Biogenic debris from the pelagic tunicate, Oikopleura dioica, and its role in the vertical transport of a transuranium element

The accumulation and retention of ²⁴¹Am by the pelagic tunicate Oikopleura dioica were examined using laboratory cultures and radiotracer methodology. Animals (i.e., trunks and tails) and discarded empty houses accumulated Am from seawater, giving volume/volume concentration factors of 59±8 and 10±1, respectively. The half-time for retention of Am in empty labelled houses transferred to non-contaminated seawater was 29 h; the retention half-time of Am in houses discarded by larvaceans feeding on Am-labelled diatoms was 219 h; the half-time of Am in fecal pellets produced by animals feeding on a monospecific diet of diatoms was 134 h, and 247 h for fecal pellets from animals fed a mixed diet. Approximately 30% of filtered cells remained in houses after the houses were discarded. Sinking rates of discarded houses and fecal pellets were found to vary with temperature and size, ranging from 26–157 m day^?1 (house) and from 25–166 m day^?1 (fecal pellets). The ubiquity and abundance of appendicularians, together with their prodigious production of houses (e.g., 10±2 houses day^?1 at 17°C for each experimental animal) point to their potential significance in the vertical transport of Am, and probably other reactive metals, to intermediate depths in the ocean.     

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in marine biota and coastal sediments from the Gulf and Gulf of Oman

The spatial distribution of various organochlorinated compounds was investigated in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman based on marine biota (fish and various bivalves) and coastal sediment collected in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during 2000-2001. Several potential organic contaminants from agricultural (e.g., DDT and its breakdown products, lindane, endrin, dieldrin, endosulfan) and industrial (PCBs) sources were measured. Sediment burdens for all compounds, even for an apparent hot spot near a refinery in Bahrain, were amongst the lowest reported for surface sediments from other seas. Concentrations of DDTs were low in the muscle and liver of all fish (orange spotted grouper and the spangled emperor) analysed. Similarly, the levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons were low in the various bivalve species, notably rock oysters and pearl oysters. These results contribute to the sparse regional database for organochlorinated compounds in the marine environment. Moreover, they can be used as the most recent end point for elucidating temporal trends. Whereas the levels, albeit relatively low, SigmaDDTs in the rock oysters from the Gulf of Oman have remained uniform, there has been an irregular but generally decreasing trend in concentrations of summation SigmaPCBs during the last two decades.     

Organization of oscillatory zoning in zircon: analysis, scaling, geochemistry, and model of a zircon from Kipawa, Quebec, Canada

The character of oscillatory zoning within a zircon crystal from the syenite Kipawa Complex, Quebec, varies with scale of observation. Analysis of an scanning electron microscopy (SEM) back-scatter gray-scale traverse at a resolution of one pixel = 2.43 μm revealed 145 zones over 5130 μm, whereas a detailed high-resolution (one pixel = 0.195 μm) section near the crystal rim revealed 225 zones over 795 μm. In order to mathematically characterize the zoning pattern, wavelet, Fourier, and nonlinear analysis techniques were used on profiles of the SEM gray-scale data, and a series constructed was from the zone widths. Results demonstrate that the zircon oscillatory zoning preserves nonlinear and periodic components. Secondary ion mass spectrometry, electron microprobe, and SEM analyses of trace elements show the SEM back-scatter bright zones are enriched in U, Th, and rare earth elements (REE) in comparison to the darker zones. REE patterns are sharply heavy REE enriched and have negative Eu anomalies and prominent positive Ce anomalies. We model the oscillatory zoning, including a measure of its chemical variation, by use of a periodically forced nonlinear system. Results of this data-driven model are quantitatively similar to the natural data. We envisage that the small-scale oscillatory zoning was the result of a nonlinear feedback process wherein the crystal growth modified the adjacent melt, which in turn affected the crystal composition. The large-scale harmonic zones likely reflect changes in the bulk geochemistry of the system from which the zircon grew.     

