WorldWideScience

Sample records for early earth phosphorus

  1. Iron oxides, divalent cations, silica, and the early earth phosphorus crisis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jones, C.; Nomosatryo, S.; Crowe, S.A.

    2015-01-01

    As a nutrient required for growth, phosphorus regulates the activity of life in the oceans. Iron oxides sorb phosphorus from seawater, and through the Archean and early Proterozoic Eons, massive quantities of iron oxides precipitated from the oceans, producing a record of seawater chemistry...... that is preserved as banded iron formations (BIFs) today. Here we show that Ca2+, Mg2+, and silica in seawater control phosphorus sorption onto iron oxides, influencing the record of seawater phosphorus preserved in BIFs. Using a model for seawater cation chemistry through time, combined with the phosphorus...... waters shifted from phosphorus to iron limiting....

  2. Aqueous corrosion of phosphide minerals from iron meteorites: a highly reactive source of prebiotic phosphorus on the surface of the early Earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasek, Matthew A; Lauretta, Dante S

    2005-08-01

    We present the results of an experimental study of aqueous corrosion of Fe-phosphide under conditions relevant to the early Earth. The results strongly suggest that iron meteorites were an important source of reactive phosphorus (P), a requirement for the formation of P-based life. We further demonstrate that iron meteorites were an abundant source of phosphide minerals early in Earth history. Phosphide corrosion was studied in five different solutions: deionized water, deionized water buffered with sodium bicarbonate, deionized water with dissolved magnesium and calcium chlorides, deionized water containing ethanol and acetic acid, and deionized water containing the chlorides, ethanol, and acetic acid. Experiments were performed in the presence of both air and pure Ar gas to evaluate the effect of atmospheric chemistry. Phosphide corrosion in deionized water results in a metastable mixture of mixed-valence, P-bearing ions including pyrophosphate and triphosphate, key components for metabolism in modern life. In a pH-buffered solution of NaHCO(3), the condensed and reduced species diphosphonate is an abundant corrosion product. Corrosion in ethanol- and acetic acid-containing solutions yields additional P-bearing organic molecules, including acetyl phosphonate and a cyclic triphosphorus molecule. Phosphonate is a major corrosion product of all experiments and is the only P-bearing molecule that persists in solutions with high concentrations of magnesium and calcium chlorides, which suggests that phosphonate may have been a primitive oceanic source of P. The stability and reactivity of phosphonate and hypophosphite in solution were investigated to elucidate reaction mechanisms and the role of mineral catalysts on P-solution chemistry. Phosphonate oxidation is rapid in the presence of Fe metal but negligible in the presence of magnetite and in the control sample. The rate of hypophosphite oxidation is independent of reaction substrate.

  3. Early Earth(s) Across Time and Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mojzsis, S.

    2014-04-01

    The geochemical and cosmochemical record of our solar system is the baseline for exploring the question: "when could life appear on a world similar to our own?" Data arising from direct analysis of the oldest terrestrial rocks and minerals from the first 500 Myr of Earth history - termed the Hadean Eon - inform us about the timing for the establishment of a habitable silicate world. Liquid water is the key medium for life. The origin of water, and its interaction with the crust as revealed in the geologic record, guides our exploration for a cosmochemically Earth-like planets. From the time of primary planetary accretion to the start of the continuous rock record on Earth at ca. 3850 million years ago, our planet experienced a waning bolide flux that partially or entirely wiped out surface rocks, vaporized oceans, and created transient serpentinizing atmospheres. Arguably, "Early Earths" across the galaxy may start off as ice planets due to feeble insolation from their young stars, occasionally punctuated by steam atmospheres generated by cataclysmic impacts. Alternatively, early global environments conducive to life spanned from a benign surface zone to deep into crustal rocks and sediments. In some scenarios, nascent biospheres benefit from the exogenous delivery of essential bio-elements via leftovers of accretion, and the subsequent establishment of planetary-scale hydrothermal systems. If what is now known about the early dynamical regime of the Earth serves as any measure of the potential habitability of worlds across space and time, several key boundary conditions emerge. These are: (i) availability and long-term stability of liquid water; (ii) presence of energy resources; (iii) accessibility of organic raw materials; (iv) adequate inventory of radioisotopes to drive internal heating; (v) gross compositional parameters such as mantle/core mass ratio, and (vi) P-T conditions at or near the surface suitable for sustaining biological activity. Life could

  4. Processing of Phosphorus Slag with Recovery of Rare Earth Metals and Obtaining Silicon Containing Cake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karshigina, Zaure; Abisheva, Zinesh; Bochevskaya, Yelena; Akcil, Ata; Sharipova, Aynash; Sargelova, Elmira

    2016-10-01

    The present research is devoted to the processing of slag generating during the yellow phosphorus production. In this paper are presented studies on leaching of phosphorus production slag by nitric acid with recovery of rare earth metals (REMs) into solution. REMs recovery into the solution achieved 98 % during the leaching process with using 7.5 mol/L of HNO3, liquid-to-solid ratio is 2.6:1, temperature is 60°C, process duration is 1 hour and stirrer speed is 500 rpm. Behaviour during the leaching of associated components such as calcium, aluminium, and iron was studied. After the leaching cake contains ∼⃒75-85 % of SiO2 and it might be useful for obtaining of precipitated silicon dioxide. With the purpose of separation from the impurities, recovery and concentrating of REMs, the obtained solution after leaching was subjected to extraction processing methods. The influence of ratio of organic and aqueous phases (O: A) on the extraction of rare earth metals by tributyl phosphate (TBP) with concentrations from 20 up to 100 % was studied. The REMs extraction with increasing TBP concentration under changes O:A ratio from 1:20 down to 1:1 into the organic phase from the solutions after nitric acid leaching increased from 22.2 up to 99.3%. The duration effect of REMs extraction process was studied by tributyl phosphate. It is revealed that with increasing of duration of the extraction process from 10 to 30 minutes REMs recovery into the organic phase almost did not changed. The behaviour of iron in the extraction process by TBP was studied. It was found that such accompanying components as calcium and aluminium by tributyl phosphate didn't extracted. To construct isotherm of REMs extraction of by tributyl phosphate was used variable volume method. It was calculated three-step extraction is needed for REMs recovery from the solutions after nitric acid leaching of phosphorus production slag. The process of the three-steps counter current extraction of rare earth

  5. Emission bands of phosphorus and calculation of band structure of rare earth phosphides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al'perovich, G.I.; Gusatinskij, A.N.; Geguzin, I.I.; Blokhin, M.A.; Torbov, V.I.; Chukalin, V.I.; AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Novykh Khimicheskikh Problem)

    1977-01-01

    The method of x-ray emission spectroscopy has been used to investigate the electronic structure of monophosphides of rare-earth metals (REM). The fluorescence K bands of phosphorus have been obtained in LaP, PrP, SmP, GdP, TbP, DyP, HoP, ErP, TmP, YbP, and LuP and also the Lsub(2,3) bands of phosphorus in ErP, TmP, YbP, and LuP. Using the Green function technique involving the muffin-tin potential, the energy spectrum for ErP has been calculated in the single-electron approximation. The hystogram of electronic state distribution N(E) is compared with the experimental K and Lsub(2,3) bands of phosphorus in ErP. The agreement between the main details of N(E) and that of x-ray spectra allows to state that the model used provides a good description of the electron density distribution in crystals of REM monophosphides. In accordance with the character of the N(E) distribution the compounds under study are classified as semimetals or semiconductors with a very narrow forbidden band

  6. Earth's early biosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Marais, D. J.

    1998-01-01

    Understanding our own early biosphere is essential to our search for life elsewhere, because life arose on Earth very early and rocky planets shared similar early histories. The biosphere arose before 3.8 Ga ago, was exclusively unicellular and was dominated by hyperthermophiles that utilized chemical sources of energy and employed a range of metabolic pathways for CO2 assimilation. Photosynthesis also arose very early. Oxygenic photosynthesis arose later but still prior to 2.7 Ga. The transition toward the modern global environment was paced by a decline in volcanic and hydrothermal activity. These developments allowed atmospheric O2 levels to increase. The O2 increase created new niches for aerobic life, most notably the more advanced Eukarya that eventually spawned the megascopic fauna and flora of our modern biosphere.

  7. Towards a closed phosphorus cycle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keyzer, M.A.

    2010-01-01

    Summary: This paper stresses the need to address upcoming scarcity of phosphorus, a mineral nutrient that is essential for all life on Earth. Agricultural crops obtain phosphorus from the pool in the soil that can be replenished by recycling of organic material, or by application of inorganic

  8. Isotopes and the early evolution of the earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, R.D.

    1980-01-01

    The observed isotopic ratios of lead, strontium, neodymium, helium, and argon contain information about the chemical abundances of selected parent and daughter elements in the outer parts of the Earth. By necessity, we observe these isotopic ratios at the Earth's surface, which is a small, highly evolved part of the Earth. The studies of such isotopic ratios permit inferences to be made about interactions between this crust and the upper mantle. Helium has been especially valuable for demonstrating that primordial materials are still being outgassed from the earth. Models based on the observed argon isotopic ratios have lead to contradictory conclusions about the existence of an early period of extensive outgassing of the Earth. Lead has been a particularly interesting element because the ratio of the parents, 235 U/ 238 U, was very different in the Earth's early history than it is now. Therefore there is the potential for determining constraints on the early history of the Earth. A number of recently published papers offering lead isotope interpretations that reflect on the Earth's early history are reviewed, with special reference to models that are based upon uni-directional and bi-directional exchange between a protocrust and a residual mantle. Geochemical parameters for uranium, thorium and lead can be inferred for two evolving systems, as well as rate constants for differentiation. The principal conclusions are that the differentiation process extended beyond the first quarter of the Earth's history, and that it is possible to reproduce exactly the apparent oceanic basalt isochron by a simple two-reservoir model. In particular, such a model can explain quantitatively the observed lead-207 deficiency in the oceanic basalts

  9. Potential climatic impact of organic haze on early Earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasenkopf, Christa A; Freedman, Miriam A; Beaver, Melinda R; Toon, Owen B; Tolbert, Margaret A

    2011-03-01

    We have explored the direct and indirect radiative effects on climate of organic particles likely to have been present on early Earth by measuring their hygroscopicity and cloud nucleating ability. The early Earth analog aerosol particles were generated via ultraviolet photolysis of an early Earth analog gas mixture, which was designed to mimic possible atmospheric conditions before the rise of oxygen. An analog aerosol for the present-day atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan was tested for comparison. We exposed the early Earth aerosol to a range of relative humidities (RHs). Water uptake onto the aerosol was observed to occur over the entire RH range tested (RH=80-87%). To translate our measurements of hygroscopicity over a specific range of RHs into their water uptake ability at any RH 100%, we relied on the hygroscopicity parameter κ, developed by Petters and Kreidenweis. We retrieved κ=0.22 ±0.12 for the early Earth aerosol, which indicates that the humidified aerosol (RH 100%). In regions where the haze was dominant, it is expected that low particle concentrations, once activated into cloud droplets, would have created short-lived, optically thin clouds. Such clouds, if predominant on early Earth, would have had a lower albedo than clouds today, thereby warming the planet relative to current-day clouds. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

  10. Genotypic Variation of Early Maturing Soybean Genotypes for Phosphorus Utilization Efficiency under Field Grown Conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abaidoo, R. C. [Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, Kumasi (Ghana); International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan (Nigeria); Opoku, A.; Boahen, S. [Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology, Kumasi (Ghana); Dare, M. O. [Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (Nigeria)

    2013-11-15

    Variability in the utilization of phosphorus (P) by 64 early-maturing soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) genotypes under low-P soil conditions were evaluated in 2009 and 2010 at Shika, Nigeria. Fifteen phenotypic variables; number of nodules, nodule dry weight, grain yield, plant biomass, total biomass, biomass N and P content, Phosphorus Utilization Index (PUI), shoot P Utilization efficiency (PUIS), grain P Utilization efficiency (PUIG), Harvest Index (HI), Biological N fixed (BNF), total N fixed and N and P uptake were measured. The four clusters revealed by cluster analysis were basically divided along (1) plant biomass and uptake, (2) nutrient acquisition and utilization and (3) nodulation components. Three early maturing genotypes, TGx1842-14E, TGx1912-11F and TGx1913-5F, were identified as having high P utilization index and low P uptake. These genotypes could be a potential source for breeding for P use efficiency in early maturing soybean genotypes. (author)

  11. Initial amino acid intake influences phosphorus and calcium homeostasis in preterm infants--it is time to change the composition of the early parenteral nutrition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Bonsante

    Full Text Available Early aggressive parenteral nutrition (PN, consisting of caloric and nitrogen intake soon after birth, is currently proposed for the premature baby. Some electrolyte disturbances, such as hypophosphatemia and hypercalcemia, considered unusual in early life, were recently described while using this PN approach. We hypothesize that, due to its impact on cell metabolism, the initial amino acid (AA amount may specifically influence the metabolism of phosphorus, and consequently of calcium. We aim to evaluate the influence of AA intake on calcium-phosphorus metabolism, and to create a calculation tool to estimate phosphorus needs.Prospective observational study. Phosphate and calcium plasma concentrations and calcium balance were evaluated daily during the first week of life in very preterm infants, and their relationship with nutrition was studied. For this purpose, infants were divided into three groups: high, medium and low AA intake (HAA, MAA, LAA. A calculation formula to assess phosphorus needs was elaborated, with a theoretical model based on AA and calcium intake, and the cumulative deficit of phosphate intake was estimated.154 infants were included. Hypophosphatemia (12.5% and hypercalcemia (9.8% were more frequent in the HAA than in the MAA (4.6% and 4.8% and in the LAA group (0% and 1.9%; both p<0.001.Calcium-phosphorus homeostasis was influenced by the early AA intake. We propose to consider phosphorus and calcium imbalances as being part of a syndrome, related to incomplete provision of nutrients after the abrupt discontinuation of the placental nutrition at birth (PI-ReFeeding syndrome. We provide a simple tool to calculate the optimal phosphate intake. The early introduction of AA in the PN soon after birth might be completed by an early intake of phosphorus, since AA and phosphorus are (along with potassium the main determinants of cellular growth.

  12. Effects of primitive photosynthesis on Earth's early climate system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozaki, Kazumi; Tajika, Eiichi; Hong, Peng K.; Nakagawa, Yusuke; Reinhard, Christopher T.

    2018-01-01

    The evolution of different forms of photosynthetic life has profoundly altered the activity level of the biosphere, radically reshaping the composition of Earth's oceans and atmosphere over time. However, the mechanistic impacts of a primitive photosynthetic biosphere on Earth's early atmospheric chemistry and climate are poorly understood. Here, we use a global redox balance model to explore the biogeochemical and climatological effects of different forms of primitive photosynthesis. We find that a hybrid ecosystem of H2-based and Fe2+-based anoxygenic photoautotrophs—organisms that perform photosynthesis without producing oxygen—gives rise to a strong nonlinear amplification of Earth's methane (CH4) cycle, and would thus have represented a critical component of Earth's early climate system before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis. Using a Monte Carlo approach, we find that a hybrid photosynthetic biosphere widens the range of geochemical conditions that allow for warm climate states well beyond either of these metabolic processes acting in isolation. Our results imply that the Earth's early climate was governed by a novel and poorly explored set of regulatory feedbacks linking the anoxic biosphere and the coupled H, C and Fe cycles. We suggest that similar processes should be considered when assessing the potential for sustained habitability on Earth-like planets with reducing atmospheres.

  13. The phosphorus fertilizer production as a source of rare-earth elements pollution of the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Volokh, A.A.; Gorbunov, A.V.; Revich, B.A.; Gundorina, S.F.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Chen Sen Pal.

    1989-01-01

    This paper considers some peculiarities of the production of phosphorus fertilizers from the point of view of the pollution of the environment with rare-earth elements. The principal possibility is demonstrated of the determination of the influence of a given type of production on the environment by measuring the change in the rare-arth elements interrelationship in the show. The main source of industrial dust is identified. The distribution of pollutants in dependence on the size of aerosol particles is given. The data on the concentrations of the pollutants in agricultural plants, employees hair and hair of local residents are also reported. 8 refs.; 4 figs.; 4 tabs

  14. Organic chemistry in a CO2 rich early Earth atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fleury, Benjamin; Carrasco, Nathalie; Millan, Maëva; Vettier, Ludovic; Szopa, Cyril

    2017-12-01

    The emergence of life on the Earth has required a prior organic chemistry leading to the formation of prebiotic molecules. The origin and the evolution of the organic matter on the early Earth is not yet firmly understood. Several hypothesis, possibly complementary, are considered. They can be divided in two categories: endogenous and exogenous sources. In this work we investigate the contribution of a specific endogenous source: the organic chemistry occurring in the ionosphere of the early Earth where the significant VUV contribution of the young Sun involved an efficient formation of reactive species. We address the issue whether this chemistry can lead to the formation of complex organic compounds with CO2 as only source of carbon in an early atmosphere made of N2, CO2 and H2, by mimicking experimentally this type of chemistry using a low pressure plasma reactor. By analyzing the gaseous phase composition, we strictly identified the formation of H2O, NH3, N2O and C2N2. The formation of a solid organic phase is also observed, confirming the possibility to trigger organic chemistry in the upper atmosphere of the early Earth. The identification of Nitrogen-bearing chemical functions in the solid highlights the possibility for an efficient ionospheric chemistry to provide prebiotic material on the early Earth.

  15. Early phosphorus nutrition, mycorrhizae development, dry matter partitioning and yield of maize

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gavito, M.E.; Miller, M.H.

    1998-01-01

    to a mycorrhizal mycelium network (no-tillage treatments). Maize yield and harvest index were lower after cropping With canola. The yield for conventional tillage was higher than that for no-tillage but the harvest index was lower. The hypothesis was supported at early stages of maize growth by the effect...... was used with previous crop (Zea mays L.-maize and Brassica napus L.-canola), tillage practices (no-tillage or conventional tillage) and P fertilization (5 levels) as factors chosen to modify mycorrhizae development at early developmental stages of maize. Previous cropping with canola resulted in decreased......We conducted a field experiment to test the hypothesis that improved phosphorus nutrition occurs in maize plants with rapid arbuscular (AM) mycorrhizae development at early developmental stages and that this also is reflected in dry matter allocation and final yield. A split-split plot design...

  16. WATER FORMATION IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF THE EARLY EARTH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fleury, Benjamin; Carrasco, Nathalie; Marcq, Emmanuel; Vettier, Ludovic; Määttänen, Anni, E-mail: benjamin.fleury@latmos.ipsl.fr [Université Versailles St-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d’Alembert, F-78280 Guyancourt (France)

    2015-07-10

    The water concentration and distribution in the early Earth's atmosphere are important parameters that contribute to the chemistry and the radiative budget of the atmosphere. If the atmosphere above the troposphere is generally considered as dry, photochemistry is known to be responsible for the production of numerous minor species. Here we used an experimental setup to study the production of water in conditions simulating the chemistry above the troposphere of the early Earth with an atmospheric composition based on three major molecules: N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}. The formation of gaseous products was monitored using infrared spectroscopy. Water was found as the major product, with approximately 10% of the gas products detected. This important water formation is discussed in the context of the early Earth.

  17. Bayesian analysis of the astrobiological implications of life's early emergence on Earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiegel, David S; Turner, Edwin L

    2012-01-10

    Life arose on Earth sometime in the first few hundred million years after the young planet had cooled to the point that it could support water-based organisms on its surface. The early emergence of life on Earth has been taken as evidence that the probability of abiogenesis is high, if starting from young Earth-like conditions. We revisit this argument quantitatively in a bayesian statistical framework. By constructing a simple model of the probability of abiogenesis, we calculate a bayesian estimate of its posterior probability, given the data that life emerged fairly early in Earth's history and that, billions of years later, curious creatures noted this fact and considered its implications. We find that, given only this very limited empirical information, the choice of bayesian prior for the abiogenesis probability parameter has a dominant influence on the computed posterior probability. Although terrestrial life's early emergence provides evidence that life might be abundant in the universe if early-Earth-like conditions are common, the evidence is inconclusive and indeed is consistent with an arbitrarily low intrinsic probability of abiogenesis for plausible uninformative priors. Finding a single case of life arising independently of our lineage (on Earth, elsewhere in the solar system, or on an extrasolar planet) would provide much stronger evidence that abiogenesis is not extremely rare in the universe.

  18. Phosphorus recycling from an unexplored source by polyphosphate accumulating microalgae and cyanobacteria – a step to phosphorus security in agriculture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chandan eMukherjee

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus (P, an essential element required for crop growth has no substitute. The global food security depends on phosphorus availability in soil for crop production. World phosphorus reserves are fast depleting and with an annual increase of 2.3% in phosphorus demand, the current reserves will be exhausted in coming 50-100 years. India and other Western countries are forced to import phosphorus fertilizers at high costs to meet their agricultural demands due to uneven distribution of phosphate rocks on earth. The present study from India, aims to draw attention to an unnoticed source of phosphorus being wasted as parboiled rice mill effluent and subsequent bio-recovery of the valuable element from this unconventional source. The research was conducted in West Bengal, India, a state with the highest number of parboiled rice mills where its effluent carries on an average ~40 mg/L of soluble phosphorus. Technology to recover and recycle this wastewater P in India in a simple, inexpensive mode is yet to be optimized. Our strategy to use microalgae, Chlorella sp. and cyanobacteria, Cyanobacterium sp., Lyngbya sp. and Anabaena sp. to sequester the excess phosphorus from the effluent as polyphosphate inclusions and its subsequent recycling as slow and moderate release phosphorus biofertilizers to aid plant growth, preventing phosphorus loss and pollution, is a contemporary venture to meet the need of the hour. These polyphosphate accumulating microorganisms play a dual role of remediation and recovery of phosphorus, preliminarily validated in laboratory scale.

  19. 21st century early mission concepts for Mars delivery and earth return

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Manuel I.; Ilgen, Marc R.

    1990-01-01

    In the 21st century, the early missions to Mars will entail unmanned Rover and Sample Return reconnaissance missions to be followed by manned exploration missions. High performance leverage technologies will be required to reach Mars and return to earth. This paper describes the mission concepts currently identified for these early Mars missions. These concepts include requirements and capabilities for Mars and earth aerocapture, Mars surface operations and ascent, and Mars and earth rendezvous. Although the focus is on the unmanned missions, synergism with the manned missions is also discussed.

  20. The early Earth atmosphere and early life catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez Jiménez, Sandra Ignacia

    2014-01-01

    Homochirality is a property of living systems on Earth. The time, the place, and the way in which it appeared are uncertain. In a prebiotic scenario two situations are of interest: either an initial small bias for handedness of some biomolecules arouse and progressed with life, or an initial slight excess led to the actual complete dominance of the known chiral molecules. A definitive answer can probably never be given, neither from the fields of physics and chemistry nor biology. Some arguments can be advanced to understand if homochirality is necessary for the initiation of a prebiotic homochiral polymer chemistry, if this homochirality is suggesting a unique origin of life, or if a chiral template such as a mineral surface is always required to result in an enantiomeric excess. A general description of the early Earth scenario will be presented in this chapter, followed by a general description of some clays, and their role as substrates to allow the concentration and amplification of some of the building blocks of life.

  1. The Potential Phosphorus Crisis: Resource Conservation and Possible Escape Technologies: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saba Daneshgar

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for every organism on the Earth, yet it is also a potential environmental pollutant, which may cause eutrophication of water bodies. Wastewater treatment plants worldwide are struggling to eliminate phosphorus from effluents, at great cost, yet current research suggests that the world may deplete the more available phosphorus reserves by around 2300. This, in addition to environmental concerns, evokes the need for new phosphorus recovery techniques to be developed, to meet future generations needs for renewable phosphorus supply. Many studies have been, and are, carried out on phosphorus recovery from wastewater and its sludge, due to their high phosphorus content. Chemical precipitation is the main process for achieving a phosphorus-containing mineral suitable for reuse as a fertilizer, such as struvite. This paper reviews the current status and future trends of phosphorus production and consumption, and summarizes current recovery technologies, discussing their possible integration into wastewater treatment processes, according to a more sustainable water-energy-nutrient nexus.

  2. Isotope composition and volume of Earth's early oceans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pope, Emily C; Bird, Dennis K; Rosing, Minik T

    2012-03-20

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth's seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs, but hydrogen's was not, as it can escape to space. Isotopic properties of serpentine from the approximately 3.8 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt in West Greenland are used to characterize hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of ancient seawater. Archaean oceans were depleted in deuterium [expressed as δD relative to Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW)] by at most 25 ± 5‰, but oxygen isotope ratios were comparable to modern oceans. Mass balance of the global hydrogen budget constrains the contribution of continental growth and planetary hydrogen loss to the secular evolution of hydrogen isotope ratios in Earth's oceans. Our calculations predict that the oceans of early Earth were up to 26% more voluminous, and atmospheric CH(4) and CO(2) concentrations determined from limits on hydrogen escape to space are consistent with clement conditions on Archaean Earth.

  3. Magma Ocean Depth and Oxygen Fugacity in the Early Earth--Implications for Biochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Righter, Kevin

    2015-09-01

    A large class of elements, referred to as the siderophile (iron-loving) elements, in the Earth's mantle can be explained by an early deep magma ocean on the early Earth in which the mantle equilibrated with metallic liquid (core liquid). This stage would have affected the distribution of some of the classic volatile elements that are also essential ingredients for life and biochemistry - H, C, S, and N. Estimates are made of the H, C, S, and N contents of Earth's early mantle after core formation, considering the effects of variable temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity, and composition on their partitioning. Assessment is made of whether additional, exogenous, sources are required to explain the observed mantle concentrations, and areas are identified where additional data and experimentation would lead to an improved understanding of this phase of Earth's history.

  4. Effect of phosphorus stress on Microcystis aeruginosa growth and phosphorus uptake.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sajeela Ghaffar

    Full Text Available This study was designed to advance understanding of phosphorus regulation of Microcystis aeruginosa growth, phosphorus uptake and storage in changing phosphorus (P conditions as would occur in lakes. We hypothesized that Microcystis growth and nutrient uptake would fit classic models by Monod, Droop, and Michaelis-Menten in these changing conditions. Microcystis grown in luxury nutrient concentrations was transferred to treatments with phosphorus concentrations ranging from 0-256 μg P∙L-1 and luxury nitrogen. Dissolved phosphorus concentration, cell phosphorus quota, P uptake rate and cell densities were measured at day 3 and 6. Results showed little relationship to predicted models. Microcystis growth was asymptotically related to P treatment from day 0-3, fitting Monod model well, but negatively related to P treatment and cell quota from day 3-6. From day 0-3, cell quota was negatively related to P treatments at <2 μg∙L-1, but increased slightly at higher P. Cell quota decreased greatly in low P treatments from day 3-6, which may have enabled high growths in low P treatments. P uptake was positively and linearly related to P treatment during both periods. Negative uptake rates and increases in measured culture phosphorus concentrations to 5 μg∙L-1 in the lowest P treatments indicated P leaked from cells into culture medium. This leakage during early stages of the experiment may have been sufficient to stimulate metabolism and use of intracellular P stores in low P treatments for rapid growth. Our study shows P regulation of Microcystis growth can be complex as a result of changing P concentrations, and this complexity may be important for modeling Microcystis for nutrient and ecosystem management.

  5. Prebiotic Chemistry and Atmospheric Warming of Early Earth by an Active Young Sun

    Science.gov (United States)

    Airapetian, V. S.; Glocer, A.; Gronoff, G.; Hebrard, E.; Danchi, W.

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen is a critical ingredient of complex biological molecules. Molecular nitrogen, however, which was outgassed Into the Earth's early atmosphere, is relatively chemically inert and nitrogen fixation into more chemically reactive compounds requires high temperatures. Possible mechanisms of nitrogen fixation include lightning, atmospheric shock heating by meteorites, and solar ultraviolet radiation. Here we show that nitrogen fixation in the early terrestrial atmosphere can be explained by frequent and powerful coronal mass ejection events from the young Sun -- so-called superflares. Using magnetohydrodynamic simulations constrained by Kepler Space Telescope observations, we find that successive superflare ejections produce shocks that accelerate energetic particles, which would have compressed the early Earth's magnetosphere. The resulting extended polar cap openings provide pathways for energetic particles to penetrate into the atmosphere and, according to our atmospheric chemistry simulations, initiate reactions converting molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide and methane to the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide as well as hydrogen cyanide, an essential compound for life. Furthermore, the destruction of N2, C02 and CH, suggests that these greenhouse gases cannot explain the stability of liquid water on the early Earth. Instead, we propose that the efficient formation of nitrous oxide could explain a warm early Earth.

  6. Isotope composition and volume of Earth´s early oceans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pope, Emily Catherine; Bird, Dennis K.; Rosing, Minik Thorleif

    2012-01-01

    Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth´s seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs, but hyd...... in Earth´s oceans. Our calculations predict that the oceans of early Earth were up to 26% more voluminous, and atmospheric CH4 and CO2 concentrations determined from limits on hydrogen escape to space are consistent with clement conditions on Archaean Earth.......Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of Earth´s seawater are controlled by volatile fluxes among mantle, lithospheric (oceanic and continental crust), and atmospheric reservoirs. Throughout geologic time the oxygen mass budget was likely conserved within these Earth system reservoirs......, but hydrogen´s was not, as it can escape to space. Isotopic properties of serpentine from the approximately 3.8 Ga Isua Supracrustal Belt in West Greenland are used to characterize hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of ancient seawater. Archaean oceans were depleted in deuterium [expressed as Î...

  7. Accretion and early evolution of Earth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saji, Nikitha Susan

    in solar system materials is found to be related to selective thermal processing of dust in the early nebula given the correlation observed for these eects with Fe-peak neutron-rich isotope anomalies, whose origin is attributed to distinct nucleosnythetic sites other than classical s-, r- or p......-sized dust, of which the early protoplanetary disk is initially composed of, coalesce over the course of several millions of years to form the precursors to planets that make up the solar system today. The final assembly of Earth-like planets is complete only after a protracted latestage evolution...... that extends over at least 100 Myr, characterized by violent collisions between Mars- to Moon-sized planetary embryos. Evidence for the many details of solar system evolution - such as the diverse stellar sources that contributed material to solar system bodies to what role disk processes and late...

  8. Mineral remains of early life on Earth? On Mars?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iberall, Robbins E.; Iberall, A.S.

    1991-01-01

    The oldest sedimentary rocks on Earth, the 3.8-Ga Isua Iron-Formation in southwestern Greenland, are metamorphosed past the point where organic-walled fossils would remain. Acid residues and thin sections of these rocks reveal ferric microstructures that have filamentous, hollow rod, and spherical shapes not characteristic of crystalline minerals. Instead, they resemble ferric-coated remains of bacteria. Because there are no earlier sedimentary rocks to study on Earth, it may be necessary to expand the search elsewhere in the solar system for clues to any biotic precursors or other types of early life. A study of morphologies of iron oxide minerals collected in the southern highlands during a Mars sample return mission may therefore help to fill in important gaps in the history of Earth's earliest biosphere. -from Authors

  9. Early diagenesis of phosphorus in continental margin sediments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Slomp, C.P.

    1997-01-01

    Most of the organic material in the oceans that reaches the sea floor is deposited on continental margins and not in the deep sea. This organic matter is the principal carrier of phosphorus (P) to sediments. A part of the organic material is buried definitely. The other part decomposes,

  10. Electrical energy sources for organic synthesis on the early earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chyba, Christopher; Sagan, Carl

    1991-01-01

    It is pointed out that much of the contemporary origin-of-life research uses the original estimates of Miller and Urey (1959) for terrestrial energy dissipation by lightning and coronal discharges being equal to 2 x 10 to the 19th J/yr and 6 x 10 to the 19th J/yr, respectively. However, data from experiments that provide analogues to naturally-occurring lightning and coronal discharges indicate that lightning energy yields for organic synthesis (nmole/J) are about one order of magnitude higher than the coronal discharge yields. This suggests that, on early earth, organic production by lightning may have dominated that due to coronal emission. New values are recommended for lightning and coronal discharge dissipation rates on the early earth, 1 x 10 to the 18th J/yr and 5 x 10 to the 17th J/yr, respectively.

  11. Fertilization of Earth Ponds. II: Effects on Plankton Communities ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study of the effects of slurry inorganic and organic of fertilizers on the production of phyto-and zooplankton in earth ponds was conducted in Central Scotland, U.K. over a period of one year. For the inorganic fertilization, replicate ponds were treated with low and high phosphorus (LP, HP), high phosphorus and nitrogen ...

  12. The role of impacts in the history of the early earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, Bevan M.

    1991-01-01

    The significant conclusions of a conference called 'Meteorite Impact and the Early Earth' are reported including data which support the notion that extraterrestrial impacts greatly influenced the development of the earth. The cratering of other planetary surfaces is discussed, and the energy added by meteorite impacts is characterized. The primary effects of large impacts are set forth in terms of atmospheric, oceanic, and biological considerations which suggest that the ramifications would have been significant. Contentious issues include the variation of impact rate with time in the early universe, the interpretation of the record of intense bombardment in the lunar highlands, and the effects related to alternative scenarios. Directions of future study are mentioned including the identification of terrestrial impact structures, conducting searches in the Archean, and assessing ancient impact rates.

  13. Early postnatal calcium and phosphorus metabolism in preterm infants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Christmann, V.; Grauw, A.M. de; Visser, R.; Matthijsse, R.P.; Goudoever, J.B. van; Heijst, A.F.J. van

    2014-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Bone mineralisation in preterm infants is related to the supply of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). We increased the amount of minerals in parenteral nutrition (PN) for preterm infants and evaluated postnatal Ca and P metabolism in relation to mineral and vitamin D (vitD) intake.

  14. Evolution of Earth-like Extrasolar Planetary Atmospheres: Assessing the Atmospheres and Biospheres of Early Earth Analog Planets with a Coupled Atmosphere Biogeochemical Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gebauer, S; Grenfell, J L; Stock, J W; Lehmann, R; Godolt, M; von Paris, P; Rauer, H

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the evolution of Earth and potentially habitable Earth-like worlds is essential to fathom our origin in the Universe. The search for Earth-like planets in the habitable zone and investigation of their atmospheres with climate and photochemical models is a central focus in exoplanetary science. Taking the evolution of Earth as a reference for Earth-like planets, a central scientific goal is to understand what the interactions were between atmosphere, geology, and biology on early Earth. The Great Oxidation Event in Earth's history was certainly caused by their interplay, but the origin and controlling processes of this occurrence are not well understood, the study of which will require interdisciplinary, coupled models. In this work, we present results from our newly developed Coupled Atmosphere Biogeochemistry model in which atmospheric O 2 concentrations are fixed to values inferred by geological evidence. Applying a unique tool (Pathway Analysis Program), ours is the first quantitative analysis of catalytic cycles that governed O 2 in early Earth's atmosphere near the Great Oxidation Event. Complicated oxidation pathways play a key role in destroying O 2 , whereas in the upper atmosphere, most O 2 is formed abiotically via CO 2 photolysis. The O 2 bistability found by Goldblatt et al. ( 2006 ) is not observed in our calculations likely due to our detailed CH 4 oxidation scheme. We calculate increased CH 4 with increasing O 2 during the Great Oxidation Event. For a given atmospheric surface flux, different atmospheric states are possible; however, the net primary productivity of the biosphere that produces O 2 is unique. Mixing, CH 4 fluxes, ocean solubility, and mantle/crust properties strongly affect net primary productivity and surface O 2 fluxes. Regarding exoplanets, different "states" of O 2 could exist for similar biomass output. Strong geological activity could lead to false negatives for life (since our analysis suggests that reducing gases

  15. Origin and evolution of the atmospheres of early Venus, Earth and Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lammer, Helmut; Zerkle, Aubrey L.; Gebauer, Stefanie; Tosi, Nicola; Noack, Lena; Scherf, Manuel; Pilat-Lohinger, Elke; Güdel, Manuel; Grenfell, John Lee; Godolt, Mareike; Nikolaou, Athanasia

    2018-05-01

    We review the origin and evolution of the atmospheres of Earth, Venus and Mars from the time when their accreting bodies were released from the protoplanetary disk a few million years after the origin of the Sun. If the accreting planetary cores reached masses ≥ 0.5 M_Earth before the gas in the disk disappeared, primordial atmospheres consisting mainly of H_2 form around the young planetary body, contrary to late-stage planet formation, where terrestrial planets accrete material after the nebula phase of the disk. The differences between these two scenarios are explored by investigating non-radiogenic atmospheric noble gas isotope anomalies observed on the three terrestrial planets. The role of the young Sun's more efficient EUV radiation and of the plasma environment into the escape of early atmospheres is also addressed. We discuss the catastrophic outgassing of volatiles and the formation and cooling of steam atmospheres after the solidification of magma oceans and we describe the geochemical evidence for additional delivery of volatile-rich chondritic materials during the main stages of terrestrial planet formation. The evolution scenario of early Earth is then compared with the atmospheric evolution of planets where no active plate tectonics emerged like on Venus and Mars. We look at the diversity between early Earth, Venus and Mars, which is found to be related to their differing geochemical, geodynamical and geophysical conditions, including plate tectonics, crust and mantle oxidation processes and their involvement in degassing processes of secondary N_2 atmospheres. The buildup of atmospheric N_2, O_2, and the role of greenhouse gases such as CO_2 and CH_4 to counter the Faint Young Sun Paradox (FYSP), when the earliest life forms on Earth originated until the Great Oxidation Event ≈ 2.3 Gyr ago, are addressed. This review concludes with a discussion on the implications of understanding Earth's geophysical and related atmospheric evolution in relation

  16. Earthing the human body influences physiologic processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokal, Karol; Sokal, Pawel

    2011-04-01

    This study was designed to answer the question: Does the contact of the human organism with the Earth via a copper conductor affect physiologic processes? Subjects and experiments: Five (5) experiments are presented: experiment 1-effect of earthing on calcium-phosphate homeostasis and serum concentrations of iron (N = 84 participants); experiment 2-effect of earthing on serum concentrations of electrolytes (N = 28); experiment 3-effect of earthing on thyroid function (N = 12); experiment 4-effect of earthing on glucose concentration (N = 12); experiment 5-effect of earthing on immune response to vaccine (N = 32). Subjects were divided into two groups. One (1) group of people was earthed, while the second group remained without contact with the Earth. Blood and urine samples were examined. Earthing of an electrically insulated human organism during night rest causes lowering of serum concentrations of iron, ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and reduction of renal excretion of calcium and phosphorus. Earthing during night rest decreases free tri-iodothyronine and increases free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone. The continuous earthing of the human body decreases blood glucose in patients with diabetes. Earthing decreases sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, total protein, and albumin concentrations while the levels of transferrin, ferritin, and globulins α1, α2, β, and γ increase. These results are statistically significant. Earthing the human body influences human physiologic processes. This influence is observed during night relaxation and during physical activity. Effect of the earthing on calcium-phosphate homeostasis is the opposite of that which occurs in states of weightlessness. It also increases the activity of catabolic processes. It may be the primary factor regulating endocrine and nervous systems.

  17. Early postnatal calcium and phosphorus metabolism in preterm infants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Christmann, Viola; de Grauw, Anne M.; Visser, Reina; Matthijsse, René P.; van Goudoever, Johannes B.; van Heijst, Arno F. J.

    2014-01-01

    Bone mineralisation in preterm infants is related to the supply of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). We increased the amount of minerals in parenteral nutrition (PN) for preterm infants and evaluated postnatal Ca and P metabolism in relation to mineral and vitamin D (vitD) intake. Preterm infants,

  18. The role of phosphorus sources in the growth of lowland rice plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sisworo, Widjang Herry

    1975-01-01

    The role of phosphorus sources in the growth of lowland rice plant was studied using P 32 -labelled superphosphate. The experiment was carried out in the glass house. Three high yielding rice varieties used in the experiment were PB 5, IR 22 and Pelita I/1. Results obtained from the experiment showed that, during early growth, seedlings in the nursery did not require any phosphorus from outside. The phosphorus needed was apparently supplied by the seeds themselves. After 10 days seedlings started using phosphorus from outside the plants. Phosphorus in the plants derived from fertilizer reached 5-12% at 16 days old and 25-40% at transplanting time depending on the varieties. Higher response to phosphorus application in the nursery was given by Pelita I/1, the phosphorus in the plants derived from fertilizer was 40% at transplanting time. The phosphorus requirement was mostly supplied by the application of phosphorus fertilizer till 20 days after transplanting but after 40 days soil-phosphorus became the main source for the plants. (author)

  19. The (146,147)Sm-(142,143)Nd systematics of early terrestrial differentiation and the lost continents of the early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harper, Charles L., Jr.; Jacobsen, Stein B.

    1992-01-01

    The very early history of the Earth has been one of the great enduring puzzles in the history of geology. We report evidence which clearly can be described as a vestige of a beginning, because the evidence that we report cannot be interpreted in any other way except as a geochemical signal of processes active in the very early history of the Earth. The evidence itself is a very small anomaly in the abundance of SM-146. The primary aims of this study were to: (1) verify the existence of the 'lost continents' of the Hadean era; and (2) determine their mean age.

  20. Iron Hydroxide Minerals Drive Organic and Phosphorus Chemistry in Subsurface Redox / pH Gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flores, E.; Barge, L. M.; VanderVelde, D.; Baum, M.

    2017-12-01

    Iron minerals, particularly iron oxides and oxyhydroxides, are prevalent on Mars and may exist in mixed valence or even reduced states beneath the oxidized surface. Iron (II,III) hydroxides, including green rust, are reactive and potentially catalytic minerals that can absorb and concentrate charged species, while also driving chemical reactions. These minerals are highly redox-sensitive and the presence of organics and/or phosphorus species could affect their mineralogy and/or stability. Conversely, the minerals might be able to drive chemical processes such as amino acid formation, phosphorus oxyanion reactions, or could simply selectively preserve organic species via surface adsorption. In an open aqueous sediment column, soluble products of mineral-driven reactions could also diffuse to sites of different chemical conditions to react even further. We synthesized Fe-hydroxide minerals under various conditions relevant to early Earth and ancient Mars (>3.0 Gyr), anoxically and in the presence of salts likely to have been present in surface or ground waters. Using these minerals we conducted experiments to test whether iron hydroxides could promote amino acid formation, and how the reaction is affected by subsurface gradients of redox, pH, and temperature. We also tested the adsorption of organic and phosphorus species onto Fe-hydroxide minerals at different conditions within the gradients. The suite of organic or phosphorus signatures that may be found in a particular mineral system is a combination of what is synthesized there, what is preferentially concentrated / retained there, and what is preserved against degradation. Further work is needed to determine how these processes could have proceeded on Mars and what mineral-organic signatures, abiotic or otherwise, would be produced from such processes.

  1. Peroxy defects in Rocks and H2O2 formation on the early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, A.; Balk, M.; Mason, P.; Freund, F.; Rothschild, L.

    2013-12-01

    An oxygen-rich atmosphere appears to have been a prerequisite for complex life to evolve on Earth and possibly elsewhere in the Universe. The question is still shrouded in uncertainty how free oxygen became available on the early Earth. Here we study processes of peroxy defects in silicate minerals which, upon weathering, generate mobilized electronic charge carriers resulting in oxygen formation in an initially anoxic subsurface environment. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are precursors to molecular oxygen during this process. Due to their toxicity they may have strongly influenced the evolution of life. ROS are generated during hydrolysis of peroxy defects, which consist of pairs of oxygen anions. A second pathway for formation occurs during (bio) transformations of iron sulphide minerals. ROS are produced and consumed by intracellular and extracellular reactions of Fe, Mn, C, N, and S species. We propose that despite an overall reducing or neutral oxidation state of the macroenvironment and the absence of free O2 in the atmosphere, microorganisms on the early Earth had to cope with ROS in their microenvironments. They were thus under evolutionary pressure to develop enzymatic and other defenses against the potentially dangerous, even lethal effects of ROS and oxygen. We have investigated how oxygen might be released through weathering and test microorganisms in contact with rock surfaces. Our results show how early Life might have adapted to oxygen. Early microorganisms must have "trained" to detoxify ROS prior to the evolution of aerobic metabolism and oxygenic photosynthesis. A possible way out of this dilemma comes from a study of igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks, whose minerals contain a small but significant fraction of oxygen anions in the valence state 1- , forming peroxy links of the type O3Si-OO-SiO3 [1, 2]. As water hydrolyzes the peroxy links hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, forms. Continued experimental discovery of H2O2 formation at rock

  2. Serum phosphorus and association with anemia among a large diverse population with and without chronic kidney disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Lac; Batech, Michael; Rhee, Connie M.; Streja, Elani; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Jacobsen, Steven J.; Sim, John J.

    2016-01-01

    Background We hypothesized that phosphorus has an effect on anemia in both normal kidney function and early chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to determine whether higher phosphorus levels are associated with anemia in a large diverse population without CKD and early CKD. Methods This study is a historical population-based study within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system (1 January 1998 to 31 December 2013) among individuals aged 18 years and older with estimated glomerular filtration rate >30 mL/min/1.73 m2 and measurements of serum phosphorus, creatinine and hemoglobin. Individuals were excluded if they had secondary causes of anemia. Odds ratio (OR) estimated for moderate anemia defined as hemoglobin phosphorus levels ≥3.5 mg/dL were associated with both mild and moderate anemia. Moderate anemia OR (95% confidence interval) was 1.16 (1.04–1.29) for every 0.5 mg/dL phosphorus increase and 1.26 (1.07–1.48) in the highest versus middle phosphorus tertile. Additional independent anemia risk factors, including female sex, Asian race, diabetes, low albumin and low iron saturation, were observed, but did not alter the anemia–phosphorus association. Conclusions Higher phosphorus levels were associated with a greater likelihood for anemia in a population with early CKD and normal kidney function. Phosphorus may be a biomarker for anemia and may affect aspects of hematopoiesis. PMID:26254460

  3. Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokal, Karol

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Objectives This study was designed to answer the question: Does the contact of the human organism with the Earth via a copper conductor affect physiologic processes? Subjects and experiments Five (5) experiments are presented: experiment 1—effect of earthing on calcium–phosphate homeostasis and serum concentrations of iron (N = 84 participants); experiment 2—effect of earthing on serum concentrations of electrolytes (N = 28); experiment 3—effect of earthing on thyroid function (N = 12); experiment 4—effect of earthing on glucose concentration (N = 12); experiment 5—effect of earthing on immune response to vaccine (N = 32). Subjects were divided into two groups. One (1) group of people was earthed, while the second group remained without contact with the Earth. Blood and urine samples were examined. Results Earthing of an electrically insulated human organism during night rest causes lowering of serum concentrations of iron, ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and reduction of renal excretion of calcium and phosphorus. Earthing during night rest decreases free tri-iodothyronine and increases free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone. The continuous earthing of the human body decreases blood glucose in patients with diabetes. Earthing decreases sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, total protein, and albumin concentrations while the levels of transferrin, ferritin, and globulins α1, α2, β, and γ increase. These results are statistically significant. Conclusions Earthing the human body influences human physiologic processes. This influence is observed during night relaxation and during physical activity. Effect of the earthing on calcium–phosphate homeostasis is the opposite of that which occurs in states of weightlessness. It also increases the activity of catabolic processes. It may be the primary factor regulating endocrine and nervous systems. PMID:21469913

  4. Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua Launch and Early Mission Attitude Support Experiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tracewell, D.; Glickman, J.; Hashmall, J.; Natanson, G.; Sedlak, J.

    2003-01-01

    The Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite was successfully launched on May 4,2002. Aqua is the second in the series of EOS satellites. EOS is part of NASA s Earth Science Enterprise Program, whose goals are to advance the scientific understanding of the Earth system. Aqua is a three-axis stabilized, Earth-pointing spacecraft in a nearly circular, sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 705 km. The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics attitude team supported all phases of the launch and early mission. This paper presents the main results and lessons learned during this period, including: real-time attitude mode transition support, sensor calibration, onboard computer attitude validation, response to spacecraft emergencies, postlaunch attitude analyses, and anomaly resolution. In particular, Flight Dynamics support proved to be invaluable for successful Earth acquisition, fine-point mode transition, and recognition and correction of several anomalies, including support for the resolution of problems observed with the MODIS instrument.

  5. [Effects of phosphorus sources on phosphorus fractions in rhizosphere soil of wild barley genotypes with high phosphorus utilization efficiency].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Qiu-Yan; Zhang, Xi-Zhou; Li, Ting-Xuan; Chen, Guang-Deng

    2014-11-01

    High P-efficiency (IS-22-30, IS-22-25) and low P-efficiency (IS-07-07) wild barley cultivars were chosen to evaluate characteristics of phosphorus uptake and utilization, and properties of phosphorus fractions in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere in a pot experiment with 0 (CK) and 30 mg P · kg(-1) supplied as only Pi (KH2PO4), only Po (phytate) or Pi + Po (KH2PO4+ phytate). The results showed that dry matter and phosphorus accumulation of wild barley in the different treatments was ranked as Pi > Pi + Po > Po > CK. In addition, dry matter yield and phosphorus uptake of wild barley with high P-efficiency exhibited significantly greater than that with low P-efficiency. The concentration of soil available phosphorus was significantly different after application of different phosphorus sources, which was presented as Pi > Pi + Po > Po. The concentration of soil available phosphorus in high P-efficiency wild barley was significantly higher than that of low P-efficiency in the rhizosphere soil. There was a deficit in rhizosphere available phosphorus of high P-efficiency wild barley, especially in Pi and Pi+Po treatments. The inorganic phosphorus fractions increased with the increasing Pi treatment, and the concentrations of inorganic phosphorus fractions in soil were sorted as follows: Ca10-P > O-P > Fe-P > Al-P > Ca2-P > Ca8-P. The contents of Ca2-P and Ca8-P for high P-efficiency wild barley showed deficits in rhizosphere soil under each phosphorus source treatment. In addition, enrichment of Al-P and Fe-P was observed in Pi treatment in rhizosphere soil. The concentrations of organic phosphorus fractions in soil were sorted as follows: moderate labile organic phosphorus > moderate resistant, resistant organic phosphorus > labile organic phosphorus. The labile and moderate labile organic phosphorus enriched in rhizosphere soil and the greatest enrichment appeared in Pi treatment. Furthermore, the concentrations of moderate resistant organic phosphorus and resistant

  6. Linking the rise of atmospheric oxygen to growth in the continental phosphorus inventory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cox, Grant M.; Lyons, Timothy W.; Mitchell, Ross N.; Hasterok, Derrick; Gard, Matthew

    2018-05-01

    The concentration of atmospheric oxygen (pO2) is thought to have increased throughout Earth history, punctuated by rapid increases ca. 2.4 and 0.8 billion years ago near the beginning and end of the Proterozoic Eon. As photosynthesis is the largest source of free O2, the reigning paradigm of rising O2 levels centres around biologic metabolism. Here we show that the phosphorus content of igneous rocks correlates, in a first-order sense, with secular increases in O2 through time, suggesting that rising O2 levels are affected by long-term mantle cooling and its effect on the continental phosphorus inventory. Because phosphorus is the limiting nutrient for primary productivity, its availability has fundamental control over the efficiency of oxygenic photosynthesis, pointing to a previously unrecognized role of the solid Earth in biologic and atmospheric evolution. Furthermore, as many bio-essential elements are effectively incompatible in the mantle, this relationship has implications for any terrestrial planet. All planets will cool, and those with efficient plate tectonic convection will cool more rapidly. We are left concluding that the speed of such cooling may affect pattern of biological evolution on any habitable planet.

  7. Carbon dioxide warming of the early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrhenius, G.

    1997-01-01

    Svante Arrhenius' research in atmospheric physics extended beyond the recent past and the near future states of the Earth, which today are at the center of sociopolitical attention. His plan encompassed all of the physical phenomena known at the time to relate to the formation and evolution of stars and planets. His two-volume textbook on cosmic physics is a comprehensive synopsis of the field. The inquiry into the possible cause of the ice ages and the theory of selective wavelength filter control led Arrhenius to consider the surface states of the other terrestrial planets, and of the ancient Earth before it had been modified by the emergence of life. The rapid escape of hydrogen and the equilibration with igneous rocks required that carbon in the early atmosphere prevailed mainly in oxidized form as carbon dioxide, together with other photoactive gases exerting a greenhouse effect orders of magnitude larger than in our present atmosphere. This effect, together with the ensuing chemical processes, would have set the conditions for life to evolve on our planet, seeded from spores spreading through an infinite Universe, and propelled, as Arrhenius thought, by stellar radiation pressure.

  8. Preparation of phosphorus targets using the compound phosphorus nitride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maier-Komor, P.

    1987-01-01

    Commercially available phosphorus nitride (P 3 N 5 ) shows a high oxygen content. Nevertheless, this material is attractive for use as phosphorus targets in experiments where red phosphorus would disappear due to its high vapor pressure and where a metal partner in the phosphide must be excluded due to its high atomic number. Methods are described to produce phosphorus nitride targets by vacuum evaporation condensation. (orig.)

  9. Early history of Earth's crust-mantle system inferred from hafnium isotopes in chondrites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bizzarro, Martin; Haack, Henning; Rosing, M.

    2003-01-01

    for the chondrite-forming event. This ¿176 value indicates that Earth's oldest minerals were derived from melts of a mantle source with a time-integrated history of depletion rather than enrichment. The depletion event must have occurred no later than 320 Myr after planetary accretion, consistent with timing......The Lu to Hf decay series has been widely used to understand the nature of Earth's early crust-mantle system. The interpretation, however, of Lu-Hf isotope data requires accurate knowledge of the radioactive decay constant of Lu (¿176), as well as bulk-Earth reference parameters. A recent...

  10. What is the Emerging Knowledge of the Early Earth from the Oldest (>3.6 Ga) Rocks?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bennett, V. C.; Nutman, A. P.

    2016-12-01

    Eoarchean to Hadean rocks are direct samples of early Earth chemistry and conditions and provide the ground-truth for models of early Earth formation, environments and evolution. Intensive investigations by many groups reveal rocks of this age comprise only one millionth of Earth's surface and are found in 9 areas of varying extent distributed worldwide. This record is of variable fidelity however, owing to metamorphic overprinting. The majority of the oldest rocks are high grade gneisses with protoliths from mid-crustal levels; the more rare supracrustal assemblages reflect early Earth's surface conditions and processes. First-order observations from supracrustal sequences at several localities and from 3.6 Ga to ≥3.9 Ga in age provide abundant evidence of liquid water at the Earth's surface with pillow basalts and chemical sedimentary rocks in the form of cherts, banded Fe formations and carbonates. Trace element patterns of these sedimentary rocks strongly resemble modern seawater compositions, except for the absence of redox sensitive Ce anomalies. Evidence for early life remains controversial and is mainly in the form of stable isotopic signatures of C and Fe. Our recent work from newly-discovered, exceptionally well-preserved 3.7 Ga sedimentary rocks and the deformed unconformity they rest on has provided the first evidence of Eoarchean intense weathering and shallow water sedimentary processes. Whilst the major and trace element compositions of Eoarchean gneisses have analogs in younger rocks in accord with a continuum of crust formation processes, radiogenic isotopic signatures from both long and short half-life decay schemes record an image of the Earth in transition from early differentiation processes, likely associated with planetary accretion and formation, to more modern styles. Most Eoarchean rocks possess extinct nuclide anomalies in the form of 142Nd and 182W isotopic signatures that are absent in modern terrestrial samples, and developed from

  11. Prebiotic chemistry and atmospheric warming of early Earth by an active young Sun

    Science.gov (United States)

    Airapetian, V. S.; Glocer, A.; Gronoff, G.; Hébrard, E.; Danchi, W.

    2016-06-01

    Nitrogen is a critical ingredient of complex biological molecules. Molecular nitrogen, however, which was outgassed into the Earth’s early atmosphere, is relatively chemically inert and nitrogen fixation into more chemically reactive compounds requires high temperatures. Possible mechanisms of nitrogen fixation include lightning, atmospheric shock heating by meteorites, and solar ultraviolet radiation. Here we show that nitrogen fixation in the early terrestrial atmosphere can be explained by frequent and powerful coronal mass ejection events from the young Sun--so-called superflares. Using magnetohydrodynamic simulations constrained by Kepler Space Telescope observations, we find that successive superflare ejections produce shocks that accelerate energetic particles, which would have compressed the early Earth’s magnetosphere. The resulting extended polar cap openings provide pathways for energetic particles to penetrate into the atmosphere and, according to our atmospheric chemistry simulations, initiate reactions converting molecular nitrogen, carbon dioxide and methane to the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide as well as hydrogen cyanide, an essential compound for life. Furthermore, the destruction of N2, CO2 and CH4 suggests that these greenhouse gases cannot explain the stability of liquid water on the early Earth. Instead, we propose that the efficient formation of nitrous oxide could explain a warm early Earth.

  12. Sustainable Phosphorus Measures: Strategies and Technologies for Achieving Phosphorus Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stuart White

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus underpins the world’s food systems by ensuring soil fertility, maximising crop yields, supporting farmer livelihoods and ultimately food security. Yet increasing concerns around long-term availability and accessibility of the world’s main source of phosphorus—phosphate rock, means there is a need to investigate sustainable measures to buffer the world’s food systems against the long and short-term impacts of global phosphorus scarcity. While the timeline of phosphorus scarcity is contested, there is consensus that more efficient use and recycling of phosphorus is required. While the agricultural sector will be crucial in achieving this, sustainable phosphorus measures in sectors upstream and downstream of agriculture from mine to fork will also need to be addressed. This paper presents a comprehensive classification of all potential phosphorus supply- and demand-side measures to meet long-term phosphorus needs for food production. Examples range from increasing efficiency in the agricultural and mining sector, to technologies for recovering phosphorus from urine and food waste. Such measures are often undertaken in isolation from one another rather than linked in an integrated strategy. This integrated approach will enable scientists and policy-makers to take a systematic approach when identifying potential sustainable phosphorus measures. If a systematic approach is not taken, there is a risk of inappropriate investment in research and implementation of technologies and that will not ultimately ensure sufficient access to phosphorus to produce food in the future. The paper concludes by introducing a framework to assess and compare sustainable phosphorus measures and to determine the least cost options in a given context.

  13. Microbes, Mineral Evolution, and the Rise of Microcontinents-Origin and Coevolution of Life with Early Earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosch, Eugene G; Hazen, Robert M

    2015-10-01

    Earth is the most mineralogically diverse planet in our solar system, the direct consequence of a coevolving geosphere and biosphere. We consider the possibility that a microbial biosphere originated and thrived in the early Hadean-Archean Earth subseafloor environment, with fundamental consequences for the complex evolution and habitability of our planet. In this hypothesis paper, we explore possible venues for the origin of life and the direct consequences of microbially mediated, low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of the early oceanic lithosphere. We hypothesize that subsurface fluid-rock-microbe interactions resulted in more efficient hydration of the early oceanic crust, which in turn promoted bulk melting to produce the first evolved fragments of felsic crust. These evolved magmas most likely included sialic or tonalitic sheets, felsic volcaniclastics, and minor rhyolitic intrusions emplaced in an Iceland-type extensional setting as the earliest microcontinents. With the further development of proto-tectonic processes, these buoyant felsic crustal fragments formed the nucleus of intra-oceanic tonalite-trondhjemite-granitoid (TTG) island arcs. Thus microbes, by facilitating extensive hydrothermal alteration of the earliest oceanic crust through bioalteration, promoted mineral diversification and may have been early architects of surface environments and microcontinents on young Earth. We explore how the possible onset of subseafloor fluid-rock-microbe interactions on early Earth accelerated metavolcanic clay mineral formation, crustal melting, and subsequent metamorphic mineral evolution. We also consider environmental factors supporting this earliest step in geosphere-biosphere coevolution and the implications for habitability and mineral evolution on other rocky planets, such as Mars.

  14. EUV-VUV photochemistry in the upper atmospheres of Titan and the early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imanaka, H.; Smith, M. A.

    2010-12-01

    Titan, the organic-rich moon of Saturn, possesses a thick atmosphere of nitrogen, globally covered with organic haze layers. The recent Cassini’s INMS and CAPS observations clearly demonstrate the importance of complex organic chemistry in the ionosphere. EUV photon radiation is the major driving energy source there. Our previous laboratory study of the EUV-VUV photolysis of N2/CH4 gas mixtures demonstrates a unique role of nitrogen photoionization in the catalytic formation of complex hydrocarbons in Titan’s upper atmosphere (Imanaka and Smith, 2007, 2009). Such EUV photochemistry could also have played important roles in the formation of complex organic molecules in the ionosphere of the early Earth. It has been suggested that the early Earth atmosphere may have contained significant amount of reduced species (CH4, H2, and CO) (Kasting, 1990, Pavlov et al., 2001, Tian et al., 2005). Recent experimental study, using photon radiation at wavelengths longer than 110 nm, demonstrates that photochemical organic haze could have been generated from N2/CO2 atmospheres with trace amounts of CH4 or H2 (Trainer et al., 2006, Dewitt et al., 2009). However, possible EUV photochemical processes in the ionosphere are not well understood. We have investigated the effect of CO2 in the possible EUV photochemical processes in simulated reduced early Earth atmospheres. The EUV-VUV photochemistry using wavelength-tunable synchrotron light between 50 - 150 nm was investigated for gas mixtures of 13CO2/CH4 (= 96.7/3.3) and N2/13CO2/CH4 (= 90/6.7/3.3). The onsets of unsaturated hydrocarbon formation were observed at wavelengths shorter than the ionization potentials of CO2 and N2, respectively. This correlation indicates that CO2 can play a similar catalytic role to N2 in the formation of heavy organic species, which implies that EUV photochemistry might have significant impact on the photochemical generation of organic haze layers in the upper atmosphere of the early Earth.

  15. Reactive Oxygen Species on the Early Earth and Survival of Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balk, Melikea; Mason, Paul; Stams, Alfons J. M.; Smidt, Hauke; Freund, Friedemann; Rothschild, Lynn

    2011-01-01

    An oxygen-rich atmosphere appears to have been a prerequisite for complex, multicellular life to evolve on Earth and possibly elsewhere in the Universe. However it remains unclear how free oxygen first became available on the early Earth. A potentially important, and as yet poorly constrained pathway, is the production of oxygen through the weathering of rocks and release into the near-surface environment. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), as precursors to molecular oxygen, are a key step in this process, and may have had a decisive impact on the evolution of life, present and past. ROS are generated from minerals in igneous rocks during hydrolysis of peroxy defects, which consist of pairs of oxygen anions oxidized to the valence state -1 and during (bio) transformations of iron sulphide minerals. ROS are produced and consumed by intracellular and extracellular reactions of Fe, Mn, C, N, and S species. We propose that, despite an overall reducing or neutral oxidation state of the macroenvironment and the absence of free O2 in the atmosphere, organisms on the early Earth had to cope with ROS in their microenvironments. They were thus under evolutionary pressure to develop enzymatic and other defences against the potentially dangerous, even lethal effects of oxygen and its derived ROS. Conversely it appears that microorganisms learned to take advantage of the enormous reactive potential and energy gain provided by nascent oxygen. We investigate how oxygen might be released through weathering. We test microorganisms in contact with rock surfaces and iron sulphides. We model bacteria such as Deionococcus radiodurans and Desulfotomaculum, Moorella and Bacillus species for their ability to grow or survive in the presence of ROS. We examine how early Life might have adapted to oxygen.

  16. Phosphorus Supply Chain—Scientific, Technical, and Economic Foundations: A Transdisciplinary Orientation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael C. Mew

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Natural mineral resources, such as phosphates, represent global assets of tremendous economic value to stakeholders. Given its special characteristics and its essentiality for all life on Earth, phosphorus (P bears additional value to society as it is both indispensable and not substitutable. Most peers in the field, as well as those coming to phosphorus research, are aware of the complex underlying system dynamics of the P supply chain. In view of the manifold problems involved, scientists from various disciplines as well as practice need to find (new ways to generate, utilize, transfer, and integrate knowledge. This manuscript serves as a best-practice example as it originates from a long-lasting science/practice collaboration and is the result of a mutual learning process. As a cornerstone of the special issue on “Phosphorus Circular Economy: Closing Loops through Sustainable Innovation” we provide state-of-the-art scientific knowledge as well as practical expert insights from the perspectives of geology, technology, economics, and policy making. This manuscript shall help scientific peers, the public, respective companies, and policymakers to address the issue of sustainable phosphorus management.

  17. Zero-field optical magnetic resonance study of phosphorus donors in 28-silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morse, Kevin J.; Dluhy, Phillip; Huber, Julian; Salvail, Jeff Z.; Saeedi, Kamyar; Riemann, Helge; Abrosimov, Nikolay V.; Becker, Peter; Pohl, Hans-Joachim; Simmons, S.; Thewalt, M. L. W.

    2018-03-01

    Donor spins in silicon are some of the most promising qubits for upcoming solid-state quantum technologies. The nuclear spins of phosphorus donors in enriched silicon have among the longest coherence times of any solid-state system as well as simultaneous high fidelity qubit initialization, manipulation, and readout. Here we characterize the phosphorus in silicon system in the regime of "zero" magnetic field, where a singlet-triplet spin clock transition can be accessed, using laser spectroscopy and magnetic resonance methods. We show the system can be optically hyperpolarized and has ˜10 s Hahn echo coherence times, even for applied static magnetic fields below Earth's field.

  18. Intra-group separation of rare earths using new organic phosphorus ligands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hadic, Sanela

    2017-01-01

    Rare earth elements (REE) have unique magnetic, photophysical, and chemical properties and they are therefore used in numerous high-technology applications. However, to this day, the isolation of pure rare earths from primary and secondary raw materials is very challenging. In this work, the hydrometallurgical separation of neighboring rare earths (e.g., praseodymium/ neodymium) was optimized with novel selective extraction agents. The separation of rare earths (yttrium and all lanthanides except promethium) was investigated with fourteen new organophosphorus compounds. Oxygen-bearing phosphinic acids yielded good separation results for heavy rare earths (dysprosium to lutetium). For light rare earths (lanthanum to neodymium), particularly high separation factors were realized with synergistic systems containing an aromatic dithiophosphinic acid and a co-extractant, such as tris (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP). Optimization studies of the latter extraction system revealed an extremely high separation factor (SF) of 4.21 between praseodymium and neodymium. Another focus of this work was to understand the extraction mechanism. With the aid of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ("1H-NMR) and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS), the complex stoichiometry of promising extraction systems was examined. Studies revealed a dependency between the selectivity for rare earths and the coordination number of the formed complexes. In addition, temperature-dependent extraction experiments were performed and thermodynamic data (ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS) determined. These data provided additional information about the origin of selectivity for neighboring rare earths. With regard to the industrial capability of the investigated extraction systems, the chemical durability of ligands was studied under process-relevant conditions. Qualitative and quantitative analytical methods (e.g., GC-MS) were used in long-term experiments to determine the ligand degradation. After

  19. Autotrophic Ecosystems on the Early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte, M.

    2003-01-01

    Ophiolite sequences, sections of lower oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been thrust onto continental craton, are located in northern and central California and provide easily accessible areas that serve as good analogs for similar, more extensive areas of the early Earth. We have begun investigating and characterizing these sites in order to understand better the processes that may be responsible for the water chemistry, mineralogy and biology of similar environments on the early Earth. The geophysical and geochemical processes in these terranes provide niches for unique communities of extremeophiles and likely provide a good analog to the location that first gave rise to life on Earth. The ophiolites found in northern and central California include the Trinity, Josephine, Coast Range and Point Sal, all of which are approximately 160 million years old. Fluids from serpentinizing springs are generally alkaline with high pH and H2 contents, indicating that the mafic rock compositions control the fluid composition through water-rock reactions during relatively low-grade hydrothermal processes. There are significant amounts of primary mineralogy remaining in the rocks, meaning that substantial alteration processes are still occurring in these terranes. The general reaction for serpentinization of olivine is given by one of the authors. olivine + H2O = serpentine + brucite + magnetite + H2. We have analyzed the mineralogical composition of several rock samples collected from the Coast Range Ophiolite near Clear Lake, CA by electron microprobe. The remnant primary mineralogy is fairly urnform in composition, with an olivine composition of Fo(sub 90), and with pyroxene compositions of En(sub 90) for orthopyroxene and En(sub 49)Wo(sub 48)Fs(sub 03) for the clinopyroxene. Other primary phases observed include chromites and other spinels. Examination of petrographic thin sections reveals that serpentinization reactions have occurred in these locations. The serpentine

  20. SEASONAL CHANGES IN PHOSPHORUS LOAD FLOWING OUT OF SMALL AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Pulikowski

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article distribution of monthly phosphorus loads flowing out of two agricultural catchments which are located in different physiographic conditions of Lower Silesia was analysed. Loads of phosphorus runoff from the catchment located in the piedmont part of Lower Silesia in each month rarely exceed 0.10 kg P ∙ ha-1. The size of annual load is determined by loads obtained in two months of early spring. Much lower loads obtained for lowland catchment, located near Wroclaw. Values ​​calculated for each month rarely exceed the value of 0.01 kg P ∙ ha-1. Culmination of loads bringing away is a bit more extended in a time compared to the catchment located on Sudety Mts. Foreland. Much higher loads are observed during the period from January to April – this period has a major impact on the size of phosphorus load that flows out from this catchment during whole hydrological year. The obtained results clearly indicate that the threat of watercourses and water reservoirs supply in phosphorus compounds from agricultural land is periodic and it is particularly high during early spring. Phosphorus load flowing out from the analyzed catchments is very diverse. From facility located on Sudety Foothill in hydrological year, during research period, flowed away average 0.81 kg P ∙ ha-1. Significantly lower values were obtained for second facility and it was average 0.15 kg P ∙ ha-1 during a year. The size of load discharged during a year is largely determined by amount of phosphorus load flowing out during winter half of the year (from XI to IV. In case of foothill catchment in this period flowed out average 0.56 kg P ∙ ha-1, which presents 69% of annual load and in lowland catchment this percentage was even slightly higher and was 73%.

