Oxidation of As^Ⅲ by Several Manganese Oxide Minerals in Absence and Presence of Goethite

Oxidation of As^Ⅲ by three types of manganese oxide minerals affected by goethite was investigated by chemical analysis, equilibrium redox, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Three synthesized Mn oxide minerals of different types, birnessite, todorokite, and hausmannite, could actively oxidize As^Ⅲ to Asv, and greatly varied in their oxidation ability. Layer structured birnessite exhibited the highest capacity of As^Ⅲ oxidation, followed by the tunnel structured todorokite. Lower oxide hansmannite possessed much low capacity of As^Ⅲ oxidation, and released more Mn^2＋ than birnessite and todorokite during the oxidation. The maximum amount of Asv produced during the oxidation of As^Ⅲ by Mn oxide minerals was in the order： birnessite （480.4 mmol/kg） 〉 todorokite （279.6 mmol/kg） 〉 hansmannite （117.9 mmol/kg）. The oxidation capacity of the Mn oxide minerals was found to be relative to the composition, crystallinity, and surface properties. In the presence of goethite oxidation of As^Ⅲ by Mn oxide minerals increased, with maximum amounts of Asv being 651.0 mmol/kg for birnessite, 332.3 mmol/kg for todorokite and 159.4 mmol/kg for hansmannite. Goethite promoted As^Ⅲ oxidation on the surface of Mn oxide minerals through adsorption of the Asv produced, incurring the decrease of Asv concentration in solutions. Thus, the combined effects of the oxidation （by Mn oxide minerals）-adsorption （by goethite） lead to rapid oxidation and immobilization of As in soils and sediments and alleviation of the As^Ⅲ toxicity in the environments.     

Moessbauer and XRD characterization of contaminated sediments by coal mining drainage in Neath Canal, South Wales, UK

Sediment cores were collected from the upstream of the Neath Canal in South Wales and characterized for their mineral compositions and iron speciation in order to understand the influence of sedimentary properties on the contaminants of heavy metals. The sediments in the canal have been polluted by ocherous precipitate with heavy metals such as arsenic since a major mine water discharge in spring 1993. The sediment core was obtained just from the discharge point in the canal and distinguished into three layers in the field regarding to their physical properties including visible color, sediment particle composition and dryness. X-ray diffraction （XRD） and M6ssbauer spectroscopy revealed vertical variations of minerals and iron species in depth of the sediment profile. The upper layer, reddish-brown, is wet muddy precipitant and is very fine in particle size, consisting mainly of iron oxide and hydroxide. Arsenic is rich in this layer; probably the sorption on iron oxide surface is the main mechanism. The middle layer, 22.0-27.0 cm, is soft deposit in a yellow color and contains sheet silicate, calcite and goethite. The lower part below 27.0 cm is gray to dark gray in color and contains quartz, pyrite, coal particles that are much more similar to normal aquatic sediment. The upper two layers in brown and yellow colors as newly precipitated mud from AMD contain high concentrations of As, Ni under oxic conditions. The lower part as the old canal sediments under reducing conditions contains high Cu and Zn. Chromium is enriched in the limited part of the low layer, just beneath the boundary between the middle and low parts of the sedimentary column, where the redox conditions shifted from oxic to anoxic. It is clear that the distribution of these heavy metals is closely associated with the redox condition reflected in the iron speciation. Thus different treatments are necessary for each layer of the sediment since different mineral and geochemical properties of the sediment will give different impacts on the heavy metals.     

Magnetic particles of industrial origin in different environments——Measurements, identification and significance

Various anthropogenic activities, in particular industrial processes based on combustion of fossil fuel, produce iron-oxides, which, being included in fly ashes, are transported through atmospheric pathways and deposited on ground. Upon deposition, they penetrate soils or water sediments, and can be easily detected due to their specific magnetic signature. In many cases, he presence of these magnetic particles is closely related to the presence of anorganic contaminants-heavy metals. This correlation is mainly due to coexistence, from the source to the deposition. Correlation with organic pollutants has been also reported, but this needs further detailed studies. In our contribution, we plan to review typical examples of such anthropogenic magnetic particles, with their source-specific features. We will highlight the methods of their identification in different environments, and laboratory characteristics.     

