WorldWideScience

Sample records for humic acid-sorbed phenanthrene

  1. Distribution of sorbed phenanthrene and pyrene in different humic fractions of soils and importance of humin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan, B.; Xing, B.S.; Liu, W.X.; Tao, S.; Lin, X.M.; Zhang, X.M.; Zhang, Y.X.; Xiao, Y.; Dai, H.C.; Yuan, H.S.

    2006-01-01

    Contributions of fulvic-humic acids (FA/HA) and humin (HM) to sorption of phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) in a soil were differentiated using a humic separation procedure after multi-concentration sorption experiments. It was found that the amount of solutes in FA/HA did not change significantly after 48 h, while that in HM increased continuously and slowly up to the end of the experimental period (720 h), indicating that HM was the main region for slow sorption. Based on the fitting results using Freundlich equation, it was found that nonlinearity of both solutes was greater in HM than in FA/HA, consistent with the sorption characteristics of individually extracted HA and HM in a separate experiment. The observed nonlinearity of the solute distribution was confirmed by using three other soil samples with organic carbon contents ranging from 0.7 to 7.9%. Distribution dynamics of PHE and PYR among various fractions were also discussed. - Humic fractionation after sorption experiment revealed that humin fraction is the main region for slow and nonlinear sorption of phenanthrene and pyrene

  2. The influence of mechanochemical modification on prevention of toxic ability of humic acids towards phenanthrene in aquatic environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekhovtsova, N. S.; Maltseva, E. V.; Glyzina, T. S.; Ovchinnikova, I. S.

    2015-11-01

    The aim of the research work is to quantify interaction between phenanthrene with modified humic acids in aquatic environment. The changes in the structure and properties of humic acids after modifications were studied with 1H NMR spectroscopy and potentiometric titration methods. Our research demonstrates that the application of thiourea as a modified agent increases the binding capacity of humic acids towards phenanthrene.

  3. Sorption mechanisms of phenanthrene, lindane, and atrazine with various humic acid fractions from a single soil sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xilong; Guo, Xiaoying; Yang, Yu; Tao, Shu; Xing, Baoshan

    2011-03-15

    The sorption behavior of organic compounds (phenanthrene, lindane, and atrazine) to sequentially extracted humic acids and humin from a peat soil was examined. The elemental composition, XPS and (13)C NMR data of sorbents combined with sorption isotherm data of the tested compounds show that nonspecific interactions govern sorption of phenanthrene and lindane by humic substances. Their sorption is dependent on surface and bulk alkyl carbon contents of the sorbents, rather than aromatic carbon. Sorption of atrazine by these sorbents, however, is regulated by polar interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding). Carboxylic and phenolic moieties are key components for H-bonding formation. Thermal analysis reveals that sorption of apolar (i.e., phenanthrene and lindane) and polar (i.e., atrazine) compounds by humic substances exhibit dissimilar relationships with condensation and thermal stability of sorption domains, emphasizing the major influence of domain spatial arrangement on sorption of organic compounds with distinct polarity. Results of pH-dependent sorption indicate that reduction in sorption of atrazine by the tested sorbents is more evident than phenanthrene with increasing pH, supporting the dependence of organic compound sorption on its polarity and structure. This study highlights the different interaction mechanisms of apolar and polar organic compounds with humic substances.

  4. Comparing the desorption and biodegradation of low concentrations of phenanthrene sorbed to activated carbon, biochar and compost

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marchal, Geoffrey; Smith, Kilian E.C.; Rein, Arno

    2013-01-01

    can be degraded at all, the desorption and biodegradation of low concentrations of 14C-labelled phenanthrene (⩽5μgL−1) freshly sorbed to suspensions of the pure soil amendments activated carbon (AC), biochar (charcoal) and compost were compared. Firstly, the maximum abiotic desorption of phenanthrene...

  5. Effect of Cosolutes on the Sorption of Phenanthrene onto Mineral Surface of River Sediments and Kaolinite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinghong Wu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Sorption of phenanthrene onto the natural sediment with low organic carbon content (OC%, organic-free sediment, and kaolinite was investigated through isotherm experiments. Effects of cosolutes (pyrene, 4-n-nonyphenol (NP, and humic acid (HA on phenanthrene sorption were also studied by comparing apparent solid-water distribution coefficients (Kdapp of phenanthrene. Two addition sequences, including “cosolute added prior to phenanthrene” and “cosolute and phenanthrene added simultaneously,” were adopted. The Freundlich model fits phenanthrene sorption on all 3 sorbents well. The sorption coefficients on these sorbents were similar, suggesting that mineral surface plays an important role in the sorption of hydrophobic organic contaminants on low OC% sediments. Cosolutes could affect phenanthrene sorption on the sorbents, which depended on their properties, concentrations, and addition sequences. Pyrene inhibited phenanthrene sorption. Sorbed NP inhibited phenanthrene sorption at low levels and promoted sorption at high levels. Similar to NP, effect of HA on phenanthrene sorption onto the natural sediment depended on its concentrations, whereas, for the organic-free sediment and kaolinite, preloading of HA at high levels led to an enhancement in phenanthrene Kdapp while no obvious effect was observed at low HA levels; dissolved HA could inhibit phenanthrene sorption on the two sorbents.

  6. Effect of humic acid on sorption of technetium by alumina

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, S.; Rawat, N.; Kar, A.S.; Tomar, B.S.; Manchanda, V.K.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Tc sorption on alumina has been studied under aerobic as well anaerobic condition over pH 3-10. → Effect of humic acid on sorption of Tc by alumina has been investigated. → Linear additive modeling and surface complexation modeling were carried out to delineate the role of humic acid in Tc(IV) sorption in ternary system of Tc(IV)-humic acid-alumina. → Sorption of humic acid onto alumina and strong complexation of Tc(IV) with humic acid were found to govern the sorption of Tc(IV) in the ternary system. - Abstract: Sorption of technetium by alumina has been studied in absence as well as in presence of humic acid using 95 Tc m as a tracer. Measurements were carried out at fixed ionic strength (0.1 M NaClO 4 ) under varying pH (3-10) as well as redox (aerobic and reducing anaerobic) conditions. Under aerobic conditions, negligible sorption of technetium was observed onto alumina both in absence and in presence of humic acid. However, under reducing conditions (simulated with [Sn(II)] = 10 -6 M), presence of humic acid enhanced the sorption of technetium in the low pH region significantly and decreased at higher pH with respect to that in absence of humic acid. Linear additive as well as surface complexation modeling of Tc(IV) sorption in presence of humic acid indicated the predominant role of sorbed humic acid in deciding technetium sorption onto alumina.

  7. Influences of humic acid on the bioavailability of phenanthrene and alkyl phenanthrenes to early life stages of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Yangzhi; Yang, Chenghu; Cheng, Pakkin; He, Xiaojing; Zhu, Yaxian; Zhang, Yong

    2016-01-01

    The influences of humic acid (HA) on the environmental behavior and bioavailability of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkyl PAHs were investigated and compared using the early life stages of marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma, O. melastigma). It was demonstrated that the binding affinity of parent phenanthrene (PHE) with HA was smaller than that of 3-methyl phenanthrene (3-MP) and 9-ethyl phenanthrene (9-EP). Furthermore, the bioaccumulation of the three PAHs and the levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) were calculated to study the changes in bioavailability of PAHs in presence of HA. The results indicated that the addition of HA significantly decreased the bioaccumulation and toxicity of PAHs by decreasing free PAHs concentrations. The bioavailable fractions of HA-bound PAHs in bioaccumulation (α) and toxicity (β) were evaluated, indicating that the HA-bound 3-MP and 9-EP show higher bioavailability in bioaccumulation and lower bioavailability in toxicity relative to those of PHE. The β/α values were less than 1 for all PAH treatment groups containing HA, suggesting that the fraction of HA-bound PAHs contributing to bioaccumulation was higher than that of HA-bound PAHs inducing toxic effect. In addition, we proposed that the free PAHs generated by desorption from HA in the cell were toxic by showing that the β/α ratio values are correlated with the log K_O_W values (p = 0.007 and R"2 = 0.8355). Thus, oil spill risk assessments should consider both alkyl PAHs and the factors that influence the bioavailability and toxicity of PAHs in the natural aquatic environments. - Highlights: • Effects of HA on bioavailability of parent and alkyl PAHs were firstly compared. • Changes in the bioavailability due to HA depended on the alkylation of PAHs. • The bioavailable fractions of the HA-bound parent and alkyl PAHs were calculated. • The toxicity of HA-bound PAHs was related to the physicochemical properties of PAHs. - This study is the

  8. Binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by humic acids formed during composting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plaza, Cesar; Xing Baoshan; Fernandez, Jose M.; Senesi, Nicola; Polo, Alfredo

    2009-01-01

    Binding of two model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenanthrene and pyrene, by humic acids (HAs) isolated from an organic substrate at different stages of composting and a soil was investigated using a batch fluorescence quenching method and the modified Freundlich model. With respect to soil HA, the organic substrate HA fractions were characterized by larger binding affinities for both phenanthrene and pyrene. Further, isotherm deviation from linearity was larger for soil HA than for organic substrate HAs, indicating a larger heterogeneity of binding sites in the former. The composting process decreased the binding affinity and increased the heterogeneity of binding sites of HAs. The changes undergone by the HA fraction during composting may be expected to contribute to facilitate microbial accessibility to PAHs. The results obtained also suggest that bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soils with matured compost, rather than with fresh organic amendments, may result in faster and more effective cleanup. - Composting of organic materials decreases the binding affinity of the humic acid fraction for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

  9. Changes in redox properties of humic acids upon sorption to alumina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subdiaga, Edisson; Orsetti, Silvia; Jindal, Sharmishta; Haderlein, Stefan B.

    2016-04-01

    1. Introduction A prominent role of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) in biogeochemical processes is its ability to act as an electron shuttle, accelerating rates between a bulk electron donor and an acceptor. The underlying processes are reversible redox reactions of quinone moieties.1 This shuttling effect has been studied in two major areas: transformation of redox active pollutants and microbial respiration.2-3 Previous studies primarily compared effects in the presence or absence of NOM without addressing the redox properties of NOM nor its speciation. The interaction between humic acids (HA) and minerals might change properties and reactivity of organic matter. Specifically, we investigate whether changes in the redox properties of a HA occur upon sorption to redox inactive minerals. Since fractionation and conformational rearrangements of NOM moieties upon sorption are likely to happen, the redox properties of the NOM fractions upon sorption might differ as well. 2. Materials and methods Elliot Soil Humic Acid (ESHA), Pahokee Peat Humic Acid (PPHA) and Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) were used as received from IHSS. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) was suspended in 0.1M KCl. Sorption was studied at pH 7.0 in duplicate batch experiments for several HA/Al2O3 ratios. For the suspension (mineral + sorbed HA, plus dissolved HA), the filtrate (0.45μm) and the HA stock solution, the electron donating and accepting capacities (EDC and EAC) were determined following established procedures.4 3. Results All studied HA-Al2O3 systems showed similar behavior with regard to changes in redox properties. There was a significant increase in the EDC of the whole suspension compared to the stock solutions and the non-sorbed HA in the filtrate (up to 300% for PPHA). This effect was more pronounced with increasing amounts of sorbed HA in the suspension. Although ESHA had the highest sorption capacity on Al2O3 (~ 6 times higher than PPHA & SRHA), it showed the smallest changes in redox

  10. Nonlinear binding of phenanthrene to the extracted fulvic acid fraction in soil in comparison with other organic matter fractions and to the whole soil sample

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Wenxin; Xu, Shanshan; Xing, Baoshan; Pan, Bo; Tao, Shu

    2010-01-01

    Fractions of soil organic matter in a natural soil were extracted and sorption (or binding) characteristics of phenanthrene on each fraction and to the whole sample were investigated. The organic carbon normalized single point sorption (or binding) coefficient followed lipid > humin (HM) > humic acid (HA) > fulvic acid (FA) > whole soil sample, while the nonlinear exponent exhibited lipid > FA > HA > whole soil sample > HM. FA showed nonlinear binding of phenanthrene as it often does with other fractions. HM and HA contributed the majority of organic carbon in the soil. The calculated sorption coefficients of the whole soil were about two times greater than the measured values at different equilibrium phenanthrene concentrations. As for phenanthrene, the sorption capacity and nonlinearity of the physically mixed HA-HM mixtures were stronger as compared to the chemically reconstituted HA-HM composite. This was attributed to (besides the conditioning effect of the organic solvents) interactions between HA and HM and acid-base additions during fractionation. - Nonlinear binding of phenanthrene to fulvic acid extracted from soil organic matter was found.

  11. The effect of humic acids on biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons depends on the exposure regime

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tejeda-Agredano, Maria-Carmen; Mayer, Philipp; Ortega-Calvo, Jose-Julio

    2014-01-01

    Binding of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to dissolved organic matter (DOM) can reduce the freely dissolved concentration, increase apparent solubility or enhance diffusive mass transfer. To study the effects of DOM on biodegradation, we used phenanthrene and pyrene as model PAHs, soil humic acids as model DOM and a soil Mycobacterium strain as a representative degrader organism. Humic acids enhanced the biodegradation of pyrene when present as solid crystals but not when initially dissolved or provided by partitioning from a polymer. Synchronous fluorescence spectrophotometry, scintillation counting and a microscale diffusion technique were applied in order to determine the kinetics of dissolution and diffusive mass transfer of pyrene. We suggest that humic acids can enhance or inhibit biodegradation as a result of the balance of two opposite effects, namely, solubilization of the chemicals on the one hand and inhibition of cell adhesion to the pollutant source on the other. Highlights: • Humic acids can enhance the biodegradation of PAHs. • The enhancement depends on how the bacteria are exposed to PAHs. • Humic acids stimulate if PAHs are provided by dissolution form crystals. • An inhibition occurs if PAHs are provided by partitioning from a silicone. • The balance between enhanced dissolution and decreased adhesion is the cause. -- Humic acids cause opposite effects on biodegradation of PAHs depending on the exposure regime

  12. Visible light photodegradation of phenanthrene catalyzed by Fe(III)-smectite: role of soil organic matter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Hanzhong; Li, Li; Fan, Xiaoyun; Liu, Mingdeng; Deng, Wenye; Wang, Chuanyi

    2013-07-15

    In the present study, phenanthrene is employed as a model to explore the roles played by three soil organic matter (SOM) fractions, i.e., dissolved organic matter (DOM), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA), in its photodegradation with assistance of Fe(III)-smectite under visible-light. Slight decrease in phenanthrene photodegradation rate was observed in the presence of DOM, which is explained in terms of oxidative-radical competition between DOM and target phenanthrene molecules due to the high electron-donor capacity of phenolic moieties in DOM. On the other hand, a critic content is observed with FA (0.70mg/g) and HA (0.65mg/g). Before reaching the critic content, the removal of phenanthrene is accelerated; while after that, the photodegradation rate is suppressed. The acceleration of phenanthrene degradation can be attributed to the photosensitization of FA and HA. Due to the strong interaction between phenanthrene and the phenyl rings, however, the retention of phenanthrene on SOM-Fe(III)-smectite in the presence of high content of HA or FA is enhanced, thus slowing down its photodegradation. Those observations provide valuable insights into the transformation and fate of PAHs in the natural soil environment and open a window for using clay-humic substances complexes for remediation of contaminated soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Visible light photodegradation of phenanthrene catalyzed by Fe(III)-smectite: Role of soil organic matter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jia, Hanzhong, E-mail: jiahz0143@yahoo.com.cn [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China); Li, Li [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China); The Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049 (China); Fan, Xiaoyun [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China); Liu, Mingdeng [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China); The Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049 (China); Deng, Wenye [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China); Wang, Chuanyi, E-mail: cywang@ms.xjb.ac.cn [Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830011 (China)

    2013-07-15

    Highlights: • Soil organic matter (SOM) has significant influence on the transformation of PAHs. • Photodegradation rate is strongly dependent on the SOM fractions and their content. • Photolysis is determined by the interaction between phenanthrene, clay and SOM. -- Abstract: In the present study, phenanthrene is employed as a model to explore the roles played by three soil organic matter (SOM) fractions, i.e., dissolved organic matter (DOM), humic acid (HA), and fulvic acid (FA), in its photodegradation with assistance of Fe(III)-smectite under visible-light. Slight decrease in phenanthrene photodegradation rate was observed in the presence of DOM, which is explained in terms of oxidative-radical competition between DOM and target phenanthrene molecules due to the high electron–donor capacity of phenolic moieties in DOM. On the other hand, a critic content is observed with FA (0.70 mg/g) and HA (0.65 mg/g). Before reaching the critic content, the removal of phenanthrene is accelerated; while after that, the photodegradation rate is suppressed. The acceleration of phenanthrene degradation can be attributed to the photosensitization of FA and HA. Due to the strong interaction between phenanthrene and the phenyl rings, however, the retention of phenanthrene on SOM–Fe(III)-smectite in the presence of high content of HA or FA is enhanced, thus slowing down its photodegradation. Those observations provide valuable insights into the transformation and fate of PAHs in the natural soil environment and open a window for using clay–humic substances complexes for remediation of contaminated soil.

  14. Dissociation behavior of Np(IV) from humic acid colloid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iijima, K.; Tobitsuka, S. [Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1194 (Japan); Kohara, Y. [Inspection Development Corporation, 4-33, Muramatsu, Tokai, Nakagun, Ibaraki 319-1112 (Japan)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: Dissociation behavior of Np(IV) from humic colloid, which was prepared with purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) was investigated. The complexation experiments were carried out in 0.1 M NaClO{sub 4} - 0.05 M Na{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 4} solution at pH 8 with PAHA concentration between 0 and 500 mg L-1 under anaerobic condition. Np-237 was added as Np(V) solution so that its concentration becomes 1.1 x 10-5 mol L-1. After shaking from 1 to 156 days, aliquots of experimental solution were filtered through the membranes with 50, 10 and 3 kD of MWCO to obtain the size distribution of colloid, followed by adding the filtrate into the 6 M HCl for dissociation. At the end of experiments for 596 days, 0.1 M NaHCO{sub 3} was used for dissociation solution. The concentration of Np released into this solution was evaluated by measuring a activity of Np-237. The concentration of Np becomes constant by 112 days. Since Eh of the solution has been kept between -300 and -100 mV vs. SHE during experimental duration, Np is presumed to be reduced into tetravalent. In the case of higher PAHA concentration than 50 mg L{sup -1}, the Np concentration is close to that of initially added Np. Since the size of the dissolved species of Np during complexation experiments varies from 3 to 50 kD, the Np is sorbed on humic acid colloid. In the dissociation experiments, the Np dissociated by 6 M HCl decreases with increasing complexation time and PAHA concentration. After 156 days complexation with 500 mg L{sup -1} of PAHA, 35% of Np can be dissociated from the colloid. Such a tendency, however, is not observed in case of the lowest PAHA concentration, 5 mg L{sup -1}. After 596 days complexation, the dissociation experiments were carried out by adding 0.1 M NaHCO{sub 3} solution to avoid the precipitation which might hinder the dissociation of Np in the aforementioned experiments with HCl. As a result, 50% of Np is dissociated in the presence of 50 and 100 mg L-1 of

  15. The acidic functional groups of humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shanxiang, Li; Shuhe, Sun; Zhai Zongxi, Wu Qihu

    1983-09-01

    The acidic functional groups content, pK value, DELTAH and DELTAS of humic acid (HA) and nitro-humic acid (NHA) were determined by potentiometry, conductometry and calorimetric titration. The thermodynamic parameters of carboxylic groups and phenolic hydroxyl groups of humic acid are similar to that of simple hydroxy-benzoic acid. The configuration sites of acidic functional groups in humic acid from different coals are different. The carbonyl groups on aromatic rings are probably ortho to phenolic -OH for HA and NHA extracted from Huangxian's brown coal and Japanese lignite, while those from Lingshi's weathered coal are not. The weak -COOH groups of the latter possess higher chemical activity. The -COOH content in HA increases, phenolic -OH group decreases and the chemical acidity of acidic functional groups increases when HA is oxidized by nitric acid. (14 refs.)

  16. Replenishing Humic Acids in Agricultural Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Susic

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available For many decades, it was commonly believed that humic acids were formed in soils by the microbial conversion of plant lignins. However, an experiment to test whether these humic acids were formed prior to plant matter reaching the soil was never reported until the late 1980s (and then only as a side issue, even though humic acids were first isolated and reported in 1786. This was a serious omission, and led to a poor understanding of how the humic acid content of soils could be maintained or increased for optimum fertility. In this study, commercial sugar cane mulch and kelp extracts were extracted with alkali and analyzed for humic acid content. Humic acids in the extracts were positively identified by fluorescence spectrophotometry, and this demonstrated that humic acids are formed in senescent plant and algal matter before they reach the soil, where they are then strongly bound to the soil and are also resistant to microbial metabolism. Humic acids are removed from soils by wind and water erosion, and by water leaching, which means that they must be regularly replenished. This study shows that soils can be replenished or fortified with humic acids simply by recycling plant and algal matter, or by adding outside sources of decomposed plant or algal matter such as composts, mulch, peat, and lignite coals.

  17. The influence of organic matter on sorption and fate of glyphosate in soil - Comparing different soils and humic substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albers, Christian N., E-mail: calbers@ruc.d [Dept. of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, DK-1350 Copenhagen (Denmark); Dept. of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Banta, Gary T. [Dept. of Environmental, Social and Spatial Change, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Hansen, Poul Erik [Dept. of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde (Denmark); Jacobsen, Ole S. [Dept. of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, DK-1350 Copenhagen (Denmark)

    2009-10-15

    Soil organic matter (SOM) is generally believed not to influence the sorption of glyphosate in soil. To get a closer look on the dynamics between glyphosate and SOM, we used three approaches: I. Sorption studies with seven purified soil humic fractions showed that these could sorb glyphosate and that the aromatic content, possibly phenolic groups, seems to aid the sorption. II. Sorption studies with six whole soils and with SOM removed showed that several soil parameters including SOM are responsible for the strong sorption of glyphosate in soils. III. After an 80 day fate experiment, approx40% of the added glyphosate was associated with the humic and fulvic acid fractions in the sandy soils, while this was the case for only approx10% of the added glyphosate in the clayey soils. Glyphosate sorbed to humic substances in the natural soils seemed to be easier desorbed than glyphosate sorbed to amorphous Fe/Al-oxides. - Glyphosate was sorbed by purified humic substances and a significant amount of glyphosate was found to be associated with soil organic matter in whole soils.

  18. The influence of organic matter on sorption and fate of glyphosate in soil - Comparing different soils and humic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albers, Christian N.; Banta, Gary T.; Hansen, Poul Erik; Jacobsen, Ole S.

    2009-01-01

    Soil organic matter (SOM) is generally believed not to influence the sorption of glyphosate in soil. To get a closer look on the dynamics between glyphosate and SOM, we used three approaches: I. Sorption studies with seven purified soil humic fractions showed that these could sorb glyphosate and that the aromatic content, possibly phenolic groups, seems to aid the sorption. II. Sorption studies with six whole soils and with SOM removed showed that several soil parameters including SOM are responsible for the strong sorption of glyphosate in soils. III. After an 80 day fate experiment, ∼40% of the added glyphosate was associated with the humic and fulvic acid fractions in the sandy soils, while this was the case for only ∼10% of the added glyphosate in the clayey soils. Glyphosate sorbed to humic substances in the natural soils seemed to be easier desorbed than glyphosate sorbed to amorphous Fe/Al-oxides. - Glyphosate was sorbed by purified humic substances and a significant amount of glyphosate was found to be associated with soil organic matter in whole soils.

  19. Atrazine biodegradation modulated by clays and clay/humic acid complexes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Besse-Hoggan, Pascale; Alekseeva, Tatiana; Sancelme, Martine; Delort, Anne-Marie; Forano, Claude

    2009-01-01

    The fate of pesticides in the environment is strongly related to the soil sorption processes that control not only their transfer but also their bioavailability. Cationic (Ca-bentonite) and anionic (Layered Double Hydroxide) clays behave towards the ionisable pesticide atrazine (AT) sorption with opposite tendencies: a noticeable sorption capacity for the first whereas the highly hydrophilic LDH showed no interactions with AT. These clays were modified with different humic acid (HA) contents. HA sorbed on the clay surface and increased AT interactions. The sorption effect on AT biodegradation and on its metabolite formation was studied with Pseudomonas sp. ADP. The biodegradation rate was greatly modulated by the material's sorption capacity and was clearly limited by the desorption rate. More surprisingly, it increased dramatically with LDH. Adsorption of bacterial cells on clay particles facilitates the degradation of non-sorbed chemical, and should be considered for predicting pesticide fate in the environment. - The biodegradation rate of atrazine was greatly modulated by adsorption of the pesticide and also bacterial cells on clay particles.

  20. Amino acids in the sedimentary humic and fulvic acids

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sardessai, S.

    acids in the coastal Arabian Sea sediments: whereas amino acids content of fulvic acids was lower than that of humic acids in the coastal sediments of Bay of Bengal. Slope sedimentary humic acids were relatively enriched in amino acids as compared...

  1. Immobilisation of humic acids and binding of nitrophenol to immobilised humics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yang, Y.H.; Koopal, L.K.

    1999-01-01

    A new method has been developed for the immobilisation of humic acids on silica. After using 3-aminopropyl-dimethyl-ethoxysilane to prepare aminopropyl silica, humic acids can be irreversibly bound to the aminopropyl silica. The remaining amino groups on the silica are successfully end-capped using

  2. Characterization and complexation of humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Buckau, G.; Klenze, R.; Rhee, D.S.; Wimmer, H.

    1990-05-01

    This paper summarizes the research contributions to the CEC project MIRAGE II, particularly the research area: complexation and colloids (COCO). The first part of the paper comprises the characterization of humic and fulvic acids from different origins: a commercial product from Aldrich Co. used as a reference humic acid and site specific humic acids from Gorleben (FRG), Boom Clay (B) and Fanay Augeres (F) aquifer systems. The second part includes the complexation of trivalent actinides: Am(III) and Cm(III) with various humic acids. A number of different methods have been applied for the complexation study: spectrophotometry, ultrafiltration, laser-indused photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) and time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The evaluation process of complexation constant is discussed extensively and the well consolidated results are presented, which can be directly used for the geochemical modelling of the radionuclide migration. (orig.)

  3. Characterization of reference and site specific humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Buckau, G.

    1988-11-01

    As a contribution to the interlaboratory exercise for the complexation of humic acid and colloid generation (COCO-Club activities) in the CEC project MIRAGE-II, the characterization of selected humic acids have been carried out at TU Muenchen, regarding their elemental compositions, inorganic impurities, spectroscopic properties, size distributions and proton exchange capacities. The commercial humic acid (Na salt) from Aldrich Co. is purified to a protonated form and used as reference material. Furthermore two humic acids extracted from groundwaters from Gorleben (FRG) and Boom Clay (B) are purified to protonated forms and taken as site specific materials. These three humic acids, together with the original Na salt from Aldrich Co., are included in the present characterization exercise. The results of characterization provide basic knowledge supporting the forthcoming study of complexation of actinides and fission products with humic acid and their migration processes in the geosphere. (orig.)

  4. Potentiometric titration and equivalent weight of humic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pommer, A.M.; Breger, I.A.

    1960-01-01

    The "acid nature" of humic acid has been controversial for many years. Some investigators claim that humic acid is a true weak acid, while others feel that its behaviour during potentiometric titration can be accounted for by colloidal adsorption of hydrogen ions. The acid character of humic acid has been reinvestigated using newly-derived relationships for the titration of weak acids with strong base. Re-interpreting the potentiometric titration data published by Thiele and Kettner in 1953, it was found that Merck humic acid behaves as a weak polyelectrolytic acid having an equivalent weight of 150, a pKa of 6.8 to 7.0, and a titration exponent of about 4.8. Interdretation of similar data pertaining to the titration of phenol-formaldehyde and pyrogallol-formaldehyde resins, considered to be analogs for humic acid by Thiele and Kettner, leads to the conclusion that it is not possible to differentiate between adsorption and acid-base reaction for these substances. ?? 1960.

  5. Investigations of the uptake of transuranic radionuclides by humic and fulvic acids chemically immobilized on silica gel and their competitive release by complexing agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bulman, R.A.; Szabo, G.; Clayton, R.F.; Clayton, C.R.

    1998-01-01

    The chemistry of the interactions of transuranic elements (TUs) with humic substances needs to be understood so that humate-mediated movement of transuranic radionuclides through the environment can be predicted. This paper reports the chemical immobilization on silica gel of humic and fulvic acids and evaluates the potential of these new materials for the retention of Pu and Am. In addition to the preparation of the foregoing immobilized humic substances, other low molecular weight metal-binding ligands have also been immobilized on silica gel to investigate the binding sites for transuranic elements (TUs) in humic substances. The X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of Th(IV) complexed by humic acid and the immobilized humic acid are similar thus it appears that immobilization of humic acid does not generate any configurational changes in the Th(IV)-binding sites of the macromolecule. A variety of chelating agents partly mobilize these TUs sorbed on the solid phases. A batch method was used to determine the distribution coefficients (R d ) of Pu and Am between the silica gels and aqueous solutions of phosphate and citrate. The effects of the immobilized ligands, the anions and pH in the solution on sorption were assessed. Distributed coefficients (R d ) for the uptake of Pu and Am by these prepared solid phases are, in some cases, of a similar order of magnitude as those determined for soil and particles suspended in terrestrial surface waters

  6. Effect of humic substances on P sorption capacity of three different soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delgado, Antonio

    2010-05-01

    Organic matter decreases P sorption by soils. It has been demonstrated the effect of low molecular weight compounds decreasing P adsorption on active surfaces and the effect of humic and fulvic acids inhibiting the precipitation of hydroxyapatite and favouring the formation of more soluble phosphates. This contributes to increase the recovery of applied P fertilizer. The objective of this work was to study the effect of 4 different humic substances (commercially available and provided by Tradecorp Internacional S.A.) on the sorption capacity of three soils differing widely in chemical properties (two calcareous from south Spain, pH 8 and 8.5, and other acidic from Brazil, pH 5.9 and 50 % of exchangeable basic cations). To this end, sorption isotherms were performed at a soil:0.01 M CaCl2 ratio of 1:10 at 6, 30 and 90 days. 2.5 mg of humic substances per g of soil were added to the solution. Data were fitted to the best model and linearized sorption curves for each humic substance were compared with the linearized sorption curve for the control without humic substances application (intersection point and slopes). Soil from Brazil showed a much higher sorption capacity (400 mg P kg-1 soil sorbed at 1 mg L-1 of P in the solution at 1 day) than the other two soils (50 and 100 mg P kg-1). Slow reactions significantly contributed to P sorption in the three soils, amounts sorbed at 90 days being twice than those sorbed at 1 day. Two of the products increased P sorption in the soil from Brazil at 1 day. At 90 days all the products increased P sorption significantly. This increased P sorption can be only explained by metal complexation by the substances applied, which may result in organo-metallic compounds with a high P sorption capacity. This effect was independent of the proportion of humic and fulvic acids in the applied products because the amounts of metal complexed by these compouds depend on the amount of functional groups to coordinate with metals. In the Spanish

  7. Interaction of neptunium with humic acid and anaerobic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubota, Takumi; Sasaki, Takayuki; Kudo, Akira

    2002-01-01

    Humic acid and bacteria play an important role in the migration of radionuclides in groundwaters. The interaction of neptunium with humic acid and anaerobic bacteria has been investigated by liquid/liquid and solid/liquid extraction systems. For liquid/liquid extraction, the apparent complex formation constant, β α was obtained from the distribution between two phases of neptunium. For solid/liquid extraction, the ratio of sorption to bacteria, K d , was measured. K d of humic acid can be evaluated from β α . The large value of β α and K d means strong interaction of neptunium with organisms. In order to examine the effect of the nature of organism on interaction, the interaction with humic acid was compared to that with non-sterilized or sterilized mixed anaerobic bacteria. The value of β α of humate depended on neptunium ion concentration as well as pH, which showed the effect of polyelectrolyte properties and heterogeneous composition of humic acid. The comparison of interaction with humic acid and bacteria indicated that the K d value of humic acid was larger than that of bacteria and more strongly depend on pH. (author)

  8. Influence of humic substances of fixation of fission products in silicate media

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaban, I S; Macasek, F [Department of Nuclear Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislave, Slovakia (Slovakia)

    1997-12-31

    Clay minerals are exploited in both the land and sea emplacement and as backfill materials for the storage of radioactive waste to increase their radioactive safety. In addition, the influence of inorganic constituents, humic substances may modify the speciation of pollutant cations by solubilization of metal ions and formation of organic coating which may block the ion-exchange sites of clays. The objective of the present work was to characterize the effect of humic acid addition on the capacity of inorganic sorbents to radioactive caesium and strontium. Montmorillonite has been particular studied because the high cation exchange capacity and swelling properties make them sutiable for waste disposal. However, an accumulation of humic acid on disposal containers during the time of waste treatment may change the mobility of fission products. The results are treated in respect of sorption isotherms both of humic substances and sorbed ions. 3 figs., 3 tabs.

  9. Amide and Ester-Functionalized Humic Acid for Fuel Combustion Enhancement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riggs, Mark

    Humic acid is a class of naturally occurring molecules composed of large sheet-like regions of cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon networks with surface and edge functional groups including phenols, carboxylic acids, and epoxides. These naturally occurring molecules are found in brown coal deposits near lignite formations. Humic acid has gained attention from the scientific community as a precursor for graphene. Graphene is a 2-dimensional honeycomb structure of fully unsaturated carbon atoms that has exceptional material properties and inherent aromaticity. Graphene's incredible properties are matched by the difficulty associated with reproducibly manufacturing it on a large scale. This issue has limited the use of graphene for commercial applications. The polar functional groups of humic acid contribute to the hydrophilic nature of the molecule, limiting its miscibility in any alkyl-based solvent. Surfactants containing long alkyl chains can affect the miscibility of the molecule in an organic solvent. Surfactants are often difficult to remove from the system. It is theorized that alkylation of the functional sites of humic acid can affect the hydrophilic nature of the molecule, and effectively enable its dispersion into organic solvents without simultaneous incorporation of surfactants. This dissertation investigated the amidation and esterification of humic acid molecules extracted from leonardite. The resulting change in the modified humic acid dispersibility in organic solvents and its potential usage as a fuel additive were evaluated. Butyl, hexyl, octyl, and decyl amide-modified and ester-modified humic acids were synthesized. These products were characterized to confirm successful chemical reaction through thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The decyl-modified humic acids remained suspended in kerosene mixtures for longer than 1 week. Other organo-humic acids showed varying degrees of flocculation

  10. Chemical immobilisation of humic acid on silica

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koopal, L.K.; Yang, Y.; Minnaard, A.J.; Theunissen, P.L.M.; Riemsdijk, W.H. van

    1998-01-01

    Immobilisation of purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) on aminopropyl silica and glutaraldehyde-activated aminopropyl silica has been investigated. In general the humic acid is bound to the solid by both physical and chemical bonds. The physically adsorbed HA can be released to a large extent at high

  11. Determination of the protonation enthalpy of humic acid by calorimetric titration technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimuro, Shingo; Kirishima, Akira; Sato, Nobuaki

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: The thermodynamic quantities of protonation of humic acid were determined by the combination of potentiometric titration and calorimetric titration. It was observed that the protonation enthalpy and Gibbs free energy had been affected by pH of solution. As a result, the thermodynamics of the protonation reaction of humic acid is influenced by the polyelectrolyte effect and the heterogeneity. - Highlights: • We applied calorimetric titration technique to the protonation of humic acid. • The thermodynamic quantities of protonation of humic acid were determined. • The protonation enthalpy of humic acid is affected by the heterogeneity. • Gibbs free energy of the protonation is affected by the polyelectrolyte effect. - Abstract: In this study, the calorimetric titration technique was used to determine the protonation enthalpy of two reference humic acids and polyacrylic acid. First, we obtained the apparent protonation constant of two kinds of humic acid purchased from IHSS (International Humic Substances Society) and polyacrylic acid by potentiometric titration. Second, we obtained the protonation enthalpy of them by calorimetric titration. The protonation enthalpy of humic acid was affected by pH and the ionic strength of bulk solution. From the comparison of ΔH between humic acid and polyacrylic acid, it was concluded that the pH dependence of ΔH is attributed to the heterogeneity of humic acid. And ΔH of phenolic hydroxyl group in humic acid is strongly influenced by the electric double layer of humic acid’s surface. This is considered to be a reason of the ionic strength dependence of ΔH. On the other hand, Gibbs free energy of the protonation of humic acid is affected by the electrostatic attraction with the progress of dissociation of functional groups such as carboxyl group and phenolic hydroxyl group. Consequently, the thermodynamics of the protonation of humic acid is affected by the polyelectrolyte effect and the

  12. Metalion-humic acid nanoparticle interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Town, Raewyn M.; van Leeuwen, Herman P.

    2016-01-01

    Purely Donnan type models for electrostatic binding by humic acid (HA) nanoparticles are shown to be physically incomplete. To describe the extent of ion binding by HA, such models need to invoke parameters that are not consistent with experimental observations. These disparate parameters include...... binding by humic acid nanoparticles. The extent of Ca2+-HA association can be adequately described solely in terms of electrostatics only, including counterion condensation in the intraparticulate double layer in addition to Donnan partitioning in the remainder of the particle body. The binding of Cd...

  13. An investigation of the characteristics of humic acid and of its effects on the chemistry of the near field of a radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bates, C.I.; Bayliss, S.; Gardiner, M.P.; Hobley, J.; Smith, A.J.; Williams, S.J.

    1992-07-01

    The work described in this report attempts to assess the possible effects of humic substances in the near field of a radioactive waste repository. Two samples of humic acid were studied by analytical ultracentrifugation. It was found to be an advantage to reduce sample polydispersity before carrying out molecular weight determinations. Ultrafiltration experiments showed that calcium concentrations of greater than 10 -3 M were sufficient to cause precipitation of humic acid. Boom clay extracts in sodium hydroxide solution were able to maintain high concentrations of americium in the aqueous phase. Extracts of Boom clay in cement-equilibrated water showed less ability to increase americium concentrations. The sorption of americium on BFS/OPC was studied. Distribution ratios of 600 ml g -1 in the absence of humic acid and 500 ml g -1 in its presence were obtained. Size distribution studies on americium showed that humic acid had little effect on the concentration of the radioelement in solutions passed through filters with up to 2 μm pore size. However, size distribution studies on plutonium revealed that more plutonium was associated with each filtered fraction in the experiments which contained Boom clay extract than in those which used cement-equilibrated water. Measurements of the sorption of neptunium on cements showed that this radioelement was strongly sorbed onto both 9:1 BFS/OPC and the Nirex reference backfill. The presence of humic acid extracted from Boom clay did not cause any discernible decrease in the sorption of this radioelement on cement. Thermodynamic calculations, using a simple model, illustrate the important role which calcium could play in controlling the concentrations of actinide humates in the near-field porewater. (author)

  14. Effect of Oxidation Time on Humic Acid Yields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khin Thidar Cho; May Zin Lwin

    2010-12-01

    In this study,humic acids were produced from coal under controlled conditions by using different oxidation time. This research studies on the behaviour of coal during oxidation process. The coal used as raw material in this research was obtained from Ka Lay Wa, Sagaing Division . The coals were oxidized at the different oxidation times from 76 hr to 380 hr at the temperature 150 5C. The yields of humic acid, the ultimate analysis (percentage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) and the proximate analysis (percentage of volatile, ash and moisture) were done in this study. The functional groups and structural entities of the obtained humic acids were identified by using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FTIR). The yield percentage of prepared humic acid in Ka Lay Wa coal was found to be 3%.

  15. Preparation and characterisation of immobilised humic acid on silicon wafer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szabo, Gy.; Guczi, J.; Telegdi, J.; Pashalidis, I.; Szymczak, W.; Buckau, G.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: The chemistry of the interactions of radionuclides with humic acid needs to be understood in details so that humate-mediated migration of radionuclides through the environment can be predicted. To achieve such a data in microscopic scale, several detective techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), chemical force microscopy (CFM), nuclear microprobe analysis (NMA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can be used to measure intermolecular forces and to visualize the surface morphology. The main aim of this work was to provide humic material with specific properties in order to study with different spectroscopic techniques, the complexation behaviour of surface bound humic acid in microscopic scale. Namely, humic acid has been immobilised on silicon wafers in order to mimic surface bound humic substances in natural aquatic systems. In this communication, we present a simple protocol to immobilize humic acid on silicon wafer surface. A tri-functional silane reagent 3-amino-propyl-tri-methoxy-silane (APTES) was used to modify the surface of silicon wafers and appeared to be able to strongly attached soluble humic acid through their carboxylic groups to solid support. Characterisation of the surfaces, after any preparation steps, was done by ATR-FTIR, AFM and TOF-SIMS. These methods have proved that the humic acid forms a relatively homogeneous layer on the wafers. Immobilisation of humic acid on silicon wafer was further proved by binding isotherm of Am/Nd. (authors)

  16. Functional groups and reactivity of size-fractionated Aldrich humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, Tadao, E-mail: tanaka.tadao26@jaea.go.jp [Nuclear Safety Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Shirakata 2-4, Tokai, Naka, Ibaraki, 319-1195 (Japan)

    2012-03-20

    The complexation affinity of the Aldrich Chemicals humic acid with {sup 60}Co was examined with respect to molecular size of humic acid. Correlations between the affinity and the structures of humic acid were studied. At low humic acid concentration range, {sup 60}Co was interacted with the humic acid of size fraction over 100k Da (HA(100<)). With increasing humic acid concentration, the {sup 60}Co was preferentially interacted with the 30k-100k Da of humic acid (HA(30-100)). Fractionated HA(100<) and HA(30-100) were characterized from their FTIR (Fourier Transform Infra-Red), {sup 13}C NMR spectral analyses and acid-base titration curves. The HA(10<) having aliphatic branched structure, smaller amount of COOH group and large proton exchangeable capacity, seem to show low covalent bonding nature and high ion exchangeability in the complexation. In addition, steric hindrance may affect on the complexation, by winding up like random coils from the branched structure. The HA(30-100) is dominated with the aromatic COOH group and OH group and it may preferentially coordinate to {sup 60}Co by covalent binding. These presumptions were supported by XPS analysis, in which the biding energy of cobalt-humates was discussed.

  17. Characterization and complexation of humic acids. Part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.L.; Buckau, G.; Klenze, R.; Rhee, D.S.; Wimmer, H.

    1991-01-01

    This paper summarizes the research contributions to the CEC Mirage II project, particularly the research area on complexation and colloids (COCO). The first part of the paper comprises the characterization of humic and fulvic acids from different origins: a commercial product from the Aldrich Co. used as a reference humic acid and site-specific humic acids from Gorleben (Germany), Boom Clay (Belgium) and Fanay Augeres (France) aquifer systems. The second part includes the complexation of trivalent actinides: Am(III) and Cm(III) with various humic acids. A number of different methods have been applied for the complexation study: spectrophotometry, ultrafiltration, laser-induced photo-acoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The evaluation process of complexation constant is discussed extensively and the well consolidated results are presented, which can be directly used for the geochemical modelling of the radionuclide migration

  18. Sorption of curium by silica colloids: Effect of humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kar, Aishwarya Soumitra; Kumar, Sumit; Tomar, B.S.; Manchanda, V.K.

    2011-01-01

    Sorption of curium by silica colloids has been studied as a function of pH and ionic strength using 244 Cm as a tracer. The sorption was found to increase with increasing pH and reach a saturation value of ∼95% at pH beyond 5.3. The effect of humic acid on the sorption of 244 Cm onto silica was studied by changing the order of addition of the metal ion and humic acid. In general, in the presence of humic acid (2 mg/L), the sorption increased at lower pH (<5) while it decreased in the pH range 6.5-8 and above pH 8, the sorption was found to increase again. As curium forms strong complex with humic acid, its presence results in the enhancement of curium sorption at lower pH. At higher pH the humic acid present in the solution competes with the surface sites for curium thus decreasing the sorption. The decrease in the Cm sorption in presence of humic acid was found to be less when humic acid was added after the addition of curium. Linear additive model qualitatively reproduced the profile of the Cm(III) sorption by silica in presence of humic acid at least in the lower pH region, however it failed to yield quantitative agreement with the experimental results. The results of the present study evidenced the incorporation of Cm into the silica matrix.

  19. Sorption-desorption of imidacloprid onto a lacustrine Egyptian soil and its clay and humic acid fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandil, Mahrous M; El-Aswad, Ahmed F; Koskinen, William C

    2015-01-01

    Sorption-desorption of the insecticide imidacloprid 1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)-methyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine onto a lacustrine sandy clay loam Egyptian soil and its clay and humic acid (HA) fractions was investigated in 24-h batch equilibrium experiments. Imidacloprid (IMDA) sorption-desorption isotherms onto the three sorbents were found to belong to a non-linear L-type and were best described by the Freundlich model. The value of the IMDA adsorption distribution coefficient, Kd(ads), varied according to its initial concentration and was ranged 40-84 for HA, 14-58 for clay and 1.85-4.15 for bulk soil. Freundlich sorption coefficient, Kf(ads), values were 63.0, 39.7 and 4.0 for HA, clay and bulk soil, respectively. The normalized soil Koc value for imidacloprid sorption was ∼800 indicating its slight mobility in soils. Nonlinear sorption isotherms were indicated by 1/n(ads) values imidacloprid sorption process with all tested sorbents. Gibbs free energy (ΔG) values indicated a spontaneous and physicosorption process for IMDA and a more favorable sorption to HA than clay and soil. In conclusion, although the humic acid fraction showed the highest capacity and affinity for imidacloprid sorption, the clay fraction contributed to approximately 95% of soil-sorbed insecticide. Clay and humic acid fractions were found to be the major two factors controlling IMDA sorption in soils. The slight mobility of IMDA in soils and the hysteresis phenomenon associated with the irreversibility of its sorption onto, mainly, clay and organic matter of soils make its leachability unlikely to occur.

  20. An investigation of the characteristics of humic acid and of its effects on the chemistry of the near field of a radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bates, C.I.; Bayliss, S.; Gardiner, M.P.; Hobley, J.; Smith, A.J.; Williams, S.J.

    1993-01-01

    The work described in this report attempts to assess the possible effects of humic substances in the near field of a radioactive waste repository. Two samples of humic acid were studied by analytical ultracentrifugation. It was found to be an advantage to reduce sample polydispersity before carrying out molecular weight determinations. Ultrafiltration experiments showed that calcium concentrations of greater than 10 -3 M were sufficient to cause precipitation of humic acid. Boom clay extracts in sodium hydroxide solution were able to maintain high concentrations of americium in the aqueous phase. Extracts of Boom clay in cement-equilibrated water showed less ability to increase americium concentrations. The sorption of americium on BFS/OPC was studied. Distribution ratios of 600 ml g -1 in the absence of humic acid and 500 ml g -1 in its presence were obtained. Size distribution studies on americium showed that humic acid had little effect on the concentration of the radioelement in solutions passed through filters with up to 2 μm pore size. However, size distribution studies on plutonium revealed that more plutonium was associated with each filtered fraction in the experiments which contained Boom clay extract than in those which used cement-equilibrated water. Measurements of the sorption of neptunium on cements showed that this radioelement was strongly sorbed onto both 9:1 BFS/OPC and the Nirex reference backfill. The presence of humic acid extracted from Boom clay did not cause any discernible decrease in the sorption of this radioelement on cement. Thermodynamic calculations, using a simple model, illustrate the important role which calcium could play in controlling the concentrations of actinide humates in the near-field porewater. 31 refs., 19 figs., 12 tabs

  1. Influence of humic acid on the trichloroethene degradation by Dehalococcoides-containing consortium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu Miao; Zhang Ying; Wang Zhigang; Jiang Zhao; Li Juan

    2011-01-01

    By taking an anaerobic Dehalococcoides-containing consortium (designated UC-1) as the research object, the influence of humic acid on the degradation of TCE by UC-1 was examined. The results indicated that (i) TCE was more rapidly degraded in the presence of humic acid compared with the control and the TCE removal efficiencies increased with the increase of concentrations of humic acid; and (ii) at the end of experiments, in the presence of humic acid, much more ethene was produced compared with the control, whereas less VC was accumulated in the medium. Presumably, humic acid improves the activity of organisms in dechlorinating populations resulting in more ethene accumulated in the medium, and (iii) the degradation of TCE stimulated by humic acid by UC-1 might be a biotic process or an abiotic process. Thus, humic acid could influence the degradation of TCE by UC-1 directly via enhancing electron transfer between UC-1 and TCE. This work is a preliminary step for accelerating the degradation of TCE in the groundwater environment using a kind of natural organic matter - humic acid.

  2. Influence of humic acid on the trichloroethene degradation by Dehalococcoides-containing consortium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu Miao [School of Resources Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 (China); Zhang Ying, E-mail: zhangyinghr@hotmail.com [School of Resources Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 (China); Wang Zhigang; Jiang Zhao; Li Juan [School of Resources Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030 (China)

    2011-06-15

    By taking an anaerobic Dehalococcoides-containing consortium (designated UC-1) as the research object, the influence of humic acid on the degradation of TCE by UC-1 was examined. The results indicated that (i) TCE was more rapidly degraded in the presence of humic acid compared with the control and the TCE removal efficiencies increased with the increase of concentrations of humic acid; and (ii) at the end of experiments, in the presence of humic acid, much more ethene was produced compared with the control, whereas less VC was accumulated in the medium. Presumably, humic acid improves the activity of organisms in dechlorinating populations resulting in more ethene accumulated in the medium, and (iii) the degradation of TCE stimulated by humic acid by UC-1 might be a biotic process or an abiotic process. Thus, humic acid could influence the degradation of TCE by UC-1 directly via enhancing electron transfer between UC-1 and TCE. This work is a preliminary step for accelerating the degradation of TCE in the groundwater environment using a kind of natural organic matter - humic acid.

  3. Preparation of fulvic acid and low-molecular organic acids by oxidation of weathered coal humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinozuka, T.; Ito, A.; Sasaki, O.; Yazawa, Y.; Yamaguchi, T. [Chiba Institute of Technolgy, Chiba (Japan). Dept. of Industrial Chemistry

    2002-07-01

    Weathered coal contains much humic acid and a little fulvic acid. Therefore, the production of fulvic acid, the most valuable humic substance because of its water-solubility, was examined by ozone and hydrogen peroxide oxidation of humic acid extracted form Xinjiang (China) weathered coal. The resulting products of the oxidation were water soluble fulvic acid and organic acids, mainly formic acid and oxalic acid. The product yield of fulvic acid was 20 (C%) and that of organic acids were 39 (C%) for formic and acid 13 (C%) for oxalic acid. The formed fulvic acid showed a higher content of oxygen and carboxyl groups, than those of the extracted one from the original weathered coal.

  4. Determination of Conditional Stability Constants for Metal Ions with Humic Acid using Chemically Immobilised Humic Acid on Silica Gel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szabo, G.; Guszi, J. [Frederic Joliot-Curie' National Research Inst. for Rad iobiology and Radiohygiene, Budapest, H-1775 (Hungary)]. e-mail: szabogy@hp.osski.hu; Miyajima, T. [Dept. of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga Univ ., 1-Honjo, Saga (Japan); Geckeis, H. [Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Inst. fuer Nuk leare Entsorgung, 76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Reiller, P. [Commissariat a l' Energie A tomique, CE Saclay, Laboratoire de Speciation des Radionucleides et des Molecule s, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Bulman, R.A. [Radiation Protection Div., Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Didcot (United Kingdom)

    2007-06-15

    Limitations on aqueous solution chemistries of humic acid, and also hydrolysis of some cationic species, restrict measurement of conditional stability constants of 4f- and 5f-series elements as humate complexes. Reported log {beta} values are determined by using non-linear regression binding isotherms, of Am(III) and Th(IV), and also Ag(I) and Sr(II), bound by a humic acid composite.

  5. Characterization of metal/humic acid systems by Capillary Electrophoresis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Staden JJ van; Hoop MAGT van den; Cleven R; LAC

    2000-01-01

    Metal-humic acid systems have been characterised applying Capillary Electrophoresis (CE). Appropriate experimental conditions with respect to carrier electrolyte, pH range, salt concentration, humic acid concentration and the applied potential, have been optimised. The influence of multivalent metal

  6. Stepwise adsorption of phenanthrene at the fly ash-water interface as affected by solution chemistry: experimental and modeling studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Chunjiang; Huang, Guohe

    2012-11-20

    Fly ash (FA) is predominantly generated from coal-fired power plants. Contamination during disposal of FA can cause significant environmental problems. Knowledge about the interaction of FA and hydrophobic organic pollutants in the environment is very limited. This study investigated the adsorption of phenanthrene at the interface of FA and water. The performance of phenanthrene adsorption on FA and the effects of various aqueous chemistry conditions were evaluated. The adsorption isotherms exhibited an increasing trend in the adsorbed amounts of phenanthrene, while a stepwise pattern was apparent. A stepwise multisite Langmuir model was developed to simulate the stepwise adsorption process. The adsorption of phenanthrene onto FA was noted to be spontaneous at all temperatures. The thermodynamic results indicated that the adsorption was an exothermic process. The adsorption capacity gradually decreased as pH increased from 4 to 8; however, this trend became less significant when pH was changed from 8 to 10. The binding affinity of phenanthrene to FA increased after the addition of humic acid (HA). The pH variation was also responsible for the changes of phenanthrene adsorption on FA in the presence of HA. High ionic strength corresponded to low mobility of phenanthrene in the FA-water system. Results of this study can help reveal the migration patterns of organic contaminants in the FA-water system and facilitate environmental risk assessment at FA disposal sites.

  7. Interactions among buffelgrass, phenanthrene and phenanthrene-degrading bacteria in gnotobiotic microcosms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert, Francoise M; Sun, Wenhao H; Toma, Marisa; Jones, Ryan K; Tang, Chung-Shih

    2008-07-15

    An experiment was undertaken in gnotobiotic microcosms to determine the role of buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and a phenanthrene-degrading bacterium (strain PM600) in the degradation of phenanthrene. The Gram-negative bacterium was identified as a Sphingomonas sp. by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and as S. paucimobilis by biochemical tests (API 20 NE strips). Its yellow pigment corresponded to nostoxanthin and its cellular fatty acids were typical of the genus Sphingomonas. Moreover, it was devoid of lipopolysaccharides. Strain PM600 was tested for growth on mineral medium supplemented with No. 2 diesel, hexadecane, mineral oil, pristane, phenanthrene, and pyrene as single carbon sources. It was capable of utilizing phenanthrene only. In the gnotobiotic microcosms silica sand was either or not supplemented with 150 mg of phenanthrene kg(-1) sand, inoculated with strain PM600, and planted to sterile young seedlings of buffelgrass. After 28 days, 67% of the reduction of the phenanthrene concentration was assigned to degradation by the bacterium and ca. 20% to abiotic factors. No statistically significant effect of the young buffelgrass was found. In the absence of phenanthrene, the bacterial population significantly increased in the rhizosphere of buffelgrass. However, in the presence of buffelgrass and phenanthrene, the bacterial population preferentially responded to phenanthrene. The growth of buffelgrass was severely curtailed by phenanthrene in the absence of the bacterium. However, strain PM600 effectively protected buffelgrass against the phytotoxicity of phenanthrene.

  8. Differences in chemical properties of humic acids depending on their origin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kribek, B

    1978-01-01

    Humic acids of soils are characterized by high content of nitrogen and ash and low molecular mass. The molecular mass of humic acids of peat is high, while the nitrogen and ash residue in them are small. The humic acids of dirt occupy an intermediate position. For the caustobioliths, a high content of carbon, low nitrogen and ash residue and demethylation of the structure are characteristic. Differences in the chemical properties of humic acids are determined mainly by differences in the chemical composition of fractions with high molecular weight. The specific nature of chemical properties of the humic substances governed by the origin makes it possible to use them to solve questions of paleogeography and to investigate the degree of diagenesis of coals.

  9. Structural analysis and binding domain of albumin complexes with natural dietary supplement humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ding Fei; Diao Jianxiong; Yang Xinling; Sun Ying

    2011-01-01

    Humic acid, a natural ionic molecule, is rapidly being recognized as one of the crucial elements in our modern diets of the new century. A biophysical protocol utilizing circular dichroism (CD), steady state and time-resolved fluorescence for the investigation of the complexation of the humic acid to the staple in vivo transporter, human serum albumin (HSA), as a model for protein-humic substances, is proclaimed. The alterations of CD and three-dimensional fluorescence suggest that the polypeptide chain of HSA partially folded after complexation with humic acid. The data of fluorescence emission displayed that the binding of humic acid to HSA is the formation of HSA-humic acid complex with an association constant of 10 4 M -1 ; this corroborates the fluorescence lifetime measurements that the static mechanism was operated. The precise binding domain of humic acid in HSA has been verified from the denaturation of albumin, hydrophobic ANS displacement, and site-specific ligands; subdomain IIA (Sudlow's site I) was earmarked to possess high-affinity for humic acid. The observations are relevant for other albumin-humic substance systems when the ligands have analogous configuration with humic acid. - Highlights: → Albumin structure partially folds upon humic acid complexation. → Static type is dominance for the diminution in the Trp-214 fluorescence.→ Subdomain IIA is designate to possess high-affinity site for humic acid.

  10. Simultaneous analysis of small organic acids and humic acids using high performance size exclusion chromatography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Qin, X.P.; Liu, F.; Wang, G.C.; Weng, L.P.

    2012-01-01

    An accurate and fast method for simultaneous determination of small organic acids and much larger humic acids was developed using high performance size exclusion chromatography. Two small organic acids, i.e. salicylic acid and 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and one purified humic acid material were used

  11. Influence of lysozyme complexation with purified Aldrich humic acid on lysozyme activity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Y.; Tan, W.F.; Wang, M.X.; Liu, F.; Weng, L.P.; Norde, W.; Koopal, L.K.

    2012-01-01

    Humic acid is an important component of dissolved organic matter and in two previous papers it has been shown that purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) forms strong complexes with the oppositely charged protein lysozyme (LSZ). The complexation and aggregation of enzymes with humic acids may lead to

  12. The measurement of the molecular weight of humic acid by ultracentrifugation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardner, M.P.

    1989-07-01

    This report is concerned with the application of ultracentrifuge methods to the determination of humic acid molecular weights. The work has been undertaken as part of the Co-Co club intercomparison exercise on humic acid characterisation. Knowledge of the molecular weight distribution of humic acid will be an important parameter in assessing the likely physical and chemical behaviour under the near-field environment. Molecular weights of a sample of purified Aldrich humic acid have been obtained by sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium studies using an analytical ultracentrifuge. The results have shown the material to be polydisperse with a weight average molecular weight in the region 2700 to 4000. (author)

  13. Stability constant of the lanthanum complex with humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jimenez R, M.; Solache R, M. J.

    2008-01-01

    The work described here is a study on the formation of trivalent lanthanum complex with humic acid. Commercial humic acid was purified and then characterized by various analytical techniques. The stability constant determined by a radiochemical method has a worth of log β La , AHA = 13.6. (Author)

  14. Behavior of aluminum adsorption in different Compost-Derived humic acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, Yong-Hong; Su, Po-Hsin [Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Pingtung (China)

    2010-10-15

    Humic acid plays an important role in the distribution of heavy metals in the environment. The aims of this study were conducted to evaluate the spectroscopic characteristics and aluminum (Al) adsorption of humic acids which were extracted from four composts. The functional groups were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and solid-state {sup 13}C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 13}C-NMR). The results showed that the aromatic groups were all found in the humic acids of the four composts, and the surface of humic acids included carboxylic group, hydroxylic group, and amino group. The experiment of Al adsorption was described by Freundlich equation. It showed that the adsorption of Al by humic acid from compost of cattle manure was higher, but that from the compost of pig manure, lemon manure, tea manure in equal preparation was lower. The adsorptive behavior was different due to the interaction by functional groups (-OH and -COOH) with Al. These results can describe the fate and transportation of Al in the soil of different organic fertilizer. (Copyright copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  15. Humic substances in natural waters and their complexation with trace metals and radionuclides: a review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boggs, S. Jr.; Livermore, D.; Seitz, M.G.

    1985-07-01

    Dissolved humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) occur in surface waters and groundwaters in concentrations ranging from less than 1 mg(C)/L to more than 100 mg(C)/L. Humic substances are strong complexing agents for many trace metals in the environment and are also capable of forming stable soluble complexes or chelates with radionuclides. Concentrations of humic materials as low as 1 mg(C)/L can produce a detectable increase in the mobility of some actinide elements by forming soluble complexes that inhibit sorption of the radionuclides onto rock materials. The stability of trace metal- or radionuclide-organic complexes is commonly measured by an empirically determined conditional stability constant (K'), which is based on the ratio of complexed metal (radionuclide) in solution to the product concentration of uncomplexed metal and humic complexant. Larger values of stability constants indicate greater complex stability. The stability of radionuclide-organic complexes is affected both by concentration variables and envionmental factors. In general, complexing is favored by increased of radionuclide, increased pH, and decreased ionic strength. Actinide elements are generally most soluble in their higher oxidation states. Radionuclides can also form stable, insoluble complexes with humic materials that tend to reduce radionuclide mobility. These insoluble complexes may be radionuclide-humate colloids that subsequently precipitate from solution, or complexes of radionuclides and humic substances that sorb to clay minerals or other soil particulates strongly enough to immobilize the radionuclides. Colloid formation appears to be favored by increased radionuclide concentration and lowered pH; however, the conditions that favor formation of insoluble complexes that sorb to particulates are still poorly understood. 129 refs., 25 figs., 19 tabs

  16. Studies of Tc oxidation states in humic acid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Bo; Liu Dejun; Yao Jun

    2011-01-01

    The oxidation state of Tc is an important aspect of the speciation in groundwater which contained organic substances due to it control the precipitation, complexation, sorption and colloid formation behavior of the Tc under HWL geological disposal conditions. In present work, the oxidation states of Tc were investigated using the LaCl 3 coagulation method and solution extraction method in aqueous solutions in which the humic acid concentration range is from 0 to 20 mg/L and the Tc (VII) concentration is about 10 -8 mol/L. The radiocounting of 99 Tc was determined using liquid scintillation spectrometry. The humic acid will influence the radiocounting ratio of 99 Tc apparently, however, the quenching effect can be restrained once keep the volume of the cocktail to about twenty times of the sample volume. The LaCl 3 coagulation method was carried out for the investigation of Tc oxidation states in humic acid aqueous systems at about pH 8. The tetraphenylarsonium chloride (TPA)-chloroform extraction method was used also simultaneously to investigation the concentrations of Tc (IV) and Tc (VII) for the availability of the LaCl 3 precipitation method, and the experimental results demonstrate that tetravalent technetium and pertechnetate concentration are well agreement with the LaCl 3 precipitation method. These two experimental results demonstrated that Tc (VII) is very stable in the Tc (VII)-humic acid system during a 350 days experimental period, and the Tc (IV) concentrations are very lower, that is indicate that there didn't oxidizing reactions between the Fluka humic acid and Tc (VII) in aqueous solutions under anaerobic conditions. That means the presence of humic acids even in anaerobic groundwater is disadvantage for the retardance of radionuclides. (authors)

  17. The effect of different replications of humic acid fertilization on yield ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-06-22

    Jun 22, 2011 ... herbage yield (3045 kg ha-1) and plant height (61 cm) was obtained from soil 100% ... Key words: Crude protein, fertilization, fulvic acid, humic acid and vetch. .... The treatment material used in this study is liquid humic acid.

  18. Interaction of humic acids and humic-acid-like polymers with herpes simplex virus type 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klöcking, Renate; Helbig, Björn

    The study was performed in order to compare the antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) of synthetic humic-acid-like polymers to that of their low-molecular-weight basic compounds and naturally occurring humic acids (HA) in vitro. HA from peat water showed a moderate antiviral activity at a minimum effective concentration (MEC) of 20 µg/ml. HA-like polymers, i.e. the oxidation products of caffeic acid (KOP), hydrocaffeic acid (HYKOP), chlorogenic acid (CHOP), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (3,4-DHPOP), nordihydroguaretic acid (NOROP), gentisinic acid (GENOP), pyrogallol (PYROP) and gallic acid (GALOP), generally inhibit virus multiplication, although with different potency and selectivity. Of the substances tested, GENOP, KOP, 3,4-DHPOP and HYKOP with MEC values in the range of 2 to 10 µg/ml, proved to be the most potent HSV-1 inhibitors. Despite its lower antiviral potency (MEC 40 µg/ml), CHOP has a remarkable selectivity due to the high concentration of this polymer that is tolerated by the host cells (>640 µg/ml). As a rule, the antiviral activity of the synthetic compounds was restricted to the polymers and was not preformed in the low-molecular-weight basic compounds. This finding speaks in favour of the formation of antivirally active structures during the oxidative polymerization of phenolic compounds and, indirectly, of corresponding structural parts in different HA-type substances.

  19. Determination of humic acid in alkali leaching solution of uranium by spectophotrometry-COD method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Yu; An Wei; Chen Shusen

    2014-01-01

    It is one of the main causes of extraction emulsification or resin toxicosis during alkali leaching process in uranium metallurgy which organic matters including humic acid exist in lixiviums. In order to study the effect of humic acid in uranium metallurgy, a method for determination of content of humic acid in aqueous solution need to be established. Spectrophotometry is a simple and convenient method in humic acid analysis. However, accuracy of spectrophotometry can be reduced greatly because of interference of uranium and other elements in the humic acid solutions. Although chemical oxygen demand (COD) method is a common analysis way of organic matters in aqueous solutions, the concentration of humic acid cannot be directly measured. In this paper, COD method is related with spectrophotometry to avoid the interference of uranium and ensure the accurate analysis of humic acid. The results showed that the detection limit of the method was 1.78 mg/L and the recovery rate was 101.2%. (authors)

  20. Humic acid from Shilajit – a physico-chemical and spectroscopic characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SURAJ P. AGARWAL

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Shilajit is a blackish–brown exudation, consisting of organic substances, metal ions and minerals, from different formations, commonly found in the Himalayan region (1000–3000 m from Nepal to Kashmir. Shilajit can also be collected throughout the mountain regions in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Bajkal, throughout Ural, Caucasus and Altai mountains also, at altitudes between 1000 to 5000 m. The major physiological action of shilajit has been attributed to the presence of bioactive dibenzo-α-pyrones together with humic and fulvic acids, which act as carrier molecules for the active ingredients. In this work, the aim was to extract humic acid from Shilajit from various sources and characterised these humic acids based on their physicochemical properties, elemental analysis, UV/Vis and FTIR spectra, X-ray diffraction pattern and DSC thermograms. The spectral features obtained from UV/Vis, FTIR, XRD and DSC studies for samples of different origins showed a distinct similarity amongst themselves and in comparison to soil humic acids. The surfactant properties of the extracted fulvic acids were investigated by determining the effect of increasing concentration on the surface tension of water. The study demonstrated that humic acids extracted from shilajit indeed possessed surfactant properties.

  1. Effect of low-molecular-weight organic acids on photo-degradation of phenanthrene catalyzed by Fe(III)-smectite under visible light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Hanzhong; Chen, Hongxia; Nulaji, Gulimire; Li, Xiyou; Wang, Chuanyi

    2015-11-01

    The photolysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is potentially an important process for its transformation and fate on contaminated soil surfaces. In this study, phenanthrene is employed as a model to explore PAH photodegradation with the assistance of Fe(III)-smectite under visible-light while focusing on roles played by five low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs), i.e., malic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and nitrilotriacetic acid. Our results show that oxalic acid is most effective in promoting the photodegradation of phenanthrene, while only a slight increase in the rate of phenanthrene photodegradation is observed in the presence of malic acid. Electron paramagnetic resonance experiments confirm the formation of CO2(-) radicals in the presence of malic and oxalic acid, which provides strong evidence for generating OH and subsequent photoreaction pathways. The presence of EDTA or nitrilotriacetic acid significantly inhibits both Fe(II) formation and phenanthrene photodegradation because these organic anions tend to chelate with Fe(III), leading to decreases in the electron-accepting potential of Fe(III)-smectite and a weakened interaction between phenanthrene and Fe(III)-smectite. These observations provide valuable insights into the transformation and fate of PAHs in the natural soil environment and demonstrate the potential for using some LMWOAs as additives for the remediation of contaminated soil. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of Humic Acid on the Germination Traits of Pumpkin Seeds under Cadmium Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maasoumeh ASADI

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The study tackled the effect of humic acid and cadmium concentrations on the pumpkin seed germination characteristics throughout were studied. Treatments were cadmium concentrations on three levels: 0, 100 and 200 ppm and humic acid concentration of 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg lit-1. Results showed that interaction of humic acid and cadmium was not significant on germination traits, but there was a significant effect on seedling growth indexes. Radicle and plumule length increased by 86 and 192% in comparison with control, of the mixture of 200 ppm cadmium and 300 mg lit-1 of humic acid. Cadmium had stimulatory effect on radicle and cotyledon dry weight and the highest values obtained with 200 ppm in mixture with 200 mg lit-1 of humic acid. Also, maximum plumule dry weight was recorded in 200 ppm cadmium and 300 mg lit-1 of humic acid. The highest of indexes were observed of 200 ppm cadmium and 400 mg lit-1 humic acid. In conclusion, the humic acid had detoxifying effect on cadmium stress in the culture and responded antagonistically against cadmium, but it seems that these concentrations of cadmium are low for the pumpkin seed and can be increased in order to reach the toxicity level.

  3. Uranium accumulation in Brassica rapa L. and effect of citric acid and humic acids as chelating agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez del R, H.; Perez C, G. A.; Davila R, J. I.; Mireles G, F.; Rodriguez H, G.

    2016-09-01

    Phyto extraction is a technique that makes use of plants for the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. In this study the uranium incorporation in the Brassica rapa L. species was evaluated, in artificially contaminated inert soils with 40 mg U/kg, and the effect of adding of the natural chelating agents citric acid and humic acids in the accumulation of uranium was analyzed. Soil free of organic matter and biologically inert was obtained by controlled calcination s of natural soil. Cultures in the prepared soil consisted of five growth treatments: 1) cultivation without uranium or additives; 2) cultivation in the uranium presence; 3) cultivation with uranium and citric acid (2 g/kg); 4) cultivation with uranium and humic acids (10 g/kg); 5) uranium cultivation and combination of citric and humic acids at the same concentrations. There was no adverse effect on plant growth with the presence of uranium at the given concentration. Regarding the controls, the total biomass in the presence of uranium was slightly higher, while the addition of humic acids significantly stimulated the production of biomass with respect to the citric acid. The combined action of organic acids produced the highest amount of biomass. The efficiency of phyto extraction followed the order Humic acids (301 μg U/g) > Non-assisted (224 μg U/g) >> Citric acid + Humic acids (68 μg U/g) > Citric acid (59 μg U/g). The values of uranium concentration in the total biomass show that the species Brassica rapa L. has the capacity of phyto extraction of uranium in contaminated soils. The addition of humic acids increases the uranium extraction while the addition of citric acid disadvantages it. (Author)

  4. investigations on the synthesis of humic acid and its radionuclide complexation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madbouly, H.A.A.

    2004-01-01

    interest in the chemistry and reactions of organic substances in soils, sediments and natural water has been fortified in recent years by major advances in methodology and recognition of the important role of humic substances in environmental processes. humic substances contribute to plant growth through their effect on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil . for a full understanding of the role and function of humic substances in the environment, it is necessary to synthesize a functional model humic acid having similar chemical behavior to the natural one. the aim of this thesis is to prepare and characterize some synthetic humic acids with simpler overall structures but under different preparation conditions. also, the work is devoted to compare between synthetic and the natural humic acid samples in properties and interactions with the metal ions Cs + ,Sr 2+ ,Cd 2+ ,Hg 2+ ,Pb 2+ ,Cr 3+ , Ce 3+ ,Pr 3+ ,Nd 3+ ,Gd 3+ ,Er 3+ ,Dy 3+ ,Tb 3+ ,Tm 3+ and Se 4+ in the presence of the radionuclides Eu 3+ and Co 2+

  5. Humic substances in natural waters and their complexation with trace metals and radionuclides: a review. [129 references

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boggs, S. Jr.; Livermore, D.; Seitz, M.G.

    1985-07-01

    Dissolved humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) occur in surface waters and groundwaters in concentrations ranging from less than 1 mg(C)/L to more than 100 mg(C)/L. Humic substances are strong complexing agents for many trace metals in the environment and are also capable of forming stable soluble complexes or chelates with radionuclides. Concentrations of humic materials as low as 1 mg(C)/L can produce a detectable increase in the mobility of some actinide elements by forming soluble complexes that inhibit sorption of the radionuclides onto rock materials. The stability of trace metal- or radionuclide-organic complexes is commonly measured by an empirically determined conditional stability constant (K'), which is based on the ratio of complexed metal (radionuclide) in solution to the product concentration of uncomplexed metal and humic complexant. Larger values of stability constants indicate greater complex stability. The stability of radionuclide-organic complexes is affected both by concentration variables and envionmental factors. In general, complexing is favored by increased of radionuclide, increased pH, and decreased ionic strength. Actinide elements are generally most soluble in their higher oxidation states. Radionuclides can also form stable, insoluble complexes with humic materials that tend to reduce radionuclide mobility. These insoluble complexes may be radionuclide-humate colloids that subsequently precipitate from solution, or complexes of radionuclides and humic substances that sorb to clay minerals or other soil particulates strongly enough to immobilize the radionuclides. Colloid formation appears to be favored by increased radionuclide concentration and lowered pH; however, the conditions that favor formation of insoluble complexes that sorb to particulates are still poorly understood. 129 refs., 25 figs., 19 tabs.

  6. Effect of Pakistan lignitic derived humic acids on the agriculture growth part II: studies on the effect of humic acids on the growth, yield and protein content of maize

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, N.; Abbasi, Y.Z.; Mir, S.