  1. A representation of the phosphorus cycle for ORCHIDEE (revision 4520)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goll, Daniel S.; Vuichard, Nicolas; Maignan, Fabienne; Jornet-Puig, Albert; Sardans, Jordi; Violette, Aurelie; Peng, Shushi; Sun, Yan; Kvakic, Marko; Guimberteau, Matthieu; Guenet, Bertrand; Zaehle, Soenke; Penuelas, Josep; Janssens, Ivan; Ciais, Philippe

    2017-10-01

    Land surface models rarely incorporate the terrestrial phosphorus cycle and its interactions with the carbon cycle, despite the extensive scientific debate about the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus supply for future land carbon uptake. We describe a representation of the terrestrial phosphorus cycle for the ORCHIDEE land surface model, and evaluate it with data from nutrient manipulation experiments along a soil formation chronosequence in Hawaii. ORCHIDEE accounts for the influence of the nutritional state of vegetation on tissue nutrient concentrations, photosynthesis, plant growth, biomass allocation, biochemical (phosphatase-mediated) mineralization, and biological nitrogen fixation. Changes in the nutrient content (quality) of litter affect the carbon use efficiency of decomposition and in return the nutrient availability to vegetation. The model explicitly accounts for root zone depletion of phosphorus as a function of root phosphorus uptake and phosphorus transport from the soil to the root surface. The model captures the observed differences in the foliage stoichiometry of vegetation between an early (300-year) and a late (4.1 Myr) stage of soil development. The contrasting sensitivities of net primary productivity to the addition of either nitrogen, phosphorus, or both among sites are in general reproduced by the model. As observed, the model simulates a preferential stimulation of leaf level productivity when nitrogen stress is alleviated, while leaf level productivity and leaf area index are stimulated equally when phosphorus stress is alleviated. The nutrient use efficiencies in the model are lower than observed primarily due to biases in the nutrient content and turnover of woody biomass. We conclude that ORCHIDEE is able to reproduce the shift from nitrogen to phosphorus limited net primary productivity along the soil development chronosequence, as well as the contrasting responses of net primary productivity to nutrient addition.

  2. Substoichiometric extraction of phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shigematsu, T.; Kudo, K.

    1981-01-01

    A study of the substoichiometric extraction of phosphorus is described. Phosphorus was extracted in the form of ternary compounds such as ammonium phosphomolybdate, 8-hydroxyquinolinium phosphomolybdate, tetraphenylarsonium phosphomolybdate and tri-n-octylamine phosphomolybdate. Consequently, phosphorus was extracted substoichiometrically by the addition of a substoichiometric amount of molybdenum for the four phosphomolybdate compounds. On the other hand, phosphorus could be separated substoichiometrically with a substoichiometric amount of tetraphenylarsonium chloride or tri-n-octylamine. Stoichiometric ratios of these ternary compounds obtained substoichiometrically were 1:12:3 for phosphorus, molybdenum and organic reagent. The applicability of these compounds to phosphorus determination is also discussed. (author)

  3. Comparative Performance of Ground vs. Aerially Assessed RGB and Multispectral Indices for Early-Growth Evaluation of Maize Performance under Phosphorus Fertilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adrian Gracia-Romero

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Low soil fertility is one of the factors most limiting agricultural production, with phosphorus deficiency being among the main factors, particularly in developing countries. To deal with such environmental constraints, remote sensing measurements can be used to rapidly assess crop performance and to phenotype a large number of plots in a rapid and cost-effective way. We evaluated the performance of a set of remote sensing indices derived from Red-Green-Blue (RGB images and multispectral (visible and infrared data as phenotypic traits and crop monitoring tools for early assessment of maize performance under phosphorus fertilization. Thus, a set of 26 maize hybrids grown under field conditions in Zimbabwe was assayed under contrasting phosphorus fertilization conditions. Remote sensing measurements were conducted in seedlings at two different levels: at the ground and from an aerial platform. Within a particular phosphorus level, some of the RGB indices strongly correlated with grain yield. In general, RGB indices assessed at both ground and aerial levels correlated in a comparable way with grain yield except for indices a* and u*, which correlated better when assessed at the aerial level than at ground level and Greener Area (GGA which had the opposite correlation. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI evaluated at ground level with an active sensor also correlated better with grain yield than the NDVI derived from the multispectral camera mounted in the aerial platform. Other multispectral indices like the Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI performed very similarly to NDVI assessed at the aerial level but overall, they correlated in a weaker manner with grain yield than the best RGB indices. This study clearly illustrates the advantage of RGB-derived indices over the more costly and time-consuming multispectral indices. Moreover, the indices best correlated with GY were in general those best correlated with leaf phosphorous content

  4. SEASONAL CHANGES IN PHOSPHORUS LOAD FLOWING OUT OF SMALL AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENTS

    OpenAIRE

    Krzysztof Pulikowski; Katarzyna Pawęska; Aleksandra Bawiec

    2014-01-01

    In this article distribution of monthly phosphorus loads flowing out of two agricultural catchments which are located in different physiographic conditions of Lower Silesia was analysed. Loads of phosphorus runoff from the catchment located in the piedmont part of Lower Silesia in each month rarely exceed 0.10 kg P ∙ ha-1. The size of annual load is determined by loads obtained in two months of early spring. Much lower loads obtained for lowland catchment, located near Wroclaw. Values ​​calcu...

  5. Use of Phosphorus Isotopes for Improving Phosphorus Management in Agricultural Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-10-01

    Phosphorus is an essential element in plant, human and animal nutrition. Soils with low levels of phosphorus are widespread in many regions of the world, and the deficiency limits plant growth and reduces crop production and food quality. This publication provides comprehensive and up to date information on several topics related to phosphorus in soil–plant systems, in agricultural systems and in the environment. It presents the theoretical background as well as practical information on how to use nuclear and radioisotope tracer techniques in both laboratory and greenhouse experiments to assess soil phosphorus forms and plant-available soil phosphorus pools, and to understand the cycling processes in soil–plant systems. The publication focuses on practical applications of radiotracer techniques and can serve as resource material for research projects on improving sustainable phosphorus management in agricultural systems and as practical guidance on the use of phosphate isotopes in soil–plant research

  6. Investigation of phosphorus atomization using high-resolution continuum source electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dessuy, Morgana B.; Vale, Maria Goreti R.; Lepri, Fabio G.; Welz, Bernhard; Heitmann, Uwe

    2007-01-01

    The atomization of phosphorus in electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry has been investigated using a high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometer and atomization from a graphite platform as well as from a tantalum boat inserted in a graphite tube. A two-step atomization mechanism is proposed for phosphorus, where the first step is a thermal dissociation, resulting in a fast atomization signal early in the atomization stage, and the second step is a slow release of phosphorus atoms from the graphite tube surface following the adsorption of molecular phosphorus at active sites of the graphite surface. Depending on experimental conditions only one of the mechanisms or both might be active. In the absence of a modifier and with atomization from a graphite or tantalum platform the second mechanism appears to be dominant, whereas in the presence of sodium fluoride as a modifier both mechanisms are observed. Intercalation of phosphorus into the graphite platform in the condensed phase has also been observed; this phosphorus, however, appears to be permanently trapped in the structure of the graphite and does not contribute to the absorption signal

  7. phosphorus sorption capacity as a guide for phosphorus availability

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prof. Adipala Ekwamu

    drained, light yellowish brown, loamy sand ... Dongola 2 Akked series: Deep, dark grayish brown, clay ... energy. Statistical analysis. Data collected were statistically analysed using ANOVA of MStatc ... phosphorus sorbed versus phosphorus.

  8. Effects of phosphorus and zinc applications on the yields and yields ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effects of phosphorus and zinc applications on the yields and yields components of sole early maturing maize ( Zea mays ) and bambaranut ( Vigna subterranean Thour. ) and in intercrop under southern guinea savannah ecology zone.

  9. Few-Layer Black Phosphorus Carbide Field-Effect Transistor via Carbon Doping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Wee Chong; Cai, Yongqing; Ng, Rui Jie; Huang, Li; Feng, Xuewei; Zhang, Gang; Zhang, Yong-Wei; Nijhuis, Christian A; Liu, Xinke; Ang, Kah-Wee

    2017-06-01

    Black phosphorus carbide (b-PC) is a new family of layered semiconducting material that has recently been predicted to have the lightest electrons and holes among all known 2D semiconductors, yielding a p-type mobility (≈10 5 cm 2 V -1 s -1 ) at room temperature that is approximately five times larger than the maximum value in black phosphorus. Here, a high-performance composite few-layer b-PC field-effect transistor fabricated via a novel carbon doping technique which achieved a high hole mobility of 1995 cm 2 V -1 s -1 at room temperature is reported. The absorption spectrum of this material covers an electromagnetic spectrum in the infrared regime not served by black phosphorus and is useful for range finding applications as the earth atmosphere has good transparency in this spectral range. Additionally, a low contact resistance of 289 Ω µm is achieved using a nickel phosphide alloy contact with an edge contacted interface via sputtering and thermal treatment. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Studies on the absorption, distribution of rare earth elements and its effect on absorption of phosphorus and potassium in sugarcane (Saccharum officnarum L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuang Yanhua; Liu Qiongying; Zheng Yuemei; Deng Zhouhuo; Xu Shengjie

    1991-01-01

    Study on the absorption, distribution and translocation of area earth elements (RE) and their effects on absorption of phosphorus and potassium ( 86 Rb as tracer) in sugarcane showed that the sugarcane could absorb soluble RE fast by its root or leaves. Within the 1-7 days after treatment, the absorption rate of 141 Ce in organs of the plant increased with the time. At the 7th day after treatment, the absorption rate of 141 Ce by sugarcane plant reached the maximum which was about 2-3 times of that at the 1st day and after that it gradually decreased. The utilization efficiency of 141 Ce by sugarcane plant was 0.836-3.24%. The absorption and distribution of RE in sugarcane plant varied with the treatment methods. It was shown that about 90% 141 Ce in nutrient solution was concentrated in the roots while only about 10% of them was transferred into the shoots. The distribution and accumulation of 141 Ce in suggarcene plant was in order of root>stem>leaf. If smeared on the leaf of sugarcane, the distribution and accumulation of 141 Ce in sugarcane plant was in order of leaf>stem>root. When treated with 300, 500 and 800 ppm R(NO 3 ) 3 ·4H 2 O, Ce, La, Sm, Pr, Nd and Y, the absorption and translocation rate of phosphorus and rubidium in sugarcane were increased

  11. Phosphorus cycles of forest and upland grassland ecosystems and some effects of land management practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, A F

    The distribution of phosphorus capital and net annual transfers of phosphorus between the major components of two unfertilized phosphorus-deficient UK ecosystems, an oak--ash woodland in the Lake District and an Agrostis-Festuca grassland in Snowdonia (both on acid brown-earth soils), have been estimted in terms of kg P ha--1. In both ecosystems less than 3% of the phosphorus, totalling 1890 kg P ha--1 and 3040 kg P ha--1 for the woodland and grassland, respectively, is contained in the living biomass and half that is below ground level. Nearly all the phosphorus is in the soil matrix. Although the biomass phosphorus is mostly in the vegetation, the soil fauna and vegetation is slower (25%) than in the grassland vegetatation (208%). More than 85% of the net annual vegetation uptake of phosphorus from the soil is returned to the soil, mainly in organic debris, which in the grassland ecosystem is more than twice as rich in phosphorus (0.125% P) as in the woodland ecosystem (0.053% P). These concentrations are related to the rates of turnover (input/P content) of phosphorus in the litter layer on the soil surface; it is faster in the grassland (460%) than in the woodland (144%). In both cycles plant uptake of phosphorus largely depends on the release of phosphorus through decomposition of the organic matter returned to soil. In both the woodland and the grassland, the amount of cycling phosphorus is potentially reduced by its immobilization in tree and sheep production and in undecomposed organic matter accumulating in soil. It is assumed that the reductions are counterbalanced by the replenishment of cycling phosphorus by (i) some mineralization of organically bound phosphorus in the mineral soil, (ii) the income in rainfall and aerosols not being effectively lost in soil drainage waters and (iii) rock weathering. The effects of the growth of conifers and sheep grazing on the balance between decomposition and accumulation of organic matter returned to soil are

  12. Effect of low ambient mineral concentrations on the accumulation of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus by early life stages of the air-breathing armoured catfish Megalechis personata (Siluriformes; Callichthyidae)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mol, J.H.; Atsma, W.; Flik, G.; Bouwmeester, H.; Osse, J.W.M.

    1999-01-01

    he accumulation of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus was measured during an 8-week period in the early life stages of the air-breathing armoured catfish Megalechis personata acclimated to low-mineral fresh water (0.073 mmol l-1 calcium, 0.015 mmol l-1 magnesium, <0.001 mmol l-1 phosphate) and

  13. Hf and Nd Isotope Evidence for Production of an Incompatible Trace Element Enriched Crustal Reservoir in Early Earth (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brandon, A. D.; Debaille, V.; Lapen, T. J.

    2010-12-01

    The final significant stage of accretion of the Earth was likely a collision between proto-Earth and a Mars sized impactor that formed the Moon. This event is thought to have produced enough thermal energy to melt all or most of the Earth, with a consequent magma ocean (MO). During subsequent cooling, the Earth would have formed its protocrust and corresponding mantle lithosphere, consisting of solidified basalt-komatiitic melt, in combination with buoyant cumulates and late stage residual melts from the MO. Relative to the convecting mantle, portions of this protolithosphere are likely to have been enriched in incompatible trace elements (ITE) in sufficient quantities to contain a significant amount of the bulk Earth’s budget for rare earth elements, U, Th, and Hf. If the protolithosphere was negatively buoyant, it may have overturned at or near the final stages of MO crystallization and a significant portion of that material may have been transported into the deep mantle where it resided and remixed into the convecting mantle over Earth history [1,2]. If the protolithosphere remained positively buoyant, its crust would have likely begun to erode from surface processes, and subsequently recycled back into the mantle over time as sediment and altered crust, once a subduction mechanism arose. The Nd and Hf isotopic compositions of Earth’s earliest rocks support the idea that an early-formed ITE-enriched reservoir was produced. The maxima in 142Nd/144Nd for 3.85 to 3.64 Ga rocks from Isua, Greenland decreases from +20 ppm to +12 ppm relative to the present day mantle value, respectively [3]. This indicates mixing of an early-formed ITE enriched reservoir back into the convecting mantle. In addition, zircons from the 3.1 Ga Jack Hills conglomerate indicate that material with an enriched 176Lu/177Hf of ~0.02 and an age of 4.4 Ga or greater was present at the Earth’s surface over the first 2 Ga of Earth history, supporting the scenario of a positively buoyant

  14. Impact bombardmnet and its role in proto-continental growth on the early Earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grieve, R.A.F.

    1980-01-01

    There is evidence that during 4.6-3.9 Ga the Earth experienced a period of intense bombardment similar to that recorded on the Moon. From cratering mechanics and by comparison with more recent terrestrial impact structures the effects of large impact structures, D >= 100 km, have been modelled for an early terrestrial proto-crust with an assumed thickness of 15 km. The direct effects were analogous to those on the Moon: the formation of multi-ring basins with a topography of approximately 3 km, the uplift of deep-seated material to the surface, the fracturing of the crustal column and the generation of surface impact lithologies. However, unlike the Moon, the highly active nature of the Earth resulted in more long-lived indirect effects: impact-induced volcanism due to distortion of the geothermal gradient by uplift and the addition of post-shock heat, intra-basin sedimentation by volcaniclastics and reworked impact lithologies and ultimately subsidence of the basin due to loading by volcanic and sedimentary products. Very large basins, D > 1000 km, excavated the local lithosphere and produced the equivalent of mantle plumes below the impact sites. These conclusions are incorporated into a model of early crustal evolution of the Earth in which the net effect of large impact events was to localize and accelerate endogenic activity. (Auth.)

  15. A representation of the phosphorus cycle for ORCHIDEE (revision 4520

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. S. Goll

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Land surface models rarely incorporate the terrestrial phosphorus cycle and its interactions with the carbon cycle, despite the extensive scientific debate about the importance of nitrogen and phosphorus supply for future land carbon uptake. We describe a representation of the terrestrial phosphorus cycle for the ORCHIDEE land surface model, and evaluate it with data from nutrient manipulation experiments along a soil formation chronosequence in Hawaii. ORCHIDEE accounts for the influence of the nutritional state of vegetation on tissue nutrient concentrations, photosynthesis, plant growth, biomass allocation, biochemical (phosphatase-mediated mineralization, and biological nitrogen fixation. Changes in the nutrient content (quality of litter affect the carbon use efficiency of decomposition and in return the nutrient availability to vegetation. The model explicitly accounts for root zone depletion of phosphorus as a function of root phosphorus uptake and phosphorus transport from the soil to the root surface. The model captures the observed differences in the foliage stoichiometry of vegetation between an early (300-year and a late (4.1 Myr stage of soil development. The contrasting sensitivities of net primary productivity to the addition of either nitrogen, phosphorus, or both among sites are in general reproduced by the model. As observed, the model simulates a preferential stimulation of leaf level productivity when nitrogen stress is alleviated, while leaf level productivity and leaf area index are stimulated equally when phosphorus stress is alleviated. The nutrient use efficiencies in the model are lower than observed primarily due to biases in the nutrient content and turnover of woody biomass. We conclude that ORCHIDEE is able to reproduce the shift from nitrogen to phosphorus limited net primary productivity along the soil development chronosequence, as well as the contrasting responses of net primary productivity to nutrient

  16. Organic chemistry of elemental phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milyukov, V A; Budnikova, Yulia H; Sinyashin, Oleg G

    2005-01-01

    The principal achievements and the modern trends in the development of the chemistry of elemental phosphorus are analysed, described systematically and generalised. The possibilities and advantages of the preparation of organophosphorus compounds directly from white phosphorus are demonstrated. Attention is focused on the activation and transformation of elemental phosphorus in the coordination sphere of transition metal complexes. The mechanisms of the reactions of white phosphorus with nucleophilic and electrophilic reagents are discussed. Electrochemical approaches to the synthesis of organic phosphorus derivatives based on white phosphorus are considered.

  17. Earth's early O2 cycle suppressed by primitive continents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smit, Matthijs A.; Mezger, Klaus

    2017-10-01

    Free oxygen began to accumulate in Earth's surface environments between 3.0 and 2.4 billion years ago. Links between oxygenation and changes in the composition of continental crust during this time are suspected, but have been difficult to demonstrate. Here we constrain the average composition of the exposed continental crust since 3.7 billion years ago by compiling records of the Cr/U ratio of terrigenous sediments. The resulting record is consistent with a predominantly mafic crust prior to 3.0 billion years ago, followed by a 500- to 700-million-year transition to a crust of modern andesitic composition. Olivine and other Mg-rich minerals in the mafic Archaean crust formed serpentine minerals upon hydration, continuously releasing O2-scavenging agents such as dihydrogen, hydrogen sulfide and methane to the environment. Temporally, the decline in mafic crust capable of such process coincides with the first accumulation of O2 in the oceans, and subsequently the atmosphere. We therefore suggest that Earth's early O2 cycle was ultimately limited by the composition of the exposed upper crust, and remained underdeveloped until modern andesitic continents emerged.

  18. Assessing the effect of phosphorus application on early growth of maize at Sunderbazar, Lamjung, Nepal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ram Kumar Shrestha

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus (P is an essential nutrient element for maize production. A pot experiment was conducted during May-June, 2015 to assess the effects of different rates of P on early growth of maize plant at Sundarbazar, Lamjung. Two maize varieties (Rato Makai and Poshilo Makai-1 were subjected to four P levels (0 kg ha-1, 13 kg ha-1, 18 kg ha-1, and 23 kg ha-1 in randomized complete block design with four replications. The effects of different P level on root elongation, root biomass, plant height, root shoot biomass ratio and total dry matter were investigated at 45 days after sowing. For all parameters, the maximum value was obtained when soil was added with 18 kg P ha-1 & the minimum value under the control of 0 kg P ha-1. Maize varieties differed significantly in terms of all the parameters under study, and Poshilo Makai-1 performed better than Rato Makai at all P levels. So, from this result, it can be concluded that Poshilo Makai-1 appeared to be P efficient over Rato Makai at early growth stage. However, it would be necessary to look at the response of crop up to maturity and at wider range of P to have the better insight of their relative performance.

  19. Sargasso Sea phosphorus biogeochemistry: an important role for dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. W. Lomas

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Inorganic phosphorus (SRP concentrations in the subtropical North Atlantic are some of the lowest in the global ocean and have been hypothesized to constrain primary production. Based upon data from several transect cruises in this region, it has been hypothesized that dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP supports a significant fraction of primary production in the subtropical North Atlantic. In this study, a time-series of phosphorus biogeochemistry is presented for the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study site, including rates of phosphorus export. Most parameters have a seasonal pattern, although year-over-year variability in the seasonal pattern is substantial, likely due to differences in external forcing. Suspended particulate phosphorus exhibits a seasonal maximum during the spring bloom, despite the absence of a seasonal peak in SRP. However, DOP concentrations are at an annual maximum prior to the winter/spring bloom and decline over the course of the spring bloom while whole community alkaline phosphatase activities are highest. As a result of DOP bioavailability, the growth of particles during the spring bloom occurs in Redfield proportions, though particles exported from the euphotic zone show rapid and significant remineralization of phosphorus within the first 50 m below the euphotic zone. Based upon DOP data from transect cruises in this region, the southward cross gyral flux of DOP is estimated to support ~25% of annual primary production and ~100% of phosphorus export. These estimates are consistent with other research in the subtropical North Atlantic and reinforce the hypothesis that while the subtropics may be phosphorus stressed (a physiological response to low inorganic phosphorus, utilization of the DOP pool allows production and accumulation of microbial biomass at Redfield proportions.

  20. Phosphorus use efficiency of maize: an investigation using radiotracer phosphorus (32P)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meena, S.

    2017-01-01

    A better understanding on the nutrient uptake and utilization by plants is essential for developing better nutrient efficient cultivars suited for optimal production. Precise information on the PUE of crops and P dynamics can be obtained with the help of radiotracer technique. To study the phosphorus acquisition and phosphorus use efficiency of added sources in maize using 32 P, a pot culture experiment was conducted in a medium P soil (21.26 kg ha -1 ). The treatments were P as Single Superphosphate, Enriched FYM with Single Superphosphate (EFYM), DAP, Nutriseed pack (SSP), Nutriseed pack (DAP). The above treatments were applied along with phosphobacteria. Totally there were ten treatments replicated four times. Phosphorus sources were tagged with 32 P (obtained as 32 P in orthophosphoric medium from the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology) and applied as per the treatments. Radioactive 32 P in the grain and stover sample was determined using Liquid Scintillation Counter (Perkin Elmer Tricarb 2810 R). Using the data, per cent phosphorus derived from fertilizer (%Pdff), per cent phosphorus derived from soil (%Pdfs), Phosphorus Use Efficiency (PUE) and A value were determined. Application of Phosphorus (SSP, DAP, enriched FYM with SSP, Nutriseed pack (SSP) and Nutriseed pack (DAP)) along with PB increased the per cent phosphorus derived from fertilizer (% Pdff), P uptake from fertilizer and PUE. The highest PUE of 25.38 was recorded in the treatment where enriched FYM with SSP was applied along with PB. (author)

  1. Early results from Magsat. [studies of near-earth magnetic fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langel, R. A.; Estes, R. H.; Mayhew, M. A.

    1981-01-01

    Papers presented at the May 27, 1981 meeting of the American Geophysical Union concerning early results from the Magsat satellite program, which was designed to study the near-earth magnetic fields originating in the core and lithosphere, are discussed. The satellite was launched on October 30, 1979 into a sun-synchronous (twilight) orbit, and re-entered the atmosphere on June 11, 1980. Instruments carried included a cesium vapor magnetometer to measure field magnitudes, a fluxgate magnetometer to measure field components and an optical system to measure fluxgate magnetometer orientation. Early results concerned spherical harmonic models, fields due to ionospheric and magnetospheric currents, the identification and interpretation of fields from lithospheric sources. The preliminary results confirm the possibility of separating the measured field into core, crustal and external components, and represent significant developments in analytical techniques in main-field modelling and the physics of the field sources.

  2. Characteristics of Phosphorus Runoff Losses from Typical Paddy Fields in Guangdong Province, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NING Jian-feng

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Three experimental paddy fields located in the city of Zengcheng, Qingyuan and Gaozhou in Guangdong Province were selected to monitor the runoff losses of phosphorus from the year of 2008 to 2012. The results showed that runoff event in paddy field occurred mainly in the early rice season. The runoff concentration of total phosphorus(TP under conventional fertilization treatment was in the range of 0.02~1.56 mg·L-1. It was recorded that TP concentration in 11%~18% of the total runoff samples exceeded the grade Ⅴ of the national surface water environmental quality(0.4 mg·L-1. Peak concentration of different phosphorus forms[TP, dissolved total P(DTP and particulate P(PP] were observed within 14 days after fertilization, which indicated the high environmental pollution risk of phosphorus during this period. Application of phosphorus fertilizer increased runoff load of DTP in paddy field and showed no effect on that of PP and TP. The annual runoff loads of 0.63~4.05, 0.33~2.91 kg·hm-2 and 1.10~6.68 kg·hm-2 for DTP, PP and TP, respectively, were recorded under conventional fertilizer model. Runoff load of phosphorus exhibited wide spatial and temporal variation during experimental period. Runoff coefficient of 0.06%~6.81% of phosphorus was recorded. It was observed that DTP dominated the phosphorus runoff load. Phosphorus runoff losses from paddy field was affected by a variety of natural and human factors, and fertilization, precipitation and runoff volume were identified as the main factors.

  3. Towards global phosphorus security: A systems framework for phosphorus recovery and reuse options

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cordell, D.; Rosemarin, A.; Schroder, J.J.; Smit, A.L.

    2011-01-01

    Human intervention in the global phosphorus cycle has mobilised nearly half a billion tonnes of the element from phosphate rock into the hydrosphere over the past half century. The resultant water pollution concerns have been the main driver for sustainable phosphorus use (including phosphorus

  4. Effect of supplemented fungal phytase on performance and phosphorus availability by phosphorus-depleted juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and on the magnitude and composition of phosphorus waste output

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Anne Johanne Tang; Schøn Ekmann, K.; Pedersen, Per Bovbjerg

    2009-01-01

    The effect of a supplemental fungal phytase on performance and phosphorus availability by juvenile rainbow trout fed diets with a high inclusion of plant based protein and on the magnitude and composition of the waste phosphorus production was tested in a 2 × 3 factorial design at a temperature....../suspended phosphorus waste output from fish fed the phytase supplemented diet containing 0.71% available phosphorus, suggesting that the phosphorus requirement was reached at this phosphorus level. Consistent with this, there was a substantial increase in the dissolved/suspended phosphorus waste output from fish fed...... the phytase supplemented diet containing 0.81% available phosphorus, suggesting that the phosphorus requirement was exceeded in this group. This study demonstrated that phytase supplementation will be advantageous to the fish and the environment if supplemented to low-phosphorus diets containing a large share...

  5. III. Quantitative aspects of phosphorus excretionin ruminants

    OpenAIRE

    Bravo , David; Sauvant , Daniel; Bogaert , Catherine; Meschy , François

    2003-01-01

    International audience; Ruminant phosphorus excretion and metabolism were studied through a database. Faecal endogenous phosphorus is the main pathway of phosphorus excretion and averages 0.85 of total faecal phosphorus. The remaining 0.15 is unabsorbed dietary phosphorus. Faecal endogenous phosphorus is mainly unabsorbed phosphorus, with saliva being the major source, and is correlated to factors influencing saliva secretion (DM intake, physical dietary characteristics and dietary phosphorus...

  6. Petrochronology in constraining early Archean Earth processes and environments: Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosch, Eugene

    2017-04-01

    Analytical and petrological software developments over the past decade have seen rapid innovation in high-spatial resolution petrological techniques, for example, laser-ablation ICP-MS, secondary ion microprobe (SIMS, nano-SIMS), thermodynamic modelling and electron microprobe microscale mapping techniques (e.g. XMapTools). This presentation will focus on the application of petrochronology to ca. 3.55 to 3.33 billion-year-old metavolcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Onverwacht Group, shedding light on the earliest geologic evolution of the Paleoarchean Barberton greenstone belt (BGB) of South Africa. The field, scientific drilling and petrological research conducted over the past 8 years, aims to illustrate how: (a) LA-ICP-MS and SIMS U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology has helped identify the earliest tectono-sedimentary basin and sediment sources in the BGB, as well as reconstructing geodynamic processes as early as ca. 3.432 billion-years ago; (b) in-situ SIMS multiple sulphur isotope analysis of sulphides across various early Archean rock units help to reconstruct atmospheric, surface and subsurface environments on early Archean Earth and (c) the earliest candidate textural traces for subsurface microbial life can be investigated by in-situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of titanite, micro-XANES Fe-speciation analysis and metamorphic microscale mapping. Collectively, petrochronology combined with high-resolution field mapping studies, is a powerful multi-disciplinary approach towards deciphering petrogenetic and geodynamic processes preserved in the Paleoarchean Barberton greenstone belt of South Africa, with implications for early Archean Earth evolution.

  7. Phosphorus blood test

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003478.htm Phosphorus blood test To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. The phosphorus blood test measures the amount of phosphate in the blood. ...

  8. Cometary delivery of organic molecules to the early earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chyba, Christopher F.; Thomas, Paul J.; Sagan, Carl; Brookshaw, Leigh

    1990-01-01

    It has long been speculated that earth accreted prebiotic organic molecules important for the origins of life from impacts of carbonaceous asteroids and comets during the period of heavy bombardment 4.5 x 10 to the 9th to 3.8 x 10 to the 9th years ago. A comprehensive treatment of comet-asteroid interaction with the atmosphere, surface impact, and resulting organic pyrolysis demonstrates that organics will not survive impacts at velocities greater than about 10 kilometers per second and that even comets and asteroids as small as 100 meters in radius cannot be aerobraked to below this velocity in 1-bar atmospheres. However, for plausible dense (10-bar carbon dioxide) early atmospheres, it is found that 4.5 x 10 to the 9th years ago earth was accreting intact cometary organics at a rate of at least about 10 to the 6th to 10 to the 7th kilograms per year, a flux that thereafter declined with a half-life of about 10 to the 8th years. These results may be put in context by comparison with terrestrial oceanic and total biomasses, about 3 x 10 to the 12th kilograms and about 6 x 10 to the 14th kilograms, respectively.

  9. Screening crops for efficient phosphorus acquisition in a low phosphorus soil using radiotracer technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meena, S.; Malarvizhi, P.; Rajeswari, R.

    2017-01-01

    Deficiency of phosphorus (P) is the major limitation to agricultural production. Identification of cultivars with greater capacity to grow in soils having low P availability (phosphorus efficiency) will help in P management in a sustainable way. Green house experiment with maize (CO 6) and cotton (MCU 13) as test crops with four levels of phosphorus (0, 3.75, 7.50 and 15 mg P kg -1 soil) was conducted in a P deficient soil (7.2 kg ha -1 ) to study the phosphorus acquisition characteristics and to select efficient crop using 32 P radiotracer technique. Carrier free 32 P obtained as orthophosphoric acid in dilute hydrochloric acid medium from the Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology, Mumbai was used for labeling the soil @ 3200 kBq pot -1 . After 60 days the crops were harvested and the radioactivity was measured in the plant samples using Liquid scintillation counter (PerkinElmer - Tricarb 2810 TR). Different values of specific radioactivity and Isotopically Exchangeable Phosphorus for maize and cotton indicated that chemically different pools of soil P were utilized and maize accessing a larger pool than cotton. Maize having recorded high Phosphorus Use Efficiency, Phosphorus Efficiency and low Phosphorus Stress Factor values, it is a better choice for P deficient soils. Higher Phosphorus Acquisition Efficiency of maize (59 %) than cotton (48%) can be related to the ability of maize to take up P from insoluble inorganic P forms. (author)

  10. Mineralizer-assisted high-pressure high-temperature synthesis and characterization of novel phosphorus nitride imides and luminescent alkaline earth metal (oxo)nitridophosphates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchuk, Alexey

    2016-01-01

    The main objectives of this thesis were the synthesis, identification and structural characterization of new alkaline earth metal (oxo)nitridophopshates and phosphorus nitrides. Furthermore, luminescence properties of the resulting materials should be investigated and a connection between these properties and the respective structures should be established. For this purpose, a range of synthesis strategies was employed, including conventional solid-state syntheses in silica ampoules and high-pressure high-temperature syntheses using the multianvil technique. The emphasis of the synthetic part of this thesis lies on the development of new synthetic strategies in order to increase crystallinity of alkaline earth metal (oxo)nitridophosphates and thus accelerate their structure determination. This involves the selection of a suitable mineralizer and the investigation of its interaction with the respective starting materials. In addition, the analytical methods applied in this thesis in order to identify and characterize the compounds are just as essential as the synthesis strategies. X-ray diffraction on single crystals and on powders was carried out as the main analytical method while being supported by quantitative and qualitative 1 H and 31 P solid-state NMR measurements, FTIR and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, as well as electron microscopy methods including both imaging and diffraction techniques. Implied by the large number of novel structures investigated, theoretical studies including topological analysis, calculations of lattice energies and bond-valence sums also played a major role in this thesis. Optical analysis methods such as reflectance spectroscopy, luminescence microscopy and photoluminescence measurements helped to determine the luminescence properties of some of the presented compounds.

  11. Photosynthetic microbial mats today, on early Earth, (and on early Mars?)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Des Marais, D. J.

    2008-05-01

    extensive, highly productive biosphere? Perhaps the substantial decline in geothermal activity during the Archean created a driver for the development of oxygenic photosynthesis. Can we further document the Archean biosphere? The pre-3.5 Ga crust of Mars records evidence of surface water and is far better preserved than the early crust of Earth. Perhaps Mars exploration will extend our understanding of emerging biospheres to even earlier periods.

  12. Fibroblast growth factor-23 and phosphorus related factors in young Japanese women: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Sanae; Ishida, Hiromi; Uenishi, Kazuhiro

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus homeostasis is determined by dietary intake, intestinal absorption, and renal tubular reabsorption of phosphorus. Serum fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) is considered to be a sensitive early biomarker of disordered phosphorus metabolism in both patients with chronic kidney diseases and healthy subjects. However, the number of studies evaluating serum FGF-23 concentrations in healthy subjects is limited. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between serum FGF-23 concentrations and phosphorus related factors in 182 young Japanese women (mean age, 19.5±0.4 years). We found that higher serum concentrations of inorganic phosphorus and lower serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D as well as lower fat but higher phosphorus and calcium intake were weakly but significantly associated with high serum concentrations of FGF-23, adjusted for postmenarcheal age and body weight. These results suggested that in young Japanese women, serum FGF-23 might be indicative of phosphorus nutrition status. However, it is worthy of note that maturity factors, including postmenarcheal age and physical attributes, such as body weight, might be related to serum FGF-23 concentrations.

  13. The rising star of 2D black phosphorus beyond graphene: synthesis, properties and electronic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Pengfei; Li, Neng; Chen, Xingzhu; Ong, Wee-Jun; Zhao, Xiujian

    2018-01-01

    Black phosphorus, which is a relatively rare allotrope of phosphorus, was first discovered by Bridgman in 1914. Since the advent of two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (which is known as phosphorene due to its resembling graphene sheets) in early 2014, research interest in the arena of black phosphorus was reignited in the scientific and technological communities. Henceforth, a myriad of research studies on this new member of the 2D world have been extensively emerged. Fascinatingly, 2D black phosphorus exhibits a distinctive wrinkled structure with the high hole mobility up to 1000 cm2 V-1 s-1, excellent mechanical properties, tunable band structures, anisotropic thermal, electrical and optical properties, thus leading to its marvelous prospects in device applications. This review firstly introduces the state-of-the-art development, structural properties and preparation routes of black phosphorus. In particular, anisotropy involved in mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, carrier transport as well as optical properties is comprehensively discussed. Apart from discussing the recent progress in black phosphorus which is applied to devices (i.e. field effect transistors and optoelectronic), the review also highlights the bottlenecks encountered by the society and finally casts an invigorating perspective and insightful outlook on the future direction of the next-generation 2D black phosphorus by harnessing its remarkable characteristics for energy production.

  14. Few-layer black phosphorus nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sofer, Zdenek; Bouša, Daniel; Luxa, Jan; Mazanek, Vlastimil; Pumera, Martin

    2016-01-28

    Herein, black phosphorus quantum dots and nanoparticles of a few layer thickness were prepared and characterized using STEM, AFM, dynamic light scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence. Impact electrochemistry of the induvidual black phosphorus nanoparticles allows their size determination. The centrifugation of colloidal black phosphorus nanoparticles allowed separation of quantum dots with sizes up to 15 nm. These black phosphorus nanoparticles exhibit a large band gap and are expected to find a wide range of applications from semiconductors to biomolecule tags. The use of black phosphorus nanoparticles for vapour sensing was successfully demonstrated.

  15. Dietary phosphorus acutely impairs endothelial function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shuto, Emi; Taketani, Yutaka; Tanaka, Rieko; Harada, Nagakatsu; Isshiki, Masashi; Sato, Minako; Nashiki, Kunitaka; Amo, Kikuko; Yamamoto, Hironori; Higashi, Yukihito; Nakaya, Yutaka; Takeda, Eiji

    2009-07-01

    Excessive dietary phosphorus may increase cardiovascular risk in healthy individuals as well as in patients with chronic kidney disease, but the mechanisms underlying this risk are not completely understood. To determine whether postprandial hyperphosphatemia may promote endothelial dysfunction, we investigated the acute effect of phosphorus loading on endothelial function in vitro and in vivo. Exposing bovine aortic endothelial cells to a phosphorus load increased production of reactive oxygen species, which depended on phosphorus influx via sodium-dependent phosphate transporters, and decreased nitric oxide production via inhibitory phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Phosphorus loading inhibited endothelium-dependent vasodilation of rat aortic rings. In 11 healthy men, we alternately served meals containing 400 mg or 1200 mg of phosphorus in a double-blind crossover study and measured flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery before and 2 h after the meals. The high dietary phosphorus load increased serum phosphorus at 2 h and significantly decreased flow-mediated dilation. Flow-mediated dilation correlated inversely with serum phosphorus. Taken together, these findings suggest that endothelial dysfunction mediated by acute postprandial hyperphosphatemia may contribute to the relationship between serum phosphorus level and the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

  16. Presentation, calibration and validation of the low-order, DCESS Earth System Model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shaffer, G.; Olsen, S. Malskaer; Pedersen, Jens Olaf Pepke

    2008-01-01

    A new, low-order Earth system model is described, calibrated and tested against Earth system data. The model features modules for the atmosphere, ocean, ocean sediment, land biosphere and lithosphere and has been designed to simulate global change on time scales of years to millions of years...... remineralization. The lithosphere module considers outgassing, weathering of carbonate and silicate rocks and weathering of rocks containing old organic carbon and phosphorus. Weathering rates are related to mean atmospheric temperatures. A pre-industrial, steady state calibration to Earth system data is carried...

  17. Simulating the effects of phosphorus limitation in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River plumes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Laurent

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico receives high dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus loads from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. The nutrient load results in high primary production in the river plumes and contributes to the development of hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf in summer. While phytoplankton growth is considered to be typically nitrogen-limited in marine waters, phosphorus limitation has been observed in this region during periods of peak river discharge in spring and early summer. Here we investigate the presence, spatio-temporal distribution and implications of phosphorus limitation in the plume region using a circulation model of the northern Gulf of Mexico coupled to a multi-nutrient ecosystem model. Results from a 7-yr simulation (2001–2007 compare well with several sources of observations and suggest that phosphorus limitation develops every year between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya deltas. Model simulations show that phosphorus limitation results in a delay and westward shift of a fraction of river-stimulated primary production. The consequence is a reduced flux of particulate organic matter to the sediment near the Mississippi delta, but slightly enhanced fluxes west of Atchafalaya Bay. Simulations with altered river phosphate concentrations (±50% show that significant variation in the spatial extent of phosphorus limitation (±40% in July results from changes in phosphate load.

  18. A review of noble gas geochemistry in relation to early Earth history

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurz, M. D.

    1985-01-01

    One of the most fundamental noble gas constraints on early Earth history is derived from isotopic differences in (129)Xe/(130)Xe between various terrestrial materials. The short half life (17 m.y.) of extinct (129I, parent of (129)Xe, means that these differences must have been produced within the first 100 m.y. after terrestrial accretion. The identification of large anomalies in (129)Xe/(130)Xe in mid ocean ridge basalts (MORB), with respect to atmospheric xenon, suggests that the atmosphere and upper mantle have remained separate since that time. This alone is a very strong argument for early catastrophic degassing, which would be consistent with an early fractionation resulting in core formation. However, noble gas isotopic systematics of oceanic basalts show that the mantle cannot necessarily be regarded as a homogeneous system, since there are significant variations in (3)He/(4)He, (40)Ar/(36)Ar, and (129)Xe/(130)Xe. Therefore, the early degassing cannot be considered to have acted on the whole mantle. The specific mechanisms of degassing, in particular the thickness and growth of the early crust, is an important variable in understanding present day noble gas inventories. Another constraint can be obtained from rocks that are thought to be derived from near the lithosphere asthenosphere boundary: ultramafic xenoliths.

  19. Increasing dietary phosphorus intake from food additives: potential for negative impact on bone health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Eiji; Yamamoto, Hironori; Yamanaka-Okumura, Hisami; Taketani, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    It is important to consider whether habitual high phosphorus intake adversely affects bone health, because phosphorus intake has been increasing, whereas calcium intake has been decreasing in dietary patterns. A higher total habitual dietary phosphorus intake has been associated with higher serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lower serum calcium concentrations in healthy individuals. Higher serum PTH concentrations have been shown in those who consume foods with phosphorus additives. These findings suggest that long-term dietary phosphorus loads and long-term hyperphosphatemia may have important negative effects on bone health. In contrast, PTH concentrations did not increase as a result of high dietary phosphorus intake when phosphorus was provided with adequate amounts of calcium. Intake of foods with a ratio of calcium to phosphorus close to that found in dairy products led to positive effects on bone health. Several randomized controlled trials have shown positive relations between dairy intake and bone mineral density. In our loading test with a low-calcium, high-phosphorus lunch provided to healthy young men, serum PTH concentrations showed peaks at 1 and 6 h, and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations increased significantly at 8 h after the meal. In contrast, the high-calcium, high-phosphorus meal suppressed the second PTH and FGF23 elevations until 8 h after the meal. This implies that adequate dietary calcium intake is needed to overcome the interfering effects of high phosphorus intake on PTH and FGF23 secretion. FGF23 acts on the parathyroid gland to decrease PTH mRNA and PTH secretion in rats with normal kidney function. However, increased serum FGF23 is an early alteration of mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease, causing secondary hyperthyroidism, and implying resistance of the parathyroid gland to the action of FGF23 in chronic kidney disease. These findings suggest that long-term high-phosphorus diets may impair bone health

  20. Mycorrhizal infection, phosphorus uptake, and phenology in Ranunculus adoneus: implications for the functioning of mycorrhizae in alpine systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullen, R B; Schmidt, S K

    1993-05-01

    Phosphorus levels, phenology of roots and shoots, and development of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi were monitored for two years in natural populations of the perennial alpine herb, Ranunculus adoneus. The purpose of this study was to understand how phosphorus uptake relates to the phenology of R. adoneus and to ascertain whether arbusculus, fungal structures used for nutrient transfer, were present when maximum phosphorus accumulation was occurring. Arbuscules were only present for a few weeks during the growing season of R. adoneus and their presence corresponded with increased phosphorus accumulation in both the roots and shoots of R. adoneus. In addition, phosphorus accumulation and peaks in mycorrhizal development occurred well after plant reproduction and most plant growth had occurred. The late season accumulation of phosphorus by mycorrhizal roots of R. adoneus is stored for use during early season growth and flowering the following spring. In this way R. adoneus can flower before soils thaw and root or mycorrhizal nutrient uptake can occur.

  1. Phosphorus in Agriculture : 100 % Zero

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schnug, Ewald; De Kok, Luit J.

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus is essential for all living organisms, reserves in geogenic deposits are finite, and phosphorus nutrient mining and oversupply are common phenomenons on agricultural soils. Only if the agricultural phosphorus cycle can be closed and the fertilized nutrient been utilized completely,

  2. Phosphorus poisoning in waterfowl

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coburn, D.R.; DeWitt, J.B.; Derby, J.V.; Ediger, E.

    1950-01-01

    Black ducks and mallards were found to be highly susceptible to phosphorus poisoning. 3 mg. of white phosphorus per kg. of body weight given in a single dose resulted in death of a black duck in 6 hours. Pathologic changes in both acute and chronic poisoning were studied. Data are presented showing that diagnosis can be made accurately by chemical analysis of stored tissues in cases of phosphorus poisoning.

  3. Anticancer copper(II) phosphorus dendrimers are potent proapoptotic Bax activators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mignani, Serge; El Brahmi, Nabil; Eloy, Laure; Poupon, Joel; Nicolas, Valérie; Steinmetz, Anke; El Kazzouli, Said; Bousmina, Mosto M; Blanchard-Desce, Mireille; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Cresteil, Thierry

    2017-05-26

    A multivalent phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 and its corresponding Cu-complex, 1G 3 -Cu have been recently identified as agents retaining high antiproliferative potency. This antiproliferative capacity was preserved in cell lines overexpressing the efflux pump ABC B1, whereas cross-resistance was observed in ovarian cancer cell lines resistant to cisplatin. Theoretical 3D models were constructed: the dendrimers appear as irregularly shaped disk-like nano-objects of about 22 Å thickness and 49 Å diameter, which accumulated in cells after penetration by endocytosis. To get insight in their mode of action, cell death pathways have been examined in human cancer cell lines: early apoptosis was followed by secondary necrosis after multivalent phosphorus dendrimers exposure. The multivalent plain phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 moderately activated caspase-3 activity, in contrast with the multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu which strikingly reduced the caspase-3 content and activity. This decrease of caspase activity is not related to the presence of copper, since inorganic copper has no or little effect on caspase-3. Conversely the potent apoptosis activation could be related to a noticeable translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, resulting in the release of AIF into the cytosol, its translocation to the nucleus and a severe DNA fragmentation, without alteration of the cell cycle. The multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer is more efficient than its non-complexed analog to activate this pathway in close relationship with the higher antiproliferative potency. Therefore, this multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu can be considered as a new and promising first-in-class antiproliferative agent with a distinctive mode of action, inducing apoptosis tumor cell death through Bax activation pathway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Phosphorus oxide gate dielectric for black phosphorus field effect transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickerson, W.; Tayari, V.; Fakih, I.; Korinek, A.; Caporali, M.; Serrano-Ruiz, M.; Peruzzini, M.; Heun, S.; Botton, G. A.; Szkopek, T.

    2018-04-01

    The environmental stability of the layered semiconductor black phosphorus (bP) remains a challenge. Passivation of the bP surface with phosphorus oxide, POx, grown by a reactive ion etch with oxygen plasma is known to improve photoluminescence efficiency of exfoliated bP flakes. We apply phosphorus oxide passivation in the fabrication of bP field effect transistors using a gate stack consisting of a POx layer grown by reactive ion etching followed by atomic layer deposition of Al2O3. We observe room temperature top-gate mobilities of 115 cm2 V-1 s-1 in ambient conditions, which we attribute to the low defect density of the bP/POx interface.

  5. Sewage-effluent phosphorus: A greater risk to river eutrophication than agricultural phosphorus?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarvie, Helen P.; Neal, Colin; Withers, Paul J.A.

    2006-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) concentrations from water quality monitoring at 54 UK river sites across seven major lowland catchment systems are examined in relation to eutrophication risk and to the relative importance of point and diffuse sources. The over-riding evidence indicates that point (effluent) rather than diffuse (agricultural) sources of phosphorus provide the most significant risk for river eutrophication, even in rural areas with high agricultural phosphorus losses. Traditionally, the relative importance of point and diffuse sources has been assessed from annual P flux budgets, which are often dominated by diffuse inputs in storm runoff from intensively managed agricultural land. However, the ecological risk associated with nuisance algal growth in rivers is largely linked to soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations during times of ecological sensitivity (spring/summer low-flow periods), when biological activity is at its highest. The relationships between SRP and total phosphorus (TP; total dissolved P + suspended particulate P) concentrations within UK rivers are evaluated in relation to flow and boron (B; a tracer of sewage effluent). SRP is the dominant P fraction (average 67% of TP) in all of the rivers monitored, with higher percentages at low flows. In most of the rivers the highest SRP concentrations occur under low-flow conditions and SRP concentrations are diluted as flows increase, which is indicative of point, rather than diffuse, sources. Strong positive correlations between SRP and B (also TP and B) across all the 54 river monitoring sites also confirm the primary importance of point source controls of phosphorus concentrations in these rivers, particularly during spring and summer low flows, which are times of greatest eutrophication risk. Particulate phosphorus (PP) may form a significant proportion of the phosphorus load to rivers, particularly during winter storm events, but this is of questionable relevance for river eutrophication

  6. Effect of phosphorus sources on phosphorus and nitrogen utilization by three sweet potato cultivars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montanez, A.; Zapata, F.; Kumarasinghe, K.S.

    1996-01-01

    A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria using three sweet potato cultivars, TIS 2, TIS 3053 and TIS 1487. The three sweet potato cultivars were grown at two levels of phosphorus (0 kg P/kg soil and 60 kg P/kg soil). The fertilizer treatments consisted of two sources of phosphorus, Gafza rock Phosphate and triple super phosphate with 14.19 and 19.76% total phosphorus, respectively. 15 N labelled urea was used to study the nitrogen recovery in tubers from the applied nitrogen fertilizer. The results from these preliminary studies indicate that there is considerable genotypic variation among cultivars in the efficiency with which phosphorus and nitrogen are taken up and used to produce biomass. Their response to different sources of phosphorus are also variable. TIS-2 and TIS-1487 have a greater ability to absorb phosphorus from Gafza rock phosphate and produce higher tube yields indicating their greater potential for using alternative sources of natural phosphate fertilizers more effectively. Gafza rock phosphate also increased accumulation of nitrogen in TIS-1487, a characteristic which will place this cultivar at an advantage when growing in soils low in nitrogen. On an overall basis taking into account tuber yield, phosphorus use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency, TIS-2 may be considered the better candidate for introduction into soils poor in resources particularly phosphorus. This study was conducted with a limited number of cultivars due to limitation in the availability of germplasma. In spite of this, the differences in their abilities for phosphorus and nitrogen uptake and use are clearly visible which justifies large scale screening experiments using a broader germplasm base, in the future. (author). 14 refs, 1 fig., 3 tabs

  7. Effect of phosphorus sources on phosphorus and nitrogen utilization by three sweet potato cultivars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Montanez, A; Zapata, F [FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Lab., Seibersdorf (Austria). Soils Science Unit; Kumarasinghe, K S [Joint FAO/IAEA Div. of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna (Austria). Soil Fertility, Irrigation and Crop Production Section

    1996-07-01

    A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria using three sweet potato cultivars, TIS 2, TIS 3053 and TIS 1487. The three sweet potato cultivars were grown at two levels of phosphorus (0 kg P/kg soil and 60 kg P/kg soil). The fertilizer treatments consisted of two sources of phosphorus, Gafza rock Phosphate and triple super phosphate with 14.19 and 19.76% total phosphorus, respectively. {sup 15}N labelled urea was used to study the nitrogen recovery in tubers from the applied nitrogen fertilizer. The results from these preliminary studies indicate that there is considerable genotypic variation among cultivars in the efficiency with which phosphorus and nitrogen are taken up and used to produce biomass. Their response to different sources of phosphorus are also variable. TIS-2 and TIS-1487 have a greater ability to absorb phosphorus from Gafza rock phosphate and produce higher tube yields indicating their greater potential for using alternative sources of natural phosphate fertilizers more effectively. Gafza rock phosphate also increased accumulation of nitrogen in TIS-1487, a characteristic which will place this cultivar at an advantage when growing in soils low in nitrogen. On an overall basis taking into account tuber yield, phosphorus use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency, TIS-2 may be considered the better candidate for introduction into soils poor in resources particularly phosphorus. This study was conducted with a limited number of cultivars due to limitation in the availability of germplasma. In spite of this, the differences in their abilities for phosphorus and nitrogen uptake and use are clearly visible which justifies large scale screening experiments using a broader germplasm base, in the future. (author). 14 refs, 1 fig., 3 tabs.

  8. Earth's earliest biosphere: Its origin and evolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schopf, J.W.

    1983-01-01

    Some of the subjects discussed are related to the early biogeologic history, the nature of the earth prior to the oldest known rock record, the early earth and the Archean rock record, the prebiotic organic syntheses and the origin of life, Precambrian organic geochemistry, the biochemical evolution of anaerobic energy conversion, the isotopic inferences of ancient biochemistries, Archean stromatolites providing evidence of the earth's earliest benthos, Archean microfossils, the geologic evolution of the Archean-Early Proterozoic earth, and the environmental evolution of the Archean-Early Proterozoic earth. Other topics examined are concerned with geochemical evidence bearing on the origin of aerobiosis, biological and biochemical effects of the development of an aerobic environment, Early Proterozoic microfossils, the evolution of earth's earliest ecosystems, and geographic and geologic data for processed rock samples. Attention is given to a processing procedure for abiotic samples and calculation of model atmospheric compositions, and procedures of organic geochemical analysis

  9. SEQUENTIAL ELECTRODIALYTIC EXTRACTION OF PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    The present invention relates to an apparatus for electrodialytic extraction of phosphorus from a particulate material in suspension and to a method for electrodialytic phosphorus recovery, which uses the apparatus. The method may be applied for wastewater treatment, and/or treatment of particulate...... material rich in phosphorus. The present invention provides an apparatus for electrodialytic extraction of phosphorus from a particulate material comprising acidic and/or alkaline soluble phosphorus compounds, in suspension, comprising: • a first electrodialytic cell comprising a first anolyte compartment...

  10. Phosphorus containing sintered alloys (review)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muchnik, S.V.

    1984-01-01

    Phosphorus additives are considered for their effect on the properties of sintered alloys of different applications: structural, antifriction, friction, magnetic, hard, superhard, heavy etc. Data are presented on compositions and properties of phosphorus-containing materials produced by the powder metallurgy method. Phosphorus is shown to be an effective activator of sintering in some cases. When its concentration in the material is optimal it imparts the material such properties as strength, viscosity, hardness, wear resistance. Problems concerning powder metallurgy of amorphous phosphorus-containing alloys are reported

  11. Phosphorus and the dairy cow

    OpenAIRE

    Ekelund, Adrienne

    2003-01-01

    The general aim of the present work was to investigate phosphorus balance in the dairy cow, with reference to the amount and source of phosphorus. Furthermore, biochemical bone markers were used to study the bone turnover during the lactation and dry period. Phosphorus is located in every cell of the body and has more known functions than any other mineral element in the animal body. Phosphorus is also an important constituent of milk, and is therefore required in large amounts in a high yiel...

  12. The Pale Orange Dot: Spectral Effects of a Hazy Early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arney, G. N.; Meadows, V. S.; Domagal-Goldman, S. D.; Claire, M.; Schwieterman, E.

    2014-12-01

    Increasing evidence suggests Archean Earth had a photochemical hydrocarbon haze similar to Titan's (Zerkle et al. 2012), with important climate implications (Pavlov et al. 2001, Trainer et al. 2006, Haqq-Misra et al. 2008, Domagal-Goldman et al. 2008, Wolf and Toon 2012). Observations also suggest hazy exoplanets are common (Sing et al. 2011, Kreidberg et al 2014), so hazy planet spectra will be relevant to future exoplanet spectral characterization missions. Here, we consider the implications of hydrocarbon aerosols on the spectrum of Archean Earth, examining the effect of a haze layer on the detectability of spectral features from putative biosignatures and the Rayleigh scattering slope. We also examine haze's impact on the spectral energy distribution at the planetary surface, which may be important to the co-evolution of life with its environment. Because the atmospheric pressure and haze particle composition of the Archean Earth are poorly constrained, we test the impact of atmospheric pressure and particle density on haze formation. Our study uses a modified version of the 1-D photochemical code developed originally by Kasting et al. (1979) to generate a fractal haze in the model Archean atmosphere. The 1-D line-by-line fully multiple scattering Spectral Mapping Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Model (SMART) (Meadows and Crisp 1996) is then used to generate synthetic spectra of early Earth with haze. We find (Fig 1) that haze scattering significantly depletes the radiation at short wavelengths, strongly affecting the spectral region of the Rayleigh slope, a broadband change in spectral shape detectable at low spectral resolution. At the surface, the spectral energy distribution is shifted towards longer wavelengths, which may be important to photosynthetic life. Thus, the haze may have significant effects on biology, which in turn produces the methane that leads to haze formation, creating feedback loops between biology and the planet.

  13. Fertilizer phosphorus in some Finnish soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1961-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present paper it is tried to trace the fate of fertilizer phosphorus in soil by comparing the analyses of soils from treated and untreated plots of field trials. This indirect approach cannot be expected to provide exact values, but it is likely to give an approximate answer. The results reported above do not in any marked degree change our present conception of the forms in which fertilizer phosphorus accumulates in soils. In the acid soils studied (pH 4—6.4 in 0.02 N CaCl2 superphosphate tended to increase the fractions which were extracted by NH4F or NaOH. Hyperphosphate phosphorus was mostly found in the acid-soluble fraction. During a longer period of dressing with phosphate an increase in the organic phosphorus content of a peat soil could be detected. In the incubation experiments the mineralization of organic phosphorus occurred at a higher rate in the samples from the plots treated with superphosphate than in those from the untreated one. It might be supposed that the organic phosphorus mineralized mainly originated from the plant residues. It seems that the fractionation method developed by CHANG and JACKSON (4 for the estimation of discrete forms of soil phosphorus is not quite satisfactory for tracing the fertilizer phosphorus in soils recently dressed with phosphates. In particular, it may be fallacious to conclude that the fraction extracted by NH4F would only represent phosphorus bound to aluminium and its compounds. At least in the absence of soil, a large part of phosphorus in dicalcium phosphate dihydrate falls into this fraction, and also a small amount of hyperphosphate phosphorus may be found in it. The test values for »available» phosphorus showed the effect of fertilizers in accordance with previous observations (9, 13. Acetic acid soluble P revealed the treatment with hyperphosphate, but only slightly the application of superphosphate. The test value for the sorbed P of BRAY and KURTZ (2, or phosphorus

  14. Increasing Dietary Phosphorus Intake from Food Additives: Potential for Negative Impact on Bone Health123

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Eiji; Yamamoto, Hironori; Yamanaka-Okumura, Hisami; Taketani, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    It is important to consider whether habitual high phosphorus intake adversely affects bone health, because phosphorus intake has been increasing, whereas calcium intake has been decreasing in dietary patterns. A higher total habitual dietary phosphorus intake has been associated with higher serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lower serum calcium concentrations in healthy individuals. Higher serum PTH concentrations have been shown in those who consume foods with phosphorus additives. These findings suggest that long-term dietary phosphorus loads and long-term hyperphosphatemia may have important negative effects on bone health. In contrast, PTH concentrations did not increase as a result of high dietary phosphorus intake when phosphorus was provided with adequate amounts of calcium. Intake of foods with a ratio of calcium to phosphorus close to that found in dairy products led to positive effects on bone health. Several randomized controlled trials have shown positive relations between dairy intake and bone mineral density. In our loading test with a low-calcium, high-phosphorus lunch provided to healthy young men, serum PTH concentrations showed peaks at 1 and 6 h, and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations increased significantly at 8 h after the meal. In contrast, the high-calcium, high-phosphorus meal suppressed the second PTH and FGF23 elevations until 8 h after the meal. This implies that adequate dietary calcium intake is needed to overcome the interfering effects of high phosphorus intake on PTH and FGF23 secretion. FGF23 acts on the parathyroid gland to decrease PTH mRNA and PTH secretion in rats with normal kidney function. However, increased serum FGF23 is an early alteration of mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease, causing secondary hyperthyroidism, and implying resistance of the parathyroid gland to the action of FGF23 in chronic kidney disease. These findings suggest that long-term high-phosphorus diets may impair bone health

  15. Peculiarities of rare-earth-element distribution in environmental objects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorbunov, A.V.; Onischenko, T.L.; Gundorina, S.F.; Frontasyeva, M.V.

    1993-01-01

    The effect of the production of phosphorus fertilizers on the pollution of the environment by rare-earth elements is reviewed. The main sources of rare-earth element pollution in the environment are described. The levels of REEs in components of the environment - atmosphere, snow, different types of soil, native and agricultural types of vegetation - that provide evidence for their participation in the biological cycle of plants are considered. The high values of the correlation coefficients lead one to think that the REE distribution in vegetation occurs under specific laws true for this family of elements. (author) 9 refs.; 6 figs.; 5 tabs

  16. Phosphorus Regulation in Chronic Kidney Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suki, Wadi N; Moore, Linda W

    2016-01-01

    Serum phosphorus levels stay relatively constant through the influence of multiple factors-such as parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23, and vitamin D-on the kidney, bone, and digestive system. Whereas normal serum phosphorus ranges between 3 mg/dL to 4.5 mg/dL, large cross-sectional studies have shown that even people with normal kidney function are sometimes found to have levels ranging between 1.6 mg/dL and 6.2 mg/dL. While this may partially be due to diet and the factors mentioned above, total understanding of these atypical ranges of serum phosphorus remains uncertain. Risks for bone disease are high in people aged 50 and older, and this group comprises a large proportion of people who also have chronic kidney disease. Consuming diets low in calcium and high in phosphorus, especially foods with phosphate additives, further exacerbates bone turnover. Existing bone disease increases the risk for high serum phosphorus, and higher serum phosphorus has been associated with increased adverse events and cardiovascular-related mortality both in people with chronic kidney disease and in those with no evidence of disease. Once kidney function has deteriorated to end-stage disease (Stage 5), maintaining normal serum phosphorus requires dietary restrictions, phosphate-binding medications, and dialysis. Even so, normal serum phosphorus remains elusive in many patients with Stage 5 kidney disease, and researchers are testing novel targets that may inhibit intestinal transport of phosphorus to achieve better phosphate control. Protecting and monitoring bone health should also aid in controlling serum phosphorus as kidney disease advances.

  17. Characterization of suspended solids and total phosphorus loadings from small watersheds in Wisconsin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Danz, Mari E.; Corsi, Steven R.; Graczyk, David J.; Bannerman, Roger T.

    2010-01-01

    early summer (June through July), with fall (October through November) and early winter (December through January) contributing the smallest loadings. The Northern Lakes and Forests/North Central Hardwoods region had some substantial loading in September. There was a similar pattern for total phosphorus loading in all regions, with the pattern somewhat less pronounced in urban watersheds. As with the loading results, average monthly streamflow values were greatest in late winter, spring, and early summer, with the lowest values typically in fall and early winter. Loading contributions were greater from stormflow than from base flow in all instances, except total phosphorus in the Northern Lakes and Forests/North Central Hardwoods region, which had equal or greater base-flow contribution for several months. Base flow constituted a greater percentage of the total streamflow than stormflow in all rural watersheds for all regions. Only a few storms each year dominated the annual loading totals for solids and total phosphorus. When daily loading values were ranked for the year, all regions reached 50 percent of the annual solids loading in the 5 highest loading days and nearly 50 percent of the annual total phosphorus loading in the 14 highest loading days.

  18. Monitoring to assess progress toward meeting the Assabet River, Massachusetts, phosphorus total maximum daily load - Aquatic macrophyte biomass and sediment-phosphorus flux

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmerman, Marc J.; Qian, Yu; Yong Q., Tian

    2011-01-01

    floating macrophytes accumulated behind bridge constrictions and dams; in 2008, high flows during the early part of the growing season carried floating macrophytes past bridges and over dams, minimizing accumulations. Samples of Lemna were collected and weighed to provide an estimate of Lemna biomass based on areal coverage during the summer growing seasons at eight sites in the five impoundments. Average estimated biomass during 2007 was approximately twice the 2008 biomass in each of the areas monitored. In 2007, in situ hyperspectral and high-resolution, multispectral data from the IKONOS satellite were obtained to evaluate the feasibility of using remote sensing to monitor the extent of aquatic plant growth in Assabet River impoundments. Three vegetation indices based on light reflectance were used to develop metrics with which the hyperspectral and satellite data were compared. The results of the comparisons confirmed that the high-resolution satellite imagery could differentiate among the common aquatic-plant associations found in the impoundments. The use of satellite imagery could counterbalance emphasis on the subjective judgment of a human observer, and airborne hyperspectral data can provide higher resolution imagery than multispectral satellite data. In 2007 and 2008, the potential for sediment flux of phosphorus was examined in free-flowing reaches of the river and in the two largest impoundments-Hudson and Ben Smith. These studies were undertaken to determine in situ flux rates prior to the implementation of the Assabet River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus and to compare these rates with those used in the development and evaluation of the TMDL. Water samples collected from a chamber placed on the river bottom were analyzed for total phosphorus and orthophosphorus. Ambient dissolved oxygen concentrations and seasonal temperature differences appeared to affect the rates of sequestration and sediment release of phosphorus. When dissolved oxygen

  19. Phosphorus and Nutrition in Chronic Kidney Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emilio González-Parra

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Patients with renal impairment progressively lose the ability to excrete phosphorus. Decreased glomerular filtration of phosphorus is initially compensated by decreased tubular reabsorption, regulated by PTH and FGF23, maintaining normal serum phosphorus concentrations. There is a close relationship between protein and phosphorus intake. In chronic renal disease, a low dietary protein content slows the progression of kidney disease, especially in patients with proteinuria and decreases the supply of phosphorus, which has been directly related with progression of kidney disease and with patient survival. However, not all animal proteins and vegetables have the same proportion of phosphorus in their composition. Adequate labeling of food requires showing the phosphorus-to-protein ratio. The diet in patients with advanced-stage CKD has been controversial, because a diet with too low protein content can favor malnutrition and increase morbidity and mortality. Phosphorus binders lower serum phosphorus and also FGF23 levels, without decreasing diet protein content. But the interaction between intestinal dysbacteriosis in dialysis patients, phosphate binder efficacy, and patient tolerance to the binder could reduce their efficiency.

