羟基磷灰石除氟滤料的吸附平衡及动力学

羟基磷灰石(HAP)是一种高容量、环保型饮用水除氟材料。以氢氧化钙和磷酸为原料采用沉淀法合成了羟基磷灰石,并用红外光谱和XRD图谱进行了表征。研究了接触时间、pH值和温度等因素对羟基磷灰石吸附氟性能的影响。通过对吸附过程中的热力学动力学参数的计算来判断吸附的实质过程。研究结果表明,60 min以内吸附速率较快,在约70 min时吸附过程趋于平衡;酸性环境中的吸附效果要比在碱性环境中要好;升高温度有利于吸附的进行。吸附过程更符合Langmuir吸附模型,说明化学吸附占主导地位;吸附过程是一个自发的吸热过程,其中ΔGo<0,ΔHo为13.10 kJ/mol,Ea为15.24 kJ/mol,ΔSo为31.42 J/(mol.K);吸附过程符合拟二级动力学模型。     

方解石基羟基磷灰石的制备及其对水中氟化物的去除效能研究

采用方解石基羟基磷灰石材料去除水溶液中的氟化物。研究吸附剂用量、反应时间、F-初始浓度、共存阴离子分别对吸附量的影响,以及吸附过程中材料渗透率的变化。结果表明:反应在100min达到平衡,饱和吸附量为10.98mg/g;吸附量随着吸附剂用量、F-初始浓度的提高以及反应时间的延长而增大,当反应达到平衡时不再发生变化;除HCO-3外,其他共存阴离子(NO-3、SO2-4和Cl-)对吸附量影响不大;材料渗透率随反应时间的延长而下降,但大大高于传统羟基磷灰石材料的渗透率;方解石基羟基磷灰石材料对水溶液中氟化物的吸附符合Langmuir等温吸附方程以及Psuedo-二级动力学吸附模型,符合单层吸附反应。同时,采用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)对方解石基羟基磷灰石材料及其反应产物进行表征,探讨方解石基羟基磷灰石材料的除氟机制。     

羟基磷灰石的制备及除氟性能研究

采用化学沉淀法，使用不同原料制备羟基磷灰石；研究羟基磷灰石的除氟性能及除氟机理。静态吸附试验结果表明，样品对氟离子的吸附性能良好，吸附平衡时间一般在3 h左右；随着溶液氟离子浓度的增加，平衡吸附容量不断增加，两者都没有极限值，属于弗兰德里希（Freundlich）吸附。     

焙烧态锂铝水滑石对水中氟离子吸附性能研究

采用尿素水热法合成了不同摩尔比的锂铝水滑石(Li/Al LDHs),经480℃煅烧后制备出焙烧态锂铝水滑石(Li/AlLDOs)。研究了Li/Al LDOs对水中氟离子的吸附性能,分别考察了吸附时间、吸附温度和pH等因素对吸附效果的影响,并对吸附机制进行了探讨。结果表明,Li/Al LDOs吸附水中氟离子的行为符合准二级动力学方程,吸附等温数据符合Freundlich吸附等温方程,pH对吸附效果影响较大。X射线衍射分析表明,水滑石样品经历了物相转变及重构过程,Li/Al LDOs可有效去除水体中的氟离子。     

掺铁碳羟基磷灰石复合物对铅离子废水的吸附

采用废弃蛋壳和自制纳米Fe3O4为原材料,采用水热法制备Fe3O4/碳羟基磷灰石复合物(简称掺铁碳羟基磷灰石复合物,Fe-CHAP),将其用于吸附含Pb2+废水。通过BET比表面积、FTIR和XRD等表征手段对样品进行测试,分别探讨了影响吸附性能的主要因素,如pH、吸附剂用量、吸附时间、Pb2+初始浓度以及反应温度等。研究结果表明,在p H=5.0、0.03 g Fe-CHAP、150 mg/L Pb2+初始浓度、作用时间45 min和反应温度323 K等优化条件下,Fe-CHAP对Pb2+的去除率和吸附容量分别为98.59%和492.95mg/g。Langmuir等温模型较好地拟合了吸附实验数据,相关系数高达0.99,饱和吸附容量高达1 111.11 mg/g;准二级动力学模型较好地描述该吸附行为,相关系数高达0.999;热力学参数ΔG、ΔH和ΔS的计算值显示该吸附过程为自发吸热过程。     

