Development of radioactive seawater monitors, 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, Masanori

1989-01-01

Applicability of some adsorptive materials to monitoring of radioactive seawater is generalized. Studied techniques that allow utilization of adsorptive materials in monitoring radioactive seawater are the substitute methods using sampled seawater or indicator plants such as gulfweed and the method using adsorptive materials for continuous monitoring of underwater radioactivity, the method using them for field measurement of under water radioactivity from a boat, and the method using an adsorptive material moored underwater for integration monitoring of underwater radioactivity. Selected adsorptive materials that were judged suitable for monitoring radioactive seawater is the one composed of some kind of adsorptive compound (manganese dioxide or ferrocyan cobalt potassium) fixed to crylic cellulose. This adsorptive material permits selective scavenging radioactive Cs, Mn, Co, Zn, Ce, Fe, Ru, Ra Th, Pu and Am from seawater. (aurhor)

Neodymium isotopic variations in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piepgras, D.J.; Wasserburg, G.J.

1980-01-01

New data for the direct measurement of the isotopic composition of neodymium in Atlantic Ocean seawater are compared with previous measurements of Pacific Ocean seawater and ferromanganese sediments from major ocean basins. Data for Atlantic seawater are in excellent agreement with Nd isotopic measurements made on Atlantic ferromanganese sediments and are distinctly different from the observed compositions of Pacific samples. These results clearly demonstrate the existence of distinctive differences in the isotopic composition of Nd in the waters of the major ocean basins and are characteristic of the ocean basin sampled. The average epsilonsub(N)sub(d)(0) values for the major oceans as determined by data from seawater and ferromanganese sediments are as follows: Atlantic Ocean, epsilonsub(N)sub(d)(0) approx. equal to - 12 +- 2; Indian Ocean, epsilonsub(N)sub(d)(0) approx. equal to - 8 +- 2; Pacific Ocean, epsilonsub(N)sub(d)(0) approx. equal to -3 +- 2. These values are considerably less than epsilonsub(N)sub(d)(0) value sources with oceanic mantle affinities indicating that the REE in the oceans are dominated by continental sources. The difference in the absolute abundance of 143 Nd between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans corresponds to approx. 10 6 atoms 143 Nd per gram of seawater. The correspondence between the 143 Nd/ 144 Nd in seawater and in the associated sediments suggests the possible application of this approach to paleo-oceanography. (orig./HAE)

Recovery of uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirotsu, Takahiro; Takagi, Norio; Katoh, Shunsaku

1995-01-01

Present status of the development of chelating adsorbents for the recovery of uranium from seawater is outlined with emphasis on the research by the author. Uranium is estimated to exist as stable tri (carbonate) uranylate (6) ion in seawater in a very low concentration. The adsorbent for uranium from seawater in a very low concentration. The adsorbent for uranium from seawater should have high selectivity and affinity for uranium around pH 8. The required characteristics for uranium adsorbent are examined. Various chelating adsorbents have been proposed for the uranium adsorbent and their structures are discussed. Amidoxime type adsorbents have the highest adsorbing power for uranium among the adsorbents hitherto developed and fibrous amidoxime adsorbents are most promising for the practical application. Synthesis, structure and suitable shape of the amidoxime adsorbents are discussed. Uranium adsorption behavior and the amount of saturated adsorption are examined theoretically based on the complexation of an amidoxime monomer and the formula for the adsorption equiliburium is derived. The adsorption and recovery process for uranium from seawater is composed of adsorption, desorption, separation and concentration and finally, uranium is recovered as the yellow cake. A floating body mooring system is proposed by Nobukawa. (T.H.)

Strontium (Sr) separation from seawater using titanate adsorbents: Effects of seawater matrix ions on Sr sorption behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Ryu, Jungho; Hong, Hye-jin; Ryu, Taegong; Park, In-Su

2017-04-01

Strontium (Sr) which has many industrial applications such as ferrite magnet, ceramic, and fire works exists in seawater with the concentration of approximately 7 mg/L. In previous report estimating economic potential on recovery of various elements from seawater in terms of their commercial values and concentrations in seawater, Sr locates upper than approximate break-even line, which implies Sr recovery from seawater can be potentially profitable. Recently, Sr separation from seawater has received great attention in the environmental aspect after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident which released much amount of radioactive Sr and Cs. Accordingly, the efficient separation of radioactive elements released to seawater has become critical as an important technological need as well as their removal from radioactive wastes. So far, it has been introduced to separate Sr from aqueous media by various methods including solvent extraction, adsorption by solid materials, and ion exchange. Among them, the adsorption technique using solid adsorbents is of great interest for selectively separating Sr from seawater with respect to low concentration level of Sr. In this study, we synthesized titanate nanotube (TiNT) by simple hydrothermal reaction, characterized its physicochemical properties, and systematically evaluated Sr sorption behavior under various reaction conditions corresponding to seawater environment. The synthesized TiNT exhibited the fibril-type nanotube structure with high specific surface area of 260 m2/g. The adsorption of Sr on TiNT rapidly occurred following pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and was in good agreement with Langmuir isotherm model, indicating maximum adsorption capacity of 97 mg/g. Based on Sr uptake and Na release with stoichiometric balance, sorption mechanism of Sr on TiNT was found to be ion-exchange between Na in TiNT lattice and Sr in solution phase, which was also confirmed by XRD and Raman analysis. Among competitive ions, Ca

Rapid determination of actinides in seawater samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maxwell, S.L.; Culligan, B.K.; Hutchison, J.B.; Utsey, R.C.; McAlister, D.R.

2014-01-01

A new rapid method for the determination of actinides in seawater samples has been developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The actinides can be measured by alpha spectrometry or inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The new method employs novel pre-concentration steps to collect the actinide isotopes quickly from 80 L or more of seawater. Actinides are co-precipitated using an iron hydroxide co-precipitation step enhanced with Ti +3 reductant, followed by lanthanum fluoride co-precipitation. Stacked TEVA Resin and TRU Resin cartridges are used to rapidly separate Pu, U, and Np isotopes from seawater samples. TEVA Resin and DGA Resin were used to separate and measure Pu, Am and Cm isotopes in seawater volumes up to 80 L. This robust method is ideal for emergency seawater samples following a radiological incident. It can also be used, however, for the routine analysis of seawater samples for oceanographic studies to enhance efficiency and productivity. In contrast, many current methods to determine actinides in seawater can take 1-2 weeks and provide chemical yields of ∼30-60 %. This new sample preparation method can be performed in 4-8 h with tracer yields of ∼85-95 %. By employing a rapid, robust sample preparation method with high chemical yields, less seawater is needed to achieve lower or comparable detection limits for actinide isotopes with less time and effort. (author)

Colloidal nature of radionuclides in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, I.

1976-01-01

There is considerable doubt that equilibrium calculations, i.e., employing solubility products and complex-ion stability constants, are valid for the submicro concentrations of radionuclides in seawater. The existence of radiocolloids should be expected in seawater. The great tendency of radiocolloids to adsorb onto finely-divided hydrous oxides makes their formation of significance in seawater, especially for artificial radionuclides. The subject of radiocolloid formation is reviewed in this chapter. It is shown that the 226 Ra/ 230 Th/U relationship found in seawater can be explained from the fact that the tendencies of these elements to form radiocolloids in seawater should decrease in order thorium > radium much greater than uranium. This explanation is much simpler than the prevailing oceanographic one. The theories for radiocolloid formation are discussed. The recent theory of Jones and Healy for the adsorption of hydrolyzable metal ions onto hydrous oxides is reviewed briefly, and its relevance to radiocolloid formation is pointed out

Effect of different seawater Mg

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mewes, A.; Langer, G.; de Nooijer, L.J.; Bijma, J.; Reichart, G.J.

2014-01-01

Magnesium, incorporated in foraminiferal calcite (Mg/CaCC), is used intensively to reconstruct past seawater temperatures but, in addition to temperature, the Mg/CaCC of foraminiferal tests also depends on the ratio of Mg and Ca in seawater (Mg/CaSW). The physiological mechanisms responsible for

A new complex vector method for balancing chemical equations: Nova kompleksna metoda za uravnoteženje kemičnih enačb:

OpenAIRE

Risteski, Ice B.

2010-01-01

In this article, the author discovers a paradox of balancing chemical equations. The many counterexamples illustrate that the considered procedure of balancing chemical equations given in the paper1 is inconsistent. A new complex vector method for paradox resolution is given too. V članku avtor opisuje paradoks pri uravnoteženju kemijskih reakcij. Več primerov dokazuje, da je procedura uravnoteženja kemijskih reakcij v viru1 inkonsistentna. Predstavljena je nova kompleksna vektorska metoda...

Estimates of ikaite export from sea ice to the underlying seawater in a sea ice-seawater mesocosm

Science.gov (United States)

Geilfus, Nicolas-Xavier; Galley, Ryan J.; Else, Brent G. T.; Campbell, Karley; Papakyriakou, Tim; Crabeck, Odile; Lemes, Marcos; Delille, Bruno; Rysgaard, Søren

2016-09-01

The precipitation of ikaite and its fate within sea ice is still poorly understood. We quantify temporal inorganic carbon dynamics in sea ice from initial formation to its melt in a sea ice-seawater mesocosm pool from 11 to 29 January 2013. Based on measurements of total alkalinity (TA) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2), the main processes affecting inorganic carbon dynamics within sea ice were ikaite precipitation and CO2 exchange with the atmosphere. In the underlying seawater, the dissolution of ikaite was the main process affecting inorganic carbon dynamics. Sea ice acted as an active layer, releasing CO2 to the atmosphere during the growth phase, taking up CO2 as it melted and exporting both ikaite and TCO2 into the underlying seawater during the whole experiment. Ikaite precipitation of up to 167 µmol kg-1 within sea ice was estimated, while its export and dissolution into the underlying seawater was responsible for a TA increase of 64-66 µmol kg-1 in the water column. The export of TCO2 from sea ice to the water column increased the underlying seawater TCO2 by 43.5 µmol kg-1, suggesting that almost all of the TCO2 that left the sea ice was exported to the underlying seawater. The export of ikaite from the ice to the underlying seawater was associated with brine rejection during sea ice growth, increased vertical connectivity in sea ice due to the upward percolation of seawater and meltwater flushing during sea ice melt. Based on the change in TA in the water column around the onset of sea ice melt, more than half of the total ikaite precipitated in the ice during sea ice growth was still contained in the ice when the sea ice began to melt. Ikaite crystal dissolution in the water column kept the seawater pCO2 undersaturated with respect to the atmosphere in spite of increased salinity, TA and TCO2 associated with sea ice growth. Results indicate that ikaite export from sea ice and its dissolution in the underlying seawater can potentially hamper

Physico-chemical behavior of radionuclides in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimura, Yuichiro; Ogawa, Yoshihiro; Honda, Yoshihide; Katsurayama, Kosuke.

1980-01-01

To elucidate the physico-chemical states of radionuclides in seawater in relation to uptake by the marine biosphere, the physicochemical behavior of radiocobalt, radioruthenium and radiocerium in seawater was investigated by electrodialysis, high-voltage paper electrophoresis, and also by paper chromatography for nitrosylruthenium complexes. Most of the radiocobalt in seawater behaved as dialytic cations. However, these cationic species were not necessarily simple divalent, because their electrophoretic bands were rather diffuse and showed two peaks temporarily. The electroneutral form also increased with aging in seawater. The radioruthenium in seawater showed relatively a number of well-defined species which could be readily classified into anionic, cationic, electroneutral, colloidal or particulate, non-dialytic and more or less adsorbable species. The radioruthenium in the chloro and nitratonitrosylruthenium complexes occurred mainly electroneutral and anionic species, while nitro and binuclear oxygen-bridged nitratonitrosylruthenium complexes showed dominant anionic species. The hydrolysis of higher nitro and nitratonitrosylruthenium complexes to lower ones was demonstrated with aging in seawater by paper chromatography. The radiocerium in seawater showed initially cationic species. However, the electroneutral and anionic species were revealed with aging by electrodialysis. The radiocerium were strongly adsorbed on filter paper at the starting band in paper electrophoresis, presumably because of the formation of strongly adsorbable or insoluble hydrolytic species or particle formation. (author)

Progress in recovery technology for uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugo, Takanobu; Saito, Kyoichi.

1994-01-01

By the facts that the research group in Japan improved the performance of amidoxime resin which is the adsorbent for collecting seawater uranium, proposed the method of mooring floating bodies utilizing sea current and waves as the adsorption system, and further, verified the results of laboratory basic experiment by marine experiment, the technology of collecting seawater uranium has progressed. After the oil crisis, various countries started the research on seawater uranium, but only Japan has continued the systematic study up to now. In this report, the research on seawater uranium collection carried out so far is summarized, and the characteristics of the adsorbent which was synthesized by radiation graft polymerization and the results of the uranium collection test using coastal seawater are reported. In seawater of 1 m 3 , the uranium of 3.3 mg is dissolved in the form of uranyl tricarbonate complex ions. In the total quantity of seawater, the dissolved uranium amounts to about 4.6 billion tons, about 1000 times of the uranium resources on land. The research on seawater uranium collection and the performance of uranium adsorption of synthesized amidoxime fibers are reported. (K.I.)

Paleogene Seawater Osmium Isotope Records

Science.gov (United States)

Rolewicz, Z.; Thomas, D. J.; Marcantonio, F.

2012-12-01

Paleoceanographic reconstructions of the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic require enhanced geographic coverage, particularly in the Pacific, in order to better constrain meridional variations in environmental conditions. The challenge with the existing inventory of Pacific deep-sea cores is that they consist almost exclusively of pelagic clay with little existing age control. Pelagic clay sequences are useful for reconstructions of dust accumulation and water mass composition, but accurate correlation of these records to other sites requires improved age control. Recent work indicates that seawater Os isotope analyses provide useful age control for red clay sequences. The residence time of Os in seawater is relatively long compared to oceanic mixing, therefore the global seawater 187Os/188Os composition is practically homogeneous. A growing body of Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic data has constrained the evolution of the seawater Os isotopic composition and this curve is now a viable stratigraphic tool, employed in dating layers of Fe-Mn crusts (e.g., Klemm et al., 2005). Ravizza (2007) also demonstrated that the seawater Os isotopic composition can be extracted reliably from pelagic red clay sediments by analyzing the leached oxide minerals. The drawback to using seawater Os isotope stratigraphy to date Paleogene age sediments is that the compilation of existing data has some significant temporal gaps, notably between ~38 and 55 Ma. To improve the temporal resolution of the seawater Os isotope curve, we present new data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 865 in the equatorial Pacific. Site 865 has excellent biostratigraphic age control over the interval ~38-55Ma. Preliminary data indicate an increase in the seawater composition from 0.427 at 53.4 Ma to 0.499 by 43 Ma, consistent with the apparent trend in the few existing data points. We also analyzed the Os isotopic composition recorded by oxide minerals at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1370

Numerical Study of Groundwater Flow and Salinity Distribution Cycling Controlled by Seawater/Freshwater Interaction in Karst Aquifer Using SEAWAT

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Z.; Hu, B.

2017-12-01

The interest to predict seawater intrusion and salinity distribution in Woodville Karst Plain (WKP) has increased due to the huge challenge on quality of drinkable water and serious environmental problems. Seawater intrudes into the conduit system from submarine karst caves at Spring Creek Spring due to density difference and sea level rising, nowadays the low salinity has been detected at Wakulla Spring which is 18 km from coastal line. The groundwater discharge at two major springs and salinity distribution in this area is controlled by the seawater/freshwater interaction under different rainfall conditions: during low rainfall periods, seawater flow into the submarine spring through karst windows, then the salinity rising at the submarine spring leads to seawater further intrudes into conduit system; during high rainfall periods, seawater is pushed out by fresh water discharge at submarine spring. The previous numerical studies of WKP mainly focused on the density independent transport modeling and seawater/freshwater discharge at major karst springs, in this study, a SEAWAT model has been developed to fully investigate the salinity distribution in the WKP under repeating phases of low rainfall and high rainfall periods, the conduit system was simulated as porous media with high conductivity and porosity. The precipitation, salinity and discharge at springs were used to calibrate the model. The results showed that the salinity distribution in porous media and conduit system is controlled by the rainfall change, in general, the salinity distribution inland under low rainfall conditions is much higher and wider than the high rainfall conditions. The results propose a prediction on the environmental problem caused by seawater intrusion in karst coastal aquifer, in addition, provide a visual and scientific basis for future groundwater remediation.

Primena savremenih metoda izviđanja signala sa frekvencijskim skakanjem za formiranje elektronske slike bojišta / Advanced methods for frequency hopping signal reconnaissance for the purpose of constructing electronic order of battle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Desimir Vučić

2004-05-01

Full Text Available Sve veća zastupljenost savremenih tehnika digitalnih komunikacija koje primenjuju signale sa malom verovatnoćom presretanja, kao što su signali sa frekvencijskim skakanjem, nameće razvoj novih metoda i algoritama za njihovo izviđanje radi formiranja elektronske slike bojišta. U ovom radu razmatraju se principi i dostignuća u razvoju novih metoda u detekciji, karakterizaciji identifikaciji i eksploataciji ovih sofisticiranih komunikacionih signala u kontekstu elektronskog rata. / The extensive use of modern low probability-of-intercept digital communication signals, such as frequency hopping signals, requires development of new theory and algorithms for their reconnaissance for the purpose of constructing an electronic order of battle. This paper presents some principles and advances in signal processing and analysis technology for the signal interception, characterization, identification and exploitation in the context of electronic warfare.

Mercury isotope signatures of seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant equipped with a seawater flue gas desulfurization system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Haiying; Peng, Jingji; Yuan, Dongxing; Lu, Bingyan; Lin, Kunning; Huang, Shuyuan

2016-07-01

Seawater flue gas desulfurization (SFGD) systems are commonly used to remove acidic SO2 from the flue gas with alkaline seawater in many coastal coal-fired power plants in China. However, large amount of mercury (Hg) originated from coal is also transferred into seawater during the desulfurization (De-SO2) process. This research investigated Hg isotopes in seawater discharged from a coastal plant equipped with a SFGD system for the first time. Suspended particles of inorganic minerals, carbon residuals and sulfides are enriched in heavy Hg isotopes during the De-SO2 process. δ(202)Hg of particulate mercury (PHg) gradually decreased from -0.30‰ to -1.53‰ in study sea area as the distance from the point of discharge increased. The results revealed that physical mixing of contaminated De-SO2 seawater and uncontaminated fresh seawater caused a change in isotopic composition of PHg isotopes in the discharging area; and suggested that both De-SO2 seawater and local background contributed to PHg. The impacted sea area predicted with isotopic tracing technique was much larger than that resulted from a simple comparison of pollutant concentration. It was the first attempt to apply mercury isotopic composition signatures with two-component mixing model to trace the mercury pollution and its influence in seawater. The results could be beneficial to the coal-fired plants with SFGD systems to assess and control Hg pollution in sea area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid determination of 90Sr in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlotskaya, F.I.; Moskin, A.I.

1994-01-01

A method for determining 90 Sr in seawater that is based on direct isolation and radiochemical purification of daughter 90 Y is proposed. The analysis time is 6-8 h. The chemical yield of the Y-carrier during the 90 Sr determination from 35 liters of seawater varies in the range 37-69%. The analysis uncertainty is 90 Sr from seawater and subsequent isolation of 90 Y

Chlorine-36 in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Argento, David C.; Stone, John O.; Keith Fifield, L.; Tims, Stephen G.

2010-01-01

Natural cosmogenic 36 Cl found in seawater originates from spallation of atmospheric 40 Ar, capture of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons by dissolved 35 Cl, and river runoff which contains 36 Cl produced in situ over the surface of the continents. The long residence time of chloride in the ocean and long half-life of 36 Cl compared to the oceanic mixing time should result in a homogenous 36 Cl/Cl ratio throughout the ocean. Production by neutron capture in the course of nuclear weapons testing should be insignificant averaged over the oceans as a whole, but may have led to regions of elevated 36 Cl concentration. Previous attempts to measure the 36 Cl/Cl ratio of seawater have been hindered by interferences, contamination, or insufficient analytic sensitivity. Here we report preliminary measurements on seawater samples, which demonstrate that the 36 Cl/Cl ratio is 0.5 ± 0.3 x 10 -15 , in reasonable agreement with calculated contributions from the sources listed above.

Seawater desalination with nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

Nuclear power helps reduce costs for energy-intensive processes such as seawater desalination. A new generation of innovative small and medium nuclear power plants could co-generate electricity and potable water from seawater, both safely and at competitive prices in today's market. The IAEA provides technical support to Member States facing water shortage problems, on assessing the viability of nuclear power in seawater desalination. The support, usually channelled through national Technical Cooperation (TC) projects, can take several forms, ranging from educational training and technical advice on feasibility studies to design and safety review of demonstration projects. The IAEA offers a software tool (DEEP) that can be used to evaluate the economics of the different desalination and heat source configurations, including nuclear and fossil options

Conceptual design on uranium recovery plant from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Toshiaki; Okugawa, Katsumi; Sugihara, Yutaka; Matsumura, Tsuyoshi

1999-01-01

Uranium containing in seawater is extremely low concentration, which is about 3 mg (3 ppb) per 1 ton of seawater. Recently, a report on development of a more effective collector of uranium in seawater (a radiation graft polymerization product of amidoxime onto polyethylene fiber) was issued by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. In this paper, an outline design of a uranium recovery plant from seawater was conducted on a base of the collector. As a result of cost estimation, the collection cost of seawater uranium using this method was much higher than that of uranium mine on land and described in the Red Book for mineral uranium cost. In order to make the seawater uranium cost comparable to the on-land uranium cost, it is necessary to establish comprehensive efforts in future technical development, such as development in absorption property of uranium with the collector, resolution method using less HCl, and so forth. (G.K.)

Potential Effects of Desalinated Seawater on Arteriosclerosis in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Lian; Zhang, Li Xia; Zhang, Shao Ping; Kong, Jian; Zhi, Hong; Zhang, Ming; Lu, Kai; Zhang, Hong Wei

2017-10-01

To evaluate the potential risk of arteriosclerosis caused by desalinated seawater, Wistar rats were provided desalinated seawater over a 1-year period, and blood samples were collected at 0, 90, 180, and 360 days. Blood calcium, magnesium, and arteriosclerosis-related indicators were investigated. Female rats treated with desalinated seawater for 180 days showed lower magnesium levels than the control rats (P seawater for 360 days (P seawater, and no increase in risk of arteriosclerosis was observed. Copyright © 2017 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1974-12-01

The report concerns the possibilities of extracting uranium from seawater using either 'tidal' and 'pumped' schemes. It was decided to undertake an initial exercise on the pumped scheme. It was to take into account not only the direct energy requirements, but also the indirect energy inputs needed to produce the capital equipment, operating materials, etc. The report begins with a discussion of the technique of energy accounting, and the merits and limitations of the two principal approaches are compared. These are: 'Process Analysis' (or 'Energy Cost of Materials') and 'Input-Output Analysis' (or 'Energy Cost of Money'). A comparison is made between the energy cost of the tidal and pumped schemes, by both methods of analysis. A 'Best Estimate' is compiled calling on both methods, and this indicates that on an energy cost basis the pumped scheme is three times as expensive as the tidal scheme. Intermediate schemes are feasible, however. There is some evidence that the energy cost of an ore refining process with an initial concentration of 0.007% would be of the same order as that of the pumped seawater scheme. The energy cost of generating electricity using seawater uranium in an SGHWR is compared with the present UK generating system as a whole. (U.K.)

Seawater movement in the Japan Sea inferred from 14C measurement in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Tanaka, Takayuki; Togawa, Orihiko; Amano, Hikaru; Aramaki, Takafumi

2008-01-01

Research Group for Environmental Science, JAEA has carried out oceanographic observations in the Japan Sea since 1997 to clarify the biogeochemical cycle in the Japan Sea. More than 3,000 seawater samples for measurement of radiocarbon were collected during the observations, and radiocarbon in the seawater samples was measured at AMS facility in JAEA Mutsu. In this paper, formation and circulation of water mass in the northern Japan Sea were discussed using analysis of radiocarbon and hydrographic data (e.g. salinity, temperature, nutrients). (author)

Estimates of ikaite export from sea ice to the underlying seawater in a sea ice–seawater mesocosm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.-X. Geilfus

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The precipitation of ikaite and its fate within sea ice is still poorly understood. We quantify temporal inorganic carbon dynamics in sea ice from initial formation to its melt in a sea ice–seawater mesocosm pool from 11 to 29 January 2013. Based on measurements of total alkalinity (TA and total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2, the main processes affecting inorganic carbon dynamics within sea ice were ikaite precipitation and CO2 exchange with the atmosphere. In the underlying seawater, the dissolution of ikaite was the main process affecting inorganic carbon dynamics. Sea ice acted as an active layer, releasing CO2 to the atmosphere during the growth phase, taking up CO2 as it melted and exporting both ikaite and TCO2 into the underlying seawater during the whole experiment. Ikaite precipitation of up to 167 µmolkg−1 within sea ice was estimated, while its export and dissolution into the underlying seawater was responsible for a TA increase of 64–66 µmolkg−1 in the water column. The export of TCO2 from sea ice to the water column increased the underlying seawater TCO2 by 43.5 µmolkg−1, suggesting that almost all of the TCO2 that left the sea ice was exported to the underlying seawater. The export of ikaite from the ice to the underlying seawater was associated with brine rejection during sea ice growth, increased vertical connectivity in sea ice due to the upward percolation of seawater and meltwater flushing during sea ice melt. Based on the change in TA in the water column around the onset of sea ice melt, more than half of the total ikaite precipitated in the ice during sea ice growth was still contained in the ice when the sea ice began to melt. Ikaite crystal dissolution in the water column kept the seawater pCO2 undersaturated with respect to the atmosphere in spite of increased salinity, TA and TCO2 associated with sea ice growth. Results indicate that ikaite export from sea ice and its dissolution in the underlying

Non‐diluted seawater enhances nasal ciliary beat frequency and wound repair speed compared to diluted seawater and normal saline

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnomet, Arnaud; Luczka, Emilie; Coraux, Christelle

2016-01-01

Background The regulation of mucociliary clearance is a key part of the defense mechanisms developed by the airway epithelium. If a high aggregate quality of evidence shows the clinical effectiveness of nasal irrigation, there is a lack of studies showing the intrinsic role of the different irrigation solutions allowing such results. This study investigated the impact of solutions with different pH and ionic compositions, eg, normal saline, non‐diluted seawater and diluted seawater, on nasal mucosa functional parameters. Methods For this randomized, controlled, blinded, in vitro study, we used airway epithelial cells obtained from 13 nasal polyps explants to measure ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and epithelial wound repair speed (WRS) in response to 3 isotonic nasal irrigation solutions: (1) normal saline 0.9%; (2) non‐diluted seawater (Physiomer®); and (3) 30% diluted seawater (Stérimar). The results were compared to control (cell culture medium). Results Non‐diluted seawater enhanced the CBF and the WRS when compared to diluted seawater and to normal saline. When compared to the control, it significantly enhanced CBF and slightly, though nonsignificantly, improved the WRS. Interestingly, normal saline markedly reduced the number of epithelial cells and ciliated cells when compared to the control condition. Conclusion Our results suggest that the physicochemical features of the nasal wash solution is important because it determines the optimal conditions to enhance CBF and epithelial WRS thus preserving the respiratory mucosa in pathological conditions. Non‐diluted seawater obtains the best results on CBF and WRS vs normal saline showing a deleterious effect on epithelial cell function. PMID:27101776

Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Comeau, S; Tambutté, E; Carpenter, R C; Edmunds, P J; Evensen, N R; Allemand, D; Ferrier-Pagès, C; Tambutté, S; Venn, A A

2017-01-25

Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pH CF ) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pH CF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (A T ). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pH CF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [A T ], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pH CF Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pH CF with the seawater [DIC]/[H + ] ratio, [A T ]/ [H + ] ratio and [[Formula: see text

Evaluation of durability of SSCs injected with seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

At the units 1 to 4 in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, seawater was injected into reactor pressure vessels and spent fuel pools in order to cool down nuclear fuel is after the disaster of the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. Therefore, for fuel cladding tubes exposed to seawater and piping items to pour seawater into a nuclear reactor, it was necessary to evaluate structural integrity under the seawater environment. And then, JNES carried out the safety research of 'Evaluation of Durability of SSCs injected with Seawater' in FY2011. The contents and the results obtained from the search are as follows; (1) For the pipes and nuclear reactor containment vessels, corrosion tests under high temperature seawater at 50degC and 80degC were carried out for the carbon steel that corrosion resistance was less. The data of relationship between a dipping time upto 1,500h and a corrosion rate were obtained as parameters at chloride ion (CI - ) content and the temperature of the seawater. As the results, the corrosion rate was almost 0.1 mm/y for the carbon steel SGV480. No significant influence of CT - content and the temperature of the seawater was confirmed. (2) Corrosion tests were carried out to obtain the relations of time and corrosion under different CI - content conditions for the simulated fuel rod specimens in seawater at 90degC for durations upto 1,200h. As the results, very little corrosion was observed on Zry-2 cladding tube. Brown rust was slightly appeared on the nut made of stainless steel and the lower tie plate made of cast stainless steel. Thinning and corrosion pit were not observed. (author)

Improvement of seawater booster pump outlet check valve

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xuning; Du Yansong; Huang Huimin

2010-01-01

Conventional island seawater booster pump set of QNPC 310 MWe unit are very important in the whole circulating cooling system, and the integrate function of seawater booster pump outlet check valve is the foundation of steady operation of the seawater booster pump set. The article mainly introduce that through the analyses to the reason to the problem that the seawater booster pump outlet check valve of QNPC 310 MWe unit appeared in past years by our team, and considering the influence of operation condition and circumstance, the team improve the seawater booster pump outlet check valve from swing check valve to shuttle check valve which operate more appropriately in the system. By the test of continuous practice, we make further modification to the inner structure of shuttle check valve contrapuntally, and therefore we solve the problem in seawater booster pump outlet check valve fundamentally which has troubled the security of system operation in past years, so we realize the aim of technical improvement and ensure that the system operate in safety and stability. (authors)

Proteolytic enzymes in seawater: contribution of prokaryotes and protists

Science.gov (United States)

Obayashi, Y.; Suzuki, S.

2016-02-01

Proteolytic enzyme is one of the major catalysts of microbial processing of organic matter in biogeochemical cycle. Here we summarize some of our studies about proteases in seawater, including 1) distribution of protease activities in coastal and oceanic seawater, 2) responses of microbial community and protease activities in seawater to organic matter amending, and 3) possible contribution of heterotrophic protists besides prokaryotes to proteases in seawater, to clarify cleared facts and remaining questions. Activities of aminopeptidases, trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases were detected from both coastal and oceanic seawater by using MCA-substrate assay. Significant activities were detected from not only particulate (cell-associated) fraction but also dissolved fraction of seawater, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. Hydrolytic enzymes in seawater have been commonly thought to be mainly derived from heterotrophic prokaryotes; however, it was difficult to determine actual source organisms of dissolved enzymes in natural seawater. Our experiment with addition of dissolved protein to subtropical oligotrophic Pacific water showed drastically enhancement of the protease activities especially aminopeptidases in seawater, and the prokaryotic community structure simultaneously changed to be dominant of Bacteroidetes, indicating that heterotrophic bacteria were actually one of the sources of proteases in seawater. Another microcosm experiment with free-living marine heterotrophic ciliate Paranophrys marina together with an associated bacterium showed that extracellular trypsin-type activity was mainly attributed to the ciliate. The protist seemed to work in organic matter digestion in addition to be a grazer. From the results, we propose a system of organic matter digestion by prokaryotes and protists in aquatic environments, although their actual contribution in natural environments should be estimated in future studies.

Non-diluted seawater enhances nasal ciliary beat frequency and wound repair speed compared to diluted seawater and normal saline.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnomet, Arnaud; Luczka, Emilie; Coraux, Christelle; de Gabory, Ludovic

2016-10-01

The regulation of mucociliary clearance is a key part of the defense mechanisms developed by the airway epithelium. If a high aggregate quality of evidence shows the clinical effectiveness of nasal irrigation, there is a lack of studies showing the intrinsic role of the different irrigation solutions allowing such results. This study investigated the impact of solutions with different pH and ionic compositions, eg, normal saline, non-diluted seawater and diluted seawater, on nasal mucosa functional parameters. For this randomized, controlled, blinded, in vitro study, we used airway epithelial cells obtained from 13 nasal polyps explants to measure ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and epithelial wound repair speed (WRS) in response to 3 isotonic nasal irrigation solutions: (1) normal saline 0.9%; (2) non-diluted seawater (Physiomer®); and (3) 30% diluted seawater (Stérimar). The results were compared to control (cell culture medium). Non-diluted seawater enhanced the CBF and the WRS when compared to diluted seawater and to normal saline. When compared to the control, it significantly enhanced CBF and slightly, though nonsignificantly, improved the WRS. Interestingly, normal saline markedly reduced the number of epithelial cells and ciliated cells when compared to the control condition. Our results suggest that the physicochemical features of the nasal wash solution is important because it determines the optimal conditions to enhance CBF and epithelial WRS thus preserving the respiratory mucosa in pathological conditions. Non-diluted seawater obtains the best results on CBF and WRS vs normal saline showing a deleterious effect on epithelial cell function. © 2016 The Authors International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, published by ARSAAOA, LLC.

Seawater sulfate reduction and sulfur isotope fractionation in basaltic systems: interaction of seawater with fayalite and magnetite at 200-3500C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanks, W.C. III; Bischoff, J.L.; Rosenbauer, R.J.

1981-01-01

Sulfate reduction during seawater reaction with fayalite and with magnetite was rapid at 350 0 C, producing equilibrium assemblages of talc-pyrite-hematite-magnetite at low water/rock ratios and talc-pyrite-hematite-anhydrite at higher water/rock ratios. At 250 0 C, seawater reacting with fayalite produced detectable amounts of dissolved H 2 S. At 200 0 C, dissolved H 2 S was not detected, even after 219 days. Reaction stoichiometry indicates that sulfate reduction requires large amounts of H + , which, in subseafloor hydrothermal systems is provided by Mg metasomatism. Seawater contains sufficient Mg to supply all the H + necessary for quantitative reduction of seawater sulfate. Systematics of sulfur isotopes in the 250 and 350 0 C experiments indicate that isotopic equilibrium is reached and can be modeled as a Rayleigh distillation process. Isotopic composition of hydrothermally produced H 2 S in natural systems is strongly dependent upon the seawater/basalt ratio in the geothermal system, which controls the relative sulfide contributions from the two important sulfur sources, seawater sulfate and sulfide phases in basalt. Anhydrite precipitation during geothermal heating severely limits sulfate ingress into high temperature interaction zones. Quantitative sulfate reduction can thus be accomplished without producing strongly oxidized rocks and resultant sulfide sulfur isotope values represent a mixture of seawater and basaltic sulfur. (author)

Seawater bicarbonate removal during hydrothermal circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Proskurowski, G. K.; Seewald, J.; Sylva, S. P.; Reeves, E.; Lilley, M. D.

2013-12-01

High temperature fluids sampled at hydrothermal vents represent a complex alteration product of water-rock reactions on a multi-component mixture of source fluids. Sources to high-temperature hydrothermal samples include the 'original' seawater present in the recharge limb of circulation, magmatically influenced fluids added at depth as well as any seawater entrained during sampling. High-temperature hydrothermal fluids are typically enriched in magmatic volatiles, with CO2 the dominant species, characterized by concentrations of 10's-100's of mmol/kg (1, 2). Typically, the high concentration of CO2 relative to background seawater bicarbonate concentrations (~2.3 mmol/kg) obscures a full analysis of the fate of seawater bicarbonate during high-temperature hydrothermal circulation. Here we present data from a suite of samples collected over the past 15 years from high-temperature hydrothermal vents at 9N, Endeavour, Lau Basin, and the MAR that have endmember CO2 concentrations less than 10 mmol/kg. Using stable and radiocarbon isotope measurements these samples provide a unique opportunity to examine the balance between 'original' seawater bicarbonate and CO2 added from magmatic sources. Multiple lines of evidence from multiple hydrothermal settings consistently points to the removal of ~80% of the 'original' 2.3 mmol/kg seawater bicarbonate. Assuming that this removal occurs in the low-temperature, 'recharge' limb of hydrothermal circulation, this removal process is widely occurring and has important contributions to the global carbon cycle over geologic time. 1. Lilley MD, Butterfield DA, Lupton JE, & Olson EJ (2003) Magmatic events can produce rapid changes in hydrothermal vent chemistry. Nature 422(6934):878-881. 2. Seewald J, Cruse A, & Saccocia P (2003) Aqueous volatiles in hydrothermal fluids from the Main Endeavour Field, northern Juan de Fuca Ridge: temporal variability following earthquake activity. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 216(4):575-590.

Status of technology of uranium recovery from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugo, Takanobu; Saito, Kyoichi.

1990-01-01

By bringing the solid material called adsorbent in contact with seawater, uranium can be collected, therefore, the adsorbent to which uranium was adsorbed in seawater can be regarded as the resource of uranium storing. To the adsorbent, also rare metals are concentrated in addition to uranium. From such viewpoint, the development of the technology for collecting seawater uranium is important for the Japanese energy policy. The uranium concentration in seawater is about 3 mg/m 3 and its form of dissolution is uranyl tricarbonate ions. The technology of collecting seawater uranium is the separation technology for extracting the component of very low concentration from the aqueous solution containing many components. The total amount of uranium in the whole oceans reaches about 4 billion t, which is about 1000 times as much as the uranium commercially mined on land. It is the target of the technology to make artificial uranium ore of as high quality as possible quickly. The process of collecting seawater uranium comprises adsorption, desorption, separation and enrichment. As the adsorbents, hydrated titanium oxide and chelate resin represented by amidoxime are promising. The adsorption system is described. (K.I.)

The major-ion composition of Carboniferous seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Nora M.; García-Veigas, Javier; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Giles, Peter S.; Williams-Stroud, Sherilyn

2014-06-01

The major-ion chemistry (Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, SO42-, and Cl-) of Carboniferous seawater was determined from chemical analyses of fluid inclusions in marine halites, using the cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) technique. Fluid inclusions in halite from the Mississippian Windsor and Mabou Groups, Shubenacadie Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada (Asbian and Pendleian Substages, 335.5-330 Ma), and from the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation, Utah, USA, (Desmoinesian Stage 309-305 Ma) contain Na+-Mg2+-K+-Ca2+-Cl- brines, with no measurable SO42-, which shows that the Carboniferous ocean was a “CaCl2 sea”, relatively enriched in Ca2+ and low in SO42- with equivalents Ca2+ > SO42- + HCO3-. δ34S values from anhydrite in the Mississippian Shubenacadie Basin (13.2-14.0 ‰) and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation (11.2-12.6 ‰) support seawater sources. Br in halite from the Shubenacadie Basin (53-111 ppm) and the Paradox Basin (68-147 ppm) also indicate seawater parentages. Carboniferous seawater, modeled from fluid inclusions, contained ∼22 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Mississippian) and ∼24 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Estimated sulfate concentrations are ∼14 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Mississippian), and ∼12 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Calculated Mg2+/Ca2+ ratios are 2.5 (Mississippian) and 2.3 (Pennsylvanian), with an estimated range of 2.0-3.2. The fluid inclusion record of seawater chemistry shows a long period of CaCl2 seas in the Paleozoic, from the Early Cambrian through the Carboniferous, when seawater was enriched in Ca2+ and relatively depleted in SO42-. During this ∼200 Myr interval, Ca2+ decreased and SO42- increased, but did not cross the Ca2+-SO42- chemical divide to become a MgSO4 sea (when SO42- in seawater became greater than Ca2+) until the latest Pennsylvanian or earliest Permian (∼309-295 Ma). Seawater remained a MgSO4 sea during the Permian and Triassic, for ∼100 Myr. Fluid inclusions also record

Radiolytic removal of trihalomethane in chlorinated seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajamohan, R.; Rajesh, Puspalata; Venugopalan, V.P.; Rangarajan, S.; Natesan, Usha

2015-01-01

Biofouling is one of the major operational problems in seawater cooling systems. It is controlled by application of chlorine based biocides in the range of 0.5-2.0 mg L -1 . The bromide in seawater reacts with the added chlorine and forms hypobromous acid. The brominated residual biocides react with natural organic matter present in the seawater, resulting in the formation of trihalomethanes (THM) such as bromoform (CHBr 3 ), dibromochloromethane (CHBr 2 Cl) bromodichloromethane (CHBrCl 2 ). Though THMs represent a small fraction of the added chlorine, they are relatively more persistent than residual chlorine, and hence pose a potential hazard to marine life because of their reported mutagenicity. There have been few reports on removal of THMs from chlorinated seawater. In this work, the efficacy of gamma irradiation technique for the removal of THMs from chlorine-dosed seawater was investigated. Experiments were carried out using seawater collected from Kalpakkam. Irradiation study was conducted in chlorinated (1, 3, and 5 mg L -1 of Cl 2 ) seawater by applying various dosages (0.4-5.0 kGy) of gamma radiation using a 60 Co Gamma Chamber 5000. Bromoform showed a faster rate of degradation as compared to other halocarbons like bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane. This shows the change in total THM concentration with variation in the radiation dose and initial Cl 2 dosing. When the percentage degradation of all the three trihalomethane species was compared with applied doses, it was found that the maximum reduction occurred at a dose of 2.5 kGy. The reduction was almost similar for all the three doses (1, 3, 5 ppm of Cl 2 ) used for chlorination. With a further increase in radiation dose to 5.0 kGy, a slight increase in reduction was observed

Uranium preconcentration from seawater using adsorptive membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Sadananda; Pandey, A.K.; Manchanda, V.K.; Athawale, A.A.

2009-01-01

Uranium recovery from bio-aggressive but lean feed like seawater is a challenging problem as it requires in situ preconcentration of uranium in presence of huge excess of competing ions with fast sorption kinetics. In our laboratory, widely used amidoxime membrane (AO-membrane) was evaluated for uranium sorption under seawater conditions. This study indicated that AO-membrane was inherently slow because of the complexation chemistry involved in transfer of U(VI) from (UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 ) 4 - to AO sites in membrane. In order to search better options, several chemical compositions of membrane were scanned for their efficacy for uranium preconcentration from seawater, and concluded that EGMP-membrane offers several advantages over AO-membrane. In this paper, the comparison of EGMP-membrane with AO-membrane for uranium sorption under seawater conditions has been reviewed. (author)

Primary biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Comber, M.I.H.; Den Haan, K.H.; Djemel, N.; Eadsforth, C.V.; King, D.; Paumen, M.L.; Parkerton, T.; Dmytrasz, B.

2012-12-15

This report describes primary biodegradation experiments performed to determine the persistence of higher molecular weight petroleum hydrocarbons in seawater. Results from the biodegradation experiments show that the majority of tested petroleum hydrocarbons have half-lives in seawater less than 60 days.

Seawater-cultured Botryococcus braunii for efficient hydrocarbon extraction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenichi Furuhashi

Full Text Available As a potential source of biofuel, the green colonial microalga Botryococcus braunii produces large amounts of hydrocarbons that are accumulated in the extracellular matrix. Generally, pretreatment such as drying or heating of wet algae is needed for sufficient recoveries of hydrocarbons from B. braunii using organic solvents. In this study, the Showa strain of B. braunii was cultured in media derived from the modified Chu13 medium by supplying artificial seawater, natural seawater, or NaCl. After a certain period of culture in the media with an osmotic pressure corresponding to 1/4-seawater, hydrocarbon recovery rates exceeding 90% were obtained by simply mixing intact wet algae with n-hexane without any pretreatments and the results using the present culture conditions indicate the potential for hydrocarbon milking.Seawater was used for efficient hydrocarbon extraction from Botryococcus braunii. The alga was cultured in media prepared with seawater or NaCl. Hydrocarbon recovery rate exceeding 90% was obtained without any pretreatment.

Penentuan Posisi Hiposenter Gempabumi dengan Menggunakan Metoda Guided Grid Search dan Model Struktur Kecepatan Tiga Dimensi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hendro Nugroho

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Salah satu penelitian ilmu kebumian yang perlu dilakukan untuk membantu upaya mitigasi bencana gempabumi adalah menentukan pusat gempa dengan presisi tinggi. Dalam hal ini ketelitian sangat diperlukan oleh karena adanya heterogenitas materi bumi yang dilewati gelombang gempa dari hiposenter ke stasiun pencatat. Oleh karena itu dengan bantuan model geotomografi (model struktur 3D kecepatan rambat gelombang gempa diharapkan akan dapat diperoleh posisi sumber gempa yang lebih baik. Untuk studi ini daerah penelitian yang diambil adalah Jawa dan sekitarnya, yaitu : 7° LS - 11° LS dan 105° BT - 114° BT. Data yang digunakan adalah waktu tiba gelombang P dari seismogram yang direkam pada seismograf broadband di Indonesia. Penentuan hiposenter menggunakan metoda guided grid search dengan model kecepatan 3D untuk busur Sunda. Hasil penentuan hiposenter gempa dengan pendekatan ini memberikan tingkat kesalahan yang lebih kecil dibandingkan dengan jika digunakan model kecepatan 1D.

Biofouling control of industrial seawater cooling towers

KAUST Repository

Albloushi, Mohammed

2017-11-01

The use of seawater in cooling towers for industrial applications has much merit in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries due to the scarcity and availability of fresh water. Seawater make-up in cooling towers is deemed the most feasible because of its unlimited supply in coastal areas. Such latent-heat removal with seawater in cooling towers is several folds more efficient than sensible heat extraction via heat exchangers. Operational challenges such as scaling, corrosion, and biofouling are a major challenge in conventional cooling towers, where the latter is also a major issue in seawater cooling towers. Biofouling can significantly hamper the efficiency of cooling towers. The most popular methods used in cooling treatment to control biofouling are disinfection by chlorination. However, the disadvantages of chlorination are formation of harmful disinfection byproducts in the presence of high organic loading and safety concerns in the storage of chlorine gas. In this study, the research focuses on biofouling control in seawater cooling towers by investigating two different approaches. The first strategy addresses the use of alternative oxidants (i.e. ozone micro-bubbles and chlorine dioxide) in treatment of cooling towers. The second strategy investigates removing nutrients in seawater using granular activated carbon filter column and ultrafiltration to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Laboratory bench-scale tests in terms of temperature, cycle of concentration, dosage, etc. indicated that, at lower oxidant dosages (total residual oxidant (TRO) equivalent = 0.1 mg/l Cl2), chlorine dioxide had a better disinfection effect than chlorine and ozone. The performance of oxidizing biocides at pilot scale, operating at assorted conditions, showed that for the disinfectants tested, ozone could remove 95 % bioactivity of total number of bacteria and algae followed by chlorine dioxide at 85%, while conventional chlorine dosing only gave 60% reduction in bioactivities

Chemical effect on ozone deposition over seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Surface layer resistance plays an important role in determining ozone deposition velocity over seawater. Recent studies suggest that surface layer resistance over sea-water is influenced by wind-speed and chemical interaction at the air-water interface. Here, we investigate the e...

EEG POLISOMNOGRAFIJA KAO ZNAČAJNA DIJAGNOSTIČKA I PROGNOSTIČKA METODA ZA PROCJENU OŠTEĆENJA MOZGA U NOVOROĐENČADI I DOJENČADI

OpenAIRE

Paškov Dugandžija, Gordana

2008-01-01

EEG polisomnografija je značajna metoda za dijagnozu i prognozu oštećenja mozga u nedonošene i donošene novorođenčadi i dojenčadi. Sadrži slijedeće elemente: EEG(elektroencefalografija), EOG( elektrookulografija) , EMG( elektromiografija), EKG (elektrokardiografija), respiracija i video monitoriranje. Primjenjujemo polisomnografsku montažu. To je specifično modificiran način postavljanja elektroda. Koristimo posrebrene pločaste elektrode sa 1 metar savitljivim silikonskim odvodima u šest razl...

Corrosion and Protection of Metal in the Seawater Desalination

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Xiangyu; Gao, Lili; Cui, Zhendong; Yin, Jianhua

2018-01-01

Seawater desalination develops rapid for it can solve water scarcity efficiently. However, corrosion problem in the seawater desalination system is more serious than that in normal water. So, it is important to pay attention to the corrosion and protection of metal in seawater desalination. The corrosion characteristics and corrosion types of metal in the seawater desalination system are introduced in this paper; In addition, corrosion protect methods and main influencing factors are stated, the latest new technologies about anti-corrosion with quantum energy assisted and magnetic inhibitor are presented.

Simultaneous Extraction of Lithium and Hydrogen from Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-22

N00014-10-M-0234 20126083 0001AD Dr. Pyoungho Choi University of Central Florida/Florida Solar Energy Center 1679 Clearlake Road Cocoa FL 32922-5703...South America (Bolivia and Chile), Australia, and China. There have been debates as to whether the lithium supplies would meet the surging demand...extract the lithium in seawater should be developed [1]. Seawater is also the ultimate source of hydrogen. The production of hydrogen from seawater is

Present status of uranium extraction from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusakabe, Katsuki; Morooka, Shigeharu

1993-01-01

For the research on the extraction of uranium from seawater, various processes have been examined, but the most promising process is adsorption. Its key point is the performance of the adsorbent. The system as compact as possible, in which a large quantity of seawater effectively contacts with the adsorbent, must be constructed economically. As the inorganic adsorbent, titanium oxide is the best, but organic amidoxime is superior to it. The present state of the development of the adsorbent, the rate of adsorption of the adsorbenbt, the seawater uranium adsorption system and the experiment in Imari Bay are reported. (K.I.)

Erythropoietin Pretreatment Attenuates Seawater Aspiration-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Mu-Huo; Tong, Jian-Hua; Tan, Yuan-Hui; Cao, Zhen-Yu; Ou, Cong-Yang; Li, Wei-Yan; Yang, Jian-Jun; Peng, Y G; Zhu, Si-Hai

2016-02-01

Seawater drowning-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious clinical condition characterized by increased alveolar-capillary permeability, excessive inflammatory responses, and refractory hypoxemia. However, current therapeutic options are largely supportive; thus, it is of great interest to search for alternative agents to treat seawater aspiration-induced ALI. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a multifunctional agent with antiinflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic properties. However, the effects of EPO on seawater aspiration-induced ALI remain unclear. In the present study, male rats were randomly assigned to the naive group, normal saline group, seawater group, or seawater + EPO group. EPO was administered intraperitoneally at 48 and 24 h before seawater aspiration. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed with a gas analyzer at baseline, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 24 h after seawater aspiration, respectively. Histological scores, computed tomography scan, nuclear factor kappa B p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase, caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, wet-to-dry weight ratio, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase in the lung were determined 30 min after seawater aspiration. Our results showed that EPO pretreatment alleviated seawater aspiration-induced ALI, as indicated by increased arterial partial oxygen tension and decreased lung histological scores. Furthermore, EPO pretreatment attenuated seawater aspiration-induced increase in the expressions of pulmonary nuclear factor kappa B p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase, caspase-3, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1β, myeloperoxidase activity, and malondialdehyde when compared with the seawater group. Collectively, our study suggested that EPO pretreatment attenuates seawater aspiration-induced ALI by down-regulation of pulmonary pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

Influence of seawater intrusion on microbial communities in groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Unno, Tatsuya; Kim, Jungman; Kim, Yumi; Nguyen, Son G; Guevarra, Robin B; Kim, Gee Pyo; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Sadowsky, Michael J

2015-11-01

Groundwater is the sole source of potable water on Jeju Island in the Republic of (South) Korea. Groundwater is also used for irrigation and industrial purposes, and it is severely impacted by seawater intrusion in coastal areas. Consequently, monitoring the intrusion of seawater into groundwater on Jeju is very important for health and environmental reasons. A number of studies have used hydrological models to predict the deterioration of groundwater quality caused by seawater intrusion. However, there is conflicting evidence of intrusion due to complicated environmental influences on groundwater quality. Here we investigated the use of next generation sequencing (NGS)-based microbial community analysis as a way to monitor groundwater quality and detect seawater intrusion. Pristine groundwater, groundwater from three coastal areas, and seawater were compared. Analysis of the distribution of bacterial species clearly indicated that the high and low salinity groundwater differed significantly with respect to microbial composition. While members of the family Parvularculaceae were only identified in high salinity water samples, a greater percentage of the phylum Actinobacteria was predominantly observed in pristine groundwater. In addition, we identified 48 shared operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with seawater, among which the high salinity groundwater sample shared a greater number of bacterial species with seawater (6.7%). In contrast, other groundwater samples shared less than 0.5%. Our results suggest that NGS-based microbial community analysis of groundwater may be a useful tool for monitoring groundwater quality and detect seawater intrusion. This technology may also provide additional insights in understanding hydrological dynamics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contribution of Seawater Surfactants to Generated Primary Marine Aerosol Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Frossard, A. A.; Gerard, V.; Duplessis, P.; Kinsey, J. D.; Lu, X.; Zhu, Y.; Bisgrove, J.; Maben, J. R.; Long, M. S.; Chang, R.; Beaupre, S. R.; Kieber, D. J.; Keene, W. C.; Noziere, B.; Cohen, R. C.

2017-12-01

Surfactants account for minor fractions of total organic carbon in the ocean but may have major impacts on the surface tension of bursting bubbles at the sea surface that drive the production of primary marine aerosol particles (PMA). Surfactants associated with marine aerosol may also significantly reduce the surface tension of water thereby increasing the potential for cloud droplet activation and growth. During September and October 2016, PMA were produced from bursting bubbles in seawater using a high capacity generator at two biologically productive and two oligotrophic stations in the western North Atlantic, as part of a cruise on the R/V Endeavor. Surfactants were extracted from paired PMA and seawater samples, and their ionic compositions, total concentrations, and critical micelle concentrations (CMC) were quantified and compared for the four hydrographic stations. Higher surfactant concentrations were determined in the aerosol produced from biologically productive seawater compared to oligotrophic seawater, and the surfactants extracted from productive seawater were stronger (had lower CMCs) than those in the oligotrophic seawater. Surfactants associated with PMA and seawater in productive regions also varied over diel cycles, whereas those in the oligotrophic regions did not. This work demonstrates a direct link between surfactants in seawater and those in PMA.

Penerapan Metoda Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI pada Rancang Bangun Data Logger berbasis SD card

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RATNA SUSANA

2018-03-01

Full Text Available ABSTRAK Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI adalah protokol komunikasi yang dapat digunakan sebagai interface komunikasi antara mikrokontroler dengan SD Card. Dengan menerapkan metoda SPI pada data logger berbasis SD Card, maka dapat diketahui karakteristik protokol komunikasi SPI antara mikrokontroler dengan SD Card. SD Card diformat dengan tipe FAT 16, dan data di dalam SD Card berupa sekumpulan paket data sensor yang diambil secara periodik dan disimpan dalam bentuk file dengan format.csv. Berdasarkan format paket data sensor yang dibuat, dapat dihitungwaktu perekaman data yang diperlukan agar kapasitas SD Card terisi penuh oleh data sensor. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan,bahwa metoda SPI yang diterapkan pada penelitian ini memiliki sifat akan melakukan pemeriksaan berulang pada pin MISO terhadap command yang dikirimkan oleh mikrokontroler melalui pin MOSI. Proses read/write data pada SD Card data logger memiliki keberhasilan 100%, karena SD Card telah terinisialisasi dalam mode SPI melalui perintah reset dan init SD Card. Komunikasi ini dapat dilakukan dengan menggunakan crystal 4 Mhz – 20 Mhz. Untuk pengujian konfigurasi SPI, hanya Independent Slave Configuration yang dapat digunakan pada komunikasi SPI dengan 2 SD card sebagai slave. Kata kunci: Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI, Data Logger, SD card, FAT16 ABSTRACT Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI is a communication protocol that can be applied as a communication interface between microcontroller to SD Card. By implementing the SPI method to a data logger based on SD Card, it can be known the characteristics of the SPI communications protocol between microcontroller to SD Card. SD Card formatted in FAT 16 type, and data on the SD Card is the form of sensor data packets collection which be captured periodically and saved in .csv format file. Based on the sensor data packet format is created, it can be calculated recording time data required so that the SD Card capacity completely filled by the

Radiation-induced reactions of Cl-, CO32-, and Br- in seawater, - Model calculation of gamma radiolysis of seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Kasahara, Shigeki; Muroya, Yusa; Katsumura, Yosuke

2012-09-01

Gamma-radiolysis of seawater has been simulated to estimate the concentrations of radiolysis products. Although gas products such as H 2 , O 2 and H 2 O 2 in irradiated pure water quickly attain the steady state with very low concentrations, the products in seawater monotonically increase with dose. It was found that H 2 is produced almost linearly with dose, and corresponding G-value was 4.4 x 10 -8 mol J -1 . As similar result was obtained from the calculation of 8 x 10 -4 mol dm -3 NaBr solution, the origin of the linear increase in seawater was attributable to be the reactions of Br - . According to the sensitivity analysis, three reactions, 1: Br - + ·OH → BrOH· - , 2: BrOH· - → Br - + ·OH, and 3: BrOH· - → Br· + OH - , determined the concentrations of the products. The presence of Cl - and HCO 3 - in seawater hardly affected the concentrations of the radiolysis products. Oxyanions derived from Cl - and Br - were not obtained at observable concentration. (authors)

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory concept for uranium recovery from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gregg, D.; Wang, F.

1980-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory concept for uranium recovery from seawater involves the following process steps: (1) produce activated carbon via a coal gasification plant; (2) contact activated carbon sorbent with seawater using a settling process (no pumping of seawater); (3) vacuum activated carbon from sea floor; (4) gasify or burn activated carbon (further concentrating the uranium in the ash); (5) extract the uranium from the rich ash ore by conventional techniques. The process advantages are: (1) eliminates seawater pumping, the need for an illuent, and the need for a fresh water wash; (2) should result in much lower capital investment and regional process energy. Major process issues are: (1) uranium loading on activated carbon; (2) activated carbon modifications required to improve the sorbtion performance; (3) activated carbon particle size needed to meet system requirements; (4) minimization of sorbent losses when contacted with seawater

Primjena spektrometrijskih metoda u analizi metalurških uzoraka

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Anita Štrkalj

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Instrumentalne metode analize nezamjenjive su u znanstvenim istraživanjima, a sve više i u praksi gdje se zahtijeva što brže dobivanje rezultata, kao i što veća točnost. U metalurškoj praksi već se dulji niz godina primjenjuju spektrometrijske metode analize i to najčešće optička emisijska spektrometrija s izravnim očitanjem. Međutim koncentracija pojedinih legirnih elemenata u suvremenim metalnim materijalima vrlo je niska, često niža od granice detekcije optičkih emisijskih spektrometara s izravnim očitanjem. U ovom radu određivana je koncentracija bora u nodularnom lijevu primjenom optičke emisijske spektrometrije s izravnim očitanjem (OES, optičke emisijske spektrometrije s induktivno spregnutom plazmom (ICP-OES te atomske apsorpcijske spektrometrije s grafitnom tehnikom (AAS-GF. Dobiveni rezultati pokazali su da se optička emisijska spektrometrija s izravnim očitanjem i optička emisijska spektrometrija s induktivno spregnutom plazmom mogu primijeniti za određivanje bora u ispitivanim uzorcima (tablica 1. Ako se zahtijeva vrlo točna analiza, a posebno ako se radi o vrlo niskim koncentracijama, optička emisijska spektrometrija s induktivno spregnutom plazmom pogodnija je metoda, uz uvjet da su uzorci pravilno pripremljeni. Atomska apsorpcijska spektrometrija s grafitnom tehnikom nije pogodna za određivanje bora u uzorcima ovog tipa. Tijekom provođenja analize dodatna pažnja usmjerena je na eliminaciju negativnog utjecaja grafitne kivete na rezultat analize. Osim toga, u radu je praćen utjecaj načina otapanja uzoraka na rezultate analize bora spomenutim metodama. Rezultati su pokazali da pažljiva priprema uzoraka u zatvorenom sustavu pridonosi točnijem rezultatu analize.

Speciation and spectrophotometric determination of uranium in seawater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. KONSTANTINOU

2004-06-01

Full Text Available A series of ion-exchange and extraction procedures for the separation of uranium from seawater samples and subsequent spectrophotometric determination of uranium in seawater by means of arsenazo(III is described. According to the measurements performed by means of traced samples at every stage of separation, the yield of the pre-analytical procedures is generally over 90% and the separation of uranium very selective. The mean uranium concentration in seawater samples collected from five different coastal areas in Cyprus was found to be 3.2 ± 0.2 & micro; g L-1. Uranium in seawater is stable in its hexavalent oxidation state and UO2 (CO334- is the predominant species under normal coastal conditions (pH ≥ 8, EH ≥ 0.35 mV, 1 atm and 0.03% CO2.

Inhibition of Sodium Benzoate on Stainless Steel in Tropical Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seoh, S. Y.; Senin, H. B.; Nik, W. N. Wan; Amin, M. M.

2007-01-01

The inhibition of sodium benzoate for stainless steel controlling corrosion was studied in seawater at room temperature. Three sets of sample have been immersed in seawater containing sodium benzoate with the concentrations of 0.3M, 0.6M and 1.0M respectively. One set of sample has been immersed in seawater without adding any sodium benzoate. It was found that the highest corrosion rate was observed for the stainless steel with no inhibitor was added to the seawater. As the concentration of sodium benzoate being increased, the corrosion rate is decreases. Results show that by the addition of 1.0M of sodium benzoate in seawater samples, it giving ≥ 90% efficiencies

Concentration of enteric virus indicator from seawater using granular activated carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Cormier, Jiemin; Gutierrez, Miguel; Goodridge, Lawrence; Janes, Marlene

2014-02-01

Fecal contamination of shellfish growing seawater with enteric viruses is often associated with human outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Male specific bacteriophage MS2 is correlated with those of enteric viruses in a wide range of water environments and has been used widely as a surrogate for pathogenic waterborne viruses. Since viruses in contaminated water are usually at low levels, the development of methods to concentrate viruses from water is crucial for detection purposes. In the present study, granular activated carbon was evaluated for concentration of MS2 from artificial seawater, and different parameters of the seawater were also compared. Recovery of MS2 from warm seawater (37°C) was found to be significantly greater than from cold seawater (4 and 20°C), and even greater than from fresh water (4, 20 and 37°C); the difference between seawater and fresh water became less profound when the temperatures of both were below 37°C. Although not of statistical significance, recovery of MS2 from low salinity seawater (10 and 20 parts per thousand, ppt) was greater than from high salinity seawater (30 and 40ppt). One gram of granular activated carbon was able to extract 6-log plaque forming units (PFU) of MS2 from 500ml seawater at 37°C. This study demonstrated that granular activated carbon can concentrate an enteric virus indicator from shellfish growing seawater effectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Full utilization of silt density index (SDI) measurements for seawater pre-treatment

KAUST Repository

Wei, Chunhai

2012-07-01

In order to clarify the fouling mechanism during silt density index (SDI) measurements of seawater in the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination process, 11 runs were conducted under constant-pressure (207kPa) dead-end filtration mode according to the standard protocol for SDI measurement, in which two kinds of 0.45μm membranes of different material and seawater samples from the Mediterranean including raw seawater and seawater pre-treated by coagulation followed by sand filtration (CSF) and coagulation followed by microfiltration (CMF) technologies were tested. Fouling mechanisms based on the constant-pressure filtration equation were fully analyzed. For all runs, only t/(V/A)∼t showed very good linearity (correlation coefficient R 2>0.99) since the first moment of the filtration, indicating that standard blocking rather than cake filtration was the dominant fouling mechanism during the entire filtration process. The very low concentration of suspended solids rejected by MF of 0.45μm in seawater was the main reason why a cake layer was not formed. High turbidity removal during filtration indicated that organic colloids retained on and/or adsorbed in membrane pores governed the filtration process (i.e., standard blocking) due to the important contribution of organic substances to seawater turbidity in this study. Therefore the standard blocking coefficient k s, i.e., the slope of t/(V/A)∼t, could be used as a good fouling index for seawater because it showed good linearity with feed seawater turbidity. The correlation of SDI with k s and feed seawater quality indicated that SDI could be reliably used for seawater with low fouling potential (SDI 15min<5) like pre-treated seawater in this study. From both k s and SDI, the order of fouling potential was raw seawater>seawater pre-treated by CSF>seawater pre-treated by CMF, indicating the better performance of CMF than CSF. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Nucleation from seawater emissions during mesocosm experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Rose, Clémence; Culot, Anais; Pey, Jorge; Schwier, Allison; Mas, Sébastien; Charriere, Bruno; Sempéré, Richard; Marchand, Nicolas; D'Anna, Barbara; Sellegri, Karine

2015-04-01

Nucleation and new particle formation in the marine atmosphere is usually associated to the presence of macroalgea emerged at low tides in coastal areas, while these processes were very rarely detected away from coastlines. In the present study, we evidence the formation of new particles from the 1 nm size above the seawater surface in the absence of any macroalgea population. Within the SAM project (Sources of marine Aerosol in the Mediterranean),seawater mesocosms experiments were deployed in May 2013 at the STARESO in western Corsica, with the goal of investigating the relationship between marine aerosol emissions and the seawater biogeochemical properties. Three mesocosms imprisoned 3,3 m3 of seawater each and their emerged part was flushed with aerosol-filtered natural air. One of these mesocosms was left unchanged as control and the two others were enriched by addition of nitrates and phosphates respecting Redfield ratio (N:P = 16) in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. We followed both water and air characteristics of three mesocosms during a period of three weeks by using online water and atmospheric probes as well as seawater daily samples for chemical and biological analysis. Secondary new particle formation was followed on-line in the emerged parts of the mesocosms, using a SMPS for the size distribution above 6 nm and a Particle Size Magnifyer (PSM) for the number of cluster particles between 1 and 6 nm. We will present how the cluster formation rates and early growth rates relate to the gaz-phase emissions from the seawater and to its biogeochemical properties. Aknowledgemnts: The authors want to acknowledge the financial support of the ANR "Source of marine Aerosol in the Mediterranean" (SAM), and the support of MISTRAL CHARMEX and MERMEX programs.