粤西地区红土光谱特性研究

土壤中水分、有机质和氧化铁的含量对其光谱特征有很大影响。本文对粤西红土的有机质光谱指标、水分、氧化铁含量与 野外光谱特征进行分析。研究表明，在短波红外波段，水分含量与野外红土反射光谱关系最密切； 在近红外波段，氧化铁含量与 野外红土反射光谱关系最密切； 在可见光波段，有机质对野外红土光谱影响最大。     

Emission of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) from a flooded soil fertilized with urea: Relation to other nitrogen loss processes

Emissions of nitric oxide and other odd nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) from a flooded rice field were studied after urea had been broadcast into the floodwater.The NO _x flux from the fertilized area was very low (0.2×10^-9 g N m^-2 s^-1) for the first few days after application of urea and was high (0.95×10^-9 g N m^-2 s^-1) in the subsequent period when significant nitrite and nitrate were present in the floodwater. At night, little if any NO _x was exhaled but ambient NO₂ was absorbed by the floodwater. An uptake velocity for NO₂ of 3×10^-4 m s^-1 was measured during one night. Maximum NO _x losses were observed near 1300 h when temperature and solar ultraviolet light were maximum.While the amounts of nitrogen oxides emitted are of little agronomic importance (2×10^-3 per cent of the fertilizer nitrogen was lost as NO _x during the 10-day study period), they may well be of significance as a source for some gas reactions in the atmosphere and for the global nitrogen cycle.Of the fertilizer nitrogen applied (as urea) approximately 30% was lost to the atmosphere by NH₃ volatilization, 15% by denitrification, presumably as N₂, and the remainder, less minor losses of NO and N₂O, remained in the plant/soil/water system.Now at Forestry Department, Australian National University, G.P.O. Box 4, ACT 2601, Australia.     

Field measurements of emission of nitric oxide from fertilized and unfertilized forest soils in Sweden

Application of nitrate fertilizers on two types of forest soils led to a marked increase in the NO emission rate indicating a large potential for NO production in these soils. The largest fluxes on the fertilized plots were up to 60 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1. About 0.35% of the applied nitrogen was lost as NO within about 14 days after fertilization. The fluxes from the unfertilized forest soils were in the range 0.1 to 0.8 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1 with a median value of 0.3 ng NO–N m^–2 s^–1. If this value, obtained during June and August to September, is representative for the growing season (150 days), it corresponds to an annual emission of 0.04 kg NO–N ha^–1. This is about 30% of the value obtained for an unfertilized agricultural soil. Because of the large areas occupied by forests in Sweden the flux of NO from forest soils represents a significant contribution to the total flux of NO from soils in Sweden.Earlier observations of equilibrium concentrations for NO have been verified. These were found to range from 0.2 to 2 ppbv for an unfertilized forest soil and up to 170 ppbv for a fertilized soil. At the rural site in Sweden where these measurements were performed the ambient concentrations where found to be less than this equilibrium concentration, and consequently there was generally a net emission of NO.There are still large uncertainties about the global flux of NO from soils. Using direct measurements on three different types of ecosystems and estimates based on a qualitative discussion for the remaining land areas, a global natural source for NO of the order of 1 Tg N a^–1 was obtained. If 0.35% of the total annual production of fertilizer nitrogen is lost as NO, fertilization of soils may contribute with 20% to the natural flux from soils.     

Analysis of the conductive behavior of a simplified sediment system and its computational simulation

Because of the important contributions of electrochemical redox reactions to biochemical cycles and their potential application for the in-situ remediation of contaminated sediment,the mechanisms of long-distance electron transport coupling spatially separated redox half reactions in sediment have drawn much attention.To explore a preliminary mechanism of long-distance electron transport in sediment,in the current study,two simplified composite systems are constructed consisting of spherical ferroferric oxide(Fe_3 O_4) nanoparticles and rod-like carbon nanotubes(CNTs) as conductive fillers and silica(SiO_2) particles as the matrix.Two different constructed composite systems(e.g.,SiO_2/Fe3 O4 and SiO_2/Fe3 O4/CNTs) were used to model a three-dimensional sediment framework instead of sediment with quite co mplex components.The effects of the loading of conductive fillers(e.g.,Fe_3 O_4,CNTs) and the particle size of SiO_2 matrix on the conductive behavior of the composite system were investigated.The results showed that both of the electrical properties of SiO_2/Fe3 O4 and SiO_2/Fe3 O4/CNTs composite systems typically exhibited a non-linear conductive behavior that the electrical conductivity increased with the increasing of filler loading and showed an abrupt increase at critical filler loading.The conductivity of the SiO_2/Fe_3 O_4 and SiO_2/Fe3 O4/CNTs composite systems with micro-sized SiO_2 as the matrix was higher than that of the composite systems with nano-sized SiO_2 as the matrix.Compared with the SiO_2/Fe_3 O_4 composite system,the electrical conductivity of the SiO_2/Fe3 O4/CNTs composite system was enhanced by several orders of magnitude and only a small loading of CNTs could make the conductivity of the SiO_2/Fe_3 O_4/CNTs composite system reach a higher level.The electrical conductivity predicted by the electrical conductivity model of a two-phase composite system showed a similar trend as the experimental results and the two-dimensional(2 D) percolation-based model filled with rods gave a good estimation of percolation probability.     