介电泳增强吸附法去除饮用水中的氟离子

高氟水的危害引起了人们的广泛关注。为减少饮用水中含量过高的氟离子(F~-),基于介电泳技术建立了一种新的去除水体中F~-的方法,组装了介电泳装置,将介电泳技术和吸附法结合,增强了对F~-的去除效果。探讨了吸附剂种类、投加量和外加电压对于F~-去除效果的影响,并用SEM对电极进行表征。结果表明,羟基磷灰石对F~-具有最佳的吸附性能,其饱和吸附量为5.88 mg·g~(-1),Langmuir吸附等温方程能够很好地描述羟基磷灰石对F~-的吸附热力学行为,说明吸附满足单分子层吸附模型。在优化的实验条件下(羟基磷灰石投加量6 g·L~(-1),外加电压15 V),F~-去除率由单纯吸附法的67.02%提高到90.39%,达到了WHO饮用水水质标准,且无二次污染。SEM的表征结果表明,经过介电泳后,羟基磷灰石在电极上相互连接形成细长的线状结构。研究为减少高氟水中的氟离子提供了一种快速、高效的新方法。     

转炉渣诱导磷酸钙结晶法去除和回收废水中磷的研究

以转炉渣为晶种材料,利用批次结晶沉淀实验,研究不同的反应条件对诱导磷酸钙结晶法去除和回收废水中磷的影响。结果表明,最优反应条件为:pH=9.5,Ca/P摩尔比2∶1,转炉渣用量1.7 g/L,反应时间3 h,在此条件下,碳酸根对反应的影响甚小,对养猪场废水和污泥浓缩池上清液的处理,最高去除率分别达到95.36%和96.54%;转炉渣循环利用10次,回收磷的效果仍然很好。运用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线能谱仪(EDS)和X射线衍射仪(XRD)等测试手段对在最优工艺条件下重复使用10次的转炉渣进行了表征,证明回收的磷主要以羟基磷灰石(HAP)形态存在。     

活化赤泥的除氟性能

以成本低的铝工业废矿渣（赤泥）为原材料,通过高温煅烧和酸化处理对赤泥进行活化,制备了除氟吸附剂。研究了反应时间、投加量、初始氟浓度、溶液温度、共存阴离子和pH值对活化赤泥除氟效果的影响。结果表明,接触反应时间为18 h时,吸附接近平衡。活化赤泥对氟离子的吸附符合Lagergren二级吸附动力学方程。另外,初始浓度越高,吸附容量越大。与Freundlich相比,Langmuir吸附等温模型可以更好地描述氟离子的吸附特性,最大吸附量可达2.71 mg/g。SO24-、Cl-和NO3-存在时（〈1 000 mg/L）,对氟离子的吸附几乎没有影响,然而,HCO3-、PO34-和氟离子共存时,会对氟吸附造成不利影响。活化赤泥在pH值3.5～11.0时,具有较好的吸附稳定性。活化赤泥是一种吸附容量高、性能稳定的环境友好型除氟材料,具有应用潜力。     

不同Ca/P比下碳酸根对磷酸钙沉淀反应回收磷的影响

以模拟污水处理厂污泥厌氧消化液为处理对象,进行磷酸钙沉淀除磷小试实验,考察了不同Ca/P物质的量比下碳酸根(CO2-3)对磷酸钙沉淀反应回收磷的影响;利用扫描电镜(SEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)对沉淀产物进行表征。结果表明,磷酸钙沉淀反应是一个快速过程,CO2-3的存在并未改变这一显著特征。磷酸钙沉淀反应过程中,CO2-3的存在降低了磷的去除率,改变了沉淀物形貌、结构和组分;实验设定范围内,磷酸钙的过饱和度越高,越难形成晶体态羟基磷灰石((Ca5(PO4)3OH,HAP);当pH值为9.0,Ca/P比为1.67时,CO2-3取代HAP晶格中的PO3-4,形成碳磷灰石(CHAP);当pH值为9.0,Ca/P比为3.33和5.01时,CO2-3和PO3-4之间竞争,形成碳酸钙(CaCO3);增大Ca/P能有效提高磷的去除率,降低CO2-3对磷酸钙沉淀反应的抑制作用,但综合考虑实际效果,选择Ca/P比为3.33作为适宜的反应条件。     

