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Sample records for isotopic co2 active

  1. Multiple isotopes (O, C, Li, Sr) as tracers of CO2 and brine leakage from CO2-enhanced oil recovery activities in Permian Basin, Texas, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phan, T. T.; Sharma, S.; Gardiner, J. B.; Thomas, R. B.; Stuckman, M.; Spaulding, R.; Lopano, C. L.; Hakala, A.

    2017-12-01

    shallow groundwater collected before and during the WAG period are not statistically significant. The results to date suggest that the water chemistry of shallow groundwater has not been influenced by the CO2 injection activities. The efficacy of each isotope system as a monitoring tool will be evaluated and discussed using a Bayesian mixing model.

  2. Oxygen isotope fractionation in the CaCO3-DIC-H2O system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devriendt, Laurent S.; Watkins, James M.; McGregor, Helen V.

    2017-10-01

    The oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) of inorganic and biogenic carbonates is widely used to reconstruct past environments. However, the oxygen isotope exchange between CaCO3 and H2O rarely reaches equilibrium and kinetic isotope effects (KIE) commonly complicate paleoclimate reconstructions. We present a comprehensive model of kinetic and equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation between CaCO3 and water (αc/w) that accounts for fractionation between both (a) CaCO3 and the CO32- pool (α c / CO32-) , and (b) CO32- and water (α CO32- / w) , as a function of temperature, pH, salinity, calcite saturation state (Ω), the residence time of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in solution, and the activity of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. The model results suggest that: (1) The equilibrium αc/w is only approached in solutions with low Ω (i.e. close to 1) and low ionic strength such as in the cave system of Devils Hole, Nevada. (2) The sensitivity of αc/w to the solution pH and/or the mineral growth rate depends on the level of isotopic equilibration between the CO32- pool and water. When the CO32- pool approaches isotopic equilibrium with water, small negative pH and/or growth rate effects on αc/w of about 1-2‰ occur where these parameters covary with Ω. In contrast, isotopic disequilibrium between CO32- and water leads to strong (>2‰) positive or negative pH and growth rate effects on α CO32-/ w (and αc/w) due to the isotopic imprint of oxygen atoms derived from HCO3-, CO2, H2O and/or OH-. (3) The temperature sensitivity of αc/w originates from the negative effect of temperature on α CO32-/ w and is expected to deviate from the commonly accepted value (-0.22 ± 0.02‰/°C between 0 and 30 °C; Kim and O'Neil, 1997) when the CO32- pool is not in isotopic equilibrium with water. (4) The model suggests that the δ18O of planktic and benthic foraminifers reflects a quantitative precipitation of DIC in isotopic equilibrium with a high-pH calcifying fluid, leading

  3. Determining CO2 storage potential during miscible CO2 enhanced oil recovery: Noble gas and stable isotope tracers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelton, Jenna L.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Hunt, Andrew; Beebe, Thomas L; Parker, Andrew D; Warwick, Peter D.; Drake, Ronald; McCray, John E.

    2016-01-01

    Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are fueling anthropogenic climate change. Geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 in depleted oil reservoirs is one option for reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere while enhancing oil recovery. In order to evaluate the feasibility of using enhanced oil recovery (EOR) sites in the United States for permanent CO2 storage, an active multi-stage miscible CO2flooding project in the Permian Basin (North Ward Estes Field, near Wickett, Texas) was investigated. In addition, two major natural CO2 reservoirs in the southeastern Paradox Basin (McElmo Dome and Doe Canyon) were also investigated as they provide CO2 for EOR operations in the Permian Basin. Produced gas and water were collected from three different CO2 flooding phases (with different start dates) within the North Ward Estes Field to evaluate possible CO2 storage mechanisms and amounts of total CO2retention. McElmo Dome and Doe Canyon were sampled for produced gas to determine the noble gas and stable isotope signature of the original injected EOR gas and to confirm the source of this naturally-occurring CO2. As expected, the natural CO2produced from McElmo Dome and Doe Canyon is a mix of mantle and crustal sources. When comparing CO2 injection and production rates for the CO2 floods in the North Ward Estes Field, it appears that CO2 retention in the reservoir decreased over the course of the three injections, retaining 39%, 49% and 61% of the injected CO2 for the 2008, 2010, and 2013 projects, respectively, characteristic of maturing CO2 miscible flood projects. Noble gas isotopic composition of the injected and produced gas for the flood projects suggest no active fractionation, while δ13CCO2 values suggest no active CO2dissolution into formation water, or mineralization. CO2 volumes capable of dissolving in residual formation fluids were also estimated along with the potential to store pure-phase supercritical CO2. Using a combination

  4. CO2-dependent carbon isotope fractionation in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkes, Elise B.; Carter, Susan J.; Pearson, Ann

    2017-09-01

    The carbon isotopic composition of marine sedimentary organic matter is used to resolve long-term histories of pCO2 based on studies indicating a CO2-dependence of photosynthetic carbon isotope fractionation (εP). It recently was proposed that the δ13C values of dinoflagellates, as recorded in fossil dinocysts, might be used as a proxy for pCO2. However, significant questions remain regarding carbon isotope fractionation in dinoflagellates and how such fractionation may impact sedimentary records throughout the Phanerozoic. Here we investigate εP as a function of CO2 concentration and growth rate in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense. Experiments were conducted in nitrate-limited chemostat cultures. Values of εP were measured on cells having growth rates (μ) of 0.14-0.35 d-1 and aqueous carbon dioxide concentrations of 10.2-63 μmol kg-1 and were found to correlate linearly with μ/[CO2(aq)] (r2 = 0.94) in accord with prior, analogous chemostat investigations with eukaryotic phytoplankton. A maximum fractionation (εf) value of 27‰ was characterized from the intercept of the experiments, representing the first value of εf determined for an algal species employing Form II RubisCO-a structurally and catalytically distinct form of the carbon-fixing enzyme. This value is larger than theoretical predictions for Form II RubisCO and not significantly different from the ∼25‰ εf values observed for taxa employing Form ID RubisCO. We also measured the carbon isotope contents of dinosterol, hexadecanoic acid, and phytol from each experiment, finding that each class of biomarker exhibits different isotopic behavior. The apparent CO2-dependence of εP values in our experiments strengthens the proposal to use dinocyst δ13C values as a pCO2 proxy. Moreover, the similarity between the εf value for A. tamarense and the consensus value of ∼25‰ indicates that the CO2-sensitivity of carbon isotope fractionation saturates at similar CO2 levels across all three

  5. Modeling experimental stable isotope results from CO2 adsorption and diffusion experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, T. E.

    2012-12-01

    Transport of carbon dioxide through porous media can be affected by diffusion, advection and adsorption processes. Developing new tools to understand which of these processes dominates migration of CO2 or other gases in the subsurface is important to a wide range of applications including CO2 storage. Whereas advection rates are not affected by isotope substitution in CO2, adsorption and diffusion constants are. For example, differences in the binary diffusion constant calculated between C12O2-He and C13O2-He results in a carbon isotope fractionation whereby the front of the chromatographic peak is enriched in carbon-12 and the tail of the peak is enriched in carbon-13. Interestingly, adsorption is shown to have an opposite, apparent inverse affect whereby the lighter isotopologues of CO2 are preferentially retained by the chromatographic column and the heavier isotopologues are eluted first. This apparent inverse chromatographic effect has been ascribed to Van der Waals dispersion forces. Smaller molar volumes of the heavier isotopologues resulting from increased bond strength (shorter bond length) effectively decreases Van der Waals forces in heavier isotopologues compared to lighter isotopologues. Here we discuss the possible application of stable isotope values measured across chromatographic peaks to differentiate diffusion-dominated from adsorption-dominated transport processes for CO2. Separate 1-dimensional flow-through columns were packed with quartz and illite, and one remained empty. Dry helium was used as a carrier gas. Constant flow rate, temperature and column pressure were maintained. After background CO2 concentrations were minimized and constant, a sustained pulse of CO2 was injected at the head of the column and the effluent was sampled at 4 minute intervals for CO2 concentration, and carbon and oxygen isotope ratios. The quartz-sand packed and empty columns resulted in similar trends in concentration and isotope ratios whereby CO2 concentrations

  6. Steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis investigation of CO-O2 and CO-NO reactions over a commercial automotive catalyst

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oukaci, R.; Blackmond, D.G.; Goodwin, J.G. Jr.; Gallaher, G.R.

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis (SSITKA) is used to study two model reactions, CO oxidation and CO-NO reactions, on a typical formulation of a three-way auto-catalyst. Under steady-state conditions, abrupt switches in the isotopic composition of CO ( 12 C 16 O/ 13 C 18 O) were carried out to produce isotopic transients in both labeled reactants and products. Along with the determination of the average surface lifetimes and concentrations of reaction intermediates, an analysis of the transient responses along the carbon reaction pathway indicated that the distribution of active sites for the formation of CO 2 was bimodal for both reactions. Furthermore, relatively few surface sites contributed to the overall reaction rate

  7. The dynamics of CO2 fixation in the Southern Ocean as indicated by carboxylase activities and organic carbon isotopic ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fontugne, M.

    1991-01-01

    Recent studies have suggested a direct relationship between the dissolved CO 2 concentration and carbon isotopic composition of phytoplankton in surface ocean. Thus, measurement of δ 13 C of planktonic organic matter in deep-sea ocean cores can potentially yield a record of the past atmospheric CO 2 variations. However, results are presented from 3 cruises in Indian and Atlantic sectors of the Southern Ocean (between 40-66degS) in which biochemical and physiological factors associated with photosynthetic processes lead to carbon isotopic fractionation by phytoplankton which cannot be directly related to variations within the mineral carbon pool. Simultaneous measurements of the carboxylase activities in the 13 C/ 12 C ratio of particulate organic carbon show that there is a large variability in phytoplankton carbon metabolism, especially on a seasonal scale, in spite of a relative uniformity of the environmental conditions. Phytoplankton carbon metabolism is clearly a main factor governing variations in the stable isotopic composition of organic matter in the euphotic layer. Interrelationships between light, Rubiso activity and δ 13 C are clearly shown by the data. Heterotrophic processes may also influence the carbon isotope mass balance, especially during the break-up of the ice pack. In addition to the influence of photosynthetic metabolism, the effect of the meridoneal temperature gradient is also verified by the data set. (author). 24 refs.; 5 figs

  8. Vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases and related tracers from a tunnel study: : CO: CO2, N2O: CO2, CH4: CO2, O2: CO2 ratios, and the stable isotopes 13C and 18O in CO2 and CO

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Popa, Maria Elena; Vollmer, M. K.; Jordan, A.; Brand, W. A.; Pathirana, S. L.; Rothe, M.; Röckmann, T.

    2014-01-01

    Measurements of CO2, CO, N2O and CH4 mole fractions, O2/N2 ratios and the stable isotopes 13C and 18O in CO2 and CO have been performed in air samples from the Islisberg highway tunnel (Switzerland). The molar CO : CO2 ratios, with an average of (4.15 ± 0.34) ppb:ppm, are lower than reported in

  9. Stable isotope measurements of atmospheric CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, J.W.C.; Ferretti, D.F.; Vaughn, B.H.; Francey, R.J.; Allison, C.E.

    2002-01-01

    The measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios of atmospheric carbon dioxide, δ 13 CO 2 are useful for partitioning surface-atmospheric fluxes into terrestrial and oceanic components. δC 18 OO also has potential for segregating photosynthetic and respiratory fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we describe in detail the techniques for making these measurements. The primary challenge for all of the techniques used to measure isotopes of atmospheric CO 2 is to achieve acceptable accuracy and precision and to maintain them over the decades needed to observe carbon cycle variability. The keys to success such an approach are diligent intercalibrations of laboratories from around the world, as well as the use of multiple techniques such as dual inlet and GC-IRMS and the intercomparison of such measurements. We focus here on two laboratories, the Stable Isotope Lab at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado is described and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - Atmospheric Research (CSIRO). Different approaches exist at other laboratories (e.g. programs operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and The Center for Atmospheric and Oceanic Studies, Toboku University (TU)) however these are not discussed here. Finally, we also discuss the recently developed Gas Chromatography - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) technique which holds significant promise for measuring ultra-small samples of gas with good precision. (author)

  10. Stable isotope reactive transport modeling in water-rock interactions during CO2 injection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hidalgo, Juan J.; Lagneau, Vincent; Agrinier, Pierre

    2010-05-01

    Stable isotopes can be of great usefulness in the characterization and monitoring of CO2 sequestration sites. Stable isotopes can be used to track the migration of the CO2 plume and identify leakage sources. Moreover, they provide unique information about the chemical reactions that take place on the CO2-water-rock system. However, there is a lack of appropriate tools that help modelers to incorporate stable isotope information into the flow and transport models used in CO2 sequestration problems. In this work, we present a numerical tool for modeling the transport of stable isotopes in groundwater reactive systems. The code is an extension of the groundwater single-phase flow and reactive transport code HYTEC [2]. HYTEC's transport module was modified to include element isotopes as separate species. This way, it is able to track isotope composition of the system by computing the mixing between the background water and the injected solution accounting for the dependency of diffusion on the isotope mass. The chemical module and database have been expanded to included isotopic exchange with minerals and the isotope fractionation associated with chemical reactions and mineral dissolution or precipitation. The performance of the code is illustrated through a series of column synthetic models. The code is also used to model the aqueous phase CO2 injection test carried out at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory site (Palisades, New York, USA) [1]. References [1] N. Assayag, J. Matter, M. Ader, D. Goldberg, and P. Agrinier. Water-rock interactions during a CO2 injection field-test: Implications on host rock dissolution and alteration effects. Chemical Geology, 265(1-2):227-235, July 2009. [2] Jan van der Lee, Laurent De Windt, Vincent Lagneau, and Patrick Goblet. Module-oriented modeling of reactive transport with HYTEC. Computers & Geosciences, 29(3):265-275, April 2003.

  11. Isotopic exchange between CO2 and H2O and labelling kinetics of photosynthetic oxygen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerster, Richard

    1971-01-01

    The reaction of carbon dioxide with water has been studied by measuring the rate of oxygen exchange between C 18 O 2 and H 2 16 O. The mathematical treatment of the kinetics allows to determine with accuracy the diffusion flow between the gas and the liquid phase, in the same way as the CO 2 hydration rate. The velocity constant of this last process, whose value gives the in situ enzymatic activity of carbonic anhydrase, has been established in the case of chloroplast and Euglena suspensions and of aerial leaves. The study of the isotopic exchange between C 18 O 2 and a vegetable submitted to alternations of dark and light has allowed to calculate the isotopic abundance of the metabolized CO 2 whose value has been compared to that of the intracellular water and that of photosynthetic oxygen. In addition, a new method using 13 C 18 O 2 gives the means to measure with accuracy eventual isotopic effects. The labelling kinetics of the oxygen evolved by Euglena suspensions whose water has been enriched with 18 O have been established at different temperatures. (author) [fr

  12. Correction of mass spectrometric isotope ratio measurements for isobaric isotopologues of O2, CO, CO2, N2O and SO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaiser, Jan; Röckmann, Thomas

    2008-12-01

    Gas isotope ratio mass spectrometers usually measure ion current ratios of molecules, not atoms. Often several isotopologues contribute to an ion current at a particular mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Therefore, corrections have to be applied to derive the desired isotope ratios. These corrections are usually formulated in terms of isotope ratios (R), but this does not reflect the practice of measuring the ion current ratios of the sample relative to those of a reference material. Correspondingly, the relative ion current ratio differences (expressed as delta values) are first converted into isotopologue ratios, then into isotope ratios and finally back into elemental delta values. Here, we present a reformulation of this data reduction procedure entirely in terms of delta values and the 'absolute' isotope ratios of the reference material. This also shows that not the absolute isotope ratios of the reference material themselves, but only product and ratio combinations of them, are required for the data reduction. These combinations can be and, for carbon and oxygen have been, measured by conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometers. The frequently implied use of absolute isotope ratios measured by specially calibrated instruments is actually unnecessary. Following related work on CO2, we here derive data reduction equations for the species O2, CO, N2O and SO2. We also suggest experiments to measure the required absolute ratio combinations for N2O, SO2 and O2. As a prelude, we summarise historic and recent measurements of absolute isotope ratios in international isotope reference materials. Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Oxygen isotopic signature of CO2 from combustion processes

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    W. A. Brand

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available For a comprehensive understanding of the global carbon cycle precise knowledge of all processes is necessary. Stable isotope (13C and 18O abundances provide information for the qualification and the quantification of the diverse source and sink processes. This study focuses on the δ18O signature of CO2 from combustion processes, which are widely present both naturally (wild fires, and human induced (fossil fuel combustion, biomass burning in the carbon cycle. All these combustion processes use atmospheric oxygen, of which the isotopic signature is assumed to be constant with time throughout the whole atmosphere. The combustion is generally presumed to take place at high temperatures, thus minimizing isotopic fractionation. Therefore it is generally supposed that the 18O signature of the produced CO2 is equal to that of the atmospheric oxygen. This study, however, reveals that the situation is much more complicated and that important fractionation effects do occur. From laboratory studies fractionation effects on the order of up to 26%permil; became obvious in the derived CO2 from combustion of different kinds of material, a clear differentiation of about 7‰ was also found in car exhausts which were sampled directly under ambient atmospheric conditions. We investigated a wide range of materials (both different raw materials and similar materials with different inherent 18O signature, sample geometries (e.g. texture and surface-volume ratios and combustion circumstances. We found that the main factor influencing the specific isotopic signatures of the combustion-derived CO2 and of the concomitantly released oxygen-containing side products, is the case-specific rate of combustion. This points firmly into the direction of (diffusive transport of oxygen to the reaction zone as the cause of the isotope fractionation. The original total 18O signature of the material appeared to have little influence, however, a contribution of specific bio

  14. Isotope effect in the photochemical decomposition of CO{sub 2} (ice) by Lyman-{alpha} radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan Chunqing; Yates, John T. Jr. [Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904 (United States)

    2013-04-21

    The photochemical decomposition of CO{sub 2}(ice) at 75 K by Lyman-{alpha} radiation (10.2 eV) has been studied using transmission infrared spectroscopy. An isotope effect in the decomposition of the CO{sub 2} molecule in the ice has been discovered, favoring {sup 12}CO{sub 2} photodecomposition over {sup 13}CO{sub 2} by about 10%. The effect is caused by electronic energy transfer from the excited CO{sub 2} molecule to the ice matrix, which favors quenching of the heavier electronically-excited {sup 13}CO{sub 2} molecule over {sup 12}CO{sub 2}. The effect is similar to the Menzel-Gomer-Redhead isotope effect in desorption from adsorbed molecules on surfaces when electronically excited. An enhancement of the rate of formation of lattice-trapped CO and CO{sub 3} species is observed for the photolysis of the {sup 12}CO{sub 2} molecule compared to the {sup 13}CO{sub 2} molecule in the ice. Only 0.5% of the primary photoexcitation results in O-CO bond dissociation to produce trapped-CO and trapped-CO{sub 3} product molecules and the majority of the electronically-excited CO{sub 2} molecules return to the ground state. Here either vibrational relaxation occurs (majority process) or desorption of CO{sub 2} occurs (minority process) from highly vibrationally-excited CO{sub 2} molecules in the ice. The observation of the {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C isotope effect in the Lyman-{alpha} induced photodecomposition of CO{sub 2} (ice) suggests that over astronomical time scales the isotope enrichment effect may distort historical information derived from isotope ratios in space wherever photochemistry can occur.

  15. 13CO2/12CO2 isotope ratio analysis in human breath using a 2 μm diode laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Mingguo; Cao, Zhensong; Liu, Kun; Wang, Guishi; Tan, Tu; Gao, Xiaoming; Chen, Weidong; Yinbo, Huang; Ruizhong, Rao

    2015-04-01

    The bacterium H. pylori is believed to cause peptic ulcer. H. pylori infection in the human stomach can be diagnosed through a CO2 isotope ratio measure in exhaled breath. A laser spectrometer based on a distributed-feedback semiconductor diode laser at 2 μm is developed to measure the changes of 13CO2/12CO2 isotope ratio in exhaled breath sample with the CO2 concentration of ~4%. It is characterized by a simplified optical layout, in which a single detector and associated electronics are used to probe CO2 spectrum. A new type multi-passes cell with 12 cm long base length , 29 m optical path length in total and 280 cm3 volume is used in this work. The temperature and pressure are well controlled at 301.15 K and 6.66 kPa with fluctuation amplitude of 25 mK and 6.7 Pa, respectively. The best 13δ precision of 0.06o was achieved by using wavelet denoising and Kalman filter. The application of denoising and Kalman filter not only improved the signal to noise ratio, but also shorten the system response time.

  16. Defining an absolute reference frame for 'clumped' isotope studies of CO 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennis, Kate J.; Affek, Hagit P.; Passey, Benjamin H.; Schrag, Daniel P.; Eiler, John M.

    2011-11-01

    We present a revised approach for standardizing and reporting analyses of multiply substituted isotopologues of CO 2 (i.e., 'clumped' isotopic species, especially the mass-47 isotopologues). Our approach standardizes such data to an absolute reference frame based on theoretical predictions of the abundances of multiply-substituted isotopologues in gaseous CO 2 at thermodynamic equilibrium. This reference frame is preferred over an inter-laboratory calibration of carbonates because it enables all laboratories measuring mass 47 CO 2 to use a common scale that is tied directly to theoretical predictions of clumping in CO 2, regardless of the laboratory's primary research field (carbonate thermometry or CO 2 biogeochemistry); it explicitly accounts for mass spectrometric artifacts rather than convolving (and potentially confusing) them with chemical fractionations associated with sample preparation; and it is based on a thermodynamic equilibrium that can be experimentally established in any suitably equipped laboratory using commonly available materials. By analyzing CO 2 gases that have been subjected to established laboratory procedures known to promote isotopic equilibrium (i.e., heated gases and water-equilibrated CO 2), and by reference to thermodynamic predictions of equilibrium isotopic distributions, it is possible to construct an empirical transfer function that is applicable to data with unknown clumped isotope signatures. This transfer function empirically accounts for the fragmentation and recombination reactions that occur in electron impact ionization sources and other mass spectrometric artifacts. We describe the protocol necessary to construct such a reference frame, the method for converting gases with unknown clumped isotope compositions to this reference frame, and suggest a protocol for ensuring that all reported isotopic compositions (e.g., Δ 47 values; Eiler and Schauble, 2004; Eiler, 2007) can be compared among different laboratories and

  17. Fate of injected CO2 in the Wilcox Group, Louisiana, Gulf Coast Basin: Chemical and isotopic tracers of microbial–brine–rock–CO2 interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shelton, Jenna L.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Lee Zhi Yi, Amelia

    2014-01-01

    The “2800’ sandstone” of the Olla oil field is an oil and gas-producing reservoir in a coal-bearing interval of the Paleocene–Eocene Wilcox Group in north-central Louisiana, USA. In the 1980s, this producing unit was flooded with CO2 in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project, leaving ∼30% of the injected CO2 in the 2800’ sandstone post-injection. This study utilizes isotopic and geochemical tracers from co-produced natural gas, oil and brine to determine the fate of the injected CO2, including the possibility of enhanced microbial conversion of CO2 to CH4 via methanogenesis. Stable carbon isotopes of CO2, CH4 and DIC, together with mol% CO2 show that 4 out of 17 wells sampled in the 2800’ sandstone are still producing injected CO2. The dominant fate of the injected CO2appears to be dissolution in formation fluids and gas-phase trapping. There is some isotopic and geochemical evidence for enhanced microbial methanogenesis in 2 samples; however, the CO2 spread unevenly throughout the reservoir, and thus cannot explain the elevated indicators for methanogenesis observed across the entire field. Vertical migration out of the target 2800’ sandstone reservoir is also apparent in 3 samples located stratigraphically above the target sand. Reservoirs comparable to the 2800’ sandstone, located along a 90-km transect, were also sampled to investigate regional trends in gas composition, brine chemistry and microbial activity. Microbial methane, likely sourced from biodegradation of organic substrates within the formation, was found in all oil fields sampled, while indicators of methanogenesis (e.g. high alkalinity, δ13C-CO2 and δ13C-DIC values) and oxidation of propane were greatest in the Olla Field, likely due to its more ideal environmental conditions (i.e. suitable range of pH, temperature, salinity, sulfate and iron concentrations).

  18. No influence of CO2 on stable isotope analyses of soil waters with off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sprenger, Matthias; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; Soulsby, Chris

    2017-03-15

    It was recently shown that the presence of CO 2 affects the stable isotope2 H and δ 18 O values) analysis of water vapor via Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy. Here, we test how much CO 2 is emitted from soil samples and if the CO 2 in the headspace influences the isotope analysis with the direct equilibration method by Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-ICOS). The headspace above different amounts of sparkling water was sampled, and its stable isotopic composition (δ 2 H and δ 18 O values) and CO 2 concentration were measured by direct equilibration and by gas chromatography, respectively. In addition, the headspace above soil samples was analyzed in the same way. Furthermore, the gravimetric water content and the loss on ignition were measured for the soil samples. The experiment with the sparkling water showed that CO 2 does not influence the stable isotope analysis by OA-ICOS. CO 2 was emitted from the soil samples and correlated with the isotopic fractionation signal, but no causal relationship between the two was determined. Instead, the fractionation signal in pore water isotopes can be explained by soil evaporation and the CO 2 can be related to soil moisture and organic matter which both enhance microbial activity. We found, despite the high CO 2 emissions from soil samples, no need for a post-correction of the pore water stable isotope analysis results, since there is no relation between CO 2 concentrations and the stable isotope results of vapor samples obtained with OA-ICOS. © 2016 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Using a laser-based CO2 carbon isotope analyser to investigate gas transfer in geological media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillon, S.; Pili, E.; Agrinier, P.

    2012-01-01

    CO 2 stable carbon isotopes are very attractive in environmental research to investigate both natural and anthropogenic carbon sources. Laser-based CO 2 carbon isotope analysis provides continuous measurement at high temporal resolution and is a promising alternative to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). We performed a thorough assessment of a commercially available CO 2 Carbon Isotope Analyser (CCIA DLT-100, Los Gatos Research) that allows in situ measurement of C-13 in CO 2 . Using a set of reference gases of known CO 2 concentration and carbon isotopic composition, we evaluated the precision, long-term stability, temperature sensitivity and concentration dependence of the analyser. Despite good precision calculated from Allan variance (5.0 ppm for CO 2 concentration, and 0.05 per thousand for δC-13 at 60 s averaging), real performances are altered by two main sources of error: temperature sensitivity and dependence of C-13 on CO 2 concentration. Data processing is required to correct for these errors. Following application of these corrections, we achieve an accuracy of 8.7 ppm for CO 2 concentration and 1.3 per thousand for δC-13, which is worse compared to mass spectrometry performance, but still allowing field applications. With this portable analyser we measured CO 2 flux degassed from rock in an underground tunnel. The obtained carbon isotopic composition agrees with IRMS measurement, and can be used to identify the carbon source. (authors)

  20. The isotopic composition of CO in vehicle exhaust

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Naus, S.; Röckmann, T.; Popa, M.E.

    2018-01-01

    We investigated the isotopic composition of CO in the exhaust of individual vehicles. Additionally, the CO 2 isotopes, and the CO:CO 2 , CH 4 :CO 2 and H 2 :CO gas ratios were measured. This was done under idling and revving conditions, and for three vehicles in a full driving cycle on a testbench.

  1. GasBench/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: a carbon isotope approach to detect exogenous CO(2) in sparkling drinks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabañero, Ana I; San-Hipólito, Tamar; Rupérez, Mercedes

    2007-01-01

    A new procedure for the determination of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) (13)C/(12)C isotope ratios, using direct injection into a GasBench/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GasBench/IRMS) system, has been developed to improve isotopic methods devoted to the study of the authenticity of sparkling drinks. Thirty-nine commercial sparkling drink samples from various origins were analyzed. Values of delta(13)C(cava) ranged from -20.30 per thousand to -23.63 per thousand, when C3 sugar addition was performed for a second alcoholic fermentation. Values of delta(13)C(water) ranged from -5.59 per thousand to -6.87 per thousand in the case of naturally carbonated water or water fortified with gas from the spring, and delta(13)C(water) ranged from -29.36 per thousand to -42.09 per thousand when industrial CO(2) was added. It has been demonstrated that the addition of C4 sugar to semi-sparkling wine (aguja) and industrial CO(2) addition to sparkling wine (cava) or water can be detected. The new procedure has advantages over existing methods in terms of analysis time and sample treatment. In addition, it is the first isotopic method developed that allows (13)C/(12)C determination directly from a liquid sample without previous CO(2) extraction. No significant isotopic fractionation was observed nor any influence by secondary compounds present in the liquid phase. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Graven

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The isotopic composition of carbon (Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 and in oceanic and terrestrial carbon reservoirs is influenced by anthropogenic emissions and by natural carbon exchanges, which can respond to and drive changes in climate. Simulations of 14C and 13C in the ocean and terrestrial components of Earth system models (ESMs present opportunities for model evaluation and for investigation of carbon cycling, including anthropogenic CO2 emissions and uptake. The use of carbon isotopes in novel evaluation of the ESMs' component ocean and terrestrial biosphere models and in new analyses of historical changes may improve predictions of future changes in the carbon cycle and climate system. We compile existing data to produce records of Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 for the historical period 1850–2015. The primary motivation for this compilation is to provide the atmospheric boundary condition for historical simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6 for models simulating carbon isotopes in the ocean or terrestrial biosphere. The data may also be useful for other carbon cycle modelling activities.

  3. Compiled records of carbon isotopes in atmospheric CO2 for historical simulations in CMIP6

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graven, Heather; Allison, Colin E.; Etheridge, David M.; Hammer, Samuel; Keeling, Ralph F.; Levin, Ingeborg; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Rubino, Mauro; Tans, Pieter P.; Trudinger, Cathy M.; Vaughn, Bruce H.; White, James W. C.

    2017-12-01

    The isotopic composition of carbon (Δ14C and δ13C) in atmospheric CO2 and in oceanic and terrestrial carbon reservoirs is influenced by anthropogenic emissions and by natural carbon exchanges, which can respond to and drive changes in climate. Simulations of 14C and 13C in the ocean and terrestrial components of Earth system models (ESMs) present opportunities for model evaluation and for investigation of carbon cycling, including anthropogenic CO2 emissions and uptake. The use of carbon isotopes in novel evaluation of the ESMs' component ocean and terrestrial biosphere models and in new analyses of historical changes may improve predictions of future changes in the carbon cycle and climate system. We compile existing data to produce records of Δ14C and δ13C in atmospheric CO2 for the historical period 1850-2015. The primary motivation for this compilation is to provide the atmospheric boundary condition for historical simulations in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6) for models simulating carbon isotopes in the ocean or terrestrial biosphere. The data may also be useful for other carbon cycle modelling activities.

  4. Deglacial Western Equatorial Pacific pCO2 Reconstruction Using Boron Isotopes of Planktonic Foraminiferas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubota, K.; Yokoyama, Y.; Ishikawa, T.; Sagawa, T.; Ikehara, M.; Yamazaki, T.

    2017-12-01

    During the last deglaciation (ca. 19 - 11 ka), partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) of the atmosphere increased by 80 μatm. Many paleoceanographers point out that the ocean had played an important role in atmospheric CO2 rise, since the ocean have 60 times larger capacity to store carbon compared to the atmosphere. However, evidence on where carbon was transferred from the ocean to the atmosphere is still lacking, hampering our understanding of global carbon cycles in glacial-interglacial timescales. Boron isotope of skeletons of marine calcifying organisms such as corals and foraminiferas can pin down where CO2 source/sink existed, because boron isotopes of marine calcium carbonates is dependent on seawater pH, from which pCO2 of the past seawater can be reconstructed. In previous studies using the boron isotope teqnique, Martinez-Boti et al. (2015, Nature) and Kubota et al. (2014, Scientific Reports) revealed that central and eastern parts of the equatorial Pacific acted as a CO2 source (i.e., CO2 emission) during the last deglaciation, suggesting the equatorial Pacific's contribution to atmospheric CO2 rise. However, some conflicting results have been confirmed in a marine sediment record from the western part of the equatorial Pacific (Palmer & Pearson, 2003, Science), making the conclusion elusive. In this presentation, we will show new results of Mg/Ca, oxygen isotope, and boron isotope measurements during the last 35 ka on two species of surface dwelling foraminiferas (Globigerinoides ruber and G. sacculifer) which was hand-picked separatedly from a well-dated marine sediment core recovered from the West Caroline Basin (KR05-15 PC01) (Yamazaki et al., 2008, GRL). From the new records, we will discuss how the equatorial Pacific behaved during the last deglaciation and how it related to the global carbon cycles.

  5. Calculation of radiation production of high specific activity isotopes 192Ir and 60Co

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Quan; Zhong Wenfa; Xu Xiaolin

    1997-01-01

    The high specific activity isotopes: 192 Ir and 60 Co in the high neutron flux reactor are calculated with the method of reactor physics. The results of calculation are analyzed in two aspects: the production of isotopes and the influence to parameters of the reactor, and hence a better case is proposed as a reference to the production

  6. A STUDY ON CARBON ISOTOPE OF CO2 AND CH4 IN WESTERN DIENG PLATEU BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY- ISOTOPE RATIO MASS SPECTROMETER (GC-IRMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanik Humaida

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available The carbon isotope can be used to evaluate volcanism phenomenon of volcano. The study of carbon isotope of CO2 and CH4 was carried out in western Dieng Plateau by mass-spectrometer. Before analysis, sampel was separated by gas chromatography using a Porapak-Q column and a FID (Flame Ionization Detector detector. The gas was oxidized by copper oxide at 850oC before being ionized in mass-spectrometer for isotope analysis. The CO2 content in Candradimuka crater (-4.10 O/OO, indicated that the gas may be as volcanic gas. The other CO2 from Sumber and western Gua Jimat, had isotope value  of -10.05 and -12.07 O/OO, respectively, indicating contamination from crustal and subduction material. The carbon isotope of CH4 gas from Pancasan village was -63.42 O/OO, that may be categorized as biogenic gas.   Keywords: isotope, CO2, CH4, Dieng.

  7. Cross-continental triple oxygen isotope analysis of tropospheric CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, M. C.; Rangarajan, R.; Newman, S.; Laskar, A. H.

    2016-12-01

    The abundance variations of near surface atmospheric CO2 isotopologues (primarily 16O12C16O, 16O13C16O, 17O12C16O, and 18O12C16O) represent an integrated signal from anthropogenic/biogeochemical processes, including fossil fuel burning, biospheric photosynthesis and respiration, hydrospheric isotope exchange with water, and stratospheric photochemistry. Oxygen isotopes, in particular, are affected by the carbon and water cycles. Being a useful tracer that directly probes governing processes in CO2 biogeochemical cycles, D17O (= ln(1+d17O) - 0.516´ln(1+d18O)) provides an alternative constraint on the strengths of the associated cycles involving CO2. Here, we report more than one year of data obtained from Taiwan (Taipei), South China Sea, and USA (Pasadena, CA and Palos Verdes, CA). On average, the D17O values from these locations are similar and show no significant influence from the 2014-2016 El Nino event, in contrast to what has been reported for the 1997-1998 El Nino from the CO2 data collected from La Jolla, CA. Implications for utilizing the new tracer D17O for carbon cycling studies will be made.

  8. Climatic significance of stable isotope characteristics of air-CO2 and rainfall in Delhi area water-plant-air system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Datta, P.S.; Tyagi, S.K.

    2002-01-01

    In recent years, there is a global concern on the role of carbon dioxide in atmosphere in affecting the climate. The present models of global atmospheric circulation suggest that oceans sequester about one-third of the CO 2 released by anthropogenic activities, and biospheric productivity is the primary cause of the interannual fluctuations in the atmospheric CO 2 . However, most of the times, the excess of CO 2 in air is associated with the presence of anthropogenic pollutants from urbanised centres. Therefore, the studies on the pattern of local variations in the isotopic composition of air CO 2 and rainfall in urban areas are expected to provide important information on the atmospheric circulation processes which affect the climate on a regional scale. Internationally, aspects of climate change have been so far demonstrated using isotopic data mainly from temperate climates, and there is limited understanding of the factors controlling stable isotopic composition of air-CO 2 and rainfall in tropical regions. In this context, to assess the magnitude of the above mentioned effects, analysis of the data on the variations in the 13 C/ 12 C and 18 O/ 16 O signatures of air-CO 2 in Delhi area water-plant-air system is presented here

  9. CO and H2 uptake and emissions by soil: variability of fluxes and their isotopic signatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popa, Maria Elena; Chen, Qianjie; Ferrero Lopez, Noelia; Röckmann, Thomas

    2017-04-01

    In order to study the uptake and release of H2 and CO by soil, we performed long term, high frequency measurements with an automatic soil chamber at two sites in the Netherlands (Cabauw - grassland, and Speuld - forest). The measurements were performed over different seasons and cover in total a cumulated interval of about one year. These measurements allow determining separately, for each species, the two distinct fluxes i.e. uptake and release, and investigating their temporal variability and dependencies on environmental variables. Additional experiments were performed for determining the isotopic signatures of the H2 and CO uptake and release by soil. Flask samples were filled from the soil chamber, and then analyzed in the laboratory for the stable isotopic composition of H2 (δD) and CO (δ13C and δ18O). We find that both uptake and release are present at all times, regardless of the direction of the net flux. The emissions are significant for both species and at Cabauw, there are times and places where emissions outweigh the soil uptake. For each species, the two fluxes have different behavior and dependence on external variables, which indicates that they have different origins. The isotope results also support that, for both H2 and CO, uptake and emission occur simultaneously. We were able to determine separately the isotopic effects of the two fluxes. For both H2 and CO, soil uptake is associated with a small positive fractionation (the lighter molecule is taken up faster). The soil uptake fractionation (α = kheavy/klight) was 0.945 ± 0.004 for H2; for CO, the fractionation was 0.992 for 13C and 0.985 for 18O. The isotopic composition of the H2 emitted from the grassland was -530 ± 40 ‰, less depleted that what is expected from the isotopic equilibrium of H2 with water. For CO, the isotopic composition of the soil emission is depleted in 13C compared to atmospheric CO, and lower than the average isotopic composition of plant or soil organic matter.

  10. Isotopic tracers of sources, wells and of CO2 reactivity in geological reservoirs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assayag, N.

    2006-12-01

    The aim of this research works consisted in studying the behaviour of the carbonate system (dissolved inorganic carbon: DIC) following a CO 2 injection (artificial or natural), in geological reservoirs. One part of the study consisted in improving an analytical protocol for the measurement of δ 13 C DIC and DIC, using a continuous flow mass spectrometer. As a first study, we have focused our attention on the Pavin Lake (Massif Central, France). Owing to its limnologic characteristics (meromictic lake) and a deep volcanic CO 2 contribution, it can be viewed as a natural analogue of reservoir storing important quantities of CO 2 in the bottom part. Isotopic measurements (δ 18 O, δ 13 C DIC) allowed to better constrain the dynamics of the lake (stratification, seasonal variations), the magnitudes of biological activities (photosynthesis, organic matter decay, methane oxidation, methano-genesis), carbon sources (magmatic, methano-genetic), and the hydrological budgets (sub-lacustrine inputs). The second study was conducted on the Lamont-Doherty test well site (NY, USA). It includes an instrumental borehole which cuts through most of the section of the Palisades sill and into the Newark Basin sediments. Single well push-pull tests were performed: a test solution containing conservative tracers and a reactive tracer (CO 2 ) was injected at a permeable depth interval located in basaltic and meta sedimentary rocks. After an incubation period, the test solution/groundwater mixture was extracted from the hydraulically isolated zone. Isotopic measurements (δ 18 O, δ 13 C DIC) confronted to chemical data (major elements) allowed to investigate the extent of in-situ CO 2 -water-rock interactions: essentially calcite dissolution and at a lesser extend silicate dissolution...and for one of the test, CO 2 degassing. (author)

  11. On the relations between the oceanic uptake of CO2 and its carbon isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heimann, M.; Maier-Reimer, E.

    1994-01-01

    The recent proposals to estimate the oceanic uptake of CO 2 by monitoring the oceanic change in 13 C/ 12 C isotope ratio or the air-sea 13 C/ 12 C isotopic disequilibrium is reviewed. Because the history of atmospheric CO 2 and 13 CO 2 since preindustrial times is almost the same, the oceanic penetration depth of both tracers must be the same. This dynamic constraint permits the establishment of yet a third method to estimate the global ocean uptake of CO 2 from 13 C measurements. Using available observations in conjunction with canonical values for the global carbon cycle parameters the three methods yield inconsistent oceanic CO 2 uptake rates for the time period 1970-1990, ranging from 0 to over 3 GtC year -1 . However, uncertainties in the available carbon cycle data must be taken into account. Using a non-linear estimation procedure, a consistent scenario with an oceanic CO 2 uptake rate of 2.2±0.8 GtC year -1 can be established. The method also permits an investigation of the sensitivities of the different approaches. An analysis of the results of two three-dimensional simulations with the Hamburg Model of the Oceanic Carbon Cycle shows that the 13 C isotope indeed tracks the oceanic penetration of anthropogenic CO 2 . Because of its different time history, bomb produced radiocarbon, as measured at the time of GEOSECS, correlates much less well to excess carbon. (orig.)

  12. High-precision dual-inlet IRMS measurements of the stable isotopes of CO2 and the N2O / CO2 ratio from polar ice core samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. K. Bauska

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available An important constraint on mechanisms of past carbon cycle variability is provided by the stable isotopic composition of carbon in atmospheric carbon dioxide (δ13C-CO2 trapped in polar ice cores, but obtaining very precise measurements has proven to be a significant analytical challenge. Here we describe a new technique to determine the δ13C of CO2 at very high precision, as well as measuring the CO2 and N2O mixing ratios. In this method, ancient air is extracted from relatively large ice samples (~400 g with a dry-extraction "ice grater" device. The liberated air is cryogenically purified to a CO2 and N2O mixture and analyzed with a microvolume-equipped dual-inlet IRMS (Thermo MAT 253. The reproducibility of the method, based on replicate analysis of ice core samples, is 0.02‰ for δ13C-CO2 and 2 ppm and 4 ppb for the CO2 and N2O mixing ratios, respectively (1σ pooled standard deviation. Our experiments show that minimizing water vapor pressure in the extraction vessel by housing the grating apparatus in a ultralow-temperature freezer (−60 °C improves the precision and decreases the experimental blank of the method to −0.07 ± 0.04‰. We describe techniques for accurate calibration of small samples and the application of a mass-spectrometric method based on source fragmentation for reconstructing the N2O history of the atmosphere. The oxygen isotopic composition of CO2 is also investigated, confirming previous observations of oxygen exchange between gaseous CO2 and solid H2O within the ice archive. These data offer a possible constraint on oxygen isotopic fractionation during H2O and CO2 exchange below the H2O bulk melting temperature.

  13. Improved repetition rate mixed isotope CO{sub 2} TEA laser

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cohn, D. B., E-mail: dbctechnology@earthlink.net [DBC Technology Corp., 4221 Mesa St, Torrance, California 90505 (United States)

    2014-09-15

    A compact CO{sub 2} TEA laser has been developed for remote chemical detection that operates at a repetition rate of 250 Hz. It emits 700 mJ/pulse at 10.6 μm in a multimode beam with the {sup 12}C{sup 16}O{sub 2} isotope. With mixed {sup 12}C{sup 16}O{sub 2} plus {sup 13}C{sup 16}O{sub 2} isotopes it emits multiple lines in both isotope manifolds to improve detection of a broad range of chemicals. In particular, output pulse energies are 110 mJ/pulse at 9.77 μm, 250 mJ/pulse at 10 μm, and 550 mJ/pulse at 11.15 μm, useful for detection of the chemical agents Sarin, Tabun, and VX. Related work shows capability for long term sealed operation with a catalyst and an agile tuner at a wavelength shift rate of 200 Hz.

  14. Quantitative measurement of carbon isotopic composition in CO2 gas reservoir by Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiajia; Li, Rongxi; Zhao, Bangsheng; Guo, Hui; Zhang, Shuan; Cheng, Jinghua; Wu, Xiaoli

    2018-04-01

    The use of Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy technology for quantitatively determining gas carbon isotope composition is presented. In this study, 12CO2 and 13CO2 were mixed with N2 at various molar fraction ratios to obtain Raman quantification factors (F12CO2 and F13CO2), which provide a theoretical basis for calculating the δ13C value. And the corresponding values were 0.523 (0 Laser Raman analysis were carried out on natural CO2 gas from Shengli Oil-field at room temperature under different pressures. The δ13C values obtained by Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy technology and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) technology are in good agreement with each other, and the relative errors range of δ13C values is 1.232%-6.964%. This research provides a fundamental analysis tool for determining gas carbon isotope composition (δ13C values) quantitatively by using Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy. Experiment of results demonstrates that this method has the potential for obtaining δ13C values in natural CO2 gas reservoirs.

  15. BASIN TCP Stable Isotope Composition of CO2 in Terrestrial Ecosystems

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set reports stable isotope ratio data of CO2 (13C/12C and 18O/16O) associated with photosynthetic and respiratory exchanges across the...

  16. BASIN TCP Stable Isotope Composition of CO2 in Terrestrial Ecosystems

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set reports stable isotope ratio data of CO2 (13C/12C and 18O/16O) associated with photosynthetic and respiratory exchanges across the biosphere-atmosphere...

  17. Concentration and stable carbon isotopic composition of CO2 in cave air of Postojnska jama, Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magda Mandic

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2 and its isotopic composition (δ13CairCO2 were measured in Postojnska jama, Slovenia, at 10 locations inside the cave and outside the cave during a one-year period. At all interior locations the pCO2 was higher and δ13CairCO2 lower than in the outside atmosphere. Strong seasonal fluctuations in both parameters were observed at locations deeper in the cave, which are isolated from the cave air circulation. By using a binary mixing model of two sources of CO2, one of them being the atmospheric CO2, we show that the excess of CO2 in the cave air has a δ13C value of -23.3 ± 0.7 ‰, in reasonable agreement with the previously measured soil-CO2 δ13C values. The stable isotope data suggest that soil CO2 is brought to the cave by drip water.

  18. Relation between separation factor of carbon isotope and chemical reaction of CO2 with amine in nonaqueous solvent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeshita, Kenji; Kitamoto, Asashi

    1989-01-01

    The separation factor for carbon isotope exchange reaction between CO 2 and amine in nonaqueous solvent was related to absorption reaction of CO 2 in a solution. The test solutions were mixtures of primary amine (such as butylamine and tert-butylamine) or secondary amine (such as diethylamine, dipropylamine and dibutylamine) diluted with nonpolar solvent (octane or triethyalmine) or polar solvent (methanol), respectively. The isotope exchange reaction consists of three steps related to chemical reaction of CO 2 in amine and nonaqueous solvent mixture, namely the reaction between CO 2 and carbamic acid, that between CO 2 and amine carbamate, and that between CO 2 and carbamic ion. Above all, the isotope separation factor between CO 2 and carbamic acid had the highest value. The overall separation factor can be higher in amine-nonaqueous solvent mixture where the concentration of carbamic acid becomes higher. (author)

  19. Conditional CO2 flux analysis of a managed grassland with the aid of stable isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeeman, M. J.; Tuzson, B.; Emmenegger, L.; Knohl, A.; Buchmann, N.; Eugster, W.

    2009-04-01

    Short statured managed ecosystems, such as agricultural grasslands, exhibit high temporal changes in carbon dioxide assimilation and respiration fluxes for which measurements of the net CO2 flux, e.g. by using the eddy covariance (EC) method, give only limited insight. We have therefore adopted a recently proposed concept for conditional EC flux analysis of forest to grasslands, in order to identify and quantify daytime sub-canopy respiration fluxes. To validate the concept, high frequency (≈5 Hz) stable carbon isotope analyis of CO2 was used. We made eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and its isotopologues during four days in August 2007, using a novel quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer, capable of high time resolution stable isotope analysis. The effects of a grass cut during the measurement period could be detected and resulted in a sub-canopy source conditional flux classification, for which the isotope composition of the CO2 could be confirmed to be of a respiration source. However, the conditional flux method did not work for an undisturbed grassland canopy. We attribute this to the flux measurement height that was chosen well above the roughness sublayer, where the natural isotopic tracer (δ13C) of respiration was too well mixed with background air.

  20. Declining Atmospheric pCO2 During the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene: New Insights from Paired Alkenone and Coccolith Stable Isotope Barometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelps, S. R.; Polissar, P. J.; deMenocal, P. B.; Swann, J. P.; Guo, M. Y.; Stoll, H. M.

    2015-12-01

    The relationship between atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate is broadly understood for the Cenozoic era: warmer periods are associated with higher atmospheric carbon dioxide. This understanding is supported by atmospheric samples of the past 800,000 years from ice cores, which suggest CO2 levels play a key role in regulating global climate on glacial interglacial timescales as well. In this context, the late Miocene poses a challenge: sea-surface temperatures indicate substantial global warmth, though existing data suggest atmospheric CO2 concentrations were lower than pre-industrial values. Recent work using the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of coccolith calcite has demonstrated these organisms began actively diverting inorganic carbon away from calcification and to the site of photosynthesis during the late Miocene. This process occurs in culture experiments in response to low aqueous CO2 concentrations, and suggests decreasing atmospheric pCO2 values during the late Miocene. Here we present new data from ODP Site 806 in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean that supports declining atmospheric CO2 across the late Miocene. Carbon isotope values of coccolith calcite from Site 806 demonstrate carbon limitation and re-allocation of inorganic carbon to photosynthesis starting between ~8 and 6 Ma. The timing of this limitation at Site 806 precedes shifts at other ODP sites, reflecting the higher mixed layer temperature and resultant lower CO2 solubility at Site 806. New measurements of carbon isotope values from alkenones at Site 806 show an increase in photosynthetic carbon fractionation (ɛp) accompanied the carbon limitation evident from coccolith calcite stable isotope data. While higher ɛp is typically interpreted as higher CO2 concentrations, at Site 806, our data suggest it reflects enhancement of chloroplast CO2 from active carbon transport by the coccolithophore algae in response to lower CO2 concentrations. Our new data from ODP Site

  1. Quantitative measurement of carbon isotopic composition in CO2 gas reservoir by Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jiajia; Li, Rongxi; Zhao, Bangsheng; Guo, Hui; Zhang, Shuan; Cheng, Jinghua; Wu, Xiaoli

    2018-04-15

    The use of Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy technology for quantitatively determining gas carbon isotope composition is presented. In this study, 12 CO 2 and 13 CO 2 were mixed with N 2 at various molar fraction ratios to obtain Raman quantification factors (F 12CO2 and F 13CO2 ), which provide a theoretical basis for calculating the δ 13 C value. And the corresponding values were 0.523 (0Raman peak area can be used for the determination of δ 13 C values within the relative errors range of 0.076% to 1.154% in 13 CO 2 / 12 CO 2 binary mixtures when F 12CO2 /F 13CO2 is 0.466972625. In addition, measurement of δ 13 C values by Micro-Laser Raman analysis were carried out on natural CO 2 gas from Shengli Oil-field at room temperature under different pressures. The δ 13 C values obtained by Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy technology and Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) technology are in good agreement with each other, and the relative errors range of δ 13 C values is 1.232%-6.964%. This research provides a fundamental analysis tool for determining gas carbon isotope composition (δ 13 C values) quantitatively by using Micro-Laser Raman spectroscopy. Experiment of results demonstrates that this method has the potential for obtaining δ 13 C values in natural CO 2 gas reservoirs. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Oxygen isotope anomaly in tropospheric CO2 and implications for CO2 residence time in the atmosphere and gross primary productivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Mao-Chang; Mahata, Sasadhar; Laskar, Amzad H; Thiemens, Mark H; Newman, Sally

    2017-10-13

    The abundance variations of near surface atmospheric CO 2 isotopologues (primarily 16 O 12 C 16 O, 16 O 13 C 16 O, 17 O 12 C 16 O, and 18 O 12 C 16 O) represent an integrated signal from anthropogenic/biogeochemical processes, including fossil fuel burning, biospheric photosynthesis and respiration, hydrospheric isotope exchange with water, and stratospheric photochemistry. Oxygen isotopes, in particular, are affected by the carbon and water cycles. Being a useful tracer that directly probes governing processes in CO 2 biogeochemical cycles, Δ 17 O (=ln(1 + δ 17 O) - 0.516 × ln(1 + δ 18 O)) provides an alternative constraint on the strengths of the associated cycles involving CO 2 . Here, we analyze Δ 17 O data from four places (Taipei, Taiwan; South China Sea; La Jolla, United States; Jerusalem, Israel) in the northern hemisphere (with a total of 455 measurements) and find a rather narrow range (0.326 ± 0.005‰). A conservative estimate places a lower limit of 345 ± 70 PgC year -1 on the cycling flux between the terrestrial biosphere and atmosphere and infers a residence time of CO 2 of 1.9 ± 0.3 years (upper limit) in the atmosphere. A Monte Carlo simulation that takes various plant uptake scenarios into account yields a terrestrial gross primary productivity of 120 ± 30 PgC year -1 and soil invasion of 110 ± 30 PgC year -1 , providing a quantitative assessment utilizing the oxygen isotope anomaly for quantifying CO 2 cycling.

  3. A quantum cascade laser infrared spectrometer for CO2 stable isotope analysis: Field implementation at a hydrocarbon contaminated site under bio-remediation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guimbaud, Christophe; Noel, Cécile; Chartier, Michel; Catoire, Valéry; Blessing, Michaela; Gourry, Jean Christophe; Robert, Claude

    2016-02-01

    Real-time methods to monitor stable isotope ratios of CO2 are needed to identify biogeochemical origins of CO2 emissions from the soil-air interface. An isotope ratio infra-red spectrometer (IRIS) has been developed to measure CO2 mixing ratio with δ(13)C isotopic signature, in addition to mixing ratios of other greenhouse gases (CH4, N2O). The original aspects of the instrument as well as its precision and accuracy for the determination of the isotopic signature δ(13)C of CO2 are discussed. A first application to biodegradation of hydrocarbons is presented, tested on a hydrocarbon contaminated site under aerobic bio-treatment. CO2 flux measurements using closed chamber method is combined with the determination of the isotopic signature δ(13)C of the CO2 emission to propose a non-intrusive method to monitor in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons. In the contaminated area, high CO2 emissions have been measured with an isotopic signature δ(13)C suggesting that CO2 comes from petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation. This first field implementation shows that rapid and accurate measurement of isotopic signature of CO2 emissions is particularly useful in assessing the contribution of contaminant degradation to the measured CO2 efflux and is promising as a monitoring tool for aerobic bio-treatment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Stable isotope ratios of the atmospheric CH4, CO2 and N2O in Tokai-mura

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porntepkasemsan, Boonsom; Andoh, Mariko A.; Amano, Hikaru

    2000-11-01

    This report presents the results and interpretation of stable isotope ratios of the atmospheric CH 4 , CO 2 and N 2 O from a variety of sources in Tokai-mura. The seasonal changes of δ 13 CH 4 , δ 13 CO 2 and δ 15 N 2 O were determined under in-situ conditions in four sampling sites and one control site. Such measurements are expected to provide a useful means of estimating the transport mechanisms of the three trace gases in the environment. These isotopic signatures were analyzed by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS, Micromass Isoprime). Our data showed the significant seasonal fluctuation in the Hosoura rice paddy during the entire growing season in 1999. Possible causes for the variation are postulated. Additional measurements on soil properties and on organic δ 13 C in rice plant are suggested. Cited outstanding original papers are summarized in the references. (author)

  5. The effects of atmospheric [CO2] on carbon isotope fractionation and magnesium incorporation into biogenic marine calcite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Veronica

    1997-01-01

    The influences of atmospheric carbon dioxide on the fractionation of carbon isotopes and the magnesium incorporation into biogenic marine calcite were investigated using samples of the calcareous alga Amphiroa and benthic foraminifer Sorites grown in the Biosphere 2 Ocean system under variable atmospheric CO2 concentrations (approximately 500 to 1200 ppm). Carbon isotope fractionation was studied in both the organic matter and the skeletal carbonate. Magnesium analysis was to be performed on the carbonate removed during decalcification. These data have not been collected due to technical problems. Carbon isotope data from Amphiroa yields a linear relation between [CO2] and Delta(sup 13)C(sub Corg)values suggesting that the fractionation of carbon isotopes during photosynthesis is positively correlated with atmospheric [CO2]. [CO2] and Delta(sup 13)C(sub Corg) values for Sorites produce a relation that is best described by a hyperbolic function where Delta(sup 13)C(sub Corg) values increase between 300 and 700 ppm and decrease from 700 to 1200 ppm. Further investigation of this relation and Sorites physiology is needed.

  6. The isotopic composition of CO in vehicle exhaust

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naus, S.; Röckmann, T.; Popa, M. E.

    2018-03-01

    We investigated the isotopic composition of CO in the exhaust of individual vehicles. Additionally, the CO2 isotopes, and the CO:CO2, CH4:CO2 and H2:CO gas ratios were measured. This was done under idling and revving conditions, and for three vehicles in a full driving cycle on a testbench. The spread in the results, even for a single vehicle, was large: for δ13 C in CO ∼ -60 to 0‰, for δ18 O in CO ∼ +10 to +35‰, and for all gas ratios several orders of magnitude. The results show an increase in the spread of isotopic values for CO compared to previous studies, suggesting that increasing complexity of emission control in vehicles might be reflected in the isotopic composition. When including all samples, we find a weighted mean for the δ13 C and δ18 O in CO of -28.7 ± 0.5‰ and +24.8 ± 0.3‰ respectively. This result is dominated by cold petrol vehicles. Diesel vehicles behaved as a distinct group, with CO enriched in 13C and depleted in 18O, compared to petrol vehicles. For the H2:CO ratio of all vehicles, we found a value of 0.71 ± 0.31 ppb:ppb. The CO:CO2 ratio, with a mean of 19.4 ± 6.8 ppb:ppm, and the CH4:CO2 ratio, with a mean of 0.26 ± 0.05 ppb:ppm, are both higher than recent literature indicates. This is likely because our sampling distribution was biased towards cold vehicles, and therefore towards higher emission situations. The CH4:CO2 ratio was found to behave similarly to the CO:CO2 ratio, suggesting that the processes affecting CO and CH4 are similar. The δ13 C values in CO2 were close to the expected δ13 C in fuel, with no significant difference between petrol and diesel vehicles. The δ18 O values in CO2 for petrol vehicles covered a range of 20-35‰, similar to the δ18 O of CO. The δ18 O values in CO2 for diesel vehicles were close to the δ18 O in atmospheric oxygen. A set of polluted atmospheric samples, taken near a highway and inside parking garages, showed an isotopic signature of CO and a H2:CO ratio that were

  7. A Practical Cryogen-Free CO2 Purification and Freezing Technique for Stable Isotope Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakai, Saburo; Matsuda, Shinichi

    2017-04-18

    Since isotopic analysis by mass spectrometry began in the early 1900s, sample gas for light-element isotopic measurements has been purified by the use of cryogens and vacuum-line systems. However, this conventional purification technique can achieve only certain temperatures that depend on the cryogens and can be sustained only as long as there is a continuous cryogen supply. Here, we demonstrate a practical cryogen-free CO 2 purification technique using an electrical operated cryocooler for stable isotope analysis. This approach is based on portable free-piston Stirling cooling technology and controls the temperature to an accuracy of 0.1 °C in a range from room temperature to -196 °C (liquid-nitrogen temperature). The lowest temperature can be achieved in as little as 10 min. We successfully purified CO 2 gas generated by carbonates and phosphoric acid reaction and found its sublimation point to be -155.6 °C at 0.1 Torr in the vacuum line. This means that the temperature required for CO 2 trapping is much higher than the liquid-nitrogen temperature. Our portable cooling system offers the ability to be free from the inconvenience of cryogen use for stable isotope analysis. It also offers a new cooling method applicable to a number of fields that use gas measurements.

  8. Genesis of fumarolic emissions as inferred by isotope mass balances: CO 2 and water at Vulcano Island, Italy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paonita, A.; Favara, R.; Nuccio, P. M.; Sortino, F.

    2002-03-01

    We have developed a quantitative model of CO2 and H2O isotopic mixing between magmatic and hydrothermal gases for the fumarolic emissions of the La Fossa crater (Vulcano Island, Italy). On the basis of isotope balance equations, the model takes into account the isotope equilibrium between H2O and CO2 and extends the recent model of chemical and energy two-end-member mixing by Nuccio et al. (1999). As a result, the H2O and CO2 content and the δD, δ18O, and δ13C isotope compositions for both magmatic and hydrothermal end-members have been assessed. Low contributions of meteoric steam, added at a shallow depth, have been also recognized and quantified in the fumaroles throughout the period from 1988 to 1998. Nonequilibrium oxygen isotope exchange also seems to be occurring between ascending gases and wall rocks along some fumarolic conduits. The δ13CCO2 of the magmatic gases varies around -3 to 1‰ vs. Peedee belemnite (PDB), following a perfect synchronism with the variations of the CO2 concentration in the magmatic gases. This suggests a process of isotope fractionation because of vapor exsolution caused by magma depressurization. The hydrogen isotopes in the magmatic gases (-1 to -‰ vs. standard mean ocean water [SMOW]), as well as the above δ13CCO2 value, are coherent with a convergent tectonic setting of magma generation, where the local mantle is widely contaminated by fluids released from the subducted slab. Magma contamination in the crust probably amplifies this effect. The computed isotope composition of carbon and hydrogen in the hydrothermal vapors has been used to calculate the δD and δ13C of the entire hydrothermal system, including mixed H2O-CO2 vapor, liquid water, and dissolved carbon. We have computed values of about 10‰ vs. SMOW for water and -2 to -6.5‰ vs. PDB for CO2. On these grounds, we think that Mediterranean marine water (δDH2O ≈ 10‰) feeds the hydrothermal system. It infiltrates at depth throughout the local rocks

  9. Automated CO2 extraction from air for clumped isotope analysis in the atmo- and biosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmann, Magdalena; Ziegler, Martin; Pons, Thijs; Lourens, Lucas; Röckmann, Thomas

    2015-04-01

    The conventional stable isotope ratios 13C/12C and 18O/16O in atmospheric CO2 are a powerful tool for unraveling the global carbon cycle. In recent years, it has been suggested that the abundance of the very rare isotopologue 13C18O16O on m/z 47 might be a promising tracer to complement conventional stable isotope analysis of atmospheric CO2 [Affek and Eiler, 2006; Affek et al. 2007; Eiler and Schauble, 2004; Yeung et al., 2009]. Here we present an automated analytical system that is designed for clumped isotope analysis of atmo- and biospheric CO2. The carbon dioxide gas is quantitatively extracted from about 1.5L of air (ATP). The automated stainless steel extraction and purification line consists of three main components: (i) a drying unit (a magnesium perchlorate unit and a cryogenic water trap), (ii) two CO2 traps cooled with liquid nitrogen [Werner et al., 2001] and (iii) a GC column packed with Porapak Q that can be cooled with liquid nitrogen to -30°C during purification and heated up to 230°C in-between two extraction runs. After CO2 extraction and purification, the CO2 is automatically transferred to the mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometric analysis of the 13C18O16O abundance is carried out in dual inlet mode on a MAT 253 mass spectrometer. Each analysis generally consists of 80 change-over-cycles. Three additional Faraday cups were added to the mass spectrometer for simultaneous analysis of the mass-to-charge ratios 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49. The reproducibility for δ13C, δ18O and Δ47 for repeated CO2 extractions from air is in the range of 0.11o (SD), 0.18o (SD) and 0.02 (SD)o respectively. This automated CO2 extraction and purification system will be used to analyse the clumped isotopic signature in atmospheric CO2 (tall tower, Cabauw, Netherlands) and to study the clumped isotopic fractionation during photosynthesis (leaf chamber experiments) and soil respiration. References Affek, H. P., Xu, X. & Eiler, J. M., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 71, 5033

  10. CO2 and 12C:13C Isotopic Ratios on Phoebe and Iapetus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, R. N.; Brown, R. H.; Cruikshank, D. P.

    2016-12-01

    Cassini VIMS has obtained spatially resolved 0.35 to 5.1 micron reflectance spectra of Saturn's satellites beginning with the Phoebe fly-by in 2004 and a close fly-by of Iapetus in 2007. Both surfaces contain relatively abundant CO2. The new (2016 RC19) calibration of VIMS has provided a significant increase in the data quality, such that isotopic absorption bands in CO2 are now well defined. CO2 on Saturn's icy satellites is trapped (Cruikshank et al., 2010, Icarus v206 p561; Pinilla-Alonso et al. 2011, Icarus v211, p75i), predominantly in the dark material (Clark et al. 2012, Icarus v218 p831). Clark et al. modeled the CO2 abundance as 2.8% on Iapetus and 3.7% on Phoebe. The main 12CO2 band in VIMS spectra on Iapetus occurs at 4.253 microns and Phoebe at 4.266 microns. The 13CO2 absorption is strong on Phoebe at 4.367 microns and weak on Iapetus at 4.387 microns. Converting the Phoebe, Iapetus, and a lab reflectance spectrum (of trace H2O-CO2 mixture on a diffuse substrate), we derive preliminary values for the ratio of the equivalent widths of the 12C and 13C absorptions as 19±2 on Phoebe, 82±8 on Iapetus, and 98±10 for the laboratory spectrum. These ratios are related to the 12C/13C ratio, but there may be effects due to intra-molecular and inter-molecular coupling that will contribute to systematic errors in the isotopic abundances derived using equivalent-width measurements that we've yet to quantify. We Believe the effects are small, and will be attempting to quantify them in the future. For comparison, the terrestrial value of the 12C/13C ratio is 90.17, and vibrational coupling may explain the slightly high lab mixture result. The local interstellar medium is 69±15 (Boogert et al., 2000, A&A). Because the CO2 bands on Phoebe and Iapetus dark material have different positions, and because the observed 13C absorption strengths are so different, the surface evolutions must be different. The large enrichment in 13C on Phoebe argues for significant

  11. Validation of 13CO2 breath analysis as a measurement of demethylation of stable isotope labeled aminopyrine in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, J.F.; Schoeller, D.A.; Nemchausky, B.; Bayer, J.L.; Klein, P.

    1978-01-01

    Interval sampling of expired breath as a simple, non-invasive assessment of the effect of liver disease upon hepatic microsomal drug metabolism, has been demonstrated with [ 14 C] dimethylaminoantipyrine (aminopyrine). In order to eliminate radiation risk the authors have validated the use of aminopyrine labeled with the stable, non-radioactive isotope 13 C. Simultaneous oral administration of both [ 14 C]- and [ 13 C] aminopyrine to five adult subjects without liver disease as well as five patients with known liver disease, resulted in the excretion of label at nearly identical rates in both individual time collections (r=0.94) as well as cumulative excretion for three hours (r=0.97). An oral dose of 2-mg/kg of [ 13 C) aminopyrine resulted in rates of production of 13 CO 2 significantly greater than baseline variations in 13 CO 2 production in the fasting, resting subject. Measurements of a single peak value at one half hour correlated closely with the determination of cumulative appearance over three hours (r=0.96). A consistent reproducible increase in the peak production of 13 CO 2 was observed when five patients received phenobarbital. Stable isotope labeled aminopyrine may be used to detect the effects of disease and treatment upon hepatic N-demethylation activity in human subjects without incurring any risk from radiation. Furthermore, the availability of another isotopic carbon label should make possible the study of direct drug-drug interaction utilizing CO 2 analysis. (Auth.)

  12. Groundwater data improve modelling of headwater stream CO2 outgassing with a stable DIC isotope approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, Anne; Conrad, Marcus; Aizinger, Vadym; Prechtel, Alexander; van Geldern, Robert; Barth, Johannes A. C.

    2018-05-01

    A large portion of terrestrially derived carbon outgasses as carbon dioxide (CO2) from streams and rivers to the atmosphere. Particularly, the amount of CO2 outgassing from small headwater streams is highly uncertain. Conservative estimates suggest that they contribute 36 % (i.e. 0.93 petagrams (Pg) C yr-1) of total CO2 outgassing from all fluvial ecosystems on the globe. In this study, stream pCO2, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and δ13CDIC data were used to determine CO2 outgassing from an acidic headwater stream in the Uhlířská catchment (Czech Republic). This stream drains a catchment with silicate bedrock. The applied stable isotope model is based on the principle that the 13C / 12C ratio of its sources and the intensity of CO2 outgassing control the isotope ratio of DIC in stream water. It avoids the use of the gas transfer velocity parameter (k), which is highly variable and mostly difficult to constrain. Model results indicate that CO2 outgassing contributed more than 80 % to the annual stream inorganic carbon loss in the Uhlířská catchment. This translated to a CO2 outgassing rate from the stream of 34.9 kg C m-2 yr-1 when normalised to the stream surface area. Large temporal variations with maximum values shortly before spring snowmelt and in summer emphasise the need for investigations at higher temporal resolution. We improved the model uncertainty by incorporating groundwater data to better constrain the isotope compositions of initial DIC. Due to the large global abundance of acidic, humic-rich headwaters, we underline the importance of this integral approach for global applications.

  13. Photodissociation spectroscopy of the Mg + -CO2 complex and its isotopic analogs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeh, C. S.; Willey, K. F.; Robbins, D. L.; Pilgrim, J. S.; Duncan, M. A.

    1993-02-01

    Mg+-CO2 ion-molecule cluster complexes are produced by laser vaporization in a pulsed nozzle cluster source. The vibronic spectroscopy in these complexes is studied with mass-selected photodissociation spectroscopy in a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Two excited electronic states are observed (2) 2Σ+ and 2Π. The 2Π state has a vibrational progression in the metal-CO2 stretching mode (ωe'=381.8 cm-1). The complexes are linear (Mg+-OCO) and are bound by the charge-quadrupole interaction. The dissociation energy (D0`) is 14.7 kcal/mol. Corresponding spectra are measured for each of the 24, 25, and 26 isotopes of magnesium. These results are compared to theoretical predictions made by Bauschlicher and co-workers.

  14. Preferential flow pathways revealed by field based stable isotope analysis of CO2 by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Geldern, Robert; Nowak, Martin; Zimmer, Martin; Szizybalski, Alexandra; Myrttinen, Anssi; Barth, Johannes A. C.; Jost, Hj

    2016-04-01

    A newly developed and commercially available isotope ratio laser spectrometer for CO2 analyses has been tested during a 10-day field monitoring campaign at the Ketzin pilot site for CO2 storage in northern Germany. The laser instrument is based on tunable laser direct absorption in the mid-infrared. The instrument recorded a continuous 10-day carbon stable isotope data set with 30 minutes resolution directly on-site in a field-based laboratory container during a tracer experiment. To test the instruments performance and accuracy the monitoring campaign was accompanied by daily CO2 sampling for laboratory analyses with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The carbon stable isotope ratios measured by conventional IRMS technique and by the new mid-infrared laser spectrometer agree remarkably well within 2σ analytical precision (<0.3 ‰). This proves the capability of the new mid-infrared direct absorption technique to measure high precision and accurate real-time table isotope data directly in the field. The injected CO2 tracer had a distinct δ13C value that was largely different from the reservoir background value. The laser spectroscopy data revealed a prior to this study unknown, intensive dynamic with fast changing δ13C values. The arrival pattern of the tracer suggest that the observed fluctuations were probably caused by migration along separate and distinct preferential flow paths between injection well and observation well. The new technique might contribute to a better tracing of the migration of the underground CO2 plume and help to ensure the long-term integrity of the reservoir.

  15. Oxygen isotope systematics of chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite and implications for the CO-CM relationship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaumard, Noël; Defouilloy, Céline; Kita, Noriko T.

    2018-05-01

    High-precision oxygen three-isotope measurements of olivine and pyroxene were performed on 29 chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The oxygen isotope ratios of analyzed chondrules all plot very close to the primitive chondrule minerals (PCM) line. In each of 24 chondrules, the olivine and/or pyroxene grains analyzed show indistinguishable oxygen isotope ratios. Exceptions are minor occurrences of isotopically distinguished relict olivine grains, which were found in nine chondrules. The isotope homogeneity of these phenocrysts is consistent with a co-magmatic crystallization of olivine and pyroxene from the final chondrule melts and a significant oxygen isotope exchange between the ambient gas and the melts. Homogeneous type I chondrules with Mg#'s of 98.9-99.5 have host chondrule Δ17O values ranging from -6.0‰ to -4.1‰, with one exception (Δ17O: -1.2‰; Mg#: 99.6). Homogeneous chondrules with Mg#'s poor H2O ice (∼0.3-0.4× the CI dust; Δ17O > 0‰) and at dust enrichments of ∼300-2000×. Regarding the Mg# and oxygen isotope ratios, the chondrule populations sampled by CM and CO chondrites are similar and indistinguishable. The similarity of these 16O-rich components in CO and CM chondrites is also supported by the common Fe/Mn ratio of olivine in type II chondrules. Although they accreted similar high-temperature silicates, CO chondrites are anhydrous compared to CM chondrites, suggesting they derived from different parent bodies formed inside and outside the snow line, respectively. If chondrules in CO and CM chondrites formed at the same disk locations but the CM parent body accreted later than the CO parent body, the snow line might have crossed the common chondrule-forming region towards the Sun between the time of the CO and CM parent bodies accretion.

  16. Seasonal variability of soil CO2 flux and its carbon isotope composition in Krakow urban area, Southern Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jasek, Alina; Zimnoch, Miroslaw; Gorczyca, Zbigniew; Smula, Ewa; Rozanski, Kazimierz

    2014-06-01

    As urban atmosphere is depleted of (13)CO2, its imprint should be detectable in the local vegetation and therefore in its CO2 respiratory emissions. This work was aimed at characterising strength and isotope signature of CO2 fluxes from soil in urban areas with varying distances from anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The soil CO2 flux and its δ(13)C isotope signature were measured using a chamber method on a monthly basis from July 2009 to May 2012 within the metropolitan area of Krakow, Southern Poland, at two locations representing different levels of anthropogenic influence: a lawn adjacent to a busy street (A) and an urban meadow (B). The small-scale spatial variability of the soil CO2 flux was also investigated at site B. Site B revealed significantly higher summer CO2 fluxes (by approximately 46 %) than site A, but no significant differences were found between their δ(13)CO2 signatures.

  17. Groundwater data improve modelling of headwater stream CO2 outgassing with a stable DIC isotope approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Marx

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A large portion of terrestrially derived carbon outgasses as carbon dioxide (CO2 from streams and rivers to the atmosphere. Particularly, the amount of CO2 outgassing from small headwater streams is highly uncertain. Conservative estimates suggest that they contribute 36 % (i.e. 0.93 petagrams (Pg C yr−1 of total CO2 outgassing from all fluvial ecosystems on the globe. In this study, stream pCO2, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, and δ13CDIC data were used to determine CO2 outgassing from an acidic headwater stream in the Uhlířská catchment (Czech Republic. This stream drains a catchment with silicate bedrock. The applied stable isotope model is based on the principle that the 13C ∕ 12C ratio of its sources and the intensity of CO2 outgassing control the isotope ratio of DIC in stream water. It avoids the use of the gas transfer velocity parameter (k, which is highly variable and mostly difficult to constrain. Model results indicate that CO2 outgassing contributed more than 80 % to the annual stream inorganic carbon loss in the Uhlířská catchment. This translated to a CO2 outgassing rate from the stream of 34.9 kg C m−2 yr−1 when normalised to the stream surface area. Large temporal variations with maximum values shortly before spring snowmelt and in summer emphasise the need for investigations at higher temporal resolution. We improved the model uncertainty by incorporating groundwater data to better constrain the isotope compositions of initial DIC. Due to the large global abundance of acidic, humic-rich headwaters, we underline the importance of this integral approach for global applications.

  18. Fingerprinting captured CO2 using natural tracers: Determining CO2 fate and proving ownership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flude, Stephanie; Gilfillan, Stuart; Johnston, Gareth; Stuart, Finlay; Haszeldine, Stuart

    2016-04-01

    In the long term, captured CO2 will most likely be stored in large saline formations and it is highly likely that CO2 from multiple operators will be injected into a single saline formation. Understanding CO2 behavior within the reservoir is vital for making operational decisions and often uses geochemical techniques. Furthermore, in the event of a CO2 leak, being able to identify the owner of the CO2 is of vital importance in terms of liability and remediation. Addition of geochemical tracers to the CO2 stream is an effective way of tagging the CO2 from different power stations, but may become prohibitively expensive at large scale storage sites. Here we present results from a project assessing whether the natural isotopic composition (C, O and noble gas isotopes) of captured CO2 is sufficient to distinguish CO2 captured using different technologies and from different fuel sources, from likely baseline conditions. Results include analytical measurements of CO2 captured from a number of different CO2 capture plants and a comprehensive literature review of the known and hypothetical isotopic compositions of captured CO2 and baseline conditions. Key findings from the literature review suggest that the carbon isotope composition will be most strongly controlled by that of the feedstock, but significant fractionation is possible during the capture process; oxygen isotopes are likely to be controlled by the isotopic composition of any water used in either the industrial process or the capture technology; and noble gases concentrations will likely be controlled by the capture technique employed. Preliminary analytical results are in agreement with these predictions. Comparison with summaries of likely storage reservoir baseline and shallow or surface leakage reservoir baseline data suggests that C-isotopes are likely to be valuable tracers of CO2 in the storage reservoir, while noble gases may be particularly valuable as tracers of potential leakage.

  19. Stable carbon isotope fractionation of organic cyst-forming dinoflagellates: Evaluating the potential for a CO2 proxy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoins, Mirja; Van de Waal, Dedmer B.; Eberlein, Tim; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Rost, Björn; Sluijs, Appy

    2015-07-01

    Over the past decades, significant progress has been made regarding the quantification and mechanistic understanding of stable carbon isotope fractionation (13C fractionation) in photosynthetic unicellular organisms in response to changes in the partial pressure of atmospheric CO2 (pCO2). However, hardly any data is available for organic cyst-forming dinoflagellates while this is an ecologically important group with a unique fossil record. We performed dilute batch experiments with four harmful dinoflagellate species known for their ability to form organic cysts: Alexandrium tamarense, Scrippsiella trochoidea, Gonyaulax spinifera and Protoceratium reticulatum. Cells were grown at a range of dissolved CO2 concentrations characterizing past, modern and projected future values (∼5-50 μmol L-1), representing atmospheric pCO2 of 180, 380, 800 and 1200 μatm. In all tested species, 13C fractionation depends on CO2 with a slope of up to 0.17‰ (μmol L)-1. Even more consistent correlations were found between 13C fractionation and the combined effects of particulate organic carbon quota (POC quota; pg C cell-1) and CO2. Carbon isotope fractionation as well as its response to CO2 is species-specific. These results may be interpreted as a first step towards a proxy for past pCO2 based on carbon isotope ratios of fossil organic dinoflagellate cysts. However, additional culture experiments focusing on environmental variables other than pCO2, physiological underpinning of the recorded response, testing for possible offsets in 13C values between cells and cysts, as well as field calibration studies are required to establish a reliable proxy.

  20. Near-IR laser-based spectrophotometer for comparative analysis of isotope content of CO2 in exhale air samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stepanov, E V; Glushko, A N; Kasoev, S G; Koval', A V; Lapshin, D A

    2011-01-01

    We present a laser spectrophotometer aimed at high-accuracy comparative analysis of content of 12 CO 2 and 13 CO 2 isotope modifications in the exhale air samples and based on a tunable near-IR diode laser (2.05 μm). The two-channel optical scheme of the spectrophotometer and the special digital system for its control are described. An algorithm of spectral data processing aimed at determining the difference in the isotope composition of gas mixtures is proposed. A few spectral regions (near 4880 cm -1 ) are determined to be optimal for analysis of relative content of 12 CO 2 and 13 CO 2 in the exhale air. The use of the proposed spectrophotometer scheme and the developed algorithm makes the results of the analysis less susceptible to the influence of the interference in optical elements, to the absorption in the open atmosphere, to the slow drift of the laser pulse envelope, and to the offset of optical channels. The sensitivity of the comparative analysis of the isotope content of CO 2 in exhale air samples, achieved using the proposed scheme, is estimated to be nearly 0.1‰.

  1. Oxygen isotope partitioning between rhyolitic glass/melt and CO2: An experimental study at 550-950 degrees C and 1 bar

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palin, J.M.; Epstein, S.; Stolper, E.M.

    1996-01-01

    Oxygen isotope partitioning between gaseous CO 2 and a natural rhyolitic glass and melt (77.7 wt% SiO 2 , 0.16 wt% H 2 O total ) has been measured at 550-950 degrees C and approximately 1 bar. Equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation factors (α CO2-rhyolite = ( 18 O/ 16 O) rhyolite ) determined in exchange experiments of 100-255 day duration. These values agree well with predictions based on experimentally determined oxygen isotope fractionation factors for CO 2 -silica glass and CO 2 -albitic glass/melt, if the rhyolitic glass is taken to be a simple mixture of normative silica and alkali feldspar components. The results indicate that oxygen isotope partitioning in felsic glasses and melts can be modeled by linear combinations of endmember silicate constituents. Rates of oxygen isotope exchange observed in the partitioning experiments are consistent with control by diffusion of molecular H 2 O dissolved in the glass/melt and are three orders of magnitude faster than predicted for rate control solely by diffusion of dissolved molecular CO 2 under the experimental conditions. Additional experiments using untreated and dehydrated (0.09 wt% H 2 O total ) rhyolitic glass quantatively support these interpretations. We conclude that diffusive oxygen isotope exchange in rhyolitic glass/melt, and probably other polymerized silicate materials, it controlled by the concentrations and diffusivities of dissolved oxygen-bearing volatile species rather than diffusion of network oxygen under all but the most volatile-poor conditions. 25 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab

  2. Shell-model results in fp and fpg9/2 spaces for 61,63,65Co isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, P. C.; Kota, V. K. B.

    2011-01-01

    Low-lying spectra and several high-spin states of odd-even 61,63,65 Co isotopes are calculated in two different shell-model spaces. First set of calculations have been carried out in fp-shell valence space (full fp space for 63,65 Co and a truncated one for 61 Co) using two recently derived fp-shell interactions, namely GXPF1A and KB3G, with 40 Ca as core. Similarly, the second set of calculations have been performed in fpg 9/2 valence space using an fpg effective interaction due to Sorlin et al., with 48 Ca as core and imposing a truncation. It is seen that the results of GXPF1A and KB3G are reasonable for 61,63 Co. For 65 Co, shell-model results show that the fpg interaction adopted in the study is inadequate and also points out that it is necessary to include orbitals higher than 1g 9/2 for neutron-rich Co isotopes.

  3. Trace gases and CO sub(2) isotope records from Cabo de Rama, India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Bhattacharya, S.K.; Borole, D.V.; Francey, R.J.; Allison, C.E.; Steele, L.P.; Krummel, P.; Langenfelds, R.; Masarie, K.A.; Tiwari, Y.K.; Patra, P.K.

    to avoid dan- gerous climate change due to GHG forced warming. Con- centrations of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O have increased at alarming rates, from preindustrial values of 280 ppm, 715 ppb and 270 ppb (circa. 1750) to 379 ppm, 1732 ppb and 319 ppb... an important effect on the con- centration and isotopic composition of atmospheric CO 2 , and the concentrations of other trace gases. Air sampling at CRI contributes to the global atmospheric composition study 10,11 . Given the potential for global impacts...

  4. Near Surface CO2 Triple Oxygen Isotope Composition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sasadhar Mahata

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available The isotopic composition of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a powerful tool for constraining its sources and sinks. In particular, the 17O oxygen anomaly [Δ17O = 1000 × ln(1 + δ17O/1000 - 0.516 × 1000 × ln(1 + δ18O/1000], with a value > 0.5‰ produced in the middle atmosphere, provides an ideal tool for probing the exchange of carbon dioxide between the biosphere/hydrosphere and atmosphere. The biosphere/hydrosphere and anthropogenic emissions give values ≤ 0.3‰. Therefore, any anomaly in near surface CO2 would reflect the balance between stratospheric input and exchange with the aforementioned surface sources. We have analyzed Δ17O values of CO2 separated from air samples collected in Taipei, Taiwan, located in the western Pacific region. The obtained mean anomaly is 0.42 ± 0.14‰ (1-σ standard deviation, in good agreement with model prediction and a published decadal record. Apart from typically used δ13C and δ18O values, the Δ17O value could provide an additional tracer for constraining the carbon cycle.

  5. Equilibration of metabolic CO2 with preformed CO2 and bicarbonate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hems, R.; Saez, G.T.

    1983-01-01

    Entry of metabolic 14 CO 2 into urea is shown to occur more readily than it equilibrates with the general pool of cellular plus extracellular bicarbonate plus CO 2 . Since the sites of CO 2 production (pyruvate dehydrogenase and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase) and of fixation (carbamoylphosphate synthetase) are intramitochondrial, it is likely that the fixation of CO 2 is also more rapid than its equilibration with the cytoplasmic pool of bicarbonate plus CO 2 . This observation may point to a more general problem concerning the interpretation of isotope data, with compartmentation or proximity of sites of production and utilisation of metabolites may result in the isotope following a preferred pathway. (Auth.)