  20. The location and nature of accumulated phosphorus in seven sludges from activated sludge plants which exhibited enhanced phosphorus removal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buchan, L.

    1981-01-01

    Electron microscopy combined with the energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDX) has been used to examine the nature of the phosphorus accumulated in sludges from seven activated sludge plants exhibiting enhanced phosphorus removal. Large phosphorus accumulations were located in identical structures in the sludges examined. The phosphorus was located in large electron-dense bodies, within large bacterial cells which were characteristically grouped in clusters. The calcium:phosphorus ratio of these electron-dense bodies precluded them from being any form of calcium phosphate precipitate. Quantitative analysis indicated that the electron-dense bodies contained in excess of 30% phosphorus. The results obtained are supportive of a biological mechanism of enhanced phosphorus uptake in activated sludge

  1. Growing and Supporting the Student and Early Career Pipeline in Earth and Space Sciences - A Spotlight on New AGU Initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hankin, E. R.; Williams, B. M.; Asher, P. M.; Furukawa, H.; Holm Adamec, B.; Lee, M.; Cooper, P.

    2015-12-01

    The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is home to more than 60,000 scientists from 139 countries. Included in this membership are approximately 20,000 (34%) student and early career members. Many well-established programs within AGU provide a dynamic forum for Earth and Space scientists to advance research, collaborate across disciplines, and communicate the importance and impact of science to society regardless of career stage—programs such as AGU publications, scientific meetings and conferences, honors and recognition, and other educational and scientific forums. Additionally, many AGU program initiatives focusing specifically on supporting student and early career scientists and the global talent pool pipeline ones are actively underway. These include both new and long-standing programs. This presentation will describe (1) the overall demographics and needs in Earth and Space sciences, and (2) AGU's coordinated series of programs designed to help attract, retain and support student and early career scientists—with an emphasis on new programmatic activities and initiatives targeting improved diversity. Included in this presentation are a description of the AGU BrightSTaRS Program, the AGU Berkner Program for international students, a newly established AGU Student & Early Career Conference, the AGU Virtual Poster Showcase initiative, the AGU Meeting Mentor program, and GeoLEAD—an umbrella program being jointly built by a coalition of societies to help address Earth and space sciences talent pool needs.

  2. Abiotic synthesis of porphyrins and other oligopyrroles on the early Earth and Earth-like planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, S.; Strasdeit, H.

    2013-09-01

    It is generally accepted that abiotically formed amino acids existed on Earth in the late Hadean and early Archean (four billion years ago). They were mainly dissolved in a salty primordial ocean. At that time, volcanic islands were much more abundant than today. It is therefore reasonable to assume that, at hot volcanic coasts, amino acids could have been thermally transformed into other organic molecules. Based on this scenario, we conducted laboratory experiments that simulated the interaction between amino acid-containing sea water and hot lava. In these experiments, a large number of different volatile products were formed, among them pyrroles. It was also possible to obtain porphyrins and other oligopyrroles from pyrroles under simulated conditions of primordial volcanic islands. All experiments were conducted under plausible prebiotic conditions. Our results reveal an abiotic pathway to possible precursors of oligopyrrole-type biomolecules, such as heme and chlorophylls.

  3. Phosphorus vacancy cluster model for phosphorus diffusion gettering of metals in Si

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Renyu; Trzynadlowski, Bart; Dunham, Scott T. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195 (United States)

    2014-02-07

    In this work, we develop models for the gettering of metals in silicon by high phosphorus concentration. We first performed ab initio calculations to determine favorable configurations of complexes involving phosphorus and transition metals (Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni, Ti, Mo, and W). Our ab initio calculations found that the P{sub 4}V cluster, a vacancy surrounded by 4 nearest-neighbor phosphorus atoms, which is the most favorable inactive P species in heavily doped Si, strongly binds metals such as Cu, Cr, Ni, and Fe. Based on the calculated binding energies, we build continuum models to describe the P deactivation and Fe gettering processes with model parameters calibrated against experimental data. In contrast to previous models assuming metal-P{sub 1}V or metal-P{sub 2}V as the gettered species, the binding of metals to P{sub 4}V satisfactorily explains the experimentally observed strong gettering behavior at high phosphorus concentrations.

  4. Peak Phosphorus: Clarifying the Key Issues of a Vigorous Debate about Long-Term Phosphorus Security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stuart White

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews the latest information and perspectives on global phosphorus scarcity. Phosphorus is essential for food production and modern agriculture currently sources phosphorus fertilizers from finite phosphate rock. The 2008 food and phosphate fertilizer price spikes triggered increased concerns regarding the depletion timeline of phosphate rock reserves. While estimates range from 30 to 300 years and are shrouded by lack of publicly available data and substantial uncertainty, there is a general consensus that the quality and accessibility of remaining reserves are decreasing and costs will increase. This paper clarifies common sources of misunderstandings about phosphorus scarcity and identifies areas of consensus. It then asks, despite some persistent uncertainty, what would it take to achieve global phosphorus security? What would a ‘hard-landing’ response look like and how could preferred ‘soft-landing’ responses be achieved?

  5. Biomarkers as tracers for life on early earth and Mars

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simoneit, B. R.; Summons, R. E.; Jahnke, L. L.

    1998-01-01

    Biomarkers in geological samples are products derived from biochemical (natural product) precursors by reductive and oxidative processes (e.g., cholestanes from cholesterol). Generally, lipids, pigments and biomembranes are preserved best over longer geological times and labile compounds such as amino acids, sugars, etc. are useful biomarkers for recent times. Thus, the detailed characterization of biomarker compositions permits the assessment of the major contributing species of extinct and/or extant life. In the case of the early Earth, work has progressed to elucidate molecular structure and carbon isotropic signals preserved in ancient sedimentary rocks. In addition, the combination of bacterial biochemistry with the organic geochemistry of contemporary and ancient hydrothermal ecosystems permits the modeling of the nature, behavior and preservation potential of primitive microbial communities. This approach uses combined molecular and isotopic analyses to characterize lipids produced by cultured bacteria (representative of ancient strains) and to test a variety of culture conditions which affect their biosynthesis. On considering Mars, the biomarkers from lipids and biopolymers would be expected to be preserved best if life flourished there during its early history (3.5-4 x 10(9) yr ago). Both oxidized and reduced products would be expected. This is based on the inferred occurrence of hydrothermal activity during that time with the concomitant preservation of biochemically-derived organic matter. Both known biomarkers (i.e., as elucidated for early terrestrial samples and for primitive terrestrial microbiota) and novel, potentially unknown compounds should be characterized.

  6. Early non-destructive biofouling detection in spiral wound RO Membranes using a mobile earth's field NMR

    KAUST Repository

    Fridjonsson, E.O.

    2015-04-20

    We demonstrate the use of Earth\\'s field (EF) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to provide early non-destructive detection of active biofouling of a commercial spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) membrane module. The RO membrane module was actively biofouled to different extents, by the addition of biodegradable nutrients to the feed stream, as revealed by a subtle feed-channel pressure drop increase. Easily accessible EF NMR parameters (signal relaxation parameters T1, T2 and the total NMR signal modified to be sensitive to stagnant fluid only) were measured and analysed in terms of their ability to detect the onset of biofouling. The EF NMR showed that fouling near the membrane module entrance significantly distorted the flow field through the whole membrane module. The total NMR signal is shown to be suitable for non-destructive early biofouling detection of spiral wound membrane modules, it was readily deployed at high (operational) flow rates, was particularly sensitive to flow field changes due to biofouling and could be deployed at any position along the membrane module axis. In addition to providing early fouling detection, the mobile EF NMR apparatus could also be used to (i) evaluate the production process of spiral wound membrane modules, and (ii) provide an in-situ determination of module cleaning process efficiency.

  7. The Early Years: The Earth-Sun System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashbrook, Peggy

    2015-01-01

    We all experience firsthand many of the phenomena caused by Earth's Place in the Universe (Next Generation Science Standard 5-ESS1; NGSS Lead States 2013) and the relative motion of the Earth, Sun, and Moon. Young children can investigate phenomena such as changes in times of sunrise and sunset (number of daylight hours), Moon phases, seasonal…

  8. Estimation of phosphorus flux in rivers during flooding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yen-Chang; Liu, Jih-Hung; Kuo, Jan-Tai; Lin, Cheng-Fang

    2013-07-01

    Reservoirs in Taiwan are inundated with nutrients that result in algal growth, and thus also reservoir eutrophication. Controlling the phosphorus load has always been the most crucial issue for maintaining reservoir water quality. Numerous agricultural activities, especially the production of tea in riparian areas, are conducted in watersheds in Taiwan. Nutrients from such activities, including phosphorus, are typically flushed into rivers during flooding, when over 90% of the yearly total amount of phosphorous enters reservoirs. Excessive or enhanced soil erosion from rainstorms can dramatically increase the river sediment load and the amount of particulate phosphorus flushed into rivers. When flow rates are high, particulate phosphorus is the dominant form of phosphorus, but sediment and discharge measurements are difficult during flooding, which makes estimating phosphorus flux in rivers difficult. This study determines total amounts of phosphorus transport by measuring flood discharge and phosphorous levels during flooding. Changes in particulate phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, and their adsorption behavior during a 24-h period are analyzed owing to the fact that the time for particulate phosphorus adsorption and desorption approaching equilibrium is about 16 h. Erosion of the reservoir watershed was caused by adsorption and desorption of suspended solids in the river, a process which can be summarily described using the Lagmuir isotherm. A method for estimating the phosphorus flux in the Daiyujay Creek during Typhoon Bilis in 2006 is presented in this study. Both sediment and phosphorus are affected by the drastic discharge during flooding. Water quality data were collected during two flood events, flood in June 9, 2006 and Typhoon Bilis, to show the concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus during floods are much higher than normal stages. Therefore, the drastic changes of total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, and dissolved phosphorus in

  9. Photocarrier dynamics in monolayer phosphorene and bulk black phosphorus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zereshki, Peymon; Wei, Yaqing; Ceballos, Frank; Bellus, Matthew Z; Lane, Samuel D; Pan, Shudi; Long, Run; Zhao, Hui

    2018-06-13

    We report a combined theoretical and experimental study on photocarrier dynamics in monolayer phosphorene and bulk black phosphorus. Samples of monolayer phosphorene and bulk black phosphorus were fabricated by mechanical exfoliation, identified according to their reflective contrasts, and protected by covering them with hexagonal boron nitride layers. Photocarrier dynamics in these samples was studied by an ultrafast pump-probe technique. The photocarrier lifetime of monolayer phosphorene was found to be about 700 ps, which is about 9 times longer than that of bulk black phosphorus. This trend was reproduced in our calculations based on ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with time-domain density functional theory in the Kohn-Sham representation, and can be attributed to the smaller bandgap and stronger nonadiabatic coupling in bulk. The transient absorption response was also found to be dependent on the sample orientation with respect to the pump polarization, which is consistent with the previously reported anisotropic absorption of phosphorene. In addition, an oscillating component of the differential reflection signal at early probe delays was observed in the bulk sample and was attributed to the layer-breathing phonon mode with an energy of about 1 meV and a decay time of about 1.35 ps. These results provide valuable information for application of monolayer phosphorene in optoelectronics.

  10. Total phosphorus, phytate phosphorus contents and the correlation of phytates with amylose in selected edible beans in Sri Lanka

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keerthana Sivakumaran

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Phytate a major anti nutritional factors in legumes and it accounts for larger portion of the total phosphorus, while limiting the bioavailablity of certain divalent cations to the human body. Legumes of eleven varieties cultivated in Sri Lanka, Mung bean (MI5, MI6, Cowpea (Waruni, MICP1, Bombay, Dhawala, ANKCP1, Soybean (MISB1, Pb1 and Horse gram (ANKBlack, ANKBrown were analyzed for phosphorus content and phytate content. Total phosphorus content was quantified by dry ashing followed by spectrophotometrical measurement of the blue colour intensity of acid soluble phosphate with sodium molybdate in the presence of ascorbic acid while phytate phosphorus using anion exchange chromatographic technique followed by spectrometrical measurement of the digested organic phosphorus and amylose content by Simple Iodine-Colourimetric method. Where the least value for phosphorus was observed 275.04 ±1.44 mg.100g-1 in ANKBlack (Horse gram and the highest in MISB1 (Soyabean with 654.94 ±0.05 mg.100g-1. The phytate phosphorus content (which is a ratio of phyate to total phosphorus was highest in Dhawala (Cowpea. The phytate phosphorus (which is a ratio of phyate to total phosphorus was highest in Dhawala with 67.42% and least in Bombay (Cowpea with 24.87%. The amylose content of the legumes was least in Pb1 with 8.71 ±0.13 mg.100mg-1 and the highest in MI6 22.58 ±0.71 mg.100mg-1. The correlation between phyate and total phosphorus was significant (p <0.05 and positive (r = 0.62. Similarly the correlation coefficient for phytate phosphorus and total phosphorus was significant (p <0.05 and positive (r = 0.63. Amylose content of legumes was significantly correlated negatively (p <0.05 with the total phytates content (r = -0.82.

  11. Potential Phosphorus Mobilisation in Peat Soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Forsmann, Ditte M.; Kjærgaard, Charlotte

    2012-01-01

    Re-establishment of wetlands on peat soils containing phosphorus bound to iron(III)-oxides can lead to an undesirable phosphorus loss to the aquatic environment due to the reductive dissolution of iron(III)-oxides. Thus it is important to be able to assess the potential phosphorus mobilisation from...... peat soils before a re-establishment takes place. The potential phosphorus mobilisation from a peat soil depends not only on the geochemical characteristics but also on the redox conditions, the hydrological regime in the area as well as the hydro-physical properties of the soil. The hypothesis...... for this study is (i) the release of phosphorus in peat is controlled by the geochemistry; (ii) the mobilisation of phosphorus is controlled by both geochemistry and hydro-physics of the soil. For this study, 10 Danish riparian lowland areas with peat soil were selected based on their geochemical characteristics...

  12. Assessing the Long Term Impact of Phosphorus Fertilization on Phosphorus Loadings Using AnnAGNPS

    OpenAIRE

    Yuan, Yongping; Bingner, Ronald L.; Locke, Martin A.; Stafford, Jim; Theurer, Fred D.

    2011-01-01

    High phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural fields has been an environmental concern because of potential water quality problems in streams and lakes. To better understand the process of P loss and evaluate the effects of different phosphorus fertilization rates on phosphorus losses, the USDA Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollutant loading model was applied to the Ohio Upper Auglaize watershed, located in the southern portion of the Maumee River Basin. In this study, the ...

  13. Effect of ceramic calcium-phosphorus ratio on chondrocyte-mediated biosynthesis and mineralization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boushell, Margaret K; Khanarian, Nora T; LeGeros, Raquel Z; Lu, Helen H

    2017-10-01

    The osteochondral interface functions as a structural barrier between cartilage and bone, maintaining tissue integrity postinjury and during homeostasis. Regeneration of this calcified cartilage region is thus essential for integrative cartilage healing, and hydrogel-ceramic composite scaffolds have been explored for calcified cartilage formation. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that Ca/P ratio of the ceramic phase of the composite scaffold regulates chondrocyte biosynthesis and mineralization potential. Specifically, the response of deep zone chondrocytes to two bioactive ceramics with different calcium-phosphorus ratios (1.35 ± 0.01 and 1.41 ± 0.02) was evaluated in agarose hydrogel scaffolds over two weeks in vitro. It was observed that the ceramic with higher calcium-phosphorus ratio enhanced chondrocyte proliferation, glycosaminoglycan production, and induced an early onset of alkaline phosphorus activity, while the ceramic with lower calcium-phosphorus ratio performed similarly to the ceramic-free control. These results underscore the importance of ceramic bioactivity in directing chondrocyte response, and demonstrate that Ca/P ratio is a key parameter to be considered in osteochondral scaffold design. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 2694-2702, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Phosphorus dendrimers for nanomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caminade, Anne-Marie

    2017-08-31

    From biomaterials to imaging, and from drug delivery to drugs by themselves, phosphorus-containing dendrimers offer a large palette of biological properties, depending essentially on their types of terminal functions. The most salient examples of phosphorus dendrimers used for the elaboration of bio-chips and of supports for cell cultures, for imaging biological events, and for carrying and delivering drugs or biomacromolecules are presented in this feature article. Several phosphorus dendrimers can be considered also as drugs per se (by themselves) in particular to fight against cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammation, both in vitro and in vivo. Toxicity assays are also reported.

  15. Earth observation from the manned low Earth orbit platforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Huadong; Dou, Changyong; Zhang, Xiaodong; Han, Chunming; Yue, Xijuan

    2016-05-01

    The manned low Earth orbit platforms (MLEOPs), e.g., the U.S. and Russia's human space vehicles, the International Space Station (ISS) and Chinese Tiangong-1 experimental space laboratory not only provide laboratories for scientific experiments in a wide range of disciplines, but also serve as exceptional platforms for remote observation of the Earth, astronomical objects and space environment. As the early orbiting platforms, the MLEOPs provide humans with revolutionary accessibility to the regions on Earth never seen before. Earth observation from MLEOPs began in early 1960s, as a part of manned space flight programs, and will continue with the ISS and upcoming Chinese Space Station. Through a series of flight missions, various and a large amount of Earth observing datasets have been acquired using handheld cameras by crewmembers as well as automated sophisticated sensors onboard these space vehicles. Utilizing these datasets many researches have been conducted, demonstrating the importance and uniqueness of studying Earth from a vantage point of MLEOPs. For example, the first, near-global scale digital elevation model (DEM) was developed from data obtained during the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM). This review intends to provide an overview of Earth observations from MLEOPs and present applications conducted by the datasets collected by these missions. As the ISS is the most typical representative of MLEOPs, an introduction to it, including orbital characteristics, payload accommodations, and current and proposed sensors, is emphasized. The advantages and challenges of Earth observation from MLEOPs, using the ISS as an example, is also addressed. At last, a conclusive note is drawn.

  16. Effect of mycorrhiza on growth criteria and phosphorus nutrition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. under different phosphorus application rates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Fatih Ergin

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study, effect of mycorrhiza on growth criteria and phosphorus nutrition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. under different phosphorus fertilization rates were investigated. Phosphorus were added into growing media as 0, 50, 100 and 200 mg P2O5/kg with and without mycorrhiza applications. Phosphorus applications significantly increased yield criteria of lettuce according to the control treatment statistically. Mycorrhiza application also significantly increased plant diameter, plant dry weight and phosphor uptake by plant. The highest phosphorus uptakes by plants were determined in 200 mg P2O5/kg treatments as 88.8 mg P/pot with mycorrhiza and 83.1 mg P/pot without mycorrhiza application. In the control at 0 doses of phosphorus with mycorrhiza treatment, phosphorus uptake (69.9 mg P/pot, edible weight (84.36 g, dry weight (8.64 g and leaf number (28 of lettuce were higher than that (47.7 mg P/pot, 59.33 g, 6.75 g and 20, respectively in the control without mycorrhiza application. It was determined that mycorrhiza had positive effect on growth criteria and phosphorus nutrition by lettuce plant, and this effect decreased at higher phosphorus application rates.

  17. Environmental Phosphorus Recovery Based on Molecular Bioscavengers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gruber, Mathias Felix

    Phosphorus is a ubiquitous element of all known life and as such it is found throughout numerous key molecules related to various cellular functions. The supply of phosphorus is tightly linked to global food security, since phosphorus is used to produce agricultural fertilizers, without which...... it would not be possible to feed the world population. Sadly, the current supply of phosphorus is based on the gradual depletion of limited fossil reserves, and some estimates predict that within 15-25 years we will consume more phosphorus than we can produce. There is therefore a strong international...... pressure to develop sustainable phosphorus practices as well as new technologies for phosphorus recovery. Nature has spent billions of years refining proteins that interact with phosphates. This has inspired the present work where the overall ambitions are: to facilitate the development of a recovery...

  18. Red Phosphorus Nanodots on Reduced Graphene Oxide as a Flexible and Ultra-Fast Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yihang; Zhang, Anyi; Shen, Chenfei; Liu, Qingzhou; Cao, Xuan; Ma, Yuqiang; Chen, Liang; Lau, Christian; Chen, Tian-Chi; Wei, Fei; Zhou, Chongwu

    2017-06-27

    Sodium-ion batteries offer an attractive option for potential low cost and large scale energy storage due to the earth abundance of sodium. Red phosphorus is considered as a high capacity anode for sodium-ion batteries with a theoretical capacity of 2596 mAh/g. However, similar to silicon in lithium-ion batteries, several limitations, such as large volume expansion upon sodiation/desodiation and low electronic conductance, have severely limited the performance of red phosphorus anodes. In order to address the above challenges, we have developed a method to deposit red phosphorus nanodots densely and uniformly onto reduced graphene oxide sheets (P@RGO) to minimize the sodium ion diffusion length and the sodiation/desodiation stresses, and the RGO network also serves as electron pathway and creates free space to accommodate the volume variation of phosphorus particles. The resulted P@RGO flexible anode achieved 1165.4, 510.6, and 135.3 mAh/g specific charge capacity at 159.4, 31878.9, and 47818.3 mA/g charge/discharge current density in rate capability test, and a 914 mAh/g capacity after 300 deep cycles in cycling stability test at 1593.9 mA/g current density, which marks a significant performance improvement for red phosphorus anodes for sodium-ion chemistry and flexible power sources for wearable electronics.

  19. The Biological Potential of Mars, the Early Earth, and Europa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakosky, B. M.; Shock, E. L.

    1998-09-01

    The potential biomass that could have existed on Mars is constrained by the total amount of energy available to construct it. From an inventory of the available geochemical sources of energy, we estimate that, from the time of the onset of the visible geologic record 4 b.y. ago to the present, as much as 20 g/cm2 of biota could have been constructed. This is the same amount that could have been constructed from similar sources on the early Earth in only 100 m.y. This indicates that there likely was sufficient energy available to support an origin of life on Mars, but not sufficient energy to create a ubiquitous and lush biosphere. Similar calculations for Europa suggest that even less geochemical energy would have been available there.

  20. Small RNA profiling reveals phosphorus deficiency as a contributing factor in symptom expression for citrus huanglongbing disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Hongwei; Sun, Ruobai; Albrecht, Ute; Padmanabhan, Chellappan; Wang, Airong; Coffey, Michael D; Girke, Thomas; Wang, Zonghua; Close, Timothy J; Roose, Mikeal; Yokomi, Raymond K; Folimonova, Svetlana; Vidalakis, Georgios; Rouse, Robert; Bowman, Kim D; Jin, Hailing

    2013-03-01

    Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating citrus disease that is associated with bacteria of the genus 'Candidatus Liberibacter' (Ca. L.). Powerful diagnostic tools and management strategies are desired to control HLB. Host small RNAs (sRNA) play a vital role in regulating host responses to pathogen infection and are used as early diagnostic markers for many human diseases, including cancers. To determine whether citrus sRNAs regulate host responses to HLB, sRNAs were profiled from Citrus sinensis 10 and 14 weeks post grafting with Ca. L. asiaticus (Las)-positive or healthy tissue. Ten new microRNAs (miRNAs), 76 conserved miRNAs, and many small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were discovered. Several miRNAs and siRNAs were highly induced by Las infection, and can be potentially developed into early diagnosis markers of HLB. miR399, which is induced by phosphorus starvation in other plant species, was induced specifically by infection of Las but not Spiroplasma citri that causes citrus stubborn-a disease with symptoms similar to HLB. We found a 35% reduction of phosphorus in Las-positive citrus trees compared to healthy trees. Applying phosphorus oxyanion solutions to HLB-positive sweet orange trees reduced HLB symptom severity and significantly improved fruit production during a 3-year field trial in south-west Florida. Our molecular, physiological, and field data suggest that phosphorus deficiency is linked to HLB disease symptomology.

  1. Enhancement of lipid production in two marine microalgae under different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adenan, Nurul Salma; Yusoff, Fatimah Md; Medipally, Srikanth Reddy; Shariff, M

    2016-07-01

    Microalgae are important food sources for aquaculture animals. Among the different factors which influence the biochemical composition of microalgae, nitrogen and phosphorus are two of the most important nutrient sources for growth and development. The present study aimed to assess the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency on lipid production of Chlorella sp. and Chaetoceros calcitrans. Early stationary phase culture of these species were exposed to different stress levels of nitrogen and phosphorus (25%, 50% and 75% of the full NO(3)-N and PO(4)-P concentration in the Conway media), and solvent extraction and gas-liquid chromatography methods were performed for analysis of lipid and fatty acid composition. The results revealed that lipid production in these two species significantly increased (Pnitrogen and phosphorus decreased. The fatty acid proportion remained unaffected under nitrogen deficiency, while phosphorus limitation resulted in a decrease of saturated fatty acids and promoted a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids in these species. The protein and carbohydrate levels were also altered under limited nutrients. Therefore, these conditions could be used for enhanced lipid production in microalgae for aquaculture and other industrial applications.

  2. Production and development of eucalyptus seedlings in function of doses of phosphorus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Henrique Tertulino Rocha

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the effect of phosphorus (P on the survival in the nursery and early development in the field of clonal Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus grandis seedlings. The experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments and five replicates of 30 plants per replicate. At the end of the cycle (90 days, 15 seedlings were used for determining the dry matter accumulation and nutrient concentration in the shoot. The rest was planted in the field to determine the percentage of survival and early development. The treatments consisted of four doses of P fertilization (0.0, 1.3, 2.6 and 5.2 mg plant-1. To obtain high quality seedlings in conditions similar to this experiment it is required doses of P in the range from 3.6 to 3.8 mg plant-1. Doses greater than 4 mg plant-1 affect the development and quality of eucalyptus seedlings. An adequate phosphorus fertilization of eucalyptus seedlings increase, by about 30%, the percentage of surviving seedlings in the field.

  3. Traps for phosphorus adsorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montoya, Nawer D; Villegas, Wilson E; Rodriguez, Lino M; Taborda, Nelson; Montes de C, Consuelo

    2001-01-01

    Several AL 2 O 3 supported oxides such as: NiO, CuO, Co 2 O 3 BaO, CeO 2 and ZnO were investigated for phosphorus adsorption. Zno/y-Al 2 O 3 exhibited the highest phosphorus adsorption capacity. However, since it diminishes the activity of to the reaction mixture it should be located upstream of the NoX catalyst, i.e. 0,3% Pd-H-MOR, in order to protect it against p poisoning. The treatment procedure with citric acid was effective for the removal of more than 70% phosphorus from the adsorbent, ZnO/y-Al 2 O 3

  4. Influence of phosphorus availability on the community structure and physiology of cultured biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuangshuang; Wang, Chun; Qin, Hongjie; Li, Yinxia; Zheng, Jiaoli; Peng, Chengrong; Li, Dunhai

    2016-04-01

    Biofilms have important effects on nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems. However, publications about the community structure and functions under laboratory conditions are rare. This study focused on the developmental and physiological properties of cultured biofilms under various phosphorus concentrations performed in a closely controlled continuous flow incubator. The results showed that the biomass (Chl a) and photosynthesis of algae were inhibited under P-limitation conditions, while the phosphatase activity and P assimilation rate were promoted. The algal community structure of biofilms was more likely related to the colonization stage than with the phosphorus availability. Cyanobacteria were more competitive than other algae in biofilms, particularly when cultured under low P levels. A dominance shift occurred from non-filamentous algae in the early stage to filamentous algae in the mid and late stages under P concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 0.6 mg/L. However, the total N content, dry weight biomass and bacterial community structure of biofilms were unaffected by phosphorus availability. This may be attributed to the low respiration rate, high accumulation of extracellular polymeric substances and high alkaline phosphatase activity in biofilms when phosphorus availability was low. The bacterial community structure differed over time, while there was little difference between the four treatments, which indicated that it was mainly affected by the colonization stage of the biofilms rather than the phosphorus availability. Altogether, these results suggested that the development of biofilms was influenced by the phosphorus availability and/or the colonization stage and hence determined the role that biofilms play in the overlying water. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Relative efficiency of different methods of phosphorus (32P) application on fertilizer phosphorus uptake by maize (zea may L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhary, M.L.; Gupta, A.P.

    1975-01-01

    A green house study was conducted for comparing four methods of phosphorus application (broad cast, below the seed, one side and both sides of the seeds) at the rate of 60 ppm in sierozem soil of H issar (Haryana). Maize crop was planted in 50 cm. bottomless bitumin drums for 70 days i.e. upto tasseling stage. The plant samples were collected at jointing and tasseling stages of plant growth. The results revealed that the highest dry matter yield, total and fertilizer phosphorus uptake was observed when the phosphorus was applied below the seed, followed by both side application of phosphorus. The least yield, total and fertilizer phosphorus uptake were recorded when the phosphorus was broadcast at the time of sowing. (author)

  6. Contributions to total phosphorus intake: all sources considered.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calvo, Mona S; Uribarri, Jaime

    2013-01-01

    High serum phosphorus is linked to poor health outcome and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients before or after the initiation of dialysis. Dietary intake of phosphorus, a major determinant of serum phosphorus, seems to be systematically underestimated using the available software tools and generalized nutrient content databases. Several sources of dietary phosphorus including the addition of phosphorus ingredients in food processing, and phosphorus content of vitamin and mineral supplements and commonly used over-the-counter or prescription medications are not fully accounted for by the nutrient content databases and software programs in current clinical use or used in large population studies. In this review, we explore the many unknown sources of phosphorus in the food supply to identify all possible contributors to total phosphorus intake of Americans that have escaped inclusion in past intake estimates. Our goal is to help delineate areas for future interventions that will enable tighter control of dietary phosphorus intake, a critical factor to maintaining health and quality of life in CKD and dialysis patients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Influence of integrated phosphorus supply and plant growth ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    To guarantee a sufficient phosphorus supply for plants, a rapid and permanent mobilization of phosphorus from the labile phosphorus fractions is necessary, because phosphorus concentrations in soil solution are generally low. Several plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have shown potential to enhance ...

  8. Phosphorus determination by various substoichiometric methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shigematsu, Toshio; Kudo, Kiyoshi

    1981-01-01

    Various substoichiometric methods have been classified from a view point of the substoichiometric separation. Based upon the substoichiometric separation, phosphorus was determined substoichiometrically by a direct method, a method of carrier amount variation and a comparison method for the irradiated sample. The direct method was applied to the determination of phosphorus in orchard leaves (SRM-1571). The analytical value was 0.23 +- 0.01%. Phosphorus in orchard leaves and spinach (SRM-1570) was determined by an ordinary method which devided the sample into equal parts in the method of carrier amount variation. Analytical values of orchard leaves and spinach were 0.22 +- 0.02% and 0.56 +- 0.04%, respectively. Moreover, a new modification of the method of carrier amount variation was studied by the use of various standard samples such as red phosphorus, spinach and orchard leaves. These standard samples were also employed for the determination of phosphorus in orchard leaves and 0.21 +- 0.01% was obtained. All these results are in good agreement with the value reported by NBS. The comparison method was applied to the determination of phosphorus in a semiconductor silicon single crystal. As a result of the correction of 32 P activity induced by the secondary nuclear reaction of 30 Si, 7.9 ppb and 3.1 ppb were obtained for the phosphorus concentrations in the single crystal silicon. (author)

  9. Screening of inbred popcorn lines for tolerance to low phosphorus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, O J A P; Gonçalves, L S A; Scapim, C A; S M de Sousa, de; Castro, C R; Y Baba, V; de Oliveira, A L M

    2016-05-06

    Increasing phosphorus use efficiency in agriculture is essential for sustainable food production. Thus, the aims of this study were: i) to identify phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) in popcorn lines during the early plant stages, ii) to study the relationship between traits correlated with PUE, and iii) to analyze genetic diversity among lines. To accomplish this, 35 popcorn lines from Universidade Estadual de Maringá breeding program were studied. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber using a nutrient solution containing two concentrations of phosphorus (P): 2.5 μM or low P (LP) and 250 μM or high P (HP). After 13 days in the nutrient solution, root morphology traits, shoot and root dry weight, and P content of the maize seedlings were measured. A deviance analysis showed there was a high level of genetic variability. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering analysis identified three groups for the LP treatment (efficient, intermediate, and inefficient) and three groups for the HP treatment (responsive, moderately responsive, and unresponsive). The results of a principal component analysis and selection index were consistent with the UPGMA analysis, and lines 1, 2, 13, 17, 26, and 31 were classified as PUE.

  10. Visualizing alternative phosphorus scenarios for future food security

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tina-Simone Neset

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The impact of global phosphorus scarcity on food security has increasingly been the focus of scientific studies over the past decade. However, systematic analyses of alternative futures for phosphorus supply and demand throughout the food system are still rare and provide limited inclusion of key stakeholders. Addressing global phosphorus scarcity requires an integrated approach exploring potential demand reduction as well as recycling opportunities. This implies recovering phosphorus from multiple sources, such as food waste, manure and excreta, as well as exploring novel opportunities to reduce the long-term demand for phosphorus in food production such as changing diets. Presently, there is a lack of stakeholder and scientific consensus around priority measures. To therefore enable exploration of multiple pathways and facilitate a stakeholder dialogue on the technical, behavioral and institutional changes required to meet long-term future phosphorus demand, this paper introduces an interactive web-based tool, designed for visualizing global phosphorus scenarios in real-time. The interactive global phosphorus scenario tool builds on several demand and supply side measures that can be selected and manipulated interactively by the user. It provides a platform to facilitate stakeholder dialogue to plan for a soft landing and identify a suite of concrete priority options, such as investing in agricultural phosphorus use efficiency, or renewable fertilizers derived from phosphorus recovered from wastewater and food waste, to determine how phosphorus demand to meet future food security could be attained on a global scale in 2040 and 2070. This paper presents four example scenarios, including (1 the potential of full recovery of human excreta, (2 the challenge of a potential increase in non-food phosphorus demand, (3 the potential of a decreased animal product consumption, and (4 the potential decrease in phosphorus demand from increased efficiency

  11. Visualizing Alternative Phosphorus Scenarios for Future Food Security.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neset, Tina-Simone; Cordell, Dana; Mohr, Steve; VanRiper, Froggi; White, Stuart

    2016-01-01

    The impact of global phosphorus scarcity on food security has increasingly been the focus of scientific studies over the past decade. However, systematic analyses of alternative futures for phosphorus supply and demand throughout the food system are still rare and provide limited inclusion of key stakeholders. Addressing global phosphorus scarcity requires an integrated approach exploring potential demand reduction as well as recycling opportunities. This implies recovering phosphorus from multiple sources, such as food waste, manure, and excreta, as well as exploring novel opportunities to reduce the long-term demand for phosphorus in food production such as changing diets. Presently, there is a lack of stakeholder and scientific consensus around priority measures. To therefore enable exploration of multiple pathways and facilitate a stakeholder dialog on the technical, behavioral, and institutional changes required to meet long-term future phosphorus demand, this paper introduces an interactive web-based tool, designed for visualizing global phosphorus scenarios in real time. The interactive global phosphorus scenario tool builds on several demand and supply side measures that can be selected and manipulated interactively by the user. It provides a platform to facilitate stakeholder dialog to plan for a soft landing and identify a suite of concrete priority options, such as investing in agricultural phosphorus use efficiency, or renewable fertilizers derived from phosphorus recovered from wastewater and food waste, to determine how phosphorus demand to meet future food security could be attained on a global scale in 2040 and 2070. This paper presents four example scenarios, including (1) the potential of full recovery of human excreta, (2) the challenge of a potential increase in non-food phosphorus demand, (3) the potential of decreased animal product consumption, and (4) the potential decrease in phosphorus demand from increased efficiency and yield gains in

  12. Phosphorus K4 Crystal: A New Stable Allotrope

    OpenAIRE

    Jie Liu; Shunhong Zhang; Yaguang Guo; Qian Wang

    2016-01-01

    The intriguing properties of phosphorene motivate scientists to further explore the structures and properties of phosphorus materials. Here, we report a new allotrope named K 4 phosphorus composed of three-coordinated phosphorus atoms in non-layered structure which is not only dynamically and mechanically stable, but also possesses thermal stability comparable to that of the orthorhombic black phosphorus (A17). Due to its unique configuration, K 4 phosphorus exhibits exceptional properties: i...

  13. Study on rare earths complexes separation by means of different type of ion exchangers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hubicka, H.

    1990-01-01

    The applicability of different types of ion exchangers for purification and separation of rare earths complexes has been examined. The experimental work has been carried out on 14 chelating ion exchangers. The investigation results proved the great usefulness chelating ion exchangers especially of amino acid and phosphorus-type. Application of that type ion exchangers in column chromatographic process gave the excellent rare earths separation as well as enabled to obtain their preparates of high purity. 218 refs, 21 figs, 27 tabs

  14. Yellow phosphorus-induced Brugada phenocopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dharanipradab, Mayakrishnan; Viswanathan, Stalin; Kumar, Gokula Raman; Krishnamurthy, Vijayalatchumy; Stanley, Daphene Divya

    Metallic phosphides (of aluminum and phosphide) and yellow phosphorus are commonly used rodenticide compounds in developing countries. Toxicity of yellow phosphorus mostly pertains to the liver, kidney, heart, pancreas and the brain. Cardiotoxicity with associated Brugada ECG pattern has been reported only in poisoning with metallic phosphides. Brugada phenocopy and hepatic dysfunction were observed in a 29-year-old male following yellow phosphorus consumption. He had both type 1 (day1) and type 2 (day2) Brugada patterns in the electrocardiogram, which resolved spontaneously by the third day without hemodynamic compromise. Toxins such as aluminum and zinc phosphide have been reported to induce Brugada ECG patterns due to the generation of phosphine. We report the first case of yellow phosphorus-related Brugada phenocopy, without hemodynamic compromise or malignant arrhythmia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Early Cretaceous climate change (Hauterivian - Early Aptian): Learning from the past to prevent modern reefs decline

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godet, Alexis; Bodin, Stéphane; Adatte, Thierry; Föllmi, Karl B.

    2010-05-01

    In the last decades, the anthropogenic increase pCO2atm has been considered as one of the main contributors for the decline of modern coral reefs, and nearly 60% of these marine ecosystems are presently threatened (Bryant et al., 1998). Interactions between anthropogenic change and reef growth can, however, not be reduced to a single factor, and it is essential to look at the Earth's history to understand and counterbalance. During the Early Cretaceous, enhanced pCO2atm may have been responsible, at least in part, for the demise of the carbonate platform along the northern margin of the Tethys through climatic feedback mechanisms. From the Hauterivian to the Early Aptian, increased rainfalls are documented from the clay-mineral association, by a change from a smectite-dominated (most of the Hauterivian), to a kaolinite-dominated assemblage (latest Hauterivian up to the early Late Barremian). This switch is dated to the Pseudothurmannia ohmi ammonozone in the Vocontian Trough of southeastern France (Angles section, Godet et al., 2008). It is immediately followed in time by major nutrient input, as is illustrated by the substantial increase in phosphorus accumulation rates (PAR), not only in this section, but also in the Ultrahelvetic area of Switzerland and in the Umbria-Marche basin of Italy (Bodin et al., 2006). On the other hand, the remainder of the Hauterivian is characterized by PAR mean values characteristic of mesotrophic conditions, whereas the Late Barremian witnesses the return to oligotrophic environments (lower PAR values). Synchronously, these perturbations are mirrored on the platform by changes in the type of carbonate ecosystems. Indeed, a stronger continental runoff, and a subsequent input in the oceanic domain of nutrients (e.g., phosphorus) and clastic material modified marine palaeoenvironmental conditions and triggered changes in ecosystems. A unique archive of the Early Cretaceous carbonate platform is preserved in the Helvetic Alps, where the

  16. Archean greenstone-tonalite duality: Thermochemical mantle convection models or plate tectonics in the early Earth global dynamics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerrich, Robert; Polat, Ali

    2006-03-01

    Mantle convection and plate tectonics are one system, because oceanic plates are cold upper thermal boundary layers of the convection cells. As a corollary, Phanerozoic-style of plate tectonics or more likely a different version of it (i.e. a larger number of slowly moving plates, or similar number of faster plates) is expected to have operated in the hotter, vigorously convecting early Earth. Despite the recent advances in understanding the origin of Archean greenstone-granitoid terranes, the question regarding the operation of plate tectonics in the early Earth remains still controversial. Numerical model outputs for the Archean Earth range from predominantly shallow to flat subduction between 4.0 and 2.5 Ga and well-established steep subduction since 2.5 Ga [Abbott, D., Drury, R., Smith, W.H.F., 1994. Flat to steep transition in subduction style. Geology 22, 937-940], to no plate tectonics but rather foundering of 1000 km sectors of basaltic crust, then "resurfaced" by upper asthenospheric mantle basaltic melts that generate the observed duality of basalts and tonalities [van Thienen, P., van den Berg, A.P., Vlaar, N.J., 2004a. Production and recycling of oceanic crust in the early earth. Tectonophysics 386, 41-65; van Thienen, P., Van den Berg, A.P., Vlaar, N.J., 2004b. On the formation of continental silicic melts in thermochemical mantle convection models: implications for early Earth. Tectonophysics 394, 111-124]. These model outputs can be tested against the geological record. Greenstone belt volcanics are composites of komatiite-basalt plateau sequences erupted from deep mantle plumes and bimodal basalt-dacite sequences having the geochemical signatures of convergent margins; i.e. horizontally imbricated plateau and island arc crust. Greenstone belts from 3.8 to 2.5 Ga include volcanic types reported from Cenozoic convergent margins including: boninites; arc picrites; and the association of adakites-Mg andesites- and Nb-enriched basalts. Archean cratons

  17. A model study of warming-induced phosphorus-oxygen feedbacks in open-ocean oxygen minimum zones on millennial timescales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niemeyer, Daniela; Kemena, Tronje P.; Meissner, Katrin J.; Oschlies, Andreas

    2017-05-01

    Observations indicate an expansion of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) over the past 50 years, likely related to ongoing deoxygenation caused by reduced oxygen solubility, changes in stratification and circulation, and a potential acceleration of organic matter turnover in a warming climate. The overall area of ocean sediments that are in direct contact with low-oxygen bottom waters also increases with expanding OMZs. This leads to a release of phosphorus from ocean sediments. If anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions continue unabated, higher temperatures will cause enhanced weathering on land, which, in turn, will increase the phosphorus and alkalinity fluxes into the ocean and therefore raise the ocean's phosphorus inventory even further. A higher availability of phosphorus enhances biological production, remineralisation and oxygen consumption, and might therefore lead to further expansions of OMZs, representing a positive feedback. A negative feedback arises from the enhanced productivity-induced drawdown of carbon and also increased uptake of CO2 due to weathering-induced alkalinity input. This feedback leads to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 and weathering rates. Here, we quantify these two competing feedbacks on millennial timescales for a high CO2 emission scenario. Using the University of Victoria (UVic) Earth System Climate Model of intermediate complexity, our model results suggest that the positive benthic phosphorus release feedback has only a minor impact on the size of OMZs in the next 1000 years. The increase in the marine phosphorus inventory under assumed business-as-usual global warming conditions originates, on millennial timescales, almost exclusively (> 80 %) from the input via terrestrial weathering and causes a 4- to 5-fold expansion of the suboxic water volume in the model.

  18. Determination of phosphorus using derivative neutron activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scindia, Y.M.; Nair, A.G.C.; Reddy, A.V.R.; Manohar, S.B.

    2002-01-01

    For the determination of phosphorus in different matrices, the derivative neutron activation analysis is especially applicable to aqueous samples, since the conventional neutron activation analysis is not useful for the determination of phosphorus. Phosphorus when reacted with ammonium molybdate 4 hydrate and ammonium metavanadate forms molybdo vanado phosphoric acid. This complex is preconcentrated by extracting into methyl isobutyl ketone. The organic phase containing the molybdo vanado phosphoric acid is neutron activated and the phosphorus is determined through the activation product of 52 V. Preparation of this complex, its stoichiometry, application to trace level determination of phosphorus and improved detection limit are discussed. This method was applied for the analysis of industrial effluent samples. (author)

  19. Guiding phosphorus stewardship for multiple ecosystem services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phosphorus is vital to agricultural production and water quality regulation. While the role of phosphorus in agriculture and water quality has been studied for decades, the benefits of sustainable phosphorus use and management for society due to its downstream impacts on multiple ecosystem services...

  20. Impacts of anthropic pressures on soil phosphorus availability, concentration, and phosphorus forms in sediments in a Southern Brazilian watershed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pellegrini, Joao Batista Rossetto; Rheinheimer dos Santos, Danilo; Goncalves, Celso Santos; Copetti, Andre Carlos Cruz [Dept. de Solos, Univ. Federal de Santa Maria, Centro de Ciencias Rurais, Santa Maria, RS (Brazil); Bortoluzzi, Edson Campanhola [Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinaria da Univ. de Passo Fundo, RS (Brazil); Tessier, Daniel [Inst. National de la Recherche Agronomique, Versailles (France)

    2010-04-15

    Purpose: The transfer of soil sediments and phosphorus from terrestrial to aquatic systems is a common process in agricultural lands. The aims of this paper are to quantify the soil phosphorus availability and to characterize phosphorus forms in soil sediments as contaminant agents of waters as a function of anthropic pressures. Materials and methods On three subwatersheds with different anthropic pressure, water and sediment samples were collected automatically in upstream and downstream discharge points in six rainfall events during the tobacco growing season. Phosphorus desorption capacity from soil sediments was estimated by successive extractions with anion exchange resins. First-order kinetic models were adjusted to desorption curves for estimating potentially bioavailable particulate phosphorus, desorption rate constant, and bioavailable particulate phosphorus. Results and discussion The amount of bioavailable particulate phosphorus was directly correlated with the iron oxide content. The value of desorption rate constant was directly related with the total organic carbon and inversely with the iron oxide contents. Phosphate ions were released to solution, on average, twice as rapidly from sediments collected in subwatersheds with low anthropic activity than from those ones of highly anthropic subwatersheds. Anthropic pressure on watershed can engender high sediment discharge, but these solid particles seem to present low phosphorus-releasing capacity to water during transport due to the evidenced high affinity between phosphorus and iron oxide from sediments. Conclusions Anthropic pressure was related with sediment concentration and phosphorus release to aquatic systems. While natural vegetation along streams plays a role on soil and water depuration, it is unable to eliminate the phosphorus inputs intrinsic to the agricultural-intensive systems. Recommendations and perspectives The contamination of water in watershed by phosphates is facilitated by the

  1. Phosphorus-containing macrocyclic compounds: synthesis and properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knyazeva, I R; Burilov, Alexander R; Pudovik, Michael A; Habicher, Wolf D

    2013-01-01

    Main trends in the development of methods for the synthesis of phosphorus-containing macrocyclic compounds in the past 15 years are considered. Emphasis is given to reactions producing macrocyclic structures with the participation of a phosphorus atom and other functional groups involved in organophosphorus molecules and to modifications of macrocycles by phosphorus compounds in different valence states. Possibilities of the practical application of phosphorus-containing macrocyclic compounds in difference areas of science and engineering are discussed. The bibliography includes 205 references.

  2. Anthropogenic phosphorus flow analysis of Hefei City, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Sisi; Yuan Zengwei; Bi Jun; Wu Huijun

    2010-01-01

    The substance flow analysis (SFA) method was employed to examine phosphorus flow and its connection to water pollution in the city of Hefei, China, in 2008. As human activity is the driving force of phosphorus flux from the environment to the economy, the study provides a conceptual framework for analyzing an anthropogenic phosphorus cycle that includes four stages: extraction, fabrication and manufacturing, use, and waste management. Estimates of phosphorus flow were based on existing data as well as field research, expert advice, local accounting systems, and literature. The total phosphorus input into Hefei in 2008 reached 7810 tons, mainly as phosphate ore, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, crops and animal products. Approximately 33% of the total phosphorus input left the area, and nearly 20% of that amount was discharged as waste to surface water. Effluent containing excessive fertilizer from farming operations plays an important role in phosphorus overloads onto surface water; the other major emission source is sewage discharge. We also provide suggestions for reducing phosphorus emissions, for example reducing fertilizer use, recycling farming residues, and changing human consumption patterns.

  3. Biological phosphorus uptake under anoxic and aerobic conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kerrn-Jespersen, Jens Peter; Henze, Mogens

    1993-01-01

    Biological phosphorus removal was investigated under anoxic and aerobic conditions. Tests were made to establish whether phosphorus accumulating bacteria can take up phosphate under anoxic conditions and thus utilise nitrate as oxidant. Furthermore, it was tested how the amount of organic matter...... as oxidant. The phosphorus uptake was more rapid under aerobic conditions than under anoxic conditions. The explanation of this is that all phosphorus accumulating bacteria take up phosphate under aerobic conditions, whereas only part of the phosphorus accumulating bacteria take up phosphate under anoxic...

  4. Phosphorus kinetics in ovine fed with different phosphorus sources, using the isotopic dilution technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vitti, D.M.S.S.; Abdalla, A.L.; Meirelles, C.F.

    1992-01-01

    Phosphorus kinetics in fluids and tissues of sheep was studied. Sixteen castrated sheep were kept in metabolism cages, receiving a semipuried diet containing as phosphorus sources dicalcium phosphate (BIC), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), superphosphate (SPT) and Tapita phosphate (TAP) 200 μCi P-32 was intravenously injected in each sheep and blood and feces were collected for eight days. From the specific activities in feces and plasma the endogenous phosphorus and the absorption coefficient were calculated. plasma P-32 half-life was determined. Nine days after injection the animals were killed and liver, kidney and muscle and bone samples were collected. P-32 retention and specific activities in tissues were determined. Endogenous phosphorus and absorption coefficient values were 54.44 ± 15.31 mh/kg live weight and 0.60; 47.98 ± 12.44 and 0.56; 39.70 ± 7.29 and 0.49; 59.11 ± 17.12 and 0.58 respectively bor BIC, MAP, TAP and SPT. P-32 retention by tissues was 0.29 ± 0.09; 0.27 ± 0.06; 0.16 ± 0.04 and 0.08 ± 0.03 dose/g fresh matter, respectively for bone, liver, kidney and muscle. It was concluded that animals which received TAP showed differences in absorption, distribution and P-32 retention by fluids and tissues. Phosphorus availability was lower for this source. (author)

  5. Estimate of dietary phosphorus intake using 24-h urine collection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morimoto, Yuuka; Sakuma, Masae; Ohta, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Akitsu; Matsushita, Asami; Umeda, Minako; Ishikawa, Makoto; Taketani, Yutaka; Takeda, Eiji; Arai, Hidekazu

    2014-01-01

    Increases in serum phosphorus levels and dietary phosphorus intake induces vascular calcification, arterial sclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Limiting phosphorus intake is advisable, however, no assessment methods are capable of estimating dietary phosphorus intake. We hypothesized that urinary phosphorus excretion can be translated into estimation of dietary phosphorus intake, and we evaluated whether a 24-h urine collection method could estimate dietary phosphorus intake. Thirty two healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Subjects collected urine samples over 24 h and weighed dietary records. We calculated dietary protein intake and phosphorus intake from dietary records and urine collection, and investigated associations between the two methods in estimating protein and phosphorus intake. Significant positive correlations were observed between dietary records and UC for protein and phosphorus intake. The average intakes determined from dietary records were significantly higher than from urine collection for both protein and phosphorus. There was a significant positive correlation between both the phosphorus and protein difference in dietary records and urine collection. The phosphorus-protein ratio in urine collection was significantly higher than in dietary records. Our data indicated that the 24-h urine collection method can estimate the amount of dietary phosphorus intake, and the results were superior to estimation by weighed dietary record. PMID:25120281

  6. A Mercury-like component of early Earth yields uranium in the core and high mantle (142)Nd.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wohlers, Anke; Wood, Bernard J

    2015-04-16

    Recent (142)Nd isotope data indicate that the silicate Earth (its crust plus the mantle) has a samarium to neodymium elemental ratio (Sm/Nd) that is greater than that of the supposed chondritic building blocks of the planet. This elevated Sm/Nd has been ascribed either to a 'hidden' reservoir in the Earth or to loss of an early-formed terrestrial crust by impact ablation. Since removal of crust by ablation would also remove the heat-producing elements--potassium, uranium and thorium--such removal would make it extremely difficult to balance terrestrial heat production with the observed heat flow. In the 'hidden' reservoir alternative, a complementary low-Sm/Nd layer is usually considered to reside unobserved in the silicate lower mantle. We have previously shown, however, that the core is a likely reservoir for some lithophile elements such as niobium. We therefore address the question of whether core formation could have fractionated Nd from Sm and also acted as a sink for heat-producing elements. We show here that addition of a reduced Mercury-like body (or, alternatively, an enstatite-chondrite-like body) rich in sulfur to the early Earth would generate a superchondritic Sm/Nd in the mantle and an (142)Nd/(144)Nd anomaly of approximately +14 parts per million relative to chondrite. In addition, the sulfur-rich core would partition uranium strongly and thorium slightly, supplying a substantial part of the 'missing' heat source for the geodynamo.

  7. Phosphorus run-off assessment in a watershed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chebud, Yirgalem; Naja, Ghinwa M; Rivero, Rosanna

    2011-01-01

    The Watershed Assessment Model was used to simulate the runoff volume, peak flows, and non-point source phosphorus loadings from the 5870 km(2) Lake Okeechobee watershed as a case study. The results were compared to on-site monitoring to verify the accuracy of the method and to estimate the observed/simulated error. In 2008, the total simulated phosphorus contribution was 9634, 6524 and 3908 kg (P) y(-1) from sod farms, citrus farms and row crop farmlands, respectively. Although the dairies represent less than 1% of the total area of Kissimmee basin, the simulated P load from the dairies (9283 kg (P) y(-1) in 2008) made up 5.4% of the total P load during 2008. On average, the modeled P yield rates from dairies, sod farms and row crop farmlands are 3.85, 2.01 and 0.86 kg (P) ha(-1) y(-1), respectively. The maximum sediment simulated phosphorus yield rate is about 2 kg (P) ha(-1) and the particulate simulated phosphorus contribution from urban, improved pastures and dairies to the total phosphorus load was estimated at 9%, 3.5%, and 1%, respectively. Land parcels with P oversaturated soil as well as the land parcels with high phosphorus assimilation and high total phosphorus contribution were located. The most critical sub-basin was identified for eventual targeting by enforced agricultural best management practices. Phosphorus load, including stream assimilation, incoming to Lake Okeechobee from two selected dairies was also determined.

  8. Sustainable use of phosphorus: a finite resource.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scholz, Roland W; Ulrich, Andrea E; Eilittä, Marjatta; Roy, Amit

    2013-09-01

    Phosphorus is an essential element of life and of the modern agricultural system. Today, science, policy, agro-industry and other stakeholder groups are increasingly concerned about the sustainable use of this resource, given the dissipative nature of phosphorus and difficulties in assessing, evaluating, and coping with phosphorus pollution in aquatic and terrestrial systems. We argue that predictions about a forthcoming peak, followed by a quick reduction (i.e., physical phosphate rock scarcity) are unreasoned and stress that access to phosphorus (economic scarcity) is already, and may increasingly become critical, in particular for smallholders farmers in different parts of the world. The paper elaborates on the design, development, goals and cutting-edge contributions of a global transdisciplinary process (i.e. mutual learning between science and society including multiple stakeholders) on the understanding of potential contributions and risks related to the current mode of using phosphorus on multiple scales (Global TraPs). While taking a global and comprehensive view on the whole phosphorus-supply chain, Global TraPs organizes and integrates multiple transdisciplinary case studies to better answer questions which inform sustainable future phosphorus use. Its major goals are to contribute to four issues central to sustainable resource management: i) long-term management of biogeochemical cycles, in particular the challenge of closing the phosphorus cycle, ii) achieving food security, iii) avoiding environmental pollution and iv) sustainability learning on a global level by transdisciplinary processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Anthropogenic phosphorus flow analysis of Hefei City, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Sisi; Yuan, Zengwei; Bi, Jun; Wu, Huijun

    2010-11-01

    The substance flow analysis (SFA) method was employed to examine phosphorus flow and its connection to water pollution in the city of Hefei, China, in 2008. As human activity is the driving force of phosphorus flux from the environment to the economy, the study provides a conceptual framework for analyzing an anthropogenic phosphorus cycle that includes four stages: extraction, fabrication and manufacturing, use, and waste management. Estimates of phosphorus flow were based on existing data as well as field research, expert advice, local accounting systems, and literature. The total phosphorus input into Hefei in 2008 reached 7810 tons, mainly as phosphate ore, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, crops and animal products. Approximately 33% of the total phosphorus input left the area, and nearly 20% of that amount was discharged as waste to surface water. Effluent containing excessive fertilizer from farming operations plays an important role in phosphorus overloads onto surface water; the other major emission source is sewage discharge. We also provide suggestions for reducing phosphorus emissions, for example reducing fertilizer use, recycling farming residues, and changing human consumption patterns. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Assessment of Non-Point Source Total Phosphorus Pollution from Different Land Use and Soil Types in a Mid-High Latitude Region of China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiwei Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The transport characteristics of phosphorus in soil and the assessment of its environmental risk have become hot topics in the environmental and agricultural fields. The Sanjiang Plain is an important grain production base in China, and it is characterised by serious land use change caused by large-scale agricultural exploitation. Agricultural inputs and tillage management have destroyed the soil nutrient balance formed over long-term conditions. There are few studies on non-point source phosphorus pollution in the Sanjiang Plain, which is the largest swampy low plain in a mid-high-latitude region in China. Most studies have focused on the water quality of rivers in marsh areas, or the export mechanism of phosphorus from specific land uses. They were conducted using experimental methods or empirical models, and need further development towards mechanism models and the macro-scale. The question is how to find a way to couple processes in phosphorus cycling and a distributed hydrological model considering local hydrological features. In this study, we report an attempt to use a distributed phosphorus transport model to analyse non-point source total phosphorus pollution from different land uses and soil types on the Sanjiang Plain. The total phosphorus concentration generally shows an annually increasing trend in the study area. The total phosphorus load intensity is heterogeneous in different land use types and different soil types. The average total phosphorus load intensity of different land use types can be ranked in descending order from paddy field, dry land, wetlands, grassland, and forestland. The average total phosphorus load intensity of different soil types can be ranked in descending order: paddy soil, bog soil, planosol, meadow soil, black soil, and dark brown earth. The dry land and paddy fields account for the majority of total phosphorus load in the study area. This is mainly caused by extensive use of phosphate fertilizer on the

  11. Transformation of apatite phosphorus and non-apatite inorganic phosphorus during incineration of sewage sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Rundong; Zhang, Ziheng; Li, Yanlong; Teng, Wenchao; Wang, Weiyun; Yang, Tianhua

    2015-12-01

    The recovery of phosphorus from incinerated sewage sludge ash (SSA) is assumed to be economical. Transformation from non-apatite inorganic phosphorus (NAIP) to apatite phosphorus (AP), which has a higher bioavailability and more extensive industrial applications, was studied at 750-950°C by sewage sludge incineration and model compound incineration with a calcium oxide (CaO) additive. Thermogravimetric differential scanning calorimetry analysis and X-ray diffraction measurements were used to analyze the reactions between NAIP with CaO and crystallized phases in SSA. High temperatures stimulated the volatilization of NAIP instead of AP. Sewage sludge incineration with CaO transformed NAIP into AP, and the percentage of AP from the total phosphorus reached 99% at 950°C. Aluminum phosphate reacted with CaO, forming Ca2P2O7 and Ca3(PO4)2 at 750-950°C. Reactions between iron phosphate and CaO occurred at lower temperatures, forming Ca(PO3)2 before reaching 850°C. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. [Research progress on phosphorus budgets and regulations in reservoirs].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Xiao; Li, Xu; Zhang, Wang-shou

    2014-12-01

    Phosphorus is an important limiting factor of water eutrophication. A clear understanding of its budget and regulated method is fundamental for reservoir ecological health. In order to pro- mote systematic research further and improve phosphorus regulation system, the budget balance of reservoir phosphorus and its influencing factors were concluded, as well as conventional regulation and control measures. In general, the main phosphorus sources of reservoirs include upstream input, overland runoff, industrial and domestic wastewater, aquaculture, atmospheric deposition and sediment release. Upstream input is the largest phosphorus source among them. The principal output path of phosphorus is the flood discharge, the emission load of which is mainly influenced by drainage patterns. In addition, biological harvest also can export a fraction of phosphorus. There are some factors affecting the reservoir phosphorus balance, including reservoirs' function, hydrological conditions, physical and chemical properties of water, etc. Therefore, the phosphorus budgets of different reservoirs vary greatly, according to different seasons and regions. In order to reduce the phosphorus loading in reservoirs, some methods are carried out, including constructed wetlands, prefix reservoir, sediment dredging, biomanipulation, etc. Different methods need to be chosen and combined according to different reservoirs' characteristics and water quality management goals. Thus, in the future research, it is reasonable to highlight reservoir ecological characteristics and proceed to a complete and systematic analysis of the inherent complexity of phosphorus budget and its impact factors for the reservoirs' management. Besides, the interaction between phosphorus budget and other nutrients in reservoirs also needs to be conducted. It is fundamental to reduce the reservoirs' phosphorus loading to establish a scientific and improved management system based on those researches.

  13. The New Nordic Diet: phosphorus content and absorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salomo, Louise; Poulsen, Sanne K; Rix, Marianne; Kamper, Anne-Lise; Larsen, Thomas M; Astrup, Arne

    2016-04-01

    High phosphorus content in the diet may have adverse effect on cardiovascular health. We investigated whether the New Nordic Diet (NND), based mainly on local, organic and less processed food and large amounts of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain and fish, versus an Average Danish Diet (ADD) would reduce the phosphorus load due to less phosphorus-containing food additives, animal protein and more plant-based proteins. Phosphorus and creatinine were measured in plasma and urine at baseline, week 12 and week 26 in 132 centrally obese subjects with normal renal function as part of a post hoc analysis of data acquired from a 26-week controlled trial. We used the fractional phosphorus excretion as a measurement of phosphorus absorption. Mean baseline fractional phosphorus excretion was 20.9 ± 6.6 % in the NND group (n = 82) and 20.8 ± 5.5 % in the ADD group (n = 50) and was decreased by 2.8 ± 5.1 and 3.1 ± 5.4 %, respectively, (p = 0.6) at week 26. At week 26, the mean change in plasma phosphorus was 0.04 ± 0.12 mmol/L in the NND group and -0.03 ± 0.13 mmol/L in the ADD group (p = 0.001). Mean baseline phosphorus intake was 1950 ± 16 mg/10 MJ in the NND group and 1968 ± 22 mg/10 MJ in the ADD group and decreased less in the NND compared to the ADD (67 ± 36 mg/10 MJ and -266 ± 45 mg/day, respectively, p food concept beneficial regarding phosphorus absorption.

  14. Adaptive Evolution of Phosphorus Metabolism in Prochlorococcus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Casey, John R; Mardinoglu, Adil; Nielsen, Jens

    2016-01-01

    Inorganic phosphorus is scarce in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, where the high-light-adapted ecotype HLI of the marine picocyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus thrives. Physiological and regulatory control of phosphorus acquisition and partitioning has been observed in HLI both in culture...... and in the field; however, the optimization of phosphorus metabolism and associated gains for its phosphorus-limited-growth (PLG) phenotype have not been studied. Here, we reconstructed a genome-scale metabolic network of the HLI axenic strain MED4 (iJC568), consisting of 568 metabolic genes in relation to 794...... through drastic depletion of phosphorus-containing biomass components but also through network-wide reductions in phosphate-reaction participation and the loss of a key enzyme, succinate dehydrogenase. These alterations occur despite the stringency of having relatively few pathway redundancies...

  15. Phosphorus effect on fracture properties of structural steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goritskij, V.M.; Guseva, I.A.

    1985-01-01

    Phosphorus content is studied for its effect on fracture peculiarities and fracture toughness. It is supposed that the phosphorus effect on ductile fractures is associated with phosphorus segregation on the ferrite-carbide interfaces. An increase of the phosphorus content in heat-treated 10KhSND steel from 0.020 up to 0.043 wt.% results in a decrease of the pore size and asub(p) value. Close linear correlation is established between critical temperature of embrittlement T 50 and √ asub(p) or √ KC values for a number of structural steels with different phosphorus content

  16. Sustainable Phosphorus Chemistry: A Silylphosphide Synthon for the Generation of Value-Added Phosphorus Chemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slootweg, J Chris

    2018-05-07

    Avoiding white phosphorus: Cummins and Geeson have recently described the conversion of phosphoric acid into the novel bis(trichlorosilyl)phosphide anion, which serves as a key intermediate in the synthesis of organophosphines, hexafluorophosphate, and phosphine gas in a reaction sequence that does not rely on white phosphorus. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. A Model of Volcanic Outgassing for Earth's Early Atmosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhaliwal, J. K.; Kasting, J. F.; Zhang, Z.

    2017-12-01

    We build on historical paradigms of volcanic degassing [1] to account for non-linear relations among C-O-H-S volatiles, their speciation, solubility and concentrations in magmatic melts, and the resulting contribution to atmospheric volatile inventories. We focus on the build-up of greenhouse-relevant carbon species (CO2 and CH4) and molecular oxygen to better understand the environments of early life and the Great Oxygenation Event [2,3,4]. The mantle is an important reservoir of C-O-H-S volatiles [5], and melt concentrations depend on temperature, pressure and oxygen fugacity. We present a preliminary chemical model that simulates volatile concentrations released into the Earth's atmosphere at 1 bar, or pressures corresponding to the early Earth prior to 2.4 Ga. We maintain redox balance in the system using H+ [2, 6] because the melt oxidation state evolves with volatile melt concentrations [7] and affects the composition of degassed compounds. For example, low fO2 in the melt degasses CO, CH4, H2S and H2 while high fO2 yields CO2, SO2 and H2O [1,8,9]. Our calculations incorporate empirical relations from experimental petrology studies [e.g., 10, 11] to account for inter-dependencies among volatile element solubility trends. This model has implications for exploring planetary atmospheric evolution and potential greenhouse effects on Venus and Mars [12]­, and possibly exoplanets. A future direction of this work would be to link this chemical degassing model with different tectonic regimes [13] to account for degassing and ingassing, such as during subduction. References: [1] Holland, H. D. (1984) The chemical evolution of the atmosphere and oceans [2] Kasting, J. F. (2013) Chem. Geo. 362, 13-25 [3] Kasting, J.F. (1993) Sci. 259, 920-926 [4] Duncan, M.S. & Dasgupta, R. (2017) Nat. Geoscience 10, 387-392. [5] Hier-Majumder, S. & Hirschmann, M.M. (2017) G3, doi: 10.1002/2017GC006937 [6] Gaillard, F. et al. (2003) GCA 67, 2427- 2441 [7] Moussalam, Y. et al. (2014

  18. Electric Conductivity of Phosphorus Nanowires

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jing-Xiang, Zhang; Hui, Li; Xue-Qing, Zhang; Kim-Meow, Liew

    2009-01-01

    We present the structures and electrical transport properties of nanowires made from different strands of phosphorus chains encapsulated in carbon nanotubes. Optimized by density function theory, our results indicate that the conductance spectra reveal an oscillation dependence on the size of wires. It can be seen from the density of states and current-voltage curves that the structure of nanowires affects their properties greatly. Among them, the DNA-like double-helical phosphorus nanowire exhibits the distinct characteristic of an approximately linear I – V relationship and has a higher conductance than others. The transport properties of phosphorus nanowires are highly correlated with their microstructures. (condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties)

  19. Production of carrier-free phosphorus-33 at MURR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, W.; Ketring, A.R.; Schuh, J.; Lanigan, J.; Ma, D.; Manson, L.; Chanley, D.