Modelling of igneous fractionation and other processes using Pearce diagrams

Geochemical data can be quantitatively modelled by means of Pearce diagrams. These are graphs of A/Z vs B/Z where A, B and Z are compositional abundances (e.g. wt.% SiO₂, wt.% MgO, and ppm La) and Z has the additional property of having constant absolute abundance. In the terminology of igneous petrology, Z (the common denominator variable) could be an incompatible element. The numerators (A and B) may be complex algebraic combinations of elements, or even CIPW normative abundances. The utility of Pearce diagrams lies in the fact that slopes of data distributions equal the bulk AB ratio of minerals lost or gained from a suite of cogenetic rocks. There is no distortion because these plots correct for data closure. Terms of the form A_i·Z₀/Z_i (where Z₀ is the abundance in a reference sample) remove the scaling to A_i caused by the abundance of a particular choice of Z. Subtraction of these terms for different samples (e.g. A_i·(Z₀/Z_i)-A_j· (Z₀/Z_j)) quantifies mineral losses and gains. Mathematical analysis shows that limited compatibility of the denominator variable is permitted. A bulk partition value (D) of 0.1 introduces an error of only 10% in values of A_i***-Z₀/Z_i, and 10° in slope-angle on Pearce diagrams over a crystallization interval of 50%. For D0.01 the error is minimal for a crystallization interval over 90%.     

Carotenoid-derived alkanes in oils from northwestern China

Carotenoid pigments are ubiquitous components of the biosphere but have rarely been reported in geological samples. Oils from the Kelamayi oilfield of northwestern China have been shown by GC-MS analysis to contain abundant carotenoid-derived alkanes including β- and γ-carotanes, 1,1,3-trimethyl-2-alkylcyclohexanes and a compound tentatively identified as saturated lexene. In addition, a seepage oil contained a possible C₄₀ alkene with a structure similar to that of β-carotane except for a carbon-carbon double bond in one of the cyclohexyl rings. The distributions of biomarker compounds in these oils are very similar to those observed in the few other reported samples that contain abundant carotenoid-derived compounds, indicating that the Kelamayi source rock was probably deposited under very specific environmental conditions. The distribution of carotenoid-derived compounds, particularly the ratio of γ-carotane to β-carotane, appears to be sensitive to both thermal maturation and biodégradation. This ratio increases with maturation and decreases with increasing biodegradation.     

Radionuclide adsorption to sediments from nuclear waste dumping sites in the Kara Sea

Environmental parameters (salinity, sediment concentration, equilibration time) affecting radionuclide partitioning between sediment and seawater were experimentally investigated for Kara Sea sediments collected from nuclear waste dumping sites in Abrosimov and Stepovogo Bays off Novaya Zemlya. Adsorption kinetics were examined and the influence of salinity and sediment concentration were evaluated over the range of concentrations expected in the bays for the following radionuclides: ^{110 m}Ag; ²⁴¹Am; ¹⁰⁹Cd; ⁶⁰Co; ⁵⁷Co-cobalamine; ¹³⁴Cs; ¹⁵²Eu; ⁵⁴Mn; ¹³³Ba; ¹⁰⁶Ru; and ⁸⁵Sr. The major findings of this investigation are that 1. radionuclide distribution coefficients (K_ds) were most sensitive to variations in sediment character (²⁴¹Am, ⁶⁰Co, ¹⁰⁹Cd) and concentration (⁵⁷Co-cobalamine, ⁸⁵Sr, and ¹³³Ba), 2. distribution coefficients generally decreased with increasing sediment concentration and 3. fast adsorption kinetics (near equilibrium ≈1 day) were observed only for ¹³⁷Cs and ^{110 m}Ag. The observed differences in K_ds for sediments from the two dumpsites exemplifies the importance of undertaking site-specific determinations of K_ds. For purposes of confining radioactive wastes to the dumpsites in Stepovogo and Abrosimov Bays, the findings of this study indicate that based on sediment character alone, Stepovogo Bay will be more effective at retaining radionuclides than Abrosimov Bay. This is unfortunate since less radioactive waste resides in Stepovogo Bay (0.6 PBq) than in Abrosimov Bay (1.4 PBq).