The Behaviour of Selenium in Geological Processes

Selenium contents were analyzed from a total of 244 soil samples collected over different rock types at a sampling density of one sample per 4km² around Geita gold mining areas, Northwestern Tanzania. Comparisons using literature survey contents of selenium in geological materials and some implications on the selenium in soils are compiled and discussed. Most selenium occurs as simple selenides in small quantities in low temperature hydrothermal deposits devoid of sulphur. It has been observed that to a large extent selenium content is increased more than most trace elements in the upper parts of the Earth perhaps through extraterrestrial deposition. In deep-seated rocks selenium is associated with sulphur but being volatile selenium and sulphur do not behave according to the crystallochemical law. Due to the higher stability of S⁶⁺, Se⁴⁺ and Se⁰ separate during migration. Thus, selenium is especially found in deep-seated plutonic rocks where large magma bodies cooled slowly and sulphur is available to precipitate sulphides. Selenium, which occurs with sulphides, is inhomogeneously deposited into continental margins. It is increased during magmatic differentiation and is highest in basic rocks. In magmatic and metamorphic conditions, selenium is found in the crystal structures of sulphides while in pneumatolytic and hydrothermal processes, it is relatively enriched into the late differentiates compared to sulphur. In metamorphic rocks selenium is more widely distributed. Selenium content in soils in the investigated area varies from (0.3–0.5gg^–1) in laterite and in black cotton soil 0.4gg^–1. Of all volcanic rocks selenium is highest in volcanogenic rocks especially the basalts. Surface waters are enriched in selenium, which they leach from volcanic materials. Selenium in sediments containing clay and organic matter is elevated but the content decreases with increased metamorphism. Selenium in volcanic areas can be used as a pathfinder in prospecting for volcanogenic ore deposits. S/Se ratios are distinct in different rock types and can thus be used to elucidate the origin of rocks, ores, and sediments.     

Arsenic content and distribution pattern in Chinese coals

About 500 samples of coal, pyritic coal balls, pyritic gangue and coal seam gangue were collected from different coal basins and geologic periods of coal formation to determine the arsenic (As) content and distribution pattern in China. The Permian-Carboniferous and Jurassic coals in the North China Plate and Northwest China account for nearly 85% of total Chinese coal reserves and data showed that As content ranged from 0.1 to 94?mg?kg^?1, with the majority between 1 and 14.9?mg?kg^?1. The As content of some Late Permian coals in Southwest Guizhou Province and stone coal in the South Qinling Mountain area were exceedingly high (30–534?mg?kg^?1), but the majority of coal in the Southwest Guizhou Province contained low to medium amounts. Only the coals, which are situated in or near igneous rocks and are not considered a part of Chinese coal reserves, possessed unusually high As content (>30?mg?kg^?1). Arsenic was also concentrated in pyritic coal balls and the pyritic gangue of the coal seam with values ranging from 21.5 to 142.46?mg?kg^?1 and an average of 69?mg?kg^?1 in Shaanxi and 78?mg?kg^?1 in Shandong. Arsenic contents in coal gangue in the Northwest and North China Plate is about 0.2–15?mg?kg^?1, a little lower than coals in the same seam. Washing gangue (waste from coal washing) generally contained more As than coal, because the washed gangue has more pyrite than the natural gangue (black shale). Washing coal reduced the content of the pyritic sulfur, heavy metals and As. Based on amounts of coal used with different As content in Chinese coal reserves, the average As content of Chinese coals is about 4.5?mg?kg^?1.     

Lead distribution in Permo-Carboniferous coal from the North China Plate,China

The content and distribution of the lead in coal, gangue and the sulfur ball and the pyritic gangue of the Permo-Carboniferous in the North China Plate have been systematically studied (nearly 300 samples) in this paper. The Permo-Carboniferous coals in the North China Plate account for nearly 44.45 of total Chinese coal resources, and most of the steam coals in China come from the Permo-Carboniferous coals in the North China Plate. The result shows that lead content in the coal varied from 1.45 to 63.60 mg kg^–1, averaging 23.95 mg kg^–1; the lead content of the sulfur ball and the pyritic gangue in the coal seam ranges from 70.26–1060 mg kg^–1, with an average of 271.28 mg kg^–1; the lead content of the gangue is from 29.5 to 77.81 mg kg^–1, averaging at 40.77 mg kg^–1. The lead in the coal seam is mainly concentrated in the pyrite, such as sulfur ball, pyritic gangue or pyrite, and is the least concentrated in the organic of coal. The content of the lead has a direct ratio with the ash and the pyretic sulfur. Coal washing can reduce the content of the pyretic sulfur and the lead.     

