Adsorptive Separation of 1, 2‐Dichloroethane from Model Wastewater by Natural Clinoptilolite

The adsorptive separation of 1, 2‐dichloroethane from model wastewater by different Slovak natural and octadecylammonium‐modified clinoptilolites has been studied. It was found that the 1, 2‐dichloroethane will be adsorbed by natural as well as by surfactant‐modified clinoptilolites; all clinoptilolites have a similar adsorption loading. There was also no remarkable difference between the natural and surfactant‐modified clinoptilolites in respect to the adsorption kinetics.     

Lipid biomarkers and carbon-isotopes of modern travertine deposits (Yellowstone National Park, USA): Implications for biogeochemical dynamics in hot-spring systems

Lipid biomarkers and ¹³C fractionation patterns were used to understand the dynamics of carbon cycling during microbial metabolisms in different environments of travertine precipitation (called facies) at Spring AT-1 on Angel Terrace in the Mammoth Hot Springs complex of Yellowstone National Park, USA. Microbial mats that encrust travertine deposits were collected for analyses of lipid biomarkers and carbon isotopes along the continuous drainage outflow system of Spring AT-1. The spring water exhibits a continuous temperature drop from 71°C in the vent at top to 24°C in the distal slope at bottom. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and glycolipid fatty acids (GLFA) exhibit distinctly different compositions in each of the facies, which are consistent with partitioning of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in the Spring AT-1 travertine facies (Fouke et al., 2003).The δ¹³C composition of total biomass within the microbial mats decreases from −16.1‰ in the vent to −23.5‰ in the distal slope. However, lower values occur in the pond (−26.0‰) and the proximal slope (−28.0‰) between the vent and the distal slope. Isotopic compositions of PLFA and GLFA have variations similar to those of total biomass. The average δ¹³C values of PLFA are −12.4 ± 5.2‰ (n = 10 individual fatty acids, same below) in the vent, −33.0 ± 3.1‰ (n = 11) in the pond, −33.7 ± 3.8‰ (n = 16) in the proximal slope, and −22.4 ± 3.4‰ (n = 10) in the distal slope; the average δ¹³C values of GLFA are −19.6 ± 3.0‰ (n = 3) in the vent, −30.4 ± 4.7‰ (n = 8) in the pond, −36.9 ± 2.8‰ (n = 12) in the proximal slope, and −27.9 ± 3.1‰ (n = 13) in the distal slope. In particular, fatty acids in the vent are enriched in ¹³C relative to the total biomass, which is consistent with the notion that the biosynthetic pathways of the extant microbial community in the vent may be dominated by Aquificales using the reversed tricarboxylic acid cycle. Fractionations between fatty acids and total biomass in the pond, the proximal slope and the distal slope suggest the involvement of other biosynthetic pathways for CO₂ fixation by extant microbial populations. The results indicate that lipid biomarkers provide valuable information on the changing diversity and activity of microbial communities in different depositional environments. Carbon-isotope fractionations, on the other hand, can provide insight into the operating biosynthetic pathways associated with different organisms in the changing environment. This integrated approach may serve as a powerful tool for identifying functional metabolism within a community and identify shifts in microbial community structure in modern hot-spring systems.     

古里雅冰芯中生物有机酸的初步分析

甲酸、乙酸是全球对流层中普遍存在的化学成分,它们对偏远地区降水中的酸度有很大影响,降水中存在的甲酸、乙酸必然会在冰川和冰盖中保存下来．然而,目前很少有文章报道山地冰川中甲酸、乙酸的测定结果及环境意义．我们用离子色谱法测定了古里雅上部５ｍ冰芯中甲酸、乙酸的浓度,结果显示,甲酸、乙酸具有明显的季节变化,峰值一般对应于夏季层位,说明甲酸、乙酸的来源不同于阳离子,粉尘不是其主要来源．将甲酸、乙酸的记录与冰芯中δ１８Ｏ和阳离子的记录对比,得出甲酸具有较敏感的气候指示意义．     

Cu and Fe associated with humic acids in sediments of a tropical coastal lagoon

The amount of Cu and Fe associated with humic acids was estimated in five sediment cores from a tropical coastal lagoon (Piratininga Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). Core samples were analysed for humic acid contents, total Fe and Cu content. Fe and Cu associated with humic acids were also measured. Results show amounts of humic acids ranging from 0.7 to 21.7% of the dry weight of sediment (average 4.6%, standard deviation 4.4%). Concentrations of Fe and Cu ranged from 0.3 to 6.0% (average 2.2%, S.D. 1.2%) and from <1.0 to 65.0 μg g⁻¹ (average 28.6 μg g⁻¹, S.D. 16.4 μg g⁻¹), respectively. The results of strongly bound metals show that while humic acids are the main carrier for Cu, Fe does not seems to be significantly associated with this organic matter.     

