Nb/Zr fractionation on the Moon and the search for extinct Nb

A comprehensive Zr isotopic study was conducted on eleven lunar basalts and highland rocks to search for evidence of the extinct nuclide ⁹²Nb, which decays to ⁹²Zr with a half-life of 36 Ma. Internal isochrons were determined for two early highland rocks, 77215 and 60025. No resolvable Zr isotopic variations were detected in this wide range of lunar samples and thus there is no evidence for the former existence of live ⁹²Nb on the Moon. The Nb/Zr ratios of lunar ilmenites and bulk rock samples vary by only a factor of two to three relative to the chondritic Nb/Zr ratio. No evidence for larger Nb/Zr fractionation was found. This limited fractionation and late isotopic closure of the source region prevents the formation of measurable ⁹²Zr anomalies in high-Ti mare basalts. As a consequence, it is not possible to draw conclusions from the ⁹²Nb-⁹²Zr chronometer about the timing of early lunar differentiation and to constrain the role of ilmenite in the source region of high-Ti mare basalts. However, the fractionation is still sufficient to deduce an upper limit for the initial ⁹²Nb/⁹³Nb ratio of the solar system of <5 × 10⁻⁴.     

3D magnetotelluric modelling including surface topography

An edge finite‐element method has been applied to compute magnetotelluric (MT) responses to three‐dimensional (3D) earth topography. The finite‐element algorithm uses a single edge shape function at each edge of hexahedral elements, guaranteeing the continuity of the tangential electric field while conserving the continuity of magnetic flux at boundaries. We solve the resulting system of equations using the biconjugate gradient method with a Jacobian preconditioner. The solution gives electric fields parallel to the slope of a surface relief that is often encountered in MT surveys. The algorithm is successfully verified by comparison with other numerical solutions for a 3D‐2 model for comparison of modelling methods for EM induction and a ridge model. We use a 3D trapezoidal‐hill model to investigate 3D topographic effects, which are caused mainly by galvanic effects, not only in the Zxy mode but also in the Zyx mode. If a 3D topography were approximated by a two‐dimensional topography therefore errors occurring in the transverse electric mode would be more serious than those in the transverse magnetic mode.     

The chemistry of aqueous iron

Zusammenfassung Bei der Berechnung der L?slichkeiten des zwei-und des dreiwertigen Eisens müssen neben den Fe⁺² und Fe⁺³ Ionen auch die Eisen(II)- und Eisen(III)-Hydroxokomplexe ([Fe(OH)]⁺, [Fe(OH)]²⁺, [Fe(OH)₂]⁺, [Fe(OH)₃] (d), und [Fe(OH)₄]⁻) berücksichtigt werden. Die L?slichkeit des zweiwertigen Eisens in natürlichen (Bikarbonat enthaltenden) W?ssern ist in der Regel durch die L?slichkeitsgleichgewichte des Eisenkarbonats beschr?nkt, w?hrend die L?slichkeit des dreiwertigen Eisens durch die L?slichkeitsgleichgewichte des Eisen(III)-Hydroxyds bestimmt wird (Abbildungen 2 und 4). Die L?slichkeitsverh?ltnisse k?nnen durch Komplexbildung, vor allem mit organischen Basen, ver?ndert werden. Dreiwertiges Eisen hat eine viel st?rkere Tendenz, Hydroxokomplexe zu bilden, as zweiwertiges Eisen. Dementsprechend ist das hydratisierte Eisen-(III)-Ion eine so?rkere S?ure (im SinneBr?nsteds) als das Eisen-(II)-Ion. Die Oxydation von Eisen-(II) zu Eisen-(III) ist deshalb von einer Erniedrigung des pH-Wertes begleitet. Die Hydroxoeisen-(III)-Komplexe haben eine starke Tendenz, Polymerisationsreaktionen einzugehen, wobei im schwach sauren oder neutralen Bereich positiv geladene im alkalischen Bereich hingegen negative geladene Kolloidpartikel entstehen k?nnen. Die allf?llige Koagulation dieser Kolloide zu Eisenoxydhydrat ist vom Elektrolytgehalt abh?ngig und kann durch hydrophile organische Schutzkolloide verhindert werden. Zweiwertiges Eisen ist in Gegenwart von gel?stem Sauerstoff unbest?ndig und wird zu dreiwertigem Eisen oxydiert. Die Oxydationsgeschwindigkeit nimmt mit zunehmendem pH stark zu. Kupfer-, Platinsalze und Aktivkohle als Katalysatoren sowie Komplexbildner, welche mit dreiwertigem Eisen Komplexe bilden,beschleunigen die Autoxidation. Elektrodenpotential-pH-Diagramme (Abbildung 5) erm?glichen einen zusammenfassenden überblick über den Einfluss von Potential und pH auf die L?slichkeitsverh?ltnisse. Im Eisenkreislauf der Seen (Abbildung 7) kommt das Wechselspiel von Oxydation und Reduktion sowie von F?llung und L?sung eindrücklich zur Geltung.      