Effect of sulphur dioxide inhalation on serum Na and K+ ion concentration in albino rat

A study was carried out to assess the effect of 60 ppm and 120 ppm exposure of sulphur dioxide gas for one hour daily for 2 and 4 week on serum sodium(Na+) and potassium (K+) ion concentration in albino rat, Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout). The present findings reveal that serum sodium (Na+) ion concentration increased significantly after 4 week exposure to 120 ppm of sulphur dioxide, while serum potassium ion (K+) concentration decreased significantly after 4 week exposure to 120 ppm of sulphur dioxide.     

Selenium metabolism in the Marine phytoplankters Tetraselmis tetrathele and Dunaliella minuta

Radioactive selenite-75 has been used to investigate the metabolic transformation of inorganic selenium by the marine phytoplankters Tetraselmis tetrathele and Dunaliella minuta. The majority of radioselenium taken up from culture media during growth becomes associated with cellular protein. A small quantity of this protein-bound selenium can be volatilised by treatment with strong acid, suggesting the presence of hydrogen selenide. However, the principal fraction of selenium appears to be integrated into the primary protein structure. Enzymic hydrolysis of phytoplankton protein and subsequent chromatography of hydrolysates revealed the presence of seleno-analogues of the sulphur amino acids. Selenium amino acids were also detected in non-protein extracts.     

Lead in Chinese coals: distribution,modes of occurrence,and environmental effects

Lead (Pb) has gained much attention since the 1970s because of its potential and cumulative toxicity. As one of the most hazardous elements in coals, Pb can be released into the environment during coal mining, processing, and utilization. This study presents a synthesis on the abundance, distribution, modes of occurrence, and environmental impacts of Pb in Chinese coals. Using the expected coal reserves as the weighting factor and based on the previously published Pb content in 4,304 coal samples (including results obtained in our laboratory) from main coalfields or coal mines in China, the weighted mean Pb content in Chinese coals is 13.0 μg/g, which is higher than that of the American coals (11 μg/g) and average world coals (7.8 μg/g). With respect to regional distribution of Pb in Chinese coals, Pb content can be arbitrarily divided into three groups (<20, 20–40, >40 μg/g). Following this classification, coals from Tibet have the highest average Pb content (128.94 μg/g). The abundance of Pb in coals varies with coal-forming periods and coal ranks, with the late Triassic and higher rank coals having the highest Pb content, which could be ascribed to regional geochemical differences and later geological evolution as well as magma hydrothermal activities. The enrichment of Pb in coals is influenced by several geological factors, including coal-forming plants, source rocks, hydrothermal fluid, and depositional environment. Pb, dominantly associates with sulfide minerals, especially galena in coals. During coal combustion or pyrolysis, Pb is partly emitted into the atmosphere and partly partitioned to solid residues. Accumulation of Pb from coal utilization in human body could lead to a range of health problems and increase the risk of cancer.     