Concentration of uranium in seawater by flotation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozaki, Toru; Yamashita, Hiroshi

1986-01-01

A method has been developed for the concentration of uranium in seawater by precipitation flotation-carbonate extraction-ion flotation. Uranium in seawater was coprecipitated with hydrated iron (III) oxide by adjusting the pH to 5.5 after addition of 1.0 x 10 -3 mol/l of iron (III) and agitating for 1 hr, and the precipitate was floated with 1.0 x 10 -5 mol/l of sodium oleate and 5.0 x 10 -5 mol/l of sodium lauryl sulfate by bubbling nitrogen through the seawater for 15 min. Uranium was extracted from the precipitate scum at the yield of 89 % with 100 ml of 1.8 % of ammonium carbonate solution by agitating for 2 hr, and floated with 1.2 x 10 -3 mol/l of cetylpyridinium chloride by bubbling nitrogen through the extract diluted 5-fold for 30 min in the recovery of about 100 %. The fairly selective recovery of uranium was obtained from 4 l of seawater at the yield of 87 % throughout the entire process. (author)

Determination of uranium in seawater by fluorescence spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawashima, Toshi; Kawakubo, Senkichi; Minegishi, Hisako.

1984-01-01

A Fluorescence spectrometry for the determination of uranium in seawater has been developed. Anion exchange separation of uranium from seawater followed by preparation of NaF-carbonate cake and by spectrometry for ultraviolet ray excited fluorescence of uranium on the fluoride host provide the trace determinaton of uranium at the subnano gram level. Anion exchange behavior, excitation-emission behavior of the uranium on the host and effects of foreign ions to the fluorescence have been presented. Appling the method to 1 ml of seawater 3 ppb of uranium has been determined. (author)

Biologically mediated dissolution of volcanic glass in seawater

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staudigel, H; Yayanos, A; Chastain, R; Davies, G.T.; Verdurmen, E.A Th; Schiffmann, P; Bourcier, R; de Baar, H.J.W.

1998-01-01

We studied the effects of biological mediation on the dissolution of basaltic glass in seawater. Experiments with typical seawater microbial populations were contrasted with a sterile control, and reactions were monitored chemically and isotopically. Biologically mediated experiments produce twice

RECOVERY GARAM LITHIUM DARI AIR ASIN (BRINE DENGAN METODA PRESIPITASI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumarno Sumarno

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Lithium demand increases as it is widely used as raw material for rechargeable battery, alloy for airplane, andfuel for fusion nuclear reactor. Lithium is an extremely reactive element, that it is never found as free element innature. Lithium compounds are found in earth crust, with very small concentration (20 – 70 ppm and totalcontent of more than 20 million tons. The biggest lithium reserve is in seawater (0,14 – 0,25 ppm andgeothermal water (7 ppm with total amount of 230 billion tons. There is no industry applies the technology torecover lithium from seawater. Having a vast sea area and abundant geothermal sources, Indonesia needs todevelop a technology to recover lithium from both sources. This research is aimed to recover lithium fromgeothermal water. The experiment was conducted using synthetic and geothermal water with lithiumconcentration range of 220 – 400 ppm, temperature range of 20 – 40°C, and mixing time range of 1 – 4 hours.The experiment was designed with 2 level factorial design. The results show that the most influencing variable ismixing time, while significant interaction amongst variables is not observed. Further experiment usinggeothermal water from Bledug Kuwu with initial lithium concentration of 400 ppm and temperature 30°Cresulted in optimum mixing time, i.e. 3 hours with 92,5% of the lithium could be recovered

Neodymium isotopic variations in seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Piepgras, D. J.; Wasserburg, G. J.

1980-01-01

Direct measurement of the isotopic composition of Nd in the Atlantic agree with the Nd content in ferromanganese sediments and differ from the observed amounts in the Pacific samples. These data indicate the existence of distinctive differences in the isotopic composition of Nd in the waters of major oceans; the average values determined from seawater and ferromanganese sediments are considerably lower than in sources with oceanic mantle affinities showing that the REE in the oceans is dominated by continental sources. The Nd isotopic variations in seawater are applied to relate the residence time of Nd and mixing rates between the oceans.

Factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fang, Chuanji; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Frankaer, Christian Grundahl

2017-01-01

Seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is an innovative process at research stage. With respect to process optimization, factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues were studied for the first time in this paper. Pretreatment temperature (180...... °C–210 °C), salinity of seawater (0 ppt–50 ppt), and catalysts (H2SO4, Na2CO3, and NaOH) were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment temperature exerted the largest influence on seawater-based pretreatment in terms of the enzymatic digestibility and fermentability of pretreated solids...

Effects of dissolved species on radiolysis of diluted seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hata, Kuniki; Hanawa, Satoshi; Kasahara, Shigeki; Motooka, Takafumi; Tsukada, Takashi; Muroya, Yusa; Yamashita, Shinichi; Katsumura, Yosuke

2014-01-01

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) experienced seawater injection into the cores and fuel pools as an emergent measure after the accident. After the accident, retained water has been continuously desalinized, and subsequently the concentration of chloride ion (Cl"-) has been kept at a lower level these days. These ions in seawater are known to affect water radiolysis, which causes the production of radiolytic products, such as hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2), molecular hydrogen (H_2) and molecular oxygen (O_2). However, the effects of dissolved ions relating seawater on the production of the stable radiolytic products are not well understood in the diluted seawater. To understand of the production behavior in diluted seawater under radiation, radiolysis calculations were carried out. Production of H_2 is effectively suppressed by diluting by up to vol10%. The concentrations of oxidants (H_2O_2 and O_2) are also suppressed by dilution of dissolved species. The effect of oxidants on corrosion of materials is thought to be low when the seawater was diluted by less than 1 vol% by water. It is also shown that deaeration is one of the effective measure to suppress the concentrations of oxidants at a lower level for any dilution conditions. (author)

Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Crowe, Sean Andrew; Paris, Guillaume; Katsev, Sergei

2014-01-01

In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column...

Ultra-trace plutonium determination in small volume seawater by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with application to Fukushima seawater samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Bu, Wenting; Zheng, Jian; Guo, Qiuju; Aono, Tatsuo; Tagami, Keiko; Uchida, Shigeo; Tazoe, Hirofumi; Yamada, Masatoshi

2014-04-11

Long-term monitoring of Pu isotopes in seawater is required for assessing Pu contamination in the marine environment from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. In this study, we established an accurate and precise analytical method based on anion-exchange chromatography and SF-ICP-MS. This method was able to determine Pu isotopes in seawater samples with small volumes (20-60L). The U decontamination factor was 3×10(7)-1×10(8), which provided sufficient removal of interfering U from the seawater samples. The estimated limits of detection for (239)Pu and (240)Pu were 0.11fgmL(-1) and 0.08fgmL(-1), respectively, which corresponded to 0.01mBqm(-3) for (239)Pu and 0.03mBqm(-3) for (240)Pu when a 20L volume of seawater was measured. We achieved good precision (2.9%) and accuracy (0.8%) for measurement of the (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratio in the standard Pu solution with a (239)Pu concentration of 11fgmL(-1) and (240)Pu concentration of 2.7fgmL(-1). Seawater reference materials were used for the method validation and both the (239+240)Pu activities and (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios agreed well with the expected values. Surface and bottom seawater samples collected off Fukushima in the western North Pacific since March 2011 were analyzed. Our results suggested that there was no significant variation of the Pu distribution in seawater in the investigated areas compared to the distribution before the accident. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of KNIFC-PAN Resin in Absorbing Radiocesium in Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurrul Assyikeen Mohd Jaffary; Abdul Kadir Ishak; Zal Uyun Wan Mahmood; Wo, Y.M.; Norfaizal Mohamed; Mohd Tarmizi Ishak

2016-01-01

The effectiveness of KNiFC-PAN absorber, potassium-nickel hexacyanoferrate (II) (KNiFC) bound into modified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) have been tested for capability in absorbing radiocesium in seawater samples. The efficiency of the KNiFC-PAN were measured by the different activity of the radiocesium measured using Hyper Pure Germanium Detector (HPGe) in initial spiked seawater and eluent seawater after passed through 5 ml of KNiFC absorber. Study showed 87 % effectiveness of the KNiFC-PAN in absorbing radiocesium. Further study conducted to illustrate relation between spiked seawater and activity measured for 5 ml of KniFC passed through spiked seawater in packed column. This study suggested this relative 15L cubitainer method can be used to monitor the radiocesium in emergency situation for the fast and reliable result. (author)

Greening Drylands with Seawater Easily and Naturally.

Science.gov (United States)

Moustafa, Khaled

2017-03-01

The sun and sea are inexhaustible sources of energy and water that could be used to transform drylands into more viable ecosystems. A sustainable and cost-effective approach is proposed for greening drylands and restoring wildlife and biodiversity in deserts using seawater desert-houses (or movable seawater ponds) that could offer important environmental advantages. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perchlorate in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martinelango, P. Kalyani [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1061 (United States); Tian Kang [Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409 (United States); Dasgupta, Purnendu K. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-1061 (United States)]. E-mail: Sandyd@ttu.edu

2006-05-10

There has been no reliable published data on the presence of perchlorate in seawater. Seaweeds are among the most important plant life in the ocean and are good sources of iodine and have been widely used as food and nutritional supplement. Perchlorate is known to inhibit the transport of iodide by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), present e.g., in the thyroid and mammary glands. With perchlorate being increasingly detected in drinking water, milk and various other foods, increasing the iodide intake through inexpensive natural supplements may be an attractive solution for maintaining iodine assimilation. We report here measurable concentrations of perchlorate in several samples of seawater (detectable in about half the samples analyzed). We also report the iodide and perchlorate concentrations of 11 different species of seaweed and the corresponding bioconcentration factors (BCF) for perchlorate and iodide, relative to the seawater from which they were harvested. All seaweed samples came from the same region, off the coast of Northeastern Maine. Concentrations of iodide and perchlorate in four seawater samples collected from the region near harvest time were 30 {+-} 11 and 0.16 {+-} 0.084 {mu}g l{sup -1}, respectively. Concentrations of both iodide and perchlorate varied over a wide range for different seaweed species; iodide ranging from 16 to 3134 mg kg{sup -1} and perchlorate from 0.077 to 3.2 mg kg{sup -1}. The Laminaria species had the highest iodide concentration; Laminaria digitata is the seaweed species most commonly used in the kelp tablets sold in health food stores. Our sample of L. digitata contained 3134 {+-} 15 mg iodide/kg dry weight. The BCF varied widely for different species, with Laminaria species concentrating iodide preferentially over perchlorate. The iodide BCF (BCF{sub i}) to perchlorate BCF (BCF{sub p}) quotient ranged from 0.66 to 53; L. digitata and L. saccarina having a BCF{sub i}/BCF{sub p} value of 45 and 53, respectively, far

Perchlorate in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinelango, P. Kalyani; Tian Kang; Dasgupta, Purnendu K.

2006-01-01

There has been no reliable published data on the presence of perchlorate in seawater. Seaweeds are among the most important plant life in the ocean and are good sources of iodine and have been widely used as food and nutritional supplement. Perchlorate is known to inhibit the transport of iodide by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), present e.g., in the thyroid and mammary glands. With perchlorate being increasingly detected in drinking water, milk and various other foods, increasing the iodide intake through inexpensive natural supplements may be an attractive solution for maintaining iodine assimilation. We report here measurable concentrations of perchlorate in several samples of seawater (detectable in about half the samples analyzed). We also report the iodide and perchlorate concentrations of 11 different species of seaweed and the corresponding bioconcentration factors (BCF) for perchlorate and iodide, relative to the seawater from which they were harvested. All seaweed samples came from the same region, off the coast of Northeastern Maine. Concentrations of iodide and perchlorate in four seawater samples collected from the region near harvest time were 30 ± 11 and 0.16 ± 0.084 μg l -1 , respectively. Concentrations of both iodide and perchlorate varied over a wide range for different seaweed species; iodide ranging from 16 to 3134 mg kg -1 and perchlorate from 0.077 to 3.2 mg kg -1 . The Laminaria species had the highest iodide concentration; Laminaria digitata is the seaweed species most commonly used in the kelp tablets sold in health food stores. Our sample of L. digitata contained 3134 ± 15 mg iodide/kg dry weight. The BCF varied widely for different species, with Laminaria species concentrating iodide preferentially over perchlorate. The iodide BCF (BCF i ) to perchlorate BCF (BCF p ) quotient ranged from 0.66 to 53; L. digitata and L. saccarina having a BCF i /BCF p value of 45 and 53, respectively, far greater than a simple anion exchange process

Comparison of techniques for pre-concentrating radium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourquin, M.; Van Beek, P.; Souhaut, M.; Jeandel, C.; Reyss, J.L.; Charette, M.A.

2008-01-01

In the framework of the KEOPS project (Kerguelen: compared study of the Ocean and the Plateau in Surface water), we aimed to provide information on the water mass pathways and vertical mixing on the Kerguelen Plateau, Southern Ocean, based on 228 Ra profiles. Because 228 Ra activities are extremely low in this area (∼ 0.1 dpm/100 kg or ∼ 2.10 -18 g kg -1 ), the filtration of large volumes of seawater was required in order to be able to detect it with minimal uncertainty. This challenging study was an opportunity for us to test and compare methods aimed at removing efficiently radium isotopes from seawater. We used Mn-fiber that retains radium and that allows the measurement of all four radium isotopes ( 226 Ra, 228 Ra, 223 Ra, 224 Ra). First, we used Niskin bottles or the ship's seawater intake to collect large volumes of seawater that were passed onto Mn-fiber in the laboratory. Second, we filled cartridges with Mn-fiber that we placed in tandem on in situ pumps. Finally, we fixed nylon nets filled with Mn-fiber on the frame of in situ pumps to allow the passive filtration of seawater during the pump deployment. Yields of radium fixation on the cartridges filled with Mn-fiber and placed on in situ pumps are ca. 30% when combining the two cartridges. Because large volumes of seawater can be filtered with these pumps, this yields to effective volumes of 177-280 kg (that is, higher than that recovered from fourteen 12-1 Niskin bottles). Finally, the effective volume of seawater that passed through Mn-fiber placed in nylon nets and deployed during 4 h ranged between 125 and 364 kg. Consequently, the two techniques that separate Ra isotopes in situ are good alternatives for pre-concentrating radium from seawater. They can save ship-time by avoiding repeated CTD casts to obtain the large volumes of seawater. This is especially true when in situ pumps are deployed to collect suspended particles. However, both methods only provide 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratios. The

Coagulation and ultrafiltration in seawater reverse osmosis pretreatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tabatabai, S.A.A.

2014-01-01

Seawater desalination is a globally expanding coastal industry with an installed capacity of over 80 million m3/day. Algal blooms pose a challenge to the operation of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes and pre-treatment systems due to high concentrations of algal cells and algal organic

Numerical Model of SO2 Scrubbing with Seawater Applied to Marine Engines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lamas M. I.

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The present paper proposes a CFD model to study sulphur dioxide (SO2 absorption in seawater. The focus is on the treatment of marine diesel engine exhaust gas. Both seawater and distilled water were compared to analyze the effect of seawater alkalinity. The results indicate that seawater is more appropriate than distilled water due to its alkalinity, obtaining almost 100% cleaning efficiency for the conditions analyzed. This SO2 reduction meets the limits of SOx emission control areas (SECA when operating on heavy fuel oil. These numerical simulations were satisfactory validated with experimental tests. Such data are essential in designing seawater scrubbers and judging the operating cost of seawater scrubbing compared to alternative fuels.

Development of adsorbents for recovery of uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egawa, Hiroaki; Furusaki, Shintaro.

1987-01-01

The largest subject for putting the extraction of uranium from seawater in practical use is the development of high performance adsorbents for uranium. In this paper, the way of thinking about the development of adsorbents for extracting uranium from seawater and the recent reports on this subject are described. Next, the research on the adsorbing capacity and adsorbing rate of the adsorbents developed so far is summarized, and the way of thinking about the evaluation of adsorbent performance which is the base of the design of a system for extracting uranium from seawater is explained, taking amidoxime type adsorbent as the example. For Japan where energy resources are scant, the uranium contained in seawater, which is estimated to be about 4.2 billion t, is the most luring important element. Uranium is contained in seawater is very low concentration of 3 ppb, and exists as anion complex salt. In 1960s, the Harwell Atomic Energy Research Establishment in UK found out that titanium oxide hydrate is the most promising as the adsorbent. Also a number of organic absorbents have been developed. In order to bring adsorbents in contact with seawater, pumping, ocean current and wave force are utilized. Adsorbents are in spherical, fiber and film forms, and held as fixed beds and fluidized beds. (Kako, I.) 48 refs

Biomass production of Tetraselmis suecica using seawater with sanguaza

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Silva B.

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The growth of Tetraselmis suecica was evaluated. The experiment was realized using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM with Central Composite Rotational Design (CCRD with two factors, pH and sanguaza/seawater concentration in the range of 7 - 9 and 2 - 5 % (v/v, respectively. The culture media were stirred by bubbling air constantly (0.07 L/s and continuously illuminated with 40 W of fluorescent light in glass containers of 1.5 L capacity at a temperature of 22.5 ± 2.1 °C. Using the Gompertz mathematical model was determined that from an 8.0 of pH and a ratio of 3.5% of sanguaza/seawater, the Tetraselmis suecica achieves maximum growth. An 8.71 of pH and a ratio of 4.56% of sanguaza/seawater allow the Tetraselmis suecica maximum growth (logN/N0 of 0.659, with a 12.3% of prediction error by applying a mathematical model of 2nd order. According to the study, the values obtained in sanguaza/seawater as a culture medium outperformed the traditionally used culture medium (Guillard F/2 with seawater. The results demonstrate the potential use of the sanguaza/seawater medium in scalable studies on pilot scale production of Tetraselmis suecica, with a view to the production of biodiesel

Calcium extraction from brine water and seawater using oxalic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Natasha, Nadia Chrisayu; Lalasari, Latifa Hanum

2017-01-01

Calcium can be extracted not only from rocks but also from natural liquor such as seawater and brine water. In order to extract the calcium from seawater and brine water, oxalic acid was used in this research. Effect of variations of the volume of the oxalic acid at a constant concentration in seawater and brine water to produce calcium was investigated. The concentration of oxalic acid was 100 g/l and the variations of its volume were 2 ml, 4 ml, 6 ml, 8 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 40 ml, and 50 ml. The used seawater and brine water were firstly evaporated from 100 ml into 50 ml and then the oxalic acid was added into them with mixing to produce the calcium precipitates. The precipitates were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the filtrates were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The SEM analysis showed that the precipitates from brine water were consisted of only calcium compound while from seawater sodium one was also found along with calcium compound. The XRD analysis showed that the calcium was present in the form of calcium oxalate for both seawater and brine water. The ICP-OES analysis of the filtrate from seawater precipitation showed that the its calcium content was decreased from 826.20 ppm to 0.04 ppm while from brine water, it decreased from 170.06 ppm to 1.96 ppm. These results showed that both seawater and brine water have the potential to be a raw material for calcium production.

Hydraulic conductivity of some bentonites in artificial seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komine, Hideo; Murakami, Satoshi; Yasuhara, Kazuya

2011-01-01

A high-level radioactive waste disposal facility might be built in a coastal area in Japan from the viewpoint of feasible transportation of waste. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of seawater on a bentonite-based buffer. This study investigated the influence of seawater on hydraulic conductivity of three common sodium-types of bentonite and one calcium-type bentonite by the laboratory experiments. >From the results of laboratory experiment, this study discussed the influence of seawater on hydraulic conductivity of bentonites from the viewpoints of kinds of bentonite such as exchangeable-cation type and montmorillonite content and dry density of bentonite-based buffer. (author)

Simulation of seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Some typical ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Springer Verlag Heidelberg #4 2048 1996 Dec 15 10:16:45

Seawater intrusion; coastal aquifers; density-dependent flow and ... The seawater intrusion mechanism in coastal aquifers generally causes the occurrence of ... (4) The dynamic viscosity of the fluid does not change with respect to salinity and.

One-dimensional self-sealing ability of bentonites in artificial seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komine, Hideo; Yasuhara, Kazuya; Murakami, Satoshi

2009-01-01

A high-level radioactive waste disposal facility might be built in a coastal area in Japan from the viewpoint of feasible transportation of waste. Therefore, it is important to investigate the effects of seawater on a bentonite-based buffer. This study investigated the influence of seawater on self-sealing ability of three common sodium-types of bentonite by the laboratory experiment and chemical analysis. From the results of laboratory experiment, suitable specifications were defined for a bentonite-based buffer that can withstand the effects of seawater. Furthermore, mechanism on filtration of seawater components in highly compacted bentonite was discussed by the results of chemical analysis. (author)

Behaviour of stainless steel in natural seawater

OpenAIRE

Compere, Chantal; Le Bozec, Nathalie

1997-01-01

In this paper, investigations performed in natural and artificial seawater on stainless steels will be presented. They concerned studies on: biofilm formation, passive layers composition, electrochemical behaviour, localised corrosion and the evolution of these different parameters as a function of ageing time. According to literature surveys, the different aspects will be discussed. Some conclusions will be drawn concerning the actual knowledge on the behaviour of stainless steels in seawater.

Biofouling control of industrial seawater cooling towers

KAUST Repository

Al-Bloushi, Mohammed

2017-01-01

In this study, the research focuses on biofouling control in seawater cooling towers by investigating two different approaches. The first strategy addresses the use of alternative oxidants (i.e. ozone micro-bubbles and chlorine dioxide) in treatment of cooling towers. The second strategy investigates removing nutrients in seawater using granular activated carbon filter column and ultrafiltration to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Laboratory bench-scale tests in terms of temperature, cycle of concentration, dosage, etc. indicated that, at lower oxidant dosages (total residual oxidant (TRO) equivalent = 0.1 mg/l Cl2), chlorine dioxide had a better disinfection effect than chlorine and ozone. The performance of oxidizing biocides at pilot scale, operating at assorted conditions, showed that for the disinfectants tested, ozone could remove 95 % bioactivity of total number of bacteria and algae followed by chlorine dioxide at 85%, while conventional chlorine dosing only gave 60% reduction in bioactivities. Test results of GAC bio-filter showed that around 70 % removal of total organic carbon in the seawater feed was achieved and was effective in keeping the microbial growth to a minimum. The measured results from this study enable designers of seawater cooling towers to manage the biofouling problems when such cooling towers are extrapolated to a pilot scale.

Durability of high performance concrete in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amjad Hussain Memon; Salihuddin Radin Sumadi; Rabitah Handan

2000-01-01

This paper presents a report on the effects of blended cements on the durability of high performance concrete (HPC) in seawater. In this research the effect of seawater was investigated. The specimens were initially subjected to water curing for seven days inside the laboratory at room temperature, followed by seawater curing exposed to tidal zone until testing. In this study three levels of cement replacement (0%, 30% and 70%) were used. The combined use of chemical and mineral admixtures has resulted in a new generation of concrete called HPC. The HPC has been identified as one of the most important advanced materials necessary in the effort to build a nation's infrastructure. HPC opens new opportunities in the utilization of the industrial by-products (mineral admixtures) in the construction industry. As a matter of fact permeability is considered as one of the fundamental properties governing the durability of concrete in the marine environment. Results of this investigation indicated that the oxygen permeability values for the blended cement concretes at the age of one year are reduced by a factor of about 2 as compared to OPC control mix concrete. Therefore both blended cement concretes are expected to withstand in the seawater exposed to tidal zone without serious deterioration. (Author)

A Survey of Tritium in Irish Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Currivan, L.; Kelleher, K.; McGinnity, P.; Wong, J.; McMahon, C.

2013-07-01

This report provides a comprehensive record of the study and measurements of tritium in Irish seawater undertaken by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland RPII. The majority of the samples analysed were found to have tritium concentrations below the limit of detection and a conservative assessment of radiation dose arising showed a negligible impact to the public. Tritium is discharged in large quantities from various nuclear facilities, and mostly in liquid form. For this reason it is included in the list of radioactive substances of interest to the OSPAR (Oslo-Paris) Convention to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic. To fulfil its role within OSPAR, to provide technical support to the Irish Government, RPII carried out a project to determine the levels of tritium in seawater from around the Irish coast to supplement its routine marine monitoring programme. A total of 85 seawater samples were collected over a three year period and analysed at the RPII's laboratory. Given that the operational discharges for tritium from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, UK, are expected to increase due to current and planned decommissioning activities RPII will continue to monitor tritium levels in seawater around the Irish coast, including the Irish Sea, as part of its routine marine monitoring programme

Mimicking Seawater For Culturing Marine Bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rygaard, Anita Mac; Sonnenschein, Eva; Gram, Lone

2015-01-01

Only about 1% of marine bacteria have been brought into culture using traditional techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate if mimicking the natural bacterial environment can increase culturability.We used marine substrates containing defined algal polymers or gellan gum as solidif......Only about 1% of marine bacteria have been brought into culture using traditional techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate if mimicking the natural bacterial environment can increase culturability.We used marine substrates containing defined algal polymers or gellan gum...... as solidifying agents, and enumerated bacteria from seawater and algal exudates. We tested if culturability could be influenced by addition of quorum sensing signals (AHLs). All plates were incubated at 15°C. Bacterial counts (CFU/g) from algal exudates from brown algae were highest on media containing algal...... polymers. In general, bacteria isolated from algal exudates preferred more rich media than bacteria isolated from seawater. Overall, culturability ranged from 0.01 to 0.8% as compared to total cell count. Substitution of agar with gellan gum increased the culturability of seawater bacteria approximately...

Endothelial Semaphorin 7A promotes inflammation in seawater aspiration-induced acute lung injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Minlong; Wang, Li; Dong, Mingqing; Li, Zhichao; Jin, Faguang

2014-10-28

Inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of seawater aspiration-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Although several studies have shown that Semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) promotes inflammation, there are limited reports regarding immunological function of SEMA7A in seawater aspiration-induced ALI. Therefore, we investigated the role of SEMA7A during seawater aspiration-induced ALI. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were underwent seawater instillation. Then, lung samples were collected at an indicated time for analysis. In addition, rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (RPMVECs) were cultured and then stimulated with 25% seawater for indicated time point. After these treatments, cells samples were collected for analysis. In vivo, seawater instillation induced lung histopathologic changes, pro-inflammation cytokines release and increased expression of SEMA7A. In vitro, seawater stimulation led to pro-inflammation cytokine release, cytoskeleton remodeling and increased monolayer permeability in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells. In addition, knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α inhibited the seawater induced increase expression of SEMA7A. Meanwhile, knockdown of SEMA7A by specific siRNA inhibited the seawater induced aberrant inflammation, endothelial cytoskeleton remodeling and endothelial permeability. These results suggest that SEMA7A is critical in the development of lung inflammation and pulmonary edema in seawater aspiration-induced ALI, and may be a therapeutic target for this disease.

Uranium from Seawater Program Review; Fuel Resources Uranium from Seawater Program DOE Office of Nuclear Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2013-07-01

For nuclear energy to remain sustainable in the United States, economically viable sources of uranium beyond terrestrial ores must be developed. The goal of this program is to develop advanced adsorbents that can extract uranium from seawater at twice the capacity of the best adsorbent developed by researchers at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 1.5 mg U/g adsorbent. A multidisciplinary team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the University of Texas at Austin was assembled to address this challenging problem. Polymeric adsorbents, based on the radiation grafting of acrylonitrile and methacrylic acid onto high surface-area polyethylene fibers followed by conversion of the nitriles to amidoximes, have been developed. These poly(acrylamidoxime-co-methacrylic acid) fibers showed uranium adsorption capacities for the extraction of uranium from seawater that exceed 3 mg U/g adsorbent in testing at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Marine Sciences Laboratory. The essence of this novel technology lies in the unique high surface-area trunk material that considerably increases the grafting yield of functional groups without compromising its mechanical properties. This technology received an R&D100 Award in 2012. In addition, high surface area nanomaterial adsorbents are under development with the goal of increasing uranium adsorption capacity by taking advantage of the high surface areas and tunable porosity of carbon-based nanomaterials. Simultaneously, de novo structure-based computational design methods are being used to design more selective and stable ligands and the most promising candidates are being synthesized, tested and evaluated for incorporation onto a support matrix. Fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic studies are being carried out to improve the adsorption efficiency, the selectivity of uranium over other metals, and the stability of the adsorbents. Understanding

Fast concentration of dissolved forms of cesium radioisotopes from large seawater samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jan Kamenik; Henrieta Dulaiova; Ferdinand Sebesta; Kamila St'astna; Czech Technical University, Prague

2013-01-01

The method developed for cesium concentration from large freshwater samples was tested and adapted for analysis of cesium radionuclides in seawater. Concentration of dissolved forms of cesium in large seawater samples (about 100 L) was performed using composite absorbers AMP-PAN and KNiFC-PAN with ammonium molybdophosphate and potassium–nickel hexacyanoferrate(II) as active components, respectively, and polyacrylonitrile as a binding polymer. A specially designed chromatography column with bed volume (BV) 25 mL allowed fast flow rates of seawater (up to 1,200 BV h -1 ). The recovery yields were determined by ICP-MS analysis of stable cesium added to seawater sample. Both absorbers proved usability for cesium concentration from large seawater samples. KNiFC-PAN material was slightly more effective in cesium concentration from acidified seawater (recovery yield around 93 % for 700 BV h -1 ). This material showed similar efficiency in cesium concentration also from natural seawater. The activity concentrations of 137 Cs determined in seawater from the central Pacific Ocean were 1.5 ± 0.1 and 1.4 ± 0.1 Bq m -3 for an offshore (January 2012) and a coastal (February 2012) locality, respectively, 134 Cs activities were below detection limit ( -3 ). (author)

Influence of glacial meltwater on global seawater δ234U

Science.gov (United States)

Arendt, Carli A.; Aciego, Sarah M.; Sims, Kenneth W. W.; Das, Sarah B.; Sheik, Cody; Stevenson, Emily I.

2018-03-01

We present the first published uranium-series measurements from modern Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) runoff and proximal seawater, and investigate the influence of glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over glacial-interglacial (g-ig) timescales. Climate reconstructions based on closed-system uranium-thorium (U/Th) dating of fossil corals assume U chemistry of seawater has remained stable over time despite notable fluctuations in major elemental compositions, concentrations, and isotopic compositions of global seawater on g-ig timescales. Deglacial processes increase weathering, significantly increasing U-series concentrations and changing the δ234U of glacial meltwater. Analyses of glacial discharge from GrIS outlet glaciers indicate that meltwater runoff has elevated U concentrations and differing 222Rn concentrations and δ234U compositions, likely due to variations in subglacial residence time. Locations with high δ234U have the potential to increase proximal seawater δ234U. To better understand the impact of bulk glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over time, we use a simple box model to scale these processes to periods of extreme deglaciation. We account for U fluxes from the GrIS, Antarctica, and large Northern Hemisphere Continental Ice Sheets, and assess sensitivity by varying melt volumes, duration and U flux input rates based on modern subglacial water U concentrations and compositions. All scenarios support the hypothesis that global seawater δ234U has varied by more than 1‰ through time as a function of predictable perturbations in continental U fluxes during g-ig periods.

Degradation of riverine dissolved organic matter by seawater bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rochelle-Newall, E.J.; Pizay, M-D.; Middelburg, J.J.; Boschker, H.T.S.; Gattuso, J.P.

2004-01-01

The functional response of a seawater bacterial community transplanted into freshwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) was investigated together with the response of natural populations of bacteria to size-fractioned natural source water. Seawater bacteria were incubated over a period of 8 d in

Corrosion of mild steel, copper and brass in crude oil / seawater mixture

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

PrabhaDevi, S.; Sawant, S.S.; Wagh, A.B.

Mild steel, copper and brass coupons were introduced in natural seawater containing varying amount of crude oil. Mild steel showed higher rate of corrosion in seawater containing oil and lower corrosion rate in natural as well as artificial seawater...

Full utilization of silt density index (SDI) measurements for seawater pre-treatment

KAUST Repository

Wei, Chunhai; Laborie, Sté phanie; Ben Aï m, Roger M.; Amy, Gary L.

2012-01-01

according to the standard protocol for SDI measurement, in which two kinds of 0.45μm membranes of different material and seawater samples from the Mediterranean including raw seawater and seawater pre-treated by coagulation followed by sand filtration (CSF

Standardization of solvent extraction procedure for determination of uranium in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sukanta Maity; Sahu, S.K.; Pandit, G.G.

2015-01-01

Solvent extraction procedure using ammonium pyrolidine dithiocarbamate complexing agent in methyl isobutyl ketone organic phase and acid exchange back-extraction is described for the simultaneous quantitative pre-concentration of uranium in seawater followed by its determination by differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Solvent extraction time is optimized for extraction of uranium from seawater. Solvent extraction efficiency for uranium in seawater at different pH was carried out. The method gives a recovery of 98 ± 2 % for 400 mL sample at pH 3.0 ± 0.02, facilitating the rapid and interference free analysis of seawater samples. (author)

Seawater-drowning-induced acute lung injury: From molecular mechanisms to potential treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Faguang; Li, Congcong

2017-06-01

Drowning is a crucial public safety problem and is the third leading cause of accidental fatality, claiming ~372,000 lives annually, worldwide. In near-drowning patients, acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most common complications. Approximately 1/3 of near-drowning patients fulfill the criteria for ALI or ARDS. In the present article, the current literature of near-drowning, pathophysiologic changes and the molecular mechanisms of seawater-drowning-induced ALI and ARDS was reviewed. Seawater is three times more hyperosmolar than plasma, and following inhalation of seawater the hyperosmotic seawater may cause serious injury in the lung and alveoli. The perturbing effects of seawater may be primarily categorized into insufficiency of pulmonary surfactant, blood-air barrier disruption, formation of pulmonary edema, inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis and various other hypertonic stimulation. Potential treatments for seawater-induced ALI/ARDS were also presented, in addition to suggestions for further studies. A total of nine therapeutic strategies had been tested and all had focused on modulating the over-activated immunoreactions. In conclusion, seawater drowning is a complex injury process and the exact mechanisms and potential treatments require further exploration.

Seawater-drowning-induced acute lung injury: From molecular mechanisms to potential treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Faguang; Li, Congcong

2017-01-01

Drowning is a crucial public safety problem and is the third leading cause of accidental fatality, claiming ~372,000 lives annually, worldwide. In near-drowning patients, acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the most common complications. Approximately 1/3 of near-drowning patients fulfill the criteria for ALI or ARDS. In the present article, the current literature of near-drowning, pathophysiologic changes and the molecular mechanisms of seawater-drowning-induced ALI and ARDS was reviewed. Seawater is three times more hyperosmolar than plasma, and following inhalation of seawater the hyperosmotic seawater may cause serious injury in the lung and alveoli. The perturbing effects of seawater may be primarily categorized into insufficiency of pulmonary surfactant, blood-air barrier disruption, formation of pulmonary edema, inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis and various other hypertonic stimulation. Potential treatments for seawater-induced ALI/ARDS were also presented, in addition to suggestions for further studies. A total of nine therapeutic strategies had been tested and all had focused on modulating the over-activated immunoreactions. In conclusion, seawater drowning is a complex injury process and the exact mechanisms and potential treatments require further exploration. PMID:28587319

Plutonium determination in seawater by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Liguo; Bu, Wenting; Zheng, Jian; Pan, Shaoming; Wang, Zhongtang; Uchida, Shigeo

2016-05-01

Knowing the concentration and isotopic ratio of Pu in seawater is of critical importance for assessing Pu contamination and investigating oceanic processes. In recent decades, the concentration of (239+240)Pu in seawater, particularly for surface seawater, has presented an exponential decreasing trend with time; thus determination of Pu in seawater has become a challenge nowadays. Here, we have summarized and critically discussed a variety of reported analytical methods for Pu determination in seawater sample based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analytical technique for rapid ultra-trace detection of Pu. Generally, pretreatments for seawater sample include co-precipitation, valence adjustment and chemical separation and purification procedures, all of which are comprehensively reviewed. Overall, the selected anion-exchange, extraction resins and operation condition are important for decontamination of interference from matrix elements and achieving satisfactory chemical yields. In addition, other mass spectrometric and radiometric detections are briefly addressed and compared with the focus on assessing ICP-MS. Finally, we discuss some issues and prospects in determination and application of Pu isotopes in seawater samples for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A field study of physico-chemical states of artificial radionuclides in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagaya, Yutaka; Nakamura, Kiyoshi

1974-01-01

The physico-chemical states of artificial radionuclides, 90 Sr, 137 Cs and 144 Ce in seawater were investigated by radiochemical analysis of filtered and unfiltered seawater. The difference of radionuclide concentrations between unfiltered and filtered seawaters was defined as the ''particulate form'' radioisotope and its ''particle ratio'' was discussed. Practically no particulate 90 Sr, greater than 0.22 μ in size, was observed in both coastal and open seawaters, but some of 137 Cs seemed to be insoluble in some circumstances, especially in coastal waters. A considerable amount of 144 Ce was found to be particulate. An estimation of the radionuclides in particulate form was made for Kashima-nada seawaters collected in 1970 to 1972, and it was shown that the possible occurrence of particulate radionuclides, greater than 0.22 μ in size, were 1% or less for 90 Sr and 6% for 137 Cs. In the coastal water, 80% of 144 Ce were seemed to be in particulate form, but in the open seawater only a few %. The influences of suspended materials to 137 Cs and 144 Ce concentration levels in seawater were not negligible and further investigations are desirable. (auth.)

Adsorption and desorption of phosphate on limestone in experiments simulating seawater intrusion

Science.gov (United States)

The absorption and desorption of phosphorus on a large block of limestone was investigated using deionized water (DIW) and seawater. The limestone had a high affinity to adsorb phosphorus in DIW. Phosphate adsorption was significantly less in seawater, and more phosphorus was desorbed in the seawate...

Seawater infiltration effect on thermal degradation of fiber reinforced epoxy composites

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Mohd Haziq Izzuddin bin; Hassan, Mohamad Zaki bin; Ibrahim, Ikhwan; Rashidi, Ahmad Hadi Mohamed; Nor, Siti Fadzilah M.; Daud, Mohd Yusof Md

2018-05-01

Seawater salinity has been associated with the reduction of polymer structure durability. The aim of this study is to investigate the change in thermal degradation of fiber reinforced epoxy composite due to the presence of seawater. Carbon fiber, carbon/kevlar, fiberglass, and jute that reinforced with epoxy resin was laminated through hand-layup technique. Initially, these specimen was sectioned to 5×5 mm dimension, then immersed in seawater and distilled water at room temperature until it has thoroughly saturated. Following, the thermal degradation analysis using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), the thermic changes due to seawater infiltration was defined. The finding shows that moisture absorption reduces the glass transition temperature (Tg) of fiber reinforced epoxy composite. However, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of seawater infiltrated laminate composite is compareable with distilled water infiltrated laminate composite. The carbon fiber reinfored epoxy has the highest glass transition temperature out of all specimen.

Intensively exploited Mediterranean aquifers: resilience to seawater intrusion and proximity to critical thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Mazi, K.; Koussis, A. D.; Destouni, G.

2014-05-01

We investigate seawater intrusion in three prominent Mediterranean aquifers that are subject to intensive exploitation and modified hydrologic regimes by human activities: the Nile Delta, Israel Coastal and Cyprus Akrotiri aquifers. Using a generalized analytical sharp interface model, we review the salinization history and current status of these aquifers, and quantify their resilience/vulnerability to current and future seawater intrusion forcings. We identify two different critical limits of seawater intrusion under groundwater exploitation and/or climatic stress: a limit of well intrusion, at which intruded seawater reaches key locations of groundwater pumping, and a tipping point of complete seawater intrusion up to the prevailing groundwater divide of a coastal aquifer. Either limit can be reached, and ultimately crossed, under intensive aquifer exploitation and/or climate-driven change. We show that seawater intrusion vulnerability for different aquifer cases can be directly compared in terms of normalized intrusion performance curves. The site-specific assessments show that (a) the intruding seawater currently seriously threatens the Nile Delta aquifer, (b) in the Israel Coastal aquifer the sharp interface toe approaches the well location and (c) the Cyprus Akrotiri aquifer is currently somewhat less threatened by increased seawater intrusion.

60Co levels in the seawater regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshioka, Mitsuo

1983-01-01

In order to assess the contribution from nuclear power facilities to the 60 Co levels in seawater regions, it is essential to grasp the background values of 60 Co. The following matters are described: 60 Co sources and the respective inputs; nuclear test fallout and nuclear power plants; the 60 Co levels in overseas countries; the 60 Co levels in Japan; the 60 Co levels from nuclear power plants in Fukui prefecture. In the seawater regions around Japan, there have been numerous instances of 60 Co detection; several pCi/kg of dry earth in sea bottom earth and about 1 pCi/kg of raw material in marine life can be considered as the background levels due to nuclear test fallout and nuclear-powered submarines. In the seawater regions of Fukui prefecture, the 60 Co levels appreciably exceeded the above background due to the nuclear power plants, which are insignificant concerning the radiation exposure of the local people. (Mori, K.)

Extracting Minerals from Seawater: An Energy Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ugo Bardi

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The concept of recovering minerals from seawater has been proposed as a way of counteracting the gradual depletion of conventional mineral ores. Seawater contains large amounts of dissolved ions and the four most concentrated metal ones (Na, Mg, Ca, K are being commercially extracted today. However, all the other metal ions exist at much lower concentrations. This paper reports an estimate of the feasibility of the extraction of these metal ions on the basis of the energy needed. In most cases, the result is that extraction in amounts comparable to the present production from land mines would be impossible because of the very large amount of energy needed. This conclusion holds also for uranium as fuel for the present generation of nuclear fission plants. Nevertheless, in a few cases, mainly lithium, extraction from seawater could provide amounts of metals sufficient for closing the cycle of metal use in the economy, provided that an increased level of recycling can be attained.

Uncertainties in Climatological Seawater Density Calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Hao; Zhang, Xining

2018-03-01

In most applications, with seawater conductivity, temperature, and pressure data measured in situ by various observation instruments e.g., Conductivity-Temperature-Depth instruments (CTD), the density which has strong ties to ocean dynamics and so on is computed according to equations of state for seawater. This paper, based on density computational formulae in the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10), follows the Guide of the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and assesses the main sources of uncertainties. By virtue of climatological decades-average temperature/Practical Salinity/pressure data sets in the global ocean provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), correlation coefficients between uncertainty sources are determined and the combined standard uncertainties uc>(ρ>) in seawater density calculations are evaluated. For grid points in the world ocean with 0.25° resolution, the standard deviations of uc>(ρ>) in vertical profiles cover the magnitude order of 10-4 kg m-3. The uc>(ρ>) means in vertical profiles of the Baltic Sea are about 0.028kg m-3 due to the larger scatter of Absolute Salinity anomaly. The distribution of the uc>(ρ>) means in vertical profiles of the world ocean except for the Baltic Sea, which covers the range of >(0.004,0.01>) kg m-3, is related to the correlation coefficient r>(SA,p>) between Absolute Salinity SA and pressure p. The results in the paper are based on sensors' measuring uncertainties of high accuracy CTD. Larger uncertainties in density calculations may arise if connected with lower sensors' specifications. This work may provide valuable uncertainty information required for reliability considerations of ocean circulation and global climate models.

Impediment to symbiosis establishment between giant clams and Symbiodinium algae due to sterilization of seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurihara, Takeo; Yamada, Hideaki; Inoue, Ken; Iwai, Kenji; Hatta, Masayuki

2013-01-01

To survive the juvenile stage, giant clam juveniles need to establish a symbiotic relationship with the microalgae Symbiodinium occurring in the environment. The percentage of giant clam juveniles succeeding in symbiosis establishment ("symbiosis rate") is often low, which is problematic for seed producers. We investigated how and why symbiosis rates vary, depending on whether giant clam seeds are continuously reared in UV treated or non treated seawater. Results repeatedly demonstrated that symbiosis rates were lower for UV treated seawater than for non treated seawater. Symbiosis rates were also lower for autoclaved seawater and 0.2-µm filtered seawater than for non treated seawater. The decreased symbiosis rates in various sterilized seawater suggest the possibility that some factors helping symbiosis establishment in natural seawater are weakened owing to sterilization. The possible factors include vitality of giant clam seeds, since additional experiments revealed that survival rates of seeds reared alone without Symbiodinium were lower in sterilized seawater than in non treated seawater. In conclusion, UV treatment of seawater was found to lead to decreased symbiosis rates, which is due possibly to some adverse effects common to the various sterilization techniques and relates to the vitality of the giant clam seeds.

Effects of seawater components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Yoichi; Tachibana, Masahiko; Ishida, Kazushige; Ota, Nobuyuki; Shigenaka, Naoto; Inagaki, Hiromitsu; Noda, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Effects of seawater components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature have been studied with a radiolysis model in order to evaluate influence on integrity of materials used in an ABWR. In 2011, seawater flowed into a wide part of the nuclear power plant system of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station Reactor No. 5 owned by Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. after condenser tubes broke during the plant shutdown operation. The reactor water temperature was 250°C and its maximum Cl − concentration was ca. 450 ppm when seawater was mixed with reactor water. In order to clarify effects of the sea water components on radiolysis of water at elevated temperature, a radiolysis model calculation was conducted with Hitachi's radiolysis analysis code 'SIMFONY'. For the calculation, the temperature range was set from 50 to 250°C with 50°C increments and the gamma dose rate was set at 60 Gys −1 to see the effect of gamma irradiation from fuels under shutdown conditions. Concentrations of radiolytic species were calculated for 10 5 s. Dilution ratio of seawater was changed to see the effects of concentration of seawater components. Reaction rate constants of the Cl − , Br − , HCO 3 − , and SO 4 2− systems were considered. The main radiolytic species were predicted to be hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide of low concentration was produced in seawater-mixed water at elevated temperatures. Compared with these main products, concentrations of radiolytic products originating from chloride ion and other seawater components were found to be rather low. The dominant product among them was ClO 3 − and its concentration was found to be below 0.01ppm at 10 5 s. Then, during the plant shutdown operation, the harmful influence from radiolytic species originating from seawater components on integrity of fuel materials must be smaller than that of chloride ion which is the main ionic species in seawater. (author)

Sustainable and safe energy supply with seawater uranium fueled HTGR and its economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukaya, Y.; Goto, M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • We discussed uranium resources with an energy security perspective. • We concluded seawater uranium is preferable for sustainability and energy security. • We evaluated electricity generation cost of seawater uranium fueled HTGR. • We concluded electricity generation with seawater uranium is reasonable. - Abstract: Sustainable and safe energy supply with High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) fueled by uranium from seawater have been investigated and discussed. From the view point of safety feature of self-regulation with thermal reactor of HTGR, the uranium resources should be inexhaustible. The seawater uranium is expected to be alternative resources to conventional resources because it exists so much in seawater as a solute. It is said that 4.5 billion tons of uranium is dissolved in the seawater, which corresponds to a consumption of approximately 72 thousand years. Moreover, a thousand times of the amount of 4.5 trillion tU of uranium, which corresponds to the consumption of 72 million years, also is included in the rock on the surface of the sea floor, and that is also recoverable as seawater uranium because uranium in seawater is in an equilibrium state with that. In other words, the uranium from seawater is almost inexhaustible natural resource. However, the recovery cost with current technology is still expensive compared with that of conventional uranium. Then, we assessed the effect of increase in uranium purchase cost on the entire electricity generation cost. In this study, the economy of electricity generation of cost of a commercial HTGR was evaluated with conventional uranium and seawater uranium. Compared with ordinary LWR using conventional uranium, HTGR can generate electricity cheaply because of small volume of simple direct gas turbine system compared with water and steam systems of LWR, rationalization by modularizing, and high thermal efficiency, even if fueled by seawater uranium. It is concluded that the HTGR

Biodegradation of phenanthrene in artificial seawater by using free ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

and related aromatic compounds. This paper reports the domestication of strain Sphingomonas sp. GY2B in artificial seawater (AS) and the immobilization of the strain onto rice straw. Results showed that adding 85% artificial seawater had very low impact on the growth and phenanthrene degradation ability of strain GY2B ...

Substrate Use of Pseudovibrio sp. Growing in Ultra-Oligotrophic Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Schwedt, Anne; Seidel, Michael; Dittmar, Thorsten; Simon, Meinhard; Bondarev, Vladimir; Romano, Stefano; Lavik, Gaute; Schulz-Vogt, Heide N.

2015-01-01

Marine planktonic bacteria often live in habitats with extremely low concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM). To study the use of trace amounts of DOM by the facultatively oligotrophic Pseudovibrio sp. FO-BEG1, we investigated the composition of artificial and natural seawater before and after growth. We determined the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), free and hydrolysable amino acids, and the molecular composition of DOM by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS). The DOC concentration of the artificial seawater we used for cultivation was 4.4 μmol C L-1, which was eight times lower compared to the natural oligotrophic seawater we used for parallel experiments (36 μmol C L -1). During the three-week duration of the experiment, cell numbers increased from 40 cells mL-1 to 2x104 cells mL -1 in artificial and to 3x105 cells mL -1 in natural seawater. No nitrogen fixation and minor CO2 fixation (seawater, using unexpected organic compounds to fuel their energy, carbon and nitrogen requirements. PMID:25826215

Impediment to Symbiosis Establishment between Giant Clams and Symbiodinium Algae Due to Sterilization of Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Kurihara, Takeo; Yamada, Hideaki; Inoue, Ken; Iwai, Kenji; Hatta, Masayuki

2013-01-01

To survive the juvenile stage, giant clam juveniles need to establish a symbiotic relationship with the microalgae Symbiodinium occurring in the environment. The percentage of giant clam juveniles succeeding in symbiosis establishment (“symbiosis rate”) is often low, which is problematic for seed producers. We investigated how and why symbiosis rates vary, depending on whether giant clam seeds are continuously reared in UV treated or non treated seawater. Results repeatedly demonstrated that symbiosis rates were lower for UV treated seawater than for non treated seawater. Symbiosis rates were also lower for autoclaved seawater and 0.2-µm filtered seawater than for non treated seawater. The decreased symbiosis rates in various sterilized seawater suggest the possibility that some factors helping symbiosis establishment in natural seawater are weakened owing to sterilization. The possible factors include vitality of giant clam seeds, since additional experiments revealed that survival rates of seeds reared alone without Symbiodinium were lower in sterilized seawater than in non treated seawater. In conclusion, UV treatment of seawater was found to lead to decreased symbiosis rates, which is due possibly to some adverse effects common to the various sterilization techniques and relates to the vitality of the giant clam seeds. PMID:23613802

The density-salinity relation of standard seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hannes; Seitz, Steffen; Hassel, Egon; Wolf, Henning

2018-01-01

The determination of salinity by means of electrical conductivity relies on stable salt proportions in the North Atlantic Ocean, because standard seawater, which is required for salinometer calibration, is produced from water of the North Atlantic. To verify the long-term stability of the standard seawater composition, it was proposed to perform measurements of the standard seawater density. Since the density is sensitive to all salt components, a density measurement can detect any change in the composition. A conversion of the density values to salinity can be performed by means of a density-salinity relation. To use such a relation with a target uncertainty in salinity comparable to that in salinity obtained from conductivity measurements, a density measurement with an uncertainty of 2 g m-3 is mandatory. We present a new density-salinity relation based on such accurate density measurements. The substitution measurement method used is described and density corrections for uniform isotopic and chemical compositions are reported. The comparison of densities calculated using the new relation with those calculated using the present reference equations of state TEOS-10 suggests that the density accuracy of TEOS-10 (as well as that of EOS-80) has been overestimated, as the accuracy of some of its underlying density measurements had been overestimated. The new density-salinity relation may be used to verify the stable composition of standard seawater by means of routine density measurements.

Methane-oxidizing seawater microbial communities from an Arctic shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Uhlig, Christiane; Kirkpatrick, John B.; D'Hondt, Steven; Loose, Brice

2018-06-01

Marine microbial communities can consume dissolved methane before it can escape to the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Seawater over the shallow Arctic shelf is characterized by excess methane compared to atmospheric equilibrium. This methane originates in sediment, permafrost, and hydrate. Particularly high concentrations are found beneath sea ice. We studied the structure and methane oxidation potential of the microbial communities from seawater collected close to Utqiagvik, Alaska, in April 2016. The in situ methane concentrations were 16.3 ± 7.2 nmol L-1, approximately 4.8 times oversaturated relative to atmospheric equilibrium. The group of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in the natural seawater and incubated seawater was > 97 % dominated by Methylococcales (γ-Proteobacteria). Incubations of seawater under a range of methane concentrations led to loss of diversity in the bacterial community. The abundance of MOB was low with maximal fractions of 2.5 % at 200 times elevated methane concentration, while sequence reads of non-MOB methylotrophs were 4 times more abundant than MOB in most incubations. The abundances of MOB as well as non-MOB methylotroph sequences correlated tightly with the rate constant (kox) for methane oxidation, indicating that non-MOB methylotrophs might be coupled to MOB and involved in community methane oxidation. In sea ice, where methane concentrations of 82 ± 35.8 nmol kg-1 were found, Methylobacterium (α-Proteobacteria) was the dominant MOB with a relative abundance of 80 %. Total MOB abundances were very low in sea ice, with maximal fractions found at the ice-snow interface (0.1 %), while non-MOB methylotrophs were present in abundances similar to natural seawater communities. The dissimilarities in MOB taxa, methane concentrations, and stable isotope ratios between the sea ice and water column point toward different methane dynamics in the two environments.

Dynamic Bubble Surface Tension Measurements in Northwest Atlantic Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Kieber, D. J.; Long, M. S.; Keene, W. C.; Kinsey, J. D.; Frossard, A. A.; Beaupre, S. R.; Duplessis, P.; Maben, J. R.; Lu, X.; Chang, R.; Zhu, Y.; Bisgrove, J.

2017-12-01

Numerous reports suggest that most organic matter (OM) associated with newly formed primary marine aerosol (PMA) originates from the sea-surface microlayer. However, surface-active OM rapidly adsorbs onto bubble surfaces in the water column and is ejected into the atmosphere when bubbles burst at the air-water interface. Here we present dynamic surface tension measurements of bubbles produced in near surface seawater from biologically productive and oligotrophic sites and in deep seawater collected from 2500 m in the northwest Atlantic. In all cases, the surface tension of bubble surfaces decreased within seconds after the bubbles were exposed to seawater. These observations demonstrate that bubble surfaces are rapidly saturated by surfactant material scavenged from seawater. Spatial and diel variability in bubble surface evolution indicate corresponding variability in surfactant concentrations and/or composition. Our results reveal that surface-active OM is found throughout the water column, and that at least some surfactants are not of recent biological origin. Our results also support the hypothesis that the surface microlayer is a minor to negligible source of OM associated with freshly produced PMA.

Freeze desalination of seawater using LNG cold energy

KAUST Repository

Chang, Jian; Zuo, Jian; Lu, Kang-Jia; Chung, Neal Tai-Shung

2016-01-01

With the aid of cold energy from regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG), freeze desalination (FD) is an emerging technology for seawater desalination because of its low energy characteristics and insensitivities to fouling problems. This work aims to investigate the major operating parameters of FD such as coolant temperature, freezing duration, supercooling, seeding, agitation, crystallizer material and subsequent washing procedure on ice production and water quality. It was found that the optimal freezing duration per batch was 1 h for an iron crystallizer and 1.5 h for a glass crystallizer. The optimal coolant temperature should be around −8 °C. The optimal amount of washing water to clean the raw ice was about 50 wt% of the raw ice. Over 50 wt% of the feed could be recovered as raw ice within 1 h, which means an overall ice recovery rate of higher than 25% (of the original seawater), considering the consumption of washing water. Both artificial and real seawater were tested under the optimized conditions. The total dissolved solid in the product ice was around 300 ppm, which met the World Health Organization (WHO) potable water salinity standard of 500 ppm. Therefore, the process parameters optimized in this study can be directly used for the freeze desalination of seawater.

Freeze desalination of seawater using LNG cold energy

KAUST Repository

Chang, Jian

2016-06-23

With the aid of cold energy from regasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG), freeze desalination (FD) is an emerging technology for seawater desalination because of its low energy characteristics and insensitivities to fouling problems. This work aims to investigate the major operating parameters of FD such as coolant temperature, freezing duration, supercooling, seeding, agitation, crystallizer material and subsequent washing procedure on ice production and water quality. It was found that the optimal freezing duration per batch was 1 h for an iron crystallizer and 1.5 h for a glass crystallizer. The optimal coolant temperature should be around −8 °C. The optimal amount of washing water to clean the raw ice was about 50 wt% of the raw ice. Over 50 wt% of the feed could be recovered as raw ice within 1 h, which means an overall ice recovery rate of higher than 25% (of the original seawater), considering the consumption of washing water. Both artificial and real seawater were tested under the optimized conditions. The total dissolved solid in the product ice was around 300 ppm, which met the World Health Organization (WHO) potable water salinity standard of 500 ppm. Therefore, the process parameters optimized in this study can be directly used for the freeze desalination of seawater.

Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater and Hydrocarbon Production Therefrom

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-05

acidification of seawater by subjecting the seawater to an ion exchange reaction to exchange H.sup. ions for Na.sup. ions. Carbon dioxide may be...extracted from the acidified seawater. Optionally, the ion exchange reaction can be conducted under conditions which produce hydrogen as well as carbon dioxide . The carbon dioxide and hydrogen may be used to produce hydrocarbons.

Modelling of a transmembrane evaporation module for desalination of seawater

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guijt, C.M.; Racz, I.G.; van Heuven, Jan Willem; Reith, T.; de Haan, A.B.

1999-01-01

Transmembrane evaporation (often called membrane distillation) carried out in a countercurrent flow module, in which incoming cold seawater is heated by the condensing product water flow, is a promising technology for low-cost seawater desalination. This paper presents a model for preliminary design

Recovery of uranium from sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewelyn, G.I.W.

1976-01-01

The possibility of extraction of uranium from sea-water on a sufficiently large scale to contribute significantly to national UK requirements is placed in perspective. It seems unlikely that there are sites around the UK coast where this could be achieved, and insufficient work has been done to be confident that sites exist anywhere to enable uranium extraction to be carried out on a large scale. Process techniques have been developed on a small scale, but extensive further research work would be necessary to reduce appreciably the present uncertainties. It would be unwise to expect uranium from sea-water to contribute significant amounts to the world's uranium demand for thermal reactors on an acceptable timescale. (author)

Effect of Groundwater Pumping on Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.M. Sherif

2002-06-01

Full Text Available Many aquifers around the globe are located in coastal areas and are thus subjected to the seawater intrusion phenomenon. The growth of population in coastal areas and the conjugate increase in human, agricultural, and industrial activities have imposed an increasing demand for freshwater. This increase in water demand is often covered by extensive pumping of fresh groundwater, causing subsequent lowering of the water table (or piezometric head and upsetting the dynamic balance between freshwater and saline water bodies. The classical result of such a development is seawater intrusion. This paper presents a review for the seawater intrusion phenomenon in coastal aquifers. The effect of pumping activities on the seawater intrusion in the Nile Delta aquifer of Egypt is investigated. It was concluded that any additional pumping should be located in the middle Delta and avoided in the eastern and western sides of the Delta.

Seawater calcium isotope ratios across the Eocene-Oligocene transition

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, E.M.; Paytan, A.; Eisenhauer, A.; Bullen, T.D.; Thomas, E.

2011-01-01

During the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT, ca. 34 Ma), Earth's climate cooled significantly from a greenhouse to an icehouse climate, while the calcite (CaCO3) compensation depth (CCD) in the Pacific Ocean increased rapidly. Fluctuations in the CCD could result from various processes that create an imbalance between calcium (Ca) sources to, and sinks from, the ocean (e.g., weathering and CaCO3 deposition), with different effects on the isotopic composition of dissolved Ca in the oceans due to differences in the Ca isotopic composition of various inputs and outputs. We used Ca isotope ratios (??44/40Ca) of coeval pelagic marine barite and bulk carbonate to evaluate changes in the marine Ca cycle across the EOT. We show that the permanent deepening of the CCD was not accompanied by a pronounced change in seawater ??44/40Ca, whereas time intervals in the Neogene with smaller carbonate depositional changes are characterized by seawater ??44/40Ca shifts. This suggests that the response of seawater ??44/40Ca to changes in weathering fluxes and to imbalances in the oceanic alkalinity budget depends on the chemical composition of seawater. A minor and transient fluctuation in the Ca isotope ratio of bulk carbonate may reflect a change in isotopic fractionation associated with CaCO3 precipitation from seawater due to a combination of factors, including changes in temperature and/or in the assemblages of calcifying organisms. ?? 2011 Geological Society of America.

Corrosion in seawater systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henrikson, S.

1988-01-01

Highly alloyed stainless steels have been exposed to natural chlorinated and chlorine-free seawater at 35 deg. C. Simulated tube-tubesheet joints, weld joints and galvanic couples with titanium, 90/10 CuNi and NiAl bronze were tested and evaluated for corrosion. The corrosion rates of various anode materials - zinc, aluminium and soft iron - were also determined. Finally the risk of hydrogen embrittlement of tubes of ferritic stainless steels and titanium as a consequence of cathodic protection was studied. An attempt was also made to explain the cracking mechanism of the ferritic steels by means of transmission electron microscopy. One important conclusion of the project is that chlorinated seawater is considerably more corrosive to stainless steels than chlorine-free water, whereas chlorination reduces the rate of galvanic corrosion of copper materials coupled to stainless steels. Hydrogen embrittlement of ferritic stainless steels and titanium as a consequence of cathodic protection of carbon steel or cast iron in the same structure can be avoided by strict potentiostatic control of the applied potential. (author)

XAS and TRLIF spectroscopy of uranium and neptunium in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Maloubier, Melody; Solari, Pier Lorenzo; Moisy, Philippe; Monfort, Marguerite; Den Auwer, Christophe; Moulin, Christophe

2015-03-28

Seawater contains radionuclides at environmental levels; some are naturally present and others come from anthropogenic nuclear activity. In this report, the molecular speciation in seawater of uranium(VI) and neptunium(V) at a concentration of 5 × 10(-5) M has been investigated for the first time using a combination of two spectroscopic techniques: Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (TRLIF) for U and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) for U and Np at the LIII edge. In parallel, the theoretical speciation of uranium and neptunium in seawater at the same concentration is also discussed and compared to spectroscopic data. The uranium complex was identified as the neutral carbonato calcic complex UO2(CO3)3Ca2, which has been previously described in other natural systems. In the case of neptunium, the complex identified is mainly a carbonato complex whose exact stoichiometry is more difficult to assess. The knowledge of the actinide molecular speciation and reactivity in seawater is of fundamental interest in the particular case of uranium recovery and more generally regarding the actinide life cycle within the biosphere in the case of accidental release. This is the first report of actinide direct speciation in seawater medium that can complement inventory data.

An exploratory study on seawater-catalysed urine phosphorus recovery (SUPR).

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Ji; Tang, Wen-Tao; Zheng, Yi-Se; Mackey, Hamish R; Chui, Ho Kwong; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Chen, Guang-Hao

2014-12-01

Phosphorus (P) is a crucial and non-renewable resource, while it is excessively discharged via sewage, significant amounts originating from human urine. Recovery of P from source-separated urine presents an opportunity not only to recover this precious resource but also to improve downstream sewage treatment works. This paper proposes a simple and economic method to recover urine derived P by using seawater as a low-cost precipitant to form struvite, as Hong Kong has practised seawater toilet flushing as an alternative water resource since 1958. Chemical reactions, process conditions and precipitate composition for P precipitation in urine have been investigated to develop this new urine P recovery approach. This study concluded that ureolysis extent in a urine-seawater mixture determines the reaction pH that in turn influences the P recovery efficiency significantly; 98% of urine P can precipitate with seawater within 10 min when 40-75% of the urea in urine is ureolysed; the urine to seawater ratio alters the composition of the precipitates. The P content in the precipitates was found to be more than 9% when the urine fraction was 40% or higher. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) was confirmed to be the predominant component of the precipitates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultivation of oleaginous Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in airlift bioreactor by using seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Hong-Wei; Liao, Yu-Ting; Liu, Yi Xian

2016-02-01

The enormous water resource consumption is a concern to the scale-up fermentation process, especially for those cheap fermentation commodities, such as microbial oils as the feedstock for biodiesel production. The direct cultivation of oleaginous Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in a 5-L airlift bioreactor using seawater instead of pure water led to a slightly lower biomass being achieved, at 17.2 compared to 18.1 g/L, respectively. Nevertheless, a higher lipid content of 65 ± 5% was measured in the batch using seawater as compared to the pure water batch. Both the salinity and osmotic pressure decreased as the cultivation time increased in the seawater batch, and these effects may contribute to the high tolerance for salinity. No effects were observed for the seawater on the fatty acid profiles. The major components for both batches using seawater and pure water were C16:0 (palmitic acid), C18:1 (oleic acid) and C18:2 (linoleic acid), which together accounted for over 85% of total lipids. The results of this study indicated that seawater could be a suitable option for scaling up the growth of oleaginous R. mucilaginosa, especially from the perspective of water resource utilization. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion and antifouling characteristics of technetium 99 in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spitsyn, V.I.; Strekalov, P.V.; Balakhovskij, O.A.; Mikhajlovskij, Yu.N.

