Influence of Redox Mediators and Electron Donors on the Anaerobic Removal of Color and Chemical Oxygen Demand from Textile Effluent

Color removal was evaluated in anaerobic assays using synthetic (SE) and real (RE) effluents containing the dye Direct Black 22 (DB22). The focus was on the individual influence of two electron donors (EDs), sucrose and ethanol; and their combination with two redox mediators (RMs), lawsone and riboflavin. In addition to SE assays, the EDs were combined with sulfate which was present in the RE. Distinct behavior was observed with both assays. In the case of SE, using the EDs sucrose and ethanol resulted in DB22 removal efficiency of 93 and 83%, respectively; but only 27% in the control. The respective removal rates were 27.8‐ and 4.4‐fold higher than that of the control. Using the EDs with the RM lawsone resulted in color removal higher than that with riboflavin. Interestingly, in the ethanol + sulfate assay, late release of the last was observed, possibly due to the desulfonation reaction of the aromatic structures during the DB22 molecule breakdown. In the case of RE, no improvement was observed with either EDs; and some combinations with the RMs even resulted in decreased color removal. Therefore, the used EDs and RMs showed positive effect on color removal in SEs; but unexpectedly not in REs.     

Relation between the monthly sums of sunshine and global radiation

Summary The statistical treatment of the dependence of monthly sums of global radiation on the monthly sums of sunshine at the stations of Hradec Králové, Bratislava — Koliba and Hurbanovo is presented. The parameters of linear and quadratic regression are derived for the said stations and for the individual months of the year. Drawing on the statistical analysis of the initial data sets, the accuracy and reliability of the mentioned regression relations are critically evaluated.     

Extracting flow structures from tracer data

A method of visualizing structures in closed chaotic flows out of homogenous particle distributions is presented in the example of models of a meandering jet. To this end, the system will be leaked or opened up by defining a region of the flow, so that a particle is considered to be escaped if it leaves this region. By applying this method to an ensemble of nonescaped tracers, we are able to characterize mixing processes by visualizing the converging and stretching filamentations (stable and unstable manifolds) in the flow without using additional mathematical tools. The possibility of applying the algorithm to analyze buoy data, and a comparison with the finite time manifolds are discussed.     

Surface sensible heat flux over a deep moist convective region and its interplay with synoptic and mesoscale features

The surface parameters are being evaluated using a methodology which considers the vertical temperature structure of MONTBLEX ’90. For this 30 metre micrometeorological tower data are utilised. In this process, a concept of isolated layers has been introduced. The parameters have been evaluated following two successive iterative processes to give a consistent value both in the flux-profile relation and the related similarity relation. The heat flux obtained using the present methodology, is then utilised to examine its interplay with the synoptic as well as mesoscale features. The existence of such an interplay is observed.     

Spatial distribution and ecotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments from the Galicia continental shelf (NW Spain) after the Prestige oil spill

The distribution of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons was determined in surface sediments collected at 36 stations along the Galicia continental shelf (NW Spain), following the Prestige oil spill. Sampling was performed in December 2002, just after the accident, and in February and September 2003. Concentrations of PAHs (summation operator 13 parent components) were in the range of 0.9-422 microg/kgdw, the highest values being close to coastal urban areas (e.g. Pontevedra and A Coru?a), whereas in the stations of the area most heavily impacted by the spill (off Costa da Morte) concentrations were in the range of 14.8-89.6 microg/kgdw, with a certain predominance of alkylated compounds, which may suggest a mixture of petrogenic and pyrolytic sources. The detailed study of petrogenic molecular markers (e.g. steranes and triterpanes) showed the occurrence of an old (weathered) petrogenic chronic pollution in the shelf sediments but not of the Prestige oil, with the possible exception of few stations in the area of Costa da Morte. This was attributed to the heavy nature of the spilled oil that was barely dispersed in the water column and mainly stranded on the coast or sedimented in the form of oil patches. The addition of increasing amounts of fuel oil to a representative sediment sample showed that the molecular indices were indicative of the presence of the Prestige oil when the amount was above 1g/kg of sediment. The toxicity of selected samples (showing the higher PAH concentrations) was tested using the bivalve embryogenesis bioassay. Embryogenesis success reached high values in all cases (80-88%, with 86% in the control), indicating a lack of toxicity in the sediments and supporting the conclusion that the patchiness of the fuel eventually reaching the seafloor reduced its impact on the benthic communities of the Galician shelf.     

Neoarchaean magmatism and metamorphism of the western granulites in the central domain of the Mozambique belt, Tanzania: U–Pb shrimp geochronology and PT estimates

U–Pb sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating of zircons from charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses from the central portion of the Mozambique belt, central Tanzania indicate that the protolith granitoids were emplaced in a late Archaean, ca. 2.7 Ga, magmatic event. These ages are similar to other U–Pb and Pb–Pb ages obtained for other gneisses in this part of the belt. Zircon xenocrysts dated between 2.8 and 3.0 Ga indicate the presence of an older basement. Major and trace element geochemistry of these high-grade gneisses suggests that the granitoid protoliths may have formed in an active continental margin environment. Metamorphic zircon rims and multifaceted metamorphic zircons are dated at ca. 2.6 Ga indicating that these rocks were metamorphosed some 50–100 my after their emplacement. Pressure and temperature estimates on the charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses were obscured by post-peak metamorphic compositional homogenisation; however, these estimates combined with mineral textures suggest that these rocks underwent isobaric cooling to 800–850 °C at 12–14 kbar. It is considered likely that the granulite facies mineral assemblage developed during the ca. 2.6 Ga event, but it must be considered that it might instead represent a pervasive Neoproterozoic, Pan African, granulite facies overprint, similar to the ubiquitous eastern granulites further to the east.     