    1996-01-01

    Phosphorus-33, a new radionuclide used in medical and biochemical research, is produced at the University of Missouri research reactor (MURR) in production quantities. Phosphorus-33 has a longer shelf life and lower dose rates than phosphorus-32. Recently, the MURR and New England Nuclear (NEN) jointly developed a method to recover carrier-free phosphorus-33 as well as the enriched sulfur target using a sublimation technique at reduced pressure

  20. Prevalence of phosphorus containing food additives in grocery stores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janeen B. Leon

    2012-06-01

    In conclusion, phosphorus additives are commonly present in groceries and contribute significantly to the phosphorus content of foods. Moreover, phosphorus additive foods are less costly than additive-free foods. As a result, phosphorus additives may be an important contributor to hyperphosphatemia among persons with chronic kidney disease

  1. The Adequacy of Phosphorus Binder Prescriptions Among American Hemodialysis Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huml, Anne M.; Sullivan, Catherine M.; Leon, Janeen B.; Sehgal, Ashwini R.

    2013-01-01

    Because hemodialysis treatment has a limited ability to remove phosphorus, dialysis patients must restrict dietary phosphorus intake and use phosphorus binding medication. Among patients with restricted dietary phosphorus intake (1000 mg/d), phosphorus binders must bind about 250 mg of excess phosphorus per day and among patients with more typical phosphorus intake (1500 mg/d), binders must bind about 750 mg per day. To determine the phosphorus binding capacity of binder prescriptions among American hemodialysis patients, we undertook a cross-sectional study of a random sample of in-center chronic hemodialysis patients. We obtained data for one randomly selected patient from 244 facilities nationwide. About one-third of patients had hyperphosphatemia (serum phosphorus level > 5.5 mg/dL). Among the 224 patients prescribed binders, the mean phosphorus binding capacity was 256 mg/d (SD 143). 59% of prescriptions had insufficient binding capacity for restricted dietary phosphorus intake, and 100% had insufficient binding capacity for typical dietary phosphorus intake. Patients using two binders had a higher binding capacity than patients using one binder (451 vs. 236 mg/d, p phosphorus balance. Use of two binders results in higher binder capacity. Further work is needed to understand the impact of binder prescriptions on mineral balance and metabolism and to determine the value of substantially increasing binder prescriptions. PMID:23013171

  2. The Formation of Haze During the Rise of Oxygen in the Atmosphere of the Early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horst, S. M.; Jellinek, M.; Pierrehumbert, R.; Tolbert, M. A.

    2014-12-01

    also provide a wealth of organic material to the surface. Photochemical hazes are abundant in reducing atmospheres, such as the N2/CH4 atmosphere of Titan, but are unlikely to form in oxidizing atmospheres, such as the N2/O2 atmosphere of present day Earth. However, information about haze formation in mildly oxidizing atmospheres is lacking. Understanding haze formation in mildly oxidizing atmospheres is necessary for models that wish to investigate the atmosphere of the Early Earth as O2 first appeared and then increased in abundance. Previous studies of the atmosphere of the Early Earth have focused on haze formation in N2/CO2/CH4 atmospheres. In this work, we experimentally investigate the effect of the addition of O2 on the formation and composition of aerosols. Using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) (see e.g. [1]) we have obtained in situ composition measurements of aerosol particles produced in N2/CO2/CH4/O2 gas mixtures subjected to FUV radiation (deuterium lamp, 115-400 nm) for a range of initial CO2/CH4/O2 mixing ratios. In particular, we studied the effect of O2 ranging from 2 ppm to 2%. The particles were also investigated using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), which measures particle size, number density and mass loading. A comparison of the composition of the aerosols will be presented. The effect of variation of O2 mixing ratio on aerosol production, size, and composition will also be discussed. [1] Trainer, M.G., et al. (2012) Astrobiology, 12, 315-326.

  3. Molecular adaptations to phosphorus deprivation and comparison with nitrogen deprivation responses in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alipanah, Leila; Winge, Per; Rohloff, Jens; Najafi, Javad; Brembu, Tore; Bones, Atle M

    2018-01-01

    Phosphorus, an essential element for all living organisms, is a limiting nutrient in many regions of the ocean due to its fast recycling. Changes in phosphate (Pi) availability in aquatic systems affect diatom growth and productivity. We investigated the early adaptive mechanisms in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to P deprivation using a combination of transcriptomics, metabolomics, physiological and biochemical experiments. Our analysis revealed strong induction of gene expression for proteins involved in phosphate acquisition and scavenging, and down-regulation of processes such as photosynthesis, nitrogen assimilation and nucleic acid and ribosome biosynthesis. P deprivation resulted in alterations of carbon allocation through the induction of the pentose phosphate pathway and cytosolic gluconeogenesis, along with repression of the Calvin cycle. Reorganization of cellular lipids was indicated by coordinated induced expression of phospholipases, sulfolipid biosynthesis enzymes and a putative betaine lipid biosynthesis enzyme. A comparative analysis of nitrogen- and phosphorus-deprived P. tricornutum revealed both common and distinct regulation patterns in response to phosphate and nitrate stress. Regulation of central carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism was similar, whereas unique responses were found in nitrogen assimilation and phosphorus scavenging in nitrogen-deprived and phosphorus-deprived cells, respectively.

  4. Preliminary analysis of phosphorus flow in Hue Citadel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anh, T N Q; Harada, H; Fujii, S; Anh, P N; Lieu, P K; Tanaka, S

    2016-01-01

    Characteristics of waste and wastewater management can affect material flows. Our research investigates the management of waste and wastewater in urban areas of developing countries and its effects on phosphorus flow based on a case study in Hue Citadel, Hue, Vietnam. One hundred households were interviewed to gain insight into domestic waste and wastewater management together with secondary data collection. Next, a phosphorus flow model was developed to quantify the phosphorus input and output in the area. The results showed that almost all wastewater generated in Hue Citadel was eventually discharged into water bodies and to the ground/groundwater. This led to most of the phosphorus output flowing into water bodies (41.2 kg P/(ha year)) and ground/groundwater (25.3 kg P/(ha year)). Sewage from the sewer system was the largest source of phosphorus loading into water bodies, while effluent from on-site sanitation systems was responsible for a major portion of phosphorus into the ground/groundwater. This elevated phosphorus loading is a serious issue in considering surface water and groundwater protection.

  5. Isotopic techniques to study phosphorus cycling in soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manjaiah, K.M.; Sreenivasa Chari, M.; Sachdev, P.; Sachdev, M.S.

    2008-01-01

    A sound understanding of phosphorus cycling in soil system is essential in order to manage this system in a sustainable manner. Phosphorus transformations are characterized by physico-chemical (sorption-desorption) and biological processes . The transformation rates need to be taken into account while developing nutrient management strategies for economical and sustainable production. One of the important tools and the method gaining popularity for determining the gross transformation rates of nutrients in the soil is the isotopic dilution technique. The major processes in the soil-plant system which determine the distribution and bioavailability of phosphorus in various inorganic and organic soil components consist of: (1) the dissolution of soil mineral phosphates, (2) retention of phosphorus by inorganic soil constituents, (3) decomposition of organic phosphorus contained in plant, animal and microbial detritus and (4) Immobilization of phosphorus via the soil microbial biomass and plan uptake

  6. Long-term dynamics of watershed leaching and lake sediment sequestration of rare earth elements following deglaciation of two mountain watersheds.

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Norton, S. A.; Pierret, M.C.; Kopáček, Jiří; Handley, M.J.; Perry, R.H.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 55, č. 3 (2016), s. 209-222 ISSN 0921-2728 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : rare earth elements * aluminum * phosphorus * lake sediment * weathering Subject RIV: DJ - Water Pollution ; Quality Impact factor: 2.017, year: 2016

  7. ESR studies of high-energy phosphorus-ion implanted synthetic diamond crystals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isoya, J [University of Library and Information Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Kanda, H; Morita, Y; Ohshima, T

    1997-03-01

    Phosphorus is among potential n-type dopants in diamond. High pressure synthetic diamond crystals of type IIa implanted with high energy (9-18 MeV) phosphorus ions have been studied by using electron spin resonance (ESR) technique. The intensity and the linewidth of the ESR signal attributed to the dangling bond of the amorphous phase varied with the implantation dose, suggesting the nature of the amorphization varies with the dose. The ESR signals of point defects have been observed in the low dose as-implanted crystals and in the high dose crystals annealed at high temperature and at high pressure. (author)

  8. Performance of fertigation technique for phosphorus application in cotton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Aslam

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Low native soil phosphorus availability coupled with poor utilization of added phosphorus is one of the major constraints limiting the productivity of the crops. With a view of addressing this issue, field studies were conducted to compare the relative efficacy of broadcast and fertigation techniques for phosphorus application during 2005-2006 using cotton as a test crop. Two methods of phosphorus application i.e. broadcast and fertigation were evaluated using five levels of P2O5 (0, 30, 45, 60 and 75 kg P2O5 ha -1. Fertigation showed an edge over broadcast method at all levels of phosphorus application. The highest seed cotton yield was recorded with 75 kg P2O5 ha-1. Fertilizer phosphorus applied at the rate of 60 kg ha-1 through fertigation produced 3.4 tons ha-1 of seed cotton yield, which was statistically identical to 3.3 tons recorded with 75 kg ha-1 of broadcast phosphorus. Agronomic performance of phosphorus was influenced considerably by either method of fertilizer application. The seed cotton yield per kg of fertigation phosphorus was 48% higher than the corresponding broadcast application. The results of these studies showed that fertigation was the most efficient method of phosphorus application compared with the conventional broadcast application of fertilizers.

  9. Reaching ultra low phosphorus concentrations by filtration techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scherrenberg, S.M.

    2011-01-01

    This research deals with tertiary treatment techniques used for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. The main objective of this research is to obtain ultra low total phosphorus (<0.15 mg total phosphorus/L) concentrations by coagulation, flocculation and

  10. Determination of traces of phosphorus using isotope exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeman, A.; Kratzer, K.

    1976-01-01

    A simple and selective radioanalytical method for the determination of phosphorus (0.015 - 5 μg in a 5 ml sample), based on the heterogeneous isotope exchange, has been developed. The sample containing phosphorus is shaken in the presence of molybdate with a standard solution of tetraphenylarsonium molybdophosphate labelled with phosphorus-32 in 1-2 dicloroethan. From the distribution of the activity between the aqueous and organic phases the amount of phosphorus in the sample can be determined. (Authors)

  11. Patient education for phosphorus management in chronic kidney disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalantar-Zadeh K

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Kamyar Kalantar-ZadehHarold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of California Irvine’s School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USAObjectives: This review explores the challenges and solutions in educating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD to lower serum phosphorus while avoiding protein insufficiency and hypercalcemia.Methods: A literature search including terms “hyperphosphatemia,” “patient education,” “food fatigue,” “hypercalcemia,” and “phosphorus–protein ratio” was undertaken using PubMed.Results: Hyperphosphatemia is a strong predictor of mortality in advanced CKD and is remediated via diet, phosphorus binders, and dialysis. Dietary counseling should encourage the consumption of foods with the least amount of inorganic or absorbable phosphorus, low phosphorus-to-protein ratios, and adequate protein content, and discourage excessive calcium intake in high-risk patients. Emerging educational initiatives include food labeling using a “traffic light” scheme, motivational interviewing techniques, and the Phosphate Education Program – whereby patients no longer have to memorize the phosphorus content of each individual food component, but only a “phosphorus unit” value for a limited number of food groups. Phosphorus binders are associated with a clear survival advantage in CKD patients, overcome the limitations associated with dietary phosphorus restriction, and permit a more flexible approach to achieving normalization of phosphorus levels.Conclusion: Patient education on phosphorus and calcium management can improve concordance and adherence and empower patients to collaborate actively for optimal control of mineral metabolism.Keywords: hyperphosphatemia, renal diet, phosphorus binders, educational programs, food fatigue, concordance

  12. The phosphorus and the transition metals chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathey, F.

    1988-01-01

    The 1988 progress report, concerning the Polytechnic School unit (France), which studies the phosphorus and the transition metals chemistry, is presented. The laboratory activities are related to the following topics: the phosporus heterocyclic chemistry, the phosphorus-carbon double bonds chemistry, the new transition metals phosphorus compounds, the phosphonates and their uses. Some practical applications of homogeneous catalysis and new materials synthesis are investigated. The main results obtained are: the discovery of the tetra-phosphafulvalenes, the utilization of a new synthesis method of the phosphorus-carbon double bonds and the stabilization of the α-phosphonyled carbanions by the lithium diisopropylamidourea. The papers, the congress communications and the thesis are also shown [fr

  13. Management of Natural and Added Dietary Phosphorus Burden in Kidney Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cupisti, Adamasco; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

    2018-01-01

    Phosphorus retention occurs from higher dietary phosphorus intake relative to its renal excretion or dialysis removal. In the gastrointestinal tract the naturally existing organic phosphorus is only partially (~60%) absorbable; however, this absorption varies widely and is lower for plant-based phosphorus including phytate (80%). The latter phosphorus often remains unrecognized by patients and health care professionals, even though it is widely used in contemporary diets, in particular low-cost foods. In a non-enhanced mixed diet, the digestible phosphorus is closely correlated with total protein content, making protein-rich foods a main source of natural phosphorus. Phosphorus burden is more appropriately limited in pre-dialysis patients who are on low protein diets (~0.6 g/kg/day), whereas dialysis patients who require higher protein intake (~1.2 g/kg/day) are subject to a higher dietary phosphorus load. An effective and patient-friendly approach to reduce phosphorus intake without depriving patients of adequate proteins is to educate patients to avoid foods with high phosphorus relative to protein such as egg yolk and those with high amounts of phosphorus-based preservatives such as certain soft drinks and enhanced cheese and meat. Protein-rich foods should be prepared by boiling, which reduces phosphorus as well as sodium and potassium content, or by other types of cooking induced demineralization. The dose of phosphorus-binding therapy should be adjusted separately for the amount and absorbability of phosphorus in each meal. Dietician counselling to address the foregoing aspects of dietary phosphorus management is instrumental for achieving reduction of phosphorus load. PMID:23465504

  14. phosphorus retention data and metadata

    Science.gov (United States)

    phosphorus retention in wetlands data and metadataThis dataset is associated with the following publication:Lane , C., and B. Autrey. Phosphorus retention of forested and emergent marsh depressional wetlands in differing land uses in Florida, USA. Wetlands Ecology and Management. Springer Science and Business Media B.V;Formerly Kluwer Academic Publishers B.V., GERMANY, 24(1): 45-60, (2016).

  15. Electrically-inactive phosphorus re-distribution during low temperature annealing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peral, Ana; Youssef, Amanda; Dastgheib-Shirazi, Amir; Akey, Austin; Peters, Ian Marius; Hahn, Giso; Buonassisi, Tonio; del Cañizo, Carlos

    2018-04-01

    An increased total dose of phosphorus (P dose) in the first 40 nm of a phosphorus diffused emitter has been measured after Low Temperature Annealing (LTA) at 700 °C using the Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectrometry technique. This evidence has been observed in three versions of the same emitter containing different amounts of initial phosphorus. A stepwise chemical etching of a diffused phosphorus emitter has been carried out to prepare the three types of samples. The total P dose in the first 40 nm increases during annealing by 1.4 × 1015 cm-2 for the sample with the highly doped emitter, by 0.8 × 1015 cm-2 in the middle-doped emitter, and by 0.5 × 1015 cm-2 in the lowest-doped emitter. The presence of surface dislocations in the first few nanometers of the phosphorus emitter might play a role as preferential sites of local phosphorus gettering in phosphorus re-distribution, because the phosphorus gettering to the first 40 nm is lower when this region is etched stepwise. This total increase in phosphorus takes place even though the calculated electrically active phosphorus concentration shows a reduction, and the measured sheet resistance shows an increase after annealing at a low temperature. The reduced electrically active P dose is around 0.6 × 1015 cm-2 for all the emitters. This can be explained with phosphorus-atoms diffusing towards the surface during annealing, occupying electrically inactive configurations. An atomic-scale visual local analysis is carried out with needle-shaped samples of tens of nm in diameter containing a region of the highly doped emitter before and after LTA using Atom Probe Tomography, showing phosphorus precipitates of 10 nm and less before annealing and an increased density of larger precipitates after annealing (25 nm and less).

  16. Assessing the long term impact of phosphorus fertilization on phosphorus loadings using AnnAGNPS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Yongping; Bingner, Ronald L; Locke, Martin A; Stafford, Jim; Theurer, Fred D

    2011-06-01

    High phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural fields has been an environmental concern because of potential water quality problems in streams and lakes. To better understand the process of P loss and evaluate the effects of different phosphorus fertilization rates on phosphorus losses, the USDA Annualized AGricultural Non-Point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollutant loading model was applied to the Ohio Upper Auglaize watershed, located in the southern portion of the Maumee River Basin. In this study, the AnnAGNPS model was calibrated using USGS monitored data; and then the effects of different phosphorus fertilization rates on phosphorus loadings were assessed. It was found that P loadings increase as fertilization rate increases, and long term higher P application would lead to much higher P loadings to the watershed outlet. The P loadings to the watershed outlet have a dramatic change after some time with higher P application rate. This dramatic change of P loading to the watershed outlet indicates that a "critical point" may exist in the soil at which soil P loss to water changes dramatically. Simulations with different initial soil P contents showed that the higher the initial soil P content is, the less time it takes to reach the "critical point" where P loadings to the watershed outlet increases dramatically. More research needs to be done to understand the processes involved in the transfer of P between the various stable, active and labile states in the soil to ensure that the model simulations are accurate. This finding may be useful in setting up future P application and management guidelines.

  17. Microbial Communities: Tracing Growth Processes from Antarctic Lakes to Early Earth to Other Planets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumner, D. Y.

    2014-12-01

    Life in the Universe is dominated by microbes: they are numerically the most abundant cells in our bodies and in Earth's biosphere, and they are the only life that might be present elsewhere in our solar system. Life beyond our solar system could include macroscopic organisms, but everything we understand about the origin of life suggests it must start with microbes. Thus, understanding microbial ecosystems, in the absence of macroscopic organisms, is critical to understanding early life on Earth and life elsewhere in the Universe - if it exists. But what are the general principles of microbial ecology in the absence of predation? What happens when each cell is a chemical factory that can swap among metabolic processes in response to environmental and emergent cues? Geobiologists and astrobiologists are addressing these questions in diverse ways using both Earth's modern biosphere and its fossil record. Modern microbial communities in shallow, ice-covered lakes, Antarctica (Fig.), provide a model for high productivity microbial ecosystems with no to low predation. In these lakes, photosynthetic communities create macroscopic pinnacles and domes, sometime lithified into stromatolites. They provide an ecological, geochemical and morphological model for Precambrian microbial communities in low sedimentation, low current environments. Insights from these communities include new growth processes for ancient mats, especially some that grew prior to the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere. The diversity of biosignatures created in these communities also provides context for models of life under ice elsewhere in our solar system such as paleolakes on Mars and on icy moons. Results from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team document formerly habitable fluvial and lacustrine environments. Lacustrine environments, in particular, are favorable for preserving biosignatures, and continued investigations by MSL will provide a deeper understanding of the duration of habitable

  18. Microbiological evidence for Fe(III) reduction on early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas, Madeline; Kashefi, Kazem; Blunt-Harris, Elizabeth L.; Lovley, Derek R.

    1998-09-01

    It is generally considered that sulphur reduction was one of the earliest forms of microbial respiration, because the known microorganisms that are most closely related to the last common ancestor of modern life are primarily anaerobic, sulphur-reducing hyperthermophiles. However, geochemical evidence indicates that Fe(III) is more likely than sulphur to have been the first external electron acceptor of global significance in microbial metabolism. Here we show that Archaea and Bacteria that are most closely related to the last common ancestor can reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) and conserve energy to support growth from this respiration. Surprisingly, even Thermotoga maritima, previously considered to have only a fermentative metabolism, could grow as a respiratory organism when Fe(III) was provided as an electron acceptor. These results provide microbiological evidence that Fe(III) reduction could have been an important process on early Earth and suggest that microorganisms might contribute to Fe(III) reduction in modern hot biospheres. Furthermore, our discovery that hyperthermophiles that had previously been thought to require sulphur for cultivation can instead be grown without the production of toxic and corrosive sulphide, should aid biochemical investigations of these poorly understood organisms.

  19. 182Hf, an extinct radionuclide of the early solar system and a possibly live supernova remnant on Earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vockenhuber, C.; Golser, R.; Kutschera, W.; Priller, A.; Steier, P.; Winkler, S.; Ahmad, I.; Bichler, M.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: The neutron-rich isotope 182 Hf has a half-life of 9 ± 2 million years. It can be used to study the early development of the Earth and the Moon through isotopic anomalies of its stable decay product 182 W. The system 182 Hf - 182 W forms a geochronometer, which offers an excellent way to determine the time-scale for the early Solar System's accretion and the core formation of the planets. Many applications in the last few years yielded impressive results, e.g. concerning the origin of the Moon. However, the half-life of 182 Hf was measured 40 years ago, and a reduction of the large uncertainty would be very desirable. We are engaged in a re-measurement of the half-life, and the current status of this effort will be reported. 182 Hf may also complement a few other radionuclides in the million-year half-life range to trace relatively recent stellar events with high neutron fluxes in the vicinity of the Earth. This may be accomplished by finding measurable traces of live 182 Hf in suitable terrestrial archives. Since 182 Hf has no significant natural sources on earth, live 182 Hf is an ideal indicator of a recent, nearby supernova or other explosive stellar events. The AMS detection method of 182 Hf with the upgraded VERA facility, and first results of this new AMS nuclide will be presented. Refs. 2 (author)

  20. Investigating the Early Atmospheres of Earth and Mars through Rivers, Raindrops, and Lava Flows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Som, Sanjoy M.

    2010-11-01

    The discovery of a habitable Earth-like planet beyond our solar-system will be remembered as one of the major breakthroughs of 21st century science, and of the same magnitude as Copernicus' heliocentric model dating from the mid 16th century. The real astrobiological breakthrough will be the added results from atmospheric remote sensing of such planets to determine habitability. Atmospheres, in both concentration and composition are suggestive of processes occurring at the planetary surface and upper crust. Unfortunately, only the modern Earth's atmosphere is known to be habitable. I investigate the density and pressure of our planet's early atmosphere before the rise of oxygen 2.5 billion years ago, because our planet was very much alive microbially. Such knowledge gives us another example of a habitable atmosphere. I also investigates the atmosphere of early Mars, as geomorphic signatures on its surface are suggestive of a past where liquid water may have present in a warmer climate, conditions suitable for the emergence of life, compared with today's 6 mbar CO2-dominated atmosphere. Using tools of fluvial geomorphology, I find that the largest river-valleys on Mars do not record a signature of a sustained hydrological cycle, in which precipitation onto a drainage basin induces many cycles of water flow, substrate incision, water ponding, and return to the atmosphere via evaporation. Rather, I conclude that while episodes of flow did occur in perhaps warmer environments, those periods were short-lived and overprinted onto a dominantly cold and dry planet. For Earth, I develop a new method of investigating atmospheric density and pressure using the size of raindrop imprints, and find that raindrop imprints preserved in the 2.7 billion year old Ventersdorp Supergroup of South Africa are consistent with precipitation falling in an atmosphere of near-surface density 0.1 kg/m3, compared to a modern value of 1.2 kg/m3, further suggesting a nitrogen level of at most

  1. Phosphorus sorption-desorption and effects of temperature, pH and salinity on phosphorus sorption in marsh soils from coastal wetlands with different flooding conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Junhong; Ye, Xiaofei; Jia, Jia; Zhang, Guangliang; Zhao, Qingqing; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

    2017-12-01

    Wetland soils act as a sink or source of phosphorus (P) to the overlaying water due to phosphorus sorption-desorption processes. Litter information is available on sorption and desorption behaviors of phosphorus in coastal wetlands with different flooding conditions. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate phosphorus sorption-desorption processes, fractions of adsorbed phosphorus, and the effects of salinity, pH and temperature on phosphorus sorption on soils in tidal-flooding wetlands (TW), freshwater-flooding wetlands (FW) and seasonal-flooding wetlands (SW) in the Yellow River Delta. Our results showed that the freshly adsorbed phosphorus dominantly exists in Occluded-P and Fe/AlP and their percentages increased with increasing phosphorus adsorbed. Phosphorus sorption isotherms could be better described by the modified Langmuir model than by the modified Freundlich model. A binomial equation could be properly used to describe the effects of salinity, pH, and temperature on phosphorus sorption. Phosphorus sorption generally increased with increasing salinity, pH, and temperature at lower ranges, while decreased in excess of some threshold values. The maximum phosphorus sorption capacity (Q max ) was larger for FW soils (256 mg/kg) compared with TW (218 mg/kg) and SW soils (235 mg/kg) (p < 0.05). The percentage of phosphorus desorption (P des ) in the FW soils (7.5-63.5%) was much lower than those in TW (27.7-124.9%) and SW soils (19.2-108.5%). The initial soil organic matter, pH and the exchangeable Al, Fe and Cd contents were important factors influencing P sorption and desorption. The findings of this study indicate that freshwater restoration can contribute to controlling the eutrophication status of water bodies through increasing P sorption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The study of Phosphorus distribution at Putrajaya Wetland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mubin Zahari, Nazirul; Malek, Nur Farzana Fasiha Abdul; Fai, Chow Ming; Humaira Haron, Siti; Hafiz Zawawi, Mohd; Nazmi Ismail, Iszmir; Mohamad, Daud; Syamsir, Agusril; Sidek, Lariyah Mohd; Zakwan Ramli, Mohd; Ismail, Norfariza; Zubir Sapian, Ahmad; Noordin, Normaliza; Rahaman, Nurliyana Abdul; Muhamad, Yahzam; Mat Saman, Jarina

    2018-04-01

    This study is concerning phosphorus distribution in Putrajaya Wetland. Phosphorus is one of the important component in nutrients for living things be it aquatic or non – aquatic organisms. Total phosphorus (TP) results will give some information on the trophic status of surface water in water bodies. The focus of this study is to determine the total phosphorus concentration in Putrajaya Wetland which is in the inlet of the wetland then outlet of the wetland (Central Wetland Lake). The water sample is taken from Putrajaya Wetland and the test was conducted in the laboratory. The result from this study shows the results for total phosphorus according to month, sampling station and cells. Lowest total phosphate at the Central Wetland compare with all the wetland arms cells.

  3. Electrical activation of phosphorus in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goh, K.E.J.; Oberbeck, L.; Simmons, M.Y.; Clark, R.G.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: We present studies of phosphorus δ-doping in silicon with a view to determining the degree of electrical activation of the dopants. These results have a direct consequence for the use of phosphorus as a qubit in a silicon-based quantum computer such as that proposed by Kane. Room temperature and 4 K Hall effect measurements are presented for phosphorus δ-doped layers grown in n-type silicon using two different methods. In the first method, the δ-layer was deposited by a phosphorus effusion cell in an MBE chamber. In the second method, the Si surface was dosed with phosphine gas and then annealed to 550 deg C to incorporate P into the substrate. In both methods, the P δ-doped layer was subsequently encapsulated by ∼25 nm of Si grown epitaxially. We discuss the implications of our results on the fabrication of the Kane quantum computer

  4. Recovery of phosphorus from sewerage treatment sludge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Manuilova, Anastasia

    1999-07-01

    This thesis is a review of the current state of technologies for the removal of phosphorus from wastewater and sludge, and the recovery and re-use of phosphorus. It explains the need for phosphorus removal and describes the current removal processes. Focus is given to phosphorus crystallisation processes and to the processes which treat sewage treatment sludges into potential sources of phosphorus. An interesting possibility to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge by use of Psenner fractionation is also discussed. By this method, the following phosphate fractions of technological significance may be distinguished: (1) redox sensitive phosphates, mainly bound to Fe(OH){sub 3}; (2) phosphate adsorbed to surfaces (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), exchangeable against OH{sup -}, and alkali-soluble phosphate; (3) phosphate bound to CaCO{sub 3}, MgCO{sub 3} and in apatite; and (4) organically bound phosphate. The basic removal mechanisms, process schemes and treatment results are described. Two experiments with three different types of sludges from Henriksdal wastewater treatment plant in Stockholm were performed in the laboratory. It was shown that the addition of sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid cause the significant release of phosphate (about 80%) for all types of sludges. If a whole Psenner fractionation was performed the phosphate release is approximately 100%.

  5. Synthesis and investigation of the structure and chemical properties of acyclic compounds of bicoordinated phosphorus with a phosphorus-carbon (p-p)/sub π/ bond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Markovskii, L.N.; Romanenko, V.D.

    1987-01-01

    Five types of reactions of phosphoalkenes can be distinguished according to the nature of the change in the coordination number and valence of the phosphorus atom in the course of chemical conversions. There are: reactions of cyclodimerization, cycloaddition, and 1,2-addition at the P-C double bond; formation of compounds of tricoordinated pentavalent phosphorus; formation of tetracoordinated phosphorus compounds; reactions of functionalization occurring without a change in the valence and coordination number of the phosphorus atom; and reactions of 1,2-elimination, leading to compounds of monocoordinated phosphorus. This paper reviews each of these reactions in detail, using double-resonance hydrogen 1 and phosphorus 31 NMR spectra and analyzing the acquired chemical shift and spin-spin coupling constants, and also demonstrates the complexation of phosphorus with several metals

  6. The challenge of controlling phosphorus in chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cannata-Andía, Jorge B; Martin, Kevin J

    2016-04-01

    The pathogenesis and management of chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorders (CKD-MBD) has experienced major changes, but the control of serum phosphorus at all stages of CKD still seems to be a key factor to improve clinical outcomes. High serum phosphorus is the most important uremia-related, non-traditional risk factor associated with vascular calcification in CKD patients and in the general population. Phosphorus may also be one of the key elements linking vascular calcification with low bone turnover. The main hormones and factors that contribute to the kidney regulation of phosphorus and calcium include parathyroid hormone, FGF-23, klotho and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). Serum phosphorus did not start rising until CKD 3b in contrast with the earlier changes observed with fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), Klotho, calcitriol and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Despite FGF-23 and PTH having synergic effects regarding phosphorus removal, they have opposite effects on 1,25(OH)2D3. At the same stages of CKD in which phosphorus retention appears to occur, calcium retention also occurs. As phosphorus accumulation is associated with poor outcomes, an important question without a clear answer is at which level-range should serum phosphorus be maintained at different stages of CKD to improve clinical outcomes. There are four main strategies to manage phosphate homeostasis; phosphorus dietary intake, administration of phosphate binder agents, effective control of hyperparathyroidism and to ensure in the CKD 5D setting, an adequate scheme of dialysis. Despite all the available strategies, and the introduction of new phosphate binder agents in the market, controlling serum phosphorus remains challenging, and hyperphosphatemia continues to be extremely common in CKD 5 patients. Furthermore, despite phosphate binding agents having proved to be effective in reducing serum phosphorus, their ultimate effects on clinical outcomes remain controversial. Thus, we still

  7. Availability for plants of phosphorus in some virgin peat samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1958-01-01

    Full Text Available The availability to plants of native peat phosphorus was studied by chemical methods and by a pot experiment in which three successive oat crops were grown with peat as the only source of phosphorus. The eight samples were collected from virgin peat lands. They were air-dried and ground. The samples were found to represent three different types of phosphorus condition: the first group contained relatively high amounts of inorganic phosphorus which was fairly easily available; the second group had a very high capacity to fix phosphorus which made its high quantity of inorganic phosphorus difficultly available; the third group was very poor in total and inorganic phosphorus but the latter was easily soluble and available to plants. On the basis of the capacity and intensity factors determined according to the method by Teräsvuori and also on the basis of inorganic phosphorus extractable by water fairly reliable predictions could be made of the mutual order of the samples as phosphorus supplyer to the plants in the pot experiment. In an incubation experiment at 27°C the amounts of organic phosphorus mineralized during the period of four months were in some of the samples quite marked, even 40 mg/l, and in most of the samples they corresponded to 5 to 15 per cent of the organic phosphorus. The amounts of phosphorus taken up by the oat crops under the favourable conditions of the pot experiment varied from 11 to 60 mg/l or from 20 to 120 kg/ha.

  8. On the extent of homogeneity region of PrP phase in the system praseodymium-phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mironov, K.E.

    1984-01-01

    For constructed by ion type compounds in the metal or metalloid systems homogeneity region boundary position can be observed at different compositions depending on which side the approximation to it occurs: on the metal or compound side. As an example the PrP homogeneity region in the praseodymium-phosphorus system is considered. An assumption is made on the prevalence of this phenomenon among rare earth monopnictides and monochalcogenides. For the PrP phase it is indicated that the monophopshide cell parameter depends on content of impurities in the initial metal, oxygen, in particular

  9. Quantifying phosphorus levels in soils, plants, surface water, and shallow groundwater associated with bahiagrass-based pastures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigua, Gilbert C; Hubbard, Robert K; Coleman, Samuel W

    2010-01-01

    Recent assessments of water quality status have identified eutrophication as one of the major causes of water quality 'impairment' not only in the USA but also around the world. In most cases, eutrophication has accelerated by increased inputs of phosphorus due to intensification of crop and animal production systems since the early 1990 s. Despite substantial measurements using both laboratory and field techniques, little is known about the spatial and temporal variability of phosphorus dynamics across landscapes, especially in agricultural landscapes with cow-calf operations. Critical to determining environmental balance and accountability is an understanding of phosphorus excreted by animals, phosphorus removal by plants, acceptable losses of phosphorus within the manure management and crop production systems into soil and waters, and export of phosphorus off-farm. Further research effort on optimizing forage-based cow-calf operations to improve pasture sustainability and protect water quality is therefore warranted. We hypothesized that properly managed cow-calf operations in subtropical agroecosystem would not be major contributors to excess loads of phosphorus in surface and ground water. To verify our hypothesis, we examined the comparative concentrations of total phosphorus among soils, forage, surface water, and groundwater beneath bahiagrass-based pastures with cow-calf operations in central Florida, USA. Soil samples were collected at 0-20; 20-40, 40-60, and 60-100 cm across the landscape (top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope) of 8 ha pasture in the fall and spring of 2004 to 2006. Forage availability and phosphorus uptake of bahiagrass were also measured from the top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope. Bi-weekly (2004-2006) groundwater and surface water samples were taken from wells located at top slope, middle slope, and bottom slope, and from the runoff/seepage area. Concentrations of phosphorus in soils, forage, surface water, and shallow

  10. Recovery of phosphorus compounds from thermally-processed wastes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czechowska-Kosacka, A.; Pawłowski, L.; Niedbala, G.; Cel, W.

    2018-05-01

    Depletion of phosphorus deposits is one of the most serious global problems, which may soon lead to a crisis in food production. It is estimated that if the current living standard is maintained, the available reserves will be depleted in 130 years. Considering the principle of sustainable development, searching for alternative phosphorus sources is extremely important. The work presented the results of the research on the possibility of utilizing wastes as a source of phosphorus. The studies were conducted on poultry manure. The physicochemical properties of phosporus-rich wastes were determined as well. The fertilizing properties of ashes from poultry manure combustion – obtained from different systems, i.e. caged and barn production. The assimilability of phosphorus from the obtained ashes was determined. Potential applications of phosphorus-rich ashes were proposed as well.

  11. Phosphorus in antique iron music wire.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodway, M

    1987-05-22

    Harpsichords and other wire-strung musical instruments were made with longer strings about the beginning of the 17th century. This change required stronger music wire. Although these changes coincided with the introduction of the first mass-produced steel (iron alloyed with carbon), carbon was not found in samples of antique iron harpsichord wire. The wire contained an amount of phosphorus sufficient to have impeded its conversion to steel, and may have been drawn from iron rejected for this purpose. The method used to select pig iron for wire drawing ensured the highest possible phosphorus content at a time when its presence in iron was unsuspected. Phosphorus as an alloying element has had the reputation for making steel brittle when worked cold. Nevertheless, in replicating the antique wire, it was found that lowcarbon iron that contained 0.16 percent phosphorus was easily drawn to appropriate gauges and strengths for restringing antique harpsichords.

  12. Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milowska, Katarzyna; Grochowina, Justyna; Katir, Nadia; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa

    2013-01-01

    In this study the interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein (ASN) was examined. Polycationic viologen-phosphorus dendrimers (two positive charges per viologen unit) are novel compounds with relatively unknown properties. The influence of these viologen dendrimers on ASN was tested using fluorimetric and circular dichroism methods. ASN contains four tyrosine residues; therefore, the influence of dendrimers on protein molecular conformation by measuring the changes in the ASN fluorescence in the presence of dendrimers was evaluated. The interaction of dendrimers with free L-tyrosine was also monitored. Results show that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers interact with ASN; they quenched the fluorescence of ASN as well as free tyrosine by dynamic and static ways. However, the quenching was not accompanied by modifications in the ASN secondary structure. - Highlights: ► Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein (ASN) was investigated. ► Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tyrosine in ASN. ► Dendrimers caused red-shift in maximum of fluorescence. ► Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers did not change the secondary structure of ASN.

  13. Ocean acidification: One potential driver of phosphorus eutrophication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Changzi; Chai, Yanchao; Wang, Haiqing; Kan, Manman

    2017-02-15

    Harmful algal blooms which may be limited by phosphorus outbreak increases currently and ocean acidification worsens presently, which implies that ocean acidification might lead to phosphorus eutrophication. To verify the hypothesis, oxic sediments were exposed to seawater with different pH 30days. If pH was 8.1 and 7.7, the total phosphorus (TP) content in sediments was 1.52±0.50 and 1.29±0.40mg/g. The inorganic phosphorus (IP) content in sediments exposed to seawater with pH8.1 and 7.7 was 1.39±0.10 and 1.06±0.20mg/g, respectively. The exchangeable phosphorus (Ex-P) content in sediments was 4.40±0.45 and 2.82±0.15μg/g, if seawater pH was 8.1 and 7.7. Ex-P and IP contents in oxic sediments were reduced by ocean acidification significantly (pocean acidification was one potential facilitator of phosphorus eutrophication in oxic conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Biological modulation of planetary atmospheres: The early Earth scenario

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schidlowski, M.

    1985-01-01

    The establishment and subsequent evolution of life on Earth had a profound impact on the chemical regime at the planet's surface and its atmosphere. A thermodynamic gradient was imposed on near-surface environments that served as the driving force for a number on important geochemical transformations. An example is the redox imbalance between the modern atmosphere and the material of the Earth's crust. Current photochemical models predict extremely low partial pressures of oxygen in the Earth's prebiological atmosphere. There is widespread consensus that any large-scale oxygenation of the primitive atmosphere was contingent on the advent of biological (autotrophic) carbon fixation. It is suggested that photoautotrophy existed both as a biochemical process and as a geochemical agent since at least 3.8 Ga ago. Combining the stoichiometry of the photosynthesis reaction with a carbon isotope mass balance and current concepts for the evolution of the stationary sedimentary mass as a funion of time, it is possible to quantify, the accumulation of oxygen and its photosynthetic oxidation equivalents through Earth history.

  15. Recycling phosphorus by fast pyrolysis of pig manure: concentration and extraction of phosphorus combined with formation of value-added pyrolysis products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Azuara, M.; Kersten, Sascha R.A.; Kootstra, A.M.J.

    2013-01-01

    In order to recycle phosphorus from the livestock chain back to the land, fast pyrolysis of concentrated pig manure at different temperatures (400 °C, 500 °C, 600 °C), was undertaken to concentrate the phosphorus in the char fraction for recovery. Results show that 92%–97% of the phosphorus present

  16. Phosphogenesis in the 2460 and 2728 million-year-old banded iron formations as evidence for biological cycling of phosphate in the early biosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yi-Liang; Sun, Si; Chan, Lung S

    2012-01-01

    The banded iron formation deposited during the first 2 billion years of Earth's history holds the key to understanding the interplay between the geosphere and the early biosphere at large geological timescales. The earliest ore-scale phosphorite depositions formed almost at ∼2.0-2.2 billion years ago bear evidence for the earliest bloom of aerobic life. The cycling of nutrient phosphorus and how it constrained primary productivity in the anaerobic world of Archean-Palaeoproterozoic eons are still open questions. The controversy centers about whether the precipitation of ultrafine ferric oxyhydroxide due to the microbial Fe(II) oxidation in oceans earlier than 1.9 billion years substantially sequestrated phosphate, and whether this process significantly limited the primary productivity of the early biosphere. In this study, we report apatite radial flowers of a few micrometers in the 2728 million-year-old Abitibi banded iron formation and the 2460 million-year-old Kuruman banded iron formation and their similarities to those in the 535 million-year-old Lower Cambrian phosphorite. The lithology of the 535 Million-year-old phosphorite as a biosignature bears abundant biomarkers that reveal the possible similar biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in the Later Archean and Palaeoproterozoic oceans. These apatite radial flowers represent the primary precipitation of phosphate derived from the phytoplankton blooms in the euphotic zones of Neoarchean and Palaoeproterozoic oceans. The unbiased distributions of the apatite radial flowers within sub-millimeter bands do not support the idea of an Archean Crisis of Phosphate. This is the first report of the microbial mediated mineralization of phosphorus before the Great Oxidation Event when the whole biosphere was still dominated by anaerobic microorganisms.

  17. Exposure of phototrophs to 548 days in low Earth orbit: microbial selection pressures in outer space and on early earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cockell, Charles S; Rettberg, Petra; Rabbow, Elke; Olsson-Francis, Karen

    2011-10-01

    An epilithic microbial community was launched into low Earth orbit, and exposed to conditions in outer space for 548 days on the European Space Agency EXPOSE-E facility outside the International Space Station. The natural phototroph biofilm was augmented with akinetes of Anabaena cylindrica and vegetative cells of Nostoc commune and Chroococcidiopsis. In space-exposed dark controls, two algae (Chlorella and Rosenvingiella spp.), a cyanobacterium (Gloeocapsa sp.) and two bacteria associated with the natural community survived. Of the augmented organisms, cells of A. cylindrica and Chroococcidiopsis survived, but no cells of N. commune. Only cells of Chroococcidiopsis were cultured from samples exposed to the unattenuated extraterrestrial ultraviolet (UV) spectrum (>110 nm or 200 nm). Raman spectroscopy and bright-field microscopy showed that under these conditions the surface cells were bleached and their carotenoids were destroyed, although cell morphology was preserved. These experiments demonstrate that outer space can act as a selection pressure on the composition of microbial communities. The results obtained from samples exposed to >200 nm UV (simulating the putative worst-case UV exposure on the early Earth) demonstrate the potential for epilithic colonization of land masses during that time, but that UV radiation on anoxic planets can act as a strong selection pressure on surface-dwelling organisms. Finally, these experiments have yielded new phototrophic organisms of potential use in biomass and oxygen production in space exploration.

  18. The effects of phosphorus limitation on carbon metabolism in diatoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brembu, Tore; Mühlroth, Alice; Alipanah, Leila; Bones, Atle M

    2017-09-05

    Phosphorus is an essential element for life, serving as an integral component of nucleic acids, lipids and a diverse range of other metabolites. Concentrations of bioavailable phosphorus are low in many aquatic environments. Microalgae, including diatoms, apply physiological and molecular strategies such as phosphorus scavenging or recycling as well as adjusting cell growth in order to adapt to limiting phosphorus concentrations. Such strategies also involve adjustments of the carbon metabolism. Here, we review the effect of phosphorus limitation on carbon metabolism in diatoms. Two transcriptome studies are analysed in detail, supplemented by other transcriptome, proteome and metabolite data, to gain an overview of different pathways and their responses. Phosphorus, nitrogen and silicon limitation responses are compared, and similarities and differences discussed. We use the current knowledge to propose a suggestive model for the carbon flow in phosphorus-replete and phosphorus-limited diatom cells.This article is part of the themed issue 'The peculiar carbon metabolism in diatoms'. © 2017 The Authors.

  19. Phosphorus and nitrogen in the eutrophication of waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salonen, S.; Frisk, T.; Kaermeniemi, T.; Niemi, J.; Pitkaenen, H.; Silvo, K.; Vuoristo, H.

    1992-01-01

    This report is a summary of the contribution of nitrogen and phosphorus in the eutrophication process of inland and coastal waters. Special attention was paid to the mechanisms of these nutrients in regulating biological processes and to the methods available in estimating their effects in the eutrophication of water bodies. The report includes five chapters which are entitled: Introduction, which is a general background to the subject with special attention to the requirements of the Finnish Water Act. Phosphorus and nitrogen as factors regulating biological processes. The topics included are: definition of eutrophication, forms of phosphorus and nitrogen and their sources to inland and coastal waters, effects of these nutrients as growth factors of phytoplankton and macrophytes and consequences of eutrophication. Estimation of the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen. The topics discussed from the point of view of the tasks of the National Board of Waters and the Environment are: estimation of the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen in the planning and supervision of industry, fish farming, peat production, municipalities, agriculture and forestry. A brief state-of-the art of the research carried out in the National Board of Waters and the Environment is given. Methods of estimating the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen loading in waters. The topics are: relationships between phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in waters, material balances, water quality models, classification of waters and different groups of organisms as indicators of water quality. Conclusions for the estimation of the effects of phosphorus and nitrogen in receiving waters

  20. Phosphorus solubility in an acid forest soil as influenced by form of applied phosphorus and liming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fransson, Ann-Mari; Bergkvist, Bo; Tyler, Germund

    1999-01-01

    Sedimentary phosphorus, superphosphate, and wood-ash, as well as either sedimentary phosphorus. superphosphate or ash combined with lime, were distributed in selected plots in an 80-yr-old Norway spruce forest [Picea abies (L.) Karst]. After 2 yrs, the sedimentary phosphorus had increased the oxalate/oxalic acid-extractable P in the O-horizon, and the superphosphate had increased the oxalate/oxalic acid-extractable P in the E-horizon. At first, the percolation water from the superphosphate treatment showed high P concentrations. It soon returned to control levels, however. The percolation water from the sedimentary phosphorus treatment gradually showed increased phosphate concentrations. The wood-ash increased neither the amount of extractable P nor the P concentration in the percolation water. The oxalate/oxalic acid-extractable P from the sedimentary P treatment was reduced by liming. The P concentration in the percolation water also tended to be reduced. This was perhaps due to formation of Ca phosphates in the vicinity of the lime particles. In addition, if the solubility rate was similar to the uptake rate, it could account for the decreased P concentration

  1. Solvent extraction of rare earth elements by γ-ray spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sudha Vani, T.J.; Krishna Rao, K.S.V.; Krishna Reddy, L.; Jaya Rami Reddy, M.; Lee, Yong III

    2010-01-01

    Rare earth element (REE) is a mine of new material and has very wide uses in industry. India has second largest abundant resources of rare earths and with its products and exports playing an important part in the world. REEs are important in nuclear energy programs, hence the separation and purification of rare earths is demanded. As well known, the separation between trivalent REEs is one of the most difficult tasks in separation chemistry due to their similar chemical properties. A large number of acidic and neutral organo-phosphorus and sulphur extractants have been widely employed industrially for the solvent extraction separation of REEs. However, these reagents display various shortcomings, such as poor selectivity, third phase formation, etc. In view of the ever increasing demand for high purity REEs as a group or from one another, there is a growing interest in the development of new and more selective solvent extraction reagents

  2. Effects of white phosphorus on mallard reproduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vann, S.I.; Sparling, D.W.; Ottinger, M.A.

    2000-01-01

    Extensive waterfowl mortality involving thousands of ducks, geese, and swans has occurred annually at Eagle River Flats, Alaska since at least 1982. The primary agent for this mortality has been identified as white phosphorus. Although acute and subacute lethality have been described, sublethal effects are less well known. This study reports on the effects of white phosphorus on reproductive function in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in captivity. Fertility, hatching success, teratogenicity, and egg laying frequency were examined in 70 adult female mallards who received up to 7 daily doses of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg of white phosphorus. Measurements of fertility and hatchability were reduced by the white phosphorus. Teratogenic effects were observed in embryos from hens dosed at all treatment levels. Egg laying frequency was reduced even at the lowest treatment level; treated hens required a greater number of days to lay a clutch of 12 eggs than control hens. After two doses at 2.0 mg/kg, all females stopped laying completely for a minimum of 10 days and laying frequency was depressed for at least 45 days. Fertility of 10 adult male mallards dosed with 1.0 mg/kg of white phosphorus did not differ from 10 controls, but plasma testosterone levels were significantly (p free-ranging mallards may be impaired if they are exposed to white phosphorus at typical field levels.

  3. Early Evolution of Earth's Geochemical Cycle and Biosphere: Implications for Mars Exobiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    DesMarais, David J.; Chang, Sherwood (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    Carbon (C) has played multiple key roles for life and its environment. C has formed organics, greenhouse gases, aquatic pH buffers, redox buffers, and magmatic constituents affecting plutonism and volcanism. These roles interacted across a network of reservoirs and processes known as the biogeochemical C cycle. Changes in the cycle over geologic time were driven by increasing solar luminosity, declining planetary heat flow, and continental and biological evolution. The early Archean C cycle was dominated by hydrothermal alteration of crustal rocks and by thermal emanations of CO2 and reduced species (eg., H2, Fe(2+) and sulfides). Bioorganic synthesis was achieved by nonphotosynthetic CO2-fixing bacteria (chemoautotrophs) and, possibly, bacteria (organotrophs) utilizing any available nonbiological organic C. Responding both to abundant solar energy and to a longterm decline in thermal sources of chemical energy and reducing power, the blaspheme first developed anoxygenic photosynthesis, then, ultimately, oxygenic photosynthesis. O2-photosynthesis played a central role in transforming the ancient environment and blaspheme to the modem world. The geochemical C cycles of early Earth and Mars were quite similar. The principal differences between the modem C cycles of these planets arose during the later evolution of their heat flows, crusts, atmospheres and, perhaps, their blasphemes.

  4. Black phosphorus saturable absorber for ultrashort pulse generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sotor, J., E-mail: jaroslaw.sotor@pwr.edu.pl; Sobon, G.; Abramski, K. M. [Laser and Fiber Electronics Group, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, Wroclaw 50-370 (Poland); Macherzynski, W.; Paletko, P. [Faculty of Microsystem Electronics and Photonics, Wroclaw University of Technology, Janiszewskiego 11/17, Wroclaw 50-372 (Poland)

    2015-08-03

    Low-dimensional materials, due to their unique and versatile properties, are very interesting for numerous applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Recently rediscovered black phosphorus, with a graphite-like layered structure, can be effectively exfoliated up to the single atomic layer called phosphorene. Contrary to graphene, it possesses a direct band gap controllable by the number of stacked atomic layers. For those reasons, black phosphorus is now intensively investigated and can complement or replace graphene in various photonics and electronics applications. Here, we demonstrate that black phosphorus can serve as a broadband saturable absorber and can be used for ultrashort optical pulse generation. The mechanically exfoliated ∼300 nm thick layers of black phosphorus were transferred onto the fiber core, and under pulsed excitation at 1560 nm wavelength, its transmission increases by 4.6%. We have demonstrated that the saturable absorption of black phosphorus is polarization sensitive. The fabricated device was used to mode-lock an Er-doped fiber laser. The generated optical solitons with the 10.2 nm bandwidth and 272 fs duration were centered at 1550 nm. The obtained results unambiguously show that black phosphorus can be effectively used for ultrashort pulse generation with performances similar or even better than currently used graphene or carbon nanotubes. This application of black phosphorus proves its great potential to future practical use in photonics.

  5. Hybrid Differential Evolution Optimisation for Earth Observation Satellite Scheduling with Time-Dependent Earliness-Tardiness Penalties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guoliang Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available We study the order acceptance and scheduling (OAS problem with time-dependent earliness-tardiness penalties in a single agile earth observation satellite environment where orders are defined by their release dates, available processing time windows ranging from earliest start date to deadline, processing times, due dates, sequence-dependent setup times, and revenues. The objective is to maximise total revenue, where the revenue from an order is a piecewise linear function of its earliness and tardiness with reference to its due date. We formulate this problem as a mixed integer linear programming model and develop a novel hybrid differential evolution (DE algorithm under self-adaptation framework to solve this problem. Compared with classical DE, hybrid DE employs two mutation operations, scaling factor adaptation and crossover probability adaptation. Computational tests indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms classical DE in addition to two other variants of DE.

  6. Evaluation of Soybean and Cowpea Genotypes for Phosphorus Use Efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumaga, F. K.; Ofori, K.; Adiku, S. K.; Kugblenu, Y. O.; Asante, W.; Seidu, H. [College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra (Ghana); Adu-Gyamfi, J. J. [Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Laboratory, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

    2013-11-15

    Initial screening of one hundred and fifty-two (152) and fifty (50) genotypes of soybean and cowpea, respectively, were conducted at the early growth stage to evaluate root traits associated with phosphorus (P) efficiency. Fifty soybean genotypes were subsequently selected and evaluated on a tropical low P soil (Lixisol) for growth and yield under low and adequate P availability. Plants were sampled at twelve and thirty days after sowing and at maturity. Six cowpea genotypes were also selected and evaluated in pots filled with Alfisol under low, moderate and high P availability. Plants were sampled at forty days and assessed for shoot yield and nodulation under low P availability. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Phosphorus Efficiency Index (PEI) was used to determine P efficiency of soybean and cowpea genotypes. A wide variation in root traits for soybean and cowpea at the early growth stage was found, and allometric analysis showed a significant correlation between the root and shoot parameters at this stage. The study provided an opportunity to compare root traits of newly developed cowpea genotypes (early maturing, medium maturing, dual purpose and Striga resistant lines) with older released cultivars. There were significant differences in root length among the groups. In general, dual purpose, Striga resistant and medium/early maturing genotypes showed the longest roots while the older varieties showed the least total root length. Field and pot results also showed differential growth of soybean and cowpea with low P availability. Further, PCA of the results indicated that soybean genotypes could be grouped into three distinct P efficiency categories. Retaining the PC and the relative weight for each genotype in combination with yield potential under high P, four categories of responsiveness to P were obtained. Cowpea genotypes were grouped into three P efficiency categories and two categories of responsiveness to P. The study also found genetic

  7. Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Milowska, Katarzyna, E-mail: milowska@biol.uni.lodz.pl [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Grochowina, Justyna [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Katir, Nadia [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination CNRS, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse (France); El Kadib, Abdelkrim [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (INANOTECH)-MAScIR (Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research), ENSET, Avenue de I' Armee Royale, Madinat El Irfane, 10100 Rabat (Morocco); Majoral, Jean-Pierre [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination CNRS, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse (France); Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland)

    2013-02-15

    In this study the interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein (ASN) was examined. Polycationic viologen-phosphorus dendrimers (two positive charges per viologen unit) are novel compounds with relatively unknown properties. The influence of these viologen dendrimers on ASN was tested using fluorimetric and circular dichroism methods. ASN contains four tyrosine residues; therefore, the influence of dendrimers on protein molecular conformation by measuring the changes in the ASN fluorescence in the presence of dendrimers was evaluated. The interaction of dendrimers with free L-tyrosine was also monitored. Results show that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers interact with ASN; they quenched the fluorescence of ASN as well as free tyrosine by dynamic and static ways. However, the quenching was not accompanied by modifications in the ASN secondary structure. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein (ASN) was investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tyrosine in ASN. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dendrimers caused red-shift in maximum of fluorescence. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers did not change the secondary structure of ASN.

  8. Radiochemical analysis of phosphorus in milk samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, R.M. de; Cunha, I.I.L.

    1991-01-01

    The determination of phosphorus in milk samples by thermal neutron activation analysis employing radiochemical separation is described. The radiochemical separation consists of the simultaneous irradiation of samples and standards, dissolution of the milk samples in a perchloric acid and nitric acid mixture, addition of zinc hold-back carrier, precipitation of phosphorus as ammonium phospho molybdate (A.M.P.) and sample counting in a Geiger-Mueller detector. The analysis sources of error were studied and the established method was applied to phosphorus analyses in commercial milk samples. (author)

  9. Temper embrittlement, irradiation induced phosphorus segregation and implications for post-irradiation annealing of reactor pressure vessels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McElroy, R.J.; English, C.A.; Foreman, A.J.; Gage, G.; Hyde, J.M.; Ray, P.H.N.; Vatter, I.A.

    1999-01-01

    Three steels designated JPB, JPC and JPG from the IAEA Phase 3 Programme containing two copper and phosphorus levels were pre- and post-irradiation Charpy and hardness tested in the as-received (AR), 1200 C/0.5h heat treated (HT) and heat treated and 450 C/2000h aged (HTA) conditions. The HT condition was designed to simulate coarse grained heat-affected zones (HAZ's) and showed a marked sensitivity to thermal ageing in all three alloys. Embrittlement after thermal ageing was greater in the higher phosphorus alloys JPB and JPG. Charpy shifts due to thermal ageing of between 118 and 209 C were observed and accompanied by pronounced intergranular fracture, due to phosphorus segregation. The irradiation embrittlement response was complex. The low copper alloys, JPC and JPB, in the HT and HTA condition exhibited significant irradiation induced Charpy shift but very low or even negative hardness changes indicating non-hardening embrittlement. The higher copper alloy, JPG, also exhibited irradiation hardening in line with its copper content. Fractographic and microchemical studies indicated irradiation induced phosphorus segregation and a transition from cleavage to intergranular failure at grain boundary phosphorus concentrations above a critical level. The enhanced grain boundary phosphorus level increased with dose in agreement with a kinetic segregation model developed at Harwell. The relevance of the thermal ageing studies to RPV Annealing for Plant-Life Extension was identified early in the program. It is of concern that annealing of RPV's has been performed, or is proposed, at temperatures in the range 425--475 C for periods of about 1 week (168h). Much attention has been given to the use of in-situ hardness measurements and machining miniature Charpy and tensile specimens from belt-line plate and weld materials. However, HAZ's, often containing higher phosphorus levels than the present materials, have largely been ignored. A post-irradiation annealing (PIA

  10. A new model of anomalous phosphorus diffusion in silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budil, M.; Poetzl, H.; Stingeder, G.; Grasserbauer, M.

    1989-01-01

    A model is presented to describe the 'kink and tail' diffusion of phosphorus. The diffusion behaviour of phosphorus is expplained by the motion of phosphorus-interstitial and phosphorus-vacancy pairs in different charge states. The model yields the enhancement of diffusion in the tail region depending on surface concentration. Furthermore it yields the same selfdiffusion coefficient for interstitials as the gold diffusion experiments. A transformation of the diffusion equation was found to reduce the number of simulation equations. (author) 7 refs., 5 figs

  11. Digestible phosphorus levels for barrows from 50 to 80 kg

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviane Maria Oliveira dos Santos Nieto

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study was carried out to evaluate the levels of digestible phosphorus in diets for barrows with a high potential for lean meat deposition from 50 to 80 kg. Eighty barrows, with an initial weight of 47.93±3.43 kg, were distributed in completely randomized blocks, with each group given five levels of digestible phosphorus (1.86, 2.23, 2.61, 2.99, and 3.36 g kg−1. There were eight replicates, and two animals per experimental unit. Phosphorus levels did not significantly influence feed intake, weight gain, or feed conversion ratio. Daily digestible phosphorus intake increased linearly as levels of phosphorus in the diet were increased. Phosphorus levels did not significantly influence muscle depth, loin eye area, backfat thickness, or the percentage and quantity of lean meat in the carcass. A linear increase was observed for feeding cost as the levels of digestible phosphorus in the diet were increased, and the level of 1.86 g kg−1 cost 29.4% less when compared with the level of 2.61 g kg−1. The dry matter, natural matter, the coefficient of the residue, and volatile solids of the waste were not significantly influenced by phosphorus levels. Conversely, it was possible to observe an increasing linear effect for total solids, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen in the waste of animals receiving diets with increased levels of digestible phosphorus. The level of 1.86 g kg−1, which corresponded to a daily intake of 4.77 g−1 of digestible phosphorus, meets the requirements of barrows weighing 50 to 80 kg.

  12. Chromatography of phosphorus oxoacids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohashi, S.

    1975-01-01

    The present state of studies on the chromatographic separation of phosphorus oxoacids is surveyed. In this paper, chromatographic techniques are divided into four groups, i.e. paper and thin-layer chromatography, paper electrophoresis, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel chromatography. The separation mechanisms and characteristics for these chromatographic methods are discussed and some examples for the separation of phosphorus oxoacids are described. As examples of the application of ion-exchange and gel chromatography, studies on the hot atom chemistry of 32 P in solid inorganic phosphates and those on the substitution reactions between diphosphonate (diphosphite) and polyphosphates are reported. (author)

  13. Effect of phosphorus level on nitrogen accumulation and yield in soybean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    You Yubo; Wu Dongmei; Gong Zhenping; Ma Chunmei

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, the 15 N labeling with sand culture was conducted to study effects of phosphorus level on nitrogen accumulation, nodule nitrogen fixation and yield of soybean plants. Results showed that nitrogen accumulation, fixation and yield of soybean plants all presented a single peak curve with improvement of phosphorus nutrition level, with the peak value of phosphorus concentration in nutrient solution of 31 mg/L. When phosphorus concentration of nutrient solution was 11 mg/L, no obvious promotion was found on the ratio of nodule nitrogen fixation when increasing phosphorus concentration again, However, when phosphorus concentration of nutrient solution was 21 mg/L, increasing phosphorus concentration again had no obvious promotion on soybean plant nitrogen accumulation, nodule nitrogen fixation accumulation and yield, indicating that effect of phosphorus nutrition level on nitrogen fixation was lower than that on yield formation level. (authors)

  14. Radiation induced phosphorus segregation in austenitic and ferritic alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brimhall, J.L.; Baer, D.R.; Jones, R.H.

    1984-01-01

    The radiation induced surface segregation (RIS) of phosphorus in stainless steel attained a maximum at a dose of 0.8 dpa then decreased continually with dose. This decrease in the surface segregation of phosphorus at high dose levels has been attributed to removal of the phosphorus layer by ion sputtering. Phosphorus is not replenished since essentially all of the phosphorus within the irradiation zone has been segregated to the surface. Sputter removal can explain the previously reported absence of phosphorus segregation in ferritic alloys irradiated at high dosessup(1,2) (>1 dpa) since irradiation of ferritic alloys to low doses has shown measurable RIS. This sputtering phenomenon places an inherent limitation to the heavy ion irradiation technique for the study of surface segregation of impurity elements. The magnitude of the segregation in ferritics is still much less than in stainless steel which can be related to the low damage accumulation in these alloys. (orig.)

  15. Phosphorus conditions at various depths in some mineral soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1963-05-01

    Full Text Available The fractionation method of CHANG and JACKSON (2 was used for the analysing of the distribution of inorganic phosphorus in the topsoil and subsoil of twelve virgin and twelve cultivated soils from various parts of the country; two virgin soils and twenty cultivated soils were studied down to the depths of 60 cm or 70 cm, one even to 2 m. In the more intensively podsolized virgin soils the surface layers, particularly the A2-horizon, are very poor in all the forms of inorganic phosphorus while the enrichment layer will contain fairly high amounts of iron and aluminium bound phosphorus. The application of fertilizers and the other cultivation managements tend to accumulate aluminium and iron bound phosphorus in the plough layer. In some soils the minimum content of calcium bound phosphorus occurs in the layer below the plough layer, but an increase with the depth seems to be typical to it in all the non-Litorina soils, while the first two fractions usually decrease with the depth. In the Litorina soils the iron bound phosphorus is dominant in all the layers studied, but the content of reductant soluble phosphorus is low in these soils, and their content of calcium bound phosphorus is higher than the content of phosphorus bound by aluminium. The predominance of calcium phosphate in the subsoil and the rather low content of reductant soluble and occluded fractions indicate that the chemical weathering in most of our soils is not yet at an advanced stage. The test values determined were in accordance with the results of the fractionation and the estimation of ammonium oxalate soluble aluminium and iron.

  16. Extraction studies on rare earths using dinonyl phenyl phosphoric acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anitha, M.; Singh, D.K.; Kotekar, M.K.; Vijayalakshmi, R.; Singh, H.

    2011-01-01

    Rare earths are widely used in phosphor materials, magnetic substances, alloys, catalyst, lasers, superconductors, solid oxide fuel cells and in nuclear applications. The high value of these elements depends on their effective separation into high purity compounds. The separation into individual rare earths is very difficult to achieve, due to the very low separation factors between two adjacent rare earths arising due to similar chemical properties. Taking the advantage of variation in basicity, the separation is generally accomplished by solvent extraction or ion exchange. There are several references on the separation of rare earth in different media employing various types of extractants such as 2-ethylhexyl 2-ethyhexylphosphonic acid (EHEHPA) and di-2-ethyl hexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) which have been widely used for the separation and purification of rare earths. Dinonyl phenyl phosphoric acid (DNPPA) is an organo phosphorus extractant (pKa = 2.54) and is an aromatic analogue of D2EHPA, which extracts metal ion by cation exchange mechanism. DNPPA was explored to recover rare earths from phosphate media such as wet process phosphoric acid and merchant grade acid. However, there is no information available in literature on DNPPA for RE extraction from chloride medium. Therefore, an attempt has been made in the present study to investigate the feasibility of using DNPPA for extraction of La(III), Dy(III) and Y(III) from chloride medium

  17. Evaluation of added phosphorus in six volcanic ash soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pino N, I.; Casas G, L.; Urbinsa P, M.C.

    1984-01-01

    The behaviour of added phosphorus in six volcanic ash soils (Andepts) was studied. Two phosphate retention solution were used; one of them labeled with 32 P carrier free. The phosphate retention solution (25 ml) was added to 5 gr of air dry soil. The remainder phosphorus in solution was measured through colorimetry and liquid scintillation. Over 85% phosphorus retention was measured in five soils. A phosphate retention solution labeled with 32 P carrier free proved to be efficient for the determination of phosphorus retention rates in the volcanic ash soils studied. (Author)

  18. Phosphate Activation via Reduced Oxidation State Phosphorus (P. Mild Routes to Condensed-P Energy Currency Molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire R. Cousins

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The emergence of mechanisms for phosphorylating organic and inorganic molecules is a key step en route to the earliest living systems. At the heart of all contemporary biochemical systems reside reactive phosphorus (P molecules (such as adenosine triphosphate, ATP as energy currency molecules to drive endergonic metabolic processes and it has been proposed that a predecessor of such molecules could have been pyrophosphate [P2O74−; PPi(V]. Arguably the most geologically plausible route to PPi(V is dehydration of orthophosphate, Pi(V, normally a highly endergonic process in the absence of mechanisms for activating Pi(V. One possible solution to this problem recognizes the presence of reactive-P containing mineral phases, such as schreibersite [(Fe,Ni3P] within meteorites whose abundance on the early Earth would likely have been significant during a putative Hadean-Archean heavy bombardment. Here, we propose that the reduced oxidation state P-oxyacid, H-phosphite [HPO32−; Pi(III] could have activated Pi(V towards condensation via the intermediacy of the condensed oxyacid pyrophosphite [H2P2O52−; PPi(III]. We provide geologically plausible provenance for PPi(III along with evidence of its ability to activate Pi(V towards PPi(V formation under mild conditions (80 °C in water.