1982-01-01

The results are presented of studying the corrosive and antifouling properties of metallic technetium-99 in the Barents Sea and the Sea of Japan. Foil of 99 Tc glued on acrylic plastic served as a sample. High corrosion resistance and antifouling properties exhibited by 99 Tc in seawater point to favorable prospects of further studies aimed at development of new methods for protection against corrosion and fouling of metallic structures and parts with the use of technetium. The antifouling properties of technetium would evidently be used most efficiently when coating materials of high corrosion resistance to seawater (titanium, stainless steels, special alloys, etc.) with layers of technetium. The use of technetium for coating low-alloyed or carbon steels employed in seawater is yet problematic

The status quo and the prospect of extraction of resources in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katoh, Shunsaku

1991-01-01

Sea is the natural storage, and the enormous quantity of river water which contains the large amount of ions and compositions flows into sea, accordingly it has been calculated that seawater is replaced with new water in about 4 x 10 4 years. Sea is always agitated by tidal current, therefore, the composition of seawater is nearly uniform in most sea areas. Almost all elements existing in nature are dissolved in seawater, and the state of dissolution of main elements and their concentration are shown. The total quantity of seawater is as enormous as 1.35 x 10 9 km 3 , accordingly even in the trace elements in seawater, the total dissolved amount is enormous. For Japan which lacks resources, it is the important subject to develop the technology of effectively utilizing the resources in sea. The methods of obtaining sodium chloride, magnesium, bromine and potassium, which are the main components of seawater, are briefly explained. As the extraction of trace components, gold and silver, uranium, lithium, boron, strontium, vanadium, molybdenum, yttrium and heavy water are taken up. The optimal system must be built including the development of high performance adsorbents. (K.I.)

Latent Toxicity of Endothall to Anadromous Salmonids During Seawater Challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Courter, Lauren A; Garrison, Thomas M; Courter, Ian I

2016-05-01

Limited evidence exists on the latent effects of toxicant exposure on the seawater adaptability of anadromous salmon and steelhead. It is unclear whether such an effect exists for the widely used and relatively non-toxic herbicide endothall. Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho), Chinook salmon, O. tshawytscha (Chinook), and anadromous rainbow trout, O. mykiss (steelhead) were subjected to a 10-day seawater challenge following freshwater treatments [0-12 mg acid equivalent (a.e)./L at 96 h]. Mean survival resulted in 82 % (n = 225), 84 % (n = 133), 90 % (n = 73) and 59 % (n = 147) survival for 0, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 mg a.e./L, respectively. Our results indicate a lower toxicity threshold compared with previously reported acute toxicity results, but higher compared with previous seawater challenge studies. We demonstrate the utility of the seawater challenge assay to accurately define toxic effects of pesticides on salmonids with complex life-histories.

Chemical Characteristics of Seawater and Sediment in the Yap Trench

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, H.; Sun, C.; Yang, G.

2017-12-01

In June 2016, seawater samples at sediment-seawater interface and sediment samples were collected by the he Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, at four sampling sites located in the Yap Trench. Seawater samples from different depths of the trench were also collected by CTD. Chemical parameters, including pH, alkanility, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved and total organic carbon, methane, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, nutrients, carbohydrates, and amino acids were analyzed in the seawater samples. Concentrations of total organic carbon, six constant elements and nine trace elements were determined in the sediment samples. All the vertical profiles of the chemical parameters in the seawater have unique characteristics. Our resluts also showed that the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) was between 4500 m and 5000 m in the trench. The hadal sediment at 6500 m depth under the CCD line was siliceous ooze favored for the burial of orgaic carbon, attributed to accumulation of surface sediment by gravity flow. The abyssal sediment at the 4500 m depth was calcareous ooze. Various microfossils, such as discoasters and diatoms, were identified in different sediment layers of the sediment samples.Based on the ratios of Fe/Al and Ti/Al, and the correlation between different elements, the sediment in the Yap Trench were derived from biogenic, terrestrial, volcanic and autogenic sources. The ratios of Ni/Co and V/Cr showed that the deposition environment of the trench should be oxidative, arributed to inflow of the Antractic bottom oxygen-rich seawater.The high concentraiont of Ca in the sediment from the station 371-Yap-S02 below 4 cm depth indicated that there was no large-scale volcanic eruption in the research area and the volcanic materials in the sediment might orginated from the Mariana Volcanic Arc, and the Carolyn Ridge has been slowly sinking on the east side of the trench due to plate subduction. This study is the first systematic study of

State-of-art report on the seawater desalination process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Young Dong; Kim, Young In; Lee, Doo Jung; Chang, Moon Hee

2000-11-01

Desalination technologies have been developed over the last 40 years and become a reliable industrial process for water production from sea or blackish water. At present, various desalination processes are available for the effective use of seawater or blackish water as valuable water resources. Since a large amount of energy is required for seawater desalination, the cost of energy is important for desalination. For the regions of severe water shortage, however, desalination is the most economical way of water supply compare to any other alternatives. Currently, water supply by seawater desalination is being increased in the areas of the Caribbean, North African and Middle East. Also, desalination of blackish water is being increased in the south-east region of USA. In general, the distillation process and the membrane technology are used for seawater esalination and the membrane and the electric-dialysis for blackish water. However, the selection of the desalination process is highly dependent on the use of produced water and the local environmental conditions where the desalination plant installed. The local condition is the most important parameters for the selection of the desalination process

Removal of trihalomethane from chlorinated seawater using gamma radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajamohan, R; Natesan, Usha; Venugopalan, V P; Rajesh, Puspalata; Rangarajan, S

2015-12-01

Chlorine addition as a biocide in seawater results in the formation of chlorination by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs). Removal of THMs is of importance as they are potential mutagenic and carcinogenic agents. In this context, a study was conducted that used ionizing radiation to remove THMs from chlorinated (1, 3, and 5 mg/L) seawater by applying various dosages (0.4-5.0 kGy) of gamma radiation. Bromoform (BF) showed a faster rate of degradation as compared to other halocarbons such as bromodichloromethane (BDCM) and dibromochloromethane (DBCM). In chlorine-dosed seawater, total irradiation dose of 0.4 to 5 kGy caused percentage reduction in the range of 6.9 to 76.7%, 2.3 to 99.6%, and 45.7 to 98.3% for BDCM, DBCM, and BF, respectively. During the irradiation process, pH of the chlorinated seawater decreased with increase in the absorbed dose; however, no change in total organic carbon (TOC) was observed. The results show that gamma dose of 2.5 kGy was adequate for maximum degradation of THM; but for complete mineralization, higher dose would be required.

State-of-art report on the seawater desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Young Dong; Kim, Young In; Lee, Doo Jung; Chang, Moon Hee

2000-11-01

Desalination technologies have been developed over the last 40 years and become a reliable industrial process for water production from sea or blackish water. At present, various desalination processes are available for the effective use of seawater or blackish water as valuable water resources. Since a large amount of energy is required for seawater desalination, the cost of energy is important for desalination. For the regions of severe water shortage, however, desalination is the most economical way of water supply compare to any other alternatives. Currently, water supply by seawater desalination is being increased in the areas of the Caribbean, North African and Middle East. Also, desalination of blackish water is being increased in the south-east region of USA. In general, the distillation process and the membrane technology are used for seawater esalination and the membrane and the electric-dialysis for blackish water. However, the selection of the desalination process is highly dependent on the use of produced water and the local environmental conditions where the desalination plant installed. The local condition is the most important parameters for the selection of the desalination process.

Rapid determination of total phenols in seawater by 4-aminoantipyrine colorimetry

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Kadam, A.N.; Bhangale, V.P.

A rapid and efficient 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) colorimetric method without any cleanup step to determine total phenols in seawater is described. Efficiency of the method for seawater using external addition of phenol concentrations with working...

Decomposition of dilute residual active chlorine in sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshinaga, Tetsutaro; Kawano, Kentaro; Yanagase, Kenjiro; Shiga, Akira

1985-01-01

Coastal industries such as power stations require enormous quantities of sea-water for cooling, but the marine organisms in it often result in fouling and/or blockade of the circulating water condenser and pipeworks. To prevent this, chlorine, or hypochlorite by the direct electrolysis of sea-water have been added. Environmental concerns, however, dictate that the residual chlorine concentration at the outlet should be less than the regulated value (0.02 ppm). Methods for decomposing dilute residual chlorine solutions were therefore studied. It was found that: 1) The addition of (raw) sea-water to the sea-water which passed through the condenser lowered the residual chlorine concentration to an greater extent than could be expected by dilution only. 2) Ozonation of the residual chlorine solution led to degradation of OCl - , but in solutions with a residual chlorine concentrations of less than 3 -- 4 ppm, ozonation had no effect. 3) Irradiation with ultra violet light (254 nm) decomposed the residual chlorine. Under the present work conditions (25 0 C: pH 8; depth 10 mm), nearly first order kinetics were to hold [da/dt = ksub((1)) (1-a)sup(n)]. There is a proportional relationship between the kinetic constant (k) and illuminous intensity (L), i.e., ksub((1))[C 0 sup(Cl 2 ): 10 ppm] = 6.56 x 10 -5 L (L = 0 -- 1000 lx). Thus, the use of both sea-water addition and UV irradiation provides a probable method for decomposing a residual chlorine to the expected concentration. (author)

Modification of Optical Properties of Seawater Exposed to Oil Contaminants Based on Excitation-Emission Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Baszanowska, E.; Otremba, Z.

2015-10-01

The optical behaviour of seawater exposed to a residual amount of oil pollution is presented and a comparison of the fluorescence spectra of oil dissolved in both n-hexane and seawater is discussed based on excitation-emission spectra. Crude oil extracted from the southern part of the Baltic Sea was used to characterise petroleum properties after contact with seawater. The wavelength-independent fluorescence maximum for natural seawater and seawater artificially polluted with oil were determined. Moreover, the specific excitation-emission peaks for natural seawater and polluted water were analysed to identify the natural organic matter composition. It was found that fluorescence spectra identification is a promising method to detect even an extremely low concentration of petroleum residues directly in the seawater. In addition, alien substances disturbing the fluorescence signatures of natural organic substances in a marine environment is also discussed.

Recovery of uranium from seawater. 14. System arrangements for the recovery of uranium from seawater by spherical amidoxime chelating resins utilizing natural seawater motions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egawa, Hiroaki; Kabay, Nalan; Shuto, Taketomi; Jyo, Akinori

1993-01-01

In order to evaluate performances of lightly cross-linked highly porous amidoxime resins in uranium-adsorption systems utilizing natural seawater motions, uranium uptake by the resins from seawater was studied by different approaches, such as simulated sea current exposure tests, towing trials, and/or mooring trials. In general, the efficiency of uranium uptake became higher with a decrease in the thickness of packing layers, indicating important roles of fluidization of the resin particles. On the basis of these fundamental data, mooring tests in the natural sea current were designed and conducted. By mooring flat adsorption beds (base area 260 cm 2 , height 3.0 cm) packed with 780 ml of the resin for 40 h, promising uranium uptake as high as 44 mg/kg of resin (9.9 mg/l of resin) was achieved under sea conditions in which the velocity of sea currents and the vertical velocity of waves were 5.5-49.7 cm/s and 3.4-27 cm/s, respectively

Uptake of elements from seawater by ferromanganese crusts: Solid-phase associations and seawater speciation

Science.gov (United States)

Koschinsky, A.; Hein, J.R.

2003-01-01

Marine Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crusts form by precipitation of dissolved components from seawater. Three hydrogenetic crust samples (one phosphatized) and two hydrothermal Mn-oxide samples were subjected to a sequential-leaching procedure in order to determine the host phases of 40 elements. Those host-phase associations are discussed with respect to element speciation in seawater. The partitioning of elements between the two major phases, Mn oxide and Fe oxyhydroxide, can in a first-order approximation be explained by a simple sorption model related to the inorganic speciation of the elements in seawater, as has been proposed in earlier models. Free and weakly complexed cations, such as alkali and alkaline earth metals, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, T1(I), and partly Y, are sorbed preferentially on the negatively charged surface of the MnO2 in hydrogenetic crusts. The driving force is a strong coulombic interaction. All neutral or negatively charged chloro (Cd, Hg, T1), carbonate (Cu, Y, Pb, and U), and hydroxide (Be, Sc, Ti, Fe, Zr, Nb, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hf, Ta, Bi, Th, and T1(III)) complexes and oxyanions (V, Cr, As, Se, Mo, and W) bind to the slightly positively charged surface of the amorphous FeOOH phase. While coulombic interaction can explain the sorption of the negatively charged species, the binding of neutral species is based on specific chemical interaction. Organic complexation of elements in deep-ocean water seems to be at most of minor importance. Surface oxidation can explain some strong metal associations, e.g. of Co and T1 with the MnO2 and Te with the FeOOH. Sorption reactions initially driven by coulombic forces are often followed by the formation of specific bonds between the adsorbate and the atoms of the oxide surface. Differences in the associations of some metals between the non-phosphatized and phosphatized hydrogenetic crusts and between the hydrogenetic and the hydrothermal samples reflect the different physico-chemical environments of formation and

Seawater mesocosm experiments in the Arctic uncover differential transfer of marine bacteria to aerosols.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahlgren, Camilla; Gómez-Consarnau, Laura; Zábori, Julia; Lindh, Markus V; Krejci, Radovan; Mårtensson, E Monica; Nilsson, Douglas; Pinhassi, Jarone

2015-06-01

Biogenic aerosols critically control atmospheric processes. However, although bacteria constitute major portions of living matter in seawater, bacterial aerosolization from oceanic surface layers remains poorly understood. We analysed bacterial diversity in seawater and experimentally generated aerosols from three Kongsfjorden sites, Svalbard. Construction of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from paired seawater and aerosol samples resulted in 1294 sequences clustering into 149 bacterial and 34 phytoplankton operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Bacterial communities in aerosols differed greatly from corresponding seawater communities in three out of four experiments. Dominant populations of both seawater and aerosols were Flavobacteriia, Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Across the entire dataset, most OTUs from seawater could also be found in aerosols; in each experiment, however, several OTUs were either selectively enriched in aerosols or little aerosolized. Notably, a SAR11 clade OTU was consistently abundant in the seawater, but was recorded in significantly lower proportions in aerosols. A strikingly high proportion of colony-forming bacteria were pigmented in aerosols compared with seawater, suggesting that selection during aerosolization contributes to explaining elevated proportions of pigmented bacteria frequently observed in atmospheric samples. Our findings imply that atmospheric processes could be considerably influenced by spatiotemporal variations in the aerosolization efficiency of different marine bacteria. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Atmospheric Aerosol Emissions Related to the Mediterranean Seawater Biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Sellegri, K.; Schwier, A.; Rose, C.; Gazeau, F. P. H.; Guieu, C.; D'anna, B.; Ebling, A. M.; Pey, J.; Marchand, N.; Charriere, B.; Sempéré, R.; Mas, S.

2016-02-01

Marine aerosols contribute significantly to the global aerosol load and consequently has an important impact on the Earth's climate. Different factors influence the way they are produced at the air/seawater interface. The sea state (whitecap coverage, temperature, etc. ) influence the size and concentration of primarily produced particles but also biogeochemical characteristics of the seawater influence both the physical and chemical primary fluxes to the atmosphere. An additional aerosol source of marine aerosol to the atmosphere is the formation of new particles by gaz-to-particle conversion, i.e. nucleation. How the seawater and surface microlayer biogeochemical compositions influences the aerosol emissions is still a large debate. In order to study marine emissions, one approach is to use semi-controlled environments such as mesocosms. Within the MedSea and SAM projects, we characterize the primary Sea Spray Aerosol (SSA) during mesocosms experiments performed during different seasons in the Mediteranean Sea. Mesocosms were either left unchanged as control or enriched by addition of nutriments in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. The mesocosms waters were daily analyzed for their chemical and biological composition (DOC, CDOM, TEP, Chl-a, virus, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations). SSA production by bubble bursting was daily simulated in a dedicated set-up. The size segregated SSA number fluxes, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties, and chemical composition were determined as a function of the seawater characteristics. We show that the SSA organic content was clearly correlated to the seawater Chl-a level, provided that the mesocosm was not enriched to create an artificial phytoplanctonic bloom. In our experiments, the enrichment of the seawater with natural surface microlayer did not impact the SSA organic content nor its CCN properties. At last, nucleation of secondary particles were observed to occur in

Seawater immersion aggravates burn-associated lung injury and inflammatory and oxidative-stress responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jun; Wang, Ying; Wu, Qi; Chen, Xiaowei; Wang, Jiahan; Yang, Lei

2017-08-01

With the increasing frequency of marine development activities and local wars at sea, the incidence of scald burns in marine accidents or wars has been increasing yearly. Various studies have indicated that immersion in seawater has a systemic impact on some organs of animals or humans with burn. Thus, for burn/scald injuries after immersion in seawater, it is desirable to study the effects and mechanisms of action on important organs. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of immersion in seawater on lung injury, inflammatory and oxidative-stress responses in scalded rats. The structural damage to lungs was detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining and the results showed that seawater immersion aggravated structural lung injury in scalded rats. The expression of HMGB1 in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemical analysis and the results showed that seawater immersion increased HMGB1 expression in lung tissues of scalded rats. Apoptosis in lung tissues was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transfer-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining and the results showed that seawater immersion increased apoptosis rate in lung tissues of scalded rats. In addition, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, SOD, and MDA in serum were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and the results showed that seawater immersion induced secretion of proinflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8), increased MDA protein level, and suppressed SOD activity in the serum of scalded rats. Furthermore, measurement of plasma volume and pH showed that seawater immersion decreased plasma volume and pH value. Overall, the results indicated that all effects induced by immersion in seawater in scalded rats are more pronounced than those induced by freshwater. In conclusion, seawater immersion may aggravate lung injury and enhance inflammatory and oxidative-stress responses after burn. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights

Cell Culture Isolation of Piscine Nodavirus (Betanodavirus) in Fish-Rearing Seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishi, Shinnosuke; Yamashita, Hirofumi; Kawato, Yasuhiko; Nakai, Toshihiro

2016-04-01

Piscine nodavirus (betanodavirus) is the causative agent of viral nervous necrosis (VNN) in a variety of cultured fish species, particularly marine fish. In the present study, we developed a sensitive method for cell culture isolation of the virus from seawater and applied the method to a spontaneous fish-rearing environment. The virus in seawater was concentrated by an iron-based flocculation method and subjected to isolation with E-11 cells. A real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay was used to quantify the virus in water. After spiking into seawater was performed, a betanodavirus strain (red spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus [RGNNV] genotype) was effectively recovered in the E-11 cells at a detection limit of approximately 10(5)copies (equivalent to 10(2)50% tissue culture infective doses [TCID50])/liter seawater. In an experimental infection of juvenile sevenband grouper (Epinephelus septemfasciatus) with the virus, the virus was isolated from the drainage of a fish-rearing tank when the virus level in water was at least approximately 10(5)copies/liter. The application of this method to seven band grouper-rearing floating net pens, where VNN prevailed, resulted in the successful isolation of the virus from seawater. No differences were found in the partial sequences of the coat protein gene (RNA2) between the clinical virus isolates of dead fish and the cell-cultured virus isolates from seawater, and the viruses were identified as RGNNV. The infection experiment showed that the virus isolates from seawater were virulent to seven band grouper. These results showed direct evidence of the horizontal transmission of betanodavirus via rearing water in marine aquaculture. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Shuyuan; Lin, Kunning; Yuan, Dongxing; Gao, Yaqin; Sun, Lumin

2016-12-15

Samples of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in the post-desulfurized seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant together with samples of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) over the post-desulfurized seawater surface were collected and analyzed to study the mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air. Experimental results showed that when DGM in the seawater was converted to GEM in the air, the δ 202 Hg and Δ 199 Hg values were changed, ranging from -2.98 to -0.04‰ and from -0.31 to 0.64‰, respectively. Aeration played a key role in accelerating the transformation of DGM to GEM, and resulted in light mercury isotopes being more likely to be enriched in the GEM. The ratio Δ 199 Hg/Δ 201 Hg was 1.626 in all samples, suggesting that mercury mass independent fractionation occurred owing to the nuclear volume effect during the transformation. In addition, mass independent fractionation of mercury even isotopes was found in the GEM above the post-desulfurized seawater surface in the aeration pool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of electrode settings on chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Guoo-Shyng Wang; Hsia, Chih-Wei; Hsu, Shun-Yao

2015-12-01

Electrolyzed water has significant disinfection effects, can comply with food safety regulations, and is environmental friendly. We investigated the effects of immersion depth of electrodes, stirring, electrode size, and electrode gap on the properties and chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater and its storage stability. Results indicated that temperature and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the seawater increased gradually, whereas electrical conductivity decreased steadily in electrolysis. During the electrolysis process, pH values and electric currents also decreased slightly within small ranges. Additional stirring or immersing the electrodes deep under the seawater significantly increased current density without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Decreasing electrode size or increasing electrode gap decreased chlorine production and electric current of the process without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Less than 35% of chlorine in the electrolyzed seawater was lost in a 3-week storage period. The decrement trend leveled off after the 1 st week of storage. The electrolyzing system is a convenient and economical method for producing high-chlorine seawater, which will have high potential applications in agriculture, aquaculture, or food processing. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effects of electrode settings on chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoo-Shyng Wang Hsu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Electrolyzed water has significant disinfection effects, can comply with food safety regulations, and is environmental friendly. We investigated the effects of immersion depth of electrodes, stirring, electrode size, and electrode gap on the properties and chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater and its storage stability. Results indicated that temperature and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP of the seawater increased gradually, whereas electrical conductivity decreased steadily in electrolysis. During the electrolysis process, pH values and electric currents also decreased slightly within small ranges. Additional stirring or immersing the electrodes deep under the seawater significantly increased current density without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Decreasing electrode size or increasing electrode gap decreased chlorine production and electric current of the process without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Less than 35% of chlorine in the electrolyzed seawater was lost in a 3-week storage period. The decrement trend leveled off after the 1st week of storage. The electrolyzing system is a convenient and economical method for producing high-chlorine seawater, which will have high potential applications in agriculture, aquaculture, or food processing.

Online preconcentration ICP-MS analysis of rare earth elements in seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Hathorne, Ed C.; Haley, Brian; Stichel, Torben; Grasse, Patricia; Zieringer, Moritz; Frank, Martin

2012-01-01

The rare earth elements (REEs) with their systematically varying properties are powerful tracers of continental inputs, particle scavenging intensity and the oxidation state of seawater. However, their generally low (˜pmol/kg) concentrations in seawater and fractionation potential during chemical treatment makes them difficult to measure. Here we report a technique using an automated preconcentration system, which efficiently separates seawater matrix elements and elutes the preconcentrated sample directly into the spray chamber of an ICP-MS instrument. The commercially available "seaFAST" system (Elemental Scientific Inc.) makes use of a resin with ethylenediaminetriacetic acid and iminodiacetic acid functional groups to preconcentrate REEs and other metals while anions and alkali and alkaline earth cations are washed out. Repeated measurements of seawater from 2000 m water depth in the Southern Ocean allows the external precision (2σ) of the technique to be estimated at mine water reference materials diluted with a NaCl matrix with recommended values in the literature. This makes the online preconcentration ICP-MS technique advantageous for the minimal sample preparation required and the relatively small sample volume consumed (7 mL) thus enabling large data sets for the REEs in seawater to be rapidly acquired.

Extraction of uranium from seawater: chemical process and plant design feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, M.H.; Frame, J.M.; Dudey, N.D.; Kiel, G.R.; Mesec, V.; Woodfield, F.W.; Binney, S.E.; Jante, M.R.; Anderson, R.C.; Clark, G.T.

1979-02-01

A major assessment was made of the uranium resources in seawater. Several concepts for moving seawater to recover the uranium were investigated, including pumping the seawater and using natural ocean currents or tides directly. The optimal site chosen was on the southeastern Puerto Rico coast, with the south U.S. Atlantic coast as an alternate. The various processes for extracting uranium from seawater were reviewed, with the adsorption process being the most promising at the present time. Of the possible adsorbents, hydrous titanium oxide was found to have the best properties. A uranium extraction plant was conceptually designed. Of the possible methods for contacting the seawater with the adsorbent, a continuous fluidized bed concept was chosen as most practical for a pumped system. A plant recovering 500 tonnes of U 3 O 8 per year requires 5900 cubic meters per second of seawater to be pumped through the adsorbent beds for a 70% overall recovery efficiency. Total cost of the plant was estimated to be about $6.2 billion. A computer model for the process was used for parametric sensitivity studies and economic projections. Several design case variations were developed. Other topics addressed were the impact of co-product recovery, environmental considerations, etc

Extraction of uranium from seawater: chemical process and plant design feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campbell, M.H.; Frame, J.M.; Dudey, N.D.; Kiel, G.R.; Mesec, V.; Woodfield, F.W.; Binney, S.E.; Jante, M.R.; Anderson, R.C.; Clark, G.T.

1979-02-01

A major assessment was made of the uranium resources in seawater. Several concepts for moving seawater to recover the uranium were investigated, including pumping the seawater and using natural ocean currents or tides directly. The optimal site chosen was on the southeastern Puerto Rico coast, with the south U.S. Atlantic coast as an alternate. The various processes for extracting uranium from seawater were reviewed, with the adsorption process being the most promising at the present time. Of the possible adsorbents, hydrous titanium oxide was found to have the best properties. A uranium extraction plant was conceptually designed. Of the possible methods for contacting the seawater with the adsorbent, a continuous fluidized bed concept was chosen as most practical for a pumped system. A plant recovering 500 tonnes of U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ per year requires 5900 cubic meters per second of seawater to be pumped through the adsorbent beds for a 70% overall recovery efficiency. Total cost of the plant was estimated to be about $6.2 billion. A computer model for the process was used for parametric sensitivity studies and economic projections. Several design case variations were developed. Other topics addressed were the impact of co-product recovery, environmental considerations, etc.

Anion-exchange enrichment and spectrophotometric determination of uranium in sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuroda, Rokuro; Oguma, Koichi; Mukai, Noriko; Iwamoto, Masatoshi

1987-01-01

A method is proposed for the determination of uranium in sea-water. The uranium is strongly sorbed on a strongly basic anion-exchange resin (Cl - form) from acidified sea-water containing sodium azide (0.3M) and is easily eluted with 1M hydrochloric acid. Uranium in the effluent can be determined spectrophotometrically with Arsenazo III. The combined method allows easy and selective determination of uranium in sea-water without using a sophisticated adsorbent. The overall recovery and precision are satisfactory at the 3 μg/1. level. (author)

The nuclear energy in the seawater desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno A, J.; Flores E, R.M.

2004-01-01

In general, the hydric resources of diverse regions of the world are insufficient for to satisfy the necessities of their inhabitants. Among the different technologies that are applied for the desalination of seawater are the distillation processes, the use of membranes and in particular recently in development the use of the nuclear energy (Nuclear Desalination; System to produce drinkable water starting from seawater in a complex integrated in that as much the nuclear reactor as the desalination system are in a common location, the facilities and pertinent services are shared, and the nuclear reactor produces the energy that is used for the desalination process). (Author)

Seawater Immersion of GEM II Propellant

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Merrill, Calude

1999-01-01

... (% AP lost/week aged in seawater) and intercepts that depend on sample size. Friction and impact data on dried aged propellant samples showed no increased burning hazard compared with propellant not exposed to water...

Investigation of adsorbers for the extracting of uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witte, E.G.; Astheimer, L.; Schenk, H.J.; Schwochau, K.

1979-01-01

Organic ion exchangers have been tested with respect to their efficiency uranium from seawater. A complexing polymer resin which combines fast uptake of uranium with high selectivity is found to be able to accumulate uranium from natural seawater by a factor of 2.6 x 10 5 . (orig.) 891 HK/orig. 892 MKO [de

Process for enriching uranium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heitkamp, D.; Inden, P.

1982-01-01

In selective elutriation of uranium deposited on titanium oxide hydrate by carbonate solution, only uranium should be dissolved from the absorption material forming carbonate compounds, without the deposited ballast ions, above all of magnesium, calcium and sodium being elutriated. The uranium elutriation according to the invention is therefore carried out in the presence of these ballast ions in the same concentrations as those in seawater. The carbonate concentration can only be raised as far as the solubility product of the basic magnesium carbonate permits, so that magnesium remains in the solution, as well as carbonate, in the concentration present in seawater. One must accept the absence of calcium ions in the elutriation solution, as their solubility product with carbonate is considerably less than that for magnesium. (orig./PW) [de

A solvent extraction technique for the isotopic measurement of dissolved copper in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Claire M., E-mail: claire.thompson@anu.edu.au; Ellwood, Michael J., E-mail: michael.ellwood@anu.edu.au; Wille, Martin, E-mail: martin.wille@uni-tuebingen.de

2013-05-02

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •A new sample preparation method for seawater copper isotopic analysis (δ{sup 65}Cu). •Solvent-extraction was used to pre-concentrate metals from seawater samples. •Anion-exchange was used to purify copper from the metal-rich extract. •δ{sup 65}Cu was measured in the north Tasman Sea. •Seawater δ{sup 65}Cu may be linked to marine biological activity. -- Abstract: Stable copper (Cu) isotope geochemistry provides a new perspective for investigating and understanding Cu speciation and biogeochemical Cu cycling in seawater. In this work, sample preparation for isotopic analysis employed solvent-extraction with amino pyrollidine dithiocarbamate/diethyl dithiocarbamate (APDC/DDC), coupled with a nitric acid back-extraction, to concentrate Cu from seawater. This was followed by Cu-purification using anion-exchange. This straightforward technique is high yielding and fractionation free for Cu and allows precise measurement of the seawater Cu isotopic composition using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. A deep-sea profile measured in the oligotrophic north Tasman Sea shows fractionation in the Cu isotopic signature in the photic zone but is relatively homogenised at depth. A minima in the Cu isotopic profile correlates with the chlorophyll a maximum at the site. These results indicate that a range of processes are likely to fractionate stable Cu isotopes in seawater.

Predicting and measurement of pH of seawater reverse osmosis concentrates

KAUST Repository

Waly, Tarek; Kennedy, Maria Dolores; Witkamp, Geert-Jan; Amy, Gary L.; Schippers, Jan Cornelis

2011-01-01

The pH of seawater reverse osmosis plants (SWRO) is the most influential parameter in determining the degree of supersaturation of CaCO3 in the concentrate stream. For this, the results of pH measurements of the concentrate of a seawater reverse

Caldera unrest detected with seawater temperature anomalies at Deception Island, Antarctic Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Berrocoso, M.; Prates, G.; Fernández-Ros, A.; Peci, L. M.; de Gil, A.; Rosado, B.; Páez, R.; Jigena, B.

2018-04-01

Increased thermal activity was detected to coincide with the onset of volcano inflation in the seawater-filled caldera at Deception Island. This thermal activity was manifested in pulses of high water temperature that coincided with ocean tide cycles. The seawater temperature anomalies were detected by a thermometric sensor attached to the tide gauge (bottom pressure sensor). This was installed where the seawater circulation and the locations of known thermal anomalies, fumaroles and thermal springs, together favor the detection of water warmed within the caldera. Detection of the increased thermal activity was also possible because sea ice, which covers the entire caldera during the austral winter months, insulates the water and thus reduces temperature exchange between seawater and atmosphere. In these conditions, the water temperature data has been shown to provide significant information about Deception volcano activity. The detected seawater temperature increase, also observed in soil temperature readings, suggests rapid and near-simultaneous increase in geothermal activity with onset of caldera inflation and an increased number of seismic events observed in the following austral summer.

Numerical modeling of seawater intrusion in Zhoushuizi district of Dalian City, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, J.; Lin, J.; Wu, J.

2013-12-01

A three-dimensional heterogeneous density-dependent numerical model was constructed to simulate the seawater intrusion process in coastal aquifers in Zhoushuizi Region, Dalian City. Model calibration was achieved through a prediction-correction method by adjusting the zonation and values of hydrogeologic parameters until the calculated heads and concentrations matched the observed values. Model validation results also showed that it was reasonable under current data conditions. Then the calibrated and validated model was applied to predict the dynamics and trend of seawater intrusion according to the current groundwater abstraction conditions in this study area 30 years after 2010. Prediction results showed that overall seawater intrusion in the future would be even more severe. Actually, with the growing of the population and development of the economy, the demand for ground water will be increasing continuously so that the problem of seawater intrusion may be more serious than that predicted by the modelin this study. Better strategies for reasonably governing exploitation of groundwater in the study area can be further developed by using this three-dimensional seawater intrusion model.

The adsorber loop concept for the contact between seawater and adsorber granulate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koske, P.H.; Ohlrogge, K.

1984-01-01

For the production of 1 kg uranium from seawater about 10 9 kg seawater - depending on the extraction efficiency - have to be processed in a production plant. Such high seawater flows have to be put through adsorber beds the area of which depends on the flow velocity of the water in the bed. For a typical polyamidoxim (PAO) adsorber granulate with a grain size distribution of 0.3 to 1.2 mm the velocity in a fluidized bed is limited to about 1 cm/s in order to prevent carry out of the adsorber material. The consequences of this rather low bed velocity are large and expensive bed areas for technical production plants. The present paper deals with the so-called ''adsorber loop concept'' in which the adsorber granulate is carried along with the seawater to be processed in a loop-like configuration and is separated again from the water before this is leaving the adsorption unit. This concept enables considerably higher seawater velocities thus reducing the bed area. Theoretical considerations are presented together with experimental results from field tests. (author)

Experimental study of composition and influence factors on fouling of stainless steel and copper in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Dazhang; Liu, Jianhua; E, Xiaoxue; Jiang, Linlin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An increase of seawater temperature deteriorates the fouling and corrosion. • The main compositions of crystals are Mg(OH) 2 , Al(OH) 3 and their complex compounds. • The images of the seawater fouling on stainless steel and copper were shown in the paper. • A higher heat flux and A higher Reynolds number are prone to crystallization fouling accumulation in seawater. - Abstract: Metals and alloys are easily fouled in marine environment. It is a big problem for heat exchangers using cooling seawater in power plants or ships. In the paper, a seawater-fouling dynamic test device was built to investigate the composition and influence factors on fouling of stainless steel and copper in the cooling seawater system. Moreover, the static trials were performed to study the fouling and corrosion of stainless steel and copper in marine environment. The experimental results show that the seawater fouling of stainless steel is crystallization fouling, and the main elements of fouling are magnesium and aluminum. In addition, the results show that the seawater fouling of copper is corrosion fouling. In the dynamic experiments, the effects of heat flux and Reynolds number on stainless steel fouling were studied. The results show that higher heat flux and higher Reynolds number of seawater lead to the accumulation of seawater fouling.

Investigation on the effect of seawater to hydraulic property and wetting process of bentonite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Takuma

2004-01-01

On high-level waste disposal, bentonite is one of the most promising material for buffer and backfill material. The hydraulic properties and wetting process of bentonite are important not only for barrier performance assessment but also for prediction of waste disposal environment, such as resaturation time and thermal distribution. In Japan, we should consider the effect of seawater for bentonite, because radioactive waste will be disposed of in coastal area and in marine sediment where seawater remained. However, it is not enough to understand the effect of seawater. Therefore, experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of seawater on the hydraulic conductivity and wetting process of bentonite. The effect of seawater on hydraulic conductivity is significant for Na-bentonite, the hydraulic conductivity of Na-bentonite in seawater is one order to magnitude higher than that in distilled water. On the other hand, the hydraulic conductivity of Ca-bentonite is not influenced by seawater. The hydraulic conductivity of bentonite decreases as effective montmorillonite density increases. The effective montmorillonite density is ratio between the weight of montmorillonite and volume of porosity and montmorillonite. The hydraulic conductivity of bentonite is close related to swelling property since the hydraulic conductivity decrease as the swelling pressure increase. Wetting process of compacted bentonite could be evaluated by diffusion phenomena since infiltration rate and change of saturation rate and represented by diffusion equation. The effect of seawater on water diffusivity is significant for Na-type bentonite with low effective montmorillonite density. Except for that condition, the water diffusivity of bentonite is almost constant and is not influenced by effective montmorillonite density and seawater. (author)

Investigations into the Reusability of Amidoxime-Based Polymeric Adsorbents for Seawater Uranium Extraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuo, Li-Jung [Marine; Pan, Horng-Bin [Department; Wai, Chien M. [Department; Byers, Margaret F. [Nuclear; Schneider, Erich [Nuclear; Strivens, Jonathan E. [Marine; Janke, Christopher J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States; Das, Sadananda [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States; Mayes, Richard T. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States; Wood, Jordana R. [Marine; Schlafer, Nicholas [Marine; Gill, Gary A. [Marine

2017-09-29

The ability to re-use amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents is a critical component in reducing the overall cost of the technology to extract uranium from seawater. This report describes an evaluation of adsorbent reusability in multiple re-use (adsorption/stripping) cycles in real seawater exposures with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) elution using several amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents. The KHCO3 elution technique achieved ~100% recovery of uranium adsorption capacity in the first re-use. Subsequent re-uses showed significant drops in adsorption capacity. After the 4th re-use with the ORNL AI8 adsorbent, the 56-day adsorption capacity dropped to 28% of its original capacity. FTIR spectra revealed that there was a conversion of the amidoxime ligands to carboxylate groups during extended seawater exposure, becoming more significant with longer the exposure time. Ca and Mg adsorption capacities also increased with each re-use cycle supporting the hypothesis that long term exposure resulted in converting amidoxime to carboxylate, enhancing the adsorption of Ca and Mg. Shorter seawater exposure (adsorption/stripping) cycles (28 vs. 42 days) had higher adsorption capacities after re-use, but the shorter exposure cycle time did not produce an overall better performance in terms of cumulative exposure time. Recovery of uranium capacity in re-uses may also vary across different adsorbent formulations. Through multiple re-use the adsorbent AI8 can harvest 10 g uranium/kg adsorbent in ~140 days, using a 28-day adsorption/stripping cycle, a performance much better than would be achieved with a single use of the adsorbent through very long-term exposure (saturation capacity = 7.4 g U/kg adsorbent). A time dependent seawater exposure model to evaluate the cost associated with reusing amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater exposures was developed. The cost to extract uranium from seawater ranged from $610-830/kg U was predicted. Model simulation suggests that a short

Radiochemical determination of cesium-137 in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunha, I.I.L.; Munita, C.S.; Paiva, R.P.

1990-01-01

Seawater samples were collected from the Atlantic Ocean, in the vicinity of Ubatuba (Sao Paulo State - Brazil), acidified to pH 1 and stored in polyethylene containers. Cesium was precipitated with ammonium phospho molybdate (AMP), synthesized in our laboratory. The elements potassium and rubidium present in the seawater are also coprecipitated by AMP and adequate decontamination of the cesium is made by preparing a column by mixing Cs-137 AMP precipitate and asbestos. The interfering elements were eluted with 1.0 M ammonium nitrate solution whereas cesium was eluted with 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution. Cesium was reprecipitated by acidifying the solution with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The overall chemical yield of cesium was of 75%. (author)

A Simulation-Optimization Model for Seawater Intrusion Management at Pingtung Coastal Area, Taiwan

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Po-Syun Huang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The coastal regions of Pingtung Plain in southern Taiwan rely on groundwater as their main source of fresh water for aquaculture, agriculture, domestic, and industrial sectors. The availability of fresh groundwater is threatened by unsustainable groundwater extraction and the over-pumpage leads to the serious problem of seawater intrusion. It is desired to find appropriate management strategies to control groundwater salinity and mitigate seawater intrusion. In this study, a simulation–optimization model has been presented to solve the problem of seawater intrusion along the coastal aquifers in Pingtung Plain and the objective is using injection well barriers and minimizing the total injection rate based on the pre-determined locations of injection barriers. The SEAWAT code is used to simulate the process of seawater intrusion and the surrogate model of artificial neural networks (ANNs is used to approximate the seawater intrusion (SWI numerical model to increase the computational efficiency during the optimization process. The heuristic optimization scheme of differential evolution (DE algorithm is selected to identify the global optimal management solution. Two different management scenarios, one is the injection barriers located along the coast and the other is the injection barrier located at the inland, are considered and the optimized results show that the deployment of injection barriers at the inland is more effective to reduce total dissolved solids (TDS concentrations and mitigate seawater intrusion than that along the coast. The computational time can be reduced by more than 98% when using ANNs to replace the numerical model and the DE algorithm has been confirmed as a robust optimization scheme to solve groundwater management problems. The proposed framework can identify the most reliable management strategies and provide a reference tool for decision making with regard to seawater intrusion remediation.

Seawater desalination with solar-energy-integrated vacuum membrane distillation system

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Fang Wang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This study designed and tested a novel type of solar-energy-integrated vacuum membrane distillation (VMD system for seawater desalination under actual environmental conditions in Wuhan, China. The system consists of eight parts: a seawater tank, solar collector, solar cooker, inclined VMD evaporator, circulating water vacuum pump, heat exchanger, fresh water tank, and brine tank. Natural seawater was used as feed and a hydrophobic hollow-fiber membrane module was used to improve seawater desalination. The experiment was conducted during a typical summer day. Results showed that when the highest ambient temperature was 33 °C, the maximum value of the average solar intensity was 1,080 W/m2. The system was able to generate 36 kg (per m2 membrane module distilled fresh water during 1 day (7:00 am until 6:00 pm, the retention rate was between 99.67 and 99.987%, and electrical conductivity was between 0.00276 and 0.0673 mS/cm. The average salt rejection was over 90%. The proposed VMD system shows favorable potential application in desalination of brackish waters or high-salt wastewater treatment, as well.

Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of estuarial seawater and river water of Bailanghe in Laizhou Bay, China

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qiaofeng; Xu, Suning; Wang, Ruijiu; Li, Wenpeng; Wang, Zhiyi; Mei, Junjun; Ding, Zhilei; Yang, Peijie; Yu, Liangju; Lv, Tieying; Bai, Gang; Kang, Wei

2016-04-01

In the study of seawater intrusion, seawater is usually taken as an end-member that mixes with other source(s). However, compared to standard seawater, the coastal seawater particularly that near the estuary, can be strongly influenced by the rivers into the sea and by coastal human activities. Their composition can be thus continuously changed and redistributed with space and time. Therefore, before investigating seawater intrusion in a certain area, it is essentially important to determine the features of the estuarine seawater (e.g. the mixture percentage between standard seawater and river water). In this study, we aimed to gain a clear situation of the seawater intrusion in Laizhou Bay, Southern Bohai, China. The issue aforementioned was investigated by comparing the stable isotopic and hydrochemical composition of the marine and river water collected in this area. Samples investigated include 5 surface water samples collected at the downstream of the Bailanghe and 7 seawater samples near the estuary of Laizhou Bay. Inert tracers (δD, δ18O, Cl, Br) and reaction tracers (Na, Mg, SO4, HCO3, Ca, NO3) are particularly analyzed. The major results are as follows: 1) All the river water samples fall below the Global Meteoric Water Line in the δD - δ18O diagram, reflecting evaporation of the upstream reservoir water. The seawater samples fall on the mixing line of standard seawater and the river water in the stable isotopic diagram. 2) The Cl-δ18O diagram indicates widespread dissolution of evaporate into the river, while high concentration of Ca and HCO3-, as well as the SO42- - Cl relation of the river water samples reflect the dissolution of CO2 , carbonate and sulfate in the atmosphere and on the ground. 3) The Br/Cl ratios of seawater samples are closed to the marine ratios. This together with the plots of major ions vs. Cl suggest that the seawater samples are originated from the mixture of standard seawater and river water. Therefore, when referring to the

Faraday's Law and Seawater Motion

Science.gov (United States)

De Luca, R.

2010-01-01

Using Faraday's law, one can illustrate how an electromotive force generator, directly utilizing seawater motion, works. The conceptual device proposed is rather simple in its components and can be built in any high school or college laboratory. The description of the way in which the device generates an electromotive force can be instructive not…

Variable response of three Trifolium repens ecotypes to soil flooding by seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Anissia C; Colmer, Timothy D; Cawthray, Greg R; Hanley, Mick E

2014-08-01

Despite concerns about the impact of rising sea levels and storm surge events on coastal ecosystems, there is remarkably little information on the response of terrestrial coastal plant species to seawater inundation. The aim of this study was to elucidate responses of a glycophyte (white clover, Trifolium repens) to short-duration soil flooding by seawater and recovery following leaching of salts. Using plants cultivated from parent ecotypes collected from a natural soil salinity gradient, the impact of short-duration seawater soil flooding (8 or 24 h) on short-term changes in leaf salt ion and organic solute concentrations was examined, together with longer term impacts on plant growth (stolon elongation) and flowering. There was substantial Cl(-) and Na(+) accumulation in leaves, especially for plants subjected to 24 h soil flooding with seawater, but no consistent variation linked to parent plant provenance. Proline and sucrose concentrations also increased in plants following seawater flooding of the soil. Plant growth and flowering were reduced by longer soil immersion times (seawater flooding followed by drainage and freshwater inputs), but plants originating from more saline soil responded less negatively than those from lower salinity soil. The accumulation of proline and sucrose indicates a potential for solute accumulation as a response to the osmotic imbalance caused by salt ions, while variation in growth and flowering responses between ecotypes points to a natural adaptive capacity for tolerance of short-duration seawater soil flooding in T. repens. Consequently, it is suggested that selection for tolerant ecotypes is possible should the predicted increase in frequency of storm surge flooding events occur. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aerobic methanotrophic communities at the Red Sea brine-seawater interface

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Rehab Z. Abdallah

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The central rift of the Red Sea contains 25 brine pools with different physicochemical conditions, dictating the diversity and abundance of the microbial community. Three of these pools, the Atlantis II, Kebrit and Discovery Deeps, are uniquely characterized by a high concentration of hydrocarbons. The brine-seawater interface, described as an anoxic-oxic (brine-seawater boundary, is characterized by a high methane concentration, thus favoring aerobic methane oxidation. The current study analyzed the aerobic free–living methane-oxidizing bacterial communities that potentially contribute to methane oxidation at the brine-seawater interfaces of the three aforementioned brine pools, using metagenomic pyrosequencing, 16S rRNA pyrotags and pmoA library constructs. The sequencing of 16S rRNA pyrotags revealed that these interfaces are characterized by high microbial community diversity. Signatures of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria were detected in the Atlantis II Interface (ATII-I and the Kebrit Deep Upper (KB-U and Lower (KB-L brine-seawater interfaces. Through phylogenetic analysis of pmoA, we further demonstrated that the ATII-I aerobic methanotroph community is highly diverse. We propose four ATII-I pmoA clusters. Most importantly, cluster 2 groups with marine methane seep methanotrophs, and cluster 4 represent a unique lineage of an uncultured bacterium with divergent alkane monooxygenases. Moreover, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS based on the ordination of putative enzymes involved in methane metabolism showed that the Kebrit interface layers were distinct from the ATII-I and DD-I brine-seawater interfaces.

Substrate use of Pseudovibrio sp. growing in ultra-oligotrophic seawater.

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Anne Schwedt

Full Text Available Marine planktonic bacteria often live in habitats with extremely low concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM. To study the use of trace amounts of DOM by the facultatively oligotrophic Pseudovibrio sp. FO-BEG1, we investigated the composition of artificial and natural seawater before and after growth. We determined the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, total dissolved nitrogen (TDN, free and hydrolysable amino acids, and the molecular composition of DOM by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS. The DOC concentration of the artificial seawater we used for cultivation was 4.4 μmol C L(-1, which was eight times lower compared to the natural oligotrophic seawater we used for parallel experiments (36 μmol C L(-1. During the three-week duration of the experiment, cell numbers increased from 40 cells mL(-1 to 2x10(4 cells mL(-1 in artificial and to 3x10(5 cells mL(-1 in natural seawater. No nitrogen fixation and minor CO2 fixation (< 1% of cellular carbon was observed. Our data show that in both media, amino acids were not the main substrate for growth. Instead, FT-ICR-MS analysis revealed usage of a variety of different dissolved organic molecules, belonging to a wide range of chemical compound groups, also containing nitrogen. The present study shows that marine heterotrophic bacteria are able to proliferate with even lower DOC concentrations than available in natural ultra-oligotrophic seawater, using unexpected organic compounds to fuel their energy, carbon and nitrogen requirements.

Conceptual model: possible changes of the seawater uranium isotopic composition through time

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nowitzki, Hannah; Frank, Norbert; Fohlmeister, Jens [Universitaet Heidelberg (Germany)

2015-07-01

U behaves in seawater like a conservative element. More than 99% of the oceanic U content is {sup 238}U, whereas {sup 234}U is only present in trace amounts. As the residence time of U is significantly longer than the mixing time of the ocean, the ocean is well mixed with respect to U and its isotopic composition (Dunk 2002). Moreover, living corals incorporate U without isotopic fractionation. Therefore, the past seawater isotopic evolution of ({sup 234}U/{sup 238}U) can be accessed via U/Th age-dating of corals and the subsequent calculation of the initial ({sup 234}U/{sup 238}U) value. The isotopic ({sup 234}U/{sup 238}U) composition of seawater during the last 360 ka scatters around the modern seawater value (δ{sup 234}U ∼ (145±15) %, Henderson 2002). As these variations in the δ{sup 234}U value are rather small, a 'constant seawater isotopic composition hypothesis' is often used to validate U/Th ages of fossil corals. However, some authors find that the variability of the isotopic composition exceeds the expected range and suggest that it provides valuable information on variations in continental weathering and global run-off fluctuations or sea-level changes. This work will attempt to compare literature data of the seawater U isotopic composition to the results of a conceptual box-model of the oceanic U budget.

Studies on rare earth elements in seawater and uptake by marine organisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, H.; Koyanagi, T.; Saiki, M.

1975-01-01

The contents of rare earth elements in marine environmental samples were determined by neutron activation analysis to examine the existing state in coastal seawater and the concentration by marine organisms of the elements. Seawater was filtered through a Millipore filter GS (pore size 0.22 μm), before the analysis. Some of the seawater was treated with HC1 solution before filtration and some after filtration. Certain marine organisms were also analysed for determination of rare earth elements. These were: flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus); yellowtails (Seriola quinqueradiata); immature anchovy (Engraulis japonica); clams (Meretrix lusoria); green algae (Ulva pertusa); brown algae (Hizikia fusiforme, Sargassum fulvellum, Undaria pinnatifida). In the seawater without HC1 treatment before filtration, considerable amounts of the elements existed in residue on the filter, whereas in the seawater treated with HC1 before filtration, the greater part remained in the dissolved state. Concentration factors calculated from the contents of stable elements, therefore, are affected remarkably by the existing state of the elements in seawater. If only the dissolved state is assumed available for marine organisms, values one order higher are attained compared with the case where total amounts of the elements were used for the calculation. However, the contribution of the insoluble state seems to be not negligible with some organisms. The higher concentration factors for immature anchovy and clams observed in this study were considered to be caused by surface adsorption of elements in particulate form and also ingested sediment with high element concentration. (author)

Degradation of basalt fibre and glass fibre/epoxy resin composites in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Bin; Cao Hailin; Song Shenhua

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → BFRP degradation process in seawater environment was first investigated. → The mass gain change includes two effects: absorption and extraction. → The interfacial adhesion of BFRP is bigger than GFRP. → After treated, the bending strength of BFRP is lower than GFRP. → Reducing the Fe 2+ in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability of BFRP. - Abstract: Epoxy resins reinforced, respectively, by basalt fibres and glass fibres were treated with a seawater solution for different periods of time. Both the mass gain ratio and the strength maintenance ratio of the composites were examined after the treatment. The fracture surfaces were characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The tensile and bending strengths of the seawater treated samples showed a decreasing trend with treating time. In general, the anti-seawater corrosion property of the basalt fibre reinforced composites was almost the same as that of the glass fibre reinforced ones. Based on the experimental results, possible corrosion mechanisms were explored, indicating that an effective lowering of the Fe 2+ content in the basalt fibre could lead to a higher stability for the basalt fibre reinforced composites in a seawater environment.

Novel extractants with high selectivity for valuable metals in seawater. Calixarene derivatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kakoi, Takahiko; Goto, Masahiro

1997-01-01

Seawater contains various valuable metals such as uranium and lithium. Therefore, attempts are being made to develop highly selective extractants which recognize target metal ions in reclaimed seawater. In this review, we have focused our study on the application of novel cyclic compound calixarene based extractants. A novel host compound calixarene, which is a cyclic compound connecting some phenol rings, is capable of forming several different extractant ring sizes and introducing various kinds of functional groups towards targeting of metal ions in seawater. Therefore, calixarene derivatives are capable of extracting valuable metals such as uranium, alkaline metals, heavy metals, rare earth metals and noble metals selectively by varying structural ring size and functional groups. The novel host compound calixarene has given promising results which line it up as a potential extractant for the separation of valuable metal ions in seawater. (author)

Concentration of 99Tc in seawater by coprecipitation with iron hydroxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Momoshima, Noriyuki; Eto, Ichiro; Muhammad Sayad; Takashima, Yoshimasa

1991-01-01

A method for accumulation of 99 Tc in seawater has been developed. Technetium tracer in +VII oxidation state was added to the seawater together with reducing agent, potassium pyrosulfite, and coprecipitation agent, ferric chloride. After reduction of Tc(VII) at pH 4, Tc(IV) was coprecipitated as iron hydroxide by addition of sodium hydroxide to pH 9. The reduction and coprecipitation was quantitative and overall recovery of Tc was more than 98%. The green color of iron precipitate formed at pH 9 suggested that Tc(VII) as well as ferric ion was reduced under this condition. Adsorption of Tc(IV), however, was poor for iron hydroxide which was prepared in advance indicating active surface of freshly precipitated iron hydroxide is necessary for quantitative recovery of Tc(IV). A repeating coprecipitation technique was examined for enrichment of Tc in seawater that the same iron was used repeatedly as coprecipitater. After separation of iron hydroxide with Tc(IV) from supernatant, the precipitate was dissolved by addition of acid and then new seawater which contained reducing agent and Tc(VII) was added. Reduction and coprecipitation was again carried out. Good recovery was attained for 7 repeats. The proposed repeating coprecipitation technique was applicable to a large amount of seawater without increasing the amount of iron hydroxide which is subjected to radiochemical analysis. (author)

Anthropogenic 236U in Danish Seawater: Global Fallout versus Reprocessing Discharge.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Jixin; Steier, Peter; Nielsen, Sven; Hou, Xiaolin; Roos, Per; Golser, Robin

2017-06-20

This work focuses on the occurrence of 236 U in seawater along Danish coasts, which is the sole water-exchange region between the North Sea-Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Seawater collected in 2013 and 2014 were analyzed for 236 U (as well as 238 U and 137 Cs). Our results indicate that 236 U concentrations in Danish seawater are distributed within a relatively narrow range of (3.6-8.2) × 10 7 atom/L and, to a certain extent, independent of salinity. 236 U/ 238 U atomic ratios in Danish seawater are more than 4 times higher than the estimated global fallout value of 1× 10 -9 . The levels of 236 U/ 238 U atomic ratios obtained are comparable to those reported for the open North Sea and much higher than several other open oceans worldwide. This indicates that besides the global fallout input, the discharges from the two major European nuclear reprocessing plants are dominating sources of 236 U in Danish seawater. However, unexpectedly high 236 U/ 238 U ratios as well as high 236 U concentrations were observed at low-salinity locations of the Baltic Sea. While this feature might be interpreted as a clue for another significant 236 U input in the Baltic Sea, it may also be caused by the complexity of water currents or slow turnover rate.

Cardiorespiratory upregulation during seawater acclimation in rainbow trout: effects on gastrointestinal perfusion and postprandial responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Brijs, Jeroen; Gräns, Albin; Ekström, Andreas; Olsson, Catharina; Axelsson, Michael; Sandblom, Erik

2016-05-01

Increased gastrointestinal blood flow is essential for euryhaline fishes to maintain osmotic homeostasis during the initial phase of a transition from freshwater to seawater. However, the cardiorespiratory responses and hemodynamic changes required for a successful long-term transition to seawater remain largely unknown. In the present study, we simultaneously measured oxygen consumption rate (ṀO2), cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), and gastrointestinal blood flow (GBF) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to either freshwater or seawater for at least 6 wk. Seawater-acclimated trout displayed significantly elevated ṀO2 (day: 18%, night: 19%), CO (day: 22%, night: 48%), and GBF (day: 96%, night: 147%), demonstrating that an overall cardiorespiratory upregulation occurs during seawater acclimation. The elevated GBF was achieved via a combination of increased CO, mediated through elevated stroke volume (SV), and a redistribution of blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, virtually all of the increase in CO of seawater-acclimated trout was directed to the gastrointestinal tract. Although unfed seawater-acclimated trout displayed substantially elevated cardiorespiratory activity, the ingestion of a meal resulted in a similar specific dynamic action (SDA) and postprandial GBF response as in freshwater-acclimated fish. This indicates that the capacity for the transportation of absorbed nutrients, gastrointestinal tissue oxygen delivery, and acid-base regulation is maintained during digestion in seawater. The novel findings presented in this study clearly demonstrate that euryhaline fish upregulate cardiovascular function when in seawater, while retaining sufficient capacity for the metabolic and cardiovascular changes associated with the postprandial response. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Seawater desalination using small and medium light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimamura, Kazuo

2000-01-01

Water is an essential substance for sustaining human life. As Japan is an island country, surrounded by the sea and having abundant rainfall, there is no scarcity of water in daily life except during abnormally dry summers or after disasters such as earthquakes. Consequently, there is hardly any demand for seawater desalination plants except on remote islands, Okinawa and a part of Kyushu. However, the IAEA has forecast a scarcity of drinking water in developing countries at the beginning of the 21st century. Further, much more irrigation water will be required every year to prevent cultivated areas from being lost by desertification. If developing countries were to produce such water by seawater desalination using current fossil fuel energy technology, it would cause increased air pollution and global warming. This paper explains the concept of seawater desalination plants using small and medium water reactors (hereinafter called 'nuclear desalination'), as well as important matters regarding the export nuclear desalination plants to developing countries. (author)

Different Planctomycetes diversity patterns in latitudinal surface seawater of the open sea and in sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Qinglong; Jiao, Nianzhi

2008-04-01

The 16S rRNA gene approach was applied to investigate the diversity of Planctomycetes in latitudinal surface seawater of the Western Pacific Ocean. The results revealed that the Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula clade dominated the Planctomycetes community at all surface seawater sites while the minority genera Gemmata and Planctomyces were only found at sites H5 and H2 respectively. Although the clone frequency of the PRB clade seemed stable (between 83.3% and 94.1%) for all surface seawater sites, the retrieved Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula clade presented unexpected diversity. Interestingly, low latitude seawater appeared to have higher diversity than mid-latitudes. integral-LIBSHUFF software analysis revealed significantly different diversity patterns between in latitudinal surface seawater and in the sediment of South China Sea station M2896. Our data suggested that different hydrological and geographic features contributed to the shift of Planctomycetes diversity in marine environments. This is, to our knowledge, the first systematic assessment of Planctomycetes in latitudinal surface seawater of the open sea and the first comparison of diversity pattern between surface seawater and sediments and has broadened our understanding of Planctomycetes diversity in marine environments.

New Technologies for Seawater Desalination Using Nuclear Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-01-01

As seawater desalination technologies are rapidly evolving and more States are opting for dual purpose integrated power plants (i.e. cogeneration), the need for advanced technologies suitable for coupling to nuclear power plants and leading to more efficient and economic nuclear desalination systems is obvious. The Coordinated Research Programme (CRP) New Technologies for Seawater Desalination using Nuclear Energy was organized in the framework of the Technical Working Group on Nuclear Desalination (TWG-ND). The TWGND was established in 2008 with the purpose of advising the IAEA Deputy Director General and promoting the exchange of technical information on national programmes in the field of seawater desalination using nuclear energy. This CRP project was conducted within the Nuclear Power Technology Development Section of the IAEA. It was launched in 2009 and completed by 2011, with research proposals received from nine Member States: Algeria, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The project aimed to review innovative technologies for seawater desalination which could be coupled to main types of existing nuclear power plant. Such coupling is expected to help making nuclear desalination safer and more economical, and hence more attractive for newcomer States interested in nuclear desalination. The project also aimed to collect ideas and suggestions necessary to update the IAEA desalination economic evaluation program (DEEP) software to become more robust and versatile. The specific objectives of the project were the introduction of innovative technologies and their economic viability, which could help make nuclear desalination a globally viable option for the safe and sustainable production of fresh water. The technologies under scrutiny in this CRP involve the low temperature horizontal tube multi-effect distillation, heat recovery systems using heat pipe based heat exchangers

Analytical approximations to seawater optical phase functions of scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Haltrin, Vladimir I.

2004-11-01

This paper proposes a number of analytical approximations to the classic and recently measured seawater light scattering phase functions. The three types of analytical phase functions are derived: individual representations for 15 Petzold, 41 Mankovsky, and 91 Gulf of Mexico phase functions; collective fits to Petzold phase functions; and analytical representations that take into account dependencies between inherent optical properties of seawater. The proposed phase functions may be used for problems of radiative transfer, remote sensing, visibility and image propagation in natural waters of various turbidity.

Seawater desalination plant using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2000-01-01

A small size plant for seawater desalination using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China. This seawater desalination plant was designed to supply potable water demand to some coastal location or island where both fresh water and energy source are severely lacking. It is also recommended as a demonstration and training facility for seawater desalination using nuclear energy. The design of small size of seawater desalination plant couples two proven technologies: Nuclear Heating Reactor (NHR) and Multi-Effect Destination (MED) process. The NHR design possesses intrinsic and passive safety features, which was demonstrated by the experiences of the project NHR-5. The intermediate circuit and steam circuit were designed as the safety barriers between the NHR reactor and MED desalination system. Within 10～200 MWt of the power range of the heating reactor, the desalination plant could provide 8000 to 150,000 m3/d of high quality potable water. The design concept and parameters, safety features and coupling scheme are presented.

