Saraca indica leaf powder for decontamination of Pb: removal, recovery, adsorbent characterization and equilibrium modeling

The present study explores the effectiveness of Saraca indica leaf powder, a surplus low value agricultural waste, in removing Pb ions from aqueous solution. The influence of pH, biomass dosage, contact time, particle size and metal concentration on the removal process were investigated. Batch studies indicated that maximum biosorption capacity for Pb was 95.37% at the pH 6.5. The sorption process followed the first order rate kinetics. The adsorption equilibrium data fitted best to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Morphological changes observed in scanning electron micrographs of untreated and metal treated biomass confirmed the phenomenon of biosorption. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of native and exhausted leaf powder confirmed lead biomass interactions responsible for sorption. Acid regeneration was tried for several cycles with a view to recover the sorbed metal ion and also to restore the sorbent to its original state. The findings showed that Saraca indica leaf powder can easily be envisaged as a new, vibrant, low cost biosorbent for metal clean up operations.     

Can Plant Competition and Diversity Reduce the Growth and Survival of Exotic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites australis</Emphasis> Invading a Tidal Marsh?

The rapid proliferation of Phragmites australis in North America has challenged resource managers to curb its expansion and reduce the loss of functional tidal marsh. We investigated whether native plant competition could reduce the ability of Phragmites to invade a tidal marsh, and if plant diversity (species richness, evenness, and composition) altered the competitive outcome. Immature Phragmites shoots and four native halophytes were transplanted to small but dense field plots (~1,200 shoots m⁻²) comprising three community structure types (Phragmites alone, Phragmites + 1 native species, and Phragmites + 4 native species). Interspecific competition significantly reduced Phragmites aboveground biomass, shoot length production, density, and survival by approximately 60%. Additionally, plots planted with greater native diversity contained Phragmites with the lowest growth and survival, potentially indicating diversity-enhanced resource competition. Competition consistently reduced the growth of Phragmites even under favorable conditions: lack of strong tidal flooding stresses as well as elevated nutrient pools.     

Effects of a proline solution cover on the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of high-sulfur coal gangue

Batch experiments were conducted to comparatively evaluate the inhibition effects and mechanisms of a low-concentration (1%) proline solution cover on the release of pollutants from high-sulfur coal gangue. High-sulfur coal gangue was continuously immersed in a proline solution and in deionized water (as a control treatment) for 540 days. The results showed that the coal gangue in the control treatment was oxidized and generated leachate with poor water qualities, i.e., the leachate exhibited lower pH values, higher redox potential values, higher pollutant concentrations (SO₄^2?, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn), and high levels of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. However, compared to the control treatment, the addition of the proline solution (1%) significantly improved the water quality of the leachate by significantly reducing the Eh values, the pollutant concentrations (SO₄^2?, Fe²⁺, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn), and the activity of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and by significantly increasing the pH value to neutral. The proline treatment significantly inhibited the oxidation of coal gangue and the release of pollutants, mainly by inhibiting the activity of acidophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria and by altering the heavy metal fractions and the mineralogical characteristics. Therefore, in engineering practice, workers should consider using an environmental friendly aqueous proline solution cover to achieve the in-situ control of pollutant releases from coal gangue dumps.     

Robertson-Walker type model with conformally invariant scalar field with trace-free energy momentum tensor

A non-static exact solution of the Einstein equations corresponding to a conformally invariant scalar field with trace-free energy momentum tensor is obtained for the Robertson-Walker type metric. Some physical properties of the solution are discussed.     

UV-radiation in galaxies

I review the origin of UV-radiation in galaxies of different morphological types. UV-excess in spectra of massive elliptical galaxies which have predominantly old stellar populations is traditionally explained by the contribution of low-mass stars at very late, poorly known stages of evolution—by so called ‘AGB-manqué’ stars or by the population of extended horizontal branch. However recent results from the GALEX survey of a large sample of nearby ellipticals have also demonstrated probable traces of recent star formation in a third of all ellipticals observed. In spiral galaxies extended UV-disks have been discovered by the GALEX; they are certainly illuminated by the current star formation, but what has provoked star formation in the areas of very low gas density, beyond the distribution of older stars, is a puzzle yet. The UV-spectra of starburst galaxies or starforming galactic nuclei are characterized by weak emission lines, if any, quite dissimilar to their optical spectra.     

Upper estimates for the element number of non-redundant antenna configurations on square and hexagonal grids

Estimates for the maximum number of elements of non-redundant configurations on integer square and hexagonal grids of given sizes are derived (a “non-redundant” configuration implies that the vector differences between its elements are all distinct). When projecting a large 2-D interferometer or a telescope, such an estimate can be used as a guide for evaluating the maximum possible number of antennas in a non-redundant configuration that can be arranged within a given area. The suggested estimates are empirical and based on the available data. They are obtained by reducing the problem to the linear case and by generalizing the method applied therein. Examples of applying the method are presented.     

