Laser Decontamination of Surfaces Contaminated with Cs+ Ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baigalmaaa, B.; Won, H. J.; Moon, J. K.; Jung, C. H.; Lee, K. W.; Hyun, J. H.

2008-01-01

Laser decontamination technology has been proven to be an efficient method for a surface modification of metals and concretes contaminated with radioactive isotopes. Furthermore, the generation of a secondary waste is negligible. The radioactivity of hot cells in the DFDF (Dupic Fuel Development Facility) is presumed to be very high and the predominant radionuclide is Cs-137. A series of laser decontamination studies by a fabricated Q-switched Nd:YAG laser system were performed on stainless steel specimens artificially contaminated with Cs+ ion. Decontamination characteristics of the stainless steel were analyzed by SEM and EPMA

Phytoremediation: an overview of metallic ion decontamination from soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, O.V.; Labana, S.; Pandey, G.; Budhiraja, R.; Jain, R.K. [Inst. of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh (India)

2003-07-01

In recent years, phytoremediation has emerged as a promising ecoremediation technology, particularly for soil and water cleanup of large volumes of contaminated sites. The exploitation of plants to remediate soils contaminated with trace elements could provide a cheap and sustainable technology for bioremediation. Many modern tools and analytical devices have provided insight into the selection and optimization of the remediation process by plant species. This review describes certain factors for the phytoremediation of metal ion decontamination and various aspects of plant metabolism during metallic decontamination. Metal-hyperaccumulating plants, desirable for heavily polluted environments, can be developed by the introduction of novel traits into high biomass plants in a transgenic approach, which is a promising strategy for the development of effective phytoremediation technology. The genetic manipulation of a phytoremediator plant needs a number of optimization processes, including mobilization of trace elements/metal ions, their uptake into the root, stem and other viable parts of the plant and their detoxification and allocation within the plant. This upcoming science is expanding as technology continues to offer new, low-cost remediation options. (orig.)

New Catalytic DNA Biosensors for Radionuclides and Metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yi

2003-01-01

The goals of the project are to develop new catalytic DNA biosensors for simultaneous detection and quantification of bioavailable radionuclides and metal ions, and apply the sensors for on-site, real-time assessment of concentration, speciation and stability of the individual contaminants during and after bioremediation. A negative selection strategy was tested and validated. In vitro selection was shown to yield highly active and specific transition metal ion-dependent catalytic DNA/RNA. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) study of in vitro selected DNA demonstrated that the trifluorophore labeled system is a simple and powerful tool in studying complex biomolecules structure and dynamics, and is capable of revealing new sophisticated structural changes. New fluorophore/quenchers in a single fluorosensor yielded improved signal to noise ratio in detection, identification and quantification of metal contaminants. Catalytic DNA fluorescent and colorimetric sensors were shown useful in sensing lead in lake water and in leaded paint. Project results were described in two papers and two patents, and won an international prize

Remediation of groundwater containing radionuclides and heavy metals using ion exchange and the AlgaSORB reg-sign biosorbent system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feiler, H.D.; Darnall, D.W.

1991-01-01

Bio-Recovery Systems, Inc. (BRS) studied the application of an immobilized algal biomass, termed AlgaSORB reg-sign, which has high affinity for heavy metal ions to DOE-contaminated groundwaters. The material can be packed into columns similar to commercial ion exchange resins. Dilute solutions containing heavy metals are passed through columns where metals are absorbed by the AlgaSORB reg-sign resins. Once saturated, metal ions can be stripped from the resin biomass in a highly concentrated solution. Groundwaters contaminated with heavy metal ions from three different Department of Energy (DOE) sites: Savannah River, Hanford and the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant were studied. The objective was to perform bench-scale treatability studies to establish treatment protocols and to optimize an AlgaSORB reg-sign/ion exchange technology system to remove and recover toxic metal ions from these contaminated groundwaters. The specialty ion exchange/AlgaSORB reg-sign resins tested in these studies show promise for selectively removing chromium, mercury and uranium from contaminated groundwater at DOE sites. The data show that effluents which satisfy the allowable metal ion limits are possible and most likely achievable. The use of these highly selective resins also offer advantages in terms of cost/benefit, risk and scheduling. Their high selectivity allows for high capacity and opportunities for recovery of removed constituents due to high pollutant concentration possible (3 to 4 orders of magnitude). Ion exchange is a proven technology which is easily automated and can be cost-effective, depending on the application

Removal of heavy-metal ions from dilute waste streams using membrane-based hybrid systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friesen, D.T.; Edlund, D.J.

1993-01-01

At Bend research, the authors have developed hybrid systems that couple a process that removes solvent (water) and a process that removes solute (metal ions) such that toxic heavy-metal ions can be efficiently and selectively removed to very low levels while simultaneously concentrating the heavy-metal ions in relatively pure form. Although this technology is broadly applicable, the authors are focusing on the development of a system to treat groundwater that is contaminated with heavy-metal ions. The process utilizes coupled transport and reverse osmosis to reduce chromium and uranium concentration down to parts-per-billion levels

Electrokinetic In Situ Treatment of Metal-Contaminated Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Jacqueline; Clausen, Christian A., III; Geiger, Cherie; Reinhart, Debra

2004-01-01

An electrokinetic technique has been developed as a means of in situ remediation of soils, sludges, and sediments that are contaminated with heavy metals. Examples of common metal contaminants that can be removed by this technique include cadmium, chromium, zinc, lead, mercury, and radionuclides. Some organic contaminants can also be removed by this technique. In the electrokinetic technique, a low-intensity direct current is applied between electrodes that have been implanted in the ground on each side of a contaminated soil mass. The electric current causes electro-osmosis and migration of ions, thereby moving aqueous-phase subsurface contaminants from one electrode to the other. The half reaction at the anode yields H+, thereby generating an acid front that travels from the anode toward the cathode. As this acid front passes through a given location, the local increase in acidity increases the solubility of cations that were previously adsorbed on soil particles. Ions are transported towards one electrode or the other which one depending on their respective electric charges. Upon arrival at the electrodes, the ionic contaminants can be allowed to become deposited on the electrodes or can be extracted to a recovery system. Surfactants and other reagents can be introduced at the electrodes to enhance rates of removal of contaminants. Placements of electrodes and concentrations and rates of pumping of reagents can be adjusted to maximize efficiency. The basic concept of electrokinetic treatment of soil is not new. What is new here are some of the details of application and the utilization of this technique as an alternative to other techniques (e.g., flushing or bioremediation) that are not suitable for treating soils of low hydraulic conductivity. Another novel aspect is the use of this technique as a less expensive alternative to excavation: The cost advantage over excavation is especially large in settings in which contaminated soil lies near and/or under

Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S., E-mail: aalberto@dec.uc.pt [University of Coimbra, Department of Civil Engineering, CIEPQPF—Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products Research Centre (Portugal); Rasteiro, Maria G. [University of Coimbra, Department of Chemical Engineering, CIEPQPF (Portugal)

2017-04-15

The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb{sup 2+}), copper (Cu{sup 2+}), nickel (Ni{sup 2+}), and zinc (Zn{sup 2+}), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S.; Rasteiro, Maria G.

2017-01-01

The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb"2"+), copper (Cu"2"+), nickel (Ni"2"+), and zinc (Zn"2"+), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

Application of carbon nanotubes to immobilize heavy metals in contaminated soils

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Martim P. S. R.; Correia, António Alberto S.; Rasteiro, Maria G.

2017-04-01

The contamination of soils with heavy metals is a growing concern in modern societies. To avoid the spread of contamination, soil stabilization techniques can be applied mixing materials with the soil in order to partially immobilize heavy metals. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are nanomaterials known for its exceptional properties, like high surface area and adsorption capacity. Due to these unique properties, the potential use of CNTs in heavy metal contaminated water has been studied, with very satisfactory results; however, their application in contaminated soils is practically unexplored. This experimental work is focused on studying the potential of using CNTs in soil remediation, especially to immobilize the heavy metals ions: lead (Pb2+), copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+), and zinc (Zn2+), commonly present in contaminated soils. In order to avoid CNT agglomeration, which originates the loss of their beneficial properties, an aqueous suspension of CNTs was prepared using a non-ionic surfactant combined with ultrasonic energy to promote CNTs dispersion. Then, the soil, with and without the addition of CNTs, was subjected to adsorption tests to evaluate the CNT capacity to improve heavy metal immobilization. To validate the adsorption test results, permeability tests were executed, simulating the conditions of a real-case scenario. The results obtained led to the conclusion that the addition of a small amount of dispersed CNTs can successfully increase the adsorption capacity of the soil and consequently improve the immobilization of heavy metals in the soil matrix. The immobilization percentage varies with the different heavy metals under study.

Utilization of grasses for potential biofuel production and phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Balsamo, Ronald A; Kelly, William J; Satrio, Justinus A; Ruiz-Felix, M Nydia; Fetterman, Marisa; Wynn, Rodd; Hagel, Kristen

2015-01-01

This research focuses on investigating the use of common biofuel grasses to assess their potential as agents of long-term remediation of contaminated soils using lead as a model heavy metal ion. We present evidence demonstrating that switch grass and Timothy grass may be potentially useful for long-term phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils and describe novel techniques to track and remove contaminants from inception to useful product. Enzymatic digestion and thermochemical approaches are being used to convert this lignocellulosic feedstock into useful product (sugars, ethanol, biocrude oil+biochar). Preliminary studies on enzymatic hydrolysis and fast pyrolysis of the Switchgrass materials that were grown in heavy metal contaminated soil and non-contaminated soils show that the presence of lead in the Switchgrass material feedstock does not adversely affect the outcomes of the conversion processes. These results indicate that the modest levels of contaminant uptake allow these grass species to serve as phytoremediation agents as well as feedstocks for biofuel production in areas degraded by industrial pollution.

Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ko, Dongah; Sung Lee, Joo; Patel, Hasmukh A.

2017-01-01

Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has...... a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal...... sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions―copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water....

Radioactive contamination of recycled metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lubenau, J.O.; Cool, D.A.; Yusko, J.G.

1996-01-01

Radioactive sources commingled with metal scrap have become a major problem for the metals recycling industry worldwide. Worldwide there have been 38 confirmed reports of radioactive sources accidentally smelted with recycled metal. In some instances, contaminated metal products were subsequently distributed. The metal mills, their products and byproducts from the metal making process such as slags, crosses and dusts from furnaces can become contaminated. In the U.S., imported ferrous metal products such as reinforcement bars, pipe flanges, table legs and fencing components have been found contaminated with taco. U.S. steel mills have unintentionally smelted radioactive sources on 16 occasions. The resulting cost for decontamination waste disposal and temporary closure of the steel mill is typically USD 10,000,000 and has been as much as USD 23,000,000. Other metal recycling industries that have been affected by this problem include aluminum, copper, zinc, gold, lead and vanadium. (author)

Characterization of copper thin films prepared by metal self-ion beam sputter deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gotoh, Yasuhito; Amioka, Takao; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Ishikawa, Junzo

1994-01-01

New deposition technique, 'metal-ion beam self-sputtering' method has been developed. Using metal ions which is the same element with the target material, no contamination with noble gas atoms, which are often used in the conventional sputtering, will occur. In this paper, fundamental measurement of the film purity is reported. As a result of PIXE measurements, it was clarified that only slight amount of iron is incorporated in the films. (author)

The impact of auxins used in assisted phytoextraction of metals from the contaminated environment on the alterations caused by lead(II) ions in the organization of model lipid membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hąc-Wydro, Katarzyna; Sroka, Aleksandra; Jabłońska, Klaudia

2016-07-01

Auxins are successfully used to improve phytoextraction efficiency of metal ions from the contaminated environment, however, the mechanism of their activity in this field is not explained. Auxins are known to exert various biochemical alterations in the plant membranes and cells, but their activity involves also direct interactions with lipids leading to changes in membrane organization. Following the suggestion that the auxins-induced modifications in membrane properties alleviate toxic effect of metal ions in this paper we have undertaken the comparative studies on the effect of metal ions and metal ions/auxins mixtures on model membrane systems. The experiments were done on lipid monolayers differing in their composition spread on water subphase and on Pb(2+), Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and Pb(2+)/IAA and Pb(2+)/NAA water solutions. The analysis of the collected data suggests that metal ions and auxins can change fluidity of the lipid systems and weaken the interactions between monolayer components. This manifested in the increase of the mean area per molecule and the excess area per molecule values for the films on Pb(2+), auxins as well as Pb(2+)/auxin solutions as compared to the values on pure water subphase. However, the presence of auxin in the mixture with lead(II) ions makes the alterations induced by sole metal ions weaker. This effect was more pronounced for the membranes of a higher packing. Thus it was proposed that auxins may enhance phytoextraction of metal ions by weakening their destabilizing effect on membrane. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of heavy metals from contaminated soil to plants and evaluation of soil remediation by vermiculite.

Science.gov (United States)

Malandrino, Mery; Abollino, Ornella; Buoso, Sandro; Giacomino, Agnese; La Gioia, Carmela; Mentasti, Edoardo

2011-01-01

We evaluated the distribution of 15 metal ions, namely Al, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, La, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zn and Zr, in the soil of a contaminated site in Piedmont (Italy). This area was found to be heavily contaminated with Cu, Cr and Ni. The availability of these metal ions was studied using Tessier's sequential extraction procedure: the fraction of mobile species, which potentially is the most harmful for the environment, was much higher than that normally present in unpolluted soils. This soil was hence used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment with vermiculite to reduce the availability of the pollutants to two plants, Lactuca sativa and Spinacia oleracea, by pot experiments. The results indicated that the addition of vermiculite significantly reduces the uptake of metal pollutants by plants, confirming the possibility of using this clay in amendment treatments of metal-contaminated soils. The effect of plant growth on metal fractionation in soils was investigated. Finally, the sum of the metal percentages extracted into the first two fractions of Tessier's protocol was found to be suitable in predicting the phytoavailability of most of the pollutants present in the investigated soil. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review on various electrochemical techniques for heavy metal ions detection with different sensing platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bansod, BabanKumar; Kumar, Tejinder; Thakur, Ritula; Rana, Shakshi; Singh, Inderbir

2017-08-15

Heavy metal ions are non-biodegradable and contaminate most of the natural resources occurring in the environment including water. Some of the heavy metals including Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd) are considered to be highly toxic and hazardous to human health even at trace levels. This leads to the requirement of fast, accurate and reliable techniques for the detection of heavy metal ions. This review presents various electrochemical detection techniques for heavy metal ions those are user friendly, low cost, provides on-site and real time monitoring as compared to other spectroscopic and optical techniques. The categorization of different electrochemical techniques is done on the basis of different types of detection signals generated due to presence of heavy metal ions in the solution matrix like current, potential, conductivity, electrochemical impedance, and electrochemiluminescence. Also, the recent trends in electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions with various types of sensing platforms including metals, metal films, metal oxides, nanomaterials, carbon nano tubes, polymers, microspheres and biomaterials have been evoked. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metal ion transporters and homeostasis.

OpenAIRE

Nelson, N

1999-01-01

Transition metals are essential for many metabolic processes and their homeostasis is crucial for life. Aberrations in the cellular metal ion concentrations may lead to cell death and severe diseases. Metal ion transporters play a major role in maintaining the correct concentrations of the various metal ions in the different cellular compartments. Recent studies of yeast mutants revealed key elements in metal ion homeostasis, including novel transport systems. Several of the proteins discover...

Metallic Contaminant Detection using a High-Temperature Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices Gradiometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Saburo; Akai, Tomohiro; Takemoto, Makoto; Hatsukade, Yoshimi; Ohtani, Takeyoshi; Ikeda, Yoshio; Suzuki, Shuichi

2010-01-01

We develop magnetic metallic contaminant detectors using high-temperature superconducting quantum interference devices (HTS-SQUIDs) for industrial products. Finding ultra-small metallic contaminants is an important issue for manufacturers producing commercial products such as lithium ion batteries. If such contaminants cause damages, the manufacturer of the product suffers a big financial loss due to having to recall the faulty products. Previously, we described a system for finding such ultra-small particles in food. In this study, we describe further developments of the system, for the reduction of the effect of the remnant field of the products, and we test the parallel magnetization of the products to generate the remnant field only at both ends of the products. In addition, we use an SQUID gradiometer in place of the magnetometer to reduce the edge effect by measuring the magnetic field gradient. We test the performances of the system and find that tiny iron particles as small as 50 × 50 μm 2 on the electrode of a lithium ion battery could be clearly detected. This detection level is difficult to achieve when using other methods. (cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

Selective Decontamination Effect of Metal Ions in Soil Using Supercritical CO2 and TBP Complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jihye; Park, Kwangheon; Jung, Wonyoung

2014-01-01

Decontamination of soil pollution is difficult because the type of contamination largely depends on the characteristics of the pollutant and the area. Also, existing soil decontamination methods generate large quantities of secondary waste and additional process costs. For this reason, new decontamination methods are always under active investigation. A method involving the use of supercritical carbon dioxide with excellent permeability in place of chemical solvents is currently being studied. Unlike other heavy metals in fission products, uranium is used as fuel, and must be handled carefully. Therefore, in this paper, we studied a supercritical carbon dioxide method for decontaminating heavy metal ions in soil using tri-n-butyl phosphate(TBP), which is well known as a ligand for the extraction of metal ions of actinium. We investigated the decontamination effect of heavy metal ions in the soil using TBP-HNO 3 Complex and supercritical carbon dioxide. The study results showed that when heavy metals in soil are extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide, the extraction efficiency is different according to the type of pollutant metal ions in the soil. When TBP-HNO 3 Complex is used with an extractant, uranium extraction is very effective, but lithium, strontium, and cesium extraction is not effective. Therefore, in the case of a mixture of uranium and other metals such as lithium, strontium, cesium, and so on in soil contaminated by fission product leaks from nuclear power plants, we can selectively decontaminate uranium with supercritical carbon dioxide and TBP-HNO 3 Complex

Evaluation of complexing agents and column temperature in ion chromatographic separation of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metals ion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelkar, Anoop; Pandey, Ashish; Name, Anil B.; Das, D.K.; Behere, P.G.; Mohd Afzal

2015-01-01

The aim of ion chromatography method development is the resolution of all metal ions of interests. Resolution can be improved by changing the selectivity. Selectivity in chromatography can be altered by changes in mobile phase (eg eluent type, eluent strength) or through changes in stationary phase. Temperature has been used in altering the selectivity of particularly in reversed phase liquid chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. Present paper describe the retention behaviour of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metal ions on a silica based carboxylate function group containing analyte column. Alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition metal ions were detected by ion conductivity and UV-VIS detectors respectively

Competitive adsorption-desorption reactions of two hazardous heavy metals in contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Davari, Masoud; Rahnemaie, Rasoul; Homaee, Mehdi

2015-09-01

Investigating the interactions of heavy metals is imperative for sustaining environment and human health. Among those, Cd is toxic for organisms at any concentration. While Ni acts as a micronutrient at very low concentration but is hazardous toxic above certain threshold value. In this study, the chemical adsorption and desorption reactions of Ni and Cd in contaminated soils were investigated in both single and binary ion systems. Both Ni and Cd experimental data demonstrated Langmuir type adsorption. In the competitive systems, an antagonistic effect was observed, implying that both ions compete for same type of adsorption sites. Adverse effect of Cd on Ni adsorption was slightly stronger than that of opposite system, consistent with adsorption isotherms in single ion systems. Variation in ionic strength indicated that Ca, a much weaker adsorbate, could also compete with Cd and Ni for adsorption on soil particles. Desorption data indicated that Cd and Ni are adsorbed very tightly such that after four successive desorption steps, less than 0.5 % of initially adsorbed ions released into the soil solution. This implies that Ca, at concentration in equilibrium with calcite mineral, cannot adequately compete with and replace adsorbed Ni and Cd ions. This adsorption behavior was led to considerable hysteresis between adsorption and desorption in both single and binary ion systems. In the binary ion systems, desorption of Cd and Ni was increased by increase in both equilibrium concentration of adsorbed ion and concentration of competitor ion. The overall results obtained in this research indicate that Cd and Ni are strongly adsorbed in calcareous soil and Ca, the major dissolved ion, insignificantly influences metal ions adsorption. Consequently, the contaminated soils by Ni and Cd can simultaneously be remediated by environmentally oriented technologies such as phytoremediation.

Ion implantation and amorphous metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohmuth, K.; Rauschenbach, B.

1981-01-01

This review deals with ion implantation of metals in the high concentration range for preparing amorphous layers (>= 10 at%, implantation doses > 10 16 ions/cm 2 ). Different models are described concerning formation of amorphous phases of metals by ion implantation and experimental results are given. The study of amorphous phases has been carried out by the aid of Rutherford backscattering combined with the channeling technique and using transmission electron microscopy. The structure of amorphous metals prepared by ion implantation has been discussed. It was concluded that amorphous metal-metalloid compounds can be described by a dense-random-packing structure with a great portion of metal atoms. Ion implantation has been compared with other techniques for preparing amorphous metals and the adventages have been outlined

Ion implantation in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vook, F.L.

1977-02-01

The application of ion beams to metals is rapidly emerging as a promising area of research and technology. This report briefly describes some of the recent advances in the modification and study of the basic properties of metals by ion implantation techniques. Most of the research discussed illustrates some of the new and exciting applications of ion beams to metals which are under active investigation at Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque

Study of the trace metal ion influence on the turnover of soil organic matter in cultivated contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumat, C.; Quenea, K.; Bermond, A.; Toinen, S.; Benedetti, M.F.

2006-01-01

The role of metals in the behaviour of soil organic matter (SOM) is not well documented. Therefore, we investigated the influence of metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) on the dynamic of SOM in contaminated soils where maize (C 4 plant) replaced C 3 cultures. Three pseudogley brown leached soil profiles under maize with a decreasing gradient in metals concentrations were sampled. On size fractions, stable carbon isotopic ratio (δ 13 C), metals, organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations were measured in function of depth. The determined sequence for the amount of C 4 organic matter in the bulk fractions: M 3 (0.9) > M 2 (0.4) > M 1 (0.3) is in agreement with a significant influence of metals on the SOM turnover. New C 4 SOM, mainly present in the labile coarser fractions and less contaminated by metals than the stabilised C 3 SOM of the clay fraction, is more easily degraded by microorganisms. - Measure of δ 13 C and total metal concentrations in size fractions of contaminated soils suggests an influence of metals on the soil organic matter dynamic

Partitioning of heavy metals in a soil contaminated by slag: A redistribution study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunzl, K.; Trautmannsheimer, M.; Schramel, P.

1999-01-01

In order to interpret reasonably the partitioning of heavy metals in a contaminated soil as observed from applying a sequential extraction procedure, information on possible redistribution processes of the metals during the various extraction steps is essential. For this purpose, sequential extraction was used to study the chemical partitioning of Ag, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in a soil contaminated wither by a slag from coal firing or by a slag from pyrite roasting. Through additional application of sequential extraction to the pure slags as well as to the uncontaminated soil, it was shown that during the various extraction steps applied to the soil/slag mixtures, substantial redistribution processes of the metals between the slag- and soil particles can occur. In many cases, metals ions released during the extraction with acid hydroxylamine or acid hydrogen peroxide are partially readsorbed by solid constituents of the mixture and will therefore be found in the subsequent fractions extracted. As a result, one has to realize that (1) it will be difficult to predict the chemical partitioning of these metals in contaminated soils by investigating pure slags only, and (2) information on the partitioning of a metal in a slag contaminated soil will not necessarily give any relevant information on the form of this metal in the slag or in the slag/soil mixture, because the redistribution processes during sequential extraction will not be the same as those occurring in the soil solution under natural conditions

Application of Sargassum biomass to remove heavy metal ions from synthetic multi-metal solutions and urban storm water runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, K; Teo, Ting Ting; Balasubramanian, R; Joshi, Umid Man

2009-05-30

The ability of Sargassum sp. to biosorb four metal ions, namely lead, copper, zinc, and manganese from a synthetic multi-solute system and real storm water runoff has been investigated for the first time. Experiments on synthetic multi-solute systems revealed that Sargassum performed well in the biosorption of all four metal ions, with preference towards Pb, followed by Cu, Zn, and Mn. The solution pH strongly affected the metal biosorption, with pH 6 being identified as the optimal condition for achieving maximum biosorption. Experiments at different biosorbent dosages revealed that good biosorption capacity as well as high metal removal efficiency was observed at 3g/L. The biosorption kinetics was found to be fast with equilibrium being attained within 50 min. According to the Langmuir isotherm model, Sargassum exhibited maximum uptakes of 214, 67.5, 24.2 and 20.2mg/g for lead, copper, zinc, and manganese, respectively in single-solute systems. In multi-metal systems, strong competition between four metal ions in terms of occupancy binding sites was observed, and Sargassum showed preference in the order of Pb>Cu>Zn>Mn. The application of Sargassum to remove four heavy metal ions in real storm water runoff revealed that the biomass was capable of removing the heavy metal ions. However, the biosorption performance was slightly lower compared to that of synthetic metal solutions. Several factors were responsible for this difference, and the most important factor is the presence of other contaminants such as anions, organics, and other trace metals in the runoff.

Treatment of heterogeneous mixed wastes: Enzyme degradation of cellulosic materials contaminated with hazardous organics and toxic and radioactive metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanderberg, L.A.; Foreman, T.M.; Attrep, M. Jr.; Brainard, J.R.; Sauer, N.

1999-01-01

The redirection and downsizing of the US Department of Energy's nuclear weapons complex requires that many facilities be decontaminated and decommissioned (D and D). At Los Alamos National Laboratory, much of the low-level radioactive, mixed, and hazardous/chemical waste volume handled by waste management operations was produced by D and D and environmental restoration activities. A combination of technologies--air stripping and biodegradation of volatile organics, enzymatic digestion of cellulosics, and metal ion extraction--was effective in treating a radiologically contaminated heterogeneous paint-stripping waste. Treatment of VOCs using a modified bioreactor avoided radioactive contamination of byproduct biomass and inhibition of biodegradation by toxic metal ions in the waste. Cellulase digestion of bulk cellulose minimized the final solid waste volume by 80%. Moreover, the residue passed TCLP for RCRA metals. Hazardous metals and radioactivity in byproduct sugar solutions were removed using polymer filtration, which employs a combination of water-soluble chelating polymers and ultrafiltration to separate and concentrate metal contaminants. Polymer filtration was used to concentrate RCRA metals and radioactivity into <5% of the original wastewater volume. Permeate solutions had no detectable radioactivity and were below RCRA-allowable discharge limits for Pb and Cr

Water-soluble metal-binding polymers with ultrafiltration: A technology for the removal, concentration, and recovery of metal ions from aqueous streams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.F.; Robison, T.W.; Jarvinen, G.D.

1997-01-01

The use of water-soluble metal-binding polymers coupled with ultrafiltration (UF) is a technology under development to selectively concentrate and recover valuable or regulated metal-ions from dilute process or waste waters. The polymers have a sufficiently large molecular size that they can be separated and concentrated using commercially available UF technology. The polymers can then be reused by changing the solution conditions to release the metal-ions, which are recovered in a concentrated form for recycle or disposal. Pilot-scale demonstrations have been completed for a variety of waste streams containing low concentrations of metal ions including electroplating wastes (zinc and nickel) and nuclear waste streams (plutonium and americium). Many other potential commercial applications exist including remediation of contaminated solids. An overview of both the pilot-scale demonstrated applications and small scale testing of this technology are presented

Water-soluble metal-binding polymers with ultrafiltration: A technology for the removal, concentration, and recovery of metal ions from aqueous streams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, B.F.; Robison, T.W.; Jarvinen, G.D.

1997-12-31

The use of water-soluble metal-binding polymers coupled with ultrafiltration (UF) is a technology under development to selectively concentrate and recover valuable or regulated metal-ions from dilute process or waste waters. The polymers have a sufficiently large molecular size that they can be separated and concentrated using commercially available UF technology. The polymers can then be reused by changing the solution conditions to release the metal-ions, which are recovered in a concentrated form for recycle or disposal. Pilot-scale demonstrations have been completed for a variety of waste streams containing low concentrations of metal ions including electroplating wastes (zinc and nickel) and nuclear waste streams (plutonium and americium). Many other potential commercial applications exist including remediation of contaminated solids. An overview of both the pilot-scale demonstrated applications and small scale testing of this technology are presented.

A new cleaning process for the metallic contaminants on a post-CMP wafer's surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Baohong; Liu Yuling; Wang Chenwei; Wang Shengli; Zhou Qiang; Tan Baimei; Zhu Yadong

2010-01-01

This paper presents a new cleaning process using boron-doped diamond (BDD) film anode electrochemical oxidation for metallic contaminants on polished silicon wafer surfaces. The BDD film anode electrochemical oxidation can efficiently prepare pyrophosphate peroxide, pyrophosphate peroxide can oxidize organic contaminants, and pyrophosphate peroxide is deoxidized into pyrophosphate. Pyrophosphate, a good complexing agent, can form a metal complex, which is a structure consisting of a copper ion, bonded to a surrounding array of two pyrophosphate anions. Three polished wafers were immersed in the 0.01 mol/L CuSO 4 solution for 2 h in order to make comparative experiments. The first one was cleaned by pyrophosphate peroxide, the second by RCA (Radio Corporation of America) cleaning, and the third by deionized (DI) water. The XPS measurement result shows that the metallic contaminants on wafers cleaned by the RCA method and by pyrophosphate peroxide is less than the XPS detection limits of 1 ppm. And the wafer's surface cleaned by pyrophosphate peroxide is more efficient in removing organic carbon residues than RCA cleaning. Therefore, BDD film anode electrochemical oxidation can be used for microelectronics cleaning, and it can effectively remove organic contaminants and metallic contaminants in one step. It also achieves energy saving and environmental protection. (semiconductor technology)

Microbial links between sulfate reduction and metal retention in uranium- and heavy metal-contaminated soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sitte, Jana; Akob, Denise M.; Kaufmann, Christian

2010-01-01

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can affect metal mobility either directly by reductive transformation of metal ions, e.g., uranium, into their insoluble forms or indirectly by formation of metal sulfides. This study evaluated in situ and biostimulated activity of SRB in groundwater-influenced soils...... from a creek bank contaminated with heavy metals and radionuclides within the former uranium mining district of Ronneburg, Germany. In situ activity of SRB, measured by the 35SO42– radiotracer method, was restricted to reduced soil horizons with rates of 142 ± 20 nmol cm–3 day–1. Concentrations...... of heavy metals were enriched in the solid phase of the reduced horizons, whereas pore water concentrations were low. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) measurements demonstrated that 80% of uranium was present as reduced uranium but appeared to occur as a sorbed complex. Soil-based dsrAB clone...

Melting of contaminated metallic waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y.-S.; Cheng, S.-Y.; Kung, H.-T.; Lin, L.-F.

2004-01-01

Approximately 100 tons of contaminated metallic wastes were produced each year due to maintenance for each TPC's nuclear power reactor and it was roughly estimated that there will be 10,000 tons of metallic scraps resulted from decommissioning of each reactor in the future. One means of handling the contaminated metal is to melt it. Melting process owns not only volume reduction which saves the high cost of final disposal but also resource conservation and recycling benefits. Melting contaminated copper and aluminum scraps in the laboratory scale have been conducted at INER. A total of 546 kg copper condenser tubes with a specific activity of about 2.7 Bq/g was melted in a vacuum induction melting facility. Three types of products, ingot, slag and dust were derived from the melting process, with average activities of 0.10 Bq/g, 2.33 Bq/g and 84.3 Bq/g respectively. After the laboratory melting stage, a pilot plant with a 500 kg induction furnace is being designed to melt the increasingly produced contaminated metallic scraps from nuclear facilities and to investigate the behavior of different radionuclides during melting. (author)

Sorption properties of algae Spirogyra sp. and their use for determination of heavy metal ions concentrations in surface water.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajfur, Małgorzata; Kłos, Andrzej; Wacławek, Maria

2010-11-01

Kinetics of heavy-metal ions sorption by alga Spirogyra sp. was evaluated experimentally in the laboratory, using both the static and the dynamic approach. The metal ions--Mn(2+), Cu(2+), Zn(2+) and Cd(2+)--were sorbed from aqueous solutions of their salts. The static experiments showed that the sorption equilibria were attained in 30 min, with 90-95% of metal ions sorbed in first 10 min of each process. The sorption equilibria were approximated with the Langmuir isotherm model. The algae sorbed each heavy metal ions proportionally to the amount of this metal ions in solution. The experiments confirmed that after 30 min of exposition to contaminated water, the concentration of heavy metal ions in the algae, which initially contained small amounts of these metal ions, increased proportionally to the concentration of metal ions in solution. The presented results can be used for elaboration of a method for classification of surface waters that complies with the legal regulations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Decontamination method for radiation contaminated metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enda, Masami; Hosaka, Katsumi; Sakai, Hitoshi.

1997-01-01

An organic acid solution is used as a decontamination liquid, and base materials of radiation contaminated metals are dissolved in the solution. The concentration of the organic acid is measured, and the organic acid is supplied by an amount corresponding to the lowering of the concentration. The decontamination liquid wastes generated during the decontamination step are decomposed, and metals leached in the organic acid solution are separated. With such procedures, contamination intruded into the inside of the mother materials of the metals can be removed, and radioactivity of the contaminated metals such as stainless steels and carbon steels can be eliminated, or the radiation level thereof can be reduced. In addition, the amount of secondary wastes generated along with the decontamination can be suppressed. (T.M.)

Selective Decontamination Effect of Metal Ions in Soil Using Supercritical CO{sub 2} and TBP Complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jihye; Park, Kwangheon; Jung, Wonyoung [Kyunghee Univ., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2014-10-15

Decontamination of soil pollution is difficult because the type of contamination largely depends on the characteristics of the pollutant and the area. Also, existing soil decontamination methods generate large quantities of secondary waste and additional process costs. For this reason, new decontamination methods are always under active investigation. A method involving the use of supercritical carbon dioxide with excellent permeability in place of chemical solvents is currently being studied. Unlike other heavy metals in fission products, uranium is used as fuel, and must be handled carefully. Therefore, in this paper, we studied a supercritical carbon dioxide method for decontaminating heavy metal ions in soil using tri-n-butyl phosphate(TBP), which is well known as a ligand for the extraction of metal ions of actinium. We investigated the decontamination effect of heavy metal ions in the soil using TBP-HNO{sub 3} Complex and supercritical carbon dioxide. The study results showed that when heavy metals in soil are extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide, the extraction efficiency is different according to the type of pollutant metal ions in the soil. When TBP-HNO{sub 3} Complex is used with an extractant, uranium extraction is very effective, but lithium, strontium, and cesium extraction is not effective. Therefore, in the case of a mixture of uranium and other metals such as lithium, strontium, cesium, and so on in soil contaminated by fission product leaks from nuclear power plants, we can selectively decontaminate uranium with supercritical carbon dioxide and TBP-HNO{sub 3} Complex.

Decontamination method of contaminated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, Fumio; Ueda, Yoshihiro; Sato, Chikara; Komori, Itaru.

1980-01-01

Purpose: To effectively separate radioactive materials from molten metals in dry-processing method by heating metals contaminated with radioactive materials at a temperature below melting point to oxidize the surface thereof, then heating them to melt and include the radioactive materials into the oxides. Method: Metals contaminated with radioactive materials are heated at a temperature below the melting point thereof in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxidize the surface. Thereafter they are heated to melt at temperature above the melting point of the metals, and the molten metals are separated with the radioactive materials included in the oxides. For instance, radiation-contaminated aluminum pipe placed on the bed of an electrical heating furnace, and heated at 500 0 C which is lower than the melting point 660 0 C of aluminum for 1 - 2 hours while supplying air from an air pipe into the furnace, and an oxide film is formed on the surface of the aluminum pipe. Then, the furnace temperature is increased to 750 0 C wherein molten aluminum is flown down to a container and the oxide film is separated by floating it as the slug on the molten aluminum. (Horiuchi, T.)

Microbial links between sulfate reduction and metal retention in uranium- and heavy metal-contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Sitte, Jana; Akob, Denise M; Kaufmann, Christian; Finster, Kai; Banerjee, Dipanjan; Burkhardt, Eva-Maria; Kostka, Joel E; Scheinost, Andreas C; Büchel, Georg; Küsel, Kirsten

2010-05-01

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can affect metal mobility either directly by reductive transformation of metal ions, e.g., uranium, into their insoluble forms or indirectly by formation of metal sulfides. This study evaluated in situ and biostimulated activity of SRB in groundwater-influenced soils from a creek bank contaminated with heavy metals and radionuclides within the former uranium mining district of Ronneburg, Germany. In situ activity of SRB, measured by the (35)SO(4)(2-) radiotracer method, was restricted to reduced soil horizons with rates of metals were enriched in the solid phase of the reduced horizons, whereas pore water concentrations were low. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) measurements demonstrated that approximately 80% of uranium was present as reduced uranium but appeared to occur as a sorbed complex. Soil-based dsrAB clone libraries were dominated by sequences affiliated with members of the Desulfobacterales but also the Desulfovibrionales, Syntrophobacteraceae, and Clostridiales. [(13)C]acetate- and [(13)C]lactate-biostimulated soil microcosms were dominated by sulfate and Fe(III) reduction. These processes were associated with enrichment of SRB and Geobacteraceae; enriched SRB were closely related to organisms detected in soils by using the dsrAB marker. Concentrations of soluble nickel, cobalt, and occasionally zinc declined uranium increased in carbon-amended treatments, reaching metal attenuation and (ii) the fate of uranium mobility is not predictable and may lead to downstream contamination of adjacent ecosystems.

Metal Ion Controlled Polymorphism of a Peptide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hemmingsen, Lars Bo Stegeager; Jancso, Attila; Szunyogh, Daniel

2011-01-01

ions on fully or partially unstructured proteins, or the effect of metal ions on protein aggregation. Metal ions may be employed to fold (or misfold) individual peptides in a controlled manner depending on the potential metal ion coordinating amino acid side chains (Cys, His, Asp, Glu......In this work a metal ion binding model dodecapeptide was investigated in terms of its capacity to adopt different structures depending on the metal ion to peptide stoichiometry. The dodecapeptide is much simpler than real proteins, yet displays sufficient complexity to model the effect of metal......, …) in the peptide, and the ligand and structural preferences of the metal ion (in our studies Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Cu+/2+). Simultaneously, new species such as metal ion bridged ternary complexes or even oligomers may be formed. In recent previous studies we have observed similar polymorphism of zinc finger model...

Polyaspartate extraction of cadmium ions from contaminated soil: Evaluation and optimization using central composite design.

Science.gov (United States)

Mu'azu, Nuhu Dalhat; Haladu, Shamsuddeen A; Jarrah, Nabeel; Zubair, Mukarram; Essa, Mohammad H; Ali, Shaikh A

2018-01-15

The occurrences of heavy metal contaminated sites and soils and the need for devising environmentally friendly solutions have become global issues of serious concern. In this study, polyaspartate (a highly biodegradable agent) was synthesized using L-Aspartic acid via a new modified thermal procedure and employed for extraction of cadmium ions (Cd) from contaminated soil. Response surface methodology approach using 3 5 full faced centered central composite design was employed for modeling, evaluating and optimizing the influence of polyaspartate concentration (36-145mM), polyaspartate/soil ratio (5-25), initial heavy metal concentration (100-500mg/kg), initial pH (3-6) and extraction time (6-24h) on Cd ions extracted into the polyaspartate solution and its residual concentration in the treated soil. The Cd extraction efficacy obtained reached up to 98.8%. Increase in Cd extraction efficiency was associated with increase in the polyaspartate and Cd concentration coupled with lower polyaspertate/soil ratio and initial pH. Under the optimal conditions characterized with minimal utilization of the polyaspartate and high Cd ions removal, the extractible Cd in the polyaspartate solution reached up to 84.4mg/L which yielded 85% Cd extraction efficacy. This study demonstrates the suitability of using polyaspartate as an effective environmentally friendly chelating agent for Cd extraction from contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metal resistant plants and phytoremediation of environmental contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Meagher, Richard B.; Li, Yujing; Dhankher, Om P.

2010-04-20

The present disclosure provides a method of producing transgenic plants which are resistant to at least one metal ion by transforming the plant with a recombinant DNA comprising a nucleic acid encoding a bacterial arsenic reductase under the control of a plant expressible promoter, and a nucleic acid encoding a nucleotide sequence encoding a phytochelatin biosynthetic enzyme under the control of a plant expressible promoter. The invention also relates a method of phytoremediation of a contaminated site by growing in the site a transgenic plant expressing a nucleic acid encoding a bacterial arsenate reductase and a nucleic acid encoding a phytochelatin biosynthetic enzyme.

Contaminated metallic melt volume reduction testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deichman, J.L.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale metallic melts (stainless steel) were accomplished in support of Decontamination and Decommissioning's (D and D) contaminated equipment volume reduction and Low-Level Lead Site Waste programs. Six laboratory scale melts made with contaminated stainless steel provided data that radionuclide distribution can be predicted when proper temperature rates and ranges are employed, and that major decontamination occurs with the use of designed slagging materials. Stainless steel bars were contaminated with plutonium, cobalt, cesium and europium. This study was limited to stainless steel, however, further study is desirable to establish data for other metals and alloys. This study represents a positive beginning in defining the feasibility of economical volume reduction or conversion from TRU waste forms to LLW forms for a large portion of approximately 50 thousand tons of contaminated metal waste now being stored at Hanford underground or in deactivated facilities

Metal ion implantation: Conventional versus immersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Anders, A.; Anders, S.; Dickinson, M.R.; MacGill, R.A.

1994-01-01

Vacuum-arc-produced metal plasma can be used as the ion feedstock material in an ion source for doing conventional metal ion implantation, or as the immersing plasma for doing plasma immersion ion implantation. The basic plasma production method is the same in both cases; it is simple and efficient and can be used with a wide range of metals. Vacuum arc ion sources of different kinds have been developed by the authors and others and their suitability as a metal ion implantation tool has been well established. Metal plasma immersion surface processing is an emerging tool whose characteristics and applications are the subject of present research. There are a number of differences between the two techniques, both in the procedures used and in the modified surfaces created. For example, the condensibility of metal plasma results in thin film formation and subsequent energetic implantation is thus done through the deposited layer; in the usual scenario, this recoil implantation and the intermixing it produces is a feature of metal plasma immersion but not of conventional energetic ion implantation. Metal plasma immersion is more suited (but not limited) to higher doses (>10 17 cm -2 ) and lower energies (E i < tens of keV) than the usual ranges of conventional metal ion implantation. These and other differences provide these vacuum-arc-based surface modification tools with a versatility that enhances the overall technological attractiveness of both

Water-soluble organo-building blocks of aminoclay as a soil-flushing agent for heavy metal contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young-Chul; Kim, Eun Jung; Ko, Dong Ah; Yang, Ji-Won

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► Aminoclays have synthesized using centered metals with aminopropyl silane. ► Developed aminoclay has unique nano-sized and water-soluble properties. ► Aminoclay showed high heavy metal capacity with metal ions and its less toxicity. ► Aminoclay could be used to remediate heavy metals from soils an alternative soil-flushing agent. - Abstract: We demonstrated that water-soluble aminopropyl magnesium functionalized phyllosilicate could be used as a soil-flushing agent for heavy metal contaminated soils. Soil flushing has been an attractive means to remediate heavy metal contamination because it is less disruptive to the soil environment after the treatment was performed. However, development of efficient and non-toxic soil-flushing agents is still required. We have synthesized aminoclays with three different central metal ions such as magnesium, aluminum, and ferric ions and investigated applicability of aminoclays as soil flushing agents. Among them, magnesium (Mg)-centered aminoclay showed the smallest size distribution and superior water solubility, up to 100 mg/mL. Mg aminoclay exhibited cadmium and lead binding capacity of 26.50 and 91.31 mg/g of Mg clay, respectively, at near neutral pH, but it showed negligible binding affinity to metals in acidic conditions. For soil flushing with Mg clay at neutral pH showed cadmium and lead were efficiently extracted from soils by Mg clay, suggesting strong binding ability of Mg clay with cadmium and lead. As the organic matter and clay compositions increased in the soil, the removal efficiency by Mg clay decreased and the operation time increased.