Seawater desalination plant using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Shaorong; Dong Duo; Zhang Dafang; Wang Xiuzhen

2000-01-01

A small size plant for seawater desalination using nuclear heating reactor coupled with MED process was developed by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, China. this seawater desalination plant was designed to supply potable water demand to some coastal location or island where both fresh water and energy source are severely lacking. It is also recommended as a demonstration and training facility for seawater desalination using nuclear energy. The design of small size of seawater desalination plant couples two proven technologies: Nuclear Heating Reactor (NHR) and Multi-Effect Destination (MED) process. The NHR design possesses intrinsic and passive safety features, which was demonstrated by the experiences of the project NHR-5. the intermediate circuit and steam circuit were designed as the safety barriers between the NHR reactor and MED desalination system. Within 10-200 MWt of the power range of the heating reactor, the desalination plant could provide 8000 to 150,000 m 3 /d of high quality potable water. The design concept and parameters, safety features and coupling scheme are presented

Seawater spray injury to Quercus acutissima leaves: crystal deposition, stomatal clogging, and chloroplast degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ki Woo; Koo, Kyosang; Kim, Pan-Gi

2011-05-01

Effects of seawater spray on leaf structure were investigated in Quercus acutissima by electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Two-year-old seedlings of Q. acutissima were sprayed with seawater and kept in a greenhouse maintained at 25°C. The most recognizable symptoms of seawater-sprayed seedlings included leaf necrosis, crystal deposition, stomatal clogging, and chloroplast degeneration. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the leaf surface was covered with additional layers of remnants of seawater spray. Composed of sodium and chloride, cube-shaped crystals (halite) were prevalently found on trichomes and epidermis, and formed aggregates. Meanwhile, wedge-shaped crystals were deposited on epidermis and consisted of calcium and sulfur. As a result of stomatal clogging by crystal deposition on the abaxial surface, it was conceivable that plant respiration became severely hampered. Transmission electron microscopy showed degenerated cytoplasm of seawater-sprayed leaves. It was common to observe severe plasmolysis and disrupted chloroplasts with a reduced number of thylakoids in grana. These results indicate that foliar applications of seawater were sufficient to induce necrosis of Q. acutissima seedlings as an abiotic disturbance factor. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparative decay of Catellicoccus marimmalium and enterococci in beach sand and seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Kendra I; Boehm, Alexandria B

2015-10-15

Most studies characterize microbial source tracking (MST) target performance using sensitivity and specificity metrics. However, it is important to also consider the temporal stability of MST targets in relation to regulated microbial pollutants. Differences among bacterial target stabilities may lead to erroneous conclusions about sources of contamination. The present study evaluates the relative stability of MST targets and fecal indicator organisms using the gull/pigeon-associated Catellicoccus marimammalium (CAT) marker and enterococci (ENT). The decay rates of CAT and ENT measured by culture (cENT) and QPCR (tENT) were compared in sand and seawater laboratory microcosms under environmentally relevant conditions (subject to tidal wetting versus no wetting in sand, and sunlit versus dark conditions in seawater). Bacterial targets were more persistent in beach sand than in seawater with decay rates on the order of 0.01-0.1 per day and 1 to 10 per day, respectively. Targets were more persistent in unwetted compared to wetted sand, and dark compared to sunlit seawater. During the first 8 days of the sand experiment, the decay rate k of CAT was greater than that of cENT. The decay rates of CAT, tENT, and cENT were similar in sand after day 8 and in dark seawater. In sunlit seawater, the decay rates were different between targets with kcENT > kCAT > ktENT. The decay rates presented here are useful for fate and transport models and also inform the use of MST marker concentrations to infer ENT sources in the environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Novel Sorbents for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Wenbin [Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Taylor-Pashow, Kathryn [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2014-01-08

As the uranium resource in terrestrial ores is limited, it is difficult to ensure a long-term sustainable nuclear energy technology. The oceans contain approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which is one thousand times the amount of uranium in terrestrial ores. Development of technologies to recover the uranium from seawater would greatly improve the uranium resource availability, sustaining the fuel supply for nuclear energy. Several methods have been previously evaluated including solvent extraction, ion exchange, flotation, biomass collection, and adsorption; however, none have been found to be suitable for reasons such as cost effectiveness, long term stability, and selectivity. Recent research has focused on the amidoxime functional group as a promising candidate for uranium sorption. Polymer beads and fibers have been functionalized with amidoxime functional groups, and uranium adsorption capacities as high as 1.5 g U/kg adsorbent have recently been reported with these types of materials. As uranium concentration in seawater is only ~3 ppb, great improvements to uranium collection systems must be made in order to make uranium extraction from seawater economically feasible. This proposed research intends to develop transformative technologies for economic uranium extraction from seawater. The Lin group will design advanced porous supports by taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in nanoscience and nanotechnology and incorporate high densities of well-designed chelators into such nanoporous supports to allow selective and efficient binding of uranyl ions from seawater. Several classes of nanoporous materials, including mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCNs), meta-organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), will be synthesized. Selective uranium-binding liagnds such as amidoxime will be incorporated into the nanoporous materials to afford a new generation of sorbent materials that will be

Development of Novel Sorbents for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Wenbin; Taylor-Pashow, Kathryn

2014-01-01

As the uranium resource in terrestrial ores is limited, it is difficult to ensure a long-term sustainable nuclear energy technology. The oceans contain approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which is one thousand times the amount of uranium in terrestrial ores. Development of technologies to recover the uranium from seawater would greatly improve the uranium resource availability, sustaining the fuel supply for nuclear energy. Several methods have been previously evaluated including solvent extraction, ion exchange, flotation, biomass collection, and adsorption; however, none have been found to be suitable for reasons such as cost effectiveness, long term stability, and selectivity. Recent research has focused on the amidoxime functional group as a promising candidate for uranium sorption. Polymer beads and fibers have been functionalized with amidoxime functional groups, and uranium adsorption capacities as high as 1.5 g U/kg adsorbent have recently been reported with these types of materials. As uranium concentration in seawater is only ~3 ppb, great improvements to uranium collection systems must be made in order to make uranium extraction from seawater economically feasible. This proposed research intends to develop transformative technologies for economic uranium extraction from seawater. The Lin group will design advanced porous supports by taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in nanoscience and nanotechnology and incorporate high densities of well-designed chelators into such nanoporous supports to allow selective and efficient binding of uranyl ions from seawater. Several classes of nanoporous materials, including mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCNs), meta-organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), will be synthesized. Selective uranium-binding liagnds such as amidoxime will be incorporated into the nanoporous materials to afford a new generation of sorbent materials that will be

Comment on: 'The strontium isotopic composition of seawater and seawater-oceanic crust interaction' by E.T.C. Spooner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brass, G.W.; Turekian, K.L.

1977-01-01

Various processes have been proposed as the source of strontium to the oceans but there is no evidence to support the mechanism of release of relatively unradiogenic strontium from deep dea basalts to sea-water. (B.D.)

UTILITATEA ANALIZEI RELAŢIEI COST-VOLUM-PROFIT ÎN METODA DIRECT-COSTING PENTRU PROCESUL DECIZIONAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelea CHIRILOV

2016-12-01

Full Text Available În acest articol este analizată relaţia cost-volum-profit în scopul optimizării profitului şi fundamentării unor decizii economice optime. Sunt prezentate studii de caz metodologice menite să evidenţieze necesitatea indicatorilor: pragul de rentabilitate, marja de contribuţie, rezerva stabilităţii financiare, volumul vânzărilor necesar obţinerii profitului dorit, preţul marginal. Rezultatele obţinute sunt prezentate şi analizate de autori. Articolul se încheie cu concluziile autorilor privind avantajele oferite de calculele şi analizele ce pot fi efectuate pe baza relaţiei cost-volum-profit în metoda direct-costing pentru procesul decizional.THE UTILITY OF ANALYZING COST-VOLUME-PROFIT RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE DIRECT-COSTING METHOD FOR DECISION MAKING PROCESSIn this article it is analyzed the cost-volume-profit relationship with the aim of profit optimization and elaboration of optimum economic decisions. The statement also reflects methodological case studies which highlight the necessity of the following indicators: break-even point, contribution margin, reserve of financial stability, sales volume required for obtaining target profit, marginal price. The results are presented and are analyzed by authors. The article ends up with the conclusions of the authors with regards to advantages provided by the calculations and analysis which can be performed on the basis of cost-volume-profit relationship through the direct-costing method for decision making process.

Fugacity analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between microplastics and seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hwang; Chang, Sein; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Kwon, Jung-Hwan

2017-03-01

Recently, the accumulation of plastic debris in the marine environment has become a great concern worldwide. Although plastics are biologically and chemically inert, plastic debris has been suspected of causing adverse effects on ecosystems due to the increase in reactivity by size reduction and/or micropollutants associated with plastics. Because of the high sorption capacity of microplastics toward organic micropollutants, it is suspected that microplastics may play roles in the distribution and fate of micropollutants. In order to quantitatively evaluate the "net flow" of environmental contaminants in water-plastic-organism systems, a fugacity analysis was conducted using concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in open oceans and in polyethylene as a representative material of plastic debris. Ratio of fugacity in polyethylene to that in seawater showed a decreasing trend with increasing partition coefficient between polyethylene and seawater (KPE/sw). This indicates that phase equilibrium between polyethylene and seawater is not attained for higher molecular weight PAHs. Disequilibrium of high molecular weight PAHs suggests that transfer from seawater to plastic debris is thermodynamically driven and the role of plastic debris as a vector to transfer them to living organisms would be minimal. However, additives may slowly migrate from plastics into the environment causing potentially serious effects on ecosystems.

Physiological indices of seawater readiness in postspawning steelhead kelts

Science.gov (United States)

Buelow, Jessica; Moffitt, Christine M.

2015-01-01

Management goals to improve the recovery of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) stocks at risk of extinction include increasing the proportion of postspawning fish that survive and spawn again. To be successful, postspawning steelhead (kelts) migrating downstream to the ocean must prepare physiologically and physically for a seawater transition. We sampled blood, gill filaments, and evaluated the external condition of migrating kelts from an ESA-listed population in the Snake/Columbia River system over two consecutive years to evaluate their physiological readiness for transition to seawater. We chose attributes often considered as measures of preparation for seawater in juveniles, including gill Na+,K+ ATPase activity, plasma electrolytes and hormones to consider factors related to external condition, size and sex. We found kelts in good external condition had plasma profiles similar to downstream-migrating smolts. In addition, we found more than 80% of kelts ranked in good external condition had smolt-like body silvering. We compared measures from migrating kelts with samples obtained from hatchery fish at the time of spawning to confirm that Na+, K+ ATPase activity in kelts was significantly elevated over spawning fish. We found significant differences in gill Na+, K+ ATPase activity in migrating kelts between the years of sampling, but little indication of influence of fish condition. We conclude that the postspawning steelhead sampled exhibited a suite of behaviours, condition and physiology characteristic of fish prepared for successful transition to a seawater environment.

Algal blooms: an emerging threat to seawater reverse osmosis desalination

KAUST Repository

Villacorte, Loreen O.

2014-08-04

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination technology has been rapidly growing in terms of installed capacity and global application over the last decade. An emerging threat to SWRO application is the seasonal proliferation of microscopic algae in seawater known as algal blooms. Such blooms have caused operational problems in SWRO plants due to clogging and poor effluent quality of the pre-treatment system which eventually forced the shutdown of various desalination plants to avoid irreversible fouling of downstream SWRO membranes. This article summarizes the current state of SWRO technology and the emerging threat of algal blooms to its application. It also highlights the importance of studying the algal bloom phenomena in the perspective of seawater desalination, so proper mitigation and preventive strategies can be developed in the near future. © 2014 © 2014 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Algal blooms: an emerging threat to seawater reverse osmosis desalination

KAUST Repository

Villacorte, Loreen O.; Tabatabai, S. Assiyeh Alizadeh; Dhakal, N.; Amy, Gary L.; Schippers, Jan Cornelis; Kennedy, Maria Dolores

2014-01-01

Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination technology has been rapidly growing in terms of installed capacity and global application over the last decade. An emerging threat to SWRO application is the seasonal proliferation of microscopic algae in seawater known as algal blooms. Such blooms have caused operational problems in SWRO plants due to clogging and poor effluent quality of the pre-treatment system which eventually forced the shutdown of various desalination plants to avoid irreversible fouling of downstream SWRO membranes. This article summarizes the current state of SWRO technology and the emerging threat of algal blooms to its application. It also highlights the importance of studying the algal bloom phenomena in the perspective of seawater desalination, so proper mitigation and preventive strategies can be developed in the near future. © 2014 © 2014 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Sm-Nd in marine carbonates and phosphates: implications for Nd isotopes in seawater and crustal ages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, H.F.; Wasserburg, G.J.

1985-01-01

This study explores the possibility of establishing Nd isotopic variations in seawater over geologic time. Calcite, aragonite and apatite are examined as possible phases recording seawater values of epsilonsubNd. Modern, biogenic and inorganically precipitated calcite and aragonite from marine environments were found to have Nd concentrations of from 0.2 to 70 ppb, showing that primary marine CaCO 3 contains little REE and that Nd/Ca is not greatly enhanced relative to seawater during carbonate precipitation. Very young marine limestone and dolomite containing no continental detritus have approx. 200 ppb Nd. All the carbonates are LREE enriched. Modern and very young Atlantic and Pacific carbonates have epsilonsub(Nd) in the range of shallow Atlantic and Pacific seawater respectively, implying that they derive their REE from local seawater. The Nd in well preserved carbonate fossils is 4 ppb, much greater than in their modern counterparts but like the high values found for carbonates in other studies. Results are also reported for apatite. They suggest that sedimentary apatite can be used to determine epsilonsub(Nd)(T) in ancient seawater. The seawater values so inferred range between -1.7 and -8.9 over the last 700 my and lie in the range of modern seawater, showing no evidence for drastic changes. (U.K.)

Morpholino Gene Knockdown in Adult Fundulus heteroclitus: Role of SGK1 in Seawater Acclimation

Science.gov (United States)

Notch, Emily G.; Shaw, Joseph R.; Coutermarsh, Bonita A.; Dzioba, Marisa; Stanton, Bruce A.

2011-01-01

The Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) is an environmental sentinel organism used extensively for studies on environmental toxicants and salt (NaCl) homeostasis. Previous research in our laboratory has shown that rapid acclimation of killifish to seawater is mediated by trafficking of CFTR chloride channels from intracellular vesicles to the plasma membrane in the opercular membrane within the first hour in seawater, which enhances chloride secretion into seawater, thereby contributing to salt homeostasis. Acute transition to seawater is also marked by an increase in both mRNA and protein levels of serum glucocorticoid kinase 1 (SGK1) within 15 minutes of transfer. Although the rise in SGK1 in gill and its functional analog, the opercular membrane, after seawater transfer precedes the increase in membrane CFTR, a direct role of SGK1 in elevating membrane CFTR has not been established in vivo. To test the hypothesis that SGK1 mediates the increase in plasma membrane CFTR we designed two functionally different vivo-morpholinos to knock down SGK1 in gill, and developed and validated a vivo-morpholino knock down technique for adult killifish. Injection (intraperitoneal, IP) of the splice blocking SGK1 vivo-morpholino reduced SGK1 mRNA in the gill after transition from fresh to seawater by 66%. The IP injection of the translational blocking and splice blocking vivo-morpholinos reduced gill SGK1 protein abundance in fish transferred from fresh to seawater by 64% and 53%, respectively. Moreover, knock down of SGK1 completely eliminated the seawater induced rise in plasma membrane CFTR, demonstrating that the increase in SGK1 protein is required for the trafficking of CFTR from intracellular vesicles in mitochondrion rich cells to the plasma membrane in the gill during acclimation to seawater. This is the first report of the use of vivo-morpholinos in adult killifish and demonstrates that vivo-morpholinos are a valuable genetic tool for this environmentally

Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad; Dietz, Travis; Tsinas, Zois; Tomaszewski, Claire; Pazos, Ileana M.; Nigliazzo, Olga; Li, Weixing; Adel-Hadadi, Mohamad; Barkatt, Aaron

2016-01-01

Even at a concentration of 3 @@g/L, the world@@@s oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s. Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method@@@s complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence and will extend the quantity of

Metoda ispitivanja kompatibilnosti sredstava lične NHB zaštite / Method of testing compatibility of personal NBC protection devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dušan Rajić

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Na primeru izabranih sredstava lične NHB zaštite demonstrirana je primena metode procene kompatibilnosti, kao vrlo bitne taktičko-tehničke karakteristike za svako novouvedeno sredstvo naoružanja i vojne opreme (NVO u Vojsci Srbije. Utvrđeno je da zaštitno filtrirajuće odelo, zaštitni laki ogrtač i zaštitne rukavice ispunjavaju postavljene kriterijume kompatibilnosti. Opisana metoda provere kompatibilnosti može da se primenjuje i na druga sredstva NVO u fazama razvoja, proizvodnje i eksploatacije. / The selected personal NBC protection devices have served as an example for demonstrating the application of the compatibility evaluation method as a very important tactical-technical characteristic of each newly introduced item of weapon and military equipment in the Serbian army. It has been determined that a filtering protective suit, a light protective coat and protective gloves meet the required criteria of compatibility. The described method of testing compatibility can be also applied to other weapons and military equipment in stages of development, production and exploitation.

Recent work at MIT on uranium recovery from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Driscoll, M.J.

1984-01-01

Recent work at MIT has confirmed the superiority of fiber-form ion exchange media for uranium recovery from seawater, subject to demonstration of the ability to control fouling by suspended particulate matter. Calculations and laboratory experiments indicate loading rates of several hundred ppm U/day: an order of magnitude faster than for bead-type sorbers in fixed or fluidized beds. A high performance, modular, sorber cartridge/seawater contactor system capable of a lifetime-levelized cost of product in the range 100-150 $/1b U 3 O 8 has been designed. (author)

Determination of trace metals in coastal seawater around Okinawa and its multielement profiling analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Akihide; Ishigaki, Teruyuki; Arakaki, Teruo; Yamada, Ayako; Yamaguchi, Mami; Kabe, Noriko

2009-01-01

In the present study, trace metals in coastal surface seawater around Okinawa were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with chelating disk preconcentration. As a result, the concentrations of V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, Pb, and U were obtained in the range from 10 μgL -1 to 0.001 μgL -1 for 6 samples. In addition, multielement profiling analyses were carried out using analytical values obtained in order to elucidate the features of trace metals in each coastal sea area. For coastal surface seawater near an urban area, the analytical values for Zn, Cu, Mn, and Pb were higher by more than 10-fold the literature values for open-surface seawater, and those of Cd were also relatively high. Such a trend concerning the multi-element profile was almost similar to the literature values for coastal seawater of the main island of Japan. On the other hand, the analytical values of most elements for coastal surface seawater near a suburb area were in the range from 0.5 to 5 fold, compared to the literature values for open surface seawater. From multielement profiling analyses for nutrient type elements in marine chemistry, it was suggested that the concentrations of Zn and Cd in a coral sea area normalized to literature values for open surface-seawater were higher than those of Ni and Cu. (author)

Solar irradiance limits the long-term survival of Listeria monocytogenes in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

NicAogáin, K; Magill, D; O'Donoghue, B; Conneely, A; Bennett, C; O'Byrne, C P

2018-03-01

Seafood has often been implicated in outbreaks of food-borne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes but the source of contamination is usually not known. In this study we investigated the possibility that this pathogen could survive in seawater for an extended time period. Freshly collected seawater samples were inoculated with 1 × 10 8  CFU per ml of L. monocytogenes EGD-e and survival was monitored by plate counting for up to 25 days. When incubated in the dark, either at ambient temperatures (4-14°C) or at 16°C, >10 4  CFU per ml survivors were present after 25 days. However, when the seawater cell suspensions were exposed to ambient light (solar irradiation) and temperatures, L. monocytogenes lost viability rapidly and no survivors could be detected after the 80 h time point. Both UV-A and visible light in the blue region of the spectrum (470 nm) were found to contribute to this effect. The stress inducible sigma factor σ B was found to play a role in survival of L. monocytogenes in seawater. Together these data demonstrate that solar irradiation is a critical determinant of L. monocytogenes survival in marine environments. The data further suggest the possibility of controlling this food-borne pathogen in food-processing environments using visible light. Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne bacterial pathogen capable of causing the life-threatening infection, listeriosis. In seafood the route of contamination from the environment is often not well understood as this pathogen is not generally thought to survive well in seawater. Here we provide evidence that L. monocytogenes is capable of surviving for long periods of time in seawater when light is excluded. Sunlight is demonstrated to have a significant effect on the survival of this pathogen in seawater, and both visible (470 nm) and UV-A light are shown to contribute to this effect. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Symbiotic Role of the Viable but Nonculturable State of Vibrio fischeri in Hawaiian Coastal Seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, K; Ruby, E G

1995-01-01

To achieve functional bioluminescence, the developing light organ of newly hatched juveniles of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes must become colonized by luminous, symbiosis-competent Vibrio fischeri present in the ambient seawater. This benign infection occurs rapidly in animals placed in seawater from the host's natural habitat. Therefore, it was surprising that colony hybridization studies with a V. fischeri-specific luxA gene probe indicated the presence of only about 2 CFU of V. fischeri per ml of this infective seawater. To examine this paradox, we estimated the total concentration of V. fischeri cells present in seawater from the host's habitat in two additional ways. In the first approach, the total bacterial assemblage in samples of seawater was collected on polycarbonate membrane filters and used as a source of both a crude cell lysate and purified DNA. These preparations were then assayed by quantitative DNA-DNA hybridization with the luxA gene probe. The results suggested the presence of between 200 and 400 cells of V. fischeri per ml of natural seawater, a concentration more than 100 times that revealed by colony hybridization. In the second approach, we amplified V. fischeri-specific luxA sequences from microliter volumes of natural seawater by PCR. Most-probable-number analyses of the frequency of positive PCR results from cell lysates in these small volumes gave an estimate of the concentration of V. fischeri luxA gene targets of between 130 and 1,680 copies per ml. From these measurements, we conclude that in their natural seawater environment, the majority of V. fischeri cells become nonculturable while remaining viable and symbiotically infective. Experimental studies indicated that V. fischeri cells suspended in natural Hawaiian seawater enter such a state within a few days.

Oxidative stress in the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis exposed to CO2-driven seawater acidification

Science.gov (United States)

Luz, Débora Camacho; Zebral, Yuri Dornelles; Klein, Roberta Daniele; Marques, Joseane Aparecida; Marangoni, Laura Fernandes de Barros; Pereira, Cristiano Macedo; Duarte, Gustavo Adolpho Santos; Pires, Débora de Oliveira; Castro, Clovis Barreira e.; Calderon, Emiliano Nicolas; Bianchini, Adalto

2018-06-01

Global impacts are affecting negatively coral reefs' health worldwide. Ocean acidification associated with the increasing CO2 partial pressure in the atmosphere can potentially induce oxidative stress with consequent cellular damage in corals and hydrocorals. In the present study, parameters related to oxidative status were evaluated in the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis exposed to three different levels of seawater acidification using a mesocosm system. CO2-driven acidification of seawater was performed until reaching 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 pH units below the current pH of seawater pumped from the coral reef adjacent to the mesocosm. Therefore, treatments corresponded to control (pH 8.1), mild (pH 7.8), intermediate (pH 7.5) and severe (pH 7.2) seawater acidification. After 0, 16 and 30 d of exposure, hydrocorals were collected and the following parameters were analyzed in the holobiont: antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals (ACAP), total glutathione (GSHt) concentration, reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein carbonyl group (PC) levels. ACAP was increased in hydrocorals after 16 d of exposure to intermediate levels of seawater acidification. GSHt and GSH/GSSG did not change over the experimental period. LPO was increased at any level of seawater acidification, while PC content was increased in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate and severe seawater acidification for 30 d. These findings indicate that the antioxidant defense system of M. alcicornis is capable of coping with acidic conditions for a short period of time (16 d). Additionally, they clearly show that a long-term (30 d) exposure to seawater acidification induces oxidative stress with consequent oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, which could compromise hydrocoral health.

Table Salt from Seawater (Solar Evaporation). What We Take from Our Environment. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

Science.gov (United States)

Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Science Education Center.

This module discusses methods of obtaining table salt from seawater. Topic areas considered include: (1) obtaining salt by solar evaporation of seawater in holes; (2) obtaining salt by boiling seawater in pots; (3) how table salt is obtained from seawater in the Philippines; and (4) methods of making salt by solar evaporation of seawater in the…

The Flakt-Hydro process: flue gas desulfurization by use of seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, W.Z. [ABB China Limited, Shanghai (China)

1999-07-01

ABB's seawater scrubbing process (the Flakt-Hydro process) for flue gas desulfurization has recently triggered interest among power producers because of its simple operating principle and high reliability. The process uses seawater to absorb and neutralize sulfur dioxide in flue gases. The absorbed gas is oxidized and returned to the ocean in the form it originated in the first place, namely as dissolved sulfate salts. The process uses the seawater downstream of the power plant condensers. This paper gives an introduction to the basic principle of the process and presents some of the recent power plant applications, namely at the Paiton Private Power Project; Phase 1 (2 x 670 MWe) in Indonesia and at the Shenzhen West Power Plant, Unit 2 (300 MWe) in China.

Recovery of lithium from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooi, Kenta; Miyai, Yoshitaka; Katoh, Shunsaku; Abe, Mitsuo.

1989-01-01

Lithium has been used for air conditioners, aluminum refining, ceramics, organic metal compounds, batteries and many other uses. Besides, attention is paid as the aluminum-lithium alloys as aircraft materials, and the raw materials for large capacity batteries and nuclear fusion reactors for the future. The amount of lithium resources has been estimated as 14 million tons, and is relatively abundant, but when the future increase of demand is considered, it is not necessarily sufficient. Japan lacks lithium resources, and the stable ensuring of the resources has become an important problem. Seawater contains lithium by 170 μg/l, and its total amount reaches 230 billion tons. The process of recovering lithium from seawater, geothermal water and natural gas brine has been actively researched since 10 years ago centering around Japan. At present, the search for the adsorbent that effectively collects lithium is the main subject. Also the recovery by coprecipitation has been investigated basically. The inorganic adsorbent for lithium is classified into aluminum type, compound antimonic acid type, layered compound type, ion sieve oxide type and others. Their lithium adsorption performance and adsorption mechanism are different remarkably, therefore, these of each group are described. (K.I.) 70 refs

Exposure to seawater increases intestinal motility in euryhaline rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Science.gov (United States)

Brijs, Jeroen; Hennig, Grant W; Gräns, Albin; Dekens, Esmée; Axelsson, Michael; Olsson, Catharina

2017-07-01

Upon exposure to seawater, euryhaline teleosts need to imbibe and desalinate seawater to allow for intestinal ion and water absorption, as this is essential for maintaining osmotic homeostasis. Despite the potential benefits of increased mixing and transport of imbibed water for increasing the efficiency of absorptive processes, the effect of water salinity on intestinal motility in teleosts remains unexplored. By qualitatively and quantitatively describing in vivo intestinal motility of euryhaline rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), this study demonstrates that, in freshwater, the most common motility pattern consisted of clusters of rhythmic, posteriorly propagating contractions that lasted ∼1-2 min followed by a period of quiescence lasting ∼4-5 min. This pattern closely resembles mammalian migrating motor complexes (MMCs). Following a transition to seawater, imbibed seawater resulted in a significant distension of the intestine and the frequency of MMCs increased twofold to threefold with a concomitant reduction in the periods of quiescence. The increased frequency of MMCs was also accompanied by ripple-type contractions occurring every 12-60 s. These findings demonstrate that intestinal contractile activity of euryhaline teleosts is dramatically increased upon exposure to seawater, which is likely part of the overall response for maintaining osmotic homeostasis as increased drinking and mechanical perturbation of fluids is necessary to optimise intestinal ion and water absorption. Finally, the temporal response of intestinal motility in rainbow trout transitioning from freshwater to seawater coincides with previously documented physiological modifications associated with osmoregulation and may provide further insight into the underlying reasons shaping the migration patterns of salmonids. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Development of pre-concentration procedure for the determination of Hg isotope ratios in seawater samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Štrok, Marko; Hintelmann, Holger; Dimock, Brian

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The method for the quantitative pre-concentration of Hg from seawater was developed. • First report of Hg isotope ratios in seawater is presented. • A unique mass independent 200 Hg isotope fractionation was observed. • This fractionation has unique potential to distinguish anthropogenic and natural Hg. - Abstract: Hg concentrations in seawater are usually too low to allow direct (without pre-concentration and removal of salt matrix) measurement of its isotope ratios with multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Therefore, a new method for the pre-concentration of Hg from large volumes of seawater was developed. The final method allows for relatively fast (about 2.5 L h −1 ) and quantitative pre-concentration of Hg from seawater samples with an average Hg recovery of 98 ± 6%. Using this newly developed method we determined Hg isotope ratios in seawater. Reference seawater samples were compared to samples potentially impacted by anthropogenic activity. The results show negative mass dependent fractionation relative to the NIST 3133 Hg standard with δ 202 Hg values in the range from −0.50‰ to −1.50‰. In addition, positive mass independent fractionation of 200 Hg was observed for samples from reference sites, while impacted sites did not show significant Δ 200 Hg values. Although the influence of the impacted sediments is limited to the seawater and particulate matter in very close proximity to the sediment, this observation may raise the possibility of using Δ 200 Hg to distinguish between samples from impacted and reference sites

Responses of an Agricultural Soil Microbiome to Flooding with Seawater after Managed Coastal Realignment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamilla S. Sjøgaard

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Coastal areas have become more prone to flooding with seawater due to climate-change-induced sea-level rise and intensified storm surges. One way to cope with this issue is by “managed coastal realignment”, where low-lying coastal areas are no longer protected and instead flooded with seawater. How flooding with seawater impacts soil microbiomes and the biogeochemical cycling of elements is poorly understood. To address this, we conducted a microcosm experiment using soil cores collected at the nature restoration project site Gyldensteen Strand (Denmark, which were flooded with seawater and monitored over six months. Throughout the experiment, biogeochemical analyses, microbial community fingerprinting and the quantification of marker genes documented clear shifts in microbiome composition and activity. The flooding with seawater initially resulted in accelerated heterotrophic activity that entailed high ammonium production and net removal of nitrogen from the system, also demonstrated by a concurrent increase in the abundances of marker genes for ammonium oxidation and denitrification. Due to the depletion of labile soil organic matter, microbial activity decreased after approximately four months. The event of flooding caused the largest shifts in microbiome composition with the availability of labile organic matter subsequently being the most important driver for the succession in microbiome composition in soils flooded with seawater.

Sea-level rise impacts on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Review and integration

Science.gov (United States)

Ketabchi, Hamed; Mahmoodzadeh, Davood; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad; Simmons, Craig T.

2016-04-01

Sea-level rise (SLR) influences groundwater hydraulics and in particular seawater intrusion (SWI) in many coastal aquifers. The quantification of the combined and relative impacts of influential factors on SWI has not previously been considered in coastal aquifers. In the present study, a systematic review of the available literature on this topic is first provided. Then, the potential remaining challenges are scrutinized. Open questions on the effects of more realistic complexities such as gradual SLR, parameter uncertainties, and the associated influences in decision-making models are issues requiring further investigation. We assess and quantify the seawater toe location under the impacts of SLR in combination with recharge rate variations, land-surface inundation (LSI) due to SLR, aquifer bed slope variation, and changing landward boundary conditions (LWBCs). This is the first study to include all of these factors in a single analysis framework. Both analytical and numerical models are used for these sensitivity assessments. It is demonstrated that (1) LSI caused by SLR has a significant incremental impact on the seawater toe location, especially in the flatter coasts and the flux-controlled (FC) LWBCs, however this impact is less than the reported orders of magnitude differences which were estimated using only analytical solutions; (2) LWBCs significantly influence the SLR impacts under almost all conditions considered in this study; (3) The main controlling factors of seawater toe location are the magnitudes of fresh groundwater discharge to sea and recharge rate. Regional freshwater flux entering from the landward boundary and the groundwater hydraulic gradient are the major contributors of fresh groundwater discharge to sea for both FC and head-controlled (HC) systems, respectively; (4) A larger response of the aquifer and larger seawater toe location changes are demonstrable for a larger ratio of the aquifer thickness to the aquifer length particularly in

Measurement of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater at L-Band: Techniques and Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, R.; Utku, C.; Tarkocin, Y.; LeVine, D.

2009-01-01

Satellite instruments, that will monitor salinity from space in the near future, require an accurate relationship between salinity/temperature and seawater dielectric constant. This paper will review measurements that were made of the dielectric constant of seawater during the past several years. The objective of the measurements is to determine the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on salinity and on temperature, more accurately than in the past. by taking advantage of modem instrumentation. The measurements of seawater permittivity have been performed as a function of salinity and temperature using a transmission resonant cavity technique. The measurements have been made in the salinity range of 10 to 38 psu and in the temperature range of IOU C to 35 C. These results will be useful in algorithm development for sensor systems such as SMOS and Aquarius. The measurement system consists of a brass microwave cavity that is resonant at 1.413 GHz. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a capillary glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. The diameter of the tube has been made very small so that the amount of seawater introduced in the cavity is small - thus maintaining the sensitivity of the measurements and allowing the use of perturbation theory predicting the seawater permittivity. The change in resonant frequency and the change in cavity Q can be used to determine the real and imaginary pare of the dielectric constant of seawater introduced into the slender tube. The microwave measurements are made by an HPS722D network analyzer. The cavity has been immersed in a uateriethylene-glycol bath which is connected to a Lauda circulator. The circulator keeps the brass cavity at a temperature constant to within 0.01 degrees. The system is automated using a Visual Basic program to control the analyzer and to collect the data. The results of the dielectric constant measurements of seawater will be presented. The measurement results will be

Extracting Uranium from Seawater: Benefits, Risks and Policy Implication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ismail, Aznan Fazli; Yim, Man-Sung; Marsh, Matthew [KAIST, Daejon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

One of the key issues that need to be addressed regarding the future of nuclear power is the availability of uranium. The most economical way to this day of providing uranium for nuclear energy has been through conventional mining. However, the current projection of the well-known, easily obtainable sources of uranium indicates that global nuclear industry can be supported through the end of the century under the once-through cycle. It, however, could be extended up to 250 years if the speculative uranium sources are taken into account. Uranium is also available in seawater. Extracting uranium from seawater has both pros and cons. The only main obstacles at this point is it not economically competitive compared to the conventional mining. Solving this issue will open up a new era of the way of extracting uranium to meet the future requirement of nuclear energy. As the uranium seawater extraction technology is rapidly being developed and might become feasible in the near future, an appropriate mechanism are required to safeguard the extraction technology.

Sulphide production and corrosion in seawaters during exposure to FAME diesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jason S; Ray, Richard I; Little, Brenda J; Duncan, Kathleen E; Oldham, Athenia L; Davidova, Irene A; Suflita, Joseph M

2012-01-01

Experiments were designed to evaluate the corrosion-related consequences of storing/transporting fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) alternative diesel fuel in contact with natural seawater. Coastal Key West, FL (KW), and Persian Gulf (PG) seawaters, representing an oligotrophic and a more organic- and inorganic mineral-rich environment, respectively, were used in 60 day incubations with unprotected carbon steel. The original microflora of the two seawaters were similar with respect to major taxonomic groups but with markedly different species. After exposure to FAME diesel, the microflora of the waters changed substantially, with Clostridiales (Firmicutes) becoming dominant in both. Despite low numbers of sulphate-reducing bacteria in the original waters and after FAME diesel exposure, sulphide levels and corrosion increased markedly due to microbial sulphide production. Corrosion morphology was in the form of isolated pits surrounded by an intact, passive surface with the deepest pits associated with the fuel/seawater interface in the KW exposure. In the presence of FAME diesel, the highest corrosion rates measured by linear polarization occurred in the KW exposure correlating with significantly higher concentrations of sulphur and chlorine (presumed sulphide and chloride, respectively) in the corrosion products.

Seawater circulating system in an aquaculture laboratory

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Chatterji, A.; Ingole, B.S.; Parulekar, A.H.

The note gives an account, for the first time in India, of an Aquaculture Laboratory with open type seawater circulating system developed at the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India. Besides describing the details of the system...

Determination of picomolar beryllium levels in seawater with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following silica-gel preconcentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tazoe, Hirofumi, E-mail: tazoe@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp [Department of Radiation Chemistry, Institute of Radiation Emergency Mediation, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Hon-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564 (Japan); College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40, Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550 (Japan); Yamagata, Takeyasu [College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40, Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550 (Japan); Obata, Hajime [Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The Tokyo University, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa-shi, Chiba 277-8564 (Japan); Nagai, Hisao [College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, 3-25-40, Sakurajosui, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550 (Japan)

2014-12-10

Highlights: • We developesd the simplest and robust SPE method for ultra low picomolar level beryllium in seawater. • Just silica gel column can quantitatively adsorb beryllium in neutral pH condition containing natural seawater. • EDTA solution can eliminate seawater matrixes retaining Be in the column, which optimize to ICP-MS detemination. • Accurate and precise Be data have been obtained for natural seawater from North Pacific Ocean. - Abstract: A robust and rapid method for the determination of natural levels of beryllium (Be) in seawater was developed to facilitate mapping Be concentrations in the ocean. A solid-phase extraction method using a silica gel column was applied for preconcentration and purification of Be in seawater prior to determination of Be concentrations with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Be was quantitatively adsorbed onto silica gel from solutions with pH values ranging from 6.3 to 9, including natural seawater. The chelating agent ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid was used to remove other ions in the seawater matrix (Na, Mg, and Ca) that interfere with the ICP-MS analysis. The reproducibility of the method was 3% based on triplicate analyses of natural seawater samples, and the detection limit was 0.4 pmol kg{sup −1} for 250 mL of seawater, which is sufficient for the analysis of seawater in the open ocean. The method was then used to determine the vertical profile of Be in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, which was found to be a recycled-type profile in which the Be concentration increased with depth from the surface (7.2 pmol kg{sup −1} at <200 m) to deep water (29.2 pmol kg{sup −1} from 3500 m to the bottom)

Determination of picomolar beryllium levels in seawater with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following silica-gel preconcentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tazoe, Hirofumi; Yamagata, Takeyasu; Obata, Hajime; Nagai, Hisao

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We developesd the simplest and robust SPE method for ultra low picomolar level beryllium in seawater. • Just silica gel column can quantitatively adsorb beryllium in neutral pH condition containing natural seawater. • EDTA solution can eliminate seawater matrixes retaining Be in the column, which optimize to ICP-MS detemination. • Accurate and precise Be data have been obtained for natural seawater from North Pacific Ocean. - Abstract: A robust and rapid method for the determination of natural levels of beryllium (Be) in seawater was developed to facilitate mapping Be concentrations in the ocean. A solid-phase extraction method using a silica gel column was applied for preconcentration and purification of Be in seawater prior to determination of Be concentrations with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Be was quantitatively adsorbed onto silica gel from solutions with pH values ranging from 6.3 to 9, including natural seawater. The chelating agent ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid was used to remove other ions in the seawater matrix (Na, Mg, and Ca) that interfere with the ICP-MS analysis. The reproducibility of the method was 3% based on triplicate analyses of natural seawater samples, and the detection limit was 0.4 pmol kg −1 for 250 mL of seawater, which is sufficient for the analysis of seawater in the open ocean. The method was then used to determine the vertical profile of Be in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, which was found to be a recycled-type profile in which the Be concentration increased with depth from the surface (7.2 pmol kg −1 at <200 m) to deep water (29.2 pmol kg −1 from 3500 m to the bottom)

Determination of radioactive strontium in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grahek, Zeljko; Rozmaric Macefat, Martina

2005-01-01

This paper describes the procedures of isolating strontium and yttrium from seawater that enable the determination of 89,90 Sr. In one procedure, strontium is directly isolated from seawater on the column filled with Sr resin by binding of strontium to the resin from 3 M HNO 3 in a seawater, and successive elution with HNO 3 . In others, strontium is precipitated from seawater with (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 , followed by isolation on a Sr column or an anion exchange column. It is shown that strontium precipitation is optimal with concentration of 0.3 M (NH 4 ) 2 CO 3 at pH = 11. In these conditions, 100% Y, 78% Sr, 80% Ca and 50% Mg are precipitated. Strontium is bound on to Sr column from 5 to 8 M HNO 3 , separated from other elements by elution with 3 M HNO 3 and 0.05 M HNO 3 . Strontium and yttrium are bound on to anion exchange column from alcoholic solutions of nitric acid. The optimum mixture of alcohols for sample binding is a mixture of ethanol and methanol with the volume ratio 1:3. Strontium and yttrium are separated from Mg, Ca, K, and other elements by elution with 0.25 M HNO 3 in the mixture of ethanol and methanol. After the separation, yttrium and strontium are eluted from the column with water or methanol. In the procedure of direct isolation from 1 l of the sample, the average recovery of 50% was obtained. In the remaining two procedures, the strontium recovery was about 60% for the Sr column and 65% for anion exchange column. Recovery of yttrium is about 70% for the anion exchange column. It turned out that the procedure with the Sr resin (direct isolation and isolation after precipitation) is simpler and faster in the phase of the isolation on the column in comparison with the procedure with the anion exchanger. The procedure with the anion exchanger, however, enables the simultaneous isolation of yttrium and strontium and rapid determination of 89,90 Sr. These procedures were tested by determination of 89,90 Sr on liquid scintillation counter and Cherenkov

Activation of TRPV1-dependent calcium oscillation exacerbates seawater inhalation-induced acute lung injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Congcong; Bo, Liyan; Liu, Qingqing; Liu, Wei; Chen, Xiangjun; Xu, Dunquan; Jin, Faguang

2016-03-01

Calcium is an important second messenger and it is widely recognized that acute lung injury (ALI) is often caused by oscillations of cytosolic free Ca2+. Previous studies have indicated that the activation of transient receptor potential‑vanilloid (TRPV) channels and subsequent Ca2+ entry initiates an acute calcium‑dependent permeability increase during ALI. However, whether seawater exposure induces such an effect through the activation of TRPV channels remains unknown. In the current study, the effect of calcium, a component of seawater, on the inflammatory reactions that occur during seawater drowning‑induced ALI, was examined. The results demonstrated that a high concentration of calcium ions in seawater increased lung tissue myeloperoxidase activity and the secretion of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) and interleukin (IL)‑1β and IL‑6. Further study demonstrated that the seawater challenge elevated cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, indicated by [Ca2+]c, by inducing calcium influx from the extracellular medium via TRPV1 channels. The elevated [Ca2+c] may have resulted in the increased release of TNF‑α and IL‑1β via increased phosphorylation of nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB). It was concluded that a high concentration of calcium in seawater exacerbated lung injury, and TRPV1 channels were notable mediators of the calcium increase initiated by the seawater challenge. Calcium influx through TRPV1 may have led to greater phosphorylation of NF‑κB and increased release of TNF‑α and IL‑1β.

76 FR 14953 - Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Honolulu Seawater...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

... air conditioning system for downtown Honolulu buildings. In order to obtain deep, cold seawater to..., utilize, and return deep, cold seawater, Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC (applicant) proposes to... visiting the USACE Honolulu District Web site at http://www.poh.usace.army.mil and selecting ``Public...

Seawater 234U/238U recorded by modern and fossil corals

Science.gov (United States)

Chutcharavan, Peter M.; Dutton, Andrea; Ellwood, Michael J.

2018-03-01

U-series dating of corals is a crucial tool for generating absolute chronologies of Late Quaternary sea-level change and calibrating the radiocarbon timescale. Unfortunately, coralline aragonite is susceptible to post-depositional alteration of its primary geochemistry. One screening technique used to identify unaltered corals relies on the back-calculation of initial 234U/238U activity (δ234Ui) at the time of coral growth and implicitly assumes that seawater δ234U has remained constant during the Late Quaternary. Here, we test this assumption using the most comprehensive compilation to date of coral U-series measurements. Unlike previous compilations, this study normalizes U-series measurements to the same decay constants and corrects for offsets in interlaboratory calibrations, thus reducing systematic biases between reported δ234U values. Using this approach, we reassess (a) the value of modern seawater δ234U, and (b) the evolution of seawater δ234U over the last deglaciation. Modern coral δ234U values (145.0 ± 1.5‰) agree with previous measurements of seawater and modern corals only once the data have been normalized. Additionally, fossil corals in the surface ocean display δ234Ui values that are ∼5-7‰ lower during the last glacial maximum regardless of site, taxon, or diagenetic setting. We conclude that physical weathering of U-bearing minerals exposed during ice sheet retreat drives the increase in δ234U observed in the oceans, a mechanism that is consistent with the interpretation of the seawater Pb-isotope signal over the same timescale.

Optimal scheduling of biocide dosing for seawater-cooled power and desalination plants

KAUST Repository

Mahfouz, Abdullah Bin

2011-02-13

Thermal desalination systems are typically integrated with power plants to exploit the excess heat resulting from the power-generation units. Using seawater in cooling the power plant and the desalination system is a common practice in many parts of the world where there is a shortage of freshwater. Biofouling is one of the major problems associated with the usage of seawater in cooling systems. Because of the dynamic variation in the power and water demands as well as the changes in the characteristics of seawater and the process, there is a need to develop an optimal policy for scheduling biocide usage and cleaning maintenance of the heat exchangers. The objective of this article is to introduce a systematic procedure for the optimization of scheduling the dosing of biocide and dechlorination chemicals as well as cleaning maintenance for a power production/thermal desalination plant. A multi-period optimization formulation is developed and solved to determine: the optimal levels of dosing and dechlorination chemicals; the timing of maintenance to clean the heat-exchange surfaces; and the dynamic dependence of the biofilm growth on the applied doses, the seawater-biocide chemistry, the process conditions, and seawater characteristics for each time period. The technical, economic, and environmental considerations of the system are accounted for. A case study is solved to elucidate the applicability of the developed optimization approach. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Analisis Kadar Kofein Kopi Luwak Dengan Variasi Jenis Kopi, Spesies Luwak Dan Cara Pengolahan Dengan Metoda TlC Scanner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahma Yulia

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Telah dilakukan penelitian analisis kadar kofein kopi luwak dengan variasi jenis kopi, spesies luwak dan cara pengolahan dengan metoda TLC Scanner. Analisis dilakukan dengan menggunakan 8 sampel kopi luwak R.Ab.K ; R.Ab.B ; R.Ph.K ; R.Ph.B ; A.Ab.K ; A.Ab.B ; A.Ph.K ; A.Ph.B yang diekstraksi dengan pelarut diklorometana ( DCM . Pemisahan dengan KLT dilakukan dengan fasa diam plat silika gel GF254 dan fasa gerak campuran diklorometana : metanol ( 9,5 : 0,5 . Kadar kofein dihitung dengan menggunakan persamaan regresi y = 2715,112 + 4,389x dan memberikan persentase kadar berturut-turut 1,91 ; 2,04 ; 1,30 ; 1,89 ; 1,29 ; 1,45 ; 1,25 ; 1,42 %. Kadar kofein paling tinggi diberikan oleh kopi robusta yang diberikan pada luwak A. binturong dan diolah secara basah dengan persentase 2,04 %. Sedangkan kadar kofein paling rendah diberikan oleh kopi arabika yang diberikan pada luwak P. hermophroditus dengan persentase 1,25 %. Pengolahan data dengan statistik anova tiga jalan SPSS 21 menunjukkan hasil bahwa jenis kopi, variasi luwak dan cara pengolahan memberikan pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap kadar kofein dengan p < 0,05.

Adsorption behavior of lithium from seawater using manganese oxide adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wajima, Takaaki; Munakata, Kenzo; Uda, Tatsuhiko

2012-01-01

The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactor system is expected to provide the main source of electricity in the future. Large amounts of lithium will be required, dependent on the reactor design concept, and alternative resources should be found to provide lithium inventories for nuclear fusion plants. Seawater has recently become an attractive source of this element and the separation and recovery of lithium from seawater by co-precipitation, solvent extraction and adsorption have been investigated. Amongst these techniques, the adsorption method is suitable for recovery of lithium from seawater, because certain inorganic ion-exchange materials, especially spinel-type manganese oxides, show extremely high selectivity for the lithium ion. In this study, we prepared a lithium adsorbent (HMn 2 O 4 ) by elution of spinel-type lithium di-manganese-tetra-oxide (LiMn 2 O 4 ) and examined the kinetics of the adsorbent for lithium ions in seawater using a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The intermediate, LiMn 2 O 4 , can be synthesized from LiOH·H 2 O and Mn 3 O 4 , from which the lithium adsorbent can subsequently be prepared via acid treatment., The adsorption kinetics become faster and the amount of lithium adsorbed on the adsorbent increases with increasing solution temperature. The thermodynamic values, ΔG 0 , ΔH 0 and ΔS 0 , indicate that adsorption is an endothermic and spontaneous process. (author)

Determination of Vanadium Binding Mode on Seawater-Contacted Polyamidoxime Adsorbents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Zhicheng [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Rao, Linfeng [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL); Abney, Carter W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Bryantsev, Vyacheslav [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ivanov, Aleksandr [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-09-01

Adsorbents developed for the recovery of uranium from seawater display poor selectivity over other transition metals present in the ocean, with vanadium particularly problematic. To improve selectivity, an indispensable step is the positive identification of metal binding environments following actual seawater deployment. In this work we apply x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to directly investigate the vanadium binding environment on seawater-deployed polyamidoxime adsorbents. Comparison of the x-ray absorption near edge spectra (XANES) reveal marked similarities to recently a reported non-oxido vanadium (V) structure formed upon binding with cyclic imidedioxime, a byproduct of generating amidoxime functionalities. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided a series of putative vanadium binding environments for both vanadium (IV) and vanadium (V) oxidation states, and with both amidoxime and cyclic imidedioxime. Fits of the extended XAFS (EXAFS) data confirmed vanadium (V) is bound exclusively by the cyclic imidedioxime moiety in a 1:2 metal:ligand fashion, though a modest structural distortion is also observed compared to crystal structure data and computationally optimized geometries which is attributed to morphology effects from the polymer graft chain and the absence of crystal packing interactions. These results demonstrate that improved selectivity for uranium over vanadium can be achieved by suppressing the formation of cyclic imidedioxime during preparation of polyamidoxime adsorbents for seawater uranium recovery.

Application of Geophysical Method for Determining Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Aquifer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Muzamil Mohd Hashim; Kamarudin Samuding; Mohd Hafiz Zawawi; Daung, J.A.D.; Mohd Hafiz Zulkurnain; Kamaruzaman Mohamad

2016-01-01

A study of seawater intrusion has been proposed in the coastal area of Pahang. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a geophysical technique that used in this study. The survey was conducted at UMP, Tanjung Batu and Nenasi using Wenner-Schlumberger protocol. Electrical resistivity profile obtained from the survey indicates an area with low resistivity value (<5Ωm) associated with the resistivity value of seawater. (author)

Drinking water in Cuba and seawater desalination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meneses-Ruiz, E.; Turtos-Carbonell, L.M.; Oviedo-Rivero, I.

2004-01-01

The lack of drinking water has become a problem at world level because, in many places, supplies are very limited and, in other places, their reserves have been drained. At the present time there are estimated to be around two thousand million people that don't have drinking water for several reasons, such as drought, contamination and the presence of saline waters not suitable for human consumption. Because of the human need for water, they have always taken residence in areas where the supply was guaranteed, sometimes impeding the exploitation of other areas that can be economically very interesting. However, this resource is usually very close and in abundance in the form of seawater but its salinity makes it unusable for many basic requirements. Humanity has been forced, therefore, to take into consideration the possibilities of the economic treatment of seawater. Cuba has regions where the supplies of drinking water are scarce and others where the lack of this resource limits economic exploitation. The present work is approached with regard to the situation of hydro resources in Cuba, it includes: a description of the main hydrographic basins of the country; the contamination levels of the waters and the measures for mitigation; analysis of the supplies and demand for drinking water and its quality; regulatory aspects. The state of seawater desalination in Cuba is also included and the possibility of its realisation using nuclear energy and the advantages that this would bring is evaluated. (author)

Membrane-based seawater desalination: Present and future prospects

KAUST Repository

Amy, Gary L.

2016-10-20

Given increasing regional water scarcity and that almost half of the world\\'s population lives within 100 km of an ocean, seawater represents a virtually infinite water resource. However, its exploitation is presently limited by the significant specific energy consumption (kWh/m) required by conventional desalination technologies, further exasperated by high unit costs ($/m) and environmental impacts including GHG emissions (g CO-eq/m), organism impingement/entrainment through intakes, and brine disposal through outfalls. This paper explores the state-of-the-art in present seawater desalination practice, emphasizing membrane-based technologies, while identifying future opportunities in step improvements to conventional technologies and development of emerging, potentially disruptive, technologies through advances in material science, process engineering, and system integration. In this paper, seawater reverse osmosis (RO) serves as the baseline conventional technology. The discussion extends beyond desalting processes into membrane-based salinity gradient energy production processes, which can provide an energy offset to desalination process energy requirements. The future membrane landscape in membrane-based desalination and salinity gradient energy is projected to include ultrahigh permeability RO membranes, renewable-energy driven desalination, and emerging processes including closed-circuit RO, membrane distillation, forward osmosis, pressure retarded osmosis, and reverse electrodialysis according various niche applications and/or hybrids, operating separately or in conjunction with RO.

Development of sorbers for the recovery of uranium from seawater. Part 2. The accumulation of uranium from seawater by resins containing amidoxime and imidoxime functional groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astheimer, L.; Schenk, H.J.; Witte, E.G.; Schwochau, K.

1983-01-01

Hydroxylamine derivatives of cross-linked poly(acrylonitriles), so-called poly(acrylamidoxime) resins, are suitable for the accumulation of uranium from natural seawater of pH = 8.1 to 8.3. Depending on the method of manufacture, these sorbers yield excellent uranium loadings up to some thousand ppM which roughly equals the average uranium content of actually explored uranium ores. The rate of uranium uptake, which is 5 to 30 ppM/d at room temperature, increases with increasing temperature of seawater. Uranium can be eluted by 1 M HCl with an elution efficiency of more than 90%. Owing to a certain instability of the uranium binding groups in acid eluants, the uranium uptake decreases with increasing number of sorption-elution cycles. Hydroxylamine derivatives of poly(acrylonitrile) are shown to contain simultaneously at least two kinds of functional groups: open-chain amidoxime groups which are stable and cyclic imidoxime groups which are unstable in 1 M HCl. Experimental evidence is presented that the uptake of uranium from natural seawater is closely related to the presence of cyclic imidoxime configurations in the polyacrylic lattice. Polystyrene and poly(glycidylmethacrylate)-based amidoxime and imide dioxime resins are less effective in extracting uranium from natural seawater. 10 figures, 4 tables

Microstructure and mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete in seawater environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Pengjun; Tan, Zhuoying; Guo, Zhiying

2013-01-01

This study aims to conduct research about the microstructure and basic properties of recycled aggregate concrete under seawater corrosion. Concrete specimens were fabricated and tested with different replacement percentages of 0%, 30%, and 60% after immersing in seawater for 4, 8, 12, and 16 months, respectively. The basic properties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) including the compressive strength, the elastic modulus, and chloride penetration depth were explicitly investigated. And the microstructure of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) was revealed to find the seawater corrosion by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that higher amount of the RCA means more porosity and less strength, which could lower both the compressive strength and resistance to chloride penetration. This research could be a guide in theoretical and numerical analysis for the design of RAC structures.

Identification and characterization of 1,4-dioxane-degrading microbe separated from surface seawater by the seawater-charcoal perfusion apparatus.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsui, Ryotaro; Takagi, Kazuhiro; Sakakibara, Futa; Abe, Tomoko; Shiiba, Kiwamu

2016-06-01

To determine the concentration of soluble 1,4-dioxane during biodegradation, a new method using of high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a hydrophilic interaction chromatography column was developed. The developed method enabled easy and rapid determination of 1,4-dioxane, even in saline medium. Microbes capable of degrading 1,4-dioxane were selected from the seawater samples by the seawater-charcoal perfusion apparatus. Among 32 candidate 1,4-dioxane degraders,, strain RM-31 exhibited the strongest 1,4-dioxane degradation ability. 16S rDNA sequencing and the similarity analysis of strain RM-31 suggested that this organism was most closely related to Pseudonocardia carboxydivorans. This species is similar to Pseudonocardia dioxanivorans, which has previously been reported as a 1,4-dioxane degrader. Strain RM-31 could degrade 300 mg/L within 2 days. As culture incubation times increasing, the residual 1,4-dioxane concentration was decreasing and the total protein contents extracted from growth cells were increasing. The optimum initial pH of the broth medium and incubation temperature for 1,4-dioxane degradation were pH 6-8 and 25 °C. The biodegradation rate of 1,4-dioxane by strain RM-31 at 25 °C in broth medium with 3 % NaCl was almost 20 % faster than that without NaCl. It was probably a first bacteria from the seawater that can exert a strong degrading ability.

Technical note: Examining ozone deposition over seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Surface layer resistance plays an important role in determining ozone deposition velocity over sea-water and can be influenced by chemical interactions at the air-water interface. Here, we examine the effect of chemical interactions of iodide, dimethylsulfide, dissolved organic c...

Concentrating cesium-137 from seawater using resorcinol-formaldehyde resin for radioecological monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egorin, Andrei; Tokar, Eduard; Tutov, Mikhail; Avramenko, Valentin [Institute of Chemistry FEBRAS, Vladivostok (Russian Federation); Far Eastern Federal Univ., Vladivostok (Russian Federation); Palamarchuk, Marina; Marinin, Dmitry [Institute of Chemistry FEBRAS, Vladivostok (Russian Federation)

2017-04-01

A method of preconcentrating cesium-137 from seawater using a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin, which enables one to optimize the ecological monitoring procedure, has been suggested. Studies of sorption of cesium-137 from seawater by resorcinol-formaldehyde resin have been performed, and it has been demonstrated that the cation exchanger is characterized by high selectivity with respect to cesium-137. It was found that the selectivity depended on the temperature of resin solidification and the seawater pH value. The maximal value of the cesium-137 distribution coefficient is equal to 4.1-4.5 x 10{sup 3} cm{sup 3} g{sup -1}. Under dynamic conditions, the ion-exchange resin capacity is 310-910 bed volumes depending on the seawater pH, whereas the efficiency of cesium removal exceeds 95%. The removal of more than 95% of cesium-137 has been attained using 1-3 M solutions of nitric acid: here, the eluate volume was 8-8.4 bed volumes. Application of 3 M solution of nitric acid results in resin degradation with the release of gaseous products.

Bioaccumulation of PCBs in the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis from seawater, sediment and food pathways

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Danis, B.; Bustamante, P.; Cotret, O.; Teyssie, J.L.; Fowler, S.W.; Warnau, M.

2005-01-01

The cuttlefish Sepia officinalis was selected as a model cephalopod to study PCB bioaccumulation via seawater, sediments and food. Newly hatched, juvenile cuttlefish were exposed for 17 days to environmentally realistic concentrations of 14 C-labeled 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB no. 153) (18 ng PCB l -1 seawater; 30 ng PCB g -1 dry wt sediments; Artemia salina exposed to 18 ng PCB l -1 seawater). Accumulation of PCB no. 153 was followed in three body compartments: digestive gland, cuttlebone and the combined remaining tissues. Results showed that (1) uptake kinetics were source- and body compartment-dependent, (2) for each body compartment, the accumulation was far greater when S. officinalis was exposed via seawater, (3) the cuttlebone accumulated little of the contaminant regardless of the source, and (4) the PCB congener showed a similar distribution pattern among the different body compartments following exposure to contaminated seawater, sediment or food with the lowest concentrations in the cuttlebone and the highest in the remaining tissues. The use of radiotracer techniques allowed delineating PCB kinetics in small whole organisms as well as in their separate tissues. The results underscore the enhanced ability of cephalopods to concentrate organic pollutants such as PCBs, and raise the question of potential risk to their predators in contaminated areas. - Bioaccumulation of PCBs by cuttlefish is studied, via seawater, sediments and their food

Flux patterns and membrane fouling propensity during desalination of seawater by forward osmosis

KAUST Repository

Li, Zhenyu; Yangali-Quintanilla, Victor; Valladares Linares, Rodrigo; Li, Qingyu; Zhan, Tong; Amy, Gary L.

2012-01-01

The membrane fouling propensity of natural seawater during forward osmosis was studied. Seawater from the Red Sea was used as the feed in a forward osmosis process while a 2. M sodium chloride solution was used as the draw solution. The process was conducted in a semi-batch mode under two crossflow velocities, 16.7. cm/s and 4.2. cm/s. For the first time reported, silica scaling was found to be the dominant inorganic fouling (scaling) on the surface of membrane active layer during seawater forward osmosis. Polymerization of dissolved silica was the major mechanism for the formation of silica scaling. After ten batches of seawater forward osmosis, the membrane surface was covered by a fouling layer of assorted polymerized silica clusters and natural organic matter, especially biopolymers. Moreover, the absorbed biopolymers also provided bacterial attachment sites. The accumulated organic fouling could be partially removed by water flushing while the polymerized silica was difficult to remove. The rate of flux decline was about 53% with a crossflow velocity of 16.7. cm/s while reaching more than 70% with a crossflow velocity of 4.2. cm/s. Both concentration polarization and fouling played roles in the decrease of flux. The salt rejection was stable at about 98% during seawater forward osmosis. In addition, an almost complete rejection of natural organic matter was attained. The results from this study are valuable for the design and development of a successful protocol for a pretreatment process before seawater forward osmosis and a cleaning method for fouled membranes. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Surfactant induced complex formation and their effects on the interfacial properties of seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzmán, Eduardo; Santini, Eva; Benedetti, Alessandro; Ravera, Francesca; Ferrari, Michele; Liggieri, Libero

2014-11-01

The effect of a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), on the interfacial properties of seawater has been studied by dynamic and equilibrium surface tension and by dilational rheology essays. Important modifications of the surface tension and dilational rheology response have been observed already at the very low CTAB concentrations, where the effects due to the high ionic strength are negligible. The comparison with the effects of CTAB in different seawater models, or in natural seawater fractions, points out the establishment of strong interactions between the surfactant molecules and the lipophilic fraction of organic material dispersed/dissolved in seawater, affecting the interfacial activity of the molecules. Considering the biochemical richness of seawater, these results can be explained assuming interaction mechanisms and adsorption schemes similar to those speculated for protein and other macromolecules in the presence of surfactants, which in fact show similar features. Thus already at the low concentrations the surfactant molecules form highly surface-active complexes with part of the organic fraction of seawater. At the larger surfactant concentrations these complexes compete for adsorption with an excess of free CTAB molecules which, according to the thermodynamic conditions, are most favoured to occupy the liquid interface. The results of this study underline the important role of the sea organic content in enhancing the surface-activity of surfactants, which is relevant for a deeper understand of the direct and indirect effects of these types of pollutants on the physico-chemical environment in the sea coastal areas and develop mitigation strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of bacteria in marine barite precipitation : A case study using Mediterranean seawater

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Torres-Crespo, N.; Martínez-Ruiz, F.; González-Muñoz, M. T.; Bedmar, E. J.; De Lange, G. J.; Jroundi, F.

2015-01-01

Marine bacteria isolated from natural seawater were used to test their capacity to promote barite precipitation under laboratory conditions. Seawater samples were collected in the western and eastern Mediterranean at 250. m and 200. m depths, respectively, since marine barite formation is thought to

Distributed Memory Parallel Computing with SEAWAT

Science.gov (United States)

Verkaik, J.; Huizer, S.; van Engelen, J.; Oude Essink, G.; Ram, R.; Vuik, K.

2017-12-01

Fresh groundwater reserves in coastal aquifers are threatened by sea-level rise, extreme weather conditions, increasing urbanization and associated groundwater extraction rates. To counteract these threats, accurate high-resolution numerical models are required to optimize the management of these precious reserves. The major model drawbacks are long run times and large memory requirements, limiting the predictive power of these models. Distributed memory parallel computing is an efficient technique for reducing run times and memory requirements, where the problem is divided over multiple processor cores. A new Parallel Krylov Solver (PKS) for SEAWAT is presented. PKS has recently been applied to MODFLOW and includes Conjugate Gradient (CG) and Biconjugate Gradient Stabilized (BiCGSTAB) linear accelerators. Both accelerators are preconditioned by an overlapping additive Schwarz preconditioner in a way that: a) subdomains are partitioned using Recursive Coordinate Bisection (RCB) load balancing, b) each subdomain uses local memory only and communicates with other subdomains by Message Passing Interface (MPI) within the linear accelerator, c) it is fully integrated in SEAWAT. Within SEAWAT, the PKS-CG solver replaces the Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) solver for solving the variable-density groundwater flow equation and the PKS-BiCGSTAB solver replaces the Generalized Conjugate Gradient (GCG) solver for solving the advection-diffusion equation. PKS supports the third-order Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme for computing advection. Benchmarks were performed on the Dutch national supercomputer (https://userinfo.surfsara.nl/systems/cartesius) using up to 128 cores, for a synthetic 3D Henry model (100 million cells) and the real-life Sand Engine model ( 10 million cells). The Sand Engine model was used to investigate the potential effect of the long-term morphological evolution of a large sand replenishment and climate change on fresh groundwater resources

Seawater strontium isotopes, acid rain, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Macdougall, J. D.

1988-01-01

A large bolide impact at the end of the Cretaceous would have produced significant amounts of nitrogen oxides by shock heating of the atmosphere. The resulting acid precipitation would have increased continental weathering greatly and could be an explanation for the observed high ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in seawater at about this time, due to the dissolution of large amounts of strontium from the continental crust. Spikes to high values in the seawater strontium isotope record at other times may reflect similar episodes.

Survival behaviour and virulence of the fish pathogen Vibrio ordalii in seawater microcosms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Pamela; Poblete-Morales, Matías; Irgang, Rute; Toranzo, Alicia E; Avendaño-Herrera, Ruben

2016-06-15

Vibrio ordalii, the causative agent of atypical vibriosis, is a Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacterium that severely affects the salmonid aquaculture industry. V. ordalii has been biochemically, antigenically and genetically characterized. However, studies on the survival behaviour of this bacterium in aquatic environments are scarce, and there is no information regarding its disease transmission and infectious abilities outside of the fish host or regarding water as a possible reservoir. The present study investigated the survival behaviour of V. ordalii Vo-LM-06 and Vo-LM-18 in sterile and non-sterile seawater microcosms. After a year in sterile seawater without nutrients, 1% of both V. ordalii strains survived (~10(3) colony-forming units ml(-1)), and long-term maintenance did not affect bacterial biochemical or genetic properties. Additionally, V. ordalii maintained for 60 d in sterile seawater remained infective in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. However, after 2 d of natural seawater exposure, this bacterium became non-culturable, indicating that autochthonous microbiota may play an important role in survival. Recuperation assays that added fresh medium to non-sterile microcosms did not favour V. ordalii recovery on solid media. Our results contribute towards a better understanding of V. ordalii survival behaviour in seawater ecosystems.

Monitoring of uranium isotopes in seaweeds and seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meena, Balram; Mehendarge, S.T.; Baburajan, A.; Rao, D.D.