Molybdenum and tungsten in volcanic rocks and in surface and <100 °C ground waters in Iceland

The concentrations of Mo and W in tholeiite series basaltic to silicic volcanics in Iceland increase with the concentrations of incompatible magmatic elements. In normal Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Mo and W levels are as low as 0.03 and 0.01 ppm but in rhyolites they are up to 4 and 1.3 ppm, respectively. In the slightly evolved Tertiary tholeiites of the main study area of Skagafjördur, northern Iceland, Mo and W concentrations are 1.01 and 0.32 ppm, respectively, on average. Surface waters in this area typically contain <0.5 ppb Mo and <0.1 ppb W. Concentrations are higher in ground waters and, on the whole, they increase with increasing temperature and increasing age of these waters, being as high as ∼100 ppb for Mo and ∼10 ppb for W in the hottest (∼90 °C) and oldest (>10,000 years) waters. In river and ground waters, the average Mo/W ratio is the same as that of the basalt host rock. On the other hand, in peat soil waters, the average Mo/W ratio is higher due to adsorption processes involving W. In river and ground waters, both Mo and W display conservative behavior. Progressive water-rock interaction leads to successively lower aquatic B/Mo and B/W ratios. However, the B/Mo and B/W ratios of the most reacted waters are considerably higher than those of the basalt due to non-stoichiometric rock dissolution: B is dissolved preferentially to both Mo and W because B is largely present in a soluble form, but Mo and W are concentrated in the Fe-Ti-oxides. These minerals are stable, under both surface and sub-surface conditions, i.e. the waters are over-saturated with respect to these minerals. The main supply of Mo and W to surface waters is from dissolution of plagioclase and pyroxene, as well as volcanic glass. Olivine is not an important source due to its scarcity in the basalts. In <30 °C ground waters, the dominant supply of Mo and W is plagioclase. At higher temperatures pyroxene also contributes, with its contribution increasing with increasing temperature, as deduced from its decreasing stability at higher temperature. Dissolution of basaltic glass produces lower B/Mo and B/W aqueous ratios than dissolution of crystalline basalt.     

Comparative sensitivity of harbour and grey seals to several environmental contaminants using in vitro exposure

In this study, we investigated the effects of cadmium chloride (CdCl₂), mercury chloride (HgCl₂), methylmercury chloride (CH₃HgCl), and PCBs on lymphocyte proliferation in phocids. PBMCs isolated from harbour and grey seals were exposed in vitro to varying concentrations of contaminants. A reduction of viability occurred when cells were exposed to 10⁻⁴ M HgCl₂ or CH₃HgCl or to 50 ppm of Aroclor 1254. In both grey and harbour seals, T-lymphocyte proliferation was suppressed when their cells were incubated with 5 × 10⁻⁵ M CdCl₂ or 10⁻⁴ M HgCl₂. An inhibition of proliferation occurred with CH₃HgCl from 10⁻⁶ M in grey seals and from 10⁻⁵ M in harbour seals. In grey seals, Aroclor 1254 reduced lymphocyte proliferation at 15 ppm. In both harbour and grey seals, CH₃HgCl was ten times more immunotoxic that HgCl₂. From IC₅₀, chemicals were ranked in terms of toxicity as followed: CH₃HgCl > CdCl₂ > HgCl₂ > Aroclor 1254.     

Griquait mit rhombischem Pyroxen (Granatwebsterit) von Borek bei Stupná bei Křemže (Krems) in Böhmen

Zusammenfassung Es wird das Vorkommen von Griquait mit rhombischem Pyroxen (Granatwebsterit) von einem Feld am Borekwald, kaum 1 km westlich von der Gemeinde Stupná bei Keme südöstlich von eské Budjovice (Böhm. Budweis), beschrieben. Den Mineralgehalt des untersuchten Gesteines bilden Enstatit, Endiopsid, Pyrop, Amphibol, Spinell, Plagioklas und ein Mineralgemengteil in Form von Kelyphit oder Symplektit. Das Gestein fällt durch seinen hohen Gehalt an Magnesium auf. Es wird für saures Äquivalent der Peridotite gehalten.

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Griquaite with orthorhombic pyroxene (Garnetic Websterite) from Borek at Stupná near Keme in Bohemia

Summary The occurrence of griquaite with orthorhombic pyroxene (garnetic websterite) is described; it lies in a field near the Borek forest, scarcely 1 km west of the village Stupná near Keme, SE of eské Budjovice (South Bohemia). The mineral content of the rock studied consists of enstatite, endiopside, pyrope, amphibole, spinel, plagioclase and a mixture of minerals in the form of kelyphite or symplectite. The rock is interesting because of its high magnesium content. It is considered to be an acid equivalent of peridotite.

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