季铵化改性木屑纤维素的制备及对氟离子的吸附研究

以3-氯-2-羟丙基三甲基氯化铵(CTA)为醚化剂,对木屑纤维素进行了季铵化改性.探讨了季铵化改性木屑纤维素用量、pH、吸附温度、氟离子初始浓度和吸附时间对氟离子静态吸附率的影响,以及流速对氟离子动态吸附率的影响.结果表明:(1)静态吸附最佳工艺条件:季铵化改性木屑纤维素用量为3.0 g/L,pH为4.0～6.0,吸附温度为25 ℃,吸附时间为120 min.在此最佳工艺条件下,季铵化改性木屑纤维素对100 mL 50.00 mg/L氟离子溶液的吸附率最高可达90.11%.(2)在pH为5.0、25 ℃的条件下,将50.00 mg/L氟离子溶液以5 mL/min的流速流经装有3.0 g/L季铵化改性木屑纤维素的吸附柱,吸附率可达97.95%.(3)季铵化改性木屑纤维素对溶液中氟离子的吸附过程为放热过程,在吸附过程中存在着化学吸附.(4)木屑来源丰富、价格价廉,季铵化改性木屑纤维素对溶液中氟离子的吸附效果好,且吸附工艺简单、易于实现工业化,具有良好的应用前景.     

Radionuclides and trace elements in fish collected upstream and downstream of Los Alamos national laboratory and the doses to humans from the consumption of muscle and bone

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine radionuclide and trace element concentrations in bottom‐feeding fish (catfish, carp, and suckers) collected from the confluences of some of the major canyons that cross Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) lands with the Rio Grande (RG) and the potential radiological doses from the ingestion of these fish. Samples of muscle and bone (and viscera in some cases) were analyzed for ³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ^totU, ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, and ²⁴¹Am and Ag, As, Ba, Be, Cr, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and Tl. Most radionuclides, with the exception of ⁹⁰Sr, in the muscle plus bone portions of fish collected from LANL canyons/RG were not significantly (p<0.05) higher from fish collected upstream (San Ildefonso/background) of LANL. Strontium‐90 in fish muscle plus bone tissue significantly (p<0.05) increases in concentration starting from Los Alamos Canyon, the most upstream confluence (fish contained 3.4E‐02 pCi g^‐1 [126E‐02 Bq kg^‐1]), to Frijoles Canyon, the most downstream confluence (fish contained 14E‐02 pCi g^‐1 [518E‐02 Bq kg^‐1]). The differences in ⁹⁰Sr concentrations in fish collected downstream and upstream (background) of LANL, however, were very small. Based on the average concentrations (±2SD) of radionuclides in fish tissue from the four LANL confluences, the committed effective dose equivalent from the ingestion of 46 lb (21 kg) (maximum ingestion rate per person per year) of fish muscle plus bone, after the subtraction of background, was 0.1 ± 0.1 mrem y^‐1 (1.0 ± 1.0 μSv y^‐1), and was far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection (all pathway) permissible dose limit of 100 mrem y^‐1 (1000 μSv y^‐1). Of the trace elements that were found above the limits of detection (Ba, Cu, and Hg) in fish muscle collected from the confluences of canyons that cross LANL and the RG, none were in significantly higher (p<0.05) concentrations than in muscle of fish collected from background locations.     