2012-01-01

The paper deals with the concentration of uranium in seawater and different types of seaweed found along the coast line of Tarapur marine environment. The seaweeds are the trend indicators of heavy metals and radionuclides present in the aquatic environment. Seaweeds also serve as a food to the marine organisms and thus can enter the human being through food chain. The higher concentration of uranium in seafood may have radiological impact on human health. The Tarapur Atomic Power Station is adjoined to the sea and has a rocky surface area, which act as a good dwelling for the growth and survival of marine biota. In present study, separation and measurements were made to determine the uranium concentration in seaweed seawater at Tarapur coastal environment

Physiological responses of coccolithophores to abrupt exposure of naturally low pH deep seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Iglesias-Rodriguez, Maria Debora; Jones, Bethan M; Blanco-Ameijeiras, Sonia; Greaves, Mervyn; Huete-Ortega, Maria; Lebrato, Mario

2017-01-01

Upwelling is the process by which deep, cold, relatively high-CO2, nutrient-rich seawater rises to the sunlit surface of the ocean. This seasonal process has fueled geoengineering initiatives to fertilize the surface ocean with deep seawater to enhance productivity and thus promote the drawdown of CO2. Coccolithophores, which inhabit many upwelling regions naturally 'fertilized' by deep seawater, have been investigated in the laboratory in the context of ocean acidification to determine the extent to which nutrients and CO2 impact their physiology, but few data exist in the field except from mesocosms. Here, we used the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (north Atlantic Ocean) Observatory to retrieve seawater from depths with elevated CO2 and nutrients, mimicking geoengineering approaches. We tested the effects of abrupt natural deep seawater fertilization on the physiology and biogeochemistry of two strains of Emiliania huxleyi of known physiology. None of the strains tested underwent cell divisions when incubated in waters obtained from seawater from ~1,000 m (pH = 7.9; CO2 ~560 p.p.m.; 14-17 μM nitrate) and ~4,800 m (pH = 7.9; CO2 ~600 p.p.m.; 21 μM nitrate). Emiliania huxleyi strain CCMP 88E showed no differences in growth rate or in cellular content or production rates of particulate organic (POC) and inorganic (PIC) carbon and cellular particulate organic nitrogen (PON) between treatments using water from 1,000 m and 4,800 m. However, despite the N:P ratio of seawater being comparable in water from ~1,000 and ~4,800 m, the PON production rates were three times lower in one incubation using water from ~1,000 m compared to values observed in water from ~4,800 m. Thus, the POC:PON ratios were threefold higher in cells that were incubated in ~1,000 m seawater. The heavily calcified strain NZEH exhibited lower growth rates and PIC production rates when incubated in water from ~4,800 m compared to ~1,000 m, while cellular PIC, POC and PON were higher in water from 4,800 m

Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Dietz, Travis [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Tsinas, Zois [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Tomaszewski, Claire [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Pazos, Ileana M. [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Nigliazzo, Olga [The Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC (United States); Li, Weixing [The Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC (United States); Adel-Hadadi, Mohamad [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Barkatt, Aaron [Univ. of Palermo (Italy)

2016-04-01

Even at a concentration of 3 μg/L, the world’s oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s. Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method’s complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence and will extend the quantity of

New insight into the ternary complexes of uranyl carbonate in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Beccia, M R; Matara-Aho, M; Reeves, B; Roques, J; Solari, P L; Monfort, M; Moulin, C; Den Auwer, C

2017-11-01

Uranium is naturally present in seawater at trace levels and may in some cases be present at higher concentrations, due to anthropogenic nuclear activities. Understanding uranium speciation in seawater is thus essential for predicting and controlling its behavior in this specific environmental compartment and consequently, its possible impact on living organisms. The carbonato calcic complex Ca 2 UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 was previously identified as the main uranium species in natural seawater, together with CaUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- . In this work, we further investigate the role of the alkaline earth cation in the structure of the ternary uranyl-carbonate complexes. For this purpose, artificial seawater, free of Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , using Sr 2+ as a spectroscopic probe was prepared. Combining TRLIF and EXAFS spectroscopy, together with DFT and theoretical thermodynamic calculations, evidence for the presence of Sr alkaline earth counter ion in the complex structure can be asserted. Furthermore, data suggest that when Ca 2+ is replaced by Sr 2+ , SrUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- is the main complex in solution and it occurs with the presence of at least one monodentate carbonate in the uranyl coordination sphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting and measurement of pH of seawater reverse osmosis concentrates

KAUST Repository

Waly, Tarek

2011-10-01

The pH of seawater reverse osmosis plants (SWRO) is the most influential parameter in determining the degree of supersaturation of CaCO3 in the concentrate stream. For this, the results of pH measurements of the concentrate of a seawater reverse osmosis pilot plant were compared with pH calculations based on the CO2-HCO3 --CO3 2- system equilibrium equations. Results were compared with two commercial software programs from membrane suppliers and also the software package Phreeqc. Results suggest that the real concentrate pH is lower than that of the feed and that none of the used programs was able to predict correctly real pH values. In addition, the effect of incorporating the acidity constant calculated for NaCl medium or seawater medium showed a great influence on the concentrate pH determination. The HCO3 - and CO3 2- equilibrium equation using acidity constants developed for seawater medium was the only method able to predict correctly the concentrate pH. The outcome of this study indicated that the saturation level of the concentrate was lower than previously anticipated. This was confirmed by shutting down the acid and the antiscalants dosing without any signs of scaling over a period of 12 months. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Seawater State Variables in Hatchery and Raceway Tanks

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Ambient seawater temperature and salinity was recorded on an intermittent basis for comparison with adjusted temperatures used in the aquaculture of bivalves

Development of an Assessment Procedure for Seawater Intrusion Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Hsi Ting, F.; Yih Chi, T.

2017-12-01

The Pingtung Plain is one of the areas with extremely plentiful groundwater resources in Taiwan. Due to that the application of the water resource is restricted by significant variation of precipitation between wet and dry seasons, groundwater must be used as a recharge source to implement the insufficient surface water resource during dry seasons. In recent years, the coastal aquaculture rises, and the over withdrawn of groundwater by private well results in fast drop of groundwater level. Then it causes imbalance of groundwater supply and leads to serious seawater intrusion in the coastal areas. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated numerical model of groundwater resources and seawater intrusion. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), MODFLOW and MT3D models were applied to analyze the variation of the groundwater levels and salinity concentration to investigate the correlation of parameters, which are used to the model applications in order to disposal saltwater intrusion. The data of groundwater levels, pumping capacity and hydrogeological data to were collected to build an integrated numerical model. Firstly, we will collect the information of layered aquifer and the data of hydrological parameters to build the groundwater numerical model at Pingtung Plain, and identify the amount of the groundwater which flow into the sea. In order to deal with the future climate change conditions or extreme weather conditions, we will consider the recharge with groundwater model to improve the seawater intrusion problem. The integrated numerical model which describes that seawater intrusion to deep confined aquifers and shallow unsaturated aquifers. Secondly, we will use the above model to investigate the weights influenced by different factors to the amount area of seawater intrusion, and predict the salinity concentration distribution of evaluation at coastal area of Pingtung Plain. Finally, we will simulate groundwater recharge/ injection at the coastal

Changing of Sumatra backswamp peat properties by seawater and zeolite application

Science.gov (United States)

Sarifuddin; Nasution, Z.; Rauf, A.; Mulyanto, B.

2018-02-01

This research attempts to improve the properties of backswamp peatsoil originated from Asahan District, North Sumatra Indonesia by adding sea water and zeolite using factorial randomized block design with volume of sea water as first factor, consisting of without seawater, 500 ml, 1000 ml and 1500 ml and second factor are dosages of zeolite consisting of without zeolite, 100 g, 200 g each 10 kgs of wet peat soil. at green house in faculty of agriculture University of Sumatra Utara (USU) Medan, Indonesia. The result showed that the application of seawater decreased pH, C/N and Cation Exchange Capacity and increased of base saturation of peat soil. Adding of zeolite minerals can buffered the increasing of acidity and Electric Conductivity caused by sea water application. Interaction seawater + zeolite decreased of C/N and increased of percent of base saturation.

Geophysics and geochemistry techniques in seawater intrusion monitoring and mapping at Kerpan, Kedah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bashillah Baharuddin; Nazrul Hizam Yusoff; Abdul Rahim Samsudin

2002-01-01

Lately, groundwater contamination has become a public concern. Seawater intrusion is not a new issue, and only it started to magnetize attention from lots of parties since at also a contributor to groundwater contamination. Therefore a study about seawater intrusion is carried out and the selected area is Kerpan, Kedah. This information is useful particularly in agriculture because any contamination that cause by chlorine (seawater) intrusion can affect crops production. For Kerpan Project, two modernized electric resistivity survey instruments, the Terrameter SAS 4000 and SAS 300C are used which provide image profiles. This profiles have the capability to access a comprehensive geological interpretation by examine subsurface electric characteristics such as resistivity, permittivity and chargeability (John, 1997). At Kerpan, Kedah a study about salinity in canals was also carried out to monitor if there is any seawater intrusion that can get through the canals. The study was done since that the canals are directly to the sea. Instrument for this study is STD 12-plus. (Author)

Removal of oil pollutants in seawater as pretreatment of reverse osmosis desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen Jian; Nishijima, Wataru; Baes, Aloysius U.; Okada, Mitsumasa [Hiroshima Univ., Environmental Science Dept., Hiroshima (Japan); Kitanaka, Atsushi [Fuji-Electric Corporate Research and Development Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan)

1999-11-01

Weathered oil contaminated seawater (WOCS) was used to investigate the behaviour of soluble oil components in seawater in various pretreatment processes for removal of oil pollutants in seawater. The various pretreatment processes were a reverse osmosis desalination process in combination with advanced oxidation processes, ultrafiltration, coagulation, GAC adsorption, biological treatment and separation with a low pressure RO membrane. WOCS was prepared by mixing oil, nutrients and fresh seawater which was exposed to sunlight to simulate photooxidation and microbial degradation of oil in the marine environment. It was found that WOCS contained soluble components with relatively small molecular size, which are refractory to biodegradation and difficult to remove by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), UF membrane or coagulation using FeCl{sub 3} or PAC as flocculants. However, DOC in WOCS (OCWOCS) was easily adsorbed to GAC. Low pressure RO membranes with higher salt rejection rate could remove more OCWOCS compared to those of lower salt rejection rate. (Author)

Removal of oil pollutants in seawater as pretreatment of reverse osmosis desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wen Jian; Nishijima, Wataru; Baes, Aloysius U.; Okada, Mitsumasa [Hiroshima Univ., Environmental Science Dept., Hiroshima (Japan); Kitanaka, Atsushi [Fuji-Electric Corporate Research and Development Ltd., Yokosuka, Kanagawa (Japan)

1999-07-01

Weathered oil contaminated seawater (WOCS) was used to investigate the behaviour of soluble oil components in seawater in various pretreatment processes for removal of oil pollutants in seawater. The various pretreatment processes were a reverse osmosis desalination process in combination with advanced oxidation processes, ultrafiltration, coagulation, GAC adsorption, biological treatment and separation with a low pressure RO membrane. WOCS was prepared by mixing oil, nutrients and fresh seawater which was exposed to sunlight to simulate photooxidation and microbial degradation of oil in the marine environment. It was found that WOCS contained soluble components with relatively small molecular size, which are refractory to biodegradation and difficult to remove by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), UF membrane or coagulation using FeCl{sub 3} or PAC as flocculants. However, DOC in WOCS (OCWOCS) was easily adsorbed to GAC. Low pressure RO membranes with higher salt rejection rate could remove more OCWOCS compared to those of lower salt rejection rate. (Author)

Impact of seawater carbonate chemistry on the calcification of marine bivalves

OpenAIRE

Thomsen Jörn; Haynert Kristin; Wegner K Mathias; Melzner Frank

2015-01-01

Bivalve calcification, particular of the early larval stages is highly sensitive to the change of ocean carbonate chemistry resulting from atmospheric CO2 uptake. Earlier studies suggested that declining seawater [CO32−] and thereby lowered carbonate saturation affect shell production. However, disturbances of physiological processes such as acid-base regulation by adverse seawater pCO2 and pH can affect calcification in a secondary fashion. In order to determine the e...

Model for the Assessment of Seawater Environmental Quality Based on Multiobjective Variable Fuzzy Set Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lina Ke

2013-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of marine economy industry, the activities for exploring and exploiting the marine resources are increasing, and there are more and more marine construction projects, which contribute to the growing trend of eutrophication and frequent occurrence of red tide. Thus, seawater quality has become the topic which the people generally cared about. The seawater quality evaluation could be considered as an analysis process which combined the evaluation indexes with certainty and evaluation factors with uncertainty and its changes. This paper built a model for the assessment of seawater environmental quality based on the multiobjective variable fuzzy set theory (VFEM. The Qingdao marine dumping site in China is taken as an evaluation example. Through the quantitative research of water-quality data from 2004 to 2008, the model is more reliable than other traditional methods, in which uncertainty and ambiguity of the seawater quality evaluation are considered, and trade the stable results as the final results of seawater quality evaluation, which effectively solved the impact of the fuzzy boundary of evaluation standard and monitoring error, is more suitable for evaluation of a multi-index, multilevel, and nonlinear marine environment system and has been proved to be an effective tool for seawater quality evaluation.

Development of pre-concentration procedure for the determination of Hg isotope ratios in seawater samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Štrok, Marko; Hintelmann, Holger; Dimock, Brian

2014-12-03

Hg concentrations in seawater are usually too low to allow direct (without pre-concentration and removal of salt matrix) measurement of its isotope ratios with multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). Therefore, a new method for the pre-concentration of Hg from large volumes of seawater was developed. The final method allows for relatively fast (about 2.5Lh(-1)) and quantitative pre-concentration of Hg from seawater samples with an average Hg recovery of 98±6%. Using this newly developed method we determined Hg isotope ratios in seawater. Reference seawater samples were compared to samples potentially impacted by anthropogenic activity. The results show negative mass dependent fractionation relative to the NIST 3133 Hg standard with δ(202)Hg values in the range from -0.50‰ to -1.50‰. In addition, positive mass independent fractionation of (200)Hg was observed for samples from reference sites, while impacted sites did not show significant Δ(200)Hg values. Although the influence of the impacted sediments is limited to the seawater and particulate matter in very close proximity to the sediment, this observation may raise the possibility of using Δ(200)Hg to distinguish between samples from impacted and reference sites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of corrosion behavior of carbon steel under seawater film using the wire beam electrode method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Zaijian; Wang, Wei; Wang, Jia; Peng, Xin; Wang, Yanhua; Zhang, Penghui; Wang, Haijie; Gao, Congjie

2014-01-01

Corrosion behavior of carbon steel under seawater film with various thickness was investigated by the wire beam electrode (WBE) method. It was found that the corrosion rate of carbon steel increased significantly under thin seawater film than it was immersed in seawater. The current variation under seawater film indicated that the thickness of diffusion layer of oxygen was about 500 μm, and the maximal current appeared around 40 μm, at which corrosion rate transited from cathodic control to anodic control. The results suggest that WBE method is helpful to study the corrosion process under thin electrolyte film

Fission product separation from seawater by electrocoagulation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitagaki, T.; Hoshino, T.; Sambommatsu, Y.; Yano, K.; Takeuchi, M.; Igarashi, T.; Suzuki, T.

2013-01-01

At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, seawater was urgently injected into the reactor core. Therefore a large amount of seawater containing highly radioactive fission products (FP) accumulated and its treatment has been a serious problem. FP such as Cs, Sr and I in water are generally removed by an ion exchanger such as zeolite and separated with column or chemical precipitation methods. An alternative electrocoagulation method, which efficiently separates fine particles from the liquid phase without a chemical reagent is expected to be part of a useful separation system that can reduce the amount of waste, decrease processing time and simplify the process. In this study, powdered adsorbents, such as ferrocyanide and zeolite, were added to seawater containing simulated FP, and the electrocoagulation effect with Al alloy electrodes were investigated. More than 99 % of Cs and 90 % of I were removed by potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate(II) and silver zeolite, respectively. Sedimentation was promoted by electrocoagulation and addition of an inorganic cohesion promoter further increased the sedimentation rate. Moreover, rapid dissolution reaction with heating of the aggregation substance was not observed, so the thermal risk of aqueous processing of it would be low. In addition, thermal analyses showed that the electrocoagulation process did not lead to thermal decomposition. Therefore, if the electrocoagulation method is applied to a decontamination system, it has the potential to thermally stabilize and reduce waste. (author)

Influence of fuel costs on seawater desalination options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Methnani, Mabrouk

2007-01-01

Reference estimates of seawater desalination costs for recent mega projects are all quoted in the range of US$0.50/m 3 . This however does not reflect the recent trends of escalating fossil fuel costs. In order to analyze the effect of these trends, a recently updated version of the IAEA Desalination Economic Evaluation Program, DEEP-3, has been used to compare fossil and nuclear seawater desalination options, under varied fuel cost and interest rate scenarios. Results presented for a gas combined-cycle and a modular high-temperature gas-cooled reactor design, show clear cost advantages for the latter, for both Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) and Reverse Osmosis (RO). Water production cost estimates for the Brayton cycle nuclear option are hardly affected by fuel costs, while combined cycle seawater desalination costs show an increase of more than 40% when fuel costs are doubled. For all cases run, the nuclear desalination costs are lower and if the current trend in fossil fuel prices continues as predicted by pessimist scenarios and the carbon tax carried by greenhouse emissions is enforced in the future, the cost advantage for nuclear desalination will be even more pronounced. Increasing the interest rate from 5 to 8% has a smaller effect than fuel cost variations. It translates into a water cost increase in the range of 10-20%, with the nuclear option being the more sensitive. (author)

Impact of Seawater Nonlinearities on Nordic Seas Circulation

Science.gov (United States)

Helber, R. W.; Wallcraft, A. J.; Shriver, J. F.

2017-12-01

The Nordic Seas (Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian Seas) form an ocean basin important for Arctic-mid-latitude climate linkages. Cold fresh water from the Arctic Ocean and warm salty water from the North Atlantic Ocean meet in the Nordic Seas, where a delicate balance between temperature and salinity variability results in deep water formation. Seawater non-linearities are stronger at low temperatures and salinities making high-latitude oceans highly subject to thermbaricity and cabbeling. This presentation highlights and quantifies the impact of seawater non-linearities on the Nordic Seas circulation. We use two layered ocean circulation models, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYOCM) and the Modular Ocean Model version 6 (MOM6), that enable accurate representation of processes along and across density or neutral density surfaces. Different equations-of-state and vertical coordinates are evaluated to clarify the impact of seawater non-linearities. Present Navy systems, however, do not capture some features in the Nrodic Seas vertical structure. For example, observations from the Greenland Sea reveal a subsurface temperature maximum that deepens from approximately 1500 m during 1998 to 1800 m during 2005. We demonstrate that in terms of density, salinity is the largest source of error in Nordic Seas Navy forecasts, regional scale models can represent mesoscale features driven by thermobaricity, vertical coordinates are a critical issue in Nordic Sea circulation modeling.

Seawater corrosion tests for low-level radioactive waste drum containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maeda, Sho; Wadachi, Yoshiki

1985-11-01

This report is a part of corrosion tests of drums under various environmental conditions (seawater, river water, coastal sand, inland soil and indoor and outdoor atmosphere) done at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute sponsored by the Science and Technology Agency. The corrosion tests were started in November, 1977 and complated at March, 1984. This report describes the results of the seawater corrosion tests which are part of the final report, ''Corrosion Safety Demonstration Test'' (Japanese), and it is expected to contribute the safety assessment of sea dumping of low-level radioactive waste packages. (author)

Determination of 226Ra and 228Ra in surface seawater around Sagami bay and its vicinity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano-Ohta, T.; Kubota, T.; Mahara, Y.; Yoshikawa, M.; Sato, J.

2006-01-01

Activity ratios of 228 Ra/ 226 Ra in surface seawaters were observed at 5 ports of Izu-Oshima, Ajiro port of Sagami bay and Umizuri park of Tokyo bay. The 228 Ra/ 226 Ra activity ratio in surface seawaters were from 0.2 to 0.7 for Izu-Oshima, from 0.2 to 0.7 for Ajiro port and from 0.6 to 0.8 for Tokyo bay. The activity ratio in surface seawaters of Izu-Oshima and Atami of Sagami bay showed lower in spring and highly in autumn, while narrow variation pattern was observed in Umizuri park of Tokyo bay. The observed variation patterns of 228 Ra/ 226 Ra in surface seawaters at Izu-oshima, Ajiro park and Umizuri park may be reflected by difference of contribution from amount of seawater far off coast with low 228 Ra concentration. (author)

Application of vacuum-assisted closure in seawater-immersed wound treatment under different negative pressures.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, L; Peng, M M; Sun, J J; Yu, X C; Shi, B

2015-06-11

The therapeutic effect of vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) has been confirmed in many types of complex wounds, but there are few relevant reports regarding seawater-immersed wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of VAC on seawater-immersed wound healing under different negative pressures and explore the optimal negative pressure value. Four purebred miniature pigs were used as the experimental animal models. Four acute, symmetrical wounds were made on each side of the spine and designated as the experimental group (wounds with 2 h of seawater immersion) and the control group (wounds without seawater immersion). Wounds were divided into a conventional dressing group and 3 further groups with different VAC therapies (negative pressure at either 120, 180, or 240 mmHg). The extent of wound healing, and speed of granulation growth and re-epithelialization were measured. Bacterial flora distribution in the wounds was observed, and fibronectin levels in the exudate of the wounds were tested. Results showed that seawater immersion aggravated wound injury and that VAC therapy with 180 mmHg negative pressure induced the fastest epidermis migration, obvious edema elimination, significant capillary proliferation, and the highest level of fibronectin, and that in wounds, the proportion of Gram-negative bacteria tended to decrease and that of Gram-positive bacteria tended to increase. Our results show that VAC promotes seawater-immersed wound healing and that 180 mmHg negative pressure may be optimal for wound healing.

Seawater-based wastewater accelerates development of aerobic granular sludge: A laboratory proof-of-concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiling; Luo, Jinghai; Guo, Gang; Mackey, Hamish R; Hao, Tianwei; Chen, Guanghao

2017-05-15

This study aimed to develop an aerobic granular sludge process for the efficient treatment of highly saline wastewater and understand the granulation process in a seawater-based multi-ion matrix. Five identical sequencing batch airlift reactors (SBARs) are used to treat synthetic saline sewage with different proportions of real seawater (0%-100%). The results confirm that aerobic granular sludge can be successfully developed with various proportions of seawater up to 100% and show that seawater not only significantly accelerates granulation but also generates stronger granular structures than does freshwater. The increased presence of gel-forming alginate-like exopolysaccharides in the granules explains why a greater proportion of seawater leads to higher density and improves the cohesive strength of the granules. SEM-EDX analysis further revealed substantial presence of both Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ phosphate in the granule core as well as in the outer layers providing extra bridging forces in addition to alginate-like exopolysaccharides for accelerating the granule formation and maintaining the structure. It is hoped that this work could explore another approach for saline sewage treatment and bring some clues for the mystery of granulation mechanism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bicarbonate Elution of Uranium from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Horng-Bin [Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844 USA; Wai, Chien M. [Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho 83844 USA; Kuo, Li-Jung [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Marine Sciences Laboratory, Sequim, Washington 98382 USA; Gill, Gary [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Marine Sciences Laboratory, Sequim, Washington 98382 USA; Tian, Guoxin [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 USA; Rao, Linfeng [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 USA; Das, Sadananda [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 USA; Mayes, Richard T. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 USA; Janke, Christopher J. [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 USA

2017-05-02

Uranium adsorbed on amidoxime-based polyethylene fibers in simulated seawater can be quantitatively eluted using 3 M KHCO3 at 40°C. Thermodynamic calculations are in agreement with the experimental observation that at high bicarbonate concentrations (3 M) uranyl ions bound to amidoxime molecules are converted to uranyl tris-carbonato complex in the aqueous solution. The elution process is basically the reverse reaction of the uranium adsorption process which occurs at a very low bicarbonate concentration (~10-3 M) in seawater. In real seawater experiments, the bicarbonate elution is followed by a NaOH treatment to remove natural organic matter adsorbed on the polymer adsorbent. Using the sequential bicarbonate and NaOH elution, the adsorbent is reusable after rinsing with deionized water and the recycled adsorbent shows no loss of uranium loading capacity based on real seawater experiments.

Extraction of uranium from seawater: evaluation of uranium resources and plant siting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodman, M.R.; Gordon, L.I.; Chen, A.C.T.

1979-02-01

This report deals with the evaluation of U.S. coastal waters as a uranium resource and with the selection of a suitable site for construction of a large-scale plant for uranium extraction. Evaluation of the resource revealed that although the concentration of uranium is quite low, about 3.3 ppB in seawater of average oceanic salinity, the amount present in the total volume of the oceans is very great, some 4.5 billion metric tons. Of this, perhaps only that uranium contained in the upper 100 meters or so of the surface well-mixed layer should be considered accessible for recovery, some 160 million tonnes. The study indicated that open ocean seawater acquired for the purpose of uranium extraction would be a more favorable resource than rivers entering the sea, cooling water of power plants, or the feed or effluent streams of existing plants producing other products such as magnesium, bromine, or potable and/or agricultural water from seawater. Various considerations led to the selection of a site for a pumped seawater coastal plant at a coastal location. Puerto Yabucoa, Puerto Rico was selected. Recommendations are given for further studies. 21 figures, 8 tables

Extraction of uranium from seawater: evaluation of uranium resources and plant siting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodman, M.R.; Gordon, L.I.; Chen, A.C.T.

1979-02-01

This report deals with the evaluation of U.S. coastal waters as a uranium resource and with the selection of a suitable site for construction of a large-scale plant for uranium extraction. Evaluation of the resource revealed that although the concentration of uranium is quite low, about 3.3 ppB in seawater of average oceanic salinity, the amount present in the total volume of the oceans is very great, some 4.5 billion metric tons. Of this, perhaps only that uranium contained in the upper 100 meters or so of the surface well-mixed layer should be considered accessible for recovery, some 160 million tonnes. The study indicated that open ocean seawater acquired for the purpose of uranium extraction would be a more favorable resource than rivers entering the sea, cooling water of power plants, or the feed or effluent streams of existing plants producing other products such as magnesium, bromine, or potable and/or agricultural water from seawater. Various considerations led to the selection of a site for a pumped seawater coastal plant at a coastal location. Puerto Yabucoa, Puerto Rico was selected. Recommendations are given for further studies. 21 figures, 8 tables.

Extraction of uranium from seawater: a few facts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guidez Joel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Although uranium concentration in seawater is only about 3 micrograms per liter, the quantity of uranium dissolved in the world's oceans is estimated to amount to 4.5 billion tonnes of uranium metal (tU. In contrast, the current conventional terrestrial resource is estimated to amount to about 17 million tU. However, for a number of reasons the extraction of significant amounts of uranium from seawater remains today more a dream than a reality. Firstly, pumping the seawater to extract this uranium would need more energy than what could be produced with the recuperated uranium. Then if trying to use existing industrial flow rates, as for example on a nuclear power plant, it appears that the annual possible quantity remains very low. In fact huge quantities of water must be treated. To produce the annual world uranium consumption (around 65,000 tU, it would need at least to extract all uranium of 2 × 1013 tonnes of seawater, the volume equivalent of the entire North Sea. In fact only the great ocean currents are providing without pumping these huge quantities, and the idea is to try to extract even very partially this uranium. For example Japan, which used before the Fukushima accident about 8,000 tU by year, sees about 5.2 million tU passing every year, in the ocean current Kuro Shio in which it lies. A lot of research works have been published on the studies of adsorbents immersed in these currents. Then, after submersion, these adsorbents are chemically treated to recuperate the uranium. Final quantities remain very low in comparison of the complex and costly operations to be done in sea. One kilogram of adsorbent, after one month of submersion, yields about 2 g of uranium and the adsorbent can only be used six times due to decreasing efficiency. The industrial extrapolation exercise made for the extraction of 1,200 tU/year give with these values a very costly installation installed on more than 1000 km2 of sea with a

Desalting seawater and brackish waters: 1981 cost update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, S.A.

1982-08-01

This is the fourth in a series of desalting cost update reports. Cost data are reported for desalting seawater by various distillation systems and by reverse osmosis. Costs of desalting four brackish waters, representative of those found in the United States by both reverse osmosis and electrodialysis are also given. Cost data are presented parametrically as a function of energy cost and plant size. The cost of desalting seawater by distillation has increased by 40% during the past two years, while desalting by reverse osmosis has increased by about 36% during the same period. Brackish water desalting by reverse osmosis has only increased by about 12%, and brackish water desalting by electrodialysis is up by 40%. Again, the continued increase in energy costs has had a major impact on all desalination systems

Preparation of Pt deposited nanotubular TiO2 as cathodes for enhanced photoelectrochemical hydrogen production using seawater electrolytes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Wonsik; Oh, Seichang; Joo, Hyunku; Yoon, Jaekyung

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop effective cathodes to increase the production of hydrogen and use the seawater, an abundant resource in the earth as the electrolyte in photoelectrochemical systems. In order to fabricate the Pt/TiO 2 cathodes, various contents of the Pt precursor (0-0.4 wt%) deposited by the electrodeposition method were used. On the basis of the hydrogen evolution rate, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO 2 was observed to exhibit the best performance among the various Pt/TiO 2 cathodes with the natural seawater and two concentrated seawater electrolytes obtained from single (nanofiltration) and combined membrane (nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) processes. The surface characterizations exhibited that crystal structures and morphological properties of Pt and TiO 2 found the results of XRD pattern and SEM/TEM images, respectively. - Graphical abstract: On the basis of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO 2 was observed to exhibit the best performance among the various Pt/TIO 2 cathodes with natural seawater. In comparison of hydrogen evolution rate with various seawater electrolytes, 0.2 wt% Pt/TiO 2 was found to show the better performance as cathode with the concentrated seawater electrolytes obtained from membrane. Highlights: → Pt deposited TiO 2 electrodes are used as cathode in PEC H 2 production. → Natural and concentrated seawater by membranes are used as electrolytes in PEC. → Pt/TiO 2 shows a good performance as cathode with seawater electrolytes. → H 2 evolution rate increases with more concentrated seawater electrolyte. → Highly saline seawater is useful resource for H 2 production.

Biodegradation of n-alkanes on oil-seawater interfaces at different temperatures and microbial communities associated with the degradation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lofthus, Synnøve; Netzer, Roman; Lewin, Anna S; Heggeset, Tonje M B; Haugen, Tone; Brakstad, Odd Gunnar

2018-04-01

Oil biodegradation studies have mainly focused on microbial processes in dispersions, not specifically on the interfaces between the oil and the seawater in the dispersions. In this study, a hydrophobic adsorbent system, consisting of Fluortex fabrics, was used to investigate biodegradation of n-alkanes and microbial communities on oil-seawater interfaces in natural non-amended seawater. The study was performed over a temperature range from 0 to 20 °C, to determine how temperature affected biodegradation at the oil-seawater interfaces. Biodegradation of n-alkanes were influenced both by seawater temperature and chain-length. Biotransformation rates of n-alkanes decreased by reduced seawater temperature. Low rate coefficients at a seawater temperature of 0 °C were probably associated with changes in physical-chemical properties of alkanes. The primary bacterial colonization of the interfaces was predominated by the family Oceanospirillaceae at all temperatures, demonstrating the wide temperature range of these hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. The mesophilic genus Oleibacter was predominant at the seawater temperature of 20 °C, and the psychrophilic genus Oleispira at 5 and 0 °C. Upon completion of n-alkane biotransformation, other oil-degrading and heterotrophic bacteria became abundant, including Piscirickettsiaceae (Cycloclasticus), Colwelliaceae (Colwellia), Altermonadaceae (Altermonas), and Rhodobacteraceae. This is one of a few studies that describe the biodegradation of oil, and the microbial communities associated with the degradation, directly at the oil-seawater interfaces over a large temperature interval.

The airborne lava-seawater interaction plume at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

Science.gov (United States)

Edmonds, M.; Gerlach, T.M.

2006-01-01

Lava flows into the sea at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, and generates an airborne gas and aerosol plume. Water (H2O), hydrogen chloride (HCl), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) gases were quantified in the plume in 2004–2005, using Open Path Fourier Transform infra-red Spectroscopy. The molar abundances of these species and thermodynamic modelling are used to discuss their generation. The range in molar HCl / H2O confirms that HCl is generated when seawater is boiled dry and magnesium salts are hydrolysed (as proposed by [T.M. Gerlach, J.L. Krumhansl, R.O. Fournier, J. Kjargaard, Acid rain from the heating and evaporation of seawater by molten lava: a new volcanic hazard, EOS (Trans. Am. Geophys. Un.) 70 (1989) 1421–1422]), in contrast to models of Na-metasomatism. Airborne droplets of boiled seawater brine form nucleii for subsequent H2O and HCl condensation, which acidifies the droplets and liberates CO2 gas from bicarbonate and carbonate. NO2 is derived from the thermal decomposition of nitrates in coastal seawater, which takes place as the lava heats droplets of boiled seawater brine to 350–400 °C. SO2 is derived from the degassing of subaerial lava flows on the coastal plain. The calculated mass flux of HCl from a moderate-sized ocean entry significantly increases the total HCl emission at Kīlauea (including magmatic sources) and is comparable to industrial HCl emitters in the United States. For larger lava ocean entries, the flux of HCl will cause intense local environmental hazards, such as high localised HCl concentrations and acid rain.

Flux dependency of particulate/colloidal fouling in seawater reverse osmosis systems

KAUST Repository

Salinas Rodríguez, S. G.

2012-01-01

Fouling is the main operational problem in seawater reverse osmosis systems (SWRO). Particulate fouling is traditionally measured through the silt density index (SDI) and through the modified fouling index (MFI). In recent years, ultrafiltration membranes were used successfully at constant flux-MFI-UF-to measure particulate/colloidal fouling potential and tested in sea water applications. Furthermore, constant flux operation allows predicting the rate of fouling in RO systems. The objectives of this study are: (1) to measure the flux effect in MFI-UF with different membranes (100, 30 and 10 kDa) for raw seawater and pre-treated water before reverse osmosis in three different locations; (2) to study the particulate and colloidal fouling potential of seawater in reverse osmosis systems; (3) to project the increase in pressure due to cake resistance in reverse osmosis systems. In this research, flat ultrafiltration membranes (100, 50, 30 and 10 kDa) are used in a con- stant flux filtration mode to test and compare real seawaters from various locations (North and Mediterranean Sea) and from various full scale facilities including different pre-treatments (i.e., ultrafiltration and coagulation + dual media filtration). The operated fluxes range from 350 down to values close to real RO operation, 15l(m2h)-1. After each filtration test, the MFI-UF is calculated to assess the particulate fouling potential. The obtained results showed that: (1) the particulate and colloidal fouling potential is directly proportional to the applied flux during filtration. This proportionality is related to the compression of the cake deposit occurring at high flux values; (2) the higher the flux, the higher the required pressure, the less porous the cake and therefore the higher the specific cake resistance; (3) particulate and colloidal fouling potential of seawater is site specific and is influenced by pre-treatment. © 2012 Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

Improvement of 137Cs analysis in small volume seawater samples using the Ogoya underground facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, K.; Komura, K.; Kanazawa University, Ishikawa; Aoyama, M.; Igarashi, Y.

2008-01-01

137 Cs in seawater is one of the most powerful tracers of water motion. Large volumes of samples have been required for determination of 137 Cs in seawater. This paper describes improvement of separation and purification processes of 137 Cs in seawater, which includes purification of 137 Cs using hexachloroplatinic acid in addition to ammonium phosphomolybdate (AMP) precipitation. As a result, we succeeded the 137 Cs determination in seawater with a smaller sample volume of 10 liter by using ultra-low background gamma-spectrometry in the Ogoya underground facility. 137 Cs detection limit was about 0.1 mBq (counting time: 10 6 s). This method is applied to determine 137 Cs in small samples of the South Pacific deep waters. (author)

Past seawater experience enhances seawater adaptability in medaka, Oryzias latipes.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyanishi, Hiroshi; Inokuchi, Mayu; Nobata, Shigenori; Kaneko, Toyoji

2016-01-01

During the course of evolution, fishes have acquired adaptability to various salinity environments, and acquirement of seawater (SW) adaptability has played important roles in fish evolution and diversity. However, little is known about how saline environments influence the acquirement of SW adaptability. The Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes is a euryhaline species that usually inhabits freshwater (FW), but is also adaptable to full-strength SW when transferred through diluted SW. In the present study, we examined how past SW experience affects hyposmoregulatory ability in Japanese medaka. For the preparation of SW-experienced fish, FW medaka were acclimated to SW after pre-acclimation to 1/2 SW, and the SW-acclimated fish were transferred back to FW. The SW-experienced fish and control FW fish (SW-inexperienced fish) were transferred directly to SW. Whereas control FW fish did not survive direct transfer to SW, 1/4 of SW-experienced fish adapted successfully to SW. Although there were no significant differences in blood osmolality and plasma Na(+) and Cl(-) concentrations between SW-experienced and control FW medaka in FW, increments in these parameters following SW transfer were lower in SW-experienced fish than in control FW fish. The gene expression of SW-type Na(+), K(+)-ATPase (NKA) in the gills of SW-experienced medaka increased more quickly after direct SW transfer compared with the expression in control FW fish. Prior to SW transfer, the density of NKA-immunoreactive ionocytes in the gills was higher in SW-experienced fish than in control FW fish. Ionocytes expressing CFTR Cl(-) channel at the apical membrane and those forming multicellular complexes, both of which were characteristic of SW-type ionocytes, were also increased in SW-experienced fish. These results indicate that past SW experience enhances the capacity of Na(+) and Cl(-) secretion in ionocytes and thus hypoosmoregulatory ability of Japanese medaka, suggesting the presence of epigenetic

Investigation of the Performance of an Inductive Seawater Conductivity Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WU Sheng

2015-03-01

Full Text Available As one of the factors in marine hydrographic survey, seawater salinity plays an important role in marine scientific research, marine exploitation and military defense. In practical measurement, the salinity is always presented indirectly by seawater conductivity value. Compared with the electrode conductivity sensors, inductive conductivity sensors have an advantage of anti-biofouling, and that is very interested in long term ocean observation device. From the principle point of view, this paper discus the different methods to improve inductive sensor output signal, which is confirmed by the relative experimental results. The basic working system of inductive sensor is described here as well as a calibration in standard seawater. From a wide range of temperature, measurement absolute error and stability are close to those of actual electrode conductivity sensors. Furthermore, in the 1000 meters deep sea experiment, our inductive sensor presents a perfect similarity of conductivity profile like sea- bird sensor, even for some small variations. The performance of our inductive sensor can compete with that of commercially available electrode conductivity sensors.

Corrosion of aluminum alloys in ocean thermal energy conversion seawaters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen-Basse, J.

1984-01-01

Aluminum alloys 5052, 3004, and Alclad 3003 and 3004 were exposed to flowing seawater at 2.44 m/s (8 fps) at the Seacoast Test Facility on Hawaii. One year data for warm surface water and three mouth data for cold water from 600 m depth are reported for free fouling, chlorinated and sponge ball cleaned conditions. All alloys pit in deep seawater, but show no pitting in warm surface water. Uniform corrosion in the warm water is initially rapid, but after 25 to 30 days the rate becomes slower and extrapolated 30 year material losses are in the 125 to 215 μm range. Chlorination at a level of 0.05 ppm for one hour per day has only a minor effect on corrosion rates, while sponge ball cleaning leads to erosion-corrosion of the Alclad surfaces and has no effect on alloy 5052. The need for additional testing in tropical seawater is discussed, as is the need for an improved understanding of the formation of inorganic scale films, their properties, and their effect on corrosion rates and heat transfer

A study on antifouling technique through seawater electrolyzing reaction on ship hull surface 【Article】

OpenAIRE

Huang, Yi; Saito, Kimio; Usami, Masahiro

2003-01-01

The antifouling technique through seawater electrolysis for ship hulls may be realized by an antifoul-ing system consisting of a power unit and the electro-conductive film. In the electric field formed bysuch an antifouling system, besides that both the electro-conductive film layer sub-region and the sea-water sub-region are included, polarization occurs on the interface between electro-conductive film layerand seawater. Therefore, based on the Interface Electro-Double Layer theory, a numeri...

Testing alternative conceptual models of seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer using computer simulation, southern California, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Nishikawa, Tracy

1997-01-01

Two alternative conceptual models of the physical processes controlling seawater intrusion in a coastal basin in California, USA, were tested to identify a likely principal pathway for seawater intrusion. The conceptual models were tested by using a two-dimensional, finite-element groundwater flow and transport model. This pathway was identified by the conceptual model that best replicated the historical data. The numerical model was applied in cross section to a submarine canyon that is a main avenue for seawater to enter the aquifer system underlying the study area. Both models are characterized by a heterogeneous, layered, water-bearing aquifer. However, the first model is characterized by flat-lying aquifer layers and by a high value of hydraulic conductivity in the basal aquifer layer, which is thought to be a principal conduit for seawater intrusion. The second model is characterized by offshore folding, which was modeled as a very nearshore outcrop, thereby providing a shorter path for seawater to intrude. General conclusions are that: 1) the aquifer system is best modeled as a flat, heterogeneous, layered system; 2) relatively thin basal layers with relatively high values of hydraulic conductivity are the principal pathways for seawater intrusion; and 3) continuous clay layers of low hydraulic conductivity play an important role in controlling the movement of seawater.

Distribution of 137Cs in surface seawater and sediment around Sabahs Sulu-Sulawesi Sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Izwan Abdul Aziz; Ahmad Sanadi Abu Bakar; Yii, Mei Wo; Nurrul Assyikeen Jaffary; Zaharudin Ahmad

2010-01-01

The studies on distribution of 137 Cs in surface seawater and sediment around Sabahs Sulu-Sulawesi Sea were carried out during Ekspedisi Pelayaran Saintifik Perdana (EPSP) in July 2009. About sixteen and twenty five sampling locations were identified for surface seawater and sediment respectively in Sabahs Sulu-Sulawesi Sea. Large volumes of seawater samples are collected and co-precipitation technique was employed to concentrate cesium content before known amounts of 134 Cs tracer were added as yield determinant. Grab sampler were used to collect surface sediment sample. The caesium precipitate and sediment were dried and finely ground before counted using gamma-ray spectrometry system at 661 keV. The activity of 137 Cs was found in surface seawater and sediment to be in the range 1.73 Bq/ m 3 to 5.50 Bq/ m 3 and 1.15 Bq/ kg to 4.53 Bq/ kg respectively. (author)

Recent developments in corrosion-resistant metallic alloys for construction of seawater pumps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glover, T.J.

1988-01-01

The location of power stations, refineries, and chemical plants on the coasts, the massive growth in desalination plants in the Middle East, and the growth of the North Sea offshore industry in the past 10 years have substantially increased the quantity of seawater being handled. Conveying this seawater from the sea to locations within the plant for cooling or desalting purposes requires many pumps, which traditionally have been constructed from cast iron, Ni-Resist, gunmetal, bronze, and stainless steel. The majority of these materials have given an adequate cost-to-life performance. The choice of materials for seawater pumps is continually growing; this article discusses the most likely choices commercially available: high-strength cupronickels; duplex stainless steels; high-alloy austenitic stainless steels; high-nickel alloys; and titanium and its alloys

Radiation influence on heterogenous processes in stainless steel contact with sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agayev, T.N.; Garibov, A.A.; Velibekova, G.Z.; Aliyev, A.Q.; Aliyev, S.M.

2005-01-01

Full text: Austenitic stainless steel (s.s.) with Cr content 16 %, Ni - 15 % is widely used in nuclear reactors as construction material, for fuel cladding production and also is used in oil and gas production and transportation. They possess comparatively large section of slow neutron capture and as a result high corrosion resistance. In real exploitation condition of nuclear reactors s.s. are exposed to ionizing radiation influence in contact of different media. That's why during their corrosion and destruction processes the surface defect formation processes and further heterogenous processes with their participation are of great importance. The research results of mechanism during radiation-heterogenous processes in nuclear reactor stainless steel contact with sea-water under the influence of γ-radiation in temperature interval 300-1074 K are represented in the given work. Radiolytic processes in water are comprehensively studied and therefore it was taken as model system for dating the surface defects and secondary electrons emitted from metal. The same model system was applied also in sea-water radiolysis processes. It's been established that radiation processes in s.s. lead to molecular hydrogen yield increase and at T=300 K up to 6.5 molec./100 eV. With the temperature increase molecular hydrogen yield increase up to 25.3 molec./100 eV at T≤773 K. During the further temperature increase up to 1073 K radiation constituent of radiation-thermal process in comparison with thermal becomes unnoticeable and W T (H 2 )≅W p (H 2 ). The kinetics of oxide phase formation of investigated sample surface in the result of thermal and radiation-thermal processes in their contact with sea-water has been studied. At that it's been shown that radiation leads to protective oxidation process rate increase and promotes the beginning of stainless steel destruction oxidation in contact with sea-water. At T≥573 K insoluble oxide phase is formed on metal surface that promotes

Seawater and marine sidements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eicke, H.F.

1985-01-01

The Deutsches Hydrographisches Institut (DHI) is responsible for monitoring the radioactive substances (such as Cs-137, Cs-134, Sr-90, H-3, Pu-239, Pu-240) in the seawater and marine sediments along the Federal German seacoasts, of the fishing grounds of the Federal German offshore fishery industry, and of marine currents moving towards these fishing grounds. The DHI has been carrying out this task since 1965, activities being placed under the responsibility of the DHI Department for Marine Radioactivity, which since 1960 is a directing centre within the Government's system for environmental radioactivity monitoring. (orig./DG) [de

Microbial ureolysis in the seawater-catalysed urine phosphorus recovery system: Kinetic study and reactor verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Wen-Tao; Dai, Ji; Liu, Rulong; Chen, Guang-Hao

2015-12-15

Our previous study has confirmed the feasibility of using seawater as an economical precipitant for urine phosphorus (P) precipitation. However, we still understand very little about the ureolysis in the Seawater-based Urine Phosphorus Recovery (SUPR) system despite its being a crucial step for urine P recovery. In this study, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the kinetics of microbial ureolysis in the seawater-urine system. Indigenous bacteria from urine and seawater exhibited relatively low ureolytic activity, but they adapted quickly to the urine-seawater mixture during batch cultivation. During cultivation, both the abundance and specific ureolysis rate of the indigenous bacteria were greatly enhanced as confirmed by a biomass-dependent Michaelis-Menten model. The period for fully ureolysis was decreased from 180 h to 2.5 h after four cycles of cultivation. Based on the successful cultivation, a lab-scale SUPR reactor was set up to verify the fast ureolysis and efficient P recovery in the SUPR system. Nearly complete urine P removal was achieved in the reactor in 6 h without adding any chemicals. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis revealed that the predominant groups of bacteria in the SUPR reactor likely originated from seawater rather than urine. Moreover, batch tests confirmed the high ureolysis rates and high phosphorus removal efficiency induced by cultivated bacteria in the SUPR reactor under seawater-to-urine mixing ratios ranging from 1:1 to 9:1. This study has proved that the enrichment of indigenous bacteria in the SUPR system can lead to sufficient ureolytic activity for phosphate precipitation, thus providing an efficient and economical method for urine P recovery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Plan to Develop a Red Tide Warning System for Seawater Desalination Process Management

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae Woo; Yun, Hong Sik

2017-04-01

The holt of the seawater desalination process for fifty five days due to the eight-month long red tide in 2008 in the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, had lost about 10 billion KRW. The POSCO Seawater Desalination facility, located in Gwangyang Bay Area in the Southern Sea, has produced 30,000 tons of fresh water per day since 2014. Since there has been an incident of red time in the area for three months in August, 2012, it is necessary to establish a warning system for red tide that threatens the stable operation of the seawater desalination facility. A red tide warning system can offer the seawater desalination facility manager customized services on red tide information and potential red tide inflow to the water intake. This study aimed to develop a red tide warning system in Gwangyang Bay Area by combining RS, modeling and monitoring technologies, which provides red tide forecasting information with which to effectively control the seawater desalination process. Using the proposed system, the seawater desalination facility manager can take phased measures to cope with the inflow of red tide. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was supported by a grant(16IFIP-C088924-03) from Industrial Facilities & Infrastructure Research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT) of the Korea government and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA). This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(NRF-2014R1A1A2054975).

Ionic potential as a controller of seawater composition

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

DileepKumar, M.

depend on IP inversely but L2, L3, siderophilic and chalcophilic elements exhibit positive linear relationships with respect to seawater-crustal rock partition coefficients. The mean oceanic residence times of L1 elements show negative relationship...

Determination of thorium concentration in seawater by neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, C.A.; Bacon, M.P.

1985-01-01

A sensitive neutron activation analysis method has been successfully developed to determine 232 Th concentration in seawater. The method involves both preirradiation and postirradiation radiochemical separations. The isotopes were separated from the samples and purified during the preirradiation chemistry. 233 Pa was extracted and counted after the irradiation. Yields were monitored with 230 Th and 231 Pa tracers. The separation and purification schemes include ion exchange chromatography and solvent extraction. By this method the authors have measured 232 Th concentrations in some seawater samples that are 1 order of magnitude lower than most previously reported values. 21 references, 3 figures, 2 tables

Selective uptake of manganese in seawater by hybrid microcapsules

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzumaki, Takenori; Yan, Wu; Mimura, Hitoshi; Niibori, Yuichi

2008-01-01

The selective separation and recovery of low concentrated elements in seawater are very important subjects for the advancement of environmental monitoring. Selective uptake of manganese from seawater was carried out by using two kinds of microcapsules (MCs) including activated carbon (AC) and insoluble tannin (T). The adsorbents, AC and T, having affinity for manganese, were enclosed into MCs (ACMS, TMC) by sol-gel method using matrices of biopolymer (calcium alginate gel polymer, CaALG). The uptake properties and selectivity of Mn 2+ (1 ppm) for MCs were examined by batch method. Relatively large uptake percentages of Mn 2+ above 80% were obtained within 1 h, and the uptake percentage above 80% was kept at pH 3-6. The uptake order was found to be T, AC, CaALG > ACMC, TMC. The uptake of Mn 2+ decreased with increasing Na + ion concentration. This tendency depends on the swelling property of CaALG; it tends to solate in the presence of highly concentrated Na + ions. The manganese ions were adsorbed on CaALG, ACMC and TMC from seawater containing 1,000 ppm Mn 2+ . ACMC and TMC had selectivity to Mn 2+ , and, especially, the matrices of CaALG also had an excellent uptake and selectivity properties. (author)

Does Chlorination of Seawater Reverse Osmosis Membranes Control Biofouling?

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad Tariq; Hong, Pei-Ying; Nada, Nabil; Croue, Jean Philippe

2015-01-01

Biofouling is the major problem of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes used for desalting seawater (SW). The use of chlorine is a conventional and common practice to control/prevent biofouling. Unlike polyamide RO membranes, cellulose triacetate (CTA) RO membranes display a high chlorine tolerance. Due to this characteristic, CTA membranes are used in most of the RO plants located in the Middle East region where the elevated seawater temperature and water quality promote the risk of membrane biofouling. However, there is no detailed study on the investigation/characterization of CTA-RO membrane fouling. In this investigation, the fouling profile of a full–scale SWRO desalination plant operating with not only continuous chlorination of raw seawater but also intermittent chlorination of CTA-RO membranes was studied. Detailed water quality and membrane fouling analyses were conducted. Profiles of microbiological, inorganic, and organic constituents of analysed fouling layers were extensively discussed. Our results clearly identified biofilm development on these membranes. The incapability of chlorination on preventing biofilm formation on SWRO membranes could be assigned to its failure in effectively reaching throughout the different regions of the permeators. This failure could have occurred due to three main factors: plugging of membrane fibers, chlorine consumption by organics accumulated on the front side fibers, or chlorine adaptation of certain bacterial populations.

Does Chlorination of Seawater Reverse Osmosis Membranes Control Biofouling?

KAUST Repository

Khan, Muhammad Tariq

2015-04-01

Biofouling is the major problem of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes used for desalting seawater (SW). The use of chlorine is a conventional and common practice to control/prevent biofouling. Unlike polyamide RO membranes, cellulose triacetate (CTA) RO membranes display a high chlorine tolerance. Due to this characteristic, CTA membranes are used in most of the RO plants located in the Middle East region where the elevated seawater temperature and water quality promote the risk of membrane biofouling. However, there is no detailed study on the investigation/characterization of CTA-RO membrane fouling. In this investigation, the fouling profile of a full–scale SWRO desalination plant operating with not only continuous chlorination of raw seawater but also intermittent chlorination of CTA-RO membranes was studied. Detailed water quality and membrane fouling analyses were conducted. Profiles of microbiological, inorganic, and organic constituents of analysed fouling layers were extensively discussed. Our results clearly identified biofilm development on these membranes. The incapability of chlorination on preventing biofilm formation on SWRO membranes could be assigned to its failure in effectively reaching throughout the different regions of the permeators. This failure could have occurred due to three main factors: plugging of membrane fibers, chlorine consumption by organics accumulated on the front side fibers, or chlorine adaptation of certain bacterial populations.

Anthropogenic ²³⁶U in Danish Seawater: Global Fallout versus Reprocessing Discharge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qiao, Jixin; Steier, Peter; Nielsen, Sven Poul

2017-01-01

This work focuses on the occurrence of 236U in seawater along Danish coasts, which is the sole water-exchange region between the North Sea-Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Seawater collected in 2013 and 2014 were analyzed for 236U (as well as 238U and 137Cs). Our results indicate that 236U...... seawater. However, unexpectedly high 236U/238U ratios as well as high 236U concentrations were observed at low-salinity locations of the Baltic Sea. While this feature might be interpreted as a clue for another significant 236U input in the Baltic Sea, it may also be caused by the complexity of water...... currents or slow turnover rate....

Dynamics of bacterial populations during bench-scale bioremediation of oily seawater and desert soil bioaugmented with coastal microbial mats.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Nidaa; Dashti, Narjes; Salamah, Samar; Sorkhoh, Naser; Al-Awadhi, Husain; Radwan, Samir

2016-03-01

This study describes a bench-scale attempt to bioremediate Kuwaiti, oily water and soil samples through bioaugmentation with coastal microbial mats rich in hydrocarbonoclastic bacterioflora. Seawater and desert soil samples were artificially polluted with 1% weathered oil, and bioaugmented with microbial mat suspensions. Oil removal and microbial community dynamics were monitored. In batch cultures, oil removal was more effective in soil than in seawater. Hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria associated with mat samples colonized soil more readily than seawater. The predominant oil degrading bacterium in seawater batches was the autochthonous seawater species Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus. The main oil degraders in the inoculated soil samples, on the other hand, were a mixture of the autochthonous mat and desert soil bacteria; Xanthobacter tagetidis, Pseudomonas geniculata, Olivibacter ginsengisoli and others. More bacterial diversity prevailed in seawater during continuous than batch bioremediation. Out of seven hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial species isolated from those cultures, only one, Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum, was of mat origin. This result too confirms that most of the autochthonous mat bacteria failed to colonize seawater. Also culture-independent analysis of seawater from continuous cultures revealed high-bacterial diversity. Many of the bacteria belonged to the Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, and were hydrocarbonoclastic. Optimal biostimulation practices for continuous culture bioremediation of seawater via mat bioaugmentation were adding the highest possible oil concentration as one lot in the beginning of bioremediation, addition of vitamins, and slowing down the seawater flow rate. © 2016 The Author. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Intercomparison study of sampling methods for the determination of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz-Bull, D.E.

1999-01-01

The determination of organic pollutants in seawater is a serious problem, as their concentrations in the water column are typical in the fg - ng/L range. Available methods therefore includes extensive sampling and laboratory work. The development of simple sampling techniques for organochlorines (e.g. passive sampling with semipermeable membrane device (SPMD), mussel watch) is required. Three methods for the measurement of trace organochlorines in seawater were investigated: (1) the filtration (GF/F) and extraction (XAD-2 resin) of seawater with an in-situ pumping system, (2) biological-accumulation by mussels (mytilus edulis) and (3) passive sampling with SPMD

Stabilization of arsenic and lead by magnesium oxide (MgO) in different seawater concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kameda, Kentaro; Hashimoto, Yohey; Ok, Yong Sik

2018-02-01

Ongoing sea level rise will have a major impact on mobility and migration of contaminants by changing a number of natural phenomena that alter geochemistry and hydrology of subsurface environment. In-situ immobilization techniques may be a promising remediation strategy for mitigating contaminant mobility induced by sea level rise. This study investigated the reaction mechanisms of magnesium oxide (MgO) with aqueous Pb and As under freshwater and seawater using XAFS spectroscopy. Initial concentrations of Pb and As in freshwater strongly controlled the characteristics of the reaction product of MgO. Our study revealed that i) the removal of aqueous Pb and As by MgO was increased by the elevation of seawater concentration, and ii) the removal of As was attributed primarily to (inner-sphere) surface adsorption on MgO, independent on seawater concentrations, and iii) the retention mechanism of Pb was dependent on seawater concentrations where formations of Pb oxides and adsorption on the MgO surface were predominant in solutions with low and high salinity, respectively. The release of As fixed with MgO significantly increased in seawater compared to freshwater, although the amount of As desorbed accounted for <0.2% of total As. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of different seawater Mg2 + concentrations on calcification in two benthic foraminifers

Science.gov (United States)

Mewes, Antje; Langer, Gerald; de Nooijer, Lennart Jan; Bijma, Jelle; Reichart, Gert-Jan

2014-01-01

Magnesium, incorporated in foraminiferal calcite (Mg/CaCC), is used intensively to reconstruct past seawater temperatures but, in addition to temperature, the Mg/CaCC of foraminiferal tests also depends on the ratio of Mg and Ca in seawater (Mg/CaSW). The physiological mechanisms responsible for these proxy relationships are still unknown. This culture study investigates the impact of different seawater [Mg2 +] on calcification in two benthic foraminiferal species precipitating contrasting Mg/CaCC: Ammonia aomoriensis, producing low-Mg calcite and Amphistegina lessonii, producing intermediate-Mg calcite. Foraminiferal growth and test thickness were determined and, Mg/Ca was analyzed using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Results show that at present-day seawater Mg/CaSW of ~ 5, both species have highest growth rates, reflecting their adaptation to modern seawater element concentrations. Test thickness is not significantly affected by different Mg/CaSW. The relationship between Mg/CaSW and Mg/CaCC shows a distinct positive y-axis intercept, possibly reflecting at least two processes involved in foraminiferal biomineralization. The associated Mg partition (DMg) changes non-linearly with increasing Mg/CaSW, hence suggesting that the DMg is best described by an exponential function approaching an asymptote. PMID:26089590

Seawater operating bio-photovoltaic cells coupling semiconductor photoanodes and enzymatic biocathodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Lingling; Alvarez-Martos, Isabel; Vakurov, Alexander

2017-01-01

and inexpensive way. Here, we report clean and sustainable conversion of solar energy into electricity by photo-and bio-electrocatalytic recycling of the H2O/O-2 redox couple in a hybrid bio-photovoltaic (BPV) membraneless cell comprising a sunlight-illuminated water-oxidizing semiconductor anode (either Zn......-doped hematite or TiO2) and an oxygen-reducing enzymatic biocathode, in such environmental media as seawater. Upon simulated solar light illumination (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm(-2)), the maximum power density (P-max) generated by the cell was 236 and 21.4 mu W cm(-2) in 1 M Tris-HCl and seawater, both at pH 8...... thermodynamically feasible coupling of cost-effective photoactive materials such as TiO2 or hematite semiconductors and enzymatic counterparts in seawater media opens a prospective clean and sustainable way of transformation of the most abundant, clean and renewable source of energy - solar light - and the Earth...

Sulfide Production and Corrosion in Seawater During Exposure to FAME Alternative Fuel

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

transporting fatty acid methyl ester ( FAME ] alternative diesel fuel in contact with natural seawater under anaerobic conditions. Coastal Key West...Glycerol Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Exposure Chamber Anaerobic Chamber - bal. N2,10% H2, 0.1% C02 - maintain pH ~8 Polarization Resistance (Rp...and Corrosion in Seawater During Exposure to FAME Alternative Fuel Jason 5. Lee Richard I. Ray BrendaJ. Little Naval Research Laboratory Stennis

The adsorber loop concept for the contact between seawater and adsorber granulate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koske, P.H.; Ohlrogge, K.

1984-01-01

The present paper deals with the so-called ''adsorber loop concept'' in which the adsorber granulate is carried along with the seawater to be processed in a loop-like configuration and is separated again from the depleted water before this is leaving the adsorption unit. This concept enables high seawater velocities thus reducing the required bed area. Theoretical considerations are presented together with experimental results from field tests. (orig.) [de

Assessing the pollution risk of a groundwater source field at western Laizhou Bay under seawater intrusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng, Xiankui; Wu, Jichun; Wang, Dong; Zhu, Xiaobin

2016-01-01

Coastal areas have great significance for human living, economy and society development in the world. With the rapid increase of pressures from human activities and climate change, the safety of groundwater resource is under the threat of seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The area of Laizhou Bay is one of the most serious seawater intruded areas in China, since seawater intrusion phenomenon was firstly recognized in the middle of 1970s. This study assessed the pollution risk of a groundwater source filed of western Laizhou Bay area by inferring the probability distribution of groundwater Cl − concentration. The numerical model of seawater intrusion process is built by using SEAWAT4. The parameter uncertainty of this model is evaluated by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation, and DREAM (ZS) is used as sampling algorithm. Then, the predictive distribution of Cl - concentration at groundwater source field is inferred by using the samples of model parameters obtained from MCMC. After that, the pollution risk of groundwater source filed is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl - concentration. The results of model calibration and verification demonstrate that the DREAM (ZS) based MCMC is efficient and reliable to estimate model parameters under current observation. Under the condition of 95% confidence level, the groundwater source point will not be polluted by seawater intrusion in future five years (2015–2019). In addition, the 2.5% and 97.5% predictive quantiles show that the Cl − concentration of groundwater source field always vary between 175 mg/l and 200 mg/l. - Highlights: • The parameter uncertainty of seawater intrusion model is evaluated by MCMC. • Groundwater source field won’t be polluted by seawater intrusion in future 5 years. • The pollution risk is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl − concentration

Assessing the pollution risk of a groundwater source field at western Laizhou Bay under seawater intrusion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Xiankui; Wu, Jichun; Wang, Dong, E-mail: wangdong@nju.edu.cn; Zhu, Xiaobin

2016-07-15

Coastal areas have great significance for human living, economy and society development in the world. With the rapid increase of pressures from human activities and climate change, the safety of groundwater resource is under the threat of seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The area of Laizhou Bay is one of the most serious seawater intruded areas in China, since seawater intrusion phenomenon was firstly recognized in the middle of 1970s. This study assessed the pollution risk of a groundwater source filed of western Laizhou Bay area by inferring the probability distribution of groundwater Cl{sup −} concentration. The numerical model of seawater intrusion process is built by using SEAWAT4. The parameter uncertainty of this model is evaluated by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation, and DREAM{sub (ZS)} is used as sampling algorithm. Then, the predictive distribution of Cl{sup -} concentration at groundwater source field is inferred by using the samples of model parameters obtained from MCMC. After that, the pollution risk of groundwater source filed is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl{sup -} concentration. The results of model calibration and verification demonstrate that the DREAM{sub (ZS)} based MCMC is efficient and reliable to estimate model parameters under current observation. Under the condition of 95% confidence level, the groundwater source point will not be polluted by seawater intrusion in future five years (2015–2019). In addition, the 2.5% and 97.5% predictive quantiles show that the Cl{sup −} concentration of groundwater source field always vary between 175 mg/l and 200 mg/l. - Highlights: • The parameter uncertainty of seawater intrusion model is evaluated by MCMC. • Groundwater source field won’t be polluted by seawater intrusion in future 5 years. • The pollution risk is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl{sup −} concentration.

Ontogeny of salinity tolerance and evidence for seawater-entry preparation in juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Peter J; McEnroe, Maryann; Forostyan, Tetyana; Cole, Stephanie; Nicholl, Mary M; Hodge, Brian; Cech, Joseph J

2011-12-01

We measured the ontogeny of salinity tolerance and the preparatory hypo-osmoregulatory physiological changes for seawater entry in green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), an anadromous species occurring along the Pacific Coast of North America. Salinity tolerance was measured every 2 weeks starting in 40-day post-hatch (dph) juveniles and was repeated until 100% survival at 34‰ was achieved. Fish were subjected to step increases in salinity (5‰ 12 h(-1)) that culminated in a 72-h exposure to a target salinity, and treatment groups (0, 15, 20, 25, 30, 34‰; and abrupt exposure to 34‰) were adjusted as fish developed. After 100% survival was achieved (134 dph), a second experiment tested two sizes of fish for 28-day seawater (33‰) tolerance, and gill and gastrointestinal tract tissues were sampled. Their salinity tolerance increased and plasma osmolality decreased with increasing size and age, and electron microscopy revealed three types of mitochondria-rich cells: one in fresh water and two in seawater. In addition, fish held on a natural photoperiod in fresh water at 19°C showed peaks in cortisol, thyroid hormones and gill and pyloric ceca Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activities at body sizes associated with seawater tolerance. Therefore, salinity tolerance in green sturgeon increases during ontogeny (e.g., as these juveniles may move down estuaries to the ocean) with increases in body size. Also, physiological and morphological changes associated with seawater readiness increased in freshwater-reared juveniles and peaked at their seawater-tolerant ages and body sizes. Their seawater-ready body size also matched that described for swimming performance decreases, presumably associated with downstream movements. Therefore, juvenile green sturgeon develop structures and physiological changes appropriate for seawater entry while growing in fresh water, indicating that hypo-osmoregulatory changes may proceed by multiple routes in sturgeons.

