Humic substances

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Freshwater bodies which chemistry is dominated by dissolved humic substances (HS) seem to be the major type on Earth, due to huge non-calcareous geological formations in the Northern Hemisphere and in the tropics. Based on the paradigm of the inertness of being organic, direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms are mostly neglected. However, dissolved organic carbon, the majority of which being HS, are natural environmental chemicals and should therefore directly interact with organisms. Major results that widened our perspective on humic substance ecology come from experiments with the compost nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, which behaved contradictorily to textbook knowledge and provoked an in-depth re-consideration of some paradigms. APPROACH: To overcome old paradigms on HS and their potential interactions with organisms, we reviewed recent international literature, as well as 'grey' literature. We also include results from own ongoing studies. RESULTS: This review focuses on direct interactions of dissolved HS with freshwater organisms and disregards indirect effects, such as under-water light quenching. Instead we show with some macrophyte and algal species that HS adversely interfere with photosynthesis and growth, whereby closely related algal species show different response patterns. In addition to this, HS suppress cyanobacteria more than eukaryotic algae. Quinones in the HS appear to be the effective structure. Furthermore, HS can modulate the offspring numbers in the nematode C. elegans and cause feminization of fish and amphibians--they possess hormone-like properties. The ecological consequences of this potential remain obscure at present. HS also have the potential to act as chemical attractants as shown with C. elegans and exert a mild chemical stress upon aquatic organisms in many ways: induction of molecular chaperons (stress proteins), induction and modulation of biotransformation and anti-oxidant enzymes. Furthermore, they produce an oxidative stress with lipidperoxidation as one clear symptom or even stress defense strategy. Stronger chemical stresses by HS may even lead to teratogenic effects as shown with fish embryos; all physiological responses to HS-mediated stress require energy, which were compensated on the expense of yolk as shown with zebra fish embryos. One Finnish field survey supports the view of a strong chemical stress, as the weight yield in fish species decreases with increasing HS content in the lakes. DISCUSSION: HS exert a variety of stress symptoms in aquatic and compost organisms. According to current paradigms of ecotoxicology, these symptoms have to be considered adverse, because their compensation consumes energy which is deducted from the main metabolism. However, the nematode C. elegans looks actively for such stressful environments, and this behavior is only understandable in the light of new paradigms of aging mechanisms, particularly the Green Theory of Aging. In this respect, we discuss the mild HS-mediated stress to aquatic and compost organisms. New empirical findings with HS themselves and HS building blocks appear to be consistent with this emerging paradigm and show that the individual lifespan may be expanded. At present the ecological consequences of these findings remain obscure. However, a multiple-stress resistance may be acquired which improves the individual fitness in a fluctuating environment. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that dissolved HS have to be considered abiotic ecological driving forces, somewhat less obvious than temperature, nutrients, or light. PERSPECTIVES: The understanding of the ecological control by dissolved humic substances is still fragmentary and needs to be studied in more details.     

Trends in snowpack chemistry and comparison to National Atmospheric Deposition Program results for the Rocky Mountains, US, 1993–2004

Seasonal snowpack chemistry data from the Rocky Mountain region of the US was examined to identify long-term trends in concentration and chemical deposition in snow and in snow-water equivalent. For the period 1993–2004, comparisons of trends were made between 54 Rocky Mountain Snowpack sites and 16 National Atmospheric Deposition Program wetfall sites located nearby in the region. The region was divided into three subregions: Northern, Central, and Southern. A non-parametric correlation method known as the Regional Kendall Test was used. This technique collectively computed the slope, direction, and probability of trend for several sites at once in each of the Northern, Central, and Southern Rockies subregions. Seasonal Kendall tests were used to evaluate trends at individual sites.Significant trends occurred during the period in wetfall and snowpack concentrations and deposition, and in precipitation. For the comparison, trends in concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate for the two networks were in fair agreement. In several cases, increases in ammonium and nitrate concentrations, and decreases in sulfate concentrations for both wetfall and snowpack were consistent in the three subregions. However, deposition patterns between wetfall and snowpack more often were opposite, particularly for ammonium and nitrate. Decreases in ammonium and nitrate deposition in wetfall in the central and southern rockies subregions mostly were moderately significant (p<0.11) in constrast to highly significant increases in snowpack (p<0.02). These opposite trends likely are explained by different rates of declining precipitation during the recent drought (1999–2004) and increasing concentration. Furthermore, dry deposition was an important factor in total deposition of nitrogen in the region. Sulfate deposition decreased with moderate to high significance in all three subregions in both wetfall and snowpack. Precipitation trends consistently were downward and significant for wetfall, snowpack, and snow-telemetry data for the central and southern rockies subregions (p<0.03), while no trends were noted for the Northern Rockies subregion.     

Impacts on industry of Europe's emerging chemicals policy REACh

For Europe, a new regime in chemicals regulation is about to start. After the proposal of the European Commission concerning the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACh) passed its readings in the European Parliament and some differences with the European Council of Ministers were resolved, the regulation will come into force in June 2007. This paper is focused on the question how serious the cost burdens for industry induced by REACh will be, and whether the New European Member States (NMS) which joined the European Union in May 2004 will be able to cope with the regulation. This evaluation has been done by assessing the legislative, administrative and economic framework in New Member States and by analysing real business cases in companies. The empirical showcase business impact studies are at the same time of interest for companies of EU-15 states, other European countries who may implement the regulation, and even for exporters of raw materials and chemicals outside Europe, who will also have to comply with REACh if they market in the European Community. The results give no indications that REACh adoption will bring significant drawbacks to companies in the NMS. The emerging regulation will bring challenges for individual companies, especially for small and medium-sized ones, but for the European chemical industry as a whole, there is no question that it will be able to cope with REACh burdens without losing its global competitiveness.     

