Geochemistry of mine tailings and behavior of arsenic at Kombat,northeastern Namibia

The mine tailings at Kombat, in semiarid northeastern Namibia, were investigated by the combination of solid-phase analyses, mineralogical methods, leaching tests, and speciation modeling. Dissolution of the most abundant primary sulfides, chalcopyrite and galena, released copper and lead which were adsorbed onto ferric oxyhydroxides or precipitated in the form of malachite, Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂, and cerussite, PbCO₃, respectively. Arsenic released from arsenopyrite was incorporated into ferric oxyhydroxides. Based on sequential extraction and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, a large amount of ferric iron is present as low solubility hematite and goethite formed rapidly (<10 years) under warm semiarid climatic conditions, and arsenic in these phases is relatively tightly bound. It seems that Cu and especially Pb in carbonate minerals represent a more serious environmental risk. Immobilization of As in hematite has implications for other mining sites in regions with similar climatic conditions because this process results in long-term immobilization of As.     

The changing character of household waste in the Czech Republic between 1999 and 2009 as a function of home heating methods

The authors of this paper report on the changing character of household waste, in the Czech Republic between 1999 and 2009 in households differentiated by their heating methods. The data presented are the result of two projects, financed by the Czech Ministry of Environment, which were undertaken during this time period with the aim of focusing on the waste characterisation and complete analysis of the physicochemical properties of the household waste. In the Czech Republic, the composition of household waste varies significantly between different types of households based on the methods of home heating employed. For the purposes of these studies, the types of homes were divided into three categories – urban, mixed and rural. Some of the biggest differences were found in the quantities of certain subsample categories, especially fine residue (matter smaller than 20 mm), between urban households with central heating and rural households that primarily employ solid fuel such coal or wood. The use of these solid fuels increases the fraction of the finer categories because of the higher presence of ash. Heating values of the residual household waste from the three categories varied very significantly, ranging from 6.8 MJ/kg to 14.2 MJ/kg in 1999 and from 6.8 MJ/kg to 10.5 MJ/kg in 2009 depending on the type of household and season. The same factors affect moisture of residual household waste which varied from 23.2% to 33.3%. The chemical parameters also varied significantly, especially in the quantities of Tl, As, Cr, Zn, Fe and Mn, which were higher in rural households. Because knowledge about the properties of household waste, as well as its physicochemical characteristics, is very important not only for future waste management, but also for the prediction of the behaviour and influence of the waste on the environment as the country continues to streamline its legislation to the European Union’s solid waste mandates, the results of these studies were employed by the Czech Ministry of Environment to optimise the national waste management strategy.     

Reconstruction of Long-Term Changes in Lake water Chemistry,Zooplankton and Benthos of a Small,Acidified High-Mountain Lake: Magic Modelling and Palaeolimnogical Analysis

Starolesnianske pleso is a small and shallow acid lake in the High Tatra Mountains, situated at 2000 m above sea level, on granitic bedrock, with sparse and thin soil cover. When detailed measurements began in the 1980s Starolesnianske pleso had pH below 5 and only one species of cladoceran zooplankton, the ubiquitous Chydorus sphaericusPalaeolimnological investigations show changes in cladoceran zooplankton and chironomid zoobenthic assemblages since about 1920 and a major change in 1970–1980. The dynamic acidification model MAGIC was used to reconstruct changes in water chemistry over the past 150 years. The results from MAGIC agree well with the sediment record; pH levels gradually decreased from 6.5 in the mid-1800s to about 5.6 in 1920 (first response in biota) to below 5.0 by 1970, and concentrations of inorganic aluminium rose dramatically beginning about 1960. In the 1990s the lake water chemistry showed clear signs of reversal in acidification brought about by a major decline in S deposition.     