Impact of seawater acidification on pH at the tissue–skeleton interface and calcification in reef corals

Science.gov (United States)

Venn, Alexander A.; Tambutté, Eric; Holcomb, Michael; Laurent, Julien; Allemand, Denis; Tambutté, Sylvie

2013-01-01

Insight into the response of reef corals and other major marine calcifiers to ocean acidification is limited by a lack of knowledge about how seawater pH and carbonate chemistry impact the physiological processes that drive biomineralization. Ocean acidification is proposed to reduce calcification rates in corals by causing declines in internal pH at the calcifying tissue–skeleton interface where biomineralization takes place. Here, we performed an in vivo study on how partial-pressure CO2-driven seawater acidification impacts intracellular pH in coral calcifying cells and extracellular pH in the fluid at the tissue–skeleton interface [subcalicoblastic medium (SCM)] in the coral Stylophora pistillata. We also measured calcification in corals grown under the same conditions of seawater acidification by measuring lateral growth of colonies and growth of aragonite crystals under the calcifying tissue. Our findings confirm that seawater acidification decreases pH of the SCM, but this decrease is gradual relative to the surrounding seawater, leading to an increasing pH gradient between the SCM and seawater. Reductions in calcification rate, both at the level of crystals and whole colonies, were only observed in our lowest pH treatment when pH was significantly depressed in the calcifying cells in addition to the SCM. Overall, our findings suggest that reef corals may mitigate the effects of seawater acidification by regulating pH in the SCM, but they also highlight the role of calcifying cell pH homeostasis in determining the response of reef corals to changes in external seawater pH and carbonate chemistry. PMID:23277567

Impact of seawater acidification on pH at the tissue-skeleton interface and calcification in reef corals.

Science.gov (United States)

Venn, Alexander A; Tambutté, Eric; Holcomb, Michael; Laurent, Julien; Allemand, Denis; Tambutté, Sylvie

2013-01-29

Insight into the response of reef corals and other major marine calcifiers to ocean acidification is limited by a lack of knowledge about how seawater pH and carbonate chemistry impact the physiological processes that drive biomineralization. Ocean acidification is proposed to reduce calcification rates in corals by causing declines in internal pH at the calcifying tissue-skeleton interface where biomineralization takes place. Here, we performed an in vivo study on how partial-pressure CO(2)-driven seawater acidification impacts intracellular pH in coral calcifying cells and extracellular pH in the fluid at the tissue-skeleton interface [subcalicoblastic medium (SCM)] in the coral Stylophora pistillata. We also measured calcification in corals grown under the same conditions of seawater acidification by measuring lateral growth of colonies and growth of aragonite crystals under the calcifying tissue. Our findings confirm that seawater acidification decreases pH of the SCM, but this decrease is gradual relative to the surrounding seawater, leading to an increasing pH gradient between the SCM and seawater. Reductions in calcification rate, both at the level of crystals and whole colonies, were only observed in our lowest pH treatment when pH was significantly depressed in the calcifying cells in addition to the SCM. Overall, our findings suggest that reef corals may mitigate the effects of seawater acidification by regulating pH in the SCM, but they also highlight the role of calcifying cell pH homeostasis in determining the response of reef corals to changes in external seawater pH and carbonate chemistry.

Determination of rare earth elements in seawater by ICP-MS after preconcentration with a chelating resin-packed minicolumn

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Yanbei; Itoh, Akihide; Fujimori, Eiji; Umemura, Tomonari; Haraguchi, Hiroki

2006-01-01

Rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater were preconcentrated 20-fold (from 50 to 2.5 ml) by a chelating resin-packed minicolumn device and determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The recoveries for REEs were in the range from 90% for Eu and Dy to 98% for Yb, and their standard deviations were less than 4%. The lower detection limits for REEs ranged from 0.06 ng l -1 for Lu to 0.5 ng l -1 for Sm. The analytical results for REEs in seawater reference materials (NASS-5, CASS-3, and CASS-4), the Take Island coastal seawater, and the Ise Bay coastal seawater were evaluated as the REE distribution patterns with shale-normalization and deep seawater-normalization. Slight relative enrichments of heavy REEs were observed in the Take Island coastal seawater and the Ise Bay coastal seawater, which might be attributed to the input from the river flows containing more dissolved heavy REEs. In addition, positive anomalies of Sm were found in the normalized REE distribution patterns for NASS-5, CASS-3, and CASS-4, which would be attributed to the contamination in the preparation process of reference materials by NRC

Seasonal levels of the Vibrio predator Bacteriovorax in Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coast Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Bacteriovorax were quantified in US Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific seawater to determine baseline levels of these predatory bacteria and possible seasonal fluctuations in levels. Surface seawater was analyzed monthly for 1 year from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; the Gulf Coast of Alabama; and four sites along t...

Nitrogen fate in a subtropical mangrove swamp: Potential association with seawater-groundwater exchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Kai; Wu, Jiapeng; Li, Hailong; Hong, Yiguo; Wilson, Alicia M; Jiao, Jiu Jimmy; Shananan, Meghan

2018-04-18

Coastal mangrove swamps play an important role in nutrient cycling at the land-ocean boundary. However, little is known about the role of periodic seawater-groundwater exchange in the nitrogen cycling processes. Seawater-groundwater exchange rates and inorganic nitrogen concentrations were investigated along a shore-perpendicular intertidal transect in Daya Bay, China. The intertidal transect comprises three hydrologic subzones (tidal creek, mangrove and bare mudflat zones), each with different physicochemical characteristics. Salinity and hydraulic head measurements taken along the transect were used to estimate the exchange rates between seawater and groundwater over a spring-neap tidal cycle. Results showed that the maximum seawater-groundwater exchange occurred within the tidal creek zone, which facilitated high-oxygen seawater infiltration and subsequent nitrification. In contrast, the lowest exchange rate found in the mangrove zone caused over-loading of organic matter and longer groundwater residence times. This created an anoxic environment conducive to nitrogen loss through the anammox and denitrification processes. Potential oxidation rates of ammonia and nitrite were measured by the rapid and high-throughput method and rates of denitrification and anammox were measured by the modified membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) with isotope pairing, respectively. In the whole transect, denitrification accounted for 90% of the total nitrogen loss, and anammox accounted for the remaining 10%. The average nitrogen removal rate was about 2.07g per day per cubic meter of mangrove sediments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion of carbon steel and low-alloy steel in diluted seawater containing hydrazine under gamma-rays irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakano, Junichi; Yamamoto, Masahiro; Tsukada, Takashi

2014-01-01

Seawater was injected into reactor cores of Units 1, 2, and 3 in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as an urgent coolant. It is considered that the injected seawater causes corrosion of steels of the reactor pressure vessel and primary containment vessel. To investigate the effects of gamma-rays irradiation on weight loss in carbon steel and low-alloy steel, corrosion tests were performed in diluted seawater at 50°C under gamma-rays irradiation. Specimens were irradiated with dose rates of 4.4 kGy/h and 0.2 kGy/h. To evaluate the effects of hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) on the reduction of oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, N 2 H 4 was added to the diluted seawater. In the diluted seawater without N 2 H 4 , weight loss in the steels irradiated with 0.2 kGy/h was similar to that in the unirradiated steels, and weight loss in the steels irradiated with 4.4 kGy/h increased to approximate 1.7 times of those in the unirradiated steels. Weight loss in the steels irradiated in the diluted seawater containing N 2 H 4 was similar to that in the diluted seawater without N 2 H 4 . When N 2 was introduced into the gas phase in the flasks during gamma-rays irradiation, weight loss in the steels decreased. (author)

Seawater-sediment interaction at elevated temperatures and pressures: implications for the near field chemical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seyfried, W.E. Jr.; Thornton, E.C.; Janecky, D.R.

1981-01-01

Results of four experiments are reported which document chemical exchange and mineralogic modification during seawater-sediment interaction at 200 0 to 300 0 C, 500 bars. Sediments used for this study are from MPG-1 (central North Pacific). Experimental conditions (T, P, W/R) were chosen to be reasonably analogous to conditions which will characterize the near field environment; that is a zone within approximately 1 m of the buried waste canister. In general, the major element chemistry of seawater was similarly modified in all experiments. The aqueous concentrations of Ca, Mg, Sr, and SO 4 decreased and SiO 2 /sub (aq)/, Na, K, and ΣCO 2 increased relative to values in seawater prior to reaction with sediments. pH decreased and remained distinctly acid. Con comitantly significant concentrations of heavy metals entered seawater from the sediments during reaction. Dissolution of Mn-rich phases profoundly affected alteration processes. For example, reaction of MnO 2 components of the smectite-rich sediment (Pacific smectite) with seawater created an unusually oxidizing milieu (fO 2 = 10 -7 74 ), and resulted in dissolution of significant quantities of Au from the reaction cell. Although illite-quartz-Fe-chlorite (sediment B)-seawater interaction also created a relatively oxidizing environment, this environment was not capable of oxidizing Au. Thus, in this regard (oxidation potential) sediment mineralogy exerts a strong influence. Mineralogic modification of sediment B at 200 0 and 300 0 C was minor and characterized by partial dissolution of illite and exchange of Fe for Mg in chlorite. In contrast the smectite-rich sediment, which, prior to reaction with seawater contained a poorly crystalline smectite phase, clinoptilolite, and amorphous material, recrystallized totally to a well defined smectite mineral. Anhydrite was abundantly present amongst the alteration products of all experiments

Beneficial effects of a novel shark-skin collagen dressing for the promotion of seawater immersion wound healing.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xian-Rong; Chen, Xiu-Li; Xie, Hai-Xia; He, Ying; Chen, Wei; Luo, Qun; Yuan, Wei-Hong; Tang, Xue; Hou, Deng-Yong; Jiang, Ding-Wen; Wang, Qing-Rong

2017-10-27

Wounded personnel who work at sea often encounter a plethora of difficulties. The most important of these difficulties is seawater immersion. Common medical dressings have little effect when the affected area is immersed in seawater, and only rarely dressings have been reported for the treatment of seawater-immersed wounds. The objective of this study is to develop a new dressing which should be suitable to prevent the wound from seawater immersion and to promote the wound healing. Shark skin collagen (SSC) was purified via ethanol de-sugaring and de-pigmentation and adjusted for pH. A shark skin collagen sponge (SSCS) was prepared by freeze-drying. SSCS was attached to an anti-seawater immersion polyurethane (PU) film (SSCS + PU) to compose a new dressing. The biochemical properties of SSC and physicochemical properties of SSCS were assessed by standard methods. The effects of SSCS and SSCS + PU on the healing of seawater-immersed wounds were studied using a seawater immersion rat model. For the detection of SSCS effects on seawater-immersed wounds, 12 SD rats, with four wounds created in each rat, were divided into four groups: the 3rd day group, 5th day group, 7th day group and 12th day group. In each group, six wounds were treated with SSCS, three wounds treated with chitosan served as the positive control, and three wounds treated with gauze served as the negative control. For the detection of the SSCS + PU effects on seawater-immersed wounds, 36 SD rats were divided into three groups: the gauze (GZ) + PU group, chitosan (CS) + PU group and SSCS + PU group, with 12 rats in each group, and two wounds in each rat. The wound sizes were measured to calculate the healing rate, and histomorphology and the immunohistochemistry of the CD31 and TGF-β expression levels in the wounded tissues were measured by standard methods. The results of Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectrum, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, circular dichroism (CD) spectra

Development of an environmental impact assessment and decision support system for seawater desalination plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lattemann, S.

2010-01-01

Seawater desalination is a rapidly growing coastal-based industry. The combined production capacity of all seawater desalination plants worldwide has increased by 30% over the last two years: from 28 million cubic meters per day in 2007—which is the equivalent of the average discharge of the River

Seawater Durability of Nano-Montmorillonite Modified Single-Lap Joining Epoxy Composite Laminates

OpenAIRE

ULUS, Hasan; KAYBAL, Halil Burak; DEMİR, Okan; TATAR, Ahmet Caner; SENYURT, Muhammed Ali; AVCI, Ahmet

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate of nano-montmorillonite modified epoxy composite single-lap bonded joints, after being exposed to seawater immersion in order to understand the effect of seawater environment on their performance. To prepare the nano adhesives, nano montmorillonite (2 wt %) was incorporated into epoxy resin. Composite bonded specimens which manufactured with VARIM (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion Method) were prepared accordance with ASTM D5868-01 and immersed in ...

Seawater ultrafiltration fouling control: Backwashing with demineralized water/SWRO permeate

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng; Heijman, Sebastiaan G J; Verberk, J. Q J C; Amy, Gary L.; Van Dijk, Johannis C.

2012-01-01

In this study, the effect of demineralized water backwashing on fouling control of seawater ultrafiltration was investigated. Seawater from Scheveningen beach in The Hague and a desalination plant of Evides Company at Zeeland in the Netherlands was used as feed water, while demineralized water and UF permeate were used as backwash water for a fouling control efficiency comparison under different fluxes and backwash durations. Furthermore, demineralized waters with 5 or 50 mmol/l NaCl were applied for backwashing as well, to check the influence of monovalent cations on UF fouling control. Additionally, SWRO permeate was used for backwashes in long-term experiments to check the possibility of it replacing demineralized water. Results show that seawater UF fouling control is substantially improved by demineralized water backwashing. However, due to the high salinity of seawater, more water was required to dilute the cation concentration and limit the dispersion effect near the membrane surface than was needed for surface water. A 2-min demineralized water backwash showed better fouling control efficiency than a 1-min backwash. Furthermore, the presence of monovalent cations in the backwash water deteriorated the fouling control efficiency of the backwash, indicating the existence of a charge screening effect. The demineralized water with 5 and 50 mmol/l NaCl both showed a similar fouling control efficiency which is better than the UF permeate backwash. The calcium ions in UF permeate probably deteriorates the fouling control efficiency by maintaining a Ca-bridging effect between the membranes and NOM. SWRO permeate backwashing successfully controls membrane fouling as well. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seawater ultrafiltration fouling control: Backwashing with demineralized water/SWRO permeate

KAUST Repository

Li, Sheng

2012-09-01

In this study, the effect of demineralized water backwashing on fouling control of seawater ultrafiltration was investigated. Seawater from Scheveningen beach in The Hague and a desalination plant of Evides Company at Zeeland in the Netherlands was used as feed water, while demineralized water and UF permeate were used as backwash water for a fouling control efficiency comparison under different fluxes and backwash durations. Furthermore, demineralized waters with 5 or 50 mmol/l NaCl were applied for backwashing as well, to check the influence of monovalent cations on UF fouling control. Additionally, SWRO permeate was used for backwashes in long-term experiments to check the possibility of it replacing demineralized water. Results show that seawater UF fouling control is substantially improved by demineralized water backwashing. However, due to the high salinity of seawater, more water was required to dilute the cation concentration and limit the dispersion effect near the membrane surface than was needed for surface water. A 2-min demineralized water backwash showed better fouling control efficiency than a 1-min backwash. Furthermore, the presence of monovalent cations in the backwash water deteriorated the fouling control efficiency of the backwash, indicating the existence of a charge screening effect. The demineralized water with 5 and 50 mmol/l NaCl both showed a similar fouling control efficiency which is better than the UF permeate backwash. The calcium ions in UF permeate probably deteriorates the fouling control efficiency by maintaining a Ca-bridging effect between the membranes and NOM. SWRO permeate backwashing successfully controls membrane fouling as well. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical behaviour of aluminum alloy containing various stanum concentration tested in tropical seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Radiah Mohd Kamarudin; Muhamad Daud; Mohd Shariff Satar

2004-01-01

A study has been carried out to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of sacrificial anodes with different Sh concentration in tropical seawater environment. In this work, samples of Aluminum alloy with the addition of Sn in a range of 1. 0% - 1. 7% were tested in tropical seawater at room temperature. Tafel technique was used to produce a graph of the measured current versus potential for each different Sh concentration of aluminum alloy. The results show that the variation in alloy compositions affected the values of corrosion rate, corrosion current density and potential compared to alloy without Sn content. Furthermore, it was found that small addition of Sn successfully increased aluminum ion dissolution into seawater by producing a higher value of corrosion current density and corrosion rate. (Author)

Application of anion-exchange techniques to the determination of traces of molybdenum in sea-water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiriyama, T.; Kuroda, R.

1984-01-01

A combined ion-exchange spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of molybdenum in sea-water. Molybdenum is sorbed strongly on Amberlite CG 400 (Cl - ) at pH 3 from sea-water containing ascorbic acid and is easily eluted with 6 M nitric acid. Molybdenum in the effluent can be determined spectrophotometrically with potassium thiocyanate and stannous chloride. The combined method allows selective and sensitive determination of traces of molybdenum in sea-water. The precision of the method is 2% at a molybdenum level of approx. 10 μg/l. (author)

Distribution of anti fouling biocides in coastal seawater of Egadi Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massanisso, Paolo; Ubaldi, Carla; Chiavarini, Salvatore; Pezza, Massimo; Cannarsa, Sigfrido; Bordone, Andrea

2015-01-01

The pollution level due to anti fouling biocides in the Marine Protected Area of Egadi Islands (MPA) has been evaluated by both grab and passive sampling. Analyses of tributyltin (TBT), diuron, irgarol, chlorothalonil and dichlofluanid have been carried out on seawater and sediments. The results indicate a good condition of the coastline, but further studies with passive sampling for TBT are required to help the MPA administrators to control the status of the seawater with a methodology suitable to reach the Environmental Quality Standard values established by the Water Framework Directive [it

Recovery of Uranium from Seawater: Modified Polyacrylonitrile Fibers as Selective Extractants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alexandratos, Spiro D. [City Univ. (CUNY), NY (United States)

2017-03-15

A new bifunctional fiber has been prepared and found to have a significant loading capacity of uranium from real seawater. The fiber support is polyacrylonitrile and bifunctionality is provided by amidoxime and either diethylenetriamine (DETA) or ethylenediamine (EDA) ligands. The key feature is adjusting the hydrophilic /lipophilic balance within the fiber and this was best accomplished by partially acetylating or carboxylating EDA ligands. The bifunctional carboxylated EDA /AO fiber had a loading capacity of 3.83 mg U/g fiber at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with a 21 day contact time in real seawater.

Distribution coefficient of plutonium between sediment and seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duursma, E.K.; Parsi, P.

1974-01-01

Using plutonium 237 as a tracer, a series of experiments were conducted to determine the distribution coefficient of plutonium onto sediments both under oxic and anoxic conditions, where the plutonium was added to seawater in three different valence states: III, IV and VI

Filtration–UV irradiation as an option for mitigating the risk of microbiologically influenced corrosion of subsea construction alloys in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machuca, Laura L.; Jeffrey, Robert; Bailey, Stuart I.; Gubner, Rolf; Watkin, Elizabeth L.J.; Ginige, Maneesha P.; Kaksonen, Anna H.; Heidersbach, Krista

2014-01-01

Highlights: •Biofilms ennobled E corr of offshore construction alloys in natural seawater. •Filtration–UV irradiation delayed biofilm growth and activity on alloys. •Localized corrosion in seawater was lowered by the use of filtration–UV irradiation. •Biofilm community composition was affected by both substratum and seawater treatment. •Filtration–UV irradiation can be an ecofriendly practice for protection against MIC. -- Abstract: The effect of filtration–UV irradiation of seawater on the biofilm activity on several offshore structural alloys was evaluated in a continuous flow system over 90 days. Biofilms ennobled the electrode potential by +400 to 500 mV within a few days of exposure to raw untreated seawater. Filtration–UV irradiation of the seawater delayed the ennoblement of the steels for up to 40 days and lowered localized corrosion rates in susceptible alloys. Ennobling biofilms were composed of microbial cells, diatoms and extracellular polymeric substances and the bacterial community in biofilms was affected by both the alloy composition and seawater treatment

Intensively exploited Mediterranean aquifers: resilience and proximity to critical points of seawater intrusion

Science.gov (United States)

Mazi, K.; Koussis, A. D.; Destouni, G.

2013-11-01

We investigate here seawater intrusion in three prominent Mediterranean aquifers that are subject to intensive exploitation and modified hydrologic regimes by human activities: the Nile Delta Aquifer, the Israel Coastal Aquifer and the Cyprus Akrotiri Aquifer. Using a generalized analytical sharp-interface model, we review the salinization history and current status of these aquifers, and quantify their resilience/vulnerability to current and future sea intrusion forcings. We identify two different critical limits of sea intrusion under groundwater exploitation and/or climatic stress: a limit of well intrusion, at which intruded seawater reaches key locations of groundwater pumping, and a tipping point of complete sea intrusion upto the prevailing groundwater divide of a coastal aquifer. Either limit can be reached, and ultimately crossed, under intensive aquifer exploitation and/or climate-driven change. We show that sea intrusion vulnerability for different aquifer cases can be directly compared in terms of normalized intrusion performance curves. The site-specific assessments show that the advance of seawater currently seriously threatens the Nile Delta Aquifer and the Israel Coastal Aquifer. The Cyprus Akrotiri Aquifer is currently somewhat less threatened by increased seawater intrusion.

Determination of thorium in seawater by neutron activation analysis and mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Chih-An.

1987-01-01

The recent development of neutron activation analysis and mass spectrometric methods for the determination of 232 Th in seawater has made possible rapid sampling and analysis of this long-lived, non-radiogenic thorium isotope on small-volume samples. The marine geochemical utility of 232 Th, whose concentration in seawater is extremely low, warrants the development of these sensitive techniques. The analytical methods and some results are presented and discussed in this article. 24 refs., 3 figs

Speciation of cadmium in seawater - a direct voltammetric approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helmers, E.

1994-01-01

The present report deals with differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) applied for the analysis of cadmium in open ocean seawater. Evaluation of different Cd species can generate information about distribution and speciation of Cd in the open ocean. Distribution of Cd was investigated in surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean over a wide geographical range as well as in the water column. Surface water sampling on board the research vessel Polarstern was performed from the bow boom of the ship as well as with a snorkel system which allowed continuous sample-taking. Two different Cd species could be differentiated in the voltammograms. UV-irradiation experiments allowed the identification of an inorganic and organic Cd form, the latter caused by the association between Cd and organic matter as e.g. humic substances (HS). Atlantic ocean surface seawater normally contains between 2 and 4 ng organically complexed Cd/kg and no detectable inorganic Cd. Some areas however showed readings of up to 14 ng inorganic Cd/kg in addition. Water column samples exhibited an enrichment of inorganic Cd by depth. Occurrence of inorganic Cd at the surface could be related to specific oceanographical conditions. Together with analytical results of trace metal contents in the particulate phases of surface seawater, new aspects could be established about the biogeochemical cycling of Cd in the sea. (orig.)

Why do local communities support or oppose seawater desalination?

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza Ordshahi, B.; Heck, N.; Faraola, S.; Paytan, A.; Haddad, B.; Potts, D. C.

2016-12-01

Freshwater shortages have become a global problem due to increasing water consumption and environmental changes which are reducing the reliability of traditional water resources. One option to address water shortages in coastal areas is the use of seawater desalination. Desalination technology is particularly valued for the production of high quality drinking water and consistent production. However, seawater desalination is controversial due to potential environmental, economic, and societal impacts and lack of public support for this water supply method. Compared to alternative potable water production methods, such as water recycling, little is known about public attitudes towards seawater desalination and factors that shape local support or rejection. Our research addresses this gap and explores variables that influence support for proposed desalination plants in the Monterey Bay region, where multiple facilities have been proposed in recent years. Data was collected via a questionnaire-based survey among a random sample of coastal residents and marine stakeholders between June-July, 2016. Findings of the study identify the influence of socio-demographic variables, knowledge about desalination, engagement in marine activities, perception of the environmental context, and the existence of a National Marine Sanctuary on local support. Research outcome provide novel insights into public attitudes towards desalination and enhances our understanding of why communities might support or reject this water supply technology.

Interpretation FTIR spectrum of seawater and sediment in the Ambon Bay (TAD)

Science.gov (United States)

Patty, Diana Julaidy; Loupatty, Grace; Sopalauw, Fitria

2017-01-01

Research has done to interpretated FTIR spectrum of seawaters and sediment of the Ambon Bay (TAD). Analysis of samples of sediment and seawater using FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed the sand sediment samples identified Stretch bond OH group (3600-3500 cm-1), N-H Stretch (3400-3300 cm-1), C≡N (2250 cm-1), and NH bending (1640 to 1550 cm-1). And for seawater samples identified bonding group that is N-H Stretch (3400-3350 cm-1), N-H bending (1640 to 1550 cm-1) and C=O (1670-1640 cm-1). The existence of functional groups, carbonyl (C=O), alcohol (OH), carboxyl (COOH) can cause the complexation of metal cations. And the results showed analysis group N-O bond-containing compounds Nitro indicate heavy metal content of Lead (Pb) and group N-H bond-containing compound Amina indicate heavy metal content of Cadmium (Cd).

Evaluation of the leaching behavior of incineration bottom ash using seawater: A comparison with standard leaching tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wenlin Yvonne; Heng, Kim Soon; Nguyen, Minh Quan; Ho, Jin Rui Ivan; Mohamed Noh, Omar Ahmad Bin; Zhou, Xue Dong; Liu, Alec; Ren, Fei; Wang, Jing-Yuan

2017-04-01

Batch and column tests were conducted on untreated incineration bottom ash (IBA) samples from two incineration plants in Singapore, using seawater as the leachant. The main objective of this study was to investigate the change in the leaching behavior of certain elements (i.e. As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se and Zn) when IBA comes into contact with seawater. Such an investigation using seawater as leachant was not commonly carried out when investigating leaching behavior in IBA. The leaching tests were then carried out on the same IBA samples using DI water, as a comparison. Lower level of leaching was observed for Pb and Zn when seawater was used as the leachant. Cr and Sb showed significant cumulative release at Liquid-to-Solids (L/S) ratio 5 in the seawater column leaching. The influence of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) on Cu leaching seems to decrease after L/S 2 when using seawater in the column test. Although the leaching behavior of IBA was affected when seawater was used, for the column test, there was no significant difference during the initial release when compared to DI water. The initial L/S fractions collected were important as the low L/S ratios represent the pore water concentration and the maximum output in an actual application. The results from this study would be useful for the future study on using IBA in marine applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temporal annual changes of 210Po concentrations in coastal seawater at Kyushu Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolmachyov, S.; Maeda, Y.; Momoshima, N.

2001-01-01

Polonium-210 ( 210 Po, T 1/2 =138.4 d) arises from the decay of 210 Pb (T 1/2 =22.3 yr) via intermediary 210 Bi (T 1/2 =5.03 d). Virtually, all of 210 Po in seawater is originated by in situ decay of 210 Pb, which in turn originated due to in situ decay of 226 Ra, and decay of 222 Rn in the sea and in the atmosphere followed by deposition. In seawater, 210 Po is considered an insoluble element, therefore the concentration of dissolved 210 Po is very low. The concentration levels of 210 Po in marine environmental samples are well documented, however, scanty information is available about long-scale 210 Po behavior in open oceans and/or coastal seawater. Few studies have quantified temporal variation of 210 Po concentrations with relation to environmental parameters and seasonality. Nevertheless, seasonal detail allows us to make inferences about what geochemical parameters can effected on 210 Po behavior in the marine environment that will obviously improve our present understanding of the rates and mechanisms of 210 Po scavenging from seawater column. This paper presents the results of annual observation of 210 Po concentration in the coastal seawater at Kyushu Island (Japan). Besides the 210 Po concentrations, concentration of Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), which is generally used as an indicator of plankton activity, fluctuations of loaded suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration (C p ) and monthly rainfall collected at the place close to the sampling area were examined to confirm if their behavior mirrors that of 210 Po. (author)

Direct determination of molybdenum in seawater by adsorption cathodic stripping square-wave voltammetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Y C; Mierzwa, J; Lan, C R

2000-06-30

A reliable and very sensitive procedure for the determination of trace levels of molybdenum in seawater is proposed. The complex of molybdenum with 8-hydroxyquinoline (Oxine) is analyzed by cathodic stripping square-wave voltammetry based on the adsorption collection onto a hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). This procedure of molybdenum determination was found to be more favorable than differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry because of inherently faster scan rate and much better linearity obtained through the one-peak (instead of one-of-two peaks) calibration. The variation of polarographic peak and peak current with a pH, adsorption time, adsorption potential, and some instrumental parameters such as scan rate and pulse height were optimized. The alteration of polarographic wave and its likely mechanism are also discussed. The relationship between peak current and molybdenum concentration is linear up to 150 mug l(-1). Under the optimal analytical conditions, the determination limit of 0.5 mug l(-1) Mo was reached after 60 s of the stirred collection. The estimated detection limit is better than 0.1 mug l(-1) of Mo. The applicability of this method to analysis of seawater was assessed by the determination of molybdenum in two certified reference seawater samples (CASS-2 and NASS-2) and the comparison of the analytical results for real seawater samples (study on a vertical distribution of Mo in the seawater column) with the results obtained by Zeeman-corrected electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (Zeeman ETAAS). A good agreement between two used methods of molybdenum determination was obtained.

L-band Dielectric Constant Measurements of Seawater (Oral presentation and SMOS Poster)

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Roger H.; Utku, Cuneyt; LeVine, David M.

2003-01-01

This paper describes a resonant cavity technique for the measurement of the dielectric constant of seawater as a function of its salinity. Accurate relationships between salinity and dielectric constant (which determines emissivity) are needed for sensor systems such as SMOS and Aquarius that will monitor salinity from space in the near future. The purpose of the new measurements is to establish the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on salinity in contemporary units (e.g. psu) and to take advantage of modern instrumentation to increase the accuracy of these measurements. The measurement device is a brass cylindrical cavity 16cm in diameter and 7cm in height. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a slender glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. By assuming that this small amount of seawater slightly perturbs the internal fields in the cavity, perturbation theory can be employed. A simple formula results relating the real part of the dielectric constant to the change in resonant frequency of the cavity. In a similar manner, the imaginary part of the dielectric constant is related to the change in the cavity s Q. The expected accuracy of the cavity technique is better than 1% for the real part and 1 to 2% for the imaginary part. Presently, measurements of methanol have been made and agree with precision measurements in the literature to within 1% in both real and imaginary parts. Measurements have been made of the dielectric constant of seawater samples from Ocean Scientific in the United Kingdom with salinities of 10, 30, 35 and 38 psu. All measurements were made at room temperature. Plans to make measurements at a range of temperatures and salinities will be discussed.

Behaviors and chemical forms of radionuclides in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honda, Yoshihide

1981-01-01

Although the radionuclides introduced into the marine environment from various sources and routes are finally distributed among the components of the marine ecosystem, the residence time is one of the most useful measures of the reactivity of an element in the oceanic chemical system. Heavy metals such as Mn, Fe, Co and Zn which have shorter residence times, reveal more complicated behaviours in relation to marine radioecological interest than alkaline earth element such as Sr which has a longer residence time. The possible physico-chemical forms of radionuclides in the oceans are usually classified into three categories, that is, species in true solution, colloidal species, and particulate forms. The modeling to study the dispersion of radionuclides introduced into the marine environment can be approached with the aid of the knowledge of behaviors of their stable counterparts in seawater. The different physico-chemical forms between stable and radioactive nuclides in seawater may cause different biological concentration of the element. To realize the chemical speciation of radionuclides in the marine environment, it is also important in thermodynamical calculation to consider heterogeneous interfaces where cause raising the concentration of reactants in seawater, especially in the coastal waters. In the discussion on the primary factors that can affect the elemental distribution in the marine environment, primary productivity and bacterial activity are emphasized for the transformation of physicochemical states of radionuclides in the marine environment. Finally, the radioecological differences between radiocobalt in organic complexed and ionic forms were demonstrated in the experiments on the uptake and elimination of radiocobalt by mussels. (J.P.N.)

Performance and flow characteristics of MHD seawater thruster

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doss, E.D.

1990-01-01

The main goal of the research is to investigate the effects of strong magnetic fields on the electrical and flow fields inside MHD thrusters. The results of this study is important in the assessment of the feasibility of MHD seawater propulsion for the Navy. To accomplish this goal a three-dimensional fluid flow computer model has been developed and applied to study the concept of MHD seawater propulsion. The effects of strong magnetic fields on the current and electric fields inside the MHD thruster and their interaction with the flow fields, particularly those in the boundary layers, have been investigated. The results of the three-dimensional computations indicate that the velocity profiles are flatter over the sidewalls of the thruster walls in comparison to the velocity profiles over the electrode walls. These nonuniformities in the flow fields give rise to nonuniform distribution of the skin friction along the walls of the thrusters, where higher values are predicted over the sidewalls relative to those over the electrode walls. Also, a parametric study has been performed using the three-dimensional MHD flow model to analyze the performance of continuous electrode seawater thrusters under different operating parameters. The effects of these parameters on the fluid flow characteristics, and on the thruster efficiency have been investigated. Those parameters include the magnetic field (10--20 T), thruster diameter, surface roughness, flow velocity, and the electric load factor. The results show also that the thruster performance improves with the strength of the magnetic field and thruster diameter, and the efficiency decreases with the flow velocity and surface roughness.

Hydrogeochemical modelling of fluid–rock interactions triggered by seawater injection into oil reservoirs: Case study Miller field (UK North Sea)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Yunjiao; Berk, Wolfgang van; Schulz, Hans-Martin

2012-01-01

A hydrogeochemical model is presented and applied to quantitatively elucidate interdependent reactions among minerals and formation water–seawater mixtures at elevated levels of CO 2 partial pressure. These hydrogeochemical reactions (including scale formation) occur within reservoir aquifers and wells and are driven by seawater injection. The model relies on chemical equilibrium thermodynamics and reproduces the compositional development of the produced water (formation water–seawater mixtures) of the Miller field, UK North Sea. This composition of the produced water deviates from its calculated composition, which could result solely from mixing of both the end members (formation water and seawater). This indicates the effect of hydrogeochemical reactions leading to the formation and/or the dissolution of mineral phases. A fairly good match between the modelled and measured chemical composition of produced water indicates that hydrogeochemical interactions achieve near-equilibrium conditions within the residence time of formation water–seawater mixtures at reservoir conditions. Hence the model enables identification of minerals (including scale minerals), to quantitatively reproduce and to predict their dissolution and/or formation. The modelling results indicate that admixing of seawater into formation water triggers the precipitation of Sr–Barite solid solution, CaSO 4 phases and dolomite. In contrast, calcite and microcrystalline quartz are dissolved along the seawater flow path from the injection well towards the production well. Depending on the fraction of seawater admixed, interdependent reactions induce profound modifications to the aquifer mineral phase assemblage. At low levels of seawater admixture, Ba–Sr sulfate solid solution is precipitated and coupled to concurrent dissolution of calcite and microcrystalline quartz. Massive dissolution of calcite and the formation of CaSO 4 phases and dolomite are triggered by intense seawater admixture

87Sr enrichment of ophiolitic sulphide deposits in Cyprus confirms ore formation by circulating seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, H.J.; Spooner, E.T.C.

1977-01-01

The hypothesis that seawater was the source of the hydrothermal fluid which formed the Upper Cretaceous ophiolitic cupriferous pyrite ore deposits of the Troodos Massif (Cyprus) has been tested by analysing the strontium isotopic composition of thirteen mineralized samples from four mines. Initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios range from 0.7052+-0.0001 to 0.7075+-0.00002, the latter value being indistinguishable from that of Upper Cretaceous seawater at 0.7076+-0.0006 (2 sigma). Hence, the mineralized metabasalt samples have been contaminated with 87 Sr, relative to initial magmatic strontium isotope ratios of the Troodos ophiolitic complex (0.70338+-0.00010 to 0.70365+-0.00005). Since seawater was the only source of strontium available during formation of the Troodos Complex which was isotopically relatively enriched in 87 Sr, the data confirm that seawater was the source of the hydrothermal oreforming fluid. (Auth.)

Extraction of uranium from seawater: a few facts - 5025

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidez, J.; Gabriel, S.

2015-01-01

Although uranium concentration in seawater is only about 3 micrograms/liter, the quantity of uranium dissolved in the world's oceans is estimated to amount to 4.5 billions tonnes of uranium metal (tU). In contrast, the current conventional terrestrial resource is estimated to amount to about 17 million tU. However, for a number of reasons the extraction of significant amounts of uranium from seawater remains today more a dream than a reality. Firstly, pumping the seawater to extract this uranium would need more energy more energy than what could be produced with the recuperated uranium. Then if trying to use existing industrial flow rates, as for example on a nuclear power plant, it appears that the annual possible quantity remains very low. In fact huge quantities of water must be treated. To produce the annual world uranium consumption (around 65.000 tU), it would need at least to extract all uranium of 2*10 13 tonnes of water, the volume equivalent to the entire North Sea. In fact only the great ocean currents are providing without pumping huge quantities of seawater and the idea is to try to extract even very partially this uranium. A lot of research works have been published, on the studies of adsorbents immersed in these currents. Then, after immersion, these adsorbents are chemically treated to recuperate the uranium. Final quantities remain low in comparison of the complex and costly operations to be done in sea. One kilogram of adsorbent, after one month of immersion, yields about 2 g of uranium and the adsorbent can only be used 6 times due to decreasing efficiency. The industrial extrapolation exercise made for the extraction of 1.200 tU/year give with these values a very costly installation installed on more than 1000 km 2 of sea with a lot of boats for transportation and maintenance. The ecological management of this huge installation would present significant challenges. (authors)

Thermodynamic properties of standard seawater: extensions to high temperatures and pressures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Safarov

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Measurements of (p, ρ, T properties of standard seawater with practical salinity S≈35, temperature T=(273.14 to 468.06 K and pressures, p, up to 140 MPa are reported with the reproducibility of the density measurements observed to be in the average percent deviation range Δρ/ρ=±(0.01 to 0.03%. The measurements are made with a newly constructed vibration-tube densimeter which is calibrated using double-distilled water, methanol and aqueous NaCl solutions. Based on these and previous measurements, an empirical expression for the density of standard seawater has been developed as a function of pressure and temperature. This equation is used to calculate other volumetric properties including isothermal compressibility, isobaric thermal expansibility, differences in isobaric and isochoric heat capacities, the thermal pressure coefficient, internal pressure and the secant bulk modulus. The results can be used to extend the present equation of state of seawater to higher temperatures for pressure up to 140 MPa.

Viral lysis of photosynthesizing microbes as a mechanism for calcium carbonate nucleation in seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Lisle, John T.; Robbins, Lisa L.

2016-01-01

Removal of carbon through the precipitation and burial of calcium carbonate in marine sediments constitutes over 70% of the total carbon on Earth and is partitioned between coastal and pelagic zones. The precipitation of authigenic calcium carbonate in seawater, however, has been hotly debated because despite being in a supersaturated state, there is an absence of persistent precipitation. One of the explanations for this paradox is the geochemical conditions in seawater cannot overcome the activation energy barrier for the first step in any precipitation reaction; nucleation. Here we show that virally induced rupturing of photosynthetic cyanobacterial cells releases cytoplasmic-associated bicarbonate at concentrations ~23-fold greater than in the surrounding seawater, thereby shifting the carbonate chemistry toward the homogenous nucleation of one or more of the calcium carbonate polymorphs. Using geochemical reaction energetics, we show the saturation states (Ω) in typical seawater for calcite (Ω = 4.3), aragonite (Ω = 3.1), and vaterite (Ω = 1.2) are significantly elevated following the release and diffusion of the cytoplasmic bicarbonate (Ωcalcite = 95.7; Ωaragonite = 68.5; Ωvaterite = 25.9). These increases in Ω significantly reduce the activation energy for nuclei formation thresholds for all three polymorphs, but only vaterite nucleation is energetically favored. In the post-lysis seawater, vaterite's nuclei formation activation energy is significantly reduced from 1.85 × 10−17 J to 3.85 × 10−20 J, which increases the nuclei formation rate from highly improbable (seawater describes a mechanism through which the initial step in the production of carbonate sediments may proceed. It also presents an additional role of photosynthesizing microbes and their viruses in marine carbon cycles and reveals these microorganisms are a collective repository for concentrated and reactive dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) that is currently not accounted for

Seawater Polluted with Highly Concentrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Suppresses Osteoblastic Activity in the Scales of Goldfish, Carassius auratus.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Nobuo; Sato, Masayuki; Nassar, Hossam F; Abdel-Gawad, Fagr Kh; Bassem, Samah M; Yachiguchi, Koji; Tabuchi, Yoshiaki; Endo, Masato; Sekiguchi, Toshio; Urata, Makoto; Hattori, Atsuhiko; Mishima, Hiroyuki; Shimasaki, Youhei; Oshima, Yuji; Hong, Chun-Sang; Makino, Fumiya; Tang, Ning; Toriba, Akira; Hayakawa, Kazuichi

2016-08-01

We have developed an original in vitro bioassay using teleost scale, that has osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and bone matrix as each marker: alkaline phosphatase (ALP) for osteoblasts and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) for osteoclasts. Using this scale in vitro bioassay, we examined the effects of seawater polluted with highly concentrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) on osteoblastic and osteoclastic activities in the present study. Polluted seawater was collected from two sites (the Alexandria site on the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal site on the Red Sea). Total levels of PAHs in the seawater from the Alexandria and Suez Canal sites were 1364.59 and 992.56 ng/l, respectively. We were able to detect NPAHs in both seawater samples. Total levels of NPAHs were detected in the seawater of the Alexandria site (12.749 ng/l) and the Suez Canal site (3.914 ng/l). Each sample of polluted seawater was added to culture medium at dilution rates of 50, 100, and 500, and incubated with the goldfish scales for 6 hrs. Thereafter, ALP and TRAP activities were measured. ALP activity was significantly suppressed by both polluted seawater samples diluted at least 500 times, but TRAP activity did not change. In addition, mRNA expressions of osteoblastic markers (ALP, osteocalcin, and the receptor activator of the NF-κB ligand) decreased significantly, as did the ALP enzyme activity. In fact, ALP activity decreased on treatment with PAHs and NPAHs. We conclude that seawater polluted with highly concentrated PAHs and NPAHs influences bone metabolism in teleosts.

Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Attenuates Seawater Instillation-Induced Acute Lung Injury via the Nrf2 Pathway in Rabbits.

Science.gov (United States)

Diao, Mengyuan; Zhang, Sheng; Wu, Lifeng; Huan, Le; Huang, Fenglou; Cui, Yunliang; Lin, Zhaofen

2016-12-01

Seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury involves oxidative stress and apoptosis. Although hydrogen gas inhalation is reportedly protective in multiple types of lung injury, the effect of hydrogen gas inhalation on seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of hydrogen gas on seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury and explored the mechanisms involved. Rabbits were randomly assigned to control, hydrogen (2 % hydrogen gas inhalation), seawater (3 mL/kg seawater instillation), and seawater + hydrogen (3 mL/kg seawater instillation + 2 % hydrogen gas inhalation) groups. Arterial partial oxygen pressure and lung wet/dry weight ratio were detected. Protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 levels were determined. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to monitor changes in lung specimens, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were assayed. In addition, NF-E2-related factor (Nrf) 2 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 mRNA and protein expression were measured, and apoptosis was assessed by measuring caspase-3 expression and using terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining. Hydrogen gas inhalation markedly improved lung endothelial permeability and decreased both MDA content and MPO activity in lung tissue; these changes were associated with decreases in TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in BALF. Hydrogen gas also alleviated histopathological changes and cell apoptosis. Moreover, Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions were significantly activated and caspase-3 expression was inhibited. These results demonstrate that hydrogen gas inhalation attenuates seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury in rabbits and that the protective effects observed may be related to the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.

Spatial variation of PAHs and PCBs in coastal air, seawater, and sediments in a heavily industrialized region.

Science.gov (United States)

Odabasi, Mustafa; Dumanoglu, Yetkin; Kara, Melik; Altiok, Hasan; Elbir, Tolga; Bayram, Abdurrahman

2017-05-01

Concurrent coastal seawater (n = 22), sediment (n = 22), and atmospheric samples (n = 10) were collected in the Aliaga industrial region, Turkey, to explore the spatial variation, sources, and air-seawater exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Seawater Σ 16 PAH concentrations (particle + dissolved) ranged between 5107 and 294,624 pg L -1 , while Σ 41 PCB concentrations were in the range of 880-50,829 pg L -1 . Levels in sediments were highly variable ranging between 35.5-49,682 and 2.7-2450 μg kg -1 in dry weight for Σ 16 PAHs and Σ 41 PCBs, respectively. Atmospheric concentrations varied between 1791-274,974 and 104-20,083 pg m -3 for Σ 16 PAHs and Σ 41 PCBs, respectively. Sediment organic matter (OM) content and levels of Σ 16 PAHs and Σ 41 PCBs correlated weakly (r 2  = 0.19-0.23, p seawater, and sediment and factor analysis on the sediment levels pointed out that the major sources in the region are steel plants, petroleum refinery, petrochemical complex, ship breaking, loading/unloading activities at the ports, vehicular emissions, and fossil fuel combustion emissions. The direction of the air-seawater exchange was also explored by estimating seawater fugacity fractions of PAHs and PCBs. For PAHs, the number of cases implying deposition (43.0%) and volatilization (39.5%) was similar, while for PCBs, the number of cases implying volatilization (60.4%) was much higher compared to deposition (21.6%). Fugacity fractions were generally seawater and sediment levels were measured, implying that atmospheric deposition is an important mechanism affecting seawater and sediment PAH and PCB levels.

Isotopic measurements in research on seawater ingression in the carbonate aquifer of the Salentine Peninsula, Southern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotecchia, V.; Tazioli, G.S.; Magri, G.

1974-01-01

Cretaceous calcareous and dolomitic rocks, bedded, jointed and karstified, and hence generally very permeable, form the basement of the Salentine Peninsula. These rocks constitute a huge aquifer with fresh and brackish groundwaters that float on groundwaters of marine origin. Sea level constitutes the base level of the ground waters. A basic outline is first given of the hydrogeology and the paleohydrogeology, so as to provide the necessary background information on the seawater intrusion phenomenon and to permit comparison of the results of the isotope data with those obtained by the classical methods of hydrogeological investigation. This is followed by presentation of the results of the isotopic measurements on 18 O, D, 13 C and 14 C. The δ 13 C contents indicate, in good agreement with the carbon dioxide and bicarbonate concentrations, that seawater ingression leads to the migration of carbon dioxide from the fresh and brackish waters towards the subjacent intrusive waters of marine origin. Along those stretches of coast where the seawaters are in direct communication with the groundwaters, all the isotope data point to very active renewal of groundwaters of marine origin by seawater. In the central parts of the peninsula and along those stretches of coast where direct communication between seawaters and groundwaters is impeded by impervious clays, the 14 C contents indicate that the seawater intrusion and consequently the migration of carbon dioxide are either very slow and continuous in time or that they occurred relatively rapidly in the past. Taking into consideration the paleohydrogeology of the peninsula, and the fact that the δ 18 O and δD values are higher than those of the present seawaters, leads to the belief that seawater intrusion may well have occurred during major variations in the sea level in the past, when climatic conditions were different from those now prevailing. (author)

Biodegradation of Halloysite Nanotubes-Polyester Nanocomposites Exposed to Short Term Seawater Immersion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Shahneel Saharudin

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs-polyester nanocomposites with four different concentrations were produced using solution casting technique and the biodegradation effect of short-term seawater exposure (120 h was studied. Monolithic polyester was observed to have the highest seawater absorption with 1.37%. At 0.3 wt % HNTs reinforcement, the seawater absorption dropped significantly to the lowest value of 0.77% due to increase of liquid diffusion path. For samples tested in dry conditions, the Tg, storage modulus, tensile properties and flexural properties were improved. The highest improvement of Tg was from 79.3 to 82.4 °C (increase 3.1 °C in the case of 0.3 wt % HNTs. This can be associated with the exfoliated HNTs particles, which restrict the mobility of polymer chains and thus raised the Tg. After seawater exposure, the Tg, storage modulus, tensile properties and flexural properties of polyester and its nanocomposites were decreased. The Young’s modulus of 0.3 wt % HNTs-polyester dropped 20% while monolithic polyester dropped up to 24% compared to their values in dry condition. Apart from that, 29% flexural modulus reduction was observed, which was 18% higher than monolithic polyester. In contrast, fracture toughness and surface roughness increased due to plasticization effect. The presence of various microbial communities caused gradual biodegradation on the microstructure of the polyester matrix as also evidently shown by SEM images.

A review of uranium extraction from seawater: Recent international research and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nor Azillah Fatimah Othman; Jamaliah Sharif; Siti Fatahiyah Mohamad

2012-01-01

Radiation-induced grafting co-polymerization is widely used technique to produce high performance chemically active polymer materials for adsorption and separation processes on the basis of various commercial polymers available in different forms (films, fibers, resins, textiles, powders). The design and synthesis of polymer supported reagents that can selectively complex metal ions from multi-component solutions have been an important area of research during the last decades. Uranyl ions have been one of the target ions to be removed from aqueous systems. Despite the very low uranium concentration (3.3 ppb) in seawater, its total amount reaches 4 x 10 12 kg, that is equivalent to 1000 times of the mine uranium. To recover an economically significant quantity of uranium from seawater, an adsorption method using a suitable solid adsorbent seems to be feasible with regard to economical and environmental impacts. Extensive investigations of adsorbents capable of recovering uranium from seawater and aqueous systems have been carried out during the last two decades especially in Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan but until now, this method is not feasible for mass production. In this paper, recent international activities are summarized, on both the laboratory scale experiments and large scale marine experiments. Research and Development opportunities are discussed for improving the system performance and making the collection of uranium from seawater more economically competitive. (author)

Rapid determination of radium-224/226 in seawater sample by alpha spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Lijuan; Yang, Yonggang; Luo, Maoyi; Ma, Yan; Dai, Xiongxin

2017-05-01

A new radiochemical separation method has been developed for rapid determination of alpha-emitting radium isotopes in seawater samples. This method can be applied for the measurement of 226 Ra in seawater samples when 224 Ra is used as tracer for chemical recovery correction. Likewise, 226 Ra can also be added as tracer for the determination of 224 Ra in seawater sample. In the method, radium is first pre-concentrated with hydrous titanium oxide (HTiO) and is purified by combined anion/cation exchange column chromatographic separation. The radium in the eluate is then co-precipitated with HTiO, dissolved in 9 M H 2 SO 4 , and followed through a BaSO 4 micro-precipitation step to prepare a thin-layer counting source to determine the activities of 224 Ra/ 226 Ra by alpha spectrometry. Replicate spike and blank samples were measured to evaluate the performance of the procedure. The minimum detectable activity concentration was determined to be 0.5 mBq·L -1 for 226 Ra and 0.4 mBq·L -1 for 224 Ra in 1 L of seawater sample with a counting time of 48 h. The method is a promising candidate for rapid measurement for alpha-emitting Ra isotopes in a large population of environment water samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seawater-Soluble Pigments and Their Potential Use in Self-Polishing Antifouling Paints: Simulation-based Screening Tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiil, Søren; Dam-Johansen, Kim; Erik Weinell, Claus

2002-01-01

This work concerns the on-going development of efficient and environmentally friendly antifouling paints for biofouling control on large ocean-going ships. It is illustrated how a detailed mathematical model for a self-polishing antifouling paint exposed to seawater can be used as a product...... solubility and seawater diffusivity of dissolved pigment species have a significant influence on the polishing and leaching behaviour of a typical self-polishing paint system. The pigment size distribution, on the other hand, only has a minor influence on the paint-seawater interaction. Simulations also...... indicate that only compounds which are effective against biofouling at very low seawater concentrations are useful as active antifouling paint ingredients. The need for model verification and exploration of practical issues, subsequent a given pigment has been found of interest, is discussed. The model...

A reactive transport investigation of a seawater intrusion experiment in a shallow aquifer, Skansehage Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Flemming Damgaard; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard; Kipp, K.L.

2001-01-01

Previous investigations on seawater intrusion have mainly focused on either the physical density flow system with transport of a single non-reactive species or focused on the geochemical aspects neglecting density effects. This study focuses on both the geochemical and physical aspects of seawate...

Predatory bacteria as natural modulators of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in seawater and oysters

Science.gov (United States)

This study shows that naturally occurring Vibrio predatory bacteria (VPB) exert a major role in controlling pathogenic vibrios in seawater and shellfish. The growth and persistence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) were assessed in natural seawater and in the Eastern oyster...

Electrochemical formation of green rusts in deaerated seawater-like solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Refait, Ph., E-mail: prefait@univ-lr.fr [Laboratoire d' etude des materiaux en milieux agressifs (LEMMA), EA 3167, Universite de La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Fed. de Recherche en Environnement et Developpement Durable, FR CNRS 3097 (France); Nguyen, D.D. [Laboratoire d' etude des materiaux en milieux agressifs (LEMMA), EA 3167, Universite de La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Hue University' s College of Education, Hue (Viet Nam); Jeannin, M. [Laboratoire d' etude des materiaux en milieux agressifs (LEMMA), EA 3167, Universite de La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Fed. de Recherche en Environnement et Developpement Durable, FR CNRS 3097 (France); Sable, S. [Littoral, Environnement et Societe (LiENSs), UMR 6250, CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Fed. de Recherche en Environnement et Developpement Durable, FR CNRS 3097 (France); Langumier, M. [Laboratoire d' etude des materiaux en milieux agressifs (LEMMA), EA 3167, Universite de La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Littoral, Environnement et Societe (LiENSs), UMR 6250, CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Fed. de Recherche en Environnement et Developpement Durable, FR CNRS 3097 (France); Sabot, R. [Laboratoire d' etude des materiaux en milieux agressifs (LEMMA), EA 3167, Universite de La Rochelle, Bat. Marie Curie, Av. Michel Crepeau, F-17 042 La Rochelle Cedex 01 (France); Fed. de Recherche en Environnement et Developpement Durable, FR CNRS 3097 (France)

2011-07-15

Highlights: > Sulphated green rust could be electro-generated on carbon steel in anoxic seawater-like electrolytes. > Rust layers grown during 11 years on carbon steel in natural seawater were thoroughly characterised by {mu}-Raman spectroscopy. > The mechanism of marine corrosion of carbon steel in anoxic conditions could be specified. - Abstract: Carbon steel electrodes were polarised at a potential {approx}150 mV higher than the open circuit potential, in a deaerated seawater-like electrolyte (0.5 mol dm{sup -3} NaCl, 0.03 mol dm{sup -3} Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}, 0.003 mol dm{sup -3} NaHCO{sub 3}). X-ray diffraction and {mu}-Raman analysis demonstrated that a layer mainly composed of GR(SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) had grown on the steel surface. GR(SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) was accompanied by traces of GR(CO{sub 3}{sup 2-}). Similar experiments performed in a solution composed of 0.3 mol dm{sup -3} of Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} and 0.03 mol dm{sup -3} of NaHCO{sub 3} led to the same result. The nature of the GR forming on steel is thus mainly linked to the sulphate to carbonate concentration ratio. Finally, carbon steel coupons immersed for 11 years in the harbour of La Rochelle (Atlantic coast) were removed from seawater for analysis. The inner part of the rust layer proved to be mainly composed of magnetite, GR(SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) and iron sulphide FeS. This definitively confirms that GR(SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}), as Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and FeS, can form from steel in O{sub 2}-depleted environments.

Manganese in the shell of the bivalve Mytilus edulis: Seawater Mn or physiological control?

Science.gov (United States)

Freitas, Pedro S.; Clarke, Leon J.; Kennedy, Hilary; Richardson, Christopher A.

2016-12-01

Manganese in the shell calcite of marine bivalves has been suggested to reflect ambient seawater Mn concentrations, thus providing a high-resolution archive of past seawater Mn concentrations. However, a quantitative relationship between seawater Mn and shell Mn/Ca ratios, as well as clear understanding of which process(es) control(s) shell Mn/Ca, are still lacking. Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were grown in a one-year duration field experiment in the Menai Strait, U.K., to study the relationship between seawater particulate and dissolved Mn2+ concentrations and shell calcite Mn/Ca ratios. Shell Mn/Ca showed a well-defined intra-annual double-peak, with maximum values during early spring and early summer and low values during autumn and winter. Seawater particulate Mn peaked during winter and autumn, with a series of smaller peaks during spring and summer, whereas dissolved Mn2+ exhibited a marked single maximum during late-spring to early-summer, being low during the remainder of the year. Consequently, neither seawater particulate Mn nor dissolved Mn2+ concentrations explain the intra-annual variation of shell Mn/Ca ratios. A physiological control on shell Mn/Ca ratios is evident from the strong similarity and timing of the double-peaked intra-annual variations of Mn/Ca and shell growth rate (SGR), the latter corresponding to periods of increased metabolic activity (as indicated by respiration rate). It is thus likely that in M. edulis SGR influences shell Mn/Ca by altering the concentration or activity of Mn2+ within the extra-pallial fluid (EPF), by changing the flux of Mn into or the proportion of protein bound Mn within the EPF. By linking shell Mn/Ca ratios to the endogenous and environmental factors that determine growth and metabolic activity, this study helps to explain the lack of a consistent relationship between shell Mn/Ca in marine bivalve shell calcite and seawater particulate and dissolved Mn2+ concentrations. The use of Mn content from M. edulis

Effects of transparent exopolymer particles and suspended particles on the survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidson, Marion C F; Berardi, Terra; Aguilar, Beatriz; Byrne, Barbara A; Shapiro, Karen

2015-03-01

The bacterium Salmonella enterica can infect marine mammals and has been increasingly implicated in seafood-borne disease outbreaks in humans. Despite the risk this zoonotic agent poses to animals and people, little is known regarding the environmental factors that affect its persistence in the sea. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of two constituents on the survival of Salmonella in the marine environment: transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) and suspended particles. A decay experiment was conducted by spiking Salmonella into bottles containing seawater, seawater with alginic acid as a source of TEP, filtered seawater or filtered seawater with alginic acid. Survival of Salmonella was monitored using culture followed by enrichment assays to evaluate if the bacteria entered a viable but non-cultivable (VBNC) state. Salmonella cell counts dropped significantly faster (P ≤ 0.05) in the unfiltered seawater samples with and without TEP. The slowest decay occurred in filtered seawater containing alginic acid, with VBNC Salmonella persisting for 17 months. These findings suggest that TEP may favor Salmonella survival while suspended particles facilitate its decay. Insight on the survival of allochthonous, zoonotic pathogens in seawater can guide monitoring, management and policy decisions relevant to wildlife and human public health. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Controlling Biofouling in Seawater Reverse Osmosis Membrane Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dhakal, N.

2017-01-01

Seawater desalination is a rapidly growing coastal industry that is increasingly threatened by algal blooms. Depending on the severity of algal blooms, desalination systems may be forced to shut down because of clogging and/or poor feed water quality. To maintain stable operation and provide good

A bio-thermic seawater desalination system using halophytes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Finck, C.

2014-01-01

A bio-thermic seawater desalination system using halophytes was developed and successfully tested. A greenhouse as part of a test rig, with different sorts of mangroves, was installed. Measurements showed promising results concerning fresh water relative yielding rates up to 1.4 kg/h/m2 (leaf

Recent International R&D Activities in the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Linfeng

2010-03-15

A literature survey has been conducted to collect information on the International R&D activities in the extraction of uranium from seawater for the period from the 1960s till the year of 2010. The reported activities, on both the laboratory scale bench experiments and the large scale marine experiments, were summarized by country/region in this report. Among all countries where such activities have been reported, Japan has carried out the most advanced large scale marine experiments with the amidoxime-based system, and achieved the collection efficiency (1.5 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 30 days soaking in the ocean) that could justify the development of industrial scale marine systems to produce uranium from seawater at the price competitive with those from conventional uranium resources. R&D opportunities are discussed for improving the system performance (selectivity for uranium, loading capacity, chemical stability and mechanical durability in the sorption-elution cycle, and sorption kinetics) and making the collection of uranium from seawater more economically competitive.

Standard practice for exposing and evaluating metals and alloys in surface seawater

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2000-01-01

1.1 This practice covers conditions for the exposure of metals, alloys, and other materials in natural surface seawater such as those typically found in bays, harbors, channels, and so forth, as contrasted with deep ocean testing. This practice covers full immersion, tidal zone and related splash, and spray zone exposures. 1.2 This practice sets forth general procedures that should be followed in conducting seawater exposure tests so that meaningful comparisons may be made from one location to another. 1.3 This practice identifies recommended procedures for evaluating the effects of natural surface seawater on the materials exposed. 1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regula...

Seawater/Saline Agriculture for Energy, Warming, Water, Rainfall, Land, Food and Minerals

Science.gov (United States)

Bushnell, Dennis

2006-01-01

The combination of the incipient demise of cheap oil and increasing evidence of Global Warming due to anthropogenic fossil carbon release has reinvigorated the need for and efforts on Renewable energy sources, especially for transportation applications. Biomass/Bio-diesel appears to have many benefits compared to Hydrogen, the only other major renewable transportation fuel candidate. Biomass Production is currently limited by available arable land and fresh water. Halophyte Plants and seawater irrigation proffer a wholly new biomass production mantra using wastelands and very plentiful seawater. Such an approach addresses many-to-most of the major emerging Societal Problems including Land, Water, Food, Warming and Energy. For many reasons, including seawater agriculture, portions of the Sahara appear to be viable candidates for future Biomass Production. The apparent nonlinearity between vegetation cover and atmospheric conditions over North Africa necessitates serious coupled boundary layer Meteorology and Global Circulation Modeling to ensure that this form of Terra Forming is Favorable and to avoid adverse Unintended Consequences.

Biological fate of cobalt-60 released during the corrosion of neutron-activated stanless steel in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, J.S.

1982-03-01

Passing seawater over radioactive Type 347 stainless steel in a sediment/seawater laboratory system and exposing marine animals to this environment provided information on the bioaccumulation of 60 Co from radioactive structural material. Exposure of marine organisms to radioactive corrosion products and directly to radioactive stainless steel in seawater simulated some of the possible conditions which could arise from the deposition of radioactive stainless steel on the ocean floor. Detectable levels of 60 Co in marine animals were not observed on a short term basis (5 weeks). Longterm (13 months) exposure of marine animals in a sediment/seawater system resulted in 60 Co bioaccumulation. The specific activity of 60 Co in the organisms was as much as one million times less than that initially present in the radioactive stainless steel. This was due to the dilution of 60 Co by stable cobalt in the seawater, sediments and organisms. As expected the 60 Co specific activity of the organisms never increased above that of the radioactive source. This is because 60 Co is chemicaly indistinguishable from stable Co. Increasing 60 Co concentration factors with decreasing 60 Co concentrations in the seawater and sediment media coupled with relatively constant 60 Co specific activities suggest a possible homeostatic control of cobalt concentrations in certain marine organisms. The evidence indicates that the marine animals derived more of the accumulated 60 Co from the sediments and interstitial water than from seawater. Cobalt-60 concentration factors were generally found to be lower than published cobalt concentration factors due to the predominantly insoluble nature of the corrosion products. Baseline information is provided on trace element concentrations in deep-sea organisms. Stable Co and twenty other elements were measured in abyssal invertebrates and a fish

Distinct freshwater and seawater isoforms of Na+/K+-ATPase in gill chloride cells of Atlantic salmon

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Stephen D.; Regish, A.M.; Christensen, A.K.

2009-01-01

Gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) in teleost fishes is involved in ion regulation in both freshwater and seawater. We have developed and validated rabbit polyclonal antibodies specific to the NKA alpha1a and alpha1b protein isoforms of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar Linnaeus), and used western blots and immunohistochemistry to characterize their size, abundance and localization. The relative molecular mass of NKA alpha1a is slightly less than that for NKA beta1b. The abundance of gill NKA alpha1a was high in freshwater and became nearly undetectable after seawater acclimation. NKA alpha1b was present in small amounts in freshwater and increased 13-fold after seawater acclimation. Both NKA isoforms were detected only in chloride cells. NKA alpha1a was located in both filamental and lamellar chloride cells in freshwater, whereas in seawater it was present only as a faint background in filamental chloride cells. In freshwater, NKA alpha1b was found in a small number of filamental chloride cells, and after seawater acclimation it was found in all chloride cells on the filament and lamellae. Double simultaneous immunofluorescence indicated that NKA alpha1a and alpha1b are located in different chloride cells in freshwater. In many chloride cells in seawater, NKA alpha1b was present in greater amounts in the subapical region than elsewhere in the cell. The combined patterns in abundance and immunolocalization of these two isoforms can explain the salinity-related changes in total NKA and chloride cell abundance. The results indicate that there is a freshwater and a seawater isoform of NKA alpha-subunit in the gills of Atlantic salmon and that they are present in distinct chloride cells.

