Aerosol characteristics during winter fog at Agra,North India

Simultaneous measurements on physical, chemical and optical properties of aerosols over a tropical semi-arid location, Agra in north India, were undertaken during December 2004. The average concentration of total suspended particulates (TSP) increased by about 1.4 times during intense foggy/hazy days. Concentrations of SO₄ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻, NH₄ ⁺ and Black Carbon (BC) aerosols increased by 4, 2, 3.5 and 1.7 times, respectively during that period. Aerosols were acidic during intense foggy/hazy days but the fog water showed alkaline nature, mainly due to the neutralizing capacity of NH₄ aerosols. Trajectory analyses showed that air masses were predominantly from NW direction, which might be responsible for transport of BC from distant and surrounding local sources. Diurnal variation of BC on all days showed a morning and an evening peak that were related to domestic cooking and vehicular emissions, apart from boundary layer changes. OPAC (Optical properties of aerosols and clouds) model was used to compute the optical properties of aerosols. Both OPAC-derived and observed aerosol optical depth (AOD) values showed spectral variation with high loadings in the short wavelengths (<1 μm). AOD value at 0.5 μm wavelength was significantly high during intense foggy/hazy days (1.22) than during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days (0.63). OPAC-derived Single scattering albedo (SSA) was 0.84 during the observational period, indicating significant contribution of absorbing aerosols. However, the BC mass fraction to TSP increased by only 1% during intense foggy/hazy days and thereby did not show any impact on SSA during that period. A large increase was observed in the shortwave (SW) atmospheric (ATM) forcing during intense foggy/hazy days (+75.8 W/m²) than that during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days (+38 W/m²), mainly due to increase in absorbing aerosols. Whereas SW forcing at surface (SUF) increased from −40 W/m² during clear sky or less foggy/hazy days to −76 W/m² during intense foggy/hazy days, mainly due to the scattering aerosols like SO₄ ^2-.     

Compositions and source apportionments of atmospheric aerosol during Asian dust storm and local pollution in central Taiwan

A study has been carried out on water soluble ions, trace elements, as well as PM_2.5 and PM_2.5–10 elemental and organic carbon samples collected daily from Central Taiwan over a one year period in 2005. A source apportionment study was performed, employing a Gaussian trajectory transfer coefficient model (GTx) to the results from 141 sets of PM_2.5 and PM_2.5–10 samples. Two different types of PM₁₀ episodes, local pollution (LOP) and Asian dust storm (ADS) were observed in this study. The results revealed that relative high concentrations of secondary aerosols (NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻ and NH₄⁺) and the elements Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and As were observed in PM_2.5 during LOP periods. However, sea salt species (Na⁺ and Cl⁻) and crustal elements (e.g., Al, Fe, Mg, K, Ca and Ti) of PM_2.5–10 showed a sharp increase during ADS periods. Anthropogenic source metals, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and As, as well as coarse nitrate also increased with ADS episodes. Moreover, reconstruction of aerosol compositions revealed that soil of PM_2.5–10 elevated approximately 12–14% in ADS periods than LOP and Clear periods. A significantly high ratio of non-sea salt sulfate to elemental carbon (NSS-SO₄²⁻/EC) of PM_2.5–10 during ADS periods was associated with higher concentrations of non-sea-salt sulfates from the industrial regions of China. Source apportionment analysis showed that 39% of PM₁₀, 25% of PM_2.5, 50% of PM_2.5–10, 42% of sulfate and 30% of nitrate were attributable to the long range transport during ADS periods, respectively.     

Geotechnical and geological properties of Mokattam limestones: Implications for conservation strategies for ancient Egyptian stone monuments

Geotechnical and geological properties of limestone samples from the Mokattam Quarry in Cairo, Egypt, were determined in order to provide prior information for the selection of suitable methods for the conservation of stone monuments around Cairo. A commercial chemical consolidant (Wacker OH 100) was applied to fill the pore spaces and to strengthen the weathered rock. Filling of pore spaces was confirmed by the decrease of both porosity and permeability of rock samples after the application of the consolidant. Analysis by mercury porosimeter showed most effective consolidation results for pore spaces from 0.75 to 1.0 µm in diameter, which were those mainly observed in the samples. Ultrasonic velocity did not show any significant evidence but an increase in strength, observed as an increase in the point load index after the consolidation process was completed, confirmed that the filling and consolidation process worked effectively. Point load testing can thus be used in preference when the number of samples available for laboratory testing is limited. From the color analysis, it was shown that there was no noticeable color change after the application of consolidant Wacker OH 100. The combinations of laboratory tests adopted in this study can be applicable to the planning of conservation of other stone monuments.     

