WorldWideScience

Sample records for applying organic chemicals

  1. On Study of Teaching Reform of Organic Chemistry Course in Applied Chemical Industry Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yunshen

    2017-11-01

    with the implementation of new curriculum reform, the education sees great changes in teaching methods. Teaching reform is profound in organic chemistry course in applied chemical industry technology. However, many problems which have never been noticed before occur when reform programs are implemented which harm students’ ability for learning and enthusiasm in side face. This paper proposes reform measures like combining theory and practice, improving professional quality, supplementing professional needs and integrating teaching into life after analyzing organic chemistry course teaching in applied chemical industry technology currently, hoping to play a role of reference for organic chemistry course teaching reform in applied chemical industry technology.

  2. Device for applying organic chemicals to lysimeter surfaces; Applikationsvorrichtung fuer organische Chemikalien auf Lysimeteroberflaechen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schroll, R. [GSF - Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit Neuherberg GmbH, Oberschleissheim (Germany). Inst. fuer Bodenoekologie

    1999-02-01

    One of the aims of environmental research at the GSF Research Centre for the Environment and Health is to determine the behaviour of environmentally consequential chemicals in terrestrial ecosystems under as natural conditions as possible. The GSF lysimeter plant in Neuherberg permits studying the environmental behaviour of organic chemicals in different soils. Collaborators at GSF have developed a means of applying -14-marked substances in field lysimeters so as to be able to refind released chemicals, identify their conversion products and set up mass balances for the chemicals. [Deutsch] Ein Ziel der Umweltforschung im GSF-Forschungszentrum fuer Umwelt und Gesundheit ist es, das Verhalten von Umweltchemikalien in terrestrischen Oekosystemen unter moeglichst natuerlichen Bedingungen zu bestimmen. In der GSF-Lysimeteranlage Neuherberg kann das Umweltverhalten von Organika in verschiedenen Boeden untersucht werden. Zur Wiedererkennung der ausgebrachten Chemikalie bzw. zur Identifizierung aus ihr entstandener Umwandlungsprodukte und letztendlich auch zur Erstellung einer Massenbilanz fuer das ausgebrachte Praeparat wurde in der GSF die Moeglichkeit geschaffen, {sup 14}C-markierte Substanzen in Freilandlysimetern applizieren zu koennen. (orig.)

  3. Chemical characterization of agricultural supplies applied to organic tomato cultivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, T.C.G.; Nadai Fernandes de, E.A.; Ferrari, A.A.; Tagliaferro, F.S.; Bacchi, M.A.

    2008-01-01

    The agricultural supplies used in the organic system to control pests and diseases as well as to fertilize soil are claimed to be beneficial to plants and innocuous to human health and to the environment. The chemical composition of six agricultural supplies commonly used in the organic tomato culture, was evaluated by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Results were compared to the maximum limits established by the Environment Control Agency of the S?o Paulo State (CETESB) and the Guidelines for Organic Quality Standard of Instituto Biodinamico (IBD). Concentrations above reference values were found for Co, Cr and Zn in compost, Cr and Zn in cattle manure and Zn in rice bran. (author)

  4. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis applied to the study of chemical element accumulation in organs of Rhinella schneideri (Werner, 1894)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bardini Junior, Claudiney; Fernandes, Elisabete A. de Nadai, E-mail: lis@cena.usp.br [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Santos, Katarine M. Barbosa; Silva Neto, Luiz J. da; Santos, Robson A. dos; Silva, Karolayne E.M.; França, Elvis J. de, E-mail: ejfranca@cnen.gov.br [Centro Regional de Ciências Nucleares do Nordeste (DIAMB/CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil). Div. de Monitoração Ambiental

    2017-07-01

    Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) is a multielementar technique with high sensitivity, and can be applied to study small samples. Therefore, this research proposes using the INAA for quantifying the accumulation of chemical elements in organs of anuran amphibians Rhinella schneideri (Werner, 1894). Male individuals were collected on areas with anthropogenic influence close to water resources on the campus of ESALQ/USP in 2009. The animals were sacrificed in a cold chamber and dissected to separate their kidneys, livers, lungs and skins. After cleaning, the organs were lyophilized and pulverized. Samples weighing from 200 to 500 mg were placed in polyethylene capsules to be irradiated. The INAA technique, based on the bombardment of samples with neutrons for the production of radionuclides, was applied using the Nuclear Research Reactor of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute. Portions of certified reference materials were used to evaluate the quality of the analytical procedure. The mass fractions were quantified by the k0 method, and the results indicated differences among the As, Br, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Sc, Se and Zn concentrations in the analyzed organs. Therefore, it was possible to calculate the bioaccumulation indexes relative to these chemical elements for the species. In addition, it was possible to infer the contamination pathways: As, Br, Co, Cr and Se by ingestion and Co, Fe, Hg, Sc and Zn by contact, which corroborated the usage of R. schneideri anuran as a biomonitor of chemical elements. (author)

  5. Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis applied to the study of chemical element accumulation in organs of Rhinella schneideri (Werner, 1894)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bardini Junior, Claudiney; Fernandes, Elisabete A. de Nadai; Santos, Katarine M. Barbosa; Silva Neto, Luiz J. da; Santos, Robson A. dos; Silva, Karolayne E.M.; França, Elvis J. de

    2017-01-01

    Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) is a multielementar technique with high sensitivity, and can be applied to study small samples. Therefore, this research proposes using the INAA for quantifying the accumulation of chemical elements in organs of anuran amphibians Rhinella schneideri (Werner, 1894). Male individuals were collected on areas with anthropogenic influence close to water resources on the campus of ESALQ/USP in 2009. The animals were sacrificed in a cold chamber and dissected to separate their kidneys, livers, lungs and skins. After cleaning, the organs were lyophilized and pulverized. Samples weighing from 200 to 500 mg were placed in polyethylene capsules to be irradiated. The INAA technique, based on the bombardment of samples with neutrons for the production of radionuclides, was applied using the Nuclear Research Reactor of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute. Portions of certified reference materials were used to evaluate the quality of the analytical procedure. The mass fractions were quantified by the k0 method, and the results indicated differences among the As, Br, Co, Cr, Fe, Hg, Sc, Se and Zn concentrations in the analyzed organs. Therefore, it was possible to calculate the bioaccumulation indexes relative to these chemical elements for the species. In addition, it was possible to infer the contamination pathways: As, Br, Co, Cr and Se by ingestion and Co, Fe, Hg, Sc and Zn by contact, which corroborated the usage of R. schneideri anuran as a biomonitor of chemical elements. (author)

  6. Applied chemical engineering thermodynamics

    CERN Document Server

    Tassios, Dimitrios P

    1993-01-01

    Applied Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics provides the undergraduate and graduate student of chemical engineering with the basic knowledge, the methodology and the references he needs to apply it in industrial practice. Thus, in addition to the classical topics of the laws of thermodynamics,pure component and mixture thermodynamic properties as well as phase and chemical equilibria the reader will find: - history of thermodynamics - energy conservation - internmolecular forces and molecular thermodynamics - cubic equations of state - statistical mechanics. A great number of calculated problems with solutions and an appendix with numerous tables of numbers of practical importance are extremely helpful for applied calculations. The computer programs on the included disk help the student to become familiar with the typical methods used in industry for volumetric and vapor-liquid equilibria calculations.

  7. Accounting for the dissociating properties of organic chemicals in LCIA: An uncertainty analysis applied to micropollutants in the assessment of freshwater ecotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morais, Sérgio Alberto; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Gabarrell, Xavier

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Fate parameters of dissociating chemicals were estimated and applied to an LCIA model. ► Results were compared to the default model using non-polar partitioning regressions. ► Negligible differences were estimated for direct emissions to freshwater. ► Results were overestimated in the default model for indirect emissions. ► Sorption of the cationic fraction of organic bases was the most influential parameter. -- Abstract: In life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models, the sorption of the ionic fraction of dissociating organic chemicals is not adequately modeled because conventional non-polar partitioning models are applied. Therefore, high uncertainties are expected when modeling the mobility, as well as the bioavailability for uptake by exposed biota and degradation, of dissociating organic chemicals. Alternative regressions that account for the ionized fraction of a molecule to estimate fate parameters were applied to the USEtox model. The most sensitive model parameters in the estimation of ecotoxicological characterization factors (CFs) of micropollutants were evaluated by Monte Carlo analysis in both the default USEtox model and the alternative approach. Negligible differences of CFs values and 95% confidence limits between the two approaches were estimated for direct emissions to the freshwater compartment; however the default USEtox model overestimates CFs and the 95% confidence limits of basic compounds up to three orders and four orders of magnitude, respectively, relatively to the alternative approach for emissions to the agricultural soil compartment. For three emission scenarios, LCIA results show that the default USEtox model overestimates freshwater ecotoxicity impacts for the emission scenarios to agricultural soil by one order of magnitude, and larger confidence limits were estimated, relatively to the alternative approach

  8. CHEMICAL CLEANING OF NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANES FOULED BY ORGANIC MATTERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    CHARLENE C. H. KOO

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Membrane fouling is a term to describe non-integral substance on membrane surface which results in rapid decline of permeation flux and deteriorate the performance of membrane. Chemical cleaning agents especially like alkaline cleaners are most widely employed to restore the membrane performance. This research mainly investigated the potential use of sodium hydroxide (NaOH and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl as the chemical cleaning agents to restore the permeate flux of organically fouled nanofiltration (NF membranes under varying applied pressure and flow condition. The performances of the cleaning protocols were quantified using flux recovery and resistance removal. The results demonstrated that NaOCl is more effective than NaOH. This observation is also in line with FTIR analysis in which the transmittance intensity showed by FTIR spectra of NaOCl is higher than that of NaOH. The results also reported that higher flux recovery and resistance removal were achieved when the fouled NF membranes were cleaned with higher concentration of chemical agents and applied pressure. However, the improvements of flux recovery and resistance removal by increasing the applied pressure were found insignificant at higher applied pressure range (16 to 18 bar than the lower applied pressure range (i.e. 12 to 14 bar. This research plays an important role by identifying the key parameters that could restore the flux of organically fouled NF membranes significantly.

  9. Microwaves in organic chemistry and organic chemical

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mijin Dušan Ž.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The usual way of applying heat to a chemical reaction is the use of a Bunsen burner, an oil or some other type of bath, or an electric heater. In inorganic chemistry, microwave technology has been used since the late 1970s while it has been implemented in organic chemistry since the mid-1980s. Microwave heating has been used in the food industry for almost fifty years. The shorter reaction times and expanded reaction range that is offered by microwave technology are suited to the increased demands in industry. For example, there is a requirement in the pharmaceutical industry for a higher number of a novel chemical entities to be produced, which requires chemists to employ a number of resources to reduce time for the production of compounds. Also, microwaves are used in the food industry, as well as in the pyrolysis of waste materials, sample preparation, the solvent extraction of natural products and the hydrolysis of proteins and peptides.

  10. Effects of different organic materials and chemical fertilizers on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GREGORY

    2010-09-20

    Sep 20, 2010 ... 2The Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, Gaziantep, Turkey. Accepted 5 July, 2010. This study was conducted under greenhouse conditions to investigate the effects of applied nutrients such as ... Key words: Organic material, chemical fertilizer, Pistacia vera L., soil ... systematic approach of soil and plant.

  11. Carotenoids Database: structures, chemical fingerprints and distribution among organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yabuzaki, Junko

    2017-01-01

    To promote understanding of how organisms are related via carotenoids, either evolutionarily or symbiotically, or in food chains through natural histories, we built the Carotenoids Database. This provides chemical information on 1117 natural carotenoids with 683 source organisms. For extracting organisms closely related through the biosynthesis of carotenoids, we offer a new similarity search system 'Search similar carotenoids' using our original chemical fingerprint 'Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints'. These Carotenoid DB Chemical Fingerprints describe the chemical substructure and the modification details based upon International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) semi-systematic names of the carotenoids. The fingerprints also allow (i) easier prediction of six biological functions of carotenoids: provitamin A, membrane stabilizers, odorous substances, allelochemicals, antiproliferative activity and reverse MDR activity against cancer cells, (ii) easier classification of carotenoid structures, (iii) partial and exact structure searching and (iv) easier extraction of structural isomers and stereoisomers. We believe this to be the first attempt to establish fingerprints using the IUPAC semi-systematic names. For extracting close profiled organisms, we provide a new tool 'Search similar profiled organisms'. Our current statistics show some insights into natural history: carotenoids seem to have been spread largely by bacteria, as they produce C30, C40, C45 and C50 carotenoids, with the widest range of end groups, and they share a small portion of C40 carotenoids with eukaryotes. Archaea share an even smaller portion with eukaryotes. Eukaryotes then have evolved a considerable variety of C40 carotenoids. Considering carotenoids, eukaryotes seem more closely related to bacteria than to archaea aside from 16S rRNA lineage analysis. : http://carotenoiddb.jp. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  12. Organic chemicals in the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, T.A.; Beauchamp, J.J.; Walton, B.T.

    1991-01-01

    Disappearance of 15 volatile and semivolatile organic compounds was determined in a mixture added to two different soil types using experimental procedures to distinguish abiotic losses from biological degradation over a 7-d period. Losses due to volatilization were quantified and mass balances were calculated for each compound. The compounds (methyl ethyl ketone; tetrahydrofuran; chlorobenzene; benzene; chloroform; carbon tetrachloride; p-xylene; 1,2-dichlorobenzene; cis-1,4-dich-loro-2-butene; 1,2,3-trichloropropane; 2-chloronaphthalene; ethylene dibromide; hexachlorobenzene; nitrobenzene; and toluene) were applied to the soil in a mixture such that the concentration of each chemical was 100 mg/kg soil (dry wt.). Apparent half-lives for the 15 organic compounds ranged from 14 C-toluene, were unsuccessful. Nonreversible sorption and preanalysis storage conditions were considered as contributors to this inability to achieve a mass balance. On the basis of these results, the authors strongly advise positive accounting for all test compounds and degradation products at the conclusion of studies involving volatile and semivolatile compounds

  13. Physico-Chemical Properties of Kaolin-Organic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeo S.W.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Soil with more than 20% of organic content is classified as organic soil in Malaysia. Contents of organic soil consist of different types of organic and inorganic matter. Each type of organic matter has its own characteristic and its effect on the properties of the soil is different. Hence, a good understanding on the effect of specific organic and inorganic matter on the physico-chemical characteristic of organic soils can serve as a guide for predicting the properties of organic soils. The main objective is to unveil the effect of organic acid on the physico-chemical properties of soil. Artificial organic soil (kaolin mixed with organic acid was utilized in order to minimize the geochemical variability of studied soil. The organic acid which consists of humic acid and fulvic acid was extracted from highly humificated plant–based compost. The effect of organic acid on the physico-chemical properties of soil was determined by varying the concentration of organic acid. The specific gravity, Atterberg limits, pH, bulk chemical composition and the functional group of kaolin-organic acid were determined. It was found that the plasticity index, specific gravity and pH value were decreased with lowered concentration of organic acid. However, the liquid limits and plastic limits were found to be increased with the concentration decrement of organic acid. The analysis of XRF on the bulk chemical composition and analysis of FTIR spectra on the functional group of artificial organic soils with different concentration have confirmed little geochemical variability between samples.

  14. Effects of radiation and chemical substances on cells and organism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fremuth, F.

    1981-01-01

    The book treats the radiation chemistry part of biophysics and applied biophysics in the sphere of ionizing radiation. Discussed are the concepts of radiation units and radioactivity units and the relative biological efficiency. The effects of ionizing and UV radiations are analyzed at the level of macromolecular changes. Chapters dealing with genetic radiation effects discuss the effects at the cellular level with respect to cell proliferation. All these problems are used to illustrate the effect on the organism as a whole. The chapters on applied biophysics deal with the indications of radiation and chemical damage, sensitivity of cells and the organism, and the study and influencing of growth at the cellular level. The concluding chapter is devoted to the environmental impact of radiation. (J.P.)

  15. Algal growth inhibition test results of 425 organic chemical substances

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kusk, Kresten Ole; Christensen, Anne Munch; Nyholm, Niels

    2018-01-01

    The toxicity towards the algal species Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata of 425 organic chemical substances was tested in a growth inhibition test. Precautions were taken to prevent loss of the compounds from the water phase and the test system (closed test system, low biomass, shorter test duration......, silanized glass) and to keep pH constant by applying a higher alkalinity. Chemical phase distribution was modelled taking ionization, volatilisation, and adsorption to glass and biomass into consideration. If the modelled water concentration was below 90% of the nominal concentration the calculated EC...... values were corrected accordingly. The model helped to identify substances, where the calculated water concentration was too uncertain. Substances covering a wide range of physical-chemical properties and different modes of action were tested. Median effect concentrations (EC50) lower than 1000 mg/L were...

  16. Metal-organic frameworks for the removal of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobbitt, N Scott; Mendonca, Matthew L; Howarth, Ashlee J; Islamoglu, Timur; Hupp, Joseph T; Farha, Omar K; Snurr, Randall Q

    2017-06-06

    Owing to the vast diversity of linkers, nodes, and topologies, metal-organic frameworks can be tailored for specific tasks, such as chemical separations or catalysis. Accordingly, these materials have attracted significant interest for capture and/or detoxification of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents. In this paper, we review recent experimental and computational work pertaining to the capture of several industrially-relevant toxic chemicals, including NH 3 , SO 2 , NO 2 , H 2 S, and some volatile organic compounds, with particular emphasis on the challenging issue of designing materials that selectively adsorb these chemicals in the presence of water. We also examine recent research on the capture and catalytic degradation of chemical warfare agents such as sarin and sulfur mustard using metal-organic frameworks.

  17. Fertilizers applied to certified organic tomato culture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, T.C.G.; De Nadai Fernandes, E.A.; Ferrari, A.A.; Bacchi, M.A.; Tagliaferro, F.S.

    2010-01-01

    The tomato culture demands large quantities of mineral nutrients, which are supplied by synthetic fertilizers in the conventional cultivation system. In the organic cultivation system only alternative fertilizers are allowed by the certifiers and accepted as safe for humans and environment. The chemical composition of rice bran, oyster flour, cattle manure and ground charcoal, as well as soils and tomato fruits were evaluated by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The potential contribution of organic fertilizers to the enrichment of chemical elements in soil and their transfer to fruits was investigated using concentration ratios for fertilizer and soil samples, and also for soil and tomato. Results evidenced that these alternative fertilizers could be taken as important sources of Br, Ca, Ce, K, Na and Zn for the organic tomato culture. (author)

  18. Screening organic chemicals in commerce for emissions in the context of environmental and human exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breivik, Knut; Arnot, Jon A; Brown, Trevor N; McLachlan, Michael S; Wania, Frank

    2012-08-01

    Quantitative knowledge of organic chemical release into the environment is essential to understand and predict human exposure as well as to develop rational control strategies for any substances of concern. While significant efforts have been invested to characterize and screen organic chemicals for hazardous properties, relatively less effort has been directed toward estimating emissions and hence also risks. Here, a rapid throughput method to estimate emissions of discrete organic chemicals in commerce has been developed, applied and evaluated to support screening studies aimed at ranking and identifying chemicals of potential concern. The method builds upon information in the European Union Technical Guidance Document and utilizes information on quantities in commerce (production and/or import rates), chemical function (use patterns) and physical-chemical properties to estimate emissions to air, soil and water within the OECD for five stages of the chemical life-cycle. The method is applied to 16,029 discrete substances (identified by CAS numbers) from five national and international high production volume lists. As access to consistent input data remains fragmented or even impossible, particular attention is given to estimating, evaluating and discussing uncertainties in the resulting emission scenarios. The uncertainty for individual substances typically spans 3 to 4 orders of magnitude for this initial tier screening method. Information on uncertainties in emissions is useful as any screening or categorization methods which solely rely on threshold values are at risk of leading to a significant number of either false positives or false negatives. A limited evaluation of the screening method's estimates for a sub-set of about 100 substances, compared against independent and more detailed emission scenarios presented in various European Risk Assessment Reports, highlights that up-to-date and accurate information on quantities in commerce as well as a detailed

  19. Elimination kinetic model for organic chemicals in earthworms.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dimitrova, N.; Dimitrov, S.; Georgieva, D.; van Gestel, C.A.M.; Hankard, P.; Spurgeon, D.J.; Li, H.; Mekenyan, O.

    2010-01-01

    Mechanistic understanding of bioaccumulation in different organisms and environments should take into account the influence of organism and chemical depending factors on the uptake and elimination kinetics of chemicals. Lipophilicity, metabolism, sorption (bioavailability) and biodegradation of

  20. APPLIED ORGANIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kievskiy Leonid Vladimirovich

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Applied disciplines in the sphere of construction which are engaged in the solution of vital macroeconomical problems (the general trend of development of these disciplines is the expansion of problematics and mutual integration are considered. Construction organization characteristic at the present stage as a systems engineering discipline covering the investment process of creation of real estate items, is given. The main source of current research trends for applied sciences (socio-economic development forecasts, regional and local programs is determined. Interpenetration and integration of various fields of knowledge exemplified by the current interindustry problem of blocks renovation organization of existing development, is demonstrated. Mathematical model of wave construction (for the period of deployment is proposed. Nature of dependence of the total duration of renovation on the limit of annual input and coefficient of renovation, is established. Overall structure of the Moscow region housing market is presented, and approaches to definition of effective demand are proposed.

  1. Sorption of organic chemicals at biogeochemical interfaces - calorimetric measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krüger, J.; Lang, F.; Siemens, J.; Kaupenjohann, M.

    2009-04-01

    Biogeochemical interfaces in soil act as sorbents for organic chemicals, thereby controlling the degradation and mobility of these substances in terrestrial environments. Physicochemical properties of the organic chemicals and the sorbent determine sorptive interactions. We hypothesize that the sorption of hydrophobic organic chemicals ("R-determined" chemicals) is an entropy-driven partitioning process between the bulk aqueous phase and biogeochemical interface and that the attachment of more polar organic chemicals ("F-determined" chemicals) to mineral surfaces is due to electrostatic interactions and ligand exchange involving functional groups. In order to determine thermodynamic parameters of sorbate/sorbent interactions calorimetric titration experiments have been conducted at 20˚ C using a Nanocalorimeter (TAM III, Thermometric). Solutions of different organic substances ("R-determined" chemicals: phenanthrene, bisphenol A, "F-determined" chemicals: MCPA, bentazone) with concentrations of 100 mol l-1 were added to suspensions of pure minerals (goethite, muscovite, and kaolinite and to polygalacturonic acid (PGA) as model substance for biofilms in soil. Specific surface, porosity, N and C content, particle size and point of zero charge of the mineral were analyzed to characterize the sorbents. The obtained heat quantities for the initial injection of the organic chemicals to the goethite were 55 and 71 J for bisphenol A and phenanthrene ("R-determined representatives") and 92 and 105 J for MCPA and bentazone ("F-determined" representatives). Further experiments with muscovite, kaolinite and PGA are in progress to determine G and H of the adsorption process.

  2. Chemical ageing and transformation of diffusivity in semi-solid multi-component organic aerosol particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfrang, C.; Shiraiwa, M.; Pöschl, U.

    2011-07-01

    Recent experimental evidence underlines the importance of reduced diffusivity in amorphous semi-solid or glassy atmospheric aerosols. This paper investigates the impact of diffusivity on the ageing of multi-component reactive organic particles approximating atmospheric cooking aerosols. We apply and extend the recently developed KM-SUB model in a study of a 12-component mixture containing oleic and palmitoleic acids. We demonstrate that changes in the diffusivity may explain the evolution of chemical loss rates in ageing semi-solid particles, and we resolve surface and bulk processes under transient reaction conditions considering diffusivities altered by oligomerisation. This new model treatment allows prediction of the ageing of mixed organic multi-component aerosols over atmospherically relevant timescales and conditions. We illustrate the impact of changing diffusivity on the chemical half-life of reactive components in semi-solid particles, and we demonstrate how solidification and crust formation at the particle surface can affect the chemical transformation of organic aerosols.

  3. Chemical ageing and transformation of diffusivity in semi-solid multi-component organic aerosol particles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Pfrang

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Recent experimental evidence underlines the importance of reduced diffusivity in amorphous semi-solid or glassy atmospheric aerosols. This paper investigates the impact of diffusivity on the ageing of multi-component reactive organic particles approximating atmospheric cooking aerosols. We apply and extend the recently developed KM-SUB model in a study of a 12-component mixture containing oleic and palmitoleic acids. We demonstrate that changes in the diffusivity may explain the evolution of chemical loss rates in ageing semi-solid particles, and we resolve surface and bulk processes under transient reaction conditions considering diffusivities altered by oligomerisation. This new model treatment allows prediction of the ageing of mixed organic multi-component aerosols over atmospherically relevant timescales and conditions. We illustrate the impact of changing diffusivity on the chemical half-life of reactive components in semi-solid particles, and we demonstrate how solidification and crust formation at the particle surface can affect the chemical transformation of organic aerosols.

  4. From consumption to harvest: Environmental fate prediction of excreted ionizable trace organic chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Polesel, Fabio; Plósz, Benedek G.; Trapp, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Excreted trace organic chemicals, e.g., pharmaceuticals and biocides, typically undergo incomplete elimination in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and are released to surface water via treated effluents and to agricultural soils through sludge amendment and/or irrigation with freshwa......Excreted trace organic chemicals, e.g., pharmaceuticals and biocides, typically undergo incomplete elimination in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and are released to surface water via treated effluents and to agricultural soils through sludge amendment and/or irrigation...... with freshwater or reclaimed wastewater. Recent research has shown the tendency for these substances to accumulate in food crops. In this study, we developed and applied a simulation tool to predict the fate of three ionizable trace chemicals (triclosan-TCS, furosemide-FUR, ciprofloxacin-CIP) from human...... and a recently developed dynamic soil-plant uptake model. The simulation tool was tested using country-specific (e.g., consumption/emission rates, precipitation and temperature) input data. A Monte Carlo-based approach was adopted to account for the uncertainty associated to physico-chemical and biokinetic model...

  5. Removal of organic pollutants from industrial wastewater by applying photo-Fenton oxidation technology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ebrahiem E. Ebrahiem

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The general strategy of this study was based on evaluation of the possibility of applying advanced photo-oxidation technique (Fenton oxidation process for removal of the residuals organic pollutants present in cosmetic wastewater. The different parameters that affect the chemical oxidation process for dyes in their aqueous solutions were studied by using Fenton’s reaction. These parameters are pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 dose, ferrous sulfate (FeSO4·7H2O dose, Initial dye concentration, and time. The optimum conditions were found to be: pH 3, the dose of 1 ml/l H2O2 and 0.75 g/l for Fe(II and Fe(III and reaction time 40 min. Finally, chemical oxygen demands (COD, before and after oxidation process was measured to ensure the entire destruction of organic dyes during their removal from wastewater. The experimental results show that Fenton’s oxidation process successfully achieved very good removal efficiency over 95%.

  6. The effect of the indoor environment on the fate of organic chemicals in the urban landscape

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cousins, Anna Palm

    2012-01-01

    To assess the effect of the indoor environment on the urban fate of organic chemicals, an 8-compartment indoor-inclusive steady state multimedia chemical fate model was developed. The model includes typical urban compartments (air, soil, water, sediment, and urban film) and a novel module representing a generic indoor environment. The model was parameterized to the municipality of Stockholm, Sweden and applied to four organic chemicals with different physical–chemical characteristics and use patterns: formaldehyde, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, di-ethylhexylphthalate and decabromodiphenyl ether. The results show that emissions to indoor air may increase the steady state mass and residence time in the urban environment by a factor of 1.1 to 22 for the four chemicals, compared to if emissions are assigned to outdoor air. This is due to the nested nature of the indoor environment, which creates a physical barrier that prevents chemicals from leaving the urban system with outflowing air. For DEHP and BDE 209, the additional partitioning to indoor surfaces results in a greater importance of the indoor removal pathways from surfaces. The outdoor environmental concentrations of these chemicals are predicted to be lower if emitted to indoor air than if emitted to outdoor air because of the additional indoor removal pathways of dust and indoor film, leading to loss of chemical from the system. For formaldehyde and 2,4,6-TBP outdoor environmental concentrations are not affected by whether the release occurs indoors or outdoors because of the limited partitioning to indoor surfaces. A sensitivity analysis revealed that there appears to be a relationship between logK OA and the impact of the ventilation rate on the urban fate of organic chemicals. -- Highlights: ► A novel indoor-inclusive multimedia urban fate model is developed and applied. ► Emissions indoors may increase the urban chemical residence time. ► Indoor removal from surfaces constitutes an additional loss process

  7. Calibration and use of the polar organic chemical integrative sampler--a critical review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harman, Christopher; Allan, Ian John; Vermeirssen, Etiënne L M

    2012-12-01

    The implementation of strict environmental quality standards for polar organic priority pollutants poses a challenge for monitoring programs. The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) may help to address the challenge of measuring low and fluctuating trace concentrations of such organic contaminants, offering significant advantages over traditional sampling. In the present review, the authors evaluate POCIS calibration methods and factors affecting sampling rates together with reported environmental applications. Over 300 compounds have been shown to accumulate in POCIS, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and industrial chemicals. Polar organic chemical integrative sampler extracts have been used for both chemical and biological analyses. Several different calibration methods have been described, which makes it difficult to directly compare sampling rates. In addition, despite the fact that some attempts to correlate sampling rates with the properties of target compounds such as log K(OW) have been met with varying success, an overall model that can predict uptake is lacking. Furthermore, temperature, water flow rates, salinity, pH, and fouling have all been shown to affect uptake; however, there is currently no robust method available for adjusting for these differences. Overall, POCIS has been applied to a wide range of sampling environments and scenarios and has been proven to be a useful screening tool. However, based on the existing literature, a more mechanistic approach is required to increase understanding and thus improve the quantitative nature of the measurements. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

  8. Identification of specific organic contaminants in different units of a chemical production site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dsikowitzky, L; Botalova, O; al Sandouk-Lincke, N A; Schwarzbauer, J

    2014-07-01

    Due to the very limited number of studies dealing with the chemical composition of industrial wastewaters, many industrial organic contaminants still escape our view and consequently also our control. We present here the chemical characterization of wastewaters from different units of a chemical complex, thereby contributing to the characterization of industrial pollution sources. The chemicals produced in the investigated complex are widely and intensively used and the synthesis processes are common and applied worldwide. The chemical composition of untreated and treated wastewaters from the chemical complex was investigated by applying a non-target screening which allowed for the identification of 39 organic contaminants. According to their application most of them belonged to four groups: (i) unspecific educts or intermediates of industrial syntheses, (ii) chemicals for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, (iii) educts for the synthesis of polymers and resins, and (iv) compounds known as typical constituents of municipal sewage. A number of halogenated compounds with unknown toxicity and with very high molecular diversity belonged to the second group. Although these compounds were completely removed or degraded during wastewater treatment, they could be useful as "alarm indicators" for industrial accidents in pharmaceutical manufacturing units or for malfunctions of wastewater treatment plants. Three potential branch-specific indicators for polymer manufacturing were found in the outflow of the complex. Among all compounds, bisphenol A, which was present in the leachate water of the on-site waste deposit, occurred in the highest concentrations of up to 20 000 μg L(-1). The comparison of contaminant loads in the inflow and outflow of the on-site wastewater treatment facility showed that most contaminants were completely or at least significantly removed or degraded during the treatment, except two alkylthiols, which were enriched during the treatment process

  9. Predicting degradability of organic chemicals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Finizio, A; Vighi, M [Milan Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Entomologia Agraria

    1992-05-01

    Degradability, particularly biodegradability, is one of the most important factors governing the persistence of pollutants in the environment and consequently influencing their behavior and toxicity in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The need for reliable persistence data in order to assess the environmental fate and hazard of chemicals by means of predictive approaches, is evident. Biodegradability tests are requested by the EEC directive on new chemicals. Neverthless, degradation tests are not easy to carry out and data on existing chemicals are very scarce. Therefore, assessing the fate of chemicals in the environment from the simple study of their structure would be a useful tool. Rates of degradation are a function of the rates of a series of processes. Correlation between degradation rates and structural parameters are will be facilitated if one of the processes is rate determining. This review is a survey of studies dealing with relationships between structure and biodegradation of organic chemicals, to identify the value and limitations of this approach.

  10. Removal of organic pollutants from industrial wastewater by applying photo-Fenton oxidation technology

    OpenAIRE

    Ebrahiem E. Ebrahiem; Mohammednoor N. Al-Maghrabi; Ahmed R. Mobarki

    2017-01-01

    The general strategy of this study was based on evaluation of the possibility of applying advanced photo-oxidation technique (Fenton oxidation process) for removal of the residuals organic pollutants present in cosmetic wastewater. The different parameters that affect the chemical oxidation process for dyes in their aqueous solutions were studied by using Fenton’s reaction. These parameters are pH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) dose, ferrous sulfate (FeSO4·7H2O) dose, Initial dye concentration, an...

  11. A linear solvation energy relationship model of organic chemical partitioning to dissolved organic carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kipka, Undine; Di Toro, Dominic M

    2011-09-01

    Predicting the association of contaminants with both particulate and dissolved organic matter is critical in determining the fate and bioavailability of chemicals in environmental risk assessment. To date, the association of a contaminant to particulate organic matter is considered in many multimedia transport models, but the effect of dissolved organic matter is typically ignored due to a lack of either reliable models or experimental data. The partition coefficient to dissolved organic carbon (K(DOC)) may be used to estimate the fraction of a contaminant that is associated with dissolved organic matter. Models relating K(DOC) to the octanol-water partition coefficient (K(OW)) have not been successful for many types of dissolved organic carbon in the environment. Instead, linear solvation energy relationships are proposed to model the association of chemicals with dissolved organic matter. However, more chemically diverse K(DOC) data are needed to produce a more robust model. For humic acid dissolved organic carbon, the linear solvation energy relationship predicts log K(DOC) with a root mean square error of 0.43. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

  12. Evaluation of Predicted and Observed Data on Biotransformation of Twenty-Nine Trace Organic Chemicals

    KAUST Repository

    Bertolini, Maria

    2011-07-01

    Trace organic chemicals present in household products, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products may have adverse ecotoxicological effects once they are released to the environment. These chemicals are usually transported with the sewage to wastewater treatment facilities, where they might be attenuated depending on the degree of treatment applied prior to discharge to receiving streams. This study evaluates the removal performance of 29 trace organic compounds during two different activated sludge treatment systems. Predominant attenuation processes such as biotransformation and sorption for the target compounds were identified. Biotransformation rate constants determined in this study were used to assess removal of compounds from other treatment plants with similar operational conditions, using data gathered from the literature. The commercial software Catalogic was applied to predict environmental fate of chemicals. The software program consisted of four models able to simulate molecular transformations and to generate degradation trees. In order to assess the accuracy of this program in predicting biotransformation, one biodegradation model is used to contrast predicted degradation pathway with metabolic pathways reported in the literature. The predicted outcome was correct for more than 40 percent of the 29 targeted substances, while 38 percent of the chemicals exhibited some degree of lower agreement between predicted and observed pathways. Percent removal data determined for the two treatment facilities was compared with transformation probability output from Catalogic. About 80 percent of the 29 compounds exhibited a good correlation between probability of transformation of the parent compound and percent removal data from the two treatment plants (R2 = 0.82 and 0.9). Based upon findings for 29 trace organic chemicals regarding removal during activated sludge treatment, attacked fragments present in their structures, predicted data from

  13. Modeling the role of microplastics in Bioaccumulation of organic chemicals to marine aquatic organisms. Critical Review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koelmans, A.A.

    2015-01-01

    It has been shown that ingestion of microplastics may increase bioaccumulation of organic chemicals by aquatic organisms. This paper critically reviews the literature on the effects of plastic ingestion on the bioaccumulation of organic chemicals, emphasizing quantitative approaches and mechanistic

  14. The effect of the indoor environment on the fate of organic chemicals in the urban landscape

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cousins, Anna Palm, E-mail: anna.cousins@ivl.se

    2012-11-01

    To assess the effect of the indoor environment on the urban fate of organic chemicals, an 8-compartment indoor-inclusive steady state multimedia chemical fate model was developed. The model includes typical urban compartments (air, soil, water, sediment, and urban film) and a novel module representing a generic indoor environment. The model was parameterized to the municipality of Stockholm, Sweden and applied to four organic chemicals with different physical-chemical characteristics and use patterns: formaldehyde, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, di-ethylhexylphthalate and decabromodiphenyl ether. The results show that emissions to indoor air may increase the steady state mass and residence time in the urban environment by a factor of 1.1 to 22 for the four chemicals, compared to if emissions are assigned to outdoor air. This is due to the nested nature of the indoor environment, which creates a physical barrier that prevents chemicals from leaving the urban system with outflowing air. For DEHP and BDE 209, the additional partitioning to indoor surfaces results in a greater importance of the indoor removal pathways from surfaces. The outdoor environmental concentrations of these chemicals are predicted to be lower if emitted to indoor air than if emitted to outdoor air because of the additional indoor removal pathways of dust and indoor film, leading to loss of chemical from the system. For formaldehyde and 2,4,6-TBP outdoor environmental concentrations are not affected by whether the release occurs indoors or outdoors because of the limited partitioning to indoor surfaces. A sensitivity analysis revealed that there appears to be a relationship between logK{sub OA} and the impact of the ventilation rate on the urban fate of organic chemicals. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A novel indoor-inclusive multimedia urban fate model is developed and applied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Emissions indoors may increase the urban chemical residence time. Black

  15. Effect of organic fertilizers derived dissolved organic matter on pesticide sorption and leaching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Kun [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Xing Baoshan [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States) and Northeast Institute of Geography and Agro-ecology, CAS, Harbin 150040 (China)]. E-mail: bx@pssci.umass.edu; Torello, William A. [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

    2005-03-01

    Incorporation of organic fertilizers/amendments has been, and continues to be, a popular strategy for golf course turfgrass management. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from these organic materials may, however, facilitate organic chemical movement through soils. A batch equilibrium technique was used to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer-derived DOM on sorption of three organic chemicals (2,4-D, naphthalene and chlorpyrifos) in USGA (United States Golf Association) sand, a mixed soil (70% USGA sand and 30% native soil) and a silt loam soil (Typic Fragiochrept). DOM was extracted from two commercial organic fertilizers. Column leaching experiments were also performed using USGA sand. Sorption experiments showed that sorption capacity was significantly reduced with increasing DOM concentration in solution for all three chemicals. Column experimental results were consistent with batch equilibrium data. These results suggest that organic fertilizer-derived DOM might lead to enhanced transport of applied chemicals in turf soils. - Dissolved organic matter could result in enhanced transport of chemicals applied to turf.

  16. Effect of organic fertilizers derived dissolved organic matter on pesticide sorption and leaching

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Kun; Xing Baoshan; Torello, William A.

    2005-01-01

    Incorporation of organic fertilizers/amendments has been, and continues to be, a popular strategy for golf course turfgrass management. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from these organic materials may, however, facilitate organic chemical movement through soils. A batch equilibrium technique was used to evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer-derived DOM on sorption of three organic chemicals (2,4-D, naphthalene and chlorpyrifos) in USGA (United States Golf Association) sand, a mixed soil (70% USGA sand and 30% native soil) and a silt loam soil (Typic Fragiochrept). DOM was extracted from two commercial organic fertilizers. Column leaching experiments were also performed using USGA sand. Sorption experiments showed that sorption capacity was significantly reduced with increasing DOM concentration in solution for all three chemicals. Column experimental results were consistent with batch equilibrium data. These results suggest that organic fertilizer-derived DOM might lead to enhanced transport of applied chemicals in turf soils. - Dissolved organic matter could result in enhanced transport of chemicals applied to turf

  17. Enhanced chemical sensing organic thin-film transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanese, M. C.; Torsi, L.; Farinola, G. M.; Valli, L.; Hassan Omar, O.; Giancane, G.; Ieva, E.; Babudri, F.; Palmisano, F.; Naso, F.; Zambonin, P. G.

    2007-09-01

    Organic thin film transistor (OTFT) sensors are capable of fast, sensitive and reliable detection of a variety of analytes. They have been successfully tested towards many chemical and biological "odor" molecules showing high selectivity, and displaying the additional advantage of being compatible with plastic technologies. Their versatility is based on the possibility to control the device properties, from molecular design up to device architecture. Here phenylene-thiophene based organic semiconductors functionalized with ad hoc chosen side groups are used as active layers in sensing OTFTs. These materials, indeed, combine the detection capability of organic molecules (particularly in the case of bio-substituted systems) with the electronic properties of the conjugated backbone. A new OTFT structure including Langmuir-Schäfer layer by layer organic thin films is here proposed to perform chemical detection of organic vapors, including vapor phase chiral molecules such as citronellol vapors, with a detection limit in the ppm range. Thermally evaporated α6T based OTFT sensors are used as well to be employed as standard system in order to compare sensors performances.

  18. Removal of trace organic chemical contaminants by a membrane bioreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinh, T; van den Akker, B; Stuetz, R M; Coleman, H M; Le-Clech, P; Khan, S J

    2012-01-01

    Emerging wastewater treatment processes such as membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have attracted a significant amount of interest internationally due to their ability to produce high quality effluent suitable for water recycling. It is therefore important that their efficiency in removing hazardous trace organic contaminants be assessed. Accordingly, this study investigated the removal of trace organic chemical contaminants through a full-scale, package MBR in New South Wales, Australia. This study was unique in the context of MBR research because it characterised the removal of 48 trace organic chemical contaminants, which included steroidal hormones, xenoestrogens, pesticides, caffeine, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Results showed that the removal of most trace organic chemical contaminants through the MBR was high (above 90%). However, amitriptyline, carbamazepine, diazepam, diclofenac, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, omeprazole, sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprim were only partially removed through the MBR with the removal efficiencies of 24-68%. These are potential indicators for assessing MBR performance as these chemicals are usually sensitive to changes in the treatment systems. The trace organic chemical contaminants detected in the MBR permeate were 1 to 6 orders of magnitude lower than guideline values reported in the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling. The outcomes of this study enhanced our understanding of the levels and removal of trace organic contaminants by MBRs.

  19. LOSS OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS IN SOIL: PURE COMPOUND TREATABILITY STUDIES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comprehensive screening data on the treatability of 32 organic chemicals in soil were developed. Of the evaluated chemicals, 22 were phenolic compounds. Aerobic batch laboratory microcosm experiments were conducted using two soils: an acidic clay soil with <1% organic matter and ...

  20. Encoding of Fundamental Chemical Entities of Organic Reactivity Interest using chemical ontology and XML.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durairaj, Vijayasarathi; Punnaivanam, Sankar

    2015-09-01

    Fundamental chemical entities are identified in the context of organic reactivity and classified as appropriate concept classes namely ElectronEntity, AtomEntity, AtomGroupEntity, FunctionalGroupEntity and MolecularEntity. The entity classes and their subclasses are organized into a chemical ontology named "ChemEnt" for the purpose of assertion, restriction and modification of properties through entity relations. Individual instances of entity classes are defined and encoded as a library of chemical entities in XML. The instances of entity classes are distinguished with a unique notation and identification values in order to map them with the ontology definitions. A model GUI named Entity Table is created to view graphical representations of all the entity instances. The detection of chemical entities in chemical structures is achieved through suitable algorithms. The possibility of asserting properties to the entities at different levels and the mechanism of property flow within the hierarchical entity levels is outlined. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Physical and chemical characteristics of melon in organic farming

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosete A. G. Kohn

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Melon farming is characterized as an important family agriculture activity and the organic production of fruits and vegetables has shown a large growth in terms of areas in Brazil and around the world. This work aimed to study the postharvest quality of melon cultivated in an organic system. The organic treatments constituted of base fertilizer with cattle manure vermicompost (recommended dose, ½ dose and double dose plus the use of biofertilizer (sprayed or sprayed + irrigated, and an additional treatment with chemical fertilization. The postharvest quality was evaluated through physico-chemical and phytochemical attributes. The organic management with half the recommended dose of vermicompost plus the sprayed biofertilizer and the chemical fertilization management produced fruits with higher levels of sugar, total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and folates, obtaining more balanced fruits, with a better phytochemical quality. The antioxidant capacity was defined mainly by the presence of the phenolic compounds, which were influenced by the type and the dose of the evaluated fertilizers, with superiority in the organic treatments with double the dose of cattle manure vermicompost.

  2. Definition and GIS-based characterization of an integral risk index applied to a chemical/petrochemical area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadal, Martí; Kumar, Vikas; Schuhmacher, Marta; Domingo, José L

    2006-08-01

    A risk map of the chemical/petrochemical industrial area of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain) was designed following a two-stage procedure. The first step was the creation of a ranking system (Hazard Index) for a number of different inorganic and organic pollutants: heavy metals, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by applying self-organizing maps (SOM) to persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity properties of the chemicals. PCBs seemed to be the most hazardous compounds, while the light PAHs showed the minimum values. Subsequently, an Integral Risk Index was developed taking into account the Hazard Index and the concentrations of all pollutants in soil samples collected in the assessed area of Tarragona. Finally, a risk map was elaborated by representing the spatial distribution of the Integral Risk Index with a geographic information system (GIS). The results of the present study seem to indicate that the development of an integral risk map might be useful to help in making-decision processes concerning environmental pollutants.

  3. Controlling organic chemical hazards in food manufacturing: a hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ropkins, K; Beck, A J

    2002-08-01

    Hazard analysis by critical control points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to the identification, assessment and control of hazards. Effective HACCP requires the consideration of all hazards, i.e., chemical, microbiological and physical. However, to-date most 'in-place' HACCP procedures have tended to focus on the control of microbiological and physical food hazards. In general, the chemical component of HACCP procedures is either ignored or limited to applied chemicals, e.g., food additives and pesticides. In this paper we discuss the application of HACCP to a broader range of chemical hazards, using organic chemical contaminants as examples, and the problems that are likely to arise in the food manufacturing sector. Chemical HACCP procedures are likely to result in many of the advantages previously identified for microbiological HACCP procedures: more effective, efficient and economical than conventional end-point-testing methods. However, the high costs of analytical monitoring of chemical contaminants and a limited understanding of formulation and process optimisation as means of controlling chemical contamination of foods are likely to prevent chemical HACCP becoming as effective as microbiological HACCP.

  4. The effect of the indoor environment on the fate of organic chemicals in the urban landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cousins, Anna Palm

    2012-11-01

    To assess the effect of the indoor environment on the urban fate of organic chemicals, an 8-compartment indoor-inclusive steady state multimedia chemical fate model was developed. The model includes typical urban compartments (air, soil, water, sediment, and urban film) and a novel module representing a generic indoor environment. The model was parameterized to the municipality of Stockholm, Sweden and applied to four organic chemicals with different physical-chemical characteristics and use patterns: formaldehyde, 2,4,6-tribromophenol, di-ethylhexylphthalate and decabromodiphenyl ether. The results show that emissions to indoor air may increase the steady state mass and residence time in the urban environment by a factor of 1.1 to 22 for the four chemicals, compared to if emissions are assigned to outdoor air. This is due to the nested nature of the indoor environment, which creates a physical barrier that prevents chemicals from leaving the urban system with outflowing air. For DEHP and BDE 209, the additional partitioning to indoor surfaces results in a greater importance of the indoor removal pathways from surfaces. The outdoor environmental concentrations of these chemicals are predicted to be lower if emitted to indoor air than if emitted to outdoor air because of the additional indoor removal pathways of dust and indoor film, leading to loss of chemical from the system. For formaldehyde and 2,4,6-TBP outdoor environmental concentrations are not affected by whether the release occurs indoors or outdoors because of the limited partitioning to indoor surfaces. A sensitivity analysis revealed that there appears to be a relationship between logK(OA) and the impact of the ventilation rate on the urban fate of organic chemicals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Co-Exposure with Fullerene May Strengthen Health Effects of Organic Industrial Chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lehto, M.; Karilainen, T.; Rog, T.

    2014-01-01

    In vitro toxicological studies together with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations show that occupational co-exposure with C-60 fullerene may strengthen the health effects of organic industrial chemicals. The chemicals studied are acetophenone, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, m-cresol, and toluene...... which can be used with fullerene as reagents or solvents in industrial processes. Potential co-exposure scenarios include a fullerene dust and organic chemical vapor, or a fullerene solution aerosolized in workplace air. Unfiltered and filtered mixtures of C-60 and organic chemicals represent different...... co-exposure scenarios in in vitro studies where acute cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity of C-60 and organic chemicals are tested together and alone by using human THP-1-derived macrophages. Statistically significant co-effects are observed for an unfiltered mixture of benzaldehyde and C-60 that is more...

  6. Organic waste as a sustainable feedstock for platform chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coma, M; Martinez-Hernandez, E; Abeln, F; Raikova, S; Donnelly, J; Arnot, T C; Allen, M J; Hong, D D; Chuck, C J

    2017-09-21

    Biorefineries have been established since the 1980s for biofuel production, and there has been a switch lately from first to second generation feedstocks in order to avoid the food versus fuel dilemma. To a lesser extent, many opportunities have been investigated for producing chemicals from biomass using by-products of the present biorefineries, simple waste streams. Current facilities apply intensive pre-treatments to deal with single substrate types such as carbohydrates. However, most organic streams such as municipal solid waste or algal blooms present a high complexity and variable mixture of molecules, which makes specific compound production and separation difficult. Here we focus on flexible anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal processes that can treat complex biomass as a whole to obtain a range of products within an integrated biorefinery concept.

  7. Co-exposure with fullerene may strengthen health effects of organic industrial chemicals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maili Lehto

    Full Text Available In vitro toxicological studies together with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations show that occupational co-exposure with C60 fullerene may strengthen the health effects of organic industrial chemicals. The chemicals studied are acetophenone, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, m-cresol, and toluene which can be used with fullerene as reagents or solvents in industrial processes. Potential co-exposure scenarios include a fullerene dust and organic chemical vapor, or a fullerene solution aerosolized in workplace air. Unfiltered and filtered mixtures of C60 and organic chemicals represent different co-exposure scenarios in in vitro studies where acute cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity of C60 and organic chemicals are tested together and alone by using human THP-1-derived macrophages. Statistically significant co-effects are observed for an unfiltered mixture of benzaldehyde and C60 that is more cytotoxic than benzaldehyde alone, and for a filtered mixture of m-cresol and C60 that is slightly less cytotoxic than m-cresol. Hydrophobicity of chemicals correlates with co-effects when secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α is considered. Complementary atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal that C60 co-aggregates with all chemicals in aqueous environment. Stable aggregates have a fullerene-rich core and a chemical-rich surface layer, and while essentially all C60 molecules aggregate together, a portion of organic molecules remains in water.

  8. Quality and Chemical Composition of Organic and Non-Organic Vetiver Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asep Kadarohman

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Vetiver oil (Vetiveria zizanoides has been used as perfume materials, cosmetics, fragrance soaps, anti-inflammation, repellent, and insecticidal agents. Organic vetiver oil has higher economical value than non-organic vetiver oil and it has been regarded to be able to compete in the global market. Therefore, studies have been carried out using 1 hectare of land and the first generation of organic vetiver oil has produced 0.57% of yield, greater than non-organic (0.50%. The quality of organic and non-organic vetiver oil was analyzed by Indonesian Standard (SNI parameter, pesticide residue test, chemical composition by GC/MS, and the appearance of vetiver root. In general, the result of organic and non-organic vetiver oil has fulfilled the national standard; the quality of organic vetiver oil was better than non-organic one. Physically, the appearance of organic vetiver root was better than non-organic vetiver root; organic vetiver root was denser, more appealing, and did not have any black spots. The pesticide residue of organic vetiver oil was lower than non-organic vetiver oil. Based on SNI test, vetiverol (oxygen compounds in organic vetiver oil was higher than non-organic vetiver oil.

  9. Occupational chemical exposures in artificial organic fiber industries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guirguis, S S; Cohen, M B

    1984-05-01

    This review discusses artificial organic fibers that are produced from materials of natural origin such as rayons, cellulose triacetates and proteins; or made from polymerised chemicals such as polyamides, polyesters, polyvinyls, modacrylics, carbon fibers, polyolefins, polyurethane and polytetrafluoroethylene. Chemicals involved include monomers, solvents, flame retardants, pigments and other additives. Occupational exposure to chemicals in the production stages are discussed and also the potential health hazards involved are reviewed. Current exposure levels, engineering controls and work practices for some of the chemicals used in the Ontario artificial fiber industry are discussed. Recommendations are made for areas that need further study and/or investigation.

  10. Chemical Reactions Catalyzed by Metalloporphyrin-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Aparecida Dias de Freitas Castro

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The synthetic versatility and the potential application of metalloporphyrins (MP in different fields have aroused researchers’ interest in studying these complexes, in an attempt to mimic biological systems such as cytochrome P-450. Over the last 40 years, synthetic MPs have been mainly used as catalysts for homogeneous or heterogeneous chemical reactions. To employ them in heterogeneous catalysis, chemists have prepared new MP-based solids by immobilizing MP onto rigid inorganic supports, a strategy that affords hybrid inorganic-organic materials. More recently, materials obtained by supramolecular assembly processes and containing MPs as building blocks have been applied in a variety of areas, like gas storage, photonic devices, separation, molecular sensing, magnets, and heterogeneous catalysis, among others. These coordination polymers, known as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, contain organic ligands or complexes connected by metal ions or clusters, which give rise to a 1-, 2- or 3-D network. These kinds of materials presents large surface areas, Brønsted or redox sites, and high porosity, all of which are desirable features in catalysts with potential use in heterogeneous phases. Building MOFs based on MP is a good way to obtain solid catalysts that offer the advantages of bioinspired systems and zeolitic materials. In this mini review, we will adopt a historical approach to present the most relevant MP-based MOFs applicable to catalytic reactions such as oxidation, reduction, insertion of functional groups, and exchange of organic functions.

  11. Metal organic frameworks for the catalytic detoxification of chemical warfare nerve agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hupp, Joseph T.; Farha, Omar K.; Katz, Michael J.; Mondloch, Joseph E.

    2017-04-18

    A method of using a metal organic framework (MOF) comprising a metal ion and an at least bidendate organic ligand to catalytically detoxify chemical warfare nerve agents including exposing the metal-organic-framework (MOF) to the chemical warfare nerve agent and catalytically decomposing the nerve agent with the MOF.

  12. Effects of various organic and chemical fertilizers on growth indices of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.M.K. Tahami

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available In order to develop the high intensive agriculture, more chemical fertilizers are applied to the soil that resulting in soil degradation and environment deterioration. Application of organic manure is an important approach for maintaining and improving the soil fertility and increasing fertilizer use efficiency. Therefore, in order to evaluate the effect of organic manures and chemical fertilizer on growth indices and biological yield of basil (Ocimum basilicum L., an experiment was conducted at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during growing season of 2008-2009. A complete randomized block design with six treatments and three replications was used. The treatments were: cow manure, sheep manure, chicken manure, vermicompost, chemical NPK fertilizers and control (no fertilizer. The results showed that the use of organic fertilizers significantly increased seed and biological yield of basil compared with chemical fertilizer and control. The maximum and the minimum dry weights were observed at 105 days after planting, in sheep and cow manures, respectively. Gradually during the period of plant growth and development to reproduction phase percent of stem decreased and dry weight of inflorescence increased. The highest and the lowest leaf area index were observed at 90 days after planting, in cow manure and control, respectively, and then decreased in all treatments. The maximum crop growth rate in most of treatments at 90 days after planting was obtained, except the control which plant growth rate was lowest. Net assimilation rate (NAR in most treatments increased until 75 days after planting and then declined. While the highest and the lowest NAR were observed at 75 days after planting in chicken manure and chemical treatment, respectively.

  13. Chemical vapor deposition: A technique for applying protective coatings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallace, T.C. Sr.; Bowman, M.G.

    1979-01-01

    Chemical vapor deposition is discussed as a technique for applying coatings for materials protection in energy systems. The fundamentals of the process are emphasized in order to establish a basis for understanding the relative advantages and limitations of the technique. Several examples of the successful application of CVD coating are described. 31 refs., and 18 figs.

  14. Model for screening-level assessment of near-field human exposure to neutral organic chemicals released indoors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xianming; Arnot, Jon A; Wania, Frank

    2014-10-21

    Screening organic chemicals for hazard and risk to human health requires near-field human exposure models that can be readily parametrized with available data. The integration of a model of human exposure, uptake, and bioaccumulation into an indoor mass balance model provides a quantitative framework linking emissions in indoor environments with human intake rates (iRs), intake fractions (iFs) and steady-state concentrations in humans (C) through consideration of dermal permeation, inhalation, and nondietary ingestion exposure pathways. Parameterized based on representative indoor and adult human characteristics, the model is applied here to 40 chemicals of relevance in the context of human exposure assessment. Intake fractions and human concentrations (C(U)) calculated with the model based on a unit emission rate to air for these 40 chemicals span 2 and 5 orders of magnitude, respectively. Differences in priority ranking based on either iF or C(U) can be attributed to the absorption, biotransformation and elimination processes within the human body. The model is further applied to a large data set of hypothetical chemicals representative of many in-use chemicals to show how the dominant exposure pathways, iF and C(U) change as a function of chemical properties and to illustrate the capacity of the model for high-throughput screening. These simulations provide hypotheses for the combination of chemical properties that may result in high exposure and internal dose. The model is further exploited to highlight the role human contaminant uptake plays in the overall fate of certain chemicals indoors and consequently human exposure.

  15. Organic chemicals jeopardize the health of freshwater ecosystems on the continental scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malaj, Egina; von der Ohe, Peter C; Grote, Matthias; Kühne, Ralph; Mondy, Cédric P; Usseglio-Polatera, Philippe; Brack, Werner; Schäfer, Ralf B

    2014-07-01

    Organic chemicals can contribute to local and regional losses of freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, their overall relevance regarding larger spatial scales remains unknown. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first risk assessment of organic chemicals on the continental scale comprising 4,000 European monitoring sites. Organic chemicals were likely to exert acute lethal and chronic long-term effects on sensitive fish, invertebrate, or algae species in 14% and 42% of the sites, respectively. Of the 223 chemicals monitored, pesticides, tributyltin, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and brominated flame retardants were the major contributors to the chemical risk. Their presence was related to agricultural and urban areas in the upstream catchment. The risk of potential acute lethal and chronic long-term effects increased with the number of ecotoxicologically relevant chemicals analyzed at each site. As most monitoring programs considered in this study only included a subset of these chemicals, our assessment likely underestimates the actual risk. Increasing chemical risk was associated with deterioration in the quality status of fish and invertebrate communities. Our results clearly indicate that chemical pollution is a large-scale environmental problem and requires far-reaching, holistic mitigation measures to preserve and restore ecosystem health.

  16. PREDICTING SOIL SORPTION COEFFICIENTS OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS USING A NEURAL NETWORK MODEL

    Science.gov (United States)

    The soil/sediment adsorption partition coefficient normalized to organic carbon (Koc) is extensively used to assess the fate of organic chemicals in hazardous waste sites. Several attempts have been made to estimate the value of Koc from chemical structure ...

  17. Defence biochemical mechanisms of the organisms against chemical pollution and ionizing radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olinescu, Radu

    2001-01-01

    Acute exposure to high concentrations / doses of chemical pollutants and ionizing radiation usually kills giving no chance for survival, if not immediately, than later followed by specific diseases. Fortunately, this acute exposure is accidental, but chronic, low level exposure is also damaging. The involvement of pollution, especially of chemically produced, one in the etiology of several diseases is still under intensive research. Compared to other kinds of pollution (radioactive, microbiological), the chemical one seldom kills suddenly; it acts slowly, silently, by accumulation into the tissues, eventually inducing a failure of certain organ. The body is continuously adapting to low level concentrations of chemicals from environment until a certain threshold. All organisms, including humans, have a limited capacity of resisting the effects of various types of pollutants. Extensive laboratory research, demonstrated that most of damaging organic pollutants cause the formation of free radicals when they penetrate into the body and are metabolized. Free radicals are very reactive and are known to damage tissues with potentially fatal results. Substantial experimental evidence in recent years has demonstrated that all organisms are endowed with versatile, efficient antioxidant systems, that provide protection against the formation or effects of free radicals. However, the antioxidant systems are limited and when their capacity of protection is exceeded, injury resulting in illness or death occurs. In most cases, the harmful effects of chemicals on organisms depend on the biotransformation step, where free radicals are produced as byproducts of the metabolic reactions. The damaging effects of chemical pollutants are mostly restricted to an important organ depending on the way of penetration, nature of the compound and concentration. The organisms possess specific and nonspecific defense systems, which act from the exposure step, with attempt to block the entry of

  18. Influencing organizations to promote health: applying stakeholder theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kok, Gerjo; Gurabardhi, Zamira; Gottlieb, Nell H; Zijlstra, Fred R H

    2015-04-01

    Stakeholder theory may help health promoters to make changes at the organizational and policy level to promote health. A stakeholder is any individual, group, or organization that can influence an organization. The organization that is the focus for influence attempts is called the focal organization. The more salient a stakeholder is and the more central in the network, the stronger the influence. As stakeholders, health promoters may use communicative, compromise, deinstitutionalization, or coercive methods through an ally or a coalition. A hypothetical case study, involving adolescent use of harmful legal products, illustrates the process of applying stakeholder theory to strategic decision making. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  19. 1998 Chemical Technology Division Annual Technical Report. Applying chemical innovation to environmental problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackerman, J.P.; Einziger, R.E.; Gay, E.C.; Green, D.W.; Miller, J.F.

    1999-01-01

    The Chemical Technology (CMT) Division is a diverse technical organization with principal emphases in environmental management and development of advanced energy sources. The Division conducts research and development in three general areas: (1) development of advanced power sources for stationary and transportation applications and for consumer electronics, (2) management of high-level and low-level nuclear wastes and hazardous wastes, and (3) electrometallurgical treatment of spent nuclear fuel. The Division also performs basic research in catalytic chemistry involving molecular energy resources, mechanisms of ion transport in lithium battery electrolytes, and the chemistry of technology-relevant materials. In addition, the Division operates the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, which conducts research in analytical chemistry and provides analytical services for programs at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and other organizations. Technical highlights of the Division's activities during 1998 are presented

  20. An Introduction to the Foundations of Chemical Information Theory. Tarski–Lesniewski Logical Structures and the Organization of Natural Sorts and Kinds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerry L. R. Chandler

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Organic mathematics is an applied mathematics of philosophical atomism. The order of the chemical elements in the table of elements is the source of order for the logical operations of addition and subtraction of atomic numbers. The inverse square laws of physics are the source of organization of subatomic structures of chemical atoms (atomic and molecular structures. These facts are foundational to the logic of the chemical sciences and are therefore the scientific basis for chemical information theory. The theories and facts of the chemical sciences are so perplex that several forms of symbolic representations are necessary to communicate the broad range of scientific concepts used to inquire into the nature of natural sorts and kinds. The logics proposed by Tarski, Lesniewski and Malatesta are applied to the construction of a numerical “spine” of perplex numbers representing atomic numbers as meta-symbols in meta-languages. The orbital angular momenta of certain collections of electrical particles (also known as “handedness” are critical components in constructing the logical propositions of the perplex number “spine”. Biological communication channels can function if and only if the natural sorts and kinds are consistent with the matching patterns of the optical isomers. The terms spinners and twisters are introduced to express the electro-mechanical torques necessary for encoding chemical information. This hypothesis can be tested by several categories of experiments, including clinical pharmaco-dynamics and clinical toxico-dynamics of dissymmetric isomers of different sorts and kinds.

  1. Toxicity of selected organic chemicals to the earthworm Eisenia fetida

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neuhauser, E.F.; Loehr, R.C.; Malecki, M.R.; Milligan, D.L.; Durkin, P.R.

    A number of methods recently have been developed to biologically evaluate the impact of man's activities on soil ecosystems. Two test methods, the 2-d contact test and the 14-d artificial soil test, were used to evaluate the impact of six major classes of organic chemicals on the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Savigny). Of the organic chemicals tested, phenols and amines were the most toxic to the worms, followed in descending order of toxicity by the substituted aromatics, halogenated aliphatics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phthalates. No relationship was found between earthworm toxicity as determined by the contact test and rat, Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout and mouse, Mus musculus L. LD/sub 50/ values. The physicochemical parameters of water solubility, vapor pressure, and octanol/water partition coefficient for the chemicals tested in the contact test did not show a significant relationship to the E. fetida LC/sub 50/ values. These studies indicate that: (i) earthworms can be a suitable biomonitoring tool to assist in measuring the impact of organic chemicals in wastes added to soils and (ii) contact and artificial soil tests can be useful in measuring biological impacts.

  2. Modeling the transport of organic chemicals between polyethylene passive samplers and water in finite and infinite bath conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tcaciuc, A Patricia; Apell, Jennifer N; Gschwend, Philip M

    2015-12-01

    Understanding the transfer of chemicals between passive samplers and water is essential for their use as monitoring devices of organic contaminants in surface waters. By applying Fick's second law to diffusion through the polymer and an aqueous boundary layer, the authors derived a mathematical model for the uptake of chemicals into a passive sampler from water, in finite and infinite bath conditions. The finite bath model performed well when applied to laboratory observations of sorption into polyethylene (PE) sheets for various chemicals (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT]) and at varying turbulence levels. The authors used the infinite bath model to infer fractional equilibration of PCB and DDT analytes in field-deployed PE, and the results were nearly identical to those obtained using the sampling rate model. However, further comparison of the model and the sampling rate model revealed that the exchange of chemicals was inconsistent with the sampling rate model for partially or fully membrane-controlled transfer, which would be expected in turbulent conditions or when targeting compounds with small polymer diffusivities and small partition coefficients (e.g., phenols, some pesticides, and others). The model can be applied to other polymers besides PE as well as other chemicals and in any transfer regime (membrane, mixed, or water boundary layer-controlled). Lastly, the authors illustrate practical applications of this model such as improving passive sampler design and understanding the kinetics of passive dosing experiments. © 2015 SETAC.

  3. Teaching organization theory for healthcare management: three applied learning methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olden, Peter C

    2006-01-01

    Organization theory (OT) provides a way of seeing, describing, analyzing, understanding, and improving organizations based on patterns of organizational design and behavior (Daft 2004). It gives managers models, principles, and methods with which to diagnose and fix organization structure, design, and process problems. Health care organizations (HCOs) face serious problems such as fatal medical errors, harmful treatment delays, misuse of scarce nurses, costly inefficiency, and service failures. Some of health care managers' most critical work involves designing and structuring their organizations so their missions, visions, and goals can be achieved-and in some cases so their organizations can survive. Thus, it is imperative that graduate healthcare management programs develop effective approaches for teaching OT to students who will manage HCOs. Guided by principles of education, three applied teaching/learning activities/assignments were created to teach OT in a graduate healthcare management program. These educationalmethods develop students' competency with OT applied to HCOs. The teaching techniques in this article may be useful to faculty teaching graduate courses in organization theory and related subjects such as leadership, quality, and operation management.