Tiefentschwefelte Kraftstoffe

In recent years, much attention has been given to the desulphurization of fuels like diesel oil and gasoline, since exhaust gases containing SOx cause air pollution and acid rain. Moreover, a lower sulphur content of fuels would allow the use of new engines and catalytic systems for the reduction of CO, particle and NOx-emissions, and a more efficient fuel consumption. The S-level in fuels is presently limited in Germany for gasoline and diesel oll to 150 ppm and 350 ppm, respectively. In 2005 the level will be decreased Europe-wide for all vehicle-fuels down to 50 ppm; in some countries, fuels are or will be on the market with even less sulphur. The current technology of hydrodesulphurization (heterogeneous, catalyzed hydrorreating of organic sulphur compounds) can desulphurize quite adequately down to today’s S-level. The process, however, is limited for the production of ultra-low sulphur fuels, and the expenses (pressure, reactor size, investment costs, energy consumption, specific active catalysts) are high to meet future requirements. alternative processes, which are not limited to hydrotreating, are therefore desirable. Beside an overview about hydrotreating, this paper presents two quite different alternatives: Extraction of sulphur compounds by ionic liquids and the synthetic production of S-free fuels from natural gas by Fischer-Tropsch-synthesis. Ionic liquids (ILs) are low melting (<100°C) salts which represent a new class of non-molecular, ionic solvents. In the experiments presented, extraction of model diesel oils (dibenzothiophene and dodecanthiol in n-dodecane) as well as of a real predesulphurized diesel oil (with about 400 ppm S) were investigated. The results show the excellent and selective extraction properties of ILs for organic sulphur compounds, especially with regard to those compounds which are very difficult to remove by common hydrodesulphurization. As expected, the desulphurization by extraction is much more complicated in case of real diesel oil (compared to a model oil) due to its complex chemical composition including many different sulphur compounds and other impurities like organic nitrogen and metal-compounds. Nevertheless, the results with pre-desulphurized diesel oil are also very promising. So, extraction of sulphur components by ILs is a new approach for deep desulphurization of diesel oil. The application of very mild process conditions (low pressure and temperature) in comparison to traditional hydrotreating is an additional advantage of this new concept. An alternative to today’s fuels based on crude oil is the production of gasoline and diesel oil from natural gas (or other fossil fuels like coal) by Fischer-Tropsch-synthesis (FTS). The products like diesel oil are completely free of sulphur and other impurities like nitrogen and metal compounds. Although several FTS-processes have been investigated and developed, and some processes are already running on a technical scale, a real breakthrough was not obtained up to now. The production costs of these capital-intensive processes are probably above the breakeven point, at least at today’s oil price. In this paper, a ‘lowcost’ process is discussed, which is based on nitrogen-rich syngas. In contrast to classical FTS-processes with nitrogen-free syngas, the investment costs are probably lower: The syngas is produced by partial oxidation with ait, which eliminates the need of an air separation plant, while a process with nitrogen-rich syngas does not utilize a recycle loop and a recycle compressor.     

外源硫输入对稻田土壤硒流失的影响

土壤中硒的甲基化可能会导致硒的挥发,加剧土壤硒的流失,而农田土壤硒的缺乏会造成农作物中硒含量偏低.施用硫肥是保障作物增产、增收的一种重要农艺措施,外源硫输入对土壤硒的含量可能产生重要的调控作用.本研究模拟稻田淹水环境,通过添加典型有机硫(甲硫氨酸)和无机硫(硫酸钠),测定硒的挥发量以及土壤中残留的硒含量,以揭示外源硫输...     

Concentration profiles of various toxic and non‐toxic elements in sized coal fly ashes from coals of the León basin

The concentration levels of major (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Si, Ti) and some trace (Be, Se, Tl) elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry for the coal fly ashes emitted in the combustion of anthracite and soft coals. Total contents and concentration profiles were established for all elements studied as a function of the mean particle size. The content of those elements volatilized during coal combustion (Se, Tl) decreases with increasing particle size, while the unvolatilized elements show small changes in their concentration profiles. The content of aluminium shows a minimum level at a mean particle size of about 25 μm.     

Satellite tracking reveals a dichotomy in migration strategies among juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Northwest Atlantic

Few data are available on the movements and behavior of immature Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from their seasonal neritic foraging grounds within the western north Atlantic. These waters provide developmental habitat for loggerheads originating from several western Atlantic nesting stocks. We examined the long-term movements of 23 immature loggerheads (16 wild-caught and seven headstart turtles) characterizing their seasonal distribution, habitat use, site fidelity, and the oceanographic conditions encountered during their migrations. We identified two movement strategies: (1) a seasonal shelf-constrained north–south migratory pattern; and (2) a year-round oceanic dispersal strategy where turtles travel in the Gulf Stream to the North Atlantic and their northern dispersal is limited by the 10–15°C isotherm. When sea surface temperatures dropped below 20°C, neritic turtles began a migration south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina (USA) where they established fidelity to the waters between North Carolina’s Outer Banks and the western edge of the Gulf Stream along outer continental shelf. Two turtles traveled as far south as Florida. Several turtles returned to their seasonal foraging grounds during subsequent summers. Northern movements were associated with both increased sea surface temperature (>21°C) and increased primary productivity. Our results indicate strong seasonal and interannual philopatry to the waters of Virginia (summer foraging habitat) and North Carolina (winter habitat). We suggest that the waters of Virginia and North Carolina provide important seasonal habitat and serve as a seasonal migratory pathway for immature loggerhead sea turtles. North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras acts as a seasonal “migratory bottleneck” for this species; special management consideration should be given to this region. Six turtles spent time farther from the continental shelf. Three entered the Gulf Stream near Cape Hatteras, traveling in the current to the northwest Atlantic. Two of these turtles remained within an oceanic habitat from 1 to 3 years and were associated with mesoscale features and frontal systems. The ability of large benthic subadults to resume an oceanic lifestyle for extended periods indicates plasticity in habitat use and migratory strategies. Therefore, traditional life history models for loggerhead sea turtles should be reevaluated.     