    1994-01-01

    The effect of various minute concentrations of humic acids on the growth, yield and protein contents of maize were studied. The results revealed that the humic acid application in small doses produce higher grain yield, more protein content and better developed plants and roots compared to control. There was a positive correlation between the grain yield, protein contents and plant growth of maize to different levels of humic acid application. (author)

  7. Molecular characteristics of humic acids isolated from vermicomposts and their relationship to bioactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Balmori, Dariellys; Spaccini, Riccardo; Aguiar, Natália Oliveira; Novotny, Etelvino Henrique; Olivares, Fábio Lopes; Canellas, Luciano Pasqualoto

    2014-11-26

    Vermitechnology is an effective composting method, which transforms biomass into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer. Mature vermicompost is a renewable organic product containing humic substances with high biological activity. The aim of this study was to assess the chemical characteristics and the bioactivity of humic acids isolated from different vermicomposts produced with either cattle manure, sugar cane bagasse, sunflower cake from seed oil extraction, or filter cake from a sugar cane factory. More than 200 different molecules were found, and it was possible to identify chemical markers on humic acids according to the nature of the organic source. The large hydrophobic character of humic extracts and the preservation of altered lignin derivatives confer to humic acids the ability to induce lateral root emergence in maize seedlings. Humic acid-like substances extracted from plant biomass residues represent an additional valuable product of vermicomposting that can be used as a plant growth promoter.

  8. Studies of the Tc oxidation states in humic acid solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Bo; Liu Dejun; Yao Jun

    2010-01-01

    The oxidation state is an important aspect of the speciation of Tc in groundwater that contained organic substances due to it control the precipitation, complexation, sorption and colloid formation behavior of the Tc under HWL geological disposal conditions. In present work, the oxidation states of Tc were investigated using the LaCl 3 coagulation method and solution extraction method in aqueous solutions in which the humic acid concentration range is from 0 to 20 mg L -1 and the Tc (Ⅶ) concentration range is about 10 -8 mol l -1 . The radiocounting of 99 Tc was determined using liquid scintillation spectrometry. The humic acid will influence the radiocounting ratio of 99 Tc apparently, however, the quenching effect can be restrained once keep the volume of the cocktail to about twenty times of the sample volume. The LaCl 3 coagulation methods were carried out for the investigation of Tc oxidation states in humic acid aqueous systems at about pH 8. The tetraphenylarsonium chloride (IPA)-chloroform extraction method was used also simultaneously to investigation the concentrations of Tc (Ⅳ) and Tc (Ⅶ) for the availability of the LaCl 3 precipitation method, and the experimental results demonstrate that tetravalent technetium and pertechnetate concentrations are well agreement with the LaCl 3 precipitation method. These two experimental results demonstrated that Tc (Ⅶ) is very stable in the Tc (Ⅶ)-humic acid system during a 350 days experimental period, and the Tc (Ⅳ) concentrations are very lower, that is indicate that there didn't oxidizing reactions between the Fluka humic acid and Tc (Ⅶ) in aqueous solutions under anaerobic conditions. That is means the presence of humic acids even in anaerobic groundwater is disadvantage for the retardance of radionuclides. (authors)

  9. Effects of humic acid on adsorption of actinide elements on rocks and others

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohashi, Masakazu; Sato, Seichi; Ohashi, Hiroshi [Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering; Sakamoto, Yoshiaki; Nagao, Seiya; Onuki, Toshihiko; Senoo, Muneaki

    1996-01-01

    Since the transfer rates of radionuclides are reduced by their adsorption to rocks and soils, it is essential to elucidate the adsorption process for safety assessment of their geological disposal. In this study, adsorption of Np(V) to goethite, one of the widely distributed minerals was investigated as functions of pH and humic acid concentration. The surface charge density of goethite was determined and the zero charge point was 6.2 for synthesized and 6.4 for natural goethite. Since the point for humic acid was 4.5, adsorption sites for humic acid were reduced as the increase of negative charge density above pH6, resulting in a decrease in its adsorption rate. Np(V) adsorption to goethite was raised by the presence of humic acid in the range of 0-10ppm because the surface charge on the rock was shifted to negative by the adsorption of humic acid, resulting in easy adsorption of NpO{sub 2}{sup +}, which is stable in the condition below pH 9.5. On the other hand, humic acid adsorption was saturated at a concentration higher than 50 ppm, but its content in the solution would increase. Thus, it was thought that Np(V)-humic acid complex becomes more stable, resulting in the decrease in Np(V) adsorption rate. (M.N.)

  10. Initial studies on temperature impact of humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pashalidis, I.; Colocassidou, C.; Costa, C.N.; Efstathiou, A.M.; Buckau, G.

    2004-01-01

    The impact of temperature on the stability of the humic acid Gohy-573(HA) is studied. The studies are made both in order to add general knowledge about humic acid but also in order to provide the basis for experimental setup of studies, and judgment of published data, on the metal ion humate complexation as a function of temperature. Methods applied are mass spectroscopy as a function of temperature elevation up to 240 C, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Mass spectroscopy is conducted under inertgas atmosphere in order to avoid burning with air oxygen. UV/Vis spectra are measured after storage of humic acid solution (pH=6.0, I=0.1 M NaClO 4 ) at temperatures up to 95 C. The reversibility of changes is also studied by UV/Vis spectroscopy after subsequent storage at room temperature. Already at 50 C release of water is observed from dried humic acid with a peak around 60 C. A second large water release is found with the maximum around 100 C. Above 100 C also carbon dioxide is released, followed by release of carbon monoxide above 130 C. The carbon monoxide and dioxide releases show two distinct maxima at around 180 and 210 C. The UV/Vis spectra show an increase in the absorption towards short wavelengths with increasing temperature and storage time. Already at 60 C, considerable changes occur after storage for one week. At 95 C the change in the spectral feature after 24 h is in the order of that found for 1 week storage at 80 C. After storage at elevated temperatures, the changes in the spectra remain even after 1 week of storage at room temperature. Release of water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide at high temperature is certainly related to oxidation with the high oxygen inventory in humic acid. The nature of the water release and changes in the UV/Vis spectra at lower temperature is not fully clear. Further experiments, including complexation properties, fluorescence spectroscopy and IR-reflection spectroscopy at elevated temperature are under consideration. (orig.)

  11. Humic acid provenance influence to the adsorption capacity in uranium and thorium removal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasetyo, E.

    2018-01-01

    It is common knowledge that humic acid is organic compound without certain chemical composition since it is derived from different organic materials. Further this raises question whether the different humic acid sample used could lead to different adsorbent properties e.g. adsorption capacity. To address the problem, this paper is aimed to clarify the relation between the provenances of humic acid and synthesized adsorbent properties especially adsorption capacities by quantitative and qualitative functional groups determination including discussion on their effect to the metal ion adsorption mechanism using three humic acid samples. Two commercial samples were derived from recent compost while the other extracted from tertiary carbonaceous mudstone strata.

  12. Characteristics of humic and fulvic acids in Arabian Sea sediments

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sardessai, S.

    Humic and fulvic acids isolated from some of the shelf, slope and offshore sediments of the Arabian Sea were studied. The molecular weight, functional groups, elemental composition and infrared spectra were examined. Humic substances, dominated...

  13. The effects of humic acid on nutrient status yield and quality of tomato

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elif Işıl DEMİRTAŞ

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to increase organic matter content of soil, humic acid application is the most economic and fast method. In this study, the effects of humic acid and their dosages (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 L da-1 on nutritional, status of tomato and yield-quality were investigated. During the growing period, a dose of NPK was applied through drip irrigation. The experiment was carried out according to randomized complete block design with four replications under greenhouse conditions in 2011-2013 autumn tomato growing season. In order to determine effects of humic acid, plant and leaves fruit were analyzed during the experiment. The results of analysis showed that increases of N, P, K, Fe, Cu content of tomato leaves was found important whereas Ca, Mg, Mn, Zn and B content was not important statistically. The effect of humic acid+NPK applications on fruit quality of tomato was positive. Fruit yield was increased by humic acid applications compared to control.

  14. Characterization of the coal derived humic acids from Mukah, Sarawak as soil conditioner

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fong Sim Siong

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In Malaysia, abundant coal resources were found in Sarawak and Sabah. The utilization of coal resources, to date, is emphasized on the energy productions. The non-energy utilization as soil conditioner is unexplored. Therefore, this study attempted to characterize the coal humic acids extracted from Mukah coal and to evaluate its properties as soil conditioner. The coal humic acids from the regenerated sample were also assessed. The results revealed that different extractants and concentrations influenced the properties of humic acids. The extraction with KOH at 0.5 mol L-1 produced humic acids with low ash content and high acidic functional groups, which are substantial as soil conditioner. However, the yield was low. Regeneration of coal sample with 10% nitric acids improved the yield to an average of 83.45%. The acidic functional groups of nitrohumic acids were improved with the ash content remained at a low level.

  15. Humic acid batteries derived from vermicomposts at different C/N ratios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamsuddin, R. M.; Borhan, A.; Lim, W. K.

    2017-06-01

    Humic acid is a known fertilizer derived from decomposed organic matters. Organic wastes are normally landfilled for disposal which had contributed negatively to the environment. From waste-to-wealth perspective, such wastes are potential precursors for compost fertilizers. When worms are added into a composting process, the process is termed as vermicomposting. In this work, humic acid from vermicompost derived from campus green wastes was developed into a battery. This adds value proposition to compost instead of being traditionally used solely as soil improver. This research work aimed to study the correlation between electrical potential generated by humic acid at different Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratios of vermicompost at 20, 25, 30 and 35. The temperature and pH profiles of composting revealed that the compost was ready after 55 days. The humic acid was extracted from compost via alkaline extraction followed by precipitation in a strong acid. The extracted humic acid together with other additives were packed into a compartment and termed as vermibattery. Another set of battery running only on the additives was also prepared as a control. The net voltage produced by a single vermibattery cell with Zn and PbO electrodes was in the range of 0.31 to 0.44 V with compost at C/N ratio of 30 gave the highest voltage. The battery can be connected in series to increase the voltage generation. Quality assessment on the compost revealed that the final carbon content is between 16 to 23 wt%, nitrogen content of 0.4 to 0.5 wt%, humic acid yield of 0.7 to 1.5 wt% and final compost mass reduction of 10 to 35 wt%. Composting campus green wastes carries multi-fold benefits of reducing labour requirement, generating fertilizer for campus greenery and green battery construction.

  16. Effects of heating on composition, degree of darkness, and stacking nanostructure of soil humic acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katsumi, Naoya, E-mail: n-katsu@ishikawa-pu.ac.jp; Yonebayashi, Koyo; Okazaki, Masanori

    2016-01-15

    Wildfires and prescribed burning can affect both the quality and the quantity of organic matter in soils. In this study, we investigated qualitative and quantitative changes of soil humic substances in two different soils (an Entisol from a paddy field and an Inceptisol from a cedar forest) under several controlled heating conditions. Soil samples were heated in a muffle furnace at 200, 250, or 300 °C for 1, 3, 5, or 12 h. The humic acid and fulvic acid contents of the soil samples prior to and after heating were determined. The degree of darkness, elemental composition, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios, {sup 13}C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and X-ray diffraction patterns of humic acids extracted from the soils before and after heating were measured. The proportion of humic acids in total carbon decreased with increasing heating time at high temperature (300 °C), but increased with increasing heating time at ≤ 250 °C. The degree of darkness of the humic acids increased with increasing heating time and temperature. During darkening, the H/C atomic ratios, the proportion of aromatic C, and the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios increased, whereas the proportions of alkyl C and O-alkyl C decreased. X-ray diffraction analysis verified that a stacking nanostructure developed by heating. Changes in the chemical structure of the humic acids from the heated soils depended on the type of soil. The major structural components of the humic acids from the heated Entisol were aromatic C and carboxylic C, whereas aliphatic C, aromatic C, and carboxylic C structural components were found in the humic acids from the heated Inceptisol. These results suggest that the heat-induced changes in the chemical structure of the humic acids depended on the source plant. - Highlights: • Darkness of humic acids increased with increasing heating time and temperature. • Aromatic carbon content increased during darkening. • Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope

  17. Adsorption of imidazolinone herbicides on smectite-humic acid and smectite-ferrihydrite associations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leone, P; Nègre, M; Gennari, M; Boero, V; Celis, R; Cornejo, J

    2002-01-16

    Adsorption of imazapyr (IMZ), imazethapyr (IMZT), and imazaquin (IMZQ) was studied on two smectite-humic acid and two smectite-ferrihydrite binary systems prepared by treating a Wyoming smectite with a humic acid extracted from soil (4 and 8% w/w of the smectite) and with just-precipitated synthetic ferrihydrite (8 and 16% w/w of the smectite). Adsorption of the three herbicides on the smectite was not measurable at pH >4.5, presumably because of negative charges on the surface of the smectite. Adsorption on the smectite-humic acid systems was also not measurable, presumably because of negative charges on the surface, despite the high affinity of the three herbicides for humic acid, the adsorption order of which was IMZ smectite-ferrihydrite systems and IMZQ smectite cannot adsorb herbicides, it modifies the adsorption capacity of ferrihydrite. The mutual interaction of active phases such as humic acid, ferrihydrite, and smectite alters the characteristics of the resulting surface and hence the adsorption process. Investigations of herbicide adsorption have been seen to produce more reliable results if conducted on polyphasic systems rather than on single soil components.

  18. Comparative study of humic acid removal and floc characteristics by electrocoagulation and chemical coagulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semerjian, Lucy; Damaj, Ahmad; Salam, Darine

    2015-11-01

    The current study aims at investigating the efficiency of electrocoagulation for the removal of humic acid from contaminated waters. In parallel, conventional chemical coagulation was conducted to asses humic acid removal patterns. The effect of varying contributing parameters (matrix pH, humic acid concentration, type of electrode (aluminum vs. iron), current density, solution conductivity, and distance between electrodes) was considered to optimize the electrocoagulation process for the best attainable humic acid removal efficiencies. Optimum removals were recorded at pH of 5.0-5.5, an electrical conductivity of 3000 μS/cm at 25 °C, and an electrode distance of 1 cm for both electrode types. With aluminum electrodes, a current density of 0.05 mA/cm2 outperformed 0.1 mA/cm2 yet not higher densities, whereas a current density of 0.8 mA/cm2 was needed for iron electrodes to exhibit comparable performance. With both electrode types, higher initial humic acid concentrations were removed at a slower rate but ultimately attained almost complete removals. On the other hand, the best humic acid removals (∼90%) by chemical coagulation were achieved at 4 mg/L for both coagulants. Also, higher removals were attained at elevated initial humic acid concentrations. Humic acid removals of 90% or higher at an initial HA concentration of 40 mg/L were exhibited, yet alum performed better at the highest experimented concentration. It was evident that iron flocs were larger, denser, and more geometrical in shape compared to aluminum flocs.

  19. Molecular Features of Humic Acids and Fulvic Acids from Contrasting Environments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schellekens, Judith; Buurman, Peter; Kalbitz, Karsten; Zomeren, van Andre; Vidal-Torrado, Pablo; Cerli, Chiara; Comans, Rob N.J.

    2017-01-01

    Insight in the molecular structure of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) can contribute to identify relationships between their molecular properties, and further our quantitative abilities to model important organic matter functions such as metal complexation and association with mineral

  20. Europium (III) and americium (III) stability constants with humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, R.A.; Choppin, G.R.

    1984-01-01

    The stability constants for tracer concentrations of Eu(III) and Am(III) complexes with a humic acid extracted from a lake-bottom sediment were measured using a solvent extraction system. The organic extractant was di(2-ethylhexyl)-phosphoric acid in toluene while the humate aqueous phase had a constant ionic strength of 0.1 M (NaClO 4 ). Aqueous humic acid concentrations were monitored by measuring uv-visible absorbances at approx.= 380 nm. The total carboxylate capacity of the humic acid was determined by direct potentiometric titration to be 3.86 +- 0.03 meq/g. The humic acid displayed typical characteristics of a polyelectrolyte - the apparent pKsub(a), as well as the calculated metal ion stability constants increased as the degree of ionization (α) increased. The binding data required a fit of two stability constants, β 1 and β 2 , such that for Eu, log β 1 = 8.86 α + 4.39, log β 2 = 3.55 α + 11.06 while for Am, log β 1 = 10.58 α + 3.84, log β 2 = 5.32 α + 10.42. With hydroxide, carbonate, and humate as competing ligands, the humate complex associated with the β 1 constant is calculated to be the dominant species for the trivalent actinides and lanthanides under conditions present in natural waters. (orig.)

  1. Removal of humic acid by a new type of electrical hollow-fiber microfiltration (E-HFMF)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shang, Ran; Deng, Hui-ping; Hu, Jing-yi

    2010-11-01

    Low pressure membrane filtration, such as microfiltration, was widely used in the field of drinking water purification in the past few decades. Traditional microfiltration membranes are not efficient enough in the removal of natural organic matters (NOM) from raw water. Moreover, they tend to be fouled by the NOM and the filtration age of the membranes is thus shrinked. To tackle these problems, a new type of electrical hollow-fiber microfiltration module (E-HFMF) was designed. In the E-HFMF module, the hollow-fiber microfiltration membranes were placed into the radialized electrical field which functioned from the centre to the exterior of the cylindrical cavity. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of E-HFMF to remove the humic acid (HA, one of the main components of NOM). According to the parallel tests compared with the traditional microfiltration, the removal rate of humic acid was raised to 70%˜85% in terms of UV-254 and to 60%˜75% in terms of DOC when filtrating with the E-HFMF, while the removal rates of humic acid were 10%˜20% and 1%˜10% respectively when filtrating with the traditional microfiltration. The negative charged humic acid moved to the anode because of the electrophoresis, so few humic acid could be able to permeate through the membrane. The electrophoresis mobility of the humic acid permeating through the traditional microfiltration decreased by 19%, while the same index from the E-HFMF decreased by 75%. This indicated that the electrophoresis played a significant role on removing the humic acid. According to the gel permeate chromatograph analysis, humic acid aggregated in an electric field and thus forms loose and permeable cake layer on the membrane surface, which also relieved membrane fouling. Meanwhile, the negative charged humic acid migrating to the anode at the center minimized the deposition onto the membrane surface, and eliminated the membrane fouling as a result. During the E-HFMF filtration, the

  2. Chitosan, the Marine Functional Food, Is a Potent Adsorbent of Humic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao-Lin Liu

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Chitosan is prepared by the deacetylation of chitin, the second-most abundant biopolymer in nature, and has applicability in the removal of dyes, heavy metals and radioactive waste for pollution control. In weight-reduction remedies, chitosan is used to form hydrogels with lipids and to depress the intestinal absorption of lipids. In this study, an experimental method was implemented to simulate the effect of chitosan on the adsorption of humic acid in the gastrointestinal tract. The adsorption capacity of chitosan was measured by its adsorption isotherm and analyzed using the Langmuir equation. The results showed that 3.3 grams of humic acid was absorbed by 1 gram of chitosan. The adsorption capacity of chitosan was much greater than that of chitin, diethylaminoethyl-cellulose or activated charcoal. Cellulose and carboxymethyl-cellulose, a cellulose derivative with a negative charge, could not adsorb humic acid in the gastrointestinal tract. This result suggests that chitosan entraps humic acid because of its positive charge.

  3. Humic and fluvic acids and organic colloidal materials in the environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gaffney, J.S.; Marley, N.A. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States); Clark, S.B. [Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States)

    1996-04-01

    Humic substances are ubiquitous in the environment, occurring in all soils, waters, and sediments of the ecosphere. Humic substances arise from the decomposition of plant and animal tissues yet are more stable than their precursors. Their size, molecular weight, elemental composition, structure, and the number and position of functional groups vary, depending on the origin and age of the material. Humic and fulvic substances have been studied extensively for more than 200 years; however, much remains unknown regarding their structure and properties. Humic substances are those organic compounds found in the environment that cannot be classified as any other chemical class of compounds. They are traditionally defined according to their solubilities. Fulvic acids are those organic materials that are soluble in water at all pH values. Humic acids are those materials that are insoluble at acidic pH values (pH < 2) but are soluble at higher pH values. Humin is the fraction of natural organic materials that is insoluble in water at all pH values. These definitions reflect the traditional methods for separating the different fractions from the original mixture. The humic content of soils varies from 0 to almost 10%. In surface waters, the humic content, expressed as dissolved organic carbon (DOC), varies from 0.1 to 50 ppm in dark-water swamps. In ocean waters, the DOC varies from 0.5 to 1.2 ppm at the surface, and the DOC in samples from deep groundwaters varies from 0.1 to 10 ppm. In addition, about 10% of the DOC in surface waters is found in suspended matter, either as organic or organically coated inorganic particulates. Humic materials function as surfactants, with the ability to bind both hydrophobic and hydrophyllic materials, making numic and fluvic materials effective agents in transporting both organic and inorganic contaminants in the environment.

  4. Mitigation of Humic Acid Inhibition in Anaerobic Digestion of Cellulose by Addition of Various Salts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samet Azman

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Humic compounds are inhibitory to the anaerobic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass. In this study, the impact of salt addition to mitigate the inhibitory effects of humic compounds was investigated. The experiment was conducted using batch tests to monitor the anaerobic hydrolysis of cellulose in the presence of humic acid. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron salts were tested separately for their efficiency to mitigate humic acid inhibition. All experiments were done under mesophilic conditions (30 °C and at pH 7. Methane production was monitored online, using the Automatic Methane Potential Test System. Methane production, soluble chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acid content of the samples were measured to calculate the hydrolysis efficiencies. Addition of magnesium, calcium and iron salts clearly mitigated the inhibitory effects of humic acid and hydrolysis efficiencies reached up to 75%, 65% and 72%, respectively, which were similar to control experiments. Conversely, potassium and sodium salts addition did not mitigate the inhibition and hydrolysis efficiencies were found to be less than 40%. Mitigation of humic acid inhibition via salt addition was also validated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy analyses, which showed the binding capacity of different cations to humic acid.

  5. The role of humic acid on the formation of HAS (hydroxy-aluminosilicate) colloid-borne actinides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Priemyshev, A.; Kim, M.A. [Inst. fuer Radiochemie, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Breban, D.; Panak, P.J.; Yun, J.I.; Kim, J.I.; Fanghanel, Th. [Inst. fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Mansel, A. [Inst. fuer Interdisziplinaere Isotopenforschung, Georadiochemie, Leipzig, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: One of the major unknowns in the process of actinide migration is the formation of their colloid-borne species. Previous studies have been directed to the incorporation of actinides into HAS (hydroxy-aluminosilicate) colloids generated by the nucleation of Si and Al. The present work further pursues the behaviour of actinides at HAS colloid formation but in the presence of humic acid that is known to be an ubiquitous groundwater constituent. The formation and degree of stability of the aluminosilicate binding for the generation of HAS colloids are investigated at first in the absence of actinides. Free and complexed Al resulting from ligand competitions reactions for the complexation of Al with mono-silicic acid, poly-silicic acid and EDTA are monitored spectroscopically by colour reaction. The second part of the study concentrates on the formation and stability of humic colloids using {sup 14}C-labeled humic acid. The activity distribution is ascertained in the ionic, colloidal and precipitated fractions under different conditions of colloid formation, e.g. as a function of pH, time, humic acid and Al concentration. The third part follows the appraisal of appropriate conditions under which stable HAS and humic colloids are formed, and their interaction with actinides, either separately or in competition. Trace actinides of different oxidation states {sup 241}Am(III), {sup 234}Th(IV) and {sup 233}U(VI) are taken for the purpose. HAS colloids generated from poly-silicic acid at neutral pH show EDTA-resistance, whereas HAS colloids formed from mono-silicic acid become EDTA-resistant only by aging (> one month). Humic acid appears to stabilize HAS colloids, unless the loading capacity of humic acid for the Al ion is exceeded. The incorporation of actinides into the colloidal phase is generally enhanced in the presence of humic acid. Synergic effects produce chimeric HAS-humic colloids into which tri-, tetra- and hexavalent actinides

  6. Effects of Salicylic acid and Humic acid on Vegetative Indices of Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseusL.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Chamani

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Vinca flower (Catharanthus roseus L. is one of the most important medicinal plants of Apocynaceae (31, 27. Tropical plant native to a height of 30 to 35 centimeters (9 and a perennial shrub which is grown in cold areas for one year (27.One of the plants in the world today as a medicinal plant used the periwinkle plant. Among the 130 indole – terpenoids alkaloids which have been identified in the plant periwinkle vinca alkaloids vincristine and vinblastin are the most important component is used to treat a variety of cancers. Including therapies that are used for a variety of cancer, chemotherapy to help Vinca alkaloids collection (including vincristine and…. Vinblastin as effective member of this category, due to the low percentage of venom and effects at very low doses, is widely used today. These materials are generally formed as inhibitors of mitotic spindle in dividing cells have been identified. Vinblastin with these structural changes in connection kinotokor - microtubules and centrosomes in a dividing cell, the mitotic spindle stop (45.Salicylic acid belongs to a group of phenolic compounds found in plants, and today is widely regarded as a hormone-like substance. These classes of compounds act as growth regulators. Humic substances are natural organic compounds that contain 50 to 90% of organic matter, peat, charcoal, rotten food and non-living organic materials are aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (2. Materials and Methods: In this experiment, vinca F2 seeds in the mixed 4: 1 perlite and peat moss to the planting trays were sown. The seedlings at the 6-leaf stage were transfered to the main pot (pot height 30 and 25 cm diameter The pots bed soil mix consisting of 2 parts soil to one part sand and one part peat moss (v / v were used and after the establishment of seedlings in pots every two weeks with. Salicylic acid and humic acid concentrations 0 (control, 10, 100, 500 and 1000 mg were treated as a foliar spray

  7. Humic flotation of wet process phosphoric acid as a pretreatment step in the recovery of uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez, J.G.; Barnhart, V.J.

    1983-01-01

    An acidic solution containing metal values and also containing humic acid impurities, is purified by: (1) forming a gas in the acid solution, (2) adding high molecular weight anionic organic flocculant in a volume ratio of gas containing acid solution to flocculant of 1,000:0.002 to 0.10, to form a bottom, purified, aqueous acidic phase containing metal values and a top flocculated humic acid impurities froth phase and (3) removing the humic acid froth phase

  8. Complexation of metal ions with humic acid: charge neutralization model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Czerwinski, K.R.

    1995-01-01

    A number of different approaches are being used for describing the complexation equilibrium of actinide ions with humic or fulvic acid. The approach chosen and verified experimentally by Tu Muenchen will be discussed with notable examples from experiment. This approach is based on the conception that a given actinide ion is neutralized upon complexation with functional groups of humic or fulvic acid, e.g. carboxylic and phenolic groups, which are known as heterogeneously cross-linked polyelectrolytes. The photon energy transfer experiment with laser light excitation has shown that the actinide ion binding with the functional groups is certainly a chelation process accompanied by metal ion charge neutralization. This fact is in accordance with the experimental evidence of the postulated thermodynamic equilibrium reaction. The experimental results are found to be independent of origin of humic or fulvic acid and applicable for a broad range of pH. (authors). 23 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

  9. complex formation of americium (III) with humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yingjie; Zhao Xin; Wei Liansheng; Lin Zhangji

    1998-01-01

    The presence of humic substances in natural waters will modify the migration behavior of actinides in the geosphere due to the strong reaction properties of these ligands with actinides. Therefore, the possible reactions of humic acid with actinides have been studied widely in recent years. The complex formation of Am(III) with humic acid is studied with solvent extraction technique. The experiments are performed in the pH range from 4.0 to 8.0 in 0.1 mol/kg NaClO 4 solution at ambient temperature. Experimental results show that the complex formation constants of Am(III) with humic acid are varied with the variation of pH value in solution. 1:2 complex is obtained in the experiments and the complex formation constants determined at each pH are: lgβ 1 = 6.56 +- 0.05, lgβ 2 = 10.77 +- 0.31 at pH 4.0. lgβ 1 = 7.94 +- 0.11, lgβ 2 = 11.80 +- 0.21 at pH = 5.0. lgβ 1 = 10.74 +- 0.28, lgβ 2 = 12.88 +- 0.49 at pH = 6.0. lgβ 1 = 12.85 +- 0.30, lgβ 2 = 14.80 +- 0.62 at pH = 7.0. lgβ 1 = 14.88 +- 0.48, lgβ 2 = 15.65 +- 0.69 at pH = 8.0, respectively. The dependence of the complex formation constant on pH is: lgβ 1 = 2.16 (+-0.98)pH-2.34(+-0.93),lgβ 2 1.28(+-1.04)pH+5.52(+-1.21), respectively

  10. Cadmium Phytoavailability and Enzyme Activity under Humic Acid Treatment in Fluvo-aquic Soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Borui; Huang, Qing; Su, Yuefeng

    2018-01-01

    A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the cadmium (Cd) availability to pakchois (Brassica chinensis L.) as well as the enzyme activities in fluvo-aquic soil under humic acid treatment. The results showed that the phytoavailability of Cd in soil decreased gradually as humic acid concentration rose (0 to 12 g·kg-1), while the activities of urease (UE), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and catalase (CAT) kept increasing (P enzymes due to the Cd pollution. In conclusion, humic acid is effective for the reduction of both Cd phytoavailability and the damage to enzyme activities due to Cd pollution in fluvo-aquic soil

  11. The influence of humic acids derived from earthworm-processed organic wastes on plant growth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atiyeh, R.M.; Lee, S.; Edwards, C.A.; Arancon, N.Q.; Metzger, J.D. [Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States). Soil Ecology Lab.

    2002-08-01

    Some effects of humic acids, formed during the breakdown of organic wastes by earthworms (vermicomposting), on plant growth were evaluated. In the first experiment, humic acids were extracted from pig manure vermicompost using the classic alkali/acid fractionation procedure and mixed with a soilless container medium (Metro-Mix 360), to provide a range of 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg of humate per kg of dry weight of container medium, and tomato seedlings were grown in the mixtures. In the second experiment, humates extracted from pig manure and food wastes vermicomposts were mixed with vermiculite to provide a range of 0, 50, 125, 250, 500, 1000 and 4000 mg of humate per kg of dry weight of the container medium, and cucumber seedlings were grown in the mixtures. Both tomato and cucumber seedlings were watered daily with a solution containing all nutrients required to ensure that any differences in growth responses were not nutrient-mediated. The incorporation of both types of vermicompost-derived humic acids, into either type of soilless plant growth media, increased the growth of tomato and cucumber plants significantly, in terms of plant heights, leaf areas, shoot and root dry weights. Plant growth increased with increasing concentrations of humic acids incorporated into the medium up to a certain proportion, but this differed according to the plant species, the source of the vermicompost, and the nature of the container medium. Plant growth tended to be increased by treatments of the plants with 50-500 mg/kg humic acids, but often decreased significantly when the concentrations of humic acids derived in the container medium exceeded 500-1000 mg/kg. These growth responses were most probably due to hormone-like activity of humic acids from the vermicomposts or could have been due to plant growth hormones adsorbed onto the humates. (author)

  12. The Effect of Humic Acid on Nutrient Composition in Broad Bean (Vicia faba L. Roots

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sener AKINCI

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Humic acids promote the conversion of mineral nutrients into forms available to plants. It also stimulates seed germination and viability, and its main effect usually being more prominent in the roots. The objective of this study was to determine of the influence of humic acid on broad bean (Vicia faba L. cultivar �Eresen 87� on root growth and development as well as nutrient uptake, during investigation in a pot experiment. Treatment with leonardite, as humic acid source positively affected both germination and harvesting, enhancing root length and biomass. Humic acid (HA caused significant increase of fresh (RFW and dry (RDW weights by 30.1% and 56.6% of broad bean roots, respectively. Flame photometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometry analyses revealed that K content was major nutrient among the tested elements. Humic acid increased the contents of Na and K significantly. The content of Ca and Fe was not significantly increased whereas Cu, Mn and Zn content decreased under HA treatment.

  13. The Role of Concentration and Solvent Character in the Molecular Organization of Humic Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Klučáková

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The molecular organization of humic acids in different aqueous solutions was studied over a wide concentration range (0.01–10 g·dm−3. Solutions of humic acids were prepared in three different media: NaOH, NaCl, and NaOH neutralized by HCl after dissolution of the humic sample. Potentiometry, conductometry, densitometry, and high resolution ultrasound spectrometry were used in order to investigate conformational changes in the humic systems. The molecular organization of humic acids in the studied systems could be divided into three concentration ranges. The rearrangements were observed at concentrations of ~0.02 g·dm−3 and ~1 g·dm−3. The first “switch-over point” was connected with changes in the hydration shells of humic particles resulting in changes in their elasticity. The compressibility of water in the hydration shells is less than the compressibility of bulk water. The transfer of hydration water into bulk water increased the total compressibility of the solution, reducing the ultrasonic velocity. The aggregation of humic particles and the formation of rigid structures in systems with concentrations higher than 1 g·dm−3 was detected.

  14. [Effect of humic acids on migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N in saturated aquifer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qing-Jun; Zhang, Yan; Feng, Qi-Yan; Zhang, Shuang-Sheng

    2011-11-01

    Isothermal adsorption experiment was used to study the adsorbing process of NH4(+) -N in quartz sands under the conditions with and without humic acid; the Langmuir and Freundlich equations were used to fit the absorption result and the maximum adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N by quarts sands was calculated. Through the soil column experiments, the concentration of NH4(+) -N, NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N in effluent water in the tested soil column was investigated, and the effect of humic acid on migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N in saturated aquifer was analyzed, and Pseudo-second-order Kinetics Equation and Two-step Adsorption Kinetics Rate Equation were applied to fit the kinetic processes. The results showed that both Langmuir and Freundlich models can well describe the isothermal adsorption process of NH4(+) -N on the surface of quartz sands, which means that NH4(+) -N adsorbed by the quartz sand was mainly in the form of monolayer adsorption. The humic acid could increase the adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N on quartz sand, and the saturated adsorption capacity was 0.354 mg x g(-1) under the condition with humic acid and 0.205 mg x g(-1) with the absence of humic acid. The experiment indicated that humic acid increased the adsorption capacity of NH4(+) -N on the surface of quartz sand by increasing adsorption space in the initial stage. After saturation, humic acid influenced the migration and transformation of NH4(+) -N to NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N probably through providing carbon source and energy for microorganisms such as nitrifying bacteria and then resulting in lower NH4(+) -N concentration in effluent water. Both Pseudo-second-order Kinetics Equation and Two-step Adsorption Kinetics Rate Equations can well describe the process of NH4(+) -N adsorption kinetics on quartz sand (R2 = 0.997 7 and R2 = 0.998 1 with humic acid; R2 = 0.992 3 and R2 = 0.994 4 without humic acid), indicating that this process was chemical adsorption. By comparing the

  15. Changes of chemical properties of humic acids from crude and fungal transformed lignite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    LianHua Dong; Quan Yuan; HongLi Yuan [China Agricultural University, Beijing (China). College of Biological Science

    2006-12-15

    The development of biological processes for fossil energy utilization has received increasing attention in recent years. There are abundance of lignite resources in China and the lignite, a low-grade coal, can be transformed by a Penicillium sp. After fungal transformation, the contents of humic acid and water-soluble humic material increased from 38.6% to 55.1%, and from less than 4.0% to 28.2%, respectively. The differences in chemical properties of crude lignite humic acid (aHA), fungal transformed lignite humic acid (bHA) and water-soluble humic material from fungal transformed lignite (WS) were studied. Elemental analysis and size exclusion chromatography showed that the N content of bHA increased by 47.36% compared with aHA, and the molecular mass of bHA was smaller than aHA. And the WS with the smallest molecular mass contained most content of N. The {sup 13}C NMR and FT-IR spectra of aHA and bHA showed that aHA contained more aromatic structure than bHA. 44 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

  16. Spectroscopic studies of humic acids from subsurface sediment samples collected across the Aegean Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. SAKELLARIADOU

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Natural humic acids are biogenic, structurally complex and heterogeneous, refractory, acidic, yellow-to black-coloured organic polyelectrolytes of relatively high molecular weight. They occur in all soils, sediments, fresh waters, and seawaters. Humic acids represent the largest portion of nonliving soil organic matter. In the present paper, humic substances were isolated from marine subsurface sediment samples collected across the Aegean sea (in Greece and especially from a marine area extending northwards of the Samothraki plateau towards the north-eastern part of the island of Crete. In a following step, humic preparations were studied using infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy (emission, excitation and synchronous-scan excitation spectra were obtained. The infrared spectra suggested functional chemical groups such as as OH-, C-H aliphatic, C=C, C=O/COO-, salts of carboxylic acids, and also, in some cases, silicate anions or C-O from alcohols, esters and ethers. Fluorescence emission, excitation and synchronous scan excitation provided some valuable information concerning a probable origin (marine and/or terrestrial for the isolated humics.

  17. Complex formation of americium (III) with humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Yingjie; Zhao Xin; Wen Liansheng; Lin Zhangji

    2004-01-01

    The presence of humic substances in natural waters will modify the migration behavior of actinides in the geosphere due to the strong reaction properties of these ligands with actinides. Therefore, the possible reactions of humic acid with actinides have been studied widely in recent years. The complex formation of Am (III) with humic acid is studied with solvent extraction technique in this paper. The experiments are performed in the pH range from 4.0 to 8.0 in 0.1 M NaClO 4 solution at ambient temperature. Experimental results show that the complex formation constants of Am (III) with humic acid are varied with the variation of pH value in solution. 1:2 complex is obtained in the experiments and the complex formation constants determined at each pH are: lgβ 1 =6.56±0.05, lgβ 2 =10.77±0.31 at pH=4.0; lgβ 1 =7.94±0.11, lgβ 2 =11.80±0.21 at pH=5.0; lgβ 1 =10.74±0.28, lgβ 2 =12.88±0.49 at pH=6.0; lgβ 1 =12.85±0.30, lgβ 2 =14.80±0.62 at pH=7.0; lgβ 1 =14.88±0.48, lgβ 2 =15.65±0.69 at pH=8.0, respectively. The dependence of the complex of the complex formation constant on pH is: lgβ 1 =2.16(±0.98)pH-2.34(±1.03), lgβ 2 =1.28(±1.04)pH+5.52(±1.21), respectively. (author)

  18. Preparative yield and properties of humic acids obtained by sequential alkaline extractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kholodov, V. A.; Yaroslavtseva, N. V.; Konstantinov, A. I.; Perminova, I. V.

    2015-10-01

    The preparative yield, composition, and structure of humic acids obtained by sequential alkaline extractions from two soils (a soddy-podzolic soil under forest and a typical chernozem in treatment with permanent black fallow of a long-term experiment since 1964) have been studied. The preparative yield of humic acids from the first extraction is 0.40 and 0.94% for the soddy-podzolic soil (Retisols) and the chernozem, respectively. The preparative yield from the second extraction is lower by several times, and the yield from the third extraction is lower by an order of magnitude. The study of the obtained preparations by elemental analysis, gel-permeation chromatography, and 13C NMR spectroscopy has shown insignificant changes in the elemental, molecular-weight, and structural-group composition of humic acids among the extractions. It has been supposed that this is related to the soil features: typical climatic factors for the formation of soil subtype in the case of soddy-podzolic soil and the land use in the long-term experiment in the case of typical chernozem. It has been concluded that that a single extraction is sufficient for the separation of humic acids and the preparation of a representative sample.

  19. Flow column experiments on the migration characteristics of dissolved humic acids in sediments of different grain size

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, D.

    2001-01-01

    Humic acids dissolved in water can be retained in sediments by sorption and filtration. The resulting retardation depends on the properties of the humic acids (composition, concentration) and sediments (specific surface, pore geometry). The deposition/solution of humic acids affects the pore geometry and thus the hydraulic characteristics of the sediments [de

  20. Novel humic acid-bonded magnetite nanoparticles for protein immobilization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bayrakci, Mevlut, E-mail: mevlutbayrakci@gmail.com [Ulukisla Vocational School, Nigde University, 51100 Ulukisla, Nigde (Turkey); Gezici, Orhan [Department of Chemistry, Nigde University, 51100 Nigde (Turkey); Bas, Salih Zeki; Ozmen, Mustafa; Maltas, Esra [Department of Chemistry, Selcuk University, 42031 Konya (Turkey)

    2014-09-01

    The present paper is the first report that introduces (i) a useful methodology for chemical immobilization of humic acid (HA) to aminopropyltriethoxysilane-functionalized magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (APS-MNPs) and (ii) human serum albumin (HSA) binding to the obtained material (HA-APS-MNPs). The newly prepared magnetite nanoparticle was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and elemental analysis. Results indicated that surface modification of the bare magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) and HA was successfully performed. The protein binding studies that were evaluated in batch mode exhibited that HA-APS-MNPs could be efficiently used as a substrate for the binding of HSA from aqueous solutions. Usually, recovery values higher than 90% were found to be feasible by HA-APS-MNPs, while that value was around 2% and 70% in the cases of MNPs and APS-MNPs, respectively. Hence, the capacity of MNPs was found to be significantly improved by immobilization of HA. Furthermore, thermal degradation of HA-APS-MNPs and HSA bonded HA-APS-MNPs was evaluated in terms of the Horowitz–Metzger equation in order to determine kinetic parameters for thermal decomposition. Activation energies calculated for HA-APS-MNPs (20.74 kJ mol{sup −1}) and HSA bonded HA-APS-MNPs (33.42 kJ mol{sup −1}) implied chemical immobilization of HA to APS-MNPs, and tight interactions between HA and HA-APS-MNPs. - Highlights: • A new magnetite nanoparticle based humic acid was prepared for the first time. • Protein binding studies of magnetite nanoparticle based humic acid were performed. • Kinetic parameters of protein and/or humic acid bonded nanoparticles were evaluated.

  1. Potential origin and formation for molecular components of humic acids in soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatcher, Patrick; DiDonato, Nicole; Waggoner, Derek

    2016-04-01

    Humification is defined as the process by which plant and microbial debris are transformed in to humic substances. Proposed pathways for the formation of humic substances, include the lignin and lignin decomposition theories, the lignin-polyphenol theory as well as the melanoidin pathway. It is generally accepted that a combination of several of these pathways with some modifications may be responsible for producing humic substances. The current study examines humic acids from numerous soil samples to demonstrate their molecular composition. In addition we provide an explanation for the formation of these molecules that introduces a new perspective of the humification process. Our work utilizes advanced analytical techniques such as ESI-FTICR-MS and solid state NMR to more completely characterize humic acids at the molecular level. Methods Humic acids were extracted from soils using 0.5 M NaOH followed by treatment with a Dowex™ ion-exchange resin to remove sodium ions. Solid State 13C NMR spectra were obtained on a Bruker 400 MHz Avance II spectrometer equipped with a 4 mm solid state MAS probe. ESI-FTICR-MS analysis was conducted in the negative ion mode on a Bruker Daltonics 12 Tesla Apex Qe FTICR-MS instrument equipped with an Apollo II ESI source. Results: Soil humic acids from numerous soils were investigated in this study. The molecular formulas calculated from ultrahigh resolution mass spectra of well humified soils fall clearly into two predominant regions consisting of condensed aromatic molecules as well as high H/C, low O/C carboxyl-containing aliphatic molecules (CCAM). In contrast, the spectral data for humic acids from a poorly humified spodosol soil show a less dramatic separation of these regions, with relatively more molecular formula plotting in the lignin-like region and relatively fewer condensed aromatic molecules. From the mass spectral observations made for the humic acids, we can readily discern a relationship based on degree of

  2. Anodic stripping voltammetric determination of heavy metals in solutions containing humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labuda, J.; Saur, D.; Neeb, R.

    1994-01-01

    Various simultaneous effects of humic acids on the current and potential of differential pulse anodic stripping peaks of copper, lead, cadmium and zinc in weakly alkaline and acidic (pH 2) solutions have been investigated and interpreted with regard to metal complexation and the adsorption of humic acid on the mercury electrode. The applicability of the standard additions method for metal quantitation and the experimental conditions for UV-photolysis with a high-pressure mercury lamp have been examined in model as well as real water samples. (orig.)

  3. An estimation of influence of humic acid and organic matter originated from bentonite on samarium solubility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanaji, Mariko; Sato, Haruo; Sasahira, Akira

    1999-10-01

    Organic acids in groundwater are considered to form complexes and increase the solubility of radionuclides released from vitrified waste in a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository. To investigate whether the solubility of samarium (Sm) is influenced by organic substances, we measured Sm solubility in the presence of different organic substances and compared those values with results from thermodynamic predictions. Humic acid (Aldrich) is commercially available and soluble organic matter originated from bentonite were used as organic substances in this study. Consequently, the solubility of Sm showed a tendency to apparently increase with increasing the concentration of humic acid, but in the presence of carbonate, thermodynamic predictions suggested that the dominant species are carbonate complexes and that the effect of organic substances are less than that of carbonate. Based on total organic carbon (TOC), the increase of Sm solubility measured with humic acid (Aldrich) was more significant than that in the case with soluble organic matter originated from bentonite. Since bentonite is presumed to include also simple organic matters of which stability constant for forming complexes is low, the effect of soluble organic matter originated from bentonite on the solubility of Sm is considered to be less effective than that of humic acid (Aldrich). Experimental values were compared with model prediction, proposed by Kim, based on data measured in a low pH region. Tentatively we calculated the increase in Sm solubility assuming complexation with humic acid. Trial calculations were carried out on the premise that the complexation reaction of metal ion with humic acid is based on neutralization process by 1-1 complexation. In this process, it was assumed that one metal ion coordinates with one unit of complexation sites which number of proton exchange sites is equal to ionic charge. Consequently, Kim's model indicated that carbonate complexes should be dominant

  4. Disposition of the iron, influenced by the application of humic acid, extracted of filter cake of sugar cane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morales L, Carmen Soledad; Garcia Ocampo, Alvaro

    1995-01-01

    Two extracting (NaOH and KOH) and several acidifying solutions were used to get humic acids from filter cake of sugar cane, composted coffee beans and hen manure. The humic acids obtained were characterized and applied to evaluate their effect on the iron availability to tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown in nutrient solutions. The amount of humic acids extracted from filter cake is between hen manure and composted coffee beans. The nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of the different humic materials indicated that the ones extracted from filter cake have a carboxylic chain larger than the other two materials and an aliphatic chain lower than the leonardite humic acids and also are younger. Application of 40 to 80 mg/L of humic acids to nutrient solutions promote physiological responses on tomato plants due to greater assimilation of N, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu and Mn

  5. Abscisic Acid Regulation of Root Hydraulic Conductivity and Aquaporin Gene Expression Is Crucial to the Plant Shoot Growth Enhancement Caused by Rhizosphere Humic Acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olaetxea, Maite; Mora, Verónica; Bacaicoa, Eva; Garnica, María; Fuentes, Marta; Casanova, Esther; Zamarreño, Angel M; Iriarte, Juan C; Etayo, David; Ederra, Iñigo; Gonzalo, Ramón; Baigorri, Roberto; García-Mina, Jose M

    2015-12-01

    The physiological and metabolic mechanisms behind the humic acid-mediated plant growth enhancement are discussed in detail. Experiments using cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants show that the shoot growth enhancement caused by a structurally well-characterized humic acid with sedimentary origin is functionally associated with significant increases in abscisic acid (ABA) root concentration and root hydraulic conductivity. Complementary experiments involving a blocking agent of cell wall pores and water root transport (polyethylenglycol) show that increases in root hydraulic conductivity are essential in the shoot growth-promoting action of the model humic acid. Further experiments involving an inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis in root and shoot (fluridone) show that the humic acid-mediated enhancement of both root hydraulic conductivity and shoot growth depended on ABA signaling pathways. These experiments also show that a significant increase in the gene expression of the main root plasma membrane aquaporins is associated with the increase of root hydraulic conductivity caused by the model humic acid. Finally, experimental data suggest that all of these actions of model humic acid on root functionality, which are linked to its beneficial action on plant shoot growth, are likely related to the conformational structure of humic acid in solution and its interaction with the cell wall at the root surface. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  6. Spectral characterization of the fluorescent components present in humic substances, fulvic acid and humic acid mixed with pure benzo(a)pyrene solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Fallah, Rawa; Rouillon, Régis; Vouvé, Florence

    2018-06-01

    The fate of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a ubiquitous contaminant reported to be persistent in the environment, is largely controlled by its interactions with the soil organic matter. In the present study, the spectral characteristics of fluorophores present in the physical fractions of the soil organic matter were investigated in the presence of pure BaP solution. After extraction of humic substances (HSs), and their fractionation into fluvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA), two fluorescent compounds (C1 and C2) were identified and characterized in each physical soil fraction, by means of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (FEEMs) and Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC). Then, to each type of fraction having similar DOC content, was added an increasing volume of pure BaP solution in attempt to assess the behavior of BaP with the fluorophores present in each one. The application of FEEMs-PARAFAC method validated a three-component model that consisted of the two resulted fluorophores from HSs, FA and HA (C1 and C2) and a BaP-like fluorophore (C3). Spectral modifications were noted for components C2HSs (C2 in humic substances fraction) (λex/λem: 420/490-520 nm), C2FA (C2 in fulvic acid fraction) (λex/λem: 400/487(517) nm) and C1HA (C1 in humic acid fraction) (λex/λem: 350/452(520) nm). We explored the impact of increasing the volume of the added pure BaP solution on the scores of the fluorophores present in the soil fractions. It was found that the scores of C2HSs, C2FA, and C1HA increased when the volume of the added pure BaP solution increased. Superposition of the excitation spectra of these fluorophores with the emission spectrum of BaP showed significant overlaps that might explain the observed interactions between BaP and the fluorescent compounds present in SOM physical fractions.

  7. [Apply fourier transform infrared spectra coupled with two-dimensional correlation analysis to study the evolution of humic acids during composting].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bu, Gui-jun; Yu, Jing; Di, Hui-hui; Luo, Shi-jia; Zhou, Da-zhai; Xiao, Qiang

    2015-02-01

    The composition and structure of humic acids formed during composting play an important influence on the quality and mature of compost. In order to explore the composition and evolution mechanism, municipal solid wastes were collected to compost and humic and fulvic acids were obtained from these composted municipal solid wastes. Furthermore, fourier transform infrared spectra and two-dimensional correlation analysis were applied to study the composition and transformation of humic and fulvic acids during composting. The results from fourier transform infrared spectra showed that, the composition of humic acids was complex, and several absorbance peaks were observed at 2917-2924, 2844-2852, 2549, 1662, 1622, 1566, 1454, 1398, 1351, 990-1063, 839 and 711 cm(-1). Compared to humic acids, the composition of fulvci acids was simple, and only three peaks were detected at 1725, 1637 and 990 cm(-1). The appearance of these peaks showed that both humic and fulvic acids comprised the benzene originated from lignin and the polysaccharide. In addition, humic acids comprised a large number of aliphatic and protein which were hardly detected in fulvic acids. Aliphatic, polysaccharide, protein and lignin all were degraded during composting, however, the order of degradation was different between humic and fulvci acids. The result from two-dimensional correlation analysis showed that, organic compounds in humic acids were degraded in the following sequence: aliphatic> protein> polysaccharide and lignin, while that in fulvic acids was as following: protein> polysaccharide and aliphatic. A large number of carboxyl, alcohols and ethers were formed during the degradation process, and the carboxyl was transformed into carbonates. It can be concluded that, fourier transform infrared spectra coupled with two-dimensional correlation analysis not only can analyze the function group composition of humic substances, but also can characterize effectively the degradation sequence of these

  8. Application of the NICADonnan model for proton, copper and uranyl binding to humic acid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Saito, T.; Nagasaki, S.; Tanaka, S.; Koopal, L.K.

    2004-01-01

    Humic acids are natural organic materials that play an important role in the migration of heavy metal and actinide ions in aquatic and soil systems. In the present study, the binding of protons, copper ions and uranyl ions to the purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) is investigated and the results are

  9. Preliminary results for complexation of Pu with humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guczi, J.; Szabo, G. [National Research Inst. for Radiobiology and Radiohygi ene, Budapest, H-1775 (Hungary)]. e-mail: guczi@hp.osski.hu; Reiller, P. [CEA, CE Sac lay, Nuclear Energy Division/DPC/SERC, Laboratoire de Speciation des Radionuclei des et des Molecules, F-91191 Gif-sue-Yvette (France); Bulman, R.A. [Radiation Protection Division Division, Health Protection Agency, Chilton, Didcot (United Kingdom); Geckeis, H. [FZK - Inst. fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2007-06-15

    Interaction of plutonium with humic substances has been investigated by a batch method use of the surface bound humic acid from perchlorate solutions at pH 4-6. By using these novel solid phases, complexing capacities and interaction constants are obtained. The complexing behavior of plutonium is analyzed. Pu(IV)-humate conditional stability constants have been evaluated from data obtained from these experiments by using non-linear regression of binding isotherms. The results have been interpreted in terms of complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry.

  10. The Effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Humic Acid on Yield and Yield Components of Sunflower

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamideh Veysi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Cultivated sunflower is one of the largest oilseed crops in the world. Sunflower seed is the third largest source of vegetable oil worldwide, following soybean and canola. Nitrogen is one of the most important elements for crops to achieve optimum yields and quality. Phosphorus (P, next to nitrogen, is often the most limiting nutrient for crop and forage production. Phosphorus availability is controlled by three primary factors: soil pH, amount of organic matter and plant species (Reddy et al., 2003. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are one of the most important microorganisms in majority of the undamaged soils so that about 70% of the soil microbial biomass is formed by the mycelium of these fungi. Mycorrhizal association promotes plant absorption of scarce or immobile minerals, especially phosphorus, resulting in enhanced plant growth. Humic acids are dark brown to black, and are soluble in waterunder neutral and alkaline conditions. They are complex aromatic macromolecules with amino acid, amino sugar, peptide and aliphatic compounds linked to the aromatic groups. Humic acid contains nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, copper and zinc (Subramanian et al., 2009. Materials and methods Experiment was conducted as split plot factorial based on randomized block design with three replications in 2011-2012. The main plots consisted of nitrogen and phosphorus application levels (zero percent or no chemical fertilizer application, 50% equivalent to 37.5 kg.ha-1 urea + 25 kg.ha-1 super phosphate triple and 100% equivalent to 75 kg.ha-1 urea + 25 kg.ha-1 super phosphate triple. Two species of mycorrhizal include (G. mosseae and (G. interaradices with three levels of humic acid (0, 8 and 16 kg.ha-1 were placed in subplots. The measured traits were: plant height, seed number per head, head diameter, seed oil content, thousand seed weight and seed yield. The data were analyzed using the Mstat-C statistical software. Mean comparison

  11. Influence of humic acid on migration of 60Co, 85Sr and 137Cs in coastal sandy soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Tadao; Ni Shiwei.

    1993-10-01

    Sorption and migration experiments were performed by both batch and column methods, to study influence of humic acid complexing on the mobility of 60 Co, 85 Sr and 137 Cs in a coastal sandy soil. The study focuses on a correlation between molecular-weight of dissolved humic acid and ability of the complexing with the radionuclides in liquid phase. Dissolved humic acid was complexed with 60 Co and 85 Sr. The interaction ability of 60 Co was independent of molecular-weight of humic acid, while that of 85 Sr depended on. The mobility of 60 Co increased under the condition with coexistence of humic acid as well as its sorption ratio decreased. The distribution profile of molecular-weight of 60 Co was kept at a constant in the solution before and after the sorption experiment, due to completing the sorption and complexation equilibrium. The mobility of 85 Sr increased under the condition with coexistence of humic acid, in spite of the sorption ratio of 85 Sr was not affected by the coexistence. Such contradiction was caused by different kinetics between the batch and column methods. The sorption ability and mobility of 137 Cs were not affected by the coexistence of the humic acid. (author)

  12. Influence of herbicide structure, clay acidity, and humic acid coating on acetanilide herbicide adsorption on homoionic clays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Weiping; Gan, Jianying; Yates, Scott R

    2002-07-03

    Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on homoionic montmorillonite was studied by coupling batch equilibration and FT-IR analysis. Adsorption decreased in the order metolachlor > acetochlor > alachlor > propachlor on Ca(2+)- or Mg(2+)-saturated clays and in the order metolachlor > alachlor > acetachlor > propachlor on Al(3+)- or Fe(3+)-saturated clays. FT-IR spectra showed that the carbonyl group of the herbicide molecule was involved in bonding. For the same herbicide, adsorption of alachlor, acetachlor, and metolachlor on clay followed the order Ca(2+) approximately Mg(2+) < Al(3+) < or = Fe(3+), which coincided with the increasing acidity of homoionic clays. Adsorption of propachlor, however, showed an opposite dependence, suggesting a different governing interaction. In clay and humic acid mixtures, herbicide adsorption was less than that expected from independent additive adsorption by the individual constituents, and the deviation was dependent on the clay-to-humic acid ratio, with the greatest deviation consistently occurring at a 60:40 clay-to-humic acid ratio.

  13. Removal of Radium-226 from Radium-Contaminated Soil using Distilled Water and Humic Acid: Effect of pH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Phillips, E.; Muhammad Samudi Yasir; Muhamat Omar

    2011-01-01

    Effect of washing solutions' pH removal of radium-226 from radium-contaminated soil using distilled water and humic acid extracted from Malaysian peat soil was studied by batch washing method. The study encompassed the extraction of humic acid and the washing of radium-contaminated soil using distilled water and humic acid solutions of 100 ppm, both with varying pHs in the range of 3 to 11. The radioactivity concentration of radium-226 was determined by gamma spectrometer.The removal of radium-226 was greater when humic acid solutions were used compared to distilled water at the pH range studied and both washing solutions showed greater removal of radium-226 when basic solutions were used. Nevertheless, comparable removal efficiencies were observed when neutral and highly basic humic acid solutions were used. (author)

  14. Direct solid surface fluorescence spectroscopy of standard chemicals and humic acid in ternary system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mounier, S; Nicolodelli, G; Redon, R; Milori, D M B P

    2017-04-15

    The front face fluorescence spectroscopy is often used to quantify chemicals in well-known matrices as it is a rapid and powerful technique, with no sample preparation. However it was not used to investigate extracted organic matter like humic substances. This work aims to fully investigate for the first time front face fluorescence spectroscopy response of a ternary system including boric acid, tryptophan and humic substances, and two binaries system containing quinine sulfate or humic substance in boric acid. Pure chemicals, boric acid, tryptophan, quinine sulfate and humic acid were mixed together in solid pellet at different contents from 0 to 100% in mass. The measurement of excitation emission matrix of fluorescence (3D fluorescence) and laser induced fluorescence were then done in the front face mode. Fluorescence matrices were decomposed using the CP/PARAFAC tools after scattering treatments. Results show that for 3D fluorescence there is no specific component for tryptophan and quinine sulfate, and that humic substances lead to a strong extinction effect for mixture containing quinine sulfate. Laser induced fluorescence gives a very good but non-specific related response for both quinine sulfate and tryptophan. No humic substances fluorescence response was found, but extinction effect is observed as for 3D fluorescence. This effect is stronger for quinine sulfate than for tryptophan. These responses were modeled using a simple absorbance versus emission model. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Preparation and adsorption behavior for metal ions and humic acid of chitosan derivatives crosslinked by irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Long; Wasikiewicz, J.M.; Mitomo, H.; Nagasawa, N.; Yoshii, F.

    2007-01-01

    This article deals with the determination of the adsorption properties of metal ions and humic acid in wa- ter on crosslinked chitosan derivatives (carboxymethylchitosan) which were formed using the irradiation technique without any additives. The solubility test of these crosslinked materials were investigated in acidic, alkaline media, distilled water, and certain organic solvents. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images showed that the crosslinked chitosan derivatives possessed a porous morphological structure. Charged characteristic analyses demonstrated typically pH-dependent properties of the crosslinked materials. The adsorption studies were carded out by the batch method at room temperature. Adsorption of heavy metal ions (such as Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ ) and humic acid onto crosslinked samples was found to be strongly pH-dependent. Adsorption kinetic studies indicated the rapid removal of metal ions, and humic acid from the aqueous solutions. Moreover, isothermal adsorption data revealed that Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and humic acid were removed by these crosslinked materials with high efficiency. Adsorption isothermal data were interpreted well by the Langmuir equation. These crosslinked carboxymethylated chitosan derivatives indicate favorable adsorption of metal ions and humic acid. (authors)

  16. The Investigation of Electron Beam Catalytical Oxidation Process Efficiency with Potassium Persulfate in Removal Humic Acid from Aqueous Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MT Ghaneian

    2015-05-01

    Results: Based on the results, changes in pH had little effect on the Humic acid removal efficiency. The average, with increasing of pH from 4 to 10, the removal efficiency of humic acid from 72.59% to 73.36% increased, respectively. The results showed that increasing of the dose from 1 to 15 kGy, humic acid removal efficiency increases. Based on results by increasing of persulfate concentration, the removal efficiency increased so that with increasing of concentration of potassium persulfate from 0.1 to 0.5 mmol/100cc, removal efficiency from 69.43% to 83.82% was increased. Kinetic experiments showed that the decomposition of humic acid by electron beam radiation followed the second-order kinetic. Conclusion: The data from this study showed that the aqueous solution containing acid Humic is decomposed effectively by electron beams irradiation. Addition of potassium persulfate can be have significant improvements in removal efficiency of humic acid in the presence of electron beam.

  17. Complex formation of calcium with humic acid and polyacrylic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kirishima, A.; Tanaka, K.; Niibori, Y.; Tochiyama, O. [Dept. of Quantum Science and Energy Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan)

    2002-07-01

    In order to understand the migration behavior of radionuclides in the underground, it is also important to estimate the effect of the competing cations originally present in the groundwater. In this connection, the complexation of Ca(II) with Aldrich humic acid has been examined. For the study at trace concentrations ({proportional_to} 10{sup -10} M) of Ca(II), the solvent extraction of {sup 45}Ca with TTA and TOPO in cyclohexane has been used. At macro concentrations (10{sup -4} M) of Ca(II), the measurement of the free Ca{sup 2+} ion concentration with a calcium selective electrode has been conducted. To estimate the polyelectrolyte effect of humic acid separately from its heterogeneous composition effect, polyacrylic acid ([-CH{sub 2}CH(COOH)-]{sub n}) has been selected as a representative of the homogeneous polymeric weak acids and its complexation with Ca(II) has also been examined. The values of log {beta}{sub {alpha}} have been obtained at pH 5 {proportional_to} 7 in 0.1, 0.4 and 1.0 M NaCl, where {beta}{sub {alpha}} is the apparent formation constants defined by {beta}{sub {alpha}} = [ML]/([M][R]). In this definition, [ML] and [M] are the concentrations of bound and free Ca{sup 2+} respectively, [R] is the concentration of dissociated proton exchanging sites. log {beta}{sub {alpha}} of humate decreases from 2.19 {proportional_to} 2.92 (depending on pH and ionic strength 1.0 < I < 0.4) at pCa = 10 to 1.98 {proportional_to} 2.44 at pCa = 4, while the variation of pCa has no appreciable influence on the log {beta}{sub {alpha}} of polyacrylate (1.36 {proportional_to} 3.24 for I = 0.1 {proportional_to} 1.0). For both humate and polyacrylate, log {beta}{sub {alpha}} decreases linearly with log[Na{sup +}], where [Na{sup +}] is the bulk concentration of sodium ion. Their dependences of log {beta}{sub {alpha}} on ionic strength are stronger than those of log {beta} of monomeric carboxylates such as oxalate and EDTA, indicating the large electrostatic effect of

  18. Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Characterization of Humic Acids in Coastal Spodosols from Southeastern Brazil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buurman, P.; Vidal-Torrado, P.; Martin-Neto, L.

    2012-01-01

    This study on humic acids (HAs) of podzol horizons from the southeastern region of Brazil investigated the accumulation and degradation of soil organic matter (SOM) in warm-climate podzols. Humic acids from sandy coastal Spodosols (Histic Alaquod and Arenic Alorthod) from Cardoso Island in Sao Paulo

  19. Identification of bound alcohols in soil humic acids by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

    OpenAIRE

    Berthier , Gersende; Dou , Sen; Peakman , Torren; Lichtfouse , Eric

    2000-01-01

    International audience; Humic acids are complex, partly macromolecular, yellow-brownish substances occurring in soils, waters and sediments. In order to shed some light on their molecular structure, crop humic acids were cleaved by alkaline hydrolysis (KOH). The products were fractionated by thin layer chromatography to give mono-alcohols which were analysed as acetate derivatives by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Linear alcohols, sterols, stanols and plant-derived triterpen...

  20. Photodegradation of bisphenol A in simulated lake water containing algae, humic acid and ferric ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng Zhang'e; Wu Feng; Deng Nansheng

    2006-01-01

    The photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA), a suspected endocrine disruptor (ED), in simulated lake water containing algae, humic acid and Fe 3+ ions was investigated. Algae, humic acid and Fe 3+ ions enhanced the photodegradation of BPA. Photodegradation efficiency of BPA was 36% after 4 h irradiation in the presence of 6.5 x 10 9 cells L -1 raw Chlorella vulgaris, 4 mg L -1 humic acid and 20 μmol L -1 Fe 3+ . The photodegradation efficiency of BPA was higher in the presence of algae treated with ultrasonic than that without ultrasonic. The photodegradation efficiency of BPA in the water only containing algae treated with ultrasonic was 37% after 4 h irradiation. The algae treated with heating can also enhance the photodegradation of BPA. This work helps environmental scientists to understand the photochemical behavior of BPA in lake water. - Algae, humic acid and ferric ions can induce the photodegradation of bisphenol A in an aqueous environment

  1. Photodegradation of bisphenol A in simulated lake water containing algae, humic acid and ferric ions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng Zhang' e [School of Resources and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079 (China)]. E-mail: zhepeng@126.com; Wu Feng [School of Resources and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079 (China)]. E-mail: fengwu@whu.edu.cn; Deng Nansheng [School of Resources and Environmental Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079 (China)]. E-mail: nsdengwhu@163.com

    2006-12-15

    The photodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA), a suspected endocrine disruptor (ED), in simulated lake water containing algae, humic acid and Fe{sup 3+} ions was investigated. Algae, humic acid and Fe{sup 3+} ions enhanced the photodegradation of BPA. Photodegradation efficiency of BPA was 36% after 4 h irradiation in the presence of 6.5 x 10{sup 9} cells L{sup -1} raw Chlorella vulgaris, 4 mg L{sup -1} humic acid and 20 {mu}mol L{sup -1} Fe{sup 3+}. The photodegradation efficiency of BPA was higher in the presence of algae treated with ultrasonic than that without ultrasonic. The photodegradation efficiency of BPA in the water only containing algae treated with ultrasonic was 37% after 4 h irradiation. The algae treated with heating can also enhance the photodegradation of BPA. This work helps environmental scientists to understand the photochemical behavior of BPA in lake water. - Algae, humic acid and ferric ions can induce the photodegradation of bisphenol A in an aqueous environment.

  2. Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamics study of humic acid removal process from aquatic environment by chitosan nano particle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Ghafoori

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Humic substances include natural organic polyelectrolyte materials that formed most of the dissolved organic carbon in aquatic environments. Reaction between humic substances and chlorine leading to formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs those are toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic. The aim of this study was investigation of isotherms, kinetics and thermodynamics of humic acid removal process by nano chitosan from aquatic environment. Materials and Methods: This practical research was an experimental study that performed in a batch system. The effect of various parameters such as pH, humic acid concentration, contact time, adsorbent dosage, isotherms, thermodynamics and Kinetics of humic acid adsorption process were investigated. Humic acid concentration measured using spectrophotometer at wave length of 254 nm. Results: The results of this research showed that maximum adsorption capacity of nanochitosan that fall out in concentration of 50 mg/l and contact time of 90 minutes was 52.34 mg/g. Also, the maximum adsorption was observed in pH = 4 and adsorbent dosage 0.02 g. Laboratory data show that adsorption of humic acid by nanochitosan follow the Langmuir isotherm model. According to result of thermodynamic study, entropy changes (ΔS was equal to 2.24 J/mol°k, enthalpy changes (ΔH was equal to 870 kJ/mol and Gibbs free energy (ΔG was negative that represent the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The kinetics of adsorption has a good compliant with pseudo second order model. Conclusion: Regarding to results of this study, nano chitosan can be suggested as a good adsorbent for the removal of humic acids from aqueous solutions.

  3. Initial performance of corn in response to treatment of seeds with humic acids isolated from bokashi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marihus Altoé Baldotto

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The humified organic matter presents bioactivity similar to the auxinic effect. As bokashi is produced by a special process of humification, information is needed about the bioactive potential of its humic acids. The objective of this work was studying the initial performance of corn-indicator plants in response to the application of different concentrations of humic acids isolated from bokashi. The corn seeds were treated for 16 hours with solutions containing 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 80 mmol L-1 of C in the form of humic acids. Then, the seeds were planted in pots of 1 dm3 containing corrected and fertilized soil, in greenhouse. Growth characteristics of shoot and root systems were evaluated. The results showed that the humic acids extracted from bokashi had positive effects on the initial performance of corn.

  4. Size and shape of soil humic acids estimated by viscosity and molecular weight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawahigashi, Masayuki; Sumida, Hiroaki; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko

    2005-04-15

    Ultrafiltration fractions of three soil humic acids were characterized by viscometry and high performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) in order to estimate shapes and hydrodynamic sizes. Intrinsic viscosities under given solute/solvent/temperature conditions were obtained by extrapolating the concentration dependence of reduced viscosities to zero concentration. Molecular mass (weight average molecular weight (M (w)) and number average molecular weight (M (n))) and hydrodynamic radius (R(H)) were determined by HPSEC using pullulan as calibrant. Values of M (w) and M (n) ranged from 15 to 118 x 10(3) and from 9 to 50 x 10(3) (g mol(-1)), respectively. Polydispersity, as indicated by M (w)/M (n), increased with increasing filter size from 1.5 to 2.4. The hydrodynamic radii (R(H)) ranged between 2.2 and 6.4 nm. For each humic acid, M (w) and [eta] were related. Mark-Houwink coefficients calculated on the basis of the M (w)-[eta] relationships suggested restricted flexible chains for two of the humic acids and a branched structure for the third humic acid. Those structures probably behave as hydrated sphere colloids in a good solvent. Hydrodynamic radii of fractions calculated from [eta] using Einstein's equation, which is applicable to hydrated sphere colloids, ranged from 2.2 to 7.1 nm. These dimensions are fit to the size of nanospaces on and between clay minerals and micropores in soil particle aggregates. On the other hand, the good agreement of R(H) values obtained by applying Einstein's equation with those directly determined by HPSEC suggests that pullulan is a suitable calibrant for estimation of molecular mass and size of humic acids by HPSEC.

  5. Interaction of Th with humic acid over a wide pH region

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szabo, G.; Guczi, J. [National Research Inst. for Radiobiology and Radiohygi ene, Budapest, H-1775 (Hungary); Geckeis, H. [FZK - Inst. fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Karlsruhe (Germany); Reiller, P. [CEA, CE Saclay, Nuclear Energy Division/DPC/SERC, Laboratoire de Speciation des Radionucleides et des Molecules, F-91191 Gif-sue-Y vette (France); Bulman, R.A. [Radiation Protection Division Division, Health Protec tion Agency, Chilton, Didcot (United Kingdom)

    2007-06-15

    The influence of humic substances on the migration of tetravalent actinides in the far-field of nuclear waste repositories has been modeled by examining the uptake of Th(IV) by a silica/humic acid composite. It is anticipated that this material might serve as a geochemical model of the humate-coated minerals that are likely to be present in the vicinity of the repositories. The binding of Th(IV) by the immobilized humic acid was examined at pH 1-9 in 0.1 mol/l NaClO{sub 4} by the batch method. Th(IV)-humate conditional stability constants have been evaluated from data obtained from these experiments by using non-linear regression of binding isotherms. The results have been interpreted in terms of complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry.

  6. Phosphorus and humic acid application alleviate salinity stress of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Phosphorus and humic acid application alleviate salinity stress of pepper seedling. ... It consequently affects plant growth and yield and ameliorates the deleterious effects of salt stress. The objective of the study ... from 32 Countries: Algeria (5) ...

  7. Effect of humic acid on the underpotential deposition-stripping voltammetry of copper in acetic acid soil extract solutions at mercaptoacetic acid-modified gold electrodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herzog, Gregoire; Beni, Valerio; Dillon, Patrick H.; Barry, Thomas; Arrigan, Damien W.M

    2004-05-24

    Electrochemical measurements were undertaken for the investigation of the underpotential deposition-stripping process of copper at bare and modified gold electrodes in 0.11 M acetic acid, the first fraction of the European Union's Bureau Communautaire de References (BCR) sequential extraction procedure for fractionating metals within soils and sediments. Gold electrodes modified with mercaptoacetic acid showed higher sensitivity for the detection of copper than bare gold electrodes, both in the absence and in the presence of humic acid in acetic acid solutions, using the underpotential deposition-stripping voltammetry (UPD-SV) method. In the presence of 50 mg l{sup -1} of humic acid, the mercaptoacetic acid modified electrode proved to be 1.5 times more sensitive than the bare gold electrode. The mercaptoacetic acid monolayer formed on the gold surface provided efficient protection against the adsorption of humic acid onto the gold electrode surface. Variation of the humic acid concentration in the solution showed little effect on the copper stripping signal at the modified electrode. UPD-SV at the modified electrode was applied to the analysis of soil extract samples. Linear correlation of the electrochemical results with atomic spectroscopic results yielded the straight-line equation y ({mu}g l{sup -1}) = 1.10x - 44 (ppb) (R=0.992, n=6), indicating good agreement between the two methods.

  8. Effect of Humic Acid and Phosphorus on the Quantity and Quality of Marigold (Calendula officinalis L. Yield

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.A Farjami,

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available To evaluate the effect of humic acid and phosphorus on the quantity and quality of marigold yield an experiment was conducted at Research Field of Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Mashhad, Iran, in cropping season 2010-2011. The experiment was in split plot based on randomized complete block design, with four replications. The main plots were humic acid in four levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 kg/ha and sub plots were phosphorus (P2O5 in three levels (40, 60 and 80 kg/ha. The result showed that the highest dry flower yield (158.4 g/m2, flower number (1356 per m2, essential oil (0.55%, active ingredient of flower (0.31%, obtained in humic acid (10 kg/ha and phosphorus (60kg/ha. The results also revalued that highest grain yield (133.8 g/m2 and seed oil (0.41% obtained when (5 kg/ha humic acid and 80kg/ha phosphorus were used. Based on this study, humic acid (10 kg/ha and phosphorus (60kg/ha may result in higher yield.

  9. Influence of humic acids on the migration behavior of radioactive and non-radioactive substances under conditions close to nature. Synthesis, radiometric determination of functional groups, complexation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pompe, S.; Bubner, M.; Schmeide, K.; Heise, K.H.; Bernhard, G.; Nitsche, H.

