Soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr at Kaiga region, India

Transfer factors are the most important parameters required for mathematical modeling used for environmental impact assessment of radioactive contamination in the environment. In this paper soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides ⁴⁰K, ²²⁶Ra, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr is estimated for Kaiga region in Karnataka state, India. Among the plants in which study is carried out, ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr activity in leaves of herbaceous plants is higher than that of tree leaves. Soil to leaf transfer factor for ²²⁶Ra, ⁴⁰K, ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr was found to be in the range of 0.03-0.65, 0.32-8.04, 0.05-3.03 and 0.42-2.67 respectively.     

A Preliminary Evaluation of the DDT Contamination of Sediments in Lakes Natron and Bogoria (Eastern Rift Valley,Africa)

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is still used in Africa for the indoor control of malaria and it may represent a potential hazard for wildlife. The littoral sediments of two alkaline-saline lakes, Natron (Tanzania) and Bogoria (Kenya), in the Eastern Rift Valley, supporting large populations of lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor), were analysed for DDT residues. Physical–chemical analyses (temperature, conductivity, pH and dissolved oxygen) were also performed on the water of the two lakes and in the tributaries of Lake Natron, to evaluate the influence of the environmental variables on pollutant occurrence. At Lake Natron, around 1 km from the sediment collection sites, tree leaves of Acacia tortilis were also collected. The main metabolite found in all sediment samples was pp’DDE, whilst equal concentrations of pp’DDT and pp’DDE were measured in acacia leaves. The levels of DDTs measured in the sediments were within 5.9–30.9 ng g⁻¹ d.w., reaching the maximum value in a tributary of Lake Natron. On the whole, the contamination of Lake Natron and Lake Bogoria basins seems to be quite moderate. Nevertheless, the pp’DDE/pp’DDT ratio equals 1 in the Acacia tortilis leaves, which makes one suppose that the input of the parent compound was rather recent and could have been from aerial transport or dust from relatively close-by old pesticides storage sites.     

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) leaves as biomonitors of atmospheric metal pollution in arid and semi-arid environments

The leaves of date palms were evaluated as a possible biomonitor of heavy metal contamination in Ma’an city, Jordan. Concentrations of (Fe), (Pb), (Zn), (Cu), (Ni), and (Cr) were determined in washed and unwashed leaves and soil samples collected from different sites with different degrees of metal contamination (urban, suburban, industrial, highway and rural sites); separate leaves were taken from outside the city to be used as a control sample. Samples collected from industrial sites were found to have high concentrations of all metals except those of Cu, Ni and Pb, which were found at high levels in the highway site samples which is associated with the road traffic. The difference between unwashed and washed samples showed that metal pollutants exist as contaminants, particularly Pb, Zn and Ni, which varied in concentration, depending on the source of the metal.     

Virgin and recycled engine oil differentiation: a spectroscopic study

As a result of the changes that occur during their use, used engine oils tend to differ in chemical and physical composition from a virgin oil. In general recycled oils have: much higher water and sediment levels than virgin oil; relatively higher concentrations of organic compounds (oxidation products); and relatively higher levels of metals such as Fe, Cd, Cr, Pb, etc. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate, assess and to observe, by means of the physical and the chemical properties of the oils, atomic absorption (AA), inductive couple plasma (ICP) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses the extent of the differences occurring between the virgin and recycled oil. In important part of this work was also the development of analytical techniques based on the use of FTIR spectroscopy; in relation to the rapid analysis of lubricants; in particular for the differentiation of virgin and recycled oil. The results obtained were expected to be useful for differentiation purposes, providing information on whether the metal concentrations and oxidation products could be an appropriate feature for differentiating a particular oil sample from the others. This work is categorized into a two-step procedure. Firstly, an evaluation of a typical FTIR spectrum of an engine oil sample (mono- and multigrade) is presented. The broad feature centered at 1716 cm(-1) is due to the presence of carbonyl containing degradation products of oil. A band observed at 1732, 1169, 1154 and 1270 cm(-1) assigned to the polymethacrylate stretching vibrations, allows the determination of viscosity modifier and pour point depressant additives. The observed differences in the specific spectral bands (1732, 1169, 1154 and 1270 and 1716 cm(-1)) are investigated and discussed. Secondly, an analytical technique for the measurement of the levels of the wear metals is also applied.     

Sulfonated tea waste: A low-cost adsorbent for purification of biodiesel

In the present work, the crude biodiesel produced from spent fish frying oil through alkaline catalyzed transesterification was purified using a low-cost adsorbent viz. sulfonated tea waste. After separating the glycerol, the crude biodiesel was purified using the suggested adsorbent. Various methods of purification using the said adsorbent were applied such as purification using adsorption column chromatography and shaking methods. The results showed that purification using adsorption column chromatography exhibited the bst result. Properties of the purified fuels were determined and found conformed to those specified by the ASTM standards. For the sake of comparison, purification using zeolite and water washing method was also investigated. The result indicated that the suggested adsorbent was more successful on purification of the crude biodiesel compared to other methods.     