Optical and Chemical Methods of Metal Ash Analysis and Tin Recovery

‘Metal ash’ presents a waste disposal problem in most of the developing countries as the industries employ obsolete technologies. In this paper we describe analysis of tin ash, zinc ash and aluminium ash by means of optical methods, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical methods. The results of tin ash obtained by XRD method matched well with the cassiterite, a naturally occurring mineral of tin. ICP-MS studies reveal the presence of a large number of tracer metals, which may cause pollution by tertiary dispersion and this aspect is discussed. Conversely, the data generated by chemical methods are limited. However, the methods are simple and cost-effective. Then, they can easily be adopted by low-budget industries. Simple and cost-effective process to recover tin from tin ash is described. It is based on heating tin ash with sodium cyanide to about 900°C to separate tin component from the metal ash. The process recovers good quality tin and offers a very high yield. The process can be scaled up to small pilot plant.     

工业废水中测定六价铬的预处理技术

根据复合絮凝剂与阳离子交换树脂两者在分离与处理技术上所起的不同作用 ,提出了将两法联合用作工业废水中测定Cr6 的预处理技术 ,通过一系列条件试验 ,确定最佳预处理条件。结果表明 ,该法具有去色、去浊率高 ,分离效果佳 ,排除干扰离子能力强 ,分析样品重现性好 ,准确度高 ,操作简便、快捷的优点。     

场地含水层氯代烃污染物自然衰减机制与纳米铁修复技术的研究进展

综述了国际上典型工业场地有机溶剂污染物在地下水中的自然衰减机制及修复技术的研究现状和发展趋势.场地地下水修复技术从抽出-处理发展到治理污染源区和污染羽的纳米铁技术,涌现出-大批较为成熟的联合化学与微生物修复技术,其中潜力较大的有治理污染羽的渗透反应墙、原位化学氧化、原位化学还原、微生物强化降解及基于监测的自然衰减等.文...     

大气细颗粒物在线源解析方法研究进展

基于对国内外关于PM2.5化学组分特征、二次气溶胶生成机理、源解析模型的研究综述,引入实现PM2.5在线源解析的2种可能方法,即气溶胶质谱+解析算法与3类化学组分组合观测+受体模型。重点阐述了气溶胶质谱及在线水溶性离子、EC/OC和金属元素仪器的应用研究现状,并分析了不同仪器测定结果的可靠性、优势及缺陷,在此基础上提出加强城市尺度的大气化学二次反应机理及关键技术参数研究、大气颗粒物化学组分连续观测应用于在线源解析的研究、基于多种信息来源和技术手段的在线源解析方法集成研究等建议。     

水体中重要污染元素化学形态分析研究方法及其进展

概述了元素化学形态分析的意义、概念和范围，元素化学形态分析与模拟计算方法，并分别对某些重要元素的化学形态分析方法的进展作了综述，介绍了１１５篇文献。     

人工神经网络用于铅的化学形态模拟计算

用前馈线性网络法求解水体系中Ｐｂ（２＋）与ＯＨ－之间的反应常数，不同训练算法对求解结果的精度、收敛速度及权值均有影响．结果表明，批处理算法的精度最好，权值不出现负值，但运算时间最长；在线算法的精度虽不如批处理算法，而比数据变换－在线算法好，权值有时会出现负值．运算时间较长；数据变换－在线算法的优点是运算时间短，但相对误差较大，权值出现负值的机会多。采用反馈网络模拟计算铅的各种化学形态的浓度．用物料核算的方法对反馈网络模型进行检验表明，此种模型用于平衡计算是可行的，详细分析了理论模拟和实验曲线的差异的原因，温度的影响最小，在４＜ｐＨ＜９时，ＣＯ有重要的影响．在国代检验时，ｎ值取整所引入的误差的影响亦不可忽视。从本文的结果可以看到，采用前馈网络和反馈网络相结合的方法考察水体中的化学形态是可行的．从而为解决这一类问题提供了一种可能的途径．     

Effects of chemical modification on physicochemical properties and adsorption behavior of sludge-based activated carbon

This study aimed to explore the adsorption performance of sludge-based activated carbon (SBC) towards dissolved organic matters (DOMs) removal from sewage, and investigated the modification effect of different types of chemicals on the structure of synthesized SBC. Waste activated sludge (WAS) was used as a carbon source, and HCl, HNO₃, and NaOH were used as different types of chemicals to modify the SBC. With the aid of chemical activation, the modified SBC showed higher adsorption performances on DOMs removal with maximum adsorption of 29.05 mg/g and second-order constant (k) of 0.1367 (L/mol/sec) due to the surface elution of ash and minerals by chemicals. The surface elemental composition of MSBC suggested that the content of C-C and C-O functional groups on the surface of modified sludge-based activated carbon (MSBC) played an important role on the adsorption capacities of MSBC towards DOMs removal in sewage. Additionally, the residual molecular weight of DOMs in sewage was investigated using a 3-dimension fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) and high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC). Results showed that the chemical modification significantly improved the adsorption capacity of MSBC on humic acids (HA) and aromatic proteins (APN), and both of NaOH-MSBC and HCl-MSBC were effective for a wide range of different AMW DOMs removal from sewage, while the HNO₃-MSBC exhibited poorly on AMW organics of 2,617 Da and 409 Da due to the reducing content of macropore. In brief, this study provides reference values for the impact of the chemicals of the activation stage before the SBCs application.