Lyophilization of a triply unsaturated phospholipid: Effects of trace metal contaminants

Science.gov (United States)

Payton, N.M.; Wempe, M.F.; Betker, Jamie L.; Randolph, T.W.; Anchordoquy, T.J.

2013-01-01

As liquid liposomal formulations are prone to chemical degradation and aggregation, these formulations often require freeze drying (e.g. lyophilization) to achieve sufficient shelf-life. However, liposomal formulations may undergo oxidation during lyophilization and/or during prolonged storage. The goal of the current study was to characterize the degradation of 1, 2-dilinolenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) during lyophilization, and to also probe the influence of metal contaminants in promoting the observed degradation. Aqueous sugar formulations containing DLPC (0.01 mg/ml) were lyophilized, and DLPC degradation was monitored using HPLC/UV and GC/MS methods. The effect of ferrous ion and sucrose concentration, as well as lyophilization stage promoting lipid degradation, was investigated. DLPC degradation increased with higher levels of ferrous ion. After lyophilization, 103.1% ± 1.1%, 66.9% ± 0.8%, and 28.7% ± 0.7% DLPC remained in the sucrose samples spiked with 0.0 ppm, 0.2 ppm and 1.0 ppm ferrous ion, respectively. Lipid degradation predominantly occurs during the freezing stage of lyophilization. Sugar concentration and buffer ionic strength also influence the extent of lipid degradation, and DLPC loss correlated with degradation product formation. We conclude that DLPC oxidation during the freezing stage of lyophilization dramatically compromises the stability of lipid-based formulations. In addition, we demonstrate that metal contaminants in sugars can become highly active when lyophilized in the presence of a reducing agent. PMID:23567484

Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ko, Dongah [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Lee, Joo Sung [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Patel, Hasmukh A. [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Jakobsen, Mogens H. [Department of Micro and Nano technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, 345B, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Hwang, Yuhoon [Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongreung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811 (Korea, Republic of); Yavuz, Cafer T. [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Andersen, Henrik R., E-mail: henrik@ndersen.net [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Disulfide/thiol polymer networks are promising as sorbent for heavy metals. • Rapid sorption and high Langmuir affinity constant (a{sub L}) for stormwater treatment. • Selective sorption for copper, cadmium, and zinc in the presence of calcium. • Reusability likely due to structure stability of disulfide linked polymer networks. - Abstract: Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions–copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water.

Catalytic extraction processing of contaminated scrap metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffin, T.P.; Johnston, J.E.

1994-01-01

The contract was conceived to establish the commercial capability of Catalytic Extraction Processing (CEP) to treat contaminated scrap metal in the DOE inventory. In so doing, Molten Metal Technology, Inc. (MMT), pursued the following objectives: demonstration of the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals--to establish that radioactively contaminated scrap metal can be converted to high-grade, ferrous and non-ferrous alloys which can be reused by DOE or reintroduced into commerce; immobilize radionuclides--that CEP will concentrate the radionuclides in a dense vitreous phase, minimize secondary waste generation and stabilize and reduce waste volume; destroy hazardous organics--that CEP will convert hazardous organics to valuable industrial gases, which can be used as feed gases for chemical synthesis or as an energy source; recovery volatile heavy metals--that CEP's off-gas treatment system will capture volatile heavy metals, such as mercury and lead; and establish that CEP is economical for processing contaminated scrap metal in the DOE inventory--that CEP is a more cost-effective and, complete treatment and recycling technology than competing technologies for processing contaminated scrap. The process and its performance are described

Melting-decontamination method for radioactive contaminated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uda, Tatsuhiko; Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki; Miura, Noboru; Iba, Hajime.

1985-01-01

Purpose: To eliminate uranium components remaining in metals even after the uranium-contaminated metals are melted. Method: Metal wastes contaminated with actinide element or its compound as nuclear fuel substance are melted in a crucible. Molten metals are fallen through a filter disposed at the bottom of the crucible into another receiving crucible. Uranium compounds are still left in the molten metal fallen in the receiving crucible. The residual uranium compounds are concentrated by utilizing the principle of the zone-refining process. That is, a displaceable local-heating heater is disposed to the receiving crucible, by which metals once solidified in the receiving crucible is again heated locally to transfer from solid to molten phase in a quasi-equibilized manner. In this way, by eliminating the end of the metal rod at which the uranium is segregated, the contaminating coefficient can be improved. (Ikeda, J.)

''In-situ'' spectro-electrochemical studies of radionuclide-contaminated surface films on metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melendres, C.A.; Mini, S.; Mansour, A.N.

2000-01-01

The incorporation of heavy metal ions and radioactive contaminants into hydrous oxide films has been investigated in order to provide fundamental knowledge that could lead to the technological development of cost-effective processes and techniques for the decontamination of storage tanks, piping systems, surfaces, etc., in DOE nuclear facilities. The formation of oxide/hydroxide films was simulated by electrodeposition onto a graphite substrate from solutions of the appropriate metal salt. Synchrotron X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS), supplemented by Laser Raman Spectroscopy (LRS), was used to determine the structure and composition of the host oxide film, as well as the impurity ion. Results have been obtained for the incorporation of Ce, Sr, Cr, Fe, and U into hydrous nickel oxide films. Ce and Sr oxides/hydroxides are co-precipitated with the nickel oxides in separate phase domains. Cr and Fe, on the other hand, are able to substitute into Ni lattice sites or intercalate in the interlamellar positions of the brucite structure of Ni(OH) 2 . U was found to co-deposit as a U(VI) hydroxide. The mode of incorporation of metal ions depends both on the size and charge of the metal ion. The structure of iron oxide (hydroxide) films prepared by both anodic and cathodic deposition has also been extensively studied. The structure of Fe(OH) 2 was determined to be similar to that of α-Ni(OH) 2 . Anodic deposition from solutions containing Fe 2+ results in a film with a structure similar to γ-FeOOH. From the knowledge gained from the present studies, principles and methods for decontamination have become apparent. Contaminants sorbed on oxide surfaces or co-precipitated may be removed by acid wash and selective dissolution or complexation. Ions incorporated into lattice sites and interlamellar layers will require more drastic cleaning procedures. Electropolishing and the use of an electrochemical brush are among concepts that should be considered seriously for the latter

Method of melting decontamination of radioactive contaminated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uda, Tatsuhiko; Miura, Noboru; Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki.

1984-01-01

Purpose: To improve the transfer efficiency of radioactive materials into slags. Method: Contaminated metals are melt with adding slagging agent in order to transfer the radioactive materials into the slag, where the slagging agent holds less free energy than that of metal oxides contaminated with radioactive materials in order to promote the transfer of the contaminated materials into the slag layer. This effect can also be attained on metals or alloys other than iron contaminated with radioactive materials. In the case of alloy, the slagging agent is to containing such metal oxide that free energy is less than that of the oxide of metal being the main ingredient element of the alloy. The decontamination effect can further be improved by containing halogenide such as calcium fluoride together with the metal oxide into the slagging agent. (Ikeda, J.)

New developments in metal ion implantation by vacuum arc ion sources and metal plasma immersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Anders, A.; Anders, S.

1996-01-01

Ion implantation by intense beams of metal ions can be accomplished using the dense metal plasma formed in a vacuum arc discharge embodied either in a vacuum arc ion source or in a metal plasma immersion configuration. In the former case high energy metal ion beams are formed and implantation is done in a more-or-less conventional way, and in the latter case the substrate is immersed in the plasma and repetitively pulse-biased so as to accelerate the ions at the high voltage plasma sheath formed at the substrate. A number of advances have been made in the last few years, both in plasma technology and in the surface modification procedures, that enhance the effectiveness and versatility of the methods, including for example: controlled increase of the in charge states produced; operation in a dual metal-gaseous ion species mode; very large area beam formation; macroparticle filtering; and the development of processing regimes for optimizing adhesion, morphology and structure. These complementary ion processing techniques provide the plasma tools for doing ion surface modification over a very wide parameter regime, from pure ion implantation at energies approaching the MeV level, through ion mixing at energies in the ∼1 to ∼100 keV range, to IBAD-like processing at energies from a few tens of eV to a few keV. Here the authors review the methods, describe a number of recent developments, and outline some of the surface modification applications to which the methods have been put. 54 refs., 9 figs

Surface metal standards produced by ion implantation through a removable layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schueler, B.W.; Granger, C.N.; McCaig, L.; McKinley, J.M.; Metz, J.; Mowat, I.; Reich, D.F.; Smith, S.; Stevie, F.A.; Yang, M.H.

2003-01-01

Surface metal concentration standards were produced by ion implantation and investigated for their suitability to calibrate surface metal measurements by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Single isotope implants were made through a 100 nm oxide layer on silicon. The implant energies were chosen to place the peak of the implanted species at a depth of 100 nm. Subsequent removal of the oxide layer was used to expose the implant peak and to produce controlled surface metal concentrations. Surface metal concentration measurements by time-of-flight SIMS (TOF-SIMS) with an analysis depth of 1 nm agreed with the expected surface concentrations of the implant standards with a relative mean standard deviation of 20%. Since the TOF-SIMS relative sensitivity factors (RSFs) were originally derived from surface metal measurements of surface contaminated silicon wafers, the agreement implies that the implant standards can be used to measure RSF values. The homogeneity of the surface metal concentration was typically <10%. The dopant dose remaining in silicon after oxide removal was measured using the surface-SIMS protocol. The measured implant dose agreed with the expected dose with a mean relative standard deviation of 25%

Interactions between humic acid and hematite and their effects on metal ion speciation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vermeer, A.W.P.

1996-01-01

The impact of toxic chemicals (like metal ions) on the environment is a phenomenon that has been recognised as a mayor problem over the last decades. The speciation of these chemicals determines whether or not a contaminated site has to be regarded as dangerous. The fate of the

Remediating sites contaminated with heavy metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swartzbaugh, J.; Sturgill, J.; Cormier, B.; Williams, H.D.

1992-01-01

This article is intended to serve as a reference for decision makers who must choose an approach to remediate sites contaminated with heavy metals. Its purpose is to explain pertinent chemical and physical characteristics of heavy metals, how to use these characteristics to select remedial technologies, and how to interpret and use data from field investigations. Different metal species are typically associated with different industrial processes. The contaminant species behave differently in various media (i.e., groundwater, soils, air), and require different technologies for containment and treatment. We focus on the metals that are used in industries that generate regulated waste. These include steelmaking, paint and pigment manufacturing, metal finishing, leather tanning, papermaking, aluminum anodizing, and battery manufacturing. Heavy metals are also present in refinery wastes as well as in smelting wastes and drilling muds

Method for electrolytic decontamination of radioactive contaminated metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Akio; Horita, Masami; Onuma, Tsutomu; Kato, Koji

1991-01-01

The invention relates to an electrolytic decontamination method for radioactive contaminated metals. The contaminated sections are eluted by electrolysis after the surface of a piece of equipment used with radioactive substances has been immersed in an electrolyte. Metal contaminated by radioactive substances acts as the anode

Water-soluble organo-building blocks of aminoclay as a soil-flushing agent for heavy metal contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Young-Chul [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 program), KAIST, 335 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Eun Jung [Advanced Biomass R and D Center, KAIST, 291 Daehakno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Dong Ah [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 program), KAIST, 335 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Yang, Ji-Won, E-mail: jiwonyang@kaist.ac.kr [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (BK21 program), KAIST, 335 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Advanced Biomass R and D Center, KAIST, 291 Daehakno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-11-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aminoclays have synthesized using centered metals with aminopropyl silane. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Developed aminoclay has unique nano-sized and water-soluble properties. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aminoclay showed high heavy metal capacity with metal ions and its less toxicity. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aminoclay could be used to remediate heavy metals from soils an alternative soil-flushing agent. - Abstract: We demonstrated that water-soluble aminopropyl magnesium functionalized phyllosilicate could be used as a soil-flushing agent for heavy metal contaminated soils. Soil flushing has been an attractive means to remediate heavy metal contamination because it is less disruptive to the soil environment after the treatment was performed. However, development of efficient and non-toxic soil-flushing agents is still required. We have synthesized aminoclays with three different central metal ions such as magnesium, aluminum, and ferric ions and investigated applicability of aminoclays as soil flushing agents. Among them, magnesium (Mg)-centered aminoclay showed the smallest size distribution and superior water solubility, up to 100 mg/mL. Mg aminoclay exhibited cadmium and lead binding capacity of 26.50 and 91.31 mg/g of Mg clay, respectively, at near neutral pH, but it showed negligible binding affinity to metals in acidic conditions. For soil flushing with Mg clay at neutral pH showed cadmium and lead were efficiently extracted from soils by Mg clay, suggesting strong binding ability of Mg clay with cadmium and lead. As the organic matter and clay compositions increased in the soil, the removal efficiency by Mg clay decreased and the operation time increased.

Ion implantation of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, G.

1976-01-01

In this part of the paper descriptions are given of the effects of ion implantation on (a) friction and wear in metals; and (b) corrosion of metals. In the study of corrosion, ion implantation can be used either to introduce a constituent that is known to convey corrosion resistance, or more generally to examine the parameters which control corrosion. (U.K.)

Synthesis and characterization of radiation grafted films for removal of arsenic and some heavy metals from contaminated water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, M.N.K.; Khan, M.W.; Mina, M.F.; Beg, M.D.H.; Khan, Maksudur R.; Alam, A.K.M.M.

2012-01-01

Grafting of styrene/maleic anhydride and methyl methacrylate/maleic anhydride binary monomers onto the low density polyethylene film was performed using the γ-ray irradiation technique. Then, the synthesized grafted films were treated with different ammonia derivatives for developing chelating functionalization. These chelating products were characterized by the gravimetric method as well as by the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopic method, and were used for removal of arsenic and some heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The optimum absorbed dose of 30 kGy reveals the graft yielding of about 325% in the films. Uptake of arsenic and some heavy-metal ions (Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Pb(II)) from contaminated water by the chelating functionalized films (CFF) was examined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The maximum arsenic removal capacity of 5062 mg/kg has been observed for the film treated with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The CFF prepared by semicarbazide and thiol analogs show affinity toward the metal ions with an order: Cu(II)>Fe(III)>Mn(II) etc. The results obtained from this study indicate that the functionalized films show good chelating and ion-exchange property for metal ions. - Highlights: ► Optimization of radiation dose for grafting reaction of polyethylene with binary monomers. ► Chelating functionalization of grafted film with various amine compounds. ► Characterization of both grafted and chelating functionalized films. ► Proposed mechanism for both grafting and chelating functionalization reaction. ► Application of the synthesized films for the removal of arsenic and some heavy metals from contaminated water.

The use of dialdehyde starch derivatives in the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonkiewicz, Jacek; Para, Andrzej

2016-01-01

Products of the reaction between dialdehyde starch and Y-NH2 compounds (e.g. semicarbazide or hydrazine) are effective ligands for metal ions. The usefulness of these derivatives was tested in the experiment, both in terms of the immobilization of heavy metal ions in soil and the potential application in phytoextraction processes. The experimental model comprised maize and the ions of such metals as: Zn(II), Pb(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Ni(II). The amount of maize yield, as well as heavy metal content and uptake by the aboveground parts and roots of maize, were studied during a three-year pot experiment. The results of the study indicate the significant impact of heavy metals on reduced yield and increased heavy metal content in maize. Soil-applied dialdehyde starch derivatives resulted in lower yields, particularly disemicarbazone (DASS), but in heavy metal-contaminated soils they largely limited the negative impact of these metals both on yielding and heavy metal content in plants, particularly dihydrazone (DASH). It was demonstrated that the application of dihydrazone (DASH) to a soil polluted with heavy metals boosted the uptake of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd from the soil, hence there is a possibility to use this compound in the phytoextraction of these metals from the soil. Decreased Ni uptake was also determined, hence the possibility of using this compound in the immobilization of this metal. The study showed that dialdehyde starch disemicarbazone was ineffective in the discussed processes.

Analysis of Accumulating Ability of Heavy Metals in Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Improved by Ion Implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jianhua; Wang Naiyan; Zhang Fengshou

2012-01-01

Heavy metals have seriously contaminated soil and water, and done harm to public health. Academician WANG Naiyan proposed that ion-implantation technique should be exploited for environmental bioremediation by mutating and breeding plants or microbes. By implanting N + into Taikonglian No.1, we have selected and bred two lotus cultivars, Jingguang No.1 and Jingguang No.2. The present study aims at analyzing the feasibility that irradiation can be used for remediation of soil and water from heavy metals. Compared with parent Taikonglian No.1, the uptaking and accumulating ability of heavy metals in two mutated cultivars was obviously improved. So ion implantation technique can indeed be used in bioremediation of heavy metals in soil and water, but it is hard to select and breed a cultivar which can remedy the soil and water from all the heavy metals.

The influence of Ferric ion contamination on the solid polymer electrolyte water electrolysis performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xunying; Zhang, Linsong; Li, Guangfu; Zhang, Geng; Shao, Zhi-Gang; Yi, Baolian

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The cathode possesses higher tolerance for the Fe 3+ contamination than the anode. • Fe 3+ are mostly reduced to Fe 2+ rather than occur underpotential deposition. • Increased electrolysis voltage was mainly attributed to ohmic overpotential. • Voltage lags behind current for minutes in the multi-current-step test. • Poisoned electrolyser is mostly recovered by 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution treatment for 13 h. - Abstract: Fe 3+ is a sort of common metal ion contaminant for the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) water electrolyser. In this paper, the effect of Fe 3+ on the performance of SPE water electrolyser has been investigated by both in-situ and ex-situ characterizations. The electron probe microanalysis and ultraviolet test results showed that Fe 3+ could migrate from the anode to the cathode and mostly be reduced to Fe 2+ in the cathode rather than occurred underpotential deposition as described in the previous report. The in-situ dynamic contamination test showed that the anode voltage increased sharply as soon as the Fe 3+ was fed into the anode, while the cathode voltage kept constant until the contamination time was over 30 minutes, indicating the higher tolerance of the cathode than the anode for the Fe 3+ contamination. The calculation results based on the electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy test results revealed that the striking increase of the electrolysis voltage was mainly attributed to the ohmic overpotential, which was due to the replacement of H + by Fe 3+ in the Nafion resin. Interestingly, the voltage lagged behind the current for several minutes in the multi-current-step test for the contaminated electrolyser, which phenomenon may be used for judging whether the SPE water electrolyser performance degradation is due to the metal ions contamination. Furthermore, recovery strategy has been developed, and it was found that the contaminated electrolyser could be mostly recovered by 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 solution treatment for 13 h

Characterization of natural adsorbent material for heavy metal removal in a petrochemical site contamination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianchi F.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Despite of over 25 years of intensive technological efforts, sub-surface environment cleanup still remains a challenge, especially in case of highly contaminated sites. In this context, ion exchanger technologies could provide simple and effective solutions for heavy metal removal in water treatment. The challenge is finding exchanger able to operate in extreme natural environments or in situations involving natural interfering species such as inorganic ions. In this paper we exam the use of natural zeolites as versatile exchanger for environmental protection of coastal refinery's groundwater against pollution of Ni, Cd, Pb. The influence of particle diameter on clinoptilolite performances toward heavy metal removal is studied. Also, we evaluate the exchanger activities in condition of high ionic strength, commonly present in groundwater located under coastal petrol industries. The obtained results confirmed that ion exchangers could provide an effective solutions for remediation in complex environmental conditions.

Nanostructured Block Polymer Membranes as High Capacity Adsorbers for the Capture of Metal Ions from Water

Science.gov (United States)

Boudouris, Bryan; Weidman, Jacob; Mulvenna, Ryan; Phillip, William

The efficient removal of metal ions from aqueous streams is of significant import in applications ranging from industrial waste treatment to the purification of drinking water. An emerging paradigm associated with this separation is one that utilizes membrane adsorbers as a means by which to bind metal salt contaminants. Here, we demonstrate that the casting of an A-B-C triblock polymer using the self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) methodology results in a nanoporous membrane geometry. The nature of the triblock polymer affords an extremely high density of binding sites within the membrane. As such, we demonstrate that the membranes with binding capacities equal to that of state-of-the-art packed bed columns. Moreover, because the affinity of the C moiety can be tuned, highly selective binding events can occur based solely on the chemistry of the block polymer and the metal ions in solution (i.e., in a manner that is independent of the size of the metal ions). Due to these combined facts, these membranes efficiently remove heavy metal (e.g., lead- and cadmium-based) salts from contaminated water streams with greater than 95% efficiency. Finally, we show that the membranes can be regenerated through a simple treatment in order to provide long-lasting adsorber systems as well. Thus, it is anticipated that these nanostructured triblock polymer membranes are a platform by which to obtain next-generation water purification processes.

Modification of porous starch for the adsorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaofei; Liu, Xueyuan; Anderson, Debbie P; Chang, Peter R

2015-08-15

Porous starch xanthate (PSX) and porous starch citrate (PSC) were prepared in anticipation of the attached xanthate and carboxylate groups respectively forming chelation and electrostatic interactions with heavy metal ions in the subsequent adsorption process. The lead(II) ion was selected as the model metal and its adsorption by PSX and PSC was characterized. The adsorption capacity was highly dependent on the carbon disulfide/starch and citric acid/starch mole ratios used during preparation. The adsorption behaviors of lead(II) ion on PSXs and PSCs fit both the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity from the Langmuir isotherm equation reached 109.1 and 57.6 mg/g for PSX and PSC when preparation conditions were optimized, and the adsorption times were just 20 and 60 min, respectively. PSX and PSC may be used as effective adsorbents for removal of heavy metals from contaminated liquid. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some Case Studies on Metal-Microbe Interactions to Remediate Heavy Metals- Contaminated Soils in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chon, Hyo-Taek

2015-04-01

Conventional physicochemical technologies to remediate heavy metals-contaminated soil have many problems such as low efficiency, high cost and occurrence of byproducts. Recently bioremediation technology is getting more and more attention. Bioremediation is defined as the use of biological methods to remediate and/or restore the contaminated land. The objectives of bioremediation are to degrade hazardous organic contaminants and to convert hazardous inorganic contaminants to less toxic compounds of safe levels. The use of bioremediation in the treatment of heavy metals in soils is a relatively new concept. Bioremediation using microbes has been developed to remove toxic heavy metals from contaminated soils in laboratory scale to the contaminated field sites. Recently the application of cost-effective and environment-friendly bioremediation technology to the heavy metals-contaminated sites has been gradually realized in Korea. The merits of bioremediation include low cost, natural process, minimal exposure to the contaminants, and minimum amount of equipment. The limitations of bioremediation are length of remediation, long monitoring time, and, sometimes, toxicity of byproducts for especially organic contaminants. From now on, it is necessary to prove applicability of the technologies to contaminated sites and to establish highly effective, low-cost and easy bioremediation technology. Four categories of metal-microbe interactions are generally biosorption, bioreduction, biomineralization and bioleaching. In this paper, some case studies of the above metal-microbe interactions in author's lab which were published recently in domestic and international journals will be introduced and summarized.

Engineering of microorganisms towards recovery of rare metal ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuroda, Kouichi; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi [Kyoto Univ. (Japan). Div. of Applied Life Sciences

2010-06-15

The bioadsorption of metal ions using microorganisms is an attractive technology for the recovery of rare metal ions as well as removal of toxic heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. In initial attempts, microorganisms with the ability to accumulate metal ions were isolated from nature and intracellular accumulation was enhanced by the overproduction of metal-binding proteins in the cytoplasm. As an alternative, the cell surface design of microorganisms by cell surface engineering is an emerging strategy for bioadsorption and recovery of metal ions. Cell surface engineering was firstly applied to the construction of a bioadsorbent to adsorb heavy metal ions for bioremediation. Cell surface adsorption of metal ions is rapid and reversible. Therefore, adsorbed metal ions can be easily recovered without cell breakage, and the bioadsorbent can be reused or regenerated. These advantages are suitable for the recovery of rare metal ions. Actually, the cell surface display of a molybdate-binding protein on yeast led to the enhanced adsorption of molybdate, one of the rare metal ions. An additional advantage is that the cell surface display system allows high-throughput screening of protein/peptide libraries owing to the direct evaluation of the displayed protein/peptide without purification and concentration. Therefore, the creation of novel metal-binding protein/ peptide and engineering of microorganisms towards the recovery of rare metal ions could be simultaneously achieved. (orig.)

Versatile high current metal ion implantation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Dickinson, M.R.; Galvin, J.E.; Godechot, X.; MacGill, R.A.

1992-01-01

A metal ion implantation facility has been developed with which high current beams of practically all the solid metals of the periodic table can be produced. A multicathode, broad-beam, metal vapor vacuum arc ion source is used to produce repetitively pulsed metal ion beams at an extraction voltage of up to 100 kV, corresponding to an ion energy of up to several hundred kiloelectronvolts because of the ion charge state multiplicity, and with a beam current of up to several amps peak pulsed and several tens of milliamps time averaged delivered onto a downstream target. Implantation is done in a broad-beam mode, with a direct line of sight from ion source to target. Here we summarize some of the features of the ion source and the implantation facility that has been built up around it. (orig)

History of metal contamination in Lake Illawarra, NSW, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Larissa; Maher, William; Potts, Jaimie; Batley, Graeme; Taylor, Anne; Krikowa, Frank; Chariton, Anthony; Zawadzki, Atun; Heijnis, Henk; Gruber, Bernd

2015-01-01

Lake Illawarra has a long history of sediment contamination, particularly by metals, as a result of past and current industrial operations and land uses within the catchment. In this study, we examined the history of metal contamination in sediments using metal analysis and (210)Pb and (137)Cs dating. The distributions of copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium and lead concentrations within sediment cores were in agreement with historical events in the lake, and indicated that metal contamination had been occurring since the start of industrial activities in Port Kembla in the late 1800 s. Most metal contamination, however, has occurred since the 1960s. Sedimentation rates were found to be 0.2 cm year(-1) in Griffins Bay and 0.3 cm year(-1) in the centre of the lake. Inputs from creeks bringing metals from Port Kembla in the northeast of the lake and a copper slag emplacement from a former copper refinery on the Windang Peninsula were the main sources of metal inputs to Lake Illawarra. The metals of highest concern were zinc and copper, which exceeded the Australian and New Zealand sediment quality guideline values at some sites. Results showed that while historical contamination persists, current management practices have resulted in reduced metal concentrations in surface sediments in the depositional zones in the centre of the lake. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the bioavailability and risk from metal-contaminated ...

Science.gov (United States)

Exposure to contaminated soil and dust is an important pathway in human health risk assessment. Physical and chemical characteristics, as well as biological factors, determine the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of soil and dust contaminants. Within a single sample, contamination may arise from multiple sources of toxic elements that may exist as different forms (species) which impact bioavailability. In turn, the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of soil and dust contaminants has a direct impact on human health risk assessment and risk management practices. Novel research efforts focusing on development and application of in vitro and in vivo methods to measure the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of metal contaminated soils have advanced in the past few years. The objective of this workshop was to focus on recent developments in assessing the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of arsenic contaminated soils, metal contamination in urban residences in Canada and potential children’s exposures to toxic elements in house dust, a community-based study known as the West Oakland Residential Lead Assessment , studies of the bioavailability of soil cadmium, chromium, nickel and mercury and human exposures to contaminated Brownfield soils. These presentations covered issues related to human health and bioavailability along with the most recent studies on community participation in assessing metal contamination, studies of exposures to residential contamination, and

Immobilization of metals in contaminated soils using natural polymer-based stabilizers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Xue; Li, Aimin; Yang, Hu

2017-03-01

Three low-cost natural polymer materials, namely, lignin (Ln), carboxymethyl cellulose, and sodium alginate, were used for soil amendment to immobilize lead and cadmium in two contaminated soil samples collected from a mining area in Nanjing, China. The remediation effects of the aforementioned natural polymers were evaluated by toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and sequential extractions. The stabilizers could lower the bioavailability of Pb and Cd in the contaminated soils, and the amount of the exchangeable forms of the aforementioned two metals were reduced evidently. TCLP results showed that the leaching concentrations of Pb and Cd were decreased by 5.46%-71.1% and 4.25%-49.6%, respectively, in the treated soils. The contents of the organic forms of the two metals both increased with the increase in stabilizer dose on the basis of the redistribution of metal forms by sequential extractions. These findings were due to the fact that the abundant oxygen-containing groups on the polymeric amendments were effective in chelating and immobilizing Pb and Cd, which have been further confirmed from the metal adsorptions in aqueous solutions. Moreover, Ln achieved the greatest effect among the three polymers under study because of the former's distinct three-dimensional molecular structure, showing the preferential immobilization of Pb over Cd in soils also. Thus, the above-mentioned natural polymers hold great application potentials for reducing metal ion entry into the food chain at a field scale. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal ion toxins and brain aquaporin-4 expression: an overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana eXimenes-Da-Silva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Metal ions such as iron, zinc, and manganese are essential to metabolic functions, protein synthesis, neurotransmission, and antioxidant neuroprotective mechanisms. Conversely, non-essential metals such as mercury and lead are sources of human intoxication due to occupational activities or environmental contamination. Essential or non-essential metal accumulation in the central nervous system (CNS results in changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB permeability, as well as triggering microglia activation and astrocyte reactivity and changing water transport through the cells, which could result in brain swelling. Aquaporin-4 is the main water channel in the CNS, is expressed in astrocyte foot processes in brain capillaries and along the circumventricular epithelium in the ventricles, and has important physiological functions in maintaining brain osmotic homeostasis and supporting brain excitability through regulation of the extracellular space. Some evidence has pointed to a role of AQP4 during metal intoxication in the brain, where it may act in a dual form as a neuroprotector or a mediator of the development of oxidative stress in neurons and astrocytes, resulting in brain swelling and neuronal damage. This mini-review presents the way some metal ions affect changes in AQP4 expression in the CNS and discuss the ways in which water transport in brain cells can be involved in brain damage.

Coprecipitation of alkali metal ions with calcium carbonate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okumura, Minoru; Kitano, Yasushi

1986-01-01

The coprecipitation of alkali metal ions Li + , Na + , K + and Rb + with calcium carbonate has been studied experimentally and the following results have been obtained: (1) Alkali metal ions are more easily coprecipitated with aragonite than with calcite. (2) The relationship between the amounts of alkali metal ions coprecipitated with aragonite and their ionic radii shows a parabolic curve with a peak located at Na + which has approximately the same ionic radius as Ca 2+ . (3) However, the amounts of alkali metal ions coprecipitated with calcite decrease with increasing ionic radius of alkali metals. (4) Our results support the hypothesis that (a) alkali metals are in interstitial positions in the crystal structure of calcite and do not substitute for Ca 2+ in the lattice, but (b) in aragonite, alkali metals substitute for Ca 2+ in the crystal structure. (5) Magnesium ions in the parent solution increase the amounts of alkali metal ions (Li + , Na + , K + and Rb + ) coprecipitated with calcite but decrease those with aragonite. (6) Sodium-bearing aragonite decreases the incorporation of other alkali metal ions (Li + , K + and Rb + ) into the aragonite. (author)

Solid state cathode materials for secondary magnesium-ion batteries that are compatible with magnesium metal anodes in water-free electrolyte

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crowe, Adam J.; Bartlett, Bart M.

2016-01-01

With high elemental abundance, large volumetric capacity, and dendrite-free metal deposition, magnesium metal anodes offer promise in beyond-lithium-ion batteries. However, the increased charge density associated with the divalent magnesium-ion (Mg 2+ ), relative to lithium-ion (Li + ) hinders the ion-insertion and extraction processes within many materials and structures known for lithium-ion cathodes. As a result, many recent investigations incorporate known amounts of water within the electrolyte to provide temporary solvation of the Mg 2+ , improving diffusion kinetics. Unfortunately with the addition of water, compatibility with magnesium metal anodes disappears due to forming an ion-insulating passivating layer. In this short review, recent advances in solid state cathode materials for rechargeable magnesium-ion batteries are highlighted, with a focus on cathode materials that do not require water contaminated electrolyte solutions for ion insertion and extraction processes. - Graphical abstract: In this short review, we present candidate materials for reversible Mg-battery cathodes that are compatible with magnesium metal in water-free electrolytes. The data suggest that soft, polarizable anions are required for reversible cycling.

Metal vapor vacuum arc ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Dickinson, M.R.; Galvin, J.E.; Godechot, X.; MacGill, R.A.

1990-06-01

We have developed a family of metal vapor vacuum are (MEVVA) high current metal ion sources. The sources were initially developed for the production of high current beams of metal ions for heavy ion synchrotron injection for basic nuclear physics research; more recently they have also been used for metal ion implantation. A number of different embodiments of the source have been developed for these specific applications. Presently the sources operate in a pulsed mode, with pulse width of order 1 ms and repetition rate up to 100 pps. Beam extraction voltage is up to 100 kV, and since the ions produced in the vacuum arc plasma are in general multiply ionized the ion energy is up to several hundred keV. Beam current is up to several Amperes peak and around 10 mA time averaged delivered onto target. Nearly all of the solid metals of the Periodic Table have been use to produce beam. A number of novel features have been incorporated into the sources, including multiple cathodes and the ability to switch between up to 18 separate cathode materials simply and quickly, and a broad beam source version as well as miniature versions. here we review the source designs and their performance. 45 refs., 7 figs

Novel metal ion surface modification technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Godechot, X.; Yu, K.M.

1990-10-01

We describe a method for applying metal ions to the near-surface region of solid materials. The added species can be energetically implanted below the surface or built up as a surface film with an atomically mixed interface with the substrate; the metal ion species can be the same as the substrate species or different from it, and more than one kind of metal species can be applied, either simultaneously or sequentially. Surface structures can be fabricated, including coatings and thin films of single metals, tailored alloys, or metallic multilayers, and they can be implanted or added onto the surface and ion beam mixed. We report two simple demonstrations of the method: implantation of yttrium into a silicon substrate at a mean energy of 70 keV and a dose of 1 x 10 16 atoms/cm 2 , and the formation of a titanium-yttrium multilayer structure with ion beam mixing to the substrate. 17 refs., 3 figs

Metallic vapor supplying by the electron bombardment for a metallic ion production with an ECR ion source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kitagawa, Atsushi; Sasaki, Makoto; Muramatsu, Masayuki [National Inst. of Radiological Sciences, Chiba (Japan); Jincho, Kaoru; Sasaki, Noriyuki; Sakuma, Tetsuya; Takasugi, Wataru; Yamamoto, Mitsugu [Accelerator Engineering Corporation, Chiba (Japan)

2001-11-19

To produce the metallic ion beam for the injection into the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), a new gas supply method has been developed for an 18 GHz ECR ion source (NIRS-HEC). A metallic target rod at a high positive potential is melted by the electron bombardment technique. The evaporated gas with a maximum flow rate of 50A/sec is supplied into the ECR plasma in case of Fe metal. (author)

Metallic vapor supplying by the electron bombardment for a metallic ion production with an ECR ion source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagawa, Atsushi; Sasaki, Makoto; Muramatsu, Masayuki; Jincho, Kaoru; Sasaki, Noriyuki; Sakuma, Tetsuya; Takasugi, Wataru; Yamamoto, Mitsugu

2001-01-01

To produce the metallic ion beam for the injection into the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), a new gas supply method has been developed for an 18 GHz ECR ion source (NIRS-HEC). A metallic target rod at a high positive potential is melted by the electron bombardment technique. The evaporated gas with a maximum flow rate of 50A/sec is supplied into the ECR plasma in case of Fe metal. (author)

High Charge State Ions Extracted from Metal Plasmas in the Transition Regime from Vacuum Spark to High Current Vacuum Arc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yushkov, Georgy Yu.; Anders, A.

2008-01-01

Metal ions were extracted from pulsed discharge plasmas operating in the transition region between vacuum spark (transient high voltage of kV) and vacuum arc (arc voltage ∼ 20 V). At a peak current of about 4 kA, and with a pulse duration of 8 (micro)s, we observed mean ion charges states of about 6 for several cathode materials. In the case of platinum, the highest average charge state was 6.74 with ions of charge states as high as 10 present. For gold we found traces of charge state 11, with the highest average charge state of 7.25. At currents higher than 5 kA, non-metallic contaminations started to dominate the ion beam, preventing further enhancement of the metal charge states

Modeling the dark current histogram induced by gold contamination in complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Domengie, F., E-mail: florian.domengie@st.com; Morin, P. [STMicroelectronics Crolles 2 (SAS), 850 Rue Jean Monnet, 38926 Crolles Cedex (France); Bauza, D. [CNRS, IMEP-LAHC - Grenoble INP, Minatec: 3, rue Parvis Louis Néel, CS 50257, 38016 Grenoble Cedex 1 (France)

2015-07-14

We propose a model for dark current induced by metallic contamination in a CMOS image sensor. Based on Shockley-Read-Hall kinetics, the expression of dark current proposed accounts for the electric field enhanced emission factor due to the Poole-Frenkel barrier lowering and phonon-assisted tunneling mechanisms. To that aim, we considered the distribution of the electric field magnitude and metal atoms in the depth of the pixel. Poisson statistics were used to estimate the random distribution of metal atoms in each pixel for a given contamination dose. Then, we performed a Monte-Carlo-based simulation for each pixel to set the number of metal atoms the pixel contained and the enhancement factor each atom underwent, and obtained a histogram of the number of pixels versus dark current for the full sensor. Excellent agreement with the dark current histogram measured on an ion-implanted gold-contaminated imager has been achieved, in particular, for the description of the distribution tails due to the pixel regions in which the contaminant atoms undergo a large electric field. The agreement remains very good when increasing the temperature by 15 °C. We demonstrated that the amplification of the dark current generated for the typical electric fields encountered in the CMOS image sensors, which depends on the nature of the metal contaminant, may become very large at high electric field. The electron and hole emissions and the resulting enhancement factor are described as a function of the trap characteristics, electric field, and temperature.

Ion-beam-mixing in metal-metal systems and metal-silicon systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, L.

1984-01-01

The influence of energetic ion bombardment on the composition and structure of thin film materials and utilization of ion-beam-mixing techniques to modify interfacial reactions are reported in this thesis. The phase formation in metals by using ion mixing techniques has been studied. Upon ion irradiation of Al/Pt, Al/Pd and Al/Ni thin films, only the simplest intermetallic compounds of PdAl and NiAl were formed in crystalline structure, while the amorphous phase has been observed over a large range of composition. Ion mixing of Au/Cu bilayers resulted in the formation of substitutional solid solutions with no trace of ordered compounds. The formation of the ordered compound CuAu was achieved either by irradiation of bilayers with Ar ions at elevated substrate temperature or by irradiation of the mixed layers with He ions at relatively low temperature. In the Au/Al system several crystal compounds existed in the as-deposited samples. These phases remained crystalline or transformed into other equilibrium compounds upon ion irradiation. The results suggest that the phase formation by ion mixing is dependent on the high quench rate in the collision cascade region and the atomic mobility at the irradiation temperature. The argument can be applied to silicide forming systems. With near-noble metals, the mixed atoms are mobile and form metallurgically distinct phases. With refractory metals, amorphous phases are formed due to lack of atomic mobility

High charge state metal ion production in vacuum arc ion sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Anders, A.; Anders, S.

1994-01-01

The vacuum arc is a rich source of highly ionized metal plasma that can be used to make a high current metal ion source. Vacuum arc ion sources have been developed for a range of applications including ion implantation for materials surface modification, particle accelerator injection for fundamental nuclear physics research, and other fundamental and applied purposes. Typically the source is repetitively pulsed with pulse length of order a millisecond and duty cycle or order 1% and operation of a dc embodiment has been demonstrated also. Beams have been produced from over 50 of the solid metals of the periodic table, with mean ion energy up to several hundred keV and with peak (pulsed) beam current up to several amperes. The ion charge state distribution has been extensively studied. Ion spectra have been measured for a wide range of metallic cathode materials, including Li, C, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Ir, Pt, Au, Pb, Bi, Th and U, as well as compound and alloy cathode materials such as TiC, SiC, UC, PbS, brass, and stainless steel. The ions generated are in general multiply-stripped with a mean charge state of from 1 to 3, depending on the particular metal species, and the charge state distribution can have components from Q = 1+ to 6+. Here the authors review the characteristics of vacuum arc ion sources from the perspective of their high charge state metal ion production

Formation of negative ions on a metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amersfoort, P.W. van.

1987-01-01

In this thesis a fundamental study of the charge exchange process of positive ions on the converter surface is presented. Beams of hydrogen ad cesium ions are scattered from a thoroughly cleaned W(110) surface, under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The cesium coverage of the surface is a controlled parameter. Ch. 2 deals with the negative-ion formation probability for hydrogen atoms. The influence of coabsorption of hydrogen is studied in Ch. 3. These measurements are important for understanding the formation process in plasma sources, because the converter surface is expected to be strongly contaminated with hydrogen. The charge state of scattered cesium particles is investigated in Ch. 4. Knowledge of this parameter is essential for Ch. 5, in which a model study of adsorption of cesium on a metal surface in contact with a plasma is presented. Finally, the negative-ion formation process in a plasma environment is studied in Ch. 6. Measurements done on a hollow-cathode discharge equipped with a novel type of converter, a porous tungsten button, are discussed. Liquid cesium diffuses through this button towards the side in contact with the plasma. (Auth.)

EFFECT OF HEAVY METAL IONS ON THE NUMBER AND ACTIVITY OF Azotobacter AND MELANINSYNTHESIZING MICROMYCETES

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Malynovska I. M.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of the work was to determine the possibility of using the number and activity of Azotobacter cells and melanin-synthesizing micromycetes as indicators of gray forest soils of different types (fallow, extensive and intensive agrosoil pollution with heavy metal ions. For this purpose, there were used laboratory-analytical, microbiological and statistical methods. As a result of research of increasing doses of heavy metals (zinc + lead influence on the number of microorganisms in the gray forest soils it was found that the number and activity of Azotobacter and the number and part of melanin-synthesizing micromycetes in their total number may be fit into indicators of pollution with heavy metals. Azotobacter cells activity index may be considered indicative at contamination levels of 5-100 of maximum permissible concentration in the absence of vegetation, at contamination levels of 10–100 – for soils with phytocenosis. The number and proportion of melaninsynthesizing micromycetes in total guantity may serve as diagnostic sign of gray forest soils pollution with high doses of heavy metals, but only for the period of contamination up to 2 years. It was shown that nature of the effect of heavy metals on the number of microorganisms of indicative groups depended on the presence of plants in the monitoring system, on doses of heavy metals, on the term of contamination and on the type of soil usage.

Final Report for Project ''Role of Metal Bioavailability in In Situ Bioremediation of Metal and Organic Co-Contaminated Sites''; FINAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raina M. Maier

2002-01-01

A large proportion of hazardous waste sites are co-contaminated with organics and various metals. Such co-contaminated sites are difficult to bioremediate due to the nature of the mixed contaminants. Specifically, the presence of a co-contaminating metal imposes increased stress on indigenous populations already impacted by organic contaminant stress. The overall objective of this research is to investigate the effect of varying metal bioavailability on microbial populations and biodegradation of organics to allow a better understanding of how optimize remediation of co-contaminated sites. The hypothesis for this project is that metal bioavailability is not directly correlated with metal stress imposed on microbial populations that are degrading organics in soil and that further understanding of the relationship between metal bioavailability and metal stress is required for successful treatment of sites contaminated with mixtures of organics and metals. The specific objectives to be addressed to accomplish this goal are: (1) To determine the influence of metal bioavailability in soil microcosms co-contaminated with organics and metals on degradation of the organic contaminants and on mechanisms of metal resistance and (2) To determine the efficacy of different bioremediation strategies for co-contaminated soils based on metal bioavailability

Oral bioaccessibility of toxic metals in contaminated oysters and relationships with metal internal sequestration.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shi; Wang, Wen-Xiong

2014-12-01

The Hong Kong oysters Crassostrea hongkongensis are widely farmed in the estuarine waters of Southern China, but they accumulate Cu and Zn to alarmingly high concentrations in the soft tissues. Health risks of seafood consumption are related to contaminants such as toxic metals which are bioaccessible to humans. In the present study, we investigated the oral bioaccessibility of five toxic metals (Ag, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) in contaminated oysters collected from different locations of a large estuary in southern China. In all oysters, total Zn concentration was the highest whereas total Pb concentration was the lowest. Among the five metals, Ag had the lowest oral bioaccessibility (38.9-60.8%), whereas Cu and Zn had the highest bioaccessibility (72.3-93.1%). Significant negative correlation was observed between metal bioaccessibility and metal concentration in the oysters for Ag, Cd, and Cu. We found that the oral bioaccessibility of the five metals was positively correlated with their trophically available metal fraction (TAM) in the oyster tissues, and negatively correlated with metal distribution in the cellular debris. Thus, metal partitioning in the TAM and cellular debris controlled the oral bioaccessibility to humans. Given the dependence of oral bioaccessibility on tissue metal contamination, bioaccessibility needs to be incorporated in the risk assessments of contaminated shellfish. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method of electrolytically decontaminating of radioactive metal wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oonuma, Tsutomu; Tanaka, Akio; Yamadera, Toshio.

1985-01-01

Purpose: To significantly reduce the volume of secondary wastes by separating from electrolytes metal ions containing radioactive metal ions dissolved therein in the form of elemental metals of a reduced volume with ease, as well as regenerating the electrolytes for re-use. Method: Contaminated portions at the surface of the radioactive metal wastes are dissolved in electrolytes and, when the metal ion concentration in the electrolytes reaches a predetermined level, the electrolytes are introduced to an acid recovery step and an electrodeposition step. The recovered acid is re-used as the electrolytes, while dissolved metal ions containing radioactive metal ions are deposited as elemental metals in the electrodeposition step. The electrolytes usable herein include those acids easily forming stable complex compounds with the metals or those not forming hydroxides of the contaminated metals. Combination of sodium sulfate and sulfuric acid, sodium chloride and hydrochloride or the like is preferred. (Kamimura, M.)

Phytoremediation of water bodies contaminated with radioactive heavy metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Zhen; Yuan Shichao; Ling Hui; Xie Shuibo

2012-01-01

The sources of the radioactive heavy metal in the water bodies were analyzed. The factors that affect phyto remediation of water contaminated with radioactive heavy metal were discussed. The plant species, mechanism and major technology of phyto remediation of water contaminated with radioactive heavy metal were particularly introduced. The prospective study was remarked. (authors)

Ion Exchange Kinetics of some Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions onto Poly(Acrylic Acid-Acrylo nitrle) Potassium Titanate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shorbagy, M.M.; El-Sadek, A.A.

2012-01-01

Composite inorganic-organic absorbers represent a group of inorganic ion exchangers modified using binding organic materials for preparation of larger size particles heaving higher granular strength. Such modification of originally powdered or microcrystalline inorganic ion exchangers makes their application in peaked beds possible-modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) has been used as a universal binding polymer for a number of inorganic ion exchangers. The kinetic of ion exchange and sorption capacity of such composite absorbers is not influenced by the binding polymer mentioned above. These composites have been tested for separation and concentration of various contaminants from aqueous solutions. Their high selectivity and sorption efficiency are advantageous for treatment of various industrial waste waters. Removal of natural or artificial and the heavy metals, Pb, Cd and Zn ions. the influence of initial metal ion concentration and ph on metal ion removal has been studied. The process was found to follow a first order rate kinetics. The intra-particle diffusion of ions through pores in the adsorbent was to be the main rate limiting step. The selectivity order towards the ions was Pb(II) > Cd(II) > Zn(II)

Laccase Immobilization by Chelated Metal Ion Coordination Chemistry

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Qingqing Wang

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this work, amidoxime polyacrylonitrile (AOPAN nanofibrous membrane was prepared by a reaction between PAN nanofibers and hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The AOPAN nanofibrous membranes were used for four metal ions (Fe3+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Cd2+ chelation under different conditions. Further, the competition of different metal ions coordinating with AOPAN nanofibrous membrane was also studied. The AOPAN chelated with individual metal ion (Fe3+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Cd2+ and also the four mixed metal ions were further used for laccase (Lac immobilization. Compared with free laccase, the immobilized laccase showed better resistance to pH and temperature changes as well as improved storage stability. Among the four individual metal ion chelated membranes, the stability of the immobilized enzymes generally followed the order as Fe–AOPAN–Lac > Cu–AOPAN–Lac > Ni–AOPAN–Lac > Cd–AOPAN–Lac. In addition, the immobilized enzyme on the carrier of AOPAN chelated with four mixed metal ions showed the best properties.

Metallic ion release from biocompatible cobalt-based alloy

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Dimić Ivana D.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Metallic biomaterials, which are mainly used for the damaged hard tissue replacements, are materials with high strength, excellent toughness and good wear resistance. The disadvantages of metals as implant materials are their susceptibility to corrosion, the elastic modulus mismatch between metals and human hard tissues, relatively high density and metallic ion release which can cause serious health problems. The aim of this study was to examine metallic ion release from Co-Cr-Mo alloy in artificial saliva. In that purpose, alloy samples were immersed into artificial saliva with different pH values (4.0, 5.5 and 7.5. After a certain immersion period (1, 3 and 6 weeks the concentrations of released ions were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrophotometer (ICP-MS. The research findings were used in order to define the dependence between the concentration of released metallic ions, artificial saliva pH values and immersion time. The determined released metallic ions concentrations were compared with literature data in order to describe and better understand the phenomenon of metallic ion release from the biocompatible cobalt-based alloy. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 46010 i br. ON 174004

Worker exposures from recycling surface contaminated radioactive scrap metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kluk, A.; Phillips, J.W.; Culp, J.

1996-01-01

Current DOE policy permits release from DOE control of real property with residual levels of surficial radioactive contamination if the contamination is below approved guidelines. If the material contains contamination that is evenly distributed throughout its volume (referred to as volumetric contamination), then Departmental approval for release must be obtained in advance. Several DOE sites presently recycle surface contaminated metal, although the quantities are small relative to the quantities of metal processed by typical mini-mills, hence the potential radiation exposures to mill workers from processing DOE metals and the public from the processed metal are at present also a very small fraction of their potential value. The exposures calculated in this analysis are based on 100% of the scrap metal being processed at the maximum contamination levels and are therefore assumed to be maximum values and not likely to occur in actual practice. This paper examines the relationship between the surface contamination limits established under DOE Order 5400.5, open-quotes Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment,close quotes and radiation exposures to workers involved in the scrap metal recycling process. The analysis is limited to surficial contamination at or below the guideline levels established in DOE Order 5400.5 at the time of release. Workers involved in the melting and subsequent fabrication of products are not considered radiation workers (no requirements for monitoring) and must be considered members of the public. The majority of the exposures calculated in this analysis range from tenths of a millirem per year (mrem/yr) to less than 5 mrem/yr. The incremental risk of cancer associated with these exposures ranges from 10 -8 cancers per year to 10 -6 cancers per year

Metallic ions in the upper atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.

1979-01-01

During the past 20 years considerable progress has been made in establishing the presence of metallic ions in the sporadic E layers at mid latitudes and as discrete patches at high altitudes in the equatorial ionosphere. The E-region observations have been based on rocket flights, which represent local conditions faithfully. But the global distribution of metallic ions and variations relating to changes in season, local time, magnetic activity, etc., which require satellite data, have been largely unexamined. This work presents a few aspects of this missing global distribution over an altitude range of 100 to 1000 km, using the data from AE-C, AE-D, and OGO-6 satellites and the rocket flights 18.117 and 18.118 from Wallops Island on July 12 and 13, 1971. The rocket data provide a day-night pair of vertical profiles that include altitudes not covered by the satellites. Results are presented for Mg + , Al + , Si + and Fe + ions in terms of their detection probabilities, median concentrations and relative abundances with respect to Mg + ions as a function of significant geophysical parameters. Na + and K + ions have been excluded from this study because alkali metal ions driven off the spacecraft hamper the measurement of ambient Na + and K + ions. This study has indicated that in general different metallic ions appear together in comparable concentrations except for Al + , which is an order of magnitude smaller than the others

Analysis of metal ion release from biomedical implants

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Ivana Dimić

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Metallic biomaterials are commonly used for fixation or replacement of damaged bones in the human body due to their good combination of mechanical properties. The disadvantage of metals as implant materials is their susceptibility to corrosion and metal ion release, which can cause serious health problems. In certain concentrations metals and metal ions are toxic and their presence can cause diverse inflammatory reactions, genetic mutations or even cancer. In this paper, different approaches to metal ion release examination, from biometallic materials sample preparation to research results interpretation, will be presented. An overview of the analytical techniques, used for determination of the type and concentration of released ions from implants in simulated biofluids, is also given in the paper.

Aromatic plant production on metal contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheljazkov, Valtcho D.; Craker, Lyle E.; Xing Baoshan; Nielsen, Niels E.; Wilcox, Andrew

2008-01-01

Field and container experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of growing aromatic crops in metal contaminated areas and the effect of metals on herbage and oil productivity. The field experiments were conducted in the vicinities of the Non-Ferrous Metals Combine (Zn-Cu smelter) near Plovdiv, Bulgaria using coriander, sage, dill, basil, hyssop, lemon balm, and chamomile grown at various distances from the smelter. Herbage essential oil yields of basil, chamomile, dill, and sage were reduced when they were grown closer to the smelter. Metal removal from the site with the harvestable plant parts was as high as 180 g ha -1 for Cd, 660 g ha -1 for Pb, 180 g ha -1 for Cu, 350 g ha -1 for Mn, and 205 g ha -1 for Zn. Sequential extraction of soil demonstrated that metal fractionation was affected by the distance to the smelter. With decreasing distance to the smelter, the transfer factor (TF) for Cu and Zn decreased but increased for Cd, while the bioavailability factor (BF) for Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn decreased. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalyses of contaminated soil verified that most of the Pb, Cd, Mn, Cu, and Zn were in the form of small (< 1 μm) particles, although there were larger particles (1-5 μm) with high concentrations of individual metals. This study demonstrated that high concentrations of heavy metals in soil or growth medium did not result in metal transfer into the essential oil. Of the tested metals, only Cu at high concentrations may reduce oil content. Our results demonstrated that aromatic crops may not have significant phytoremediation potential, but growth of these crops in metal contaminated agricultural soils is a feasible alternative. Aromatic crops can provide economic return and metal-free final product, the essential oil

Aromatic plant production on metal contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheljazkov, Valtcho D. [Mississippi State, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and North Mississippi Research and Extension Center, 5421 Highway 145 South, Verona, MS 38879 (United States)], E-mail: vj40@pss.msstate.edu; Craker, Lyle E.; Xing Baoshan [Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, 12 Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Nielsen, Niels E. [Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Lab, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK1871, Copenhagen (Denmark); Wilcox, Andrew [Harper Adams University College, Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB (United Kingdom)

2008-06-01

Field and container experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of growing aromatic crops in metal contaminated areas and the effect of metals on herbage and oil productivity. The field experiments were conducted in the vicinities of the Non-Ferrous Metals Combine (Zn-Cu smelter) near Plovdiv, Bulgaria using coriander, sage, dill, basil, hyssop, lemon balm, and chamomile grown at various distances from the smelter. Herbage essential oil yields of basil, chamomile, dill, and sage were reduced when they were grown closer to the smelter. Metal removal from the site with the harvestable plant parts was as high as 180 g ha{sup -1} for Cd, 660 g ha{sup -1} for Pb, 180 g ha{sup -1} for Cu, 350 g ha{sup -1} for Mn, and 205 g ha{sup -1} for Zn. Sequential extraction of soil demonstrated that metal fractionation was affected by the distance to the smelter. With decreasing distance to the smelter, the transfer factor (TF) for Cu and Zn decreased but increased for Cd, while the bioavailability factor (BF) for Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Zn decreased. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalyses of contaminated soil verified that most of the Pb, Cd, Mn, Cu, and Zn were in the form of small (< 1 {mu}m) particles, although there were larger particles (1-5 {mu}m) with high concentrations of individual metals. This study demonstrated that high concentrations of heavy metals in soil or growth medium did not result in metal transfer into the essential oil. Of the tested metals, only Cu at high concentrations may reduce oil content. Our results demonstrated that aromatic crops may not have significant phytoremediation potential, but growth of these crops in metal contaminated agricultural soils is a feasible alternative. Aromatic crops can provide economic return and metal-free final product, the essential oil.

Metal ion analysis in contaminated water samples using anodic stripping voltammetry and a nanocrystalline diamond thin-film electrode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonthalia, Prerna; McGaw, Elizabeth; Show, Yoshiyuki; Swain, Greg M.

2004-01-01

Boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond thin-film electrodes were employed for the detection and quantification of Ag (I), Cu (II), Pb (II), Cd (II), and Zn (II) in several contaminated water samples using anodic stripping voltammetric (ASV). Diamond is an alternate electrode that possesses many of the same attributes as Hg and, therefore, appears to be a viable material for this electroanalytical measurement. The nanocrystalline form has been found to perform slightly better than the more conventional microcrystalline form of diamond in this application. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPASV) was used to detect these metal ions in lake water, well water, tap water, wastewater treatment sludge, and soil. The electrochemical results were compared with data from inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) and or atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) measurements of the same samples. Diamond is shown to function well in this electroanalytical application, providing a wide linear dynamic range, a low limit of quantitation, excellent response precision, and good response accuracy. For the analysis of Pb (II), bare diamond provided a response nearly identical to that obtained with a Hg-coated glassy carbon electrode

Amorphization of metals by ion implantation and ion beam mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rauschenbach, B.; Heera, V.

1988-01-01

Amorphous metallic systems can be formed either by high-fluence ion implantation of glassforming species or by irradiation of layered metal systems with inert gas ions. Both techniques and experimental examples are presented. Empirical rules are discussed which predict whether a given system can be transformed into an amorphous phase. Influence of temperature, implantation dose and pre-existing crystalline metal composition on amorphization is considered. Examples are given of the implantation induced amorphous structure, recrystallization and formation of quasicrystalline structures. (author)

Pseudo ribbon metal ion beam source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stepanov, Igor B.; Ryabchikov, Alexander I.; Sivin, Denis O.; Verigin, Dan A.

2014-01-01

The paper describes high broad metal ion source based on dc macroparticle filtered vacuum arc plasma generation with the dc ion-beam extraction. The possibility of formation of pseudo ribbon beam of metal ions with the parameters: ion beam length 0.6 m, ion current up to 0.2 A, accelerating voltage 40 kV, and ion energy up to 160 kV has been demonstrated. The pseudo ribbon ion beam is formed from dc vacuum arc plasma. The results of investigation of the vacuum arc evaporator ion-emission properties are presented. The influence of magnetic field strength near the cathode surface on the arc spot movement and ion-emission properties of vacuum-arc discharge for different cathode materials are determined. It was shown that vacuum-arc discharge stability can be reached when the magnetic field strength ranges from 40 to 70 G on the cathode surface

Pseudo ribbon metal ion beam source.

Science.gov (United States)

Stepanov, Igor B; Ryabchikov, Alexander I; Sivin, Denis O; Verigin, Dan A

2014-02-01

The paper describes high broad metal ion source based on dc macroparticle filtered vacuum arc plasma generation with the dc ion-beam extraction. The possibility of formation of pseudo ribbon beam of metal ions with the parameters: ion beam length 0.6 m, ion current up to 0.2 A, accelerating voltage 40 kV, and ion energy up to 160 kV has been demonstrated. The pseudo ribbon ion beam is formed from dc vacuum arc plasma. The results of investigation of the vacuum arc evaporator ion-emission properties are presented. The influence of magnetic field strength near the cathode surface on the arc spot movement and ion-emission properties of vacuum-arc discharge for different cathode materials are determined. It was shown that vacuum-arc discharge stability can be reached when the magnetic field strength ranges from 40 to 70 G on the cathode surface.

Tolerance to Cadmium of Agave lechuguilla (Agavaceae Seeds and Seedlings from Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals

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Alejandra Méndez-Hurtado

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We investigated if seeds of Agave lechuguilla from contaminated sites with heavy metals were more tolerant to Cd ions than seeds from noncontaminated sites. Seeds from a highly contaminated site (Villa de la Paz and from a noncontaminated site (Villa de Zaragoza were evaluated. We tested the effect of Cd concentrations on several ecophysiological, morphological, genetical, and anatomical responses. Seed viability, seed germination, seedling biomass, and radicle length were higher for the non-polluted site than for the contaminated one. The leaves of seedlings from the contaminated place had more cadmium and showed peaks attributed to chemical functional groups such as amines, amides, carboxyl, and alkenes that tended to disappear due to increasing the concentration of cadmium than those from Villa de Zaragoza. Malformed cells in the parenchyma surrounding the vascular bundles were found in seedlings grown with Cd from both sites. The leaves from the contaminated place showed a higher metallothioneins expression in seedlings from the control group than that of seedlings at different Cd concentrations. Most of our results fitted into the hypothesis that plants from metal-contaminated places do not tolerate more pollution, because of the accumulative effect that cadmium might have on them.

Plasma immersion surface modification with metal ion plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Yu, K.M.; Godechot, X.

1991-04-01

We describe here a novel technique for surface modification in which metal plasma is employed and by which various blends of plasma deposition and ion implantation can be obtained. The new technique is a variation of the plasma immersion technique described by Conrad and co-workers. When a substrate is immersed in a metal plasma, the plasma that condenses on the substrate remains there as a film, and when the substrate is then implanted, qualitatively different processes can follow, including' conventional' high energy ion implantation, recoil implantation, ion beam mixing, ion beam assisted deposition, and metallic thin film and multilayer fabrication with or without species mixing. Multiple metal plasma guns can be used with different metal ion species, films can be bonded to the substrate through ion beam mixing at the interface, and multilayer structures can be tailored with graded or abrupt interfaces. We have fabricated several different kinds of modified surface layers in this way. 22 refs., 4 figs

Fungitoxicity of metal ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Somers, E

1961-01-01

The in vitro fungistatic activity of some twenty-four metal cations has been determine against Alternaria tenuis and Botrytis fabae. The metal salts, mainly nitrates, were tested in aqueous solution without added spore germination stimulant. The logarithm of the metal ion concentration at the ED 50 value has been found to conform to the exponenttial relationship with electronegativity proposed by Danielli and Davies (1951). These results are discussed in relation to the site of action of metal cations on the fungal cell.

Microbial characterization of a radionuclide- and metal-contaminated waste site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolton, H. Jr.; Lumppio, H.L.; Ainsworth, C.C.; Plymale, A.E.

1993-04-01

The operation of nuclear processing facilities and defense-related nuclear activities has resulted in contamination of near-surface and deep-subsurface sediments with both radionuclides and metals. The presence of mixed inorganic contaminants may result in undetectable microbial populations or microbial populations that are different from those present in uncontaminated sediments. To determine the impact of mixed radionuclide and metal contaminants on sediment microbial communities, we sampled a processing pond that was used from 1948 to 1975 for the disposal of radioactive and metal-contaminated wastewaters from laboratories and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities on the Hanford Site in Washington State. Because the Hanford Site is located in a semiarid environment with average rainfall of 159 mm/year, the pond dried and a settling basin remained after wastewater input into the pond ceased in 1975. This processing pond basin offered a unique opportunity to obtain near-surface sediments that had been contaminated with both radionuclides and metals for several decades. Our objectives were to determine the viable populations of microorganisms in the sediments and to test several hypotheses about how the addition of both radionuclides and metals influenced the microbial ecology of the sediments. Our first hypothesis was that viable populations of microorganisms would be lower in the more contaminated sediments. Second, we expected that long-term metal exposure would result in enhanced metal resistance. Finally, we hypothesized that microorganisms from the most radioactive sediments should have had enhanced radiation resistance

Upgraded vacuum arc ion source for metal ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolaev, A. G.; Oks, E. M.; Savkin, K. P.; Yushkov, G. Yu.; Brown, I. G.

2012-01-01

Vacuum arc ion sources have been made and used by a large number of research groups around the world over the past twenty years. The first generation of vacuum arc ion sources (dubbed ''Mevva,'' for metal vapor vacuum arc) was developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the 1980s. This paper considers the design, performance parameters, and some applications of a new modified version of this kind of source which we have called Mevva-V.Ru. The source produces broad beams of metal ions at an extraction voltage of up to 60 kV and a time-averaged ion beam current in the milliampere range. Here, we describe the Mevva-V.Ru vacuum arc ion source that we have developed at Tomsk and summarize its beam characteristics along with some of the applications to which we have put it. We also describe the source performance using compound cathodes.

Evaluation of some heavy metal contaminants in biscuits, fruit drinks ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Evaluation of some heavy metal contaminants in biscuits, fruit drinks, concentrates, ... effect in human due to continual consumption of food contaminated with heavy metals gotten from raw materials, manufacturing and packaging processes.

Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Hydrogels Containing Metal Ions and Metals/Metal Oxide Nanoparticles

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Fazli Wahid

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Recently, the rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has caused a serious health problem. Scientists respond to the threat by developing new antimicrobial materials to prevent or control infections caused by these pathogens. Polymer-based nanocomposite hydrogels are versatile materials as an alternative to conventional antimicrobial agents. Cross-linking of polymeric materials by metal ions or the combination of polymeric hydrogels with nanoparticles (metals and metal oxide is a simple and effective approach for obtaining a multicomponent system with diverse functionalities. Several metals and metal oxides such as silver (Ag, gold (Au, zinc oxide (ZnO, copper oxide (CuO, titanium dioxide (TiO2 and magnesium oxide (MgO have been loaded into hydrogels for antimicrobial applications. The incorporation of metals and metal oxide nanoparticles into hydrogels not only enhances the antimicrobial activity of hydrogels, but also improve their mechanical characteristics. Herein, we summarize recent advances in hydrogels containing metal ions, metals and metal oxide nanoparticles with potential antimicrobial properties.

Carbon contaminant in the ion processing of aluminum oxide film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaug, Y.; Roy, N.

1989-01-01

Ion processing can induce contamination on the bombarded surface. However, this process is essential for the microelectronics device fabrication. Auger electron spectroscopy has been used to study the simultaneous deposition of carbon impurity during ion bombardment of magnetron rf-sputtering deposited aluminum oxide film. Ion bombardment on aluminum oxide results in a preferential removal of surface oxygen and a formation of a metastable state of aluminum suboxide. Cosputtered implanted carbon contaminant appears to have formed a new state of stoichiometry on the surface of the ion bombarded aluminum oxide and existed as an aluminum carbide. This phase has formed due to the interaction of the implanted carbon and the aluminum suboxide. The Ar + ion sputter etching rate is reduced for the carbon contaminated oxide. The electrical resistance of the aluminum oxide between two gold strips has been measured. It is found that the electrical resistance is also reduced due to the formation of the new stoichiometry on the surface

Yeast enolase: mechanism of activation by metal ions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, J M

1981-01-01

Yeast enolase as prepared by current procedures is inherently chemically homogeneous, though deamidation and partial denaturation can produce electrophoretically distinct forms. A true isozyme of the enzyme exists but does not survive the purification procedure. The chemical sequence for both has been established. The enzyme behaves in solution like a compact, nearly spherical molecule of moderate hydration. Strong intramolecular forces maintain the structure of the individual subunits. The enzyme as isolated is dimeric. If dissociated in the presence of magnesium ions and substrate, then the subunits are active, but if the dissociation occurs in the absence of metal ions, they are inactive until they have reassociated and undergone a first order "annealing" process. Magnesium (II) enhances association. The interaction between the subunits is hydrophobic in character. The enzyme can bind up to 2 mol of most metal ions in "conformational" sites which then allows up to 2 mol of substrate or some substrate analogue to bind. This is not sufficient for catalysis, but conformational metal ions do more than just allow substrate binding. A change in the environment of the metal ions occurs on substrate or substrate analogue binding. There is an absolute correlation between the occurrence of a structural change undergone by the 3-amino analogue of phosphoenolpyruvate and whether the metal ions produce any level of enzymatic activity. For catalysis, two more moles of metal ions, called "catalytic", must bind. There is evidence that the enzymatic reaction involves a carbanion mechanism. It is likely that two more moles of metal ion can bind which inhibit the reaction. The requirement for 2 mol of metal ion per subunit which contribute in different ways to catalysis is exhibited by a number of other enzymes.

Ionic Liquids as Extraction Media for Metal Ions

Science.gov (United States)

Hirayama, Naoki

In solvent extraction separation of metal ions, recently, many researchers have investigated possible use of hydrophobic ionic liquids as extraction media instead of organic solvents. Ionic liquids are salts of liquid state around room temperature and can act not only as solvents but also as ion-exchangers. Therefore, the extraction mechanism of metal ions into ionic liquids is complicated. This review presents current overview and perspective on evaluation of nature of hydrophobic ionic liquids as extraction media for metal ions.

Oxidation of cyclohexane catalyzed by metal-ion-exchanged zeolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Sökmen, Ilkay; Sevin, Fatma

2003-08-01

The ion-exchange rates and capacities of the zeolite NaY for the Cu(II), Co(II), and Pb(II) metal ions were investigated. Ion-exchange equilibria were achieved in approximately 72 h for all the metal ions. The maximum ion exchange of metal ions into the zeolite was found to be 120 mg Pb(II), 110 mg Cu(II), and 100 mg Co(II) per gram of zeolite NaY. It is observed that the exchange capacity of a zeolite varies with the exchanged metal ion and the amount of metal ions exchanged into zeolite decreases in the sequence Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Co(II). Application of the metal-ion-exchanged zeolites in oxidation of cyclohexane in liquid phase with visible light was examined and it is observed that the order of reactivity of the zeolites for the conversion of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol is CuY > CoY > PbY. It is found that conversion increases by increase of the empty active sites of a zeolite and the formation of cyclohexanol is favored initially, but the cyclohexanol is subsequently converted to cyclohexanone.

[Recent advance in solidification/stabilization technology for the remediation of heavy metals-contaminated soil].

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Han-zhou; Chen, Tong-bin; Jin, Meng-gui; Lei, Mei; Liu, Cheng-wu; Zu, Wen-pu; Huang, Li-mi

2011-03-01

Remediation of heavy metals-contaminated soil is still a difficulty and a hotspot of international research projects. At present, the technologies commonly adopted for the remediation of contaminated sites mainly include excavation, solidification/stabilization (S/S), soil washing, soil vapor extraction (SVE), thermal treatment, and bioremediation. Based on the S/S technical guidelines of Unite State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United Kingdom Environment Agency (EA) and the domestic and foreign patents, this paper introduced the concepts of S/S and its development status at home and abroad, and discussed its future development directions. Solidification refers to a process that binds contaminated media with a reagent, changing the media's physical properties via increasing its compressive strength, decreasing its permeability, and encapsulating the contaminants to form a solid material. Stabilization refers to the process that involves a chemical reaction which reduces the leachability of a waste, chemically immobilizes the waste and reduces its solubility, making the waste become less harmful or less mobile. S/S technology includes cement solidification, lime pozzolanic solidification, plastic materials stabilization, vitrification, and regent-based stabilization. Stabilization (or immobilization) treatment processes convert contaminants to less mobile forms through chemical or thermal interactions. In stabilization technology, the aim of adding agents is to change the soil physical and chemical properties through pH control technology, redox potential technology, precipitation techniques, adsorption technology, and ion-exchange technology that change the existing forms of heavy metals in soil, and thus, reduce the heavy metals bioavailability and mobility. This review also discussed the S/S evaluation methods, highlighted the need to enhance S/S technology in the molecular bonding, soil polymers, and formulation of China's S/S technical guidelines.

Metal ion interaction with phosphorylated tyrosine analogue monolayers on gold.

Science.gov (United States)

Petoral, Rodrigo M; Björefors, Fredrik; Uvdal, Kajsa

2006-11-23

Phosphorylated tyrosine analogue molecules (pTyr-PT) were assembled onto gold substrates, and the resulting monolayers were used for metal ion interaction studies. The monolayers were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), both prior to and after exposure to metal ions. XPS verified the elemental composition of the molecular adsorbate and the presence of metal ions coordinated to the phosphate groups. Both the angle-dependent XPS and IRAS results were consistent with the change in the structural orientation of the pTyr-PT monolayer upon exposure to metal ions. The differential capacitance of the monolayers upon coordination of the metal ions was evaluated using EIS. These metal ions were found to significantly change the capacitance of the pTyr-PT monolayers in contrast to the nonphosphorylated tyrosine analogue (TPT). CV results showed reduced electrochemical blocking capabilities of the phosphorylated analogue monolayer when exposed to metal ions, supporting the change in the structure of the monolayer observed by XPS and IRAS. The largest change in the structure and interfacial capacitance was observed for aluminum ions, compared to calcium, magnesium, and chromium ions. This type of monolayer shows an excellent capability to coordinate metal ions and has a high potential for use as sensing layers in biochip applications to monitor the presence of metal ions.

Process for treating waste water having low concentrations of metallic contaminants

Science.gov (United States)

Looney, Brian B; Millings, Margaret R; Nichols, Ralph L; Payne, William L

2014-12-16

A process for treating waste water having a low level of metallic contaminants by reducing the toxicity level of metallic contaminants to an acceptable level and subsequently discharging the treated waste water into the environment without removing the treated contaminants.

Ion implantation and ion assisted coatings for wear resistance in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, G.

1986-01-01

The implantation of electrically accelerated ions of chosen elements into the surface of material provides a method for improving surface properties such as wear resistance. High concentrations of nitrogen implanted into metals create obstacles to dislocation movement, and certain combinations of metallic and non-metallic species will also strengthen the surface. The process is best applied to situations involving mild abrasive wear and operating temperatures that are not too high. Some dramatic increases in life have been reported under such favourable conditions. A more recent development has been the combination of a thin coating with reactive ion bombardment designed to enhance adhesion by ion mixing at the interface and so provide hardness by the formation of finely dispersed nitrides, including cubic boron nitride. These coatings often possess vivid and decorative colours as an added benefit. Developments in the equipment for industrial ion implantation now offer more attractive costs per unit area and a potentially greater throughput of work. A versatile group of related hard vacuum treatments is now emerging, involving the use of intense beams of nitrogen ions for the purpose of tailoring metal surfaces to resist wear. (author)

Phytotoxicity of trace metals in spiked and field-contaminated soils: Linking soil-extractable metals with toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamels, Fanny; Malevé, Jasmina; Sonnet, Philippe; Kleja, Dan Berggren; Smolders, Erik

2014-11-01

Soil tests have been widely developed to predict trace metal uptake by plants. The prediction of metal toxicity, however, has rarely been tested. The present study was set up to compare 8 established soil tests for diagnosing phytotoxicity in contaminated soils. Nine soils contaminated with Zn or Cu by metal mining, smelting, or processing were collected. Uncontaminated reference soils with similar soil properties were sampled, and series of increasing contamination were created by mixing each with the corresponding soil. In addition, each reference soil was spiked with either ZnCl2 or CuCl2 at several concentrations. Total metal toxicity to barley seedling growth in the field-contaminated soils was up to 30 times lower than that in corresponding spiked soils. Total metal (aqua regia-soluble) toxicity thresholds of 50% effective concentrations (EC50) varied by factors up to 260 (Zn) or 6 (Cu) among soils. For Zn, variations in EC50 thresholds decreased as aqua regia > 0.43 M HNO3  > 0.05 M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) > 1 M NH4 NO3  > cobaltihexamine > diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) > 0.001 M CaCl2 , suggesting that the last extraction is the most robust phytotoxicity index for Zn. The EDTA extraction was the most robust for Cu-contaminated soils. The isotopically exchangeable fraction of the total soil metal in the field-contaminated soils markedly explained the lower toxicity compared with spiked soils. The isotope exchange method can be used to translate soil metal limits derived from soils spiked with metal salts to site-specific soil metal limits. © 2014 SETAC.

Metal resistance in populations of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) from a metal-contaminated region and neighbouring non-contaminated regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirkey, Fallon M.; Matthews, Jennifer; Ryser, Peter

2012-01-01

Metal resistance in populations of Acer rubrum and Betula papyrifera in the industrially contaminated region of Sudbury, Ontario, was compared with resistance in populations from neighbouring uncontaminated regions. In two one-season experiments, seedlings were grown outdoors on contaminated (mainly Cu, Ni) and uncontaminated substrates. Sudbury populations of both species responded less to contamination than populations from uncontaminated regions. In A. rubrum this difference was small. For both species, Sudbury plants were smaller when grown on uncontaminated substrate. B. papyrifera from Sudbury grew better on contaminated substrate than the other populations. There is indication of variation in metal resistance within the populations from the non-contaminated regions. The data shows that trees may develop adaptive resistance to heavy metals, but the low degree of resistance indicates that the development of such resistances are slower than observed for herbaceous species with shorter generation times. - Highlights: ► Metal resistance in trees from an industrially contaminated region was investigated. ► Both red maple and white birch have developed some degree of resistance. ► There is indication of a cost for resistance. ► Populations from non-contaminated regions show variation in response to contamination. - Adaptive metal resistance can also develop in trees with long generation times, but the degree of resistance is lower than for herbaceous species from the same region.

Metal ion-dependent DNAzymes and their applications as biosensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Tian; Lu, Yi

2012-01-01

Long considered to serve solely as the genetic information carrier, DNA has been shown in 1994 to be able to act as DNA catalysts capable of catalyzing a trans-esterification reaction similar to the action of ribozymes and protein enzymes. Although not yet found in nature, numerous DNAzymes have been isolated through in vitro selection for catalyzing many different types of reactions in the presence of different metal ions and thus become a new class of metalloenzymes. What remains unclear is how DNA can carry out catalysis with simpler building blocks and fewer functional groups than ribozymes and protein enzymes and how DNA can bind metal ions specifically to perform these functions. In the past two decades, many biochemical and biophysical studies have been carried out on DNAzymes, especially RNA-cleaving DNAzymes. Important insights have been gained regarding their metal-dependent activity, global folding, metal binding sites, and catalytic mechanisms for these DNAzymes. Because of their high metal ion selectivity, one of the most important practical applications for DNAzymes is metal ion detection, resulting in highly sensitive and selective fluorescent, colorimetric, and electrochemical sensors for a wide range of metal ions such as Pb(2+), UO2 2 +,[Formula: see text] including paramagnetic metal ions such as Cu(2+). This chapter summarizes recent progresses in in vitro selection of metal ion-selective DNAzymes, their biochemical and biophysical studies and sensing applications.

Investigation of mangrove macroalgae as biomonitors of estuarine metal contamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melville, Felicity [Department of Environmental Sciences/Institute of Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007 (Australia)], E-mail: f.melville@cqu.edu.au; Pulkownik, Alex [Department of Environmental Sciences/Institute of Water and Environmental Resource Management, University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007 (Australia)

2007-11-15

This study examined the potential use of macroalgae epiphytic on mangrove aerial roots as biomonitors of estuarine contamination. The metal concentrations of macroalgae were investigated in four estuaries in the vicinity of Sydney, Australia, and compared to water and sediment metal concentrations over three seasonal surveys. Macroalgal metal concentrations (copper, zinc, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, manganese and iron) appeared to be more associated with sediment metal concentrations than water concentrations, suggesting they may be useful biomonitors of estuarine sediment contamination. Algae in the more contaminated estuaries generally contained higher metal concentrations. However, concentrations of iron, nickel and manganese appeared to be similar in the algae despite the varying sediment concentrations, while accumulation of copper, zinc, lead and chromium appeared to be associated with ambient environmental concentrations. The uptake of metals also varied among the different species, suggesting that algal parameters, such as morphology, may also influence metal uptake and accumulation.

New biodegradable organic-soluble chelating agents for simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants from contaminated media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ullmann, Amos; Brauner, Neima; Vazana, Shlomi; Katz, Zhanna; Goikhman, Roman; Seemann, Boaz; Marom, Hanit; Gozin, Michael

2013-01-01

Highlights: • New soil remediation process using phase transition of partially miscible solvents. • Design and synthesis of new bio-degradable, organic soluble chelating agents. • Feasibility tests of the process on authentically polluted sediments and sludge. • Simultaneous removal of toxic metals and organic pollutants was demonstrated. -- Abstract: Advanced biodegradable and non-toxic organic chelators, which are soluble in organic media, were synthesized on the basis of the S,S-ethylenediamine-disuccinate (S,S-EDDS) ligand. The modifications suggested in this work include attachment of a lipophilic hydrocarbon chain (“tail”) to one or both nitrogen atoms of the S,S-EDDS. The new ligands were designed and evaluated for application in the Sediments Remediation Phase Transition Extraction (SR-PTE) process. This novel process is being developed for the simultaneous removal of both heavy metals and organic pollutants from contaminated soils, sediments or sludge. The new chelators were designed to bind various target metal ions, to promote extraction of these ions into organic solvents. Several variations of attached tails were synthesized and tested. The results for one of them, N,N′-bis-dodecyl-S,S-EDDS (C24-EDDS), showed that the metal-ligand complexes are concentrated in the organic-rich phase in the Phase Transition Extraction process (more than 80%). Preliminary applications of the SR-PTE process with the C24-EDDS ligand were conducted also on actually contaminated sludge (field samples). The extraction of five toxic metals, namely, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was examined. In general, the extraction performance of the new ligand was not less than that of S,S-EDDS when a sufficient ligand-to-extracted ion ratio (about 4:1 was applied

New biodegradable organic-soluble chelating agents for simultaneous removal of heavy metals and organic pollutants from contaminated media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ullmann, Amos, E-mail: Ullmann@eng.tau.ac.il [Faculty of Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Brauner, Neima; Vazana, Shlomi; Katz, Zhanna [Faculty of Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Goikhman, Roman [The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Robert H. Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Rehovot (Israel); Seemann, Boaz; Marom, Hanit [School of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel); Gozin, Michael, E-mail: cogozin@gmail.com [School of Chemistry, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 (Israel)

2013-09-15

Highlights: • New soil remediation process using phase transition of partially miscible solvents. • Design and synthesis of new bio-degradable, organic soluble chelating agents. • Feasibility tests of the process on authentically polluted sediments and sludge. • Simultaneous removal of toxic metals and organic pollutants was demonstrated. -- Abstract: Advanced biodegradable and non-toxic organic chelators, which are soluble in organic media, were synthesized on the basis of the S,S-ethylenediamine-disuccinate (S,S-EDDS) ligand. The modifications suggested in this work include attachment of a lipophilic hydrocarbon chain (“tail”) to one or both nitrogen atoms of the S,S-EDDS. The new ligands were designed and evaluated for application in the Sediments Remediation Phase Transition Extraction (SR-PTE) process. This novel process is being developed for the simultaneous removal of both heavy metals and organic pollutants from contaminated soils, sediments or sludge. The new chelators were designed to bind various target metal ions, to promote extraction of these ions into organic solvents. Several variations of attached tails were synthesized and tested. The results for one of them, N,N′-bis-dodecyl-S,S-EDDS (C24-EDDS), showed that the metal-ligand complexes are concentrated in the organic-rich phase in the Phase Transition Extraction process (more than 80%). Preliminary applications of the SR-PTE process with the C24-EDDS ligand were conducted also on actually contaminated sludge (field samples). The extraction of five toxic metals, namely, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was examined. In general, the extraction performance of the new ligand was not less than that of S,S-EDDS when a sufficient ligand-to-extracted ion ratio (about 4:1 was applied.

State promotion and neutralization of ions near metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zinoviev, A.N.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → Multiply charged ion and the charge induced in the metal form a dipole. → Dipole states are promoted into continuum with decreasing ion-surface distance. → These states cross the states formed from metal atom. → Proposed model explains the dominant population of deep bound states. → Observed spectra of emitted Auger electrons prove this promotion model. -- Abstract: When a multiply charged ion with charge Z approaches the metal surface, a dipole is formed by the multiply charged ion and the charge induced in the metal. The states for such a dipole are promoted into continuum with decreasing ion-surface distance and cross the states formed from metal atom. The model proposed explains the dominant population of deep bound states in collisions considered.

Sequential extraction of uranium metal contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murry, M.M.; Spitz, H.B.; Connick, W.B.

2016-01-01

Samples of uranium contaminated dirt collected from the dirt floor of an abandoned metal rolling mill were analyzed for uranium using a sequential extraction protocol involving a series of five increasingly aggressive solvents. The quantity of uranium extracted from the contaminated dirt by each reagent can aid in predicting the fate and transport of the uranium contamination in the environment. Uranium was separated from each fraction using anion exchange, electrodeposition and analyzed by alpha spectroscopy analysis. Results demonstrate that approximately 77 % of the uranium was extracted using NH 4 Ac in 25 % acetic acid. (author)

Investigation of heavy metal removal from motorway stormwater using inorganic ion exchange

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitcher, Sarah

2002-01-01

Stormwater runoff from motorway surfaces contains toxic heavy metals that are not sufficiently removed by current treatment systems. This research has investigated the potential use of inorganic ion exchange materials to further reduce the levels of dissolved heavy metals. Candidate materials (synthetic/natural zeolites, clay/modified clay, hydrotalcite, lignite) were tested by a shaking procedure (mixed 5 mg dm -3 of each heavy metals, shaken for 10 min) and analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The synthetic zeolites MAP and Y showed 100% heavy metal removal and were investigated further by a series of batch experiments. The zeolites exhibited a selectivity sequence Pb > Cu > Cd ∼ Zn. Zeolite MAP has a high capacity for heavy metal uptake (4.5 meq g -1 ), but is not practical for use in a treatment facility owing to its low particle size (3 μm). However, large zeolite pellets (∼ 2 mm) were found to have a low heavy metal uptake (∼ 44 %) due to diffusion limitations. Selected materials (zeolites MAP, Y, mordenite, and carbon-based lignite) were tested in actual and spiked motorway stormwater. The synthetic zeolites effectively remove heavy metals (∼ 100 %) but change the environmental chemistry of the stormwater by releasing high concentrations of sodium, removing calcium ions and increasing the solution pH. The presence of other dissolved contaminants in motorway stormwater inhibited the uptake of heavy metals by the natural zeolite mordenite (34 % less removal). Alkali/alkaline-earth metals (Na, Ca) in solution compete for exchange sites in lignite and mordenite, reducing the heavy metal uptake. Chloride in solution forms complexes with cadmium, severely reducing its uptake by zeolite Y. The presence of dissolved road salt is a potentially serious concern as it causes previously exchanged heavy metals to be re-eluted, especially zinc and cadmium. Zeolite MAP as an exchanger is relatively unaffected by road salt. There is potential for the use of

Separation of heavy metals: Removal from industrial wastewaters and contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peters, R.W.; Shem, L.

1993-03-01

This paper reviews the applicable separation technologies relating to removal of heavy metals from solution and from soils in order to present the state-of-the-art in the field. Each technology is briefly described and typical operating conditions and technology performance are presented. Technologies described include chemical precipitation (including hydroxide, carbonate, or sulfide reagents), coagulation/flocculation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, extraction with chelating agents, complexation, electrochemical operation, cementation, membrane operations, evaporation, adsorption, solidification/stabilization, and vitrification. Several case histories are described, with a focus on waste reduction techniques and remediation of lead-contaminated soils. The paper concludes with a short discussion of important research needs in the field.