  4. Acid-resistant organic coatings for the chemical industry: a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Victor Buhl; Dam-Johansen, Kim; Frankær, Sarah Maria Grundahl

    2017-01-01

    Industries that work with acidic chemicals in their processes need to make choices on how to properly contain the substances and avoid rapid corrosion of equipment. Certain organic coatings and linings can be used in such environments, either to protect vulnerable construction materials, or......, in combination with fiber reinforcement, to replace them. However, degradation mechanisms of organic coatings in acid service are not thoroughly understood and relevant quantitative investigations are scarce. This review describes the uses and limitations of acid-resistant coatings in the chemical industry...

  5. Computing chemical organizations in biological networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Centler, Florian; Kaleta, Christoph; di Fenizio, Pietro Speroni; Dittrich, Peter

    2008-07-15

    Novel techniques are required to analyze computational models of intracellular processes as they increase steadily in size and complexity. The theory of chemical organizations has recently been introduced as such a technique that links the topology of biochemical reaction network models to their dynamical repertoire. The network is decomposed into algebraically closed and self-maintaining subnetworks called organizations. They form a hierarchy representing all feasible system states including all steady states. We present three algorithms to compute the hierarchy of organizations for network models provided in SBML format. Two of them compute the complete organization hierarchy, while the third one uses heuristics to obtain a subset of all organizations for large models. While the constructive approach computes the hierarchy starting from the smallest organization in a bottom-up fashion, the flux-based approach employs self-maintaining flux distributions to determine organizations. A runtime comparison on 16 different network models of natural systems showed that none of the two exhaustive algorithms is superior in all cases. Studying a 'genome-scale' network model with 762 species and 1193 reactions, we demonstrate how the organization hierarchy helps to uncover the model structure and allows to evaluate the model's quality, for example by detecting components and subsystems of the model whose maintenance is not explained by the model. All data and a Java implementation that plugs into the Systems Biology Workbench is available from http://www.minet.uni-jena.de/csb/prj/ot/tools.

  6. Organic Contaminant Content and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Waste Materials Recycled in Agriculture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hannah Rigby

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A range of wastes representative of materials currently applied, or with future potential to be applied, to agricultural land in the UK as fertilisers and soil improvers or used as animal bedding in livestock production, were investigated. In addition to full physico-chemical characterization, the materials were analysed for a suite of priority organic contaminants. In general, contaminants were present at relatively low concentrations. For example, for biosolids and compost-like-output (CLO, concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs were approximately 1−10 and 5–50 times lower, respectively, than various proposed or implemented European limit values for these contaminants in biosolids or composts applied to agricultural land. However, the technical basis for these limits may require re-evaluation in some cases. Polybrominated, and mixed halogenated, dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans are not currently considered in risk assessments of dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals, but were detected at relatively high concentrations compared with PCDD/Fs in the biosolids and CLOs and their potential contribution to the overall toxic equivalency is assessed. Other ‘emerging’ contaminants, such as organophosphate flame retardants, were detected in several of the waste materials, and their potential significance is discussed. The study is part of a wider research programme that will provide evidence that is expected to improve confidence in the use of waste-derived materials in agriculture and to establish guidelines to protect the food chain where necessary.

  7. The influence of hard-baking temperature applied for SU8 sensor layer on the sensitivity of capacitive chemical sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klanjšek Gunde, Marta; Hauptman, Nina; Maček, Marijan; Kunaver, Matjaž

    2009-06-01

    SU8, the near-UV photosensitive epoxy-based polymer was used as a sensor layer in the capacitive chemical sensor, ready for integration with a generic double-metal CMOS technology. It was observed that the response of the sensor slowly increases with the temperature applied in hard-baking process as long as it remains below 300°C. At this temperature the response of the sensor abruptly increases and becomes almost threefold. It was shown that fully crosslinked structure of the sensor layer becomes opened and disordered when the sensor is hard-baked at temperatures between 300°C and 320°C, that is, still well below the degradation temperature of the polymer. These changes in chemical structure were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The temperature-dependent changes of the sensor layer structure enable one to prepare a combination of capacitive chemical sensors with good discrimination between some volatile organic compounds.

  8. Organic chemical aging mechanisms: An annotated bibliography. Waste Tank Safety Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samuels, W.D.; Camaioni, D.M.; Nelson, D.A.

    1993-09-01

    An annotated bibliography has been compiled of the potential chemical and radiological aging mechanisms of the organic constituents (non-ferrocyanide) that would likely be found in the UST at Hanford. The majority of the work that has been conducted on the aging of organic chemicals used for extraction and processing of nuclear materials has been in conjunction with the acid or PUREX type processes. At Hanford the waste being stored in the UST has been stabilized with caustic. The aging factors that were used in this work were radiolysis, hydrolysis and nitrite/nitrate oxidation. The purpose of this work was two-fold: to determine whether or not research had been or is currently being conducted on the species associated with the Hanford UST waste, either as a mixture or as individual chemicals or chemical functionalities, and to determine what areas of chemical aging need to be addressed by further research.

  9. From bioavailability science to regulation of organic chemicals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ortega-Calvo, J.J.; Harmsen, J.; Parsons, J.R.; Semple, K.T.; Aitkin, M.D.; Ajao, C.; Eadsforth, C.; Galay-Burgos, M.; Naidu, R.; Oliver, R.; Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M.; Römbke, J.; Streck, G.; Versonnen, B.

    2015-01-01

    The bioavailability of organic chemicals in soil and sediment is an important area of scientific investigation for environmental scientists, although this area of study remains only partially recognized by regulators and industries working in the environmental sector. Regulators have recently

  10. Where do organic chemicals found in soil systems come from

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dragun, J.; Mason, S.A.; Barkach, J.H.

    1991-01-01

    Today's regulatory climate encourages the private sector to assess the environmental condition of their facilities. An environmental assessment often includes the collection of soil samples. Despite the trend to obtain reams of numbers to show the presence of chemicals, many misconceptions exist among environmental scientists and engineers regarding the interpretation of those numbers. The presence of organic chemicals in soil may or may not be problematic. This depends primarily upon the source. If an industrial point source is responsible for the spill or bulk release, then remedial activity usually ensues. However, if the source is not an industrial release, then remedial activity may not be required. This paper will briefly discuss the sources, other than industrial point sources, responsible for the presence of organic chemicals in soil systems

  11. TMVOC, simulator for multiple volatile organic chemicals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pruess, Karsten; Battistelli, Alfredo

    2003-01-01

    TMVOC is a numerical simulator for three-phase non-isothermal flow of water, soil gas, and a multicomponent mixture of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in multidimensional heterogeneous porous media. It is an extension of the TOUGH2 general-purpose simulation program developed at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. TMVOC is designed for applications to contamination problems that involve hydrocarbon fuel or organic solvent spills in saturated and unsaturated zones. It can model contaminant behavior under ''natural'' environmental conditions, as well as for engineered systems, such as soil vapor extraction, groundwater pumping, or steam-assisted source remediation. TMVOC is upwards compatible with T2VOC (Falta et al., 1995) and can be initialized from T2VOC-style initial conditions. The main enhancements in TMVOC relative to T2VOC are as follows: a multicomponent mixture of volatile organic chemicals can be modeled; any and all combinations of the three phases water-oil-gas are treated; several non-condensible gases may be present; diffusion is treated in all phases in a manner that is fully coupled with phase partitioning. This paper gives a brief summary of the methodology used in TMVOC as well as highlighting some implementation issues. Simulation of a NAPL spill and subsequent remediation is discussed for a 2-D vertical section of a saturated-unsaturated flow problem

  12. Short-term effects of different organic amendments on soil chemical, biochemical and biological indicators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondelli, Donato; Aly, Adel; Yirga Dagnachew, Ababu; Piscitelli, Lea; Dumontet, Stefano; Miano, Teodoro

    2014-05-01

    The limited availability of animal manure and the high cost of good quality compost lead to difficult soil quality management under organic agriculture. Therefore, it is important to find out alternative organic soil amendments and more flexible strategies that are able to sustain crop productivity and maintain and enhance soil quality. A three years study was carried out in the experimental fields of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari located in Valenzano, Italy. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effects of different fertility management strategies on soil quality in order to estimate the role of innovative matrices for their use in organic farming. The experiment consists of seven treatments applied to a common crop rotation. The treatments include alternative organic amendments (1- olive mill wastewater OMW, 2- residues of mushroom cultivation MUS, 3- coffee chaff COF), common soil amendments (4- compost COM, 5- faba bean intercropping LEG, 6- cow manure - MAN) and as a reference treatment (7- mineral fertilizer COV). The soil quality was assessed before and after the application of the treatments, through biological (microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil respiration and metabolic quotient), biochemical (soil enzymatic activities: β-glucosidase, alkaline phospatase, urease, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis), and chemical (pH, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, exchangeable potassium, dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen) indicators. Based on the results obtained after the second year, all treatments were able to improve various soil chemical parameters as compared to mineral fertilizer. The incorporation of COF and OMW seemed to be more effective in improving soil total N and exchangeable K, while MAN significantly increased available P. All the amendments enhance dissolved organic C, soil respiration, microbial biomass and metabolic quotient as

  13. Abstracts Book of 42. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry is the most important chemical forum of Polish chemists organised annually. The state of art of many fundamental and applied investigations have been presented and discussed. The following scientific sessions and microsymposia have been proposed: plenary session, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, chemistry and environment, chemistry and technology of polymers, chemistry didactics, electrochemistry, young scientists forum, chemical technology, chemical engineering, high energetics materials, computers in research and teaching of chemistry, structure modelling and polymer properties, silicon-organic compounds

  14. Chemical, green and organic manure effects on chemical properties on a savannah oxisol and on corn under conventional tillage and no-tillage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mannigel, Anny R.; Alves, Marlene C.; Valério Filho, Walter V.

    2015-04-01

    Modern agriculture, in general, has always been based on the concept that natural resources are endless; however, this concept is changing. Concern for the environment is increasingly becoming part of farming practices, either by the awareness of society, or because the high cost of fertilizers or even the exhaustion of soils. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of the green manure and mineral fertilizer and/or organic manure and, on the chemical properties of an Oxisol, on "Savannah" (cerrado) area in Mato Grosso do Sul-Brazil, cultivated with corn (Zea mays L.) on the following management conditions: no-tillage and conventional tillage, on area previously under pasture (Brachiaria decumbens). The experimental design was a randomized blocks and the tested treatments were: control (without organic manure or chemical fertilizer); chemical fertilizer, as recommended for the culture and based on the chemical soil analysis; organic manure (cow manure); organic manure + half of the mineral fertilizer recommended rate; and the green manure Crotalaria juncea and Pennisetum americanum. The chemical analyses were the soil chemical analysis to the intent of soil fertility. Corn yield was evaluated. The collect of soil samples were realized in depths of 0.00-0.05 m and 0.05-0.10 m and 0.10-0.20 m. The organic manure and the organic manure + half of the mineral recommended rate increased P, Ca, Mg, K and Organic Matter in the first depth (0.00 - 0.05 m). These treatments also increased K and Mg at the second depth analyzed (0.05 - 0.10 m) and K in the depth from 0.10 - 0.20 m. Under conventional tillage management presents better crop results with an average grain yield of 3649 kg ha-1 versus 2374 kg ha-1 obtained under no-tillage. The use of chemical fertilizer, organic manure + half of the mineral recommended rate, Crotalaria juncea, organic manure and Pennisetum americanum increased corn yield by 84, 79, 58, 44 and 41 %, respectively.

  15. Effect of Various Organic Fertilizers Substitute Chemical Fertilizer on Cucumber Productions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piadang, Nattayana; Ratanapanit, Sittisuk; Chaowanklang, Pratuang; Ratanapanit; Nadtinee; Jaipakdee, Putinee; Ongsakitboriboon

    2006-09-01

    The effect of using the various organic fertilizer to substitute on the chemical fertilizer on cucumber, was carried out at Tambol Pattananikom, Amphur Pattananikom, Lopburi, Thailand, from December 1, 2005 to February 1, 2006 By using Randomized Comp let Block Design (RCBD), Contain with 4 treatments, chemical fertilizer: 16-16-16: 40 Kg/rai (Control), Pillet organic fertilizer: 50 Kg/rai, Bio extract from cow milk: 300 cc./ water 20 Ltr,.+ compost mixed in soil and bio fertilizer from the office of Atomic Energy Peace : 300 cc./water 20 Ltr. + campost mixed in soil (15 m. 2 /plot) were compared. Experiment result indicate that there were no significant differences on the yield. The highest yield of 25.91 kg/plot (27663.73 kg/rai) was obtained from chemical fertilizer, Fertilizer, followed by pillet organic fertilizer 22.88 kg/plot (2440.53 kg/rai), bio fertilizer 22.34 kg/pot (2382.93 kg/rai) and bio extract 19.03 kg/plot) (2029.87 kg/rai.

  16. Transport and Fate of Volatile Organic Chemical in Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Lis Wollesen

    Recently much attention has been paid to the behavior of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in the environment. This is due to the fact that the environmental pollution with these hazardous chemicals has drastically increased during the last decades. The present study is limited to consider...... the transport and fate of VOCs in the gaseous phase, thus contributing to the overall understanding of VOCs behavior in soil, which eventually will facilitate future cleanup....

  17. Effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together on N and P absorption and soil fertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Kuibo; Yu Meiyan; Shen Xiuzhen; Wang Tongyan; Chen Xueliu; Wang Zhifen

    1994-01-01

    15 N trace experiments show that organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together promotes organic N mineralization and absorption. Base fertilizer is mainly for nutrition organs and spring fertilizer for reproduction organs. Organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together obtained the highest production efficiency of total N. Total P amount in wheat plant is slightly higher than that of inorganic N applied only, but P distribution in nutrition organs was slightly lower than that of inorganic N applied only. Organic and inorganic fertilizer applied together, not only promoted the production but also increased fertility of soil, so it is an important measure for wheat to obtain high production continuously

  18. Applying the Taguchi method for optimized fabrication of bovine ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SERVER

    2008-02-19

    Feb 19, 2008 ... Nanobiotechnology Research Lab., School of Chemical Engineering, Babol University of Technology, Po.Box: 484, ... nanoparticle by applying the Taguchi method with characterization of the ... of BSA/ethanol and organic solvent adding rate. ... Sodium aside and all other chemicals were purchased from.

  19. Comparative toxicity of ten organic chemicals to four earthworm species

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neuhauser, E.F.; Durkin, P.R.; Malecki, M.R.; Anatra, M.

    1986-01-01

    Ten organic chemicals were tested for toxicity to four earthworm species: Allolobophora tuberculata, Eisenia fetida, Eudrilus eugeniae and Perionyx excavatus, using the European Economic Community's (EEC) earthworm artificial soil and contact testing procedure. The phenols were the most toxic chemicals tested, followed by the amine, substituted benzenes, halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and phthalate as the least toxic chemical tested. Correlations among species within each type of test for a given chemical were extremely high, suggesting that the selection of earthworm test species does not markedly affect the assessment of a chemical's toxicity. The correlation between the two tests was low for all test species. The contact test LC50 for a given chemical cannot be directly correlated to an artificial soil test LC50 for the same earthworm species.

  20. Full-thickness human skin explants for testing the toxicity of topically applied chemicals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, M.; Rikimaru, T.; Yano, T.; Moore, K.G.; Pula, P.J.; Schofield, B.H.; Dannenberg, A.M. Jr.

    1990-01-01

    This report describes a model organ-culture system for testing the toxicity of chemical substances that are topically applied to human skin. In this system, the viable keratinocytes in the full-thickness skin explants are protected by the same keratinized layer as skin remaining on the donor, and toxicity can be assessed microscopically and/or biochemically. The human skin specimens were discards from a variety of surgical procedures. They were cut into full-thickness 1.0-cm2 explants, and briefly exposed to the military vesicant sulfur mustard (SM), which was used as a model toxicant. The explants were then organ cultured in small Petri dishes for 24 h at 36 degrees C. In the 0.03-1.0% dosage range, a straight-line dose-response relationship occurred between the concentration of SM applied and the number of paranuclear vacuoles seen histologically in the epidermis. Within the same SM dosage range, there was also a proportional decrease in 14C-leucine incorporation by the explants. Thus, the number of paranuclear vacuoles reflected decreases in protein synthesis by the injured epidermal cells. The epidermis of full-thickness untreated (control) human skin explants usually remained viable for 7 d when stored at 4 degrees C in culture medium. During storage, a relatively small number of paranuclear vacuoles developed within the epidermis, but the explants were still quite satisfactory for testing SM toxicity. Incubation (for 4 or 24 h at 36 degrees C) of such control skin explants reduced (often by 50%) the small number of paranuclear vacuoles produced during 4-7 d of storage. This reduction was probably caused by autolysis of many of the vacuolated cells. Two types of paranuclear vacuoles could be identified by both light and electron microscopy: a storage type and a toxicant type. The storage type seemed to be caused by autolysis of cell components

  1. Full-thickness human skin explants for testing the toxicity of topically applied chemicals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakamura, M.; Rikimaru, T.; Yano, T.; Moore, K.G.; Pula, P.J.; Schofield, B.H.; Dannenberg, A.M. Jr. (Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (USA))

    1990-09-01

    This report describes a model organ-culture system for testing the toxicity of chemical substances that are topically applied to human skin. In this system, the viable keratinocytes in the full-thickness skin explants are protected by the same keratinized layer as skin remaining on the donor, and toxicity can be assessed microscopically and/or biochemically. The human skin specimens were discards from a variety of surgical procedures. They were cut into full-thickness 1.0-cm2 explants, and briefly exposed to the military vesicant sulfur mustard (SM), which was used as a model toxicant. The explants were then organ cultured in small Petri dishes for 24 h at 36 degrees C. In the 0.03-1.0% dosage range, a straight-line dose-response relationship occurred between the concentration of SM applied and the number of paranuclear vacuoles seen histologically in the epidermis. Within the same SM dosage range, there was also a proportional decrease in 14C-leucine incorporation by the explants. Thus, the number of paranuclear vacuoles reflected decreases in protein synthesis by the injured epidermal cells. The epidermis of full-thickness untreated (control) human skin explants usually remained viable for 7 d when stored at 4 degrees C in culture medium. During storage, a relatively small number of paranuclear vacuoles developed within the epidermis, but the explants were still quite satisfactory for testing SM toxicity. Incubation (for 4 or 24 h at 36{degrees}C) of such control skin explants reduced (often by 50%) the small number of paranuclear vacuoles produced during 4-7 d of storage. This reduction was probably caused by autolysis of many of the vacuolated cells. Two types of paranuclear vacuoles could be identified by both light and electron microscopy: a storage type and a toxicant type. The storage type seemed to be caused by autolysis of cell components.

  2. Developing and applying metamodels of high resolution process-based simulations for high throughput exposure assessment of organic chemicals in riverine ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Craig Barber, M; Isaacs, Kristin K; Tebes-Stevens, Caroline

    2017-12-15

    As defined by Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamodeling), "(a) metamodel or surrogate model is a model of a model, and metamodeling is the process of generating such metamodels." The goals of metamodeling include, but are not limited to (1) developing functional or statistical relationships between a model's input and output variables for model analysis, interpretation, or information consumption by users' clients; (2) quantifying a model's sensitivity to alternative or uncertain forcing functions, initial conditions, or parameters; and (3) characterizing the model's response or state space. Using five models developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency, we generate a metamodeling database of the expected environmental and biological concentrations of 644 organic chemicals released into nine US rivers from wastewater treatment works (WTWs) assuming multiple loading rates and sizes of populations serviced. The chemicals of interest have log n-octanol/water partition coefficients (logK OW ) ranging from 3 to 14, and the rivers of concern have mean annual discharges ranging from 1.09 to 3240m 3 /s. Log-linear regression models are derived to predict mean annual dissolved and total water concentrations and total sediment concentrations of chemicals of concern based on their logK OW, Henry's Law Constant, and WTW loading rate and on the mean annual discharges of the receiving rivers. Metamodels are also derived to predict mean annual chemical concentrations in fish, invertebrates, and periphyton. We corroborate a subset of these metamodels using field studies focused on brominated flame retardants and discuss their application for high throughput screening of exposures to human and ecological populations and for analysis and interpretation of field data. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Aqueous organic chemistry in the atmosphere: sources and chemical processing of organic aerosols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McNeill, V Faye

    2015-02-03

    Over the past decade, it has become clear that aqueous chemical processes occurring in cloud droplets and wet atmospheric particles are an important source of organic atmospheric particulate matter. Reactions of water-soluble volatile (or semivolatile) organic gases (VOCs or SVOCs) in these aqueous media lead to the formation of highly oxidized organic particulate matter (secondary organic aerosol; SOA) and key tracer species, such as organosulfates. These processes are often driven by a combination of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, and therefore their accurate representation in models is important for effective air quality management. Despite considerable progress, mechanistic understanding of some key aqueous processes is still lacking, and these pathways are incompletely represented in 3D atmospheric chemistry and air quality models. In this article, the concepts, historical context, and current state of the science of aqueous pathways of SOA formation are discussed.

  4. Tooth Matrix Analysis for Biomonitoring of Organic Chemical Exposure: Current Status, Challenges, and Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andra, Syam S.; Austin, Christine; Arora, Manish

    2015-01-01

    Epidemiological evidence supports associations between prenatal exposure to environmental organic chemicals and childhood health impairments. Unlike the common choice of biological matrices such as urine and blood that can be limited by short half-lives for some chemicals, teeth provide a stable repository for chemicals with half-life in the order of decades. Given the potential of the tooth bio-matrix to study long-term exposures to environmental organic chemicals in human biomonitoring programs, it is important to be aware of possible pitfalls and potential opportunities to improve on the current analytical method for tooth organics analysis. We critically review previous results of studies of this topic. The major drawbacks and challenges in currently practiced concepts and analytical methods in utilizing tooth bio-matrix are (i) no consideration of external (from outer surface) or internal contamination (from micro odontoblast processes), (ii) the misleading assumption that whole ground teeth represent prenatal exposures (latest formed dentine is lipid rich and therefore would absorb and accumulate more organic chemicals), (iii) reverse causality in exposure assessment due to whole ground teeth, and (iv) teeth are a precious bio-matrix and grinding them raises ethical concerns about appropriate use of a very limited resource in exposure biology and epidemiology studies. These can be overcome by addressing the important limitations and possible improvements with the analytical approach associated at each of the following steps (i) tooth sample preparation to retain exposure timing, (ii) organics extraction and pre-concentration to detect ultra-trace levels of analytes, (iii) chromatography separation, (iv) mass spectrometric detection to detect multi-class organics simultaneously, and (v) method validation, especially to exclude chance findings. To highlight the proposed improvements we present findings from a pilot study that utilizes tooth matrix biomarkers to

  5. Significance of Isotopically Labile Organic Hydrogen in Thermal Maturation of Organic Matter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arndt Schimmelmann; Maria Mastalerz

    2010-03-30

    Isotopically labile organic hydrogen in fossil fuels occupies chemical positions that participate in isotopic exchange and in chemical reactions during thermal maturation from kerogen to bitumen, oil and gas. Carbon-bound organic hydrogen is isotopically far less exchangeable than hydrogen bound to nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur. We explore why organic hydrogen isotope ratios express a relationship with organic nitrogen isotope ratios in kerogen at low to moderate maturity. We develop and apply new techniques to utilize organic D/H ratios in organic matter fractions and on a molecular level as tools for exploration for fossil fuels and for paleoenvironmental research. The scope of our samples includes naturally and artificially matured substrates, such as coal, shale, oil and gas.

  6. Organic Animal Production and Mycotoxins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurcan Çetinkaya

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Organic animal production; is a form of production without using any chemical inputs from production to consumption. In organic livestock production; organic breeding, feedstuff and animal nutrition conditions are stated in the Regulation on the Principles and Implementation of Organic Agriculture. Organic animal products must be prevented from recontamination. There are three different contamination hazards; biological (mold-toxins and pathogenic micro-organisms, chemical (pesticide residues, and physical (broken metal or glass, etc.. Molding and mycotoxin formation in organic feeds is one of the most important problems since they adversly affect animal health and toxines pass through the products. Since any chemical method cannot be applied to the organic feedstuffs especially in the struggle with mycotoxin in organic animal production, this should be considered in the measures to be taken and in the systems to be applied and the system should be planned to include organic agriculture. Countries that have established HACCP and ISO 22000 food safety management systems are able to avoid the problem of mycotoxin pollution in organic animal foods. The establishment of the feed safety system based on HACCP principles and its application in production have been made compulsory by Feed Hygiene Regulation issued in Turkey since 2011. In this review, the relationship between organic animal production and mycotoxin, and the precautions to be taken are discussed.

  7. Trace organic chemicals contamination in ground water recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Cruz, M Silvia; Barceló, Damià

    2008-06-01

    Population growth and unpredictable climate changes will pose high demands on water resources in the future. Even at present, surface water is certainly not enough to cope with the water requirement for agricultural, industrial, recreational and drinking purposes. In this context, the usage of ground water has become essential, therefore, their quality and quantity has to be carefully managed. Regarding quantity, artificial recharge can guarantee a sustainable level of ground water, whilst the strict quality control of the waters intended for recharge will minimize contamination of both the ground water and aquifer area. However, all water resources in the planet are threatened by multiple sources of contamination coming from the extended use of chemicals worldwide. In this respect, the environmental occurrence of organic micropollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and their metabolites has experienced fast growing interest. In this paper an overview of the priority and emerging organic micropollutants in the different source waters used for artificial aquifer recharge purposes and in the recovered water is presented. Besides, some considerations regarding fate and removal of such compounds are also addressed.

  8. SHIFTING WEED COMPOSITIONS AND BIOMASS PRODUCTION IN SWEET CORN FIELD TREATED WITH ORGANIC COMPOSTS AND CHEMICAL WEED CONTROLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marulak Simarmata

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of the research were to study the shift of weed compositions in sweet corn field treated with organic compost and chemical weed controls and to compare the effect of treatment combinations on weed growth, weed biomass and sweet corn biomass. The research was conducted in Bengkulu, Indonesia, from April to July 2014. Results showed that the number of weed species decreased after the trials from 14 to 13. There was a shift in weed compositions because 5 species of weeds did not emerge after the trials, but 4 new species were found. Chemical weed control used a herbiside mixture of atrazine and mesotrione applied during postemergence was the most effective method to control weeds, which was observed on decreased weed emergence and weed biomass down to 22.33 and 25.00 percent of control, respectively. Subsequently, biomass production of sweet corn increased up to 195.64 percent at the same trials. Biomass of weeds and sweet corn were also affected by the organic composts. Weed biomass was inhibited by treatment of composted empty fruith bunches of oil palm, whereas significantly increased of sweet corn biomass were observed in the plots of organic manure.

  9. Determination of solute organic concentration in contaminated soils using a chemical-equilibrium soil column system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gamst, Jesper; Kjeldsen, Peter; Christensen, Thomas Højlund

    2007-01-01

    using two soils with different content of organic carbon (f(oc) of 1.5 and 6.5%, respectively). A quadruple blind test of the ER-V system using glass beads in stead of soil showed an acceptable recovery (65-85%) of all of the 11 VOCs tested. Only for the most volatile compound (heptane, K-H similar...... to 80) an unacceptable recovery was found (9%). The contact time needed for obtaining chemical equilibrium was tested in the ER-H system by performing five test with different duration (1, 2, 4, 7 and 19 days) using the low organic carbon soil. Seven days of contact time appeared sufficient...... for determination of solute concentration in a contaminated soil were developed; (1) a chemical Equilibrium and Recirculation column test for Volatile organic chemicals (ER-V) and (2) a chemical Equilibrium and Recirculation column test for Hydrophobic organic chemicals (ER-H). The two test systems were evaluated...

  10. The Chemical Technology Division at Argonne National Laboratory: Applying chemical innovation to environmental problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The Chemical Technology Division is one of the largest technical divisions at Argonne National Laboratory, a leading center for research and development related to energy and environmental issues. Since its inception in 1948, the Division has pioneered in developing separations processes for the nuclear industry. The current scope of activities includes R ampersand D on methods for disposing of radioactive and hazardous wastes and on energy conversion processes with improved efficiencies, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. Many of the technologies developed by CMT can be applied to solve manufacturing as well as environmental problems of industry

  11. Removal of indicator organisms by chemical treatment of wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Zutter, L; van Hoof, J

    1981-01-01

    Recently a new chemical wastewater treatment process based upon precipitation of proteins by sodium lignosulphonate under acid conditions is used to purify the wastewater from slaughterhouses and poultry processing plants. In order to determine the reduction of indicator organisms due to this treatment process, influent and effluent samples from two of such plants (plant A in a pig slaughterhouse and plant B in a poultry processing plant) were examined. The results demonstrated that the pH used in the process, has a considerable influence on the reduction of the indicator organisms. On the first sampling day in plant A the initial working-pH was 4 and the corresponding reduction of the different microorganisms varied from 0.7 to 1.5 log. According to the decrease of the pH to 2.3, the reduction increased to a minimum of at least 1.9 and a maximum of at least 4.5 log. In the other samples from this plant (working-pH 2.4) the elimination ranged from 1.8 to 4.0 log. In plant B, the removal of the indicator organisms brought about by a working-pH of 3.0 ranged from 2.1 to 3.1 log. The results showed that in comparison with the biological treatment processes this chemical wastewater treatment process realized a significant greater removal of indicator organisms.

  12. Application of the Activity Framework for Assessing Aquatic Ecotoxicology Data for Organic Chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomas, Paul; Dawick, James; Lampi, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Toxicological research in the 1930s gave the first indications of the link between narcotic toxicity and the chemical activity of organic chemicals. More recently, chemical activity has been proposed as a novel exposure parameter that describes the fraction of saturation and that quantifies the p...

  13. Capturing ecology in modeling approaches applied to environmental risk assessment of endocrine active chemicals in fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mintram, Kate S; Brown, A Ross; Maynard, Samuel K; Thorbek, Pernille; Tyler, Charles R

    2018-02-01

    Endocrine active chemicals (EACs) are widespread in freshwater environments and both laboratory and field based studies have shown reproductive effects in fish at environmentally relevant exposures. Environmental risk assessment (ERA) seeks to protect wildlife populations and prospective assessments rely on extrapolation from individual-level effects established for laboratory fish species to populations of wild fish using arbitrary safety factors. Population susceptibility to chemical effects, however, depends on exposure risk, physiological susceptibility, and population resilience, each of which can differ widely between fish species. Population models have significant potential to address these shortfalls and to include individual variability relating to life-history traits, demographic and density-dependent vital rates, and behaviors which arise from inter-organism and organism-environment interactions. Confidence in population models has recently resulted in the EU Commission stating that results derived from reliable models may be considered when assessing the relevance of adverse effects of EACs at the population level. This review critically assesses the potential risks posed by EACs for fish populations, considers the ecological factors influencing these risks and explores the benefits and challenges of applying population modeling (including individual-based modeling) in ERA for EACs in fish. We conclude that population modeling offers a way forward for incorporating greater environmental relevance in assessing the risks of EACs for fishes and for identifying key risk factors through sensitivity analysis. Individual-based models (IBMs) allow for the incorporation of physiological and behavioral endpoints relevant to EAC exposure effects, thus capturing both direct and indirect population-level effects.

  14. Visualising the equilibrium distribution and mobility of organic contaminants in soil using the chemical partitioning space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Fiona; Wania, Frank

    2011-06-01

    Assessing the behaviour of organic chemicals in soil is a complex task as it is governed by the physical chemical properties of the chemicals, the characteristics of the soil as well as the ambient conditions of the environment. The chemical partitioning space, defined by the air-water partition coefficient (K(AW)) and the soil organic carbon-water partition coefficient (K(OC)), was employed to visualize the equilibrium distribution of organic contaminants between the air-filled pores, the pore water and the solid phases of the bulk soil and the relative importance of the three transport processes removing contaminants from soil (evaporation, leaching and particle erosion). The partitioning properties of twenty neutral organic chemicals (i.e. herbicides, pharmaceuticals, polychlorinated biphenyls and volatile chemicals) were estimated using poly-parameter linear free energy relationships and superimposed onto these maps. This allows instantaneous estimation of the equilibrium phase distribution and mobility of neutral organic chemicals in soil. Although there is a link between the major phase and the dominant transport process, such that chemicals found in air-filled pore space are subject to evaporation, those in water-filled pore space undergo leaching and those in the sorbed phase are associated with particle erosion, the partitioning coefficient thresholds for distribution and mobility can often deviate by many orders of magnitude. In particular, even a small fraction of chemical in pore water or pore air allows for evaporation and leaching to dominate over solid phase transport. Multiple maps that represent soils that differ in the amount and type of soil organic matter, water saturation, temperature, depth of surface soil horizon, and mineral matters were evaluated.

  15. Applying chemical engineering concepts to non-thermal plasma reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedro AFFONSO, NOBREGA; Alain, GAUNAND; Vandad, ROHANI; François, CAUNEAU; Laurent, FULCHERI

    2018-06-01

    Process scale-up remains a considerable challenge for environmental applications of non-thermal plasmas. Undersanding the impact of reactor hydrodynamics in the performance of the process is a key step to overcome this challenge. In this work, we apply chemical engineering concepts to analyse the impact that different non-thermal plasma reactor configurations and regimes, such as laminar or plug flow, may have on the reactor performance. We do this in the particular context of the removal of pollutants by non-thermal plasmas, for which a simplified model is available. We generalise this model to different reactor configurations and, under certain hypotheses, we show that a reactor in the laminar regime may have a behaviour significantly different from one in the plug flow regime, often assumed in the non-thermal plasma literature. On the other hand, we show that a packed-bed reactor behaves very similarly to one in the plug flow regime. Beyond those results, the reader will find in this work a quick introduction to chemical reaction engineering concepts.

  16. On the Chemical Characterization of Organic Matter in Rain at Mexico City.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montero-Martinez, G.; Andraca-Ayala, G. L.; Hernández-Nagay, D. P.; Mendoza-Trejo, A.; Rivera-Arellano, J.; Rosado-Abon, A.; Roy, P. D.

    2016-12-01

    The chemical composition of the aerosol plays a central role in atmospheric processes and has influence on the hydrological cycle. Clouds form through the nucleation of water vapor on certain atmospheric aerosol particles, called cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Also, precipitating particles scavenge some other aerosol particles on their way to the surface. Atmospheric particles are a mixture of organic and inorganic materials, both soluble and insoluble in water. Aerosol chemical characterization indicates a larger variety of compounds in urban areas respect to other regions. Thus, chemical composition of rainwater may represent an important aspect for estimating atmospheric air pollution. It has been recognized that organic species present in aerosol particles are important in the formation of cloud droplets. Therefore, the information about the organic compounds in precipitation samples may be helpful to understand their effects on the formation of clouds and rain, as well as their sources. Organic acids are ubiquitous components of aerosols and have been identified in precipitation water. In this work, preliminary results of the content of soluble organic (neutral and acidic) matter in rainwater samples collected in Mexico City during 2015 will be presented. The organic compounds content was performed by using an ionic chromatographic methodology with gradient elution; so the total amount was evaluated as the sum of four fractions: neutral/basic, mono-, bi-, and poly-acid compounds. The outcomes suggest that most of the amount of organic substances soluble in water is contained by the neutral/basic and mono-acid fractions. Regarding the total amount of water soluble organic compounds, the rain samples collected in Mexico City are in agreement with some others reported for large urban areas.

  17. Effect of Organic Amendments and Chemical Fertilization in Production of Corn (Zea Mays L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabio Emilio Forero Ulloa

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Corn is grown in 135 countries, and because of its uses and nutritional benefits is the world's most important cereal. In Colombia it is grown in various agro-ecological conditions of production. The bagasse is an organic residue resulting from the grinding of sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L., used for the production of jaggery (solid resulting of boiling and evaporation of the juice from sugar cane, which can be used as an amendment and is a soil conditioner, as a rich source of phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of bagasse against the application of other organic sources and chemical fertilization in maize, variety ICA-V-305. For this, a completely random statistical design with four treatments and absolute control was established. Results were subjected to analysis of variance and Tukey comparison test. Applying Bagasse + Abimgra® produced the greatest number of ears of corn, while the use of only bagasse, presented the second best results in terms of number of grains / ear and weight of 100 grains of corn, therefore bagasse becomes , through time, an important option as organic amendment, which would favor the production of corn, and an option as organic fertilizer.

  18. Chemical reactions in organic monomolecular layers. Condensation of hydrazine on carbonyl functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosilio, Charles; Ruaudel-Teixier, Annie.

    1976-01-01

    Evidence is given for chemical reactions of hydrazine (NH 2 -NH 2 ) with different carbonyl functional groups of organic molecules in the solid state, in monomolecular layer structures. The condensation of hydrazine with these molecules leads to conjugated systems by bridging the N-N links, to cyclizations, and also to polycondensations. The reactions investigated were followed up by infrared spectrophotometry, by transmission and metallic reflection. These chemical reactions revealed in the solid phase constitute a polycondensation procedure which is valuable in obtaining organized polymers in monomolecular layers [fr

  19. Applying the balanced scorecard in healthcare provider organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inamdar, Noorein; Kaplan, Robert S; Bower, Marvin

    2002-01-01

    Several innovative healthcare executives have recently introduced a new business strategy implementation tool: the Balanced Scorecard. The scorecard's measurement and management system provides the following potential benefits to healthcare organizations: It aligns the organization around a more market-oriented, customer-focused strategy It facilitates, monitors, and assesses the implementation of the strategy It provides a communication and collaboration mechanism It assigns accountability for performance at all levels of the organization It provides continual feedback on the strategy and promotes adjustments to marketplace and regulatory changes. We surveyed executives in nine provider organizations that were implementing the Balanced Scorecard. We asked about the following issues relating to its implementation and effect: 1. The role of the Balanced Scorecard in relation to a well-defined vision, mission, and strategy 2. The motivation for adopting the Balanced Scorecard 3. The difference between the Balanced Scorecard and other measurement systems 4. The process followed to develop and implement the Balanced Scorecard 5. The challenges and barriers during the development and implementation process 6. The benefits gained by the organization from adoption and use. The executives reported that the Balanced Scorecard strategy implementation and performance management tool could be successfully applied in the healthcare sector, enabling organizations to improve their competitive market positioning, financial results, and customer satisfaction. This article concludes with guidelines for other healthcare provider organizations to capture the benefits of the Balanced Scorecard performance management system.

  20. Top value platform chemicals: bio-based production of organic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Judith; Lange, Anna; Fabarius, Jonathan; Wittmann, Christoph

    2015-12-01

    Driven by the quest for sustainability, recent years have seen a tremendous progress in bio-based production routes from renewable raw materials to commercial goods. Particularly, the production of organic acids has crystallized as a competitive and fast-evolving field, related to the broad applicability of organic acids for direct use, as polymer building blocks, and as commodity chemicals. Here, we review recent advances in metabolic engineering and industrial market scenarios with focus on organic acids as top value products from biomass, accessible through fermentation and biotransformation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Review of laboratory-based terrestrial bioaccumulation assessment approaches for organic chemicals: Current status and future possibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoke, Robert; Huggett, Duane; Brasfield, Sandra; Brown, Becky; Embry, Michelle; Fairbrother, Anne; Kivi, Michelle; Paumen, Miriam Leon; Prosser, Ryan; Salvito, Dan; Scroggins, Rick

    2016-01-01

    In the last decade, interest has been renewed in approaches for the assessment of the bioaccumulation potential of chemicals, principally driven by the need to evaluate large numbers of chemicals as part of new chemical legislation, while reducing vertebrate test organism use called for in animal welfare legislation. This renewed interest has inspired research activities and advances in bioaccumulation science for neutral organic chemicals in aquatic environments. In January 2013, ILSI Health and Environmental Sciences Institute convened experts to identify the state of the science and existing shortcomings in terrestrial bioaccumulation assessment of neutral organic chemicals. Potential modifications to existing laboratory methods were identified, including areas in which new laboratory approaches or test methods could be developed to address terrestrial bioaccumulation. The utility of "non-ecotoxicity" data (e.g., mammalian laboratory data) was also discussed. The highlights of the workshop discussions are presented along with potential modifications in laboratory approaches and new test guidelines that could be used for assessing the bioaccumulation of chemicals in terrestrial organisms. © 2015 SETAC.

  2. Chemical and toxicologic assessment of organic contaminants in surface water using passive samplers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, D.A.; Cranor, W.L.; Perkins, S.D.; Clark, R.C.; Smith, S.B.

    2008-01-01

    Passive sampling methodologies were used to conduct a chemical and toxicologic assessment of organic contaminants in the surface waters of three geographically distinct agricultural watersheds. A selection of current-use agrochemicals and persistent organic pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides, were targeted using the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) and the semipermeable membrane device passive samplers. In addition to the chemical analysis, the Microtox assay for acute toxicity and the yeast estrogen screen (YES) were conducted as potential assessment tools in combination with the passive samplers. During the spring of 2004, the passive samplers were deployed for 29 to 65 d at Leary Weber Ditch, IN; Morgan Creek, MD; and DR2 Drain, WA. Chemical analysis of the sampler extracts identified the agrochemicals predominantly used in those areas, including atrazine, simazine, acetochlor, and metolachlor. Other chemicals identified included deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine, trifluralin, fluoranthene, pyrene, cis- and trans-nonachlor, and pentachloroanisole. Screening using Microtox resulted in no acutely toxic samples. POCIS samples screened by the YES assay failed to elicit a positive estrogenic response. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

  3. 15 CFR Supplement No. 1 to Part 715 - Definition of an Unscheduled Discrete Organic Chemical

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definition of an Unscheduled Discrete... WEAPONS CONVENTION REGULATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVING UNSCHEDULED DISCRETE ORGANIC CHEMICALS (UDOCs) Pt. 715, Supp. 1 Supplement No. 1 to Part 715—Definition of an Unscheduled Discrete Organic Chemical Unscheduled...

  4. Direct chemical oxidation: a non-thermal technology for the destruction of organic wastes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balazs, G.B.; Cooper, J. F.; Lewis, P. R.; Adamson, M. G.

    1998-02-01

    Direct Chemical Oxidation (DCO) is a non-thermal, ambient pressure, aqueous-based technology for the oxidative destruction of the organic components of hazardous or mixed waste streams. The process has been developed for applications in waste treatment and chemical demilitarization and decontamination at LLNL since 1992, and is applicable to the destruction of virtually all solid or liquid organics, including: chlorosolvents, oils and greases, detergents, organic-contaminated soils or sludges, explosives, chemical and biological warfare agents, and PCB's. [1-15] The process normally operates at 80-100 C, a heating requirement which increases the difficulty of surface decontamination of large objects or, for example, treatment of a wide area contaminated soil site. The driver for DCO work in FY98 was thus to investigate the use of catalysts to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology for organics destruction at temperatures closer to ambient. In addition, DCO is at a sufficiently mature stage of development that technology transfer to a commercial entity was a logical next step, and was thus included in FY98 tasks.

  5. Synthetic Biology for Specialty Chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markham, Kelly A; Alper, Hal S

    2015-01-01

    In this review, we address recent advances in the field of synthetic biology and describe how those tools have been applied to produce a wide variety of chemicals in microorganisms. Here we classify the expansion of the synthetic biology toolbox into three different categories based on their primary function in strain engineering-for design, for construction, and for optimization. Next, focusing on recent years, we look at how chemicals have been produced using these new synthetic biology tools. Advances in producing fuels are briefly described, followed by a more thorough treatment of commodity chemicals, specialty chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals. Throughout this review, an emphasis is placed on how synthetic biology tools are applied to strain engineering. Finally, we discuss organism and host strain diversity and provide a future outlook in the field.

  6. Temperature influence on chemical toxicity to aquatic organisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cairns, J. Jr.; Heath, A.G.; Parker, B.C.

    1975-01-01

    The literature on the effects of temperature on chemical toxicity to aquatic animals and microorganisms is reviewed. Microbial photosynthesis and respiration is briefly discussed. It is concluded that there is a paucity of information on the inter-relations of temperature and toxicants to algae, bacteria, and protozoa and that standards based on the in situ response of indigenous organisms to specific discharge areas should be developed

  7. Secondary organic aerosols. Chemical aging, hygroscopicity, and cloud droplet activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buchholz, Angela

    2011-07-06

    Atmospheric aerosols have an important impact on the radiation balance, and thus, on the climate of the Earth. Aerosol particles scatter and absorb incoming solar and terrestrial radiation. Apart from this direct effect, aerosol particles act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), thereby greatly influencing the microphysics of clouds. Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) are an important fraction of the total aerosol mass. In many environments these organic compounds are mainly products of the oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC). In this study the hygroscopic growth and CCN activation of biogenic SOA were investigated which was formed by the oxidation of VOC with O{sub 3} and photochemically formed OH radicals under low NO{sub x} conditions. For this purpose, a complex mixture of VOC emitted by boreal tree species as gas-phase precursors was used in the Juelich Plant Atmosphere Chamber (JPAC). In long-term studies in the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR {alpha}-pinene or a defined mixture of {alpha}-pinene, {beta}-pinene, limonene, ocimene, {delta}-3-carene served as precursors. Initial precursor concentrations between 40 and 1000 ppbC were investigated. The observed SOA particles were slightly hygroscopic with an average hygroscopicity parameter {kappa}(CCN) = 0.10 {+-} 0.02 and {kappa}(90%RH) = 0.05 {+-} 0.01. Closure between hygroscopic growth and CCN activation data could be achieved allowing either surface tension reduction, limited solubility, or non-ideality of the solution in the droplet. The SOA solutions in equilibrium with RH <95% are possible highly non-ideal. Therefore the organic-water interaction were investigated by applying the UNIFAC model. Calculations for surrogate compounds exhibited the same strong concentration (i.e. RH) dependence of {kappa} at sub-saturation. The growth curves could be fitted and CCN activation predicted by assuming a binary mixture of water and one hypothetical organic compound. The occurrence of

  8. Self-Organized Traveling Chemo-Hydrodynamic Fingers Triggered by a Chemical Oscillator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escala, D M; Budroni, M A; Carballido-Landeira, J; De Wit, A; Muñuzuri, A P

    2014-02-06

    Pulsatile chemo-hydrodynamic patterns due to a coupling between an oscillating chemical reaction and buoyancy-driven hydrodynamic flows can develop when two solutions of separate reactants of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction are put in contact in the gravity field and conditions for chemical oscillations are met in the contact zone. In regular oscillatory conditions, localized periodic changes in the concentration of intermediate species induce pulsatile density gradients, which, in turn, generate traveling convective fingers breaking the transverse symmetry. These patterns are the self-organized result of a genuine coupling between chemical and hydrodynamic modes.

  9. Assessing and grouping chemicals applying partial ordering Alkyl anilines as an illustrative example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlsen, Lars; Bruggemann, Rainer

    2018-06-03

    In chemistry there is a long tradition in classification. Usually methods are adopted from the wide field of cluster analysis. Here, based on the example of 21 alkyl anilines we show that also concepts taken out from the mathematical discipline of partially ordered sets may also be applied. The chemical compounds are described by a multi-indicator system. For the present study four indicators, mainly taken from the field of environmental chemistry were applied and a Hasse diagram was constructed. A Hasse diagram is an acyclic, transitively reduced, triangle free graph that may have several components. The crucial question is, whether or not the Hasse diagram can be interpreted from a structural chemical point of view. This is indeed the case, but it must be clearly stated that a guarantee for meaningful results in general cannot be given. For that further theoretical work is needed. Two cluster analysis methods are applied (K-means and a hierarchical cluster method). In both cases the partitioning of the set of 21 compounds by the component structure of the Hasse diagram appears to be better interpretable. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  10. Effects of Organic and Chemical Fertilizers on some Quantitative Traits and Anthocyanin of Roselle under Zabol conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    rahman Ebrahimzadeh abdashti

    2017-02-01

    increased the height, number of branches and stem diameter per plant in different stages of growth. Mean comparison showed that there were significant differences between the treatments and control in most traits, so that the maximum height, number of branches and stem diameter belonged to the treatment of organic and chemical fertilizer with humic acid (T8, T9 and T10. The highest number of fruits and seed yield per plant (41/98% was obtained from the T9 treatment compared to the control. This result was corresponded with the results of other researchers in the roselle. The result showed that inflorescence length, length and diameter of fruit had the highest values by using the cattle manure + humic acid (T8; and so measured characters had the lowest values in control treatment. Effect of different fertilizer treatments on fruit fresh weight, fresh and dry weights of sepals had statistically significant differences. The highest and the lowest values of fruit fresh weight, fresh and dry weights of sepals were obtained from T9 treatment (compost + humic acid and control treatment, respectively. Compost improves conditions for the plant growth. Humic acid stimulates the growth hormone and increases the absorption of nutrients by plant. So, with these reasons it seems that higher growth features and further calyx yield were achieved by applying compost + humic acid than other treatments. The effect of treatments organic and chemical fertilizers with humic acid on the amount of anthocyanin was higher compared with using them separately. Compost, vermicompost and cattle manure fertilizers are containing humic acid substances and humic acid (phenolic compound derivatives is a precursor for the synthesis of anthocyanidin (flavonoid structure, therefore they correlated with the increasing anthocyanin in treatments organic fertilizers and chemical with humic acid. Conclusions: The results showed that all applied fertilizers treatments improved growth features, further calyx yield

  11. Evaluation of chemical transport model predictions of primary organic aerosol for air masses classified by particle-component-based factor analysis

    OpenAIRE

    C. A. Stroud; M. D. Moran; P. A. Makar; S. Gong; W. Gong; J. Zhang; J. G. Slowik; J. P. D. Abbatt; G. Lu; J. R. Brook; C. Mihele; Q. Li; D. Sills; K. B. Strawbridge; M. L. McGuire

    2012-01-01

    Observations from the 2007 Border Air Quality and Meteorology Study (BAQS-Met 2007) in Southern Ontario, Canada, were used to evaluate predictions of primary organic aerosol (POA) and two other carbonaceous species, black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO), made for this summertime period by Environment Canada's AURAMS regional chemical transport model. Particle component-based factor analysis was applied to aerosol mass spectrometer measurements made at one urban site (Windsor, ON) and two...

  12. PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AS PREDICTORS OF ORGANIC CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON SOIL MICROBIAL RESPIRATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Structure-activity analysis was used to evaluate the effects of 19 hazardous organic chemicals on microbial respiration in two slightly acidic soils (a Captina silt loam from Roane County Tennessee, and a McLaurin sandy loam from Stone County, Mississippi), both low in organic ca...

  13. Organic and inorganic amendment application on mercury-polluted soils: effects on soil chemical and biochemical properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Sánchez, Mercedes; Klouza, Martin; Holečková, Zlata; Tlustoš, Pavel; Száková, Jiřina

    2016-07-01

    On the basis of a previous study performed in our laboratory, the use of organic and inorganic amendments can significantly modify the Hg mobility in soil. We have compared the effectiveness of organic and inorganic amendments such as digestate and fly ash, respectively, reducing the Hg mobility in Chernozem and Luvisol soils differing in their physicochemical properties. Hence, the aim of this work was to compare the impact of digestate and fly ash application on the chemical and biochemical parameters in these two mercury-contaminated soils in a model batch experiment. Chernozem and Luvisol soils were artificially contaminated with Hg and then incubated under controlled conditions for 21 days. Digestate and fly ash were applied to both soils in a dose of 10 and 1.5 %, respectively, and soil samples were collected after 1, 7, 14, and 21 days of incubation. The presence of Hg in both soils negatively affected to processes such as nitrification, provoked a decline in the soil microbial biomass C (soil microbial biomass C (MBC)), and the microbial activities (arylsulfatase, and β-glucosaminidase) in both soils. Meanwhile, the digestate addition to Chernozem and Luvisol soils contaminated with Hg improved the soil chemical properties (pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), N (Ntot), inorganic-N forms (N-NH4 (+) and N-NO3 (-))), as consequence of high content in C and N contained in digestate. Likewise, the soil MBC and soil microbial activities (dehydrogenase, arylsulfatase, and β-glucosaminidase) were greatly enhanced by the digestate application in both soils. In contrast, fly ash application did not have a remarkable positive effect when compared to digestate in Chernozem and Luvisol soil contaminated with mercury. These results may indicate that the use of organic amendments such as digestate considerably improved the soil health in Chernozem and Luvisol compared with fly ash, alleviating the detrimental impact of Hg. Probably, the chemical properties present in

  14. Guidelines for the use of the semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) and the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in environmental monitoring studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, David A.

    2010-01-01

    The success of an environmental monitoring study using passive samplers, or any sampling method, begins in the office or laboratory. Regardless of the specific methods used, the general steps include the formulation of a sampling plan, training of personnel, performing the field (sampling) work, processing the collected samples to recover chemicals of interest, analysis of the enriched extracts, and interpretation of the data. Each of these areas will be discussed in the following sections with emphasis on specific considerations with the use of passive samplers. Water is an extremely heterogeneous matrix both spatially and temporally (Keith, 1991). The mixing and distribution of dissolved organic chemicals in a water body are controlled by the hydrodynamics of the water, the sorption partition coefficients of the chemicals, and the amount of organic matter (suspended sediments, colloids, and dissolved organic carbon) present. In lakes and oceans, stratification because of changes in temperature, water movement, and water composition can occur resulting in dramatic changes in chemical concentrations with depth (Keith, 1991). Additional complications related to episodic events, such as surface runoff, spills, and other point source contamination, can result in isolated or short-lived pulses of contaminants in the water. The application of passive sampling technologies for the monitoring of legacy and emerging organic chemicals in the environment is becoming widely accepted worldwide. The primary use of passive sampling methods for environmental studies is in the area of surface-water monitoring; however, these techniques have been applied to air and groundwater monitoring studies. Although these samplers have no mechanical or moving parts, electrical or fuel needs which require regular monitoring, there are still considerations that need to be understood in order to have a successful study. Two of the most commonly used passive samplers for organic contaminants are

  15. Luminescence Sensors Applied to Water Analysis of Organic Pollutants—An Update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graciela M. Escandar

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The development of chemical sensors for environmental analysis based on fluorescence, phosphorescence and chemiluminescence signals continues to be a dynamic topic within the sensor field. This review covers the fundamentals of this type of sensors, and an update on recent works devoted to quantifying organic pollutants in environmental waters, focusing on advances since about 2005. Among the wide variety of these contaminants, special attention has been paid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, explosives and emerging organic pollutants. The potential of coupling optical sensors with multivariate calibration methods in order to improve the selectivity is also discussed.

  16. Piper gaudichaudianum Kunth: Seasonal Characterization of the Essential Oil Chemical Composition of Leaves and Reproductive Organs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Schindler

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study describes a comparative analysis of the essential oil (EO chemical composition of leaves and reproductive organs (inflorescences and fruits of Piper gaudichaudianum during the seasons of a year in order to determine the best collection time and the most suitable plant organ to obtain this extractive. The chemical composition of EO obtained from fresh leaves was compared to the dried ones, to verify if the drying process interferes in the extractive quality. The leaves were collected from a native population of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, twice in each season, in triplicate, while inflorescences and fruits were sampled when they were present. The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation of the different plant organs for 3 h. The 20 EO samples were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC coupled to mass spectrometry and GC with flame ionization detector, in triplicate. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA and principal components analysis (PCA were performed to verify a possible formation of chemical groups (CG and the cohesion among them. The phenylpropanoid dillapiole was the major constituent of the EO in all seasons and in all plant organs, and myristicin was observed only in reproductive organs. The EO samples of this population were divided into two CG by HCA and PCA, showing the variability in chemical composition between different plant organs, however there was no chemical variability due to seasonality and phenophases. Since the drying of the leaves did not alter the EO chemical composition, this post-harvest procedure can be used without compromising the extrative quality.

  17. Atmospheric emissions and long-range transport of persistent organic chemicals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scheringer M.

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Persistent organic chemicals include several groups of halogenated compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs, and polyfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs. These chemicals remain for long times (years to decades in the environment and cycle between different media (air, water, sediment, soil, vegetation, etc.. The environmental distribution of this type of chemicals can conveniently be analyzed by multimedia models. Multimedia models consist of a set of coupled mass balance equations for the environmental media considered; they can be set up at various scales from local to global. Two applications of multimedia models to airborne chemicals are discussed in detail: the day-night cycle of PCBs measured in air near the surface, and the atmospheric long-range transport of volatile precursors of PFCAs, formation of PFCAs by oxidation of these precursors, and subsequent deposition of PFCAs to the surface in remote regions such as the Arctic.

  18. Metal–organic covalent network chemical vapor deposition for gas separation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boscher, N.D.; Wang, M.; Perrotta, A.; Heinze, K.; Creatore, A.; Gleason, K.K.

    2016-01-01

    The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization of metalloporphyrin building units is demonstrated to provide an easily up-scalable one-step method toward the deposition of a new class of dense and defect-free metal–organic covalent network (MOCN) layers. The resulting hyper-thin and flexible

  19. Contribution of chemical radiation research to the general theory of oxidation of organic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ladygin, B.Ya.; Saraev, V.V.; Revin, A.A.; Zimina, G.M.

    1996-01-01

    Paper studies mechanisms and main elementary stages of liquid-phase oxidation of organic compounds at thermal and radiation initiation of this reaction. The results of investigations into radiation and chemical conversion of organic compounds at presence of oxygen and without it are discussed on the ground of data obtained by means of pulse radiolysis and EPR-spectroscopy. The bach-Engler theory of slow oxidation of organic compounds with participation of peroxides used as intermediate compounds is shown to be proved essentially and to enjoy further development due to the conducted radiation and chemical investigations. 68 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs

  20. Effect of different methods of soil fertility increasing via application of organic, chemical and biological fertilizers on grain yield and quality of canola (Brassica napus L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Mohammadi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Different resource of fertilizers had an effect on grain yield, oil and grain quality. Information regarding the effect of simultaneous application of organic, chemical and biological fertilizers on canola (Brassica napus L. traits is not available. In order to study the effect of different systems of soil fertility on grain yield and quality of canola (Talayeh cultivar, an experiment was conducted at experimental farm of Agricultural Research Center of Sanandaj, Iran, during two growing seasons of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The experimental units were arranged as split plots based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Main plots consisted of five methods for obtaining the basal fertilizers requirement including (N1: farm yard manure; (N2: compost; (N3: chemical fertilizers; (N4: farm yard manure + compost and (N5: farm yard manure + compost + chemical fertilizers; and control (N6. Sub plots consisted four levels of biofertilizers were (B1: Bacillus lentus and Pseudomonas putida; (B2: Trichoderma harzianum; (B3: Bacillus lentus and Pseudomonas putida and Trichoderma harzianum; and (B4: control, (without biofertilizers. Results showed that basal fertilizers and biofertilizers have a significant effect on grain yield. The highest grain yield was obtained from N5 treatment in which organic and chemical fertilizers were applied simultaneously applied. Basal fertilizers, biofertilizers have a significant effect on leaf chlorophyll. The highest nitrogen content (42.85 mg.g-1 and least amount of (N/S were obtained from N5 treatment. The highest oil percent was obtained from N1 and N2 treatments and highest oil yield was obtained from N5 treatment. Finally, application of organic manure and biofertilizers with chemical fertilizer led to an increase in yield and quality of canola grain.

  1. Occupational Health Impacts Due to Exposure to Organic Chemicals over an Entire Product Life Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kijko, Gaël; Jolliet, Olivier; Margni, Manuele

    2016-12-06

    This article presents an innovative approach to include occupational exposures to organic chemicals in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) by building on the characterization factors set out in Kijko et al. (2015) to calculate the potential impact of occupational exposure over the entire supply chain of product or service. Based on an economic input-output model and labor and economic data, the total impacts per dollar of production are provided for 430 commodity categories and range from 0.025 to 6.6 disability-adjusted life years (DALY) per million dollar of final economic demand. The approach is applied on a case study assessing human health impacts over the life cycle of a piece of office furniture. It illustrates how to combine monitoring data collected at the manufacturing facility and averaged sector specific data to model the entire supply chain. This paper makes the inclusion of occupational exposure to chemicals fully compatible with the LCA framework by including the supply chain of a given production process and will help industries focus on the leading causes of human health impacts and prevent impact shifting.

  2. How Settings Change People: Applying Behavior Setting Theory to Consumer-Run Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Louis D.; Shepherd, Matthew D.; Wituk, Scott A.; Meissen, Greg

    2007-01-01

    Self-help initiatives stand as a classic context for organizational studies in community psychology. Behavior setting theory stands as a classic conception of organizations and the environment. This study explores both, applying behavior setting theory to consumer-run organizations (CROs). Analysis of multiple data sets from all CROs in Kansas…

  3. Virginia Henderson's principles and practice of nursing applied to organ donation after brain death.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicely, Bruce; DeLario, Ginger T

    2011-03-01

    Registered nurses were some of the first nonphysician organ transplant and donation specialists in the field, both in procurement and clinical arenas. Nursing theories are abundant in the literature and in nursing curricula, but none have been applied to the donation process. Noted nursing theorist Virginia Henderson (1897-1996), often referred to as the "first lady of nursing," developed a nursing model based on activities of living. Henderson had the pioneering view that nursing stands separately from medicine and that nursing consists of more than simply following physicians' orders. Henderson's Principles and Practice of Nursing is a grand theory that can be applied to many types of nursing. In this article, Henderson's theory is applied to the intensely focused and specialized area of organ donation for transplantation. Although organ donation coordinators may have backgrounds as physicians' assistants, paramedics, or other allied health professions, most are registered nurses. By virtue of the inherent necessity for involvement of the family and friends of the potential donor, Henderson's concepts are applied to the care and management of the organ donor, to the donor's family and friends, and in some instances, to the caregivers themselves.

  4. Partitioning of polar and non-polar neutral organic chemicals into human and cow milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geisler, Anett; Endo, Satoshi; Goss, Kai-Uwe

    2011-10-01

    The aim of this work was to develop a predictive model for milk/water partition coefficients of neutral organic compounds. Batch experiments were performed for 119 diverse organic chemicals in human milk and raw and processed cow milk at 37°C. No differences (milk were observed. The polyparameter linear free energy relationship model fit the calibration data well (SD=0.22 log units). An experimental validation data set including hormones and hormone active compounds was predicted satisfactorily by the model. An alternative modelling approach based on log K(ow) revealed a poorer performance. The model presented here provides a significant improvement in predicting enrichment of potentially hazardous chemicals in milk. In combination with physiologically based pharmacokinetic modelling this improvement in the estimation of milk/water partitioning coefficients may allow a better risk assessment for a wide range of neutral organic chemicals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The Dynamics of Chemical Reactions: Atomistic Visualizations of Organic Reactions, and Homage to van 't Hoff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Zhongyue; Houk, K N

    2018-03-15

    Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff was the first Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. He pioneered in the study of chemical dynamics, which referred at that time to chemical kinetics and thermodynamics. The term has evolved in modern times to refer to the exploration of chemical transformations in a time-resolved fashion. Chemical dynamics has been driven by the development of molecular dynamics trajectory simulations, which provide atomic visualization of chemical processes and illuminate how dynamic effects influence chemical reactivity and selectivity. In homage to the legend of van 't Hoff, we review the development of the chemical dynamics of organic reactions, our area of research. We then discuss our trajectory simulations of pericyclic reactions, and our development of dynamic criteria for concerted and stepwise reaction mechanisms. We also describe a method that we call environment-perturbed transition state sampling, which enables trajectory simulations in condensed-media using quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM). We apply the method to reactions in solvent and in enzyme. Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (1852, Rotterdam-1911, Berlin) received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1901 "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions". van 't Hoff was born the Netherlands, and earned his doctorate in Utrecht in 1874. In 1896 he moved to Berlin, where he was offered a position with more research and less teaching. van 't Hoff is considered one of the founders of physical chemistry. A key step in establishing this new field was the start of Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie in 1887. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. In-silico identification and characterization of organic and inorganic chemical stress responding genes in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barozai, Muhammad Younas Khan; Bashir, Farrukh; Muzaffar, Shafia; Afzal, Saba; Behlil, Farida; Khan, Muzaffar

    2014-10-15

    To study the life processes of all eukaryotes, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a significant model organism. It is also one of the best models to study the responses of genes at transcriptional level. In a living organism, gene expression is changed by chemical stresses. The genes that give response to chemical stresses will provide good source for the strategies in engineering and formulating mechanisms which are chemical stress resistant in the eukaryotic organisms. The data available through microarray under the chemical stresses like lithium chloride, lactic acid, weak organic acids and tomatidine were studied by using computational tools. Out of 9335 yeast genes, 388 chemical stress responding genes were identified and characterized under different chemical stresses. Some of these are: Enolases 1 and 2, heat shock protein-82, Yeast Elongation Factor 3, Beta Glucanase Protein, Histone H2A1 and Histone H2A2 Proteins, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, ras GTPase activating protein, Establishes Silent Chromatin protein, Mei5 Protein, Nondisjunction Protein and Specific Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase. Characterization of these genes was also made on the basis of their molecular functions, biological processes and cellular components. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Linking algal growth inhibition to chemical activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schmidt, Stine N.; Mayer, Philipp

    Unitless chemical activity, expressing the energetic level of a compound relative to its energetic level in pure liquid [0-1], has proven useful to quantify the effective exposure to hydrophobic organic compounds through both aerial and aqueous media. Several studies have linked toxicity to chemi......Unitless chemical activity, expressing the energetic level of a compound relative to its energetic level in pure liquid [0-1], has proven useful to quantify the effective exposure to hydrophobic organic compounds through both aerial and aqueous media. Several studies have linked toxicity...... to chemical activity, as opposed to e.g. the total concentration. Baseline toxicity (narcosis) for neutral hydrophobic organic compounds has been shown to initiate in the narrow chemical activity range of 0.01 to 0.1. This presentation focuses on linking algal growth inhibition to chemical activity......-polar liquids were applied to challenge the chemical activity range for baseline toxicity. For each compound, the effective activity (Ea50) was estimated as the ratio of the effective concentration (EC50) and water solubility. Of these ratios, 90% were within the expected chemical activity range of 0.01 to 0...

  8. Nitrous oxide emission and denitrifier communities in drip-irrigated calcareous soil as affected by chemical and organic fertilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Rui; Wakelin, Steven A; Liang, Yongchao; Hu, Baowei; Chu, Guixin

    2018-01-15

    The effects of consecutive application of chemical fertilizer with or without organic fertilizer on soil N 2 O emissions and denitrifying community structure in a drip-irrigated field were determined. The four fertilizer treatments were (i) unfertilized, (ii) chemical fertilizer, (iii) 60% chemical fertilizer plus cattle manure, and (iv) 60% chemical fertilizer plus biofertilizer. The treatments with organic amendments (i.e. cattle manure and biofertilizer) reduced cumulative N 2 O emissions by 4.9-9.9%, reduced the N 2 O emission factor by 1.3-42%, and increased denitrifying enzyme activities by 14.3-56.2%. The nirK gene copy numbers were greatest in soil which received only chemical fertilizer. In contrast, nirS- and nosZ-copy numbers were greatest in soil amended with chemical fertilizer plus biofertilizer. Chemical fertilizer application with or without organic fertilizer significantly changed the community structure of nirK-type denitrifiers relative to the unfertilized soil. In comparison, the nirS- and nosZ-type denitrifier genotypes varied in treatments receiving organic fertilizer but not chemical fertilizer alone. The changes in the denitrifier communities were closely associated with soil organic carbon (SOC), NO 3 - , NH 4 + , water holding capacity, and soil pH. Modeling indicated that N 2 O emissions in this soil were primarily associated with the abundance of nirS type denitrifying bacteria, SOC, and NO 3 - . Overall, our findings indicate that (i) the organic fertilizers increased denitrifying enzyme activity, increased denitrifying-bacteria gene copy numbers, but reduced N 2 O emissions, and (ii) nirS- and nosZ-type denitrifiers were more sensitive than nirK-type denitrifiers to the organic fertilizers. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Radioactivity in chemical and organic fertilizer used in Egypt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbady, A.G.E.; Yousef, A.M.M.; Abbady, A.; El-Taher, A.