Temperature sensitivity of oxygen consumption of latitudinally separated Urosalpinx cinerea (Prosobranchia: Muricidae) populations

Although the oyster drill Urosalpinx cinerea (Say) is often cited as an example of a species which has formed physiological races among populations experiencing different thermal conditions, temperature effects on the respiratory metabolism of this organism have not been studied. Acclimated metabolism-temperature curves were constructed for 4 latitudinally separated populations which include two subspecies. Virginia U. cinerea follyensis, and Massachusetts and Maine U. cinerea cinerea, exhibit the classical pattern of latitudinal compensation of oxygen consumption, apparently due to an inverse size-latitude relationship which is contrary to Bergmann's rule. It is suggested that this anomaly may have resulted from the selective development of a smaller maximum size in the northern populations, although transportation of drills by man along the Atlantic coast has probably confused the situation. For reasons not immediately apparent, the Massachusetts individuals show rates consistently lower than those of the North Carolina, Virginia, and Maine speciments.     

煤热解过程中含硫气体的释放特征

利用热解炉-高分辨飞行时间质谱联用仪和热解炉-同步辐射光电离飞行时间质谱仪检测不同含硫量的煤IBC105和C22650在热解过程中释放的8种含硫气体,并对这8种含硫气体的释放规律进行了分析.实验结果表明,在200℃—400℃的热解区间内含硫气体释放相对较多,表明硫元素大部分是以有机态的形式在煤中赋存,而且芳香硫相对于脂肪硫含量较多;同时含硫量较高的煤IBC105中噻吩硫的热解释放量,较煤C22650多;由于煤中芳香性有机物的裂解多以苄基的形式出现,因此在两种煤中二苄基硫醚释放量都较噻吩或者苯并噻吩多.     

The non-participation of organic sulphur in acid mine drainage generation

Acid mine drainage is commonly associated with land disturbances that encounter and expose iron sulphides to oxidising atmospheric conditions. The attendant acidic conditions solubilise a host of trace metals. Within this flow regime the potential exists to contaminate surface drinking water supplies with a variety of trace materials. Accordingly, in evaluating the applications for mines located in the headwaters of water sheds, the pre-mining prediction of the occurrence of acid mine drainage is of paramount importance.There is general agreement among investigators that coal organic sulphur is a nonparticipant in acid mine drainage generation; however, there is no scientific documentation to support this concensus. Using simulated weathering, kinetic, mass balance, petrographic analysis and a peroxide oxidation procedure, coal organic sulphur is shown to be a nonparticipant in acid mine drainage generation. Calculations for assessing the acid-generating potential of a sedimentary rock should not include organic sulphur content.     

型煤燃烧特性初探

本文使用热重分析仪对型煤的燃烧特性进行了初步探讨。煤灯样品在升温过程中,发生两次快速失重,对应的温度分别为Ｔ１和Ｔ２。由于制备型煤时,添加了无机粘结剂和无机固硫剂等无机物,导致制备型煤用的混合料的Ｔ１比原煤降低,而刷烈燃烧温度Ｔ２却比原煤升高。     

Characterization of Santa Catarina (Brazil) coal with respect to human health and environmental concerns

The current paper presents the concentration, distribution, and modes of occurrence of trace elements of 13 coals from south Brazil. The samples were collected in the state of Santa Catarina. Chemical analyses and the high ash yields indicate that all studied coals are rich in mineral matter, with SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ dominating as determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Quartz is the main mineral species and is associated with minor levels of feldspars, kaolinite, hematite, and iron-rich carbonates. The contents of trace elements, including As, Pb, Cd, Ni, Cr, Mn, Be, V, U, Zn, Li, Cu, Tl, and Ni, in coals were determined. A comparison of ranges and means of elemental concentrations in Santa Catarina, Brazil, and world coals shows that the ranges of most elements in Santa Catarina coal are very close to the usual worldwide concentration ranges in coal.     