  6. Isotopic and Geochemical Signatures of Melgaco CO{sub 2} Rich Cold Mineralwaters, NW Portugal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carreira, P. M.; Nunes, D. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Unidade de Ciencias Quimicas e Radiofarmaceuticas, Sacavem (Portugal); Marques, J. M. [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Lisbon (Portugal); Carvalho, M. R. [Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciencias, Departamento de Geologia, Lisbon (Portugal); Antunes da Silva, M. [UNICER Bebidas, S.A, S. Mamede de Infesta (Portugal)

    2013-07-15

    The isotopic and chemical compositions of CO{sub 2} rich mineral waters found in the NW of Portugal were investigated. These mineral waters are mainly related to granitic and granodioritic rocks. Based on their chemical composition, two water types are distinguished (Ca-HCO{sub 3} and Ca-Na-HCO{sub 3}), indicating different underground flow paths. Through comparison with local shallow groundwaters, water chemistry indicates that the Melgaco mineral waters evolved through water-rock interaction with the hosted rocks. Stable isotope data indicates the meteoric origin of these CO{sub 2} rich mineral waters, being recharged from about 480 up to 730 m a.s.l. Considering the {delta}{sup 18}O, {delta}{sup 2}H and the hydrochemical data, no indication of mixing seems to occur between the shallow and deep groundwater systems. The {delta}{sup 13}C determinations carried out on TDIC of the CO{sub 2} rich mineral waters point to the hypothesis of methanogenesis (upper mantle CH{sub 4} source) within the system, leading to {sup 13}C enrichment. The negligible {sup 14}C content ({approx} 2 pMC) also indicates a mantle derived carbon source for the groundwater system. (author)

  7. Hydrogen isotope storage behavior of Zr1-xTixCo alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jat, Ram Avtar; Pati, Subhasis; Parida, S.C.; Agarwal, Renu; Mukerjee, S.K.

    2016-01-01

    Tritium storage properties similar to uranium make ZrCo as a suitable candidate material for storage, supply and recovery of hydrogen isotopes in various tritium facilities. Beside non-radioactive, nonpyrophoric at room temperature and higher storage capacity (H/f.u. up to 3, f.u. = ZrCo), it has been reported that upon repeated hydriding-dehydriding cycles, ZrCo undergoes dis-proportionation as per the reaction; ZrCo + H 2 ↔ ZrH 2 + ZrCo 2 . The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of Ti content on the hydrogen storage behavior of Zr 1-x Ti x Co alloys and the hydrogen isotope effect

  8. Tracing the link between plant volatile organic compound emissions and CO2 fluxes and by stable isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Christiane; Wegener, Frederik; Jardine, Kolby

    2015-04-01

    The vegetation exerts a large influence on the atmosphere through the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the emission and uptake of the greenhouse gas CO2. Despite the enormous importance, processes controlling plant carbon allocation into primary and secondary metabolism, such as photosynthetic carbon uptake, respiratory CO2 emission and VOC synthesis, remains unclear. Moreover, vegetation-atmosphere CO2 exchange is associated with a large isotopic imprint due to photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination and 13C-fractionation during respiratory CO2 release1. The latter has been proposed to be related to carbon partitioning in the metabolic branching points of the respiratory pathways and secondary metabolism, which are linked via a number of interfaces including the central metabolite pyruvate. Notably, it is a known substrate in a large array of secondary pathways leading to the biosynthesis of many volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as volatile isoprenoids, oxygenated VOCs, aromatics, fatty acid oxidation products, which can be emitted by plants. Here we investigate the linkage between VOC emissions, CO2 fluxes and associated isotope effects based on simultaneous real-time measurements of stable carbon isotope composition of branch respired CO2 (CRDS) and VOC fluxes (PTR-MS). We utilized positionally specific 13C-labeled pyruvate branch feeding experiments in the mediterranean shrub (Halimium halimifolium) to trace the partitioning of C1, C2, and C3 carbon atoms of pyruvate into VOCs versus CO2 emissions in the light and in the dark. In the light, we found high emission rates of a large array of VOC including volatile isoprenoids, oxygenated VOCs, green leaf volatiles, aromatics, sulfides, and nitrogen containing VOCs. These observations suggest that in the light, H. halimifolium dedicates a high carbon flux through secondary biosynthetic pathways including the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass, mevalonic acid, MEP/DOXP, shikimic acid, and

  9. Carbon isotope exchange between gaseous CO2 and thin solution films: Artificial cave experiments and a complete diffusion-reaction model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Maximilian; Scholz, Denis; Froeschmann, Marie-Louise; Schöne, Bernd R.; Spötl, Christoph

    2017-08-01

    Speleothem stable carbon isotope (δ13C) records provide important paleoclimate and paleo-environmental information. However, the interpretation of these records in terms of past climate or environmental change remains challenging because of various processes affecting the δ13C signals. A process that has only been sparsely discussed so far is carbon isotope exchange between the gaseous CO2 of the cave atmosphere and the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) contained in the thin solution film on the speleothem, which may be particularly important for strongly ventilated caves. Here we present a novel, complete reaction diffusion model describing carbon isotope exchange between gaseous CO2 and the DIC in thin solution films. The model considers all parameters affecting carbon isotope exchange, such as diffusion into, out of and within the film, the chemical reactions occurring within the film as well as the dependence of diffusion and the reaction rates on isotopic mass and temperature. To verify the model, we conducted laboratory experiments under completely controlled, cave-analogue conditions at three different temperatures (10, 20, 30 °C). We exposed thin (≈0.1 mm) films of a NaHCO3 solution with four different concentrations (1, 2, 5 and 10 mmol/l, respectively) to a nitrogen atmosphere containing a specific amount of CO2 (1000 and 3000 ppmV). The experimentally observed temporal evolution of the pH and δ13C values of the DIC is in good agreement with the model predictions. The carbon isotope exchange times in our experiments range from ca. 200 to ca. 16,000 s and strongly depend on temperature, film thickness, atmospheric pCO2 and the concentration of DIC. For low pCO2 (between 500 and 1000 ppmV, as for strongly ventilated caves), our time constants are substantially lower than those derived in a previous study, suggesting a potentially stronger influence of carbon isotope exchange on speleothem δ13C values. However, this process should only have an

  10. High Precision Stable Isotope Measurements of Caribic Aircraft CO{sub 2} Samples: Global Distribution and Exchange with the Biosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assonov, S. S. [Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz (Germany); Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (JRC-IRMM), European Commission, Geel (Belgium); Brenninkmeijer, C. A.M.; Schuck, T. J. [Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz (Germany); Taylor, P. [Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (JRC-IRMM), European Commission, Geel (Belgium)

    2013-07-15

    In 2007-2009 JRC-IRMM, in collaboration with the project CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container, www.caribicatmospheric. com), conducted systematic measurements aimed to study the global distribution of CO{sub 2} isotopic composition. A large data set for the upper troposphere-lowermost stratosphere and free troposphere was obtained. For the first time it is demonstrated how CO{sub 2} isotope signals reflect global scale variability in air mass origin. Tight correlations observed arise either from stratosphere/troposphere mixing or from mixing of background air and air masses affected by CO{sub 2} sources and sinks, over long distances and throughout the seasons. The high quality {delta}{sup 18}O(CO{sub 2}) data prove to be a useful tracer reflecting long range CO{sub 2} transport and also CO{sub 2} exchange with land biosphere and soils. The data provide a benchmark for future comparisons and are available for modelling studies. (author)

  11. Correction for the 17O interference in δ(13C) measurements when analyzing CO2 with stable isotope mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coplen, Tyler B.; Brand, Willi A.; Assonov, Sergey S.

    2010-01-01

    Measurements of δ(13C) determined on CO2 with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) must be corrected for the amount of 17O in the CO2. For data consistency, this must be done using identical methods by different laboratories. This report aims at unifying data treatment for CO2 IRMS by proposing (i) a unified set of numerical values, and (ii) a unified correction algorithm, based on a simple, linear approximation formula. Because the oxygen of natural CO2 is derived mostly from the global water pool, it is recommended that a value of 0.528 be employed for the factor λ, which relates differences in 17O and 18O abundances. With the currently accepted N(13C)/N(12C) of 0.011 180(28) in VPDB (Vienna Peedee belemnite) reevaluation of data yields a value of 0.000 393(1) for the oxygen isotope ratio N(17O)/N(16O) of the evolved CO2. The ratio of these quantities, a ratio of isotope ratios, is essential for the 17O abundance correction: [N(17O)/N(16O)]/[N(13C)/N(12C)] = 0.035 16(8). The equation [δ(13C) ≈ 45δVPDB-CO2 + 2 17R/13R (45δVPDB-CO2 – λ46δVPDB-CO2)] closely approximates δ(13C) values with less than 0.010 ‰ deviation for normal oxygen-bearing materials and no more than 0.026 ‰ in extreme cases. Other materials containing oxygen of non-mass-dependent isotope composition require a more specific data treatment. A similar linear approximation is also suggested for δ(18O). The linear approximations are easy to implement in a data spreadsheet, and also help in generating a simplified uncertainty budget.

  12. Catalytic recombination of dissociation products with Pt/SnO2 for rare and common isotope long-life, closed-cycle CO2 lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Kenneth G.; Sidney, B. D.; Schryer, D. R.; Upchurch, B. T.; Miller, I. M.

    1986-01-01

    This paper reports results on recombination of pulsed CO2 laser dissociation products with Pt/SnO2 catalysts, and supporting studies in a surrogate laboratory catalyst reactor. The closed-cycle, pulsed CO2 laser has been continuously operated for one million pulses with an overall power degradation of less than 5 percent by flowing the laser gas mixture through a 2-percent Pt/SnO2 catalyst bed. In the surrogate laboratory reactor, experiments have been conducted to determine isotopic exchange with the catalyst when using rare-isotope gases. The effects of catalyst pretreatment, sample weight, composition, and temperature on catalyst efficiency have also been determined.

  13. Reconciling the Differences between the Measurements of CO2 Isotopes by the Phoenix and MSL Landers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niles, P. B.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S.; Pavlov, A. A.; Trainer, M.; Webster, C. R.; Wong, M.

    2014-01-01

    Precise stable isotope measurements of the CO2 in the martian atmosphere have the potential to provide important constraints for our understanding of the history of volatiles, the carbon cycle, current atmospheric processes, and the degree of water/rock interaction on Mars. There have been several different measurements by landers and Earth based systems performed in recent years that have not been in agreement. In particular, measurements of the isotopic composition of martian atmospheric CO2 by the Thermal and Evolved Gas Analyzer (TEGA) instrument on the Mars Phoenix Lander and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) are in stark disagreement. This work attempts to use measurements of mass 45 and mass 46 of martian atmospheric CO2 by the SAM and TEGA instruments to search for agreement as a first step towards reaching a consensus measurement that might be supported by data from both instruments.

  14. Well-based stable carbon isotope leakage monitoring of an aquifer overlying the CO2 storage reservoir at the Ketzin pilot site, Germany

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nowak, Martin; Myrttinen, Anssi; Zimmer, Martin; van Geldern, Robert; Barth, Johannes A. C.

    2014-05-01

    At the pilot site for CO2 storage in Ketzin, a new well-based leakage-monitoring concept was established, comprising geochemical and hydraulic observations of the aquifer directly above the CO2 reservoir (Wiese et al., 2013, Nowak et al. 2013). Its purpose was to allow early detection of un-trapped CO2. Within this monitoring concept, we established a stable carbon isotope monitoring of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). If baseline isotope values of aquifer DIC (δ13CDIC) and reservoir CO2 (δ13CCO2) are known and distinct from each other, the δ13CDIC has the potential to serve as an an early indicator for an impact of leaked CO2 on the aquifer brine. The observation well of the overlying aquifer was equipped with an U-tube sampling system that allowed sampling of unaltered brine. The high alkaline drilling mud that was used during well drilling masked δ13CDIC values at the beginning of the monitoring campaign. However, subsequent monitoring allowed observing on-going re-equilibration of the brine, indicated by changing δ13CDIC and other geochemical values, until values ranging around -23 ‰ were reached. The latter were close to baseline values before drilling. Baselineδ13CDIC and δ13CCO2 values were used to derive a geochemical and isotope model that predicts evolution of δ13CDIC, if CO2 from the reservoir would leak into the aquifer. The model shows that equilibrium isotope fractionation would have to be considered if CO2 dissolves in the brine. The model suggests that stable carbon isotope monitoring is a suitable tool to assess the impact of injected CO2 in overlying groundwater aquifers. However, more data are required to close gaps of knowledge about fractionation behaviour within the CO2(g) - DIC system under elevated pressures and temperatures. Nowak, M., Myrttinen, A., Zimmer, M., Wiese, B., van Geldern, R., Barth, J.A.C., 2013. Well-based, Geochemical Leakage Monitoring of an Aquifer Immediately Above a CO2 Storage Reservoir by Stable Carbon

  15. Multi-isotope tracing of CO2 leakage and water-rock interaction in a natural CCS analogue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kloppmann, Wolfram; Gemeni, Vasiliki; Lions, Julie; Koukouzas, Nikolaos; Humez, Pauline; Vasilatos, Charalampos; Millot, Romain; Pauwels, Hélène

    2015-04-01

    Natural analogues of CO2 accumulation and, potentially, leakage, provide a highly valuable opportunity to study (1) geochemical processes within a CO2-reservoir and the overlying aquifers or aquicludes, i.e. gas-water-rock interactions, (2) geology and tightness of reservoirs over geological timescales, (3) potential or real leakage pathways, (3) impact of leakage on shallow groundwater resources quality, and (4) direct and indirect geochemical indicators of gas leakage (Lions et al., 2014, Humez et al., 2014). The Florina Basin in NW Macedonia, Greece, contains a deep CO2-rich aquifer within a graben structure. The graben filling consists of highly heterogeneous Neogene clastic sediments constituted by components from the adjacent massifs including carbonates, schists, gneiss as well as some ultramafic volcanic rocks. Clay layers are observed that isolate hydraulically the deep, partly artesian aquifer. Organic matter, in form of lignite accumulations, is abundant in the Neogene series. The underlying bedrocks are metamorphic carbonates and silicate rocks. The origin of the CO2 accumulation is controversial (deep, partially mantle-derived D'Allessandro et al., 2008 or resulting from thermal decomposition of carbonates, Hatziyannis and Arvanitis, 2011). Groundwaters have been sampled from springs and borewells over 3 years at different depths. First results on major, minor and trace elements give evidence of water-rock interaction, mainly with carbonates but also with ultramafic components but do not indicate that CO2-seepage is the principal driver of those processes (Gemeni et al., submitted). Here we present isotope data on a selection of groundwaters (δ2H , δ18O, δ13CTDIC, 87Sr/86Sr, δ11B, δ7Li). Stable isotopes of water indicate paleo-recharge for some of the groundwaters, limited exchange with gaseous CO2 and, in one case, possibly thermal exchange processes with silicates. Sr isotope ratios vary between marine ratios and radiogenic values indicating

  16. Isotopic separation of carbon by dissociation of CF2HCl irradiated by a Q-modulated CO2 laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ezubchenko, A.N.; Ilyukhin, A.I.; Karchevskii, A.I.; Krasnikov, N.S.; Merzylakov, A.V.; Soloukhin, A.B.

    1993-01-01

    Isotopic separation of carbon by selective dissociation of CF 2 HCl by radiation from a CO 2 laser with mechanical Q-modulation has been studied experimentally. The modulation frequency was 10 4 sec -1 with a 20 W output. The peak radiation intensity is increased by a factor of 20-100 when modulated, while the average power is 0.5-0.9 that of the laser when operating in continuous mode. The authors show that under these conditions, a separation coefficient on the order of 40-50 is achieved as well as a high degree of the target isotope extraction (70%)

  17. Isotopic tracers of sources, wells and of CO{sub 2} reactivity in geological reservoirs; Tracage isotopique des sources, puits et de la reactivite du CO{sub 2} dans les reservoirs geologiques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Assayag, N

    2006-12-15

    The aim of this research works consisted in studying the behaviour of the carbonate system (dissolved inorganic carbon: DIC) following a CO{sub 2} injection (artificial or natural), in geological reservoirs. One part of the study consisted in improving an analytical protocol for the measurement of {delta} {sup 13}C DIC and DIC, using a continuous flow mass spectrometer. As a first study, we have focused our attention on the Pavin Lake (Massif Central, France). Owing to its limnologic characteristics (meromictic lake) and a deep volcanic CO{sub 2} contribution, it can be viewed as a natural analogue of reservoir storing important quantities of CO{sub 2} in the bottom part. Isotopic measurements ({delta} {sup 18}O, {delta} {sup 13}C DIC) allowed to better constrain the dynamics of the lake (stratification, seasonal variations), the magnitudes of biological activities (photosynthesis, organic matter decay, methane oxidation, methano-genesis), carbon sources (magmatic, methano-genetic), and the hydrological budgets (sub-lacustrine inputs). The second study was conducted on the Lamont-Doherty test well site (NY, USA). It includes an instrumental borehole which cuts through most of the section of the Palisades sill and into the Newark Basin sediments. Single well push-pull tests were performed: a test solution containing conservative tracers and a reactive tracer (CO{sub 2}) was injected at a permeable depth interval located in basaltic and meta sedimentary rocks. After an incubation period, the test solution/groundwater mixture was extracted from the hydraulically isolated zone. Isotopic measurements ({delta} {sup 18}O, {delta} {sup 13}C DIC) confronted to chemical data (major elements) allowed to investigate the extent of in-situ CO{sub 2}-water-rock interactions: essentially calcite dissolution and at a lesser extend silicate dissolution...and for one of the test, CO{sub 2} degassing. (author)

  18. Metrology for stable isotope reference materials: 13C/12C and 18O/16O isotope ratio value assignment of pure carbon dioxide gas samples on the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite-CO2 scale using dual-inlet mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivastava, Abneesh; Michael Verkouteren, R

    2018-05-25

    Isotope ratio measurements have been conducted on a series of isotopically distinct pure CO 2 gas samples using the technique of dual-inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (DI-IRMS). The influence of instrumental parameters, data normalization schemes on the metrological traceability and uncertainty of the sample isotope composition have been characterized. Traceability to the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite(VPDB)-CO 2 scale was realized using the pure CO 2 isotope reference materials(IRMs) 8562, 8563, and 8564. The uncertainty analyses include contributions associated with the values of iRMs and the repeatability and reproducibility of our measurements. Our DI-IRMS measurement system is demonstrated to have high long-term stability, approaching a precision of 0.001 parts-per-thousand for the 45/44 and 46/44 ion signal ratios. The single- and two-point normalization bias for the iRMs were found to be within their published standard uncertainty values. The values of 13 C/ 12 C and 18 O/ 16 O isotope ratios are expressed relative to VPDB-CO 2 using the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] notation, respectively, in parts-per-thousand (‰ or per mil). For the samples, value assignments between (-25 to +2) ‰ and (-33 to -1) ‰ with nominal combined standard uncertainties of (0.05, 0.3) ‰ for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively were obtained. These samples are used as laboratory reference to provide anchor points for value assignment of isotope ratios (with VPDB traceability) to pure CO 2 samples. Additionally, they serve as potential parent isotopic source material required for the development of gravimetric based iRMs of CO 2 in CO 2 -free dry air in high pressure gas cylinder packages at desired abundance levels and isotopic composition values. Graphical abstract CO 2 gas isotope ratio metrology.

  19. Using stable isotopes in tree rings to evaluate the impact of urban pollution on CO2 uptake by forests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savard, M.M.; Begin, Ch.; Marion, J.

    2004-01-01

    Contributions addressing the impact of industrial activities on tree growth are scarce; likewise, only a few studies document δ 13 C values in growth rings of natural specimens subjected to potentially toxic industrial emissions. These last studies suggest that the SO 2 emissions affect the physiology of trees and induce changes in their carbon isotope ratios. It has been reported that copper-smelter emissions reduce the C uptake of exposed trees by 35 % to 6 % relatively to unexposed trees, in growth stands located between 9 and 120 km from the smelter. In the context of the globally increasing concentrations of CO 2 in the atmosphere, what is the net impact of the large-scale annual reduction of CO 2 uptake induced by phyto-toxic pollutants? What should we expect for trees growing in regions submitted to urban diffuse pollution? It has been recently suggested on the basis of plant biomass measurements in the New York region that urban pollution can relatively reduce plant growth, but the effect is apparently greater in distant rural sites than in peri-urban and urban ones. Is this representative of numerous urban settings? If the answer to this question is yes, the pollution-effect parameter should be considered in the global annual forest C budget, particularly for the highly industrialized northern hemisphere. The specific objectives of this study are to: (1) measure the tissue increments of the stems and determine the C isotopic ratios in tree-ring cellulose of selected trees undergoing pollution stress in selected peri-urban stands; (2) present a secular time series of the CO 2 uptake by forests peripheral to a large urban region; and (3) evaluate stable isotope dendro-geochemistry as a proxy for past changes of air quality in urban and peri-urban settings. (authors)

  20. Deep ocean ventilation, carbon isotopes, marine sedimentation and the deglacial CO2 rise

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Heinze

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available The link between the atmospheric CO2 level and the ventilation state of the deep ocean is an important building block of the key hypotheses put forth to explain glacial-interglacial CO2 fluctuations. In this study, we systematically examine the sensitivity of atmospheric CO2 and its carbon isotope composition to changes in deep ocean ventilation, the ocean carbon pumps, and sediment formation in a global 3-D ocean-sediment carbon cycle model. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that a break up of Southern Ocean stratification and invigorated deep ocean ventilation were the dominant drivers for the early deglacial CO2 rise of ~35 ppm between the Last Glacial Maximum and 14.6 ka BP. Another rise of 10 ppm until the end of the Holocene is attributed to carbonate compensation responding to the early deglacial change in ocean circulation. Our reasoning is based on a multi-proxy analysis which indicates that an acceleration of deep ocean ventilation during early deglaciation is not only consistent with recorded atmospheric CO2 but also with the reconstructed opal sedimentation peak in the Southern Ocean at around 16 ka BP, the record of atmospheric δ13CCO2, and the reconstructed changes in the Pacific CaCO3 saturation horizon.

  1. Interannual variability in the oxygen isotopes of atmospheric CO2 driven by El Nino

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Welp, Lisa R.; Keeling, Ralph F.; Meijer, Harro A. J.; Bollenbacher, Alane F.; Piper, Stephen C.; Yoshimura, Kei; Francey, Roger J.; Allison, Colin E.; Wahlen, Martin

    2011-01-01

    The stable isotope ratios of atmospheric CO2 (O-18/O-16 and C-13/C-12) have been monitored since 1977 to improve our understanding of the global carbon cycle, because biosphere-atmosphere exchange fluxes affect the different atomic masses in a measurable way(1). Interpreting the O-18/O-16

  2. Isotope labelling study of CO oxidation-assisted epoxidation of propene. Implications for oxygen activation on Au catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Jian; Oxford, Sean M; Fu, Baosong; Kung, Mayfair C; Kung, Harold H; Ma, Jiantai

    2010-06-07

    (18)O isotope labelling studies of the CO oxidation-assisted epoxidation of propene, catalyzed by a mixture of Au/TiO(2) and TS-1, using a methanol-H(2)O solvent showed the O in the epoxide was exclusively from O(2) and not H(2)O or methanol.

  3. Seasonal Variations of Isotope Ratios and CO2 Concentrations in Firn Air

    OpenAIRE

    Weiler, Karin; Schwander, Jakob; Leuenberger, Markus; Blunier, Thomas; Mulvaney, Robert; Anderson, Philip S.; Salmon, Rhian; Sturges, William T.

    2009-01-01

    A first year-round firn air sampling carried out at the British Antarctic station Halley in 2003 shows isotope and CO2 changes owing to diffusive mixing driven by seasonal variations of surface temperature, and gas composition of the atmosphere. Seasonal firn temperatures are well reproduced from the atmospheric temperature history. Based on these profiles thermal diffusion is forced with thermal diffusion factors αT with respect to air. Application of the available literature data for αT (15...

  4. Unusual isotopic composition of C-CO2 from sterilized soil microcosms: a new way to separate intracellular from extracellular respiratory metabolisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kéraval, Benoit; Alvarez, Gaël; Lehours, Anne Catherine; Amblard, Christian; Fontaine, Sebastien

    2015-04-01

    The mineralization of organic C requires two main steps. First, microorganisms secrete exoenzymes in soil in order to depolymerize plant and microbial cell walls and release soluble substrates for microbial assimilation. The second step of mineralization, during which C is released as CO2, implies the absorption and utilization of solubilized substrates by microbial cells with the aim to produce energy (ATP). In cells, soluble substrates are carried out by a cascade of respiratory enzymes, along which protons and electrons are transferred from a substrate to oxygen. Given the complexity of this oxidative metabolism and the typical fragility of respiratory enzymes, it is traditionally considered that respiration (second step of C mineralization process) is strictly an intracellular metabolism process. The recurrent observations of substantial CO2 emissions in soil microcosms where microbial cells have been reduced to extremely low levels challenges this paradigm. In a recent study where some respiratory enzymes have shown to function in an extracellular context in soils, Maire et al. (2013) suggested that an extracellular oxidative metabolism (EXOMET) substantially contributes to CO2 emission from soils. This idea is supported by the recent publication of Blankinship et al., 2014 who showed the presence of active enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle on soil particles. Many controversies subsist in the scientific community due to the presence of non-proliferating but morphologically intact cells after irradiation that could substantially contribute to those soil CO2 emissions. To test whether a purely extracellular oxidative metabolism contribute to soil CO2 emissions, we combined high doses of gamma irradiations to different time of soil autoclaving. The presence of active and non-active cells in soil was checked by DNA and RNA extraction and by electronic microscopy. None active cells (RNA-containing cells) were detectable after irradiation, but some morphological

  5. Solid state synthesis of stoichiometric LiCoO2 from mechanically activated Co-Li2CO3 mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berbenni, Vittorio; Milanese, Chiara; Bruni, Giovanna; Marini, Amedeo

    2006-01-01

    Stoichiometric lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO 2 ) has been synthesized by solid state reaction of mixtures of the system Co-0.5Li 2 CO 3 after mechanical activation by high energy milling. The differences in the reaction mechanism and in product stoichiometry with respect to what happens when starting from the non activated (physical) system have been brought into evidence by TG analysis. Furthermore it has been shown that stoichiometric LiCoO 2 is obtained by a 200 h annealing of the activated mixture at temperatures as low as 400 deg. C. Finally, it has been revealed that longer activation times (150 h) result in Co oxidation to Co 3 O 4 that, in turn, hampers the formation of stoichiometric LiCoO 2

  6. Strontium isotope fractionation during strontianite (SrCO3) dissolution, precipitation and at equilibrium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavromatis, Vasileios; Harrison, Anna L.; Eisenhauer, Anton; Dietzel, Martin

    2017-12-01

    In this study we examine the behavior of stable Sr isotopes between strontianite [SrCO3] and reactive fluid during mineral dissolution, precipitation, and at chemical equilibrium. Experiments were performed in batch reactors at 25 °C in 0.01 M NaCl solutions wherein the pH was adjusted by bubbling of a water saturated gas phase of pure CO2 or atmospheric air. The equilibrium Sr isotope fractionation between strontianite and fluid after dissolution of the solid under 1 atm CO2 atmosphere was estimated as Δ88/86SrSrCO3-fluid = δ88/86Sr SrCO3 - δ88/86Srfluid = -0.05 ± 0.01‰. On the other hand, during strontianite precipitation, an enrichment of the fluid phase in 88Sr, the heavy isotopomer, was observed. The evolution of the δ88/86Srfluid during strontianite precipitation can be modeled using a Rayleigh distillation approach and the estimated, kinetically driven, fractionation factor αSrCO3-fluid between solid and fluid is calculated to be 0.99985 ± 0.00003 corresponding to Δ88/86SrSrCO3-fluid = -0.15‰. The obtained results further support that under chemical equilibrium conditions between solid and fluid a continuous exchange of isotopes occurs until the system approaches isotopic equilibrium. This isotopic exchange is not limited to the outer surface layer of the strontianite crystal, but extends to ∼7-8 unit cells below the crystal surface. The behavior of Sr isotopes in this study is in excellent agreement with the concept of dynamic equilibrium and it suggests that the time needed for achievement of chemical equilibrium is generally shorter compared to that for isotopic equilibrium. Thus it is suggested that in natural Sr-bearing carbonates an isotopic change may still occur close to thermodynamic equilibrium, despite no observable change in aqueous elemental concentrations. As such, a secondary and ongoing change of Sr isotope signals in carbonate minerals caused by isotopic re-equilibration with fluids has to be considered in order to use Sr

  7. The influence of CO2 proceding from plant residue decomposition in the soil on isotopic ratio 13C/12c and plant development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martins, D.

    1987-01-01

    To determine the effect of plant incorporated in the soil on the microclimate of plant growth, an experiment was carried out in greenhouse and then under field conditions. Plant residue of C-3 crops δ 13 C = - 27.6 0 /00, was incorporated in the soil. This altered the isotopic composition of the CO 2 in soil air and in atmospheric air of soil layers adjacent to the surface. The soil air CO 2 isotopic composition showed that approximately 79% carbon was from the incorporated organic matter and 50% to 3% in O to 30 cm layers, respectively, in the atmospheric air adjacent to the surface. The isotopic ratio 13 C/ 12 C of plants cultivated in soil with incorporated organic matter was determined and it was noted that the envolved CO 2 was photosynthetically absorved by the plants during growth. CO 2 contribution from organic matter to the isotopic composition of C-4 plants varied from 33% to 13% during growth. Plants cultivated in soil with organic matter had a better development than those cultivated in natural soil. Productivity was on average 50% greater than the control plants. (author) [pt

  8. Long-term field performance of a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer for analysis of carbon isotopes of CO2 in forest air

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. R. Bowling

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Tunable diode laser absorption spectrometry (TDLAS is gaining in popularity for measuring the mole fraction [CO2] and stable isotopic composition (δ13C of carbon dioxide (CO2 in air in studies of biosphere-atmosphere gas exchange. Here we present a detailed examination of the performance of a commercially-available TDLAS located in a high-altitude subalpine coniferous forest (the Niwot Ridge AmeriFlux site, providing the first multi-year analysis of TDLAS instrument performance for measuring CO2 isotopes in the field. Air was sampled from five to nine vertical locations in and above the forest canopy every ten minutes for 2.4 years. A variety of methods were used to assess instrument performance. Measurement of two compressed air cylinders that were in place over the entire study establish the long-term field precision of 0.2 μmol mol−1 for [CO2] and 0.35‰ for δ13C, but after fixing several problems the isotope precision improved to 0.2permil (over the last several months. The TDLAS provided detail on variability of δ13C of atmospheric CO2 that was not represented in weekly flask samples, as well as information regarding the influence of large-scale (regional seasonal cycle and local forest processes on [CO2] and δ13C of CO2. There were also clear growing season and winter differences in the relative contributions of photosynthesis and respiration on the [CO2] and δ13C of forest air.

  9. Frequency stabilization of quantum cascade laser for spectroscopic CO2 isotope analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Luo; Xia, Hua; Pang, Tao; Zhang, Zhirong; Wu, Bian; Liu, Shuo; Sun, Pengshuai; Cui, Xiaojuan; Wang, Yu; Sigrist, Markus W.; Dong, Fengzhong

    2018-06-01

    Using off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy, named OA-ICOS, the absorption spectrum of CO2 at 4.32 μm is recorded by using a quantum cascade laser (QCL). The concentration of the three isotopologues 16O12C16O, 16O13C16O and 16O12C18O is detected simultaneously. The isotope abundance ratio of 13C and 18O in CO2 gas can be obtained, which is most useful for ecological research. Since the ambient temperature has a serious influence on the output wavelength of the laser, even small temperature variations seriously affect the stability and sensitivity of the system. In this paper, a wavelength locking technique for QCL is proposed. The output of a digital potentiometer integrated in the laser current driver control is modified by software, resulting in a correction of the driving current of the laser and thus of its wavelength. This method strongly reduces the influence of external factors on the wavelength drift of lasers and thus substantially improves the stability and performance of OA-ICOS as is demonstrated with long-time measurements on CO2 in laboratory air.

  10. The CO2nnect activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eugenia, Marcu

    2014-05-01

    Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face today. A first step is the understanding the problem, more exactly what is the challenge and the differences people can make. Pupils need a wide competencies to meet the challenges of sustainable development - including climate change. The CO2nnect activities are designed to support learning which can provide pupils the abilities, skills, attitudes and awareness as well as knowledge and understanding of the issues. The project "Together for a clean and healthy world" is part of "The Global Educational Campaign CO2nnect- CO2 on the way to school" and it was held in our school in the period between February and October 2009. It contained a variety of curricular and extra-curricular activities, adapted to students aged from 11 to 15. These activities aimed to develop in students the necessary skills to understanding man's active role in improving the quality of the environment, putting an end to its degrading process and to reducing the effects of climate changes caused by the human intervention in nature, including transport- a source of CO2 pollution. The activity which I propose can be easily adapted to a wide range of age groups and linked to the curricula of many subjects: - Investigate CO2 emissions from travel to school -Share the findings using an international database -Compare and discuss CO2 emissions -Submit questions to a climate- and transport expert -Partner with other schools -Meet with people in your community to discuss emissions from transport Intended learning outcomes for pupils who participate in the CO2nnect campaign are: Understanding of the interconnected mobility- and climate change issue climate change, its causes and consequences greenhouse-gas emissions from transport and mobility the interlinking of social, environmental, cultural and economic aspects of the local transport system how individual choices and participation can contribute to creating a more sustainable development

  11. Barium isotope fractionation during experimental formation of the double carbonate BaMn[CO3](2) at ambient temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böttcher, Michael E; Geprägs, Patrizia; Neubert, Nadja; von Allmen, Katja; Pretet, Chloé; Samankassou, Elias; Nägler, Thomas F

    2012-09-01

    In this study, we present the first experimental results for stable barium (Ba) isotope ((137)Ba/(134)Ba) fractionation during low-temperature formation of the anhydrous double carbonate BaMn[CO(3)](2). This investigation is part of an ongoing work on Ba fractionation in the natural barium cycle. Precipitation at a temperature of 21±1°C leads to an enrichment of the lighter Ba isotope described by an enrichment factor of-0.11±0.06‰ in the double carbonate than in an aqueous barium-manganese(II) chloride/sodium bicarbonate solution, which is within the range of previous reports for synthetic pure BaCO (3) (witherite) formation.

  12. Carbon isotope composition of CO2-rich inclusions in cumulate-forming mantle minerals from Stromboli volcano (Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gennaro, Mimma Emanuela; Grassa, Fausto; Martelli, Mauro; Renzulli, Alberto; Rizzo, Andrea Luca

    2017-10-01

    We report on measurements of concentration and carbon isotope composition (δ13CCO2) of CO2 trapped in fluid inclusions of olivine and clinopyroxene crystals separated from San Bartolo ultramafic cumulate Xenoliths (SBX) formed at mantle depth (i.e., beneath a shallow Moho supposed to be at 14.8 km). These cumulates, erupted about 2 ka ago at Stromboli volcano (Italy), have been already investigated by Martelli et al. (2014) mainly for Sr-Nd isotopes and for their noble gases geochemistry. The concentration of CO2 varies of one order of magnitude from 3.8·10- 8 mol g- 1 to 4.8·10- 7 mol g- 1, with δ13C values between - 2.8‰ and - 1.5‰ vs V-PDB. These values overlap the range of measurements performed in the crater gases emitted at Stromboli (- 2.5‰ residence within the volcano plumbing system. Such δ13C values are higher than those commonly reported for MORB-like upper mantle (- 8 ÷ - 4‰) and likely reflect the source contamination of the local mantle wedge by CO2 coming from the decarbonation of the sediments carried by the subducting Ionian slab with a contribution of organic carbon up to 7%.

  13. Carbon isotope fractionation of chlorinated ethenes during oxidation by Fe{sup 2+} activated persulfate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marchesi, Massimo, E-mail: m2marche@uwaterloo.ca [Departament de Cristallografia, Mineralogia i Diposits Minerals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya 08028 (Spain); Earth and Environmental Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 (Canada); Aravena, Ramon [Earth and Environmental Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 (Canada); Sra, Kanwartej S. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 (Canada); Golder Associates Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada L5N 5Z7 (Canada); Thomson, Neil R. [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 (Canada); Otero, Neus; Soler, Albert [Departament de Cristallografia, Mineralogia i Diposits Minerals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalunya 08028 (Spain); Mancini, Silvia [Golder Associates Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada L5N 5Z7 (Canada)

    2012-09-01

    The increased use of persulfate (S{sub 2}O{sub 8}{sup 2-}) for in situ chemical oxidation to treat groundwater and soils contaminated by chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds (CHCs) requires unbiased methods to assess treatment performance. Stable carbon isotope analysis offers a potential tool for assessing the in situ treatment performance of persulfate at sites contaminated with CHCs. This study investigated the extent of C isotope fractionation during oxidation of tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE) by persulfate activated by ferrous ion (Fe{sup 2+}). An average carbon isotope enrichment factor {epsilon}{sub bulk} of - 4.9 Per-Mille-Sign for PCE, - 3.6 Per-Mille-Sign for TCE and - 7.6 Per-Mille-Sign for cis-DCE were obtained in batch experiments. Variations in the initial S{sub 2}O{sub 8}{sup 2-}/Fe{sup 2+}/CHC molar ratios did not result in any significant differences in carbon isotope fractionation. The occurrence of carbon isotope fractionation during oxidation and the lack of dependence of enrichment factors upon the S{sub 2}O{sub 8}{sup 2-}/Fe{sup 2+}/CHC molar ratio demonstrate that carbon isotope analysis can potentially be used at contaminated sites as an additional technique to estimate treatment efficacy during oxidation of CHCs by Fe{sup 2+} activated persulfate. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The performance of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is still difficult to assess. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigated the potential of carbon isotope analysis as a new assessing tool. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer C isotope of PCE, TCE and DCE oxidized by persulfate activated by Fe{sup 2+} was measured. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Enrichment factors of - 4.9 Per-Mille-Sign for PCE, - 3.6 Per-Mille-Sign for TCE and - 7.6 Per-Mille-Sign for cisDCE were obtained. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Carbon isotope can potentially be used to estimate the ISCO treatment efficacy.

  14. Continuous-flow IRMS technique for determining the 17O excess of CO2 using complete oxygen isotope exchange with cerium oxide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mrozek, D. J.; Van Der Veen, C.; Kliphuis, M.; Kaiser, J.; Wiegel, A. A.; Röckmann, T.

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents an analytical system for analysis of all single substituted isotopologues (12C16O17O, 12C16O18O, 13C16O16O) in nanomolar quantities of CO2 extracted from atmospheric air samples. CO2 is separated from bulk air by gas chromatography and CO2 isotope ratio measurements (ion masses

  15. C4 plant isotopic composition ((delta)13C) evidence for urban CO2 pollution in the city of Cotonou, Benin (West Africa)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelome, Nelly C.; Leveque, Jean; Andreux, Francis; Milloux, Marie-Jeanne; Oyede, Lucien-Marc

    2006-01-01

    The carbon isotopic composition ((delta) 13 C) of plants can reveal the isotopic carbon content of the atmosphere in which they develop. The (delta) 13 C values of air and plants depend on the amount of atmospheric fossil fuel CO 2 , which is chiefly emitted in urban areas. A new indicator of CO 2 pollution is tested using the (delta) 13 C variation in a C 4 grass: Eleusine indica. A range of about 4%% delta units was observed at different sites in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin. The highest (delta) 13 C values, from -12%% to -14%%, were found in low traffic zones; low (delta) 13 C values, from -14%% to -16%%, were found in high traffic zones. The amount of fossil fuel carbon assimilated by plants represented about 20% of the total plant carbon content. An overall decrease in plant (delta) 13 C values was observed over a four-year monitoring period. This decrease was correlated with increasing vehicle traffic. The (delta) 13 C dataset and the corresponding geographical database were used to map and define zones of high and low 13 C-depleted CO 2 emissions in urban and sub-urban areas. The spatial distribution follows dominant wind directions, with the lowest emission zones found in the southwest of Cotonou. High CO 2 emissions occurred in the north, the east and the center, providing evidence of intense anthropogenic activity related to industry and transportation. (author)

  16. Catalysts for long-life closed-cycle CO2 lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schryer, David R.; Sidney, Barry D.; Miller, Irvin M.; Hess, Robert V.; Wood, George M.; Batten, Carmen E.; Burney, Lewis G.; Hoyt, Ronald F.; Paulin, Patricia A.; Brown, Kenneth G.

    1987-01-01

    Long-life, closed-cycle operation of pulsed CO2 lasers requires catalytic CO-O2 recombination both to remove O2, which is formed by discharge-induced CO2 decomposition, and to regenerate CO2. Platinum metal on a tin (IV) oxide substrate (Pt/SnO2) has been found to be an effective catalyst for such recombination in the desired temperature range of 25 to 100 C. This paper presents a description of ongoing research at NASA-LaRC on Pt/SnO2 catalyzed CO-O2 recombination. Included are studies with rare-isotope gases since rare-isotope CO2 is desirable as a laser gas for enhanced atmospheric transmission. Results presented include: (1) achievement of 98% to 100% conversion of a stoichiometric mixture of CO and O2 to CO2 for 318 hours (greater than 1 x 10 to the 6th power seconds), continuous, at a catalyst temperature of 60 C, and (2) development of a technique verified in a 30-hour test, to prevent isotopic scrambling when CO-18 and O-18(2) are reacted in the presence of a common-isotope Pt/Sn O-16(2) catalyst.

  17. Monitoring the bio-stimulation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils by measurements of soil electrical properties, and CO2 content and its 13C/12C isotopic signature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noel, C.; Gourry, J.; Ignatiadis, I.; Colombano, S.; Dictor, M.; Guimbaud, C.; Chartier, M.; Dumestre, A.; Dehez, S.; Naudet, V.

    2013-12-01

    Hydrocarbon contaminated soils represent an environmental issue as it impacts on ecosystems and aquifers. Where significant subsurface heterogeneity exists, conventional intrusive investigations and groundwater sampling can be insufficient to obtain a robust monitoring of hydrocarbon contaminants, as the information they provide is restricted to vertical profiles at discrete locations, with no information between sampling points. In order to obtain wider information in space volume on subsurface modifications, complementary methods can be used like geophysics. Among geophysical methods, geoelectrical techniques such as electrical resistivity (ER) and induced polarization (IP) seem the more promising, especially to study the effects of biodegradation processes. Laboratory and field geoelectrical experiments to characterize soils contaminated by oil products have shown that mature hydrocarbon-contaminated soils are characterized by enhanced electrical conductivity although hydrocarbons are electrically resistive. This high bulk conductivity is due to bacterial impacts on geological media, resulting in changes in the chemical and physical properties and thus, to the geophysical properties of the ground. Moreover, microbial activity induced CO2 production and isotopic deviation of carbon. Indeed, produced CO2 will reflect the pollutant isotopic signature. Thus, the ratio δ13C(CO2) will come closer to δ13C(hydrocarbon). BIOPHY, project supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR), proposes to use electrical methods and gas analyses to develop an operational and non-destructive method for monitoring in situ biodegradation of hydrocarbons in order to optimize soil treatment. Demonstration field is located in the South of Paris (France), where liquid fuels (gasoline and diesel) leaked from some tanks in 1997. In order to stimulate biodegradation, a trench has been dug to supply oxygen to the water table and thus stimulate aerobic metabolic bioprocesses. ER and

  18. Hydrogeochemical and stable isotopic investigations on CO2-rich mineral waters from Harghita Mts. (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kis, Boglárka-Mercedesz; Baciu, Călin; Kármán, Krisztina; Kékedy-Nagy, Ladislau; Francesco, Italiano

    2013-04-01

    There is a worldwide interest on geothermal, mineral and groundwater as a resource for energy, drinking water supply and therapeutic needs. The increasing trend in replacing tap water with commercial bottled mineral water for drinking purposes has become an economic, hydrogeologic and medical concern in the last decades. Several investigations have been carried out worldwide on different topics related to geothermal and mineral waters, dealing with mineral water quality assessment, origin of geothermal and mineral waters, geochemical processes that influence water chemistry and water-rock interaction In Romania, the Călimani-Gurghiu-Harghita Neogene to Quaternary volcanic chain (Eastern Carpathians) is one of the most important areas from the point of view of CO2-rich mineral waters. These mineral water springs occur within other post-volcanic phenomena like dry CO2 emissions, moffettes, bubbling pools, H2S gas emissions etc. Mineral waters from this area are used for bottling, local spas and drinking purposes for local people. The number of springs, around 2000 according to literature data, shows that there is still a significant unexploited potential for good quality drinking water in this area. Within the youngest segment of the volcanic chain, the Harghita Mts., its volcaniclastic aprons and its boundary with the Transylvanian Basin, we have carried out an investigation on 23 CO2-rich mineral water springs from a hydrogeochemical and stable isotopic point of view. The mineral waters are Ca-Mg-HCO3 to Na-Cl type. Sometimes mixing between the two types can be observed. We have detected a great influence of water-rock interaction on the stable isotopic composition of the mineral waters, shown by isotopic shifts to the heavier oxygen isotope, mixing processes between shallow and deeper aquifers and local thermal anomalies. Acknowledgements: The present work was financially supported by the Romanian National Research Council, Project PN-II-ID-PCE-2011-3-0537 and by

  19. Study of the Role of Terrestrial Processes in the Carbon Cycle Based on Measurements of the Abundance and Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric CO2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piper, Stephen C; Keeling, Ralph F

    2012-01-03

    The main objective of this project was to continue research to develop carbon cycle relationships related to the land biosphere based on remote measurements of atmospheric CO2 concentration and its isotopic ratios 13C/12C, 18O/16O, and 14C/12C. The project continued time-series observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide and isotopic composition begun by Charles D. Keeling at remote sites, including Mauna Loa, the South Pole, and eight other sites. Using models of varying complexity, the concentration and isotopic measurements were used to study long-term change in the interhemispheric gradients in CO2 and 13C/12C to assess the magnitude and evolution of the northern terrestrial carbon sink, to study the increase in amplitude of the seasonal cycle of CO2, to use isotopic data to refine constraints on large scale changes in isotopic fractionation which may be related to changes in stomatal conductance, and to motivate improvements in terrestrial carbon cycle models. The original proposal called for a continuation of the new time series of 14C measurements but subsequent descoping to meet budgetary constraints required termination of measurements in 2007.

  20. Estimation of the efficiency of hydrocarbon mineralization in soil by measuring CO2-emission and variations in the isotope composition of carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubrovskaya, Ekaterina; Turkovskaya, Olga

    2010-05-01

    Estimation of the efficiency of hydrocarbon mineralization in soil by measuring CO2-emission and variations in the isotope composition of carbon dioxide E. Dubrovskaya1, O. Turkovskaya1, A. Tiunov2, N. Pozdnyakova1, A. Muratova1 1 - Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Plants and Microorganisms, RAS, Saratov, 2 - A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation Hydrocarbon mineralization in soil undergoing phytoremediation was investigated in a laboratory experiment by estimating the variation in the 13С/12С ratio in the respired СО2. Hexadecane (HD) was used as a model hydrocarbon pollutant. The polluted soil was planted with winter rye (Secale cereale) inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense strain SR80, which combines the abilities to promote plant growth and to degrade oil hydrocarbon. Each vegetated treatment was accompanied with a corresponding nonvegetated one, and uncontaminated treatments were used as controls. Emission of carbon dioxide, its isotopic composition, and the residual concentration of HD in the soil were examined after two and four weeks. At the beginning of the experiment, the CO2-emission level was higher in the uncontaminated than in the contaminated soil. After two weeks, the quantity of emitted carbon dioxide decreased by about three times and did not change significantly in all uncontaminated treatments. The presence of HD in the soil initially increased CO2 emission, but later the respiration was reduced. During the first two weeks, nonvegetated soil had the highest CO2-emission level. Subsequently, the maximum increase in respiration was recorded in the vegetated contaminated treatments. The isotope composition of plant material determines the isotope composition of soil. The soil used in our experiment had an isotopic signature typical of soils formed by C3 plants (δ13C,-22.4‰). Generally, there was no significant fractionation of the carbon isotopes of the substrates metabolized by the

  1. Interactive Effects of CO2 Concentration and Water Regime on Stable Isotope Signatures, Nitrogen Assimilation and Growth in Sweet Pepper

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María D. Serret

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Sweet pepper is among the most widely cultivated horticultural crops in the Mediterranean basin, being frequently grown hydroponically under cover in combination with CO2 fertilization and water conditions ranging from optimal to suboptimal. The aim of this study is to develop a simple model, based on the analysis of plant stable isotopes in their natural abundance, gas exchange traits and N concentration, to assess sweet pepper growth. Plants were grown in a growth chamber for near 6 weeks. Two [CO2] (400 and 800 μmol mol−1, three water regimes (control and mild and moderate water stress and four genotypes were assayed. For each combination of genotype, [CO2] and water regime five plants were evaluated. Water stress applied caused significant decreases in water potential, net assimilation, stomatal conductance, intercellular to atmospheric [CO2], and significant increases in water use efficiency, leaf chlorophyll content and carbon isotope composition, while the relative water content, the osmotic potential and the content of anthocyanins did change not under stress compared to control conditions support this statement. Nevertheless, water regime affects plant growth via nitrogen assimilation, which is associated with the transpiration stream, particularly at high [CO2], while the lower N concentration caused by rising [CO2] is not associated with stomatal closure. The stable isotope composition of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen (δ13C, δ18O, and δ15N in plant matter are affected not only by water regime but also by rising [CO2]. Thus, δ18O increased probably as response to decreases in transpiration, while the increase in δ15N may reflect not only a lower stomatal conductance but a higher nitrogen demand in leaves or shifts in nitrogen metabolism associated with decreases in photorespiration. The way that δ13C explains differences in plant growth across water regimes within a given [CO2], seems to be mediated through its direct

  2. Non-destructive estimates of soil carbonic anhydrase activity and associated soil water oxygen isotope composition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Sam P.; Ogée, Jérôme; Sauze, Joana; Wohl, Steven; Saavedra, Noelia; Fernández-Prado, Noelia; Maire, Juliette; Launois, Thomas; Bosc, Alexandre; Wingate, Lisa

    2017-12-01

    The contribution of photosynthesis and soil respiration to net land-atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange can be estimated based on the differential influence of leaves and soils on budgets of the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of atmospheric CO2. To do so, the activity of carbonic anhydrases (CAs), a group of enzymes that catalyse the hydration of CO2 in soils and plants, needs to be understood. Measurements of soil CA activity typically involve the inversion of models describing the δ18O of CO2 fluxes to solve for the apparent, potentially catalysed, rate of CO2 hydration. This requires information about the δ18O of CO2 in isotopic equilibrium with soil water, typically obtained from destructive, depth-resolved sampling and extraction of soil water. In doing so, an assumption is made about the soil water pool that CO2 interacts with, which may bias estimates of CA activity if incorrect. Furthermore, this can represent a significant challenge in data collection given the potential for spatial and temporal variability in the δ18O of soil water and limited a priori information with respect to the appropriate sampling resolution and depth. We investigated whether we could circumvent this requirement by inferring the rate of CO2 hydration and the δ18O of soil water from the relationship between the δ18O of CO2 fluxes and the δ18O of CO2 at the soil surface measured at different ambient CO2 conditions. This approach was tested through laboratory incubations of air-dried soils that were re-wetted with three waters of different δ18O. Gas exchange measurements were made on these soils to estimate the rate of hydration and the δ18O of soil water, followed by soil water extraction to allow for comparison. Estimated rates of CO2 hydration were 6.8-14.6 times greater than the theoretical uncatalysed rate of hydration, indicating that CA were active in these soils. Importantly, these estimates were not significantly different among water treatments, suggesting

  3. Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of leaf biomass reveals contrasting photosynthetic responses to elevated CO2 near geologic vents in Yellowstone National Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. G. Williams

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study we explore the use of natural CO2 emissions in Yellowstone National Park (YNP in Wyoming, USA to study responses of natural vegetation to elevated CO2 levels. Radiocarbon (14C analysis of leaf biomass from a conifer (Pinus contortus; lodgepole pine and an invasive, non-native herb (Linaria dalmatica; Dalmation toadflax was used to trace the inputs of vent CO2 and quantify assimilation-weighted CO2 concentrations experienced by individual plants near vents and in comparable locations with no geologic CO2 exposure. The carbon and oxygen isotopic composition and nitrogen percent of leaf biomass from the same plants was used to investigate photosynthetic responses of these plants to naturally elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The coupled shifts in carbon and oxygen isotope values suggest that dalmation toadflax responded to elevated CO2 exposure by increasing stomatal conductance with no change in photosynthetic capacity and lodgepole pine apparently responded by decreasing stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity. Lodgepole pine saplings exposed to elevated levels of CO2 likewise had reduced leaf nitrogen concentrations compared to plants with no enhanced CO2 exposure, further suggesting widespread and dominant conifer down-regulated photosynthetic capacity under elevated CO2 levels near geologic vents.

  4. Stable isotope signatures reflect competitiveness between trees under changed CO2/O3 regimes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grams, T.E.E.; Matyssek, R.

    2010-01-01

    Here we synthesize key findings from a series of experiments to gain new insight on inter-plant competition between juvenile beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) under the influence of increased O 3 and CO 2 concentrations. Competitiveness of plants was quantified and mechanistically interpreted as space-related resource investments and gains. Stable isotopes were addressed as temporal integrators of plant performance, such as photosynthesis and its relation to water use and nitrogen uptake. In the weaker competitor, beech, efficiency in space-related aboveground resource investment was decreased in competition with spruce and positively related to Δ 13 C, as well as stomatal conductance, but negatively related to δ 18 O. Likewise, our synthesis revealed that strong belowground competition for water in spruce was paralleled in this species by high N assimilation capacity. We suggest combining the time-integrative potential of stable isotopes with space-related investigations of competitiveness to accomplish mechanistic understanding of plant competition for resources. - Combination of space-related concepts of competitiveness with stable isotopes has potential to clarify mechanisms of competition.

  5. A system for high-quality CO2 isotope analyses of air samples collected by the CARIBIC Airbus A340-600.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assonov, S; Taylor, P; Brenninkmeijer, C A M

    2009-05-01

    In 2007, JRC-IRMM began a series of atmospheric CO2 isotope measurements, with the focus on understanding instrumental effects, corrections as well as metrological aspects. The calibration approach at JRC-IRMM is based on use of a plain CO2 sample (working reference CO2) as a calibration carrier and CO2-air mixtures (in high-pressure cylinders) to determine the method-related correction under actual analytical conditions (another calibration carrier, in the same form as the samples). Although this approach differs from that in other laboratories, it does give a direct link to the primary reference NBS-19-CO2. It also helps to investigate the magnitude and nature for each of the instrumental corrections and allows for the quantification of the uncertainty introduced. Critical tests were focused on the instrumental corrections. It was confirmed that the use of non-symmetrical capillary crimping (an approach used here to deal with small samples) systematically modifies delta13C(CO2) and delta18O(CO2), with a clear dependence on the amount of extracted CO2. However, the calibration of CO2-air mixtures required the use of the symmetrical dual-inlet mode. As a proof of our approach, we found that delta13C(CO2) on extracts from mixtures agreed (within 0.010 per thousand) with values obtained from the 'mother' CO2 used for the mixtures. It was further found that very low levels of hydrocarbons in the pumping systems and the isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) instrument itself were critical. The m/z 46 values (consequently the calculated delta18O(CO2) values) are affected by several other effects with traces of air co-trapped with frozen CO2 being the most critical. A careful cryo-distillation of the extracted CO2 is recommended. After extensive testing, optimisation, and routine automated use, the system was found to give precise data on air samples that can be traced with confidence to the primary standards. The typical total combined uncertainty in delta13C(CO2) and

  6. In situ Determination of CO2 and N2O Emissions and Isotopic Composition in Agricultural Soils Following a Precipitation Pulse - The Use of Real-Time CO2 and N2O Isotope Analysers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Janet; Resch, Christian; Mayr, Leopold; Heiling, Maria; Dercon, Gerd

    2016-01-01

    Agricultural soils cover 12.6% of the Earth's surface and are essential in food production. Agricultural land can either serve as a reservoir of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the soil, or release them into the atmosphere. Accurately estimating GHG fluxes from agricultural soils is difficult, however, due to the dynamic pattern of emissions that are largely driven by environmental factors such as water availability. Farming practices, such as mulch application, also influence soil GHG emissions. We measured effects of mulch application on emissions and isotopic composition of two GHGs, CO 2 and N 2 O, in agricultural soils by using greenhouse “mesocosms” (soil sample columns 70 cm deep and 50 cm diameter that have been subjected to a soybean-maize crop rotation since 2012).

  7. C4 plant isotopic composition (delta13C) evidence for urban CO2 pollution in the city of Cotonou, Benin (West Africa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kèlomé, Nelly C; Lévêque, Jean; Andreux, Francis; Milloux, Marie-Jeanne; Oyédé, Lucien-Marc

    2006-08-01

    The carbon isotopic composition (delta13C) of plants can reveal the isotopic carbon content of the atmosphere in which they develop. The delta13C values of air and plants depend on the amount of atmospheric fossil fuel CO2, which is chiefly emitted in urban areas. A new indicator of CO2 pollution is tested using the delta13C variation in a C4 grass: Eleusine indica. A range of about 4 per thousand delta units was observed at different sites in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin. The highest delta13C values, from -12 per thousand to -14 per thousand, were found in low traffic zones; low delta13C values, from -14 per thousand to -16 per thousand, were found in high traffic zones. The amount of fossil fuel carbon assimilated by plants represented about 20% of the total plant carbon content. An overall decrease in plant delta13C values was observed over a four-year monitoring period. This decrease was correlated with increasing vehicle traffic. The delta13C dataset and the corresponding geographical database were used to map and define zones of high and low 13C-depleted CO2 emissions in urban and sub-urban areas. The spatial distribution follows dominant wind directions, with the lowest emission zones found in the southwest of Cotonou. High CO2 emissions occurred in the north, the east and the center, providing evidence of intense anthropogenic activity related to industry and transportation.

  8. Subsurface Water as Natural CO{sub 2} Sink

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gillon, M. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR CNRS 8148-IDES), Interaction et Dynamique des Environnements de Surface, Universite Paris 11 and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR UAPV-INRA EMMAH), Environnement Mediterraneen et Modelisation des Agro-Hydrosystemes, Universite d' Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse, Avignon, (France); Barbecot, F.; Gibert, E.; Massault, M. [Centre National de La Recherche Scientifique (UMR CNRS 8148-IDES), Interaction et Dynamique des Environnements de Surface, Universite Paris 11 (France)

    2013-07-15

    In aquifer recharge areas, groundwater mineralization acts as an important sink for CO{sub 2} (assessed at 100 Mt{sub co2}/a on a European scale). An isotopic study of C fluxes in the unsaturated zone of a sand carbonate aquifer shows that the physical and geochemical processes controlling CO{sub 2} abstraction induce changes in the isotopic composition of both dissolved and matrix carbonates. An integrated record of these fluxes toward the aquifers is evidenced through isotopic investigation of the recharge areas. It is evidenced that the unsaturated zone represents an archive of pristine conditions, and would help to quantify downward C fluxes and environmental changes related to this CO{sub 2} abstraction process. (author)

  9. Natural high pCO2 increases autotrophy in Anemonia viridis (Anthozoa) as revealed from stable isotope (C, N) analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Horwitz, Rael; Borell, Esther M.; Yam, Ruth; Shemesh, Aldo; Fine, Maoz

    2015-01-01

    Contemporary cnidarian-algae symbioses are challenged by increasing CO2 concentrations (ocean warming and acidification) affecting organisms' biological performance. We examined the natural variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis to investigate dietary shifts (autotrophy/heterotrophy) along a natural pCO2 gradient at the island of Vulcano, Italy. ?13C values for both algal symbionts (Symbiodinium) and host tissue of A. viridis became significa...

  10. Effect of Co crystallinity on Co/CNT catalytic activity in CO/CO{sub 2} hydrogenation and CO disproportionation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chernyak, Sergei A., E-mail: chernyak.msu@gmail.com [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, Leninskiye Gory 1-3, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Department of Physical Chemistry, Leninsky Avenue 31, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Suslova, Evgeniya V.; Egorov, Alexander V.; Maslakov, Konstantin I. [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, Leninskiye Gory 1-3, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Savilov, Serguei V.; Lunin, Valery V. [Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Chemistry, Leninskiye Gory 1-3, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Department of Physical Chemistry, Leninsky Avenue 31, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)

    2016-05-30

    Highlights: • Amorphous and crystalline Co supported on CNTs were obtained by tuning of CNT surface. • CO and CO{sub 2} hydrogenation does not occur on amorphous Co particles. • Thermal activation of amorphous Co led to crystallization of metal. • Amorphous Co promotes CO disproportionation. • Carbon shells around the amorphous metal particles after the CO hydrogenation. - Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with different degree of surface oxidation were used as supports for 5 wt.% Co catalysts. CNTs and Co/CNT catalysts were analyzed by XPS, nitrogen adsorption, TEM and electron diffraction to reveal their structure. High oxidation degree of CNT surface (8.6 at.% of O) and low Co loading led to predominantly amorphous Co species. This resulted in the absence of catalytic activity in both CO and CO{sub 2} hydrogenation in opposite to the catalyst supported on less oxidized CNTs (5.4 at.% of O) where Co species were found to be crystalline. Thermal treatment of inactive catalyst in H{sub 2} and He led to the formation of Co crystal phase which was active in catalysis. Co particle size in catalyst supported on strongly oxidized CNTs was unchanged during CO hydrogenation in opposite to Co supported on less oxidized CNTs. Carbon shell formation on the surface of amorphous Co particles during CO hydrogenation was revealed, which testified CO disproportionation. Qualitative mechanism of CO hydrogenation on small Co particles was proposed.

  11. Stable carbon isotopes to monitor the CO2 source mix in the urban environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, F. R.; Wu, L.; Ramonet, M.; Broquet, G.; Worthy, D. E. J.

    2014-12-01

    Urban areas are said to be responsible for approximately 71% of fossil fuel CO2 emissions while comprising only two percent of the land area [IEA, 2008]. This limited spatial expansion could facility a monitoring of anthropogenic GHGs from atmospheric observations. As major sources of emissions, cities also have a huge potential to drive emissions reductions. To effectively manage emissions, cities must however, first establish techniques to validate their reported emission statistics. A pilot study which includes continues 13CO2 data from calibrated cavity ring-down spectrometers [Vogel et al. 2013] of two "sister sites" in the vicinity of Toronto, Canada is contrasted to recent observations of 13CO2 observations in Paris during significant pollution events. Using Miller-Tans plots [Miller and Tans, 2003] for our multi-season observations reveals significant changes of the source signatures of night time CO2 emissions which reflect the importance of natural gas burning in Megacities (up to 80% of fossil fuel sources) and show-case the potential of future isotope studies to determine source sectors. Especially the winter data this approach seems suitable to determine the source contribution of different fuel types (natural gas, liquid fuels and coal) which can inform the interpretation of other Greenhouse Gases and air pollution levels.

  12. CO2 isotope analyses using large air samples collected on intercontinental flights by the CARIBIC Boeing 767

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Assonov, S.S.; Brenninkmeijer, C.A.M.; Koeppel, C.; Röckmann, T.

    2009-01-01

    Analytical details for 13C and 18O isotope analyses of atmospheric CO2 in large air samples are given. The large air samples of nominally 300 L were collected during the passenger aircraft-based atmospheric chemistry research project CARIBIC and analyzed for a large number of trace gases and

  13. Autotrophic fixation of geogenic CO2 by microorganisms contributes to soil organic matter formation and alters isotope signatures in a wetland mofette

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beulig, Felix

    2015-01-01

    of radiocarbon and enriched in 13C compared to atmospheric CO2. Together, these isotopic signals allow us to distinguish C fixed by plants from C fixed by autotrophic microorganisms using their differences in 13C discrimination. We can then estimate that up to 27 % of soil organic matter in the 0–10 cm layer...... geogenic CO2 was fixed by plants or by CO2 assimilating microorganisms, we first used the proportional differences in radiocarbon and δ13C values to indicate the magnitude of discrimination of the stable isotopes in living plants. Deviation from this relationship was taken to indicate the presence...... can recycle significant amounts of carbon in wetland soils and might contribute to observed radiocarbon reservoir effects influencing Δ14C signatures in peat deposits....

  14. CO2 activation on bimetallic CuNi nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie Austin

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Density functional theory calculations have been performed to investigate the structural, electronic, and CO2 adsorption properties of 55-atom bimetallic CuNi nanoparticles (NPs in core-shell and decorated architectures, as well as of their monometallic counterparts. Our results revealed that with respect to the monometallic Cu55 and Ni55 parents, the formation of decorated Cu12Ni43 and core-shell Cu42Ni13 are energetically favorable. We found that CO2 chemisorbs on monometallic Ni55, core-shell Cu13Ni42, and decorated Cu12Ni43 and Cu43Ni12, whereas, it physisorbs on monometallic Cu55 and core-shell Cu42Ni13. The presence of surface Ni on the NPs is key in strongly adsorbing and activating the CO2 molecule (linear to bent transition and elongation of C˭O bonds. This activation occurs through a charge transfer from the NPs to the CO2 molecule, where the local metal d-orbital density localization on surface Ni plays a pivotal role. This work identifies insightful structure-property relationships for CO2 activation and highlights the importance of keeping a balance between NP stability and CO2 adsorption behavior in designing catalytic bimetallic NPs that activate CO2.

  15. Land-use change effects on fluxes and isotopic composition of CO2 and CH4 in Panama, and possible insights into the atmospheric H2 cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendall, E.; Schwendenmann, L.; Potvin, C.

    2003-12-01

    Land-use changes in tropical regions are believed to release a quantity of C to the atmosphere which is similar in magnitude to the entire "missing" sink for anthropogenic CO2. Our research attempts to evaluate carbon cycling in three land-cover systems in central Panama: cow pasture, native tree plantation, and undisturbed moist forest. In this ongoing project, we are collecting samples of air from profiles in the stable, nocturnal boundary layer, which is dominated by ecosystem respiration. Samples are analyzed for CO2 and its isotopes, CH4 and its C isotopic composition, N2O, H2, CO, and SF6. We use a flux-gradient method to estimate ecosystem-scale fluxes of trace gases from soil to the atmosphere. Keeling plot intercepts reflect the respiratory contribution of C3 and C4 biomass under contrasting land cover systems, and how this varies with pronounced wet-dry seasonal cycles. C isotopes of methane and gradients of molecular hydrogen provide insight into the source of methane production from pasture and plantation soils. Rainforest soils, in contrast, are sinks for both atmospheric methane and hydrogen. The process oriented nature of this field experiment will contribute to parameterization of carbon cycle models at a variety of spatial scales.

  16. Sealing process with calcite in the Nojima active fault zone revealed from isotope analysis of calcite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arai, Takashi; Tsukahara, Hiroaki; Morikiyo, Toshiro

    2003-01-01

    The Nojima fault appeared on the surface in the northern part of Awaji Island, central Japan as a result of the Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake (1995, M=7.2). Active fault drilling was performed by the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University, and core samples were retrieved from 1410 to 1710 m, which were composed of intact and fractured granodiorites. We obtained calcite samples and gas samples from the vein in marginal fracture and non-fracture zones. We analyzed the carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of calcite and carbon dioxide to investigate the characteristic isotope ratios of fluids in the active fault zone, to estimate the origins of fluids, and to determine the sealing process of fractures. The analyzed values of carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of calcite were -10.3 to -7.2 per mille, 18 to 23 per mille, respectively, and carbon isotope ratios of CO 2 were -21 to -17 per mille. If carbon isotope ratios of calcite were at equilibrium with those of CO 2 , the precipitation temperature of calcite is calculated to be 30 to 50 deg C. This temperature is consistent with the present temperature of the depth where drilling cores were retrieved. Oxygen isotope ratios of H 2 O that, precipitated calcite were calculated to be -1.8 to -5.5 per mille. These values indicate calcite were precipitated from mixed fluids of sea water and meteoric water. Therefore, the marginal fracture zone of the Nojima fault was sealed with calcite, which was generated from mixing of sea water and meteoric water in situ. (author)

  17. Isotope ratios of H, C, and O in CO2 and H2O of the martian atmosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, Chris R; Mahaffy, Paul R; Flesch, Gregory J; Niles, Paul B; Jones, John H; Leshin, Laurie A; Atreya, Sushil K; Stern, Jennifer C; Christensen, Lance E; Owen, Tobias; Franz, Heather; Pepin, Robert O; Steele, Andrew; Achilles, Cherie; Agard, Christophe; Alves Verdasca, José Alexandre; Anderson, Robert; Anderson, Ryan; Archer, Doug; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Arvidson, Ray; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Aubrey, Andrew; Baker, Burt; Baker, Michael; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Baratoux, David; Baroukh, Julien; Barraclough, Bruce; Bean, Keri; Beegle, Luther; Behar, Alberto; Bell, James; Bender, Steve; Benna, Mehdi; Bentz, Jennifer; Berger, Gilles; Berger, Jeff; Berman, Daniel; Bish, David; Blake, David F; Blanco Avalos, Juan J; Blaney, Diana; Blank, Jen; Blau, Hannah; Bleacher, Lora; Boehm, Eckart; Botta, Oliver; Böttcher, Stephan; Boucher, Thomas; Bower, Hannah; Boyd, Nick; Boynton, Bill; Breves, Elly; Bridges, John; Bridges, Nathan; Brinckerhoff, William; Brinza, David; Bristow, Thomas; Brunet, Claude; Brunner, Anna; Brunner, Will; Buch, Arnaud; Bullock, Mark; Burmeister, Sönke; Cabane, Michel; Calef, Fred; Cameron, James; Campbell, John; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Caride Rodríguez, Javier; Carmosino, Marco; Carrasco Blázquez, Isaías; Charpentier, Antoine; Chipera, Steve; Choi, David; Clark, Benton; Clegg, Sam; Cleghorn, Timothy; Cloutis, Ed; Cody, George; Coll, Patrice; Conrad, Pamela; Coscia, David; Cousin, Agnès; Cremers, David; Crisp, Joy; Cros, Alain; Cucinotta, Frank; d'Uston, Claude; Davis, Scott; Day, Mackenzie; de la Torre Juarez, Manuel; DeFlores, Lauren; DeLapp, Dorothea; DeMarines, Julia; DesMarais, David; Dietrich, William; Dingler, Robert; Donny, Christophe; Downs, Bob; Drake, Darrell; Dromart, Gilles; Dupont, Audrey; Duston, Brian; Dworkin, Jason; Dyar, M Darby; Edgar, Lauren; Edgett, Kenneth; Edwards, Christopher; Edwards, Laurence; Ehlmann, Bethany; Ehresmann, Bent; Eigenbrode, Jen; Elliott, Beverley; Elliott, Harvey; Ewing, Ryan; Fabre, Cécile; Fairén, Alberto; Farley, Ken; Farmer, Jack; Fassett, Caleb; Favot, Laurent; Fay, Donald; Fedosov, Fedor; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Fisk, Marty; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Floyd, Melissa; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Forni, Olivier; Fraeman, Abby; Francis, Raymond; François, Pascaline; Freissinet, Caroline; French, Katherine Louise; Frydenvang, Jens; Gaboriaud, Alain; Gailhanou, Marc; Garvin, James; Gasnault, Olivier; Geffroy, Claude; Gellert, Ralf; Genzer, Maria; Glavin, Daniel; Godber, Austin; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Golovin, Dmitry; Gómez Gómez, Felipe; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Gondet, Brigitte; Gordon, Suzanne; Gorevan, Stephen; Grant, John; Griffes, Jennifer; Grinspoon, David; Grotzinger, John; Guillemot, Philippe; Guo, Jingnan; Gupta, Sanjeev; Guzewich, Scott; Haberle, Robert; Halleaux, Douglas; Hallet, Bernard; Hamilton, Vicky; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Harpold, Daniel; Harri, Ari-Matti; Harshman, Karl; Hassler, Donald; Haukka, Harri; Hayes, Alex; Herkenhoff, Ken; Herrera, Paul; Hettrich, Sebastian; Heydari, Ezat; Hipkin, Victoria; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Hudgins, Judy; Huntress, Wesley; Hurowitz, Joel; Hviid, Stubbe; Iagnemma, Karl; Indyk, Steve; Israël, Guy; Jackson, Ryan; Jacob, Samantha; Jakosky, Bruce; Jensen, Elsa; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Johnson, Jeffrey; Johnson, Micah; Johnstone, Steve; Jones, Andrea; Joseph, Jonathan; Jun, Insoo; Kah, Linda; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kahre, Melinda; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kasprzak, Wayne; Kauhanen, Janne; Keely, Leslie; Kemppinen, Osku; Keymeulen, Didier; Kim, Myung-Hee; Kinch, Kjartan; King, Penny; Kirkland, Laurel; Kocurek, Gary; Koefoed, Asmus; Köhler, Jan; Kortmann, Onno; Kozyrev, Alexander; Krezoski, Jill; Krysak, Daniel; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Lacour, Jean Luc; Lafaille, Vivian; Langevin, Yves; Lanza, Nina; Lasue, Jeremie; Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Lee, Ella Mae; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Lees, David; Lefavor, Matthew; Lemmon, Mark; Lepinette Malvitte, Alain; Léveillé, Richard; Lewin-Carpintier, Éric; Lewis, Kevin; Li, Shuai; Lipkaman, Leslie; Little, Cynthia; Litvak, Maxim; Lorigny, Eric; Lugmair, Guenter; Lundberg, Angela; Lyness, Eric; Madsen, Morten; Maki, Justin; Malakhov, Alexey; Malespin, Charles; Malin, Michael; Mangold, Nicolas; Manhes, Gérard; Manning, Heidi; Marchand, Geneviève; Marín Jiménez, Mercedes; Martín García, César; Martin, Dave; Martin, Mildred; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F Javier; Mauchien, Patrick; Maurice, Sylvestre; McAdam, Amy; McCartney, Elaina; McConnochie, Timothy; McCullough, Emily; McEwan, Ian; McKay, Christopher; McLennan, Scott; McNair, Sean; Melikechi, Noureddine; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Meyer, Michael; Mezzacappa, Alissa; Miller, Hayden; Miller, Kristen; Milliken, Ralph; Ming, Douglas; Minitti, Michelle; Mischna, Michael; Mitrofanov, Igor; Moersch, Jeff; Mokrousov, Maxim; Molina Jurado, Antonio; Moores, John; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Morookian, John Michael; Morris, Richard; Morrison, Shaunna; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Muller, Jan-Peter; Muñoz Caro, Guillermo; Nachon, Marion; Navarro López, Sara; Navarro-González, Rafael; Nealson, Kenneth; Nefian, Ara; Nelson, Tony; Newcombe, Megan; Newman, Claire; Newsom, Horton; Nikiforov, Sergey; Nixon, Brian; Noe Dobrea, Eldar; Nolan, Thomas; Oehler, Dorothy; Ollila, Ann; Olson, Timothy; de Pablo Hernández, Miguel Ángel; Paillet, Alexis; Pallier, Etienne; Palucis, Marisa; Parker, Timothy; Parot, Yann; Patel, Kiran; Paton, Mark; Paulsen, Gale; Pavlov, Alex; Pavri, Betina; Peinado-González, Verónica; Peret, Laurent; Perez, Rene; Perrett, Glynis; Peterson, Joe; Pilorget, Cedric; Pinet, Patrick; Pla-García, Jorge; Plante, Ianik; Poitrasson, Franck; Polkko, Jouni; Popa, Radu; Posiolova, Liliya; Posner, Arik; Pradler, Irina; Prats, Benito; Prokhorov, Vasily; Purdy, Sharon Wilson; Raaen, Eric; Radziemski, Leon; Rafkin, Scot; Ramos, Miguel; Rampe, Elizabeth; Raulin, François; Ravine, Michael; Reitz, Günther; Rennó, Nilton; Rice, Melissa; Richardson, Mark; Robert, François; Robertson, Kevin; Rodriguez Manfredi, José Antonio; Romeral-Planelló, Julio J; Rowland, Scott; Rubin, David; Saccoccio, Muriel; Salamon, Andrew; Sandoval, Jennifer; Sanin, Anton; Sans Fuentes, Sara Alejandra; Saper, Lee; Sarrazin, Philippe; Sautter, Violaine; Savijärvi, Hannu; Schieber, Juergen; Schmidt, Mariek; Schmidt, Walter; Scholes, Daniel; Schoppers, Marcel; Schröder, Susanne; Schwenzer, Susanne; Sebastian Martinez, Eduardo; Sengstacken, Aaron; Shterts, Ruslan; Siebach, Kirsten; Siili, Tero; Simmonds, Jeff; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Slavney, Susie; Sletten, Ronald; Smith, Michael; Sobrón Sánchez, Pablo; Spanovich, Nicole; Spray, John; Squyres, Steven; Stack, Katie; Stalport, Fabien; Stein, Thomas; Stewart, Noel; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Stoiber, Kevin; Stolper, Ed; Sucharski, Bob; Sullivan, Rob; Summons, Roger; Sumner, Dawn; Sun, Vivian; Supulver, Kimberley; Sutter, Brad; Szopa, Cyril; Tan, Florence; Tate, Christopher; Teinturier, Samuel; ten Kate, Inge; Thomas, Peter; Thompson, Lucy; Tokar, Robert; Toplis, Mike; Torres Redondo, Josefina; Trainer, Melissa; Treiman, Allan; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; VanBommel, Scott; Vaniman, David; Varenikov, Alexey; Vasavada, Ashwin; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Vicenzi, Edward; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Voytek, Mary; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Ward, Jennifer; Weigle, Eddie; Wellington, Danika; Westall, Frances; Wiens, Roger Craig; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Williams, Amy; Williams, Joshua; Williams, Rebecca; Williams, Richard B; Wilson, Mike; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; Wolff, Mike; Wong, Mike; Wray, James; Wu, Megan; Yana, Charles; Yen, Albert; Yingst, Aileen; Zeitlin, Cary; Zimdar, Robert; Zorzano Mier, María-Paz

    2013-07-19

    Stable isotope ratios of H, C, and O are powerful indicators of a wide variety of planetary geophysical processes, and for Mars they reveal the record of loss of its atmosphere and subsequent interactions with its surface such as carbonate formation. We report in situ measurements of the isotopic ratios of D/H and (18)O/(16)O in water and (13)C/(12)C, (18)O/(16)O, (17)O/(16)O, and (13)C(18)O/(12)C(16)O in carbon dioxide, made in the martian atmosphere at Gale Crater from the Curiosity rover using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)'s tunable laser spectrometer (TLS). Comparison between our measurements in the modern atmosphere and those of martian meteorites such as ALH 84001 implies that the martian reservoirs of CO2 and H2O were largely established ~4 billion years ago, but that atmospheric loss or surface interaction may be still ongoing.

  18. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope exchange reactions over illuminated and nonilluminated TiO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, S.

    1987-01-01

    Hydrogen isotope exchange between H 2 , gaseous H 2 O, and the surface hydroxyls of TiO 2 , and oxygen isotope exchange between O 2 , CO 2 , CO, H 2 O vapor, and the hydroxyls over TiO 3 were studied at room temperature in the dark and under illumination. Hydrogen isotope exchange between H 2 O and the hydroxyls occurred rapidly in the dark, but the exchange involving H 2 did not occur at all even under illumination. Oxygen isotope exchange among H 2 O vapor, CO 2 , and the hydroxyls easily took place in the dark, but the exchange involving O 2 required band-gap illumination. Dioxygen isotope equilibration was much faster than the other photoexchange reactions. Although the oxygen exchange between O 2 and illuminated TiO 2 has been considered to involve lattice-oxygen exchange, the present experiments revealed that the hydroxyls of TiO 2 mainly participate in the exchange reaction. The oxygen exchange between O 2 and H 2 O vapor was strongly inhibited by H 2 O vapor itself probably because oxygen adsorption was retarded by adsorbed water. Oxygen in CO was not exchanged with the other substrates under any conditions tested

  19. Carbon isotopic evidence for the associations of decreasing atmospheric CO2 level with the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Bing; Gu, Zhaoyan; Wang, Chengyuan; Hao, Qingzhen; Han, Jingtai; Liu, Qiang; Wang, Luo; Lu, Yanwu

    2012-03-01

    A perturbation of the global carbon cycle has often been used for interpreting the Frasnian-Famennian (F-F) mass extinction. However, the changes of atmospheric CO2 level (pCO2) during this interval are much debatable. To illustrate the carbon cycle during F-F transition, paired inorganic (δ13Ccarb) and organic (δ13Corg) carbon isotope analyses were carried out on two late Devonian carbonate sequences (Dongcun and Yangdi) from south China. The larger amplitude shift of δ13Corg compared to δ13Ccarb and its resultant Δ13C (Δ13C = δ13Ccarb - δ13Corg) decrease indicate decreased atmospheric CO2level around the F-F boundary. The onset ofpCO2 level decrease predates that of marine regressions, which coincide with the beginning of conodont extinctions, suggesting that temperature decrease induced by decreased greenhouse effect of atmospheric CO2might have contributed to the F-F mass extinction.

  20. Direct gas injection method: A simple modification to an elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometer for stable isotope analysis of N and C from N2O and CO2 gases in nanomolar concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    A simple modification to the Elemental Analyzer coupled to Isotope Ratio Mass-Spectrometer (EA-IRMS) setup is described. This modification allows the users to measure nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) by injecting the gases directly into an online injector placed befor...

  1. Does Short-term Litter Input Manipulation Affect Soil Respiration and the Carbon-isotopic Signature of Soil Respired CO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, X.; Wu, J.

    2016-12-01

    Global change greatly alters the quality and quantity of plant litter inputs to soils, and further impacts soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and soil respiration. However, the process-based understanding of how soil respiration may change with future shift in litter input is not fully understood. The Detritus Input and Removal Treatment (DIRT) experiment was conducted in coniferous forest (Platycladus orientalis (Linn.) Franco) ecosystem of central China to investigate the impact of above- and belowground litter input on soil respiration and the carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2. Short-term (1-2 years) litter input manipulation significantly affected soil respiration, based on annual flux values, soil respiration was 31.9%, 20.5% and 37.2% lower in no litter (NL), no root (NR) and no input (NRNL), respectively, compared to control (CK). Whereas double litter (DL) treatment increased soil respiration by 9.1% compared to CK. The recalcitrance index of carbon (RIC) and the relative abundance of fungi increased under litter removal or root exclusion treatment (NL, NR and NRNL) compared to CK. Basal soil respiration was positively related to liable C and microbial biomass and negatively related to RIC and fungi to bacteria (F: B) ratio. The carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2 enriched under litter removal and no input treatment, and slightly depleted under litter addition treatment compared to CK. Our results suggest that short-term litter input manipulation can affect the soil respiration by altering substrate availability and microbial community structure, and also impact the carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2 possibly duo to change in the component of soil respiration and soil microclimate.

  2. Pulsed CO laser for isotope separation of uranium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baranov, Igor Y.; Koptev, Andrey V. [Rocket-Space Technics Department, Baltic State Technical University, 1, 1st Krasnoarmeyskaya st.,St. Petersburg, 190005 (Russian Federation)

    2012-07-30

    This article proposes a technical solution for using a CO laser facility for the industrial separation of uranium used in the production of fuel for nuclear power plants, employing a method of laser isotope separation of uranium with condensation repression in a free jet. The laser operation with nanosecond pulse irradiation can provide an acceptable efficiency in the separating unit and a high efficiency of the laser with the wavelength of 5.3 {mu}m. In the present work we also introduce a calculation model and define the parameters of a mode-locked CO laser with a RF discharge in the supersonic stream. The average pulsed CO laser power of 3 kW is sufficient for efficient industrial isotope separation of uranium in one stage.

  3. Development of indirect indicators for CO2 intrusion into freshwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Humez, P.