    2000-04-01

    The interaction behavior of humic acids with uranium(VI) and the influence of humic substances on the migration behavior of uranium was investigated. A main focus of this work was the synthesis of four different humic acid model substances and their characterization and comparison to the natural humic acid from Aldrich. A radiometric method for the determination of humic acid functional groups was applied in addition to conventional methods for the determination of the functionality of humic acids. The humic acid model substances show functional and structural properties comparable to natural humic acids. Modified humic acids with blocked phenolic OH were synthesized to determine the influence of phenolic OH groups on the complexation behavior of humic acids. A synthesis method for 14 C-labeled humic acids with high specific activity was developed. The complexation behavior of synthetic and natural humic acids with uranium(VI) was investigated by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. The synthetic model substances show an interaction behavior with uranium(VI) that is comparable to natural humic acids. This points to the fact that the synthetic humic acids simulate the functionality of their natural analogues very well. For the first time the influence of phenolic OH groups on the complexation behavior of humic acids was investigated by applying a modified humic acid with blocked phenolic OH groups. The formation of a uranyl hydroxy humate complex was identified by laserspectroscopic investigations of the complexation of Aldrich humic acid with uranium(VI) at pH7. The migration behavior of uranium in a sandy aquifer system rich in humic substances was investigated in column experiments. A part of uranium migrates non-retarded through the sediment, bound to humic colloids. The uranium migration behavior is strongly influenced by the kinetically controlled interaction processes of uranium with the humic colloids

  10. Coagulant properties of Moringa oleifera protein preparations: application to humic acid removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Andréa F S; Paiva, Patrícia M G; Teixeira, José A C; Brito, António G; Coelho, Luana C B B; Nogueira, Regina

    2012-01-01

    This work aimed to characterize the coagulant properties of protein preparations from Moringa oleifera seeds in the removal of humic acids from water. Three distinct preparations were assayed, namely extract (seeds homogenized with 0.15 M NaCl), fraction (extract precipitated with 60% w/v ammonium sulphate) and cMoL (protein purified with guar gel column chromatography). The extract showed the highest coagulant activity in a protein concentration between 1 mg/L and 180 mg/L at pH 7.0. The zeta potential of the extract (-10 mV to -15 mV) was less negative than that of the humic acid (-41 mV to -42 mV) in a pH range between 5.0 and 8.0; thus, the mechanism that might be involved in this coagulation activity is adsorption and neutralization of charges. Reduction of total organic carbon (TOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was observed in water samples containing 9 mg/L carbon as humic acid when treated with 1 mg/L of the extract. A decrease in colour and in the aromatic content of the treated water was also observed. These results suggested that the extract from M. oleifera seeds in a low concentration (1 mg/L) can be an interesting natural alternative for removing humic acid from water in developing countries. The extract dose determined in the present study does not impart odour or colour to the treated water.

  11. Humic Acid Complexation of Th, Hf and Zr in Ligand Competition Experiments: Metal Loading and Ph Effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stern, Jennifer C.; Foustoukos, Dionysis I.; Sonke, Jeroen E.; Salters, Vincent J. M.

    2014-01-01

    The mobility of metals in soils and subsurface aquifers is strongly affected by sorption and complexation with dissolved organic matter, oxyhydroxides, clay minerals, and inorganic ligands. Humic substances (HS) are organic macromolecules with functional groups that have a strong affinity for binding metals, such as actinides. Thorium, often studied as an analog for tetravalent actinides, has also been shown to strongly associate with dissolved and colloidal HS in natural waters. The effects of HS on the mobilization dynamics of actinides are of particular interest in risk assessment of nuclear waste repositories. Here, we present conditional equilibrium binding constants (Kc, MHA) of thorium, hafnium, and zirconium-humic acid complexes from ligand competition experiments using capillary electrophoresis coupled with ICP-MS (CE- ICP-MS). Equilibrium dialysis ligand exchange (EDLE) experiments using size exclusion via a 1000 Damembrane were also performed to validate the CE-ICP-MS analysis. Experiments were performed at pH 3.5-7 with solutions containing one tetravalent metal (Th, Hf, or Zr), Elliot soil humic acid (EHA) or Pahokee peat humic acid (PHA), and EDTA. CE-ICP-MS and EDLE experiments yielded nearly identical binding constants for the metal- humic acid complexes, indicating that both methods are appropriate for examining metal speciation at conditions lower than neutral pH. We find that tetravalent metals form strong complexes with humic acids, with Kc, MHA several orders of magnitude above REE-humic complexes. Experiments were conducted at a range of dissolved HA concentrations to examine the effect of [HA]/[Th] molar ratio on Kc, MHA. At low metal loading conditions (i.e. elevated [HA]/[Th] ratios) the ThHA binding constant reached values that were not affected by the relative abundance of humic acid and thorium. The importance of [HA]/[Th] molar ratios on constraining the equilibrium of MHA complexation is apparent when our estimated Kc, MHA values

  12. Lignite pre-treatment and its effect on bio-stimulative properties of respective lignite humic acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vlckova, Z.; Grasset, L.; Antosova, B.; Pekar, M.; Kucerik, J. [Brno University of Technology, Brno (Czech Republic). Faculty of Chemistry

    2009-09-15

    Humic acids originating from South-Moravian lignite were subjected to a comparative study with the aim to assess the alteration of their physico-chemical properties after various lignite pre-treatments. Physical modification was achieved with two organic acids, such as acetic acid and citric acid and chemical modification by nitric acid and hydrogene peroxide in various concentrations. Elemental analysis, solid-state NMR, GC-MS analysis of polyols and size exclusion chromatography were carried out for chemical-physical characterization of obtained humic acids. Their biological effect, in form of potassium and ammonium humates, was tested on maize (Zea mays) seedlings. In these tests, potassium humates achieved far better overall results than ammonium humates. Results were inter-correlated in order to appraise the influence of humic acids physical and chemical properties on biological activity. Surprisingly, fractions with the lowest molecular size (0-35 kDa) showed no correlation with bioactivity results (Pearson coefficient from 0.05 to -0.4). On the contrary, middle-sized fractions (35-175 kDa) showed highly significant positive correlation (Pearson coefficient up to 0.92) and the highest molecular-size-fractions (275-350 kDa) showed negative correlation (Pearson coefficient up to -0.75). These findings were identical for both potassium and ammonium humates. No connection was found between bioactivity of humates and polyols content which was remarkably high; it reached 150 mg per g of humic acids in the most extreme case of 5% hydrogene peroxide pre-treatment. In the final analysis, the preparation mode bore pivotal responsibility for the control of humic acids biological effect and showed the best results for potassium humates obtained from lignite pre-treated by acetic acid and by 2% hydrogen peroxide.

  13. Municipal solid waste compost as a novel sorbent for antimony(V): adsorption and release trials at acidic pH.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diquattro, Stefania; Garau, Giovanni; Lauro, Gian Paolo; Silvetti, Margherita; Deiana, Salvatore; Castaldi, Paola

    2018-02-01

    The ability of two municipal solid waste composts (MSW-Cs) to sorb antimony(V) in acidic conditions (pH 4.5) was investigated. Sorption isotherms and kinetics showed that both MSW-Cs could sorb antimony(V), even if in different amounts (~ 0.18 and 0.24 mmol g -1 of Sb(V) by MSW-C1 and MSW-C2, respectively). These differences were ascribed to the chemical composition of composts, as well as to the total acidity of their humic substances. The Sb(V) sorption by both MSW-Cs followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while the sorption isotherms data fitted the Freundlich model better than the Langmuir one. The humic acids extracted from composts contributed to 4.26 and 8.24% of Sb(V) sorption by MSW-C1 and MSW-C2 respectively. SEM-EDX spectra of the MSW-C+Sb(V) systems showed a certain association of Ca(II) with Sb(V), while sequential extraction procedures indicated that more than 80% of the Sb(V) sorbed was strongly retained by MSW-Cs. On the other hand, treatment with oxalic acid at pH 4.5 favored the release of more than 98 and 65% of the Sb(V) sorbed by MSW-C1 and MSW-C2 respectively, supporting a possible role of calcium in Sb(V) retention. The results from this study suggest that MSW-Cs could be used as amendments for the in-situ immobilization of Sb(V) in acidic-polluted soils.

  14. Apparent formation constants of Pu(IV) and Th(IV) with humic acids determined by solvent extraction method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sasaki, T.; Aoyama, S.; Yoshida, H.; Kobayashi, T.; Takagi, I. [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering; Kulyako, Y.; Samsonov, M.; Miyasoedov, B. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). V. I. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry (GEOKHI); Moriyama, H. [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Research Reactor Inst.

    2012-07-01

    Apparent formation constants of Pu(IV) and Th(IV) with two kinds of humic acids were determined in 0.1 M NaClO{sub 4} at 25 C using a solvent extraction method with thenoyltrifluoroacetone in xylene. The acid dissociation constants of humic acids were also measured by potentiometric titration and used as the degree of dissociation for calculating the formation constants. The effect of solution conditions, such as the pH, the initial metal and humic acid concentrations, and the ionic strength, on the formation constants was examined. The obtained data were compared with the ones in the literature. (orig.)

  15. Formation of aryl-chlorinated aromatic acids and precursors for chloroform in chlorination of humic acid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Leer, E.W.B. de; Galan, L.

    1985-01-01

    The formation of chloroform when humic substances are chlorinated is well known. Other chlorinated products that may be formed are chloral, di- and trichloroacetic acid, chlorinated C-4 diacids, and α-chlorinated aliphatic acids. Several of these compounds are formed in molar yields comparable

  16. Reduced humic acid nanosheets and its uses as nanofiller

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duraia, El-shazly M.; Henderson, B.; Beall, Gary W.

    2015-10-01

    Leonardite is highly oxidized form of lignite coal and contains a number of carboxyl groups around the edges of a graphene-like core. A novel approach has been developed to synthesize graphene oxide-like nanosheets in large scale utilizing leonardite as a starting material. Humic acid extracted from leonardite has been reduced by performing a high pressure catalytic hydrogenation. The reaction was carried out inside a high pressure stirred reactor at 150 °C and 750 psi (~5.2×106 Pa). Morphology of the as-synthesized samples showed porous platy particles and EDAX analysis indicates the carbon and oxygen atomic ratios as 96:4-97:3%. The as-synthesized material has been used as nanofiller in polyurethane. The reduced humic acid-polyurethane nanocomposite showed over 250% increase of Young's modulus. This new approach provides a low cost and scalable source for graphene oxide-like nanosheets in nanocomposite applications.

  17. Influence of Soil Humic and Fulvic Acid on the Activity and Stability of Lysozyme and Urease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Yan; Tan, WenFeng; Koopal, Luuk K.; Wang, MingXia; Liu, Fan; Norde, Willem

    2013-01-01

    Humic substances (HS), including humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA), are important components of soil systems. HS form strong complexes with oppositely charged proteins, which will lead to changes in the enzyme activity. The effect of soil HS on the activity and stability of two enzymes was

  18. The role of humic and fulvic acids in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calza, P.; Vione, D.; Minero, C.

    2014-01-01

    Humic substances (HS) are known to act as photosensitizers toward the transformation of pollutants in the surface layer of natural waters. This study focused on the role played by HS toward the transformation of xenobiotics in seawater, with the purpose of assessing the prevailing degradation routes. Phenol was chosen as model xenobiotic and its transformation was investigated under simulated sunlight in the presence of terrestrial or marine humic and fulvic acids, in pure water at pH 8, artificial seawater (ASW) or natural seawater (NSW). The following parameters were determined: (1) the phenol degradation rate; (2) the variation in HS concentration with irradiation time; (3) the production of transformation products; (4) the influence of iron species on the transformation process. Faster transformation of phenol was observed with humic acids (HA) compared to fulvic acids (SRFA), and transformation induced by both HA and SRFA was faster in ASW than that in pure water. These observations can be explained by assuming an interplay between different competing and sometimes opposite processes, including the competition between chloride, bromide and dissolved oxygen for reaction with HS triplet states. The analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed the formation of several hydroxylated (hydroquinone, 1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol) and condensed compounds (2,2′-bisphenol, 4,4′-bisphenol, 4-phenoxyphenol). Although 1,4-benzoquinone was the main transformation product, formation of condensed molecules was significant with both HA and SRFA. Experiments on natural seawater spiked with HS confirmed the favored formation of condensed products, suggesting a key role of humic matter in dimerization reactions occurring in saline water. - Highlights: • Phenol transformation in seawater can be photosensitized by humic substances. • Dimeric species are peculiar intermediates formed in the process. • Phenol degradation occurred faster with

  19. The role of humic and fulvic acids in the phototransformation of phenolic compounds in seawater

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Calza, P., E-mail: paola.calza@unito.it; Vione, D.; Minero, C.

    2014-09-15

    Humic substances (HS) are known to act as photosensitizers toward the transformation of pollutants in the surface layer of natural waters. This study focused on the role played by HS toward the transformation of xenobiotics in seawater, with the purpose of assessing the prevailing degradation routes. Phenol was chosen as model xenobiotic and its transformation was investigated under simulated sunlight in the presence of terrestrial or marine humic and fulvic acids, in pure water at pH 8, artificial seawater (ASW) or natural seawater (NSW). The following parameters were determined: (1) the phenol degradation rate; (2) the variation in HS concentration with irradiation time; (3) the production of transformation products; (4) the influence of iron species on the transformation process. Faster transformation of phenol was observed with humic acids (HA) compared to fulvic acids (SRFA), and transformation induced by both HA and SRFA was faster in ASW than that in pure water. These observations can be explained by assuming an interplay between different competing and sometimes opposite processes, including the competition between chloride, bromide and dissolved oxygen for reaction with HS triplet states. The analysis of intermediates formed in the different matrices under study showed the formation of several hydroxylated (hydroquinone, 1,4-benzoquinone, resorcinol) and condensed compounds (2,2′-bisphenol, 4,4′-bisphenol, 4-phenoxyphenol). Although 1,4-benzoquinone was the main transformation product, formation of condensed molecules was significant with both HA and SRFA. Experiments on natural seawater spiked with HS confirmed the favored formation of condensed products, suggesting a key role of humic matter in dimerization reactions occurring in saline water. - Highlights: • Phenol transformation in seawater can be photosensitized by humic substances. • Dimeric species are peculiar intermediates formed in the process. • Phenol degradation occurred faster with

  20. The thermodynamic stability of hydrogen bonded and cation bridged complexes of humic acid models-A theoretical study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aquino, Adelia J.A.; Tunega, Daniel; Pasalic, Hasan; Haberhauer, Georg; Gerzabek, Martin H.; Lischka, Hans

    2008-01-01

    Hydrogen bonded and cation bridged complexation of poly(acrylic acid) oligomers, representing a model compound for humic acids, with acetic acid and the herbicide (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy) acetic acid (MCPA) have been studied by means of density functional theory. Solvation effects were computed by means of a combination of microsolvation (explicit insertion of water molecules) and global solvation (polarizable continuum approach). The stability of hydrogen bonded complexes in solution is characterized by a strong competition between solute and solvent molecules. The cation bridged complexes of the negatively charged (deprotonated) ligands were found to be strongly favored explaining the capability of humic acids to fixate anionic species from soil solutions and the ability to form cross-linking structures within the humic acid macromolecules

  1. EFFECT OF HUMIC ACID ON UPTAKE AND TRANSFER OF COPPER FROM MICROBES TO CILIATES TO COPEPODS

    Science.gov (United States)

    This research is part of an ongoing project designed to determine the effect of humic acid on the uptake and transfer of metals by marine organisms at the lower end of the food chain. Binding affinities for Cu, Cd, Zn, and Cr to Suwannee River humic acid were determined at variou...

  2. Decolorization of humic acids and alkaline lignin derivative by an anamorphic Bjerkandera adusta E59 strain isolated from soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kornillowicz-Kowalska, T.; Ginalska, G.; Belcarz, A.; Iglik, H. [University of Life Sciences, Lublin (Poland). Dept. of Microbiology

    2008-07-01

    An anamorphic Bjerkandera adusta R59 strain, isolated from soil, was found to decolorize post-industrial lignin alkaline fraction, humic acids isolated from two kinds of soil and from brown coal. The drop of methoxyphenolic compound levels in liquid B. adusta cultures containing lignin or humic acids was correlated with decolorization of studied biopolymers, which suggests their partial biodegradation. It was shown that this process was Coupled with the induction of secondary metabolism (idiophase), and highest peroxidase activity in culture medium and appearance of aerial mycelium. Decolorization of lignin and humic acids from lessive soil and brown coal depended on glucose presence (cometabolism). Decolorization of humic acid from chernozem was related partially to adsorption by fungal mycelium.

  3. Anaerobic degradation of benzene by enriched consortia with humic acids as terminal electron acceptors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cervantes, Francisco J., E-mail: fjcervantes@ipicyt.edu.mx [Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICyT), Camino a la Presa San Jose 2055, Col. Lomas 4a. Seccion, San Luis Potosi, SLP, 78216 Mexico (Mexico); Mancilla, Ana Rosa; Toro, E. Emilia Rios-del [Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICyT), Camino a la Presa San Jose 2055, Col. Lomas 4a. Seccion, San Luis Potosi, SLP, 78216 Mexico (Mexico); Alpuche-Solis, Angel G.; Montoya-Lorenzana, Lilia [Division de Biologia Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICyT), Camino a la Presa San Jose 2055, Col. Lomas 4a. Seccion, San Luis Potosi, SLP, 78216 Mexico (Mexico)

    2011-11-15

    Highlights: {yields} Enriched consortia were able to couple the anaerobic degradation of benzene to the reduction of humic acids. {yields} Electron-equivalents derived from anaerobic benzene oxidation were highly recovered as reduced humic acids. {yields} Several species from classes {beta}-, {delta}- and {gamma}-Proteobacteria were enriched during the anaerobic degradation of benzene. - Abstract: The anaerobic degradation of benzene coupled to the reduction of humic acids (HA) was demonstrated in two enriched consortia. Both inocula were able to oxidize benzene under strict anaerobic conditions when the humic model compound, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), was supplied as terminal electron acceptor. An enrichment culture originated from a contaminated soil was also able to oxidize benzene linked to the reduction of highly purified soil humic acids (HPSHA). In HPSHA-amended cultures, 9.3 {mu}M of benzene were degraded, which corresponds to 279 {+-} 27 micro-electron equivalents ({mu}Eq) L{sup -1}, linked to the reduction of 619 {+-} 81 {mu}Eq L{sup -1} of HPSHA. Neither anaerobic benzene oxidation nor reduction of HPSHA occurred in sterilized controls. Anaerobic benzene oxidation did not occur in soil incubations lacking HPSHA. Furthermore, negligible reduction of HPSHA occurred in the absence of benzene. The enrichment culture derived from this soil was dominated by two {gamma}-Proteobacteria phylotypes. A benzene-degrading AQDS-reducing enrichment originated from a sediment sample showed the prevalence of different species from classes {beta}-, {delta}- and {gamma}-Proteobacteria. The present study provides clear quantitative demonstration of anaerobic degradation of benzene coupled to the reduction of HA.

  4. Anaerobic degradation of benzene by enriched consortia with humic acids as terminal electron acceptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cervantes, Francisco J.; Mancilla, Ana Rosa; Toro, E. Emilia Rios-del; Alpuche-Solis, Angel G.; Montoya-Lorenzana, Lilia

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Enriched consortia were able to couple the anaerobic degradation of benzene to the reduction of humic acids. → Electron-equivalents derived from anaerobic benzene oxidation were highly recovered as reduced humic acids. → Several species from classes β-, δ- and γ-Proteobacteria were enriched during the anaerobic degradation of benzene. - Abstract: The anaerobic degradation of benzene coupled to the reduction of humic acids (HA) was demonstrated in two enriched consortia. Both inocula were able to oxidize benzene under strict anaerobic conditions when the humic model compound, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS), was supplied as terminal electron acceptor. An enrichment culture originated from a contaminated soil was also able to oxidize benzene linked to the reduction of highly purified soil humic acids (HPSHA). In HPSHA-amended cultures, 9.3 μM of benzene were degraded, which corresponds to 279 ± 27 micro-electron equivalents (μEq) L -1 , linked to the reduction of 619 ± 81 μEq L -1 of HPSHA. Neither anaerobic benzene oxidation nor reduction of HPSHA occurred in sterilized controls. Anaerobic benzene oxidation did not occur in soil incubations lacking HPSHA. Furthermore, negligible reduction of HPSHA occurred in the absence of benzene. The enrichment culture derived from this soil was dominated by two γ-Proteobacteria phylotypes. A benzene-degrading AQDS-reducing enrichment originated from a sediment sample showed the prevalence of different species from classes β-, δ- and γ-Proteobacteria. The present study provides clear quantitative demonstration of anaerobic degradation of benzene coupled to the reduction of HA.

  5. Simultaneous analysis of free and humic acid complexed europium and gadolinium species by CE-ICP-MS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kautenburger, R.; Nowotka, K.; Beck, H.P.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: For the long-term safety assessment of waste repositories, detailed information about geo-chemical behaviour of radioactive and toxic metal ions under environmental conditions (geological matrix and aquifer systems) is necessary. It includes knowledge about the mechanism of relevant geochemical reactions, as well as thermodynamic and kinetic data. Several previous studies have shown that humic acid can play an important role in the immobilisation or mobilization of metal ions due to complexation and colloid formation. In this project we investigate the complexation behaviour of humic acid (purified Aldrich humic acid) and its influence on the migration of the lanthanides europium and gadolinium (homologues of the actinides americium and curium) in the the ternary system consisting of these heavy metals, humic acid and kaolinite (KGa-1b) as geological model system under conditions close to nature. Capillary electrophoresis (CE, Beckman Coulter P/ACE MDQ), with its excellent separation performance, was coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS, VG Elemental Plasma Quad 3) to obtain a high sensitivity for the determination of the rare earth elements europium (Eu 3+ ) and gadolinium (Gd 3+ ) and their complexes with humic acid. Additionally, the used humic acid was halogenated with iodine as ICP-MS marker. A fused-silica capillary was flexibly fitted into a MicroMist 50 μl nebulizer with a Cinnabar cyclonic spray chamber. The chamber was chilled to a temperature of 4 deg. C for best sensitivity. 200 ppb of caesium were added to the CE separation buffer to observe the capillary flow. A make-up fluid including 4 ppb Ho as an internal standard was combined with the flow from the capillary within the interface to obtain a fluid throughput high enough to maintain a continuous nebulization. Very low detection limits were achieved, 100 ppt for 153 Eu and 125 ppt for 158 Gd. With this optimized CE-ICP-MS coupling

  6. Charge characteristics of humic and fulvic acids: comparative analysis by colloid titration and potentiometric titration with continuous pK-distribution function model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bratskaya, S; Golikov, A; Lutsenko, T; Nesterova, O; Dudarchik, V

    2008-09-01

    Charge characteristics of humic and fulvic acids of a different origin (inshore soils, peat, marine sediments, and soil (lysimetric) waters) were evaluated by means of two alternative methods - colloid titration and potentiometric titration. In order to elucidate possible limitations of the colloid titration as an express method of analysis of low content of humic substances we monitored changes in acid-base properties and charge densities of humic substances with soil depth, fractionation, and origin. We have shown that both factors - strength of acidic groups and molecular weight distribution in humic and fulvic acids - can affect the reliability of colloid titration. Due to deviations from 1:1 stoichiometry in interactions of humic substances with polymeric cationic titrant, the colloid titration can underestimate total acidity (charge density) of humic substances with domination of weak acidic functional groups (pK>6) and high content of the fractions with molecular weight below 1kDa.

  7. An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Lingling, E-mail: lasier_wang@hotmail.com [College of Chemical Engineering and Materials, Quanzhou Normal University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian (China); Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012 (United States); Han, Changseok [ORISE Post-doctoral Fellow, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, STD, CPB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 (United States); Nadagouda, Mallikarjuna N. [The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, NRMRL, WSWRD, WQMB, 26 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268 (United States); Dionysiou, Dionysios D., E-mail: dionysios.d.dionysiou@uc.edu [Environmental Engineering and Science Program, 705 Engineering Research Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0012 (United States); Nireas-International Water Research Centre, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, 1678, Nicosia (Cyprus)

    2016-08-05

    Highlights: • An innovative adsorbent was successfully synthesized to remove humic acid. • The adsorbent possessed high adsorption capacity for humic acid. • The adsorption capacity remarkably increased after an acid modification. • The adsorption capacity was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite. • Electrostatic interactions are a major factor at the first stage of the process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO{sub 3}){sub 2}·6H{sub 2}O functionalization of zeolite 4A. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by porosimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21 ± 1 °C was about 60 mgC g{sup −1}. The results showed that the positive charge density of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite and thus, ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents exhibited a greater affinity for negatively charged ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents increased markedly after acid modification. Adsorption experiments demonstrated ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents possessed high adsorption capacity to remove HA from aqueous solutions mainly due to strong electrostatic interactions between negative functional groups of HA and the positive charges of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents.

  8. An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Lingling; Han, Changseok; Nadagouda, Mallikarjuna N.; Dionysiou, Dionysios D.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • An innovative adsorbent was successfully synthesized to remove humic acid. • The adsorbent possessed high adsorption capacity for humic acid. • The adsorption capacity remarkably increased after an acid modification. • The adsorption capacity was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite. • Electrostatic interactions are a major factor at the first stage of the process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO_3)_2·6H_2O functionalization of zeolite 4A. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The synthesized materials were characterized by porosimetry analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-Ray diffraction analysis, and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21 ± 1 °C was about 60 mgC g"−"1. The results showed that the positive charge density of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents was proportional to the amount of ZnO coated on zeolite and thus, ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents exhibited a greater affinity for negatively charged ions. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents increased markedly after acid modification. Adsorption experiments demonstrated ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents possessed high adsorption capacity to remove HA from aqueous solutions mainly due to strong electrostatic interactions between negative functional groups of HA and the positive charges of ZnO-coated zeolite adsorbents.

  9. Impact of activated carbon, biochar and compost on the desorption and mineralization of phenanthrene in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marchal, Geoffrey; Smith, Kilian E.C.; Rein, Arno; Winding, Anne; Wollensen de Jonge, Lis; Trapp, Stefan; Karlson, Ulrich G.

    2013-01-01

    Sorption of PAHs to carbonaceous soil amendments reduces their dissolved concentrations, limiting toxicity but also potentially biodegradation. Therefore, the maximum abiotic desorption of freshly sorbed phenanthrene (≤5 mg kg −1 ) was measured in three soils amended with activated carbon (AC), biochar or compost. Total amounts of phenanthrene desorbed were similar between the different soils, but the amendment type had a large influence. Complete desorption was observed in the unamended and compost amended soils, but this reduced for biochar (41% desorbed) and AC (8% desorbed). Cumulative amounts mineralized were 28% for the unamended control, 19% for compost, 13% for biochar and 4% for AC. Therefore, the effects of the amendments in soil in reducing desorption were also reflected in the extents of mineralization. Modeling was used to analyze key processes, indicating that for the AC and charcoal treatments bacterial activity did not limit mineralization, but rather desorption into the dissolved phase. -- Highlights: •Phenanthrene desorption and mineralization compared in soils with activated carbon, charcoal or compost. •Only activated charcoal and biochar hindered both desorption and mineralization. •A linear relationship was found between the extents desorbed and mineralized. •Modelling indicated that bacterial activity was not limiting but that desorption was. -- Extraction into an exhaustive silicone sink measures the maximum phenanthrene desorption from soils with amendments, and this is reflected in the extent of mineralization

  10. Advantage of fast reacting adsorbents like humic acids for the recovery of uranium from seawater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Denzinger, H.; Schnell, C.; Heitkamp, D.; Wagener, K.

    1980-01-01

    This report is divided into two sections. The first part comprises experimental data of humic acid adsorbers; whereas, the second concerns design parameter and costs of a recovery plant using fast reacting adsorbents. Summarizing the experimental results, hydrogen-loaded humic acids on carriers show an exceptionally fast kinetics of uranium fixation in seawater which is practically temperature independent. This fast adsorption performance may be maintained in a technical recovery process if care is taken to minimize slow diffraction controlled steps preceding the uranium fixation reaction. When humic acid was used instead of titanium hydroxide in the recovery plant, there was a decrease of investment and production costs of about 50%. However, there was a higher percentage of energy costs, i.e., electric power consumption and investments for pumps

  11. Evaluation of Bio-phosphor and HumicAcid on Growth Parameters and Oil Content in Evening Primrose (Oenotherabiennis L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeinab Aghakhani

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Evening primrose (OenotherabiennisL. is a relatively new and valuable oilseed crop for temperate region. Its oilseed is important because of high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, especially gamma-linolenic acid. Seeds contain 20-30% oil which includes 70% linoleic acid (LA and 10% gamma linolenic acid (GLA. Oil content in O. biennis is a quantitative trait which controlled by many genes and similar to any other quantitative traits varies with environmental conditionssuch factors as age of seed and growth conditions. Evening primrose oil, especially gamma-linolenic acid, has many therapeutic properties, and it uses as cure for many diseases such as Diabetes, Eczema, inflammation, Cardiovascular, Cancer, Autoimmune diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Depression. Studies on Medicinal Plants in nature and farmlands show that the use of sustainable agriculturae andnatural sources are two suitable methods for producing healthy plants.Additionally, the use of bio-fertilizers lead to maximum yield and quality in these plants. Azizi et al.(6 showed that interactions of vermicompost and plant density had significant effect on oil content, oil density and refractive index of evening primrose oil. The best treatments were also including 2 Kg/m2 of vermicompost,20 plants/ m2in terms of oil production,9 plants/ m2in terms of oil quality and ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated, respectively. Material and Method: The aim of this research was to determine the effect of humic acid and bio-phosphor application on growth parameters in O. biennis. The experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with 8 treatments and three replicates during 2013-2014 growing season, at the experimental farm of the faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.. Treatments consisted of 4 levels of humic acid (0, 1, 3, 5 ml/L and 2 levels of bio-phosphor (without bio-phosphor or with bio-phosphor. Liquid form of humic acid was used

  12. Investigation of adsorptive fractionation of humic acid on graphene oxide using fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Bo-Mi; Seo, Young-Soo; Hur, Jin

    2015-04-15

    In this study, the adsorptive fractionation of a humic acid (HA, Elliott soil humic acid) on graphene oxide (GO) was examined at pH 4 and 6 using absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM)-parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). The extent of the adsorption was greater at pH 4.0 than at pH 6.0. Aromatic molecules within the HA were preferentially adsorbed onto the GO surface, and the preferential adsorption was more pronounced at pH 6, which is above the zero point of charge of GO. A relative ratio of two PARAFAC humic-like components (ex/em maxima at 270/510 nm and at (250, 265)/440 nm) presented an increasing trend with larger sizes of ultrafiltered humic acid fractions, suggesting the potential for using fluorescence EEM-PARAFAC for tracking the changes in molecular sizes of aromatic HA molecules. The individual adsorption behaviors of the two humic-like components revealed that larger sized aromatic components within HA had a higher adsorption affinity and more nonlinear isotherms compared to smaller sized fractions. Our results demonstrated that adsorptive fractionation of HA occurred on the GO surface with respect to their aromaticity and the sizes, but the degree was highly dependent on solution pH as well as the amount of adsorbed HS (or available surface sites). The observed adsorption behaviors were reasonably explained by a combination of different mechanisms previously suggested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Biodegradation of naphthalene and phenanthren by Bacillus subtilis 3KP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni'matuzahroh, Trikurniadewi, N.; Pramadita, A. R. A.; Pratiwi, I. A.; Salamun, Fatimah, Sumarsih, Sri

    2017-06-01

    The purposes of this research were to know growth response, degradation ability, and uptake mechanism of naphthalene and phenanthrene by Bacillus subtilis 3KP. Bacillus subtilis 3KP was grown on Mineral Synthetic (MS) medium with addition of 1% yeast extract and naphthalene and phenanthrene respectively 200 ppm in different cultures. Bacillus subtilis 3KP growth response was monitored by Total Plate Count (TPC) method, the degradation ability was monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and the uptake mechanism of hydrocarbon was monitored by emulsification activity, decrease of surface tension, and activity of Bacterial Adherence to Hydrocarbon (BATH). Bacillus subtilis 3KP was able to grow and show biphasic growth pattern on both of substrates. Naphthalene and phenanthrene were used as a carbon source for Bacillus subtilis 3KP growth that indicated by the reduction of substrate concomitant with the growth. At room temperature conditions (± 30°C) and 90 rpm of agitation for 7 days, Bacillus subtilis 3KP could degrade naphthalene in the amount of 70.5% and phenanthrene in the amount of 24.8%. Based on the analysis of UV-Vis spectrophotometer, three metabolites, 1-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, salicylic acid, and pyrocatechol were found in both cultures. The metabolite identification became basis of propose degradation pathway of naphthalene and phenanthrene by Bacillus subtilis 3KP. The results of hydrocarbon uptake mechanism test show that Bacillus subtilis 3KP used all of the mechanism to degrade naphthalene and phenanthrene.

  14. Effect of Indole-3-Acetic Acid-Producing Bacteria on Phytoremediation of Soil Contaminated with Phenanthrene and Anthracene by Mungbean

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waraporn Chouychai

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available The use of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA-producing bacteria isolated from non-contaminated weed rhizosphere to enhance plant growth and PAH phytoremediation capacity was investigated. IAA-producing bacterial isolates, designated NSRU1, NSRU2, and NSRU3, were isolated from the rhizosphere of Eleusine indica (Poaceae and Chromolaena odorata (Asteraceae. The isolates were able to produce IAA in nutrient broth. However, when grown in the presence of 100 mg/l of either phenanthrene or anthracene, the amount of IAA produced by each isolate was reduced significantly. Mungbean seedlings were planted in 100 mg/kg phenanthrene- or anthracene-contaminated soil without or with inoculation of ≈106 CFU/g dry soil with one of the bacterial isolates. Inoculation with either NSRU1 or NSRU2 was effective at enhancing shoot length of mungbean in phenanthrene-contaminated soil on day 16. Also, inoculation with isolate NSRU1 led to increased root dry weight of mungbean in phenanthrene-contaminated soil on day 30. Phenanthrene and anthracene degradation on day 16 and 30 in planted and inoculated soil ranged between 92 - 93.8% and 92.2 - 94.1%, respectively, which were not significantly different from planted and uninoculated soil (93.9 and 94.9%. These data showed that IAA-producing bacteria could enhance plant growth, but was unable to increase PAH biodegradation under the conditions tested.

  15. Attenuation of polychlorinated biphenyl sorption to charcoal by humic acids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koelmans, A.A.; Meulman, B.; Meijer, T.; Jonker, M.T.O.

    2009-01-01

    Strong sorption to black carbon may limit the environmental risks of organic pollutants, but interactions with cosorbing humic acid (HA) may interfere. We studied the attenuative effect of HA additions on the sorption of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to a charcoal. "Intrinsic" sorption to

  16. Different effects of copper (II), cadmium (II) and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on the biomass of cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Yuqiang; Li, Wei; Xue, Bin; Zhong, Jicheng; Yao, Shuchun; Wu, Qinglong

    2013-10-15

    Due to the large surface area and high organic carbon content of cyanobacteria, organic contaminants can be readily sorbed on cyanobacteria during algal blooms, and then be transferred to the food web. This process is likely to be affected by the coexisting metals and nutrients, however, the possible impacts remain unclear. Effects of Cu(2+), Cd(2+), and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on cyanobacterial biomass collected from an algal bloom were therefore studied. Continuous decrease in phenanthrene sorption was observed in the presence of low concentrations of Cu(2+), and Cd(2+) (phosphate concentration. Phosphate blocked the binding sites, modified the cell morphology, and increased the negative charge as well as the hydrophilicity of the cyanobacterial surface, thereby suppressing phenanthrene sorption. This study indicates that sorption of aromatic organic compounds by cyanobacteria could be significantly alerted by concentrations and properties of the coexisting transition metals and phosphates, which may subsequently affect their transfer to the food web in eutrophic waters. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Influence of vermicompost humic acid on chlorophyll content and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Influence of vermicompost humic acid on chlorophyll content and acclimatization in banana clone, Enano Guantanamero. Marcia Beatriz Moya Fernández, Esteban Sánchez Chávez, Daniel Cabezas Montero, Andrés Calderín García, Dany Marrero López, Eduardo F. Héctor Ardisana, Sandra Pérez Álvarez ...

  18. Influence of foliar applications of humic acids on yield and fruit quality of table grape cv. Italia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giuseppe Ferrara

    2008-06-01

    Significance and impact of study: This study gives new information about the positive effects of foliar application of humic acids, active components of soil and compost organic matter, on yield and fruit quality of table grape. In organic viticulture humic acids may find a valid and appropriate application for a technical and economical use.

  19. Different effects of copper (II), cadmium (II) and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on the biomass of cyanobacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao, Yuqiang; Li, Wei; Xue, Bin; Zhong, Jicheng; Yao, Shuchun; Wu, Qinglong

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Low level of Cu 2+ inhibited but high level of Cu 2+ facilitated the sorption of Phe. • Cation–π interaction between Cu 2+ and PAH facilitated the sorption of Phe. • Phenanthrene sorption rebounding did not occur in the presence of high level Cd 2+ . • Both Cd 2+ and PO 4 3− inhibited the sorption of Phe, but had various mechanisms. -- Abstract: Due to the large surface area and high organic carbon content of cyanobacteria, organic contaminants can be readily sorbed on cyanobacteria during algal blooms, and then be transferred to the food web. This process is likely to be affected by the coexisting metals and nutrients, however, the possible impacts remain unclear. Effects of Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on cyanobacterial biomass collected from an algal bloom were therefore studied. Continuous decrease in phenanthrene sorption was observed in the presence of low concentrations of Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ ( −1 ), because Cu 2+ and Cd 2+ were coadsorbed with phenanthrene on the surface of cyanobacteria as suggested by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. Phenanthrene sorption began to increase with the further increase in Cu 2+ concentration, but remained lower than that in the absence of Cu 2+ . This increase in sorption was ascribed to the cation–π interaction between Cu 2+ and phenanthrene, as suggested by the enhanced ultraviolet absorbance at 251 nm. In contrast, sorption rebounding of phenanthrene did not occur in the presence of higher concentrations of Cd 2+ . The different effects of Cu 2+ and Cd 2+ on phenanthrene sorption were attributed to that Cd 2+ required much more energy than Cu 2+ to form cation–π complexes with phenanthrene in the solutions. Phenanthrene sorption decreased continuously with the increase in phosphate concentration. Phosphate blocked the binding sites, modified the cell morphology, and increased the

  20. Assessing the Effect of Humic Acids on Germinating a Native American Plant

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nicola, Senesi

    2004-01-01

    ... (HAs) in Idaho soils on seed germination and seedling early-growth of slickspot peppergrass, and their possible relations to the compositional, structural and functional characteristics of humic acids...

  1. DGT/DET Gel partition features of humic acid/metal species

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veeken, van der P.L.R.; Leeuwen, van H.P.

    2010-01-01

    Gel layer based sensors are increasingly employed for dynamic trace metal speciation analysis in aquatic and soil media, in which humic and fulvic acid species are generally known to be relevant. In DGT (diffusive gradient in thin film), polyacrylamide hydrogels are commonly used for the diffusive

  2. Effect of soil application of humic acid on nutrients uptake, essential oil and chemical compositions of garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) under greenhouse conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noroozisharaf, Alireza; Kaviani, Maryam

    2018-05-01

    Humic acid is natural biological organic, which has a high effect on plant growth and quality. However, the mechanisms of the promoting effect of humic acid on the volatile composition were rarely reported. In this study, the effects of soil application of humic acid on the chemical composition and nutrients uptake of Thymus vulgaris were investigated. Treatments comprised 0, 50, 75 and 100 g m -2 . Essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-MS and GC-FID. Essential oil content was enhanced by increase of the humic acid level and its content ranged from 0.8% (control) to 2.0% (75 g m -2 ). Thirty-two volatile compounds were identified and these compounds were considerably affected by humic acid. The highest percentage of thymol (74.15%), carvacrol (6.20%), p -cymene (4.24%), borneol (3.42%), trans -caryophyllene (1.70%) and cis -sabinene hydrate (1.35%) as major compounds were observed in T. vulgaris under 100 g m -2 humic acid. There was a linear relationship ( R 2  = 97%) between humic acid levels and thymol as a major compound. The oils were dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes followed by monoterpene hydrocarbons and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Based on the path coefficient analysis, the highest direct effects on essential oil content were observed in monoterpene esters (3.465) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (3.146). The humic acid application also enhanced the uptake of N, P, K, Mg and Fe in garden thyme. The highest N (2.42%), P (0.75%), K (2.63%), Mg (0.23%) and Fe (1436.58 ppm) were observed in medium supplemented with 100 g m -2 humic acid. In all, the utilization of humic acid could positively change nutrients uptake, essential oil content and its major constituents in T. vulgaris .

  3. Flow column experiments on the 152Eu migration in systems of loose sediments and water containing humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, D.; Wolf, M.

    2001-01-01

    Humic acid transport of 152 in non-binding loose sediments of different grain sizes was investigated using a groundwater of the tertiary lignite of Northern Germany with a high humic acid concentration. The migration experiments were carried out in flow columns at natural filter flow rates and natural flow lengths [de

  4. Modelling 2,4-dichlorophenol bioavailability and bioaccumulation by the freshwater fingernail clam Sphaerium corneum using artificial particles and humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Verrengia Guerrero, N.R.; Taylor, M.G.; Simkiss, K.

    2007-01-01

    The complex and variable composition of natural sediments makes it very difficult to predict the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of sediment-bound contaminants. Several approaches have been proposed to overcome this problem, including an experimental model using artificial particles with or without humic acids as a source of organic matter. For this work, we have applied this experimental model, and also a sample of a natural sediment, to investigate the uptake and bioaccumulation of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) by Sphaerium corneum. Additionally, the particle-water partition coefficients (K d ) were calculated. The results showed that the bioaccumulation of 2,4-DCP by clams did not depend solely on the levels of chemical dissolved, but also on the amount sorbed onto the particles and the characteristics and the strength of that binding. This study confirms the value of using artificial particles as a suitable experimental model for assessing the fate of sediment-bound contaminants. - An experimental model is proposed to better understand the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of sediment-bound 2,4-dichlorophenol

  5. Humic acids-based hierarchical porous carbons as high-rate performance electrodes for symmetric supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiao, Zhi-jun; Chen, Ming-ming; Wang, Cheng-yang; Yuan, Yun-cai

    2014-07-01

    Two kinds of hierarchical porous carbons (HPCs) with specific surface areas of 2000 m(2)g(-1) were synthesized using leonardite humic acids (LHA) or biotechnology humic acids (BHA) precursors via a KOH activation process. Humic acids have a high content of oxygen-containing groups which enabled them to dissolve in aqueous KOH and facilitated the homogeneous KOH activation. The LHA-based HPC is made up of abundant micro-, meso-, and macropores and in 6M KOH it has a specific capacitance of 178 F g(-1) at 100 Ag(-1) and its capacitance retention on going from 0.05 to 100 A g(-1) is 64%. In contrast, the BHA-based HPC exhibits a lower capacitance retention of 54% and a specific capacitance of 157 F g(-1) at 100 A g(-1) which is due to the excessive micropores in the BHA-HPC. Moreover, LHA-HPC is produced in a higher yield than BHA-HPC (51 vs. 17 wt%). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Contribution of bacterial cell nitrogen to soil humic fractions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knowles, R.; Barro, L.

    1981-01-01

    Living cells of Serratia marcescens, uniformly labelled with 15 N, were added to samples of maple (Acer saccharum) and black spruce (Picea mariana) forest soils. After different periods of incubation from zero time to 100 days, the soils were subjected to alkali-acid and phenol extraction to provide humic acid, fulvic acid, humin and 'humoprotein' fractions. Significant amounts of the cell nitrogen were recovered in the humic and fulvic acids immediately after addition. After incubation, less cell nitrogen appeared in the humic acid and more in the fulvic acid. The amount of cell nitrogen recovered in the humin fraction increased with incubation. Roughly 5 to 10 per cent of the added cell nitrogen was found as amino acid nitrogen from humoprotein in a phenol extract of the humic acid. The data are consistent with the occurrence of co-precipitation of biologically labile biomass nitrogen compounds with humic polymers during the alkaline extraction procedure involved in the humic-fulvic fractionation. (orig.)

  7. Influence of Humic Acid on the Transport and Deposition of Colloidal Silica under Different Hydrogeochemical Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingjing Zhou

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The transport and deposition of colloids in aquifers plays an important role in managed aquifer recharge (MAR schemes. Here, the processes of colloidal silica transport and deposition were studied by displacing groundwater with recharge water. The results showed that significant amounts of colloidal silica transport occurred when native groundwater was displaced by HA solution. Solution contains varying conditions of ionic strength and ion valence. The presence of humic acid could affect the zeta potential and size of the colloidal silica, which led to obvious colloidal silica aggregation in the divalent ion solution. Humic acid increased colloidal silica transport by formation of non-adsorbing aqueous phase silica–HA complexes. The experimental and modeling results showed good agreement, indicating that the essential physics were accurately captured by the model. The deposition rates were less than 10−8 s−1 in deionized water and monovalent ion solution. Moreover, the addition of Ca2+ and increase of IS resulted in the deposition rates increasing by five orders of magnitude to 10−4 s−1. In all experiments, the deposition rates decreased in the presence of humic acid. Overall, the promotion of humic acid in colloidal silica was strongly associated with changes in water quality, indicating that they should receive greater attention during MAR.

  8. An innovative zinc oxide-coated zeolite adsorbent for removal of humic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zinc oxide (ZnO)-coated zeolite adsorbents were developed by both nitric acid modification and Zn(NO3)2•6H2O functionalization of zeolite. The developed adsorbents were used for the removal of humic acid (HA) from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbents at 21...

  9. Coagulation of some humic acid solutions by Moringa oleifera lam seeds: effect on chlorine requirement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.M. Bawa

    2001-12-01

    Full Text Available Experiments were carried out to study humic acid solutions and surface waters coagulation by Moringa oleifera Lam seeds aqueous extract. High amounts of such extract (up to 10 g/L were required to clarify humic acid solutions whereas 0.5 g/L were used to remove 90% of initial turbidity of a surface water. The treatment of water with low turbidity (Moringa oleifera Lam seeds extract released a high amount of organic compounds in treated solutions leading to a high chlorine requirement.

  10. Characterization of a humic gel synthesized from an activated epoxy silica gel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbot, C.; Pieri, J.; Durand, J.P.; Goudard, F.; Czerwinski, K.; Vial, M.; Buckau, G.; Kim, J.I.; Moulin, V.

    2002-01-01

    Purified humic acid has been covalently bound on activated epoxy silica gel particles. Determination of physical properties and chemical properties was conducted in order to characterize the material at different stages of the preparation. FTIR spectra and the PEC of the surface bound humic acid is very similar to that of humic acid starting material. This shows that the humic acid was not deteriorated during the surface binding process. This humic gel can be used as an analogue for sediment associated humic acid, with the advantage that covalently bound humic acid does not desorb, and thus allows for simple species separation between non-complexed and humic bound metal ions in batch and column experiments

  11. Conductivity-Dependent Flow Field-Flow Fractionation of Fulvic and Humic Acid Aggregates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martha J. M. Wells

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Fulvic (FAs and humic acids (HAs are chemically fascinating. In water, they have a strong propensity to aggregate, but this research reveals that tendency is regulated by ionic strength. In the environment, conductivity extremes occur naturally—freshwater to seawater—warranting consideration at low and high values. The flow field flow fractionation (flow FFF of FAs and HAs is observed to be concentration dependent in low ionic strength solutions whereas the corresponding flow FFF fractograms in high ionic strength solutions are concentration independent. Dynamic light scattering (DLS also reveals insight into the conductivity-dependent behavior of humic substances (HSs. Four particle size ranges for FAs and humic acid aggregates are examined: (1 <10 nm; (2 10 nm–6 µm; (3 6–100 µm; and (4 >100 µm. Representative components of the different size ranges are observed to dynamically coexist in solution. The character of the various aggregates observed—such as random-extended-coiled macromolecules, hydrogels, supramolecular, and micellar—as influenced by electrolytic conductivity, is discussed. The disaggregation/aggregation of HSs is proposed to be a dynamic equilibrium process for which the rate of aggregate formation is controlled by the electrolytic conductivity of the solution.

  12. Carbon humic acids and their use. Ugleguminovyye kisloty i ikh ispol'zovaniye

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zabramnyy, D.T.; Pobedonosteva, O.I.; Pobedonostseva, N.I.; Umarov, T.Z.

    1980-01-01

    This monograph gives the results of research into the molecular structure of humic acids; certain issues are examined of an applied nature; the data from experimental industrial tests are generalized. Data are generalized which involve questions of the use of humic acids in the form of multiple-ton product. In agriculture, they are used for producing final complex fertilizers and plant growth stimulators; in drilling technology, for improving drilling muds; in the cement industry, for lowering the moisture content of cement raw material sludges. Methods of modifying humates by sulfomethylation are described, and a method for producing coal-alkali reagents directly at drilling and cement firms, based on intensifying the process of interaction of coals with alkali solutions.

  13. H-binding of size- and polarity-fractionated soil and lignite humic acids after removal of metal and ash components

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drosos, Marios; Leenheer, Jerry A.; Avgeropoulos, Apostolos; Deligiannakis, Yiannis

    2014-01-01

    A fractionation technique, combining dialysis removal of metal and ash components with hydrofluoric acid and pH 10 citrate buffer followed by chromatography of dialysis permeate on XAD-8 resin at decreasing pH values, has been applied to lignite humic acid (lignite-HA) and soil humic acid (soil-HA). H-binding data and non ideal competitive adsorption-Donnan model parameters were obtained for the HA fractions by theoretical analysis of H-binding data which reveal a significant increase of the carboxyl and the phenolic charge for the lignite-HA fractions vs. the parental lignite humic acid (LParentalHA). The fractionated lignite-HA material consisted mainly of permeate fractions, some of which were fulvic acid-like. The fractionated soil-HA material consisted mainly of large macromolecular structures that did not permeate the dialysis membrane during deashing. Chargeable groups had comparable concentrations in soil-HA fractions and parental soil humic acid (SParentalHA), indicating minimal interference of ash components with carboxyl and phenolic (and/or enolic) groups. Fractionation of HA, combined with theoretical analysis of H-binding, can distinguish the supramolecular vs. macromolecular nature of fractions within the same parental HA.

  14. Humic acids: Structural properties and multiple functionalities for novel technological developments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Melo, Bruna Alice Gomes; Motta, Fernanda Lopes; Santana, Maria Helena Andrade

    2016-05-01

    Humic acids (HAs) are macromolecules that comprise humic substances (HS), which are organic matter distributed in terrestrial soil, natural water, and sediment. HAs differ from the other HS fractions (fulvic acid and humins) in that they are soluble in alkaline media, partially soluble in water, and insoluble in acidic media. Due to their amphiphilic character, HAs form micelle-like structures in neutral to acidic conditions, which are useful in agriculture, pollution remediation, medicine and pharmaceuticals. HAs have undefined compositions that vary according to the origin, process of obtainment, and functional groups present in their structures, such as quinones, phenols, and carboxylic acids. Quinones are responsible for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HAs, which are useful for wound healing and have fungicidal/bactericidal properties. Phenols and carboxylic acids deprotonate in neutral and alkaline media and are responsible for various other functions, such as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of HAs. In particular, the presence of phenolic groups in HAs provides antioxidant properties due to their free radical scavenging capacity. This paper describes the main multifunctionalities of HAs associated with their structures and properties, focusing on human health applications, and we note perspectives that may lead to novel technological developments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to address this topic from this approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Radioiodination of humic substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franke, K.; Kupsch, H. [Inst. of Interdisciplinary Isotope Research, Leipzig (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    The known IODO-GEN trademark -method was adapted for radiolabeling of humic and fulvic acids with {sup 131}I. The water insoluble oxidizing agent 1,3,4,6tetrachloro-3{alpha},6{alpha}-diphenylglycoluril (IODO-GEN trademark) forms an iodous ion species (I{sup +}), which undergoes an electrophilic I/H-substitution on aromatic moieties of the humic and fulvic acids. This method offers mild conditions with a lesser extent of oxidative alterations of the target molecule, accompanied by an easy handling due to the virtual water-insolubility of the oxidizing agent. The method was optimized and different techniques were tested for the purification of the radioiodinated humic material. The yield of the labeling procedure varies between 45 and 75% depending on the provenance of the humic material and the applied purification method. A specific activity up to 40 MBq/mg was achieved. Furthermore, the known inherent photo-susceptibility of the iodinated humic substance and the influence of reducing agents were verified. An additional release of {sup 131}I up to 20% and up to 35%, respectively were observed. (orig.)

  16. Competitive effects of humic acid and wastewater on adsorption of Methylene Blue dye by activated carbon and non-imprinted polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, Audrey; Örmeci, Banu

    2018-04-01

    Natural organic matter (NOM), present in natural waters and wastewater, decreases adsorption of micropollutants, increasing treatment costs. This research investigated mechanisms of competition for non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) and activated carbon with humic acid and wastewater. Three different types of activated carbons (Norit PAC 200, Darco KB-M, and Darco S-51) were used for comparison with the NIP. The lower surface area and micropore to mesopore ratio of the NIP led to decreased adsorption capacity in comparison to the activated carbons. In addition, experiments were conducted for single-solute adsorption of Methylene Blue (MB) dye, simultaneous adsorption with humic acid and wastewater, and pre-loading with humic acid and wastewater followed by adsorption of MB dye using NIP and Norit PAC 200. Both the NIP and PAC 200 showed significant decreases of 27% for NIP (p=0.087) and 29% for PAC 200 (p=0.096) during simultaneous exposure to humic acid and MB dye. There was no corresponding decrease for NIP or PAC 200 pre-loaded with humic acid and then exposed to MB. In fact, for PAC 200, the adsorption capacity of the activated carbon increased when it was pre-loaded with humic acid by 39% (p=0.0005). For wastewater, the NIP showed no significant increase or decrease in adsorption capacity during either simultaneous exposure or pre-loading. The adsorption capacity of PAC 200 increased by 40% (p=0.001) for simultaneous exposure to wastewater and MB. Pre-loading with wastewater had no effect on MB adsorption by PAC 200. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Solid phase extraction of polychlorinated biphenyls from water containing humic substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonifazi, P.; Pierini, E.; Bruner, F. [Centro di Studio per la Chimica dell`Ambiente e le Tecnologie Strumentali Avanzate dell` Universita degli Studi di Urbino, Ist. di Scienze Chimiche (Italy)

    1997-06-01

    A study was carried out of the recovery by solid phase extraction of the eleven most toxic polychlorinated biphenyls from water containing humic acids. Experiments were performed using water polluted with a humic acid (sodium salt) concentration of 9-18 mg L{sup -1}. The effect of humic acids on the recoveries was noticeable, especially where the more chlorinated congeners were concerned. The effect was also evident with river water containing naturally dissolved humic acids. A method for destroying humic acids prior to extraction was applied. The recoveries after the destruction of humic acids were in the range of 90%, even in the case of river water, demonstrating the applicability of the method to real samples. (orig.)

  18. Selective binding behavior of humic acid removal by aluminum coagulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Pengkang; Song, Jina; Yang, Lei; Jin, Xin; Wang, Xiaochang C

    2018-02-01

    The reactivity characteristics of humic acid (HA) with aluminium coagulants at different pH values was investigated. It revealed that the linear complexation reaction occurred between aluminum and humic acid at pH aluminum existed in the form of free aluminum and remained unreacted in the presence of HA until the concentration reached to trigger Al(OH) 3(s) formation. Differentiating the change of functional groups of HA by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectra analysis, it elucidated that there was a selective complexation between HA and Al with lower Al dosage at pH 5, which was probably due to coordination of the activated functional groups onto aluminium. While almost all components were removed proportionally by sweep adsorption without selectivity at pH 7, as well as that with higher Al dosage at pH 5. This study provided a promising pathway to analyse the mechanism of the interaction between HA and metal coagulants in future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Different effects of copper (II), cadmium (II) and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on the biomass of cyanobacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tao, Yuqiang, E-mail: yqtao@niglas.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Li, Wei [Delaware Environmental Institute and Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19717-1303 (United States); Xue, Bin; Zhong, Jicheng; Yao, Shuchun; Wu, Qinglong [State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: • Low level of Cu{sup 2+} inhibited but high level of Cu{sup 2+} facilitated the sorption of Phe. • Cation–π interaction between Cu{sup 2+} and PAH facilitated the sorption of Phe. • Phenanthrene sorption rebounding did not occur in the presence of high level Cd{sup 2+}. • Both Cd{sup 2+} and PO{sub 4}{sup 3−} inhibited the sorption of Phe, but had various mechanisms. -- Abstract: Due to the large surface area and high organic carbon content of cyanobacteria, organic contaminants can be readily sorbed on cyanobacteria during algal blooms, and then be transferred to the food web. This process is likely to be affected by the coexisting metals and nutrients, however, the possible impacts remain unclear. Effects of Cu{sup 2+}, Cd{sup 2+}, and phosphate on the sorption of phenanthrene on cyanobacterial biomass collected from an algal bloom were therefore studied. Continuous decrease in phenanthrene sorption was observed in the presence of low concentrations of Cu{sup 2+}, and Cd{sup 2+} (<0.04 mmol L{sup −1}), because Cu{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} were coadsorbed with phenanthrene on the surface of cyanobacteria as suggested by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. Phenanthrene sorption began to increase with the further increase in Cu{sup 2+} concentration, but remained lower than that in the absence of Cu{sup 2+}. This increase in sorption was ascribed to the cation–π interaction between Cu{sup 2+} and phenanthrene, as suggested by the enhanced ultraviolet absorbance at 251 nm. In contrast, sorption rebounding of phenanthrene did not occur in the presence of higher concentrations of Cd{sup 2+}. The different effects of Cu{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} on phenanthrene sorption were attributed to that Cd{sup 2+} required much more energy than Cu{sup 2+} to form cation–π complexes with phenanthrene in the solutions. Phenanthrene sorption decreased continuously with the increase

  20. Preparation and adsorption behavior for metal ions and humic acid of chitosan derivatives crosslinked by irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Long; Mitomo, H.; Yoshii, F.

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: Removing metal ions and humic acid from water in water treatment has attracted much environment and health interests. Adsorbents, derived from a nature polymer, are desired in the viewpoints of environment-conscious technologies. Recently, some nature materials such as chitin, chitosan and their derivatives have been identified as an attractive option due to their distinctive properties. For an insoluble adsorbent based on these polymers to be obtained over a broad pH range, modification through crosslinking is required. Crosslinking agents such as glutaric dialdehyde and ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether are frequently used for modification. However, these crosslinking agents are not preferred because of their physiological toxicity. Radiation-crosslinking without any additive in the fabrication process results in a high-purity product. In a previous work, we applied ionizing radiation to induce the crosslinking of carboxymethylchitosan under highly concentrated paste-like conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the adsorption behavior of metal ions, humic acid on irradiation-crosslinked carboxymethylchitosan. Experimental: Irradiation of chitosan samples at paste-like state was done with an electron beam. The solubility test of these crosslinked materials were investigated in acidic, alkaline media, and some organic solvents. Swelling and charged characteristic analyses demonstrated typically pH-sensitive properties of these crosslinked materials. Scanning electron microscopic images showed that the crosslinked samples possessed porous morphological structure. The adsorption studies were carried out by the batch method at room temperature. Adsorption of heavy metal ions (such as Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ ) and humic acid onto crosslinked samples was found to be strongly pH-dependent. Adsorption kinetic studies indicated the rapid removal of metal ions, and humic acid from the aqueous solutions. Also, isothermal adsorption data revealed that Cu 2

  1. Kinetics of the oxidative hydroxylation of tetraphosphorus in the presence of copper(II) chloride modified by humic (fulvo-) acid

    OpenAIRE

    Zhaksyntay Kairbekov; Dina Akbayeva; Zh. Eshova

    2012-01-01

    It was established that in mild conditions (50-70 oC, РО2= 1 atm) white phosphorus effectively is oxidized by oxygen in water-toluene solutions of copper(II) chloride modified by humic (fulvo-) acid to give mainly phosphoric acid. Humic (fulvo-) acid was extracted from brown coal of domestic deposit Kiyakty. For determination of optimum parameters of fulvo-acid extraction the laboratory experiments were carried out using the method of experiment planning. The kinetics, intermediate and final ...

  2. Effects on humic substances on the migration of radionuclides: Complexation of actinides with humic substances in natural aquatic systems. Appendix IV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dierckx, A.; Vancluysen, J.; Maes, A.

    1994-01-01

    In this working period, we focused mainly on a possible influence of competing cations on the Eu 3+ -humic acid interaction. Two scenario's were considered. Firstly, the humic acid is fully occupied by the competing cation. From this type of experiments, it became clear that upon coagulation the ensuing kinetics become very important. Experiments concerning this behaviour are running and will be reported later. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the order of influence of the competing cations on the Eu 3+ -humic acid interaction, follows the order of interaction strength of the competing cation with the humic acid (Na + 3 ) 6 ) 3+ 2+ 2+ 3+ ∼Cu 2+ ∼Al 3+ ). Secondly, a novel method was tested to investigate the influence of competing cation concentrations, not sufficient to fully occupy the humic acid. An 'indifferent' cation (Co(NH 3 ) 6 ) 3+ , was used to coagulate the humic acid in order to hinder its diffusion through the membrane. The results obtained in presence and in absence of (Co(NH 3 ) 6 ) 3+ agree with each other but are too preliminary to publish in this progress report. (orig.)

  3. Using Spectrophotometric Titrations To Characterize Humic Acid Reactivity at Environmental Concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janot, N.; Benedetti, M. F.; Janot, N.; Reiller, P. E.; Korshin, G. V.

    2010-01-01

    Potentiometric titration is a common method to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) reactivity. Because of the sensitivity of pH electrodes, it is necessary to work with very high DOM (≥1 g/L) concentrations that are unrealistic compared to those found in natural waters (0. 1 to 100 mg/L). To obtain proton binding data for concentrations closer to environmental values, spectroscopic titration methodology is a viable alternative to traditional potentiometric titrations. Spectrophotometric titrations and UV visible spectra of a diluted solution of purified Aldrich humic acid (5 mg(DOC)/L) are used to estimate changes in proton binding moieties as function of pH and ionic strength after calculation of differential absorbance spectra variations. After electrostatic correction of spectrophotometric data, there is a linear operational correlation between spectrophotometric and potentiometric data which can be used as a transfer function between the two properties. Spectrophotometric titrations are then used to determine the changes of humic acid protonation after adsorption onto alpha-alumina. (authors)

  4. Using Spectrophotometric Titrations To Characterize Humic Acid Reactivity at Environmental Concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Janot, N.; Benedetti, M. F. [Univ Paris Diderot, Lab Geochim Eaux, UMR CNRS 7154, IPGP, F-75025 Paris 13 (France); Janot, N.; Reiller, P. E. [CE Saclay, CEA DEN DANS DPC SECR, Lab Speciat Radionucleides and Mol, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette (France); Korshin, G. V. [Univ Washington, Dept Civil and Environm Engn, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2010-07-01

    Potentiometric titration is a common method to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) reactivity. Because of the sensitivity of pH electrodes, it is necessary to work with very high DOM ({>=}1 g/L) concentrations that are unrealistic compared to those found in natural waters (0. 1 to 100 mg/L). To obtain proton binding data for concentrations closer to environmental values, spectroscopic titration methodology is a viable alternative to traditional potentiometric titrations. Spectrophotometric titrations and UV visible spectra of a diluted solution of purified Aldrich humic acid (5 mg(DOC)/L) are used to estimate changes in proton binding moieties as function of pH and ionic strength after calculation of differential absorbance spectra variations. After electrostatic correction of spectrophotometric data, there is a linear operational correlation between spectrophotometric and potentiometric data which can be used as a transfer function between the two properties. Spectrophotometric titrations are then used to determine the changes of humic acid protonation after adsorption onto alpha-alumina. (authors)

  5. Effect of compost and humic acid in mobility and concentration of cadmium and chromium in soil and plant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Chaab

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The effect of compost and humic acid in mobility and concentration of cadmium and chromium in contaminated soil were investigated. Experiment was carried out with three levels of soil cadmium and chromium and two organic matters (compost and humic acid. The study was performed in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates. Results indicated that application of organic substances enhanced movement of cadmium and chromium in soil column. Humic acid is more effective than compost on the mobility of cadmium and chromium in soil. Mobility of cadmium and chromium in the lower depths of soil column were increased. Cadmium and chromium concentration in shoots and roots enhanced due to increasing those concentration in soil and application of organic substances. Increase in cadmium in shoots can be attributed to the high mobility of this element in maize plant. Maize root chromium concentration was greater than shoot chromium concentration. Humic acid was more effective than compost as cadmium and chromium concentration in root and shoot was concerned. Low mobility of chromium in plant and accumulation of chromium in roots can be reasons of decreasing of chromium concentration in shoot of plant and its bioaccumulation.

  6. Thermodynamic Characterization of Humic Acid-surfactant Interaction: New Insights into the Characteristics and Structure of Humic Acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardus Vergütz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Humic acids (HA are a component of humic substances (HS, which are found in nearly all soils, sediments, and waters. They play a key role in many, if not most, chemical and physical properties in their environment. Despite the importance of HA, their high complexity makes them a poorly understood system. Therefore, understanding the physicochemical properties and interactions of HA is crucial for determining their fundamental role and obtaining structural details. Cationic surfactants are known to interact electrostatically and hydrophobically with HA. Because they are a very well-known and characterized system, they offer a good choice as molecular probes for studying HA. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interaction between cationic surfactants and HA through isothermal titration calorimetry in a thermodynamic manner, aiming to obtain information about the basic structure of HA, the nature of this interaction, and if HA from different origins show different basic structures. Contrary to what the supramolecular model asserts, HA structure is not loosely held, though it may separate depending on the conditions the HA are subjected to in their milieu. It did not show any division or conformational change when interacting with surfactants. The basic structure of the HA remains virtually the same regardless of the different sources and compositions of these HA.

  7. Soil humic acids may favour the persistence of hexavalent chromium in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leita, Liviana; Margon, Alja; Pastrello, Arnold; Arcon, Iztok; Contin, Marco; Mosetti, Davide

    2009-01-01

    The interaction between hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), as K 2 CrO 4 , and standard humic acids (HAs) in bulk solution was studied using three complementary analytical methods: UV-Visible spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and differential pulse stripping voltammetry. The observed UV-Vis and X-ray absorption spectra showed that, under our experimental conditions, HAs did not induce reduction of Cr(VI) to its trivalent chemical form. The interaction between Cr(VI) and HAs has rather led to the formation of Cr(VI)-HAs micelles via supramolecular chemical processes. The reported results could contribute towards explaining the relative persistence of ecotoxic hexavalent chromium in soils. - Humic acids (HAs) did not induce reduction of Cr(VI) to its trivalent chemical form, as the interaction between Cr(VI) and HAs rather led to the formation of Cr(VI)-HAs micelles via supramolecular chemical processes.

  8. An investigation of inorganic antimony species and antimony associated with soil humic acid molar mass fractions in contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steely, Sarah; Amarasiriwardena, Dulasiri; Xing Baoshan

    2007-01-01

    The presence of antimony compounds is often suspected in the soil of apple orchards contaminated with lead arsenate pesticide and in the soil of shooting ranges. Nitric acid (1 M) extractable Sb from the shooting range (8300 μg kg -1 ) and the apple orchard (69 μg kg -1 ) had considerably higher surface Sb levels than the control site ( -1 ), and Sb was confined to the top ∼30 cm soil layer. Sb(V) was the principal species in the shooting range and the apple orchard surface soils. Size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS) analysis of humic acids isolated from the two contaminated soils demonstrated that Sb has complexed to humic acid molar mass fractions. The results also indicate that humic acids have the ability to arrest the mobility of Sb through soils and would be beneficial in converting Sb(III) to a less toxic species, Sb(V), in contaminated areas. - The soil surface and depth distribution Sb(V) and Sb(III) species in a contaminated apple orchard and a shooting range, and the effect soil humic acids on inorganic antimony species is reported

  9. Fractal nature of humic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rice, J.A.

    1992-01-01

    Fractals are geometric representatives of strongly disordered systems whose structure is described by nonintegral dimensions. A fundamental tenet of fractal geometry is that disorder persists at any characterization scale-length used to describe the system. The nonintegral nature of these fractal dimensions is the result of the realization that a disordered system must possess more structural detail than an ordered system with classical dimensions of 1, 2, or 3 in order to accommodate this ''disorder within disorder.'' Thus from a fractal perspective, disorder is seen as an inherent characteristic of the system rather than as a perturbative phenomena forced upon it. Humic materials are organic substances that are formed by the profound alteration of organic matter in a natural environment. They can be operationally divided into 3 fractions; humic acid (soluble in base), fulvic acid (soluble in acid or base), and humin (insoluble in acid or base). Each of these fraction has been shown to be an extremely heterogeneous mixture. These mixtures have proven so intractable that they may represent the ultimate in molecular disorder. In fact, based on the characteristics that humic materials must possess in order to perform their functions in natural systems, it has been proposed that the fundamental chemical characteristic of a humic material is not a discrete chemical structure but a pronounced lack of order on a molecular level. If the fundamental chemical characteristic of a humic material is a strongly disordered nature, as has been proposed, then humic materials should be amenable to characterization by fractal geometry. The purpose of this paper is to test this hypothesis

  10. Impact of the application of humic acid and sodium nitroprusside on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Nickel (Ni) is an essential micronutrient for plants but in high concentrations may turn toxic. This paper discusses the potential role of humic acid (HA) and sodium nitroprusside in modulating or preventing oxidative stress in rice plants. Three genes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) glutathione reductase (GR) and ascorbate ...

  11. Time-dependent uptake and toxicity of nickel to Enchytraeus crypticus in the presence of humic acid and fulvic acid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    He, Erkai; Qiu, Hao; Qiu, Rongliang; Rentenaar, Charlotte; Devresse, Quentin; Van Gestel, Cornelis A.M.

    2017-01-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the influence of different fractions of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on the uptake and toxicity of nickel (Ni) in the soil invertebrate Enchytraeus crypticus after different exposure times. The addition of DOC as humic acid or fulvic acid significantly

  12. Humic Acid and Water Management to Decrease Ferro (Fe2+ Solution and Increase Productivity of Established New Rice Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amrizal Saidi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to gain a technological breakthrough in controlling Fe toxicity (Fe2+ on Ultisol ina new established rice field by using humic acid from rice straw compost and water management, so that optimalproduction of rice plants could be achieved. The experiment was designed using a 2 × 4 factorials with 3 replicationsin a split plot design. The main plot was water management consists of 2 levels: continuous and intermittentirrigation (2 weeks flooded and 2 weeks field capacity. Small plot was humic acid which was extracted from ricestraw compost by NaOH 0.5 N which consists of 4 levels: 0, 200, 400, and 600 mg kg-1. The results showed thatapplications of humic acid from 0 to 600 mg kg-1 that was followed by 2 weeks of intermittent irrigation decreasedFe2+ concentration. It was approaching levels that were not toxic to plants, with soil Fe2+ between 180-250 mg kg-1.The best treatment was found at the application of 600 mg kg-1 humic acid extracted from rice straw compostcombined with 2 week flooded – 2 weeks field capacity of water management. Those treatment decreased Fe2+concentration from 1,614 to 180 mg kg-1 and increased the dry weight of grain from 5.15 to 16.73 g pot-1 compared tocontinuous flooding and without humic acid application.

  13. Evaluation of Lagergren Kinetics Equation by Using Novel Kinetics Expression of Sorption of Zn2+ onto Horse Dung Humic Acid (HD-HA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bambang Rusdiarso

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Extraction and purification of humic acid from dry horse dung powder (HD-HA was performed successfully and the purified HD-HA was then applied as sorbent to adsorb Zn2+. Extraction and purification were performed based on procedure of Stevenson (1994 under atmospheric air. Parameters investigated in this work consist of effect of medium sorption acidity, sorption rate (ka and desorption rate constant (kd, Langmuir (monolayer and Freundlich (multilayer sorption capacities, and energy (E of sorption. The ka and kd were determined according to the kinetic model of second order sorption reaching equilibrium, monolayer sorption capacity (b and energy (E were determined according to Langmuir isotherm model, and multilayer sorption capacity (B was determined based on Freundlich isotherm model. Sorption of Zn2+ on purified HD-HA was maximum at pH 5.0. The novel kinetic expression resulted from proposed kinetic model has been shown to be more applicable than the commonly known Lagergren equation obtained from the pseudo-first order sorption model. The application of the equation revealed that the intercept of Lagergren equation, ln qe was more complex function of initial concentration of Zn2+ (a, Langmuir sorption capacity (b, and sorbed Zn2+ at equilibrium (xe.

  14. Experimental investigation of aqueous corrosion of R7T7 nuclear glass at 90 degrees C in the presence of humic acids: A kinetic approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gin, S.; Godon, N.; Mestre, J.P.; Vernaz, E.Y.; Beaufort, D.

    1994-01-01

    The dissolution kinetics of the French open-quotes R7T7close quotes nonradioactive LWR reference glass in solutions containing dissolved humic acids were investigated at 9O degrees C during static tests with imposed or free pH. Experiments conducted in highly dilute media, with a glass-surface-area-to-solution-volume (SA/V) ratio of 5 m -1 , showed that the glass dissolution surface reaction is catalyzed by humic acids. With higher degrees of reaction progress (SA/V = 100 m -1 and free pH) the humic acids impose pH modifications on the system compared with inorganic media; moreover, they directly or indirectly enhance the dissolution of certain alkali metals and transition elements, forming aqueous complexes with the latter. During experiments with an imposed pH of 8.5 (SA/V = 1300 and 5300 m -1 ), the humic acids appear to cause increased silica solubility that cannot be accounted for by the formation of silica complexes. A residual corrosion rate in the humic acid media exceeding the rate measured in inorganic media suggests that, in addition to silica, one or more element complexes formed by humic acids may be a kinetically limiting factor. This hypothesis must be confirmed, however, as the quantity of humic acids per unit glass surface area was too small in this experiment to allow unambiguous characterization of the phenomenon

  15. Colloidal behavior of goethite nanoparticles modified with humic acid and implications for aquifer reclamation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tiraferri, Alberto; Saldarriaga Hernandez, Laura Andrea; Bianco, Carlo; Tosco, Tiziana; Sethi, Rajandrea, E-mail: rajandrea.sethi@polito.it [Politecnico di Torino, Department of Land, Environment, and Infrastructure Engineering (DIATI) (Italy)

    2017-03-15

    Nanosized colloids of iron oxide adsorb heavy metals, enhance the biodegradation of contaminants, and represent a promising technology to clean up contaminated aquifers. Goethite particles for aquifer reclamation were recently synthesized with a coating of humic acids to reduce aggregation. This study investigates the stability and the mobility in porous media of this material as a function of aqueous chemistry, and it identifies the best practices to maximize the efficacy of the related remediation. Humic acid-coated nanogoethite (hydrodynamic diameter ∼90 nm) displays high stability in solutions of NaCl, consistent with effective electrosteric stabilization. However, particle aggregation is fast when calcium is present and, to a lesser extent, also in the presence of magnesium. This result is rationalized with complexation phenomena related to the interaction of divalent cations with humic acid, inducing rapid flocculation and sedimentation of the suspensions. The calcium dose, i.e., the amount of calcium ions with respect to solids in the dispersion, is the parameter governing stability. Therefore, more concentrated slurries may be more stable and mobile in the subsurface than dispersions of low particle concentration. Particle concentration during field injection should be thus chosen based on concentration and proportion of divalent cations in groundwater.