  19. Total phosphorus recovery in flowback fluids after gelled hydrocarbon fracturing fluid treatments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fyten, G.; Houle, P.; Taylor, R.S. [Halliburton Energy Services, Calgary, AB (Canada); Stemler, P.S. [Petro-Canada Oil and Gas Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada); Lemieux, A. [Omnicon Consultants Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada)

    2006-07-01

    Carbon dioxide miscible hydrocarbon fracturing fluids are used in unconventional gas reservoirs such as tight gas, shale gas, and coalbed methane. These fracturing fluids address phase trapping concerns by using oil-based fracturing fluid technology for use in reservoirs that are water sensitive. This paper addressed the problem of refinery tower fouling caused by volatile phosphorous components found in phosphate ester oil gellants. In order to address costly unplanned refinery shutdowns, a maximum 0.5 ppm volatile phosphorus in crude specification has been proposed. However, this specification is based on average concentrations of phosphorus added to the oil to gel it. The specification also falsely assumes that the oil is phosphorus free to begin with. The authors noted that refinery tower fouling is actually the result of total phosphorus throughput rather than peak concentrations at any one point. This paper focused on the total phosphorus recovery in addition to peak concentrations. It also examined what percentage of the total recovered phosphorus is in fact volatile, since this is the material that plugs the trays. The total per cent recovery of phosphorus originally added as phosphorus based gellant was examined along with the total percent recovery of volatile phosphorus as a function of total phosphorus. The phosphorus concentrations in both new and reused fracturing fluids before addition of gellants was also examined along with the potential explanations for phosphorus concentrations higher than those originally added. It was shown that the first 50 per cent of a hydraulic fracturing fluid flowback can result in recovery of greater than or less than the amount of phosphorus added to that portion of the fracturing fluid. The initial high concentrations of total and volatile phosphorus are greater than the phosphorus concentrations inherent in the system. Therefore, as flowback continues, there would be a rapid decline in the concentration of phosphorus

  20. Isotopically exchangeable phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbaro, N.O.

    1984-01-01

    A critique revision of isotope dilution is presented. The concepts and use of exchangeable phosphorus, the phosphate adsorption, the kinetics of isotopic exchange and the equilibrium time in soils are discussed. (M.A.C.) [pt

  1. Neutron activation analysis for calibration of phosphorus implantation dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, Rick L.; Simons, David S.

    2001-01-01

    A feasibility study was undertaken to determine if radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) can be used to certify the retained dose of phosphorus implanted in silicon, with the goal of producing a phosphorus SRM. Six pieces of silicon, implanted with a nominal phosphorus dose of 8.5x10 14 atoms·cm -2 were irradiated at a neutron flux of 1.05x10 14 cm -2 ·s -1 . The samples were mixed with carrier, dissolved in acid, the phosphorus isolated by chemical separation, and 32 P measured using a beta proportional counter. A mean phosphorus concentration of (8.35±0.20)x10 14 atoms·cm -2 (uncertainty=1 standard deviation) was determined for the six samples, in agreement with the nominal implanted dose

  2. Studies on phosphorus utilization as influenced by bacterial seed inoculation and phosphorus fertilization in summer mung (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kothari, S.K.; Saraf, C.S.

    1988-01-01

    A greenhouse experiment was conducted with four types of bacterial inoculation (Rhizobium alone; Rhizobium along with Azotobacter chroococcum; Rhizobium along with Azospirillum brasilense and no inoculation) and three levels of phosphorus ( 32 P labelled SSP) application (O, 6.5 ppm and 13.0 ppm P). Inoculation with Rhizobium along with Azotobacter chroococcum was found to be better than Rhizobium alone or Rhizobium along with Azospirillum brasilense in respect of leaf, stem, root and nodule dry weight, phosphorus uptake and utilization efficiency. P application upto 6.5 ppm significantly increased leaf, stem, root and nodule dry weight and phosphorus uptake. Per cent phosphorus derived from fertilizer (per cent pdff) and fertilizer P uptake significantly increased while P utilization efficiency significantly decreased with increasing levels of P application. (author). 12 refs., 2 tables

  3. Improving phosphorus availability in an acid soil using organic amendments produced from agroindustrial wastes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ch'ng, Huck Ywih; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Majid, Nik Muhamad Ab

    2014-01-01

    In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp.) to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixture of biochar and compost increased total phosphorus, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions (soluble inorganic phosphorus, aluminium bound inorganic phosphorus, iron bound inorganic phosphorus, redundant soluble inorganic phosphorus, and calcium bound phosphorus), and organic phosphorus. This was possible because the organic amendments increased soil pH and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminium, and exchangeable iron. The findings suggest that the organic amendments altered soil chemical properties in a way that enhanced the availability of phosphorus in this study. The amendments effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus, thus rendering phosphorus available by keeping the inorganic phosphorus in a bioavailable labile phosphorus pool for a longer period compared with application of Triple Superphosphate without organic amendments.

  4. Improving Phosphorus Availability in an Acid Soil Using Organic Amendments Produced from Agroindustrial Wastes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huck Ywih Ch’ng

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, resp. to fix aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus. Amending soil with biochar or compost or a mixture of biochar and compost increased total phosphorus, available phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus fractions (soluble inorganic phosphorus, aluminium bound inorganic phosphorus, iron bound inorganic phosphorus, redundant soluble inorganic phosphorus, and calcium bound phosphorus, and organic phosphorus. This was possible because the organic amendments increased soil pH and reduced exchangeable acidity, exchangeable aluminium, and exchangeable iron. The findings suggest that the organic amendments altered soil chemical properties in a way that enhanced the availability of phosphorus in this study. The amendments effectively fixed aluminium and iron instead of phosphorus, thus rendering phosphorus available by keeping the inorganic phosphorus in a bioavailable labile phosphorus pool for a longer period compared with application of Triple Superphosphate without organic amendments.

  5. Occurrence of phosphorus in groundwater and surface water of northwestern Mississippi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welch, Heather L.; Kingsbury, James A.; Coupe, Richard H.

    2010-01-01

    Previous localized studies of groundwater samples from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial (MRVA) aquifer have demonstrated that dissolved phosphorus concentrations in the aquifer are much higher than the national background concentration of 0.03 milligram per liter (mg/L) found in 400 shallow wells across the country. Forty-six wells screened in the MRVA aquifer in northwestern Mississippi were sampled from June to October 2010 to characterize the occurrence of phosphorus in the aquifer, as well as the factors that might contribute to high dissolved phosphorus concentrations in groundwater. Dissolved phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.12 to 1.2 mg/L with a median concentration of 0.62 mg/L. The predominant subunit of the MRVA aquifer in northwestern Mississippi is the Holocene alluvium in which median dissolved phosphorus concentrations were higher than the Pleistocene valley trains deposits subunit. Highest phosphorus concentrations occurred in water from wells located along the Mississippi River. A general association between elevated phosphorus concentrations and dissolved iron concentrations suggests that reducing conditions that mobilize iron in the MRVA aquifer also might facilitate transport of phosphorus. Using baseflow separation to estimate the contribution of baseflow to total streamflow, the estimated contribution to the total phosphorus load associated with baseflow at the Tensas River at Tendal, LA, and at the Bogue Phalia near Leland, MS, was 23 percent and 8 percent, respectively. This analysis indicates that elevated concentrations of dissolved phosphorus in the MRVA aquifer could be a possible source of phosphorus to streams during baseflow conditions. However, the fate of phosphorus in groundwater discharge and irrigation return flow to streams is not well understood.

  6. Secondary poisoning of kestrels by white phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sparling, D.W.; Federoff, N.E.

    1997-01-01

    Since 1982, extensive waterfowl mortality due to white phosphorus (P4) has been observed at Eagle River Flats, a tidal marsh near Anchorage, Alaska. Ducks and swans that ingest P4 pellets become lethargic and may display severe convulsions. Intoxicated waterfowl attract raptors and gulls that feed on dead or dying birds. To determine if avian predators can be affected by secondary poisoning, we fed American kestrels (Falco sparverius) 10-day-old domestic chickens that had been dosed with white phosphorus. Eight of 15 kestrels fed intact chicks with a pellet of P4 implanted in their crops died within seven days. Three of 15 kestrels fed chicks that had their upper digestive tracts removed to eliminate any pellets of white phosphorus also died. Hematocrit and hemoglobin in kestrels decreased whereas lactate dehydrogenaseL, glucose, and alanine aminotransferase levels in plasma increased with exposure to contaminated chicks. Histological examination of liver and kidneys showed that the incidence and severity of lesions increased when kestrels were fed contaminated chicks. White phosphorus residues were measurable in 87% of the kestrels dying on study and 20% of the survivors. This study shows that raptors can become intoxicated either by ingesting portions of digestive tracts containing white phosphorus pellets or by consuming tissues of P4 contaminated prey.

  7. The origin of the moon and the early history of the earth - a chemical model. Part 2: The earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Neill, H.St.C.

    1991-01-01

    The geochemical implications for the earth of a giant impact model for the origin of the earth-moon system are discussed, using a mass balance between three components: the proto-earth, the Impactor, and a late veneer. It is argued that the proto-earth accretes from material resembling a high temperature condensate from the solar nebula. Core formation takes place under very reducing conditions, resulting in the mantle of the proto-earth being completely stripped of all elements more siderophile than Fe, and partly depleted in the barely siderophile elements V, Cr, and perhaps Si. The Impactor then collides with the proto-earth, causing vaporisation of both the Impactor and a substantial portion of the earth's mantle. Most of this material recondenses to the earth, but some forms the moon. The Impactor adds most of the complement of the siderophile elements of the present mantle in an oxidized form. The oxidation state of the mantle is set near to its present, oxidized level. Finally, the addition of a late veneer, of composition similar to that of the H-group ordinary chondrites, accounts for the complement of the highly siderophile elements of the present mantle. The model accounts at least semi-quantitatively for the siderophile element abundances of the present mantle. Implications for the composition of the earth's core are discussed; the model predicts that neither S, O, nor Si should be present in sufficient quantities to provide the required light element in the core, whose identity, therefore, remains enigmatic

  8. The Spatial-temperal Distribution of Phosphorus Species and the Main Factors Influencing on Phosphorus Transportation in Middle Reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pu, X.; An, R.; Li, R.; Huang, W.; Li, J.

    2017-12-01

    The objectives of the current study are to investigate the spatial, temperal variation of phisphorus (P) fraction in middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River of China. Samples were collected in April (dry season), August (wet season), and Octber (normal season) along with the middle reaches from Lazi site to Nuxia sitewhich which is about 1000km long. Sequential extraction were applied to determine the forms of phosphorus in suspended particles and to assess the potential bioavailability of particulate P. The results indicated that the distribution of suspended particle size inflenced not only the total phosphorus concentration, but also the proportions of different forms of phosphorus. The exchangeable phosphorus (Ex-P), Fe-bound-P, Ca-bound-P were the most aboundant forms and the highest proportions of total P. The total P concentrations were closely relative to the concentration of suspended particles. According to the characteristics of suspended particles in the Yarlung Zangbo River, the relationship between the suspended particles size and species of phosphorus was established though statistical analysis. The Ex-P increased with the decreasing of suspended particulate size. The content of bioavailable particulate phosphorus varied greatly with the proportions of particulate size. In genral, the higher the proportion of smaller particle size, the higher the content of bioavailable phosphorus. The main factors which affect the phosphorus transportation in Yarlung Zangbo River had also been discussed.

  9. Phytoextraction of excess soil phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, Nilesh C.; Starnes, Daniel L.; Sahi, Shivendra V.

    2007-01-01

    In the search for a suitable plant to be used in P phytoremediation, several species belonging to legume, vegetable and herb crops were grown in P-enriched soils, and screened for P accumulation potentials. A large variation in P concentrations of different plant species was observed. Some vegetable species such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and yellow squash (Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo) were identified as potential P accumulators with >1% (dry weight) P in their shoots. These plants also displayed a satisfactory biomass accumulation while growing on a high concentration of soil P. The elevated activities of phosphomonoesterase and phytase were observed when plants were grown in P-enriched soils, this possibly contributing to high P acquisition in these species. Sunflower plants also demonstrated an increased shoot P accumulation. This study shows that the phytoextraction of phosphorus can be effective using appropriate plant species. - Crop plants such as cucumber, squash and sunflower accumulate phosphorus and thus can be used in the phytoextraction of excess phosphorus from soils

  10. Phytoextraction of excess soil phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sharma, Nilesh C. [Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard 11080, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1080 (United States); Starnes, Daniel L. [Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard 11080, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1080 (United States); Sahi, Shivendra V. [Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard 11080, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1080 (United States)]. E-mail: shiv.sahi@wku.edu

    2007-03-15

    In the search for a suitable plant to be used in P phytoremediation, several species belonging to legume, vegetable and herb crops were grown in P-enriched soils, and screened for P accumulation potentials. A large variation in P concentrations of different plant species was observed. Some vegetable species such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and yellow squash (Cucurbita pepo var. melopepo) were identified as potential P accumulators with >1% (dry weight) P in their shoots. These plants also displayed a satisfactory biomass accumulation while growing on a high concentration of soil P. The elevated activities of phosphomonoesterase and phytase were observed when plants were grown in P-enriched soils, this possibly contributing to high P acquisition in these species. Sunflower plants also demonstrated an increased shoot P accumulation. This study shows that the phytoextraction of phosphorus can be effective using appropriate plant species. - Crop plants such as cucumber, squash and sunflower accumulate phosphorus and thus can be used in the phytoextraction of excess phosphorus from soils.

  11. Do invasive mussels restrict offshore phosphorus transport in Lake Huron?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Yoonkyung; Stow, Craig A; Nalepa, Thomas F; Reckhow, Kenneth H

    2011-09-01

    Dreissenid mussels were first documented in the Laurentian Great Lakes in the late 1980s. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) spread quickly into shallow, hard-substrate areas; quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) spread more slowly and are currently colonizing deep, offshore areas. These mussels occur at high densities, filter large water volumes while feeding on suspended materials, and deposit particulate waste on the lake bottom. This filtering activity has been hypothesized to sequester tributary phosphorus in nearshore regions reducing offshore primary productivity. We used a mass balance model to estimate the phosphorus sedimentation rate in Saginaw Bay, a shallow embayment of Lake Huron, before and after the mussel invasion. Our results indicate that the proportion of tributary phosphorus retained in Saginaw Bay increased from approximately 46-70% when dreissenids appeared, reducing phosphorus export to the main body of Lake Huron. The combined effects of increased phosphorus retention and decreased phosphorus loading have caused an approximate 60% decrease in phosphorus export from Saginaw Bay to Lake Huron. Our results support the hypothesis that the ongoing decline of preyfish and secondary producers including diporeia (Diporeia spp.) in Lake Huron is a bottom-up phenomenon associated with decreased phosphorus availability in the offshore to support primary production.

  12. Early anaerobic metabolisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Canfield, Donald Eugene; Rosing, Minik T; Bjerrum, Christian

    2006-01-01

    probably driven by the cycling of H2 and Fe2+ through primary production conducted by anoxygenic phototrophs. Interesting and dynamic ecosystems would have also been driven by the microbial cycling of sulphur and nitrogen species, but their activity levels were probably not so great. Despite the diversity......Before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis, the biosphere was driven by anaerobic metabolisms. We catalogue and quantify the source strengths of the most probable electron donors and electron acceptors that would have been available to fuel early-Earth ecosystems. The most active ecosystems were...... of potential early ecosystems, rates of primary production in the early-Earth anaerobic biosphere were probably well below those rates observed in the marine environment. We shift our attention to the Earth environment at 3.8Gyr ago, where the earliest marine sediments are preserved. We calculate, consistent...

  13. The Prevalence of Phosphorus Containing Food Additives in Top Selling Foods in Grocery Stores

    Science.gov (United States)

    León, Janeen B.; Sullivan, Catherine M.; Sehgal, Ashwini R.

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine the prevalence of phosphorus-containing food additives in best selling processed grocery products and to compare the phosphorus content of a subset of top selling foods with and without phosphorus additives. Design The labels of 2394 best selling branded grocery products in northeast Ohio were reviewed for phosphorus additives. The top 5 best selling products containing phosphorus additives from each food category were matched with similar products without phosphorus additives and analyzed for phosphorus content. Four days of sample meals consisting of foods with and without phosphorus additives were created and daily phosphorus and pricing differentials were computed. Setting Northeast Ohio Main outcome measures Presence of phosphorus-containing food additives, phosphorus content Results 44% of the best selling grocery items contained phosphorus additives. The additives were particularly common in prepared frozen foods (72%), dry food mixes (70%), packaged meat (65%), bread & baked goods (57%), soup (54%), and yogurt (51%) categories. Phosphorus additive containing foods averaged 67 mg phosphorus/100 gm more than matched non-additive containing foods (p=.03). Sample meals comprised mostly of phosphorus additive-containing foods had 736 mg more phosphorus per day compared to meals consisting of only additive-free foods. Phosphorus additive-free meals cost an average of $2.00 more per day. Conclusion Phosphorus additives are common in best selling processed groceries and contribute significantly to their phosphorus content. Moreover, phosphorus additive foods are less costly than phosphorus additive-free foods. As a result, persons with chronic kidney disease may purchase these popular low-cost groceries and unknowingly increase their intake of highly bioavailable phosphorus. PMID:23402914

  14. The prevalence of phosphorus-containing food additives in top-selling foods in grocery stores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    León, Janeen B; Sullivan, Catherine M; Sehgal, Ashwini R

    2013-07-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of phosphorus-containing food additives in best-selling processed grocery products and to compare the phosphorus content of a subset of top-selling foods with and without phosphorus additives. The labels of 2394 best-selling branded grocery products in northeast Ohio were reviewed for phosphorus additives. The top 5 best-selling products containing phosphorus additives from each food category were matched with similar products without phosphorus additives and analyzed for phosphorus content. Four days of sample meals consisting of foods with and without phosphorus additives were created, and daily phosphorus and pricing differentials were computed. Presence of phosphorus-containing food additives, phosphorus content. Forty-four percent of the best-selling grocery items contained phosphorus additives. The additives were particularly common in prepared frozen foods (72%), dry food mixes (70%), packaged meat (65%), bread and baked goods (57%), soup (54%), and yogurt (51%) categories. Phosphorus additive-containing foods averaged 67 mg phosphorus/100 g more than matched nonadditive-containing foods (P = .03). Sample meals comprised mostly of phosphorus additive-containing foods had 736 mg more phosphorus per day compared with meals consisting of only additive-free foods. Phosphorus additive-free meals cost an average of $2.00 more per day. Phosphorus additives are common in best-selling processed groceries and contribute significantly to their phosphorus content. Moreover, phosphorus additive foods are less costly than phosphorus additive-free foods. As a result, persons with chronic kidney disease may purchase these popular low-cost groceries and unknowingly increase their intake of highly bioavailable phosphorus. Copyright © 2013 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Phosphorus Processing—Potentials for Higher Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ludwig Hermann

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In the aftermath of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs and the Paris Agreement (COP21 by virtually all United Nations, producing more with less is imperative. In this context, phosphorus processing, despite its high efficiency compared to other steps in the value chain, needs to be revisited by science and industry. During processing, phosphorus is lost to phosphogypsum, disposed of in stacks globally piling up to 3–4 billion tons and growing by about 200 million tons per year, or directly discharged to the sea. Eutrophication, acidification, and long-term pollution are the environmental impacts of both practices. Economic and regulatory framework conditions determine whether the industry continues wasting phosphorus, pursues efficiency improvements or stops operations altogether. While reviewing current industrial practice and potentials for increasing processing efficiency with lower impact, the article addresses potentially conflicting goals of low energy and material use as well as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA as a tool for evaluating the relative impacts of improvement strategies. Finally, options by which corporations could pro-actively and credibly demonstrate phosphorus stewardship as well as options by which policy makers could enforce improvement without impairing business locations are discussed.

  16. Phosphorus in the feeding of pigs : effect of diet on the absorption and retention of phosphorus by growing pigs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jongbloed, A.W.

    1987-01-01

    An extensive review is given of the literature concerning phosphorus feeding of pigs. Subjects dealt with are: 1. physiological background, regulation and effect of diet composition and nutrient supply on phosphorus absorption and retention; 2. estimation of the amount of P present in the

  17. Remediation of phosphorus from electric furnace waste streams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanna, J.; Jung, J.O.

    1992-01-01

    Electrothermal production of elemental phosphorus (P4) generates substantial amounts of highly toxic phossy water sludge, slag and other gaseous wastes. Because of their high phosphorus content the sludges pose potential fire hazards. In the absence of a reliable processing technology, large amounts of these hazardous wastes are accumulated at an annual rate of 1.5-2.5 million tons from current and past operations. The accumulated sludges are stored in ponds or in special containment vessels in 30 locations in 18 states including Alabama, California, Tennessee, Idaho and Montana. Serious water pollution problems will result unless these wastes are given extensive treatment to remove the elemental phosphorus. Federal regulations prohibit permanent storage of flammable wastes. This paper reports that recently, researchers at the University of Alabama have developed a two-step method for the treatment of phosphorus sludge that includes bulk removal of phosphorus by physical separation techniques followed by remediation of the residual P4 in the sludge using a novel wet air oxidation technique known as HSAD

  18. A Hierarchical Phosphorus Nanobarbed Nanowire Hybrid: Its Structure and Electrochemical Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Dan; Li, Beibei; Zhang, Jinying; Li, Xin; Xiao, Dingbin; Fu, Chengcheng; Zhang, Lihui; Li, Zhihui; Li, Jun; Cao, Daxian; Niu, Chunming

    2017-06-14

    Nanostructured phosphorus-carbon composites are promising materials for Li-ion and Na-ion battery anodes. A hierarchical phosphorus hybrid, SiC@graphene@P, has been synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition of phosphorus on the surfaces of barbed nanowires, where the barbs are vertically grown graphene nanosheets and the cores are SiC nanowires. A temperature-gradient vaporization-condensation method has been used to remove the unhybridized phosphorus particles formed by homogeneous nucleation. The vertically grown barb shaped graphene nanosheets and a high concentration of edge carbon atoms induced a fibrous red phosphorus (f-RP) growth with its {001} planes in parallel to {002} planes of nanographene sheets and led to a strong interpenetrated interface interaction between phosphorus and the surfaces of graphene nanosheets. This hybridization has been demonstrated to significantly enhance the electrochemical performances of phosphorus.

  19. Overview of phosphorus diffusion and gettering in multicrystalline silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bentzen, A.; Holt, A.

    2009-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of phosphorus emitter diffusion and gettering as experienced in multicrystalline silicon solar cell processing. The paper gives a brief summary of the diffusion properties of phosphorus in silicon, explaining the nature behind the characteristic kink-and-tail profiles often encountered in silicon solar cells. Then, phosphorus diffusion gettering is discussed with particular focus to the inhomogeneous nature of multicrystalline silicon, and it is discussed how the abundant presence of dislocations in the areas of the material having a low recombination lifetime can cause only minor lifetime enhancements in such areas upon phosphorus diffusion. Attributed to dissociation of precipitated impurities in combination with longer effective diffusion lengths of the impurities, it is then seen that even poor areas of multicrystalline can exhibit a noticeable improvement by phosphorus diffusion gettering when applying a lower diffusion temperature for a longer duration.

  20. Structure of inorganic phosphorus-nitrogen tetrahedral compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vitola, A.; Ronis, J.; Avotins, V.; Millers, T.

    1997-01-01

    The structure analysis of phosphorus-nitrogen compounds has shown the possibility of the P(O,N) 4 tetrahedra to form various kinds of structures. The wide spectrum of the properties determined by the diversity of structures marks the considerable promise to the future application of phosphorus-nitrogen compounds

  1. Phosphorus dendrimers and photodynamic therapy. Spectroscopic studies on two dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes: Cationic phosphorus dendrimer with rose bengal and anionic phosphorus dendrimer with methylene blue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabrzalska, Monika; Zablocka, Maria; Mignani, Serge; Majoral, Jean Pierre; Klajnert-Maculewicz, Barbara

    2015-08-15

    Dendrimers due to their unique architecture may play an important role in drug delivery systems including chemotherapy, gene therapy and recently, photodynamic therapy as well. We investigated two dendrimer-photosensitizer systems in context of potential use of these systems in photodynamic therapy. The mixtures of an anionic phosphorus dendrimer of the second generation and methylene blue were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy while that of a cationic phosphorus dendrimer (third generation) and rose bengal were investigated by spectrofluorimetric methods. Spectroscopic analysis of these two systems revealed the formation of dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes via electrostatic interactions as well as π stacking. The stoichiometry of the rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex was estimated to be 7:1 and 9:1 for the methylene blue-anionic dendrimer complex. The results suggest that these polyanionic or polycationic phosphorus dendrimers can be promising candidates as carriers in photodynamic therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. [Pollution load and the first flush effect of phosphorus in urban runoff of Wenzhou City].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Dong; Chen, Zhen-lou; Bi, Chun-juan

    2012-08-01

    Five typical rainfalls were monitored in two different research areas of Wenzhou municipality. The pH and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved phosphorus (DP), particulate phosphorus (PP), total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), total suspended substances (TSS), BOD5 and COD in six different kinds of urban runoff were measured. The results showed that, the concentrations of TP, DP and PP in different kinds of urban runoff of Wenzhou ranged from 0.01 to 4.32 mg x L(-1), ND to 0.88 mg x L(-1) and ND to 4.31 mg x L(-1), respectively. In the early stages of runoff process PP was dominated, while in the later, the proportion of DP in most of the runoff samples would show a rising trend, especially in roof and outlet runoff. Judged by the event mean concentration (EMC) of TP and DP in these five rainfalls, some kinds of urban runoff could cause environmental pressure to the next level receiving water bodies. Meanwhile, the differences among the TP and DP content (maximum, minimum and mean content) in various urban runoffs were significant, and so were the differences among various rainfall events. According to the M (V) curve, the first flush effect of TP in most kinds of urban runoff was common; while the first flush effect of DP was more difficult to occur comparing with TP. Not only the underlying surface types but also many physico-chemical properties of runoff could affect the concentration of TP in urban runoff. All the results also suggested that different best management plans (BMPs) should be selected for various urban runoff types for the treatment of phosphorus pollution, and reducing the concentration of TSS is considered as one of the effective ways to decrease the pollution load of phosphorus in urban runoff.

  3. Direct observation of thermal disorder and decomposition of black phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Seung Jo; Kim, Heejin; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Kim, Jin-Gyu

    2018-02-01

    Theoretical research has been devoted to reveal the properties of black phosphorus as a two-dimensional nanomaterial, but little attention has been paid for the experimental characterization. In this study, the thermal disorder and decomposition of black phosphorus were examined using in situ heating transmission electron microscopy experiments. We observed that the breaking of crystallographic symmetry begins at 380 °C under vacuum condition, followed by the phosphorus evaporates after long-term heating at 400 °C. This decomposition process can be initiated by the surficial vacancy and proceeds toward both interlayer ([010]) and intralayer ([001]) directions. The results on the thermal behavior of black phosphorus provide useful guidance for thin film deposition and fabrication processes with black phosphorus.

  4. Measurement of phosphorus in metals by RNAA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, R.L.

    2000-01-01

    An RNAA procedure has been developed for measurement of low-level phosphorus in metals. Samples are irradiated at a neutron flux of 2.7 x 10 13 n x cm -2 x s -1 then mixed with carrier and dissolved in acid. After chemical separation and purification of the phosphorus and gravimetric determination of carrier yield, 32 P is determined using a beta proportional counter. The detection limit for a 0.1 g sample irradiated for 30 minutes is 5 μg/kg. The method has been used to determine 6.4 ± 0.6 mg/kg phosphorus is SRM 2175 refractory alloy. (author)

  5. Identification of cowpea cultivars for low phosphorus soils of Nigeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Afolabi, N.O.; Ogunbodede, B.A.; Adediran, J.A.

    1996-01-01

    Twenty cultivars of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, adapted to the Nigerian ecologies were screened to identify cultivars which can give high and sustainable yields when grown on soils with low available phosphorus in a sub-humid climate. Some cultivars including TVX3236, AFB1757, Ogunfowokan and K-28 gave three to four times higher grain yields than the other cultivars at zero phosphorus supply. While phosphorus application reduced grain yield in most of the cultivars with marked reduction in the higher yielding cultivars, low yielding cultivars tended to show some yield increase. Phosphorus use efficiency of the roots, stem or leaves was not significantly correlated with grain yield when 60 KgP/ha was applied. Reduction in yield due to phosphorus application might be due to induced Zn deficiency as Zn supply in these soils has been found to be inherently low. High grain yielding capacity without fertilizer phosphorus application was generally positively correlated with high vegetative shoot dry matter production. However, no clear relationship could be found between grain yield and root dry matter at maturity. It is concluded that selection for phosphorus efficiency in cowpea can substantially contribute to higher cowpea productivity and the farmers income on soils low in available phosphorus in the sub-humid areas of Nigeria. (author). 5 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs

  6. Identification of cowpea cultivars for low phosphorus soils of Nigeria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Afolabi, N O; Ogunbodede, B A; Adediran, J A [Obafemi Awolowo Univ., Ibadan (Nigeria). Inst. of Agricultural Research and Training

    1996-07-01

    Twenty cultivars of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, adapted to the Nigerian ecologies were screened to identify cultivars which can give high and sustainable yields when grown on soils with low available phosphorus in a sub-humid climate. Some cultivars including TVX3236, AFB1757, Ogunfowokan and K-28 gave three to four times higher grain yields than the other cultivars at zero phosphorus supply. While phosphorus application reduced grain yield in most of the cultivars with marked reduction in the higher yielding cultivars, low yielding cultivars tended to show some yield increase. Phosphorus use efficiency of the roots, stem or leaves was not significantly correlated with grain yield when 60 KgP/ha was applied. Reduction in yield due to phosphorus application might be due to induced Zn deficiency as Zn supply in these soils has been found to be inherently low. High grain yielding capacity without fertilizer phosphorus application was generally positively correlated with high vegetative shoot dry matter production. However, no clear relationship could be found between grain yield and root dry matter at maturity. It is concluded that selection for phosphorus efficiency in cowpea can substantially contribute to higher cowpea productivity and the farmers income on soils low in available phosphorus in the sub-humid areas of Nigeria. (author). 5 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs.

  7. Quantitation of phosphorus excretion in sheep by compartmental analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, K.M.; Boston, R.C.; Leaver, D.D.

    1987-01-01

    The control of phosphorus excretion in sheep has been examined by constructing a kinetic model that contains a mechanistic set of connections between blood and gastrointestinal tract. The model was developed using experimental data from chaff-fed sheep and gives an accurate description of the absorption and excretion of 32 P phosphorus in feces and urine of the ruminating sheep. These results indicated the main control site for phosphorus excretion in the ruminating sheep was the gastrointestinal tract, whereas for the non-ruminating sheep fed the liquid diet, control was exerted by the kidney. A critical factor in the induction of adaptation of phosphorus reabsorption by the kidney was the reduction in salivation, and since this response occurred independently of marked changes in the delivery of phosphorus to the kidney, a humoral factor may be involved in this communication between salivary gland and kidney

  8. Early Hydrodynamic Escape Limits Rocky Planets to Less Than or Equal to 1.6 Earth Radii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehmer, O. R.; Catling, D. C.

    2017-01-01

    In the past decade thousands of exoplanet candidates and hundreds of confirmed exoplanets have been found. For sub-Neptune-sized planets, those less than approx. 10 Earth masses, we can separate planets into two broad categories: predominantly rocky planets, and gaseous planets with thick volatile sheaths. Observations and subsequent analysis of these planets show that rocky planets are only found with radii less than approx. 1.6 Earth radii. No rocky planet has yet been found that violates this limit. We propose that hydrodynamic escape of hydrogen rich protoatmospheres, accreted by forming planets, explains the limit in rocky planet size. Following the hydrodynamic escape model employed by Luger et al. (2015), we modelled the XUV driven escape from young planets (less than approx.100 Myr in age) around a Sun-like star. With a simple, first-order model we found that the rocky planet radii limit occurs consistently at approx. 1.6 Earth radii across a wide range of plausible parameter spaces. Our model shows that hydrodynamic escape can explain the observed cutoff between rocky and gaseous planets. Fig. 1 shows the results of our model for rocky planets between 0.5 and 10 Earth masses that accrete 3 wt. % H2/He during formation. The simulation was run for 100 Myr, after that time the XUV flux drops off exponentially and hydrodynamic escape drops with it. A cutoff between rocky planets and gaseous ones is clearly seen at approx. 1.5-1.6 Earth radii. We are only interested in the upper size limit for rocky planets. As such, we assumed pure hydrogen atmospheres and the highest possible isothermal atmospheric temperatures, which will produce an upper limit on the hydrodynamic loss rate. Previous work shows that a reasonable approximation for an upper temperature limit in a hydrogen rich protoatmosphere is 2000-3000 K, consistent with our assumptions. From these results, we propose that the observed dichotomy between mini-Neptunes and rocky worlds is simply explained by

  9. Effect of phytase supplementation on apparent phosphorus digestibility and phosphorus output in broiler chicks fed low-phosphorus diets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xian-Ren Jiang

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplemental phytase in broiler chicks fed different low levels of total phosphorus (P on the apparent phosphorus digestibility (APD and phosphorus output (PO in the faeces and ileal digesta. After fed a standard broiler starter diet from day 0 to 14 post-hatch, a total of 144 male broiler chicks were allocated to 6 groups for a 7-d experiment with a 2 × 3 factorial design comparing phytase (supplemented without (CTR or with 400 FTU/kg phytase (PHY and total P levels (2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 g/kg. The faecal samples were collected from day 17 to 21 post-hatch. At 22 days of age, all the chicks were slaughtered and collected the ileal digesta. Phytase supplementation significantly (P < 0.01 increased APD and decreased PO in the faeces and ileal digesta in comparison with the CTR group. In addition, PO in the faeces expressed as g/kg DM diets and faeces (Diet × P level, P = 0.047 and < 0.01, respectively as well as PO in the ileal digesta expressed as g/kg DM digesta (Diet × P level, P = 0.04 were affected by diet and P level, which were due to the significant reduction (P < 0.01 by PHY supplementation to the diets with 3.0 g/kg total P. The results evidenced that supplemental phytase improved the APD and PO when chicks was fed 3.0 g/kg total P diet, while lower total P levels may limit exogenous phytase efficacy.

  10. Rare-earth metal prices in the USA ca. 1960 to 1994

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedrick, James B.

    1997-01-01

    Rare-earth metal prices were compiled from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Although commercial demand for rare-earth metals began in 1908, as the alloy mischmetal, commercial quantities of a wide range of individual rare-earth metals were not available until the late 1950s. The discovery of a large, high-grade rare-earth deposit at Mountain Pass. CA, USA, in 1949, was significant because it led to the production of commercial quantities or rare-earth elements that reduced prices and encouraged wider application of the materials. The availability of ore from Mountain Pass, and other large rare-earth deposits, especially those in Australia and China, has provided the world with abundant resources for rare-earth metal production. This availability, coupled with improved technology from Government and private-sector metallurgical research, has resulted in substantial decreases in rare-earth metal prices since the late 1950s and early 1960s. Price series for the individual rare-earth metals (except promethium) are quoted on a kilogram basis from the late 1950s and early 1960s through 1994. Prices are given in US dollars on an actual and constant dollar basis. Industrial and economic factors affecting prices during this time period are examined.

  11. Intra-group separation of rare earths using new organic phosphorus ligands; Intragruppentrennung Seltener Erden mittels neuer phosphororganischer Liganden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hadic, Sanela

    2017-10-01

    Rare earth elements (REE) have unique magnetic, photophysical, and chemical properties and they are therefore used in numerous high-technology applications. However, to this day, the isolation of pure rare earths from primary and secondary raw materials is very challenging. In this work, the hydrometallurgical separation of neighboring rare earths (e.g., praseodymium/ neodymium) was optimized with novel selective extraction agents. The separation of rare earths (yttrium and all lanthanides except promethium) was investigated with fourteen new organophosphorus compounds. Oxygen-bearing phosphinic acids yielded good separation results for heavy rare earths (dysprosium to lutetium). For light rare earths (lanthanum to neodymium), particularly high separation factors were realized with synergistic systems containing an aromatic dithiophosphinic acid and a co-extractant, such as tris (2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP). Optimization studies of the latter extraction system revealed an extremely high separation factor (SF) of 4.21 between praseodymium and neodymium. Another focus of this work was to understand the extraction mechanism. With the aid of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 1}H-NMR) and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS), the complex stoichiometry of promising extraction systems was examined. Studies revealed a dependency between the selectivity for rare earths and the coordination number of the formed complexes. In addition, temperature-dependent extraction experiments were performed and thermodynamic data (ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS) determined. These data provided additional information about the origin of selectivity for neighboring rare earths. With regard to the industrial capability of the investigated extraction systems, the chemical durability of ligands was studied under process-relevant conditions. Qualitative and quantitative analytical methods (e.g., GC-MS) were used in long-term experiments to determine the ligand degradation

  12. Nonproteinogenic D-amino acids at millimolar concentrations are a toxin for anaerobic microorganisms relevant to early Earth and other anoxic planets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nixon, Sophie L; Cockell, Charles S

    2015-03-01

    The delivery of extraterrestrial organics to early Earth provided a potentially important source of carbon and energy for microbial life. Optically active organic compounds of extraterrestrial origin exist in racemic form, yet life on Earth has almost exclusively selected for L- over D-enantiomers of amino acids. Although D-enantiomers of proteinogenic amino acids are known to inhibit aerobic microorganisms, the role of concentrated nonproteinogenic meteoritic D-amino acids on anaerobic metabolisms relevant to early Earth and other anoxic planets such as Mars is unknown. Here, we test the inhibitory effect of D-enantiomers of two nonproteinogenic amino acids common to carbonaceous chondrites, norvaline and α-aminobutyric acid, on microbial iron reduction. Three pure strains (Geobacter bemidjiensis, Geobacter metallireducens, Geopsychrobacter electrodiphilus) and an iron-reducing enrichment culture were grown in the presence of 10 mM D-enantiomers of both amino acids. Further tests were conducted to assess the inhibitory effect of these D-amino acids at 1 and 0.1 mM. The presence of 10 mM D-norvaline and D-α-aminobutyric acid inhibited microbial iron reduction by all pure strains and the enrichment. G. bemidjiensis was not inhibited by either amino acid at 0.1 mM, but D-α-aminobutyric acid still inhibited at 1 mM. Calculations using published meteorite accumulation rates to the martian surface indicate D-α-aminobutyric acid may have reached inhibitory concentrations in little over 1000 years during peak infall. These data show that, on a young anoxic planet, the use of one enantiomer over another may render the nonbiological enantiomer an environmental toxin. Processes that generate racemic amino acids in the environment, such as meteoritic infall or impact synthesis, would have been toxic processes and could have been a selection pressure for the evolution of early racemases.

  13. Geohistory. Global evolution of the earth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozima, Minoru

    1987-01-01

    A full understanding of the earth's evolution can be achieved only by considering it as a continuous process starting with the birth of the solar system. This book traces the evolution of the earth, mainly on the basis of radiogenic isotopes from long half-life parent elements, and discusses it in terms of the latest developments in astrophysical theory, which impose unique constraints on the earth's origin and early evolution. By its 'historical' nature, geohistorical study also offers a unique approach to forecasting the future of the earth, yielding useful clues for the understanding of environmental problems, such as radioactive waste disposal. This book aims to provide an outline of global evolution of the planet earth for students of general science and for earth scientists.

  14. Anaerobic fermentation combined with low-temperature thermal pretreatment for phosphorus-accumulating granular sludge: Release of carbon source and phosphorus as well as hydrogen production potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Jinte; Li, Yongmei

    2016-10-01

    Releases of organic compounds and phosphorus from phosphorus-accumulating granular sludge (PGS) and phosphorus-accumulating flocculent sludge (PFS) during low-temperature thermal pretreatment and anaerobic fermentation were investigated. Meanwhile, biogas production potential and microbial community structures were explored. The results indicate that much more soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and phosphorus were released from PGS than from PFS via low-temperature thermal pretreatment because of the higher extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content in PGS and higher ratio of phosphorus reserved in EPS. Furthermore, PGS contains more anaerobes and dead cells, resulting in much higher SCOD and volatile fatty acids release from PGS than those from PFS during fermentation. PGS fermentation facilitated the n-butyric acid production, and PGS exhibited the hydrogen production potential during fermentation due to the presence of hydrogen-producing bacteria. Therefore, anaerobic fermentation combined with low-temperature thermal pretreatment can facilitate the recovery of carbon and phosphorus as well as producing hydrogen from PGS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Phosphorus fertilizer and grazing management effects on phosphorus in runoff from dairy pastures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dougherty, Warwick J; Nicholls, Paul J; Milham, Paul J; Havilah, Euie J; Lawrie, Roy A

    2008-01-01

    Fertilizer phosphorus (P) and grazing-related factors can influence runoff P concentrations from grazed pastures. To investigate these effects, we monitored the concentrations of P in surface runoff from grazed dairy pasture plots (50 x 25 m) treated with four fertilizer P rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) for 3.5 yr at Camden, New South Wales. Total P concentrations in runoff were high (0.86-11.13 mg L(-1)) even from the control plot (average 1.94 mg L(-1)). Phosphorus fertilizer significantly (P pasture biomass (P dairy pastures should be the maintenance of soil P at or near the agronomic optimum by the use of appropriate rates of P fertilizer.

  16. Dietary phosphorus requirement of pejerrey fingerlings (Odontesthes bonariensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cleber Bastos Rocha

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available To determine the available phosphorus requirement of pejerrey fish, four semi-purified diets were formulated to contain increasing available phosphorus levels (0.90, 2.7, 5.7 and 8.3 g/kg. Each diet was assigned to groups of 10 fish with average weight of 1.26±0.17 g, distributed into a completely randomized design with four treatments and four replications. Fish were fed at a rate of 10% total biomass four times a day for 60 days. The parameters productive performance, body chemical composition and mineral composition of bones and scales were evaluated. The best productive performance of fingerlings was obtained with the diet containing 4.3 g/kg available phosphorus. The average level of 6.3 g/kg available phosphorus promotes better mineralization of bones and scales in pejerrey fish.

  17. Impact on the earth, ocean and atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahrens, T.J.; O'Keefe, J.D.

    1987-01-01

    Several hundred impact craters produced historically and at times as early as 1.9 x 10/sup 9/ years ago with diameters in the range 10/sup -2/ to 10/sup 2/ km are observed on the surface of the earth. Earth-based and spacecraft observations of the surfaces of all the terrestrial planets and their satellites, as well as many of the icy satellites of the outer planets, indicated that impact cratering was a dominant process on planetary surfaces during the early history of the solar system. Moreover, the recent observation of a circumstellar disk around the nearby star, β-Pictoris, appears to be similar to the authors' own hypothesized protosolar disk. A disk of material around our sun has been hypothesized to have been the source of the solid planetesimals from which the earth and the other planets accreted by infall and capture. Thus it appears that the earth and the other terrestrial planets formed as a result of infall and impact of planetesimals. Although the present planets grew rapidly via accretion to their present size (in --10/sup 7/ years), meteorite impacts continue to occur on the earth and other planets. Until recently meteorite impact has been considered to be a process that was important on the earth and the other planets only early in the history of the solar system. This is no longer true. The Alvarez hypothesis suggests that the extinction of some 90% of all species, including 17 classes of dinosaurs, is associated with the 1 to 150 cm thick layer of noble-element rich dust which is found all over the earth exactly at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. The enrichment of noble elements in this dust is in meteorite-like proportions. This dust is thought to represent the fine impact ejecta from a --10 km diameter asteroid interacting with the solid earth. The Alvarez hypothesis associates the extinction with the physics of a giant impact on the earth

  18. Phosphorus Balance in Adolescent Girls and the Effect of Supplemental Dietary Calcium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vorland, Colby J; Martin, Berdine R; Weaver, Connie M; Peacock, Munro; Gallant, Kathleen M Hill

    2018-03-01

    There are limited data on phosphorus balance and the effect of dietary calcium supplements on phosphorus balance in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine phosphorus balance and the effect of increasing dietary calcium intake with a supplement on net phosphorus absorption and balance in healthy adolescent girls. This study utilized stored urine, fecal, and diet samples from a previously conducted study that focused on calcium balance. Eleven healthy girls ages 11 to 14 years participated in a randomized crossover study, which consisted of two 3-week periods of a controlled diet with low (817 ± 19.5 mg/d) or high (1418 ± 11.1 mg/d) calcium, separated by a 1-week washout period. Phosphorus intake was controlled at the same level during both placebo and calcium supplementation (1435 ± 23.5 and 1453 ± 28.0 mg/d, respectively, p = 0.611). Mean phosphorus balance was positive by about 200 mg/d and was unaffected by the calcium supplement ( p = 0.826). Urinary phosphorus excretion was lower with the calcium supplement (535 ± 42 versus 649 ± 41 mg/d, p = 0.013), but fecal phosphorus and net phosphorus absorption were not significantly different between placebo and calcium supplement (553 ± 60 versus 678 ± 63 versus mg/d, p = 0.143; 876 ± 62 versus 774 ± 64 mg/d, p = 0.231, respectively). Dietary phosphorus underestimates using a nutrient database compared with the content measured chemically from meal composites by ~40%. These results show that phosphorus balance is positive in girls during adolescent growth and that a calcium dietary supplement to near the current recommended level does not affect phosphorus balance when phosphorus intake is at 1400 mg/d, a typical US intake level. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

  19. Water Quality Criteria for White Phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    1987-08-01

    the number of eggs produced per adult , Chronic tests using inidges exposed to elemental phosphorus through contaminated sediments were also performed by...hemoglobinemia, hemoglobinuria, hematuria, bilirubinemia, mild (Cases 2 and 3) to severe (Case 1) hypocalcemia , -61- r. ., TABLE 14. SUMMARY OF CASUALTIES...day yellow phosphorus in corn oil for 30 days or less, lost weight. Young adult rats injected with 0.5 mg/kg/day lost less weight than fully mature or

  20. Phosphorus availability and microbial respiration across biomes :  from plantation forest to tundra

    OpenAIRE

    Esberg, Camilla

    2010-01-01

    Phosphorus is the main limiting nutrient for plant growth in large areas of the world and the availability of phosphorus to plants and microbes can be strongly affected by soil properties. Even though the phosphorus cycle has been studied extensively, much remains unknown about the key processes governing phosphorus availability in different environments. In this thesis the complex dynamics of soil phosphorus and its availability were studied by relating various phosphorus fractions and soil ...

  1. Genetics evaluation of phosphorus utilization in tropical cowpea ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Genetics evaluation of phosphorus utilization in tropical cowpea (Vigna ... that responds negatively to RP, using generation mean analysis of the parents, their ... was observed to be below the critical level, phosphorus uptake in the F1 and the ...

  2. Bloodcompatibility improvement of titanium oxide film modified by phosphorus ion implantation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, P.; Leng, Y.X.; Zhao, A.S.; Zhou, H.F.; Xu, L.X.; Hong, S.; Huang, N.

    2006-01-01

    Our recent investigation suggested that Ti-O thin film could be a newly developed antithrombotic material and its thromboresistance could be related to its physical properties of wide gap semiconductor. In this work, titanium oxide film was modified by phosphorus ion implantation and succeeding vacuum annealing. RBS were used to investigate phosphorus distribution profile. Contact angle test results show that phosphorus-doped titanium oxide film becomes more hydrophilic after higher temperature annealing, while its electric conductivity increases. Antithrombotic property of phosphorus-doped titanium oxide thin films was examined by clotting time and platelet adhesion tests. The results suggest that phosphorus doping is an effective way to improve the bloodcompatibility of titanium oxide film, and it is related to the changes of electron structure and surface properties caused by phosphorus doping

  3. Subduction on Venus and Implications for Volatile Cycling, Early Earth and Exoplanets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smrekar, S. E.; Davaille, A.; Mueller, N. T.; Dyar, M. D.; Helbert, J.; Barnes, H.

    2017-12-01

    it a good analog of Earth's Archean. There is increasing evidence that Venus is a dynamic planet with possible active and/or recent volcanism and subduction. Studying these processes on Venus provides a window into both early Earth and offers constraints on the conditions needed to initiate plate tectonics on exoplanets.

  4. Fractions and Distribution of Phosphorus in Sediments of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, W.; An, R.; Huang, Y.; Pu, X.; Li, R.; Li, J.

    2017-12-01

    The Yarlung Zangbo River is one of the highest rivers in the world. The ecological environment of the river basin has its specificity. It locates in the remote area of China, and the ecological environment is very fragile. The fundamental data of phosphorus content in sediments of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin are very scarce. In order to clarify the distribution law of phosphorus in the sediments of this area and provide the fundamental data for the study of phosphorus transport in the Yarlung Zangbo River, the authors collected the sediment samples from the mainstream and its tributaries in the research area. Their particle size distributions, specific surface areas, contents of total phosphorus, organic phosphorus and different forms of inorganic phosphorus were analyzed. Then, the fractions and spatial distribution of these forms phosphorus were studied. The results showed that the fractions and distribution characteristics of phosphorus in each form are significant different in the sediments of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The phosphorus contents in the soil erosion deposits and river bed sediment samples are also different. The phosphorus content in sediment is significantly correlated with the sediment characteristics. Keywords: the Yarlung Zangbo River; sediments; fractions of phosphorus; distribution characteristics

  5. Origin of the Early Sial Crust and U-Pb Isotope-Geochemical Heterogeneity of the Earth's Mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishkin, M. A.; Nozhkin, A. D.; Vovna, G. M.; Sakhno, V. G.; Veldemar, A. A.

    2018-02-01

    It is shown that presence of the Early Precambrian sial crust in the Indo-Atlantic segment of the Earth and its absence in the Pacific has been caused by geochemical differences in the mantle underlying these segments. These differences were examined on the basis of Nd-Hf and U-Pb isotopes in modern basalts. The U-Pb isotope system is of particular interest, since uranium is a member of a group of heat-generating radioactive elements providing heat for plumes. It is shown that in the Indo-Atlantic segment, a distribution of areas of the modern HIMU type mantle is typical, while it is almost completely absent in the Pacific segment. In the Archean, in the upper HIMU type paleo-mantle areas, plume generation and formation of the primordial basic crust occurred; this was followed by its remelting resulting in the appearance of an early sial crust forming cratons of the Indo-Atlantic segment.

  6. The release of dissolved phosphorus from lake sediments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boers, P.C.M.

    1991-01-01

    Chapter 1. Introduction: Eutrophication is one of the world's major water quality problems. Attempts to alleviate eutrophication of lakes have involved the control of phosphorus loadings. In such cases, an internal loading of phosphorus from the sediments may

  7. Early Mission Maneuver Operations for the Deep Space Climate Observatory Sun-Earth L1 Libration Point Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Craig; Case, Sara; Reagoso, John; Webster, Cassandra

    2015-01-01

    The Deep Space Climate Observatory mission launched on February 11, 2015, and inserted onto a transfer trajectory toward a Lissajous orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 libration point. This paper presents an overview of the baseline transfer orbit and early mission maneuver operations leading up to the start of nominal science orbit operations. In particular, the analysis and performance of the spacecraft insertion, mid-course correction maneuvers, and the deep-space Lissajous orbit insertion maneuvers are discussed, com-paring the baseline orbit with actual mission results and highlighting mission and operations constraints..

  8. Phosphorus Uptake and Partitioning in Maize as Affected by Tillage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Higher phosphorus concentrations were found in the ears than in the shoots and leaves at physiological maturity. Tillage x phospho-rus interactions influenced phosphorus partitioning in the ears and the leaves on the Dystric Cam-bisol but not on the Ferric Acrisol. PUE in the plant parts were significantly higher under ...

  9. Black Phosphorus: Critical Review and Potential for Water Splitting Photocatalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tae Hyung Lee

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available A century after its first synthesis in 1914, black phosphorus has been attracting significant attention as a promising two-dimensional material in recent years due to its unique properties. Nowadays, with the development of its exfoliation method, there are extensive applications of black phosphorus in transistors, batteries and optoelectronics. Though, because of its hardship in mass production and stability problems, the potential of the black phosphorus in various fields is left unexplored. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of crystal structure, electronic, optical properties and synthesis of black phosphorus. Recent research works about the applications of black phosphorus is summarized. Among them, the possibility of black phosphorous as a solar water splitting photocatalyst is mainly discussed and the feasible novel structure of photocatalysts based on black phosphorous is proposed.

  10. Global Fertilizer and Manure, Version 1: Phosphorus Fertilizer Application

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Phosphorus Fertilizer Application dataset of the Global Fertilizer and Manure, Version 1 Data Collection represents the amount of phosphorus fertilizer nutrients...

  11. Animal-based agriculture, phosphorus management and water quality in Brazil: options for the future

    OpenAIRE

    Shigaki Francirose; Sharpley Andrew; Prochnow Luís Ignácio

    2006-01-01

    Eutrophication has become a major threat to water quality in the U.S., Europe, and Australasia. In most cases, freshwater eutrophication is accelerated by increased inputs of phosphorus (P), of which agricultural runoff is now a major contributor, due to intensification of crop and animal production systems since the early 1990s'. Once little information is available on the impacts of Brazilian agriculture in water quality, recent changes in crop and animal production systems in Brazil were e...

  12. Dietary phosphorus excess: a risk factor in chronic bone, kidney, and cardiovascular disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uribarri, Jaime; Calvo, Mona S

    2013-09-01

    There is growing evidence in the nephrology literature supporting the deleterious health effect of excess dietary phosphorus intake. This issue has largely escaped the attention of nutrition experts until this symposium, which raised the question of whether the same health concerns should be extended to the general population. The potential hazard of a high phosphorus intake in the healthy population is illustrated by findings from acute and epidemiologic studies. Acute studies in healthy young adults demonstrate that phosphorus intakes in excess of nutrient needs may significantly disrupt the hormonal regulation of phosphorus contributing to disordered mineral metabolism, vascular calcification, bone loss, and impaired kidney function. One of the hormonal factors acutely affected by dietary phosphorus loading is fibroblast growth factor-23, which may be a key factor responsible for many of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications of high phosphorus intake. Increasingly, large epidemiological studies suggest that mild elevations of serum phosphorus within the normal range are associated with CVD risk in healthy populations. Few population studies link high dietary phosphorus intake to mild changes in serum phosphorus due to study design issues specific to phosphorus and inaccurate nutrient composition databases. The increasing phosphorus intake due to the use of phosphorus-containing ingredients in processed food and the growing consumption of processed convenience and fast foods is an important factor that needs to be emphasized.

  13. Effect of phosphorus on hot ductility of high purity iron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abiko, K.; Liu, C.M.; Ichikawa, M..; Suenaga, H.; Tanino, M.

    1995-01-01

    Tensile tests on high purity Fe-P alloys with 0, 0.05 and 0.1 mass%P were carried out at temperatures between 300 K and 1073 K to clarify the intrinsic effect of phosphorus on the mechanical properties of iron at elevated temperatures. Microstructures of as-quenched, interrupted and ruptured specimens were observed. Experimental results show that the addition of phosphorus causes a remarkable increase in proof stress of high purity iron at 300 K, but the increase in proof stress by phosphorus decreases with increasing test temperature. The strengthening effect of phosphorus reduces to zero at 1073 K. High purity iron and Fe-P alloys rupture at almost 100% reduction in area at the whole test temperatures. However, Fe-P alloys show much larger elongation at test temperatures above 773 K than high purity iron. The increased elongation of high purity iron by addition of phosphorus was shown to be related to the effect of phosphorus on dynamic recovery and recrystallization of iron as its intrinsic effect. (orig.)

  14. Physicochemical properties of mixed phosphorus halides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sladkov, I.B.; Tugarinova, N.S.

    1996-01-01

    Certain physicochemical properties (thermodynamic characteristics at boiling point, critical constants, density of liquid on the saturation line) of mixed phosphorus halides (PI 3 , PI 2 F, PIF 2 , PI 2 Cl, PICl 2 , PI 1 Br, PIBr 2 , PIClF, PIBrCl, etc.) are determined by means of approximate methods. Reliability of the results obtained is confirmed by comparison of calculated and experimental data for phosphorus compounds of the same type. 7 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs

  15. Can Halogen Enrichment in Reduced Enstatite Chondrites Provide Clues to Volatile Accretion in the Early Earth?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clay, P. L.; Burgess, R.; Busemann, H.; Ruzié, L.; Joachim, B.; Ballentine, C.

    2013-12-01

    Understanding how the Earth obtained and ultimately retained its volatiles is important for our overall understanding of large scale planetary evolution. Numerous models exist for the heterogeneous accretion of volatiles to early Earth, but accounting for all elements through accretion of typical planetary building blocks (e.g., CI chondrites) is difficult. Proto-planetary collisions resulting in the accretion of volatile-poor material under reducing conditions followed by accretion of volatile-rich material under oxidizing conditions has been suggested in such models [e.g., 1]. The heavy halogens (Cl, Br and I), a group of moderately volatile elements, are excellent tracers of planetary processing due to their low abundance and incompatible nature. Therefore characterizing halogen abundance and distribution in materials that accreted to form the planets, e.g., primitive meteorites, is crucial. One group of primitive meteorites, the enstatite chondrites (EC's), are amongst the most reduced materials in the solar system as evidenced by their unique mineral assemblage. Yet despite forming under ultra-reducing conditions, they are enriched in the moderately volatile elements, such as the halogens. The ECs are of particular interest owing to their oxygen isotopic composition which plots along the terrestrial fractionation line, linking them isotopically to the Earth-Moon system. These samples can thus potentially provide clues on the accretion of moderately volatile element rich material under reducing conditions, such as it may have existed during the early stages of Earth's accretion. Chlorine, Br and I concentrations in ECs were determined through step-heating small neutron-irradiated samples (0.3 to 3.3 mg) and measured by mass spectrometry using the noble gas proxy isotopes 38ArCl/Cl, 80KrBr/Br and 128XeI/I. The EH chondrites are consistently enriched in the heavy halogens (up to 330 ppm Cl, 2290 ppb Br and 180 ppb I), compared to other ordinary and carbonaceous

  16. Further developments and field deployment of phosphorus functionalized polymeric scale inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Todd, Malcolm J.; Thornton, Alex R.; Wylde, Jonathan J.; Strachan, Catherine J.; Moir, Gordon [Clariant Oil Services, Muttenz (Switzerland); Goulding, John [John Goulding Consultancy, York (United Kingdom)

    2012-07-01

    As the oil and gas industry strives to replace ageing, environmentally undesirable scale inhibitors there is an ever increasing use of polymeric inhibitors. The incorporation of phosphorous functionality into a polymer backbone has been shown to improve inhibition efficiency, enhance adsorption characteristics and allow the polymer concentration to be analyzed by elemental phosphorus. It is known that some phosphorus tagged polymers can be problematic to analyze in oil field brines as they typically have a low phosphorus content which is difficult to determine from the background. The development of novel phosphorus functionalized polymeric scale inhibitors was previously described (IBP3530-10). This paper follows the development of the inhibitor class. Utilizing extensive laboratory testing the interactive nature of the scale inhibitors and reservoir lithology was studied. These novel phosphorus functionalized inhibitors were compared to a number of other available scale inhibitors. The incorporation of phosphorus functionality into polymeric inhibitors can be expensive utilizing traditional methods as the phosphorus containing monomers are the financially limiting factor. These are typically vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA), or vinyl diphosphonic acid (VDPA). The novel phosphorus functionalized monomers utilized herein are simpler to manufacture allowing higher phosphorus content within the polymer backbone. The addition of phosphorus into a polymer backbone has previously been known to exacerbate analysis issues in some commercially available scale inhibitors. This is due to incomplete polymerization reactions leaving free and/or inorganic phosphorus containing moieties which can interfere with the analysis, or low levels of phosphorus within end-capped polymers can make it difficult to determine the active concentration accurately within field brines which contain many impuritie. Polymeric inhibitors are known to contain a range of molecular weights with varying

  17. The first 800 million years of earth's history

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, J. V.

    1981-01-01

    It is pointed out that there is no direct geological information on the first 750 Ma of earth history. Consequently the reported study is based on controversial inferences drawn from the moon, other planets and meteorites, coupled with backward extrapolation from surviving terrestrial rocks, especially those of Archaean age. Aspects of accretion are considered, taking into account cosmochemical and cosmophysical evidence, a new earth model, and convection systems. Attention is given to phase-equilibrium constraints, estimates of heat production, the bombardment history of the moon and implications for the earth, and the nature of the early crust. From a combination of physical, chemical, and petrological arguments, it is concluded that the earth's surface underwent intense volcanism in the pre-Archaean era, and that the rock types were chemically similar to those found in the early Archaean era.

  18. Ethylene: a regulator of root architectural responses to soil phosphorus availability

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borch, K.; Bouma, T.J.; Lynch, J.P.; Brown, K.M.

    1999-01-01

    The involvement of ethylene in root architectural responses to phosphorus availability was investigated in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L,) plants grown with sufficient and deficient phosphorus. Although phosphorus deficiency reduced root mass and lateral root number, main root length was

  19. Phosphorus and groundwater: Establishing links between agricultural use and transport to streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Johnson, Henry

    2012-01-01

    Phosphorus is a highly reactive element that is essential for life and forms a variety of compounds in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In water, phosphorus may be present as the orthophosphate ion (PO43-) and is also present in all life forms as an essential component of cellular material. In natural ecosystems, phosphorus is derived from the erosion of rocks and is conserved for plant growth as it is returned to the soil through animal waste and the decomposition of plant and animal tissue; but in agricultural systems, a portion of the phosphorus is removed with each harvest, especially since phosphorus is concentrated in the seeds and fruit. Phosphorus is added to soil by using chemical fertilizers, manure, and composted materials. Agricultural use of chemical phosphorus fertilizer, in the United States, in 2008 was 4,247,000 tons, which is an increase of 25 percent since 1964 (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/FertilizerUse/). Widely grown corn, soybeans, and wheat use the greatest amount of phosphorus fertilizer among agricultural crops.

  20. Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the sulfur cycle-associated Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Di; Ekama, George A; Wang, Hai-Guang; Wei, Li; Lu, Hui; Chui, Ho-Kwong; Liu, Wen-Tso; Brdjanovic, Damir; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Chen, Guang-Hao

    2014-02-01

    Hong Kong has practiced seawater toilet flushing since 1958, saving 750,000 m(3) of freshwater every day. A high sulfate-to-COD ratio (>1.25 mg SO4(2-)/mg COD) in the saline sewage resulting from this practice has enabled us to develop the Sulfate reduction, Autotrophic denitrification and Nitrification Integrated (SANI(®)) process with minimal sludge production and oxygen demand. Recently, the SANI(®) process has been expanded to include Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) in an alternating anaerobic/limited-oxygen (LOS-EBPR) aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR). This paper presents further development - an anaerobic/anoxic denitrifying sulfur cycle-associated EBPR, named as DS-EBPR, bioprocess in an alternating anaerobic/anoxic SBR for simultaneous removal of organics, nitrogen and phosphorus. The 211 day SBR operation confirmed the sulfur cycle-associated biological phosphorus uptake utilizing nitrate as electron acceptor. This new bioprocess cannot only reduce operation time but also enhance volumetric loading of SBR compared with the LOS-EBPR. The DS-EBPR process performed well at high temperatures of 30 °C and a high salinity of 20% seawater. A synergistic relationship may exist between sulfur cycle and biological phosphorus removal as the optimal ratio of P-release to SO4(2-)-reduction is close to 1.0 mg P/mg S. There were no conventional PAOs in the sludge. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Regulation of phosphorus uptake and utilization: transitioning from current knowledge to practical strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Md Mahmudul; Hasan, Md Mainul; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Li, Xuexian

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus is a poorly bioavailable macronutrient that is essential for crop growth and yield. Overuse of phosphorus fertilizers results in low phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), has serious environmental consequences and accelerates the depletion of phosphorus mineral reserves. It has become extremely challenging to improve PUE while preserving global food supplies and maintaining environmental sustainability. Molecular and genetic analyses have revealed the primary mechanisms of phosphorus uptake and utilization and their relationships to phosphorus transporters, regulators, root architecture, metabolic adaptations, quantitative trait loci, hormonal signaling and microRNA. The ability to improve PUE requires a transition from this knowledge of molecular mechanisms and plant architecture to practical strategies. These could include: i) the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbioses for efficient phosphorus mining and uptake; ii) intercropping with suitable crop species to achieve phosphorus activation and mobilization in the soil; and iii) tissue-specific overexpression of homologous genes with advantageous agronomic properties for higher PUE along with breeding for phosphorus-efficient varieties and introgression of key quantitative trait loci. More effort is required to further dissect the mechanisms controlling phosphorus uptake and utilization within plants and provide new insight into the means to efficiently improve PUE.

  2. Determination of phosphorus in gold or silver brazing alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antepenko, R.J.

    1976-01-01

    A spectrophotometric method has been devised for measuring microgram levels of phosphorus in brazing alloys of gold or silver alloys is normally measured by solid mass spectrometry, but the high nickel concentration produces a double ionized nickel spectral interference. The described procedures is based upon the formation of molybdovandophosphoric acid when a molybdate solution is added to an acidic solution containing orthophosphate and vanadate ions. The optimum acidity for forming the yellow colored product is 0.5 N hydrochloric acid. The working concentration range is from 0.1 to 1 ppm phosphorus using 100-mm cells and measuring the absorbance at 460 nm. The sample preparation procedure employs aqua regia to dissolve the alloy oxidize the phosphorus to orthophosphate. Cation-exchange chromatography is used to remove nickel ions and anion-exchange and chromatography to remove gold ions as the chloride complex. Excellent recoveries are obtained for standard phosphorus solutions run through the sample procedure. The procedure is applicable to a variety of gold or silver braze alloys requiring phosphorus analysis

  3. Selenium and phosphorus interaction in pea (pisum sativum L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Mahendra; Bhandari, D.K.

    1975-01-01

    The interaction of selenium and phosphorus on the dry matter yield and concentration and uptake of phosphorus, sulfur and selenium was studied in pea (Pisum sativnum) var. T 163. The fertilizer was tagged with P 32 . It was observed that increased concentration of applied selenium in soil decreased the dry matter yield and increased the concentration and uptake of total P, soil P and selenium in pea plants. Increased concentration of P alone increased dry matter yield, concentration and uptake of total, soil and fertilizer P and selenium which was beyond safe limits, and decreased concentration and uptake of sulphur. Selenium and phosphorus showed strong synergetic relationship by increasing the concentration of each other in plants while both showed antagonistic effect on the concentration of sulphur. Phosphorus compensated the toxic effect of selenium and improved the growth and dry matter yield of pea plants. The highest selenium concentration of 22.4 ppm was observed in 100 ppm phosphorus with 5 ppm selenium treated pots while lowest (0.10 ppm) in control. (author)

  4. Biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal by filamentous bacteria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The availability of excess nutrients (phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)) in wastewater systems causes many water quality problems. These problems include eutrophication whereby algae grow excessively and lead to depletion of oxygen, death of the aquatic life and bad odours. Biological phosphorus removal has gained ...