Prediction of sulphur removal with Acidithiobacillus sp. using artificial neural networks

Artificial neural network (ANN) model was used to predict the extent of sulphur removal from three types of coal using native cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. The type of coal, initial pH, pulp density, particle size, residence time, media composition and initial sulphur content of coal were fed as input to the network. The output of the model was sulphur removal. The resulting ANN showed satisfactory prediction of sulphur removal percentages with mean absolute deviations varying from 0.003 to 0.5. A three layer feed forward neural network model consisting of an input layer, one hidden layer and an output layer was found to give satisfactory results. Although the number of data sets were limited, the parity plot shows that the model estimations for the test set was good.     

Effects of dieldrin-contaminated food on the development of Leptodius floridanus larvae

Leptodius floridanus (Rathbun) (Decapoda: Xanthidae) larvae were fed dieldrin-contaminated Artemia nauplii throughout their development to megalopa. Sublethal effects were noted at dieldrin concentrations as low as 5.49 ppm, and no larvae completed their development when fed Artemia containing 33.0 ppm dieldrin. Organochloride pesticide residues were measured in zooplankton collected from Onslow Bay, North Carolina, USA. These residue levels were found to be much lower than those found to affect Leptodius larvae in the laboratory.     

淮北煤田煤中有机硫的测定与分析

以淮北煤田16 个煤样品为研究对象,对每个样品均进行了元素分析,并进行了索氏抽提实验,采用气相色谱-质谱仪对提取液进行测试分析.结果表明,淮北煤田4煤层和5煤层是以低硫煤为主的烟煤,煤中的有机硫主要为含硫多环芳烃(PASHs),其中又以二苯并噻吩及其甲基取代物和苯并萘并噻吩及其甲基,二甲基取代物为主.通过比较相对含量,发现5煤层的PASHs普遍比4煤层高,且PASHs的含量与O/C值成反相关,与煤的变质程度关系密切,煤化程度愈高,煤组成的芳构化程度也愈高,PASHs含量亦愈高.同时还发现当煤中硫含量在0.5%左右时,煤中PASHs含量达最高.     

Organic compounds in water extracts of coal: links to Balkan endemic nephropathy

The Pliocene lignite hypothesis is an environmental hypothesis that has been proposed to explain the etiology of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN). Aqueous leaching experiments were conducted on a variety of coal samples in order to simulate groundwater leaching of organic compounds, and to further test the role of the Pliocene lignite hypothesis in the etiology of BEN. Experiments were performed on lignite coal samples from endemic BEN areas in Romania and Serbia, and lignite and bituminous coals from nonendemic regions in Romania and the USA. Room temperature, hot water bath, and Soxhlet aqueous extraction experiments were conducted between 25 and 80 °C, and from 5 to 128 days in duration. A greater number of organic compounds and in higher concentrations were present in all three types of leaching experiments involving endemic area Pliocene lignite samples compared to all other coals examined. A BEN causing molecule or molecules may be among phenols, PAHs, benzenes, and/or lignin degradation compounds. The proposed transport pathway of the Pliocene lignite hypothesis for organic compound exposure from endemic area Pliocene lignite coals to well and spring drinking water, is likely. Aromatic compounds leached by groundwater from Pliocene lignite deposits in the vicinity of endemic BEN areas may play a role in the etiology of the disease. A better understanding of organic compounds leached by groundwater from Pliocene lignite deposits may potentially lead to the identification and implementation of effective strategies for the prevention of exposure to the causative agent(s) for BEN, and in turn, prevention of the disease.     

Movements of bluefin tuna (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus thynnus</Emphasis>) in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean recorded by pop-up satellite archival tags

Pop-up satellite archival tags were implanted into 68 Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus Linnaeus), ranging in size from 91 to 295 kg, in the southern Gulf of Maine (n=67) and off the coast of North Carolina (n=1) between July 2002 and January 2003. Individuals tagged in the Gulf of Maine left that area in late fall and overwintered in northern shelf waters, off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina, or in offshore waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. In spring, the fish moved either northwards towards the Gulf of Maine or offshore. None of the fish crossed the 45°W management line (separating eastern and western management units) and none traveled towards the Gulf of Mexico or the Straits of Florida (known western Atlantic spawning grounds). The greatest depth recorded was 672 m and the fish experienced temperatures ranging from 3.4 to 28.7°C. Swimming depth was significantly correlated with location, season, size class, time of day, and moon phase. There was also evidence of synchronous vertical behavior and changes in depth distribution in relation to oceanographic features.Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick