Feasibility of Solid‐State Fermentation Using Spent Fungi‐Substrate in the Biodegradation of PAHs

The ability of Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus to grow on agroindustrial wastes, such as orange peels, and to degrade model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in solid‐state fermentation (SSF) was evaluated. Best results in laccase production were obtained with T. versicolor cultures (3000 U L^?1), however, P. ostreatus (2700 U L^?1) showed higher ability to degrade the tested PAHs phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR). Moreover, orange peels can be used as biofertilizer and the oxidative ability of the spent fungus and substrate obtained in SSF can be used in the remediation of polluted soil. The results obtained confirm this hypothesis. Thus, the decontamination achieved in soils polluted with PYR was around 43% (after 30 days) by addition of spent fungus and substrate from SSF.     

The Hesperides basin: a continental‐scale upper Palaeozoic to Triassic basin in southern Gondwana

The late Palaeozoic to Triassic sedimentary record of the central Argentinean offshore was analysed through the integration of data from exploratory wells and 2D seismic lines. Our interpretations were combined with existing ones in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and South Africa for their analysis in the late Palaeozoic south‐western Gondwana context. The mapped upper Palaeozoic‐Lower Triassic stratigraphic record offshore Argentina bears a thickness of +7000 m south of the Colorado basin and encompasses the time span between Pennsylvanian and Lower Triassic; this means that it triples that of the Sierras de la Ventana of Argentina and involves a far larger time span. On the basis of seismic stratigraphic interpretations in localities near the coast, we interpret that a strong denudation process removed a great portion of the stratigraphic record in the Sierras de la Ventana, the surrounding plains and the Tandilia system of Buenos Aires. The seismic stratigraphic configuration of the late Palaeozoic succession shows continuous and parallel reflections in a wide sediment wedge extending for more than 1000 km between the Gondwanides orogen core to the south and offshore Uruguay to the north. Two salient aspects of this sedimentary wedge are that no flexural depocentre was observed at the Ventania fold belt front, and that deformation in the orogenic front is post‐Lower Triassic. The original westwards extent of the basin is interpreted to have encompassed the whole of Buenos Aires province in continuity with the Chacoparaná basin; to the east continuity and a straightforward correlation with the Karoo basin was interpreted. The name of Hespérides Basin is proposed herein to refer to a Pennsylvanian to Lower Triassic basin mainly controlled by dynamic subsidence that encompasses and exceeds the area of the Sauce Grande and Colorado basins and the Claromecó fore‐deep in Argentina. The Hespérides basin is interpreted to have been in lateral continuity with the Kalahari, Karoo and Chacoparaná basins of Africa and South America forming a +3 000 000 sq. km depocentre.     

The Southern Region of Peru Earthquake of June 23rd, 2001

The western border of South America is one of the most important seismogenic regions in the world. In this region the most damaging earthquake ever recorded occurred. In June 23rd, 2001, another very strong earthquake (Mw = 8.1–8.2) occurred and produced death and damages in the whole southern region of Peru. This earthquake was originated by a friction process between Nazca and South American plates and affected an area of about 300 km × 120 km defined by the distribution of more than 220 aftershocks recorded by a local seismic network that operated 20 days. The epicenter of the main shock was localized in the northwestern extremity of the aftershock area, which suggests that the rupture propagated towards the SE direction. The modeling of P-wave for teleseismic distances permitted to define a focal mechanism of reverse type with NW-SE oriented nodal planes and a possible fault plane moving beneath almost horizontally in NE direction. The source time function (STF) suggests a complex process of rupture during 85 sec with 2 successive sources. The second one of greater size, and located approximately 100–120 km toward the SE direction was estimated to have a rupture velocity of about 2 km/sec on a 28°-dipping plane to the SE (N135°). A second event happened 45 sec after the first one with an epicenter 130km farther to the SE and a complex STF. This event and the second source of the main shock caused a Tsunami with waves from 7 to 8 meters that propagated almost orthogonally to the coast line, by affecting mainly the Camaná area.Three of all the aftershocks presented magnitudes greater or equal to Mw = 6.6, two of them occurred in front of the cities of Ilo and Mollendo (June 26th and July 7th) with focal mechanisms similar to the main seismic event. The aftershock of July 5th shows a normal mechanism at a depth of 75 km, and is therefore most likely located within the subducting Nazca plate and not in the coupling. The aftershocks of June 26th (Mw = 6.6) and July 5th (Mw = 6.6) show simple short duration STF. The aftershock of July 7th (Mw = 7.5) with 27-second duration suggests a complex process of energy release with the possible occurrence of a secondary shock with lower focal depth and focal mechanism of inverse type with a great lateral component. Simple and composed focal mechanisms were elaborated for the aftershocks and all have similar characteristics to the main earthquake.The earthquake of June 23rd caused major damages in the whole southern Peru. The damage in towns of Arequipa, Moquegua allow to consider maximum intensities from 6 to 7 (MSK79). In Alto de la Alianza and Ciudad Nueva zones from Tacna, the maximum intensity was of 7⁻ (MSK79).     