Hysteresis in Reversal of Central European Mountain Lakes from Atmospheric Acidification

Extremely high emissions of S and N compounds in Central Europe (both 280 mmol m^-2 yr^-1) declined by 70and 35%, respectively, during the last decade. Decreaseddeposition rates of SO₄ ^-2, NO₃ ^-, and NH₄ ⁺ in the region paralleled emission declines. The reduction in atmospheric inputs of S and N to mountain ecosystemshas resulted in a pronounced reversal of acidification in the Tatra Mountains and Bohemian Forest lakes. Between the 1987–1990and 1997–1999 periods, concentrations of SO₄ ^-2 and NO₃ ^- decreased (average ± standard deviation) by 22±7 and 12±7 mol L^-1, respectively, in theTatra Mountains, and by 19±7 and 15±10 mol L^-1, respectively, in the Bohemian Forest. Their decrease was compensated in part (1) by a decrease in Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ (17±7 mol L^-1) and H⁺ (4±6 mol L^-1), and an increase in HCO₃ ^-(10±10 mol L^-1) in the Tatra Mountains lakes, and (2) by a decrease in Al (7±4 mol L^-1), Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ (9±6 mol L^-1), and H⁺ (6±5 mol L^-1), in Bohemian Forest lakes. Despite the rapid decline in lake water concentrations of SO₄ ^-2 and NO₃ ^- in response to reduced S and N emissions, their present concentrations in some lakes are higher than predictionsbased on observed concentrations at comparable emission rates during development of acidification. This hysteresis in chemical reversal from acidification has delayed biological recovery of the lakes. The only unequivocal sign of biological recovery hasbeen observed in erné Lake (Bohemian Forest) where a cladoceran species Ceriodaphnia quadrangular has recentlyreached its pre-acidification abundance.     

X-ray diffraction study of the first larval shell of Ostrea edulis

X-ray powder diffraction was used to study the calcification of the first larval shell of Ostrea edulis (sampled in Limski kanal, Istria, Adriatic Sea in April 1986) from the trochophore stage to the veliger larvae (prodissoconch I), and development of the latter up to several days postfertilization (prodissoconch II). In the first stage, only the amorphous component is present (periostracum and organic matrix). The beginning of shell formation is manifested by the appearance of calcite (up to 1–4% of the total vol.) and then aragonite (2 to 7%). In a later stage of the veliger larvae the fraction of calcite decreases, as well as the fraction of the amorphous component, while the fraction of aragonite rapidly increases. In the prodissoconch II stage, aragonite is dominant, with a very small amount of amorphous component and traces of calcite. In contrast, the valves of the adult O. edulis are composed mainly of calcite, with traces of aragonite.     

Modelling spatial distribution of the Croatian marine benthic habitats

Within the framework of the 3-year project “Mapping the habitats of the Republic of Croatia” the marine benthic habitats of the entire Croatian maritory were mapped. The supralittoral and the mediolittoral were mapped as a function of the coastal lithology and the presumed levels of human impact (both in scale of 1:100,000). The infralittoral was mapped on the basis of spatial modelling (using neural networks as a modelling tool, data about habitats collected by fieldwork as the independent variable for training and testing the model, and the digital bathymetrical model, the distance from coast, the second spectral channel of Landsat ETM+ satellite image and the sea bottom sea temperature, salinity and current magnitude, as dependent variables). The circalittoral and the bathyal were mapped by overlapping and reinterpretation of the existing spatial databases (bathymetry and lithology) within the framework of the raster-GIS.     

The effect of consumption of pork enriched by organic selenium on selenium status and lipid profile in blood serum of consumers

Abstract

The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of consumption of selenium-enriched pork on selected health indicators of probands. The intake of feed mixture with increased organic selenium at the dose of 0.3?mg.kg^?1 probably increases selenium concentration in MSM (musculus semimembranosus). In the pork enriched with organic selenium, the concentration was higher by 1.045?±?0.10?mg.kg^?1 compared with the control group 0.701?±?0.05?mg.kg^?1 at significance P?<?0.001. Sixteen participants in the experiment were represented by 8 men at the average age of 41.5?±?11.9?years and 8 women at the average age of 41.4?±?7.9?years. All the probands consumed meat enriched with selenium three times a week during one month. By consumption of the enriched pork, there was an increase of the selenium concentration in blood serum of probands traced with selenium increase from 73.19?±?15.68?μg.L^?1 to 73.73?±?15.13?μg.L^?1 (P?>?0.05). From the results we can see that consumption of enriched pork with selenium was significantly manifested in lowering of total cholesterol levels, which was associated with LDL cholesterol lowering (P?<?0.05). Differences among the HDL cholesterol and triglycerides samples were not significant.