Deep structure of the Racha earthquake source zone from seismic tomography data

The Racha earthquake of 1991 was the strongest of the earthquakes recorded in the Caucasus. It was studied by an international epicentral expedition. Unique data gathered by this expedition included records of aftershocks whose swarm was very intense. A 3-D velocity model is obtained from analysis of these data by the method of local earthquake tomography. The ancient crystalline basement and the sedimentary-volcanic Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover could be identified from cross sections of the P wave field. The eastern and western boundaries of an uplift in the basement of the Dzirulskii Massif are delineated. Linear low velocity heterogeneities correlating with the active Kakheti-Lechkhumi fault zone and two Trans-Caucasian linear fault zones are discovered in the basement. The cloud of aftershock hypocenters is shown to correlate with a reflector coinciding with the cover-basement interface.     

SLA–chlorophyll-a variability and covariability in the Algero-Provençal Basin (1997–2007) through combined use of EOF and wavelet analysis of satellite data

Data reduction and signal decomposition techniques have been applied to a large bio-physical remotely sensed dataset covering the decade 1997–2007. The aim was the estimation of the spatial (basin and sub-basin scales) and temporal (seasonal and interannual) variability of sea level anomalies and chlorophyll-a concentration in the Algero-Provençal Basin, as well as the study of their covariability. Empirical orthogonal functions, wavelet analysis, singular value decomposition and correlation maps have been successfully used to individuate the patterns of (co)variability of the investigated fields. The seasonal variability of the phytoplanktonic biomass is divided in two distinct modes, timewise and spacewise separated. Positive interannual events are related to anomalies in 1999 and 2005, while the main (negative) anomaly is that of summer 2003, associated to the European 2003 heatwave. The analysis of the sea level anomalies shows a minimum in the formation of anticyclonic Algerian eddies during that period. The largest anticorrelation between sea level anomalies and phytoplanktonic biomass is found in the central zone of the basin, suggesting a clear biological response to the shoaling/deepening of the isopycnae and so to the nutrient injection into the euphotic layer. The analysis suggests that the driver of the variability of the nutricline depth in this central area is the displacement (seasonal) of the North Balearic Front and the formation/action of the frontal eddies.     

Eignung mikrobieller Biotests für gebundene Schadstoffe Suitability of Microbial Bioassays for Bound Contaminants

Toxicity of soil spiked with water soluble and insoluble contaminants was assessed with bacteria. Three bioassays were used with common soil bacteria. Water soluble fractions from the soils were estimated in microtiterplates via dehydrogenase activity of B. cereus and growth of P. putida. A new method was developed using B. cereus to include effects of soil particles with bound contaminants. As contaminants p-nitrophenol and 2-naphthol were tested in these systems. Results indicated that the concentration of the contaminants in the soil solution is determined by soil properties. Toxicity of water soluble fractions was not only a result of the toxicant's concentration but further modified by soluble components of the soils. It is not possible to assess soil pollution from toxicity of the water soluble fraction in general, because unknown factors of the soluble soil fraction can influence toxicity greatly. The newly developed contact bioassay with B. cereus showed clearly higher toxicity of 2-naphthol estimated in soil suspension than did the comparable test system with the same bacteria using water soluble fractions only. The results stress the importance of including soil particles into bioassay procedures. It was shown that also water insoluble, bound contaminants can act as toxicants. For an estimation of toxicity under conditions more relevant for the environment, the suggested test system can provide useful information to bioavailability of bound contaminants.     

Coastal sea level variability in the US West Coast Ocean Forecast System (WCOFS)

Sea level variability along the US West Coast is analyzed using multi-year time series records from tide gauges and a high-resolution regional ocean model, the base of the West Coast Ocean Forecast System (WCOFS). One of the metrics utilized is the frequency of occurrences when model prediction is within 0.15 m from the observed sea level, F. A target level of F?=?90% is set by an operational agency. A combination of the tidal sea level from a shallow water inverse model, inverted barometer (IB) term computed using surface air pressure from a mesoscale atmospheric model, and low-pass filtered sea level from WCOFS representing the effect of coastal ocean dynamics (DYN) provides the most straightforward approach to reaching levels F>80%. The IB and DYN components each add between 5 and 15% to F. Given the importance of the DYN term bringing F closer to the operational requirement and its role as an indicator of the coastal ocean processes on scales from days to interannual, additional verification of the WCOFS subtidal sea level is provided in terms of the model-data correlation, standard deviation of the band-pass filtered (2–60 days) time series, the annual cycle amplitude, and alongshore sea level coherence in the range of 5–120-day periods. Model-data correlation in sea level increases from south to north along the US coast. The rms amplitude of model sea level variability in the 2–60-day band and its annual amplitude are weaker than observed north of 42 N, in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) coast region. The alongshore coherence amplitude and phase patterns are similar in the model and observations. Availability of the multi-year model solution allows computation and analysis of spatial maps of the coherence amplitude. For a reference location in the Southern California Bight, relatively short-period sea level motions (near 10 days) are incoherent with those north of the Santa Barbara Channel (in part, due to coastal trapped wave scattering and/or dissipation). At a range of periods around 60 days, the coastal sea level in Southern California is coherent with the sea surface height (SSH) variability over the shelf break in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, more than with the coastal SSH at the same latitudes.