  5. Phosphorus Processing—Potentials for Higher Efficiency

    OpenAIRE

    Ludwig Hermann; Fabian Kraus; Ralf Hermann

    2018-01-01

    In the aftermath of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement (COP21) by virtually all United Nations, producing more with less is imperative. In this context, phosphorus processing, despite its high efficiency compared to other steps in the value chain, needs to be revisited by science and industry. During processing, phosphorus is lost to phosphogypsum, disposed of in stacks globally piling up to 3–4 billion tons and growing by about 200 million ...

  6. Regulation of phosphorus uptake and utilization: transitioning from current knowledge to practical strategies

    OpenAIRE

    Hasan, Md. Mahmudul; Hasan, Md. Mainul; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A.; Li, Xuexian

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus is a poorly bioavailable macronutrient that is essential for crop growth and yield. Overuse of phosphorus fertilizers results in low phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), has serious environmental consequences and accelerates the depletion of phosphorus mineral reserves. It has become extremely challenging to improve PUE while preserving global food supplies and maintaining environmental sustainability. Molecular and genetic analyses have revealed the primary mechanisms of phosphorus up...

  7. Phosphorus-defect interactions during thermal annealing of ion implanted silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keys, Patrick Henry

    Ion implantation of dopant atoms into silicon generates nonequilibrium levels of crystal defects that can lead to the detrimental effects of transient enhanced diffusion (TED), incomplete dopant activation, and p-n junction leakage. In order to control these effects, it is vital to have a clear understanding of dopant-defect interactions and develop models that account for these interactions. This research focuses on experimentally investigating and modeling the clustering of phosphorus dopant atoms with silicon interstitials. Damage recovery of 40keV Si+ implants in phosphorus doped wells is experimentally analyzed. The effects of background phosphorus concentration, self implant dose, and anneal temperature are investigated. Phosphorus concentrations ranging from 2.0 x 1017 to 4.0 x 1019 cm-3 and Si+ doses ranging from 5.0 x 1013 cm-2 to 2.0 x 1014 cm-2 are studied during 650-800°C anneals. A dramatic reduction in the number of interstitials bound in {311} defects with increasing phosphorus background concentration is observed. It is suggested that the reduction of interstitials in {311} defects at high phosphorus concentrations is due to the formation of phosphorus-interstitial clusters (PICs). The critical concentration for clustering (approximately 1.0 x 1019 cm-3 at 750°C) is strongly temperature dependent and in close agreement with the kink concentration of phosphorus diffusion. Information gained from these "well experiments" is applied to the study of direct phosphorus implantation. An experimental study is conducted on 40keV phosphorus implanted to a dose of 1.0 x 1014 cm-2 during 650-800°C anneals. Electrically inactive PICs are shown to form at concentrations below the solid solubility limit due to high interstitial supersaturations. Data useful for developing a model to accurately predict phosphorus diffusion under nonequilibrium conditions are extracted from the experimental results. A cluster-mediated diffusion model is developed using the

  8. Serum Phosphorus Concentrations in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Boer, Ian H.; Rue, Tessa C.; Kestenbaum, Bryan

    2011-01-01

    Background Higher serum phosphorus concentrations within the normal laboratory range have been associated with cardiovascular events and mortality in large prospective cohort studies of individuals with and without kidney disease. Reasons for interindividual variation in steady-state serum phosphorus concentrations are largely unknown. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting & Participants 15,513 participants in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Predictors Demographic data, dietary intake measured by means of 24-hour dietary recall and food-frequency questionnaire, and established cardiovascular risk factors. Outcome & Measurements Serum phosphorus concentration. Results Mean serum phosphorus concentrations were significantly greater in women (+0.16 mg/dL versus men; P phosphorus and phosphorus-rich foods were associated only weakly with circulating serum phosphorus concentrations, if at all. Higher serum phosphorus levels were associated with lower calculated Framingham coronary heart disease risk scores, which are based on traditional atherosclerosis risk factors. In aggregate, demographic, nutritional, cardiovascular, and kidney function variables explained only 12% of the variation in circulating serum phosphorus concentrations. Limitations Results may differ with advanced kidney disease. Conclusions Serum phosphorus concentration is weakly related to dietary phosphorus and not related to a diverse array of phosphorus-rich foods in the general population. Factors determining serum phosphorus concentration are largely unknown. Previously observed associations of serum phosphorus concentrations with cardiovascular events are unlikely to be a result of differences in dietary intake or traditional cardiovascular risk factors. PMID:18992979

  9. Phosphorus analysis in milk samples by neutron activation analysis method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, R.M. de; Cunha, I.I.L.

    1991-01-01

    The determination of phosphorus in milk samples by instrumental thermal neutron activation analysis is described. The procedure involves a short irradiation in a nuclear reactor and measurement of the beta radiation emitted by phosphorus - 32 after a suitable decay period. The sources of error were studied and the established method was applied to standard reference materials of known phosphorus content. (author)

  10. Phosphorus and phytase levels for layer hens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Cristina Ramos Rezende

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance and bone quality of laying hens after peak production fed diets containing phosphorus levels and phytase. An experiment was conducted with 384 Hy-line distributed in a completely randomized in a factorial 4 x 3 with 4 levels of available phosphorus and 3 levels of phytase. The experimental period was divided into four periods of 28 days, at the end of each cycle were determined experimental feed intake, egg production, egg weight, feed conversion, mortality, and average egg weight, shell thickness, Haugh units and specific gravity. At the end of the experimental period were determined amounts of calcium and phosphorus excreted by the method of total excreta collection and a fowl per experimental unit was sacrificed for collection of bones and evaluation of width, length and level of robustness from femur and tibia. There was interaction between phosphorus levels and phytase on feed intake, feed conversion and percentage of posture. For inclusion levels of phytase all egg quality variables showed no significant differences. The treatments did not affect bone characteristics of laying hens.

  11. X-ray microanalysis of Plasmodium falciparum and infected red blood cells: effects of qinghaosu and chloroquine on potassium, sodium, and phosphorus composition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, P.; Ye, Z.; Van Dyke, K.; Kirk, R.G.

    1988-01-01

    Cryosections of human red blood cells infected by Plasmodium falciparum were analyzed by energy dispersive x-ray microanalysis to determine the elemental composition of the parasites and their red cell hosts separately. The effects of two antimalarial drugs, qinghaosu and chloroquine, on potassium, sodium, and phosphorus concentrations were studied. Malarial infection causes a decrease in potassium concentration and an increase in sodium concentration in the host red cells. The drastic change in the cation composition, however, occurs only in red cells infected by late stage parasites (late trophozoite and schizont). Red cells infected by early stage parasites (ring stage) show only small changes in sodium concentration. Furthermore, the noninfected red cells in parasitized cultures show no difference in composition from those of normal red cells. Treatment of the parasitized cultures with qinghaosu (10(-6) M) or chloroquine (10(-6) M) for 8 hr causes phosphorus concentration of both early and late parasites to decrease. An 8 hr treatment with qinghaosu also produces a reduction in potassium and an increase in sodium concentrations in early and late parasites. In contrast, 8 hr treatment with chloroquine only causes a change in the sodium and potassium concentrations of the late stage parasites and does not affect the early stage parasites

  12. Geohistory: Global evolution of the earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozima, M.

    1987-01-01

    This book traces the evolution of the Earth, mainly on the basis of radiogenic isotopes from half-life parent elements, and discusses it in terms of the latest developments in astrophysical theory, which impose unique constraints on the origin and early evolution of the earth. Owing to its historical nature, this geohistorical study offers an approach to forecasting the future of the Earth yielding clues for the understanding of environmental problems, such as radioactive waste to disposal and climate changes due to CO/sub 2/ increase

  13. Impact of Phosphorus-Based Food Additives on Bone and Mineral Metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez, Orlando M; Luzuriaga-McPherson, Alexandra; Lin, Yiming; Gilbert, Linda C; Ha, Shin-Woo; Beck, George R

    2015-11-01

    Phosphorus-based food additives can substantially increase total phosphorus intake per day, but the effect of these additives on endocrine factors regulating bone and mineral metabolism is unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of phosphorus additives on markers of bone and mineral metabolism. Design and Setting, and Participants: This was a feeding study of 10 healthy individuals fed a diet providing ∼1000 mg of phosphorus/d using foods known to be free of phosphorus additives for 1 week (low-additive diet), immediately followed by a diet containing identical food items; however, the foods contained phosphorus additives (additive-enhanced diet). Parallel studies were conducted in animals fed low- (0.2%) and high- (1.8%) phosphorus diets for 5 or 15 weeks. The changes in markers of mineral metabolism after each diet period were measured. Participants were 32 ± 8 years old, 30% male, and 70% black. The measured phosphorus content of the additive-enhanced diet was 606 ± 125 mg higher than the low-additive diet (P additive diet, consuming the additive-enhanced diet for 1 week significantly increased circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), osteopontin, and osteocalcin concentrations by 23, 10, and 11%, respectively, and decreased mean sclerostin concentrations (P foods can disturb bone and mineral metabolism in humans. The results of the animal studies suggest that this may compromise bone health.

  14. Early Opportunities Research Partnership Between Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard for Engaging Underrepresented STEM Students in Earth and Space Sciences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, P.; Venable, D. D.; Hoban, S.; Demoz, B.; Bleacher, L.; Meeson, B. W.; Farrell, W. M.

    2017-12-01

    Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) are collaborating to engage underrepresented STEM students and expose them to an early career pathway in NASA-related Earth & Space Science research. The major goal is to instill interest in Earth and Space Science to STEM majors early in their academic careers, so that they become engaged in ongoing NASA-related research, motivated to pursue STEM careers, and perhaps become part of the future NASA workforce. The collaboration builds on a program established by NASA's Dynamic Response of the Environments of Asteroids, the Moon and the moons of Mars (DREAM2) team to engage underrepresented students from Howard in summer internships. Howard leveraged this program to expand via NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) funding. The project pairs Howard students with GSFC mentors and engages them in cutting-edge Earth and Space Science research throughout their undergraduate tenure. The project takes a multi-faceted approach, with each year of the program specifically tailored to each student's strengths and addressing their weaknesses, so that they experience a wide array of enriching research and professional development activities that help them grow both academically and professionally. During the academic year, the students are at Howard taking a full load of courses towards satisfying their degree requirements and engaging in research with their GSFC mentors via regular telecons, e-mail exchanges, video chats & on an average one visit per semester to GSFC for an in-person meeting with their research mentor. The students extend their research with full-time summer internships at GSFC, culminating in a Capstone Project and Senior Thesis. As a result, these Early Opportunities Program students, who have undergone rigorous training in the Earth and Space Sciences, are expected to be well-prepared for graduate school and the NASA workforce.

  15. Phosphorus Dynamics along River Continuum during Typhoon Storm Events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Fai Chow

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Information on riverine phosphorus (P dynamics during typhoon storm events remains scarce in subtropical regions. Thus, this study investigates the spatial and temporal dynamics of riverine phosphorus in a headwater catchment during three typhoon events. Continuous sampling (3 h intervals of stormwater samples and discharge data were conducted at five locations, which represent the upstream, transitional zone, and downstream areas of the main inflow river. The results revealed that the average event mean concentrations (EMCs for total dissolved phosphorus (TDP and particulate phosphorus (PP in the upstream catchment of Fei-Tsui reservoir were 15.66 μg/L and 11.94 μg/L, respectively. There was at least a 1.3-fold increase in flow-weighted concentrations of TDP and PP from the upper to lower reaches of the main stream. PP and TDP were transported either in clockwise or anticlockwise directions, depending on storm intensity and source. The transport of TDP was primarily regulated by the subsurface flow during the storm event. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP contributes more than 50% of the TDP load in moderate storms, while extreme storms supply a greater dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP load into the stream. TDP accounted for approximately 50% of TP load during typhoon storms. Mobilization of all P forms was observed from upstream to downstream of the river, except for DOP. A decrease of DOP load on passing downstream may reflect the change in phosphorus form along the river continuum. Peak discharge and antecedent dry days are correlated positively with P fluxes, indicating that river bank erosion and re-suspension of within-channel sediment are the dominant pathways of P during typhoon storm periods.

  16. Early non-destructive biofouling detection in spiral wound RO Membranes using a mobile earth's field NMR

    KAUST Repository

    Fridjonsson, E.O.; Vogt, S.J.; Vrouwenvelder, Johannes S.; Johns, M.L.

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate the use of Earth's field (EF) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to provide early non-destructive detection of active biofouling of a commercial spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) membrane module. The RO membrane module was actively biofouled to different extents, by the addition of biodegradable nutrients to the feed stream, as revealed by a subtle feed-channel pressure drop increase. Easily accessible EF NMR parameters (signal relaxation parameters T1, T2 and the total NMR signal modified to be sensitive to stagnant fluid only) were measured and analysed in terms of their ability to detect the onset of biofouling. The EF NMR showed that fouling near the membrane module entrance significantly distorted the flow field through the whole membrane module. The total NMR signal is shown to be suitable for non-destructive early biofouling detection of spiral wound membrane modules, it was readily deployed at high (operational) flow rates, was particularly sensitive to flow field changes due to biofouling and could be deployed at any position along the membrane module axis. In addition to providing early fouling detection, the mobile EF NMR apparatus could also be used to (i) evaluate the production process of spiral wound membrane modules, and (ii) provide an in-situ determination of module cleaning process efficiency.

  17. Metabolism of nonparticulate phosphorus in an acid bog lake

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koenings, J.P.

    1977-01-01

    In North Gate Lake, an acid bog lake located on the northern Michigan-Wisconsin border, U.S.A., the algal nutrient inorganic phosphate (FRP) is not detectable by chemical means. Organic phosphorus (FUP) represents 100% of the detectable filterable phosphorus. The availability and cycling of this organic fraction are of considerable interest in regard to the primary productivity of this system. To clarify these relationships, the cycling of nonparticulate forms of phosphorus found in the epilimnion of this lake was studied

  18. Metabolism of nonparticulate phosphorus in an acid bog lake

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koenings, J. P.

    1977-01-01

    In North Gate Lake, an acid bog lake located on the northern Michigan-Wisconsin border, U.S.A., the algal nutrient inorganic phosphate (FRP) is not detectable by chemical means. Organic phosphorus (FUP) represents 100% of the detectable filterable phosphorus. The availability and cycling of this organic fraction are of considerable interest in regard to the primary productivity of this system. To clarify these relationships, the cycling of nonparticulate forms of phosphorus found in the epilimnion of this lake was studied.

  19. Pervasive phosphorus limitation of tree species but not communities in tropical forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Benjamin L.; Brenes-Arguedas, Tania; Condit, Richard

    2018-03-01

    Phosphorus availability is widely assumed to limit primary productivity in tropical forests, but support for this paradigm is equivocal. Although biogeochemical theory predicts that phosphorus limitation should be prevalent on old, strongly weathered soils, experimental manipulations have failed to detect a consistent response to phosphorus addition in species-rich lowland tropical forests. Here we show, by quantifying the growth of 541 tropical tree species across a steep natural phosphorus gradient in Panama, that phosphorus limitation is widespread at the level of individual species and strengthens markedly below a threshold of two parts per million exchangeable soil phosphate. However, this pervasive species-specific phosphorus limitation does not translate into a community-wide response, because some species grow rapidly on infertile soils despite extremely low phosphorus availability. These results redefine our understanding of nutrient limitation in diverse plant communities and have important implications for attempts to predict the response of tropical forests to environmental change.

  20. Using a phosphorus loss model to evaluate the Kentucky phosphorus index

    Science.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) has recently revised its 590 Nutrient Management Conservation Standard. As part of this revision, USDA-NRCS is requiring states to test the accuracy of their phosphorus (P) index using either measured P loss data or s...

  1. Forms of newly retained phosphorus in mineral soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1964-01-01

    Full Text Available The distribution of soluble phosphate in various fractions of soil phosphorus was studied by treating 1 g-samples of 180 mineral soils with 50 ml of a KH2PO4- solution containing P 5 mg/l for 24 hours, and carrying out the fractionation by the method of CHANG and JACKSON after the solution was removed and the moist samples had stood for 3 days at room temperature. The amount of retained phosphorus in the different fractions was computed by taking the difference between the treated and check samples. In the 70 samples of clay soils, the mean proportion of the retained phosphorus was 57 per cent of the 250 mg/kg applied, in the 62 samples of the sand and fine sand soils the corresponding part was 45 per cent, and in the 48 samples of loam and silt soils it was 44 per cent. The higher retention in the clay soils was mainly due to a higher retention in the alkali-soluble fraction. The net increase in the fluoride-soluble forms was of the same order in these three soil groups. On the average, more than 95 per cent of the sorbed phosphorus was found in the fluoride-soluble and alkali-soluble fractions. In one third of the samples a low net increase in the acid soluble fraction was detected, but this may be partly due to changes in the solubility of the native phosphorus in the treated samples. Owing to the fairly large variation, the tendency to somewhat higher mean values for the sorption in the subsoils compared with those of the topsoils was not statistically significant. The ratio between the sorbed amounts of fluoride-soluble and alkali soluble forms was higher in the sand and fine sand soils than in the clay soils. Only in 15 samples, most of them Litorina-soils, the net increase in the alkali-soluble forms was higher than in the fluoride-soluble fraction. Probably, because an equilibrium in the phosphorus conditions was not yet reached at the end of the treatment, the attempt failed to find any clear connection between the distribution of the

  2. The influence of phosphorus on the corrosion of iron in calcium nitrate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Windisch, C.F. Jr.; Baer, D.R.; Jones, R.H.; Engelhard, M.H.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) of metallic alloys including iron is strongly influenced by the presence of grain boundary impurities such as phosphorus. In this study to determine how phosphorus affects the corrosion of ion, electrochemical polarization methods were used in conjunction with surface analyses employing ultrahigh vacuum transfer. Specifically, these methods were used to examine the corrosion of iron, iron/phosphorus alloys, and iron implanted with phosphorus in deaerated 55 weight percent Ca(NO 3 ) 2 solutions at 60 degrees C. The presence of phosphorus in iron accelerated corrosion in both the active and passive regions, with the effect being more pronounced in the passive region. In the active region, the phosphorus was oxidized to phosphate which, in turn, appeared to assist the dissolution of the semiprotective Fe 3 O 4 . In the passive region, the phosphorus (when unoxidized) accelerated corrosion by some other mechanism. The FePO 4 that formed in the passive region did not inhibit passivation by, rather, was incorporated in the passive film. The chemical transformations would appear to explain, at least partly, the high IGSCC rates observed for ion containing phosphorus segregated at grain boundaries

  3. Radiochemical studies of some preparation methods for phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loos-Neskovic, C.; Fedoroff, M.

    1983-01-01

    Various methods of radiochemical separation were tested for the determination of phosphorus in metals and alloys by neutron activation analysis. Classical methods of separation revealed some defects when they were applied to this problem. Methods using liquid extraction gave low yields and were not reproducible. Methods based on precipitation gave better results, but were not selective enough in most cases. Retention on alumina was not possible without preliminary separations. Authors studied a new radiochemical separation based on the extraction of elemental phosphorus in the gaseous phase after reduction at high temperature with carbon. Measurements with radioactive phosphorus showed that the extraction yield is better than 99%. (author)

  4. λ5-Phosphorus-Containing α-Diazo Compounds: A Valuable Tool for Accessing Phosphorus-Functionalized Molecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinozzi, Maura; Pertusati, Fabrizio; Serpi, Michaela

    2016-11-23

    The compounds characterized by the presence of a λ 5 -phosphorus functionality at the α-position with respect to the diazo moiety, here referred to as λ 5 -phosphorus-containing α-diazo compounds (PCDCs), represent a vast class of extremely versatile reagents in organic chemistry and are particularly useful in the preparation of phosphonate- and phosphinoxide-functionalized molecules. Indeed, thanks to the high reactivity of the diazo moiety, PCDCs can be induced to undergo a wide variety of chemical transformations. Among them are carbon-hydrogen, as well as heteroatom-hydrogen insertion reactions, cyclopropanation, ylide formation, Wolff rearrangement, and cycloaddition reactions. PCDCs can be easily prepared from readily accessible precursors by a variety of different methods, such as diazotization, Bamford-Stevens-type elimination, and diazo transfer reactions. This evidence along with their relative stability and manageability make them appealing tools in organic synthesis. This Review aims to demonstrate the ongoing utility of PCDCs in the modern preparation of different classes of phosphorus-containing compounds, phosphonates, in particular. Furthermore, to address the lack of precedent collective papers, this Review also summarizes the methods for PCDCs preparation.

  5. How did Earth not End up like Venus?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jellinek, M.; Lenardic, A.; Weller, M. B.

    2017-12-01

    Recent geodynamic calculations show that terrestrial planets forming with a chondritic initial bulk composition at order 1 AU can evolve to be either "Earth-like" or "Venus-like": Both mobile- and stagnant-lid tectonic regimes are permitted, neither solution is an explicitly stronger attractor and effects related to differences in Sun-Earth distance are irrelevant. What factors might then cause the thermal evolutionary paths of Earth and Venus to diverge dynamically at early times? At what point in Earth's evolution did plate tectonics emerge and when and how did this tectonic mode gain sufficient resilience to persist over much of Earth's evolution? What is the role of volatile cycling and climate: To what extent have the stable climate of Earth and the greenhouse runaway climate of Venus enforced their distinct tectonic regimes over time? In this talk I will explore some of the mechanisms potentially governing the evolutionary divergence of Earth and Venus. I will first review observational constraints that suggest that Earth's entry into the current stable plate tectonic mode was far from assured by 2 Ga. Next I will discuss how models have been used to build understanding of some key dynamical controls. In particular, the probability of "Earth-like" solutions is affected by: 1) small differences in the initial concentrations of heat producing elements (i.e., planetary initial conditions); 2) long-term climate change; and 3) the character of a planet's early evolutionary path (i.e., tectonic hysteresis).

  6. Phosphorus fractions and its potential release in the sediments of Koycegiz Lake, Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yalçın Şahin

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to find out the seasonal and spatial patterns of the phosphorus in the littoral sediment and its potential release into the Koycegiz Lake, south west Turkey, between November 2011 and March 2012 at two months intervals. The scanning electron microscopy was used for elemental compositions of the sediment. The amounts and forms of phosphorus (P in surface sediments of Koycegiz Lake were examined using a not sequential chemical extraction procedure. Four fractions of sedimentary P, including organic bound phosphorus fraction (Org≈P, calcium bound phosphorus fraction (Ca≈P, iron+aluminium bound phosphorus fraction (Fe+Al≈P and carbonate bound phosphorus fraction (CO3≈P were separately quantified. The results indicated that the contents of different phosphorus fractions in the sediments varied greatly. The proportion of phosphorus fractions was estimated as Org≈P (90.20 %, this fraction was followed by Ca≈P (9.06 %, Fe+Al≈P (0.47 % and CO3≈P (0.27 % in this study. The level of phosphorus release from the sediment to the lake is calculated as low. The sediment phosphorus release fluctuated between -6.647–75.883 μg/m2.d-1 and the total phosphorus (TP concentrations of the sediment samples were changed between 980.39 μg/gDW (Dry Weight - 1990.81 μg/gDW. The results show that it can be evaluation as eutrophic for Koycegiz Lake.

  7. Atomic and electronic structure of exfoliated black phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, Ryan J.; Topsakal, Mehmet; Jeong, Jong Seok; Wentzcovitch, Renata M.; Mkhoyan, K. Andre; Low, Tony; Robbins, Matthew C.; Haratipour, Nazila; Koester, Steven J.

    2015-01-01

    Black phosphorus, a layered two-dimensional crystal with tunable electronic properties and high hole mobility, is quickly emerging as a promising candidate for future electronic and photonic devices. Although theoretical studies using ab initio calculations have tried to predict its atomic and electronic structure, uncertainty in its fundamental properties due to a lack of clear experimental evidence continues to stymie our full understanding and application of this novel material. In this work, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and ab initio calculations are used to study the crystal structure of few-layer black phosphorus. Directly interpretable annular dark-field images provide a three-dimensional atomic-resolution view of this layered material in which its stacking order and all three lattice parameters can be unambiguously identified. In addition, electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to measure the conduction band density of states of black phosphorus, which agrees well with the results of density functional theory calculations performed for the experimentally determined crystal. Furthermore, experimental EELS measurements of interband transitions and surface plasmon excitations are also consistent with simulated results. Finally, the effects of oxidation on both the atomic and electronic structure of black phosphorus are analyzed to explain observed device degradation. The transformation of black phosphorus into amorphous PO 3 or H 3 PO 3 during oxidation may ultimately be responsible for the degradation of devices exposed to atmosphere over time

  8. STOCHASTIC MODELING OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF PHOSPHORUS SLAG CONTENT CEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Allahverdi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available One of the common methods for quick determination of compressive strength as one of the most important properties for assessment of cement quality is to apply various modeling approaches. This study is aimed at finding a model for estimating the compressive strength of phosphorus slag content cements. For this purpose, the compressive strengths of chemically activated high phosphorus slag content cement prepared from phosphorus slag (80 wt.%, Portland cement (14 wt.% and a compound chemical activator containing sodium sulfate and anhydrite (6 wt.% were measured at various Blaine finenesses and curing times. Based on the obtained results, a primary stochastic model in terms of curing time and Blaine fineness has been developed. Then, another different dataset was used to incorporate composition variable including weight fractions of phosphorus slag, cement, and activator in the model. This model can be effectively used to predict the compressive strength of phosphorus slag content cements at various Blaine finenesses, curing times, and compositions.

  9. Influence of phosphorus on point defects in an austenitic alloy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boulanger, L.

    1988-06-01

    The influence of phosphorus on points defects clusters has been studied in an austenitic alloy (Fe/19% at. Cr/13% at. Ni). Clusters are observed by transmission electron microscopy. After quenching and annealing, five types of clusters produced by vacancies or phosphorus-vacancies complexes are observed whose presence depends on cooling-speed. Vacancy concentration (with 3.6 10 -3 at. P) in clusters is about 10 -5 and apparent vacancy migration is 2 ± 0.1 eV. These observations suggest the formation of metastable small clusters during cooling which dissociate during annealing and migrate to create the observed clusters. With phosphorus, the unfrequent formation of vacancy loops has been observed during electron irradiation. Ions irradiations show that phosphorus does not favour nucleation of interstitial loops but slowers their growth. It reduces swelling by decreasing voids diameter. Phosphorus forms vacancy complexes whose role is to increase the recombination rate and to slow vacancy migration [fr

  10. Transport properties of ultrathin black phosphorus on hexagonal boron nitride

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doganov, Rostislav A.; Özyilmaz, Barbaros [Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and Graphene Research Centre, National University of Singapore, 6 Science Drive 2, 117546 Singapore (Singapore); Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, 117542 Singapore (Singapore); Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, 117456 Singapore (Singapore); Koenig, Steven P.; Yeo, Yuting [Centre for Advanced 2D Materials and Graphene Research Centre, National University of Singapore, 6 Science Drive 2, 117546 Singapore (Singapore); Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, 2 Science Drive 3, 117542 Singapore (Singapore); Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi [National Institute for Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-0044 (Japan)

    2015-02-23

    Ultrathin black phosphorus, or phosphorene, is a two-dimensional material that allows both high carrier mobility and large on/off ratios. Similar to other atomic crystals, like graphene or layered transition metal dichalcogenides, the transport behavior of few-layer black phosphorus is expected to be affected by the underlying substrate. The properties of black phosphorus have so far been studied on the widely utilized SiO{sub 2} substrate. Here, we characterize few-layer black phosphorus field effect transistors on hexagonal boron nitride—an atomically smooth and charge trap-free substrate. We measure the temperature dependence of the field effect mobility for both holes and electrons and explain the observed behavior in terms of charged impurity limited transport. We find that in-situ vacuum annealing at 400 K removes the p-doping of few-layer black phosphorus on both boron nitride and SiO{sub 2} substrates and reduces the hysteresis at room temperature.

  11. Nutrient cycle benchmarks for earth system land model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Q.; Riley, W. J.; Tang, J.; Zhao, L.

    2017-12-01

    Projecting future biosphere-climate feedbacks using Earth system models (ESMs) relies heavily on robust modeling of land surface carbon dynamics. More importantly, soil nutrient (particularly, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)) dynamics strongly modulate carbon dynamics, such as plant sequestration of atmospheric CO2. Prevailing ESM land models all consider nitrogen as a potentially limiting nutrient, and several consider phosphorus. However, including nutrient cycle processes in ESM land models potentially introduces large uncertainties that could be identified and addressed by improved observational constraints. We describe the development of two nutrient cycle benchmarks for ESM land models: (1) nutrient partitioning between plants and soil microbes inferred from 15N and 33P tracers studies and (2) nutrient limitation effects on carbon cycle informed by long-term fertilization experiments. We used these benchmarks to evaluate critical hypotheses regarding nutrient cycling and their representation in ESMs. We found that a mechanistic representation of plant-microbe nutrient competition based on relevant functional traits best reproduced observed plant-microbe nutrient partitioning. We also found that for multiple-nutrient models (i.e., N and P), application of Liebig's law of the minimum is often inaccurate. Rather, the Multiple Nutrient Limitation (MNL) concept better reproduces observed carbon-nutrient interactions.

  12. Identifying early Earth microfossils in unsilicified sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Javaux, Emmanuelle J.; Asael, Dan; Bekker, Andrey; Debaille, Vinciane; Derenne, Sylvie; Hofmann, Axel; Mattielli, Nadine; Poulton, Simon

    2013-04-01

    The search for life on the early Earth or beyond Earth requires the definition of biosignatures, or "indices of life". These traditionally include fossil molecules, isotopic fractionations, biosedimentary structures and morphological fossils interpreted as remnants of life preserved in rocks. This research focuses on traces of life preserved in unsilicified siliciclastic sediments. Indeed, these deposits preserve well sedimentary structures indicative of past aqueous environments and organic matter, including the original organic walls of microscopic organisms. They also do not form in hydrothermal conditions which may be source of abiotic organics. At our knowledge, the only reported occurrence of microfossils preserved in unsilicified Archean sediments is a population of large organic-walled vesicles discovered in shales and siltstones of the 3.2 Ga Moodies Group, South Africa. (Javaux et al, Nature 2010). These have been interpreted as microfossils based on petrographic and geochemical evidence for their endogenicity and syngeneity, their carbonaceous composition, cellular morphology and ultrastructure, occurrence in populations, taphonomic features of soft wall deformation, and the geological context plausible for life, as well as lack of abiotic explanation falsifying a biological origin. Demonstrating that carbonaceous objects from Archaean rocks are truly old and truly biological is the subject of considerable debate. Abiotic processes are known to produce organics and isotopic signatures similar to life. Spheroidal pseudofossils may form as self-assembling vesicles from abiotic CM, e.g. in prebiotic chemistry experiments (Shoztak et al, 2001), from meteoritic lipids (Deamer et al, 2006), or hydrothermal fluids (Akashi et al, 1996); by artifact of maceration; by migration of abiotic or biotic CM along microfractures (VanZuilen et al, 2007) or along mineral casts (Brasier et al, 2005), or around silica spheres formed in silica-saturated water (Jones and

  13. Charged particle activation analysis of phosphorus in biological materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masumoto, K.; Yagi, M.

    1983-01-01

    Charged particle activation analysis of phosphorus in biological materials using the 31 P(α,n) sup(34m)Cl reaction has been studied. Since sup(34m)Cl is also produced by the 32 S(α,pn) and the 35 Cl(α,α'n) reactions, the thick-target yield curves on phosphorus, sulfur and chlorine were determined in order to choose the optimum irradiation conditions. As a result, it was found that the activation analysis for phosphorus without interferences from sulfur and chlorine is possible by bombarding with less than 17 MeV alphas. The applicability of this method to biological samples was then examined by irradiating several standard reference materials. It was confirmed that phosphorus can readily be determined at the detection limit of 1μg free from interferences due to the matrix elements. (author)

  14. Modeling of phosphorus fluxes produced by wild fires at watershed scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matyjasik, M.; Hernandez, M.; Shaw, N.; Baker, M.; Fowles, M. T.; Cisney, T. A.; Jex, A. P.; Moisen, G.

    2017-12-01

    River runoff is one of the controlling processes in the terrestrial phosphorus cycle. Phosphorus is often a limiting factor in fresh water. One of the factors that has not been studied and modeled in detail is phosporus flux produced from forest wild fires. Phosphate released by weathering is quickly absorbed in soils. Forest wild fires expose barren soils to intensive erosion, thus releasing relatively large fluxes of phosphorus. Measurements from three control burn sites were used to correlate erosion with phosphorus fluxes. These results were used to model phosphorus fluxes from burned watersheds during a five year long period after fires occurred. Erosion in our model is simulated using a combination of two models: the WEPP (USDA Water Erosion Prediction Project) and the GeoWEPP (GIS-based Water Erosion Prediction Project). Erosion produced from forest disturbances is predicted for any watershed using hydrologic, soil, and meteorological data unique to the individual watersheds or individual slopes. The erosion results are modified for different textural soil classes and slope angles to model fluxes of phosphorus. The results of these models are calibrated using measured concentrations of phosphorus for three watersheds located in the Interior Western United States. The results will help the United States Forest Service manage phosporus fluxes in national forests.

  15. Solvent Extraction Separation of Phosphorus for the Measurement of 32P

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Sang Hoon; Lee, Heung N.; Ahn, Hong Joo; Han, Sun ho; Jee, Kwang Yong

    2006-01-01

    Phosphorus is a major element in life and plays essential roles in the human body. On the other hand, phosphorus organic compound has high toxicity, therefore, the determination of trace amount of phosphorus is important in environment studies. Development of an analytical method for the determination of low levels of phosphorus is very important as a very few analytical techniques yield reliable results for this element at trace levels. Radioactive phosphorus, 32 P (T1/2 = 14.3 d, Emax 1.71 MeV) is the highest energy beta-emitting radionuclides and now generally accepted as an effective therapeutic agent for chronic leukemia and excess red blood cells. But, 32 P used in diagnosis and treatment are generated radioactive waste such as pipette tips, latex gloves, angioplastic balloons, Kimwipes etc.. We'll analyze 32 P in medical radioactive waste in the future. Even if 32 P has low level activity and short halflife, we have to control radioactive materials in medical waste. In this work, experiment separation using solvent extraction of inactive phosphorus as preliminary experiments for the establishment of analysis. Phosphorus is extracted tri-n-octylamine (TNOA)/ xylene, which is the most suitable solvent and then is measured by UV-visable spectrophotometer

  16. The bottom of the universe: Flat earth science in the Age of Encounter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allegro, James J

    2017-03-01

    This essay challenges the dominance of the spherical earth model in fifteenth- and early-sixteenth-century Western European thought. It examines parallel strains of Latin and vernacular writing that cast doubt on the existence of the southern hemisphere. Three factors shaped the alternate accounts of the earth as a plane and disk put forward by these sources: (1) the unsettling effects of maritime expansion on scientific thought; (2) the revival of interest in early Christian criticism of the spherical earth; and (3) a rigid empirical stance toward entities too large to observe in their entirety, including the earth. Criticism of the spherical earth model faded in the decades after Magellan's crew returned from circuiting the earth in 1522.

  17. Substoichiometric determination of phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shigematsu, T.; Kudo, K.

    1981-01-01

    Phosphorus in orchard leaves (NBS SRM-1571) and spinach (SRM-1570) was determined by various substoichiometric analytical methods such as the direct method, Gravshchenko's method and the method of carrier amount variation. All samples were labelled with 32 P radioisotope. The data obtained by the method of carrier amount variation were also treated by the method of least squares instead of De Voe's method. Phosphorus concentration in orchard leaves was 0.206+-0.011% by the direct method, 0.219+-0.011% by Gravshchenko's method, 0.211+-0.011% by the method of carrier amount variation and 0.207+-0.007% by the method of least squares, respectively. These values agree with the value reported by NBS (0.21+-0.01%). Furthermore, these concentrations obtained by various substoichiometric methods were compared with those by radioactivation reported in a previous paper. (author)

  18. 12 Ministries Control Rare Earth Exports

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2010-01-01

    <正>"It is very natural to reserve rare earth as a strategic resource.Many countries do this,including China."On April 8,Sun Lihui,Vice Director of Metal Section of Chemicals Import & Export Commerce Chamber of China Minmetals Corporation told a reporter that as early as 2006,China has launched a strategic plan for rare earth,"but it was interrupted by the subsequent financial crisis."

  19. Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer on Agro ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SH

    caraway plant (Carum carvi) grown from root tubers when phosphorus was applied at the rate of 40 kg/ ha. The significant reduction in the number of days to first flower appearance, number of days to 50% flower appearance and first fruit maturity with increasing rates of phosphorus fertilizer showed that well P-fertilized T.

  20. PHOSPHORUS-BEARING MOLECULES IN MASSIVE DENSE CORES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fontani, F.; Rivilla, V. M. [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, L.go E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Caselli, P.; Vasyunin, A. [Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Palau, A. [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico)

    2016-05-10

    Phosphorus is a crucial element for the development of life, but so far P-bearing molecules have been detected only in a few astrophysical objects; hence, its interstellar chemistry is almost totally unknown. Here, we show new detections of phosphorus nitride (PN) in a sample of dense cores in different evolutionary stages of the intermediate- and high-mass star formation process: starless, with protostellar objects, and with ultracompact H ii regions. All detected PN line widths are smaller than ≃5 km s{sup −1}, and they arise from regions associated with kinetic temperatures smaller than 100 K. Because the few previous detections reported in the literature are associated with warmer and more turbulent sources, the results of this work show that PN can arise from relatively quiescent and cold gas. This information is challenging for theoretical models that invoke either high desorption temperatures or grain sputtering from shocks to release phosphorus into the gas phase. Derived column densities are of the order of 10{sup 11–12} cm{sup −2}, marginally lower than the values derived in the few high-mass star-forming regions detected so far. New constraints on the abundance of phosphorus monoxide, the fundamental unit of biologically relevant molecules, are also given.

  1. Simulation of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses in Loess Landforms of Northern Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiani, F.; Behtarinejad, B.; Najafinejad, A.; Kaboli, R.

    2018-02-01

    Population growth, urban expansion and intensive agriculture and thus increased use of fertilizers aimed at increasing the production capacity cause extensive loss of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus and lead to reduced quality of soil and water. Therefore, identification of nutrients in the soil and their potential are essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of the SWAT model in simulating runoff, sediment, and nitrogen and phosphorus losses in Tamer catchment. Runoff and sediment measured at Tamar gauging station were used to calibrate and validate the model. Simulated values were generally consistent with the data observed during calibration and validation period (0.6 organic nitrogen and nitrate and soluble phosphorus and mineral phosphorus attached to the sediments showed the greatest sensitivity to the type of land use. Results also showed that the average nutrient loss caused by erosion in this catchment, was 6.99 kg/ha for nitrogen, 0.35 kg/ha for nitrate, 1.3 kg/ha for organic phosphorus, 0.015 kg/ha for soluble phosphorus, and 0.45 kg/ha for mineral phosphorus.

  2. Phosphorus and Nitrogen Regulate Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Petunia hybrida

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. PMID:24608923

  3. Phosphorus and nitrogen regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in Petunia hybrida.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

  4. Neutron activation determination of phosphorus in semiconductor materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verevkin, G.V.; Gil'bert, Eh.N.; Gol'dshtejn, M.M.; Yudelevich, I.G.; Yurchenko, V.K.

    1976-01-01

    The solvent extraction of molybdophosphoric acid (MPA) with benzene and dichloroethane solutions of dioctylsulphoxide has been studied. A neutron-activation method has been worked out of determining phosphorus in semiconductor silicon, high purity gallium, and homoepitaxial films of gallium arsenide. The method is based on separation of radiochemically pure phosphorus in the form of MPA by extraction with 0.2 M solution of dioctylsulphoxide in benzene and measurement of 32 P activity on a liquid scintillation spectrometer. The method makes it possible to determine phosphorus in the materials enumerated with a limit of detection of 1.9x10 -10 g and a relative standard deviation of not more than 0.05

  5. Evaluating the significance of wetland restoration scenarios on phosphorus removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daneshvar, Fariborz; Nejadhashemi, A Pouyan; Adhikari, Umesh; Elahi, Behin; Abouali, Mohammad; Herman, Matthew R; Martinez-Martinez, Edwin; Calappi, Timothy J; Rohn, Bridget G

    2017-05-01

    Freshwater resources are vital for human and natural systems. However, anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural practices, have led to the degradation of the quality of these limited resources through pollutant loading. Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs), such as wetlands, are recommended as a valuable solution for pollutant removal. However, evaluation of their long-term impacts is difficult and requires modeling since performing in-situ monitoring is expensive and not feasible at the watershed scale. In this study, the impact of natural wetland implementation on total phosphorus reduction was evaluated both at the subwatershed and watershed levels. The study area is the Saginaw River Watershed, which is largest watershed in Michigan. The phosphorus reduction performances of four different wetland sizes (2, 4, 6, and 8 ha) were evaluated within this study area by implementing one wetland at a time in areas identified to have the highest potential for wetland restoration. The subwatershed level phosphorus loads were obtained from a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. These loads were then incorporated into a wetland model (System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis IntegratioN-SUSTAIN) to evaluate phosphorus reduction at the subwatershed level and then the SWAT model was again used to route phosphorus transport to the watershed outlet. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the spatial impact of wetland size and placement on phosphorus reduction. Overall, the performance of 2 ha wetlands in total phosphorus reduction was significantly lower than the larger sizes at both the subwatershed and watershed levels. Regarding wetland implementation sites, wetlands located in headwaters and downstream had significantly higher phosphorus reduction than the ones located in the middle of the watershed. More specifically, wetlands implemented at distances ranging from 200 to 250 km and 50-100 km from the outlet had the

  6. Nano-rod Ca-decorated sludge derived carbon for removal of phosphorus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kong, Lingjun; Han, Meina; Shih, Kaimin; Su, Minhua; Diao, Zenghui; Long, Jianyou; Chen, Diyun; Hou, Li'an; Peng, Yan

    2018-02-01

    Recovering phosphorus (P) from waste streams takes the unique advantage in simultaneously addressing the crisis of eutrophication and the shortage of P resource. A novel calcium decorated sludge carbon (Ca-SC) was developed from dyeing industry wastewater treatment sludge by decorating calcium (Ca) to effectively adsorb phosphorus from solution. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques were used to characterize the Ca-SCs, followed by isotherm and kinetic sorption experiments. A preferred design with CaCO 3 to sludge mass ratio of 1:2 was found to have a sorption capacity of 116.82 mg/g for phosphorus. This work reveals the crucial role of well-dispersed nano-rod calcium on the Ca-SC surface for the sorption of phosphorus. Moreover, the decoration of nano-rod calcium was found to further promote the uptake of phosphorus through the formation of hydroxylapatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (OH)). Thus, the development of decorated Ca-SC for sorption of phosphorus is very important in solving the P pollution and resource loss. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Phosphorus doped graphene by inductively coupled plasma and triphenylphosphine treatments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Dong-Wook, E-mail: shindong37@skku.edu; Kim, Tae Sung; Yoo, Ji-Beom, E-mail: jbyoo@skku.edu

    2016-10-15

    Highlights: • Substitution doping is a promising method for opening the energy band gap of graphene. • Substitution doping with phosphorus in the graphene lattice has numerous advantage such as high band gap, low formation energy, and high net charge density compared to nitrogen. • V{sub dirac} of Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and triphenylphosphine (TPP) treated graphene was −57 V, which provided clear evidence of n-type doping. • Substitutional doping of graphene with phosphorus is verified by the XPS spectra of P 2p core level and EELS mapping of phosphorus. • The chemical bonding between P and graphene is very stable for a long time in air (2 months). - Abstract: Graphene is considered a host material for various applications in next-generation electronic devices. However, despite its excellent properties, one of the most important issues to be solved as an electronic material is the creation of an energy band gap. Substitution doping is a promising method for opening the energy band gap of graphene. Herein, we demonstrate the substitutional doping of graphene with phosphorus using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and triphenylphosphine (TPP) treatments. The electrical transfer characteristics of the phosphorus doped graphene field effect transistor (GFET) have a V{sub dirac} of ∼ − 54 V. The chemical bonding between P and C was clearly observed in XPS spectra, and uniform distribution of phosphorus within graphene domains was confirmed by EELS mapping. The capability for substitutional doping of graphene with phosphorus can significantly promote the development of graphene based electronic devices.

  8. Use of 32P in the study of phosphorus uptake and metabolism in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michalik, I.

    1980-01-01

    The method allows following the uptake and metabolism of phosphorus and isolating in acids both soluble organic phosphorus compounds (i.e., esters of phosphoric acid with glycides, free nucleotides, inorganic phosphorus) and insoluble phosphorus compounds (i.e., macromolecular compounds, phospholipids). The method of separating low-molecular and acid-soluble phosphorus compounds by one-dimensional paper chromatography was also tested. In maize roots the following low-molecular phosphorus compounds were determined by autoradiochromatography: ATP, ADP, G-1-P, AMP, G-6-P, di PGA, Ri-5-P, F-1, 6-diP, 3-PGA, Pan. (author)

  9. The mechanism on rhizosphere phosphorus activation of two wheat ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The mechanism on rhizosphere phosphorus activation of two wheat genotypes with different phosphorus efficiency. ... genotype would be a potential approach for maintaining wheat yield potential in soils with low P bioavailability. Key words: Wheat, P efficiency, rhizosphere properties, P fractions, phosphates activity.

  10. Phosphorus recycling and availability in the western Wadden Sea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Freixo Leote, C.M.

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus is a main and often limiting nutrient for phytoplankton growth, as suggested for the western Wadden Sea. In this area, freshwater discharge was a major nutrient source in the past. However, pollution reduction measures dramatically reduced its contribution, particularly for phosphorus. In

  11. Biologic phosphorus elimination - influencing parameters, boundary conditions, process optimation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Xiaohu.

    1992-01-01

    This paper first presents a systematic study of the basic process of biologic phosphorus elimination as employed by the original 'Phoredox (Main Stream) Process'. The conditions governing the process and the factors influencing its performance were determined by trial operation. A stationary model was developed for the purpose of modelling biologic phosphorus elimination in such a main stream process and optimising the dimensioning. The validity of the model was confirmed by operational data given in the literature and by operational data from the authors' own semitechnical-scale experimental plant. The model permits simulation of the values to be expected for effluent phosphorus and phosphate concentrations for given influent data and boundary conditions. It is thus possible to dimension a plant for accomodation of the original Phoredox (Main Stream) Process or any similar phosphorus eliminating plant that is to work according to the principle of the main stream process. (orig./EF) [de

  12. Chemical vapor deposition of amorphous ruthenium-phosphorus alloy films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shin Jinhong; Waheed, Abdul; Winkenwerder, Wyatt A.; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Agapiou, Kyriacos; Jones, Richard A.; Hwang, Gyeong S.; Ekerdt, John G.

    2007-01-01

    Chemical vapor deposition growth of amorphous ruthenium-phosphorus films on SiO 2 containing ∼ 15% phosphorus is reported. cis-Ruthenium(II)dihydridotetrakis-(trimethylphosphine), cis-RuH 2 (PMe 3 ) 4 (Me = CH 3 ) was used at growth temperatures ranging from 525 to 575 K. Both Ru and P are zero-valent. The films are metastable, becoming increasingly more polycrystalline upon annealing to 775 and 975 K. Surface studies illustrate that demethylation is quite efficient near 560 K. Precursor adsorption at 135 K or 210 K and heating reveal the precursor undergoes a complex decomposition process in which the hydride and trimethylphosphine ligands are lost at temperatures as low at 280 K. Phosphorus and its manner of incorporation appear responsible for the amorphous-like character. Molecular dynamics simulations are presented to suggest the local structure in the films and the causes for phosphorus stabilizing the amorphous phase

  13. Quantitative autoradiography of semiconductor materials by means of diffused phosphorus standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Treutler, H.C.; Freyer, K.

    1983-01-01

    A suitable standard sample was developed and tested on the basis of phosphorus for the quantitative autoradiography of elements of interest in semiconductor technology. By the aid of silicon disks with a phosphorus concentration of 6x10 17 atomsxcm - 2 the error of the quantitative autoradiogprahic method is determined. The relative mean error of the density measurement is at best +-4%; the relative mean error of the determination of phosphorus concentration by use of an error-free standard sample is about +-15%. The method will be extended to other elements by use of this standard sample of phosphorus. (author)

  14. Atomic and electronic structure of exfoliated black phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Ryan J.; Topsakal, Mehmet; Jeong, Jong Seok; Wentzcovitch, Renata M.; Mkhoyan, K. Andre, E-mail: mkhoyan@umn.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States); Low, Tony; Robbins, Matthew C.; Haratipour, Nazila; Koester, Steven J. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 (United States)

    2015-11-15

    Black phosphorus, a layered two-dimensional crystal with tunable electronic properties and high hole mobility, is quickly emerging as a promising candidate for future electronic and photonic devices. Although theoretical studies using ab initio calculations have tried to predict its atomic and electronic structure, uncertainty in its fundamental properties due to a lack of clear experimental evidence continues to stymie our full understanding and application of this novel material. In this work, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and ab initio calculations are used to study the crystal structure of few-layer black phosphorus. Directly interpretable annular dark-field images provide a three-dimensional atomic-resolution view of this layered material in which its stacking order and all three lattice parameters can be unambiguously identified. In addition, electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) is used to measure the conduction band density of states of black phosphorus, which agrees well with the results of density functional theory calculations performed for the experimentally determined crystal. Furthermore, experimental EELS measurements of interband transitions and surface plasmon excitations are also consistent with simulated results. Finally, the effects of oxidation on both the atomic and electronic structure of black phosphorus are analyzed to explain observed device degradation. The transformation of black phosphorus into amorphous PO{sub 3} or H{sub 3}PO{sub 3} during oxidation may ultimately be responsible for the degradation of devices exposed to atmosphere over time.

  15. Terrestrial xenon isotope constraints on the early history of the earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozima, M.; Igarashi, G.; Podosek, F.A.

    1985-01-01

    Comparison between 129 I-radiogenic 129 Xe and 244 Pu-fissiogenic 136 Xe components in terrestrial xenon suggests that the Earth's inner region accreted a few tens of millions of years earlier than the outer region from which the atmosphere evolved. The results also indicate that there has been no substantial mixing of the two regions since the Earth's accretion. (author)

  16. Phosphorus Sorption Capacity of Gray Forest Soil as Dependent on Fertilization System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogova, O. B.; Kolobova, N. A.; Ivanov, A. L.

    2018-05-01

    In this paper, the results of the study of changes in the phosphorus sorption capacity of gray forest soils of Vladimir opolie under the impact of different fertilization systems are discussed. The quantitative parameters of the potential buffer capacity of soils for phosphorus (PBCP) and Langmuir sorption isotherms have been calculated. It is shown that the application of organic fertilizers results in a stronger decrease in PBCP than the application of mineral fertilizers. The portion of phosphorus of mineral compounds considerably increases, and the high content of available phosphates is maintained. In the variants with application of mineral phosphorus in combination with manure, the portions of organic and mineral phosphorus are at the level typical of unfertilized soils. The energy of phosphate bonds with the soil is minimal upon the application of a double rate of mineral phosphorus at the maximum capacity in relation to phosphate ions.

  17. Effects of sole and mixed culture of wheat crop and phosphorus fertilization on the solubility of phosphorus in the soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmood, H. R.; Ali, M. A.; Ahmad, N.

    2016-01-01

    Farmers face a challenging task to harvest yield potential of crops as well as improving fertilizer use-efficiency under their limited farm resources. Among the macronutrients, the relative efficiency of phosphorus fertilizer is very low in alkaline-calcareous soils under arid and semi-arid environments. Therefore, a field study was undertaken to quantify the interactive effects of wheat varieties and phosphorous fertilization on grain yield and solubility of phosphorous nutrient in the rhizosphere. The treatments consisted of (a) two wheat varieties (Sehr-2006, Shafaq-2006, mixed culture) and (b) three phosphorus levels (0, 45, 85 kg P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ per hectare) were arranged in randomized complete block design and replicated four times. The Results showed that biological grain yield and 1000-grain weight of wheat increased by 8.7 percent, 14.46 percent and 8.48 percent under mixed culture of varieties sehr-2006 and shafaq-2006, respectively over the solely grown varieties. The application of phosphorus at the rate 85 kg P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ ha/sup -1/ resulted in increased quantity of total biological yield, grain yield and 1000-grain weight compared to unfertilized crop. The uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus contents were substantially enhanced under mixed culture cropping pattern over sole wheat cultivars. The availability of phosphorus was increased by 19.70 percent under mixed cropping over sole culture. It is inferred from the study that mixed cropping produced synergetic effects on the availability of nutrients in the rhizosphere, and thereby resulted in the higher production of wheat crop. (author)

  18. Comets as Messengers from the Early Solar System - Emerging Insights on Delivery of Water, Nitriles, and Organics to Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mumma, Michael J.; Charnley, Steven B.

    2012-01-01

    The question of exogenous delivery of water and organics to Earth and other young planets is of critical importance for understanding the origin of Earth's volatiles, and for assessing the possible existence of exo-planets similar to Earth. Viewed from a cosmic perspective, Earth is a dry planet, yet its oceans are enriched in deuterium by a large factor relative to nebular hydrogen and analogous isotopic enrichments in atmospheric nitrogen and noble gases are also seen. Why is this so? What are the implications for Mars? For icy Worlds in our Planetary System? For the existence of Earth-like exoplanets? An exogenous (vs. outgassed) origin for Earth's atmosphere is implied, and intense debate on the relative contributions of comets and asteroids continues - renewed by fresh models for dynamical transport in the protoplanetary disk, by revelations on the nature and diversity of volatile and rocky material within comets, and by the discovery of ocean-like water in a comet from the Kuiper Belt (cf., Mumma & Charnley 2011). Assessing the creation of conditions favorable to the emergence and sustenance of life depends critically on knowledge of the nature of the impacting bodies. Active comets have long been grouped according to their orbital properties, and this has proven useful for identifying the reservoir from which a given comet emerged (OC, KB) (Levison 1996). However, it is now clear that icy bodies were scattered into each reservoir from a range of nebular distances, and the comet populations in today's reservoirs thus share origins that are (in part) common. Comets from the Oort Cloud and Kuiper Disk reservoirs should have diverse composition, resulting from strong gradients in temperature and chemistry in the proto-planetary disk, coupled with dynamical models of early radial transport and mixing with later dispersion of the final cometary nuclei into the long-term storage reservoirs. The inclusion of material from the natal interstellar cloud is probable

  19. The early use of radiotracers in chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grabowski, K.F.M.

    1986-01-01

    This article describes the historical background to the use of radiotracers, pioneered by de Hevesy and Paneth before World War I. It traces their early use in ion and metal interchange in electrolysis, self-diffusion rates, early biochemical experiments on lead uptake in plants, phosphorus metabolism in rats, through to their wider use with the production of artificial radioisotopes after World War II. Photosynthesis experiments using carbon-11 and carbon-14 are described and their present-day widespread use in kinetics, metabolic pathway studies and therapeutics is discussed. (UK)

  20. Photoluminescence study of novel phosphorus-doped ZnO nanotetrapods synthesized by chemical vapour deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu Dongqi; Hu Lizhong; Qiao Shuangshuang; Zhang Heqiu; Fu Qiang; Chen Xi; Sun Kaitong; Len, Song-En Andy; Len, L K

    2009-01-01

    Novel phosphorus-doped and undoped single crystal ZnO nanotetrapods were fabricated on sapphire by a simple chemical vapour deposition method, using phosphorus pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ) as the dopant source. The optical properties of the samples were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Low-temperature PL measurements of phosphorus-doped and undoped samples were compared, and the results indicated a decrease in deep level defects due to the incorporation of a phosphorus acceptor dopant. The PL spectrum of the phosphorus-doped sample at 10 K exhibited several acceptor-bound exciton related emission peaks. The effect of phosphorus doping on the optical characteristics of the samples was investigated by excitation intensity and temperature dependent PL spectra. The acceptor-binding energies of the phosphorus dopant were estimated to be about 120 meV, in good agreement with the corresponding theoretical and experimental values in phosphorus-doped ZnO films and nanowires.

  1. Muonic X-ray intensities in phosphorus- and selenium modifications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaeser, K.; Robert-Tissot, B.; Schaller, L.A.; Schellenberg, L.; Schneuwly, H.

    1979-01-01

    Muonic X-ray intensity measurements have been performed at SIN on allotropic modifications of phosphorus (white, red and black) and of selenium (red and black). Structure effects have been found in the intensity ratios of the K-series between amorphous and crystalline modifications of the same element. The effect in the higher series (Se) is less pronounced. On the other hand, the two crystalline phosphorus modifications (red and black) show the same intensity behavior. The root-mean-square radii 2 >sup(1/2) of phosphorus and (natural) selenium were found to be 3.187(3) fm and 4.138(1) fm respectively. (Auth.)

  2. Total Phosphorus in Surface Water

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Excess phosphorus in surface water can result in eutrophication. TOTALP is reported in kilograms/hectare/year. More information about these resources, including the...

  3. Response of soybean plants to phosphorus, boron and molybdenum fertilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Aziz, H. A.; Aly, M. E.

    2012-12-01

    A pot experiment was carried out to study the effect of added phosphorus levels (30. 60 kg p/fed) with the addition of boron at (2, 6 ppm) and molybdenum at (5, 10.ppm) and without addition beside the control the control on growth and mineral content and root nodules in soybean plants. The results indicated that the effect of phosphorus on the formation of nodules had a clear effect when added with boron, molybdenum and when boron added at a rate of 2 ppm in the absence of phosphorus led to increase in root nodules in each of the 5, 10 ppm led to increased formation of, naldetuss in of the alluvial and calcareous soil. The molybdenum, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake increased directly proportional to the result of increased rate of addition of phosphorus and molybdenum. While the uptake born may be added with the rate of increased concentration of 2 ppm, while when added at 6 ppm led tp increased absorption of boron in the calcareous soil, but led to a decrease in the alluvial soils. (Author)

  4. Application of two phosphorus models with different complexities in a mesoscale river catchment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Guse

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available The water balance and phosphorus inputs of surface waters of the Weiße Elster catchment, Germany, have been quantified using the models GROWA/MEPhos and SWAT. A comparison of the model results shows small differences in the mean long-term total runoff for the entire study area. All relevant pathways of phosphorus transport were considered in MEPhos with phosphorus inputs resulting to about 65% from point sources. SWAT focuses on agricultural areas and estimates a phosphorus input of about 60% through erosion. The mean annual phosphorus input from erosion calculated with SWAT is six times higher than the estimation with MEPhos due to the differing model concepts. This shows the uncertainty contributed by the modelling description of phosphorus pathways.

  5. 2 mm range ESR of the transmutation-produced phosphorus impurity in 6HSiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalabukhova, E.N.; Lukin, S.N.; Mokhov, E.N.

    1993-01-01

    Phosphorus impurity is introduced into 6HSiC monocrystals via neutron transmutation doping. Parameters of ESR two spectra referred to ESR spectra of separated phosphorus atoms in the lattice cubic and hexagonal position are detected and determined in the specimens at T=4.2 K. variation dynamics of ESR spectra of phosphorus and nitrogen within 4.2-73 K temperature range is studied. Ionization energies of phosphorus atoms are determined to be less, than those of nitrogen atoms, and ionization energy of phosphorus atoms in hexagonal position is higher, than that of phosphorus atoms in cubic position

  6. Phosphorus utilization by three rice varieties at different stages of growth in a vertisol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rastogi, A.K.; Mahajan, J.P.; Sinha, S.B.

    1981-01-01

    A pot experiment was conducted using labelled superphosphate to study the utilization of applied fertilizer phosphorus by three rice varieties, viz., Jaya, Ratna and Sona at tillering, flowering and harvesting stages. Total phosphorus uptake and phosphorus derived from fertilizer increased significantly with increasing level of phosphorus, but per cent utilization of applied phosphorus showed a reverse trend in all the three varieties at all the growth stages. Dry matter yield in general, increased significantly with increasing P levels in all the three varieties. Average soil-p uptake decreased with increasing levels of phosphorus at all the stages. (author)

  7. Regulating phosphorus from the agricultural sector

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Line Block; Hansen, Lars Gårn; Rubæk, Gitte Holton

    2010-01-01

      Loss of phosphorus (P) from agricultural areas is one of the main contributors to eutrophication of water systems in many European countries. Regulatory systems such as ambient taxes or discharge taxes which are suitable for regulation of N are insufficient for regulating P because these systems...... do not take into account the importance of P already stored in the soils. Phosphorus stored in the soils is the major source of P losses to surface waters, but at the same time crucial for the soils ability to sustain a viable crop production. Even if measures on P losses from agricultural areas...

  8. Effect of phosphorus on biodiesel production from Scenedesmus obliquus under nitrogen-deficiency stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Fei-Fei; Chu, Pei-Na; Shen, Xiao-Fei; Lam, Paul K S; Zeng, Raymond J

    2014-01-01

    In order to study the effect of phosphorus on biodiesel production from Scenedesmus obliquus especially under nitrogen deficiency conditions, six types of media with combinations of nitrogen repletion/depletion and phosphorus repletion/limitation/depletion were investigated in this study. It was found that nitrogen starvation compared to nitrogen repletion enhanced biodiesel productivity. Moreover, biodiesel productivity was further strengthened by varying the supply level of phosphorus from depletion, limitation, through to repletion. The maximum FAMEs productivity of 24.2 mg/L/day was obtained in nitrogen depletion with phosphorus repletion, which was two times higher than that in nutrient complete medium. More phosphorus was accumulated in cells under the nitrogen starvation with sufficient phosphorus condition, but no polyphosphate was formed. This study indicated that nitrogen starvation plus sufficient P supply might be the real "lipid trigger". Furthermore, results of the current study suggest a potential application for utilizing microalgae to combine phosphorus removal from wastewater with biodiesel production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The effect of phosphorus on creep in copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandstroem, Rolf; Andersson, Henrik C.M.

    2008-01-01

    Pure copper with an addition of about 50 ppm phosphorus is the planned material for the outer part of the waste package for spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. Phosphorus is added to improve the creep ductility but it also strongly increases the creep strength. In the present paper the influence of phosphorus on the strength properties of copper is analysed. Using the Labusch-Nabarro model it is demonstrated that 50 ppm has a negligible influence on the yield strength in accordance with observations. For slow moving dislocations, the interaction energy between the P-atoms and the dislocations gives rise to an agglomeration and a locking. The computed break away stresses are in agreement with the difference in creep stress of copper with and without P-additions

  10. Phosphorus runoff from turfgrass as affected by phosphorus fertilization and clipping management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bierman, Peter M; Horgan, Brian P; Rosen, Carl J; Hollman, Andrew B; Pagliari, Paulo H

    2010-01-01

    Phosphorus enrichment of surface water is a concern in many urban watersheds. A 3-yr study on a silt loam soil with 5% slope and high soil test P (27 mg kg(-1) Bray P1) was conducted to evaluate P fertilization and clipping management effects on P runoff from turfgrass (Poa pratensis L.) under frozen and nonfrozen conditions. Four fertilizer treatments were compared: (i) no fertilizer, (ii) nitrogen (N)+potassium (K)+0xP, (iii) N+K+1xP, and (iv) N+K+3xP. Phosphorus rates were 21.3 and 63.9 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) the first year and 7.1 and 21.3 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) the following 2 yr. Each fertilizer treatment was evaluated with clippings removed or clippings recycled back to the turf. In the first year, P runoff increased with increasing P rate and P losses were greater in runoff from frozen than nonfrozen soil. In year 2, total P runoff from the no fertilizer treatment was greater than from treatments receiving fertilizer. This was because reduced turf quality resulted in greater runoff depth from the no fertilizer treatment. In year 3, total P runoff from frozen soil and cumulative total P runoff increased with increasing P rate. Clipping management was not an important factor in any year, indicating that returning clippings does not significantly increase P runoff from turf. In the presence of N and K, P fertilization did not improve turf growth or quality in any year. Phosphorus runoff can be reduced by not applying P to high testing soils and avoiding fall applications when P is needed.

  11. Magnetic properties and recrystallization texture of phosphorus-added non-oriented electrical steel sheets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, I.; Yashiki, H.

    2006-01-01

    The effect of phosphorus on magnetic properties and recrystallization texture has been investigated in non-oriented electrical steel sheets to develop low core loss and high permeability core materials. Specimens with different phosphorus contents were cold-rolled to various thicknesses, i.e. with various cold-rolling reductions, and annealed for recrystallization and grain growth. Although magnetic induction of the steel with low phosphorus content dramatically dropped with reducing thickness, i.e. with increasing in cold-rolling reduction, that of the steel with high phosphorus content only slightly decreased. The most effective way to reduce core loss was to reduce thickness of electrical steel sheets. Therefore, phosphorus-added thin gauge non-oriented electrical steel sheets have achieved low core loss and high permeability. The typical magnetic properties of phosphorus-added non-oriented electrical steel sheets 0.27mm in sheet thickness were 16.6W/kg in W 10/400 and 1.73T in B 50 . These excellent magnetic properties were due to the recrystallization texture control. {111} component in recrystallization texture was suppressed by the phosphorus segregation at initial grain boundaries. Accordingly, phosphorus would greatly contribute to the improvement of magnetic properties

  12. The Chemical Evolution of Phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, Heather R.; Thanathibodee, Thanawuth; Frebel, Anna; Roederer, Ian U.; Cescutti, Gabriele; Matteucci, Francesca

    2014-12-01

    Phosphorus is one of the few remaining light elements for which little is known about its nucleosynthetic origin and chemical evolution, given the lack of optical absorption lines in the spectra of long-lived FGK-type stars. We have identified a P I doublet in the near-ultraviolet (2135/2136 Å) that is measurable in stars of low metallicity. Using archival Hubble Space Telescope-Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra, we have measured P abundances in 13 stars spanning -3.3 production in the early universe. As P is one of the key building blocks of life, we also discuss the chemical evolution of the important elements to life, C-N-O-P-S, together. Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555. This work is supported through program AR-13246. Other portions of this work are based on data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile, and the McDonald Observatory of the University of Texas at Austin.

  13. Exploring the Modes of Action of Phosphorus-Based Flame Retardants in Polymeric Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Rabe

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus-based flame retardants were incorporated into different, easily preparable matrices, such as polymeric thermoset resins and paraffin as a proposed model for polyolefins and investigated for their flame retardancy performance. The favored mode of action of each flame retardant was identified in each respective system and at each respective concentration. Thermogravimetric analysis was used in combination with infrared spectroscopy of the evolved gas to determine the pyrolysis behavior, residue formation and the release of phosphorus species. Forced flaming tests in the cone calorimeter provided insight into burning behavior and macroscopic residue effects. The results were put into relation to the phosphorus content to reveal correlations between phosphorus concentration in the gas phase and flame inhibition performance, as well as phosphorus concentration in the residue and condensed phase activity. Total heat evolved (fire load and peak heat release rate were calculated based on changes in the effective heat of combustion and residue, and then compared with the measured values to address the modes of action of the flame retardants quantitatively. The quantification of flame inhibition, charring, and the protective layer effect measure the non-linear flame retardancy effects as functions of the phosphorus concentration. Overall, this screening approach using easily preparable polymer systems provides great insight into the effect of phosphorus in different flame retarded polymers, with regard to polymer structure, phosphorus concentration, and phosphorus species.