    2012-01-01

    This study deals with the impact of CO 2 leakages out of geological storage into overlying freshwater aquifers. Compared to other existing studies, the major added value of this study lies, on the one hand, in the research of new monitoring tools and isotopic approach in the context of CCS aiming at early and sensitive detection of CO 2 leakage and, on the other hand, in the application of these tools at the (limited) laboratory scale as well as at field scale. In order to test these tools, solid and liquid materials were sampled out of the major strategic drinking water Albian aquifer in the Paris Basin (France). We have then precisely characterized and used them within a batch experiment. This experiment yields interesting results which help understanding and constraining precisely the water-rock-CO 2 interactions as well as the isotopic responses. A real scale application of the method was then performed in Norway. It was an opportunity to develop this isotopic program and to track the isotopic evolution composition, while differentiating the natural processes and the system response to the CO 2 injection. When applied to the detection of CO 2 leakage context, the two case studies open the way for choosing the 'best' isotopic tools as indirect indicators of CO 2 presence in these specific systems. The efficiency of these isotopic tools comes from the recording of the CO 2 footprint all along the water-rock-CO 2 interactions. Using such tools imposes a rigorous methodology, which is tackled in this manuscript. Furthermore, future application will require adapting to the specifics of a proposed site. (author)

  4. Autotrophic fixation of geogenic CO2 by microorganisms contributes to soil organic matter formation and alters isotope signatures in a wetland mofette

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beulig, Felix

    2015-01-01

    To quantify the contribution of autotrophic microorganisms to organic matter (OM) formation in soils, we investigated natural CO2 vents (mofettes) situated in a wetland in northwest Bohemia (Czech Republic). Mofette soils had higher soil organic matter (SOM) concentrations than reference soils due...... of radiocarbon and enriched in 13C compared to atmospheric CO2. Together, these isotopic signals allow us to distinguish C fixed by plants from C fixed by autotrophic microorganisms using their differences in 13C discrimination. We can then estimate that up to 27 % of soil organic matter in the 0–10 cm layer...... ranged up to 1.59 ± 0.16 μg gdw−1 d−1. We inferred that the negative δ13C shift was caused by the activity of autotrophic microorganisms using the Calvin–Benson–Bassham (CBB) cycle, as indicated from quantification of cbbL/cbbM marker genes encoding for RubisCO by quantitative polymerase chain reaction...

  5. Eddy Covariance measurements of stable CO2 and H2O isotopologues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braden-Behrens, Jelka; Knohl, Alexander

    2015-04-01

    The analysis of the stable isotope composition of CO2 and H2O fluxes (such as 13C, 18O and 2H in H2O and CO2) has provided valuable insights into ecosystem gas exchange. The approach builds on differences in the isotope signature of different ecosystem components that are primarily caused by the preference for or the discrimination against respective isotope species by important processes within the ecosystem (e.g. photosynthesis or leaf water diffusion). With the ongoing development of laser spectrometric methods, fast and precise measurements of isotopologue mixing ratios became possible, hence also enabling Eddy Covariance (EC) based approaches to directly measure the isotopic composition of CO2 and H2Ov net fluxes on ecosystem scale. During an eight month long measurement campaign in 2015, we plan to simultaneously measure CO2 and H2Ov isotopologue fluxes using an EC approach in a managed beech forest in Thuringia, Germany. For this purpose, we will use two different laser spectrometers for high frequency measurements of isotopic compositions: For H2Ov measurements, we will use an off axis cavity output water vapour isotope analyser (WVIA, Los Gatos Research Inc.) with 5 Hz response; and for CO2 measurements, we will use a quantum cascade laser-based system (QCLAS, Aerodyne Research Inc.) with thermoelectrically cooled detectors and up to 10 Hz measurement capability. The resulting continuous isotopologue flux measurements will be accompanied by intensive sampling campaigns on the leaf scale: Water from leaf, twig, soil and precipitation samples will be analysed in the lab using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. During data analysis we will put a focus on (i) the influence of carbon and oxygen discrimination on the isotopic signature of respective net ecosystem exchange, (ii) on the relationship between evapotranspiration and leaf water enrichment, and (iii) on the 18O exchange between carbon dioxide and water. At present, we already carried out extensive

  6. Stable Carbon Isotope Characterization of CO2 Loss in Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Stream Water: Observations from a Laboratory Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, H. N.; Atekwana, E. A.

    2007-05-01

    Water from an acid mine drainage spring, ground water from a mine tailings pile, stream water and tap water were acidified to simulate acid mine drainage (AMD) contamination. The objective was to determine how acidification of stream water by AMD affected DIC loss and carbon isotope fraction. Two 20 L HDP containers (reactors) containing samples from each source were left un-acidified and allowed to evolve under ambient conditions for several weeks in the laboratory and two others were acidified. Acidification was carried out progressively with sulfuric acid to pH <3. For acidified samples, one reactor was acidified open to the atmosphere and the other closed from contact with atmosphere and CO2(g) was collected under vacuum. The un-acidified samples did not show significant alkalinity and DIC loss, and the 13C of DIC was enriched with time. The acidified samples showed decrease in alkalinity and DIC and increase in the 13C of DIC and CO2(g) with progressive acidification. The enrichment of 13C of DIC for un-acidified samples was due to exchange with atmospheric CO2. On the other hand, the 13C enrichment in the acidified samples was due to fractionation during dehydration of HCO3- and diffusive loss of CO2(g) from the aqueous phase. The actual values measured depended on the amount of CO2 lost from the aqueous phase during acidification. Samples with greater CO2 loss (closed acidification) had greater 13C enrichment. Beyond the HCO3- titration end point, the δ13C of DIC and CO2(g) was similar and nearly constant. The result of this study suggests that AMD effects on DIC can be modeled as a first order kinetic reaction and the isotope enrichment modeled using Rayleigh distillation.

  7. Effect of isotopic substitution on the collisional quenching of vibronically excited CO+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katayama, D.H.; Welsh, J.A.

    1983-01-01

    Rovibronic levels of the A 2 Pi/sub i/ state for 12 C 16 O + and 13 C 16 O + have been selectively excited by a pulsed, tunable dye laser and their time resolved fluorescence obtained as a function of helium pressure. These ions are formed by reaction of neutral carbon monoxide with helium metastable atoms created in a dc discharge. Since 13 CO + has essentially the same potential energy curves as 12 CO + , but differs primarily in its vibrational energy spacings, this experiment accentuates the role, in the collisional deactivation process, of the high lying ground state vibrational levels which are adjacent to the laser populated vibronic levels of the A 2 Pi/sub i/ state. Quenching rates are determined for the v' = 0, 1, and 2 levels which have relatively insignificant isotope shifts of a few wave numbers for the two isotopes. The difference in rates for the two isotopic ions demonstrates the importance of the positions for the high lying v'' = 10 and 11 ground state levels which have large isotope shifts of hundreds of wave numbers. A discussion of the deactivation process is given in terms of perturbations, Franck--Condon factors, energy gaps, and other considerations

  8. The effect of carbonic anhydrase on the kinetics and equilibrium of the oxygen isotope exchange in the CO2-H2O system: Implications for δ18O vital effects in biogenic carbonates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchikawa, Joji; Zeebe, Richard E.

    2012-10-01

    equilibrium is nearly halved by the presence of 3.7 × 10-9 M of CA used for the experiments. Despite its significant influence on the oxygen isotope exchange kinetics, the equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation between individual DIC species and H2O is unaffected by CA. Because many CaCO3-secreting organisms possess active CA, our findings imply that 18O equilibration of the CO2-H2O system is possible within realistic timescales of biogenic calcification.

  9. Ruthenium and osmium carbonyl nitrosyl complexes: Matrix infrared spectra and density functional calculations for M(CO){sub 2}(NO){sub 2} and M(CO)(NO) (M = Ru, Os)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Song, Zhenjun [Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Wang, Xuefeng, E-mail: xfwang@tongji.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092 (China); Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University (China)

    2012-10-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Laser-ablated ruthenium or osmium atom reactions with CO and NO mixtures in solid argon. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metal carbonyl nitrosyls including M(CO)(NO) and 18-electron configuration M(CO){sub 2}(NO){sub 2} molecules (M = Ru, Os). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The observed absorption bands of reaction products are identified by isotopic substitution and DFT calculations. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The bonding and reaction mechanism are discussed in detail. -- Abstract: Laser-ablated ruthenium or osmium atom reactions with CO and NO mixtures in solid argon produce unsaturated metal carbonyl nitrosyls including M(CO)(NO) and 18-electron configuration M(CO){sub 2}(NO){sub 2} molecules (M = Ru, Os). The observed absorption bands of reaction products are identified by isotopic substitution, isotopic ratios and isotopic distributions ({sup 13}CO, {sup 15}NO, and mixtures). DFT (B3LYP and BP86) vibrational fundamental calculations reproduce observed frequencies and isotopic shifts very well. The bonding and reaction mechanism are discussed.

  10. Enhancement of CO Evolution by Modification of Ga2O3 with Rare-Earth Elements for the Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 by H2O.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tatsumi, Hiroyuki; Teramura, Kentaro; Huang, Zeai; Wang, Zheng; Asakura, Hiroyuki; Hosokawa, Saburo; Tanaka, Tsunehiro

    2017-12-12

    Modification of the surface of Ga 2 O 3 with rare-earth elements enhanced the evolution of CO as a reduction product in the photocatalytic conversion of CO 2 using H 2 O as an electron donor under UV irradiation in aqueous NaHCO 3 as a pH buffer, with the rare-earth species functioning as a CO 2 capture and storage material. Isotope experiments using 13 CO 2 as a substrate clearly revealed that CO was generated from the introduced gaseous CO 2 . In the presence of the NaHCO 3 additive, the rare-earth (RE) species on the Ga 2 O 3 surface are transformed into carbonate hydrates (RE 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ·nH 2 O) and/or hydroxycarbonates (RE 2 (OH) 2(3-x) (CO 3 ) x ) which are decomposed upon photoirradiation. Consequently, Ag-loaded Yb-modified Ga 2 O 3 exhibits much higher activity (209 μmol h -1 of CO) than the pristine Ag-loaded Ga 2 O 3 . The further modification of the surface of the Yb-modified Ga 2 O 3 with Zn afforded a selectivity toward CO evolution of 80%. Thus, we successfully achieved an efficient Ag-loaded Yb- and Zn-modified Ga 2 O 3 photocatalyst with high activity and controllable selectivity, suitable for use in artificial photosynthesis.

  11. Isotopic mixing in carbon monoxide catalyzed by zinc oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carnisio, G.; Garbassi, F.; Petrini, G.; Parravano, G.

    1978-01-01

    The rate of the isotopic mixing in CO has been studied at 300 0 C, for CO partial pressures from 6 to 100 Torr and a total pressure of 250 Torr on ZnO catalysts. Significant deviations from a first-order rate in p/sub co/ were found. The rate of oxygen exchange between ZnO and gas-phase CO was also measured and the results were employed to calculate the fraction of surface sites active for the CO isotopic mixing. Values on the order of 0.001 were found. The turnover rate and surface collision efficiency varied between 0.7 and 107 min -1 and 0.13 and 2.24 x 10 -8 , respectively. H 2 additions to CO increased the rate of isotopic mixing, whereas the rate of H 2 + D 2 was decreased by the presence of CO. The H 2 + D 2 rate was faster than that of isotopic mixing in CO, but as the ratio p/sub H 2 //p/sub co/ decreased the rates became about equal. It is argued that on ZnO samples, in which the rate of CO isotopic mixing and the rate of ZnO--CO oxygen exchange were influenced in a similar manner by the CO pressure, the isotopic mixing in CO took place via the ZnO oxygen, while oxide oxygen participation was not kinetically significant for ZnO samples in which the two reactions had different kinetics. The crucial factor controlling the path followed by the isotopic mixing in CO seems to be the surface Zn/O ratio, since a close correlation was found between the former and the reaction kinetics of the CO isotopic mixing reaction. Solid-state conditions which may vary the Zn/O surface ratio (foreign additions) are indicated. The implications of these findings to the problem of product selectivity from CO-H 2 mixtures reacting on metal oxide surfaces are discussed

  12. The interaction of soil phototrophs and fungi with pH and their impact on soil CO2, CO18O and OCS exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauze, Joana; Ogée, Jérôme; Maron, Pierre-Alain; Crouzet, Olivier; Nowak, Virginie; Wohl, Steven; Kaisermann, Aurore; Jones, Sam P; Wingate, Lisa

    2017-12-01

    The stable oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric CO 2 and the mixing ratio of carbonyl sulphide (OCS) are potential tracers of biospheric CO 2 fluxes at large scales. However, the use of these tracers hinges on our ability to understand and better predict the activity of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) in different soil microbial groups, including phototrophs. Because different classes of the CA family (α, β and γ) may have different affinities to CO 2 and OCS and their expression should also vary between different microbial groups, differences in the community structure could impact the 'community-integrated' CA activity differently for CO 2 and OCS. Four soils of different pH were incubated in the dark or with a diurnal cycle for forty days to vary the abundance of native phototrophs. Fluxes of CO 2 , CO 18 O and OCS were measured to estimate CA activity alongside the abundance of bacteria, fungi and phototrophs. The abundance of soil phototrophs increased most at higher soil pH. In the light, the strength of the soil CO 2 sink and the CA-driven CO 2 -H 2 O isotopic exchange rates correlated with phototrophs abundance. OCS uptake rates were attributed to fungi whose abundance was positively enhanced in alkaline soils but only in the presence of increased phototrophs. Our findings demonstrate that soil-atmosphere CO 2 , OCS and CO 18 O fluxes are strongly regulated by the microbial community structure in response to changes in soil pH and light availability and supports the idea that different members of the microbial community express different classes of CA, with different affinities to CO 2 and OCS.

  13. Research on catalysts for long-life closed-cycle CO2 laser oaperation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidney, Barry D.; Schryer, David R.; Upchurch, Billy T.; Hess, Robert V.; Wood, George M.

    1987-01-01

    Long-life, closed-cycle operation of pulsed CO2 lasers requires catalytic CO-O2 recombination both to remove O2, which is formed by discharge-induced CO2 decomposition, and to regenerate CO2. Platinum metal on a tin-oxide substrate (Pt/SnO2) has been found to be an effective catalyst for such recombination in the desired temperature range of 25 to 100 C. This paper presents a description of ongoing research at NASA-Langley on Pt/SnO2 catalyzed CO-O2 recombination. Included are studies with rare-isotope gases since rare-isotope CO2 is desirable as a laser gas for enhanced atmospheric transmission. Results presented include: (1) the effects of various catalyst pretreatment techniques on catalyst efficiency; (2) development of a technique, verified in a 30-hour test, to prevent isotopic scrambling when C(O-18) and (O-18)2 are reacted in the presence of a common-isotope Pt/Sn(O-16)2 catalyst; and (3) development of a mathematical model of a laser discharge prior to catalyst introduction.

  14. Assessing methane oxidation under landfill covers and its contribution to the above atmospheric CO2 levels: The added value of the isotope (δ13C and δ18O CO2; δ13C and δD CH4) approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Widory, D.; Proust, E.; Bellenfant, G.; Bour, O.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Comparison of the isotope and mass balance approaches to evaluate the level of methane oxidation within a landfill. ► The level of methane oxidation is not homogenous under the landfill cover and is strongly correlated to the methane flux. ► Isotope tracking of the contribution of the methane oxidation to the CO 2 concentrations in the ambient air. - Abstract: We are presenting here a multi-isotope approach (δ 13 C and δ 18 O of CO 2 ; δ 13 C and δD of CH 4 ) to assess (i) the level(s) of methane oxidation during waste biodegradation and its migration through a landfill cover in Sonzay (France), and (ii) its contribution to the atmospheric CO 2 levels above the surface. The isotope approach is compared to the more conventional mass balance approach. Results from the two techniques are comparable and show that the CH 4 oxidation under the landfill cover is heterogenous, with low oxidation percentages in samples showing high biogas fluxes, which was expected in clay covers presenting fissures, through which CH 4 is rapidly transported. At shallow depth, more immobile biogas pockets show a higher level of CH 4 oxidation by the methanotrophic bacteria. δ 13 C of CO 2 samples taken at different heights (from below the cover up to 8 m above the ground level) were also used to identify and assess the relative contributions of its main sources both under the landfill cover and in the surrounding atmosphere.

  15. C{sub 4} plant isotopic composition ({delta}{sup 13}C) evidence for urban CO{sub 2} pollution in the city of Cotonou, Benin (West Africa)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelome, Nelly C.; Leveque, Jean; Andreux, Francis; Milloux, Marie-Jeanne [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Oyede, Lucien-Marc [Departement des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d' Abomey-Calavi, 01 B.P. 526, Cotonou (Benin)

    2006-08-01

    The carbon isotopic composition ({delta}{sup 13}C) of plants can reveal the isotopic carbon content of the atmosphere in which they develop. The {delta}{sup 13}C values of air and plants depend on the amount of atmospheric fossil fuel CO{sub 2}, which is chiefly emitted in urban areas. A new indicator of CO{sub 2} pollution is tested using the {delta}{sup 13}C variation in a C{sub 4} grass: Eleusine indica. A range of about 4%% delta units was observed at different sites in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin. The highest {delta}{sup 13}C values, from -12%% to -14%%, were found in low traffic zones; low {delta}{sup 13}C values, from -14%% to -16%%, were found in high traffic zones. The amount of fossil fuel carbon assimilated by plants represented about 20% of the total plant carbon content. An overall decrease in plant {delta}{sup 13}C values was observed over a four-year monitoring period. This decrease was correlated with increasing vehicle traffic. The {delta}{sup 13}C dataset and the corresponding geographical database were used to map and define zones of high and low {sup 13}C-depleted CO{sub 2} emissions in urban and sub-urban areas. The spatial distribution follows dominant wind directions, with the lowest emission zones found in the southwest of Cotonou. High CO{sub 2} emissions occurred in the north, the east and the center, providing evidence of intense anthropogenic activity related to industry and transportation. (author)

  16. C{sub 4} plant isotopic composition ((delta){sup 13}C) evidence for urban CO{sub 2} pollution in the city of Cotonou, Benin (West Africa)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelome, Nelly C.; Leveque, Jean; Andreux, Francis; Milloux, Marie-Jeanne [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Oyede, Lucien-Marc [Departement des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d' Abomey-Calavi, 01 B.P. 526, Cotonou (Benin)

    2006-08-01

    The carbon isotopic composition ((delta){sup 13}C) of plants can reveal the isotopic carbon content of the atmosphere in which they develop. The (delta){sup 13}C values of air and plants depend on the amount of atmospheric fossil fuel CO{sub 2}, which is chiefly emitted in urban areas. A new indicator of CO{sub 2} pollution is tested using the (delta){sup 13}C variation in a C{sub 4} grass: Eleusine indica. A range of about 4%% delta units was observed at different sites in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin. The highest (delta){sup 13}C values, from -12%% to -14%%, were found in low traffic zones; low (delta){sup 13}C values, from -14%% to -16%%, were found in high traffic zones. The amount of fossil fuel carbon assimilated by plants represented about 20% of the total plant carbon content. An overall decrease in plant (delta){sup 13}C values was observed over a four-year monitoring period. This decrease was correlated with increasing vehicle traffic. The (delta){sup 13}C dataset and the corresponding geographical database were used to map and define zones of high and low {sup 13}C-depleted CO{sub 2} emissions in urban and sub-urban areas. The spatial distribution follows dominant wind directions, with the lowest emission zones found in the southwest of Cotonou. High CO{sub 2} emissions occurred in the north, the east and the center, providing evidence of intense anthropogenic activity related to industry and transportation. (author)

  17. Isotope exchange of molecular oxygen with oxygen of La0,7Sr0,3CoO3-δ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vdovin, G.K.; Kuzin, B.L.; Kurumchin, Eh.Kh.

    1991-01-01

    The exchange rate of the oxygen in La 0,7 Sr 0,3 CoO 3-δ has been measured by an isotopic exchange method at temperatures 620-1250 K and pressures 1.6-10 torr. The activation energy and the dependence of the exchange rate on pressures in gas have been defined. It is suggested that the knees on the temperature dependences of the exchange rate are attributed to the appearance of Co 2+ ions on the surface of the sample at elevated temperature as new centres of the exchange reaction. The activation energies of the adsorption and desorption processes on the La 0,7 Sr 0,3 CoO 3-δ surface have been estimated

  18. Geochemical Study of Natural CO{sub 2} Emissions in the French Massif Central: How to Predict Origin, Processes and Evolution of CO{sub 2} Leakage; Etude geochimique des emissions naturelles de CO{sub 2} du Massif Central: origine et processus de migration du gaz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Battani, A.; Deville, E.; Faure, J.L.; Jeandel, E.; Noirez, S.; Tocque, E.; Benoit, Y.; Schmitz, J.; Parlouar, D. [Institut francais du petrole, IFP, 92 - Rueil-Malmaison (France); Sarda, P. [Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France); Gal, F.; Le Pierres, K.; Brach, M.; Braibant, G.; Beny, C. [Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres (BRGM), 45 - Orleans (France); Pokryszka, Z.; Charmoille, A.; Bentivegna, G. [Institut National de l' Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS), Parc Technologique ALATA, 60 - Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Pironon, J.; De Donato, P.; Garnier, C.; Cailteau, C.; Barres, O.; Radilla, G.; Bauer, A. [Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL), 54 - Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy (France)

    2010-07-15

    This study presents an overview of some results obtained within the French ANR (National Agency of Research) supported Geocarbone-Monitoring research program. The measurements were performed in Sainte-Marguerite, located in the French Massif Central. This site represents a natural laboratory for CO{sub 2}/fluid/rock interactions studies, as well as CO{sub 2} migration mechanisms towards the surface. The CO{sub 2} leaking character of the studied area also allows to test and validate measurements methods and verifications for the future CO{sub 2} geological storage sites. During these surveys, we analyzed soil CO{sub 2} fluxes and concentrations. We sampled and analyzed soil gases, and gas from carbo-gaseous bubbling springs. A one-month continuous monitoring was also tested, to record the concentration of CO{sub 2} both in atmosphere and in the soil at a single point. We also developed a new methodology to collect soil gas samples for noble gas abundances and isotopic analyses, as well as carbon isotopic ratios. Our geochemical results, combined with structural geology, show that the leaking CO{sub 2} has a very deep origin, partially mantle derived. The gas rises rapidly along normal and strike-slip active faults. CO{sub 2} soil concentrations (also showing a mantle derived component) and CO{sub 2} fluxes are spatially variable, and reach high values. The recorded atmospheric CO{sub 2} is not very high, despite the important CO{sub 2} degassing throughout the whole area. (authors)

  19. Supercritical CO2 Compressor with Active Magnetic Bearing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cha, Jae Eun; Cho, Seong Kuk; Lee, JeKyoung; Lee, Jeong Ik

    2016-01-01

    For the stable operation of the sCO 2 integral test facility SCIEL, KAERI prepared Active Magnetic Bearing sCO 2 compressor for the 70,000RPM operation. Power generation test with AMB compressor will be finished within first half year of 2016 under supercritical state. The principal advantages of the sCO 2 Cycle are high efficiency at moderate temperature range, compact components size, simple cycle configuration, and compatibility with various heat sources. The Supercritical CO 2 Brayton Cycle Integral Experiment Loop (SCIEL) has been installed in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to develop the base technologies for the sCO 2 cycle power generation system. The operation of the SCIEL has mainly focused on sCO 2 compressor development and establishing sCO 2 system control logic

  20. Isotope Exchange in Oxide Catalyst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, Robert V.; Miller, Irvin M.; Schryer, David R.; Sidney, Barry D.; Wood, George M., Jr.; Hoyt, Ronald F.; Upchurch, Billy T.; Brown, Kenneth G.

    1987-01-01

    Replacement technique maintains level of CO2/18 in closed-cycle CO2 lasers. High-energy, pulsed CO2 lasers using rare chemical isotopes must be operated in closed cycles to conserve gas. Rare isotopes operated in closed cycles to conserve gas. Rare isotopes as CO2/18 used for improved transmission of laser beam in atmosphere. To maintain laser power, CO2 must be regenerated, and O2 concentration kept below few tenths of percent. Conditions achieved by recombining CO and O2.

  1. A diatom record of CO2 decline since the late Miocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejía, Luz María; Méndez-Vicente, Ana; Abrevaya, Lorena; Lawrence, Kira T.; Ladlow, Caroline; Bolton, Clara; Cacho, Isabel; Stoll, Heather

    2017-12-01

    Extratropical sea surface temperature records from alkenones record a dramatic cooling of up to 17 °C over the last ∼14 Ma, but the relationship between this cooling and greenhouse gas forcing has been elusive due to sparse and contrasting reconstructions of atmospheric CO2 for the time period. Alkenone carbon isotopic fractionation during photosynthesis has previously been used to estimate changes in pCO2 over this interval, but is complicated by significant changes in cell size of the alkenone-producing coccolithophorids over this time period. In this study, we reconstruct carbon isotopic fractionation during photosynthesis (εp) using organic compounds trapped within the frustules of pennate diatoms in sediments from the Eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean at Ocean Drilling Program Site 846 over the last ∼13 Ma. Physical separation of pennate diatoms prior to measuring carbon isotopic fractionation enables us to obtain a record with constant cell geometry, eliminating this factor of uncertainty in our pCO2 reconstruction. In the past ∼11 Ma, εp declines from 15.5 to 10.3‰. Using the classic diffusive model and taking into account variations in opal content, alkenone concentration and coccolith Sr/Ca as indicators of past productivity and growth rate, and sea surface temperature records from the site, we estimate a decline in pCO2 from 454 (+ / - 41) to 250 (+ / - 15) ppmv between ∼11 and 6 Ma. Models accounting for changing the significance of active carbon uptake for photosynthesis, which likely produce more accurate CO2 estimates, suggest a significant larger pCO2 decline of up to twice that shown by the classic diffusive model (in average from 794 (+ / - 233) ppmv at ∼11 Ma to 288 (+/-25) ppmv at ∼6 Ma, considering growth rates varying between 0.5 and 1.7 day-1). Large uncertainties in the pCO2 estimated between ∼8 and 11 Ma using the active uptake model are related to the growth rate used for calculations. Together, these results suggest CO2

  2. Application of stable isotope measurements and microbiological analysis for detecting methanogenic activity in a temperate forest wetland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itoh, M.; Katsuyama, C.; Kondo, N.; Ohte, N.; Kato, K.

    2009-12-01

    Generally, forest soils act as a sink for methane (CH4). However, wetlands in riparian zones are recently reported to be “hot spots” of CH4 emissions, especially in forests under a humid climate. To understand how environmental conditions (i.e. hydrological and/or geomorphic condition) control on CH4 production, we investigated both methanogenic pathways (CO2/H2 reduction and acetate fermentation) and metahanogenic microbial communities in a wetland in a temperate forest catchment, central Japan. We used stable carbon isotopic analysis for detecting change in methanogenic pathways, and applied microbiological analysis for understanding the structure of methanogenic community. CH4 emission rates in wetland were strongly dependent on soil temperatures, and were highest in summer and lowest in winter. δ13CO2 increased with CH4 production in every summer, suggesting preferential use of 12CO2 as substrate for CO2/H2 reduction methanogenesis during high CH4 production period. δ13CH4 also increased in summer with δ13CO2. δ13CH4 changed more wildly than δ13CO2 did in summer with normal precipitation when CH4 production was strongly activated under high temperature and high groundwater table condition. This indicates increase in acetoclastic methanogenesis under hot and wet condition, considering that acetclastic methnogens produce heavier CH4 than that from CO2/H2 reducing pathway. Methanogen community composition estimated by cloning and sequence analyses implied that both acetoclastic and CO2/H2 reducing methanogens prevailed in wetland soil sampled in summer. This was consistent with the results of isotope measuremaents. Our results contribute to understand fully how the CH4 production changes with environmental conditions, with considering the activities of both main methanogenic pathway (from CO2 and acetate).

  3. Millennial-scale changes in atmospheric CO2 levels linked to the Southern Ocean carbon isotope gradient and dust flux

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, Martin; Diz, Paula; Hall, Ian R.; Zahn, Rainer

    2013-06-01

    The rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations observed at the end of glacial periods has, at least in part, been attributed to the upwelling of carbon-rich deep water in the Southern Ocean. The magnitude of outgassing of dissolved CO2, however, is influenced by the biological fixation of upwelled inorganic carbon and its transfer back to the deep sea as organic carbon. The efficiency of this biological pump is controlled by the extent of nutrient utilization, which can be stimulated by the delivery of iron by atmospheric dust particles. Changes in nutrient utilization should be reflected in the δ13C gradient between intermediate and deep waters. Here we use the δ13C values of intermediate- and bottom-dwelling foraminifera to reconstruct the carbon isotope gradient between thermocline and abyssal water in the subantarctic zone of the South Atlantic Ocean over the past 360,000 years. We find millennial-scale oscillations of the carbon isotope gradient that correspond to changes in dust flux and atmospheric CO2 concentrations as reported from Antarctic ice cores. We interpret this correlation as a relationship between the efficiency of the biological pump and fertilization by dust-borne iron. As the correlation is exponential, we suggest that the sensitivity of the biological pump to dust-borne iron fertilization may be increased when the background dust flux is low.

  4. Recycling CO 2 ? Computational Considerations of the Activation of CO 2 with Homogeneous Transition Metal Catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Drees, Markus

    2012-08-10

    Faced with depleting fossil carbon sources, the search for alternative energy carriers and energy storage possibilities has become an important issue. Nature utilizes carbon dioxide as starting material for storing sun energy in plant hydrocarbons. A similar approach, storing energy from renewable sources in chemical bonds with CO 2 as starting material, may lead to partial recycling of CO 2 created by human industrial activities. Unfortunately, currently available routes for the transformation of CO 2 involve high temperatures and are often not selective. With the development of more sophisticated methods and better software, theoretical studies have become both increasingly widespread and useful. This concept article summarizes theoretical investigations of the current state of the feasibility of CO 2 activation with molecular transition metal catalysts, highlighting the most promising reactions of CO 2 with olefins to industrially relevant acrylic acid/acrylates, and the insertion of CO 2 into metal-element bonds, particularly for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates and polymers. Rapidly improving computational power and methods help to increase the importance and accuracy of calculations continuously and make computational chemistry a useful tool helping to solve some of the most important questions for the future. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Recycling CO 2 ? Computational Considerations of the Activation of CO 2 with Homogeneous Transition Metal Catalysts

    KAUST Repository

    Drees, Markus; Cokoja, Mirza; Kü hn, Fritz E.

    2012-01-01

    . A similar approach, storing energy from renewable sources in chemical bonds with CO 2 as starting material, may lead to partial recycling of CO 2 created by human industrial activities. Unfortunately, currently available routes for the transformation

  6. CO{sub 2}-recycling by plants: how reliable is the carbon isotope estimation?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Siegwolf, R T.W.; Saurer, M [Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland); Koerner, C [Basel Univ., Basel (Switzerland)

    1997-06-01

    In the study of plant carbon relations, the amount of the respiratory losses from the soil was estimated, determining the gradient of the stable isotope {sup 13}C with increasing plant canopy height. According to the literature 8-26% of the CO{sub 2} released in the forests by soil and plant respiratory processes are reassimilated (recycled) by photosynthesis during the day. Our own measurements however, which we conducted in grass land showed diverging results from no indicating of carbon recycling, to a considerable {delta}{sup 13}C gradient suggesting a high carbon recycling rate. The role of other factors, such as air humidity and irradiation which influence the {delta}{sup 13}C in a canopy as well, are discussed. (author) 3 figs., 4 refs.

  7. Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ao, Yanhui; Xu, Liya; Wang, Peifang; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Qian, Jin; Li, Yi

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A novel multi-heterojunction photocatalyst (graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3) was prepared for the first time. The as-obtained samples showed much higher activity compared to pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3 for dye degradation, which is almost 14 times higher than that of pure Bi_2O_2CO_3 and also much higher than the sum of graphene–Bi_2O_2CO_3 and TiO_2. - Highlights: • Graphene and TiO_2 co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 was prepared for the first time. • The sample shows enhanced photocatalytic activity due to the formation of multi-heterojunction. • The sample also exhibits a synergetic effect of graphene and TiO_2. • The composite photocatalyst shows a good stability for dye degradation. - Abstract: In this paper, graphene (GR) and titania co-modified flower-like Bi_2O_2CO_3 multi-heterojunction composite photocatalysts were prepared by a simple and feasible two step hydrothermal process. The prepared samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), N_2 adsorption–desorption isotherm, and photo-induced current. The photocatalytic activity was investigated by the degradation of MO under UV light irradiation. The as prepared multi-heterojunction GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than pure Bi_2O_2CO_3, TiO_2 and GR–Bi_2O_2CO_3. The higher performance of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 can be ascribed to the formation of multi-heterojunctions, which promote the effective separation of photo-induced electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the higher photocatalytic activity can also be ascribed to the high surface area of GR and TiO_2, which offers more active sites for the photodegradation reaction. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of GR/Bi_2O_2CO_3/TiO_2 remained without striking decrease after five cycles

  8. Current Travertines Precipitation from CO2-rich Groundwaters as an alert of CO2 Leakages from a Natural CO2 Storage at Ganuelas-Mazarron Tertiary Basin (Murcia, Spain)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodrigo-Naharro, J.; Delgado, A.; Herrero, M. J.; Granados, A.; Perez del Villar, L.

    2013-01-01

    Carbon capture and storage technologies represent the most suitable solutions related to the high anthropogenic CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. As a consequence, monitoring of the possible CO 2 leakages from an artificial deep geological CO 2 storage is indispensable to guarantee its safety. Fast surficial travertine precipitation related to these CO 2 leakages can be used as an alert for these escapes. Since few studies exist focusing on the long-term behaviour of an artificial CO 2 DGS, natural CO 2 storage affected by natural or artificial escapes must be studied as natural analogues for predicting the long-term behaviour of an artificial CO 2 storage. In this context, a natural CO 2 reservoir affected by artificial CO 2 escapes has been studied in this work. This study has mainly focused on the current travertines precipitation associated with the upwelling CO 2 -rich waters from several hydrogeological wells drilled in the Ganuelas-Mazarron Tertiary basin (SE Spain), and consists of a comprehensive characterisation of parent-waters and their associated carbonates, including elemental and isotopic geochemistry, mineralogy and petrography. Geochemical characterisation of groundwaters has led to recognise 4 hydrofacies from 3 different aquifers. These groundwaters have very high salinity and electrical conductivity; are slightly acid; present high dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and free CO 2 ; are oversaturated in both aragonite and calcite; and dissolve, mobilize and transport low quantities of heavy and/or toxic elements. Isotopic values indicate that: i) the origin of parent-waters is related to rainfalls from clouds originated in the Mediterranean Sea or continental areas; ii) the origin of C is mainly inorganic; and iii) sulphate anions come mainly from the dissolution of the Messinian gypsum from the Tertiary Basin sediments. Current travertines precipitation seems to be controlled by a combination of several factors, such as: i) a fast decrease of the

  9. Interactive effects of elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition on fatty acid molecular and isotope composition of above- and belowground tree biomass and forest soil fractions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griepentrog, Marco; Eglinton, Timothy I; Hagedorn, Frank; Schmidt, Michael W I; Wiesenberg, Guido L B

    2015-01-01

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and reactive nitrogen (N) concentrations have been increasing due to human activities and impact the global carbon (C) cycle by affecting plant photosynthesis and decomposition processes in soil. Large amounts of C are stored in plants and soils, but the mechanisms behind the stabilization of plant- and microbial-derived organic matter (OM) in soils are still under debate and it is not clear how N deposition affects soil OM dynamics. Here, we studied the effects of 4 years of elevated (13C-depleted) CO2 and N deposition in forest ecosystems established in open-top chambers on composition and turnover of fatty acids (FAs) in plants and soils. FAs served as biomarkers for plant- and microbial-derived OM in soil density fractions. We analyzed above- and belowground plant biomass of beech and spruce trees as well as soil density fractions for the total organic C and FA molecular and isotope (δ13C) composition. FAs did not accumulate relative to total organic C in fine mineral fractions, showing that FAs are not effectively stabilized by association with soil minerals. The δ13C values of FAs in plant biomass increased under high N deposition. However, the N effect was only apparent under elevated CO2 suggesting a N limitation of the system. In soil fractions, only isotope compositions of short-chain FAs (C16+18) were affected. Fractions of 'new' (experimental-derived) FAs were calculated using isotope depletion in elevated CO2 plots and decreased from free light to fine mineral fractions. 'New' FAs were higher in short-chain compared to long-chain FAs (C20-30), indicating a faster turnover of short-chain compared to long-chain FAs. Increased N deposition did not significantly affect the quantity of 'new' FAs in soil fractions, but showed a tendency of increased amounts of 'old' (pre-experimental) C suggesting that decomposition of 'old' C is retarded by high N inputs. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. C{sub 4} plant isotopic composition ({delta} {sup 13}C) evidence for urban CO{sub 2} pollution in the city of Cotonou, Benin (West Africa)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelome, Nelly C. [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Departement des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d' Abomey-Calavi, 01 B.P. 526, Cotonou (Benin); Leveque, Jean [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France)]. E-mail: jleveque@ubourgogne.fr; Andreux, Francis [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Milloux, Marie-Jeanne [UMR Microbiologie et Geochimie des Sols INRA, Universite de Bourgogne, Centre des Sciences de la Terre, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon (France); Oyede, Lucien-Marc [Departement des Sciences de la Terre, Universite d' Abomey-Calavi, 01 B.P. 526, Cotonou (Benin)

    2006-08-01

    The carbon isotopic composition ({delta} {sup 13}C) of plants can reveal the isotopic carbon content of the atmosphere in which they develop. The {delta} {sup 13}C values of air and plants depend on the amount of atmospheric fossil fuel CO{sub 2}, which is chiefly emitted in urban areas. A new indicator of CO{sub 2} pollution is tested using the {delta} {sup 13}C variation in a C{sub 4} grass: Eleusine indica. A range of about 4 per mille delta units was observed at different sites in Cotonou, the largest city in the Republic of Benin. The highest {delta} {sup 13}C values, from - 12 per mille to - 14 per mille , were found in low traffic zones; low {delta} {sup 13}C values, from - 14 per mille to - 16 per mille , were found in high traffic zones. The amount of fossil fuel carbon assimilated by plants represented about 20% of the total plant carbon content. An overall decrease in plant {delta} {sup 13}C values was observed over a four-year monitoring period. This decrease was correlated with increasing vehicle traffic. The {delta} {sup 13}C dataset and the corresponding geographical database were used to map and define zones of high and low {sup 13}C-depleted CO{sub 2} emissions in urban and sub-urban areas. The spatial distribution follows dominant wind directions, with the lowest emission zones found in the southwest of Cotonou. High CO{sub 2} emissions occurred in the north, the east and the center, providing evidence of intense anthropogenic activity related to industry and transportation.

  11. Natural high pCO2 increases autotrophy in Anemonia viridis (Anthozoa) as revealed from stable isotope (C, N) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horwitz, Rael; Borell, Esther M; Yam, Ruth; Shemesh, Aldo; Fine, Maoz

    2015-03-05

    Contemporary cnidarian-algae symbioses are challenged by increasing CO2 concentrations (ocean warming and acidification) affecting organisms' biological performance. We examined the natural variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in the symbiotic sea anemone Anemonia viridis to investigate dietary shifts (autotrophy/heterotrophy) along a natural pCO2 gradient at the island of Vulcano, Italy. δ(13)C values for both algal symbionts (Symbiodinium) and host tissue of A. viridis became significantly lighter with increasing seawater pCO2. Together with a decrease in the difference between δ(13)C values of both fractions at the higher pCO2 sites, these results indicate there is a greater net autotrophic input to the A. viridis carbon budget under high pCO2 conditions. δ(15)N values and C/N ratios did not change in Symbiodinium and host tissue along the pCO2 gradient. Additional physiological parameters revealed anemone protein and Symbiodinium chlorophyll a remained unaltered among sites. Symbiodinium density was similar among sites yet their mitotic index increased in anemones under elevated pCO2. Overall, our findings show that A. viridis is characterized by a higher autotrophic/heterotrophic ratio as pCO2 increases. The unique trophic flexibility of this species may give it a competitive advantage and enable its potential acclimation and ecological success in the future under increased ocean acidification.

  12. Dual stable isotopes of CH 4 from Yellowstone hot-springs suggest hydrothermal processes involving magmatic CO 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moran, James J.; Whitmore, Laura M.; Jay, Zackary J.; Jennings, Ryan deM.; Beam, Jacob P.; Kreuzer, Helen W.; Inskeep, William P.

    2017-07-01

    Volcanism and post-magmatism contribute both significant annual CH4 fluxes to the atmosphere (on par with other natural sources such as forest fire and wild animal emissions) and have been implicated in past climate-change events. The Yellowstone hot spot is one of the largest volcanic systems on Earth and is known to emit methane in addition to other greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide) but the ultimate source of this methane flux has not been elucidated. Here we use dual stable isotope analysis (δ2H and δ13C) of CH4(g) sampled from ten high-temperature geothermal pools in Yellowstone National Park to show that the predominant flux of CH4(g) is abiotic. The average δ13C and δ2H values of CH4(g) emitted from hot springs (-26.7 (±2.4) and -236.9 (±12.0) ‰, respectively) are not consistent with biotic (microbial or thermogenic) methane sources, but are within previously reported ranges for abiotic methane production. Correlation between δ13CCH4 and δ13C-dissolved inorganic C (DIC) also suggests that CO2 is a parent C source for the observed CH4(g). Moreover, CH4-CO2 isotopic geothermometry was used to estimate CH4(g) formation temperatures ranging from ~ 250 - 350°C, which is just below the temperature estimated for the hydrothermal reservoir and consistent with the hypothesis that subsurface, rock-water interactions are responsible for large methane fluxes from this volcanic system. An understanding of conditions leading to the abiotic production of methane and associated isotopic signatures are central to understanding the evolutionary history of deep carbon sources on Earth.

  13. Comparison of Surface and Column Variations of CO2 Over Urban Areas for Future Active Remote CO2 Sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Yonghoon; Yang, Melissa; Kooi, Susan; Browell, Edward

    2015-01-01

    High resolution in-situ CO2 measurements were recorded onboard the NASA P-3B during the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) Field Campaign, to investigate the ability of space-based observations to accurately assess near surface conditions related to air quality. This campaign includes, Washington DC/Baltimore, MD (July 2011), San Joaquin Valley, CA (January - February 2013), Houston, TX (September 2013), and Denver, CO (July-August 2014). Each of these campaigns consisted of missed approaches and approximately two hundred vertical soundings of CO2 within the lower troposphere (surface to about 5 km). In this study, surface (0 - 1 km) and column-averaged (0 - 3.5 km) CO2 mixing ratio values from the vertical soundings in the four geographically different urban areas are used to investigate the temporal and spatial variability of CO2 within the different urban atmospheric emission environments. Tracers such as CO, CH2O, NOx, and NMHCs are used to identify the source of CO2 variations in the urban sites. Additionally, we apply nominal CO2 column weighting functions for potential future active remote CO2 sensors operating in the 1.57-microns and 2.05-microns measurement regions to convert the in situ CO2 vertical mixing ratio profiles to variations in CO2 column optical depths, which is what the active remote sensors actually measure. Using statistics calculated from the optical depths at each urban site measured during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign and for each nominal weighting function, we investigate the natural variability of CO2 columns in the lower troposphere; relate the CO2 column variability to the urban surface emissions; and show the measurement requirements for the future ASCENDS (Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons) in the continental U.S. urban areas.

  14. Exogenous CO2 in South American sparkling wine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardelli Susiane

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The sparkling wine production and consumption have increased significantly in the last years. With the increased demand appear the necessity to check the sparkling wine authenticity, because the practice of adding CO2 in sparkling wine is not allow. A way to control the carbonation process is through the determination of CO2 δ13C, because the sugar added during the second fermentation define the CO2 isotopic value, according to elaboration process. For this reason, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between values of δ13C from still wines and sparkling wines, in order to set up limit values to exogenous carbonation control. Thirty-eight still wines elaborated by microvinification and 59 samples of commercial sparkling wines were analyzed, using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS. The most negative value of natural δ13C from still wine found was − 24.7‰, it can be to estimate that lowest values are an indicative of industrial CO2 addition. Among the commercial sparkling wine from South America evaluated in this study, 10% from the samples showed signs of carbonation. Through this research was possible to establish limits of isotopic values to determine the presence of exogenous CO2.

  15. Early deglacial Atlantic overturning decline and its role in atmospheric CO2 rise inferred from carbon isotopes (δ13C

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Schmittner

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The reason for the initial rise in atmospheric CO2 during the last deglaciation remains unknown. Most recent hypotheses invoke Southern Hemisphere processes such as shifts in midlatitude westerly winds. Coeval changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC are poorly quantified, and their relation to the CO2 increase is not understood. Here we compare simulations from a global, coupled climate–biogeochemistry model that includes a detailed representation of stable carbon isotopes (δ13C with a synthesis of high-resolution δ13C reconstructions from deep-sea sediments and ice core data. In response to a prolonged AMOC shutdown initialized from a preindustrial state, modeled δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC decreases in most of the surface ocean and the subsurface Atlantic, with largest amplitudes (more than 1.5‰ in the intermediate-depth North Atlantic. It increases in the intermediate and abyssal South Atlantic, as well as in the subsurface Southern, Indian, and Pacific oceans. The modeled pattern is similar and highly correlated with the available foraminiferal δ13C reconstructions spanning from the late Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ~19.5–18.5 ka BP to the late Heinrich stadial event 1 (HS1, ~16.5–15.5 ka BP, but the model overestimates δ13CDIC reductions in the North Atlantic. Possible reasons for the model–sediment-data differences are discussed. Changes in remineralized δ13CDIC dominate the total δ13CDIC variations in the model but preformed contributions are not negligible. Simulated changes in atmospheric CO2 and its isotopic composition (δ13CCO2 agree well with ice core data. Modeled effects of AMOC-induced wind changes on the carbon and isotope cycles are small, suggesting that Southern Hemisphere westerly wind effects may have been less important for the global carbon cycle response during HS1 than previously thought. Our results indicate that during the early deglaciation the AMOC decreased

  16. System for δ13C-CO2 and xCO2 analysis of discrete gas samples by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickinson, Dane; Bodé, Samuel; Boeckx, Pascal

    2017-11-01

    A method was devised for analysing small discrete gas samples (50 mL syringe) by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). Measurements were accomplished by inletting 50 mL syringed samples into an isotopic-CO2 CRDS analyser (Picarro G2131-i) between baseline readings of a reference air standard, which produced sharp peaks in the CRDS data feed. A custom software script was developed to manage the measurement process and aggregate sample data in real time. The method was successfully tested with CO2 mole fractions (xCO2) ranging from 20 000 ppm and δ13C-CO2 values from -100 up to +30 000 ‰ in comparison to VPDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite). Throughput was typically 10 samples h-1, with 13 h-1 possible under ideal conditions. The measurement failure rate in routine use was ca. 1 %. Calibration to correct for memory effects was performed with gravimetric gas standards ranging from 0.05 to 2109 ppm xCO2 and δ13C-CO2 levels varying from -27.3 to +21 740 ‰. Repeatability tests demonstrated that method precision for 50 mL samples was ca. 0.05 % in xCO2 and 0.15 ‰ in δ13C-CO2 for CO2 compositions from 300 to 2000 ppm with natural abundance 13C. Long-term method consistency was tested over a 9-month period, with results showing no systematic measurement drift over time. Standardised analysis of discrete gas samples expands the scope of application for isotopic-CO2 CRDS and enhances its potential for replacing conventional isotope ratio measurement techniques. Our method involves minimal set-up costs and can be readily implemented in Picarro G2131-i and G2201-i analysers or tailored for use with other CRDS instruments and trace gases.

  17. Influence of local emissions on concentration and isotopic composition of trace gases (CO2 and CH4) under strong anthropopression: A case study from Krakow, southern Poland

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Florkowski, T.; Korus, A.; Kuc, T.; Lasa, J.; Necki, J.M.; Zimnoch, M.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Measurements of the isotopic composition of carbon dioxide and methane together with their concentrations in the atmosphere, yield useful information on the contribution of anthropogenic sources to regional budgets of these gases and their seasonal changes. Observed correlation between isotopic composition and inverse concentration of these gases is used for estimation of mean isotopic composition of the local source. Monitoring of atmospheric CO 2 has been initiated in Krakow in 1982. The sampling point is located in a polluted urban area with strong contribution of anthropogenic gases originating both from local sources (coal burning, car traffic, leakages from city gas network, landfills) and large distant emitters - industrial district located ca. 80 km to the west from Krakow (Silesia district). Quasi-continuous measurements of CO 2 , and CH 4 concentrations in the low atmosphere are performed using gas chromatographic method. For isotope measurements, the atmospheric CO 2 is continuously sampled by sorption on molecular sieve in be-weekly intervals and radiocarbon concentration is measured by liquid scintillation spectrometer, while δ 13 C is determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Measurement error (1σ for single measurement) is in the order of 0.1 ppm for CO 2 concentration, ±8 per mille for δ 14 C, and ± 0.1 per mille for δ 13 C. In 1994, a new station for regular observations of greenhouse gases in lower atmosphere was set up in the High Tatra mountains, at Kasprowy Wierch (49 deg. N, 20 deg. E, 1980 m a.s.l., 300 m above the tree line). Kasprowy Wierch, with only small influences from local sources of trace gases can be considered as a reference station for this region of Poland. The record of CO 2 and CH 4 concentration and their isotope composition obtained at Kasprowy Wierch is considered as a background level for Krakow observations. The presented study was aimed at better characterisation and quantification of the local

  18. 13C analyses on CO2 in air using the multiflow: Application for the monitoring of atmospheric 13CO2 over hydro-electric reservoir in Quebec's Boreal region - Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilodeau, G.; Hillaire-Marcel, C.; Helie, J.-F.; Fourel, F.; Varfalvy, L.

    2002-01-01

    The Multiflow TM preparation system is a headspace sampling device allowing extraction, purification and introduction of a gas sample into a gas-source Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometer for isotopic analysis. The original device was designed for 13 C measurements on CO 2 from breath tests. It has been adapted here for 13 CO 2 analysis in atmospheric low pCO 2 -samples

  19. Silicon isotope separation utilizing infrared multiphoton dissociation of Si2F6 irradiated with two-color CO2 laser light

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Atsushi; Ohba, Hironori; Hashimoto, Masashi; Arai, Shigeyoshi

    2002-01-01

    Silicon isotope separation has been done by utilizing the Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation (IRMPD) of Si 2 F 6 irradiated with two-color CO 2 laser lights. The two-color excitation method improved the separation efficiency keeping the high enrichment factors. For example, 99.74% of 28 Si was obtained at 49.63% dissociation of Si 2 F 6 after the simultaneous irradiation of 200 pulses with 966.23 cm -1 photons (0.084 J/cm 2 ) and 954.55 cm -1 photons (0.658 J/cm 2 ), while 2000 pulses were needed to obtain 99.35% of 28 Si at 35.6% dissociation in the case of only one-color irradiation at 954.55 cm -1 (0.97 J/cm 2 ). (author)

  20. Isotopic evidence for the infiltration of mantle and metamorphic CO2-H2O fluids from below in faulted rocks from the San Andreas Fault System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pili, E.; Kennedy, B.M.; Conrad, M.E.; Gratier, J.-P.

    2010-12-15

    To characterize the origin of the fluids involved in the San Andreas Fault (SAF) system, we carried out an isotope study of exhumed faulted rocks from deformation zones, vein fillings and their hosts and the fluid inclusions associated with these materials. Samples were collected from segments along the SAF system selected to provide a depth profile from upper to lower crust. In all, 75 samples from various structures and lithologies from 13 localities were analyzed for noble gas, carbon, and oxygen isotope compositions. Fluid inclusions exhibit helium isotope ratios ({sup 3}He/{sup 4}He) of 0.1-2.5 times the ratio in air, indicating that past fluids percolating through the SAF system contained mantle helium contributions of at least 35%, similar to what has been measured in present-day ground waters associated with the fault (Kennedy et al., 1997). Calcite is the predominant vein mineral and is a common accessory mineral in deformation zones. A systematic variation of C- and O-isotope compositions of carbonates from veins, deformation zones and their hosts suggests percolation by external fluids of similar compositions and origin with the amount of fluid infiltration increasing from host rocks to vein to deformation zones. The isotopic trend observed for carbonates in veins and deformation zones follows that shown by carbonates in host limestones, marbles, and other host rocks, increasing with increasing contribution of deep metamorphic crustal volatiles. At each crustal level, the composition of the infiltrating fluids is thus buffered by deeper metamorphic sources. A negative correlation between calcite {delta}{sup 13}C and fluid inclusion {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He is consistent with a mantle origin for a fraction of the infiltrating CO{sub 2}. Noble gas and stable isotope systematics show consistent evidence for the involvement of mantle-derived fluids combined with infiltration of deep metamorphic H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} in faulting, supporting the involvement of

  1. Cavity Ring-down Spectroscopy for Carbon Isotope Analysis with 2 μm Diode Laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hiromoto, K.; Tomita, H.; Watanabe, K.; Kawarabayashi, J.; Iguchi, T.

    2009-01-01

    We have made a prototype based on CRDS with 2 μm diode laser for carbon isotope analysis of CO 2 in air. The carbon isotope ratio was obtained to be (1.085±0.012)x10 -2 which shows good agreement with the isotope ratio measured by the magnetic sector-type mass spectrometer within uncertainty. Hence, we demonstrated the carbon isotope analysis based on CRDS with 2 μm tunable diode laser.

  2. A new set-up for simultaneous high-precision measurements of CO2, δ13C-CO2 and δ18O-CO2 on small ice core samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenk, Theo Manuel; Rubino, Mauro; Etheridge, David; Ciobanu, Viorela Gabriela; Blunier, Thomas

    2016-08-01

    Palaeoatmospheric records of carbon dioxide and its stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) obtained from polar ice cores provide important constraints on the natural variability of the carbon cycle. However, the measurements are both analytically challenging and time-consuming; thus only data exist from a limited number of sampling sites and time periods. Additional analytical resources with high analytical precision and throughput are thus desirable to extend the existing datasets. Moreover, consistent measurements derived by independent laboratories and a variety of analytical systems help to further increase confidence in the global CO2 palaeo-reconstructions. Here, we describe our new set-up for simultaneous measurements of atmospheric CO2 mixing ratios and atmospheric δ13C and δ18O-CO2 in air extracted from ice core samples. The centrepiece of the system is a newly designed needle cracker for the mechanical release of air entrapped in ice core samples of 8-13 g operated at -45 °C. The small sample size allows for high resolution and replicate sampling schemes. In our method, CO2 is cryogenically and chromatographically separated from the bulk air and its isotopic composition subsequently determined by continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In combination with thermal conductivity measurement of the bulk air, the CO2 mixing ratio is calculated. The analytical precision determined from standard air sample measurements over ice is ±1.9 ppm for CO2 and ±0.09 ‰ for δ13C. In a laboratory intercomparison study with CSIRO (Aspendale, Australia), good agreement between CO2 and δ13C results is found for Law Dome ice core samples. Replicate analysis of these samples resulted in a pooled standard deviation of 2.0 ppm for CO2 and 0.11 ‰ for δ13C. These numbers are good, though they are rather conservative estimates of the overall analytical precision achieved for single ice sample measurements. Facilitated by the small sample requirement

  3. Current Travertines Precipitation from CO{sub 2}-rich Groundwaters as an alert of CO{sub 2} Leakages from a Natural CO{sub 2} Storage at Ganuelas-Mazarron Tertiary Basin (Murcia, Spain)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodrigo-Naharro, J.; Delgado, A.; Herrero, M. J.; Granados, A.; Perez del Villar, L.

    2013-02-01

    Carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS) represent the most suitable solutions related to the high anthropogenic CO{sub 2} emissions to the atmosphere. As a consequence, monitoring of the possible CO{sub 2} leakages from an artificial deep geological CO{sub 2} storage (DGS) is indispensable to guarantee its safety. Fast surficial travertine precipitation related to these CO{sub 2} leakages can be used as an alert for these escapes. Since few studies exist focusing on the long-term behaviour of an artificial CO{sub 2} DGS, natural CO{sub 2} storage affected by natural or artificial escapes must be studied as natural analogues for predicting the long-term behaviour of an artificial CO{sub 2} storage. In this context, a natural CO{sub 2} reservoir affected by artificial CO{sub 2} escapes has been studied in this work. This study has mainly focused on the current travertines precipitation associated with the upwelling CO{sub 2}-rich waters from several hydrogeological wells drilled in the Ganuelas-Mazarron Tertiary basin (SE Spain), and consists of a comprehensive characterisation of parent-waters and their associated carbonates, including elemental and isotopic geochemistry, mineralogy and petrography. Geochemical characterisation of groundwaters has led to recognise 4 hydrofacies from 3 different aquifers. These groundwaters have very high salinity and electrical conductivity; are slightly acid; present high dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and free CO{sub 2}; are oversaturated in both aragonite and calcite; and dissolve, mobilize and transport low quantities of heavy and/or toxic elements. Isotopic values indicate that: i) the origin of parent-waters is related to rainfalls from clouds originated in the Mediterranean Sea or continental areas; ii) the origin of C is mainly inorganic; and iii) sulphate anions come mainly from the dissolution of the Messinian gypsum from the Tertiary Basin sediments. Current travertines precipitation seems to be controlled by a

  4. Catalytic activity in reactions of isotopic exchange of carbon monoxide and adsorption properties of catalysts on zinc oxide base

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikheeva, T.M.; Kasatkina, L.A.; Volynkina, A.Ya.

    1987-01-01

    Activity of different zinc oxide samples in reaction of CO homomolecular isotopic exchnge (HMIE) ( 13 C 18 O+ 12 C 16 O= 13 C 16 O+ 12 C 18 O), CO adsorption on ZnO and isotopic exchange between adsorbed and gaseous CO are investigated. The most active is ZnO sample prepared from ZnCO 3 . Quantitative ratio between different with respect to surface strength molecules of adsorbed CO are experimentally determined. It is shown that by increase of ZnO time contact with CO the quantity of adsorbed CO(N σ/0 ), capable of fast exchange with a gaseous phase, is reduced and the quantity of slowly exchanged adsorbed CO is increased. Correlation between decrease of N σ/0 and decrease of CO HMIE with the catalyst holding time in CO medium is stated

  5. Supercritical CO{sub 2} Compressor with Active Magnetic Bearing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cha, Jae Eun [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Seong Kuk; Lee, JeKyoung; Lee, Jeong Ik [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    For the stable operation of the sCO{sub 2} integral test facility SCIEL, KAERI prepared Active Magnetic Bearing sCO{sub 2} compressor for the 70,000RPM operation. Power generation test with AMB compressor will be finished within first half year of 2016 under supercritical state. The principal advantages of the sCO{sub 2} Cycle are high efficiency at moderate temperature range, compact components size, simple cycle configuration, and compatibility with various heat sources. The Supercritical CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle Integral Experiment Loop (SCIEL) has been installed in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to develop the base technologies for the sCO{sub 2} cycle power generation system. The operation of the SCIEL has mainly focused on sCO{sub 2} compressor development and establishing sCO{sub 2} system control logic.

  6. Measurements and modeling of CO2 concentration and isotopes to improve process-level understanding of Arctic and boreal carbon cycling. Final Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Keeling, Ralph F. [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Scripps Inst. of Oceanography

    2017-09-29

    The major goal of this project was to improve understanding of processes that control the exchanges of CO2 between the atmosphere and the land biosphere on decadal and longer time scales. The approach involves measuring the changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration and the isotopes of CO2 (13C/12C and 18O/16O) at background stations and uses these and other datasets to challenge and improve numerical models of the earth system. The project particularly emphasized the use of these data to improve understanding of changes occurring in boreal and arctic ecosystems over the past 50 years and to seek from these data improved understanding of large-scale processes impacting carbon cycling, such as the responses to warming, CO2 fertilization, and disturbance. The project also led to advances in the understanding of changes in water-use efficiency of land ecosystems globally based on trends in 13C/12C. The core element of this project was providing partial support for continuing measurements of CO2 concentrations and isotopes from the Scripps CO2 program, initiated by C. D. Keeling in the 1960s. The measurements included analysis of flasks collected at an array of ten stations distributed from the Arctic to the Antarctic. The project also supported modeling studies and interpretive work to help understand the origins of the large ~50% increase in the amplitude of the atmospheric CO2 cycle detected at high northern latitudes between 1960 and present and to understand the long-term trend in carbon 13C/12C of CO2. The seasonal cycle work was advanced through collaborations with colleagues at MPI Jena and Imperial College

  7. Use of the isotope flux ratio approach to investigate the C18O16O and 13CO2 exchange near the floor of a temperate deciduous forest

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Bartlett

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Stable isotopologues of CO2, such as 13CO2 and C18OO, have been used to study the CO2 exchange between land and atmosphere. The advent of new measuring techniques has allowed near-continuous measurements of stable isotopes in the air. These measurements can be used with micrometeorological techniques, providing new tools to investigate the isotope exchange in ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the use of the isotope flux ratio method (IFR near the forest floor of a temperate deciduous forest and to study the temporal dynamics of δ18O of CO2 flux near the forest floor by comparing IFR estimates with estimates of δ18O of net soil CO2 flux provided by an analytical model. Mixing ratios of 12C16O2, 13CO2 and C16O18O were measured within and above a temperate deciduous forest, using the tunable diode laser spectroscopy technique. The half-hourly compositions of the CO2 flux near the forest floor (δ13CF and δ18OF were calculated by IFR and compared with estimates provided by a modified Keeling plot technique (mKP and by a Lagrangian dispersion analysis (WT analysis. The mKP and IFR δ18OF estimates showed good agreement (slope = 1.03 and correlation, R2 = 0.80. The δ13CF estimates from the two methods varied in a narrow range of −32.7 and −23‰; the mean (± SE mKP and IFR δ13CF values were −27.5‰ (±0.2 and −27.3‰ (±0.1, respectively, and were statistically identical (p>0.05. WT analysis and IFR δ18OF estimates showed better correlation (R2 = 0.37 when only turbulent periods (u*>0.6 m s−1 were included in the analysis. The large amount of data captured (~95 % of half-hour periods evaluated for the IFR in comparison with mKP (27 % shows that the former provides new opportunities for studying δ18OF dynamics within forest canopies. Values of δ18OF showed large temporal variation, with values ranging from −31.4‰ (DOY 208 to −11.2‰ (DOY 221. Precipitation events caused substantial variation (~8

  8. Table of specific activities of selected isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shipley, G.

    The bulk of this publication consists of a table of the half-lives, decay modes, and specific activities of isotopes selected for their particular interest to the Environmental Health and Safety Department, LBL. The specific activities were calculated with a PDP 9/15 computer. Also included in the report is a table of stable isotopes, the Th and U decay chains, a chart of the nuclides for elements 101 through 106, the heavy element region of the periodic table, and a specific activity monograph. 5 figures, 2 tables

  9. The Interrelationship of pCO2, Soil Moisture Content, and Biomass Fertilization Expressed in the Carbon Isotope Signature of C3 Plant Tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schubert, B.; Jahren, A. H.

    2017-12-01

    Hundreds of chamber and field experiments have shown an increase in C3 plant biomass in response to elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2); however, secondary water and nutrient deficits are thought to limit this response. Some have hypothesized that secondary limitation might be self-alleviating under elevated pCO2 as greater root biomass imparts enhanced access to water and nutrients. Here we present results of growth chamber experiments designed to test this hypothesis: we grew 206 Arabidopsis thaliana plants within 5 growth chambers, each set at a different level of pCO2: 390, 685, 1075, 1585, and 2175 ppmv. Within each growth chamber, soil moisture content (θm) was maintained across a spectrum: 1.50, 0.83, 0.44, and 0.38 g g-1. After 3 weeks of total growth, tissues were analyzed for both biomass and net carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) value. From these values, we calculated Δresidual, which represents the residual effect of water stress after subtraction of the effect of pCO2 due to photorespiration. Across the full range of moisture content, Δresidual displayed a significant 2.5‰ increase with increasing pCO2. This further implies a 0.1 unit increase in ci/ca, consistent with decreased water stress at elevated pCO2. The influence of CO2 fertilization on the alleviation of water stress was further evidenced in a positive correlation between percent biomass change and Δresidual, such that a doubling of plant biomass yielded a 1.85‰ increase in carbon isotope discrimination. In addition to providing new insight into water uptake in plants growing under elevated carbon dioxide, these data underscore the importance of separating the effects of increased pCO2 (via photorespiration) and altered ci/ca (via stomatal conductance) when considering changes in the Δ13C value of C3 land plants during the Anthropocene, or across any geological period that includes a marked change in global carbon cycling.

  10. System for δ13C–CO2 and xCO2 analysis of discrete gas samples by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Dickinson

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A method was devised for analysing small discrete gas samples (50 mL syringe by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS. Measurements were accomplished by inletting 50 mL syringed samples into an isotopic-CO2 CRDS analyser (Picarro G2131-i between baseline readings of a reference air standard, which produced sharp peaks in the CRDS data feed. A custom software script was developed to manage the measurement process and aggregate sample data in real time. The method was successfully tested with CO2 mole fractions (xCO2 ranging from  <  0.1 to  >  20 000 ppm and δ13C–CO2 values from −100 up to +30 000 ‰ in comparison to VPDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite. Throughput was typically 10 samples h−1, with 13 h−1 possible under ideal conditions. The measurement failure rate in routine use was ca. 1 %. Calibration to correct for memory effects was performed with gravimetric gas standards ranging from 0.05 to 2109 ppm xCO2 and δ13C–CO2 levels varying from −27.3 to +21 740 ‰. Repeatability tests demonstrated that method precision for 50 mL samples was ca. 0.05 % in xCO2 and 0.15 ‰ in δ13C–CO2 for CO2 compositions from 300 to 2000 ppm with natural abundance 13C. Long-term method consistency was tested over a 9-month period, with results showing no systematic measurement drift over time. Standardised analysis of discrete gas samples expands the scope of application for isotopic-CO2 CRDS and enhances its potential for replacing conventional isotope ratio measurement techniques. Our method involves minimal set-up costs and can be readily implemented in Picarro G2131-i and G2201-i analysers or tailored for use with other CRDS instruments and trace gases.

  11. Magnetic properties of iron-based catalysts activated by various CO{sub 2} concentrations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Jung Tae; Kim, Chul Sung [Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chun, Dong Hyun; Park, Ji Chan [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-12-15

    Fresh catalyst samples of 100Fe/5.26Cu/4.76K/18.2SiO{sub 2} in part per weight were synthesized by using a combination of a co-precipitation technique and spray-drying method and were activated in situ by using syngas (H{sub 2}/CO/xCO{sub 2}) with different amounts of CO{sub 2} (x = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0). All activated catalyst samples showed similar XRD patterns, a combination of ferrihydrite, magnetite, χ-carbide, and ε'-carbide, regardless of the CO{sub 2} contents. From the Moessbauer spectra, we also observed a combination of ferrihydrite, magnetite, χ-carbide, and ε'-carbide in all activated catalyst samples. The main compound of the activated catalyst sample activated by using CO{sub 2}-free syngas (H{sub 2}/CO) was magnetic χ-carbide, and the main compound changed from χ-carbide to ferrihydrite with increasing CO{sub 2} concentration, confirmed by both, Moessbauer spectra and XRD pattern.

  12. Faults as Windows to Monitor Gas Seepage: Application to CO2 Sequestration and CO2-EOR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald W. Klusman

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Monitoring of potential gas seepage for CO2 sequestration and CO2-EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery in geologic storage will involve geophysical and geochemical measurements of parameters at depth and at, or near the surface. The appropriate methods for MVA (Monitoring, Verification, Accounting are needed for both cost and technical effectiveness. This work provides an overview of some of the geochemical methods that have been demonstrated to be effective for an existing CO2-EOR (Rangely, CA, USA and a proposed project at Teapot Dome, WY, USA. Carbon dioxide and CH4 fluxes and shallow soil gas concentrations were measured, followed by nested completions of 10-m deep holes to obtain concentration gradients. The focus at Teapot Dome was the evaluation of faults as pathways for gas seepage in an under-pressured reservoir system. The measurements were supplemented by stable carbon and oxygen isotopic measurements, carbon-14, and limited use of inert gases. The work clearly demonstrates the superiority of CH4 over measurements of CO2 in early detection and quantification of gas seepage. Stable carbon isotopes, carbon-14, and inert gas measurements add to the verification of the deep source. A preliminary accounting at Rangely confirms the importance of CH4 measurements in the MVA application.

  13. Paired carbon stable-isotope records for the Cenomanian Stage (100.5 -93.9 Ma): correlation tool and Late Cretaceous pCO2 record?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarvis, Ian; Gröcke, Darren; Laurin, Jiří; Selby, David; Roest-Ellis, Sascha; Miles, Andrew; Lignum, John; Gale, Andrew; Kennedy, Jim

    2016-04-01

    - and long-term trends. Potential causes of the similarities and differences are examined, and it is concluded that major deviations of the paired isotope trends offer insights into long-term atmospheric pCO2 variation. The osmium 187Os/188Os isotope stratigraphy of the MCEI and OAE2 intervals provides evidence of varying volcanic CO2 input, in-part driving climate change. Spectral analyses of the δ13Corg time series reveals a strong ~100 kyr short eccentricity signal throughout the Cenomanian, with well-expressed ~40 kyr obliquity and ~20 kyr precession cycles in some intervals. A 400 kyr long eccentricity cycle is recorded in sedimentation rate changes and amplitude modulation of the 100 kyr cycle. The relative spacing of events, and comparison with the latest orbital solution La2011, further suggest that MCE I and OAE2 coincided with nodes in the ~2.2-Myr eccentricity modulation.

  14. Active sites of ligand-protected Au25 nanoparticle catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to CO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfonso, Dominic R.; Kauffman, Douglas; Matranga, Christopher

    2016-05-01

    Recent experimental studies have reported the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) into CO at atomically precise negatively charged Au25- nanoclusters. The studies showed CO2 conversion at remarkably low overpotentials, but the exact mechanisms and nature of the active sites remain unclear. We used first-principles density functional theory and continuum solvation models to examine the role of the cluster during electrochemical CO2 reduction and analyze the free energies of proposed intermediate species. Contrary to previous assumptions, our results show that the fully ligand protected cluster is not an active CO2 reduction catalyst because formation of the crucial carboxyl intermediate required very high electrochemical potentials. Instead, our calculations suggest that the reduction process likely occurs on a dethiolated gold site, and adsorbed carboxyl intermediate formation was significantly stabilized at dethiolated gold sites. These findings point to the crucial role of exposed metal sites during electrochemical CO2 reduction at gold nanocluster catalysts.

  15. The isotopic record of Northern Hemisphere atmospheric carbon monoxide since 1950: implications for the CO budget

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Wang

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available We present a 60-year record of the stable isotopes of atmospheric carbon monoxide (CO from firn air samples collected under the framework of the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM project. CO concentration, δ13C, and δ18O of CO were measured by gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (gc-IRMS from trapped gases in the firn. We applied LGGE-GIPSA firn air models (Witrant et al., 2011 to correlate gas age with firn air depth and then reconstructed the trend of atmospheric CO and its stable isotopic composition at high northern latitudes since 1950. The most probable firn air model scenarios show that δ13C decreased slightly from −25.8‰ in 1950 to −26.4‰ in 2000, then decreased more significantly to −27.2‰ in 2008. δ18O decreased more regularly from 9.8‰ in 1950 to 7.1‰ in 2008. Those same scenarios show CO concentration increased gradually from 1950 and peaked in the late 1970s, followed by a gradual decrease to present day values (Petrenko et al., 2012. Results from an isotope mass balance model indicate that a slight increase, followed by a large reduction, in CO derived from fossil fuel combustion has occurred since 1950. The reduction of CO emission from fossil fuel combustion after the mid-1970s is the most plausible mechanism for the drop of CO concentration during this time. Fossil fuel CO emissions decreased as a result of the implementation of catalytic converters and the relative growth of diesel engines, in spite of the global vehicle fleet size having grown several fold over the same time period.

  16. Catalytic activity of Co/SiO2 and Co/TiO2 nanosized systems in the oxidation of carbon monoxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelyp, A. A.; Smirnova, N. P.; Oleksenko, L. P.; Lutsenko, L. V.; Oranskaya, E. I.; Ripko, A. P.

    2013-06-01

    The effects of the preparation procedure, active component concentration, and conditions of formation of nanosized cobalt-containing systems based on TiO2 and SiO2 mesoporous powders on their catalytic activity in the oxidation of carbon monoxide were studied. The active phase in the systems was cobalt spinel CoCo2O4 found in all samples. High catalytic activity was found in the samples characterized by relatively high contents of surface active centers (cobalt cations with octahedral surroundings).

  17. Co-deposition of palladium with hydrogen isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dash, J.; Ambadkar, A.

    2006-01-01

    Palladium was co-deposited with hydrogen isotopes on a Pd cathode. This resulted in enhanced production of excess thermal power. After electrolysis the Pd Lβ/ Lα ratio was found to be increased in characteristic X-ray spectra from localized, microscopic areas on the surface of the Pd cathode. This suggests the possibility that appreciable amounts of silver are present in these areas. (authors)

  18. CO self-shielding as the origin of oxygen isotope anomalies in the early solar nebula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyons, J R; Young, E D

    2005-05-19

    The abundances of oxygen isotopes in the most refractory mineral phases (calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions, CAIs) in meteorites have hitherto defied explanation. Most processes fractionate isotopes by nuclear mass; that is, 18O is twice as fractionated as 17O, relative to 16O. In CAIs 17O and 18O are nearly equally fractionated, implying a fundamentally different mechanism. The CAI data were originally interpreted as evidence for supernova input of pure 16O into the solar nebula, but the lack of a similar isotope trend in other elements argues against this explanation. A symmetry-dependent fractionation mechanism may have occurred in the inner solar nebula, but experimental evidence is lacking. Isotope-selective photodissociation of CO in the innermost solar nebula might explain the CAI data, but the high temperatures in this region would have rapidly erased the signature. Here we report time-dependent calculations of CO photodissociation in the cooler surface region of a turbulent nebula. If the surface were irradiated by a far-ultraviolet flux approximately 10(3) times that of the local interstellar medium (for example, owing to an O or B star within approximately 1 pc of the protosun), then substantial fractionation of the oxygen isotopes was possible on a timescale of approximately 10(5) years. We predict that similarly irradiated protoplanetary disks will have H2O enriched in 17O and 18O by several tens of per cent relative to CO.

  19. Chemical engineering design of CO oxidation catalysts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herz, Richard K.

    1987-01-01

    How a chemical reaction engineer would approach the challenge of designing a CO oxidation catalyst for pulsed CO2 lasers is described. CO oxidation catalysts have a long history of application, of course, so it is instructive to first consider the special requirements of the laser application and then to compare them to the characteristics of existing processes which utilize CO oxidation catalysts. All CO2 laser applications require a CO oxidation catalyst with the following characteristics: (1) active at stoichiometric ratios of O2 and CO, (2) no inhibition by CO2 or other components of the laser environment, (3) releases no particulates during vibration or thermal cycling, and (4) long lifetime with a stable activity. In all applications, low consumption of power is desirable, a characteristic especially critical in aerospace applications and, thus, catalyst activity at low temperatures is highly desirable. High power lasers with high pulse repetition rates inherently require circulation of the gas mixture and this forced circulation is available for moving gas past the catalyst. Low repetition rate lasers, however, do not inherently require gas circulation, so a catalyst that did not require such circulation would be favorable from the standpoint of minimum power consumption. Lasers designed for atmospheric penetration of their infrared radiation utilize CO2 formed from rare isotopes of oxygen and this application has the additional constraint that normal abundance oxygen isotopes in the catalyst must not exchange with rare isotopes in the gas mixture.

  20. 13CO2/12CO2 ratio analysis in exhaled air by lead-salt tunable diode lasers for noninvasive diagnostics in gastroenterology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stepanov, Eugene V.; Zyrianov, Pavel V.; Miliaev, Valerii A.; Selivanov, Yurii G.; Chizhevskii, Eugene G.; Os'kina, Svetlana; Ivashkin, Vladimir T.; Nikitina, Elena I.

    1999-07-01

    An analyzer of 13CO2/12CO2 ratio in exhaled air based on lead-salt tunable diode lasers is presented. High accuracy of the carbon isotope ratio detection in exhaled carbon dioxide was achieved with help of very simple optical schematics. It was based on the use of MBE laser diodes operating in pulse mode and on recording the resonance CO2 absorption at 4.2 micrometers . Special fast acquisition electronics and software were applied for spectral data collection and processing. Developed laser system was tested in a clinical train aimed to assessment eradication efficiency in therapy of gastritis associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. Data on the 13C-urea breath test used for P.pylori detection and obtained with tunable diode lasers in the course of the trail was compared with the results of Mass-Spectroscopy analysis and histology observations. The analyzer can be used also for 13CO2/12CO2 ratio detection in exhalation to perform gastroenterology breath test based on using other compounds labeled with stable isotopes.

  1. Porous carbon from local coconut shell char by CO2 and H2O activation in the presence of K2CO3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vi, Nguyen Ngoc Thuy; Truyen, Dang Hai; Trung, Bien Cong; An, Ngo Thanh; Van Dung, Nguyen; Long, Nguyen Quang

    2017-09-01

    Vietnamese coconut shell char was activated by steam and carbon dioxide at low temperatures with the presence of K2CO3 as a catalyst. The effects of process parameters on adsorption capability of the product including different ratio of impregnation of activation agents, activation temperature, activation time were investigated in this study. Iodine number, methylene blue adsorption capacity, specific surface area and pore size distribution were measured to assess the properties of the activated carbon. Accordingly, the porous carbon was applied for toluene removal by adsorption technology. Significant increases in specific surface area and the toluene adsorption capacity were observed when the coconut shell char was activated in CO2 flow at 720 °C for 150 minutes and the K2CO3/char weight ratio of 0.5.

  2. Calcium and titanium isotopes in refractory inclusions from CM, CO, and CR chondrites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kööp, Levke; Davis, Andrew M.; Krot, Alexander N.; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Simon, Steven B.

    2018-05-01

    Previous studies have shown that CV and CM chondrites incorporated Ca, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) with different isotopic characteristics, which may represent different snapshots in the isotopic evolution of the early Solar System. To better understand how the isotopic characteristics of CAIs vary between different chondrite groups, we have studied calcium and titanium isotopes in CAIs from CM, CO, and CR chondrites. We show that all three chondrite groups contain CAIs with large anomalies in 48Ca and/or 50Ti (10s of ‰ or 100s of ε-units) as well as CAIs with no anomalies resolved beyond measurement uncertainties. Isotopically, the anomalous CO and CR chondrite CAIs resemble the platy hibonite crystals (PLACs) from CM chondrites, but they are more mineralogically complex. The new data are consistent with the well-established mutual exclusivity relationship between incorporation of 26Al and the presence of large anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti. The two highly anomalous CO chondrite CAIs have correlated anomalies in 46Ti and 50Ti, while most other highly anomalous CAIs do not. This result could indicate that the reservoir with coupled 46Ti and 50Ti that was sampled by bulk meteorites and CV chondrite CAIs already existed before arrival and/or homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the protoplanetary disk. Among the studied CM chondrite CAIs are ten spinel-hibonite inclusions (SHIBs) with known oxygen isotopic compositions. Our results show that these objects sampled a reservoir that was well-mixed in oxygen, calcium, and titanium isotopes. We further show that SHIBs tend to be slightly enriched in the heavy calcium isotopes, suggesting that their formation history was different from CV chondrite CAIs.

  3. Co-ordinated research programme on applications of stable isotope tracers in human nutrition research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This document provides a very brief report on the final Research Co-ordination Meeting of this Co-ordinated Research Project (CRP): the final report on the CRP will be published by the IAEA in the IAEA-TECDOC series. The present document contains a detailed proposal for a new Co-ordinated Research Programme on ''Stable Isotope Tracer Techniques for Studies on Protein-Energy Interactions'', and a brief series of notes on stable isotopic methods for investigating protein and amino-acid metabolism in man. Refs

  4. Isotopic fractionation of gases during its migration: experiments and 2D numerical simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kara, S.; Prinzhofer, A.

    2003-04-01

    Several works have been developed in the last decade on the experimental isotope fractionation of gases during migration (Prinzhofer et al., 1997 and Zhang &Krooss, 2001 among others). We add to these results new experiments on diffusion of CO_2, which becomes currently a crucial subject for environmental purpose. Our experiments showed that transport by diffusion of CO_2 through a water saturated shale induces a significant and systematic carbon isotopic fractionation with heavier (13C enriched) CO_2 migrating first. In all experiments, significant isotope fractionation was found but still remains without quantitative interpretation. To interpret these data, we developed a 2D numerical model at the pore scale. The general principle of this model is the study of transport by water solubilization/diffusion of gas in a capillary saturated with water with two different media : a mobile zone representing free water and a immobile zone representing bounded water. The model takes also into account solubilization coefficients of gas in water, as well as the migration distance and the volume of upstream and downstream reservoirs. Using our numerical model, we could reproduce the evolution of isotopic fractionations and the velocity of CO_2 migration versus the production factor F (proportion of diffused gas). We determined some physical parameters of the porous medium (bentonite) which are not directly measurable at the present time. Furthermore, we used these parameters to reproduce the curves of isotopic fractionation obtained by Pernaton (1998) on methane migration with the same porous rock. We used also a modified version of this model with infinite reservoirs to reproduce the curves of isotopic fractionation of Zhang &Krooss (2001). Application of this model to geological scale is under progress, in order to implement it into sedimentary basins modelling. REFERENCES: Zhang T. and Krooss M. (2001). Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Vol. 65, No.16, pp. 2723-2742. Pernaton E

  5. Plants increase laccase activity in soil with long-term elevated CO2 legacy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Partavian, Asrin; Mikkelsen, Teis Nørgaard; Vestergård, Mette

    2015-01-01

    [CO2] stimulate laccase activity. We incubated soil exposed to seven years of elevated or ambient field [CO2] in ambient or elevated [CO2] chambers for six months either with or without plants (Deschampsia flexuosa). Elevated chamber [CO2] increased D. flexuosa production and belowground respiration....... Interestingly, plants also grew larger in soil with an elevated [CO2] legacy. Plants stimulated soil microbial biomass, belowground respiration and laccase activity, and the plant-induced laccase stimulation was particularly apparent in soil exposed to long-term elevated [CO2] in the field, whereas laccase......Actively growing plants can stimulate mineralization of recalcitrant soil organic matter (SOM), and increased atmospheric [CO2] can further enhance such plant-mediated SOM degradation. Laccases are central for recalcitrant SOM decomposition, and we therefore hypothesized that plants and elevated...

  6. Atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux with 13CO2 constraint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J. M.; Mo, G.; Deng, F.

    2013-10-01

    Observations of 13CO2 at 73 sites compiled in the GLOBALVIEW database are used for an additional constraint in a global atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux using CO2 observations at 210 sites for the 2002-2004 period for 39 land regions and 11 ocean regions. This constraint is implemented using the 13CO2/CO2 flux ratio modeled with a terrestrial ecosystem model and an ocean model. These models simulate 13CO2 discrimination rates of terrestrial photosynthesis and respiration and ocean-atmosphere diffusion processes. In both models, the 13CO2 disequilibrium between fluxes to and from the atmosphere is considered due to the historical change in atmospheric 13CO2 concentration. For the 2002-2004 period, the 13CO2 constraint on the inversion increases the total land carbon sink from 3.40 to 3.70 Pg C yr-1 and decreases the total oceanic carbon sink from 1.48 to 1.12 Pg C yr-1. The largest changes occur in tropical areas: a considerable decrease in the carbon source in the Amazon forest, and this decrease is mostly compensated by increases in the ocean region immediately west of the Amazon and the southeast Asian land region. Our further investigation through different treatments of the 13CO2/CO2 flux ratio used in the inversion suggests that variable spatial distributions of the 13CO2 isotopic discrimination rate simulated by the models over land and ocean have considerable impacts on the spatial distribution of the inverted CO2 flux over land and the inversion results are not sensitive to errors in the estimated disequilibria over land and ocean.

  7. CO2 production in animals: analysis of potential errors in the doubly labeled water method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagy, K.A.

    1979-03-01

    Laboratory validation studies indicate that doubly labeled water ( 3 HH 18 O and 2 HH 18 O) measurements of CO 2 production are accurate to within +-9% in nine species of mammals and reptiles, a bird, and an insect. However, in field studies, errors can be much larger under certain circumstances. Isotopic fraction of labeled water can cause large errors in animals whose evaporative water loss comprises a major proportion of total water efflux. Input of CO 2 across lungs and skin caused errors exceeding +80% in kangaroo rats exposed to air containing 3.4% unlabeled CO 2 . Analytical errors of +-1% in isotope concentrations can cause calculated rates of CO 2 production to contain errors exceeding +-70% in some circumstances. These occur: 1) when little decline in isotope concentractions has occured during the measurement period; 2) when final isotope concentrations closely approach background levels; and 3) when the rate of water flux in an animal is high relative to its rate of CO 2 production. The following sources of error are probably negligible in most situations: 1) use of an inappropriate equation for calculating CO 2 production, 2) variations in rates of water or CO 2 flux through time, 3) use of H 2 O-18 dilution space as a measure of body water volume, 4) exchange of 0-18 between water and nonaqueous compounds in animals (including excrement), 5) incomplete mixing of isotopes in the animal, and 6) input of unlabeled water via lungs and skin. Errors in field measurements of CO 2 production can be reduced to acceptable levels (< 10%) by appropriate selection of study subjects and recapture intervals

  8. Hydrogen/deuterium fractionation factors of the aqueous ligand of cobalt in Co(H2O)62+ and Co(II)-substituted carbonic anhydrase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kassebaum, J.W.