    2005-01-01

    The Egypt Chemical factories (ECF); such as Talkha, Sues, Abo Qeyer, Kafer Elzayat, and Assuit factories, produces and markets a range of phosphate based fertilizers, including Simple Super Phosphate (SSP) fertilizer, Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertilizer and Urea. Phosphate fertilizers produced by ECF are derived from phosphate ore. In addition to phosphate minerals, these ores can contain significant amounts of a wide range of impurities, including heavy metals and naturally occurring radionuclides. This study was carried out to determine the content of radionuclides in fertilizer products produced by ECF and some organic fertilizer (animal manure) includes cow, sheep and chicken fertilizer. In both samples (Chemical and organic fertilizers), the activity concentrations of Ra 2 26 are higher than those Th 2 32. The radioactivity of 226 R a in chemical fertilizers ranged from 21.6 ± 3.6 to 111.2 ± 8.9 Bq kg-1, phosphate fertilizers TSP contained high contents of 226 R a. The average radioactivity of 226 R a in TSP was 79.3 ± 7.4 Bq kg-1, in SSP 51.2 ± 5 Bq kg-1, and in Urea 35.1± 3.5 Bq kg-1. The activity of 232 T h in the different fertilizers ranged from 1.3 ± 1.1 to 9.9 ± 3.2 Bq kg-1,the highest activity observed in SSP fertilizer. The activity of 40 K was found to be great in the TSP fertilizer, which contained a mean activity 478.1± 21.3 Bq kg-1. With respect to organic fertilizers the average radioactivity of 226 R a, 232 T h and 40 K are 40 ± 1.6 Bq kg-1, 3.1± 1.2 and 427.1± 20 Bq kg-1. The data are discussed and compared with those given in the literatures. This study could be useful as baseline data for radiation exposure to fertilizers, and their impact on human health

  10. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Applied QSAR with Quantum Chemical Descriptors for Predicting Radical Scavenging Activities of Carotenoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhin, Changho; Hwang, Keum Taek

    2015-01-01

    One of the physiological characteristics of carotenoids is their radical scavenging activity. In this study, the relationship between radical scavenging activities and quantum chemical descriptors of carotenoids was determined. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) applied quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSAR) were also developed for predicting and comparing radical scavenging activities of carotenoids. Semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 quantum chemical calculations were done by MOPAC. Ionisation energies of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids and the product of chemical potentials of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids were significantly correlated with the radical scavenging activities, and consequently these descriptors were used as independent variables for the QSAR study. The ANFIS applied QSAR models were developed with two triangular-shaped input membership functions made for each of the independent variables and optimised by a backpropagation method. High prediction efficiencies were achieved by the ANFIS applied QSAR. The R-square values of the developed QSAR models with the variables calculated by PM6 and PM7 methods were 0.921 and 0.902, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated reliabilities of the selected quantum chemical descriptors and the significance of QSAR models.

  11. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Applied QSAR with Quantum Chemical Descriptors for Predicting Radical Scavenging Activities of Carotenoids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changho Jhin

    Full Text Available One of the physiological characteristics of carotenoids is their radical scavenging activity. In this study, the relationship between radical scavenging activities and quantum chemical descriptors of carotenoids was determined. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS applied quantitative structure-activity relationship models (QSAR were also developed for predicting and comparing radical scavenging activities of carotenoids. Semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 quantum chemical calculations were done by MOPAC. Ionisation energies of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids and the product of chemical potentials of neutral and monovalent cationic carotenoids were significantly correlated with the radical scavenging activities, and consequently these descriptors were used as independent variables for the QSAR study. The ANFIS applied QSAR models were developed with two triangular-shaped input membership functions made for each of the independent variables and optimised by a backpropagation method. High prediction efficiencies were achieved by the ANFIS applied QSAR. The R-square values of the developed QSAR models with the variables calculated by PM6 and PM7 methods were 0.921 and 0.902, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated reliabilities of the selected quantum chemical descriptors and the significance of QSAR models.

  12. Characterization of Organic Nitrate Formation in Limonene Secondary Organic Aerosol using High-Resolution Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faxon, Cameron; Hammes, Julia; Peng, Jianfei; Hallquist, Mattias; Pathak, Ravi

    2016-04-01

    Previous work has shown that organic nitrates (RONO2) are prevalent in the boundary layer, and can contribute significantly to secondary organic aerosol formation. Monoterpenes, including limonene, have been shown to be precursors for the formation of these organic nitrates. Limonene has two double bonds, either of which may be oxidized by NO3 or O3. This leads to the generation of products that can subsequently condense or partition into the particle phase, producing secondary organic aerosol. In order to further elucidate the particle and gas phase product distribution of organic nitrates forming from the reactions of limonene and the nitrate radical (NO3), a series of experiments were performed in the Gothenburg Flow Reactor for Oxidation Studies at Low Temperatures (G-FROST), described by previous work. N2O5 was used as the source for NO3 and NO2, and a characterized diffusion source was used to introduce limonene into the flow reactor. All experiments were conducted in the absence of light, and the concentration of limonene was increased step-wise throughout each experiment to modify the ratio of N2O5to limonene. The experiments were conducted such that both limonene- and N2O5-limited regimes were present. Gas and particle phase products were measured using an iodide High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) coupled to a Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO, and particle size and SOA mass concentrations were derived using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). CIMS measurement techniques have previously been employed for the measurement of organic nitrate products of such compounds using multiple reagent ions. The use of this instrumentation allowed for the identification of chemical formulas for gas and particle phase species. The findings from the experiments will be presented in terms of the relative gas-particle partitioning of major products and the effects of N2O5/limonene ratios on product distributions. Additionally, a

  13. Radiation-chemical concepts applied to the wholesomeness evaluation of irradiated foods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Basson, R.A.

    1977-06-01

    Food irradiation has anomalously been classified as a food additive rather than as a processing method. The justification for this is that chemical changes take place during the process. However, most foodstuffs consist of a large number of constituents, most of which are present in small concentrations. As a result, the amounts of radiolysis products which may be formed are far too low for identification and measurement, even by conventional analytical methods. Radiation-chemical knowledge is applied to determine the probable nature and concentration of reaction products produced in fruits. Fruits consist mainly of water and carbohydrates, with small amounts of protein, fat, inorganic material and vitamins as 'contaminants'. The real situation is exceedingly complex, but, using this simple model as a first approximation, predictions which may be verified in a relatively simple experimental scheme are made on the radiation stability of a typical fruit. Calculations using known radiation-chemical data show that, in the case of the mango, only carbohydrates are present in sufficient concentration and of sufficient sensitivity to merit attention from a toxicological viewpoint. Experimentally, the radiation sensitivity of numerous constituents of the fruit has been compared with that of glucose and, apart from a few exceptions whose concentrations are minimal, results obtained agree well with predicted values [af

  14. Functionalized gold nanoparticle supported sensory mechanisms applied in detection of chemical and biological threat agents: A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Upadhyayula, Venkata K.K.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Smart sensors are needed for detection of chemical and biological threat agents. ► Smart sensors detect analytes with rapid speed, high sensitivity and selectivity. ► Functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) can potentially smart sense threat agents. ► Functionalized GNPs support multiple analytical methods for sensing threat agents. ► Threat agents of all types can be detected using functionalized GNPs. - Abstract: There is a great necessity for development of novel sensory concepts supportive of smart sensing capabilities in defense and homeland security applications for detection of chemical and biological threat agents. A smart sensor is a detection device that can exhibit important features such as speed, sensitivity, selectivity, portability, and more importantly, simplicity in identifying a target analyte. Emerging nanomaterial based sensors, particularly those developed by utilizing functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as a sensing component potentially offer many desirable features needed for threat agent detection. The sensitiveness of physical properties expressed by GNPs, e.g. color, surface plasmon resonance, electrical conductivity and binding affinity are significantly enhanced when they are subjected to functionalization with an appropriate metal, organic or biomolecular functional groups. This sensitive nature of functionalized GNPs can be potentially exploited in the design of threat agent detection devices with smart sensing capabilities. In the presence of a target analyte (i.e., a chemical or biological threat agent) a change proportional to concentration of the analyte is observed, which can be measured either by colorimetric, fluorimetric, electrochemical or spectroscopic means. This article provides a review of how functionally modified gold colloids are applied in the detection of a broad range of threat agents, including radioactive substances, explosive compounds, chemical warfare agents, biotoxins, and

  15. Functionalized gold nanoparticle supported sensory mechanisms applied in detection of chemical and biological threat agents: A review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Upadhyayula, Venkata K.K., E-mail: Upadhyayula.Venkata@epa.gov [Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE), MC-100-44, PO Box 117, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

    2012-02-17

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Smart sensors are needed for detection of chemical and biological threat agents. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Smart sensors detect analytes with rapid speed, high sensitivity and selectivity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) can potentially smart sense threat agents. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Functionalized GNPs support multiple analytical methods for sensing threat agents. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Threat agents of all types can be detected using functionalized GNPs. - Abstract: There is a great necessity for development of novel sensory concepts supportive of smart sensing capabilities in defense and homeland security applications for detection of chemical and biological threat agents. A smart sensor is a detection device that can exhibit important features such as speed, sensitivity, selectivity, portability, and more importantly, simplicity in identifying a target analyte. Emerging nanomaterial based sensors, particularly those developed by utilizing functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as a sensing component potentially offer many desirable features needed for threat agent detection. The sensitiveness of physical properties expressed by GNPs, e.g. color, surface plasmon resonance, electrical conductivity and binding affinity are significantly enhanced when they are subjected to functionalization with an appropriate metal, organic or biomolecular functional groups. This sensitive nature of functionalized GNPs can be potentially exploited in the design of threat agent detection devices with smart sensing capabilities. In the presence of a target analyte (i.e., a chemical or biological threat agent) a change proportional to concentration of the analyte is observed, which can be measured either by colorimetric, fluorimetric, electrochemical or spectroscopic means. This article provides a review of how functionally modified gold colloids are applied in the detection of a broad

  16. Super oxidation and solidification of organic solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides at an abandoned chemical factory site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yao, Kevin; Xu, Paul [Suntime Remediation Company, Changzhou, Jiangsu (China); Loo, Walter [Environment and Technology Services, 1323 Horizon Lane, Patterson, CA 95363 (United States)

    2013-07-01

    Large quantities of organic chemical such as VOCs, SVOCs and POPs were found in the soil of land at an abandoned Chemical Plant. Technology of super oxidation was applied to the soil for cleanup. Fenton process was utilized to treat soil contaminated heavily by BHC, benzene, chlorobenzene, dichlorobenzene, hexachlorobenzene, dichloroethane, dichloropropane, trichlorobenzene and dichloroether, etc. Super oxidation was coupled with method of stabilization for this case to enhance the remediation effect, which proved to be successful. Concentration of concerned pollutants was brought down below the national regulation level by approximately 8 folds. To make the treated soil strong and effective layer preventing pollutants breaking through, Iron powder was mixed in the soil, forming PBR (Permeable Barrier Reactor), to lower the risk to human health. The site after enhanced super oxidation above was totally safe to be developed into a residential community and/or commercial area. (authors)

  17. A quantum-chemical perspective into low optical-gap polymers for highly-efficient organic solar cells

    KAUST Repository

    Risko, Chad

    2011-03-15

    The recent and rapid enhancement in power conversion efficiencies of organic-based, bulk heterojunction solar cells has been a consequence of both improved materials design and better understanding of the underlying physical processes involved in photocurrent generation. In this Perspective, we first present an overview of the application of quantum-chemical techniques to study the intrinsic material properties and molecular- and nano-scale processes involved in device operation. In the second part, these quantum-chemical tools are applied to an oligomer-based study on a collection of donor-acceptor copolymers that have been used in the highest-efficiency solar cell devices reported to date. The quantum-chemical results are found to be in good agreement with the empirical data related to the electronic and optical properties. In particular, they provide insight into the natures of the electronic excitations responsible for the near-infrared/visible absorption profiles, as well as into the energetics of the low-lying singlet and triplet states. These results lead to a better understanding of the inherent differences among the materials, and highlight the usefulness of quantum chemistry as an instrument for material design. Importantly, the results also point to the need to continue the development of integrated, multi scale modeling approaches to provide a thorough understanding of the materials properties. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011.

  18. Organic-Chemical Clues to the Theory of Impacts as a Cause of Mass Extinctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sack, N. J.

    1988-11-01

    The reasons for the mass extinctions, which occur from time to time in Earth's history-as, e.g., the dinosaur extinction at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary 65 myr ago - are still not satisfactorily cleared up. A possible reason might be the impact of one or several comets of several kilometers in diameter. In this paper the astrophysical background of this hypothesis and organic-chemical processes during an impact will be discussed. Quantitative estimations are given, which show that the amount of organic substances brought to the Earth may be of the same order of magnitude as the normal biological production of organic material. Investigations are proposed to examine the organic-chemical composition of profiles of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary and other boundaries, at which mass extinction had occurred, in order to find anomalies as consequences of impacts.

  19. Controlled assembly of organic whispering-gallery-mode microlasers as highly sensitive chemical vapor sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Miaomiao; Wei, Cong; Lin, Xianqing; Liu, Yuan; Hu, Fengqin; Zhao, Yong Sheng

    2017-03-09

    We demonstrate the fabrication of organic high Q active whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators from π-conjugated polymer by a controlled emulsion-solvent-evaporation method, which can simultaneously provide optical gain and act as an effective resonant cavity. By measuring the shift of their lasing modes on exposure to organic vapor, we successfully monitored the slight concentration variation in the chemical gas. These microlaser sensors demonstrated high detection sensitivity and good signal repeatability under continuous chemical gas treatments. The results offer an effective strategy to design miniaturized optical sensors.

  20. Recycling and Resistance of Petrogenic Particulate Organic Carbon: Implications from A Chemical Oxidation Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, T.; Li, G.; Ji, J.

    2013-12-01

    Petrogenic particulate organic carbon (OCpetro) represents a small fraction of photosynthetic carbon which escapes pedogenic-petrogenic degradation and gets trapped in the lithosphere. Exhumation and recycling of OCpetro are of significant importance in the global carbon cycle because OCpetro oxidation represents a substantial carbon source to the atmosphere while the re-burial of OCpetro in sediment deposits has no net effect. Though studies have investigated various behaviors of OCpetro in the surface environments (e.g., riverine mobilization, marine deposition, and microbial remineralization), less attention has been paid to the reaction kinetics and structural transformations during OCpetro oxidation. Here we assess the OCpetro-oxidation process based on a chemical oxidation method adopted from soil studies. The employed chemical oxidation method is considered an effective simulation of natural oxidation in highly oxidative environments, and has been widely used in soil studies to isolate the inert soil carbon pool. We applied this chemical method to the OCpetro-enriched black shale samples from the middle-lower Yangtze (Changjiang) basin, China, and performed comprehensive instrumental analyses (element analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, and Raman spectrum). We also conducted step-oxidizing experiments following fixed time series and monitored the reaction process in rigorously controlled lab conditions. In this work, we present our experiment results and discuss the implications for the recycling and properties of OCpetro. Particulate organic carbon concentration of black shale samples before and after oxidation helps to quantify the oxidability of OCpetro and constrain the preservation efficiency of OCpetro during fluvial erosion over large river basin scales. FTIR and Raman analyses reveal clear structural variations on atomic and molecular levels. Results from the step-oxidizing experiments provide detailed information about the reaction

  1. Effects of organic versus conventional management on chemical and biological parameters in agricultural soils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Diepeningen, van A.D.; Vos, de O.J.; Korthals, G.W.; Bruggen, van A.H.C.

    2006-01-01

    A comparative study of organic and conventional arable farming systems was conducted in The Netherlands to determine the effect of management practices on chemical and biological soil properties and soil health. Soils from thirteen accredited organic farms and conventionally managed neighboring

  2. Highly efficient catalytic reductive degradation of various organic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    aDepartment of Applied Sciences (Chemical Science Division), GUIST, Gauhati University, ... Highly improved catalytic reductive degradation of different organic dyes, in the ... was prepared by a facile co-precipitation method using ultra-high dilute aqueous solutions. ...... face chemical-modification for engineering the intrin-.

  3. CHANGES IN SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF ORGANIC PADDY FIELD WITH AZOLLA APPLICATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jauhari Syamsiyah

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of organic fertilizer is a way to improve soil fertility. Azolla can be used as organic fertilizer. This study aims to determine the effect of Azolla (Azolla mycrophylla. L on some soil chemical properties on organic paddy field. The field experiments used factorial complete randomized block design of three factors, namely Azolla (0 and 2 tons/ha, Manure (0 and 10 tons/ha and Rice Varieties (Mira1, Mentik Wangi and Merah Putih, with three times replication. Using Azolla on an organic paddy field does not significantly increase the levels of soil N, organic C, Cation Exchange Capacity and soil pH. However Azolla’s influence on soil available P is significant.

  4. The chemical structure of the insoluble organic matter from carbonaceous meteorites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Derenne, S.; Robert, F.

    2008-09-01

    Carbonaceous chondrites are the most primitive objects of the solar system. They contain substantial amounts of carbon (up to 3%), mostly occurring in macromolecular insoluble organic matter (IOM). This IOM is generally considered as a record of interstellar synthesis and may contain precursors of prebiotic molecules possibly deposited on earth by meteoritic bombardments. For these reasons, chondritic IOM has been raising interest for long and it is therefore of special interest to decipher its chemical structure. It is now well established that the chemical structure of this macromolecular material is based on aromatic moieties linked by short aliphatic chains and comprising substantial amounts of heteroatoms. However, its precise chemical structure could only be recently specified. The aim of this presentation is to propose a molecular model for the chemical structure of IOM isolated from non-metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites. This model is derived from a large set of data obtained through a combination of techniques including various spectrocopies, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and chemical and thermal degradations. Cosmochemical implications of such a structure will also be discussed.

  5. Volatile chemical products emerging as largest petrochemical source of urban organic emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Brian C.; de Gouw, Joost A.; Gilman, Jessica B.; Jathar, Shantanu H.; Akherati, Ali; Cappa, Christopher D.; Jimenez, Jose L.; Lee-Taylor, Julia; Hayes, Patrick L.; McKeen, Stuart A.; Cui, Yu Yan; Kim, Si-Wan; Gentner, Drew R.; Isaacman-VanWertz, Gabriel; Goldstein, Allen H.; Harley, Robert A.; Frost, Gregory J.; Roberts, James M.; Ryerson, Thomas B.; Trainer, Michael

    2018-02-01

    A gap in emission inventories of urban volatile organic compound (VOC) sources, which contribute to regional ozone and aerosol burdens, has increased as transportation emissions in the United States and Europe have declined rapidly. A detailed mass balance demonstrates that the use of volatile chemical products (VCPs)—including pesticides, coatings, printing inks, adhesives, cleaning agents, and personal care products—now constitutes half of fossil fuel VOC emissions in industrialized cities. The high fraction of VCP emissions is consistent with observed urban outdoor and indoor air measurements. We show that human exposure to carbonaceous aerosols of fossil origin is transitioning away from transportation-related sources and toward VCPs. Existing U.S. regulations on VCPs emphasize mitigating ozone and air toxics, but they currently exempt many chemicals that lead to secondary organic aerosols.

  6. Chemistry That Applies. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

    2012-01-01

    "Chemistry That Applies" is an instructional unit designed to help students in grades 8-10 understand the law of conservation of matter. It consists of 24 lessons organized in four clusters. Working in groups, students explore four chemical reactions: burning, rusting, the decomposition of water, and the reaction of baking soda and…

  7. Book of abstracts Chemical Engineering: IV All-Russian Conference on chemical engineering, All-Russian Youth Conference on chemical engineering, All-Russian school on chemical engineering for young scientists and specialists. Organic substances and pharmaceuticals engineering. Petrochemistry and chemical processing of alternative feedstock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakhodyaeva, Yu.A.; Belova, V.V.

    2012-01-01

    In the given volume of abstracts of the IV All-Russian Conference on chemical engineering, All-Russian Youth Conference on chemical engineering, All-Russian school on chemical engineering for young scientists and specialists (Moscow, March 18-23, 2012) there are the abstracts of the reports concerning organic substances and pharmaceuticals engineering, petrochemistry and chemical processing of alternative feedstock. The abstracts deal with state-of-the-art and future development of theoretical and experimental investigations as well as with experience in practical realization of development works in the field of chemical engineering and relative areas [ru

  8. Chemical attributes, total organic carbon stock and humified fractions of organic matter soil submitted to different systems of sugarcane management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean Sérgio Rosset

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Mechanized harvesting maintenance of trash from cane sugar and soil application of waste as vinasse and filter cake can improve the system of crop yield. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in the chemical, the stock of total organic carbon and humified organic matter fractions in an Oxisol cultivated with cane sugar with the following management systems: with sugarcane vinasse application (CCV, without application of burnt cane waste (CQS, with burnt cane vinasse application (CQV, with application of burnt cane filter cake (CQTF and burnt cane with joint application of vinasse and filter cake (CQVTF. For reference we used an area of natural vegetation (NV, Cerrado sensu stricto. Treatment CQVTF showed improvement in soil chemical properties, increased inventory levels of total organic carbon – TOC (values ranging from 21.28 to 40.02 Mg ha-1 and humified fractions of soil organic matter in relation to other treatments. The CQS area at a depth of 0-0.05 m, showed the greatest losses of soil TOC stocks (56.3% compared to NV. The adoption of management presented CCV and chemical attributes of the soil TOC stocks equivalent to those observed in areas with CQV CQTF and despite the short period of adoption (3 years. The TOC correlated with the sum of bases (r = 0.76 **, cation exchange capacity (r = 0.59 ** and base saturation (r = 0.63 **, while the humic acids (r = 0.40 ** fulvic acids (r = 0.49 ** and humin (r = 0.59 ** correlated with the cation exchange capacity of the soil. These results indicate that the preservation of trash in the management of cane sugar added to the application of vinasse and filter cake increases the TOC stocks promoting improvement in soil chemical properties.

  9. Electronic, structural and chemical effects of charge-transfer at organic/inorganic interfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, R.; Vázquez de Parga, A. L.; Gallego, J. M.

    2017-07-01

    During the last decade, interest on the growth and self-assembly of organic molecular species on solid surfaces spread over the scientific community, largely motivated by the promise of cheap, flexible and tunable organic electronic and optoelectronic devices. These efforts lead to important advances in our understanding of the nature and strength of the non-bonding intermolecular interactions that control the assembly of the organic building blocks on solid surfaces, which have been recently reviewed in a number of excellent papers. To a large extent, such studies were possible because of a smart choice of model substrate-adsorbate systems where the molecule-substrate interactions were purposefully kept low, so that most of the observed supramolecular structures could be understood simply by considering intermolecular interactions, keeping the role of the surface always relatively small (although not completely negligible). On the other hand, the systems which are more relevant for the development of organic electronic devices include molecular species which are electron donors, acceptors or blends of donors and acceptors. Adsorption of such organic species on solid surfaces is bound to be accompanied by charge-transfer processes between the substrate and the adsorbates, and the physical and chemical properties of the molecules cannot be expected any longer to be the same as in solution phase. In recent years, a number of groups around the world have started tackling the problem of the adsorption, self- assembly and electronic and chemical properties of organic species which interact rather strongly with the surface, and for which charge-transfer must be considered. The picture that is emerging shows that charge transfer can lead to a plethora of new phenomena, from the development of delocalized band-like electron states at molecular overlayers, to the existence of new substrate-mediated intermolecular interactions or the strong modification of the chemical

  10. Photochemistry of limonene secondary organic aerosol studied with chemical ionization mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Xiang

    Limonene is one of the most abundant monoterpenes in the atmosphere. Limonene easily reacts with gas-phase oxidants in air such as NO3, ozone and OH. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is formed when low vapor pressure products condense into particles. Chemicals in SOA particles can undergo further reactions with oxidants and with solar radiation that significantly change SOA composition over the course of several days. The goal of this work was to characterize radiation induced reaction in SOA. To perform experiments, we have designed and constructed an Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (APCIMS) coupled to a photochemical cell containing SOA samples. In APCIMS, (H2O)nH 3O+ clusters are generated in a 63Ni source and react with gaseous organic analytes. Most organic chemicals are not fragmented by the ionization process. We have focused our attention on limonene SOA prepared in two different ways. The first type of SOA is produced by oxidation of limonene by ozone; and the second type of SOA is formed by the NO3-induced oxidation of limonene. They model the SOA formed under daytime and nighttime conditions, respectively. Ozone initiated oxidation is the most important chemical sink for limonene both indoors, where it is used for cleaning purposes, and outdoors. Terpenes are primarily oxidized by reactions with NO3 at night time. We generated limonene SOA under different ozone and limonene concentrations. The resulting SOA samples were exposed to wavelength-tunable radiation in the UV-Visible range between 270 nm and 630 nm. The results show that the photodegradation rates strongly depend on radiation wavelengths. Gas phase photodegradation products such as acetone, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid were shown to have different production rates for SOA formed in different concentration conditions. Even for SOA prepared under the lowest concentrations, the SOA photodegradation was efficient. The conclusion is that exposure of SOA to

  11. Study on the effect of organic fertilizers on soil organic matter and enzyme activities of soil in forest nursery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piaszczyk Wojciech

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the effects of organic fertilization on selected chemical properties of the soil and the activity of dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase in the soil of forest nursery. The main goal was to evaluate the role of organic fertilizers in carbon storage in the forest nursery soil. Sample plots were located in northern Poland in the Polanów Forest District on a forest nursery. Soil samples were collected from horizon 0–20 cm for laboratory analyzes. In soil samples pH, soil texture, and organic carbon, nitrogen, base cation contents, dehydrogenase activity and β-glucosidase activity were determined. The obtained results were used to evaluate the carbon storage. The results confirm the beneficial effect of the applied organic fertilizer on chemical properties of the soils under study and their biological activity. The applied organic fertilizers had an impact on increased accumulation of soil organic matter. In the soils investigated, there was an increase in the activity of such enzymes as dehydrogenases and β-glucosidase.

  12. A Chemical Route to Activation of Open Metal Sites in the Copper-Based Metal-Organic Framework Materials HKUST-1 and Cu-MOF-2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hong Ki; Yun, Won Seok; Kim, Min-Bum; Kim, Jeung Yoon; Bae, Youn-Sang; Lee, JaeDong; Jeong, Nak Cheon

    2015-08-12

    Open coordination sites (OCSs) in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) often function as key factors in the potential applications of MOFs, such as gas separation, gas sorption, and catalysis. For these applications, the activation process to remove the solvent molecules coordinated at the OCSs is an essential step that must be performed prior to use of the MOFs. To date, the thermal method performed by applying heat and vacuum has been the only method for such activation. In this report, we demonstrate that methylene chloride (MC) itself can perform the activation role: this process can serve as an alternative "chemical route" for the activation that does not require applying heat. To the best of our knowledge, no previous study has demonstrated this function of MC, although MC has been popularly used in the pretreatment step prior to the thermal activation process. On the basis of a Raman study, we propose a plausible mechanism for the chemical activation, in which the function of MC is possibly due to its coordination with the Cu(2+) center and subsequent spontaneous decoordination. Using HKUST-1 film, we further demonstrate that this chemical activation route is highly suitable for activating large-area MOF films.

  13. The Combination of DGT Technique and Traditional Chemical Methods for Evaluation of Cadmium Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils with Organic Amendment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Yu; Sun, Qin; Wang, Chao; Wang, Pei-Fang; Miao, Ling-Zhan; Ding, Shi-Ming

    2016-01-01

    Organic amendments have been proposed as a means of remediation for Cd-contaminated soils. However, understanding the inhibitory effects of organic materials on metal immobilization requires further research. In this study colza cake, a typical organic amendment material, was investigated in order to elucidate the ability of this material to reduce toxicity of Cd-contaminated soil. Available concentrations of Cd in soils were measured using an in situ diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique in combination with traditional chemical methods, such as HOAc (aqua regia), EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), NaOAc (sodium acetate), CaCl2, and labile Cd in pore water. These results were applied to predict the Cd bioavailability after the addition of colza cake to Cd-contaminated soil. Two commonly grown cash crops, wheat and maize, were selected for Cd accumulation studies, and were found to be sensitive to Cd bioavailability. Results showed that the addition of colza cake may inhibit the growth of wheat and maize. Furthermore, the addition of increasing colza cake doses led to decreasing shoot and root biomass accumulation. However, increasing colza cake doses did lead to the reduction of Cd accumulation in plant tissues, as indicated by the decreasing Cd concentrations in shoots and roots. The labile concentration of Cd obtained by DGT measurements and the traditional chemical extraction methods, showed the clear decrease of Cd with the addition of increasing colza cake doses. All indicators showed significant positive correlations (p soil solution decreased with increasing colza cake doses. This was reflected by the decreases in the ratio (R) value of CDGT to Csol. Our study suggests that the sharp decrease in R values could not only reflect the extremely low capability of labile Cd to be released from its solid phase, but may also be applied to evaluate the abnormal growth of the plants. PMID:27314376

  14. The Combination of DGT Technique and Traditional Chemical Methods for Evaluation of Cadmium Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils with Organic Amendment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Yu; Sun, Qin; Wang, Chao; Wang, Pei-Fang; Miao, Ling-Zhan; Ding, Shi-Ming

    2016-06-15

    Organic amendments have been proposed as a means of remediation for Cd-contaminated soils. However, understanding the inhibitory effects of organic materials on metal immobilization requires further research. In this study colza cake, a typical organic amendment material, was investigated in order to elucidate the ability of this material to reduce toxicity of Cd-contaminated soil. Available concentrations of Cd in soils were measured using an in situ diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique in combination with traditional chemical methods, such as HOAc (aqua regia), EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), NaOAc (sodium acetate), CaCl₂, and labile Cd in pore water. These results were applied to predict the Cd bioavailability after the addition of colza cake to Cd-contaminated soil. Two commonly grown cash crops, wheat and maize, were selected for Cd accumulation studies, and were found to be sensitive to Cd bioavailability. Results showed that the addition of colza cake may inhibit the growth of wheat and maize. Furthermore, the addition of increasing colza cake doses led to decreasing shoot and root biomass accumulation. However, increasing colza cake doses did lead to the reduction of Cd accumulation in plant tissues, as indicated by the decreasing Cd concentrations in shoots and roots. The labile concentration of Cd obtained by DGT measurements and the traditional chemical extraction methods, showed the clear decrease of Cd with the addition of increasing colza cake doses. All indicators showed significant positive correlations (p soil solution decreased with increasing colza cake doses. This was reflected by the decreases in the ratio (R) value of CDGT to Csol. Our study suggests that the sharp decrease in R values could not only reflect the extremely low capability of labile Cd to be released from its solid phase, but may also be applied to evaluate the abnormal growth of the plants.

  15. Prediction of Hydrolysis Products of Organic Chemicals under Environmental pH Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheminformatics-based software tools can predict the molecular structure of transformation products using a library of transformation reaction schemes. This paper presents the development of such a library for abiotic hydrolysis of organic chemicals under environmentally relevant...

  16. Organic phosphorus fractionation in wetland soil profiles by chemical extraction and phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Min; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Guangqian; Yang, Haijun; Whelan, Michael J.; White, Sue M.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Chemical sequential extraction and 31 P NMR spectroscopy were used for organic P analysis. ► Organic P includes orthophosphate, monoester and diester phosphate and pyrophosphate. ► Highly resistant organic P and monoester phosphate were the dominant organic P. ► HCl pretreatment can remove most inorganic P and increase organic P recovery rate. ► A comprehensive organic P chemical sequential fractionation approach was proposed. - Abstract: Organic P (OP) plays an important role in soil P cycling and is a potential P source for wetland plants. In this study, a modified chemical sequential fractionation method and 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 31 P NMR) of NaOH–EDTA extracts were used to examine the distribution of organic P fractions and compounds in soil profiles of the Beijing Yeyahu Wetland, China. The influence of acid treatment prior to NaOH–EDTA extraction on 31 P NMR spectra was also investigated. Results show that highly resistant OP was the major class of organic P. The rank order of organic P fractions was highly resistant OP (on average accounting for 68.5% of total OP) > moderately resistant OP (15.8%m of total OP) > moderately labile OP (11.4% of total OP) > labile OP (4.3% of total OP). Most of the organic P fractions decreased with soil depth due to the accumulation of plant residues in surface soils and the deposition and diagenesis of soils. Moderately (r = 0.586, p < 0.01) and highly (r = 0.741, p < 0.01) resistant OP fractions were positively correlated with soil organic matter. Phosphorus compounds including orthophosphate (23–74.6% of total P in spectra), monoester phosphate (18.6–76%), diester phosphate (nil-7.8%) and pyrophosphate (nil-6.7%) were characterized using 31 P NMR. Monoester-P was the dominant soil organic P compound identified. The proportion of monoester-P increased significantly in NaOH–EDTA extracts with HCl pretreatment and it was confirmed by chemical analysis. Therefore, it

  17. Molecularly Imprinted Polymer/Metal Organic Framework Based Chemical Sensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhenzhong Guo

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The present review describes recent advances in the concept of molecular imprinting using metal organic frameworks (MOF for development of chemical sensors. Two main strategies regarding the fabrication, performance and applications of recent sensors based on molecularly imprinted polymers associated with MOF are presented: molecularly imprinted MOF films and molecularly imprinted core-shell nanoparticles using MOF as core. The associated transduction modes are also discussed. A brief conclusion and future expectations are described herein.

  18. Organic, inorganic and total mercury determination in fish by chemical vapor generation with collection on a gold gauze and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duarte, Fabio Andrei; Bizzi, Cezar Augusto; Goldschmidt Antes, Fabiane; Dressler, Valderi Luiz; Flores, Erico Marlon de Moraes

    2009-01-01

    A method for organic, inorganic and total mercury determination in fish tissue has been developed using chemical vapor generation and collection of mercury vapor on a gold gauze inside a graphite tube and further atomization by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. After drying and cryogenic grinding, potassium bromide and hydrochloric acid solution (1 mol L - 1 KBr in 6 mol L - 1 HCl) was added to the samples. After centrifugation, total mercury was determined in the supernatant. Organomercury compounds were selectively extracted from KBr solution using chloroform and the resultant solution was back extracted with 1% m/v L-cysteine. This solution was used for organic Hg determination. Inorganic Hg remaining in KBr solution was directly determined by chemical vapor generation electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Mercury vapor generation from extracts was performed using 1 mol L - 1 HCl and 2.5% m/v NaBH 4 solutions and a batch chemical vapor generation system. Mercury vapor was collected on the gold gauze heated resistively at 80 deg. C and the atomization temperature was set at 650 deg. C. The selectivity of extraction was evaluated using liquid chromatography coupled to chemical vapor generation and determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The proposed method was applied for mercury analysis in shark, croaker and tuna fish tissues. Certified reference materials were used to check accuracy and the agreement was better than 95%. The characteristic mass was 60 pg and method limits of detection were 5, 1 and 1 ng g - 1 for organic, inorganic and total mercury, respectively. With the proposed method it was possible to analyze up to 2, 2 and 6 samples per hour for organic, inorganic and total Hg determination, respectively.

  19. Micro- and Nanostructured Metal Oxide Chemical Sensors for Volatile Organic Compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alim, M. A.; Penn, B. G.; Currie, J. R., Jr.; Batra, A. K.; Aggarwal, M. D.

    2008-01-01

    Aeronautic and space applications warrant the development of chemical sensors which operate in a variety of environments. This technical memorandum incorporates various kinds of chemical sensors and ways to improve their performance. The results of exploratory investigation of the binary composite polycrystalline thick-films such as SnO2-WO3, SnO2-In2O3, SnO2-ZnO for the detection of volatile organic compound (isopropanol) are reported. A short review of the present status of the new types of nanostructured sensors such as nanobelts, nanorods, nanotube, etc. based on metal oxides is presented.

  20. Development of organic membrane and biosensor. ; Artificial membrane chemical sensor on the model of olfactory cells. Seitaimaku to bio sensor no hatten. ; Kyusaibo wo model to shita jinkomaku kagaku sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enomoto, S; Kashiwayanagi, M; Kurihara, K [Hokkaido University, Sapporo (Japan). Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science

    1991-05-05

    The olfactory cell is the most prominent chemical sensor to detect various kinds of external chemical substances with high sensibility. Consequently, on the model of such an organic chemical sensor mechanism, an artificial membrane with functions to detect and distinguish various chemical substances has been developed. In this study, a test using a lipid bimolecular membrane was carried out. As a result, it was found that the lipid bimolecular membrane showed membrane potential changes responding to various odorants. The mambrane with proper lipid composition presented almost the same sensibility to odorants as an olfactory organ. Response characteristic against various odors changed greatly due to the lipid composition and the addition of protein. It was also found that various odors can be discriminated by analyzing response information obtained from a lot of mambranes with different compositions Such ideas can be applied to the odor discrimination of the artificial membrane sensor. 14 refs., 13 figs.

  1. The organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons and the IAEA: A comparative overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorn, A.W.; Rolya, A.

    1993-01-01

    The long-awaited Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) - which was endorsed in New York by the United Nations General Assembly on 30 November 1992 - was opened for signature on 13 January 1993. To oversee its implementation, a new international organization, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), will be established when the treaty enters into force, which could be as early as January 1995. The IAEA - as the only existing organization with a mandate for implementing an international verification system - is an important model for the structure and functioning of the OPCW. Many provisions in the CWC benefit from the lessons learned through the implementation of the IAEA's safeguards system in such matters as rights of access for inspectors, the designation of inspectors, and procedural arrangements. Overall, the structure of the IAEA and that foreseen for the OPCE are quite similar. There are, nonetheless, several structural differences. Most notably, the IAEA is charged with a dual mission, that of promoting the contribution of nuclear energy to social and economic development and of seeking to ensure that nuclear materials and facilities which have been placed under safeguards are not diverted from peaceful uses. The OPCW is responsible for achieving a complete ban on chemical weapons and is not responsible, at least as currently envisaged, for the promotion of peaceful uses of chemistry and chemical sciences

  2. Efficiency of Coagulation and Flocculation Process Combined with Chemical Sequestration in Removal of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants from Aautomotive Industry Sewag

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Malakootian

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The most important environmental problem of automotive industries is the produced wastewater due to its various processes. The flocculation and coagulation along with chemical sequestration are among important processes for removing contaminants from wastewaters. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency of coagulation and flocculation process along with chemical sequestration in the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from automotive industry sewage. Study Method: This study is an applied-experimental study. The removal of organic and inorganic substances by coagulation, flocculation process combined with chemical sequestration was carried out in batch reactors. The parameters turbidity, heavy metals' concentration, color, phosphate, coagulants concentration, exposure time, TSS, pH and COD were studied. The concentration of color and residue of heavy metals were determined using spectrophotometer -UV and atomic absorption. Results: The research results showed that the removal percentage of Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn by ferric sulfate combined with lime at a pH equal to 10 and the exposure time of 100 minutes were 52.65, 96.3, 3.27 and 100 respectively, and percentage of removing them by aluminum sulfate combined with lime was 52.65, 97.8, 3.37 and 99.81 respectively. the removal percentage of TSS, COD, color, turbidity, phosphates ferric sulfate was also 68.9, 83, 94, 84 and 47.2 respectively, and this amount of removal by aluminum sulfate was 62, 80, 94, 73.5 and 48 respectively at neutral pH and concentration of coagulant was obtained equal to 150 mg / L. Conclusion: According to the results, the use of coagulation and flocculation process combined with chemical sequestration in the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewaters of automotive industry achieved under optimal conditions is very effective and can be used in water treatment of automotive industry.

  3. Exhalation of I-131 after radioiodine therapy: time dependence and chemical form

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schomaecker, K.; Fischer, T.; Eschner, W.; Gaidouk, M.I.; Schicha, H.

    2001-01-01

    Aim: The change of both amount and chemical forms of radioiodine exhaled in the air of rooms with patients on the therapy ward should be investigated depending on radioactivity applied, time after application, and kind of thyroid disease. Methods: The air of ward-rooms of 62 patients with thyroid carcinoma, Graves' Disease, and autonomy which received different therapy doses, was investigated with an portable constant air flow sampler. Different chemical iodine species (organic, elemental, aerosol bound) were collected during 8 hr in various filters until 3 days after application of the radioiodine capsule, according to their chemical form. The radioactivity in the filters was measured with a well counter on defined time points after application. Results: The radioactivity exhaled was between 0,008 and 0,03% related to activity of radioiodine applied. The percentage of radioiodine exhaled related to the activity applied, differed significantly depending on disease and changed as follows: Grave's disease > autonomy > carcinoma. The exhalation of radioiodine became stronger with increasing applied activities and showed an exponential decrease with time. The most part of radioiodine was present in organic bound form. This organic portion decreased with time in favour of the other iodine species. Conclusion: The degree of accumulation of radioiodine orally applied within thyroid seems to be in direct proportion to the extend of its exhalation. Further measurements directly in the breathing air of RIT-patients are necessary, in order to clarify the relationship between degree of thyroid uptake and quantity as well as chemical form of radioiodine exhaled. (orig.) [de

  4. Effects of organic solvents on hyaluronic acid nanoparticles obtained by precipitation and chemical crosslinking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bicudo, Rafaela Costa Souza; Santana, Maria Helena Andrade

    2012-03-01

    Hyaluronic acid is a hydrophilic mucopolysaccharide composed of alternating units of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine. It is used in many medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications, as sponges, films, or particle formulations. Hyaluronic acid nanoparticles can be synthesized free of oil and surfactants by nanoprecipitation in organic solvents, followed by chemical crosslinking. The organic solvent plays an important role in particles size and structure. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of acetone, ethanol, and isopropyl alcohol on the synthesis and physico-chemical properties of hyaluronic acid nanoparticles. Particles were crosslinked with adipic hydrazide and chloride carbodiimide under controlled conditions. The nanoparticles obtained with all three studied solvents were moderately electrostatically stable. Experiments with acetone produced the smallest particle size (120.44 nm) and polydispersity (0.27). The size and polydispersity of hyaluronic acid nanoparticles correlated with the surface tension between water and the organic solvents, not with the thermodynamic affinity of water for the organic solvents.

  5. Physical-chemical pretreatment as an option for increased sustainability of municipal wastewater treatment plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mels, A.

    2001-01-01

    Keywords : municipal wastewater treatment, physical-chemical pretreatment, chemically enhanced primary treatment, organic polymers, environmental sustainability

    Most of the currently applied municipal wastewater treatment plants in The Netherlands are

  6. Slaughterhouse wastewater treatment by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazrafshan, Edris; Kord Mostafapour, Ferdos; Farzadkia, Mehdi; Ownagh, Kamal Aldin; Mahvi, Amir Hossein

    2012-01-01

    Slaughterhouse wastewater contains various and high amounts of organic matter (e.g., proteins, blood, fat and lard). In order to produce an effluent suitable for stream discharge, chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation techniques have been particularly explored at the laboratory pilot scale for organic compounds removal from slaughterhouse effluent. The purpose of this work was to investigate the feasibility of treating cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process to achieve the required standards. The influence of the operating variables such as coagulant dose, electrical potential and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of major pollutants was determined. The rate of removal of pollutants linearly increased with increasing doses of PACl and applied voltage. COD and BOD(5) removal of more than 99% was obtained by adding 100 mg/L PACl and applied voltage 40 V. The experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical and electrochemical techniques for the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewaters. Consequently, combined processes are inferred to be superior to electrocoagulation alone for the removal of both organic and inorganic compounds from cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater.

  7. Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment by Combined Chemical Coagulation and Electrocoagulation Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bazrafshan, Edris; Kord Mostafapour, Ferdos; Farzadkia, Mehdi; Ownagh, Kamal Aldin; Mahvi, Amir Hossein

    2012-01-01

    Slaughterhouse wastewater contains various and high amounts of organic matter (e.g., proteins, blood, fat and lard). In order to produce an effluent suitable for stream discharge, chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation techniques have been particularly explored at the laboratory pilot scale for organic compounds removal from slaughterhouse effluent. The purpose of this work was to investigate the feasibility of treating cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater by combined chemical coagulation and electrocoagulation process to achieve the required standards. The influence of the operating variables such as coagulant dose, electrical potential and reaction time on the removal efficiencies of major pollutants was determined. The rate of removal of pollutants linearly increased with increasing doses of PACl and applied voltage. COD and BOD5 removal of more than 99% was obtained by adding 100 mg/L PACl and applied voltage 40 V. The experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of chemical and electrochemical techniques for the treatment of slaughterhouse wastewaters. Consequently, combined processes are inferred to be superior to electrocoagulation alone for the removal of both organic and inorganic compounds from cattle-slaughterhouse wastewater. PMID:22768233

  8. Effect of Azolla Based - Organic Fertilizer, Rock Phosphate and Rice Hull Ash on Rice Yield and Chemical Properties of Alfisols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sudadi

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The application of chemical fertilizer for long time may adverse soil environment. Organic agriculture, for example combination use of azolla based-organic fertilizer, phosphate rock and rice hull ash, was one of ways that able to recover it. Research was conducted in Sukosari, Jumantono, Karanganyar while soi chemical properties analysis was analysed in Soil Chemistry and Fertility Laboratory, Fac. of Agriculture, Sebelas Maret University April to November 2013. Research design used was RAKL with 5 treatments, each repeated 5 times. The treatments applied were P0 (control, P1 ( azola inoculum dosage 250 g/m2 + phosphate rock + rice hull ash equal to 150 kg/ha KCl, P2 (azola inoculum dosage 500 g/m2 + phosphate rock equal to 150kg/ha, SP-36 + rice hull ash equal to 100 kg/ha KCl, P3 (manure dosage of 5 ton/ha,P4 (Urea 250 kg/ha + SP-36 150 kg/ha + KCl 100 kg/ha. Data analysed statistically by F test (Fisher test with level of confident 95% followed by DMRT (Duncan Multiple Range Test if any significant differences. The result showed that the treatment combination of azolla, phosphate rock and rice hull ash increase soil organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, available-P and exchangeable-K as well as rice yield ( (at harvest-dry grain weight and milled-dry grain weight.

  9. Correlations between the 1H NMR chemical shieldings and the pKa values of organic acids and amines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Juanfeng; Lu, Tingting; Zhao, Xinyun; Chen, Xi; Zhan, Chang-Guo

    2018-06-01

    The acid dissociation constants and 1 H NMR chemical shieldings of organic compounds are important properties that have attracted much research interest. However, few studies have explored the relationship between these two properties. In this work, we theoretically studied the NMR chemical shifts of a series of carboxylic acids and amines in the gas phase and in aqueous solution. It was found that the negative logarithms of the experimental acid dissociation constants (i.e., the pK a values) of the organic acids and amines in aqueous solution correlate almost linearly with the corresponding calculated NMR chemical shieldings. Key factors that affect the theoretically predicted pK a values are discussed in this paper. The present work provides a new way to predict the pK a values of organic/biochemical compounds. Graphical abstract The chemical shielding values of organic acids and amines correlate near linearly with their corresponding pK a values.

  10. Elucidating mechanisms of toxic action of dissolved organic chemicals in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morandi, Garrett D; Wiseman, Steve B; Guan, Miao; Zhang, Xiaowei W; Martin, Jonathan W; Giesy, John P

    2017-11-01

    Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) is generated during extraction of bitumen in the surface-mining oil sands industry in Alberta, Canada, and is acutely and chronically toxic to aquatic organisms. It is known that dissolved organic compounds in OSPW are responsible for most toxic effects, but knowledge of the specific mechanism(s) of toxicity, is limited. Using bioassay-based effects-directed analysis, the dissolved organic fraction of OSPW has previously been fractionated, ultimately producing refined samples of dissolved organic chemicals in OSPW, each with distinct chemical profiles. Using the Escherichia coli K-12 strain MG1655 gene reporter live cell array, the present study investigated relationships between toxic potencies of each fraction, expression of genes and characterization of chemicals in each of five acutely toxic and one non-toxic extract of OSPW derived by use of effects-directed analysis. Effects on expressions of genes related to response to oxidative stress, protein stress and DNA damage were indicative of exposure to acutely toxic extracts of OSPW. Additionally, six genes were uniquely responsive to acutely toxic extracts of OSPW. Evidence presented supports a role for sulphur- and nitrogen-containing chemical classes in the toxicity of extracts of OSPW. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of emerging organic chemicals in urban rivers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peng, Feng Jiao; Pan, Chang Gui; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Nai Sheng; Windfeld, Ronja; Salvito, Daniel; Selck, Henriette; Brink, Van den Paul J.; Ying, Guang Guo

    2017-01-01

    Urban rivers may receive contamination from various sources including point sources like domestic sewage and nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff), resulting in contamination with various chemicals. This study investigated the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (3 endocrine disrupting

  12. Analysis of chemical warfare agents in organic liquid samples with magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction and gas chromatography mass spectrometry for verification of the chemical weapons convention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Varoon; Purohit, Ajay Kumar; Chinthakindi, Sridhar; Goud, Raghavender D; Tak, Vijay; Pardasani, Deepak; Shrivastava, Anchal Roy; Dubey, Devendra Kumar

    2016-05-27

    A simple, sensitive and low temperature sample preparation method is developed for detection and identification of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and scheduled esters in organic liquid using magnetic dispersive solid phase extraction (MDSPE) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The method utilizes Iron oxide@Poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) resin (Fe2O3@Poly(MAA-co-EGDMA)) as sorbent. Variants of these sorbents were prepared by precipitation polymerization of methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (MAA-co-EGDMA) onto Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Fe2O3@poly(MAA-co-EGDMA) with 20% MAA showed highest recovery of analytes. Extractions were performed with magnetic microspheres by MDSPE. Parameters affecting the extraction efficiency were studied and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, method showed linearity in the range of 0.1-3.0μgmL(-1) (r(2)=0.9966-0.9987). The repeatability and reproducibility (relative standard deviations (RSDs) %) were in the range of 4.5-7.6% and 3.4-6.2% respectively for organophosphorous esters in dodecane. Limits of detection (S/N=3/1) and limit of quantification (S/N=10/1) were found to be in the range of 0.05-0.1μgmL(-1) and 0.1-0.12μgmL(-1) respectively in SIM mode for selected analytes. The method was successfully validated and applied to the extraction and identification of targeted analytes from three different organic liquids i.e. n-hexane, dodecane and silicon oil. Recoveries ranged from 58.7 to 97.3% and 53.8 to 95.5% at 3μgmL(-1) and 1μgmL(-1) spiking concentrations. Detection of diethyl methylphosphonate (DEMP) and O-Ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate (VX) in samples provided by the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Proficiency Test (OPCW-PT) proved the utility of the developed method for the off-site analysis of CWC relevant chemicals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Chemical Annealing of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Films: Effects on Film Morphology and Organic Photovoltaic Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Trinh, Cong

    2012-07-10

    We present a chemical annealing process for organic thin films. In this process, a thin film of a molecular material, such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), is exposed to a vapor of nitrogen-based ligand (e.g., pyrazine, pz, and triazine, tz), forming a film composed of the metal-ligand complex. Fast and quantitative formation of the complex leads to marked changes in the morphology and optical properties of the film. X-ray diffraction studies show that the chemical annealing process converts amorphous ZnTPP films to crystalline ZnTPP•ligand films, whose porphryin planes lie nearly parallel to the substrate (average deviation is 8° for the ZnTPP•pz film). Organic solar cells were prepared with ZnTPP donor and C 60 acceptor layers. Devices were prepared with and without chemical annealing of the ZnTPP layer with a pyrazine ligand. The devices with chemically annealed ZnTPP donor layer show an increase in short-circuit current (J SC) and fill factor (FF) relative to analogous unannealed devices, presumably because of enhanced exciton diffusion length and improved charge conductivity. The open circuit voltages (V OC) of the chemically annealed devices are lower than their unannealed counterpart because of enhanced polaron pair recombination at the donor/acceptor heterojunction. A net improvement of 5-20% in efficiency has been achieved, after chemical annealing of ZnTPP films with pyrazine. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

  14. Abstracts Book of 41. Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    Scientific Assembly of Polish Chemical Society and Association of Engineers and Technicians of Chemical Industry is the most important scientific forum of Polish Chemists. The state of the art in many basic, fundamental and applied investigations has been presented and discussed. The following scientific sessions and microsymposia have been proposed: theoretical chemistry; molecular interactions; metal compounds - chemical, physical, electronic and biological aspects; catalysis and surface physico-chemistry; polymers - radiochemistry, modifications, physics and analytical methods; organic and bioorganic chemistry; physico-chemistry of condensed matter; chemical metallurgy; environmental protection; inorganic technology; chemistry and technology of coal; radiation chemistry; analytical chemistry; chemical engineering; young scientists forum; chemical didactics; petrochemistry; energetic materials; membranes and membrane processes; medical chemistry

  15. A Chemical Comparison of STARDUST Organics with Insoluble Organic Matter in Chondritic Meteorites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cody, G. D.; Yabuta, H.; Alexander, C. M.; Araki, T.; Kilcoyne, D.

    2006-12-01

    We have analyzed 15 organic rich particles extracted from the aerogel capture device flown on the STARDUST mission spacecraft to comet Wild 2 using C-, N-, and O-X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Data were acquired with the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) beam line 5.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. XANES can provide both quantitative molecular functional group information and atomic N/C and O/C data. We use these data to place the organic matter extracted from the Aerogel Capture device in context with a large database of C-, N-, and O-XANES spectra obtained on meteoritic Insoluble Organic Matter (IOM) obtained from type 1, 2, and 3 chondrites. We find that the organic chemistry of the particles extracted from aerogel varies in functional group abundances, but is universally very rich in heteroatoms (N and O). In several cases the organic carbon is closely associated with silica (possibly derived from the aerogel), but at a concentration far in excess of the intrinsic carbon abundance of synthesized (and flown) aerogel. Independently, 29-Si, 13-C, and 1-H solid state NMR was applied to analyze the nature of organic carbon present in the aerogel as byproduct of the synthesis. The intrinsic aerogel carbon is very simple in its functional group chemistry, very low in abundance, and differs completely from that detected in the extracted organic particles.

  16. Chemical structure of the Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) fluorescent matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blough, N. V.; Del Vecchio, R.; Cartisano, C. M.; Bianca, M.

    2017-12-01

    The structure(s), distribution and dynamics of CDOM have been investigated over the last several decades largely through optical spectroscopy (including both absorption and fluorescence) due to the fairly inexpensive instrumentation and the easy-to-gather data (over thousands published papers from 1990-2016). Yet, the chemical structure(s) of the light absorbing and emitting species or constituents within CDOM has only recently being proposed and tested through chemical manipulation of selected functional groups (such as carbonyl and carboxylic/phenolic containing molecules) naturally occurring within the organic matter pool. Similarly, fitting models (among which the PArallel FACtor analysis, PARAFAC) have been developed to better understand the nature of a subset of DOM, the CDOM fluorescent matter (FDOM). Fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with chemical tests and PARAFAC analyses could potentially provide valuable insights on CDOM sources and chemical nature of the FDOM pool. However, despite that applications (and publications) of PARAFAC model to FDOM have grown exponentially since its first application/publication (2003), a large fraction of such publications has misinterpreted the chemical meaning of the delivered PARAFAC `components' leading to more confusion than clarification on the nature, distribution and dynamics of the FDOM pool. In this context, we employed chemical manipulation of selected functional groups to gain further insights on the chemical structure of the FDOM and we tested to what extent the PARAFAC `components' represent true fluorophores through a controlled chemical approach with the ultimate goal to provide insights on the chemical nature of such `components' (as well as on the chemical nature of the FDOM) along with the advantages and limitations of the PARAFAC application.

  17. Direct conversion of radioactive and chemical waste containing metals, ceramics, amorphous solids, and organics to glass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, C.W.; Beahm, E.C.; Parker, G.W.

    1994-01-01

    The Glass Material Oxidation and Dissolution System (CMODS) is a new process for direct conversion of radioactive, mixed, and chemical wastes to glass. The wastes can be in the chemical forms of metals, ceramics, amorphous solids, and organics. GMODS destroys organics and it incorporates heavy metals and radionuclides into a glass. Processable wastes may include miscellaneous spent fuels (SF), SF hulls and hardware, plutonium wastes in different forms, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, ion-exchange resins, failed equipment, and laboratory wastes. Thermodynamic calculations indicate theoretical feasibility. Small-scale laboratory experiments (< 100 g per test) have demonstrated chemical laboratory feasibility for several metals. Additional work is needed to demonstrate engineering feasibility

  18. Applying industrial symbiosis to chemical industry: A literature review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Hua; Liu, Changhao

    2017-08-01

    Chemical industry plays an important role in promoting the development of global economy and human society. However, the negative effects caused by chemical production cannot be ignored, which often leads to serious resource consumption and environmental pollution. It is essential for chemical industry to achieve a sustainable development. Industrial symbiosis is one of the key topics in the field of industrial ecology and circular economy, which has been identified as a creative path leading to sustainability. Based on an extensively searching for literatures on linking industrial symbiosis with chemical industry, this paper aims to review the literatures which involves three aspects: (1) economic and environmental benefits achieved by chemical industry through implementing industrial symbiosis, (2) chemical eco-industrial parks, (3) and safety issues for chemical industry. An outlook is also provided. This paper concludes that: (1) chemical industry can achieve both economic and environmental benefits by implementing industrial symbiosis, (2) establishing eco-industrial parks is essential for chemical industry to implement and improve industrial symbiosis, and (3) there is a close relationship between IS and safety issues of chemical industry.

  19. EDXRF applied to the chemical element determination of small invertebrate samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magalhaes, Marcelo L.R.; Santos, Mariana L.O.; Cantinha, Rebeca S.; Souza, Thomas Marques de; Franca, Elvis J. de

    2015-01-01

    Energy Dispersion X-Ray Fluorescence - EDXRF is a fast analytical technique of easy operation, however demanding reliable analytical curves due to the intrinsic matrix dependence and interference during the analysis. By using biological materials of diverse matrices, multielemental analytical protocols can be implemented and a group of chemical elements could be determined in diverse biological matrices depending on the chemical element concentration. Particularly for invertebrates, EDXRF presents some advantages associated to the possibility of the analysis of small size samples, in which a collimator can be used that directing the incidence of X-rays to a small surface of the analyzed samples. In this work, EDXRF was applied to determine Cl, Fe, P, S and Zn in invertebrate samples using the collimator of 3 mm and 10 mm. For the assessment of the analytical protocol, the SRM 2976 Trace Elements in Mollusk produced and SRM 8415 Whole Egg Powder by the National Institute of Standards and Technology - NIST were also analyzed. After sampling by using pitfall traps, invertebrate were lyophilized, milled and transferred to polyethylene vials covered by XRF polyethylene. Analyses were performed at atmosphere lower than 30 Pa, varying voltage and electric current according to the chemical element to be analyzed. For comparison, Zn in the invertebrate material was also quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after acid treatment (mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide) of samples have. Compared to the collimator of 10 mm, the SRM 2976 and SRM 8415 results obtained by the 3 mm collimator agreed well at the 95% confidence level since the E n Number were in the range of -1 and 1. Results from GFAAS were in accordance to the EDXRF values for composite samples. Therefore, determination of some chemical elements by EDXRF can be recommended for very small invertebrate samples (lower than 100 mg) with advantage of preserving the samples. (author)

  20. Chemical, Sensorial and Rheological Properties of a New Organic Rice Bran Beverage

    OpenAIRE

    Gerson Luis FACCIN; Letícia Adélia MIOTTO; Leila do Nascimento VIEIRA; Pedro Luiz Manique BARRETO; Edna Regina AMANTE

    2009-01-01

    Rice bran is a solid residue from rice polishing that is used in animal nutrition and rice oil production. Cultivation conditions with agro-toxics, lipids instability, and tendency for mycotoxin contamination restrict its application in human nutrition. Therefore, organic agriculture is an alternative to use the properties of rice bran. Rice bran beverage is a new cereal product from organic rice. This work presents the preliminary results of the chemical and rheological studies of a bath pas...

  1. Metal–organic framework-based catalysts: Chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides leading to cyclic organic carbonates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Hassan eBeyzavi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available As a C1 feedstock, CO2 has the potential to be uniquely highly economical in both a chemical and a financial sense. In particular, the highly atom-economical acid-catalyzed cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides to yield cyclic organic carbonates (OCs, a functionality having many important industrial applications, is an attractive reaction for the utilization of CO2 as a chemical feedstock. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs are promising candidates in catalysis as they are a class of crystalline, porous and functional materials with remarkable properties including great surface area, high stability, open channels and permanent porosity. MOFs structure tunability and their affinity for CO2, makes them great catalysts for the formation of OCs using CO2 and epoxides. In this review, we examine MOF-based catalytic materials for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides. Catalysts are grouped based on the location of catalytic sites, i.e., at the struts, nodes, defect sites, or some combination thereof. Additionally, important features of each catalyst system are critically discussed.

  2. Using solid phase micro extraction to determine salting-out (Setschenow) constants for hydrophobic organic chemicals.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jonker, M.T.O.; Muijs, B.

    2010-01-01

    With increasing ionic strength, the aqueous solubility and activity of organic chemicals are altered. This so-called salting-out effect causes the hydrophobicity of the chemicals to be increased and sorption in the marine environment to be more pronounced than in freshwater systems. The process can

  3. Innovations in Undergraduate Chemical Biology Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Dyke, Aaron R; Gatazka, Daniel H; Hanania, Mariah M

    2018-01-19

    Chemical biology derives intellectual vitality from its scientific interface: applying chemical strategies and perspectives to biological questions. There is a growing need for chemical biologists to synergistically integrate their research programs with their educational activities to become holistic teacher-scholars. This review examines how course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an innovative method to achieve this integration. Because CUREs are course-based, the review first offers strategies for creating a student-centered learning environment, which can improve students' outcomes. Exemplars of CUREs in chemical biology are then presented and organized to illustrate the five defining characteristics of CUREs: significance, scientific practices, discovery, collaboration, and iteration. Finally, strategies to overcome common barriers in CUREs are considered as well as future innovations in chemical biology education.

  4. Organic Nitrogen in Atmospheric Drops and Particles: Concentrations, (Limited) Speciation, and Chemical Transformations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anastasio, C.; Zhang, Q.

    2003-12-01

    While quite a bit is known of the concentrations, speciation, and chemistry of inorganic forms of nitrogen in the atmosphere, the same cannot be said for organic forms. Despite this, there is growing evidence that organic N (ON) is ubiquitous in the atmosphere, especially in atmospheric condensed phases such as fog/cloud drops and aerosol particles. Although the major compounds that make up organic N are generally unknown, as are the sources of these compounds, it is clear that there are significant fluxes of ON between the atmosphere and ecosystems. It also appears that organic N can have significant effects in both spheres. The goal of our recent work in this area has been to better describe the atmospheric component of the biogeochemistry of organic nitrogen. Based on particle, gas, and fogwater samples from Northern California we have made three major findings: 1) Organic N represents a significant component, approximately 20%, of the total atmospheric N loading in these samples. This is broadly consistent with studies from other locations. 2) Amino compounds, primarily as combined amino acids, account for approximately 20% of the measured ON in our condensed phase samples. Given the properties of amino acids, these compounds could significantly affect the chemical and physical properties of atmospheric particles. 3) Organic nitrogen in atmospheric particles and drops is transformed to inorganic forms - primarily ammonium, nitrate, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) - during exposure to sunlight and/or ozone. These chemical reactions likely increase the bioavailability of the condensed phase nitrogen pool and enhance its biological effects after deposition to ecosystems.

  5. Influence of organic waste and residue mud additions on chemical, physical and microbial properties of bauxite residue sand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Benjamin E H; Haynes, Richard J; Phillips, Ian R

    2011-02-01

    In an alumina refinery, bauxite ore is treated with sodium hydroxide at high temperatures and pressures and for every tone of alumina produced, about 2 tones of alkaline, saline bauxite processing waste is also produced. At Alcoa, a dry stacking system of disposal is used, and it is the sand fraction of the processing waste that is rehabilitated. There is little information available regarding the most appropriate amendments to add to the processing sand to aid in revegetation. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the addition of organic wastes (biosolids and poultry manure), in the presence or absence of added residue mud, would affect the properties of the residue sand and its suitability for revegetation. Samples of freshly deposited residue sand were collected from Alcoa's Kwinana refinery. Samples were treated with phosphogypsum (2% v/v), incubated, and leached. A laboratory experiment was then set up in which the two organic wastes were applied at 0 or the equivalent to 60 tones ha(-1) in combination with residue mud added at rates of 0%, 10% and 20% v/v. Samples were incubated for 8 weeks, after which, key chemical, physical and microbial properties of the residue sand were measured along with seed germination. Additions of residue mud increased exchangeable Na(+), ESP and the pH, and HCO (3) (-) and Na(+) concentrations in saturation paste extracts. Additions of biosolids and poultry manure increased concentrations of extractable P, NH (4) (+) , K, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe. Addition of residue mud, in combination with organic wastes, caused a marked decrease in macroporosity and a concomitant increase in mesoporosity, available water holding capacity and the quantity of water held at field capacity. With increasing residue mud additions, the percentage of sample present as sand particles (2 mm diameter) increased; greatest aggregation occurred where a combination of residue mud and poultry manure were added. Stability of aggregates, as measured by

  6. Self-organization of grafted polyelectrolyte layers via the coupling of chemical equilibrium and physical interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tagliazucchi, Mario; de la Cruz, Mónica Olvera; Szleifer, Igal

    2010-03-23

    The competition between chemical equilibrium, for example protonation, and physical interactions determines the molecular organization and functionality of biological and synthetic systems. Charge regulation by displacement of acid-base equilibrium induced by changes in the local environment provides a feedback mechanism that controls the balance between electrostatic, van der Waals, steric interactions and molecular organization. Which strategies do responsive systems follow to globally optimize chemical equilibrium and physical interactions? We address this question by theoretically studying model layers of end-grafted polyacids. These layers spontaneously form self-assembled aggregates, presenting domains of controlled local pH and whose morphologies can be manipulated by the composition of the solution in contact with the film. Charge regulation stabilizes micellar domains over a wide range of pH by reducing the local charge in the aggregate at the cost of chemical free energy and gaining in hydrophobic interactions. This balance determines the boundaries between different aggregate morphologies. We show that a qualitatively new form of organization arises from the coupling between physical interactions and protonation equilibrium. This optimization strategy presents itself with polyelectrolytes coexisting in two different and well-defined protonation states. Our results underline the need of considering the coupling between chemical equilibrium and physical interactions due to their highly nonadditive behavior. The predictions provide guidelines for the creation of responsive polymer layers presenting self-organized patterns with functional properties and they give insights for the understanding of competing interactions in highly inhomogeneous and constrained environments such as those relevant in nanotechnology and those responsible for biological cells function.