  14. Influence of organic phosphorus on reproductive performance and metabolic profiles of anoestrous Farafra ewes in subtropics at the end of breeding season.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senosy, W; Kassab, A Y; Hamdon, H A; Mohammed, A A

    2018-05-07

    The effect of organic phosphorus on metabolic, haematological and hormonal status, restoration of ovarian functions and conception rate in anoestrous Farafra ewes in subtropics were evaluated. Anoestrous Farafra ewes (n = 24; 34.72 ± 0.52 kg body weight) were allocated into two equal groups: control and phosphorus groups. The ewes of phosphorus group were treated with sodium 4-dimethylamino-2-methyl-phenyl-phosphonate as an organic bound phosphorous twice a week for successive 3 weeks. Ovarian follicle development and corpora lutea were checked three times a week till occurrence of oestrus using ultrasonography while pregnancy was confirmed at 30 days post-service. Plasma metabolites, reproductive hormones, thyroid hormones and minerals were detected at weeks -2, -1, 0 (mating day) and + 4 weeks post-oestrus. Phosphorus group had significantly (p ewes (2.1 ± 0.8 weeks vs. 4.6 ± 1.1 weeks). In addition, phosphorous supplementation significantly (p ewes (10.8 ± 0.44; p ewes in subtropics could improve reproductive performance and restore ovarian activity at the end of spring and early summer. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  15. Phosphorus in agricultural soils:

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ringeval, Bruno; Augusto, Laurent; Monod, Hervé; Apeldoorn, van D.F.; Bouwman, A.F.; Yang, X.; Achat, D.L.; Chini, L.P.; Oost, van K.; Guenet, Bertrand; Wang, R.; Decharme, B.; Nesme, T.; Pellerin, S.

    2017-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) availability in soils limits crop yields in many regions of the World, while excess of soil P triggers aquatic eutrophication in other regions. Numerous processes drive the global spatial distribution of P in agricultural soils, but their relative roles remain unclear. Here, we

  16. Chromosomal location of traits associated with wheat seedling water and phosphorus use efficiency under different water and phosphorus stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Hong-Xing; Zhang, Zheng-Bin; Sun, Cheng-Xu; Shao, Hong-Bo; Song, Wei-Yi; Xu, Ping

    2009-09-18

    The objective of this study was to locate chromosomes for improving water and phosphorus-deficiency tolerance of wheat at the seedling stage. A set of Chinese Spring-Egyptian Red wheat substitution lines and their parent Chinese Spring (recipient) and Egyptian Red (donor) cultivars were measured to determine the chromosomal locations of genes controlling water use efficiency (WUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) under different water and phosphorus conditions. The results underlined that chromosomes 1A, 7A, 7B, and 3A showed higher leaf water use efficiency (WUE(l) = Pn/Tr; Pn = photosynthetic rate; Tr = transpiration rate) under W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P), -W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P and 10% PEG). Chromosomes 7A, 3D, 2B, 3B, and 4B may carry genes for positive effects on individual plant water use efficiency (WUE(p) = biomass/TWC; TWC = total water consumption) under WP (Hoagland solution), W-P and -W-P treatment. Chromosomes 7A and 7D carry genes for PUE enhancement under WP, -WP (Hoagland solution with 10% PEG) and W-P treatment. Chromosome 7A possibly has genes for controlling WUE and PUE simultaneously, which indicates that WUE and PUE may share the same genetic background. Phenotypic and genetic analysis of the investigated traits showed that photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr), Tr and WUE(l) showed significant positive and negative correlations under WP, W-P, -WP and -W-P, W-P, -WP treatments, respectively. Dry mass (DM), WUE(P), PUT (phosphorus uptake) all showed significant positive correlation under WP, W-P and -WP treatment. PUE and phosphorus uptake (PUT = P uptake per plant) showed significant negative correlation under the four treatments. The results might provide useful information for improving WUE and PUE in wheat genetics.

  17. Chromosomal Location of Traits Associated with Wheat Seedling Water and Phosphorus Use Efficiency under Different Water and Phosphorus Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei-Yi Song

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to locate chromosomes for improving water and phosphorus-deficiency tolerance of wheat at the seedling stage. A set of Chinese Spring- Egyptian Red wheat substitution lines and their parent Chinese Spring (recipient and Egyptian Red (donor cultivars were measured to determine the chromosomal locations of genes controlling water use efficiency (WUE and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE under different water and phosphorus conditions. The results underlined that chromosomes 1A, 7A, 7B, and 3A showed higher leaf water use efficiency (WUEl = Pn/Tr; Pn = photosynthetic rate; Tr = transpiration rate under W-P (Hoagland solution with1/2P, -W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P and 10% PEG. Chromosomes 7A, 3D, 2B, 3B, and 4B may carry genes for positive effects on individual plant water use efficiency (WUEp = biomass/TWC; TWC = total water consumption under WP (Hoagland solution, W-P and -W-P treatment. Chromosomes 7A and 7D carry genes for PUE enhancement under WP, -WP (Hoagland solution with 10% PEG and W-P treatment. Chromosome 7A possibly has genes for controlling WUE and PUE simultaneously, which indicates that WUE and PUE may share the same genetic background. Phenotypic and genetic analysis of the investigated traits showed that photosynthetic rate (Pn and transpiration rate (Tr, Tr and WUEl showed significant positive and negative correlations under WP, W-P, -WP and -W-P, W-P, -WP treatments, respectively. Dry mass (DM, WUEP, PUT (phosphorus uptake all showed significant positive correlation under WP, W-P and -WP treatment. PUE and phosphorus uptake (PUT = P uptake per plant showed significant negative correlation under the four treatments. The results might provide useful information for improving WUE and PUE in wheat genetics.

  18. Absorption spectrum of neutral phosphorus (P I) in the range 7700-8256 A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deng Lunhua; Li Chuanliang; Zhang Junli; Yang Xiaohua; Chen Yangqin

    2010-01-01

    The absorption spectrum of neutral phosphorus was recorded in the range 7700-8256 A using optical heterodyne magnetic rotation concentration modulation spectroscopy with a tunable Ti:sapphire laser as the light source. Phosphorus atoms were excited by discharging the mixed gases of phosphorus vapor and neon gas. The phosphorus vapor was prepared by heating white phosphorus chips placed on a cylindrical copper electrode during discharge. In total, 234 lines of P I were observed, of which 127 were assigned. The transition frequencies were obtained with an uncertainty of 0.007 cm -1 . Empirical line intensities were provided covering four orders of magnitude.

  19. Absorption spectrum of neutral phosphorus (P I) in the range 7700-8256 Å

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Lunhua; Li, Chuanliang; Zhang, Junli; Yang, Xiaohua; Chen, Yangqin

    2010-12-01

    The absorption spectrum of neutral phosphorus was recorded in the range 7700-8256 Å using optical heterodyne magnetic rotation concentration modulation spectroscopy with a tunable Ti:sapphire laser as the light source. Phosphorus atoms were excited by discharging the mixed gases of phosphorus vapor and neon gas. The phosphorus vapor was prepared by heating white phosphorus chips placed on a cylindrical copper electrode during discharge. In total, 234 lines of P I were observed, of which 127 were assigned. The transition frequencies were obtained with an uncertainty of 0.007 cm-1. Empirical line intensities were provided covering four orders of magnitude.

  20. A single phosphorus treatment doubles growth of cyanobacterial lichen transplants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCune, Bruce; Caldwell, Bruce A

    2009-02-01

    Lichens are reputedly slow growing and become unhealthy or die in response to supplements of the usual limiting resources, such as water and nitrogen. We found, however, that the tripartite cyanobacterial lichen Lobaria pulmonaria doubled in annual biomass growth after a single 20-minute immersion in a phosphorus solution (K2HPO4), as compared to controls receiving no supplemental phosphorus. This stimulation of cyanolichens by phosphorus has direct relevance to community and population ecology of lichens, including improving models of lichen performance in relation to air quality, improving forest management practices affecting old-growth associated cyanolichens, and understanding the distribution and abundance of cyanolichens on the landscape. Phosphorus may be as important a stimulant to cyanobacterial-rich lichen communities as it is to cyanobacteria in aquatic ecosystems.

  1. Can osteophagia provide giraffes with phosphorus and calcium?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I.P. Bredin

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available The daily requirement for calcium and phosphorus by giraffes to sustain the growth and maintenance of their skeletons is large. The source of sufficient calcium is browse. The source of necessary phosphorus is obscure, but it could be osteophagia, a frequently observed behaviour in giraffes. We have assessed whether bone ingested as a result of osteophagia can be digested in the rumen. Bone samples from cancellous (cervical vertebrae and dense bones (metacarpal shaft were immersed in the rumens of five sheep, for a period of up to 30 days, and the effect compared to immersion in distilled water and in artificial saliva for 30 days. Distilled water had no effect on the bones. Dense bone samples were softened by exposure to the saliva and rumen fluid, but did not lose either calcium or phosphorus. In saliva and rumen fluid the cancellous bone samples also softened, and their mass and volume decreased as a result of exposure to saliva, but in neither fluid did they lose significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus. We conclude that although saliva and rumen fluid can soften ingested bones, there is an insignificant digestion of bones in the rumen.

  2. Determination of phosphorus in ortho-phorsphoric acid with high specific radioactivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhuravlev, A.A.; Bigeliene, T.A.

    1983-01-01

    An advanced photocolorimetric method of phosphorus determination (g/ml) in the preparation of orthophosphoric acid labelled by carrier-free phosphorus-32 based on the qualitative reaction, is suggested. In the reaction, ammonium molybdate produces stable dying with phosphates in the presence of bensidine, i.e. oxidation-reduction process between phosphorus-molybdenum acid and benzidine, in the result of which products of molybdenum reduction and benzidine oxidation appear

  3. Bioimpacts of dialyzer variety on phosphorus level in Iranian hemodialysis patients

    OpenAIRE

    Pezeshgi, Aiyoub; Moharrami, Bahareh; Kolifarhood, Goodarz; Sadeghi, Alireza; Asadi-Khiavi, Masoud

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Cardiovascular events are the major cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. About half of dialysis patients because of reduced phosphorus clearance have hyperphosphatemia. Hyperphosphatemia and following secondary hyperparathyroidism lead to some cardiovascular changes. Hemodialysis (HD) partly removes phosphorus during each dialysis session. Objectives: Presented study was designed to evaluate dialyzer variation effect on phosphorus level as a prognostic factor a...

  4. Phosphorus Elimination at Sodium Silicate from Quartz Sand Roasted with Complexation using Chitosan-EDTA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahyuningsih, S.; Ramelan, A. H.; Suharty, N. S.; Handayani, M.; Firdiyono, F.; Sulistiyono, E.; Munawaroh, H.; Sari, P. P.; Kristiawan, Y. R.

    2018-03-01

    A phosphorus elimination from sodium silicate solution has been studied. Phosphorus elimination was performed by adding chitosan-EDTA to remove cation phosphorus. Characterization of chitosan-EDTA material was performed using FT-IR, while the decreasing level of phosphorus content was analyzed by quantitative analysis using spectrophotometer UV-Vis refers to SNI 06-6989-2004. The results showed that the content of the sodium silicate can be reduced up to 67.1% through Chitosan-EDTA complexation with phosphorus.

  5. Phosphorus and phytase levels for layer hens

    OpenAIRE

    Juliana Cristina Ramos Rezende; Antonio Carlos de Laurentiz; Rosemeire da Silva Filardi; Vitor Barbosa Fascina; Daniella Aparecida Berto; Sérgio Turra Sobrane Filho

    2013-01-01

    The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance and bone quality of laying hens after peak production fed diets containing phosphorus levels and phytase. An experiment was conducted with 384 Hy-line distributed in a completely randomized in a factorial 4 x 3 with 4 levels of available phosphorus and 3 levels of phytase. The experimental period was divided into four periods of 28 days, at the end of each cycle were determined experimental feed intake, egg production, egg weight,...

  6. Habitual Intakes, Food Sources and Excretions of Phosphorus and Calcium in Three German Study Collectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrike Trautvetter

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus intake in Europe is far above recommendations. We present baseline data from three human intervention studies between 2006 and 2014 regarding intake and excretion of phosphorus and calcium. All subjects documented their nutritional habits in weighed dietary records. Fasting blood samples were drawn, and feces and urine were quantitatively collected. Dietary phosphorus intake was estimated based on weighed dietary records and urine phosphorus excretions. Food sources were identified by allocation to defined food product groups. Average phosphorus consumption was 1338 mg/day and did not change from 2006 to 2014, while calcium intake decreased during this period (1150 to 895 mg/day. The main sources for phosphorus intake were bread/cereal products, milk/milk products and meat/meat products/sausage products and the main sources of calcium intake included milk/milk products/cheese, bread/cereal products and beverages. There was no difference between estimated phosphorus intake from the weighed dietary records and urine phosphorus excretion. In conclusion, we demonstrated constant phosphorus intakes far above the recommendations and decreasing calcium intakes below the recommendations in three German collectives from 2006 to 2014. Furthermore, we could show in case of usual intakes that an estimated phosphorus intake from urine phosphorus excretion is similar to the calculated intake from weighed dietary records.

  7. Utilization of Glyphosate as Phosphate Source: Biochemistry and Genetics of Bacterial Carbon-Phosphorus Lyase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zechel, David L.; Jochimsen, Bjarne

    2014-01-01

    SUMMARY After several decades of use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in weed killers such as Roundup, in fields, forests, and gardens, the biochemical pathway of transformation of glyphosate phosphorus to a useful phosphorus source for microorganisms has been disclosed. Glyphosate is a member of a large group of chemicals, phosphonic acids or phosphonates, which are characterized by a carbon-phosphorus bond. This is in contrast to the general phosphorus compounds utilized and metabolized by microorganisms. Here phosphorus is found as phosphoric acid or phosphate ion, phosphoric acid esters, or phosphoric acid anhydrides. The latter compounds contain phosphorus that is bound only to oxygen. Hydrolytic, oxidative, and radical-based mechanisms for carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage have been described. This review deals with the radical-based mechanism employed by the carbon-phosphorus lyase of the carbon-phosphorus lyase pathway, which involves reactions for activation of phosphonate, carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage, and further chemical transformation before a useful phosphate ion is generated in a series of seven or eight enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The phn genes, encoding the enzymes for this pathway, are widespread among bacterial species. The processes are described with emphasis on glyphosate as a substrate. Additionally, the catabolism of glyphosate is intimately connected with that of aminomethylphosphonate, which is also treated in this review. Results of physiological and genetic analyses are combined with those of bioinformatics analyses. PMID:24600043

  8. Nature of Phosphorus Limitation in the Ultraoligotrophic Eastern Mediterranean

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thingstad, T. F.; Krom, M. D.; Mantoura, R. F. C.; Flaten, G. A. F.; Groom, S.; Herut, B.; Kress, N.; Law, C. S.; Pasternak, A.; Pitta, P.; Psarra, S.; Rassoulzadegan, F.; Tanaka, T.; Tselepides, A.; Wassmann, P.; Woodward, E. M. S.; Riser, C. Wexels; Zodiatis, G.; Zohary, T.

    2005-08-01

    Phosphate addition to surface waters of the ultraoligotrophic, phosphorus-starved eastern Mediterranean in a Lagrangian experiment caused unexpected ecosystem responses. The system exhibited a decline in chlorophyll and an increase in bacterial production and copepod egg abundance. Although nitrogen and phosphorus colimitation hindered phytoplankton growth, phosphorous may have been transferred through the microbial food web to copepods via two, not mutually exclusive, pathways: (i) bypass of the phytoplankton compartment by phosphorus uptake in heterotrophic bacteria and (ii) tunnelling, whereby phosphate luxury consumption rapidly shifts the stoichiometric composition of copepod prey. Copepods may thus be coupled to lower trophic levels through interactions not usually considered.

  9. Stable black phosphorus quantum dots for alkali PH sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Weilan; Song, Haizeng; Yan, Shancheng

    2018-01-01

    Black phosphorus, as a new two-dimensional material has been widely used in sensors, photovoltaic devices, etc. However, thin layered black phosphorus chemically degrades rapidly under ambient and aqueous conditions, which hinders the application of it in the chemical sensors. In this work, stable black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) in solution are successfully synthesized by functionalization with 4-nitrobenzene-diazonium (4-NBD). The stable BPQDs are investigated by TEM, AFM, Raman, and UV-absorption. As a potential application, the stable BPQDs are used as sensors in alkali solution, which exhibit outstanding performance. Our work paves the way towards a new application with BPQDs in solution.

  10. Weak localization in few-layer black phosphorus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, Yuchen; Neal, Adam T; Zhou, Hong; Ye, Peide D

    2016-01-01

    We have conducted a comprehensive investigation into the magneto-transport properties of few-layer black phosphorus in terms of phase coherence length, phase coherence time, and mobility via weak localization measurement and Hall-effect measurement. We present magnetoresistance data showing the weak localization effect in bare p-type few-layer black phosphorus and reveal its strong dependence on temperature and carrier concentration. The measured weak localization agrees well with the Hikami–Larkin–Nagaoka model and the extracted phase coherence length of 104 nm at 350 mK, decreasing as ∼T −0.513+−0.053 with increased temperature. Weak localization measurement allows us to qualitatively probe the temperature-dependent phase coherence time τ ϕ , which is in agreement with the theory of carrier interaction in the diffusive regime. We also observe the universal conductance fluctuation phenomenon in few-layer black phosphorus within moderate magnetic field and low temperature regime. (paper)

  11. Evaluation of phosphorus sorption characteristics of soils from the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The evaluation of phosphorus sorption characteristics of soils and their relation to soil properties from the Bambouto sequence of Baranka 1, Baranka 2, Femock 1 and Femock 2 has been studied. Phosphorus, an essential plant nutrient, is often not readily available to plants and this deficiency tends to limit plant growth.

  12. Impact of seeding rate, seeding date, rate and method of phosphorus application in faba bean (Vicia faba L. minor in the absence of moisture stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Turk M.A.

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Field experiments were conducted during the winter seasons of 1998-1999, 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 at the semi-arid region in north of Jordan, to study the effect of seeding dates (14 January, 28 January and 12 February, seeding rates (50, 75 and 100 plants per metre, phosphorus levels (0, 17.5, 35.0 and 52.5 kg P per ha and two methods of P placement (banding and broadcast. Seeding rate, seeding date, and rate of phosphorus had a significant effect on most of the measured traits and the yield determinates. Method of phosphorus application had only a significant effect on seed yield and seed weight per plant. In general high yields were obtained by early seeding (14 January, high seeding rate (100-plant per square metre, and P application (52.5 kg P per ha drilled with the seed after cultivation (banded.

  13. Hydrology and phosphorus transport simulation in a lowland polder by a coupled modeling system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Renhua; Huang, Jiacong; Li, Lingling; Gao, Junfeng

    2017-08-01

    Modeling the rain-runoff processes and phosphorus transport processes in lowland polders is critical in finding reasonable measures to alleviate the eutrophication problem of downstream rivers and lakes. This study develops a lowland Polder Hydrology and Phosphorus modeling System (PHPS) by coupling the WALRUS-paddy model and an improved phosphorus module of a Phosphorus Dynamic model for lowland Polder systems (PDP). It considers some important hydrological characteristics, such as groundwater-unsaturated zone coupling, groundwater-surface water feedback, human-controlled irrigation and discharge, and detailed physical and biochemical cycles of phosphorus in surface water. The application of the model in the Jianwei polder shows that the simulated phosphorus matches well with the measured values. The high precision of this model combined with its low input data requirement and efficient computation make it practical and easy to the water resources management of Chinese polders. Parameter sensitivity analysis demonstrates that K uptake , c Q2 , c W1 , and c Q1 exert a significant effect on the modeled results, whereas K resuspensionMax , K settling , and K mineralization have little effect on the modeled total phosphorus. Among the three types of uncertainties (i.e., parameter, initial condition, and forcing uncertainties), forcing uncertainty produces the strongest effect on the simulated phosphorus. Based on the analysis result of annual phosphorus balance when considering the high import from irrigation and fertilization, lowland polder is capable of retaining phosphorus and reducing phosphorus export to surrounding aquatic ecosystems because of their special hydrological regulation regime. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Utilization of fertilizer phosphorus in rice wheat cropping sequence on different soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singhania, R.A.; Goswami, N.N.

    1975-01-01

    Uptake and utilization of fertilizer phosphorus was studied in a rice-wheat cropping pattern on alluvial, black, red and laterite soils from representative model agronomic centres. Phosphorus was applied as 32 P-tagged superphosphate to rice at varying doses, depending upon the phosphorus fixing capacity of the soil, and to wheat at 30 kg P 2 O 5 /ha. Results showed that rice responded to phosphorus in all soils, but to higher doses only in black and laterite soils which had higher P-fixation capacity. Phosphorus applied to rice had little residual effect on the suceeding crop of wheat but the latter showed higher uptake and utilization of fertilizer phosphorus directly applied to it as compared to that by rice. Wheat responded to P only in red and laterite soils. Results on the transformation of applied P was converted to Fe-P which was of lower availability. These findings suggest that phosphorus in a rice-wheat sequence should preferably be applied to wheat primarily because of (1) greater uptake of fertilizer P by wheat (2) under flooded conditions in which rice is grown most of the applied P is transformed into Fe-P and (3) rice can utilize Fe-P better. (author)

  15. Solvent Extraction Separation of Phosphorus for the Measurement of {sup 32}P

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Sang Hoon; Lee, Heung N.; Ahn, Hong Joo; Han, Sun ho; Jee, Kwang Yong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2006-07-01

    Phosphorus is a major element in life and plays essential roles in the human body. On the other hand, phosphorus organic compound has high toxicity, therefore, the determination of trace amount of phosphorus is important in environment studies. Development of an analytical method for the determination of low levels of phosphorus is very important as a very few analytical techniques yield reliable results for this element at trace levels. Radioactive phosphorus, {sup 32}P (T1/2 = 14.3 d, Emax 1.71 MeV) is the highest energy beta-emitting radionuclides and now generally accepted as an effective therapeutic agent for chronic leukemia and excess red blood cells. But, {sup 32}P used in diagnosis and treatment are generated radioactive waste such as pipette tips, latex gloves, angioplastic balloons, Kimwipes etc.. We'll analyze {sup 32}P in medical radioactive waste in the future. Even if {sup 32}P has low level activity and short halflife, we have to control radioactive materials in medical waste. In this work, experiment separation using solvent extraction of inactive phosphorus as preliminary experiments for the establishment of analysis. Phosphorus is extracted tri-n-octylamine (TNOA)/ xylene, which is the most suitable solvent and then is measured by UV-visable spectrophotometer.

  16. Potential phosphorus eutrophication mitigation strategy: Biochar carbon composition, thermal stability and pH influence phosphorus sorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngatia, L W; Hsieh, Y P; Nemours, D; Fu, R; Taylor, R W

    2017-08-01

    Phosphorus (P) eutrophication is a major pollution problem globally, with unprecedented amount of P emanating from agricultural sources. But little is known about the optimization of soil-biochar P sorption capacity. The study objective was to determine how biochar feedstocks and pyrolysis conditions influences carbon (C) thermal stability, C composition and pH and in turn influence the phosphorus sorption optimization. Biochar was produced from switchgrass, kudzu and Chinese tallow at 200, 300, 400, 500, 550, 650,750 °C. Carbon thermal stability was determined by multi-element scanning thermal analysis (MESTA), C composition was determined using solid state 13 C NMR. Phosphorus sorption was determined using a mixture of 10% biochar and 90% sandy soil after incubation. Results indicate increased P sorption (P biochar pyrolysis temperature. However, optimum P sorption was feedstock specific with switchgrass indicating P desorption between 200 and 550 °C. Phosphorus sorption was in the order of kudzu > switchgrass > Chinese tallow. Total C, C thermal stability, aromatic C and alkalinity increased with elevated pyrolysis temperature. Biochar alkalinity favored P sorption. There was a positive relationship between high thermal stable C and P sorption for Kudzu (r = 0.62; P = 0.0346) and Chinese tallow (r = 0.73; P = 0.0138). In conclusion, biochar has potential for P eutrophication mitigation, however, optimum biochar pyrolysis temperature for P sorption is feedstock specific and in some cases might be out of 300-500 °C temperature range commonly used for agronomic application. High thermal stable C dominated by aromatic C and alkaline pH seem to favor P sorption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The role of phosphorus in the irradiation embrittlement of PWR pressure vessel steels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, R.B.; Buswell, J.T.

    1987-02-01

    An analysis has been performed of the influence of phosphorus on post-irradiation materials properties and microstructures determined on a variety of PWR steels and variants following exposure to MTR or reactor surveillance irradiations to doses not exceeding 7 x 10 19 n.cm -2 (E>1.0MeV) at 250-290 0 C. The irradiation-induced shifts in impact transition temperature, matrix hardening and the relative small angle neutron scattering response were found to rise most rapidly with increasing phosphorus when the copper content of the steel was 0.03 w/o. The sensitivity of the changes in mechanical properties to phosphorus content decreased as the copper content was increased. At copper levels typical of modern PWR steel manufacture (Cu 3 P) produced by the irradiation induced segregation of phosphorus to defect sinks and the depletion of phosphorus in solid solution as detected by high sensitivity electron microscopy and other analytical techniques. At higher levels of copper (approx. 0.3 w/o) the effect of phosphorus on properties was reduced by a factor of three due to the observed incorporation of phosphorus into the small copper precipitates formed during irradiation. Grain boundary embrittlement by phosphorus under irradiation is not thought to be important but further evidence concerning the post-irradiation fracture mode and the development of the deleterious influence of phosphorus with irradiation dose is required for a comprehensive understanding of its action. Some suggestions for future work are made. (author)

  18. Phosphorus flows and balances of the European Union Member States

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dijk, Kimo C. van, E-mail: kimo.vandijk@wur.nl [Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Lesschen, Jan Peter, E-mail: janpeter.lesschen@wur.nl [Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Oenema, Oene, E-mail: oene.oenema@wur.nl [Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen (Netherlands); Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands)

    2016-01-15

    Global society faces serious “phosphorus challenges” given the scarcity, essentiality, unequal global distribution and, at the same time, regional excess of phosphorus (P). Phosphorus flow studies can be used to analyze these challenges, providing insight into how society (re)uses and loses phosphorus, identifying potential solutions. Phosphorus flows were analyzed in detail for EU-27 and its Member States. To quantify food system and non-food flows, country specific data and historical context were considered. The sectors covered were crop production (CP), animal production (AP), food processing (FP), non-food production (NF) and consumption (HC). The results show that the EU-27 imported 2392 Gg P in 2005, half of which accumulated in agricultural soils (924 Gg) and half was lost as waste (1217 Gg). Net accumulation was 4.9 kg P/ha/year ranging between + 23.2 (Belgium) and − 2.8 (Slovakia). From the system losses, 54% was lost from HC in diverse waste flows and 28% from FP, mainly through incinerated slaughter residues. The largest HC losses (655 Gg) were wastewater (55%), food waste (27%), and pet excreta (11%). Phosphorus recycling rates were 73% in AP, 29% in FP, 21% in HC and ~ 0% in NF. The phosphorus use efficiencies showed that, relative to sector input, about 70% was taken up by crops (CP), 24% was retained in animals (AP), 52% was contained in food products (FP), 76% was stored in non-food materials (NF), and 21% was recycled (HC). Although wide-ranging variation between countries, generally phosphorus use in EU-27 was characterized by relatively (1) large dependency on (primary) imports, (2) long-term accumulation in agricultural soils, especially in west European countries, (3) leaky losses throughout entire society, especially emissions to the environment and sequestered waste, (4) little recycling with the exception of manure, and (5) low use efficiencies, because of aforementioned issues, providing ample opportunities for improvement

  19. Phosphorus flows and balances of the European Union Member States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dijk, Kimo C. van; Lesschen, Jan Peter; Oenema, Oene

    2016-01-01

    Global society faces serious “phosphorus challenges” given the scarcity, essentiality, unequal global distribution and, at the same time, regional excess of phosphorus (P). Phosphorus flow studies can be used to analyze these challenges, providing insight into how society (re)uses and loses phosphorus, identifying potential solutions. Phosphorus flows were analyzed in detail for EU-27 and its Member States. To quantify food system and non-food flows, country specific data and historical context were considered. The sectors covered were crop production (CP), animal production (AP), food processing (FP), non-food production (NF) and consumption (HC). The results show that the EU-27 imported 2392 Gg P in 2005, half of which accumulated in agricultural soils (924 Gg) and half was lost as waste (1217 Gg). Net accumulation was 4.9 kg P/ha/year ranging between + 23.2 (Belgium) and − 2.8 (Slovakia). From the system losses, 54% was lost from HC in diverse waste flows and 28% from FP, mainly through incinerated slaughter residues. The largest HC losses (655 Gg) were wastewater (55%), food waste (27%), and pet excreta (11%). Phosphorus recycling rates were 73% in AP, 29% in FP, 21% in HC and ~ 0% in NF. The phosphorus use efficiencies showed that, relative to sector input, about 70% was taken up by crops (CP), 24% was retained in animals (AP), 52% was contained in food products (FP), 76% was stored in non-food materials (NF), and 21% was recycled (HC). Although wide-ranging variation between countries, generally phosphorus use in EU-27 was characterized by relatively (1) large dependency on (primary) imports, (2) long-term accumulation in agricultural soils, especially in west European countries, (3) leaky losses throughout entire society, especially emissions to the environment and sequestered waste, (4) little recycling with the exception of manure, and (5) low use efficiencies, because of aforementioned issues, providing ample opportunities for improvement

  20. Relationship among Phosphorus Circulation Activity, Bacterial Biomass, pH, and Mineral Concentration in Agricultural Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dinesh Adhikari

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Improvement of phosphorus circulation in the soil is necessary to enhance phosphorus availability to plants. Phosphorus circulation activity is an index of soil’s ability to supply soluble phosphorus from organic phosphorus in the soil solution. To understand the relationship among phosphorus circulation activity; bacterial biomass; pH; and Fe, Al, and Ca concentrations (described as mineral concentration in this paper in agricultural soil, 232 soil samples from various agricultural fields were collected and analyzed. A weak relationship between phosphorus circulation activity and bacterial biomass was observed in all soil samples (R2 = 0.25, and this relationship became significantly stronger at near-neutral pH (6.0–7.3; R2 = 0.67. No relationship between phosphorus circulation activity and bacterial biomass was observed at acidic (pH < 6.0 or alkaline (pH > 7.3 pH. A negative correlation between Fe and Al concentrations and phosphorus circulation activity was observed at acidic pH (R2 = 0.72 and 0.73, respectively, as well as for Ca at alkaline pH (R2 = 0.64. Therefore, bacterial biomass, pH, and mineral concentration should be considered together for activation of phosphorus circulation activity in the soil. A relationship model was proposed based on the effects of bacterial biomass and mineral concentration on phosphorus circulation activity. The suitable conditions of bacterial biomass, pH, and mineral concentration for phosphorus circulation activity could be estimated from the relationship model.

  1. Overestimation of organic phosphorus in wetland soils by alkaline extraction and molybdate colorimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Benjamin L; Newman, Susan; Reddy, K Ramesh

    2006-05-15

    Accurate information on the chemical nature of soil phosphorus is essential for understanding its bioavailability and fate in wetland ecosystems. Solution phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy was used to assess the conventional colorimetric procedure for phosphorus speciation in alkaline extracts of organic soils from the Florida Everglades. Molybdate colorimetry markedly overestimated organic phosphorus by between 30 and 54% compared to NMR spectroscopy. This was due in large part to the association of inorganic phosphate with organic matter, although the error was exacerbated in some samples by the presence of pyrophosphate, an inorganic polyphosphate that is not detected by colorimetry. The results have important implications for our understanding of phosphorus biogeochemistry in wetlands and suggest that alkaline extraction and solution 31p NMR spectroscopy is the only accurate method for quantifying organic phosphorus in wetland soils.

  2. Evaluation of Uncertainties in the Determination of Phosphorus by RNAA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rick L. Paul

    2000-01-01

    A radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) procedure for the determination of phosphorus in metals and other materials has been developed and critically evaluated. Uncertainties evaluated as type A include those arising from measurement replication, yield determination, neutron self-shielding, irradiation geometry, measurement of the quantity for concentration normalization (sample mass, area, etc.), and analysis of standards. Uncertainties evaluated as type B include those arising from beta contamination corrections, beta decay curve fitting, and beta self-absorption corrections. The evaluation of uncertainties in the determination of phosphorus is illustrated for three different materials in Table I. The metal standard reference materials (SRMs) 2175 and 861 were analyzed for value assignment of phosphorus; implanted silicon was analyzed to evaluate the technique for certification of phosphorus. The most significant difference in the error evaluation of the three materials lies in the type B uncertainties. The relatively uncomplicated matrix of the high-purity silicon allows virtually complete purification of phosphorus from other beta emitters; hence, minimal contamination correction is needed. Furthermore, because the chemistry is less rigorous, the carrier yield is more reproducible, and self-absorption corrections are less significant. Improvements in the chemical purification procedures for phosphorus in complex matrices will decrease the type B uncertainties for all samples. Uncertainties in the determination of carrier yield, the most significant type A error in the analysis of the silicon, also need to be evaluated more rigorously and minimized in the future

  3. Phosphorus acceptor doped ZnO nanowires prepared by pulsed-laser deposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao, B Q; Lorenz, M; Rahm, A; Wenckstern, H von; Czekalla, C; Lenzner, J; Benndorf, G; Grundmann, M

    2007-01-01

    Phosphorus-doped ZnO (ZnO:P) nanowires were successfully prepared by a novel high-pressure pulsed-laser deposition process using phosphorus pentoxide as the dopant source. Detailed cathodoluminescence studies of single ZnO:P nanowires revealed characteristic phosphorus acceptor-related peaks: neutral acceptor-bound exciton emission (A 0 , X, 3.356 eV), free-to-neutral-acceptor emission (e, A 0 , 3.314 eV), and donor-to-acceptor pair emission (DAP, ∼3.24 and ∼3.04 eV). This means that stable acceptor levels with a binding energy of about 122 meV have been induced in the nanowires by phosphorus doping. Moreover, the induced acceptors are distributed homogeneously along the doped nanowires

  4. Phosphorus content in three physical fractions of typical Chernozem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kotelnikova, Anna; Egorova, Zoya; Sushkov, Nikolai; Matveeva, Natalia; Fastovets, Ilya; Rogova, Olga; Volkov, Dmitriy

    2017-04-01

    The widespread use of fertilizers makes it necessary to study not only the content but also the forms of occurrence of nutrients in soil, as well as the phase in which nutrients are transferred. These characteristics determine the availability of chemical elements for plants, but remain insufficiently studied. In this work we attempted to gain insight into the distribution of organo-mineral fractions in agriculturally used Chernozem from Voronezh (Russia) and the distribution of phosphorus - one of the most important nutrient elements - in this type of soil. We compared the distributions of phosphorus in physical fractions of the soil in 3 experimental groups: the control group (without fertilizers), the group fertilized with 1 dose of NPK, and the group fertilized with 2 doses of NPK. The soil was sampled during the period of treatment with fertilizers and during the period of aftereffect (4 years after the last application of fertilizers). In order to analyze organo-mineral fractions, we used size-density fractionation to separate the soil samples into three physical fractions: clay-associated fraction with particle size 2.0 g cm-3 (RF). Total phosphorus content (TPC) in the fractions was determined with Agilent 5100 ICP-AES spectrometer. To compare groups, simultaneous confidence intervals were computed from pooled variance estimators in ANOVA, and Fisher's LSD test was used. We showed that during the period of treatment with fertilizers LF increased proportionally to the dose of fertilizers, and a simultaneous reduction in RF was observed. During the period of aftereffect, the content of these fractions tended to the control value. The increase of LF may indicate increasing availability of nutrients, since this fraction is likely to participate in biological cycles. The analysis of TPC in fractions suggested that during the period of treatment with fertilizers most of phosphorus accumulates in CF. In the group with double dose of fertilizers TPC in CF was more

  5. Early evolution and dynamics of Earth from a molten initial stage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Louro Lourenço, Diogo; Tackley, Paul J.

    2016-04-01

    It is now well established that most of the terrestrial planets underwent a magma ocean stage during their accretion. On Earth, it is probable that at the end of accretion, giant impacts like the hypothesised Moon-forming impact, together with other sources of heat, melted a substantial part of the mantle. The thermal and chemical evolution of the resulting magma ocean most certainly had dramatic consequences on the history of the planet. Considerable research has been done on magma oceans using simple 1-D models (e.g.: Abe, PEPI 1997; Solomatov, Treat. Geophys. 2007; Elkins-Tanton EPSL 2008). However, some aspects of the dynamics may not be adequately addressed in 1-D and require the use of 2-D or 3-D models. Moreover, new developments in mineral physics that indicate that melt can be denser than solid at high pressures (e.g.: de Koker et al., EPSL 2013) can have very important impacts on the classical views of the solidification of magma oceans (Labrosse et al., Nature 2007). The goal of our study is to understand and characterize the influence of melting on the long-term thermo-chemical evolution of rocky planet interiors, starting from an initial molten state (magma ocean). Our approach is to model viscous creep of the solid mantle, while parameterizing processes that involve melt as previously done in 1-D models, including melt-solid separation at all melt fractions, the use of an effective diffusivity to parameterize turbulent mixing, coupling to a parameterized core heat balance and a radiative surface boundary condition. These enhancements have been made to the numerical code StagYY (Tackley, PEPI 2008). We present results for the evolution of an Earth-like planet from a molten initial state to present day, while testing the effect of uncertainties in parameters such as melt-solid density differences, surface heat loss and efficiency of turbulent mixing. Our results show rapid cooling and crystallization until the rheological transition then much slower

  6. Carbon and phosphorus regulating bacterial metabolism in oligotrophic boreal lakes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vidal, L. O.; Graneli, W.; Daniel, C. B.

    2011-01-01

    This study focused on how phosphorus and carbon control pelagic bacteria in lakes over a gradient of dissolved organic carbon (DOC from 6.7 to 29.5 mg C L(-1)) and phosphorus (P-tot from 5 to 19 mu g L(-1)). Five oligotrophic lakes in southern Sweden were sampled in late autumn. Phosphate...... carbon mineralization in this kind of system during autumn is conditioned by the combined availability of labile carbon and phosphorus, with the assimilated carbon mainly transformed to inorganic carbon in respiration, contributing to CO(2) supersaturation in these systems....

  7. Phosphine and methylphosphine production by simulated lightning - s study for the volatile phosphorus cycle and cloud formation in the earth atmosphere

    OpenAIRE

    Glindemann, D.; Edwards, M.; Schrems, Otto

    2004-01-01

    Phosphine (PH3), was recently found worldwide even in the remote atmosphere (Naturwissenschaften 83 (1996a,131, Atmos. Environ. 37 (2003) 2429). It is of interest to find natural mechanisms which could produce phosphine gas and drive a volatile link of the atmospheric phosphorus cycle and the formation of phosphoric acid as possible condensation nuclei for clouds.Here we report on simulated lightning exposing sodium phosphate in a reducing medium (methane model atmosphere or organic matter) f...

  8. Mapping watershed potential to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials to receiving streams, southeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terziotti, Silvia; Hoos, Anne B.; Harned, Douglas; Garcia, Ana Maria

    2010-01-01

    As part of the southeastern United States SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) water-quality model implementation, the U.S. Geological Survey created a dataset to characterize the contribution of phosphorus to streams from weathering and erosion of surficial geologic materials. SPARROW provides estimates of total nitrogen and phosphorus loads in surface waters from point and nonpoint sources. The characterization of the contribution of phosphorus from geologic materials is important to help separate the effects of natural or background sources of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources of phosphorus, such as municipal wastewater or agricultural practices. The potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from naturally occurring geologic materials to streams was characterized by using geochemical data from bed-sediment samples collected from first-order streams in relatively undisturbed watersheds as part of the multiyear U.S. Geological Survey National Geochemical Survey. The spatial pattern of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration is offered as a tool to represent the best available information at the regional scale. One issue may weaken the use of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration as a surrogate for the potential for geologic materials in the watershed to contribute to instream levels of phosphorus-an unknown part of the variability in bed-sediment phosphorus concentration may be due to the rates of net deposition and processing of phosphorus in the streambed rather than to variability in the potential of the watershed's geologic materials to contribute phosphorus to the stream. Two additional datasets were created to represent the potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials disturbed by mining activities from active mines and inactive mines.

  9. Large magnetoresistance and Hall effect in paramagnetic black phosphorus synthesized from red phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, X. H.; Xiong, F.; Zhang, X. W.; Hua, Z. H.; Wang, Z. H.; Yang, S. G.

    2018-05-01

    Black phosphorus (BP) is an important material, which can be used in the fabrication of phosphorene. In this manuscript, a systematic study was described on the high-pressure synthesis of BP from red phosphorus. For physical characterization, the bulk BP was synthesized under the high pressure of 1.6 GPa and high temperature of 700 °C for 2 h. X-ray diffraction and Raman studies illustrated the formation of high-quality pure phase pleomorphic BP. A nonlinear Hall effect was observed in the BP sample. Magnetoresistance (MR) in the bulk BP reached 90% at 40 K, and positive-to-negative crossover in MR was measured. A paramagnetic feature was found in the prepared bulk BP, and the MR results were attributed to the combination of the effect of classical resistor network and magnetic polaron. The conduction tensors were analyzed by a two-band model to determine the carrier concentration and mobility at several temperatures.

  10. [Soil Phosphorus Forms and Leaching Risk in a Typically Agricultural Catchment of Hefei Suburban].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Hui-hui; Li, Ru-zhong; Pei, Ting-ting; Zhang, Rui-gang

    2016-01-15

    To investigate the soil phosphorus forms and leaching risk in a typically agricultural catchment of Ershibu River in Hefei Suburban, Chaohu Lake basin, 132 surface soil samples were collected from the catchment area. The spatial distribution of total phosphorus (TP) and bio-available phosphorus (Bio-P), and the spatial variability of soil available phosphorus (Olsen-P) and easy desorption phosphorus (CaCl2-P) were analyzed using the Kriging technology of AreGIS after speciation analysis of soil phosphorus. Moreover, the enrichment level of soil phosphorus was studied, and the phosphorus leaching risk was evaluated through determining the leaching threshold value of soil phosphorus. The results showed that the samples with high contents of TP and Bio-P mainly located in the upstream of the left tributary and on the right side of local area where two tributaries converged. The enrichment rates of soil phosphorus forms were arranged as follows: Ca-P (15.01) > OP (4.16) > TP (3. 42) > IP (2.94) > Ex-P (2.76) > Fe/Al-P (2.43) > Olsen-P (2.34). The critical value of Olsen-P leaching was 18.388 mg x kg(-1), and the leaching samples with values higher than the threshold value accounted for 16.6% of total samples. Generally, the high-risk areas mainly occurred in the upstream of the left tributary, the middle of the right tributary and the local area of the downstream of the area where two tributaries converged.

  11. Phosphorus chemistry in everyday living

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Toy, Arthur D. F

    1976-01-01

    The author has drawn on his 35 years of experience as a research scientist in phosphorus chemistry to produce a book that is not only readable to the non-chemist but sophisticated enough to interest...

  12. Phosphorus Characteristics with Controlled Nitrogen in Fertile Soils in Protected Vegetable Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    WANG Heng

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available There is an unreasonable phenomenon of fertilization in vegetable facility cultivation, with the serious imbalance of soil nutrient. In purpose of understanding the absorption characteristics of phosphorus from nitrogen-rich soil, a long-term nitrogen-controlled experiment was carried from the year 2004 to 2007, and a split plot experiment of leaching was carried in winter-spring season of 2007. The results showed that the content of phosphorus varied with different nitrogen control. The TP was decreased with nitrogen supply of none(NN 、organic manure(MN 、organic manure and straw(MN+S, and the decreased range was NN>MN>MN+S, meanwhile the increase range of TP was traditional-nitrogen(CN >traditional-nitrogen+straw(CN+S >optimized-nitrogen+straw(SN+S >optimized-nitrogen(SN. The available P with CN and CN+S reached to 213.7 mg· kg -1 、225.4 mg·kg -1, which increased by 17.1 percent and 23.5 percent, which declared the phosphorus was accumulated; The available P with other nitrogen controlled decreased with the range of NN>MN>MN+S>SN+S>SN跃CN>CN+S, which showed that the supply reduction of nitrogen could slowdown the phosphorus accumulated and promote the utilization ratio of phosphorus. The organophosphorus was increased except NN, with obvious increase with CN、CN+S(308.4 mg·kg -1 、331.4 mg·kg -1 by 28.5 percent and 38.2 percent. The absorption coefficient of phosphorus with SN+S(P 2 O 5,mg· 100 g -1 reached to 1 571, increased by 143.6 percent; Otherwise the absorption coefficient of phosphorus with CN、CN+S showed negative growth, the CN dipped to 416(P 2 O 5,mg·100 g -1 by 35.5 percent. Adding wheat straw could greatly improved the capacity of absorption of phosphorus and slow down the accumulation of available phosphorus to some extent. The concentrations of total phosphorus in the filtrate with SN+S were less than SN, contrary to the concentration of organophosphorus, thus the straw returning had a certain effect on

  13. Cable bacteria control iron-phosphorus dynamics in sediments of a coastal hypoxic basin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sulu-Gambari, Fatimah; Seitaj, Dorina; Meysman, Filip J.R.; Schauer, Regina; Polerecky, Lubos; Slomp, Caroline P.

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for life. The release of phosphorus from sediments is critical in sustaining phytoplankton growth in many aquatic systems and is pivotal to eutrophication and the development of bottom water hypoxia. Conventionally, sediment phosphorus release is thought to be

  14. Biological Phosphorus Removal in a Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helness, Herman

    2007-09-15

    The scope of this study was to investigate use of the moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process for biological phosphorus removal. The goal has been to describe the operating conditions required for biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal in a MBBR operated as a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), and determine dimensioning criteria for such a process

  15. Suitability of Moshi Pumice for Phosphorus Sorption in Constructed ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study of Moshi Pumice's phosphorus sorption behaviours and properties was carried out in laboratory scale where by 1-2 mm, 2-4 mm and 4-8 mm grains were tested using batch experiments. The results show that Moshi Pumice has high phosphorus sorption capacity. The sorption capacity for the Moshi Pumice was ...

  16. Evaluation of an automated struvite reactor to recover phosphorus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In the present study we attempted to develop a reactor system to recover phosphorus by struvite precipitation, and which can be installed anywhere in the field without access to a laboratory. A reactor was developed that can run fully automated and recover up to 93% of total phosphorus (total P). Turbidity and conductivity ...

  17. Pulsed EPR studies of Phosphorus shallow donors in diamond and SiC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isoya, J.; Katagiri, M.; Umeda, T.; Koizumi, S.; Kanda, H.; Son, N.T.; Henry, A.; Gali, A.; Janzen, E.

    2006-01-01

    Phosphorus shallow donors having the symmetry lower than T d are studied by pulsed EPR. In diamond:P and 3C-SiC:P, the symmetry is lowered to D 2d and the density of the donor wave function on the phosphorus atom exhibits a predominant p-character. In 4H-SiC:P with the site symmetry of C 3v , the A 1 ground state of the phosphorus donors substituting at the quasi-cubic site of silicon shows an axial character of the distribution of the donor wave function in the vicinity of the phosphorus atom

  18. Composition of the Earth's interior: the importance of early events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Richard W; Boyet, Maud

    2008-11-28

    The detection of excess 142Nd caused by the decay of 103Ma half-life 146Sm in all terrestrial rocks compared with chondrites shows that the chondrite analogue compositional model cannot be strictly correct, at least for the accessible portion of the Earth. Both the continental crust (CC) and the mantle source of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) originate from the material characterized by superchondritic 142Nd/144Nd. Thus, the mass balance of CC plus mantle depleted by crust extraction (the MORB-source mantle) does not sum back to chondritic compositions, but instead to a composition with Sm/Nd ratio sufficiently high to explain the superchondritic 142Nd/144Nd. This requires that the mass of mantle depleted by CC extraction expand to 75-100 per cent of the mantle depending on the composition assumed for average CC. If the bulk silicate Earth has chondritic relative abundances of the refractory lithophile elements, then there must exist within the Earth's interior an incompatible-element-enriched reservoir that contains roughly 40 per cent of the Earth's 40Ar and heat-producing radioactive elements. The existence of this enriched reservoir is demonstrated by time-varying 142Nd/144Nd in Archaean crustal rocks. Calculations of the mass of the enriched reservoir along with seismically determined properties of the D'' layer at the base of the mantle allow the speculation that this enriched reservoir formed by the sinking of dense melts deep in a terrestrial magma ocean. The enriched reservoir may now be confined to the base of the mantle owing to a combination of compositionally induced high density and low viscosity, both of which allow only minimal entrainment into the overlying convecting mantle.

  19. Influence of bread crust-derived Maillard reaction products on phosphorus balance in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roncero-Ramos, Irene; Delgado-Andrade, Cristina; Alonso-Olalla, Rebeca; Navarro, María Pilar

    2012-10-01

    Maillard reaction products (MRP) improve food palatability and are linked to some positive biological actions. However, diverse negative consequences, some related to protein damage and mineral availability, have been established. We investigated the effects of MRP, from a bread crust diet, on phosphorus bioavailability and tissue distribution in rats to determine whether these effects are related to the molecular weight of browning products. During a study period of 88 days, rats were fed either a control diet or one of the following: with bread crust as a source of MRP, or one with its soluble high molecular weight, soluble low molecular weight or insoluble fraction (bread crust, HMW, LMW and insoluble diets, respectively). In the final week, a phosphorus balance was performed, after which the animals were sacrificed and some organs removed to analyse phosphorus content. A second balance was carried out throughout the experimental period to calculate phosphorus retention. Phosphorus balance in the last week was unchanged. However, considering the whole experimental period, a trend towards improved bioavailability, significant in the HMW group, was observed. Higher phosphorus concentrations were measured in the small intestine and bone. The consumption of MRP derived from bread did not alter phosphorus retention, due to increased bioavailability, especially concerning HMW compounds. The overall phosphorus body content remained unchanged and there were no changes in the bone, its principal metabolic destination. However, MRP consumption markedly raised phosphorus levels at the digestive level, especially when consumed as isolate fractions. The slower rate of stomach emptying is assumed to be related to this effect.

  20. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science. Keqing Zong. Articles written in Journal of Earth System Science. Volume 127 Issue 3 April 2018 pp 43. Early Neoarchaean A-type granitic magmatism by crustal reworking in Singhbhum craton: Evidence from Pala Lahara area, Orissa · Abhishek Topno Sukanta Dey ...

  1. Characterization of phosphorus segregation in neutron-irradiated Russian pressure vessel steel weld

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, M.K.; Jayaram, R.; Russell, K.F.

    1995-01-01

    An atom probe field ion microscopy characterization of three Russian pressure vessel steels has been performed. Field ion micrographs of several lath boundaries have indicated that they are decorated with a semicontinuous film of discrete brightly-imaging precipitates that were identified as molybdenum carbonitrides. In addition, extremely high phosphorus levels were measured at the lath boundaries. The phosphorus was found to be confined to an extremely narrow region indicative of monolayer type segregation. The phosphorus coverage determined from the atom probe results of the unirradiated materials agree with predictions based on McLean's equilibrium model of grain boundary segregation. The boundary phosphorus coverage of a neutron-irradiated weld material was significantly higher than in the unirradiated material. Ultrafine darkly-imaging copper- and phosphorus-enriched precipitates were also observed in the matrix of the neutron-irradiated material. (orig.)

  2. Laboratory Studies Of Astrophysically-interesting Phosphorus-bearing Molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziurys, Lucy M.; Halfen, D. T.; Sun, M.; Clouthier, D. J.

    2009-05-01

    Over the past year, there has been a renewed interest in the presence of phosphorus-containing molecules in the interstellar medium. Recent observations have increased the number of known interstellar phosphorus-bearing species from two (PN, CP) to six with the identification of HCP, CCP, and PH3 in the carbon-rich circumstellar shell of IRC+10216 and PO in the oxygen-rich envelope of VY Canis Majoris. More species of this type may be present in the ISM, but laboratory rest frequencies, necessary for such detections, are not generally known for many potential molecules. To fill in this gap, we have been conducting measurements of the pure rotational spectra of phosphorus-containing molecules of astrophysical interest, using both millimeter/submm direct absorption and Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy. We have developed a new phosphorus source for this purpose. These methods cover the frequency ranges 65-850 GHz and 4-40 GHz, respectively. Our recent study of the CCP radical (X2Πr) using both of these techniques has resulted in its identification in IRC+10216. Rotational spectra of other molecules such as PCN, HPS, and CH3PH2 have been recorded. We will report on these species and additional new laboratory developments

  3. Could the early environment of Mars have supported the development of life?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mckay, Christopher P.; Stoker, Carol R.

    1990-01-01

    The environment of Mars and its correlation to the origin of life on earth are examined. Evidence of liquid water and nitrogen on early Mars is discussed. The similarities between the early Mars and early earth environments are described.

  4. Sulfur in Earth's Mantle and Its Behavior During Core Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chabot, Nancy L.; Righter,Kevin

    2006-01-01

    The density of Earth's outer core requires that about 5-10% of the outer core be composed of elements lighter than Fe-Ni; proposed choices for the "light element" component of Earth's core include H, C, O, Si, S, and combinations of these elements [e.g. 1]. Though samples of Earth's core are not available, mantle samples contain elemental signatures left behind from the formation of Earth's core. The abundances of siderophile (metal-loving) elements in Earth's mantle have been used to gain insight into the early accretion and differentiation history of Earth, the process by which the core and mantle formed, and the composition of the core [e.g. 2-4]. Similarly, the abundance of potential light elements in Earth's mantle could also provide constraints on Earth's evolution and core composition. The S abundance in Earth's mantle is 250 ( 50) ppm [5]. It has been suggested that 250 ppm S is too high to be due to equilibrium core formation in a high pressure, high temperature magma ocean on early Earth and that the addition of S to the mantle from the subsequent accretion of a late veneer is consequently required [6]. However, this earlier work of Li and Agee [6] did not parameterize the metalsilicate partitioning behavior of S as a function of thermodynamic variables, limiting the different pressure and temperature conditions during core formation that could be explored. Here, the question of explaining the mantle abundance of S is revisited, through parameterizing existing metal-silicate partitioning data for S and applying the parameterization to core formation in Earth.

  5. Effect of continuous intravenous administration of a 50% dextrose solution on phosphorus homeostasis in dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grünberg, Walter; Morin, Dawn E; Drackley, James K; Barger, Anne M; Constable, Peter D

    2006-08-01

    To determine the effect of continuous IV administration of 50% dextrose solution on phosphorus homeostasis in lactating dairy cows. Clinical trial. 4 multiparous Jersey cows. Cows were administered 50% dextrose solution IV (0.3 g/kg/h [0.14 g/lb/h]) for 5 days. Plasma concentrations of glucose, immune-reactive insulin (IRI), and phosphorus were determined before, during, and for 72 hours after dextrose infusion. Phosphorus intake and losses of phosphorus in urine, feces, and milk were determined. Each cow received a sham treatment that included instrumentation and sampling but not administration of dextrose. Plasma glucose, IRI, and phosphorus concentrations were stable during sham treatment. Plasma phosphorus concentration decreased rapidly after onset of dextrose infusion, reaching a nadir in 24 hours and remaining less than baseline value for 36 hours. Plasma phosphorus concentration increased after dextrose infusion was stopped, peaking in 6 hours. Urinary phosphorus excretion did not change during dextrose infusion, but phosphorus intake decreased because of reduced feed intake, followed by decreased fecal phosphorus loss and milk yield. Rapid changes in plasma phosphorus concentration at the start and end of dextrose infusion were temporally associated with changes in plasma glucose and IRI concentrations and most likely caused by compartmental shifts of phosphorus. Hypophosphatemia developed in response to hyperglycemia or hyperinsulinemia in dairy cows administered dextrose via continuous IV infusion. Veterinarians should monitor plasma phosphorus concentration when administering dextrose in this manner, particularly in cows with decreased appetite or preexisting hypophosphatemia.

  6. Interactions between Microcystis aeruginosa and coexisting amoxicillin contaminant at different phosphorus levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ying; Chen, Shi; Chen, Xiao; Zhang, Jian; Gao, Baoyu

    2015-10-30

    Microcystis aeruginosa was cultured with 0.05-5 mg L(-1) of phosphorus and exposed to 200-500 ng L(-1) of amoxicillin for seven days. Amoxicillin presented no significant effect (p>0.05) on the growth of M. aeruginosa at phosphorus levels of 0.05 and 0.2 mg L(-1), but stimulated algal growth as a hormesis effect at phosphorus levels of 1 and 5 mg L(-1). Phosphorus and amoxicillin affected the contents of chlorophyll-a, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and malondialdehyde, the expression of psbA and rbcL, as well as the activities of adenosinetriphosphatase and glutathione S-transferase in similar manners, but regulated the production and release of microcystins and the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in different ways. Increased photosynthesis activity was related with the ATP consumption for the stress response to amoxicillin, and the stress response was enhanced as the phosphorus concentration increased. The biodegradation of amoxicillin by M. aeruginosa increased from 11.5% to 28.2% as the phosphorus concentration increased. Coexisting amoxicillin aggravated M. aeruginosa pollution by increasing cell density and concentration of microcystins, while M. aeruginosa alleviated amoxicillin pollution via biodegradation. The interactions between M. aeruginosa and amoxicillin were significantly regulated by phosphorus (p<0.05) and led to a complicated situation of combined pollution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Origin of the extra low creep ductility of copper without phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandstroem, Rolf [Corrosion and Metals Research Inst., Materials Science and Engineering, Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden); Rui Wu [Corrosion and Metals Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

    2007-02-15

    Around 1990 it was discovered that pure copper could have extra low creep ductility in the temperature interval 180 to 250 deg C. If 50 ppm phosphorus was added to the material the low creep ductility disappeared. A creep cavitation model is presented that can quantitatively describe the observed creep ductility for copper with and without phosphorus. A new model called the double ledge model has been introduced that explains why the nucleation rate of creep cavities is often proportional to the creep rate. The phosphorus agglomerates at the grain boundaries, locks their sliding and thereby reduces the formation and growth of cavities. This is the main reason why extra low creep ductility does not occur in phosphorus alloyed copper.

  8. Derivative activation analysis of phosphorus at ppb levels in water samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arunachalam, J.; John, A.; Gangadharan, S.

    1991-01-01

    A neutron activation analysis procedure has been developed for the indirect determination of phosphorus as orthophosphate at ppb levels, via the formation of antimonyl phosphomolybdic acid. The complex is adsorbed on Sephadex G-25 resin and the antimony is estimated through NAA, allowing the determination of phosphorus. The procedure provides an easy method to adopt for the routine determination of phosphorus at ≥ 10 ng ml -1 levels with good precision, in water samples. (author) 6 refs.; 5 tabs

  9. Simultaneous effects of light intensity and phosphorus supply on the sterol content of phytoplankton.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maike Piepho

    Full Text Available Sterol profiles of microalgae and their change with environmental conditions are of great interest in ecological food web research and taxonomic studies alike. Here, we investigated effects of light intensity and phosphorus supply on the sterol content of phytoplankton and assessed potential interactive effects of these important environmental factors on the sterol composition of algae. We identified sterol contents of four common phytoplankton genera, Scenedesmus, Chlamydomonas, Cryptomonas and Cyclotella, and analysed the change in sterol content with varying light intensities in both a high-phosphorus and a low-phosphorus approach. Sterol contents increased significantly with increasing light in three out of four species. Phosphorus-limitation reversed the change of sterol content with light intensity, i.e., sterol content decreased with increasing light at low phosphorus supply. Generally sterol contents were lower in low-phosphorus cultures. In conclusion, both light and phosphorus conditions strongly affect the sterol composition of algae and hence should be considered in ecological and taxonomic studies investigating the biochemical composition of algae. Data suggest a possible sterol limitation of growth and reproduction of herbivorous crustacean zooplankton during summer when high light intensities and low phosphorus supply decrease sterol contents of algae.

  10. Phosphorus Loadings to the World's Largest Lakes: Sources and Trends

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fink, Gabriel; Alcamo, Joseph; Flörke, Martina; Reder, Klara

    2018-04-01

    Eutrophication is a major water quality issue in lakes worldwide and is principally caused by the loadings of phosphorus from catchment areas. It follows that to develop strategies to mitigate eutrophication, we must have a good understanding of the amount, sources, and trends of phosphorus pollution. This paper provides the first consistent and harmonious estimates of current phosphorus loadings to the world's largest 100 lakes, along with the sources of these loadings and their trends. These estimates provide a perspective on the extent of lake eutrophication worldwide, as well as potential input to the evaluation and management of eutrophication in these lakes. We take a modeling approach and apply the WorldQual model for these estimates. The advantage of this approach is that it allows us to fill in large gaps in observational data. From the analysis, we find that about 66 of the 100 lakes are located in developing countries and their catchments have a much larger average phosphorus yield than the lake catchments in developed countries (11.1 versus 0.7 kg TP km-2 year-1). Second, the main source of phosphorus to the examined lakes is inorganic fertilizer (47% of total). Third, between 2005-2010 and 1990-1994, phosphorus pollution increased at 50 out of 100 lakes. Sixty percent of lakes with increasing pollution are in developing countries. P pollution changed primarily due to changing P fertilizer use. In conclusion, we show that the risk of P-stimulated eutrophication is higher in developing countries.

  11. Contribution of food additives to sodium and phosphorus content of diets rich in processed foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrigan, Anna; Klinger, Andrew; Choquette, Suzanne S; Luzuriaga-McPherson, Alexandra; Bell, Emmy K; Darnell, Betty; Gutiérrez, Orlando M

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus-based food additives increase the total phosphorus content of processed foods. However, the extent to which these additives augment total phosphorus intake per day is unclear. To examine the contribution of phosphorus-based food additives to the total phosphorus content of processed foods, separate 4-day menus for a low-additive and additive-enhanced diet were developed using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software. The low-additive diet was designed to conform to U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for energy and phosphorus intake (∼2,000 kcal/day and 900 mg of phosphorus per day), and it contained minimally processed foods. The additive-enhanced diet contained the same food items as the low-additive diet except that highly processed foods were substituted for minimally processed foods. Food items from both diets were collected, blended, and sent for measurement of energy and nutrient intake. The low-additive and additive-enhanced diet provided approximately 2,200 kcal, 700 mg of calcium, and 3,000 mg of potassium per day on average. Measured sodium and phosphorus content standardized per 100 mg of food was higher each day of the additive-enhanced diet as compared with the low-additive diet. When averaged over the 4 menu days, the measured phosphorus and sodium contents of the additive-enhanced diet were 606 ± 125 and 1,329 ± 642 mg higher than the low-additive diet, respectively, representing a 60% increase in total phosphorus and sodium content on average. When comparing the measured values of the additive-enhanced diet to NDSR-estimated values, there were no statistically significant differences in measured versus estimated phosphorus contents. Phosphorus and sodium additives in processed foods can substantially augment phosphorus and sodium intake, even in relatively healthy diets. Current dietary software may provide reasonable estimates of the phosphorus content in processed foods. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney

  12. Phosphorus physiological ecology and molecular mechanisms in marine phytoplankton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Senjie; Litaker, Richard Wayne; Sunda, William G

    2016-02-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for marine phytoplankton and indeed all life forms. Current data show that P availability is growth-limiting in certain marine systems and can impact algal species composition. Available P occurs in marine waters as dissolved inorganic phosphate (primarily orthophosphate [Pi]) or as a myriad of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) compounds. Despite numerous studies on P physiology and ecology and increasing research on genomics in marine phytoplankton, there have been few attempts to synthesize information from these different disciplines. This paper is aimed to integrate the physiological and molecular information on the acquisition, utilization, and storage of P in marine phytoplankton and the strategies used by these organisms to acclimate and adapt to variations in P availability. Where applicable, we attempt to identify gaps in our current knowledge that warrant further research and examine possible metabolic pathways that might occur in phytoplankton from well-studied bacterial models. Physical and chemical limitations governing cellular P uptake are explored along with physiological and molecular mechanisms to adapt and acclimate to temporally and spatially varying P nutrient regimes. Topics covered include cellular Pi uptake and feedback regulation of uptake systems, enzymatic utilization of DOP, P acquisition by phagotrophy, P-limitation of phytoplankton growth in oceanic and coastal waters, and the role of P-limitation in regulating cell size and toxin levels in phytoplankton. Finally, we examine the role of P and other nutrients in the transition of phytoplankton communities from early succession species (diatoms) to late succession ones (e.g., dinoflagellates and haptophytes). © 2015 Phycological Society of America.

  13. Phosphorus sorption on marine carbonate sediment: phosphonate as model organic compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiao-Lan; Zhang, Jia-Zhong

    2011-11-01

    Organophosphonate, characterized by the presence of a stable, covalent, carbon to phosphorus (C-P) bond, is a group of synthetic or biogenic organophosphorus compounds. The fate of these organic phosphorus compounds in the environment is not well studied. This study presents the first investigation on the sorption of phosphorus (P) in the presence of two model phosphonate compounds, 2-aminothylphosphonoic acid (2-AEP) and phosphonoformic acid (PFA), on marine carbonate sediments. In contrast to other organic P compounds, no significant inorganic phosphate exchange was observed in seawater. P was found to adsorb on the sediment only in the presence of PFA, not 2-AEP. This indicated that sorption of P from phosphonate on marine sediment was compound specific. Compared with inorganic phosphate sorption on the same sediments, P sorption from organic phosphorus is much less in the marine environment. Further study is needed to understand the potential role of the organophosphonate compounds in biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus in the environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Anisotropic in-plane thermal conductivity observed in few-layer black phosphorus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Zhe; Maassen, Jesse; Deng, Yexin; Du, Yuchen; Garrelts, Richard P.; Lundstrom, Mark S; Ye, Peide D.; Xu, Xianfan

    2015-01-01

    Black phosphorus has been revisited recently as a new two-dimensional material showing potential applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Here we report the anisotropic in-plane thermal conductivity of suspended few-layer black phosphorus measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The armchair and zigzag thermal conductivities are ∼20 and ∼40 W m−1 K−1 for black phosphorus films thicker than 15 nm, respectively, and decrease to ∼10 and ∼20 W m−1 K−1 as the film thickness is reduced, exhibiting significant anisotropy. The thermal conductivity anisotropic ratio is found to be ∼2 for thick black phosphorus films and drops to ∼1.5 for the thinnest 9.5-nm-thick film. Theoretical modelling reveals that the observed anisotropy is primarily related to the anisotropic phonon dispersion, whereas the intrinsic phonon scattering rates are found to be similar along the armchair and zigzag directions. Surface scattering in the black phosphorus films is shown to strongly suppress the contribution of long mean-free-path acoustic phonons. PMID:26472191

  15. Atmospheric acidification of mineral aerosols: a source of bioavailable phosphorus for the oceans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Nenes

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Primary productivity of continental and marine ecosystems is often limited or co-limited by phosphorus. Deposition of atmospheric aerosols provides the major external source of phosphorus to marine surface waters. However, only a fraction of deposited aerosol phosphorus is water soluble and available for uptake by phytoplankton. We propose that atmospheric acidification of aerosols is a prime mechanism producing soluble phosphorus from soil-derived minerals. Acid mobilization is expected to be pronounced where polluted and dust-laden air masses mix. Our hypothesis is supported by the soluble compositions and reconstructed pH values for atmospheric particulate matter samples collected over a 5-yr period at Finokalia, Crete. In addition, at least tenfold increase in soluble phosphorus was observed when Saharan soil and dust were acidified in laboratory experiments which simulate atmospheric conditions. Aerosol acidification links bioavailable phosphorus supply to anthropogenic and natural acidic gas emissions, and may be a key regulator of ocean biogeochemistry.