    1988-01-01

    The author has measured the hydrogen/deuterium fractionation factor for the rapidly exchanging aqueous ligands of cobalt in Co(H 2 O) 6 2+ and in three Co(II)-substituted isozymes of carbonic anhydrase. The fractionation factor was determined from NMR relaxation rates at 300 MHz of the protons of water in mixed solutions of H 2 O and D 2 O containing these complexes. In each case, the paramagnetic contribution to 1/T 2 was greater than to 1/T 1 , consistent with a chemical shift mechanism affecting 1/T 2 . The fractionation factors obtained from T 2 were 0.73 ± 0.02 for Co(H 2 O) 6 2+ , 0.72 ± 0.02 for Co(II)-substituted carbonic anhydrase I, 0.77 ± 0.01 for Co(II)-substituted carbonic anhydrase II, and 1.00 ± 0.07 for Co(Il)-substituted carbonic anhydrase III. He concluded that fractionation factors in these cases determined from T 1 and T 2 measured isotope preferences for different populations of ligand sites. Since T 2 has a large contribution from a chemical shift mechanism, the fractionation factor determined from T 2 has a large contribution of the fractionation of inner shell ligands. The fractionation factor of Co(H 2 O) 6 2+ was used to interpret the solvent hydrogen isotope effects on the formation of complexes of cobalt with the bidentate ligands glycine, N,N-dimethylglycine, and acetylacetone. The contribution of the fractionation factor of the inner water shell in Co(H 2 O) 6 2+ did not account completely for the measured isotope effect, and that the hydrogen/deuterium fractionation of outer shell water makes a large contribution to the isotope effect on the formation of these complexes

  9. Isotopic versus micrometeorologic ocean CO2 fluxes: A serious conflict

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broecker, W.S.; Ledwell, J.R.; Takahashi, T.; Weiss, R.; Merlivat, L.; Memery, L.; Tsung-Hung Peng; Jahne, B.; Otto Munnich, K.

    1986-01-01

    Eddy correlation measurements over the ocean give CO 2 fluxes an order of magnitude or more larger than expected from mass balance or more larger than expected from mass balance measurements using radiocarbon and radon 222. In particular, Smith and Jones (1985) reported large upward and downward fluxes in a surf zone at supersaturations of 15% and attributed them to the equilibration of bubbles at elevated pressures. They argue that even on the open ocean such bubble injection may create steady state CO 2 supersaturations and that inferences of fluxes based on air-sea pCO 2 differences and radon exchange velocities must be made with caution. We defend the global average CO 2 exchange rate determined by three independent radioisotopic means: prebomb radiocarbon inventories; global surveys of mixed layer radon deficits; and oceanic uptake of bomb-produced radiocarbon. We argue that laboratory and lake data do not lead one to expect fluxes as large as reported from the eddy correlation technique; that the radon method of determining exchange velocities is indeed useful for estimating CO 2 fluxes; that supersaturations of CO 2 due to bubble injection on the open ocean are negligible; that the hypothesis that Smith and Jones advance cannot account for the fluxes that they report; and that the pCO 2 values reported by Smith and Jones are likely to be systematically much too high. The CO 2 fluxes for the ocean measured to data by the micrometeorological method can be reconciled with neither the observed concentrations of radioisotopes of radon and carbon in the oceans nor the tracer experiments carried out in lakes and in wind/wave tunnels

  10. Chemisorption of CO and mechanism of CO oxidation on supported platinum nanoclusters

    KAUST Repository

    Allian, Ayman Daoud

    2011-03-30

    Kinetic, isotopic, and infrared studies on well-defined dispersed Pt clusters are combined here with first-principle theoretical methods on model cluster surfaces to probe the mechanism and structural requirements for CO oxidation catalysis at conditions typical of its industrial practice. CO oxidation turnover rates and the dynamics and thermodynamics of adsorption-desorption processes on cluster surfaces saturated with chemisorbed CO were measured on 1-20 nm Pt clusters under conditions of strict kinetic control. Turnover rates are proportional to O2 pressure and inversely proportional to CO pressure, consistent with kinetically relevant irreversible O2 activation steps on vacant sites present within saturated CO monolayers. These conclusions are consistent with the lack of isotopic scrambling in C16O-18O2-16O 2 reactions, and with infrared bands for chemisorbed CO that did not change within a CO pressure range that strongly influenced CO oxidation turnover rates. Density functional theory estimates of rate and equilibrium constants show that the kinetically relevant O2 activation steps involve direct O2* (or O2) reactions with CO* to form reactive O*-O-C*=O intermediates that decompose to form CO 2 and chemisorbed O*, instead of unassisted activation steps involving molecular adsorption and subsequent dissociation of O2. These CO-assisted O2 dissociation pathways avoid the higher barriers imposed by the spin-forbidden transitions required for unassisted O2 dissociation on surfaces saturated with chemisorbed CO. Measured rate parameters for CO oxidation were independent of Pt cluster size; these parameters depend on the ratio of rate constants for O2 reactions with CO* and CO adsorption equilibrium constants, which reflect the respective activation barriers and reaction enthalpies for these two steps. Infrared spectra during isotopic displacement and thermal desorption with 12CO- 13CO mixtures showed that the binding, dynamics, and thermodynamics of CO

  11. Multiple Nebular Gas Reservoirs Recorded by Oxygen Isotope Variation in a Spinel-rich CAI in CO3 MIL 090019

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, J. I.; Simon, S. B.; Nguyen, A. N.; Ross, D. K.; Messenger, S.

    2017-01-01

    We conducted NanoSIMS O-isotopic imaging of a primitive spinel-rich CAI spherule (27-2) from the MIL 090019 CO3 chondrite. Inclusions such as 27-2 are proposed to record inner nebula processes during an epoch of rapid solar nebula evolution. Mineralogical and textural analyses suggest that this CAI formed by high temperature reactions, partial melting, and condensation. This CAI exhibits radial O-isotopic heterogeneity among multiple occurrences of the same mineral, reflecting interactions with distinct nebular O-isotopic reservoirs.

  12. Chemistry of fluids from a natural analogue for a geological CO{sub 2} storage site (Montmiral, France): Lessons for CO{sub 2}-water-rock interaction assessment and monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pauwels, Helene [BRGM - Water Division, 3, av Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orleans Cedex (France)], E-mail: h.pauwels@brgm.fr; Gaus, Irina; Le Nindre, Yves Michel [BRGM - Water Division, 3, av Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orleans Cedex (France); Pearce, Jonathan [British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG125GG (United Kingdom); Czernichowski-Lauriol, Isabelle [BRGM - Water Division, 3, av Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orleans Cedex (France)

    2007-12-15

    Chemical and isotope studies of natural CO{sub 2} accumulations aid in assessing the chemical effects of CO{sub 2} on rock and thus provide a potential for understanding the long-term geochemical processes involved in CO{sub 2} geological storage. Several natural CO{sub 2} accumulations were discovered during gas and oil exploration in France's carbogaseous peri-Alpine province (south-eastern France) in the 1960s. One of these, the Montmiral accumulation at a depth of more than 2400 m, is currently being exploited. The chemical composition of the water collected at the wellhead has changed in time and the final salinity exceeds 75 g/L. These changes in time can be explained by assuming that the fraction of the reservoir brine in the recovered brine-CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2}O mixture varies, resulting in variable proportions of H{sub 2}O and brine in the sampled water. The proportions can be estimated in selected samples due to the availability of gas and water flowrate data. These data enabled the reconstruction of the chemical and isotope composition of the brine. The proportions of H{sub 2}O and brine can also be estimated from isotope ({delta}{sup 2}H, {delta}{sup 18}O) composition of collected water and {delta}{sup 18}O of the sulfates or CO{sub 2}. The reconstituted brine has a salinity of more than 85 g/L and, according to its Br{sup -} content and isotope ({delta}{sup 2}H, {delta}{sup 18}O, {delta}{sup 34}S) composition, originates from an evaporated Triassic seawater that underwent dilution by meteoric water. The reconstitution of the brine's chemical composition enabled an evaluation of the CO{sub 2}-water-rock interactions based on: (1) mineral saturation indices; and (2) comparison with initial evaporated Triassic seawater. Dissolution of K- and SO{sub 4}-containing minerals such as K-feldspar and anhydrite, and precipitation of Ca and Mg containing minerals that are able to trap CO{sub 2} (carbonates) are highlighted. The changes in concentration of

  13. Production of activated carbons from coffee endocarp by CO2 and steam activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nabais, Joao M. Valente; Nunes, Pedro; Carrott, Peter J.M.; Ribeiro Carrott, M. Manuela L.; Garcia, A. Macias; Diaz-Diez, M.A.

    2008-01-01

    In this work the use of coffee endocarp as precursor for the production of activated carbons by steam and CO 2 was studied. Activation by both methods produces activated carbons with small external areas and microporous structures having very similar mean pore widths. The activation produces mainly primary micropores and only a small volume of larger micropores. The CO 2 activation leads to samples with higher BET surface areas and pore volumes when compared with samples produced by steam activation and with similar burn-off value. All the activated carbons produced have basic characteristics with point of zero charge between 10 and 12. By FTIR it was possible to identify the formation on the activated carbon's surface of several functional groups, namely ether, quinones, lactones, ketones, hydroxyls (free and phenol); pyrones and Si-H bonds. (author)

  14. Comparative study of CO2 and H2O activation in the synthesis of carbon electrode for supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taer, E.; Apriwandi, Yusriwandi, Mustika, W. S.; Zulkifli, Taslim, R.; Sugianto, Kurniasih, B.; Agustino, Dewi, P.

    2018-02-01

    The physical activation for the comparative study of carbon electrode synthesized for supercapacitor applications made from rubber wood sawdust has been performed successfully. Comparison of physical activation used in this research is based on the different gas activation such as CO2 and H2O. The CO2 and H2O activation are made by using an integrated carbonization and activation system. The carbonization process is performed in N2 atmosphere followed by CO2 and H2O activation process. The carbonization process at temperature of 600°C, the CO2 and H2O activation process at a temperature of 900°C and maintained at this condition for 2 h and 3 h. The electrochemical properties were analyzed using cyclic voltammetric (CV) method. The CV results show that the carbon electrode with CO2 activation has better capacitive properties than H2O, the highest specific capacitance obtained is 93.22 F/g for 3 h of activation time. In addition, the analysis of physical properties such as surface morphology and degree of crystallinity was also performed.

  15. High-power CO laser with RF discharge for isotope separation employing condensation repression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranov, I. Ya.; Koptev, A. V.

    2008-10-01

    High-power CO laser can be the effective tool in such applications as isotope separation using the free-jet CRISLA method. The way of transfer from CO small-scale experimental installation to industrial high-power CO lasers is proposed through the use of a low-current radio-frequency (RF) electric discharge in a supersonic stream without an electron gun. The calculation model of scaling CO laser with RF discharge in supersonic stream was developed. The developed model allows to calculate parameters of laser installation and optimize them with the purpose of reception of high efficiency and low cost of installation as a whole. The technical decision of industrial CO laser for isotope separation employing condensation repression is considered. The estimated cost of laser is some hundred thousand dollars USA and small sizes of laser head give possibility to install it in any place.

  16. The Effect of CO2 Activation on the Electrochemical Performance of Coke-Based Activated Carbons for Supercapacitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hye-Min; Kim, Hong-Gun; An, Kay-Hyeok; Kim, Byung-Joo

    2015-11-01

    The present study developed electrode materials for supercapacitors by activating coke-based activated carbons with CO2. For the activation reaction, after setting the temperature at 1,000 degrees C, four types of activated carbons were produced, over an activation time of 0-90 minutes and with an interval of 30 minutes as the unit. The electrochemical performance of the activated carbons produced was evaluated to examine the effect of CO2 activation. The surface structure of the porous carbons activated through CO2 activation was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). To determine the N2/77 K isothermal adsorption characteristics, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation and the Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) equation were used to analyze the pore characteristics. In addition, charge and discharge tests and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to analyze the electrochemical characteristics of the changed pore structure. According to the results of the experiments, the N2 adsorption isotherm curves of the porous carbons produced belonged to Type IV in the International Union of Pore and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) classification and consisted of micropores and mesopores, and, as the activation of CO2 progressed, micropores decreased and mesopores developed. The specific surface area of the porous carbons activated by CO2 was 1,090-1,180 m2/g and thus showed little change, but those of mesopores were 0.43-0.85 cm3/g, thus increasing considerably. In addition, when the electrochemical characteristics were analyzed, the specific capacity was confirmed to have increased from 13.9 F/g to 18.3 F/g. From these results, the pore characteristics of coke-based activated carbons changed considerably because of CO2 activation, and it was therefore possible to increase the electrochemical characteristics.

  17. Porous carbon derived via KOH activation of a hypercrosslinked porous organic polymer for efficient CO_2, CH_4, H_2 adsorptions and high CO_2/N_2 selectivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modak, Arindam; Bhaumik, Asim

    2015-01-01

    Microporous carbon having Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 2186 m"2 g"−"1 and micropore volume of 0.85 cm"3 g"−"1 has been synthesized via KOH induced high temperature carbonization of a non-conjugated hypercrosslinked organic polymer. Owing to the templating and activation by KOH, we have succeeded in making a microporous carbon from this porous polymer and the resultant carbon material showed high uptake for CO_2 (7.6 mmol g"−"1) and CH_4 (2.4 mmol g"−"1) at 1 atm, 273 K together with very good selectivity for the CO_2/N_2 (30.2) separation. Furthermore, low pressure (1 atm) H_2 (2.6 wt%, 77 K) and water uptake (57.4 wt%, 298 K) ability of this polymer derived porous activated carbon is noteworthy. - Graphical abstract: Microporous carbon with BET surface area of 2186 m"2 g"−"1 has been synthesized via KOH activation of a porous organic polymer and it showed high uptake for CO_2 (7.6 mmol g"−"1), CH_4 (2.4 mmol g"−"1) and H_2 (2.6 wt%) at 1 atm together with very good selectivity for CO_2. - Highlights: • Porous carbon from hypercrosslinked organic polymer. • KOH activated carbon with BET surface area 2186 m"2 g"−"1. • High CO2 uptake (7.6 mmol g"−"1) and CO_2/N_2 selectivity (30.2). • Porous carbon also showed high H_2 (2.6 wt%) and H_2O (57.4 wt%) uptakes.

  18. Enrichment: CRISLA [chemical reaction by isotope selective activation] aims to reduce costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eerkens, J.W.

    1989-01-01

    Every year, more than $3 billion is spent on enriching uranium. CRISLA (Chemical Reaction by Isotope Selective Activation) uses a laser-catalyzed chemical reaction which, its proponents claim, could substantially reduce these costs. In CRISLA, an infrared CO laser illuminates the intracavity reaction cell (IC) at a frequency tuned to excite primarily UF 6 . When UF 6 and co-reactant RX are passed through the IC, the tuned laser photons preferentially enhance the reaction of UF 6 with RX ten-thousand-fold over the thermal reaction rate. Thus the laser serves as an activator and the chemical energy for separation is largely chemical. (author)

  19. Environmental controls on the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem-respired CO{sub 2} in contrasting forest ecosystems in Canada and the USA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alstad, K.P. [Lethbridge Univ., Lethbridge, AB (Canada). Dept. of Biological Sciences; Toledo Univ., Toledo, OH (United States). Dept. of Environmental Sciences; Flanagan, L.B. [Lethbridge Univ., Lethbridge, AB (Canada). Dept. of Biological Sciences; Lai, C.T. [Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States); San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA (United States); Ehleringer, J.R. [Utah Univ., Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

    2007-10-15

    Eleven forest ecosystems in Canada and the United States were compared in order to test for differences among forest {delta}{sup 13} carbon (C) responses to seasonal variations in environmental conditions from May to October 2004. Carbon isotope composition of ecosystem-respired carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) was considered as a proxy for short-term changes in photosynthetic discrimination. The study compared coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as forests in boreal and coastal environments. It was hypothesized that the carbon isotope composition of ecosystem-respired CO{sub 2} varied in a manner consistent with results obtained in leaf-level studies. Results of the study showed that higher R{sup 2} values were obtained for coastal ecosystems. The relationships between {delta}{sup 13}C{sub R} and environmental conditions were consistent with results obtained from leaf-level studies. Vapour pressure deficits and soil temperatures were significant determinants of variations in {delta}{sup 13}C{sub R} in the boreal forest ecosystem. Variations in {delta}{sup 13}C{sub R} in the coastal forest ecosystem correlated with changes in photosynthetic photon flux (PPF). It was concluded that {delta}{sup 13}C{sub R} measurements can be used to assess yearly variations in ecosystem physiological responses to changing environmental conditions. 59 refs., 7 tabs., 6 figs.

  20. Cyanobacterial carbon concentrating mechanisms facilitate sustained CO2 depletion in eutrophic lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morales-Williams, Ana M.; Wanamaker, Alan D., Jr.; Downing, John A.

    2017-06-01

    Phytoplankton blooms are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In many eutrophic lakes, these high levels of primary productivity correspond to periods of CO2 depletion in surface waters. Cyanobacteria and other groups of phytoplankton have the ability to actively transport bicarbonate (HCO3-) across their cell membrane when CO2 concentrations are limiting, possibly giving them a competitive advantage over algae not using carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). To investigate whether CCMs can maintain phytoplankton bloom biomass under CO2 depletion, we measured the δ13C signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) and phytoplankton particulate organic carbon (δ13Cphyto) in 16 mesotrophic to hypereutrophic lakes during the ice-free season of 2012. We used mass-balance relationships to determine the dominant inorganic carbon species used by phytoplankton under CO2 stress. We found a significant positive relationship between phytoplankton biomass and phytoplankton δ13C signatures as well as a significant nonlinear negative relationship between water column ρCO2 and isotopic composition of phytoplankton, indicating a shift from diffusive uptake to active uptake by phytoplankton of CO2 or HCO3- during blooms. Calculated photosynthetic fractionation factors indicated that this shift occurs specifically when surface water CO2 drops below atmospheric equilibrium. Our results indicate that active HCO3- uptake via CCMs may be an important mechanism in maintaining phytoplankton blooms when CO2 is depleted. Further increases in anthropogenic pressure, eutrophication, and cyanobacteria blooms are therefore expected to contribute to increased bicarbonate uptake to sustain primary production.

  1. Cyanobacterial carbon concentrating mechanisms facilitate sustained CO2 depletion in eutrophic lakes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Morales-Williams

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Phytoplankton blooms are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. In many eutrophic lakes, these high levels of primary productivity correspond to periods of CO2 depletion in surface waters. Cyanobacteria and other groups of phytoplankton have the ability to actively transport bicarbonate (HCO3− across their cell membrane when CO2 concentrations are limiting, possibly giving them a competitive advantage over algae not using carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs. To investigate whether CCMs can maintain phytoplankton bloom biomass under CO2 depletion, we measured the δ13C signatures of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC and phytoplankton particulate organic carbon (δ13Cphyto in 16 mesotrophic to hypereutrophic lakes during the ice-free season of 2012. We used mass–balance relationships to determine the dominant inorganic carbon species used by phytoplankton under CO2 stress. We found a significant positive relationship between phytoplankton biomass and phytoplankton δ13C signatures as well as a significant nonlinear negative relationship between water column ρCO2 and isotopic composition of phytoplankton, indicating a shift from diffusive uptake to active uptake by phytoplankton of CO2 or HCO3− during blooms. Calculated photosynthetic fractionation factors indicated that this shift occurs specifically when surface water CO2 drops below atmospheric equilibrium. Our results indicate that active HCO3− uptake via CCMs may be an important mechanism in maintaining phytoplankton blooms when CO2 is depleted. Further increases in anthropogenic pressure, eutrophication, and cyanobacteria blooms are therefore expected to contribute to increased bicarbonate uptake to sustain primary production.

  2. Impact of elevated CO_2 concentrations on carbonate mineral precipitation ability of sulfate-reducing bacteria and implications for CO_2 sequestration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, Varun G.; Wronkiewicz, David J.; Mormile, Melanie R.

    2017-01-01

    Interest in anthropogenic CO_2 release and associated global climatic change has prompted numerous laboratory-scale and commercial efforts focused on capturing, sequestering or utilizing CO_2 in the subsurface. Known carbonate mineral precipitating microorganisms, such as the anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), could enhance the rate of conversion of CO_2 into solid minerals and thereby improve long-term storage of captured gasses. The ability of SRB to induce carbonate mineral precipitation, when exposed to atmospheric and elevated pCO_2, was investigated in laboratory scale tests with bacteria from organic-rich sediments collected from hypersaline Lake Estancia, New Mexico. The enriched SRB culture was inoculated in continuous gas flow and batch reactors under variable headspace pCO_2 (0.0059 psi to 20 psi). Solution pH, redox conditions, sulfide, calcium and magnesium concentrations were monitored in the reactors. Those reactors containing SRB that were exposed to pCO_2 of 14.7 psi or less showed Mg-calcite precipitation. Reactors exposed to 20 psi pCO_2 did not exhibit any carbonate mineralization, likely due to the inhibition of bacterial metabolism caused by the high levels of CO_2. Hydrogen, lactate and formate served as suitable electron donors for the SRB metabolism and related carbonate mineralization. Carbon isotopic studies confirmed that ∼53% of carbon in the precipitated carbonate minerals was derived from the CO_2 headspace, with the remaining carbon being derived from the organic electron donors, and the bicarbonate ions available in the liquid medium. The ability of halotolerant SRB to induce the precipitation of carbonate minerals can potentially be applied to the long-term storage of anthropogenic CO_2 in saline aquifers and other ideal subsurface rock units by converting the gas into solid immobile phases. - Highlights: • SRB under study are capable of precipitating calcite up to 14.7 psi pCO_2. • At 20 psi pCO_2, bacterial activity

  3. Evidence for H2/D2 isotope effects on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over supported ruthenium catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellner, C.S.; Bell, A.T.

    1981-01-01

    The effects of using D 2 rather than H 2 during Fischer-Tropsch synthesis were investigated using alumina- and silica-supported Ru catalysts. For the alumina-supported catalysts, the rate of CD 4 formation was 1.4 to 1.6 times faster than the formation of CH 4 . A noticeable isotope effect was also observed for higher molecular weight products. The magnitude of the isotope effects observed using the silica-supported catalyst was much smaller than that found using the alumina-supported catalysts. The formation of olefins relative to paraffins was found to be higher when H 2 rather than D 2 was used, independent of the catalyst support. The observed isotope effects are explained in terms of a mechanism for CO hydrogenation and are shown to arise from a complex combination of the kinetic and equilibrium isotope effects associated with elementary processes occurring on the catalyst surface

  4. Highly Surface-Active Ca(OH)2 Monolayer as a CO2 Capture Material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özçelik, V Ongun; Gong, Kai; White, Claire E

    2018-03-14

    Greenhouse gas emissions originating from fossil fuel combustion contribute significantly to global warming, and therefore the design of novel materials that efficiently capture CO 2 can play a crucial role in solving this challenge. Here, we show that reducing the dimensionality of bulk crystalline portlandite results in a stable monolayer material, named portlandene, that is highly effective at capturing CO 2 . On the basis of theoretical analysis comprised of ab initio quantum mechanical calculations and force-field molecular dynamics simulations, we show that this single-layer phase is robust and maintains its stability even at high temperatures. The chemical activity of portlandene is seen to further increase upon defect engineering of its surface using vacancy sites. Defect-containing portlandene is capable of separating CO and CO 2 from a syngas (CO/CO 2 /H 2 ) stream, yet is inert to water vapor. This selective behavior and the associated mechanisms have been elucidated by examining the electronic structure, local charge distribution, and bonding orbitals of portlandene. Additionally, unlike conventional CO 2 capturing technologies, the regeneration process of portlandene does not require high temperature heat treatment because it can release the captured CO 2 by application of a mild external electric field, making portlandene an ideal CO 2 capturing material for both pre- and postcombustion processes.

  5. Application of environmental isotopes to characterize landfill gases and leachate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, C.L.; Hackley, K.C.; Baker, J.

    1992-01-01

    Environmental isotopes have been used to help characterize landfill gases and leachate for the purpose of identifying leachate and/or gas contamination in surrounding monitoring wells. Carbon isotopes (C-13/C-12 and C-14), hydrogen isotopes (H-3 and H-2/H-1) and oxygen isotopes (O-18/O-16) were used to characterize methane, carbon dioxide and leachate produced from two municipal landfills in northeastern Illinois. The isotopic results from the landfill-derived gases and leachate are compared to isotopic compositions of groundwater and gases from nearby monitoring wells. C-14 activity of landfill CH 4 is high compared to CH 4 normally found in subsurface sediments. For this study C-14 activities of the landfill methane range from 129--140 PMC. The C-14 of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of the leachate samples also have relatively high activities, ranging from 126--141 PMC. The δC-13 and δD values for CH 4 from the landfills fall within a range of values representative of microbial methane produced by acetate-fermentation. The δC-13 of the CO 2 and the DIC are very positive, ranging from 8--14 per-thousand for CO 2 and 13--22 per-thousand for DIC. The δO-18 values of the leachates are similar to current meteoric water values, however, two of the leachate samples are significantly enriched in deuterium by approximately 65 per-thousand. Tritium values of the leachate water are generally higher than expected. For one landfill the tritium activity ranges from 227--338 TU, for the second landfill the tritium activity is approximately 1,300 TU. Compared to tritium levels in normal groundwater, these higher tritium values in the leachates indicate that this isotope has the potential to be an effective tracer for detecting leachate migration

  6. The Activity Check of Brachytherapy Isotope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Gun Oh; Lee, Byung Koo; Kwon, Young Ho

    2004-01-01

    An isotope Ir-192, which is used in brachytherapy depends on import in whole quantities. There are a few ways for its activity. measurement using Welltype chamber or the way to rely on authentic decay table of manufacturer. In-air dosimetry using Farmer Chamber, etc. In this paper, let me introduce the way using Farmer chamber which is easier and simple. With the Farmer chamber and source calibration jig, take a measurement the activity of an isotope Ir-192 and compare the value with the value from decay table of manufacturer and check the activity of source. The result of measurement, compared the value from decay table, by ±2.1. (which belongs to recommendable value for AAPM ±5% as difference of error range). It is possible to use on clinical medicine. With the increase in use of brachytherapy, the increase of import is essential. And an accurate activity check of source is compulsory. For the activity check of source, it was possible to use Farmer chamber and source calibration jig without additional purchase of Well type chamber.

  7. Soil CO2 efflux measurement network by means of closed static chambers to monitor volcanic activity at Tenerife, Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amonte, Cecilia; García-Merino, Marta; Asensio-Ramos, María; Melián, Gladys; García-Hernández, Rubén; Pérez, Aaron; Hernández, Pedro A.; Pérez, Nemesio M.

    2017-04-01

    Tenerife (2304 km2) is the largest of the Canary Islands and has developed a central volcanic complex (Cañadas edifice), that started to grow about 3.5 My ago. Coeval with the construction of the Cañadas edifice, shield basaltic volcanism continued until the present along three rift zones oriented NW-SE, NE-SW and NS (hereinafter referred as NW, NE and NS respectively). Main volcanic historical activity has occurred along de NW and NE rift-zones, although summit cone of Teide volcano, in central volcanic complex, is the only area of the island where surface geothermal manifestations are visible. Uprising of deep-seated gases occurs along the aforementioned volcanic structures causing diffuse emissions at the surface environment of the rift-zones. In the last 20 years, there has been considerable interest in the study of diffuse degassing as a powerful tool in volcano monitoring programs. Diffuse degassing studies are even more important volcanic surveillance tool at those volcanic areas where visible manifestations of volcanic gases are absent. Historically, soil gas and diffuse degassing surveys in volcanic environments have focused mainly on CO2 because it is, after water vapor, the most abundant gas dissolved in magma. One of the most popular methods used to determine CO2 fluxes in soil sciences is based on the absorption of CO2 through an alkaline medium, in its solid or liquid form, followed by gravimetric, conductivity, or titration analyses. In the summer of 2016, a network of 31 closed static chambers was installed, covering the three main structural zones of Tenerife (NE, NW and NS) as well as Cañadas Caldera with volcanic surveillance porpoises. 50 cc of 0.1N KOH solution is placed inside the chamber to absorb the CO2 released from the soil. The solution is replaced weekly and the trapped CO2 is then analyzed at the laboratory by titration. The are expressed as weekly integrated CO2 efflux values. The CO2 efflux values ranged from 3.2 to 12.9 gṡm-2

  8. Heterologous Expression of the Clostridium carboxidivorans CO Dehydrogenase Alone or Together with the Acetyl Coenzyme A Synthase Enables both Reduction of CO2 and Oxidation of CO by Clostridium acetobutylicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Ellinor D; Papoutsakis, Eleftherios T

    2017-08-15

    With recent advances in synthetic biology, CO 2 could be utilized as a carbon feedstock by native or engineered organisms, assuming the availability of electrons. Two key enzymes used in autotrophic CO 2 fixation are the CO dehydrogenase (CODH) and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) synthase (ACS), which form a bifunctional heterotetrameric complex. The CODH/ACS complex can reversibly catalyze CO 2 to CO, effectively enabling a biological water-gas shift reaction at ambient temperatures and pressures. The CODH/ACS complex is part of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) used by acetogens to fix CO 2 , and it has been well characterized in native hosts. So far, only a few recombinant CODH/ACS complexes have been expressed in heterologous hosts, none of which demonstrated in vivo CO 2 reduction. Here, functional expression of the Clostridium carboxidivorans CODH/ACS complex is demonstrated in the solventogen Clostridium acetobutylicum , which was engineered to express CODH alone or together with the ACS. Both strains exhibited CO 2 reduction and CO oxidation activities. The CODH reactions were interrogated using isotopic labeling, thus verifying that CO was a direct product of CO 2 reduction, and vice versa. CODH apparently uses a native C. acetobutylicum ferredoxin as an electron carrier for CO 2 reduction. Heterologous CODH activity depended on actively growing cells and required the addition of nickel, which is inserted into CODH without the need to express the native Ni insertase protein. Increasing CO concentrations in the gas phase inhibited CODH activity and altered the metabolite profile of the CODH-expressing cells. This work provides the foundation for engineering a complete and functional WLP in nonnative host organisms. IMPORTANCE Functional expression of CO dehydrogenase (CODH) from Clostridium carboxidivorans was demonstrated in C. acetobutylicum , which is natively incapable of CO 2 fixation. The expression of CODH, alone or together with the C. carboxidivorans

  9. A study on the isotope effects in the reduction of carbon dioxide by zinc

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Senegacnik, M.

    1957-06-01

    We have determined the isotope effects which occur in the reduction of carbon dioxide by zinc. It has been shown that in the case of irreversible surface reactions, Bernstein's equation which permits the calculation of the fractionation factor is still valid. These experimental factors are in good agreement with those obtained by calculating the partition functions of the adsorbed activated complexes. In the reaction mechanism used, the model of the activated complex corresponds to the dissociation of one of the carbon oxygen bonds CO 2CO + O. Perturbations arising from the slight reversibility of the reaction Zn + CO 2 ↔ ZnO + CO on the isotope effects on the carbon and oxygen atoms have also been calculated. (author) [fr

  10. Carbon isotopes in mollusk shell carbonates

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnaughey, Ted A.; Gillikin, David Paul

    2008-10-01

    Mollusk shells contain many isotopic clues about calcification physiology and environmental conditions at the time of shell formation. In this review, we use both published and unpublished data to discuss carbon isotopes in both bivalve and gastropod shell carbonates. Land snails construct their shells mainly from respired CO2, and shell δ13C reflects the local mix of C3 and C4 plants consumed. Shell δ13C is typically >10‰ heavier than diet, probably because respiratory gas exchange discards CO2, and retains the isotopically heavier HCO3 -. Respired CO2 contributes less to the shells of aquatic mollusks, because CO2/O2 ratios are usually higher in water than in air, leading to more replacement of respired CO2 by environmental CO2. Fluid exchange with the environment also brings additional dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into the calcification site. Shell δ13C is typically a few ‰ lower than ambient DIC, and often decreases with age. Shell δ13C retains clues about processes such as ecosystem metabolism and estuarine mixing. Ca2+ ATPase-based models of calcification physiology developed for corals and algae likely apply to mollusks, too, but lower pH and carbonic anhydrase at the calcification site probably suppress kinetic isotope effects. Carbon isotopes in biogenic carbonates are clearly complex, but cautious interpretation can provide a wealth of information, especially after vital effects are better understood.

  11. A Tale of Two Gases: Isotope Effects Associated with the Enzymatic Production of H2 and N2O

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, H.; Gandhi, H.; Kreuzer, H. W.; Moran, J.; Hill, E. A.; McQuarters, A.; Lehnert, N.; Ostrom, N. E.; Hegg, E. L.

    2014-12-01

    Stable isotopes can provide considerable insight into enzymatic mechanisms and fluxes in various biological processes. In our studies, we used stable isotopes to characterize both enzyme-catalyzed H2 and N2O production. H2 is a potential alternative clean energy source and also a key metabolite in many microbial communities. Biological H2 production is generally catalyzed by hydrogenases, enzymes that combine protons and electrons to produce H2 under anaerobic conditions. In our study, H isotopes and fractionation factors (α) were used to characterize two types of hydrogenases: [FeFe]- and [NiFe]-hydrogenases. Due to differences in the active site, the α associated with H2 production for [FeFe]- and [NiFe]-hydrogenases separated into two distinct clusters (αFeFe > αNiFe). The calculated kinetic isotope effects indicate that hydrogenase-catalyzed H2 production has a preference for light isotopes, consistent with the relative bond strengths of O-H and H-H bonds. Interestingly, the isotope effects associated with H2 consumption and H2-H2O exchange reactions were also characterized, but in this case no specific difference was observed between the different enzymes. N2O is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 300 times that of CO2, and the concentration of N2O is currently increasing at a rate of ~0.25% per year. Thus far, bacterial and fungal denitrification processes have been identified as two of the major sources of biologically generated N2O. In this study, we measured the δ15N, δ18O, δ15Nα (central N atom in N2O), and δ15Nβ (terminal N atom in N2O) of N2O generated by purified fungal P450 nitric oxide reductase (P450nor) from Histoplasma capsulatum. We observed normal isotope effects for δ18O and δ15Nα, and inverse isotope effects for bulk δ15N (the average of Nα and Nβ) and δ15Nβ. The observed isotope effects have been used in conjunction with DFT calculations to provide important insight into the mechanism of P450nor. Similar

  12. The influence of clouds and diffuse radiation on ecosystem-atmosphere CO2 and CO18O exhanges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Still, C.J.; Riley, W.J.; Biraud, S.C.; Noone, D.C.; Buenning, N.H.; Randerson, J.T.; Torn, M.S.; Welker, J.; White, J.W.C.; Vachon, R.; Farquhar, G.D.; Berry, J.A.

    2009-05-01

    This study evaluates the potential impact of clouds on ecosystem CO{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} isotope fluxes ('isofluxes') in two contrasting ecosystems (a broadleaf deciduous forest and a C{sub 4} grassland), in a region for which cloud cover, meteorological, and isotope data are available for driving the isotope-enabled land surface model, ISOLSM. Our model results indicate a large impact of clouds on ecosystem CO{sub 2} fluxes and isofluxes. Despite lower irradiance on partly cloudy and cloudy days, predicted forest canopy photosynthesis was substantially higher than on clear, sunny days, and the highest carbon uptake was achieved on the cloudiest day. This effect was driven by a large increase in light-limited shade leaf photosynthesis following an increase in the diffuse fraction of irradiance. Photosynthetic isofluxes, by contrast, were largest on partly cloudy days, as leaf water isotopic composition was only slightly depleted and photosynthesis was enhanced, as compared to adjacent clear sky days. On the cloudiest day, the forest exhibited intermediate isofluxes: although photosynthesis was highest on this day, leaf-to-atmosphere isofluxes were reduced from a feedback of transpiration on canopy relative humidity and leaf water. Photosynthesis and isofluxes were both reduced in the C{sub 4} grass canopy with increasing cloud cover and diffuse fraction as a result of near-constant light limitation of photosynthesis. These results suggest that some of the unexplained variation in global mean {delta}{sup 18}O of CO{sub 2} may be driven by large-scale changes in clouds and aerosols and their impacts on diffuse radiation, photosynthesis, and relative humidity.

  13. Silicon isotope separation utilizing infrared multiphoton dissociation of Si{sub 2}F{sub 6} irradiated with two-color CO{sub 2} laser light

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yokoyama, Atsushi; Ohba, Hironori; Hashimoto, Masashi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment; Ishii, Takeshi; Ohya, Akio [Nuclear Development Corp., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Arai, Shigeyoshi [Hill Research Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

    2002-08-01

    Silicon isotope separation has been done by utilizing the Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation (IRMPD) of Si{sub 2}F{sub 6} irradiated with two-color CO{sub 2} laser lights. The two-color excitation method improved the separation efficiency keeping the high enrichment factors. For example, 99.74% of {sup 28}Si was obtained at 49.63% dissociation of Si{sub 2}F{sub 6} after the simultaneous irradiation of 200 pulses with 966.23 cm{sup -1} photons (0.084 J/cm{sup 2}) and 954.55 cm{sup -1} photons (0.658 J/cm{sup 2}), while 2000 pulses were needed to obtain 99.35% of {sup 28}Si at 35.6% dissociation in the case of only one-color irradiation at 954.55 cm{sup -1} (0.97 J/cm{sup 2}). (author)

  14. Elevated atmospheric CO2 increases microbial growth rates and enzymes activity in soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blagodatskaya, Evgenia; Blagodatsky, Sergey; Dorodnikov, Maxim; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2010-05-01

    Increasing the belowground translocation of assimilated carbon by plants grown under elevated CO2 can cause a shift in the structure and activity of the microbial community responsible for the turnover of organic matter in soil. We investigated the long-term effect of elevated CO2 in the atmosphere on microbial biomass and specific growth rates in root-free and rhizosphere soil. The experiments were conducted under two free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) systems: in Hohenheim and Braunschweig, as well as in the intensively managed forest mesocosm of the Biosphere 2 Laboratory (B2L) in Oracle, AZ. Specific microbial growth rates (μ) were determined using the substrate-induced respiration response after glucose and/or yeast extract addition to the soil. We evaluated the effect of elevated CO2 on b-glucosidase, chitinase, phosphatase, and sulfatase to estimate the potential enzyme activity after soil amendment with glucose and nutrients. For B2L and both FACE systems, up to 58% higher μ were observed under elevated vs. ambient CO2, depending on site, plant species and N fertilization. The μ-values increased linearly with atmospheric CO2 concentration at all three sites. The effect of elevated CO2 on rhizosphere microorganisms was plant dependent and increased for: Brassica napus=Triticum aestivumyeast extract then for those growing on glucose, i.e. the effect of elevated CO2 was smoothed on rich vs. simple substrate. So, the r/K strategies ratio can be better revealed by studying growth on simple (glucose) than on rich substrate mixtures (yeast extract). After adding glucose, enzyme activities under elevated CO2 were 1.2-1.9-fold higher than under ambient CO2. This indicates the increased activity of microorganisms, which leads to accelerated C turnover in soil under elevated CO2. Our results clearly showed that the functional characteristics of the soil microbial community (i.e. specific growth rates and enzymes activity) rather than total microbial biomass

  15. Water Isotope framework for lake water balance monitoring and modelling in the Nam Co Basin, Tibetan Plateau

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shichang Kang

    2017-08-01

    New hydrological insights: A water isotope framework for the Nam Co basin, including the Local Meteoric Water Line, limiting isotopic composition of evaporation and two hypothetical evaporation trajectories, is established. We further applied the isotope mass balance model to estimate the overall isotopic composition of input water to the Nam Co, the evaporation over inputs ratios (E/I for three consecutive years, and the water yields (Wy, depth equivalent runoff at a basin scale. Our results clearly suggest a positive water budget (i.e., E/I < 1, providing another line of evidence that the subsurface leakage from Nam Co is likely. The discrepancy between isotope-based water yields estimations and field-based runoff observations suggest that, compared to the well-studied Nyainqentanglha Mountains and southwestern mountains, the ridge-and-valley landscape in the western highlands and northwestern hogbacks are possibly low yields area, which should draw more research attentions in future hydrological investigations.

  16. Preparation and Characterization of K2CO3-Activated Kraft Lignin Carbon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xian-fa Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of activated carbons (ACs were prepared by K2CO3 activation from kraft lignin (KL that was recovered from papermaking black liquor. The effects of process parameters such as the activation temperature (AT, activated period, K2CO3 to KL mass ratio, and N2 flow rate on the characteristics of the final product were determined. The ACs were characterized using nitrogen adsorption, morphology, and fractal dimension analyses. The results showed that the AT was the main factor influencing the yield, surface area, and pore structure. The yield of ACs obviously decreased from 50.6% to 20.5% with increasing AT from 600 °C to 1000 °C, and decreased with increasing K2CO3/KL mass ratio. Activation time and N2 flow rate had slight effect on the yield of ACs. The surface area and total pore volume increased as the AT rose to 900 °C and then decreased with further increases in temperature. The maximum surface area and total pore volume were 1816.3 m2/g and 1.26 cm3/g, respectively, at a K2CO3 to KL mass ratio of 3:1, AT of 900 °C, activation time of 2 h, and N2 flow rate of 70 cm3/min. The pore structure of the ACs could be tailored by controlling the AT. As the AT was increased from 700 to 1000 °C, the mesoporosity increased from 11.6% to 95.9%. SEM images indicated that the morphology of ACs was modified by the AT. The K2CO3 was partially recycled.

  17. Alteration of fault rocks by CO2-bearing fluids with implications for sequestration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luetkemeyer, P. B.; Kirschner, D. L.; Solum, J. G.; Naruk, S.

    2011-12-01

    Carbonates and sulfates commonly occur as primary (diagenetic) pore cements and secondary fluid-mobilized veins within fault zones. Stable isotope analyses of calcite, formation fluid, and fault zone fluids can help elucidate the carbon sources and the extent of fluid-rock interaction within a particular reservoir. Introduction of CO2 bearing fluids into a reservoir/fault system can profoundly affect the overall fluid chemistry of the reservoir/fault system and may lead to the enhancement or degradation of porosity within the fault zone. The extent of precipitation and/or dissolution of minerals within a fault zone can ultimately influence the sealing properties of a fault. The Colorado Plateau contains a number of large carbon dioxide reservoirs some of which leak and some of which do not. Several normal faults within the Paradox Basin (SE Utah) dissect the Green River anticline giving rise to a series of footwall reservoirs with fault-dependent columns. Numerous CO2-charged springs and geysers are associated with these faults. This study seeks to identify regional sources and subsurface migration of CO2 to these reservoirs and the effect(s) faults have on trap performance. Data provided in this study include mineralogical, elemental, and stable isotope data for fault rocks, host rocks, and carbonate veins that come from two localities along one fault that locally sealed CO2. This fault is just tens of meters away from another normal fault that has leaked CO2-charged waters to the land surface for thousands of years. These analyses have been used to determine the source of carbon isotopes from sedimentary derived carbon and deeply sourced CO2. XRF and XRD data taken from several transects across the normal faults are consistent with mechanical mixing and fluid-assisted mass transfer processes within the fault zone. δ13C range from -6% to +10% (PDB); δ18O values range from +15% to +24% (VSMOW). Geochemical modeling software is used to model the alteration

  18. Atmospheric pCO2 reconstructed across five early Eocene global warming events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Ying; Schubert, Brian A.

    2017-11-01

    Multiple short-lived global warming events, known as hyperthermals, occurred during the early Eocene (56-52 Ma). Five of these events - the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM or ETM1), H1 (or ETM2), H2, I1, and I2 - are marked by a carbon isotope excursion (CIE) within both marine and terrestrial sediments. The magnitude of CIE, which is a function of the amount and isotopic composition of carbon added to the ocean-atmosphere system, varies significantly between marine versus terrestrial substrates. Here we use the increase in carbon isotope fractionation by C3 land plants in response to increased pCO2 to reconcile this difference and reconstruct a range of background pCO2 and peak pCO2 for each CIE, provided two potential carbon sources: methane hydrate destabilization and permafrost-thawing/organic matter oxidation. Although the uncertainty on each pCO2 estimate using this approach is low (e.g., median uncertainty = + 23% / - 18%), this work highlights the potential for significant systematic bias in the pCO2 estimate resulting from sampling resolution, substrate type, diagenesis, and environmental change. Careful consideration of each of these factors is required especially when applying this approach to a single marine-terrestrial CIE pair. Given these limitations, we provide an upper estimate for background early Eocene pCO2 of 463 +248/-131 ppmv (methane hydrate scenario) to 806 +127/-104 ppmv (permafrost-thawing/organic matter oxidation scenario). These results, which represent the first pCO2 proxy estimates directly tied to the Eocene hyperthermals, demonstrate that early Eocene warmth was supported by background pCO2 less than ∼3.5× preindustrial levels and that pCO2 > 1000 ppmv may have occurred only briefly, during hyperthermal events.

  19. Stable isotope and modelling evidence for CO2 as a driver of glacial–interglacial vegetation shifts in southern Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. J. Bragg

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Atmospheric CO2 concentration is hypothesized to influence vegetation distribution via tree–grass competition, with higher CO2 concentrations favouring trees. The stable carbon isotope (δ13C signature of vegetation is influenced by the relative importance of C4 plants (including most tropical grasses and C3 plants (including nearly all trees, and the degree of stomatal closure – a response to aridity – in C3 plants. Compound-specific δ13C analyses of leaf-wax biomarkers in sediment cores of an offshore South Atlantic transect are used here as a record of vegetation changes in subequatorial Africa. These data suggest a large increase in C3 relative to C4 plant dominance after the Last Glacial Maximum. Using a process-based biogeography model that explicitly simulates 13C discrimination, it is shown that precipitation and temperature changes cannot explain the observed shift in δ13C values. The physiological effect of increasing CO2 concentration is decisive, altering the C3/C4 balance and bringing the simulated and observed δ13C values into line. It is concluded that CO2 concentration itself was a key agent of vegetation change in tropical southern Africa during the last glacial–interglacial transition. Two additional inferences follow. First, long-term variations in terrestrial δ13Cvalues are not simply a proxy for regional rainfall, as has sometimes been assumed. Although precipitation and temperature changes have had major effects on vegetation in many regions of the world during the period between the Last Glacial Maximum and recent times, CO2 effects must also be taken into account, especially when reconstructing changes in climate between glacial and interglacial states. Second, rising CO2 concentration today is likely to be influencing tree–grass competition in a similar way, and thus contributing to the "woody thickening" observed in savannas worldwide. This second inference points to the importance of experiments to

  20. Switchable CO2 electroreduction via engineering active phases of Pd nanoparticles

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Dunfeng Gao; Fan Yang; Shu Miao; Jianguo Wang; Guoxiong Wang; Xinhe Bao; Hu Zhou; Fan Cai; Dongniu Wang; Yongfeng Hu; Bei Jiang; Wen-Bin Cai; Xiaoqi Chen; Rui Si

    2017-01-01

    Active-phase engineering is regularly utilized to tune the selectivity of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in heterogeneous catalysis.However,the lack of understanding of the active phase in electrocatalysis has hampered the development of efficient catalysts for CO2 electroreduction.Herein,we report the systematic engineering of active phases of Pd NPs,which are exploited to select reaction pathways for CO2 electroreduction.In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy,in situ attenuated total reflection-infrared spectroscopy,and density functional theory calculations suggest that the formation of a hydrogen-adsorbed Pd surface on a mixture of the α-and β-phases of a palladium-hydride core (α+β PdHx@PdHx) above-0.2 V (vs.a reversible hydrogen electrode) facilitates formate production via the HCOO* intermediate,whereas the formation of a metallic Pd surface on the β-phase Pd hydride core (β PdHx@Pd) below-0.5 V promotes CO production via the COOH* intermediate.The main product,which is either formate or CO,can be selectively produced with high Faradaic efficiencies (>90%) and mass activities in the potential window of 0.05 to-0.9 V with scalable application demonstration.

  1. Ancient and modern sites of natural CO2 leakage: Geochemistry and geochronology of Quaternary and modern travertine deposits on the Colorado Plateau, USA, and implications for CO2 sequestration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Priewisch, A.; Crossey, L. J.; Karlstrom, K. E.; McPherson, B. J.; Mozley, P.

    2013-12-01

    Travertine-precipitating springs and travertine deposits of the Colorado Plateau serve as natural analogues for evaluating potential leakage associated with geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). Extensive Quaternary and modern travertine deposits occur along the Jemez lineament and Rio Grande rift in New Mexico and Arizona, and in the Paradox Basin in Utah, along the Little Grand Wash Fault and the Salt Wash Graben. These groundwater discharge deposits are interpreted to be sites of persistent and significant CO2 degassing along faults and above magmatic systems. Analysis of the geochemical and isotopic composition of U-series dated travertine deposits and modern travertine-precipitating waters allows evaluation of the flow paths of CO2-charged waters. Initial results from New Mexico and Arizona travertine deposits show characteristic rare earth element (REE) signatures for individual travertine deposits and yet generally overlap in concentrations of other trace elements such as Al, As, B, Ba, K, and Si. We report stable oxygen and carbon isotopes of the travertines in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Different travertine deposits have different carbon-oxygen isotope variation patterns suggesting that these stable isotopes are tracers that have the ability to identify distinctive groundwater sources within and between spring groups based on the travertine record. Stable isotope analyses of travertine deposits in New Mexico and Arizona overlap substantially between deposits and cluster around -10‰ to -6‰ for δ18O and around 3.5‰ to 6.5‰ for δ13C. Travertine deposits in Utah show a distinctly different range of stable isotope values: δ18O values cluster around -14‰ to -10.5‰ and δ13C around 4.5‰ to 6.5‰. U-series dating of travertine deposits shows episodic travertine formation in New Mexico and Arizona over the last 700,000 years, and travertine accumulation over the last 400,000 years in Utah. We use U-series dating and volumetric

  2. Co-ordinated research programme on applications of stable isotope tracers in human nutrition research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    This Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) was formally established by the Agency in October 1988, and has since then expanded to encompass 13 participants in 13 countries. Its general objective is to help establish competence in the use of stable isotope techniques, particularly in developing countries, and particularly with reference to applications of 2 H, 13 C, 15 N, and 18 O. This report summarizes the discussions that took place during the first Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM). Working papers (progress reports) presented by the participants are included as annexes together with a preliminary report on the results of a series of intercomparison exercises involving enriched stable isotope reference materials containing 2 H, 13 C, 15 N and 18 O. For the future it was agreed that more work needs to be done to harmonize the analytical techniques being used, and to obtain support for new CRPs relating to human energy expenditure studies in pregnancy, lactation, growth and other conditions, and to studies of nitrogen turnover in relation to malnutrition and liver function. Refs, figs and tabs

  3. Preparation of granular activated carbons from yellow mombin fruit stones for CO2 adsorption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fiuza, Raildo Alves; Medeiros de Jesus Neto, Raimundo; Correia, Laise Bacelar; Carvalho Andrade, Heloysa Martins

    2015-09-15

    Stones of yellow mombin, a native fruit of the tropical America and West Indies, were used as starting materials to produce activated carbons, subsequently used as adsorbent for CO2 capture. The carbonaceous materials were either chemically activated with HNO3, H3PO4 and KOH or physically activated with CO2. The carbon samples were characterized by SEM, EDX, TG/DTA, Raman spectroscopy, physical adsorption for textural analysis and by acid-base titrations. The CO2 adsorption capacity and adsorption cycles were investigated by TG. The results indicate that the capacity of CO2 adsorption may be maximized on highly basic surfaces of micropores smaller than 1 nm. The KOH activated carbon showed high and stable capacity of CO2 adsorption after 10 cycles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Continuous measurements of stable isotopes of carbon dioxide and water vapour in an urban atmosphere: isotopic variations associated with meteorological conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Ryuichi; Matsumi, Yutaka; Nakayama, Tomoki; Hiyama, Tetsuya; Fujiyoshi, Yasushi; Kurita, Naoyuki; Muramoto, Kenichiro; Takanashi, Satoru; Kodama, Naomi; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki

    2017-12-01

    Isotope ratios of carbon dioxide and water vapour in the near-surface air were continuously measured for one month in an urban area of the city of Nagoya in central Japan in September 2010 using laser spectroscopic techniques. During the passages of a typhoon and a stationary front in the observation period, remarkable changes in the isotope ratios of CO 2 and water vapour were observed. The isotope ratios of both CO 2 and water vapour decreased during the typhoon passage. The decreases can be attributed to the air coming from an industrial area and the rainout effects of the typhoon, respectively. During the passage of the stationary front, δ 13 C-CO 2 and δ 18 O-CO 2 increased, while δ 2 H-H 2 Ov and δ 18 O-H 2 Ov decreased. These changes can be attributed to the air coming from rural areas and the air surrounding the observational site changing from a subtropical air mass to a subpolar air mass during the passage of the stationary front. A clear relationship was observed between the isotopic CO 2 and water vapour and the meteorological phenomena. Therefore, isotopic information of CO 2 and H 2 Ov could be used as a tracer of meteorological information.

  5. Highly active Ni/Y-doped ZrO{sub 2} catalysts for CO{sub 2} methanation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takano, H., E-mail: takano_hi@hitachizosen.co.jp [Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kashiwa, 277-8515 (Japan); Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 (Japan); Kirihata, Y.; Izumiya, K.; Kumagai, N. [Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Kashiwa, 277-8515 (Japan); Habazaki, H., E-mail: habazaki@eng.hokudai.ac.jp [Graduate School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 (Japan); Division of Applied Chemistry & Frontier Chemistry Center, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-8628 (Japan); Hashimoto, K. [Tohoku Institute of Technology, Sendai, 277-8515 (Japan)

    2016-12-01

    Highlights: • The Ni/Y-doped ZrO{sub 2} catalysts show highly catalytic activity for CO{sub 2} methanation. • Bidentate carbonate is a major adsorption spice on the Ni/Y-doped ZrO{sub 2} catalysts. • The oxide support of t-ZrO{sub 2} and/or c-ZrO{sub 2} with oxygen vacancies plays a key role. - Abstract: The catalytic methanation of CO{sub 2} was carried out on Ni catalysts supported on Y-doped ZrO{sub 2} with various Y{sup 3+} concentrations and Ni/(Zr + Y) molar ratio = 1. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, specific surface area, temperature-programmed desorption of CO{sub 2}, and temperature-programmed reaction. In addition, operando diffuse-reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) was used to identify the adsorbed reaction intermediate. Catalysts supported on Y-doped ZrO{sub 2} show higher catalytic activity than the catalyst on Y-free ZrO{sub 2} with a monoclinic ZrO{sub 2} phase. The catalytic activity is also dependent upon the Y{sup 3+} concentration, and the highest activity was obtained for the catalyst with a Y/(Zr + Y) molar ratio of 0.333, which consists mainly of fcc Ni and cubic ZrO{sub 2} phase. Y{sup 3+} doping into ZrO{sub 2} introduces oxygen vacancies, which play an important role in enhancing the catalytic activity. The operando DRIFT study reveals that a CO adsorption intermediate is absent, and bidentate carbonate is an important intermediate for CH{sub 4} formation.

  6. Development of a cost-effective CO2 adsorbent from petroleum coke via KOH activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Eunji; Choi, Seung Wan; Hong, Seok-Min; Shin, Sangcheol; Lee, Ki Bong

    2018-01-01

    The capture of CO2 via adsorption is considered an effective technology for decreasing global warming issues; hence, adsorbents for CO2 capture have been actively developed. Taking into account cost-effectiveness and environmental concerns, the development of CO2 adsorbents from waste materials is attracting considerable attention. In this study, petroleum coke (PC), which is the carbon residue remaining after heavy oil upgrading, was used to produce high-value-added porous carbon for CO2 capture. Porous carbon materials were prepared by KOH activation using different weight ratios of KOH/PC (1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1) and activation temperatures (600, 700, and 800 °C). The specific surface area and total pore volume of resulting porous carbon materials increased with KOH amount, reaching up to 2433 m2/g and 1.11 cm3/g, respectively. The sample prepared under moderate conditions with a KOH/PC weight ratio of 2:1 and activation temperature of 700 °C exhibited the highest CO2 adsorption uptake of 3.68 mmol/g at 25 °C and 1 bar. Interestingly, CO2 adsorption uptake was linearly correlated with the volume of micropores less than 0.8 nm, indicating that narrow micropore volume is crucial for CO2 adsorption. The prepared porous carbon materials also exhibited good selectivity for CO2 over N2, rapid adsorption, facile regeneration, and stable adsorption-desorption cyclic performance, demonstrating potential as a candidate for CO2 capture.

  7. Ni-Nanocluster Modified Black TiO2 with Dual Active Sites for Selective Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Billo, Tadesse; Fu, Fang-Yu; Raghunath, Putikam; Shown, Indrajit; Chen, Wei-Fu; Lien, Hsiang-Ting; Shen, Tzu-Hsien; Lee, Jyh-Fu; Chan, Ting-Shan; Huang, Kuo-You; Wu, Chih-I; Lin, M C; Hwang, Jih-Shang; Lee, Chih-Hao; Chen, Li-Chyong; Chen, Kuei-Hsien

    2018-01-01

    One of the key challenges in artificial photosynthesis is to design a photocatalyst that can bind and activate the CO 2 molecule with the smallest possible activation energy and produce selective hydrocarbon products. In this contribution, a combined experimental and computational study on Ni-nanocluster loaded black TiO 2 (Ni/TiO 2[Vo] ) with built-in dual active sites for selective photocatalytic CO 2 conversion is reported. The findings reveal that the synergistic effects of deliberately induced Ni nanoclusters and oxygen vacancies provide (1) energetically stable CO 2 binding sites with the lowest activation energy (0.08 eV), (2) highly reactive sites, (3) a fast electron transfer pathway, and (4) enhanced light harvesting by lowering the bandgap. The Ni/TiO 2[Vo] photocatalyst has demonstrated highly selective and enhanced photocatalytic activity of more than 18 times higher solar fuel production than the commercial TiO 2 (P-25). An insight into the mechanisms of interfacial charge transfer and product formation is explored. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Predictive value of 14CO2 breath tests for clinical use of 13CO2 breath tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glaubitt, D.M.H.

    1975-01-01

    The knowledge of the efficiency of 14 CO 2 breath tests makes possible the comparison of the efficiency of analogous tests using the stable isotope 13 C. 14 CO 2 exhalation studies render overall information. After parenteral administration of a 14 C labeled substrate, 14 CO 2 breath tests permit insight into the metabolism of the 14 C substrate and the associated intermediary metabolism. If the 14 C substrate is given orally or by intraduodenal instillation, 14 CO 2 breath tests supply information not only about gastrointenstinal absorption and digestion but also about the intermediary metabolism yielding 14 CO 2 , after the administered substrate or its degradation products have been absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. The fraction of 14 CO 2 arising from absorption, digestion and intermediary metabolism can be estimated only by additional methods. 14 CO 2 breath tests are unable to delineate single metabolic reactions involved in the formation of carbon dioxide. Under these considerations the clinical application of 14 CO 2 breath tests may provide diagnostically useful results, especially in internal medicine and surgery. The tests are suitable for intraindividual assessment of the course of a disease and of therapeutic effects. They may be important in the research of the metabolism of 14 C labeled substrates

  9. Gas geochemistry and preliminary CO2 output estimation from the island of Kos (Greece)

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Alessandro, Walter; Daskalopoulou, Kyriaki; Calabrese, Sergio; Longo, Manfredi; Kyriakopoulos, Konstantinos; Gagliano, Antonina Lisa

    2017-04-01

    Several gas samples have been collected from natural gas manifestations at the island of Kos. Most of them are found underwater along the southern coast of the island. On land two anomalous degassing areas have been recognized. These are characterised by lack of vegetation and after long dry periods by the presence of sulfate salts efflorescences. Almost all the gases are CO2-dominated (CO2 ranging from 88 to 99%) with minor amounts of N2 (up to 7%) and CH4 (up to 2.6%). Only the on-land manifestations have also significant contents of H2 (up to 0.2%) and H2S (up to 0.3%). Only one underwater manifestation is N2-dominated (61-99%) with CH4 (0.6-11%) and low CO2 (0.1-26%). The isotopic composition of He shows values ranging from 0.84 to 6.72 R/RA indicating a sometimes strong mantle contribution with the highest values measured in two of the most strongly degassing areas (Paradise Beach and Volcania). C-isotopic composition of CO2 is in the range from -3.6 to 0.6 ‰ vs V-PDB with most of the values around -1‰ indicating a mixed mantle - limestones origin. Isotopic composition of CH4, ranging from -21.5 to 2.8‰ for C and from -143 to 36‰ for H, points to a geothermal origin with sometimes evident secondary oxidation processes. CO2-flux measurements showed values up to about 10,000 g/m2/day in the areas of Volcania and Kokkino Nero and up to about 50,000 g/m2/day at Paradise beach. Preliminary CO2 output estimations gave values of 8.8 and 4 tons/day for the first two areas respectively and of 2.7 tons/day for the latter. The total output of the island (15.5 tons/day) should be considered a minimum estimation because of the incomplete coverage of the area and is comparable to the other active volcanic/geothermal systems of Greece (Nisyros, Nea Kameni and Methana).

  10. Carbon isotopes in biological carbonates: Respiration and photosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnaughey, Ted A.; Burdett, Jim; Whelan, Joseph F.; Paull, Charles K.

    1997-02-01

    Respired carbon dioxide is an important constituent in the carbonates of most air breathing animals but is much less important in the carbonates of most aquatic animals. This difference is illustrated using carbon isotope data from freshwater and terrestrial snails, ahermatypic corals, and chemoautotrophic and methanotrophic pelecypods. Literature data from fish otoliths and bird and mammal shell and bone carbonates are also considered. Environmental CO 2/O 2 ratios appear to be the major controlling variable. Atmospheric CO 2/O 2 ratios are about thirty times lower than in most natural waters, hence air breathing animals absorb less environmental CO 2 in the course of obtaining 0 2. Tissue CO 2 therefore, does not isotopically equilibrate with environmental CO 2 as thoroughly in air breathers as in aquatic animals, and this is reflected in skeletal carbonates. Animals having efficient oxygen transport systems, such as vertebrates, also accumulate more respired CO 2 in their tissues. Photosynthetic corals calcify mainly during the daytime when photosynthetic CO 2 uptake is several times faster than respiratory CO 2 release. Photosynthesis, therefore, affects skeletal δ13C more strongly than does respiration. Corals also illustrate how "metabolic" effects on skeletal isotopic composition can be estimated, despite the presence of much larger "kinetic" isotope effects.

  11. Isotopic labeling as a tool to establish intramolecular vibrational coupling: The reaction of 2-propanol on Mo(110)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uvdal, P.; Wiegand, B.C.; Serafin, J.G.; Friend, C.M.

    1992-01-01

    The reactions of 2-propanol on Mo(110) were investigated using temperature programmed reaction, high resolution electron energy loss, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. 2-Propanol forms 2-propoxide upon adsorption at 120 K on Mo(110). The 2-propoxide intermediate deoxygenates via selective γ C--H bond scission to eliminate propene as well as C--O bond hydrogenolysis to form trace amounts of propane. The C--O bond of 2-propoxide is estimated to be nearly perpendicular to the surface. Selective isotopic labeling was used to establish the coupling between the C--O stretch and modes associated with the hydrocarbon framework. The degree of coupling was strongly affected by bonding to the surface, primarily due to weakening of the C--O bond when 2-propoxide is bound to Mo(110). Selective isotopic labeling was, therefore, essential in making vibrational assignments and in identifying key reaction steps. Only a small kinetic isotope effect was observed during reaction of (CD 3 )(CH 3 )CHOH, consistent with a substantial component of C--O bond breaking in the transition state for propene elimination. Coupling of the C--O stretch to motion of the methyl group is also suggested to be important in the transition state for propene elimination

  12. A three-dimensional synthesis study of delta O-18 in atmospheric CO2 .1. Surface fluxes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ciais, P; Denning, AS; Tans, PP; Berry, JA; Randall, DA; Collatz, GJ; Sellers, PJ; White, JWC; Trolier, M; Meijer, HAJ; Francey, RJ; Monfray, P; Heimann, M

    1997-01-01

    The isotope O-18 in CO2 is of particular interest in studying the global carbon cycle because it is sensitive to the processes by which the global land biosphere absorbs and respires CO2. Carbon dioxide and water exchange isotopically both in leaves and in soils, and the O-18 character of

  13. Study on CO{sub 2} absorption enhancement by adding active carbon particles into MEA solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qian, Juan; Sun, Rui; Ma, Lian; Sun, Shaozeng [Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin (China). School of Energy Science and Engineering

    2013-07-01

    The chemical absorption of CO{sub 2} is generally recognized as the most efficient post-combustion technology of CO{sub 2} separation at present. A study on CO{sub 2} absorption enhancement by adding small particles of active carbon into MEA solution is investigated within a self-designed glass stirring tank. Experiments of different particle loadings and different particle sizes have been conducted. When active carbon particle concentration is fewer, compared to the absorption rate of CO{sub 2} gas absorbed by MEA aqueous solution, the role of active carbon adsorption CO{sub 2} gas is negligible. The enhancement efficiency of CO{sub 2} absorption could be improved by 10% to the upmost in this liquid-particle system.

  14. Granular bamboo-derived activated carbon for high CO(2) adsorption: the dominant role of narrow micropores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Haoran; Deng, Shubo; Hu, Bingyin; Chen, Zhenhe; Wang, Bin; Huang, Jun; Yu, Gang

    2012-12-01

    Cost-effective biomass-derived activated carbons with a high CO(2) adsorption capacity are attractive for carbon capture. Bamboo was found to be a suitable precursor for activated carbon preparation through KOH activation. The bamboo size in the range of 10-200 mesh had little effect on CO(2) adsorption, whereas the KOH/C mass ratio and activation temperature had a significant impact on CO(2) adsorption. The bamboo-derived activated carbon had a high adsorption capacity and excellent selectivity for CO(2) , and also the adsorption process was highly reversible. The adsorbed amount of CO(2) on the granular activated carbon was up to 7.0 mmol g(-1) at 273 K and 1 bar, which was higher than almost all carbon materials. The pore characteristics of activated carbons responsible for high CO(2) adsorption were fully investigated. Based on the analysis of narrow micropore size distribution of several activated carbons prepared under different conditions, a more accurate micropore range contributing to CO(2) adsorption was proposed. The volume of micropores in the range of 0.33-0.82 nm had a good linear relationship with CO(2) adsorption at 273 K and 1 bar, and the narrow micropores of about 0.55 nm produced the major contribution, which could be used to evaluate CO(2) adsorption on activated carbons. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. On-line stable isotope measurements during plant and soil gas exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakir, D.

    2001-01-01

    Recent techniques for on-line stable isotope measurements during plant and soil exchange of CO 2 and/or water vapor are briefly reviewed. For CO 2 , these techniques provide means for on-line measurements of isotopic discrimination during CO 2 exchange by leaves in the laboratory and in the field, of isotopic discrimination during soil respiration and during soil-atmosphere CO 2 exchange, and of isotopic discrimination in O 2 during plant respiration. For water vapor, these techniques provide means to measure oxygen isotopic composition of water vapor during leaf transpiration and for the analysis of sub microliter condensed water vapor samples. Most of these techniques involve on-line sampling of CO 2 and water vapor from a dynamic, intact soil or plant system. In the laboratory, these systems also allow on-line isotopic analysis by continuous-flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The information obtained with these on-line techniques is becoming increasingly valuable, and often critical, for ecophysiologial research and in the study of biosphere-atmosphere interactions. (author)

  16. On the isotope effects of ZrCoX3 (X = H, D and T): a first-principles study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chattaraj, D.; Parida, S.C.; Dash, Smruti; Majumder, C.

    2013-01-01

    In the ITER project, the ZrCo-X (X= H, D and T) systems have gained considerable attention because of its use in the hydrogen isotope storage. The isotopic effects on the ZrCoX 3 (X= H, D and T) compounds have been studied in terms of the variation of the thermodynamic parameters using the DFT and frozen phonon approach. A significant difference between the ZrCoH 3 and its isotopic analogues has been noticed in terms of zero point energy (ZPE) and phonon frequencies. The zero point energies are 65.47 kJ/mol, 48.07 kJ/mol and 39.32 kJ/mol for ZrCoH 3 , ZrCoD 3 and ZrCoT 3 , respectively. The enthalpy of formation of ZrCoX 3 compounds, including the ZPE contributions, are -124.84, -142.24 and -150.99 kJ/(mole of compound) for X = H, D and T, respectively. (author)

  17. Isotopic Discrimination During Leaf Litter Decomposition

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ngao, J.; Rubino, M.

    2006-12-01

    Methods involving stable isotopes have been successfully applied since decades in various research fields. Tracing 13C natural abundance in ecosystem compartments greatly enhanced the understanding of the C fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere C exchanges when compartments present different C isotopic signatures (i.e. atmospheric CO2 vs photosynthetic leaves, C3 vs C4; etc.). However, the assumption that no isotopic discrimination occurs during respiration is commonly made in numbers of C isotope-based ecological studies. Furthermore, verifications of such assumption are sparse and not enough reliable. The aim of our study is to assess the potential isotopic discrimination that may occur during litter decomposition. Leaf litter from an Arbutus unedo (L.) stand (Tolfa, Italy) was incubated in 1L jars, under constant laboratory conditions (i.e. 25 ° C and 135% WC). During the entire incubation period, gravimetric mass loss, litter respiration rates and the isotopic composition of respired CO2 are monitored at regular intervals. Data from 7 months of incubation will be presented and discussed. After two months, the litter mass loss averaged 16% of initial dry mass. During the same time-period, the respiration rate decreased significantly by 58% of the initial respiration rate. Isotopic compositions of respired CO2 ranged between -27.95‰ and - 25.69‰. Mean values did not differ significantly among the sampling days, in spite of an apparent enrichment in 13C of respired CO2 with time. The significance of these isotopic enrichment will be determined at a longer time scale. They may reveal both/either a direct microbial discrimination during respiration processes and/or a use of different litter compounds as C source along time. Further chemical and compound-specific isotopic analysis of dry matter will be performed in order to clarify these hypotheses. This work is part of the "ALICE" project, funded by the European Union's Marie Curie Fellowship Actions that aims to

  18. Utilization of stable isotopes for characterizing an underground gas generator; Utilisation des isotopes stables pour caracteriser un gazogene souterrain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pirard, J P; Antenucci, D; Renard, X [Liege Univ. (Belgium); Letolle, R [Paris-6 Univ., 75 (France)

    1994-12-31

    The principles of isotopic exchange and isotope ratio result interpretation are first reviewed; then, in the framework of an underground coal gasification project in Belgium, experiments and modelling of the underground gas generator have been carried out: isotopic abundances of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen have been measured in the gasifying agent (O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O) and in the effluent (CO{sub 2}, CO, H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, O{sub 2}, heavy oils and various organic and mineral substances). Gasification kinetics and temperatures have been evaluated and isotope application to thermometry is discussed. 1 fig., 9 refs.

  19. MIR hollow waveguide (HWG) isotope ratio analyzer for environmental applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhenyou; Zhuang, Yan; Deev, Andrei; Wu, Sheng

    2017-05-01

    An advanced commercial Mid-InfraRed Isotope Ratio (IR2) analyzer was developed in Arrow Grand Technologies based on hollow waveguide (HWG) as the sample tube. The stable carbon isotope ratio, i.e. δ13C, was obtained by measuring the selected CO2 absorption peaks in the MIR. Combined with a GC and a combustor, it has been successfully employed to measure compound specific δ13C isotope ratios in the field. By using both the 1- pass HWG and 5-path HWG, we are able to measure δ13C isotope ratio at a broad CO2 concentration of 300 ppm-37,500 ppm. Here, we demonstrate its applications in environmental studies. The δ13C isotope ratio and concentration of CO2 exhaled by soil samples was measured in real time with the isotope analyzer. The concentration was found to change with the time. We also convert the Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) into CO2, and then measure the δ13C isotope ratio with an accuracy of better than 0.3 ‰ (1 σ) with a 6 min test time and 1 ml sample usage. Tap water, NaHCO3 solvent, coca, and even beer were tested. Lastly, the 13C isotope ratio of CO2 exhaled by human beings was obtained <10 seconds after simply blowing the exhaled CO2 into a tube with an accuracy of 0.5‰ (1 σ) without sample preconditioning. In summary, a commercial HWG isotope analyzer was demonstrated to be able to perform environmental and health studies with a high accuracy ( 0.3 ‰/Hz1/2 1 σ), fast sampling rate (up to 10 Hz), low sample consumption ( 1 ml), and broad CO2 concentration range (300 ppm-37,500 ppm).

  20. Abiotic and seasonal control of soil-produced CO2 efflux in karstic ecosystems located in Oceanic and Mediterranean climates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Anton, Elena; Cuezva, Soledad; Fernandez-Cortes, Angel; Alvarez-Gallego, Miriam; Pla, Concepcion; Benavente, David; Cañaveras, Juan Carlos; Sanchez-Moral, Sergio

    2017-09-01

    This study characterizes the processes involved in seasonal CO2 exchange between soils and shallow underground systems and explores the contribution of the different biotic and abiotic sources as a function of changing weather conditions. We spatially and temporally investigated five karstic caves across the Iberian Peninsula, which presented different microclimatic, geologic and geomorphologic features. The locations present Mediterranean and Oceanic climates. Spot air sampling of CO2 (g) and δ13CO2 in the caves, soils and outside atmospheric air was periodically conducted. The isotopic ratio of the source contribution enhancing the CO2 concentration was calculated using the Keeling model. We compared the isotopic ratio of the source in the soil (δ13Cs-soil) with that in the soil-underground system (δ13Cs-system). Although the studied field sites have different features, we found common seasonal trends in their values, which suggests a climatic control over the soil air CO2 and the δ13CO2 of the sources of CO2 in the soil (δ13Cs-soil) and the system (δ13Cs-system). The roots respiration and soil organic matter degradation are the main source of CO2 in underground environments, and the inlet of the gas is mainly driven by diffusion and advection. Drier and warmer conditions enhance soil-exterior CO2 interchange, reducing the CO2 concentration and increasing the δ13CO2 of the soil air. Moreover, the isotopic ratio of the source of CO2 in both the soil and the system tends to heavier values throughout the dry and warm season. We conclude that seasonal variations of soil CO2 concentration and its 13C/12C isotopic ratio are mainly regulated by thermo-hygrometric conditions. In cold and wet seasons, the increase of soil moisture reduces soil diffusivity and allows the storage of CO2 in the subsoil. During dry and warm seasons, the evaporation of soil water favours diffusive and advective transport of soil-derived CO2 to the atmosphere. The soil CO2 diffusion is

  1. Calculation of Site-specific Carbon-isotope Fractionation in Pedogenic Oxide Minerals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rustad, James R.; Zarzycki, Piotr

    2008-07-29

    Ab initio molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry techniques are used to calculate the structure, vibrational frequencies, and carbon-isotope fractionation factors of the carbon dioxide component [CO2(m)] of soil (oxy)hydroxide minerals goethite, diaspore, and gibbsite. We have identified two possible pathways of incorporation of CO2(m) into (oxy)hydroxide crystal structures: one in which the C4+ substitutes for four H+ [CO2(m)A] and another in which C4+ substitutes for (Al3+,Fe3+) + H+ [CO2(m)B]. Calculations of isotope fractionation factors give large differences between the two structures, with the CO2(m)A being isotopically lighter than CO2(m)B by ≈10 per mil in the case of gibbsite and nearly 20 per mil in the case of goethite. The reduced partition function ratio of CO2(m)B structure in goethite differs from CO2(g) by <1 per mil. The predicted fractionation for gibbsite is >10 per mil higher, close to those measured for calcite and aragonite. The surprisingly large difference in the carbon-isotope fractionation factor between the CO2(m)A and CO2(m)B structures within a given mineral suggests that the isotopic signatures of soil (oxy)hydroxide could be heterogeneous.

  2. Pressure dependent isotopic fractionation in the photolysis of formaldehyde-d2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, E.J.K.; Schmidt, Johan Albrecht; Johnson, Matthew Stanley

    2014-01-01

    role in the observed pressure dependent photolytic fractionation of deuterium. The model shows that part of the fractionation is a result of competition between the isotopologue dependent rates of unimolecular dissociation and collisional relaxation. We suggest that the remaining fractionation is due......The isotope effects in formaldehyde photolysis are the key link between the δD of methane emissions and the δD of atmospheric in situ hydrogen production. A few recent studies have suggested that a pressure dependence in the isotopic fractionation can partly explain enrichment of deuterium...... with altitude in the atmosphere. The mechanism and the extent of this pressure dependency is, however, not adequately described. In the present work D2CO and H2CO were photolyzed in a static reaction chamber at bath gas pressures of 50, 200, 400, 600 and 1000 mbar; these experiments compliment and extend our...

  3. Deuterium isotope differences in 2-propanone (CH3)2CO/(CD3)2CO: a high-pressure sound-speed, density, and heat capacities study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szydlowski, J.; Gomes de Azevedo, R.; Rebelo, L.P.N.; Esperanca, J.M.S.S.; Guedes, H.J.R.

    2005-01-01

    A new high-pressure, non-intrusive ultrasonic microcell [J. Chem. Thermodyn. 36 (2004) 211-222] was used to carry out sound-speed measurements in deuteriated 2-propanone (acetone-d 6 ) in broad ranges of temperature (288 6 . (p, ρ, T) data for acetone-d 6 were also determined but in a narrower T, p range (298 to 333 K; 0.1 to 60 MPa). In this interval, several thermodynamic properties were thus determined, such as: isentropic (κ s ) and isothermal (κ T ) compressibility, isobaric thermal expansivity (α p ), isobaric (c p ) and isochoric (c v ) specific heat capacity, and the thermal pressure coefficient (γ v ). Comparisons with our data for acetone-h 6 enabled us to establish the magnitude and sign of deuterium isotope effects for identical properties. These effects are a consequence of distinct vibrational mode frequencies in an isotope-invariant force constants' field. Molar heat capacities and their isotope effects were theoretically determined by employing an Einstein-like model for the vibrational frequencies of acetone-h 6 and acetone-d 6

  4. History of CO/sub 2/

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Degens, E T

    1979-01-01

    Upon arrival on earth, the reduced carbon pool split into a series of compartments: core, mantle, crust, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. This distribution pattern is caused by the ability of carbon to adjust structurally to a wide range of pressure and temperature, and to form simple and complex molecules with oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. Transformation also involved oxidation of carbon to CO/sub 2/ which is mediated at depth by minerals, such as magnetite, and by water vapor above critical temperature. Guided by mineral-organic interactions, simple carbon compounds evolved in near surface environments towards physiologically interesting biochemicals. Life, as an autocatalytic system, is considered an outgrowth of such a development. This article discusses environmental parameters that control the CO/sub 2/ system, past and present. Mantle and crustal evolution is the dynamo recharging the CO/sub 2/ in sea and air; the present rate of CO/sub 2/ release from the magma is 0.05 x 10/sup 15/ g C per year. Due to the enormous buffer capacity of the chemical system ocean, such rates are too small to seriously effect the level of CO/sub 2/ in our atmosphere. In the light of geological field data and stable isotope work, it is concluded that the CO/sub 2/ content in the atmosphere has remained fairly uniform since early Precambrian time; CO/sub 2/ should thus have had little impact on paleoclimate. In contrast, the massive discharge of man-made CO/sub 2/ into our atmosphere may have serious consequences for climate, environment and society in the years to come.

  5. Activity of carbon supported Pt3Ru2 nanocatalyst in CO oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KSENIJA DJ. POPOVIĆ

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The electrocatalytic activity of Pt3Ru2/C nanocatalyst toward the electro-oxidation of bulk CO was examined in acid and alkaline solution at ambient temperature using the thin-film, rotating disk electrode (RDE method. The catalyst was characterized by XRD analysis. The XRD pattern revealed that the Pt3Ru2/C catalyst consisted of two structures, i.e., Pt–Ru-fcc and Ru-hcp (a solid solution of Ru in Pt and a small amount of Ru or a solid solution of Pt in Ru. Electrocatalytic activities were measured by applying potentiodynamic and steady state techniques. The oxidation of CO on the Pt3Ru2/C catalyst was influenced by pH and anions from the supporting electrolytes. The Pt3Ru2/C was more active in alkaline than in acid solution, as well as in perchloric than in sulfuric acid. Comparison of CO oxidation on Pt3Ru2/C and Pt/C revealed that the Pt3Ru2/C was more active than Pt/C in acid solution, while both catalysts had a similar activity in alkaline solution.

  6. Gasification under CO2–Steam Mixture: Kinetic Model Study Based on Shared Active Sites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Liu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this work, char gasification of two coals (i.e., Shenfu bituminous coal and Zunyi anthracite and a petroleum coke under a steam and CO2 mixture (steam/CO2 partial pressures, 0.025–0.075 MPa; total pressures, 0.100 MPa and CO2/steam chemisorption of char samples were conducted in a Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA. Two conventional kinetic models exhibited difficulties in exactly fitting the experimental data of char–steam–CO2 gasification. Hence, a modified model based on Langmuir–Hinshelwood model and assuming that char–CO2 and char–steam reactions partially shared active sites was proposed and had indicated high accuracy for estimating the interactions in char–steam–CO2 reaction. Moreover, it was found that two new model parameters (respectively characterized as the amount ratio of shared active sites to total active sites in char–CO2 and char–steam reactions in the modified model hardly varied with gasification conditions, and the results of chemisorption indicate that these two new model parameters mainly depended on the carbon active sites in char samples.

  7. Boron isotopes in geothermal systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aggarwal, J.

    1997-01-01

    Boron is a highly mobile element and during water-rock reactions, boron is leached out of rocks with no apparent fractionation. In geothermal systems where the water recharging the systems are meteoric in origin, the B isotope ratio of the geothermal fluid reflects the B isotope ratio of the rocks. Seawater has a distinctive B isotope ratio and where seawater recharges the geothermal system, the B isotope ratio of the geothermal system reflects the mixing of rock derived B and seawater derived B. Any deviations of the actual B isotope ratio of a mixture reflects subtle differences in the water-rock ratios in the cold downwelling limb of the hydrothermal system. This paper will present data from a variety of different geothermal systems, including New Zealand; Iceland; Yellowston, USA; Ibusuki, Japan to show the range in B isotope ratios in active geothermal systems. Some of these systems show well defined mixing trends between seawater and the host rocks, whilst others show the boron isotope ratios of the host rock only. In geothermal systems containing high amounts of CO 2 boron isotope ratios from a volatile B source can also be inferred. (auth)

  8. Fossil fuel CO2 estimation by atmospheric 14C measurement and CO2 mixing ratios in the city of Debrecen, Hungary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molnar, M.; Svingor, E.; Haszpra, L.; Ivo Svetlik; Veres, M.

    2010-01-01

    A field unit was installed in the city of Debrecen (East Hungary) during the summer of 2008 to monitor urban atmospheric fossil fuel CO 2 . To establish a reference level simultaneous CO 2 sampling has been carried out at a rural site (Hegyhatsal) in Western Hungary. Using the Hungarian background 14 CO 2 observations from the rural site atmospheric fossil fuel CO 2 component for the city of Debrecen was reported in a regional 'Hungarian' scale. A well visible fossil fuel CO 2 peak (10-15 ppm) with a maximum in the middle of winter 2008 (January) was observed in Debrecen air. Significant local maximum (∼20 ppm) in fossil fuel CO 2 during Octobers of 2008 and 2009 was also detected. Stable isotope results are in agreement with the 14 C based fossil fuel CO 2 observations as the winter of 2008 and 2009 was different in atmospheric δ 13 C variations too. The more negative δ 13 C of atmospheric CO 2 in the winter of 2008 means more fossil carbon in the atmosphere than during the winter of 2009. (author)

  9. High efficiency of CO2-activated graphite felt as electrode for vanadium redox flow battery application

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Yu-Chung; Chen, Jian-Yu; Kabtamu, Daniel Manaye; Lin, Guan-Yi; Hsu, Ning-Yih; Chou, Yi-Sin; Wei, Hwa-Jou; Wang, Chen-Hao

    2017-10-01

    A simple method for preparing CO2-activated graphite felt as an electrode in a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) was employed by the direct treatment in a CO2 atmosphere at a high temperature for a short period. The CO2-activated graphite felt demonstrates excellent electrochemical activity and reversibility. The VRFB using the CO2-activated graphite felts in the electrodes has coulombic, voltage, and energy efficiencies of 94.52%, 88.97%, and 84.15%, respectively, which is much higher than VRFBs using the electrodes of untreated graphite felt and N2-activated graphite felt. The efficiency enhancement was attributed to the higher number of oxygen-containing functional groups on the graphite felt that are formed during the CO2-activation, leading to improving the electrochemical behaviour of the resultant VRFB.

  10. Whole-body CO2 production as an index of the metabolic response to sepsis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whole-body carbon dioxide (CO2) production (RaCO2) is an index of substrate oxidation and energy expenditure; therefore, it may provide information about the metabolic response to sepsis. Using stable isotope techniques, we determined RaCO2 and its relationship to protein and glucose metabolism in m...

  11. Atmospheric pCO2 Reconstructed across the Early Eocene Hyperthermals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Y.; Schubert, B.

    2015-12-01

    Negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) are commonly associated with extreme global warming. The Early Eocene is punctuated by five such CIEs, the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM, ca. 55.8 Ma), H1 (ca. 53.6 Ma), H2 (ca. 53.5 Ma), I1 (ca. 53.3 Ma), and I2 (ca. 53.2 Ma), each characterized by global warming. The negative CIEs are recognized in both marine and terrestrial substrates, but the terrestrial substrates exhibit a larger absolute magnitude CIE than the marine substrates. Here we reconcile the difference in CIE magnitude between the terrestrial and marine substrates for each of these events by accounting for the additional carbon isotope fractionation by C3 land plants in response to increased atmospheric pCO2. Our analysis yields background and peak pCO2 values for each of the events. Assuming a common mechanism for each event, we calculate that background pCO2 was not static across the Early Eocene, with the highest background pCO2 immediately prior to I2, the last of the five CIEs. Background pCO2 is dependent on the source used in our analysis with values ranging from 300 to 720 ppmv provided an injection of 13C-depleted carbon with δ13C value of -60‰ (e.g. biogenic methane). The peak pCO2 during each event scales according to the magnitude of CIE, and is therefore greatest during the PETM and smallest during H2. Both background and peak pCO2 are higher if we assume a mechanism of permafrost thawing (δ13C = -25‰). Our reconstruction of pCO2 across these events is consistent with trends in the δ18O value of deep-sea benthic foraminifera, suggesting a strong link between pCO2 and temperature during the Early Eocene.

  12. Can a sponge fractionate isotopes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, B; Patel, S; Balani, M C

    1985-03-22

    The study has unequivocally demonstrated that siliceous sponges Spirastrella cuspidifera and Prostylyssa foetida from the same microecological niche exhibit a high degree of species specificity, while accumulating a host of heavy metal ions (Ni, Cr, Cd, Sn, Ti, Mo, Zr). S. cuspidifera accumulated, in addition, 60Co and 63Ni, showing discrimination against other radionuclides, 137Cs and 131I, present in the ambient waters receiving controlled low level waste discharges from a B.W.R. nuclear power station. P. foetida, on the other hand, accumulated only 131I and showed discrimination against other radionuclides including 60Co, although the stable iodine concentrations in both the sponges were the same. The specific activity of 60Co (in becquerels per gram of 59Co) in S. cuspidifera and 131I (in becquerels per gram of 127I) in P. foetida were at least two orders of magnitude greater than in the ambient sea water. That of 63Ni (in becquerels per gram of 62Ni) in S. cuspidifera, on the other hand, was lower by two orders of magnitude than in either abiotic matrices from the same environment. Thus, not only did both the species show bioaccumulation of a specific element, but also preferential uptake of isotopes of the same element, though they were equally available for intake. Such differential uptake of isotopes can possibly be explained in terms of two quite different mechanisms operating, each applicable in a particular case. One is that the xenobiotic isotope enters the environment in a physicochemical form or as a complex different from that of its natural counterpart. If equilibration with the latter is slow, so that the organism acquires the xenobiotic in an unfamiliar chemical context, it may treat it as a chemically distinct entity so that its concentration factor differs from that of stable isotope, thus changing the specific activity. Alternatively, if the xenobiotic is present in the same chemical form as the stable isotope, the only way in which specific

  13. NAC, Neutron Activation Analysis and Isotope Inventory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: NAC was designed to predict the neutron-induced gamma-ray radioactivity for a wide variety of composite materials. The NAC output includes the input data, a list of all reactions for each constituent element, and the end-of-irradiation disintegration rates for each reaction. NAC also compiles a product isotope inventory containing the isotope name, the disintegration rate, the gamma-ray source strength and the absorbed dose rate at 1 meter from an unshielded point source. The induced activity is calculated as a function of irradiation and decay times; the effect of cyclic irradiation can also be calculated. 2 - Method of solution: The standard neutron activation and decay equations are programmed. A data library is supplied which contains target element names, atomic densities, reaction indices, individual reactions and reaction parameters, and product isotopes and gamma energy yields. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Each composite material may consist of up to 20 different elements and up to 20 different decay times may be included. Both limits may be increased by the user by increasing the appropriate items in the dimension statement

  14. Geochemical Study of Natural CO2 Emissions in the French Massif Central: How to Predict Origin, Processes and Evolution of CO2 Leakage Étude géochimique des émissions naturelles de CO2 du Massif Central : origine et processus de migration du gaz

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Battani A.

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available This study presents an overview of some results obtained within the French ANR (National Agency of Research supported Géocarbone-Monitoring research program. The measurements were performed in Sainte-Marguerite, located in the French Massif Central. This site represents a natural laboratory for CO2/fluid/rock interactions studies, as well as CO2 migration mechanisms towards the surface. The CO2 leaking character of the studied area also allows to test and validate measurements methods and verifications for the future CO2 geological storage sites. During these surveys, we analyzed soil CO2 fluxes and concentrations. We sampled and analyzed soil gases, and gas from carbo-gaseous bubbling springs. A one-month continuous monitoring was also tested, to record the concentration of CO2 both in atmosphere and in the soil at a single point. We also developed a new methodology to collect soil gas samples for noble gas abundances and isotopic analyses, as well as carbon isotopic ratios. Our geochemical results, combined with structural geology, show that the leaking CO2 has a very deep origin, partially mantle derived. The gas rises rapidly along normal and strike-slip active faults. CO2 soil concentrations (also showing a mantle derived component and CO2 fluxes are spatially variable, and reach high values. The recorded atmospheric CO2 is not very high, despite the important CO2 degassing throughout the whole area. Cette étude présente les principaux résultats de campagnes de monitoring géochimique menées en 2006 et 2007 dans le cadre du projet Géocarbone-Monitoring, sur le site de Sainte-Marguerite, situé dans le Massif Central. Ce site constitue un « laboratoire naturel » pour l’étude des interactions CO2/fluides/roches et des mécanismes de migration du CO2 vers la surface, à l’échelle des temps géologiques. Le caractère particulièrement émissif de cet « analogue » permet également de tester et valider des méthodes de mesure et

  15. Concomitant carboxylate and oxalate formation from the activation of CO{sub 2} by a thorium(III) complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Formanuik, Alasdair; Ortu, Fabrizio; Mills, David P. [School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester (United Kingdom); Inman, Christopher J. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton (United Kingdom); Kerridge, Andrew [Department of Chemistry, Lancaster University (United Kingdom); Castro, Ludovic; Maron, Laurent [LPCNO, CNRA et INSA, Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse (France)

    2016-12-12

    Improving our comprehension of diverse CO{sub 2} activation pathways is of vital importance for the widespread future utilization of this abundant greenhouse gas. CO{sub 2} activation by uranium(III) complexes is now relatively well understood, with oxo/carbonate formation predominating as CO{sub 2} is readily reduced to CO, but isolated thorium(III) CO{sub 2} activation is unprecedented. We show that the thorium(III) complex, [Th(Cp''){sub 3}] (1, Cp''={C_5H_3(SiMe_3)_2-1,3}), reacts with CO{sub 2} to give the mixed oxalate-carboxylate thorium(IV) complex [{Th(Cp'')_2[κ"2-O_2C{C_5H_3-3,3'-(SiMe_3)_2}]}{sub 2}(μ-κ{sup 2}:κ{sup 2}-C{sub 2}O{sub 4})] (3). The concomitant formation of oxalate and carboxylate is unique for CO{sub 2} activation, as in previous examples either reduction or insertion is favored to yield a single product. Therefore, thorium(III) CO{sub 2} activation can differ from better understood uranium(III) chemistry. (copyright 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA.)

  16. A sublimation technique for high-precision measurements of δ13CO2 and mixing ratios of CO2 and N2O from air trapped in ice cores

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Fischer

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to provide high precision stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13CO2 or δ13C of CO2 from small bubbly, partially and fully clathrated ice core samples we developed a new method based on sublimation coupled to gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS. In a first step the trapped air is quantitatively released from ~30 g of ice and CO2 together with N2O are separated from the bulk air components and stored in a miniature glass tube. In an off-line step, the extracted sample is introduced into a helium carrier flow using a minimised tube cracker device. Prior to measurement, N2O and organic sample contaminants are gas chromatographically separated from CO2. Pulses of a CO2/N2O mixture are admitted to the tube cracker and follow the path of the sample through the system. This allows an identical treatment and comparison of sample and standard peaks. The ability of the method to reproduce δ13C from bubble and clathrate ice is verified on different ice cores. We achieve reproducibilities for bubble ice between 0.05 ‰ and 0.07 ‰ and for clathrate ice between 0.05 ‰ and 0.09 ‰ (dependent on the ice core used. A comparison of our data with measurements on bubble ice from the same ice core but using a mechanical extraction device shows no significant systematic offset. In addition to δ13C, the CO2 and N2O mixing ratios can be volumetrically derived with a precision of 2 ppmv and 8 ppbv, respectively.

  17. Oxygen isotopic signature of CO2 from combustion processes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schumacher, M.; Werner, R. A.; Meijer, H. A. J.; Brand, W. A.; Geilmann, H.; Neubert, R. E. M.; Kaiser, J.; Jansen, Henk G.

    2011-01-01

    For a comprehensive understanding of the global carbon cycle precise knowledge of all processes is necessary. Stable isotope (C-13 and O-18) abundances provide information for the qualification and the quantification of the diverse source and sink processes. This study focuses on the delta O-18

  18. Co-ordinated research programme applications of stable isotope tracers in human nutrition research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The objective of this Co-ordinated Research Programme is to help establish competence in the use of stable isotope techniques, particularly in developing countries. This report summarizes the discussions that took, place during the Second Research Co-ordination Meeting, held in Bangalore in November 1990. Working papers presented by the participants are included as annexes. Refs, figs and tabs

  19. Root activity evaluation in tree crops using isotopic techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calvache, Marcelo

    1991-01-01

    This paper discusses the methdology used to evalute root activity of the crops utilizing the technique of soil injection with solutions marked with isotopes. Some of the experimental data obtained with coffee, citrus and oil palm are also presented. Ovel all, these tree crops present a higher root activity in soil layers close to the surface (0-20 cm) and to a distance from the trunk which varies with age, season and variety. The most important conclusions are: 1. The isotope injection technique using 3 2 P , 1 5 N , or 8 5 R b, allow direct and reliable determination of root activity in these tree crops. 2. Root activity of three crops depends on age of the tree, variety, moisture content of the soil and soil type. 3. Soil moisture is the most influencial factor affecting root activity. This is turn depends on the irrigation method employed. 4. From the practical view point, the best distance from the trunk to apply fertilizer in the one wich has highest root activity closest to the soil surface

  20. A study of structure–activity relationships of commercial tertiary amines for post-combustion CO_2 capture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiao, Min; Liu, Helei; Idem, Raphael; Tontiwachwuthikul, Paitoon; Liang, Zhiwu

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Ethyl group is beneficial for tertiary amines of CO_2 absorption. • The existence of side carbon chain may promote the activity of tertiary amine. • Hydroxyl group reduces the equilibrium CO_2 solubility, k_2 and pKa. • Heterocyclic structure decrease the equilibrium CO_2 solubility, k_2 and pKa. • Hydroxyl group results in higher CO_2 absorption heat. - Abstract: This work examined the relationship between the structure of various commercial tertiary amines and their activity in CO_2 absorption/desorption in terms of rate of CO_2 absorption, equilibrium CO_2 loading, pKa and heat of CO_2 absorption in order to establish possible guidelines for selection of tertiary amine components for amine blends. Results show that any electron donating group linked directly to the nitrogen atom increases their reactivity with CO_2. In addition, the presence of steric hindrance effect and good water solubility also show enhancements in activity. In contrast, the existence of a hydroxyl group leads to a decrease in all the activity of the tertiary amine. The heat of CO_2 absorption of tertiary amines, which is closely related to the regeneration energy, can be reduced by decreasing the number of hydroxyethyl groups or by positing the hydroxyl group at the proper carbon relative to the nitrogen atom.

  1. Characterization of methane oxidation in a simulated landfill cover system by comparing molecular and stable isotope mass balances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte, Marcel; Jochmann, Maik A; Gehrke, Tobias; Thom, Andrea; Ricken, Tim; Denecke, Martin; Schmidt, Torsten C

    2017-11-01

    Biological methane oxidation may be regarded as a method of aftercare treatment for landfills to reduce climate relevant methane emissions. It is of social and economic interest to estimate the behavior of bacterial methane oxidation in aged landfill covers due to an adequate long-term treatment of the gas emissions. Different approaches assessing methane oxidation in laboratory column studies have been investigated by other authors recently. However, this work represents the first study in which three independent approaches, ((i) mass balance, (ii) stable isotope analysis, and (iii) stoichiometric balance of product (CO 2 ) and reactant (CH 4 ) by CO 2 /CH 4 -ratio) have been compared for the estimation of the biodegradation by a robust statistical validation on a rectangular, wide soil column. Additionally, an evaluation by thermal imaging as a potential technique for the localization of the active zone of bacterial methane oxidation has been addressed in connection with stable isotope analysis and CO 2 /CH 4 -ratios. Although landfills can be considered as open systems the results for stable isotope analysis based on a closed system correlated better with the mass balance than calculations based on an open system. CO 2 /CH 4 -ratios were also in good agreement with mass balance. In general, highest values for biodegradation were determined from mass balance, followed by CO 2 /CH 4 -ratio, and stable isotope analysis. The investigated topsoil proved to be very suitable as a potential cover layer by removing up to 99% of methane for CH 4 loads of 35-65gm -2 d -1 that are typical in the aftercare phase of landfills. Finally, data from stable isotope analysis and the CO 2 /CH 4 -ratios were used to trace microbial activity within the reactor system. It was shown that methane consumption and temperature increase, as a cause of high microbial activity, correlated very well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. CO2 and circulation in the deglacial North Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, B.; Rae, J. W. B.; Gray, W. R.; Rees-Owen, R. L.; Burke, A.

    2017-12-01

    The North Pacific is the largest carbon reservoir in the global ocean, but has not typically been thought to play an active role in deglacial CO2 rise based on its modern stratified state. Recent studies (Okazaki et al., 2010; Rae et al., 2014; Max et al., 2017), however, have suggested that a more dynamic circulation regime operated in the glacial and deglacial North Pacific and, as such, the role of the North Pacific in deglacial CO2 rise may have been underestimated. We present two new high-resolution boron isotope records of surface water pCO2 from the North West and North East Pacific spanning the last 22 kyrs. The two records show remarkable coherence over key intervals during the last deglaciation and highlight major changes over a number of abrupt climate events. At both sites, following the LGM, pCO2(sw) rises, coincident with a younging of North Pacific intermediate and deep waters. This suggests that increased local overturning mixed CO2-rich deep waters throughout the water column, likely contributing to CO2 outgassing during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1). Both records exhibit decreases in pCO2(sw) during the latter stages of HS1, which are immediately followed by a rapid increase in pCO2(sw) at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød (B/A). Radiocarbon and δ13C data indicate a collapse in North Pacific Intermediate Water formation at the onset of the B/A, which, combined with enhanced wind stress curl, would have allowed CO2-rich waters to mix into the surface ocean from intermediate-depths. The combination of high nutrient availability and a seasonally well-stratified mixed layer likely led to the abrupt increase in export productivity across the region; the excess surface water CO2 shows that alleviation of iron or light limitation could not have been its primary cause. Our new records highlight the importance of overturning circulation in the North Pacific in controlling productivity and CO2 release on glacial/interglacial timescales.

  3. Enrichment of 13C by chemical exchange between CO2 and amine carbamate in nonaqueous solvent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raica, Paula; Axente, D.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: Enrichment of 13 C by chemical exchange between CO 2 and amine carbamate in nonaqueous solvent has been mathematically modelled in two ways. The height equivalent to a theoretical plate and steady-state separation, based on the two models, have been obtained. If only the isotopic exchange between CO 2 gas and amine carbamate is considered, the model can estimate the process performance for pressures close to the atmospheric one and room temperature. For process analysis at pressures higher than atmospheric one and lower temperatures, a two-step model has been developed. Using the two models the effects of pressure increasing have been studied. At atmospheric pressure and 2M DNBA - methanol solution the isotope transfer rate is lower at 5 deg. C than at 25 deg. C. The isotope transfer is supported by pressure increasing according the increase of the CO 2 concentration in the amine solution. A lower temperature determines also an increase in the concentration of dissolved CO 2 and, for this reason, at 5 deg.C and higher pressures the isotope exchange reaction rate is higher than at 25 deg. C, HETP being lower with more than 100% at 5 deg. C than at 25 deg. C. (authors)

  4. [Effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on soil urease and phosphatase activities].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lijun; Wu, Zhijie; Huang, Guohong; Zhou, Likai

    2002-10-01

    The response of soil urease and phosphatase activities at different rice growth stages to free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) was studied. The results showed that comparing with the ambient atmospheric CO2 concentration (370 mumol.mol-1), FACE (570 mumol.mol-1) significantly increased the urease activity of 0-5 cm soil layer at the vigorous growth stage of rice, whole that of 5-10 cm layer had no significant change during the whole growing season. Phosphatase activity of 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers significantly increased, and the peak increment was at the vigorous growth stage of rice.

  5. Incorporating nitrogen atoms into cobalt nanosheets as a strategy to boost catalytic activity toward CO2 hydrogenation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liangbing; Zhang, Wenbo; Zheng, Xusheng; Chen, Yizhen; Wu, Wenlong; Qiu, Jianxiang; Zhao, Xiangchen; Zhao, Xiao; Dai, Yizhou; Zeng, Jie

    2017-11-01

    Hydrogenation of CO2 into fuels and useful chemicals could help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Although great progress has been made over the past decades to improve the activity of catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation, more efficient catalysts, especially those based on non-noble metals, are desired. Here we incorporate N atoms into Co nanosheets to boost the catalytic activity toward CO2 hydrogenation. For the hydrogenation of CO2, Co4N nanosheets exhibited a turnover frequency of 25.6 h-1 in a slurry reactor under 32 bar pressure at 150 °C, which was 64 times that of Co nanosheets. The activation energy for Co4N nanosheets was 43.3 kJ mol-1, less than half of that for Co nanosheets. Mechanistic studies revealed that Co4N nanosheets were reconstructed into Co4NHx, wherein the amido-hydrogen atoms directly interacted with the CO2 to form HCOO* intermediates. In addition, the adsorbed H2O* activated amido-hydrogen atoms via the interaction of hydrogen bonds.

  6. Unexpected variations in the triple oxygen isotope composition of stratospheric carbon dioxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiegel, Aaron A.; Cole, Amanda S.; Hoag, Katherine J.; Atlas, Elliot L.; Schauffler, Sue M.; Boering, Kristie A.

    2013-10-01

    We report observations of stratospheric CO2 that reveal surprisingly large anomalous enrichments in 17O that vary systematically with latitude, altitude, and season. The triple isotope slopes reached 1.95 ± 0.05(1σ) in the middle stratosphere and 2.22 ± 0.07 in the Arctic vortex versus 1.71 ± 0.03 from previous observations and a remarkable factor of 4 larger than the mass-dependent value of 0.52. Kinetics modeling of laboratory measurements of photochemical ozone-CO2 isotope exchange demonstrates that non-mass-dependent isotope effects in ozone formation alone quantitatively account for the 17O anomaly in CO2 in the laboratory, resolving long-standing discrepancies between models and laboratory measurements. Model sensitivities to hypothetical mass-dependent isotope effects in reactions involving O3, O(1D), or CO2 and to an empirically derived temperature dependence of the anomalous kinetic isotope effects in ozone formation then provide a conceptual framework for understanding the differences in the isotopic composition and the triple isotope slopes between the laboratory and the stratosphere and between different regions of the stratosphere. This understanding in turn provides a firmer foundation for the diverse biogeochemical and paleoclimate applications of 17O anomalies in tropospheric CO2, O2, mineral sulfates, and fossil bones and teeth, which all derive from stratospheric CO2.

  7. Integrated basic treatment of activated carbon for enhanced CO{sub 2} selectivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adelodun, Adedeji Adebukola; Jo, Young-Min, E-mail: ymjo@khu.ac.kr

    2013-12-01

    We attempted the use of three chemical agents viz nitric acid (HN), calcium nitrate (CaN) and calcium ethanoate (CaEt) to achieve enhanced CO{sub 2} selective adsorption by activated carbon (AC). In dry phase treatment, microporous coconut shell-based carbon (CS) exhibits higher CO{sub 2} capacity than coal-based. However, upon wet-phase pre-treatment, modified CS samples showed lesser CO{sub 2} adsorption efficiency. Surface characterization with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of calcium and amine species on the samples with integrated treatment (A-CaN). These samples recorded the highest low-level CO{sub 2} capture despite calcinated CaEt-doped samples (C-CaEt) showing the highest value for pure and high level CO{sub 2} adsorption capacities. The slope and linearity values of isobaric desorption were used to estimate the proportion of CO{sub 2} chemisorbed and heterogeneity of the adsorbents’ surfaces respectively. Consequently, integrated basic impregnation provides the most efficient adsorbents for selective adsorption of both indoor and outdoor CO{sub 2} levels.

  8. Use of isotope techniques in lake dynamics investigations. Proceedings of a final research co-ordination meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-03-01

    The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on the Use of Isotope Techniques in Lake Dynamics Investigations was launched with the aim of assessing the potential of environmental isotope techniques in studying the dynamics of surface water bodies and related problems such as: dynamics of solutes; sediment focusing; establishment of water balance components; vulnerability to pollution. The CRP enabled a number of isotope and geochemical studies to be carried out on small and large water bodies, with the general aim of understanding of the dynamics of these systems under the growing anthropogenic influence. This publication is a compilation of the papers presented at the final Research Co-ordination Meeting (RCM) held in Rehovot, Israel, from 10 to 13 March 1997. Individual contributions have been indexed separately

  9. Diode laser absorption spectrometry for (CO2)-C-13/(CO2)-C-12 isotope ratio analysis : Investigation on precision and accuracy levels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Castrillo, A; Casa, G; Kerstel, E; Gianfrani, L

    2005-01-01

    Near-infrared laser spectroscopy is used to measure the C-13/C-12 isotope abundance ratio in gas phase carbon dioxide. The spectrometer, developed expressly for field applications, is based on a 2 mu m distributed feedback diode laser in combination with sensitive wavelength modulation detection. It

  10. Radiocarbon method in environmental monitoring of CO{sub 2} emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rakowski, Andrzej Z., E-mail: arakowski@leibniz.uni-kiel.de [Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Max Eyth Str. 11-13, 24118 Kiel (Germany); Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Boleslawa Krzywoustego 2, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland); Nadeau, Marie-Josee [Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research, University of Kiel, Max Eyth Str. 11-13, 24118 Kiel (Germany); Nakamura, Toshio [Center for Chronological Research, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, 64-8602 Nagoya (Japan); Pazdur, Anna; Pawelczyk, Slawomira; Piotrowska, Natalia [Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Boleslawa Krzywoustego 2, 44-100 Gliwice (Poland)

    2013-01-15

    New results of carbon isotopic composition from tree rings have been analyzed. {Delta}{sup 14}C and {delta}{sup 13}C data, representing the isotopic composition of carbon in 'clean air', were obtained from annual rings of a pine tree (Pinus sylvestris) taken in the Niepolomice area, 25 km east Krakow, Poland. All samples were processed to extract {alpha}-cellulose, and the radiocarbon concentration in each annual ring was measured using AMS at University of Nagoya. Stable isotopic composition of carbon was determined using isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The dataset covers the growth period between 1960 and 2003. The average difference between radiocarbon concentrations in Niepolomice and the North Hemisphere zone 1 (NH zone 1) for the period between 1960 and 1999 is 3.5 {+-} 1.6 Per-Mille-Sign . These data are compared with previously presented results from the city of Krakow, where a local decrease in {sup 14}C concentration was observed due to local CO{sub 2} emission from fossil fuel use. The differences in observed {sup 14}C concentrations were used to estimate a magnitude of the local Suess effect in Krakow. Based on mass balance equations for CO{sub 2}{sup 14}C concentrations, it was possible to calculate the CO{sub 2} concentration associated with fossil fuel emission (C{sub foss}) into the atmosphere. The highest values of C{sub foss} were recorded in the years 1986 (11.9 {+-} 1.4 ppm V) and 1983 (8.1 {+-} 1.3 ppm V), while the lowest value of 0.6 {+-} 1.8 ppm V was recorded in 2001.

  11. [Differences and sources of CO2 concentration, carbon and oxygen stable isotope composition between inside and outside of a green space system and influencing factors in an urban area].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Shou-jia; Meng, Ping; Zhang, Jin-song; Shu, Jian-hua; Zheng, Ning

    2015-10-01

    The off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy technique was used to measure air CO2 concentration, stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18C) isotope ratios on the Fourth Ring Road (FRR) and in the green space system of Beijing Institute of Landscape Architecture (BILA) in summer and winter seasons. The variations of CO2 concentration, δ13C value, δ18C value and the differences of them between the FRR and the BILA, which were correlated with traffic volume and meteorological factors, were analyzed at half-hour timescale. The results showed that traffic volume on the FRR was large both in summer and winter with obvious morning and evening rush hours, and more than 150 thousands vehicles were observed everyday during the observation periods. Diurnal variation of the CO2 concentration showed a two-peak curve both on the FRR and in the green space system of the BILA. In contrast, diurnal variation of δ13C value was a two-trough curve while diurnal variation of δ18O value was a single-trough curve. The differences of CO2 concentration, δ13C value and δ18O value between the FRR and the green space system of BILA in summer were greater than those in winter. The carbon isotope partitioning results showed that in summer vehicle exhaust contributed 64.9% to total atmospheric CO2 of the FRR during measurement time, while heterotrophic respiration contributed 56.3% to total atmospheric CO2 of the green space system in BILA. However, in winter atmospheric CO2 from both the FRR and green space system mostly came from vehicle exhaust. Stepwise regression analysis indicated that differences of CO2 concentration between the FRR and green space system were significantly related to vehicle volume and solar radiation at half-hour timescale, while solar radiation and relative humidity were the main meteorological factors causing δ13 and δ18O differences between the FRR and green space system. Plants in the green space system strongly assimilated CO2 from fossil fuel burning

  12. Effect of elevated CO2 on degradation of azoxystrobin and soil microbial activity in rice soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manna, Suman; Singh, Neera; Singh, V P

    2013-04-01

    An experiment was conducted in open-top chambers (OTC) to study the effect of elevated CO2 (580 ± 20 μmol mol(-1)) on azoxystrobin degradation and soil microbial activities. Results indicated that elevated CO2 did not have any significant effect on the persistence of azoxystrobin in rice-planted soil. The half-life values for the azoxystrobin in rice soils were 20.3 days in control (rice grown at ambient CO2 outdoors), 19.3 days in rice grown under ambient CO2 atmosphere in OTC, and 17.5 days in rice grown under elevated CO2 atmosphere in OTC. Azoxystrobin acid was recovered as the only metabolite of azoxystrobin, but it did not accumulate in the soil/water and was further metabolized. Elevated CO2 enhanced soil microbial biomass (MBC) and alkaline phosphatase activity of soil. Compared with rice grown at ambient CO2 (both outdoors and in OTC), the soil MBC at elevated CO2 increased by twofold. Elevated CO2 did not affect dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate, and acid phosphatase activity. Azoxystrobin application to soils, both ambient and elevated CO2, inhibited alkaline phosphates activity, while no effect was observed on other enzymes. Slight increase (1.8-2 °C) in temperature inside OTC did not affect microbial parameters, as similar activities were recorded in rice grown outdoors and in OTC at ambient CO2. Higher MBC in soil at elevated CO2 could be attributed to increased carbon availability in the rhizosphere via plant metabolism and root secretion; however, it did not significantly increase azoxystrobin degradation, suggesting that pesticide degradation was not the result of soil MBC alone. Study suggested that increased CO2 levels following global warming might not adversely affect azoxystrobin degradation. However, global warming is a continuous and cumulative process, therefore, long-term studies are necessary to get more realistic assessment of global warming on fate of pesticide.

  13. PREPARATION AND CATALYTIC ACTIVITY FOR ISOPROPYL BENZENE CRACKING OF Co, Mo AND Co/Mo-Al2O3-PILLARED MONTMORILLONITE CATALYSTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasanudin Hasanudin

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available It has been prepared Co, Mo and Co/Mo-Al2O3-pillared montmorillonite catalysts using montmorillonite clay  as raw material. The structure and porosity of the catalysts were determined using N2 adsorption-desorption and FT-IR spectroscopy analysis methods. Isopropyl benzene cracking using these catalysts were used to test the catalytic activity and performance of Co, Mo and Co/Mo-Al2O3-pillared montmorillonites.  Characterization results showed that pillarization resulted in the increase of the total pore volume and specific surface area of the clay. Meanwhile, transition metals (Co, Mo and Co/Mo loaded on Al2O3-pillared monmorillonites could increase the catalytic activity of the catalysts for isopropyl benzene cracking significantly.   Keywords: pillared monmorillonite, isopropyl benzene  and cracking catalyst

  14. Gluconeogenesis from labeled carbon: estimating isotope dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelleher, J.K.

    1986-01-01

    To estimate the rate of gluconeogenesis from steady-state incorporation of labeled 3-carbon precursors into glucose, isotope dilution must be considered so that the rate of labeling of glucose can be quantitatively converted to the rate of gluconeogenesis. An expression for the value of this isotope dilution can be derived using mathematical techniques and a model of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. The present investigation employs a more complex model than that used in previous studies. This model includes the following pathways that may affect the correction for isotope dilution: 1) flux of 3-carbon precursor to the oxaloacetate pool via acetyl-CoA and the TCA cycle; 2) flux of 4- or 5-carbon compounds into the TCA cycle; 3) reversible flux between oxaloacetate (OAA) and pyruvate and between OAA and fumarate; 4) incomplete equilibrium between OAA pools; and 5) isotope dilution of 3-carbon tracers between the experimentally measured pool and the precursor for the TCA-cycle OAA pool. Experimental tests are outlined which investigators can use to determine whether these pathways are significant in a specific steady-state system. The study indicated that flux through these five pathways can significantly affect the correction for isotope dilution. To correct for the effects of these pathways an alternative method for calculating isotope dilution is proposed using citrate to relate the specific activities of acetyl-CoA and OAA

  15. Thermodynamics of calcium-isotope-exchange reactions. 1. Exchange between isotopic calcium carbonates and aqueous calcium ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, R.S.; Nash, C.P.; Rock, P.A.

    1988-01-01

    This paper reports the authors results for the direct experimental determination of the equilibrium constant for the calcium-isotope-exchange reaction 40 CaCO 3 (s) + 44 CaCl 2 (aq) reversible 44 CaCO 2 (s) + 40 CaCl 2 (aq). The reaction was studied in electrochemical double cells without liquid junction of the type shown in eq 2. The experimental value of the equilibrium constant at 295 +/- 2 K is K = 1.08 +/- 0.02. The experimental value for K is compared with the values of K calculated for various model reactions according to the statistical thermodynamic theory of isotope effects. The isotopic solid carbonates were modeled according to both the Debye and Kieffer theories. No structured models of solvated isotopic aqueous calcium ions yield calculated equilibrium constants in agreement with their experimental results. This conclusion is in agreement with published molecular dynamics calculations which show that the aqueous solvation of Ca 2 =(aq) is essentially unstructured

  16. Drought Sensitivity of the Carbon Isotope Composition of Leaf Dark-Respired CO2 in C3 (Leymus chinensis) and C4 (Chloris virgata and Hemarthria altissima) Grasses in Northeast China

    OpenAIRE

    Zhong, Shangzhi; Chai, Hua; Xu, Yueqiao; Li, Yan; Ma, Jian-Ying; Sun, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Whether photosynthetic pathway differences exist in the amplitude of nighttime variations in the carbon isotope composition of leaf dark-respired CO2 (δ13Cl) and respiratory apparent isotope fractionation relative to biomass (ΔR,biomass) in response to drought stress is unclear. These differences, if present, would be important for the partitioning of C3-C4 mixed ecosystem C fluxes. We measured δ13Cl, the δ13C of biomass and of potential respiratory substrates and leaf gas exchange in one C3 ...

  17. Enhanced photosynthetic efficiency in trees world-wide by rising atmospheric CO2 levels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehlers, Ina; Wieloch, Thomas; Groenendijk, Peter; Vlam, Mart; van der Sleen, Peter; Zuidema, Pieter A.; Robertson, Iain; Schleucher, Jürgen

    2014-05-01

    The atmospheric CO2 concentration is increasing rapidly due to anthropogenic emissions but the effect on the Earth's biosphere is poorly understood. The ability of the biosphere to fix CO2 through photosynthesis will determine future atmospheric CO2 concentrations as well as future productivity of crops and forests. Manipulative CO2 enrichment experiments (e.g. FACE) are limited to (i) short time spans, (ii) few locations and (iii) large step increases in [CO2]. Here, we apply new stable isotope methodology to tree-ring archives, to study the effect of increasing CO2 concentrations retrospectively during the past centuries. We cover the whole [CO2] increase since industrialization, and sample trees with global distribution. Instead of isotope ratios of whole molecules, we use intramolecular isotope distributions, a new tool for tree-ring analysis with decisive advantages. In experiments on annual plants, we have found that the intramolecular distribution of deuterium (equivalent to ratios of isotopomer abundances) in photosynthetic glucose depends on growth [CO2] and reflects the metabolic flux ratio of photosynthesis to photorespiration. By applying this isotopomer methodology to trees from Oak Ridge FACE experiment, we show that this CO2 response is present in trees on the leaf level. This CO2 dependence constitutes a physiological signal, which is transferred to the wood of the tree rings. In trees from 13 locations on all continents the isotopomer ratio of tree-ring cellulose is correlated to atmospheric [CO2] during the past 200 years. The shift of the isotopomer ratio is universal for all 12 species analyzed, including both broad-leafed trees and conifers. Because the trees originate from sites with widely differing D/H ratios of precipitation, the generality of the response demonstrates that the signal is independent of the source isotope ratio, because it is encoded in an isotopomer abundance ratio. This decoupling of climate signals and physiological

  18. Utilization of stable isotopes for characterizing an underground gas generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pirard, J.P.; Antenucci, D.; Renard, X.; Letolle, R.

    1994-01-01

    The principles of isotopic exchange and isotope ratio result interpretation are first reviewed; then, in the framework of an underground coal gasification project in Belgium, experiments and modelling of the underground gas generator have been carried out: isotopic abundances of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen have been measured in the gasifying agent (O 2 , H 2 O) and in the effluent (CO 2 , CO, H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , O 2 , heavy oils and various organic and mineral substances). Gasification kinetics and temperatures have been evaluated and isotope application to thermometry is discussed. 1 fig., 9 refs

  19. How much CO2 is trapped in carbonate minerals of a natural CO2 occurrence?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Király, Csilla; Szabó, Zsuzsanna; Szamosfalvi, Ágnes; Cseresznyés, Dóra; Király, Edit; Szabó, Csaba; Falus, György

    2017-04-01

    Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a transitional technology to decrease CO2 emissions from human fossil fuel usage and, therefore, to mitigate climate change. The most important criteria of a CO2 geological storage reservoir is that it must hold the injected CO2 for geological time scales without its significant seepage. The injected CO2 undergoes physical and chemical reactions in the reservoir rocks such as structural-stratigraphic, residual, dissolution or mineral trapping mechanisms. Among these, the safest is the mineral trapping, when carbonate minerals such as calcite, ankerite, siderite, dolomite and dawsonite build the CO2 into their crystal structures. The study of natural CO2 occurrences may help to understand the processes in CO2 reservoirs on geological time scales. This is the reason why the selected, the Mihályi-Répcelak natural CO2 occurrence as our research area, which is able to provide particular and highly significant information for the future of CO2 storage. The area is one of the best known CO2 fields in Central Europe. The main aim of this study is to estimate the amount of CO2 trapped in the mineral phase at Mihályi-Répcelak CO2 reservoirs. For gaining the suitable data, we apply petrographic, major and trace element (microprobe and LA-ICP-MS) and stable isotope analysis (mass spectrometry) and thermodynamic and kinetic geochemical models coded in PHREEQC. Rock and pore water compositions of the same formation, representing the pre-CO2 flooding stages of the Mihályi-Répcelak natural CO2 reservoirs are used in the models. Kinetic rate parameters are derived from the USGS report of Palandri and Kharaka (2004). The results of petrographic analysis show that a significant amount of dawsonite (NaAlCO3(OH)2, max. 16 m/m%) precipitated in the rock due to its reactions with CO2 which flooded the reservoir. This carbonate mineral alone traps about 10-30 kg/m3 of the reservoir rock from the CO2 at Mihályi-Répcelak area, which is an

  20. Effect of elevated CO2 on chlorpyriphos degradation and soil microbial activities in tropical rice soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adak, Totan; Munda, Sushmita; Kumar, Upendra; Berliner, J; Pokhare, Somnath S; Jambhulkar, N N; Jena, M

    2016-02-01

    Impact of elevated CO2 on chlorpyriphos degradation, microbial biomass carbon, and enzymatic activities in rice soil was investigated. Rice (variety Naveen, Indica type) was grown under four conditions, namely, chambered control, elevated CO2 (550 ppm), elevated CO2 (700 ppm) in open-top chambers and open field. Chlorpyriphos was sprayed at 500 g a.i. ha(-1) at maximum tillering stage. Chlorpyriphos degraded rapidly from rice soils, and 88.4% of initially applied chlorpyriphos was lost from the rice soil maintained under elevated CO2 (700 ppm) by day 5 of spray, whereas the loss was 80.7% from open field rice soil. Half-life values of chlorpyriphos under different conditions ranged from 2.4 to 1.7 days with minimum half-life recorded with two elevated CO2 treatments. Increased CO2 concentration led to increase in temperature (1.2 to 1.8 °C) that played a critical role in chlorpyriphos persistence. Microbial biomass carbon and soil enzymatic activities specifically, dehydrogenase, fluorescien diacetate hydrolase, urease, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase responded positively to elevated CO2 concentrations. Generally, the enzyme activities were highly correlated with each other. Irrespective of the level of CO2, short-term negative influence of chlorpyriphos was observed on soil enzymes till day 7 of spray. Knowledge obtained from this study highlights that the elevated CO2 may negatively influence persistence of pesticide but will have positive effects on soil enzyme activities.

  1. Isotopic geothermometers in geothermal areas. A comparative experimental study in Larderella, Italy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nuti, S.; Panichi, C.

    1979-06-01

    The stable isotope composition of some geothermal fluid components has been determined in view of evaluating the temperature at depth in Italian geothermal fields (Larderello, Mt. Amiata, Travale). The isotopic systems used are: 13 C(CO 2 -CH 4 ), 18 O(CO 2 -H 2 O), D(H 2 -CH 4 ) and D(H 2 O-H 2 ), for which the isotopic equilibrium variation with temperature are known either experimentally or theoretically. The 18 O(CO 2 -H 2 O) geothermometer gives temperatures similar to those observed at the well-head, and provides therefore useful information on the physical state of water (steam or evaporating liquid water) at the well bottom. On the contrary, all other geothermometers produce too high temperatures which can be explained by incomplete equilibration or lack of equilibrium between components and, perhaps in some cases, by the insufficient knowledge of the fractionation factors. The comparison between the different isotopic geothermometers, along with some chemical and physico-chemical evidence, suggests that the reaction already proposed, i.e. CO 2 +4H 2 =CH 4 +2H 2 O, is unable to explain the isotopic composition observed. On the contrary, the water dissociation reaction (H 2 O=H 2 +1/2O 2 ) and the synthesis reaction of methane (C+2H 2 =CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (C+O 2 =CO 2 ) seem able to provide an appropriate explanation of the isotopic behaviour of the geothermal field fluid components

  2. Catalytic performance of activated carbon supported cobalt catalyst for CO2 reforming of CH4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Guojie; Su, Aiting; Du, Yannian; Qu, Jiangwen; Xu, Ying

    2014-11-01

    Syngas production by CO2 reforming of CH4 in a fixed bed reactor was investigated over a series of activated carbon (AC) supported Co catalysts as a function of Co loading (between 15 and 30wt.%) and calcination temperature (Tc=300, 400 or 500°C). The catalytic performance was assessed through CH4 and CO2 conversions and long-term stability. XRD and SEM were used to characterize the catalysts. It was found that the stability of Co/AC catalysts was strongly dependent on the Co loading and calcination temperature. For the loadings (25wt.% for Tc=300°C), stable activities have been achieved. The loading of excess Co (>wt.% 25) causes negative effects not only on the performance of the catalysts but also on the support surface properties. In addition, the experiment showed that ultrasound can enhance and promote dispersion of the active metal on the carrier, thus improving the catalytic performance of the catalyst. The catalyst activity can be long-term stably maintained, and no obvious deactivation has been observed in the first 2700min. After analyzing the characteristics, a reaction mechanism for CO2 reforming of CH4 over Co/AC catalyst was proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Evaluation of isotopic dilution method for measuring N2 fixation in azolla: comparison with other methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sah, R.N.; Goyal, S.S.; Rains, D.W.; Paige, D.F.

    1989-01-01

    An isotopic dilution method that overcomes the drawbacks of commonly used methods for measuring N 2 fixation by aquatic N‐fixers such as Azolla pinnata‐Anabaena azollae association (Azolla) is presented. The method was compared with 15 N2 gas (while maintaining CO 2 ) and the difference methods of measuring N 2 fixation. The isotopic dilution method was used for two conditions: a. For 15 N‐free growth medium, Azolla was pre‐enriched with 15 N, and N 2 fixation was determined by measuring the dilution of 15 N in the tissue. b. For the growth medium containing N, N2 fixation was determined by providing 15 N enriched ammonium sulfate in the growth medium and measuring 15 N to 14 N ratio in the tissue. An airtight chamber, necessary for 15 N 2 gas and acetylene reduction methods, was not representative of the growing environment of Azolla. Temperature in the airtight chamber was far from uniform and CO 2 was rapidly depleted. The isotopic dilution method is simpler, relatively inexpensive, subject to fewer errors and applicable to more diverse conditions, and yet was as accurate as 15 N2‐gas method. (author)

  4. Inter annual variability of the global carbon cycle (1992-2005) inferred by inversion of atmospheric CO2 and δ13CO2 measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rayner, P.J.; Pickett-Heaps, C.; Law, R.M.; Allison, C.E.; Francey, R.J.; Trudinger, C.M.

    2008-01-01

    We present estimates of the surface sources and sinks of CO 2 for 1992 - 2005 deduced from atmospheric inversions. We use atmospheric CO 2 records from 67 sites and 10 δ 13 CO 2 records. We use two atmospheric models to increase the robustness of the results. The results suggest that inter annual variability is dominated by the tropical land. Statistically significant variability in the tropical Pacific supports recent ocean modeling studies in that region. The northern land also shows significant variability. In particular, there is a large positive anomaly in 2003 in north Asia, which we associate with anomalous biomass burning. Results using δ 13 CO 2 and CO 2 are statistically consistent with those using only CO 2 , suggesting that it is valid to use both types of data together. An objective analysis of residuals suggests that our treatment of uncertainties in CO 2 is conservative, while those for δ 13 CO 2 are optimistic, highlighting problems in our simple isotope model. Finally, δ 13 CO 2 measurements offer a good constraint to nearby land regions, suggesting an ongoing value in these measurements for studies of inter annual variability. (authors)

  5. Porous carbon derived via KOH activation of a hypercrosslinked porous organic polymer for efficient CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, H{sub 2} adsorptions and high CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} selectivity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Modak, Arindam; Bhaumik, Asim, E-mail: msab@iacs.res.in

    2015-12-15

    Microporous carbon having Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} and micropore volume of 0.85 cm{sup 3} g{sup −1} has been synthesized via KOH induced high temperature carbonization of a non-conjugated hypercrosslinked organic polymer. Owing to the templating and activation by KOH, we have succeeded in making a microporous carbon from this porous polymer and the resultant carbon material showed high uptake for CO{sub 2} (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}) and CH{sub 4} (2.4 mmol g{sup −1}) at 1 atm, 273 K together with very good selectivity for the CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} (30.2) separation. Furthermore, low pressure (1 atm) H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%, 77 K) and water uptake (57.4 wt%, 298 K) ability of this polymer derived porous activated carbon is noteworthy. - Graphical abstract: Microporous carbon with BET surface area of 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} has been synthesized via KOH activation of a porous organic polymer and it showed high uptake for CO{sub 2} (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}), CH{sub 4} (2.4 mmol g{sup −1}) and H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%) at 1 atm together with very good selectivity for CO{sub 2}. - Highlights: • Porous carbon from hypercrosslinked organic polymer. • KOH activated carbon with BET surface area 2186 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}. • High CO2 uptake (7.6 mmol g{sup −1}) and CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} selectivity (30.2). • Porous carbon also showed high H{sub 2} (2.6 wt%) and H{sub 2}O (57.4 wt%) uptakes.

  6. Exceptionally High Efficient Co-Co2P@N, P-Codoped Carbon Hybrid Catalyst for Visible Light-Driven CO2-to-CO Conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Wen Gan

    2018-05-02

    Artificial photosynthesis has attracted wide attention, particularly the development of efficient solar light-driven methods to reduce CO2 to form energy-rich carbon-based products. Because CO2 reduction is an uphill process with a large energy barrier, suitable catalysts are necessary to achieve this transformation. In addition, CO2 adsorption on a catalyst and proton transfer to CO2 are two important factors for the conversion reaction,and catalysts with high surface area and more active sites are required to improve the efficiency of CO2 reduction. Here, we report a visible light-driven system for CO2-to-CO conversion that consists of a heterogeneous hybrid catalyst of Co and Co2P nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanolayers codoped with N and P (Co-Co2P@NPC) and a homogeneous Ru(II)-based complex photosensitizer. The average generation rate of CO of the system was up to 35,000 μmol h-1 g-1 with selectivity of 79.1% in 3 h. Linear CO production at an exceptionally high rate of 63,000 μmol h-1 g-1 was observed in the first hour of reaction. Inspired by this highly active catalyst, we also synthesized Co@NC and Co2P@NPC materials and explored their structure, morphology, and catalytic properties for CO2 photoreduction. The results showed that the nanoparticle size, partially adsorbed H2O molecules on the catalyst surface, and the hybrid nature of the systems influenced their photocatalytic CO2 reduction performance. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Uranium isotope evidence for two episodes of deoxygenation during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clarkson, Matthew O.; Stirling, Claudine H.; Jenkyns, Hugh C.; Dickson, Alexander J.; Porcelli, Don; Moy, Christopher M.; Pogge von Strandmann, Philip A. E.; Cooke, Ilsa R.; Lenton, Timothy M.

    2018-03-01

    Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2), occurring ˜94 million years ago, was one of the most extreme carbon cycle and climatic perturbations of the Phanerozoic Eon. It was typified by a rapid rise in atmospheric CO2, global warming, and marine anoxia, leading to the widespread devastation of marine ecosystems. However, the precise timing and extent to which oceanic anoxic conditions expanded during OAE 2 remains unresolved. We present a record of global ocean redox changes during OAE 2 using a combined geochemical and carbon cycle modeling approach. We utilize a continuous, high-resolution record of uranium isotopes in pelagic and platform carbonate sediments to quantify the global extent of seafloor anoxia during OAE 2. This dataset is then compared with a dynamic model of the coupled global carbon, phosphorus, and uranium cycles to test hypotheses for OAE 2 initiation. This unique approach highlights an intra-OAE complexity that has previously been underconstrained, characterized by two expansions of anoxia separated by an episode of globally significant reoxygenation coincident with the “Plenus Cold Event.” Each anoxic expansion event was likely driven by rapid atmospheric CO2 injections from multiphase Large Igneous Province activity.

  8. Isotope fractionation during the anaerobic consumption of acetate by methanogenic and sulfate-reducing microorganisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gövert, D.; Conrad, R.

    2009-04-01

    During the anaerobic degradation of organic matter in anoxic sediments and soils acetate is the most important substrate for the final step in production of CO2 and/or CH4. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methane-producing archaea both compete for the available acetate. Knowledge about the fractionation of 13C/12C of acetate carbon by these microbial groups is still limited. Therefore, we determined carbon isotope fractionation in different cultures of acetate-utilizing SRB (Desulfobacter postgatei, D. hydrogenophilus, Desulfobacca acetoxidans) and methanogens (Methanosarcina barkeri, M. acetivorans). Including literature values (e.g., Methanosaeta concilii), isotopic enrichment factors (epsilon) ranged between -35 and +2 permil, possibly involving equilibrium isotope effects besides kinetic isotope effects. The values of epsilon were dependent on the acetate-catabolic pathway of the particular microorganism, the methyl or carboxyl position of acetate, and the relative availability or limitation of the substrate acetate. Patterns of isotope fractionation in anoxic lake sediments and rice field soil seem to reflect the characteristics of the microorganisms actively involved in acetate catabolism. Hence, it might be possible using environmental isotopic information to determine the type of microbial metabolism converting acetate to CO2 and/or CH4.

  9. Preparation of activated carbon from fly ash and its application for CO{sub 2} capture

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alhamed, Yahia Abobakor; Rather, Sami Ullah; El-Shazly, Ahmad Hasan; Zaman, Sharif Fakhruz; Daous, Mohammad Abdulrhaman; Al-Zahrani, Abdulrahim Ahmad [King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

    2015-04-15

    Power and desalination plants are one of the main anthropogenic sources for CO{sub 2} generation, which is one of the key elements to cause greenhouse gas effect and thus contribute to the global warming. Fly ash (FA) generated in desalination and power plants was converted into activated carbon (AC) treated with KOH at higher temperature and tested for CO{sub 2} capturing efficiency. Morphological characteristics of FA such as BET specific surface area (SSA), pore volume, pore diameter, and pore size distribution (PSD) were performed using N{sub 2} adsorption isotherm. CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and adsorption isotherms of CO{sub 2} over AC were measured by performing thermogravimetric analysis at different temperatures. BET SSA of 161m{sup 2}g{sup -1} and adsorption capacity of 26mg CO{sub 2}/g AC can be obtained by activation at KOH/FA ratio of 5 at 700 .deg. C and activation time of 2 h. Therefore, great potential exists for producing AC from FA, which will have the positive effect of reducing the landfill problem and global warming.

  10. A Novel Airborne Carbon Isotope Analyzer for Methane and Carbon Dioxide Source Fingerprinting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, E. S.; Huang, Y. W.; Owano, T. G.; Leifer, I.

    2014-12-01

    Recent field studies on major sources of the important greenhouse gas methane (CH4) indicate significant underestimation of methane release from fossil fuel industrial (FFI) and animal husbandry sources, among others. In addition, uncertainties still exist with respect to carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements, especially source fingerprinting. CO2 isotopic analysis provides a valuable in situ measurement approach to fingerprint CH4 and CO2as associated with combustion sources, leakage from geologic reservoirs, or biogenic sources. As a result, these measurements can characterize strong combustion source plumes, such as power plant emissions, and discriminate these emissions from other sources. As part of the COMEX (CO2 and MEthane eXperiment) campaign, a novel CO2 isotopic analyzer was installed and collected data aboard the CIRPAS Twin Otter aircraft. Developing methods to derive CH4 and CO2 budgets from remote sensing data is the goal of the summer 2014 COMEX campaign, which combines hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and non-imaging spectroscopy (NIS) with in situ airborne and surface data. COMEX leverages the synergy between high spatial resolution HSI and moderate spatial resolution NIS. The carbon dioxide isotope analyzer developed by Los Gatos Research (LGR) uses LGR's patented Off-Axis ICOS (Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy) technology and incorporates proprietary internal thermal control for high sensitivity and optimal instrument stability. This analyzer measures CO2 concentration as well as δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O from CO2 at natural abundance (100-3000 ppm). The laboratory accuracy is ±1.2 ppm (1σ) in CO2 from 370-1000 ppm, with a long-term (1000 s) precision of ±0.012 ppm. The long-term precision for both δ13C and δ18O is 0.04 ‰, and for δ17O is 0.06 ‰. The analyzer was field-tested as part of the COWGAS campaign, a pre-cursor campaign to COMEX in March 2014, where it successfully discriminated plumes related to combustion processes associated with

  11. P contribution derived from phosphate solubilizing microorganism activity, rock phosphate and SP-36 determination by isotope "3"2P technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anggi Nico Flatian; Iswandi Anas; Atang Sutandi; Ishak

    2016-01-01

    The "3"2P isotope technique has been used to trace P nutrients in the soil and soil-plant systems. The use of the isotope "3"2P has made it possible to differentiate the P contribution derived from phosphate solubilizing microorganism activity and the fertilizer P in the soil. The aims of the study were to obtain the quantitative data of P contribution derived from phosphate-solubilizing microorganism activity (Aspergillus niger and Burkholderia cepacia), rock phosphate and SP-36 through P uptake by the plants using isotope "3"2P technique and also to study the effects on growth and production of corn plants. The results were showed that phosphate-solubilizing microorganism, rock phosphate and SP-36 was produced specific activity ("3"2P) lower than control. The results were indicated that all treatments could contribute P for the plants. The lower specific activity was caused by supply P from rock phosphate and SP-36, and also was caused by solubilized of unavailable "3"1P from PSM activity, which decreased specific activity on labeled soil. The combination of phosphate-solubilizing microorganism and SP-36 treatments produced the highest P contribution, significantly higher than control and SP-36 only. Phosphate derived from combination of microorganism and SP-36 treatments ranging from 56.06% - 68.54% after 50 days planting, after 35 days planting, 51.96% - 59.65% on stover, 46.33% - 47.70% on grain and 53.02% - 59.87% on corn cob. In addition, the treatments could significantly support the plant growth and yield. It is expressed by increased number of leave at 35 days after planting, dry weight of leave at 35 days after planting and dry weight of grain. (author)

  12. Effects of hydration and oxygen vacancy on CO2 adsorption and activation on beta-Ga2O3(100).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yun-xiang; Liu, Chang-jun; Mei, Donghai; Ge, Qingfeng

    2010-04-20

    The effects of hydration and oxygen vacancy on CO(2) adsorption on the beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface have been studied using density functional theory slab calculations. Adsorbed CO(2) is activated on the dry perfect beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface, resulting in a carbonate species. This adsorption is slightly endothermic, with an adsorption energy of 0.07 eV. Water is preferably adsorbed molecularly on the dry perfect beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface with an adsorption energy of -0.56 eV, producing a hydrated perfect beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface. Adsorption of CO(2) on the hydrated surface as a carbonate species is also endothermic, with an adsorption energy of 0.14 eV, indicating a slightly repulsive interaction when H(2)O and CO(2) are coadsorbed. The carbonate species on the hydrated perfect surface can be protonated by the coadsorbed H(2)O to a bicarbonate species, making the CO(2) adsorption exothermic, with an adsorption energy of -0.13 eV. The effect of defects on CO(2) adsorption and activation has been examined by creating an oxygen vacancy on the dry beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface. The formation of an oxygen vacancy is endothermic, by 0.34 eV, with respect to a free O(2) molecule in the gas phase. Presence of the oxygen vacancy promoted the adsorption and activation of CO(2). In the most stable CO(2) adsorption configuration on the dry defective beta-Ga(2)O(3)(100) surface with an oxygen vacancy, one of the oxygen atoms of the adsorbed CO(2) occupies the oxygen vacancy site, and the CO(2) adsorption energy is -0.31 eV. Water favors dissociative adsorption at the oxygen vacancy site on the defective surface. This process is spontaneous, with a reaction energy of -0.62 eV. These results indicate that, when water and CO(2) are present in the adsorption system simultaneously, water will compete with CO(2) for the oxygen vacancy sites and impact CO(2) adsorption and conversion negatively.

  13. Isotope ratios and chemical fractionation of CO in Lynds 134

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickman, R.L.; Langer, W.D.

    1977-01-01

    Mahoney, McCutcheon and Shuter (1976) reported observations of the J = 1 → 0 transition of three isotopes of CO in the dust cloud Lynds 134 using the 4.6 m telescope at Aerospace Corporation. In this paper a new observation of 12 C 17 O is discussed and the question of the ratio 13 C 16 O/ 12 C 18 O across the dust cloud is considered further. (Auth.)

  14. Coccolith calcite time capsules preserve a molecule-specific record of pCO2

    Science.gov (United States)

    McClelland, H. L. O.; Pearson, A.; Hermoso, M.; Wilkes, E.; Lee, R. B. Y.; Rickaby, R. E. M.

    2017-12-01

    Coccolithophores are single-celled phytoplankton that have contributed organic matter and calcite to marine sediments since the Late Triassic. The carbon isotopic compositions of both the calcite, and the organic matter, constitute valuable archives of information about the interaction between these organisms and the environments in which they lived. The isotopic composition of alkenone lipids, a recalcitrant component of coccolithophore organic carbon produced by a single family of coccolithophores, has been widely used to reconstruct pCO2 in the geological past. However, the robustness of this approach has remained controversial, due in part to the difficulties associated with reproducing pCO2 changes across periods of known pCO2 change, and uncertainties in relevant physiological variables such as growth rate and cell size. Meanwhile the calcite, produced in the form of plates called coccoliths, and which has had limited utility in paleoclimate reconstructions due to its large and variable departures from the isotopic composition of abiogenic calcite, has garnered increasing attention in recent years for the environmental and physiological information it contains. Here we show that polysaccharides preserved within the calcite crystal lattice of near monospecific fractions of fossil coccoliths constitute an ancient pristine source of organic carbon that unlike alkenones is unambiguously associated with the coccolith1. The isotopic composition of these polysaccharides, in tandem with that of the host coccolith calcite, and morphometrics from the same coccoliths2, can be used simultaneously constrain a recently published cellular carbon isotope flux model3, embedded in a more complex nutrient limitation model, in a powerful new approach to simultaneously predict cellular parameters and pCO2. We demonstrate the validity of this approach across a glacial / interglacial cycle. Lee, R. B. Y., et al,, Nat. Commun. 7, 13144 (2016). McClelland, H. L. O. et al. Sci. Rep. 6

  15. System to determine leaf photosynthetic activity by means of 14CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez Gonzalez, J.

    1977-01-01

    A method to determine leaf photosynthetic activity is described. 14 CO 2 labeled air is produced from 14 CO 3 Ba and stored in a poliethylene balloon and supplied by means of an automatic dispenser to a perspex chamber inside of which is the leaf. (author) [es

  16. Measurement and analysis of adsorption isotherms of CO_2 on activated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Vinod Kumar; Anil Kumar, E.

    2016-01-01

    In the present work CO_2 adsorption isotherms of a commercially available activated carbon, Norit Darco type obtained from lignite granular material, were measured. Adsorption isotherms were measured at different temperatures 298 K, 308 K, 318 K and 338 K and over a pressure range of 0–45 bar using Sievert's type experimental setup. Experimental data of CO_2 adsorption isotherms were modelled using Langmuir and Dubinin–Astakhov (D–A) isotherm models. Based on coefficient of correlation and normalized standard deviation it was found that D–A isotherm model was well suited with the experimental data of CO_2 adsorption isotherms. The important thermodynamic properties viz., limiting heat of adsorption at zero coverage, entropy, Gibbs free energy and isosteric heat of adsorption as a function of surface coverage were evaluated using van't Hoff and Clausius–Clapeyron equations. These thermodynamic properties were indicating that CO_2 uptake by activated carbon is a physisorption phenomenon. The adsorption isotherms data and the thermodynamic parameters estimated in the present study are useful for designing of an adsorption based gas storage systems.

  17. Space-Based CO2 Active Optical Remote Sensing using 2-μm Triple-Pulse IPDA Lidar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Upendra; Refaat, Tamer; Ismail, Syed; Petros, Mulugeta

    2017-04-01

    Sustained high-quality column CO2 measurements from space are required to improve estimates of regional and global scale sources and sinks to attribute them to specific biogeochemical processes for improving models of carbon-climate interactions and to reduce uncertainties in projecting future change. Several studies show that space-borne CO2 measurements offer many advantages particularly over high altitudes, tropics and southern oceans. Current satellite-based sensing provides rapid CO2 monitoring with global-scale coverage and high spatial resolution. However, these sensors are based on passive remote sensing, which involves limitations such as full seasonal and high latitude coverage, poor sensitivity to the lower atmosphere, retrieval complexities and radiation path length uncertainties. CO2 active optical remote sensing is an alternative technique that has the potential to overcome these limitations. The need for space-based CO2 active optical remote sensing using the Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) lidar has been advocated by the Advanced Space Carbon and Climate Observation of Planet Earth (A-Scope) and Active Sensing of CO2 Emission over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) studies in Europe and the USA. Space-based IPDA systems can provide sustained, high precision and low-bias column CO2 in presence of thin clouds and aerosols while covering critical regions such as high latitude ecosystems, tropical ecosystems, southern ocean, managed ecosystems, urban and industrial systems and coastal systems. At NASA Langley Research Center, technology developments are in progress to provide high pulse energy 2-μm IPDA that enables optimum, lower troposphere weighted column CO2 measurements from space. This system provides simultaneous ranging; information on aerosol and cloud distributions; measurements over region of broken clouds; and reduces influences of surface complexities. Through the continual support from NASA Earth Science Technology Office

  18. Dissolved organic carbon, CO2, and CH4 concentrations and their stable isotope ratios in thermokarst lakes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cuicui Mu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Thermokarst lakes are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP, which accounts for 8% of the global permafrost area. These lakes probably promote organic matter biodegradation and thus accelerate the emission of carbon-based greenhouse gases. However, little is known about greenhouse gas concentrations and their stable isotopes characteristics of these lakes. In this study, we measured the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, dissolved CO2 and CH4, as well as the distribution of δ13CCO2, δ13CCH4, and δ13COM (organic matter of lake sediments in thermokarst lakes on the QTP. Results showed that the OM of the lake sediments was highly decomposed. The concentrations of DOC, CO2 and CH4 in the lake water on the QTP were 1.2–49.6 mg L–1, 3.6–45.0 μmol L–1 and 0.28–3.0 μmol L–1, respectively. The highest CO2 and CH4 concentrations were recorded in July while the lowest values in September, which suggested that temperature had an effect on greenhouse gas production, although this pattern may also relate to thermal stratification of the water column. The results implied that thermokast lakes should be paid more attention to regarding carbon cycle and greenhouse gas emissions on the QTP.

  19. Partitioning net ecosystem carbon exchange into net assimilation and respiration using 13CO2 measurements: A cost-effective sampling strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    OgéE, J.; Peylin, P.; Ciais, P.; Bariac, T.; Brunet, Y.; Berbigier, P.; Roche, C.; Richard, P.; Bardoux, G.; Bonnefond, J.-M.

    2003-06-01

    The current emphasis on global climate studies has led the scientific community to set up a number of sites for measuring the long-term biosphere-atmosphere net CO2 exchange (net ecosystem exchange, NEE). Partitioning this flux into its elementary components, net assimilation (FA), and respiration (FR), remains necessary in order to get a better understanding of biosphere functioning and design better surface exchange models. Noting that FR and FA have different isotopic signatures, we evaluate the potential of isotopic 13CO2 measurements in the air (combined with CO2 flux and concentration measurements) to partition NEE into FR and FA on a routine basis. The study is conducted at a temperate coniferous forest where intensive isotopic measurements in air, soil, and biomass were performed in summer 1997. The multilayer soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer model MuSICA is adapted to compute 13CO2 flux and concentration profiles. Using MuSICA as a "perfect" simulator and taking advantage of the very dense spatiotemporal resolution of the isotopic data set (341 flasks over a 24-hour period) enable us to test each hypothesis and estimate the performance of the method. The partitioning works better in midafternoon when isotopic disequilibrium is strong. With only 15 flasks, i.e., two 13CO2 nighttime profiles (to estimate the isotopic signature of FR) and five daytime measurements (to perform the partitioning) we get mean daily estimates of FR and FA that agree with the model within 15-20%. However, knowledge of the mesophyll conductance seems crucial and may be a limitation to the method.

  20. Effect of heat treatment on CO2 adsorption of KOH-activated graphite nanofibers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Long-Yue; Park, Soo-Jin

    2010-12-15

    In this work, graphite nanofibers (GNFs) were successfully expanded intercalating KOH followed by heat treatment in the temperature range of 700-1000 °C. The aim was to improve the CO(2) adsorption capacity of the GNFs by increasing the porosity of GNFs. The effects of heat treatment on the pore structures of GNFs were investigated by N(2) full isotherms, XRD, SEM, and TEM. The CO(2) adsorption capacity was measured by CO(2) isothermal adsorption at 25 °C and 1 atm. From the results, it was found that the activation temperature had a major influence on CO(2) adsorption capacity and textural properties of GNFs. The specific surface area, total pore volume, and mesopore volume of the GNFs increased after heat treatment. The CO(2) adsorption isotherms showed that G-900 exhibited the best CO(2) adsorption capacity with 59.2 mg/g. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. High Pressure Adsorption Isotherm of CO2 on Activated Carbon using Volumetric Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Awaludin Martin

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Adsorption system is ones of the most effective methods for CO2 separating with other substances that produced from the burning of fossil fuels. In the design for that application, beside of characteristics of porous material (adsorbent data, CO2 adsorption data on the adsorbent (kinetic and thermodynamic are also needed. The aim of this research is resulting isothermal adsorption data at pressures up to 3.5 MPa by indirect methods (volumetric method at isothermal temperature of 300, 308, 318 and 338 K. Adsorbent that used in this research is activated carbon made from East of Kalimantan coals by physical activation method (CO2 which is the surface area of activated carbon is 668 m2/g and pore volume is 0.47 mL/g. Carbon dioxide (CO2 that used in this research is high purity carbon dioxide with a purity of 99.9%. Data from the experiment results then correlated using the Langmuir and Toth equations model. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity is 0.314 kg/kg at 300 K and 3384.69 kPa. The results of regression of experiment data using Langmuir and Toth models were 3.4% and 1.7%.

  2. Measurement of the activity of electron capturing isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szoerenyi, A.

    1980-01-01

    In order to measure precisely the activity of electron capturing isotopes, an equipment was constructed for the detection the X-photons, the Auger- and the conversing electrons by a high-pressure, gas-flow 4π proportional counter. The proportional counter and the NaI(Tl) scintillation counter are placed in a common lead-shielding, thus, the equipment is suited for the measurement of radioisotopes decaying in coincidence. The structure of the proportional counter and of the pressure-control system are detailed. As an example, the energy spectra of a 109 Cd solution, taken at different pressures, are published. At a pressure of 1.1 MPa the 3 peaks are well separated. The results of an international test, in which the radioactivity of a 57 Co sample was determined, are published, too. (L.E.)

  3. Using the Bongwana natural CO2 release to understand leakage processes and develop monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, David; Johnson, Gareth; Hicks, Nigel; Bond, Clare; Gilfillan, Stuart; Kremer, Yannick; Lister, Bob; Nkwane, Mzikayise; Maupa, Thulani; Munyangane, Portia; Robey, Kate; Saunders, Ian; Shipton, Zoe; Pearce, Jonathan; Haszeldine, Stuart

    2016-04-01

    Natural CO2 leakage along the Bongwana Fault in South Africa is being studied to help understand processes of CO2 leakage and develop monitoring protocols. The Bongwana Fault crops out over approximately 80 km in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. In outcrop the fault is expressed as a broad fracture corridor in Dwyka Tillite, with fractures oriented approximately N-S. Natural emissions of CO2 occur at various points along the fault, manifest as travertine cones and terraces, bubbling in the rivers and as gas fluxes through soil. Exposed rock outcrop shows evidence for Fe-staining around fractures and is locally extensively kaolinitised. The gas has also been released through a shallow water well, and was exploited commercially in the past. Preliminary studies have been carried out to better document the surface emissions using near surface gas monitoring, understand the origin of the gas through major gas composition and stable and noble gas isotopes and improve understanding of the structural controls on gas leakage through mapping. In addition the impact of the leaking CO2 on local water sources (surface and ground) is being investigated, along with the seismic activity of the fault. The investigation will help to build technical capacity in South Africa and to develop monitoring techniques and plans for a future CO2 storage pilot there. Early results suggest that CO2 leakage is confined to a relatively small number of spatially-restricted locations along the weakly seismically active fault. Fracture permeability appears to be the main method by which the CO2 migrates to the surface. The bulk of the CO2 is of deep origin with a minor contribution from near surface biogenic processes as determined by major gas composition. Water chemistry, including pH, DO and TDS is notably different between CO2-rich and CO2-poor sites. Soil gas content and flux effectively delineates the fault trace in active leakage sites. The fault provides an effective testing ground for

  4. Reconsideration of atmospheric CO2 lifetime: potential mechanism for explaining CO2 missing sink

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kikuchi, R.; Gorbacheva, T.; Gerardo, R.

    2009-04-01

    Carbon cycle data (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1996) indicate that fossil fuel use accounts for emissions to the atmosphere of 5.5±0.5 GtC (Gigatons of carbon) annually. Other important processes in the global CO2 budget are tropical deforestation, estimated to generate about 1.6±1.0 GtC/yr; absorption by the oceans, removing about 2.0±0.8 GtC/yr; and regrowth of northern forests, taking up about 0.5±0.5 GtC/yr. However, accurate measurements of CO2 show that the atmosphere is accumulating only about 3.3±0.2 GtC/yr. The imbalance of about 1.3±1.5 GtC/yr, termed the "missing sink", represents the difference between the estimated sources and the estimated sinks of CO2; that is, we do not know where all of the anthropogenic CO2 is going. Several potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain this missing carbon, such as CO2 fertilization, climate change, nitrogen deposition, land use change, forest regrowth et al. Considering the complexity of ecosystem, most of ecosystem model cannot handle all the potential mechanisms to reproduce the real world. It has been believed that the dominant sink mechanism is the fertilizing effects of increased CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and the addition to soils of fixed nitrogen from fossil-fuel burning and agricultural fertilizers. However, a recent analysis of long-term observations of the change in biomass and growth rates suggests that such fertilization effects are much too small to explain more than a small fraction of the observed sink. In addition, long-term experiments in which small forest patches and other land ecosystems have been exposed to elevated CO2 levels for extended periods show a rapid decrease of the fertilization effect after an initial enhancement. We will explore this question of the missing sink in atmospheric CO2 residence time. Radioactive and stable carbon isotopes (13-C/12-C) show the real CO2 lifetime is about 5 years; i.e. CO2 is quickly taken out of the atmospheric

  5. Effect of Activation Temperature on CO{sub 2} Capture Behaviors of Resorcinol-based Carbon Aerogels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moon, Cheolwhan; Im, Seungsoon; Park, Soojin [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Youngjoo [Inha Univ., Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-01-15

    In this study, carbon aerogel (CA) was synthesized using a soft-template method, and the optimum conditions for the adsorption of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) by the carbon aerogel were evaluated by controlling the activation temperature. KOH was used as the activation agent at a KOH/CA activation ratio of 4:1. Three types of activated CAs were synthesized at activation temperatures of 800 .deg. C (CA-K-800), 900 .deg. C (CA-K-900), and 1000 .deg. C (CA-K-1000), and their surface and pore characteristics along with the CO{sub 2} adsorption characteristics were examined. The results showed that with the increase in activation temperature from 800 to 900 .deg. C, the total pore volume and specific surface area sharply increased from 1.2165 to 1.2500 cm{sup 3}/g and 1281 to 1526 m{sup 2}/g, respectively. However, the values for both these parameters decreased at temperatures above 1000 .deg. C. The best CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity of 10.9 wt % was obtained for the CA-K-900 sample at 298 K and 1 bar. This result highlights the importance of the structural and textural characteristics of the carbon aerogel, prepared at different activation temperatures on CO{sub 2} adsorption behaviors.

  6. Effect of Relative Humidity on Adsorption Breakthrough of CO2 on Activated Carbon Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chun Chiang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Microporous activated carbon fibers (ACFs were developed for CO2 capture based on potassium hydroxide (KOH activation and tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA amination. The material properties of the modified ACFs were characterized using several techniques. The adsorption breakthrough curves of CO2 were measured and the effect of relative humidity in the carrier gas was determined. The KOH activation at high temperature generated additional pore networks and the intercalation of metallic K into the carbon matrix, leading to the production of mesopore and micropore volumes and providing access to the active sites in the micropores. However, this treatment also resulted in the loss of nitrogen functionalities. The TEPA amination has successfully introduced nitrogen functionalities onto the fiber surface, but its long-chain structure blocked parts of the micropores and, thus, made the available surface area and pore volume limited. Introduction of the power of time into the Wheeler equation was required to fit the data well. The relative humidity within the studied range had almost no effects on the breakthrough curves. It was expected that the concentration of CO2 was high enough so that the impact on CO2 adsorption capacity lessened due to increased relative humidity.

  7. Trends in CO2 Emissions from China-Oriented International Marine Transportation Activities and Policy Implications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hualong Yang

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available The demand for marine transportation and its associated CO2 emissions are growing rapidly as a result of increasing international trade and economic growth. An activity-based approach is developed for forecasting CO2 emissions from the China-oriented international seaborne trade sector. To accurately estimate the aggregated emissions, CO2 emissions are calculated individually for five categories of vessels: crude oil tanker, product tanker, chemical tanker, bulk carrier, and container. A business-as-usual (BAU scenario was developed to describe the current situation without additional mitigation policies, whilst three alternative scenarios were developed to describe scenarios with various accelerated improvements of the key factors. The aggregated CO2 emissions are predicted to reach 419.97 Mt under the BAU scenario, and 258.47 Mt under the optimal case, AD3. These predictions are 4.5 times and 2.8 times that of the aggregated emissions in 2007. Our analysis suggests that regulations for monitoring, reporting, and verifying the activities of vessels should be proposed, in order to quantify the CO2 emissions of marine transportation activities in Chinese territorial waters. In the long-term future, mitigation policies should be employed to reduce CO2 emissions from the marine trade sector and to address the climatic impact of shipping.

  8. Effect of ZnCl{sub 2} activation on CO{sub 2} adsorption of N-doped nanoporous carbons from polypyrrole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meng, Long-Yue [Department of Chemical Engineering, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002 (China); Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 253 Nam-gu, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Inha University, 253 Nam-gu, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    In this study, N-doping nanoporous carbons (NNCs) were prepared from polypyrrole (PPY) by ZnCl{sub 2} activation. The activation process was carried out under set conditions (PPY/ZnCl{sub 2}=1/4) at 300–800 °C for 2 h. With increasing activation temperature, the specific surface area and total pore volume of the NNCs increased significantly from 539 m{sup 2}/g (300 °C) to 1268 m{sup 2}/g (700 °C) and from 0.245 cm{sup 3}/g (300 °C) to 0.561 cm{sup 3}/g (700 °C), respectively. In addition, the use of PPY carbon precursors allowed the integration of high N content (9.28 wt%) and resulted in a large narrow micropore distribution (<1 nm) in the prepared NNCs. The CO{sub 2} adsorption isotherms showed that PZ-600 exhibited the best CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity of 167 mg/g at 1 bar and 25 °C when the activation temperature was 600 °C. - Graphical abstract: CO{sub 2}/298 K adsorption/desorption isotherms of the N-enriched porous carbons. - Highlights: • N-doping nanoporous carbons were prepared from polypyrrole by ZnCl{sub 2} activation. • Through ZnCl{sub 2} activation, the specific surface area and total pore volume increased. • PZ-600 exhibited the best CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity of 167 mg/g at 1 bar and 25 °C.

  9. Supercritical CO{sub 2} mediated synthesis and catalytic activity of graphene/Pd nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Lulu [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Nguyen, Van Hoa [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemistry, Nha Trang University, 2 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Nha Trang (Viet Nam); Shim, Jae-Jin, E-mail: jjshim@yu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeoungbuk 712-749 (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-11-15

    Highlights: • RGO/Pd composite was efficiently prepared via a facile method in supercritical CO{sub 2}. • Graphene sheets were coated uniformly with Pd nanoparticles with a size of ∼8 nm. • Composites exhibited excellent catalytic activity in the Suzuki reaction even after 10 cycles. - Abstract: Graphene sheets were decorated with palladium nanoparticles using a facile and efficient method in supercritical CO{sub 2}. The nanoparticles were formed on the graphene sheets by the simple hydrogen reduction of palladium(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate precursor in supercritical CO{sub 2}. The product was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Highly dispersed nanoparticles with various sizes and shapes adhered well to the graphene sheets. The composites showed high catalytic activities for the Suzuki reaction under aqueous and aerobic conditions within 5 min. The effects of the different Pd precursor loadings on the catalytic activities of the composites were also examined.

  10. Development of activated carbon derived from banana peel for CO{sub 2} removal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borhan, Azry; Thangamuthu, Subhashini; Ramdan, Amira Nurain [Chemical Engineering Department Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak (Malaysia); Taha, Mohd Faisal [Fundamental and Applied Sciences Department Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610, Perak (Malaysia)

    2015-08-28

    This research work highlights on the constraints involved in the preparation of the banana peel bio-sorbent, such as impregnation ratio, activation temperature and period of activation for reducing carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) in the atmosphere. Micromeritics ASAP 2020 and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) were used in identifying the best sample preparation method with the largest surface area which directly contributes to the effectiveness of adsorbent in removing CO{sub 2}. Sample A10 was identified to yield activated carbon with the largest surface area (260.3841 m{sup 2}/g), total pore volume (0.01638 cm{sup 3}/g) and pore diameter (0.2508 nm). Through nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm analysis, the existence of sub-micropores was proven when a combination of Type-I and Type-II isotherms were exhibited by the activated carbon produced. The results from the final adsorption test found that the material synthesized from the above mentioned parameter is capable of removing up to 1.65% wt of CO{sub 2} through adsorption at 25°C, suggesting that it can be effectively used as an adsorption material.

  11. Drought Sensitivity of the Carbon Isotope Composition of Leaf Dark-Respired CO2 in C3 (Leymus chinensis and C4 (Chloris virgata and Hemarthria altissima Grasses in Northeast China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shangzhi Zhong

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Whether photosynthetic pathway differences exist in the amplitude of nighttime variations in the carbon isotope composition of leaf dark-respired CO2 (δ13Cl and respiratory apparent isotope fractionation relative to biomass (ΔR,biomass in response to drought stress is unclear. These differences, if present, would be important for the partitioning of C3-C4 mixed ecosystem C fluxes. We measured δ13Cl, the δ13C of biomass and of potential respiratory substrates and leaf gas exchange in one C3 (Leymus chinensis and two C4 (Chloris virgata and Hemarthria altissima grasses during a manipulated drought period. For all studied grasses, δ13Cl decreased from 21:00 to 03:00 h. The magnitude of the nighttime shift in δ13Cl decreased with increasing drought stress. The δ13Cl values were correlated with the δ13C of respiratory substrates, whereas the magnitude of the nighttime shift in δ13Cl strongly depended on the daytime carbon assimilation rate and the range of nighttime variations in the respiratory substrate content. The ΔR,biomass in the C3 and C4 grasses varied in opposite directions with the intensification of the drought stress. The contribution of C4 plant-associated carbon flux is likely to be overestimated if carbon isotope signatures are used for the partitioning of ecosystem carbon exchange and the δ13C of biomass is used as a substitute for leaf dark-respired CO2. The detected drought sensitivities in δ13Cl and differences in respiratory apparent isotope fractionation between C3 and C4 grasses have marked implications for isotope partitioning studies at the ecosystem level.

  12. Drought Sensitivity of the Carbon Isotope Composition of Leaf Dark-Respired CO2 in C3 (Leymus chinensis) and C4 (Chloris virgata and Hemarthria altissima) Grasses in Northeast China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Shangzhi; Chai, Hua; Xu, Yueqiao; Li, Yan; Ma, Jian-Ying; Sun, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Whether photosynthetic pathway differences exist in the amplitude of nighttime variations in the carbon isotope composition of leaf dark-respired CO 2 (δ 13 C l ) and respiratory apparent isotope fractionation relative to biomass (Δ R,biomass ) in response to drought stress is unclear. These differences, if present, would be important for the partitioning of C 3 -C 4 mixed ecosystem C fluxes. We measured δ 13 C l , the δ 13 C of biomass and of potential respiratory substrates and leaf gas exchange in one C 3 ( Leymus chinensis ) and two C 4 ( Chloris virgata and Hemarthria altissima ) grasses during a manipulated drought period. For all studied grasses, δ 13 C l decreased from 21:00 to 03:00 h. The magnitude of the nighttime shift in δ 13 C l decreased with increasing drought stress. The δ 13 C l values were correlated with the δ 13 C of respiratory substrates, whereas the magnitude of the nighttime shift in δ 13 C l strongly depended on the daytime carbon assimilation rate and the range of nighttime variations in the respiratory substrate content. The Δ R,biomass in the C 3 and C 4 grasses varied in opposite directions with the intensification of the drought stress. The contribution of C 4 plant-associated carbon flux is likely to be overestimated if carbon isotope signatures are used for the partitioning of ecosystem carbon exchange and the δ 13 C of biomass is used as a substitute for leaf dark-respired CO 2 . The detected drought sensitivities in δ 13 C l and differences in respiratory apparent isotope fractionation between C 3 and C 4 grasses have marked implications for isotope partitioning studies at the ecosystem level.

  13. A New Biomarker Proxy for Palaeo-pCO2 Reconstruction in Ancient Sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pancost, R. D.; Magness, S.; Maxwell, J. R.

    2001-12-01

    The carbon isotopic composition of marine organic matter has commonly been used in chemostratigraphy or as a proxy for ancient pCO2 levels. Both of these goals require that the source of organic matter be well defined, and in the case of palaeo-pCO2 investigations, the organic matter must be derived ultimately from aquatic photoautotrophs. However, additional sources, including terrestrial biomass, heterotrophs, or bacteria, can also contribute to total organic carbon (TOC). In the past decade, numerous workers have attempted to refine organic carbon isotope records using the isotopic composition of individual compounds (biomarkers) rather than the TOC. The appeal of this approach is that by examining specific biomarkers, a signal diagnostic for photoautotrophic organisms can be obtained. For compound-specific isotope analyses to be most effective, the compounds analysed must have a relatively specific source. Among the most commonly used biomarkers in palaeo-pCO2 investigations are alkenones, long-chain ketones derived exclusively from certain species of haptophyte algae. However, alkenones are absent in rocks older than the Jurassic and either absent or present in low abundances in rocks older than the Miocene. Thus, in older rocks, other biomarkers, including steranes (derived from eukaryotic sterols), phytane (presumably derived from chlorophyll), and n-alkanes (derived from algal macromolecules), are used. Unfortunately, these compounds can have alternative sources and become less reliable as isotopic proxies for photoautotrophs with increasing thermal maturity and complexity of the hydrocarbon distribution. Here we propose the use of a maleimides (1H-pyrrole-2,5-diones) as a new biomarker class for evaluating past changes in photoautotroph carbon isotopic compositions. Maleimides have three key advantages over other biomarkers in ancient rocks. First, they are degradation products of chlorophyll and have no known alternative origins in marine sediments

  14. A dynamic leaf gas-exchange strategy is conserved in woody plants under changing ambient CO2: evidence from carbon isotope discrimination in paleo and CO2 enrichment studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voelker, Steven L.; Brooks, J. Renée; Meinzer, Frederick C.; Anderson, Rebecca D.; Bader, Martin K.-F.; Battipaglia, Giovanna; Becklin, Katie M.; Beerling, David; Bert, Didier; Betancourt, Julio L.; Dawson, Todd E.; Domec, Jean-Christophe; Guyette, Richard P.; Körner, Christian; Leavitt, Steven W.; Linder, Sune; Marshall, John D.; Mildner, Manuel; Ogée, Jérôme; Panyushkina, Irina P.; Plumpton, Heather J.; Pregitzer, Kurt S.; Saurer, Matthias; Smith, Andrew R.; Siegwolf, Rolf T.W.; Stambaugh, Michael C.; Talhelm, Alan F.; Tardif, Jacques C.; Van De Water, Peter K.; Ward, Joy K.; Wingate, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    Rising atmospheric [CO2], ca, is expected to affect stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange of woody plants, thus influencing energy fluxes as well as carbon (C), water, and nutrient cycling of forests. Researchers have proposed various strategies for stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange that include maintaining a constant leaf internal [CO2], ci, a constant drawdown in CO2(ca − ci), and a constant ci/ca. These strategies can result in drastically different consequences for leaf gas-exchange. The accuracy of Earth systems models depends in part on assumptions about generalizable patterns in leaf gas-exchange responses to varying ca. The concept of optimal stomatal behavior, exemplified by woody plants shifting along a continuum of these strategies, provides a unifying framework for understanding leaf gas-exchange responses to ca. To assess leaf gas-exchange regulation strategies, we analyzed patterns in ci inferred from studies reporting C stable isotope ratios (δ13C) or photosynthetic discrimination (∆) in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms that grew across a range of ca spanning at least 100 ppm. Our results suggest that much of the ca-induced changes in ci/ca occurred across ca spanning 200 to 400 ppm. These patterns imply that ca − ci will eventually approach a constant level at high ca because assimilation rates will reach a maximum and stomatal conductance of each species should be constrained to some minimum level. These analyses are not consistent with canalization toward any single strategy, particularly maintaining a constant ci. Rather, the results are consistent with the existence of a broadly conserved pattern of stomatal optimization in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms. This results in trees being profligate water users at low ca, when additional water loss is small for each unit of C gain, and increasingly water-conservative at high ca, when photosystems are saturated and water loss is large for each unit C gain.

  15. Fractional Absorption of Active Absorbable Algal Calcium (AAACa and Calcium Carbonate Measured by a Dual Stable-Isotope Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven A. Abrams

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available With the use of stable isotopes, this study aimed to compare the bioavailability of active absorbable algal calcium (AAACa, obtained from oyster shell powder heated to a high temperature, with an additional heated seaweed component (Heated Algal Ingredient, HAI, with that of calcium carbonate. In 10 postmenopausal women volunteers aged 59 to 77 years (mean ± S.D., 67 ± 5.3, the fractional calcium absorption of AAACa and CaCO3 was measured by a dual stable isotope method. 44Ca-enriched CaCO3 and AAACa were administered in all subjects one month apart. After a fixed-menu breakfast and pre-test urine collection (Urine 0, 42Ca-enriched CaCl2 was intravenously injected, followed by oral administration of 44Ca-enriched CaCO3 without carrier 15 minutes later, and complete urine collection for the next 24 hours (Urine 24. The fractional calcium absorption was calculated as the ratio of Augmentation of 44Ca from Urine 0 to Urine 24/ augmentation of 42Ca from Urine 0 to Urine 24. Differences and changes of 44Ca and 42Ca were corrected by comparing each with 43Ca. Fractional absorption of AAACa (mean ± S.D., 23.1 ± 6.4, was distinctly and significantly higher than that of CaCO3 (14.7 ± 6.4; p = 0.0060 by paired t-test. The mean fractional absorption was approximately 1.57-times higher for AAACa than for CaCO3. The serum 25(OH vitamin D level was low (mean ± S.D., 14.2 ± 4.95 ng/ml, as is common in this age group in Japan. Among the parameters of the bone and mineral metabolism measured, none displayed a significant correlation with the fractional absorption of CaCO3 and AAACa. Higher fractional absorption of AAACa compared with CaCO3 supports previous reports on the more beneficial effect of AAACa than CaCO3 for osteoporosis.

  16. Intrinsic Activity of MnOx-CeO2 Catalysts in Ethanol Oxidation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dimitrios Delimaris

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available MnOx-CeO2 mixed oxides are considered efficient oxidation catalysts superior to the corresponding single oxides. Although these oxides have been the subject of numerous studies, their fundamental performance indicators, such as turnover frequency (TOF or specific activity, are scarcely reported. The purpose of the present work is to investigate the effect of catalyst composition on the concentration of active sites and intrinsic activity in ethanol oxidation by the employment of temperature-programmed desorption and oxidation of isotopically-labelled ethanol, 12CH313CH2OH. The transformation pathways of preadsorbed ethanol in the absence of gaseous oxygen refer to dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde followed by its dissociation combined with oxidation by lattice oxygen. In the presence of gaseous oxygen, lattice oxygen is rapidly restored and the main products are acetaldehyde, CO2, and water. CO2 forms less easily on mixed oxides than on pure MnOx. The TOF of ethanol oxidation has been calculated assuming that the amount of adsorbed ethanol and CO2 produced during temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO is a reliable indicator of the concentration of the active sites.

  17. Comparison of Landfill Methane Oxidation Measured Using Stable Isotope Analysis and CO2/CH4 Fluxes Measured by the Eddy Covariance Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, L.; Chanton, J.; McDermitt, D. K.; Li, J.; Green, R. B.

    2015-12-01

    Methane plays a critical role in the radiation balance and chemistry of the atmosphere. Globally, landfill methane emission contributes about 10-19% of the anthropogenic methane burden into the atmosphere. In the United States, 18% of annual anthropogenic methane emissions come from landfills, which represent the third largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions, behind enteric fermentation and natural gas and oil production. One uncertainty in estimating landfill methane emissions is the fraction of methane oxidized when methane produced under anaerobic conditions passes through the cover soil. We developed a simple stoichiometric model to estimate methane oxidation fraction when the anaerobic CO2 / CH4 production ratio is known, or can be estimated. The model predicts a linear relationship between CO2 emission rates and CH4 emission rates, where the slope depends on anaerobic CO2 / CH4 production ratio and the fraction of methane oxidized, and the intercept depends on non-methane-dependent oxidation processes. The model was tested using carbon dioxide emission rates (fluxes) and methane emission rates (fluxes) measured using the eddy covariance method over a one year period at the Turkey Run landfill in Georgia, USA. The CO2 / CH4 production ratio was estimated by measuring CO2 and CH4 concentrations in air sampled under anaerobic conditions deep inside the landfill. We also used a mass balance approach to independently estimate fractional oxidation based on stable isotope measurements (δ13C of methane) of gas samples taken from deep inside the landfill and just above the landfill surface. Results from the two independent methods agree well. The model will be described and methane oxidation will be discussed in relation to wind direction, location at the landfill, and age of the deposited refuse.

  18. Mind the gap: non-biological processes contributing to soil CO2 efflux.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rey, Ana

    2015-05-01

    Widespread recognition of the importance of soil CO2 efflux as a major source of CO2 to the atmosphere has led to active research. A large soil respiration database and recent reviews have compiled data, methods, and current challenges. This study highlights some deficiencies for a proper understanding of soil CO2 efflux focusing on processes of soil CO2 production and transport that have not received enough attention in the current soil respiration literature. It has mostly been assumed that soil CO2 efflux is the result of biological processes (i.e. soil respiration), but recent studies demonstrate that pedochemical and geological processes, such as geothermal and volcanic CO2 degassing, are potentially important in some areas. Besides the microbial decomposition of litter, solar radiation is responsible for photodegradation or photochemical degradation of litter. Diffusion is considered to be the main mechanism of CO2 transport in the soil, but changes in atmospheric pressure and thermal convection may also be important mechanisms driving soil CO2 efflux greater than diffusion under certain conditions. Lateral fluxes of carbon as dissolved organic and inorganic carbon occur and may cause an underestimation of soil CO2 efflux. Traditionally soil CO2 efflux has been measured with accumulation chambers assuming that the main transport mechanism is diffusion. New techniques are available such as improved automated chambers, CO2 concentration profiles and isotopic techniques that may help to elucidate the sources of carbon from soils. We need to develop specific and standardized methods for different CO2 sources to quantify this flux on a global scale. Biogeochemical models should include biological and non-biological CO2 production processes before we can predict the response of soil CO2 efflux to climate change. Improving our understanding of the processes involved in soil CO2 efflux should be a research priority given the importance of this flux in the global

  19. Soil CO2 flux baseline in an urban monogenetic volcanic field: the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazot, Agnès; Smid, Elaine R.; Schwendenmann, Luitgard; Delgado-Granados, Hugo; Lindsay, Jan

    2013-11-01

    The Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF) is a dormant monogenetic basaltic field located in Auckland, New Zealand. Though soil gas CO2 fluxes are routinely used to monitor volcanic regions, there have been no published studies of soil CO2 flux or soil gas CO2 concentrations in the AVF to date or many other monogenetic fields worldwide. We measured soil gas CO2 fluxes and soil gas CO2 concentrations in 2010 and 2012 in varying settings, seasons, and times of day to establish a baseline soil CO2 flux and to determine the major sources of and controlling influences on Auckland's soil CO2 flux. Soil CO2 flux measurements varied from 0 to 203 g m-2 day-1, with an average of 27.1 g m-2 day-1. Higher fluxes were attributed to varying land use properties (e.g., landfill). Using a graphical statistical approach, two populations of CO2 fluxes were identified. Isotope analyses of δ13CO2 confirmed that the source of CO2 in the AVF is biogenic with no volcanic component. These data may be used to assist with eruption forecasting in the event of precursory activity in the AVF, and highlight the importance of knowing land use history when assessing soil gas CO2 fluxes in urban environments.

  20. Evolutionary differences in Δ13C detected between spore and seed bearing plants following exposure to a range of atmospheric O2:CO2 ratios; implications for paleoatmosphere reconstruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porter, Amanda S.; Yiotis, Charilaos; Montañez, Isabel P.; McElwain, Jennifer C.

    2017-09-01

    The stable carbon isotopes of fossil plants are a reflection of the atmosphere and environment in which they grew. Fossil plant remains have thus stored information about the isotopic composition and concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) and possibly pO2 through time. Studies to date, utilizing extant plants, have linked changes in plant stable carbon isotopes (δ13Cp) or carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) to changes in pCO2 and/or pO2. These studies have relied heavily on angiosperm representatives, a phylogenetic group only present in the fossil record post-Early Cretaceous (∼140 million years ago (mya)), whereas gymnosperms, monilophytes and lycophytes dominated terrestrial ecosystems prior to this time. The aim of this study was to expand our understanding of carbon isotope discrimination in all vascular plant groups of C3 plants including lycophytes, monilophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms, under elevated CO2 and sub-ambient O2 to explore their utility as paleo-atmospheric proxies. To achieve this goal, plants were grown in controlled environment chambers under a range of O2:CO2 ratio treatments. Results reveal a strong phylogenetic dependency on Δ13C, where spore-bearing (lycophytes and monilophytes) have significantly higher 13C discrimination than seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms) by ∼5‰. We attribute this strong phylogenetic signal to differences in Ci/Ca likely mediated by fundamental differences in how spore and seed bearing plants control stomatal aperture. Decreasing O2:CO2 ratio in general resulted in increased carbon isotope discrimination in all plant groups. Notably, while all plant groups respond unidirectionally to elevated atmospheric CO2 (1900 ppm and ambient O2), they do not respond equally to sub-ambient O2 (16%). We conclude that (1) Δ13C has a strong phylogenetic or 'reproductive grade' bias, whereby Δ13C of spore reproducing plants is significantly different to seed reproducing taxa. (2) Δ13C increases

  1. A Geochemical Approach for Monitoring a CO2 Pilot Site: Rousse, France. A Major gases, CO2-Carbon Isotopes and Noble Gases Combined Approach Une méthode géochimique pour la surveillance d’un site pilote de stockage de CO2 : Rousse, France. Approche combinant les gaz majeurs, l’isotopie du carbone du CO2 et les gaz rares

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garcia B.

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the geochemical characterization of various gas end-members involved in a depleted gas field CO2 storage pilot (Rousse, France. In this pilot, CO2 is produced by oxycombustion from natural gas transformed into fuel gas at the Lacq plant, and transported in a pipeline 30 km away to the depleted gas reservoir of Rousse. Gases produced at Rousse before CO2 injection, the Lacq fuel gas and the CO2 resulting from the oxy-fuel combustion were sampled, together with gases from a –45 m monitoring well and from soils in the vicinity of the Rousse structure. For all samples, the bulk gas composition, the carbon isotopic compositions and the abundance and isotopic signatures of the noble gases were determined. The bulk gas compositions of the Rousse natural gas are comparable to the Lacq fuel gas with methane as the main compound with residual C2-C5 and CO2. Soil gases are typical mixtures of air with biogenic CO2 (up to 9-10%, while the monitoring well gases display typical air compositions with no excess CO2 The Rousse gas and the Lacq fuel gas have δ13CCH4 values of –41.0‰ and –43.0‰ respectively. The injected CO2 out of the oxycombustion chamber has a δ13CCO2 of –40.0‰, whereas δ13CCO2 value for soils samples is comprised between –15 and –25‰. The Rousse natural gas and the Lacq fuel gas are both characterized by a high He enrichment, and depletion in Ne, Ar and Kr compared to the air values. The oxyfuel combustion process provides a CO2 with the He enrichment of the Lacq fuel gas, and a Ne, Ar and Kr composition reflecting that of the oxygen produced at the Air Separation Unit (ASU. Indeed, Ne is depleted relatively to the air, while Kr is enriched up to tenfold, which results from the cryogenic separation of the air noble gases within the ASU. Soil samples noble gas compositions are equivalent to that of the air. In the light of these results, the compositions of the various end-members involved in this CO2

  2. A joint global carbon inversion system using both CO2 and 13CO2 atmospheric concentration data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jing M.; Mo, Gang; Deng, Feng

    2017-03-01

    Observations of 13CO2 at 73 sites compiled in the GLOBALVIEW database are used for an additional constraint in a global atmospheric inversion of the surface CO2 flux using CO2 observations at 210 sites (62 collocated with 13CO2 sites) for the 2002-2004 period for 39 land regions and 11 ocean regions. This constraint is implemented using prior CO2 fluxes estimated with a terrestrial ecosystem model and an ocean model. These models simulate 13CO2 discrimination rates of terrestrial photosynthesis and ocean-atmosphere diffusion processes. In both models, the 13CO2 disequilibrium between fluxes to and from the atmosphere is considered due to the historical change in atmospheric 13CO2 concentration. This joint inversion system using both13CO2 and CO2 observations is effectively a double deconvolution system with consideration of the spatial variations of isotopic discrimination and disequilibrium. Compared to the CO2-only inversion, this 13CO2 constraint on the inversion considerably reduces the total land carbon sink from 3.40 ± 0.84 to 2.53 ± 0.93 Pg C year-1 but increases the total oceanic carbon sink from 1.48 ± 0.40 to 2.36 ± 0.49 Pg C year-1. This constraint also changes the spatial distribution of the carbon sink. The largest sink increase occurs in the Amazon, while the largest source increases are in southern Africa, and Asia, where CO2 data are sparse. Through a case study, in which the spatial distribution of the annual 13CO2 discrimination rate over land is ignored by treating it as a constant at the global average of -14. 1 ‰, the spatial distribution of the inverted CO2 flux over land was found to be significantly modified (up to 15 % for some regions). The uncertainties in our disequilibrium flux estimation are 8.0 and 12.7 Pg C year-1 ‰ for land and ocean, respectively. These uncertainties induced the unpredictability of 0.47 and 0.54 Pg C year-1 in the inverted CO2 fluxes for land and ocean, respectively. Our joint inversion system is therefore

  3. Combining Geoelectrical Measurements and CO2 Analyses to Monitor the Enhanced Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils: A Field Implementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cécile Noel

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifers can be successfully remediated through enhanced biodegradation. However, in situ monitoring of the treatment by piezometers is expensive and invasive and might be insufficient as the information provided is restricted to vertical profiles at discrete locations. An alternative method was tested in order to improve the robustness of the monitoring. Geophysical methods, electrical resistivity (ER and induced polarization (IP, were combined with gas analyses, CO2 concentration, and its carbon isotopic ratio, to develop a less invasive methodology for monitoring enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons. The field implementation of this monitoring methodology, which lasted from February 2014 until June 2015, was carried out at a BTEX-polluted site under aerobic biotreatment. Geophysical monitoring shows a more conductive and chargeable area which corresponds to the contaminated zone. In this area, high CO2 emissions have been measured with an isotopic signature demonstrating that the main source of CO2 on this site is the biodegradation of hydrocarbon fuels. Besides, the evolution of geochemical and geophysical data over a year seems to show the seasonal variation of bacterial activity. Combining geophysics with gas analyses is thus promising to provide a new methodology for in situ monitoring.

  4. 2. Workshop 'Isotopes in Nature'. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-11-01

    The workshop was aimed at discussing in detail the following problems: (1) distribution of stable and radioactive isotopes in nature, (2) theoretical and experimental studies of isotopic effects in natural processes, (3) problems of sample preparation and sample measurement in determining the relative abundance of stable isotopes or radioactive isotopes in nature, (4) age estimations of samples from different areas of the geosphere, (5) contributions to the specification of global and regional substance cycles in nature with the aid of isotopic and geochemical studies. 75 summaries are included

  5. Evaluation of 4 years of continuous δ13C(CO2) data using a moving Keeling plot method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vardag, Sanam Noreen; Hammer, Samuel; Levin, Ingeborg

    2016-07-01

    Different carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters can be distinguished by their carbon isotope ratios. Therefore measurements of atmospheric δ13C(CO2) and CO2 concentration contain information on the CO2 source mix in the catchment area of an atmospheric measurement site. This information may be illustratively presented as the mean isotopic source signature. Recently an increasing number of continuous measurements of δ13C(CO2) and CO2 have become available, opening the door to the quantification of CO2 shares from different sources at high temporal resolution. Here, we present a method to compute the CO2 source signature (δS) continuously and evaluate our result using model data from the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport model. Only when we restrict the analysis to situations which fulfill the basic assumptions of the Keeling plot method does our approach provide correct results with minimal biases in δS. On average, this bias is 0.2 ‰ with an interquartile range of about 1.2 ‰ for hourly model data. As a consequence of applying the required strict filter criteria, 85 % of the data points - mainly daytime values - need to be discarded. Applying the method to a 4-year dataset of CO2 and δ13C(CO2) measured in Heidelberg, Germany, yields a distinct seasonal cycle of δS. Disentangling this seasonal source signature into shares of source components is, however, only possible if the isotopic end members of these sources - i.e., the biosphere, δbio, and the fuel mix, δF - are known. From the mean source signature record in 2012, δbio could be reliably estimated only for summer to (-25.0 ± 1.0) ‰ and δF only for winter to (-32.5 ± 2.5) ‰. As the isotopic end members δbio and δF were shown to change over the season, no year-round estimation of the fossil fuel or biosphere share is possible from the measured mean source signature record without additional information from emission inventories or other tracer measurements.

  6. Synthesis and enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity of p–n junction Co3O4/TiO2 nanotube arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dai Gaopeng; Liu Suqin; Liang Ying; Luo Tianxiong

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were prepared by an impregnating–deposition–decompostion method treatment. ► Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 NTs exhibit high photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity. ► The high PEC activity was attribute to the formation of p–n junction between Co 3 O 4 and TiO 2 . - Abstract: Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 nanotube arrays (NTs) were prepared by depositing Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) on the tube wall of the self-organized TiO 2 NTs using an impregnating–deposition–decompostion method. The prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) activity is evaluated by degradation of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution. The prepared Co 3 O 4 /TiO 2 NTs exhibit much higher PEC activity than TiO 2 NTs due to the p–n junction formed between Co 3 O 4 and TiO 2 .

  7. Impact of decade-long warming, nutrient addition and shading on emission and carbon isotopic composition of CO2 from two subarctic dwarf shrub heaths

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ravn, Nynne R.; Ambus, Per Lennart; Michelsen, Anders

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated ecosystem respiration, soil respiration and carbon isotopic composition in CO2 emitted from two subarctic shrub heaths with contrasting moisture regimes. The reported measurements were conducted 22 years (mesic heath) and 12 years (wet heath) upon initiation of in situ...... the growing season. However, there was a tendency across growing season towards an increased δ13C source value after 22 years of warming in the mesic shrub heath, and the effect was statistically significant in June, indicating increased decomposition of 13C enriched material. Hence, although more of the old...

  8. Laser fluorescence on radio-active isotopes produced in very low yield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dancy, D.E.; Billowes, J.; Grant, I.S.; Evans, D.E.; Griffith, J.A.R.; Wells, S.A.; Eastham, D.A.; Groves, J.; Smith, J.R.H.; Tolfree, D.W.L.; Walker, P.M.

    1990-01-01

    Fast particle-photon coincidence techniques, developed at Daresbury with strontium isotopes, allow ultra-sensitive laser fluorescence spectroscopy of beams of radio-active isotopes which can only be produced in very low yields. The technique has now been applied to neutron-deficient barium isotopes down to 120 Ba. From measured hyperfine splitting and isotope shifts, nuclear moments and changes in mean square radii have been determined. The work has revealed an abrupt increase in the mean square radius for 121 Ba large enough to disrupt the systematic staggering of nuclear size seen for the series. In a recent experiment an isomeric state of 127 Ba with a half-life of about 2 seconds has been produced in a very low yield; nevertheless we have succeeded in obtaining a fluorescence spectrum. (orig.)

  9. An automated technique for measuring deltaD and delta18O values of porewater by direct CO2 and H2 equilibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koehler, G; Wassenaar, L I; Hendry, M J

    2000-11-15

    The stable-oxygen and -hydrogen isotopic values (deltaD, delta18O) of porewater in geologic media are commonly determined on water obtained by extraction techniques such as centrifugation, mechanical squeezing, vacuum heating and cryogenic microdistillation, and azeotropic distillation. Each of these techniques may cause isotopic fractionation as part the extraction process and each is laborious. Here we demonstrate a new approach to obtain automated, high-precision deltaD and delta18O measurements of porewater in geologic sediments by direct H2- and CO2-porewater equilibration using a modified commercial CO2-water equilibrator. This technique provides an important and cost-effective improvement over current extraction methods, because many samples can be rapidly analyzed with minimal handling, thereby reducing errors and potential for isotopic fractionation. The precision and accuracy of direct H2- and CO2-porewater equilibration is comparable to or better than current porewater extraction methods. Finally, the direct equilibration technique allows investigators to obtain high-resolution (cm scale) porewater deltaD and delta18O profiles using cores from individual boreholes, eliminating the need for costly piezometers or conventional porewater extractions.

  10. Multiple Nebular Gas Reservoirs Recorded by Oxygen Isotope Variation in a Spinel-Rich CAI in CO3 MIL 090019

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simon, J. I.; Simon, S. B.; Nguyen, A. N.; Ross, D. K.; Messenger, S.

    2017-07-01

    We conducted NanoSIMS ion imaging studies of a primitive spinel-rich CAI from the MIL 090019 CO3 chondrite. It records radial O-isotopic heterogeneity among multiple occurrences of the same mineral, reflecting distinct nebular O-isotopic reservoirs.

  11. The cobalt radioactive isotopes in environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    For the year 1993 the total activity released in cobalt is 69 GBq for the whole of nuclear power plants. The part of activity in cobalt for La Hague in 1993 is 8 GBq of 58 Co and 2 GBq of 60 Co. The radioactive isotopes released by nuclear power plants or the reprocessing plant of La Hague under liquid effluents are shared by half between 58 Co and 60 Co. The exposure to sealed sources is the most important risk for the cobalt. The risk of acute exposure can associate a local irradiation of several decades of grays inducing a radiological burns, deep burn to treat in surgery by resection or graft even amputation. A global irradiation of organism for several grays induces an acute irradiation syndrome, often serious. At long term the stochastic effects are represented by leukemia and radio-induced cancers. The increase of probability of their occurrence is 1% by sievert. We must remind that the natural spontaneous probability is 25%. (N.C.)

  12. Diffuse CO2 flux emissions from the soil in Las Cañadas caldera (Tenerife, Canary Islands)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luengo-Oroz, Natividad; Torres, Pedro A.; Moure, David; D'Alessandro, Walter; Liuzzo, Marco; Longo, Manfredi; Pecoraino, Giovannella

    2014-05-01

    Starting in April 2004, unusual seismic activity was observed in the interior of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) with much evidence pointing to a reawakening of volcanic activity. During this seismic crisis, several events were felt by the population. Since then, a dense multiparametric monitoring network has been deployed all over the island by Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN). In the framework of this volcanic surveillance project, several geochemical studies have been accomplished. Measurements of diffuse CO2 flux from the soil have been carried out in some zones inside Las Cañadas caldera. This study has been performed during three different field campaigns in November 2012 and June and November 2013. The studied area includes two different zones known as Roques de García and Los Azulejos. Since several authors have reported the existence of fractures and faults all along both structures, the objectives of this work were to find anomalous CO2 fluxes from the soil and preferential degassing areas, identify possible hidden faults and study the origin of gas emanations in order to detect the presence of magmatic sources. More than 600 sampling sites have been measured with the accumulation chamber method in an area of about 1 km2. Soil gas has been sampled in points where high CO2 fluxes were detected for the determination of chemical and isotopic composition. The results of the gas prospection confirm the existence of CO2 degassing in the area. Some anomalous fluxes have been measured along previously inferred volcano-tectonic structures. The highest anomalies were found in Los Azulejos with values up to 1774 g/m2.d. Chemical analysis did not reveal significant concentrations of magmatic or geothermal gases except CO2. The latter showed concentrations at 50 cm depth within the soils up to 48% and a C-isotopic composition between -4.72 and -3.67 o indicating a prevailing magmatic origin.

  13. δ13Catm and [CO2] measurements in Antarctic ice cores, 160 kyrBP - present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eggleston, Sarah; Schmitt, Jochen; Schneider, Robert; Joos, Fortunat; Fischer, Hubertus

    2014-05-01

    Measurements from Antarctic ice cores allow us to reconstruct atmospheric concentrations of climatically important gases including CO2 over the past 800 kyr. Such measurements show that [CO2] has varied in parallel with Antarctic temperatures on glacial-interglacial timescales. Knowledge of the variations of the stable carbon isotope of CO2, δ13Catm, can help us better understand the processes involved in these fluctuations. Here, we present a first complete δ13Catmrecord extending from 160 kyrBP to the present accompanied by δ15N2 measurements during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3, 57 - 29 kyrBP). The present record, measured primarily on ice from the EPICA Dome C and Talos Dome ice cores, has an average resolution of 500 yr, focused mainly on the Last Glacial Maximum and termination (180 yr; Schmitt et al., 2012), MIS 3 (660 yr), and Termination II through MIS 5.4 (590 yr; Schneider et al., 2013). Throughout the record, δ13Catm varies between approximately -6.8 and -6.4‰Following a period of relatively constant δ13Catm at the end of MIS 6 (around -6.8), the boundaries of MIS 5 correspond roughly with the beginning and end of a gradual enrichment in this isotope. In comparison, the more recent record depicts three more abrupt excursions to lighter values around 63 - 59, 46, and 17 kyrBP, in each case followed by a slower return (0.4o over the course of 5 - 15 kyr) to more enriched isotopic values. These coincide with Heinrich events 6, 5, and 1, respectively. No direct correlation is observed between the concentration and carbon isotope of CO2 over the last 160 kyr. The data indicate rather that numerous processes, such as uptake and release of atmospheric CO2 by the ocean and land biosphere, perhaps influenced by regions of growing permafrost during MIS 3 and 4, acting on a variety of timescales must be considered in explaining the evolution of δ13Catm on glacial-interglacial timescales. References: Schmitt, J. et al. Science 336, 711-714 (2012) Schneider

  14. Industrial Analogues on CO{sub 2} Storage; Analogos Industriales del Almacenamiento de CO{sub 2}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, R; Campos, R; Perez del Villar, L; Suarez, I; Zapatero, M A

    2008-08-06

    This volume tries to introduce the study of industrial analogues of CO{sub 2} storage, those industrial activities that, because of some specific conditions, are considered similar to CO{sub 2} geological storage activities. The goal is to obtain useful conclusions for application in the incipient exploration of this type of storages. Therefore, strategic storages of natural gas have been studied, with a special emphasis in the project developed in the surroundings of Yela (Guadalajara). Other activities are also described, as some projects that include CO{sub 2} injection to increase the recovery of oil and/or gas in nearly depleted reservoirs, and also a case of CO{sub 2} storage in a saline aquifer (Salipriina). Finally, Rewopol Project methodology is summarized, as an experimental case of CO{sub 2} storage on coal, coupled with coal bed methane production. Summing up, the main goal of this work is to determine the most adequate technologies that have to be developed in a successful CO{sub 2} storage, exploration and exploitation project. (Author) 28 refs.

  15. Non-Essential Activation of Co"2"+ and Zn"2"+ on Mushroom Tyrosinase: Kinetic and Structural Stability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gheibi, N.; Sarreshtehdari, M.; Saboury, A. A.

    2011-01-01

    Tyrosinase is a widespread enzyme with great promising capabilities. The Lineweaver-Burk plots of the catecholase reactions showed that the kinetics of mushroom tyrosinase (MT), activated by Co"2"+ and Zn"2"+ at different pHs (6, 7, 8 and 9) obeyed the non-essential activation mode. The binding of metal ions to the enzyme increases the maximum velocity of the enzyme due to an increase in the enzyme catalytic constant (k_c_a_t). From the kinetic analysis, dissociation constants of the activator from the enzyme-metal ion complex (K_a) were obtained as 5 x 10"4 M"-"1 and 8.33 x 10"3 M"-"1 for Co"2"+ and Zn"2"+ at pH 9 and 6 respectively. The structural analysis of MT through circular dichroism (CD) and intensive fluorescence spectra revealed that the conformational stability of the enzyme in these pHs reaches its maximum value in the presence of each of the two metal ions

  16. Synthesis of Co/N-HNTs composites and investigation on its catalytic activity for H2 generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Dongcui; Cheng, Zhilin; Nan, Zhaodong

    2016-01-01

    Co/N-HNTs composites were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method, where amine functional halloysite nanotubes (N-HNTs) were used as support materials. Effects of sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT), an anionic surfactant, on morphology and dispersibility of Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs were studied. The dispersibility of the Co particles was promoted with the increase of the AOT concentration. The as-obtained composite was used as a catalyst to generate H 2 gas by hydrolysis of NaBH 4 solution. The catalytic activity of the composite was significantly enhanced than the pure Co and Co/graphene composite at the same experimental conditions reported by our laboratory, and the catalyst was conveniently separated from the solution by a magnet. The catalytic activity was enhanced when the dispersibility of the Co particles was improved at the surface of the N-HNTs and the Co content contained in the composite was lowed. At the same time, the Co particles anchored at the inner surface of the N-HNTs resulted in higher catalytic activity, where the Co particles may bond with nitrogen atoms. The activation energy for the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 was calculated to be about 15.42 kJ mol −1 . The catalyst can be continuously used for four times with about the same catalytic activity. - Highlights: • Co/N-HNTs composites are synthesized. • The dispersibility and morphology of the Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs are modified by AOT. • The composite shows higher catalytic activity for production H 2 gas.

  17. Combining Space Geodesy, Seismology, and Geochemistry for Monitoring Verification and Accounting of CO2 in Sequestration Sites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swart, Peter K. [Univ. of Miami, Key Biscayne, FL (United States); Dixon, Tim [Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States)

    2014-09-30

    A series of surface geophysical and geochemical techniques are tested in order to demonstrate and validate low cost approaches for Monitoring, Verification and Accounting (MVA) of the integrity of deep reservoirs for CO2 storage. These techniques are (i) surface deformation by GPS; ii) surface deformation by InSAR; iii) passive source seismology via broad band seismometers; and iv) soil gas monitoring with a cavity ring down spectrometer for measurement of CO2 concentration and carbon isotope ratio. The techniques were tested at an active EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) site in Texas. Each approach has demonstrated utility. Assuming Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) activities become operational in the future, these techniques can be used to augment more expensive down-hole techniques.

  18. Positive feedback between increasing atmospheric CO2 and ecosystem productivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelfand, I.; Hamilton, S. K.; Robertson, G. P.

    2009-12-01

    Increasing atmospheric CO2 will likely affect both the hydrologic cycle and ecosystem productivity. Current assumptions that increasing CO2 will lead to increased ecosystem productivity and plant water use efficiency (WUE) are driving optimistic predictions of higher crop yields as well as greater availability of freshwater resources due to a decrease in evapotranspiration. The plant physiological response that drives these effects is believed to be an increase in carbon uptake either by (a) stronger CO2 gradient between the stomata and the atmosphere, or by (b) reduced CO2 limitation of enzymatic carboxylation within the leaf. The (a) scenario will lead to increased water use efficiency (WUE) in plants. However, evidence for increased WUE is mostly based on modeling studies, and experiments producing a short duration or step-wise increase in CO2 concentration (e.g. free-air CO2 enrichment). We hypothesize that the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration is having a positive effect on ecosystem productivity and WUE. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed meteorological, ANPP, and soil CO2 flux datasets together with carbon isotopic ratio (13C/12C) of archived plant samples from the long term ecological research (LTER) program at Kellogg Biological Station. The datasets were collected between 1989 and 2007 (corresponding to an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration of ~33 ppmv at Mauna Loa). Wheat (Triticum aestivum) samples taken from 1989 and 2007 show a significant decrease in the C isotope discrimination factor (Δ) over time. Stomatal conductance is directly related to Δ, and thus Δ is inversely related to plant intrinsic WUE (iWUE). Historical changes in the 13C/12C ratio (δ13C) in samples of a perennial forb, Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), taken from adjacent successional fields, indicate changes in Δ upon uptake of CO2 as well. These temporal trends in Δ suggest a positive feedback between the increasing CO2 concentration in the

  19. CO{sub 2} capture using fly ash-derived activated carbons impregnated with low molecular mass amines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Smith, K.M.; Arenillas, A.; Drage, T.C.; Snape, C.E. [University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom). Nottingham Fuel and Energy Centre

    2005-07-01

    Two different approaches to develop high capacity CO{sub 2} sorbents are presented. Firstly, the modification of the surface chemistry of low cost carbons by impregnation with a basic nitrogen-containing polymer (i.e.polyethylenimine) is described. Relatively low molecular mass (MM) amines, namely diethanolamine (DEA, MM 105) and tetraethylenepentaamineacrylonitrile (TEPAN, MM 311) are used to produce high capacity CO{sub 2} sorbents from activated carbons derived from unburned carbon in fly ash, which have low mesoporosities. The CO{sub 2} adsorption capacity and thermal stability of the prepared sorbents was measured as a function of temperature in a thermogravimetric analyser. The results indicate that TEPAN is more effective than DEA; at a temperature of 75{sup o}C, fly ash-derived activated carbons loaded with TEPAN achieved CO{sub 2} adsorption capacities in excess of 5 wt%, which compares fabvourably with the CO{sub 2} absorption capacity of 6.5 wt% achieved with a mesoporous silica loaded with TEPAN, and outperforms fly ash-derived activated carbons loaded with PEI. TEPAN has also been shown to have a higher thermal stability than DEA. The second approach involves the development of high nitrogen content carbon matrix adsorbents by carbonisation and subsequent thermal or chemical activation of a range of materials (polyacrylonitrile, glucose-amine mixtures, melamine and urea/melamine-formaldehyde resins). The results show that although the amount of nitrogen incorporated to the final adsorbent is important, the N-functionality seems to be more relevant for increasing CO{sub 2} uptake. However, the adsorbent obtained from carbazole-sugar co-pyrolysis, despite the lower amount of N incorporated, shows high CO{sub 2} uptake, up to 9 wt%, probably because the presence of more basic functionalities as determined by XPS analysis. 9 refs., 2 figs.

  20. Quantitative percutaneous CO2 measurement following CO2 mineral water baths by means of the isotope ratio

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mass, I.; Huebner, G.; Birkenfeld, H.; Zelaitis, L.; Ploetner, G.

    1983-01-01

    A method for the quantitative determination of the carbon dioxide penetration through the human skin during a medical carbon dioxide mineral water bath is described. The natural isotope variation of carbon in the carbon dioxide of bath water, blood, and exspiratory gas are used for the calculation of the penetrated carbon dioxide amount. The method permits to optimize the effectiveness of medical carbon dioxide baths. (author)

  1. Tree-ring stable isotopes record the impact of a foliar fungal pathogen on CO(2) assimilation and growth in Douglas-fir.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saffell, Brandy J; Meinzer, Frederick C; Voelker, Steven L; Shaw, David C; Brooks, J Renée; Lachenbruch, Barbara; McKay, Jennifer

    2014-07-01

    Swiss needle cast (SNC) is a fungal disease of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) that has recently become prevalent in coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest. We used growth measurements and stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen in tree-rings of Douglas-fir and a non-susceptible reference species (western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla) to evaluate their use as proxies for variation in past SNC infection, particularly in relation to potential explanatory climate factors. We sampled trees from an Oregon site where a fungicide trial took place from 1996 to 2000, which enabled the comparison of stable isotope values between trees with and without disease. Carbon stable isotope discrimination (Δ(13)C) of treated Douglas-fir tree-rings was greater than that of untreated Douglas-fir tree-rings during the fungicide treatment period. Both annual growth and tree-ring Δ(13)C increased with treatment such that treated Douglas-fir had values similar to co-occurring western hemlock during the treatment period. There was no difference in the tree-ring oxygen stable isotope ratio between treated and untreated Douglas-fir. Tree-ring Δ(13)C of diseased Douglas-fir was negatively correlated with relative humidity during the two previous summers, consistent with increased leaf colonization by SNC under high humidity conditions that leads to greater disease severity in following years. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Effect of CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O content in syngas on activity and selectivity of a cobalt based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis catalyst

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poehlmann, F.; Kaiser, P.; Kern, C.; Jess, A. [Bayreuth Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2013-11-01

    When liquid hydrocarbons are to be used as CO{sub 2} neutral storage media for electrical energy, it is necessary to convert CO{sub 2} from e.g. flue gas and hydrogen from water electrolysis to synthesis gas (CO/H{sub 2}). This can be achieved by a high temperature reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction. Due to thermodynamic limitations, the product gas of RWGS reactors operated at technically feasible temperatures of around 900 C will always contain significant amounts of water and carbon dioxide, which can influence the activity of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalysts for the actual hydrocarbon production. In this study, a commercial cobalt catalyst was investigated under low temperature FTS conditions (2.5 MPa, 215 C) regard to activity and selectivity in the presence of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}. A continuous flow apparatus including a fixed-bed reactor for the synthesis step was used to conduct all experiments. The experimental data reveals that the CO/CO{sub 2}-ratio does not affect the activity and product selectivity until the CO{sub 2}-concentration reaches 75 vol.-% (CO{sub 2}/(CO+CO{sub 2})). On increasing the carbon dioxide concentration to 100 vol.-% (H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2} = 2), the methane selectivity rose up to 70 % and even above. Addition of water caused an initial loss of activity. After the initial loss of activity the FT catalyst activity was found to remain constant, irrespectively of if the water was removed from the feed or not. Thus, the deactivation was permanent. (orig.)

  3. The cobalt radioactive isotopes in environment; Les isotopes radioactifs du cobalt dans l'environnement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-07-01

    For the year 1993 the total activity released in cobalt is 69 GBq for the whole of nuclear power plants. The part of activity in cobalt for La Hague in 1993 is 8 GBq of {sup 58}Co and 2 GBq of {sup 60}Co. The radioactive isotopes released by nuclear power plants or the reprocessing plant of La Hague under liquid effluents are shared by half between {sup 58}Co and {sup 60}Co. The exposure to sealed sources is the most important risk for the cobalt. The risk of acute exposure can associate a local irradiation of several decades of grays inducing a radiological burns, deep burn to treat in surgery by resection or graft even amputation. A global irradiation of organism for several grays induces an acute irradiation syndrome, often serious. At long term the stochastic effects are represented by leukemia and radio-induced cancers. The increase of probability of their occurrence is 1% by sievert. We must remind that the natural spontaneous probability is 25%. (N.C.)

  4. Stable isotope compositions (O-C) of reef fish otoliths from the Taiaro lagoon (Tuamotu, French Polynesia): isotopic and biologic implications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blamart, D.; Juillet-Leclerc, A.; Ouahdi, R.; Escoubeyrou, K.; Lecomte-Finiger, R.

    2002-01-01

    Nuclei (larval stage) and outer parts (adult stage) of fish otoliths from the Taiaro closed lagoon (French Polynesia) and adjacent ocean have been analysed for the C-O isotopic compositions. δ 18 O values of the nuclei of both populations indicate that isotopic equilibrium is reached. This implies that the lagoonal fish population has done its complete biological cycle in the lagoon and represents an adaptation in a closed system. δ 18 O values of the outer parts show a slight isotopic disequilibrium ( 13 C values exhibit a strong isotopic disequilibrium related to metabolic activity. (authors)

  5. Effects of CO2 activation on electrochemical performance of microporous carbons derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seul-Yi; Park, Soo-Jin

    2013-01-01

    In this work, we have prepared microporous carbons (MPCs) derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), and the physical activation of MPCs using CO 2 gas is subsequently carried out with various activation temperatures to investigate the electrochemical performance. PVDF is successfully converted into MPCs with a high specific surface area and well-developed micropores. After CO 2 activation, the specific surface areas of MPCs (CA-MPCs) are enhanced by 12% compared with non-activated MPCs. With increasing activation temperature, the micropore size distributions of A-MPCs also become narrower and shift to larger pore size. It is also confirmed that the CO 2 activation had developed the micropores and introduced the oxygen-containing groups to MPCs′ surfaces. From the results, the specific capacitances of the electrodes in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) based on CA-MPCs are distinctly improved through CO 2 activation. The highest specific capacitance of the A-MPCs activated at 700 °C is about 125 F/g, an enhancement of 74% in comparison with NA-MPCs, at a discharge current of 2 A/g in a 6 M KOH electrolyte solution. We also found that micropore size of 0.67 nm has a specific impact on the capacitance behaviors, besides the specific surface area of the electrode samples. - Graphical abstract: The A-MPC samples with high specific surface area (ranging from 1030 to 1082 m 2 /g), corresponding to micropore sizes of 0.67 and 0.72 nm, and with the amount of oxygen-containing groups ranging from 3.2% to 4.4% have been evaluated as electrodes for EDLC applications. . Display Omitted - Highlights: • Microporous carbons (MPCs) were synthesized without activation process. • Next, we carried out the CO 2 activation of MPCs with activation temperatures. • It had developed the micropores and introduced the O-functional groups to MPCs. • The highest specific capacitance: 125 F/g, an increase of 74% compared to MPCs

  6. trans-(Cl)-[Ru(5,5'-diamide-2,2'-bipyridine)(CO)2 Cl2 ]: Synthesis, Structure, and Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuramochi, Yusuke; Fukaya, Kyohei; Yoshida, Makoto; Ishida, Hitoshi

    2015-07-06

    A series of trans-(Cl)-[Ru(L)(CO)2 Cl2 ]-type complexes, in which the ligands L are 2,2'-bipyridyl derivatives with amide groups at the 5,5'-positions, are synthesized. The C-connected amide group bound to the bipyridyl ligand through the carbonyl carbon atom is twisted with respect to the bipyridyl plane, whereas the N-connected amide group is in the plane. DFT calculations reveal that the twisted structure of the C-connected amide group raises the level of the LUMO, which results in a negative shift of the first reduction potential (Ep ) of the ruthenium complex. The catalytic abilities for CO2 reduction are evaluated in photoreactions (λ>400 nm) with the ruthenium complexes (the catalyst), [Ru(bpy)3 ](2+) (bpy=2,2'-bipyridine; the photosensitizer), and 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide (the electron donor) in CO2 -saturated N,N-dimethylacetamide/water. The logarithm of the turnover frequency increases by shifting Ep a negative value until it reaches the reduction potential of the photosensitizer. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Influence of Operational Parameters on the Photocatalytic Activity of Powdered TiO2 for the Reduction of CO2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oman Zuas

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available In this report, the results from a study on the influence of operational parameters on TiO2 photocatalytic activity for CO2 reduction under an ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis illumination are presented. The results indicated that the TiO2 was found to be active for CO2 reduction with CH3OH as the major products, while other minor products (CO, CH4, and C2H4 were also detected. In addition, the formation of such reduction products was obviously influenced by the operational parameters. Under this study, the optimum operational parameters for CO2 reduction at 298 °K were determined to be: NaOH concentration 0.2 M, TiO2 dosage 2 g/L, volume of the reaction media 75 mL, the pressure of system 800 kPa. It was also found that the increase in UV-vis illumination time have increased the yield of product formation. A possible reaction pathway for the formation of the reduction products is also discussed.

  8. CO2 reuse. State of the art and expert opinion. Case of waste treatment activities. Extended abstract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumergues, L.; Favier, B.; Alvaro Claver, R.

    2014-09-01

    CO 2 emitted from anthropic activities, is perceived as a weakness (e.g. taxes, environmental regulations, impact on global warming... ). However, in a perspective of circular economy, to re-use CO 2 appears to be obvious. Currently, more than about 150 millions of tons of CO 2 are used by industry worldwide. In France, estimates of CO 2 emissions related to the activity 'waste treatment' are up to several tens of millions of tons according to emission inventories. The CO 2 can be used in many ways. The direct use without transformation is undoubtedly one of the most currently applied by the industry and the oil activities for many years. However, the potential development is limited. The chemical conversion of CO 2 used as a 'chemical reactive' is achievable by different techniques: mineralization, organic synthesis, hydrogenation, dry reforming, electrolysis, thermolysis... The products obtained have applications such as energy products, chemicals, building materials,... The developments of some of these techniques are particularly followed by the scientific and industrial community. This is the case of 'methanation' or 'power to gas' allowing potentially use the CO 2 directly out of landfill sites and convert it in 'renewable' methane. The biological use of CO 2 as a nutrient to organisms that perform photosynthesis (eg algae), has several advantages including the possibility to use directly the 'poor CO 2 quality' from the incinerator exhaust. (authors)

  9. Trends in land surface phenology and atmospheric CO2 seasonality in the Northern Hemisphere terrestrial ecosystems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonsamo, A.; Chen, J. M.

    2017-12-01

    Northern terrestrial ecosystems have shown global warming-induced advances in start, delays in end, and thus increased lengths of growing season and gross photosynthesis in recent decades. The tradeoffs between seasonal dynamics of two opposing fluxes, CO2 uptake through photosynthesis and release through respiration, determine the influence of the terrestrial ecosystems on the atmospheric CO2 concentration and 13C/12C isotope ratio seasonality. Atmospheric CO2 and 13C/12C seasonality is controlled by vegetation phenology, but is not identical because growth will typically commence some time before and terminate some time after the net carbon exchange changes sign in spring and autumn, respectively. Here, we use 34-year satellite normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) observations to determine how changes in vegetation productivity and phenology affect both the atmospheric CO2 and 13C/12C seasonality. Differences and similarities in recent trends of CO2 and 13C/12C seasonality and vegetation phenology will be discussed. Furthermore, we use the NDVI observations, and atmospheric CO2 and 13C/12C data to show the trends and variability of the timing of peak season plant activity. Preliminary results show that the peak season plant activity of the Northern Hemisphere extra-tropical terrestrial ecosystems is shifting towards spring, largely in response to the warming-induced advance of the start of growing season. Besides, the spring-ward shift of the peak plant activity is contributing the most to the increasing peak season productivity. In other words, earlier start of growing season is highly linked to earlier arrival of peak of season and higher NDVI. Changes in the timing of peak season plant activity are expected to disrupt the synchrony of biotic interaction and exert strong biophysical feedbacks on climate by modifying the surface albedo and energy budget.

  10. Validation of the HTO-18 method for determination of CO2 production of lizards (genus Sceloporus)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Congdon, J.D.; King, W.W.; Nagy, K.A.

    1978-01-01

    The accuracy of doubly-labeled water measurements of CO 2 production in lizards of the genus Sceloporus was assessed by comparison of CO 2 production rates determined simultaneously by labeled water and gas chromatography. Five lizards were weighed and given intraperitoneal injections of 55 μl of water containing 10 microcuries of tritium as HTO and 50 atom % oxygen-18 as H 2 18 O. Initial blood samples were taken from the infraorbital sinus ten hours later, and the lizards were placed in sealed metabolism chambers kept at 28 C. After 179 h the lizards were weighed and blood samples taken. Blood samples were microdistilled, assayed for tritium activity and for oxygen-18 content. Isotope measurements were used to calculate rates of CO 2 production. Gas samples were withdrawn from each chamber after 18, 63, 109, and 179 h and measured against 0.5 and 1.0% CO 2 standards with a Beckman GC-55 gas chromatograph fitted with silica gel 42-60 mesh column. These results were used to calculate rates of CO 2 production. Results supported the conclusion that the doubly-labeled water method accurately measured rates of CO 2 production in Sceloporus lizards, and could therefore be a valuable technique in field studies of lizard energetics

  11. Terrestrial cycling of 13CO2 by photosynthesis, respiration, and biomass burning in SiBCASA

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Velde, I. R.; Miller, J. B.; Schaefer, K.; van der Werf, G. R.; Krol, M. C.; Peters, W.

    2014-12-01

    We present an enhanced version of the SiBCASA terrestrial biosphere model that is extended with (a) biomass burning emissions from the SiBCASA carbon pools using remotely sensed burned area from the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED), (b) an isotopic discrimination scheme that calculates 13C signatures of photosynthesis and autotrophic respiration, and (c) a separate set of 13C pools to carry isotope ratios into heterotrophic respiration. We quantify in this study the terrestrial exchange of CO2 and 13CO2 as a function of environmental changes in humidity and biomass burning. The implementation of biomass burning yields similar fluxes as CASA-GFED both in magnitude and spatial patterns. The implementation of isotope exchange gives a global mean discrimination value of 15.2‰, ranges between 4 and 20‰ depending on the photosynthetic pathway in the plant, and compares favorably (annually and seasonally) with other published values. Similarly, the isotopic disequilibrium is similar to other studies that include a small effect of biomass burning as it shortens the turnover of carbon. In comparison to measurements, a newly modified starch/sugar storage pool propagates the isotopic discrimination anomalies to respiration much better. In addition, the amplitude of the drought response by SiBCASA is lower than suggested by the measured isotope ratios. We show that a slight increase in the stomatal closure for large vapor pressure deficit would amplify the respired isotope ratio variability. Our study highlights the importance of isotope ratio observations of 13C to assess and improve biochemical models like SiBCASA, especially with regard to the allocation and turnover of carbon and the responses to drought.

  12. Preparation of nanoporous activated carbon and its application as nano adsorbent for CO2 storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rashidi, Ali Morad; Kazemi, Davood; Izadi, Nosrat; Pourkhalil, Mahnaz; Jorsaraei, Abbas; Lotfi, Roghayeh; Ganji, Enseyeh

    2016-01-01

    Nanoporous activated carbons, as adsorbent for CO 2 storage, were prepared from walnut shells via two chemical processes including phosphoric acid treatment and KOH activation at high temperature. Specific surface area and porosities were controlled by KOH concentration and activation temperature. The obtained adsorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption at 77.3 K. Their carbon dioxide adsorption capacities were measured at different pressures at 290 K by using volumetric adsorption equipment. The KOH-treated nanoporous carbons typically led to the production of high specific surface areas and high micropore volumes and showed better performance for CO 2 adsorptions. The maximum experimental value for adsorption capacity happened when pressure increased from 5 to 10 bar (1.861- 2.873mmol·g -1 ). It was found that in order to improve the highest capacity of CO 2 adsorption for KOH-modified carbon (9.830-18.208mmol·g -1 ), a KOH: C weight ratio of 3.5 and activation temperature of 973 K were more suitable for pore development and micro-mesopore volume enhancement.

  13. Mechanistic Insights into Catalytic Ethanol Steam Reforming Using Isotope-Labeled Reactants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowley, Stephen; Castaldi, Marco J

    2016-08-26

    The low-temperature ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction mechanism over a supported Rh/Pt catalyst has been investigated using isotope-labeled EtOH and H2 O. Through strategic isotope labeling, all nonhydrogen atoms were distinct from one another, and allowed an unprecedented level of understanding of the dominant reaction pathways. All combinations of isotope- and non-isotope-labeled atoms were detected in the products, thus there are multiple pathways involved in H2 , CO, CO2 , CH4 , C2 H4 , and C2 H6 product formation. Both the recombination of C species on the surface of the catalyst and preservation of the C-C bond within ethanol are responsible for C2 product formation. Ethylene is not detected until conversion drops below 100 % at t=1.25 h. Also, quantitatively, 57 % of the observed ethylene is formed directly through ethanol dehydration. Finally there is clear evidence to show that oxygen in the SiO2 -ZrO2 support constitutes 10 % of the CO formed during the reaction. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Co-ordinated research project on isotopic evaluations of maternal and child health nutrition to help prevent stunting. Report on the 1. research co-ordination meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    The concept for the Co-ordinated Research Programme on isotopic evaluations of maternal and child nutrition to help prevent stunting was a consequence of discussions held between IAEA staff and participants in a regional training course on 'Isotope Techniques in Human Nutrition' held in Lima, Peru in June 1996. The intention then was to develop research on factors influencing the success of lactation and the consequent effects on the breast-fed child. The project would have Latin American participants to promote regional exchange of expertise and ideas. Initial participation was from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Brazil and Pakistan have now been added to these. There are three Specific Research Objectives: (1) To develop stable isotope methods for measuring breast-milk intake using regionally available equipment. (2) To apply the methodology in the assessment of milk intake in infants in relation to maternal nutrition, socio-economic status and education, and infant nutrition and intake of macro- and micro-nutrients. (3) To use information gathered at 2) to determine the need for supplementation programmes for mothers and/or infants, and educational programmes for the mothers

  15. Co-ordinated research project on isotopic evaluations of maternal and child health nutrition to help prevent stunting. Report on the 1. research co-ordination meeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-09-01

    The concept for the Co-ordinated Research Programme on isotopic evaluations of maternal and child nutrition to help prevent stunting was a consequence of discussions held between IAEA staff and participants in a regional training course on `Isotope Techniques in Human Nutrition` held in Lima, Peru in June 1996. The intention then was to develop research on factors influencing the success of lactation and the consequent effects on the breast-fed child. The project would have Latin American participants to promote regional exchange of expertise and ideas. Initial participation was from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Brazil and Pakistan have now been added to these. There are three Specific Research Objectives: (1) To develop stable isotope methods for measuring breast-milk intake using regionally available equipment. (2) To apply the methodology in the assessment of milk intake in infants in relation to maternal nutrition, socio-economic status and education, and infant nutrition and intake of macro- and micro-nutrients. (3) To use information gathered at 2) to determine the need for supplementation programmes for mothers and/or infants, and educational programmes for the mothers Refs, figs, tabs, graphs

  16. Stable isotope measurement techniques for atmospheric greenhouse gases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    The technical requirements to perform useful measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and of their isotope ratios are of direct relevance for all laboratories engaged in this field. A meaningful interpretation of isotopes in global models on sources and sinks of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases depends on strict laboratory protocols and data quality control measures ensuring comparable data in time and space. Only with this precondition met, the isotope techniques can serve as a potentially powerful method for reducing uncertainties in the global CO 2 budgets and for tracing pathways and interaction of terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric pools of carbon. This publication provides four contributions describing methods for the determination of the isotopic composition of trace gases in atmospheric air and in ice cores. These contributions have been indexed separately

  17. Post-combustion CO2 capture with activated carbons using fixed bed adsorption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Mesfer, Mohammed K.; Danish, Mohd; Fahmy, Yasser M.; Rashid, Md. Mamoon

    2018-03-01

    In the current work, the capturing of carbon dioxide from flue gases of post combustion emission using fixed bed adsorption has been carried out. Two grades of commercial activated carbon (sorbent-1 and sorbent-2) were used as adsorbent. Feed consisting of CO2 and N2 mixture was used for carrying out the adsorption. The influence of bed temperature, feed rate, equilibrium partial pressure and initial % CO2 in feed were considered for analyzing adsorption-desorption process. It was found that the total adsorption-desorption cycle time decreases with increased column temperature and feed rates. The time required to achieve the condition of bed saturation decreases with increased bed temperature and feed rates. The amount of CO2 adsorbed/Kg of the adsorbent declines with increased bed temperature with in studied range for sorbent-1 and sorbent-2. It was suggested that the adsorption capacity of the both the sorbents increases with increased partial pressure of the gas.

  18. Cryogenic Calcite: A Morphologic and Isotopic Analog to the ALH84001 Carbonates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niles, P. B.; Leshin, L. A.; Socki, R. A.; Guan, Y.; Ming, D. W.; Gibson, E. K.

    2004-01-01

    Martian meteorite ALH84001 carbonates preserve large and variable microscale isotopic compositions, which in some way reflect their formation environment. These measurements show large variations (>20%) in the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the carbonates on a 10-20 micron scale that are correlated with chemical composition. However, the utilization of these data sets for interpreting the formation conditions of the carbonates is complex due to lack of suitable terrestrial analogs and the difficulty of modeling under non-equilibrium conditions. Thus, the mechanisms and processes are largely unknown that create and preserve large microscale isotopic variations in carbonate minerals. Experimental tests of the possible environments and mechanisms that lead to large microscale isotopic variations can help address these concerns. One possible mechanism for creating large carbon isotopic variations in carbonates involves the freezing of water. Carbonates precipitate during extensive CO2 degassing that occurs during the freezing process as the fluid s decreasing volume drives CO2 out. This rapid CO2 degassing results in a kinetic isotopic fractionation where the CO2 gas has a much lighter isotopic composition causing an enrichment of 13C in the remaining dissolved bicarbonate. This study seeks to determine the suitability of cryogenically formed carbonates as analogs to ALH84001 carbonates. Specifically, our objective is to determine how accurately models using equilibrium fractionation factors approximate the isotopic compositions of cryogenically precipitated carbonates. This includes determining the accuracy of applying equilibrium fractionation factors during a kinetic process, and determining how isotopic variations in the fluid are preserved in microscale variations in the precipitated carbonates.

  19. Radiocarbon application in dating 'complex' hot and cold CO{sub 2}-rich mineral water systems: A review of case studies ascribed to the northern Portugal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carreira, Paula M. [Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear, Departamento de Quimica, Estrada Nacional No 10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal)], E-mail: carreira@itn.pt; Marques, Jose M.; Graca, Rui C.; Aires-Barros, Luis [Instituto Superior Tecnico, Laboratorio de Mineralogia e Petrologia, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa (Portugal)

    2008-10-15

    The use of radioactive isotopes plays a very important role in dating groundwater, providing an apparent age of the systems in the framework of the aquifers conceptual modelling making available important features about the water fluxes, such as recharge, horizontal flow rates and discharge. In this paper, special emphasis has been put on isotopic constraints in the use of {delta}{sup 13}C and {sup 14}C content as a dating tool in some hot (76 deg. C) and cold (17 deg. C) CO{sub 2}-rich mineral waters discharging in the Vilarelho da Raia-Pedras Salgadas region (N-Portugal). The radiocarbon content determined in these CO{sub 2}-rich mineral waters ({sup 14}C activity from 4.3 up to 9.9 pmc) is incompatible with the systematic presence of {sup 3}H (from 1.7 to 7.9 TU). The {delta}{sup 13}C values of the studied CO{sub 2}-rich mineral waters indicate that the total C in the recharge waters is being masked by larger quantities of CO{sub 2} ({sup 14}C-free) introduced from deep-seated (upper mantle) sources. This paper demonstrates that a good knowledge of mineral water systems is essential to allow hydrologists to make sound conclusions on the use of C isotopic data in each particular situation.

  20. Evaluation of ammonia modified and conventionally activated biomass based carbons as CO2 adsorbents in postcombustion conditions

    OpenAIRE

    González Plaza, Marta; García López, Susana; Rubiera González, Fernando; Pis Martínez, José Juan; Pevida García, Covadonga

    2011-01-01

    Low cost carbons obtained from biomass residues, olive stones and almond shells, were evaluated as CO2 adsorbents in postcombustion conditions (low CO2 partial pressure). These carbons were prepared from biomass chars by means of two different methods: physical activation with CO2 and amination. All the prepared carbons present a high CO2 adsorption capacity at 303 K, although carbons developed from almond shells show a superior CO2/N2 selectivity (lower N2 adsorption) than those obtained fro...

  1. Soil CO2 emissions as a proxy for heat and mass flow assessment, Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomberg, S.; Werner, Cynthia A.; Rissmann, C.F.; Mazot, A.; Horton, Travis B.; Gravley, D; Kennedy, B.; Oze, C

    2014-01-01

    The quantification of heat and mass flow between deep reservoirs and the surface is important for understanding magmatic and hydrothermal systems. Here, we use high-resolution measurement of carbon dioxide flux (φCO2) and heat flow at the surface to characterize the mass (CO2 and steam) and heat released to the atmosphere from two magma-hydrothermal systems. Our soil gas and heat flow surveys at Rotokawa and White Island in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, include over 3000 direct measurements of φCO2 and soil temperature and 60 carbon isotopic values on soil gases. Carbon dioxide flux was separated into background and magmatic/hydrothermal populations based on the measured values and isotopic characterization. Total CO2 emission rates (ΣCO2) of 441 ± 84 t d−1 and 124 ± 18 t d−1were calculated for Rotokawa (2.9 km2) and for the crater floor at White Island (0.3 km2), respectively. The total CO2 emissions differ from previously published values by +386 t d−1 at Rotokawa and +25 t d−1 at White Island, demonstrating that earlier research underestimated emissions by 700% (Rotokawa) and 25% (White Island). These differences suggest that soil CO2 emissions facilitate more robust estimates of the thermal energy and mass flux in geothermal systems than traditional approaches. Combining the magmatic/hydrothermal-sourced CO2 emission (constrained using stable isotopes) with reservoir H2O:CO2mass ratios and the enthalpy of evaporation, the surface expression of thermal energy release for the Rotokawa hydrothermal system (226 MWt) is 10 times greater than the White Island crater floor (22.5 MWt).

  2. Analysis of Microbial Activity Under a Supercritical CO{sub 2} Atmosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thompson, Janelle

    2012-11-30

    Because the extent and impact of microbial activity in deep saline aquifers during geologic sequestration is unknown, the objectives of this proposal were to: (1) characterize the growth requirements and optima of a biofilm-producing supercritical CO{sub 2}-tolerant microbial consortium (labeled MIT0212) isolated from hydrocarbons recovered from the Frio Ridge, TX carbon sequestration site; (2) evaluate the ability of this consortium to grow under simulated reservoir conditions associated with supercritical CO{sub 2} injection; (3) isolate and characterize individual microbial strains from this consortium; and (4) investigate the mechanisms of supercritical CO{sub 2} tolerance in isolated strains and the consortium through genome-enabled studies. Molecular analysis of genetic diversity in the consortium MIT0212 revealed a predominance of sequences closely related to species of the spore-forming genus Bacillus. Strain MIT0214 was isolated from this consortium and characterized by physiological profiling and genomic analysis. We have shown that the strain MIT0214 is an aerobic spore-former and capable of facultative anaerobic growth under both reducing N{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} atmospheres by fermentation and possibly anaerobic respiration. Strain MIT0214 is best adapted to anaerobic growth at pressures of 1 atm but is able to growth at elevated pressures After 1 week growth was observed at pressures as high as 27 atm (N{sub 2}) or 9 atm (CO{sub 2}) and after 26-30 days growth can be observed under supercritical CO{sub 2}. In addition, we have determined that spores of strain B. cereus MIT0214 are tolerant of both direct and indirect exposure to supercritical CO{sub 2}. Additional physiological characterization under aerobic conditions have revealed MIT0214 is able to grow from temperature of 21 to 45 °C and salinities 0.01 to 40 g/L NaCl with optimal growth occurring at 30°C and from 1 - 5 g NaCl/L. The genome sequence of B. cereus MIT0214 shared 89 to 91% of genes

  3. Surface geothermal exploration in the Canary Islands by means of soil CO_{2} degassing surveys

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Merino, Marta; Rodríguez, Fátima; Padrón, Eleazar; Melián, Gladys; Asensio-Ramos, María; Barrancos, José; Hernández, Pedro A.; Pérez, Nemesio M.

    2017-04-01

    With the exception of the Teide fumaroles, there is not any evidence of hydrothermal fluid discharges in the surficial environment of the Canary Islands, the only Spanish territory with potential high enthalpy geothermal resources. Here we show the results of several diffuse CO2 degassing surveys carried out at five mining licenses in Tenerife and Gran Canaria with the aim of sorting the possible geothermal potential of these five mining licenses. The primary objective of the study was to reduce the uncertainty inherent to the selection of the areas with highest geothermal potential for future exploration works. The yardstick used to classify the different areas was the contribution of volcano-hydrothermal CO2 in the diffuse CO2 degassing at each study area. Several hundreds of measurements of diffuse CO2 emission, soil CO2 concentration and isotopic composition were performed at each mining license. Based in three different endmembers (biogenic, atmospheric and deep-seated CO2) with different CO2 concentrations (100, 0.04 and 100%, respectively) and isotopic compositions (-24, -8 and -3 per mil vs. VPDB respectively) a mass balance to distinguish the different contribution of each endmember in the soil CO2 at each sampling site was made. The percentage of the volcano-hydrothermal contribution in the current diffuse CO2 degassing was in the range 0-19%. The Abeque mining license, that comprises part of the north-west volcanic rift of Tenerife, seemed to show the highest geothermal potential, with an average of 19% of CO2 being released from deep sources, followed by Atidama (south east of Gran Canaria) and Garehagua (southern volcanic rift of Tenerife), with 17% and 12% respectively.

  4. Larger CO2 source at the equatorial Pacific during the last deglaciation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kubota, Kaoru; Yokoyama, Yusuke; Ishikawa, Tsuyoshi; Obrochta, Stephen; Suzuki, Atsushi

    2014-01-01

    While biogeochemical and physical processes in the Southern Ocean are thought to be central to atmospheric CO2 rise during the last deglaciation, the role of the equatorial Pacific, where the largest CO2 source exists at present, remains largely unconstrained. Here we present seawater pH and pCO2 variations from fossil Porites corals in the mid equatorial Pacific offshore Tahiti based on a newly calibrated boron isotope paleo-pH proxy. Our new data, together with recalibrated existing data, indicate that a significant pCO2 increase (pH decrease), accompanied by anomalously large marine 14C reservoir ages, occurred following not only the Younger Dryas, but also Heinrich Stadial 1. These findings indicate an expanded zone of equatorial upwelling and resultant CO2 emission, which may be derived from higher subsurface dissolved inorganic carbon concentration. PMID:24918354

  5. CO2 removals and CO2 and non-CO2 trace gas emissions affected by human activity in the forests in the Republic of macedonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grupche, Ljupcho; Lozanovski, Risto; Markovska, Natasha

    2001-01-01

    During 2000 and 2001 inventories of CO 2 removals and emissions caused by changes in forest and other woody biomass stocks, as well as the inventories of CO 2 and non-CO 2 trace gas emissions caused by forest conversions (accidental burning) were carried out. According to the forest area in ha, and depending on the differences between the annual biomass increment and annual biomass consumption, about 30-50% of total annual carbon uptake increment is released through the biomass consumption from stocks. 50-70% of the net annual carbon uptake converted to CO 2 identify the annual removals of this gas, which is on average 1805 Gg/yr, ranging between 1485 and 2243 Gg/yr. From 1990 to 1998 on average 4700 ha forest area (min. 110 ha in 1991, max. 14420 ha in 1993) was burned. Proportionally to the burned area, there was a release on average of 18.62 kt C annually (min. 0.42 kt C, max. 57.11 kt), related to 136.07 kt CO 2 on average (min. 1.5 kt CO 2 , max. 209.22 kt CO 2 ). (Original)

  6. Synthesis of Co/N-HNTs composites and investigation on its catalytic activity for H{sub 2} generation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Dongcui; Cheng, Zhilin; Nan, Zhaodong, E-mail: zdnan@yzu.edu.cn

    2016-11-01

    Co/N-HNTs composites were synthesized via a one-pot solvothermal method, where amine functional halloysite nanotubes (N-HNTs) were used as support materials. Effects of sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT), an anionic surfactant, on morphology and dispersibility of Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs were studied. The dispersibility of the Co particles was promoted with the increase of the AOT concentration. The as-obtained composite was used as a catalyst to generate H{sub 2} gas by hydrolysis of NaBH{sub 4} solution. The catalytic activity of the composite was significantly enhanced than the pure Co and Co/graphene composite at the same experimental conditions reported by our laboratory, and the catalyst was conveniently separated from the solution by a magnet. The catalytic activity was enhanced when the dispersibility of the Co particles was improved at the surface of the N-HNTs and the Co content contained in the composite was lowed. At the same time, the Co particles anchored at the inner surface of the N-HNTs resulted in higher catalytic activity, where the Co particles may bond with nitrogen atoms. The activation energy for the hydrolysis of NaBH{sub 4} was calculated to be about 15.42 kJ mol{sup −1}. The catalyst can be continuously used for four times with about the same catalytic activity. - Highlights: • Co/N-HNTs composites are synthesized. • The dispersibility and morphology of the Co particles anchored at the N-HNTs are modified by AOT. • The composite shows higher catalytic activity for production H{sub 2} gas.

  7. Improved visible-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2 co-doped with copper and iodine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorraj, Masoumeh; Goh, Boon Tong; Sairi, Nor Asrina; Woi, Pei Meng; Basirun, Wan Jefrey

    2018-05-01

    Cu-I-co-doped TiO2 photocatalysts active to visible light absorption were prepared by hydrothermal method and calcined at various temperatures (350 °C, 450 °C, and 550 °C). The co-doped powders at 350 °C displayed the highest experimental Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and lowest photoluminescence intensity, which demonstrated that a decrease in electron-hole recombination process. The synthesis of co-doped TiO2 was performed at this optimized temperature. In the co-doped sample, the Cu2+ doped TiO2 lattice created a major "red-shift" in the absorption edge due to the presence of the 3d Cu states, whereas the amount of red-shift from the I5+ doping in the TiO2 lattice was minor. Interestingly, the presence of Cu2+ species also boosted the reduction of I5+ ions to the lower multi-valance state I- in the TiO2 lattice by trapping the photogenerated electrons, which resulted in effective separation of the photogenerated charges. The Cu-I-co-doped TiO2 was able to degrade methyl orange dye under visible-light irradiation with improved photocatalytic activity compared with the single metal-doped TiO2 and pure TiO2 because of the strong visible light absorption and effective separation of photogenerated charges caused by the synergistic effects of Cu and I co-dopants.

  8. C isotope fractionation during heterotrophic activity driven carbonate precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balci, Nurgul; Demirel, Cansu

    2016-04-01

    Stable carbon isotopic fractionation during carbonate precipitation induced by environmentally enriched heterotrophic halophilic microorganims was experimentally investigated under various salinity (% 4.5, %8, %15) conditions at 30 °C. Halophilic heterotrophic microorganims were enriched from a hypersaline Lake Acigöl located in SW Turkey (Balci et al.,2015) and later used for the precipitation experiments (solid and liquid medium). The carbonate precipitates had relatively high δ13C values (-4.3 to -16.9 ‰) compared to the δ13C values of the organic compounds that ranged from -27.5 to -25.4 ‰. At salinity of 4.5 % δ13C values of carbonate ranged from -4.9 ‰ to -10.9 ‰ with a 13C-enrichment factor of +20 to +16 ‰ higher than the δ13C values of the associated DOC (-27.5) . At salinity 8 % δ13C values of carbonate ranged from -16.3 ‰ to -11.7 ‰ with a 13C-enrichment factor of+11.3 to+15.9 ‰ higher than the δ13C values of the associated DOC. The respected values for 15 % salinity ranged from -12.3 ‰ to -9.7 ‰ with a 13C-enrichment factor of +15.2 to+16.8 ‰ higher than the δ13C values of the associated DOC. The carbonate precipitates produced in the solid medium are more enriched in 13C relative to liquid culture experiments. These results suggest that the carbon in the solid was derived from both the bacterial oxidation of organic compounds in the medium and from the atmospheric CO2. A solid medium used in the experiments may have suppressed convective and advective mass transport favouring diffusion-controlled system. This determination suggests that the rate and equilibration of CO2 exchange with the atmosphere is the major control on C isotope composition of carbonate minerals precipitated in the experiments. Key words: Lake Acıgöl, halophilic bacteria, carbonate biomineralization, C isotopes References Nurgul Balci, Meryem Menekşe, Nevin Gül Karagüler, M. Şeref Sönmez,Patrick Meister 2015.Reproducing authigenic carbonate

  9. Soil gas (222Rn, CO2, 4He) behaviour over a natural CO2 accumulation, Montmiral area (Drome, France): geographical, geological and temporal relationships

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gal, Frederick; Joublin, Franck; Haas, Hubert; Jean-prost, Veronique; Ruffier, Veronique

    2011-01-01

    The south east basin of France shelters deep CO 2 reservoirs often studied with the aim of better constraining geological CO 2 storage operations. Here we present new soil gas data, completing an existing dataset (CO 2 , 222 Rn, 4 He), together with mineralogical and physical characterisations of soil columns, in an attempt to better understand the spatial distribution of gas concentrations in the soils and to rule on the sealed character of the CO 2 reservoir at present time. Anomalous gas concentrations were found but did not appear to be clearly related to geological structures that may drain deep gases up to the surface, implying a dominant influence of near surface processes as indicated by carbon isotope ratios. Coarse grained, quartz-rich soils favoured the existence of high CO 2 concentrations. Fine grained clayey soils preferentially favoured the existence of 222 Rn but not CO 2 . Soil formations did not act as barriers preventing gas migrations in soils, either due to water content or due to mineralogical composition. No abundant leakage from the Montmiral reservoir can be highlighted by the measurements, even near the exploitation well. As good correlation between CO 2 and 222 Rn concentrations still exist, it is suggested that 222 Rn migration is also CO 2 dependent in non-leaking areas - diffusion dominated systems.

  10. Ternary CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO electrocatalyst with CoMoS phase for efficient hydrogen evolution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Yan-Ru; Shang, Xiao [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Gao, Wen-Kun [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Dong, Bin, E-mail: dongbin@upc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); College of Science, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Chi, Jing-Qi; Li, Xiao; Yan, Kai-Li; Chai, Yong-Ming [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Liu, Yun-Qi, E-mail: liuyq@upc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Liu, Chen-Guang [State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China)

    2017-08-01

    Highlights: • Ternary CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO with CoMoS phase as electrocatalyst for HER was prepared. • CoMoS phase have the metallic nature and highly intrinsic activity for HER. • RGO support ensures good distribution of CoMoS phase and enhances the conductivity. • The introduction of CoMoS and RGO may be a novel strategy for efficient HER of MoS{sub 2}. - Abstract: CoMoS phase with metallic character plays crucial role on enhancing the activity of MoS{sub 2} electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, only Co atoms located in the edges of MoS{sub 2} can create CoMoS phase, so it is a challenge to obtain CoMoS phase with homogeneous distribution limited by the layered MoS{sub 2} and doping method of Co. Herein, we reported a simple one-pot hydrothermal method to prepare novel ternary CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO with CoMoS phase for HER using reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as support. XPS proves the formation of CoMoS phase, implying the enhanced activity for HER. RGO support ensures the well distribution of CoMoS phase and enhances the conductivity of CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO. Compared to CoS{sub 2}/RGO, MoS{sub 2}/RGO and CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}, the obtained CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO shows superior activity for HER with an onset overpotential of −80 mV (vs. RHE), small Tafel slope of 56 mV dec{sup −1}, high exchange current density of 11.4 μA cm{sup −2} and rigid electrochemical durability. The enhanced performances for HER may be ascribed to the formation of CoMoS phase with high activity and the existence of RGO support with good electrical conductivitys in ternary CoS{sub 2}/MoS{sub 2}/RGO. Therefore, the introduction of CoMoS phase and RGO into MoS{sub 2} could effectively enhance electrocatalytic properties for HER.

  11. Indoor and outdoor urban atmospheric CO2: Stable carbon isotope constraints on mixing and mass balance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yanes, Yurena; Yapp, Crayton J.

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → 13 C of indoor CO 2 indicates proportion of C 4 -derived carbon in occupants' diet. → Flux balance model for ventilated rooms shows rapid approach to CO 2 steady-state. → From extant indoor CO 2 data more dietary C 4 carbon in American than European diets. → Local outdoor urban CO 2 increase of 17 ppm in ten years, no change in average 13 C. - Abstract: From July to November 2009, concentrations of CO 2 in 78 samples of ambient air collected in 18 different interior spaces on a university campus in Dallas, Texas (USA) ranged from 386 to 1980 ppm. Corresponding δ 13 C values varied from -8.9 per mille to -19.4 per mille. The CO 2 from 22 samples of outdoor air (also collected on campus) had a more limited range of concentrations from 385 to 447 ppm (avg. = 408 ppm), while δ 13 C values varied from -10.1 per mille to -8.4 per mille (avg.=-9.0 per mille). In contrast to ambient indoor and outdoor air, the concentrations of CO 2 exhaled by 38 different individuals ranged from 38,300 to 76,200 ppm (avg. = 55,100 ppm), while δ 13 C values ranged from -24.8 per mille to -17.7 per mille (avg. = -21.8 per mille). The residence times of the total air in the interior spaces of this study appear to have been on the order of 10 min with relatively rapid approaches (∼30 min) to steady-state concentrations of ambient CO 2 gas. Collectively, the δ 13 C values of the indoor CO 2 samples were linearly correlated with the reciprocal of CO 2 concentration, exhibiting an intercept of -21.8 per mille, with r 2 = 0.99 and p 2 data representing 18 interior spaces (with varying numbers of occupants), and the coincidence of the intercept (-21.8 per mille) with the average δ 13 C value for human-exhaled CO 2 demonstrates simple mixing between two inputs: (1) outdoor CO 2 introduced to the interior spaces by ventilation systems, and (2) CO 2 exhaled by human occupants of those spaces. If such simple binary mixing is a common feature of interior spaces, it

  12. Inorganic carbon uptake during photosynthesis. II. Uptake by isolated Asparagus mesophyll cells during isotopic disequilibrium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Espie, G.S.; Owttrim, G.W.; Colman, B.

    1986-01-01

    The species of inorganic carbon (CO 2 or HCO 3 - ) taken up as a source of substrate for photosynthetic fixation by isolated Asparagus sprengeri mesophyll cells is investigated. Discrimination between CO 2 or HCO 3 - transport, during steady state photosynthesis, is achieved by monitoring the changes (by 14 C fixation) which occur in the specific activity of the intracellular pool of inorganic carbon when the inorganic carbon present in the suspending medium is in a state of isotopic disequilibrium. Quantitative comparisons between theoretical (CO 2 or HCO 3 - transport) and experimental time-courses of 14 C incorporation, over the pH range of 5.2 to 7.5, indicate that the specific activity of extracellular CO 2 , rather than HCO 3 - , is the appropriate predictor of the intracellular specific activity. It is concluded, therefore, that CO 2 is the major source of exogenous inorganic carbon taken up by Asparagus cells. However, at high pH (8.5), a component of net DIC uptake may be attributable to HCO 3 - transport, as the incorporation of 14 C during isotopic disequilibrium exceeds the maximum possible incorporation predicted on the basis of CO 2 uptake alone. The contribution of HCO 3 - to net inorganic carbon uptake (pH 8.5) is variable, ranging from 5 to 16%, but is independent of the extracellular HCO 3 - concentration. The evidence for direct HCO 3 - transport is subject to alternative explanations and must, therefore, be regarded as equivocal. Nonlinear regression analysis of the rate of 14 C incorporation as a function of time indicates the presence of a small extracellular resistance to the diffusion of CO 2 , which is partially alleviated by a high extracellular concentration of HCO 3 -

  13. Experimental evidence for carbonate precipitation and CO 2 degassing during sea ice formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadimitriou, S.; Kennedy, H.; Kattner, G.; Dieckmann, G. S.; Thomas, D. N.

    2004-04-01

    Chemical and stable carbon isotopic modifications during the freezing of artificial seawater were measured in four 4 m 3 tank incubations. Three of the four incubations were inoculated with a nonaxenic Antarctic diatom culture. The 18 days of freezing resulted in 25 to 27 cm thick ice sheets overlying the residual seawater. The ice phase was characterized by a decrease in temperature from -1.9 to -2.2°C in the under-ice seawater down to -6.7°C in the upper 4 cm of the ice sheet, with a concurrent increase in the salinity of the under-ice seawater and brine inclusions of the ice sheet as a result of physical concentration of major dissolved salts by expulsion from the solid ice matrix. Measurements of pH, total dissolved inorganic carbon (C T) and its stable isotopic composition (δ 13C T) all exhibited changes, which suggest minimal effect by biological activity during the experiment. A systematic drop in pH and salinity-normalized C T by up to 0.37 pH SWS units and 376 μmol C kg -1 respectively at the lowest temperature and highest salinity part of the ice sheet were coupled with an equally systematic 13C enrichment of the C T. Calculations based on the direct pH and C T measurements indicated a steady increase in the in situ concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO 2(aq)) with time and increasing salinity within the ice sheet, partly due to changes in the dissociation constants of carbonic acid in the low temperature-high salinity range within sea ice. The combined effects of temperature and salinity on the solubility of CO 2 over the range of conditions encountered during this study was a slight net decrease in the equilibrium CO 2(aq) concentration as a result of the salting-out overriding the increase in solubility with decreasing temperature. Hence, the increase in the in situ CO 2(aq) concentration lead to saturation or supersaturation of the brine inclusions in the ice sheet with respect to atmospheric pCO 2 (≈3.5 × 10 -4 atm). When all physico

  14. Preparation and characterization of graphene oxide/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} photocatalyst and its visible light photocatalytic activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jiade; Wei, Longfu [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); Yu, Changlin, E-mail: yuchanglinjx@163.com [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); School of Environment Engineering and Biology Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000, Guangdong Province (China); Fang, Wen [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002 (China); Xie, Yu, E-mail: xieyu_121@163.com [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China); College of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi (China); Zhou, Wanqin; Zhu, Lihua [School of Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province (China)

    2015-12-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} photocatalyst was prepared by liquid deposition process. • GO increase e{sup −}/h{sup +} pairs separation. • The production of ·OH and O{sub 2}·{sup −} radicals was promoted. • High photocatalytic activity and stability were obtained over GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. - Abstract: Graphene oxide (GO) was firstly fabricated from graphite powder by Hummers method. Then a series of GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composite photocatalysts (0.1% GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, 0.5%GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, 1%GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, 4%GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}) were synthesized by a facile liquid deposition process. The produced products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} physical adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), Raman spectra and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation. The influence of GO concentration on the photocatalytic activity of GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} was investigated. The results showed that GO can be easily dispersed into Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}, producing well contacted GO/Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composite. Coupling of trace GO largely enhanced the visible light absorption. Moreover, GO could suppress the growth of Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3} grain crystals. With optimum GO content (0.5%), the degradation rate of MO is 85.37% after 120 min light irradiation, which Exhibits 1.53 times activity of that of pure Ag{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. More importantly, a large improvement in stability was obtained over the composite. The increase in photocatalytic activity and stability could be mainly attributed to the coupling of GO which increased the surface area and suppressed the recombination rate of e{sup −}/h{sup +} pairs.

  15. Preparation of Au/Y2O3 and Au/NiO catalysts by co-precipitation and their oxidation activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sreethawong, Thammanoon; Sitthiwechvijit, Norsit; Rattanachatchai, Apiwat; Ouraipryvan, Piya; Schwank, Johannes W.; Chavadej, Sumaeth

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → The catalytic activity of Au catalysts supported on Y 2 O 3 and NiO prepared by co-precipitation was investigated for CO and methanol oxidation. → The phase transformation of yttrium support greatly affected the CO oxidation activity. → The Au/Y 2 O 3 exhibited the same activity as Au/NiO for the methanol oxidation while the Au/NiO gave higher activity for CO oxidation. - Abstract: The objective of this work was to investigate the catalytic activity of gold catalysts supported on two metal oxides, yttrium oxide and nickel oxide, prepared by co-precipitation for CO and methanol oxidation reactions. The TGA and XRD results confirmed that yttrium hydroxide (Y(OH) 3 ) was formed at calcination temperature below 300 deg. C. When it was calcined at 400 deg. C, the Y(OH) 3 was transformed to yttrium oxide hydroxide (YOOH). Finally, when calcination temperature was raised to 600 deg. C, the YOOH was completely transformed to yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ). Interestingly, the gold loaded on YOOH calcined at 400 deg. C and gold loaded on Y 2 O 3 calcined at 500 deg. C comparatively showed the highest catalytic activity for complete CO oxidation at a reaction temperature of 300 deg. C. The 0.12% Au/Y 2 O 3 catalyst calcined at 500 deg. C was employed for both CO and methanol oxidation studies. For complete CO oxidation, the reaction temperatures of Au/Y 2 O 3 and Au/NiO catalysts were 325 deg. C and 250 deg. C, respectively. The light-off temperatures of Au/Y 2 O 3 and Au/NiO catalysts for methanol oxidation were 210 deg. C and 205 deg. C, respectively. Conclusively, the Au/Y 2 O 3 clearly exhibited the same activity as that of Au/NiO for methanol oxidation while the Au/NiO gave higher activity for CO oxidation.