Antibiotics in the Hong Kong metropolitan area: Ubiquitous distribution and fate in Victoria Harbour

We investigated the presence and fate of 16 antibiotics belonging to seven groups (β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, trimethoprim and amphenicols) in effluents of sewage plants and receiving waters in Hong Kong. Cefalexin, amoxicillin, ofloxacin and erythromycin-H₂O were ubiquitous in sea water throughout Victoria Harbour, indicating continuous discharge to the environment. This is one of the few studies reporting the frequent occurrence of cefalexin and amoxicillin in sewage effluents and sea water (170-5070 and 64-1670 ng/L in sewage; 6.1-493 and 0.64-76 ng/L in sea water, respectively). Mass flows from seven sewage plants discharged an estimated total of 14.4 kg/day to the Harbour. Typhoon shelters also appeared to play an important role as sources of antibiotics, as evidenced by elevated concentrations within their boundaries. Mass balance estimations suggested significant quantities of antibiotics are discharged to the Harbour without passage through treatment plants.     

Copper toxicity in the marine copepod Tigropus japonicus: Low variability and high reproducibility of repeated acute and life-cycle tests

The intertidal copeopod Tigriopus japonicus, which is abundant and widely distributed along the coasts of Western Pacific, has been suggested to be a good marine ecotoxicity testing organism. In this study, a series of experiments were conducted to investigate the reproducibility and variability of copper (Cu) sensitivity of T. japonicus so as to evaluate its potential to serve as an appropriate test species. To understand the seasonal variation of Cu sensitivity, individuals of T. japonicus were collected from the field in summer and winter, and subjected to standard 96 h acute (static renewal) toxicity tests. 96 h-LC50 values of T. japonicus collected from the two seasons were marginally different (p = 0.05), with an overall coefficient of variation (CV) of 33%. Most importantly, our results indicated that chronic Cu sensitivity of T. japonicus was highly reproducible. The CVs of intrinsic rates of increase in the population of the control and Cu treatment (10 μg Cu l⁻¹) groups were only 10–11% between 10 runs of a standardised complete life-cycle test. Moreover, different Cu(II) salts generally resulted in a similar 96 h-LC50 value while Cu(I) chloride was consistently slightly less toxic than Cu(II) salts. Given such a high reproducibility of toxic responses, it is advocated to use T. japonicus as a routine testing organism.     

A comparative study of toxicity identification using Daphnia magna and Tigriopus japonicus: implications of establishing effluent discharge limits in Korea

In Korea, the new permission criteria for industrial effluents based on Daphnia magna acute toxicity tests will be gradually implemented starting from 2011. Thus, in this study, toxicity assessment and identification using a marine species (Tigriopus japonicus) and the freshwater species (D. magna) was comparatively investigated. Effluent from an acid mine drainage treatment plant showed acute toxicity toward both organisms due to low pH, which was removed by neutralization of the effluent. Additionally, evaluation of the effluent of an electronics company revealed that Cu was attributable to the observed toxicity, and the effluent was more toxic toward T. japonicus than D. magna. Moreover, effluents from a metal plating factory were acutely toxic toward D. magna (6.50 TU), while they were not toxic against T. japonicus. Toxicity identification revealed that the high level of Cl- (12,841 mg L(-1)) was the cause of toxicity. Thus, the effluents had no effect on the marine species, T. japonicus. These findings suggest that a marine species rather than a freshwater species is more desirable for toxicity assessment of industrial effluent discharged into the saltwater, and thus should be considered in the legislation of toxicity-based discharge limits in Korea.     