松粉热解脂肪酸生物标志物的特征及其地球化学意义

现代松粉的温－压热模拟实验中，产出的轻质烃和氯仿抽提物芳烃馏份的GC－MS分析均检出大量偶数碳优势明显的脂肪酸类分子生物标志物，轻烃主要为C16，C18烷酸及其甲，乙酯，芳烃组分相对比较复杂，包括饱和脂肪酸（酯），不饱和脂肪酸（酯）和脂肪酸内酯，前者碳数分布为C15－，C30，C16，C18碳酸（酯）相对丰度占绝对优势为特征，后者碳数分布为C20-C30,以C26，C28和C30脂肪酸内酯为主，在250℃以下样品中检测出相对丰度较高的不饱和C18碳酸（酯），脂肪酸酯化合物在极低的温度条件下便可排出，并分别在200－300℃和300－400℃之间形成两次产出高峰；花粉内质体中的游离态脂肪酸及不饱和脂肪酸形成低温阶段的第一次高峰；花粉壁脂质结构中的脂肪酸及饱和脂肪酸在较高温度阶段形成第二次高峰，原样及低温样品以脂肪酸酯为主，250℃及其以上温度条件下因水解产生较多的脂肪酸，随温率继续升高，脂肪酸酯易发生脱羰反应而生成链烷烃。400℃以后因强烈降解脂肪酸酯含量大大降低，这与350－450℃之间奇数碳优势正构烷烃在轻质烃和饱和烃中的大量产出相吻合，研究表明，植物花粉是沉积有机质中饱和及不饱和C16，C18脂肪酸酯的重要母源之一。     

Microbial lipids from a nearshore sediment from Bowling Green Bay,North Queensland: The fatty acid composition of intact lipid fractions

Samples from a sediment core collected in Bowling Green Bay, North Queensland have been analysed for hexane/isopropanol extractable lipids and fatty acids. These data revealed a subsurface lipid abundance maximum at 3–4 cm depth and consistent low total fatty acid abundances (ca 2 μg/g) in the deeper samples ( > 10 cm depth). Lipid phosphate was below the level of detection in all the samples. Bacterial community structure was found to vary markedly in the upper 10 cm of the core, with the 18:1Δ11 bacterial chemotype predominant in the surface sediment and trans-acid chemotypes dominating in the 3–4 cm depth sediment. Based on the fatty acid composition, the bacterial biomass was estimated to vary from 199 μg/g at 3–4 cm depth toca 8 μg/g at 11–13 cm depth, although the fatty acid distributions indicated possible interference from protozoan detritus. In order to test this possibility, a surface sediment sample from a nearby site was extracted and analysed for fatty acids in lipid fractions separated by silica column chromatography. The fatty acid distributions in lipid fractions containing wax/steryl esters, triacylglycerols, glycolipids and phospholipids were markedly different. These analyses were interpreted in terms of fatty acid contributions to the extractable lipids from bacteria, cyanobacteria, protozoan detritus and highly degraded organic matter.     

Conversion of sedimentary fatty acids from extractable (unbound + bound) to tightly bound form during mild heating

Prolonged heating (1–248 days) of a recent sediment was conducted under mild conditions (65 and 83°C) to understand the thermal behavior of extractable (unbound and bound) fatty acids (C_12C32). In the course of the heating, the concentrations of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids first decreased, and then increased. This indicates that extractable fatty acids can be converted to a tightly bound form upon heating, before fatty acids are extensively released from sediment matrices. Changes in molecular distributions of extractable fatty acids upon heating were also observed. The higher molecular weight fatty acids (?C₂₀) are more likely to become tightly bound than are lower molecular weight (<C₂₀). Monounsaturated fatty acids (C_16:1 and C_18:1) are more easily converted to the tightly bound form than polyunsaturated fatty acids (C_18:2 and C_18:3). These differences probably reflect their mode of occurrence in sediments, which are closely related to their origin.