  16. CoP/WS2 nanoflake heterostructures as efficient electrocatalysts for significant improvement in hydrogen evolution activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yajie; Kang, Chuanhong; Wang, Ruihong; Ren, Zhiyu; Fu, Huiying; Xiao, Yuting; Tian, Guohui

    2018-06-01

    The CoP/WS2 nanoflake composites were synthesized via the sulfuration and subsequent phosphidation using the pre-prepared WO2.72 nanowires as precursors. Originally, WO2.72 nanowires were prepared and followed by sulfuration to obtain WS2 nanoflakes. The as-prepared WS2 nanoflakes were used as substrates, on which the Co3O4 nanoparticles were uniformly anchored to construct the Co3O4/WS2 nanoflakes. Finally, the Co3O4/WS2 composites were subjected to phosphidation and in-situ converted into CoP/WS2 nanoflakes. Because of the dual functionalities of both CoP and WS2, the abundant interfaces as well as their synergy, the CoP/WS2 nanoflakes exhibited much higher electrocatalytic activity, smaller overpotential (-81 mV), lower Tafel slope (62 mV decade-1), and higher stability toward hydrogen-evolution reaction than those for the single CoP and WS2.

  17. Partitioning CO2 fluxes with isotopologue measurements and modeling to understand mechanisms of forest carbon sequestration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davidson, Eric A. [Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA (United States); Saleska, Scott [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Savage, Kathleen [Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA (United States); Finzi, Adrien [Boston Univ., MA (United States); Moorcroft, Paul [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Wehr, Richard [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

    2016-02-18

    1. Project Summary and Objectives This project combines automated in situ observations of the isotopologues of CO2 with root observations, novel experimental manipulations of belowground processes, and isotope-enabled ecosystem modeling to investigate mechanisms of below- vs. aboveground carbon sequestration at the Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (EMS). The proposed objectives, which have now been largely accomplished, include: A. Partitioning of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) into photosynthesis and respiration using long-term continuous observations of the isotopic composition of NEE, and analysis of their dynamics ; B. Investigation of the influence of vegetation phenology on the timing and magnitude of carbon allocated belowground using measurements of root growth and indices of belowground autotrophic vs. heterotrophic respiration (via trenched plots and isotope measurements); C. Testing whether plant allocation of carbon belowground stimulates the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, using in situ rhizosphere simulation experiments wherein realistic quantities of artificial isotopically-labeled exudates are released into the soil; and D. Synthesis and interpretation of the above data using the Ecosystem Demography Model 2 (ED2).

  18. Studies on the adsorption behavior of CO2-CH4 mixtures using activated carbon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. B. Rios

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Separation of CO2 from CO2-CH4 mixtures is an important issue in natural gas and biogas purification. The design of such separation processes depends on the knowledge of the behavior of multicomponent adsorption, particularly that of CO2-CH4 mixtures. In this study, we present a series of experimental binary equilibrium isotherms for CO2-CH4 mixtures on an activated carbon at 293 K and compare them with predicted values using the Ideal Adsorption Solution Theory (IAST and the Extended Langmuir (EL model. Even at concentrations of ca. 20% for all binary isotherms, CO2 already presents higher adsorbed amounts with respect to CH4. A maximum selectivity of around 8.7 was observed for a nearly equimolar mixture at 0.1 MPa. The IAST in conjunction with the Toth equation showed slightly better results than IAST using the Langmuir equation and both showed better results than the EL model.

  19. Reaction mechanisms of CO2 activation and catalytic reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolff, Niklas von

    2016-01-01

    The use of CO 2 as a C1 chemical feedstock for the fine chemical industry is interesting both economically and ecologically, as CO 2 is non-toxic, abundant and cheap. Nevertheless, transformations of CO 2 into value-added products is hampered by its high thermodynamic stability and its inertness toward reduction. In order to design new catalysts able to overcome this kinetic challenge, a profound understanding of the reaction mechanisms at play in CO 2 reduction is needed. Using novel N/Si+ frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), the influence of CO 2 adducts and different hydro-borane reducing agents on the reaction mechanism in the catalytic hydroboration of CO 2 were investigated, both by DFT calculations and experiments. In a second step, the reaction mechanism of a novel reaction for the creation of C-C bonds from CO 2 and pyridyl-silanes (C 5 H 4 N-SiMe 3 ) was analyzed by DFT calculations. It was shown that CO 2 plays a double role in this transformation, acting both as a catalyst and a C1-building block. The fine understanding of this transformation then led to the development of a novel approach for the synthesis of sulfones and sulfonamides. Starting from SO 2 and aromatic silanes/amine silanes, these products were obtained in a single step under metal-free conditions. Noteworthy, sulfones and sulfonamides are common motifs in organic chemistry and found in a variety of highly important drugs. Finally, this concept was extended to aromatic halides as coupling partners, and it was thus shown for the first time that a sulfonylative Hiyama reaction is a possible approach to the synthesis of sulfones. (author) [fr

  20. Regulation of Coordination Number over Single Co Sites: Triggering the Efficient Electroreduction of CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaoqian; Chen, Zhao; Zhao, Xuyan; Yao, Tao; Chen, Wenxing; You, Rui; Zhao, Changming; Wu, Geng; Wang, Jing; Huang, Weixin; Yang, Jinlong; Hong, Xun; Wei, Shiqiang; Wu, Yuen; Li, Yadong

    2018-02-12

    The design of active, selective, and stable CO 2 reduction electrocatalysts is still challenging. A series of atomically dispersed Co catalysts with different nitrogen coordination numbers were prepared and their CO 2 electroreduction catalytic performance was explored. The best catalyst, atomically dispersed Co with two-coordinate nitrogen atoms, achieves both high selectivity and superior activity with 94 % CO formation Faradaic efficiency and a current density of 18.1 mA cm -2 at an overpotential of 520 mV. The CO formation turnover frequency reaches a record value of 18 200 h -1 , surpassing most reported metal-based catalysts under comparable conditions. Our experimental and theoretical results demonstrate that lower a coordination number facilitates activation of CO 2 to the CO 2 .- intermediate and hence enhances CO 2 electroreduction activity. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Assessment of CO2 discharge in a spring using time-variant stable carbon isotope data as a natural analogue study of CO2 leakage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Soonyoung; Chae, Gitak; Jo, Minki; Kim, Jeong-Chan; Yun, Seong-Taek

    2015-04-01

    CO2-rich springs have been studied as a natural analogue of CO2 leakage through shallow subsurface environment, as they provide information on the behaviors of CO2 during the leakage from geologic CO2 storage sites. For this study, we monitored the δ13C values as well as temperature, pH, EC, DO, and alkalinity for a CO2-rich spring for 48 hours. The water samples (N=47) were collected every hour in stopper bottles without headspace to avoid the interaction with air and the CO2 degassing. The δ13C values of total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) in the water samples were analyzed using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) system (Picarro). The values of δ13CTDIC, temperature, pH, EC, DO, and alkalinity were in the range of -9.43 ~ -8.91 o 12.3 ~ 13.2oC, 4.86 ~ 5.02, 186 ~ 189 μS/cm, 1.8 ~ 3.4 mg/L, and 0.74 ~ 0.95 meq/L, respectively. The concentrations of TDIC calculated using pH and alkalinity values were between 22.5 and 34.8 mmol/L. The δ13CTDIC data imply that dissolved carbon in the spring was derived from a deep-seated source (i.e., magmatic) that was slightly intermixed with soil CO2. Careful examination of the time-series variation of measured parameters shows the following characteristics: 1) the δ13CTDIC values are negatively correlated with pH (r = -0.59) and positively correlated with TDIC (r = 0.58), and 2) delay times of the change of pH and alkalinity following the change of δ13CTDIC values are 0 and -3 hours, respectively; the pH change occurs simultaneously with the change of δ13CTDIC, while the alkalinity change happens before 3 hours. Our results indicate that the studied CO2-rich spring is influenced by the intermittent supply of deep-seated CO2. [Acknowledgment] This work was financially supported by the fundamental research project of KIGAM and partially by the "Geo-Advanced Innovative Action (GAIA) Project (2014000530003)" from Korea Ministry of Environment (MOE).

  2. Facile synthesis of surface N-doped Bi_2O_2CO_3: Origin of visible light photocatalytic activity and in situ DRIFTS studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Ying; Zhao, Ziyan; Wang, Fang; Cao, Kun; Doronkin, Dmitry E.; Dong, Fan; Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk

    2016-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Surfactant (CTAB) can induce nitrogen interstitially doping in the Bi_2O_2CO_3 surface, leading to the formation of localized states from N−O bond, which probably account for the origin of the visible light activity. Moreover, the photocatalytic NO oxidation processes over Bi_2O_2CO_3 were successfully monitored for the first time by in situ DRIFTS. - Highlights: • Interstitially doping N in the Bi_2O_2CO_3 surface was achieved at room temperature. • N-doped Bi_2O_2CO_3 exhibited significantly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine Bi_2O_2CO_3. • The formation of localized states from N−O bond could account for the visible light activity of Bi_2O_2CO_3. • The photocatalytic NO oxidation process was monitored by in situ DRIFTS. - Abstract: Bi_2O_2CO_3 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets were prepared by a facile room temperature chemical method. Due to the high oxygen atom density in {001} facets of Bi_2O_2CO_3, the addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) does not only influence the growth of crystalline Bi_2O_2CO_3, but also modifies the surface properties of Bi_2O_2CO_3 through the interaction between CTAB and Bi_2O_2CO_3. Nitrogen from CTAB as dopant interstitially incorporates in the Bi_2O_2CO_3 surface evidenced by both experimental and theoretical investigations. Hence, the formation of localized states from N−O bond improves the visible light absorption and charge separation efficiency, which leads to an enhancement of visible light photocatalytic activity toward to the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and oxidation of NO. In addition, the photocatalytic NO oxidation over Bi_2O_2CO_3 nanosheets was successfully monitored for the first time using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Both bidentate and monodentate nitrates were identified on the surface of catalysts during the photocatalytic reaction process. The application of this strategy to

  3. Synthesis and characterization of novel PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composite with improved photocatalytic activity for degradation of Rhodamine-B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Qizhao, E-mail: wangqizhao@163.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment-Related Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Gansu Polymer Materials, Lanzhou 730070 (China); Zheng, Longhui; Chen, Yutao; Fan, Jiafeng [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment-Related Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Gansu Polymer Materials, Lanzhou 730070 (China); Huang, Haohao, E-mail: scuthhh@hotmail.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640 (China); Su, Bitao [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Key Laboratory of Eco-Environment-Related Polymer Materials, Ministry of Education of China, Key Laboratory of Gansu Polymer Materials, Lanzhou 730070 (China)

    2015-07-15

    Highlights: • A new photocatalyst PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. • The PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} photocatalyst shows enhanced degradation activity of RhB under UV light irradiation. • A photocatalytic mechanism is proposed based on the synergistic effect of PPy and Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. - Abstract: Photocatalyst Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} modified by polypyrrole (PPy) was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. As-prepared PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Presence of PPy did not affect the crystal structure, but exerted great influence on the photocatalytic activity of Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} and enhanced absorption band of pure Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. The photocatalytic activities of the PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} samples were determined by photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine-B (RhB) under ultra violet (UV) irradiation and 0.75 wt.% PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} composite showed the highest photocatalytic activity. The enhanced photocatalytic performance could be attributed to the synergistic effect of PPy and Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. A possible photocatalytic mechanism of the PPy/Bi{sub 2}O{sub 2}CO{sub 3} photocatalysts was proposed in order to guide the further improvement of its photocatalytic performance.

  4. Modelling the effects of ice-sheet activity on CO2 outgassing by Icelandic volcanoes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armitage, J. J.; Ferguson, D.; Petersen, K. D.; Creyts, T. T.

    2017-12-01

    Glacial cycles may play a significant role in mediating the flux of magmatic CO2 between the Earth's mantle and atmosphere. In Iceland, it is thought that late-Pleistocene deglaciation led to a significant volcanic pulse, evidenced by increased post-glacial lava volumes and changes in melt chemistry consistent with depressurization. Investigating the extent to which glacial activity may have affected volcanic CO2 emissions from Iceland, and crucially over what timescale, requires detailed knowledge of how the magma system responded to the growth and collapse of the ice-sheet before and after the LGM. To investigate this, we coupled a model of magma generation and transport with a history of ice-sheet activity. Our results show that the emplacement and removal of the LGM ice-sheet likely led to two significant pulses of magmatic CO2. The first, and most significant of these, is associated with ice-sheet growth and occurs as the magma system recovers from glacial loading. This recovery happens from the base of the melting region upwards, producing a pulse of CO2 rich magma that is predicted to reach the surface around 20 ka after the loading event, close in time to the LGM. The second peak in CO2 output occurs abruptly following deglaciation as a consequence of increased rates of melt generation and transport in the shallow mantle. Although these post-glacial melts are relatively depleted in CO2, the increase in magma flux leads to a short-lived period of elevated CO2 emissions. Our results therefore suggest a negative feedback, whereby ice-sheet growth produces a delayed pulse of magmatic CO2, which, in addition to increased geothermal heat flux, may contribute towards driving deglaciation, which itself then causes further magmatism and CO2 outgassing. This model is consistent with the seismic structure of the asthenosphere below Iceland, and the established compositional and volumetric trends for sub- and post-glacial volcanism in Iceland. These trends show that

  5. Effects of CO{sub 2} activation on electrochemical performance of microporous carbons derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seul-Yi; Park, Soo-Jin, E-mail: sjpark@inha.ac.kr

    2013-11-15

    In this work, we have prepared microporous carbons (MPCs) derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), and the physical activation of MPCs using CO{sub 2} gas is subsequently carried out with various activation temperatures to investigate the electrochemical performance. PVDF is successfully converted into MPCs with a high specific surface area and well-developed micropores. After CO{sub 2} activation, the specific surface areas of MPCs (CA-MPCs) are enhanced by 12% compared with non-activated MPCs. With increasing activation temperature, the micropore size distributions of A-MPCs also become narrower and shift to larger pore size. It is also confirmed that the CO{sub 2} activation had developed the micropores and introduced the oxygen-containing groups to MPCs′ surfaces. From the results, the specific capacitances of the electrodes in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) based on CA-MPCs are distinctly improved through CO{sub 2} activation. The highest specific capacitance of the A-MPCs activated at 700 °C is about 125 F/g, an enhancement of 74% in comparison with NA-MPCs, at a discharge current of 2 A/g in a 6 M KOH electrolyte solution. We also found that micropore size of 0.67 nm has a specific impact on the capacitance behaviors, besides the specific surface area of the electrode samples. - Graphical abstract: The A-MPC samples with high specific surface area (ranging from 1030 to 1082 m{sup 2}/g), corresponding to micropore sizes of 0.67 and 0.72 nm, and with the amount of oxygen-containing groups ranging from 3.2% to 4.4% have been evaluated as electrodes for EDLC applications. . Display Omitted - Highlights: • Microporous carbons (MPCs) were synthesized without activation process. • Next, we carried out the CO{sub 2} activation of MPCs with activation temperatures. • It had developed the micropores and introduced the O-functional groups to MPCs. • The highest specific capacitance: 125 F/g, an increase of 74% compared to MPCs.

  6. Nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage and H2/D2 isotope separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Hyunchul

    2014-01-01

    This thesis presents a study of hydrogen adsorption properties at RT with noble metal doped porous materials and an efficient separation of hydrogen isotopes with nanoporous materials. Most analysis is performed via thermal desorption spectra (TDS) and Sieverts-type apparatus. The result and discussion is presented in two parts; Chapter 4 focuses on metal doped nanoporous materials for hydrogen storage. Cryogenic hydrogen storage by physisorption on porous materials has the advantage of high reversibility and fast refuelling times with low heat evolution at modest pressures. At room temperature, however, the physisorption mechanism is not abEle to achieve enough capacity for practical application due to the weak van der Waals interaction, i.e., low isosteric heats for hydrogen sorption. Recently, the ''spillover'' effect has been proposed by R. Yang et al. to enhance the room temperature hydrogen storage capacity. However, the mechanism of this storage enhancement by decoration of noble metal particles inside high surface area supports is not yet fully understood and still under debate. In this chapter, noble metal (Pt / Pd) doped nanoporous materials (i.e. porous carbon, COFs) have been investigated for room temperature hydrogen storage. Their textural properties and hydrogen storage capacity are characterized by various analytic techniques (e.g. SEM, HRTEM, XRD, BET, ICP-OES, Thermal desorption spectra, Sievert's apparatus and Raman spectroscopy). Firstly, Pt-doped and un-doped templated carbons possessing almost identical textural properties were successfully synthesized via a single step wet impregnation method. This enables the study of Pt catalytic activities and hydrogen adsorption kinetics on porous carbons at ambient temperature by TDS after H 2 /D 2 gas exposure and PCT measurement, respectively. While the H 2 adsorption kinetics in the microporous structure is enhanced by Pt catalytic activities (spillover), only a small enhancement of the hydrogen

  7. Metabolic origin of the {delta}{sup 13}C of respired CO{sub 2} in roots of Phaseolus vulgaris

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bathellier, C.; Tcherkez, G.; Cornic, G.; Ghashghaie, J. [Laboratoire d' Ecologie, Systematique et Evolution - ESE, CNRS-UMR 8079 - IFR 87, Batiment 362, Universite Paris-Sud, 91405-Orsay Cedex (France); Tcherkez, G. [Plateforme Metabolisme-Metabolome, IFR87 La Plante et son Environnement, Institut de Biotechnologie des Plantes, Batiment 630, Universite Paris-Sud, 91405-Orsay Cedex (France); Bligny, R.; Gout, E. [Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire Vegetale CEA-Grenoble 17, rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

    2009-07-01

    - Root respiration is a major contributor to soil CO{sub 2} efflux, and thus an important component of ecosystem respiration. But its metabolic origin, in relation to the carbon isotope composition ({delta}{sup 13}C), remains poorly understood. - Here, {sup 13}C analysis was conducted on CO{sub 2} and metabolites under typical conditions or under continuous darkness in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) roots. {sup 13}C contents were measured either under natural abundance or following pulse-chase labeling with {sup 13}C-enriched glucose or pyruvate, using isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. - In contrast to leaves, no relationship was found between the respiratory quotient and the {delta}{sup 13}C of respired CO{sub 2}, which stayed constant at a low value (c. -27.5 per thousand) under continuous darkness. With labeling experiments, it is shown that such a pattern is explained by the {sup 13}C-depleting effect of the pentose phosphate pathway; and the involvement of the Krebs cycle fueled by either the glycolytic input or the lipid/protein recycling. The anaplerotic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc) activity sustained glutamic acid (Glu) synthesis, with no net effect on respired CO{sub 2}. - These results indicate that the root {delta}{sup 13}C signal does not depend on the availability of root respiratory substrates and it is thus plausible that, unless the {sup 13}C photosynthetic fractionation varies at the leaf level, the root {delta}{sup 13}C signal hardly changes under a range of natural environmental conditions. (authors)

  8. {CoIII2DyIII2} single molecule magnet with two resolved thermal activated magnetization relaxation pathways at zero field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funes, Alejandro V; Carrella, Luca; Rentschler, Eva; Alborés, Pablo

    2014-02-14

    The new complex [Co(III)2Dy(III)2(OMe)2(teaH)2(Piv)6] in the {Co(III)2Dy(III)2} family, shows two well resolved thermal activated magnetization relaxation pathways under AC experiments in zero DC field. Fitted crystal field parameters suggest that the origin of these two pathways relies on two different excited mJ sub-levels.

  9. Δ14CO2 from dark respiration in plants and its impact on the estimation of atmospheric fossil fuel CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Xiaohu; Zhou, Weijian; Cheng, Peng; Wu, Shugang; Niu, Zhenchuan; Du, Hua; Lu, Xuefeng; Fu, Yunchong; Burr, George S

    2017-04-01

    Radiocarbon ( 14 C) has been widely used for quantification of fossil fuel CO 2 (CO 2ff ) in the atmosphere and for ecosystem source partitioning studies. The strength of the technique lies in the intrinsic differences between the 14 C signature of fossil fuels and other sources. In past studies, the 14 C content of CO 2 derived from plants has been equated with the 14 C content of the atmosphere. Carbon isotopic fractionation mechanisms vary among plants however, and experimental study on fractionation associated with dark respiration is lacking. Here we present accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon results of CO 2 respired from 21 plants using a lab-incubation method and associated bulk organic matter. From the respired CO 2 we determine Δ 14 C res values, and from the bulk organic matter we determine Δ 14 C bom values. A significant difference between Δ 14 C res and Δ 14 C bom (P < 0.01) was observed for all investigated plants, ranging from -42.3‰ to 10.1‰. The results show that Δ 14 C res values are in agreement with mean atmospheric Δ 14 CO 2 for several days leading up to the sampling date, but are significantly different from corresponding bulk organic Δ 14 C values. We find that although dark respiration is unlikely to significantly influence the estimation of CO 2ff , an additional bias associated with the respiration rate during a plant's growth period should be considered when using Δ 14 C in plants to quantify atmospheric CO 2ff . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Changes in δ(13)C of dark respired CO2 and organic matter of different organs during early ontogeny in peanut plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghashghaie, Jaleh; Badeck, Franz W; Girardin, Cyril; Sketriené, Diana; Lamothe-Sibold, Marlène; Werner, Roland A

    2015-01-01

    Carbon isotope composition in respired CO2 and organic matter of individual organs were measured on peanut seedlings during early ontogeny in order to compare fractionation during heterotrophic growth and transition to autotrophy in a species with lipid seed reserves with earlier results obtained on beans. Despite a high lipid content in peanut seeds (48%) compared with bean seeds (1.5%), the isotope composition of leaf- and root-respired CO2 as well as its changes during ontogeny were similar to already published data on bean seedlings: leaf-respired CO2 became (13)C-enriched reaching -21.5‰, while root-respired CO2 became (13)C-depleted reaching around -31‰ at the four-leaf stage. The opposite respiratory fractionation in leaves vs. roots already reported for C3 herbs was thus confirmed for peanuts. However, contrarily to beans, the peanut cotyledon-respired CO2 was markedly (13)C-enriched, and its (13)C-depletion was noted from the two-leaf stage onwards only. Carbohydrate amounts being very low in peanut seeds, this cannot be attributed solely to their use as respiratory substrate. The potential role of isotope fractionation during glyoxylate cycle and/or gluconeogenesis on the (13)C-enriched cotyledon-respired CO2 is discussed.

  11. Chalcone dendrimer stabilized core-shell nanoparticles—a comparative study on Co@TiO2, Ag@TiO2 and Co@AgCl nanoparticles for antibacterial and antifungal activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanathi Vijayalakshmi, R.; Praveen Kumar, P.; Selvarani, S.; Rajakumar, P.; Ravichandran, K.

    2017-10-01

    A series of core@shell nanoparticles (Co@TiO2, Ag@TiO2 and Co@AgCl) stabilized with zeroth generation triazolylchalcone dendrimer was synthesized using reduction transmetalation method. The coordination of chalcone dendrimer with silver ions was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy. The NMR spectrum ensures the number of protons and carbon signals in the chalcone dendrimer. The prepared samples were structurally characterized by XRD, FESEM and HRTEM analysis. The SAED and XRD analyses exhibited the cubic structure with d hkl   =  2.2 Å, 1.9 Å and 1.38 Å. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the dendrimer stabilized core@shell nanoparticles (DSCSNPs) were tested against the pathogens Bacillus subtilis, Proteus mirabilis, Candida albicans and Aspergillus nigir from which it is identified that the dendrimer stabilized core shell nanoparticles with silver ions at the shell (Co@AgCl) shows effectively high activity against the tested pathogen following the other core@shell nanoparticles viz Ag@TiO2 and Co@TiO2.

  12. Support and Size Effects of Activated Hydrotalcites for Precombustion CO2 Capture

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Meis, N.N.A.H.; Bitter, J.H.; de Jong, K.P.

    2013-01-01

    A series of Mg−Al hydrotalcites (HTs) with lateral platelet sizes ranging from 40 nm to 2 μm were prepared hydrothermally. Small HT platelets (20 nm) were obtained by deposition onto a carbon nanofiber (CNF) support. The CO2 sorption capacity at 523 K for the activated unsupported HT was low (0.1

  13. Scaling laws for perturbations in the ocean–atmosphere system following large CO2 emissions

    OpenAIRE

    Towles, N.; Olson, P.; Gnanadesikan, A.

    2015-01-01

    Scaling relationships are derived for the perturbations to atmosphere and ocean variables from large transient CO2 emissions. Using the carbon cycle model LOSCAR (Zeebe et al., 2009; Zeebe, 2012b) we calculate perturbations to atmosphere temperature and total carbon, ocean temperature, total ocean carbon, pH, and alkalinity, marine sediment carbon, plus carbon-13 isotope anomalies in the ocean and atmosphere resulting from idealized CO2 emission events. The...

  14. A critical review of atmospheric 14 C activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krajcar Bronic, I.; Horvatincic, N.; Baresic, J.; Obelic, B.; Vreca, P.

    2006-01-01

    14 C activity of atmospheric CO 2 has been measured at the Rudjer Boskovi Institute as a part of environmental monitoring in order to determine possible differences between clean-air sites, industrialized city and sites in the vicinity of nuclear power plant. Samples of CO 2 from the atmosphere have been collected by absorption of CO 2 on the saturated carbonate-free NaOH solution for a period of 1 month under stationary conditions. The obtained Na 2 CO 3 has been dissolved in HCl and the produced CO 2 used for CH 4 preparation by catalytic reaction with H 2 at 450 degrees Celsius. A gas proportional counter filled with CH 4 has been used for 14 C activity measurement. The method of collection of CO 2 does not require any power source and can be therefore used for sampling at the remote sites, such as mountains or forests. However,due to the lack of mixing of the Na OH solution, the absorption process is limited on the surface of the solution, and there exists the possibility of fractionation of carbon isotopes due to different reaction rate constants of 12 C and 13 C. A continuous record of atmospheric 14 CO 2 activity exists for the city of Zagreb (1986 to 2005), while shorter records (1-2 years) exist for several other sites of various characteristics: two clean-air sites (Mt. Medvednica, altitude about 1000 m a.s.l., for period 1995 to 1996, and the Plitvice National Park for period 2003 to 2005), and a site close to the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (1984 to 1986).Within the bilateral Croatian-Slovene project we have recently measured also the stable isotope composition (δ13 C) of Na 2 CO 3 collected at two different sampling sites in order to determine seasonal fluctuations in both 14 C and 13 C isotope composition. Unexpectedly low δ13 C values have been obtained about (-25±2)0/00 instead of expected (-7±1)0/00. Such low values have been attributed to the carbon isotope fractionation during the CO 2 absorption on the highly alkaline medium because of

  15. Photoacoustic CO2 sensor based on a DFB diode laser at 2.7 μm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolff, M.; Germer, M.; Groninga, H. G.; Harde, H.

    2008-01-01

    We present a new detection scheme for carbon dioxide (CO{2}) based on a custom-made room temperature distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser at 2.7 μm, currently representing one of the lasers with the highest emission wavelength of its kind. The detector's especially compact and simple set-up is based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS). This method makes use of the transformation of absorbed modulated radiation into a sound wave. The sensor enables a very high detection sensitivity for CO{2} in the ppb range. Furthermore, the carefully selected spectral region as well as the narrow bandwidth and wide tunability of the single-mode laser ensure an excellent selectivity. Even measurements of different CO{2} isotopes can be easily performed. This enables applications in industrial sensing and medical diagnostics (e.g. 13C-breath tests).

  16. Preparation of nanoporous activated carbon and its application as nano adsorbent for CO{sub 2} storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rashidi, Ali Morad; Kazemi, Davood; Izadi, Nosrat; Pourkhalil, Mahnaz; Jorsaraei, Abbas; Lotfi, Roghayeh [Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ganji, Enseyeh [Research Institute of Petroleum Industry, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2016-02-15

    Nanoporous activated carbons, as adsorbent for CO{sub 2} storage, were prepared from walnut shells via two chemical processes including phosphoric acid treatment and KOH activation at high temperature. Specific surface area and porosities were controlled by KOH concentration and activation temperature. The obtained adsorbents were characterized by N2 adsorption at 77.3 K. Their carbon dioxide adsorption capacities were measured at different pressures at 290 K by using volumetric adsorption equipment. The KOH-treated nanoporous carbons typically led to the production of high specific surface areas and high micropore volumes and showed better performance for CO{sub 2} adsorptions. The maximum experimental value for adsorption capacity happened when pressure increased from 5 to 10 bar (1.861- 2.873mmol·g{sup -1}). It was found that in order to improve the highest capacity of CO{sub 2} adsorption for KOH-modified carbon (9.830-18.208mmol·g{sup -1}), a KOH: C weight ratio of 3.5 and activation temperature of 973 K were more suitable for pore development and micro-mesopore volume enhancement.

  17. A New and Improved Carbon Dioxide Isotope Analyzer for Understanding Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Y. W.; Berman, E. S.; Owano, T. G.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Oikawa, P. Y.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Still, C. J.; Gardner, A.; Baer, D. S.; Rastogi, B.

    2015-12-01

    Stable CO2 isotopes provide information on biogeochemical processes that occur at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface. While δ13C measurement can provide information on the sources of the CO2, be it photosynthesis, natural gas combustion, other fossil fuel sources, landfills or other sources, δ18O, and δ17O are thought to be determined by the hydrological cycling of the CO2. Though researchers have called for analytical tools for CO2 isotope measurements that are reliable and field-deployable, developing such instrument remains a challenge. The carbon dioxide isotope analyzer developed by Los Gatos Research (LGR) uses LGR's patented Off-Axis ICOS (Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy) technology and incorporates proprietary internal thermal control for high sensitivity and optimal instrument stability. This new and improved analyzer measures CO2 concentration as well as δ13C, δ18O, and δ17O from CO2 at natural abundance (150-2500 ppm). The laboratory precision is ±200 ppb (1σ) in CO2 at 1 s, with a long-term (2 min) precision of ±20 ppb. The 1-second precision for both δ13C and δ18O is 0.7 ‰, and for δ17O is 1.8 ‰. The long-term (2 min) precision for both δ13C and δ18O is 0.08 ‰, and for δ17O is 0.18 ‰. The instrument has improved precision, stability and user interface over previous LGR CO2 isotope instruments and can be easily programmed for periodic referencing and sampling from different sources when coupled with LGR's multiport inlet unit (MIU). We have deployed two of these instruments at two different field sites, one at Twitchell Island in Sacramento County, CA to monitor the CO2 isotopic fluxes from an alfalfa field from 6/29/2015-7/13/2015, and the other at the Wind River Experimental Forest in Washington to monitor primarily the oxygen isotopes of CO2 within the canopy from 8/4/2015 through mid-November 2015. Methodology, laboratory development and testing and field performance are presented.

  18. CO2 emissions and economic activity: Heterogeneity across countries and non-stationary series

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piaggio, Matías; Padilla, Emilio

    2012-01-01

    This paper explores the relationship between CO 2 emissions and economic activity for 31 countries (28 OECD, Brazil, China, and India) during the period 1950 to 2006 using cointegration analysis. Single country long run relationships are estimated, and equality in the functional form, the parameters, and the turning point, when appropriate, are rejected. This confirms the relevance of considering the differences among countries in the relationship between air pollution and economic activity to avoid wrong estimations and conclusions. - Highlights: ► Path and parameters homogeneity in CO 2 -economic activity relationship is analyzed. ► Longer period than previous studies allows greater overlap between countries' paths. ► We also test turning point homogeneity, which imposes a weaker restriction. ► Functional form, parameters and turning point homogeneity is rejected. ► Individual functional form for the long term relation is determined for each country.

  19. Structural controls on fluid circulation at the Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (CCVC) geothermal area (Chile-Argentina), revealed by soil CO2 and temperature, self-potential, and helium isotopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roulleau, Emilie; Bravo, Francisco; Pinti, Daniele L.; Barde-Cabusson, Stéphanie; Pizarro, Marcela; Tardani, Daniele; Muñoz, Carlos; Sanchez, Juan; Sano, Yuji; Takahata, Naoto; de la Cal, Federico; Esteban, Carlos; Morata, Diego

    2017-07-01

    Natural geothermal systems are limited areas characterized by anomalously high heat flow caused by recent tectonic or magmatic activity. The heat source at depth is the result of the emplacement of magma bodies, controlled by the regional volcano-tectonic setting. In contrast, at a local scale a well-developed fault-fracture network favors the development of hydrothermal cells, and promotes the vertical advection of fluids and heat. The Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ), straddling Chile and Argentina, has an important, yet unexplored and undeveloped geothermal potential. Studies on the lithological and tectonic controls of the hydrothermal circulation are therefore important for a correct assessment of the geothermal potential of the region. Here, new and dense self-potential (SP), soil CO2 and temperature (T) measurements, and helium isotope data measured in fumaroles and thermal springs from the geothermal area located in the north-eastern flank of the Copahue volcanic edifice, within the Caviahue Caldera (the Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex - CCVC) are presented. Our results allowed to the constraint of the structural origin of the active thermal areas and the understanding of the evolution of the geothermal system. NE-striking faults in the area, characterized by a combination of SP, CO2, and T maxima and high 3He/4He ratios (up to 8.16 ± 0.21Ra, whereas atmospheric Ra is 1.382 × 10- 6), promote the formation of vertical permeability preferential pathways for fluid circulation. WNW-striking faults represent low-permeability pathways for hydrothermal fluid ascent, but promote infiltration of meteoric water at shallow depths, which dilute the hydrothermal input. The region is scattered with SP, CO2, and T minima, representing self-sealed zones characterized by impermeable altered rocks at depth, which create local barriers for fluid ascent. The NE-striking faults seem to be associated with the upflowing zones of the geothermal system, where the boiling process

  20. Spectroscopic metrology for isotope composition measurements and transfer standards

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anyangwe Nwaboh, Javis; Balslev-Harder, David; Kääriäinen, Teemu; Richmond, Craig; Manninen, Albert; Mohn, Joachim; Kiseleva, Maria; Petersen, Jan C.; Werhahn, Olav; Ebert, Volker

    2017-04-01

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has identified greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4 and N2O as critical for global climate monitoring. Other molecules such as CO that has an indirect effect of enhancing global warming are also monitored. WMO has stated compatibility goals for atmospheric concentration and isotope ratio measurements of these gases, e.g. 0.1 ppm for CO2 concentration measurements in the northern hemisphere and 0.01 ‰ for δ13C-CO2. For measurements of the concentration of greenhouse gases, gas analysers are typically calibrated with static gas standards e.g. traceable to the WMO scale or to the International System of Units (SI) through a national metrology institute. However, concentrations of target components, e.g. CO, in static gas standards have been observed to drift, and typically the gas matrix as well as the isotopic composition of the target component does not always reflect field gas composition, leading to deviations of the analyser response, even after calibration. The deviations are dependent on the measurement technique. To address this issue, part of the HIGHGAS (Metrology for high-impact greenhouse gases) project [1] focused on the development of optical transfer standards (OTSs) for greenhouse gases, e.g. CO2 and CO, potentially complementing gas standards. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) [2] is currently used to provide state-of-the-art high precision (in the 0.01 ‰ range) measurements for the isotopic composition of greenhouse gases. However, there is a need for field-deployable techniques such as optical isotope ratio spectroscopy (OIRS) that can be combined with metrological measurement methods. Within the HIGHGAS project, OIRS methods and procedures based on e.g. cavity enhanced spectroscopy (CES) and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS), matched to metrological principles have been established for the measurement of 13C/12C and 18O/16O ratios in CO2, 15N/14N ratios in N2O, and 13C/12C and 2H

  1. Carbon Isotope Composition of Nighttime Leaf-Respired CO2 in the Agricultural-Pastoral Zone of the Songnen Plain, Northeast China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Haiying; Wang, Yunbo; Jiang, Qi; Chen, Shiping; Ma, Jian-Ying; Sun, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Variations in the carbon isotope signature of leaf dark-respired CO2 (δ13CR) within a single night is a widely observed phenomenon. However, it is unclear whether there are plant functional type differences with regard to the amplitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR. These differences, if present, would be important for interpreting the short-term variations in the stable carbon signature of ecosystem respiration and the partitioning of carbon fluxes. To assess the plant functional type differences relating to the magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR and the respiratory apparent fractionation, we measured the δ13CR, the leaf gas exchange, and the δ13C of the respiratory substrates of 22 species present in the agricultural-pastoral zone of the Songnen Plain, northeast China. The species studied were grouped into C3 and C4 plants, trees, grasses, and herbs. A significant nocturnal shift in δ13CR was detected in 20 of the studied species, with the magnitude of the shift ranging from 1‰ to 5.8‰. The magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR was strongly correlated with the daytime cumulative carbon assimilation, which suggests that variation in δ13CR were influenced, to some extent, by changes in the contribution of malate decarboxylation to total respiratory CO2 flux. There were no differences in the magnitude of the nighttime variation in δ13CR between the C3 and C4 plants, as well as among the woody plants, herbs and graminoids. Leaf respired CO2 was enriched in 13C compared to biomass, soluble carbohydrates and lipids; however the magnitude of enrichment differed between 8 pm and 4 am, which were mainly caused by the changes in δ13CR. We also detected the plant functional type differences in respiratory apparent fractionation relative to biomass at 4 am, which suggests that caution should be exercised when using the δ13C of bulk leaf material as a proxy for the δ13C of leaf-respired CO2. PMID:26356083

  2. Size effect on the adsorption and dissociation of CO{sub 2} on Co nanoclusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Haiyan; Cao, Dapeng; Fisher, Adrian [International Research Center for Soft Matter, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China); Johnston, Roy L. [School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Cheng, Daojian, E-mail: chengdj@mail.buct.edu.cn [International Research Center for Soft Matter, State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 (China)

    2017-02-28

    Highlights: • Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters were predicted as the high-symmetry structures. • CO{sub 2} dissociation on the size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters was studied. • Co{sub 55} nanocluster possesses the highest activity relevant to CO{sub 2} dissociation. • A non-monotonous behavior of the dissociation barrier of CO{sub 2} with the size was found. - Abstract: Spin-polarized density functional theory calculations were carried out to study the adsorption and dissociation properties of CO{sub 2} on size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters. Based on genetic algorithm method, Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters were predicted as the most stable high-symmetry structures among these Co{sub n} (n = 2–58) nanoclusters from the Gupta potential. For the adsorption of CO{sub 2}, CO and O on size-selected Co{sub 13}, Co{sub 38} and Co{sub 55} nanoclusters, the lowest adsorption strength is found for all the different adsorbates on Co{sub 55} nanocluster. For the dissociation of CO{sub 2} on these size-selected Co nanoclusters, the largest Co{sub 55} nanocluster possesses the greatest catalytic activity for the dissociation of CO{sub 2}, with the smallest reaction barrier of 0.38 eV. Our results reveal a non-monotonous behavior of the catalytic activities of Co nanoclusters on size, which is of fundamental interest for the design of new Co catalysts for the conversion of CO{sub 2}.

  3. Stable isotopes in human nutrition research. Final report on an IAEA co-ordinated research programme, Vienna, Austria, 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on Applications of Stable Isotope Tracers in Human Nutrition Research was established by the Agency in October 1988 and was completed in 1992. At various times during this period the CRP encompassed 16 participants in 16 countries. Its general objective was to help establish competence in the use of stable isotope techniques, particularly in developing countries, and particularly with reference to applications of 2 H, 13 C, 15 N, and 18 O in human nutrition research. Thereby it was hoped that it would be possible (i) to identify centres and scientists throughout the developing world who could use stable isotopes in human nutrition research, (ii) to assess the need for methodological adaptations for isotope-based methods in developing countries, and (iii) to advance the competence of the participants in using stable isotopes as tracers of human metabolism. In addition it was expected that the CRP would make a study of some major questions which have been identified by international groups of nutrition experts, particularly in areas relating to energy and protein metabolism. This document comprises copies of the working papers submitted by all CRP participants who contributed a final report on their project. These reports include details of the rationale, methods, results and interpretations from each of the respective studies. Refs, figs and tabs

  4. Doubly labeled water method: in vivo oxygen and hydrogen isotope fractionation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schoeller, D.A.; Leitch, C.A.; Brown, C.

    1986-01-01

    The accuracy and precision of the doubly labeled water method for measuring energy expenditure are influenced by isotope fractionation during evaporative water loss and CO 2 excretion. To characterize in vivo isotope fractionation, we collected and isotopically analyzed physiological fluids and gases. Breath and transcutaneous water vapor were isotopically fractionated. The degree of fractionation indicated that the former was fractionated under equilibrium control at 37 0 C, and the latter was kinetically fractionated. Sweat and urine were unfractionated. By use of isotopic balance models, the fraction of water lost via fractionating routes was estimated from the isotopic abundances of body water, local drinking water, and dietary solids. Fractionated water loss averaged 23% (SD = 10%) of water turnover, which agreed with our previous estimates based on metabolic rate, but there was a systematic difference between the results based on O 2 and hydrogen. Corrections for isotopic fractionation of water lost in breath and (nonsweat) transcutaneous loss should be made when using labeled water to measure water turnover or CO 2 production

  5. The molecular physics of photolytic fractionation of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in planetary atmospheres (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, M. S.; Schmidt, J. A.; Hattori, S.; Danielache, S.; Meusinger, C.; Schinke, R.; Ueno, Y.; Nanbu, S.; Kjaergaard, H. G.; Yoshida, N.

    2013-12-01

    Atmospheric photochemistry is able to produce large mass independent anomalies in atmospheric trace gases that can be found in geological and cryospheric records. This talk will present theoretical and experimental investigations of the molecular mechanisms producing photolytic fractionation of isotopes with special attention to sulfur and oxygen. The zero point vibrational energy (ZPE) shift and reflection principle theories are starting points for estimating isotopic fractionation, but these models ignore effects arising from isotope-dependent changes in couplings between surfaces, excited state dynamics, line densities and hot band populations. The isotope-dependent absorption spectra of the isotopologues of HCl, N2O, OCS, CO2 and SO2 have been examined in a series of papers and these results are compared with experiment and ZPE/reflection principle models. Isotopic fractionation in planetary atmospheres has many interesting applications. The UV absorption of CO2 is the basis of photochemistry in the CO2-rich atmospheres of the ancient Earth, and of Mars and Venus. For the first time we present accurate temperature and isotope dependent CO2 absorption cross sections with important implications for photolysis rates of SO2 and H2O, and the production of a mass independent anomaly in the Ox reservoir. Experimental and theoretical results for OCS have implications for the modern stratospheric sulfur budget. The absorption bands of SO2 are complex with rich structure producing isotopic fractionation in photolysis and photoexcitation.

  6. [Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen application on cotton biomass, nitrogen utilization and soil urease activity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyu, Ning; Yin, Fei-hu; Chen, Yun; Gao, Zhi-jian; Liu, Yu; Shi, Lei

    2015-11-01

    In this study, a semi-open-top artificial climate chamber was used to study the effect of CO2 enrichment (360 and 540 µmol · mol(-1)) and nitrogen addition (0, 150, 300 and 450 kg · hm(-2)) on cotton dry matter accumulation and distribution, nitrogen absorption and soil urease activity. The results showed that the dry matter accumulation of bud, stem, leaf and the whole plant increased significantly in the higher CO2 concentration treatment irrespective of nitrogen level. The dry matter of all the detected parts of plant with 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen addition was significantly higher than those with the other nitrogen levels irrespective of CO2 concentration, indicating reasonable nitrogen fertilization could significantly improve cotton dry matter accumulation. Elevated CO2 concentration had significant impact on the nitrogen absorption contents of cotton bud and stem. Compared to those under CO2 concentration of 360 µmol · mol(-1), the nitrogen contents of bud and stem both increased significantly under CO2 concentration of 540 µmol · mol(-1). The nitrogen content of cotton bud in the treatment of 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen was the highest among the four nitrogen fertilizer treatments. While the nitrogen contents of cotton stem in the treatments of 150 kg · hm(-2) and 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels were higher than those in the treatment of 0 kg · hm(-2) and 450 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels. The nitrogen content of cotton leaf was significantly influenced by the in- teraction of CO2 elevation and N addition as the nitrogen content of leaf increased in the treatments of 0, 150 and 300 kg · hm(-2) nitrogen levels under the CO2 concentration of 540 µmol · mol(-1). The nitrogen content in cotton root was significantly increased with the increase of nitrogen fertilizer level under elevated CO2 (540 µmol · mol(-1)) treatment. Overall, the cotton nitrogen absorption content under the elevated CO2 (540 µmol · mol(-1)) treatment was higher than that

  7. Anomalous changes of diffuse CO_{2} emission and seismic activity at Teide volcano, Tenerife, Canary Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Hernández, Rubén; Melián, Gladys; D'Auria, Luca; Asensio-Ramos, María; Alonso, Mar; Padilla, Germán D.; Rodríguez, Fátima; Padrón, Eleazar; Barrancos, José; García-Merino, Marta; Amonte, Cecilia; Pérez, Aarón; Calvo, David; Hernández, Pedro A.; Pérez, Nemesio M.

    2017-04-01

    Tenerife (2034 km2) is the largest of the Canary Islands and hosts four main active volcanic edifices: three volcanic rifts and a central volcanic complex, Las Cañadas, which is characterized by the eruption of differentiated magmas. Laying inside Las Cañadas a twin stratovolcanoes system, Pico Viejo and Teide, has been developed. Although there are no visible gas emanations along the volcanic rifts of Tenerife, the existence of a volcanic-hydrothermal system beneath Teide volcano is suggested by the occurrence of a weak fumarolic system, steamy ground and high rates of diffuse CO2 degassing all around the summit cone of Teide. Soil CO2 efflux surveys have been performed at the summit crater of Teide volcano since 1999, to determine the diffuse CO2 emission from the summit crater and to evaluate the temporal variations of CO2 efflux and their relationships with seismic-volcanic activity. Soil CO2 efflux and soil temperature have been always measured at the same 38 observation sites homogeneously distributed within an area of about 6,972 m2 inside the summit crater. Soil CO2 diffuse effluxes were estimated according to the accumulation chamber method by means of a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) LICOR-820 CO2 analyzer. Historical seismic activity in Tenerife has been characterized by low- to moderate-magnitude events (M de Canarias (INVOLCAN) registered an earthquake of M 2.5 located in the vertical of Teide volcano with a depth of 6.6 km. It was the strongest earthquake located inside Cañadas caldera since 2004. Between October 11 and December 13, 2016, a continuous increase on the diffuse CO2 emission was registered, from 21.3 ± 2.0 to 101.7 ± 20.7 t d-1, suggesting the occurrence of future increase in the seismic-volcanic activity. In fact, this precursory signal preceded the occurrence of the 2.5 seismic event and no significant horizontal and vertical displacements were registered by the Canary GPS network belonged to INVOLCAN. This seismic event was

  8. CO2 Orbital Trends in Comets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Michael; Feaga, Lori; Bodewits, Dennis; McKay, Adam; Snodgrass, Colin; Wooden, Diane

    2014-12-01

    Spacecraft missions to comets return a treasure trove of details of their targets, e.g., the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the Deep Impact experiment at comet 9P/Tempel 1, or even the flyby of C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) at Mars. Yet, missions are rare, the diversity of comets is large, few comets are easily accessible, and comet flybys essentially return snapshots of their target nuclei. Thus, telescopic observations are necessary to place the mission data within the context of each comet's long-term behavior, and to further connect mission results to the comet population as a whole. We propose a large Cycle 11 project to study the long-term activity of past and potential future mission targets, and select bright Oort cloud comets to infer comet nucleus properties, which would otherwise require flyby missions. In the classical comet model, cometary mass loss is driven by the sublimation of water ice. However, recent discoveries suggest that the more volatile CO and CO2 ices are the likely drivers of some comet active regions. Surprisingly, CO2 drove most of the activity of comet Hartley 2 at only 1 AU from the Sun where vigorous water ice sublimation would be expected to dominate. Currently, little is known about the role of CO2 in comet activity because telluric absorptions prohibit monitoring from the ground. In our Cycle 11 project, we will study the CO2 activity of our targets through IRAC photometry. In conjunction with prior observations of CO2 and CO, as well as future data sets (JWST) and ongoing Earth-based projects led by members of our team, we will investigate both long-term activity trends in our target comets, with a particular goal to ascertain the connections between each comet's coma and nucleus.

  9. Methyl-coenzyme M reductase from methanogenic archaea: isotope effects on label exchange and ethane formation with the homologous substrate ethyl-coenzyme M.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheller, Silvan; Goenrich, Meike; Thauer, Rudolf K; Jaun, Bernhard

    2013-10-09

    Ethyl-coenzyme M (CH3CH2-S-CH2CH2-SO3(-), Et-S-CoM) serves as a homologous substrate for the enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) resulting in the product ethane instead of methane. The catalytic reaction proceeds via an intermediate that already contains all six C-H bonds of the product. Because product release occurs after a second, rate-limiting step, many cycles of intermediate formation and reconversion to substrate occur before a substantial amount of ethane is released. In deuterated buffer, the intermediate becomes labeled, and C-H activation in the back reaction rapidly leads to labeled Et-S-CoM, which enables intermediate formation to be detected. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of this pre-equilibrium. (2)H- and (13)C-labeled isotopologues of Et-S-CoM were used as the substrates, and the time course of each isotopologue was followed by NMR spectroscopy. A kinetic simulation including kinetic isotope effects allowed determination of the primary and α- and β-secondary isotope effects for intermediate formation and for the C-H/C-D bond activation in the ethane-containing intermediate. The values obtained are in accordance with those found for the native substrate Me-S-CoM (see preceding publication, Scheller, S.; Goenrich, M.; Thauer, R. K.; Jaun, B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, DOI: 10.1021/ja406485z) and thus imply the same catalytic mechanism for both substrates. The experiment by Floss and co-workers, demonstrating a net inversion of configuration to chiral ethane with CH3CDT-S-CoM as the substrate, is compatible with the observed rapid isotope exchange if the isotope effects measured here are taken into account.

  10. Effect of plasma-induced surface charging on catalytic processes: application to CO2 activation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bal, Kristof M.; Huygh, Stijn; Bogaerts, Annemie; Neyts, Erik C.

    2018-02-01

    Understanding the nature and effect of the multitude of plasma-surface interactions in plasma catalysis is a crucial requirement for further process development and improvement. A particularly intriguing and rather unique property of a plasma-catalytic setup is the ability of the plasma to modify the electronic structure, and hence chemical properties, of the catalyst through charging, i.e. the absorption of excess electrons. In this work, we develop a quantum chemical model based on density functional theory to study excess negative surface charges in a heterogeneous catalyst exposed to a plasma. This method is specifically applied to investigate plasma-catalytic CO2 activation on supported M/Al2O3 (M = Ti, Ni, Cu) single atom catalysts. We find that (1) the presence of a negative surface charge dramatically improves the reductive power of the catalyst, strongly promoting the splitting of CO2 to CO and oxygen, and (2) the relative activity of the investigated transition metals is also changed upon charging, suggesting that controlled surface charging is a powerful additional parameter to tune catalyst activity and selectivity. These results strongly point to plasma-induced surface charging of the catalyst as an important factor contributing to the plasma-catalyst synergistic effects frequently reported for plasma catalysis.

  11. What Drives Carbon Isotope Fractionation by the Terrestrial Biosphere?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Still, Christopher; Rastogi, Bharat

    2017-11-01

    During photosynthesis, terrestrial plants preferentially assimilate the lighter and much more abundant form of carbon, 12C, which accounts for roughly 99% of naturally occurring forms of this element. This photosynthetic preference for lighter carbon is driven principally by differences in molecular diffusion of carbon dioxide with differing 13C/12C across stomatal pores on leaves, followed by differences in carboxylation rates by the Rubisco enzyme that is central to the process of photosynthesis. As a result of these slight preferences, which work out to about a 2% difference in the fixation rates of 12CO2 versus 13CO2 by C3 vegetation, plant tissues are depleted in the heavier form of carbon (13C) relative to atmospheric CO2. This difference has been exploited in a wide range of scientific applications, as the photosynthetic isotope signature is passed to ecosystem carbon pools and through ecological food webs. What is less appreciated is the signature that terrestrial carbon exchanges leave on atmospheric CO2, as the net uptake of carbon by land plants during their growing season not only draws down the local CO2 concentration, it also leaves behind relatively more CO2 molecules containing 13C. The converse happens outside the growing season, when autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration predominate. During these periods, atmospheric CO2 concentration increases and its corresponding carbon isotope composition becomes relatively depleted in 13C as the products of photosynthesis are respired, along with some small isotope fractionation that happen downstream of the initial photosynthetic assimilation. Similar phenomena were first observed at shorter time scales by the eminent carbon cycle scientist, Charles (Dave) Keeling. Keeling collected samples of air in glass flasks from sites along the Big Sur coast that he later measured for CO2 concentration and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) in his lab (Keeling, 1998). From these samples, Keeling observed increasing

  12. Separation of CO2 in a Solid Waste Management Incineration Facility Using Activated Carbon Derived from Pine Sawdust

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inés Durán

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The selective separation of CO2 from gas mixtures representative of flue gas generated in waste incineration systems is studied on two activated carbons obtained from pine sawdust and compared to a commercial activated carbon. Dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed adsorption column using a binary mixture (N2/CO2 with a composition representative of incineration streams at temperatures from 30 to 70 °C. The adsorption behavior of humid mixtures (N2/CO2/H2O was also evaluated in order to assess the influence of water vapor in CO2 adsorption at different relative humidity in the feed gas: 22% and 60%. Moreover, CO2 adsorption was studied in less favorable conditions, i.e., departing from a bed initially saturated with H2O. In addition, the effect of CO2 on H2O adsorption was examined. Experimental results showed that the CO2 adsorption capacity can be reduced significantly by the adsorption of H2O (up to 60% at high relative humidity conditions. On the other hand, the breakthrough tests over the adsorbent initially saturated with water vapor indicated that H2O is little affected by CO2 adsorption. The experimental results pointed out the biomass based carbons as best candidates for CO2 separation under incineration flue gas conditions.

  13. Precision mass measurements of neutron-rich Co isotopes beyond N =40

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izzo, C.; Bollen, G.; Brodeur, M.; Eibach, M.; Gulyuz, K.; Holt, J. D.; Kelly, J. M.; Redshaw, M.; Ringle, R.; Sandler, R.; Schwarz, S.; Stroberg, S. R.; Sumithrarachchi, C. S.; Valverde, A. A.; Villari, A. C. C.

    2018-01-01

    The region near Z =28 and N =40 is a subject of great interest for nuclear structure studies due to spectroscopic signatures in 68Ni suggesting a subshell closure at N =40 . Trends in nuclear masses and their derivatives provide a complementary approach to shell structure investigations via separation energies. Penning trap mass spectrometry has provided precise measurements for a number of nuclei in this region; however, a complete picture of the mass surfaces has so far been limited by the large uncertainty remaining for nuclei with N >40 along the iron (Z =26 ) and cobalt (Z =27 ) chains because these species are not available from traditional isotope separator online rare isotope facilities. The Low-Energy Beam and Ion Trap Facility at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory is the first and only Penning trap mass spectrometer coupled to a fragmentation facility and therefore presents the unique opportunity to perform precise mass measurements of these elusive isotopes. Here we present the first Penning trap measurements of Co,6968, carried out at this facility. Some ambiguity remains as to whether the measured values are ground-state or isomeric-state masses. A detailed discussion is presented to evaluate this question and to motivate future work. In addition, we perform ab initio calculations of ground-state and two-neutron separation energies of cobalt isotopes with the valence-space in-medium similarity renormalization group approach based on a particular set of two- and three-nucleon forces that predict saturation in infinite matter. We discuss the importance of these measurements and calculations for understanding the evolution of nuclear structure near 68Ni.

  14. Pleistocene atmospheric CO2 change linked to Southern Ocean nutrient utilization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ziegler, M.; Diz, P.; Hall, I. R.; Zahn, R.

    2011-12-01

    Biological uptake of CO2 by the ocean and its subsequent storage in the abyss is intimately linked with the global carbon cycle and constitutes a significant climatic force1. The Southern Ocean is a particularly important region because its wind-driven upwelling regime brings CO2 laden abyssal waters to the surface that exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) is a CO2 sink and also drives global primary productivity as unutilized nutrients, advected with surface waters from the south, are exported via Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) as preformed nutrients to the low latitudes where they fuel the biological pump in upwelling areas. Recent model estimates suggest that up to 40 ppm of the total 100 ppm atmospheric pCO2 reduction during the last ice age were driven by increased nutrient utilization in the SAZ and associated feedbacks on the deep ocean alkalinity. Micro-nutrient fertilization by iron (Fe), contained in the airborne dust flux to the SAZ, is considered to be the prime factor that stimulated this elevated photosynthetic activity thus enhancing nutrient utilization. We present a millennial-scale record of the vertical stable carbon isotope gradient between subsurface and deep water (Δδ13C) in the SAZ spanning the past 350,000 years. The Δδ13C gradient, derived from planktonic and benthic foraminifera, reflects the efficiency of biological pump and is highly correlated (rxy = -0.67 with 95% confidence interval [0.63; 0.71], n=874) with the record of dust flux preserved in Antarctic ice cores6. This strongly suggests that nutrient utilization in the SAZ was dynamically coupled to dust-induced Fe fertilization across both glacial-interglacial and faster millennial timescales. In concert with ventilation changes of the deep Southern Ocean this drove ocean-atmosphere CO2 exchange and, ultimately, atmospheric pCO2 variability during the late Pleistocene.

  15. Pt/SnO2-based CO-oxidation catalysts for long-life closed-cycle CO2 lasers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schryer, David R.; Upchurch, Billy T.; Hess, Robert V.; Wood, George M.; Sidney, Barry D.; Miller, Irvin M.; Brown, Kenneth G.; Vannorman, John D.; Schryer, Jacqueline; Brown, David R.

    1990-01-01

    Noble-metal/tin-oxide based catalysts such as Pt/SnO2 have been shown to be good catalysts for the efficient oxidation of CO at or near room temperature. These catalysts require a reductive pretreatment and traces of hydrogen or water to exhibit their full activity. Addition of Palladium enhances the activity of these catalysts with about 15 to 20 percent Pt, 4 percent Pd, and the balance SnO2 being an optimum composition. Unfortunately, these catalysts presently exhibit significant decay due in part to CO2 retention, probably as a bicarbonate. Research on minimizing the decay in activity of these catalysts is currently in progress. A proposed mechanism of CO oxidation on Pt/SnO2-based catalysts has been developed and is discussed.

  16. Reactions of laser-ablated Co, Rh, and Ir with CO: Infrared spectra and density functional calculations of the metal carbonyl molecules, cations and anions in solid neon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, M.; Andrews, L.

    1999-01-01

    Laser ablation produces metal atoms, cations, and electrons for reaction with CO during condensation in excess neon at 4 K. Infrared spectra are observed for the metal carbonyls, cations, and anions, which are identified from isotopic shifts ( 13 CO, C 18 O) and splittings using mixed isotopic precursors. Density functional calculations with pseudopotentials for Rh and Ir predict the observed carbonyl stretching frequencies within 1--2%. This characterization of the simple RhCO + , RhCO, and RhCO - (and Ir) species over a 350 cm -1 range provides a scale for comparison of larger catalytically active Rh and Ir carbonyl complexes in solution and on surfaces to estimate charge on the metal center. This work provides the first spectroscopic characterization of Rh and Ir carbonyl cations and anions except for the stable tetracarbonyl anions in solution

  17. Stable isotope signatures of gases liberated from fluid inclusions in bedrock at Olkiluoto

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eichinger, F.; Meier, D.; Haemmerli, J.; Diamond, L.

    2010-12-01

    Fluid inclusions in quartzes of the Olkiluoto bedrock contain gaseous N 2 , CO 2 , H 2 , CH 4 , and higher hydrocarbons in varying proportions. Stable carbon and hydrogen isotope signatures of the gas phases give valuable information on their origin and the formation conditions. In previous studies, a method to liberate and quantify the gases trapped in fluid inclusions was developed. It allowed determining the carbon isotope signatures of liberated CO 2 , CH 4 and higher hydrocarbons (HHC), but no hydrogen isotope data were acquired. The method was advanced and, in this study, also stable hydrogen isotopes of CH 4 and H 2 liberated from fluid inclusions could be analysed. The stable carbon signatures of methane and higher hydrocarbons, as well as the hydrogen isotope signatures of methane indicate a predominant thermogenic provenance for those gases. (orig.)

  18. The genesis and isotopic composition of carbonates associated with some Permian Australian coals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gould, K.W.; Smith, J.W.

    1979-01-01

    Siderite and calcite are the two forms of carbonate commonly associated with Permian Australian coals. The former occurs as disseminated spherulites and is a product of the early post-depositional environment. Isotopic measurements show that the CO 2 fixed as siderite did not result from the direct oxidation of photosynthetically derived materials, but rather from the anaerobic fermentation of these. The higher concentrations of calcite are generally found towards the roofs of coal seams and are characterized by isotopic enrichments to delta 13 C values of +25% PDB. Isotopic exchange between CO 2 and CH 4 within the coal seam is postulated as the mechanism which leads to the formation of isotopically heavy CO 2 . At sites along the seam margins where the CO 2 escapes, interaction with circulating metal ions or preexisting calcite results in the deposition of ''heavy'' calcite. With increasing alteration of coal by thermal metamorphism, the 13 C content of calcites and finally siderites decreases so that it more nearly approaches that of the associated coal. (Auth.)

  19. Deuteriation of an asymmetric short hydrogen bond. X-ray crystal structure of KF.(CH2CO2D)2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emsley, J.; Jones, D.J.; Kuroda, R.

    1981-01-01

    Deuteriation of the strong hydrogen bonds of KF.(CH 2 CO 2 H) 2 shows no isotope effect on the bond lengths. The only significant change is in the bond angle at the fluoride ion which widens to 128.5 from 116 0 . The i.r. spectrum shows very little change. Since the O-H ... F - hydrogen bonds are highly asymmetric, these observations challenge previous predictions about the effects of deuteriation on such bonds. (author)

  20. Isotopic studies of Yucca Mountain soil fluids and carbonate pedogenesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McConnaughey, T.A.; Whelan, J.F.; Wickland, K.P.; Moscati, R.J.

    1994-01-01

    Secondary carbonates occurring within the soils, faults, and subsurface fractures of Yucca Mountain contain some of the best available records of paleoclimate and palehydrology for the potential radioactive waste repository site. This article discusses conceptual and analytical advances being made with regard to the interpretation of stable isotope data from pedogenic carbonates, specifically related to the 13 C content of soil CO 2 , CaCO 3 , precipitation mechanisms, and isotopic fractionations between parent fluids and precipitating carbonates. The 13 C content of soil carbon dioxide from Yucca Mountain and vicinity shows most of the usual patterns expected in such contexts: Decreasing 13 C content with depth decreasing 13 C with altitude and reduced 13 C during spring. These patterns exist within the domain of a noisy data set; soil and vegetational heterogeneities, weather, and other factors apparently contribute to isotopic variability in the system. Several soil calcification mechanisms appear to be important, involving characteristic physical and chemical environments and isotopic fractionations. When CO 2 loss from thin soil solutions is an important driving factor, carbonates may contain excess heavy isotopes, compared to equilibrium precipitation with soil fluids. When root calcification serves as a proton generator for plant absorption of soil nutrients, heavy isotope deficiencies are likely. Successive cycles of dissolution and reprecipitation mix and redistribute pedogenic carbonates, and tend to isotopically homogenize and equilibrate pedogenic carbonates with soil fluids

  1. Disentangling drought-induced variation in ecosystem and soil respiration using stable carbon isotopes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Unger, Stephan; Máguas, Cristina; Pereira, João S; Aires, Luis M; David, Teresa S; Werner, Christiane

    2010-08-01

    Combining C flux measurements with information on their isotopic composition can yield a process-based understanding of ecosystem C dynamics. We studied the variations in both respiratory fluxes and their stable C isotopic compositions (delta(13)C) for all major components (trees, understory, roots and soil microorganisms) in a Mediterranean oak savannah during a period with increasing drought. We found large drought-induced and diurnal dynamics in isotopic compositions of soil, root and foliage respiration (delta(13)C(res)). Soil respiration was the largest contributor to ecosystem respiration (R (eco)), exhibiting a depleted isotopic signature and no marked variations with increasing drought, similar to ecosystem respired delta(13)CO(2), providing evidence for a stable C-source and minor influence of recent photosynthate from plants. Short-term and diurnal variations in delta(13)C(res) of foliage and roots (up to 8 and 4 per thousand, respectively) were in agreement with: (1) recent hypotheses on post-photosynthetic fractionation processes, (2) substrate changes with decreasing assimilation rates in combination with increased respiratory demand, and (3) decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in drying roots, while altered photosynthetic discrimination was not responsible for the observed changes in delta(13)C(res). We applied a flux-based and an isotopic flux-based mass balance, yielding good agreement at the soil scale, while the isotopic mass balance at the ecosystem scale was not conserved. This was mainly caused by uncertainties in Keeling plot intercepts at the ecosystem scale due to small CO(2) gradients and large differences in delta(13)C(res) of the different component fluxes. Overall, stable isotopes provided valuable new insights into the drought-related variations of ecosystem C dynamics, encouraging future studies but also highlighting the need of improved methodology to disentangle short-term dynamics of isotopic composition of R (eco).

  2. Diffuse CO2 degassing studies to reveal hidden geothermal resources in oceanic volcanic islands: The Canarian archipelago case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, F.; Perez, N. M.; García-Merino, M.; Padron, E.; Melián, G.; Asensio-Ramos, M.; Hernandez Perez, P. A.; Padilla, G.; Barrancos, J.; Cótchico, M. A.

    2016-12-01

    The Canary Islands, owing to their recent volcanism, are the only Spanish territory with potential high enthalpy geothermal resources. The final goal of geothermal exploration in a specific area is to locate and define the size, shape, structure of hidden geothermal resources, and determine their characteristics (fluid type, temperature, chemical composition an ability to produce energy). At those areas where there is not any evidence of endogenous fluids manifestations at surface, that traditionally evidence the presence of an active geothermal system) the geochemical methods for geothermal exploration must include soil gas surveys. This is the case of five mining licenses for geothermal exploration in the Canay Islands, four in Tenerife and one in Gran Canaria Island. We report herein the results of diffuse CO2 emission studies in the five mining licenses during 2011-2014. The primary objective of the study was to sort the possible geothermal potential of these five mining licenses, thus reducing the uncertainty inherent to the selection of the areas with highest geothermal potential for future exploration works. The criterion used to sort the different areas was the contribution of volcano-hydrothermal CO2 in the degassing at each study area. Several hundreds of measurements of diffuse CO2 emission, soil CO2 concentration and isotopic composition were performed at each study area. Based in three different endmembers (biogenic, atmospheric and deep-seated CO2) with different CO2 concentrations (100, 0.04 and 100% respectively) and isotopic compositions (-20, -8 and -3 per mil vs. VPDB respectively) a mass balance to distinguish the different contribution of each endmember in the soil CO2 at each sampling site was made. The percentage of the volcano-hydrothermal contribution in the current diffuse CO2 degassing was in the range 2-19%.The Abeque mining license, that comprises part of the north-west volcanic rift of Tenerife, seemed to show the highest geothermal

  3. Using isotopes for global warming observation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Namata, K.

    2002-01-01

    This paper, based on a literature review, discusses the main aspects of using isotopic techniques to obtain information about global warming. The rapid increase concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) in the atmosphere will result in global warming by the greenhouse effect, and the isotopic techniques constitute an efficient tool to explain this complex environmental phenomenon. (author)

  4. Carbon allocation and carbon isotope fluxes in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Brüggemann

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available The terrestrial carbon (C cycle has received increasing interest over the past few decades, however, there is still a lack of understanding of the fate of newly assimilated C allocated within plants and to the soil, stored within ecosystems and lost to the atmosphere. Stable carbon isotope studies can give novel insights into these issues. In this review we provide an overview of an emerging picture of plant-soil-atmosphere C fluxes, as based on C isotope studies, and identify processes determining related C isotope signatures. The first part of the review focuses on isotopic fractionation processes within plants during and after photosynthesis. The second major part elaborates on plant-internal and plant-rhizosphere C allocation patterns at different time scales (diel, seasonal, interannual, including the speed of C transfer and time lags in the coupling of assimilation and respiration, as well as the magnitude and controls of plant-soil C allocation and respiratory fluxes. Plant responses to changing environmental conditions, the functional relationship between the physiological and phenological status of plants and C transfer, and interactions between C, water and nutrient dynamics are discussed. The role of the C counterflow from the rhizosphere to the aboveground parts of the plants, e.g. via CO2 dissolved in the xylem water or as xylem-transported sugars, is highlighted. The third part is centered around belowground C turnover, focusing especially on above- and belowground litter inputs, soil organic matter formation and turnover, production and loss of dissolved organic C, soil respiration and CO2 fixation by soil microbes. Furthermore, plant controls on microbial communities and activity via exudates and litter production as well as microbial community effects on C mineralization are reviewed. A further part of the paper is dedicated to physical interactions between soil CO2 and the soil matrix, such as

  5. Measurements of flux and isotopic composition of soil carbon dioxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorczyca, Z.; Rozanski, K.; Kuc, T.

    2002-01-01

    The flux and isotope composition of soil CO 2 has been regularly measured at three sites located in the southern Poland, during the time period: January 1998 - October 2000. They represent typical ecosystems appearing in central Europe: (i) mixed forest; (ii) cultivated agricultural field; (iii) grassland. To monitor the flux and isotopic composition of soil CO 2 , a method based on the inverted cup principle was adopted. The flux of soil CO 2 reveals distinct seasonal fluctuations, with maximum values up to ca. 25 mmol/m 2 /h during sommer months and around ten times lower values during winter time. Also significant differences among the monitored sites were detected, the flux density of this gas being highest for the mixed forest site and ca. two times lower for the cultivated grassland. Carbon-13 content of the soil CO 2 reveals little seasonal variability, with δ 13 C values essentially reflecting the isotopic composition of the soil organic matter and the vegetation type. The carbon-14 content of soil CO 2 flux also reveals slight seasonality, with lower δ 14 C values recorded during winter time. Significantly lower δ 14 C values recorded during winter time. Significantly lower δ 14 C values were recorded at depth. (author)

  6. Isotopic investigations of mineral waters from Someseni - Cluj, Romania

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cuna, Stela; Berdea, Petre; Baciu, Calin

    2001-01-01

    The Someseni mineral water spring area is located in the eastern part of Cluj-Napoca city, Romania, at the base of the first alluvial terrace of the Somesul Mic River. The presence of waters with therapeutical qualities in this area is known since the early 1920's. Only five springs are active at this moment. From a geological point of view, the mineral aquifer is located on the western border of the Neogene Transylvanian Basin. The Someseni spring area is situated in the axial zone of an anticline with salt core. Marls, with frequent intercalations of sandstones and volcanic tuffs dominate the lithology of these deposits. We have studied the flows of these waters by means of the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes. The method for determining the oxygen isotope composition was by equilibration with CO 2 and measurement of the isotopic ratio of CO 2 . Hydrogen isotope analysis of these waters was carried out on the hydrogen gas obtained by quantitative reduction of water directly in the inlet system of the mass spectrometer. In the interpretation of other authors, there are two distinct circuits of the waters from Someseni: a deep one, which determines a higher mineralisation, the water being in contact for a longer time with the salt massif, and a shallow one, located in alluvial deposits, which have a slight contact with the salt, reflected by its lower mineralisation. In our opinion, there is a single circuit for these mineral waters. The infiltration occurs through previous layers (volcanic tuffs, sandstones) in an unidentified recharging zone, generating a confined aquifer. This assumption can be sustained by the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes uptake of these waters. (authors)

  7. Separation and preparation of "6"2Ni isotope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren Xiuyan; Mi Yajing; Zeng Ziqiang; Li Gongliang; Tu Rui

    2014-01-01

    Micro nuclear battery is the perfect power of space craft equipment. "6"3Ni is the core operation material of the "6"3Ni battery. It can produce radioisotope "6"3Ni while high abundance "6"2Ni is irradiated in the reactor. In order to meet the requirements of the abundance and the purity, research of the separation for "6"2Ni isotope was developed. The magnetic field and beam transmission status were simulated. The improvement designs of the ion source and the collector pocket were carried out. The process flow of high abundance "6"2Ni using electromagnetic separation method was established. The experiment of "6"2Ni isotope was developed by using electromagnetism isotope separator. The results show that the enrichment of "6"2Ni isotope is more than 90%. (authors)

  8. Enhancing Catalyzed Decomposition of Na2CO3 with Co2MnO x Nanowire-Decorated Carbon Fibers for Advanced Na-CO2 Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Cong; Luo, Jianmin; Jin, Chengbin; Yuan, Huadong; Sheng, Ouwei; Huang, Hui; Gan, Yongping; Xia, Yang; Liang, Chu; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Wenkui; Tao, Xinyong

    2018-05-23

    The metal-CO 2 batteries, especially Na-CO 2 , batteries come into sight owing to their high energy density, ability for CO 2 capture, and the abundance of sodium resource. Besides the sluggish electrochemical reactions at the gas cathodes and the instability of the electrolyte at a high voltage, the final discharge product Na 2 CO 3 is a solid and poor conductor of electricity, which may cause the high overpotential and poor cycle performance for the Na-CO 2 batteries. The promotion of decomposition of Na 2 CO 3 should be an efficient strategy to enhance the electrochemical performance. Here, we design a facile Na 2 CO 3 activation experiment to screen the efficient cathode catalyst for the Na-CO 2 batteries. It is found that the Co 2 MnO x nanowire-decorated carbon fibers (CMO@CF) can promote the Na 2 CO 3 decomposition at the lowest voltage among all these metal oxide-decorated carbon fiber structures. After assembling the Na-CO 2 batteries, the electrodes based on CMO@CF show lower overpotential and better cycling performance compared with the electrodes based on pristine carbon fibers and other metal oxide-modified carbon fibers. We believe this catalyst screening method and the freestanding structure of the CMO@CF electrode may provide an important reference for the development of advanced Na-CO 2 batteries.

  9. Reactions of laser-ablated iron atoms and cations with carbon monoxide: Infrared spectra of FeCO+, Fe(CO)2+, Fe(CO)x, and Fe(CO)x- (x=1-4) in solid neon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Mingfei; Andrews, Lester

    1999-06-01

    Laser-ablated iron atoms, cations, and electrons have been reacted with CO molecules during condensation in excess neon. The FeCO molecule is observed at 1933.7 cm-1 in solid neon. Based on isotopic shifts and density functional calculations, the FeCO molecule has the same 3Σ- ground state in solid neon that has been observed at 1946.5 cm-1 in a recent high resolution gas phase investigation [Tanaka et al., J. Chem. Phys. 106, 2118 (1997)]. The C-O stretching vibration of the Fe(CO)2 molecule is observed at 1917.1 cm-1 in solid neon, which is in excellent agreement with the 1928.2 cm-1 gas phase value for the linear molecule. Anions and cations are also produced and trapped, absorptions at 1782.0, 1732.9, 1794.5, and 1859.7 cm-1 are assigned to the linear FeCO-, Fe(CO)2-, trigonal planar Fe(CO)3-, and C3v Fe(CO)4- anions, respectively, and 2123.0, 2134.0 cm-1 absorptions to the linear FeCO+ and Fe(CO)2+ cations. Doping these experiments with CCl4 virtually eliminates the anion absorptions and markedly increases the cation absorptions, which confirms the charge identifications. Higher iron carbonyl Fe(CO)3, Fe(CO)4, and Fe(CO)5 absorptions are produced on photolysis.

  10. On-line interconversion of [15O]O2 and [15O]CO2 via metal oxide by isotopic exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iwata, Ren; Ido, Tatsuo; Fujisawa, Yoshiki; Yamazaki, Shigeki

    1988-01-01

    A novel method has been developed for the on-line production of 15 O-labelled gases. The 15 O exchange reactions between O 2 and CO 2 assisted by a metal oxide catalyst were successfully applied to on-line interconversion of [ 15 O]O 2 and [ 15 O]CO 2 with Hopcalite II(CuO 40% and MnO 2 60%). The conversion reactions were optimized as to the reaction temperature, the amount of the catalyst, and the flow rate of a gas added for oxygen exchange. [ 15 O]O 2 was converted to [ 15 O]CO 2 in a 80% yield with 0.7 g of Hopcalite II and 100 mL/min of CO 2 at 500 0 C, and [ 15 O]CO 2 to [ 15 O]O 2 in 70% with 100 mL/min of O 2 at 650 0 C. The radiochemical purities of the 15 O-labelled gases converted under the optimal conditions were high enough for clinical studies using the standard dilution and inhalation procedures. (author)

  11. Radiation dosimetry of 15O-labeled O2, CO2 and CO gases administered continuously in the breath

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bigler, R.E.; Sgouros, G.

    1982-01-01

    The ratio of activity per liter of air supplied to the activity concentration in the blood for oxygen-15 labeled carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide was found to show an approximate factor of 10 variation from study to study in dog experiments (Bigler and co-workers, unpublished data). Unless human measurement experience shows the lung extraction efficiency to be more constant and therefore predictable, radiation dose estimates should be empirically verified in each study by a rapid and early measurement of the exhaled and unused gas activities. Patient activity extraction would be obtained by difference of this measurement with the supplied activity. The results show calculations for a factor of 2 lower and higher than the extraction efficiency observed for barbiturate sedated dogs. The total-body cumulated activities can be converted into effective total administered doses by multiplying them by the decay constant for oxygen-15 (20.453 hr -1 ). This gives for O 2 , CO 2 and CO, respectively, 227, 98 and 95 mCi/hr or 3.79, 1.64 and 1.58 mCi/min. Assuming the patient inhales 7.4 liters/min., the extraction efficiencies from the 1 mCi/liter-air supplied to the patient amounts to for O 2 , CO 2 and CO, respectively 51, 22 and 21%

  12. Molecular hydrogen (H2) combustion emissions and their isotope (D/H) signatures from domestic heaters, diesel vehicle engines, waste incinerator plants, and biomass burning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vollmer, M.K.; Walter, S.; Mohn, J.; Steinbacher, M.; Bond, S.W.; Röckmann, T.; Reimann, S.

    2012-01-01

    Molecular hydrogen (H2), its stable isotope signature ( D), and the key combustion parameters carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) were measured from various combustion processes. H2 in the exhaust of gas and oil-fired heaters and of waste incinerator plants was generally

  13. Improved solar-driven photocatalytic performance of Ag_2CO_3/(BiO)_2CO_3 prepared in-situ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhong, Junbo; Li, Jianzhang; Huang, Shengtian; Cheng, Chaozhu; Yuan, Wei; Li, Minjiao; Ding, Jie

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Ag_2CO_3/(BiO)_2CO_3 photocatalysts were prepared in-situ. • The photo-induced charge separation rate has been greatly increased. • The photocatalytic activity has been greatly promoted. - Abstract: Ag_2CO_3/(BiO)_2CO_3 composites have been fabricated in-situ via a facile parallel flaw co-precipitation method. The specific surface area, structure, morphology, and the separation rate of photo-induced charge pairs of the photocatalysts were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy, respectively. XRD patterns and DRS demonstrated that Ag_2CO_3 has no effect on the crystal phase and bandgap of (BiO)_2CO_3. The existence of Ag_2CO_3 in the composites enhances the separation rate of photo-induced charge pairs of the photocatalysts. The photocatalytic performance of Ag_2CO_3/(BiO)_2CO_3 was evaluated by the decolorization of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution under simulated solar irradiation. It was found that the simulated solar-induced photocatalytic activity of Ag_2CO_3/(BiO)_2CO_3 copmposites was significantly improved, which was mainly attributed to the enhanced surface area and the separation rate of photo-induced charge pairs.

  14. The peroxidase and oxidase-like activity of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} mesoporous spheres: Mechanistic understanding and colorimetric biosensing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Li, E-mail: suli@htu.edu.cn [Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Green Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals, Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Henan Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Dong, Wenpei; Wu, Chengke; Gong, Yijun; Zhang, Yan; Li, Ling; Mao, Guojiang; Feng, Suling [Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Green Manufacturing of Fine Chemicals, Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, Ministry of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China); Henan Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Media and Reactions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Henan 453007 (China)

    2017-01-25

    The synthesized NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} mesoporous spheres (MS) displayed intrinsic peroxidase and oxidase-like activity were firstly reported. The catalytic mechanism of the oxidase-like activity of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS was analyzed in detail using the electron spin resonance (ESR) method. It is found that NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS could directly oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) but did not produce {sup 1}O{sub 2} and ·OH. And the mechanism of the peroxidase-like activity of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS was also verified that the oxidation of TMB stemmed from not only ·OH but also {sup 1}O{sub 2}. Based on the NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS showed excellent peroxidase-like activity over a broad temperature range, especially at normal body temperature, a detection tool was designed for glucose determination in diabetics' serum samples. And this detection method based on NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS gave a lower limit of detection than the method using Co{sub 3}O{sub 4} NPs and NiO NPs, as the single-component oxides of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4}. Our study may open up the possibility to make a great influence on the next generation of enzyme mimetics system. - Highlights: • NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS were found to possess the peroxidase and oxidase-like activity. • The peroxidase-like activity of NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS was stemmed from not only ·OH but also {sup 1}O{sub 2}. • The oxidase-like activity may stem from NiCo{sub 2}O{sub 4} MS′ oxidation rather than ·OH and {sup 1}O{sub 2}. • A colorimetric detection tool is designed for glucose determination in serum samples.

  15. Influence of water on clumped-isotope bond reordering kinetics in calcite

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brenner, Dana C.; Passey, Benjamin H.; Stolper, Daniel A.

    2018-03-01

    Oxygen self-diffusion in calcite and many other minerals is considerably faster under wet conditions relative to dry conditions. Here we investigate whether this "water effect" also holds true for solid-state isotope exchange reactions that alter the abundance of carbonate groups with multiple rare isotopes ('clumped' isotope groups) via the process of solid-state bond reordering. We present clumped-isotope reordering rates for optical calcite heated under wet, high-pressure (100 MPa) conditions. We observe only modest increases in reordering rates under such conditions compared with rates for the same material reacted in dry CO2 under low-pressure conditions. Activation energies under wet, high-pressure conditions are indistinguishable from those for dry, low-pressure conditions, while rate constants are resolvably higher (up to ∼3 times) for wet, high-pressure relative to dry, low-pressure conditions in most of our interpretations of experimental results. This contrasts with the water effect for oxygen self-diffusion in calcite, which is associated with lower activation energies, and diffusion coefficients that are ≥103 times higher compared with dry (pure CO2) conditions in the temperature range of this study (385-450 °C). The water effect for clumped-isotopes leads to calculated apparent equilibrium temperatures ("blocking temperatures") for typical geological cooling rates that are only a few degrees higher than those for dry conditions, while O self-diffusion blocking temperatures in calcite grains are ∼150-200 °C lower in wet conditions compared with dry conditions. Since clumped-isotope reordering is a distributed process that occurs throughout the mineral volume, our clumped-isotope results support the suggestion of Labotka et al. (2011) that the water effect in calcite does not involve major changes in bulk (volume) diffusivity, but rather is primarily a surface phenomenon that facilitates oxygen exchange between the calcite surface and external

  16. Calcium isotopic composition of mantle peridotites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, F.; Kang, J.; Zhang, Z.

    2015-12-01

    Ca isotopes are useful to decipher mantle evolution and the genetic relationship between the Earth and chondrites. It has been observed that Ca isotopes can be fractionated at high temperature [1-2]. However, Ca isotopic composition of the mantle peridotites and fractionation mechanism are still poorly constrained. Here, we report Ca isotope composition of 12 co-existing pyroxene pairs in 10 lherzolites, 1 harzburgite, and 1 wehrlite xenoliths collected from Hainan Island (South Eastern China). Ca isotope data were measured on a Triton-TIMS using the double spike method at the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, CAS. The long-term external error is 0.12‰ (2SD) based on repeated analyses of NIST SRM 915a and geostandards. δ44Ca of clinopyroxenes except that from the wehrlite ranges from 0.85‰ to 1.14‰, while opx yields a wide range from 0.98‰ up to 2.16‰. Co-existing pyroxene pairs show large Δ44Caopx-cpx (defined as δ44Caopx-δ44Cacpx) ranging from 0 to 1.23‰, reflecting equilibrium fractionation controlled by variable Ca contents in the opx. Notably, clinopyroxene of wehrlite shows extremely high δ44Ca (3.22‰). δ44Ca of the bulk lherzolites and harzburgites range from 0.86‰ to 1.14‰. This can be explained by extracting melts with slightly light Ca isotopic compositions. Finally, the high δ44Ca of the wehrlite (3.22‰) may reflect metasomatism by melt which has preferentially lost light Ca isotopes due to chemical diffusion during upwelling through the melt channel. [1] Amini et al (2009) GGR 33; [2] Huang et al (2010) EPSL 292.