Amnesic shellfish poisoning biotoxin detection in seawater using pure or amino-functionalized Ag nanoparticles and SERS.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Csilla; Glamuzina, Branko; Pozniak, Iva; Weber, Karina; Cialla, Dana; Popp, Jürgen; Cîntă Pînzaru, Simona

2014-12-01

Domoic acid (DA) biotoxin responsible for the amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) has been unambiguously detected in seawater in a broad range of concentration, with both pure and amino-functionalized Ag nanoparticles employed for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). To achieve this, a comprehensive SERS study on DA dissolved in distilled water has been conducted. SERS of DA dissolved in seawater in concentrations ranging from 3.3 × 10(-4) to 3.3 × 10(-8) mol l(-1) exhibited specific signal, completely different to those of the corresponding DA aqueous solutions, due to the seawater interference in the overall SERS effect. In order to assess the capability of the technique as a cheaper alternative for rapid and unambiguous detection of the DA biotoxin in seawater, three detection schemes have been proposed. DA was detectable at 0.33 nmoll(-1) concentration (0.33) dissolved in distilled water and 0.033 nmol l(-1) (0.033 ppb) in seawater respectively, much lower than the admitted level by the current regulation. A solvent specific interaction of DA with the NPs was concluded, since DA aqueous solution added to Ag nanoparticles provided different SERS signal compared to that of DA directly dissolved in seawater. Employing amino-functionalized Ag nanoparticles with 4-aminothiophenol as SERS tag, SERS signal of DA on amino-AgNPs revealed significant specificity associated with the aromatic primary amine interaction of the SERS tag with DA, thus allowing DA detection in seawater at 4.16 × 10(-4) mol l(-1) concentration, much higher than in the case of pure NPs. To highlight the findings, a brief literature review to date on the DA biotoxin detection was also provided. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ti-3Al-2.5V for seawater piping applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caplan, I.L.

1984-01-01

Copper-nickel alloys and steel are the materials most commonly used for piping applications in a seawater environment. For situations where reduced weight, incraesed flexibility, and excellent corrosion-erosion resistance are desired, titanium is an extremely attractive alternate material. Commercially pure grades of titanium can be used for seawater piping, but are rather low in strength. However, by taking advantage of the high specific strength possible with alloys of titanium, substantial weight savings can be achieved. Based upon screening studies, Ti-3Al-2.5V was selected for investigation as a candidate alloy for this application. Plate 25.4-mm (1-in.) thick, extruded from Ti-3Al-2.5V billet at a 10:1 reduction ratio, was used for heat treatment and property studies. In addition, double-vee butt weldments of this plate were prepared by the automatic cold-wire gas tungsten arc welding process. The results of mechanical property tests are presented for both Ti-3Al-2.5V plate and weldments. Results to date indicate that the Ti-3Al-2.5V alloy possesses a highly desirable suite of properties that make it a very attractive candidate for piping and machinery applications in the seawater environment

Effects of drinking desalinated seawater on cell viability and proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Macarrão, Camila Longhi; Bachi, André Luis Lacerda; Mariano, Mario; Abel, Lucia Jamli

2017-06-01

Desalination of seawater is becoming an important means to address the increasing scarcity of freshwater resources in the world. Seawater has been used as drinking water in the health, food, and medical fields and various beneficial effects have been suggested, although not confirmed. Given the presence of 63 minerals and trace elements in drinking desalinated seawater (63 DSW), we evaluated their effects on the behavior of tumorigenic and nontumorigenic cells through the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining. Our results showed that cell viability and proliferation in the presence of 63 DSW were significantly greater than in mineral water and in the presence of fetal bovine serum in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 63 DSW showed no toxic effect on murine embryonic fibroblast (NIH-3T3) and murine melanoma (B16-F10) cells. In another assay, we also showed that pre-treatment of non-adherent THP-1 cells with 63 DSW reduces apoptosis incidence, suggesting a protective effect against cell death. We conclude that cell viability and proliferation were improved by the mineral components of 63 DSW and this effect can guide further studies on health effects associated with DSW consumption.

A study of marine pollution caused by the release of metals into seawater following acid spills.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabon, Jean-Yves; Giamarchi, Philippe; Le Floch, Stephane

2010-07-01

This study examined the potential metal pollution induced by the accidental spill of different acids into seawater. The acids sink to the bottom according to their densities and subsequently react with marine sediments. The acids selected for this study were acetic, hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acids; the metallic elements selected were Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The sediment was collected in Brest Harbour. The percentages of metals released from this sediment in the presence of various concentrations of acids in seawater were important; concentrations of approximately 7 mg L(-1) for Mn and 60 mg L(-1) for Zn were observed under our experimental conditions. We also examined the rate of release of these metals from the sediment into the seawater in the presence of the different acids and under different experimental conditions. We found that most of the metallic elements were released from the sediments into the seawater during the first fifteen minutes of exposure. After this time, a high degree of pollution was induced if acids leached into seawater were not rapidly diluted. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of seawater [Ca2+] on the calcification and calcite Mg / Ca of Amphistegina lessonii

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mewes, A.; Langer, G.; Thoms, S.; Nehrke, G.; Reichart, G. J.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Bijma, J.

2015-01-01

Mg / Ca ratios in foraminiferal tests are routinely used as paleotemperature proxies, but on long timescales, they also hold the potential to reconstruct past seawater Mg / Ca. The impact of both temperature and seawater Mg / Ca on Mg incorporation in Foraminifera has been quantified by a number of

Experiences of corrosion and corrosion protection in seawater systems in the Nordic countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henrikson, S.

1985-01-01

A summary is given of the experience of the corrosion resistance of pumps, heat exchangers, valves and pipings in different seawater cooling systems in Scandinavia, including power reactor cooling systems in Finland and Sweden. For pumps and heat exchangers the experience has been so extensive that a clear picture of today's standing can be given. Owing to scanty data concerning valves and pipes, the survey of the corrosion in these components is less well supported. Vertically extended centrifugal pumps are the pumps in general use in power plant cooling systems. To counteract corrosion on pump riser and pump casing having an organic surface coating, and on stainless steel shafts and impellers, these components should be provided with internal and external cathodic protection. For tube and plate type heat exchangers, titanium has proved to be the best material choice. Rubber-enclosed carbon steel pipings, or pipings having a thick coating of epoxy plastic, have shown very strong corrosion resistance in power plant seawater cooling systems. Valves in seawater systems have primarily been affected by corrosion due to poorly executed or damaged organic coating on cast iron. Different seawater-resistant bronzes (red bronze, tin bronze and aluminium bronze) are therefore preferable as valve materials

Technical feasibility of a seabed gallery seawater intake at Ras Abu Ali Island, Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia

KAUST Repository

Rachman, Rinaldi; Missimer, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

high quality raw seawater even before pretreatment. Subsurface intakes extract seawater indirectly through the geological structure of shoreline or nearshore sediments. Water percolation through geological units provides physical and biological

Hydrogen evolution in enzymatic photoelectrochemical cell using modified seawater electrolytes produced by membrane desalination process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joo, Hyunku; Yoon, Jaekyung [Hydrogen Energy Research Center, New and Renewable Energy Research Division, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-343 (Korea); Bae, Sanghyun [Department of Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, 234 Maeji-ri, Hungub-myun, Wonju, Gangwon-do 220-710 (Korea); Kim, Chunghwan; Kim, Suhan [Korea Institute of Water and Environment, K-Water, 462-1 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-730 (Korea)

2009-09-15

In the near future, potential water shortages are expected to occur all over the world and this problem will have a significant influence on the availability of water for water-splitting processes, such as photocatalysis and electrolysis, as well as for drinking water. For this reason, it has been suggested that seawater could be used as an alternative for the various water industries including hydrogen production. Seawater contains a large amount of dissolved ion components, thus allowing it to be used as an electrolyte in photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems for producing hydrogen. Especially, the concentrate (retentate) stream shows higher salinity than the seawater fed to the membrane desalination process, because purified water (fresh water) is produced as the permeate stream and the waste brine is more concentrated than the original seawater. In this study, we investigated the hydrogen evolution rate in a photoelectrochemical system, including the preparation and characterization of an anodized tubular TiO{sub 2} electrode (ATTE) as both the photoanode and the cathode with the assistance of an immobilized hydrogenase enzyme and an external bias (solar cell), and the use of various qualities of seawater produced by membrane desalination processes as the electrolyte. The results showed that the rate of hydrogen evolution obtained using the nanofiltration (NF) retentate in the PEC system is ca. 105 {mu}mol/cm{sup 2} h, showing that this is an effective seawater electrolyte for hydrogen production, the optimum amount of enzyme immobilized on the cathode is ca. 3.66 units per geometrical unit area (1 cm x 1 cm), and the optimum external external bias supplied by the solar cell is 2.0 V. (author)

Facile Preparation of Porous WO3 Film for Photoelectrochemical Splitting of Natural Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yonghong; Li, Yuangang; Wei, Xiaoliang; Feng, Juan; Li, Huajing; Zhou, Wanyi

2017-12-01

Sunlight-driven natural seawater splitting provides a promising way for large-scale conversion and storage of solar energy. Here, we develop a facile and low-cost method via a deposition-annealing technique to fabricate porous WO3 film and demonstrate its application as a photoanode for natural seawater splitting. The WO3 film yields a photocurrent density of 1.95 mA cm-2 and possesses excellent stability at 1.23 V (versus RHE), under the illumination of 100 mW cm-2 (AM 1.5G). The photoelectrochemical performance is ascribed to the large surface area and good permeation of the electrolyte into the porous film. Furthermore, the photocurrent density remains almost the same during 3 h continuous light irradiation. The evolution of chlorine gas from seawater splitting was determined with qualitative and quantitative analyses, with a Faradic efficiency of about 56%.

Environmental DNA from seawater samples correlate with trawl catches of Subarctic, deepwater fishes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Philip Francis; Møller, Peter Rask; Sigsgaard, Eva Egelyng

2016-01-01

depths in Southwest Greenland. We collected seawater samples at depths of 188-918 m and compared seawater eDNA to catch data from trawling. We used Illumina sequencing of PCR products to demonstrate that eDNA reads show equivalence to fishing catch data obtained from trawling. Twenty-six families were......Remote polar and deepwater fish faunas are under pressure from ongoing climate change and increasing fishing effort. However, these fish communities are difficult to monitor for logistic and financial reasons. Currently, monitoring of marine fishes largely relies on invasive techniques...... such as bottom trawling, and on official reporting of global catches, which can be unreliable. Thus, there is need for alternative and non-invasive techniques for qualitative and quantitative oceanic fish surveys. Here we report environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of seawater samples from continental slope...

Effect of seawater salinity on pore-size distribution on a poly(styrene)-based HP20 resin and its adsorption of diarrhetic shellfish toxins.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Lin; Sun, Geng; Qiu, Jiangbing; Ma, Qimin; Hess, Philipp; Li, Aifeng

2014-12-19

In the present study, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) were spiked into artificial seawater at low, medium and high estuarine salinities (9‰, 13.5‰ and 27‰). Passive samplers (HP20 resin) used for solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) technology were exposed in these seawaters for 12-h periods. Adsorption curves well fitted a pseudo-secondary kinetics model. The highest initial sorption rates of both toxins occurred in the seawater of medium salinity, followed by seawater of low and high estuarine salinity. Pore volumes of micropores (seawater at high and low salinity but not in seawater at medium salinity, which demonstrated that the toxin molecules entered into micropores and mesopores (below 10nm in size) in seawaters of high and low salinity. More toxin or other matrix agglomerates were displayed on the surface of resin deployed in the seawater of medium salinity. Taking into consideration the pore-size distribution and surface images, it appears that intra-particle diffusion governs toxin adsorption in seawater at high salinity while film diffusion mainly controls the adsorption process in seawater at medium salinity. This is the first study to confirm that molecules of OA and DTX1 are able to enter into micropores (seawater with high salinity (∼27‰). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of lead-210 and polonium-210 between soluble and particulate phases in seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, D.W.

1975-01-01

Results are reported from radiometric measurements of the distribution of 210 Pb and 210 Po in surface seawater and suspended particulate matter. Samples of plankton and sediments collected from some locations were also analyzed. Samples of seawater and suspended particulate matter were collected from stations located in the Gulf of Maine, the North Atlantic, and approximately 500 miles southwest of Gilbraltar. (U.S.)

Xanthomarina gelatinilytica gen nov., sp nov., isolated from seawater

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Bhumika, V.; Ravinder, K.; Sharma, G.; Srinivas, T.N.R.; AnilKumar, P.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, yellow-pigmented, non-sporulating, non-motile bacterium, designated strain AK20^T, was isolated from seawater collected from Kochi city, Kerala state, India Colonies on marine agar were circular...

Global Cr-isotope distributions in surface seawater and incorporation of Cr isotopes into carbonate shells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paulukat, Cora Stefanie; Frei, Robert; Vögelin, Andrea Regula

produced carbonate shells (bivalves, gastropods) and corals. Our preliminary data set ranges approximately from d53Cr = -0.2 to +0.7‰. They are isotopically lighter than local seawater. This is in good agreement with [6], who measured a negative offset from seawater in corals. These offsets indicate some...

Seawater cultivation of freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 drastically alters amino acid composition and glycogen metabolism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroko eIijima

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Water use assessment is important for bioproduction using cyanobacteria. For eco-friendly reasons, seawater should preferably be used for cyanobacteria cultivation instead of freshwater. In this study, we demonstrated that the freshwater unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 could be grown in a medium based on seawater. The Synechocystis wild-type strain grew well in an artificial seawater (ASW medium supplemented with nitrogen and phosphorus sources. The addition of HEPES buffer improved cell growth overall, although the growth in ASW medium was inferior to that in the synthetic BG-11 medium. The levels of proteins involved in sugar metabolism changed depending on the culture conditions. The biosynthesis of several amino acids including aspartate, glutamine, glycine, proline, ornithine, and lysine, was highly up-regulated by cultivation in ASW. Two types of natural seawater (NSW were also made available for the cultivation of Synechocystis cells, with supplementation of both nitrogen and phosphorus sources. These results revealed the potential use of seawater for the cultivation of freshwater cyanobacteria, which would help to reduce freshwater consumption during biorefinery using cyanobacteria.

Multielement determination of major-to-ultratrace elements in deep-seawater salts by ICP-AES and ICP-MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, Takeshi; Nakagawa, Koji; Nakajima, Hiroshi; Itoh, Akihide; Ji, Shan; Haraguchi, Hiroki

2002-01-01

Major-to-ultratrace elements in deep-seawater salts were determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, after they were separated into the water-soluble, acid-soluble, and insoluble particle components. Deep-seawater salts were prepared from seawater collected at 344 m deep near the off-shore of Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture. The major and minor elements in salts were determined by ICP-AES after appropriate dilution with pure water. Trace and ultratrace elements in the water-soluble and acid-soluble components were preconcentrated by a chelating resin preconcentration method. In addition, the major to-ultratrace elements in the insoluble particle component were determined by ICP-AES and ICP-MS, after acid-digestion using HNO 3 /HF/HClO 4 . As a result, 21-35 elements in deep-seawater salts could be determined over the wide concentration range. It was found that the elements, such as Al, V, Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, and rare earth elements, were more abundant in the acid-soluble component of deep-seawater salts, which may play some essential roles in physiological effectiveness for intake of salt. (author)

Recovery of uranium from seawater by composite fiber adsorbent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubuke, Y.; Aoki, T.; Tanaka, H.; Tabushi, I.; Kamaishi, T.; Hagiwara, I.

1991-01-01

The authors of this paper developed a composite fiber adsorbent (CFA) to entrap finely powdered amidoxime into fibrils of supporting material with silica in a previous report. This was further tested for uranyl recovery directly from seawater. The adsorption rate showed a flow rate dependence with almost a saturation value of ∼100 μg of U/g of CFA at a mean flow rate of sea current. Chemical as well as physical deterioration was overcome by using 1 N NaHCO 3 and 0.72 M NaCl as liberating and washing agents, to keep the pH and ionic strength, respectively, constant, and the initial adsorption rate was maintained even after a recycle time of 50. A continuous passage of seawater showed a linear increase of the adsorption to afford 1560 μg of U/g of CFA after 3 weeks

Loma salmonae (Protozoa: Microspora) infections in seawater reared coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, M.L.; Elliott, D.G.; Groff, J.M.; Hedrick, R.P.

1989-01-01

Loma salmonae (Putz et al., 1965) infections were observed in five groups of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, reared in seawater net-pens in Washington State, U.S.A. in 1984–1986. Ultrastructural characteristics, size of spores, tissues and host infected, and geographical location identified the microsporidium as Loma salmonae. Preserved spores measured 4.4×2.3 (4–5.6×2–2.4) μm and exhibited 14–17 turns of the polar filament. Infections were evident in the gills of some fish before seawater entry, but few parasites were observed and they caused little tissue damage. Infections observed in fish after transfer to seawater were associated with significant pathological changes in the gills. A mixed inflammatory infiltrate was associated with ruptured microsporidian xenomas within the vessels and interstitium of the primary lamellae. Microsporidian spores were dispersed throughout the lesions and were often seen inside phagocytes. The parasite was also observed in the heart, spleen, kidney and pseudobranchs; however, the inflammatory lesions were common only in the heart.Monthly examination of fish after transfer to seawater showed peak prevalences (33–65%) of gill infections during the summer. Although moribund fish were often infected with other pathogens, the high prevalence of L. salmonae infections and the severity of the lesions it caused, suggested that this parasite significantly contributed to the recurrent summer mortalities observed at this net-pen site.

Meta-Cresol Purple Reference Material® (RM) for Seawater pH Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Easley, R. A.; Waters, J. F.; Place, B. J.; Pratt, K. W.

2016-02-01

The pH of seawater is a fundamental quantity that governs the carbon dioxide - carbonate system in the world's oceans. High quality pH measurements for long-term monitoring, shipboard studies, and shorter-term biological studies (mesocosm and field experiments) can be ensured through a reference material (RM) that is compatible with existing procedures and which is traceable to primary pH measurement metrology. High-precision spectrophotometric measurements of seawater pH using an indicator dye such as meta-cresol purple (mCP) are well established. However, traceability of these measurements to the International System of Units (SI) additionally requires characterizing the spectrophotometric pH response of the dye in multiple artificial seawater buffers that themselves are benchmarked via primary pH (Harned cell) measurements at a range of pH, salinity, and temperature. NIST is currently developing such a mCP pH RM using this approach. This material will also incorporate new procedures developed at NIST for assessing the purity and homogeneity of the mCP reagent itself. The resulting mCP will provide long-term (years) stability and ease of shipment compared to artificial seawater pH buffers. These efforts will provide the oceanographic user community with a NIST issued mCP (RM), characterized as to its molar absorptivity values and acid dissociation constants (pKa), with uncertainties that comply with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM).

Simulation-Optimization Model for Seawater Intrusion Management at Pingtung Coastal Area, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, P. S.; Chiu, Y.

2015-12-01

In 1970's, the agriculture and aquaculture were rapidly developed at Pingtung coastal area in southern Taiwan. The groundwater aquifers were over-pumped and caused the seawater intrusion. In order to remedy the contaminated groundwater and find the best strategies of groundwater usage, a management model to search the optimal groundwater operational strategies is developed in this study. The objective function is to minimize the total amount of injection water and a set of constraints are applied to ensure the groundwater levels and concentrations are satisfied. A three-dimension density-dependent flow and transport simulation model, called SEAWAT developed by U.S. Geological Survey, is selected to simulate the phenomenon of seawater intrusion. The simulation model is well calibrated by the field measurements and replaced by the surrogate model of trained artificial neural networks (ANNs) to reduce the computational time. The ANNs are embedded in the management model to link the simulation and optimization models, and the global optimizer of differential evolution (DE) is applied for solving the management model. The optimal results show that the fully trained ANNs could substitute the original simulation model and reduce much computational time. Under appropriate setting of objective function and constraints, DE can find the optimal injection rates at predefined barriers. The concentrations at the target locations could decrease more than 50 percent within the planning horizon of 20 years. Keywords : Seawater intrusion, groundwater management, numerical model, artificial neural networks, differential evolution

Concentration and detection of hepatitis A virus and its indicator from artificial seawater using zeolite.

Science.gov (United States)

Cormier, Jiemin; Janes, Marlene

2016-09-01

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is the leading worldwide cause of acute viral hepatitis, and outbreaks caused by this virus often occur in fecal polluted waters. Rapid concentration and detection of viral contamination in water environments can prevent economic loss and can identify the source of contamination within a short time. However, conventional methods for virus concentration are often laborious, time consuming, and subject to clogging. Furthermore, most methods require a secondary concentration step to reduce the final volume of samples. We developed a method to concentrate HAV from seawater using zeolite in aid of rapid detection. In this method,artificial seawater was inoculated with HAV (7-8 log TCID50) and filtered with zeolite. The viruses were then eluted from zeolite with sodium dodecyl sulfate and detected via real-time PCR (qPCR). Zeolite was able to concentrate HAV from artificial seawater with ∼99% efficiency in less than 5min and was more efficient in seawater than in fresh water. The entire concentration and detection can be done in approximately 2h. Compared to existing methods, this method eliminated the need for a secondary concentration step as well as the necessity to modify the pH or salinity of the seawater during concentration, and was simple and inexpensive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Earth-Abundant Catalyst-Based Seawater Photoelectrolysis System with 17.9% Solar-to-Hydrogen Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Shao-Hui; Miao, Jianwei; Zhang, Liping; Gao, Jiajian; Wang, Hongming; Tao, Huabing; Hung, Sung-Fu; Vasileff, Anthony; Qiao, Shi Zhang; Liu, Bin

2018-05-01

The implementation of water splitting systems, powered by sustainable energy resources, appears to be an attractive strategy for producing high-purity H 2 in the absence of the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). However, the high cost, impractical operating conditions, and unsatisfactory efficiency and stability of conventional methods restrain their large-scale development. Seawater covers 70% of the Earth's surface and is one of the most abundant natural resources on the planet. New research is looking into the possibility of using seawater to produce hydrogen through electrolysis and will provide remarkable insight into sustainable H 2 production, if successful. Here, guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict the selectivity of gas-evolving catalysts, a seawater-splitting device equipped with affordable state-of-the-art electrocatalysts composed of earth-abundant elements (Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo) is demonstrated. This device shows excellent durability and specific selectivity toward the oxygen evolution reaction in seawater with near 100% Faradaic efficiency for the production of H 2 and O 2 . Powered by a single commercial III-V triple-junction photovoltaic cell, the integrated system achieves spontaneous and efficient generation of high-purity H 2 and O 2 from seawater at neutral pH with a remarkable 17.9% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Corrosion of barrier materials in seawater environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heiser, J.H.; Soo, P.

1995-07-01

A brief review has been carried out on the performance of barrier materials for low-level radioactive wastes in seawater environments. The environments include those for shallower coastal waters as well as the deep ocean (down to 3800 m). The review is mainly focused on metallic materials since they are the most common for seawater service and they have the largest data base. Information from the literature is usually pertinent to shallower coastal locations, but there is a valuable source of corrosion data obtained from several studies of metallic specimens exposed to ocean-bed conditions. In addition, the corrosion of carbon steel barriers has been evaluated for actual waste containers that were retrieved from previously-used disposal sites in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Of the metallic materials studied, carbon steel showed the least corrosion resistance. Failure by non-uniform attack in a typical waste container could occur in as little as 25 y in some ocean environments ' Penetration by local attack, such as pitting and crevice corrosion resistance was also observed for more expensive materials such as low-alloy steels, stainless steels, titanium alloys, zirconium alloys, copper alloys, nickel alloys, aluminum alloys, and lead alloys

Efficient purification and concentration of viruses from a large body of high turbidity seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Guowei; Xiao, Jinzhou; Wang, Hongming; Gong, Chaowen; Pan, Yingjie; Yan, Shuling; Wang, Yongjie

2014-01-01

Marine viruses are the most abundant entities in the ocean and play crucial roles in the marine ecological system. However, understanding of viral diversity on large scale depends on efficient and reliable viral purification and concentration techniques. Here, we report on developing an efficient method to purify and concentrate viruses from large body of high turbidity seawater. The developed method characterizes with high viral recovery efficiency, high concentration factor, high viral particle densities and high-throughput, and is reliable for viral concentration from high turbidity seawater. Recovered viral particles were used directly for subsequent analysis by epifluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and metagenomic sequencing. Three points are essential for this method:•The sampled seawater (>150 L) was initially divided into two parts, water fraction and settled matter fraction, after natural sedimentation.•Both viruses in the water fraction concentrated by tangential flow filtration (TFF) and viruses isolated from the settled matter fraction were considered as the whole viral community in high turbidity seawater.•The viral concentrates were re-concentrated by using centrifugal filter device in order to obtain high density of viral particles.

Assessment of Selected Heavy Metals in Seawater and Sediment at Klang Coastal Area Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noor Aziatul Aini Hamzan; Farah Fardiana Mohamad Zaini; Mohd Ismail Ibrahim; Nik Azlin Nik Ariffin

2015-01-01

Sediments are capable of transporting loads of adsorbed nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins. In this study, the samples of sediment were collected from four sampling points (Kapar, Sungai Puloh, Sementa and North Port) using sediment core sampler. The cores then was sub-sampled by slicing into 1 cm slices and dried at 60 degree Celsius until mass become constant and the weight recorded. The samples were pulverized and sieved through 220 μm stainless steel sieves. Each sub-sample digested using aqua regia acids. For seawater, the samples were evaporated using the hotplate at 60 degree Celsius. The concentration of heavy metals was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The highest concentration of copper, zinc, iron and lead was observed from seawater samples obtained from Sementa while highest concentration of cadmium was found from Kapar samples). Most of the bottom seawater gives high concentration of the heavy metal compare to the surface. For sediment, the overall concentration of heavy metal in each layer was fluctuated. From the analysis, there is a significant correlation for overall selected heavy metals and the samples (seawater and sediment) that study in this area. (author)

An Evaluation of Carbon Steel Corrosion Under Stagnant Seawater Conditions

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lee, Jason

2004-01-01

Corrosion, of 1020 carbon steel coupons in, natural seawater over a six-month period was more aggressive under stagnant anaerobic conditions than stagnant aerobic conditions as measured by weight loss...

Determination of iridium in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean seawaters by anion exchange preconcentration-neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shihong; Mao Xueying; Chai Zhifang

2004-01-01

Anion exchange method is investigated to separate and enrich iridium in seawater by radiotracer 192 Ir. The adsorption of Ir in the resin increases with the decreasing acidity in the 0.05-1.2 mol/L HCl media, The recovery of iridium in pH=1.5 seawater reaches 89% by a single anion-exchange column. The polyethylene container of acidity of pH=1.5 are suitable for storing trace Ir in seawater. An anion exchange preconcentration-neutron activation analysis procedure is developed to determine iridium in seawaters sampled from the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean at different depth. The reagent blank value of the whole procedures is (0.18-0.20) x 10 -12 g Ir. The iridium concentrations in the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean seawater samples are (0.85-3.58) x 10 -12 g/L (0-3504 m) and (1.26-1.97) x 10 -12 g/L (25-1900 m), respectively

Accurate Measurements of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater at L Band

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Roger; Zhou, Yiwen; Utku, Cuneyt; Le Vine, David

2016-01-01

This paper describes measurements of the dielectric constant of seawater at a frequency of 1.413 GHz, the center of the protected band (i.e., passive use only) used in the measurement of sea surface salinity from space. The objective of the measurements is to accurately determine the complex dielectric constant of seawater as a function of salinity and temperature. A resonant cylindrical microwave cavity in transmission mode has been employed to make the measurements. The measurements are made using standard seawater at salinities of 30, 33, 35, and 38 practical salinity units over a range of temperatures from 0 degree C to 35 degree C in 5 degree C intervals. Repeated measurements have been made at each temperature and salinity. Mean values and standard deviations are then computed. The total error budget indicates that the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant have a combined standard uncertainty of about 0.3 over the range of salinities and temperatures considered. The measurements are compared with the dielectric constants obtained from the model functions of Klein and Swift and those of Meissner and Wentz. The biggest differences occur at low and high temperatures.

Numerical modeling and sensitivity analysis of seawater intrusion in a dual-permeability coastal karst aquifer with conduit networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Xu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Long-distance seawater intrusion has been widely observed through the subsurface conduit system in coastal karst aquifers as a source of groundwater contaminant. In this study, seawater intrusion in a dual-permeability karst aquifer with conduit networks is studied by the two-dimensional density-dependent flow and transport SEAWAT model. Local and global sensitivity analyses are used to evaluate the impacts of boundary conditions and hydrological characteristics on modeling seawater intrusion in a karst aquifer, including hydraulic conductivity, effective porosity, specific storage, and dispersivity of the conduit network and of the porous medium. The local sensitivity analysis evaluates the parameters' sensitivities for modeling seawater intrusion, specifically in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP. A more comprehensive interpretation of parameter sensitivities, including the nonlinear relationship between simulations and parameters, and/or parameter interactions, is addressed in the global sensitivity analysis. The conduit parameters and boundary conditions are important to the simulations in the porous medium because of the dynamical exchanges between the two systems. The sensitivity study indicates that salinity and head simulations in the karst features, such as the conduit system and submarine springs, are critical for understanding seawater intrusion in a coastal karst aquifer. The evaluation of hydraulic conductivity sensitivity in the continuum SEAWAT model may be biased since the conduit flow velocity is not accurately calculated by Darcy's equation as a function of head difference and hydraulic conductivity. In addition, dispersivity is no longer an important parameter in an advection-dominated karst aquifer with a conduit system, compared to the sensitivity results in a porous medium aquifer. In the end, the extents of seawater intrusion are quantitatively evaluated and measured under different scenarios with the variabilities of

Seawater as Alternative to Freshwater in Pretreatment of Date Palm Residues for Bioethanol Production in Coastal and/or Arid Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Chuanji; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Brudecki, Grzegorz P; Cybulska, Iwona; Frankaer, Christian Grundahl; Bastidas-Oyanedel, Juan-Rodrigo; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

2015-11-01

The large water consumption (1.9-5.9 m(3) water per m(3) of biofuel) required by biomass processing plants has become an emerging concern, which is particularly critical in arid/semiarid regions. Seawater, as a widely available water source, could be an interesting option. This work was to study the technical feasibility of using seawater to replace freshwater in the pretreatment of date palm leaflets, a lignocellulosic biomass from arid regions, for bioethanol production. It was shown that leaflets pretreated with seawater exhibited lower cellulose crystallinity than those pretreated with freshwater. Pretreatment with seawater produced comparably digestible and fermentable solids to those obtained with freshwater. Moreover, no significant difference of inhibition to Saccharomyces cerevisiae was observed between liquids from pretreatment with seawater and freshwater. The results showed that seawater could be a promising alternative to freshwater for lignocellulose biorefineries in coastal and/or arid/semiarid areas. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Net Community Metabolism and Seawater Carbonate Chemistry Scale Non-intuitively with Coral Cover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heather N. Page

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Coral cover and reef health have been declining globally as reefs face local and global stressors including higher temperature and ocean acidification (OA. Ocean warming and acidification will alter rates of benthic reef metabolism (i.e., primary production, respiration, calcification, and CaCO3 dissolution, but our understanding of community and ecosystem level responses is limited in terms of functional, spatial, and temporal scales. Furthermore, dramatic changes in coral cover and benthic metabolism could alter seawater carbonate chemistry on coral reefs, locally alleviating or exacerbating OA. This study examines how benthic metabolic rates scale with changing coral cover (0–100%, and the subsequent influence of these coral communities on seawater carbonate chemistry based on mesocosm experiments in Bermuda and Hawaii. In Bermuda, no significant differences in benthic metabolism or seawater carbonate chemistry were observed for low (40% and high (80% coral cover due to large variability within treatments. In contrast, significant differences were detected between treatments in Hawaii with benthic metabolic rates increasing with increasing coral cover. Observed increases in daily net community calcification and nighttime net respiration scaled proportionally with coral cover. This was not true for daytime net community organic carbon production rates, which increased the most between 0 and 20% coral cover and then less so between 20 and 100%. Consequently, diel variability in seawater carbonate chemistry increased with increasing coral cover, but absolute values of pH, Ωa, and pCO2 were not significantly different during daytime. To place the results of the mesocosm experiments into a broader context, in situ seawater carbon dioxide (CO2 at three reef sites in Bermuda and Hawaii were also evaluated; reefs with higher coral cover experienced a greater range of diel CO2 levels, complementing the mesocosm results. The results from this study

Microbial control of seawater by microfiltration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilmer Soler T

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Recent scientific literature presents seawater as a potential aid to solve a variety of health diseases in animals and human beings because by means of its mineral and trace elements content. In Colombia, Nicaragua and Spain it is collected in a natural way from de shore and drunk; however, this can represent a health risk because of the problems related to chemical and microbiological contamination. Microbial control of seawater allows the improvement of its microbiological quality. Objective: to compare the efficiency of three microbial control methods: microfiltration, solar exposition and quarantine. Methodology: 30 samples were collected in 20-liter high density polyethylene containers in three different places in the Colombian Atlantic coast. Results: 15 samples out of 30 showed the presence of bacteria such as E. coli and halophiles bacteria like Vibrio and Aeromonas. Microfiltration through ceramic filters of 0.5 µm produces disinfection in 100% of the samples but the quarantine for five months and solar disinfection are effective in 66 and 21% respectively. The latter requires certain weather conditions to achieve disinfection and it only allows managing small quantities of water. Dicussion: Considering chemical contamination in some places which cannot be controlled through disinfection methods, the collection of water offshore in clean places is suggested and then microfiltration treatment should be performed.

Organophosphate Esters in Air, Snow, and Seawater in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Xie, Zhiyong; Mi, Wenying; Lai, Senchao; Tian, Chongguo; Emeis, Kay-Christian; Ebinghaus, Ralf

2017-06-20

The concentrations of eight organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been investigated in air, snow and seawater samples collected during the cruise of ARK-XXVIII/2 from sixth June to third July 2014 across the North Atlantic and the Arctic. The sum of gaseous and particle concentrations (ΣOPE) ranged from 35 to 343 pg/m 3 . The three chlorinated OPEs accounted for 88 ± 5% of the ΣOPE. The most abundant OPE was tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), with concentrations ranging from 30 to 227 pg/m 3 , followed by three major OPEs, such as tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP, 0.8 to 82 pg/m 3 ), tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP, 2 to 19 pg/m 3 ), and tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TiBP, 0.3 to 14 pg/m 3 ). The ΣOPE concentrations in snow and seawater ranged from 4356 to 10561 pg/L and from 348 to 8396 pg/L, respectively. The atmospheric particle-bound dry depositions of TCEP ranged from 2 to 12 ng/m 2 /day. The air-seawater gas exchange fluxes were dominated by net volatilization from seawater to air for TCEP (mean, 146 ± 239 ng/m 2 /day), TCPP (mean, 1670 ± 3031 ng/m 2 /day), TiBP (mean, 537 ± 581 ng/m 2 /day) and TnBP (mean, 230 ± 254 ng/m 2 /day). This study highlighted that OPEs are subject to long-range transport via both air and seawater from the European continent and seas to the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

Assessing the pollution risk of a groundwater source field at western Laizhou Bay under seawater intrusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Xiankui; Wu, Jichun; Wang, Dong; Zhu, Xiaobin

2016-07-01

Coastal areas have great significance for human living, economy and society development in the world. With the rapid increase of pressures from human activities and climate change, the safety of groundwater resource is under the threat of seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The area of Laizhou Bay is one of the most serious seawater intruded areas in China, since seawater intrusion phenomenon was firstly recognized in the middle of 1970s. This study assessed the pollution risk of a groundwater source filed of western Laizhou Bay area by inferring the probability distribution of groundwater Cl(-) concentration. The numerical model of seawater intrusion process is built by using SEAWAT4. The parameter uncertainty of this model is evaluated by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation, and DREAM(ZS) is used as sampling algorithm. Then, the predictive distribution of Cl(-) concentration at groundwater source field is inferred by using the samples of model parameters obtained from MCMC. After that, the pollution risk of groundwater source filed is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl(-) concentration. The results of model calibration and verification demonstrate that the DREAM(ZS) based MCMC is efficient and reliable to estimate model parameters under current observation. Under the condition of 95% confidence level, the groundwater source point will not be polluted by seawater intrusion in future five years (2015-2019). In addition, the 2.5% and 97.5% predictive quantiles show that the Cl(-) concentration of groundwater source field always vary between 175mg/l and 200mg/l. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of Alloy Coating Process of Steel Pipe for Seawater service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Jong Man; Kwon, Taeg Kyu; Lee, Sang Hyeog [Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co., Ltd., Okpo (Korea)

2001-02-01

The new alloy coating process was developed to apply steel pipe for seawater service. This process consists of Zn-Al hot-dip coating treatment immediately following after normal galvanizing treatment. The alloy coating process formed double layer after surface treatment, and the surface layer was similar to that of Galfan steel and the intermetallic layer was also similar to that of aluminized steel. The alloy coating layer protect steel pipe galvanically and provide steel pipe with high resistance to general corrosion of seawater. This new alloy coated steel pipe had also good weldability and adhesion strength of paints compared to galvanized steel. 5 refs., 14 figs.

Environmental DNA from seawater samples correlate with trawl catches of Subarctic, deepwater fishes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Philip Francis; Møller, Peter Rask; Sigsgaard, Eva Egelyng

2016-01-01

such as bottom trawling, and on official reporting of global catches, which can be unreliable. Thus, there is need for alternative and non-invasive techniques for qualitative and quantitative oceanic fish surveys. Here we report environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of seawater samples from continental slope...... depths in Southwest Greenland. We collected seawater samples at depths of 188-918 m and compared seawater eDNA to catch data from trawling. We used Illumina sequencing of PCR products to demonstrate that eDNA reads show equivalence to fishing catch data obtained from trawling. Twenty-six families were...... found with both trawling and eDNA, while three families were found only with eDNA and two families were found only with trawling. Key commercial fish species for Greenland were the most abundant species in both eDNA reads and biomass catch, and interpolation of eDNA abundances between sampling sites...

Viral lysis of photosynthesizing microbes as a mechanism for calcium carbonate nucleation in seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Lisle, John T.; Robbins, Lisa L.

2016-01-01

Removal of carbon through the precipitation and burial of calcium carbonate in marine sediments constitutes over 70% of the total carbon on Earth and is partitioned between coastal and pelagic zones. The precipitation of authigenic calcium carbonate in seawater, however, has been hotly debated because despite being in a supersaturated state, there is an absence of persistent precipitation. One of the explanations for this paradox is the geochemical conditions in seawater cannot overcome the activation energy barrier for the first step in any precipitation reaction; nucleation. Here we show that virally induced rupturing of photosynthetic cyanobacterial cells releases cytoplasmic-associated bicarbonate at concentrations ~23-fold greater than in the surrounding seawater, thereby shifting the carbonate chemistry toward the homogenous nucleation of one or more of the calcium carbonate polymorphs. Using geochemical reaction energetics, we show the saturation states (Ω) in typical seawater for calcite (Ω = 4.3), aragonite (Ω = 3.1), and vaterite (Ω = 1.2) are significantly elevated following the release and diffusion of the cytoplasmic bicarbonate (Ωcalcite = 95.7; Ωaragonite = 68.5; Ωvaterite = 25.9). These increases in Ω significantly reduce the activation energy for nuclei formation thresholds for all three polymorphs, but only vaterite nucleation is energetically favored. In the post-lysis seawater, vaterite's nuclei formation activation energy is significantly reduced from 1.85 × 10−17 J to 3.85 × 10−20 J, which increases the nuclei formation rate from highly improbable (nucleation of calcium carbonate in seawater describes a mechanism through which the initial step in the production of carbonate sediments may proceed. It also presents an additional role of photosynthesizing microbes and their viruses in marine carbon cycles and reveals these microorganisms are a collective repository for concentrated and reactive dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC

Radioactive cesium removal from seawater using adsorptive fibers prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Shota; Kawai-Noma, Shigeko; Umeno, Daisuke; Saito, Kyoichi; Fujiwara, Kunio; Sugo, Takanobu; Kikuchi, Takahiro; Morimoto, Yasutomi

2015-01-01

The meltdown of three reactors of the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11th 2011 resulted in the emission of radionuclides such as cesium-137 and strontium-90 to the environment. For example, radioactive cesium exceeding the legal discharge limit (90 Bq/L, 2×10 -13 M) was detected in the seawater of the seawater-intake area of the NPS at the end of September 2014. Adsorbents with a high selectivity for cesium ions over other alkali metal ions such as sodium and potassium ions are required for cesium removal from seawater because sodium and potassium ions dissolve respectively at much higher concentrations of 5×10 -1 and 1×10 -2 M than cesium ions (2×10 -9 M). In addition, the simple operations of the immersion in seawater and the recovery of the adsorbents from seawater are desirable at decontamination sites. We prepared a cobalt-ferrocyanide-impregnated fiber capable of specifically capturing cesium ions in seawater by radiation-induced graft polymerization and chemical modifications. First, a commercially available 6-nylon fiber was irradiated with γ-rays. Second, an epoxy-group-containing vinyl monomer, glycidyl methacrylate, was graft-polymerized onto the γ-ray-irradiated nylon fiber. Third, the epoxy ring of the grafted polymer chain was reacted with triethylenediamine to obtain an anion-exchange fiber. Fourth, ferrocyanide ions, [Fe(CN) 6 ] 4 - , were bound to the anion-exchange group of the polymer chains. Finally, the ferrocyanide-ion-bound-fiber was placed in contact with cobalt chloride to precipitate insoluble cobalt ferrocyanide onto the polymer chains. Insoluble cobalt ferrocyanide was immobilized at the periphery of the fiber. However, the impregnation structure remains unclear. Here, we clarified the structure of insoluble cobalt ferrocyanide impregnated onto the polymer chain grafted onto the fiber to ensure the chemical and physical stability of the adsorptive fiber in

Multi-elemental determination of trace elements in deep seawater by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with resin preconcentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumida, Takashi; Nakazato, Tetsuya; Tao, Hiroaki

2003-01-01

A miniaturized column (ca. 3 mm i.d., 40 mm length), packed with a chelating resin (0.2 g) with iminodiacetic acid groups (Muromac A-1), was tested for the preconcentration of trace elements in seawater. After preconcentration, the column was washed with ammonium acetate buffer (pH 5.5) and water to remove the major elements, such as Ca and Mg, and was then eluted with 4 ml of 2 mol l -1 nitric acid. Twenty-six trace elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The necessary volume of the seawater sample was only 200 ml. The recoveries for most of the elements tested were over 90%, although those for Al, V and Th were around 70%. The trueness and precision were evaluated by analyzing a standard reference material of seawater (NASS-4, NRC Canada). The observed values obtained with the present method showed good agreement with the certified values. The present method was also applied to deep seawater samples collected at Muroto, Japan. A difference in the rare earth element pattern, especially the Ce anomaly, between the deep seawater sample and the surface seawater sample was observed, as well as the differences of the concentrations of many trace elements. (author)

Determining subnanomolar iron concentrations in oceanic seawater using a siderophore-modified film analyzed by infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Eric G; Jiang, Cuihong; Wells, Mark L; Tripp, Carl

2008-06-15

Iron is a bioactive trace element in seawater that regulates photosynthetic carbon dioxide drawdown and export from surface waters by phytoplankton in upward of 40% of the world's oceans. While autonomous sensor arrays are beginning to provide high-resolution data on temporal and spatial scales for some key oceanographic parameters, current analytical methods for iron are not amenable to autonomous platforms because of the need for user involvement and wet chemistry-based approaches. As a result, very large gaps remain in our understanding of iron distribution and chemistry in seawater. Here we present a straightforward nanostructure-based method to measure dissolved iron in natural seawater. The device comprises an iron-specific chelating biomolecule, desferrioxamine B (DFB), covalently immobilized on a mesoporous silica film. Changes in infrared spectral signatures of the immobilized DFB upon Fe(III) complexation provide an accurate and precise measure of iron on the surface of a chip exposed to seawater. The current system has a detection limit of approximately 50 pM for a 1-L sample at pH 1.7 and was used to measure dissolved iron in subarctic Pacific waters without interference from other elements in seawater. This technology provides a major step toward obtaining accurate iron measurements on autonomous research platforms.

Use of a two-step ultrafiltration procedure to concentrate viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soo-Jin; Kim, Jong-Oh; Kim, Wi-Sik; Oh, Myung-Joo

2015-11-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) has been reported to be stable in both fresh as well as seawater, suggesting that VHSV exists in natural aquatic environments and might have an effect on the wild and cultured fish. However, VHSV is below the detectable limits of laboratory tests in natural seawater. In this study, a two-step ultrafiltration (UF) procedure was used to concentration of VHSV in seawater, providing samples that were tested for infectivity by cell culture and the presence of VHSV by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) methods. Overall, VHSV was approximately concentrated 100-1000 times in 1, 5 and 10 L, seawater volumes respectively: from 2.81×10(6) to 6.53×10(7)/mL and 10(3.3) to 10(3.8)TCID50/mL prior to the UF procedure, to 3.78×10(8), 1.16 × 10(11), and 9.12 × 10(10)/mL after the procedure. This is the first report of concentrating VHSV using an UF method that was specifically designed for seawater samples. In addition, the two-step UF procedure appears to be compatible with viral cell culture and qRT-PCR methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wind power generation plant installed on cargo ship and marine resources recovery by seawater electrolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murahara, M. [Tokyo Inst. of Technology, Tokyo (Japan)]|[Tokai Univ., Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Japan); Seki, K. [Mingdao Univ., Taiwan (China)]|[Tokai Univ., Hiratsuka, Kanagawa (Japan). Research Inst. of Science and Technology

2008-07-01

Transmission loss from offshore wind turbine arrays is directly proportional to the length of the cable that brings power onshore. In order to minimize transmission loss, wind-generated electricity needs to be stored temporarily in a different form. Seawater, rock salt, and water of saline lakes can be desalinated and then electrolyzed to produce hydrogen. This paper presented a new method of offshore sodium production in Japan by seawater electrolysis. In this technique, sodium is manufactured on site by molten-salt electrolysis as a solid fuel. Sodium is electrolytically collected from the seawater or rock salt by the wind power generation. The sodium is then transported to a hydrogen power plant on land and then is added water to generate hydrogen for operating a hydrogen combustion turbine. The sodium hydroxide by-product is then supplied to the soda industry as a raw material. In seawater electrolysis, not only sodium but also fresh water, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium hydroxide, chlorine, oxygen, hydrogen, hydrochloric acid, and sulfuric acid are isolated and recovered as by-products. 5 refs., 6 figs.

Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater - Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietz, Travis Cameron; Tsinas, Zois; Tomaszewski, Claire; Pazos, Ileana; Nigliazzo, Olga; Li, Weixing; Adel-Hadadi, Mohammad; Barkatt, Aaron; Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad

2016-01-01

Even at a concentration of 3 μg/L, the world's oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s. Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method's complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence, and will extend the

Detection of salmonella in shellfish grown in polluted seawater

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kfir, R

1993-01-01

Full Text Available Three bays along the South African coast were studied for the presence of Salmonella spp in seawater, effluent and storm water discharges into the bays and in shellfish harvested at the same sites. The microbial quality of water and shellfish...

Liquid chromatographic determination of uranium in seawater with coulometric detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekoya, Chiaki; Takata, Yoshinori

1980-01-01

A method of the separation with anion-exchange chromatography and of the coulometric detection of uranium in seawater was investigated. The size of the separation column used was 9 mm in inside diameter and 100 mm in length, and strong basic anion-exchange resin (Hitachi No. 2632) of carbonate form was packed in the column. A concentrator with two mini-columns in which the same resin was packed was applied for the preconcentration of uranium in seawater containing 20 g of potassium thiocyanate and 10 ml of hydrochloric acid per liter. Good result was obtained when a mixed solution of sodium carbonate (0.12 mol/l), sodium bicarbonate (0.08 mol/l), sodium bisulfite (0.03 mol/l) and sodium chloride (0.5 mol/l) was used as an eluent for the separation of uranium from vanadium. Sodium bisulfite was of use for dropping the background current based on an electrochemical reduction of dissolved oxygen. Sodium bicarbonate acted as an eliminator of an unknown peak by its bufferise effect. The optimum working electrode potential for the detection was -1.45 V vs. ferri-ferrocyanide. The detection limit was 3.2 x 10 -10 mol (80 ngU). The coefficient of variation at 3.0 ppb was about 4% (n=5) for seawater analysis. And the analysis time was approximately 1.5 hours. (author)

Marshes on the Move: Testing effects of seawater intrusion on ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Northeastern United States is a hotspot for sea level rise (SLR), subjecting coastal salt marshes to erosive loss, shifts in vegetation communities, and altered biogeochemistry due to seawater intrusion. Salt marsh plant community zonation is driven by tradeoffs in stress tolerance and interspecific interactions. As seawater inundates progressively higher marsh elevations, shifts in marsh vegetation communities landward may herald salt marsh “migration”, which could allow continuity of marsh function and ecosystem service provision. To elucidate possible effects of seawater intrusion on marsh-upland edge plant communities, a space-for-time approach was replicated at two Rhode Island salt marshes. At each site, peat blocks (0.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m, n=6) with intact upland-marsh edge vegetation were transplanted downslope into the regularly-inundated mid-marsh. Procedural controls (n=3) were established at each elevation by removing and replacing peat blocks, and natural controls (n=3) consisted of undisturbed plots. During peak productivity, each plot was assessed for species composition, percent cover and average height. Results demonstrate stunting of marsh-upland edge vegetation in response to increased inundation, and the beginnings of colonization of the transplanted plots by salt marsh species. The extent of colonization differed between the two sites, suggesting that site-specific factors govern vegetation responses to increased inundation.

Coastal California Wastewater Effluent as a Resource for Seawater Desalination Brine Commingling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly E. Rodman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available California frequently experiences water scarcity, especially in high population areas. This has generated increased interest in using the Pacific Ocean as a water resource, with seawater desalination becoming a popular solution. To mitigate the environmental impacts of the high salinity brine from seawater desalination, California recommends commingling brine with wastewater effluent before ocean discharge. Results reveal that throughout the California coast, approximately 4872 MLD (1287 MGD of treated wastewater are discharged into the ocean and might be available as dilution water. Most of this dilution water resource is produced in Southern California (3161 MLD or 835 MGD and the San Francisco Bay Area (1503 MLD or 397 MGD, which are also the areas with the highest need for alternative water sources. With this quantity of dilution water, in principle, over 5300 MLD (1400 MGD of potable water could be produced in California through seawater desalination. Furthermore, this study provides a survey of the treatment levels and typical discharge violations of ocean wastewater treatment facilities in California.

Analysis and countermeasures for the corrosion on the shaft of seawater pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Hongtao; Chen Haiming

2010-01-01

The corrosion resistance of the shaft material-3Cr13 was studied through immersion test and electrochemistry test. The results indicated that 3Cr13 and the chromium plating on the shaft had poor resistance against local corrosion in seawater. And the free corrosion potential of 3Cr13 in seawater was lower than other components of the pump, this could accelerate the corrosion rate of the shaft due to galvanic corrosion. A comprehensive analysis showed that the root cause of the corrosion on the No.4 shaft was that 3Cr13 had poor resistance against local corrosion in seawater. Because of the exist of fit-up gap, galvanic corrosion effect and corrosive wear caused by sand, crevice corrosion, galvanic corrosion and wear occurred. All of these accelerated the corrosion rate of the shaft and finally caused its failure. It is suggested that the sealant should be improved and the current material 3Cr13 should be replaced by a kind of materials with better corrosion resistance. (authors)

Ability of sea-water bacterial consortium to produce electricity and denitrify water

Science.gov (United States)

Maruvada, Nagasamrat V. V.; Tommasi, Tonia; Kaza, Kesava Rao; Ruggeri, Bernardo

Sea is a store house for varied types of microbes with an ability to reduce and oxidize substances like iron, sulphur, carbon dioxide, etc. Most of these processes happen in the sea water environment, but can be applied for purification of wastewater. In the present paper, we discuss the use of a consortium of seawater bacteria in a fuel cell to produce electricity by oxidizing organic matter and reducing nitrates. We also discuss how the growth of the bacterial consortium can lead to an increased electricity production and decreased diffusional resistance in the cell. The analysis was done using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Here, we use bicarbonate buffered solution, which is the natural buffering agent found in sea. We show that the seawater bacterial consortium can be used in both the anode and cathode parts of the cell. The results confirm the adaptability of the seawater bacteria to different environments and can be used for various applications. Heritage, Erasmus Mundus Programme, European Commission.

High-precision measurements of seawater Pb isotope compositions by double spike thermal ionization mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Maxence; Bridgestock, Luke; Rehkämper, Mark; van DeFlierdt, Tina; Weiss, Dominik

2015-03-10

A new method for the determination of seawater Pb isotope compositions and concentrations was developed, which combines and optimizes previously published protocols for the separation and isotopic analysis of this element. For isotopic analysis, the procedure involves initial separation of Pb from 1 to 2L of seawater by co-precipitation with Mg hydroxide and further purification by a two stage anion exchange procedure. The Pb isotope measurements are subsequently carried out by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using a (207)Pb-(204)Pb double spike for correction of instrumental mass fractionation. These methods are associated with a total procedural Pb blank of 28±21 pg (1sd) and typical Pb recoveries of 40-60%. The Pb concentrations are determined by isotope dilution (ID) on 50 mL of seawater, using a simplified version of above methods. Analyses of multiple aliquots of six seawater samples yield a reproducibility of about ±1 to ±10% (1sd) for Pb concentrations of between 7 and 50 pmol/kg, where precision was primarily limited by the uncertainty of the blank correction (12±4 pg; 1sd). For the Pb isotope analyses, typical reproducibilities (±2sd) of 700-1500 ppm and 1000-2000 ppm were achieved for (207)Pb/(206)Pb, (208)Pb/(206)Pb and (206)Pb/(204)Pb, (207)Pb/(204)Pb, (208)Pb/(204)Pb, respectively. These results are superior to literature data that were obtained using plasma source mass spectrometry and they are at least a factor of five more precise for ratios involving the minor (204)Pb isotope. Both Pb concentration and isotope data, furthermore, show good agreement with published results for two seawater intercomparison samples of the GEOTRACES program. Finally, the new methods were applied to a seawater depth profile from the eastern South Atlantic. Both Pb contents and isotope compositions display a smooth evolution with depth, and no obvious outliers. Compared to previous Pb isotope data for seawater, the (206)Pb/(204)Pb ratios are well correlated

Energy Implications of Seawater Desalination (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Cooley, H.; Heberger, M. G.

2013-12-01

Freshwater has traditionally come from rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater aquifers. As demand increases and climate change alters the location and timing of water supply, these traditional sources are becoming unavailable, more difficult, or increasingly expensive to develop. As a result, many communities are switching to alternative sources of water. Interest in pursuing seawater desalination is high in many coastal communities. In California, for example, 17 plants are proposed for development along the California coast and two in Mexico. Water managers are pursing desalination because is a local supply that can help diversify the water supply portfolio. Additionally, it is a reliable supply, which can be especially valuable during a drought. But removing the salt from seawater is an energy-intensive process that consumes more energy per gallon than most other water supply and treatment options. These energy requirements are key factors that will impact the extent and success of desalination in California. Energy requirements for seawater desalination average about 4.0 kWh per cubic meter (m3) of water produced. By comparison, the least energy-intensive options of local sources of groundwater and surface water require 0 - 0.90 kWh per m3; wastewater reuse, depending on treatment levels, may require from 0.26 - 2.2 kWh per m3. Beyond the electricity required for the desalination facility itself, producing any new source of water, including through desalination, increases the amount of energy required to deliver and use the water produced as well as collect, treat, and dispose of the wastewater generated. Energy is the largest single variable cost for a desalination plant, varying from one-third to more than one-half the cost of produced water. Building a desalination plant may reduce a water utility's exposure to water reliability risks at the added expense of an increase in exposure to energy price risk. In dependent on hydropower, electricity prices tend to

Elution of Uranium and Transition Metals from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Horng-Bin; Kuo, Li-Jung; Wai, Chien M.; Miyamoto, Naomi; Joshi, Ruma; Wood, Jordana R.; Strivens, Jonathan E.; Janke, Christopher J.; Oyola, Yatsandra; Das, Sadananda; Mayes, Richard T.; Gill, Gary A.

2015-11-30

High-surface-area amidoxime and carboxylic acid grafted polymer adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were tested for sequestering uranium in a flowing seawater flume system at the PNNL-Marine Sciences Laboratory. FTIR spectra indicate that a KOH conditioning process is necessary to remove the proton from the carboxylic acid and make the sorbent effective for sequestering uranium from seawater. The alkaline conditioning process also converts the amidoxime groups to carboxylate groups in the adsorbent. Both Na₂CO₃-H₂O₂ and hydrochloric acid elution methods can remove ~95% of the uranium sequestered by the adsorbent after 42 days of exposure in real seawater. The Na₂CO₃-H₂O₂ elution method is more selective for uranium than conventional acid elution. Iron and vanadium are the two major transition metals competing with uranium for adsorption to the amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater.

Identification of distinct genes associated with seawater aspiration-induced acute lung injury by gene expression profile analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wei; Pan, Lei; Zhang, Minlong; Bo, Liyan; Li, Congcong; Liu, Qingqing; Wang, Li; Jin, Faguang

2016-01-01

Seawater aspiration-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is a syndrome associated with a high mortality rate, which is characterized by severe hypoxemia, pulmonary edema and inflammation. The present study is the first, to the best of our knowledge, to analyze gene expression profiles from a rat model of seawater aspiration-induced ALI. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were instilled with seawater (4 ml/kg) in the seawater aspiration-induced ALI group (S group) or with distilled water (4 ml/kg) in the distilled water negative control group (D group). In the blank control group (C group) the rats' tracheae were exposed without instillation. Subsequently, lung samples were examined by histopathology; total protein concentration was detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF); lung wet/dry weight ratios were determined; and transcript expression was detected by gene sequencing analysis. The results demonstrated that histopathological alterations, pulmonary edema and total protein concentrations in BALF were increased in the S group compared with in the D group. Analysis of differential gene expression identified up and downregulated genes in the S group compared with in the D and C groups. A gene ontology analysis of the differential gene expression revealed enrichment of genes in the functional pathways associated with neutrophil chemotaxis, immune and defense responses, and cytokine activity. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway was one of the most important pathways involved in seawater aspiration-induced ALI. In conclusion, activation of the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway may have an essential role in the progression of seawater aspiration-induced ALI, and the downregulation of tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 10 may enhance inflammation. Furthermore, IL-6 may be considered a biomarker in seawater aspiration-induced ALI. PMID:27509884

Effects of CO2-driven acidification of seawater on the calcification process in the calcareous hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Science.gov (United States)

de Barros Marangoni, Laura Fernandes; Calderon, Emiliano Nicolas; Marques, Joseane Aparecida; Duarte, Gustavo Adolpho Santos; Pereira, Cristiano Macedo; e Castro, Clovis Barreira; Bianchini, Adalto

2017-12-01

Ocean acidification is expected to intensify due to increasing levels in the partial pressure of atmospheric CO2 ( pCO2). This could negatively affect major calcifying reef organisms. In this study, the effects of different levels of CO2-driven acidification of seawater (control: pH 8.1; moderate: pH 7.8; intermediate: pH 7.5; and severe: pH 7.2) on the net calcification rate and activity of enzymes related to the calcification process (Ca-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase) were evaluated in the calcareous hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis. The experiment was run for 30 d using a marine mesocosm system. Net calcification ratio was significantly reduced in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate seawater acidification for 16 d and to severe seawater acidification for 16 d or 30 d, compared to animals at control conditions. However, only hydrocorals exposed to severe seawater acidification showed lower net calcification rates than those exposed to control conditions for 30 d. In accordance, the activities of enzymes involved in the calcification process markedly increased in hydrocorals exposed to reduced pH. Ca-ATPase seemed to be more sensitive to seawater acidification than carbonic anhydrase as it increased in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate and severe seawater acidification for 30 d, while carbonic anhydrase activity was only stimulated under severe seawater acidification. Therefore, our findings clearly show that the hydrocoral M. alcicornis is able to cope, to some extent, with long-term CO2-driven acidification of seawater (pH ≥ 7.5). In addition, they show that Ca-ATPase plays a key role in the maintenance of calcification rate under scenarios of moderate and intermediate levels of seawater acidification. However, the observed increase in Ca-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase activity was not enough to compensate for the effects of CO2-driven reduction in seawater pH on the net calcification rate of the hydrocoral M. alcicornis under a scenario of severe ocean

Degradation of Organic UV filters in Chlorinated Seawater Swimming Pools: Transformation Pathways and Bromoform Formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Manasfi, Tarek; Coulomb, Bruno; Ravier, Sylvain; Boudenne, Jean-Luc

2017-12-05

Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are used in sunscreens and other personal-care products to protect against harmful effects of exposure to UV solar radiation. Little is known about the fate of UV filters in seawater swimming pools disinfected with chlorine. The present study investigated the occurrence and fate of five commonly used organic UV filters, namely dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, avobenzone, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate, and octocrylene, in chlorinated seawater swimming pools. Pool samples were collected to monitor the variation of UV filter concentrations during pool opening hours. Furthermore, laboratory-controlled chlorination experiments were conducted in seawater spiked with UV filters to investigate the reactivity of UV filters. Extracts of chlorination reaction samples were analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry and electron-capture detection to identify the potentially formed byproducts. In the collected pool samples, all the UV filters except dioxybenzone were detected. Chlorination reactions showed that only octocrylene was stable in chlorinated seawater. The four reactive UV filters generated brominated transformation products and disinfection byproducts. This formation of brominated products resulted from reactions between the reactive UV filters and bromine, which is formed rapidly when chlorine is added to seawater. Based on the identified byproducts, the transformation pathways of the reactive UV filters were proposed for the first time. Bromoform was generated by all the reactive UV filters at different yields. Bromal hydrate was also detected as one of the byproducts generated by oxybenzone and dioxybenzone.

Rapid and simultaneous determination of Strontium-89 and Strontium-90 in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Tayeb, Michelle; Dai, Xiongxin; Sdraulig, Sandra

2016-03-01

A rapid method has been developed for the direct determination of radiostrontium ((89)Sr and (90)Sr) released in seawater in the early phase of an accident. The method employs a fast and effective pre-concentration of radiostrontium by Sr-Ca co-precipitation followed by separation of radiostrontium using extraction chromatography technique. Radiostrontium is effectively separated in the presence of excessive dominant salts of seawater. Čerenkov and liquid scintillation assay (LSA) techniques are used to determine (89)Sr and (90)Sr. Sample preparation time is approximately 4 h for a set of 10 samples. The method was validated using spiked seawater samples at various activity ratios of (89)Sr:(90)Sr ranging from 1:10 to 9:1. The mean chemical recovery of Sr was 85 ± 3%. (90)Sr showed variable relative bias which enhanced with increasing ratio of (89)Sr:(90)Sr and was in the range ± 21%. The highest biases of (90)Sr determination were due to lower activity concentrations of (90)Sr and are regarded as acceptable in emergency situations with elevated levels of radiostrontium in the sample. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of (90)Sr and (89)Sr varied at different (89)Sr:(90)Sr ratios. For 0.1 L seawater and 15 min counting time on a low background Hidex liquid scintillation counter (LSC), the MDC of (90)Sr was in the range of 1.7-3.5 Bq L(-1) and MDC of (89)Sr was in the range 0.5-2.4 Bq L(-1). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid collection of iron hydroxide for determination of Th isotopes in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okubo, Ayako, E-mail: okubo.ayako@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Research Group for Analytical Chemistry (Japan); Obata, Hajime, E-mail: obata@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Atmosphere Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo (Japan); Magara, Masaaki, E-mail: magara.masaaki@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Research Group for Analytical Chemistry (Japan); Kimura, Takaumi, E-mail: kimura.takaumi@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Research Group for Analytical Chemistry (Japan); Ogawa, Hiroshi, E-mail: hogawa@aori.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Atmosphere Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo (Japan)

2013-12-04

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •DIAION CR-20 chelating resin has successfully collected iron-hydroxide with Th isotopes. •Ferric ions in the iron hydroxide were bonded to functional groups of the chelating resin. •The time of preconcentration step was markedly reduced from a few days to 3–4 h. -- Abstract: This work introduces a novel method of recovery of iron hydroxide using a DIAION CR-20 chelating resin column to determine Th isotopes in seawater with a sector field (SF) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Thorium isotopes in seawater were co-precipitated with iron hydroxide, and this precipitate was sent to chelating resin column. Ferric ions in the iron hydroxide were bonded to functional groups of the chelating resin directly, resulting in a pH increase of the effluent by release of hydroxide ion from the iron hydroxide. The co-precipitated thorium isotopes were quantitatively collected within the column, which indicated that thorium was retained on the iron hydroxide remaining on the chelating column. The chelating column quantitatively collected {sup 232}Th with iron hydroxide in seawater at flow rates of 20–25 mL min{sup −1}. Based on this flow rate, a 5 L sample was processed within 3–4 h. The >20 h aging of iron hydroxide tends to reduce the recovery of {sup 232}Th. The rapid collection method was successfully applied to the determination of {sup 230}Th and {sup 232}Th in open-ocean seawater samples.