Separation of heavy metals: Removal from industrial wastewaters and contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peters, R.W.; Shem, L.

1993-01-01

This paper reviews the applicable separation technologies relating to removal of heavy metals from solution and from soils in order to present the state-of-the-art in the field. Each technology is briefly described and typical operating conditions and technology performance are presented. Technologies described include chemical precipitation (including hydroxide, carbonate, or sulfide reagents), coagulation/flocculation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, extraction with chelating agents, complexation, electrochemical operation, cementation, membrane operations, evaporation, adsorption, solidification/stabilization, and vitrification. Several case histories are described, with a focus on waste reduction techniques and remediation of lead-contaminated soils. The paper concludes with a short discussion of important research needs in the field.

Prospects for separating heavy metal from contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langen, M.; Hoberg, H.; Hamacher, B.

1994-01-01

For decades, large quantities of organic and inorganic pollutants have been brought into the soil as a result of the industrial operations of smelting and coking plants. This paper reports on the prospects of separating heavy metals from soil contaminated by smelting and coking plants by means of a physical/chemical washing procedure. Besides the description of virgin soil characteristics, cleaning results and process parameters of calssification, density separation and flotation processes are presented. It is shown that heavy metal pollution of virgin soil can be reduced by the classical process stages of soil washing. The metal content of virgin soil are critically assessed whereby the limits of the physical-chimical washing process will also be entered into. Emphasis is placed on the significance of the determination of limiting values for inorganic contamination, especially for soil contaminated with both organic and inorganic pollution. (orig.) [de

Disintegration and size reduction of slags and metals after melt refining of contaminated metallic wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heshmatpour, B.; Copeland, G.L.; Heestand, R.L.

1981-04-01

Melting under an oxidizing slag is an attractive method of decontaminating and reducing the volume of radioactively contaminated metal scrap. The contaminants are concentrated in a relatively small volume of slag, which leaves the metal essentially clean. A potential method of permanently disposing of the resulting slags (and metals if necessary) is emplacing them into deep shale by grout hydrofracture. Suspension in grout mixtures requires that the slag and metal be granular. The feasibility of size-reducing slags and disintegrating metals and subsequently incorporating both into grout mixtures was demonstrated. Various types of slags were crushed with a small jaw crusher into particles smaller than 3 mm. Several metals were also melted and water-blasted into coarse metal powder or shot ranging in size from 0.05 to 3 mm. A simple low-pressure water atomizer having a multiple nozzle with a converging-line jet stream was developed and used for this purpose. No significant slag dust and steam were generated during slag crushing and liquid-metal water-blasting tests, indicating that contamination can be well contained within the system. The crushed slags and the coarse metal powders were suspendable in group fluids, which indicates probable disposability by shale hydrofracture. The granulation of slags and metals facilitates their containment, transport, and storage

Comparative study of metal and non-metal ion implantation in polymers: Optical and electrical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Resta, V.; Quarta, G.; Farella, I.; Maruccio, L.; Cola, A.; Calcagnile, L.

2014-01-01

The implantation of 1 MeV metal ( 63 Cu + , 107 Ag + , 197 Au + ) and non-metal ( 4 He + , 12 C + ) ions in a polycarbonate (PC) matrix has been studied in order to evaluate the role of ion species in the modification of optical and electrical properties of the polymer. When the ion fluence is above ∼1 × 10 13 ions cm −2 , the threshold for latent tracks overlapping is overcome and π-bonded carbon clusters grow and aggregate forming a network of conjugated C=C bonds. For fluences around 1 × 10 17 ions cm −2 , the aggregation phenomena induce the formation of amorphous carbon and/or graphite like structures. At the same time, nucleation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) from implanted species can take place when the supersaturation threshold is overcome. The optical absorption of the samples increases in the visible range and the optical band gap redshifts from 3.40 eV up to 0.70 eV mostly due to the carbonization process and the formation of C 0x clusters and cluster aggregates. Specific structures in the extinction spectra are observed when metal ions are selected in contrast to the non-metal ion implanted PC, thus revealing the possible presence of noble metal based NPs interstitial to the C 0x cluster network. The corresponding electrical resistance decreases much more when metal ions are implanted with at least a factor of 2 orders of magnitude difference than the non-metal ions based samples. An absolute value of ∼10 7 Ω/sq has been measured for implantation with metals at doses higher than 5 × 10 16 ions cm −2 , being 10 17 Ω/sq the corresponding sheet resistance for pristine PC

Comparative study of metal and non-metal ion implantation in polymers: Optical and electrical properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Resta, V., E-mail: vincenzo.resta@le.infn.it [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100 (Italy); Quarta, G. [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100 (Italy); Farella, I. [Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems – Unit of Lecce, National Council of Research (IMM/CNR), Lecce I-73100 (Italy); Maruccio, L. [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100 (Italy); Cola, A. [Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems – Unit of Lecce, National Council of Research (IMM/CNR), Lecce I-73100 (Italy); Calcagnile, L. [Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, Lecce I-73100 (Italy)

2014-07-15

The implantation of 1 MeV metal ({sup 63}Cu{sup +}, {sup 107}Ag{sup +}, {sup 197}Au{sup +}) and non-metal ({sup 4}He{sup +}, {sup 12}C{sup +}) ions in a polycarbonate (PC) matrix has been studied in order to evaluate the role of ion species in the modification of optical and electrical properties of the polymer. When the ion fluence is above ∼1 × 10{sup 13} ions cm{sup −2}, the threshold for latent tracks overlapping is overcome and π-bonded carbon clusters grow and aggregate forming a network of conjugated C=C bonds. For fluences around 1 × 10{sup 17} ions cm{sup −2}, the aggregation phenomena induce the formation of amorphous carbon and/or graphite like structures. At the same time, nucleation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) from implanted species can take place when the supersaturation threshold is overcome. The optical absorption of the samples increases in the visible range and the optical band gap redshifts from 3.40 eV up to 0.70 eV mostly due to the carbonization process and the formation of C{sub 0x} clusters and cluster aggregates. Specific structures in the extinction spectra are observed when metal ions are selected in contrast to the non-metal ion implanted PC, thus revealing the possible presence of noble metal based NPs interstitial to the C{sub 0x} cluster network. The corresponding electrical resistance decreases much more when metal ions are implanted with at least a factor of 2 orders of magnitude difference than the non-metal ions based samples. An absolute value of ∼10{sup 7} Ω/sq has been measured for implantation with metals at doses higher than 5 × 10{sup 16} ions cm{sup −2}, being 10{sup 17} Ω/sq the corresponding sheet resistance for pristine PC.

Pyrolized biochar for heavy metal adsorption

Science.gov (United States)

Removal of copper and lead metal ions from water using pyrolized plant materials. Method can be used to develop a low cost point-of-use device for cleaning contaminated water. This dataset is associated with the following publication:DeMessie, B., E. Sahle-Demessie , and G. Sorial. Cleaning Water Contaminated With Heavy Metal Ions Using Pyrolyzed Banana Peel Adsorbents. Separation Science and Technology. Marcel Dekker Incorporated, New York, NY, USA, 50(16): 2448-2457, (2015).

Heavy metal movement in metal-contaminated soil profiles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Zhenbin; Shuman, L.M. [Univ. of Georgia, Griffin, GA (United States)

1996-10-01

Heavy metal movement in soil profiles is a major environmental concern because even slow transport through the soil may eventually lead to deterioration of groundwater quality. In this study, three metal-contaminated soil (Fuquay, Dothan, and Clarendon) were selected from cropland were a high-metal flue dust had been applied annually for 6 years to raise soil pH, with application ending 4 years before sampling. One uncontaminated soil (Tifton) from the same physiographic area was also sampled as a control. Soil samples were collected in 15-cm increments from the surface to 105 cm in depth. Total contents of Zn, Cd, and Pb in the soils samples were determined. To better understand metal movement in relation to metal fractions in the soil profile, soil samples were also extracted sequentially for exchangeable (EXC), organic matter (OM), Mn oxide (MNO), amorphous Fe oxide (AFEO), crystalline Fe oxide (CFEO), and residual (RES) fractions. 35 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

Studies on heavy metal contamination in Godavari river basin

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Jakir; Husain, Ikbal; Arif, Mohammed; Gupta, Nidhi

2017-12-01

Surface water samples from Godavari river basin was analyzed quantitatively for the concentration of eight heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The analyzed data revealed that iron and zinc metals were found to be the most abundant metals in the river Godavari and its tributaries. Iron (Fe) recorded the highest, while cadmium (Cd) had the least concentration. Arsenic, cadmium, chromium, iron and zinc metals are within the acceptable limit of BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 1050 (2012) Specification for drinking water, pp 1-5). The analysis of Godavari river and its tributary's water samples reveals that the water is contaminated at selected points which are not suitable for drinking. Nickel and Copper concentration is above acceptable limit and other metal concentration is within the acceptable limit. Comprehensive study of the results reveals that out of 18 water quality stations monitored, water samples collected at 7 water quality stations are found to be within the permissible limit for all purposes. While Rajegaon, Tekra, Nandgaon, P. G. Bridge, Bhatpalli, Kumhari, Pauni, Hivra, Ashti, Bamini, and Jagda stations were beyond the desirable limit due to presence of copper and nickel metals. The contents of copper metal ions were higher at some water quality stations on Wunna river (Nandgaon); Wardha river (Hivra) and Wainganga river (Kumhari, Pauni, Ashti) during Feb. 2012, while nickel concentration during Feb. 2012, June 2012, March 2013 and Aug. 2013 at some water quality stations on rivers Bagh, Indravati, Pranhita, Wunna, Penganga, Peddavagu, Wainganga and Wardha. It can be concluded that rapid population growth and industrialization have brought about resource degradation and a decline in environmental quality.

Metal contamination in environmental media in residential ...

Science.gov (United States)

Hard-rock mining for metals, such as gold, silver, copper, zinc, iron and others, is recognized to have a significant impact on the environmental media, soil and water, in particular. Toxic contaminants released from mine waste to surface water and groundwater is the primary concern, but human exposure to soil contaminants either directly, via inhalation of airborne dust particles, or indirectly, via food chain (ingestion of animal products and/or vegetables grown in contaminated areas), is also, significant. In this research, we analyzed data collected in 2007, as part of a larger environmental study performed in the Rosia Montana area in Transylvania, to provide the Romanian governmental authorities with data on the levels of metal contamination in environmental media from this historical mining area. The data were also considered in policy decision to address mining-related environmental concerns in the area. We examined soil and water data collected from residential areas near the mining sites to determine relationships among metals analyzed in these different environmental media, using the correlation procedure in SAS statistical software. Results for residential soil and water analysis indicate that the average values for arsenic (As) (85 mg/kg), cadmium (Cd) (3.2 mg/kg), mercury (Hg) (2.3 mg/kg) and lead (Pb) (92 mg/kg) exceeded the Romanian regulatory exposure levels [the intervention thresholds for residential soil in case of As (25 mg/kg) and Hg

Treatment of heavy metal contaminated soils by in situ vitrification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, J.E.

1991-01-01

Contaminated soil site remediation objectives call for the destruction, removal, and/or immobilization of contaminant species. Destruction is applicable to hazardous compounds (e.g., hazardous organics such as PCBs; hazardous inorganics such as cyanide); however, it is not applicable to hazardous elements such as the heavy metals. Removal and/or immobilization are typical objectives for heavy metal contaminants present in soil. Many technologies have been developed specifically to meet these needs. One such technology is In Situ Vitrification (ISV), an innovative mobile, onsite, in situ solids remediation technology that has been available on a commercial basis for about two years. ISV holds potential for the safe and permanent treatment/remediation of previously disposed or current process solids waste (e.g., soil, sludge, sediment, tailings) contaminated with hazardous chemical and/or radioactive materials. This paper focuses on the application of ISV to heavy metal-contaminated soils

The use of ion-selective membranes for the recovery of sulphuric acid out of contaminated solutions. Comparing electrodialysis, electro electrodialysis and diffusion dialysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cattoir, S.

1998-02-01

The amount of waste arising from dismantled reactors is minimized by decontamination processes. These processes result in contaminated effluents, containing acid and metal salts. The quantity of final waste can be substantially reduced when the acid is extracted out of the decontamination effluents prior to neutralisation. This report discusses three membrane techniques for the displacement of acids out of mixed acid/salt solutions: electrodialysis (ED), electro electrodialysis (EED) and diffusion dialysis (DD). EED uses an electrical potential difference across an anion-selective membrane; DD uses a concentration difference across an anion-selective membrane; ED uses an electrical potential difference, across an anion- and a cation-selective membrane. EED can displace up to 90% of the sulphuric acid, the amount of metal ions in the displaced-acid solution is less than 1% of the ions in the original contaminated solution. Treatment costs are estimated to about 18 Belgian Francs per litre. In DD the purity of the displaced acid is comparable to EED. Treatment costs are about 21 Belgian Francs per litre. In ED 90% acid-displacement is easily reached, but 5% metal ions are also displaced. Treatment costs are about 6 Belgian Francs per litre. Therefore, in spite of the lower purity of the resulting acid, ED is economically speaking the best choice

Economic comparison of management modes for contaminated metal scrap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janberg, K.

1987-01-01

This report presents an economic study of the three following management modes for contaminated metal scrap: - decontamination of scrap metal followed by release, - direct melting of scrap metal, followed by release or restricted reuse, - super-compaction followed by disposal as radioactive waste. The present study, which refers to conditions prevailing in Germany, includes reviews of the contaminated scrap arisings, of experience with scrap management and of the licensing conditions for metal recycling. The results obtained during the treatment of more than 140 t of contaminated scrap metal show that: - super-compaction is the best procedure for all mixed metallic wastes of small dimensions and complex geometries, as decontamination is very costly in such a case and the melting would lead to undefined metallurgical products; - decontamination is recommendable for simple geometries and activities higher than the regulatory upper limit for melting in an industrial foundry (74 Bq/g); - direct melting for lower activity levels is gaining in competitiveness and has a good chance to be the best solution, in particular when the free use levels will be reduced below the currently accepted levels in Germany

Algal-bacterial interactions in metal contaminated floodplain sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boivin, M.E.Y.; Greve, G.D.; Garcia-Meza, J.V.; Massieux, B.; Sprenger, W.; Kraak, M.H.S.; Breure, A.M.; Rutgers, M.; Admiraal, W.

2007-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate algal-bacterial interactions in a gradient of metal contaminated natural sediments. By means of multivariate techniques, we related the genetic structure (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, DGGE) and the physiological structure (community-level physiological profiling, CLPP) of the bacterial communities to the species composition of the algal communities and to the abiotic environmental variables, including metal contamination. The results revealed that genetic and physiological structure of the bacterial communities correlated with the species composition of the algal community, but hardly to the level of metal pollution. This must be interpreted as an indication for a strong and species-specific linkage of algal and bacterial species in floodplain sediments. Metals were, however, not proven to affect either the algal or the bacterial communities of the Dutch river floodplains. - Algal and bacterial communities in floodplain sediments are interlinked, but are not affected by metal pollution

Solution chemistry and separation of metal ions in leached solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibata, J.

1991-01-01

The method to presume a dissolved state of metal ions in an aqueous solution and the technology to separate and concentrate metal ions in a leached solution are described in this paper. It is very important for the separation of metal ions to know the dissolved state of metal ions. If we know the composition of an aqueous solution and the stability constants of metal-ligand complexes, we can calculate and estimate the concentration of each species in the solution. Then, we can decide the policy to separate and concentrate metal ions. There are several methods for separation and purification; hydroxide precipitation method, sulfide precipitation method, solvent extraction method and ion exchange resin method. Solvent extraction has been used in purification processes of copper refinery, uranium refinery, platinum metal refinery and rare earth metal refinery. Fundamental process of solvent extraction, a kind of commercial extractants, a way of determining a suitable extractant and an equipment are discussed. Finally, it will be emphasized how the separation of rare earths is improved in solvent extraction. (author) 21 figs., 8 tabs., 8 refs

Removal and treatment of radioactive, organochlorine, and heavy metal contaminants from solid surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grieco, S.A.; Neubauer, E.D.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is defining decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) obligations at its sites. Current D ampersand D activities are generally labor intensive, use chemical reagents that are difficult to treat, and may expose workers to radioactive and hazardous chemicals. Therefore, new technologies are desired that minimize waste, allow much of the decommissioned materials to be reused rather than disposed of as waste, and produce wastes that will meet disposal criteria. The O'Brien ampersand Gere companies tested a scouring decontamination system on concrete and steel surfaces contaminated with radioactive and hazardous wastes under the sponsorship of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (MMES) at DOE's K-25 former gaseous diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The scouring system removes fixed radioactive and hazardous contamination yet leaves the surface intact. Blasting residuals are treated using physical/chemical processes. Bench- and pilot-scale testing of the system was conducted on surfaces contaminated with uranium, technetium, heavy metals, and PCBs. Areas of concrete and metal surfaces were blasted. Residuals were dissolved in tap water and treated for radioactive, hazardous, and organochlorine constituents. The treatment system comprised pH adjustment, aeration, solids settling, filtration, carbon adsorption, and ion exchange. This system produced treated water and residual solid waste. Testing demonstrated that the system is capable of removing greater than 95% of radioactive and PCB surface contamination to below DOE's unrestricted use release limits; aqueous radionuclides, heavy metals, and PCBs were below DOE and USEPA treatment objectives after treatment. Waste residuals volume was decreased by 71 %. Preliminary analyses suggest that this system provides significant waste volume reduction and is more economical than alternative surface decontamination techniques that are commercially available or under development

Development of a four-zone carousel process packed with metal ion-imprinted polymer for continuous separation of copper ions from manganese ions, cobalt ions, and the constituent metal ions of the buffer solution used as eluent.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Se-Hee; Park, Chanhun; Yi, Sung Chul; Kim, Dukjoon; Mun, Sungyong

2011-08-19

A three-zone carousel process, in which Cu(II)-imprinted polymer (Cu-MIP) and a buffer solution were employed as adsorbent and eluent respectively, has been developed previously for continuous separation of Cu²⁺ (product) from Mn²⁺ and Co²⁺ (impurities). Although this process was reported to be successful in the aforementioned separation task, the way of using a buffer solution as eluent made it inevitable that the product stream included the buffer-related metal ions (i.e., the constituent metal ions of the buffer solution) as well as copper ions. For a more perfect recovery of copper ions, it would be necessary to improve the previous carousel process such that it can remove the buffer-related metal ions from copper ions while maintaining the previous function of separating copper ions from the other 2 impure heavy-metal ions. This improvement was made in this study by proposing a four-zone carousel process based on the following strategy: (1) the addition of one more zone for performing the two-step re-equilibration tasks and (2) the use of water as the eluent of the washing step in the separation zone. The operating conditions of such a proposed process were determined on the basis of the data from a series of single-column experiments. Under the determined operating conditions, 3 runs of carousel experiments were carried out. The results of these experiments revealed that the feed-loading time was a key parameter affecting the performance of the proposed process. Consequently, the continuous separation of copper ions from both the impure heavy-metal ions and the buffer-related metal ions could be achieved with a purity of 91.9% and a yield of 92.8% by using the proposed carousel process based on a properly chosen feed-loading time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rechargeable dual-metal-ion batteries for advanced energy storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Hu-Rong; You, Ya; Yin, Ya-Xia; Wan, Li-Jun; Guo, Yu-Guo

2016-04-14

Energy storage devices are more important today than any time before in human history due to the increasing demand for clean and sustainable energy. Rechargeable batteries are emerging as the most efficient energy storage technology for a wide range of portable devices, grids and electronic vehicles. Future generations of batteries are required to have high gravimetric and volumetric energy, high power density, low price, long cycle life, high safety and low self-discharge properties. However, it is quite challenging to achieve the above properties simultaneously in state-of-the-art single metal ion batteries (e.g. Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries and Mg-ion batteries). In this contribution, hybrid-ion batteries in which various metal ions simultaneously engage to store energy are shown to provide a new perspective towards advanced energy storage: by connecting the respective advantages of different metal ion batteries they have recently attracted widespread attention due to their novel performances. The properties of hybrid-ion batteries are not simply the superposition of the performances of single ion batteries. To enable a distinct description, we only focus on dual-metal-ion batteries in this article, for which the design and the benefits are briefly discussed. We enumerate some new results about dual-metal-ion batteries and demonstrate the mechanism for improving performance based on knowledge from the literature and experiments. Although the search for hybrid-ion batteries is still at an early age, we believe that this strategy would be an excellent choice for breaking the inherent disadvantages of single ion batteries in the near future.

Breast milk metal ion levels in a young and active patient with a metal-on-metal hip prosthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelis, Raymond; de Waal Malefijt, Jan; Gosens, Taco

2013-01-01

Metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip has been used increasingly over the last 10 years in younger active patients. The dissolution of the metal wear particles results in measurable increases in cobalt and chromium ions in the serum and urine of patients with a metal-on-metal bearing. We measured the cobalt, chromium, and molybdenum ion levels in urine; serum; and breast milk in a young and active patient with a metal-on-metal hip prosthesis after a pathologic fracture of the femoral neck. Metal-on-metal hip prosthesis leads to increasing levels of molybdenum in breast milk in the short-term follow-up. There are no increasing levels of chromium and cobalt ions in breast milk. Besides the already known elevated concentrations in serum of chromium and cobalt after implantation of a metal-on-metal hip prosthesis, we found no increasing levels of chromium and cobalt in urine. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extracting metal ions with diphosphonic acid, or derivative thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Horwitz, Earl P.; Gatrone, Ralph C.; Nash, Kenneth L.

1994-01-01

Thermodynamically-unstable complexing agents which are diphosphonic acids and diphosphonic acid derivatives (or sulphur containing analogs), like carboxyhydroxymethanediphosphonic acid and vinylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, are capable of complexing with metal ions, and especially metal ions in the II, III, IV, V and VI oxidation states, to form stable, water-soluble metal ion complexes in moderately alkaline to highly-acidic media. However, the complexing agents can be decomposed, under mild conditions, into non-organic compounds which, for many purposes are environmentally-nondamaging compounds thereby degrading the complex and releasing the metal ion for disposal or recovery. Uses for such complexing agents as well as methods for their manufacture are also described.

Low-cost bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides of contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sathiyamoorthy, P.; Golan-Goldhrish, A.

2005-01-01

The environmental pollution by toxic metals, especially lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), chromium (Cr) and radionuclides ( 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 238 Pu, 226 Ra) is a potential hazard to health and welfare of mankind. Rapid industrial revolution has left an international legacy of soil and water contaminated with a combination of toxic and potentially carcinogenic compounds and heavy metals. Many of the contaminated sites were abandoned due to high cost of traditional clean-up approaches. Various approaches are being practiced to decontaminate heavy metals and radionuclides from polluted-soil. Remediation of heavy metal and radionuclides contaminated soils poses a significant expense to many industries and government organizations. Remediation cost in the United States and European Union alone is expected to exceed US$20 billion annually. Bioremediation strategy depends on the limitations of technology, cost and nature of the contaminant in the soil. Certain higher plants are capable of accumulation of heavy metals (2-5 %) in roots and shoots to the level far exceeding those present in the soils, these are called hyper-accumulators. Using heavy metal hyper-accumulating higher plants for environmental clean-up of contaminated soil is a recently emerged technology known as 'phytoremediation'. Genetically engineered (Transgenic) plants have a remarkable potential to absorb heavy metals and show a new avenue for biotechnology technique in Phytoremediation. The cost-effective approach of using heavy metal and radionuclide hyper-accumulators in phytoremediation is discussed. (author)

Recent developments for in situ treatment of metal contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

Metals contamination is a common problem at hazardous waste sites. This report assists the remedy selection process by providing information on four in situ technologies for treating soil contaminated with metals. The four approaches are electrokinetic remediation, phytoremediation, soil flushing, and solidification/stabilization. Electrokinetic remediation separates contaminants from soil through selective migration upon application of an electric current. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants to isolate or stabilize contaminants. Soil flushing techniques promote mobility and migration of metals by solubilizing contaminants so that they can be recovered. Two types of in situ solidification/stabilization (S/S) techniques are discussed, one based on addition of reagents and the other based on the use of energy. The report discusses different techniques currently in practice or under development, identifies vendors and summarizes performance data, and discusses technology attributes that should be considered during early screening of potential remedies. 8 refs., 9 figs., 9 tabs., 2 apps.

Electrical properties of polymer modified by metal ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yuguang; Zhang Tonghe; Zhang Huixing; Zhang Xiaoji; Deng Zhiwei; Zhou Gu

2000-01-01

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been modified by Ag, Cr, Cu and Si ion implantation with a dose range from 1x10 16 to 2x10 17 ions cm -2 using a metal vapor vacuum arc (MEVVA) source. The electrical properties of PET have been changed after metal ion implantation. The resistivity of implanted PET decreased obviously with an increase of ion dose. When metal ion dose of 2x10 17 cm -2 was selected, the resistivity of PET could be less than 10 Ω cm, but when Si ions are implanted, the resistivity of PET would be up to several hundred Ω cm. The results show that the conductive behavior of a metal ion implanted sample is obviously different from Si implantation one. The changes of the structure and composition have been observed with transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface structure is varying after ion implantation and it is believed that the change would cause the improvement of the conductive properties. The mechanism of electrical conduction will be discussed

Isotherm studies for determination of removal capacity of bi-metal (Ni and Cr) ions by aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munir, K.; Yusuf, M.; Hameed, A.; Noreen, Z.; Hafeez, F.Y.; Faryal, R.

2010-01-01

Pakistan is among the developing countries where there is a need to establish new industries to meet the demands of a growing population. This has led to industrial setup in various sectors, without proper planning and consideration for treatment of contamination, leading to disposal of untreated wastewater into nearby land and water bodies. This study was planned to investigate an indigenous Aspergillus niger for development of biosorbent for the removal of metal ions. The Aspergillus isolate's Ni and Cr removal efficiency was determined in batch mode over various pH (4.0-10.0) and temperature (25-40 deg. C) as single as well as bimetal ions. Using a single metal ion, maximum biosorption potential was obtained at pH 5.0-6.0 and 30-35 deg. C for both ions. On the other hand, Ni removal was reduced in the presence of Cr, while Ni removal influenced Cr removal with an increase showing maximum removal at an initial adsorbate concentration of 50mg/L, pH 6.0 and 35 deg. C. Effect of presence of bimetal in a solution on biosorption potential of Aspergillus niger was predicted by using equilibrium modeling. Adsorption trends for both nickel (R2 0.9916) and chromium (R2 0.8548) followed Langmuir isotherm in single metal removal system, but under bimetal condition chromium adsorption fitted better to Freundlich model and that of nickel followed Temkin isotherm, suggesting considerable change in behavior and interaction between biosorbent and metal ions. Therefore, we concluded that Aspergillus niger a viable strain for development of a biosorbent for removal of a mixture of metal ions. (author)

Environmental impact of ongoing sources of metal contamination on remediated sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knox, Anna Sophia, E-mail: anna.knox@srn.doe.gov [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States); Paller, Michael H., E-mail: michael.paller@srnl.doe.gov [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States); Milliken, Charles E., E-mail: charles.milliken@srnl.doe.gov [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States); Redder, Todd M., E-mail: tredder@limno.com [LimnoTech, Ann Arbor, Minnesota 48108 (United States); Wolfe, John R., E-mail: jwolfe@limno.com [LimnoTech, Ann Arbor, Minnesota 48108 (United States); Seaman, John, E-mail: seaman@srel.uga.edu [Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802 (United States)

2016-09-01

A challenge to all remedial approaches for contaminated sediments is the continued influx of contaminants from uncontrolled sources following remediation. We investigated the effects of ongoing contamination in mesocosms employing sediments remediated by different types of active and passive caps and in-situ treatment. Our hypothesis was that the sequestering agents used in active caps and in situ treatment will bind elements (arsenic, chromium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, lead, selenium, and zinc) from ongoing sources thereby reducing their bioavailability and protecting underlying remediated sediments from recontamination. Most element concentrations in surface water remained significantly lower in mesocosms with apatite and mixed amendment caps than in mesocosms with passive caps (sand), uncapped sediment, and spike solution throughout the 2520 h experiment. Element concentrations were significantly higher in Lumbriculus variegatus from untreated sediment than in Lumbriculus from most active caps. Pearson correlations between element concentrations in Lumbriculus and metal concentrations in the top 2.5 cm of sediment or cap measured by diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) sediment probes were generally strong (as high as 0.98) and significant (p < 0.05) for almost all tested elements. Metal concentrations in both Lumbriculus and sediment/cap were lowest in apatite, mixed amendment, and activated carbon treatments. These findings show that some active caps can protect remediated sediments by reducing the bioavailable pool of metals/metalloids in ongoing sources of contamination. - Graphical abstract: Conventional methods of remediating contaminated sediments may be inadequate for the protection of benthic organisms when ongoing sources of contamination are present. However, sediment caps with chemically active sequestering agents have the ability to reduce the bioavailable pool of metals in ongoing sources of contamination (red dots), reduce toxicity to

Environmental impact of ongoing sources of metal contamination on remediated sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knox, Anna Sophia; Paller, Michael H.; Milliken, Charles E.; Redder, Todd M.; Wolfe, John R.; Seaman, John

2016-01-01

A challenge to all remedial approaches for contaminated sediments is the continued influx of contaminants from uncontrolled sources following remediation. We investigated the effects of ongoing contamination in mesocosms employing sediments remediated by different types of active and passive caps and in-situ treatment. Our hypothesis was that the sequestering agents used in active caps and in situ treatment will bind elements (arsenic, chromium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, lead, selenium, and zinc) from ongoing sources thereby reducing their bioavailability and protecting underlying remediated sediments from recontamination. Most element concentrations in surface water remained significantly lower in mesocosms with apatite and mixed amendment caps than in mesocosms with passive caps (sand), uncapped sediment, and spike solution throughout the 2520 h experiment. Element concentrations were significantly higher in Lumbriculus variegatus from untreated sediment than in Lumbriculus from most active caps. Pearson correlations between element concentrations in Lumbriculus and metal concentrations in the top 2.5 cm of sediment or cap measured by diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) sediment probes were generally strong (as high as 0.98) and significant (p < 0.05) for almost all tested elements. Metal concentrations in both Lumbriculus and sediment/cap were lowest in apatite, mixed amendment, and activated carbon treatments. These findings show that some active caps can protect remediated sediments by reducing the bioavailable pool of metals/metalloids in ongoing sources of contamination. - Graphical abstract: Conventional methods of remediating contaminated sediments may be inadequate for the protection of benthic organisms when ongoing sources of contamination are present. However, sediment caps with chemically active sequestering agents have the ability to reduce the bioavailable pool of metals in ongoing sources of contamination (red dots), reduce toxicity to

Cross sections and equilibrium fractions of deuterium ions and atoms in metal vapors. Progress report, June 1, 1978-May 31, 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, T.J.

1979-01-01

The purpose of this program is to measure cross sections and equilibrium fractions of deuterium ions and atoms in metal vapors. In particular, in connection with double charge exchange D - ion sources, there is concern with D - formation in alkaline-earth vapor targets. Also, in connection with possible metal vapor contamination in the system, there is concern with cross sections for high energy D + , D 0 and D - collisions with these metal vapors. Results from this research will fill in a gap in knowledge of single and double charge transfer and multiple collision processes in alkaline-earth targets and provide a better understanding of D - formation mechanisms. A list of publications is included. 6 references

Feed gas contaminant removal in ion transport membrane systems

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan, Michael Francis [Allentown, PA; Miller, Christopher Francis [Macungie, PA

2008-09-16

Method for gas purification comprising (a) obtaining a feed gas stream containing one or more contaminants selected from the group consisting of volatile metal oxy-hydroxides, volatile metal oxides, and volatile silicon hydroxide; (b) contacting the feed gas stream with a reactive solid material in a guard bed and reacting at least a portion of the contaminants with the reactive solid material to form a solid reaction product in the guard bed; and (c) withdrawing from the guard bed a purified gas stream.

Geospatial analyses in support of heavy metal contamination ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper presents an exploratory assessment of heavy metal contamination along the main highways in Mafikeng, and illustrates how spatial analyses of the contamination for environmental management purposes can be supported by GIS and Remote Sensing. Roadside soil and grass (Stenotaphrum sp.) samples were ...

Extracting metal ions with diphosphonic acid, or derivative thereof

Science.gov (United States)

Horwitz, E.P.; Gatrone, R.C.; Nash, K.L.

1994-07-26

Thermodynamically-unstable complexing agents which are diphosphonic acids and diphosphonic acid derivatives (or sulfur containing analogs), like carboxyhydroxymethanediphosphonic acid and vinylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, are capable of complexing with metal ions, and especially metal ions in the II, III, IV, V and VI oxidation states, to form stable, water-soluble metal ion complexes in moderately alkaline to highly-acidic media. However, the complexing agents can be decomposed, under mild conditions, into non-organic compounds which, for many purposes are environmentally-nondamaging compounds thereby degrading the complex and releasing the metal ion for disposal or recovery. Uses for such complexing agents as well as methods for their manufacture are also described. 1 fig.

Heavy metal-immobilizing organoclay facilitates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in mixed-contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy; Mandal, Asit; Naidu, Ravi

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel metal-immobilizing organoclay (MIOC) synthesized and characterized. • MIOC immobilizes toxic metals and reduces metal bioavailability. • It enhances PAH-bioavailability to soil bacteria. • It improves microbial growth and activities in mixed-contaminated soils. • MIOC facilitates PAH-biodegradation in metal co-contaminated soils. - Abstract: Soils contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose toxic metal stress to native PAH-degrading microorganisms. Adsorbents such as clay and modified clay minerals can bind the metal and reduce its toxicity to microorganisms. However, in a mixed-contaminated soil, an adsorption process more specific to the metals without affecting the bioavailability of PAHs is desired for effective degradation. Furthermore, the adsorbent should enhance the viability of PAH-degrading microorganisms. A metal-immobilizing organoclay (Arquad ® 2HT-75-bentonite treated with palmitic acid) (MIOC) able to reduce metal (cadmium (Cd)) toxicity and enhance PAH (phenanthrene) biodegradation was developed and characterized in this study. The MIOC differed considerably from the parent clay in terms of its ability to reduce metal toxicity (MIOC > unmodified bentonite > Arquad–bentonite). The MIOC variably increased the microbial count (10–43%) as well as activities (respiration 3–44%; enzymatic activities up to 68%), and simultaneously maintained phenanthrene in bioavailable form in a Cd-phenanthrene mixed-contaminated soil over a 21-day incubation period. This study may lead to a new MIOC-assisted bioremediation technique for PAHs in mixed-contaminated soils

Heavy metal-immobilizing organoclay facilitates polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation in mixed-contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biswas, Bhabananda; Sarkar, Binoy [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia); Mandal, Asit [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Division of Soil Biology, Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (India); Naidu, Ravi [Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095 (Australia); Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, P.O. Box 486, Salisbury, SA 5106 (Australia)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • A novel metal-immobilizing organoclay (MIOC) synthesized and characterized. • MIOC immobilizes toxic metals and reduces metal bioavailability. • It enhances PAH-bioavailability to soil bacteria. • It improves microbial growth and activities in mixed-contaminated soils. • MIOC facilitates PAH-biodegradation in metal co-contaminated soils. - Abstract: Soils contaminated with a mixture of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) pose toxic metal stress to native PAH-degrading microorganisms. Adsorbents such as clay and modified clay minerals can bind the metal and reduce its toxicity to microorganisms. However, in a mixed-contaminated soil, an adsorption process more specific to the metals without affecting the bioavailability of PAHs is desired for effective degradation. Furthermore, the adsorbent should enhance the viability of PAH-degrading microorganisms. A metal-immobilizing organoclay (Arquad{sup ®} 2HT-75-bentonite treated with palmitic acid) (MIOC) able to reduce metal (cadmium (Cd)) toxicity and enhance PAH (phenanthrene) biodegradation was developed and characterized in this study. The MIOC differed considerably from the parent clay in terms of its ability to reduce metal toxicity (MIOC > unmodified bentonite > Arquad–bentonite). The MIOC variably increased the microbial count (10–43%) as well as activities (respiration 3–44%; enzymatic activities up to 68%), and simultaneously maintained phenanthrene in bioavailable form in a Cd-phenanthrene mixed-contaminated soil over a 21-day incubation period. This study may lead to a new MIOC-assisted bioremediation technique for PAHs in mixed-contaminated soils.

Decontamination of transuranic contaminated metals by melt refining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heshmatpour, B.; Copeland, G.L.; Heestand, R.L.

1983-01-01

Melt refining of transuranic contaminated metals is a possible decontamination process with the potential advantages of producing metal for reuse and of simplifying chemical analyses. By routinely achieving the 10 nCi/g( about0.1ppm) level by melt refining, scrap metal can be removed from the transuranic waste category. (To demonstrate the effectiveness of this melt refining process, mild steel, stainless steel, nickel, and copper were contaminated with 500 ppm (μg/g) PuO 2 and melted with various fluxes. The solidified slags and metals were analyzed for their plutonium contents, and corresponding partition ratios for plutonium were calculated. Some metals were double refined in order to study the effect of secondary slag treatment. The initial weight of the slags was also varied to investigate the effect of slag weight on the degree of plutonium removal. In general, all four metals could be decontaminated below 1 ppm (μg/g) Pu ( about100 nCi/g) by a single slag treatment. Doubling the slag weight did not improve decontamination significantly; however, double slag treatment using 5 wt.% slag did decontaminate the metals to below 0.1 ppm (μg/g) Pu (10 nCi/g).)

Effective charge of energetic ions in metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagawa, M.; Brandt, W.

1983-01-01

The effective charge of energetic ion, as derived from stopping power of metals, is calculated by use of a dielectronic-response function method. The electronic distribution in the ion is described through the variational principle in a statistical approximation. The dependences of effective charge on the ion velocity, atomic number and r/sub s/-value of metal are derived at the low-velocity region. The effective charge becomes larger than the real charge of ion due to the close collisions. We obtain the quasi-universal equation of the fractional effective electron number of ion as a function of the ratio between the ionic size and the minimum distance approach. The comparsion between theoretical and experimental results of the effective charge is performed for the cases of N ion into Au, C and Al. We also discuss the equipartition rule of partially ionized ion at the high-velocity region

Microbial functional genes enriched in the Xiangjiang River sediments with heavy metal contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Jie, Shiqi; Li, Mingming; Gan, Min; Zhu, Jianyu; Yin, Huaqun; Liu, Xueduan

2016-08-08

Xiangjiang River (Hunan, China) has been contaminated with heavy metal for several decades by surrounding factories. However, little is known about the influence of a gradient of heavy metal contamination on the diversity, structure of microbial functional gene in sediment. To deeply understand the impact of heavy metal contamination on microbial community, a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0) has been used to study the functional genes structure, composition, diversity and metabolic potential of microbial community from three heavy metal polluted sites of Xiangjiang River. A total of 25595 functional genes involved in different biogeochemical processes have been detected in three sites, and different diversities and structures of microbial functional genes were observed. The analysis of gene overlapping, unique genes, and various diversity indices indicated a significant correlation between the level of heavy metal contamination and the functional diversity. Plentiful resistant genes related to various metal were detected, such as copper, arsenic, chromium and mercury. The results indicated a significantly higher abundance of genes involved in metal resistance including sulfate reduction genes (dsr) in studied site with most serious heavy metal contamination, such as cueo, mer, metc, merb, tehb and terc gene. With regard to the relationship between the environmental variables and microbial functional structure, S, Cu, Cd, Hg and Cr were the dominating factor shaping the microbial distribution pattern in three sites. This study suggests that high level of heavy metal contamination resulted in higher functional diversity and the abundance of metal resistant genes. These variation therefore significantly contribute to the resistance, resilience and stability of the microbial community subjected to the gradient of heavy metals contaminant in Xiangjiang River.

Metal resistance in populations of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) from a metal-contaminated region and neighbouring non-contaminated regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkey, Fallon M; Matthews, Jennifer; Ryser, Peter

2012-05-01

Metal resistance in populations of Acer rubrum and Betula papyrifera in the industrially contaminated region of Sudbury, Ontario, was compared with resistance in populations from neighbouring uncontaminated regions. In two one-season experiments, seedlings were grown outdoors on contaminated (mainly Cu, Ni) and uncontaminated substrates. Sudbury populations of both species responded less to contamination than populations from uncontaminated regions. In A. rubrum this difference was small. For both species, Sudbury plants were smaller when grown on uncontaminated substrate. B. papyrifera from Sudbury grew better on contaminated substrate than the other populations. There is indication of variation in metal resistance within the populations from the non-contaminated regions. The data shows that trees may develop adaptive resistance to heavy metals, but the low degree of resistance indicates that the development of such resistances are slower than observed for herbaceous species with shorter generation times. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Proton-Ionizable, Calixarene-Based Ligands for Selective Metal Ion Separations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartsch, Richard A.

2012-06-04

The project objective was the discovery of new ligands for performing metal ion separations. The research effort entailed the preparation of new metal ion complexing agents and polymers and their evaluation in metal ion separation processes of solvent extraction, synthetic liquid membrane transport, and sorption. Structural variations in acyclic, cyclic, and bicyclic organic ligands were used to probe their influence upon the efficiency and selectivity with which metal ion separations can be performed. A unifying feature of the ligand structures is the presence of one (or more) side arm with a pendent acidic function. When a metal ion is complexed within the central cavity of the ligand, ionization of the side arm(s) produces the requisite anion(s) for formation of an overall electroneutral complex. This markedly enhances extraction/transport efficiency for separations in which movement of aqueous phase anions of chloride, nitrate, or sulfate into an organic medium would be required. Through systematic structural variations, new ligands have been developed for efficient and selective separations of monovalent metal ions (e.g., alkali metal, silver, and thallium cations) and of divalent metal ion species (e.g., alkaline earth metal, lead, and mercury cations). Research results obtained in these fundamental investigations provide important insight for the design and development of ligands suitable for practical metal ion separation applications.

Metal-binding silica materials for wastewater cleanup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kroh, F.O. [TPL, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

1997-10-01

In this Phase I Small Business Innovation Research program, TPL, Inc. is developing two series of high-efficiency covalently modified silica materials for removing heavy metal ions from wastewater. These materials have metal ion capacities greatly exceeding those of commercial ion exchange resins. One series, containing thiol groups, has high capacity for {open_quotes}soft{close_quotes} heavy metal ions such as Hg, Pb, Ag, and Cd; the other, containing quaternary ammonium groups, has high capacity for anionic metal ions such as pertechnetate, arsenate, selenite, and chromate. These materials have high selectivity for the contaminant metals and will function well in harsh systems that inactivate other systems.

Using biochar for remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaokai; Wang, Hailong; He, Lizhi; Lu, Kouping; Sarmah, Ajit; Li, Jianwu; Bolan, Nanthi S; Pei, Jianchuan; Huang, Huagang

2013-12-01

Soil contamination with heavy metals and organic pollutants has increasingly become a serious global environmental issue in recent years. Considerable efforts have been made to remediate contaminated soils. Biochar has a large surface area, and high capacity to adsorb heavy metals and organic pollutants. Biochar can potentially be used to reduce the bioavailability and leachability of heavy metals and organic pollutants in soils through adsorption and other physicochemical reactions. Biochar is typically an alkaline material which can increase soil pH and contribute to stabilization of heavy metals. Application of biochar for remediation of contaminated soils may provide a new solution to the soil pollution problem. This paper provides an overview on the impact of biochar on the environmental fate and mobility of heavy metals and organic pollutants in contaminated soils and its implication for remediation of contaminated soils. Further research directions are identified to ensure a safe and sustainable use of biochar as a soil amendment for remediation of contaminated soils.