Radionuclides in deer and elk from Los Alamos national laboratory and the doses to humans from the ingestion of muscle and bone

Abstract

This paper summarizes radionuclide concentrations (³H, ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸Pu, ^239,240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, and ^totU) in muscle and bone tissue of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus) collected from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, lands from 1991 through 1998. Also, the committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) and the risk of excess cancer fatalities (RECF) to people who ingest muscle and bone from deer and elk collected from LANL lands were estimated. Most radionuclide concentrations in muscle and bone from individual deer (n = 11) and elk (n = 22) collected from LANL lands were either at less than detectable quantities (where the analytical result was smaller than two counting uncertainties) and/or within upper (95%) level background (BG) concentrations. As a group, most radionuclides in muscle and bone of deer and elk from LANL lands were not significantly higher (p<0.10) than in similar tissues from deer (n = 3) and elk (n = 7) collected from BG locations. Also, elk that had been radio collared and tracked for two years and spent an average time of 50% on LANL lands were not significantly different in most radionuclides from road kill elk that have been collected as part of the environmental surveillance program. Overall, the upper (95%) level net CEDEs (the CEDE plus two sigma for each radioisotope minus background) at the most conservative ingestion rate (50 lbs of muscle and 13 lbs of bone) were as follows: deer muscle = 0.22 mrem y^‐1 (2.2 μSv y^‐1), deer bone = 3.8 mrem y^‐1 (38 μSv y^‐1), elk muscle = 0.12 mrem y^‐1 (1.2 μSv y^‐1), and elk bone = 1.7 mrem y^‐1 (17 μSv y^‐1). All CEDEs were far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection guideline of 100 mrem y^‐1 (1000 μSv y^‐1), and the highest muscle plus bone net CEDE corresponded to a RECF of 2E‐06, which is far below the Environmental Protection Agency upper level guideline of 1E‐04.     

Leaching of seven pesticides currently used in cotton crop in Mato Grosso State—Brazil

This study aimed to evaluate the leaching of pesticides and the applicability of the Attenuation Factor (AF) Model to predict their leaching. The leaching of carbofuran, carbendazim, diuron, metolachlor, α and β endosulfan and chlorpyrifos was studied in an Oxisol using a field experiment lysimeter located in Dom Aquino – Mato Grosso. The samples of percolated water were collected by rain event and analyzed. Chemical and physical soil attributes were determined before pesticide application to the plots. The results showed that carbofuran was the pesticide that presented a higher leaching rate in the studied soil, so was the one representing the highest contamination potential. From the total carbofuran applied in the soil surface, around 6 % leached below 50 cm. The other pesticides showed lower mobility in the studied soil. The calculated values to AF were 7.06E-12 (carbendazim), 5.08E-03 (carbofuran), 3.12E-17 (diuron), 6.66E-345 (α-endosulfan), 1.47E-162 (β-endosulfan), 1.50E-06 (metolachlor), 3.51E-155 (chlorpyrifos). AF Model was useful to classify the pesticides' potential for contamination; however, that model underestimated pesticide leaching.     

Endosulfan in China 2—emissions and residues

Background, aim, and scope  Endosulfan is one of the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and also a candidate to be included in a group of new persistent organic pollutants (UNEP 2007). The first national endosulfan usage inventories in China with 1/4° longitude by 1/6° latitude resolution has been reported in an accompanying paper. In the second part of the paper, we compiled the gridded historical emissions and soil residues of endosulfan in China from the usage inventories. Based on the residue/emission data, gridded concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese soil and air have been calculated. These inventories will provide valuable data for the further study of endosulfan. Methods  Emission and residue of endosulfan were calculated from endosulfan usage by using a simplified gridded pesticide emission and residue model—SGPERM, which is an integrated modeling system combining mathematical model, database management system, and geographic information system. By using the emission and residue inventories, annual air and soil concentrations of endosulfan in each cell were determined. Results and discussion  Historical gridded emission and residue inventories of α- and β-endosulfan in agricultural soil in China with 1/4° longitude by 1/6° latitude resolution have been created. Total emissions were around 10,800 t, with α-endosulfan at 7,400 t and β-endosulfan at 3,400 t from 1994 to 2004. The highest residues were 140 t for α-endosulfan and 390 t for β-endosulfan, and the lowest residues were 0.7 t for α-endosulfan and 170 t for β-endosulfan in 2004 in Chinese agricultural soil where endosulfan was applied. Based on the emission and residue inventories, concentrations of α- and β-endosulfan in Chinese air and agricultural surface soil were also calculated for each grid cell. We have estimated annual averaged air concentrations and the annual minimum and maximum soil concentrations across China. The real concentrations will be different from season to season. Although our model does not consider the transport of the insecticide in the atmosphere, which could be very important in some areas during some special time, the estimated concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese air and soil derived from the endosulfan emission and residue inventories are in general consistent with the published monitoring data. Conclusions  To our knowledge, this work is the first inventory of this kind for endosulfan published on a national scale. Concentrations of the chemical in Chinese air and agricultural surface soil were calculated for each grid cell. Results show that the estimated concentrations of endosulfan in Chinese air and soil agree reasonably well with the monitoring data in general. Recommendations and perspectives  The gridded endosulfan emission/residue inventories and also the air and soil concentration inventories created in this study will be updated upon availability of new information, including usage and monitoring data. The establishment of these inventories for the OCP is important for both scientific communities and policy makers.     