  7. Barley Benefits from Organic Nitrogen in Plant Residues Applied to Soil using 15N Isotope Dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gadalla, A.M.; Galal, Y.G.M.; Abdel Aziz, H.A.; El-Degwy, S.M.A.; Abd El-Haleem, M.

    2008-01-01

    The experiment was carried out in pots (sandy soil cultivated with Barley plant) under greenhouse conditions, at Inshas, Egypt. The aim was to evaluate the transformation of nitrogen applied either as mineral form ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , or as organic-material-N (plant residues) .Basal recommended doses of P and K were applied. Labeled 15 N as( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 (5 % a.e) or plant residues (ground leuceana forage, compost, and mixture of them) were applied at a rate of 20 kg N/ ha). 15 N technique was used to evaluate N-uptake and fertilizer use efficiency. The treatments were arranged in a completely randomized block design under greenhouse conditions. The obtained results showed that the dry weight of barley shoots was positively affected by reinforcement of mineral- N with organic-N. On the other hand, the highest dry weight was estimated with leuceana either applied alone or reinforced with mineral N. Similar trend was noticed with N uptake but only with organic N, while with treatment received 50% organic-N. plus 50% mineral- N. the best value of N uptake was recorded with mixture of leuceana and compost. The amount of Ndff was lowest where fertilizer 15 N was applied alone. Comparing Ndff for the three organic treatments which received a combination of fertilizer- 15 N+organic-material-N, results showed that the highest Ndff was occurred with mixture of leuceana and compost, whereas the lowest was induced with individual leuceana treatment. 15 N recovery in shoots of barley ranged between 22.14 % to 82.16 %. The lowest occurred with application of mineral 15 N alone and; the highest occurred where mineral 15 N was mixed with compost or leucaena-compost mixture

  8. Impact of Theoretical Chemistry on Chemical and Biological Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    theory as applied to biological systems. ... methods to follow the course of chemical reactions devised by. K Fukui and R .... optimize the structure of organic molecules using classical-em- pirical potential ..... science or engineering dis- ciplines.

  9. Chemical Leasing business models and corporate social responsibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moser, Frank; Jakl, Thomas; Joas, Reihard; Dondi, Francesco

    2014-11-01

    Chemical Leasing is a service-oriented business model that shifts the focus from increasing sales volume of chemicals towards a value-added approach. Recent pilot projects have shown the economic benefits of introducing Chemical Leasing business models in a broad range of sectors. A decade after its introduction, the promotion of Chemical Leasing is still predominantly done by the public sector and international organizations. We show in this paper that awareness-raising activities to disseminate information on this innovative business model mainly focus on the economic benefits. We argue that selling Chemical Leasing business models solely on the grounds of economic and ecological considerations falls short of branding it as a corporate social responsibility initiative, which, for this paper, is defined as a stakeholder-oriented concept that extends beyond the organization's boundaries and is driven by an ethical understanding of the organization's responsibility for the impact of its business activities. For the analysis of Chemical Leasing business models, we introduce two case studies from the water purification and metal degreasing fields, focusing on employees and local communities as two specific stakeholder groups of the company introducing Chemical Leasing. The paper seeks to demonstrate that Chemical Leasing business models can be branded as a corporate social responsibility initiative by outlining the vast potential of Chemical Leasing to improve occupational health and safety and to strengthen the ability of companies to protect the environment from the adverse effects of the chemicals they apply.

  10. A multicriteria decision making approach applied to improving maintenance policies in healthcare organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carnero, María Carmen; Gómez, Andrés

    2016-04-23

    Healthcare organizations have far greater maintenance needs for their medical equipment than other organization, as many are used directly with patients. However, the literature on asset management in healthcare organizations is very limited. The aim of this research is to provide more rational application of maintenance policies, leading to an increase in quality of care. This article describes a multicriteria decision-making approach which integrates Markov chains with the multicriteria Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique (MACBETH), to facilitate the best choice of combination of maintenance policies by using the judgements of a multi-disciplinary decision group. The proposed approach takes into account the level of acceptance that a given alternative would have among professionals. It also takes into account criteria related to cost, quality of care and impact of care cover. This multicriteria approach is applied to four dialysis subsystems: patients infected with hepatitis C, infected with hepatitis B, acute and chronic; in all cases, the maintenance strategy obtained consists of applying corrective and preventive maintenance plus two reserve machines. The added value in decision-making practices from this research comes from: (i) integrating the use of Markov chains to obtain the alternatives to be assessed by a multicriteria methodology; (ii) proposing the use of MACBETH to make rational decisions on asset management in healthcare organizations; (iii) applying the multicriteria approach to select a set or combination of maintenance policies in four dialysis subsystems of a health care organization. In the multicriteria decision making approach proposed, economic criteria have been used, related to the quality of care which is desired for patients (availability), and the acceptance that each alternative would have considering the maintenance and healthcare resources which exist in the organization, with the inclusion of a

  11. How Do Organic Chemistry Students Understand and Apply Hydrogen Bonding?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderleiter, J.; Smart, R.; Anderson, J.; Elian, O.

    2001-08-01

    Students completing a year-long organic chemistry sequence were interviewed to assess how they understood, explained, and applied knowledge of hydrogen bonding to the physical behavior of molecules. Students were asked to define hydrogen bonding and explain situations in which hydrogen bonding could occur. They were asked to predict and explain how hydrogen bonding influences boiling point, the solubility of molecules, and NMR and IR spectra. Results suggest that although students may be able to give appropriate definitions of hydrogen bonding and may recognize when this phenomenon can occur, significant numbers cannot apply their knowledge of hydrogen bonding to physical properties of molecules or to the interpretation of spectral data. Some possess misconceptions concerning boiling points and the ability of molecules to induce hydrogen bonding. Instructional strategies must be adjusted to address these issues.

  12. Equilibrium Sampling to Determine the Thermodynamic Potential for Bioaccumulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Sediment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jahnke, Annika; MacLeod, Matthew; Wickström, Håkan

    2014-01-01

    Equilibrium partitioning (EqP) theory is currently the most widely used approach for linking sediment pollution by persistent hydrophobic organic chemicals to bioaccumulation. Most applications of the EqP approach assume (I) a generic relationship between organic carbon-normalized chemical...... chemical concentrations in the silicone, and applying lipid/silicone partition ratios to yield concentrations in lipid at thermodynamic equilibrium with the sediment (CLip⇌Sed). Furthermore, we evaluated the validity of assumption II by comparing CLip⇌Sed of selected persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic...... organic chemicals from sediment useful to prioritize management actions to remediate contaminated sites....

  13. Chemical characterisation of natural organic substrates for biological mitigation of acid mine drainage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibert, Oriol; de Pablo, Joan; Luis Cortina, José; Ayora, Carlos

    2004-11-01

    The current approach of the biological treatment of acid mine drainage by means of a passive remediation system involves the choice of an appropriate organic substrate as electron donor for sulphate reducers. Nowadays this selection is one of the critical steps in the performance of such treatment, as this depends to a great extent on the degradability of the organic substrate. Thus, a prior characterisation of the organic substrate predicting its biodegradability would be desirable before embarking on an extensive large-scale application. The aim of this study was to correlate the chemical composition (lignin content) of four different natural organic substrates (compost, sheep and poultry manures, oak leaf) and their capacity to sustain bacterial activity in an attempt to predict biodegradation from chemical characterisation. The results showed that the lower the content of lignin in the organic substrate, the higher its biodegradability and capacity for developing bacterial activity. Of the four organic materials, sheep and poultry manures and oak leaf evolved reducing conditions and sustained active sulphidogenesis, which coupled with the decrease in sulphate concentration indicated bacterial activity. Sheep manure was clearly the most successful organic material as electron donor (sulphate removal >99%), followed by poultry manure and oak leaf (sulphate removal of 80%). Compost appeared to be too poor in carbon to promote sulphate-reducing bacteria activity by itself. Column experiments emphasised the importance of considering the residence time as a key factor in the performance of continuous systems. With a residence time of 0.73 days, sheep manure did not promote sulphidogenesis. However, extending residence time to 2.4 and 9.0 days resulted in an increase in the sulphate removal to 18% and 27%, respectively.

  14. Estimation of Properties of Pure Organic Substances with Group and Pair Contributions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.E.S. Ourique

    1997-06-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACTbstract - This work presents a new predictive method for the estimation of properties of pure organic substances. Each compound is assigned a molecular graph or an adjacency matrix representing its chemical structure, from which properties are then obtained as a summation of all contributions associated with functional groups and chemically bonded pairs of groups. The proposed technique is applied to the estimation of critical temperature, critical pressure, critical volume and normal boiling point of 325 organic compounds from different chemical species. Accurate predictions based solely on chemical structure are obtained

  15. Concept-Oriented Task Design: Making Purposeful Case Comparisons in Organic Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graulich, Nicole; Schween, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Acquiring conceptual understanding seems to be one of the main challenges students face when studying organic chemistry. Traditionally, organic chemistry presents an extensive variety of chemical transformations, which often lead students to recall an organic transformation rather than apply conceptual knowledge. Strong surface level focus and…

  16. Prior Knowledge or Advance Organizers as Effective Variables in Chemical Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fensham, P. J.; West, L. H. T.

    1976-01-01

    This report describes an attempt to apply a critical empirical test to some predictions from Ausubel's theory concerning the subsuming role of advance organizers. Alternative explanations are proposed and subsequent predictions tested. (BT)

  17. Screening of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in various aquatic organisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez-Sanjuan, Maria; Meyer, Johan; Damasio, Joana; Faria, Melissa; Barata, Carlos; Lacorte, Silvia [IDAEA-CSIC, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Barcelona (Spain)

    2010-10-15

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of five perfluorinated chemicals (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid) in aquatic organisms dwelling in either freshwater or marine ecosystems. Organisms selected were insect larvae, oysters, zebra mussels, sardines, and crabs, which are widespread in the environment and may represent potential bioindicators of exposure to PFCs. The study comprises the optimization of a solid-liquid extraction method and determination by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Using spiked zebra mussels at 10 and 100 ng/g level, the method developed provided recoveries of 96% and 122%, and 82% to 116%, respectively, and a limit of detection between 0.07 and 0.22 ng/g ww. The method was highly sensitivity and robust to determine PFC compounds in a wide array of biological matrices, and no matrix interferents nor blank contamination was observed. Among organisms studied, none of the bivalves accumulated PFCs, and contrarily, insect larvae, followed by fish and crabs contained levels ranging from 0.23 to 144 ng/g ww of PFOS, from 0.14 to 4.3 ng/g ww of PFOA, and traces of PFNA and PFHxS. Assessment of the potential use of aquatic organisms for biomonitoring studies is further discussed. (orig.)

  18. EDXRF applied to the chemical element determination of small invertebrate samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magalhaes, Marcelo L.R.; Santos, Mariana L.O.; Cantinha, Rebeca S.; Souza, Thomas Marques de; Franca, Elvis J. de, E-mail: marcelo_rlm@hotmail.com, E-mail: marianasantos_ufpe@hotmail.com, E-mail: rebecanuclear@gmail.com, E-mail: thomasmarques@live.com.pt, E-mail: ejfranca@cnen.gov.br [Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares do Nordeste (CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    Energy Dispersion X-Ray Fluorescence - EDXRF is a fast analytical technique of easy operation, however demanding reliable analytical curves due to the intrinsic matrix dependence and interference during the analysis. By using biological materials of diverse matrices, multielemental analytical protocols can be implemented and a group of chemical elements could be determined in diverse biological matrices depending on the chemical element concentration. Particularly for invertebrates, EDXRF presents some advantages associated to the possibility of the analysis of small size samples, in which a collimator can be used that directing the incidence of X-rays to a small surface of the analyzed samples. In this work, EDXRF was applied to determine Cl, Fe, P, S and Zn in invertebrate samples using the collimator of 3 mm and 10 mm. For the assessment of the analytical protocol, the SRM 2976 Trace Elements in Mollusk produced and SRM 8415 Whole Egg Powder by the National Institute of Standards and Technology - NIST were also analyzed. After sampling by using pitfall traps, invertebrate were lyophilized, milled and transferred to polyethylene vials covered by XRF polyethylene. Analyses were performed at atmosphere lower than 30 Pa, varying voltage and electric current according to the chemical element to be analyzed. For comparison, Zn in the invertebrate material was also quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after acid treatment (mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide) of samples have. Compared to the collimator of 10 mm, the SRM 2976 and SRM 8415 results obtained by the 3 mm collimator agreed well at the 95% confidence level since the E{sub n} Number were in the range of -1 and 1. Results from GFAAS were in accordance to the EDXRF values for composite samples. Therefore, determination of some chemical elements by EDXRF can be recommended for very small invertebrate samples (lower than 100 mg) with advantage of preserving the samples. (author)

  19. Chemical Gel for Surface Decontamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Chong Hun; Moon, J. K.; Won, H. J.; Lee, K. W.; Kim, C. K.

    2010-01-01

    Many chemical decontamination processes operate by immersing components in aggressive chemical solutions. In these applications chemical decontamination technique produce large amounts of radioactive liquid waste. Therefore it is necessary to develop processes using chemical gels instead of chemical solutions, to avoid the well-known disadvantages of chemical decontamination techniques while retaining their high efficiency. Chemical gels decontamination process consists of applying the gel by spraying it onto the surface of large area components (floors, walls, etc) to be decontaminated. The gel adheres to any vertical or complex surface due to their thixotropic properties and operates by dissolving the radioactive deposit, along with a thin layer of the gel support, so that the radioactivity trapped at the surface can be removed. Important aspects of the gels are that small quantities can be used and they show thixitropic properties : liquid during spraying, and solid when stationary, allowing for strong adherence to surfaces. This work investigates the decontamination behaviors of organic-based chemical gel for SS 304 metallic surfaces contaminated with radioactive materials

  20. [Effects of different organic fertilizers on the microbes in rhizospheric soil of flue-cured tobacco].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yun-Wei; Xu, Zhi; Tang, Li; Li, Yan-Hong; Song, Jian-Qun; Xu, Jian-Qin

    2013-09-01

    A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of applying different organic fertilizers (refined organic fertilizer and bio-organic fertilizer) and their combination with 20% reduced chemical fertilizers on the microbes in rhizospheric soil of flue-cured tobacco, the resistance of the tobacco against bacterial wilt, and the tobacco yield and quality. As compared with conventional chemical fertilization (CK), applying refined organic fertilizer (ROF) or bio-organic fertilizer (BIO) in combining with 20% reduced chemical fertilization increased the bacterial number and the total microbial number in the rhizospheric soil significantly. Applying BIO in combining with 20% reduced chemical fertilization also increased the actinomyces number in the rhizospheric soil significantly, with an increment of 44.3% as compared with that under the application of ROF in combining with 20% reduced chemical fertilization, but decreased the fungal number. As compared with CK, the ROF and BIO increased the carbon use capacity of rhizospheric microbes significantly, and the BIO also increased the capacity of rhizospheric microbes in using phenols significantly. Under the application of ROF and BIO, the disease incidence and the disease index of bacterial wilt were decreased by 4% and 8%, and 23% and 15.9%, and the proportions of high grade tobacco leaves increased significantly by 10.5% and 9.7%, respectively, as compared with those in CK. BIO increased the tobacco yield and its output value by 17.1% and 18.9% , respectively, as compared with ROF.

  1. Continuous, Highly Flexible, and Transparent Graphene Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition for Organic Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Gomez De Arco, Lewis; Zhang, Yi; Schlenker, Cody W.; Ryu, Koungmin; Thompson, Mark E.; Zhou, Chongwu

    2010-01-01

    We report the implementation of continuous, highly flexible, and transparent graphene films obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) in organic photovoltaic cells. Graphene films were synthesized by CVD

  2. assessment of perception and knowledge of occupational chemical

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    User

    uting factors of the occupational chemical hazard exposure in the paint spraying industry. Man- ... up to 100 different organic compounds, 90 per- cent of these being ... inform policy. MATERIAL AND METHODS ..... erations did not make engineering interventions appropriate. .... of shea butter applied to the nostrils and the.

  3. Secondary organic aerosol formation from a large number of reactive man-made organic compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Derwent, Richard G., E-mail: r.derwent@btopenworld.com [rdscientific, Newbury, Berkshire (United Kingdom); Jenkin, Michael E. [Atmospheric Chemistry Services, Okehampton, Devon (United Kingdom); Utembe, Steven R.; Shallcross, Dudley E. [School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol (United Kingdom); Murrells, Tim P.; Passant, Neil R. [AEA Environment and Energy, Harwell International Business Centre, Oxon (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-15

    A photochemical trajectory model has been used to examine the relative propensities of a wide variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by human activities to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) under one set of highly idealised conditions representing northwest Europe. This study applied a detailed speciated VOC emission inventory and the Master Chemical Mechanism version 3.1 (MCM v3.1) gas phase chemistry, coupled with an optimised representation of gas-aerosol absorptive partitioning of 365 oxygenated chemical reaction product species. In all, SOA formation was estimated from the atmospheric oxidation of 113 emitted VOCs. A number of aromatic compounds, together with some alkanes and terpenes, showed significant propensities to form SOA. When these propensities were folded into a detailed speciated emission inventory, 15 organic compounds together accounted for 97% of the SOA formation potential of UK man made VOC emissions and 30 emission source categories accounted for 87% of this potential. After road transport and the chemical industry, SOA formation was dominated by the solvents sector which accounted for 28% of the SOA formation potential.

  4. An improved flux-split algorithm applied to hypersonic flows in chemical equilibrium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmer, Grant

    1988-01-01

    An explicit, finite-difference, shock-capturing numerical algorithm is presented and applied to hypersonic flows assumed to be in thermochemical equilibrium. Real-gas chemistry is either loosely coupled to the gasdynamics by way of a Gibbs free energy minimization package or fully coupled using species mass conservation equations with finite-rate chemical reactions. A scheme is developed that maintains stability in the explicit, finite-rate formulation while allowing relatively high time steps. The codes use flux vector splitting to difference the inviscid fluxes and employ real-gas corrections to viscosity and thermal conductivity. Numerical results are compared against existing ballistic range and flight data. Flows about complex geometries are also computed.

  5. Passive sampling of bioavailable organic chemicals in Perry County, Missouri cave streams.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, J Tyler; Adams, Ginny; Sharum, Martin; Steelman, Karen L

    2010-12-01

    Two types of passive samplers--semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) and polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS)--were deployed in spring 2008 to assess bioavailable concentrations of aquatic contaminants in five cave streams and resurgences in Perry County, Missouri. Study sites represent areas of high cave biodiversity and the only known habitat for grotto sculpin (Cottus carolinae). Time-weighted average (TWA) water concentrations were calculated for 20 compounds (n = 9 SPMDs; n = 11 POCIS) originating primarily from agricultural sources, including two organochlorine insecticides, dieldrin and heptachlor epoxide, which were found at levels exceeding U.S. EPA criteria for the protection of aquatic life. GIS data were used to quantify and map sinkhole distribution and density within the study area. Infiltration of storm runoff and its influence on contaminant transport were also evaluated using land cover and hydrological data. This work provides evidence of cave stream contamination by a mix of organic chemicals and demonstrates the applicability of passive samplers for monitoring water quality in dynamic karst environments where rapid transmission of storm runoff makes instantaneous water sampling difficult.

  6. Improved exposure estimation in soil screening and cleanup criteria for volatile organic chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVaull, George E

    2017-09-01

    Soil cleanup criteria define acceptable concentrations of organic chemical constituents for exposed humans. These criteria sum the estimated soil exposure over multiple pathways. Assumptions for ingestion, dermal contact, and dust exposure generally presume a chemical persists in surface soils at a constant concentration level for the entire exposure duration. For volatile chemicals, this is an unrealistic assumption. A calculation method is presented for surficial soil criteria that include volatile depletion of chemical for these uptake pathways. The depletion estimates compare favorably with measured concentration profiles and with field measurements of soil concentration. Corresponding volatilization estimates compare favorably with measured data for a wide range of volatile and semivolatile chemicals, including instances with and without the presence of a mixed-chemical residual phase. Selected examples show application of the revised factors in estimating screening levels for benzene in surficial soils. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:861-869. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

  7. Organic and chemical manure of the bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in alluvial soils of intermediate climate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tamayo V, Alvaro; Munoz A, Rodrigo

    1997-01-01

    With the purpose to evaluate the effect on bean production ICA CITARA variety, four sources of organic matter (hen manure, pig manure, cow manure, and earthworm manure) in four doses 280,500 y 1.000 kg/ha with the same doses of chemical fertilization, were evaluated the experiment was carried out at Tulio Ospina Research Center, located at Bello (Antioquia) of medium climate with 1.320 m.s.n.m. This was established using an alluvial soil (Tropofluvent), frenk, with low contents of organic, matter (2,2%), phosphorus (10 ppm), and potassium (0,10 meq/l00 g). the results, after six consecutive harvests on the same plots, showed highly significative differences among treatments. The highest yield (1.836 kg/ha) was obtained when to the chemical fertilization (300 kg of 10-30-10) was added with 250 kg/ha of hen manure, followed by the application of 100 kg/ha, of cow manure (1.812 kg/ha). Chemical fertilization without organic matter produced 1.640 kg/ha of bean, which was very similar to the addition of 1.000 kg/ha of cow manure and earthworm manure with yields of 1.688 kg/ha and 1.635 kg/ha respectively

  8. Organic Acids Regulation of Chemical-Microbial Phosphorus Transformations in Soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel; Paredes, Cecilia; Zhang, Hao; Giles, Courtney D; Darch, Tegan; Stutter, Marc; George, Timothy S; Shand, Charles; Lumsdon, David; Cooper, Patricia; Wendler, Renate; Brown, Lawrie; Blackwell, Martin; Wearing, Catherine; Haygarth, Philip M

    2016-11-01

    We have used an integrated approach to study the mobility of inorganic phosphorus (P) from soil solid phase as well as the microbial biomass P and respiration at increasing doses of citric and oxalic acid in two different soils with contrasting agronomic P status. Citric or oxalic acids significantly increased soil solution P concentrations for doses over 2 mmol kg -1 . However, low organic acid doses (<2 mmol kg -1 ) were associated with a steep increase in microbial biomass P, which was not seen for higher doses. In both soils, treatment with the tribasic citric acid led to a greater increase in soil solution P than the dibasic oxalic acid, likely due to the rapid degrading of oxalic acids in soils. After equilibration of soils with citric or oxalic acids, the adsorbed-to-solution distribution coefficient (K d ) and desorption rate constants (k -1 ) decreased whereas an increase in the response time of solution P equilibration (T c ) was observed. The extent of this effect was shown to be both soil and organic acid specific. Our results illustrate the critical thresholds of organic acid concentration necessary to mobilize sorbed and precipitated P, bringing new insight on how the exudation of organic acids regulate chemical-microbial soil phosphorus transformations.

  9. 78 FR 37222 - Columbia Organic Chemical Company Site, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina; Notice of...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-20

    ... Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Settlement. SUMMARY: Under 122(h) of the Comprehensive... Agency has entered into a settlement with Stephen Reichlyn concerning the Columbia Organic Chemical...

  10. Unit Price Scaling Trends for Chemical Products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qi, Wei [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sathre, Roger [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Morrow, III, William R. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Shehabi, Arman [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2015-08-01

    To facilitate early-stage life-cycle techno-economic modeling of emerging technologies, here we identify scaling relations between unit price and sales quantity for a variety of chemical products of three categories - metal salts, organic compounds, and solvents. We collect price quotations for lab-scale and bulk purchases of chemicals from both U.S. and Chinese suppliers. We apply a log-log linear regression model to estimate the price discount effect. Using the median discount factor of each category, one can infer bulk prices of products for which only lab-scale prices are available. We conduct out-of-sample tests showing that most of the price proxies deviate from their actual reference prices by a factor less than ten. We also apply the bootstrap method to determine if a sample median discount factor should be accepted for price approximation. We find that appropriate discount factors for metal salts and for solvents are both -0.56, while that for organic compounds is -0.67 and is less representative due to greater extent of product heterogeneity within this category.

  11. Controlled growth of epitaxial CeO2 thin films with self-organized nanostructure by chemical solution method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yue, Zhao; Grivel, Jean-Claude

    2013-01-01

    Chemical solution deposition is a versatile technique to grow oxide thin films with self-organized nanostructures. Morphology and crystallographic orientation control of CeO2 thin films grown on technical NiW substrates by a chemical solution deposition method are achieved in this work. Based...

  12. Evaluation of the Effects of Inorganic and Organic Fertilizers and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PROF HORSFALL

    Biochemical and Bioenvironmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of ... Box Behnken Design (BBD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with three ... and other organic chemicals to harmless products by ..... applied variables.

  13. Wastewater treatment plant effluent as a source of microplastics: review of the fate, chemical interactions and potential risks to aquatic organisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziajahromi, Shima; Neale, Peta A; Leusch, Frederic D L

    2016-11-01

    Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent has been identified as a potential source of microplastics in the aquatic environment. Microplastics have recently been detected in wastewater effluent in Western Europe, Russia and the USA. As there are only a handful of studies on microplastics in wastewater, it is difficult to accurately determine the contribution of wastewater effluent as a source of microplastics. However, even the small amounts of microplastics detected in wastewater effluent may be a remarkable source given the large volumes of wastewater treatment effluent discharged to the aquatic environment annually. Further, there is strong evidence that microplastics can interact with wastewater-associated contaminants, which has the potential to transport chemicals to aquatic organisms after exposure to contaminated microplastics. In this review we apply lessons learned from the literature on microplastics in the aquatic environment and knowledge on current wastewater treatment technologies, with the aim of identifying the research gaps in terms of (i) the fate of microplastics in WWTPs, (ii) the potential interaction of wastewater-based microplastics with trace organic contaminants and metals, and (iii) the risk for aquatic organisms.

  14. Performance estimation of Tesla turbine applied in small scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Jian; Gu, Chun-wei; Li, Xue-song

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • One-dimensional model of the Tesla turbine is improved and applied in ORC system. • Working fluid properties and system operating conditions impact efficiency. • The influence of turbine efficiency on ORC system performance is evaluated. • Potential of using Tesla turbine in ORC systems is estimated. - Abstract: Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system has been proven to be an effective method for the low grade energy utilization. In small scale applications, the Tesla turbine offers an attractive option for the organic expander if an efficient design can be achieved. The Tesla turbine is simple in structure and is easy to be manufactured. This paper improves the one-dimensional model for the Tesla turbine, which adopts a non-dimensional formulation that identifies the dimensionless parameters that dictates the performance features of the turbine. The model is used to predict the efficiency of a Tesla turbine that is applied in a small scale ORC system. The influence of the working fluid properties and the operating conditions on the turbine performance is evaluated. Thermodynamic analysis of the ORC system with different organic working fluids and under various operating conditions is conducted. The simulation results reveal that the ORC system can generate a considerable net power output. Therefore, the Tesla turbine can be regarded as a potential choice to be applied in small scale ORC systems.

  15. 13 CFR 120.703 - How does an organization apply to become an Intermediary?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... area; (6) The applicant's experience and qualifications in providing marketing, management, and... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How does an organization apply to become an Intermediary? 120.703 Section 120.703 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS...

  16. Sugarcane Yield Response to Furrow-Applied Organic Amendments on Sand Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mabry McCray

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Organic amendments have been shown to increase sugarcane yield on sand soils in Florida. These soils have very low water and nutrient-holding capacities because of the low content of organic matter, silt, and clay. Because of high costs associated with broadcast application, this field study was conducted to determine sugarcane yield response to furrow application of two organic amendments on sand soils. One experiment compared broadcast application (226 m3 ha−1 of mill mud and yard waste compost, furrow application (14, 28, and 56 m3 ha−1 of these materials, and no amendment. Another experiment compared furrow applications (28 and 56 m3 ha−1 of mill mud and yard waste compost with no amendment. There were significant yield (t sucrose ha−1 responses to broadcast and furrow-applied mill mud but responses to furrow applications were not consistent across sites. There were no significant yield responses to yard waste compost suggesting that higher rates or repeated applications of this amendment will be required to achieve results comparable to mill mud. Results also suggest that enhancing water and nutrient availability in the entire volume of the root zone with broadcast incorporation of organic amendments is the more effective approach for low organic matter sands.

  17. Relative importance of microplastics as a pathway for the transfer of hydrophobic organic chemicals to marine life

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bakir, A.; O'Connor, I.A.; Rowland, S.J.; Hendriks, A.J.; Thompson, R.C.

    2016-01-01

    It has been hypothesised that, if ingested, plastic debris could act as vector for the transfer of chemical contaminants from seawater to organisms, yet modelling suggest that, in the natural environment, chemical transfer would be negligible compared to other routes of uptake. However, to date, the

  18. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence applied to the chemical elements analysis of the mate tea infusion (Ilex-paraguariensis)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopes, Fabio; Appoloni, Carlos R.; Cunha, Richard M. da Silva e; Nascimento Filho, Virgilio Franco do

    2002-01-01

    The purpose was to evaluate simultaneously the chemical element concentrations from K to Sr (19≤Z≤38) range in six samples of mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) infusion, commercially available in Paraguay and South of Brazil. The chemical analysis of this beverage has a great nutritional importance for the native people of these areas, due to their large daily consumption. For the determination of these elements the dry-ashing and total reflection X-rays fluorescence (TXRF) were used. The methodology showed limits of detection among 81 ng.mL-1 for K to 10 ng.mL -1 for Zn. Six infusion samples were prepared in triplicate, and the concentration was 3,8 to 10,2 μg.mL -1 for K, Ca and Mn, 0,21 to 1,07 μg. mL -1 for Fe and Zn and 0.03 to 0,17 μg.mL -1 for Ni, Cu, Br, Rb and Sr. The Mn and Ni concentrations are above the maximum permissible values for drinking water established by World Health Organization and Brazilian legislation (these organisms do not regulate the maximum permissible values for chemical elements in mate tea infusion). (author)

  19. Microbial interactions with organic contaminants in soil: Definitions, processes and measurement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Semple, Kirk T.; Doick, Kieron J.; Wick, Lukas Y.; Harms, Hauke

    2007-01-01

    There has been and continues to be considerable scientific interest in predicting bioremediation rates and endpoints. This requires the development of chemical techniques capable of reliably predicting the bioavailability of organic compounds to catabolically active soil microbes. A major issue in understanding the link between chemical extraction and bioavailability is the problem of definition; there are numerous definitions, of varying degrees of complexity and relevance, to the interaction between organic contaminants and microorganisms in soil. The aim of this review is to consider the bioavailability as a descriptor for the rate and extent of biodegradation and, in an applied sense, bioremediation of organic contaminants in soil. To address this, the review will (i) consider and clarify the numerous definitions of bioavailability and discuss the usefulness of the term 'bioaccessibility'; (ii) relate definition to the microbiological and chemical measurement of organic contaminants' bioavailability in soil, and (iii) explore the mechanisms employed by soil microorganisms to attack organic contaminants in soil. - Understanding organic contaminant's behaviour in soil is key to chemically predicting biodegradation

  20. Serotonergic transmission at Merkel discs: modulation by exogenously applied chemical messengers and involvement of Ih currents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Weipang; Kanda, Hirosato; Ikeda, Ryo; Ling, Jennifer; Gu, Jianguo G

    2017-05-01

    The Merkel disc is a main type of tactile end organ consisting of Merkel cells and Aβ-afferent endings that responds to tactile stimulation with slowly adapting type 1 (SA1) afferent impulses. Our recent study has shown that Merkel discs in whisker hair follicles are serotonergic synapses using endogenous serotonin to transmit tactile signals from Merkel cells to Aβ-afferent endings. In this study, we hypothesize that tactile sensitivity of Merkel discs can be modulated by chemical messengers. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether and how SA1 responses of mouse whisker hair follicles may be affected by exogenously applied chemical messengers. We found that SA1 responses were potentiated by serotonin at low concentration (10 μM) but almost completely occluded by serotonin at high concentration (2 mM). In contrast, SA1 responses were not significantly affected by ATP and its metabolically stable analog α,β-methylene-ATP, glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and histamine. SA1 responses were also not affected by antagonists for P2X receptors, ionotropic glutamate receptors, and ionotropic GABA and glycine receptors. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings reconfirm the presence of both ionotropic and metabotropic 5-HT receptors on afferent neurons and their terminals innervating whisker hair follicles. All whisker afferent neurons expressed hyperpolarization-activated inward currents (I h ), which are potentiated by serotonin through the activation of metabotropic 5-HT receptors. Taken together, the findings substantiate the serotonergic mechanism of tactile transmission at Merkel discs and identify the involvement of I h currents in postsynaptic excitatory actions of serotonin. In addition, the findings do not favor any significant involvement of ATP, glutamate, histamine, GABA, or glycine in tactile transmission at the Merkel discs of whisker hair follicles. © 2017 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  1. Control of neuronal network organization by chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jie; Bibari, Olivier; Marchand, Gilles; Benabid, Alim-Louis; Sauter-Starace, Fabien; Appaix, Florence; De Waard, Michel

    2011-01-01

    Carbon nanotube substrates are promising candidates for biological applications and devices. Interfacing of these carbon nanotubes with neurons can be controlled by chemical modifications. In this study, we investigated how chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays (MWNT-A) influences neuronal adhesion and network organization. Functionalization of MWNT-A dramatically modifies the length of neurite fascicles, cluster inter-connection success rate, and the percentage of neurites that escape from the clusters. We propose that chemical functionalization represents a method of choice for developing applications in which neuronal patterning on MWNT-A substrates is required.

  2. Control of neuronal network organization by chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu Jie; Bibari, Olivier; Marchand, Gilles; Benabid, Alim-Louis; Sauter-Starace, Fabien [CEA, LETI-Minatec, 17 Rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Appaix, Florence; De Waard, Michel, E-mail: fabien.sauter@cea.fr, E-mail: michel.dewaard@ujf-grenoble.fr [Inserm U836, Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, Site Sante la Tronche, Batiment Edmond J Safra, Chemin Fortune Ferrini, BP170, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 09 (France)

    2011-05-13

    Carbon nanotube substrates are promising candidates for biological applications and devices. Interfacing of these carbon nanotubes with neurons can be controlled by chemical modifications. In this study, we investigated how chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays (MWNT-A) influences neuronal adhesion and network organization. Functionalization of MWNT-A dramatically modifies the length of neurite fascicles, cluster inter-connection success rate, and the percentage of neurites that escape from the clusters. We propose that chemical functionalization represents a method of choice for developing applications in which neuronal patterning on MWNT-A substrates is required.

  3. 36 Problems and Prospect of Organic Farming in Developing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Choice-Academy

    area of soil nutrient restoration to encourage the use of organic materials, termed ... and social sustainability in its approach ... It improves the physical, chemical ... response to applied fertilizer depends on ..... Society of Agricultural Engineer.

  4. Effect of Organic Solvents in Preparation of Silica-Based Chemical Gel Decontaminates for Decontamination of Nuclear Facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoon, Suk Bon; Jung, Chong Hun; Kim, Chang Ki; Choi, Byung Seon; Lee, Kune Woo; Moon, Jei Kwon

    2011-01-01

    Decontamination of nuclear facilities is necessary to reduce the radiation field during normal operations and decommissioning of complex equipment such as stainless steel components, other iron-based steel and alloys, metal surfaces, structural materials and so on. Chemical decontamination technology in particular is a highly effective method to remove the radioactive contamination through a chemical dissolution or a redox reaction. However, this method has the serious drawback due to the generation of large amounts of the radioactive liquid wastes. Recently, a few literatures have been reported for the preparation of the chemical gel decontaminants to reduce the amount of the radioactive liquid wastes and to enhance the decontamination efficiency through increasing the contact time between the gels and the radioactive contaminants. In the preparation of the chemical gels, the control of the viscosity highly depends on the amount of a coviscosifier used among the components of the chemical gels consisted of a viscosifier, a coviscosifier, and a chemical decontaminant. In this works, a new effective method for the preparation of the chemical gel was investigated by introducing the organic solvents. The mixture solution of the coviscosifier and organic solvent was more effective in the control of the viscosity compared with that of the coviscosifier only in gels. Furthermore, the decontamination efficiency of the chemical gels measured by using the multi-channel analyzer (MCA) showed the high decontamination factor for Co-60 and Cs-137 contaminated on the surface of the stainless steel 304

  5. Chemical principles underpinning the performance of the metal-organic framework HKUST-1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendon, Christopher H; Walsh, Aron

    2015-07-15

    A common feature of multi-functional metal-organic frameworks is a metal dimer in the form of a paddlewheel, as found in the structure of Cu 3 ( btc ) 2 (HKUST-1). The HKUST-1 framework demonstrates exceptional gas storage, sensing and separation, catalytic activity and, in recent studies, unprecedented ionic and electrical conductivity. These results are a promising step towards the real-world application of metal-organic materials. In this perspective, we discuss progress in the understanding of the electronic, magnetic and physical properties of HKUST-1, representative of the larger family of Cu···Cu containing metal-organic frameworks. We highlight the chemical interactions that give rise to its favourable properties, and which make this material well suited to a range of technological applications. From this analysis, we postulate key design principles for tailoring novel high-performance hybrid frameworks.

  6. Biotransformation of trace organic chemicals during groundwater recharge: How useful are first-order rate constants?

    KAUST Repository

    Regnery, J.; Wing, A.D.; Alidina, M.; Drewes, J.E.

    2015-01-01

    This study developed relationships between the attenuation of emerging trace organic chemicals (TOrC) during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a function of retention time, system characteristics, and operating conditions using controlled laboratory

  7. Chemical Annealing of Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrin Films: Effects on Film Morphology and Organic Photovoltaic Performance

    KAUST Repository

    Trinh, Cong; Whited, Matthew T.; Steiner, Andrew; Tassone, Christopher J.; Toney, Michael F.; Thompson, Mark E.

    2012-01-01

    We present a chemical annealing process for organic thin films. In this process, a thin film of a molecular material, such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP), is exposed to a vapor of nitrogen-based ligand (e.g., pyrazine, pz, and triazine, tz

  8. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Solid and Liquid Organic Fertilizers Applied to Lettuce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toonsiri, Phasita; Del Grosso, Stephen J; Sukor, Arina; Davis, Jessica G

    2016-11-01

    Improper application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer and environmental factors can cause the loss of nitrous oxide (NO) to the environment. Different types of fertilizers with different C/N ratios may have different effects on the environment. The focus of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental factors and four organic fertilizers (feather meal, blood meal, fish emulsion, and cyano-fertilizer) applied at different rates (0, 28, 56, and 112 kg N ha) on NO emissions and to track CO emissions from a lettuce field ( L.). The study was conducted in 2013 and 2014 and compared preplant-applied solid fertilizers (feather meal and blood meal) and multiple applications of liquid fertilizers (fish emulsion and cyano-fertilizer). Three days a week, NO and CO emissions were measured twice per day in 2013 and once per day in 2014 using a closed-static chamber, and gas samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. Preplant-applied solid fertilizers significantly increased cumulative NO emissions as compared with control, but multiple applications of liquid fertilizers did not. Emission factors for NO ranged from 0 to 0.1% for multiple applications of liquid fertilizers and 0.6 to 11% for preplant-applied solid fertilizers, which could be overestimated due to chamber placement over fertilizer bands. In 2014, solid fertilizers with higher C/N ratios (3.3-3.5) resulted in higher CO emissions than liquid fertilizers (C/N ratio, 0.9-1.5). Therefore, organic farmers should consider the use of multiple applications of liquid fertilizers as a means to reduce soil greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining high yields. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  9. An extended risk assessment approach for chemical plants applied to a study related to pipe ruptures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milazzo, Maria Francesca; Aven, Terje

    2012-01-01

    Risk assessments and Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) in particular have been used in the chemical industry for many years to support decision-making on the choice of arrangements and measures associated with chemical processes, transportation and storage of dangerous substances. The assessments have been founded on a risk perspective seeing risk as a function of frequency of events (probability) and associated consequences. In this paper we point to the need for extending this approach to place a stronger emphasis on uncertainties. A recently developed risk framework designed to better reflect such uncertainties is presented and applied to a chemical plant and specifically the analysis of accidental events related to the rupture of pipes. Two different ways of implementing the framework are presented, one based on the introduction of probability models and one without. The differences between the standard approach and the extended approaches are discussed from a theoretical point of view as well as from a practical risk analyst perspective.

  10. Effects of Chemical and Organic Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Yield Component of Tomato (Lycopersicon sculentum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R Mirzaei Talarposhti

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Although using animal manures and crop residues as a traditional method for increasing soil fertility and crop yield has a long history but Conventional agricultural systems rely on the use of chemical fertilizer due to its immediate availability of nutrients. In many of modern agricultural systems using chemical fertilizers as a fast and easiest way to reduce nutrient deficiency and increasing soil fertility is considered. Intensive and continuous use of chemical fertilizers leads to decreasing the stability and sustainability of agricultural systems and also poses major threat to environment and human health. Organic fertilizers have positive effects on physiochemical and biological attributes of soil and could be classified in three different groups (i.e. Animal manures, green manure and composts.Using animal manure not only increase soil fertility but also could result in increasing infiltration, aeration and water holding capacity of soil. The main role of these fertilizers is related to physical change in soil. Different types of composts such as municipal waste compost and vermicompost also have similar positive effects, but usually the farmers observe the main effect of these organic fertilizers in long term. In order to investigate the effects of different types of organic fertilizers on growth indexes, yield and yield component of tomato (Lycopersicon sculentum L. current experiment was conducted. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design (RCBD with three replications and six treatments in the research station of Shahid Beheshti University. The experimental treatments were: Control or no fertilizer (NF, chemical fertilizer (CF, cow manure (CM, poultry manure (PM, vermicompost (VC and municipal waste compost (MC. Considering nitrogen concentration in all of the treatments different amounts of these fertilizers were used based on nitrogen recommendation for the field, so in

  11. Recycling of Different Available Organic Wastes through Vermicomposting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Karmakar

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Generation of organic wastes has been increased in an unprecedented rate in India with rapid population expansion, leading to disposal problems. These organic wastes can be converted into valuable wealth by applying vermicomposting technology. Vermicompost which provides macro and micro nutrients to the plants, also reduces pollution by providing a valuable substitute for chemical fertilizers. Present paper deals with vermicomposting of organic wastes from seven different sources and evaluation of nutrient in those vermicomposts following chemical analyses. These seven sources include coconut coir, water hyacinth, mixed materials, cabbage, banana pseudostem, cow dung, and rice husk. Three composting species of earthworms e.g. Eisenia. fetida, Eudrilus. eugeniae, and Perionyx excavatus were chosen for the experiment. Chemical analysis of vermicomposts under study clearly showed that the vermicompost from water hyacinth contained maximum amount of organic C, total N, and total K though the phosphorous content was maximum in vermicompost from mixed materials. Lowest nutrient content was observed in vermicompost of coconut coir. Vermicomposts from mixed materials, cabbage, banana pseudostem were at per in their chemical properties. It can be concluded that among the seven sources, vermicompost from water hyacinth is best for its nutrient value.

  12. Chemical-Structural Changes of Organic Matter in a Semi-Arid Soil After Organic Amendment

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    C.NICOL(A)S; G.MASCIANDARO; T.HERN(A)NDEZ; C.GARCIA

    2012-01-01

    A 9-month incubation experiment using composted and non-composted amendments derived from vine pruning waste and sewage sludge was carried out to study the effects of the nature and stability of organic amendments on the structural composition of organic matter (OM) in a semi-arid soil. The changes of soil OM,both in the whole soil and in the extractable carbon with pyrophosphate,were evaluated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography and chemical analyses.By the end of the experiment,the soils amended with pruning waste exhibited less organic carbon loss than those receiving sewage sludge.The non-composted residues increased the aliphatic-pyrolytic products of the OM,both in the whole soil and also in the pyrophosphate extract,with the products derived from peptides and proteins being significantly higher.After 9 months,in the soils amended with pruning waste the relative abundance of phenolic-pyrolytic products derived from phenolic compounds,lignin and proteins in the whole soil tended to increase more than those in the soils amended with sewage sludge.However,the extractable OM with pyrophosphate in the soils amended with composted residues tended to have higher contents of these phenolic-pyrolytic products than that in non-composted ones.Thus,despite the stability of pruning waste,the composting of this material promoted the incorporation of phenolic compounds to the soil OM.The pyrolytic indices (furfural/pyrrole and aliphatic/aromatic ratios) showed the diminution of aliphatic compounds and the increase of aromatic compounds,indicating the stabilization of the OM in the amended soils after 9 months.In conclusion,the changes of soil OM depend on the nature and stability of the organic amendments,with composted vine pruning waste favouring humification.

  13. Chemical application strategies to protect water quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, Pamela J; Horgan, Brian P; Barber, Brian L; Koskinen, William C

    2018-07-30

    Management of turfgrass on golf courses and athletic fields often involves application of plant protection products to maintain or enhance turfgrass health and performance. However, the transport of fertilizer and pesticides with runoff to adjacent surface waters can enhance algal blooms, promote eutrophication and may have negative impacts on sensitive aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of chemical application setbacks to reduce the off-site transport of chemicals with storm runoff. Experiments with water soluble tracer compounds confirmed an increase in application setback distance resulted in a significant increase in the volume of runoff measured before first off-site chemical detection, as well as a significant reduction in the total percentage of applied chemical transported with the storm runoff. For example, implementation of a 6.1 m application setback reduced the total percentage of an applied water soluble tracer by 43%, from 18.5% of applied to 10.5% of applied. Evaluation of chemographs revealed the efficacy of application setbacks could be observed with storms resulting in lesser (e.g. 100 L) and greater (e.g. > 300 L) quantities of runoff. Application setbacks offer turfgrass managers a mitigation approach that requires no additional resources or time inputs and may serve as an alternative practice when buffers are less appropriate for land management objectives or site conditions. Characterizing potential contamination of surface waters and developing strategies to safeguard water quality will help protect the environment and improve water resource security. This information is useful to grounds superintendents for designing chemical application strategies to maximize environmental stewardship. The data will also be useful to scientists and regulators working with chemical transport and risk models. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Chemical composition of phytoplankton and Particulate Organic Matter in the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. F. Ríos

    1998-09-01

    Full Text Available Elemental (C, H, O, N, Si, P and biochemical composition (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, phosphorus compounds, chlorophyll and opal in particulate organic matter, diatoms, other autotrophs, heterotrophs and detritus from natural plankton were established simultaneously by measuring relatively few components. Using standard techniques in marine chemistry on board ship, it is possible to infer a great deal about the composition and condition of the plankton. In addition, the organic matter content in terms of cell volume was determined for each group of plankton. Variation of chemical composition with depth was also considered. The ratio carbohydrates/lipids (Cbh/Lip was used as an indicator of the chemical quality of the plankton.

  15. The Combination of DGT Technique and Traditional Chemical Methods for Evaluation of Cadmium Bioavailability in Contaminated Soils with Organic Amendment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Yao

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Organic amendments have been proposed as a means of remediation for Cd-contaminated soils. However, understanding the inhibitory effects of organic materials on metal immobilization requires further research. In this study colza cake, a typical organic amendment material, was investigated in order to elucidate the ability of this material to reduce toxicity of Cd-contaminated soil. Available concentrations of Cd in soils were measured using an in situ diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT technique in combination with traditional chemical methods, such as HOAc (aqua regia, EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, NaOAc (sodium acetate, CaCl2, and labile Cd in pore water. These results were applied to predict the Cd bioavailability after the addition of colza cake to Cd-contaminated soil. Two commonly grown cash crops, wheat and maize, were selected for Cd accumulation studies, and were found to be sensitive to Cd bioavailability. Results showed that the addition of colza cake may inhibit the growth of wheat and maize. Furthermore, the addition of increasing colza cake doses led to decreasing shoot and root biomass accumulation. However, increasing colza cake doses did lead to the reduction of Cd accumulation in plant tissues, as indicated by the decreasing Cd concentrations in shoots and roots. The labile concentration of Cd obtained by DGT measurements and the traditional chemical extraction methods, showed the clear decrease of Cd with the addition of increasing colza cake doses. All indicators showed significant positive correlations (p < 0.01 with the accumulation of Cd in plant tissues, however, all of the methods could not reflect plant growth status. Additionally, the capability of Cd to change from solid phase to become available in a soil solution decreased with increasing colza cake doses. This was reflected by the decreases in the ratio (R value of CDGT to Csol. Our study suggests that the sharp decrease in R values could not only

  16. Toxicity of organic chemical pollution in groundwater downgradient of a landfill (Grindsted, Denmark)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baun, Anders; Jensen, S. D.; Bjerg, Poul Løgstrup

    2000-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to describe the occurrence and distribution of toxicity related to organic chemical contaminants in the leachate plume downgradient of the Grindsted Landfill (Denmark). A total of 27 groundwater samples were preconcentrated by solidphase extraction (SPE) using XAD-2...... bioassays, it was concluded that SPE extracts of groundwater collected close to the landfill were toxic. The toxicity decreased with the distance from the landfill. At distances greater than 80 m from the border of the landfill, the groundwater toxicity was not significantly different from the background...... characterization and hazard ranking of groundwater polluted with complex chemical mixtures, such as landfill leachates....

  17. A combined electrocoagulation-sorption process applied to mixed industrial wastewater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Linares-Hernandez, Ivonne [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Facultad de Quimica, Paseo Colon interseccion Paseo Tollocan S/N, C.P. 50120, Toluca (Mexico); Barrera-Diaz, Carlos [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Facultad de Quimica, Paseo Colon interseccion Paseo Tollocan S/N, C.P. 50120, Toluca (Mexico)]. E-mail: cbarrera@uaemex.mx; Roa-Morales, Gabriela [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Facultad de Quimica, Paseo Colon interseccion Paseo Tollocan S/N, C.P. 50120, Toluca (Mexico); Bilyeu, Bryan [University of North Texas, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, PO Box 305310, Denton, TX 76203-5310 (United States); Urena-Nunez, Fernando [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A.P. 18-1027, Col. Escandon, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo, C.P. 11801, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

    2007-06-01

    The removal of organic pollutants from a highly complex industrial wastewater by a aluminium electrocoagulation process coupled with biosorption was evaluated. Under optimal conditions of pH 8 and 45.45 A m{sup -2} current density, the electrochemical method yields a very effective reduction of all organic pollutants, this reduction was enhanced when the biosorption treatment was applied as a polishing step. Treatment reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 84%, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD{sub 5}) by 78%, color by 97%, turbidity by 98% and fecal coliforms by 99%. The chemical species formed in aqueous solution were determined. The initial and final pollutant levels in the wastewater were monitored using UV-vis spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. Finally, the morphology and elemental composition of the biosorbent was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectra (EDS)

  18. A combined electrocoagulation-sorption process applied to mixed industrial wastewater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Linares-Hernandez, Ivonne; Barrera-Diaz, Carlos; Roa-Morales, Gabriela; Bilyeu, Bryan; Urena-Nunez, Fernando

    2007-01-01

    The removal of organic pollutants from a highly complex industrial wastewater by a aluminium electrocoagulation process coupled with biosorption was evaluated. Under optimal conditions of pH 8 and 45.45 A m -2 current density, the electrochemical method yields a very effective reduction of all organic pollutants, this reduction was enhanced when the biosorption treatment was applied as a polishing step. Treatment reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 84%, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) by 78%, color by 97%, turbidity by 98% and fecal coliforms by 99%. The chemical species formed in aqueous solution were determined. The initial and final pollutant levels in the wastewater were monitored using UV-vis spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. Finally, the morphology and elemental composition of the biosorbent was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersion spectra (EDS)

  19. Influence of Wetting and Mass Transfer Properties of Organic Chemical Mixtures in Vadose Zone Materials on Groundwater Contamination by Nonaqueous Phase Liquids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Charles J Werth; Albert J Valocchi, Hongkyu Yoon

    2011-05-21

    Previous studies have found that organic acids, organic bases, and detergent-like chemicals change surface wettability. The wastewater and NAPL mixtures discharged at the Hanford site contain such chemicals, and their proportions likely change over time due to reaction-facilitated aging. The specific objectives of this work were to (1) determine the effect of organic chemical mixtures on surface wettability, (2) determine the effect of organic chemical mixtures on CCl4 volatilization rates from NAPL, and (3) accurately determine the migration, entrapment, and volatilization of organic chemical mixtures. Five tasks were proposed to achieve the project objectives. These are to (1) prepare representative batches of fresh and aged NAPL-wastewater mixtures, (2) to measure interfacial tension, contact angle, and capillary pressure-saturation profiles for the same mixtures, (3) to measure interphase mass transfer rates for the same mixtures using micromodels, (4) to measure multiphase flow and interphase mass transfer in large flow cell experiments, all using the same mixtures, and (5) to modify the multiphase flow simulator STOMP in order to account for updated P-S and interphase mass transfer relationships, and to simulate the impact of CCl4 in the vadose zone on groundwater contamination. Results and findings from these tasks and summarized in the attached final report.

  20. Changes in soil chemical and microbiological properties during 4 years of application of various organic residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odlare, M; Pell, M; Svensson, K

    2008-01-01

    A 4-year field trial was established in eastern Sweden to evaluate the effects of organic waste on soil chemical and microbiological variables. A simple crop rotation with barley and oats was treated with either compost from household waste, biogas residue from household waste, anaerobically treated sewage sludge, pig manure, cow manure or mineral fertilizer. All fertilizers were amended in rates corresponding to 100kgNha(-1)year(-1). The effects of the different types of organic waste were evaluated by subjecting soil samples, taken each autumn 4 weeks after harvest, to an extensive set of soil chemical (pH, Org-C, Tot-N, Tot-P, Tot-S, P-AL, P-Olsen, K-AL, and some metals) and microbiological (B-resp, SIR, microSIR active and dormant microorganisms, PDA, microPDA, PAO, Alk-P and N-min) analyses. Results show that compost increased pH, and that compost as well as sewage sludge increased plant available phosphorus; however, the chemical analysis showed few clear trends over the 4 years and few clear relations to plant yield or soil quality. Biogas residues increased substrate induced respiration (SIR) and, compared to the untreated control amendment of biogas residues as well as compost, led to a higher proportion of active microorganisms. In addition, biogas residues increased potential ammonia oxidation rate (PAO), nitrogen mineralization capacity (N-min) as well as the specific growth rate constant of denitrifiers (microPDA). Despite rather large concentrations of heavy metals in some of the waste products, no negative effects could be seen on either chemical or microbiological soil properties. Changes in soil microbial properties appeared to occur more rapidly than most chemical properties. This suggests that soil microbial processes can function as more sensitive indicators of short-term changes in soil properties due to amendment of organic wastes.

  1. Chemical principles underpinning the performance of the metal–organic framework HKUST-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendon, Christopher H.

    2015-01-01

    A common feature of multi-functional metal–organic frameworks is a metal dimer in the form of a paddlewheel, as found in the structure of Cu3(btc)2 (HKUST-1). The HKUST-1 framework demonstrates exceptional gas storage, sensing and separation, catalytic activity and, in recent studies, unprecedented ionic and electrical conductivity. These results are a promising step towards the real-world application of metal–organic materials. In this perspective, we discuss progress in the understanding of the electronic, magnetic and physical properties of HKUST-1, representative of the larger family of Cu···Cu containing metal–organic frameworks. We highlight the chemical interactions that give rise to its favourable properties, and which make this material well suited to a range of technological applications. From this analysis, we postulate key design principles for tailoring novel high-performance hybrid frameworks. PMID:28706713

  2. Applying total quality management concepts to public health organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaluzny, A D; McLaughlin, C P; Simpson, K

    1992-01-01

    Total quality management (TQM) is a participative, systematic approach to planning and implementing a continuous organizational improvement process. Its approach is focused on satisfying customers' expectations, identifying problems, building commitment, and promoting open decision-making among workers. TQM applies analytical tools, such as flow and statistical charts and check sheets, to gather data about activities within an organization. TQM uses process techniques, such as nominal groups, brainstorming, and consensus forming to facilitate communication and decision making. TQM applications in the public sector and particularly in public health agencies have been limited. The process of integrating TQM into public health agencies complements and enhances the Model Standards Program and assessment methodologies, such as the Assessment Protocol for Excellence in Public Health (APEX-PH), which are mechanisms for establishing strategic directions for public health. The authors examine the potential for using TQM as a method to achieve and exceed standards quickly and efficiently. They discuss the relationship of performance standards and assessment methodologies with TQM and provide guidelines for achieving the full potential of TQM in public health organizations. The guidelines include redefining the role of management, defining a common corporate culture, refining the role of citizen oversight functions, and setting realistic estimates of the time needed to complete a task or project. PMID:1594734

  3. Hybrid chemical and nondestructive-analysis technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsue, S.T.; Marsh, S.F.; Marks, T.

    1982-01-01

    A hybrid chemical/NDA technique has been applied at the Los Alamos National Laboratory to the assay of plutonium in ion-exchange effluents. Typical effluent solutions contain low concentrations of plutonium and high concentrations of americium. A simple trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) separation can remove 99.9% of the americium. The organic phase that contains the separated plutonium can be accurately assayed by monitoring the uranium L x-ray intensities

  4. Environmental issues and work: women with multiple chemical sensitivities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipson, Juliene G; Doiron, Nathalie

    2006-08-01

    Multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) is an acquired condition in which exposure to low levels of chemicals causes symptoms in multiple organ systems. Some 12%-16% of the U.S. population has some level of chemical sensitivity, 80% of whom are women. Attempts to reduce chemical exposures leads to enormous life difficulties at home, school, and workplace. We base our article on an ethnographic study of MCS in the United States and Canada. We describe here themes related to work issues in terms of a general trajectory of becoming sick from work exposures, coping with toxic physical environments and dealing with coworkers and, when unable to continue working, applying for workers' compensation, or disability status, or both.

  5. Textile/metal-organic-framework composites as self-detoxifying filters for chemical-warfare agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Maya, Elena; Montoro, Carmen; Rodríguez-Albelo, L Marleny; Aznar Cervantes, Salvador D; Lozano-Pérez, A Abel; Cenís, José Luis; Barea, Elisa; Navarro, Jorge A R

    2015-06-01

    The current technology of air-filtration materials for protection against highly toxic chemicals, that is, chemical-warfare agents, is mainly based on the broad and effective adsorptive properties of hydrophobic activated carbons. However, adsorption does not prevent these materials from behaving as secondary emitters once they are contaminated. Thus, the development of efficient self-cleaning filters is of high interest. Herein, we report how we can take advantage of the improved phosphotriesterase catalytic activity of lithium alkoxide doped zirconium(IV) metal-organic framework (MOF) materials to develop advanced self-detoxifying adsorbents of chemical-warfare agents containing hydrolysable P-F, P-O, and C-Cl bonds. Moreover, we also show that it is possible to integrate these materials onto textiles, thereby combining air-permeation properties of the textiles with the self-detoxifying properties of the MOF material. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Alchemy in the underworld - recent progress and future potential of organic geochemistry applied to speleothems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blyth, Alison

    2016-04-01

    Speleothems are well used archives for chemical records of terrestrial environmental change, and the integration of records from a range of isotopic, inorganic, and organic geochemical techniques offers significant power in reconstructing both changes in past climates and identifying the resultant response in the overlying terrestrial ecosystems. The use of organic geochemistry in this field offers the opportunity to recover new records of vegetation change (via biomarkers and compound specific isotopes), temperature change (via analysis of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, a compound group derived from microbes and varying in structure in response to temperature and pH), and changes in soil microbial behaviour (via combined carbon isotope analysis). However, to date the use of organic geochemical techniques has been relatively limited, due to issues relating to sample size, concerns about contamination, and unanswered questions about the origins of the preserved organic matter and rates of transport. Here I will briefly review recent progress in the field, and present a framework for the future research needed to establish organic geochemical analysis in speleothems as a robust palaeo-proxy approach.

  7. In vitro to in vivo extrapolation of biotransformation rates for assessing bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic chemicals in mammals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yung-Shan; Lo, Justin C; Otton, S Victoria; Moore, Margo M; Kennedy, Chris J; Gobas, Frank A P C

    2017-07-01

    Incorporating biotransformation in bioaccumulation assessments of hydrophobic chemicals in both aquatic and terrestrial organisms in a simple, rapid, and cost-effective manner is urgently needed to improve bioaccumulation assessments of potentially bioaccumulative substances. One approach to estimate whole-animal biotransformation rate constants is to combine in vitro measurements of hepatic biotransformation kinetics with in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) and bioaccumulation modeling. An established IVIVE modeling approach exists for pharmaceuticals (referred to in the present study as IVIVE-Ph) and has recently been adapted for chemical bioaccumulation assessments in fish. The present study proposes and tests an alternative IVIVE-B technique to support bioaccumulation assessment of hydrophobic chemicals with a log octanol-water partition coefficient (K OW ) ≥ 4 in mammals. The IVIVE-B approach requires fewer physiological and physiochemical parameters than the IVIVE-Ph approach and does not involve interconversions between clearance and rate constants in the extrapolation. Using in vitro depletion rates, the results show that the IVIVE-B and IVIVE-Ph models yield similar estimates of rat whole-organism biotransformation rate constants for hypothetical chemicals with log K OW  ≥ 4. The IVIVE-B approach generated in vivo biotransformation rate constants and biomagnification factors (BMFs) for benzo[a]pyrene that are within the range of empirical observations. The proposed IVIVE-B technique may be a useful tool for assessing BMFs of hydrophobic organic chemicals in mammals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1934-1946. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

  8. Thermoluminescence as a complementary technique for the toxicological evaluation of chemicals in photosynthetic organisms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Repetto, Guillermo, E-mail: grepkuh@upo.es [Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Área de Toxicología, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Seville (Spain); Zurita, Jorge L. [Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Área de Toxicología, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Seville (Spain); Roncel, Mercedes; Ortega, José M. [Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC, Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Seville (Spain)

    2015-01-15

    Highlights: • There are very few toxicological applications of thermoluminescence. • It is a luminescence emission induced by heating the sample in the dark. • It is useful for study the photosystem II function and the level of lipid peroxidation. - Abstract: Thermoluminescence is a simple technique very useful for studying electron transfer reactions on photosystem II (standard thermoluminescence) or the level of lipid peroxidation in membranes (high temperature thermoluminescence) in photosynthetic organisms. Both techniques were used to investigate the effects produced on Chlorella vulgaris cells by six compounds: the chemical intermediates bromobenzene and diethanolamine, the antioxidant propyl gallate, the semiconductor indium nitrate, the pesticide sodium monofluoroacetate and the antimalarial drug chloroquine. Electron transfer activity of the photosystem II significantly decreased after the exposure of Chlorella cells to all the six chemicals used. Lipid peroxidation was slightly decreased by the antioxidant propyl gallate, not changed by indium nitrate and very potently stimulated by diethanolamine, chloroquine, sodium monofluoroacetate and bromobenzene. For five of the chemicals studied (not bromobenzene) there is a very good correlation between the cytotoxic effects in Chlorella cells measured by the algal growth inhibition test, and the inhibition of photosystem II activity. The results suggest that one very important effect of these chemicals in Chlorella cells is the inhibition of photosynthetic metabolism by the blocking of photosystem II functionality. In the case of sodium monofluoroacetate, diethanolamine and chloroquine this inhibition seems to be related with the induction of high level of lipid peroxidation in cells that may alter the stability of photosystem II. The results obtained by both techniques supply information that can be used as a supplement to the growth inhibition test and allows a more complete assessment of the effects of

  9. Thermoluminescence as a complementary technique for the toxicological evaluation of chemicals in photosynthetic organisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Repetto, Guillermo; Zurita, Jorge L.; Roncel, Mercedes; Ortega, José M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • There are very few toxicological applications of thermoluminescence. • It is a luminescence emission induced by heating the sample in the dark. • It is useful for study the photosystem II function and the level of lipid peroxidation. - Abstract: Thermoluminescence is a simple technique very useful for studying electron transfer reactions on photosystem II (standard thermoluminescence) or the level of lipid peroxidation in membranes (high temperature thermoluminescence) in photosynthetic organisms. Both techniques were used to investigate the effects produced on Chlorella vulgaris cells by six compounds: the chemical intermediates bromobenzene and diethanolamine, the antioxidant propyl gallate, the semiconductor indium nitrate, the pesticide sodium monofluoroacetate and the antimalarial drug chloroquine. Electron transfer activity of the photosystem II significantly decreased after the exposure of Chlorella cells to all the six chemicals used. Lipid peroxidation was slightly decreased by the antioxidant propyl gallate, not changed by indium nitrate and very potently stimulated by diethanolamine, chloroquine, sodium monofluoroacetate and bromobenzene. For five of the chemicals studied (not bromobenzene) there is a very good correlation between the cytotoxic effects in Chlorella cells measured by the algal growth inhibition test, and the inhibition of photosystem II activity. The results suggest that one very important effect of these chemicals in Chlorella cells is the inhibition of photosynthetic metabolism by the blocking of photosystem II functionality. In the case of sodium monofluoroacetate, diethanolamine and chloroquine this inhibition seems to be related with the induction of high level of lipid peroxidation in cells that may alter the stability of photosystem II. The results obtained by both techniques supply information that can be used as a supplement to the growth inhibition test and allows a more complete assessment of the effects of

  10. Liquid electrolyte positioning along the device channel influences the operation of Organic Electro-Chemical Transistors

    KAUST Repository

    D'angelo, Pasquale; Coppedè , Nicola; Tarabella, Giuseppe; Romeo, Agostino; Gentile, Francesco T.; Iannotta, Salvatore; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.; Mosca, Roberto

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we show the influence of the liquid electrolyte adsorption by porous films made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate), PEDOT:PSS, on the operation of an Organic Electro-Chemical Transistor with an active channel

  11. Comparison of Organic and Chemical Inputs on Different Densities of Echium amoenum Fisch & Mey. in Mashhad Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Behzad Amiri

    2017-02-01

    of many studies on the effect of organic fertilizers and plant density on different crops, information on the effects of these factors for many medicinal plants is scarce. Therefore, in this study the effect of organic fertilizers and plant density on morphological characteristics and yield of Echium amoenum was studied in a low input cropping system. Materials and methods: In order to evaluate the plant density and comparison of organic and chemical fertilizers on Iranian Ox-Tongue (Echium amoenum, a split plots experiment in time based on RCBD design with three replications was conducted in 2011-2014 growing seasons, in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The main plots included factorial combination of 3 plant densities (3, 5 and 10 plants per m2 and 4 different types of organic and chemical fertilizers (compost, vermicompost, cow manure, nitrogen chemical fertilizer and control and the sub plots included agronomic years (2 and 3 agronomic years. Results and discussion:The results showed that the effect of plant density on dry flower yield was significant, so that the highest dry flower yield (816 kg.ha-1 obtained for 5 plants per m2 and in this treatment dry flower yield was 23% and 15% more than 3 and 10 plants per m2 treatments, respectively. In both of agronomic years, effect of different organic and chemical fertilizers was intensified in 5 plants per m2, for example in second agronomic year, compost in 5 plants per m2 increased seed yield 30 and 25% compared to 3 and 10 plants per m2 densities, respectively. Although the use of chemical fertilizers to improve yield and yield components of Iranian Ox-Tongue was no ineffective, its impacts was much less than organic fertilizers. In general, the results of this research showed that the use of organic fertilizers in optimal plant densities can be reducing environmental risks of chemical fertilizers and develop sustainable agriculture and protect the health of the products. Organic fertilizers are among the

  12. Comparison of Organic and Chemical Inputs on Different Densities of Echium amoenum Fisch & Mey. in Mashhad Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Behzad Amiri

    2017-09-01

    of many studies on the effect of organic fertilizers and plant density on different crops, information on the effects of these factors for many medicinal plants is scarce. Therefore, in this study the effect of organic fertilizers and plant density on morphological characteristics and yield of Echium amoenum was studied in a low input cropping system. Materials and methods: In order to evaluate the plant density and comparison of organic and chemical fertilizers on Iranian Ox-Tongue (Echium amoenum, a split plots experiment in time based on RCBD design with three replications was conducted in 2011-2014 growing seasons, in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The main plots included factorial combination of 3 plant densities (3, 5 and 10 plants per m2 and 4 different types of organic and chemical fertilizers (compost, vermicompost, cow manure, nitrogen chemical fertilizer and control and the sub plots included agronomic years (2 and 3 agronomic years. Results and discussion:The results showed that the effect of plant density on dry flower yield was significant, so that the highest dry flower yield (816 kg.ha-1 obtained for 5 plants per m2 and in this treatment dry flower yield was 23% and 15% more than 3 and 10 plants per m2 treatments, respectively. In both of agronomic years, effect of different organic and chemical fertilizers was intensified in 5 plants per m2, for example in second agronomic year, compost in 5 plants per m2 increased seed yield 30 and 25% compared to 3 and 10 plants per m2 densities, respectively. Although the use of chemical fertilizers to improve yield and yield components of Iranian Ox-Tongue was no ineffective, its impacts was much less than organic fertilizers. In general, the results of this research showed that the use of organic fertilizers in optimal plant densities can be reducing environmental risks of chemical fertilizers and develop sustainable agriculture and protect the health of the products. Organic fertilizers are among the

  13. Effect of Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions on the Köhler Activation of Aqueous Organic Aerosols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Djikaev, Yuri S; Ruckenstein, Eli

    2018-05-03

    We study some thermodynamic aspects of the activation of aqueous organic aerosols into cloud droplets considering the aerosols to consist of liquid solution of water and hydrophilic and hydrophobic organic compounds, taking into account the presence of reactive species in the air. The hydrophobic (surfactant) organic molecules on the surface of such an aerosol can be processed by chemical reactions with some atmospheric species; this affects the hygroscopicity of the aerosol and hence its ability to become a cloud droplet either via nucleation or via Köhler activation. The most probable pathway of such processing involves atmospheric hydroxyl radicals that abstract hydrogen atoms from hydrophobic organic molecules located on the aerosol surface (first step), the resulting radicals being quickly oxidized by ubiquitous atmospheric oxygen molecules to produce surface-bound peroxyl radicals (second step). These two reactions play a crucial role in the enhancement of the Köhler activation of the aerosol and its evolution into a cloud droplet. Taking them and a third reaction (next in the multistep chain of relevant heterogeneous reactions) into account, one can derive an explicit expression for the free energy of formation of a four-component aqueous droplet on a ternary aqueous organic aerosol as a function of four independent variables of state of a droplet. The results of numerical calculations suggest that the formation of cloud droplets on such (aqueous hydrophilic/hydrophobic organic) aerosols is most likely to occur as a Köhler activation-like process rather than via nucleation. The model allows one to determine the threshold parameters of the system necessary for the Köhler activation of such aerosols, which are predicted to be very sensitive to the equilibrium constant of the chain of three heterogeneous reactions involved in the chemical aging of aerosols.