Rapid and gradual modes of aerosol trace metal dissolution in seawater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Rose Marie Mackey

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Atmospheric deposition is a major source of trace metals in marine surface waters and supplies vital micronutrients to phytoplankton, yet measured aerosol trace metal solubility values are operationally defined and there are relatively few multi-element studies on aerosol-metal solubility in seawater. Here we measure the solubility of aluminum (Al, cadmium (Cd, cobalt (Co, copper (Cu, iron (Fe, manganese (Mn, nickel (Ni, lead (Pb, and zinc (Zn from natural aerosol samples in seawater over a 7 day period to (1 evaluate the role of extraction time in trace metal dissolution behavior and (2 explore how the individual dissolution patterns could influence biota. Dissolution behavior occurs over a continuum ranging from rapid dissolution, in which the majority of soluble metal dissolved immediately upon seawater exposure (Cd and Co in our samples, to gradual dissolution, where metals dissolved slowly over time (Zn, Mn, Cu, and Al in our samples. Additionally, dissolution affected by interactions with particles was observed in which a decline in soluble metal concentration over time occurred (Fe and Pb in our samples. Natural variability in aerosol chemistry between samples can cause metals to display different dissolution kinetics in different samples, and this was particularly evident for Ni, for which samples showed a broad range of dissolution rates. The elemental molar ratio of metals in the bulk aerosols was 23,189Fe: 22,651Al: 445Mn: 348Zn: 71Cu: 48Ni: 23Pb: 9Co: 1Cd, whereas the seawater soluble molar ratio after 7 days of leaching was 11Fe: 620Al: 205Mn: 240Zn: 20Cu: 14Ni: 9Pb: 2Co: 1Cd. The different kinetics and ratios of aerosol metal dissolution have implications for phytoplankton nutrition, and highlight the need for unified extraction protocols that simulate aerosol metal dissolution in the surface ocean.

Optimization of gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration process for seawater pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bing; Hochstrasser, Florian; Akhondi, Ebrahim; Ambauen, Noëmi; Tschirren, Lukas; Burkhardt, Michael; Fane, Anthony G; Pronk, Wouter

2016-04-15

Seawater pretreatment by gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration at 40 mbar has been investigated. In this system, a beneficial biofilm develops on the membrane that helps to stabilize flux. The effects of membrane type, prefiltration and system configuration on stable flux, biofilm layer properties and dissolved carbon removal were studied. The results show that the use of flat sheet PVDF membranes with pore sizes of 0.22 and 0.45 μm in GDM filtration achieved higher stabilized permeate fluxes (7.3-8.4 L/m(2)h) than that of flat sheet PES 100 kD membranes and hollow fibre PVDF 0.1 μm membranes. Pore constriction and cake filtration were identified as major membrane fouling mechanisms, but their relative contributions varied with filtration time for the various membranes. Compared to raw seawater, prefiltering of seawater with meshes at sizes of 10, 100 and 1000 μm decreased the permeate flux, which was attributed to removal of beneficial eukaryotic populations. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed that the porosity of the biofouling layer was more significantly related with permeate flux development rather than its thickness and roughness. To increase the contact time between the biofilm and the dissolved organics, a hybrid biofilm-submerged GDM reactor was evaluated, which displayed significantly higher permeate fluxes than the submerged GDM reactor. Although integrating the biofilm reactor with the membrane system displayed better permeate quality than the GDM filtration cells, it could not effectively reduce dissolved organic substances in the seawater. This may be attributed to the decomposition/degradation of solid organic substances in the feed and carbon fixation by the biofilm. Further studies of the dynamic carbon balance are required. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In situ glass antifouling using Pt nanoparticle coating for periodic electrolysis of seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Yuxi; Zhao, Jin; Qiu, Ri; Zheng, Jiyong; Lin, Cunguo; Ma, Bojiang; Wang, Peng

2015-12-01

In situ electrochemical chlorination is a promising way to prohibit the biofouling on glass used for optical devices in seawater. To make this approach practical, a conductive glass should have low overpotential to generate Cl2, so that the electrical energy consumption, a critical issue for field application, will be low. Moreover, a long sustainability should also be taken into consideration from the application perspective. Following these criteria, we propose Pt/ITO surface to electrochemically generate Cl2, which immunizes biofouling for glass substrate. In this report, firstly, Pt nanoparticle/ITO is prepared via an electrodeposition approach. Secondly, electrocatalysis capability of Pt/ITO is elucidated, which shows the catalysis for Cl2 generation from NaCl solution and seawater has been sparked with Pt on the surface. Also, Pt/ITO is more sustainable and efficient than the bare ITO in natural seawater. Thirdly, the antifouling property is evaluated taking diatom as the target organism. Electrochemical chlorination on Pt/ITO can efficiently prevent the glass from fouling.

Recent International R and D Activities in the Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, Linfeng

2010-01-01

A literature survey has been conducted to collect information on the International R and D activities in the extraction of uranium from seawater for the period from the 1960s till the year of 2010. The reported activities, on both the laboratory scale bench experiments and the large scale marine experiments, were summarized by country/region in this report. Among all countries where such activities have been reported, Japan has carried out the most advanced large scale marine experiments with the amidoxime-based system, and achieved the collection efficiency (1.5 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 30 days soaking in the ocean) that could justify the development of industrial scale marine systems to produce uranium from seawater at the price competitive with those from conventional uranium resources. R and D opportunities are discussed for improving the system performance (selectivity for uranium, loading capacity, chemical stability and mechanical durability in the sorption-elution cycle, and sorption kinetics) and making the collection of uranium from seawater more economically competitive.

Potentiodynamic study of Al-Mg alloy with superhydrophobic coating in photobiologically active/not active natural seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Benedetti, Alessandro; Cirisano, Francesca; Delucchi, Marina; Faimali, Marco; Ferrari, Michele

2016-01-01

Superhydrophobic coating technology is regarded as an attractive possibility for the protection of materials in a sea environment. DC techniques are a useful tool to characterize metals' behavior in seawater in the presence/absence of coatings and/or corrosion inhibitors. In this work, investigations concerning Al-5%Mg alloy with and without a sprayed superhydrophobic coating were carried out with potentiodynamic scans in photobiologically active and not active seawater (3 weeks of immersion). In not photobiologically active seawater, the presence of the superhydrophobic coating did not prevent pitting corrosion. With time, the coating underwent local exfoliations, but intact areas still preserved superhydrophobicity. In photobiologically active seawater, on samples without the superhydrophobic coating (controls) pitting was inhibited, probably due to the adsorption of organic compounds produced by the photobiological activity. After 3 weeks of immersion, the surface of the coating became hydrophilic due to diatom coverage. As suggested by intermediate observations, the surface below the diatom layer is suspected of having lost its superhydrophobicity due to early stages of biofouling processes (organic molecule adsorption and diatom attachment/gliding). Polarization curves also revealed that the metal below the coating underwent corrosion inhibiting phenomena as observed in controls, likely due to the permeation of organic molecules through the coating. Hence, the initial biofouling stages (days) occurring in photobiologically active seawater can both accelerate the loss of superhydrophobicity of coatings and promote corrosion inhibition on the underlying metal. Finally, time durability of superhydrophobic surfaces in real seawater still remains the main challenge for applications, where the early stages of immersion are demonstrated to be of crucial importance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Corrosion at the Polymer-Metal Interface in Artificial Seawater Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amelia M. Anderson-Wile

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Polymer components for liquid sealing applications are employed in a variety of potentially corrosive environments, such as seawater. Frequently, corrosion of the metal is found at or adjacent to the rubber-metal interface rather than at a noncontact area. The corrosion of different metal alloys (titanium, bronze, nickel, aluminum, 316 stainless steel, and 4130 steel in combination with rubber O-rings (Buna-N and EPDM of varying internal diameters and cross-sectional shapes in seawater over a period of four years is described herein. The corrosion of some metals (i.e., 4130 stainless steel was found to be accelerated through interaction with Buna-N rubber O-rings. Theories to account for corrosion at the polymer-metal interface, especially with respect to polymer composition and O-ring size and shape, are discussed.

Investigating the Crevice Corrosion Behavior of Coated Stainless Steel in Seawater

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kain, Robert

2000-01-01

.... austenitic stainless steel. Testing in natural seawater has demonstrated that coatings can protect susceptible stainless steel from barnacle related crevice corrosion and localized corrosion at weldments...

Acute Illness Among Surfers After Exposure to Seawater in Dry- and Wet-Weather Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Benjamin F; Schiff, Kenneth C; Ercumen, Ayse; Benjamin-Chung, Jade; Steele, Joshua A; Griffith, John F; Steinberg, Steven J; Smith, Paul; McGee, Charles D; Wilson, Richard; Nelsen, Chad; Weisberg, Stephen B; Colford, John M

2017-10-01

Rainstorms increase levels of fecal indicator bacteria in urban coastal waters, but it is unknown whether exposure to seawater after rainstorms increases rates of acute illness. Our objective was to provide the first estimates of rates of acute illness after seawater exposure during both dry- and wet-weather periods and to determine the relationship between levels of indicator bacteria and illness among surfers, a population with a high potential for exposure after rain. We enrolled 654 surfers in San Diego, California, and followed them longitudinally during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 winters (33,377 days of observation, 10,081 surf sessions). We measured daily surf activities and illness symptoms (gastrointestinal illness, sinus infections, ear infections, infected wounds). Compared with no exposure, exposure to seawater during dry weather increased incidence rates of all outcomes (e.g., for earache or infection, adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27, 2.71; for infected wounds, IRR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.54, 5.98); exposure during wet weather further increased rates (e.g., for earache or infection, IRR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.95, 5.51; for infected wounds, IRR = 4.96, 95% CI: 2.18, 11.29). Fecal indicator bacteria measured in seawater (Enterococcus species, fecal coliforms, total coliforms) were strongly associated with incident illness only during wet weather. Urban coastal seawater exposure increases the incidence rates of many acute illnesses among surfers, with higher incidence rates after rainstorms. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

New Dielectric Measurement Data to Determine the Permittivity of Seawater at 1.4313 Hz

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, R.; Zhou, Y.; Utku, C.; Levine, D.

2012-01-01

This paper describes the new measurements - made in 2010-2011 - of the dielectric constant of seawater at 1.413 GHz using a resonant cavity technique. The purpose of these measurements is to develop an accurate relationship concerning the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on temperature and salinity for use by the Aquarius inversion algorithm. Aquarius is a NASA/CONAE satellite mission launched in June of 2011 with the primary mission of measuring global sea surface salinity with a 1.413 GHz radiometer to an accuracy of 0.2 psu. A brass microwave cavity resonant at 1.413 GHz has been used to measure the dielectric constant of seawater. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a capillary glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. The change of resonant frequency and the cavity Q value are used to determine the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant of seawater. Measurements are automated with Visual Basic software developed at the George Washington University. In this paper, new results from measurements made since September 2010 will be presented for salinities of 30, 35 and 38 psu with a temperature range of 0 C to 35 C in intervals of 5 C. These measurements are more accurate than earlier measurements made in 2008. The new results will be compared to the Klein-Swift (KS) and Meissner-Wentz (MW) model functions. The importance of an accurate model function will be illustrated by using these model functions to invert the Aquarius brightness temperature to retrieve the salinity values. The salinity values will be compared to co-located in situ data collected by Argo buoys.

Effect of medium-pressure UV-lamp treatment on disinfection by-products in chlorinated seawater swimming pool waters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cheema, Waqas Akram; Manasfi, Tarek; Kaarsholm, Kamilla Marie Speht

2017-01-01

Several brominated disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed in chlorinated seawater pools, due to the high concentration of bromide in seawater. UV irradiation is increasingly employed in freshwater pools, because UV treatment photodegrades harmful chloramines. However, in freshwater pools it has...

Removal of tributyltin from contaminated seawater by combinations of photolytic and TiO2 mediated photocatalytic processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Muff, Jens; Simonsen, Morten Enggrob; Søgaard, Erik Gydesen

2017-01-01

Harbour sediment contaminated with tributyltin (TBT) is a worldwide problem and treatment of TBT contaminated seawater is an issue during dredging operations. This study presents results from photolytic and photocatalytic treatment experiments where the influence of the seawater matrix, different...

Solid State Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Total Alkalinity and pH of Seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, Ellen M; Sandoval, Sergio; Erten, Ahmet; Takeshita, Yuichiro; Kummel, Andrew C; Martz, Todd R

2017-09-22

A novel design is demonstrated for a solid state, reagent-less sensor capable of rapid and simultaneous measurement of pH and Total Alkalinity (A T ) using ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) technology to provide a simplified means of characterization of the aqueous carbon dioxide system through measurement of two "master variables": pH and A T . ISFET-based pH sensors that achieve 0.001 precision are widely used in various oceanographic applications. A modified ISFET is demonstrated to perform a nanoliter-scale acid-base titration of A T in under 40 s. This method of measuring A T , a Coulometric Diffusion Titration, involves electrolytic generation of titrant, H + , through the electrolysis of water on the surface of the chip via a microfabricated electrode eliminating the requirement of external reagents. Characterization has been performed in seawater as well as titrating individual components (i.e., OH - , HCO 3 - , CO 3 2- , B(OH) 4 - , PO 4 3- ) of seawater A T . The seawater measurements are consistent with the design in reaching the benchmark goal of 0.5% precision in A T over the range of seawater A T of ∼2200-2500 μmol kg -1 which demonstrates great potential for autonomous sensing.

Design Criteria, Operating Conditions, and Nickel-Iron Hydroxide Catalyst Materials for Selective Seawater Electrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dionigi, Fabio; Reier, Tobias; Pawolek, Zarina; Gliech, Manuel; Strasser, Peter

2016-05-10

Seawater is an abundant water resource on our planet and its direct electrolysis has the advantage that it would not compete with activities demanding fresh water. Oxygen selectivity is challenging when performing seawater electrolysis owing to competing chloride oxidation reactions. In this work we propose a design criterion based on thermodynamic and kinetic considerations that identifies alkaline conditions as preferable to obtain high selectivity for the oxygen evolution reaction. The criterion states that catalysts sustaining the desired operating current with an overpotential seawater-mimicking electrolyte. The catalyst was synthesized by a solvothermal method and the activity, surface redox chemistry, and stability were tested electrochemically in alkaline and near-neutral conditions (borate buffer at pH 9.2) and under both fresh seawater conditions. The Tafel slope at low current densities is not influenced by pH or presence of chloride. On the other hand, the addition of chloride ions has an influence in the temporal evolution of the nickel reduction peak and on both the activity and stability at high current densities at pH 9.2. Faradaic efficiency close to 100 % under the operating conditions predicted by our design criteria was proven using in situ electrochemical mass spectrometry. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Microbial Degradation Behavior in Seawater of Polyester Blends Containing Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHHx

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hitoshi Sashiwa

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The microbial degradation behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHHx and its compound with several polyesters such as poly(butylene adipate-co-telephtharate (PBAT, poly(butylene succinate (PBS, and polylactic acid (PLA in seawater was tested by a biological oxygen demand (BOD method. PHBHHx showed excellent biodegradation in seawater in this study. In addition, the biodegradation rate of several blends was much influenced by the weight ratio of PHBHHx in their blends and decreased in accordance with the decrement of PHBHHX ratio. The surface morphology of the sheet was important factor for controlling the biodegradation rate of PHBHHx-containing blends in seawater.

Recovery of uranium from seawater-status of technology and needed future research and development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelmers, A.D.

1980-01-01

A survey of recent publications concerning uranium recovery from seawater shows that considerable experimental work in this area is currently under way in Japan, less in European countries. Repeated screening programs have identified hydrous titanium oxide as the most promising candidate adsorbent; however, many of its properties, such as distribution coefficient, selectivity, loading, and possibly stability, appear to fall far short of those required for a practical recovery system. In addition, various evaluations of the energy efficiency of pumped or tidal power schemes for contacting the sorbent and seawater are in serious disagreement. Needed future research and development tasks have been identified. A fundamental development program to achieve significantly improved adsorbent properties would be required to permit economical recovery of uranium from seawater. Unresolved engineering aspects of such recovery systems are also identified and discussed. 63 references

Differential utility of the Bacteroidales DNA and RNA markers in the tiered approach for microbial source tracking in subtropical seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Rulong; Cheng, Ken H F; Wong, Klaine; Cheng, Samuel C S; Lau, Stanley C K

2015-07-01

Source tracking of fecal pollution is an emerging component in water quality monitoring. It may be implemented in a tiered approach involving Escherichia coli and/or Enterococcus spp. as the standard fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and the 16S rRNA gene markers of Bacteroidales as source identifiers. The relative population dynamics of the source identifiers and the FIB may strongly influence the implementation of such approach. Currently, the relative performance of DNA and RNA as detection targets of Bacteroidales markers in the tiered approach is not known. We compared the decay of the DNA and RNA of the total (AllBac) and ruminant specific (CF128) Bacteroidales markers with those of the FIB in seawater spiked with cattle feces. Four treatments of light and oxygen availability simulating the subtropical seawater of Hong Kong were tested. All Bacteroidales markers decayed significantly slower than the FIB in all treatments. Nonetheless, the concentrations of the DNA and RNA markers and E. coli correlated significantly in normoxic seawater independent of light availability, and in hypoxic seawater only under light. In hypoxic seawater without light, the concentrations of RNA but not DNA markers correlated with that of E. coli. Generally, the correlations between Enterococcus spp. and Bacteroidales were insignificant. These results suggest that either DNA or RNA markers may complement E. coli in the tiered approach for normoxic or hypoxic seawater under light. When light is absent, either DNA or RNA markers may serve for normoxic seawater, but only the RNA markers are suitable for hypoxic seawater.

Role of H2O2 in the photo-transformation of phenol in artificial and natural seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calza, Paola; Campra, Laura; Pelizzetti, Ezio; Minero, Claudio

2012-01-01

In previous works, it was observed that phenol photo-induced transformation in natural seawater (NSW) mediated by natural photosensitizers occurs and leads to the formation of numerous hydroxylated, condensed, halogenated and nitroderivatives. Irradiation of NSW added with phenol and iron species had provided the enhanced formation of several halophenols, suggesting a central role played by iron species on the phenol halogenation in marine water. In this paper, we focus on hydrogen peroxide, another key photosensitizer, and its interaction with iron species. The ability of Fe(II)/Fe(III) and H 2 O 2 species to act as photo-sensitizers towards the transformation of organic compounds in seawater was investigated under simulated solar radiation. Light activation is necessary to induce the transformation of phenol, as no degradation occurs in the dark when either H 2 O 2 or iron/H 2 O 2 are initially added to artificial seawater (ASW). Fe(II) is easily transformed into Fe(III), assessing that a Fenton reaction (dark, Fe(II)/H 2 O 2 ) does not take place in marine environment, in favour of a photo-activated reaction involving Fe(III) and H 2 O 2 . When NSW is spiked with H 2 O 2 and Fe(III), halophenols' and nitrophenols' concentration decreases and completely disappears at high hydrogen peroxide concentration. Since Fe(II) and Fe(III) in spiked seawater induce an enhanced formation of haloderivatives, an excess of hydrogen peroxide act as scavenger towards the photo-produced chloro/bromo radicals, so hindering halogenation process in seawater. Hence, even if hydrogen peroxide efficiently induces the ·OH radical formation, and could then promote the phenol phototransformation, nevertheless it is negligibly involved in the production of the intermediates formed during phenol photolysis in seawater, whose formation is necessarily linked to other photosensitizer species. - Highlights: ► Hydrogen peroxide-mediated solar-driven transformations of pollutant in seawater are

Desalination of seawater: a nuclear solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basta, H.

2003-01-01

1,4 milliard human beings do not benefit of sufficient clean water supply. The desalting of seawater is a valid and tested solution in terms of technology but the 2 physical processes involved, evaporation and reverse osmosis are energy-greedy. Only rich countries like Kuwait or Saudi-Arabia can afford producing massive volumes of fresh water from seawater. Today the total world capacity of desalting reaches 30 milliard m 3 a day with 10.000 operating units, half of which installed in middle-east countries. The use of nuclear energy is a solution to lower costs. In Aktau (Kazakhstan) a BN-350 fast reactor has been producing a 135 MW electrical output and 80.000 m 3 of fresh water a day for 27 years. In Japan about 10 desalting units have been coupled to nuclear power plants. A company (Eskom) based in South-Africa is developing a new concept of high temperature reactor: the PBMR (pebble bed modular reactor). The suitability of this reactor has been assessed for desalting and it appears that its main assets are its size: 165 MW electrical output (400 MW thermal output) and its Brayton cycle. Other characteristics such as the coolant (helium), the type of fuel (8% enriched uranium encapsulated in carbon), the low design and maintenance costs, the short building time (2 years) are important when considering issues like nuclear safety, non-proliferation and profitability. (A.C.)

On the classification of seawater intrusion

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Adrian D.

2017-08-01

Seawater intrusion (SWI) arising from aquifer depletion is often classified as ;active; or ;passive;, depending on whether seawater moves in the same direction as groundwater flow or not. However, recent studies have demonstrated that alternative forms of active SWI show distinctly different characteristics, to the degree that the term ;active SWI; may be misleading without additional qualification. In response, this article proposes to modify hydrogeology lexicon by defining and characterizing three classes of SWI, namely passive SWI, passive-active SWI and active SWI. The threshold parameter combinations for the onset of each form of SWI are developed using sharp-interface, steady-state analytical solutions. Numerical simulation is then applied to a hypothetical case study to test the developed theory and to provide additional insights into dispersive SWI behavior. The results indicate that the three classes of SWI are readily predictable, with the exception of active SWI occurring in the presence of distributed recharge. The key characteristics of each SWI class are described to distinguish their most defining features. For example, active SWI occurring in aquifers receiving distributed recharge only creates watertable salinization downstream of the groundwater mound and only where dispersion effects are significant. The revised classification of SWI proposed in this article, along with the analysis of thresholds and SWI characteristics, provides coastal aquifer custodians with an improved basis upon which to expect salinization mechanisms to impact freshwater availability following aquifer depletion.

Formation of emerging DBPs from the chlorination and chloramination of seawater algal organic matter and related model compounds

KAUST Repository

Nihemaiti, Maolida

2014-01-01

Limited studies focused on reactions occurring during disinfection and oxidation processes of seawater. The aim of this work was to investigate disinfection by-products (DBPs) formation from the chlorination and chloramination of seawater algal

Operational experience of stainless steels in seawater-cooled systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriksson, S.

1981-06-01

A study has been made of chiefly Swedish and Finnish operational experience of stainless steel in seawater and brackish water. A report is given on 23 typical cases, behind which in actual fact a considerably larger number of individual practical cases are concealed. The answer to the primary question why a standard steel of type SS 2343 (AISI 316) sometimes, contrary to expectation, remains unattacked by local corrosion is that there is usually spontaneous cathodic protection by other less noble components of carbon steel, cast iron or some copper alloy in direct contact with the stainless steel. The study confirms in other respects the adverse effect of residual oxides after welding and the beneficial of low temperature, high continuous waterflow and periodic cleaning, and of rinsing with fresh water during out-of service periods. It also verifies the additional advantages of the new high-alloy special steels which have begun to be marketed in recent years for seawater applications. (author)

Seawater intrusion mapping using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrochemical data. An application in the coastal area of eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kazakis, N., E-mail: kazanera@yahoo.com [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Geology, Lab. of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Pavlou, A. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Geology, Lab. of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Vargemezis, G. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Geology, Lab. of Applied Geophysics, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Voudouris, K.S.; Soulios, G. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Geology, Lab. of Engineering Geology & Hydrogeology, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Pliakas, F. [Democritus University of Thrace, Department of Civil Engineering, Xanthi 67100 (Greece); Tsokas, G. [Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Geology, Lab. of Applied Geophysics, 54124 Thessaloniki (Greece)

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the extent and geometrical characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece. Hydrochemical data and geoelectrical measurements were combined and supplemented to determine the hydrochemical regime of the study site in regard to seawater phenomena. Chemical analysis of groundwater was performed in 126 boreholes and fifteen electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) were measured, whereas in two sites the ERT measurements were repeated following the wet season. The Cl{sup −} concentrations recorded reached 2240 mg/L indicating seawater intrusion which was also verified by ionic ratios. The ionic ratios were overlapped and a seawater intrusion map (SWIM) was produced. A significant part of the coastal aquifer (up to 150 km{sup 2}) is influenced by seawater intrusion. The areas with the most intensive salinization are located between Nea Kallikratia–Epanomi and Aggelochori–Peraia. According to the ERTs, in the influenced areas the salinization of the aquifer exceeds 1 km toward the mainland and its depth reaches 200 m. In the area surrounding Thessaloniki airport, the ERTs revealed salinization of the upper aquifer to depths of up to 40 m, whereas the lower aquifer is uninfluenced. This abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion demonstrates the value of geoelectrical methods in the study of seawater intrusion especially in areas with limited available hydrochemical data. - Highlights: • ERTs determined the geometrical characteristics of the saline aquifer. • An abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion was recorded. • Four ionic ratios overlapped and a seawater intrusion map was produced. • Cl{sup −} concentrations increased significantly from 2005 to 2010 by up to 1800 mg/L.

Seawater intrusion mapping using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrochemical data. An application in the coastal area of eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazakis, N.; Pavlou, A.; Vargemezis, G.; Voudouris, K.S.; Soulios, G.; Pliakas, F.; Tsokas, G.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the extent and geometrical characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece. Hydrochemical data and geoelectrical measurements were combined and supplemented to determine the hydrochemical regime of the study site in regard to seawater phenomena. Chemical analysis of groundwater was performed in 126 boreholes and fifteen electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) were measured, whereas in two sites the ERT measurements were repeated following the wet season. The Cl"− concentrations recorded reached 2240 mg/L indicating seawater intrusion which was also verified by ionic ratios. The ionic ratios were overlapped and a seawater intrusion map (SWIM) was produced. A significant part of the coastal aquifer (up to 150 km"2) is influenced by seawater intrusion. The areas with the most intensive salinization are located between Nea Kallikratia–Epanomi and Aggelochori–Peraia. According to the ERTs, in the influenced areas the salinization of the aquifer exceeds 1 km toward the mainland and its depth reaches 200 m. In the area surrounding Thessaloniki airport, the ERTs revealed salinization of the upper aquifer to depths of up to 40 m, whereas the lower aquifer is uninfluenced. This abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion demonstrates the value of geoelectrical methods in the study of seawater intrusion especially in areas with limited available hydrochemical data. - Highlights: • ERTs determined the geometrical characteristics of the saline aquifer. • An abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion was recorded. • Four ionic ratios overlapped and a seawater intrusion map was produced. • Cl"− concentrations increased significantly from 2005 to 2010 by up to 1800 mg/L.

Uranium extraction from seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bals, H.G.

1976-03-01

After an introduction to the physics and chemistry of the sea and an estimation of the chances for the absorption of uranium from rivers, the material-sepecific characteristics of the adsorber technology are decribed in detail. Then, the methods used for gaining uranium form seawater are described with special regard to the tidal and the so-called serial (sequency) method. Whether all methods described can be realised is an economic problem since very high quantitics of water are necessary because of the low contents of uranium. A positive energy balance (gained energy/lost energy) is not definitely ensured yet for the production methods used. The development measures to be taken to obtain a positive energy balance are briefly described, and the research programme of the UEBG is mentioned. (UA) [de

Towards a quality-controlled and accessible Pitzer model for seawater and related systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Turner

2016-09-01

Full Text Available We elaborate the need for a quality-controlled chemical speciation model for seawater and related natural waters, work which forms the major focus of SCOR Working Group 145. Model development is based on Pitzer equations for the seawater electrolyte and trace components. These equations can be used to calculate activities of dissolved ions and molecules and, in combination with thermodynamic equilibrium constants, chemical speciation. The major tasks to be addressed are ensuring internal consistency of the Pitzer model parameters (expressing the interactions between pairs and triplets of species, which ultimately determines the calculated activities, assessing uncertainties, and identifying important data gaps that should be addressed by new measurements. It is recognised that natural organic matter plays an important role in many aquatic ecosystems, and options for including this material in a Pitzer-based model are discussed. The process of model development begins with the core components which include the seawater electrolyte and the weak acids controlling pH. This core model can then be expanded by incorporating additional chemical components, changing the standard seawater composition and/or broadening the range of temperature and pressure, without compromising its validity. Seven important areas of application are identified: open ocean acidification; micro-nutrient biogeochemistry and geochemical tracers; micro-nutrient behaviour in laboratory studies; water quality in coastal and estuarine waters; cycling of nutrients and trace metals in pore waters; chemical equilibria in hydrothermal systems; brines and salt lakes.

Branchial ionocyte organization and ion-transport protein expression in juvenile alewives acclimated to freshwater or seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Christensen, A.K.; Hiroi, J.; Schultz, E.T.; McCormick, S.D.

2012-01-01

The alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) is a clupeid that undergoes larval and juvenile development in freshwater preceding marine habitation. The purpose of this study was to investigate osmoregulatory mechanisms in alewives that permit homeostasis in different salinities. To this end, we measured physiological, branchial biochemical and cellular responses in juvenile alewives acclimated to freshwater (0.5p.p.t.) or seawater (35.0p.p.t.). Plasma chloride concentration was higher in seawater-acclimated than freshwater-acclimated individuals (141mmoll -1 vs 134mmoll -1), but the hematocrit remained unchanged. In seawateracclimated individuals, branchial Na +/K +-ATPase (NKA) activity was higher by 75%. Western blot analysis indicated that the abundance of the NKA subunit and a Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) were greater in seawater-acclimated individuals by 40% and 200%, respectively. NKA and NKCC1 were localized on the basolateral surface and tubular network of ionocytes in both acclimation groups. Immunohistochemical labeling for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was restricted to the apical crypt of ionocytes in seawater-acclimated individuals, whereas sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) labeling was present on the apical surface of ionocytes in both acclimation groups. Ionocytes were concentrated on the trailing edge of the gill filament, evenly distributed along the proximal 75% of the filamental axis and reduced distally. Ionocyte size and number on the gill filament were not affected by salinity; however, the number of lamellar ionocytes was significantly lower in seawater-acclimated fish. Confocal z-series reconstructions revealed that mature ionocytes in seawater-acclimated alewives occurred in multicellular complexes. These complexes might reduce paracellular Na + resistance, hence facilitating Na+ extrusion in hypo-osmoregulating juvenile alewives after seaward migration. ?? 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Thallium isotope variations in seawater and hydrogenetic, diagenetic, and hydrothermal ferromanganese deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Rehkamper, M.; Frank, M.; Hein, J.R.; Porcelli, D.; Halliday, A.; Ingri, J.; Liebetrau, V.

2002-01-01

Results are presented for the first in-depth investigation of TI isotope variations in marine materials. The TI isotopic measurements were conducted by multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for a comprehensive suite of hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts, diagenetic Fe-Mn nodules, hydrothermal manganese deposits and seawater samples. The natural variability of TI isotope compositions in these samples exceeds the analytical reproducibility (?? 0.05???) by more than a factor of 40. Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts have ??205TI of + 10 to + 14, whereas seawater is characterized by values as low as -8 (??205TI represents the deviation of the 205TI/203TI ratio of a sample from the NIST SRM 997 TI isotope standard in parts per 104). This ~ 2??? difference in isotope composition is thought to result from the isotope fractionation that accompanies the adsorption of TI onto ferromanganese particles. An equilibrium fractionation factor of ?? ~ 1.0021 is calculated for this process. Ferromanganese nodules and hydrothermal manganese deposits have variable TI isotope compositions that range between the values obtained for seawater and hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts. The variability in ??205TI in diagenetic nodules appears to be caused by the adsorption of TI from pore fluids, which act as a closed-system reservoir with a TI isotope composition that is inferred to be similar to seawater. Nodules with ??205TI values similar to seawater are found if the scavenging of TI is nearly quantitative. Hydrothermal manganese deposits display a positive correlation between ??205TI and Mn/Fe. This trend is thought to be due to the derivation of TI from distinct hydrothermal sources. Deposits with low Mn/Fe ratios and low ??205TI are produced by the adsorption of TI from fluids that are sampled close to hydrothermal sources. Such fluids have low Mn/Fe ratios and relatively high temperatures, such that only minor isotope fractionation occurs during adsorption. Hydrothermal

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2014-01-01

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

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2014-09-15

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

Durability of Geopolymer Lightweight Concrete Infilled LECA in Seawater Exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Razak, R. A.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Yahya, Z.; Hamid, M. S. A.

2017-11-01

This paper describes a development of lightweight concrete using lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) in fly ash (FA) based geopolymer immersed in seawater. The objective of this research is to compare the performance of geopolymer concrete (GPC) with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete infilled lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) in seawater exposure. Geopolymer concrete is produced by using alkaline activator to activate the raw material, FA. The highest compressive strength of this study is 42.0 MPa at 28 days and 49.8 MPa at 60 days. The density for this concrete is in the range of 1580 kg/m3 to 1660 kg/m3. The result for water absorption is in the range of 6.82% to 14.72%. However, the test results of weight loss is in the range between 0.30% to 0.43%.

Seawater and Detrital Marine Pb Isotopes as Monitors of Antarctic Weathering Following Ice Sheet Development

Science.gov (United States)

Fenn, C.; Martin, E. E.; Basak, C.

2011-12-01

Comparisons of seawater and detrital Pb isotopes from sites proximal to Antarctica at the Eocene/Oligocene transition (EOT) are being used to understand variations in continental weathering associated with the development of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Previous work has shown that seawater and detrital archives yield similar isotopic values during Eocene warmth, which is interpreted to record congruent chemical weathering of the continent. In contrast, distinct isotopic values for the two phases at the EOT represents increased incongruent mechanical weathering during growth of the ice sheet. For this study we expanded beyond the initial glaciation at the EOT to determine whether less dramatic changes in ice volume and climate also produce variations in weathering and intensity that are recorded by seawater and detrital Pb isotopes. We collected Nd and Pb isotope data from extractions of Fe-Mn oxide coatings of bulk decarbonated marine sediments, which preserve seawater isotopic values, and from complete dissolutions of the remaining silicate fraction for Ocean Drilling Program Site 748 on Kerguelen Plateau (1300 m modern water depth). The data spans an interval of deglaciation from ~23.5-27 Ma documented by δ18O that has been equated to a ~30% decrease in ice volume on Antarctica (Pekar and Christie-Blick, 2008, Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.). Initial results from Site 748 include the first ɛNd values for intermediate waters in the Oligocene Southern Ocean and reveal a value of ~-8 over the entire 3.5 my interval, which is consistent with values reported for deep Indian Ocean sites at this time and similar to deeper Southern Ocean sites. Corresponding detrital ɛNd values are less radiogenic and decrease from -9 to -13 during the study interval. Detrital 206Pb/204Pb values also decrease during the warming interval, while seawater 206Pb/204Pb values increase. The decrease in detrital values indicates the composition of source materials entering

Reasons for the Fast Growing Seawater Desalination Capacity in Algeria

KAUST Repository

Drouiche, Nadjib; Ghaffour, NorEddine; Naceur, Mohamed Wahib; Mahmoudi, Hacè ne; Ouslimane, Tarik

2011-01-01

growing markets. Five desalination plants, including the Africa's largest seawater reverse osmosis project with a total capacity of 200,000 m3 per day, are already in operation and the remaining projects are either under construction or in commissioning

Research into the effects of seawater velocity variation on migration imaging in deep-water geology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Sun

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This paper aims at the problem that in deep water the migration quality is poor, and starts with the influence that velocity model accuracy has on migration, studying influence that variable seawater velocity makes on migration effect. At first, variable seawater velocity influenced by temperature, pressure and salinity is defined to replace the true seawater velocity. Then variable seawater velocity’s influence on interface migration location, layer sickness and migration energy focusing degree are analyzed in theory. And finally a deep water layered medium model containing variable seawater velocity, a syncline wedge shape model and a complex seafloor velocity model are constructed. By changing the seawater velocity of each model and comparing migration results of constant seawater-velocity model and variable seawater-velocity model, we can draw the conclusion: Under the condition of deep water, variable seawater-velocity’s impact on the quality of seismic migration is significant, which not only can change the location of geologic body migration result, but also can influence the resolution of geologic interface in the migration section and maybe can cause migration illusion.   Investigación de los efectos de la variación en la velocidad del agua marina sobre las imágenes de migración en la geología de aguas profundas Resumen Este artículo se enfoca en el problema de la baja calidad de la migración en aguas profundas. Se analiza la influencia que tiene el modelo de precisión de velocidad en la migración y se estudia el impacto que la variación de velocidad del agua marina tiene en el efecto de movimiento. En primera instancia, se define la variación de la velocidad del agua marina afectada por la temperatura, la presión y la salinidad para reemplazar la velocidad del agua marina actual. Luego se analiza la teoría de la influencia de la velocidad del agua marina sobre la interfaz de la ubicación de migración, el grosor de

Geochemical processes at a fresh/seawater interface in a shallow sandy aquifer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Martin Søgaard; Iversen, Vibeke Margrethe Nyvang; Postma, Diederik Jan

2001-01-01

Chemical processes in a natural fresh-/seawater mixing zone were studied in a shallow sandy aquifer. The dominant redox-processes are sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. Methanogenesis produces CO2, which causes calcite dissolution. The produced calcium induces ion exchange with sodium. The fin...... result of these interactions between different types of geochemical processes is an anoxic groundwater enriched in bicarbonate and sodium.......Chemical processes in a natural fresh-/seawater mixing zone were studied in a shallow sandy aquifer. The dominant redox-processes are sulfate reduction and methanogenesis. Methanogenesis produces CO2, which causes calcite dissolution. The produced calcium induces ion exchange with sodium. The final...

Determination of diethylstilbestrol in seawater by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiuping; Mei, Xiaoqi; Wang, Jiangtao; Lian, Ziru; Tan, Liju; Wu, Wei

2016-01-15

An effective and highly selective molecularly imprinted material was prepared by suspension polymerization for the isolation and pre-concentration of synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) in seawater. The obtained MIPMs were proved to have more uniform size and porous structure, with maximum adsorption capacity of 8.43 mg g(-1) almost two times more than NIPMs (4.43 mg g(-1)). The MIPMs showed no significant deterioration of the adsorption capacity after five rounds of regeneration. An off-line molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction (MISPE) method followed by HPLC-DAD was proposed for the detection of DES in seawater, and recoveries were satisfactorily higher than 77%. Four seawater samples in aquaculture area were analyzed and 0.61 ng mL(-1) DES was detected in one sample. The result demonstrated that this method can be used for the rapid separation and clean up of trace residual of DES in seawater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of a bacterial whole cell biosensor for the rapid detection of cytotoxicity in heavy metal contaminated seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Zhisong; Luan, Xiao; Jiang, Huichao; Li, Qian; Xu, Guangfei; Sun, Chengjun; Zheng, Li; Song, Yizhi; Davison, Paul A; Huang, Wei E

2018-06-01

A toxicity biosensor Acinetobacter baylyi Tox2 was constructed with the host strain A. baylyi ADP1 harboring a new and medium-copy-number plasmid pWH1274_lux, and was applied to detect the cytotoxicity of heavy metal contaminated seawater. The gene cassette luxCDABE was controlled by constitutively expressed promoter P tet on pWH1274_lux and the bioluminescence intensity of the biosensor reduces in proportional to the concentrations of toxic compounds. A. baylyi Tox2 exhibits tolerance to salinity, hence it is applicable to seawater samples. A. baylyi Tox2 and Mugilogobius chulae were exposed to different concentrations of heavy metals (Hg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ ) in artificial seawater for performance comparison and Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation (p heavy metal contaminated seawater. Furthermore, A. baylyi Tox2 was used to evaluate cytotoxicity of field-collected seawater samples. The results indicate that there was a significant correlation between the luminescence inhibition ratio (IR) of A. baylyi Tox2 and heavy metal concentrations detected by ICP-MS in the samples. Two seawater samples, which contained a high concentration of total heavy metals, exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than the samples containing low concentrations of heavy metals. In conclusion, A. baylyi Tox2 can be used as an alternative tool to aquatic animals for the evaluation of the cytotoxicity of heavy metal contamination in the marine environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of changing seawater Ca and Mg concentrations upon the distribution coefficients of Mg and Sr in the skeletons of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis

Science.gov (United States)

Giri, Sharmila J.; Swart, Peter K.; Devlin, Quinn B.

2018-02-01

The skeletal composition of calcifying organisms, in particular Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios, have been widely used to understand fluctuations in seawater chemistry throughout the Phanerozoic. While the success of applying these data to the geologic record depends on a knowledge of the distribution coefficients for these elements (DMg and DSr), there are scarcely any studies which have described how these values vary as a result of changing seawater Mg/Ca ratios. To address this, we have cultured the scleractinian coral, Pocillopora damicornis, in seawater with ranges of Mg and Ca concentrations. Here, we demonstrate that Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios of coral skeletons correlate with total seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca molar ratios, but that apparent DMg and DSr values do not remain constant across the range of experimental seawater treatments, with DMg values significantly increasing with seawater Mg/Ca ratios and DSr values significantly increasing with seawater Ca concentrations. These trends are not rate dependent and may be best explained by a Rayleigh distillation model, in which the calcifying space is semi-isolated from seawater during skeletogenesis (i.e. leaky). As there is a slight increase in DMg and decrease in DSr values between our "Jurassic" and "Modern" seawater treatments, the application of a constant distribution coefficient to estimate changes in ancient seawater chemistry may underestimate seawater Mg/Ca ratios and overestimate Sr/Ca throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. We suggest that interpretations of seawater chemistry from fossil corals may be improved by using the relationships derived for skeletal and seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios established by our experiments, as they incorporate the effect of seawater Mg/Ca ratios on skeletal Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios.

The Degradation of Mechanical Properties in Halloysite Nanoclay-Polyester Nanocomposites Exposed in Seawater Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Shahneel Saharudin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Polyester based polymers are extensively used in aggressive marine environments; however, inadequate data is available on the effects of the seawater on the polyester based nanocomposites mechanical properties. This paper reports the effect of seawater absorption on the mechanical properties degradation of halloysite nanoclay-polyester nanocomposites. Results confirmed that the addition of halloysite nanoclay into polyester matrix was found to increase seawater uptake and reduce mechanical properties compared to monolithic polyester. The maximum decreases in microhardness, tensile and flexural properties, and impact toughness were observed in case of 1 wt% nanoclay. The microhardness decreased from 107 HV to 41.7 HV (61% decrease. Young’s modulus decreased from 0.6 GPa to 0.4 GPa (33% decrease. The flexural modulus decreased from 0.6 GPa to 0.34 GPa (43% decrease. The impact toughness dropped from 0.71 kJ/m2 to 0.48 kJ/m2 (32% decrease. Interestingly, the fracture toughness KIC increased with the addition of halloysite nanoclay due to the plasticization effect of the resin matrix. SEM images revealed the significant reduction in mechanical properties in case of 1 wt% reinforcement which is attributed to the degradation of the nanoclay-matrix interface influenced by seawater absorption and agglomeration of halloysite nanoclay.

Analysis of seawater flow through optical fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández López, Sheila; Carrera Ramírez, Jesús; Rodriguez Sinobar, Leonor; Benitez, Javier; Rossi, Riccardo; Laresse de Tetto, Antonia

2015-04-01

The relation between sea and coastal aquifer is very important to the human populations living in coastal areas. The interrelation involves the submarine ground water discharge of relatively fresh water to the sea and the intrusion of sea water into the aquifer, which impairs the quality of ground water. The main process in seawater intrusion is managed by fluid-density effects which control the displacement of saline water. The underlain salinity acts as the restoring force, while hydrodynamic dispersion and convection lead to a mixing and vertical displacement of the brine. Because of this, a good definition of this saltwater-freshwater interface is needed what is intimately joined to the study of the movements (velocity fields) of fresh and salt water. As it is well known, the flow of salt water studied in seawater intrusion in stationary state, is nearly null or very low. However, in the rest of cases, this flux can be very important, so it is necessary its study to a better comprehension of this process. One possible manner of carry out this analysis is through the data from optical fiber. So, to research the distribution and velocity of the fresh and saltwater in the aquifer, a fiber optic system (OF) has been installed in Argentona (Baix Maresme, Catalonia). The main objective is to obtain the distributed temperature measurements (OF-DTS) and made progress in the interpretation of the dynamic processes of water. For some applications, the optical fiber acts as a passive temperature sensor but in our case, the technique Heated Active Fiber Optic will be used. This is based on the thermal response of the ground as a heat emission source is introduced. The thermal properties of the soil, dependent variables of soil water content, will make a specific temperature distribution around the cable. From the analyzed data we will deduce the velocity field, the real objective of our problem. To simulate this phenomenon and the coupled transport and flow problem

Construction of the seawater 87Sr/86Sr curve for the Cenozoic and Cretaceous: supporting data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koepnick, R.B.; Burke, W.H.; Denison, R.E.; Hetherington, E.A.; Nelson, H.F.; Otto, J.B.; Waite, L.E.

1985-01-01

We present the data used to construct the Cenozoic and Cretaceous portion of the Phanerozoic curve of seawater 87 Sr/ 86 Sr that had been given in summary form by W.H. Burke and coworkers. All Cenozoic samples (128) and 22 Cretaceous samples are foram-nannofossil oozes and limestones from DSDP cores distributed among 13 sites in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the Caribbean Sea. Non-DSDP Cretaceous samples (126) include limestone, anhydrite and phosphate samples from North America, Europe and Asia. Determination of the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value of seawater at particular times in the past is based on comparison of ratios derived from coeval marine samples from widely separated geographic areas. The general configuration of the Cenozoic and Cretaceous curve appears to be strongly influenced by the history of plate interactions and sea-floor spreading. Specific rises and falls in the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of seawater, however, may be caused by a variety of factors such as variation in lithologic composition of the crust exposed to weathering, configuration and topographic relief of continents, volcanic activity, rate of sea-floor spreading, extent of continental inundation by epeiric seas, and variations in both climate and paleo-oceanographic conditions. Many or all of these factors are probably related to global tectonic processes, yet their combined effect on the temporal variation of seawater 87 Sr/ 86 Sr can complicate a direct plate-tectonic interpretation for portions of the seawater curve. (Auth.)

Expression of aquaporin 3 in gills of the Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus): Effects of seawater acclimation

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Dawoon; Sato, J. Denry; Shaw, Joseph R.; Stanton, Bruce A.

2011-01-01

Estuarine fish, such as the Atlantic killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus), are constantly and rapidly exposed to changes in salinity. Although ion transport in killifish gills during acclimation to increased salinity has been studied extensively, no studies have examined the role of aquaglyceroporin 3 (AQP3), a water, glycerol, urea, and ammonia transporter, during acclimation to increased salinity in this sentinel environmental model organism. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that transfer from freshwater to seawater decreases AQP3 gene and protein expression in the gill of killifish. Transfer from freshwater to seawater decreased AQP3 mRNA in the gill after 1 day, but had no effect on total gill AQP3 protein abundance as determined by western blot. Quantitative confocal immunocytochemistry confirmed western blot studies that transfer from freshwater to seawater did not change total AQP3 abundance in the gill; however, immunocytochemistry revealed that the amount of AQP3 in pillar cells of secondary lamellae decreased in seawater fish, whereas the amount of AQP3 in mitochondrion rich cells (MRC) in primary filaments of the gill increased in seawater fish. This response of AQP3 expression is unique to killifish compared to other teleosts. Although the role of AQP3 in the gill of killifish has not been completely elucidated, these results suggest that AQP3 may play an important role in the ability of killifish to acclimate to increased salinity. PMID:22193757

Psoriasis treatment: faster and long-standing results after bathing in geothermal seawater. A randomized trial of three UVB phototherapy regimens.

Science.gov (United States)

Eysteinsdóttir, Jenna Huld; Ólafsson, Jón Hjaltalín; Agnarsson, Bjarni A; Lúðvíksson, Björn Rúnar; Sigurgeirsson, Bárður

2014-02-01

The combination of seawater baths and narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) is a known treatment for psoriasis. This study evaluates two treatment regimens that combine bathing in geothermal seawater and NB-UVB therapy in comparison with NB-UVB monotherapy. Sixty-eight psoriasis patients were randomly assigned to outpatient bathing in geothermal seawater combined with NB-UVB therapy three times a week, intensive daily treatment involving bathing in geothermal seawater combined with NB-UVB therapy, or NB-UVB therapy alone three times a week; treatment period was 6 weeks. Disease severity [Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and Lattice System Physician's Global Assessment scores], quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index) and histological changes were evaluated before, during and after treatment. The primary end point was the proportion of patients who achieved PASI 75 at 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, the percentage of patients who achieved PASI 75 and PASI 90 was significantly greater for both regimens, bathing in geothermal seawater three times a week (68.1% and 18.2%, respectively) and intensive treatment with geothermal seawater (73.1% and 42.3%, respectively) than for NB-UVB monotherapy (16.7% and 0%, respectively) (P seawater combined with NB-UVB therapy in psoriasis induces faster clinical and histological improvement, produces longer remission time and permits lower NB-UVB doses than UVB therapy alone. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influences of Scavenging and Removal of Surfactants by Bubble Processing on Primary Marine Aerosol Production from North Atlantic Seawater

Science.gov (United States)

Duplessis, P.; Chang, R.; Frossard, A. A.; Keene, W. C.; Maben, J. R.; Long, M. S.; Beaupre, S. R.; Kieber, D. J.; Kinsey, J. D.; Zhu, Y.; Lu, X.; Bisgrove, J.

2017-12-01

Primary marine aerosol particles (PMA) are produced by bursting bubbles from breaking waves at the air-sea interface and significantly modulate atmospheric chemical transformations and cloud properties. Surfactants in bulk seawater rapidly (seconds) adsorb onto fresh bubble surfaces forming organic films that influence size, rise velocity, bursting behavior, and associated PMA emissions. During a cruise on the R/V Endeavor in September and October 2016, PMA production from biologically productive and oligotrophic seawater was investigated at four stations in the western North Atlantic Ocean. PMA were produced in a high-capacity generator via turbulent mixing of seawater and clean air in a Venturi nozzle. When the flow of fresh seawater through the generator was turned off, surfactant depletion via bubble processing resulted in greater PMA mass production efficiencies per unit air detrained but had no consistent influence on number production efficiencies. The greater (factor of 3) production efficiencies of organic matter associated with PMA generated with the Venturi relative to those generated with frits during previous campaigns contributed to a faster depletion of surfactants from the seawater reservoir and corresponding divergence in response.

Feasibilty study of renewable energy powered seawater desalination technology using natural vacuum technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ayhan, Teoman; Al Madani, Hussain [Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, P.O. box 32038, Isatown 32036 (Bahrain)

2010-02-15

With an ever-increasing population and rapid growth of industrialization, there is great demand for fresh water. Desalination has been a key proponent to meet the future challenges due to decreasing availability of fresh water. However, desalination uses significant amount of energy, today mostly from fossil fuels. It is, therefore, reasonable to rely on renewable energy sources such as solar energy, wind energy, ocean thermal energy, waste heat from the industry and other renewable sources. The present study deals with the energy-efficient seawater desalination system utilizing renewable energy sources and natural vacuum technique. A new desalination technology named Natural Vacuum Desalination is proposed. The novel desalination technique achieve remarkable energy efficiency through the evaporation of seawater under vacuum and will be described in sufficient detail to demonstrate that it requires much less electric energy compared to any conventional desalination plant of fresh water production of similar capacity. The discussion will highlight the main operative and maintenance features of the proposed natural vacuum seawater desalination technology which seems to have promising techno-economic potential providing also advantageous coupling with renewable energy sources. (author)

Properties Variation of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite for Marine Current Turbine in Seawater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Jing

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Turbine blade which are generally made of composite is a core device among components of tidal current power generator that converts the flow of tidal current into a turning force. Recent years, damages of composite turbine blades have been reported due to reasons like seawater degradation, lake of strength, manufacture etc. In this paper, water absorption, tensile, bending, longitudinal transverse shearing properties of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CRP composite which would be applied to fabricate the marine current turbine blade has been investigated. Furthermore, the variations of properties with seawater immersion period were studied. The results indicated that the water absorption increased almost linearly at the beginning of immersion and then became stable. Tensile strength of specimen tended to decrease firstly and then recovered slightly. However, the longitudinal transverse shearing strength showed reverse variation trend comparing to tensile strength. And the bending property of specimens was depressed significantly. The properties variations in seawater shall be referenced to design and fabrication of composite marine current turbine blade.

Experimental investigation and modeling of dissolved organic carbon removal by coagulation from seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Sanghyun; Sathasivan, Arumugam; Kastl, George; Shim, Wang Geun; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

2014-01-01

Coagulation removes colloidal matters and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which can cause irreversible membrane fouling. However, how DOC is removed by coagulant is not well-known. Jar test was used to study the removal of hydrophobic and hydrophilic DOC fractions at various doses (0.5-8.0 mg-Fe(+3) L(-1)) of ferric chloride (FeCl3) and pH (5.0-9.0). Natural organic matter (NOM) in seawater and treated seawater were fractionated by liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector (LC-OCD). Compared to surface water, the removal of DOC in seawater by coagulation was remarkably different. Majority of DOC could be easily removed with very low coagulant dose (fraction (HB) was better removed at high pH while hydrophilic fraction (HF) was better removed at low pH. A modified model of Kastl et al. (2004) which assumed that the removal occurred by adsorption of un-dissociated compounds onto ferric hydroxide was formulated and successfully validated against the jar test data. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated nutrient analyses in seawater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitledge, T.E.; Malloy, S.C.; Patton, C.J.; Wirick, C.D.

1981-02-01

This manual was assembled for use as a guide for analyzing the nutrient content of seawater samples collected in the marine coastal zone of the Northeast United States and the Bering Sea. Some modifications (changes in dilution or sample pump tube sizes) may be necessary to achieve optimum measurements in very pronounced oligotrophic, eutrophic or brackish areas. Information is presented under the following section headings: theory and mechanics of automated analysis; continuous flow system description; operation of autoanalyzer system; cookbook of current nutrient methods; automated analyzer and data analysis software; computer interfacing and hardware modifications; and trouble shooting. The three appendixes are entitled: references and additional reading; manifold components and chemicals; and software listings. (JGB)

Seawater pumping as an electricity storage solution for photovoltaic energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manfrida, Giampaolo; Secchi, Riccardo

2014-01-01

The stochastic nature of several renewable energy sources has raised the problem of designing and building storage facilities, which can help the electricity grid to sustain larger and larger contribution of renewable energy. Seawater pumped electricity storage is proposed as a good option for PV (Photovoltaic) or solar thermal power plants, located in suitable places close to the coast line. Solar radiation has a natural daily cycle, and storage reservoirs of limited capacity can substantially reduce the load to the electricity grid. Different modes of pump operation (fixed or variable speed) are considered, the preliminary sizing of the PV field and seawater reservoir is performed, and the results are comparatively assessed over a year-long simulated operation. The results show that PV pumped storage, even if not profitable in the present situation of the renewable energy Italian electricity market, is effective in decreasing the load on the transmission grid, and would possibly be attractive in the future, also in the light of developing off-grid applications. - Highlights: • A grid-connected seawater pumping system using photovoltaic power is proposed and its performance analyzed. • Year-round simulations are run with different sizes of photovoltaic field and reservoir. • An analysis is run about the profitability of the storage system, examining performance indexes and the cost of plant. • The system proposed appears near to attract the interest of the market

Metal distributions in complexes with Chlorella vulgaris in seawater and wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pascucci, P.R.; Kowalak, A.D.

1999-10-01

Divalent cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) simultaneous complexes with an algal biomass Chlorella vulgaris were studied for bioremediation purposes in various aqueous media: distilled-deionized water (DDIW), seawater, nuclear-reactor pool water, and process wastewater. Reactions were monitored using various dry masses of algae at constant temperature and constant metal concentrations for reaction times ranging from 0 to 150 minutes. Complexes occurred within 30 minutes and reached a steady state after 80 to 120 minutes. Distribution constants (K{prime}{sub d}) were calculated for the complexes and relative orders of K{prime}{sub d} were reported. The K{prime}{sub d} are used to evaluate relative efficiency of metal remediation from waters. Lead, Cu, and Ni complexes had the greatest K{prime}{sub d} values and those metals were most efficiently removed from these waters. Zinc and Fe formed the most labile complexes. The order of K{prime}{sub d} values for complexes in DDIW was Pb > Cu > Cd > Zn, then Cu > Cd > Zn in seawater, Cd > Cu > Zn in reactor pool water, and Ni > Cd > Cu > Zn > Fe in wastewater. C. vulgaris biomass may potentially be used as an alternative to traditional water treatment methods for simultaneous extraction of metals from seawater, process wastewater, or drinking water.

Occurrence of perchlorate in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Her, Namguk; Jeong, Hyunchan; Kim, Jongsung; Yoon, Yeomin

2011-08-01

Concentrations of perchlorate were determined by both liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS) in 520 tap-water, 48 bottled-water, and 9 seawater samples obtained or purchased from >100 different locations in South Korea. The method detection limits were 0.013 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.005 μg/L for IC-MS/MS, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.10 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.032 μg/L for IC-MS/MS. Perchlorate was detected in most (80%) of the tap-water samples, with concentrations higher than the LOQ; the concentrations ranged from water samples, with concentrations higher then the LOQ, ranging from 0.04 to 0.29 μg/L (mean 0.07 ± 0.01). The concentrations of perchlorate in all seawater samples collected from the various locations were higher than the LOQ, with a mean concentration of 1.15 ± 0.01 μg/L (maximum 6.11 and minimum 0.11). This study provides further evidence that drinking-water sources have been contaminated by perchlorate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on perchlorate assessment in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.

Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater – Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietz, Travis Cameron [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Tsinas, Zois [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Tomaszewski, Claire [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Pazos, Ileana [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Nigliazzo, Olga [University of Palermo, Palermo (Italy); Li, Weixing [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Adel-Hadadi, Mohammad [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Barkatt, Aaron [The Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC (United States); Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States)

2016-05-16

Even at a concentration of 3 μg/L, the world’s oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s. Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method’s complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence, and will extend the quantity of

Study of Henna (Lawsonia inermis) as Natural Corrosion Inhibitor for Aluminum Alloy in Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nik, W B Wan; Zulkifli, F; Sulaiman, O; Samo, K B; Rosliza, R

2012-01-01

Commercial henna (Lawsonia inermis) was investigated to inhibit the corrosion of aluminum alloy through immersion in seawater. The aluminum alloy (5083) was prepared in size of 25mm × 25mm × 3mm. The immersion test was conducted in seawater with different concentration of henna, 100ppm, 300ppm, 500ppm for duration of 60 days. Four characterizations were performed in this study which was weight loss study, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and adsorption isotherm. The results indicated that henna has major constituents of lawsone which contributed to the chemisorptions or adsorption process by forming an isolation layers on the aluminum alloy surface which follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. It was found that the protection layer attached on metal was not permanent and precipitation occurred as the time increases. The highest inhibition efficiency was found at 88% (500ppm). This research found that henna is an excellent natural inhibitor for aluminum alloy in seawater.

Seawater intrusion mapping using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrochemical data. An application in the coastal area of eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazakis, N; Pavlou, A; Vargemezis, G; Voudouris, K S; Soulios, G; Pliakas, F; Tsokas, G

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to determine the extent and geometrical characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece. Hydrochemical data and geoelectrical measurements were combined and supplemented to determine the hydrochemical regime of the study site in regard to seawater phenomena. Chemical analysis of groundwater was performed in 126 boreholes and fifteen electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) were measured, whereas in two sites the ERT measurements were repeated following the wet season. The Cl(-) concentrations recorded reached 2240 mg/L indicating seawater intrusion which was also verified by ionic ratios. The ionic ratios were overlapped and a seawater intrusion map (SWIM) was produced. A significant part of the coastal aquifer (up to 150 km(2)) is influenced by seawater intrusion. The areas with the most intensive salinization are located between Nea Kallikratia-Epanomi and Aggelochori-Peraia. According to the ERTs, in the influenced areas the salinization of the aquifer exceeds 1 km toward the mainland and its depth reaches 200 m. In the area surrounding Thessaloniki airport, the ERTs revealed salinization of the upper aquifer to depths of up to 40 m, whereas the lower aquifer is uninfluenced. This abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion demonstrates the value of geoelectrical methods in the study of seawater intrusion especially in areas with limited available hydrochemical data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Diversity of bacterioplankton in the surface seawaters of Drake Passage near the Chinese Antarctic station.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Mengxin; Li, Zhao; Wang, Wei; Sun, Mi

2015-07-01

The determination of relative abundances and distribution of different bacterial groups is a critical step toward understanding the functions of various bacteria and its surrounding environment. Few studies focus on the taxonomic composition and functional diversity of microbial communities in Drake Passage. In this study, marine bacterioplankton communities from surface seawaters at five locations in Drake Passage were examined by 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. The results indicated that psychrophilic bacteria were the most abundant group in Drake Passage, and mainly made up of Bacillus, Aeromonas, Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas and Halomonas. Diversity analysis showed that surface seawater communities had no significant correlation with latitudinal gradient. Additionally, a clear difference among five surface seawater communities was evident, with 1.8% OTUs (only two) belonged to Bacillus consistent across five locations and 71% OTUs (80) existed in only one location. However, the few cosmopolitans had the largest population sizes. Our results support the hypothesis that the dominant bacterial groups appear to be analogous between geographical sites, but significant differences may be detected among rare bacterial groups. The microbial diversity of surface seawaters would be liable to be affected by environmental factors. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Memstill® - Low cost membrane distillation technology for seawater desalination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hanemaaijer, J.H.

2004-01-01

Despite widespread research and development efforts during the last 25 years, membrane distillation still is not an accepted process for seawater desalination. A consortium of nine parties is presently developing a modified air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) process, aiming at presenting a

Application of micro-solid-phase extraction for the on-site extraction of heterocyclic aromatic amines in seawater.

Science.gov (United States)

Basheer, Chanbasha

2018-04-01

An efficient on-site extraction technique to determine carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines in seawater has been reported. A micro-solid-phase extraction device placed inside a portable battery-operated pump was used for the on-site extraction of seawater samples. Before on-site applications, parameters that influence the extraction efficiency (extraction time, type of sorbent materials, suitable desorption solvent, desorption time, and sample volume) were investigated and optimized in the laboratory. The developed method was then used for the on-site sampling of heterocyclic aromatic amines determination in seawater samples close to distillation plant. Once the on-site extraction completed, the small extraction device with the analytes was brought back to the laboratory for analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Based on the optimized conditions, the calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.05-20 μg/L with correlation coefficients up to 0.996. The limits of detection were 0.004-0.026 μg/L, and the reproducibility values were between 1.3 and 7.5%. To evaluate the extraction efficiency, a comparison was made with conventional solid-phase extraction and it was applied to various fortified real seawater samples. The average relative recoveries obtained from the spiked seawater samples varied in the range 79.9-95.2%. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Genome-wide transcriptional responses of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 to contaminated seawater and marine tidal flat sediment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hyun Mi; Jeong, Hye Im; Kim, Kyung Hyun; Hahn, Yoonsoo; Madsen, Eugene L; Jeon, Che Ok

2016-02-18

A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 was performed to investigate its ecophysiological behavior in contaminated tidal flats and seawater. The experimental design mimicked these habitats that either added naphthalene or pyruvate; tidal flat-naphthalene (TF-N), tidal flat-pyruvate (TF-P), seawater-naphthalene (SW-N), and seawater-pyruvate (SW-P). The transcriptional profiles clustered by habitat (TF-N/TF-P and SW-N/SW-P), rather than carbon source, suggesting that the former may exert a greater influence on genome-wide expression in strain SN2 than the latter. Metabolic mapping of cDNA reads from strain SN2 based on KEGG pathway showed that metabolic and regulatory genes associated with energy metabolism, translation, and cell motility were highly expressed in all four test conditions, probably highlighting the copiotrophic properties of strain SN2 as an opportunistic marine r-strategist. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that strain SN2 displayed specific cellular responses to environmental variables (tidal flat, seawater, naphthalene, and pyruvate) and exhibited certain ecological fitness traits -- its notable PAH degradation capability in seasonally cold tidal flat might be reflected in elevated expression of stress response and chaperone proteins, while fast growth in nitrogen-deficient and aerobic seawater probably correlated with high expression of glutamine synthetase, enzymes utilizing nitrite/nitrate, and those involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species.

Innovative Elution Processes for Recovering Uranium from Seawater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wai, Chien; Tian, Guoxin; Janke, Christopher

2014-01-01

Utilizing amidoxime-based polymer sorbents for extraction of uranium from seawater has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Uranium collected in the sorbent is recovered typically by elution with an acid. One drawback of acid elution is deterioration of the sorbent which is a significant factor that limits the economic competitiveness of the amidoxime-based sorbent systems for sequestering uranium from seawater. Developing innovative elution processes to improve efficiency and to minimize loss of sorbent capacity become essential in order to make this technology economically feasible for large-scale industrial applications. This project has evaluated several elution processes including acid elution, carbonate elution, and supercritical fluid elution for recovering uranium from amidoxime-based polymer sorbents. The elution efficiency, durability and sorbent regeneration for repeated uranium adsorption- desorption cycles in simulated seawater have been studied. Spectroscopic techniques are used to evaluate chemical nature of the sorbent before and after elution. A sodium carbonate-hydrogen peroxide elution process for effective removal of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is developed. The cause of this sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide synergistic leaching of uranium from amidoxime-based sorbent is attributed to the formation of an extremely stable uranyl peroxo-carbonato complex. The efficiency of uranium elution by the carbonate-hydrogen peroxide method is comparable to that of the hydrochloric acid elution but damage to the sorbent material is much less for the former. The carbonate- hydrogen peroxide elution also does not need any elaborate step to regenerate the sorbent as those required for hydrochloric acid leaching. Several CO2-soluble ligands have been tested for extraction of uranium from the sorbent in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide. A mixture of hexafluoroacetylacetone and tri-n-butylphosphate shows the best result but uranium