Impact of spiked concentrations of Cd,Pb, As and Zn in growth medium on elemental uptake of Nasturtium officinale (Watercress)

This study is aimed at investigating the impact of water quality on the uptake and distribution of three non-essential and toxic elements, namely, As, Cd and Pb in the watercress plant to assess for metal toxicity. The plant was hydroponically cultivated under greenhouse conditions, with the growth medium being spiked with varying concentrations of As, Cd and Pb. Plants that were harvested weekly for elemental analysis showed physiological and morphological symptoms of toxicity on exposure to high concentrations of Cd and Pb. Plants exposed to high concentrations of As did not survive and the threshold for As uptake in watercress was established at 5 ppm. Translocation factors were low in all cases as the toxic elements accumulated more in the roots of the plant than the edible leaves. The impact of Zn on the uptake of toxic elements was also evaluated and Zn was found to have an antagonistic effect on uptake of both Cd and Pb with no notable effect on uptake of As. The findings indicate that phytotoxicity or death of the watercress plant would prevent it from being a route of human exposure to high concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the environment.     

Butyltin compounds in sediment and fish from the Polish Coast of the Baltic Sea

Concentrations of mono- (MBT), di- (DBT), and tri-(TBT) butyltin compounds were measured in eggs, liver, and muscle of nine species of fish from four regions of the Baltic Sea - the Firth of Vistula, the Gulf of Gdańsk, Puck Bay, and the mouth of the Vistula River. The overall concentration ranges among all the fish sampled from the four sites were: < 7 to 79 ng/g for MBT, 6 to 1100 ng/g for DBT, 7 to 3600 ng/g for TBT, and 16 to 4800 ng/g for total BTs, on a wet wt basis. The highest concentration of total BTs was found in herring liver from the Firth of Vistula (4800 ng/g, wet wt) and in roach muscle from Puck Bay (3300 ng/g, wet wt), while the least concentration was found in burbot eggs and liver from the Vistula River (39 and 32 ng/g, wet wt, respectively). TBT was the major form of BTs present in most samples analyzed. Sediment samples collected from shipyards in the Gulf of Gdańsk contained butyltin concentrations ranging from 1.2 to 46 μg/g (dry wt) for MBT, 2.0 to 42 μg/g for DBT, and 2.6 to 40 μg/g for TBT. As with the fish, the majority of the BTs in sediment were present as TBT, which suggested recent exposure of the aquatic environment of the region to TBT.     

Malathion-induced sublethal toxicity on the hematology of cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis)

The effect of malathion [diethyl(dimethoxythiophosphorylthio)succinate] at sublethal concentration (0.006 ppm) on hematological parameters of the cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) was studied for 24 hrs to 240 hrs of exposure and remarkable hematological alterations were observed. The study on hematological parameters revealed a highly significant decrease (P < 0.01) in the total erythrocytes count in malathion-exposed animals from 24 hours to 96 hrs of exposure as compared to control. Significant decreases (P < 0.01) of hemoglobin and packed cell volume were also observed from 48 hrs to 240 hrs. A significant increase (P < 0.01) in leucocytes count was noted throughout the exposure period. Elevated numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils as found in the present study revealed lymphocytosis as well as eosinophilia, suggesting that this was a result of direct stimulation of the immunological defense due to the presence of a toxic substance or may be associated with tissue damage. The cytomorphological and cytopathological study of erythrocytes and leucocytes in malathion-exposed frogs at 0.006 ppm concentration revealed various cytotoxic effects at different exposure times. It was noted that the size and the shape of the erythrocytes were subjected to variation in different blood disorders.     