  14. The role of organic matter in the removal of emerging trace organic chemicals during managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rauch-Williams, T; Hoppe-Jones, C; Drewes, J E

    2010-01-01

    This study explored the effect of different bulk organic carbon matrices on the fate of trace organic chemicals (TOrC) during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Infiltration through porous media was simulated in biologically active column experiments under aerobic and anoxic recharge conditions. Wastewater effluent derived organic carbon types, differing in hydrophobicity and biodegradability (i. e., hydrophobic acids, hydrophilic carbon, organic colloids), were used as feed substrates in the column experiments. These carbon substrates while fed at the same concentration differed in their ability to support soil biomass growth during porous media infiltration. Removal of degradable TOrC (with the exception of diclofenac and propyphenazone) was equal or better under aerobic versus anoxic porous media infiltration conditions. During the initial phase of infiltration, the presence of biodegradable organic carbon (BDOC) enhanced the decay of degradable TOrC by promoting soil biomass growth, suggesting that BDOC served as a co-substrate in a co-metabolic transformation of these contaminants. However, unexpected high removal efficiencies were observed for all degradable TOrC in the presence of low BDOC concentrations under well adopted oligotrophic conditions. It is hypothesized that removal under these conditions is caused by a specialized microbial community growing on refractory carbon substrates such as hydrophobic acids. Findings of this study reveal that the concentration and character of bulk organic carbon present in effluents affect the degradation efficiency for TOrC during recharge operation. Specifically aerobic, oligotrophic microbiological soil environments present favorable conditions for the transformation of TOrC, including rather recalcitrant compounds such as chlorinated flame retardants. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Adolescent Exposure to Toxic Volatile Organic Chemicals From E-Cigarettes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubinstein, Mark L; Delucchi, Kevin; Benowitz, Neal L; Ramo, Danielle E

    2018-04-01

    There is an urgent need to understand the safety of e-cigarettes with adolescents. We sought to identify the presence of chemical toxicants associated with e-cigarette use among adolescents. Adolescent e-cigarette users (≥1 use within the past 30 days, ≥10 lifetime e-cigarette use episodes) were divided into e-cigarette-only users (no cigarettes in the past 30 days, urine 4-[methylnitrosamino]-1-[3-pyridyl]-1-butanol [NNAL] level 30 pg/mL; n = 16), and never-using controls ( N = 20). Saliva was collected within 24 hours of the last e-cigarette use for analysis of cotinine and urine for analysis of NNAL and levels of 8 volatile organic chemical compounds. Bivariate analyses compared e-cigarette-only users with dual users, and regression analyses compared e-cigarette-only users with dual users and controls on levels of toxicants. The participants were 16.4 years old on average. Urine excretion of metabolites of benzene, ethylene oxide, acrylonitrile, acrolein, and acrylamide was significantly higher in dual users versus e-cigarette-only users (all P < .05). Excretion of metabolites of acrylonitrile, acrolein, propylene oxide, acrylamide, and crotonaldehyde were significantly higher in e-cigarette-only users compared with controls (all P < .05). Although e-cigarette vapor may be less hazardous than tobacco smoke, our findings can be used to challenge the idea that e-cigarette vapor is safe, because many of the volatile organic compounds we identified are carcinogenic. Messaging to teenagers should include warnings about the potential risk from toxic exposure to carcinogenic compounds generated by these products. Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  16. Analysis of chemical reaction kinetics of depredating organic pollutants from secondary effluent of wastewater treatment plant in constructed wetlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hao; Jiang, Dengling; Yang, Yong; Cao, Guoping

    2013-01-01

    Four subsurface constructed wetlands were built to treat the secondary effluent of a wastewater treatment plant in Tangshan, China. The chemical pollutant indexes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were analyzed to evaluate the removal efficiency of organic pollutants from the secondary effluent of the wastewater treatment plant. In all cases, the subsurface constructed wetlands were efficient in treating organic pollutants. Under the same hydraulic loading condition, the horizontal flow wetlands exhibited better efficiency of COD removal than vertical flow wetlands: the removal rates in horizontal flow wetlands could be maintained at 68.4 ± 2.42% to 92.2 ± 1.61%, compared with 63.8 ± 1.19% to 85.0 ± 1.25% in the vertical flow wetlands. Meanwhile, the chemical reaction kinetics of organic pollutants was analyzed, and the results showed that the degradation courses of the four subsurface wetlands all corresponded with the first order reaction kinetics to a large extent.

  17. Chemical compositions and characteristics of organic compounds in propolis from Yemen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmad A. Al-Ghamdi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Propolis is a gummy material made by honeybees for protecting their hives from bacteria and fungi. The main objective of this study is to determine the chemical compositions and concentrations of organic compounds in the extractable organic matter (EOM of propolis samples collected from four different regions in Yemen. The propolis samples were extracted with a mixture of dichloromethane and methanol and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS. The results showed that the total extract yields ranged from 34% to 67% (mean = 55.5 ± 12.4%. The major compounds were triterpenoids (254 ± 188 mg g−1, mainly α-, β-amyryl and dammaradienyl acetates, n-alkenes (145 ± 89 mg g−1, n-alkanes (65 ± 29 mg g−1, n-alkanoic acids (40 ± 26 mg g−1, long chain wax esters (38 ± 25 mg g−1, n-alkanols (8 ± 3 mg g−1 and methyl n-alkanoates (6 ± 4 mg g−1. The variation in the propolis chemical compositions is apparently related to the different plant sources. The compounds of these propolis samples indicate that they are potential sources of natural bio-active compounds for biological and pharmacological applications.

  18. Organic Redox Species in Aqueous Flow Batteries: Redox Potentials, Chemical Stability and Solubility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedege, Kristina; Dražević, Emil; Konya, Denes; Bentien, Anders

    2016-01-01

    Organic molecules are currently investigated as redox species for aqueous low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). The envisioned features of using organic redox species are low cost and increased flexibility with respect to tailoring redox potential and solubility from molecular engineering of side groups on the organic redox-active species. In this paper 33, mainly quinone-based, compounds are studied experimentially in terms of pH dependent redox potential, solubility and stability, combined with single cell battery RFB tests on selected redox pairs. Data shows that both the solubility and redox potential are determined by the position of the side groups and only to a small extent by the number of side groups. Additionally, the chemical stability and possible degradation mechanisms leading to capacity loss over time are discussed. The main challenge for the development of all-organic RFBs is to identify a redox pair for the positive side with sufficiently high stability and redox potential that enables battery cell potentials above 1 V. PMID:27966605

  19. Organic Redox Species in Aqueous Flow Batteries: Redox Potentials, Chemical Stability and Solubility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wedege, Kristina; Dražević, Emil; Konya, Denes; Bentien, Anders

    2016-12-01

    Organic molecules are currently investigated as redox species for aqueous low-cost redox flow batteries (RFBs). The envisioned features of using organic redox species are low cost and increased flexibility with respect to tailoring redox potential and solubility from molecular engineering of side groups on the organic redox-active species. In this paper 33, mainly quinone-based, compounds are studied experimentially in terms of pH dependent redox potential, solubility and stability, combined with single cell battery RFB tests on selected redox pairs. Data shows that both the solubility and redox potential are determined by the position of the side groups and only to a small extent by the number of side groups. Additionally, the chemical stability and possible degradation mechanisms leading to capacity loss over time are discussed. The main challenge for the development of all-organic RFBs is to identify a redox pair for the positive side with sufficiently high stability and redox potential that enables battery cell potentials above 1 V.

  20. 15 CFR Supplement No. 2 to Part 715 - Examples of Unscheduled Discrete Organic Chemicals (UDOCs) and UDOC Production

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Examples of Unscheduled Discrete... CHEMICALS (UDOCs) Pt. 715, Supp. 2 Supplement No. 2 to Part 715—Examples of Unscheduled Discrete Organic Chemicals (UDOCs) and UDOC Production (1) Examples of UDOCs not subject to declaration include: (i) UDOCs...

  1. Estimation of the soil-water partition coefficient normalized to organic carbon for ionizable organic chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Franco, Antonio; Trapp, Stefan

    2008-01-01

    The sorption of organic electrolytes to soil was investigated. A dataset consisting of 164 electrolytes, composed of 93 acids, 65 bases, and six amphoters, was collected from literature and databases. The partition coefficient log KOW of the neutral molecule and the dissociation constant pKa were...... calculated by the software ACD/Labs®. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation was applied to calculate dissociation. Regressions were developed to predict separately for the neutral and the ionic molecule species the distribution coefficient (Kd) normalized to organic carbon (KOC) from log KOW and pKa. The log...... KOC of strong acids (pKa correlated to these parameters. The regressions derived for weak acids and bases (undissociated at environmental pH) were similar. The highest sorption was found for strong bases (pKa > 7.5), probably due to electrical interactions. Nonetheless, their log KOC...

  2. Solid-state 13C NMR experiments reveal effects of aggregate size on the chemical composition of particulate organic matter in grazed steppe soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffens, M.; Kölbl, A.; Kögel-Knabner, I.

    2009-04-01

    Grazing is one of the most important factors that may reduce soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and subsequently deteriorate aggregate stability in grassland topsoils. Land use management and grazing reduction are assumed to increase the input of OM, improve the soil aggregation and change species composition of vegetation (changes depth of OM input). Many studies have evaluated the impact of grazing cessation on SOM quantity. But until today little is known about the impact of grazing cessation on the chemical quality of SOM in density fractions, aggregate size classes and different horizons. The central aim of this study was to analyse the quality of SOM fractions in differently sized aggregates and horizons as affected by increased inputs of organic matter due to grazing exclusion. We applied a combined aggregate size, density and particle size fractionation procedure to sandy steppe topsoils with different organic matter inputs due to different grazing intensities (continuously grazed = Cg, winter grazing = Wg, ungrazed since 1999 = Ug99, ungrazed since 1979 = Ug79). Three different particulate organic matter (POM; free POM, in aggregate occluded POM and small in aggregate occluded POM) and seven mineral-associated organic matter fractions were separated for each of three aggregate size classes (coarse = 2000-6300 m, medium = 630-2000 m and fine =

  3. Application of hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) to organic chemical contaminants in food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ropkins, K; Beck, A J

    2002-03-01

    Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to the identification, assessment, and control of hazards that was developed as an effective alternative to conventional end-point analysis to control food safety. It has been described as the most effective means of controlling foodborne diseases, and its application to the control of microbiological hazards has been accepted internationally. By contrast, relatively little has been reported relating to the potential use of HACCP, or HACCP-like procedures, to control chemical contaminants of food. This article presents an overview of the implementation of HACCP and discusses its application to the control of organic chemical contaminants in the food chain. Although this is likely to result in many of the advantages previously identified for microbiological HACCP, that is, more effective, efficient, and economical hazard management, a number of areas are identified that require further research and development. These include: (1) a need to refine the methods of chemical contaminant identification and risk assessment employed, (2) develop more cost-effective monitoring and control methods for routine chemical contaminant surveillance of food, and (3) improve the effectiveness of process optimization for the control of chemical contaminants in food.

  4. In vitro mouse spermatogenesis with an organ culture method in chemically defined medium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroyuki Sanjo

    Full Text Available We previously reported the successful induction and completion of mouse spermatogenesis by culturing neonatal testis tissues. The culture medium consisted of α-minimum essential medium (α-MEM, supplemented with Knockout serum replacement (KSR or AlbuMAX, neither of which were defined chemically. In this study, we formulated a chemically defined medium (CDM that can induce mouse spermatogenesis under organ culture conditions. It was found that bovine serum albumin (BSA purified through three different procedures had different effects on spermatogenesis. We also confirmed that retinoic acid (RA played crucial roles in the onset of spermatogonial differentiation and meiotic initiation. The added lipids exhibited weak promoting effects on spermatogenesis. Lastly, luteinizing hormone (LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH, triiodothyronine (T3, and testosterone (T combined together promoted spermatogenesis until round spermatid production. The CDM, however, was not able to produce elongated spermatids. It was also unable to induce spermatogenesis from the very early neonatal period, before 2 days postpartum, leaving certain factors necessary for spermatogenic induction in mice unidentified. Nonetheless, the present study provided important basic information on testis organ culture and spermatogenesis in vitro.

  5. Impact of organic carbon and nutrients mobilized during chemical oxidation on subsequent bioremediation of a diesel-contaminated soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutton, Nora B; Grotenhuis, Tim; Rijnaarts, Huub H M

    2014-02-01

    Remediation with in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) impacts soil organic matter (SOM) and the microbial community, with deleterious effects on the latter being a major hurdle to coupling ISCO with in situ bioremediation (ISB). We investigate treatment of a diesel-contaminated soil with Fenton's reagent and modified Fenton's reagent coupled with a subsequent bioremediation phase of 187d, both with and without nutrient amendment. Chemical oxidation mobilized SOM into the liquid phase, producing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations 8-16 times higher than the untreated field sample. Higher aqueous concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous species were also observed following oxidation; NH4(+) increased 14-172 times. During the bioremediation phase, dissolved carbon and nutrient species were utilized for microbial growth-yielding DOC concentrations similar to field sample levels within 56d of incubation. In the absence of nutrient amendment, the highest microbial respiration rates were correlated with higher availability of nitrogen and phosphorus species mobilized by oxidation. Significant diesel degradation was only observed following nutrient amendment, implying that nutrients mobilized by chemical oxidation can increase microbial activity but are insufficient for bioremediation. While all bioremediation occurred in the first 28d of incubation in the biotic control microcosm with nutrient amendment, biodegradation continued throughout 187d of incubation following chemical oxidation, suggesting that chemical treatment also affects the desorption of organic contaminants from SOM. Overall, results indicate that biodegradation of DOC, as an alternative substrate to diesel, and biological utilization of mobilized nutrients have implications for the success of coupled ISCO and ISB treatments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Zebrafish whole-adult-organism chemogenomics for large-scale predictive and discovery chemical biology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siew Hong Lam

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The ability to perform large-scale, expression-based chemogenomics on whole adult organisms, as in invertebrate models (worm and fly, is highly desirable for a vertebrate model but its feasibility and potential has not been demonstrated. We performed expression-based chemogenomics on the whole adult organism of a vertebrate model, the zebrafish, and demonstrated its potential for large-scale predictive and discovery chemical biology. Focusing on two classes of compounds with wide implications to human health, polycyclic (halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons [P(HAHs] and estrogenic compounds (ECs, we generated robust prediction models that can discriminate compounds of the same class from those of different classes in two large independent experiments. The robust expression signatures led to the identification of biomarkers for potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR and estrogen receptor (ER agonists, respectively, and were validated in multiple targeted tissues. Knowledge-based data mining of human homologs of zebrafish genes revealed highly conserved chemical-induced biological responses/effects, health risks, and novel biological insights associated with AHR and ER that could be inferred to humans. Thus, our study presents an effective, high-throughput strategy of capturing molecular snapshots of chemical-induced biological states of a whole adult vertebrate that provides information on biomarkers of effects, deregulated signaling pathways, and possible affected biological functions, perturbed physiological systems, and increased health risks. These findings place zebrafish in a strategic position to bridge the wide gap between cell-based and rodent models in chemogenomics research and applications, especially in preclinical drug discovery and toxicology.

  7. The influence of vertical sorbed phase transport on the fate of organic chemicals in surface soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLachlan, Michael S; Czub, Gertje; Wania, Frank

    2002-11-15

    Gaseous exchange between surface soil and the atmosphere is an important process in the environmental fate of many chemicals. It was hypothesized that this process is influenced by vertical transport of chemicals sorbed to soil particles. Vertical sorbed phase transport in surface soils occurs by many processes such as bioturbation, cryoturbation, and erosion into cracks formed by soil drying. The solution of the advection/diffusion equation proposed by Jury et al. to describe organic chemical fate in a uniformly contaminated surface soil was modified to include vertical sorbed phase transport This process was modeled using a sorbed phase diffusion coefficient, the value of which was derived from soil carbon mass balances in the literature. The effective diffusivity of the chemical in a typical soil was greater in the modified model than in the model without sorbed phase transport for compounds with log K(OW) > 2 and log K(OA) > 6. Within this chemical partitioning space, the rate of volatilization from the surface soil was larger in the modified model than in the original model by up to a factor of 65. The volatilization rate was insensitive to the value of the sorbed phase diffusion coefficient throughout much of this chemical partitioning space, indicating that the surface soil layer was essentially well-mixed and that the mass transfer coefficient was determined by diffusion through the atmospheric boundary layer only. When this process was included in a non-steady-state regional multimedia chemical fate model running with a generic emissions scenario to air, the predicted soil concentrations increased by upto a factor of 25,whilethe air concentrations decreased by as much as a factor of approximately 3. Vertical sorbed phase transport in the soil thus has a major impact on predicted air and soil concentrations, the state of equilibrium, and the direction and magnitude of the chemical flux between air and soil. It is a key process influencing the environmental

  8. Decomposition of halogenated organic chemicals in ionic liquid by ionizing radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, A.; Taguchi, M.; Kojima, T.; Nagaishi, R.; Hiratsuka, H.

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: Halogenated organic chemicals such as polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorobiphenyls and hexachlorobenzene are widely spread in water environment. These pollutants are persistent against advanced oxidation treatments such as ozone/UV, ozone/hydrogen peroxide, ionizing radiation and photocatalysts. The ionizing radiation, however, can also produce homogeneously and quantitatively reducing species in water. On the other hand, room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have unique properties such as nonflammable, high polarity, low melting point, hydrophobicity and wide electrochemical window. The combined method of reduction by ionizing radiation and RTILs is investigated as a new environmental conservation technology. Experimental: Chlorophenol (CP) is selected as model chemicals having the main frame of halogenated organic chemicals. Each o - , m - and p-CP were irradiated with 60 Co γ-ray in each diethylmethyl(2-methoxy-ethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DEMMA- TFSI), diethylmethyl(2-methoxyethyl)-ammonium tetrafluoroborate (DEMMA-BF4), methanol and ethanol as solvent. Decomposition of CP and formation of irradiation products were studied using HPLC, LC-MS and ion chromatography. Results and discussion: Concentration of CP in each solution decreased as a function of dose. G-value was estimated from the slope at the primary stage of the decomposition curve. The G(-CP) and G(Phenol) were shown in Table 1. G(-CP) in the aliphatic alcohols was 0.21 to 0.37, which is lower than G-value of reducing species in the alcohols, e.g. G=1.0 to 1.5 for solvated electron. Since the rate constant for reaction of CP with hydrated electron is 1.3 x 10 9 mol -1 ·dm 3 ·s -1 , the reverse reaction is considered to attribute. G(-CP) in DEMMA-TFSI or DEMMA-BF4 was about 2 to 3 times higher than that in each alcohol. Lifetime of the reducing species in RTILs would be longer than that in each alcohol. G(-CP) in DEMMA-TFSI decreased by adding acetone or oxygen

  9. Tuning the performance of a natural treatment process using metagenomics for improved trace organic chemical attenuation

    KAUST Repository

    Drewes, Jorg; Li, Dong; Regnery, Julia; Alidina, Mazahirali; Wing, Alexandredavid; Hoppe-Jones, Christiane

    2014-01-01

    removal of trace organic chemicals of emerging concern (CECs). Increasing the humic content of the primary substrate resulted in higher microbial diversity. Lower concentrations and a higher humic content of the primary substrate promoted the attenuation

  10. Natural radioactivity levels and heavy metals in chemical and organic fertilizers used in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Taher, A; Althoyaib, S S

    2012-01-01

    The present work deals with identifying and determining the activity levels of natural occuring radionuclides, (226)Ra and (232)Th series, their decay products and (40)K, in chemical and organic fertilizers used in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A total of 30 samples: 20 phosphatic fertilizers (single super-phosphate SSP and triple super-phosphate,TSP) and 10 organic fertilizers (cow, sheep and chicken) collected from markets and farms. The gamma-ray spectrometer consists of NaI(Tl) detector and its electronic circuit was used for measuring γ-ray spectra. The ranges of radioactivity levels of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in chemical fertilizers are 51.5±5.2-106.3±7.5, 5.1±1.6-9.9±3.2. and 462.6±21-607.3±14Bqkg(-1), respectively. The activities of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in natural fertilizers (cow, sheep and chicken) are lower than the activities in chemical fertilizers. The obtained data are compared with available reported data from other countries in literature. The Ra(eq) in chemical fertilizer ranges from 100.37 to 161.43Bqkg(-1) and in organic fertilizer ranges from 34.07 to 102.19Bqkg(-1), which are lower than the limit of 370Bqkg(-1) adopted from NEA-OECD (1979). The average heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Ni, Co and Cr) contents of the fertilizers marketed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are also determined and within the limits of those used worldwide. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Wintertime aerosol chemical composition and source apportionment of the organic fraction across Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ovadnevaite, J.; Lin, C.; Ceburnis, D.; Huang, R. J. J.; O'Dowd, C. D. D.

    2017-12-01

    A national wide characterization of PM1 was studied for the first time using a high-time resolution Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ACSM) and Aethalometer in Ireland during the heating season. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is the most polluted area with an average PM1 of 7.6 μg/m3, with frequent occurrence of peak concentration over 200 μg/m3 primarily due to solid fuels burning, while Mace Head, in the west coast, is least polluted with an average PM1 of 0.8 μg/m3 due to the distance from the emission sources. The organic aerosol is the most dominant species across Ireland, contributing 65%, 58%, 32%, 33% to total PM1 mass in Dublin, Birr, Carnsore Point, and Mace Head, respectively. Birr, a small town in the midland of Ireland, has comparable PM1 levels (4.8 μg/m3) and similar chemical compositions with that in Dublin. Carnsore Point, on the southeast coast, has similar composition with that at Mace Head, but nearly 3 times the levels of PM1 mass due to its relative closeness to other European countries. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) with the multi-linear engine (ME-2) was performed on the organic matrix to quantify the contribution of factor candidates. Peat burning was found to be the dominant factor across Ireland, contributing more than 40% of the total organic mass in Dublin and Birr while OOA is dominant at rural Carnsore Point and Mace Head. Possible geographic origins of PM1 species and organic factors using polar plots were explored. The findings of solid fuels burning (primarily peat burning) driving the pollution episodes suggest an elimination or controlled emission of solid fuels burning would reduce PM1 by at least 50%.

  12. Fluorescent Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) as a Highly Sensitive and Quickly Responsive Chemical Sensor for the Detection of Antibiotics in Simulated Wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xian-Dong; Zhang, Kun; Wang, Yu; Long, Wei-Wei; Sa, Rong-Jian; Liu, Tian-Fu; Lü, Jian

    2018-02-05

    A Zn(II)-based fluorescent metal-organic framework (MOF) was synthesized and applied as a highly sensitive and quickly responsive chemical sensor for antibiotic detection in simulated wastewater. The fluorescent chemical sensor, denoted FCS-1, exhibited enhanced fluorescence derived from its highly ordered, 3D MOF structure as well as excellent water stability in the practical pH range of simulated antibiotic wastewater (pH = 3.0-9.0). Remarkably, FCS-1 was able to effectively detect a series of sulfonamide antibiotics via photoinduced electron transfer that caused detectable fluorescence quenching, with fairly low detection limits. Two influences impacting measurements related to wastewater treatment and water quality monitoring, the presence of heavy-metal ions and the pH of solutions, were studied in terms of fluorescence quenching, which was nearly unaffected in sulfonamide-antibiotic detection. Additionally, the effective detection of sulfonamide antibiotics was rationalized by the theoretical computation of the energy bands of sulfonamide antibiotics, which revealed a good match between the energy bands of FCS-1 and sulfonamide antibiotics, in connection with fluorescence quenching in this system.

  13. Fate of N and relative efficiency of 15N-labeled organic materials applied to transplanted rice in northern Kyushu region of Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishida, Mizuhiko; Tsuchiya, Kazunari; Yamamuro, Shigekazu

    2004-01-01

    Seven kinds of 15 N-labeled organic materials were applied to transplanted rice to investigate their N fate and relative efficiency in the northern Kyushu region of Japan. The 15 N-labeled organic materials examined in a micro-plot experiment were cattle manure compost, poultry manure compost, swine feces, rice straw compost, rice bran, rice straw, and wheat straw. Regarding swine feces, rice bran, and wheat straw, the direct evaluation of their N fate in paddy fields using 15 N organic materials has not been reported. A significant difference in the N fate in response to the type of organic materials was observed in the uptake rate by rice plants. The uptake rate at the maturity stage was significantly higher in poultry manure (29%), swine feces (25%), and rice bran (26%) than for the other organic materials (6-13%). Cattle manure compost showed the lowest value, namely 6-7%. Using the uptake rate of ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 observed earlier, the relative efficiency of organ nic materials (relative uptake rate of organic material N to chemical fertilizer N) was calculated as the index of the organic material N efficiency. These relative efficiencies of organic materials derived from animal wastes were 16-19, 81, 72, and 71% for cattle manure compost, poultry manure compost, poultry manure compost without inherent NH 4 -H, and swine feces, respectively, and were similar to those estimated by indirect way. The relative efficiencies of organic materials derived from plant residues were 25-31, 73, 33 and 34% for rice straw compost, rice bran, rice straw, and wheat straw, respectively. The N uptake from the organic materials (OM-N uptake) in swine feces and cattle manure compost continued throughout the rice growth period, whereas the OM-N uptake of the other organic materials declined remarkably after 54 DAT. No significant difference was observed in the residual rate and the loss rate among the organic materials. However, some tendencies that might be related to the

  14. Removal of a synthetic organic chemical by PAC-UF systems. II: Model application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsui, Y; Colas, F; Yuasa, A

    2001-02-01

    This paper describes several application potentials with a recently developed model for predicting the synthetic organic chemical (SOC) removal by powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption during ultrafiltration (UF) and discusses the removal mechanism. The model was successfully applied, without any modification, to dead-end mode operation as well as to cross-flow mode operation, validating the assumption of the internal diffusion control mechanism and the continuously-stirred-tank-reactor (CSTR) concept. Even when UF was operated in a cross-flow mode, PAC added was re-circulating in suspension for only a short time. Then, solute uptake took place mostly by PAC immobilized in membrane tubes not only for dead-end operation but also for cross-flow operation. Therefore, cross-flow operation did not have any advantage regarding the SOC mass transfer on PAC in UF loop over dead-end operation. The model simulation implied that pulse PAC addition at the beginning of filtration cycle resulted better SOC removal than continuous PAC addition. However, for the pulse PAC addition mode, the model predicted somewhat lower effluent SOC concentration than the observed values, and the benefit of pulse PAC application in terms of reducing SOC over its continuous dosage was not confirmed. Longer detention time of PAC dosed in a pulse than continuously dosed PAC could possibly further decrease internal diffusivity.

  15. Risk-based high-throughput chemical screening and prioritization using exposure models and in vitro bioactivity assays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shin, Hyeong-Moo; Ernstoff, Alexi; Arnot, Jon

    2015-01-01

    We present a risk-based high-throughput screening (HTS) method to identify chemicals for potential health concerns or for which additional information is needed. The method is applied to 180 organic chemicals as a case study. We first obtain information on how the chemical is used and identify....../oral contact, or dermal exposure. The method provides high-throughput estimates of exposure and important input for decision makers to identify chemicals of concern for further evaluation with additional information or more refined models....

  16. Chemical composition and cycling of dissolved organic matter in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aluwihare, Lihini I.; Repeta, Daniel J.; Chen, Robert F.

    This study focuses on the chemical characterization of high molecular-weight dissolved organic matter (HMW DOM) isolated from the Middle Atlantic Bight in April 1994 and March 1996. Using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1HNMR) and monosaccharide analysis we compared both spatial and temporal variations in the chemical structure of HMW DOM across this region. Our analyses support the presence of at least two compositionally distinct components to HMW DOM. The major component is acyl polysaccharide (APS), a biopolymer rich in carbohydrates, acetate and lipid, accounting for between 50% and 80% of the total high molecular-weight dissolved organic carbon (HMW DOC) in surface samples. APS is most abundant in fully marine, surface-water samples, and is a product of autochthonous production. Organic matter with spectral properties characteristic of humic substances is the second major component of HMW DOM. Humic substances are most abundant (up to 49% of the total carbon) in samples collected from estuaries, near the coast, and in deep water, suggesting both marine and perhaps terrestrial sources. Radiocarbon analyses of neutral monosaccharides released by the hydrolysis of APS have similar and modern (average 71‰) Δ 14C values. Radiocarbon data support our suggestion that these sugars occur as part of a common macromolecule, with an origin via recent biosynthesis. Preliminary radiocarbon data for total neutral monosaccharides isolated from APS at 300 and 750 m show this fraction to be substantially enriched relative to total HMW DOC and DOC. The relatively enriched radiocarbon values of APS at depth suggest APS is rapidly transported into the deep ocean.

  17. Molecular corridors and parameterizations of volatility in the chemical evolution of organic aerosols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Li

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The formation and aging of organic aerosols (OA proceed through multiple steps of chemical reaction and mass transport in the gas and particle phases, which is challenging for the interpretation of field measurements and laboratory experiments as well as accurate representation of OA evolution in atmospheric aerosol models. Based on data from over 30 000 compounds, we show that organic compounds with a wide variety of functional groups fall into molecular corridors, characterized by a tight inverse correlation between molar mass and volatility. We developed parameterizations to predict the saturation mass concentration of organic compounds containing oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur from the elemental composition that can be measured by soft-ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry. Field measurement data from new particle formation events, biomass burning, cloud/fog processing, and indoor environments were mapped into molecular corridors to characterize the chemical nature of the observed OA components. We found that less-oxidized indoor OA are constrained to a corridor of low molar mass and high volatility, whereas highly oxygenated compounds in atmospheric water extend to high molar mass and low volatility. Among the nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds identified in atmospheric aerosols, amines tend to exhibit low molar mass and high volatility, whereas organonitrates and organosulfates follow high O : C corridors extending to high molar mass and low volatility. We suggest that the consideration of molar mass and molecular corridors can help to constrain volatility and particle-phase state in the modeling of OA particularly for nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds.

  18. Differentiation of organic and non-organic winter wheat cultivars from a controlled field trial by crystallization patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kahl, Johannes; Busscher, Nicolaas; Mergardt, Gaby; Mäder, Paul; Torp, Torfinn; Ploeger, Angelika

    2015-01-01

    There is a need for authentication tools in order to verify the existing certification system. Recently, markers for analytical authentication of organic products were evaluated. Herein, crystallization with additives was described as an interesting fingerprint approach which needs further evidence, based on a standardized method and well-documented sample origin. The fingerprint of wheat cultivars from a controlled field trial is generated from structure analysis variables of crystal patterns. Method performance was tested on factors such as crystallization chamber, day of experiment and region of interest of the patterns. Two different organic treatments and two different treatments of the non-organic regime can be grouped together in each of three consecutive seasons. When the k-nearest-neighbor classification method was applied, approximately 84% of Runal samples and 95% of Titlis samples were classified correctly into organic and non-organic origin using cross-validation. Crystallization with additive offers an interesting complementary fingerprint method for organic wheat samples. When the method is applied to winter wheat from the DOK trial, organic and non-organic treated samples can be differentiated significantly based on pattern recognition. Therefore crystallization with additives seems to be a promising tool in organic wheat authentication. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Environmental risk assessment of selected organic chemicals based on TOC test and QSAR estimation models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chi, Yulang; Zhang, Huanteng; Huang, Qiansheng; Lin, Yi; Ye, Guozhu; Zhu, Huimin; Dong, Sijun

    2018-02-01

    Environmental risks of organic chemicals have been greatly determined by their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (PBT) and physicochemical properties. Major regulations in different countries and regions identify chemicals according to their bioconcentration factor (BCF) and octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow), which frequently displays a substantial correlation with the sediment sorption coefficient (Koc). Half-life or degradability is crucial for the persistence evaluation of chemicals. Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) estimation models are indispensable for predicting environmental fate and health effects in the absence of field- or laboratory-based data. In this study, 39 chemicals of high concern were chosen for half-life testing based on total organic carbon (TOC) degradation, and two widely accepted and highly used QSAR estimation models (i.e., EPI Suite and PBT Profiler) were adopted for environmental risk evaluation. The experimental results and estimated data, as well as the two model-based results were compared, based on the water solubility, Kow, Koc, BCF and half-life. Environmental risk assessment of the selected compounds was achieved by combining experimental data and estimation models. It was concluded that both EPI Suite and PBT Profiler were fairly accurate in measuring the physicochemical properties and degradation half-lives for water, soil, and sediment. However, the half-lives between the experimental and the estimated results were still not absolutely consistent. This suggests deficiencies of the prediction models in some ways, and the necessity to combine the experimental data and predicted results for the evaluation of environmental fate and risks of pollutants. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Enzyme Technology of Peroxidases: Immobilization, Chemical and Genetic Modification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longoria, Adriana; Tinoco, Raunel; Torres, Eduardo

    An overview of enzyme technology applied to peroxidases is made. Immobilization on organic, inorganic, and hybrid supports; chemical modification of amino acids and heme group; and genetic modification by site-directed and random mutagenesis are included. Different strategies that were carried out to improve peroxidase performance in terms of stability, selectivity, and catalytic activity are analyzed. Immobilization of peroxidases on inorganic and organic materials enhances the tolerance of peroxidases toward the conditions normally found in many industrial processes, such as the presence of an organic solvent and high temperature. In addition, it is shown that immobilization helps to increase the Total Turnover Number at levels high enough to justify the use of a peroxidase-based biocatalyst in a synthesis process. Chemical modification of peroxidases produces modified enzymes with higher thermostability and wider substrate variability. Finally, through mutagenesis approaches, it is possible to produce modified peroxidases capable of oxidizing nonnatural substrates with high catalytic activity and affinity.

  1. Effect of organic solvents on dissolution process of mechano-chemically activated molybdenum by inorganic acid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shevtsova, I.Ya.; Chernyak, A.S.; Khal'zov, A.A.

    1992-01-01

    The process of chemical dissolution of mechanochemically activated and nonactivated molybdenite by inorganic acid solutions in certain organic solvents of different nature was considered. It is shown that the highest extraction of molybdenum in solution is achieved in the presence of nitric acid. The dissociation constant of the acid used in the given organic solvent does not affect molybdenite solubility. When dissolving molybdenite by solutions of nitric acid in carbonic acids, alcohols and esters, the solubility of the concentrate depends on the length of hydrocarbon chain of the organic solvent and dispersion degree of mineral source material

  2. Chemical oxygen demand reduction in coffee wastewater through chemical flocculation and advanced oxidation processes

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZAYAS Pérez Teresa; GEISSLER Gunther; HERNANDEZ Fernando

    2007-01-01

    The removal of the natural organic matter present in coffee processing wastewater through chemical coagulation-flocculatio and advanced oxidation processes(AOP)had been studied.The effectiveness of the removal of natural organic matter using commercial flocculants and UV/H202,UVO3 and UV/H-H202/O3 processes was determined under acidic conditions.For each of these processes,different operational conditions were explored to optimize the treatment efficiency of the coffee wastewater.Coffee wastewater is characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand(COD)and low total suspended solids.The outcomes of coffee wastewater reeatment using coagulation-flocculation and photodegradation processes were assessed in terms of reduction of COD,color,and turbidity.It was found that a reductiOn in COD of 67%could be realized when the coffee wastewater was treated by chemical coagulation-flocculatlon witll lime and coagulant T-1.When coffee wastewater was treated by coagulation-flocculation in combination with UV/H202,a COD reduction of 86%was achieved,although only after prolonged UV irradiation.Of the three advanced oxidation processes considered,UV/H202,uv/03 and UV/H202/03,we found that the treatment with UV/H2O2/O3 was the most effective,with an efficiency of color,turbidity and further COD removal of 87%,when applied to the flocculated coffee wastewater.

  3. Industrial emerging chemicals in the environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vojinović-Miloradov Mirjana B.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In the recent time, considerable interest has grown concerning the presence of the emerging industrial chemicals, EmIC. They are contaminants that have possible pathway to enter to the environment and they are dominantly released by industrial and anthropogenic activities. EmIC are applied in different fields using as industrial chemicals (new and recently recognized, global organic contaminants (flame retardant chemicals, pharmaceuticals (for both human and animal uses, endocrine-modulating compounds, biological metabolites, personal care products, household chemicals, nanomaterial (energy storage products, lubricants, anticorrosive and agriculture chemicals and others that are applied to a wide variety of everyday items such as clothing, upholstery, electronics and automobile interiors. NORMAN (Network of reference laboratories for monitoring of emerging environmental pollutants has established an open, dynamic, list of emerging substances and pollutants. EmIC have been recently detected in the environment due to their long-term presence, pseudo-persistence and increased use. Improvements in sophisticated analytical methods and time integrative passive sampling have enabled the identification and quantification of EmIC, in very low concentrations (ppb, ppt and lower, which likely have been present in all environmental mediums for decades. Passive technology is an innovative technique for the time-integrated measurement of emerging contaminants in water, sediment, soil and air. Passive samplers are simple handling cost-effective tool that could be used in environmental monitoring programmes. These devices are now being considered as a part of an emerging strategy for monitoring a range of emerging industrial chemicals and priority pollutants in the aquatic environment. EmIC are substances that are not included in the routine monitoring programmes and whose fate, behaviour and (ecotoxicological effects are still not well understood. Emerging

  4. Organization A Comprehensive System Of Insurance Coverage In The Potential Chemical And Biological Contamination Zone In Regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Vladimirovna Zaytseva

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article provides a scientific rationale for an integrated approach to the provision of insurance coverage in the potential chemical and biological contamination zone. The following modern forms of chemical safety in the Russian Federation were considered: state reserve’s system, target program financing, state social insurance. The separate issue tackles the obligatory civil liability insurance for owners of dangerous objects. For improvement of the existing insurance protection system against emergency situations, risks were analyzed (shared on exogenous and endogenous. Among the exogenous risks including natural and climatic conditions of a region, its geographical arrangement, economic specialization, the seismic and terrorist risks were chosen and approaches to its solution were suggested. In endogenous risks’ group, the special focus is on wear and tear and obsolescence of hazardous chemical and biological object’s fixed assets. In case of high risk of an incident, it is suggested to increase in extent of insurance protection through self-insurance, a mutual insurance in the form of the organization of societies of a mutual insurance or the self-regulating organizations, and also development of voluntary insurance of a civil liability, both the owner of hazardous object, and regions of the Russian Federation and municipalities. The model of insurance coverage in the potential chemical and biological contamination zone is based on a differentiated approach to the danger level of the area. A matrix of adequate forms and types of insurance (required for insurance coverage of the population in the potential chemical and biological contamination zone was constructed. Proposed health risk management toolkit in the potential chemical and biological contamination zone will allow to use financial resources for chemical and biological safety in the regions more efficiently.

  5. MOFwich: Sandwiched Metal-Organic Framework-Containing Mixed Matrix Composites for Chemical Warfare Agent Removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Gregory W; Lu, Annie X; Hall, Morgan G; Browe, Matthew A; Tovar, Trenton; Epps, Thomas H

    2018-02-28

    This work describes a new strategy for fabricating mixed matrix composites containing layered metal-organic framework (MOF)/polymer films as functional barriers for chemical warfare agent protection. Through the use of mechanically robust polymers as the top and bottom encasing layers, a high-MOF-loading, high-performance-core layer can be sandwiched within. We term this multifunctional composite "MOFwich". We found that the use of elastomeric encasing layers enabled core layer reformation after breakage, an important feature for composites and membranes alike. The incorporation of MOFs into the core layer led to enhanced removal of chemical warfare agents while simultaneously promoting moisture vapor transport through the composite, showcasing the promise of these composites for protection applications.

  6. Reducing health risk assigned to organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laman, David M; Weiler, B Douglas; Skeen, Rodney S

    2013-03-01

    Organic emissions from a chemical weapons incinerator have been characterized with an improved set of analytical methods to reduce the human health risk assigned to operations of the facility. A gas chromatography/mass selective detection method with substantially reduced detection limits has been used in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared microscopy to improve the speciation of semi-volatile and non-volatile organics emitted from the incinerator. The reduced detection limits have allowed a significant reduction in the assumed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and aminobiphenyl (ABP) emission rates used as inputs to the human health risk assessment for the incinerator. A mean factor of 17 decrease in assigned human health risk is realized for six common local exposure scenarios as a result of the reduced PAH and ABP detection limits.

  7. Development of hazard analysis by critical control points (HACCP) procedures to control organic chemical hazards in the agricultural production of raw food commodities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ropkins, Karl; Ferguson, Andrew; Beck, Angus J

    2003-01-01

    Hazard Analysis by Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to the identification, assessment, and control of hazards in the food chain. Effective HACCP requires the consideration of all chemical microbiological, and physical hazards. However, current procedures focus primarily on microbiological and physical hazards, while chemical aspects of HACCP have received relatively little attention. In this article we discuss the application of HACCP to organic chemical contaminants and the problems that are likely to be encountered in agriculture. We also present generic templates for the development of organic chemical contaminant HACCP procedures for selected raw food commodities, that is, cereal crops,raw meats, and milk.

  8. Life cycle risks for human health: a comparison of petroleum versus bio-based production of five bulk organic chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roes, Alexander L; Patel, Martin K

    2007-10-01

    This article describes the development and application of a generic approach to the comparative assessment of risks related to the production of organic chemicals by petrochemical processes versus white biotechnology. White biotechnology, also referred to as industrial biotechnology, typically uses bio-based feedstocks instead of the fossil raw materials used in the petrochemical sector. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the production of chemicals by means of white biotechnology has lower conventional risks than their production by petrochemical processes. Conventional risks are the risks of well-established processes, and not those related to genetically modified microorganisms and plants. Our approach combines classical risk assessment methods (largely based on toxicology), as developed by the life cycle assessment (LCA) community, with statistics on technological disasters, accidents, and work-related illnesses. Moreover, it covers the total process chain for both petrochemical and bio-based products from cradle to grave. The approach was applied to five products: the plastics polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and ethanol. Our results show that the conventional risks related to the white biotechnology products studied are lower than those of the petrochemical products. However, considering the uncertainties with respect to the ranges of input data, the (incomplete) coverage of emissions by the environmental priority strategies (EPS) 2000 method, and the uncertainties of the assumptions made in this study (i.e., large to very large), the differences in results between bio-based and petrochemical products fall into the uncertainty range. Because of this, future research is necessary to decrease the uncertainties before we can conclude that the conventional risks of biotechnologically produced chemicals are lower than those of fossil-fuel-derived chemicals.

  9. Analysis of very thin organic fibres by means of small spots electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daiser, S.M.; Cormia, R.D.; Scharpen, L.

    1985-01-01

    ESCA analysis of very thin organic fibres as small as a few micrometer diameter is now possible using the small spot X-ray capability of the SSX100 ESCA system. The sampling method involves suspending the material in the SSX100 chamber, and illuminating it with a monochromatized X-ray beam of 150-300 μm diameter. From the small spot ESCA spectra one can determine the chemical character of the organic layer and the thickness. (Author)

  10. Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Animal Husbandry: Chemical Compositions, Separation of Sources and Animal Types

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, B.; Coggon, M.; Koss, A.; Warneke, C.; Eilerman, S. J.; Neuman, J. A.; Peischl, J.; Aikin, K. C.; Ryerson, T. B.; De Gouw, J. A.

    2016-12-01

    Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are important sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. We used a hydronium ion time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (H3O+ ToF-CIMS) to measure VOC emissions from CAFOs in the Northern Front Range of Colorado during an aircraft campaign (SONGNEX) for regional contributions and from a mobile laboratory sampling for chemical characterizations of individual animal feedlots. The main VOCs emitted from CAFOs include carboxylic acids, alcohols, carbonyls, phenolic species, sulfur- and nitrogen-containing species. Alcohols and carboxylic acids dominate VOC concentrations. Sulfur-containing and phenolic species become more important in terms of odor activity values and NO3 reactivity, respectively. The high time-resolution mobile measurements allow the separation of the sources of VOCs from different parts of the operations occurring within the facilities. We show that the increase of ethanol concentrations were primarily associated with feed storage and handling. We apply a multivariate regression analysis using NH3 and ethanol as tracers to attribute the relative importance of animal-related emissions (animal exhalation and waste) and feed-related emissions (feed storage and handling) for different VOC species. Feed storage and handling contribute significantly to emissions of alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids. Phenolic species and nitrogen-containing species are predominantly associated with animals and their waste. VOC ratios can be potentially used as indicators for the separation of emissions from dairy and beef cattle from the regional aircraft measurements.

  11. Assessment of soil organic matter persistence under different land uses applying a physical fractionation procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannetta, Beatrice; Plaza, César; López-de-Sá, Esther G.; Vischetti, Costantino; Zaccone, Claudio

    2017-04-01

    The understanding of the mechanisms involved in the build-up of soil organic matter (SOM) pools with long residence time is tightly linked to the comprehension of C dynamics. Organo-mineral associations are known to be strongly correlated with the accumulation of selective preserved C forms. Adsorption to minerals, as well as occlusion within aggregates, may affect SOM protection in different ways depending on its molecular structure and pedo-climatic conditions. In this research, we investigated changes in quantity and quality of SOM pools characterized by different protection mechanisms in coniferous and broadleaved forest soils, grassland soils, technosols and an agricultural soil with different organic amendments, in order to evaluate the influence of both land use and organic matter nature on physical and/or chemical stabilization of SOM. In particular, free (FR), intra-macroaggregate (MA), intra-microaggregate (MI), and mineral-associated (Min) fractions were separated in order to define physical and chemical mechanisms responsible for the SOM protection against degradation. All these SOM fractions were analyzed for organic C and total N concentration, and their stability assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TD-TGA). Preliminary data show that, for all land uses, most of the organic C (40-60%) is found in the Min pool, followed by FR (20-40%)>MI MA. With the only exception of the FR, no significant correlations were found between the C/N ratio and a thermal stability index (H550-400/400-250) of each fraction; at the same time, a highly significant and positive correlation was found between these two parameters in all fractions isolated from agricultural soils. In particular, the thermal stability index measured in all Min fractions may be related to the more marked presence of labile compounds in this pool relative to recalcitrant compounds. Conversely, FR OM could not always represent a fresh and readily decomposable fraction.Furthermore, OM associated

  12. Improved performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell with enlarged anode and high applied voltages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Bo; Luo, Haiping; Lu, Yaobin; Liu, Guangli; Zhang, Renduo; Li, Xiao

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this study was to improve performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC) using enlarged anode and high applied voltages. MEDCCs with anode lengths of 9 and 48cm (i.e., the 9cm-anode MEDCC and 48cm-anode MEDCC, respectively) were tested under different voltages (1.2-3.0V). Our results demonstrated for the first time that the MEDCC could maintain high performance even under the applied voltage higher than that for water dissociation (i.e., 1.8V). Under the applied voltage of 2.5V, the maximum current density in the 48cm-anode MEDCC reached 32.8±2.6A/m 2 , which is one of the highest current densities reported so far in the bioelectrochemical system (BES). The relative abundance of Geobacter was changed along the anode length. Our results show the great potential of the BES with enlarged anode and high applied voltages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Proteomic Analysis of the Reproductive Organs of the Hermaphroditic Gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis Exposed to Different Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giusti, Arnaud; Leprince, Pierre; Mazzucchelli, Gabriel; Thomé, Jean-Pierre; Lagadic, Laurent; Ducrot, Virginie; Joaquim-Justo, Célia

    2013-01-01

    Many studies have reported perturbations of mollusc reproduction following exposure to low concentrations (ng/L range) of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). However, the mechanisms of action of these molecules on molluscs are still poorly understood. Investigation of the modifications of protein expression in organisms exposed to chemicals using proteomic methods can provide a broader and more comprehensive understanding of adverse impacts of pollution on organisms than conventional biochemical biomarkers (e.g., heat-shock proteins, metallothioneins, GST, EROD). In this study we have investigated the impacts of four chemicals, which exhibit different endocrine disrupting properties in vertebrates, on the proteome of the hermaphroditic freshwater pulmonate gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis after 21 days of exposure. Testosterone, tributyltin, chlordecone and cyproterone acetate were chosen as tested compounds as they can induce adverse effects on the reproduction of this snail. The 2D-DIGE method was used to identify proteins whose expression was affected by these compounds. In addition to modifying the expression of proteins involved in the structure and function of the cytoskeleton, chemicals had impacts on the expression of proteins involved in the reproduction of L. stagnalis. Exposure to 19.2 µg/L of chlordecone increased the abundance of ovipostatin, a peptide transmitted during mating through seminal fluid, which reduces oviposition in this species. The expression of yolk ferritin, the vitellogenin equivalent in L. stagnalis, was reduced after exposure to 94.2 ng Sn/L of tributyltin. The identification of yolk ferritin and the modification of its expression in snails exposed to chemicals were refined using western blot analysis. Our results showed that the tested compounds influenced the abundance of yolk ferritin in the reproductive organs. Alteration in proteins involved in reproductive pathways (e.g., ovipostatin and yolk ferritin) could constitute relevant

  14. Chemical characteristics and methane potentials of source-separated and pre-treated organic municipal solid waste

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Trine Lund; Svärd, Å; Angelidaki, Irini

    2003-01-01

    A research project has investigated the biogas potential of pre-screened source-separated organic waste. Wastes from five Danish cities have been pre-treated by three methods: screw press; disc screen; and shredder and magnet. This paper outlines the sampling procedure used, the chemical...... composition of the wastes and the estimated methane potentials....

  15. Determination of organic products resulting of chemical and radiochemical decompositions of bitumen. Applications to embedded bitumens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walczak, I.

    2000-01-01

    Bitumen can be used for embedding most of wastes because of its high impermeability and its relatively low reactivity with of chemicals. Bituminization is one of selected solutions in agreement with nuclear safety, waste compatibility and economic criteria. Bitumen, during storage, undergoes an auto-irradiation due to embedded radio-elements. During this stage,drums are not airtight then oxygen is present. In disposal configuration, water, which is a potential vector of radioactivity and organic matter, is an other hazard factor liable to deteriorate the containment characteristics of bitumen wastes. The generation of water-soluble organic complexing agents can affect the integrity of the wasteform due to an increase of the radionuclides solubility. The first aim of this work is the quantitative and qualitative characterisation of soluble organic matter in bitumen leachates. Different leaching solutions were tested (various pH, ionic strength, ratio S/V). When the pH of the leaching solutions increases, the total organic carbon released increases as well. Identified molecules are aromatics like naphthalene, oxidised compounds like alcohols, linear carbonyls, aromatics, glycols and nitrogen compounds. For the cement equilibrated solution (pH 13.5), the effect of ionic strength becomes significative and influences the release of soluble organic matter. This soluble organic matter can be bio-degraded if microorganisms can growth. The second aim of this work is to study the effect of radio-oxidative ageing on the bitumen confinement properties. During radio-oxidation, the chemical properties of bitumen are modified. The μ-IRTF analysis shows the formation of hydroxyl compounds and aromatic acids. The formation of these polar groups does not influence in our study the water uptake. However the organic matter release increases significantly with the irradiation dose. (author)

  16. Artificial neural networks applied to quantitative elemental analysis of organic material using PIXE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correa, R.; Chesta, M.A.; Morales, J.R.; Dinator, M.I.; Requena, I.; Vila, I.

    2006-01-01

    An artificial neural network (ANN) has been trained with real-sample PIXE (particle X-ray induced emission) spectra of organic substances. Following the training stage ANN was applied to a subset of similar samples thus obtaining the elemental concentrations in muscle, liver and gills of Cyprinus carpio. Concentrations obtained with the ANN method are in full agreement with results from one standard analytical procedure, showing the high potentiality of ANN in PIXE quantitative analyses

  17. Artificial neural networks applied to quantitative elemental analysis of organic material using PIXE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Correa, R. [Universidad Tecnologica Metropolitana, Departamento de Fisica, Av. Jose Pedro Alessandri 1242, Nunoa, Santiago (Chile)]. E-mail: rcorrea@utem.cl; Chesta, M.A. [Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Facultad de Matematica, Astronomia y Fisica, Medina Allende s/n Ciudad Universitaria, 5000 Cordoba (Argentina)]. E-mail: chesta@famaf.unc.edu.ar; Morales, J.R. [Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Fisica, Las Palmeras 3425, Nunoa, Santiago (Chile)]. E-mail: rmorales@uchile.cl; Dinator, M.I. [Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Fisica, Las Palmeras 3425, Nunoa, Santiago (Chile)]. E-mail: mdinator@uchile.cl; Requena, I. [Universidad de Granada, Departamento de Ciencias de la Computacion e Inteligencia Artificial, Daniel Saucedo Aranda s/n, 18071 Granada (Spain)]. E-mail: requena@decsai.ugr.es; Vila, I. [Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Ecologia, Las Palmeras 3425, Nunoa, Santiago (Chile)]. E-mail: limnolog@uchile.cl

    2006-08-15

    An artificial neural network (ANN) has been trained with real-sample PIXE (particle X-ray induced emission) spectra of organic substances. Following the training stage ANN was applied to a subset of similar samples thus obtaining the elemental concentrations in muscle, liver and gills of Cyprinus carpio. Concentrations obtained with the ANN method are in full agreement with results from one standard analytical procedure, showing the high potentiality of ANN in PIXE quantitative analyses.

  18. Continuous, Highly Flexible, and Transparent Graphene Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition for Organic Photovoltaics

    KAUST Repository

    Gomez De Arco, Lewis

    2010-05-25

    We report the implementation of continuous, highly flexible, and transparent graphene films obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) as transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) in organic photovoltaic cells. Graphene films were synthesized by CVD, transferred to transparent substrates, and evaluated in organic solar cell heterojunctions (TCE/poly-3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene:poly styrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/copper phthalocyanine/fullerene/bathocuproine/aluminum). Key to our success is the continuous nature of the CVD graphene films, which led to minimal surface roughness (∼ 0.9 nm) and offered sheet resistance down to 230 Ω/sq (at 72% transparency), much lower than stacked graphene flakes at similar transparency. In addition, solar cells with CVD graphene and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes were fabricated side-by-side on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates and were confirmed to offer comparable performance, with power conversion efficiencies (η) of 1.18 and 1.27%, respectively. Furthermore, CVD graphene solar cells demonstrated outstanding capability to operate under bending conditions up to 138°, whereas the ITO-based devices displayed cracks and irreversible failure under bending of 60°. Our work indicates the great potential of CVD graphene films for flexible photovoltaic applications. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

  19. Molecular design chemical structure generation from the properties of pure organic compounds

    CERN Document Server

    Horvath, AL

    1992-01-01

    This book is a systematic presentation of the methods that have been developed for the interpretation of molecular modeling to the design of new chemicals. The main feature of the compilation is the co-ordination of the various scientific disciplines required for the generation of new compounds. The five chapters deal with such areas as structure and properties of organic compounds, relationships between structure and properties, and models for structure generation. The subject is covered in sufficient depth to provide readers with the necessary background to understand the modeling

  20. Signatures of nitrogen stable isotope and determination of organic food authentication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Yuwei; Zhang Zhiheng; Yang Guiling; Wang Qiang

    2009-01-01

    Chemical fertilizers were not permitted to be applied in organic agricultural production, so fertilizer as one of agricultural inputs is an important regulatory aspect in the organic food accreditation. Natural stable isotope abundances δ 15 N from different nitrogenous fertilizers are different, the same as in the agricultural products. Natural abundances δ 15 N in the agricultural products using organic fertilizer is higher than those in the products without using any fertilizer, while it is the lowest in the products using chemical nitrogenous fertilizer. Natural abundances δ 15 N are also affected by the ways of fertilizer treatment, the types of the crops and the growth stages as well as the different parts of crops. Generally, natural abundances of δ 15 N are preferred to trace nitrogenous fertilizer for the vegetables with shorter growing period, but not for the crops with longer growing period or nitrogen fixation. The techniques to trace the nitrogen abundances of δ 15 N in the crops play a positive role, which is useful for the determination of organic food authentication, perfecting the system of quality and supervision and protecting public health, therefore it has a theoretical and applied value. (authors)

  1. Flexible Synthetic Semiconductor Applied in Optoelectronic Organic Sensor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre F. S. Guedes

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis and application of new nanostructured organic materials, for the development of technology based on organic devices, have taken great interest from the scientific community. The greatest interest in studying organic semiconductor materials has been connected to its already known potential applications, such as: batteries, organic solar cells, flexible organic solar cells, organic light emitting diodes, organic sensors and others. Phototherapy makes use of different radiation sources, and the treatment of hyperbilirubinemia the most common therapeutic intervention occurs in the neonatal period. In this work we developed an organic optoelectronic sensor capable of detecting and determining the radiation dose rate emitted by the radiation source of neonatal phototherapy equipment. The sensors were developed using optically transparent substrate with Nanostructured thin film layers of Poly(9-Vinylcarbazole covered by a layer of Poly(P-Phenylene Vinylene. The samples were characterized by UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Electrical Measurements and SEM. With the results obtained from this study can be developed dosimeters organics to the neonatal phototherapy equipment.

  2. Liming effects on the chemical composition of the organic surface layer of a mature Norway spruce stand (Picea abies [L.] Karst.)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rosenberg, W.; Nierop, K.G.J.; Knicker, H.; Jager, de P.A.; Kreutzer, K.; Weiá, T.

    2003-01-01

    The application of lime in a mature Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) forest in southern Germany induced major changes in the activity of soil organisms and root growth. Since this may influence the chemical compostion of the soil organic matter (SOM) of the organic surface layer, its

  3. Quality system of the Chemical Analysis Laboratory to fulfill the requirements with Certification Organizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merlo S, L.; Rodriguez L, R.; Cota S, G.

    1996-01-01

    In the present work was described the Quality System established in the Chemical Analysis Department to fulfill with the Organization requirements, personnel, measurement equipment, calibration, working procedures, etc. to get official acknowledgment by the National Assurance System for Testing laboratories, dependent of the General Standards Direction. There are described the available resources, the performance and control of each of one principal points of the system. (Author)

  4. Using game theory to improve safety within chemical industrial parks

    CERN Document Server

    Reniers, Genserik

    2013-01-01

    Though the game-theoretic approach has been vastly studied and utilized in relation to economics of industrial organizations, it has hardly been used to tackle safety management in multi-plant chemical industrial settings. Using Game Theory for Improving Safety within Chemical Industrial Parks presents an in-depth discussion of game-theoretic modelling which may be applied to improve cross-company prevention and -safety management in a chemical industrial park.   By systematically analyzing game-theoretic models and approaches in relation to managing safety in chemical industrial parks, Using Game Theory for Improving Safety within Chemical Industrial Parks explores the ways game theory can predict the outcome of complex strategic investment decision making processes involving several adjacent chemical plants. A number of game-theoretic decision models are discussed to provide strategic tools for decision-making situations.   Offering clear and straightforward explanations of methodologies, Using Game Theor...

  5. Chemical composition of gas-phase organic carbon emissions from motor vehicles and implications for ozone production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentner, Drew R; Worton, David R; Isaacman, Gabriel; Davis, Laura C; Dallmann, Timothy R; Wood, Ezra C; Herndon, Scott C; Goldstein, Allen H; Harley, Robert A

    2013-10-15

    Motor vehicles are major sources of gas-phase organic carbon, which includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other compounds with lower vapor pressures. These emissions react in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA). With more chemical detail than previous studies, we report emission factors for over 230 compounds from gasoline and diesel vehicles via two methods. First we use speciated measurements of exhaust emissions from on-road vehicles in summer 2010. Second, we use a fuel composition-based approach to quantify uncombusted fuel components in exhaust using the emission factor for total uncombusted fuel in exhaust together with detailed chemical characterization of liquid fuel samples. There is good agreement between the two methods except for products of incomplete combustion, which are not present in uncombusted fuels and comprise 32 ± 2% of gasoline exhaust and 26 ± 1% of diesel exhaust by mass. We calculate and compare ozone production potentials of diesel exhaust, gasoline exhaust, and nontailpipe gasoline emissions. Per mass emitted, the gas-phase organic compounds in gasoline exhaust have the largest potential impact on ozone production with over half of the ozone formation due to products of incomplete combustion (e.g., alkenes and oxygenated VOCs). When combined with data on gasoline and diesel fuel sales in the U.S., these results indicate that gasoline sources are responsible for 69-96% of emissions and 79-97% of the ozone formation potential from gas-phase organic carbon emitted by motor vehicles.

  6. Modelling the Fate of Ionizable Trace Organic Chemicals from Consumption to Food Crops

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Polesel, Fabio; Plósz, Benedek G.; Trapp, Stefan

    In this study, we developed and applied a simulation tool to comprehensively predict the fate of three ionizable trace chemicals (triclosan—TCS, furosemide—FUR, ciprofloxacin—CIP) from human consumption/excretion up to the accumulation in wheat, following application of sewage sludge or irrigation...... with river water. Highest translocation to wheat (4.3 μg kgDW-1 in grain) was calculated for FUR, being more significant with irrigation (>45% of emission to soil) than with sludge application (

  7. UNMIX Methods Applied to Characterize Sources of Volatile Organic Compounds in Toronto, Ontario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eugeniusz Porada

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available UNMIX, a sensor modeling routine from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, was used to model volatile organic compound (VOC receptors in four urban sites in Toronto, Ontario. VOC ambient concentration data acquired in 2000–2009 for 175 VOC species in four air quality monitoring stations were analyzed. UNMIX, by performing multiple modeling attempts upon varying VOC menus—while rejecting the results that were not reliable—allowed for discriminating sources by their most consistent chemical characteristics. The method assessed occurrences of VOCs in sources typical of the urban environment (traffic, evaporative emissions of fuels, banks of fugitive inert gases, industrial point sources (plastic-, polymer-, and metalworking manufactures, and in secondary sources (releases from water, sediments, and contaminated urban soil. The remote sensing and robust modeling used here produces chemical profiles of putative VOC sources that, if combined with known environmental fates of VOCs, can be used to assign physical sources’ shares of VOCs emissions into the atmosphere. This in turn provides a means of assessing the impact of environmental policies on one hand, and industrial activities on the other hand, on VOC air pollution.

  8. A System Analysis of the Recruitment and Retention Problems Associated with the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization Organization

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gottschalk, Laurence

    2001-01-01

    The primary purpose of this thesis is to investigate the problems of retaining qualified personnel in the Program Manager for Chemical Demilitarization organization through the end date of the program...

  9. The Chemical Percolation Devolatilization Model Applied to the Devolatilization of Coal in High Intensity Acoustic Fields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veras Carlos A. G.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The chemical percolation devolatilization model (CPD was extended for the prediction of drying and devolatilization of coal particles in high intensity acoustic fields found in Rijke tube reactors. The acoustic oscillations enhance the heat and mass transfer processes in the fuel bed as well as in the freeboard, above the grate. The results from simulations in a Rijke tube combustor have shown an increase in the rate of water evaporation and thermal degradation of the particles. The devolatilization model, based on chemical percolation, applied in pulsating regime allowed the dynamic prediction on the yields of CO, CO2, CH4, H2O, other light gases as well as tar which are important on ignition and stabilization of flames. The model predicted the quantity and form of nitrogen containing species generated during devolatilization, for which knowledge is strategically indispensable for reducing pollutant emissions (NOx in flames under acoustic excitation .

  10. Center for Space Transportation and Applied Research Fifth Annual Technical Symposium Proceedings

    Science.gov (United States)

    1993-01-01

    This Fifth Annual Technical Symposium, sponsored by the UT-Calspan Center for Space Transportation and Applied Research (CSTAR), is organized to provide an overview of the technical accomplishments of the Center's five Research and Technology focus areas during the past year. These areas include chemical propulsion, electric propulsion, commerical space transportation, computational methods, and laser materials processing. Papers in the area of artificial intelligence/expert systems are also presented.