  16. Biological regeneration of humic acid-loaded partially exhausted activated carbon (down flow system)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Durrani, M.A.Q.J.; Martin, R.J.; Khaliq, F.

    1995-01-01

    This paper represents the report on the biological regeneration of partially exhausted (down flow) activated carbon following the experimental studies carried out at the university of Birmingham, UK. The Research investigated the extent of bio regeneration of humic acid of concentration 100 mg/l. Bio regeneration in the partial exhaustion system (down flow) was evaluated in terms of substrate removal. Bacterial counts in the effluents of regenerated GAC columns were significantly more than those of fresh carbon effluents. The regeneration performance of the bio regeneration, partially exhausted (with humic acid) carbon increased during initial cycles, later on, it deteriorated significantly with each successive regeneration cycle. Microbial fouling of the carbon, especially at the bottom of the carbon bed was found to produce a substantial deterioration of the bio regeneration performance. (author)

  17. The Effects of Drought Stress and Humic Acid on Morphological Traits, Yield and Anthocyanin of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mojgan sanjarimijani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L. as a medicinal plant belongs to the Malvacea family. Their active ingredient increases under water stress. Humic acid bacteria derived from humus and other natural resources have hormonal effects and can improve nutrient absorption to enhance performance especially under stress conditions . Materials and methods This experiment was conducted in the research of agricultural education centre Jiroft in 2013. Field experiment was carried out as split plot design with three replications. Water deficit stress set as main factor with three levels (A1= Irrigation after 50, A2= 100 and A3= 150 mm evaporation from pan class A and humic acid was in four manners (B1= non humic acid, B2= once with Irrigation, B3= once with Irrigation + Once spraying, B4= once with Irrigation + twice Spraying. Humic acid was used to form Irrigation spray in order to arrange with compactness (10 kg.ha-1, (250 ml/100L. In late September, which coincides with the end of the heading, plant height, inflorescence length, number of branches, stem diameter, fresh and dry weight of plant, fresh and dry weight of sepals, were examined. Wagner method was used to measure anthocyanin content sepals (Wagner, 1979. Finally, data was analyzed using SAS 9.1 and means were compared by Duncan’s multiple range test at 5% level of probability. Results and discussion The analysis of variance showed that drought stress and humic acid had significant effect on growth parameters, vegetative and generative yield and anthocyanin. Drought stress decreased plant height, inflorescence length, stem diameterand fresh and dry weight sepals. The highest values of these traits was obtained in the first level of stress (50 mm evaporation from pan class A. Due to the reduction in mentioned properties, reducing the pressure tolerance and the subsequent reduction in drought conditions was considered as division and cell enlargement. The reduction in growth parameters

  18. Influence of humic-acid complexing on the mobility of Americium in the soil aquatic environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheppard, J.C.; Campbell, M.J.; Kittrick, J.A.

    1982-03-01

    Diffusion data indicate the Am, Cm and Np migrate 1.2, 0.8, and 26 centimeters, respectively, in a thousand years. Thus, excluding mass transport by moving water or wind, actinide elements, such as Cm, Am, and Np that find their way to the soil-aquatic environment are relatively immobile. Measured diffusion coefficients, corrected for distribution between the aqueous and soil phases, tortuosity, negative absorption, and relative fluidity are in reasonable agreement with aqueous diffusion coefficients. However, agreement depends strongly on measurement method used to determine distribution ratios. Two sets of experiments with 241 Am and 152 Eu tracers have been done to measure distribution ratios as a function of the aqueous humic acid concentration. In the first experiments the solid phase was kaolinite and in the second series of distribution ratios were measured with Burbank sandy loam. Both of these experiments indicated that Am(III) and Eu(III) form very strong humic acid complexes with formation constants of approximately 10 5 . Additional experiments are being done to establish the average number of Am(III)s or Eu(III)s bound to the humic acid polymer

  19. Adsorption behaviour of hydrogarnet for humic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Hirotaka; Kurosaki, Yuichi; Nakayama, Masanobu; Ishida, Emile Hideki; Kasuga, Toshihiro

    2018-04-01

    Discharge of humic acid (HA) in aqueous environments is a key health and aesthetic issue. The present work investigates the use of hydrogarnet as a novel adsorbent for HA. Hydrogarnet was hydrothermally synthesized with different solvents to control the chemical composition. Hydrogarnet with three types of chemical compositions had better adsorption properties for HA than hydrogarnet with a single chemical composition. Controlling the chemical composition of hydrogarnet increased the number of hydroxyl groups and the overall binding energy of the system, leading to changes in the zeta potential. The enhancement of these adsorption properties is related to the increased numbers of hydroxyl groups on the surface and their diverse binding energies.

  20. Humic substances in ground waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paxeus, N.; Allard, B.; Olofsson, U.; Bengtsson, M.

    1986-01-01

    The presence of naturally occurring complexing agents that may enhance the migration of disposed radionuclikes and thus facilitate their uptake by plantsis a problem associated with the underground disposal of radioactive wastes in bedrock. The main purpose of this work is to characterized humic substances from ground water and compare them with humic substances from surface water. The humic materials isolated from ground waters of a borehole in Fjaellveden (Sweden) were characterized by elemental and functional group analyses. Spectroscopic properties, molecular weight distributions as well as acid-base properties of the fulvic and humic fractions were also studied. The ground water humic substances were found to be quite similar in many respects (but not identical) to the Swedish surface water humics concentrated from the Goeta River but appeared to be quite different from the American ground water humics from Biscayne Florida Aquifer or Laramie Fox-Hills in Colorado. The physico-chemical properties of the isolated humic materials are discussed

  1. 15N NMR investigation of the covalent binding of reduced TNT amines to soil humic acid, model compounds, and lignocellulose

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorn, K.A.; Kennedy, K.R.

    2002-01-01

    The five major reductive degradation products of TNT-4ADNT (4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene), 2ADNT (2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene), 2,4DANT (2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene), 2,6DANT (2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene), and TAT (2,4,6-triaminotoluene)-labeled with 15N in the amine positions, were reacted with the IHSS soil humic acid and analyzed by 15N NMR spectrometry. In the absence of catalysts, all five amines underwent nucleophilic addition reactions with quinone and other carbonyl groups in the soil humic acid to form both heterocyclic and nonheterocyclic condensation products. Imine formation via 1,2-addition of the amines to quinone groups in the soil humic acid was significant with the diamines and TAT but not the monoamines. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed an increase in the incorporation of all five amines into the humic acid. In the case of the diamines and TAT, HRP also shifted the binding away from heterocyclic condensation product toward imine formation. A comparison of quantitative liquid phase with solid-state CP/MAS 15N NMR indicated that the CP experiment underestimated imine and heterocyclic nitrogens in humic acid, even with contact times optimal for observation of these nitrogens. Covalent binding of the mono- and diamines to 4-methylcatechol, the HRP catalyzed condensation of 4ADNT and 2,4DANT to coniferyl alcohol, and the binding of 2,4DANT to lignocellulose with and without birnessite were also examined.

  2. The effect of the humic acid and garlic (Allium sativum L. on performance parameters and carcass characteristic of broiler chicken

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronika PISTOVÁ

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study the effect of humic acids and humic acids and garlic powder (Allium sativum L. combination on performance parameters and carcass characteristic of broiler chickens were studied. A total of 120 Ross 308 broiler chickens were divided into 3 treatments (n=40. The control group of chickens was fed complete feed mixtures without any additives. Treatment T1 was fed complete feed mixtures containing 1% of humic acid. Treatment T2 was fed complete feed mixtures containing 1.8% of humic acid and 0.2% of garlic powder (Allium sativum L.. At the end of the experiment was average body weight (values in the order of the groups: 1796.4±188.1; 1999.1±355.8 and 1958.6±201.2 g±SD significantly higher (P≤0.05 in both treatments groups compared to control group. In T1 was weight of gizzard (values in the order of the groups: 34.9±5.2; 43.1±9.4 and 38.9±7.0 g±SD significantly higher (P≤0.05 compared to control group. Carcass weight, weight of heart weight of liver and carcass yield of treatments groups was higher, but differences in these indicators were not statistically significant (P≥0.05. The results of this experiment indicate that humic acids may by an alternative replacement of feed antibiotics.

  3. Luminescence from {gamma}-irradiated humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goraczko, Wieslaw [Faculty of Chemical Technology, Radio- and Photochemistry Department, Poznan University of Technology, ul. Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznan (Poland); Slawinski, Janusz [Institute of Ecotechnology, State Higher Vocational School, ul. Ks. Kard. S.Wyszynskiego 38, 62-200 Gniezno (Poland)

    2008-07-15

    This study was conducted to investigate the ultraweak delayed radiochemiluminescence (RCL) spectra, kinetics and spectroscopic properties of humic acids (HAs) after {gamma}-radiation exposure (absorbed doses of 1-10 kGy, Co-60) in model systems. The kinetics and spectral distribution of RCL (340-650 nm) were measured using the single photon counting (SPC) method and cut-off filters. The intensity of fluorescence ({lambda}{sub ex}=390, 440, 490 and 540 nm) covering the spectral range 400-580 nm was heavily dependent on the {lambda}{sub ex} and slightly increased with the absorbed dose of {gamma}-radiation. Absorption spectra (the range 240-800 nm) and color coefficients E{sub 2.6/4} and E{sub 4/6} of irradiated solutions indicated that post-radiative degradation/polymerization processes take place in the HA, changing their macromolecule size or properties. Comparison of FTIR spectra and elemental analysis proved an increased O and decreased C atoms in irradiated samples. The data indicate on the radiolysis-induced degradation of native HA into fulvic-like acids with higher hydrophilicity and lower molecular size.

  4. Luminescence from γ-irradiated humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goraczko, Wieslaw; Slawinski, Janusz

    2008-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the ultraweak delayed radiochemiluminescence (RCL) spectra, kinetics and spectroscopic properties of humic acids (HAs) after γ-radiation exposure (absorbed doses of 1-10 kGy, Co-60) in model systems. The kinetics and spectral distribution of RCL (340-650 nm) were measured using the single photon counting (SPC) method and cut-off filters. The intensity of fluorescence (λ ex =390, 440, 490 and 540 nm) covering the spectral range 400-580 nm was heavily dependent on the λ ex and slightly increased with the absorbed dose of γ-radiation. Absorption spectra (the range 240-800 nm) and color coefficients E 2.6/4 and E 4/6 of irradiated solutions indicated that post-radiative degradation/polymerization processes take place in the HA, changing their macromolecule size or properties. Comparison of FTIR spectra and elemental analysis proved an increased O and decreased C atoms in irradiated samples. The data indicate on the radiolysis-induced degradation of native HA into fulvic-like acids with higher hydrophilicity and lower molecular size

  5. Use of the cation exchange equilibrium method for the determination of stability constants of Co(II) with soil humic and fulvic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Du, J.Z.; Zhou, C.Y.; Dong, W.M.; Tao, Z.Y.

    1999-01-01

    The stability constants for tracer concentrations of Co(II) complexes with both the red earth humic and fulvic acids were determined at pH 5.9 and ionic strength 0.010 mol/l by using the ARDAKANI-STEVENSON cation exchange equilibrium method and the radiotracer 60 Co. It was found that the 1:1 complexes of Co(II) with the red earth humic and fulvic acids were formed and that the average values of logβ (stability constant) of humic and fulvic acid complexes were 5.76±0.19 and 4.42±0.03, respectively. (author)

  6. Reduction of Pu(V) and Np(V) by leonardite humic acids and their quinonoid-enriched derivatives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shcherbina, N.S.; Kalmykov, St.N.; Perminova, I.V.; Kovalenko, A.N.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Humic substances (HS) are natural poly-electrolytes ubiquitous in aquatic environment responsible for complexation of metal ions. The presence of phenolic and quinonoid moieties in the structure of HS provide for their ability to take part in redox interactions. Capability of HS to reduce plutonium from higher oxidation states (Pu(V) and Pu(VI)) to tetravalent state was reported in several studies. However, the disparate results were reported for Np(V). The contradicting results on the redox behavior of HS could originate from the structural differences of the humic materials tested, in particular, from varying content of the redox-active quinonoid moieties. To test this hypothesis, the goal of this research was to evaluate reducing performance of leonardite humic acids and of their quinonoid-enriched derivatives with respect to Pu(V) and Np(V). The quinonoid-enriched humic derivatives were obtained using the reaction of formaldehyde co-poly-condensation between parent humic material - leonardite humic acid - and model dihydroxybenzenes - hydroquinone, catechol and 1,4-benzoquinone. The humic material: quinonoid monomer ration of 1 g per 250 mg was used. The reduction of Np(V) was studied at micro- and macro-concentration level: 10 -7 M and 10 -4 M, respectively. In case of Pu(V) the concentration was about 10 -10 M. The HS concentrations varied from 1 to 100 ppm, while ionic strength was zero. All experiments were conducted in anaerobic conditions and in the darkness. The kinetics of Pu(V) reduction was studied using solvent extraction (TTA in toluene); to monitor Np(V) reduction two independent techniques were used: solvent extraction and VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. The latter allows measuring absorbance of NpO 2 + and Np-humate complexes at 981.3 and 987.4 nm, respectively. Fast reduction of Pu(V) by the parent humic material was observed and the reduction rate increased with a decrease in pH. In case of Np(V), there was no

  7. 1H NMR metabolomics of earthworm exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, Sarah A.E.; McKelvie, Jennifer R.; Simpson, Andre J.; Simpson, Myrna J.

    2010-01-01

    1 H NMR metabolomics was used to monitor earthworm responses to sub-lethal (50-1500 mg/kg) phenanthrene exposure in soil. Total phenanthrene was analyzed via soxhlet extraction, bioavailable phenanthrene was estimated by hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and 1-butanol extractions and sorption to soil was assessed by batch equilibration. Bioavailable phenanthrene (HPCD-extracted) comprised ∼65-97% of total phenanthrene added to the soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed differences in responses between exposed earthworms and controls after 48 h exposure. The metabolites that varied with exposure included amino acids (isoleucine, alanine and glutamine) and maltose. PLS models indicated that earthworm response is positively correlated to both total phenanthrene concentration and bioavailable (HPCD-extracted) phenanthrene in a freshly spiked, unaged soil. These results show that metabolomics is a powerful, direct technique that may be used to monitor contaminant bioavailability and toxicity of sub-lethal concentrations of contaminants in the environment. These initial findings warrant further metabolomic studies with aged contaminated soils. - 1 H NMR metabolomics is used to directly monitor metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida after 48 h of exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene in soil.

  8. Effect of Humic Acid and Organic Manure Tea on Plant Physiology and Fruit Characteristics of Pepino

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamal Javanmardi

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Pepino (SolanummuricatumAit., a Solanaceous vegetable fruit has been recently introduced to Iran markets. Organic farming is currently the fastest growing agricultural sector worldwide. Although several investigations are available on chemical fertilization of pepino, the knowledge of organic fertilization ismostly lacking. Therefore, at the beginning of introducing pepino plant to Iranian farmers it worth to evaluate the impact of organic fertilization on the productivity, profitability, acceptability and sustainability of farming systemsto this plant. High chemical fertilization of pepinoincreases the vegetative growth over the generative and fruit production. The aim of this investigation was to introduce the possibility of organic production of pepino. Materials and Methods.A two-year experiment was carried out to assess the possibility of organic production of pepino using organic fertilizers. Humistar® organic fertilizer (containing 8.6% humic acid at 50 L/ha and sheep or cow manure teas at 1:10 and 1:5 ratios were used for production of pepino cv. Kanseola to evaluate their effects on the physiology of reproductive stage and some fruit quality characteristics. The experiments were arranged as factorial in a randomized complete block design comprised of 3 replications, each of which 10 plants. Mother plants were obtained from Mashhad Ferdowsi University and incubated in a greenhouse (mean temperature of 25 °C and 60-70% relative humidity for 1 month to proliferate. Cuttings with 2-3 leaves at the top, 3-5 healthy buds and 20 cm length were rooted for 14 days in a rooting media, ( 1:1:2 of field soil, composted leaf and perlite, respectively. Plants were transplanted into the field in 100 × 75 cm spacing after the danger of frost was over. Treatments consisted of two levels of 1:5 and 1:10 (w:w cow or sheep manure teas in combination with two levels of Humistar® organic fertilizer as 0 and 50L/ha levels. Control plants

  9. Uranium accumulation in Brassica rapa L. and effect of citric acid and humic acids as chelating agents; Acumulacion de uranio en Brassica rapa L. y efecto del acido citrico y acidos humicos como agentes quelantes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lopez del R, H.; Perez C, G. A.; Davila R, J. I.; Mireles G, F. [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98060 Zacatecas, Zac. (Mexico); Rodriguez H, G., E-mail: hlopezdelrio@hotmail.com [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Agronomia, Carretera Zacatecas-Guadalajara Km 15.5, Cieneguillas, Zacatecas (Mexico)

    2016-09-15

    Phyto extraction is a technique that makes use of plants for the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. In this study the uranium incorporation in the Brassica rapa L. species was evaluated, in artificially contaminated inert soils with 40 mg U/kg, and the effect of adding of the natural chelating agents citric acid and humic acids in the accumulation of uranium was analyzed. Soil free of organic matter and biologically inert was obtained by controlled calcination s of natural soil. Cultures in the prepared soil consisted of five growth treatments: 1) cultivation without uranium or additives; 2) cultivation in the uranium presence; 3) cultivation with uranium and citric acid (2 g/kg); 4) cultivation with uranium and humic acids (10 g/kg); 5) uranium cultivation and combination of citric and humic acids at the same concentrations. There was no adverse effect on plant growth with the presence of uranium at the given concentration. Regarding the controls, the total biomass in the presence of uranium was slightly higher, while the addition of humic acids significantly stimulated the production of biomass with respect to the citric acid. The combined action of organic acids produced the highest amount of biomass. The efficiency of phyto extraction followed the order Humic acids (301 μg U/g) > Non-assisted (224 μg U/g) >> Citric acid + Humic acids (68 μg U/g) > Citric acid (59 μg U/g). The values of uranium concentration in the total biomass show that the species Brassica rapa L. has the capacity of phyto extraction of uranium in contaminated soils. The addition of humic acids increases the uranium extraction while the addition of citric acid disadvantages it. (Author)

  10. Simultaneous removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from contaminated soils by saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song Saisai; Zhu Lizhong; Zhou Wenjun

    2008-01-01

    Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant, for simultaneously removing phenanthrene and cadmium from the combined contaminated soils. Results showed that phenanthrene was desorbed from the contaminated soils by saponin with the partition of phenanthrene into surfactant micelle, meanwhile cadmium was effectively removed from the contaminated soils by the complexation of cadmium with the external carboxyl groups of saponin micelle. The efficiencies of saponin for the removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from the contaminated soils were greater than that of Triton X100 and citric acid, respectively. At concentration of 3750 mg/L, saponin has a removal rate of 87.7% and 76.2% of cadmium and phenanthrene, respectively, from the combined contaminated soil. The removals of cadmium and phenanthrene from the soils were not obviously constrained each other. Thus, saponin has the potential for the removal of heavy metal and PAHs from the combined contaminated soils. - Saponin has great potential for the simultaneous removal of cadmium and phenanthrene from the combined contaminated soils

  11. Simultaneous removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from contaminated soils by saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song Saisai [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China); Zhu Lizhong [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China)], E-mail: zlz@zju.edu.cn; Zhou Wenjun [Department of Environmental Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028 (China)

    2008-12-15

    Batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of saponin, a plant-derived biosurfactant, for simultaneously removing phenanthrene and cadmium from the combined contaminated soils. Results showed that phenanthrene was desorbed from the contaminated soils by saponin with the partition of phenanthrene into surfactant micelle, meanwhile cadmium was effectively removed from the contaminated soils by the complexation of cadmium with the external carboxyl groups of saponin micelle. The efficiencies of saponin for the removal of phenanthrene and cadmium from the contaminated soils were greater than that of Triton X100 and citric acid, respectively. At concentration of 3750 mg/L, saponin has a removal rate of 87.7% and 76.2% of cadmium and phenanthrene, respectively, from the combined contaminated soil. The removals of cadmium and phenanthrene from the soils were not obviously constrained each other. Thus, saponin has the potential for the removal of heavy metal and PAHs from the combined contaminated soils. - Saponin has great potential for the simultaneous removal of cadmium and phenanthrene from the combined contaminated soils.

  12. Humic acids quality of Cambisols developed on gneiss and amphibolite

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pospíšilová, Ľ.; Žigová, Anna; Šťastný, Martin; Liptaj, T.

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 9, č. 4 (2012), s. 503-510 ISSN 1214-9705 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA526/08/0434 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : Cambisols * parent material * arable soil, * grassland soil * X-ray diffraction * humic acids * SRATR FTIR and 13C NMR spectroscopy Subject RIV: DF - Soil Science Impact factor: 0.530, year: 2011 http://www.irsm.cas.cz/materialy/acta_content/2012_04/8.Pospisilova.pdf

  13. Mobilization of arsenic and heavy metals from polluted soils by humic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes, Arturo; Fuentes, Bárbara; Letelier, María Victoria; Cuevas, Jacqueline

    2017-04-01

    The existence of soils contaminated with harmful elements by mining activities is a global environmental concern. The northern part of Chile has several heavy metal contaminated sites due to former copper and gold artisanal mining activities. Therefore, a complete characterization of abandoned sites and the implementation of remediation technologies are of interest for regulators, the industry, and the population. The objective of the study was to test the use of humic acid as a washing treatment to reduce the heavy metal concentration of soil samples impacted by mine waste material. A stratified random sampling was conducted on the target site to determine the physical and chemical composition of mine waste and soil material. The sampling consisted of taking 37 samples at 0-20 cm depths in a 10,000 square-meter area. The samples were dried and sieved at 2 mm. The batch washing experiments were conducted in triplicate at pH 7.0. A 1:10 solid to liquid ratio and three humic acid dose (0, 50, and 100 mg/l) were used. After shaking (24 h, room temperature) and subsequently filtration (0.22 μm), the supernatants were analyzed for heavy metals, redox potential and pH. The heavy metals mobility was assessed using extraction methods before and after treatments. The soils had alkaline pH values, conductivity ranged between 8 and 35 mS/cm, with low organic matter. Total concentrations of Vanadium (V) (10.80 to 175.00 mg/kg), Lead (Pb) (7.31 to 90.10 mg/kg), Antimonium (Sb) (0.83 to 101.00 mg/kg), and Arsenic (As) (9.53 to 2691.00 mg/kg) exceeded several times the EPA`s recommended values for soils. At 100 mg/L HA the removal efficiencies for V, Pb, Sb, and As were 32, 68, 77, and 82% respectively. According to the extraction procedure V, Pb, Sb, and As species are mainly as oxidizable and residual fractions. According to the results, the target mine site is contaminated with harmful elements. It can be concluded that the use of humic acid is a good alternative as a

  14. Effects of extraction period on yield of rice straw compost humic acids

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Humic acids (HA) are widely used in agriculture because of their capability as chelator, organic matter, soil improver and growth promoter. However, their isolation differs in terms of origin or source because of wetting and solubilization factors. This study was conducted to determine extraction period for HA from composted ...

  15. SOLUBILIZATION OF POTASSIUM FROM ALTERNATIVE ROCKS BY HUMIC AND CITRIC ACIDS AND COFFEE HUSK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Souza Pessoa

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Brazil imports most of the potassium that it consumes in agriculture, however, such huge external dependence can be minimized with the use of alternative local K bearing rocks. This experiment was conducted with the objective of evaluating the solubility of nepheline syenite and glauconite as a function of three organic matrices, humic acid, citric acid and coffee husk. Incubation of low grade K rocks and organic matrices were done in laboratory conditions, in a completely randomized design. Each rock was mixed with five different doses of each organic matrix and the potassium solubilized was measured periodically, during 180 days. Regardless of the organic matrix and its dose investigated, nepheline syenite samples released more K than the modified glauconite. Soluble K increased as the incubation time increased and its release was greater as the organic matrix dose increased. There was more soluble K when the coffee husk was mixed with the potassic rocks, in relation to the humic and citric acids.

  16. Kinetics of rapid covalent bond formation of aniline with humic acid: ESR investigations with nitroxide spin labels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glinka, Kevin; Matthies, Michael; Theiling, Marius; Hideg, Kalman; Steinhoff, Heinz-Jürgen

    2016-04-01

    Sulfonamide antibiotics used in livestock farming are distributed to farmland by application of slurry as fertilizer. Previous work suggests rapid covalent binding of the aniline moiety to humic acids found in soil. In the current work, kinetics of this binding were measured in X-band EPR spectroscopy by incubating Leonardite humic acid (LHA) with a paramagnetic aniline spin label (anilino-NO (2,5,5-Trimethyl-2-(3-aminophenyl)pyrrolidin-1-oxyl)). Binding was detected by a pronounced broadening of the spectral lines after incubation of LHA with anilino-NO. The time evolution of the amplitude of this feature was used for determining the reaction kinetics. Single- and double-exponential models were fitted to the data obtained for modelling one or two first-order reactions. Reaction rates of 0.16 min-1 and 0.012 min-1, were found respectively. Addition of laccase peroxidase did not change the kinetics but significantly enhanced the reacting fraction of anilino-NO. This EPR-based method provides a technically simple and effective method for following rapid binding processes of a xenobiotic substance to humic acids.

  17. Redox stability of neptunium(V) in the presence of humic substances of varying functionality

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmeide, K.; Geipel, G.; Bernhard, G. [Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V., Institute of Radiochemistry, P.O. Box 510 119, D-01314 Dresden (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: Naturally occurring aquatic humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) are known to effect the speciation and thus, the migration behavior of actinide contaminants in environmental systems due to their complexing and redox properties and their ability to form colloids. Therefore, to understand and predict the mobility of actinides in natural aquifer systems, amongst others, information on their redox stability in the presence of humic substances is necessary. In the present work, the time dependence of the reduction of Np(V) to Np(IV) by humic substances of varying functionality has been studied under anaerobic conditions between pH 3.5 and pH 9. Synthetic humic acids with pronounced redox functionality (type Cat-Gly and Hyd-Glu) [1] were studied in comparison to natural humic substances (Aldrich humic acid, Kranichsee fulvic acid). For Np speciation in solution liquid-liquid extraction, laser-induced photoacoustic spectroscopy (LIPAS), NIR absorption spectroscopy, and ultrafiltration were applied. In comparison to the natural humic substances, the synthetic humic acids lead to a much stronger reduction of Np(V) to Np(IV) [2]. The Np(IV) formed in the course of the experiments is stabilized as Np(IV) humate. The tetravalent oxidation state of Np remained constant for several months. The redox capacities of the synthetic humic acids, which are significantly higher than those of the natural humic substances, can be attributed to their higher phenolic/acidic OH group contents compared to natural humic substances. The dominating role of phenolic/acidic OH groups for the reduction of Np(V) by humic substances could be verified applying a synthetic humic acid with blocked phenolic/acidic OH groups (type Hyd-Glu-PB). Furthermore, the influence of NO{sub 3}{sup -} on the Np(V) reduction by humic substances was studied. The results have shown that by application of the synthetic humic acids with distinct redox functionalities actinides can

  18. Propriedades ácido-base e de complexação de ácidos húmico e fúlvico isolados de vermicomposto Acid/base and complexation properties of humic and fulvic acids isolated from vermicompost

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandro de Miranda Colombo

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Proton binding properties of humic and fulvic acids were studied by potentiometric titration. Carboxylic groups were the predominant ionizable sites in comparison to phenolic and amine groups. Total acidity of fulvic acid was 12 x 10-3 mol g-1, a number significantly higher than that obtained for humic acid (5.2 x 10-3 mol g-1. Copper ion binding was evaluated at pH 4, 5 and 6 by potentiometric titration with an ion selective electrode for Cu(II. Differential stability constants and complexation capacities were systematically higher for humic acid, despite its lower number of ionizable sites in comparison with fulvic acid.

  19. Dispersion state and humic acids concentration-dependent sorption of pyrene to carbon nanotubes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhang, X.; Kah, M.; Jonker, M.T.O.; Hofmann, T.

    2012-01-01

    Sonication and humic acids (HA) are known to disperse carbon nanotube (CNT) suspensions, but potential effects on sorption of chemicals to CNTs remain poorly understood. We applied a passive sampling method to investigate the influence of dispersion/aggregation on sorption of pyrene to CNTs.

  20. FT-IR study of gamma-radiation induced degradation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA/humic acids blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ilcin, M.; Hola, O.; Bakajova, B.; Kucerik, J.

    2010-01-01

    Samples of pure polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and PVA doped with humic acids were exposed to gamma radiation. Gamma rays induced the degradation of the pure polymer. Degradation changes were observed using ATR FT-IR equipment. Dehydration, double bond creation, and their subsequent oxidation (surrounding atmosphere was air) were found out. Also, other degradation reactions (e.g. chain scission, cyclization) occur simultaneously. Formation of C=C and C=O bonds is apparent from FT-IR spectra. In contrast the presence of humic acids in the PVA sample showed stabilizing effect on PVA structure within the concentration range 0.5-10%. (author)

  1. {sup 1}H NMR metabolomics of earthworm exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, Sarah A.E.; McKelvie, Jennifer R.; Simpson, Andre J. [Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4 (Canada); Simpson, Myrna J., E-mail: myrna.simpson@utoronto.c [Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4 (Canada)

    2010-06-15

    {sup 1}H NMR metabolomics was used to monitor earthworm responses to sub-lethal (50-1500 mg/kg) phenanthrene exposure in soil. Total phenanthrene was analyzed via soxhlet extraction, bioavailable phenanthrene was estimated by hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) and 1-butanol extractions and sorption to soil was assessed by batch equilibration. Bioavailable phenanthrene (HPCD-extracted) comprised approx65-97% of total phenanthrene added to the soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed differences in responses between exposed earthworms and controls after 48 h exposure. The metabolites that varied with exposure included amino acids (isoleucine, alanine and glutamine) and maltose. PLS models indicated that earthworm response is positively correlated to both total phenanthrene concentration and bioavailable (HPCD-extracted) phenanthrene in a freshly spiked, unaged soil. These results show that metabolomics is a powerful, direct technique that may be used to monitor contaminant bioavailability and toxicity of sub-lethal concentrations of contaminants in the environment. These initial findings warrant further metabolomic studies with aged contaminated soils. - {sup 1}H NMR metabolomics is used to directly monitor metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida after 48 h of exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene in soil.

  2. Complexation of trivalent actinide ions (Am3+, Cm3+) with humic acid: a comparison of different experimental methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Rhee, D.S.; Wimmer, H.; Buckau, G.; Klenze, R.

    1993-01-01

    The complexation of trivalent metal ions with humic acid has been studied at pH 4 and 5 in 0.1 M NaClO 4 by three different experimental methods, i.e. UV spectroscopy, time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and ultrafiltration. The direct speciation of the metal ion and its humate complex in the reaction process has been made by UV spectroscopy for Am(III) in the micromolar concentration range and by TRLFS for Cm(III) in the nanomolar concentration range. The ultrafiltration is used with the lowest pore size of filter (ca. 1 nm) to separate the uncomplexed metal ion from its complexed species. The concentrations of both metal ion and humic acid are varied in such a manner that the effective functional groups of the humic acid becomes loaded with metal ions from 1% to nearly 100%. The loading capacity of the humic acid for the trivalent metal ion, determined separately at each pH, is introduced into the evaluation of complexation constants. The variation of the metal ion concentration from 6 x 10 -8 mol/l to 4 x 10 -5 mol/l does not show any effect on the complexation reaction. The three different methods give rise to constants being comparable with one another. The average value of the constants thus determined is log β = 6.24±0.28 for the trivalent actinide ions. (orig.)

  3. Effects of Various Substrates and Foliar Application of Humic Acid ‎on Growth and some Qualitative and Quantitative Characteristics of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Seedling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasibeh Pourghasemian

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Successful greenhouse and nursery production of plants is largely dependent on the chemical and physical properties of the growing substrate. An ideal potting substrate should be free of weeds and diseases, heavy enough to avoid frequent tipping over and yet light enough to facilitate handling and shipping. The substrate should also be well drained and yet retain sufficient water to reduce the frequency of watering. Other parameters to consider include cost, availability, consistency between batches and stability in the media over time. Greenhouse crops in general, have higher nutrient demands than field grown crops. Therefore, in order to optimize production it is essential to focus on the growing substrate and fertilization. The physical properties of the growing medium are important parameters for successful plant growth, as these are related to the ability to adequately store and supply air and water to plants. Humic acid is a principal component of humic substances, which are the major organic constituents of soil (humus, peat and coal. It is also a major organic constituent of many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and ocean water. It is produced by biodegradation of dead organic matter. It is not a single acid, but it is a complex mixture of many different acids containing carboxyl and phenolate groups so that the mixture behaves functionally as a dibasic acid or occasionally as a tribasic acid. Humic acids can form complexes with ions that are commonly found in the environment creating humic colloids. Humic and fulvic acids (fulvic acids are humic acids with lower molecular weight and higher oxygen content than other humic acids are commonly used as a soil supplement in agriculture. Humic Plus contains humic acid, fulvic acid, macro micro nutrients and proprietary constituents essential for plant growth. Organic matter soil amendments have been known by farmers to be beneficial to plant growth for longer than recorded

  4. Effect of rhizobacteria inoculation and humic acid application on canola (Brassica napus L.) crop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, S.; Duar, I.; Solaimani, S.G.A.; Mahmood, S.

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated eco-friendly approach of utilizing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and humic acid (HA) as bio-stimulants to improve the growth, yield and nutrition of canola (Brassica napus L.). In this study, we isolated 20 indigenous rhizobacterial strains that were subsequently screened and characterized for their plant growth promoting traits. After that one promising PGPR strain identified as Acinetobacter pittii by 16S rRNA gene sequencing was selected for field trial. The field experiment was conducted using RCB design with split-plot arrangement that was replicated four times. Three levels of humic acid (0, 10 and 20 kg ha-1) as main plot factor and two treatments of PGPR (with and without PGPR) as sub-plot factor were used. Data was recorded on plant height (cm), root dry matter plant-1, number of lateral root plant-1, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, 1000 seed weight (g), seed yield(kg ha-1), oil content (%), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents and uptake. For most of the above mentioned parameters, significant enhancement was observed with the increment of humic acid, and also PGPR treatments were better than their respective control treatments. Maximum values of these parameters were recorded for the interaction of 20 kg HA ha-1 with the PGPR strain. It can be concluded that integrated application of HA and PGPR is a better strategy to improve nutrition and yield of canola. (author)

  5. CHANGES IN STRUCTURE AND CONTENT HUMIC SUBSTANCES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maroš SIROTIAK

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper deals with the process of thermal degradation of humic substances in soil samples exposed to increased temperature. To determine the basic properties of humic substances, humic and fulvic acids are used conventional fractionation chemical laboratory methods. To determine changes in the chemical structure, the method of use of FT-IR ATR spectroscopy technique.

  6. Impact of Humic Acid on Yield and Quality of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L. Grown on Calcareous Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ghorbanali RASSAM

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available A field experiment was performed to determine the effects of using humic acid with irrigation on quantitative and qualitative yield traits of sugar beet grown on calcareous soils in Esfaraen, located in the North-East of Iran. Treatments consisted of three levels of humic acid concentration (zero or control, 2.5 and 5 L ha-1 and the number of applications (once 45 days after planting; twice, 45 and 75 days after planting; three times, respectively 45, 75 and 105 days after planting. The effect of the two experimental factors on sugar beet yield traits such as the content of sucrose, refined sugar, molasses forming substances, root yield and refined sugar yield were evaluated. The results proved the existence of a significant interaction between humic acid concentration and the number of applications on all parameters under study. The application of humic acid caused a significant increase of sucrose, refined sugar, root yield and refined sugar yield and a reduction in molasses forming substances content, compared to the control. The increased amount of sucrose and refined sugar content in all applications in concentration of 2.5 L ha-1 humic acid was more than with 5 L ha-1. Similarly, the content of molasses forming substances showed more reduction in 2.5 L ha-1 than in 5 L ha-1 treatment. However, the results revealed that the highest root yield and refined sugar yield, as the main qualitative and quantitative parameters of sugar beet yield, were achieved by three times application of 5 L ha-1 that had 24 and 37% increase compared to control.

  7. Characterization of Redox properties of humic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choppin, G.R.

    1995-01-01

    An important aspect of humic materials is the presence of stable free radicals as shown by the width of 1 H-NMR lines of humic acid in solution as well as ESR spectra of solid samples. Presumably, these are due to quinohdrone functional groups in the humic structure. These free radicals are assumed to be a source of the redox effects of humics in metal cations. Phenolic groups have also been proposed as a source of reduction potential in these substances. The reduction potential of humic material is 0.5-0.7 V (vs. the normal hydrogen electrode). In addition to this inherent redox property, humics undergo photolysis by sunlight in surface waters which results in the production of hydrogen peroxide. The latter can also result in redox reactions with metal cations. Such direct and indirect redox capability can have significant effects on the migration of reducible cations. Studies of the reduction of hexavalent actinide cations by humic acid showed the reactions Np O 2 2+ -> Np O 2 + (E 1/2 0 = 1.47 V) and Pu O 2 2+ -> Pu +4 (E 1/2 0 = 1.04 V) while U O 2 2+ was not reduced. The reduction of plutonium in sea water by humics is discussed. Evidence of the effects of redox by humic material on metal cations in natural waters and sediments are also reviewed. (authors). 16 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  8. Cyclodextrin-enhanced biodegradation of phenanthrene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, J.-M.; Marlowe, E.M.; Miller-Maier, R.M.; Brusseau, M.L. [University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ (United States). Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science

    1998-07-01

    The effectiveness of in situ bioremediation in many systems may be constrained by low contaminant bioavailability due to limited aqueous solubility or a large magnitude of sorption. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of hydroxypropyl-{beta}-cyclodextrin (HPCD) on phenanthrene solubilization and biodegradation. Results showed that analytical-grade HPCD can significantly increase the apparent solubility of phenanthrene. The increase in apparent solubility had a major impact on the biodegradation rate of phenanthrene. For example, in the presence of 10{sup 5} mg L{sup -1} HPCD, the substrate utilization rate increased from 0.17 mg h{sup -1} to 0.93 mg h{sup -1} while the apparent solubility was increased from 1.3 mg L{sup -1} to 161.3 mg L{sup -1}. As a result, only 0.3% of the phenanthrene remained at the end of a 48 h incubation for the highest concentration of HPCD tested (10{sup 5} mg L{sup -1}). In contrast, 45.2% of the phenanthrene remained in the absence of HPCD. Technical-grade HPCD, which contains the biodegradable impurity propylene glycol, also increased the substrate utilization rate, although to a lesser extent than the analytical-grade HPCD. On the basis of these results, it appears that HPCD can significantly increase the bioavailability, and thereby enhance the biodegradation of phenanthrene. 26 refs., 5 figs.

  9. Enhanced PCBs sorption on biochars as affected by environmental factors: Humic acid and metal cations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yu; Wang Lei; Fang Guodong; Herath, H.M.S.K.; Wang Yujun; Cang Long; Xie Zubin; Zhou Dongmei

    2013-01-01

    Biochar plays an important role in the behaviors of organic pollutants in the soil environment. The role of humic acid (HA) and metal cations on the adsorption affinity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the biochars in an aqueous medium and an extracted solution from a PCBs-contaminated soil was studied using batch experiments. Biochars were produced with pine needles and wheat straw at 350 °C and 550 °C under anaerobic condition. The results showed that the biochars had high adsorption affinity for PCBs. Pine needle chars adsorbed less nonplanar PCBs than planar ones due to dispersive interactions and separation. Coexistence of HA and metal cations increased PCBs sorption on the biochars accounted for HA adsorption and cation complexation. The results will aid in a better understanding of biochar sorption mechanism of contaminants in the environment. - Highlights: ► Application of the biochars for PCBs sorption was a new and effective way. ► The biochars had higher adsorption affinity for PCBs in the soil extracted solution. ► Pine needle chars adsorbed less nonplanar PCBs than planar ones. ► Coexisting humic acid or metal cations increased PCBs sorption on the biochars. - The biochars had higher adsorption affinity for PCBs in the extracted soil solution because coexisting humic acid and metal cations increased their sorption.

  10. Fixation and transport of uranium by humic substances (1962)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, J.

    1962-03-01

    One enter upon the study of the part taken by organic substances in ores that contain uranium in a disseminated form, without mineralization, being considered the reaction between uranium and humus. 'Humic acids' are extracted from the peat by ammonia. By the fact of their ability to cationic exchange, these are forming humates with metal cations; monovalent humates, normally soluble in water, can become insoluble after treatment of humic acids with methanal. The polyvalent humates are insoluble in water, especially humates of U (IV) and uranyl U (VI). Action of Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca uranyl carbonates solutions on the humic acids results in the formation of humates containing uranyl and the other cation. 100 g of humic acids give a fixation of no more than 38 g of uranium as uranyl. In contact with uraniferous weakly concentrated solutions, they fix 4 to 8 g according to pH, with a yield in the extraction greater than 95 per cent. The action of a sodium humate solution on a humate of uranyl give a solution containing a soluble sodium and uranyl humate. The solution is precipitated at various degrees by the polyvalent cations and insoluble humic substances. In all cases, the fixation of uranium with such prepared humic acids corresponds to a chemisorption of uranyl cations. (author) [fr

  11. The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp and its response to the application of humic acids (HA´s in Canton Jipijapa in Ecuador

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayón Fernando

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available This research was carried out in the Jipijapa canton, Manabi province of Ecuador, with the following objectives: i to identify the dose of humic acid in the caupí crop, ii to determine the time for foliar application of humic acid, and iii determine the marginal rate of return in terms of cost/benefit. A plot in experimental design of completely randomized blocks (DCRB with factorial arrangement of 4 x 3 with four replications was implemented. The variables plant height (PH, stem diameter (SD, sheath length (SL, number of decks (ND and average weight of decks (AWD were evaluated. The results showed that to improve cowpea production, the addition of significant amounts of iron is required. The dose of leaf application was 1000 cm3/ha of humic acids, the PH was 48.76 cm and SD of 9.66 mm. The time for foliar application of humic acids was at 30 days, the length of pod was obtained with 21.16 cm and numbers of decks with 14.34. For the weight of the mallets, the treatment was the application to the 15 days after the sowing. There was a high and significant correlation between PH and SD (0.54. When the economic analysis was carried out, the T8 treatment, 1000 cm3/ha of humic acid was applied, applied 30 days after sowing was the one with the marginal return rate with 271.43%.

  12. Kinetics of the oxidative hydroxylation of tetraphosphorus in the presence of copper(II chloride modified by humic (fulvo- acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaksyntay Kairbekov

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available It was established that in mild conditions (50-70 oC, РО2= 1 atm white phosphorus effectively is oxidized by oxygen in water-toluene solutions of copper(II chloride modified by humic (fulvo- acid to give mainly phosphoric acid. Humic (fulvo- acid was extracted from brown coal of domestic deposit Kiyakty. For determination of optimum parameters of fulvo-acid extraction the laboratory experiments were carried out using the method of experiment planning. The kinetics, intermediate and final products, optimum conditions of new catalytic reaction of P4 oxidation by oxygen in water medium were defined by kinetics, volumometry, redox-potentiometry, 31Р{1Н} NMR spectroscopy and  titration. 

  13. Identification of intermediates leading to chloroform and C-4 diacids in the chlorination of humic acid

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.; Leer, E.W.B. de; Erkelens, Corrie; Galan, L.

    1985-01-01

    The chlorination of terrestrial humic acid was studied at pH 7. 2 with varying chlorine to carbon ratios. The principal products are chloroform, di- and trichloroacetic acid, and chlorinated C-4 diacids. At a high chlorine dose many new chlorination products were detected, among them

  14. Removal of radium-226 from radium-contaminated soil using humic acid by column leaching method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esther Phillip; Muhamad Samudi Yasir

    2012-01-01

    In this study, evaluation of radium-226 removal from radium-contaminated soil using humic acid extracted from peat soil by column leaching method was carried out. Humic acid of concentration 100 ppm and pH 7 was leached through a column packed with radium-contaminated soil and leachates collected were analysed with gamma spectrometer to determine the leached radium-226. Results obtained indicated low removal of radium-226 between 1 - 4 %. Meanwhile, leaching profile revealed that radium-226 was bound to soil components with three different strength, thus resulting in three phases of radium-226 removal. It was estimated that the total removal of radium-226 from 10 g radium-contaminated soil sample studied could be achieved using approximately 31500 - 31850 ml HA solutions with leaching rate of 1 ml/ min. (author)

  15. Study of stability of humic acids from soil and peat irradiated by gamma rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, Wilson Tadeu Lopes da

    1995-01-01

    Humic acids samples (one deriving from a sedimentary soil and other from a peat), in aqueous media, were irradiated with gamma rays, in doses of 10, 50 and 100 kGy, in order to understand their chemical behavior after the irradiation. The material, before and after irradiation, was analyzed by Elemental Analysis, Functional Groups (carboxylic acids and phenols), UV/Vis Spectroscopy (E 4 /E 6 ratio), IR spectroscopy, CO 2 content and Gel permeation Chromatography (GPC) ). The Elemental Analysis showed the humic acid derived from a peat had a most percentage quantity of Carbon and Hydrogen than the material from a sedimentary soil. From the UV/Vis Spectroscopy, it was observed a decrease of E 4 /E 6 ratio with an increase of the applied dose. The data from GPC are in agreement with this. The results showed that the molecular weight of the material increased by exposing it to a larger radiolitical dose. The peat material was less affected by the gamma radiation than the soil material. The carboxylic groups were responsible by radiochemical behavior of the material. (author)

  16. A new humic acid remedy with addition of silver nanoparticles

    OpenAIRE

    GP Alexandrova; G Dolmaa; E Enkhbadral; GL Grishenko; Sh Tserenpil; BG Sukhov; D Regdel; BA Trofimov

    2014-01-01

    Previously known biogenic stimulator humic acid (HA) was the subject of this current study and HA based new remediation was developed by addition of silver (Ag) nanoparticles in its macromolecule. Extracted HA from a healing mud was characterized and used as reducing agent for Ag ion as well as a stabilizer for the formed Ag nanoparticles. The properties of the obtained hybrid composite were examined by XRD, UV and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The diameter of the nanoparticles in the HA pol...

  17. Protective Effect of Humic acid and Chitosan on Radish (Raphanus sativus, L. var. sativus Plants Subjected to Cadmium Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.M. EL-Gahmery

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundHumic acid or chitosan has been shown to increase plant growth, yield and improving physiological processes in plant, but its roles on alleviating the harmful effect of cadmium on plant growth and some physiological processes in plants is very rare. Pot experiments were conducted to study the role of 100 and 200 mg/kg dry soil from either humic acid or chitosan on counteracted the harmful effects of cadmium levels (100 and 150 mg/kg dry soil on radish plant growth and some physiological charactersResultsCadmium at 100 and 150 mg kg-1 soil decreased significantly length, fresh and dry weights of shoot and root systems as well as leaf number per plant in both seasons. Chlorophyll, total sugars, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, relative water content, water deficit percentage and soluble proteins as well as total amino acids contents were also decreased. Meanwhile, cadmium concentration in plants was increased. On the other hand, application of chitosan or humic acid as soil addition at the concentration of 100 or 200 mg kg-1 increased all the above mentioned parameters and decreased cadmium concentrations in plant tissues. Chitosan at 200 mg kg-1 was the most effective than humic acid at both concentrations in counteracting the harmful effect of cadmium stress on radish plant growth.ConclusionIn conclusion, both natural chelators, in particular, chitosan at 200 mg/kg dry soil can increase the capacity of radish plant to survive under cadmium stress due to chelating the Cd in the soil, and then reduced Cd bio-availability.

  18. Impact of organic fertilizer, humic acid and sea weed extract on wheat production in pothowar region of pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muhammad, S.; Anjum, A.S.; Kasana, M.I.

    2013-01-01

    Wheat (Triticum aestivum L) crop production was evaluated under organic conditions during the year 2008-09 and 2009-2010 at National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Pakistan Agricultural Research council (PARC) Islamabad. The study includes four treatments with four replications. The treatments includes; (1) Organic fertilizer 625 Kg ha/sup -1/, (2) Organic fertilizer 625 and Humic Acid 10 Kg ha/sup -1/ (3) Humic Acid and Sea weed extract 625 ml ha/sup -1/ and (4) Control. Organic amendments were incorporated during land preparation and seaweed extract as foliar spray. The basal dose of organic fertilizer and humic acid (granule) were added at the time of sowing of wheat during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.Humic acid solution 1% and sea weed extract were applied as foliar spray at 6 inches of wheat crop. The second foliar spray was done at tillering while third and forth sprays at heading and milking stage respectively. The crop conditions, color, shoot length and spike and yield parameters were recorded at different stages of the organic fertilizer application. The soils and crops managed organically are sustainable. Similarly, biological and chemical properties of soil also improved significantly. The compost enriched with different organic waste increased all physico-chemical and biological properties of the soil as well as yield of the crop. The wheat crop morphological and agronomical parameters also increase significantly. Moreover, nutrients supply and other soil properties like pH, CEC, ECe and plant nutrients including microbial community structure influence positively. (author)

  19. Characterization of commercial humic acid samples and their impact on growth of fungi and plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asma Lodhi, Shermeen Tahir, Zafar Iqbal, Ansar Mahmood, Muhammad Akhtar, Tariq Mahmood Qureshi, Muhammad Yaqub and Asif Naeem

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Naturally occurring humates like leonardite and brown coal or lignite are marketed under different brand names e.g. Pak Humates, Humate Fertilizer, Pak Humax, Humkara and Humide etc. However, their efficacy is needed to be confirmed before their use. Different studies were conducted for the comparison of four commercial humates for their physico-chemical, optical properties, plant growth promoting ability in terms of seed germination and seedling vigour in wheat (cv Sehr, mung bean (Mung-54, maize (C-12 and sesbania and their effect on growth of some fungi. Moisture content of four humates varied from 0.52 to 71.11%, while solubility in water varied from 30.2 to 98.2% and density differed from 1.67 to 4.17. A 2% solution of humates had pH and EC varying from 5.39 to 10.11 and 3.140 to 1.143 mS cm-1, respectively. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations varied from 22.95 to 36.56% and 0.658 to 1.183, respectively with a C/N ratio of 30.91 to 44.16. Humates dissolved in 0.1N NaOH were partitioned into humic acid and fulvic acid fractions. Of the total C in humates, 40.3 to 77.5% was ranged in humic acid and 22.5 to 59.7% in fulvic acid fraction. The HA was also studied for optical properties at 400, 500, 600, and 700 nm besides that at 465 and 665 to calculate E4/E6 (extinction coefficient; the later varied between 3.64 and 5.48. Optical density of the humic acid decreased at increasing wavelength and was correlated significantly with the carbon contents of humic compounds. Three fungi, Trichoderma harzianum, T. hamatum and Alternaria alternata showed maximum growth at 0.025% HA in the growth medium on the basis of colony diameter. Humates inhibited seed germination in wheat, maize and mung bean except for sesbania. Root length and shoot dry matter increased in wheat and maize but no effect was found in mung bean and sesbania. The studies revealed that humates available in the market vary widely and therefore some sort of quality monitoring is required

  20. Application of a set of complementary techniques to understand how varying the proportion of two wastes affects humic acids produced by vermicomposting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernández-Gómez, Manuel J., E-mail: manuelj.fernandez@eez.csic.es [Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada (Spain); Nogales, Rogelio [Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada (Spain); Plante, Alain [Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Hayden Hall, 240 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Plaza, César [Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 115, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Fernández, José M. [Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Hayden Hall, 240 S. 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Serrano 115, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

    2015-01-15

    Highlights: • A set of techniques was used to characterize humic acids content of vermicomposts. • The properties of the humic acids produced from different waste mixtures were similar. • This set of techniques allowed distinguishing the humic acids of each vermicomposts. • Increasing humic acid contents in initial mixtures would produce richer vermicomposts. - Abstract: A better understanding of how varying the proportion of different organic wastes affects humic acid (HA) formation during vermicomposting would be useful in producing vermicomposts enriched in HAs. With the aim of improving the knowledge about this issue, a variety of analytical techniques [UV–visible spectroscopic, Fourier transform infrared, fluorescence spectra, solid-state cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) {sup 13}C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and thermal analysis] was used in the present study to characterize HAs isolated from two mixtures at two different ratios (2:1 and 1:1) of tomato-plant debris (TD) and paper-mill sludge (PS) before and after vermicomposting. The results suggest that vermicomposting increased the HA content in the TD/PS 2:1 and 1:1 mixtures (15.9% and 16.2%, respectively), but the vermicompost produced from the mixture with a higher amount of TD had a greater proportion (24%) of HAs. Both vermicomposting processes caused equal modifications in the humic precursors contained in the different mixtures of TD and PS, and consequently, the HAs in the vermicomposts produced from different waste mixtures exhibited analogous characteristics. Only the set of analytical techniques used in this research was able to detect differences between the HAs isolated from each type of vermicompost. In conclusion, varying the proportion of different wastes may have a stronger influence on the amount of HAs in vermicomposts than on the properties of HAs.

  1. Application of a set of complementary techniques to understand how varying the proportion of two wastes affects humic acids produced by vermicomposting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernández-Gómez, Manuel J.; Nogales, Rogelio; Plante, Alain; Plaza, César; Fernández, José M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A set of techniques was used to characterize humic acids content of vermicomposts. • The properties of the humic acids produced from different waste mixtures were similar. • This set of techniques allowed distinguishing the humic acids of each vermicomposts. • Increasing humic acid contents in initial mixtures would produce richer vermicomposts. - Abstract: A better understanding of how varying the proportion of different organic wastes affects humic acid (HA) formation during vermicomposting would be useful in producing vermicomposts enriched in HAs. With the aim of improving the knowledge about this issue, a variety of analytical techniques [UV–visible spectroscopic, Fourier transform infrared, fluorescence spectra, solid-state cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra, and thermal analysis] was used in the present study to characterize HAs isolated from two mixtures at two different ratios (2:1 and 1:1) of tomato-plant debris (TD) and paper-mill sludge (PS) before and after vermicomposting. The results suggest that vermicomposting increased the HA content in the TD/PS 2:1 and 1:1 mixtures (15.9% and 16.2%, respectively), but the vermicompost produced from the mixture with a higher amount of TD had a greater proportion (24%) of HAs. Both vermicomposting processes caused equal modifications in the humic precursors contained in the different mixtures of TD and PS, and consequently, the HAs in the vermicomposts produced from different waste mixtures exhibited analogous characteristics. Only the set of analytical techniques used in this research was able to detect differences between the HAs isolated from each type of vermicompost. In conclusion, varying the proportion of different wastes may have a stronger influence on the amount of HAs in vermicomposts than on the properties of HAs

  2. Competition effect of some metal ions on the complexation of strontium with humic acid. Vol. 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helal, A A; Aly, H F; Imam, D M; Khalifa, S M [Atomic Energy Authorty, Cairo (Egypt)

    1996-03-01

    Interaction of radioactive strontium with humic acid present in water streams is of main importance to learn about the fate of strontium in case of accidental release. In this work, formation of Sr-humate precipitate was studied radiometrically and colorimetric at different PH`s. The investigations indicated that formation of the precipitated complex increases with increasing strontium concentration till saturation. The competition effect of other cations in solution such as Ca, Mg, Ba, and Ni was investigated. The humate complexes of these cations were studied colorimetric, and the competition behaviour was investigated using the radiotracer of strontium. The results indicated that presence of Ba, Mg and Ni decreases the Sr-humate complex, while increasing Ca concentration enhances precipitation of Sr with humic acid. 10 figs.

  3. A comparison of aggregation behavior in aqueous humic acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    von Wandruszka Ray

    2001-02-01

    Full Text Available The ability of six humic acids (HAs to form pseudomicellar structures in aqueous solution was evaluated by five techniques: size exclusion chromatography; pyrene fluorescence enhancement; the pyrene I1/I3 ratio; the cloud point of dilute HA solutions; and the fluorescence anisotropy of HAs. Soil HAs were found to aggregate most easily, both on microscopic and macroscopic scales. The formation of amphiphilic structures was chiefly related to HA-solvent interactions: highly solvated HAs aggregated poorly, while a lignite derived material underwent intermolecular, rather than intramolecular, rearrangements. A newly discovered algal HA was found to have minimal aggregative properties.

  4. Immobilization of metal-humic acid complexes in anaerobic granular sludge for their application as solid-phase redox mediators in the biotransformation of iopromide in UASB reactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz-Zavala, Aracely S; Pat-Espadas, Aurora M; Rangel-Mendez, J Rene; Chazaro-Ruiz, Luis F; Ascacio-Valdes, Juan A; Aguilar, Cristobal N; Cervantes, Francisco J

    2016-05-01

    Metal-humic acid complexes were synthesized and immobilized by a granulation process in anaerobic sludge for their application as solid-phase redox mediators (RM) in the biotransformation of iopromide. Characterization of Ca- and Fe-humic acid complexes revealed electron accepting capacities of 0.472 and 0.556milli-equivalentsg(-1), respectively. Once immobilized, metal-humic acid complexes significantly increased the biotransformation of iopromide in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors. Control UASB reactor (without humic material) achieved 31.6% of iopromide removal, while 80% was removed in UASB reactors supplied with each metal-humic acid complex. Further analyses indicated multiple transformation reactions taking place in iopromide including deiodination, N-dealkylation, decarboxylation and deacetylation. This is the first successful application of immobilized RM, which does not require a supporting material to maintain the solid-phase RM in long term operation of bioreactors. The proposed redox catalyst could be suitable for enhancing the redox conversion of different recalcitrant pollutants present in industrial effluents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Comparison of the effect of liquid humic fertilizers on yield of maize ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    PC

    2012-03-13

    Mar 13, 2012 ... humic substances can be useful for living creatures in developing organisms (as ... as catalysts of biochemical reactions; and in antioxidant ... group of heterogeneous organic materials which occur .... application of humic acid led to increased phosphorus ... Humic acid leads to increased plant yield through.

  6. Model radioisotope experiments on the influence of acid rain on 65Zn binding with humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koczorowska, E.; Mieloch, M.; Slawinski, J.

    2002-01-01

    Acid rain formed first of all from sulfur oxide emitted by natural and anthropogenic sources, may change the biological equilibrium and the metal stoppage in the soil. The model experiments were performed to determine the influence of acid rain on zinc bond with humic acid (HA). The samples were prepared in glass columns with quartz sand and overlaid HA or HA + 65 Zn radioisotope that simulates natural conditions. Then, solutions of H 2 SO 4 were introduced into the sand - HA layer. Zinc was washed with diluted (10 -4 - 10 -3 M) sulphuric acid as a simulation of acid rain. The results help to evaluate the migration behaviour of zinc in the presence of HA and H 2 SO 4 . The model studies illustrate the considerable influence of sulfuric acid on chemical degradation of HA. (author)

  7. Biotechnology humic acids-based electrospun carbon nanofibers as cost-efficient electrodes for lithium-ion batteries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Pin-Yi; Guo, Yan; Yu, Bao-Jun; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Cheng-Yang

    2016-01-01

    Bio-based, cost-effective carbon nanofibers are fabricated from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) – refined biotechnology humic acids (RB) via simple eletrospinning after stabilization and carbonization. The influence of PAN/RB mass ratios and heat-treatment temperatures (HTTs) on structure and morphology is systematically studied. Excitingly, a first discharge/charge capacity of 937.9/613.4 mAh g −1 (coulombic efficiency of 65.4%) is achieved at 20 mA g −1 for PB7/3-800 in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Meanwhile, a charge capacity of 348.2 mAh g −1 (about 89% retention ratio) remains even after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g −1 . It is demonstrated that biomass humic acids can be applied as a promising precursor to fabricate high performance, low-cost, as well as “green” carbon electrode material for LIBs.

  8. HUMIC ACID-LIKE MATTER ISOLATED FROM GREEN URBAN WASTES. PART I: STRUCTURE AND SURFACTANT PROPERTIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enzo Montoneri

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available A humic acid-like substance (cHAL2 isolated from urban green wastes before composting was compared to a humic acid-like substance (cHAL isolated from a mix of urban organic humid waste fraction and green residues composted for 15 days. cHAL2 was found to contain more aliphatic and O-alkyl C atoms relative to aromatic, phenol, and carboxyl C atoms, and to yield higher critical micellar concentration (cmc = 0.97 g L-1 and surface tension at the cmc (cmc = 37.8 mN/min water than cHAL (cmc = 0.40 g L-1; cmc = 36.1 mN/m. The results point out that biomass wastes may be an interesting source of biosurfactants with diversified properties that depend on the nature of waste and on its process of treatment.

  9. Evaluation of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Vermicompost and Humic Acid on Essence Yield and Root Colonization of Fennel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. Akbari

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The main objective of sustainable agriculture is to decrease the off-farm inputs such as chemical fertilizers, increased farm nutrient cycle through reduced tillage and the use of biological and organic fertilizers. Studies on medicinal plants indicates that the use of sustainable farming systems provide the best conditions for the production of these plants. Mycorrhizal fungi, vermicompost and humic acid are samples of biological and organic fertilizer that can be used, to eliminate or substantially reduce the use of chemical inputs in order to increase the quantity, quality and stability of the products. Mycorrhizal fungi are one of the most important rhizosphere microorganisms which have symbiotic relation with root of most crops. Mycorrhizal symbiosis improves the soil physical (through expansion of hyphae of fungus, chemical (through increased absorption of nutrients and biological (the soil food web quality. These fungus increased nutrient uptake, such as phosphorus and some micronutrients, water uptake, reducing the negative effects of environmental stress and increase resistance to pathogens and improve the quality of their host plants. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill is one of the most important medicinal plants, as the essential oil from the seeds used in a variety of industries, pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic use. Anethole is important component of the essential oil of fennel seed. Materials and Methods This experiment was conducted as a factorial based on randomized complete block design in order to evaluate the effects of vermicompost application, humic acid and mycorrhizal fungi on quantitative and qualitative aspects of fennel yield at experimental farm of Shahrood University during growing season of 1391-92. This experiment includes 12 treatments and 3 applications. Vermicompost levels include: v1 (no application v2 (4 ton ha-1 v3 (8 ton ha-1. Mycorrhizal fungi include: m1 (no inoculation and m2 (inoculation and

  10. 1H NMR-based metabolomics of time-dependent responses of Eisenia fetida to sub-lethal phenanthrene exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lankadurai, Brian P.; Wolfe, David M.; Simpson, Andre J.; Simpson, Myrna J.

    2011-01-01

    1 H NMR-based metabolomics was used to examine the response of the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene over time. Earthworms were exposed to 0.025 mg/cm 2 of phenanthrene (1/64th of the LC 50 ) via contact tests over four days. Earthworm tissues were extracted using a mixture of chloroform, methanol and water, resulting in polar and non-polar fractions that were analyzed by 1 H NMR after one, two, three and four days. NMR-based metabolomic analyses revealed heightened E. fetida responses with longer phenanthrene exposure times. Amino acids alanine and glutamate, the sugar maltose, the lipids cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine emerged as potential indicators of phenanthrene exposure. The conversion of succinate to fumarate in the Krebs cycle was also interrupted by phenanthrene. Therefore, this study shows that NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful tool for elucidating time-dependent relationships in addition to the mode of toxicity of phenanthrene in earthworm exposure studies. - Highlights: → NMR-based earthworm metabolomic analysis of the mode of action of phenanthrene is presented. → The earthworm species E. fetida were exposed to sub-lethal phenanthrene concentrations. → Both polar and non-polar metabolites of E. fetida tissue extracts were analyzed by 1 H NMR. → Longer phenanthrene exposure times resulted in heightened earthworm responses. → An interruption of the Krebs cycle was also observed due to phenanthrene exposure. - 1 H NMR metabolomics is used to determine the relationship between phenanthrene exposure and the metabolic response of the earthworm E. fetida over time and also to elucidate the phenanthrene mode of toxicity.

  11. Speciation of humic acid and some transition metal ions in presence of each other under alkaline pH conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padmanabhan, Hemalatha; Desai, M.V.M.

    1998-12-01

    Humic acid, the major natural organic matter of marine sediments, is extracted and its interactions with Zn, Mn, Co, Fe and Hg are studied. All these elements are found to form cationic, anionic and neutral complexes with humic acid in the pH range of 7 to 13. A novel feature of the work is that the humic acid itself undergoes change in its ionic character in presence of trace elements in the entire pH range studied. The rates of formation of anionic and neutral species for Zn, Mn, Co, Fe and Hg are different for each metal ion. Iron forms predominantly anionic species and the best fit lines of anionic and neutral species are practically parallel to each other. The best fit line of anionic and neutral species have positive slopes in case of Mn and Co. In case of Hg, the best fit line of the anionic species has positive slope and that of neutral species has a negative slope. Thus the abundance and type of species have an interdependence on metal ion, types of species and pH. (author)

  12. Study of humic acids by small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Timchenko, A.; Trubetskaya, O.; Kihara, H.

    1999-01-01

    Humic acids are an important component of natural ecological system and represent a polydisperse complex of natural biopolymers with molecular masses from several to hundreds kilodaltons. They are both a source of organic compounds and a protector against anthropogenic pollutions of biosphere. The aim of the report is to underline some possibilities of small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering to study HA and their fractions. (author)

  13. Proton and Copper Binding to Humic Acids Analyzed by XAFS Spectroscopy and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Xu, Jinling; Koopal, Luuk K.; Fang, Linchuan; Xiong, Juan; Tan, Wenfeng

    2018-01-01

    Proton and copper (Cu) binding to soil and lignite-based humic acid (HA) was investigated by combining X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and nonideal-competitive-adsorption (NICA) modeling. NICA model calculations and XAFS results showed

  14. Molybdenum (VI) binded to humic and nitrohumic acid models in aqueous solutions salicylic, 3-nitrosalicylic, 5-nitrosalicylic and 3,5 dinitrosalicylic acids, Part 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merce, Ana Lucia R.; Lopes, Priscilla P.; Mangricha, Antonio S.

    2006-01-01

    In this work electrochemical and Ultraviolet-Visible studies were performed in solutions of salicylic acid models of humic and nitrohumic acids, a laboratory artifact, and molybdenum in order to determine the affinity of these models towards the metal ion. Molybdenum, which plays a very important role in the soil chemistry, and together with humic substances, impart fertility to soil and water and is a key element in the activity of nitrogenase. The obtained results showed that at least one complexed species is present at the pH range of 6.3 to 8.0, even for the less basic chosen models, the nitrosalicylic acids. Previous study showed that phthalic and nitrophthalic, also humic and nitrohumic acids model compounds, presented complexed species with molybdenum only till pH 6.5. The calculated formation constants showed that the substitution of the nitro group in the orto position was less favoured than in the para substitution, probably due to a steric hindrance in the former, which was clearly seen in the double substituted salicylic nitro derivative. The cyclic voltammetry as well as the Ultraviolet-Visible obtained spectra were able to show that the chemistry of molybdenum in aqueous solutions as the pH is increased is very complex, and the molybdate stops acting as an anion only after pH around 4, when it finally becomes a cation MoO 2 2+ (M). (author)

  15. RETENTION OF HUMIC ACID FROM WATER BY NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANE AND INFLUENCE OF SOLUTION CHEMISTRY ON MEMBRANE PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Zazouli, S. Nasseri, A. H. Mahvi, M. Gholami, A. R. Mesdaghinia, M. Younesian

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this research were to investigate the rejection efficiency of salt and hydrophobic fraction of natural organic matter, to study the flux decline behavior with a spiral wound nanofiltration membrane, and also to survey the influence of water chemistry on membrane performance. Experiments were conducted using a cross flow pilot-scale membrane unit with a full circulation mode. Humic acid was used as hydrophobic organic matter and NaCl as background electrolyte. Results showed that flux reduction increased with increasing ionic strength and humic acid concentration, and with lower pH. The rejection efficiency of organic and salt decreased with the decrease in pH and increase in ionic strength, because of osmotic pressure increase, leading to permeate flux decline and decrease in salt rejection. In addition, the improved salt rejection was likely due to Donnan exclusion by humic material close to membrane surfaces. The average rejection efficiency of humic acid and salt ranged between 91.2%-95.25% and 63.6%-80%, respectively. Dissolved organic carbon concentration was less than 0.57mg/L in permeate for all experiments. With increasing organic concentration, the charge of the membrane surface has become more negative due to the adsorption of organic foulants on the membrane surface, and thus increased the electrostatic repulsion. However, the increasing surface charge had the potential to result in a larger molecular weight cut-off of a fouled membrane due to membrane swelling which can lead to lower rejection solutes. Therefore, results of this study indicated that membrane fouling may significantly affect the rejection of organic and ion solute.

  16. A method to attenuate U(VI) mobility in acidic waste plumes using humic acids

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wan, J.; Dong, W.; Tokunaga, T.K.

    2011-02-01

    Acidic uranium (U) contaminated plumes have resulted from acid-extraction of plutonium during the Cold War and from U mining and milling operations. A sustainable method for in-situ immobilization of U under acidic conditions is not yet available. Here, we propose to use humic acids (HAs) for in-situ U immobilization in acidic waste plumes. Our laboratory batch experiments show that HA can adsorb onto aquifer sediments rapidly, strongly and practically irreversibly. Adding HA greatly enhanced U adsorption capacity to sediments at pH below 5.0. Our column experiments using historically contaminated sediments from the Savannah River Site under slow flow rates (120 and 12 m/y) show that desorption of U and HA were non-detectable over 100 pore-volumes of leaching with simulated acidic groundwaters. Upon HA-treatment, 99% of the contaminant [U] was immobilized at pH < 4.5, compared to 5% and 58% immobilized in the control columns at pH 3.5 and 4.5, respectively. These results demonstrated that HA-treatment is a promising in-situ remediation method for acidic U waste plumes. As a remediation reagent, HAs are resistant to biodegradation, cost effective, nontoxic, and easily introducible to the subsurface.

  17. Atmospheric HULIS: How humic-like are they? A comprehensive and critical review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. R. Graber

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A class of organic molecules extracted from atmospheric aerosol particles and isolated from fog and cloud water has been termed HUmic-LIke Substances (HULIS due to a certain resemblance to terrestrial and aquatic humic and fulvic acids. In light of the interest that this class of atmospheric compounds currently attracts, we comprehensively review HULIS properties, as well as laboratory and field investigations concerning their formation and characterization in atmospheric samples. While sharing some important features such as polyacidic nature, accumulating evidence suggests that atmospheric HULIS differ substantially from terrestrial and aquatic humic substances. Major differences between HULIS and humic substances, including smaller average molecular weight, lower aromatic moiety content, greater surface activity, better droplet activation ability, as well as others, are highlighted. Several alternatives are proposed that may explain such differences: (1 the possibility that mono- and di-carboxylic acids and mineral acids abundant in the atmosphere prevent the formation of large humic 'supramolecular associations'; (2 that large humic macromolecules are destroyed in the atmosphere by UV radiation, O3, and OH- radicals; (3 that 'HULIS' actually consists of a complex, unresolved mixture of relatively small molecules rather than macromolecular entities; and (4 that HULIS formed via abiotic and short-lived oxidative reaction pathways differ substantially from humic substances formed over long time periods via biologically-mediated reactions. It should also be recalled that the vast majority of studies of HULIS relate to the water soluble fraction, which would include only the fulvic acid fraction of humic substances, and exclude the humic acid (base-soluble and humin (insoluble fractions of humic substances. A significant effort towards adopting standard extraction and characterization methods is required to develop a better and meaningful

  18. Phenanthrene sorption on biochar-amended soils

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kahawaththa Gamage, Inoka Damayanthi Kumari; Moldrup, Per; Paradelo Pérez, Marcos

    2014-01-01

    on their influences on the sorption of environmental contaminants. In a field-based study at two experimental sites in Denmark, we investigated the effect of birch wood-derived biochar (Skogans kol) on the sorption of phenanthrene in soils with different properties. The soil sorption coefficient, Kd (L kg-1......), of phenanthrene was measured on sandy loam and loamy sand soils which have received from zero up to 100 t ha-1 of biochar. Results show that birch wood biochar had a higher Kd compared to soils. Furthermore, the application of birch wood biochar enhanced the sorption of phenanthrene in agricultural soils...... carbon, while it negatively correlated with clay content. The results also revealed that biochar-mineral interactions play an important role in the sorption of phenanthrene in biochar-amended soil....

  19. {sup 1}H NMR-based metabolomics of time-dependent responses of Eisenia fetida to sub-lethal phenanthrene exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lankadurai, Brian P.; Wolfe, David M.; Simpson, Andre J. [Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 Canada (Canada); Simpson, Myrna J., E-mail: myrna.simpson@utoronto.ca [Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 Canada (Canada)

    2011-10-15

    {sup 1}H NMR-based metabolomics was used to examine the response of the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of phenanthrene over time. Earthworms were exposed to 0.025 mg/cm{sup 2} of phenanthrene (1/64th of the LC{sub 50}) via contact tests over four days. Earthworm tissues were extracted using a mixture of chloroform, methanol and water, resulting in polar and non-polar fractions that were analyzed by {sup 1}H NMR after one, two, three and four days. NMR-based metabolomic analyses revealed heightened E. fetida responses with longer phenanthrene exposure times. Amino acids alanine and glutamate, the sugar maltose, the lipids cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine emerged as potential indicators of phenanthrene exposure. The conversion of succinate to fumarate in the Krebs cycle was also interrupted by phenanthrene. Therefore, this study shows that NMR-based metabolomics is a powerful tool for elucidating time-dependent relationships in addition to the mode of toxicity of phenanthrene in earthworm exposure studies. - Highlights: > NMR-based earthworm metabolomic analysis of the mode of action of phenanthrene is presented. > The earthworm species E. fetida were exposed to sub-lethal phenanthrene concentrations. > Both polar and non-polar metabolites of E. fetida tissue extracts were analyzed by {sup 1}H NMR. > Longer phenanthrene exposure times resulted in heightened earthworm responses. > An interruption of the Krebs cycle was also observed due to phenanthrene exposure. - {sup 1}H NMR metabolomics is used to determine the relationship between phenanthrene exposure and the metabolic response of the earthworm E. fetida over time and also to elucidate the phenanthrene mode of toxicity.