Ion microprobe analysis of metallic pigments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelicon, P.; Simcic, J.; Budnar, M.; Klanjsek-Gunde, M.; Kunavaer, M.

2001-01-01

Full text: Metallic paints consist of metallic flakes dispersed m a resinous binder, i.e. a light-element polymer matrix. The spatial distribution and orientation of metallic flakes inside the matrix determines the covering efficiency of the paint, glossiness, and its angular-dependent properties such as lightness flop or color flop (two-tone). Such coatings are extensively used for a functional (i.e. security) as well as decorative purpose. The ion microbeam analysis of two types of silver paint with imbedded metallic flake has been performed to test the ability of the ion microbeam spectroscopic methods on this type of samples. The average sizes of the aluminium flakes were 23 (size distribution 10-37) and 49 (size distribution 34-75) micrometers, respectively. The proton beam with the size of 2x2 micrometers at Ljubljana ion microprobe has been used to scan the surface of the pigments. PIXE mapping of Al Kα map shows lateral distribution of the aluminum flakes, whereas the RBS slicing method reveals tomographic image of the flakes in uppermost 5 micrometers of the pigment layer. The flake distribution in the larger layer depths has been accessed by RBS analysis in a point mode. (author)

Argon-ion contamination of the plasmasphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Y.T.; Cornwall, J.M.; Luhmann, J.G.; Schulz, M.

1979-01-01

This paper applies present observational and analytic knowledge on effects of plasma beam interaction wth the magnetosphere to the plasmasphere contamination problem of the argon ion engine exhaust expected to be deposited in the magnetosphere during the construction phase of the Satellite Power System. Effects of plasmasphere, ionosphere, and radiation belt modifications are discussed

Chromium and cobalt ion concentrations in blood and serum following various types of metal-on-metal hip arthroplasties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jantzen, Christopher; Jørgensen, Henrik L; Duus, Benn R

2013-01-01

Widely different metal ion concentrations in blood and serum have been reported with metal-on-metal (MoM) implants. We reviewed the literature on blood and serum ion concentrations of chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) following various MoM hip arthroplasties.......Widely different metal ion concentrations in blood and serum have been reported with metal-on-metal (MoM) implants. We reviewed the literature on blood and serum ion concentrations of chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) following various MoM hip arthroplasties....

Biomonitoring for metal contamination near two Superfund sites in Woburn, Massachusetts, using phytochelatins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gawel, James E.; Hemond, Harold F.

2004-01-01

Characterizing the spatial extent of groundwater metal contamination traditionally requires installing sampling wells, an expensive and time-consuming process in urban areas. Moreover, extrapolating biotic effects from metal concentrations alone is problematic, making ecological risk assessment difficult. Our study is the first to examine the use of phytochelatin measurements in tree leaves for delimiting biological metal stress in shallow, metal-contaminated groundwater systems. Three tree species (Rhamnus frangula, Acer platanoides, and Betula populifolia) growing above the shallow groundwater aquifer of the Aberjona River watershed in Woburn, Massachusetts, display a pattern of phytochelatin production consistent with known sources of metal contamination and groundwater flow direction near the Industri-Plex Superfund site. Results also suggest the existence of a second area of contaminated groundwater and elevated metal stress near the Wells G and H Superfund site downstream, in agreement with a recent EPA ecological risk assessment. Possible contamination pathways at this site are discussed

Validation of ion chromatography for the determination of transition metal ions along with alkali, alkaline earth metal elements for uranium oxide fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelkar, Anoop; Prakash, Amrit; Afzal, Mohd.; Panakkal, J.P.

2009-02-01

The present report describes the use of Ion chromatography (IC) methods with spectrophotometric and direct conductivity detection for the determination of transition metal elements and alkali alkaline earth metal ions in UO 2 pellets. Transmet analytical column and Metrosep- cation 1-2 column were used for the separation of transition metal elements and alkali and alkaline earth metal elements respectively. Oxalic acid and mixture of pyridine 2,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA), Na 2 SO 4 and NaCl were used as mobile phase for the separation of transition metal ions and monitored after post - column reaction with 4,2-pyridylazo resorcinol (PAR) at 520nm spectrophotometrically. In the determination of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions the interference of transition metals are removed by complexing them with PDCA. Mixture of tartaric acid and PDCA employed in the separation of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions and monitored on direct conductivity detector. Mobile phase composition was optimised for the base line separation. Calibration plots of Fe 3+ , Cu 2+ , Ni 2+ , Co 2+ , Cd 2+ , Mn 2+ , Li + , Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ and Sr 2+ were linear over a wide dynamic range with regression coefficient better than 0.999. Detection limit of above ions were between 5-30ppb. To prevent the overloading of the cation exchange column, uranium matrix was removed from UO 2 sample by solvent extraction with 30% TBP - TOPO/CCl 4 . Ten sintered UO2 pellets of same lot were analysed and R.S.D. ±10% was obtained. These methods were validated by analysis of ILCE standards of UO 2 . (author)

Air separation of heavy metal contaminants from soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, M.E.; Harper, M.J.; Buckon, A.D.

1995-01-01

Several heavy metal separation techniques are currently being developed for soil remediation at various Department of Defense and Department of Energy (DOE) Facilities. The majority of these techniques involve a wet process using water, pH modifiers or other compounds. The US Naval Academy (USNA) has developed a dry process for heavy metal separation. The process uses air classification technology to concentrate the metal contaminant into a fraction of the soil. The advantages of this dry process are that it creates no contaminated byproduct and uses commercially available technology. The USNA process is based on using a Gayco-Reliance air classifier. Tests have been conducted with the system at the Naval Academy and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). The USNA tests used soil from the Nevada Test Site mixed with bismuth at a concentration of 500--1,000 ppm. The UNR tests used soil from four DOE sites mixed with uranium oxides and plutonium at an activity level of 100--700 pCi per gram. Concentration of activities and volume reduction percentages are presented for the various soils and contaminants tested

Environmental hazard of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in metal-contaminated soils remediated by sulfosuccinamate formulation.

Science.gov (United States)

del Carmen Hernández-Soriano, Maria; Peña, Aránzazu; Mingorance, M Dolores

2011-10-01

Accumulation of metals in soil at elevated concentrations causes risks to the environmental quality and human health for more than one hundred million people globally. The rate of metal release and the alteration of metal distribution in soil phases after soil washing with a sulfosuccinamate surfactant solution (Aerosol 22) were evaluated for four contaminated soils. Furthermore, a sequential extraction scheme was carried out using selective extractants (HAcO, NH(2)OH·HCl, H(2)O(2) + NH(4)AcO) to evaluate which metal species are extracted by A22 and the alteration in metal distribution upon surfactant-washing. Efficiency of A22 to remove metals varied among soils. The washing treatment released up to 50% of Cd, 40% of Cu, 20% of Pb and 12% of Zn, mainly from the soluble and reducible soil fractions, therefore, greatly reducing the fraction of metals readily available in soil. Metal speciation analysis for the solutions collected upon soil washing with Aerosol 22 further confirmed these results. Copper and lead in solution were mostly present as soluble complexes, while Cd and Zn were present as free ions. Besides, redistribution of metals in soil was observed upon washing. The ratios of Zn strongly retained in the soil matrix and Cd complexed with organic ligands increased. Lead was mobilized to more weakly retained forms, which indicates a high bioavailability of the remaining Pb in soil after washing. Comprehensive knowledge on chemical forms of metals present in soil allows a feasible assessment of the environmental impact of metals for a given scenario, as well as possible alteration of environmental conditions, and a valuable prediction for potential leaching and groundwater contamination.

Metal ion separations with proton-ionizable Lariat Ethers and their polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartsch, R.A.

1993-01-01

The preparation of novel and specific organic complexing agents may lead to the development of new separation systems for aqueous metal ions. Thus the introduction of highly lipophilic oximes led to the current utilization of these compounds as commercial extractants for the hydrometallurgy of nonferrous metals. Crown ethers (macrocyclic polyethers) have been employed in the laboratory-scale solvent extraction of alkali-metal, alkaline-earth, and other metal cations into organic phases. Attachment of side arms to crown ethers gives lariat ethers. The presence of one or more potential coordination sites in the side arm of the lariat ether may produce substantial changes in the selectivity and efficiency of metal ion complexation. It has been demonstrated that concomitant transfer of an aqueous phase anion into the organic medium is not required for metal ion extraction. This factor is of immense importance to potential practical applications of these proton-ionizable crown ethers in which the common, hard, aqueous phase anions would be involved. Another advantage of proton-ionizable lariat ethers is the ease with which extracted metal ions may be stripped from the organic phase by shaking with aqueous mineral acid. Thus both metal ion extraction and stripping are facilitated by pendent proton-ionizable groups. Most of the hazardous metal ion species in the Hanford Site tank wastes are members of the alkali-metal, alkaline-earth, lanthanide, and actinide families. These hard metal ion species prefer association with hard donor atoms, such as oxygens. Therefore, crown and lariat ethers are well-suited for complexation with such metal ion species

Investigation the effects of metallic substrate surfaces due to ion-plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shulaev, V.M.; Taran, V.S.; Timoshenko, A.I.; Gasilin, V.V.

2011-01-01

It has been found correlation between modification effects and duration of ion-plasma cleaning the substrate surface with titanium ions. Experiments were carried out using serial vacuum-arc equipment ''Bulat-6'' at the stationary mode in non-filtered titanium plasma, which contained considerable quantity of evaporated material droplets. The polished cylinder substrates (diameter and height 9,14,20 mm) have been treated. The substrates were manufactured of stainless steel 12X18H10T and non-oxygen copper M00b. The substrates surface roughness after ion-plasma treatment has been investigated with electron microscope JEOL JSM-840 and optic interference non-contact profilograph- profilometer ''Micron-alpha''. According obtained results the surface of copper and stainless steel substrates has been treated to intensive modification, i.e. substrate surface after treatment significantly differs from initial one. During final ion-plasma treatment a number of effects occur: purification from surface oxides is accompanied with metallic surface ''contamination'' by the cathode material macrodroplets, surface micromelting accompanied by roughness increase, the surface layer annealing with noticeable decrease of hardness.

Is metal contamination responsible for increasing aneuploidy levels in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum?

KAUST Repository

Piló, D.

2016-11-03

The present study assessed the metal genotoxicity potential at chromosome-level in the bivalve Ruditapes philippinarum collected along different areas of the Tagus estuary. Higher levels of aneuploidy on gill cells were detected at the most sediment contaminated area both in May (31.7%) and October (36.0%) when compared to a less contaminated area over the same periods (20.3% and 29.0% respectively). Interestingly, metal bioaccumulation in gills was higher in the specimens collected at the least contaminated area with the exception of Pb. Indeed, the multivariate analysis revealed a stronger relation between aneuploidy and sediment contamination than between aneuploidy and the bioaccumulation of the metals. The temporal and spatial inconsistency found for the bioaccumulation of metals in R. philippinarum and the positive correlation between sediment contamination and aneuploidy at the most contaminated area suggest that these chromosome-level effects might be due to chronic metal contamination occurring in the Tagus estuary, rather than a direct result of the temporal variation of bioavailable contaminants. The vertical transmission phenomenon of bivalve aneuploidy levels may then be perpetuating those levels on clams from the most contaminated area. The present results shed light about the effect of metal toxicity at the chromosome-level in species inhabiting chronic contaminated areas and highlight the use of aneuploidy as an effective tool to identify persistent contamination in worldwide transitional waters.

The Pseudomonas community in metal-contaminated sediments as revealed by quantitative PCR: a link with metal bioavailability.

Science.gov (United States)

Roosa, Stéphanie; Wauven, Corinne Vander; Billon, Gabriel; Matthijs, Sandra; Wattiez, Ruddy; Gillan, David C

2014-10-01

Pseudomonas bacteria are ubiquitous Gram-negative and aerobic microorganisms that are known to harbor metal resistance mechanisms such as efflux pumps and intracellular redox enzymes. Specific Pseudomonas bacteria have been quantified in some metal-contaminated environments, but the entire Pseudomonas population has been poorly investigated under these conditions, and the link with metal bioavailability was not previously examined. In the present study, quantitative PCR and cell cultivation were used to monitor and characterize the Pseudomonas population at 4 different sediment sites contaminated with various levels of metals. At the same time, total metals and metal bioavailability (as estimated using an HCl 1 m extraction) were measured. It was found that the total level of Pseudomonas, as determined by qPCR using two different genes (oprI and the 16S rRNA gene), was positively and significantly correlated with total and HCl-extractable Cu, Co, Ni, Pb and Zn, with high correlation coefficients (>0.8). Metal-contaminated sediments featured isolates of the Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas lutea and Pseudomonas aeruginosa groups, with other bacterial genera such as Mycobacterium, Klebsiella and Methylobacterium. It is concluded that Pseudomonas bacteria do proliferate in metal-contaminated sediments, but are still part of a complex community. Copyright © 2014 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A new biotechnology for recovering heavy metal ions from wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darnall, D.W.; Gabel, A.

1989-01-01

This paper reports that bio-recovery systems has developed a new sorption process for removing toxic metal ions from water. This process is based upon the natural, very strong affinity for biological materials, such as the cell walls of plants and microorganisms, for heavy metal ions such as uranium, cadmium, cobalt, nickel, etc.. Biological materials, primarily algae, have been immobilized in a polymer to produce a biological ion exchange resin, AlgaSORB. The material has a remarkable affinity for heavy metal ions and is capable of concentrating these ions by a factor of may thousand-fold. Additionally, the bound metals can be stripped and recovered from the algal material in a manner similar to conventional resins

Heavy metal contamination of soil and sediment in Zambia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

Key words: Heavy metal, contamination, mining, soil, sediment. INTRODUCTION ... drinking water and inhaling air or soil contaminated by mining activities and the ..... indicates that copper waste discharged into the upper reaches of the Kafue ...

Basis of the detection, assessment and cleaning up of sites contaminated with heavy metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmano, W.; Foerstner, U.

1993-01-01

The cleaning up of sites contaminated with heavy metals is still in its infancy. Depending on the type and extent of the contamination, new methods of treatment must be developed and matched to each situation. A survey is given of the groundwater contamination of soil heavy metals; the binding, availability and mobilisation of heavy metals; geo-chemical concepts for sites contaminated by heavy metals; judging the potential danger; safety measures; cleaning up processes and the reinstatement and renaturing of the soil. (orig.) [de

Complexation-induced supramolecular assembly drives metal-ion extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Ross J; Meridiano, Yannick; Muller, Julie; Berthon, Laurence; Guilbaud, Philippe; Zorz, Nicole; Antonio, Mark R; Demars, Thomas; Zemb, Thomas

2014-09-26

Combining experiment with theory reveals the role of self-assembly and complexation in metal-ion transfer through the water-oil interface. The coordinating metal salt Eu(NO3)3 was extracted from water into oil by a lipophilic neutral amphiphile. Molecular dynamics simulations were coupled to experimental spectroscopic and X-ray scattering techniques to investigate how local coordination interactions between the metal ion and ligands in the organic phase combine with long-range interactions to produce spontaneous changes in the solvent microstructure. Extraction of the Eu(3+)-3(NO3(-)) ion pairs involves incorporation of the "hard" metal complex into the core of "soft" aggregates. This seeds the formation of reverse micelles that draw the water and "free" amphiphile into nanoscale hydrophilic domains. The reverse micelles interact through attractive van der Waals interactions and coalesce into rod-shaped polynuclear Eu(III) -containing aggregates with metal centers bridged by nitrate. These preorganized hydrophilic domains, containing high densities of O-donor ligands and anions, provide improved Eu(III) solvation environments that help drive interfacial transfer, as is reflected by the increasing Eu(III) partitioning ratios (oil/aqueous) despite the organic phase approaching saturation. For the first time, this multiscale approach links metal-ion coordination with nanoscale structure to reveal the free-energy balance that drives the phase transfer of neutral metal salts. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Beyond the bed: Effects of metal contamination on recruitment to bedded sediments and overlying substrata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Nicole A.; Simpson, Stuart L.; Johnston, Emma L.

2013-01-01

Metal-contaminated sediments pose a recognised threat to sediment-dwelling fauna. Re-mobilisation of contaminated sediments however, may impact more broadly on benthic ecosystems, including on diverse assemblages living on hard substrata patches immediately above sediments. We used manipulative field experiments to simultaneously test for the effects of metal contamination on recruitment to marine sediments and overlying hard substrata. Recruitment to sediments was strongly and negatively affected by metal contamination. However, while assemblage-level effects on hard-substratum fauna and flora were observed, most functional groups were unaffected or slightly enhanced by exposure to contaminated sediments. Diversity of hard-substratum fauna was also enhanced by metal contamination at one site. Metal-contaminated sediments appear to pose less of a hazard to hard-substratum than sediment-dwelling assemblages, perhaps due to a lower direct contaminant exposure or to indirect effects mediated by contaminant impacts on sediment fauna. Our results indicate that current sediment quality guidelines are protective of hard-substrata organisms. - Highlights: ► Potential for contaminated sediments to exert impacts beyond the sediment communities. ► We examine effects on recruitment to sediments and overlying hard substrata simultaneously. ► Metal-contaminated sediments had a strong negative impact on sediment fauna. ► Metal-contaminated sediments pose less of a hazard to hard-substratum fauna. ► Sediment quality guidelines are likely protective of hard-substrata organisms. - Under natural disturbance regimes, metal-contaminated sediments pose less of a direct risk to hard-substratum fauna than to sediment-dwelling fauna and SQG appear appropriate.

Metal ion sequestration: An exciting dimension for molecularly ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The use of a tight binding macrocyclic ligand to complex a metal ion so that this serves as receptee on the Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) receptor as described here affords a sequestration route for a targeted metal ion, with potential for environmental remediation and restoration applications. Ethylene glycol ...

Particle morphology and mineral structure of heavy metal-contaminated kaolin soil before and after electrokinetic remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Roach, Nicole; Reddy, Krishna R; Al-Hamdan, Ashraf Z

2009-06-15

This study aims to characterize the physical distribution of heavy metals in kaolin soil and the chemical and structural changes in kaolinite minerals that result from electrokinetic remediation. Three bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were conducted on kaolin that was spiked with Cr(VI) alone, Ni (II) alone, and a combination of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cd(II) under a constant electric potential of 1VDC/cm for a total duration of 4 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed on the soil samples before and after electrokinetic remediation. Results showed that the heavy metal contaminant distribution in the soil samples was not observable using TEM and EDX. EDX detected nickel and chromium on some kaolinite particles and titanium-rich, high-contrast particles, but no separate phases containing the metal contaminants were detected. Small amounts of heavy metal contaminants that were detected by EDX in the absence of a visible phase suggest that ions are adsorbed to kaolinite particle surfaces as a thin coating. There was also no clear correlation between semiquantitative analysis of EDX spectra and measured total metal concentrations, which may be attributed to low heavy metal concentrations and small size of samples used. X-ray diffraction analyses were aimed to detect any structural changes in kaolinite minerals resulting from EK. The diffraction patterns showed a decrease in peak height with decreasing soil pH value, which indicates possible dissolution of kaolinite minerals during electrokinetic remediation. Overall this study showed that the changes in particle morphology were found to be insignificant, but a relationship was found between the crystallinity of kaolin and the pH changes induced by the applied electric potential.

Particle morphology and mineral structure of heavy metal-contaminated kaolin soil before and after electrokinetic remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, Nicole; Reddy, Krishna R.; Al-Hamdan, Ashraf Z.

2009-01-01

This study aims to characterize the physical distribution of heavy metals in kaolin soil and the chemical and structural changes in kaolinite minerals that result from electrokinetic remediation. Three bench-scale electrokinetic experiments were conducted on kaolin that was spiked with Cr(VI) alone, Ni (II) alone, and a combination of Cr(VI), Ni(II) and Cd(II) under a constant electric potential of 1 VDC/cm for a total duration of 4 days. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed on the soil samples before and after electrokinetic remediation. Results showed that the heavy metal contaminant distribution in the soil samples was not observable using TEM and EDX. EDX detected nickel and chromium on some kaolinite particles and titanium-rich, high-contrast particles, but no separate phases containing the metal contaminants were detected. Small amounts of heavy metal contaminants that were detected by EDX in the absence of a visible phase suggest that ions are adsorbed to kaolinite particle surfaces as a thin coating. There was also no clear correlation between semiquantitative analysis of EDX spectra and measured total metal concentrations, which may be attributed to low heavy metal concentrations and small size of samples used. X-ray diffraction analyses were aimed to detect any structural changes in kaolinite minerals resulting from EK. The diffraction patterns showed a decrease in peak height with decreasing soil pH value, which indicates possible dissolution of kaolinite minerals during electrokinetic remediation. Overall this study showed that the changes in particle morphology were found to be insignificant, but a relationship was found between the crystallinity of kaolin and the pH changes induced by the applied electric potential.

Assessment of a mussel as a metal bioindicator of coastal contamination: Relationships between metal bioaccumulation and multiple biomarker responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandurvelan, Rathishri; Marsden, Islay D.; Glover, Chris N.; Gaw, Sally

2015-01-01

This is the first study to use a multiple biomarker approach on the green-lipped mussel, Perna canaliculus to test its feasibility as a bioindicator of coastal metal contamination in New Zealand (NZ). Mussels were collected from six low intertidal sites varying in terms of anthropogenic impacts, within two regions (West Coast and Nelson) of the South Island of NZ. Trace elements, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), were measured in the gills, digestive gland, foot and mantle, and in the surface sediments from where mussels were collected. Metal levels in the sediment were relatively low and there was only one site (Mapua, Nelson) where a metal (Ni) exceeded the Australian and New Zealand Interim Sediment Quality Guideline values. Metal levels in the digestive gland were generally higher than those from the other tissues. A variety of biomarkers were assessed to ascertain mussel health. Clearance rate, a physiological endpoint, correlated with metal level in the tissues, and along with scope for growth, was reduced in the most contaminated site. Metallothionein-like protein content and catalase activity in the digestive gland, and catalase activity and lipid peroxidation in the gill, were also correlated to metal accumulation. Although there were few regional differences, the sampling sites were clearly distinguishable based on the metal contamination profiles and biomarker responses. P. canaliculus appears to be a useful bioindicator species for coastal habitats subject to metal contamination. In this study tissue and whole organism responses provided insight into the biological stress responses of mussels to metal contaminants, indicating that such measurements could be a useful addition to biomonitoring programmes in NZ. - Highlights: • Multiple biomarker responses were measured in mussels from 6 sites. • Metal content of mussel tissues correlated with specific biomarker responses. • Clearance rate

Assessment of a mussel as a metal bioindicator of coastal contamination: Relationships between metal bioaccumulation and multiple biomarker responses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandurvelan, Rathishri, E-mail: rch118@uclive.ac.nz [School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 (New Zealand); Marsden, Islay D., E-mail: islay.marsden@canterbury.ac.nz [School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 (New Zealand); Glover, Chris N., E-mail: chris.glover@canterbury.ac.nz [School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 (New Zealand); Gaw, Sally, E-mail: sally.gaw@canterbury.ac.nz [Department of Chemistry, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140 (New Zealand)

2015-04-01

This is the first study to use a multiple biomarker approach on the green-lipped mussel, Perna canaliculus to test its feasibility as a bioindicator of coastal metal contamination in New Zealand (NZ). Mussels were collected from six low intertidal sites varying in terms of anthropogenic impacts, within two regions (West Coast and Nelson) of the South Island of NZ. Trace elements, including arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn), were measured in the gills, digestive gland, foot and mantle, and in the surface sediments from where mussels were collected. Metal levels in the sediment were relatively low and there was only one site (Mapua, Nelson) where a metal (Ni) exceeded the Australian and New Zealand Interim Sediment Quality Guideline values. Metal levels in the digestive gland were generally higher than those from the other tissues. A variety of biomarkers were assessed to ascertain mussel health. Clearance rate, a physiological endpoint, correlated with metal level in the tissues, and along with scope for growth, was reduced in the most contaminated site. Metallothionein-like protein content and catalase activity in the digestive gland, and catalase activity and lipid peroxidation in the gill, were also correlated to metal accumulation. Although there were few regional differences, the sampling sites were clearly distinguishable based on the metal contamination profiles and biomarker responses. P. canaliculus appears to be a useful bioindicator species for coastal habitats subject to metal contamination. In this study tissue and whole organism responses provided insight into the biological stress responses of mussels to metal contaminants, indicating that such measurements could be a useful addition to biomonitoring programmes in NZ. - Highlights: • Multiple biomarker responses were measured in mussels from 6 sites. • Metal content of mussel tissues correlated with specific biomarker responses. • Clearance rate

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated ecosystem: an overview on technology advancement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, A.; Prasad, S. M.

2015-01-01

The issue of heavy metal pollution is very much concerned because of their toxicity for plant, animal and human beings and their lack of biodegradability. Excess concentrations of heavy metals have adverse effect on plant metabolic activities hence affect the food production, quantitatively and qualitatively. Heavy metal when reaches human tissues through various absorption pathways such as direct ingestion, dermal contact, diet through the soil-food chain, inhalation, and oral intake may seriously affect their health. Therefore, several management practices are being applied to minimize metal toxicity by attenuating the availability of metal to the plants. Some of the traditional methods are either extremely costly or they are simply applied to isolate contaminated site. The biology based technology like use of hyper metal accumulator plants occurring naturally or created by transgenic technology, in recent years draws great attention to remediate heavy metal contamination. Recently, applications of nanoparticle for metal remediation are also attracting great research interest due to their exceptional adsorption and mechanical properties and unique electrical property, highly chemical stability, and large specific surface area. Thus the present review deals with different management approaches to reduce level of metal contamination in soil and finally to the food chain

Complexation ion-exchange chromatography of some metal ions on papers impregnated with Ti(IV)-based inorganic ion exchangers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S D; Gupta, R

2000-02-01

The chromatographic behavior of 40 metal ions is studied on titanium (IV) arsenate, titanium (IV) phosphate-, titanium (IV) molybdate-, titanium(IV) tungstate-, and titanium(IV) selenite-impregnated papers in 0.1M oxalic, citric, and tartaric acid as mobile phases. Similar studies are carried out on Whatman No. 1 papers for comparison. The ion-exchange capacity of these papers is determined, and their selectivity for different cations is discussed. The mechanism of migration is explained in terms of ion-exchange, precipitation, and adsorption. The prediction of elution sequence from RF values is also checked. The average Ri is found to be almost linearly dependent on the charge of the metal ions. The effect of the pKa of complexing acids on average RF values of 3d series metal ions is explained. A number of binary and ternary separations are achieved.

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Bentonite Nanocomposites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jing; Su, Guojun; Zhang, Xueping; Huang, Wen

2016-08-01

A series of bentonite nanocomposites have been synthesized by modifying bentonite with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTMAB) and the common complexing agents, complexone (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, EDTA) or mercaptocomplexant (2-Mercaptobenzothiazole, MBT). These adsorbents are used to remove heavy metal ions (Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+),Co(2+)). The Bent-CTMAB-MBT adsorbed metal ions are higher than Bent-CTMAB-EDTA under the same ion concentration in AAS. Compared with the single ion system, the adsorption of the mixed ion system of Cu(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+) had decreased differently. In the mixed system, the adsorption of Mn(2+) is significantly lower, but the adsorption of Cu(2+) was highest. The adsorption sequence of these four metal ions was Cu(2+) > Zn(2+) > Co(2+) > Mn(2+), and the selective adsorption was closely related to the hydration energy of heavy metal ions. We could remove more metal ions in different stages with the adsorption sequence.

Metal ion removal from aqueous solution using physic seed hull.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammad, Masita; Maitra, Saikat; Ahmad, Naveed; Bustam, Azmi; Sen, T K; Dutta, Binay K

2010-07-15

The potential of physic seed hull (PSH), Jantropha curcas L. as an adsorbent for the removal of Cd(2+) and Zn(2+) metal ions from aqueous solution has been investigated. It has been found that the amount of adsorption for both Cd(2+) and Zn(2+) increased with the increase in initial metal ions concentration, contact time, temperature, adsorbent dosage and the solution pH (in acidic range), but decreased with the increase in the particle size of the adsorbent. The adsorption process for both metal ions on PSH consists of three stages-a rapid initial adsorption followed by a period of slower uptake of metal ions and virtually no uptake at the final stage. The kinetics of metal ions adsorption on PSH followed a pseudo-second-order model. The adsorption equilibrium data were fitted in the three adsorption isotherms-Freundlich, Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. The data best fit in the Langmuir isotherm indication monolayer chemisorption of the metal ions. The adsorption capacity of PSH for both Zn(2+) and Cd(2+) was found to be comparable with other available adsorbents. About 36-47% of the adsorbed metal could be leached out of the loaded PSH using 0.1M HCl as the eluting medium. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioavailability of Metal Ions and Evolutionary Adaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rolando P. Hong Enriquez

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The evolution of life on earth has been a long process that began nearly 3,5 x 109 years ago. In their initial moments, evolution was mainly influenced by anaerobic environments; with the rise of O2 and the corresponding change in bioavailability of metal ions, new mechanisms of survival were created. Here we review the relationships between ancient atmospheric conditions, metal ion bioavailability and adaptation of metals homeostasis during early evolution. A general picture linking geochemistry, biochemistry and homeostasis is supported by the reviewed literature and is further illustrated in this report using simple database searches.

Means for obtaining a metal ion beam from a heavy-ion cyclotron source

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, E.D.; Mallory, M.L.

1975-08-01

A description is given of a modification to a cyclotron ion source used in producing a high intensity metal ion beam. A small amount of an inert support gas maintains the usual plasma arc, except that it is necessary for the support gas to have a heavy mass, e.g., xenon or krypton as opposed to neon. A plate, fabricated from the metal (or anything that can be sputtered) to be ionized, is mounted on the back wall of the ion source arc chamber and is bombarded by returning energetic low-charged gas ions that fail to cross the initial accelerating gap between the ion source and the accelerating electrode. Some of the atoms that are dislodged from the plate by the returning gas ions become ionized and are extracted as a useful beam of heavy ions. (auth)

Chromatography Of Metal Ions On Wood Cellulose Impregnated ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adsorption chromatography of some heavy metal ions on wood cellulose of saw dust (wood waste dust) modified with hydrochloric acid, urea and thiourea was studied. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was used to determine the initial concentration of solutions of Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, and Fe3+ metal ions.

Metal hydride compositions and lithium ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, Kwo; Nei, Jean

2018-04-24

Heterogeneous metal hydride (MH) compositions comprising a main region comprising a first metal hydride and a secondary region comprising one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of second metal hydrides, metals, metal alloys and further metal compounds are suitable as anode materials for lithium ion cells. The first metal hydride is for example MgH.sub.2. Methods for preparing the composition include coating, mechanical grinding, sintering, heat treatment and quenching techniques.

Metal binding proteins, recombinant host cells and methods

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, Anne O.; Caguiat, Jonathan J.

2004-06-15

The present disclosure provides artificial heavy metal binding proteins termed chelons by the inventors. These chelons bind cadmium and/or mercuric ions with relatively high affinity. Also disclosed are coding sequences, recombinant DNA molecules and recombinant host cells comprising those recombinant DNA molecules for expression of the chelon proteins. In the recombinant host cells or transgenic plants, the chelons can be used to bind heavy metals taken up from contaminated soil, groundwater or irrigation water and to concentrate and sequester those ions. Recombinant enteric bacteria can be used within the gastrointestinal tracts of animals or humans exposed to toxic metal ions such as mercury and/or cadmium, where the chelon recombinantly expressed in chosen in accordance with the ion to be rededicated. Alternatively, the chelons can be immobilized to solid supports to bind and concentrate heavy metals from a contaminated aqueous medium including biological fluids.

Incorporation of metal bioavailability into regulatory frameworks-metal exposure in water and sediment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahlf, Wolfgang [Inst. of Environmental Tech. and Energy Economics, TUHH, Hamburg (Germany); Drost, Wiebke [Umweltpruefung Chemikalien IV, Umweltbundesamt, Dessau (Germany); Heise, Susanne [Dept. of Life Sciences, HAW, Hamburg (Germany)

2009-10-15

Background, aim, and scope The cause for this position paper is the impression that risk assessors consider primarily the concentration of free metal ions dissolved in solution controlling metal bioavailability in aquatic systems. Aiming at a more realistic risk assessment of metals, bioavailability has to be discussed under the scope of main uptake routes of metals to organisms. Materials and methods On the basis of a review on the literature relating to bioavailability approaches, this work discusses the incorporation of metal bioavailability into the risk assessment of metals in the context of metal exposure. Results The biotic ligand model (BLM) and the concept of sulfide bound metals described by the ratio of simultaneously extracted metals and acid volatile sulfide concept (AVS) have been developed to consider the bioavailability of metals. Both approaches assume that the free ion concentration is the most relevant exposure pathway. However, apart from geochemical conditions, which control free metal concentration, bioavailability is additionally a result of contaminant/particle interaction and of organisms' activity. Asking for the relevant exposure pathways for inorganic metals to organisms, the compartments' water and sediment have been evaluated and also the importance of contaminated food. (orig.)

Application of ion implantation in metals and alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, G.

1981-01-01

Ion implantation first became established as a precise method of introducing dopant elements into semiconductors. It is now appreciated that there may be equally important applications in metallic tools or components with the purpose of improving their resistance to wear, fatigue or corrosion. Nitrogen ions implanted into steels pin dislocations and thereby harden the metal. Some metallic ions such as yttrium reduce the tendency for oxidative wear. There is a fairly good understanding of how both treatments can provide a long-lasting protection that extends to many times the original depth of implantation. Nitrogen implantation also improves the wear resistance of Co-cemented tungsten carbide and of hard chromium electroplated coatings. These treatments have wide application in press tools, molds, dies and other metal-forming tools as well as in a more limited variety of cutting tools. Some striking improvements can be achieved in the corrosion field, but there are economic and technical reasons for concluding that practical applications of ion implantation will be more restricted and specialized in this area. The most promising area is that in which mechanical stress and oxidation coexist. When a metallic species has to be introduced, a promising new development is to bombard a thin coating of the metal at an elevated temperature. Several powerful mechanisms of radiation-enhanced diffusion can bring about a complete intermixing. Examples of how this has been used to produce wear resistant surfaces in titanium are given. Finally, the equipment developed for the large scale application of the ion implantation process in the engineering field is described

Ion beam analysis of metal ion implanted surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evans, P.J.; Chu, J.W.; Johnson, E.P.; Noorman, J.T. [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Sood, D.K. [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1993-12-31

Ion implantation is an established method for altering the surface properties of many materials. While a variety of analytical techniques are available for the characterisation of implanted surfaces, those based on particle accelerators such as Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) provide some of the most useful and powerful for this purpose. Application of the latter techniques to metal ion implantation research at ANSTO will be described with particular reference to specific examples from recent studies. Where possible, the information obtained from ion beam analysis will be compared with that derived from other techniques such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Auger spectroscopies. 4 refs., 5 figs.

Ion beam analysis of metal ion implanted surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evans, P J; Chu, J W; Johnson, E P; Noorman, J T [Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW (Australia); Sood, D K [Royal Melbourne Inst. of Tech., VIC (Australia)

1994-12-31

Ion implantation is an established method for altering the surface properties of many materials. While a variety of analytical techniques are available for the characterisation of implanted surfaces, those based on particle accelerators such as Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) provide some of the most useful and powerful for this purpose. Application of the latter techniques to metal ion implantation research at ANSTO will be described with particular reference to specific examples from recent studies. Where possible, the information obtained from ion beam analysis will be compared with that derived from other techniques such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Auger spectroscopies. 4 refs., 5 figs.

Ion beam analysis of metal ion implanted surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, P.J.; Chu, J.W.; Johnson, E.P.; Noorman, J.T.; Sood, D.K.

1993-01-01

Ion implantation is an established method for altering the surface properties of many materials. While a variety of analytical techniques are available for the characterisation of implanted surfaces, those based on particle accelerators such as Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) provide some of the most useful and powerful for this purpose. Application of the latter techniques to metal ion implantation research at ANSTO will be described with particular reference to specific examples from recent studies. Where possible, the information obtained from ion beam analysis will be compared with that derived from other techniques such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Auger spectroscopies. 4 refs., 5 figs

Use of low cost dead biomasses in the removal of heavy metal toxic/radiotoxic ions from aqueous wastes- a radiotracer study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Shuddhodan P.

2005-01-01

In an environmental context, accelerating pollution by toxic metal ions, metalloids, radionuclides and organometal (loid)s has provided the impetus for the research to look into the biotechnological potential of utilizing several low cost dead biomasses/agricultural byproducts to replace existing expensive technologies. Unlike organic pollutants which are biodegradable, these metallic contaminants tend to persist rather indefinitely in the environment, and are eventually accumulated through the food chain thus posing a serious threat to plants, animal and man. The use of radiotracer technique by several workers and ourselves in the study of adsorption uptake or ions (cations and anions) from aqueous solutions by metals/metals oxide surfaces at micro down to tracer level concentrations had been quite rewarding. In continuation of this work the present studies were directed to assess the uptake behaviour of abundantly available low cost dead biomasses [e.g. Rice hulls (oryza sativa L),] Mango (mangifera indica) and Neem (azadirachta indica)barks] towards some heavy metal (Hg 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cr 2+ , Zn 2+ and Ce 3+ ) toxic and radiotoxic (Sr 2+ and Cs l+ )ions from aqueous solutions at low ionic concentrations (10 -2 -10 -8 mol dm -3 ). In all these studies the adsorptive solution was labeled by a suitable radiotracer of the metal ion and the uptake of ions by the three biosorbents was assessed through monitoring of the decrease in radioactivity of the bulk. A parametric study through change of temperature, pH and addition of other co-ions/complexing agents has helped in deducing the thermodynamic parameters and mechanism of the uptake of the ions. The extent of removal of metal ions by these dead biomasses is quite high in most cases and the nature of the uptake appears to be exchange type. These findings show that the agricultural byproducts (dead biomasses) can be utilized in the development of waste water treatment technology for removal of heavy metal toxic and

Remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals with an emphasis on immobilization technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Derakhshan Nejad, Zahra; Jung, Myung Chae; Kim, Ki-Hyun

2018-06-01

The major frequent contaminants in soil are heavy metals which may be responsible for detrimental health effects. The remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils is considered as one of the most complicated tasks. Among different technologies, in situ immobilization of metals has received a great deal of attention and turned out to be a promising solution for soil remediation. In this review, remediation methods for removal of heavy metals in soil are explored with an emphasis on the in situ immobilization technique of metal(loid)s. Besides, the immobilization technique in contaminated soils is evaluated through the manipulation of the bioavailability of heavy metals using a range of soil amendment conditions. This technique is expected to efficiently alleviate the risk of groundwater contamination, plant uptake, and exposure to other living organisms. The efficacy of several amendments (e.g., red mud, biochar, phosphate rock) has been examined to emphasize the need for the simultaneous measurement of leaching and the phytoavailability of heavy metals. In addition, some amendments that are used in this technique are inexpensive and readily available in large quantities because they have been derived from bio-products or industrial by-products (e.g., biochar, red mud, and steel slag). Among different amendments, iron-rich compounds and biochars show high efficiency to remediate multi-metal contaminated soils. Thereupon, immobilization technique can be considered a preferable option as it is inexpensive and easily applicable to large quantities of contaminants derived from various sources.

Polyatomic ions from a high current ion implanter driven by a liquid metal ion source

Science.gov (United States)

Pilz, W.; Laufer, P.; Tajmar, M.; Böttger, R.; Bischoff, L.

2017-12-01

High current liquid metal ion sources are well known and found their first application as field emission electric propulsion thrusters in space technology. The aim of this work is the adaption of such kind of sources in broad ion beam technology. Surface patterning based on self-organized nano-structures on, e.g., semiconductor materials formed by heavy mono- or polyatomic ion irradiation from liquid metal (alloy) ion sources (LMAISs) is a very promising technique. LMAISs are nearly the only type of sources delivering polyatomic ions from about half of the periodic table elements. To overcome the lack of only very small treated areas by applying a focused ion beam equipped with such sources, the technology taken from space propulsion systems was transferred into a large single-end ion implanter. The main component is an ion beam injector based on high current LMAISs combined with suited ion optics allocating ion currents in the μA range in a nearly parallel beam of a few mm in diameter. Different types of LMAIS (needle, porous emitter, and capillary) are presented and characterized. The ion beam injector design is specified as well as the implementation of this module into a 200 kV high current ion implanter operating at the HZDR Ion Beam Center. Finally, the obtained results of large area surface modification of Ge using polyatomic Bi2+ ions at room temperature from a GaBi capillary LMAIS will be presented and discussed.

Method of decontaminating radioactive-contaminated instruments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urata, M; Fujii, M; Kitaguchi, H

1982-03-29

Purpose: To enable safety processing of liquid wastes by recovering radioactive metal ions remaining in the electrolytes after the decontamination procedure thereby decreasing the radioactivity. Method: In a decontamination tank containing electrolytes consisting of diluted hydrochloric acid and diluted sulfuric acid, are provided a radioactive contaminated instrument connected to an anode and a collector electrode made of stainless steel connected to a cathode respectively. Upon applying electrical current, the portion of the mother material to be decontaminated is polished electrolytically into metal ions and they are deposited as metal on the collection electrode. After completion of the decontamination, an ultrasonic wave generator is operated to strip and remove the oxide films. Thereafter, the anode is replaced with the carbon electrode and electrical current is supplied continuously, whereby the remaining metal ions are deposited and recovered as the metal on the collection electrode.

Decontamination method for radioactively contaminated material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoji, Yuichi; Mizuguchi, Hiroshi; Sakai, Hitoshi; Komatsubara, Masaru

1998-01-01

Radioactively contaminated materials having surfaces contaminated by radioactive materials are dissolved in molten salts by the effect of chlorine gas. The molten salts are brought into contact with a low melting point metal to reduce only radioactive materials by substitution reaction and recover them into the low melting point metal. Then, a low melting point metal phase and a molten salt phase are separated. The low melting point metal phase is evaporated to separate the radioactive materials from molten metals. On the other hand, other metal ions dissolved in the molten salts are reduced into metals by electrolysis at an anode and separated from the molten salts and served for regeneration. The low melting point metals are reutilized together with contaminated lead, after subjected to decontamination, generated from facilities such as nuclear power plant or lead for disposal. Since almost all materials including the molten salts and the molten metals can be enclosed, the amount of wastes can be reduced. In addition, radiation exposure of operators who handle them can be reduced. (T.M.)

Progress in metal ion separation and preconcentration: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bond, A. H.