Assessment of the geological and hydrogeological environment at a site of government-level conflict in Incheon, Korea

 The natural environment of an environmental conflict site in Incheon, Korea was assessed with a focus on the hydrogeological environment. Residents had made claims against a company because of health problems, including skin tumors. More specifically, the residents suspected that their drinking groundwater had been contaminated by glass fibers which had caused the health problems. Air, soil, and groundwater samples were analyzed to estimate whether environmental pollution could have caused the problems claimed by the residents. No specific evidence was found from this study to support the groundwater contamination by glass fibers, but groundwater contamination by leaked fuel oils was confirmed in the course of evaluating the glass fiber problem. Received: 16 May 1997 · Accepted: 18 August 1997     

Coherent eddies and temperature structure functions for three contrasting surfaces. Part I: Ramp model with finite microfront time

Air temperature time series within and above canopies reveal ramp patternsassociated with coherent eddies that are responsible for most of thevertical transport of sensible heat. Van Atta used a simple step-changeramp model to analyse the coherent part of air temperature structurefunctions. However, his ocean data, and our own measurements for aDouglas-fir forest, straw mulch, and bare soil, reveal that even withoutlinearization his model cannot account for the observed decrease of thecubic structure function for small time lag. We found that a ramp model inwhich the rapid change at the end of the ramp occurs in a finite microfronttime can describe this decrease very well, and predict at least relativemagnitudes of microfront times between different surfaces. Averagerecurrence time for ramps, determined by analysis of the cubic structurefunction with the new ramp model, agreed well with values determined usingthe Mexican Hat wavelet transform, except at lower levels within theforest. Ramp frequency above the forest and mulch scaled very well withwind speed at the canopy top divided by canopy height. Within the forest,ramp frequency did not vary systematically with height. This is inaccordance with the idea that large-scale canopy turbulence is mostlygenerated by instability of the mean canopy wind profile, similar to aplane mixing layer. The straw mulch and bare soil experiments uniquelyextend measurements of temperature structure functions and ramp frequencyto the smallest scales possible in the field.     

Acute toxicity of heavy metals, tributyltin, ammonia and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to benthic amphipodgrandidierella japonica

Benthic amphipod,Grandidierella japonica widely inhabits the Korean coastal waters and is developed as a standard test species for sediment toxicity tests. We exposedG . japonica to various pollutants including 4 kinds of inorganic metals (Ag, Cd, Cu and Hg), tributyltin [TBT], ammonia and 7 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds (acenaphthene, chrysene, fluoranthene, fluorene, naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene) to estimate the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) and the median lethal concentration (LC50) of each pollutant during the 96-hour acute exposure. Among all tested pollutants, TBT was most toxic toG. japonica, and Hg was most toxic among inorganic metals. The toxicity of pyrene toG. japonica was greatest among PAH compounds, followed by fluoranthene, phenanathrene, acenaphthene, fluorene and naphthalene. The toxicity of PAH compounds was closely related to their physico-chemical characteristics such as K_ow and water solubility.G. japonica responded adequately to pollutant concentrations and exposure durations, and the sensitivity ofG. japonica to various inorganic and organic pollutants was generally comparable to other amphipods used as standard test species in ecotoxicological studies, indicating this species can be applied in the assessment of environments polluted by various harmful substances.     

平面P波在饱和半空间中洞室周围的散射(I):解析解

利用波函数展开法给出了入射平面P波在饱和半空间中圆形洞室周围散射问题的一个解析解。半空间假定为无粘性流体饱和介质,满足Biot理论。采用一种基于实验数据的孔隙率和模量之间的线性关系来确定Biot模型中的介质参数。解答考虑了透水边界和非透水边界两种情况。对边界条件进行了数值检验,结果表明,随着级数截断项数的增大,边界残量衰减很快。解答为进一步研究入射波频率和角度、边界渗透条件、孔隙率、泊松比等参数对散射的影响奠定了基础。