  11. Influencing Organizations to Promote Health: Applying Stakeholder Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kok, Gerjo; Gurabardhi, Zamira; Gottlieb, Nell H.; Zijlstra, Fred R. H.

    2015-01-01

    Stakeholder theory may help health promoters to make changes at the organizational and policy level to promote health. A stakeholder is any individual, group, or organization that can influence an organization. The organization that is the focus for influence attempts is called the focal organization. The more salient a stakeholder is and the more…

  12. Role of the chemical engineering technician in applied research related to tritium separation from aqueous effluents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, S.D.

    1978-01-01

    Applied research and development activities related to the removal of tritium from aqueous effluent streams have presented broad opportunities to the chemical engineering technician for professional growth. Technician job activities involve operating complex analytical instrumentation and constructing, maintaining, and operating experimental electrolysis apparatus. The technician is a member of a professional team including scientific, engineering, and other technical personnel and as such is expected to exercise creative thought. Proximity of a large university and availability of formalized ''in house'' training courses provide incentives for technicians to broaden their academic base concurrent with their work involvement

  13. Modelling the fate of organic micropollutants in stormwater ponds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vezzaro, Luca; Eriksson, Eva; Ledin, Anna

    2011-01-01

    ). The four simulated organic stormwater MP (iodopropynyl butylcarbamate — IPBC, benzene, glyphosate and pyrene) were selected according to their different urban sources and environmental fate. This ensures that the results can be extended to other relevant stormwater pollutants. All three models use......Urban water managers need to estimate the potential removal of organic micropollutants (MP) in stormwater treatment systems to support MP pollution control strategies. This study documents how the potential removal of organic MP in stormwater treatment systems can be quantified by using multimedia...... models. The fate of four different MP in a stormwater retention pond was simulated by applying two steady-state multimedia fate models (EPI Suite and SimpleBox) commonly applied in chemical risk assessment and a dynamic multimedia fate model (Stormwater Treatment Unit Model for Micro Pollutants — STUMP...

  14. Inverted bulk-heterojunction organic solar cell using chemical bath deposited titanium oxide as electron collection layer

    OpenAIRE

    Kuwabara, Takayuki; Sugiyama, Hirokazu; Kuzuba, Mitsuhiro  ; Yamaguchi, Takahiro; Takahashi, Kohshin

    2010-01-01

    Chemical bath deposited titanium oxide (TiOx ) as an electron collection layer is introduced between the organic layer and the indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode for improving the performance of inverted bulk-heterojunction organic thin film solar cells with 1 cm2 active area, where regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were mainly used as the photo-active layer. The uniform and thin TiOx film was easily prepared onto the ITO electrode ...

  15. Applying the prudence principle in non-profit organizations and financial institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milena Otavová

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes in detail the accounting principle of prudence in non-profit organizations and financial institutions. It defines its application in such organizations and based on comparison it evaluates the practical use of the prudence principle and its reflection in the accounting books. The main focus is on differences in applying the prudence principle that result from differences in the purpose activities and methods of asset management in these organizations. The practical application of the prudence principle in accounting consists mainly in the creation and use of provisions and impairments. These methods are defined by the Implementing Regulation to the Accounting Act No. 563/1991. The paper also provides tables where the creation and use of impairments and provisions in the above-mentioned organizations is compared with how business companies proceed in creating impairments and provisions. The key legislation standardizing accounting in the Czech Republic is the Accounting Act No. 563/1991, as amended, which stipulates the general accounting principles, the so-called accounting philosophy. The accounting is built around the general accounting principles, which are perceived as the pillars of accounting. Even though they are not stipulated in any particular law, they are legally enforceable and their ignorance can be sanctioned. The general accounting principles represent a set of rules to be observed in keeping the accounting books, preparing the accounting reports and submitting the accounting reports to users. The keystone accounting principle is the principle of true and fair refl ection of facts the essential goal of which is to report in the fi nancial statement actual assets and the fi nancial position of the accounting unit with an essential focus on reporting events that occurred during the accounting period with respect to their content.

  16. Program of technical assistance to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - lessons learned from the U.S. program of technical assistance to IAEA safeguards. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    The Defense Nuclear Agency is sponsoring a technical study of the requirements of a vehicle to meet the OPCW`s future needs for enhanced chemical weapons verification capabilities. This report provides information about the proven mechanisms by which the U.S. provided both short- and long-term assistance to the IAEA to enhance its verification capabilities. Much of the technical assistance has generic application to international organizations verifying compliance with disarmament treaties or conventions. In addition, some of the equipment developed by the U.S. under the existing arrangements can be applied in the verification of other disarmament treaties or conventions. U.S. technical assistance to IAEA safeguards outside of the IAEA`s regular budget proved to be necessary. The U.S. technical assistance was successful in improving the effectiveness of IAEA safeguards for its most urgent responsibilities and in providing the technical elements for increased IAEA {open_quotes}readiness{close_quotes} for the postponed responsibilities deemed important for U.S. policy objectives. Much of the technical assistance was directed to generic subjects and helped to achieve a system of international verification. It is expected that the capabilities of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to verify a state`s compliance with the {open_quotes}Chemical Weapons Convention{close_quotes} will require improvements. This report presents 18 important lessons learned from the experience of the IAEA and the U.S. Program of Technical Assistance to IAEA Safeguards (POTAS), organized into three tiers. Each lesson is presented in the report in the context of the difficulty, need and history in which the lesson was learned. Only the most important points are recapitulated in this executive summary.

  17. Effects of Single and Combined Application of Organic, Biological and Chemical Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Yield of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Aghhavani Shajari

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Medicinal plants were one of the main natural resources of Iran from ancient times. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L. is from Apiaceae family that it has cultivated extensively in the world. Management and environmental factors such as nutritional management has a significant impact on the quantity and quality of plants. Application of organic fertilizers in conventional farming systems is not common and most of the nutritional need of plants supply through chemical fertilizers for short period. Excessive and unbalanced use of fertilizers in the long period, reduce crop yield and soil biological activity, accumulation of nitrates and heavy metals, and finally cause negative environmental effects and increase the cost of production. The use of bio-fertilizers and organic matter are taken into consideration to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and increase the quality of most crops. Stability and soil fertility through the use of organic fertilizers are important due to having most of the elements required by plants and beneficial effects on physical, chemical, biological and soil fertility. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on quality and quantity characteristics of coriander. Materials and Methods: In order to study the effects of single and combined applications of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Coriander (Coriandrum sativum, an experiment was conducted based on a randomized complete block design with three replications and 12 treatments at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, in - 2011. Treatments included: (1 mycorrhizae (Glomus mosseae (2 biosulfur (Thiobacillus sp., (3 chemical fertilizer (NPK, (4 cow manure, 5( vermin compost, 6( mycorrhizae + chemical fertilizer, 7( mycorrhizae + cow manure, 8( mycorrhizae + vermicompost, 9( biosulfur

  18. Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils from Organically Cultivated Fennel Cultivars

    OpenAIRE

    Shahat, Abdelaaty A.; Ibrahim, Abeer Y.; Hendawy, Saber F.; Omer, Elsayed A.; Hammouda, Faiza M.; Abdel-Rahman, Fawzia H.; Saleh, Mahmoud A.

    2011-01-01

    Essential oils of the fruits of three organically grown cultivars of Egyptian fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce and Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare) were examined for their chemical constituents, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the essential oils revealed the presence of 18 major monoterpenoids in all three cultivars but their percentage in each oil were greatly different. trans-Anethole, estragol...

  19. [Chemical weapons and chemical terrorism].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Katsumi

    2005-10-01

    Chemical Weapons are kind of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). They were used large quantities in WWI. Historically, large quantities usage like WWI was not recorded, but small usage has appeared now and then. Chemical weapons are so called "Nuclear weapon for poor countrys" because it's very easy to produce/possession being possible. They are categorized (1) Nerve Agents, (2) Blister Agents, (3) Cyanide (blood) Agents, (4) Pulmonary Agents, (5) Incapacitating Agents (6) Tear Agents from the viewpoint of human body interaction. In 1997 the Chemical Weapons Convention has taken effect. It prohibits chemical weapons development/production, and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) verification regime contributes to the chemical weapons disposal. But possibility of possession/use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist group represented in one by Matsumoto and Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack, So new chemical terrorism countermeasures are necessary.

  20. Evaluation of Effect of Chemical and Organic Fertilizers on Growth Characteristics, Yield and Yield components of three Sesame Ecotypes (Sesamum indicum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Goldani

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Using organic fertilizers is cause increase soil fertility, improving crop growth and production. For this purpose a greenhouse experiment was carried out in factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design with three replications during 2011 year. First factor included: three sesame ecotype (MSC3, MSC6, MSC7 and second factor was 6 fertilizer treatments that included: Incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer (216 g manure and 1 gram chemical fertilizer NPK, Chemical fertilizer (2 g NPK, Vermicompost (192 g, Manure ( 228 g, Compost Sulfur granules (192 g per vase and Control (without any manure or fertilizer. Results indicated that different manure treatments had significant effect on morphological and yield components traits, as the most number and length branch per plant was obtained from incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer treatment. Appling incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer treatment had the most biomass in MSC3 ecotype that in comparison of control treatment was increased almost 73 percent. Consuming incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer treatment in MSC3 ecotype was also obtained the most capsule per plant (21.2, number seed per capsule (54.4, 100-seed weight (0.257 g and seed per plant with (1.95 g. The least seed weight per plant with 0.450 g was observed in MSC7 ecotype from application of control treatment. Response of three sesame ecotype (MSC3, MSC6, MSC7 to applied vermin-compost manure was similar; as the amount of seed weight per plant was increased more than 1 g per plant in all these ecotypes and in others fertilizer treatments was not observed this trend. There was significant positive correlation between seed weight per plant and number of capsule per plant (r=0.83**, height (r=0.68** and biomass (r=0.51**. The results showed that incorporation manure and chemical fertilizer was improved on growth and yield characteristics of sesame plant.

  1. Chemical-specific screening criteria for interpretation of biomonitoring data for volatile organic compounds (VOCs)--application of steady-state PBPK model solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aylward, Lesa L; Kirman, Chris R; Blount, Ben C; Hays, Sean M

    2010-10-01

    The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) generates population-representative biomonitoring data for many chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in blood. However, no health or risk-based screening values are available to evaluate these data from a health safety perspective or to use in prioritizing among chemicals for possible risk management actions. We gathered existing risk assessment-based chronic exposure reference values such as reference doses (RfDs), reference concentrations (RfCs), tolerable daily intakes (TDIs), cancer slope factors, etc. and key pharmacokinetic model parameters for 47 VOCs. Using steady-state solutions to a generic physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model structure, we estimated chemical-specific steady-state venous blood concentrations across chemicals associated with unit oral and inhalation exposure rates and with chronic exposure at the identified exposure reference values. The geometric means of the slopes relating modeled steady-state blood concentrations to steady-state exposure to a unit oral dose or unit inhalation concentration among 38 compounds with available pharmacokinetic parameters were 12.0 microg/L per mg/kg-d (geometric standard deviation [GSD] of 3.2) and 3.2 microg/L per mg/m(3) (GSD=1.7), respectively. Chemical-specific blood concentration screening values based on non-cancer reference values for both oral and inhalation exposure range from 0.0005 to 100 microg/L; blood concentrations associated with cancer risk-specific doses at the 1E-05 risk level ranged from 5E-06 to 6E-02 microg/L. The distribution of modeled steady-state blood concentrations associated with unit exposure levels across VOCs may provide a basis for estimating blood concentration screening values for VOCs that lack chemical-specific pharmacokinetic data. The screening blood concentrations presented here provide a tool for risk assessment-based evaluation of population biomonitoring data for VOCs and

  2. Qualitative and qualitative characteristics of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L. in response to organic, biological and chemical fertilizers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Yazdani Biuki

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available In order to evaluate the effects of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on yield and yield components of milk thistle (Silybum marianum L., an experiment was conducted at the Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad based on complete randomized block design with three replications and six treatments during year 2007. Treatments included inoculated seeds with Azotobacter, compost, vermicompost, combination of both Azotobacter and compost treatments, chemical NPK fertilizer and control (without any fertilizer. The traits such as number of branches per plant, plant height, number of inflorescences per plant, inflorescence diameter, number of seeds per capitol, 1000 seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index, oil percentage, silymarin percentage, silybin percentage, oil yield and silymarin yield were measured. The results showed that application of different types of organic fertilizers had no effect on yield components, but had significant effect on oil percentage of oil, silymarin and silybin of seed. Compost application resulted the highest oil percentage (20.1 compared to other treatments. There was no significant difference between control, chemical fertilizer, compost and Azotobacter treatments on silymarin percentage. In terms of silybin percentage, there was no significant difference between control, compost, Azotobacter and aztobacter+compost treatments. The chemical fertilizer treatment showed the lowest silybin percentage (16.4. There was a positive correlation between plant height and seed yield (r=0.68**. It seems that biofertilizers can consider as a replacement for chemical fertilizers in Milk thistle medicinal plant production.

  3. Environmental monitoring of selected pesticides and organic chemicals in urban stormwater recycling systems using passive sampling techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Page, Declan; Miotliński, Konrad; Gonzalez, Dennis; Barry, Karen; Dillon, Peter; Gallen, Christie

    2014-03-01

    Water recycling via aquifers has become a valuable tool to augment urban water supplies in many countries. This study reports the first use of passive samplers for monitoring of organic micropollutants in Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR). Five different configurations of passive samplers were deployed in a stormwater treatment wetland, groundwater monitoring wells and a recovery tank to capture a range of polar and non-polar micropollutants present in the system. The passive samplers were analysed for a suite of pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other chemicals. As a result, 17 pesticides and pesticide degradation products, 5 PAHs and 8 other organic chemicals including flame retardants and fragrances were detected in urban stormwater recharging Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and an Aquifer Storage Transfer and Recovery (ASTR) system. Of the pesticides detected, diuron, metolachlor and chlorpyrifos were generally detected at the highest concentrations in one or more passive samplers, whereas chlorpyrifos, diuron, metolachlor, simazine, galaxolide and triallate were detected in multiple samplers. Fluorene was the PAH detected at the highest concentration and the flame retardant Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl)phosphate was the chemical detected in the greatest abundance at all sites. The passive samplers showed different efficiencies for capture of micropollutants with the Empore disc samplers giving the most reliable results. The results indicate generally low levels of organic micropollutants in the stormwater, as the contaminants detected were present at very low ng/L levels, generally two to four orders of magnitude below the drinking water guidelines (NHMRC, 2011). The efficiency of attenuation of these organic micropollutants during MAR was difficult to determine due to variations in the source water concentrations. Comparisons were made between different samplers, to give a field-based calibration where existing lab-based calibrations were

  4. New Organic Semiconductor Materials Applied in Organic Photovoltaic and Optical Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre F. S. Guedes

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The development of flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells, using an optically transparent substrate material and organic semiconductor materials, has been widely utilized by the electronic industry when producing new technological products. The flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells are the base Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, PEDOT, Poly(3-hexyl thiophene, P3HT, Phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester, PCBM and Polyaniline, PANI, were deposited in Indium Tin Oxide, ITO, and characterized by Electrical Measurements and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM. In addition, the thin film obtained by the deposition of PANI, prepared in perchloric acid solution, was identified through PANI-X1. The result obtained by electrical Measurements has demonstrated that the PET/ITO/PEDOT/P3HT:PCBM Blend/PANI-X1 layer presents the characteristic curve of standard solar cell after spin-coating and electrodeposition. The Thin film obtained by electrodeposition of PANI-X1 on P3HT/PCBM Blend was prepared in perchloric acid solution. These flexible organic photovoltaic solar cells presented power conversion efficiency of 12%. The inclusion of the PANI-X1 layer reduced the effects of degradation these organic photovoltaic panels induced for solar irradiation. In Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM these studies reveal that the surface of PANI-X1 layers is strongly conditioned by the surface morphology of the dielectric.

  5. Investigations of the Effects of Biocide Dosing and Chemical Cleaning on the Organic Carbon Removal in an Integrated Ultrafiltration - Nanofiltration Desalination Pilot Plant

    KAUST Repository

    Khojah, Bayan A.

    2017-12-01

    Membrane desalination has become one of the most important desalination technologies used in the world. It provides high water quality for numerous applications and it demonstrates excellent desalination efficiency. One of the most troubling drawbacks of membrane desalination is membrane fouling. It decreases the performance of the membranes and increases the energy requirement. Two of the most important causes of fouling are microbes and organic matter. Hence, to maintain an optimized desalination performance, routine inspection of microbial and organic contents of water is crucial for desalination plants. In this study, water samples were obtained from different treatment points in an ultrafiltration (UF)/nanofiltration (NF) seawater desalination pilot plant. This was performed to better understand how the water quality changes along the desalination scheme. The effect of fouling control techniques, including Chemically Enhanced Backwash (CEB), Cleaning in Place (CIP), and the addition of a biocide (DBNPA) was studied. Different analytical tools were applied, including Bactiquant, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Assimilable Organic Carbon (AOC), and Liquid Chromatography for Organic Carbon Detection (LC-OCD). Out results showed that UF did not decrease TOC but it was sufficient in removing up to 99.7% of bacteria. Nanofiltration, removed up to 95% of TOC. However, NF permeate had a high increase in AOC as compared to the raw seawater sample. The LC-OCD results suggested that this might be due to the increased low molecular weight neutrals which were the most common organic species in the NF permeate. The fouling control techniques showed various effects on the desalination efficiency. Daily CEB did not cause a reduction in TOC or bacteria but decreased AOC in the UF filtrate. The biocide addition resulted in an adequate membranes protection from fouling and it did not affect the investigated water parameters. When the dosing of biocide was stopped, the water quality

  6. Selected elements and organic chemicals in bed sediment and fish tissue of the Tualatin River basin, Oregon, 1992-96

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonn, Bernadine A.

    1999-01-01

    A variety of elements and organic compounds have entered the environment as a result of human activities. Such substances find their way to aquatic sediments from direct discharges to waterways, atmospheric emissions, and runoff. Some of these chemicals are known to harm fish or wildlife, either by direct toxicity, by reducing viability, or by limiting reproductive success. In aquatic systems, sediments become the eventual sink for most of these chemicals. Analyzing the sediments provides a first step in a chemical inventory that can lead to an assessment of potential biological impacts (Kennicutt and others, 1994).

  7. Chemical dissolution of sulfide minerals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, T.T.; Sanzolone, R.F.

    1977-01-01

    Chemical dissolution treatments involving the use of aqua regia, 4 N HNO3, H2O2-ascorbic acid, oxalic acid, KClO3+HCl, and KClO3+HCl followed by 4 N HNO3 were applied to specimens of nine common sulfide minerals (galena, chalcopyrite, cinnabar, molybdenite, orpiment, pyrite, stibnite, sphalerite, and tetrahedrite) mixed individually with a clay loam soil. The resultant decrease in the total sulfur content of the mixture, as determined by using the Leco induction furnace, was used to evaluate the effectiveness of each chemical treatment. A combination of KClO3+HCl followed by 4 N HNO3 boiling gently for 20 min has been shown to be very effective in dissolving all the sulfide minerals. This treatment is recommended to dissolve metals residing in sulfide minerals admixed with secondary weathering products, as one step in a fractionation scheme whereby metals in soluble and adsorbed forms, and those associated with organic materials and secondary oxides, are first removed by other chemical extractants.

  8. Frontiers in Chemical Physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bowlan, Pamela Renee [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-05-02

    These are slides dealing with frontiers in chemical physics. The following topics are covered: Time resolving chemistry with ultrashort pulses in the 0.1-40 THz spectral range; Example: Mid-infrared absorption spectrum of the intermediate state CH2OO; Tracking reaction dynamics through changes in the spectra; Single-shot measurement of the mid-IR absorption dynamics; Applying 2D coherent mid-IR spectroscopy to learn more about transition states; Time resolving chemical reactions at a catalysis using mid-IR and THz pulses; Studying topological insulators requires a surface sensitive probe; Nonlinear phonon dynamics in Bi2Se3; THz-pump, SHG-probe as a surface sensitive coherent 2D spectroscopy; Nanometer and femtosecond spatiotemporal resolution mid-IR spectroscopy; Coherent two-dimensional THz/mid-IR spectroscopy with 10nm spatial resolution; Pervoskite oxides as catalysts; Functionalized graphene for catalysis; Single-shot spatiotemporal measurements; Spatiotemporal pulse measurement; Intense, broad-band THz/mid-IR generation with organic crystals.

  9. Absorption dynamics of organic chemical transport across trout gills as related to octanol-water partition coefficient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKim, J.; Schmieder, P.; Veith, G.

    1985-01-01

    An in vivo fish preparation was used that allowed a direct measure of the transport rates of 14 different organic chemicals across the gills of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). The chemicals, all C14 labeled, were selected from five classes, encompassing a range of octanol-water partition coefficient (log P) values, from 0.23 (ethyl formate) to 7.5 (mirex). The uptake efficiency (extraction efficiency) of each chemical was determined by monitoring the inspired and expired water of trout exposed to each chemical over an exposure period of 1 to 6 hr. The mean gill extraction efficiency for all chemicals tested varied from a low of 7% to a high of 60%, extracted in a single pall of the chemical across the gills. The extraction efficiency of chemicals with log P or 1 or less were low and showed no relationship to log P. These low extraction efficiencies seen at log P of 1 and below with molecular weights below 100 were indicative of aqueous pore transport. The mean extraction efficiency for chemicals with log P values of 1 to 3 seemed to vary directly with log P, to a maximum of slightly greater than 60%, suggesting that uptake was controlled by the lipid membrane. The mean extraction efficiency for chemicals with log P of 3 to 6 was independent of log P and remained at 60%, which suggested that gill uptake was controlled by aqueous diffusion rates rather than gill membrane permeability. The mean extraction efficiency with mirex (log P . 7.5) decreased to 20%

  10. Effect-based tools for monitoring and predicting the ecotoxicological effects of chemicals in the aquatic environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connon, Richard E; Geist, Juergen; Werner, Inge

    2012-01-01

    Ecotoxicology faces the challenge of assessing and predicting the effects of an increasing number of chemical stressors on aquatic species and ecosystems. Herein we review currently applied tools in ecological risk assessment, combining information on exposure with expected biological effects or environmental water quality standards; currently applied effect-based tools are presented based on whether exposure occurs in a controlled laboratory environment or in the field. With increasing ecological relevance the reproducibility, specificity and thus suitability for standardisation of methods tends to diminish. We discuss the use of biomarkers in ecotoxicology including ecotoxicogenomics-based endpoints, which are becoming increasingly important for the detection of sublethal effects. Carefully selected sets of biomarkers allow an assessment of exposure to and effects of toxic chemicals, as well as the health status of organisms and, when combined with chemical analysis, identification of toxicant(s). The promising concept of "adverse outcome pathways (AOP)" links mechanistic responses on the cellular level with whole organism, population, community and potentially ecosystem effects and services. For most toxic mechanisms, however, practical application of AOPs will require more information and the identification of key links between responses, as well as key indicators, at different levels of biological organization, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services.

  11. Effect-Based Tools for Monitoring and Predicting the Ecotoxicological Effects of Chemicals in the Aquatic Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard E. Connon

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Ecotoxicology faces the challenge of assessing and predicting the effects of an increasing number of chemical stressors on aquatic species and ecosystems. Herein we review currently applied tools in ecological risk assessment, combining information on exposure with expected biological effects or environmental water quality standards; currently applied effect-based tools are presented based on whether exposure occurs in a controlled laboratory environment or in the field. With increasing ecological relevance the reproducibility, specificity and thus suitability for standardisation of methods tends to diminish. We discuss the use of biomarkers in ecotoxicology including ecotoxicogenomics-based endpoints, which are becoming increasingly important for the detection of sublethal effects. Carefully selected sets of biomarkers allow an assessment of exposure to and effects of toxic chemicals, as well as the health status of organisms and, when combined with chemical analysis, identification of toxicant(s. The promising concept of “adverse outcome pathways (AOP” links mechanistic responses on the cellular level with whole organism, population, community and potentially ecosystem effects and services. For most toxic mechanisms, however, practical application of AOPs will require more information and the identification of key links between responses, as well as key indicators, at different levels of biological organization, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services.

  12. Investigating the role for adaptation of the microbial community to transform trace organic chemicals during managed aquifer recharge

    KAUST Repository

    Alidina, Mazahirali; Li, Dong; Drewes, Jorg

    2014-01-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate whether adaptation by pre-exposure to trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) was necessary for microbial transformation during managed aquifer recharge (MAR). Two pairs of laboratory-scale soil columns, each

  13. All-organic microelectromechanical systems integrating specific molecular recognition--a new generation of chemical sensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayela, Cédric; Dubourg, Georges; Pellet, Claude; Haupt, Karsten

    2014-09-03

    Cantilever-type all-organic microelectromechanical systems based on molecularly imprinted polymers for specific analyte recognition are used as chemical sensors. They are produced by a simple spray-coating-shadow-masking process. Analyte binding to the cantilever generates a measurable change in its resonance frequency. This allows label-free detection by direct mass sensing of low-molecular-weight analytes at nanomolar concentrations. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Passive sampling of selected endocrine disrupting compounds using polar organic chemical integrative samplers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arditsoglou, Anastasia; Voutsa, Dimitra

    2008-01-01

    Two types of polar organic chemical integrative samplers (pharmaceutical POCIS and pesticide POCIS) were examined for their sampling efficiency of selected endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs). Laboratory-based calibration of POCISs was conducted by exposing them at high and low concentrations of 14 EDCs (4-alkyl-phenols, their ethoxylate oligomers, bisphenol A, selected estrogens and synthetic steroids) for different time periods. The kinetic studies showed an integrative uptake up to 28 days. The sampling rates for the individual compounds were obtained. The use of POCISs could result in an integrative approach to the quality status of the aquatic systems especially in the case of high variation of water concentrations of EDCs. The sampling efficiency of POCISs under various field conditions was assessed after their deployment in different aquatic environments. - Calibration and field performance of polar organic integrative samplers for monitoring EDCs in aquatic environments

  15. Proteomic analysis of the reproductive organs of the hermaphroditic gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis exposed to different endocrine disrupting chemicals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arnaud Giusti

    Full Text Available Many studies have reported perturbations of mollusc reproduction following exposure to low concentrations (ng/L range of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs. However, the mechanisms of action of these molecules on molluscs are still poorly understood. Investigation of the modifications of protein expression in organisms exposed to chemicals using proteomic methods can provide a broader and more comprehensive understanding of adverse impacts of pollution on organisms than conventional biochemical biomarkers (e.g., heat-shock proteins, metallothioneins, GST, EROD. In this study we have investigated the impacts of four chemicals, which exhibit different endocrine disrupting properties in vertebrates, on the proteome of the hermaphroditic freshwater pulmonate gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis after 21 days of exposure. Testosterone, tributyltin, chlordecone and cyproterone acetate were chosen as tested compounds as they can induce adverse effects on the reproduction of this snail. The 2D-DIGE method was used to identify proteins whose expression was affected by these compounds. In addition to modifying the expression of proteins involved in the structure and function of the cytoskeleton, chemicals had impacts on the expression of proteins involved in the reproduction of L. stagnalis. Exposure to 19.2 µg/L of chlordecone increased the abundance of ovipostatin, a peptide transmitted during mating through seminal fluid, which reduces oviposition in this species. The expression of yolk ferritin, the vitellogenin equivalent in L. stagnalis, was reduced after exposure to 94.2 ng Sn/L of tributyltin. The identification of yolk ferritin and the modification of its expression in snails exposed to chemicals were refined using western blot analysis. Our results showed that the tested compounds influenced the abundance of yolk ferritin in the reproductive organs. Alteration in proteins involved in reproductive pathways (e.g., ovipostatin and yolk ferritin could

  16. Mass spectrometry in identification of ecotoxicants including chemical and biological warfare agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lebedev, Albert T.

    2005-01-01

    Mass spectrometry is a unique tool to detect and identify trace levels of organic and bioorganic compounds as well as microorganisms in the environment. The range of potential chemical warfare (CW) and biological warfare (BW) agents is very broad. An important advantage of mass spectrometry over other techniques involves potential for full spectrum detection of chemical and biological agents including mid-spectrum materials (i.e. bioactive peptides, toxins, etc.) for which biological approaches are inadequate. Being very fast (seconds and minutes), extremely sensitive (zeptomoles 10 -21 ), and informative (detailed qualitative and quantitative composition of mixtures containing hundreds of chemicals), mass spectrometry is a principal analytical tool at the sites of destruction of CW. Due to its unique features, mass spectrometry is applied not only for the detection of CW agents, but for the analysis of products of metabolism and degradation of these agents in organisms or environment as well. The present paper deals with some examples of successful application of mass spectrometry for the analyses of ecotoxicants, chemical warfare agents, explosives, and microorganisms including biology warfare agents

  17. Role of primary substrate composition and concentration on attenuation of trace organic chemicals in managed aquifer recharge systems

    KAUST Repository

    Alidina, Mazahirali; Li, Dong; Ouf, Mohamed; Drewes, Jorg

    2014-01-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate the role of primary substrate composition and concentration on the attenuation of biodegradable emerging trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) in simulated managed aquifer recharge (MAR) systems. Four sets of soil

  18. Unraveling the structure and chemical mechanisms of highly oxygenated intermediates in oxidation of organic compounds

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Zhandong

    2017-11-28

    Decades of research on the autooxidation of organic compounds have provided fundamental and practical insights into these processes; however, the structure of many key autooxidation intermediates and the reactions leading to their formation still remain unclear. This work provides additional experimental evidence that highly oxygenated intermediates with one or more hydroperoxy groups are prevalent in the autooxidation of various oxygenated (e.g., alcohol, aldehyde, keto compounds, ether, and ester) and nonoxygenated (e.g., normal alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) organic compounds. These findings improve our understanding of autooxidation reaction mechanisms that are routinely used to predict fuel ignition and oxidative stability of liquid hydrocarbons, while also providing insights relevant to the formation mechanisms of tropospheric aerosol building blocks. The direct observation of highly oxygenated intermediates for the autooxidation of alkanes at 500–600 K builds upon prior observations made in atmospheric conditions for the autooxidation of terpenes and other unsaturated hydrocarbons; it shows that highly oxygenated intermediates are stable at conditions above room temperature. These results further reveal that highly oxygenated intermediates are not only accessible by chemical activation but also by thermal activation. Theoretical calculations on H-atom migration reactions are presented to rationalize the relationship between the organic compound’s molecular structure (n-alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) and its propensity to produce highly oxygenated intermediates via extensive autooxidation of hydroperoxyalkylperoxy radicals. Finally, detailed chemical kinetic simulations demonstrate the influence of these additional reaction pathways on the ignition of practical fuels.

  19. Unraveling the structure and chemical mechanisms of highly oxygenated intermediates in oxidation of organic compounds

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Zhandong; Popolan-Vaida, Denisia M.; Chen, Bingjie; Moshammer, Kai; Mohamed, Samah; Wang, Heng; Sioud, Salim; Raji, Misjudeen; Kohse-Hö inghaus, Katharina; Hansen, Nils; Dagaut, Philippe; Leone, Stephen R.; Sarathy, Mani

    2017-01-01

    Decades of research on the autooxidation of organic compounds have provided fundamental and practical insights into these processes; however, the structure of many key autooxidation intermediates and the reactions leading to their formation still remain unclear. This work provides additional experimental evidence that highly oxygenated intermediates with one or more hydroperoxy groups are prevalent in the autooxidation of various oxygenated (e.g., alcohol, aldehyde, keto compounds, ether, and ester) and nonoxygenated (e.g., normal alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) organic compounds. These findings improve our understanding of autooxidation reaction mechanisms that are routinely used to predict fuel ignition and oxidative stability of liquid hydrocarbons, while also providing insights relevant to the formation mechanisms of tropospheric aerosol building blocks. The direct observation of highly oxygenated intermediates for the autooxidation of alkanes at 500–600 K builds upon prior observations made in atmospheric conditions for the autooxidation of terpenes and other unsaturated hydrocarbons; it shows that highly oxygenated intermediates are stable at conditions above room temperature. These results further reveal that highly oxygenated intermediates are not only accessible by chemical activation but also by thermal activation. Theoretical calculations on H-atom migration reactions are presented to rationalize the relationship between the organic compound’s molecular structure (n-alkane, branched alkane, and cycloalkane) and its propensity to produce highly oxygenated intermediates via extensive autooxidation of hydroperoxyalkylperoxy radicals. Finally, detailed chemical kinetic simulations demonstrate the influence of these additional reaction pathways on the ignition of practical fuels.

  20. Chemical characterization of organic aerosol above a mid-latitude forest reveals a complex mixture of highly-functionalized chemical species and diverse structural features with temporal variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gentner, D. R.; Ditto, J.; Barnes, E.; Khare, P.

    2017-12-01

    Highly-functionalized organic compounds are known to be a major component of the complex mixture of the particle-phase compounds that comprise organic aerosol, yet little is known about the identity of many of these compounds, and their formation pathways and roles in atmospheric processes are poorly understood. We present results from the comprehensive chemical speciation of PM10 organic aerosols collected in July 2016 at the remote mid-latitude forest field site during PROPHET. Samples were analyzed via liquid and gas chromatography coupled with a quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MS×MS) following electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). 8 hr samples were collected during day- and night-time sampling periods rather than more typical 24-hour samples. This analysis of the organic aerosol yielded over 12,000 unique compounds for which we have high accuracy molecular masses, formulas, and additional information on structural features using MS×MS. O:C ratios were 0.3 on average, yet the top 10% of compounds ranged 0.7-2.3. 70% and 69% of day- and night-time samples were nitrogen-containing, whereas 26% and 24% contained sulfur, respectively. Within these broader molecular categories, we observed a wide variety of molecular features that reveal a diversity of functional groups and moieties. In this presentation, we present the results of our speciation, temporal variability, connections to air parcel back trajectories and other bulk properties, and potential formation pathways.

  1. Anaerobic treatment of cellulose bleach plant wastewater: chlorinated organics and genotoxicity removal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. R. Chaparro

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available This study assessed the removal efficiency of organic matter and how it relates to the decrease of toxic and mutagenic effects when an anaerobic reactor is used to treat the bleaching effluent from two kraft pulp mills. Parameters such as COD (chemical oxygen demand, DOC (dissolved organic carbon, AOX (adsorbable organic halogen, ASL (acid soluble lignin, color, chlorides, total phenols and absorbance values in the UV-VIS spectral region were measured. The acute and chronic toxicity and genetic toxicity assessments were performed with Daphnia similis, Ceriodaphnia sp. and Allium cepa L, respectively. The removal efficiency of organic matter measured as COD, ranged from 45% to 55%, while AOX removal ranged from 40% to 45%. The acute toxic and chronic effects, as well as the cytotoxic, genotoxic and mutagenic effects, decrease as the biodegradable fraction of the organics is removed. These results, together with the organic load measurement of the effluents of the anaerobic treatment, indicate that these effluents are recalcitrant but not toxic. As expected, color increased when the anaerobic treatment was applied. However, the colored compounds are of microbial origin and do not cause an increase in genotoxic effects. To discharge the wastewater, it is necessary to apply a physico-chemical or aerobic biological post-treatment to the effluents of the anaerobic reactor.

  2. Chemical Microsensors For Detection Of Explosives And Chemical Warfare Agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaoguang; Swanson, Basil I.

    2001-11-13

    An article of manufacture is provided including a substrate having an oxide surface layer and a layer of a cyclodextrin derivative chemically bonded to said substrate, said layer of a cyclodextrin derivative adapted for the inclusion of selected compounds, e.g., nitro-containing organic compounds, therewith. Such an article can be a chemical microsensor capable of detecting a resultant mass change from inclusion of the nitro-containing organic compound.

  3. Chemical evolution of organic aerosol in Los Angeles during the CalNex 2010 study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Holzinger

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available During the CalNex study (15 May to 16 June 2010 a large suite of instruments was operated at the Los Angeles area ground supersite to characterize the sources and atmospheric processing of atmospheric pollution. The thermal-desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometer (TD-PTR-MS was deployed to an urban area for the first time and detected 691 organic ions in aerosol samples, the mean total concentration of which was estimated as 3.3 μg m−3. Based on comparison to total organic aerosol (OA measurements, we estimate that approximately 50% of the OA mass at this site was directly measured by the TD-PTR-MS. Based on correlations with aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS OA components, the ions were grouped to represent hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA, local OA (LOA, semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA, and low volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA. Mass spectra and thermograms of the ion groups are mostly consistent with the assumed sources and/or photochemical origin of the OA components. The mass spectra of ions representing the primary components HOA and LOA included the highest m/z, consistent with their higher resistance to thermal decomposition, and they were volatilized at lower temperatures (~ 150 °C. Photochemical ageing weakens C-C bond strengths (also resulting in chemical fragmentation, and produces species of lower volatility (through the addition of functional groups. Accordingly the mass spectra of ions representing the oxidized OA components (SV-OOA, and LV-OOA lack the highest masses and they are volatilized at higher temperatures (250–300 °C. Chemical parameters like mean carbon number (nC, mean carbon oxidation state (OSC, and the atomic ratios O / C and H / C of the ion groups are consistent with the expected sources and photochemical processing of the aerosol components. Our data suggest that chemical fragmentation gains importance over functionalization as photochemical age of OA increases. Surprisingly, the photochemical age of

  4. Radiation chemistry in Taiwan, fundamental and applied

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, U.P.

    1980-01-01

    Both fundamental and applied research works on radiation chemistry in Taiwan have been described from the view point of economic development of new radiation chemical industry by applying unique chemical reactions on radiation processing. Seven items on the basic and applied research works and the status of recent industrial development of radiation chemistry have been consequently selected to be delineated as the major contents along this line in this paper. (author)

  5. Deuterium in organic matter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Straaten, C.M. van der.

    1981-01-01

    In order to obtain an insight in the processes governing the macroclimate on earth, a knowledge is required of the behaviour of climates in the past. It is well known that D/H ratio of rain varies with temperature determined by latitude as well as by season. Because land plants use this water during the assimilation process, it is expected that the D/H variations are propagated in the organic plant matter. The D/H palaeoclimatic method has therefore been applied to peat to distinguish between the chemical constituents and trace the stable hydrogen fraction in the organic matter. The relation between the hydrogen isotopic composition of precipitation and climatic factors such as the temperature have also been studied. (Auth.)

  6. Use of homeopathy in organic dairy farming in Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orjales, Inmaculada; López-Alonso, Marta; Rodríguez-Bermúdez, Ruth; Rey-Crespo, Francisco; Villar, Ana; Miranda, Marta

    2016-02-01

    Organic farming principles promote the use of unconventional therapies as an alternative to chemical substances (which are limited by organic regulations), with homeopathy being the most extensive. Traditionally, Spain has had little faith in homeopathy but its use in organic farming is growing. Fifty-six Spanish organic dairy farmers were interviewed to obtain what we believe to be the first data on the use of homeopathy in organic dairy cattle in Spain. Only 32% of farms use some sort of alternative therapy (16.1% homeopathy, 10.7% phytotherapy and 5.3% using both therapies) and interestingly, a clear geographical pattern showing a higher use towards the East (similar to that in the human population) was observed. The main motivation to use homeopathy was the need to reduce chemical substances promoted by organic regulations, and the treatment of clinical mastitis being the principle reason. The number of total treatments was lower in farms using homeopathy compared with those applying allopathic therapies (0.13 and 0.54 treatments/cow/year respectively) and although the bulk SCC was significantly higher (p Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Estimating pesticide sampling rates by the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in the presence of natural organic matter and varying hydrodynamic conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charlestra, Lucner; Amirbahman, Aria; Courtemanch, David L.; Alvarez, David A.; Patterson, Howard

    2012-01-01

    The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was calibrated to monitor pesticides in water under controlled laboratory conditions. The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the sampling rates (Rs) was evaluated in microcosms containing -1 of total organic carbon (TOC). The effect of hydrodynamics was studied by comparing Rs values measured in stirred (SBE) and quiescent (QBE) batch experiments and a flow-through system (FTS). The level of NOM in the water used in these experiments had no effect on the magnitude of the pesticide sampling rates (p > 0.05). However, flow velocity and turbulence significantly increased the sampling rates of the pesticides in the FTS and SBE compared to the QBE (p < 0.001). The calibration data generated can be used to derive pesticide concentrations in water from POCIS deployed in stagnant and turbulent environmental systems without correction for NOM.

  8. Changes in soil chemical properties as affected by pyrogenic organic matter amendment with different intensity and frequency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, Ruzhen; Zhang, Yulan; Cerda Bolinches, Artemio; Cao, Mingming; Zhang, Yongyong; Yin, Jinfei; Jiang, Yong; Chen, Lijun

    2017-01-01

    Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) has long been used as a soil amendment to improve soil physicochemical properties. However, few studies simultaneously investigated both intensities and frequencies of PyOM addition on soil chemical properties of soil base cations, soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC),

  9. The variation of organ doses with the particle size and chemical form of an inhaled radioactive aerosol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, B.W.; Adams, N.; Reissland, J.A.

    1979-04-01

    In this report, radiation doses to organs are calculated as a function of the particle size of the inhaled radioactive material. Aerosols with an Activity Median Aerodynamic Diameter (AMAD) from 0.1 μm to 20 μm are considered and doses accumulated by various organs in periods ranging from 1 day to 70 years are given for 65 radionuclides. A computer program is used which calculates the transformations taking place in each organ per curie of inhaled nuclide from the basic radioactivity and metabolic data. The program also calculates the resulting doses both for the organ in which the transformations occur and from penetrating radiation emitted as a result of transformations in other organs. The effects of particle size and chemical form of the nuclides on the doses received by organs are discussed. Tables of doses accumulated by 10 specific organs and other organs together with effective whole body doses are given for particle sizes 0.1 μm, 1 μm and 10 μm (AMAD). (author)

  10. Predicting Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification of Drugs by Integrating Chemical-Chemical Interactions and Similarities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lei; Zeng, Wei-Ming; Cai, Yu-Dong; Feng, Kai-Yan; Chou, Kuo-Chen

    2012-01-01

    The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system, recommended by the World Health Organization, categories drugs into different classes according to their therapeutic and chemical characteristics. For a set of query compounds, how can we identify which ATC-class (or classes) they belong to? It is an important and challenging problem because the information thus obtained would be quite useful for drug development and utilization. By hybridizing the informations of chemical-chemical interactions and chemical-chemical similarities, a novel method was developed for such purpose. It was observed by the jackknife test on a benchmark dataset of 3,883 drug compounds that the overall success rate achieved by the prediction method was about 73% in identifying the drugs among the following 14 main ATC-classes: (1) alimentary tract and metabolism; (2) blood and blood forming organs; (3) cardiovascular system; (4) dermatologicals; (5) genitourinary system and sex hormones; (6) systemic hormonal preparations, excluding sex hormones and insulins; (7) anti-infectives for systemic use; (8) antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents; (9) musculoskeletal system; (10) nervous system; (11) antiparasitic products, insecticides and repellents; (12) respiratory system; (13) sensory organs; (14) various. Such a success rate is substantially higher than 7% by the random guess. It has not escaped our notice that the current method can be straightforwardly extended to identify the drugs for their 2nd-level, 3rd-level, 4th-level, and 5th-level ATC-classifications once the statistically significant benchmark data are available for these lower levels. PMID:22514724

  11. Physico-Chemical Evolution of Organic Aerosol from Wildfire Emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croteau, P.; Jathar, S.; Akherati, A.; Galang, A.; Tarun, S.; Onasch, T. B.; Lewane, L.; Herndon, S. C.; Roscioli, J. R.; Yacovitch, T. I.; Fortner, E.; Xu, W.; Daube, C.; Knighton, W. B.; Werden, B.; Wood, E.

    2017-12-01

    Wildfires are the largest combustion-related source of carbonaceous emissions to the atmosphere; these include direct emissions of black carbon (BC), primary organic aerosol (POA) and semi-volatile, intermediate-volatility, and volatile organic compounds (SVOCs, IVOCs, and VOCs). However, there are large uncertainties surrounding the evolution of these carbonaceous emissions as they are physically and chemically transformed in the atmosphere. To understand these transformations, we performed sixteen experiments using an environmental chamber to simulate day- and night-time chemistry of gas- and aerosol-phase emissions from 6 different fuels at the Fire Laboratory in Missoula, MT. Across the test matrix, the experiments simulated 2 to 8 hours of equivalent day-time aging (with the hydroxyl radical and ozone) or several hours of night-time aging (with the nitrate radical). Aging resulted in an average organic aerosol (OA) mass enhancement of 28% although the full range of OA mass enhancements varied between -10% and 254%. These enhancement findings were consistent with chamber and flow reactor experiments performed at the Fire Laboratory in 2010 and 2012 but, similar to previous studies, offered no evidence to link the OA mass enhancement to fuel type or oxidant exposure. Experiments simulating night-time aging resulted in an average OA mass enhancement of 10% and subsequent day-time aging resulted in a decrease in OA mass of 8%. While small, for the first time, these experiments highlighted the continuous nature of the OA evolution as the wildfire smoke cycled through night- and day-time processes. Ongoing work is focussed on (i) quantifying bulk compositional changes in OA, (ii) comparing the near-field aging simulated in this work with far-field aging simulated during the same campaign (via a mini chamber and flow tube) and (iii) integrating wildfire smoke aging datasets over the past decade to examine the relationship between OA mass enhancement ratios, modified

  12. COMPARISON OF SORPTION ENERGTICS FOR HYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC CHEMICALS BY SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL SORBENTS FROM METHANOL/WATER SOLVENT MIXTURES

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) was used to investigate the thermodynamics and mechanisms of hydrophobic organic chemical (HOC) retention from methanol/water solvent mixtures. The enthalpy-entropy compensation model was used to infer that the hydro- phobic sorptive me...

  13. Conference on chemical evolution and the origin of life: Self-organization of the macromolecules of life

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-10-01

    The formation of biomolecules was a necessary step in the evolution of life on earth. This interdisciplinary conference emphasized the role of replication in processes of self-organization of biological macromolecules. The present document contains abstracts of the 26 contributions to the conference on chemical evolution. The individual contributions have been indexed separately for the database

  14. Vapor phase coatings of metals and organics for laser fusion target applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simonsic, G.A.; Powell, B.W.

    Techniques for applying a variety of metal and organic coatings to 50- to 500 μm diameter glass micro-balloons are discussed. Coating thicknesses vary from 1- to 10 μm. Physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and electrolytic and electroless plating are some of the techniques being evaluated for metal deposition. PVD and glow discharge polymerization are being used for the application of organic coatings. (U.S.)

  15. Statistical Significance of the Maximum Hardness Principle Applied to Some Selected Chemical Reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saha, Ranajit; Pan, Sudip; Chattaraj, Pratim K

    2016-11-05

    The validity of the maximum hardness principle (MHP) is tested in the cases of 50 chemical reactions, most of which are organic in nature and exhibit anomeric effect. To explore the effect of the level of theory on the validity of MHP in an exothermic reaction, B3LYP/6-311++G(2df,3pd) and LC-BLYP/6-311++G(2df,3pd) (def2-QZVP for iodine and mercury) levels are employed. Different approximations like the geometric mean of hardness and combined hardness are considered in case there are multiple reactants and/or products. It is observed that, based on the geometric mean of hardness, while 82% of the studied reactions obey the MHP at the B3LYP level, 84% of the reactions follow this rule at the LC-BLYP level. Most of the reactions possess the hardest species on the product side. A 50% null hypothesis is rejected at a 1% level of significance.

  16. Sintering with a chemical reaction as applied to uranium monocarbide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Accary, A.; Caillat, R.

    1960-01-01

    The present paper provides a survey of different investigations whose aim was the preparation and fabrication of uranium monocarbide for nuclear use. If a chemical reaction takes place in the sample during the sintering operation, it may be expected that the atom rearrangements involved in this reaction should favour the sintering process and thereby lower the temperature needed to yield a body of a given density. With this hypothesis in mind, the following methods have been studied: - Sintering of U-C mixtures; - Sintering of UO 2 -C mixtures; - Hot pressing of U-C mixtures; - Extrusion of U-C mixtures. To generalize our result, it could be said that a chemical reaction does not lead to high densification, if one depends on a simple contact between discrete particles. On the contrary, a chemical reaction can help sintering if, as our hot pressing experiments shows, the densification can be achieved prior to the reaction. (author) [fr

  17. The Use of Organic vs. Chemical Fertilizer with a Mineral Losses Tax: The Case of Dutch Arable Farmers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feinerman, E.; Komen, M.H.C.

    2005-01-01

    The paper focuses on farm-level nitrogen fertilization strategies of Dutch arable farmers for analyzing the substitution of organic fertilizers (manure) with chemical fertilizers. The model developed investigates the impact of the major parameters affecting the inferiority of manure compared with

  18. SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND GROWTH OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUUS L. AS AFFECTED BY THE APPLICATION OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS AND INOCULATION WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Apolino José Nogueira da Silva

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The use of organic fertilizers and the inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi in the cultivation of oil crops is essential to reduce production costs and minimize negative impacts on natural resources. A field experiment was conducted in an Argissolo Amarelo (Ultisol with the aim of evaluating the effects of fertilizer application and inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth attributes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. and on soil chemical properties. The experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, using a randomized block design with three replicates in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of four treatments in regard to application of organic fertilizer (liquid biofertilizer, cow urine, mineral fertilizer, and unfertilized control and two treatments in regard to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (with and without mycorrhizal fungi. The results showed that the physiological attributes of relative growth rate and leaf weight ratio were positively influenced by fertilization, compared to the control treatment, likely brought about by the supply of nutrients from the fertilizers applied. The growth and productivity attributes were positively affected by mycorrhization.

  19. Application of 13C NMR spectroscopy to characterize organic chemical components of decomposing coarse woody debris from different climatic regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takuya Hishinuma

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy was applied to coarse woody debris (CWD in different stages of decomposition and collected from forest floor of a subtropical, a cool temperate, and a subalpine forest in Japan. The purpose was to test its applicability to characterize organic chemical composition of CWD of broad-leaved and coniferous trees from different climatic conditions. O-alkyl-C, mainly representing carbohydrates, was the predominant component of CWD at the three sites, accounting for 43.5-58.1% of the NMR spectra. Generally, the relative area under the signals for aromatic-C and phenolic-C, mainly representing lignin, increased, whereas the relative area for O-alkyl-C decreased, as the decay class advanced. The relative area under NMR chemical shift regions was significantly correlated with the chemical properties examined with proximate analyses. That is, O-alkyl-C and di-O-alkyl-C NMR signal areas were positively correlated with the volumetric density of CWD and the content of total carbohydrates. Methoxyl-C, aromatic-C, phenolic-C, carboxyl-C, and carbonyl-C were positively correlated with the contents of acid-unhydrolyzable residues (lignin, tannins, and cutin and nitrogen. Lignin-C calculated from NMR signals increased, and polysaccharide-C decreased, with the decay class of CWD at the three study sites. A review of previous studies on 13C NMR spectroscopy for decomposing CWD suggested further needs of its application to broad-leaved trees from tropical and subtropical regions.

  20. Routing of Physarum polycephalum “signals” using simple chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Lacy Costello, Ben; Adamatzky, Andrew I

    2014-01-01

    In previous work the chemotaxis toward simple organic chemicals was assessed. We utilize the knowledge gained from these chemotactic assays to route Physarum polycephalum “signals” at a series of junctions. By applying chemical inputs at a simple T-junction we were able to reproducibly control the path taken by the plasmodium of P. Polycephalum. Where the chemoattractant farnesene was used at one input a routed signal could be reproducibly generated i.e., P. Polycephalum moves toward the source of chemoattractant. Where the chemoattractant was applied at both inputs the signal was reproducibly split i.e., at the junction the plasmodium splits and moves toward both sources of chemoattractant. If a chemorepellent was used then the signal was reproducibly suppressed i.e., P. Polycephalum did not reach either output and was confined to the input channel. This was regardless of whether a chemoattractant was used in combination with the chemorepellent showing a hierarchy of inhibition over attraction. If no chemical input was used in the simple circuit then a random signal was generated, whereby P. Polycephalum would move toward one output at the junction, but the direction was randomly selected. PMID:25346788

  1. Stress-induced chemical detection using flexible metal-organic frameworks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allendorf, Mark D; Houk, Ronald J T; Andruszkiewicz, Leanne; Talin, A Alec; Pikarsky, Joel; Choudhury, Arnab; Gall, Kenneth A; Hesketh, Peter J

    2008-11-05

    In this work we demonstrate the concept of stress-induced chemical detection using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) by integrating a thin film of the MOF HKUST-1 with a microcantilever surface. The results show that the energy of molecular adsorption, which causes slight distortions in the MOF crystal structure, can be converted to mechanical energy to create a highly responsive, reversible, and selective sensor. This sensor responds to water, methanol, and ethanol vapors, but yields no response to either N2 or O2. The magnitude of the signal, which is measured by a built-in piezoresistor, is correlated with the concentration and can be fitted to a Langmuir isotherm. Furthermore, we show that the hydration state of the MOF layer can be used to impart selectivity to CO2. Finally, we report the first use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to characterize the structure of a MOF film. We conclude that the synthetic versatility of these nanoporous materials holds great promise for creating recognition chemistries to enable selective detection of a wide range of analytes.

  2. High index of refraction films for dielectric mirrors prepared by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brusasco, R.M.

    1989-01-01

    A wide variety of metal oxides with high index of refraction can be prepared by Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition. We present some recent optical and laser damage results on oxide films prepared by MOCVD which could be used in a multilayer structure for highly reflecting (HR) dielectric mirror applications. The method of preparation affects both optical properties and laser damage threshold. 10 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs

  3. Characterization of organic nitrate constituents of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from nitrate-radical-initiated oxidation of limonene using high-resolution chemical ionization mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faxon, Cameron; Hammes, Julia; Le Breton, Michael; Kant Pathak, Ravi; Hallquist, Mattias

    2018-04-01

    The gas-phase nitrate radical (NO3⚫) initiated oxidation of limonene can produce organic nitrate species with varying physical properties. Low-volatility products can contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and organic nitrates may serve as a NOx reservoir, which could be especially important in regions with high biogenic emissions. This work presents the measurement results from flow reactor studies on the reaction of NO3⚫ with limonene using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS) combined with a Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO). Major condensed-phase species were compared to those in the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) limonene mechanism, and many non-listed species were identified. The volatility properties of the most prevalent organic nitrates in the produced SOA were determined. Analysis of multiple experiments resulted in the identification of several dominant species (including C10H15NO6, C10H17NO6, C8H11NO6, C10H17NO7, and C9H13NO7) that occurred in the SOA under all conditions considered. Additionally, the formation of dimers was consistently observed and these species resided almost completely in the particle phase. The identities of these species are discussed, and formation mechanisms are proposed. Cluster analysis of the desorption temperatures corresponding to the analyzed particle-phase species yielded at least five distinct groupings based on a combination of molecular weight and desorption profile. Overall, the results indicate that the oxidation of limonene by NO3⚫ produces a complex mixture of highly oxygenated monomer and dimer products that contribute to SOA formation.

  4. Characterization of organic nitrate constituents of secondary organic aerosol (SOA from nitrate-radical-initiated oxidation of limonene using high-resolution chemical ionization mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Faxon

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The gas-phase nitrate radical (NO3⚫ initiated oxidation of limonene can produce organic nitrate species with varying physical properties. Low-volatility products can contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA formation and organic nitrates may serve as a NOx reservoir, which could be especially important in regions with high biogenic emissions. This work presents the measurement results from flow reactor studies on the reaction of NO3⚫ with limonene using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-CIMS combined with a Filter Inlet for Gases and AEROsols (FIGAERO. Major condensed-phase species were compared to those in the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM limonene mechanism, and many non-listed species were identified. The volatility properties of the most prevalent organic nitrates in the produced SOA were determined. Analysis of multiple experiments resulted in the identification of several dominant species (including C10H15NO6, C10H17NO6, C8H11NO6, C10H17NO7, and C9H13NO7 that occurred in the SOA under all conditions considered. Additionally, the formation of dimers was consistently observed and these species resided almost completely in the particle phase. The identities of these species are discussed, and formation mechanisms are proposed. Cluster analysis of the desorption temperatures corresponding to the analyzed particle-phase species yielded at least five distinct groupings based on a combination of molecular weight and desorption profile. Overall, the results indicate that the oxidation of limonene by NO3⚫ produces a complex mixture of highly oxygenated monomer and dimer products that contribute to SOA formation.

  5. Progress Report for the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division: July-December 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jubin, R.T.

    1999-06-01

    This report summarizes the major activities conducted in the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during the period July-December 1998. The section conducts basic and applied research and development in chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and bioprocessing, with an emphasis on energy-driven technologies and advanced chemical separations for nuclear and waste applications.

  6. Applied Enzymology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manoharan, Asha; Dreisbach, Joseph H.

    1988-01-01

    Describes some examples of chemical and industrial applications of enzymes. Includes a background, a discussion of structure and reactivity, enzymes as therapeutic agents, enzyme replacement, enzymes used in diagnosis, industrial applications of enzymes, and immobilizing enzymes. Concludes that applied enzymology is an important factor in…

  7. [Current issues regarding organic food].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrariu, F D; Gavăt, Viorica; Cozma, A G T

    2005-01-01

    Destruction and pollution of soil and ground water resources is probably the most important ecological problem facing the next generation. Checkable standards which certify healthy food products are required by the regulation on organic farming of the EU and should also be applied for conventional food production. Ecological food contains at least 95% of ingredients from an organic farming environment, without interference from pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or other chemicals and it is totally different from dietary, functional, enriched, fortified, probiotic food. Ecological food is tastier and contains more essential amino-acids, vitamin C, and micro-nutriments than usual food. Two major effects generated by choosing ecological food are the environmental protection and human' health improvement. Buying an ecological product represents the effect of a certain attitude. Children's nutrition starts with the most genuine ecological product: breast milk. Every parent should give to his child healthy and tasty food, for proper development. Decreasing artificial chemicals in the diet and the environment represents the first step to a healthier life.

  8. Comparing rankings of selected TRI organic chemicals for two environments using a level III fugacity model and toxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edwards, F.G.; Egemen, E.; Nirmalakhandan, N.

    1998-01-01

    The Toxics Release Inventory, TRI (USEPA, 1995) is a comprehensive listing of chemicals, mass released, source of releases, and other related information for chemicals which are released into the environment in the US. These chemicals are then ranked according to the mass released as a indication of their environmental impact. Industries have been encouraged to adopt production methods to decrease the release of chemicals which are ranked highly in the TRI. Clearly, this ranking of the chemicals based upon the mass released fails to take into account very important environmental aspects. The first and most obvious aspect is the wide range of toxicity's of the chemicals released. Numerous researchers have proposed systems to rank chemicals according to their toxicity. The second aspect, which a mass released based ranking does not take into account, is the fate and transport of each chemical within the environment. Cohen and Ryan (1985) and Mackay and Paterson (1991) have proposed models to evaluate the fate and transport of chemicals released into the environment. Some authors have incorporated the mass released and toxicity with some fate and transport aspects to rank the impact of released chemicals. But, due to the complexities of modeling the environment, the lack of published data on properties of chemicals, and the lack of information on the speciation of chemicals in complex systems, modeling the fate and transport of toxic chemicals in the environment remains difficult. To provide an indication of the need to rank chemicals according to their environmental impact instead of the mass released, the authors have utilized a subset of 45 organic chemicals from the TRI, modeled the fate and transport of the chemicals using a Level III fugacity model, and compared those equilibrium concentrations with toxicity data to yield a hazard value for each chemical

  9. Synchrotron-radiation XPS analysis of ultra-thin silane films: Specifying the organic silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dietrich, Paul M., E-mail: paul.dietrich@yahoo.de [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Glamsch, Stephan [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Fabeckstr. 34/36, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Ehlert, Christopher [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam (Germany); Lippitz, Andreas [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Kulak, Nora [Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Fabeckstr. 34/36, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Unger, Wolfgang E.S. [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A synchrotron-based XPS method to analyze ultra-thin silane films is presented. • Specification and quantification of organic next to inorganic silicon is demonstrated. • Non-destructive chemical depth profiles of the silane monolayers were obtained. - Abstract: The analysis of chemical and elemental in-depth variations in ultra-thin organic layers with thicknesses below 5 nm is very challenging. Energy- and angle-resolved XPS (ER/AR-XPS) opens up the possibility for non-destructive chemical ultra-shallow depth profiling of the outermost surface layer of ultra-thin organic films due to its exceptional surface sensitivity. For common organic materials a reliable chemical in-depth analysis with a lower limit of the XPS information depth z{sub 95} of about 1 nm can be performed. As a proof-of-principle example with relevance for industrial applications the ER/AR-XPS analysis of different organic monolayers made of amino- or benzamidosilane molecules on silicon oxide surfaces is presented. It is demonstrated how to use the Si 2p core-level region to non-destructively depth-profile the organic (silane monolayer) – inorganic (SiO{sub 2}/Si) interface and how to quantify Si species, ranging from elemental silicon over native silicon oxide to the silane itself. The main advantage of the applied ER/AR-XPS method is the improved specification of organic from inorganic silicon components in Si 2p core-level spectra with exceptional low uncertainties compared to conventional laboratory XPS.

  10. Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Yield and Yield Components of Garlic Medicinal Plant (Allium sativum L. under the Conditions of Different Organic and Chemical Fertilizers Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaser Esmaeilian

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In recent years, the effect of exogenous organic amendments on soil properties and plant growth characteristics has received renewed attention. Although the utilization of mineral fertilizers could be viewed as the best solution in terms of plant productivity, this approach is often inefficient in long-term in tropical ecosystems due to the limited ability of low-activity clay soils to retain nutrients. Intensive use of agrochemicals in agricultural systems is also known to have irreversible effects on soil and water resources. Vermicompost is currently being promoted to improve soil quality, reduce water and fertilizer needs and therefore increase the sustainability of agricultural practices in tropical countries. Vermicomposting is a process which stabilizes organic matter under aerobic and mesophilic conditions through the joint action of earthworms and microorganisms. The products of vermicomposting have been successfully used to suppress plant pests and diseases, as well as increase crop productivity. Cow manure is an excellent fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients. It also adds organic matter to the soil which may improve soil structure, aeration, soil moisture-holding capacity, and water infiltration. Biofertilizers are defined as preparations containing living cells or latent cells of efficient strains of microorganisms that help plants' nutrients uptake by their interactions in the rhizosphere when applied through seed or soil. They accelerate certain microbial processes in soil which augment the extent of availability of nutrients in a form easily assimilated by plants. Very often microorganisms are not as efficient in natural surroundings as one would expect them to be and therefore artificially multiplied cultures of efficient selected microorganisms play a vital role in accelerating the microbial processes in soil. Garlic (Allium sativum L. is a very powerful medicinal plant that is

  11. Relationship between chemical composition and oxidative potential of secondary organic aerosol from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Shunyao; Ye, Jianhuai; Soong, Ronald; Wu, Bing; Yu, Legeng; Simpson, André J.; Chan, Arthur W. H.

    2018-03-01

    Owing to the complex nature and dynamic behaviors of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), its ability to cause oxidative stress (known as oxidative potential, or OP) and adverse health outcomes remains poorly understood. In this work, we probed the linkages between the chemical composition of SOA and its OP, and investigated impacts from various SOA evolution pathways, including atmospheric oligomerization, heterogeneous oxidation, and mixing with metal. SOA formed from photooxidation of the two most common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene and phenanthrene) were studied as model systems. OP was evaluated using the dithiothreitol (DTT) assay. The oligomer-rich fraction separated by liquid chromatography dominates DTT activity in both SOA systems (52 ± 10 % for naphthalene SOA (NSOA), and 56 ± 5 % for phenanthrene SOA (PSOA)). Heterogeneous ozonolysis of NSOA was found to enhance its OP, which is consistent with the trend observed in selected individual oxidation products. DTT activities from redox-active organic compounds and metals were found to be not additive. When mixing with highly redox-active metal (Cu), OP of the mixture decreased significantly for 1,2-naphthoquinone (42 ± 7 %), 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene (35 ± 1 %), NSOA (50 ± 6 %), and PSOA (43 ± 4 %). Evidence from proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy illustrates that such OP reduction upon mixing can be ascribed to metal-organic binding interactions. Our results highlight the role of aerosol chemical composition under atmospheric aging processes in determining the OP of SOA, which is needed for more accurate and explicit prediction of the toxicological impacts from particulate matter.

  12. Prospective Environmental Risk Assessment for Sediment-Bound Organic Chemicals: A Proposal for Tiered Effect Assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diepens, Noël J; Koelmans, Albert A; Baveco, Hans; van den Brink, Paul J; van den Heuvel-Greve, Martine J; Brock, Theo C M

    A broadly accepted framework for prospective environmental risk assessment (ERA) of sediment-bound organic chemicals is currently lacking. Such a framework requires clear protection goals, evidence-based concepts that link exposure to effects and a transparent tiered-effect assessment. In this paper, we provide a tiered prospective sediment ERA procedure for organic chemicals in sediment, with a focus on the applicable European regulations and the underlying data requirements. Using the ecosystem services concept, we derived specific protection goals for ecosystem service providing units: microorganisms, benthic algae, sediment-rooted macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and benthic vertebrates. Triggers for sediment toxicity testing are discussed.We recommend a tiered approach (Tier 0 through Tier 3). Tier-0 is a cost-effective screening based on chronic water-exposure toxicity data for pelagic species and equilibrium partitioning. Tier-1 is based on spiked sediment laboratory toxicity tests with standard benthic test species and standardised test methods. If comparable chronic toxicity data for both standard and additional benthic test species are available, the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) approach is a more viable Tier-2 option than the geometric mean approach. This paper includes criteria for accepting results of sediment-spiked single species toxicity tests in prospective ERA, and for the application of the SSD approach. We propose micro/mesocosm experiments with spiked sediment, to study colonisation success by benthic organisms, as a Tier-3 option. Ecological effect models can be used to supplement the experimental tiers. A strategy for unifying information from various tiers by experimental work and exposure-and effect modelling is provided.

  13. Characterization of Conventional, Biodynamic, and Organic Purple Grape Juices by Chemical Markers, Antioxidant Capacity, and Instrumental Taste Profile

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Granato, D.; Margraf, T.; Brotzakis, I.; Capuano, E.; Ruth, van S.M.

    2015-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to characterize organic, biodynamic, and conventional purple grape juices (n = 31) produced in Europe based on instrumental taste profile, antioxidant activity, and some chemical markers and to propose a multivariate statistical model to analyze their quality and

  14. Organic chemical degradation by remote study of the redox conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, P. M.; Revil, A.; Binley, A. M.; Bloem, E.; French, H. K.