1998-01-01

A brief historical perspective covering the most mature chemically-based metal ion separation methods is presented, as is a summary of the recommendations made in the 1987 National Research Council (NRC) report entitled ''Separation and Purification: Critical Needs and Opportunities''. A review of Progress in Metal Ion Separation and Preconcentration shows that advances are occurring in each area of need cited by the NRC. Following an explanation of the objectives and general organization of this book, the contents of each chapter are briefly summarized and some future research opportunities in metal ion separations are presented

Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry: From Cluster Ions to Toxic metal Ions in Biology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lentz, Nicholas B. [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2007-01-01

This dissertation focused on using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry to study cluster ions and toxic metal ions in biology. In Chapter 2, it was shown that primary, secondary and quarternary amines exhibit different clustering characteristics under identical instrument conditions. Carbon chain length also played a role in cluster ion formation. In Chapters 3 and 4, the effects of solvent types/ratios and various instrumental parameters on cluster ion formation were examined. It was found that instrument interface design also plays a critical role in the cluster ion distribution seen in the mass spectrum. In Chapter 5, ESI-MS was used to investigate toxic metal binding to the [Gln¹¹]-amyloid β-protein fragment (1-16). Pb and Cd bound stronger than Zn, even in the presence of excess Zn. Hg bound weaker than Zn. There are endless options for future work on cluster ions. Any molecule that is poorly ionized in positive ion mode can potentially show an increase in ionization efficiency if an appropriate anion is used to produce a net negative charge. It is possible that drug protein or drug/DNA complexes can also be stabilized by adding counter-ions. This would preserve the solution characteristics of the complex in the gas phase. Once in the gas phase, CID could determine the drug binding location on the biomolecule. There are many research projects regarding toxic metals in biology that have yet to be investigated or even discovered. This is an area of research with an almost endless future because of the changing dynamics of biological systems. What is deemed safe today may show toxic effects in the future. Evolutionary changes in protein structures may render them more susceptible to toxic metal binding. As the understanding of toxicity evolves, so does the demand for new toxic metal research. New instrumentation designs and software make it possible to perform research that could not be done in the past. What was undetectable yesterday will

Ion beam induced nanosized Ag metal clusters in glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahnke, H.-E.; Schattat, B.; Schubert-Bischoff, P.; Novakovic, N.

2006-01-01

Silver metal clusters have been formed in soda lime glass by high-energy heavy-ion irradiation at ISL. The metal cluster formation was detected with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) in fluorescence mode, and the shape of the clusters was imaged with transmission electron microscopy. While annealing in reducing atmosphere alone, leads to the formation of metal clusters in Ag-containing glasses, where the Ag was introduced by ion-exchange, such clusters are not very uniform in size and are randomly distributed over the Ag-containing glass volume. Irradiation with 600-MeV Au ions followed by annealing, however, results in clusters more uniform in size and arranged in chains parallel to the direction of the ion beam

Fluorescence signalling of the transition metal ions: Design strategy ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

strategy based on the choice of the fluorophore component. N B SANKARAN, S ... skill for the development of fluorosensors of this kind. Further, the ... salts of the transition metal ions have been used for studying the influence of the metal ions.

Metal ion concentrations in body fluids after implantation of hip replacements with metal-on-metal bearing--systematic review of clinical and epidemiological studies.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albrecht Hartmann

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The use of metal-on-metal (MoM total hip arthroplasty (THA increased in the last decades. A release of metal products (i.e. particles, ions, metallo-organic compounds in these implants may cause local and/or systemic adverse reactions. Metal ion concentrations in body fluids are surrogate measures of metal exposure. OBJECTIVE: To systematically summarize and critically appraise published studies concerning metal ion concentrations after MoM THA. METHODS: Systematic review of clinical trials (RCTs and epidemiological studies with assessment of metal ion levels (cobalt, chromium, titanium, nickel, molybdenum in body fluids after implantation of metalliferous hip replacements. Systematic search in PubMed and Embase in January 2012 supplemented by hand search. Standardized abstraction of pre- and postoperative metal ion concentrations stratified by type of bearing (primary explanatory factor, patient characteristics as well as study quality characteristics (secondary explanatory factors. RESULTS: Overall, 104 studies (11 RCTs, 93 epidemiological studies totaling 9.957 patients with measurement of metal ions in body fluids were identified and analyzed. Consistently, median metal ion concentrations were persistently elevated after implantation of MoM-bearings in all investigated mediums (whole blood, serum, plasma, erythrocytes, urine irrespective of patient characteristics and study characteristics. In several studies very high serum cobalt concentrations above 50 µg/L were measured (detection limit typically 0.3 µg/L. Highest metal ion concentrations were observed after treatment with stemmed large-head MoM-implants and hip resurfacing arthroplasty. DISCUSSION: Due to the risk of local and systemic accumulation of metallic products after treatment with MoM-bearing, risk and benefits should be carefully balanced preoperatively. The authors support a proposed "time out" for stemmed large-head MoM-THA and recommend a restricted

Studies on indigenous ion exchange resins: alkali metal ions-hydrogen ion exchange equilibria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shankar, S.; Kumar, Surender; Venkataramani, B.

2001-01-01

With a view to select a suitable ion exchange resin for the removal of radionuclides (such as cesium, strontium etc.) from low level radioactive effluents, alkali metal ion -H' exchanges on nine indigenous gel- and macroporous-type and nuclear grade resins have been studied at a total ionic strength of 0.1 mol dm .3 (in the case ofCs' -H' exchange it was 0.05 mol dm .3 ). The expected theoretical capacities were not attained by all the resins for the alkali metal ions. The water content (moles/equiv.) of the fully swollen resins for different alkali metal ionic forms do not follow the usual sequence of greater the tendency of the cation to hydrate the higher the water uptake, but a reverse trend. The ion exchange isotherms (plots of equivalent fractions of the ion in resin phase, N M1 to that in solution, N M ) were not satisfactory and sorption of cations, for most of the resins, was possible only when the acidity of the solution was lowered. The variations of the selectivity coefficient, K, with N M show that the resins are highly cross linked and the selectivity sequence: Cs + >K + >Na + >Li + , obtained for all the resins indicate that hydrated ions were involved in the exchange process. However, the increase in the selectivity was not accompanied by the release of water, but unusual uptake of water, during the exchange process. The characteristics of macroporous resins were not significantly different from those of the gel-type resins. The results are discussed in terms of heterogeneity in the polymer net work, improper sulphonation process resulting in the formation of functional groups at inaccessible sites with weak acidic character and the overall lack of control in the preparation of different resins. (author)

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils by using Solanum nigrum: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rehman, Muhammad Zia Ur; Rizwan, Muhammad; Ali, Shafaqat; Ok, Yong Sik; Ishaque, Wajid; Saifullah; Nawaz, Muhammad Farrakh; Akmal, Fatima; Waqar, Maqsooda

2017-09-01

Heavy metals are among the major environmental pollutants and the accumulation of these metals in soils is of great concern in agricultural production due to the toxic effects on crop growth and food quality. Phytoremediation is a promising technique which is being considered as an alternative and low-cost technology for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. Solanum nigrum is widely studied for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils owing to its ability for metal uptake and tolerance. S. nigrum can tolerate excess amount of certain metals through different mechanism including enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and metal deposition in non-active parts of the plant. An overview of heavy metal uptake and tolerance in S. nigrum is given. Both endophytic and soil microorganisms can play a role in enhancing metal tolerance in S. nigrum. Additionally, optimization of soil management practices and exogenous application of amendments can also be used to enhance metal uptake and tolerance in this plant. The main objective of the present review is to highlight and discuss the recent progresses in using S. nigrum for remediation of metal contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil microbial effects of smelter induced heavy metal contamination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nordgren, A

1986-01-01

The soil concentrations of Cu and Zn at the secondary smelter were 20 00 mu g/g dry soil. Close to the primary smelter the soil was contaminated with more than ten elements including Pb, Zn, Cu and As at levels ranging between 6000 and 1000 mu g/g dry soil. The correlations between the concentrations of the metals were high at both smelters. Soil respiration rate decreased by about 75% close to both smelters. Total and fluorescein diacetate stained mycelial lengths decrease with increasing heavy metal pollution at the secondary but not at the primary smelter. The fungal community structure was strongly affected by the contamination. General common in coniferous forest soils such as Penicillium and Oidiodendron virtually vanished, while less frequent species like Paecilomyces farinosus and Geomyces pannorum dominated the site close to the smelter. Colony forming units of a number of functional groups of bacteria were found to be very sensitive to metal contamination. The urease activity of the soil was inhibited. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that the metal contamination was the major environmental influence on the microbiotain the soils studied. A study of about 200 decomposition curves resulting from glutamic acid additions to the different soils produced four microbially related parameters: basal respiration rate, initial respiration rate after the addition of the glutamic acid, specific respiration rate during the exponential increase of the respiration rate and the lag time before the exponential phase. With 53 refs.

Metal and pharmaceutical mixtures: Is ion loss the mechanism underlying acute toxicity and widespread additive toxicity in zebrafish?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsop, Derek, E-mail: alsopde@mcmaster.ca; Wood, Chris M.

2013-09-15

Highlights: •Zebrafish larvae were used to test the acute toxicity of contaminant mixtures. •Interactions were observed between metals, ammonia and pharmaceuticals. •Larval Na{sup +} loss was observed with exposure to all acutely toxic contaminants tested. •Water quality criteria should recognize the toxic interactions between contaminants. -- Abstract: The acute toxicities and mechanisms of action of a variety of environmental contaminants were examined using zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio; 4–8 days post fertilization). Toxic interactions were observed between metals. For example, the addition of a sublethal level of nickel (15% of the LC{sub 50}, one third of the LC{sub 01}) to all copper treatments decreased the copper 96 h LC{sub 50} by 58%, while sublethal copper exposure (6% of the copper LC{sub 50}, 13% of the LC{sub 01}) decreased the cadmium 96 h LC{sub 50} by 47%. Two predictive models were assessed, the concentration addition (CA) model, which assumes similar mechanisms of action, and the independent action (IA) model, which assumes different mechanisms of action. Quantitative comparisons indicated the CA model performed better than the IA model; the latter tended to underestimate combined toxicity to a greater extent. The effects of mixtures with nickel or ammonia were typically additive, while mixtures with copper or cadmium were typically greater than additive. Larvae exposed to cadmium, copper or nickel experienced whole body ion loss. Decreases were greatest for Na{sup +} followed by K{sup +} (as high as 19% and 9%, respectively, in 24 h). Additive toxicity between copper and other pharmaceutical compounds such as fluoxetine (Prozac™), β-naphthoflavone, estrogen and 17α-ethinylestradiol were also observed. Similar to metals, acutely toxic concentrations of fluoxetine, β-naphthoflavone and ammonia all decreased whole body Na{sup +} and K{sup +}. Overall, whole body Na{sup +} loss showed the greatest correlation with mortality across a

Metal and pharmaceutical mixtures: Is ion loss the mechanism underlying acute toxicity and widespread additive toxicity in zebrafish?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alsop, Derek; Wood, Chris M.

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Zebrafish larvae were used to test the acute toxicity of contaminant mixtures. •Interactions were observed between metals, ammonia and pharmaceuticals. •Larval Na + loss was observed with exposure to all acutely toxic contaminants tested. •Water quality criteria should recognize the toxic interactions between contaminants. -- Abstract: The acute toxicities and mechanisms of action of a variety of environmental contaminants were examined using zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio; 4–8 days post fertilization). Toxic interactions were observed between metals. For example, the addition of a sublethal level of nickel (15% of the LC 50 , one third of the LC 01 ) to all copper treatments decreased the copper 96 h LC 50 by 58%, while sublethal copper exposure (6% of the copper LC 50 , 13% of the LC 01 ) decreased the cadmium 96 h LC 50 by 47%. Two predictive models were assessed, the concentration addition (CA) model, which assumes similar mechanisms of action, and the independent action (IA) model, which assumes different mechanisms of action. Quantitative comparisons indicated the CA model performed better than the IA model; the latter tended to underestimate combined toxicity to a greater extent. The effects of mixtures with nickel or ammonia were typically additive, while mixtures with copper or cadmium were typically greater than additive. Larvae exposed to cadmium, copper or nickel experienced whole body ion loss. Decreases were greatest for Na + followed by K + (as high as 19% and 9%, respectively, in 24 h). Additive toxicity between copper and other pharmaceutical compounds such as fluoxetine (Prozac™), β-naphthoflavone, estrogen and 17α-ethinylestradiol were also observed. Similar to metals, acutely toxic concentrations of fluoxetine, β-naphthoflavone and ammonia all decreased whole body Na + and K + . Overall, whole body Na + loss showed the greatest correlation with mortality across a variety of toxicants. We theorize that a disruption of

Modification of metallic corrosion by ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clayton, C.R.

1981-01-01

This review will consider some of the properties of surface alloys, formed by ion implantation, which are effective in modifying corrosion behaviour. Examples will be given of the modification of the corrosion behaviour of pure metals, steels and other engineering alloys, resulting from implantation with metals and metalloids. Emphasis will be given to the modification of anodic processes produced by ion implantation since a review will be given elsewhere in the proceedings concerning the modification of cathodic processes. (orig.)

Adsorption preference for divalent metal ions by Lactobacillus casei JCM1134.

Science.gov (United States)

Endo, Rin; Aoyagi, Hideki

2018-05-09

The removal of harmful metals from the intestinal environment can be inhibited by various ions which can interfere with the adsorption of target metal ions. Therefore, it is important to understand the ion selectivity and adsorption mechanism of the adsorbent. In this study, we estimated the adsorption properties of Lactobacillus casei JCM1134 by analyzing the correlation between its maximum adsorption level (q max ) for seven metals and their ion characteristics. Some metal ions showed altered adsorption levels by L. casei JCM1134 as culture growth time increased. Although it was impossible to identify specific adsorption components, adsorption of Sr and Ba may depend on capsular polysaccharide levels. The maximum adsorption of L. casei JCM1134 (9 h of growth in culture) for divalent metal ions was in the following order: Cu 2+  > Ba 2+  > Sr 2+  > Cd 2+  > Co 2+  > Mg 2+  > Ni 2+ . The q max showed a high positive correlation with the ionic radius. Because this tendency is similar to adsorption occurring through an ion exchange mechanism, it was inferred that an ion exchange mechanism contributed greatly to adsorption by L. casei JCM1134. Because the decrease in the amount of adsorption due to prolonged culture time was remarkable for metals with a large ion radius, it is likely that the adsorption components involved in the ion exchange mechanism decomposed over time. These results and analytical concept may be helpful for designing means to remove harmful metals from the intestinal tract.

Surface modification of metals by ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwaki, Masaya

1988-01-01

Ion implantation in metals has attracted the attention as a useful technology for the formation of new metastable alloys and compounds in metal surface layers without thermal equilibrium. Current studies of metal surface modification by ion implantation with high fluences have expanded from basic research areas and to industrial applications for the improvement of life time of tools. Many results suggest that the high fluence implantation produces the new surface layers with un-expected microscopic characteristics and macroscopic properties due to implant particles, radiation damage, sputtering, and knock-on doping. In this report, the composition, structure and chemical bonding state in surface layers of iron, iron-based alloy and aluminum sheets implanted with high fluences have been investigated by means of secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Tribological properties such as hardness, friction and wear are introduced. (author)

Very broad beam metal ion source for large area ion implantation application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.; Anders, S.; Dickinson, M.R.; MacGill, R.A.; Yao, X.

1993-01-01

The authors have made and operated a very broad beam version of vacuum arc ion source and used it to carry out high energy metal ion implantation of a particularly large substrate. A multiple-cathode vacuum arc plasma source was coupled to a 50 cm diameter beam extractor (multiple aperture, accel-decel configuration) operated at a net extraction voltage of up to 50 kV. The metal ion species chosen were Ni and Ta. The mean ion charge state for Ni and Ta vacuum arc plasmas is 1.8 and 2.9, respectively, and so the mean ion energies were up to about 90 and 145 keV, respectively. The ion source was operated in a repetitively pulsed mode with pulse length 250 μs and repetition rate several pulses per second. The extracted beam had a gaussian profile with FWHM about 35 cm, giving a nominal beam area of about 1,000 cm 2 . The current of Ni or Ta metal ions in the beam was up to several amperes. The targets for the ion implantation were a number of 24-inch long, highly polished Cu rails from an electromagnetic rail gun. The rails were located about 80 cm away from the ion source extractor grids, and were moved across a diameter of the vessel in such a way as to maximize the uniformity of the implant along the rail. The saturation retained dose for Ta was limited to about 4 x 10 16 cm -2 because of the rather severe sputtering, in accordance with the theoretical expectations for these implantation conditions. Here they describe the ion source, the implantation procedure, and the kinds of implants that can be produced in this way

Preparation of Dithizone Functionalized Polystyrene for Detecting Heavy Metal Ion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Hyeon Ho; Kim, Younghun [Kwangwoon University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-04-15

Colorimetric sensors were usually used to detect specific metal ions using selective color change of solutions. While almost organic dye in colorimetric sensors detected single molecule, dithizone (DTZ) solution could be separately detected above 5 kinds of heavy metal ions by the change of clear color. Namely, DTZ could be used as multicolorimetric sensors. However, DTZ was generally used as aqueous type and paper/pellet-type DTZ was not reported yet. Therefore, in this work, polystyrene (PS) was prepared to composite with DTZ and then DTZ/PS pellet was obtained, which was used to selectively detect 10 kinds of heavy metal ions. When 10 ppm of Hg and Co ions was exposed in DTZ/PS pellets, clear color change was revealed. It is noted that DTZ/PS pellet could be used in detecting of heavy metal ion as dry type.

Characterization of heavy-metal-contaminated sediment by using unsupervised multivariate techniques and health risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yeuh-Bin; Liu, Chen-Wuing; Wang, Sheng-Wei

2015-03-01

This study characterized the sediment quality of the severely contaminated Erjen River in Taiwan by using multivariate analysis methods-including factor analysis (FA), self-organizing maps (SOMs), and positive matrix factorization (PMF)-and health risk assessment. The SOMs classified the dataset with similar heavy-metal-contaminated sediment into five groups. FA extracted three major factors-traditional electroplating and metal-surface processing factor, nontraditional heavy-metal-industry factor, and natural geological factor-which accounted for 80.8% of the variance. The SOMs and FA revealed the heavy-metal-contaminated-sediment hotspots in the middle and upper reaches of the major tributary in the dry season. The hazardous index value for health risk via ingestion was 0.302. PMF further qualified the source apportionment, indicating that traditional electroplating and metal-surface-processing industries comprised 47% of the health risk posed by heavy-metal-contaminated sediment. Contaminants discharged from traditional electroplating and metal-surface-processing industries in the middle and upper reaches of the major tributary must be eliminated first to improve the sediment quality in Erjen River. The proposed assessment framework for heavy-metal-contaminated sediment can be applied to contaminated-sediment river sites in other regions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accumulation of metal ions by pectinates

Science.gov (United States)

Deiana, S.; Deiana, L.; Palma, A.; Premoli, A.; Senette, C.

2009-04-01

The knowledge of the mechanisms which regulate the interactions of metal ions with partially methyl esterified linear polymers of α-1,4 linked D-galacturonic acid units (pectinates), well represented in the root inner and outer apoplasm, is of great relevance to understand the processes which control their accumulation at the soil-root interface as well as their mobilization by plant metabolites. Accumulation of a metal by pectinates can be affected by the presence of other metals so that competition or distribution could be expected depending on the similar or different affinity of the metal ions towards the binding sites, mainly represented by the carboxylate groups. In order to better understand the mechanism of accumulation in the apoplasm of several metal ions, the sorption of Cd(II), Zn(II), Cu(II), Pb(II) and Cr(III) by a Ca-polygalacturonate gel, used as model of the soil-root interface, with a degree of esterification of 18% (PGAE1) and 65% (PGAE2) was studied at pH 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 in the presence of CaCl2 2.5 mM.. The results show that sorption increases with increasing both the initial metal concentration and pH. A similar sorption trend was evidenced for Cu(II) and Pb(II) and for Zn(II) and Cd(II), indicating that the mechanism of sorption for these two ionic couples is quite different. As an example, at pH 6.0 and an initial metal concentration equal to 2.0 mM, the amount of Cu(II) and Pb(II) sorbed was about 1.98 mg-1 of PGAE1 while that of Cd(II) and Zn(II) was about 1.2 mg-1. Cr(III) showed a rather different sorption trend and a much higher amount (2.8 mg-1of PGAE1 at pH 6.0) was recorded. The higher affinity of Cr(III) for the polysaccharidic matrix is attributable to the formation of Cr(III) polynuclear species in solution, as shown by the distribution diagrams obtained through the MEDUSA software. On the basis of these findings, the following affinity towards the PGAE1 can be assessed: Cr(III) > Cu(II) ? Pb(II) > Zn (II) ? Cd

Soil contamination of toxic metals from zinc carbon batteries inadequate disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gazano, Vanessa Santos Oliveira

2006-01-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the concentration of Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Ni in an oxisol column contaminated with zinc-carbon batteries. Two control and two contaminated columns, and batteries alone were leached for a periods of six months and one year with aqueous solution of HNO3 and H2SO4 (1:1, pH 4,0) to simulate rainwater. The metal concentrations in effluent and soil were measured by means of ICP-OES technique. Results from the contaminated column showed enhanced concentrations in both effluent and soil (mainly zinc, manganese and lead). In addition, the total amount of metals in effluent and soil showed similar sequence order as observed for batteries alone (Zn > Mn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Cd) indicating that batteries can be considered the main source of contamination. We also observed migration of Zn and Mn from the top to the lower layers of the soil columns. The study gives further evidence that batteries can significantly contaminate the soil with metals like Zn, Mn and Pb, and maybe Cd too. This soil contamination combined with the enhanced concentrations found in the effluent can point out a probable groundwater contamination. (author)

Broad-beam, high current, metal ion implantation facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Dickinson, M.R.; Galvin, J.E.; Godechot, X.; MacGill, R.A.

1990-07-01

We have developed a high current metal ion implantation facility with which high current beams of virtually all the solid metals of the Periodic Table can be produced. The facility makes use of a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source which is operated in a pulsed mode, with pulse width 0.25 ms and repetition rate up to 100 pps. Beam extraction voltage is up to 100 kV, corresponding to an ion energy of up to several hundred keV because of the ion charge state multiplicity; beam current is up to several Amperes peak and around 10 mA time averaged delivered onto target. Implantation is done in a broad-beam mode, with a direct line-of-sight from ion source to target. Here we describe the facility and some of the implants that have been carried out using it, including the 'seeding' of silicon wafers prior to CVD with titanium, palladium or tungsten, the formation of buried iridium silicide layers, and actinide (uranium and thorium) doping of III-V compounds. 16 refs., 6 figs

Functioning of metal contaminated garden soil after remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jelusic, Masa; Grcman, Helena; Vodnik, Dominik; Suhadolc, Metka; Lestan, Domen

2013-01-01

The effect of remediation using three EDTA doses (10, 30, 60 mmol kg −1 ) on soil functioning was assessed using column experiment and Brassica rapa. Soil washing removed up to 77, 29 and 72% of metals from soil contaminated with 1378, 578 and 8.5 mg kg −1 of Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. Sequential extraction indicated removal from the carbonate soil fraction. Metal oral-accessibility from the stomach phase was reduced by up to 75 and from the small intestine by up to 79% (Pb). Part of metals (up to 0.8% Cd) was lost due to leaching from columns. Remediation reduced toxic metal soil-root transfer by up to 61% but did not prevent metal accumulation in leaves. The fitness of plants grown on EDTA washed soils (gas exchange, fluorescence) was not compromised. Remediation initially reduced the soil DNA content (up to 29%, 30 mmol kg −1 EDTA) and changed the structure of microbial population. -- Highlights: ► Toxic metals contaminated garden soil was remediated in a pilot-scale. ► EDTA washing reduced soil Pb, Zn and Cd content and bioavailability. ► Remediated soil preserved the function of plant and microbial substrate. ► Remediation didn't prevent the accumulation of toxic metals in the test plant. -- EDTA soil washing effectively removed toxic metals and reduced their transfer from the soil to plant roots but did not prevent their accumulation in leaves

Applications of ionizing radiation to remediation of materials contaminated with heavy metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dessoukl, A.M.; El-Arnaouty, M.B.; Taher, N.H.; El-Toony, M.M.

2000-01-01

The removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater using gamma-radiation has been investigated for the cases of copper and nickel ions. Hydrated electrons and hydrogen atoms reduce these metal ions. Parameter analysis includes the effect of metal ions concentration, Ph, temperature and irradiation dose. The maximum precipitation of the unirradiated metal ions was achieved in the alkaline medium, followed by the neutral one and the least precipitation was in the acidic medium. Irradiations at Ph 5.5 showed that Cu 2+ precipitated more than Ni 2+ and that the same behaviour was observed when both elements were adsorbed by different adsorbents (GAC, Amberlite IR-120 plus and dowex -1 exchangers). The combined treatment of irradiation plus adsorption resulted in more removal percent especially for powdered activated carbon

Progress in metal ion separation and preconcentration : an overview.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bond, A. H.

1998-05-19

A brief historical perspective covering the most mature chemically-based metal ion separation methods is presented, as is a summary of the recommendations made in the 1987 National Research Council (NRC) report entitled ''Separation and Purification: Critical Needs and Opportunities''. A review of Progress in Metal Ion Separation and Preconcentration shows that advances are occurring in each area of need cited by the NRC. Following an explanation of the objectives and general organization of this book, the contents of each chapter are briefly summarized and some future research opportunities in metal ion separations are presented.

A Au82Si18 liquid metal field-ion emitter for the production of Si ions: fundamental properties and mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bischoff, L.; Mair, G.L.R.; Aidinis, C.J.; Londos, C.A.; Akhmadaliev, C.; Ganetsos, Th.

2004-01-01

Focused silicon beams are useful for direct write applications, e.g., lithography on silicon without the undesirable effect of substrate contamination. However, since pure silicon is not amenable to liquid metal ion source (LMIS) manufacture, a suitable alloy containing silicon has to be produced. This paper covers almost all fundamental aspects of a Au 82 Si 18 eutectic, including the most detailed beam mass spectra reported to date of a AuSi source. A finding worthy of note in this investigation, manifested in the behaviour of the ion extraction voltage with temperature, is the abnormal behaviour of the surface tension coefficient of the alloy with temperature. An important deduction from this work, however, concerns the mechanisms responsible for the creation of doubly charged ions: reasons of self-consistency indicate that while Si 2+ is directly field evaporated, Au 2+ must form by the post-ionization of Au + . Finally, two different mechanisms seem to co-exist, as far as the production of cluster ions is concerned. While for cluster ions containing only a few atoms some sort of surface field-ionization mechanism might be responsible for their creation, for larger clusters, a droplet break-up mechanism, possibly by ion capture, seems very likely

Heavy metal ion adsorption onto polypyrrole-impregnated porous carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Moonjung; Jang, Jyongsik

2008-09-01

Polypyrrole-impregnated porous carbon was readily synthesized using vapor infiltration polymerization of pyrrole monomers. The results show that the functionalized polymer layer was successfully coated onto the pore surface of carbon without collapse of mesoporous structure. The modified porous carbon exhibited an improved complexation affinity for heavy metal ions such as mercury, lead, and silver ions due to the amine group of polypyrrole. The introduced polypyrrole layer could provide the surface modification to be applied for heavy metal ion adsorbents. Especially, polymer-impregnated porous carbon has an enhanced heavy metal ion uptake, which is 20 times higher than that of adsorbents with amine functional groups. Furthermore, the relationship between the coated polymer amount and surface area was also investigated in regard to adsorption capacity.

Metal release from contaminated coastal sediments under changing pH conditions: Implications for metal mobilization in acidified oceans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zaosheng; Wang, Yushao; Zhao, Peihong; Chen, Liuqin; Yan, Changzhou; Yan, Yijun; Chi, Qiaoqiao

2015-12-30

To investigate the impacts and processes of CO2-induced acidification on metal mobilization, laboratory-scale experiments were performed, simulating the scenarios where carbon dioxide was injected into sediment-seawater layers inside non-pressurized chambers. Coastal sediments were sampled from two sites with different contamination levels and subjected to pre-determined pH conditions. Sediment samples and overlying water were collected for metal analysis after 10-days. The results indicated that CO2-induced ocean acidification would provoke increased metal mobilization causing adverse side-effects on water quality. The mobility of metals from sediment to the overlying seawater was correlated with the reduction in pH. Results of sequential extractions of sediments illustrated that exchangeable metal forms were the dominant source of mobile metals. Collectively, our data revealed that high metal concentrations in overlying seawater released from contaminated sediments under acidic conditions may strengthen the existing contamination gradients in Maluan Bay and represent a potential risk to ecosystem health in coastal environments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil on Growth and Development of Perennial Grasses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Żurek G.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Contamination of agricultural land in Poland by heavy metals is not a general problem but is limited to industrial areas. In regions of long history of industrial emission, of elevated levels of lead, cadmium, zinc and other ions during coal and ore mining and processing, as for example in Silesia, about 10 % of agricultural land may be characterized by exceeded maximum residue limits for Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni and Zn ions. Since the maintenance of agricultural areas in those regions is important from an ecological standpoint, the alternative farming activities are needed. Perennial grass biomass production for energy purposes is currently the best solution for majority of agricultural areas not suitable for food production in Poland. Along with increasing knowledge on separation and utilization of heavy metals (HM during and after biomass processing, phytoremediation of polluted soils will become important and valuable. To detect the effect of soil HM ions concentration on growth and development of selected, tall growing and high biomass yielding perennial grass cultivars, the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were registered. The elevated content of Pb, Cd and Zn ions in soil influenced on decrease of: minimal (Fo, maximal (Fm and variable (Fv fluorescence level as well as on total complementary area on a diagram of chlorophyll a fluorescence induction curve (Area. Based on detected parameters it was concluded, that the high level of HM ions in soils negatively affected the efficiency of photosynthesis. Therefore, plant growth, as well as development of generative shoots and finally the biomass yield were reduced in some cultivars. Among tested cultivars different reaction for HM ions in polluted soil were noted: from only slightly modified parameters of photosynthesis and unreduced yield (Elytrigia elongata cv. Bamar and Arrhenatherum elatius cv. Wiwena to significantly reduced Fo, Fv, Fm and biomass yield (Bromus carinathus cv. Broma and Bromus

Heavy metal ions are potent inhibitors of protein folding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Sandeep K.; Goloubinoff, Pierre; Christen, Philipp

2008-01-01

Environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and lead results in severe health hazards including prenatal and developmental defects. The deleterious effects of heavy metal ions have hitherto been attributed to their interactions with specific, particularly susceptible native proteins. Here, we report an as yet undescribed mode of heavy metal toxicity. Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ proved to inhibit very efficiently the spontaneous refolding of chemically denatured proteins by forming high-affinity multidentate complexes with thiol and other functional groups (IC 50 in the nanomolar range). With similar efficacy, the heavy metal ions inhibited the chaperone-assisted refolding of chemically denatured and heat-denatured proteins. Thus, the toxic effects of heavy metal ions may result as well from their interaction with the more readily accessible functional groups of proteins in nascent and other non-native form. The toxic scope of heavy metals seems to be substantially larger than assumed so far

Two-step purification of His-tagged Nef protein in native condition using heparin and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographies.

Science.gov (United States)

Finzi, Andrés; Cloutier, Jonathan; Cohen, Eric A

2003-07-01

The Nef protein encoded by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been shown to be an important factor of progression of viral growth and pathogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo. The lack of a simple procedure to purify Nef in its native conformation has limited molecular studies on Nef function. A two-step procedure that includes heparin and immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographies (IMACs) was developed to purify His-tagged Nef (His(6)-Nef) expressed in bacteria in native condition. During the elaboration of this purification procedure, we identified two closely SDS-PAGE-migrating contaminating bacterial proteins, SlyD and GCHI, that co-eluted with His(6)-Nef in IMAC in denaturing condition and developed purification steps to eliminate these contaminants in native condition. Overall, this study describes a protocol that allows rapid purification of His(6)-Nef protein expressed in bacteria in native condition and that removes metal affinity resin-binding bacterial proteins that can contaminate recombinant His-tagged protein preparation.

Highly sensitive colour change system within slight differences in metal ion concentrations based on homo-binuclear complex formation equilibrium for visual threshold detection of trace metal ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuguchi, Hitoshi; Atsumi, Hiroshi; Hashimoto, Keigo; Shimada, Yasuhiro; Kudo, Yuki; Endo, Masatoshi; Yokota, Fumihiko; Shida, Junichi; Yotsuyanagi, Takao

2004-01-01

A new technique of expressing slight differences in metal ion concentrations by clear difference in colour was established for visual threshold detection of trace metal ions. The proposed method is based on rapid change of the mole fraction of the homo-binuclear complex (M 2 L) about a ligand in a narrow range of the total metal ion concentration (M T ) in a small excess, in case the second metal ion is bound to the reagent molecule which can bind two metal ions. Theoretical simulations showed that the highly sensitive colour change within slight differences in metal ion concentrations would be realized under the following conditions: (i) both of the stepwise formation constants of complex species are sufficiently large; (ii) the stepwise formation constant of the 1:1 complex (ML) is larger than that of M 2 L; and (iii) the absorption spectrum of M 2 L is far apart from the other species in the visible region. Furthermore, the boundary of the colour region in M T would be readily controlled by the total ligand concentration (L T ). Based on this theory, the proposed model was verified with the 3,3'-bis[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]methyl derivatives of sulphonephthalein dyes such as xylenol orange (XO), methylthymol blue (MTB), and methylxylenol blue (MXB), which can bind two metal ions at both ends of a π-electron conjugated system. The above-mentioned model was proved with the iron(III)-XO system at pH 2. In addition, MTB and MXB were suitable reagents for the visual threshold detection of trivalent metal ions such as iron(III), aluminium(III), gallium(III) and indium(III) ion in slightly acidic media. The proposed method has been applied successfully as a screening test for aluminium(III) ion in river water sampled at the downstream area of an old mine

Metal ion transport quantified by ICP-MS in intact cells

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Julio A. Landero; Stiner, Cory A.; Radzyukevich, Tatiana L.; Heiny, Judith A.

2016-01-01

The use of ICP-MS to measure metal ion content in biological tissues offers a highly sensitive means to study metal-dependent physiological processes. Here we describe the application of ICP-MS to measure membrane transport of Rb and K ions by the Na,K-ATPase in mouse skeletal muscles and human red blood cells. The ICP-MS method provides greater precision and statistical power than possible with conventional tracer flux methods. The method is widely applicable to studies of other metal ion transporters and metal-dependent processes in a range of cell types and conditions. PMID:26838181

Method of decontaminating radioactive-contaminated instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urata, Megumu; Fujii, Masaaki; Kitaguchi, Hiroshi.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To enable safety processing of liquid wastes by recovering radioactive metal ions remaining in the electrolytes after the decontamination procedure thereby decreasing the radioactivity. Method: In a decontamination tank containing electrolytes consisting of diluted hydrochloric acid and diluted sulfuric acid, are provided a radioactive contaminated instrument connected to an anode and a collector electrode made of stainless steel connected to a cathode respectively. Upon applying electrical current, the portion of the mother material to be decontaminated is polished electrolytically into metal ions and they are deposited as metal on the collection electrode. After completion of the decontamination, an ultrasonic wave generator is operated to strip and remove the oxide films. Thereafter, the anode is replaced with the carbon electrode and electrical current is supplied continuously, whereby the remaining metal ions are deposited and recovered as the metal on the collection electrode. (Yoshino, Y.)

Investigation the foam dynamics capacity of SDS in foam generator by affecting the presence of organic and inorganic contaminant

Science.gov (United States)

Haryanto, Bode; Siswarni, M. Z.; Sianipar, Yosef C. H.; Sinaga, Tongam M. A.; Bestari, Imam

2017-05-01

The effect of negative charge SDS monomer on its foam capacity with the presence of contaminants was investigated in foam generator. Generally, surfactant with higher concentration has higher foam capacity. The higher concentration will increase the number of monomer then increase the micelles in liquid phase. Increasing the number of monomer with the negative charge is a potential to increase interaction with metal ion with positive charge in solution. The presence of inorganic compound as metal ion with positive charge and organic compound (colloid) as particle of coffee impacting to generate the foam lamella with monomer is evaluated. Foam dynamic capacity of only SDS with variation of CMC, 1 x; 2 x; 3 x have the height 7.5, 8.0 and 8.3 cm respectively with the different range time were investigated. The Height of foam dynamic capacity with the presence of 20 ppm Cd2+ ion contaminant was 8.0, 8.3 and 8.4 cm at the same CMC variation of SDS. The presence of metal ion contaminant within the foam was confirmed by AAS. The black coffee particles and oil as contaminant decreased the foam capacity significantly in comparing to metal ions.

Considering bioavailability in the remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leita L.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Many years of research have demonstrated that instead of the total concentration of metals in soil, bioavailability is the key to understand the environmental risk derived by metals, since adverse effects are related only to the biologically available forms of these elements. The knowledge of bioavailability can decrease the uncertainties in evaluating exposure in human and ecological risk assessment. At the same time, the efficiency of remediation treatments could be greatly influenced by availability of the contaminants. Consideration of the bioavailability processes at contaminated sites could be useful in site-specific risk assessment: the fraction of mobile metals, instead of total content should be provided as estimates of metal exposure. Moreover, knowledge of the chemical forms of heavy metals in soils is a critical component in the evaluation of applicability of different remediation technologies such as phytoremdiation or soil washing.

Use of heavy ions to model radiation damage of metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirokov, S.V.; Vyshemirskij, M.P.

2011-01-01

The methods for modeling radiation damage of metals using heavy ions are reviewed and the results obtained are analyzed. It is shown that irradiation of metals with heavy ion can simulate neutron exposure with the equivalent dose with adequate accuracy and permits a detailed analysis of radiation damage of metals

Heavy Metal Contamination Assessment and Partition for Industrial and Mining Gathering Areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Guan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Industrial and mining activities have been recognized as the major sources of soil heavy metal contamination. This study introduced an improved Nemerow index method based on the Nemerow and geo-accumulation index. Taking a typical industrial and mining gathering area in Tianjin (China as example, this study then analyzed the contamination sources as well as the ecological and integrated risks. The spatial distribution of the contamination level and ecological risk were determined using Geographic Information Systems. The results are as follows: (1 Zinc showed the highest contaminant level in the study area; the contamination levels of the other seven heavy metals assessed were relatively lower. (2 The combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from industrial and mining activities were the main sources of contamination in the study area. (3 The overall contamination level of heavy metals in the study area ranged from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and showed an uneven distribution. (4 The potential ecological risk showed an uneven distribution, and the overall ecological risk level ranged from low to moderate. This study also emphasized the importance of partition in industrial and mining areas, the extensive application of spatial analysis methods, and the consideration of human health risks in future studies.

Heavy Metal Contamination Assessment and Partition for Industrial and Mining Gathering Areas

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Yang; Shao, Chaofeng; Ju, Meiting

2014-01-01

Industrial and mining activities have been recognized as the major sources of soil heavy metal contamination. This study introduced an improved Nemerow index method based on the Nemerow and geo-accumulation index. Taking a typical industrial and mining gathering area in Tianjin (China) as example, this study then analyzed the contamination sources as well as the ecological and integrated risks. The spatial distribution of the contamination level and ecological risk were determined using Geographic Information Systems. The results are as follows: (1) Zinc showed the highest contaminant level in the study area; the contamination levels of the other seven heavy metals assessed were relatively lower. (2) The combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from industrial and mining activities were the main sources of contamination in the study area. (3) The overall contamination level of heavy metals in the study area ranged from heavily contaminated to extremely contaminated and showed an uneven distribution. (4) The potential ecological risk showed an uneven distribution, and the overall ecological risk level ranged from low to moderate. This study also emphasized the importance of partition in industrial and mining areas, the extensive application of spatial analysis methods, and the consideration of human health risks in future studies. PMID:25032743

Ion beam assisted deposition of metal-coatings on beryllium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashlykov, I.S.; Tul'ev, V.V.

2015-01-01

Thin films were applied on beryllium substrates on the basis of metals (Cr, Ti, Cu and W) with method of the ion-assisted deposition in vacuum. Me/Be structures were prepared using 20 kV ions irradiation during deposition on beryllium neutral fraction generated from vacuum arc plasma. Rutherford back scattering and computer simulation RUMP code were applied to investigate the composition of the modified beryllium surface. Researches showed that the superficial structure is formed on beryllium by thickness ~ 50-60 nm. The covering composition includes atoms of the deposited metal (0.5-3.3 at. %), atoms of technological impurity carbon (0.8-1.8 at. %) and oxygen (6.3-9.9 at. %), atoms of beryllium from the substrate. Ion assisted deposition of metals on beryllium substrate is accompanied by radiation enhanced diffusion of metals, oxygen atoms in the substrate, out diffusion of beryllium, carbon atoms in the deposited coating and sputtering film-forming ions assists. (authors)

Hydrolysis of metal ions. Vol. 1 and 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Paul L. [Geochem Australia, Kiama, NSW (Australia); Ekberg, Christian [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Nuclear Chemistry/Industrial Materials Recycling

2016-07-01

Filling the need for a comprehensive treatment that covers the theory, methods and the different types of metal ion complexes with water (hydrolysis), this handbook and ready reference is authored by a nuclear chemist from academia and an industrial geochemist. The book includes both cation and anion complexes, and approaches the topic of metal ion hydrolysis by first covering the background, before proceeding with an overview of the dissociation of water and then all different metal-water hydrolysis complexes and compounds. A must-have for scientists in academia and industry working on this interdisciplinary topic.

Charge state of ions scattered by metal surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kishinevsky, L.M.; Parilis, E.S.; Verleger, V.K.

1976-01-01

A model for description of charge distributions for scattering of heavy ions in the keV region, on metal surfaces developing and improving the method of Van der Weg and Bierman, and taking into account the connection between the ion charge state and scattering kinematics, is proposed. It is shown that multiple charged particles come from ions with a vacancy in the inner shell while the outer shell vacancies give only single charged ions and neutrals. The approximately linear increase of degree of ionization with normal velocity, and the non-monotonic charge dependence of the energy spectrum established by Chicherov and Buck et al is explained by considering irreversible neutralization in the depth of the metal, taking into account the connection of the charge state with the shape of trajectory and its location relative to the metal surface. The dependence of charge state on surface structure is discussed. Some new experiments are proposed. (author)

Heavy metal contamination in an urban stream fed by contaminated air-conditioning and stormwater discharges.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sullivan, Aisling; Wicke, Daniel; Cochrane, Tom

2012-03-01

Urban waterways are impacted by diffuse stormwater runoff, yet other discharges can unintentionally contaminate them. The Okeover stream in Christchurch, New Zealand, receives air-conditioning discharge, while its ephemeral reach relies on untreated stormwater flow. Despite rehabilitation efforts, the ecosystem is still highly disturbed. It was assumed that stormwater was the sole contamination source to the stream although water quality data were sparse. We therefore investigated its water and sediment quality and compared the data with appropriate ecotoxicological thresholds from all water sources. Concentrations of metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) in stream baseflow, stormwater runoff, air-conditioning discharge and stream-bed sediments were quantified along with flow regimes to ascertain annual contaminant loads. Metals were analysed by ICP-MS following accredited techniques. Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations from stormflow exceeded relevant guidelines for the protection of 90% of aquatic species by 18-, 9- and 5-fold, respectively, suggesting substantial ecotoxicity potential. Sporadic copper (Cu) inputs from roof runoff exceeded these levels up to 3,200-fold at >4,000 μg L⁻¹ while Cu in baseflow from air-conditioning inputs exceeded them 5.4-fold. There was an 11-fold greater annual Cu load to the stream from air-conditioning discharge compared to stormwater runoff. Most Zn and Cu were dissolved species possibly enhancing metal bioavailability. Elevated metal concentrations were also found throughout the stream sediments. Environmental investigations revealed unsuspected contamination from air-conditioning discharge that contributed greater Cu annual loads to an urban stream compared to stormwater inputs. This discovery helped reassess treatment strategies for regaining ecological integrity in the ecosystem.

Adhesive, abrasive and oxidative wear in ion-implanted metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, G.