  20. Effect of Vermicompost Extract and Vermicompost-Derived Humic Acids on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Hemp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ievinsh Gederts

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cultivars grown for industrial use have recently emerged as a sustainable alternative source of industrial fibre and bioenergy, and is a highly valuable food and animal feed resource. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of vermicompost extract, vermicompost mineral nutrient composition, and vermicompost-derived humic and fulvic acids on seed germination and growth of hemp seedlings. In general, separate application of all vermicompost components stimulated seed germination and hypocotyl and radicle growth, as well as increased chlorophyll concentration in cotyledons. Effective concentration range and the degree of stimulation varied significantly between the treatments. For practical purposes, application of vermicompost and vermicompost-derived extracts for stimulation of hemp growth could be useful at concentrations 5%, 0.05 mg·mL−1 and 1%, for vermicompost extract, humic acids and fulvic acids, respectively.

  1. Enzymatic Transformation and Bonding of Sulfonamide Antibiotics to Model Humic Substances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Schwarz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Sulfonamides are consumed as pharmaceutical antibiotics and reach agricultural soils with excreta used as fertilizer. Subsequently, nonextractable residues rapidly form in soil, which has been researched in a couple of studies. To further elucidate conditions, strength, and mechanisms of the fixation to soil humic substances, three selected sulfonamides were investigated using the biochemical oligomerization of substituted phenols as a model for the humification process. Catechol, guaiacol, and vanillin were enzymatically reacted using laccase from Trametes versicolor. In the presence of the substituted phenols alone, the concentration of sulfonamides decreased. This decrease was even more pronounced when additional laccase was present. Upon the enzymatic oligomerization of the substituted phenols to a humic-like structure the sulfonamides were sorbed, transformed, sequestered, and nonextractable bound. Sulfonamides were transformed depending on their molecular properties. Fractions of different bonding strength were determined using a sequential extraction procedure. Isolated nonextractable products were analyzed by chromatographic, spectroscopic, and calorimetric methods to identify coupling and bonding mechanisms of the sulfonamides. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements suggested cross-linking of such incorporated sulfonamides in humic oligomers. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements showed clear differences between the vanillin-sulfapyridine oligomer and the parent sulfapyridine indicating bound residue formation through covalent binding.

  2. Characterisation of humic material for inter-laboratory comparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peachy, D.; Bradley, A.D.; Davis, A.E.; Stuart, M.E.; Tait, B.A.R.; Vickers, B.P.; Williams, G.M.

    1988-01-01

    The characterisation and interlaboratory comparison of common humic materials by members of the European Commission's COCO group (set up to study complexes and colloids), forms part of a study of the effects of natural organic compounds in groundwater on the complexation and mobility of radionuclides. Three samples have been characterised: a sodium salt and a protonated form of the commercially available humic acid from Aldrich Chemicals; and a protonated humic acid from the Gorleben research site in Germany. Characterisation undertaken by BGS includes moisture content, elemental analysis, metal content, functional group analysis, infra-red spectroscopy, ultra-violet absorbance (E 4 /E 6 ratios), and ultra-filtration. (author)

  3. Humic acid-bonded silica as a novel sorbent for solid-phase extraction of benzo[a]pyrene in edible oils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Dan; Yu Qiongwei; Yin Hongrui; Feng Yuqi

    2007-01-01

    A novel solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent, humic acid-bonded silica (HAS), was prepared. Humic acids (HAs) were grafted onto silica matrices via an amide linkage between humyl chloride and the amido terminus of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTS)-silica gel. The resulting material was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, elemental analysis, and nitrogen adsorption analysis. This sorbent exhibits an excellent adsorption capacity for some electron-abundant analytes owing to its peculiar structure. In this paper, we choose benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in oil as a probe to validate the adsorption capacity of the material. Thus a fast, cheap and simple SPE method with humic acid-bonded silica cartridge for edible oil clean-up, followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was established. The effects of experimental variables, such as washing and elution solvents, and the amount of sorbents have been studied. The recoveries of BaP in edible oils spiked at 0.2-100 μg kg -1 were in the range of 78.8-102.7% with relative standard deviations ranging between 1.3 and 9.3%; the limit of detection was -0.06 μg kg -1

  4. Aminopropyl-Silica Hybrid Particles as Supports for Humic Acids Immobilization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónika Sándor

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of aminopropyl-functionalized silica nanoparticles were prepared through a basic two step sol-gel process in water. Prior to being aminopropyl-functionalized, silica particles with an average diameter of 549 nm were prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, using a Stöber method. In a second step, aminopropyl-silica particles were prepared by silanization with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES, added drop by drop to the sol-gel mixture. The synthesized amino-functionalized silica particles are intended to be used as supports for immobilization of humic acids (HA, through electrostatic bonds. Furthermore, by inserting beside APTES, unhydrolysable mono-, di- or trifunctional alkylsilanes (methyltriethoxy silane (MeTES, trimethylethoxysilane (Me3ES, diethoxydimethylsilane (Me2DES and 1,2-bis(triethoxysilylethane (BETES onto silica particles surface, the spacing of the free amino groups was intended in order to facilitate their interaction with HA large molecules. Two sorts of HA were used for evaluating the immobilization capacity of the novel aminosilane supports. The results proved the efficient functionalization of silica nanoparticles with amino groups and showed that the immobilization of the two tested types of humic acid substances was well achieved for all the TEOS/APTES = 20/1 (molar ratio silica hybrids having or not having the amino functions spaced by alkyl groups. It was shown that the density of aminopropyl functions is low enough at this low APTES fraction and do not require a further spacing by alkyl groups. Moreover, all the hybrids having negative zeta potential values exhibited low interaction with HA molecules.

  5. Influence of vermicompost humic acid on chlorophyll content and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    S

    2016-11-23

    Nov 23, 2016 ... cattle used was fed mainly with grasses, and the manure was processed with African red worm. This vermicompost was used for the humic substances extraction according to International humic substances society (2008) with NaOH (0.1 mol L-1) in a proportion of 1:10 (mg of vermicompost: mL dissolution) ...

  6. Photochemical Study of Silver Nanoparticles Formed from the Reduction of Silver Ions by Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leslie, Renee M.

    This study focuses on the ability of silver ions and humic acid to form silver nanoparticles in the presence of UV and visible light. Silver nanoparticles have a number of industrial applications due primarily to their antimicrobial properties, but these properties pose an environmental threat. Silver nanoparticles can directly disrupt sensitive ecosystems by harming bacteria. Consumption of silver nanoparticles results in silver ions and silver nanoparticles entering waterways; the presence of silver ions raises the question of whether nanoparticles can reform in environmental waters. As our data show, silver nanoparticles can form from the reduction of silver ions by humic acid after irradiation with UV and visible light. In order to better understand the mechanism of these naturally synthesized silver nanoparticles, we investigated the effects of reactant concentration, experimental conditions and presence of ions/reactive species. We monitored silver nanoparticle growth with UV-visible spectroscopy. The evolution in time of nanoparticle size was monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS).

  7. Partitioning of uranyl between ferrihydrite and humic substances at acidic and circum-neutral pH

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dublet, Gabrielle; Lezama Pacheco, Juan; Bargar, John R.; Fendorf, Scott; Kumar, Naresh; Lowry, Gregory V.; Brown, Gordon E.

    2017-10-01

    As part of a larger study of the reactivity and mobility of uranyl (U(VI)O22+) cations in subsurface environments containing natural organic matter (NOM) and hydrous ferric oxides, we have examined the effect of reference humic and fulvic substances on the sorption of uranyl on 2-line ferrihydrite (Fh), a common, naturally occurring nano-Fe(III)-hydroxide. Uranyl was reacted with Fh at pH 4.6 and 7.0 in the presence and absence of Elliott Soil Humic Acid (ESHA) (0-835 ppm) or Suwanee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA) (0-955 ppm). No evidence was found for reduction of uranyl by either form of NOM after 24 h of exposure. The following three size fractions were considered in this study: (1) ≥0.2 μm (Fh-NOM aggregates), (2) 0.02-0.2 μm (dispersed Fh nanoparticles and NOM macro-molecules), and (3) <0.02 μm (dissolved). The extent to which U(VI) is sorbed in aggregates or dispersed as colloids was assessed by comparing U, Fe, and NOM concentrations in these three size fractions. Partitioning of uranyl between Fh and NOM was determined in size fraction (1) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Uranyl sorption on Fh-NOM aggregates was affected by the presence of NOM in different ways depending on pH and type of NOM (ESHA vs. SRFA). The presence of ESHA in the uranyl-Fh-NOM ternary system at pH 4.6 enhanced uranyl uptake more than the presence of SRFA. In contrast, neither form of NOM affected uranyl sorption at pH 7.0 over most of the NOM concentration range examined (0-500 ppm); at the highest NOM concentrations (500-955 ppm) uranyl uptake in the aggregates was slightly inhibited at pH 7.0, which is interpreted as being due to the dispersion of Fh aggregates. XAS at the U LIII-edge was used to characterize molecular-level changes in uranyl complexation as a result of sorption to the Fh-NOM aggregates. In the absence of NOM, uranyl formed dominantly inner-sphere, mononuclear, bidentate sorption complexes on Fh. However, when NOM concentration was increased at pH 4.6, the

  8. Biogeochemical processes of incorporation and transformation of 14C labelled fulvic acid, humic acid and simple organic molecules at the sediment-water interface (submarine canyon of the NW Mediterranean)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buscail, R.; Gadel, F.

    1987-01-01

    The input of organic compounds at the marine water-sediment interface was simulated by the injection of 14 C labelled raygrass fulvic and humic acids and glutamic acid in the overlying water of three identically preserved interfaces. After incubations of 6 days under in situ conditions (13 0 C, oxidizing conditions), separation of the resulting products are carried out by successive chemical extractions. They correspond to the relative importance of biological (respiration, assimilation) and geochemical (condensation in geopolymers and adsorption) processes. Two experiments have showed predominance of biological processes (with 14 C fulvic and glutamic acids), while in the case of 14 C humic acid, incorporation in sediment and geochemical processes are more important. (Auth.)

  9. Molybdenum (VI binded to humic and nitrohumic acid models in aqueous solutions. Salicylic, 3-nitrosalicylic, 5-nitrosalicylic and 3,5 dinitrosalicylic acids: part 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercê Ana Lucia R.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work electrochemical and Ultraviolet-Visible studies were performed in solutions of salicylic acid models of humic and nitrohumic acids, a laboratory artifact, and molybdenum in order to determine the affinity of these models towards the metal ion. Molybdenum, which plays a very important role in the soil chemistry, and together with humic substances, impart fertility to soil and water and is a key element in the activity of nitrogenase. The obtained results showed that at least one complexed species is present at the pH range of 6.3 to 8.0, even for the less basic chosen models, the nitrosalicylic acids. Previous study showed that phthalic and nitrophthalic, also humic and nitrohumic acids model compounds, presented complexed species with molybdenum only till pH 6.5. The calculated formation constants showed that the substitution of the nitro group in the orto position was less favoured than in the para substitution, probably due to a steric hindrance in the former, which was clearly seen in the double substituted salicylic nitro derivative. The cyclic voltammetry as well as the Ultraviolet-Visible obtained spectra were able to show that the chemistry of molybdenum in aqueous solutions as the pH is increased is very complex, and the molybdate stops acting as an anion only after pH around 4, when it finally becomes a cation MoO2(2+ (M.

  10. Effect of Potassium Sulphate and Humic acid on Growth, Yield and Essential Oil Content in Hypericum perforatum L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Kaboli Farshchi

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Medicinal and aromatic plants can play an important role in commercial crops, which also represent a safe alternative for chemical pharmaceutical industries. St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum L. due to its therapeutic efficacy has been used for decades in folk medicine and is considered as a promising medicinal plant with valuable potential as a source of hypericin, essential oils and antioxidants. Studies on agronomic factors such as application of potassium and humic acid as well as nitrogen fertilization on yield, essential oil and antioxidant activity of Hypericum perforatum have not been investigated thoroughly until now. This study was designed to study the effect of using humic acid and potassium sulphate on morphological and phytochemical characteristics of Hypericum perforatum. Materials and Methods: The plant material was prepared from Science and Technology Park in Khorasan-e Razzavi–Mashhad. In spring, the plants were transplanted into the field of Horticulture department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, for fertilizing treatments. The experimental layout was factorial in a complete randomized design (CRD, with three replications. Potassium Sulphate (K2SO4 was applied at the rates of 0.0 (K0, 60 (K60 and 100 (K100 kg ha-1. The other treatment were humic acid, which was applied at three rates 0 (H0, 20 (H20 and 40 (H40 L ha-1. Plants were treated at two stages, before flowering by potassium fertilizer and fertigated four times in 15-day intervals with humic acid. Besides the fresh and dry weight, number of flowers, stem height and number of flowering stems were determined at the end of the growing stage. Results and Discussion: The ANOVA indicated that most of measured attributes of Hypericum perforatum plant were significantly affected by both treatments. Data presented revealed that the highest stem (91.6 cm was recorded at the highest level of potassium sulphate (K100 treatment, while the shortest height (60

  11. Effect of pH, ionic strength and humic acid on the sorption of uranium(VI) to attapulgite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niu Zhiwei [Radiochemistry Laboratory, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu (China); Fan Qiaohui [Radiochemistry Laboratory, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu (China)], E-mail: fanqiaohui@gmail.com; Wang Wenhua; Xu Junzheng [Radiochemistry Laboratory, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu (China); Chen Lei [School of Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, 255049 Zibo, Shandong (China); Wu Wangsuo [Radiochemistry Laboratory, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu (China)], E-mail: wuws@lzu.edu.cn

    2009-09-15

    Attapulgite was investigated to remove UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} from aqueous solutions because of its strong sorption capacity. Herein, the attapulgite sample was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and acid-base titration in detail. Sorption of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} on attapulgite was strongly dependent on pH values and ionic strength. The presence of humic acid enhanced the sorption of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} on attapulgite obviously because of the strong complexation of humic acid (HA) with UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} on attapulgite surface. Sorption of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} on attapulgite was mainly dominated by ion-exchange or outer-sphere complexation at low pH values, and by inner-sphere complexation at high pH values. The results indicated that attapulgite was a suitable material for the preconcentration and solidification of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} from large volume of solutions because of its negative surface charge and large surface areas.

  12. Effect of soil invertebrates on the formation of humic substances under laboratory conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frouz, J.; Li, X.; Brune, A.; Pizl, V.; Abakumov, E. V.

    2011-08-01

    The complete polymerization of phenols and proteins (one of the processes involved in the formation of humic substances) was explained. It was shown that fly ( Bibio marci) larvae and earthworms ( Aporrectodea caliginosa) participate in the complete polymerization of phenols and proteins. In a laboratory experiment, invertebrates participated in the degradation of organic matter and the synthesis of humic substances, which was proved in experiments with 14C-labeled phenols and proteins. The same organic substances (phenols and proteins) without the impact of invertebrates were used as the control substances. The distributions of the 14C isotope in alkaline extracts separated by solubility in acids (humic and fulvic acids) was compared to those of the control substances. The portion of the 14C isotope in the humic acids in the excrements of Bibio marci was higher than that in the control substances. The content of 14C-labeled humic substances in the excrements of the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa exceeded the control values only in the experiment with proteins. When clay material was added to the organic substances, the portion of the 14C isotope in the humic acids increased in both experiments with phenols and proteins. When these substrates passed through the digestive tracts of the invertebrates, the polymerization of organic substances and the inclusion of proteins and phenols into humic acids occurred.

  13. Humic Acid Degradation by ZnO Photocatalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sekartaji Putri A.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Humic acid (HA is universally present in soils and natural water resources in a yellow-brown form. HA can react with chlorine during drinking water treatment and produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs, such as trihalomethanes (THMs and haloacetic acids (HAAs, which are harmful for health. Therefore, HA has to be eliminated from water environment. The photocatalysis is an effective alternative solution for the degradation of HA in a water environment. This research aims to degrade HA from water environment. The rapid degradation of HA, using zinc oxide nanoparticles, irradiated by ultraviolet light (ZnO/UV, is investigated. The optimum conditions of pertinent factors, which include the light wavelength (UV-A and UV-C, and light intensity, HA concentration, ZnO dose, and contact time are investigated at neutral pH conditions, considered for drinking water treatment. HA degradation efficiency reached more than 80% after 60 min for both types of irradiation in optimum conditions of 0.3 g/L ZnO dose in 180 min of contact time. Comparisons for degradation efficiency under UV-A and UV-C irradiation indicate that UV-C has higher efficiency, up to 150 min of contact time. The reusability of catalyst is performed for three reuses and still revealed effective for beneficial commercial applications.

  14. Humic Acid-Like Material from Sewage Sludge Stimulates Culture Growth of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in Vitro

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Hršelová, Hana; Soukupová, Lucie; Gryndler, Milan

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 6 (2007), s. 627-630 ISSN 0015-5632 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA526/06/0540 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes * sewage sludge * humic-acid-like materials Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 0.989, year: 2007

  15. Nanoparticle-assisted photo-Fenton reaction for photo-decomposition of humic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banik, Jhuma; Basumallick, Srijita

    2017-11-01

    We report here the synthesis of CuO-doped ZnO composite nanomaterials (NMs) by chemical route and demonstrated for the first time that these NMs are efficient catalysts for H2O2-assisted photo-decomposition (photo-Fenton type catalyst) of humic acid, a natural pollutant of surface water by solar irradiation. This has been explained by faster electron transfer to OH radical at the p-n hetero-junction of this composite catalyst. Application of this composite catalyst in decomposing humus substances of local pond water by solar energy has been demonstrated.

  16. Humic acids and their interactions with metallic elements: Cu II, Eu III, Th IV, U VI: contribution of size exclusion chromatography method and research of complexation models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesourd-Moulin, V.

    1986-04-01

    The interest given to natural organic matter (humic and fulvic acids) as complexing agents of metallic ions in soils and natural waters becomes more and more important in environmental area. Cation - humic matter interactions have a great importance, a better understanding of the contribution of these substances in natural media specially towards radioactive elements with long life time. Interactions are studied by a chromatographic technique of gel filtration: the dynamic equilibrium method is based on the separation of the formed complex humic macromolecule - metallic ion and the free metallic ion, which due to its size penetrates totally in the pores of the gel. Separation mechanisms of the chromatographic support and the contribution of each parameter, are studied as a function of the buffer nature, its concentration, the PH, the gel porosity and the valence of the metallic cation. This study led to the determination of the appropriate experimental conditions for each cation. A study of metallic binding with humic acid has been undertaken with Cu 2+ , Eu 3+ , Th 4+ , Uo 2 2+ . These elements, except copper, have been chosen for their properties similar to the transuranic elements. Different samples of humic acids (commercial, podzolic soil, rendzine soil) are also studied. A deeper research of europium - humic acid interactions by means of different treatment models (discrete or gaussian models) has been undertaken in order to determine the number, the binding site strength and the global interaction constants [fr

  17. Origin and structures of groundwater humic substances from three Danish aquifers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grøn, C.; Wassenaar, L.; Krog, M.

    1996-01-01

    and halogens, hydrolyzable amino acids and carbohydrates, carbon isotopes) applied to aquatic humic and fulvic acids led to consistent structural interpretations for each of the three aquifers studied. For humic substances in two-aquifers, the analyses suggested source rocks in agreement with geological......Structural, chemical, and isotopic parameters were used to identify the origins of groundwater humic substances from three Danish aquifers. A variety of analytical techniques (visible light absorption, molecular weight distribution, C-13-NMR spectroscopy, elemental composition with major elements...

  18. Spectral distribution of the radiochemiluminescence from gamma-irradiated humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goraczko, W.; Slawinski, J.; Staninski, K.

    2008-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate radiochemiluminescence (RCL) spectra (340-650 nm), kinetics and absorption spectra of humic acids (HA) after their exposure of gamma-radiation (absorbed doses of 1-10 kGy, 60 Co) in model systems. The kinetics and spectral distribution of RCL were measured using the single photon counting method (SPC) and cut-off filters. Absorption spectra (range 240-800 nm) of irradiated solutions indicated that post-radiative degradation/polymerization processes take place in the HA changing their macromolecule or properties. The intensity of the delayed RCL was nonlinearly and suggested that complex radical formation mechanisms were still involved in the post-radiative reactions. (author)

  19. Spectral distribution of the radiochemiluminescence from gamma-irradiated humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goraczko, W [Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland). Faculty of Chemical Technology, Radio- and Photochemistry Department; Slawinski, J [Institute of Ecotechnology, Gniezno (Poland). State High Vocational School; Staninski, K [Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan (Poland). Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Rare Earths

    2008-09-15

    This study was conducted to investigate radiochemiluminescence (RCL) spectra (340-650 nm), kinetics and absorption spectra of humic acids (HA) after their exposure of gamma-radiation (absorbed doses of 1-10 kGy, {sup 60}Co) in model systems. The kinetics and spectral distribution of RCL were measured using the single photon counting method (SPC) and cut-off filters. Absorption spectra (range 240-800 nm) of irradiated solutions indicated that post-radiative degradation/polymerization processes take place in the HA changing their macromolecule or properties. The intensity of the delayed RCL was nonlinearly and suggested that complex radical formation mechanisms were still involved in the post-radiative reactions. (author)

  20. Synthesis and characterization of agricultural controllable humic acid superabsorbent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Lijuan; Wang, Shiqiang; Zhao, Xuefei

    2013-12-01

    Humic acid superabsorbent polymer (P(AA/AM-HA)) and superabsorbent polymer (P(AA/AM)) were synthesized by aqueous solution polymerization method using acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM) and humic acid (HA) as raw material. The effects of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) crosslinking agent, potassium peroxydisulfate (KPS) initiator, reaction temperature, HA content, ratio of AA to AM, concentration of monomer and neutralization of AA on water absorption were investigated. Absorption and desorption ratios of nitrogen fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer were also investigated by determination of absorption and desorption ratio of NH4(+), PO4(3-) on P(AA/AM-HA) and P(AA/AM). The P(AA/AM-HA) and P(AA/AM) were characterized by Fourier translation infrared spectroscopy, biological photomicroscope and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The optimal conditions obtained were as follows: the weight ratio of MBA to AA and AM was 0.003; the weight ratio of KPS to AA and AM was 0.008; the weight ratio of HA to AA was 0.1; the mole ratio of AM to AA is 0.1; the mole ratio of NaOH to AA is 0.9; the reaction temperature was 60°C. P(AA/AM-HA) synthesized under optimal conditions, has a good saline tolerance, its water absorbency in distilled water and 0.9 wt.% saline solution is 1180 g/g and 110 g/g, respectively. P(AA/AM-HA) achieves half saturation in 6.5 min. P(AA/AM-HA) is superior to P(AA/AM) on absorption of NH4(+), PO4(3-). The SEM micrograph of P(AA/AM-HA) shows a fine alveolate structure. The biological optical microscope micrograph of P(AA/AM-HA) shows a network structure. Graft polymerization between P(AA/AM) and HA was demonstrated by infrared spectrum. The P(AA/AM-HA) superabsorbent has better absorbing ability of water and fertilizer, electrolytic tolerance and fewer cost than P(AA/AM) superabsorbent. Copyright © 2013 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Effects of humic acid and solution chemistry on the aggregation and dispersion of carboxyl-functionalized carbon black nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, G.; Gomez-Flores, A.; Choi, S.; Han, Y., , Dr; Kim, H.

    2017-12-01

    The influence of humic acid, ionic strength and ionic species on the aggregation and dispersion of carboxyl-functionalized carbon black nanoparticles (CB-NPs) was systemically investigated in aqueous media. The experimental conditions of stability tests were selected to the changes in the solution chemistry (0.1-10 mM NaCl and 0.01-1 mM CaCl2) and in the presence/absence of humic acid (1 and 5 mg L-1) in an aquatic environment. The CB-NPs suspension was more rapidly settled in NaCl solution than in CaCl2. Specifically, in the case of NaCl, the aggregation rate of CB-NPs increased with ionic strength. Contrary, CB-NPs dispersed in CaCl2 were insensitive to the aggregation as the ionic strength increased; that was because specific adsorption of the divalent cation Ca2+ occurred since the zeta potential of the CB-NPs is reversed to a positive charge with increasing of the ionic strength. It was confirmed that humic acid greatly influences the stability of the CB-NPs. In particular, the dispersion of CB-NPs was improved in the whole range of ionic strengths of NaCl as well as of CaCl2. To support the results, the interaction energy between CB-NPs was calculated for each condition by using the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) and modified-DLVO theories. In the presence of humic acid, the improved stability of CB-NPs is attributed to the steric repulsive force.This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2015R1D1A3A01020766), the Ministry of Education (MOE) and National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) through the Human Resource Training Project for Regional Innovation (2015H1C1A1035930) and Korea Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering Program (KEMREP).

  2. Presence and potential significance of aromatic-ketone groups in aquatic humic substances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leenheer, J.A.; Wilson, M.A.; Malcolm, R.L.

    1987-01-01

    Aquatic humic- and fulvic-acid standards of the International Humic Substances Society were characterized, with emphasis on carbonyl-group nature and content, by carbon-13 nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, proton nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. After comparing spectral results of underivatized humic and fulvic acids with spectral results of chemically modified derivatives, that allow improved observation of the carbonyl group, the data clearly indicated that aromatic ketone groups comprised the majority of the carbonyl-group content. About one ketone group per monocyclic aromatic ring was determined for both humic and fulvic acids. Aromatic-ketone groups were hypothesized to form by photolytic rearrangements and oxidation of phenolic ester and hydrocarbon precursors; these groups have potential significance regarding haloform formation in water, reactivity resulting from active hydrogen of the methyl and methylene adjacent to the ketone groups, and formation of hemiketal and lactol structures. Aromatic-ketone groups also may be the point of attachment between aliphatic and aromatic moieties of aquatic humic-substance structure. ?? 1987.

  3. Enrofloxacin sorption on smectite clays: effects of pH, cations, and humic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Wei; Hu, Shan; Jing, Chuanyong

    2012-04-15

    Enrofloxacin (ENR) occurs widely in natural waters because of its extensive use as a veterinary chemotherapeutic agent. To improve our understanding of the interaction of this emerging contaminant with soils and sediments, sorption of ENR on homoionic smectites and kaolinite was studied as a function of pH, ionic strength, exchangeable cations, and humic acid concentration. Batch experiments and in situ ATR-FTIR analysis suggested multiple sorption mechanisms. Cation exchange was a major contributor to the sorption of cationic ENR species on smectite. The decreased ENR sorption with increasing ionic strength indicated the formation of outer-sphere complexes. Exchangeable cations significantly influenced the sorption capacity, and the observed order was Cshumic acid had a negligible contribution to the interlayer intercalation. The results of this study provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of ENR sorption on clay minerals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of some environmental ligands and fertilizers on humic acid complexation with strontium. Vol. 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helal, A A; Iman, D M; Khalifa, S M; Aly, H F [Hot Laborities Center, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, (Egypt)

    1996-03-01

    Strontium-90 represents one of the main radionuclides produced in fission products. Migration of strontium in the environment in case of accidental release is governed by many factors, besides its interaction with the materials present in the environment. Both humic acid and fertilizers are present on agricultural lands or aqueous streams. Other ligands such as EDTA, citrates, and phosphates are present in the environment. The binding and exchange of cations by the soil organic fractions is of importance in soil fertility because the supply of Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, Ca{sup 2+}, Mg{sup 2+} and certain micro nutrients (Cu{sup 2+}, Mn{sup 2+}, Zn{sup 2+} and Fe{sup 3+}) to plant is strongly dependent on the cation exchange capacity of the soil which may be induced by organic matters. The effect of the presence of certain fertilizers and some environmental ligands on the Sr-humate complex was studied. In general, the fertilizers and the complexing ligands investigated are compared with humic acid in its complexation with strontium. 6 figs.

  5. Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on soil and its components. III. Influence of clay acidity, humic acid coating and herbicide structure on acetanilide herbicide adsorption on homoionic clays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wei-ping; Fang, Zhuo; Liu, Hui-jun; Yang, Wei-chun

    2002-04-01

    Adsorption of chloroacetanilide herbicides on homoionic montmorillonite, soil humic acid, and their mixtures was studied by coupling batch equilibration and FT-IR analysis. Adsorption isotherms of acetochlor, alachlor, metolachlor and propachlor on Ca(2+)-, Mg(2+)-, Al(3+)- and Fe(3+)-saturated clays were well described by the Freundlich equation. Regardless of the type of exchange cations, Kf decreased in the order of metolachlor > acetolachlor > alachlor > propachlor on the same clay. FT-IR spectra showed that the carbonyl group of the herbicide molecule was involved in binding, probably via H-bond with water molecules in the clay interlayer. The type and position of substitutions around the carbonyl group may have affected the electronegativity of oxygen, thus influencing the relative adsorption of these herbicides. For the same herbicide, adsorption on clay increased in the order of Mg2+ < Ca2+ < Al3+ < or = Fe3+ which coincided with the increasing acidity of homoionic clays. Acidity of cations may have affected the protonation of water, and thus the strength of H-bond between the clay water and herbicide. Complexation of clay and humic acid resulted in less adsorption than that expected from independent adsorption by the individual constituents. The effect varied with herbicides, but the greatest decrease in adsorption occurred at a 60:40 clay-to-humic acid ratio for all the herbicides. Causes for the decreased adsorption need to be characterized to better understand adsorption mechanisms and predict adsorption from soil compositions.

  6. Humic substances interfere with detection of pathogenic prion protein

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Christen B.; Booth, Clarissa J.; Wadzinski, Tyler J.; Legname, Giuseppe; Chappell, Rick; Johnson, Christopher J.; Pedersen, Joel A.

    2014-01-01

    Studies examining the persistence of prions (the etiological agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) in soil require accurate quantification of pathogenic prion protein (PrPTSE) extracted from or in the presence of soil particles. Here, we demonstrate that natural organic matter (NOM) in soil impacts PrPTSE detection by immunoblotting. Methods commonly used to extract PrPTSE from soils release substantial amounts of NOM, and NOM inhibited PrPTSE immunoblot signal. The degree of immunoblot interference increased with increasing NOM concentration and decreasing NOM polarity. Humic substances affected immunoblot detection of prion protein from both deer and hamsters. We also establish that after interaction with humic acid, PrPTSE remains infectious to hamsters inoculated intracerebrally, and humic acid appeared to slow disease progression. These results provide evidence for interactions between PrPTSE and humic substances that influence both accurate measurement of PrPTSE in soil and disease transmission.

  7. Effect of the use and the cover of the soil on the profile of polydispersity of humic acids extracted of an andisol from the department of Caldas, Colombia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avellaneda, Lizeth Manuela; Lozano de Yunda, Amanda; Zamudio, Adriana Mireya

    2005-01-01

    In order to know the possible effect of the use and the cover of soil, on the polydispersity profile of humic acids were analyzed the a horizon of three samples of an andisol (melanudand) from the department of Caldas, Colombia, that have presented different management and coverland as soils under forest of bamboo, coffee with somber of Guamo and under free exposition coffee. For this in the lower fraction to 50 μm, the sequential extraction of humic substances was carried out with solutions of sodium tetraborate (Na2B 4 O7 0.05 m), sodium pyrophosphate (Na4P 2 O7 0.025 m) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH 0.1m) and the later separation and purification of the respective humic acids. To obtain the polydispersity profiles were applied the exclusion chromatography separation by size technique utilizing sephadex g-75 and ultra centrifugation by gradient of density with sucrose and they devised graphics of distribution by size (absorbance (450 nm) vs. volume eluted). It was found that the humic acids extracted with sodium hydroxide presented smaller polydispersity, bigger size and molecular weight, as well as, degree of aromatic condensation. The results did not show drastic effect of the use and the cover land, on the polydispersity profile and the coefficient of sedimentation of the humic acids, which is related to the size, weight and molecular density of the same ones. Nevertheless, it was found that the humic acids of the samples of soil under coffee with somber of Guamo and free exposition coffee are very similar among it and different from the sample under forest of bamboo. This fact was associated with a beginning of the effect of the use and the cover of the soil on the size of the humic acids. It presumed that in the long term the effect is accentuated and eventually could be considered as indicator of degradation of the organic component of the soil

  8. The effect of the humic acid and herbal additive supplement on production parameters of broiler chicken

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronika Pistová

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study the effect of humic acids and dietary herbal additive (clove (Syzygium aromaticum, lavender (Lavendula angustifolia and black pepper (Piper nigrum L. on production parameters of broiler chicken were studied.  A total of 60 Ross 308 broiler chicken were divided into 3 treatments (n=20. The control group of chickens was fed with complete feed mixtures without any additives. Chicken in treatment T1 were fed a diet containing 1% of humic acid and drank a water containing 150 mg/l of herbal additive. Chicken in treatment T2 were fed with complete feed mixture without any additives and drank a water containing 150 mg/l of herbal additive. The body weight, feed intake and feed conversion were evaluated. The results shout that the body weight was significantly higher (P≤0.05 in treatments groups compared to the control group (the order of the groups: 1796.4±188.1; 2052.9±197.9 and 2140.4±300.4 g±SD. The feed intake was in the control group 3.11 kg, in the treatment T1 3.00 kg and in the treatment T2 3.12 kg. Feed conversion for the entire fattening period was in control group 2.19 kg/kg complete feed mixture, in the treatment T1 1.83 kg/kg complete feed mixture and in the treatment T2 1.84 kg/kg complete feed mixture with no significant different (P≥0.05 compared to control group. In conclusion, supplement by humic acid and herbal additive can improve production parameters of broiler chicken.

  9. Dissolved particulate and sedimentary humic acids in the mangroves and estuarine ecosystem of Goa, west coast of India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sardessai, S.

    Highest concentration of humic acids in all the three forms (dissolved, particulate and sedimentary) was found in the monsoon (June-September) when the salinity was minimum while the lowest concentrations was observed in the premonsoon (February...

  10. Molybdenum (VI) binded to humic and nitrohumic acid models in aqueous solutions: phthalic, 3- and 4-nitrophthalic acids, catechol and 4-nitrocathecol, part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merce, Ana Lucia R.; Greboge, Cristiane; Mendes, Giovani; Mangrich, Antonio S.

    2005-01-01

    Many mathematical models have been tested in the literature in the search of how humic acids (HA) from many natural sources complex to metal ions. HA are composed of natural degradation sources of C, N, P and S, bearing hydroxyl and carboxyl aromatic units in their inner structure. The presence of metal ions binded to these basic sites promotes fertility to the soil as well as can hold metal ions to be slowly released as the mineralization of the soil occurs. Nitrohumic substances are a laboratory artifact with higher N content then humic acids with an electron withdrawing group - NO 2 . However they still bear the main HA constituent chemical groups such as salicylate, catecholate and phthalate derivatives, all prone to bind to metal ions depending on the chemical conditions of the environment. This work intended to study the complexing behaviour of some HA models having very different Lewis basic binding sites in the presence of molybdenum (VI) ions, in aqueous systems, with varying pH values using some analytical tools. The formation constants of phthalic acid, 3- and 4-nitrophthalic acids, catechol and 4-nitrocatechol with Mo(VI) as well as the speciation of the complex species according to varying pH values were determined. Potentiometric and cyclic voltammetric titrations were employed to calculate the formation constants and to monitor the formation and decomposition of some complexed species. The results showed that although there is complexation between phthalic derived acids and molybdenum, the speciation favours it only until pH 6.0 at the best. On the other hand, salicylic and catechol derived models showed existence of complexation until basic pH values, allowing a compromising complexation pH range when humic and nitrohumic substances are involved. (author)

  11. Physiological and molecular responses of springtails exposed to phenanthrene and drought

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmstrup, Martin; Slotsbo, Stine; Schmidt, Stine N.; Mayer, Philipp; Damgaard, Christian; Sørensen, Jesper G.

    2014-01-01

    Interaction between effects of hazardous chemicals in the environment and adverse climatic conditions is a problem that receives increased attention in the light of climate change. We studied interactive effects of phenanthrene and drought using a test system in which springtails (Folsomia candida Willem) were concurrently exposed to a sublethal phenanthrene level via passive dosing from silicone (chemical activity of 0.010), and sublethal drought from aqueous NaCl solutions (water activity of 0.988). Previous studies have shown that the combined effects of high levels of phenanthrene and drought, respectively, interact synergistically when using lethality as an end-point. Here, we hypothesized that phenanthrene interferes with physiological mechanisms involved in drought tolerance, and that drought influences detoxification of phenanthrene. However, this hypothesis was not supported by data since phenanthrene had no effect on drought-protective accumulation of myo-inositol, and normal water conserving mechanisms of F. candida were functioning despite the near-lethal concentrations of the toxicant. Further, detoxifying induction of cytochrome P 450 and glutathione-S-transferase was not impeded by drought. Both phenanthrene and drought induced transcription of heat shock protein (hsp70) and the combined effect of the two stressors on hsp70 transcription was additive, suggesting that the cellular stress and lethality imposed by these levels of phenanthrene and drought were also additive. -- Highlights: • New methods are needed for physiological studies of multiple stressor effects. • Springtails were exposed to combined stress from phenanthrene and drought. • Induction of CYP 450 and glutathione-S-transferase was not impeded by drought. • Drought-protective accumulation of myo-inositol was not challenged by phenanthrene. • The combined effect of phenanthrene and drought on hsp70 transcription was additive. -- Drought does not hamper detoxification of

  12. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of HUPA organic substances: natural and synthetic humic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barre, N.; Mercier-Bion, F.; Reiller, P.

    2004-01-01

    X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results on the characterisation of the HUPA organic materials, i.e. natural humic substances ''GOHY 573'' (fulvic acid FA and humic acid HA) extracted from the Gorleben ground waters, and synthetic humic acids ''M1'' and ''M42'' obtained from a standard melanoidin preparation from FZ Rossendorf, are presented in this paper. XPS investigations were focused on the determination of the chemical environment of the major elements as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur, and on the identification of trace metals trapped by these organic compounds. (orig.)

  13. **1**5N-NMR INVESTIGATION OF HYDROXYLAMINE DERIVATIZED HUMIC SUBSTANCES.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorn, Kevin A.; Arterburn, Jeffrey B.; Mikita, Michael A.

    1986-01-01

    Humic substances are the most abundant naturally occurring refactory organic compounds in soils and water. They have a broad range of physical, chemical and physiological properties. In soils, humic substances contribute to the cation exchange capacity, help maintain the physical structure, and play a role in plant growth and nutrition. In aquatic systems, humic substances serve to regulate the levels of inorganic constituents, yield trihalomethanes upon chlorination, and transport or concentrate organic and inorganic pollutants. The oxygen containing functional groups of humic and fulvic acids are believed to play a key role in the chemical properties of humic substances. This study was undertaken to gain additional information on the specific types of oxygen functionalities in humic substances. Since the analysis of hydroxyl moieties had been earlier established, we focused our attention on the analysis of ketone and aldehyde functional groups in humic substances.

  14. Biodegradation of phenanthrene by the green alga scenedesmus obliquus ES-55

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Safonova, E.; Kvitko, K. [Biological Institute of St. Petersburg State University, Oranienbaum Chaussee 2, Old Peterhof, 198504 St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Kuschk, P.; Moeder, M. [UFZ-Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig (Germany); Reisser, W. [Universitaet Leipzig, Botanisches Institut, Johannisallee 21-23, D-04103 Leipzig (Germany)

    2005-06-01

    While the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by bacteria and fungi has been broadly investigated, less is known about the metabolism of these compounds by algae. The goal of the experiments was to test the degradability of phenanthrene by the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus ES-55 (Chlorophyceae) and to identify the metabolites. It was shown that S. obliquus ES-55 metabolized phenanthrene. Under light conditions, phenanthrene (14 mg/L) inhibits cell division by more than twice. However, the metabolic processes in the cells affected by phenanthrene continued because the content of chlorophyll increased. In the exponential phase under phototrophic conditions the alga degraded phenanthrene. Phenanthrene was removed by algae up to 42 % in BBM medium and up to 24 % in Kuhl medium. Dihydroxy-dihydro-phenanthrene, a degradation metabolite in fungi, bacteria and cyanobacteria, could also be detected as a transformation product of S. obliquus ES-55. Further detected common metabolites foster the assumption that both phototrophic and non-photothrophic organisms metabolize phenanthrene via a similar pathway. The present study is the first evidence of the ability of an axenic culture of the green alga S. obliquus to biotransform phenanthrene into other metabolites. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

  15. Ground water dating on the basis of the 14C content of dissolved humic and fulvic acids. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Artinger, R.; Buckau, G.; Kardinal, C.; Geyer, S.; Wolf, M.; Halder, H.; Fritz, P.

    1995-05-01

    The groundwater dating on the basis of the 14 C content of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is studied. Fulvic acids (FA) and humic acids (HA) are used as DOC fractions. In addition, the groundwaters are dated with the 14 C content of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The isotopic contents of 2 H, 3 H, 13 C, 15 N, 18 O, and 34 S of groundwater and humic substances are alse determined. The isolated humic substances are characterized with regard to their chemical composition as well as their molecular size and spectroscopic properties. For aquifer systems which have a neglectable content of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC), the 14 C dating of FA show plausible groundwater ages. In aquifer systems with a high SOC content, the mixing of 14 C free FA from sediment partly falsifies the 14 C groundwater age as determined by dissolved FA. Due to the high transfer of HA from sediment to groundwater, HA are less suitable for groundwater dating. The FA characterization allows the distinction between FA of sedimentary origin and FA which infiltrate with seepage water. Several starting points for a correction of the calculated 14 C ages of FA exist. The results indicate, 14 C groundwater dating with fulvic acids is a valuable expansion of groundwater dating methods. (orig.) [de

  16. Evaluation of the Increased Rates of Water Super Absorbent and Humic Acid Application under Deficit Irrigation Condition on Some Agroecological Characteristics of Zea Mays Using Response Surface Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Jahan

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Water super absorbents are water absorbing natural or synthetic polymers (they may contain over 99% water. They have been defined as polymeric materials which exhibit the ability of swelling in water and retaining a significant fraction (> 20% of water within their structure, without dissolving in water content. The applications of hydrogels are grown extensively. These materials do not have any harm to the environment. Development of using super absorbent hydrogels to reduce crises such as soil erosion, frequent droughts or providing food security requires knowledge of their behaviors and performances in the soil. Humic substances are a mixture of different organic compounds that extract from various sources such as soil, humus, peat, oxidized lignite and coal. They are different in molecular size and chemical structure. A little amount of humic acid increase soil fertility by improving the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil. Increase in agricultural production and productivity depends, to a large extent, on the availability of water. Hence, the importance of irrigation is however, the availability of irrigation facilities which is highly inadequate in Iran. Determining the optimal amount of irrigation water has always been a main goal of researchers. Among the problems of excessive irrigation can be pointed to leach the nutrients especially nitrogen from the soil, the pollution of groundwater and environment and reduce fertilizer use efficiency, especially water-soluble fertilizers. To determine the optimal irrigation water and fertilizer, the use of mathematical models is inevitable. One of the most common methods used to optimize these factors is the central composite design. A central composite design is an experimental design, useful in response surface methodology, for building a second order (quadratic model for the response variable without needing to use a complete three-level factorial experiment

  17. The novel kinetics expression of Cadmium (II) removal using green adsorbent horse dung humic acid (Hd-Ha)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basuki, Rahmat; Santosa, Sri Juari; Rusdiarso, Bambang

    2017-03-01

    Humic acid from dry horse dung powder has been prepared and this horse dung humic acid (HD-HA) was then applied as a sorbent to adsorb Cadmium(II) from a solution. Characterization of HD-HA was conducted by detection of its functional group, UV-Vis spectra, ash level, and total acidity. Result of the work showed that HD-HA had similar character compared with peat soil humic acid (PS-HA) and previous researchers. The adsorption study of this work was investigated by batch experiment in pH 5. The thermodynamics parameters in this work were determined by the Langmuir isotherm model for monolayer sorption and Freundlich isotherm model multilayer sorption. Monolayer sorption capacity (b) for HD-HA was 1.329 × 10-3 mol g-1, equilibrium constant (K) was 5.651 (mol/L)-1, and multilayer sorption capacity was 2.646 × 10-2 mol g-1. The kinetics parameters investigated in this work were determined by the novel kinetics expression resulted from the mathematical derivation the availability of binding sites of sorbent. Adsorption rate constant (ka) from this novel expression was 43.178 min-1 (mol/L)-1 and desorption rate constant (kd) was 1.250 × 10-2 min-1. Application of the kinetics model on sorption Cd(II) onto HD-HA showed the nearly all of models gave a good linearity. However, only this proposed kinetics expression has good relation with Langmuir model. The novel kinetics expression proposed in this paper seems to be more realistic and reasonable and close to the experimental real condition because the value of ka/kd (3452 (mol/L)-1) was fairly close with K from Langmuir isotherm model (5651 (mol/L)-1). Comparison of this novel kinetics expression with well-known Lagergren pseudo-first order kinetics and Ho pseudo-second order kinetics was also critically discussed in this paper.

  18. Application of HPLC capacity coefficients to characterize the sorption of polycyclic aromatic compounds to humic acid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, T.; Helweg, C.; Siigur, K.

    1997-01-01

    The sorption coefficients to humic acid of 46 PAC having a wide range in polarity were compared with the capacity coefficients of the PAC to a non-polar HPLC column material (ODS) and a polar one (Diol). It is shown that polar interactions contribute to the sorption of polar PAC in addition...

  19. Interaction of Fe(II) with Polyacrylic Acid as a Simplification of Humic Acid: Comparison of Ion Exchange and Solvent Extraction Methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Budi Setiawan

    2007-01-01

    To estimate the safety assessment around the disposal facility, the interaction behavior of radionuclides/metal ions into organic material (such as humic acids) exist in natural water becomes an important study. To avoid the effect of heterogeneous composition of humic acid, polyacrylic acids (abbrev. APA) was used as are representative of homogeneous polymeric weak acid. The experiments have been carried out by solvent extraction and ion exchange methods to find out the suitable method for the study of complex formation of Fe(II) with humic acid(AH) and APA. The solvent extraction experiment has been done by using diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone) in CCl 4 and C Fe(II) were 10 -8 M to 10 -5 M, pH around 5 and I=0.1M NaCI. In ionic exchange experiment, C Fe(II) were 10 -8 to 10 -4 M, pH from 4.8 to 5.5 in I=0.1M NaCl. The apparent complex formation constant is defined as β α = [ML]/([M][R]), where [M] and [ML] are concentration of free and bound of Fe(II) and [R] is the concentration of dissociated carboxylic group in macromolecules of PAA. The results shown that, for solvent extraction experiments, variable concentration of Fe(II) had no appreciable influence on the distribution ratio of Fe(II)-polyacrylate at the tracer concentration with the log D to be 1.32 ± 0.03 (pcH 5.25). At macro concentration, the distribution ratio of Fe(II) becomes smaller due to oxidation and obtained log D value to be 1.04 ± 0.07 (pcH 5.34). An interest kind was observed at higher PAA concentration, the distribution ratio curve becomes higher presumably due to the problem on redox sensitive characteristic of Fe(II) and/or coagulation of Fe(II)-polyacrylate at the interface of aqueous-organic phases. In case of ionic exchange method, the plot of I/Kd versus [R] gives a straight line result indicating this method is appropriate and more superior compare than solvent extraction method to determine the complex formation constant. (author)

  20. Effects of humic acid application and mother corm weight on yield and growth of saffron (Crocus sativus L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A Koocheki

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Saffron as a food, spicy and medicinal plant has more than 62000 ha under cultivation with about 250 tons annual dry stigma production in Iran, which includes about 90% of its world production. Therefore, this plant has a specific value in agricultural export products of Iran (Fallahi et al., 2014. Due to the important role of saffron in Iran’s agroecosystems, the improvement of its agronomic practices is essential. Nutritional management and mother corms size are two of the main factors affecting growth and yield of saffron. Humic acid is an eco-friendly fertilizer that improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. This nutritional source has hormonal compounds and exerts a positive effect on elements absorption, quality and yield of plants. In addition, in saffron cultivation, it is possible to produce considerable amounts of stigma by using of standard mother corms with a minimum weight of 8 g. Because, large corms have a positive effect on stigma yield especially in the first growth cycle and the weight of replacement corms and consequently saffron flowering in the other growth cycles (Nassiri Mahallati et al., 2008. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the interaction effects of mother corm size and different rates of humic acid on growth and yield of saffron. Materials and methods This experiment was carried out as factorial based on randomized completely block design with three replications in research farm of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during two growing season (2009-2011. Experimental factors were consisted of mother corm weight (4-5, 6-8 and 9-10 g and application of humic acid (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg.ha-1. Mother corm planting was in early October, 2009 with 10×20 cm corms distances and planting depth of 10cm. Humic acid (dissolved in water was used along with the first autumnal irrigation in two season growth. Flower and stigma yield of saffron were measured

  1. Biosurfactant-enhanced removal of phenanthrene from soil

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noordman, WH; Ji, W; Brusseau, ML; Janssen, DB

    1997-01-01

    The possibility to use rhamnolipid biosurfactants for enhancing the elution of phenanthrene from a soil column was tested. Removal of 90% of the phenanthrene was achieved in a 3.6-fold shorter time period when the feed solution contained 500 mg/L rhamnolipid compared to treatment without

  2. Acclimation of croton and hibiscus seedlings in response to the application of indobultiric acid and humic acid for rooting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lílian Estrela Borges Baldotto

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The vegetative propagation of ornamental plants can be accelerated by applying plant growth regulators. Amongst them, the use of auxins, plant hormones with physiological effects on cell elongation and rooting have stood out. Alternatively, the application of humic acids, bioactive fraction of soil organic matter, also results in increases in rooting cuttings of ornamental plants. The objective of this work was to study the growth characteristics and the nutritional contents of croton and hibiscus plants during acclimation of seedlings in response to different concentrations of indolebutyric acid (IBA and humic acid (HA applied to cuttings for rooting. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse, and the apical stem cuttings were treated with solutions with concentrations of 0, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg L-1of IBA and 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mg L-1 of C from HA. At 45 days of rooting in carbonized rice husk, they were individually transferred to plastic bags of 2.0 dm3 containing a mixture of soil: sand: manure (2: 1: 1 as substrate. At 90 days of acclimation, the plants were collected for measurement of growth and nutritional variables. The results showed that the application of the IBA stimulates the absorption of nutrients and growth of croton cuttings and transplanted hibiscus, contributing to formation of vigorous seedlings. A similar response occurred with the application of HA in hibiscus cuttings

  3. Humic acid adsorption onto cationic cellulose nanofibers for bioinspired removal of copper( ii ) and a positively charged dye

    KAUST Repository

    Sehaqui, H.; Perez de Larraya, Uxua; Tingaut, P.; Zimmermann, T.

    2015-01-01

    © The Royal Society of Chemistry. Waste pulp residues are herein exploited for the synthesis of a sorbent for humic acid (HA), which is a major water pollutant. Cellulose pulp was etherified with a quaternary ammonium salt in water thereby

  4. Neptunium redox behavior and sorption onto goethite and hematite in the presence of humic acids with different hydroquinone content

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khasanova, A.B.; Kalmykov, St.N.; Perminova, I.V.; Clark, S.B.

    2007-01-01

    The effect of humic acids (HA) on neptunium redox behavior and sorption onto hematite, α-Fe 2 O 3 , and goethite, α-FeOOH, colloids was established in batch sorption experiments that were carried out in broad pH interval. The sorption isotherms were provided for two samples of HA: commercial sample of leonardite humic acid and its hydroquinone-enriched derivative obtained using formaldehyde copolycondensation. The distribution of Np fitted the distribution of hydroquinone-enriched HA at low pH values in case of both solids while the influence of parent HA on Np sorption was negligible. This is due to Np(V) reduction upon interaction with hydroquinone-enriched derivative having higher reducing capacity compared to the parent HA. The order of components addition was found to be significant for Np retention

  5. Effects of supplemental humic acid on ruminal fermentation and blood variables in rams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nurten Galip

    Full Text Available In this study, we particularly aimed to research the effect of supplemental humic acid on ruminal fermentation and blood variables in rams. A trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of humic acid (HA on protozoa count, percentages of different protozoa types and blood parameters. Three male Kivircik rams with ruminal cannula were used in a Latin square design, during 22 days periods (15 days for adaptation, 7 days for collection. They received 0 control group (CG, 5 g/day or 10 g/day of HA (HA5, HA10, assay groups. HA were added to the ration with grain diet. Ration was consisted of 5% grain diet and 95 % alfalfa hay. Rumen contents collected before, 3h and 6h after morning feeding on days 1 and 7 in each collection period were analyzed. Blood samples were also collected the same days. No significant difference in biochemical and hematological parameters (except eosinophils levels, P<0.05, variables of ruminal fluid (except sodium levels before feeding and species of rumen protozoa organism (except the percentage Epidinium spp. were evidenced with the addition of HA. In conclusion, we think that they might have been true the widely use in animal food of humates which don’t have any negative effect on biochemical and hematological parameters in particular.

  6. Effects of supplemental humic acid on ruminal fermentation and blood variables in rams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umit Polat

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we particularly aimed to research the effect of supplemental humic acid on ruminal fermentation and blood variables in rams. A trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of humic acid (HA on protozoa count, percentages of different protozoa types and blood parameters. Three male Kivircik rams with ruminal cannula were used in a Latin square design, during 22 days periods (15 days for adaptation, 7 days for collection. They received 0 control group (CG, 5 g/day or 10 g/day of HA (HA5, HA10, assay groups. HA were added to the ration with grain diet. Ration was consisted of 5 % grain diet and 95 % alfalfa hay. Rumen contents collected before and, 3h and 6h after morning feeding on days 1 and 7 in each collection period were analyzed. Blood samples were also collected the same days. No significant difference in biochemical and hematological parameters (except eosinophils levels, P, variables of ruminal fluid (except sodium levels before feeding and species of rumen protozoa organism (except the percentage Epidinium spp. were evidenced with the addition of HA. In conclusion, we think that they might have been true the widely use in animal food of humates which don’t have any negative effect on biochemical and hematological parameters in particular. 

  7. Correlations of Eisenia fetida metabolic responses to extractable phenanthrene concentrations through time

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McKelvie, Jennifer R.; Wolfe, David M.; Celejewski, Magda; Simpson, Andre J. [Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4 (Canada); Simpson, Myrna J., E-mail: myrna.simpson@utoronto.c [Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1C 1A4 (Canada)

    2010-06-15

    Eisenia fetida earthworms were exposed to phenanthrene for thirty days to compare hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction of soil and {sup 1}H NMR earthworm metabolomics as indicators of bioavailability. The phenanthrene 28-d LC{sub 50} value was 750 mg/kg (632-891, 95% confidence intervals) for the peat soil tested. The initial phenanthrene concentration was 319 mg/kg, which biodegraded to 16 mg/kg within 15 days, at which time HPCD extraction suggested that phenanthrene was no longer bioavailable. Multivariate statistical analysis of {sup 1}H NMR spectra for E. fetida tissue extracts indicated that phenanthrene exposed and control earthworms differed throughout the 30 day experiment despite the low phenanthrene concentrations present after 15 days. This metabolic response was better correlated to total phenanthrene concentrations (Q{sup 2} = 0.59) than HPCD-extractable phenanthrene concentrations (Q{sup 2} = 0.46) suggesting that {sup 1}H NMR metabolomics offers considerable promise as a novel, molecular-level method to directly monitor the bioavailability of contaminants to earthworms in the environment. - Metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida earthworms to phenanthrene exposure are better correlated to total phenanthrene concentrations than to cyclodextrin-extractable concentrations through time.

  8. Correlations of Eisenia fetida metabolic responses to extractable phenanthrene concentrations through time

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKelvie, Jennifer R.; Wolfe, David M.; Celejewski, Magda; Simpson, Andre J.; Simpson, Myrna J.

    2010-01-01

    Eisenia fetida earthworms were exposed to phenanthrene for thirty days to compare hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD) extraction of soil and 1 H NMR earthworm metabolomics as indicators of bioavailability. The phenanthrene 28-d LC 50 value was 750 mg/kg (632-891, 95% confidence intervals) for the peat soil tested. The initial phenanthrene concentration was 319 mg/kg, which biodegraded to 16 mg/kg within 15 days, at which time HPCD extraction suggested that phenanthrene was no longer bioavailable. Multivariate statistical analysis of 1 H NMR spectra for E. fetida tissue extracts indicated that phenanthrene exposed and control earthworms differed throughout the 30 day experiment despite the low phenanthrene concentrations present after 15 days. This metabolic response was better correlated to total phenanthrene concentrations (Q 2 = 0.59) than HPCD-extractable phenanthrene concentrations (Q 2 = 0.46) suggesting that 1 H NMR metabolomics offers considerable promise as a novel, molecular-level method to directly monitor the bioavailability of contaminants to earthworms in the environment. - Metabolic responses of Eisenia fetida earthworms to phenanthrene exposure are better correlated to total phenanthrene concentrations than to cyclodextrin-extractable concentrations through time.

  9. Isolation and study of Biodegradiation Potential of Phenanthrene degrading bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    nafise Nourieh

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs are among of potentially hazardous chemicals for environment and cause health concern. These compounds exhibit carcinogenic and/or mutagenic properties and are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA as priority pollutants. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are hardly degraded and therefore bioremediation is often considered as a desirable and cost effective remediation technique for soil. contaminated with them. Materials and Methods: In this research Phenanthrene (C14H10, a three-benzene ring PAHs, was selected as a PAH representative compound and two different concentrations of Phenanthrene (100mg/kg and 500mg/kg were studied. First, PAH-degrading microorganisms were separated and after adaptation and enrichment PAH-degrading bacteria were identified. Results: The results showed that removal efficiency of Phenanthrene in the samples containing pseudomonas was more than other specified bacteria. Also the most removal efficiency of Phenanthrene occurred in first 45 days of biotreatment and then decreasing trend slowed down. Other finding was that the bioremediation of the lower concentration of Phenanthrene takes shorter time compared with the higher concentration and also the comparison of Phenanthrene bioremediation by pure bacteria and Consertium indicated that, at the beginning of the process, the pace of eliminating Phenanthrene by Consertium is more than other bacteria. Conclusion: Microbial analysis, based on cinfirmation tests and analytical profile index (api 20E kit tests, showed that Pseudomonas. SPP, Bacillus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter were the bacteria, responsible for Phenanthrene degradation. Extraction was conducted by ultra sonic method and Phenanthrene concentration was measured by (HPLC.

  10. Effects of humic substances on the migration of radionuclides: Complexation of actinides with humic substances. 3. Progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Rhee, D.S.; Buckau, G.; Moulin, V.; Tits, J.; Decambox, P.; Franz, C.; Herrmann, G.; Trautmann, N.; Dierckx, A.; Vancluysen, J.; Maes, A.

    1993-03-01

    The aim of the present research programme is to study the complexation behaviour of actinide ions with humic substances in natural aquifer systems and hence to quantify the effect of humic substances on the actinide migration. Aquatic humic substances commonly found in all groundwaters in different concentrations have a strong tendency towards complexation with actinide ions. This is one of the major geochemical reactions but hitherto least quantified. Therefore, the effect of humic substances on the actinide migration is poorly understood. In the present research programme the complexation of actinide ions with humic substances will be described thermodynamically. This description will be based on a model being as simple as possible to allow an easy introduction of the resulting reaction constants into geochemical modelling of the actinide migration. This programme is a continuation of the activities of the COCO group in the second phase of the CEC-MIRAGE project. The programme consists of the following three main tasks: Task 1: Complexation reactions of actinide ions with well characterized reference and site-specific humic and fulvic acids; Task 2: Competition reactions with major cations in natural groundwaters; Task 3: Validation of the complexation data in natural aquatic systems by comparison of calculation with spectroscopic experiment. (orig./EF)

  11. Imidacloprid adsorption by soils treated with humic substances ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The mobility of a pesticide in soil is determined by the extent and strength of sorption, which is influenced by either the existing soil humus or exogenous humic substances. Exogenous humic acids (HAs) were added to soil to enhance the amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) by 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g kg-1. Imidacloprid sorption ...

  12. Analytical pyrolysis and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation of EUROSOIL humic acid samples: a key to their source

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buurman, P.; Nierop, K.G.J.; Kaal, J.; Senesi, S.I.

    2009-01-01

    Humic acids have been widely investigated by spectroscopic methods, especially NMR and FTIR, and they are known to show significant differences according to their origin. Low resolution methods such as NMR and FTIR, however cannot easily distinguish different input sources or establish relations

  13. Gladiolus development in response to bulb treatment with different concentrations of humic acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marihus Altoé Baldotto

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Gladiolus is an ornamental species produced for cut flowers and propagated by corms. The early flowering and increase in the number of flower buds, besides the production of commercial corms are constant challenges to be addressed in the crop improvement. Commercial production of ornamentals is technologically accelerated by means of growth regulators. Among them, the auxins stand out for their key role in the adventitious rooting and cell elongation. Alternatively, the humic substances present in the organic matter also have biostimulating effect, which is very similar to the auxinic effect. Therefore, this work aimed to study the growth and development of gladiolus in response to application of different concentrations of humic acids (HA isolated from vermicompost. Corms were soaked for 24 hours in solutions containing 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 mmol L-1 of C from HA. The corms were planted in 10-dm³ plastic bags filled with substrate and kept in a greenhouse. Growth of shoots and roots was evaluated. The results showed that the use of HA accelerates growth, and anticipates and increases flowering of Gladiolus.

  14. CHARACTERIZATION OF SOIL HUMIC SUBSTANCES BY ULTRAVIOLET-VISIBLE AND SYNCHRONOUS FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NADĚŽDA FASUROVÁ

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We focused our study on ultraviolet-visible and synchronous fluorescence spectra and indexes of humic subctances isolated from five Czech soil samples: Haplic Chernozem, Luvic Chernozem, Gleyic Luvisol, Haplic Cambisol and Leptic Cambisol. Results indicated the following HS quality: Haplic Chernozem > Luvic Chernozem > Gleyic Luvisol > Haplic Cambisol > Leptic Cambisol. Humic acids and fulvic acids ratios (HA/FA were increasing together with decreasing values of Q4/6 measured in visible spectral range. Highest absorbance in visible spectral range was detected in Haplic Chernozem and Luvic Chernozem. Maximum relative fluorescence was found in Haplic Chernozem. SFS spectra (in emission mode at Δλ=20 nm showed five main fluorophore peaks at: 360, 470, 488, 502 and 512 nm. Fluorescence behaviour of studied samples was compared with Elliot soil humic acid standard (IHSS. Correlation between fluorescence indexes (F and humification degree (HD R2= 0.88 and between calculated humification degree (HD* and humic acids content (HA sum R2=0.84 and between fluorescence indexes F and HA/FA ratios (R2=0.88 were found.

  15. A new humic acid remedy with addition of silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GP Alexandrova

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Previously known biogenic stimulator humic acid (HA was the subject of this current study and HA based new remediation was developed by addition of silver (Ag nanoparticles in its macromolecule. Extracted HA from a healing mud was characterized and used as reducing agent for Ag ion as well as a stabilizer for the formed Ag nanoparticles. The properties of the obtained hybrid composite were examined by XRD, UV and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The diameter of the nanoparticles in the HA polymer was up to 8.6 nm and they were identified to be metallic Ag.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjc.v13i0.151 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry Vol.13 2012: 7-11

  16. Adsorption of lignite-derived humic acids on coal-based mesoporous activated carbons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenc-Grabowska, Ewa; Gryglewicz, Grazyna

    2005-04-15

    The adsorption by a coal-based mesoporous activated carbon of humic acids (HAs) isolated from two Polish lignites was studied. For comparison, a commercial Aldrich humic acid was also included into this study. The differences in chemical structure and functional groups of HAs were determined by elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy DRIFT. Two activated carbons used differed in terms of mesopore volume, mesopore size distribution, and chemical properties of the surface. The kinetics of adsorption of HAs have been discussed using three kinetic models, i.e., the first-order Lagergren model, the pseudo-second-order model, and the intraparticle diffusion model. It was found that the adsorption of HAs from alkaline solution on mesoporous activated carbon proceeds according to the pseudo-second-order model. The correlation coefficients were close to 1. The intraparticle diffusion of HA molecules within the carbon particle was identified to be the rate-limiting step. Comparing the two activated carbons, the carbon with a higher volume of pores with widths of 10-50 nm showed a greater removal efficiency of HA. An increase in the Freundlich adsorption capacity with decreasing carbon content of HA was observed. Among the HAs studied, S-HA shows characteristics indicating the highest contribution of small-size fraction. The S-HA was removed by both activated carbons to the highest extent. The effect of pH solution on the adsorption of HA was examined over the range pH 5.4-12.2. It was found that the extent of adsorption decreased with decreasing pH of the solution.

  17. Isolation and characterization of humics from natural waters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allard, B.; Arsenie, I.; Boren, H.; Ephraim, J.; Pettersson, C.; Gaardhammar, G.

    1990-05-01

    A method has been developed for quantitative recovery of humic substances from aqueous systems based on ion exchange on DEAE-cellulose. A scheme is suggested for the characterization of dissolved humic substances (UV-, IR- and 1 H NMR-spectroscopy, elemental analysis, molecular weight determination, 14 C-age, functionality, carbohydrate content and acid-base properties) as a routine in the chemical analysis of natural waters. (orig.)

  18. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of chernozem humic acid and their fractions obtained by coupled size exclusion chromatography-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SEC-PAGE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez-Cortes, S; Corrado, G; Trubetskaya, O E; Trubetskoj, O A; Hermosin, B; Saiz-Jimenez, C

    2006-01-01

    A humic acid extracted from a chernozem soil was fractionated combining size exclusion chromatography and polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SEC-PAGE). Three fractions named A, B, and C+D, with different electrophoretic mobilities and molecular sizes (MS), were obtained and subsequently characterized by thermochemolysis and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The data confirmed that fraction A, with the higher MS, was more aliphatic than fractions B and C+D and, in turn, fractions with lower MS (B and C+D) denoted an enrichment in lignin residues. These structural features explain conformational changes when varying the pH in the humic fraction A and indicated that combination of the two techniques is a good approach for characterizing humic substances.

  19. Assessing the Effects of Soil Humic and Fulvic Acids on Germination and Early Growth of Native and Introduced Grass Varieties

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Senesi, Nicola

    2007-01-01

    The presence of humic acid (HA) generally affects positively and at various extent the germination and early growth of all varieties examined but in some cases negative effects are measured on the early growth...

  20. Investigating organic molecules responsible of auxin-like activity of humic acid fraction extracted from vermicompost

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scaglia, Barbara, E-mail: barbara.scaglia@unimi.it [Gruppo Ricicla Labs – DiSAA, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2 (Italy); Nunes, Ramom Rachide; Rezende, Maria Olímpia Oliveira [Laboratório de Química Ambiental, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Avenida Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, São Carlos (Brazil); Tambone, Fulvia [Gruppo Ricicla Labs – DiSAA, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2 (Italy); Adani, Fabrizio, E-mail: fabrizio.adani@unimi.it [Gruppo Ricicla Labs – DiSAA, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2 (Italy)

    2016-08-15

    This work studied the auxin-like activity of humic acids (HA) obtained from vermicomposts produced using leather wastes plus cattle dung at different maturation stages (fresh, stable and mature). Bioassays were performed by testing HA concentrations in the range of 100–6000 mg carbon L{sup −1}. {sup 13}C CPMAS-NMR and GC–MS instrumental methods were used to assess the effect of biological processes and starting organic mixtures on HA composition. Not all HAs showed IAA-like activity and in general, IAA-like activity increased with the length of the vermicomposting process. The presence of leather wastes was not necessary to produce the auxin-like activity of HA, since HA extracted from a mix of cattle manure and sawdust, where no leather waste was added, showed IAA-like activity as well. CPMAS {sup 13}CNMR revealed that HAs were similar independently of the mix used and that the humification process involved the increasing concentration of pre-existing alkali soluble fractions in the biomass. GC/MS allowed the identification of the molecules involved in IAA-like effects: carboxylic acids and amino acids. The concentration of active molecules, rather than their simple presence in HA, determined the bio-stimulating effect, and a good linear regression between auxin-like activity and active stimulating molecules concentration was found (R{sup 2} = − 0.85; p < 0.01, n = 6). - Highlights: • Vermicomposting converts waste into organic fertilizer. • Vermicomposts can have biostimulating effect for the presence of hormone-like molecules. • Auxine-like activity was associated to the vermicompost humic acid fraction (HA). • HA carboxylic acids and amino acids, were reported to act as auxin-like molecules. • A linear regression was found between molecules and auxin-like activity.

  1. Effect of Different Levels of Nitroxin and Humic Acid on Quantitative Properties and Essential Oil of Ajowan (Carum copticum (L. C. B. Clarke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Barghamadi

    2016-02-01

    agricultural products. Humic acid, as one of the appropriate fertilizer, is used in the agricultural organic system. Humic acid causes shoot growth increase due to the absorption of calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper. Bio-fertilizer application information on medicinal plants is very important. In the present study, nitroxin and humic acid effects on Carumcopticum extract were investigated. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the effect of different levels of humic acid, organic fertilizer and Nitroxin bio-fertilizer on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Ajowan, a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in Zabol University. The seeds used in this study were obtained from a local variety that was planted superficially. Active ingredientof the seed was extracted by distillation with water for threehours. Essence percentage was determined by sodium sulfate. The Kejeldal method was used to determine the percentage of nitrogen. The crude method was used to determine the concentration of calcium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium in dry ash. A factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted at the Research Farm. Treatments include the seed inoculation with Nitroxin bio-fertilizer in fourlevels including N1= zero (control, N2 = 0.5, N3 = 1 and N4 = 1.5 L/ha and organic fertilizer humic acid as irrigation water solublefour-leaf stage on fourlevels H1 = zero (control, H2 = 1, H3 = 2 and H4 = 3 kg per hectare. SAS statistical software was used to analyze the data and mean of three traits were compared by LSD test at the 5% level. Results and Discussion: None of the treatments affected plant height and Nitroxinhumic acid interactions were not significant. The results showed significant effects of humic acid on seed weight, number of umbels and lateral branches, essential oil percentage and yield. The highest percentage

  2. Mineralization of phenanthrene and fluoranthene in yardwaste compost

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlstrom, Carolyn J.; Tuovinen, Olli H.

    2003-01-01

    PAH biomineralization measurements of yardwaste compost samples indicated heterogeneous distribution of active microorganisms and substantial sequestration of the non-polar substrate in the compost matrix. - The purpose of the study was to evaluate the potential of phenanthrene and fluoranthene biodegradation in yardwaste compost materials. These polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons were chosen for this work because they are relatively readily biodegradable and ubiquitous in the environment. Compost samples were incubated in biometers with 14 C-labeled phenanthrene and the evolution of 14 CO 2 was assessed as a measure of mineralization. The 14 CO 2 evolution varied widely among replicate biometers, possibly as the result of (1) uneven and patchy colonization of phenanthrene-degrading microorganisms on compost particles, and (2) non-uniform dispersion of the labeled substrate spike into the yardwaste microenvironment. Mineralization of phenanthrene reached about 40% extent of 14 CO 2 evolution at best before leveling off, but the maximum varied from sample to sample and could be as low as 1% after three months. Active mineralization occurred at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. Methanol extraction was used to recover 14 C from biometer samples that were spiked with 14 C-labeled phenanthrene. Extraction for 24-48 h yielded 1-14% recovery of 14 C, depending on the length of the preceding incubation. The low extraction yield and relatively low maximum mineralization ( 14 C-labeled fluoranthene was negligible in biometers but could be stimulated by pre-enrichment with salicylate or naphthalene. Pre-enrichment also accelerated the mineralization of phenanthrene

  3. Interspecific Relationships Among Soil Invertebrates Influence Pollutant Effects of Phenanthrene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cortet, J.; Joffre, R.; Elmholt, S.

    2006-01-01

    , nitrogen concentration). The effects of each community on the fate of phenanthrene were also assessed. We hypothesize that phenanthrene affects the population dynamics of mesofauna and soil biological functioning depending on exposure duration, type of community, or both. Results show that phenanthrene...... toxic effects of organic pollutants on mesofauna species and soil biological functioning....... exerted an effect on mesofauna and that the effects on some species, like Folsomia fimetaria, were influenced by the species composition in the mesocosms, the soil layer, and the sampling date. However, the effects of phenanthrene on ergosterol content and organic matter decomposition were...

  4. INFLUENCE OF BORATE BUFFERS ON THE ELECTROPHORETIC BEHAVIOR OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES IN CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The influence of tetrahydroxyborate ions on the electrophoretic mobility of humic acids was evaluated by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Depending on the molarity of borate ions in the separation buffer, the humic acids exhibit electropherograms with sharp peaks consistently exte...

  5. Advanced oxidation treatment and photochemical fate of selected antidepressant pharmaceuticals in solutions of Suwannee River humic acid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santoke, Hanoz, E-mail: hsantoke@uci.edu [Urban Water Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2175 (United States); Song, Weihua, E-mail: wsong@uci.edu [Urban Water Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2175 (United States); Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 (China); Cooper, William J., E-mail: wcooper@uci.edu [Urban Water Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2175 (United States); Peake, Barrie M., E-mail: bpeake@chemistry.otago.ac.nz [Chemistry Department, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054 (New Zealand)

    2012-05-30

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We elucidate the photochemical degradation of three antidepressant pharmaceuticals. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Hydroxyl radical is the most significant contributor to the degradation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Excited state dissolved organic matter also plays a significant role for duloxetine. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tentative reaction byproducts are identified. - Abstract: Antidepressant pharmaceuticals have recently been detected at low concentrations in wastewater and surface water. This work reports studies of the direct and indirect photochemical fate and treatment by advanced oxidation of three antidepressant compounds (duloxetine, venlafaxine and bupropion) in solutions of humic acid in order to elucidate their behavior in the natural environment prior to reaching a water treatment facility and potentially entering a potable water supply. Humic acid solution was prepared by adding to distilled water a known amount of organic matter as a photosensitizer. All three antidepressants react very rapidly with hydroxyl radicals ({center_dot}OH) and hydrated electrons (e{sup -}{sub aq}) with rate constants of {approx}10{sup 8} to 10{sup 10} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}, but significantly slower with singlet oxygen ({sup 1}{Delta}O{sub 2}) ({approx}10{sup 3} to 10{sup 5} M{sup -1} s{sup -1}). The steady-state concentrations of {center_dot}OH and {sup 1}{Delta}O{sub 2}, in a sample of humic acid solution were measured and used with the second order rate constants to show that the hydroxyl radical was an order of magnitude more effective than the singlet oxygen in the solar-induced photochemical degradation of the antidepressants. Excited state dissolved organic matter also accounted for a substantial portion of degradation of duloxetine, decreasing its half-life by 27% under solar irradiation. Several reaction pathways and by-products arising from the photodegradation were identified using gamma-irradiation followed by LC

  6. Humus accumulation, humification, and humic acid composition in soils of two post-mining chronosequences after coal mining

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Abakumov, E.V.; Cajthaml, Tomáš; Brus, Jiří; Frouz, J.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 13, č. 3 (2013), s. 491-500 ISSN 1439-0108 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 2B08023; GA MŠk LC06066 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:61389013 Keywords : Humus accumulation * Humic acids composition * Humification Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology; CD - Macromolecular Chemistry (UMCH-V) Impact factor: 2.107, year: 2013

  7. Development of phenanthrene catabolism in natural and artificial soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rhodes, Angela H.; Hofman, Jakub; Semple, Kirk T.