    2014-12-01

    Monitoring the natural (and enhanced) degradation of organic contaminants is essential for managing groundwater quality in many parts of the world. Contaminated sites often have limited access, hence non-intrusive methods for studying redox processes, which drive the degradation of organic compounds, are required. One example is the degradation of de-icing chemicals (glycols and organic salts) released to the soil near airport runways during winter. This issue has been broadly studied at Oslo airport, Gardermoen, Norway using intrusive and non-intrusive methods. Here, we report on laboratory experiments that aim to study the potential of using a self-potential, DCresistivity, and time-domain induced polarization for geochemical characterization of the degradation of Propylene Glycol (PG). PG is completely miscible in water, does not adsorb to soil particles and does not contribute to the electrical conductivity of the soil water. When the contaminant is in the unsaturated zone near the water table, the oxygen is quickly consumed and the gas exchange with the surface is insufficient to ensure aerobic degradation, which is faster than anaerobic degradation. Since biodegradation of PG is highly oxygen demanding, anaerobic pockets can exist causing iron and manganese reduction. It is hypothesised that nitrate would boost the degradation rate under such conditions. In our experiment, we study PG degradation in a sand tank. We provide the system with an electron highway to bridge zones with different redox potential. This geo-battery system is characterized by self-potential, resistivity and induced polarization anomalies. An example of preliminary results with self-potential at two different times of the experiment can be seen in the illustration. These will be supplemented with more direct information on the redox chemistry: in-situ water sampling, pH, redox potential and electrical conductivity measurements. In parallel, a series of batch experiments have been

  15. The application dosage of Azolla pinnata in fresh and powder form as organic fertilizer on soil chemical properties, growth and yield of rice plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setiawati, Mieke Rochimi; Damayani, Maya; Herdiyantoro, Diyan; Suryatmana, Pujawati; Anggraini, Derisfha; Khumairah, Fiqriah Hanum

    2018-02-01

    The yield of rice plants is strongly influenced by N fertilizer. Nitrogen in rice plants has roles in vegetative growth, tiller formation and increasing yield through rice protein formation. Nitrogen supplied from organic fertilizers is better than inorganic fertilizers that may have environmental problem effects. Organic fertilizers from Azolla pinnata water fern contain higher N than other organic fertilizers. Symbiosis between A. pinnata and the N-fixing cyanobacteria results in high content of nitrogen, 3 to 5%. A. pinnata can be added to the rice field as organic fertilizer in form of fresh biomass or composted. Composted form can be ground into powder which passes through 100 mesh sieve. Preparation of compost powder of A. pinnata is done to reduce the constraints of voluminous application of organic fertilizers and to improve the efficiency of its use. The objective of this research was to compare the effect of the use of fresh A. pinnata and compost powder of A. pinnata on some soil and plant chemical properties and rice yield. The treatments applied were fresh A. pinnata at the dose of 0, 10 and 20 ton ha-1 and A. pinnata compost powder at 12.5 and 25 kg ha-1. The results showed that incorporation of fresh A. pinnata at 20 tons ha-1 and its compost powder at 25 kg ha-1 increased the available P of soil, plant P content and tiller number, but did not affect the content of organic-C, total soil N, plant N content and rice yield. This study suggested the benefits of A. pinnata compost powder technology in organic fertilization of soil to increase the nutrient content of soil and rice plants.

  16. Changes in soil N fractions and utilization of recently immobilized fertilizer N by wheat as influenced by application of some organic chemicals in rice-wheat sequence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, K.P.; Jain, J.M.

    1993-01-01

    Effect of two organic chemicals viz., 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazone (C 1 ) and naphthyl ethylene diamine (C 2 ) was studied by their application alone and together (Csub(1+2) at the rate of 10 ppm by growing wheat on a loamy soil (Typic ustochrept) containing recently immobilized fertilizes N of 15 N - urea applied at 60, 120 and 180 ppm N to preceding rice under greenhouse conditions of a rice-wheat sequence. The application of C 1 and C 2 alone; and their combined application (Csub(1+2) produced 12, 15 and 18 per cent higher wheat grain yield over no-chemical application i.e. Co (3.50 g/pot). The chemicals also showed their beneficial effect on utilization of recently immobilized fertilizer N, as was evidenced by significantly higher 15 N recovery values in wheat with C 1 , C 2 and Csub(1+2)(2.84, 3.63 and 3.54 per cent, respectively) than that of Co (2.29 per cent). The soil N fractions were affected by chemical application during wheat as total hydrolyzable N, hydrolyzable unidentified N and hydrolyzable ammonia N registered a decrease in the presence of chemicals whereas the contents of acid insoluble N and amino acid N fractions were found to be increased compared to respective contents after rice, and inorganic N showed a continuous decrease irrespective of the treatments. Amino acid N and hydrolyzable ammonia N were found to be dominant fractions whereas amino sugar N contributed minimum towards total hydrolyzable N at all stages of rice-wheat sequence. (author). 11 refs., 4 tabs

  17. Geochemical induced degradation of environmental chemicals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parlar, H

    1984-09-01

    Attempts to correlate the concentration of organic chemicals in the environment with their production figures have resulted in a large deficit; this includes environmental chemicals such as chlorinated hydrocarbons. It has been assumed that analytical errors accounted for this deficit. Another explanation, however, allows for reactions of compounds under biotic and abiotic conditions. Because of the biostability of many organic chemicals biological transformation mechanisms can bring about slight change only. By contrast, abiotic environmental factors such as the UV-irradiation or decomposition on natural surfaces contribute considerably to the transformation of this substance class. An investigation of such abiotic charges of organic chemicals must therefore pay particular attention to dynamic and catalytic effects primarily attributable to the respective molecular state and interactions with the environment. This paper deals with the photoinduced reactions of organic substances adsorbed on natural surfaces and their significance for the degradability of environmental chemicals.

  18. Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Tef ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    toshiba

    Results showed that tef yield, some yield components and soil chemical properties are ... integrated soil fertility management is an approach that attempts to make the best use of .... organic fertilizers applied were based on the recommended N equivalent rate for the test ..... Science and engineering of composting: Design,.

  19. A fugacity approach for modeling the transport of airborne organic chemicals in an air/plant/soil system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliver, L.D.; McKone, T.E.

    1991-05-01

    An important issue facing both public and private agencies is the identification and quantification of exposures by indirect pathways to toxic chemicals released to the atmosphere. With recent public concerns over pesticides such as malathion and alar in foods, greater attention is being given to the process of chemical uptake by plants. Whether chemicals taken up by plants can accumulate and ultimately enter the human food chain are important questions for determining health risks and safe levels of toxic air-pollutant emissions and pesticide application. A number of plant-toxicokinetic, or ''botanicokinetic,'' models have been developed to give estimates of how chemicals are partitioned and transported within plants. In this paper, we provide a brief review of these models, describing their main features and listing some of their advantages and disadvantages. We then describe and demonstrate a five-compartment air/plant/soil model, which builds on and extends the features included in previous models. We apply this model to the steady-state chemical partitioning of perchloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in grass as test cases. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of the model

  20. Impact of organic carbon and nutrients mobilized during chemical oxidation on subsequent bioremediation of a diesel-contaminated soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sutton, N.B.; Grotenhuis, J.T.C.; Rijnaarts, H.H.M.

    2014-01-01

    Remediation with in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) impacts soil organic matter (SOM) and the microbial community, with deleterious effects on the latter being a major hurdle to coupling ISCO with in situ bioremediation (ISB). We investigate treatment of a diesel-contaminated soil with Fenton’s

  1. THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE – A WAY TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TABITA CORNELIA ADAMOV

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available The future of the agriculture is a problem very frequently discussed by the specialists. During these debates, the organic agriculture has an advantage. The organic agriculture is taking into consideration two aspects: the human being and the environment. It is based on the prohibition of using chemicals like pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. This will offer healthy and natural products, but also will protect the environment. The usage of chemicals harms the environment and they remain in the soil for a long time. The substances used to protect the crops destroy the biodiversity, killing the insects, not only the harmful ones. The preservation of the biodiversity and the quality of the environment is an important objective for the beginning of this millennium, extended by the concern for the population health, for food safety assurance and for the improvement of life conditions. The existence of the future human society depends on applying in practice the concept of lasting economical development.

  2. Chemical Product Design: A new challenge of applied thermodynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Abildskov, Jens; Kontogeorgis, Georgios

    2004-01-01

    , and then to outline some specific examples from our research activities in the area of thermodynamics for chemical products. The examples cover rather diverse areas such as interrelation between thermodynamic and engineering properties in detergents (surfactants), paint thermodynamics and the development of models...

  3. Stress-induced chemical detection using flexible metal-organic frameworks.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Allendorf, Mark D.; Hesketh, Peter J. (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA); Gall, Kenneth A. (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA); Choudhury, A. (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA); Pikarsky, J. (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA); Andruszkiewicz, Leanne (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA); Houk, Ronald J. T.; Talin, Albert Alec (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Gaithersburg, MD)

    2009-09-01

    In this work we demonstrate the concept of stress-induced chemical detection using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) by integrating a thin film of the MOF HKUST-1 with a microcantilever surface. The results show that the energy of molecular adsorption, which causes slight distortions in the MOF crystal structure, can be efficiently converted to mechanical energy to create a highly responsive, reversible, and selective sensor. This sensor responds to water, methanol, and ethanol vapors, but yields no response to either N{sub 2} or O{sub 2}. The magnitude of the signal, which is measured by a built-in piezoresistor, is correlated with the concentration and can be fitted to a Langmuir isotherm. Furthermore, we show that the hydration state of the MOF layer can be used to impart selectivity to CO{sub 2}. We also report the first use of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to characterize the structure of a MOF film. We conclude that the synthetic versatility of these nanoporous materials holds great promise for creating recognition chemistries to enable selective detection of a wide range of analytes. A force field model is described that successfully predicts changes in MOF properties and the uptake of gases. This model is used to predict adsorption isotherms for a number of representative compounds, including explosives, nerve agents, volatile organic compounds, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The results show that, as a result of relatively large heats of adsorption (> 20 kcal mol{sup -1}) in most cases, we expect an onset of adsorption by MOF as low as 10{sup -6} kPa, suggesting the potential to detect compounds such as RDX at levels as low as 10 ppb at atmospheric pressure.

  4. Consequences of co-applying insecticides and fungicides for managing Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on onion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nault, Brian A; Hsu, Cynthia L; Hoepting, Christine A

    2013-07-01

    Insecticides and fungicides are commonly co-applied in a tank mix to protect onions from onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, and foliar pathogens. Co-applications reduce production costs, but past research shows that an insecticide's performance can be reduced when co-applied with a fungicide. An evaluation was made of the effects of co-applying spinetoram, abamectin and spirotetramat with commonly used fungicides, with and without the addition of a penetrating surfactant, on onion thrips control in onion fields. Co-applications of insecticides with chlorothalonil fungicides reduced thrips control by 25-48% compared with control levels provided by the insecticides alone in three of five trials. Inclusion of a penetrating surfactant at recommended rates with the insecticide and chlorothalonil fungicide did not consistently overcome this problem. Co-applications of insecticides with other fungicides did not interfere with thrips control. Co-applications of pesticides targeting multiple organisms should be examined closely to ensure that control of each organism is not compromised. To manage onion thrips in onion most effectively, insecticides should be applied with a penetrating surfactant, and should be applied separately from chlorothalonil fungicides. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Combining polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) with toxicity testing to evaluate pesticide mixture effects on natural phototrophic biofilms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pesce, Stephane; Morin, Soizic; Lissalde, Sophie; Montuelle, Bernard; Mazzella, Nicolas

    2011-01-01

    Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are valuable tools in passive sampling methods for monitoring polar organic pesticides in freshwaters. Pesticides extracted from the environment using such methods can be used to toxicity tests. This study evaluated the acute effects of POCIS extracts on natural phototrophic biofilm communities. Our results demonstrate an effect of POCIS pesticide mixtures on chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure. Nevertheless, the range of biofilm responses differs according to origin of the biofilms tested, revealing spatial variations in the sensitivity of natural communities in the studied stream. Combining passive sampler extracts with community-level toxicity tests offers promising perspectives for ecological risk assessment. - Research highlights: → Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were used for monitoring polar organic pesticides in a contaminated river. → The acute effects of POCIS extracts were tested on natural phototrophic biofilm communities. → POCIS pesticide mixtures affected chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure. → Biofilm responses differed according to origin of the biofilms tested, revealing variations in the sensitivity of natural communities. → Combining passive sampler extracts with community-level toxicity tests offers promising perspectives for ecological risk assessment. - Pesticide mixtures extracted from POCIS can affect chl a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure of natural biofilms.

  6. Effect of Different Levels of Organic and Chemical Fertilizers on Yield, Harvest Index and Extract Percentage of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Laleh

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Hemp is a dioecious and annual plant. The most important use to this plant is in the food, drug, and natural fibers. Proper fertilizer management for a medicinal plant species is important for increasing its yield and maintaining the quality of active principles. Sustainable farming is on the basis of natural fertilizer application with the aim of decreasing chemical fertilizers. Various studies show that application of animal manure with chemical fertilizers (as N, P and … have positive effects on soil structure, microbial population, soil fertility, growth and yield of plant with the aim of protecting the environment. Therefore, the present study was under taken to evaluate the effect of organic amendments enriched with chemical fertilizers of nitrogen and phosphorus on yield and extract of hemp. Materials and Methods To study the effect of different levels of animal manure and chemical fertilizers, a split factorial experiment, based on complete randomized blocks design with three replications was conducted at the research Farm of Faculty of agriculture, University of Birjand, during the growing season 2014-2015. Experimental factors were animal manure (0, 10, 20 and 30 t. ha-1well rotted farmyard manure as the main plot, and factorial application of three levels of N (0, 50 and 100 kg N ha-1 as Urea with two levels of P (0 and 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 as triple and P was superphosphate as sub-plot. Animal manure, P and half of the N fertilizer were applied before planting and the other half of N were applied by top dressing. Hemp were planted 5 may on rows 60 cm apart, with 30 cm distance between each hemp on row, at the depth of 3-4 cm. Measured traits included leaf, stem and seed weights, stem height and diameter, 1000 seed weight, and leaves extract percentage per square meter in sub-plot for female plants of hemp. Also percentage of female plants calculated per sub-plot. Finally, all variables were analyzed by SAS software (V. 9

  7. Defining chemical status of a temporary Mediterranean River.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skoulikidis, Nikolaos Th

    2008-07-01

    Although the majority of rivers and streams in the Mediterranean area are temporary, no particular attention is being paid for such systems in the Water Framework Directive (WFD). A typical temporal Mediterranean river, draining an intensively cultivated basin, was assessed for its chemical status. Elevated concentrations of nitrates and salts in river water as well as nutrients and heavy metals in river sediments have been attributed to agricultural land uses and practices and point sources of organic pollution. A scheme for the classification of the river's chemical status (within the ecological quality classification procedure) was applied by combining pollution parameters in groups according to related pressures. In light of the temporal hydrological regime and anthropogenic impacts, sediment chemical quality elements were considered, in addition to hydrochemical ones. Despite the extensive agricultural activities in the basin, the majority of the sites examined showed a good quality and only three of them were classified as moderate. For the classification of the chemical quality of temporary water bodies, there is a need to develop ecologically relevant salinity and sediment quality standards.

  8. Final Report: Fiscal Year 1997 demonstration of omnivorous non-thermal mixed waste treatment: Direct chemical oxidation of organic solids and liquids using peroxydisulfate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, J.F.; Ballazs G.B.

    1998-01-01

    Direct Chemical Oxidation (DCO) is a non-thermal, ambient pressure, aqueous-based technology for the oxidative destruction of the organic components of hazardous or mixed waste streams. The process has been developed for applications in waste treatment, chemical demilitarization and decontamination at LLNL since 1992. The process uses solutions of the peroxydisulfate ion (typically sodium or ammonium salts) to completely mineralize the organics to carbon dioxide and water. The expended oxidant may be electrolytically regenerated to minimize secondary waste. The paper briefly describes: free radical and secondary oxidant formation; electrochemical regeneration; offgas stream; and throughput

  9. Final Report: Fiscal Year 1997 demonstration of omnivorous non-thermal mixed waste treatment: Direct chemical oxidation of organic solids and liquids using peroxydisulfate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cooper, J.F.

    1998-01-01

    Direct Chemical Oxidation (DCO) is a non-thermal, ambient pressure, aqueous-based technology for the oxidative destruction of the organic components of hazardous or mixed waste streams. The process has been developed for applications in waste treatment, chemical demilitarization and decontamination at LLNL since 1992. The process uses solutions of the peroxydisulfate ion (typically sodium or ammonium salts) to completely mineralize the organics to carbon dioxide and water. The expended oxidant may be electrolytically regenerated to minimize secondary waste. The paper briefly describes: free radical and secondary oxidant formation; electrochemical regeneration; offgas stream; and throughput.

  10. Quarterly Progress Report for the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division: April-June 1998

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jubin, R.T.

    1999-04-01

    This report summarizes the major activities conducted in the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during th eperiod April-June 1998. The section conducts basic and applied research and development in chemical engineering, applied chemistry, and bioprocessing, with an emphasis on energy-driven technologies and advanced chemical separations for nuclear and waste applications.

  11. Physico-chemical protection, rather than biochemical composition, governs the responses of soil organic carbon decomposition to nitrogen addition in a temperate agroecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Wenbing; Wang, Guoan; Huang, Caihong; Gao, Rutai; Xi, Beidou; Zhu, Biao

    2017-11-15

    The heterogeneous responses of soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition in different soil fractions to nitrogen (N) addition remain elusive. In this study, turnover rates of SOC in different aggregate fractions were quantified based on changes in δ 13 C following the conversion of C 3 to C 4 vegetation in a temperate agroecosystem. The turnover of both total organic matter and specific organic compound classes within each aggregate fraction was inhibited by N addition. Moreover, the intensity of inhibition increases with decreasing aggregate size and increasing N addition level, but does not vary among chemical compound classes within each aggregate fraction. Overall, the response of SOC decomposition to N addition is dependent on the physico-chemical protection of SOC by aggregates and minerals, rather than the biochemical composition of organic substrates. The results of this study could help to understand the fate of SOC in the context of increasing N deposition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Soil Chemical Properties and Nutrient Uptake of Cocoa as Affected by Application of Different Organic Matters and Phosphate Fertilizers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sugiyanto Sugiyanto

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Effort repair of land quality better be done by simultan namely with application of organic matters and inorganic fertilization. The objective of this research is to study the effect of varied organic matters source and phosphate fertilizers on the chemicals soil characteristic and cocoa nutrient uptake. The experiment was laid experimentally in split-plot design and environmentally in randomized complete block design. The main plot was source of P consisted of, control, SP 36 and rock phosphate in dosage of 200 mg P2O5 per kg of air dry soil. Source of organic matter as sub-plot consisted of control (no organic matter, cow dung, cocoa pod husk compost and sugar cane filter cake, each in dosage of 2.5 and 5.0%. Result of this experiment showed application of cow dung, cocoa pod husk compost and sugar cane filter cake increased content of C, N, Ca exchangeable, Fe available, and pH in soil, and SP 36 increased availability of P in soil. Application of sugar cane filter cake increased N, K, Ca, Mg, and SO4 uptake but did not increase Cl uptake, application of cow dung in dosage 5% increased N, K, and Cl uptake and cocoa pod husk compost dosage 5% increased N and K uptake of cocoa. SP 36 increased Mg uptake of cocoa but rock phosphate did not increase it. They were not interaction between organic matters and phosphate fertilizers to nutrient uptake of cocoa. Nutrient soil content as affected by organic matters correlated with nutrient uptake of cocoa.Key words : soil chemical properties, nutrient uptake, cocoa, organic matter, phosphate fertlizers.

  13. Topological data analysis (TDA) applied to reveal pedogenetic principles of European topsoil system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savic, Aleksandar; Toth, Gergely; Duponchel, Ludovic

    2017-05-15

    Recent developments in applied mathematics are bringing new tools that are capable to synthesize knowledge in various disciplines, and help in finding hidden relationships between variables. One such technique is topological data analysis (TDA), a fusion of classical exploration techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), and a topological point of view applied to clustering of results. Various phenomena have already received new interpretations thanks to TDA, from the proper choice of sport teams to cancer treatments. For the first time, this technique has been applied in soil science, to show the interaction between physical and chemical soil attributes and main soil-forming factors, such as climate and land use. The topsoil data set of the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame survey (LUCAS) was used as a comprehensive database that consists of approximately 20,000 samples, each described by 12 physical and chemical parameters. After the application of TDA, results obtained were cross-checked against known grouping parameters including five types of land cover, nine types of climate and the organic carbon content of soil. Some of the grouping characteristics observed using standard approaches were confirmed by TDA (e.g., organic carbon content) but novel subtle relationships (e.g., magnitude of anthropogenic effect in soil formation), were discovered as well. The importance of this finding is that TDA is a unique mathematical technique capable of extracting complex relations hidden in soil science data sets, giving the opportunity to see the influence of physicochemical, biotic and abiotic factors on topsoil formation through fresh eyes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effects of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on vegetative indices and essential oil content of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Aghhavani Shajari

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This experiment was conducted to study the effects of single and combined application of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of vegetative part of coriander, (Coriandrum sativum L.. The experiment was carried out as split plot in time based on Complete Randomized Block Design with three replications and 12 treatments at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during growing season of 2010-2011. Treatments included: (1 mycorrhiza (Glomus mosseae, (2 biosulfur (Thiobacillus sp., (3 chemical fertilizer (NPK, (4 cow manure, (5 vermicompost, (6 mycorrhiza + chemical fertilizer, (7 mycorrhiza + cow manure, (8 mycorrhiza + vermicompost, (9 biosulfur + chemical fertilizer, (10 biosulfur + cow manure, (11 biosulfur + vermicompost and (12 control. Vegetative parts of coriander were cut at 5% of flowering stage in two dates (19 May and 5 June. Results showed that the highest plant height (28 cm and lateral branches (5.2 were obtained in combined application of biosulfur with cow manure treatment. The highest fresh and dry leaf weight, fresh and dry matter yield and stem dry matter weight were obtained in single application of chemical fertilizer. Single application of biosulfur increased leaf/stem ratio. The highest essential oil percentage and essential oil yield were observed in cow manure treatment (0.2% and 1753 g.ha-1, respectively. The maximum leaf/stem ratio were observed in the first cutting, while the highest lateral branches, stem fresh and dry matter yield, essential oil percentage and essential oil yield were obtained in second cut. Overall, results of this study showed that the plant vegetative yield increased by using chemical fertilizer, while essential oil percentage and essential oil yield of coriander were improved by using organic and biological fertilizers.

  15. Effects of chemical oxidation on sorption and desorption of PAHs in typical Chinese soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Wei; Hou Lei; Luo Xiaoli; Zhu Lingyan

    2009-01-01

    In situ chemical oxidation is a commonly applied soil and groundwater remediation technology, but can have significant effects on soil properties, which in turn might affect fate and transport of organic contaminants. In this study, it was found that oxidation treatment resulted mainly in breakdown of soil organic matter (SOM) components. Sorption of naphthalene and phenanthrene to the original soils and the KMnO 4 -treated soils was linear, indicating that hydrophobic partitioning to SOM was the predominant mechanism for sorption. Desorption from the original and treated soils was highly resistant, and was well modeled with a biphasic desorption model. Desorption of residual naphthalene after treating naphthalene-contaminated soils with different doses of KMnO 4 also followed the biphasic desorption model very well. It appears that neither changes of soil properties caused by chemical oxidation nor direct chemical oxidation of contaminated soils had a noticeable effect on the nature of PAH-SOM interactions. - Chemical oxidation of soils had little effect on the mechanisms controlling sorption and desorption of PAHs.

  16. Advances in Applied Mechanics

    OpenAIRE

    2013-01-01

    Advances in Applied Mechanics draws together recent significant advances in various topics in applied mechanics. Published since 1948, Advances in Applied Mechanics aims to provide authoritative review articles on topics in the mechanical sciences, primarily of interest to scientists and engineers working in the various branches of mechanics, but also of interest to the many who use the results of investigations in mechanics in various application areas, such as aerospace, chemical, civil, en...

  17. Organic and mineral fertilization and chemical composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis essential oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina B. Sodré

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Melissa officinalis L., Lamiaceae, is an herb with great growth prospects in the cosmetic industry due to its essential oil. In order to improve its production, it is necessary to study related agricultural practices. This study evaluated the effect of organic and mineral fertilization on the chemical composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L. essential oil. The assay was conducted at the "Fazenda Experimental do Glória" of the Federal University of Uberlândia, and essential oil extraction and GC/MS analyses were completed by the Centre for Research and Development on Plant Genetic Resources of the Campinas Agronomic Institute. The assay was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The tested treatments were six types of fertilization (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 kg.m-2 of cattle manure and mineral fertilizing with 60 g.m-2 of NPK 4-14-8 + 4 g.m-2 of boric acid with four replications. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition was analyzed by GC/MS. The essential oil presented the same compounds for all treatments; however, the relative proportion of some chemical constituents was altered according to the treatment. Neral, geranial, and citronellal were the major constituents.

  18. Organic and mineral fertilization and chemical composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis essential oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Carolina B. Sodré

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Melissa officinalis L., Lamiaceae, is an herb with great growth prospects in the cosmetic industry due to its essential oil. In order to improve its production, it is necessary to study related agricultural practices. This study evaluated the effect of organic and mineral fertilization on the chemical composition of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L. essential oil. The assay was conducted at the "Fazenda Experimental do Glória" of the Federal University of Uberlândia, and essential oil extraction and GC/MS analyses were completed by the Centre for Research and Development on Plant Genetic Resources of the Campinas Agronomic Institute. The assay was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The tested treatments were six types of fertilization (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 kg.m-2 of cattle manure and mineral fertilizing with 60 g.m-2 of NPK 4-14-8 + 4 g.m-2 of boric acid with four replications. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation in a modified Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition was analyzed by GC/MS. The essential oil presented the same compounds for all treatments; however, the relative proportion of some chemical constituents was altered according to the treatment. Neral, geranial, and citronellal were the major constituents.

  19. A New Class of Metal-Cyclam-Based Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks for CO 2 Adsorption and Chemical Fixation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Jie [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Usov, Pavel M. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Xu, Wenqian [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS) and X-ray Science Division; Celis-Salazar, Paula J. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Lin, Shaoyang [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Kessinger, Matthew C. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Landaverde-Alvarado, Carlos [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Macromolecules Innovation Inst.; Cai, Meng [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; May, Ann M. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Slebodnick, Carla [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Zhu, Dunru [Nanjing Univ. of Technology (China). State Key Lab. of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering (MCE) and College of Chemical Engineering; Senanayake, Sanjaya D. [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Morris, Amanda J. [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Macromolecules Innovation Inst.

    2017-12-22

    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise in catalysis, mainly due to their high content of active centers, large internal surface areas, tunable pore size, and versatile chemical functionalities. However, it is a challenge to rationally design and construct MOFs that can serve as highly stable and reusable heterogeneous catalysts. Here two new robust 3D porous metal-cyclam-based zirconium MOFs, denoted VPI-100 (Cu) and VPI-100 (Ni), have been prepared by a modulated synthetic strategy. The frameworks are assembled by eight-connected Zr-6 clusters and metallocyclams as organic linkers. Importantly, the cyclam core has accessible axial coordination sites for guest interactions and maintains the electronic properties exhibited by the parent cyclam ring. The VPI-100 MOFs exhibit excellent chemical stability in various organic and aqueous solvents over a wide pH range and show high CO2 uptake capacity (up to similar to 9.83 wt% adsorption at 273 K under 1 atm). Moreover, VPI-100 MOFs demonstrate some of the highest reported catalytic activity values (turnover frequency and conversion efficiency) among Zr-based MOFs for the chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides, including sterically hindered epoxides. The MOFs, which bear dual catalytic sites (Zr and Cu/Ni), enable chemistry not possible with the cyclam ligand under the same conditions and can be used as recoverable stable heterogeneous catalysts without losing performance.

  20. Organic chemistry and radiochemistry: study of chemical interactions between iodine and paint of French nuclear reactor in a severe accident situation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aujollet, Y.

    2005-01-01

    In Phebus (French in pile facility; PWR scale 1/5000) experiments, performed by the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire, few quantities of organic iodides were registered after interaction between iodine and reactor containment paint. This study concerns all mechanisms of chemical reactions between iodine and the polymer of the paint in order to estimate the organic iodides released from the paint. At first, all the paint components had been identified. Several models of chemical sites of the polymer were synthesized and tested with iodine in different conditions of temperature and radiation. These experiments showed interactions between iodine and secondary or tertiary amines by charge transfer. In few cases, the complex of tertiary amines creates oxidation reactions. (author)

  1. Análise sistemática de reagentes e resíduos sem identificação Systematic analysis of unidentified chemicals and wastes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Júlio Carlos Afonso

    2005-02-01

    Full Text Available This work presents a detailed routine applied to the identification of unknown chemicals and wastes. 786 specimens were analyzed during 20 months. Unknown materials fell into three basic classes: (i commercial chemicals without labels or illegible ones; (ii laboratory synthesis products; (iii used solvents (including mixtures. Uranium and thorium were recovered form their wastes. Unknown chemicals were mainly inorganic compounds, many of which had never been opened. Alkaline salts were dominant, but also precious metal compounds were identified. Laboratory synthesis products were organic compounds. The final destination depended on the nature of the chemical. Most organic compounds were sent to incineration; inorganic salts were distributed among several public organizations, including secondary and technical schools. The work described in this paper greatly reduced the amount of wastes that had to be sent to disposal.

  2. Effects of compost organic amendments on chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Montemurro

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The following fertiliser treatments were compared during the years 2002 and 2003 on alfalfa forage (Medicago sativa L.: compost obtained from the organic fraction of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW; olive pomace compost (OPC; mineral fertiliser (Min. All the treatments allowed a distribution of 75kg ha-1 of P2O5. Three cuttings occurred: at 168, 206 and 351 days after compost application (DAA in 2002; 119, 152 and 320 DAA in 2003. Cumulative biomass and dry matter yields were measured during each experimental year. Furthermore, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DMd, organic matter (OMd, crude protein (CPd and NDF (NDFd were determined. MSW treatment showed a significantly (P<0.01 higher content of ADL than OPC and Min (77.0, 66.0 and 65.0g kg-1 DM, respectively. Fertiliser treatments also affected (P<0.01 digestibility parameters. In fact, DMd and OMd values showed the same trend with lower percentages in MSW treatment than in the OPC and Min ones. The NDFd differed in all treatments having the highest value in OPC (40.1%. The results indicated that the soil distribution of organic materials offer the possibility to reduce the application of mineral fertilisers and production costs without decreasing alfalfa yield, forage chemical composition and in vitro digestibility.

  3. Chemical Transformation Simulator

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Chemical Transformation Simulator (CTS) is a web-based, high-throughput screening tool that automates the calculation and collection of physicochemical properties for an organic chemical of interest and its predicted products resulting from transformations in environmental sy...

  4. Influence of Organic Manure on Organic Phosphorus Fraction in Soils

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANGYONG-SONG; NIWU-ZHONG; 等

    1993-01-01

    The transformation of organic P(Po) from organic manures in two types of soils (ultisol and entisol) and the influences of external addition of organic substance or inorganic P(Pi) on Po under the condition of the 60% maximum water capacity were investigated.The results obtained from Po fractionation experiments indicated that all the Po fractions except for the highly resistant Po fraction decreased during incubation.Application of pig feces and cow feces could largely increase each fraction of Po in the soils.Immediately after application of organic manure into the soils a large part of labile and moderately labile Po from organic manure was transferred into moderately resistant Po,which might be due to the fact that Ca-or Mg-inositol P was precipitated into Fe-inositol P.However,the availability of Po from organic manure in the soils would increase again after incubation because of the transformation of moderately labile and resistant Po fractions into labile Po fractions.Addition of cellulose or Pi into the soils showed a good effect on increasing all the Po fractions except for the highly resistant Po,and this effect was much more pronounced when cellulose was applied in combination with Pi.Therefore,in view of the effect of organic manure on improving P nutrition to plant,attention should be paid to both the Po and the organic substances from organic manure,It is suggested that application of Pi fertilizer combined with organic manure may be referred to as an effective means of protecting Pi from chemical fixation in soil.

  5. Life Cycle Risks for Human Health: A Comparison of Petroleum Versus Bio-Based Production of Five Bulk Organic Chemicals

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roes, A.L.; Patel, M.K.

    2007-01-01

    This article describes the development and application of a generic approach to the comparative assessment of risks related to the production of organic chemicals by petrochemical processes versus white biotechnology. White biotechnology, also referred to as industrial biotechnology, typically uses

  6. Pulsed injection metal organic chemical vapour deposition and characterisation of thin CaO films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borges, R.P.; Ferreira, P.; Saraiva, A.; Goncalves, R.; Rosa, M.A.; Goncalves, A.P.; Silva, R.C. da; Magalhaes, S.; Lourenco, M.J.V.; Santos, F.J.V.; Godinho, M.

    2009-01-01

    Thin films of CaO were grown on silicon (Si) and lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO 3 ) substrates by pulsed injection metal-organic chemical vapour deposition in a vertical injection MOCVD system. Growth parameters were systematically varied to study their effect on film growth and quality and to determine the optimal growth conditions for this material. Film quality and growth rate were evaluated by atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy measurements. Optimised conditions allowed growing transparent, single phase films textured along the (0 0 l) direction.

  7. Soil chemical sensor and precision agricultural chemical delivery system and method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colburn, Jr., John W.

    1991-01-01

    A real time soil chemical sensor and precision agricultural chemical delivery system includes a plurality of ground-engaging tools in association with individual soil sensors which measure soil chemical levels. The system includes the addition of a solvent which rapidly saturates the soil/tool interface to form a conductive solution of chemicals leached from the soil. A multivalent electrode, positioned within a multivalent frame of the ground-engaging tool, applies a voltage or impresses a current between the electrode and the tool frame. A real-time soil chemical sensor and controller senses the electrochemical reaction resulting from the application of the voltage or current to the leachate, measures it by resistivity methods, and compares it against pre-set resistivity levels for substances leached by the solvent. Still greater precision is obtained by calibrating for the secondary current impressed through solvent-less soil. The appropriate concentration is then found and the servo-controlled delivery system applies the appropriate amount of fertilizer or agricultural chemicals substantially in the location from which the soil measurement was taken.

  8. An autonomous organic reaction search engine for chemical reactivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dragone, Vincenza; Sans, Victor; Henson, Alon B.; Granda, Jaroslaw M.; Cronin, Leroy

    2017-06-01

    The exploration of chemical space for new reactivity, reactions and molecules is limited by the need for separate work-up-separation steps searching for molecules rather than reactivity. Herein we present a system that can autonomously evaluate chemical reactivity within a network of 64 possible reaction combinations and aims for new reactivity, rather than a predefined set of targets. The robotic system combines chemical handling, in-line spectroscopy and real-time feedback and analysis with an algorithm that is able to distinguish and select the most reactive pathways, generating a reaction selection index (RSI) without need for separate work-up or purification steps. This allows the automatic navigation of a chemical network, leading to previously unreported molecules while needing only to do a fraction of the total possible reactions without any prior knowledge of the chemistry. We show the RSI correlates with reactivity and is able to search chemical space using the most reactive pathways.

  9. Oxygenated Organic Chemicals in the Pacific Troposphere: Distribution, Sources and Chemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Hanwant B.; Salas, L.; Chatfield, R.; Czech, E.; Fried, A.; Evans, M.; Jacob, D. J.; Blake, D.; Heikes, B.; Talbot, R.

    2003-01-01

    Airborne measurements of a large number of oxygenated organic chemicals (Oxorgs) were carried out in the Pacific troposphere (0.1-12 km) in the Spring of 2001 (Feb. 24-April 10). Specifically these measuremen ts included acetone, methylethyl ketone (MEK), methanol, ethanol, ace taldehyde, propionaldehyde, PANS, and organic nitrates. Complementary measurements of formaldehyde, organic peroxides, and tracers were al so available. Ox-orgs were abundant in the clean troposphere and were greatly enhanced in the outflow regions from Asia. Their mixing ratios were typically highest in the lower troposphere and declined toward s the upper troposphere and the lowermost stratosphere. Their total a bundance (Ox-orgs) significantly exceeded that of NMHC (C2-C8 NMHC). A comparison of these data with observations collected some seven yea rs earlier (Feb.-March, 1994), did not reveal any significant changes . Throughout the troposphere mixing ratios of Ox-orgs were strongly c orrelated with each other as well as with tracers of fossil and bioma sshiof'uel combustion. Analysis of the relative enhancement of selected Oxorgs with respect to CH3Cl and CO in twelve sampled plumes, origi nating from fires, is used to assess their primary and secondary sour ces from biomass combustion. The composition of these plumes also ind icates a large shift of reactive nitrogen into the PAN reservoir ther eby limiting ozone formation. The Harvard 3-D photochemical model, th at uses state of the art chemistry and source information, is used to compare simulated and observed mixing ratios of selected species. A 1 -D model is used to explore the chemistry of aldehydes. These results will be presented.

  10. Investigation of Yield and Yield Components of Canary Seed Forage (Phalaris canariensis L. in Response to Different Levels of Irrigation, Organic and Chemical Fertilizers and their integration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V Varnaseri Ghandali

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Canary seed (Phalaris canariensis L. is a forage plant from Poaceae family. This plant is drought tolerant. Canary seed is originally a native to Mediterranean region, which can be grown commercially in several parts of the word, especially in semi-arid conditions. Increasing growth of population and lack of ability of pastures to satisfy the food requirement of animal has led to more interest in cultivating forage plants. In this regard, Canary seed having properties such as high yield per unit area, high tillering power, very fast growth and appropriate nutritional value, is of considerable importance and its cultivation development especially in arid and semi-arid regions can be effective in providing part of the country forage needs. Optimum water requirement is considered as one the important factors to obtain a high growth and yield of the product. On the other hand, Iran is located in arid and semi-arid climate region of the world . Therefore, determination of appropriate amount of irrigation water can lead to the improvement of water use efficiency and preventing the water loss. In order to achieve a high yield and desirable quality in plants one of the important requirements in agricultural planning is the evaluation of different systems of plant feeding. By applying an appropriate method in soil productivity, in addition to protecting the environment, optimization of water usage, reduction of erosion and protection of biodiversity can be increased. Therefore, gradually replacing chemical fertilizers with biological and organic fertilizers will result in providing feed requirements of plants, improvement of physical, chemical and biological conditions of soil and reduction of adverse environmental effects resulting from application of chemical inputs. The aim of this research was to study the effects of deficit irrigation and fertilizer management based on sole chemical and organic fertilizers or their integrated

  11. Online Chemical Characterization of Food-Cooking Organic Aerosols: Implications for Source Apportionment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes-Villegas, Ernesto; Bannan, Thomas; Le Breton, Michael; Mehra, Archit; Priestley, Michael; Percival, Carl; Coe, Hugh; Allan, James D

    2018-04-11

    Food-cooking organic aerosols (COA) are one of the primary sources of submicron particulate matter in urban environments. However, there are still many questions surrounding source apportionment related to instrumentation as well as semivolatile partitioning because COA evolve rapidly in the ambient air, making source apportionment more complex. Online measurements of emissions from cooking different types of food were performed in a laboratory to characterize particles and gases. Aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements showed that the relative ionization efficiency for OA was higher (1.56-3.06) relative to a typical value of 1.4, concluding that AMS is over-estimating COA and suggesting that previous studies likely over-estimated COA concentrations. Food-cooking mass spectra were generated using AMS, and gas and particle food markers were identified with filter inlets for gases and aerosols-chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) measurements to be used in future food cooking-source apportionment studies. However, there is a considerable variability in both gas and particle markers, and dilution plays an important role in the particle mass budget, showing the importance of using these markers with caution during receptor modeling. These findings can be used to better understand the chemical composition of COA, and they provides useful information to be used in future source-apportionment studies.

  12. Half-sandwich cobalt complexes in the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Georgi, Colin [Technische Universität Chemnitz, Faculty of Natural Science, Institute of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemnitz 09107 (Germany); Hapke, Marko; Thiel, Indre [Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. an der Universität Rostock (LIKAT), Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a, Rostock 18059 (Germany); Hildebrandt, Alexander [Technische Universität Chemnitz, Faculty of Natural Science, Institute of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemnitz 09107 (Germany); Waechtler, Thomas; Schulz, Stefan E. [Fraunhofer Institute of Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS), Technologie-Campus 3, Chemnitz 09126 (Germany); Technische Universität Chemnitz, Center for Microtechnologies (ZfM), Chemnitz 09107 (Germany); Lang, Heinrich, E-mail: heinrich.lang@chemie.tu-chemnitz.de [Technische Universität Chemnitz, Faculty of Natural Science, Institute of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Chemnitz 09107 (Germany)

    2015-03-02

    A series of cobalt half-sandwich complexes of type [Co(η{sup 5}-C{sub 5}H{sub 5})(L)(L′)] (1: L, L′ = 1,5-hexadiene; 2: L = P(OEt){sub 3}, L′ = H{sub 2}C=CHSiMe{sub 3}; 3: L = L′ = P(OEt){sub 3}) has been studied regarding their physical properties such as the vapor pressure, decomposition temperature and applicability within the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process, with a focus of the influence of the phosphite ligands. It could be shown that an increasing number of P(OEt){sub 3} ligands increases the vapor pressure and thermal stability of the respective organometallic compound. Complex 3 appeared to be a promising MOCVD precursor with a high vapor pressure and hence was deposited onto Si/SiO{sub 2} (100 nm) substrates. The resulting reflective layer is closed, dense and homogeneous, with a slightly granulated surface morphology. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies demonstrated the formation of metallic cobalt, cobalt phosphate, cobalt oxide and cobalt carbide. - Highlights: • Thermal studies and vapor pressure measurements of cobalt half-sandwich complexes was carried out. • Chemical vapor deposition with cobalt half-sandwich complexes is reported. • The use of Co-phosphites results in significant phosphorous-doped metallic layers.

  13. SITE - EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES: LASER INDUCED PHOTO- CHEMICAL OXIDATIVE DESTRUCTION OF TOXIC ORGANICS IN LEACHATES AND GROUNDWATERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The technology described in this report has been developed under the Emerging Technology Program of the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program to photochemically oxidize organic compounds in wastewater by applying ultraviolet radiation using an excimer laser. T...

  14. Bioelectrochemical Integration of Waste Heat Recovery, Waste-to- Energy Conversion, and Waste-to-Chemical Conversion with Industrial Gas and Chemical Manufacturing Processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mac Dougall, James [Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, PA (United States)

    2016-02-05

    Many U.S. manufacturing facilities generate unrecovered, low-grade waste heat, and also generate or are located near organic-content waste effluents. Bioelectrochemical systems, such as microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells, provide a means to convert organic-content effluents into electric power and useful chemical products. A novel biochemical electrical system for industrial manufacturing processes uniquely integrates both waste heat recovery and waste effluent conversion, thereby significantly reducing manufacturing energy requirements. This project will enable the further development of this technology so that it can be applied across a wide variety of US manufacturing segments, including the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, refinery, and pulp and paper industries. It is conservatively estimated that adoption of this technology could provide nearly 40 TBtu/yr of energy, or more than 1% of the U.S. total industrial electricity use, while reducing CO2 emissions by more than 6 million tons per year. Commercialization of this technology will make a significant contribution to DOE’s Industrial Technology Program goals for doubling energy efficiency and providing a more robust and competitive domestic manufacturing base.

  15. Trials and Tribulations of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter Chemical Interpretations: A case study of polar ice cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Andrilli, J.

    2017-12-01

    Excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy is widely applied for rapid dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization in aquatic systems. Fluorescent DOM surveys are booming, not only as a central focus in aquatic environments, but also as an important addition to interdisciplinary research (e.g., DOM analysis in concert with ice core paleoclimate reconstructions, stream metabolism, hydrologic regimes, agricultural developments, and biological activity), opening new doors, not just for novelty, but also for more challenges with chemical interpretations. Recently, the commonly used protein- versus humic-like classifications of DOM have been ineffective at describing DOM chemistry in various systems (e.g., ice cores, wastewaters, incubations/engineered). Moreover, the oversimplification of such classifications used to describe fluorescing components, without further scrutiny, has become commonplace, ultimately producing vague reporting. For example, West Antarctic ice core DOM was shown to contain fluorescence in the low excitation/emission wavelength region, however resolved fluorophores depicting tyrosine- and tryptophan-like DOM were not observed. At first, as literature suggested, we reported this result as protein-like, and concluded that microbial contributions were dominant in deep ice. That initial interpretation would disintegrate the conservation paradigm of atmospheric composition during deposition, the crux of ice core research, and contradict other lines of evidence. This begged the question, "How can we describe DOM chemistry without distinct fluorophores?" Antarctic ice core DOM was dominated by neither tyrosine- nor tryptophan-like fluorescence, causing "unusual" looking fluorescent components. After further examination, deep ice DOM was reported to contain fluorescent species most similar to monolignols and tannin-like phenols, describing the precursors of lignin from low carbon producing environments, consistent with marine sediment

  16. Applied Mathematics Seminar 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1983-01-01

    This report contains the abstracts of the lectures delivered at 1982 Applied Mathematics Seminar of the DPD/LCC/CNPq and Colloquy on Applied Mathematics of LCC/CNPq. The Seminar comprised 36 conferences. Among these, 30 were presented by researchers associated to brazilian institutions, 9 of them to the LCC/CNPq, and the other 6 were given by visiting lecturers according to the following distribution: 4 from the USA, 1 from England and 1 from Venezuela. The 1981 Applied Mathematics Seminar was organized by Leon R. Sinay and Nelson do Valle Silva. The Colloquy on Applied Mathematics was held from october 1982 on, being organized by Ricardo S. Kubrusly and Leon R. Sinay. (Author) [pt

  17. Organic reactions for the electrochemical and photochemical production of chemical fuels from CO2--The reduction chemistry of carboxylic acids and derivatives as bent CO2 surrogates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luca, Oana R; Fenwick, Aidan Q

    2015-11-01

    The present review covers organic transformations involved in the reduction of CO2 to chemical fuels. In particular, we focus on reactions of CO2 with organic molecules to yield carboxylic acid derivatives as a first step in CO2 reduction reaction sequences. These biomimetic initial steps create opportunities for tandem electrochemical/chemical reductions. We draw parallels between long-standing knowledge of CO2 reactivity from organic chemistry, organocatalysis, surface science and electrocatalysis. We point out some possible non-faradaic chemical reactions that may contribute to product distributions in the production of solar fuels from CO2. These reactions may be accelerated by thermal effects such as resistive heating and illumination. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Hazardous air pollutant emissions from process units in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry: Background information for proposed standards. Volume 1B. Control technologies. Draft report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-11-01

    A draft rule for the regulation of emissions of organic hazardous air pollutants (HAP's) from chemical processes of the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI) is being proposed under the authority of Sections 112, 114, 116, and 301 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. The volume of the Background Information Document presents discussions of control technologies used in the industry and the costs of those technologies

  19. Heteroepitaxial growth of 3-5 semiconductor compounds by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition for device applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collis, Ward J.; Abul-Fadl, Ali

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to design, install and operate a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition system which is to be used for the epitaxial growth of 3-5 semiconductor binary compounds, and ternary and quaternary alloys. The long-term goal is to utilize this vapor phase deposition in conjunction with existing current controlled liquid phase epitaxy facilities to perform hybrid growth sequences for fabricating integrated optoelectronic devices.

  20. Inorganic-organic hybrid polyoxometalate containing supramolecular helical chains: Preparation, characterization and application in chemically bulk-modified electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han Zhangang; Zhao Yulong; Peng Jun; Liu Qun; Wang Enbo

    2005-01-01

    An inorganic-organic hybrid polyoxometalate (POM) (Hbpy) 4 [SiMo 12 O 40 ] (1) (bpy = 2,4-bipyridine), has been prepared and characterized. X-ray diffraction study reveals that compound 1 contains interesting organic double helical chains. The hybrid nanoparticles was used as a solid bulkmodifier to fabricate a three-dimensional chemically modified carbon paste electrode (1-CPE) by direct mixing. The electrochemical behavior and electrocatalysis of 1-CPE has been studied in detail. The results indicate that 1-CPE has a good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of nitrite in 1 M H 2 SO 4 aqueous solution. 1-CPE shows remarkable stability that can be ascribed to the interactions existed between POM anions and organic double helical bpy chains, which are very important for practical applications in electrode modification

  1. Raman Enhancement and Photo-Bleaching of Organic Dyes in the Presence of Chemical Vapor Deposition-Grown Graphene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaxin Weng

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescent organic dyes photobleach under intense light. Graphene has been shown to improve the photo-stability of organic dyes. In this paper, we investigated the Raman spectroscopy and photo-bleaching kinetics of dyes in the absence/presence of chemical vapor deposition (CVD-grown graphene. We show that graphene enhances the Raman signal of a wide range of dyes. The photo-bleaching of the dyes was reduced when the dyes were in contact with graphene. In contrast, monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN was much less effective in reducing the photo-bleaching rate of the dyes. We attribute the suppression of photo-bleaching to the energy or electron transfer from dye to graphene. The results highlight the potential of CVD graphene as a substrate for protecting and enhancing Raman response of organic dyes.

  2. Identification of the chemical inventory of different paint types applied in nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sabrina Tietze; Foreman, M.R.St.J.; Ekberg, CH.H.; Chalmers University of Technology, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Goeteborg; Dongen van, B.E.

    2013-01-01

    The floors, concrete walls and many of the metal surfaces in nuclear power plant containments are coated with zinc primers or paint films to preserve the metal surfaces and simplify decontamination in the containment after the occurrence of a severe nuclear incident or accident. A chemical examination of paint films from different nuclear installations out of operation, as well as current operating ones, reveals that different types of paints are used whose composition can vary significantly. Results obtained for one type of paint at a certain nuclear site are in most cases unlikely to be comparable with sites painted with another type of paint. During normal operation and particularly during nuclear accidents, the paints will degrade under the high temperature, steam and irradiation influence. As paint and its degradation products can act as sources and depots for volatile iodine compounds, the type and aging conditions of the paint films will have a significant impact on the source term of the volatile fission product iodine. Thus, great care should be taken when extrapolating any results obtained for the interaction of radioactive iodine with one paint product to a different paint product. The main focus of the study is a comparison of the chemical profile of paint films applied in Swedish nuclear power plants. Teknopox Aqua V A, an epoxy paint recently used at Ringhals 2, and an emulsion paint used in the scrubber buildings of Ringhals 1-4 are compared with a paint film from Barsebaeck nuclear power plant unit 1 that had been aged under real reactor conditions for 20 years. In addition, two paint films, an emulsion and a gloss paint, used in an international nuclear fuel reprocessing facility, are compared with the paints from the Swedish nuclear power plants. (author)

  3. Formic and Acetic Acid Observations over Colorado by Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry and Organic Acids' Role in Air Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Treadaway, V.; O'Sullivan, D. W.; Heikes, B.; Silwal, I.; McNeill, A.

    2015-12-01

    Formic acid (HFo) and acetic acid (HAc) have both natural and anthropogenic sources and a role in the atmospheric processing of carbon. These organic acids also have an increasing importance in setting the acidity of rain and snow as precipitation nitrate and sulfate concentrations have decreased. Primary emissions for both organic acids include biomass burning, agriculture, and motor vehicle emissions. Secondary production is also a substantial source for both acids especially from biogenic precursors, secondary organic aerosols (SOAs), and photochemical production from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs). Chemical transport models underestimate organic acid concentrations and recent research has sought to develop additional production mechanisms. Here we report HFo and HAc measurements during two campaigns over Colorado using the peroxide chemical ionization mass spectrometer (PCIMS). Iodide clusters of both HFo and HAc were recorded at mass-to-charge ratios of 173 and 187, respectively. The PCIMS was flown aboard the NCAR Gulfstream-V platform during the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry Experiment (DC3) and aboard the NCAR C-130 during the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE). The DC3 observations were made in May and June 2012 extending from the surface to 13 km over the central and eastern United States. FRAPPE observations were made in July and August 2014 from the surface to 7 km over Colorado. DC3 measurements reported here are focused over the Colorado Front Range and complement the FRAPPE observations. DC3 HFo altitude profiles are characterized by a decrease up to 6 km followed by an increase either back to boundary layer mixing ratio values or higher (a "C" shape). Organic acid measurements from both campaigns are interpreted with an emphasis on emission sources (both natural and anthropogenic) over Colorado and in situ photochemical production especially ozone precursors.

  4. Electrochemical/chemical oxidation of bisphenol A in a four-electron/two-proton process in aprotic organic solvents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chan, Ya Yun; Yue, Yanni; Li, Yongxin; Webster, Richard D.

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Bisphenol A undergoes a chemically irreversible voltammetric oxidation process. • Chemical oxidation was performed to overcome adsorption effects that cause electrode fouling. • A new product was isolated from chemical oxidation with 4 mol equiv. of the one-electron oxidant, NO + . • The oxidative mechanism was proposed to be a four-electron/two-proton process. - Abstract: The electrochemical behavior of bisphenol A (BPA) was examined using cyclic voltammetry, bulk electrolysis and chemical oxidation in aprotic organic solvents. It was found that BPA undergoes a chemically irreversible voltammetric oxidation process to form compounds that cannot be electrochemically converted back to the starting materials on the voltammetric timescale. To overcome the effects of electrode fouling during controlled potential electrolysis experiments, NO + was used as a one-electron chemical oxidant. A new product, hydroxylated bisdienone was isolated from the chemical oxidation of BPA with 4 mol equiv of NO + SbF 6 − in low water content CH 3 CN. The structure of the cation intermediate species was deduced and it was proposed that BPA is oxidized in a four-electron/two-proton process to form a relatively unstable dication which reacts quickly in the presence of water in acetonitrile (in a mechanism that is similar to phenols in general). However, as the water content of the solvent increased it was found that the chemical oxidation mechanism produced a nitration product in high yield. The findings from this study provide useful insights into the reactions that can occur during oxidative metabolism of BPA and highlight the possibility of the role of a bisdienone cation as a reactive metabolite in biological systems

  5. Chemical Risk Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    This course is aimed at providing an overview of the fundamental guiding principles and general methods used in chemical risk assessment. Chemical risk assessment is a complex and ever-evolving process. These principles and methods have been organized by the National Research Cou...

  6. Chemical defences against herbivores

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pavia, Henrik; Baumgartner, Finn; Cervin, Gunnar

    2012-01-01

    This chapter focuses on the recent and emerging research involving chemical defences against herbivory in aquatic primary producers. It provides an overview of plant chemical defence theories and highlights recent research on aquatic primary producers addressing a number of aspects...... of these theories, concluding with new chemical approaches to tackle the questions and suggestions for future research directions. It explains that aquatic primary producers are a taxonomically and functionally diverse group of organisms that includes macroalgae, microalgae, and vascular plants. It also states...... that despite the fact that aquatic primary producers constitute a large and diverse group of organisms that vary in their evolutionary histories, selection for chemical defences to resist or reduce grazing are commonplace across the phylogenetic boundaries....

  7. Changes in growth and yield attributes of two selected maize varieties as influenced by application of chemical (npk) and organic (bat's manure) fertilizers in pala (chad) grown field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ridine, W.; Ngakou, A.; Mbaiguinam, M.; Namba, F.; Anna, P

    2014-01-01

    The present experiment was conducted in Pala, region of the Mayo-Kebi West division, in a contribution to improve maize production in Chad. The work was oriented towards the evaluation of the interactions between chemical (NPK) and organic (bat's manure) fertilizers on growth and yield attributes of TZEE-W and IB selected maize varieties. The experimental design was a (5x2)x4 factorial design in which the main factor was the proportion of organic/chemical fertilizer (%), and the maize variety as the secondary factor, comprising the following six treatments repeated four times: control (T0) with 0 % NPK and 0 % bat's manure; T1 with 100% NPK; T2 with 100% bat's manure; T3 with 75% NPK and 25% bat's manure; T4 with 75% bat's manure and 25% NPK; T5 with 50% bat's manure and 50% NPK. Results show a variation in experimental soils pH of treatments from 5.91 to 7.92, depending on the proportion of the fertilizers applied. There were significant yield differences among treatments, as well as maize varieties. The 50% NPK+50% bat's manure was found as the best treatment to significantly (p<0.0001) enhance the yield of IB (51.2 t/ha) and TZEE-W (37.9 t/ha) maize varieties compared to their respective controls (7.25 t/ha and 6.76 t/ha). These results suggest that the combination at equal proportion of NPK and bat's manure could be recommended to sustainably improve maize production in Pala-Chad, thus with a considerable alleviation of the pollution risks that have been attributed to chemical fertilizer. (author)

  8. Changes in the chemical characteristics of water-extracted organic matter from vermicomposting of sewage sludge and cow dung.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Meiyan; Li, Xiaowei; Yang, Jian; Huang, Zhidong; Lu, Yongsen

    2012-02-29

    The chemical changes of water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) from five different substrates of sewage sludge enriched with different proportions of cow dung after vermicomposting with Eisenia fetida were investigated using various analytical approaches. Results showed that dissolved organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, and C/N ratio of the substrates decreased significantly after vermicomposting process. The aromaticity of WEOM from the substrates enhanced considerably, and the amount of volatile fatty acids declined markedly, especially for the cow dung substrate. Gel filtration chromatography analysis showed that the molecular weight fraction between 10(3) and 10(6) Da became the main part of WEOM in the final product. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra revealed that the proportion of H moieties in the area of 0.00-3.00 ppm decreased, while increasing at 3.00-4.25 ppm after vermicomposting. Fluorescence spectra indicated that vermicomposting caused the degradation of protein-like groups, and the formation of fulvic and humic acid-like compounds in the WEOM of the substrates. Overall results indicate clearly that vermicomposting promoted the degradation and transformation of liable WEOM into biological stable substances in sewage sludge and cow dung alone, as well as in mixtures of both materials, and testing the WEOM might be an effective way to evaluate the biological maturity and chemical stability of vermicompost. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Reactive Distillation for Esterification of Bio-based Organic Acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fields, Nathan; Miller, Dennis J.; Asthana, Navinchandra S.; Kolah, Aspi K.; Vu, Dung; Lira, Carl T.

    2008-09-23

    The following is the final report of the three year research program to convert organic acids to their ethyl esters using reactive distillation. This report details the complete technical activities of research completed at Michigan State University for the period of October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2006, covering both reactive distillation research and development and the underlying thermodynamic and kinetic data required for successful and rigorous design of reactive distillation esterification processes. Specifically, this project has led to the development of economical, technically viable processes for ethyl lactate, triethyl citrate and diethyl succinate production, and on a larger scale has added to the overall body of knowledge on applying fermentation based organic acids as platform chemicals in the emerging biorefinery. Organic acid esters constitute an attractive class of biorenewable chemicals that are made from corn or other renewable biomass carbohydrate feedstocks and replace analogous petroleum-based compounds, thus lessening U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum and enhancing overall biorefinery viability through production of value-added chemicals in parallel with biofuels production. Further, many of these ester products are candidates for fuel (particularly biodiesel) components, and thus will serve dual roles as both industrial chemicals and fuel enhancers in the emerging bioeconomy. The technical report from MSU is organized around the ethyl esters of four important biorenewables-based acids: lactic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and propionic acid. Literature background on esterification and reactive distillation has been provided in Section One. Work on lactic acid is covered in Sections Two through Five, citric acid esterification in Sections Six and Seven, succinic acid in Section Eight, and propionic acid in Section Nine. Section Ten covers modeling of ester and organic acid vapor pressure properties using the SPEAD (Step Potential

  10. Global contamination trends of persistent organic chemicals

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Loganathan, Bommanna G; Lam, Paul K. S

    2012-01-01

    "Composed by a diverse group of experts, this reference covers the history, present status, and projected future trends of environmental contamination from highly toxic synthetic chemical pollutants...

  11. Hazardous air pollutant emissions from process units in the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry: Background information for proposed standards. Volume 1A. National impacts assessment. Draft report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-11-01

    A draft rule for the regulation of emissions of organic hazardous air pollutants (HAP's) from chemical processes of the synthetic organic chemical manufacturing industry (SOCMI) is being proposed under the authority of Sections 112, 114, 116, and 301 of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990. The volume of the Background Information Document presents the results of the national impacts assessment for the proposed rule

  12. Implementing the flipped classroom methodology to the subject "Applied computing" of the chemical engineering degree at the University of Barcelona

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Montserrat Iborra

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available This work is focus on implementation, development, documentation, analysis and assessment of flipped classroom methodology, by means of just in time teaching strategy, in a pilot group (1 of 6 of the subject “Applied Computing” of Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Degree of the University of Barcelona. The results show that this technique promotes self-learning, autonomy, time management as well as an increase in the effectiveness of classroom hours.

  13. Archaeological recording and chemical stratigraphy applied to contaminated land studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Photos-Jones, Effie; Hall, Allan J

    2011-11-15

    The method used by archaeologists for excavation and recording of the stratigraphic evidence, within trenches with or without archaeological remains, can potentially be useful to contaminated land consultants (CLCs). The implementation of archaeological practice in contaminated land assessments (CLAs) is not meant to be an exercise in data overkill; neither should it increase costs. Rather, we suggest, that if the excavation and recording, by a trained archaeologist, of the stratigraphy is followed by in-situ chemical characterisation then it is possible that much uncertainty associated with current field sampling practices, may be removed. This is because built into the chemical stratigraphy is the temporal and spatial relationship between different parts of the site reflecting the logic behind the distribution of contamination. An archaeological recording with chemical stratigraphy approach to sampling may possibly provide 'one method fits all' for potentially contaminated land sites (CLSs), just as archaeological characterisation of the stratigraphic record provides 'one method fits all' for all archaeological sites irrespective of period (prehistoric to modern) or type (rural, urban or industrial). We also suggest that there may be practical and financial benefits to be gained by pulling together expertise and resources stemming from different disciplines, not simply at the assessment phase, but also subsequent phases, in contaminated land improvement. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Safety in the Chemical Laboratory: Tested Disposal Methods for Chemical Wastes from Academic Laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armour, M. A.; And Others

    1985-01-01

    Describes procedures for disposing of dichromate cleaning solution, picric acid, organic azides, oxalic acid, chemical spills, and hydroperoxides in ethers and alkenes. These methods have been tested under laboratory conditions and are specific for individual chemicals rather than for groups of chemicals. (JN)

  15. 75 FR 8575 - Testing of Certain High Production Volume Chemicals; Third Group of Chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-25

    ...: Beilstein Database, CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Illustrated Handbooks of Physical- Chemical Properties and Environmental Fate for Organic Chemicals, Merck... Coefficient: Method A (40 CFR 799.6755--shake flask). Method B (ASTM E 1147-92(2005)--liquid chromatography...

  16. Thermodynamic chemical energy transfer mechanisms of non-equilibrium, quasi-equilibrium, and equilibrium chemical reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roh, Heui-Seol

    2015-01-01

    Chemical energy transfer mechanisms at finite temperature are explored by a chemical energy transfer theory which is capable of investigating various chemical mechanisms of non-equilibrium, quasi-equilibrium, and equilibrium. Gibbs energy fluxes are obtained as a function of chemical potential, time, and displacement. Diffusion, convection, internal convection, and internal equilibrium chemical energy fluxes are demonstrated. The theory reveals that there are chemical energy flux gaps and broken discrete symmetries at the activation chemical potential, time, and displacement. The statistical, thermodynamic theory is the unification of diffusion and internal convection chemical reactions which reduces to the non-equilibrium generalization beyond the quasi-equilibrium theories of migration and diffusion processes. The relationship between kinetic theories of chemical and electrochemical reactions is also explored. The theory is applied to explore non-equilibrium chemical reactions as an illustration. Three variable separation constants indicate particle number constants and play key roles in describing the distinct chemical reaction mechanisms. The kinetics of chemical energy transfer accounts for the four control mechanisms of chemical reactions such as activation, concentration, transition, and film chemical reactions. - Highlights: • Chemical energy transfer theory is proposed for non-, quasi-, and equilibrium. • Gibbs energy fluxes are expressed by chemical potential, time, and displacement. • Relationship between chemical and electrochemical reactions is discussed. • Theory is applied to explore nonequilibrium energy transfer in chemical reactions. • Kinetics of non-equilibrium chemical reactions shows the four control mechanisms

  17. A Chemical Activity Approach to Exposure and Risk Assessment of Chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gobas, Frank A. P. C.; Mayer, Philipp; Parkerton, Thomas F.

    2018-01-01

    activity approach, its strengths and limitations, and provides examples of how this concept may be applied to the management of single chemicals and chemical mixtures. The examples demonstrate that the chemical activity approach provides a useful framework for 1) compiling and evaluating exposure......To support the goals articulated in the vision for exposure and risk assessment in the twenty-first century, we highlight the application of a thermodynamic chemical activity approach for the exposure and risk assessment of chemicals in the environment. The present article describes the chemical...... assessment. The article further illustrates that the chemical activity approach can support an adaptive management strategy for environmental stewardship of chemicals where “safe” chemical activities are established based on toxicological studies and presented as guidelines for environmental quality...

  18. Louisiana SIP: LAC 33:III Ch 2147. Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Reactor Processes and Distillation Operations in Synthetic Organic Chemical manufacturing Industry (SOCMI); SIP effective 2011-08-04 (LAd34) to 2017-09-27

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louisiana SIP: LAC 33:III Ch 2147. Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Reactor Processes and Distillation Operations in Synthetic Organic Chemical manufacturing Industry (SOCMI); SIP effective 2011-08-04 (LAd34) to 2017-09-27

  19. Degradation of organic pollutants and characteristics of activated sludge in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic reactor treating chemical industrial wastewater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Wang

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A laboratory-scale anaerobic/anoxic/oxic system operated at the hydraulic retention times (HRT of 20, 40, and 60 h with mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS concentrations of 3 g/L and 6 g/L was considered for treating chemical industrial wastewater rich in complex organic compounds and total dissolved solids. Extending the HRT and increasing the MLSS concentration resulted in higher removal efficiency for chemical oxygen demand at 72%. Organic compounds in wastewater could be classified into easily-removed and refractory compounds during treatment. The easily-removed compounds consisted primarily of ethers, alcohols, and aldehydes, whereas the refractory compounds included mainly oxygen-containing heterocyclic and benzene-containing compounds. Results from energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that several metal ions accumulated in activated sludge, particularly Fe(III. Fe accumulated mainly on the surface of sludge floc pellets and resulted in the compactness of activated sludge, which caused the values of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids /MLSS and sludge volume index to decrease.

  20. Chemical equilibrium modeling of organic acids, pH, aluminum, and iron in Swedish surface waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sjöstedt, Carin S; Gustafsson, Jon Petter; Köhler, Stephan J

    2010-11-15

    A consistent chemical equilibrium model that calculates pH from charge balance constraints and aluminum and iron speciation in the presence of natural organic matter is presented. The model requires input data for total aluminum, iron, organic carbon, fluoride, sulfate, and charge balance ANC. The model is calibrated to pH measurements (n = 322) by adjusting the fraction of active organic matter only, which results in an error of pH prediction on average below 0.2 pH units. The small systematic discrepancy between the analytical results for the monomeric aluminum fractionation and the model results is corrected for separately for two different fractionation techniques (n = 499) and validated on a large number (n = 3419) of geographically widely spread samples all over Sweden. The resulting average error for inorganic monomeric aluminum is around 1 µM. In its present form the model is the first internally consistent modeling approach for Sweden and may now be used as a tool for environmental quality management. Soil gibbsite with a log *Ks of 8.29 at 25°C together with a pH dependent loading function that uses molar Al/C ratios describes the amount of aluminum in solution in the presence of organic matter if the pH is roughly above 6.0.