1985-01-01

Ion implantation is increasingly being used to provide wear resistance in metals and cemented tungsten carbides. Field trials and laboratory tests indicate that the best performance is achieved in mild abrasive wear. This can be understood in terms of the classification of wear modes (adhesive, abrasive, oxidative etc.) introduced by Burwell. Surface hardening and work hardenability are the major properties to be enhanced by ion implantation. The implantation of nitrogen or dual implants of metallic and interstitial species are effective. Recently developed techniques of ion-beam-enhanced deposition of coatings can further improve wear resistance by lessening adhesion and oxidation. In order to support such hard coatings, ion implantation of nitrogen can be used as a preliminary treatment. There is thus emerging a versatile group of related hard vacuum treatments involving intense beams of nitrogen ions for the purpose of tailoring metal surfaces to resist wear. (Auth.)

Metal Ion Concentrations in Body Fluids after Implantation of Hip Replacements with Metal-on-Metal Bearing – Systematic Review of Clinical and Epidemiological Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Albrecht; Hannemann, Franziska; Lützner, Jörg; Seidler, Andreas; Drexler, Hans; Günther, Klaus-Peter; Schmitt, Jochen

2013-01-01

Introduction The use of metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) increased in the last decades. A release of metal products (i.e. particles, ions, metallo-organic compounds) in these implants may cause local and/or systemic adverse reactions. Metal ion concentrations in body fluids are surrogate measures of metal exposure. Objective To systematically summarize and critically appraise published studies concerning metal ion concentrations after MoM THA. Methods Systematic review of clinical trials (RCTs) and epidemiological studies with assessment of metal ion levels (cobalt, chromium, titanium, nickel, molybdenum) in body fluids after implantation of metalliferous hip replacements. Systematic search in PubMed and Embase in January 2012 supplemented by hand search. Standardized abstraction of pre- and postoperative metal ion concentrations stratified by type of bearing (primary explanatory factor), patient characteristics as well as study quality characteristics (secondary explanatory factors). Results Overall, 104 studies (11 RCTs, 93 epidemiological studies) totaling 9.957 patients with measurement of metal ions in body fluids were identified and analyzed. Consistently, median metal ion concentrations were persistently elevated after implantation of MoM-bearings in all investigated mediums (whole blood, serum, plasma, erythrocytes, urine) irrespective of patient characteristics and study characteristics. In several studies very high serum cobalt concentrations above 50 µg/L were measured (detection limit typically 0.3 µg/L). Highest metal ion concentrations were observed after treatment with stemmed large-head MoM-implants and hip resurfacing arthroplasty. Discussion Due to the risk of local and systemic accumulation of metallic products after treatment with MoM-bearing, risk and benefits should be carefully balanced preoperatively. The authors support a proposed „time out“ for stemmed large-head MoM-THA and recommend a restricted indication for hip

Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Meagher, Richard Brian; Summers, Anne O.; Rugh, Clayton L.

1999-10-12

The present invention provides nucleic acid sequences encoding a metal ion resistance protein, which are expressible in plant cells. The metal resistance protein provides for the enzymatic reduction of metal ions including but not limited to divalent Cu, divalent mercury, trivalent gold, divalent cadmium, lead ions and monovalent silver ions. Transgenic plants which express these coding sequences exhibit increased resistance to metal ions in the environment as compared with plants which have not been so genetically modified. Transgenic plants with improved resistance to organometals including alkylmercury compounds, among others, are provided by the further inclusion of plant-expressible organometal lyase coding sequences, as specifically exemplified by the plant-expressible merB coding sequence. Furthermore, these transgenic plants which have been genetically modified to express the metal resistance coding sequences of the present invention can participate in the bioremediation of metal contamination via the enzymatic reduction of metal ions. Transgenic plants resistant to organometals can further mediate remediation of organic metal compounds, for example, alkylmetal compounds including but not limited to methyl mercury, methyl lead compounds, methyl cadmium and methyl arsenic compounds, in the environment by causing the freeing of mercuric or other metal ions and the reduction of the ionic mercury or other metal ions to the less toxic elemental mercury or other metals.

Solution thermodynamics of rare-earth metal ions - physicochemical study-

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amerkhanova, Sh K; Shlyapov, R M; Uali, A S [Buketov Karaganda state university, University str., 28, Karaganda, 100028 (Kazakhstan)], E-mail: amerkhanova_sh@mail.ru

2009-02-01

The results of the studying of interactions in multicomponent systems 'polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) - rare-earth element ion - nitrate of sodium - water' are represented. It is established that for rubidium (I) ions temperature and ionic strength is render destroying action, and for yttrium (III) ions the influence of these factors has return character which is connected with features of an electronic structure of metal ion. It is revealed that a dominating role of non-electrostatic formation composed, hence, the formation of donor-acceptor connection of 'metal - ligand' occurs through atom of oxygen.

Determination of heavy metal pollution in soils from selected potentially contaminated sites in Tema

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyaaba, A.K.L.

2011-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess the concentration and determine the level of pollution by harmful heavy metals in soils from selected potentially contaminated sites in Tema. The metals of interest include; mercury, lead, cadmium, cobalt zinc, arsenic, nickel, copper and chromium. A total of forty seven (47) samples comprising thirty eight sub-samples (38) and nine (9) composite samples were collected from nine (9) different locations. These included playgrounds, steel processing factories, used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling plant, mechanic workshops and the municipal waste disposal site. The samples were prepared after which the elemental concentrations were determined using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) with a secondary target excitation arrangement (5.9 keV). The analysis of the samples yielded the following mean heavy metal concentrations in mg/kg: 424.38 (Cr); 408.68 (Ni); 14427 (Cu); 4129.87 (Zn); 1580.68 (As); 647.48 (Hg); 73361.51 (Pb) and 1176.16 (Co). The mean concentrations of heavy metals in the soils were in the following order Pb>Zn>As>Co>Cu>Hg>Cr>Ni. Mercury was detected at only two of the sites. The average heavy metals in the soils from the sites were generally high since most of them exceeded the optimum and action values of the New Dutch List. The Enrichment Factor (EF) ratios show that the enrichment of the elements in the soils ranged from deficiently to extremely highly enriched. The contamination factor show that the contamination by the heavy metals were low at some of the sites and very high at others. The geoaccumulation indices indicated that the playground (PG) has not been contaminated by any of the metals, C8 is contaminated strongly by mercury only and the contamination at the remaining sites varied from moderately contaminated to extremely contaminated by the metals. The Igeo also indicated that the elements accounting for extreme contamination are lead, arsenic, copper, zinc mercury and chromium. Lead

Accumulation of some metal ions on Bacillus licheniformis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafez, M.B.; El-Desouky, W.; Fouad, A.

2001-01-01

Pure species of Bacillus licheniformis was used to remove ions from aqueous and simulated waste solutions. Metal ion accumulation on B. licheniformis was fast. Maximum uptake occurred at pH 4± 0.5 and at 25 ± 3 deg C. One gram of dry B. licheniformis was found to accumulate 115 mg cerium, 34 mg copper and 11 mg cobalt from aqueous solutions. The presence of certain foreign ions such as calcium, sodium and potassium decreased the uptake of ions by B. licheniformis, while citrate and EDTA prevent the uptake. Electron microscopic investigations showed that cerium (III), copper (II) and cobalt (II) accumulated extracellulary around the surface wall of B. licheniformis cells. A bio-adsorption mechanism between the metal ions and B. licheniformis cell wall was proposed. (author)

Ion conducting polymers and polymer blends for alkali metal ion batteries

Science.gov (United States)

DeSimone, Joseph M.; Pandya, Ashish; Wong, Dominica; Vitale, Alessandra

2017-08-29

Electrolyte compositions for batteries such as lithium ion and lithium air batteries are described. In some embodiments the compositions are liquid compositions comprising (a) a homogeneous solvent system, said solvent system comprising a perfluropolyether (PFPE) and polyethylene oxide (PEO); and (b) an alkali metal salt dissolved in said solvent system. In other embodiments the compositions are solid electrolyte compositions comprising: (a) a solid polymer, said polymer comprising a crosslinked product of a crosslinkable perfluropolyether (PFPE) and a crosslinkable polyethylene oxide (PEO); and (b) an alkali metal ion salt dissolved in said polymer. Batteries containing such compositions as electrolytes are also described.

Applications of ion plating in metals fabrication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, R.T.; Thompson, J.C.

1974-01-01

Use of ion plating at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant to solve problems encountered in metals fabrication and processing are discussed. Three typical areas are covered. The first is the use of strike coats on various substrates for subsequent electrodeposition. The second area in which ion plating is shown to contribute to a process is in cold welding or room temperature bonding of metals. The third application involves plating U to promote safe handling, fission-product retention, and corrosion protection in nuclear reactors

Catalytic extraction processing of contaminated scrap metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Griffin, T.P.; Johnston, J.E.; Payea, B.M. [Molten Metal Technology, Inc., Waltham, MA (United States)] [and others

1995-10-01

The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Planned Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) in 1993, with the objective of identifying unique technologies which could be applied to the most hazardous waste streams at DOE sites. The combination of radioactive contamination with additional contamination by hazardous constituents such as those identified by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) pose an especially challenging problem. Traditional remediation technologies are increasingly becoming less acceptable to stakeholders and regulators because of the risks they pose to public health and safety. Desirable recycling technologies were described by the DOE as: (1) easily installed, operated, and maintained; (2) exhibiting superior environmental performance; (3) protective of worker and public health and safety; (4) readily acceptable to a wide spectrum of evaluators; and (5) economically feasible. Molten Metal Technology, Inc. (MMT) was awarded a contract as a result of the PRDA initiative to demonstrate the applicability of Catalytic Extraction Processing (CEP), MMT`s proprietary elemental recycling technology, to DOE`s inventory of low level mixed waste. This includes DOE`s inventory of radioactively- and RCRA-contaminated scrap metal and other waste forms expected to be generated by the decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) of DOE sites.

Catalytic extraction processing of contaminated scrap metal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griffin, T.P.; Johnston, J.E.; Payea, B.M.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy issued a Planned Research and Development Announcement (PRDA) in 1993, with the objective of identifying unique technologies which could be applied to the most hazardous waste streams at DOE sites. The combination of radioactive contamination with additional contamination by hazardous constituents such as those identified by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) pose an especially challenging problem. Traditional remediation technologies are increasingly becoming less acceptable to stakeholders and regulators because of the risks they pose to public health and safety. Desirable recycling technologies were described by the DOE as: (1) easily installed, operated, and maintained; (2) exhibiting superior environmental performance; (3) protective of worker and public health and safety; (4) readily acceptable to a wide spectrum of evaluators; and (5) economically feasible. Molten Metal Technology, Inc. (MMT) was awarded a contract as a result of the PRDA initiative to demonstrate the applicability of Catalytic Extraction Processing (CEP), MMT's proprietary elemental recycling technology, to DOE's inventory of low level mixed waste. This includes DOE's inventory of radioactively- and RCRA-contaminated scrap metal and other waste forms expected to be generated by the decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) of DOE sites

Removal of trace metal contaminants from potable water by electrocoagulation

Science.gov (United States)

Heffron, Joe; Marhefke, Matt; Mayer, Brooke K.

2016-06-01

This study investigated the effects of four operational and environmental variables on the removal of trace metal contaminants from drinking water by electrocoagulation (EC). Removal efficiencies for five metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and nickel) were compared under varying combinations of electrode material, post-treatment, water composition and pH. Iron electrodes out-performed aluminum electrodes in removing chromium and arsenic. At pH 6.5, aluminum electrodes were slightly more effective at removing nickel and cadmium, while at pH 8.5, iron electrodes were more effective for these metals. Regardless of electrode, cadmium and nickel removal efficiencies were higher at pH 8.5 than at pH 6.5. Post-EC treatment using membrane filtration (0.45 μm) enhanced contaminant removal for all metals but nickel. With the exception of lead, all metals exhibited poorer removal efficiencies as the ionic strength of the background electrolyte increased, particularly in the very high-solids synthetic groundwaters. Residual aluminum concentrations were lowest at pH 6.5, while iron residuals were lowest in low ionic strength waters. Both aluminum and iron residuals required post-treatment filtration to meet drinking water standards. EC with post-treatment filtration appears to effectively remove trace metal contaminants to potable water standards, but both reactor and source water parameters critically impact removal efficiency.

Cooperative adsorption of critical metal ions using archaeal poly-γ-glutamate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakumai, Yuichi; Oike, Shota; Shibata, Yuka; Ashiuchi, Makoto

2016-06-01

Antimony, beryllium, chromium, cobalt (Co), gallium (Ga), germanium, indium (In), lithium, niobium, tantalum, the platinoids, the rare-earth elements (including dysprosium, Dy), and tungsten are generally regarded to be critical (rare) metals, and the ions of some of these metals are stabilized in acidic solutions. We examined the adsorption capacities of three water-soluble functional polymers, namely archaeal poly-γ-glutamate (L-PGA), polyacrylate (PAC), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), for six valuable metal ions (Co(2+), Ni(2+), Mn(2+), Ga(3+), In(3+), and Dy(3+)). All three polymers showed apparently little or no capacity for divalent cations, whereas L-PGA and PAC showed the potential to adsorb trivalent cations, implying the beneficial valence-dependent selectivity of anionic polyelectrolytes with multiple carboxylates for metal ions. PVA did not adsorb metal ions, indicating that the crucial role played by carboxyl groups in the adsorption of crucial metal ions cannot be replaced by hydroxyl groups under the conditions. In addition, equilibrium studies using the non-ideal competitive adsorption model indicated that the potential for L-PGA to be used for the removal (or collection) of water-soluble critical metal ions (e.g., Ga(3+), In(3+), and Dy(3+)) was far superior to that of any other industrially-versatile PAC materials.

Reactions of metal ions and their clusters in the gas phase using laser ionization: ion cyclotron resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freiser, B.S.

1981-04-01

Two subjects are discussed in this report: advances in proposed studies on metal ion chemistry and expansion of laboratory facilities. The development of a combined pulsed laser source-ion cyclotron resonance spectrometer has proven to be a convenient and powerful method for generating metal ions and for studying their subsequent chemistry in the gas phase. The main emphasis of this research has been on the application of metal ions as a selective chemical ionization reagents and progress in this area are discussed. The goal is to identify trends in reactivity i.e. mechanisms useful in interpreting the chemical ionization spectra of unknown compounds and to test for the functional group selectivity of the various metal ions. The feasibility of these goals have been demonstrated in extensive studies on Cu + with esters and ketones, on Fe + with ethers, ketones, and hydrocarbons, and on Ti + with hydrocarbons. In addition, preliminary results on sulfur containing compounds and on a variety of other metallic ions have been obtained. Laboratory facilities were expanded from one ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) spectrometer to two, plus a third instrument the Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance (FTICR) spectrometer

A simple alkali-metal and noble gas ion source for SIMS equipments with mass separation of the primary ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duesterhoeft, H.; Pippig, R.

1986-01-01

An alkali-metal ion source working without a store of alkali-metals is described. The alkali-metal ions are produced by evaporation of alkali salts and ionization in a low-voltage arc discharge stabilized with a noble gas plasma or in the case of small alkali-metal ion currents on the base of the well known thermic ionization at a hot tungsten wire. The source is very simple in construction and produces a stable ion current of 0.3 μA for more than 100 h. It is possible to change the ion species in a short time. This source is applicable to all SIMS equipments using mass separation for primary ions. (author)

Biosorption of heavy metal ions from aqueous solution by red macroalgae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Wael M

2011-09-15

Biosorption is an effective process for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. The biomass of marine algae has been reported to have high biosorption capacities for a number of heavy metal ions. In this study, four species of red seaweeds Corallina mediterranea, Galaxaura oblongata, Jania rubens and Pterocladia capillacea were examined to remove Co(II), Cd(II), Cr(III) and Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution. The experimental parameters that affect the biosorption process such as pH, contact time and biomass dosage were studied. The maximum biosorption capacity of metal ions was 105.2mg/g at biomass dosage 10 g/L, pH 5 and contact time 60 min. The biosorption efficiency of algal biomass for the removal of heavy metal ions from industrial wastewater was evaluated for two successive cycles. Galaxaura oblongata biomass was relatively more efficient to remove metal ions with mean biosorption efficiency of 84%. This study demonstrated that these seaweeds constitute a promising, efficient, cheap and biodegradable sorbent biomaterial for lowering the heavy metal pollution in the environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructured liquid metal electron and ion sources (MILMES/MILMIS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitterauer, J [Technische Universitaet Wien (Austria). Institut fuer Allgemeine Elektrotechnik und Elektronik

1997-12-31

Ion or electron beams can be emitted from liquid metal wetted needles, or from capillaries or slits into which the liquid metal is allowed to flow. Large-area liquid metal field emission sources have been proposed recently, using either two-dimensional, regular arrays of cones or capillaries, or even a substrate with an intrinsically microstructured surface covered by a liquid metal film. This latter concept has been realized in a pilot experiment by in situ wicking and wetting of a porous sintered metal disc. Microstructured liquid metal ion or electron sources are capable of operating in a pulsed mode at a current level which is orders of magnitude above that for steady-state operation. (author). 3 figs., 10 refs.

Size characterisation of noble-metal nano-crystals formed in sapphire by ion irradiation and subsequent thermal annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mota-Santiago, Pablo-Ernesto [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico A.P. 20-364 01000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Crespo-Sosa, Alejandro, E-mail: crespo@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico A.P. 20-364 01000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Jimenez-Hernandez, Jose-Luis; Silva-Pereyra, Hector-Gabriel; Reyes-Esqueda, Jorge-Alejandro; Oliver, Alicia [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico A.P. 20-364 01000 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Systematic study on the formation of Ag and Au nano-particles in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Annealing in a reducing atmosphere, below the metal melting point is more suitable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Au nano-particles grow up to 15 nm and Ag nano-particles up to 45 nm in radius. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ostwald ripening is the mechanism responsible for the formation of large nanoparticles. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Optical properties of metallic nano-particles in Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} can be related to their size. - Abstract: Metallic nano-particles embedded in transparent dielectrics are very important for new technological applications because of their unique optical properties. These properties depend strongly on the size and shape of the nano-particles. In order to achieve the synthesis of metallic nano-particles it has been used the technique of ion implantation. This is a very common technique because it allows the control of the depth and concentration of the metallic ions inside the sample, limited mostly by straggling, without introducing other contaminant agents. The purpose of this work was to measure the size of the nano-particles grown under different conditions in Sapphire and its size evolution during the growth process. To achieve this goal, {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} single crystals were implanted with Ag or Au ions at room temperature with different fluences (from 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2} to 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}). Afterwards, the samples were annealed at different temperatures (from 600 Degree-Sign C to 1100 Degree-Sign C) in oxidising, reducing, Ar or N{sub 2} atmospheres. We measured the ion depth profile by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and the nano-crystals size distribution by using two methods, the surface plasmon resonance in the optical extinction spectrum and the Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).

Ultraviolet spectroscopy and metal ions detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaudry, M.A.

1995-01-01

The spectrochemical analysis is based on the interaction of radiation with the chemical species and depends on their nature, having pi, sigma or electrons, or d and f electrons, UV. Visible spectrophotometry has been used extensively in the detection and determination of both organics and inorganics. In UV detection the sensitivity is proportional to the bath length and the excitation coefficient of the given sample. It may be insensitive to many species unless these are converted to UV, absorbing derivatives. The technique has been applied for the monitoring of the effluents from HPLC, as chlorides or other complexes of various elements in this article the utility of HCl as reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of the metal ions like Al(III), As(III,IV), Ba(II), Cd(II), Ca(II) Ce(III), Cs(i), Cr(III,VI), Co(II), Cu(II), Dy(III), Eu(III), Gd(III), Au(III), Hf(IV), Ho(III), In(III), Fe(III), La(III), Pb(II), Lu (III), Mg(II), Mn(II), Hg(II), Mo(VI), Ni(II), Pd(II), Pt(IV), K(I), Pr(III), Re(VII), Ru(IV), Sm(III), Sc(III), Ag(I), Sr(II) Te(III), Th(IV), Sn(II,IV), Ti(III,IV), W(VI), U(VI), V(IV,V), Yb(III), Zn(II) AND Zr(IV) Ions i.e. for meta ions from d of the most of these metal ions has been found sufficient permit their detection in HPLC. Their molar absorptive have also been reported. Reference has also been provided to post column derivatization of some metal ions from d and f block elements for their detection in HPLC. (author) 12 figs.; 6 tabs.; 27 refs

Electrokinetic treatment of an agricultural soil contaminated with heavy metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Figueroa, Arylein; Cameselle, Claudio; Gouveia, Susana; Hansen, Henrik K

2016-07-28

The high organic matter content in agricultural soils tends to complex and retain contaminants such as heavy metals. Electrokinetic remediation was tested in an agricultural soil contaminated with Co(+2), Zn(+2), Cd(+2), Cu(+2), Cr(VI), Pb(+2) and Hg(+2). The unenhanced electrokinetic treatment was not able to remove heavy metals from the soil due to the formation of precipitates in the alkaline environment in the soil section close to the cathode. Moreover, the interaction between metals and organic matter probably limited metal transportation under the effect of the electric field. Citric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were used in the catholyte as complexing agents in order to enhance the extractability and removal of heavy metals from soil. These complexing agents formed negatively charged complexes that migrated towards the anode. The acid front electrogenerated at the anode favored the dissolution of heavy metals that were transported towards the cathode. The combined effect of the soil pH and the complexing agents resulted in the accumulation of heavy metals in the center of the soil specimen.

The remediation of heavy metals contaminated sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jian-Feng; Song, Yong-Hui; Yuan, Peng; Cui, Xiao-Yu; Qiu, Guang-Lei

2009-01-30

Heavy metal contamination has become a worldwide problem through disturbing the normal functions of rivers and lakes. Sediment, as the largest storage and resources of heavy metal, plays a rather important role in metal transformations. This paper provides a review on the geochemical forms, affecting factors and remediation technologies of heavy metal in sediment. The in situ remediation of sediment aims at increasing the stabilization of some metals such as the mobile and the exchangeable fractions; whereas, the ex situ remediation mainly aims at removing those potentially mobile metals, such as the Mn-oxides and the organic matter (OM) fraction. The pH and OM can directly change metals distribution in sediment; however oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), mainly through changing the pH values, indirectly alters metals distribution. Mainly ascribed to their simple operation mode, low costs and fast remediation effects, in situ remediation technologies, especially being fit for slight pollution sediment, are applied widely. However, for avoiding metal secondary pollution from sediment release, ex situ remediation should be the hot point in future research.

Polyrhodanine modified anodic aluminum oxide membrane for heavy metal ions removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jooyoung; Oh, Hyuntaek; Kong, Hyeyoung; Jang, Jyongsik

2011-03-15

Polyrhodanine was immobilized onto the inner surface of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane via vapor deposition polymerization method. The polyrhodanine modified membrane was applied to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution because polyrhodanine could be coordinated with specific metal ions. Several parameters such as initial metal concentration, contact time and metal species were evaluated systematically for uptake efficiencies of the fabricated membrane under continuous flow condition. Adsorption isotherms of Hg(II) ion on the AAO-polyrhodanine membrane were analyzed with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption rate of Hg(II) ion on the membrane was obeyed by a pseudo-second order equation, indicating the chemical adsorption. The maximum removal capacity of Hg(II) ion onto the fabricated membrane was measured to be 4.2 mmol/g polymer. The AAO-polyrhodanine membrane had also remarkable uptake performance toward Ag(I) and Pb(II) ions. Furthermore, the polyrhodanine modified membrane could be recycled after recovery process. These results demonstrated that the polyrhodanine modified AAO membrane provided potential applications for removing the hazardous heavy metal ions from wastewater. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heavy metals contamination of topsoil and dispersion in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growing concern about reclamation of auto-repair workshop areas for residential and agricultural purposes makes risk assessment of heavy metal contamination of the study area imperative. In addition, the study is aimed at ascertaining the dispersion of contaminated Zn, Ni, Cr, Hg, and Pb within the soil profile. A total of 75 ...

Method of burning ion-exchange resin contaminated with radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Shigenori.

1986-01-01

Purpose: To process spent ion exchange resins to reduce their volume, without increasing the load on a off-gas system and in a stable state and at the same time not leaving any uncombusted portions. Method: The water slurries of the ion exchange resins contaminated with radioactive materials is dehydrated or dry combusted to reduce the water content. A binder is then added to solidify the ion exchange resin. The solidified ion exchange resins are then combusted in a furnace. This prevents the ion exchange resin from being dispersed by air and combustion gases. Furthermore, the solidified ion exchange resins in the form of small pellets burn from the surface inwards. Moreover the binder is carbonized by the combustion heat and promotes combustion to convert the ion exchange resins into a solid mass, making sure that no uncombusted portion is left. (Takahashi, M.)

Assessment of trace metal contamination of soils around Oluyole ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to determine the level of metals contamination of the soils around Oluyole industrial estate in Ibadan. Oluyole industrial estate has heavy concentration of manufacturing industries that generate a lot of waste products capable of introducing metals into the environment. Consequently, twenty-one ...

Assessment of trace metals contamination of soils around some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out to determine the level of soil contamination by metals around some automobile mechanic workshops in Oyo town in order to assess their possible adverse health implications on man and his environment. Concentrations of metals above certain levels have been shown to impair man's health.

Electrokinetic remediation of anionic contaminants from unsaturated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindgren, E.R.; Kozak, M.W.; Mattson, E.D.

1992-01-01

Heavy-metal contamination of soil and groundwater is a widespread problem in the DOE weapons complex, and for the nation as a whole. Electrokinetic remediation is one possible technique for in situ removal of such contaminants from unsaturated soils. In previous studies at Sandia National Laboratories, the electromigration of chromate ions and anionic dye ions have been demonstrated. This paper reports on a series of experiments that were conducted to study the effect of moisture content on the electromigration rate of anionic contaminants in unsaturated soil and determine the limiting moisture content for which electromigration occurs

Microbial and heavy metal contamination of pineapple products ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

Quantitative determination of heavy metals: zinc, iron, lead, copper, cadmium and aluminium ...... consumption of dairy products, fish/seafood and meat from Ismailia ... Contamination in Green Leafy Vegetables Grown in Bangalore Urban.

Nanoparticle interactions with co-existing contaminants: joint toxicity, bioaccumulation and risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Rui; Lin, Daohui; Zhu, Lizhong; Majumdar, Sanghamitra; White, Jason C; Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L; Xing, Baoshan

2017-06-01

With their growing production and application, engineered nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly discharged into the environment. The released NPs can potentially interact with pre-existing contaminants, leading to biological effects (bioaccumulation and/or toxicity) that are poorly understood. Most studies on NPs focus on single analyte exposure; the existing literature on joint toxicity of NPs and co-existing contaminants is rather limited but beginning to develop rapidly. This is the first review paper evaluating the current state of knowledge regarding the joint effects of NPs and co-contaminants. Here, we review: (1) methods for investigating and evaluating joint effects of NPs and co-contaminants; (2) simultaneous toxicities from NPs co-exposed with organic contaminants, metal/metalloid ions, dissolved organic matter (DOM), inorganic ligands and additional NPs; and (3) the influence of NPs co-exposure on the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants and heavy metal ions, as well as the influence of contaminants on NPs bioaccumulation. In addition, future research needs are discussed so as to better understand risk associated with NPs-contaminant co-exposure.

Interaction of Hydroxyproline with Bivalent Metal Ions in Chemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NICO

The stability constants of the ML and ML2 complex species of some metal ions, namely beryllium(II) and cobalt(II), with hydroxyproline were ... metal ions have several significant applications in biological systems.3–20 Beryllium is one ... 1 filter paper for chromatography was used for the purpose of electrophoresis. An Elico ...

Performance of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction applied to metal contaminated soils: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lebeau, Thierry [Equipe Depollution Biologique des Sols (EDBS), University of Haute-Alsace, 28, rue de Herrlisheim, BP 50 568, 68 008 Colmar Cedex (France)], E-mail: thierry.lebeau@uha.fr; Braud, Armelle; Jezequel, Karine [Equipe Depollution Biologique des Sols (EDBS), University of Haute-Alsace, 28, rue de Herrlisheim, BP 50 568, 68 008 Colmar Cedex (France)

2008-06-15

Bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction is a promising method for the cleaning-up of soils contaminated by metals. Bacteria mainly Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and fungi mainly Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) associated with hyperaccumulating or non-hyperaccumulating plants were analyzed on the basis of a bioprocess engineering approach (concentration and amount of metals extracted by plants, translocation and bioconcentration factor, and plant biomass). In average bioaugmentation increased metals accumulated by shoots by a factor of about 2 (metal concentration) and 5 (amount) without any obvious differences between bacteria and fungi. To optimize this process, new relevant microorganism-plant associations and field scale experiments are needed along with a common methodology for the comparison of all experiments on the same basis. Recommendations were suggested concerning both the microbial-plant selection and the implementation of bioaugmentation to enhance the microbial survival. The use of microbial consortia associated with plant was discussed notably for multi-contaminated soils. - Bioaugmentation-assisted plant improves the phytoextraction performances for soils contaminated by metals.

Performance of bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction applied to metal contaminated soils: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lebeau, Thierry; Braud, Armelle; Jezequel, Karine

2008-01-01

Bioaugmentation-assisted phytoextraction is a promising method for the cleaning-up of soils contaminated by metals. Bacteria mainly Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and fungi mainly Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) associated with hyperaccumulating or non-hyperaccumulating plants were analyzed on the basis of a bioprocess engineering approach (concentration and amount of metals extracted by plants, translocation and bioconcentration factor, and plant biomass). In average bioaugmentation increased metals accumulated by shoots by a factor of about 2 (metal concentration) and 5 (amount) without any obvious differences between bacteria and fungi. To optimize this process, new relevant microorganism-plant associations and field scale experiments are needed along with a common methodology for the comparison of all experiments on the same basis. Recommendations were suggested concerning both the microbial-plant selection and the implementation of bioaugmentation to enhance the microbial survival. The use of microbial consortia associated with plant was discussed notably for multi-contaminated soils. - Bioaugmentation-assisted plant improves the phytoextraction performances for soils contaminated by metals

Adsorbent material based on passion-fruit wastes to remove lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) from metal-contaminated waters

Science.gov (United States)

Campos-Flores, Gaby; Castillo-Herrera, Alberto; Gurreonero-Fernández, Julio; Obeso-Obando, Aída; Díaz-Silva, Valeria; Vejarano, Ricardo

2018-04-01

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the feasibility of passion-fruit shell (PFS) biomass as adsorbent material to remove heavy metals from contaminated waters. Model mediums were used, which were composed of distilled water and the respective metal: lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu), with a dose of 10g of dry PFSbiomass per liter of medium. The residual concentration of each metal was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). A good adsorption capacity was exhibited by this agro industrial waste, achieving removal levels of 96,93 and 82% for Pb, Cr and Cu, respectively. In addition, the results obtained showed an adequate fit to the Freundlich model (R2 > 0.91), on the basis of which, the following values of adsorption capacity (k: 1.7057, 0.6784, 0.3302) and adsorption intensity (n: 0.6869, 2.3474, 1.0499), for Pb, Cr and Cu respectively, were obtained. Our results suggest that Pb, Cr and Cu ions can be removed by more than 80% by using this agro industrial waste, which with a minimum treatment could be used as an adsorbent material in the treatment of metal-contaminated waters.

Emission of positive oxygen ions from ion bombardment of adsorbate-covered metal surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaurin, M.G.

1989-01-01

During ion bombardment of metal surfaces, collision cascades can result in the emission of sputtered secondary ions. Recent experiments, however, have suggested that the emission of positive ions of electronegative adsorbates can result from electronic processes rather than from processes involving elastic collisions. This dissertation presents the results of experiments studying the emission of positive oxygen ions from oxygen- and carbon-monoxide-covered transition metal surfaces during bombardment by 25-250 keV ions of neon, argon, and krypton. The systems studied may be grouped into four categories. For a nickel substrate with adsorbed oxygen, the emission of positive oxygen ions proceeds through collision cascades. For titanium and niobium with adsorbed oxygen, the emission of positive oxygen ions is proportional to the primary ion velocity, consistent with emission from electronic processes; for a given primary ion velocity, the oxygen ion yield is independent of primary ion species. For substrates of molybdenum and tungsten, the oxygen yield is proportional to primary ion velocity, but the yield also depends on the primary ion species for a given primary ion velocity in a manner that is consistent with emission resulting from electronic processes. For these two groups, except for titanium, the yields during neon ion bombardment do not extrapolate (assuming linearity with primary ion velocity) to a nonzero value at zero beam velocity. The magnitude of the oxygen ion yields from these targets is not consistent with that expected if the emission were induced by secondary electrons emitted during the ion bombardment

Status of metal levels and their potential sources of contamination in Southeast Asian rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chanpiwat, Penradee; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong

2014-01-01

To assess the concentration and status of metal contaminants in four major Southeast Asian river systems, water were collected from the Tonle Sap-Bassac Rivers (Cambodia), Citarum River (Indonesia), lower Chao Phraya River (Thailand), and Saigon River (Vietnam) in both dry and wet seasons. The target elements were Be, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Tl, and Pb and the concentrations exceeded the background metal concentrations by 1- to 88-fold. This distinctly indicates enrichment by human urban area activities. The results of a normalization technique used to distinguish natural from enriched metal concentrations confirmed contamination by Al, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Cluster analysis revealed the probable source of metals contamination in most sampling sites on all rivers studied to be anthropogenic, including industrial, commercial, and residential activities. Stable lead isotopes analyses applied to track the sources and pathways of anthropogenic lead furthermore confirmed that anthropogenic sources of metal contaminated these rivers. Discharges of wastewater from both industrial and household activities were major contributors of Pb into the rivers. Non-point sources, especially road runoff and street dust, also contributed contamination from Pb and other metals.

Ion implantation in semiconductor bodies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badawi, M.H.

1984-01-01

Ions are selectively implanted into layers of a semiconductor substrate of, for example, semi-insulating gallium arsenide via a photoresist implantation mask and a metallic layer of, for example, titanium disposed between the substrate surface and the photoresist mask. After implantation the mask and metallic layer are removed and the substrate heat treated for annealing purposes. The metallic layer acts as a buffer layer and prevents possible contamination of the substrate surface, by photoresist residues, at the annealing stage. Such contamination would adversely affect the electrical properties of the substrate surface, particularly gallium arsenide substrates. (author)

High-current pulsed ion source for metallic ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavin, B.; Abbott, S.; MacGill, R.; Sorensen, R.; Staples, J.; Thatcher, R.

1981-03-01

A new sputter-ion PIG source and magnet system, optimized for intermediate charge states, q/A of 0.02 to 0.03, is described. This source will be used with the new Wideroe-based injector for the SuperHILAC. Pulsed electrical currents of several emA of heavy metal ions have been produced in a normalized emittance area of .05π cm-mr. The source system is comprised of two electrically separate anode chambers, one in operation and one spare, which can be selected by remote control. The entire source head is small and quickly removable

Alzheimer’s disease: How metal ions define β-amyloid function

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kepp, Kasper Planeta

2017-01-01

focuses on the essential coordination chemistry and biochemistry that relate transition metal ions iron, copper, and zinc to β-amyloid (Aβ) and most likely define the peptide's roles in neurons. The metal-Aβ interactions have elements of both gain of toxic function, as usually considered, but also loss......Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly recognized to be linked to the function and status of metal ions, and recently, the amyloid hypothesis has been strongly intertwined with the metal ion hypothesis; in fact, these two hypotheses fit well together and are not mutually contradictory. This review...... of natural functions, as emphasized in this review. Both these aspects and their relationships are discussed and their implications for future therapeutic strategies are outlined....

Adsorption of heavy metal ions by sawdust of deciduous trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bozic, D.; Stankovic, V.; Gorgievski, M.; Bogdanovic, G.; Kovacevic, R.

2009-01-01

The adsorption of heavy metal ions from synthetic solutions was performed using sawdust of beech, linden and poplar trees. The adsorption depends on the process time, pH of the solution, type of ions, initial concentration of metals and the sawdust concentration in suspension. The kinetics of adsorption was relatively fast, reaching equilibrium for less than 20 min. The adsorption equilibrium follows Langmuir adsorption model. The ion exchange mechanism was confirmed assuming that the alkali-earth metals from the adsorbent are substituted by heavy metal ions and protons. On lowering the initial pH, the adsorption capacity decreased, achieving a zero value at a pH close to unity. The maximum adsorption capacity (7-8 mg g -1 of sawdust) was achieved at a pH between 3.5 and 5 for all the studied kinds of sawdust. The initial concentration of the adsorbate and the concentration of sawdust strongly affect the process. No influence of particles size was evidenced. A degree of adsorption higher than 80% can be achieved for Cu 2+ ions but it is very low for Fe 2+ ions, not exceeding 10%.

Effects of remediation train sequence on decontamination of heavy metal-contaminated soil containing mercury.

Science.gov (United States)

Hseu, Zeng-Yei; Huang, Yu-Tuan; Hsi, Hsing-Cheng

2014-09-01

When a contaminated site contains pollutants including both nonvolatile metals and Hg, one single remediation technology may not satisfactorily remove all contaminants. Therefore, in this study, chemical extraction and thermal treatment were combined as a remediation train to remove heavy metals, including Hg, from contaminated soil. A 0.2 M solution of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was shown to be the most effective reagent for extraction of considerable amounts of Cu, Pb, and Zn (> 50%). Hg removal was ineffective using 0.2 M EDTA, but thermogravimetric analysis suggested that heating to 550 degrees C with a heating rate of 5 degrees C/min for a duration of 1 hr appeared to be an effective approach for Hg removal. With the employment of thermal treatment, up to 99% of Hg could be removed. However executing thermal treatment prior to chemical extraction reduced the effectiveness of the subsequent EDTA extraction because nonvolatile heavy metals were immobilized in soil aggregates after the 550 degrees C treatment. The remediation train of chemical extraction followed by thermal treatment appears to remediate soils that have been contaminated by many nonvolatile heavy metals and Hg. Implications: A remediation train conjoining two or more techniques has been initialized to remove multiple metals. Better understandings of the impacts of treatment sequences, namely, which technique should be employed first on the soil properties and the decontamination efficiency, are in high demand. This study provides a strategy to remove multiple heavy metals including Hg from a contaminated soil. The interactions between thermal treatment and chemical extraction on repartitioning of heavy metals was revealed. The obtained results could offer an integrating strategy to remediate the soil contaminated with both heavy metals and volatile contaminants.

Effects of complexing compounds on sorption of metal ions to cement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loevgren, Lars [Umeaa Univ. (Sweden). Inorganic chemistry

2005-12-15

This present report is a literature review addressing the effects of complexing ligands on the sorption of radionuclides to solid materials of importance for repositories of radioactive waste. Focus is put on laboratory studies of metal ion adsorption to cement in presence of chelating agents under strongly alkaline conditions. As background information, metal sorption to different mineral and cement phases in ligand free systems is described. Furthermore, surface complexation model (SCM) theories are introduced. According to surface complexation theories these interactions occur at specific binding sites at the particle/water interface. Adsorption of cationic metals is stronger at high pH, and the adsorption of anions occurs preferentially at low pH. The adsorption of ions to mineral surfaces is a result of both chemical bonding and electrostatic attraction between the ions and charged mineral surfaces. By combining uptake data with spectroscopic information the sorption can be explained on a molecular level by structurally sound surface complexation models. Most of the metal sorption studies reviewed are dealing with minerals exhibiting oxygen atoms at their surfaces, mainly oxides of Fe(II,III) and Al(III), and aluminosilicates. Investigations of radionuclides are focused on clay minerals, above all montmorillonite and illite. Which mechanism that is governing the metal ion adsorption to a given mineral is to a large extent depending on the metal adsorbed. For instance, sorption of Ni to montmorillonite can occur by formation of inner-sphere mononuclear surface complexes located at the edges of montmorillonite platelets and by formation of a Ni phyllosilicate phase parallel to montmorillonite layers. Also metal uptake to cement materials can occur by different mechanisms. Cationic metals can both be attached to cement (calcium silicate hydrate, CSH) and hardened cement paste (HCP) by formation of inner-sphere complexes at specific surface sites and by

Metal-ion interactions and the structural organization of Sepia eumelanin.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yan; Simon, John D

2005-02-01

The structural organization of melanin granules isolated from ink sacs of Sepia officinalis was examined as a function of metal ion content by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Exposing Sepia melanin granules to ethelenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution or to metal salt solutions changed the metal content in the melanin, but did not alter granular morphology. Thus ionic forces between the organic components and metal ions in melanin are not required to sustain the natural morphology once the granule is assembled. However, when aqueous suspensions of Sepia melanin granules of varying metal content are ultra-sonicated, EDTA-washed and Fe-saturated melanin samples lose material to the solution more readily than the corresponding Ca(II) and Mg(II)-loaded samples. The solubilized components are found to be 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-rich constituents. Associated with different metal ions, Na(I), Ca(II) and Mg(II) or Fe(III), these DHICA-rich entities form distinct two-dimensional aggregation structures when dried on the flat surface of mica. The data suggest multiply-charged ions play an important role in assisting or templating the assembly of the metal-free organic components to form the three-dimensional substructure distributed along the protein scaffold within the granule.

Phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated water and sediment by eleocharis acicularis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sakakibara, Masayuki; Ha, Nguyen Thi Hoang [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama (Japan); Ohmori, Yuko [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama (Japan); Taisei Kiso Sekkei Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan); Sano, Sakae [Faculty of Education, Ehime University, Matsuyama (Japan); Sera, Koichiro [Cyclotron Center, Iwate Medical University, Takizawa-mura (Japan)

2011-08-15

Phytoremediation is an environmental remediation technique that takes advantage of plant physiology and metabolism. The unique property of heavy metal hyperaccumulation by the macrophyte Eleocharis acicularis is of great significance in the phytoremediation of water and sediments contaminated by heavy metals at mine sites. In this study, a field cultivation experiment was performed to examine the applicability of E. acicularis to the remediation of water contaminated by heavy metals. The highest concentrations of heavy metals in the shoots of E. acicularis were 20 200 mg Cu/kg, 14 200 mg Zn/kg, 1740 mg As/kg, 894 mg Pb/kg, and 239 mg Cd/kg. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the shoots correlate with their concentrations in the soil in a log-linear fashion. The bioconcentration factor for these elements decreases log-linearly with increasing concentration in the soil. The results indicate the ability of E. acicularis to hyperaccumulate Cu, Zn, As, and Cd under natural conditions, making it a good candidate species for the phytoremediation of water contaminated by heavy metals. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Remediation of a heavy metal-contaminated soil by means of agglomeration.

Science.gov (United States)

Polettini, Alessandra; Pomi, Raffaella; Valente, Mattia

2004-01-01

The feasibility of treating a heavy metal-contaminated soil by means of a solidification/stabilization treatment consisting of a granulation process is discussed in the present article. The aim of the study was to attain contaminant immobilization within the agglomerated solid matrix. The soil under concern was characterized by varying levels of heavy metal contamination, ranging from 50 to 500 mg kg(-1) dry soil for chromium. from 300 to 2000 mg kg(-1) dry soil for lead and from 270 to 5000 mg kg(-1) dry soil for copper. An artificially contaminated soil with contaminant concentrations corresponding to the upper level of the mentioned ranges was prepared from a sample of uncontaminated soil by means of spiking experiments. Pure soluble species of chromium, copper and lead. namely CrCl3.6H2O, CuCl2.2H2O and Pb(NO3)2, were selected for the spiking experiments, which were arranged according to a 2(3) full factorial design. The solidification/stabilization treatment was based on an agglomeration process making use of hydraulic binders including Portland cement, hydrated lime and sodium methasilicate, which were selected on the basis of preliminary test runs. It was found that after 7 days of curing the applied treatment was able to efficiently immobilize the investigated heavy metals within the hydrated matrix. Good acid neutralization behavior was also observed, indicating improved matrix resistance to acid attack and decreased potential for metal leaching.