Mechanistic and Kinetic Study of the Gas-Phase Reaction of Atomic Chlorine with Cyclohexanone using an Absolute and a Relative Technique; Influence of Temperature

The reaction of Cl with cyclohexanone (1) was investigated, for the first time, as a function of temperature (273–333 K) and at a low total pressure (1 Torr) with helium as a carrier gas using a discharge flow-mass spectrometry technique (DF-MS). The resulting Arrhenius expression is proposed, k ₁= (7.7 ± 4.1) × 10^–10 exp[–(540 ± 169)/T]. We also report a mechanistic study with the quantitative determination of the products of the reaction of Cl with cyclohexanone. The absolute rate constant derived from this study at 1 Torr of total pressure and room temperature is (1.3 ± 0.2) × 10^–10 cm³ molecule^–1 s^–1. A yield of 0.94 ± 0.10 was found for the H-abstraction channel giving HCl. In relative studies, using a newly constructed relative rate system, the decay of cyclohexanone was followed by gas chromatography coupled with flame-ionisation detection. These relative measurements were performed at atmospheric pressure with synthetic air and room temperature. Rate constant measured using the relative method for reaction (1) is: (1.7 ± 0.3) × 10^–10 cm³ molecule^–1 s^–1. Finally, results and atmospheric implications are discussed and compared with the reactivity with OH radicals.     

Triassic stretching directions in Iberia and North Africa inferred from magnetic fabrics

During the Triassic, Iberia and western North Africa displayed a unique situation in relation with the Central and North Atlantic opening and westward expansion of the Tethys. Unravelling the stretching direction in Triassic deposits of the studied area can help in our understanding of this scenario. The tectonic setting is characterized by localized basins with strong thickness variations greatly influenced by previous post‐Variscan mechanical discontinuities. In this work, we revise and compile magnetic fabric data from eight Triassic depocentres in terms of defining the stretching direction (i.e. magnetic lineation), resulting from extensional deformation of this period. Data show the importance of the opening of the Atlantic rift as the leading process during the Triassic. Dextral transtension can explain the deflection of the extensional direction observed in most studied depocentres that is caused by the activity of previous major oblique faults.     

Oceanographical patterns during a summer upwelling–downwelling event in the Northern Galician Rias: Comparison with the whole Ria system (NW of Iberian Peninsula)

Summer upwelling and downwelling processes were characterized in the Northern Galician Rias during July and August 2008 by means of sampling carried out onboard R/V Mytilus (CSIC) and R/V Lura (IEO). Thermohaline variables, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll, phytoplankton, ciliates and zooplankton abundances were measured at sections located in the Rias of Viveiro, Barqueiro and Ortigueira and their adjacent shelves. Ekman transport was calculated from QuikSCAT satellite, upwelling intensity estimated with upwelling index from the average daily geostrophic winds, and SST maps obtained from NASA GHRSST satellite. Ekman transport and SST behaviour showed two different patterns: (i) offshore and upwelling favourable conditions on 13–22nd of July; (ii) onshore and downwelling favourable conditions from 23rd July to 19th August. During upwelling, TS diagram showed an intrusion of Eastern North Atlantic Central Water affecting the continental shelf but not the rias. Nutrient salt concentrations increased with depth, reaching their maximum values near the mouth of Ortigueira Ria. During downwelling, coastal water increased its temperature (18.5–19.8 °C) and was retained inside rias; nutrients were nearly depleted, except for the innermost ria (estuarine zone) due to fluvial nutrient inputs. In this inner area, the maximum of chlorophyll-a (Barqueiro Ria) was observed. Low phytoplankton abundances were measured in both cases, even though a short increase in the plankton biomass was observed inside rias during upwelling, while under downwelling a small red tide of Lingulodinium polyedrum was detected. During the upwelling period Northern Rias tend to be mesotrophic systems as revealed by nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll levels and plankton abundances. On the contrary, in similar situations, the Western Rias behaves as eutrophics.     

Estimating turbidity and total suspended matter in the Adour River plume (South Bay of Biscay) using MODIS 250-m imagery

The Basque coastal waters (South Bay of Biscay) are directly influenced by the Adour River freshwater plume. The Adour outflow leads to important variations of suspended matter concentrations and turbidity, which in turn may affect biological productivity and water quality. This study aims at both developing specific algorithms and testing the efficiency of atmospherically corrected MODIS-Aqua 250-m surface reflectance product (MYD09) to map total suspended matter concentrations and turbidity within the Adour coastal region. First, regional empirical algorithms based on in-situ data were tested to retrieve the concentration of total suspended matter and turbidity from the remote sensing reflectance. Then, the respective sensitivity of MODIS surface reflectance bands 1 and 2 for water quality application was investigated as well as the quality of atmospheric corrections. Finally, selected algorithms were applied to the MYD09 product. The resulting 250-m resolution maps were then compared to 1000-m maps produced by IFREMER and comparisons between satellite measurements and in-situ sampling points were performed. Results show that MODIS-Aqua band 1 (620–670 nm) is appropriate for predicting turbidity and total suspended matter concentrations using polynomial regression models, whilst band 2 is unadapted. Comparison between total suspended matter concentration 250-m resolution maps and mineral suspended matter 1000-m maps (generated by IFREMER) produced consistent results. A high correlation was obtained between turbidity measured in-situ and turbidity retrieved from MODIS-Aqua satellite data.     

Decolourisation of textile indigo dye by DC electric current

The electrochemical technology has been employed for the treatment of soils and liquid medium contaminated with aromatic pollutants as indigo textile dye. In liquid medium, 76% of colour removal was obtained in 87 h, and the addition of NaCl (10 g/l) reduced the treatment time up to 45 min. In soils, two alternative methods were developed: a direct electrochemical treatment and the extraction of dye from the soil followed by electrochemical decolourisation of the liquid collected. In the latter process, 50% ethanol in water solution was selected as the best extracting agent. This extracting solution (indigo concentration of 0.5 g/l) was further decolourised electrochemically in the presence of NaCl (10g/l) for 24 h, ending in a colour removal of 70%. Using the direct electrochemical treatment, a regular decolourisation profile along the whole cell was attained. The decolourisation degree was 76% and was reached after 16 days of treatment and an electric power consumption of 61 W·h.