    2008-01-01

    The characteristics of natural soils often vary from those of artificial soil (e.g. OECD), which may lead to substantial differences in the bioavailability of test substances. The aim of this investigation was to characterise the development of phenanthrene catabolism in both natural and artificial soils with varying total organic carbon (TOC) content after 1, 14, 42 and 84 d soil-phenanthrene contact time. Indigenous catabolic activity was measured via the addition of 14 C-phenanthrene using the respirometric soil slurry assay. Notably, the lag phases, fastest rates and total extents of 14 C-phenanthrene degradation were relatively comparable in soils with similar TOC content after 1 d contact time. However, natural soils generally exhibited significantly shorter lag phases, faster rates and higher extents of mineralisation, than their artificial counterparts after 42 and 84 d contact time. Such findings suggest that the extrapolation of results from artificial soils to real/natural soils may not be straightforward. - Natural and artificial soils display different phenanthrene mineralisation profiles suggesting that the extrapolation of results from artificial soils to real/natural soils may not be straightforward

  8. Humic first, A new theory on the origin of life

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daei, Mohammad Ali; Daei, Manijeh

    2016-04-01

    In 1953, Miller &Urey through a brilliant experiment demonstrated that the building blocks of life could evolve in primitive earth conditions1. In recent years scientists revealed that organic matters are not very rare compounds in comets, asteroids, and meteorites2. These facts show simple organic molecules on early earth could be quite enough to start development of life. But, how? Many theorists have tried to explain how life emerged from non life, but failed2. There is a huge gap between the simple building blocks, like amino acid, sugar, and lipid molecules, to a living cell with a very sophisticated structure and organization. Obviously, creation of a cell needed a qualified production line which had to be durable and active, can gather all biochemical ingredients, protect them from degradation, have catalyzing ability, provide numerous opportunities for interaction between basic molecules, and above all, have capability to react to different sources of energy. We are sure this perfect factory was available on primitive earth and is nothing except humic substance! At the moment, HS, are doing nearly all of these duties, among the others, under your feet in agricultural soils4. What are humic substances? According to IHSS definition "Humic substances (HS) are major components of the natural organic matter (NOM) in soil and water as well as in geological organic deposits such as lake sediments, peats, brown coals, and shales5." They come from polymerization of organic molecules, but looking at them like a simple aggregation of different organic molecules, is a huge mistake6! It seems they do not come together except for making a capable structure! HS are the first organic machinery which appeared in proplanetary disk, more than four billion years ago. Derived from simple inorganic molecules, humic substances construct a firm intermediate structure which connects none life to life. In other word, life road pass over the humic bridge. This does not mean that

  9. Characterization of humic acid reactivity modifications due to adsorption onto α-Al 2O 3

    KAUST Repository

    Janot, Noémie

    2012-03-01

    Adsorption of purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) onto α-Al 2O 3 is studied by batch experiments at different pH, ionic strength and coverage ratios R (mg of PAHA by m 2 of mineral surface). After equilibration, samples are centrifuged and the concentration of PAHA in the supernatants is measured. The amount of adsorbed PAHA per m 2 of mineral surface is decreasing with increasing pH. At constant pH value, the amount of adsorbed PAHA increases with initial PAHA concentration until a pH-dependent constant value is reached. UV/Visible specific parameters such as specific absorbance SUVA 254, ratio of absorbance values E 2/E 3 and width of the electron-transfer absorbance band Δ ET are calculated for supernatant PAHA fractions of adsorption experiments at pH 6.8, to have an insight on the evolution of PAHA characteristics with varying coverage ratio. No modification is observed compared to original compound for R≥20mgPAHA/gα-Al2O3. Below this ratio, aromaticity decreases with initial PAHA concentration. Size-exclusion chromatography - organic carbon detection measurements on these supernatants also show a preferential adsorption of more aromatic and higher-sized fractions. Spectrophotometric titrations were done to estimate changes of reactivity of supernatants from adsorption experiments made at pH ≈6.8 and different PAHA concentrations. Evolutions of UV/Visible spectra with varying pH were treated to obtain titration curves that are interpreted within the NICA-Donnan framework. Protonation parameters of non-sorbed PAHA fractions are compared to those obtained for the PAHA before contact with the oxide. The amount of low proton-affinity type of sites and the value of their median affinity constant decrease after adsorption. From PAHA concentration in the supernatant and mass balance calculations, "titration curves" are experimentally proposed for the adsorbed fractions for the first time. These changes in reactivity to our opinion could explain the difficulty

  10. Ion binding by humic and fulvic acids: A computational procedure based on functional site heterogeneity and the physical chemistry of polyelectrolyte solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marinsky, J.A.; Reddy, M.M.; Ephraim, J.; Mathuthu, A.

    1988-04-01

    Ion binding equilibria for humic and fulvic acids are examined from the point of view of functional site heterogeneity and the physical chemistry of polyelectrolyte solutions. A detailed explanation of the potentiometric properties of synthetic polyelectrolytes and ion-exchange gels is presented first to provide the basis for a parallel consideration of the potentiometric properties exhibited by humic and fulvic acids. The treatment is then extended to account for functional site heterogeneity. Sample results are presented for analysis of the ion-binding reactions of a standard soil fulvic acid (Armadale Horizons Bh) with this approach to test its capability for anticipation of metal ion removal from solution. The ultimate refined model is shown to be adaptable, after appropriate consideration of the heterogeneity and polyelectrolyte factors, to programming already available for the consideration of ion binding by inorganics in natural waters. (orig.)

  11. Effect of the hydrocarbon phenanthrene on Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorellaceae) growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otero Paternina, Angelica; Cruz Casallas, Pablo E; Velasco Santamaria, Yohana M

    2013-01-01

    The effects of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene on the growth of chlorella vulgaris alga were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The algae were exposed during 72 h to different concentrations of phenanthrene (0, 1, 10, 100, 1000 and 10000 μg/l). The alga density was daily determined by a neubauer chamber. The average growth average, total biomass and inhibition percentage of the biomass were also determined. In addition, the content of chlorophyll a was determined at the beginning and the end of the experiment. the assays were carried out in glass bottles of 0,4 l using the complex NPK (remital m 17-6-18) at 1 g/l as an organic fertilizing. The results showed that phenanthrene inhibited progressively the alga growth being the lowest cellular growth observed in the medium with the highest phenanthrene concentration, reaching an inhibition percentage of 59 %. In the other treatments, the daily growth rate was relatively constant. The chlorophyll a concentration evaluated by spectrophotometry was not affected by the phenanthrene concentration. in conclusion, the growth of the alga c. vulgaris was affected negatively by the exposure to nominal concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene higher than 1 μg/l.

  12. Degradation of emerging contaminants from water under natural sunlight: The effect of season, pH, humic acids and nitrate and identification of photodegradation by-products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koumaki, Elena; Mamais, Daniel; Noutsopoulos, Constantinos; Nika, Maria-Christina; Bletsou, Anna A; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S; Eftaxias, Alexander; Stratogianni, Georgia

    2015-11-01

    Both photodegradation and hydrolysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were investigated in order to evaluate their photochemical fate in aquatic environment and to assess the effect of season and specific characteristics of water (pH, humic acids and nitrate concentration) on the removal of target EDCs and NSAIDs through photodegradation. An additional objective was the identification of the photodegradation by-products of specific NSAIDs and their dependence on irradiation time. Selected compounds' transformation was investigated under natural sunlight radiation while control experiments were conducted in the dark. As expected, most of compounds' degradation rate decreased with decreasing light intensity between two different experimental periods. Most of the tested compounds exhibited different rates of degradation during direct and indirect photolysis. The degradation rate of the selected compounds increased in the presence of NO3(-) and the photodegradation rate was higher for some compounds in alkaline than in acidic solution. The effect of humic acids' presence in the water depends on the absorbance spectrum of the compound and the produced photosensitizers. More specifically, humic acids act as inner filter toward most of the selected NSAIDs and as photosensitizers toward most of the EDCs. The results of the irradiation experiments in the presence of both humic acids and NO3(-), indicate that the direct photolysis is much more efficient than indirect photochemical processes. Finally, several degradation by-products of ketoprofen and diclofenac were identified in the samples, exposed to sunlight. The dependence of these by-products on radiation time is also demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Characteristics of arsenic in humic substances extracted from natural organic sediments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Junko; Norota, Susumu; Kawebe, Yoshishige; Sugita, Hajime; Zhang, Ming

    2018-06-01

    The stability and dispersion of naturally occurring As have been receiving increasing attention, because As is toxic and its contamination is a widespread problem in many countries. This study investigated As fractionation and speciation in organic sediments collected from different depositional settings to elucidate the existence of stable As in humic substances. Eleven organic sediment samples were collected from marine and terrestrial alluvial regions in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan, and the chemical fraction of As and species of humic substances were identified by sequential extraction. In addition, stable As bound in organic matter was evaluated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The As fraction mainly comprised inorganic substances, especially sulfur, iron, and manganese, and terrestrial sediments (lacustrine and inland deposits) were rich in sulfides and Fe and Al (hydr)oxides. When the residual fraction was excluded, the organic fraction of As was higher in seawater sediments than in terrestrial sediments. Among humic substances, cellulose, humic acid, and hydrophilic fulvic acid were clearly associated with As accumulation, and As speciation showed that the As was of organic origin. Cellulose, an organic compound of plant origin, was abundant in As=S and As (III)=O bonds, and As accumulation was higher in sulfur-rich peat sediments, corresponding with the physiological activities of As in plants. Hydrophilic fulvic acid and humic acid in these sediments, originating from small animals and microorganisms in addition to plants, denote higher As contents and abound in As (III, V)=C and C-H, CH 3 bonds even in sulfur-rich sediments. The methylated As bonds reflect the ecological transition of organisms.

  14. Interaction between lysozyme and humic acid in layer-by-layer assemblies: Effects of pH and ionic strength

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tan, W.F.; Norde, W.; Koopal, L.K.

    2014-01-01

    The interaction between protein and soluble organic matter is studied through layer-by-layer assembly of lysozyme (LSZ) and purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) at a solid surface (2-D) and in solution (3-D). By bringing a silica surface in alternating contact with solutions of LSZ and PAHA a

  15. Interaction between lysozyme and humic acid in layer-by-layer assemblies : Effects of pH and ionic strength

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tan, Wenfeng; Norde, Willem; Koopal, Luuk K.

    2014-01-01

    The interaction between protein and soluble organic matter is studied through layer-by-layer assembly of lysozyme (LSZ) and purified Aldrich humic acid (PAHA) at a solid surface (2-D) and in solution (3-D). By bringing a silica surface in alternating contact with solutions of LSZ and PAHA a

  16. Glyphosate detection with ammonium nitrate and humic acids as potential interfering substances by pulsed voltammetry technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Gil, Pablo; Laguarda-Miro, Nicolas; Camino, Juan Soto; Peris, Rafael Masot

    2013-10-15

    Pulsed voltammetry has been used to detect and quantify glyphosate on buffered water in presence of ammonium nitrate and humic substances. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide active ingredient in the world. It is a non-selective broad spectrum herbicide but some of its health and environmental effects are still being discussed. Nowadays, glyphosate pollution in water is being monitored but quantification techniques are slow and expensive. Glyphosate wastes are often detected in countryside water bodies where organic substances and fertilizers (commonly based on ammonium nitrate) may also be present. Glyphosate also forms complexes with humic acids so these compounds have also been taken into consideration. The objective of this research is to study the interference of these common pollutants in glyphosate measurements by pulsed voltammetry. The statistical treatment of the voltammetric data obtained lets us discriminate glyphosate from the other studied compounds and a mathematical model has been built to quantify glyphosate concentrations in a buffer despite the presence of humic substances and ammonium nitrate. In this model, the coefficient of determination (R(2)) is 0.977 and the RMSEP value is 2.96 × 10(-5) so the model is considered statistically valid. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Humic Acids as Therapeutic Compounds in Lead Intoxication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krempaská, Klára; Vaško, Ladislav; Vašková, Janka

    2016-01-01

    The toxicity of lead and its compounds is well known, causing anemia by inhibiting the synthesis of porphyrins. The neurotoxic effects, particularly in the young, alter the structure of cell membranes and DNA. Chronic exposure to lead has adverse effects on the body by disrupting the mechanisms of energy production and tissue damage, in particular in its links with thiol groups and competition for binding sites with zinc. This review is therefore a description of the mechanism of lead toxicity as well as of possible interventions for the detoxification of the body. Part of the clinical intervention is the provision of chelates that form insoluble complexes with lead and eliminate the load in tissues. Most of these chelating agents have a number of side effects. It is therefore not surprising that active compounds with distinctive antioxidant and chelating properties are being sought after. The possibility of administering lower amounts, and the corresponding decrease in side effects, would be important for clinical practice. Both prospective studies and our initial studies on humic acids have highlighted positive effects based on their antioxidant and chelating properties.

  18. Characterization of humic substances from deep groundwaters in granitic bedrock in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pettersson, C.; Ephraim, J.; Allard, B.; Boren, H.

    1990-06-01

    Humic substances were isolated from deep groundwaters sampled at depths between 100 and 800 m at Finnsjoen, Fjaellveden, Forsmark, Gidea, Lansjaerv, Stripa and Aespoe. The humic fraction, which largely consisted of fulvic acid in all the samples, was characterized with respect to elemental composition, molecular weight, acid capacity (COOH and OH) as well as age ( 14 C). The differences in composition and capacity between old (1270-9675 y) and fresh (reference fulvic acid from surface water, Bersbo) were minor. (orig.)

  19. Kinetic characteristic of phenanthrene sorption in aged soil amended with biochar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Chanyang; Kim, Yong-Seong; Hyun, Seunghun

    2015-04-01

    Biochar has been recently highlighted as an amendment that affects yield of the crops by increasing pH, cation exchange capacity and water retention, and reduces the lability of contaminants by increasing sorption capacity in the soil system. Biochar's physico-chemical properties, high CEC, surfaces containing abundant micropores and macropores, and various types of functional groups, play important roles in enhancing sorption capacity of contaminants. Aging through a natural weathering process might change physico-chemical properties of biochar amended in soils, which can affect the sorption behavior of contaminants. Thus, in this study, the sorption characteristics of phenanthrene (PHE) on biochar-amended soils were studied with various types of chars depending on aging time. To do this, 1) soil was amended with sludge waste char (SWC), wood char (WC), and municipal waste char (MWC) during 0, 6, and 12 month. Chars were applied to soil at 1% and 2.5% (w/w) ratio. 2) Several batch kinetic and equilibrium studies were conducted. One-compartment first order and two-compartment first order model apportioning the fraction of fast and slow sorbing were selected for kinetic models. Where, qt is PHE concentration in biochar-amended soils at each time t, qeis PHE concentration in biochar-amended soils at equilibrium. ff is fastly sorbing fraction and (1-ff) is slowly sorbing fraction. k is sorption rate constant from one-compartment first order model, k1 and k2 are sorption rate constant from two-compartment first order model, t is time (hr). The equilibrium sorption data were fitted with Fruendlich and Langmuir equation. 3) Change in physico-chemical properties of biochar-amended soils was investigated with aging time. Batch equilibrium sorption results suggested that sorbed amount of PHE on WC was greater than SWC and MWC. The more char contents added to soil, the greater sorption capacity of PHE. Sorption equilibrium was reached after 4 hours and equilibrium pH ranged

  20. Comparative study of humic substances in groundwaters: Pt. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, B.; Higgo, J.J.W.; Moody, P.; Davis, J.R.; Williams, G.M.; Warwick, P.

    1990-10-01

    Humic and fulvic acids were extracted from Drigg groundwater using the weak anion exchanger, DEAE cellulose. Two different methods of elution from the DEAE cellulose were investigated. These were elution with 0.1M NaOH and elution with a 50:50 mixture of MeCN and 0.5M HCl. The latter method proved to be operationally more difficult and suffered from the disadvantage that it was impossible to determine the concentration of extracted matter until late in the purification procedure. Co- and Ni-humic/fulvic conditional stability constants were determined on different fractions extracted from the groundwater using an ion-exchange-equilibrium method. Measurements were made in 0.005 M NaCl at pH values of 6.5 and 5.0. Conditional stability constants are reported in units of 1/g because of the difficulties inherent in obtaining an unequivocal molecular weight or complexation capacity. Values ranged from 1 to 4 1/g for cobalt and from 2 to 5 1/g for nickel. The purity of the material had a significant effect and values for humic acids were higher than for fulvic acids from the same source. Values at pH 6.5 were higher than at pH=5.0. The stoichiometry of the complexes appeared to be mainly 1:1. Although both the humic and fulvic acids prepared after elution with MeCN/HCl were significantly purer than the corresponding materials prepared after elution with NaOH the stability constants were lower. (author)

  1. Influence of metal loading and humic acid functional groups on the complexation behavior of trivalent lanthanides analyzed by CE-ICP-MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kautenburger, Ralf, E-mail: r.kautenburger@mx.uni-saarland.de [Institute of Inorganic Solid State Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus Dudweiler, Am Markt Zeile 3-5, D-66125 Saarbrücken (Germany); Hein, Christina; Sander, Jonas M. [Institute of Inorganic Solid State Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus Dudweiler, Am Markt Zeile 3-5, D-66125 Saarbrücken (Germany); Beck, Horst P. [Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry and Radiochemistry, Saarland University, Campus Dudweiler, Am Markt Zeile 5, D-66125 Saarbrücken (Germany)

    2014-03-01

    Highlights: • Free and complexed HA-Ln species are separated by CE-ICP-MS. • Weaker and stronger HA-binding sites for Ln-complexation can be detected. • Complexation by original and modified humic acid (HA) with blocked phenolic hydroxyl- and carboxyl-groups is compared. • Stronger HA-binding sites for Ln³⁺ can be assumed as chelating complexes. • Chelates consist of trivalent Ln and a combination of both OH- and COOH-groups. Abstract: The complexation behavior of Aldrich humic acid (AHA) and a modified humic acid (AHA-PB) with blocked phenolic hydroxyl groups for trivalent lanthanides (Ln) is compared, and their influence on the mobility of Ln(III) in an aquifer is analyzed. As speciation technique, capillary electrophoresis (CE) was hyphenated with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For metal loading experiments 25 mg L⁻¹ of AHA and different concentrations (c Ln(Eu+Gd)} = 100–6000 μg L⁻¹) of Eu(III) and Gd(III) in 10 mM NaClO₄ at pH 5 were applied. By CE-ICP-MS, three Ln-fractions, assumed to be uncomplexed, weakly and strongly AHA-complexed metal can be detected. For the used Ln/AHA-ratios conservative complex stability constants log βLnAHA decrease from 6.33 (100 μg L⁻¹ Ln³⁺) to 4.31 (6000 μg L⁻¹ Ln³⁺) with growing Ln-content. In order to verify the postulated weaker and stronger humic acid binding sites for trivalent Eu and Gd, a modified AHA with blocked functional groups was used. For these experiments 500 μg L⁻¹ Eu and 25 mg L⁻¹ AHA and AHA-PB in 10 mM NaClO₄ at pH-values ranging from 3 to 10 have been applied. With AHA-PB, where 84% of the phenolic OH-groups and 40% of the COOH-groups were blocked, Eu complexation was significantly lower, especially at the strong binding sites. The log β-values decrease from 6.11 (pH 10) to 5.61 at pH 3 (AHA) and for AHA-PB from 6.01 (pH 7) to 3.94 at pH 3. As a potential consequence, particularly humic acids with a high amount of

  2. Electrokinetic enhancement of phenanthrene biodegradation in creosote-polluted clay soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niqui-Arroyo, Jose-Luis; Bueno-Montes, Marisa; Posada-Baquero, Rosa; Ortega-Calvo, Jose-Julio

    2006-01-01

    Given the difficulties caused by low-permeable soils in bioremediation, a new electrokinetic technology is proposed, based on laboratory results with phenanthrene, to afford bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in clay soils. Microbial activity in a clay soil historically polluted with creosote was promoted using a specially designed electrokinetic cell with a permanent anode-to-cathode flow and controlled pH. The rates of phenanthrene losses during treatment were tenfold higher in soil treated with an electric field than in the control cells without current or microbial activity. Results from experiments with Tenax-assisted desorption and mineralization of 14 C-labeled phenanthrene indicated that phenanthrene biodegradation was limited by mass-transfer of the chemical. We suggest that the enhancement effect of the applied electric field on phenanthrene biodegradation resulted from mobilization of the PAH and nutrients dissolved in the soil fluids. - Electrokinetic bioremediation is a potentially effective technology to treat PAH-polluted, clay-rich soils

  3. Imidacloprid adsorption by soils treated with humic substances ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2010-03-29

    Mar 29, 2010 ... pesticide under appropriate conditions to decrease pesticide pollution diffusion and probably increase effectiveness of pesticides. Key words: Imidacloprid, soil adsorption, humic acid, fulvic acid. INTRODUCTION. Progressive increase of production and application of chemicals for agriculture as well as for ...

  4. Nitrite fixation by humic substances: Nitrogen-15 nuclear magnetic resonance evidence for potential intermediates in chemodenitrification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorn, K.A.; Mikita, M.A.

    2000-01-01

    Studies have suggested that NO2/-, produced during nitrification and denitrification, can become incorporated into soil organic matter and, in one of the processes associated with chemodenitrification, react with organic matter to form trace N gases, including N2O. To gain an understanding of the nitrosation chemistry on a molecular level, soil and aquatic humic substances were reacted with 15N-labeled NaNO2, and analyzed by liquid phase 15N and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) Pahokee peat and peat humic acid were also reacted with Na15NO2 and analyzed by solid-state 15N NMR. In Suwannee River, Armadale, and Laurentian fulvic acids, phenolic rings and activated methylene groups underwent nitrosation to form nitrosophenols (quinone monoximes) and ketoximes, respectively. The oximes underwent Beckmann rearrangements to 2??amides, and Beckmann fragmentations to nitriles. The nitriles in turn underwent hydrolysis to 1??amides. Peaks tentatively identified as imine, indophenol, or azoxybenzene nitrogens were clearly present in spectra of samples nitrosated at pH 6 but diminished at pH 3. The 15N NMR spectrum of the peat humic acid exhibited peaks corresponding with N-nitroso groups in addition to nitrosophenols, ketoximes, and secondary Beckmann reaction products. Formation of N-nitroso groups was more significant in the whole peat compared with the peat humic acid. Carbon-13 NMR analyses also indicated the occurrence of nitrosative demethoxylation in peat and soil humic acids. Reaction of 15N-NH3 fixated fulvic acid with unlabeled NO2/- resulted in nitrosative deamination of aminohydroquinone N, suggesting a previously unrecognized pathway for production of N2 gas in soils fertilized with NH3.Studies have suggested that NO2-, produced during nitrification and denitrification, can become incorporated into soil organic matter and, in one of the processes associated with chemodenitrification, react with organic

  5. Evaluation of Some Agroecological Characteristics of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L. as Affected by Simultaneous Application of Water-Saving Superabsorbent Hydrogel in Soil and Foliar Application of Humic Acid under Different Irrigation Intervals in a Low Inp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Jahan

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L. is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to lamiaceae family. This plant is native of India country and other countries in south of Asia. Nowadays, the use of water superabsorbent polymers is increased in agriculture and their role in reducing the drought stress and increasing the crops production has been demonstrated in many researches. Superabsorbent polymers can absorb lots of water and keep it in their structure and give it to plant under drought stress conditions (9. Humic substances are a group of heterogeneous molecules that are bonded together by weak forces, therefore they have high chemical stability. Humic acid comprise 65 to 80 percent of total soil organic matter (6. According to medicinal importance of Basil and its roles in the food and pharmaceutical industries, beside the limited water resources and need to increase water use efficiency through using ecological inputs, this study designed and conducted aimed to evaluate agroecological characteristics of Basil as affected by application of water-saving superabsorbent and humic acid under irrigation intervals. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the effects of different amounts of water-saving superabsorbent and foliar application of humic acid and irrigation intervals on some quantitative characteristics of basil (Ocimum basilicum L., a split strip plot experiment was conducted based on RCBD design with three replications at The Research Farm of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during growing season of 2012-13. Experimental factors included three levels of water-saving superabsorbent (0, 40 and 80 kg ha-1 as the main plot factor, two levels of humic acid (0 and 3 kg ha-1 as the sub plot factor and two levels of irrigation interval (5 and 10 days as the strip plot factor. Studied traits were seed number and weight per plant, plant height, number of lateral branches per plant, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index

  6. Modelling of Eu migration in groundwater with high humic acid concentrations using a kinetic approach (KICAM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, D.

    2001-01-01

    The influence of humic acids on the migration of lanthanides and actinides in nonbinding loose sediments was investigated in flow column experiments. Experiments with Am were described by a reaction scheme based on kinetically controlled processes, and reaction rate constants were derived and used successfully for describing independent Am experiments. It was investigated inhowfar these data can be used for describing the Eu experiments of GSF Munich [de

  7. Heavy metal / polyacid interaction : an electrochemical study of the binding of Cd(II), Pb(II) and Zn(II) to polycarboxylic and humic acids

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cleven, R.F.M.J.

    1984-01-01

    Polyelectrolyte effects in the interaction of heavy metal ions with model polycarboxylic acids have been described, in order to establish the relevance of these effects in the interaction of heavy metal ions with naturally occurring humic and fulvic acids. The model systems consisted of Cd(II),

  8. Colonization on root surface by a phenanthrene-degrading endophytic bacterium and its application for reducing plant phenanthrene contamination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Liu

    Full Text Available A phenanthrene-degrading endophytic bacterium, Pn2, was isolated from Alopecurus aequalis Sobol grown in soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs. Based on morphology, physiological characteristics and the 16S rRNA gene sequence, it was identified as Massilia sp. Strain Pn2 could degrade more than 95% of the phenanthrene (150 mg · L(-1 in a minimal salts medium (MSM within 48 hours at an initial pH of 7.0 and a temperature of 30 °C. Pn2 could grow well on the MSM plates with a series of other PAHs, including naphthalene, acenaphthene, anthracene and pyrene, and degrade them to different degrees. Pn2 could also colonize the root surface of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam, invade its internal root tissues and translocate into the plant shoot. When treated with the endophyte Pn2 under hydroponic growth conditions with 2 mg · L(-1 of phenanthrene in the Hoagland solution, the phenanthrene concentrations in ryegrass roots and shoots were reduced by 54% and 57%, respectively, compared with the endophyte-free treatment. Strain Pn2 could be a novel and useful bacterial resource for eliminating plant PAH contamination in polluted environments by degrading the PAHs inside plants. Furthermore, we provide new perspectives on the control of the plant uptake of PAHs via endophytic bacteria.

  9. Complexation humic substances of soils with metal ions as the main way migration of matals from soil to water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dinu, Marina

    2013-04-01

    Organic matter (OM) of natural waters can bind with the ions metals (IM) entering the system, thus reducing their toxic properties. OM in water consists predominantly (up to 80%) of humic acids (HA), represented by highmolecular, dyed, polyfunctional compounds. The natural-climatic zones feature various ratios of fulvic (FA) and humic acids. An important specific feature of metals as contamination elements is the fact that when they occur in the environment, their potential toxicity and bioavailability depend significantly on their speciation. In recent years, lakes have been continuously enriched in hazardous elements such as Pb, Cd, Al, and Cr on a global (regional) basis. The most important organic ligands are humic matter (HM) washed out from soils in water and metals occur in natural waters as free ions, simple complexes with inorganic and organic ligands, and mineral and organic particles of molecules and ions sorbed on the surface. The occurrence of soluble metal forms in natural waters depends on the presence of organic and inorganic anions. However, direct determinations are rather difficult. The goal was the calculation and analysis of the forms of metals in the system catchment basin, based on the chemical composition of the water body and the structural features of soil humic substances (HS).We used the following analytical techniques - leaching of humic substances from soil and sample preparation (Orlov DS, 1985), the functional characteristics of humic substances - spectral analysis methods, the definition of conditional stability constants of complexes - electrochemical methods of analysis. Our results show thet HAs of selected soil types are different in functions, and these differences effect substantially the complexing process. When analyzing the results obtained in the course of spectrometric investigation of HMs in selected soil types, we determined the following main HA characteristics: (1) predominance of oxygen bearing groups in HM of the

  10. Resistance of polyvinyl alcohol blends stabilized by sodium and ammonium salts of lignite humic acids against γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barbora Bakajova; Jiri Kucerik; Michal Ilcin; Oga Hola

    2011-01-01

    The dried blends containing sodium and ammonium salts of lignite humic acids (humates, 0.5-10% w/w) in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were exposed to high dosage of γ-irradiation in the range of doses 127-806 kGy. Resulted products were then tested for their stability using thermogravimetrical analysis. As a reference the non-treated blends were used since the pure PVA exposed to γ-irradiation very quickly lost its stability and resulting consistence did not allow the stability tests. Stabilities showed a strong concentration and counterion dependency. While sodium counterion caused mostly destabilization with increasing dose, the ammonium counterion acted in an opposite way. The tests carried out in a moisturizing container revealed the changes in water absorbing capacity of irradiated samples and allowed partial explanation of humate stabilizing effect. Generally, at lower concentration of a humate the increase was observed with an increase in the γ-irradiation dose and vice versa. The results confirmed the antioxidant and stabilizing effect of humic acids added to some synthetic polymers and their applicability in materials exposed to γ-irradiation. (author)

  11. Effects of humic acid on the interactions between zinc oxide nanoparticles and bacterial biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouyang, Kai; Yu, Xiao-Ying; Zhu, Yunlin; Gao, Chunhui; Huang, Qiaoyun; Cai, Peng

    2017-12-01

    The effects of humic acid (HA) on interactions between ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 biofilms at different maturity stages were investigated. Three stages of biofilm development were identified according to bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity associated with biofilm development process. In the initial biofilm stage 1, the ATP content of bacteria was reduced by more than 90% when biofilms were exposed to ZnO NPs. However, in the mature biofilm stages 2 and 3, the ATP content was only slightly decreased. Biofilms at stage 3 exhibited less susceptibility to ZnO NPs than biofilms at stage 2. These results suggest that more mature biofilms have a significantly higher tolerance to ZnO NPs compared to young biofilms. In addition, biofilms with intact extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) showed higher tolerance to ZnO NPs than those without EPS, indicating that EPS play a key role in alleviating the toxic effects of ZnO NPs. In both pure ZnO NPs and ZnO-HA mixtures, dissolved Zn 2+ originating from the NPs significantly contributed to the overall toxicity. The presence of HA dramatically decreased the toxicity of ZnO NPs due to the binding of Zn 2+ on HA. The combined results from this work suggest that the biofilm maturity stages and environmental constituents (such as humic acid) are important factors to consider when evaluating potential risks of NPs to ecological systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Effects of humic acid on the interactions between zinc oxide nanoparticles and bacterial biofilms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ouyang, Kai; Yu, Xiao-Ying; Zhu, Yunlin; Gao, Chunhui; Huang, Qiaoyun; Cai, Peng

    2017-12-01

    The effects of humic acid (HA) on interactions between ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 biofilms at different maturity stages were investigated. Three stages of biofilm development were identified according to bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity associated with biofilm development process. In the initial biofilm stage 1, the ATP content of bacteria was reduced by more than 90% when biofilms were exposed to ZnO NPs. However, in the mature biofilm stages 2 and 3, the ATP content was only slightly decreased. Biofilms at stage 3 exhibited less susceptibility to ZnO NPs than biofilms at stage 2. These results suggest that more mature biofilms have a significantly higher tolerance to ZnO NPs compared to young biofilms. In addition, biofilms with intact extracellular poly-meric substances (EPS) showed higher tolerance to ZnO NPs than those without EPS, indicating that EPS play a key role in alleviating the toxic effects of ZnO NPs. In both pure ZnO NPs and ZnO-HA mixtures, dissolved Zn2+ originating from the NPs significantly contributed to the overall toxicity. The presence of HA dramatically decreased the toxicity of ZnO NPs due to the binding of Zn2+ on HA. The combined results from this work suggest that the biofilm maturity stages and environmental constituents (such as humic acid) are important factors to consider when evaluating potential risks of NPs to ecological systems.

  13. Examination of soil contaminated by coal-liquids by size exclusion chromatography in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone solution to evaluate interference from humic and fulvic acids and extracts from peat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, T J; Herod, A A; Brain, S A; Chambers, F M; Kandiyoti, R

    2005-11-18

    Soil from a redundant coke oven site has been examined by extraction of soluble materials using 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) followed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) of the extracted material. The extracted material was found to closely resemble a high temperature coal tar pitch. Standard humic and fulvic acids were also examined since these materials are very soluble in NMP and would be extracted with pitch if present in the soil. Humic substances derived from peat samples and NMP-extracts of peats were also examined. The results show that the humic and fulvic substances were not extracted directly by NMP from peats. They were extracted using caustic soda solution and were different from the peat extracts in NMP. These results indicate that humic and fulvic acids were soluble in NMP in the protonated polyelectrolyte form but not in the original native polyelectrolyte form. The extraction of soil using NMP followed by SEC appears to be a promising method for identifying contamination by coal-based industries.

  14. Particle phase distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in stormwater — Using humic acid and iron nano-sized colloids as test particles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Katrine; Kalmykova, Yuliya; Strömvall, Ann-Margret

    2015-01-01

    The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in different particulate fractions in stormwater: Total, Particulate, Filtrated, Colloidal and Dissolved fractions, were examined and compared to synthetic suspensions of humic acid colloids and iron nano-sized particles. The distribution...

  15. Hybrid Processes Combining Photocatalysis and Ceramic Membrane Filtration for Degradation of Humic Acids in Saline Water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Lili; Zhu, Bo; Gray, Stephen; Duke, Mikel; Muthukumaran, Shobha

    2016-03-01

    This study explored the combined effects of photocatalysis with ceramic membrane filtration for the removal of humic acid in the presence of salt; to simulate saline wastewater conditions. The effects of operating parameters, such as salinity and TiO₂ concentration on permeate fluxes, total organic carbon (TOC), and UV absorbance removal, were investigated. The interaction between the humic acids and TiO₂ photocatalyst played an important role in the observed flux change during ceramic membrane filtration. The results for this hybrid system showed that the TOC removal was more than 70% for both without NaCl and with the 500 ppm NaCl concentration, and 62% and 66% for 1000 and 2000 ppm NaCl concentrations. The reduction in UV absorbance was more complete in the absence of NaCl compared to the presence of NaCl. The operation of the integrated photoreactor-ceramic membrane filter over five repeat cycles is described. It can be concluded that the overall removal performance of the hybrid system was influenced by the presence of salts, as salt leads to agglomeration of TiO₂ particles by suppressing the stabilising effects of electrostatic repulsion and thereby reduces the effective surface contact between the pollutant and the photocatalyst.

  16. Hybrid Processes Combining Photocatalysis and Ceramic Membrane Filtration for Degradation of Humic Acids in Saline Water

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lili Song

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available This study explored the combined effects of photocatalysis with ceramic membrane filtration for the removal of humic acid in the presence of salt; to simulate saline wastewater conditions. The effects of operating parameters, such as salinity and TiO2 concentration on permeate fluxes, total organic carbon (TOC, and UV absorbance removal, were investigated. The interaction between the humic acids and TiO2 photocatalyst played an important role in the observed flux change during ceramic membrane filtration. The results for this hybrid system showed that the TOC removal was more than 70% for both without NaCl and with the 500 ppm NaCl concentration, and 62% and 66% for 1000 and 2000 ppm NaCl concentrations. The reduction in UV absorbance was more complete in the absence of NaCl compared to the presence of NaCl. The operation of the integrated photoreactor-ceramic membrane filter over five repeat cycles is described. It can be concluded that the overall removal performance of the hybrid system was influenced by the presence of salts, as salt leads to agglomeration of TiO2 particles by suppressing the stabilising effects of electrostatic repulsion and thereby reduces the effective surface contact between the pollutant and the photocatalyst.

  17. Effect of cysteine and humic acids on bioavailability of Ag from Ag nanoparticles to a freshwater snail

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luoma, Samuel N.; Tasha Stoiber,; Croteau, Marie-Noele; Isabelle Romer,; Ruth Merrifeild,; Lead, Jamie

    2016-01-01

    Metal-based engineered nanoparticles (NPs) will undergo transformations that will affect their bioavailability, toxicity and ecological risk when released to the environment, including interactions with dissolved organic material. The purpose of this paper is to determine how interactions with two different types of organic material affect the bioavailability of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Silver uptake rates by the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis were determined after exposure to 25 nmol l-1 of Ag as PVP AgNPs, PEG AgNPs or AgNO3, in the presence of either Suwannee River humic acid or cysteine, a high-affinity thiol-rich organic ligand. Total uptake rate of Ag from the two NPs was either increased or not strongly affected in the presence of 1 – 10 mg 1-1 humic acid. Humic substances contain relatively few strong ligands for Ag explaining their limited effects on Ag uptake rate. In contrast, Ag uptake rate was substantially reduced by cysteine. Three components of uptake from the AgNPs were quantified in the presence of cysteine using a biodynamic modeling approach: uptake of dissolved Ag released by the AgNPs, uptake of a polymer or large (>3kD) Ag-cysteine complex and uptake of the nanoparticle itself. Addition of 1:1 Ag:cysteine reduced concentrations of dissolved Ag, which contributed to, but did not fully explain the reductions in uptake. A bioavailable Ag-cysteine complex (> 3kD) appeared to be the dominant avenue of uptake from both PVP AgNPs and PEG AgNPs in the presence of cysteine. Quantifying the different avenues of uptake sets the stage for studies to assess toxicity unique to NPs.

  18. Humic Substances from Manila Bay and Bolinao Bay Sediments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elma Llaguno

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available The C,H,N composition of sedimentary humic acids (HA extracted from three sites in Manila Bay and six sites in Bolinao Bay yielded H/C atomic ratios of 1.1-1.4 and N/C atomic ratios of 0.09 - 0.16. The Manila Bay HA's had lower H/C and N/C ratios compared to those from Bolinao Bay. The IR spectra showed prominent aliphatic C-H and amide I and II bands. Manila Bay HA's also had less diverse molecular composition based on the GC-MS analysis of the CuO and alkaline permanganate oxidation products of the humic acids.

  19. Influence of black carbon addition on phenanthrene dissipation and microbial community structure in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Ping; Wang Haizhen; Wu Laosheng; Di Hongjie; He Yan; Xu Jianming

    2012-01-01

    Biodegradation processes and changes in microbial community structure were investigated in black carbon (BC) amended soils in a laboratory experiment using two soils (black soil and red soil). We applied different percentages of charcoal as BC (0%, 0.5% and 1% by weight) with 100 mg kg −1 of phenanthrene. Soil samples were collected at different incubation times (0, 7, 15, 30, 60, 120 d). The amendment with BC caused a marked decrease in the dissipation (ascribed to mainly degradation and/or sequestration) of phenanthrene residues from soil. Extracted phenanthrene in black soil with 1% BC were higher, oppositely in red soil, 0.5% BC amendments were higher. There were significant changes in the PLFA pattern in phenanthrene-spiked soils with time but BC had little effect on the microbial community structure of phenanthrene-spiked soils, as indicated by principal component analysis (PCA) of the PLFA signatures. - Highlights: ► Extracted phenanthrene increased substantially as the BC amount increased. ► Extracted phenanthrene in black soil with 1% BC were higher, oppositely in red soil. ► BC caused a marked decrease in the dissipation of phenanthrene from soil. ► PLFA pattern in phenanthrene-spiked soils with time had significant changes. - BC amendments on phenanthrene extraction were different for two soils and time was a more effective factor in microbial community changes.

  20. Uranium sorption onto activated carbon prepared from rice straw: Competition with humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakout, S.M.; Metwally, S.S.; El-Zakla, T.

    2013-01-01

    Adsorptive competition between uranium (VI) and humic acids (HA) was investigated using Rice Straw activated carbon modified with KOH (RSK carbon). The investigations were conducted for individual components adsorption along with simultaneous and sequential adsorption of both components. The experimental results showed that the equilibrium data fit well Langmuir equation. It was found that, for single component system, RSK carbon can achieve adsorption of U(VI) ion at 100 mg/g, and HA at 21.1 mg/g, respectively. Adsorption isotherms for multi-component systems were studied. U(VI) showed a decreased adsorbability when it coexisted with HA from the start (41.5 mg/g in simultaneous) compared with the case when U(VI) was added after equilibrium adsorption of HA on activated carbon (11.9 mg/g in sequential). The interactions between uranium ions and HA caused the formation of U–HA complexes that changed the surface interactions of both uranium ions and HA with carbon surface. The underlying mechanism of the difference in the uranium sorption was discussed in the view of absence and presences (sequential and Simultaneous) of HA. It could be concluded that, humic substance is strong inhibitor of uranium binding and should be removed before from waste water treatment for uranium.

  1. Iodine binding to humic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowley, H E; Young, S D; Ander, E L; Crout, N M J; Watts, M J; Bailey, E H

    2016-08-01

    The rate of reactions between humic acid (HA) and iodide (I(-)) and iodate (IO3(-)) have been investigated in suspensions spiked with (129)I at concentrations of 22, 44 and 88 μg L(-1) and stored at 10 °C. Changes in the speciation of (129)I(-), (129)IO3(-) and mixed ((129)I(-) + (129)IO3(-)) spikes were monitored over 77 days using liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS). In suspensions spiked with (129)I(-) 25% of the added I(-) was transformed into organic iodine (Org-(129)I) within 77 days and there was no evidence of (129)IO3(-) formation. By contrast, rapid loss of (129)IO3(-) and increase in both (129)I(-) and Org-(129)I was observed in (129)IO3(-)-spiked suspensions. However, the rate of Org-(129)I production was greater in mixed systems compared to (129)IO3(-)-spiked suspensions with the same total (129)I concentration, possibly indicating IO3(-)I(-) redox coupling. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) demonstrated that Org-(129)I was present in both high and low molecular weight fractions of the HA although a slight preference to bond with the lower molecular weight fractions was observed indicating that, after 77 days, the spiked isotope had not fully mixed with the native (127)I pool. Iodine transformations were modelled using first order rate equations and fitted rate coefficients determined. However, extrapolation of the model to 250 days indicated that a pseudo-steady state would be attained after ∼200 days but that the proportion of (129)I incorporated into HA was less than that of (127)I indicating the presence of a recalcitrant pool of (127)I that was unavailable for isotopic mixing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Label Distribution in Tissues of Wheat Seedlings Cultivated with Tritium-Labeled Leonardite Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulikova, Natalia A.; Abroskin, Dmitry P.; Badun, Gennady A.; Chernysheva, Maria G.; Korobkov, Viktor I.; Beer, Anton S.; Tsvetkova, Eugenia A.; Senik, Svetlana V.; Klein, Olga I.; Perminova, Irina V.

    2016-06-01

    Humic substances (HS) play important roles in the biotic-abiotic interactions of the root plant and soil contributing to plant adaptation to external environments. However, their mode of action on plants remains largely unknown. In this study the HS distribution in tissues of wheat seedlings was examined using tritium-labeled humic acid (HA) derived from leonardite (a variety of lignites) and microautoradiography (MAR). Preferential accumulation of labeled products from tritiated HA was found in the roots as compared to the shoots, and endodermis was shown to be the major control point for radial transport of label into vascular system of plant. Tritium was also found in the stele and xylem tissues indicating that labeled products from tritiated HA could be transported to shoot tissues via the transpiration stream. Treatment with HA lead to an increase in the content of polar lipids of photosynthetic membranes. The observed accumulation of labeled HA products in root endodermis and positive impact on lipid synthesis are consistent with prior reported observations on physiological effects of HS on plants such as enhanced growth and development of lateral roots and improvement/repairs of the photosynthetic status of plants under stress conditions.

  3. Label Distribution in Tissues of Wheat Seedlings Cultivated with Tritium-Labeled Leonardite Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulikova, Natalia A.; Abroskin, Dmitry P.; Badun, Gennady A.; Chernysheva, Maria G.; Korobkov, Viktor I.; Beer, Anton S.; Tsvetkova, Eugenia A.; Senik, Svetlana V.; Klein, Olga I.; Perminova, Irina V.

    2016-01-01

    Humic substances (HS) play important roles in the biotic-abiotic interactions of the root plant and soil contributing to plant adaptation to external environments. However, their mode of action on plants remains largely unknown. In this study the HS distribution in tissues of wheat seedlings was examined using tritium-labeled humic acid (HA) derived from leonardite (a variety of lignites) and microautoradiography (MAR). Preferential accumulation of labeled products from tritiated HA was found in the roots as compared to the shoots, and endodermis was shown to be the major control point for radial transport of label into vascular system of plant. Tritium was also found in the stele and xylem tissues indicating that labeled products from tritiated HA could be transported to shoot tissues via the transpiration stream. Treatment with HA lead to an increase in the content of polar lipids of photosynthetic membranes. The observed accumulation of labeled HA products in root endodermis and positive impact on lipid synthesis are consistent with prior reported observations on physiological effects of HS on plants such as enhanced growth and development of lateral roots and improvement/repairs of the photosynthetic status of plants under stress conditions. PMID:27350412

  4. Bioremediation of Phenanthrene by Monocultures and Mixed Culture Bacteria Isolated from Contaminated Soil

    OpenAIRE

    A. Fazilah; I. Darah; I. Noraznawati

    2016-01-01

    Three different bacteria capable of degrading phenanthrene were isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated site. In this study, the phenanthrene-degrading activity by defined monoculture was determined and mixed culture was identified as Acinetobacter sp. P3d, Bacillus sp. P4a and Pseudomonas sp. P6. All bacteria were able to grow in a minimal salt medium saturated with phenanthrene as the sole source of carbon and energy. Phenanthrene degradation efficiencies by different combinations (consortia...

  5. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography method for measuring the composition of aquatic humic substances

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Renqi; Gutié rrez, Leonardo A.; Ng, Siuchoon; Croue, Jean-Philippe

    2015-01-01

    A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method was developed to measure the composition of humic substances from river, reservoir, and treated wastewater based on their physicochemical properties. The current method fractionates the humic substances into four well-defined groups based on parallel analyses with a neutral and a cationic HILIC column, using mobile phases of varied compositions and pH. The results indicate that: (i) the proportion of carboxylic acids in the humic substances from terrestrial origins is less than half of that from treated wastewater (Jeddah, KSA), (ii) a higher content of basic compounds was observed in the humic substances from treated wastewater and Ribou Reservoir (Cholet, France) than in the sample from Loire River (France), (iii) a higher percentage of hydrophobic macromolecules were found in the humic substances from Loire River than in the other samples, and (iv) humic substances of treated wastewater contained less ionic neutral compounds (i.e., pKa 5-9) than the waters from terrestrial origins. The physicochemical property disparity amongst the compounds in each humic substances sample was also evaluated. The humic substances from the lightly humic Loire river displayed the highest disparity, whereas the highly humic Suwannee river (Georgia, USA) showed the most homogeneous humic substances.

  6. Interactions of arsenic and phenanthrene on their uptake and antioxidative response in Pteris vittata L

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Lu; Yan Xiulan; Liao Xiaoyong; Wen Yi; Chong Zhongyi; Liang Tao

    2011-01-01

    The interactions of arsenic and phenanthrene on plant uptake and antioxidative response of Pteris vitatta L. were studied hydroponically. The combination of arsenic and phenanthrene decreased arsenic contents in fronds by 30-51%, whereas increased arsenic concentrations 1.2-1.6 times in roots, demonstrating the suppression of arsenic translocation compared to the corresponding treatment without phenanthrene. Under the co-exposure, As(III) concentrations in fronds deceased by 12-73%, and at higher arsenic exposure level (≥10 mg/L), As(V) in fronds and As(III) in roots increased compared to the single arsenic treatment. Arsenic exposure elevated phenanthrene concentrations in root by 39-164%. The co-existence of arsenic and phenanthrene had little impact on plant arsenic accumulation, although synergistic effect on antioxidants was observed, suggesting the special physiological process of P. vitatta in the co-exposure and application potential of P. vitatta in phytoremediation of arsenic and PAHs co-contamination. - Highlights: → Pteris vitatta L. show tolerance to the arsenic and phenanthrene co-exposure. → P. vitatta efficiently accumulate arsenic and simultaneously enhance phenanthrene dissipation. → Phenanthrene suppresses arsenic translocation from roots to fronds. → Phenanthrene causes As(III) elevation in roots while reduction in fronds. → Synergistic effect potentiates the toxicity and antioxidants in plant. - Pteris vitatta L. not only efficiently accumulate arsenic but also enhance phenanthrene dissipation under the arsenic and phenanthrene co-exposure.

  7. Interactions of arsenic and phenanthrene on their uptake and antioxidative response in Pteris vittata L

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun Lu [Beijing Key Lab of Industrial Land Contamination and Remediation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Yan Xiulan [Beijing Key Lab of Industrial Land Contamination and Remediation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101 (China); Liao Xiaoyong, E-mail: liaoxy@igsnrr.ac.cn [Beijing Key Lab of Industrial Land Contamination and Remediation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101 (China); Wen Yi; Chong Zhongyi; Liang Tao [Beijing Key Lab of Industrial Land Contamination and Remediation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101 (China)

    2011-12-15

    The interactions of arsenic and phenanthrene on plant uptake and antioxidative response of Pteris vitatta L. were studied hydroponically. The combination of arsenic and phenanthrene decreased arsenic contents in fronds by 30-51%, whereas increased arsenic concentrations 1.2-1.6 times in roots, demonstrating the suppression of arsenic translocation compared to the corresponding treatment without phenanthrene. Under the co-exposure, As(III) concentrations in fronds deceased by 12-73%, and at higher arsenic exposure level ({>=}10 mg/L), As(V) in fronds and As(III) in roots increased compared to the single arsenic treatment. Arsenic exposure elevated phenanthrene concentrations in root by 39-164%. The co-existence of arsenic and phenanthrene had little impact on plant arsenic accumulation, although synergistic effect on antioxidants was observed, suggesting the special physiological process of P. vitatta in the co-exposure and application potential of P. vitatta in phytoremediation of arsenic and PAHs co-contamination. - Highlights: > Pteris vitatta L. show tolerance to the arsenic and phenanthrene co-exposure. > P. vitatta efficiently accumulate arsenic and simultaneously enhance phenanthrene dissipation. > Phenanthrene suppresses arsenic translocation from roots to fronds. > Phenanthrene causes As(III) elevation in roots while reduction in fronds. > Synergistic effect potentiates the toxicity and antioxidants in plant. - Pteris vitatta L. not only efficiently accumulate arsenic but also enhance phenanthrene dissipation under the arsenic and phenanthrene co-exposure.

  8. Influence of humic acid addition on the degradation of pharmaceuticals by biofilms in effluent wastewater

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Kai; Escola Casas, Monica; Ooi, Gordon Tze Hoong

    2017-01-01

    in relation to the biodegradation of pharmaceuticals by suspended biofilm carriers adapted to polishing effluent water from a tertiary sewage treatment plant. Twelve out of 22 investigated pharmaceuticals were significantly biodegradable. The biodegradation rate constants of ten of those compounds were......The degradation of organic micropollutants in wastewater treatment is suspected to depend on co-degradation i.e. be dependent on concentrations of substrate. This complicates predicting and modelling their fate. The effect of humic acid, as a model for complex organic substrate, was investigated...

  9. Migration of NpO2+ and Sr2+ in the Vicinity of a Radioactive Waste Repository Under the Coexistence of Humic Acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ezz El-Din, M.R.; Sheha, R.R.; El-Naggar, H.A.

    1999-01-01

    The migration of the dispersed radionuclides in the vicinity of a radioactive waste repository with groundwater have a predominant role in confirming the suitability of the disposal site. For such assessment process, the sorption of NpO 2 + and Sr 2+ on different soil samples, collected from the proposed repository site in Inshas area, was studied in batch technique. The uptake percent of NpO 2 + ions increases with a varied sensitivity, with increasing the pH value, giving a sigmoidal shape. While the uptake of Sr 2+ ions shows a slight increase as the pH value increased. The distribution coefficient (K d ) of NpO 2 + decreases by increasing the humic acid concentration but k d value of Sr 2+ displays a constant value. Also, the mean relative migration velocity of NpO 2 + in the studied zone, is 5.53x10 -3 cm/day enhanced by the presence of 100 mg/1 humic acid to 326x10 -3 cm/day, while that of Sr 2+ is 2.19x10 -3 cm/day and is independent of the coexistence of humic acid. The revealed data were mathematically treated using a developed computer model for the dispersion of radionuclides in the geosphere to elucidate the migration behavior of these radioactive species in the selected site and to quantitatively predict their concentration at different distances in both x and z directions over long time scales

  10. Transcriptional changes in oysters Crassostrea brasiliana exposed to phenanthrene at different salinities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zacchi, Flávia Lucena; Lima, Daína; Flores-Nunes, Fabrício de; Mattos, Jacó Joaquim; Lüchmann, Karim Hahn; Araújo de Miranda Gomes, Carlos Henrique; Bícego, Márcia Caruso; Taniguchi, Satie; Sasaki, Silvio Tarou; Dias Bainy, Afonso Celso

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Salinity effect on Crassostrea brasiliana exposed to phenanthrene. • Higher transcription of biotransformation genes under hyposmotic condition. • Elevated transcription of oxidative stress-related genes under hyposmotic condition. • Amino acid metabolism-related genes changes according to salinity. • Phenanthrene does not affect amino acid metabolism-related genes. - Abstract: Euryhaline animals from estuaries, such as the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana, show physiological mechanisms of adaptation to tolerate salinity changes. These ecosystems receive constant input of xenobiotics from urban areas, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as phenanthrene (PHE). In order to understand the influence of salinity on the molecular responses of C. brasiliana exposed to PHE, oysters were acclimatized to different salinities (35, 25 and 10) for 15 days and then exposed to 100 μg L"−"1 PHE for 24 h and 96 h. Control groups were kept at the same salinities without PHE. Oysters were sampled for chemical analysis and the gills were excised for mRNA quantification by qPCR. Transcript levels of different genes were measured, including some involved in oxidative stress pathways, phases I and II of the xenobiotic biotransformation systems, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator putative gene. Higher transcript levels of Sulfotransferase-like gene (SULT-like) were observed in oysters exposed to PHE at salinity 10 compared to control (24 h and 96 h); cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP2AU1, CYP2-like1) were more elevated in oysters exposed for 24 h and CYP2-like2 after 96 h of oysters exposed to PHE at salinity 10 compared to control. These results are probably associated to an enhanced Phase I biotransformation activity required for PHE detoxification under hyposmotic stress. Higher transcript levels of CAT-like, SOD-like, GSTm-like (96 h) and GSTΩ-like (24 h) in oysters kept at salinity

  11. Transcriptional changes in oysters Crassostrea brasiliana exposed to phenanthrene at different salinities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zacchi, Flávia Lucena; Lima, Daína; Flores-Nunes, Fabrício de [Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry − LABCAI, Federal University Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Mattos, Jacó Joaquim [Aquaculture Pathology Research Center – NEPAQ, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Lüchmann, Karim Hahn [Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – LBBM, Fishery Engineering Department, Santa Catarina State University, Laguna (Brazil); Araújo de Miranda Gomes, Carlos Henrique [Laboratory of Marine Mollusks – LMM, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil); Bícego, Márcia Caruso; Taniguchi, Satie; Sasaki, Silvio Tarou [Laboratory of Marine Organic Chemistry – LABQOM, Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo (Brazil); Dias Bainy, Afonso Celso, E-mail: afonso.bainy@ufsc.br [Laboratory of Biomarkers of Aquatic Contamination and Immunochemistry − LABCAI, Federal University Santa Catarina, Florianópolis (Brazil)

    2017-02-15

    Highlights: • Salinity effect on Crassostrea brasiliana exposed to phenanthrene. • Higher transcription of biotransformation genes under hyposmotic condition. • Elevated transcription of oxidative stress-related genes under hyposmotic condition. • Amino acid metabolism-related genes changes according to salinity. • Phenanthrene does not affect amino acid metabolism-related genes. - Abstract: Euryhaline animals from estuaries, such as the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana, show physiological mechanisms of adaptation to tolerate salinity changes. These ecosystems receive constant input of xenobiotics from urban areas, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), such as phenanthrene (PHE). In order to understand the influence of salinity on the molecular responses of C. brasiliana exposed to PHE, oysters were acclimatized to different salinities (35, 25 and 10) for 15 days and then exposed to 100 μg L{sup −1} PHE for 24 h and 96 h. Control groups were kept at the same salinities without PHE. Oysters were sampled for chemical analysis and the gills were excised for mRNA quantification by qPCR. Transcript levels of different genes were measured, including some involved in oxidative stress pathways, phases I and II of the xenobiotic biotransformation systems, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator putative gene. Higher transcript levels of Sulfotransferase-like gene (SULT-like) were observed in oysters exposed to PHE at salinity 10 compared to control (24 h and 96 h); cytochrome P450 isoforms (CYP2AU1, CYP2-like1) were more elevated in oysters exposed for 24 h and CYP2-like2 after 96 h of oysters exposed to PHE at salinity 10 compared to control. These results are probably associated to an enhanced Phase I biotransformation activity required for PHE detoxification under hyposmotic stress. Higher transcript levels of CAT-like, SOD-like, GSTm-like (96 h) and GSTΩ-like (24 h) in oysters kept at

  12. Soil remediation: humic acids as natural surfactants in the washings of highly contaminated soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conte, Pellegrino; Agretto, Anna; Spaccini, Riccardo; Piccolo, Alessandro

    2005-01-01

    The remediation of the highly contaminated site around the former chemical plant of ACNA (near Savona) in Northern Italy is a top priority in Italy. The aim of the present work was to contribute in finding innovative and environmental-friendly technology to remediate soils from the ACNA contaminated site. Two soils sampled from the ACNA site (A and B), differing in texture and amount and type of organic contaminants, were subjected to soil washings by comparing the removal efficiency of water, two synthetic surfactants, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) and Triton X-100 (TX100), and a solution of a natural surfactant, a humic acid (HA) at its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The extraction of pollutants by sonication and soxhlet was conducted before and after the soil washings. Soil A was richer in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, whereas soil B had a larger content of thiophenes. Sonication resulted more analytically efficient in the fine-textured soil B. The coarse-textured soil A was extracted with a general equal efficiency also by soxhlet. Clean-up by water was unable to exhaustively remove contaminants from the two soils, whereas all the organic surfactants revealed very similar efficiencies (up to 90%) in the removal of the contaminants from the soils. Hence, the use of solutions of natural HAs appears as a better choice for soil washings of highly polluted soils due to their additional capacity to promote microbial activity, in contrast to synthetic surfactants, for a further natural attenuation in washed soils. - Solutions of natural humic acids appear to be a better choice for washing highly polluted soils

  13. Surface tailored organobentonite enhances bacterial proliferation and phenanthrene biodegradation under cadmium co-contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, Asit; Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Patra, Ashok K.; Naidu, Ravi

    2016-01-01

    Co-contamination of soil and water with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals makes biodegradation of the former extremely challenging. Modified clay-modulated microbial degradation provides a novel insight in addressing this issue. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and phenanthrene degradation performance of Mycobacterium gilvum VF1 in the presence of a palmitic acid (PA)-grafted Arquad® 2HT-75-based organobentonite in cadmium (Cd)-phenanthrene co-contaminated water. The PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) adsorbed a slightly greater quantity of Cd than bentonite at up to 30 mg L"−"1 metal concentration, but its highly negative surface charge imparted by carboxylic groups indicated the potential of being a significantly superior adsorbent of Cd at higher metal concentrations. In systems co-contained with Cd (5 and 10 mg L"−"1), the Arquad® 2HT-75-modified bentonite (AB) and PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) resulted in a significantly higher (72–78%) degradation of phenanthrene than bentonite (62%) by the bacterium. The growth and proliferation of bacteria were supported by ABP which not only eliminated Cd toxicity through adsorption but also created a congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. The macromolecules produced during ABP–bacteria interaction could form a stable clay-bacterial cluster by overcoming the electrostatic repulsion among individual components. Findings of this study provide new insights for designing clay modulated PAH bioremediation technologies in mixed-contaminated water and soil. - Highlights: • Surface tailored organobentonite synthesised and characterised • Modified clay adsorbs Cd and reduces toxicity to Mycobacterium gilvum. • It creates congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. • It enhances phenanthrene biodegradation in metal co-contaminated condition.

  14. Surface tailored organobentonite enhances bacterial proliferation and phenanthrene biodegradation under cadmium co-contamination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandal, Asit [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal (India); Biswas, Bhabananda [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Sarkar, Binoy, E-mail: binoy.sarkar@unisa.edu.au [Future Industries Institute (formerly Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Patra, Ashok K. [Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal (India); Naidu, Ravi, E-mail: ravi.naidu@newcastle.edu.au [Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), ACT Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia); Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308 (Australia)

    2016-04-15

    Co-contamination of soil and water with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals makes biodegradation of the former extremely challenging. Modified clay-modulated microbial degradation provides a novel insight in addressing this issue. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth and phenanthrene degradation performance of Mycobacterium gilvum VF1 in the presence of a palmitic acid (PA)-grafted Arquad® 2HT-75-based organobentonite in cadmium (Cd)-phenanthrene co-contaminated water. The PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) adsorbed a slightly greater quantity of Cd than bentonite at up to 30 mg L{sup −1} metal concentration, but its highly negative surface charge imparted by carboxylic groups indicated the potential of being a significantly superior adsorbent of Cd at higher metal concentrations. In systems co-contained with Cd (5 and 10 mg L{sup −1}), the Arquad® 2HT-75-modified bentonite (AB) and PA-grafted organobentonite (ABP) resulted in a significantly higher (72–78%) degradation of phenanthrene than bentonite (62%) by the bacterium. The growth and proliferation of bacteria were supported by ABP which not only eliminated Cd toxicity through adsorption but also created a congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. The macromolecules produced during ABP–bacteria interaction could form a stable clay-bacterial cluster by overcoming the electrostatic repulsion among individual components. Findings of this study provide new insights for designing clay modulated PAH bioremediation technologies in mixed-contaminated water and soil. - Highlights: • Surface tailored organobentonite synthesised and characterised • Modified clay adsorbs Cd and reduces toxicity to Mycobacterium gilvum. • It creates congenial microenvironment for bacterial survival. • It enhances phenanthrene biodegradation in metal co-contaminated condition.

  15. Use of the ion exchange method for determination of stability constants of uranyl ions with three soil humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tao Zuyi; Du Jinzhou

    1994-01-01

    The ion exchange equilibrium method proposed by Ardakani and Stevenson has not been widely used to determine the stability constants of metal-soil organic matter complexes. In this paper the Ardakani-Stevenson's method has been modified and the stability constants of uranyl ion complexes with three soil humic acids were determined by using the modified Ardakani-Stevenson's method. (orig.)

  16. Isolation and characterization of biochar-derived organic matter fractions and their phenanthrene sorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Jie; Sun, Ke; Liu, Wei; Li, Shiwei; Peng, Xianqiang; Yang, Yan; Han, Lanfang; Du, Ziwen; Wang, Xiangke

    2018-05-01

    Chemical composition and pollutant sorption of biochar-derived organic matter fractions (BDOMs) are critical for understanding the long-term environmental significance of biochar. Phenanthrene (PHE) sorption by the humic acid-like (HAL) fractions isolated from plant straw- (PLABs) and animal manure-based (ANIBs) biochars, and the residue materials (RES) after HAL extraction was investigated. The HAL fraction comprised approximately 50% of organic carbon (OC) of the original biochars. Results of XPS and 13 C NMR demonstrated that the biochar-derived HAL fractions mainly consisted of aromatic clusters substituted by carboxylic groups. The CO 2 cumulative surface area of BDOMs excluding PLAB-derived RES fractions was obviously lower than that of corresponding biochars. The sorption nonlinearity of PHE by the fresh biochars was significantly stronger than that of the BDOM fractions, implying that the BDOM fractions were more chemically homogeneous. The BDOMs generally exhibited comparable or higher OC-normalized distribution coefficients (K oc ) of PHE than the original biochars. The PHE logK oc values of the fresh biochars correlated negatively with the micropore volumes due to steric hindrance effect. In contrast, a positive relationship between the sorption coefficients (K d ) of BDOMs and the micropore volumes was observed in this study, suggesting that pore filling could dominate PHE sorption by the BDOMs. The positive correlation between the PHE logK oc values of the HAL fractions and the aromatic C contents indicates that PHE sorption by the HAL fractions was regulated by aromatic domains. The findings of this study improve our knowledge of the evolution of biochar properties after application and its potential environmental impacts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Evaluation of peroxidases from roots of Cyperus hermaphroditus as enzymatic mechanisms in phenanthrene oxidation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guerrero Zuniga, A. [Inst. Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexico City (Mexico). Environmental Protection Management Office; Rodriguez Dorantes, A.M. [Lab. Fisiologia Vegetal, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biologicas, Mexico City (Mexico). Depto Botanica

    2006-07-01

    Although phenanthrene is not mutagenic or carcinogenic, it has been shown to be toxic to aquatic organisms. This study evaluated in-vitro phenanthrene oxidation by peroxidases from radical extracts of Cyperus hermaphroditus plants. The characterization of oxidation products of phenanthrene related to the induction of root peroxidases was also examined. Concentrated ethanol stock of phenanthrene solution was added to the mineral solution of each plant container. The total radical biomass was placed in 4.5 ml of an ionic solution to analyze the enzymatic activity of the extracellular peroxidases. The total protein for each experiment was quantified by the Bradford method. Extracellular peroxidases activity was measured using the spectrophotometric method. The amount of radical biomass was quantified as high in the 80 and 120 ppm phenanthrene treatments relative to the control plants. It was suggested that the nature of the Cyperaceae roots combined with the high-octanol water coefficient and a low water solubility for phenanthrene may have facilitated the stabilization of the contaminant towards the roots. The ability of Cyperus hermaphroditus to immobilize phenanthrene through its adhesion was encouraged by the conditions of the hydroponic culture system. The adsorption of phenanthrene was increased with the time of exposure to the contaminant due to the greater total root mass. The study also showed the transformation of phenanthrene by radical extracts of Cyperus hermaphroditus containing guaiacol peroxidases with 12 per cent residual phenanthrene in the in vitro assays. The spectrophotometric analysis confirmed that the enzymatic systems are responsible for the phytotransformation of the pollutant. 9 refs., 2 tabs., 5 figs.

  18. Compositional and functional features of humic acid-like fractions from vermicomposting of sewage sludge and cow dung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Xiaowei [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Xing Meiyan, E-mail: xmy5000@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Yang Jian; Huang Zhidong [State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China)

    2011-01-30

    The chemical changes occurring in five different substrates of sewage sludge spiked with different proportions of cow dung after vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida for 90 days were investigated. Their humic acid-like (HAL) fractions were isolated to determine the elemental and functional composition, and structural and functional characteristics using ultraviolet/visible, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy. After vermicomposting, the total organic C and C/N ratio decreased, and the total extractable C and humic acid (HA) C increased in all substrates. In the HAL fractions, the C and H contents, C/N and C/O and aliphatic structures, proteinaceous components and carbohydrates decreased, while the O and N and acidic functional group contents and C/H ratio, aromaticity and polycondensation structures increased. Further, the results suggest that the addition of cow dung to sewage sludge could improve the quality of organic matter humification of the substrates. The structures of HAL fractions in vermicomposts resembled those typical of soil HA, especially the vermicompost of cow dung alone. Scanning electron microscopy showed the microstructure of HAL fraction in final product became close-grained and lumpy. Overall results indicate that vermicomposting was an efficient technology for promoting organic matter (OM) humification in sewage sludge and cow dung alone, as well as in mixtures of both materials, improving their quality and environmental safety as a soil OM resource for utilization as soil amendments.

  19. Compositional and functional features of humic acid-like fractions from vermicomposting of sewage sludge and cow dung.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiaowei; Xing, Meiyan; Yang, Jian; Huang, Zhidong

    2011-01-30

    The chemical changes occurring in five different substrates of sewage sludge spiked with different proportions of cow dung after vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida for 90 days were investigated. Their humic acid-like (HAL) fractions were isolated to determine the elemental and functional composition, and structural and functional characteristics using ultraviolet/visible, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy. After vermicomposting, the total organic C and C/N ratio decreased, and the total extractable C and humic acid (HA) C increased in all substrates. In the HAL fractions, the C and H contents, C/N and C/O and aliphatic structures, proteinaceous components and carbohydrates decreased, while the O and N and acidic functional group contents and C/H ratio, aromaticity and polycondensation structures increased. Further, the results suggest that the addition of cow dung to sewage sludge could improve the quality of organic matter humification of the substrates. The structures of HAL fractions in vermicomposts resembled those typical of soil HA, especially the vermicompost of cow dung alone. Scanning electron microscopy showed the microstructure of HAL fraction in final product became close-grained and lumpy. Overall results indicate that vermicomposting was an efficient technology for promoting organic matter (OM) humification in sewage sludge and cow dung alone, as well as in mixtures of both materials, improving their quality and environmental safety as a soil OM resource for utilization as soil amendments. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Compositional and functional features of humic acid-like fractions from vermicomposting of sewage sludge and cow dung

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaowei; Xing Meiyan; Yang Jian; Huang Zhidong

    2011-01-01

    The chemical changes occurring in five different substrates of sewage sludge spiked with different proportions of cow dung after vermicomposting with Eisenia foetida for 90 days were investigated. Their humic acid-like (HAL) fractions were isolated to determine the elemental and functional composition, and structural and functional characteristics using ultraviolet/visible, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy. After vermicomposting, the total organic C and C/N ratio decreased, and the total extractable C and humic acid (HA) C increased in all substrates. In the HAL fractions, the C and H contents, C/N and C/O and aliphatic structures, proteinaceous components and carbohydrates decreased, while the O and N and acidic functional group contents and C/H ratio, aromaticity and polycondensation structures increased. Further, the results suggest that the addition of cow dung to sewage sludge could improve the quality of organic matter humification of the substrates. The structures of HAL fractions in vermicomposts resembled those typical of soil HA, especially the vermicompost of cow dung alone. Scanning electron microscopy showed the microstructure of HAL fraction in final product became close-grained and lumpy. Overall results indicate that vermicomposting was an efficient technology for promoting organic matter (OM) humification in sewage sludge and cow dung alone, as well as in mixtures of both materials, improving their quality and environmental safety as a soil OM resource for utilization as soil amendments.

  1. Chemical and structural characterization of soil humic substances under agroforestry and conventional systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gislane M. de Moraes

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Studies have proven that the agroforestry systems in the semi-arid region of the State of Ceará, Brazil, induce an increase in soil organic C levels. Notwithstanding, there is no information if this increase also results in qualitative changes in different pools of soil organic matter. The objective of this study was to verify the possible chemical and structural alterations in fulvic and humic acids of a Luvisol in areas adopting agroforestry, traditional intensive cultivation and native forest in a long-term experiment conducted in the semi-arid region of Ceará State, Brazil. The study was conducted in an experimental area of the National Goat Research Center (Embrapa in Sobral, CE. The following treatments were evaluated: agrosilvopasture (AGP, silvopasture (SILV, intensive cultivation under fallow (ICF, and areas with native forest (NF. Soil fulvic and humic acids fractions were extracted from the 0-6 and 6-12 cm layers and characterized by elemental composition, thermogravimetry and infrared spectroscopy analyses. The elemental composition analysis of humic acids confirmed the data found for fulvic acids, showing reduction in the C, H and N levels, followed by an increase in O contents in the AGP and ICF treatments over SILV and NF. In all treatments, except to SILV in the 0-6 cm layer, the percentage of mass loss was highest (300-600 °C for humic acids in the thermally most stable region. Despite the similarity between infrared spectra, soil fulvic acids in the SILV treatment extracted from 6-12 cm depth decrease the absorption bands at 1708 and 1408 cm-1 followed by an increase in the absorption band at 1608 cm-1 attributed to aromatic C=C groups. This behavior suggests an increase in the aromatic character of the structure. The AGP and ICF treatments, which increase the soil tilling, favored the maintenance of humic substances with a more aromatic character in the soil than SILV and NF. The less aromatic humic substances in the SILV

  2. Enhanced desorption of persistent organic pollutants from microplastics under simulated physiological conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakir, Adil; Rowland, Steven J.; Thompson, Richard C.

    2014-01-01

    Microplastics have the potential to uptake and release persistent organic pollutants (POPs); however, subsequent transfer to marine organisms is poorly understood. Some models estimating transfer of sorbed contaminants to organisms neglect the role of gut surfactants under differing physiological conditions in the gut (varying pH and temperature), examined here. We investigated the potential for polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylene (PE) to sorb and desorb 14 C-DDT, 14 C-phenanthrene (Phe), 14 C-perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and 14 C-di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Desorption rates of POPs were quantified in seawater and under simulated gut conditions. Influence of pH and temperature was examined in order to represent cold and warm blooded organisms. Desorption rates were faster with gut surfactant, with a further substantial increase under conditions simulating warm blooded organisms. Desorption under gut conditions could be up to 30 times greater than in seawater alone. Of the POP/plastic combinations examined Phe with PE gave the highest potential for transport to organisms. Highlights: • PVC and PE (200–250 μm) were able to sorb phenanthrene, DDT, PFOA and DEHP. • Desorption rates were faster using a gut surfactant compared to seawater alone. • Desorption rates were further enhanced at lower pH and higher temperature. • Plastic-POPs were ranked according to their potential to cause “harm”. -- Desorption rates of sorbed POPs from plastics were substantially enhanced under gut conditions specific of warm blooded organisms, suggesting potential transfer following ingestion

  3. Effect of humic acids on electricity generation integrated with xylose degradation in microbial fuel cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Liping; Angelidaki, Irini

    2008-01-01

    Pentose and humic acids (HA) are the main components of hydrolysates, the liquid fraction produced during thermohydrolysis of lignocellulosic material. Electricity generation integrated with xylose (typical pentose) degradation as well as the effect of HA on electricity production in microbial fuel...... to controls where HAs were not added, addition of commercial HA resulted in increase of power density and coulombic efficiency, which ranged from 7.5% to 67.4% and 24% to 92.6%, respectively. Digested manure wastewater (DMW) was tested as potential mediator for power generation due to its content of natural...