植物作为反硝化碳源

研究得到一种新型的筛选反硝化碳源的方法:可以通过比较材料浸出液的C/N值,筛选出有效的反硝化碳源;对芦苇秸秆、梧桐黄叶、梧桐绿叶、橘树叶、玉米秸秆和玉米芯6种材料浸出液的C/N值进行了研究,其中当以叶片作为反硝化固相碳源时,应该选取新鲜叶片作为研究对象。橘树叶和玉米芯均属于良好的反硝化碳源。以驯化后的河泥作为反硝化污泥,可以利用橘树叶或者玉米芯作为反硝化固相碳源,进行持续脱氮除磷反应,其中橘树叶脱氮效果强于玉米芯,而玉米芯除磷能力强于橘树叶。扫描电镜实验表明,橘树叶和玉米芯均适合作为生物膜载体。     

黑木耳和茶叶黄酮复配物的抗氧化活性

研究了黑木耳和茶叶黄酮复合对两种自由基体系的活性清除。结果表明,黑木耳和茶叶黄酮复合对羟基自由基（OH.）和超氧阴离子自由基（O2-.）均有较强的清除作用,且随着用量的增加清除效果增强。在同样用量的情况下,其清除作用明显强于单种黄酮的抗氧化作用,初步说明两种黄酮的复合可增强清除自由基的活性。     

茶园土壤速效磷乡镇尺度下空间异质性对比分析——以江浙地区优质名茶种植区为例

土壤中磷素的含量对土壤肥力和茶叶品质起着至关重要的作用,探讨土壤磷素含量的空间分布特征及其影响因素,可以为茶园管理和茶叶品质的提升提供理论指导。以江苏省东山镇和浙江省溪龙乡两个优质名茶种植区为例,在遥感影像和DEM数据的基础上,应用地统计学方法,对比研究了两个茶园土壤速效磷含量的空间异质性特征。结果表明:(1)按土壤肥力等级标准,东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷含量的平均水平均较高,利于茶叶生长;(2)东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷含量的变异系数分别为0.46和0.52,均属于中等强度变异;(3)空间插值结果显示,东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷在空间上都具有相连成片的特征,但东山镇速效磷呈阶梯状分布特征,而溪龙乡速效磷则呈辐射状分布特征;(4)东山镇和溪龙乡速效磷的块基比值分别为0.343和0.142,表明溪龙乡速效磷受随机性因素的影响较东山镇的小,而受结构性因素的影响较东山镇的大。     

晋江西溪流域茶园降雨径流产污特征

在野外模拟降雨条件下,开展了晋江西溪流域茶园和裸地的径流产沙及氮磷养分流失过程对比实验,研究结果表明,在相同降雨强度下,3种下垫面径流和产沙量顺序均为:裸地＞2年茶园＞4年茶园,径流量与产沙量之间呈显著正相关.对地表径流水相而言,2年茶园、4年茶园和裸地的TN流失量分别为:461.29、129.38和107.86 mg/m2;NO3-N流失量分别为:286.42、98.58和103.00 mg/m2,均占TN流失量的60％以上;NH4-N流失量分别为:48.67、16.19和4.42 mg/m2;Tp流失量分别为:34.71、16.47和23.88 mg/m2.对径流泥沙相而言,2年茶园、4年茶园和裸地的TN流失量分别为:379.28、44.81和747.16 mg/m2,占流失总量的比重在25.72％～87.93％之间;TP流失量分别为:27.94、4.17和58.85 mg/m2,占流失总量的比重在53.42％ ～68.36％之间.茶园的N、P主要随径流流失,而裸地以泥沙迁移为主.这说明茶叶种植具有一定的水土保持效应,且种植年限较长的茶园可显著减少随径流泥沙进入水体中的N、P元素.     

Accumulation and distribution of90Sr and137Cs in birch in the zone affected by liquid discharge from the Beloyarskaya Nuclear Power Plant

The data are presented that concern the accumulation and distribution of artificial radionuclides (⁹⁰Sr and¹³⁷Cs) in the aboveground organs of birch growing in the vicinity of the Beloyarskaya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the permanently inundated part of the Ol'khovka swamp, on its banks periodically flooded with water, and in watershed areas not influenced by the swamp (control). Concentrations of both radionuclides in birch trees from the swamp and its banks were several times as high as in trees from the watershed. The distribution of⁹⁰Sr in birch trunk proved to be acropetal. Trees growing on the inundated part of the swamp and on dry land significantly differed in the distribution of¹³⁷Cs. The factors controlling the distribution and accumulation of both radionuclides in birch trees growing in these areas are discussed.