Prognosis of TiO2 abundance in lunar soil using a non-linear analysis of Clementine and LSCC data

We suggest a technique to determine the chemical and mineral composition of the lunar surface using artificial neural networks (ANNs). We demonstrate this powerful non-linear approach for prognosis of TiO₂ abundance using Clementine UV-VIS mosaics and Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium data. The ANN technique allows one to study correlations between spectral characteristics of lunar soils and composition parameters without any restrictions on the character of these correlations. The advantage of this method in comparison with the traditional linear regression method and the Lucey et al. approaches is shown. The results obtained could be useful for the strategy of analyzing lunar data that will be acquired in incoming lunar missions especially in case of the Chandrayaan-1 and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter missions.     

利用化学方法消除氯干扰的土壤中有机碳测定方法

在高锰酸钾外加热法测试土壤中有机碳的过程中,常遇到高含量氯离子对测试结果的正干扰,为解决此问题,本文提出了利用化学方法消除较高含量氯离子对测定土壤有机碳的干扰消除方法。在称取样品时,加入0. 15 g硫酸汞,消除样品中氯的干扰,通过对部分国家土壤、水系沉积物标准样品的分析测试,验证其方法准确度良好,方法的精密度为:5. 83%,可满足地质行业相关标准要求。     

盐酸普鲁卡因诱导下海洋真菌Hypocrea lixii次级代谢化学成分

【目的】通过化学诱导方法从一株海洋真菌Hypocrea lixii中获得多样化的活性小分子化合物。【方法】对菌株在盐酸普鲁卡因的化学诱导作用下进行固体发酵,代谢产物采用硅胶减压柱层析、Sephadex LH-20以及pHPLC等手段分离纯化,对化合物运用NMR、MS等波谱学技术并比对文献进行结构鉴定,采用Ellman比色法及DPPH自由基清除法对化合物进行初步抗乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)和抗氧化活性测试。【结果】从海洋真菌Hypocrea lixii在盐酸普鲁卡因诱导下的发酵提取物中分离得到4个异黄酮类化合物,包括6'-O-crotonylgenistin(1)、Genistein(2)、Daidzein(3)和Genistin(4),以及对氨基苯甲酸甲酯(5)、对羟基苯丙酸(6)和胞嘧啶(7),其中化合物1和6为该种中首次报道,化合物5为生物转化来源首次报道,化合物2~4可能源自培养基。在100μmol/L剂量浓度下,化合物1~4对AChE的抑制以及DPPH自由基的清除活性均较弱,化合物5和6显示了相对强的AChE抑制活性,抑制率分别为40%和38%。【结论】盐酸普鲁卡因对该菌次级代谢产生了显著的影响,为深入研究该菌株化学诱导次级代谢产物提供基础。     

化肥在农业生产中的地位与作用

化肥是提高作物产量的物质基础, 在过去的几十年中, 它在世界农业建设中起过巨大作用。近百年的肥料试验表明, 化学肥料具有和有机质一样的持续增产效果, 在提高作物产量、品质的同时, 还可培肥土壤。随着化肥工业的发展, 化肥的负作用会逐渐减小。     

Occurrence and distribution of bacteria indicators,chemical tracers and pathogenic vibrios in Singapore coastal waters

Water quality in Singapore's coastal area was evaluated with microbial indicators, pathogenic vibrios, chemical tracers and physico-chemical parameters. Sampling sites were grouped into two clusters (coastal sites at (i) northern and (ii) southern part of Singapore). The coastal sites located at northern part of Singapore along the Johor Straits exhibited greater pollution. Principal component analysis revealed that sampling sites at Johor Straits have greater loading on carbamazepine, while turbidity poses greater influence on sampling sites at Singapore Straits. Detection of pathogenic vibrios was also more prominent at Johor Straits than the Singapore Straits. This study examined the spatial variations in Singapore's coastal water quality and provided the baseline information for health risk assessment and future pollution management.     

Die neue EG‐Wasserrahmenrichtlinie: Bewertung der chemischen und ökologischen Qualität von Oberflächengewässern

The New EC Framework Water Directive: Assessment of the Chemical and Ecological Status of Surface Waters The main objective of the draft EC Framework Water Directive is the good quality of all surface waters. The directive provides for an assessment of the chemical status of surface waters (EU‐wide valid environmental quality standards for approximately 30 priority substances) and a five‐stage ecological classification of waters, comprising the stages high, good, moderate, poor, and bad. The starting point for the assessment are the reference conditions, which are defined as corresponding to high water quality and characterising a water status with no significant anthropogenic impact. The reference sites in the various water body types are to be selected using hydromorphological and physico‐chemical parameters and subsequently characterised by means of biological parameters. For surface waters, three groups of characteristics are provided for, namely: 1. with priority the biology – in the case of surface waters – with the four elements phytoplankton, macrophytes/phytobenthos, benthic invertebrate fauna, and fish fauna; 2. supporting the hydromorphology, e.g. flowing waters with the three elements hydrological regime, river continuity, and morphological conditions and 3. supporting the physico‐chemical conditions with the three elements general conditions, specific synthetic pollutants, and specific non synthetic pollutants (other than the priority substances of the chemical status).