  4. Effects of humic substances on the migration of radionuclides: Complexation of actinides with humic substances. (6th progress report, project summary). Period covered: January 1994 - July 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czerwinski, K.R.; Rhee, D.S.; Scherbaum, F.; Buckau, G.; Kim, J.I.; Moulin, V.; Tits, J.; Laszak, I.; Moulin, C.; Decambox, P.; Ruty, O. de; Marquardt, C.; Franz, C.; Herrmann, G.; Trautmann, N.; Dierckx, A.; Vancluysen, J.; Maes, A.; Bidoglio, G.; Eliet, V.; Grenthe, I.

    1995-03-01

    The goal of the research project is to examine the complexation behaviour of actinide ions with humic substances and thermodynamically describe the binding based upon a simple complexation model. This program is a continuation of the activities of the colloid and complexation group (COCO) in the second phase of the EC-MIRAGE project. A number of different experimental methods are used to determine speciation. The metal ions examined are the trivalent lanthanides, UO 2 2+ , NpO 2 + , Am 3+ , and Cm 3+ . The project is divided into three tasks: Task 1: complexation reactions of actinide ions with well characterized reference and site-specific humic and fulvic acids, Task 2: complexation reactions with major cations in natural groundwaters; Task 3: validation of the complexation data in natural aquatic systems by comparison of calculation with spectroscopic experiment. Five European community laboratories participated in the program: Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique Fontenay-Aux-Roses and Saclay, Universitaet Mainz, Katolieke Universiteit Leuven, and Joint Research Centre, Ispra. The evaluated stability constants are similar for all laboratories when the same humic substance complexation model is applied. Humic acid is shown to reduce NpO 2 + to Np 4+ , while no reduction of UO 2 2+ is observed. Temperature effects are seen on the Np humate complex. Competition is observed between NpO 2 + and Ca 2+ , but not between the trivalent lanthanides and Ca 2+ . No influence of humic acid purification on the evaluated stability constants is seen. Using the evaluated constants, calculations are conducted for natural water systems which indicate the trivalent actinide humate complex to be an important species. (orig.)

  5. Determination of dynamic metal complexes and their diffusion coefficients in the presence of different humic substances by combining two analytical techniques.

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Chakraborty, P.; Manek, A.; Niyogi, S.; Hudson, J.

    Niyogi2, Jeff Hudson2 *1National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR), India, Dona Paula, Goa, 403004, India. Phone-91-832-2450495; Fax: 91-832-2450609; E-mail: pchak@nio.org 2 Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.... Materials and methods Humic substances: Four different types of humic substances were used in this study. These include soil humic acid from Sigma Aldrich now denoted: SAHA. The well characterized Nordic aquatic humic acid (Catalogue No. 1R105H) (NAHA...

  6. Use of reporter-gene based bacteria to quantify phenanthrene biodegradation and toxicity in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shin, Doyun [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanakno 599, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Hee Sun [School of Earth and Environmental Science, Seoul National University, Gwanakno 599, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Lin, Chu-Ching; Barkay, Tamar [Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (United States); Nam, Kyoungphile, E-mail: kpnam@snu.ac.k [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, Gwanakno 599, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of)

    2011-02-15

    A phenanthrene-degrading bacterium, Sphingomonas paucimobilis EPA505 was used to construct two fluorescence-based reporter strains. Strain D harboring gfp gene was constructed to generate green fluorescence when the strain started to biodegrade phenanthrene. Strain S possessing gef gene was designed to die once phenanthrene biodegradation was initiated and thus to lose green fluorescence when visualized by a live/dead cell staining. Confocal laser scanning microscopic observation followed by image analysis demonstrates that the fluorescence intensity generated by strain D increased and the intensity by strain S decreased linearly at the phenanthrene concentration of up to 200 mg/L. Such quantitative increase and decrease of fluorescence intensity in strain D (i.e., from 1 to 11.90 {+-} 0.72) and strain S (from 1 to 0.40 {+-} 0.07) were also evident in the presence of Ottawa sand spiked with the phenanthrene up to 1000 mg/kg. The potential use of the reporter strains in quantitatively determining biodegradable or toxic phenanthrene was discussed. - Research highlights: A novel reporter bacterial strain has been developed. The bacterium can quantitatively determine the change in fluorescence intensity. The intensity can represent the bioavailable phenanthrene in solid matrix. - A cell-killing gene harboring reporter bacterium shows phenanthrene toxicity.

  7. Impact of humic substances and nitrogen fertilising on the fruit quality and yield of custard apple

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo dos Santos Cunha

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The custard apple (Annona squamosa L., also known as the sugar apple, is a fruit species native to Brazil that has been poorly studied, especially in relation to the effect of humic substances on its fruit quality and yield. An experiment was conducted from December 2010 to November 2011 to evaluate the fruit quality and yield of the custard apple as a function of nitrogen fertilising and the use of humic substances. The experimental design consisted of randomised blocks, with treatments distributed in a factorial arrangement (4 x 2, using four nitrogen doses (0, 100, 175 and 250 g of N plant-1 and two humic substance applications (with and without humic substances, with four replications. The fruit yield and fruit characteristics, such as fruit mass, titratable acidity (TA, soluble solids (SS, pulp pH and SS/TA ratio, were recorded. The humic substances and the nitrogen levels significantly affected the soluble solids, titratable acidity and SS/TA ratio, while the pH pulp was only influenced by the humic substances. The humic substances promoted a quantitative increase in the fruit yield of 0.63 ton ha-1. The fruit quality and yield of the custard apple depend on the nitrogen fertiliser and the interaction of the humic substances. Nitrogen fertilising of 100 g per plant, associated with humic substances, could be recommended for use in the production of custard apples.

  8. Introducing Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry Topics Using a Nanotechnology Approach: Removing Hazardous Metal Ions by Means of Humic-Acid-Modified Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes da Silva, Delmarcio; Menegatti de Melo, Fernando; Silveira, Alceu Totti, Jr.; Constancio da Cruz, Bruno; Prado, Caio Cesar Pestana; Pereira de Vasconcelos, Luana Cristina; Lucas, Vitor Amaral Sanches; Toma, Henrique Eisi

    2016-01-01

    A laboratory experiment has been developed to illustrate environmental and sustainability aspects, focusing on the wastewater treatment by means of superparamagnetic nanoparticles functionalized with humic acid. The experiment, conducted by a group of high school students, involves nanoparticle synthesis and minor characterization, followed by…

  9. Model compounds of humic acid and oxovanadium cations. Potentiometric titration and EPR spectroscopy studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mercê Ana Lucia Ramalho

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available The stability constants and the isotropic EPR parameters Ao (hyperfine splitting constant and g o (g value were obtained by potentiometric titrations and EPR spectroscopy, respectively, of 85%v/v aqueous solutions of model compounds of humic acids - salicylic acid (SALA - and both nitrohumic acids, a laboratory artifact - nitrosalicylic acids, 3-nitrosalicylic acid (3-NSA, 5-nitrosalicylic acid (5-NSA and 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (3,5-DNSA and oxovanadium cations. It was possible to record EPR spectra of those model compounds and the ion VO2+ (V(IV, and the stability constants were obtained from a solution of VO3+ (V(V, the values for the logarithms of the stability constants ranging from 12.77 ± 0.04 to 7.06 ± 0.05 for the species ML, and from 9.90 ±0.04 to 4.06 ± 0.05 for the species ML2 according to the decrease in the acidity of the carboxylic and the hydroxyl groups in the aromatic ring of the model compounds studied as the -NO2 substituents were added. Species distribution diagrams were also obtained for the equilibria studied. The EPR parameters showed that as the logarithm of the overall stability constants increase, g o values also increase, while Ao values show a tendency to decrease.

  10. Monitoring changes in the structure and properties of humic substances following ozonation using UV-Vis, FTIR and (1)H NMR techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Francisco J; Schlenger, Patrick; García-Valverde, María

    2016-01-15

    The main objective of this work is to conduct a comprehensive structural characterization of humic substances using the following experimental techniques: FTIR, 1H NMR and several UV–Vis parameters (Specific UV Absorbance at 254 nm or SUVA254, SUVA280, A400, the absorbance ratios A210/254, A250/365, A254/203, A254/436, A265/465, A270/400, A280/350, A465/665, the Absorbance Slope Index (ASI), the spectral slopes S275–295, S350–400 and the slope ratio SR). These UV–Vis parameters have also been correlated with key properties of humic substances such as aromaticity, molecular weight (MW) and trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP). An additional objective of this work is also to evaluate the usefulness of these techniques to monitor structural changes in humic substances produced by the ozonation treatment. Four humic substances were studied in this work: three of them were provided by the International Humic Substances Society (Suwannee River Fulvic Acid Standard: SRFA, Suwannee River Humic Acid Standard: SRHA and Nordic Reservoir Fulvic Acid Reference: NLFA) and the other one was a terrestrial humic acid widely used as a surrogate for aquatic humic substances in various studies (Aldrich Humic Acid: AHA). The UV–Vis parameters showing the best correlations with aromaticity in this study were SUVA254, SUVA280, A280/A350 ratio and A250/A364 ratio. The best correlations with molecular weight were for SUVA254, SUVA280 and A280/A350 ratio. Finally, in the case of the THMFP it was STHMFP-per mol HS the parameter showing good correlations with most of the UV–Vis parameters studied (especially with A280/A350 ratio, A265/A465 ratio and A270/A400 ratio) whereas STHMFP-per mg C showed poor correlations in most cases. On the whole, the UV–Vis parameter showing the best results was A280/A350 ratio as it showed excellent correlations for the three properties studied (aromaticity, MW and THMFP). A decrease in aromaticity following ozonation of humic substances can

  11. Variability of standard artificial soils: Physico-chemical properties and phenanthrene desorption measured by means of supercritical fluid extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bielská, Lucie; Hovorková, Ivana; Komprdová, Klára; Hofman, Jakub

    2012-01-01

    The study is focused on artificial soil which is supposed to be a standardized “soil like” medium. We compared physico-chemical properties and extractability of Phenanthrene from 25 artificial soils prepared according to OECD standardized procedures at different laboratories. A substantial range of soil properties was found, also for parameters which should be standardized because they have an important influence on the bioavailability of pollutants (e.g. total organic carbon ranged from 1.4 to 6.1%). The extractability of Phe was measured by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) at harsh and mild conditions. Highly variable Phe extractability from different soils (3–89%) was observed. The extractability was strongly related (R 2 = 0.87) to total organic carbon content, 0.1–2 mm particle size, and humic/fulvic acid ratio in the following multiple regression model: SFE (%) = 1.35 * sand (%) − 0.77 * TOC (%)2 + 0.27 * HA/FA. - Highlights: ► We compared properties and extractability of Phe from 25 different artificial soils. ► Substantial range of soil properties was found, also for important parameters. ► Phe extractability was measured by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) at 2 modes. ► Phe extractability was highly variable from different soils (3–89%). ► Extractability was strongly related to TOC, 0.1–2 mm particles, and HA/FA. - Significant variability in physico-chemical properties exists between artificial soils prepared at different laboratories and affects behavior of contaminants in these soils.

  12. Magnetic adsorbents for the removal of Hg (II) and phenanthrene from aqueous solutions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isari, Ekavi; Karapanagioti, Hrissi K.; Manariotis, Ioannis D.; Werner, David

    2015-04-01

    Activated carbon (AC) acts as a strong binding agent that lowers the pollutant concentration and, thus its toxicity. Another promising sorbent material in environmental applications is biochar (BC) which is obtained from the incomplete combustion of carbon-rich biomass under oxygen-limited conditions. Both of these materials could be used as soil or sediment amendments that would lower the toxicity in the aqueous phase. A draw back of this technique is that although the pollutant will remain non- bioavailable for many years being sorbed into these sorbents, it actually stays into the system. The objective of this study was (a) to synthesize a magnetic powdered activated carbon (AC/Fe) and magnetic powdered biochar (BC/Fe) produced from commercial AC1 and AC2 samples and biochar respectively and (b) to evaluate the potential use of AC/Fe and BIO/Fe to remove aqueous Hg (II) or phenanthrene while being magnetically recoverable. The BC was produced from olive pomace. The surface area, the pore volume, and the average pore size of each sorbent were determined using gas (N2) adsorption-desorption cycles and the Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) equation. Isotherms with 30 adsorption and 20 desorption points were conducted at liquid nitrogen temperature (77K). Open surface area and micropore volume were determined using t-plot method and Harkins & Jura equation. For both AC/Fe, surface area measurements resulted in 66% those of corresponding AC. For BC/Fe, the surface area was 82% that of BC. Batch experiments with all sorbent samples and mercury solutions were conducted at room temperature (25oC) and at pH 5 in order to compare the sorption properties of the materials. Similar tests were performed with phenanthrene solutions. Based on mercury isotherm data, AC/Fe and BC/Fe are effective sorbents but with lower sorption capacity compared to the initial materials (50-75% lower). All these properties point to promising materials that can effectively be used for in

  13. Covalent bonding of chloroanilines to humic constituents: Pathways, kinetics, and stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kong, Deyang; Xia, Qing; Liu, Guoqiang; Huang, Qingguo; Lu, Junhe

    2013-01-01

    Covalent coupling to natural humic constituents comprises an important transformation pathway for anilinic pollutants in the environment. We systematically investigated the reactions of chlorine substituted anilines with catechol and syringic acid in horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed systems. It was demonstrated that although nucleophilic addition was the mechanism of covalent bonding to both catechol and syringic acid, chloroanilines coupled to the 2 humic constituents via slightly different pathways. 1,4-addition and 1,2-addition are involved to catechol and syringic acid, respectively. 1,4-addition showed empirical 2nd order kinetics and this pathway seemed to be more permanent than 1,2-addition. Stability experiments demonstrated that cross-coupling products with syringic acid could be easily released in acidic conditions. However, cross-coupling with catechol was relatively stable at similar conditions. Thus, the environmental behavior and bioavailability of the coupling products should be carefully assessed. -- Highlights: •Chloroanilines covalently coupled to humic constituents in HRP catalyzed processes, which facilitated their transformation. •MS technique was employed to analyze the coupling products and therefore elucidate the reaction pathways. •Chloroanilines couple to catechol and syringic acid via 1,4- and 1,2-nucleophilic addition pathways, respectively. •Cross-coupling products formed via 1,4-nucleophilic addition pathway were more stable than those via 1,2-addition pathway. -- Bound residues of chloroanilines formed via 1,2- and 1,4-nucleophilic addition pathways showed different stability

  14. Physico-chemical analysis of tannery solid waste and structural characterization of its isolated humic acids after composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amir, Soumia; Benlboukht, Fatima; Cancian, Nadia; Winterton, Peter; Hafidi, Mohamed

    2008-12-30

    In Marrakech, solid by-products from tanneries are highly polluting, generating large amounts of nitrogenous and organic matter. In the present study composting is tested as a cost-effective method for waste management to overcome many of the environmental hazards and produce a stable, rich material for soil fertilization. Two composting trials were conducted after neutralization by ammonia or lime. The aim of the neutralization was to avoid the antimicrobial effects of the acidity in the tannery waste, thus ensuring correct composting. Different techniques such as elemental analysis and 13C NMR spectroscopy were applied to analyse humic acids isolated from raw and composted materials, and to monitor the process of tannery waste composting, and the stability and maturity of the final product according to the means of neutralization. Comparison of data showed similar behaviour in both trials, but the composting process appeared to be more complete following neutralization with lime. The C, H and N content decreased, while the O increased. The FTIR and 13C NMR spectra show the decrease of aliphatic compounds demonstrated by the reduction of absorbance around 2922cm(-1) and of the resonance in the C-alkyl area around 0-55ppm. The humic acids newly formed during composting were richer in the O-N alkyl and oxidized aromatic structures that increased almost twofold on composting after neutralization with lime. The first principal component axis PC1 (54%) separated C-aliphatic, C-carboxylic and other less stable and less polycondensed compounds such as polyphenols from the more polycondensed O-N alkyl and oxidized C-aromatic compounds.

  15. Comparison of structural features of water-soluble organic matter from atmospheric aerosols with those of aquatic humic substances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, Regina M. B. O.; Santos, Eduarda B. H.; Pio, Casimiro A.; Duarte, Armando C.

    Elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared coupled to attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and solid-state cross polarization with magic angle spinning- 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS 13C NMR) spectroscopies were used to compare the chemical features of water-soluble organic compounds (WSOC) from atmospheric aerosols with those of aquatic humic and fulvic acids. The influence of different meteorological conditions on the structural composition of aerosol WSOC was also evaluated. Prior to the structural characterisation, the WSOC samples were separated into hydrophobic acids and hydrophilic acids fractions by using a XAD-8/XAD-4 isolation procedure. Results showed that WSOC hydrophobic acids are mostly aliphatic (40-62% of total NMR peak area), followed by oxygenated alkyls (15-21%) and carboxylic acid (5.4-13.4%) functional groups. Moreover, the aromatic content of aerosol WSOC samples collected between autumn and winter seasons is higher (˜18-19%) than that of samples collected during warmer periods (˜6-10%). The presence of aromatic signals typical of lignin-derived structures in samples collected during low-temperature conditions highlights the major contribution of wood burning processes in domestic fireplaces into the bulk chemical properties of WSOC from aerosols. According to our investigations, aerosol WSOC hydrophobic acids and aquatic fulvic and humic acids hold similar carbon functional groups; however, they differ in terms of the relative carbon distribution. Elemental analysis indicates that H and N contents of WSOC hydrophobic acids samples surpass those of aquatic fulvic and humic acids. In general, the obtained results suggest that WSOC hydrophobic acids have a higher aliphatic character and a lower degree of oxidation than those of standard fulvic and humic acids. The study here reported suggests that aquatic fulvic and humic acids may not be good models for WSOC from airborne particulate matter.

  16. Evaluation of sewage sludge and slow pyrolyzed sewage sludge-derived biochar for adsorption of phenanthrene and pyrene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zielińska, Anna; Oleszczuk, Patryk

    2015-09-01

    The present study investigated the sorption of phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) by sewage sludges and sewage sludge-derived biochars. The organic carbon normalized distribution coefficient (log K(OC) for C(w) = 0.01 S(w)) for the sewage sludges ranged from 5.62 L kg(-1) to 5.64 L kg(-1) for PHE and from 5.72 L kg(-1) to 5.75 L kg(-1) for PYR. The conversion of sewage sludges into biochar significantly increased their sorption capacity. The value of log K(OC) for the biochars ranged from 5.54 L kg(-1) to 6.23 L kg(-1) for PHE and from 5.95 L kg(-1) to 6.52 L kg(-1) for PYR depending on temperature of pyrolysis. The dominant process was monolayer adsorption in the micropores and/or multilayer surface adsorption (in the mesopores), which was indicated by the significant correlations between log K(OC) and surface properties of biochars. PYR was sorbed better on the tested materials than PHE. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Effects of the humic acid extracted from vermicompost on the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Felipe Andrade

    2015-05-06

    May 6, 2015 ... Organic matter for soils, waters and sediments have humic substances as their ... the essays (Kononova, 1982; Santos and Camargo,. 1999; Muscolo et al., .... maturity, which influences the permeability of the tegument and ...

  18. Humic acid and metal ions accelerating the dechlorination of 4-chlorobiphenyl by nanoscale zero-valent iron

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Yu Wang; Dongmei Zhou; Yujun Wang; Xiangdong Zhu; Shengyang Jin

    2011-01-01

    Transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by zero-valent iron represents one of the latest innovative technologies for environmental remediation.The dechlorination of 4-chlorobiphenyl (4-C1BP) by nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) in the presence of humic acid or metal ions was investigated.The results showed that the de chlorination of 4-CIBP by NZVI increased with decreased solution pH.When the initial pH value was 4.0,5.5,6.8,and 9.0,the de chlorination efliciencies of 4-C1BP after 48 hr were 53.8%,47.8%,35.7%,and 35.6%,respectively.The presence of humic acid inhibited the reduction of 4-ClBP in the first 4 hr,and then significantly accelerated the dechlorination by reaching 86.3% in 48 hr.Divalent metal ions,Co2+,Cu2+,and Ni2+,were reduced and formed bimetals with NZVI,thereby enhanced the dechlorination of 4-CIBP.The dechlorination percentages of 4-CIBP in the presence of 0.1 mmol/L Co2+,Cu2+ and Ni2+ were 66.1%,66.0% and 64.6% in 48 hr,and then increased to 67.9%,71.3% and 73.5%,after 96 hr respectively.The dechlorination kinetics of 4-CIBP by the NZVI in all cases followed pseudo-first order model.The results provide a basis for better understanding of the dechlorination mechanisms of PCBs in real environment.

  19. Effect of humic acids on the growth and the biochemical composition of Arthrospira platensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massiel Vanessa Rivera Gonzalez

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of three concentrations of humic acids (HA 1, 10, 100 mg/L against a concentration of indole acetic acid (IAA on production of biomass, pigments, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids of A. platensis.  Cultures discontinuous in Zarrouk 25% medium supplemented with HA and IAA under conditions of aeration constant and photoperiod from 12:12 hours, during 30 days were made. It was found that the maximum biomass production was higher in the culture supplemented with 10 mg / L of AH, compared to the control and cultures supplemented with AIA. In the same way the highest production of pigments, proteins and carbohydrates were observed in this treatment. Therefore, the growth and production of metabolites of A. platensis was increased, which makes it possible to observe the potential use of these substances as organic biological stimulants.

  20. Sorption of phenanthrene and benzene on differently structural kerogen: Important role of micropore-filling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yulong; Ma, Xiaoxuan; Ran, Yong

    2014-01-01

    Shale was thermally treated to obtain a series of kerogen with varied maturation. Their chemical, structural and porous properties were related to the sorption and/or desorption behaviors of phenanthrene and benzene. As the treatment temperature increases, aliphatic and carbonyl carbon of the kerogen samples decrease, while their aromaticity and maturation increase. Meanwhile, the isothermal nonlinearity of phenanthrene and benzene increases whereas the sorption capacity and micropore adsorption volumes (V o,d ) initially increase and then decrease. The V o,d of benzene is significantly correlated with, but higher than that of phenanthrene, suggesting similar micropore filling mechanism and molecular sieve effect. The benzene desorption exhibits hysteresis, which is related to the pore deformation of the kerogen and the entrapment of solute in the kerogen matrix. The V o,d of phenanthrene and benzene on the kerogen samples accounts for 23–46% and 36–65% of the maximum sorption volumes, respectively, displaying the importance of the micropore filling. -- Highlights: • The microporosity estimated by benzene vapor differs greatly from that by N 2 . • The micropore volume changes with kerogen maturation. • The phenanthrene or benzene sorption is related to the microporosity of kerogen. • Higher adsorption volume for benzene than for phenanthrene suggests molecular sieve effect. • The pore-filling plays an important role in the sorption of phenanthrene and benzene. -- The sorption behaviors of benzene and phenanthrene are related to the microporosity of the differently matured kerogen, indicating the importance of pore-filling

  1. Determine the Efficacy of Salinity on Bioremediation of Polluted Soil by Phenanthrene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoumeh Ravanipour

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Phenanthrene is one of the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs that are formed during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, oil pollution and different process of oil and gas plants. PAHs-contaminated area have increased a health risk to humans and environments due to toxicity, carcinogenicity, hydrophobicity and their tendency to accumulation in soil and sediment and their entrance to food chain. Bioremediation is an effective method for removing toxic pollutants from soils such as Phenanthrene. The main object of this study is the assessment of the effects of salinity on the efficacy of the process of bioremediation on polluted soils by Phenanthrene. Methods: The bare soil of any organic and microbial pollution was first polluted artificially to the phenanthrene then a nutrient solution with two minimum and maximum concentrations of salinity were added to it in order to have the proportion of 10% w:v (soil: water. After that a microbial mixture which was enable degradation the phenanthrene added to the slurry and aerated. After the extraction of phenanthrene by ultrasonic, the residual concentration in the soil was analyzed by GC. Results: In the conditions that salinity concentration was maximum, the microbial growth has a longer lag phase than the minimum salinity. The findings from extraction process by GC depict the removal percentage of maximum and minimum salinity in 56th %70.5 day and %71.8, respectively. Conclusion: In In spite of the longer log phase of maximum concentration of salinity and according to GC results, there was just a little difference between two solutions. Therefore it reveals that salinity can increase the lag phase but haven't any inhibitory effect on Phenanthrene removal.

  2. Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic characterization of humic substances from municipal refuse decomposing in a landfill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newman, R.H.; Theng, B.K.G.; Filip, Z.

    1987-01-01

    Municipal refuse was disposed of in simulated landfills and left for periods of more than 20 months. Three different 40 m 3 systems of disposals were studied, namely (i) where the refuse was compacted, (ii) where it was mixed with sewage sludge and left uncompacted, and (iii) where it was compacted with sewage sludge. At 2, 6, 12 and 20 months, the humic substances were extracted from each system, purified, and characterised by cross-polarisation 13 C NMR spectroscopy with 'magic-angle' sample spinning. The areas under the various signals were related to carbon percentages in different structural categories. The aromaticity of the humic acids increased with time of decomposition; those from refuse mixed with sewage sludge were particularly high in phenolic content. A signal at 174 p.p.m., assigned primarily to secondary amide linkages, reached maximum strength after 6 to 12 months decomposition. The carbohydrate contents of the humic acids showed only small variations as decomposition progressed. Polymethylene chains in lipids, particularly for the uncompacted system, accounted for a diminishing fraction of total carbon as time of refuse disposal increased. The spectrum of a soil humic acid showed features similar to those observed in spectra of humic acids derived from refuse, but the signals were less well resolved. 19 refs.; 8 figs.; 3 tabs

  3. Interaction of Eu, Th and U with bentonite colloids in presence of humic acid: a flow-field flow fractionation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouby, M.; Geckeis, H.; Schaefer, Th.; Mihai, S.; Fanghaenell, Th.

    2005-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: The actinide mobility in the far-field of a repository site can be strongly influenced by the presence of colloidal species. Field migration experiments at the Grimsel Test Site under low ionic strength (I=10 -3 mol/L) and high pH (∼9.6) conditions have demonstrated a considerable clay colloid-mediated actinide(III/IV) migration [1]. However, those studies rendered it necessary to take the kinetics of notably the actinide-colloid interaction and colloid stability into account [2]. In the present study, we examine the stability of bentonite clay colloids in natural Grimsel groundwater and their interaction with Cs(I), Eu(III), Th(IV) and U(VI) (conc. ∼ 10 -8 mol/L). Experiments cover 12 months contact times and are performed under anoxic conditions. Humic acid (Gohy-573) is added after different contact times as a competing ligand and the time dependent metal ion desorption is followed. Dedicated experiments and thermodynamic speciation calculations are performed to estimate the metal ion speciation within the colloid system. As the experimental metal ion speciation (i.e. differentiation of clay-colloid bound, humic colloid bound and dissolved metal ion species) at the given low concentration conditions is hardly possible by spectroscopic methods, we use Asymmetric Flow-Field Flow Fractionation coupled to UV-Vis spectrophotometry and ICP-MS detection. Unexpectedly, it is found that small-sized bentonite colloids ( d -values, Cs and U do not interact significantly with bentonite colloids, while Th and Eu do. Eu desorption from clay colloids by humic acid is delayed significantly upon increasing the clay colloid-Eu contact time up to several months. Nevertheless, estimated equilibrium conditions are attained after 7 months desorption time. However, it appears that significant fractions of clay colloid borne Th(IV) do not desorb in presence of humic acid and equilibrium conditions estimated from calculation and experiments are not

  4. Analysis of humic colloid borne trace elements by flow field-flow fractionation, gel permeation chromatography and icp-mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ngo, Manh Thang; Beck, H.P; Geckeis, H.; Kim, J.I.

    1999-01-01

    Groundwater samples containing aquatic humic substances are analyzed by flow field- flow fractionation (FFFF) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Natural concentrations of U, Th and rare earth elements (REE) in a size-fractionated groundwater sample are analyzed by on-line coupling of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to either FFFF or GPC. The uranium, thorium, and REE are found to be quantitatively attached to colloidal species in the investigated groundwater sample. Their distribution in different colloid size fractions, however, is quite heterogeneous. Both, FFFF and GPC reveal that Th and REE are preferentially located in the size fraction > 50 kDalton. U is also attached to low molecular weight humic acid, similar to Fe and Al. This finding could be qualitatively reproduced by sequential ultrafiltration. The results are interpreted in terms of different binding mechanisms for the individual elements in the heterogeneous humic macromolecules. The inclusion of actinides into larger aggregates of aquatic humic acid might explain the considerable kinetic hindrance of actinide-humic acid dissociation reactions described in the literature. (authors)

  5. Comparative study of humic and fulvic substances in groundwaters. Pt. 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higgo, J.J.W.; Davis, J.; Smith, B.

    1992-01-01

    Humic and fulvic acids were extracted from large volumes of three different groundwaters. After purification they were characterised in terms of proton-binding properties, molecular weight, UV spectra and trace impurities. Conditional stability constants were measured for fulvic and humic binding with cobalt, nickel, calcium and uranium. From these, intrinsic binding constants were calculated using Humic Ion-Binding Model V which was found to describe the dependence of binding strength on pH and ionic strength reasonably well. Species distributions in the groundwaters were calculated and the effects of competition with alkali earths are discussed. All the experimental data are reported in a separate volume (Appendix A and B) so that they are available for testing other models. (author)

  6. Antagonism of phenanthrene cytotoxicity for human embryo lung fibroblast cell line HFL-I by green tea polyphenols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mei Xin; Wu Yuanyuan; Mao Xiao; Tu Youying

    2011-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been detected in some commercial teas around the world and pose a threat to tea consumers. However, green tea polyphenols (GTP) possess remarkable antioxidant and anticancer effects. In this study, the potential of GTP to block the toxicity of the model PAH phenanthrene was examined in human embryo lung fibroblast cell line HFL-I. Both GTP and phenanthrene treatment individually caused dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth. A full factorial design experiment demonstrated that the interaction of phenanthrene and GTP significantly reduced growth inhibition. Using the median effect method showed that phenanthrene and GTP were antagonistic when the inhibitory levels were less than about 50%. Apoptosis and cell cycle detection suggested that only phenanthrene affected cell cycle significantly and caused cell death; GTP lowered the mortality of HFL-I cells exposed to phenanthrene; However, GTP did not affect modulation of the cell cycle by phenanthrene. - Green tea polyphenols antagonised cytotoxicity of a low-ring PAH phenanthrene.

  7. Antagonism of phenanthrene cytotoxicity for human embryo lung fibroblast cell line HFL-I by green tea polyphenols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mei Xin [Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth Development and Biotechnology of Ministry of Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Wu Yuanyuan; Mao Xiao [Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Tu Youying, E-mail: youytu@zju.edu.c [Department of Tea Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China)

    2011-01-15

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been detected in some commercial teas around the world and pose a threat to tea consumers. However, green tea polyphenols (GTP) possess remarkable antioxidant and anticancer effects. In this study, the potential of GTP to block the toxicity of the model PAH phenanthrene was examined in human embryo lung fibroblast cell line HFL-I. Both GTP and phenanthrene treatment individually caused dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth. A full factorial design experiment demonstrated that the interaction of phenanthrene and GTP significantly reduced growth inhibition. Using the median effect method showed that phenanthrene and GTP were antagonistic when the inhibitory levels were less than about 50%. Apoptosis and cell cycle detection suggested that only phenanthrene affected cell cycle significantly and caused cell death; GTP lowered the mortality of HFL-I cells exposed to phenanthrene; However, GTP did not affect modulation of the cell cycle by phenanthrene. - Green tea polyphenols antagonised cytotoxicity of a low-ring PAH phenanthrene.

  8. Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu Naiying [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Department of Chemistry, Shangqiu Normal College, Shangqiu 476000 (China); Huang Honglin [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Zhang Shuzhen, E-mail: szzhang@rcees.ac.c [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Zhu Yongguan [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 2871, Beijing 100085 (China); Christie, Peter [Agri-Environment Branch, Agriculture Food and Environmental Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX (United Kingdom); Zhang Yong [State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Environmental Science Research Centre, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005 (China)

    2009-05-15

    Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. was investigated under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Inoculation of lucerne with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum L. resulted in higher phenanthrene accumulation in the roots and lower accumulation in the shoots compared to non-mycorrhizal controls. Studies on sorption and desorption of phenanthrene by roots and characterization of heterogeneity of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal roots using solid-state {sup 13}C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ({sup 13}C NMR) demonstrated that increased aromatic components due to mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in enhanced phenanthrene uptake by the roots but lower translocation to the shoots. Direct visualization using two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM) revealed higher phenanthrene accumulation in epidermal cells of roots and lower transport into the root interior and stem in mycorrhizal plants than in non-mycorrhizal controls. These results provide some insight into the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation may influence the uptake of organic contaminants by plants. - Colonization by an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus promoted root uptake and decreased shoot uptake of phenanthrene by Medicago sativa L.

  9. Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Naiying; Huang Honglin; Zhang Shuzhen; Zhu Yongguan; Christie, Peter; Zhang Yong

    2009-01-01

    Phenanthrene uptake by Medicago sativa L. was investigated under the influence of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. Inoculation of lucerne with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum L. resulted in higher phenanthrene accumulation in the roots and lower accumulation in the shoots compared to non-mycorrhizal controls. Studies on sorption and desorption of phenanthrene by roots and characterization of heterogeneity of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal roots using solid-state 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 13 C NMR) demonstrated that increased aromatic components due to mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in enhanced phenanthrene uptake by the roots but lower translocation to the shoots. Direct visualization using two-photon excitation microscopy (TPEM) revealed higher phenanthrene accumulation in epidermal cells of roots and lower transport into the root interior and stem in mycorrhizal plants than in non-mycorrhizal controls. These results provide some insight into the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation may influence the uptake of organic contaminants by plants. - Colonization by an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus promoted root uptake and decreased shoot uptake of phenanthrene by Medicago sativa L.

  10. Response of humic acid formation to elevated nitrate during chicken manure composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Mingzi; Wei, Zimin; Wang, Liqin; Wu, Junqiu; Zhang, Duoying; Wei, Dan; Tang, Yu; Zhao, Yue

    2018-06-01

    Nitrate can stimulate microbes to degrade aromatic compounds, whereas humic acid (HA) as a high molecular weight aromatic compound, its formation may be affected by elevated nitrate during composting. Therefore, this study is conducted to determine the effect of elevated nitrate on HA formation. Five tests were executed by adding different nitrate concentrations to chicken manure composting. Results demonstrate that the concentration of HA in treatment group is significantly decreased compared with control group (p < 0.05), especially in the highest nitrate concentration group. RDA indicates that the microbes associated with HA and environmental parameters are influenced by elevated nitrate. Furthermore, structural equation model reveals that elevated nitrate reduces HA formation by mediating microbes directly, or by affecting ammonia and pH as the indirect drivers to regulate microbial community structure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The effect of phytobiotics, organic acids and humic acids on the utility and egg quality of laying hens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henrieta Arpášová

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was the assessment of an influence of supplement of dietary herbal additive in combination with organic acids into feed mixture or drinking water of laying hens on performance parameters and egg quality. The Lohmann Brown Lite laying hens (n = 30 were divided into 3 groups (n = 10, and fed for 20 weeks ad libitum with complete feed mixtures (CFM. Hens in the control group received the complete feed mixture (CFM and drank drinking water without any supplements. In the first experimental group hens received CFM without supplements but phytobiotics (bergamot oil (Citrus bergamia, thyme (Thymus vulgaris, clove (Syzygium aromaticum, pepper (Piper nigrum in combination with the fumaric acid and citric acid at 60 mg per 1 liter of water were added to their drinking water. In the second experimental group was CFM enriched with humic acids in the concentration of 0.5%, and phytobiotcs with organic acids at the same dose as in the first experimental group were added to their drinking water. Monitored parameters: body weight (g, egg production (%, the weight of all produced eggs (g, egg albumen weight (g, egg albumen index, Haugh unit (HU, egg yolk weight (g, egg yolk index, egg yolk colour (° HLR, egg shell weight (g and egg shell strength (N.cm-2. The results showed no significant differences between the both experimental groups and the control group in the parameter body weight of hens (P>0.05. The highest average body weight was found in the hens from the second experimental group (values in the order of groups:  1792.22 ± 80.85; 1768.42 ±55.55; 1820.12 ±78.56 g±S.D.. We observed positive trend of increasing of egg production by adding of used supplements, especially in the second experimental group with the addition of humic acids, although with no statistically significant difference compared to the control group (P>0.05. The mean laying intensity in the order of groups: 90.42; 91.16; 91.56%. We observed statistically

  12. Thermodynamics of Molybdate Binding to Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thalhammer, K.; Gilbert, B.

    2016-12-01

    Molybdenum is an essential nutrient for diazotrophic bacteria that use nitrogenase I to fix atmospheric nitrogen in soils into bioavailable forms such as ammonia. This metalloid is released during rock weathering processes and at neutral pH it exists primarily as the soluble oxyanion molybdate, MoO42-. It has been established that molybdate mobility and bioavailability in soils is influenced by sorption to mineral surfaces and complexation by natural organic matter (NOM). The molybdate ion is readily bound by ortho dihydroxybenzene molecules such as catechol and catechol groups in siderophores. Humic acids (HA) found in NOM contain abundant phenolic groups and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy demonstrated that molybdate is bound by catechol-containing molecules in soil organic matter1. However, to our knowledge no quantitative determination of the affinity of molybdate to HA has been reported. We studied the interactions of molybdate with Suwannee River HA using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to determine the conditional equilibrium constant for complexation at neutral pH. We further used ITC to investigate the thermodynamic contributions to complexation and the interaction kinetics. Addition of molybdate to HA caused the formation of complexes with UV-vis absorption spectra in good agreement with molybdate-catechol species indicating catechol groups to be the primary ligands in HA. ITC data revealed that binding enthalpies and kinetics were strongly influenced by ionic strength, suggesting a role for macromolecular reorganization driven by metalloid addition. 1. Wichard et al., Nature Geoscience 2, 625 - 629 (2009).

  13. Proteomic analysis of plasma membrane proteins in wheat roots exposed to phenanthrene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yu; Du, Jiangxue; Yue, Le; Zhan, Xinhua

    2016-06-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potentially carcinogenic and toxic to humans through ingestion of contaminated food crops. PAHs can enter crop roots through proton/PAH symporters; however, to date, the symporter remains unclear. Here we reveal, for the first time, the plasma membrane proteome of Triticum aestivum seedling roots in response to phenanthrene (a model PAH) exposure. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS and protein database search engines were employed to analyze and identify phenanthrene-responsive proteins. Over 192 protein spots are reproducibly detected in each gel, while 8 spots are differentially expressed under phenanthrene treatment. Phenanthrene induces five up-regulated proteins distinguished as 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-homocysteine methyltransferase 2, enolase, heat shock protein 80-2, probable mediator of RNA polymerase II transcription subunit 37e (heat shock 70-kDa protein 1), and lactoylglutathione lyase. Three proteins identified as adenosine kinase 2, 4-hydroxy-7-methoxy-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-2-yl glucoside beta-D-glucosidase 1c, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 3 are down-regulated under exposure to phenanthrene. The up-regulated proteins are related to plant defense response, antioxidant system, and glycolysis. The down-regulated proteins involve the metabolism of high-energy compounds and plant growth. Magnesium, which is able to bind to enolase, can enhance the transport of phenanthrene into wheat roots. Therefore, it is concluded that phenanthrene can induce differential expression of proteins in relation to carbohydrate metabolism, self-defense, and plant growth on wheat root plasma membrane. This study not only provides novel insights into PAH uptake by plant roots and PAH stress responses, but is also a good starting point for further determination and analyses of their functions using genetic and other approaches.

  14. Kinetics of the oxidative hydroxylation of sodium hypophosphite in the presence of copper (II chloride modified by humic (fulvo- acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaksyntay Kairbekov

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available It was established that in soft conditions (50-70oC, PO2 = 1 atm sodium hypophosphite effectively is oxidized by oxygen in water solutions of copper(II chloride  to give mainly a phosphorous acid. Humic (fulvo- acid was extracted from brown coal of domestic deposit Kiyakty. For determination of optimum parameters of fulvo-acid extraction the laboratory experiments were carried out using the method of experiment planning. The kinetics, the intermediate and final products, optimal conditions of new catalytic reaction of NaH2PO2 oxidation by oxygen in water solution were defined by kinetics, volumometry, redox-potentiometry and a titration.

  15. Distribution of soil arsenic species, lead and arsenic bound to humic acid molar mass fractions in a contaminated apple orchard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Newton, Kimberly; Amarasiriwardena, Dulasiri; Xing, Baoshan

    2006-01-01

    Excessive application of lead arsenate pesticides in apple orchards during the early 1900s has led to the accumulation of lead and arsenic in these soils. Lead and arsenic bound to soil humic acids (HA) and soil arsenic species in a western Massachusetts apple orchard was investigated. The metal-humate binding profiles of Pb and As were analyzed with size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS). It was observed that both Pb and As bind 'tightly' to soil HA molar mass fractions. The surface soils of the apple orchard contained a ratio of about 14:1 of water soluble As (V) to As (III), while mono-methyl (MMA) and di-methyl arsenic (DMA) were not detectable. The control soil contained comparatively very low levels of As (III) and As (V). The analysis of soil core samples demonstrated that As (III) and As (V) species are confined to the top 20 cm of the soil. - The distribution of arsenic species [i.e., As (III), As (V), and methylated arsenic species (DMA, MMA)] on the soil surface and in a depth profile as well as those associated with humic acids is discussed

  16. Humic substances elemental composition of selected taiga and tundra soils from Russian European North-East

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lodygin Evgeny

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Soils of Russian European North were investigated in terms of stability and quality of organic matter as well as in terms of soils organic matter elemental composi­tion. Therefore, soil humic acids (HAs, extracted from soils of different natural zones of Russian North-East were studied to characterize the degree of soil organic matter stabilization along a zonal gradient. HAs were extracted from soil of different zonal environments of the Komi Republic: south, middle and north taiga as well as south tundra. Data on elemental composition of humic acids and fulvic acids (FAs extracted from different soil types were obtained to assess humus formation mechanisms in the soils of taiga and tundra of the European North-East of Russia. The specificity of HAs elemental composition are discussed in relation to environmental conditions. The higher moisture degree of taiga soils results in the higher H/C ratio in humic substances. This reflects the reduced microbiologic activity in Albeluvisols sods and subsequent conser­vation of carbohydrate and amino acid fragments in HAs. HAs of tundra soils, shows the H/C values decreasing within the depth of the soils, which reflects increasing of aromatic compounds in HA structure of mineral soil horizons. FAs were more oxidized and contains less carbon while compared with the HAs. Humic acids, extracted from soil of different polar and boreal environments differ in terms of elemental composition winch reflects the climatic and hydrological regimes of humification.

  17. Synthesis, characterization and visible light photocatalytic activity of Cr 3+ , Ce 3+ and N co-doped TiO 2 for the degradation of humic acid

    KAUST Repository

    Rashid, S. G.; Gondal, M. A.; Hameed, A.; Aslam, M.; Dastageer, M. A.; Yamani, Z. H.; Anjum, Dalaver H.

    2015-01-01

    The synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic activity of Cr3+ and Ce3+ co-doped TiON (N-doped TiO2) for the degradation of humic acid with exposure to visible light is reported. The synthesized bimetal (Cr3+ + Ce3+) modified TiON (Cr-Ce/TiON), with an evaluated bandgap of 2.1 eV, exhibited an enhanced spectral response in the visible region as compared to pure and Ce3+ doped TiON (Ce/TiON). The XRD analysis revealed the insertion of Cr3+ and Ce3+ in the crystal lattice along with Ti4+ and N that resulted in the formation of a strained TiON anatase structure with an average crystallite size of ∼10 nm. Raman analysis also supported the formation of stressed rigid structures after bimetal doping. HRTEM confirmed the homogeneous distribution of both the doped metallic components in the crystal lattice of TiON without the formation of surface oxides of either Cr3+ or Ce3+. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) analysis revealed no change in the oxidation of either Cr or Ce during the synthesis. The synthesized Cr-Ce/TiON catalyst exhibited appreciable photocatalytic activity for the degradation of humic acid on exposure to visible light. Additionally, a noticeable mineralization of carbon rich humic acid was also witnessed. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized catalyst was compared with pristine and Ce3+ doped TiON. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015.

  18. Effect of nitrate, carbonate/bicarbonate, humic acid, and H2O2 on the kinetics and degradation mechanism of Bisphenol-A during UV photolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Young-Min; Kim, Moon-Kyung; Zoh, Kyung-Duk

    2018-08-01

    In this study, the effects of natural water components (nitrate, carbonate/bicarbonate, and humic acid) on the kinetics and degradation mechanisms of bisphenol A (BPA) during UV-C photolysis and UV/H 2 O 2 reaction were examined. The presence of NO 3 - (0.04-0.4 mM) and CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - (0.4-4 mM) ions increased BPA degradation during UV photolysis. Humic acid less than 3 mg/L promoted BPA degradation, but greater than 3 mg/L of humic acid inhibited BPA degradation. During the UV/H 2 O 2 reaction, all water matrix components acted as radical scavengers in the order of humic acid > CO 3 2- /HCO 3 -  > NO 3 - . All of the degradation reactions agreed with the pseudo-first-order kinetics. While eight byproducts (m/z = 122, 136, 139, 164, 181, 244, 273, 289) were identified in UV-C/NO 3 - photolysis reaction, four (m/z = 122, 136, 164, 244) and three byproducts (m/z = 122, 136, 164) were observed during UV-C/NO 3 - /CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - and UV-C/CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - reactions. Nitrogenated and hydrogenated byproducts were first observed during the UV-C/NO 3 - photolysis, but only hydrogenated byproducts as adducts were detected during the UV-C/NO 3 - /CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - photolysis. Nitrogenated and hydrogenated byproducts were formed in the early stage of degradation by OH or NO 2 radicals, and these byproducts were subsequently degraded into smaller compounds with further reaction during UV-C/NO 3 - and UV-C/NO 3 - /CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - reactions. In contrast, BPA was directly degraded into smaller compounds by β-scission of the isopropyl group by CO 3 - /HCO 3 radicals during UV-C/CO 3 2- /HCO 3 - reaction. Our results imply that the water components can change the degradation mechanism of BPA during UV photolysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. EXAFS study on the neptunium(V) complexation by various humic acids under neutral pH conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sachs, S.; Schmeide, K.; Brendler, V.; Heise, K.H.; Bernhard, G. [Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V., Inst. of Radiochemistry, Dresden (Germany); Reich, T. [Forschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V., Inst. of Radiochemistry, Dresden (Germany); Univ. Mainz, Inst. of Nuclear Chemistry (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    The structure of Np(V) humic acid (HA) complexes at pH 7 was studied by extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (EXAFS). For the first time, the influence of phenolic OH groups on the complexation of HA and Np(V) in the neutral pH range was investigated using modified HAs with blocked phenolic OH groups and Bio-Rex70, a cation exchange resin having only carboxyl groups as proton exchanging sites. The formation of Np(V) humate complexes was verified by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Axial Np-O bond distances of 1.84-1.85 Aa were determined for the studied Np(V) humate complexes and the Np(V)-Bio-Rex70 sorbate. In the equatorial plane Np(V) is surrounded by about 3 oxygen atoms with bond lengths of 2.48-2.49 Aa. The comparison of the structural parameters of the Np(V) humates with those of Np(V)-Bio-Rex70 points to the fact that the interaction between HA and Np(V) in the neutral pH range is dominated by carboxylate groups. However, up to now a contribution of phenolic OH groups to the interaction process cannot be excluded completely. The comparison of the obtained structural data for the Np(V) humates to those of Np(V) carboxylates and Np(V) aquo ions reported in the literature indicates that humic acid carboxylate groups predominantly act as monodentate ligands. A differentiation between equatorial coordinated carboxylate groups and water molecules using EXAFS spectroscopy is impossible. (orig.)

  20. Interactions between radionuclides and organic colloids. Structure and reactivity of humic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Plancque, G.

    2001-09-01

    Humic compounds are the main organic colloids present in natural waters. These compounds can significantly modify the speciation of metals and control their properties, like migration, toxicity or bio-availability. It is thus important to study their speciation in conditions representative to those encountered in the natural environment. The aim of this work is to analyze the reactivity of these humic compounds. Two spectroscopic techniques have been used: the time-resolution laser spectro-fluorimetry, limited to the study of fluorescent elements, and the electro-spray source mass spectroscopy which requires the development of specific protocols for all elements of the periodic classification system. Europium, a fluorescent element analogue to trivalent actinides, has been chosen as test-metal for the intercomparison of both spectroscopic techniques. The first technique has permitted to determine the inorganic and organic speciation (spectra and lifetime of europium hydroxides and carbonates, and constants of interaction with humic acids, respectively). The limitations of this technique in the study of inorganic speciation has been evidenced. Humic compounds have a badly defined structure. The use of high-resolution mass spectroscopy has permitted to propose in a direct and experimental way, a molecular structure of aquatic fulvic acids in agreement with their known physico-chemical properties. (J.S.)

  1. Methodology to extract of humic substances of lombricompost and evaluation of their performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torrente Trujillo, Armando; Gomez Zambrano, Jairo

    1995-01-01

    The present works was developed at the facultad de ciencias agropecuarias of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, located in Palmira City Valle del Cauca. The research consisted in the development of the appropriate methodology to extract humic substances contained in lombricompost and on the other hand to evaluate the performance in organic carbon of the fulvic and humic acids. The lombricompost source consisted in organic matter such as: dug cow, filter press cake, coffee pulp and Paspalum notatum with and without application of lime. The results showed sixteen steps, which are completely described in the work, obtain the proposal methodology. By the other hand this method showed that humic acids in the lombricompost are richer than fulvic ones; besides among the four sources used in the experiment the filter press cake was different and higher in carbon yield than coffee pulp and Paspalum notatum

  2. Removal of anthracene and phenanthrene by filamentous fungi capable of cortexolone 11-hydroxylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisowska, K; Długoński, J

    1999-01-01

    Nine fungal strains showing ability of cortexolone hydroxylation to epicortisol and/or cortisol were screened in this work for anthracene and phenanthrene elimination (250 mg/l). All of the strains (Cylindrocladium simplex IM 2358, C. simplex IM 2358/650, Monosporium olivaceum IM 484, Curvularia lunata IM 2901, C. lunata IM 2901/366, C. tuberculata IM 4417, Cunninghamella elegans IM 1785, C. elegans IM 1785/21Gp, C. elegans IM 1785/10Gi) significantly removed anthracene and phenanthrene. During incubation with anthracene formation of intermediate products was observed. The amount of the main intermediate product, identified as 9, 10-anthraquinone, was not greater than 22.2% of the anthracene introduced to the fungal cultures. C. elegans IM 1785/21Gp was the best degrader of both anthracene and phenanthrene, removing 81.6 and 99.4% of these compounds after 7 days, respectively. Phenanthrene removal by C. elegans IM 1785/21Gp was preceded by PAHs accumulation in mycelium and growth inhibition. Elimination of phenanthrene started after one day of incubation and was related to the fungus growth.

  3. The Effect of Foliar Application of Humic Acid and Nano Fertilizer (Pharmks® on Morphological Traits, Yield, Essential Oil Content and Yield of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    majid azizi

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The ever-increasing tendency to the use of medicinal plants in the world has grown concerns about their cultivation and production processes. As medicinal plants are more compatible with the nature, special interest and attention have recently been given to herb therapy, and use of medicinal plants, being limited by the rise of pharmaceutical drugs, has become again common and widespread due to a number of reasons. In a sustainable agriculture system, application of the fertilizers which are nature friendly and suitable for plants is essential. This becomes more important when dealing with medicinal plants. Doing studies over the effect of nano¬pharmax and humic acid fertilizer on the plant, no research findings were obtained. So, in order to use less chemical fertilizers to prevent environmental pollution and encourage farmers to use more organic fertilizer, the present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of foliar application of humic acid and nano-pharmax fertilizer on the growth index, yield, yield components, essential oil content of N. sativa. Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted at Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, in 2012-2013. Land preparation was done in October. The land area was 80 square meters in which three blocks were designed. Eight plots were prepared within each block and each plot was planted with 4 lines. Furrow sowing operations were carried out on October 29. The plants were thinned in 4-6 leaf stage. First irrigation after planting, and subsequent ones were done every 7 days until the end of the growing season. No herbicides were applied in this plan and weeding was done by hand. The test treatments included humic acid and nano¬pharmax fertilizer with the levels of 0, 1, 3 and 6 mg per liter and 0 and 1 ml per liter, respectively. Fertilizer treatments was applied at the 8-10 leaf stage and continued once every two weeks, three times

  4. Fate and behaviour of phenanthrene in the natural and artificial soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofman, Jakub; Rhodes, Angela; Semple, Kirk T.

    2008-01-01

    OECD artificial soil has been used routinely as a standardized substrate for soil toxicity tests. However, can be the fate, behaviour and effects of contaminants in artificial soil extrapolated to natural soils? The aim of our study was to verify this hypothesis by comparing the loss, extraction, and bioavailability of phenanthrene in three artificial and three natural soils of comparable organic carbon content. Soils were spiked with 14 C-phenanthrene and total 14 C-activity change, the fractions extracted by dichloromethane, 70% ethanol, and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, the fraction mineralized by Pseudomonas sp., and taken up by Enchytraeus albidus were measured after 1, 14, 42, and 84 d aging. The loss, extraction, biodegradation and uptake were several times lower in the artificial than natural soils and these differences increased with increasing soil-phenanthrene contact time. These results imply that artificial soil should be used cautiously for the prediction of fate and behaviour in natural soils. - Artificial soils show substantially different fate and behaviour of phenanthrene than natural soils, which cannot be easily extrapolated or modelled

  5. Prediction of phenanthrene uptake by plants with a partition-limited model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Lizhong; Gao, Yanzheng

    2004-01-01

    The performance of a partition-limited model on prediction of phenanthrene uptake by a wide variety of plant species was evaluated using a greenhouse study. The model predictions of root or shoot concentrations for tested plant species were all within an order of magnitude of the observed values. Modeled root concentrations appeared to be more accurate than modeled shoot concentrations. The differences of simulated and experimented concentrations of phenanthrene in roots and shoots of three representative plant species, including ryegrass, flowering Chinese cabbage, and three-colored amaranth, were less than 81% for roots and 103% for shoots. Results are promising in that the α pt values of the partition-limited model for root uptake of phenanthrene correlate well with root lipid contents. Additionally, a significantly positive correlation is also observed between root concentration factors (RCFs, defined as the ratio of contaminant concentrations in root and in soil on a dry weight basis) of phenanthrene and root lipid contents. Results from this study suggest that the partition-limited model may have potential applications for predicting the plant PAH concentration in contaminated sites

  6. Experimental Investigation of Phenanthrene Pollutant Removal Efficiency for Contaminated Sandy Soil by Enhanced Soil Washing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saif salah Alquzweeni

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs are environmental concerns that must be removed to acceptable level. This research assesses two agents (Na2EDTA and SDS to remediate contaminated sandy soil, spiked with 500mg/kg phenanthrene. Five sets of experiments (batch are applied to investigate the optimal of five influencing factors on soil remediation: Na2EDTA-SDS concentration, liquid/Solid ratio, stirring speed, pH value of flushing solution and mixing time. The results of batch experiments showed that SDS has high phenanthrene removal efficiency (90%, while Na2EDTA shows no phenanthrene removal. pH has no effect on phenanthrene removal. To study the influence of flow rates on the removal efficiency of contaminants, two column tests with hydraulic gradient of 0.2 and 1.2 conducted by SDS solution. The results illustrate that high phenanthrene removal from soil obtained by 1.2 hydraulic gradient condition. The SDS flushing solution removed approximately 69% and 81% of phenanthrene from soil under low and high hydraulic gradients, respectively. It was concluded that phenanthrene removal depend on surfactant micelles formation. Overall, the study showed that soil flushing removal efficiency for contaminants depends on the flushing agents selectivity and affinity to the contaminants and the condition of hydraulic gradient.

  7. Application of microwave energy to speed up the alkaline extraction of humic and fulvic acids from marine sediments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Romaris-Hortas, Vanessa; Moreda-Pineiro, Antonio; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar

    2007-01-01

    The feasibility of microwave energy to speed up the alkaline extraction of humic substances (humic acid, HA, and fulvic acid, FA) from marine sediments has been checked. Extractions were performed by using 20 mL of sodium hydroxide at 0.1 M (two repeated extractions) after an ultrasound-assisted acid pre-treatment of samples to remove the carbonate fraction (ultrasound power at 17 kHz, 10 mL of 6.0 M hydrochloric acid for 15 min). After separation of HA and FA fractions by acidifying with 6 M HCl, the FA fraction (supernatant) was purified by passing the solution through a column of Amberlite XAD-8. Both HA and FA extracts were measured by UV-visible spectrophotometry. All variables affecting the extraction process (sodium hydroxide concentration and volume, ramp and hold times, temperature and number of repeated extractions) have been screened by using a Plackett-Burman design (PBD) as multivariate approach. The variables temperature and number of repeated extractions were the most significant factors (P = 95%) affecting the extraction of both FA and HA from marine sediments. These two variables have led optimum values of 150 deg. C and two repeated extractions. The developed method has been found precise (R.S.D.s of 9% for HA and 12% for FA, for 11 determinations) and its results were comparable in terms of elemental (C, H and N) composition to those obtained after applying methods based on mechanical stirring and ultrasounds assisting. However, higher HA and FA concentrations than those obtained after conventional stirring and ultrasound irradiation were obtained when applying microwave energy. This means a higher efficiency of microwave energy than ultrasounds or mechanical stirring to extract HA and FA fractions from marine sediments. The method was finally applied to different surface marine sediments from the Ria de Arousa estuary

  8. Batch experiments for assessing the sorption/desorption characteristics of 152Eu in systems of loose sediments and water containing humic acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klotz, D.

    2001-01-01

    The 152 Eu distribution coefficients of the sorption and desorption of non-binding loose sediments of different grain sizes are investigated using a groundwater of tertiary lignite from Northern Germany which contains high concentrations of humic acids. The batch experiments were carried out with a ratio of 2.5cm 3 /g of solution volume to sediment mass, without mixing [de

  9. Response of humic-reducing microorganisms to the redox properties of humic substance during composting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xinyu; He, Xiaosong; Xi, Beidou; Gao, Rutai; Tan, Wenbing; Zhang, Hui; Huang, Caihong; Li, Dan; Li, Meng

    2017-12-01

    Humic substance (HS) could be utilized by humus-reducing microorganisms (HRMs) as the terminal acceptors. Meanwhile, the reduction of HS can support the microbial growth. This process would greatly affect the redox conversion of inorganic and organic pollutants. However, whether the redox properties of HS lined with HRMs community during composting still remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the relationships between the redox capability of HS [i.e. humic acids (HA) and fulvic acids (FA)] and HRMs during composting. The results showed that the changing patterns of electron accepting capacity and electron donating capacity of HS were diverse during seven composting. Electron transfer capacities (ETC) of HA was significantly correlated with the functional groups (i.e. alkyl C, O-alkyl C, aryl C, carboxylic C, aromatic C), aromaticity and molecular weight of HA. Aromatic C, phenols, aryl C, carboxylic C, aromaticity and molecular weight of HS were the main structuralfeatures associated with the ETC of FA. Ten key genera of HRMs were found significantly determine these redox-active functional groups of HS during composting, thus influencing the ETC of HS in composts. In addition, a regulating method was suggested to enhance the ETC of HS during composting based on the relationships between the key HRMs and redox-active functional groups as well as environmental variables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Removal of phenanthrene in contaminated soil by combination of alfalfa, white-rot fungus, and earthworms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Shuguang; Zeng, Defang

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the removal of phenanthrene by combination of alfalfa, white-rot fungus, and earthworms in soil. A 60-day experiment was conducted. Inoculation with earthworms and/or white-rot fungus increased alfalfa biomass and phenanthrene accumulation in alfalfa. However, inoculations of alfalfa and white-rot fungus can significantly decrease the accumulation of phenanthrene in earthworms. The removal rates for phenanthrene in soil were 33, 48, 66, 74, 85, and 93% under treatments control, only earthworms, only alfalfa, earthworms + alfalfa, alfalfa + white-rot fungus, and alfalfa + earthworms + white-rot fungus, respectively. The present study demonstrated that the combination of alfalfa, earthworms, and white-rot fungus is an effective way to remove phenanthrene in the soil. The removal is mainly via stimulating both microbial development and soil enzyme activity.

  11. Characterization of reference and site specific human acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Buckau, G.

    1988-01-01

    As a part of the interlaboratory exercise for the complexation of humic acid and colloid generation (COCO-Club activities) in the CEC project MIRAGE-II, the characterization of humic acids have been carried out, as for their elemental compositions, inorganic impurities, spectroscopic properties, size distributions and proton exchange capacities. The commercial humic acid (Na salt) from Aldrich Co. is purified to a protonated form and used as a reference material, and the humic acid extracted from one of Gorleben groundwaters is also purified to a protonated form and taken as a site specific material. These two humic acids, together with the original Na salt from Aldrich Co., are included for the characterization exercise. The results of characterization provide a basic knowledge that supports the forthcoming study of complexation of humic acids with actinides and fission products in their migration processes in the geosphere. (orig.)

  12. Effects of plant species identity, diversity and soil fertility on biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oyelami, Ayodeji O.; Okere, Uchechukwu V.; Orwin, Kate H.; De Deyn, Gerlinde B.; Jones, Kevin C.; Semple, Kirk T.

    2013-01-01

    The work presented in this paper investigated the effects of plant species composition, species diversity and soil fertility on biodegradation of 14 C-phenanthrene in soil. The two soils used were of contrasting fertility, taken from long term unfertilised and fertilised grassland, showing differences in total nitrogen content (%N). Plant communities consisted of six different plant species: two grasses, two forbs, and two legume species, and ranged in species richness from 1 to 6. The degradation of 14 C-phenanthrene was evaluated by measuring indigenous catabolic activity following the addition of the contaminant to soil using respirometry. Soil fertility was a driving factor in all aspects of 14 C-phenanthrene degradation; lag phase, maximum rates and total extents of 14 C-phenanthrene mineralisation were higher in improved soils compared to unimproved soils. Plant identity had a significant effect on the lag phase and extents of mineralisation. Soil fertility was the major influence also on abundance of microbial communities. - Highlights: ► Two grassland soils of contrasting fertility showing differences in total nitrogen content (%N) were used in this study. ► The effects of individual plant species and plant diversity on mineralisation of 14 C-phenanthrene in soil were investigated. ► Soil fertility was the major influence on mineralisation of 14 C-phenanthrene, and abundance of microbial community. ► The presence of a specific plant plays a role in the extent of mineralisation of phenanthrene in soil. - Soil management was the main driver for the mineralisation of 14 C-phenanthrene in soil.

  13. Nano-MnO2-mediated transformation of triclosan with humic molecules present: kinetics, products, and pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Kai; Li, Shunyao; Waigi, Michael Gatheru; Huang, Qingguo

    2018-05-01

    It has been shown that manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) can mediate transformation of phenolic contaminants to form phenoxyl radical intermediates, and subsequently, these intermediates intercouple to form oligomers via covalent binding. However, the reaction kinetics and transformation mechanisms of phenolic contaminants with humic molecules present in nano-MnO 2 -mediated systems were still unclear. In this study, it was proven that nano-MnO 2 were effective in transforming triclosan under acidic conditions (pH 3.5-5.0) during manganese reduction, and the apparent pseudo first-order kinetics rate constants (k = 0.0599-1.5314 h -1 ) increased as the pH decreased. In particular, the transformation of triclosan by nano-MnO 2 was enhanced in the presence of low-concentration humic acid (1-10 mg L -1 ). The variation in the absorption of humic molecules at 275 nm supported possible covalent binding between humic molecules and triclosan in the nano-MnO 2 -mediated systems. A total of four main intermediate products were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), regardless of humic molecules present in the systems or not. These products correspond to a suite of radical intercoupling reactions (dimers and trimers), ether cleavage (2,4-dichlorophenol), and oxidation to quinone-like products, triggered by electron transfer from triclosan molecules to nano-MnO 2 . A possible reaction pathway in humic acid solutions, including homo-coupling, decomposition, oxidation, and cross-coupling, was proposed. Our findings provide valuable information regarding the environmental fate and transformation mechanism of triclosan by nano-MnO 2 in complex water matrices.

  14. Effects of standard humic materials on relative bioavailability of NDL-PCBs in juvenile swine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthieu Delannoy

    Full Text Available Young children with their hand-to-mouth activity may be exposed to contaminated soils. However few studies assessing exposure of organic compounds sequestrated in soil were realized. The present study explores the impact of different organic matters on retention of NDL-PCBs during digestive processes using commercial humic substances in a close digestive model of children: the piglet. Six artificial soils were used. One standard soil, devoid of organic matter, and five amended versions of this standard soil with either fulvic acid, humic acid, Sphagnum peat, activated carbon or a mix of Sphagnum peat and activated carbon (95∶5 (SPAC were prepared. In order to compare the different treatments, we use spiked oil and negative control animals. Forty male piglets were randomly distributed in 7 contaminated and one control groups (n = 5 for each group. During 10 days, the piglets were fed artificial soil or a corn oil spiked with 19,200 ng of Aroclor 1254 per g of dry matter (6,000 ng.g⁻¹ of NDL-PCBs to achieve an exposure dose of 1,200 ng NDL-PCBs.Kg⁻¹ of body weight per day. NDL-PCBs in adipose tissue were analyzed by GC-MS. Fulvic acid reduced slightly the bioavailability of NDL-PCBs compared to oil. Humic acid and Sphagnum peat reduced it significantly higher whereas activated carbon reduced the most. Piglets exposed to soil containing both activated carbon and Shagnum peat exhibited a lower reduction than soil with only activated carbon. Therefore, treatment groups are ordered by decreasing value of relative bioavailability as following: oil ≥ fulvic acid>Sphagnum peat ≥ Sphagnum peat and activated carbon ≥ Humic acid>>activated carbon. This suggests competition between Sphagnum peat and activated carbon. The present study highlights that quality of organic matter does have a significant effect on bioavailability of sequestrated organic compounds.

  15. Diffusion in crystalline rocks of some sorbing and nonsorbing species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skagius, K.; Neretnieks, I.

    1983-01-01

    Laboratory experiments to determine the sorption and the rate of diffusion of cesium and strontium in pieces of granite have been performed. The effective diffusivity, D sub (p) x E sub (p) was found to be 1 - 2 x 10 - 12 m 2 /s for both cesium and strontium. The diffusion of non-sorbing species in granites and other rock materials have been studied in laboratory scale. The non-sorbing species were iodide, tritiated water, Cr-EDTA and Uranine. In granites the effective diffusivities were determined to be 0.7-1.3 x 10 - 13 m 2 /s for iodide and 1.3 - 1.8 x 10 - 13 m 2 /s for tritiated water. Electrical resistivity measurements in salt water saturated rock cores have been performed. The resistivity is measured in the saturated core and in the salt solution with which the core has been saturated. The ratio between these two resistivities has a direct relation to the ratio of the effective diffusivity for a component in the rock material and the diffusivity in free water for the same component. The results from the electrical resistivity measurements and the experiments with diffusion of non-sorbing species are in fair agreement. The effective diffusivity for cesium and strontium (sorbing species) are, however, more than ten times higher than expected from the results of diffusion of non-sorbing species and the electrical resistivity measurements. This is interpreted as an effect of surface diffusion. (Authors)

  16. Interaction of Eu, Th and U with bentonite colloids in presence of humic acid: a flow-field flow fractionation study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouby, M.; Geckeis, H.; Schaefer, Th. [Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany); Mihai, S. [Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)]|[Politehnica University, Faculty of Industrial Chemistry, Calea Grivitei 132, Bucharest 78122 (Romania); Fanghaenell, Th. [Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Postfach 3640, D-76021 Karlsruhe (Germany)]|[Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, D- 69120 Heidelberg (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: The actinide mobility in the far-field of a repository site can be strongly influenced by the presence of colloidal species. Field migration experiments at the Grimsel Test Site under low ionic strength (I=10{sup -3} mol/L) and high pH ({approx}9.6) conditions have demonstrated a considerable clay colloid-mediated actinide(III/IV) migration [1]. However, those studies rendered it necessary to take the kinetics of notably the actinide-colloid interaction and colloid stability into account [2]. In the present study, we examine the stability of bentonite clay colloids in natural Grimsel groundwater and their interaction with Cs(I), Eu(III), Th(IV) and U(VI) (conc. {approx} 10{sup -8} mol/L). Experiments cover 12 months contact times and are performed under anoxic conditions. Humic acid (Gohy-573) is added after different contact times as a competing ligand and the time dependent metal ion desorption is followed. Dedicated experiments and thermodynamic speciation calculations are performed to estimate the metal ion speciation within the colloid system. As the experimental metal ion speciation (i.e. differentiation of clay-colloid bound, humic colloid bound and dissolved metal ion species) at the given low concentration conditions is hardly possible by spectroscopic methods, we use Asymmetric Flow-Field Flow Fractionation coupled to UV-Vis spectrophotometry and ICP-MS detection. Unexpectedly, it is found that small-sized bentonite colloids (< 50 nm) not visible by light scattering (PCS) analysis agglomerate and finally reach a steady-state colloid size distribution (50-200 nm) after {approx} 3 months. As estimated from known thermodynamic data and experimentally determined K{sub d}-values, Cs and U do not interact significantly with bentonite colloids, while Th and Eu do. Eu desorption from clay colloids by humic acid is delayed significantly upon increasing the clay colloid-Eu contact time up to several months. Nevertheless, estimated

  17. Phosphorus in chronosequence of burnt sugar cane in Brazilian cerrado: humic acid analysis by {sup 31}P NMR; Fosforo em cronossequencia de cana-de-acucar queimada no cerrado goiano: analise de acidos humicos por RMN de {sup 31}P

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rossi, Celeste Q.; Pereira, Marcos G.; Garcia, Andreas C., E-mail: mgervasiopereira@gmail.com [Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropedica, RJ (Brazil). Dept. de Solos; Perin, Adriano; Gazolla, Paulo R. [Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia Goiano, Rio Verde, GO (Brazil); Gonzalez, Antonio P. [Universidade de Coruna, ES (Spain). Faculdad de Ciencias

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to identify, with the use of {sup 31}P NMR spectroscopy, organic P species in humic acids (HA) in samples from Oxisol cultivated in chronosequence with sugar cane, pasture and Cerrado. The main forms of P-type found were orthophosphate, monoester-P (phosphate sugars) and P-diester (orthophosphate). The {sup 31}P NMR technique proved capable of identifying changes in the areas studied as a function of sugar cane burning time. In areas with 1 and 5 years of burnt cane, a decrease in recalcitrant organic P in humic acids indicated the need for use of P-humic substances for plant nutrition (author)

  18. Labelling of natural humic substances with {sup 14}C and their use in adsorption studies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mansel, A.; Kupsch, H. [Institut fuer Interdisziplinaere Isotopenforschung, Permoserstr. 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany)

    2005-07-01

    Full text of publication follows: The reactive carbon compounds (humic substances, HS) of the dissolved organic matter (DOC) dominate the spreading of inorganic and organic pollutants in the bio-geosphere. The classical analytical methods such as TOC-detection and UV-spectroscopy are of limited use in the lower concentration range (< 1 mg/l), usually found in environmental samples. Based on our promising results of the HS radiolabelling with [{sup 14}C]phenyl-diazonium ions, we applied these radiolabelled substances first time to sorption studies under conditions, usually found in subterranean waste repositories. The natural HS (humic acid HA, fulvic acid FA) were purified by the IHSS-procedure. Aldrich-HA (AHA), Gorleben-HA (GoHy-573), an aquatic HA (HS3), a terrestrial HA (HS4), a lignite HA (HAL), an aquatic FA (FS3) and Gorleben-FA (GoHy-573) were used for our investigations. A synthetic HA (M42) was provided by the Forschungszentrum Rossendorf / Germany [1]. The radiolabelled HS were contacted in aqueous solution with a sandy soil (pH 5.0), granite (pH 6.0), diabase (pH 8.0) and kaolinite (pH 4.7) in batch experiments under conditions near to nature. Adsorption isotherms of various radiolabelled humic acids were determined depending on geo-material, pH, HS concentration, contact time and heavy metal content. The behaviour of the radiolabelled HS was not influenced by the labelling procedure as demonstrated by the adsorption experiments. With the use of radiolabelled humic substances a concentration range below mg/l can be studied. [1] Determination and Comparison of Uranyl Complexation Constants with Natural and Model Humic Acids. S. Pompe, A. Brachmann, M. Bubner, G. Geipel, K. H. Heise, G. Bernhard and H. Nitsche Radiochim. Acta 82, 89 (1998). (authors)

  19. Substantial Humic Acid Adsorption to Activated Carbon Air Cathodes Produces a Small Reduction in Catalytic Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wulin; Watson, Valerie J; Logan, Bruce E

    2016-08-16

    Long-term operation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can result in substantial degradation of activated carbon (AC) air-cathode performance. To examine a possible role in fouling from organic matter in water, cathodes were exposed to high concentrations of humic acids (HA). Cathodes treated with 100 mg L(-1) HA exhibited no significant change in performance. Exposure to 1000 mg L(-1) HA decreased the maximum power density by 14% (from 1310 ± 30 mW m(-2) to 1130 ± 30 mW m(-2)). Pore blocking was the main mechanism as the total surface area of the AC decreased by 12%. Minimization of external mass transfer resistances using a rotating disk electrode exhibited only a 5% reduction in current, indicating about half the impact of HA adsorption was associated with external mass transfer resistance and the remainder was due to internal resistances. Rinsing the cathodes with deionized water did not restore cathode performance. These results demonstrated that HA could contribute to cathode fouling, but the extent of power reduction was relatively small in comparison to large mass of humics adsorbed. Other factors, such as biopolymer attachment, or salt precipitation, are therefore likely more important contributors to long-term fouling of MFC cathodes.

