Kinetics of Disproportionation of Inorganic Polysulfides in Undersaturated Aqueous Solutions at Environmentally Relevant Conditions

The rate of the reversible homogeneous disproportionation of polysulfides was studied by following the optical absorbance of polysulfide solutions in a continuous plug flow reactor equipped with an on-line photometric detector. In order to avoid heterogeneous slow reactions involving sulfur colloids or precipitate, the reaction was initiated by an abrupt pH change from an undersaturated solution containing predominantly tetrasulfide species to a pH where pentasulfide is the dominant species. The disproportionation was found to follow first order reversible reaction dynamics. At environmentally relevant conditions the characteristic time of the disproportionation reaction is of the order of 10 s. This characteristic time implies that necessary conditions for speciation of the different polysulfide species by chromatography or another separation and subsequent quantification scheme should be of the order of 1 s.     

An invariance in the carbazoles of petroleum

A remarkable invariance in the ratio of 1,3-dimethylcarbazole （DMC） to 1,6-DMC was discovered in crude oils from the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea. The remarkably invariant ratio is kept at a constant of about unity regardless of their concentrations, sources or maturities for the sampies. In combination with the molecular structures of 1,3- and 1,6-DMCs, the invariance might indicate that the nitrogen compounds share a common precursor with a skeleton of 1-methylcarbazole and are formed through methylation at C3 and C6 with an essentially identical rate.     

双酚A及其类似物对哺乳动物和鱼类神经毒性效应及机制研究进展

双酚A及其类似物双酚S、双酚F、双酚AF和卤代双酚A等双酚类化合物广泛用于生产聚碳酸酯塑料和环氧树脂,生产量大且目前在各种环境介质、食品及人体内均有检出。近年来,研究发现很多神经疾病的发生与双酚类化合物的暴露密切相关,有关双酚A及其类似物的神经毒性日益受到国内外研究者关注。本研究从对动物行为、神经发育、神经递质含量及神经递质代谢等方面综述了双酚类化合物的神经毒性效应及作用机制,为今后进一步探究双酚A类似物的神经毒性作用及其安全性评价提供更多的理论参考。     

加氯水体有机浓集物对团头鲂血液指标的影响

本文对团头鲂 2项血液学指标 (红细胞数 RBC和血红蛋白量 Hb)的正常值进行了研究 ,同时检测了加氯水体中有机浓集物对这 2项指标的影响。结果表明 ,团头鲂血液中 RBC和 Hb的正常值受生长和水温等因素影响 ;在相同的试验条件下 ,加氯水体中的有机浓集物对团头鲂血液 RBC和 Hb有抑制作用 ,抑制率分别为 4 .3 %～ 2 6.0 %和 5.0 %～ 2 2 .5% ,表明此类物质对鱼类正常的生长代谢有一定的危害。     

Interaction of glucose and cellulose with hydrogen sulphide and polysulphides

This paper describes simulation experiments in which glucose and cellulose were reacted with polysulphide and hydrogen sulphide at ambient temperatures in an aqueous environment. Organic sulphur containing compounds were formed that yield several thiophenes upon pyrolysis/evaporation. The experiments show that interaction of carbohydrates with hydrogen sulphide or polysulphides is a possible way for carbohydrates to react in very recent sediments. From the results of this study it can be concluded that carbohydrate carbon can be preserved in sediments in a form that is resistant to microbial attack and that will have a greater potential for survival during diagenesis than the carbohydrate precursor.     

Origin of calcium in aerosols over the western North Pacific

Weekly aerosol samples were collected from March 1981 to June 1983 at the six stations in the western North Pacific region and analyzed for Ca and Na. By coupling data with those previously reported for Al (Tsunogai et al., 1985), the following results and conclusion have been obtained. There was a positive correlation between the atmospheric concentration of Al and the concentration of nonsea salt Ca (nssCa). The nssCa/Al ratios from the six stations, however, considerably varied (from 0.84±0.36 to 3.00±1.91), and the ratios were usally larger than those of the crustal average or of usual soil in Japan. The Ca/Al ratios of Asian desert soil and loess vary from 0.52 to 1.29, which are similar to the nssCa/Al ratios of aerosols in the surface air over the western North Pacific region except at Onna, Okinawa. The exception may be due to a local effect of coral. These results suggest that a large part of nonsea salt Ca in the surface air over the western North Pacific is derived from arid regions in Asia and that the nssCa/Al ratio in aerosol varies with that of the source material.     

Identification and occurrence of novel C36–C54 3,4-dialkylthiophenes with an unusual carbon skeleton in immature sediments

A series of novel long-chain 3,4-dialkylthiophenes (C₃₆–C₅₄) was identified in a number of sediments ranging from Pleistocene to Cretaceous. The identifications were based on mass spectral characterisation, desulphurisation and mass spectral data of synthesised model compounds. These organic sulphur compounds are probably formed by sulphur incorporation into mid-chain dimethylalkadienes with two methylenic double bonds. These putative precursor lipids are unprecedented and may be considered rather unusual. The distribution of 3,4-dialkylthiophenes in sediments varies considerably with the depositional palaeoenvironment, indicating that these compounds have a potential as molecular markers reflecting changes in palaeoenvironment.     

用超速CT机检测99例无症状香港中国人降低钙指数

回顾分析Ｍａｔｉｌｄａ医院超速ＣＴ室筛选首批病人中９９例中国人资料，很明显从通常采用１３０－１００Ｈｏｕｎｓｆｉｅｌｄ单位作为检出冠状血管钙化的基数应用至中国人身上其阈值数目需要降低，同时，我们也发现如果病人年龄按每１０年范围分组（２１－３０，３０－４０，４１－５０，５１－６０）而计算其超速ＣＴ的钙化指数会较随机男女一起按平均计算更易区分其差异．进一步分析显示，男性中年时候超速ＣＴ指数已达最高值，而女性则晚１０年方达最高值，因此，为了更易探测冠脉循环内钙化倾向应作出超速ＣＴ检出钙化的指数数目．这些实践经验对动脉粥样硬化过程的预测或预防有实际意义．     

A preliminary scanning electron microscope study of honeycomb weathering of sandstone in a coastal environment

Honeycomb weathering has been observed in a Carboniferous sandstone at a coastal location near Ballycastle on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Specimens of this sandstone have been analysed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry. Results reveal that calcium sulphate (gypsum) is the only salt present and is found only at and immediately below the rock surface. SEM observations suggest that crystallization of salts in pores could easily dislodge quartz grains to promote granular disintegration, whilst etching of quartz grain surfaces attests to chemical weathering activity within the rock However, the reason for the development of the honeycomb pattern is not known.     

Prediction of the abiotic degradability of organic compounds in the troposphere

A statistically relevant correlation between the reaction rate coefficient, k _OH, for the OH radical reaction with 161 organic compounds in the gas phase at 300 K, and the corresponding vertical ionisation energies E _i,v, reveals two classes of compounds: aromatics where –log(k _OH/cm³s^-1)3/2E _i,v(eV)–2 and aliphatics where –log(k _OH/cm³s^-1)4/5E _i,v(eV)+3. The prediction of the rate coefficient, k _OH, for the reaction of OH with organic molecules from the above equations has a probability of about 90%. Assuming a global diurnal mean of the OH radical concentration of 5×10⁵ cm³, the upper limit of the tropospheric half-life of organic compounds and their persistence can be estimated.