erie. Energy Harbor’s environmental report filed with its application notes that tritium was found in groundwater wells near the site in 2020 and 2021. The groups’ reply said they provided enough information to show there is an issue, whose merits would be decided later based on evidence at a hearing.

The groups also argued that Energy Harbor’s environmental report exaggerated the potential adverse consequences if the plant shuts down, and that understanding the actual consequences matters when it comes to considering alternatives that could avoid or mitigate environmental risks posed by the plant.

It’s unclear how much consideration the groups’ concerns will get if their petition to intervene is denied.

“The NRC’s technical review process includes multiple opportunities for the community near a plant to provide input on potential environmental impacts of license renewal,” said Scott Burnell, a public affairs officer at the commission. “The NRC technical staff consider this input to ensure our review appropriately addresses matters under the agency’s jurisdiction.”

But that consideration would not take place in the context of a public hearing, Lodge said. And there’s no guarantee about how deeply the staff would consider different issues in its back-and-forth communications with Energy Harbor. It’s “very optional,” he said.

And while the commission must publish its proposed environmental impact statement for public comment, its rules also make it hard to raise issues after the fact. The NRC often treats various issues as “generic,” even though the law calls for a site-specific consideration, Lodge said.

“The NRC has basically constructed the rules around relicensing to make them a very pro forma process,” said Tim Judson, executive director for the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. Generally, the main focus is on whether a company has an adequate “aging management program, to be able to monitor and repair things as needed.”

Connie Kline, a member of the Ohio Nuclear-Free Network, said she was surprised that the NRC staff was “so virulent” in opposing the groups’ participation in the case and basically echoing Energy Harbor’s points. From her perspective, that’s worrisome, because the agency’s job is to regulate industry in order to protect the public.

“We call NRC, in many respects, a lap dog and not a watchdog,” Kline said.

Members of the public may listen to but not comment during the oral argument and prehearing on Jan. 30. A Jan. 22 notice from the NRC provided the dial-in number, but did not state the time to call. A separate Jan. 4 order says the proceeding will start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

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