  20. Hydrothermal Alteration Promotes Humic Acid Formation in Sediments: A Case Study of the Central Indian Ocean Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarma, Nittala S.; Kiran, Rayaprolu; Rama Reddy, M.; Iyer, Sridhar D.; Peketi, A.; Borole, D. V.; Krishna, M. S.

    2018-01-01

    Anomalously high concentrations of humic-rich dissolved organic matter (DOM) in extant submarine hydrothermal vent plumes traveled far from source are increasingly being reported. This DOM, able to mobilize trace metals (e.g., Fe2+) has been hypothesized as originating from organic matter produced by thermogenic bacteria. To eliminate a possible abiogenic origin of this DOM, study is required of well-preserved organic compounds that can be attributed to thermogenic bacteria. The Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) is part of a diffuse plate boundary and an intraplate deformation zone. Coarse fraction (>63 µ) characteristics, mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility, and geochemistry were examined in sediments of a core raised close to a north-south fracture zone near the Equator. Two horizons of distinctly brown-colored sediments were shown as hydrothermally altered from their charred fragments and geochemistry (CaCO3, Corg, Ti/Al, Al/(Al + Fe + Mn), Sr/Ba, Mg/Li, Mn micronodules, Fe/Mn). We examined whether humic substances were preserved in these sediments, and if so whether their carbon isotope distribution would support their hydrothermal origin. Alkali extraction of sediments afforded humic acids (HA) in yields up to 1.2% in the brown sediments. The remaining portions of the core had nil or low concentrations of HA. The carbon of hydrothermal HA is isotopically heavier (average δ13C, ˜ -16.3‰) compared to nonhydrothermal HA (-18.1‰), suggesting that they were probably formed from organic matter that remained after elimination of lighter carbon enriched functional groups during diagenesis. The results provide compelling evidence of HA formation from lipids originating from thermogenic bacteria.

  1. Improving Lowland Rice (O. sativa L. cv. MR219 Plant Growth Variables, Nutrients Uptake, and Nutrients Recovery Using Crude Humic Substances

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Perumal Palanivell

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available High cation exchange capacity and organic matter content of crude humic substances from compost could be exploited to reduce ammonia loss from urea and to as well improve rice growth and soil chemical properties for efficient nutrients utilization in lowland rice cultivation. Close-dynamic air flow system was used to determine the effects of crude humic substances on ammonia volatilization. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of crude humic substances on rice plant growth, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties using an acid soil mixed with three rates of crude humic substances (20, 40, and 60 g pot−1. Standard procedures were used to evaluate rice plant dry matter production, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties. Application of crude humic substances increased ammonia volatilization. However, the lowest rate of crude humic substances (20 g pot−1 significantly improved total dry matter, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil nutrients availability compared with crude humic substances (40 and 60 g pot−1 and the normal fertilization. Apart from improving growth of rice plants, crude humic substances can be used to ameliorate acid soils in rice cultivation. The findings of this study are being validated in our ongoing field trials.

  2. Improving Lowland Rice (O. sativa L. cv. MR219) Plant Growth Variables, Nutrients Uptake, and Nutrients Recovery Using Crude Humic Substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palanivell, Perumal; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Ab Majid, Nik Muhamad; Jalloh, Mohamadu Boyie; Susilawati, Kasim

    2015-01-01

    High cation exchange capacity and organic matter content of crude humic substances from compost could be exploited to reduce ammonia loss from urea and to as well improve rice growth and soil chemical properties for efficient nutrients utilization in lowland rice cultivation. Close-dynamic air flow system was used to determine the effects of crude humic substances on ammonia volatilization. A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of crude humic substances on rice plant growth, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties using an acid soil mixed with three rates of crude humic substances (20, 40, and 60 g pot(-1)). Standard procedures were used to evaluate rice plant dry matter production, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil chemical properties. Application of crude humic substances increased ammonia volatilization. However, the lowest rate of crude humic substances (20 g pot(-1)) significantly improved total dry matter, nutrients uptake, nutrients recovery, and soil nutrients availability compared with crude humic substances (40 and 60 g pot(-1)) and the normal fertilization. Apart from improving growth of rice plants, crude humic substances can be used to ameliorate acid soils in rice cultivation. The findings of this study are being validated in our ongoing field trials.

  3. Three-dimensional fluorescence analysis of chernozem humic acids and their electrophoretic fractions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trubetskoi, O. A.; Trubetskaya, O. E.

    2017-09-01

    Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC-PAGE) has been used to obtain stable electrophoretic fractions of different molecular size (MS) from chernozem humic acids (HAs). Three-dimensional fluorescence charts of chernozem HAs and their fractions have been obtained for the first time, and all fluorescence excitation-emission maxima have been identified in the excitation wavelength range of 250-500 nm. It has been found that fractionation by the SEC-PAGE method results in a nonuniform distribution of protein- and humin-like fluorescence of the original HA preparation among the electrophoretic fractions. The electrophoretic fractions of the highest and medium MSs have only the main protein-like fluorescence maximum and traces of humin-like fluorescence. In the electrophoretic fraction of the lowest MS, the intensity of protein-like fluorescence is low, but the major part of humin-like fluorescence is localized there. Relationships between the intensity of protein-like fluorescence and the weight distribution of amino acids have been revealed, as well as between the degree of aromaticity and the intensity of humin-like fluorescence in electrophoretic fractions of different MSs. The obtained relationships can be useful in the interpretation of the spatial structural organization and ecological functions of soil HAs.

  4. Sorption of selected organic compounds from water to a peat soil and its humic-acid and humin fractions: Potential sources of the sorption nonlinearity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiou, C.T.; Kile, D.E.; Rutherford, D.W.; Sheng, G.; Boyd, S.A.

    2000-01-01

    The sorption isotherms of ethylene dibromide (EDB), diuron (DUN), and 3,5-dichlorophenol (DCP) from water on the humic acid and humin fractions of a peat soil and on the humic-acid of a muck soil have been measured. The data were compared with those of the solutes with the whole peat from which the humic-acid (HA) and humin (HM) fractions were derived and on which the sorption of the solutes exhibited varying extents of nonlinear capacities at low relative concentrations (C(e)/S(w)). The HA fraction as prepared by the density-fractionated method is relatively pure and presumably free of high- surface-area carbonaceous material (HSACM) that is considered to be responsible for the observed nonlinear sorption for nonpolar solutes (e.g., EDB) on the peat; conversely, the base-insoluble HM fraction as prepared is presumed to be enriched with HSACM, as manifested by the greatly higher BET- (N2) surface area than that of the whole peat. The sorption of EDB on HA exhibits no visible nonlinear effect, whereas the sorption on HM shows an enhanced nonlinearity over that on the whole peat. The sorption of polar DUN and DCP on HA and HM display nonlinear effects comparable with those on the whole peat; the effects are much more significant than those with nonpolar EDB. These results conform to the hypothesis that adsorption onto a small amount of strongly adsorbing HSACM is largely responsible for the nonlinear sorption of nonpolar solutes on soils and that additional specific interactions with the active groups of soil organic matter are responsible for the generally higher nonlinear sorption of the polar solutes.

  5. Effects of plant species identity, diversity and soil fertility on biodegradation of phenanthrene in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oyelami, Ayodeji O; Okere, Uchechukwu V; Orwin, Kate H; De Deyn, Gerlinde B; Jones, Kevin C [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom); Semple, Kirk T., E-mail: k.semple@lancaster.ac.uk [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom)

    2013-02-15

    The work presented in this paper investigated the effects of plant species composition, species diversity and soil fertility on biodegradation of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene in soil. The two soils used were of contrasting fertility, taken from long term unfertilised and fertilised grassland, showing differences in total nitrogen content (%N). Plant communities consisted of six different plant species: two grasses, two forbs, and two legume species, and ranged in species richness from 1 to 6. The degradation of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene was evaluated by measuring indigenous catabolic activity following the addition of the contaminant to soil using respirometry. Soil fertility was a driving factor in all aspects of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene degradation; lag phase, maximum rates and total extents of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene mineralisation were higher in improved soils compared to unimproved soils. Plant identity had a significant effect on the lag phase and extents of mineralisation. Soil fertility was the major influence also on abundance of microbial communities. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two grassland soils of contrasting fertility showing differences in total nitrogen content (%N) were used in this study. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The effects of individual plant species and plant diversity on mineralisation of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene in soil were investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Soil fertility was the major influence on mineralisation of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene, and abundance of microbial community. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The presence of a specific plant plays a role in the extent of mineralisation of phenanthrene in soil. - Soil management was the main driver for the mineralisation of {sup 14}C-phenanthrene in soil.

  6. Effect of PVP on the characteristic of modified membranes made from waste PET bottles for humic acid removal [version 2; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nasrul Arahman

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of using recycled polymer (waste polyethylene terephthalate [PET] bottles as a membrane material. Furthermore, the effect of the addition of a pore-forming agent and preparation conditions was also observed. Methods: Porous polymeric membranes were prepared via thermally induced phase separation by dissolving recycled PET in phenol. PET polymer was obtained from waste plastic bottles as a new source of polymeric material. For original PET membrane, the casting solution was prepared by dissolving of 20wt% PET in phenol solution. For PET modified membrane, a 5 wt% of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP was added into polymer solution. The solution was cast onto a glass plate at room temperature followed by evaporation before the solidification process. The membranes formed were characterized in terms of morphology, chemical group, and filtration performance. A humic acid solution was used to identify the permeability and the solute rejection of the membranes. Results: The results showed that the recycled PET from waste plastic bottles was applicable to use as a membrane material for a water treatment process. The maximum flux of 97.0 l/m2.hr was obtained from filtration test using PET membrane. The highest rejection of humic acid in a water sample, which reached up to 75.92%, was obtained using the PET/PVP membrane. Conclusions: The recycled PET from waste bottles was successfully used to prepare porous membrane. The membrane was modified by the addition of PVP as a membrane modifying agent. SEM analysis confirmed that the original PET membrane has a rough and large pore structure. The addition of PVP improved the pore density with a narrow pore structure. The PET/PVP membrane conditioned with evaporation was the best in humic acid rejection.

  7. Direct measurement of the fluorescence characteristics of aquatic humic substances by a three-dimensional fluorescence spectrophotometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagao, Seiya; Senoo, Muneaki; Suzuki, Yasuhiro; Nakaguchi, Yuzuru; Hiraki, Keizo.

    1997-01-01

    Humic substances play an important role in the transport of trace metals and insoluble organic materials. They are also considered to be precursors of trihalomethane in aquatic environments. The direct measurement of humic substances was carried out with a three-dimensional fluorescence spectrophotometer after filtering natural-water samples through a GF/F glass fiber filter. Because the influence of the humic concentration, pH and ionic strength on the three-dimensional excitation emission matrix spectra is negligible, the proposed method can be directly applied to the characterization of humic substances in freshwater samples (humic concentration 0.5-10 mg 1 -1 , pH6-9 and ionic strength <0.04 M) and sea-water samples (ionic strength 0.75 M). Humic substances in river, lake and pore water samples exhibit 2-3 peaks at excitation 305-340 nm/emission 415-440 nm and excitation 250-270 nm/emission 440-450 nm. These peak positions correspond to those of fulvic acids isolated from soil. (author)

  8. Uptake and elimination of [9-14C]phenanthrene in the turkey wing mussel (Arca zebra)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solbakken, J.E.; Knap, A.H.; Searle, C.E.; Palmork, K.H.

    1983-01-01

    Turkey wing mussels of both sexes were collected from Harrington Sound, Bermuda and dosed after a week-long acclimation period with [9- 14 C]phenanthrene (714 MBq/mmol). They were transferred into 8 liters of seawater containing 8 μg of labelled phenanthrene. Results show that the accumulation of labelled phenanthrene in the turkey wing mussel was very low compared to that found in other species. In the hepatopancreas, the uptake of phenanthrene based on the water concentration was only 4% of the corresponding value found in the calico clam (Macrocallista maculata) inhabiting the same area. In comparison, the uptake of phenanthrene in a temperate mollusc such as the horse mussel (Modiola modiolus) was also considerably higher than in the turkey wing (approx. 4 times). It therefore seems likely that these are due to species variations rather than environmental variations between subtropical and temperate areas

  9. Effects of humic acid and heavy metals on the sorption of polar and apolar organic pollutants onto biochars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Fei; Sun, Hongwen; Ren, Xinhao; Liu, Yarui; Zhu, Hongkai; Zhang, Peng; Ren, Chao

    2017-01-01

    The effects of humic acid (HA) and heavy metals (Cu 2+ and Ag + ) on the sorption of polar and apolar organic pollutants onto biochars that were produced at temperatures of 200 °C (BC200) and 700 °C (BC700) were studied. Due to the plentiful polar functional groups on BC200, cationic propranolol exhibited higher levels of sorption than naphthalene on BC200 while naphthalene and propranolol showed similar sorption capacities on BC700. HA changed the characteristics of biochars and generally inhibited the sorption of target organic pollutants on biochars; however, enhancement occurred in some cases depending on the pollutants involved and their concentrations, biochars used and the addition sequences and concentrations of HA. On BC200, HA modifications mainly influenced sorption by decreasing its polarity and increasing its aromaticity, while on BC700, the surface area and pore volume greatly decreased due to the pore-blocking effects of HA. Residue dissolved HA in solution may also contribute to sorption inhibition. Complexation between polar functional groups on BC200 and heavy metals slightly enhanced the sorption of neutral naphthalene and significantly enhanced that of anionic 4-nitro-1-naphtol, while limited the sorption of cationic propranolol. Heavy metals together with their associated water molecules decreased the sorption of target chemicals on BC700 via pore-filling or pore-mouth-covering. Inhibition of heavy metals for 4-nitro-1-naphthol was found to be the weakest due to the bridge effects of heavy metals between 4-nitro-1-naphtol and BC700. The higher polarizability of Ag + led to the increase of its sorption on biochars in the presence of organic aromatic pollutants. The results of the present study shed light on the sorption mechanisms of bi-solute systems and enable us to select suitable biochar sorbents when chemicals co-exist. - Highlights: • Polar functional groups on low-temperature biochar enhanced propranolol sorption. • Humic acid

  10. Enumeration of phenanthrene-degrading bacteria by an overlayer technique and its use in evaluation of petroleum-contaminated sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogardt, A.H.; Hemmingsen, B.B.

    1992-01-01

    Bacteria that are capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were enumerated by incorporating soil and water dilutions together with fine particles of phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, into an agarose overlayer and pouring the mixture over a mineral salts underlayer. The phenanthrene-degrading bacteria embedded in the overlayer were recognized by a halo of clearing in the opaque phenanthrene layer. Diesel fuel- or creosote-contaminated soil and water that were undergoing bioremediation contained 6 x 10 6 to 100 x 10 6 phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per g and ca. 5 x 10 5 phenanthrene-degrading bacteria per ml, respectively, whereas samples from untreated polluted sites contained substantially lower numbers. Unpolluted soil and water contained no detectable phenanthrene degraders or only very modest numbers of these organisms

  11. Long-term colloidal stability of 10 carbon nanotube types in the absence/presence of humic acid and calcium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwyzer, Irène; Kaegi, Ralf; Sigg, Laura; Smajda, Rita; Magrez, Arnaud; Nowack, Bernd

    2012-01-01

    The colloidal stabilities of ten carbon nanotubes (CNTs) having varying physico-chemical properties were compared in long-term experiments. The presence of Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) increased the fraction of CNTs in the supernatants (4–88% for the various CNT types) after addition in pre-dispersed form and 20 days of shaking and 5 days of settling. These suspensions were monomodal, containing individually suspended CNTs with highly negative surface charges. Calcium (2 mM) removed most of the CNT types from the supernatant, due to CNT-agglomerate formation initiated by reduction in surface charge. The amount of SRHA adsorbed to the different CNT types did not correlate (r 2 < 0.1) with the percentage of CNTs remaining in suspension. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the oxygen content and the diameter of the CNTs significantly influenced the percentage of stabilized CNTs, resulting in an increased fraction of functionalized and large-diameter CNTs that remained in suspension. Highlights: ► Ten different CNT types with varying physico-chemical properties were used. ► The presence of SRHA increased the fraction of CNTs in the supernatants for all CNT-types. ► The O-content and diameter of the CNTs influenced the percentage of CNTs stabilized. ► Functionalization and large diameter made CNTs resistant against Ca flocculation. - The long-term colloidal stability of 10 different CNT types in the presence of humic acid was dependent on oxygen content and diameter of the CNTs.

  12. Organic Matter Stocks and the Interactions of Humic Substances with Metals in Araucaria Moist Forest Soil with Humic and Histic Horizons

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Hanke

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Soils with humic and histic horizons in tropical and subtropical ecosystems play an important role in determining the atmospheric C stock and its stabilization, climate regulation, water holding capacity, and environmental filtering, due to the different functions of soil organic matter (SOM. However, the processes and mechanisms that regulate SOM dynamics in these soils are not clear. The objectives of this study were: i determine the C and N stocks and ii investigate the SOM chemical fractions and their interactions with Fe and Al ions in soils with humic and histic horizons of a toposequence under Araucaria moist forest in southern Brazil. The soils sampled were classified as Humic Hapludox (top - not hydromorphic, Fluvaquentic Humaquepts (lower third - hydromorphic, and Typic Haplosaprists (floodplain - hydromorphic. The C and N contents were determined in bulk soil samples and SOM chemical fractions; in these fractions, Fe and Al co-extracted contents were also determined. The chemical composition of humin and humic acid fractions was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. The C content in the toposequence increased from the top to the lowest position. The differences observed in SOM content and SOM chemical composition were defined by the differences in soil water regime. The amount of C stored in the subsurface horizons is about 70 % of total organic C. The carbohydrate-like structures in the humin fraction were protected from solubilization through interaction with iron oxides, which may represent an important mechanism for labile organic compound preservation in these soils. The soluble humic substances showed the highest Fe and Al contents, and their compartments have different affinities for Fe and Al.

  13. Criterious Preparation and Characterization of Earthworm-composts in View of Animal Waste Recycling: Part II. A Synergistic Utilization of EPR and 1H NMR Spectroscopies on the Characterization of Humic Acids from Vermicomposts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guimarães Elisete

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Humic acids (HA extracted from sheep (SHHA, cow (COHA, goat (GOHA and rabbit (RAHA vermicomposted manure were analyzed by electron paramagnetic resonance and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Carboxylic acids, amine, amide, ester, ether and phenol functions bonded to saturated aliphatic, unsaturated aliphatic conjugated double and single bonds, and aromatic chains constitute the backbone structure of these fresh humic substances (HS. Mn2+ outer sphere complexes (SHHA, COHA, Fe3+ axial (COHA, RAHA or rhombic (SHAHA, COHA, GOHA, RAHA complexes and Cu2+ as weak field (COHA, GOHA, RAHA and strong field (SHAHA, COHA, GOHA, RAHA complexes were characterized.

  14. Graphenated polyaniline-doped tungsten oxide nanocomposite sensor for real time determination of phenanthrene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tovide, Oluwakemi; Jaheed, Nazeem; Mohamed, Nurali; Nxusani, Ezo; Sunday, Christopher E.; Tsegaye, Abebaw; Ajayi, Rachel F.; Njomo, Njagi; Makelane, Hlamulo; Bilibana, Mawethu; Baker, Priscilla G.; Williams, Avril; Vilakazi, Sibulelo; Tshikhudo, Robert; Iwuoha, Emmanuel I.

    2014-01-01

    A graphenated polyaniline/tungsten oxide (PANI/WO 3 /GR) nanocomposite sensor was prepared by electropolymerisation of a mixture of aniline monomer and tungsten oxide on a graphene-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The PANI/WO 3 /GR/GCE nanocomposite electrode was tested as a sensor for the determination of phenanthrene. The direct electro-oxidation behaviour of phenanthrene on the PANI/WO 3 /GR modified GCE was carefully investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results indicated that the PANI/WO 3 /GR/GCE sensor was more sensitive to phenanthrene (with a dynamic linear range of 1.0 - 6.0 pM and a detection limit of 0.123 pM.) than GCE, PANI/GCE or PANI/WO 3 /GCE. The sensor exhibited excellent reproducibility and long-term stability. The sensor exhibits lower detection sensitivity than the WHO permissible level of 1.12 nM phenanthrene in wastewater

  15. CriticalSorb: a novel efficient nasal delivery system for human growth hormone based on Solutol HS15.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Illum, Lisbeth; Jordan, Faron; Lewis, Andrew L

    2012-08-20

    The absorption enhancing efficiency of CriticalSorb for human growth hormone (MW 22 kDa) was investigated in the conscious rat model. The principle absorption enhancing component of CriticalSorb, Solutol HS15, comprises polyglycol mono- and di-esters of 12-hydroxystearic acid combined with free polyethylene glycol. When administering hGH nasally in rats with increasing concentrations of Solutol HS15, it was found that for a 10%w/v solution formulation a bioavailability of 49% was obtained in the first 2h after administration. Furthermore it was shown that the most effective ratio of Solutol HS15 to hGH was 4:1 on a mg to mg basis. Histopathology studies in rats after 5 days repeated nasal administration showed that Solutol HS15 had no toxic effect on the nasal mucosa. These results have been confirmed in a 6 month repeat nasal toxicity study in rats. It can be concluded that the principle absorption enhancing component of CriticalSorb - Solutol HS15 - is a potent and non- toxic nasal absorption enhancer that warrants further development. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Isolation and Characterization of Phenanthrene Degrading Bacteria from Diesel Fuel-Contaminated Antarctic Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro Gran-Scheuch

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Antarctica is an attractive target for human exploration and scientific investigation, however the negative effects of human activity on this continent are long lasting and can have serious consequences on the native ecosystem. Various areas of Antarctica have been contaminated with diesel fuel, which contains harmful compounds such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH. Bioremediation of PAHs by the activity of microorganisms is an ecological, economical, and safe decontamination approach. Since the introduction of foreign organisms into the Antarctica is prohibited, it is key to discover native bacteria that can be used for diesel bioremediation. By following the degradation of the PAH phenanthrene, we isolated 53 PAH metabolizing bacteria from diesel contaminated Antarctic soil samples, with three of these isolates exhibiting a high phenanthrene degrading capacity. In particular, the Sphingobium xenophagum D43FB isolate showed the highest phenanthrene degradation ability, generating up to 95% degradation of initial phenanthrene. D43FB can also degrade phenanthrene in the presence of its usual co-pollutant, the heavy metal cadmium, and showed the ability to grow using diesel-fuel as a sole carbon source. Microtiter plate assays and SEM analysis revealed that S. xenophagum D43FB exhibits the ability to form biofilms and can directly adhere to phenanthrene crystals. Genome sequencing analysis also revealed the presence of several genes involved in PAH degradation and heavy metal resistance in the D43FB genome. Altogether, these results demonstrate that S. xenophagum D43FB shows promising potential for its application in the bioremediation of diesel fuel contaminated-Antarctic ecosystems.

  17. Use of the ion exchange method for the determination of stability constants of trivalent metal complexes with humic and fulvic acids II. Tb3+, Yb3+ and Gd3+ complexes in weakly alkaline conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong Wenming; Li Weijuan; Tao Zuyi

    2002-01-01

    The conditional stability constants for tracer concentrations of Tb(III), Yb(III), and Gd(III) with three soil humic acids, three soil fulvic acids and a fulvic acid from weathered coal were determined at pH 9.0-9.1 (these values are similar to those in calcareous soils) in the presence of NaHCO 3 by using the anion exchange method. It was found that 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes were simultaneously formed in the weakly alkaline conditions. The conditional stability constants of these 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes were calculated from the distribution coefficients of rare earth elements at various concentrations of humate or fulvate. The stability constants indicate the very high stability of trivalent Tb 3+ , Yb 3+ and Gd 3+ complexes with humic substances in weakly alkaline conditions. The key parameters necessary for the experimental determination of the conditional stability constants of metal ions with humic substances in the presence of NaHCO 3 by using an anion exchange method were discussed. The conditional stability constants of these 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes were compared in this paper. It was found that stabilities of Tb 3+ 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes with humic acid are greater than the corresponding ones with fulvic acid from the same soil. In addition, the effect of the presence of Ca 2+ as a competitor on the stabilities of 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 complexes of Yb was examined and no pronounced change of stabilities of 1 : 1 complex was found, even though Ca 2+ is in a 10 3 excess to Yb 3+

  18. Effects of humic substances on the migration of radionuclides: Complexation of actinides with humic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, J.I.; Rhee, D.S.; Wimmer, H.; Buckau, G.; Klenze, R.; Decambox, P.; Moulin, C.; Moulin, V.; Tits, J.; Marquardt, C.; Herrmann, G.; Trautmann, N.; Dierckx, A.; Vancluysen, J.; Maes, A.

    1992-09-01

    The aim of the present research programme is to study the complexation behaviour of actinide ions with humic substances in natural aquifer systems and hence to quantify the effect of humic substances on the actinide migration. Aquatic humic substances commonly found in all groundwaters in different concentrations have a strong tendency towards complexation with actinide ions. This is one of the major geochemical reactions but hitherto least quantified. Therefore, the effect of humic substances on the actinide migration is poorly understood. In the present research programme the complexation of actinide ions with humic substances will be described thermodynamically. This description will be based on a model being as simple as possible to allow an easy introduction of the resulting constants into geochemical modelling of the actinide migration. (orig.)

  19. ORGANIC MATTER AND HUMIC FRACTIONS OF A HAPLIC ACRISOL AS AFFECTED BY COMPOSTED PIG SLURRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Cristina Lüdtke

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of composted pig slurry (PS on the organic matter concentration and distribution of humic acid (HA, fulvic acid (FA and humin (HU fractions. The fractions were quantified following the addition of composted PS to the soil, which was produced with no acidification (T2 or with acidification with H3PO4 (T3; and in soil without compost addition (T1. The HA chemical composition was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. The addition of the two composts did not change the soil carbon concentration but affected the distribution of the humic fractions. For the three treatments, the carbon concentration of humic substances increased until 52 days following compost addition, with more pronounced increases with the addition of non-acidified PS compost (14.5 g kg-1 and acidified PS compost (15.1 g kg-1. This increase was reflected in both the FA and HA concentrations. The addition of compost with PS acidification resulted in the formation of larger humic micelles (HA with higher aromatic content and fewer functional groups than the non-acidified PS compost. These findings, together with a lower proportion of carbohydrate-type structures, indicated the presence of more stable humic micelles in the soil treated with acidified PS compost.

  20. Ingested soil: Bioavailability of sorbed lead, cadmium, cesium, iodine, and mercury

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheppard, S.C.; Evenden, W.G.; Schwartz, W.J.

    1994-01-01

    Ingestion of soil, inadvertent or otherwise, is an important route of exposure for contaminants that are not geochemically or biologically mobile. There is little known about the bioavailability of these contaminants, especially when the contaminants are sorbed onto native soil particles. We investigated this with in vitro acid-extraction and enzymolysis experiments and with in vivo single and chronic exposure studies with mice (Mus musculus). The only anion studied was 125 I, and soil in the diet had no effect on the carcass 125 I content. The bioavailability of the cations tested decreased in the order of 134 Cs > 203 Hg > 115 Cd = 210 Pb, and the effect of soil in the diet on concentrations in the carcass decreased in the same order. Soil in the diet significantly decreased the bioavailability of 134 Cs, by more than fourfold, whereas the effect on 210 Pb was only ∼ 1.1-fold and was not significant. The results of the in vitro digestions ordered the elements in the same way as observed in the in vivo analyses. These results indicate that for contaminants that are not very mobile and are sorbed onto native soil particles, the presence of soil in the diet does not markedly affect bioavailability in the gut. (author)

  1. A mechanistic study on the phototoxicity of atorvastatin: singlet oxygen generation by a phenanthrene-like photoproduct.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanaro, Sara; Lhiaubet-Vallet, Virginie; Iesce, MariaRosaria Iesce; Previtera, Lucio; Miranda, Miguel Angel

    2009-01-01

    Atorvastatin calcium (ATV) is one of the most frequently prescribed drugs worldwide. Among the adverse effects observed for this lipid-lowering agent, clinical cases of cutaneous adverse reactions have been reported and associated with photosensitivity disorders. Previous work dealing with ATV photochemistry has shown that exposure to natural sunlight in aqueous solution leads to photoproducts resulting from oxidation of the pyrrole ring and from cyclization to a phenanthrene derivative. Laser flash photolysis of ATV, at both 266 and 308 nm, led to a transient spectrum with two maxima at lambda= 360 and lambda= 580 nm (tau= 41 micro), which was assigned to the primary intermediate of the stilbene-like photocyclization. On the basis of the absence of a triplet-triplet absorption, the role of the parent drug as singlet oxygen photosensitizer can be discarded. By contrast, a stable phenanthrene-like photoproduct would be a good candidate to play this role. Laser flash photolysis of this compound showed a triplet-triplet transient absorption at lambdamax = 460 nm with a lifetime of 26 micro, which was efficiently quenched by oxygen (kq = 3 (+/-0.2) x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1)). Its potential to photosensitize formation of singlet oxygen was confirmed by spin trapping experiments, through conversion of TEMP to the stable free radical TEMPO. The photoreactivity of the phenanthrene-like photoproduct was investigated using Trp as a marker. The disappearance of the amino acid fluorescence (lambdamax = 340 nm) after increasing irradiation times at 355 nm was taken as a measurement of photodynamic oxidation. To confirm the involvement of a type II mechanism, the same experiment was also performed in D2O; this resulted in a significant enhancement of the reaction rate. On the basis of the obtained photophysical and photochemical results, the phototoxicity of atorvastatin can be attributed to singlet oxygen formation with the phenanthrene-like photoproduct as a photosensitizer.

  2. Consequence of chitosan treating on the adsorption of humic acid by granular activated carbon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maghsoodloo, Sh; Noroozi, B; Haghi, A K; Sorial, G A

    2011-07-15

    In this work, equilibrium and kinetic adsorption of humic acid (HA) onto chitosan treated granular activated carbon (MGAC) has been investigated and compared to the granular activated carbon (GAC). The adsorption equilibrium data showed that adsorption behaviour of HA could be described reasonably well by Langmuir adsorption isotherm for GAC and Freundlich adsorption isotherm for MGAC. It was shown that pre-adsorption of chitosan onto the surface of GAC improved the adsorption capacity of HA changing the predominant adsorption mechanism. Monolayer capacities for the adsorption of HA onto GAC and MGAC were calculated 55.8 mg/g and 71.4 mg/g, respectively. Kinetic studies showed that film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion were simultaneously operating during the adsorption process for MGAC. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. 13C-NMR chemical shift databases as a quick tool to evaluate structural models of humic substances

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nyrop Albers, Christian; Hansen, Poul Erik

    2010-01-01

    Models for humic and fulvic acids are discussed based on 13C liquid state NMR spectra combined with results from elemental analysis and titration studies. The analysis of NMR spectra is based on a full reconstruction of the NMR spectrum done with help of 13C-NMR data bases by adding up chemical...... side missing structural elements in the models can be suggested. A number of proposed structures for humic and fulvic acids are discussed based on the above analysis....

  4. Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on toxicity, bioaccumulation, and environmental fate of phenanthrene in fresh water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yini; Huang, Anna; Cao, Siqi; Sun, Feifei; Wang, Lianhong; Guo, Hongyan; Ji, Rong

    2016-12-01

    Contamination of fine plastic particles (FPs), including micrometer to millimeter plastics (MPs) and nanometer plastics (NPs), in the environment has caught great concerns. FPs are strong adsorbents for hydrophobic toxic pollutants and may affect their fate and toxicity in the environment; however, such information is still rare. We studied joint toxicity of FPs with phenanthrene to Daphnia magna and effects of FPs on the environmental fate and bioaccumulation of 14 C-phenanthrene in fresh water. Within the five sizes particles we tested (from 50 nm to 10 μm), 50-nm NPs showed significant toxicity and physical damage to D. magna. The joint toxicity of 50-nm NPs and phenanthrene to D. magna showed an additive effect. During a 14-days incubation, the presence of NPs significantly enhanced bioaccumulation of phenanthrene-derived residues in daphnid body and inhibited the dissipation and transformation of phenanthrene in the medium, while 10-μm MPs did not show significant effects on the bioaccumulation, dissipation, and transformation of phenanthrene. The differences may be attributed to higher adsorption of phenanthrene on 50-nm NPs than 10-μm MPs. Our findings underlined the high potential ecological risks of FPs, and suggested that NPs should be given more concerns, in terms of their interaction with hydrophobic pollutants in the environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Transport and Retention of TiO2 Rutile Nanoparticles in Saturated Porous Media: Influence of Solution pH, Ionic Strength, and the Presence of Humic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    The influence of solution pH, ionic strength, and varying concentrations of the Suwannee River Humic Acid (SRHA) on the transport of titanium dioxide (TiO2, rutile) nanoparticle aggregates (nTiO2) in saturated porous media was investigated through systematically examining the tra...

  6. Degradation of Phenanthrene by a chilean white rot fungus Anthracophyllum discolor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acevedo, F.; Cuevas, R.; Rubilar, O.; Tortella, G.; Diez, M. C.

    2009-01-01

    Anthracophyllum discolor, a white rot fungus of southern Chile, has been an efficient degrader of clorophenols and azo dyes. This fungus produces ligninolytic enzymes being manganese peroxidase (Mn)) the major one produced. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of phenanthrene concentration of ligninolytic activity of A. Discolor measured by poly R-478 decolorazation, and to evaluate the potential of this fungus for degrading phenanthrene in liquid media. (Author)

  7. Degradation of Phenanthrene by a chilean white rot fungus Anthracophyllum discolor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Acevedo, F.; Cuevas, R.; Rubilar, O.; Tortella, G.; Diez, M. C.

    2009-07-01

    Anthracophyllum discolor, a white rot fungus of southern Chile, has been an efficient degrader of clorophenols and azo dyes. This fungus produces ligninolytic enzymes being manganese peroxidase (Mn) the major one produced. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of phenanthrene concentration of ligninolytic activity of A. Discolor measured by poly R-478 decolorazation, and to evaluate the potential of this fungus for degrading phenanthrene in liquid media. (Author)

  8. Surfactive stabilization of multi-walled carbon nanotube dispersions with dissolved humic substances

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chappell, Mark A. [Environmental Laboratory, Engineering Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (United States)], E-mail: mark.a.chappell@usace.army.mil; George, Aaron J.; Dontsova, Katerina M.; Porter, Beth E. [SpecPro, Inc., 4815 Bradford Drive, Suite 201, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Price, Cynthia L. [Environmental Laboratory, Engineering Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (United States); Zhou Pingheng; Morikawa, Eizi [J. Bennett Johnston Sr. Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices, Louisiana State University, 6980 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 (United States); Kennedy, Alan J.; Steevens, Jeffery A. [Environmental Laboratory, Engineering Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180 (United States)

    2009-04-15

    Soil humic substances (HS) stabilize carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, a mechanism we hypothesized arose from the surfactive nature of HS. Experiments dispersing multi-walled CNT in solutions of dissolved Aldrich humic acid (HA) or water-extractable Catlin soil HS demonstrated enhanced stability at 150 and 300 mg L{sup -1} added Aldrich HA and Catlin HS, respectively, corresponding with decreased CNT mean particle diameter (MPD) and polydispersivity (PD) of 250 nm and 0.3 for Aldrich HA and 450 nm and 0.35 for Catlin HS. Analogous trends in MPD and PD were observed with addition of the surfactants Brij 35, Triton X-405, and SDS, corresponding to surfactant sorption maximum. NEXAFS characterization showed that Aldrich HA contained highly surfactive domains while Catlin soil possessed a mostly carbohydrate-based structure. This work demonstrates that the chemical structure of humic materials in natural waters is directly linked to their surfactive ability to disperse CNT released into the environment. - Suspensions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes are stabilized by relatively low concentrations of dissolved humic substances in solution through surfactive mechanisms.

  9. Surfactive stabilization of multi-walled carbon nanotube dispersions with dissolved humic substances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chappell, Mark A.; George, Aaron J.; Dontsova, Katerina M.; Porter, Beth E.; Price, Cynthia L.; Zhou Pingheng; Morikawa, Eizi; Kennedy, Alan J.; Steevens, Jeffery A.

    2009-01-01

    Soil humic substances (HS) stabilize carbon nanotube (CNT) dispersions, a mechanism we hypothesized arose from the surfactive nature of HS. Experiments dispersing multi-walled CNT in solutions of dissolved Aldrich humic acid (HA) or water-extractable Catlin soil HS demonstrated enhanced stability at 150 and 300 mg L -1 added Aldrich HA and Catlin HS, respectively, corresponding with decreased CNT mean particle diameter (MPD) and polydispersivity (PD) of 250 nm and 0.3 for Aldrich HA and 450 nm and 0.35 for Catlin HS. Analogous trends in MPD and PD were observed with addition of the surfactants Brij 35, Triton X-405, and SDS, corresponding to surfactant sorption maximum. NEXAFS characterization showed that Aldrich HA contained highly surfactive domains while Catlin soil possessed a mostly carbohydrate-based structure. This work demonstrates that the chemical structure of humic materials in natural waters is directly linked to their surfactive ability to disperse CNT released into the environment. - Suspensions of multi-walled carbon nanotubes are stabilized by relatively low concentrations of dissolved humic substances in solution through surfactive mechanisms

  10. C-11 Acid and the Stereochemistry of Abietic Acid

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    While many features, like the phenanthrene-type of fusion of the three ... thought to contain the original ring A of abietic acid, retaining the. 'nuclear methyl .... Thinking that the anhydride he had obtained by the action of heat on the C-11 acid ...

  11. Utilization of subsurface microbial electrochemical systems to elucidate the mechanisms of competition between methanogenesis and microbial iron(III)/humic acid reduction in Arctic peat soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, E. S.; Miller, K.; Lipson, D.; Angenent, L. T.

    2012-12-01

    High-latitude peat soils are a major carbon reservoir, and there is growing concern that previously dormant carbon from this reservoir could be released to the atmosphere as a result of continued climate change. Microbial processes, such as methanogenesis and carbon dioxide production via iron(III) or humic acid reduction, are at the heart of the carbon cycle in Arctic peat soils [1]. A deeper understanding of the factors governing microbial dominance in these soils is crucial for predicting the effects of continued climate change. In previous years, we have demonstrated the viability of a potentiostatically-controlled subsurface microbial electrochemical system-based biosensor that measures microbial respiration via exocellular electron transfer [2]. This system utilizes a graphite working electrode poised at 0.1 V NHE to mimic ferric iron and humic acid compounds. Microbes that would normally utilize these compounds as electron acceptors donate electrons to the electrode instead. The resulting current is a measure of microbial respiration with the electrode and is recorded with respect to time. Here, we examine the mechanistic relationship between methanogenesis and iron(III)- or humic acid-reduction by using these same microbial-three electrode systems to provide an inexhaustible source of alternate electron acceptor to microbes in these soils. Chamber-based carbon dioxide and methane fluxes were measured from soil collars with and without microbial three-electrode systems over a period of four weeks. In addition, in some collars we simulated increased fermentation by applying acetate treatments to understand possible effects of continued climate change on microbial processes in these carbon-rich soils. The results from this work aim to increase our fundamental understanding of competition between electron acceptors, and will provide valuable data for climate modeling scenarios. 1. Lipson, D.A., et al., Reduction of iron (III) and humic substances plays a major

  12. Adsorption of carbamazepine by carbon nanotubes: Effects of DOM introduction and competition with phenanthrene and bisphenol A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lerman, Ilya; Chen, Yona; Xing, Baoshan; Chefetz, Benny

    2013-01-01

    Carbon nanotubes, organic contaminants and dissolved organic matter (DOM) are co-introduced into the environment. Thus, the interactions between these components have to be evaluated to better understand their environmental behavior. In this study, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were used as sorbent, carbamazepine was the primary adsorbate, and bisphenol A and phenanthrene were used as competitors. Strong competition with bisphenol A and no effect of phenanthrene on adsorption of carbamazepine was obtained. The hydrophobic neutral fraction of the DOM exhibited the strongest reductive effect on carbamazepine adsorption, most probably due to interactions in solution. In contrast, the hydrophobic acid fraction decreased carbamazepine adsorption mainly via direct competition. When DOM and bisphenol A were co-introduced, the adsorption of carbamazepine was significantly reduced. This study suggests that the chemical nature of DOM can significantly affect the sorptive behavior of polar organic pollutants with carbon nanotubes when all are introduced to the aquatic system. Highlights: •Bisphenol A is an efficient competitor for carbamazepine. •Phenanthrene does not compete with carbamazepine. •DOM exhibited strong reductive effect on carbamazepine adsorption by SWCNTs. •HoN fraction decreased carbamazepine adsorption due to interactions in solution. •HoA fraction decreased carbamazepine adsorption via direct competition. -- In multi-component system including the main adsorbate and competitor, DOM exhibited significant effect on adsorption of contaminants by carbon nanotubes

  13. Comparing humic substance and protein compound effects on the bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances by Daphnia magna in water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Xinghui; Dai, Zhineng; Rabearisoa, Andry Harinaina; Zhao, Pujun; Jiang, Xiaoman

    2015-01-01

    The influence of humic substances and protein compounds on the bioaccumulation of six types of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Daphnia magna was compared. The humic substances included humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA), the protein compounds included chicken egg albumin (albumin) and peptone, and the PFASs included perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid, perfluoroundecanoic acid, and perfluorododecanoic acid. Four concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 20 mg L(-1)) of the four dissolved organic matter (DOM) types were investigated. At the 1 mg L(-1) level, HA and albumin enhanced all tested PFAS bioaccumulation, whereas FA and peptone only enhanced the bioaccumulation of shorter-chain PFASs (PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA). However, all four DOM types decreased all tested PFAS bioaccumulation at the 20 mg L(-1) level, and the decreasing ratios of bioaccumulation factors caused by FA, HA, albumin, and peptone were 1-49%, 23-77%, 17-58%, and 8-56%, respectively compared with those without DOM. This is because DOM not only reduced the bioavailable concentrations and uptake rates of PFASs but also lowered the elimination rates of PFASs in D. magna, and these opposite effects would change with different DOM types and concentrations. Although the partition coefficients (L kg(-1)) of PFASs between HA and water (10(4.21)-10(4.98)) were much lower than those between albumin and water (10(4.92)-10(5.86)), their effects on PFAS bioaccumulation were comparable. This study suggests that although PFASs are a type of proteinophilic compounds, humic substances also have important effects on their bioavailability and bioaccumulation in aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Iodination of the humic samples from Hupa project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reiller, P.; Mercier-Bion, F.; Barre, N.; Gimenez, N.; Miserque, F.

    2005-01-01

    mass spectrometry was also performed on Gorleben dialysed sample. As in previous studies [1], a displacement of the ESI-MS spectra towards higher masses was observed in the case of fulvic acid, but surprisingly it was not observed in the case of humic acids, whereas iodination is effective (UV-Visible, XPS). Moreover, the carbon-iodine bond seems to be broken during the ionisation as iodide ion is detected. [1] Moulin, V., et al.: Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 15, 2488 (2001). [2] Reiller, P., Moulin, V.: Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 757, 565 (2003). [3] Wolf, M., et al.: FZK-INE, Report FZKA 6969, Karlsruhe (2004) p. 111. [4] Sachs, S., et al.: FZK-INE, Report FZKA 68000, Karlsruhe (2003) p. 51. [5] Mercier, F., et al.: Org. Geochem. 33, 247 (2002). (authors)

  15. Fluorescence of soil humic acids and their fractions obtained by tandem size exclusion chromatography-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Trubetskaya, O. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Region (Russian Federation). Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Inst. of Bioorganic Chemistry; Trubetskoj, O. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow Region (Russian Federation). Inst. of Basic Biological Problems; Guyot, G.; Richard, C. [UMR CNRS 6505, Aubiere (France). Lab. de Photochimie Moleculaire et Macromoleculaire; Andreux, F. [Centre des Sciences de la Terre, Dijon (France)

    2002-07-01

    Humic acids (HAs) extracted from soils of different origin (chernozem, ferralsol and ranker) and their fractions (A, B and C+D) obtained by tandem size exclusion chromatography-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were investigated by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy in the emission mode. Independently of HA source, high molecular size fractions A and B are shown to be weakly fluorescent. The main fluorophores, especially those emitting at long wavelength (around 500-510 nm), are contained in the polar and low molecular size fractions C+D. As indicated by the observed pH effect, aromatic structures bearing carboxylate and OH substituents may be involved in these longer wavelength emissions. [author].

  16. Capillary electrophoretic determination of selected phenolic compounds in humic substances of well waters and fertilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Mei-Ying; Chang, Yan-Zin; Lu, Fung-Jou; Chen, Jian-Lian

    2010-01-01

    Humic substances (HS) from well waters, fertilizers, and synthetic phenolic polymers were characterized by elemental and UV-VIS spectroscopic analyses. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV absorption detection was used to analyze the lignin-derived phenolic distribution in the degradation residues after alkaline CuO oxidation of HS samples. Eleven phenols with p-acetyl, vanillyl and syringyl substituents were selected to optimize the CZE parameters. For well waters and fertilizers, the content of phenolic fragments was in agreement with the findings of the elemental and spectroscopic measurements. Additionally, parameters derived from the vanillic acid/vanilline, syringyl acid/syringaldehyde, p-hydroxyl/vanillyl and syringyl/vanillyl ratios matched analogous studies on dissolved organic matter from natural waters and on humic acids from terrestrial substances. The amount of phenolic monomer bonded within two synthetic HS polymers was found to be 25.9% protocatechuic acid and 71.3% gallic acid.

  17. The effect of ion-implantation on germination of alfalfa under phenanthrene stress

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Hong; Wang Naiyan; Huang Jianwei; Liu Xijian; Dou Junfeng; Du Yongchao; Li Shuairan

    2011-01-01

    To investigate mutagenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation plant under phenanthrene stress and to test germination level of alfalfa after ion-implantation alfalfa seeds were irradiated with N + beam. The germination percentage and the root length distribution of alfalfa, which grew in environment with different mass fraction of phenanthrene was investigated, respectively. The results indicated that the relation of dose and germination rate was shown as 'saddle' curve characteristics. It was found that the 5 x 10 15 cm -2 would be the best dose of implantation. And the longest root length was about 10.32 cm. The experiment also showed phenanthrene would have inhibitive effect on germination percentage and root growth of alfalfa. The stress resistance of PAHs with alfalfa could be enhanced by ion implantation. (authors)

  18. Study of Adsorption of Phenanthrene on Different Types of Clay Minerals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Contreras, M. L.; Escolano, O.; Rodriguez, V.; Diaz, F. J.; Perez, R.; Garcia, S.; Garcia Frutos, F. J.

    2003-01-01

    The fate and behaviour of non-ionic hydrophobic organic compounds in deep soil is mainly controlled by the mineral fraction present in the soil due to the very low organic carbon content of the deep soil. The mineral fraction that may greatly influence the fate and transport of these compounds due to its presence and properties are the clay minerals. Clay minerals also become increasingly important in low organic matter content soils. There tree, studies of non-ionic hydrophobic organic compounds adsorption on clay minerals without organic matter are necessary lo better understand the fate and transport of these compounds. In this work we used phenanthrene as model compound of non-ionic hydrophobic organic compound and four pure clay minerals: kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, and vermiculite including muscovite mica. These clays minerals are selected due to its abundance in represents ve Spanish soils and different properties as its structural layers and expanding capacity. Batch experiments were performed using phenanthrene aqueous solutions and the clays selected. Phenanthrene sorption isotherms for all clays, except muscovite mica, were best described by the Freundlich model. Physical sorption on the external surfaces is the most probable adsorption mechanisms. In this sense, the presence of non-polar nano-sites on clay surfaces could determine the adsorption of phenanthrene by hydrophobic interaction on these sites. (Author) 22 refs

  19. Influence of plant root morphology and tissue composition on phenanthrene uptake: Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhan, Xinhua; Liang, Xiao; Xu, Guohua; Zhou, Lixiang

    2013-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are contaminants that reside mainly in surface soils. Dietary intake of plant-based foods can make a major contribution to total PAH exposure. Little information is available on the relationship between root morphology and plant uptake of PAHs. An understanding of plant root morphologic and compositional factors that affect root uptake of contaminants is important and can inform both agricultural (chemical contamination of crops) and engineering (phytoremediation) applications. Five crop plant species are grown hydroponically in solutions containing the PAH phenanthrene. Measurements are taken for 1) phenanthrene uptake, 2) root morphology – specific surface area, volume, surface area, tip number and total root length and 3) root tissue composition – water, lipid, protein and carbohydrate content. These factors are compared through Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The major factors which promote phenanthrene uptake are specific surface area and lipid content. -- Highlights: •There is no correlation between phenanthrene uptake and total root length, and water. •Specific surface area and lipid are the most crucial factors for phenanthrene uptake. •The contribution of specific surface area is greater than that of lipid. -- The contribution of specific surface area is greater than that of lipid in the two most important root morphological and compositional factors affecting phenanthrene uptake

  20. Fluorescence of aqueous solutions of commercial humic products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosteva, O. Yu.; Izosimov, A. A.; Patsaeva, S. V.; Yuzhakov, V. I.; Yakimenko, O. S.

    2012-01-01

    We have studied the spectral luminescence characteristics of aqueous solutions of humic products obtained from different raw material sources, and their behavior as the excitation wavelength increases from 270 nm to 355 nm. We have identified differences in the spectral properties of industrial humic products from coalified materials, lignin-containing organic waste, and humic products from plant raw material (peat, sapropel, vermicompost). We have shown that humic products from plant raw material have spectral properties closer to those for humic substances in natural water or soil than humic products from coalified materials.

  1. Sorption of phenanthrene and benzene on differently structural kerogen: important role of micropore-filling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yulong; Ma, Xiaoxuan; Ran, Yong

    2014-02-01

    Shale was thermally treated to obtain a series of kerogen with varied maturation. Their chemical, structural and porous properties were related to the sorption and/or desorption behaviors of phenanthrene and benzene. As the treatment temperature increases, aliphatic and carbonyl carbon of the kerogen samples decrease, while their aromaticity and maturation increase. Meanwhile, the isothermal nonlinearity of phenanthrene and benzene increases whereas the sorption capacity and micropore adsorption volumes (Vo,d) initially increase and then decrease. The Vo,d of benzene is significantly correlated with, but higher than that of phenanthrene, suggesting similar micropore filling mechanism and molecular sieve effect. The benzene desorption exhibits hysteresis, which is related to the pore deformation of the kerogen and the entrapment of solute in the kerogen matrix. The Vo,d of phenanthrene and benzene on the kerogen samples accounts for 23-46% and 36-65% of the maximum sorption volumes, respectively, displaying the importance of the micropore filling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Humic Acid Degradation via Solar Photo-Fenton Process in Aqueous Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Ali Sajjadi

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Control of mutagenic and carcinogenic disinfection by-products, particularly Trihalomethanes (THMs and Halo Acetic Acids (HAAs in water treatment process is critical, due to their adverse effects on human health. Generally, reducing the toxicity of these by-products hinges on prior removal of the precursor materials, such as Humic Acid (HA in drinking water. This study was conducted to investigate the role of some parameters that could affect the removal of HA, including HA (5 and 10 ppm and H2O2 (20, 40, 60, and 80 ppm initial concentrations, Iron (II, sulfate heptahydrate dosage (4, 8, 12, and 16 ppm, pH (2, 3, 4 and 5, Oxidation time (5, 10, 15 and 30 min, and Sunlight levels (322±13 kWm-2. To accelerate the process of HA removal, the Solar Photo-Fenton (SPF process was employed by direct irradiation of converged sunlight in a Parabolic Trough Collectors (PTC, with 3m2 effective area. HA levels were measured via quantifying Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC concentrations by means of a TOC Analyzer method. The results showed that the SPF process is under control of the Fe & H2O2 ratio, the Fe2+ dosage and especially the pH quantity. In optimal condition, (pH: 4, oxidation time: 30min, initial HA levels: 50 ppm, H2O2 concentrations: 20 ppm Fe+2 levels: 4 ppm, the study found more than 98% DOC removal. In conclusion, the SPF, as an economically effective technique, could be applied for the removal of HA in aqueous environments.

  3. Effect of fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici on the degradation of humic acid associated with Cu, Pb, and Ni: an in vitro study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corrales Escobosa, Alma Rosa; Gutierrez Corona, J.F. [University of Guanajuato, Department of Biology, Guanajuato (Mexico); Landero Figueroa, Julio Alberto; Wrobel, Katarzyna; Wrobel, Kazimierz [University of Guanajuato, Department of Chemistry, Guanajuato (Mexico)

    2009-08-15

    The intent of this work was to gain further insight on the fungus-assisted degradation/solubilization of humic acid and the related changes in metal-binding profiles. In the experimental design, Aldrich reagent humic acid (HA) or HA enriched with Cu, Pb, and Ni (HA(Me)) was added to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici cultures in vitro. The cultures were supplied by different carbon- and nitrogen-containing nutrients (glucose, Glc, or glutamate, Glu and ammonium, NH{sub 4}{sup +}, or nitrate, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, ions, respectively) in order to examine their possible effect on HA and HA(Me) decomposition. During the first 48 h of fungus growth, gradual acidification to pH 2 was observed in medium containing Glc+NH{sub 4}{sup +}, while for other cultures, alkalinization to pH 9 occurred and then, the above conditions were stable up to at least 200 h. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV/Vis detection showed progressive degradation and solubilization of both HA and HA(Me) with the increasing time of fungus growth. However, the molecular mass distributions of HA-related soluble species were different in the presence of metals (HA(Me)) as referred to HA and were also influenced by the composition of growth medium. The solubilization of Pb, Cu, and Ni and their association with HA molecular mass fractions were studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. Under acidic conditions, relatively high concentrations of low-molecular-mass metallic species were found in culture supernatants, while in alkaline media, metal solubilization was generally poorer. In contrast to low pH culture, SEC-ICP-MS results obtained in alkaline supernatants indicated metal binding to degradation products of humic substances of MM>5 kDa. In summary, the results of this study suggest that fungus-assisted degradation of HA and HA(Me) might be controlled using appropriate N- and C-sources required for fungus growth, which in turn would affect molecular mass

  4. Effect of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici on the degradation of humic acid associated with Cu, Pb, and Ni: an in vitro study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corrales Escobosa, Alma Rosa; Landero Figueroa, Julio Alberto; Gutiérrez Corona, J Félix; Wrobel, Katarzyna; Wrobel, Kazimierz

    2009-08-01

    The intent of this work was to gain further insight on the fungus-assisted degradation/solubilization of humic acid and the related changes in metal-binding profiles. In the experimental design, Aldrich reagent humic acid (HA) or HA enriched with Cu, Pb, and Ni (HA(Me)) was added to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici cultures in vitro. The cultures were supplied by different carbon- and nitrogen-containing nutrients (glucose, Glc, or glutamate, Glu and ammonium, NH4+, or nitrate, NO3-, ions, respectively) in order to examine their possible effect on HA and HA(Me) decomposition. During the first 48 h of fungus growth, gradual acidification to pH 2 was observed in medium containing Glc + NH4+, while for other cultures, alkalinization to pH 9 occurred and then, the above conditions were stable up to at least 200 h. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) with UV/Vis detection showed progressive degradation and solubilization of both HA and HA(Me) with the increasing time of fungus growth. However, the molecular mass distributions of HA-related soluble species were different in the presence of metals (HA(Me)) as referred to HA and were also influenced by the composition of growth medium. The solubilization of Pb, Cu, and Ni and their association with HA molecular mass fractions were studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. Under acidic conditions, relatively high concentrations of low-molecular-mass metallic species were found in culture supernatants, while in alkaline media, metal solubilization was generally poorer. In contrast to low pH culture, SEC-ICP-MS results obtained in alkaline supernatants indicated metal binding to degradation products of humic substances of MM > 5 kDa. In summary, the results of this study suggest that fungus-assisted degradation of HA and HA(Me) might be controlled using appropriate N- and C- sources required for fungus growth, which in turn would affect molecular mass distribution of soluble metallic

  5. Formulation of humic-based soil conditioners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amanova, M. A.; Mamytova, G. A.; Mamytova, B. A.; Kydralieva, K. A.; Jorobekova, Sh. J.

    2009-04-01

    The goal of the study is to prepare soil conditioners (SC) able to carry out the following functions: (i) the chemical conditioning of soil mainly comprising the adjustment of pH, (ii) the balancing of inorganic nutrients, (iii) the physical conditioning of soil mainly comprising the improvement of water permeability, air permeability and water retention properties, and (iv) improvement of the ecological system concerning of useful microorganisms activity in the soil. The SC was made of a mixture of inorganic ingredients, a chemical composition and physical and chemical properties of which promoted improvement of physical characteristic of soil and enrichment by its mineral nutritious elements. In addition to aforesaid ingredients, this soil conditioner contains agronomical-valued groups of microorganisms having the function promoting the growth of the crop. As organic component of SC humic acids (HA) was used. HA serve many major functions that result in better soil and plant health. In soil, HA can increase microbial and mycorrhizal activity while enhancing nutrient uptake by plant roots. HA work as a catalyst by stimulating root and plant growth, it may enhance enzymatic activity that in turn accelerates cell division which can lead to increased yields. HA can help to increase crop yields, seed germination, and much more. In short, humic acids helps keep healthy plants health. The first stage goal was to evaluate mineral and organic ingredients for formulation of SC. Soil conditioners assessed included ash and slag. The use of slags has been largelly used in agriculture as a source of lime and phosphoric acid. The silicic acid of slags reduces Al-acitivity thus, promoting a better assimilation of P-fertilizer by plants. Additionally, silicic acid is also known to improve soil moisture capacity, thus enhancing soil water availability to plants. Physico-chemical characteristics of ash and slag were determined, as a total - about 20 samples. Results include

  6. Impact of humic/fulvic acid on the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions using nanomaterials: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Wang-Wang; Zeng, Guang-Ming; Gong, Ji-Lai; Liang, Jie; Xu, Piao; Zhang, Chang; Huang, Bin-Bin

    2014-01-15

    Nowadays nanomaterials have been widely used to remove heavy metals from water/wastewater due to their large surface area and high reactivity. Humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) exist ubiquitously in aquatic environments and have a variety of functional groups which allow them to complex with metal ions and interact with nanomaterials. These interactions can not only alter the environmental behavior of nanomaterials, but also influence the removal and transportation of heavy metals by nanomaterials. Thus, the interactions and the underlying mechanisms involved warrant specific investigations. This review outlined the effects of HA/FA on the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions by various nanomaterials, mainly including carbon-based nanomaterials, iron-based nanomaterials and photocatalytic nanomaterials. Moreover, mechanisms involved in the interactions were discussed and potential environmental implications of HA/FA to nanomaterials and heavy metals were evaluated. © 2013.

  7. Synthesis of phenanthrenes through copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of N-tosylhydrazones with terminal alkynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossain, Mohammad Lokman; Ye, Fei; Liu, Zhenxing; Xia, Ying; Shi, Yi; Zhou, Lei; Zhang, Yan; Wang, Jianbo

    2014-09-19

    A novel protocol for the synthesis of phenanthrenes through the copper-catalyzed reaction of aromatic tosylhydrazones with terminal alkynes is explored. The reaction proceeds via the formation of an allene intermediate and subsequent six-π-electron cyclization-isomerization, affording phenanthrene derivatives in good yields. The transformation can be performed in two ways: (1) with N-tosylhydrazones derived from [1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carbaldehydes and terminal alkynes as the starting materials and (2) with N-tosylhydrazones derived from aromatic aldehydes and 2-alkynyl biphenyls as the starting materials. This new phenanthrene synthesis uses readily available starting materials and a cheap copper catalyst and has a wide range of functional group compatibility.

  8. Effect of humic acid on the growth, yield, nutrient composition, photosynthetic pigment and total sugar contents of peas (pisum sativum l)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khan, A.; Khan, M.Z.; Hussain, F.; Akhtar, M.E.; Gurmani, A.R.; Khan, S.

    2013-01-01

    Summary: A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of humic acid (HA) applied as soil and foliar at 15, 30 and 45 ppm on the growth, biochemical content, nutrient concentrations and yield of peas. Soil as well as foliar application of HA increased the plant growth and grain yield of peas; however magnitude of increase was higher in soil application than foliar. Highest plant growth and grain yield was achieved with soil application of 15 ppm HA followed by 30 ppm and foliar application of 45 ppm HA respectively. Percentage increase in dry grain yield due to 15 ppm was 37%, with 30 ppm was 29% and foliar application of 45 ppm was 25%. Nutrient concentrations (P, K, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu) were increased with soil and foliar application of HA. The concentrations of nutrients were relatively higher in shelf than grain. Maximum concentration of P, K and Fe was obtained with the soil application of HA at 15 ppm. Humic acid applied at 15, 30 as soil as well as foliar application at 45 ppm significantly increased chlorophyll, carotenoid and total sugar content. Our results indicate that soil application of HA at 15 and 30 ppm, while foliar application at 45 ppm can increase growth, nutrients concentration, chlorophyll content and yield of Peas in calcareous soil conditions. (author)

  9. Surface diffusion of sorbed radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berry, J.A.; Bond, K.A.

    1991-01-01

    Surface diffusion has in the past been invoked to explain rates of radionuclide migration which were greater than those predicted. Results were generally open to interpretation but the possible existence of surface diffusion, whereby sorbed radionuclides could potentially migrate at much enhanced rates, necessitated investigation. In this work through-diffusion experiments have shown that although surface diffusion does exist for some nuclides, the magnitude of the phenomenon is not sufficient to affect repository safety assessment modelling. (author)

  10. Uranium adsorption on ferrihydrite - effects of phosphate and humic acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Payne, T.E.; Davis, J.A.; Waite, T.D.

    1996-01-01

    Uranium adsorption on ferrihydrite was studied as a function of pH in systems equilibrated with air, in the presence and absence of added phosphate and humic acid (HA). The objective was to determine the influence of PO 3- 4 and HA on uranium uptake. Below pH 7, the sorption of UO 2+ 2 typically increases with increasing pH (the 'low pH sorption edge'), with a sharp decrease in sorption above this pH value (the 'high pH edge'). The presence of ΣPO 3- 4 of 10 -4 mol/L moved the low pH edge to the left by approximately 0.8 pH units. The PO 3- 4 was strongly bound by the ferrihydrite surface, and the increased uptake of U was attributed to the formation of ternary surface complexes involving both UO 2+ 2 and PO 3- 4 . The addition of HA (9 mg/L) increased U uptake at pH values below 7, with little effect at higher pH values. The positions of the pH edges were also affected by the ionic strength and total U content. These experiments show that sorption interactions involving PO 3- 4 and HA must be considered in order to model the behavior of U in natural systems, in which these components are often present. (orig.)

  11. Effect of humic acid (HA) on sulfonamide sorption by biochars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lian, Fei; Sun, Binbin; Chen, Xi; Zhu, Lingyan; Liu, Zhongqi; Xing, Baoshan

    2015-01-01

    Effect of quantity and fractionation of loaded humic acid (HA) on biochar sorption for sulfonamides was investigated. The HA was applied in two different modes, i.e. pre-coating and co-introduction with sorbate. In pre-coating mode, the polar fractions of HA tended to interact with low-temperature biochars via H-bonding, while the hydrophobic fractions were likely to be adsorbed by high-temperature biochars through hydrophobic and π-π interactions, leading to different composition and structure of the HA adlayers. The influences of HA fractionation on biochar sorption for sulfonamides varied significantly, depending on the nature of interaction between HA fraction and sorbate. Meanwhile, co-introduction of HA with sulfonamides revealed that the effect of HA on sulfonamide sorption was also dependent on HA concentration. These findings suggest that the amount and fractionation of adsorbed HA are tailored by the surface properties of underlying biochars, which differently affect the sorption for organic contaminants. - Highlights: • Effect of quantity and fractionation of coated HA on sorption of sulfonamides by BC was studied. • Fractionation of coated HA is tailored by surface properties of BC. • Roles of HA in BC sorption depend on interaction between HA adlayer and sorbate. • Roles of HA in sulfonamide sorption by BC also depend on HA aqueous concentration. - The quantity and fractionation of adsorbed HA play a major role in sulfonamide sorption by biochars

  12. Experimental determination and modeling of arsenic complexation with humic and fulvic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fakour, Hoda; Lin, Tsair-Fuh

    2014-08-30

    The complexation of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) with arsenic (As) in water was studied. Experimental results indicate that arsenic may form complexes with HA and FA with a higher affinity for arsenate than for arsenite. With the presence of iron oxide based adsorbents, binding of arsenic to HA/FA in water was significantly suppressed, probably due to adsorption of As and HA/FA. A two-site ligand binding model, considering only strong and weak site types of binding affinity, was successfully developed to describe the complexation of arsenic on the two natural organic fractions. The model showed that the numbers of weak sites were more than 10 times those of strong sites on both HA and FA for both arsenic species studied. The numbers of both types of binding sites were found to be proportional to the HA concentrations, while the apparent stability constants, defined for describing binding affinity between arsenic and the sites, are independent of the HA concentrations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize the impact of HA concentrations on the applicability of the ligand binding model, and to extrapolate the model to FA. The obtained results may give insights on the complexation of arsenic in HA/FA laden groundwater and on the selection of more effective adsorption-based treatment methods for natural waters. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Direct and indirect photodegradation of estriol in the presence of humic acid, nitrate and iron complexes in water solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Yong [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 (United States); School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Zhang, Kai [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 (United States); Zuo, Yuegang, E-mail: yzuo@umassd.edu [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747 (United States)

    2013-10-01

    The photochemical behavior of a natural estrogen estriol (E3) was investigated in the presence of the natural photoreactive constituents including nitrate, iron(III), and humic acid (HA). The direct photodegradation of E3 increased with increasing incident light intensity, decreasing initial concentration of E3 and increasing pH in the range of 6.0 to 10.0. The direct photodegradation of the deprotonated speciation of E3 was much faster than that of its protonated form. The presence of NO{sub 3}{sup −} and iron(III) promoted the photochemical loss of E3 in the aqueous solutions. The quenching experiments verified that hydroxyl radicals were predominantly responsible for the indirect photodegradation of E3. HA could act as photosensitizer, light screening agent and free radical quencher. For the first time, the enhancement or inhibition effect of HA on photodegradation was found to depend on the irradiation light intensity. HA enhanced the photodegradation of E3 under sunlight or weak irradiation of simulated sunlight. In contrast, under high irradiation light intensity, HA inhibited the photodegradation. The hydroxylation photoproducts were identified using GC-MS and the photodegradation pathway of E3 was proposed. - Highlights: • Direct and indirect photodegradation of estriol (E3) were first investigated. • The direct photodegradation of E3 increased with increasing pH of the solutions. • The light intensity affected the photosensitization effect of humic acid. • Nitrate and iron(III) promoted the photodecomposition of estriol in water. • The ·OH oxidation products of E3 was first determined.

  14. Cd2+ and Zn2+ sorption on apatite in the presence of EDTA and humic substance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viipsi K.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The sorption of Cd2+ and Zn2+ on hydroxyapatite [HAP- Ca10(PO46(OH2] and fluorapatite [FAP- Ca10( PO46(F2] with different specific surface area and stoichiometry was investigated in batch experiments in the pH range 4 to 11 (25 ◦C; 0.1 M KNO3. The impact of different conditions was concerned: solution pH, the presence of complexing ligands (EDTA and humic substance and competing metal ions, as well as reaction kinetic and equilibrium conditions. To evaluate the reversibility of Cd2+ sorption onto HAP, desorption characteristics in water, Ca, EDTA, and HUM-solutions were determined. Additionally to solution analysis the surface composition of solid phases was analysed by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy XPS. The information from the chemical analyses was used to design an equilibration model that takes into account dissolution, surface potential, solution and surface complexation, as well as possible phase transformations. It was revealed that apatites effectively sorb Cd2+ and Zn2+ by ion exchange reactions on surface by formation of new surface phases. Using XPS the formation of a Me-enriched HAP surface was found, which was interpreted as the formation of a solid solution with the general formula: Ca8.4-xMex(HPO41.6(PO44.4(OH0.4. In a binary solution (Cd+Zn the competition of metals reduced individual sorbed amount compared with the single component solutions but the total adsorption maximum was approximately constant. The presence of EDTA reduces the metal sorption on apatite due to [CdEDTA]2- and [ZnEDTA]2- complexes and increases apatite solubility due to [CaEDTA]2- complex formation. The dissolved humic substance was bound on apatite in suspensions but the amount of Cd2+ bound was not changed. The results showed that the solution pH and the presence of complexing ligands have a significant effect on heavy metal sorption on apatite and must be considered if apatites are used as remediation agent. The proposed model can be used to predict

  15. DOC removal paradigms in highly humic aquatic ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farjalla, Vinicius F; Amado, André M; Suhett, Albert L; Meirelles-Pereira, Frederico

    2009-07-01

    Dissolved humic substances (HS) usually comprise 50-80% of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in aquatic ecosystems. From a trophic and biogeochemical perspective, HS has been considered to be highly refractory and is supposed to accumulate in the water. The upsurge of the microbial loop paradigm and the studies on HS photo-degradation into labile DOC gave rise to the belief that microbial processing of DOC should sustain aquatic food webs in humic waters. However, this has not been extensively supported by the literature, since most HS and their photo-products are often oxidized by microbes through respiration in most nutrient-poor humic waters. Here, we review basic concepts, classical studies, and recent data on bacterial and photo-degradation of DOC, comparing the rates of these processes in highly humic ecosystems and other aquatic ecosystems. We based our review on classical and recent findings from the fields of biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, highlighting some odd results from highly humic Brazilian tropical lagoons, which can reach up to 160 mg C L(-1). Highly humic tropical lagoons showed proportionally lower bacterial production rates and higher bacterial respiration rates (i.e., lower bacterial growth efficiency) than other lakes. Zooplankton showed similar delta(13)C to microalgae but not to humic DOC in these highly humic lagoons. Thus, the data reviewed here do not support the microbial loop as an efficient matter transfer pathway in highly humic ecosystems, where it is supposed to play its major role. In addition, we found that some tropical humic ecosystems presented the highest potential DOC photo-chemical mineralization (PM) rates reported in the literature, exceeding up to threefold the rates reported for temperate humic ecosystems. We propose that these atypically high PM rates are the result of a joint effect of the seasonal dynamics of allochthonous humic DOC input to these ecosystems and the high sunlight incidence throughout the year

  16. Flow cytometry detection of planktonic cells with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sorbed to cell surfaces

    KAUST Repository

    Cerezo, Maria I.; Linden, Matthew; Agusti, Susana

    2017-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are very important components of oil pollution. These pollutants tend to sorb to cell surfaces, exerting toxic effects on organisms. Our study developed a flow cytometric method for the detection of PAHs sorbed

  17. Fluorene and Phenanthrene Uptake and Accumulation by Wheat, Alfalfa and Sunflower from the Contaminated Soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salehi-Lisar, Seyed Yahya; Deljoo, Somaye; Harzandi, Ahmad Mosen

    2015-01-01

    Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are diverse organic contaminants released into the environment by both natural and anthropogenic activities. These compounds have negative impacts on plants growth and development. Although there are many reports on their existence in different parts of plant, their uptake and translocation pathways and mechanisms are not well understood yet. This paper highlights the uptake, translocation and accumulation of PAHs by wheat, sunflower and alfalfa through an experimental study under controlled conditions. Seeds were cultivated in a soil containing 50 mg/kg of phenanthrene and fluorene and their concentrations in plants roots and shoots were determined using a gas chromatograph after 7 and 14 days. The results showed that phenanthrene and fluorene concentrations in the treated plants were increased over the time. PAHs bioavailability was time and species dependent and generally, phenanthrene uptake and translocation was faster than that of fluorene, probably due to their higher Kow. Fluorene tended to accumulate in roots, but phenanthrene was transported to aerial parts of plants.

  18. Reduction in soil loss from erosion-susceptible soils amended with humic substances from oxidized coal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piccolo, A.; Pietramellara, G.; Mbagwu, J.S.C.

    1997-01-01

    Soils that pose high risk of erosion require amendment with either natural or synthetic soil conditioners to reduce soil loss hazards. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of using coal-derived humic substances (as soil conditioners) to reduce runoff erosion on erosion-susceptible soils. Surface samples of severely degraded soils from Principina in Tuscany and Bovolone in Venice in Italy were used to assess the effects of five rates (0, 0.05, 0.01, 0.50 and 1.00 g/kg) of humic acids (HA) on soil loss and other hydrological parameters. The results showed that amending erosion-susceptible soils with low rates of coal-derived humic substances is a potentially effective soil management practice for reducing erosion rates

  19. Effects of dietary humic substances on egg production and egg shell ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2009-03-20

    Mar 20, 2009 ... including 30 and 90 ppm dietary humic acid in liquid form, respectively. ... shell strength without affecting egg production and feed efficiency compared to control ..... Caecal metabolites and microbial populations in chickens consuming ... tation on the performance of laying hens fed with diets based on corn.

  20. Biodegradation of phenanthrene in bioaugmented microcosm by consortium ASP developed from coastal sediment of Alang-Sosiya ship breaking yard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Vilas; Patel, Janki; Madamwar, Datta

    2013-09-15

    A phenanthrene-degrading bacterial consortium (ASP) was developed using sediment from the Alang-Sosiya shipbreaking yard at Gujarat, India. 16S rRNA gene-based molecular analyses revealed that the bacterial consortium consisted of six bacterial strains: Bacillus sp. ASP1, Pseudomonas sp. ASP2, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain ASP3, Staphylococcus sp. ASP4, Geobacillus sp. ASP5 and Alcaligenes sp. ASP6. The consortium was able to degrade 300 ppm of phenanthrene and 1000 ppm of naphthalene within 120 h and 48 h, respectively. Tween 80 showed a positive effect on phenanthrene degradation. The consortium was able to consume maximum phenanthrene at the rate of 46 mg/h/l and degrade phenanthrene in the presence of other petroleum hydrocarbons. A microcosm study was conducted to test the consortium's bioremediation potential. Phenanthrene degradation increased from 61% to 94% in sediment bioaugmented with the consortium. Simultaneously, bacterial counts and dehydrogenase activities also increased in the bioaugmented sediment. These results suggest that microbial consortium bioaugmentation may be a promising technology for bioremediation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.