Relation between forest vegetation, atmospheric deposition and site conditions at regional and European scales

Several monitoring programs have been set up to assess effects of atmospheric deposition on forest ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate effects on the understorey vegetation, based on the first round of a regional (the Netherlands) and a European forest monitoring program. A multivariate statistical analysis showed surprisingly similar results for both data sets; the vegetation appeared to be largely determined by the ‘traditional’ factors soil, climate, and tree species, but there was a small but statistically significant effect of atmospheric deposition. The effects of deposition include a slight shift towards nitrophytic species at high N deposition in the European network, and towards acidophytic species at high S-deposition in the Dutch network. The relatively small effect of atmospheric deposition is understandable in view of the very large natural variation in environmental conditions. Time series of both vegetation and environment are needed to assess deposition effects in detail.     

Influence of crop residues on trifluralin mineralization in a silty clay loam soil

Trifluralin is typically applied onto crop residues (trash, stubble) at the soil surface, or onto the bare soil surface after the incorporation of crop residues into the soil. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of the type and amount of crop residues in soil on trifluralin mineralization in a Wellwood silty clay loam soil. Leaves and stubble of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) (P); Canola (Brassica napus) (C), Wheat (Triticum aestivum) (W), Oats (Avena sativa), (O), and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) (A) were added to soil microcosms at rates of 2%, 4%, 8% and 16% of the total soil weight (25 g). The type and amount of crop residues in soil had little influence on the trifluralin first-order mineralization rate constant, which ranged from 3.57E-03 day^?1 in soil with 16% A to 2.89E-02 day^?1 in soil with 8% W. The cumulative trifluralin mineralization at 113 days ranged from 1.15% in soil with 16% P to 3.21% in soil with 4% C, again demonstrating that the observed differences across the treatments are not of agronomic or environmental importance.     

Concurrent nitrate and Fe(III) reduction during anaerobic biodegradation of phenols in a sandstone aquifer

The biodegradation of phenols (5, 60, 600 mg l⁻¹) under anaerobic conditions (nitrate enriched and unamended) was studied in laboratory microcosms with sandstone material and groundwater from within an anaerobic ammonium plume in an aquifer. The aqueous phase was sampled and analyzed for phenols and selected redox sensitive parameters on a regular basis. An experiment with sandstone material from specific depth intervals from a vertical profile across the ammonium plume was also conducted. The miniature microcosms used in this experiment were sacrificed for sampling for phenols and selected redox sensitive parameters at the end of the experiment. The sandstone material was characterized with respect to oxidation and reduction potential and Fe(II) and Fe(III) speciation prior to use for all microcosms and at the end of the experiments for selected microcosms.The redox conditions in the anaerobic microcosms were mixed nitrate and Fe(III) reducing. Nitrate and Fe(III) were apparently the dominant electron acceptors at high and low nitrate concentrations, respectively. When biomass growth is taken into account, nitrate and Fe(III) reduction constituted sufficient electron acceptor capacity for the mineralization of the phenols observed to be degraded even at an initial phenols concentration of 60 mg l⁻¹ (high) in an unamended microcosm, whereas nitrate reduction alone is unlikely to have provided sufficient electron acceptor capacity for the observed degradation of the phenols in the unamended microcosm.For microcosm systems, with solid aquifer materials, dissolution of organic substances from the solid material may occur. A quantitative determination of the speciation (mineral types and quantity) of electron acceptors associated with the solids, at levels relevant for degradation of specific organic compounds in aquifers, cannot always be obtained. Hence, complete mass balances of electron acceptor consumption for specific organic compounds degradation are difficult to confine. For aquifer materials with low initial Fe(II) content, Fe(II) determinations on solids and in aqueous phase samples may provide valuable information on Fe(III) reduction. However, in microcosms with natural sediments and where electron acceptors are associated with the sediments, complete mass-balances for substrates and electron acceptors are not likely to be obtained.