The Use of the Isotopic Composition of Individual Compounds for Correlating Spilled Oils and Refined Products in the Environment with Suspected Sources

Correlation of crude oils, or refined products, in the environment with suspected sources is typically undertaken through the use of GC and GCMS and in certain cases bulk carbon isotope compositions. However, with crude condensates, or refined products in particular, the absence, or low concentration, of biomarkers precludes their successful use for making unique correlations. An alternative and, sometimes, complimentary technique for correlation of such products is evolving through the use of combined gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCIRMS). This approach permits determination of the carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition of individual compounds in the crude oil or refined product to produce isotopic fingerprints for use in correlation studies. In this paper, it is proposed to review applications of GCIRMS to the correlation of various spilled products with their suspected sources in different environments. Whilst not proposing that this technique will replace GC or GCMS; it is proposed that GCIRMS is a very powerful tool to be used in conjunction with GC and GCMS to make such correlations. Although isotopic fractionation has been observed in some of the lighter components such as benzene and toluene, higher carbon numbered compounds, say above C 10 , do not appear to undergo any significant isotopic fractionation as a result of weathering. Furthermore with refined products, isotopic fractionation of the lighter components has the potential to demonstrate the onset of natural attenuation of refined products in the environment.     

NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING: INSIGHTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION FROM RECENT WATER RESOURCES PLANNING RESEARCH1

ABSTRACT: Recent Federal and some State legislation has enlarged the scope of permitted or required actions of local units of government in water resources management and protection. Much of the legislation encourages local units of government to introduce water resources planning measures which will be preventive instead of corrective. Extensive public works measures, environmental destruction and the threat to human life can thus be eliminated or reduced. Research has developed and tested a method for identifying the elements of a water resources protection program for small urbanizing watersheds which was technically adequate and socially acceptable to the communities implementing such programs. Research results suggest that deliberate efforts will be necessary to inform and educate local units of government as to the usefulness of the legislation; and that the program must reflect local natural resource conditions and local preferences for the method of accomplishing the protection. Successful implementation could be restrained by inertia of local units of government, a lack of tradition in such programs, and hostile existing agencies.     

Nanotechnology and groundwater remediation: A step forward in technology understanding

Nanotechnology application to contaminated site remediation, and especially the use of nanoscale zero‐valent iron particles to treat volatile organic compound (VOC)‐impacted groundwater, is now recognized as a promising solution for cost‐effective in situ treatment. Results obtained during numerous pilot tests undertaken by Golder Associates between 2003 and 2005 in North America (United States and Canada) and Europe have been used to present a synthetic cross‐comparison of technology dynamics. The importance of a comprehensive understanding of the site‐specific geological, hydrogeological, and geochemical conditions, the selection of appropriate nanoscale particles, the importance of monitoring geochemical parameters during technology application, and the potential of nanoparticle impact on microbial activity are discussed in this article. The variable technology dynamics obtained during six pilot tests (selected among numerous other tests) are then presented and discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Using a composite material containing waste tire powder and polypropylene fiber cut end to recover spilled oil

The superior oil absorption capacity of recycled polypropylene (PP) fiber and waste tire powder were used to recover spilled engine oil. We used ASTM F726-99 method to evaluate oil adsorbing capability of PP fiber and found it to have a large, rapid oil sorption capacity. However, its lack of elasticity dramatically limited that capacity after repeated use. Tire powder, which absorbs less oil more slowly, is more elastic than PP fiber and can be used repeatedly up to a hundred times without losing its oil adsorption capability. We combined PP fiber and tire powder to develop a composite material capable of recovering greater amounts of oil than any of its components. This composite can be use repeatedly for at least 100 times. Thus, the material cost for recovering 1 ton of spilled oil is about USD $0.03, making it very competitive on the market.     

Temporal turnover in the composition of tropical tree communities: functional determinism and phylogenetic stochasticity

The degree to which turnover in biological communities is structured by deterministic or stochastic factors and the identities of influential deterministic factors are fundamental, yet unresolved, questions in ecology. Answers to these questions are particularly important for projecting the fate of forests with diverse disturbance histories worldwide. To uncover the processes governing turnover we use species-level molecular phylogenies and functional trait data sets for two long-term tropical forest plots with contrasting disturbance histories: one forest is older-growth, and one was recently disturbed. Having both phylogenetic and functional information further allows us to parse out the deterministic influences of different ecological filters. With the use of null models we find that compositional turnover was random with respect to phylogeny on average, but highly nonrandom with respect to measured functional traits. Furthermore, as predicted by a deterministic assembly process, the older-growth and disturbed forests were characterized by less than and greater than expected functional turnover, respectively. These results suggest that the abiotic environment, which changes due to succession in the disturbed forest, strongly governs the temporal dynamics of disturbed and undisturbed tropical forests. Predicting future changes in the composition of disturbed and undisturbed forests may therefore be tractable when using a functional-trait-based approach.     

Observations on size composition and breeding of Northumberland populations of Zirphaea crispata (Pholadidae: Bivalvia)

Along the Northumberland coast, Zirphaea crispata (Linné) occurs in soft shales from approximately 1 ft (0.2 m) above datum to at least 20 fathoms (37 m). It also occurs sublittorally in dumped power station fly ash wastes. The populations are polymodal. Growth rate is estimated at approximately 8 mm a year with a life span of approximately 5 years in the case of those found intertidally and 6 to 7 years in the case of the sublittoral populations. Although breeding occurs from March to October, there is evidence that there are two main breeding peaks, one from March to May and the other from August to October. Differences in shell shape between different populations can probably be explained by the differences in effort required to drill into the substratum.     

Changes in physicochemical forms of lead and cadmium added to freshwater

Transformation of physicochemical forms of cadmium and lead added at 1 μ/L to Lake Michigan water have been studied by anodic stripping voltammetry. Unfiltered, 0.45 μ membrane filtered, ultrafiltered, and UV irradiated ultrafiltered samples were used to differentiate metal binding by particulate, colloidal, and dissolved organic matter. The reaction of added metal with colloids and particles is rapid. Their reaction with soluble organic matter is slow, requiring 1 to 2 days for complexation of one-half the added metal.