  16. Studying the Earth from space

    Science.gov (United States)

    ,

    1981-01-01

    Space age technology contains a key to increased knowledge about the Earth's resources; this key is remote sensing detecting the nature or condition of something without actually touching it. An early and still most useful form of remote sensing is photography which records the

  17. Soil Solution Phosphorus Status and Mycorrhizal Dependency in Leucaena leucocephala†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habte, Mitiku; Manjunath, Aswathanarayan

    1987-01-01

    A phosphorus sorption isotherm was used to establish concentrations of P in a soil solution ranging from 0.002 to 0.807 μg/ml. The influence of P concentration on the symbiotic interaction between the tropical tree legume Leucaena leucocephala and the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum was evaluated in pot experiments. The level of mycorrhizal infection in Leucaena roots increased as the concentration of P was raised from 0.002 to 0.153 μg/ml. Higher levels of P depressed mycorrhizal infection, but the level of infection never declined below 50%. Periodic monitoring of P contents of Leucaena subleaflets indicated that significant mycorrhizal activity was detected as early as 17 days after planting, with the activity peaking 12 to 16 days thereafter. The highest level of mycorrhizal activity was associated with a soil solution P level of 0.021 μg/ml. Even though the mycorrhizal inoculation effect diminished as the concentration of P in the soil solution was increased, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased P uptake and dry-matter yield of Leucaena at all levels of soil solution P examined. The concentration of P required by nonmycorrhizal L. leucocephala for maximum yield was 27 to 38 times higher than that required by mycorrhizal L. leucocephala. The results illustrate the very high dependence of L. leucocephala on VAM fungi and the significance of optimizing soil solution phosphorus for enhancing the benefits of the VAM symbiosis. PMID:16347323

  18. Soil Solution Phosphorus Status and Mycorrhizal Dependency in Leucaena leucocephala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Habte, M; Manjunath, A

    1987-04-01

    A phosphorus sorption isotherm was used to establish concentrations of P in a soil solution ranging from 0.002 to 0.807 mug/ml. The influence of P concentration on the symbiotic interaction between the tropical tree legume Leucaena leucocephala and the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum was evaluated in pot experiments. The level of mycorrhizal infection in Leucaena roots increased as the concentration of P was raised from 0.002 to 0.153 mug/ml. Higher levels of P depressed mycorrhizal infection, but the level of infection never declined below 50%. Periodic monitoring of P contents of Leucaena subleaflets indicated that significant mycorrhizal activity was detected as early as 17 days after planting, with the activity peaking 12 to 16 days thereafter. The highest level of mycorrhizal activity was associated with a soil solution P level of 0.021 mug/ml. Even though the mycorrhizal inoculation effect diminished as the concentration of P in the soil solution was increased, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased P uptake and dry-matter yield of Leucaena at all levels of soil solution P examined. The concentration of P required by nonmycorrhizal L. leucocephala for maximum yield was 27 to 38 times higher than that required by mycorrhizal L. leucocephala. The results illustrate the very high dependence of L. leucocephala on VAM fungi and the significance of optimizing soil solution phosphorus for enhancing the benefits of the VAM symbiosis.

  19. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Earth System Science. R S Rana. Articles written in Journal of Earth System Science. Volume 122 Issue 2 April 2013 pp 289-307. Palynostratigraphy and depositional environment of Vastan Lignite Mine (Early Eocene), Gujarat, western India · M R Rao Ashok Sahni R S Rana Poonam Verma.

  20. Journal of Earth System Science | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    pp 485-498. Determination of rare earth and refractory trace element abundances in early solar system objects by ion microprobe · S Sahijpal K K Marhas J N Goswami · More Details Abstract Fulltext PDF. Experimental and analytical procedures devised for measurement of rare earth element (REE) abundances using a ...

  1. Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peeters, Edwin T H M; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E M; Zuidam, Bastiaan G van

    2016-01-01

    Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

  2. Mathematical Modeling of Nitrous Oxide Production during Denitrifying Phosphorus Removal Process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yiwen; Peng, Lai; Chen, Xueming; Ni, Bing-Jie

    2015-07-21

    A denitrifying phosphorus removal process undergoes frequent alternating anaerobic/anoxic conditions to achieve phosphate release and uptake, during which microbial internal storage polymers (e.g., Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)) could be produced and consumed dynamically. The PHA turnovers play important roles in nitrous oxide (N2O) accumulation during the denitrifying phosphorus removal process. In this work, a mathematical model is developed to describe N2O dynamics and the key role of PHA consumption on N2O accumulation during the denitrifying phosphorus removal process for the first time. In this model, the four-step anoxic storage of polyphosphate and four-step anoxic growth on PHA using nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide (NO), and N2O consecutively by denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organisms (DPAOs) are taken into account for describing all potential N2O accumulation steps in the denitrifying phosphorus removal process. The developed model is successfully applied to reproduce experimental data on N2O production obtained from four independent denitrifying phosphorus removal study reports with different experimental conditions. The model satisfactorily describes the N2O accumulation, nitrogen reduction, phosphate release and uptake, and PHA dynamics for all systems, suggesting the validity and applicability of the model. The results indicated a substantial role of PHA consumption in N2O accumulation due to the relatively low N2O reduction rate by using PHA during denitrifying phosphorus removal.

  3. Comparison of three persulfate digestion methods for total phosphorus analysis and estimation of suspended sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dayton, Elizabeth Ann; Whitacre, Shane; Holloman, Christopher

    2017-01-01

    As a result of impairments to fresh surface water quality due to phosphorus enrichment, substantial research effort has been put forth to quantify agricultural runoff phosphorus as related to on-field practices. While the analysis of runoff dissolved phosphorus is well prescribed and leaves little room for variability in methodology, there are several methods and variations of sample preparation reagents as well as analysis procedures for determining runoff total phosphorus. Due to the variation in methodology for determination of total phosphorus and an additional laboratory procedure required to measure suspended solids, the objectives of the current study are to i. compare the performance of three persulfate digestion methods (Acid Persulfate, USGS, and Alkaline Persulfate) for total phosphorus percent recovery across a wide range of suspended sediments (SS), and ii. evaluate the ability of using Al and/or Fe in digestion solution to predict SS as a surrogate to the traditional gravimetric method. Percent recovery of total phosphorus was determined using suspensions prepared from soils collected from 21 agricultural fields in Ohio. The Acid Persulfate method was most effective, with an average total phosphorus percent recovery of 96.6%. The second most effective method was the USGS with an average total phosphorus recovery of 76.1%. However, the Alkaline Persulfate method performed poorly with an average 24.5% total phosphorus recovery. As a result application of Alkaline Persulfate digestion to edge of field monitoring may drastically underestimated runoff total phosphorus. In addition to excellent recovery of total phosphorus, the Acid Persulfate method combined with analysis of Al and Fe by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry provides a robust estimate of total SS. Due to the large quantity of samples that can result from water quality monitoring, an indirect measure of total SS could be very valuable when time and budget constraints limit

  4. Optimization of enhanced biological phosphorus removal after periods of low loading.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyake, Haruo; Morgenroth, Eberhard

    2005-01-01

    Enhanced biological phosphorus removal is a well-established technology for the treatment of municipal wastewater. However, increased effluent phosphorus concentrations have been reported after periods (days) of low organic loading. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different operating strategies to prevent discharge of effluent after such low-loading periods. Mechanisms leading to these operational problems have been related to the reduction of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and their storage compounds (polyhydroxy alkanoates [PHA]). Increased effluent phosphorus concentrations can be the result of an imbalance between influent loading and PAOs in the system and an imbalance between phosphorus release and uptake rates. The following operating conditions were tested in their ability to prevent a reduction of PHA and of overall biomass during low organic loading conditions: (a) unchanged operation, (b) reduced aeration time, (c) reduced sludge wastage, and (d) combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage. Experiments were performed in a laboratory-scale anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor, using acetate as the carbon source. Without operational adjustments, phosphorus-release rates decreased during low-loading periods but recovered rapidly. Phosphorus-uptake rates also decreased, and the recovery typically required several days to increase to normal levels. The combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage allowed the maintenance of constant levels of both PHA and overall biomass. A mathematical model was used to explain the influence of the tested operating conditions on PAO and PHA concentrations. While experimental results were in general agreement with model predictions, the kinetic expression for phosphorus uptake deviated significantly for the first 24 hours after low-loading conditions. Mechanisms leading to these deviations need to be further investigated.

  5. Methanol production with elemental phosphorus byproduct gas: technical and economic feasibility

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lyke, S.E.; Moore, R.H.

    1981-01-01

    The technical and economic feasibility of using a typical, elemental, phosphorus byproduct gas stream in methanol production is assessed. The purpose of the study is to explore the potential of a substitute for natural gas. The first part of the study establishes economic tradeoffs between several alternative methods of supplying the hydrogen which is needed in the methanol synthesis process to react with CO from the off gas. The preferred alternative is the Battelle Process, which uses natural gas in combination with the off gas in an economically sized methanol plant. The second part of the study presents a preliminary basic design of a plant to (1) clean and compress the off gas, (2) return recovered phosphorus to the phosphorus plant, and (3) produce methanol by the Battelle Process. Use of elemental phosphorus byproduct gas in methanol production appears to be technically feasible. The Battelle Process shows a definite but relatively small economic advantage over conventional methanol manufacture based on natural gas alone. The process would be economically feasible only where natural gas supply and methanol market conditions at a phosphorus plant are not significantly less favorable than at competing methanol plants. If off-gas streams from two or more phosphorus plants could be combined, production of methanol using only offgas might also be economically feasible. The North American methanol market, however, does not seem likely to require another new methanol project until after 1990. The off-gas cleanup, compression, and phosphorus-recovery system could be used to produce a CO-rich stream that could be economically attractive for production of several other chemicals besides methanol.

  6. Bioimpacts of dialyzer variety on phosphorus level in Iranian hemodialysis patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pezeshgi, Aiyoub; Moharrami, Bahareh; Kolifarhood, Goodarz; Sadeghi, Alireza; Asadi-Khiavi, Masoud

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Cardiovascular events are the major cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. About half of dialysis patients because of reduced phosphorus clearance have hyperphosphatemia. Hyperphosphatemia and following secondary hyperparathyroidism lead to some cardiovascular changes. Hemodialysis (HD) partly removes phosphorus during each dialysis session. Objectives: Presented study was designed to evaluate dialyzer variation effect on phosphorus level as a prognostic factor after dialysis using. Materials and Methods: Six kinds of dialyzer were used for dialysis; low flux (LF) dialyzer (F7 and F8), high flux (HF) dialyzer (F70 and F80) and finally hollow-fiber dialyzers including polyethersulfone (PES) 130 HF and polysulfone (PS) 13 LF. Fifty-seven patients were divided into 6 matched groups included three groups of 10 people and 3 groups of 9 persons in groups: A (F70), B (F80), C (F7), D (F8), E (PES 130 HF) and F (PS 13 LF). Patients were treated for one month with these dialyzers. At the end of the month, blood samples were taken again for phosphorus level before dialysis handling. Results: The mean pre-dialysis serum phosphorus was 5.03, 5.4, 5.2, 4.6, 4.95 and 5.1 mg/dl and the mean phosphorus was 5.43, 5.01, 4.9, 4.18, 4.17 and 5.3 mg/dl after one month of dialysis, respectively in groups A to F without any statistically differences between pre- and after one month dialysis values respectively. Discussion: The findings indicate dialyzer type in the control of serum phosphorus has not been effective in the short-term HD. We suggest a study with more duration time. PMID:27471742

  7. Viologen-Phosphorus Dendrimers Inhibit α-Synuclein Fibrillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milowska, Katarzyna; Grochowina, Justyna; Katir, Nadia; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa

    2013-03-04

    Inhibition of α-synuclein (ASN) fibril formation is a potential therapeutic strategy in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The aim of this study was to examine the role of viologen-phosphorus dendrimers in the α-synuclein fibrillation process and to assess the structural changes in α-synuclein under the influence of dendrimers. ASN interactions with phosphonate and pegylated surface-reactive viologen-phosphorus dendrimers were examined by measuring the zeta potential, which allowed determining the number of dendrimer molecules that bind to the ASN molecule. The fibrillation kinetics and the structural changes were examined using ThT fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Depending on the concentration of the used dendrimer and the nature of the reactive groups located on the surface, ASN fibrillation kinetics can be significantly reduced, and even, in the specific case of phosphonate dendrimers, the fibrillation can be totally inhibited at low concentrations. The presented results indicate that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers are able to inhibit ASN fibril formation and may be used as fibrillar regulating agents in neurodegenerative disorders.

  8. Longitudinal Gradients in Phosphorus Characteristics in the Minnesota-Upper Mississippi River System

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    James, William

    2002-01-01

    This technical note describes longitudinal patterns in soluble phosphorus and biologically available particulate phosphorus and equilibrium characteristics for suspended sediment collected at stations...

  9. [Studies on nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds around Chaohu Lake].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qing-ye; Ma, Xiu-ling; Yang, Gui-de; Chen, Zheng; Wu, Hong-lin; Xuan, Huai-xiang

    2010-07-01

    There are a lot of ponds around Chaohu Lake. According to location and runoff supply of ponds, the ponds are divided into three types: ponds inner vellage (PIV), ponds adjacent vellage (PAV) and ponds outer vellage (POV). The samples of water and sediment were collected from 136 ponds around Chaohu Lake and the contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in water and sediments were analyzed in this study. The results showed that mean contents of total nitrogen (TN), NH4+ -N, NO3- -N, NO2- -N, total phosphorus (TP), soluble PO4(3-) -P and COD were 2.53, 0.65, 0.18, 0.02, 0.97, 0.38 and 51.58 mg x L(-1) in pond water, respectively; and mean contents of TN, NH4+ -N, NO3- -N, NO2- -N, TP, inorganic phosphorus (IP), organic phosphorus (OP) and loss of ignition (LOI) in pond sediment were 1575.36, 35.73, 13.30, 2.88, 933.19, 490.14, 414.75 mg x kg(-1) and 5.44%, respectively. The ponds of more than 90% presented eutrophication in the contents of total nitrogen and phosphorus in water. The contents of TN and NH4+ -N in water and sediment of PIV were significantly higher than that of POV. And the contents of inorganic nitrogen in pond water and sediment displayed a following order: NH4+ -N > NO3- -N > NO2- -N. Data analysis indicated that there was a significantly positive correlation between organic matter and total nitrogen and phosphorus in water and sediment. The nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds mainly sourced farmlands and village land surface. The contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in ponds were affected by location and runoff supply of ponds. By retaining nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter in runoff, the ponds can effectively decrease nutrient content into Chaohu Lake.

  10. Influence of phosphorus on the tensile stress strain curves in copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandström, Rolf

    2016-01-01

    Copper canisters are planned to be used for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. The canisters will be exposed to slow plastic straining over extensive periods of time. To be able to predict the mechanical properties a range of basic models have previously been developed for copper with and without phosphorus (Cu-OFP, Cu-OF). Already with the small amount of phosphorus added in the canisters (60 wt. ppm) dramatic improvements in the measured creep strength and the creep ductility are found. The basic models are further developed in the present paper. The influence of phosphorus on slow strain rate tests is analysed. It is shown that the main effect of phosphorus is that it prevents brittle rupture, which is modelled by taking creep cavitation into account.

  11. Influence of phosphorus on the tensile stress strain curves in copper

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sandström, Rolf, E-mail: rsand@kth.se

    2016-03-15

    Copper canisters are planned to be used for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. The canisters will be exposed to slow plastic straining over extensive periods of time. To be able to predict the mechanical properties a range of basic models have previously been developed for copper with and without phosphorus (Cu-OFP, Cu-OF). Already with the small amount of phosphorus added in the canisters (60 wt. ppm) dramatic improvements in the measured creep strength and the creep ductility are found. The basic models are further developed in the present paper. The influence of phosphorus on slow strain rate tests is analysed. It is shown that the main effect of phosphorus is that it prevents brittle rupture, which is modelled by taking creep cavitation into account.

  12. Influence of phosphorus on the tensile stress strain curves in copper

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandström, Rolf

    2016-03-01

    Copper canisters are planned to be used for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden. The canisters will be exposed to slow plastic straining over extensive periods of time. To be able to predict the mechanical properties a range of basic models have previously been developed for copper with and without phosphorus (Cu-OFP, Cu-OF). Already with the small amount of phosphorus added in the canisters (60 wt. ppm) dramatic improvements in the measured creep strength and the creep ductility are found. The basic models are further developed in the present paper. The influence of phosphorus on slow strain rate tests is analysed. It is shown that the main effect of phosphorus is that it prevents brittle rupture, which is modelled by taking creep cavitation into account.

  13. Determination of total organic phosphorus in samples of mineral soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armi Kaila

    1962-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper some observations on the estimation of organic phosphorus in mineral soils are reported. The fact is emphasized that the accuracy of all the methods available is relatively poor. Usually, there are no reasons to pay attention to differences less than about 20 ppm. of organic P. Analyses performed on 345 samples of Finnish mineral soils by the extraction method of MEHTA et. al. (10 and by a simple procedure adopted by the author (successive extractions with 4 N H2SO4 and 0.5 N NaOH at room temperature in the ratio of 1 to 100 gave, on the average, equal results. It seemed to be likely that the MEHTA method removed the organic phosphorus more completely than did the less vigorous method, but in the former the partial hydrolysis of organic phosphorus compounds tends to be higher than in the latter. An attempt was made to find out whether the differences between the respective values for organic phosphorus obtained by an ignition method and the simple extraction method could be connected with any characteristics of the soil. No correlation or only a low correlation coefficient could be calculated between the difference in the results of these two methods and e. g. the pH-value, the content of clay, organic carbon, aluminium and iron soluble in Tamm’s acid oxalate, the indicator of the phosphate sorption capacity, or the »Fe-bound» inorganic phosphorus, respectively. The absolute difference tended to increase with an increase in the content of organic phosphorus. For the 250 samples of surface soils analyzed, the ignition method gave values which were, on the average, about 50 ppm. higher than the results obtained by the extraction procedure. The corresponding difference for the 120 samples from deeper layers was about 20 ppm of organic P. The author recommends, for the present, the determination of the total soil organic phosphorus as an average of the results obtained by the ignition method and the extraction method.

  14. THE CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF PHOSPHORUS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacobson, Heather R.; Thanathibodee, Thanawuth; Frebel, Anna; Roederer, Ian U.; Cescutti, Gabriele; Matteucci, Francesca

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus is one of the few remaining light elements for which little is known about its nucleosynthetic origin and chemical evolution, given the lack of optical absorption lines in the spectra of long-lived FGK-type stars. We have identified a P I doublet in the near-ultraviolet (2135/2136 Å) that is measurable in stars of low metallicity. Using archival Hubble Space Telescope-Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra, we have measured P abundances in 13 stars spanning –3.3 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ -0.2, and obtained an upper limit for a star with [Fe/H] ∼ -3.8. Combined with the only other sample of P abundances in solar-type stars in the literature, which spans a range of –1 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ +0.2, we compare the stellar data to chemical evolution models. Our results support previous indications that massive-star P yields may need to be increased by a factor of a few to match stellar data at all metallicities. Our results also show that hypernovae were important contributors to the P production in the early universe. As P is one of the key building blocks of life, we also discuss the chemical evolution of the important elements to life, C-N-O-P-S, together

  15. Plasma Calcium and Phosphorus In Weanling Pigs as influenced by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Twenty Yorkshire piglets, weaned at approximately 4 weeks of age, were used in this study to investigate the variations in plasma calcium and phosphorus as influenced by dietary calcium and phosphorus and 3 Cestrum diurnam. In the CCD and TCD pigs, hypercalcemia developed rapidly and persisted following the ...

  16. Growth and nutrient efficiency of Betula alnoides clones in response to phosphorus supply

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Chen

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available As phosphorus deficiency limits the productivity of many plantation forests in Asia, there is considerable interest in developing phosphorus-efficient clones for the region through targeted breeding programs. Therefore, we determined growth, nutrient concentrations and nutrient absorption and utility efficiencies of four Betula alnoides clones (C5, C6, 1-202 and BY1 in response to six phosphorus levels of 0, 17, 52, 70, 140 and 209 mg P plant-1 coded as P1 to P6, respectively. Maximum growth occurred in the P4, P5 and P6 plants since they had the largest height, biomass, leaf area and branch number. Phosphorus application increased the phosphorus concentrations of all clones. Nutrient loading was achieved with the P6 treatment because growth and biomass were not significantly higher, but root, stem and leaf phosphorus concentrations were approximately twice those of P4 plants. Clone BY1 had the highest phosphorus-efficiency, and is recommended for field application due to its maximum root collar diameter, biomass, root/shoot ratio, leaf area, nutrient absorption and utility efficiency among the four clones. The findings will help to improve the nutrient efficiency of this species in plantation forestry in Asia.

  17. Serpentinization and its implications for life on the early Earth and Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte, Mitch; Blake, David; Hoehler, Tori; McCollom, Thomas

    2006-04-01

    Ophiolites, sections of ocean crust tectonically displaced onto land, offer significant potential to support chemolithoautotrophic life through the provision of energy and reducing power during aqueous alteration of their highly reduced mineralogies. There is substantial chemical disequilibrium between the primary olivine and pyroxene mineralogy of these ophiolites and the fluids circulating through them. This disequilibrium represents a potential source of chemical energy that could sustain life. Moreover, E (h)-pH conditions resulting from rock- water interactions in ultrabasic rocks are conducive to important abiotic processes antecedent to the origin of life. Serpentinization--the reaction of olivine- and pyroxene-rich rocks with water--produces magnetite, hydroxide, and serpentine minerals, and liberates molecular hydrogen, a source of energy and electrons that can be readily utilized by a broad array of chemosynthetic organisms. These systems are viewed as important analogs for potential early ecosystems on both Earth and Mars, where highly reducing mineralogy was likely widespread in an undifferentiated crust. Secondary phases precipitated during serpentinization have the capability to preserve organic or mineral biosignatures. We describe the petrology and mineral chemistry of an ophiolite-hosted cold spring in northern California and propose criteria to aid in the identification of serpentinizing terranes on Mars that have the potential to harbor chemosynthetic life.

  18. Effects of serum phosphorus on vascular calcification in a healthy, adult population: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheridan, Kristin; Logomarsino, John V

    2017-09-01

    Cardiovascular disease has been associated with elevated serum phosphorus levels, which have been associated with cardiovascular mortality. This is commonly seen in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population where studies have shown that high phosphorus levels cause coronary artery calcification. Although studies have independently associated vascular stiffness and serum phosphorus in those with and without CKD, there are fewer data in individuals without CKD. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to analyze whether serum phosphorus levels are associated with cardiovascular calcification in healthy individuals. A systematic review of the literature that was conducted revealed 10 articles, all cross-sectional studies, that met eligibility criteria. These criteria were peer-reviewed studies on a healthy, adult population written in the English language. Studies lacking data on serum phosphorus and measured to assess its association with vascular calcification were excluded. Studies on subjects with CKD, other chronic diseases, or on children were also excluded. Of the 10 studies located, 8 indicated an association between serum phosphorus and vascular calcification. One study did not indicate an association. One study indicated a statistically significant association between serum phosphorus and vascular calcification prevalence, but not incidence. Studies were limited since no randomized controlled trials were available. This systematic review generates gaps in research. Due to considerable amounts of phosphorus additives in the food supply, there may be a connection to dietary phosphorus and vascular calcification. Additionally, phosphorus binders may assist in the prevention of vascular calcification but have not been studied in a healthy population. Further study on both dietary phosphorus restriction and phosphorus binders is needed. While 8 out of 10 cross-sectional studies found an association in this systematic review, the topic of vascular

  19. Mechanical properties of low alloy high phosphorus weathering steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jena B.K.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Mechanical behaviour of two low alloy steels (G11 and G12 was studied with respect to different phosphorus contents. Tensile strength and yield strength increased while percentage elongation at fracture decreased on increasing phosphorus content. The SEM and light optical photomicrograph of low phosphorus steel (G11 revealed ferrite and pearlite microstructure. On increasing phosphorus content from 0.25 wt.% to 0.42 wt.%, the morphology of grain changed from equiaxed shape to pan-cake shape and grain size also increased. The Charpy V notch (CVN impact energy of G11 and G12 steel at room temperature was 32 J and 4 J respectively and their fractographs revealed brittle rupture with cleavage facets for both the steels. However, the fractograph of G11 steel after tensile test exhibited ductile mode of fracture with conical equiaxed dimple while that of G12 steel containing 0.42 wt. % P exhibited transgranular cleavage fracture. Based on this study, G11 steel containing 0.25 wt. % P could be explored as a candidate material for weathering application purpose where the 20°C toughness requirement is 27 J as per CSN EN10025-2:2004 specification.

  20. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance in isolated perfused rat pancreas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Takehisa; Kanno, Tomio; Seo, Yoshiteru; Murakami, Masataka; Watari, Hiroshi

    1988-01-01

    Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to measure phosphorus energy metabolites in isolated perfused rat pancreas. The gland was perfused with a modified Krebs-Henseleit solution at room temperature (25 degree C). 31 P resonances of creatine phosphate (PCr), ATP, ADP, inorganic phosphate (P i ) and phosphomonoesters (PMEs) were observed in all the preparations of pancreas. In different individual preparations, the resonance of PCr varied, but those of ATP were almost the same. The initial levels of PCr and ATP in individual preparations, however, remained almost unchanged during perfusion with the standard solution for 2 h. When the perfusion was stopped, the levels of ATP and PCr decreased, while the levels of PME and P i increased. At that time, the P i resonance shfted to a higher magnetic field, indicating that the tissue pH decreased. On reperfusion, the tissue levels of phosphorus compounds and the tissue pH were restored to their initial resting levels. Continuous infusion of 0.1 μM acetylcholine caused marked and sustained increases in the flow of pancreatic juice and protein output. During the stimulation the tissue levels of phosphorus compounds remained unchanged, while the tissue pH was decreased slightly

  1. Influence of phosphorus on the creep ductility of copper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandström, Rolf; Wu, Rui

    2013-01-01

    Around 1990 it was discovered that pure copper could have extra low creep ductility in the temperature interval 180–250 °C. The material was intended for use in canisters for nuclear waste disposal. Although extra low creep ductility was not observed much below 180 °C and the temperature in the canister will never exceed 100 °C, it was feared that the creep ductility could reach low values at lower temperatures after long term exposure. If 50 ppm phosphorus was added to the copper the low creep ductility disappeared. A creep cavitation model is presented that can quantitatively describe the cavitation behaviour in uniaxial and multiaxial creep tests as well as the observed creep ductility for copper with and without phosphorus. A so-called double ledge model has been introduced that demonstrates why the nucleation rate of creep cavities is often proportional to the creep rate. The phosphorus agglomerates at the grain boundaries and limits their local deformation and thereby reduces the formation and growth of cavities. This explains why extra low creep ductility does not occur in phosphorus alloyed copper

  2. Toxicity of acid mine pit lake water remediated with limestone and phosphorus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neil, L.L.; McCullough, C.D.; Lund, M.A.; Evans, L.H.; Tsvetnenko, Y. [Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA (Australia)

    2009-11-15

    Pit lakes are increasingly common worldwide and have potential to provide many benefits. However, lake water toxicity may require remediation before beneficial end uses can be realised. Three treatments to remediate AMD (pH similar to 4.8) pit lake water containing elevated concentrations of Al and Zn from Collie, Western Australia were tested in mesocosms. Treatments were: (a) limestone neutralisation (L), (b) phosphorus amendment (P), and c) combined limestone neutralisation and phosphorus amendment (L+P). Laboratory bioassays with Ceriodaphnia cf. dubia, Chlorella protothecoides and Tetrahymena thermophila assessed remediation. Limestone neutralisation increased pH and reduced heavy metal concentrations by 98% (Al) to 14% (Mg), removing toxicity to the three test species within 2 months. Phosphorus amendment removed toxicity after 6 months of treatment. However, phosphorus amendment to prior limestone neutralisation failed to reduce toxicity more than limestone neutralisation alone. Low concentrations of both phosphorus and nitrogen appear to limit phytoplankton population growth in all treatments.

  3. Toxicity of acid mine pit lake water remediated with limestone and phosphorus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neil, Luke L; McCullough, Clint D; Lund, Mark A; Evans, Louis H; Tsvetnenko, Yuri

    2009-11-01

    Pit lakes are increasingly common worldwide and have potential to provide many benefits. However, lake water toxicity may require remediation before beneficial end uses can be realised. Three treatments to remediate AMD (pH approximately 4.8) pit lake water containing elevated concentrations of Al and Zn from Collie, Western Australia were tested in mesocosms. Treatments were: (a) limestone neutralisation (L), (b) phosphorus amendment (P), and (c) combined limestone neutralisation and phosphorus amendment (L+P). Laboratory bioassays with Ceriodaphnia cf. dubia, Chlorella protothecoides and Tetrahymena thermophila assessed remediation. Limestone neutralisation increased pH and reduced heavy metal concentrations by 98% (Al) to 14% (Mg), removing toxicity to the three test species within 2 months. Phosphorus amendment removed toxicity after 6 months of treatment. However, phosphorus amendment to prior limestone neutralisation failed to reduce toxicity more than limestone neutralisation alone. Low concentrations of both phosphorus and nitrogen appear to limit phytoplankton population growth in all treatments.

  4. A regional modeling framework of phosphorus sources and transport in streams of the southeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Ana Maria.; Hoos, Anne B.; Terziotti, Silvia

    2011-01-01

    We applied the SPARROW model to estimate phosphorus transport from catchments to stream reaches and subsequent delivery to major receiving water bodies in the Southeastern United States (U.S.). We show that six source variables and five land-to-water transport variables are significant (p < 0.05) in explaining 67% of the variability in long-term log-transformed mean annual phosphorus yields. Three land-to-water variables are a subset of landscape characteristics that have been used as transport factors in phosphorus indices developed by state agencies and are identified through experimental research as influencing land-to-water phosphorus transport at field and plot scales. Two land-to-water variables – soil organic matter and soil pH – are associated with phosphorus sorption, a significant finding given that most state-developed phosphorus indices do not explicitly contain variables for sorption processes. Our findings for Southeastern U.S. streams emphasize the importance of accounting for phosphorus present in the soil profile to predict attainable instream water quality. Regional estimates of phosphorus associated with soil-parent rock were highly significant in explaining instream phosphorus yield variability. Model predictions associate 31% of phosphorus delivered to receiving water bodies to geology and the highest total phosphorus yields in the Southeast were catchments with already high background levels that have been impacted by human activity.

  5. Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edwin T H M Peeters

    Full Text Available Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natansand the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously

  6. Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peeters, Edwin T. H. M.; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E. M.; van Zuidam, Bastiaan G.

    2016-01-01

    Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus

  7. Neutron activation analysis of rare earths and some other elements in material of geochemical interest

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunfelt, A.O.

    1975-01-01

    ngle-element methods for the determination by neutron activation analysis of antimony, chromium, phosphorus, selenium and silver in international geochemical standard rocks, and the determination of rare earth elements i in standard rocks and apatites are described and discussed in twelve previously published papers, and in an eighteen page summary. Chemical separationtechniques are also discussed and the results are compared with previously obtained results with the same standard rocks. The accuracy of neutron activation analysis is discussed in comparison with isotope dilution mass spectroscopy, atomic absorption, gas chromatography and spark source mass spectrometry. (JIW)

  8. Crystalline and Amorphous Phosphorus – Carbon Nanotube Composites as Promising Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

    KAUST Repository

    Smajic, Jasmin

    2016-05-04

    Battery research has been going full steam and with that the search for alternative anodes. Among many proposed electrode materials, little attention has been given to phosphorus. Phosphorus boasts the third highest gravimetric charge capacity and the highest volumetric charge capacity of all elements. Because of that, it would be an attractive battery anode material were it not for its poor cyclability with significant capacity loss immediately after the first cycle. This is known to be the consequence of considerable volume changes of phosphorus during charge/discharge cycles. In this work, we propose circumventing this issue by mixing amorphous red phosphorus with carbon nanotubes. By employing a non-destructive sublimation-deposition method, we have synthesized composites where the synergetic effect between phosphorus and carbon nanotubes allow for an improvement in the electrochemical performance of battery anodes. In fact, it has been shown that carbon nanotubes can act as an effective buffer to phosphorus volumetric expansions and contractions during charging and discharging of the half-cells [1]. By modifying the synthesis parameters, we have also been able to change the degree of crystallinity of the phosphorus matrix in the composites. In fact, the less common phase of red phosphorus, named fibrous phosphorus, was obtained, and that explains some of the varying electrochemical performances observed in the composites. Overall, it is found that a higher surface area of amorphous phosphorus allows for a better anode material when using single-walled carbon nanotubes as fillers.

  9. Speciation of phosphorus in Lake Dang of Ngaoundere-Cameroon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertrand, Noumi Guy; Marie, Sieliechi Joseph; Fidèle, Fabane; Jean-Marie, Dangwang Dikdim

    2015-02-01

    In this study, we investigated the nature of phosphate phase present in sediment of Lake Dang. The phosphate speciation was determined by sequential extraction method. The concentration of phosphate in solution was measured by the ammonium molybdate method with ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. Water and sediment (surface and bottom) were sampled at eight points around the lake by taking into account activities around the lake during dry and rainy seasons. The results showed five forms of phosphorus presents in the sediments. The rank order obtained was Res-P phosphorus (P-L + P-Ca + P-Fe) than organic phase. The average phosphorus (P) content was 133, 86, and 52 μg g(-1) for the surface layer (A, 0-5 cm), medium layer (B, 5-10 cm), and bottom layer (C, 10-15 cm), respectively. This P-content depletion with depth can be explained mainly by oxygen depletion with depth which enhance P desorption. Except P-L form, the P contents were higher in rainy season compared to the dry season. The results of principal component analysis indicate that inorganic phosphorus (P-L + P-Ca + P-Fe) were linked and were provided mainly by car-washing. It appears clearly that phosphorus content vary significantly during the seasons. These results showed also that the amount of (P-Fe) is higher than the others whatever the season. This P form is easily labile and bioavailable which suggest that it can unfortunately enhance greatly the eutrophication of Lake Dang.

  10. Accumulation of phosphorus in coastal marine sediments: relationship to benthic and diffusive fluxes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocio Ponce

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Sedimentary phosphorus was characterized in sediment cores from 3 coastal ecosystems of the Gulf of Cadiz. High spatial variability was observed in total phosphorus (from 445 to 20291 μg g.sed-1 and in the other phosphorus phases studied. This variability correlates with the proximity of the 10 sampling stations to sources of urban and/or industrial effluent in the zone. The benthic and diffusive fluxes were measured concurrently with sediment collection at these stations. The measured values of benthic fluxes range between –14 and 6 mmol m-2 d-1. Generally, stations that showed increased interstitial phosphate concentrations with increasing depth were characterized by positive values in phosphate benthic fluxes and by high percentages of reactive forms of sedimentary phosphorus. Negative benthic fluxes were associated with stations receiving more anthropogenic matter, which showed progressively decreasing phosphate concentrations in the interstitial water with depth. In these anthropogenic areas, the non-reactive forms of phosphorus (those associated with ferric oxyhydroxide and authigenic carbonate fluorapatite are abundant, and reach values exceeding 75% of total phosphorus in sediment.

  11. Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal: Metabolic Insights and Salinity Effects

    OpenAIRE

    Welles, L.

    2015-01-01

    Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) is a biological process for efficient phosphate removal from wastewaters through intracellular storage of polyphosphate by polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) and subsequent removal of PAO from the system through wastage of sludge. In comparison to physical and chemical phosphorus removal processes, the biological process has several advantages such as high removal efficiency, low cost, and no chemical sludge production, but disturbances an...

  12. Research and Development for Health and Environmental Hazard Assessment. Task Order 5. Occupational and Environmental Hazards Associated with the Formulation and Use of White Phosphorus-Felt and Red Phosphorus-Butyl Rubber Screening Smokes

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-03-01

    gins/day in young adults (Ciba-Geigy, 1971). if This quantity is much greater than the O.lg dose, the approximate level dose of white phosphorus in an... adult human. * 4.1.2.2 Phosphorus Burns Phosphorus burns, as encountered in industrial accidents or on the battlefield, cause serious injury locally and...Abstract. Bowen, T.E., T.J. Whelan, Jr., T.G. Nelson, "Sudden Deaths After Phosphorus Burns: Experimental Observations Of Hypocalcemia

  13. Environmental Consequences of Big Nasty Impacts on the Early Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahnle, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    The geological record of the Archean Earth is spattered with impact spherules from a dozen or so major cosmic collisions involving Earth and asteroids or comets (Lowe, Byerly 1986, 2015). Extrapolation of the documented deposits suggests that most of these impacts were as big or bigger than the Chicxulub event that famously ended the reign of the thunder lizards. As the Archean impacts were greater, the environmental effects were also greater. The number and magnitude of the impacts is bounded by the lunar record. There are no lunar craters bigger than Chicxulub that date to Earth's mid-to-late Archean. Chance dictates that Earth experienced no more than approximately 10 impacts bigger than Chicxulub between 2.5 billion years and 3.5 2.5 billion years, the biggest of which were approximately30-100 times more energetic, comparable to the Orientale impact on the Moon (1x10 (sup 26) joules). To quantify the thermal consequences of big impacts on old Earth, we model the global flow of energy from the impact into the environment. The model presumes that a significant fraction of the impact energy goes into ejecta that interact with the atmosphere. Much of this energy is initially in rock vapor, melt, and high speed particles. (i) The upper atmosphere is heated by ejecta as they reenter the atmosphere. The mix of hot air, rock vapor, and hot silicates cools by thermal radiation. Rock raindrops fall out as the upper atmosphere cools. (ii) The energy balance of the lower atmosphere is set by radiative exchange with the upper atmosphere and with the surface, and by evaporation of seawater. Susequent cooling is governed by condensation of water vapor. (iii) The oceans are heated by thermal radiation and rock rain and cooled by evaporation. Surface waters become hot and salty; if a deep ocean remains it is relatively cool. Subsequently water vapor condenses to replenish the oceans with hot fresh water (how fresh depending on continental weathering, which might be rather rapid

  14. p-type doping by platinum diffusion in low phosphorus doped silicon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ventura, L.; Pichaud, B.; Vervisch, W.; Lanois, F.

    2003-07-01

    In this work we show that the cooling rate following a platinum diffusion strongly influences the electrical conductivity in weakly phosphorus doped silicon. Diffusions were performed at the temperature of 910 °C in the range of 8 32 hours in 0.6, 30, and 60 Ωrm cm phosphorus doped silicon samples. Spreading resistance profile analyses clearly show an n-type to p-type conversion under the surface when samples are cooled slowly. On the other hand, a compensation of the phosphorus donors can only be observed when samples are quenched. One Pt related acceptor deep level at 0.43 eV from the valence band is assumed to be at the origin of the type conversion mechanism. Its concentration increases by lowering the applied cooling rate. A complex formation with fast species such as interstitial Pt atoms or intrinsic point defects is expected. In 0.6 Ωrm cm phosphorus doped silicon, no acceptor deep level in the lower band gap is detected by DLTS measurement. This removes the opportunity of a pairing between phosphorus and platinum and suggests the possibility of a Fermi level controlled complex formation.

  15. MONITORING OF PHOSPHORUS CONTENT IN “WATER-PARTICULATE MATERIALS-BOTTOM SEDIMENTS SYSTEM” FOR RIVER PRUT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VASILE RUSU

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring of phosphorus content in “water-particulatematerials-bottom sediments system” for river Prut. Seasonal and spatialdynamics of phosphorus forms in water, particulate materials and bottomsediments of river Prut was elucidated. The scheme for determination ofphosphorus forms in water and particulate materials according to World HealthOrganization classification was evaluated. Additionally, this scheme was tested forestimation of phosphorus content in bottom sediments. The supplemented schemeallows the analysis of the phosphorus forms for the entirely system “water –particulate materials – bottom sediments”, extending possibilities for interpretationof phosphorus dynamics in natural waters.

  16. Enhancing phosphorus removal in constructed wetlands with ochre from mine drainage treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heal, K V; Dobbie, K E; Bozika, E; McHaffie, H; Simpson, A E; Smith, K A

    2005-01-01

    No single end-use has yet been identified that is capable of consuming the projected production of ochre (mainly iron (III) oxides) from mine drainage treatment. However, the high sorption capacity of ochre for phosphorus (up to 26 mg kg(-1)) means that it could be used in constructed wetlands to enhance phosphorus removal. Laboratory batch experiments showed that coarse-grained ochre removes 90% of all phosphorus forms from sewage effluent after 15 minutes of shaking. From a larger-scale experiment, it is estimated that constructed wetlands with an ochre substrate should remove phosphorus from sewage effluent for up to 200-300 years. The suitability of ochre for phosphorus removal is being investigated at the field scale in a wastewater constructed wetland (175 m2 area) in Berwickshire, UK. The hydraulic and treatment performance of the wetland were monitored for 15 months prior to installation at the inlet in November 2003 of a tank containing approximately 1200 kg ochre. Results so far show that improved hydraulic design is required for ochre to increase the mean phosphorus removal efficiency of the system (27 +/- 28%), but potentially toxic metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn) have not been released from the ochre into the wetland outflow.

  17. Determination of phosphorus in semiconductor grade silicon by neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaskolska, H.; Rowinska, L.

    1975-01-01

    A method of determination of phosphorus in silicon has been elaborated. The separation of phosphorus is based on the extraction of phosphomolybdic complex in the presence of hold-back carriers of Ta and Au. Contamination factors for various impurities were determined. The lower limit of determination equals 3.10 -11 g P. Types of errors in the determination of concentration profiles are discussed. The method meets the following requirements: 1./ It ensures good separation of phosphorus from elements occuring in silicon plates (i.e. Ta, Au, Sn, Ge, Ce, Sb, As, Cu, and Na). 2./ It ensures high chemical yield of phosphorus separation. 3./ It ensures high efficiency of the measurement of 32 P β-activity. 4./ It is simple and rapid, since, for the determination of a implantation profile, it is necessary to analyse several tens of layers. (T.G.)

  18. Removing Phosphorus from Aqueous Solutions Using Lanthanum Modified Pine Needles.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xianze Wang

    Full Text Available The renewable pine needles was used as an adsorbent to remove phosphorus from aqueous solutions. Using batch experiments, pine needles pretreated with alkali-isopropanol (AI failed to effectively remove phosphorus, while pine needles modified with lanthanum hydroxide (LH showed relatively high removal efficiency. LH pine needles were effective at a wide pH ranges, with the highest removal efficiency reaching approximately 85% at a pH of 3. The removal efficiency was kept above 65% using 10 mg/L phosphorus solutions at desired pH values. There was no apparent significant competitive behavior between co-existing anions of sulfate, nitrate, and chloride (SO4(2-, NO3(- and Cl(-; however, CO3(2- exhibited increased interfering behavior as concentrations increased. An intraparticle diffusion model showed that the adsorption process occurred in three phases, suggesting that a boundary layer adsorption phenomena slightly affected the adsorption process, and that intraparticle diffusion was dominant. The adsorption process was thermodynamically unfavorable and non-spontaneous; temperature increases improved phosphorus removal. Total organic carbon (TOC assays indicated that chemical modification reduced the release of soluble organic compounds from 135.6 mg/L to 7.76 mg/L. This new information about adsorption performances provides valuable information, and can inform future technological applications designed to remove phosphorus from aqueous solutions.

  19. Seabird colonies as important global drivers in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, Xosé Luis; De La Peña-Lastra, Saul; Pérez-Alberti, Augusto; Ferreira, Tiago Osorio; Huerta-Diaz, Miguel Angel

    2018-01-23

    Seabirds drastically transform the environmental conditions of the sites where they establish their breeding colonies via soil, sediment, and water eutrophication (hereafter termed ornitheutrophication). Here, we report worldwide amounts of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) excreted by seabirds using an inventory of global seabird populations applied to a bioenergetics model. We estimate these fluxes to be 591 Gg N y -1 and 99 Gg P y -1 , respectively, with the Antarctic and Southern coasts receiving the highest N and P inputs. We show that these inputs are of similar magnitude to others considered in global N and P cycles, with concentrations per unit of surface area in seabird colonies among the highest measured on the Earth's surface. Finally, an important fraction of the total excreted N (72.5 Gg y -1 ) and P (21.8 Gg y -1 ) can be readily solubilized, increasing their short-term bioavailability in continental and coastal waters located near the seabird colonies.

  20. Effect of phosphorus incorporation on morphology and optical properties of ZnO nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fan, Donghua; Zhang, Rong; Wang, Xianghu

    2011-01-01

    Graphical abstract: XPS spectra of the P-doped ZnO nanorods: (a) Zn 2p, (b) O 1s, and (c) P 2p spectra. The red curve in c is the Gauss-fitting curve. (d) Raman spectra of P-doped (curve 1) and pure (curve 2) ZnO nanorods. Research highlights: → P-doped ZnO nanorods have been prepared on Si substrates without any catalyst. → The introduction of phosphorus leads to the growth of tapered tip in the nanorods. → The formation of tapered tip is attributed to the relaxation of the lattice strain along the radial direction. → The strong ultraviolet peak is connected with the phosphorus acceptor-related emissions. -- Abstract: Phosphorus-doped ZnO nanorods have been prepared on Si substrates by thermal evaporation process without any catalyst. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectra indicate that phosphorus entering into ZnO nanorods mainly occupies Zn site rather than O one. The introduction of phosphorus leads to the morphological changes of nanorods from hexagonal tip to tapered one, which should be attributed to the relaxation of the lattice strain caused by phosphorus occupying Zn site along the radial direction. Transmission electron microscopy shows that phosphorus-doped ZnO nanorods still are single crystal and grow along [0 0 0 1] direction. The effect of phosphorous dopant on optical properties of ZnO nanorods also is studied by the temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra, which indicates that the strong ultraviolet emission is connected with the phosphorus acceptor-related emissions.

  1. Phosphorus {delta}-doped silicon: mixed-atom pseudopotentials and dopant disorder effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carter, Damien J; Marks, Nigel A [Nanochemistry Research Institute, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth WA 6845 (Australia); Warschkow, Oliver; McKenzie, David R, E-mail: d.carter@curtin.edu.au [Centre for Quantum Computer Technology, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

    2011-02-11

    Within a full density functional theory framework we calculate the band structure and doping potential for phosphorus {delta}-doped silicon. We compare two different representations of the dopant plane; pseudo-atoms in which the nuclear charge is fractional between silicon and phosphorus, and explicit arrangements employing distinct silicon and phosphorus atoms. While the pseudo-atom approach offers several computational advantages, the explicit model calculations differ in a number of key points, including the valley splitting, the Fermi level and the width of the doping potential. These findings have implications for parameters used in device modelling.

  2. Dietary phosphorus restriction in dialysis patients: potential impact of processed meat, poultry, and fish products as protein sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Richard A; Mehta, Ojas

    2009-07-01

    Dietary intake of phosphorus is derived largely from protein sources and is a critical determinant of phosphorus balance in patients with chronic kidney disease. Information about the phosphorus content of prepared foods generally is unavailable, but it is believed to contribute significantly to the phosphorus burden of patients with chronic kidney disease. Analysis of dietary components. We measured the phosphorus content of 44 food products, including 30 refrigerated or frozen precooked meat, poultry, and fish items, generally national brands. Measured and reported phosphorus content of foods. Phosphorus by using Association of Analytical Communities official method 984.27; protein by using Association of Analytical Communities official method 990.03. We found that the ratio of phosphorus to protein content in these items ranged from 6.1 to 21.5 mg of phosphorus per 1 g of protein. The mean ratio in the 19 food products with a label listing phosphorus as an additive was 14.6 mg/g compared with 9.0 mg/g in the 11 items without listed phosphorus. The phosphorus content of only 1 precooked food product was available in a widely used dietary database. Results cannot be extrapolated to other products. Manufacturers also may alter the phosphorus content of foods at any time. Protein content was not directly measured for all foods. Better reporting of phosphorus content of foods by manufacturers could result in improved dietary phosphorus control without risk of protein malnutrition.

  3. Prediction of phosphorus mobilisation in inundated floodplain soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loeb, Roos [Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands)], E-mail: r.loeb@science.ru.nl; Lamers, Leon P.M.; Roelofs, Jan G.M. [Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen (Netherlands)

    2008-11-15

    After flooding, iron reduction in riverine wetlands may cause the release of large quantities of phosphorus. As phosphorus is an important nutrient causing eutrophication in aquatic systems, it is important to have a tool to predict this potential release. In this study we examined the P release to the soil pore water in soil cores from floodplains in the Netherlands and from less anthropogenically influenced floodplains from Poland. During the inundation experiment, concentrations of P in the pore water rose to 2-90 times the initial concentrations. P release was not directly related to the geographic origin of the soils. An important predictor variable of P release was found in the ratio between the concentration of iron-bound P and amorphous iron. This ratio may provide a practical tool for the selection of new areas for wetland creation, and for impact assessment of plans for riverine wetland restoration and floodwater storage. - Mobilisation of phosphorus in floodplain wetland soils can be predicted with easily measurable soil characteristics.

  4. The animal feed mineral phosphorus tax in Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Mikael Skou

    2017-01-01

    Denmark’s tax on animal feed phosphorus came into effect in 2005 with a tax rate of DKK 4 (EUR 0.53) per kg of phosphorus. It targets commercial animal feed phosphate and aims to reduce the saturation of soils with phosphorus, and leaching to surface waters. Consumption of mineral phosphate...... in animal feeds has been reduced by about 2,000 tonnes (or 15%) since the introduction of the tax, although the tax rate has not been adjusted with inflation. The tax is believed to have improved overall efficiency in the use of animal feed. Farmer organisations did not oppose the tax and accepted...... it as part of a broader package deal on measures to reduce nutrient leaching and pollution of surface waters. Environmental NGOs voiced concerns about impacts on organic farms, and were not strong advocates of the tax. The tax arose from efforts to identify the most cost-effective means for reducing nutrient...

  5. Prediction of phosphorus mobilisation in inundated floodplain soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loeb, Roos; Lamers, Leon P.M.; Roelofs, Jan G.M.

    2008-01-01

    After flooding, iron reduction in riverine wetlands may cause the release of large quantities of phosphorus. As phosphorus is an important nutrient causing eutrophication in aquatic systems, it is important to have a tool to predict this potential release. In this study we examined the P release to the soil pore water in soil cores from floodplains in the Netherlands and from less anthropogenically influenced floodplains from Poland. During the inundation experiment, concentrations of P in the pore water rose to 2-90 times the initial concentrations. P release was not directly related to the geographic origin of the soils. An important predictor variable of P release was found in the ratio between the concentration of iron-bound P and amorphous iron. This ratio may provide a practical tool for the selection of new areas for wetland creation, and for impact assessment of plans for riverine wetland restoration and floodwater storage. - Mobilisation of phosphorus in floodplain wetland soils can be predicted with easily measurable soil characteristics

  6. The Modern Phosphorus Sustainability Movement: A Profiling Experiment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea E. Ulrich

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Since the “peak phosphorus” concept emerged in 2007, concerns about the future availability of phosphate rock have funneled into a growing number of actions, often in the form of new and innovative platforms focusing on phosphorus sustainability. This trend seems to continue on different levels and in different formats, which makes the landscape of activities increasingly blurred and complex. This article considers the emerging phase of the modern phosphorus sustainability movement. It provides a first profiling overview of platforms working towards more sustainable production, consumption, and reuse of phosphorus (P within the frame of securing global food production and environmental quality. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the movement, pertinent literature, the problem sphere itself, and of forms of possible engagement. Major barriers and opportunities inherent in the various approaches are discussed. It is concluded that overarching coordination will be necessary to improve future planning and priority setting for sustainability strategies.

  7. Strength and Stability Analysis of a Single Walled Black Phosphorus Tube under Axial Compression

    OpenAIRE

    Cai, Kun; Wan, Jing; Wei, Ning; Qin, Qinghua

    2016-01-01

    Few-layered black phosphorus materials recently attract much attention due to its special electronic properties. As a Consequence, the nano-tube from a single-layer black phosphorus has been theoretically built. The corresponding electronic properties of such black phosphorus nano-tube were also evaluated numerically.

  8. Estimating and mapping grass phosphorus concentration in an African savanna using hyperspectral image data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mutanga, O.; Kumar, L.

    2007-01-01

    We tested the utility of imaging spectroscopy and neural networks to map phosphorus concentration in savanna grass using airborne HyMAP image data. We also sought to ascertain the key wavelengths for phosphorus prediction using hyperspectral remote sensing. The remote sensing of foliar phosphorus

  9. Investigation by phosphorus-32 isotope the capabilities of mushrooms to decompose insoluble phosphoric compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takhtobin, K.S.; Tashpulatov, D.T.; Shulman, T.S.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: One of global ecological problems of agriculture is the problem 'phosphatization' of soils. Only of 10% - 25% of phosphorus, introduced by the way fertilizers to acquire by plants, the other main part, as a result of chemical changes in soil, transforms in insoluble, hard-to-reach for plants forms. The study of possibility to extract the phosphorus from this insoluble forms is very important. Our investigations devoted to study of some strains of soil mushrooms which are capable to decompose insoluble phosphoric compounds, secreting an acids and enzymes. Soil mushrooms have symbiotic relationship with roots systems of plants and other microorganisms, they augment the contents of solvable phosphorus in soil, which is easy assimilate by plants. It increases efficiency of other kinds of fertilizers, keeping nitrogen, the potassium and as a whole leads to favourable, balanced composition of soil. In order to investigate quantitatively the capacity of different strains of soil mushrooms to canker insoluble forms of phosphorus we are introduce an isotope phosphorus-32 in such compound as Ca 3 (PO 4) 2. We are investigate by an isotope phosphorus-32 some characteristics of strains, in particular, the absorption capabilities of phosphorus-32 from Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 . It find out that the part of mushrooms absorbed phosphorus from Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 , in particular, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium sp., Fusarium solani. (author)

  10. Origin and earliest state of the earth's hydrosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cogley, J.G.; Henderson-Sellers, A.

    1984-01-01

    The origin and earliest history of the earth's hydrosphere, the inventory of excess volatiles defined by Rubey in 1951, can be constrained within wide but useful limits by a consideration of empirical and theoretical evidence from astrophysics and geology. Models for the evolution of the solar system from the protoplanetary nebula and for the growth of the earth to its present dimensions suggest quite strongly that the hydrosphere came into being during accretion. Its format, with H 2 O mostly in the oceans, CO 2 mostly in sediments, and a residual atmosphere dominated by N 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 O was established at a very early data and has persisted without large, destabilizing climatic excursions until the present day. Alternative accounts of early history, in which the earth either loses a massive primordial atmosphere or acquires its secondary atmosphere by gradual degassing, seem improbable on the basis of a series of circumstantial but cumulatively persuasive arguments. The difficulty of dissipating a massive atmosphere of solar composition in reasonable times, the likelihood that accretion was a highly energetic process and that it triggered early segregation of the core, and the tendency of the planet to accumulate volatiles preferentially in the later stages of accretion are examples of arguments favoring an early origin for the hydrosphere. Several geological isotope systems which can be sampled today require early separation of the atmosphere and probably the hydrosphere ass a whole; these systems recorrd radiogenic enrichment patterns in the noble gases and stable isotope fractionations which suggest an early origin of the biosphere. Certain geological indicators of atmsopheric composition. and the broadly equable character of the rock record, are also consistent with a hydrosphere established in the earliest stages of history and having an initial neutral or weakly reduced composition

  11. Biochar as phosphorus transporter to support the closure of the phosphorus cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soja, Gerhard; Jagerhofer, Reinhard; Fristak, Vladimir; Pfeifer, Christoph

    2017-04-01

    Waste materials rich in phosphorus could partly substitute rock phosphate-based mineral fertilizers. As rock phosphate is listed as critical raw material, measures for increasing the recovery rate of phosphorus and for closing the phosphorus cycle are required. However, direct use of the waste materials as fertilizers are frequently not possible because of legal constraints, adverse side effects because of co-occurring contaminants or hygienic concerns. So this study had the objective to test the appropriateness of carbonizing P-rich residues that can be used as secondary P resources for producing P fertilizers. The resulting biochar or hydrochar products should be tested for the bioavailability of P for plant uptake. Feedstock materials tested as secondary P resources were chicken manure, animal bone flour, sewage sludge, and digestates. These materials were either pyrolyzed at different temperatures, partly with different chemical modifications, or hydrothermally carbonized. The biochar and hydrochar products were analyzed for their total and available P concentrations, and the plant bioavailability was determined with a standardized plant growth test with rye (Neubauer-test). The results showed that biochar produced from a mixture of chicken manure and saw dust was equivalent to a standard phosphate fertilizer (superphosphate) with respect to P available for plant uptake. For most materials, a pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C was slightly more beneficial for P availability than 500 °C. Pyrolytic carbonization mostly was more supportive for plant growth than hydrothermal carbonization of the tested feedstocks. For some feedstocks the addition of sodium carbonate improved the P uptake of the plants without affecting the biomass production. The results show that P-rich waste materials used as secondary resources for carbonization can effectively contribute to increased P recovery, savings in the use of mineral phosphate fertilizers and reduced P loads to non

  12. Phosphorus metabolism and estimation of phosphorus requirements for sheep

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Louvandini, H.; Vitti, D.M.S.S.

    1996-01-01

    The main objective of the present work was to determine the effects of different dietary phosphorus (P) levels on endogenous faecal loss and to estimate the minimum daily requirement of P for sheep. The study was conducted with 24 Suffolk sheep which received a basic diet consisting of a hay-concentrate mixture. The treatment consisted of different amounts of bone meal, added to the basic diet, so as to obtain supplementary P levels of 0, 2 and 3 g/day. Twenty-one days after the introduction of the experimental diet, 7.4 MBq radioactive P ( 32 P) was injected in the left jugular vein of each sheep and blood, feces and urine were collected daily for 8 days at 24-hour intervals. The samples were analysed for inorganic P and for radioactive specific activities. Mean endogenous faecal losses of P were 10.00, 31.79, 39.35 and 38.06 mg/kg live weight (LW) per day in sheep supplemented with 0, 1, 2 and 3 g respectively. A positive linear relation ship was observed between endogenous faecal loss and consumed P, indicating that this loss was linked to dietary P. Total P excretion in the faeces, as well as P absorption, retention urinary excretion and salivary secretion were also directly related to P intake, as part of the mechanism of homeostatic control of organism animal. The minimum endogenous faecal loss for zero P intake, calculated by interpolation, was 8.27 mg/kg LW per day, and for zero balance, the calculated phosphorus consumption was 21.36 mg/kg LW per day. (author)

  13. Thermal structure of the accreting earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Turcotte, D.L.; Pflugrath, J.C.

    1985-01-01

    The energy associated with the accretion of the earth and the segregation of the core is more than sufficient to melt the entire earth. In order to understand the thermal evolution of the early earth it is necessary to study the relevant heat transfer mechanisms. In this paper we postulate the existence of a global magma ocean and carry out calculations of the heat flux through it in order to determine its depth. In the solid mantle heat is transferred by the upward migration of magma. This magma supplies the magma ocean. The increase in the mantle liquidus with depth (pressure) is the dominant effect influencing heat transfer through the magma ocean. We find that a magma ocean with a depth of the order of 20 km would have existed as the earth accreted. We conclude that the core segregated and an atmosphere was formed during accretion

  14. The Internal Recycle Reactor Enhances Porous Calcium Silicate Hydrates to Recover Phosphorus from Aqueous Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wei Guan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this experiment, the porous calcium silicate hydrates (P-CSHs were prepared via a hydrothermal method and then modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG. The modified P-CSHs combined with an internal recycle reactor could successfully recover the phosphorus from electroplating wastewater. The modified P-CSHs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR. After compared with different samples, the modified P-CSHs-PEG2000 sample had larger specific surface area of 87.48 m2/g and higher pore volume of 0.33 cm3/g, indicating a high capacity for phosphorus recovery. In the process of phosphorus recovery, the pH value of solution was increased to 9.5, which would enhance the recovery efficiency of phosphorus. The dissolution rate of Ca2+ from P-CSH-PEG2000 was fast, which was favorable for phosphorus precipitation and phosphorus recovery. The effects of initial concentration of phosphorus, P-CSHs-PEG2000 dosage, and stirring speed on phosphorus recovery were analyzed, so the optimal operation conditions for phosphorus recovery were obtained. The deposition was analyzed by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, and SEM techniques; it was indicated that the pore volume and surface area of the P-CSHs-PEG2000 were significantly reduced, and the deposition on the surface of P-CSHs-PEG2000 was hydroxyapatite.

  15. The effect of molybdenum on the grain boundary segregation of phosphorus in steel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moller, R.; Brenner, S.S.; Grabke, A.J.

    1986-01-01

    The beneficial effect of molybdenum on the temper embrittlement of steels is well known but has not yet been satisfactorily explained. Yu and McMahon suggested a strong interaction between molybdenum and phosphorus to form Mo-P clusters which decrease the concentration of phosphorus in the matrix and consequently the amount segregated to grain boundaries. Such clusters have as yet not been observed but this may have been owing to the insufficient resolution of conventional analytical methods. However, since no scavenging of phosphorus was observed in carbon-free Fe-Mo-P alloys, i.e. Mo alone did not affect the grain boundary concentration of phosphorus, it is improbable that the Mo-P cluster formation mechanisms can be operative. Instead, it is more likely that a requisite for the scavenging of phosphorus is the formation of Mo carbides in the steel. This work was undertaken to determine the distribution of phosphorus in two similar Fe-Mo-P alloys, one of which contained carbon while the other was carbon-free. The emphasis of the study was to determine the interaction of phosphorus with molybdenum and molybdenum carbides in the steel. Field-ion microscopy combined with atom probe microanalysis was used for this purpose. The atom-by-atom sampling method and the near-atomic spatial resolution of the FIM/atom probe make this instrument ideally suited for this type of investigations

  16. Nitrogen and phosphorus removed from a subsurface flow multi-stage filtration system purifying agricultural runoff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yaqi; Huang, Lei; Chen, Yucheng

    2018-07-01

    Agricultural nonpoint source pollution has been increasingly serious in China since the 1990s. The main causes were excessive inputs of nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides. A multi-stage filtration system was built to test the purification efficiencies and removal characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus when treating agricultural runoff. Simulated runoff pollution was prepared by using river water as source water based on the monitoring of local agricultural runoff. Experimental study had been performed from September to November 2013, adopting 12 h for flooding and 12 h for drying. The results showed that the system was made adaptive to variation of inflow quality and quantity, and had good removal for dissolved total nitrogen, total nitrogen, dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), and total phosphorus, and the average removal rate was 27%, 36%, 32%, and 48%, respectively. Except nitrate ([Formula: see text]), other forms of nitrogen and phosphorus all decreased with the increase of stages. Nitrogen was removed mainly in particle form the first stage, and mostly removed in dissolved form the second and third stage. Phosphorus was removed mainly in particulate during the first two stages, but the removal of particulate phosphorus and DTP were almost the same in the last stage. An approximate logarithmic relationship between removal loading and influent loading to nitrogen and phosphorus was noted in the experimental system, and the correlation coefficient was 0.78-0.94. [Formula: see text]: ammonium; [Formula: see text]: nitrite; [Formula: see text]: nitrate; DTN: dissolved total nitrogen; TN: total nitrogen; DTP: dissolved total phosphorus; TP: total phosphorus; PN: particulate nitrogen; PP: particulate phosphorus.

  17. suitability of murram for phosphorus sorption in constructed wetlands

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mimi

    sorption isotherms, determination of Phosphorus sorption capacity of the substrates, determination of. Phosphorus sorption as the function of time and determination of effect of temperature on the ... (Na2O + K2O) % SiO2. %. P2O5. %. TiO2. %. LOI. %. 19.2. 1.3. 0.69. 5.13. 0.05. 6.7. 61.9. 0.04. 0.51. 4.4. As presented in ...

  18. Prevalence of Phosphorus-Based Additives in the Australian Food Supply: A Challenge for Dietary Education?

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCutcheon, Jemma; Campbell, Katrina; Ferguson, Maree; Day, Sarah; Rossi, Megan

    2015-09-01

    Phosphorus-based food additives may pose a significant risk in chronic kidney disease given the link between hyperphosphatemia and cardiovascular disease. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of phosphorus-based food additives in best-selling processed grocery products and to establish how they were reported on food labels. A data set of 3000 best-selling grocery items in Australia across 15 food and beverage categories was obtained for the 12 months ending December 2013 produced by the Nielsen Company's Homescan database. The nutrition labels of the products were reviewed in store for phosphorus additives. The type of additive, total number of additives, and method of reporting (written out in words or as an E number) were recorded. Presence of phosphorus-based food additives, number of phosphorus-based food additives per product, and the reporting method of additives on product ingredient lists. Phosphorus-based additives were identified in 44% of food and beverages reviewed. Additives were particularly common in the categories of small goods (96%), bakery goods (93%), frozen meals (75%), prepared foods (70%), and biscuits (65%). A total of 19 different phosphorus additives were identified across the reviewed products. From the items containing phosphorus additives, there was a median (minimum-maximum) of 2 (1-7) additives per product. Additives by E number (81%) was the most common method of reporting. Phosphorus-based food additives are common in the Australian food supply. This suggests that prioritizing phosphorus additive education may be an important strategy in the dietary management of hyperphosphatemia. Further research to establish a database of food items containing phosphorus-based additives is warranted. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of phosphorus, silicon and sulphur on microstructural evolution in austenitic stainless steels during electron irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuya, K.; Nakahigashi, S.; Ozaki, S.; Shima, S.

    1991-01-01

    Fe-18Cr-9Ni-1,5Mn austenitic alloys containing phosphorus, silicon and sulphur were irradiated by 1 MeV electrons at 573-773 K. Phosphorus increased the interstitial loop nucleation and decreased the void swelling by increasing void number density and suppressing void growth. Silicon had a similar effect to phosphorus but its effect was weaker than phosphorus. Sulphur enhanced void swelling through increasing the void density. Nickel enrichment at grain boundaries was suppressed only in the alloy containing phosphorus. These phosphorus effects may be explained by a strong interaction with interstitials resulting in a high density of sinks for point defects. (orig.)

  20. Restoration of rare earth mine areas: organic amendments and phytoremediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lingyan; Li, Zhaolong; Liu, Wen; Liu, Shenghong; Zhang, Limin; Zhong, Liyan; Luo, Ximei; Liang, Hong

    2015-11-01

    Overexploitation of rare earth mine has caused serious desertification and various environmental issues, and ecological restoration of a mining area is an important concern in China. In this study, experiments involving dry grass landfilling, chicken manure broadcasting, and plant cultivation were carried out to reclaim a rare earth mine area located in Heping County, Guangdong Province, China. The prime focus was to improve soil quality in terms of nutrients, microbial community, enzyme activity, and physicochemical properties so as to reclaim the land. After 2 years of restoration, an increase of organic matter (OM), available potassium (K), available phosphorus (P) levels, and acid phosphatase (ACP) activity and a reduction of the available nitrogen (N) level and urease (URE) activity in soil were achieved compared to the original mined land. The nutrients and enzyme activities in soil with 5 years of restoration were close to or surpass those in the unexploited land as control. The bulk density, total porosity, water holding capacity, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil were improved, and the number of cultivable microorganisms and the bacterial diversity in soil were greatly increased with time during ecological restoration, especially for surface soil. Furthermore, the artificial vegetation stably grew at the restored mining sites. The results indicated that organic amendments and phytoremediation could ecologically restore the rare earth mining sites and the mined land could finally be planted as farmland.