  17. Carbon Supported Engineering NiCo2O4 Hybrid Nanofibers with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diab Hassan

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The design of cheap and efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR electrocatalysts is of a significant importance in sustainable and renewable energy technologies. Therefore, ORR catalysts with superb electrocatalytic activity and durability are becoming a necessity but still remain challenging. Herein, we report C/NiCo2O4 nanocomposite fibers fabricated by a straightforward electrospinning technique followed by a simple sintering process as a promising ORR electrocatalyst in alkaline condition. The mixed-valence oxide can offer numerous accessible active sites. In addition, the as-obtained C/NiCo2O4 hybrid reveals significantly remarkable electrocatalytic performance with a highly positive onset potential of 0.65 V, which is only 50 mV lower than that of commercially available Pt/C catalysts. The analyses indicate that C/NiCo2O4 catalyst can catalyze O2-molecules via direct four electron pathway in a similar behavior as commercial Pt/C catalysts dose. Compared to single NiCo2O4 and carbon free NiCo2O4, the C/NiCo2O4 hybrid displays higher ORR current and more positive half-wave potential. The incorporated carbon matrices are beneficial for fast electron transfer and can significantly impose an outstanding contribution to the electrocatalytic activity. Results indicate that the synthetic strategy hold a potential as efficient route to fabricate highly active nanostructures for practical use in energy technologies.

  18. A function-based screen for seeking RubisCO active clones from metagenomes: novel enzymes influencing RubisCO activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhnke, Stefanie; Perner, Mirjam

    2015-03-01

    Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is a key enzyme of the Calvin cycle, which is responsible for most of Earth's primary production. Although research on RubisCO genes and enzymes in plants, cyanobacteria and bacteria has been ongoing for years, still little is understood about its regulation and activation in bacteria. Even more so, hardly any information exists about the function of metagenomic RubisCOs and the role of the enzymes encoded on the flanking DNA owing to the lack of available function-based screens for seeking active RubisCOs from the environment. Here we present the first solely activity-based approach for identifying RubisCO active fosmid clones from a metagenomic library. We constructed a metagenomic library from hydrothermal vent fluids and screened 1056 fosmid clones. Twelve clones exhibited RubisCO activity and the metagenomic fragments resembled genes from Thiomicrospira crunogena. One of these clones was further analyzed. It contained a 35.2 kb metagenomic insert carrying the RubisCO gene cluster and flanking DNA regions. Knockouts of twelve genes and two intergenic regions on this metagenomic fragment demonstrated that the RubisCO activity was significantly impaired and was attributed to deletions in genes encoding putative transcriptional regulators and those believed to be vital for RubisCO activation. Our new technique revealed a novel link between a poorly characterized gene and RubisCO activity. This screen opens the door to directly investigating RubisCO genes and respective enzymes from environmental samples.

  19. Geothermal He and CO2 variations at Changbaishan intra-plate volcano (NE China) and the nature of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahm, D.; Hilton, D. R.; Cho, M.; Wei, H.; Kim, K.-R.

    2008-11-01

    We report new He and CO2 data for geothermal fluids from Changbaishan Volcano located on the border of China and North Korea. Helium isotope ratios reach a maximum of 5.4 RA (where RA = 3He/4He in air) whereas carbon isotope values (δ 13C) fall between -2 and -7 ‰ (vs. PDB). The ratio of CO2/3He varies between 0.5-7.1 (×109) for gas samples but is considerably higher (~1012) in waters. The combined He-CO2 systematics reveal the clear imprint of a dominant subducted slab contribution to the total CO2 inventory. We conclude that these geothermal volatiles originate from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) in NE China and represent ancient fluids captured by prior metasomatic events.

  20. Unlocking the Electrocatalytic Activity of Antimony for CO2 Reduction by Two-Dimensional Engineering of the Bulk Material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fengwang; Xue, Mianqi; Li, Jiezhen; Ma, Xinlei; Chen, Lu; Zhang, Xueji; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Zhang, Jie

    2017-11-13

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials are known to be useful in catalysis. Engineering 3D bulk materials into the 2D form can enhance the exposure of the active edge sites, which are believed to be the origin of the high catalytic activity. Reported herein is the production of 2D "few-layer" antimony (Sb) nanosheets by cathodic exfoliation. Application of this 2D engineering method turns Sb, an inactive material for CO 2 reduction in its bulk form, into an active 2D electrocatalyst for reduction of CO 2 to formate with high efficiency. The high activity is attributed to the exposure of a large number of catalytically active edge sites. Moreover, this cathodic exfoliation process can be coupled with the anodic exfoliation of graphite in a single-compartment cell for in situ production of a few-layer Sb nanosheets and graphene composite. The observed increased activity of this composite is attributed to the strong electronic interaction between graphene and Sb. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. The effect of CO2 activation temperature on the physical and electrochemical properties of activated carbon monolith from banana stem waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taer, E.; Susanti, Y.; Awitdrus, Sugianto, Taslim, R.; Setiadi, R. N.; Bahri, S.; Agustino, Dewi, P.; Kurniasih, B.

    2018-02-01

    The effect of CO2 activation on the synthesis of activated carbon monolith from banana stem waste has been studied. Physical characteristics such as density, degree of crystallinity, surface morphology and elemental content has been analyzed, supporting the finding of an excellent electrochemical properties for the supercapacitor. The synthesis of activated carbon electrode began with pre-carbonization process at temperature of 250°C for 2.5 h. Then the process was continued by chemical activation using KOH as activating agent with a concentration of 0.4 M. The pellets were formed with 8 ton hydrolic pressure. All the samples were carbonized at a temperature of 600°C, followed by physical activation using CO2 gas at a various temperatures ranging from 800°C, 850°C, 900°C and 950°C for 2 h. The carbon content was increased with increasing temperature and the optimum temperature was 900°C. The specific capacitance depends on the activation temperature with the highest specific capacitance of 104.2 F/g at the activation temperature of 900°C.

  2. Central functions of bicarbonate in S-type anion channel activation and OST1 protein kinase in CO 2 signal transduction in guard cell

    KAUST Repository

    Xue, Shaowu; Hu, Honghong; Ries, Amber; Merilo, Ebe; Kollist, Hannes; Schroeder, Julian I

    2011-01-01

    Plants respond to elevated CO(2) via carbonic anhydrases that mediate stomatal closing, but little is known about the early signalling mechanisms following the initial CO(2) response. It remains unclear whether CO(2), HCO(3)(-) or a combination activates downstream signalling. Here, we demonstrate that bicarbonate functions as a small-molecule activator of SLAC1 anion channels in guard cells. Elevated intracellular [HCO(3)(-)](i) with low [CO(2)] and [H(+)] activated S-type anion currents, whereas low [HCO(3)(-)](i) at high [CO(2)] and [H(+)] did not. Bicarbonate enhanced the intracellular Ca(2+) sensitivity of S-type anion channel activation in wild-type and ht1-2 kinase mutant guard cells. ht1-2 mutant guard cells exhibited enhanced bicarbonate sensitivity of S-type anion channel activation. The OST1 protein kinase has been reported not to affect CO(2) signalling. Unexpectedly, OST1 loss-of-function alleles showed strongly impaired CO(2)-induced stomatal closing and HCO(3)(-) activation of anion channels. Moreover, PYR/RCAR abscisic acid (ABA) receptor mutants slowed but did not abolish CO(2)/HCO(3)(-) signalling, redefining the convergence point of CO(2) and ABA signalling. A new working model of the sequence of CO(2) signalling events in gas exchange regulation is presented.

  3. Central functions of bicarbonate in S-type anion channel activation and OST1 protein kinase in CO 2 signal transduction in guard cell

    KAUST Repository

    Xue, Shaowu

    2011-03-18

    Plants respond to elevated CO(2) via carbonic anhydrases that mediate stomatal closing, but little is known about the early signalling mechanisms following the initial CO(2) response. It remains unclear whether CO(2), HCO(3)(-) or a combination activates downstream signalling. Here, we demonstrate that bicarbonate functions as a small-molecule activator of SLAC1 anion channels in guard cells. Elevated intracellular [HCO(3)(-)](i) with low [CO(2)] and [H(+)] activated S-type anion currents, whereas low [HCO(3)(-)](i) at high [CO(2)] and [H(+)] did not. Bicarbonate enhanced the intracellular Ca(2+) sensitivity of S-type anion channel activation in wild-type and ht1-2 kinase mutant guard cells. ht1-2 mutant guard cells exhibited enhanced bicarbonate sensitivity of S-type anion channel activation. The OST1 protein kinase has been reported not to affect CO(2) signalling. Unexpectedly, OST1 loss-of-function alleles showed strongly impaired CO(2)-induced stomatal closing and HCO(3)(-) activation of anion channels. Moreover, PYR/RCAR abscisic acid (ABA) receptor mutants slowed but did not abolish CO(2)/HCO(3)(-) signalling, redefining the convergence point of CO(2) and ABA signalling. A new working model of the sequence of CO(2) signalling events in gas exchange regulation is presented.

  4. Simultaneous determination of wine sugars, glycerol and organic acids 13C/12C isotopic ratio by ion chromatography-co-IRMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guyon Francois

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Ion chromatography (IC isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS coupling is possible using a liquid interface allowing chemical oxidation (co of organic compounds. Synthetic solutions containing a mixture of glycerol, sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose and organic acids (gluconic, lactic, malic, tartaric, oxalic, fumaric, citric and isocitric were elaborated to estimate analytical applications of two different IC systems. It appears that the use of carbonated solution in the eluting phase is a perturbation for 13C isotope measurements as it creates a δ13C deviation from the expected values. A sample of authentic sweet wine was analyzed by IC-co-IRMS using KOH gradient. Ratios of isotopic, ratios of organic acids and glycerol was found to be, in average, equal 1.01 ± 0.04 that is in accordance with our previous results.

  5. Enhancing CO2 Electroreduction with the Metal-Oxide Interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Dunfeng; Zhang, Yi; Zhou, Zhiwen; Cai, Fan; Zhao, Xinfei; Huang, Wugen; Li, Yangsheng; Zhu, Junfa; Liu, Ping; Yang, Fan; Wang, Guoxiong; Bao, Xinhe

    2017-04-26

    The electrochemical CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) typically uses transition metals as the catalysts. To improve the efficiency, tremendous efforts have been dedicated to tuning the morphology, size, and structure of metal catalysts and employing electrolytes that enhance the adsorption of CO 2 . We report here a strategy to enhance CO 2 RR by constructing the metal-oxide interface. We demonstrate that Au-CeO x shows much higher activity and Faradaic efficiency than Au or CeO x alone for CO 2 RR. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy and synchrotron-radiation photoemission spectroscopy show that the Au-CeO x interface is dominant in enhancing CO 2 adsorption and activation, which can be further promoted by the presence of hydroxyl groups. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Au-CeO x interface is the active site for CO 2 activation and the reduction to CO, where the synergy between Au and CeO x promotes the stability of key carboxyl intermediate (*COOH) and thus facilitates CO 2 RR. Similar interface-enhanced CO 2 RR is further observed on Ag-CeO x , demonstrating the generality of the strategy for enhancing CO 2 RR.

  6. Single-atom catalysts for CO2 electroreduction with significant activity and selectivity improvements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Back, Seoin; Lim, Juhyung; Kim, Na-Young; Kim, Yong-Hyun; Jung, Yousung

    2017-02-01

    A single-atom catalyst (SAC) has an electronic structure that is very different from its bulk counterparts, and has shown an unexpectedly high specific activity with a significant reduction in noble metal usage for CO oxidation, fuel cell and hydrogen evolution applications, although physical origins of such performance enhancements are still poorly understood. Herein, by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we for the first time investigate the great potential of single atom catalysts for CO 2 electroreduction applications. In particular, we study a single transition metal atom anchored on defective graphene with single or double vacancies, denoted M@sv-Gr or M@dv-Gr, where M = Ag, Au, Co, Cu, Fe, Ir, Ni, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh or Ru, as a CO 2 reduction catalyst. Many SACs are indeed shown to be highly selective for the CO 2 reduction reaction over a competitive H 2 evolution reaction due to favorable adsorption of carboxyl (*COOH) or formate (*OCHO) over hydrogen (*H) on the catalysts. On the basis of free energy profiles, we identified several promising candidate materials for different products; Ni@dv-Gr (limiting potential U L = -0.41 V) and Pt@dv-Gr (-0.27 V) for CH 3 OH production, and Os@dv-Gr (-0.52 V) and Ru@dv-Gr (-0.52 V) for CH 4 production. In particular, the Pt@dv-Gr catalyst shows remarkable reduction in the limiting potential for CH 3 OH production compared to any existing catalysts, synthesized or predicted. To understand the origin of the activity enhancement of SACs, we find that the lack of an atomic ensemble for adsorbate binding and the unique electronic structure of the single atom catalysts as well as orbital interaction play an important role, contributing to binding energies of SACs that deviate considerably from the conventional scaling relation of bulk transition metals.

  7. Projected near-future CO2 levels increase activity and alter defensive behaviours in the tropical squid Idiosepius pygmaeus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blake L. Spady

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Carbon dioxide (CO2 levels projected to occur in the oceans by the end of this century cause a range of behavioural effects in fish, but whether other highly active marine organisms, such as cephalopods, are similarly affected is unknown. We tested the effects of projected future CO2 levels (626 and 956 µatm on the behaviour of male two-toned pygmy squid, Idiosepius pygmaeus. Exposure to elevated CO2 increased the number of active individuals by 19–25% and increased movement (number of line-crosses by nearly 3 times compared to squid at present-day CO2. Squid vigilance and defensive behaviours were also altered by elevated CO2 with >80% of individuals choosing jet escape responses over defensive arm postures in response to a visual startle stimulus, compared with 50% choosing jet escape responses at control CO2. In addition, more escape responses were chosen over threat behaviours in body pattern displays at elevated CO2 and individuals were more than twice as likely to use ink as a defence strategy at 956 µatm CO2, compared with controls. Increased activity could lead to adverse effects on energy budgets as well as increasing visibility to predators. A tendency to respond to a stimulus with escape behaviours could increase survival, but may also be energetically costly and could potentially lead to more chases by predators compared with individuals that use defensive postures. These results demonstrate that projected future ocean acidification affects the behaviours of a tropical squid species.

  8. Measurement of 2-carboxyarabinitol 1-phosphate in plant leaves by isotope dilution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, B.D.; Kobza, J.; Seemann, J.R.

    1991-01-01

    The level of 2-carboxyarabinitol 1-phosphate (CA1P) in leaves of 12 species was determined by an isotope dilution assay. 14 C-labeled standard was synthesized from [2- 14 C]carboxyarabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate using acid phosphatase, and was added at the initial point of leaf extraction. Leaf CA1P was purified and its specific activity determined. CA1P was found in dark-treated leaves of all species examined, including spinach (Spinacea oleracea), wheat (Triticum aestivum), Arabidopsis thaliana, and maize (Zea mays). The highest amounts were found in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and petunia (Petunia hybrida), which had 1.5 to 1.8 moles CA1P per mole ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase catalytic sites. Most species had intermediate amounts of CA1P (0.2 to 0.8 mole CA1P per mole catalytic sites). Such intermediate to high levels of CA1P support the hypothesis that CA1P functions in many species as a light-dependent regulator of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity and whole leaf photosynthetic CO 2 assimilation. However, CA1P levels in spinach, wheat, and A. thaliana were particularly low (less than 0.09 mole CA1P per mole catalytic sites). In such species, CA1P does not likely have a significant role in regulating ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity, but could have a different physiological role

  9. Influences of Different Preparation Conditions on Catalytic Activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 for Hydrogenation of Coal Pyrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Zhang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of catalysts of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was prepared by equivalent volume impregnation method. The effects of the metal loading, calcination time, and calcination temperatures of Ag and Co, respectively, on the catalytic activity were investigated. The optimum preparing condition of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was decided, and then the influence of different preparation conditions on catalytic activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 was analyzed. The results showed the following: (1 at the same preparation condition, when silver loading was 8%, the Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 showed higher catalyst activity, (2 the catalyst activity had obviously improved when the cobalt loading was 8%, while it was weaker at loadings 5% and 10%, (3 the catalyst activity was influenced by different calcination temperatures of silver, but the influences were not marked, (4 the catalyst activity can be influenced by calcination time of silver, (5 different calcination times of cobalt can also influence the catalyst activity of Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3, and (6 the best preparation conditions of the Ag2O-Co3O4/γ-Al2O3 were silver loading of 8%, calcination temperature of silver of 450°C, and calcinations time of silver of 4 h, while at the same time the cobalt loading was 8%, the calcination temperature of cobalt was 450°C, and calcination time of cobalt was 4 h.

  10. Requirement of Hsp105 in CoCl{sub 2}-induced HIF-1α accumulation and transcriptional activation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikami, Hiroki; Saito, Youhei, E-mail: ysaito@mb.kyoto-phu.ac.jp; Okamoto, Namiko; Kakihana, Ayana; Kuga, Takahisa; Nakayama, Yuji, E-mail: nakayama@mb.kyoto-phu.ac.jp

    2017-03-15

    The mammalian stress protein Hsp105α protects cells from stress conditions. Several studies have indicated that Hsp105α is overexpressed in many types of solid tumors, which contain hypoxic microenvironments. However, the role of Hsp105α in hypoxic tumors remains largely unknown. We herein demonstrated the involvement of Hsp105α in HIF-1 functions induced by the hypoxia-mimetic agent CoCl{sub 2}. While Hsp105α is mainly localized in the cytoplasm under normal conditions, a treatment with CoCl{sub 2} induces the nuclear localization of Hsp105α, which correlated with HIF-1α expression levels. The overexpression of degradation-resistant HIF-1α enhances the nuclear localization of Hsp105α without the CoCl{sub 2} treatment. The CoCl{sub 2}-dependent transcriptional activation of HIF-1, which is measured using a reporter gene containing a HIF-responsive element, is reduced by the knockdown of Hsp105α. Furthermore, the CoCl{sub 2}-induced accumulation of HIF-1α is enhanced by heat shock, which results in the nuclear localization of Hsp105, and is suppressed by the knockdown of Hsp105. Hsp105 associates with HIF-1α in CoCl{sub 2}-treated cells. These results suggest that Hsp105α plays an important role in the functions of HIF-1 under hypoxic conditions, in which Hsp105α enhances the accumulation and transcriptional activity of HIF-1 through the HIF-1α-mediated nuclear localization of Hsp105α. - Highlights: • Hsp105α is required for the CoCl{sub 2}-induced transcriptional activation and accumulation of HIF-1. • Hsp105α localizes to the nucleus and interacts with HIF-1α in CoCl{sub 2}-treated cells. • Hsp105 enhances the CoCl{sub 2}-induced accumulation of HIF-1α under heat shock conditions.

  11. Estimation of long-term trends in the tropospheric 14CO2 activity concentration

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Světlík, Ivo; Povinec, P. P.; Molnár, M.; Meinhardt, F.; Michálek, V.; Simon, J.; Svingor, E.

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 2-3 (2010), s. 815-822 ISSN 0033-8222. [International Radiocarbon Conference /20./. Big Island, Hawai, 31.05.2009-05.06.2009] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10480505 Keywords : 14CO2 * activity concentration * greenhouse gasses * fossil fuel combustion Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 2.703, year: 2010

  12. Microbial methane from in situ biodegradation of coal and shale: A review and reevaluation of hydrogen and carbon isotope signatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinson, David S.; Blair, Neal E.; Martini, Anna M.; Larter, Steve; Orem, William H.; McIntosh, Jennifer C.

    2017-01-01

    isotope fractionation between δ13C-CH4 and δ13C-CO2(α13CCO2-CH4) to differ from the true methanogenic fractionation, complicating interpretation of methanogenic pathways. (3) Where little-fractionating non-methanogenic bacterial processes compete with highly-fractionating methanogenesis, the mass balance between CH4 and CO2 is affected. This has implications for δ13C values and provides an alternative interpretation for net C isotope signatures than solely the pathways used by active methanogens. (4) While most of the reviewed values of δD-H2O - δD-CH4 and α13CCO2-CH4 are apparently consistent with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis as the dominant pathway in coal beds and shales, recent microbial community characterization techniques suggest a possible role for acetoclastic or methylotrophic methanogenesis in some basins.

  13. Barium isotopes in cold-water corals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hemsing, Freya; Hsieh, Yu-Te; Bridgestock, Luke; Spooner, Peter T.; Robinson, Laura F.; Frank, Norbert; Henderson, Gideon M.

    2018-06-01

    Recent studies have introduced stable Ba isotopes (δ 138 / 134Ba) as a novel tracer for ocean processes. Ba isotopes could potentially provide insight into the oceanic Ba cycle, the ocean's biological pump, water-mass provenance in the deep ocean, changes in activity of hydrothermal vents, and land-sea interactions including tracing riverine inputs. Here, we show that aragonite skeletons of various colonial and solitary cold-water coral (CWC) taxa record the seawater (SW) Ba isotope composition. Thirty-six corals of eight different taxa from three oceanic regions were analysed and compared to δ 138 / 134Ba measurements of co-located seawater samples. Sites were chosen to cover a wide range of temperature, salinity, Ba concentrations and Ba isotope compositions. Seawater samples at the three sites exhibit the well-established anti-correlation between Ba concentration and δ 138 / 134Ba. Furthermore, our data set suggests that Ba/Ca values in CWCs are linearly correlated with dissolved [Ba] in ambient seawater, with an average partition coefficient of DCWC/SW = 1.8 ± 0.4 (2SD). The mean isotope fractionation of Ba between seawater and CWCs Δ138/134BaCWC-SW is -0.21 ± 0.08‰ (2SD), indicating that CWC aragonite preferentially incorporates the lighter isotopes. This fractionation likely does not depend on temperature or other environmental variables, suggesting that aragonite CWCs could be used to trace the Ba isotope composition in ambient seawater. Coupled [Ba] and δ 138 / 134Ba analysis on fossil CWCs has the potential to provide new information about past changes in the local and global relationship between [Ba] and δ 138 / 134Ba and hence about the operation of the past global oceanic Ba cycle in different climate regimes.

  14. Equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganic aqueous Fe(III) and the siderophore complex, Fe(III)-desferrioxamine B

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dideriksen, Knud; Baker, Joel A.; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane

    2008-01-01

    be controlled by isotope fractionation between the free and complexed iron.We have determined the equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation induced by organic ligand activity in experiments with solutions having co-existing inorganic Fe(III) species and siderophore complexes, Fedesferrioxamine B (at pH 2). The two......-type fractionation during precipitation, this experiment yielded an isotope fractionation factor of a56Fesolution-solid=1.00027. Calculations based on these results indicate that isotopic re-equilibration is unlikely to significantly affect our determined equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganically...... and organically complexed Fe. To determine the equilibrium Fe isotope fractionation between inorganically and organically bound Fe(III), experiments with variable proportions of inorganic Fe were carried out at 25 °C. Irrespective of the proportion of inorganic Fe, equilibrium fractionation factors were within...

  15. Effects of long-term elevated CO2 on N2-fixing, denitrifying and nitrifying enzyme activities in forest soils under Pinus sylvestriformis in Changbai Mountain

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHENG Jun-Qiang; HAN Shi-Jie; REN Fei-Rong; ZHOU Yu-Mei; ZHANG Yan

    2008-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the effects of elevated CO2 on soil N process at Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province,northeastern China (42o24'N,128o06'E,and 738 m elevation).A randomized complete block design of ambient and elevated CO2 was established in an open-top chamber facility in the spring of 1999.Changpai Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris var.sylvestriformis seeds were sowed in May,1999 and CO2 fumigation treatments began after seeds germination.In each year,the exposure started at the end of April and stopped at the end of October.Soil samples were collected in June and August 2006 and in June 2007,and soil nitrifying,denitrifying and N2-fixing enzyme activities were measured.Results show that soil nitrifying enzyme activities (NEA) in the 5-10 cm soil layer were significantly increased at elevated CO2 by 30.3% in June 2006,by 30.9% in August 2006 and by 11.3% in June 2007.Soil denitrifying enzyme activities (DEA) were significantly decreased by elevated CO2 treatment in June 2006 (P < 0.012) and August 2006 (P < 0.005) samplings in our study; no significant difference was detected in June 2007,and no significant changes in N2-fixing enzyme activity were found.This study suggests that elevated CO2 can alter soil nitrifying enzyme and denitrifying enzyme activities.

  16. Predicting mixed-gas adsorption equilibria on activated carbon for precombustion CO2 capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García, S; Pis, J J; Rubiera, F; Pevida, C

    2013-05-21

    We present experimentally measured adsorption isotherms of CO2, H2, and N2 on a phenol-formaldehyde resin-based activated carbon, which had been previously synthesized for the separation of CO2 in a precombustion capture process. The single component adsorption isotherms were measured in a magnetic suspension balance at three different temperatures (298, 318, and 338 K) and over a large range of pressures (from 0 to 3000-4000 kPa). These values cover the temperature and pressure conditions likely to be found in a precombustion capture scenario, where CO2 needs to be separated from a CO2/H2/N2 gas stream at high pressure (~1000-1500 kPa) and with a high CO2 concentration (~20-40 vol %). Data on the pure component isotherms were correlated using the Langmuir, Sips, and dual-site Langmuir (DSL) models, i.e., a two-, three-, and four-parameter model, respectively. By using the pure component isotherm fitting parameters, adsorption equilibrium was then predicted for multicomponent gas mixtures by the extended models. The DSL model was formulated considering the energetic site-matching concept, recently addressed in the literature. Experimental gas-mixture adsorption equilibrium data were calculated from breakthrough experiments conducted in a lab-scale fixed-bed reactor and compared with the predictions from the models. Breakthrough experiments were carried out at a temperature of 318 K and five different pressures (300, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 kPa) where two different CO2/H2/N2 gas mixtures were used as the feed gas in the adsorption step. The DSL model was found to be the one that most accurately predicted the CO2 adsorption equilibrium in the multicomponent mixture. The results presented in this work highlight the importance of performing experimental measurements of mixture adsorption equilibria, as they are of utmost importance to discriminate between models and to correctly select the one that most closely reflects the actual process.

  17. Implications of CO2 pooling on δ13C of ecosystem respiration and leaves in Amazonian forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Araújo, A. C.; Ometto, J. P. H. B.; Dolman, A. J.; Kruijt, B.; Waterloo, M. J.; Ehleringer, J. R.

    2007-11-01

    The carbon isotope of a leaf (δ13Cleaf) is generally more negative in riparian zones than in areas with low soil moisture content or rainfall input. In Central Amazonia, the small-scale topography is composed of plateaus and valleys, with plateaus generally being drier than the valley edges in the dry season. The nocturnal accumulation of CO2 is higher in the valleys than on the plateaus in the dry season. The CO2 stored in the valleys takes longer to be released than that on the plateaus, and sometimes the atmospheric CO2 concentration (ca) does not drop to the same level as on the plateaus at any time during the day. Samples of sunlit leaves and atmospheric air were collected along a topographical gradient to test whether the δ13Cleaf of sunlit leaves and the carbon isotope ratio of ecosystem respired CO2 (δ13CR) may be more negative in the valley than those on the plateau. The δ13Cleaf was significantly more negative in the valley than on the plateau. Factors considered to be driving the observed variability in δ13Cleaf were: leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf mass per unit area (LMA), soil moisture availability, more negative carbon isotope ratio of atmospheric CO2 (δ13Ca) in the valleys during daytime hours, and leaf discrimination (Δleaf). The observed pattern of δ13Cleaf suggests that water-use efficiency (WUE) may be higher on the plateaus than in the valleys. The ;13CR was more negative in the valleys than on the plateaus on some nights, whereas in others it was not. It is likely that lateral drainage of CO2 enriched in 13C from upslope areas might have happened when the nights were less stable. Biotic factors such as soil CO2 efflux (Rsoil) and the responses of plants to environmental variables such as vapor pressure deficit (D) may also play a role.

  18. Capture of atmospheric CO2 into (BiO)2CO3/graphene or graphene oxide nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Wendong; Dong, Fan; Zhang, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanoflakes on graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO 2 at room temperature. - Highlights: • A facile one-step method was developed for graphene-based composites. • The synthesis was conducted by utilization of atmospheric CO 2 . • (BiO) 2 CO 3 -graphene and (BiO) 2 CO 3 -graphene oxide composites were synthesized. • The nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity. - Abstract: Self-assembly of (BiO) 2 CO 3 nanoflakes on graphene (Ge) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, as an effective strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured materials, were realized by a one-pot efficient capture of atmospheric CO 2 at room temperature. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, UV–vis DRS, Time-resolved ns-level PL and BET-BJH measurement. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained samples was evaluated by the removal of NO at the indoor air level under simulated solar-light irradiation. Compared with pure (BiO) 2 CO 3 , (BiO) 2 CO 3 /Ge and (BiO) 2 CO 3 /GO nanocomposites exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity due to their large surface areas and pore volume, and efficient charge separation and transfer. The present work could provide a simple method to construct 2D nanocomposites by efficient utilization of CO 2 in green synthetic strategy.

  19. Comparative Study of Textural Characteristics on Methane Adsorption for Carbon Spheres Produced by CO2 Activation

    OpenAIRE

    Yang, Wen; Feng, Yanyan; Chu, Wei

    2014-01-01

    Resorcinol-formaldehyde resin polymer was used as raw material for preparation of carbon spheres. Samples were treated with CO2 flow at 850°C by varying activation times. The CO2 activation granted better pore development of pore structure. The experimental data of CH4 adsorption as a function of equilibrium pressure was fitted by Langmuir and Dubinin-Astakhov (D-A) models. It was concluded that the high surface area and micropore volume of carbon spheres did unequivocally determine methane c...

  20. Partitioning CO2 fluxes with isotopologue measurements and modeling to understand mechanisms of forest carbon sequestration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saleska, Scott [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Davidson, Eric [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Finzi, Adrien [Boston Univ., MA (United States); Wehr, Richdard [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Moorcroft, Paul [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

    2016-01-28

    1. Objectives This project combines automated in situ observations of the isotopologues of CO2 with root observations, novel experimental manipulations of belowground processes, and isotope-enabled ecosystem modeling to investigate mechanisms of below- vs. aboveground carbon sequestration at the Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (EMS). The proposed objectives, which have now been largely accomplished, include: A. Partitioning of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) into photosynthesis and respiration using long-term continuous observations of the isotopic composition of NEE, and analysis of their dynamics ; B. Investigation of the influence of vegetation phenology on the timing and magnitude of carbon allocated belowground using measurements of root growth and indices of belowground autotrophic vs. heterotrophic respiration (via trenched plots and isotope measurements); C. Testing whether plant allocation of carbon belowground stimulates the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, using in situ rhizosphere simulation experiments wherein realistic quantities of artificial isotopically-labeled exudates are released into the soil; and D. Synthesis and interpretation of the above data using the Ecosystem Demography Model 2 (ED2). 2. Highlights Accomplishments: • Our isotopic eddy flux record has completed its 5th full year and has been used to independently estimate ecosystem-scale respiration and photosynthesis. • Soil surface chamber isotopic flux measurements were carried out during three growing seasons, in conjunction with a trenching manipulation. Key findings to date (listed by objective): A. Partitioning of Net Ecosystem Exchange: 1. Ecosystem respiration is lower during the day than at night—the first robust evidence of the inhibition of leaf respiration by light (the “Kok effect”) at the ecosystem scale. 2. Because it neglects the Kok effect, the standard NEE partitioning approach overestimates ecosystem photosynthesis (by ~25%) and

  1. Syngas (CO-H2) production using high temperature micro-tubular solid oxide electrolysers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleiminger, L.; Li, T.; Li, K.; Kelsall, G.H.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • CO 2 and/or H 2 O reduced to CO/H 2 in micro-tubular solid oxide electrolyser (MT-SOE). • MT-SOE: CO 2 , H 2 O | Ni-(ZrO 2 ) 0.92 (Y 2 O 3 ) 0.08 (YSZ) | YSZ | YSZ- La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3-δ |O 2. • −0.76 A cm −2 achieved at 1.5V and ca. 820°C for H 2 O electrolysis. • Ni wire cathode current collector gave better performance than (Ag wire+Ag paste). • C 18 O 2 in co-electrolysis could not distinguish cathodic and chemical reduction. - Abstract: CO 2 and/or H 2 O were reduced to CO/H 2 in micro-tubular solid oxide electrolysers with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte, Ni-YSZ cermet cathode and strontium(II)-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM) oxygen-evolving anode. At 822 °C, the kinetics of CO 2 reduction were slower (ca. −0.49 A cm −2 at 1.8 V) than H 2 O reduction or co-reduction of CO 2 and H 2 O, which were comparable (ca. −0.83 to −0.77 A cm −2 at 1.8 V). Performances were improved (−0.85 and −1.1 A cm −2 for CO 2 and H 2 O electrolysis, respectively) by substituting the silver current collector with nickel and avoiding blockage of entrances to pores on the inner lumen of micro-tubes induced by silver paste applied previously to decrease contact losses. The change in current collector materials increased ohmic potential losses due to substituting the lower resistance Ag with Ni wire, but decreased electrode polarization losses by 80–93%. For co-electrolysis of CO 2 and H 2 O, isotopically-labelled C 18 O 2 was used to try to distinguish between direct cathodic reduction of CO 2 and its Ni-catalysed chemical reaction with hydrogen from reduction of steam. Unfortunately, oxygen was exchanged between C 18 O 2 and H 2 16 O, enriching oxygen-18 in the steam and substituting oxygen-16 in the carbon dioxide, so the anode off-gas isotopic fractions were meaningless. This occurred even in alumina and YSZ tubes without the micro-tubular reactor, i.e. in the absence of Ni catalyst, though not in quartz tubes

  2. CO{sub 2} capture using fly ash-derived activated carbons impregnated with low molecular mass amines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karl M. Smith; Ana Arenillas; Trevor C. Drage; Colin E. Snape [University of Nottingham, Nottingham (United Kingdom). Nottingham Fuel and Energy Centre, School of Chemical, Environmental and Mining Engineering

    2005-07-01

    At the Nottingham Fuel and Energy centre, a program is underway to develop high capacity CO{sub 2} sorbents for flue gas from large point sources such as fossil-fuel power plants. Two different approaches are presented here. Firstly, the modification of the surface chemistry of low cost carbos by impregnation with a basic nitrogen-containing polymer and different amines is described. Secondly, the development of high nitrogen content carbon matrix adsorbents by carbonization and subsequent thermal or chemical activation of a range of materials is summarised. Such high nitrogen content adsorbents, generated at high temperature, are advantageous as their inherent thermal stability will minimise alteration during multiple adsorption and regeneration cycles. Relatively low MM amines, namely diethanolamine and (DEA, MM 105) and tetraethylenepentaamineacrylonitrile (TEPAN, MM 311) are used to produce high capacity CO{sub 2} sorbents from activated carbons derived form unburned carbon in fly ash, which have low mesoporosities. The unburned carbons were obtained through the froth flotation and dry-sieving of fly ash and their activation was performed using, variously, steam and CO{sub 2}. It was found that the impregnation of a fly-ash derived carbon with amines can produce CO{sub 2} sorbents, with uptakes up to 5 wt% at 75{degree}C. Nitrogen incorporation in carbon materials generally promotes the adsorption of CO{sub 2} with the process being totally reversible but, although the amount of nitrogen incorporated into the adsorbent is important, nitrogen functionality is also important. 9 refs., 2 figs.

  3. Results of a European interlaboratory comparison on CO2 sorption on activated carbon and coals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gensterblum, Yves; Busch, Andreas; Krooss, Bernhard; de Weireld, Guy; Billemont, Pierre; van Hemert, Patrick; Wolf, Karl-Heinz

    2013-04-01

    For the assessment of CO2 storage in coal seams or enhanced coalbed methane production (ECBM), the sorption properties of natural coals are important parameters. Since more and more laboratories worldwide are concerned with measurements of gas sorption on coal it is indispensable to establish quality standards for such experiments. The first two interlaboratory studies on CO2 sorption on coal (Goodman et al. 2004, 2007) revealed a poor agreement of sorption isotherms among the participating laboratories, particularly in the high-pressure range. During the MOVECBM (http://www.movecbm.eu/) project funded by the European Commission (6th framework), an interlaboratory comparison of CO2 sorption on selected coals and activated carbon was initiated. Measurements were performed on dry samples at 45° C using the manometric and the gravimetric method. up to a final pressure of 15 MPa. The first set of high-pressure sorption measurements was performed on a Filtrasorb 400 activated carbon sample in order to minimise heterogeneity effects and to optimize the experimental procedures for the individual (manometric or gravimetric) methods (Gensterblum et al. 2009). Since comparability for the activated carbon was excellent, the measurements were continued using natural coals of various rank (anthracite, bituminous coal and lignite) to study the influence of heterogeneities and varying starting conditions on the CO2 sorption properties (Gensterblum et al. 2010). Compared to the poor reproducibility observed in previous interlaboratory studies (Goodman et al., 2004, 2007) this European study showed excellent agreement (van Hemert, P. Billemont, A. Busch, B.M. Krooss, G. de Weireld, D. Prinz , K.-H.A.A. Wolf, "European inter-laboratory comparison of high pressure CO2 sorption isotherms. II: natural coals" IJCG, 2010, 84, 115-124 Gensterblum Y., P. van Hemert, P. Billemont, A. Busch, D. Charriére, D. Li, B.M. Krooss, G. de Weireld, D. Prinz , K.-H.A.A. Wolf, "European inter

  4. Co-ordinated expression of MMP-2 and its putative activator, MT1-MMP, in human placentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bjørn, S F; Hastrup, N; Lund, L R; Danø, K; Larsen, J F; Pyke, C

    1997-08-01

    The spatial expression of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), its putative activator, the membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), and the MMP-2 substrate type IV collagen was investigated in human placentas of both normal and tubal ectopic pregnancies and in cyclic endometrium using in-situ hybridization. Cytokeratin staining applied to adjacent sections was used to identify epithelial and trophoblast cells. In both normal and tubal pregnancies MT1-MMP, MMP-2 and type IV collagen mRNA were highly expressed and co-localized in the extravillous cytotrophoblasts of anchoring villi, in cytotrophoblasts that had penatrated into the placental bed and in cytotrophoblastic cell islands. In addition, the decidual cells of normal pregnancies in some areas co-expressed MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA, with moderate signals for both components. Fibroblast-like stromal cells in tubal pregnancies were positive for MMP-2 mRNA but generally negative for MT1-MMP mRNA. The consistent co-localization of MT1-MMP with MMP-2 and type IV collagen in the same subset of cytotrophoblasts strongly suggests that all three components co-operate in the tightly regulated fetal invasion process. The co-expression of MT1-MMP and MMP-2 mRNA in some of the decidual cells indicates that these cells are also actively involved in the placentation process.

  5. Activated carbons prepared from hazelnut shells, walnut shells and peanut shells for high CO2 adsorption

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lewicka Katarzyna

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Research treats about producing activated carbons for CO2 capture from hazelnut shells (HN, walnut shells (WN and peanut shells (PN. Saturated solution of KOH was used as an activating agent in ratio 1:1. Samples were carbonized in the furnace in the range of temperatures 600°C–900°C. Properties of carbons were tested by N2 adsorption method, using BET equation, DFT method and volumetric CO2 adsorption method. With the increase of carbonization temperature specific surface area of studied samples increased. The largest surface area was calculated for samples carbonized at 900°C and the highest values of CO2 adsorption had samples: PN900 at 0°C (5.5 mmol/g and WN900 at 25°C (4.34 mmol/g. All of the samples had a well-developed microporous structure.

  6. Subsurface oxide plays a critical role in CO2 activation by Cu(111) surfaces to form chemisorbed CO2, the first step in reduction of CO2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favaro, Marco; Xiao, Hai; Cheng, Tao; Goddard, William A; Yano, Junko; Crumlin, Ethan J

    2017-06-27

    A national priority is to convert CO 2 into high-value chemical products such as liquid fuels. Because current electrocatalysts are not adequate, we aim to discover new catalysts by obtaining a detailed understanding of the initial steps of CO 2 electroreduction on copper surfaces, the best current catalysts. Using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy interpreted with quantum mechanical prediction of the structures and free energies, we show that the presence of a thin suboxide structure below the copper surface is essential to bind the CO 2 in the physisorbed configuration at 298 K, and we show that this suboxide is essential for converting to the chemisorbed CO 2 in the presence of water as the first step toward CO 2 reduction products such as formate and CO. This optimum suboxide leads to both neutral and charged Cu surface sites, providing fresh insights into how to design improved carbon dioxide reduction catalysts.

  7. Magma-derived CO2 emissions in the Tengchong volcanic field, SE Tibet: Implications for deep carbon cycle at intra-continent subduction zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Maoliang; Guo, Zhengfu; Sano, Yuji; Zhang, Lihong; Sun, Yutao; Cheng, Zhihui; Yang, Tsanyao Frank

    2016-09-01

    Active volcanoes at oceanic subduction zone have long been regard as important pathways for deep carbon degassed from Earth's interior, whereas those at continental subduction zone remain poorly constrained. Large-scale active volcanoes, together with significant modern hydrothermal activities, are widely distributed in the Tengchong volcanic field (TVF) on convergent boundary between the Indian and Eurasian plates. They provide an important opportunity for studying deep carbon cycle at the ongoing intra-continent subduction zone. Soil microseepage survey based on accumulation chamber method reveals an average soil CO2 flux of ca. 280 g m-2 d-1 in wet season for the Rehai geothermal park (RGP). Combined with average soil CO2 flux in dry season (ca. 875 g m-2 d-1), total soil CO2 output of the RGP and adjacent region (ca. 3 km2) would be about 6.30 × 105 t a-1. Additionally, we conclude that total flux of outgassing CO2 from the TVF would range in (4.48-7.05) × 106 t a-1, if CO2 fluxes from hot springs and soil in literature are taken into account. Both hot spring and soil gases from the TVF exhibit enrichment in CO2 (>85%) and remarkable contribution from mantle components, as indicated by their elevated 3He/4He ratios (1.85-5.30 RA) and δ13C-CO2 values (-9.00‰ to -2.07‰). He-C isotope coupling model suggests involvement of recycled organic metasediments and limestones from subducted Indian continental lithosphere in formation of the enriched mantle wedge (EMW), which has been recognized as source region of the TVF parental magmas. Contamination by crustal limestone is the first-order control on variations in He-CO2 systematics of volatiles released by the EMW-derived melts. Depleted mantle and recycled crustal materials from subducted Indian continental lithosphere contribute about 45-85% of the total carbon inventory, while the rest carbon (about 15-55%) is accounted by limestones in continental crust. As indicated by origin and evolution of the TVF

  8. Initial Reduction of CO2 on Pd-, Ru-, and Cu-Doped CeO2(111) Surfaces: Effects of Surface Modification on Catalytic Activity and Selectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Chen; Wei, Shuxian; Zhou, Sainan; Zhang, Tian; Wang, Zhaojie; Ng, Siu-Pang; Lu, Xiaoqing; Wu, Chi-Man Lawrence; Guo, Wenyue

    2017-08-09

    Surface modification by metal doping is an effective treatment technique for improving surface properties for CO 2 reduction. Herein, the effects of doped Pd, Ru, and Cu on the adsorption, activation, and reduction selectivity of CO 2 on CeO 2 (111) were investigated by periodic density functional theory. The doped metals distorted the configuration of a perfect CeO 2 (111) by weakening the adjacent Ce-O bond strength, and Pd doping was beneficial for generating a highly active O vacancy. The analyses of adsorption energy, charge density difference, and density of states confirmed that the doped metals were conducive for enhancing CO 2 adsorption, especially for Cu/CeO 2 (111). The initial reductive dissociation CO 2CO* + O* on metal-doped CeO 2 (111) followed the sequence of Cu- > perfect > Pd- > Ru-doped CeO 2 (111); the reductive hydrogenation CO 2 + H → COOH* followed the sequence of Cu- > perfect > Ru- > Pd-doped CeO 2 (111), in which the most competitive route on Cu/CeO 2 (111) was exothermic by 0.52 eV with an energy barrier of 0.16 eV; the reductive hydrogenation CO 2 + H → HCOO* followed the sequence of Ru- > perfect > Pd-doped CeO 2 (111). Energy barrier decomposition analyses were performed to identify the governing factors of bond activation and scission along the initial CO 2 reduction routes. Results of this study provided deep insights into the effect of surface modification on the initial reduction mechanisms of CO 2 on metal-doped CeO 2 (111) surfaces.

  9. Rate of radiocarbon retention onto calcite by isotope exchange

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lempinen, Janne; Lehto, Jukka [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Lab. of Radiochemistry

    2016-11-01

    Radiocarbon ({sup 14}C) is a top priority class radionuclide associated with the long-term safety of spent nuclear fuel disposal. Dissolved inorganic radiocarbon can be retained in bedrock via isotope exchange with calcite (CaCO{sub 3}) at solubility equilibrium with groundwater. In the present study, the rate of the isotope exchange process was investigated on synthetic calcite using batch experiments. Experiments were performed in solutions with a calcium concentration of 0.0002-0.1 M, including two synthetic reference groundwaters. The radiocarbon activity in the solutions decreased exponentially as a function of time, thus following first-order kinetics. The rate of isotope exchange was quantified from an exponential fit to the activity data over time. The rate of radiocarbon retention increased as a function of the calcium activity. The isotope exchange half-life was only 4.3 days at calcium ion activities over 0.01. This half-life is very much shorter than the half-life of {sup 14}C or the time scale of groundwater movements; consequently calcite can effectively retain radiocarbon from brackish and saline groundwaters.

  10. Rate of radiocarbon retention onto calcite by isotope exchange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lempinen, Janne; Lehto, Jukka

    2016-01-01

    Radiocarbon ( 14 C) is a top priority class radionuclide associated with the long-term safety of spent nuclear fuel disposal. Dissolved inorganic radiocarbon can be retained in bedrock via isotope exchange with calcite (CaCO 3 ) at solubility equilibrium with groundwater. In the present study, the rate of the isotope exchange process was investigated on synthetic calcite using batch experiments. Experiments were performed in solutions with a calcium concentration of 0.0002-0.1 M, including two synthetic reference groundwaters. The radiocarbon activity in the solutions decreased exponentially as a function of time, thus following first-order kinetics. The rate of isotope exchange was quantified from an exponential fit to the activity data over time. The rate of radiocarbon retention increased as a function of the calcium activity. The isotope exchange half-life was only 4.3 days at calcium ion activities over 0.01. This half-life is very much shorter than the half-life of 14 C or the time scale of groundwater movements; consequently calcite can effectively retain radiocarbon from brackish and saline groundwaters.

  11. Isotope effect of optical activity measurements on L-α-alanine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darge, W.; Laczko, I.; Thiemann, W.

    1976-01-01

    If an optically active organic substance is labelled in the chirality center with another isotopic species (such as 15 N for 14 N) a pronounced variation of rotatory power is predicted. It was tried to varify this idea experimentally on L-α-alanine and found an isotope effect in ORD (optical rotatory dispersion). The magnitude of the rotation is mainly dependent on the pH of the solvent. The ratio of the optical activity alanine- 14 N/alanine- 15 N is about 1.02. It can be seen that the ratios of the molecular rotations are consistently lower than the corresponding ratios of the specific rotations. This is of course due to the fact that the molecular mass 15 M is larger than 14 M. This means tthat the mass difference is already taken into account so that the ratio of the molecular rotations could be defined as the ''net'' isotope effect in the ORDs of 15 N-substitued alanine. From the fact the ORD is different for the isotope-substitued alanine, one can reasonably assume that the absorption coefficient is also different. This leads to speculations about certain problems in the chemical evolution of the biosphere, such as the origin of optical activity. (T.G.)

  12. Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Mn-Co/TiO2 Catalysts for NO Oxidation to NO2 at Low Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Qiu

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available A series of Mn-Co/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation method and evaluated for the oxidation of NO to NO2. The effects of Co amounts and calcination temperature on NO oxidation were investigated in detail. The catalytic oxidation ability in the temperature range of 403–473 K was obviously improved by doping cobalt into Mn/TiO2. These samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, transmission electron microscope (TEM and hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR. The results indicated that the formation of dispersed Co3O4·CoMnO3 mixed oxides through synergistic interaction between Mn-O and Co-O was directly responsible for the enhanced activities towards NO oxidation at low temperatures. Doping of Co enhanced Mn4+ formation and increased chemical adsorbed oxygen amounts, which also accelerated NO oxidation.

  13. Corn residue removal and CO2 emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) are the primary greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted from the soil due to agricultural activities. In the short-term, increases in CO2 emissions indicate increased soil microbial activity. Soil micro-organisms decompose crop residues and release...

  14. BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Xu-Dong; Meng, Qing-Hui; Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang; Ge, Chun-Min; Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping; Rosen, Eliot M; Fan, Saijun

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. → BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. → BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. → An intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the 20 LxxLL 24 motif is not required. → Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ( 20 LxxLL 24 and 92 LxxLL 96 ), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant 20 LxxLL 24 motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant 92 LxxLL 96 motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact 92 LxxLL 96 motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

  15. BTG2 is an LXXLL-dependent co-repressor for androgen receptor transcriptional activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Xu-Dong [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Meng, Qing-Hui [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Xu, Jia-Ying; Jiao, Yang [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Ge, Chun-Min [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Jacob, Asha; Wang, Ping [North Shore University Hospital-Long Island Jewish Medical Center and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, NY 11030 (United States); Rosen, Eliot M [Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057 (United States); Fan, Saijun, E-mail: sjfan@suda.edu.cn [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

    2011-01-28

    Research highlights: {yields} BTG2 associates with AR, androgen causes an increase of the interaction. {yields} BTG2 as a co-repressor inhibits the AR-mediated transcription activity. {yields} BTG2 inhibits the transcription activity and expression of PSA. {yields} An intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is essential and necessary for these activities of BTG2, while the {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif is not required. {yields} Ectopic expression of BTG2 reduces proliferation of prostate cancer cells. -- Abstract: The tumor suppressor gene, BTG2 has been down-regulated in prostate cancer and the ectopic expression of this gene has been shown to inhibit prostate cancer cell growth. Sequence analysis revealed that the BTG2 protein contains two leucine-rich motifs ({sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} and {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96}), which are usually found in nuclear receptor co-factors. Based on this, we postulated that there will be an association between BTG2 and AR. In this study, we discovered that BTG2 directly bound to the androgen receptor (AR) in the absence of 5{alpha}-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and in the presence of the androgen, this interaction was increased. BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 20}LxxLL{sup 24} motif bound to AR equally efficient as the wild-type BTG2, while BTG2 bearing the mutant {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif failed to interact with AR. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of BTG2 caused a significant inhibition of AR-mediated transcriptional activity and a decreased growth of prostate cancer cells. Androgen-induced promoter activation and expression of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are significantly attenuated by BTG2. The intact {sup 92}LxxLL{sup 96} motif is required for these activities. These findings, for the first time, demonstrate that BTG2 complexes with AR via an LxxLL-dependent mechanism and may play a role in prostate cancer via modulating the AR signaling pathway.

  16. Effective Peroxidase-Like Activity of Co-Aminoclay [CoAC] and Its Application for Glucose Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Han Pill Song

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we describe a novel peroxidase-like activity of Co-aminoclay [CoAC] present at pH ~5.0 and its application to fluorescent biosensor for the determination of H2O2 and glucose. It is synthesized with aminoclays (ACs entrapping cationic metals such as Fe, Cu, Al, Co., Ce, Ni, Mn, and Zn to find enzyme mimicking ACs by sol–gel ambient conditions. Through the screening of catalytic activities by the typical colorimetric reaction employing 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic aciddiammonium salt (ABTS as a substrate with or without H2O2, Fe, Cu, and CoACs are found to exhibit peroxidase-like activity, as well as oxidase-like activity was observed from Ce and MnACs. Among them, CoAC shows exceptionally high peroxidase-like activity, presumably due to its ability to induce electron transfer between substrates and H2O2. CoAC is then used to catalyze the oxidation of Amplex® UltraRed (AUR into a fluorescent end product, which enables a sensitive fluorescent detection of H2O2. Moreover, a highly sensitive and selective glucose biosensing strategy is developed, based on enzyme cascade reaction between glucose oxidase (GOx and CoAC. Using this strategy, a highly linear fluorescence enhancement is verified when the concentration of glucose is increased in a wide range from 10 μM to 1 mM with a lower detection limit of 5 μM. The practical diagnostic capability of the assay system is also verified by its use to detect glucose in human blood serum. Based on these results, it is anticipated that CoAC can serve as potent peroxidase mimetics for the detection of clinically important target molecules.

  17. Interactions between CO2, saline water and minerals during geological storage of CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hellevang, Helge

    2006-06-01

    The topic of this thesis is to gain a better understanding of interactions between injected CO 2 , aqueous solutions and formation mineralogies. The main focus is concerned with the potential role mineral reactions play in safe long term storage of CO 2 . The work is divided into an experimental part concentrated on the potential of dawsonite (NaAl(OH) 2 CO 3 ) as a permanent storage host of CO 2 , and the development of a new geochemical code ACCRETE that is coupled with the ATHENA multiphase flow simulator. The thesis is composed of two parts: (I) the first part introducing CO 2 storage, geochemical interactions and related work; and (II) the second part that consists of the papers. Part I is composed as follows: Chapter 2 gives a short introduction to geochemical reactions considered important during CO 2 storage, including a thermodynamic framework. Chapter 3 presents objectives of numerical work related to CO 2 -water-rock interactions including a discussion of factors that influence the outcome of numerical simulations. Chapter 4 presents the main results from paper A to E. Chapter 5 give some details about further research that we propose based on the present work and related work in the project. Several new activities have emerged from research on CO 2 -water-rock interaction during the project. Several of the proposed activities are already initiated. Papers A to F are then listed in Part II of the thesis after the citation list. The thesis presents the first data on the reaction kinetics of dawsonite at different pH (Paper A), and comprehensive numerical simulations, both batch- and large scale 3D reactive transport, that illustrate the role different carbonates have for safe storage of CO 2 in geological formations (Papers C to F). The role of dawsonite in CO 2 storage settings is treated throughout the study (Papers A to E) After the main part of the thesis (Part I and II), two appendices are included: Appendix A lists reactions that are included in the

  18. Method to reduce CO.sub.2 to CO using plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, George W.; Upadhye, Aniruddha A.; Kim, Hyung Ju; Ro, Insoo; Tejedor-Anderson, M. Isabel

    2017-08-22

    Described is a method of reducing CO.sub.2 to CO using visible radiation and plasmonic photocatalysts. The method includes contacting CO.sub.2 with a catalyst, in the presence of H.sub.2, wherein the catalyst has plasmonic photocatalytic reductive activity when exposed to radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm. The catalyst, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2 are exposed to non-coherent radiation having a wavelength between 380 nm and 780 nm such that the catalyst undergoes surface plasmon resonance. The surface plasmon resonance increases the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO as compared to the rate of CO.sub.2 reduction to CO without surface plasmon resonance in the catalyst.

  19. Diffuse soil CO_2 degassing from Linosa island

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dario Cellura

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 14 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Normal 0 14 false false false IT X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Herein, we present and discuss the result of 148 measurements of soil CO2 flux performed for the first time in Linosa island (Sicily Channel, Italy, a Plio-Pleistocene volcanic complex no longer active but still of interest owing to its location within a seismically active portion of the Sicily Channel rift system. The main purpose of this survey was to assess the occurrence of CO2 soil degassing, and compare flux estimations from this island with data of soil degassing from worldwide active volcanic as well as non-volcanic areas. To this aim soil CO2 fluxes were measured over a surface of about 4.2 km2 covering ~80% of the island. The soil CO2 degassing was observed to be mainly concentrated in the eastern part of the island likely due to volcano-tectonic lineaments, the presence of which is in good agreement with the known predominant regional faults system. Then, the collected data were interpreted using sequential Gaussian simulation that allowed estimating the total CO2 emissions of the island. Results show low levels of CO2 emissions from the soil of the island (~55 ton d-1 compared with CO2 emissions of currently active volcanic areas, such as Miyakejima (Japan and Vulcano (Italy. Results from this study suggest that soil degassing in Linosa is mainly fed by superficial organic activity with a moderate contribution of a deep CO2 likely driven by NW-SE trending active tectonic structures in the eastern part of the island.

  20. Understanding of CO{sub 2} interaction with thermally grown SiO{sub 2} on Si using IBA depth profiling techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deokar, Geetanjali; D’Angelo, Marie; Briand, Emrick [INSP, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7588, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris F-75005 (France); Deville Cavellin, Catherine, E-mail: deville@univ-paris12.fr [INSP, UPMC, CNRS UMR 7588, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris F-75005 (France); Faculté des Sciences et Technologie UPEC, 61 Av., De Gaulle, Créteil F-94010 (France)

    2013-06-01

    Interactions between CO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2} films thermally grown on Si have been studied using {sup 18}O and {sup 13}C as isotopic tracers associated with ion beam analysis (IBA) depth profiling techniques. From secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) measurements no carbon from CO{sub 2} is detected in the silica while it is found in Si. These results suggest that CO{sub 2} diffuses through the silica. Exchanges of oxygen between CO{sub 2} and silica can be observed from {sup 18}O to {sup 16}O SIMS signals variation. The oxygen concentration depth profiles were determined quantitatively using the narrow resonance near 151 keV in the {sup 18}O(p,α){sup 15}N nuclear reaction (Narrow Resonance Profiling, NRP). We demonstrate that two distinct oxygen exchanges processes co-exist and we determine the diffusion coefficient of the CO{sub 2} molecule in the silica at 1100 °C.

  1. Reactivity of the Donor-Stabilized Silylenes [iPrNC(Ph)NiPr]2 Si and [iPrNC(NiPr2 )NiPr]2 Si: Activation of CO2 and CS2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mück, Felix M; Baus, Johannes A; Nutz, Marco; Burschka, Christian; Poater, Jordi; Bickelhaupt, F Matthias; Tacke, Reinhold

    2015-11-09

    Activation of CO2 by the bis(amidinato)silylene 1 and the analogous bis(guanidinato)silylene 2 leads to the structurally analogous six-coordinate silicon(IV) complexes 4 (previous work) and 8, respectively, the first silicon compounds with a chelating carbonato ligand. Likewise, CS2 activation by silylene 1 affords the analogous six-coordinate silicon(IV) complex 10, the first silicon compound with a chelating trithiocarbonato ligand. CS2 activation by silylene 2, however, yields the five-coordinate silicon(IV) complex 13 with a carbon-bound CS2 (2-) ligand, which also represents an unprecedented coordination mode in silicon coordination chemistry. Treatment of the dinuclear silicon(IV) complexes 5 and 6 with CO2 also affords the six-coordinate carbonatosilicon(IV) complexes 4 and 8, respectively. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Effects of climate factors and vegetation on the CO2 fluxes and δ13C from re-established grassland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezyk, Yaroslav; Dorodnikov, Maxim; Sówka, Izabela

    2017-11-01

    The relationship between stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C -CO2) of soil CO2 flux, vegetation cover and weather conditions was investigated in a short-term campaign at a temperate re-established grassland in Germany. During August-September 2016, we measured surface CO2 flux with a closed-chamber method at high and low soil moisture content (`wet', `dry'), with and without above ground vegetation (`planted', `clear-cut') and estimated the effects of treatments on respective δ13C -CO2 values. The concentration and stable carbon isotope composition of CO2 were determined using the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. The δ13C -CO2 of the soil fluxes decreased over sampling time for the `dry-warm' conditions and canopy manipulation. The ecosystem-derived δ13C -CO2 values (corrected for the atmospheric δ13C -CO2) which included predominately soil-and rhizosphere respiration were -26.2 ± 0.8‰ for the `dry-warm' conditions and decreased down to -28.1 ± 1.4‰ over a period of 28 days from late August to the end of September. The decrease coincided with the lowering of CO2 flux and could be attributed to changes in plant physiological processes at the end of the vegetation season. Though the removal of shoots did not significantly affect the δ13C -CO2 values as compared with the control, the pattern of further δ13C -CO2 decrease (down to -28.8 ± 0.8‰) supported the role of living vegetation in a contribution of 13C-enriched CO2 to the ecosystem respiration.

  3. Long-term measurements of tropospheric carbon dioxide and its isotopes in coastal East Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou-Yang, C. F.; Lin, N. H.; Wang, J. L.; Schnell, R. C.

    2016-12-01

    Many studies have reported that Asian continental outflow has significantly impacted on global atmospheric chemistry, affecting air quality over the western Pacific, even as far as North America. Taiwan is situated at an ideal location in the western North Pacific for monitoring biomass burning and Asian dust coincided with polluted air masses originating from Southeast Asia and Asian continent. A high-elevation baseline station, Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS; 23.47°N, 120.87°E; 2,862 m a.s.l.), was thus established in April 2006 to investigate the characteristics of trace gases and atmospheric transport patterns in the lower free troposphere. In March 2010, as part of GMD's Cooperative Air Sampling Network, flask air sampling at Dongsha Island (DSI; 20.70°N, 116.73°E; 3 m a.s.l.) was launched to measure surface greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the South China Sea. As reported by IPCC in 2013, CO2 is the largest contributor of the atmospheric well-mixed GHGs, accounting for 64.3% of the total global radiative forcing from 1750 to 2011. The annual mean CO2 mixing ratio reached the milestone of 400 ppm at LABS (402.6±3.1 ppm) in 2015 and at DSI (401.7±4.7 ppm) in 2014. Vegetation growth in spring drew down CO2 mixing ratios and elevated its stable isotope ratio (δ13C of CO2) at LABS and DSI in summer. By the continuous measurement of CO2 using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy, a daily minimum with a lager standard deviation was observed at LABS during daytime when photosynthesis was active. The CO2 increased at an average rate of +2.69±2.30 ppm at LABS and +2.10±1.32 ppm at DSI during the measurement period, whereas the δ13C isotope ratio of CO2 decreased at an average rate of -0.060±0.099 ‰ at LABS and -0.021±0.053 ‰ at DSI. Increasing trends for the δ18O isotope ratio of CO2 were found at both LABS and DSI in recent years.

  4. Reconstruction of the isotope activity content of heterogeneous nuclear waste drums.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krings, Thomas; Mauerhofer, Eric

    2012-07-01

    Radioactive waste must be characterized in order to verify its conformance with national regulations for intermediate storage or its disposal. Segmented gamma scanning (SGS) is a most widely applied non-destructive analytical technique for the characterization of radioactive waste drums. The isotope specific activity content is generally calculated assuming a homogeneous matrix and activity distribution for each measured drum segment. However, real radioactive waste drums exhibit non-uniform isotope and density distributions most affecting the reliability and accuracy of activities reconstruction in SGS. The presence of internal shielding structures in the waste drum contributes generally to a strong underestimation of the activity and this in particular for radioactive sources emitting low energy gamma-rays independently of their spatial distribution. In this work we present an improved method to quantify the activity of spatially concentrated gamma-emitting isotopes (point sources or hot spots) in heterogeneous waste drums with internal shielding structures. The isotope activity is reconstructed by numerical simulations and fits of the angular dependent count rate distribution recorded during the drum rotation in SGS using an analytical expression derived from a geometric model. First results of the improved method and enhancements of this method are shown and are compared to each other as well as to the conventional method which assumes a homogeneous matrix and activity distribution. It is shown that the new model improves the accuracy and the reliability of the activity reconstruction in SGS and that the presented algorithm is suitable with respect to the framework requirement of industrial application. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. In situ 13CO2 pulse‐labeling in a temperate heathland – development of a mobile multi‐plot field setup

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reinsch, Sabine; Ambus, Per

    2013-01-01

    Pulse‐labeling with 13CO2 and the subsequent analysis of 13C‐carbon via isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) have been shown to be an excellent method to investigate the terrestrial carbon cycle. Improving 13CO2 manipulation experiments will facilitate our understanding of carbon cycling...

  6. Determination of low-level Radium isotope activities in fresh waters by gamma spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina Porras, Arnold; Condomines, Michel; Seidel, Jean Luc

    2017-01-01

    A new portable sampling system was developed to extract Radium isotopes from large volumes (up to 300 L) of fresh surface- and ground-waters of low Ra-activities (<5 mBq/L). Ra is quantitatively adsorbed on a small amount (6.5 g) of MnO_2-coated acrylic fibers, which are then dried and burned at 600 °C in the laboratory. The resulting Mn-oxide powder (about 2 cm"3 when compacted) is then analyzed through gamma-ray spectrometry which allows measurement of the whole Ra quartet ("2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra, "2"2"4Ra and "2"2"3Ra) in a single counting of a few days. The usual relative standard combined uncertainties (1σ) are 2–3% for "2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra and "2"2"4Ra; and less than 10% for "2"2"3Ra. This method was applied to the analysis of Ra in karstic waters of the Lez aquifer, and surface- and ground-waters of the upper and middle Vidourle watershed (South of France). The analyzed waters have relatively low "2"2"6Ra activities (1–4 mBq/L) in both cases, regardless of the contrasted geology (Mesozoic limestone vs crystalline Variscan basement), but clearly distinct ("2"2"8Ra/"2"2"6Ra) ratios in agreement with the differences in Th/U ratios of the two drained areas. Short-lived Ra isotopes ("2"2"4Ra and "2"2"3Ra) appear to be mainly influenced by near-surface desorption/recoil processes for most of the sampling sites. - Highlights: • New portable system for sampling fresh- and ground-waters of low Ra activities. • Simultaneous measurement of all four radium isotopes through gamma-spectrometry. • Relative uncertainties are 2% to 3% for "2"2"6Ra, "2"2"8Ra and "2"2"4Ra; and <10 % for "2"2"3Ra. • ("2"2"8Ra/"2"2"6Ra) ratios are valuable tracers of water origin in karstic aquifers.

  7. The geothermal system of Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (Chile-Argentina): New insights from self-potential, soil CO2 degassing, temperature measurements and helium isotopes, with structural and fluid circulation implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roulleau, Emilie; Bravo, Francisco; Barde-Cabusson, Stephanie; Pizarro, Marcela; Muños, Carlos; Sanchez, Juan; Tardani, Daniele; Sano, Yuji; Takahata, Naoto; de Cal, Federico; Esteban, Carlos

    2016-04-01

    Geothermal systems represent natural heat transfer engines in a confined volume of rock which are strongly influenced by the regional volcano-tectonic setting controlling the formation of shallow magmatic reservoirs, and by the local faults/fracture network, that permits the development of hydrothermal circulation cells and promote the vertical migration of fluids and heat. In the Southern Volcanic Zone of Chile-Argentina, geothermal resources occur in close spatial relationship with active volcanism along the Cordillera which is primarily controlled by the 1000 km long, NNE Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ), an intra-arc dextral strike-slip fault system, associated with second-order intra-arc anisotropy of overall NE-SW (extensional) and NW-SE orientation (compressional). However there is still a lack of information on how fault network (NE and WNW strinking faults) and lithology control the fluid circulation. In this study, we propose new data of dense self-potential (SP), soil CO2 emanation and temperature (T) measurements within the geothermal area from Caviahue-Copahue Volcanic Complex (CCVC), coupled with helium isotopes ratios measured in fumaroles and thermal springs. We observe that inside the geothermal system the NE-striking faults, characterized by a combination of SP-CO2 and T maxima with high 3He/4He ratios (7.86Ra), promote the formation of high vertical permeability pathways for fluid circulation. Whereas, the WNW-striking faults represent low permeability pathways for hydrothermal fluids ascent associated with moderate 3He/4He ratios (5.34Ra), promoting the infiltration of meteoric water at shallow depth. These active zones are interspersed by SP-CO2- T minima, which represent self-sealed zones (e.g. impermeable altered rocks) at depth, creating a barrier inhibiting fluids rise. The NE-striking faults seem to be associated with the upflow zones of the geothermal system, where the boiling process produces a high vapor-dominated zone close to the

  8. Soil gas ({sup 222}Rn, CO{sub 2}, {sup 4}He) behaviour over a natural CO{sub 2} accumulation, Montmiral area (Drome, France): geographical, geological and temporal relationships

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gal, Frederick, E-mail: f.gal@brgm.f [BRGM, Metrology Monitoring Analysis Department, 3 Avenue Claude-Guillemin, B.P. 36009, 45060 Orleans cedex 2 (France); Joublin, Franck, E-mail: f.joublin@brgm.f [BRGM, Regional Geological Survey, 6 ter, Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 59260 Lezennes (France); Haas, Hubert, E-mail: h.haas@brgm.f [BRGM, Metrology Monitoring Analysis Department, 3 Avenue Claude-Guillemin, B.P. 36009, 45060 Orleans cedex 2 (France); Jean-prost, Veronique, E-mail: v.jean-prost@brgm.f [BRGM, Metrology Monitoring Analysis Department, 3 Avenue Claude-Guillemin, B.P. 36009, 45060 Orleans cedex 2 (France); Ruffier, Veronique, E-mail: v.ruffier@brgm.f [BRGM, Metrology Monitoring Analysis Department, 3 Avenue Claude-Guillemin, B.P. 36009, 45060 Orleans cedex 2 (France)

    2011-02-15

    The south east basin of France shelters deep CO{sub 2} reservoirs often studied with the aim of better constraining geological CO{sub 2} storage operations. Here we present new soil gas data, completing an existing dataset (CO{sub 2}, {sup 222}Rn, {sup 4}He), together with mineralogical and physical characterisations of soil columns, in an attempt to better understand the spatial distribution of gas concentrations in the soils and to rule on the sealed character of the CO{sub 2} reservoir at present time. Anomalous gas concentrations were found but did not appear to be clearly related to geological structures that may drain deep gases up to the surface, implying a dominant influence of near surface processes as indicated by carbon isotope ratios. Coarse grained, quartz-rich soils favoured the existence of high CO{sub 2} concentrations. Fine grained clayey soils preferentially favoured the existence of {sup 222}Rn but not CO{sub 2}. Soil formations did not act as barriers preventing gas migrations in soils, either due to water content or due to mineralogical composition. No abundant leakage from the Montmiral reservoir can be highlighted by the measurements, even near the exploitation well. As good correlation between CO{sub 2} and {sup 222}Rn concentrations still exist, it is suggested that {sup 222}Rn migration is also CO{sub 2} dependent in non-leaking areas - diffusion dominated systems.

  9. Fractionation of carbon isotopes by thermophilic methanogenic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, M.V.; Belyaev, S.S.; Zyakun, A.M.; Bondar, V.A.; Shipin, O.P.; Laurinavichus, K.S.

    1985-01-01

    The authors investigated the pattern of fractionation of stable carbon isotopes by the thermophilic methane-forming bacteria under different growth conditions and at various rates of formation of methane. A pure culture of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum was used in the experiments under the following growth conditions: temperature 65-70 0 C; pH 7.2-7.6; NaCl content 0-0.9 g/liter. The methanogenic bacteria were cultivated in 0.15 liter flasks in mineral medium. A mixture of CO 2 and H 2 in a 1:4 ratio by volume served as the sole carbon and energy source. In all experiments, not more than 5% of the initial CO 2 level was utilized. The rate of methane generation was altered by adjusting the physicochemical growth parameters (temperature from 45-70 0 C, salinity from 0.9 to 40 g/liter NaCl, pH from 6.3 to 7.2). Methane in the samples was quantitatively determined in a chromatograph which had a flame-ionization detector and a column containing Porapak Q sorbent at T = 120 0 C. The carrier gas was CO 2 . The average specific rate of methane formation was calculated as ml CH 4 per mg dry biomass of bacteria per h. Soluble mineral carbon was isolated form the acidified culture liquid in the form of CO 2 and was quantitatively determined in a Chrom-4 chromatography provided with a katharometer and a column containing activated charcoal at T = 150 0 . The gas carrier was helium. The isotopic composition of carbon was determined in a CH-7 mass-spectrometer and was expressed in 13 C values (per thousand) with respect to the international PDB standard

  10. Enhanced CO2 Adsorption on Activated Carbon Fibers Grafted with Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Chun Chiang

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, multiscale composites formed by grafting N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNs on the surface of polyamide (PAN-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs were investigated and their adsorption performance for CO2 was determined. The spaghetti-like and randomly oriented CNs were homogeneously grown onto ACFs. The pre-immersion of cobalt(II ions for ACFs made the CNs grow above with a large pore size distribution, decreased the oxidation resistance, and exhibited different predominant N-functionalities after chemical vapor deposition processes. Specifically, the CNs grafted on ACFs with or without pre-immersion of cobalt(II ions were characterized by the pyridine-like structures of six-member rings or pyrrolic/amine moieties, respectively. In addition, the loss of microporosity on the specific surface area and pore volume exceeded the gain from the generation of the defects from CNs. The adsorption capacity of CO2 decreased gradually with increasing temperature, implying that CO2 adsorption was exothermic. The adsorption capacities of CO2 at 25 °C and 1 atm were between 1.53 and 1.92 mmol/g and the Freundlich equation fit the adsorption data well. The isosteric enthalpy of adsorption, implying physical adsorption, indicated that the growth of CNTs on the ACFs benefit CO2 adsorption.

  11. Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil Extracted by SC-CO2 from Seeds of Trachyspermum ammi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aarti Singh

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Bcakground: Extracts obtained from natural sources such as plants are of immense importance for humans. Methods: Therefore this study was conducted to obtain essential oil from the seeds of T. ammi by conventional and non-conventional methods. Hydrodistillation (HD, Solvent Extraction (SE, Ultrasonication (US, and Supercritical Carbon-dioxide (SC-CO2 extraction techniques were used to extract essential oil from the powdered seeds of T. ammi. A quality control method for each extracted oil was developed using HPTLC, FTIR, and GC-MS. The optimization process was carried out using fractional factorial design (FFD under which three parameters were considered: pressure (150, 175, and 300 bar, temperature (25, 30, and 40 °C, and CO2 flow rate (5, 10, 15 g/min. Results: The yield of essential oil obtained from the HD, SE, US, and SC-CO2 methods were 1.20%, 1.82%, 2.30%, and 2.64% v/w, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH and superoxide scavenging methods and the IC50 (Inhibition Concentration values of the T. ammi oil sample were found to be 36.41 and 20.55 µg mL−1, respectively. Conclusion: The present paper reported that different extraction methods lead to different yields of essential oils and the choice of a suitable method is extremely important to obtain more preferred compounds. The yield was higher in the SC-CO2 method and it is a sustainable and green extraction technique. Many important constituents were detected in analytical techniques. Antioxidant activities carried out showed that essential oil extracted from T. ammi seeds possess significant antioxidant activity.

  12. Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil Extracted by SC-CO2 from Seeds of Trachyspermum ammi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Aarti; Ahmad, Anees

    2017-01-01

    Bcakground: Extracts obtained from natural sources such as plants are of immense importance for humans. Methods: Therefore this study was conducted to obtain essential oil from the seeds of T. ammi by conventional and non-conventional methods. Hydrodistillation (HD), Solvent Extraction (SE), Ultrasonication (US), and Supercritical Carbon-dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction techniques were used to extract essential oil from the powdered seeds of T. ammi. A quality control method for each extracted oil was developed using HPTLC, FTIR, and GC-MS. The optimization process was carried out using fractional factorial design (FFD) under which three parameters were considered: pressure (150, 175, and 300 bar), temperature (25, 30, and 40 °C), and CO2 flow rate (5, 10, 15 g/min). Results: The yield of essential oil obtained from the HD, SE, US, and SC-CO2 methods were 1.20%, 1.82%, 2.30%, and 2.64% v/w, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH and superoxide scavenging methods and the IC50 (Inhibition Concentration) values of the T. ammi oil sample were found to be 36.41 and 20.55 µg mL−1, respectively. Conclusion: The present paper reported that different extraction methods lead to different yields of essential oils and the choice of a suitable method is extremely important to obtain more preferred compounds. The yield was higher in the SC-CO2 method and it is a sustainable and green extraction technique. Many important constituents were detected in analytical techniques. Antioxidant activities carried out showed that essential oil extracted from T. ammi seeds possess significant antioxidant activity. PMID:28930268

  13. Estimated long lived isotope activities in ET-RR-1 reactor structural materials for decommissioning study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashoub, N.; Saleh, H.

    1995-01-01

    The first Egyptian research reactor, ET-RR-1 is tank type with light water as a moderator, coolant and reflector. Its nominal power is 2MWt and the average thermal neutron flux is 10 13 n/cm 2 sec -1 . Its criticality was on the fall of 1961. The reactor went through several modifications and updating and is still utilized for experimental research. A plan for decommissioning of ET-RR-1 reactor should include estimation of radioactivity in structural materials. The inventory will help in assessing the radiological consequences of decommissioning. This paper presents a conservative calculation to estimate the activity of the long lived isotopes which can be produced by neutron activation. The materials which are presented in significant quantities in the reactor structural materials are aluminum, cast iron, graphite, ordinary and iron shot concrete. The radioactivity of each component is dependent not only upon the major elements, but also on the concentration of the trace elements. The main radioactive inventory are expected to be from 60 Co and 55 Fe which are presented in aluminium as trace elements and in large quantities in other construction materials. (author)

  14. Beneficial use of isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertel, E.; Stevens, G.H.

    1998-01-01

    The paper gives an outlook on the main isotopes currently used for beneficial applications, provides an overview on geographic distribution of isotope production capabilities and identifies the main suppliers world-wide. It analyses trends in different countries and regions, including the refurbishment and/or replacement of ageing facilities and the implementation of new capabilities. Issues related to adequate supply of isotopes and potential under or over capacity of production for some key products are discussed. The evolution of the isotope production sector is analysed. Issues such as lowering of governmental support to production facilities, emergence of international co-operation and agreements on production capabilities, and developments in non-OECD/NEA countries are addressed. The paper offers some concluding remarks on the importance of maintaining and enhancing beneficial uses of isotopes, the role of government policies, the need for co-operation between countries and between the private and public sectors. The paper addresses the role of international cooperation in making efficient use of existing isotope production capacity and investigates ways for reducing the need for investment in additional capacity. (author)

  15. Activity Descriptors for CO2 Electroreduction to Methane on Transition-Metal Catalysts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peterson, Andrew; Nørskov, Jens K.

    2012-01-01

    The electrochemical reduction of CO2 into hydrocarbons and alcohols would allow renewable energy sources to be converted into fuels and chemicals. However, no electrode catalysts have been developed that can perform this transformation with a low overpotential at reasonable current densities....... In this work, we compare trends in binding energies for the intermediates in CO2 electrochemical reduction and present an activity “volcano” based on this analysis. This analysis describes the experimentally observed variations in transition-metal catalysts, including why copper is the best-known metal...

  16. Partitioning CO2 fluxes with isotopologue measurements and modeling to understand mechanisms of forest carbon sequestration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saleska, Scott [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Davidson, Eric [Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA (United States); Finzi, Adrien [Boston Univ., MA (United States). Dept. of Biology; Wehr, Richard [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Moorcroft, Paul [Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

    2016-01-28

    This project combines automated in situ observations of the isotopologues of CO2 with root observations, novel experimental manipulations of below ground processes, and isotope-enabled ecosystem modeling to investigate mechanisms of below- vs. above ground carbon sequestration at the Harvard Forest Environmental Measurements Site (EMS). The proposed objectives, which have now been largely accomplished, include: (A) Partitioning of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) into photosynthesis and respiration using long-term continuous observations of the isotopic composition of NEE, and analysis of their dynamics; (B) Investigation of the influence of vegetation phenology on the timing and magnitude of carbon allocated below ground using measurements of root growth and indices of below ground autotrophic vs. heterotrophic respiration (via trenched plots andisotope measurements); (C) Testing whether plant allocation of carbon below ground stimulates the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, using in situ rhizosphere simulation experiments wherein realistic quantities of artificial isotopically-labeled exudates are released into the soil; and (D) Synthesis and interpretation of the above data using the Ecosystem Demography Model 2 (ED2).

  17. Theoretical Insights into a CO Dimerization Mechanism in CO2 Electroreduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya, Joseph H; Shi, Chuan; Chan, Karen; Nørskov, Jens K

    2015-06-04

    In this work, we present DFT simulations that demonstrate the ability of Cu to catalyze CO dimerization in CO2 and CO electroreduction. We describe a previously unreported CO dimer configuration that is uniquely stabilized by a charged water layer on both Cu(111) and Cu(100). Without this charged water layer at the metal surface, the formation of the CO dimer is prohibitively endergonic. Our calculations also demonstrate that dimerization should have a lower activation barrier on Cu(100) than Cu(111), which, along with a more exergonic adsorption energy and a corresponding higher coverage of *CO, is consistent with experimental observations that Cu(100) has a high activity for C-C coupling at low overpotentials. We also demonstrate that this effect is present with cations other than H(+), a finding that is consistent with the experimentally observed pH independence of C2 formation on Cu.

  18. Activation of magnesium rich minerals as carbonation feedstock materials for CO2 sequestration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maroto-Valer, M.M.; Kuchta, M.E.; Zhang, Y.; Andresen, J.M.; Fauth, D.J.

    2005-01-01

    Mineral carbonation, the reaction of magnesium-rich minerals such as olivine and serpentine with CO 2 to form stable mineral carbonates, is a novel and promising approach to carbon sequestration. However, the preparation of the minerals prior to carbonation can be energy intensive, where some current studies have been exploring extensive pulverization of the minerals below 37 μm, heat treatment of minerals up to 650 o C, prior separation of CO 2 from flue gases, and carbonation at high pressures, temperatures and long reaction times of up to 125 atm, 185 o C and 6 h, respectively. Thus, the objective of the mineral activation concept is to promote and accelerate carbonation reaction rates and efficiencies through surface activation to the extent that such rigorous reaction conditions were not required. The physical activations were performed with air and steam, while chemical activations were performed with a suite of acids and bases. The parent serpentine, activated serpentines, and carbonation products were characterized to determine their surface properties and assess their potential as carbonation minerals. The results indicate that the surface area of the raw serpentine, which is approximately 8 m 2 /g, can be increased through physical and chemical activation methods to over 330 m 2 /g. The chemical activations were more effective than the physical activations at increasing the surface area, with the 650 o C steam activated serpentine presenting a surface area of only 17 m 2 /g. Sulfuric acid was the most effective acid used during the chemical activations, resulting in surface areas greater than 330 m 2 /g. Several of the samples produced underwent varying degrees of carbonation. The steam activated serpentine underwent a 60% conversion to magnesite at 155 o C and 126 atm in 1 h, while the parent sample only exhibited a 7% conversion. The most promising results came from the carbonation of the extracted Mg(OH) 2 solution, where, based on the amount of

  19. Facile synthesis of MoS{sub 2}/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} nanocomposites for enhanced CO{sub 2} photoreduction activity under visible light irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dai, Weili, E-mail: wldai81@126.com [Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistant Pollutants Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi (China); Yu, Juanjuan [Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistant Pollutants Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi (China); Deng, Yiqiang, E-mail: dyq3211@126.com [College of Chemical Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming 525000 Guangdong (China); Hu, Xu; Wang, Tengyao; Luo, Xubiao [Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistant Pollutants Control and Resources Recycle, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, Jiangxi (China)

    2017-05-01

    Highlights: • MoS{sub 2}/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} nanocomposites (MB) were fabricated by a facile two-step approach. • MoS{sub 2} was first used as a cocatalyst coupling with Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} for CO{sub 2} photoreduction. • MoS{sub 2} significantly enhanced the photoelectric properties and photoactivity. • The CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}, HCO{sub 3}{sup −} and H{sub 2}CO{sub 3} in CO{sub 2} solution actually act as the reactive substrates. - Abstract: A novel composite material, MoS{sub 2}/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}, has been fabricated via a facile two-step approach. The few layered MoS{sub 2} as a cocatalyst has intimate interactions with the hierarchical flower-like Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} microspheres, which boosts the visible light harvesting and charge transferring, and promotes the separation of electron-hole pairs, thus leading to the superior photocatalytic activity. It was found that the as-synthesized MoS{sub 2}/Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6} nanocomposites exhibited significantly enhanced performance for the photoreduction of CO{sub 2} into hydrocarbons, i.e. methanol and ethanol, as compared with pure Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}. The yields of methanol and ethanol obtained over the composite with optimal content of MoS{sub 2} (0.4 wt%) were 36.7 and 36.6 μmol gcat{sup −1} after 4 h of visible light irradiation, respectively, which were 1.94 times higher than that over pure Bi{sub 2}WO{sub 6}. Furthermore, the mechanism of CO{sub 2} photoreduction was also investigated. It indicates that the CO{sub 3}{sup 2−}, HCO{sub 3}{sup −} and H{sub 2}CO{sub 3} generated in CO{sub 2} aqueous solution would be the reactive substrates during the photoreduction reaction, proving the thermodynamic feasibility of CO{sub 2} photoreduction. This work demonstrated that MoS{sub 2} is a very promising candidate for development of highly active photocatalysts, and supplied a facile and simple strategy for designing environmentally benign, cheap non-noble metal, and highly efficient semiconductor

  20. Separation of nitrogen isotopes by laser light

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Izawa, Y; Noguchi, Y; Yamanaka, C [Osaka Univ., Suita (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

    1976-06-01

    The separation experiment on nitrogen isotopes by laser light was made. First, the nitrogen isotopes of /sup 14/N and /sup 15/N in NH/sub 3/ molecules were separated by CO/sub 2/ laser and UV light. The separation factor and the enrichment factor were calculated. It was shown that their pressure dependence was in good agreement with the measured values. The separation factor of about 2% was obtained with UV light of 10/sup 6/W/cm/sup 2/.