Feasibility of re-melting NORM-contaminated scrap metal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winters, S. J.; Smith, K. P.

1999-10-26

Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) sometimes accumulate inside pieces of equipment associated with oil and gas production and processing activities. Typically, the NORM accumulates when radium that is present in solution in produced water precipitates out in scale and sludge deposits. Scrap equipment containing residual quantities of these NORM-bearing scales and sludges can present a waste management problem if the radium concentrations exceed regulatory limits or activate the alarms on radiation screening devices installed at most scrap metal recycling facilities. Although NORM-contaminated scrap metal currently is not disposed of by re-melting, this form of recycling could present a viable disposition option for this waste stream. Studies indicate that re-melting NORM-contaminated scrap metal is a viable recycling option from a risk-based perspective. However, a myriad of economic, regulatory, and policy issues have caused the recyclers to turn away virtually all radioactive scrap metal. Until these issues can be resolved, re-melting of the petroleum industry's NORM-impacted scrap metal is unlikely to be a widespread practice. This paper summarizes the issues associated with re-melting radioactive scrap so that the petroleum industry and its regulators will understand the obstacles. This paper was prepared as part of a report being prepared by the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission's NORM Subcommittee.

Biochar- and phosphate-induced immobilization of heavy metals in contaminated soil and water: implication on simultaneous remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yuan; Cao, Xinde; Zhao, Ling; Arellano, Eduardo

2014-03-01

Long-term wastewater irrigation or solid waste disposal has resulted in the heavy metal contamination in both soil and groundwater. It is often separately implemented for remediation of contaminated soil or groundwater at a specific site. The main objective of this study was to demonstrate the hypothesis of simultaneous remediation of both heavy metal contaminated soil and groundwater by integrating the chemical immobilization and pump-and-treat methods. To accomplish the objective, three experiments were conducted, i.e., an incubation experiment was first conducted to determine how dairy-manure-derived biochar and phosphate rock tailing induced immobilization of Cd in the Cd-contaminated soils; second, a batch sorption experiment was carried out to determine whether the pre-amended contaminated soil still had the ability to retain Pb, Zn and Cd from aqueous solution. BCR sequential extraction as well as XRD and SEM analysis were conducted to explore the possible retention mechanism; and last, a laboratory-scale model test was undertaken by leaching the Pb, Zn, and Cd contaminated groundwater through the pre-amended contaminated soils to demonstrate how the heavy metals in both contaminated soil and groundwater were simultaneously retained and immobilized. The incubation experiment showed that the phosphate biochar were effective in immobilizing soil Cd with Cd concentration in TCLP (toxicity characteristics leaching procedure) extract reduced by 19.6 % and 13.7 %, respectively. The batch sorption experiment revealed that the pre-amended soil still had ability to retain Pb, Zn, and Cd from aqueous solution. The phosphate-induced metal retention was mainly due to the metal-phosphate precipitation, while both sorption and precipitation were responsible for the metal stabilization in the biochar amendment. The laboratory-scale test demonstrated that the soil amended with phosphate removed groundwater Pb, Zn, and Cd by 96.4 %, 44.6 %, and 49.2 %, respectively, and the

Heavy metal biosorption by bacterial cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vecchio, A; Finoli, C; Di Simine, D; Andreoni, [No Value

Microbial biomass provides available ligand groups on which metal ions bind by different mechanisms. Biosorption of these elements from aqueous solutions represents a remediation technology suitable for the treatment of metal-contaminated effluents. The purpose of the present investigation was the

Defect-impurity interactions in ion-implanted metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turos, A.

1986-01-01

An overview of defect-impurity interactions in metals is presented. When point defects become mobile they migrate towards the sinks and on the way can be captured by impurity atoms forming stable associations so-called complexes. In some metallic systems complexes can also be formed athermally during ion implantation by trapping point defects already in the collision cascade. An association of a point defect with an impurity atom leads to its displacement from the lattice site. The structure and stability of complexes are strongly temperature dependent. With increasing temperature they dissociate or grow by multiple defect trapping. The appearance of freely migrating point defects at elevated temperatures, due to ion bombardment or thermal annealing, causes via coupling with defect fluxes, important impurity redistribution. Because of the sensitivity of many metal-in-metal implanted systems to radiation damage the understanding of this processes is essential for a proper interpretation of the lattice occupancy measurements and the optimization of implantation conditions. (author)

Remediation of Steel Slag on Acidic Soil Contaminated by Heavy Metal

OpenAIRE

Gu, Haihong; Li, Fuping; Guan, Xiang; Li, Zhongwei; Yu, Qiang

2013-01-01

The technology of in situ immobilization with amendments is an important measure that remediates the soil contaminated by heavy metal, and selecting economical and effective modifier is the key. The effects and mechanism of steel slag, the silicon-rich alkaline by-product which can remediate acidic soil contaminated by heavy metal, are mainly introduced in this paper to provide theory inferences for future research. Firstly, the paper analyzes current research situation of in situ immobilizat...

Metal ion interaction of an oligopeptide fragment representing the regulatory metal binding site of a CueR protein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jancsó, Attila; Szokolai, Hajnalka; Roszahegyi, Livia

2013-01-01

Metalloregulatory proteins of the MerR family are transcriptional activators that sense/control the concentration of various metal ions inside bacteria.1 The Cu+ efflux regulator CueR, similarly to other MerR proteins, possesses a short multiple Cys-containing metal binding loop close to the C...... of cognate metal ions.2 Nevertheless, it is an interesting question whether the same sequence, when removed from the protein, shows a flexibility to adopt different coordination environments and may efficiently bind metal ions having preferences for larger coordination numbers....

Heavy metal ion uptake properties of polystyrene-supported ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

concentration on the uptake of metal ions have been studied. The uptake ... employed for the removal of heavy metal pollutants from industrial waste water. ... nitrate, mercuric chloride, cadmium nitrate and potassium dichromate salts. ... polymer resin was determined by reacting 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 ppm of metal.

Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peters, R.W. [Energy Systems Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

1999-04-23

The current state of the art regarding the use of chelating agents to extract heavy metal contaminants has been addressed. Results are presented for treatability studies conducted as worst-case and representative soils from Aberdeen Proving Ground's J-Field for extraction of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The particle size distribution characteristics of the soils determined from hydrometer tests are approximately 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay. Sequential extractions were performed on the 'as-received' soils (worst case and representative) to determine the speciation of the metal forms. The technique speciates the heavy metal distribution into an easily extractable (exchangeable) form, carbonates, reducible oxides, organically-bound, and residual forms. The results indicated that most of the metals are in forms that are amenable to soil washing (i.e. exchangeable+carbonate+reducible oxides). The metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr have greater than 70% of their distribution in forms amenable to soil washing techniques, while Cd, Mn, and Fe are somewhat less amenable to soil washing using chelant extraction. However, the concentrations of Cd and Mn are low in the contaminated soil. From the batch chelant extraction studies, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) were all effective in removing copper, lead, and zinc from the J-Field soils. Due to NTA being a Class II carcinogen, it is not recommended for use in remediating contaminated soils. EDTA and citric acid appear to offer the greatest potential as chelating agents to use in soil washing the Aberdeen Proving Ground soils. The other chelating agents studied (gluconate, oxalate, Citranox, ammonium acetate, and phosphoric acid, along with pH-adjusted water) were generally ineffective in mobilizing the heavy metals from the soils. The chelant solution removes the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cr, As, and Hg) simultaneously. Using a multiple

Chelant extraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peters, R.W.

1999-01-01

The current state of the art regarding the use of chelating agents to extract heavy metal contaminants has been addressed. Results are presented for treatability studies conducted as worst-case and representative soils from Aberdeen Proving Ground's J-Field for extraction of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). The particle size distribution characteristics of the soils determined from hydrometer tests are approximately 60% sand, 30% silt, and 10% clay. Sequential extractions were performed on the 'as-received' soils (worst case and representative) to determine the speciation of the metal forms. The technique speciates the heavy metal distribution into an easily extractable (exchangeable) form, carbonates, reducible oxides, organically-bound, and residual forms. The results indicated that most of the metals are in forms that are amenable to soil washing (i.e. exchangeable+carbonate+reducible oxides). The metals Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr have greater than 70% of their distribution in forms amenable to soil washing techniques, while Cd, Mn, and Fe are somewhat less amenable to soil washing using chelant extraction. However, the concentrations of Cd and Mn are low in the contaminated soil. From the batch chelant extraction studies, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) were all effective in removing copper, lead, and zinc from the J-Field soils. Due to NTA being a Class II carcinogen, it is not recommended for use in remediating contaminated soils. EDTA and citric acid appear to offer the greatest potential as chelating agents to use in soil washing the Aberdeen Proving Ground soils. The other chelating agents studied (gluconate, oxalate, Citranox, ammonium acetate, and phosphoric acid, along with pH-adjusted water) were generally ineffective in mobilizing the heavy metals from the soils. The chelant solution removes the heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cr, As, and Hg) simultaneously. Using a multiple-stage batch extraction

Investigation of metal ions in fusion plasmas using emission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tale, I.

2005-01-01

Full text: The Latvian and Portugal Associations are performing development of advanced plasma - facing system using the liquid metal limiter. The objectives of this project require study of the influence of the liquid metal limiter on the main plasma parameters, including concentration of evaporated metal atoms in plasma. The fusion plasmas are related to the dense hot plasmas. The required average ion temperature according to the ITER project (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is 8,0 keV (9,3 x 10 7 0 K), the average electron temperature - 8,9 keV (1,04 x 10 8 0 K). Plasma temperature operated in the research tokamak ISSTOK, involved in testing of liquid metal limiter concept is considerably less, being of order of 10 50 K. The ionization degree of metal atoms considerably depends on the plasma ion temperature. Density of metal vapours in plasma can be estimated using the following two spectroscopic methods: The fluorescence of the multiple ionised metal ions in steady state concentration; The charge exchange emission during ionisation of evaporated metal ions. In the first step of development of testing system of metal vapours the equipment and instrumentation for charge exchange spectroscopy of Ga and In has been elaborated taking into account the following features of plasma emission. The Ga emission lines occur on the background high temperature plasma black body emission and stray light. Radial distribution of Ga in plasma in the facing plane of Ga flux is desirable

Application of monocarboxylic acids for the extraction of metal ions-literature survey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brzozka, Z.; Rozycki, C.

1980-01-01

In the paper there is presented a literature review concerning the application of monocarboxylic acids for extraction of metal ions. The following problems are discussed: characteristic of monocarboxylic acids and their mixtures, the equilibria between the acid solution in organic solvent and aqueous phase, the mechanism of acid partition, complexes of carboxylic acids and metal ions in aqueous phase, mechanism of extraction by means of carboxylic acids as well as the problems concerning the extraction of individual metal ions. Data about the extraction of metal ions are presented in table. The 138 references are given. (author)

Uptake of metal ions by a silica-based tetraphenylporphyrin sorbent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pyrzynska, K.; Sadowska, M.; Trojanowicz, M.

1999-09-01

The [5-p-carboxyphenyl-10,15,20-triphenyl]porphyrin (TPP) covalently attached to aminopropyl silica gel was examined with respect to the sorption of transition metal ions. The distribution coefficients (K{sub d}) are reported for some metal ions with this new sorbent as a function of pH. It was found that in optimum pH conditions the sorption of Cu(II) and Fe(III) is much faster than that of Co(II) and Cr(III). The binding of metal ions is strongly affected by the presence of various species accelerating the complex formation. The application of porphyrin ligands for preconcentration and metal-matrix separation was also examined using complex formation in solution coupled with an anion exchange resin and column chelation procedure, e.g. sorption of metal on an anion exchanger previously loaded with tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin.

In Situ Evaluation of Crop Productivity and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Paddy Soils after Remediation of Metal-Contaminated Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Shin Woong; Chae, Yooeun; Moon, Jongmin; Kim, Dokyung; Cui, Rongxue; An, Gyeonghyeon; Jeong, Seung-Woo; An, Youn-Joo

2017-02-15

Soils contaminated with heavy metals have been reused for agricultural, building, and industrial uses following remediation. This study assesses plant growth and bioaccumulation of heavy metals following remediation of industrially contaminated soil. The soil was collected from a field site near a nonferrous smelter and was subjected to laboratory- and field-scale studies. Soil from the contaminated site was remediated by washing with acid or mixed with soil taken from a distant uncontaminated site. The activities of various soil exoenzymes, the rate of plant growth, and the bioaccumulations of six heavy metals were measured to assess the efficacy of these bioremediation techniques. Growth of rice (Oryza sativa) was unaffected in acid-washed soil or the amended soil compared to untreated soil from the contaminated site. The levels of heavy metals in the rice kernels remained within safe limits in treated and untreated soils. Rice, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivated in the same soils in the laboratory showed similar growth rates. Soil exoenzyme activities and crop productivity were not affected by soil treatment in field experiments. In conclusion, treatment of industrially contaminated soil by acid washing or amendment did not adversely affect plant productivity or lead to increased bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rice.

Remediation of heavy metal(loid)s contaminated soils--to mobilize or to immobilize?

Science.gov (United States)

Bolan, Nanthi; Kunhikrishnan, Anitha; Thangarajan, Ramya; Kumpiene, Jurate; Park, Jinhee; Makino, Tomoyuki; Kirkham, Mary Beth; Scheckel, Kirk

2014-02-15

Unlike organic contaminants, metal(loid)s do not undergo microbial or chemical degradation and persist for a long time after their introduction. Bioavailability of metal(loid)s plays a vital role in the remediation of contaminated soils. In this review, the remediation of heavy metal(loid) contaminated soils through manipulating their bioavailability using a range of soil amendments will be presented. Mobilizing amendments such as chelating and desorbing agents increase the bioavailability and mobility of metal(loid)s. Immobilizing amendments such of precipitating agents and sorbent materials decrease the bioavailabilty and mobility of metal(loid)s. Mobilizing agents can be used to enhance the removal of heavy metal(loid)s though plant uptake and soil washing. Immobilizing agents can be used to reduce the transfer to metal(loid)s to food chain via plant uptake and leaching to groundwater. One of the major limitations of mobilizing technique is susceptibility to leaching of the mobilized heavy metal(loid)s in the absence of active plant uptake. Similarly, in the case of the immobilization technique the long-term stability of the immobilized heavy metal(loid)s needs to be monitored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of secondary ions mass spectrometry (SIMS) in studies of internal contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amaral, Ademir; Galle, Pierre; Colas-Linhart, Nicole

2000-01-01

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) permits the detection of stable and radioactive nuclides. Based on the ablation of specimens by ion bombardment this mass spectrometry method allows a rapid assessment of trace elements in biological samples. Its resolving mass power provides an efficient analytical method and, in particular, it makes possible accurate isotopic ratio determination. In this work, the application of SIMS has been investigated in studies of internal contamination. In vivo studies were carried out using duodenal tissue sections from rats contaminated with cerium. Tests were performed to localize this element as a result of the contamination. In this report, analytical procedures and the potential of SIMS in biological research are presented and discussed. (author)

Characterizing toxicity of metal-contaminated sediments from mining areas

Science.gov (United States)

Besser, John M.; Brumbaugh, William G.; Ingersoll, Christopher G.

2015-01-01

This paper reviews methods for testing the toxicity of metals associated with freshwater sediments, linking toxic effects with metal exposure and bioavailability, and developing sediment quality guidelines. The most broadly applicable approach for characterizing metal toxicity is whole-sediment toxicity testing, which attempts to simulate natural exposure conditions in the laboratory. Standard methods for whole-sediment testing can be adapted to test a wide variety of taxa. Chronic sediment tests that characterize effects on multiple endpoints (e.g., survival, growth, and reproduction) can be highly sensitive indicators of adverse effects on resident invertebrate taxa. Methods for testing of aqueous phases (pore water, overlying water, or elutriates) are used less frequently. Analysis of sediment toxicity data focuses on statistical comparisons between responses in sediments from the study area and responses in one or more uncontaminated reference sediments. For large or complex study areas, a greater number of reference sediments is recommended to reliably define the normal range of responses in uncontaminated sediments – the ‘reference envelope’. Data on metal concentrations and effects on test organisms across a gradient of contamination may allow development of concentration-response models, which estimate metal concentrations associated with specified levels of toxic effects (e.g. 20% effect concentration or EC20). Comparisons of toxic effects in laboratory tests with measures of impacts on resident benthic invertebrate communities can help document causal relationships between metal contamination and biological effects. Total or total-recoverable metal concentrations in sediments are the most common measure of metal contamination in sediments, but metal concentrations in labile sediment fractions (e.g., determined as part of selective sediment extraction protocols) may better represent metal bioavailability. Metals released by the weak-acid extraction

Heavy metals contamination of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study investigates the presence of heavy metal contamination of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Lates niloticus. Adult C. nigrodigitatus and L. niloticus were obtained from fishermen in Ikere Gorge, Oyo state, Nigeria. Water samples were also collected during the wet and dry seasons of the year in the same locality.

Coordination of cassava starch to metal ions and thermolysis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cassava starch formed Werner-type complexes with ions of metals from the transition groups. This was proven by conductivity and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. The coordination of starch to central metal ions influenced the thermal decomposition of starch. As a rule complexes started to decompose at ...

A review of metal (Pb and Zn) sensitive and pH tolerant bioassay organisms for risk screening of metal-contaminated acidic soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, E.Emily V.; Dave, Göran; Murimboh, John D.

2013-01-01

To improve risk estimates at the screening stage of Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA), short duration bioassays tailored to undisturbed soil cores from the contaminated site could be useful. However, existing standardized bioassays use disturbed soil samples and often pH sensitive organisms. This is a problem as naturally acidic soils are widespread. Changing soil properties to suit the test organism may change metal bioavailability, leading to erroneous risk estimates. For bioassays in undisturbed soil cores to be effective, species able to withstand natural soil properties must be identified. This review presents a critical examination of bioassay species' tolerance of acidic soils and sensitivity to metal contaminants such as Pb and Zn. Promising organisms include; Dendrobaena octaedra, Folsomia candida, Caenorhabditis elegans, Oppia nitens, Brassica rapa, Trifolium pratense, Allium cepa, Quercus rubra and Acer rubrum. The MetSTICK test and the Bait lamina test were also identified as suitable microorganism tests. -- Highlights: •Risk screening of metal contaminated soils should consider metal bioavailability. •Metal bioavailability is dependent on soil properties such as pH. •Many standardized bioassay organisms are sensitive to acidic soils. •This review identifies acid tolerant and metal sensitive bioassays and species. •The identified tests can improve risk screening of acidic metal contaminated soil. -- This review identifies bioassay species able to withstand naturally acidic soils while being sensitive to metal contaminants

Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals in Contaminated Water and Soil Using Miscanthus sp. Goedae-Uksae 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Bang, Jihye; Kamala-Kannan, Seralathan; Lee, Kui-Jae; Cho, Min; Kim, Chang-Hwan; Kim, Young-Jin; Bae, Jong-Hyang; Kim, Kyong-Ho; Myung, Hyun; Oh, Byung-Taek

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to characterize the heavy metal phytoremediation potential of Miscanthus sp. Goedae-Uksae 1, a hybrid, perennial, bio-energy crop developed in South Korea. Six different metals (As, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn) were used for the study. The hybrid grass effectively absorbed all the metals from contaminated soil. The maximum removal was observed for As (97.7%), and minimum removal was observed for Zn (42.9%). Similarly, Goedae-Uksae 1 absorbed all the metals from contaminated water except As. Cd, Pb, and Zn were completely (100%) removed from contaminated water samples. Generally, the concentration of metals in roots was several folds higher than in shoots. Initial concentration of metals highly influenced the phytoremediation rate. The results of the bioconcentration factor, translocation factor, and enrichment coefficient tests indicate that Goedae-Uksae 1 could be used for phytoremediation in a marginally contaminated ecosystem.

Heavy metal accumulation by poplar in calcareous soil with various degrees of multi-metal contamination: implications for phytoextraction and phytostabilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Yahu; Nan, Zhongren; Su, Jieqiong; Wang, Ning

2013-10-01

The object of this study was to assess the capacity of Populus alba L. var. pyramidalis Bunge for phytoremediation of heavy metals on calcareous soils contaminated with multiple metals. In a pot culture experiment, a multi-metal-contaminated calcareous soil was mixed at different ratios with an uncontaminated, but otherwise similar soil, to establish a gradient of soil metal contamination levels. In a field experiment, poplars with different stand ages (3, 5, and 7 years) were sampled randomly in a wastewater-irrigated field. The concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Cu, lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the poplar tissues and soil were determined. The accumulation of Cd and Zn was greatest in the leaves of P. pyramidalis, while Cu and Pb mainly accumulated in the roots. In the pot experiment, the highest tissue concentrations of Cd (40.76 mg kg(-1)), Cu (8.21 mg kg(-1)), Pb (41.62 mg kg(-1)), and Zn (696 mg kg(-1)) were all noted in the multi-metal-contaminated soil. Although extremely high levels of Cd and Zn accumulated in the leaves, phytoextraction using P. pyramidalis may take at least 24 and 16 years for Cd and Zn, respectively. The foliar concentrations of Cu and Pb were always within the normal ranges and were never higher than 8 and 5 mg kg(-1), respectively. The field experiment also revealed that the concentrations of all four metals in the bark were significantly higher than that in the wood. In addition, the tissue metal concentrations, together with the NH4NO3-extractable concentrations of metals in the root zone, decreased as the stand age increased. P. pyramidalis is suitable for phytostabilization of calcareous soils contaminated with multiple metals, but collection of the litter fall would be necessary due to the relatively high foliar concentrations of Cd and Zn.

Metal is not inert: role of metal ions released by biocorrosion in aseptic loosening--current concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadosch, Dieter; Chan, Erwin; Gautschi, Oliver P; Filgueira, Luis

2009-12-15

Metal implants are essential therapeutic tools for the treatment of bone fractures and joint replacements. The metals and metal alloys used in contemporary orthopedic and trauma surgery are well tolerated by the majority of patients. However, complications resulting from inflammatory and immune reactions to metal implants have been well documented. This review briefly discusses the different mechanisms of metal implant corrosion in the human body, which lead to the release of significant levels of metal ions into the peri-implant tissues and the systemic blood circulation. Additionally, this article reviews the effects of the released ions on bone metabolism and the immune system and discusses their involvement in the pathophysiological mechanisms of aseptic loosening and metal hypersensitivity in patients with metal implants.

Spatial assessment of soil contamination by heavy metals from informal electronic waste recycling in Agbogbloshie, Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyere, Vincent Nartey; Greve, Klaus; Atiemo, Sampson M

2016-01-01

This study examined the spatial distribution and the extent of soil contamination by heavy metals resulting from primitive, unconventional informal electronic waste recycling in the Agbogbloshie e-waste processing site (AEPS) in Ghana. A total of 132 samples were collected at 100 m intervals, with a handheld global position system used in taking the location data of the soil sample points. Observing all procedural and quality assurance measures, the samples were analyzed for barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), using X-ray fluorescence. Using environmental risk indices of contamination factor and degree of contamination (C deg ), we analyzed the individual contribution of each heavy metal contamination and the overall C deg . We further used geostatistical techniques of spatial autocorrelation and variability to examine spatial distribution and extent of heavy metal contamination. Results from soil analysis showed that heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher than the Canadian Environmental Protection Agency and Dutch environmental standards. In an increasing order, Pb>Cd>Hg>Cu>Zn>Cr>Co>Ba>Ni contributed significantly to the overall C deg . Contamination was highest in the main working areas of burning and dismantling sites, indicating the influence of recycling activities. Geostatistical analysis also revealed that heavy metal contamination spreads beyond the main working areas to residential, recreational, farming, and commercial areas. Our results show that the studied heavy metals are ubiquitous within AEPS and the significantly high concentration of these metals reflect the contamination factor and C deg , indicating soil contamination in AEPS with the nine heavy metals studied.

Sequestering Potential of Peach Nut Shells as an Efficient Sorbent for Sequestering Some Toxic Metal Ions from Aqueous Waste: A Kinetic and Thermodynamic Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Ashraf Shaheen

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The peach nut shells potential as a low cost biosorbent for separation of certain metal ions from aqueous media was investigated. The effects of different parameters such as pH, shaking speed, initial metal ions concentration and their contact time with adsorbent on sorption efficiency of biosorbent was investigated to optimize the parameters for maximum sorption. The FT–IR spectroscopy and TGA were used to characterize the biosorbent. A significant increase in sorption was noted with rise in pH of metal ions solution and maximum sorption was observed at pH 6. The isothermal data was fitted to Langmuir, Dubinin–Radushkevich (D–R, Freundlich isotherms and equilibrium process was best fitted to Langmuir isotherm. The removal efficiency of chemically activated samples was found to be ~35 to 45% greater than raw sample. The results showed that peach nut shell was an effective biosorbent for the remediation of the contaminated water with lead (II, Nickle (II and Chromium (III ions. Being low cost material, PNS has a potential to be exploited in waste water treatment technologies. This study shows that activated PNS exhibited appreciable sorption for Pb, Cr and Ni metals ions (97%, 95% and 94% respectively from aqueous solution even at very low concentration of sorbent. The chemical and thermal activation of peach nut shells enhances the removal efficiency for all the metal ions and from the reported data; it was found that the adsorption ability of Pb ions was greater than nickel and chromium.

Real-time detection of metal ions using conjugated polymer composite papers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji Eun; Shim, Hyeon Woo; Kwon, Oh Seok; Huh, Yang-Il; Yoon, Hyeonseok

2014-09-21

Cellulose, a natural polymeric material, has widespread technical applications because of its inherent structural rigidity and high surface area. As a conjugated polymer, polypyrrole shows practical potential for a diverse and promising range of future technologies. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for the real-time detection and removal of metal ions with polypyrrole/cellulose (PPCL) composite papers in solution. Simply, the conjugated polymer papers had different chemical/physical properties by applying different potentials to them, which resulted in differentiable response patterns and adsorption efficiencies for individual metal ions. First, large-area PPCL papers with a diameter of 5 cm were readily obtained via vapor deposition polymerization. The papers exhibited both mechanical flexibility and robustness, in which polypyrrole retained its redox property perfectly. The ability of the PPCL papers to recognize metal ions was examined in static and flow cells, in which real-time current change was monitored at five different applied potentials (+1, +0.5, 0, -0.5, and -1 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Distinguishable signals in the PPCL paper responses were observed for individual metal ions through principal component analysis. Particularly, the PPCL papers yielded unique signatures for three metal ions, Hg(ii), Ag(i), and Cr(iii), even in a real sample, groundwater. The sorption of metal ions by PPCL papers was examined in the flow system. The PPCL papers had a greatly superior adsorption efficiency for Hg(ii) compared to that of the other metal ions. With the strong demand for the development of inexpensive, flexible, light-weight, and environmentally friendly devices, the fascinating characteristics of these PPCL papers are likely to provide good opportunities for low-cost paper-based flexible or wearable devices.

Effects of impurities in biodiesel-derived glycerol on growth and expression of heavy metal ion homeostasis genes and gene products in Pseudomonas putida LS46.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Jilagamazhi; Sharma, Parveen; Spicer, Vic; Krokhin, Oleg V; Zhang, Xiangli; Fristensky, Brian; Wilkins, John A; Cicek, Nazim; Sparling, Richard; Levin, David B

2015-07-01

Biodiesel production-derived waste glycerol (WG) was previously investigated as potential carbon source for medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) production by Pseudomonas putida LS46. In this study, we evaluated the effect of impurities in the WG on P. putida LS46 physiology during exponential growth and corresponding changes in transcription and protein expression profiles compared with cells grown on pure, reagent grade glycerol. High concentration of metal ions, such as Na(+), and numbers of heavy metals ion, such as copper, ion, zinc, were detected in biodiesel-derived WG. Omics analysis from the corresponding cultures suggested altered expression of genes involved in transport and metabolism of ammonia and heavy metal ions. Expression of three groups of heavy metal homeostasis genes was significantly changed (mostly upregulated) in WG cultures and included the following: copper-responded cluster 1 and 2 genes, primarily containing cusABC; two copies of copAB and heavy metal translocating P-type ATPase; Fur-regulated, TonB-dependent siderophore receptor; and several cobalt/zinc/cadmium transporters. Expression of these genes suggests regulation of intracellular concentrations of heavy metals during growth on biodiesel-derived glycerol. Finally, a number of genes involved in adapting to, or metabolizing free fatty acids and other nonheavy metal contaminants, such as Na(+), were also upregulated in P. putida LS46 grown on biodiesel-derived glycerol.

Separation of strontium ions from other alkaline earth metal ions using masking reagent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, Y.

1996-01-01

Cs + and Sr 2+ have been well known as serious elements in high level radioactive waste. Separation of Cs + has already been successful when using an ion-exchange method from solution in the presence of other alkali metal ions. The separation of Sr 2+ is, however, not so easy by any known separation method such as solvent-extraction and ion-exchange methods. This is because Sr 2+ is in the middle of the selectivity series, which is Mg 2+ > Ca 2+ > Sr 2+ > Ba 2+ for the solvent-extraction method and Ba 2+ > Sr 2+ > Ca 2+ > Mg 2+ for the ion- exchange method. In the present study, separation of strontium from other alkaline earth metal ions was studied by a combined use of three types of separation methods at 298 K: the solvent-extraction method was applied for the first separation, in which thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA, extractant) and trioctylphosphine oxide ( TOPO, adduct forming ligand) were used for the organic phase of the system. The separation factors for each combination of four alkaline earth metal ions were determined by the values of the distribution ratio. The Mg 2+ was well separated from Sr 2+ by the TTA-TOPO system. However, the separation of the combinations of Ca 2+ -Sr 2+ and Sr 2+ -Ba 2+ was not complete by the above solvent-extraction system. The second separation method, an ion-exchange method was applied using dihydrogen tetratitanate hydrate fibers (H 2 Ti 4 O 9 nH 2 O) as an ion exchanger to separate Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ . The separation factors for each combination of four alkaline earth metal ions were calculated by the values of the distribution coefficients. Ba 2+ was well separated from Sr 2+ by the ion-exchange method. To separate Ca 2+ and Sr 2+ , however, a modified solvent-extraction method was finally used in which H 2 Ti 4 O 9 nH 2 O was used as a masking reagent of Sr 2+ . After the dihydrogen tetratitanate hydrate fibers were contacted with the aqueous solution containing Ca 2+ and Sr 2+ , the organic solution containing TTA and TOPO

Heavy metals contamination and their risk assessment around the abandoned base metals and Au-Ag mines in Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Chon, Hyo-Taek

2017-04-01

Heavy metals contamination in the areas of abandoned Au-Ag and base metal mines in Korea was investigated in order to assess the level of metal pollution, and to draw general summaries about the fate of toxic heavy metals in different environments. Efforts have been made to compare the level of heavy metals, chemical forms, and plant uptake of heavy metals in each mine site. In the base-metals mine areas, significant levels of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were found in mine dump soils developed over mine waste materials and tailings. Leafy vegetables tend to accumulate heavy metals(in particular, Cd and Zn) higher than other crop plants, and high metal concentrations in rice crops may affect the local residents' health. In the Au-Ag mining areas, arsenic would be the most characteristic contaminant in the nearby environment. Arsenic and heavy metals were found to be mainly associated with sulfide gangue minerals, and the mobility of these metals would be enhanced by the effect of continuing weathering and oxidation. According to the sequential extraction of metals in soils, most heavy metals were identified as non-residual chemical forms, and those are very susceptible to the change of ambient conditions of a nearby environment. The concept of pollution index(PI) of soils gives important information on the extent and degree of multi-element contamination, and can be applied to the evaluation of mine soils before their agricultural use and remediation. The risk assessment process comprising exposure assessment, dose-response assessment, and risk characterization was discussed, and the results of non-cancer risk of As, Cd, and Zn, and those of cancer risk of As were suggested.

Trace metal contamination of Beaufort's Dyke, North Channel, Irish Sea: A legacy of ordnance disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callaway, Alexander; Quinn, Rory; Brown, Craig J.; Service, Matthew; Benetti, Sara

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Our samples are the first trace metal concentrations taken from the valley of Beaufort's Dyke. → There is no clear trend between concentrations of trace metals in Dyke and NMMP sediments. → Particle transport simulations show dispersal of trace metals from Beaufort's Dyke is possible. → Disposed ordnance may also contribute to contamination of surrounding areas. → These methods could help predict areas at risk of future trace metal contamination as a result of ordnance disposal. - Abstract: Beaufort's Dyke is a disused ordnance disposal ground within the North Channel of the Irish Sea. Over 1 million tonnes of ordnance were disposed of in the dyke over a 40 year period representing a substantial volume of trace metal pollutants introduced to the seabed. Utilising particle transport modelling software we simulated the potential transport of metal particles from Beaufort's Dyke over a 3 month period. This demonstrated that Beaufort's Dyke has the potential to act as a source for trace metal contamination to areas beyond the submarine valley. Trace metal analysis of sediments from the Dyke and surrounding National Marine Monitoring Programme areas demonstrate that the Dyke is not the most contaminated site in the region. Particle transport modelling enables the transport pathways of trace metal contaminants to be predicted. Implementation of the technique in other munitions disposal grounds will provide valuable information for the selection of monitoring stations.

Development of a method employing chitosan to remove metallic ions from wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janegitz, Bruno Campos; Lourencao, Bruna Claudia; Lupetti, Karina Omuro; Fatibello-Filho, Orlando

2007-01-01

In this work a method was developed for removing metallic ions from wastewaters by co-precipitation of Cu 2+ , Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cr 3+ and Hg 2+ with chitosan and sodium hydroxide solution. Solutions of these metallic ions in the range from 0.55 to 2160 mg L -1 were added to chitosan dissolved in 0.05 mol L -1 HCl. For the co-precipitation of metal-chitosan-hydroxide a 0.17 mol L -1 NaOH solution was added until pH 8.5-9.5. A parallel study was carried out applying a 0.17 mol L -1 NaOH solution to precipitate those metallic ions. Also, a chitosan solid phase column was used for removing those metallic ions from wastewaters. (author)

Kinetic study of heavy metal ions removal by ion exchange in batch conical air spouted bed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.M. Zewail

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Spouted bed contactor is a hybrid of fixed and fluidized bed contactors, which retains the advantages of each with good hydrodynamic conditions. The aim of the present study is to investigate the performance of a batch conical air spouted vessel for heavy metal removal by strong cation exchange resins (AMBERJET 1200 Na. The effect of various parameters such as type of heavy metal ions (Ni+2 and Pb+2, contact time, superficial air velocity and initial heavy metal ion concentration on % heavy metal ion removal has been investigated. It has been found that under optimum conditions 98% and 99% removal of Ni+2 and Pb+2 were achieved respectively. Several kinetic models were used to test the experimental data and to examine the controlling mechanism of the sorption process. The present results of Ni+2 and Pb+2 well fit pseudo second order kinetic model with a high correlation coefficient. Both film diffusion and intra-particle diffusion contribute to the ion exchange process. The present study revealed that spouted bed vessel may provide an effective alternative for conducting ion exchange reactions.

Metal contamination of Posidonia oceanica meadows along the Corsican coastline (Mediterranean)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lafabrie, C. [University of Corsica, Faculty of Sciences, Equipe Ecosystemes Littoraux, BP 52, 20250 Corte (France)], E-mail: lafabrie@univ-corse.fr; Pergent-Martini, C.; Pergent, G. [University of Corsica, Faculty of Sciences, Equipe Ecosystemes Littoraux, BP 52, 20250 Corte (France)

2008-01-15

The aim of this study is to determine metal (Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb) concentrations in Posidonia oceanica tissues along the Corsican coastline. The results show that except for Cr, all the metals are preferentially accumulated in the blades; this is particularly interesting as it means that future metal analyses may be carried out only on the blades avoiding thus the removal of the shoots. Moreover, they show that metal concentrations may reflect the 'background noise' of the Mediterranean Sea. Station 15 (Canari) can however be distinguished from the others due to its high Co, Cr and Ni concentrations. This result may be related to the presence of a previous asbestos mine, located near this station. Therefore, this study reinforces the usefulness and the relevance of Posidonia oceanica as a tracer of spatial metal contamination and as an interesting tool for water quality evaluation. - The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is a relevant tracer of spatial metal contamination and an interesting tool for water quality evaluation.

Sorption of heavy metals and radionuclides on mineral surfaces in the presence of organic co-contaminants. 1997 annual progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leckie, J.; Redden, G.

1997-01-01

metal or the rates of changes in partitioning as a consequence of ligand or metal exchange. Formation of metal ion-ligand-oxide surface ternary complexes can enhance sorption in some cases while highly stable metal-organic complexes in solution will decrease sorption. The preference for these two cases depends on the relative chemical properties of each component as well as system parameters such as pH and ionic strength and the relative reaction rates. In general, there is a fundamental absence of the experimental observations needed to establish the trends needed for predictive modeling and technological developments. If the authors can understand both the equilibrium partitioning in these ternary systems (i.e., metal-ligand-solid) and the types of complexes that form as functions of a set of measurable parameters that characterize the system, the authors should significantly improve the ability to estimate the mass transport rates of contaminants and natural solutes in aquifers and water columns where organic ligands are significant species. The authors will also be better prepared to devise remediation strategies where introduction of organic ligands can bring about either mobilization of contaminants or enhanced retardation. The ligands are likely to prove useful in the direct treatment and remediation of contaminated sites (Francis and Dodge, 1992; Tuin and Tels, 1990) and can be chosen for their long term stability or their ability to degrade by natural biotic processes.'

Characteristics of Heavy Metals Contamination in Lotus Root in the Dongting Lake Area, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LUO Man

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Heavy metal contamination in soils in the Dongting Lake areas has evoked widespread concerns about the excessive heavy metals in aquatic product. Based on the national standards of food contaminant limits and the method of comprehensive pollution index, heavy metals of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn in lotus root were clarified through field investigation in the Dongting Lake area. Results showed that lotus root in the Dongting Lake area was contaminated seriously by heavy metals. Cd and Pb were two main pollutants and the single pollution indices were 5.70 and 8.35 respectively. According to the comprehensive pollution index of heavy metals, lotus root in Yueyanglou District and Yuanjiang City were classified into medium pollution and Junshan District, Huarong County, Nan County, and Datong District were classified into heavy pollution. Principal component analysis showed that planting areas of lotus root were clumped and medium and heavy pollution areas were separated significantly. Habitat contamination by heavy metals and decreasing area of lotus ponds were two main factors for excessive heavy metals in lotus root. Thus, some measurements, such as habit restoration, were proposed for local government to decrease heavy metals in planting areas and to promote the healthy development of lotus root industry in the Dongting Lake area.

MCTBI: a web server for predicting metal ion effects in RNA structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Li-Zhen; Zhang, Jing-Xiang; Chen, Shi-Jie

2017-08-01

Metal ions play critical roles in RNA structure and function. However, web servers and software packages for predicting ion effects in RNA structures are notably scarce. Furthermore, the existing web servers and software packages mainly neglect ion correlation and fluctuation effects, which are potentially important for RNAs. We here report a new web server, the MCTBI server (http://rna.physics.missouri.edu/MCTBI), for the prediction of ion effects for RNA structures. This server is based on the recently developed MCTBI, a model that can account for ion correlation and fluctuation effects for nucleic acid structures and can provide improved predictions for the effects of metal ions, especially for multivalent ions such as Mg 2+ effects, as shown by extensive theory-experiment test results. The MCTBI web server predicts metal ion binding fractions, the most probable bound ion distribution, the electrostatic free energy of the system, and the free energy components. The results provide mechanistic insights into the role of metal ions in RNA structure formation and folding stability, which is important for understanding RNA functions and the rational design of RNA structures. © 2017 Sun et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

The ion implantation of metals and engineering materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dearnaley, G.

1978-01-01

An entirely new method of metal finishing, by the process of ion implantation, is described. Introduced at first for semiconductor device applications, this method has now been demonstrated to produce major and long-lasting improvements in the durability of material surfaces, as regards both wear and corrosion. The process is distinct from that of ion plating, and it is not a coating technique. After a general description of ion implantation examples are given of its effects on wear behaviour (mostly in steels and cemented carbides) and on corrosion, in a variety of metals and alloys. Its potential for producing decorative finishes is mentioned briefly. The equipment necessary for carrying out ion implantation for engineering applications has now reached the prototype stage, and manufacture of plant for treating a variety of tools and components is about to commence. These developments are outlined. (author)

Preliminary evaluation of heavy metal contamination in the Zarrin-Gol River sediments, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Malvandi, Hassan

2017-04-15

The major objectives of the study were to test the hypothesis of the Zarrin-Gol River as a reference site for ecotoxicological studies and to assess the contamination degree of heavy metals and metalloids in the river using four contamination indices. For these purposes, eleven heavy metal and metalloid concentrations were analyzed. The average concentrations (mgkg -1 ) in the sediments were: 37.67 (chromium) 286.28 (manganese), 13,751.04 (iron), 8.79 (cobalt), 12.39 (nickel), 32.68 (zinc), 21.91 (arsenic), 40.59 (selenium), 2923.86 (aluminum), ND (silver) and 785.96 (magnesium). Contamination factor, enrichment factor, pollution load index, and geoaccumulation index were calculated to evaluate the contamination degree and influence of human activities on heavy metal levels. The contamination indices of the sediment samples showed that arsenic and selenium were the highest pollutants. The results indicated that the Zarrin-Gol River could not be used as a reference site at least for arsenic and selenium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterisation of contaminated metals using an advanced statistical toolbox - Geostatistical characterisation of contaminated metals: methodology and illustrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, Arne; Lidar, Per; Desnoyers, Yvon

2014-01-01

Radiological characterisation plays an important role in the process to recycle contaminated or potentially contaminated metals. It is a platform for planning, identification of the extent and nature of contamination, assessing potential risk impacts, cost estimation, radiation protection, management of material arising from decommissioning as well as for the release of the materials as well as the disposal of the generated secondary waste as radioactive waste. Key issues in radiological characterisation are identification of objectives, development of a measurement and sampling strategy (probabilistic, judgmental or a combination thereof), knowledge management, traceability, recording and processing of obtained information. By applying advanced combination of statistical and geostatistical in the concept better performance can be achieved at a lower cost. This paper will describe the benefits with the usage of the available methods in the different stages of the characterisation, treatment and clearance processes aiming for reliable results in line with the data quality objectives. (authors)

Metal ion binding with dehydroannulenes – Plausible two ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

Theoretical investigations have been carried out at B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory to study the binding ... Alkali metals; dehydroannulenes; binding energy; penetration barrier. 1. .... can be discriminated from larger metal ions by running.

Remediation techniques for heavy-metals contamination in lakes: A Mini-Review

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Giripunje, M.D.; Fulke, A.B.; Meshram, P.U.

Heavy-metals contamination in lakes has a negative impact on lake ecosystems This review provides an insight into possible heavy-metals remediation techniques for lake environments using different techniques, for example, physical, chemical...

Metal negative ion beam extraction from a radio frequency ion source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kanda, S.; Yamada, N.; Kasuya, T.; Romero, C. F. P.; Wada, M.

2015-04-08

A metal ion source of magnetron magnetic field geometry has been designed and operated with a Cu hollow target. Radio frequency power at 13.56 MHz is directly supplied to the hollow target to maintain plasma discharge and induce self-bias to the target for sputtering. The extraction of positive and negative Cu ion beams have been tested. The ion beam current ratio of Cu{sup +} to Ar{sup +} has reached up to 140% when Ar was used as the discharge support gas. Cu{sup −} ion beam was observed at 50 W RF discharge power and at a higher Ar gas pressure in the ion source. Improvement of poor RF power matching and suppression of electron current is indispensable for a stable Cu{sup −} ion beam production from the source.

Ion-induced effects on metallic nanoparticles