  1. Chemical Engineering of Photoactivity in Heterometallic Titanium-Organic Frameworks by Metal Doping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castells-Gil, Javier; Padial, Natalia M; Almora-Barrios, Neyvis; Albero, Josep; Ruiz-Salvador, A Rabdel; González-Platas, Javier; García, Hermenegildo; Martí-Gastaldo, Carlos

    2018-06-06

    We report a new family of titanium-organic frameworks that enlarges the limited number of crystalline, porous materials available for this metal. They are chemically robust and can be prepared as single crystals at multi-gram scale from multiple precursors. Their heterometallic structure enables engineering of their photoactivity by metal doping rather than by linker functionalization. Compared to other methodologies based on the post-synthetic metallation of MOFs, our approach is well-fitted for controlling the positioning of dopants at an atomic level to gain more precise control over the band-gap and electronic properties of the porous solid. Changes in the band-gap are also rationalized with computational modelling and experimentally confirmed by photocatalytic H 2 production. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Chemical research projects office functions accomplishments programs. [applied research in the fields of polymer chemistry and polymeric composites with emphasis on fire safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heimbuch, A. H.; Parker, J. A.

    1975-01-01

    Basic and applied research in the fields of polymer chemistry, polymeric composites, chemical engineering, and biophysical chemistry is summarized. Emphasis is placed on fire safety and human survivability as they relate to commercial and military aircraft, high-rise buildings, mines and rapid transit transportation. Materials systems and other fire control systems developed for aerospace applications and applied to national domestic needs are described along with bench-scale and full-scale tests conducted to demonstrate the improvements in performance obtained through the utilization of these materials and fire control measures.

  3. Chemical Effects of Nuclear Transformations Vol. I. Proceedings of the Symposium on Chemical Effects Associated with Nuclear Reactions and Radioactive Transformations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1965-01-01

    The study of the chemical changes consequent upon the nuclear transformation of an atom that is linked with other atoms in a molecule and surrounded by other similar or dissimilar molecules has intrigued chemists for a number of years. This interest is certainly not static but if anything is increasing. The main theme of this meeting was a discussion of the suggestions and theories that have been advanced to explain the wealth of experimental observations on the behaviour of atoms at energies and in situations not normally accessible in the laboratory. Though the subject has some practical implications in the preparation of radioisotopes, this was not an important consideration at this Symposium. The first Symposium on hot-atom chemistry organized by the Agency was held in Prague in October 1960. Comparison of the past and the present state of the subject shows that a greater variety and sophistication of techniques are now being applied as the simpler approaches used in the past have been shown to be inadequate. Progress has been made in the understanding of the simpler gas system, but in liquids and solids there is still much to clarify. It is also of interest that for the majority of the work reported in these Proceedings a reactor was the radiation source, and in this field much experimental work still remains to be done. The Symposium on Chemical Effects Associated with Nuclear Reactions and Radioactive Transformations was held from 7 to 11 December 1964 in Vienna, and was attended by 136 participants from 29 countries and 4 international organizations. It was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency in co-operation with the Joint Commission on Applied Radioactivity. The publication of these Proceedings makes the content of the papers and discussion available to a wider audience than was possible at the meeting in Vienna

  4. Research Update: Mechanical properties of metal-organic frameworks - Influence of structure and chemical bonding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Henke, Sebastian; Cheetham, Anthony K.

    2014-12-01

    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a young family of functional materials, have been attracting considerable attention from the chemistry, materials science, and physics communities. In the light of their potential applications in industry and technology, the fundamental mechanical properties of MOFs, which are of critical importance for manufacturing, processing, and performance, need to be addressed and understood. It has been widely accepted that the framework topology, which describes the overall connectivity pattern of the MOF building units, is of vital importance for the mechanical properties. However, recent advances in the area of MOF mechanics reveal that chemistry plays a major role as well. From the viewpoint of materials science, a deep understanding of the influence of chemical effects on MOF mechanics is not only highly desirable for the development of novel functional materials with targeted mechanical response, but also for a better understanding of important properties such as structural flexibility and framework breathing. The present work discusses the intrinsic connection between chemical effects and the mechanical behavior of MOFs through a number of prototypical examples.

  5. Catalyst-free growth of InN nanorods by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Min Hwa; Moon, Dae Young; Park, Jinsub; Nanishi, Yasushi; Yi, Gyu-Chul; Yoon, Euijoon

    2012-01-01

    We demonstrated the growth of catalyst-free InN nanostructures including nanorods on (0001) Al 2 O 3 substrates using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. As the growth time increased, growth rate along c-direction increased superlinearly with decreasing c-plane area fractions and increasing side wall areas. It was also found that desorption from the sidewalls of InN nanostructures during the InN nanorods formation was one of essential key parameters of the growth mechanism. We propose a growth model to explain the InN nanostructure evolution by considering the side wall desorption and re-deposition of indium at top c-plane surfaces. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  6. Chemical and biological treatment technologies for leather tannery chemicals and wastewaters: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lofrano, Giusy; Meriç, Sureyya; Zengin, Gülsüm Emel; Orhon, Derin

    2013-09-01

    Although the leather tanning industry is known to be one of the leading economic sectors in many countries, there has been an increasing environmental concern regarding the release of various recalcitrant pollutants in tannery wastewater. It has been shown that biological processes are presently known as the most environmental friendly but inefficient for removal of recalcitrant organics and micro-pollutants in tannery wastewater. Hence emerging technologies such as advanced oxidation processes and membrane processes have been attempted as integrative to biological treatment for this sense. This paper, as the-state-of-the-art, attempts to revise the over world trends of treatment technologies and advances for pollution prevention from tannery chemicals and wastewater. It can be elucidated that according to less extent advances in wastewater minimization as well as in leather production technology and chemicals substitution, biological and chemical treatment processes have been progressively studied. However, there has not been a full scale application yet of those emerging technologies using advanced oxidation although some of them proved good achievements to remove xenobiotics present in tannery wastewater. It can be noted that advanced oxidation technologies integrated with biological processes will remain in the agenda of the decision makers and water sector to apply the best prevention solution for the future tanneries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The influence of peeling and type of drying on chemical and sensorial analysis of organic coffee

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria de Fátima Caixeta Fernandes

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Organic coffee is characterized by being produced without the use of chemical products and by having a similar or superior quality in comparison to that of coffee produced by traditional methods. The production of organic coffee does not include the use of highly soluble nutrients, which makes consumers concerned with environmental issues and healthy eating habits realize its true value. This paper aims to analyze the influence of harvesting, peeling and drying on the quality of organic coffee, in order to present the best way of producing high quality coffee. Samples of organic coffee were harvested by both conventional and selective ways, and some were peeled. They were then dried on concrete patio and on suspended terraces. The beans were analyzed for potassium leaching, electrical conductivity, titratable acidity, and submitted to coffee cupping-test. The results obtained indicated that the selective harvesting of the peeled or unpeeled cherry coffee dried on concrete terrace is feasible for production of fine coffees. This type of processing effectively influenced the final quality of the organic coffee, thus being an alternative to improve the quality and market value of the product, especially for small producers, cooperatives, and associations of coffee producers.

  8. New Electronic Technology Applied in Flexible Organic Optical System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andre F. S. Guedes

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The synthesis and application of new organic materials, nanostructured, for developing technology based on organic devices, have been the main focus of the scientific community. In recent years, the first polymeric electronics products have entered the market (organic semiconductor materials and there are some electrochromic devices among them that have been called smart windows, once they control the passage of light or heat through a closed environment as an ordinary window. The main functional aspect of electrochromic devices, when being used in architectural and automotive industry, is to control the passage of light and temperature with thermal and visual comfort. These devices can be flexible and very thin, not containing heavy metals, and formed by layers of organic material deposited in several architectures. In this study, the electro-deposition of organic materials in the Polyaniline, PANI case, which provide stability in optical and electrical parameters, was utilized with the means of developing prototypes of organic electrochromic devices. These materials were characterized by: ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy absorption (UV-Vis, measurement of thickness (MT and electrical measurements (EM. This study aims to establish the relationship between the thickness of the active layer and the value of the electrical resistivity of the layer deposited through an electro-deposition technique. The experimental results enabled the equating of the electrical resistivity related to the thickness of the deposited layer. The linear fit of these results has expressed the thickness of the conducting layer, α, and the lowest value of the electrical resistivity, β, associated with the gap between the valence band and the conduction band. Thus, the results have demonstrated that, when the layer of organic material is completely conductive, we may obtain the thickness of the organic material deposited on the substrate.

  9. Prediction of radical scavenging activities of anthocyanins applying adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) with quantum chemical descriptors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jhin, Changho; Hwang, Keum Taek

    2014-08-22

    Radical scavenging activity of anthocyanins is well known, but only a few studies have been conducted by quantum chemical approach. The adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) is an effective technique for solving problems with uncertainty. The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models for predicting radical scavenging activities of anthocyanins with good prediction efficiency. ANFIS-applied QSAR models were developed by using quantum chemical descriptors of anthocyanins calculated by semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 methods. Electron affinity (A) and electronegativity (χ) of flavylium cation, and ionization potential (I) of quinoidal base were significantly correlated with radical scavenging activities of anthocyanins. These descriptors were used as independent variables for QSAR models. ANFIS models with two triangular-shaped input fuzzy functions for each independent variable were constructed and optimized by 100 learning epochs. The constructed models using descriptors calculated by both PM6 and PM7 had good prediction efficiency with Q-square of 0.82 and 0.86, respectively.

  10. Prediction of Radical Scavenging Activities of Anthocyanins Applying Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS with Quantum Chemical Descriptors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Changho Jhin

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Radical scavenging activity of anthocyanins is well known, but only a few studies have been conducted by quantum chemical approach. The adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS is an effective technique for solving problems with uncertainty. The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR models for predicting radical scavenging activities of anthocyanins with good prediction efficiency. ANFIS-applied QSAR models were developed by using quantum chemical descriptors of anthocyanins calculated by semi-empirical PM6 and PM7 methods. Electron affinity (A and electronegativity (χ of flavylium cation, and ionization potential (I of quinoidal base were significantly correlated with radical scavenging activities of anthocyanins. These descriptors were used as independent variables for QSAR models. ANFIS models with two triangular-shaped input fuzzy functions for each independent variable were constructed and optimized by 100 learning epochs. The constructed models using descriptors calculated by both PM6 and PM7 had good prediction efficiency with Q-square of 0.82 and 0.86, respectively.

  11. Chemical, Sensorial and Rheological Properties of a New Organic Rice Bran Beverage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerson Luis FACCIN

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Rice bran is a solid residue from rice polishing that is used in animal nutrition and rice oil production. Cultivation conditions with agro-toxics, lipids instability, and tendency for mycotoxin contamination restrict its application in human nutrition. Therefore, organic agriculture is an alternative to use the properties of rice bran. Rice bran beverage is a new cereal product from organic rice. This work presents the preliminary results of the chemical and rheological studies of a bath pasteurized rice bran beverage. Compared with integral defatted milk, soy extracts, and brown rice low-fat milk, the rice bran beverage studied in this work presents itself as an important source of minerals and unsaturated lipids. All essential amino acids were found in this product. Glutamic and aspartic acids were predominant. Bath pasteurization at boiling water temperature for 15 and 30 min was adequate for microbiological safety. Refrigeration storage for 20 days, evaluated by pH and acidity variations, was ideal for assessment of the beverage conservation time. The beverage viscosity was of the Newtonian standard behavior, and its viscosity during storage was not a good parameter to evaluate shelf life. Sensory preference tests showed positive perspectives for this new beverage.

  12. The electrochemical oxidation of organic waste and activated graphite by Ag2+ in nitric acid: a literature study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Alsenoy, V.; Rahier, A.

    1996-08-01

    Organic wastes and activated moderator graphite can be processed by means of combustion, but the incineration of organic waste poses emission problems. The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN has experience with the treatment of organic wastes. Moreover, the treatment of radioactive graphite will be required since the BR-1 reactor is moderated with 492 tons of graphite. The strong oxidising properties of Ag 2+ are already used in the chemical and nuclear industry to destroy organic waste. We aim to apply the process on radioactive graphite, organic resins and effluents. The reaction mechanisms will be studied, taking into account the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the different reactions involved. As a first step, this document gives a literature study of the electrochemical oxidation using Ag 2+ . This document presents a thorough literature study, and shows that the oxidative properties of the Ag 2+ ion, which can easily be formed in nitric acid by means of electrolysis, make it an ideal candidate to oxidize organic molecules into carbon dioxide and water on a perfectly well controlled manner. The process has already been used to destroy explosives and toxic organic waste in the nuclear and chemical industry. Chemical, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of some of the reactions involved are already known and described, other reaction mechanisms are still unknown. On the basis of the information collected so far, the Research and Development group of the Radioactive Waste and Cleanup unit has proposed to start a research programme to define, test, demonstrate and finally apply a safe process for the treatment of radioactive organic material and graphite by electrochemical oxidation using Ag 2+ . Available data confirm that the oxidation of organic material can be carried out safely, leading to the formation of water and carbon dioxide

  13. The Effects of Organic, Chemical and Biological Fertilizers on Seed Yield and Yield Components of Dwarf Chicory (Cichorium pumilum Jacq.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farima Doaei

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In order to response to greater demand for wild medicinal plants consumption, it has been recommended that wild medicinal plants can be brought into cultivation systems. Cichorium pumilum Jacq. is an annual species of Asteraceae family, that has a long history of herbal use and is especially of great value for its tonic effects upon the liver and digestive tract. The root and the leaves of chicory are digestive, hypoglycemic, diuretic, laxative and tonic. Using chemical fertilizers can be easily lost from soils through fixation, leaching or gas emission that can lead to reduced fertilizer efficiency. The applications of organic fertilizers such as compost and vermicompost can be considered as a good management practice to increase cropping system sustainability, reducing soil erosion and improving soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Soil microorganisms have a significant role in regulating the dynamics of organic matter breakdown and the availability of plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and sulfur. Materials and Methods: For evaluating the effects of organic, mineral and biological fertilizers on seed yield and yield components of dwarf chicory (Cichorium pumilum Jacq., a field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (36016/ N, 59036/ E, elevation 985 m during growing season of 2011-2012. The experimental layout was factorial based on randomized complete block design with four replications. The experimental treatments were all combination of organic and chemical fertilizers (compost 4 t/ha, vermicompost 4 t/ha, urea fertilizer 130 kg/ha and control and biological fertilizer (biosulfur biofertilizer + pure sulfur 100 kg/ ha and control. Before conducting the experiment, soil sample were taken from the depth of 0-30 cm, and physical and chemical characteristics of the soil and also used compost and vermicompost were determined. All fertilizer

  14. Nature and prevalence of non-additive toxic effects in industrially relevant mixtures of organic chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parvez, Shahid; Venkataraman, Chandra; Mukherji, Suparna

    2009-06-01

    The concentration addition (CA) and the independent action (IA) models are widely used for predicting mixture toxicity based on its composition and individual component dose-response profiles. However, the prediction based on these models may be inaccurate due to interaction among mixture components. In this work, the nature and prevalence of non-additive effects were explored for binary, ternary and quaternary mixtures composed of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). The toxicity of each individual component and mixture was determined using the Vibrio fischeri bioluminescence inhibition assay. For each combination of chemicals specified by the 2(n) factorial design, the percent deviation of the predicted toxic effect from the measured value was used to characterize mixtures as synergistic (positive deviation) and antagonistic (negative deviation). An arbitrary classification scheme was proposed based on the magnitude of deviation (d) as: additive (50%, class-IV) antagonistic/synergistic. Naphthalene, n-butanol, o-xylene, catechol and p-cresol led to synergism in mixtures while 1, 2, 4-trimethylbenzene and 1, 3-dimethylnaphthalene contributed to antagonism. Most of the mixtures depicted additive or antagonistic effect. Synergism was prominent in some of the mixtures, such as, pulp and paper, textile dyes, and a mixture composed of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. The organic chemical industry mixture depicted the highest abundance of antagonism and least synergism. Mixture toxicity was found to depend on partition coefficient, molecular connectivity index and relative concentration of the components.

  15. Applications of contaminant fate and bioaccumulation models in assessing ecological risks of chemicals: A case study for gasoline hydrocarbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacLeod, Matthew; McKone, Thomas E.; Foster, Karen L.; Maddalena, Randy L.; Parkerton, Thomas F.; Mackay, Don

    2004-02-01

    Mass balance models of chemical fate and transport can be applied in ecological risk assessments for quantitative estimation of concentrations in air, water, soil and sediment. These concentrations can, in turn, be used to estimate organism exposures and ultimately internal tissue concentrations that can be compared to mode-of-action-based critical body residues that correspond to toxic effects. From this comparison, risks to the exposed organism can be evaluated. To illustrate the practical utility of fate models in ecological risk assessments of commercial products, the EQC model and a simple screening level biouptake model including three organisms, (a bird, a mammal and a fish) is applied to gasoline. In this analysis, gasoline is divided into 24 components or ''blocks'' with similar environmental fate properties that are assumed to elicit ecotoxicity via a narcotic mode of action. Results demonstrate that differences in chemical properties and mode of entry into the environment lead to profound differences in the efficiency of transport from emission to target biota. We discuss the implications of these results and insights gained into the regional fate and ecological risks associated with gasoline. This approach is particularly suitable for assessing mixtures of components that have similar modes of action. We conclude that the model-based methodologies presented are widely applicable for screening level ecological risk assessments that support effective chemicals management.

  16. 40 CFR 1600.2 - Organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Organization. 1600.2 Section 1600.2 Protection of Environment CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD § 1600.2 Organization. (a) The CSB's Board consists of five...

  17. Transuranium elements in organic chemical forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakanoue, Masanobu; Yamamoto, Masayoshi

    1987-01-01

    It is very important to achive an understanding what role organic matter plays in the behavior of transuranium elements in the environment. This paper reports the studies on characteristics of fallout Pu and Am in soil closely related to soil organic matter, and interaction of humic acid and Am (III) in aqueous solution. From the results obtained, it was suggested that the humic acids had strong interaction with transuranium elements, but such soluble complexes were removed soon from the solution by coagulation and sorption on soil. (author)

  18. Influence Applied Potential on the Formation of Self-Organized ZnO Nanorod Film and Its Photoelectrochemical Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nur Azimah Abd Samad

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The present paper reports on the facile formation of ZnO nanorod photocatalyst electrodeposited on Zn foil in the production of hydrogen gas via water photoelectrolysis. Based on the results, ZnO nanorod films were successfully grown via electrochemical deposition in an optimum electrolyte set of 0.5 mM zinc chloride and 0.1 M potassium chloride at pH level of 5-6 and electrochemical deposition temperature of around 70°C. The study was also conducted at a very low stirring rate with different applied potentials. Applied potential was one of the crucial aspects in the formation of self-organized ZnO nanorod film via control of the field-assisted dissolution and field-assisted deposition rates during the electrochemical deposition process. Interestingly, low applied potentials of 1 V during electrochemical deposition produced a high aspect ratio and density of self-organized ZnO nanorod distribution on the Zn substrate with an average diameter and length of ~37.9 nm and ~249.5 nm, respectively. Therefore, it exhibited a high photocurrent density that reached 17.8 mA/cm2 under ultraviolet illumination and 12.94 mA/cm2 under visible illumination. This behaviour was attributed to the faster transport of photogenerated electron/hole pairs in the nanorod’s one-dimensional wall surface, which prevented backward reactions and further reduced the number of recombination centres.

  19. Health risks of the occupational exposure to microbiological and chemical pollutants in a municipal waste organic fraction treatment plant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadal, Martí; Inza, Isabel; Schuhmacher, Marta; Figueras, María J; Domingo, José L

    2009-11-01

    Composting is a good alternative for the treatment of organic waste. However, an important amount of hazardous agents such as bioaerosols and volatile organic compounds may be released during the process. Therefore, the presence of microbiological and chemical pollutants emitted to air may mean a risk for the health of composting plants workers. We here report the results of an investigation aimed at evaluating the occupational exposure to chemical and biological agents for workers of an organic waste treatment facility (Montcada i Reixac, Catalonia, Spain). Total concentrations of bacteria and fungi (at 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C), including Aspergillus fumigatus, were determined on a 3-month basis in 4 areas of the composting plant (reception, sorting, composting and cogeneration halls). Non-cancer and cancer risks were assessed. Workers in the sorting cabins seemed to be the most exposed to pollutants. Consequently, the use of preventive measures, such as integrated P3 filter masks and gloves are highly recommended. On the other hand, the emission and dispersion of bioaerosols and particles should be minimized during the process through the application of additional measures, such as the humectation of waste and the installation of biofilters. The results of this study can be useful to elaborate occupational risk prevention programs for workers in composting plants.

  20. Electronic properties and chemistry of metal / organic semiconductor/ S-GaAs(100) heterosructures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gavrila, G.N.

    2005-10-21

    in the framework of this thesis three perylene derivates are applied as interlayers in metal/organic layer/S-GaAs(100) heterostructures. The aim of this thesis is to prove the influence of different chemical end-groups on the electronic and chemical properties of the interfaces, as well as the molecular orientation in the organic layers. The molecules 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarbonic acid dianhydride (PTCDA), 3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarbonic acid diimide (PTCDI), and dimethyl-3,4,9,10-perylene tetracarbonic acid diimide (DiMe-PTCDI) were evaporated by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) in the ultrahigh vacuum on sulfur-passivated GaAs(001):2 x 1 substrates. Surface-sensitive characterization procedures as photoemission spectroscopy (PES), inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES), and near-edge X-ray fine-structure measurements (NEXAFS) were applied for the characterization. Theoretical calculations by means of the density-functional methods were performed, in order to allow an assignment of different components in core-level spectra. The NEXAFS spectra allow a precise determination of the molecule orientation in relation to the substrate. So it can be proved that a small change of chemical end-groups for instance in DiMe-PTCDI compared with PTCDI causes a dramatic change of the molecule orientation. The valence-band spectra of DiMe-PTCDI show an energetic dispersion of 0.2 eV, which can be assigned to a {pi}-orbital overlap and covers the formation of valence bands. The energy-level fitting to the organic-layer/S-GaAs interface as well as the transport band gap of PTCDI, DiMe-PTCDI, and PTCDA were deteminde by means of PES and IPES. The electronic, chemical, and structural properties of metal/organic-layer interfaces were studied by means of core-level spectroscopy and NEXAFS. Mg reacts strongly with the end-groups of PTCDA AND ptcdi, while the In atoms contribute to a charge-transfer process with the perylene cores of all three molecules, whereby the

  1. A methodology for ranking and hazard identification of xenobiotic organic compounds in urban stormwater

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baun, Anders; Eriksson, Eva; Ledin, Anna

    2006-01-01

    The paper presents a novel methodology (RICH, Ranking and Identification of Chemical Hazards) for ranking and identification of xenobiotic organic compounds of environmental concern in stormwater discharged to surface water. The RICHmethod is illustrated as a funnel fitted with different filters...... in hazard/risk assessments, a justified list of stormwater priority pollutants which must be included in hazard/risk assessments, and a list of compounds which may be present in discharged stormwater, but cannot be evaluated due to lack of data. The procedure was applied to 233 xenobiotic organic chemicals...... with xenobiotic organic compounds (XOCs) found in urban stormwater, but it may be transferred to other environmental compartments and problems. Thus, the RICH procedure can be used as a stand-alone tool for selection of potential priority pollutants or it can be integrated in larger priority setting frameworks....

  2. Organic semiconductors in sensor applications

    CERN Document Server

    Malliaras, George; Owens, Róisín

    2008-01-01

    Organic semiconductors offer unique characteristics such as tunability of electronic properties via chemical synthesis, compatibility with mechanically flexible substrates, low-cost manufacturing, and facile integration with chemical and biological functionalities. These characteristics have prompted the application of organic semiconductors and their devices in physical, chemical, and biological sensors. This book covers this rapidly emerging field by discussing both optical and electrical sensor concepts. Novel transducers based on organic light-emitting diodes and organic thin-film transistors, as well as systems-on-a-chip architectures are presented. Functionalization techniques to enhance specificity are outlined, and models for the sensor response are described.

  3. Comparison of the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter in three lakes in Minnesota

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Xiaoyan; Aiken, George R.; Butler, Kenna D.; Mao, Jingdong; Schmidt-Rohr, Klaus

    2018-01-01

    New information on the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in three lakes in Minnesota has been gained from spectral editing and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, indicating the effects of lake hydrological settings on DOM composition. Williams Lake (WL), Shingobee Lake (SL), and Manganika Lake (ML) had different source inputs, and the lake water residence time (WRT) of WL was markedly longer than that of SL and ML. The hydrophobic organic acid (HPOA) and transphilic organic acid (TPIA) fractions combined comprised >50% of total DOM in these lakes, and contained carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM), aromatics, carbohydrates, and N-containing compounds. The previously understudied TPIA fractions contained fewer aromatics, more oxygen-rich CRAM, and more N-containing compounds compared to the corresponding HPOA. CRAM represented the predominant component in DOM from all lakes studied, and more so in WL than in SL and ML. Aromatics including lignin residues and phenols decreased in relative abundances from ML to SL and WL. Carbohydrates and N-containing compounds were minor components in both HPOA and TPIA and did not show large variations among the three lakes. The increased relative abundances of CRAM in DOM from ML, SL to WL suggested the selective preservation of CRAM with increased residence time.

  4. Nano sized bismuth oxy chloride by metal organic chemical vapour deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jagdale, Pravin, E-mail: pravin.jagdale@polito.it [Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 (Italy); Castellino, Micaela [Center for Space Human Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Trento 21, 10129 Torino (Italy); Marrec, Françoise [Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV), Amiens 80039 (France); Rodil, Sandra E. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexicom (UNAM), Mexico D.F. 04510 (Mexico); Tagliaferro, Alberto [Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 (Italy)

    2014-06-01

    Metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) method was used to prepare thin films of bismuth based nano particles starting from bismuth salts. Nano sized bismuth oxy chloride (BiOCl) crystals were synthesized from solution containing bismuth chloride (BiCl{sub 3}) in acetone (CH{sub 3}-CO-CH{sub 3}). Self-assembly of nano sized BiOCl crystals were observed on the surface of silicon, fused silica, copper, carbon nanotubes and aluminium substrates. Various synthesis parameters and their significant impact onto the formation of self-assembled nano-crystalline BiOCl were investigated. BiOCl nano particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Micro-Raman spectroscopy. These analyses confirm that bismuth nanometer-sized crystal structures showing a single tetragonal phase were indeed bismuth oxy chloride (BiOCl) square platelets 18–250 nm thick and a few micrometres wide.

  5. Chemically Stable Covalent Organic Framework (COF)-Polybenzimidazole Hybrid Membranes: Enhanced Gas Separation through Pore Modulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biswal, Bishnu P; Chaudhari, Harshal D; Banerjee, Rahul; Kharul, Ulhas K

    2016-03-24

    Highly flexible, TpPa-1@PBI-BuI and TpBD@PBI-BuI hybrid membranes based on chemically stable covalent organic frameworks (COFs) could be obtained with the polymer. The loading obtained was substantially higher (50 %) than generally observed with MOFs. These hybrid membranes show an exciting enhancement in permeability (about sevenfold) with appreciable separation factors for CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4. Further, we found that with COF pore modulation, the gas permeability can be systematically enhanced. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. The use of vermicompost in organic farming: overview, effects on soil and economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Su Lin; Wu, Ta Yeong; Lim, Pei Nie; Shak, Katrina Pui Yee

    2015-04-01

    Vermicomposting is a process in which earthworms are used to convert organic materials into humus-like material known as vermicompost. A number of researchers throughout the world have found that the nutrient profile in vermicompost is generally higher than traditional compost. In fact, vermicompost can enhance soil fertility physically, chemically and biologically. Physically, vermicompost-treated soil has better aeration, porosity, bulk density and water retention. Chemical properties such as pH, electrical conductivity and organic matter content are also improved for better crop yield. Nevertheless, enhanced plant growth could not be satisfactorily explained by improvements in the nutrient content of the soil, which means that other plant growth-influencing materials are available in vermicomposts. Although vermicomposts have been shown to improve plant growth significantly, the application of vermicomposts at high concentrations could impede growth due to the high concentrations of soluble salts available in vermicomposts. Therefore, vermicomposts should be applied at moderate concentrations in order to obtain maximum plant yield. This review paper discusses in detail the effects of vermicompost on soil fertility physically, chemically and biologically. Future prospects and economy on the use of organic fertilizers in the agricultural sector are also examined. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  7. Louisiana SIP: LAC 33:III Ch 21 Subchap J, 2147--Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Reactor Processes and Distillation Operations in Synthetic Organic Chemical manufacturing Industry (SOCMI); SIP effective 1998-02-02 (LAc74) to more..

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louisiana SIP: LAC 33:III Ch 21 Subchap J, 2147--Limiting Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emissions from Reactor Processes and Distillation Operations in Synthetic Organic Chemical manufacturing Industry (SOCMI); SIP effective 1998-02-02 (LAc74) more...

  8. Effect of corm planting density, organic and chemical fertilizers on formation and phosphorus uptake of saffron (Crocus sativus L. replacement corms during phonological stages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hassan Feizi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Saffron (Crocus sativus L. propagates by replacement corms producing from the mother corm after flowering during each season. In order to investigate the effect of corm planting density, organic and chemical fertilizers on formation and phosphorus uptake of saffron replacement corms during phonological stages, a field experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications, at Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. The experimental treatments were all combination of different levels of planting density (25, 50, 75 and 100 corms per m2 and fertilizer sources (manure 25 t. ha-1, chemical fertilizer (N 150 kg ha-1 + P 75 kg ha-1 and control. Due to different sampling dates of replacement corms during phonological stages (21 November, 21 December, 20 January, 20 April and 21 May, respectively, the experimental data were analyzed as factorial - split in time based on a randomized complete block design. Based on results, the highest number of replacement corms lower than 4 g (5.8 corms per plant were observed in fifth sampling stage and then decreased. In all levels of planting density (25 to 100 corms per m2, the effects of manure on increasing the number, weight and phosphorus content of replacement corms in range of 4.1 to 8 and 8.1 to 12 g per plant were significantly higher than chemical fertilizer. In fifth sampling stage, by applying the manure, the weight and phosphorus content of replacement corms in range of 8.1 to 12 g per plant were significantly increased (approximately twice, as compared to chemical fertilizer. It seems the decrease in saffron yield as result to decreasing the corm planting density can be slightly offset by increasing the percentage of larger corms formation per plant.

  9. Assessing and controlling risks from the emission of organic chemicals from construction products into indoor environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Veronica M; Crump, Derrick R; Harrison, Paul T C

    2013-12-01

    Construction products can be a significant source of indoor pollutants, including volatile organic compounds that may be a risk to the health and well-being of building occupants. There are currently a number of schemes for the labelling of products according to their potential to emit organic compounds. Assessment of the complex mixtures of compounds that may be released has mandated the development of test methods that allow the determination of the concentrations of the chemicals released from products in controlled test chamber environments. In response to concerns about the financial burden faced by manufacturers required to test products according to the various different labelling schemes currently in existence, the European Commission has investigated the scope for greater harmonisation. This initiative has sought to harmonise the process for the assessment of emissions data, complementing work led by the European standards organisation focussed on harmonising the test chamber procedures. The current labelling schemes have a range of requirements with respect to the number of chemicals to be quantified. A comparison of 13 schemes worldwide has identified 15 lists of target compounds, with a total of 611 chemicals occurring on at least one of the target lists. While harmonisation may clarify and perhaps simplify these requirements, at least in Europe, it can be expected that future changes to product formulations, the introduction of new products and our increasing knowledge about the potential risks to health, will require continued development of new and improved measurement techniques. There is, therefore, a particular challenge for analytical chemists to ensure the efficient provision of high quality emissions data and thereby ultimately enable effective control of risks to human health through the prevention or reduction of indoor air pollution.

  10. Self-Organizing Maps Neural Networks Applied to the Classification of Ethanol Samples According to the Region of Commercialization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Regina Walkoff

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Physical-chemical analysis data were collected, from 998 ethanol samples of automotive ethanol commercialized in the northern, midwestern and eastern regions of the state of Paraná. The data presented self-organizing maps (SOM neural networks, which classified them according to those regions. The self-organizing maps best configuration had a 45 x 45 topology and 5000 training epochs, with a final learning rate of 6.7x10-4, a final neighborhood relationship of 3x10-2 and a mean quantization error of 2x10-2. This neural network provided a topological map depicting three separated groups, each one corresponding to samples of a same region of commercialization. Four maps of weights, one for each parameter, were presented. The network established the pH was the most important variable for classification and electrical conductivity the least one. The self-organizing maps application allowed the segmentation of alcohol samples, therefore identifying them according to the region of commercialization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v9i4.982

  11. Opportunities for Merging Chemical and Biological Synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Stephen; Balskus, Emily P.

    2014-01-01

    Organic chemists and metabolic engineers use largely orthogonal technologies to access small molecules like pharmaceuticals and commodity chemicals. As the use of biological catalysts and engineered organisms for chemical production grows, it is becoming increasingly evident that future efforts for chemical manufacture will benefit from the integration and unified expansion of these two fields. This review will discuss approaches that combine chemical and biological synthesis for small molecule production. We highlight recent advances in combining enzymatic and non-enzymatic catalysis in vitro, discuss the application of design principles from organic chemistry for engineering non-biological reactivity into enzymes, and describe the development of biocompatible chemistry that can be interfaced with microbial metabolism. PMID:24747284

  12. Chemical Characteristics of Organic Aerosols in Shanghai: A Study by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled With Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xinke; Hayeck, Nathalie; Brüggemann, Martin; Yao, Lei; Chen, Hangfei; Zhang, Ci; Emmelin, Corinne; Chen, Jianmin; George, Christian; Wang, Lin

    2017-11-01

    Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) filter samples were collected in July and October 2014 and January and April 2015 in urban Shanghai and analyzed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The measured chromatogram-mass spectra were processed by a nontarget screening approach to identify significant signals. In total, 810-1,510 chemical formulas of organic compounds in the negative polarity (negative electrospray ionization (ESI-)) and 860-1,790 in the positive polarity (ESI+), respectively, were determined. The chemical characteristics of organic aerosols (OAs) in Shanghai varied among different months and between daytime and nighttime. In the January samples, organics were generally richer in terms of both number and abundance, whereas those in the July samples were far lower. More CHO- (compounds containing only carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and detected in ESI-) and CHOS- (sulfur-containing organics) were found in the daytime samples, suggesting a photochemical source, whereas CHONS- (nitrogen- and sulfur-containing organics) were more abundant in the nighttime samples, due to nocturnal nitrate radical chemistry. A significant number of monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic compounds, and nitrogen- and sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds, were detected in all samples, indicating that biomass burning and fossil fuel combustion made important contributions to the OAs in urban Shanghai. Additionally, precursor-product pair analysis indicates that the epoxide pathway is an important formation route for organosulfates observed in Shanghai. Moreover, a similar analysis suggests that 35-57% of nitrogen-containing compounds detected in ESI+ could be formed through reactions between ammonia and carbonyls. Our study presents a comprehensive overview of OAs in urban Shanghai, which helps to understand their characteristics and sources.

  13. Board on chemical sciences and technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    The Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology organizes and provides direction for standing and ad-hoc committees charged with addressing specific issues relevant to the continued health of the chemical sciences and technology community. Studies currently under the oversight of the BCST include a major survey of the chemical sciences, a complementary survey of chemical engineering, an examination of the problems of biohazards in the laboratory, and an analysis of the roots and magnitude of the problem of obsolescent facilities for research and teaching in departments in the chemical sciences and engineering. The Board continues to respond to specific agency requests for program assessments and advice. BCST members are designated to serve as liaison with major federal agencies or departments that support research in order to help identify ways for the Board to assist these organizations. The BCST maintains close contact with professional societies and non-governmental organizations that share the Board's concern for the health of chemical sciences and technology. Individual Board members are assigned responsibility for liaison with the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society of Biological Chemists, the Council for Chemical Research, the NAS Chemistry and Biochemistry Sections, and the National Academy of Engineering. In the past few years, the Board has served as a focus and a forum for a variety of issues that relate specifically to the health of chemistry

  14. Applying strategic management theories in public sector organizations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jesper Rosenberg; Ewan, Ferlie

    2016-01-01

    This article discusses the utility of two different strategic management theories in different types of public organizations including contemporary New Public Management-based public organizations, namely Porter's strategic positioning model and the resource-based view of strategy. We argue...... conditions: the degree of administrative autonomy, performance-based budgeting and market-like competition. We give empirical examples drawn from public servives in the UK and Denmark. We call for more exploration of these (and other) strategic management approaches within contemporary public services...

  15. Currently Commercially Available Chemical Sensors Employed for Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds in Outdoor and Indoor Air

    OpenAIRE

    Bartosz Szulczyński; Jacek Gębicki

    2017-01-01

    The paper presents principle of operation and design of the most popular chemical sensors for measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in outdoor and indoor air. It describes the sensors for evaluation of explosion risk including pellistors and IR-absorption sensors as well as the sensors for detection of toxic compounds such as electrochemical (amperometric), photoionization and semiconductor with solid electrolyte ones. Commercially available sensors for detection of VOCs and their ...

  16. Meta-organization design applied to international sport organizations : the case of World Anti-Doping Agency

    OpenAIRE

    Malcourant, Emilie; Vas, Alain; Zintz, Thierry

    2012-01-01

    The concept of meta-organization has attracted great interest from research perspectives since 2005. It is seen as a way to reflect the current organizational reality characterized by associations of independent organizations working together to achieve a common goal. Meta-organization allows understanding globalization and internationalization of our world. However, little has been done on meta-organization. Its understanding remains still poorly developed. This paper focuses on an internati...

  17. Effect of temperature on removal of trace organic chemicals in managed aquifer recharge systems

    KAUST Repository

    Alidina, Mazahirali

    2015-03-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate whether changes in temperature experienced in MAR systems affect attenuation of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs). A set of laboratory-scale soil columns were placed in a temperature-controlled environmental chamber and operated at five different temperature set-points (30, 20, 10, 8 and 4. °C) covering the range of typical groundwater temperatures in cold, moderate and arid climate regions. Removal of bulk organic carbon both in the infiltration zone as well as during deeper infiltration was independent of temperature. Of the 22 TOrCs investigated, only six chemicals exhibited changes in attenuation as a function of temperature. Attenuation of four of the compounds (diclofenac, gemfibrozil, ketoprofen and naproxen) decreased as the temperature was reduced from 30. °C to 4. °C, likely due to decreased microbial activity at lower temperatures. As the temperature was decreased, however, attenuation of oxybenzone and trimethoprim were noted to increase. This increased attenuation was likely due to more efficient sorption at lower temperatures, though possible changes in the microbial composition as the temperature decreased may also have contributed to this change. Changes in rate constants of attenuation (. ka) for the biotransformed TOrCs with temperature suggested the existence of a critical temperature at 10. °C for three of the four TOrCs, where significant changes to rates of attenuation occurred. Results from this study indicated that for most TOrCs, changes in temperature do not impact their attenuation. Thus, seasonal changes in temperature are not considered to be a major concern for attenuation of most TOrCs in MAR systems.

  18. Effect of temperature on removal of trace organic chemicals in managed aquifer recharge systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alidina, Mazahirali; Shewchuk, Justin; Drewes, Jörg E

    2015-03-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate whether changes in temperature experienced in MAR systems affect attenuation of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs). A set of laboratory-scale soil columns were placed in a temperature-controlled environmental chamber and operated at five different temperature set-points (30, 20, 10, 8 and 4°C) covering the range of typical groundwater temperatures in cold, moderate and arid climate regions. Removal of bulk organic carbon both in the infiltration zone as well as during deeper infiltration was independent of temperature. Of the 22 TOrCs investigated, only six chemicals exhibited changes in attenuation as a function of temperature. Attenuation of four of the compounds (diclofenac, gemfibrozil, ketoprofen and naproxen) decreased as the temperature was reduced from 30°C to 4°C, likely due to decreased microbial activity at lower temperatures. As the temperature was decreased, however, attenuation of oxybenzone and trimethoprim were noted to increase. This increased attenuation was likely due to more efficient sorption at lower temperatures, though possible changes in the microbial composition as the temperature decreased may also have contributed to this change. Changes in rate constants of attenuation (ka) for the biotransformed TOrCs with temperature suggested the existence of a critical temperature at 10°C for three of the four TOrCs, where significant changes to rates of attenuation occurred. Results from this study indicated that for most TOrCs, changes in temperature do not impact their attenuation. Thus, seasonal changes in temperature are not considered to be a major concern for attenuation of most TOrCs in MAR systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Chemical composition and sources of organic aerosols over London from the ClearfLo 2012 campaigns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finessi, Emanuela; Holmes, Rachel; Hopkins, James; Lee, James; Harrison, Roy; Hamilton, Jacqueline

    2014-05-01

    Air quality in urban areas represents a major public health issue with around one third of the European population concentrated in cities and numbers expected to increase at global scale, particularly in developing countries. Particulate matter (PM) represents a primary threat for human health as numerous studies have confirmed the association between increased levels of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases with the exposure to PM. Despite considerable efforts made in improving air quality and progressively stricter emissions regulations, the PM concentrations have not changed much over the past decades for reasons that remain unclear, and highlight that studies on PM source apportionment are required for the formulation of effective policy. We investigated the chemical composition of organic aerosol (OA) collected during two intensive field campaigns held in winter and summer 2012 in the frame of the project Clean air for London (http://www.clearflo.ac.uk/). PM samples were collected both at a city background site (North Kensington) and at a rural site 50 km southeast of London (Detling) with 8 to 24 hours sampling schedule and analysed using off-line methods. Thermal-optical analysis was used to quantify OC-EC components while a suite of soft ionization mass spectrometric techniques was deployed for detailed chemical characterization. Liquid chromatography mass Spectrometry (LC-MSn) was mostly used for the simultaneous detection and quantification of various tracers for both primary and secondary OA sources. Well-established markers for wood burning primary OA like levoglucosan and azelaic acid were quantified together with various classes of nitroaromatics including methyl-nitrocatechols that are potential tracers for wood burning secondary OA. In addition, oxidation products of biogenic VOCs such as isoprene and monoterpenes were also quantified for both seasons and sites. A non-negligible contribution from biogenic SOA to urban OA was found in summertime

  20. Knowledge Creation and Conversion in Military Organizations: How the SECI Model is Applied Within Armed Forces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrzej Lis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to analyze the knowledge creation and conversion processes in military organizations using the SECI model as a framework. First of all, knowledge creation activities in military organizations are identified and categorized. Then, knowledge socialization, externalization, combination and internalization processes are analyzed. The paper studies methods, techniques and tools applied by NATO and the U.S. Army to support the aforementioned processes. As regards the issue of knowledge socialization, counseling, coaching, mentoring and communities of practice are discussed. Lessons Learned systems and After Action Reviews illustrate the military approaches to knowledge externalization. Producing doctrines in the process of operational standardization is presented as a solution used by the military to combine knowledge in order to codify it. Finally, knowledge internalization through training and education is explored.

  1. Modeling the partitioning of organic chemical species in cloud phases with CLEPS (1.1)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Clémence; Chaumerliac, Nadine; Deguillaume, Laurent; Perroux, Hélène; Mouchel-Vallon, Camille; Leriche, Maud; Patryl, Luc; Armand, Patrick

    2018-02-01

    The new detailed aqueous-phase mechanism Cloud Explicit Physico-chemical Scheme (CLEPS 1.0), which describes the oxidation of isoprene-derived water-soluble organic compounds, is coupled with a warm microphysical module simulating the activation of aerosol particles into cloud droplets. CLEPS 1.0 was then extended to CLEPS 1.1 to include the chemistry of the newly added dicarboxylic acids dissolved from the particulate phase. The resulting coupled model allows the prediction of the aqueous-phase concentrations of chemical compounds originating from particle scavenging, mass transfer from the gas-phase and in-cloud aqueous chemical reactivity. The aim of the present study was more particularly to investigate the effect of particle scavenging on cloud chemistry. Several simulations were performed to assess the influence of various parameters on model predictions and to interpret long-term measurements conducted at the top of Puy de Dôme (PUY, France) in marine air masses. Specific attention was paid to carboxylic acids, whose predicted concentrations are on average in the lower range of the observations, with the exception of formic acid, which is rather overestimated in the model. The different sensitivity runs highlight the fact that formic and acetic acids mainly originate from the gas phase and have highly variable aqueous-phase reactivity depending on the cloud acidity, whereas C3-C4 carboxylic acids mainly originate from the particulate phase and are supersaturated in the cloud.

  2. Is radiation an appropriate model for chemical mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bond, V.P.

    1982-01-01

    This chapter attempts to show why the quadratic, or ''linear quadratic,'' relationship holds for organ dose-single cell radiation effects, and to explore the extension of this relationship to chemical exposures in general. Demonstrates that although the ''αD + βD 2 relationship'' may be unexpected for normal pharmacologicalmedical dose-response relationships, a linear, no-threshold curve of this kind is expected for all stochastic-type (accidental or risk) situations with health consequences (e.g. all common accidents) including exposure to ''low-level radiation'' (LLR). Discusses the stochastic or risk approach, relevant radiobiology, and the stochastic for chemicals. Assumes that even though actual mutational rates cannot be expected to apply to the relevance of Tradescantia or any other single cell system as a predictor for mutagenesis and carcinogenesis in animals and man, the cardinal principles of genetics largely transcend species and the particular environment in which the cell is located. Concludes that with regard to LLR, the curve shapes and other relationships developed for Tradescantia would be expected to apply in principle to animal and human mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

  3. Biotransformation of trace organic chemicals during groundwater recharge: How useful are first-order rate constants?

    KAUST Repository

    Regnery, J.

    2015-05-29

    This study developed relationships between the attenuation of emerging trace organic chemicals (TOrC) during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a function of retention time, system characteristics, and operating conditions using controlled laboratory-scale soil column experiments simulating MAR. The results revealed that MAR performance in terms of TOrC attenuation is primarily determined by key environmental parameters (i.e. redox, primary substrate). Soil columns with suboxic and anoxic conditions performed poorly (i.e. less than 30% attenuation of moderately degradable TOrC) in comparison to oxic conditions (on average between 70-100% attenuation for the same compounds) within a residence time of three days. Given this dependency on redox conditions, it was investigated if key parameter-dependent rate constants are more suitable for contaminant transport modeling to properly capture the dynamic TOrC attenuation under field-scale conditions. Laboratory-derived first-order removal kinetics were determined for 19 TOrC under three different redox conditions and rate constants were applied to MAR field data. Our findings suggest that simplified first-order rate constants will most likely not provide any meaningful results if the target compounds exhibit redox dependent biotransformation behavior or if the intention is to exactly capture the decline in concentration over time and distance at field-scale MAR. However, if the intention is to calculate the percent removal after an extended time period and subsurface travel distance, simplified first-order rate constants seem to be sufficient to provide a first estimate on TOrC attenuation during MAR.

  4. Biotransformation of trace organic chemicals during groundwater recharge: How useful are first-order rate constants?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regnery, J; Wing, A D; Alidina, M; Drewes, J E

    2015-08-01

    This study developed relationships between the attenuation of emerging trace organic chemicals (TOrC) during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) as a function of retention time, system characteristics, and operating conditions using controlled laboratory-scale soil column experiments simulating MAR. The results revealed that MAR performance in terms of TOrC attenuation is primarily determined by key environmental parameters (i.e., redox, primary substrate). Soil columns with suboxic and anoxic conditions performed poorly (i.e., less than 30% attenuation of moderately degradable TOrC) in comparison to oxic conditions (on average between 70-100% attenuation for the same compounds) within a residence time of three days. Given this dependency on redox conditions, it was investigated if key parameter-dependent rate constants are more suitable for contaminant transport modeling to properly capture the dynamic TOrC attenuation under field-scale conditions. Laboratory-derived first-order removal kinetics were determined for 19 TOrC under three different redox conditions and rate constants were applied to MAR field data. Our findings suggest that simplified first-order rate constants will most likely not provide any meaningful results if the target compounds exhibit redox dependent biotransformation behavior or if the intention is to exactly capture the decline in concentration over time and distance at field-scale MAR. However, if the intention is to calculate the percent removal after an extended time period and subsurface travel distance, simplified first-order rate constants seem to be sufficient to provide a first estimate on TOrC attenuation during MAR. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. The electrochemical oxidation of organic waste and activated graphite by Ag{sup 2+} in nitric acid: a literature study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van Alsenoy, V.; Rahier, A.

    1996-08-01

    Organic wastes and activated moderator graphite can be processed by means of combustion, but the incineration of organic waste poses emission problems. The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN has experience with the treatment of organic wastes. Moreover, the treatment of radioactive graphite will be required since the BR-1 reactor is moderated with 492 tons of graphite. The strong oxidising properties of Ag{sup 2+} are already used in the chemical and nuclear industry to destroy organic waste. We aim to apply the process on radioactive graphite, organic resins and effluents. The reaction mechanisms will be studied, taking into account the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the different reactions involved. As a first step, this document gives a literature study of the electrochemical oxidation using Ag{sup 2+}. This document presents a thorough literature study, and shows that the oxidative properties of the Ag{sup 2+} ion, which can easily be formed in nitric acid by means of electrolysis, make it an ideal candidate to oxidize organic molecules into carbon dioxide and water on a perfectly well controlled manner. The process has already been used to destroy explosives and toxic organic waste in the nuclear and chemical industry. Chemical, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of some of the reactions involved are already known and described, other reaction mechanisms are still unknown. On the basis of the information collected so far, the Research and Development group of the Radioactive Waste and Cleanup unit has proposed to start a research programme to define, test, demonstrate and finally apply a safe process for the treatment of radioactive organic material and graphite by electrochemical oxidation using Ag{sup 2+}. Available data confirm that the oxidation of organic material can be carried out safely, leading to the formation of water and carbon dioxide.

  6. Management strategies for trace organic chemicals in water - A review of international approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bieber, Stefan; Snyder, Shane A; Dagnino, Sonia; Rauch-Williams, Tanja; Drewes, Jörg E

    2018-03-01

    To ensure an appropriate management of potential health risks and uncertainties from the release of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) into the aqueous environment, many countries have evaluated and implemented strategies to manage TOrCs. The aim of this study was to evaluate existing management strategies for TOrCs in different countries to derive and compare underlying core principles and paradigms and to develop suggestions for more holistic management strategies to protect the environment and drinking water supplies from the discharge of undesired TOrCs. The strategies in different industrial countries were summarized and subsequently compared with regards to three particular questions: 1) Do the approaches different countries have implemented manage all or only specific portions of the universe of chemicals; 2) What implementation and compliance strategies are used to manage aquatic and human health risk and what are their pros and cons; and 3) How are site-specific watershed differences being addressed? While management strategies of the different countries target similar TOrCs, the programs differ in several important aspects, including underlying principles, the balance between aquatic or human health protection, implementation methods, and financing mechanisms used to fund regulatory programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Synthetic biology expands chemical control of microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Tyler J; Silver, Pamela A

    2015-10-01

    The tools of synthetic biology allow researchers to change the ways engineered organisms respond to chemical stimuli. Decades of basic biology research and new efforts in computational protein and RNA design have led to the development of small molecule sensors that can be used to alter organism function. These new functions leap beyond the natural propensities of the engineered organisms. They can range from simple fluorescence or growth reporting to pathogen killing, and can involve metabolic coordination among multiple cells or organisms. Herein, we discuss how synthetic biology alters microorganisms' responses to chemical stimuli resulting in the development of microbes as toxicity sensors, disease treatments, and chemical factories. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A technique for rapid source apportionment applied to ambient organic aerosol measurements from a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph (TAG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Zhang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available We present a rapid method for apportioning the sources of atmospheric organic aerosol composition measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. Here, we specifically apply this new analysis method to data acquired on a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph (TAG system. Gas chromatograms are divided by retention time into evenly spaced bins, within which the mass spectra are summed. A previous chromatogram binning method was introduced for the purpose of chromatogram structure deconvolution (e.g., major compound classes (Zhang et al., 2014. Here we extend the method development for the specific purpose of determining aerosol samples' sources. Chromatogram bins are arranged into an input data matrix for positive matrix factorization (PMF, where the sample number is the row dimension and the mass-spectra-resolved eluting time intervals (bins are the column dimension. Then two-dimensional PMF can effectively do three-dimensional factorization on the three-dimensional TAG mass spectra data. The retention time shift of the chromatogram is corrected by applying the median values of the different peaks' shifts. Bin width affects chemical resolution but does not affect PMF retrieval of the sources' time variations for low-factor solutions. A bin width smaller than the maximum retention shift among all samples requires retention time shift correction. A six-factor PMF comparison among aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS, TAG binning, and conventional TAG compound integration methods shows that the TAG binning method performs similarly to the integration method. However, the new binning method incorporates the entirety of the data set and requires significantly less pre-processing of the data than conventional single compound identification and integration. In addition, while a fraction of the most oxygenated aerosol does not elute through an underivatized TAG analysis, the TAG binning method does have the ability to achieve molecular level

  9. Manejo de plantas daninhas em maracujazeiro amarelo cultivado com adubação química e orgânica Weed management in yellow passion fruit cultivated with chemical and organic fertilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Ogliari

    2007-12-01

    (organic, chemical and chemical + organic and five types of weed management in each subplot (hand-hoeing, without hand-hoeing, diuron (pre-planting + glyphosate (postemergence, diuron (pre-planting + MSMA (postemergence and diuron (pre-planting + (diuron + paraquat (postemergence. Diuron applied in pre-planting induced phytotoxicity symptom in the leaves around 20 to 26 days after planting (DAP. However, it was more evident in plants undergoing chemical fertilization. The treatments with chemical + organic fertilization associated to hand-hoeing, diuron (pre-planting + glyphosate (postemergence and diuron (pre-planting + (diuron + paraquat (postemergence provided the highest fruit productivity. For the cultivation using organic fertilization, hand-hoeing promoted the highest productivity. On the other hand, under, chemical fertilization, highest crop production and weed control were observed in the treatment diuron (pre + glyphosate (post.

  10. Structural studies of crystals of organic and organoelement compounds using modern quantum chemical calculations within the framework of the density functional theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korlyukov, Alexander A; Antipin, Mikhail Yu

    2012-01-01

    The review generalizes the results of structural studies of crystals of organic and organometallic compounds by modern quantum chemical calculations within the framework of the density functional theory reported in the last decade. Features of the software for such calculations are discussed. Examples of the use of quantum chemical calculations for the studies of the electronic structure, spectroscopic and other physicochemical properties of molecular crystals are presented. The bibliography includes 223 references.

  11. Chemical fingerprinting applied to the evaluation of marine oil pollution in the coasts of Canary Islands (Spain).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña-Méndez, E M; Astorga-España, M S; García-Montelongo, F J

    2001-01-01

    Chemical fingerprinting approach to environmental assessment is illustrated in the evaluation of marine oil pollution in the coasts using two limpet species as bioindicator organisms, and based on profiles and concentrations of n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons in their tissues. Accidental and chronic releases of hydrocarbons can contaminate the marine environment of the Canary Islands not only because of their geographical situation but also because of the very dense tanker traffic around. This situation affects coastal areas, fishing activities, tourism resort, etc. Concentrations of n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and methyl-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the soft tissues of the marine intertidal and subtidal limpets, Patella crenata and Patella ullysiponensis aspera, were evaluated. Limpet samples were collected at monthly intervals, at three locations on the southeast coast of Tenerife over a 3-year period (1991-93). Levels of hydrocarbons found in limpets are similar to concentrations found in unpolluted areas around the world. From application of principal component analysis, the interpretation of variable loading plots gives information on variable correlation and can be used to distinguish among potential sources of pollution and the ability of studied molluscs to be used as bioindicator organisms.

  12. Chemical fingerprinting applied to the evaluation of marine oil pollution in the coasts of Canary Islands (Spain)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pena-Mendez, E.Ma.; Garcia-Montelongo, F.J.; Astorga-Espana, Ma.S.

    2001-01-01

    Chemical fingerprinting approach to environmental assessment is illustrated in the evaluation of marine oil pollution in the coasts using two limpet species as bioindicator organisms, and based on profiles and concentrations of n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons in their tissues. Accidental and chronic releases of hydrocarbons can contaminate the marine environment of the Canary Islands not only because of their geographical situation but also because of the very dense tank traffic around. This situation affects coastal areas, fishing activities, tourism resort, etc. Concentrations of n-alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and methyl-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the soft tissues of the marine intertidal and subtidal limpets, Patella crenata and Patella ullysiponensis aspera, were evaluated. Limpet samples were collected at monthly intervals, at three locations on the southeast coast of Tenerife over a 3-year period (1991-93). Levels of hydrocarbons found in limpets are similar to concentrations found in unpolluted areas around the world. From application of principal component analysis, the interpretation of variable loading plots gives information on variable correlation and can be used to distinguish among potential sources of pollution and the ability of studied molluscs to be used as bioindicator organisms. (Author)

  13. Three-input gate logic circuits on chemically assembled single-electron transistors with organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majima, Yutaka; Hackenberger, Guillaume; Azuma, Yasuo; Kano, Shinya; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; Susaki, Tomofumi; Sakamoto, Masanori; Teranishi, Toshiharu

    2017-01-01

    Single-electron transistors (SETs) are sub-10-nm scale electronic devices based on conductive Coulomb islands sandwiched between double-barrier tunneling barriers. Chemically assembled SETs with alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticles show highly stable Coulomb diamonds and two-input logic operations. The combination of bottom-up and top-down processes used to form the passivation layer is vital for realizing multi-gate chemically assembled SET circuits, as this combination enables us to connect conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies via planar processes. Here, three-input gate exclusive-OR (XOR) logic operations are demonstrated in passivated chemically assembled SETs. The passivation layer is a hybrid bilayer of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and pulsed laser deposited (PLD) aluminum oxide (AlO[Formula: see text]), and top-gate electrodes were prepared on the hybrid passivation layers. Top and two-side-gated SETs showed clear Coulomb oscillation and diamonds for each of the three available gates, and three-input gate XOR logic operation was clearly demonstrated. These results show the potential of chemically assembled SETs to work as logic devices with multi-gate inputs using organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

  14. In silico toxicology: comprehensive benchmarking of multi-label classification methods applied to chemical toxicity data

    KAUST Repository

    Raies, Arwa B.

    2017-12-05

    One goal of toxicity testing, among others, is identifying harmful effects of chemicals. Given the high demand for toxicity tests, it is necessary to conduct these tests for multiple toxicity endpoints for the same compound. Current computational toxicology methods aim at developing models mainly to predict a single toxicity endpoint. When chemicals cause several toxicity effects, one model is generated to predict toxicity for each endpoint, which can be labor and computationally intensive when the number of toxicity endpoints is large. Additionally, this approach does not take into consideration possible correlation between the endpoints. Therefore, there has been a recent shift in computational toxicity studies toward generating predictive models able to predict several toxicity endpoints by utilizing correlations between these endpoints. Applying such correlations jointly with compounds\\' features may improve model\\'s performance and reduce the number of required models. This can be achieved through multi-label classification methods. These methods have not undergone comprehensive benchmarking in the domain of predictive toxicology. Therefore, we performed extensive benchmarking and analysis of over 19,000 multi-label classification models generated using combinations of the state-of-the-art methods. The methods have been evaluated from different perspectives using various metrics to assess their effectiveness. We were able to illustrate variability in the performance of the methods under several conditions. This review will help researchers to select the most suitable method for the problem at hand and provide a baseline for evaluating new approaches. Based on this analysis, we provided recommendations for potential future directions in this area.

  15. In silico toxicology: comprehensive benchmarking of multi-label classification methods applied to chemical toxicity data

    KAUST Repository

    Raies, Arwa B.; Bajic, Vladimir B.

    2017-01-01

    One goal of toxicity testing, among others, is identifying harmful effects of chemicals. Given the high demand for toxicity tests, it is necessary to conduct these tests for multiple toxicity endpoints for the same compound. Current computational toxicology methods aim at developing models mainly to predict a single toxicity endpoint. When chemicals cause several toxicity effects, one model is generated to predict toxicity for each endpoint, which can be labor and computationally intensive when the number of toxicity endpoints is large. Additionally, this approach does not take into consideration possible correlation between the endpoints. Therefore, there has been a recent shift in computational toxicity studies toward generating predictive models able to predict several toxicity endpoints by utilizing correlations between these endpoints. Applying such correlations jointly with compounds' features may improve model's performance and reduce the number of required models. This can be achieved through multi-label classification methods. These methods have not undergone comprehensive benchmarking in the domain of predictive toxicology. Therefore, we performed extensive benchmarking and analysis of over 19,000 multi-label classification models generated using combinations of the state-of-the-art methods. The methods have been evaluated from different perspectives using various metrics to assess their effectiveness. We were able to illustrate variability in the performance of the methods under several conditions. This review will help researchers to select the most suitable method for the problem at hand and provide a baseline for evaluating new approaches. Based on this analysis, we provided recommendations for potential future directions in this area.

  16. Lessons from NASA Applied Sciences Program: Success Factors in Applying Earth Science in Decision Making

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedl, L. A.; Cox, L.

    2008-12-01

    The NASA Applied Sciences Program collaborates with organizations to discover and demonstrate applications of NASA Earth science research and technology to decision making. The desired outcome is for public and private organizations to use NASA Earth science products in innovative applications for sustained, operational uses to enhance their decisions. In addition, the program facilitates the end-user feedback to Earth science to improve products and demands for research. The Program thus serves as a bridge between Earth science research and technology and the applied organizations and end-users with management, policy, and business responsibilities. Since 2002, the Applied Sciences Program has sponsored over 115 applications-oriented projects to apply Earth observations and model products to decision making activities. Projects have spanned numerous topics - agriculture, air quality, water resources, disasters, public health, aviation, etc. The projects have involved government agencies, private companies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and foreign entities in multiple types of teaming arrangements. The paper will examine this set of applications projects and present specific examples of successful use of Earth science in decision making. The paper will discuss scientific, organizational, and management factors that contribute to or impede the integration of the Earth science research in policy and management. The paper will also present new methods the Applied Sciences Program plans to implement to improve linkages between science and end users.

  17. Numerical study of the influence of applied voltage on the current balance factor of single layer organic light-emitting diodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Fei-ping; Liu, Xiao-bin; Xing, Yong-zhong

    2014-01-01

    Current balance factor (CBF) value, the ratio of the recombination current density and the total current density of a device, has an important function in fluorescence-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), as well as in the performance of the organic electrophosphorescent devices. This paper investigates the influence of the applied voltage of a device on the CBF value of single layer OLED based on the numerical model of a bipolar single layer OLED with organic layer trap free and without doping. Results show that the largest CBF value can be achieved when the electron injection barrier (ϕ n ) is equal to the hole injection barrier (ϕ p ) in the lower voltage region at any instance. The largest CBF in the higher voltage region can be achieved in the case of ϕ n  > ϕ p under the condition of electron mobility (μ 0n ) > hole mobility (μ 0p ), whereas the result for the case of μ 0n   0p , is opposite. The largest CBF when μ 0n  = μ 0p can be achieved in the case of ϕ n  = ϕ p in the entire region of the applied voltage. In addition, the CBF value of the device increases with increasing applied voltage. The results obtained in this paper can present an in-depth understanding of the OLED working mechanism and help in the future fabrication of high efficiency OLEDs

  18. Quarterly progress report for the Chemical and Energy Research Section of the Chemical Technology Division: January-March 1999

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jubin, R.T.

    1999-11-01

    use in areas such as selective sorption, chemical sensing, and catalysis, as well as spectroscopic investigation into the fundamental interaction between ionic solvents and solutes in both low- and high-temperature ionic liquids. In the area of Separations and Materials Synthesis, fundamental studies explored the use of electromagnetic fields to enhance transport processes in multiphase separations; investigated nucleation and particle growth for the synthesis, characterization, application, and processing of ultrafine particles; and examined the use of electric fields to modify phase equilibria in multiphase separations processes. Other efforts involved enhanced oxidation of organic pollutants in aqueous solutions by applying electric fields to form microbubbles and the use of electric fields to improve distillation efficiency. Research was also directed toward the use of ozonation to treat water-soluble organics, the application of electrical and acoustic methods to remediate aerosol problems, and the development of improved means of decontamination using aqueous surfactant cleaners. Fluid Structure and Properties included molecular-based studies of systems with supercritical solvents, a multi-institutional initiative to develop a molecular understanding of reverse miscelles in supercritical carbon dioxide through experimentation and molecular simulation calculations, and molecular-based prediction of the structure and properties of long-chain molecules undergoing shear flow.

  19. Estimating pesticide sampling rates by the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) in the presence of natural organic matter and varying hydrodynamic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charlestra, Lucner; Amirbahman, Aria; Courtemanch, David L.; Alvarez, David A.; Patterson, Howard

    2012-01-01

    The polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS) was calibrated to monitor pesticides in water under controlled laboratory conditions. The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) on the sampling rates (R s ) was evaluated in microcosms containing −1 of total organic carbon (TOC). The effect of hydrodynamics was studied by comparing R s values measured in stirred (SBE) and quiescent (QBE) batch experiments and a flow-through system (FTS). The level of NOM in the water used in these experiments had no effect on the magnitude of the pesticide sampling rates (p > 0.05). However, flow velocity and turbulence significantly increased the sampling rates of the pesticides in the FTS and SBE compared to the QBE (p < 0.001). The calibration data generated can be used to derive pesticide concentrations in water from POCIS deployed in stagnant and turbulent environmental systems without correction for NOM. - Highlights: ► We assessed the effect of TOC and stirring on pesticide sampling rates by POCIS. ► Total organic carbon (TOC) had no effect on the sampling rates. ► Water flow and stirring significantly increased the magnitude of the sampling rates. ► The sampling rates generated are directly applicable to field conditions. - This study provides POCIS sampling rates data that can be used to estimate freely dissolved concentrations of toxic pesticides in natural waters.

  20. Identifying new persistent and bioaccumulative organics among chemicals in commerce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Philip H; Muir, Derek C G

    2010-04-01

    The goal of this study was to identify commercial chemicals that might be persistent and bioaccumulative (P&B) and that were not being considered in current Great Lakes, North American, and Arctic contaminant measurement programs. We combined the Canadian Domestic Substance List (DSL), a list of 3059 substances of "unknown or variable composition complex reaction products and biological materials" (UVCBs), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Update Rule (IUR) database for years 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2006 yielding a database of 22263 commercial chemicals. From that list, 610 chemicals were identified by estimates from U.S EPA EPISuite software and using expert judgment. This study has yielded some interesting and probable P&B chemicals that should be considered for further study. Recent studies, following up our initial reports and presentations on this work, have confirmed the presence of many of these chemicals in the environment.