Domestic politics and the diffusion of international policy innovations: How does accommodation happen?

What happens to policy innovations after they have been adopted? What factors account for subsequent changes to these policies? These are the research questions guiding this study on the spread of and subsequent changes to limit values for nitrogen oxide emissions from large combustion plants. By comparing the processes of diffusion and follow-up policy changes, we assess whether and how policy innovations translate into policy making. In so doing, we build on the literature on the determinants of policy diffusion and transfer. We employ original data on instances of policy adoption and policy change in 24 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries over a period of thirty years (1976–2005). The data are analysed using semi-parametric event-history models. Our empirical findings show that both international and domestic factors account for the observed variation in our data regarding both first-time adoptions and post-adoption modifications. The results reveal that the subsequent tightening of emission standards faces greater obstacles than their mere diffusion (i.e., policy adoption). While international factors and supranational integration appear to impede the subsequent tightening of existing policies, international peer pressure is a strong predictor of an on-going regulatory commitment. Overall, adoption and accommodation processes seem to follow distinctive patterns, suggesting that a promising strategy in policy innovation research would involve differentiation between the first-time adoption and subsequent modification of policies.     

饲料维生素C对美国红鱼(Sciaenops ocellatus)组织NO含量、NOS活力和nNOS基因表达的影响

本试验旨在研究饲料维生素C对美国红鱼(Sciaenops ocellatus)组织中的NO含量、NOS活力和NOS基因表达的影响。采用单因子试验设计,将360尾平均体重为(147.28±7.69)g的美国红鱼随机分为6个处理,每个处理设3个重复,每个重复20尾,分别饲喂6种不同维生素C水平(0、49.3、98.9、197.5、396.4和1989.8mg/kg)的等氮等能饲料,进行为期8周的生长试验。结果表明:头肾、肝、肠、胸腺NO含量随着饲料维生素C含量增加有显著增加;脾中各组NO含量无显著性差异;脑中NO含量C0组与其它各组相比有显著性差异。头肾、肝、胸腺NOS活力随着饲料维生素C含量增加有显著增加;脾和肠中各组NOS活力无显著性差异;脑中NOS活力C396.4组与其它各组相比有显著性差异。脑中各组nNOS基因mRNA的表达含量无显著性差异;在饲料维生素C含量达到1989.8mg/kg时,其它各组织内的nNOS基因mRNA的表达量最高。综上所述,饲料中添加适当维生素C对美国红鱼组织中的NO含量、NOS活力和nNOS基因mRNA的表达有显著影响。     

鳗弧菌感染对斑节对虾免疫相关指标的影响

为了研究鳗弧菌(Vibrio anguillarum)对斑节对虾(Penaeus monodon)免疫相关指标的影响,分别对斑节对虾注射生理盐水和鳗弧菌,测定了不同时间点肝胰腺和鳃中总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)、溶菌酶(LSZ)和诱导型一氧化氮合酶(i NOS)活性以及一氧化氮(NO)含量的变化。结果显示,与对照组相比,感染鳗弧菌后,肝胰腺和鳃中T-AOC活性分别于6和12 h达到最大值(P0.05),随后逐渐降低;肝胰腺和鳃中LSZ活性分别于6和12 h升高至最大值,随后均于24 h显著低于对照组(P0.05);肝胰腺和鳃中NO含量分别于6和3 h达到最大值,随后肝胰腺中NO含量于24 h降低至最小值,而鳃中NO含量于6和24 h虽有降低,但仍显著高于对照组;肝胰腺中i NOS对感染反应较为敏感,活性于3 h达到最大值,而鳃中i NOS活性于6 h开始显著上升,并于12 h达到最大值(P0.05)。研究表明,长时间的鳗弧菌感染对斑节对虾免疫相关指标有显著影响;T-AOC、LSZ、NO和i NOS对鳗弧菌感染均反应敏感,可以作为弧菌病诱发的监测指标。