Evaluation of the method of collecting suspended sediment from large rivers by discharge-weighted pumping and separation by continuous-flow centrifugation

A method for collecting suspended sediment samples has been developed that pumps a discharge-weighted volume of water from fixed depths at four to 40 locations across a river and separates the suspended sediment in the sample using a continuous-flow centrifuge. The efficacy of the method is evaluated by comparing the particle size distributions of sediment collected by the discharge-weighted pumping method with the particle size distributions of sediment collected by depth integration and separated by gravitational settling. The pumping method was found to undersample the suspended sand sized particles (> 63 μm) but to collect a representative sample of the suspended silt and clay sized particles (< 63 μm). The centrifuge separated the silt and clay sized particles (< 63 μm) into three fractions. Based on the average results of processing 17 samples from the Mississippi River and several of its large tributaries in 1990, about 10% of the silt and clay sized material was trapped in a centrifuge bowl-bottom sealing unit containing the nozzle and consisted of mostly medium and coarse silt from 16 to 63 μm. About 74% was retained on a Teflon liner in the centrifuge bowl and consisted of sizes from 0–1 to 63 μm. About 9% was discharged from the centrifuge in the effluent and was finer than 0–1 μm. About 7% was lost during the processes of removing the wet sediment fractions from the centrifuge, drying and weighing. The success of the discharge-weighted pumping method depends on how homogeneously the silt and clay sized particles (< 63 μm) are distributed in the vertical direction in the river. The degree of homogeneity depends on the composition and degree of aggregation of the suspended sediment particles.     

Effects of continuous flow centrifugation on measurements of trace elements in river water: intrinsic contamination and particle fragmentation

Continuous flow centrifugation (CFC) is a well‐established technique used in natural surface water studies to collect large amounts of suspended solids, thus allowing a broad spectrum of measurements. However, a potential contamination or changes in the particle size distribution during the centrifugation may restrain the use of CFC effluents for element analysis in the colloidal and dissolved fractions. In this paper we evaluate the possibility of using the effluent of a Westfalia centrifuge (type KA2‐06‐075, 9700 rpm) for such analysis. This evaluation is based on two laboratory experiments with deionized and tap water and two field experiments in rivers. Elemental concentration changes across the CFC were assessed from the CFC influent and effluent after a filtration at 0·45 µm. Significant increases were found, mainly in the field experiments at a high suspended solids level and a slightly acid pH. A hypothesis was made on the origin of these increases as a superposition of a centrifuge intrinsic contamination and a particle fragmentation effect. A numerical model based on elemental concentration measurements (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) gave a particle fragmentation level of 0·55% (mass percentage of particles broken up into smaller fragments during centrifugation). In another experiment, a direct particle counting (single particle counter) shows an excess of particles smaller than 500 nm in the CFC effluent, corresponding to a fragmentation level of 0·11%. In consequence, the use of CFC effluent for element analysis is possible in low‐turbidity river or lake waters, but should be carefully considered in waters with high suspended matter contents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

马粪海胆卵母细胞线粒体DNA和RNAs的分离

于１９８２年１２月－１９８４年５月，以青岛汇泉湾习见的马粪海胆为材料，运用０．５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＫＣｌ或０．５ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＬｉＣｌ诱导法得到其卵母细胞；差速离心技术提取其线粒体；ＳＤＳ萃取到线体核酸；再以羟基磷灰石柱层析分离邮线粒体核酸各组分。结果表明，从所得各种分离产物测不出任何蛋白质，所以，应用上述各种方法和技术，能够有效地分离出海胆卵母细胞线粒体中的ＤＮＡ，ｒＲＮＡ，ｔＲＮＡ和多核苷酸。     

Quantification of aquatic sediment prokaryotes—A multiple-steps optimization testing sands from pristine and contaminated aquifers

The total number of prokaryotic cells in aquatic sediments is a crucial measure tightly linked to energetic constraints, microbial productivity, and ecosystem status. While counting cells in water samples is routine, reliable procedures for the determination of prokaryotic cells associated to aquatic sediments are especially needed. A protocol for the direct quantification of prokaryotic cell abundance in aquatic sediments was developed and tested with sandy material from pristine and contaminated aquifers. Individual steps required in sample preparation, including preservation, cell dislodgement, density gradient centrifugation providing sample purification, and staining, were critically evaluated and optimized. Quantification of cells is conducted by flow cytometry promoting a high-throughput sample processing. Although tested for only two different types of aquifer sediments, researchers may easily adapt the protocol for their individual samples and purposes, thus conducting a brief efficiency re-evaluation of individual steps highlighted in this study.     

Fractionation and concentration of suspended particulate matter in natural waters

A scheme for the fractionation and concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) from natural waters has been tested. This scheme involves the sequential use of three fractionation techniques—sieving, continuous flow centrifugation and tangential flow filtration to collect gram amounts of SPM over the entire particulate and colloidal size range. The separation scheme is able to process large samples (ca. 1001), within reasonable times (ca. 1 day) and the apparatus is portable. Reproducibility and potential artifacts introducing during the fractionation and concentration of SPM, particularly when tangential flow filtration is used, are discussed. It has been shown that there is a systematic increase in the content of organic carbon, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Cu and Zn with decreasing particle size, highlighting the importance of the colloidal ( < 1 μm) fraction.     

Simultaneous enumeration of diatom,protozoa and meiobenthos from marine sediments using Ludox-QPS method

The Ludox-QPS method is a newly developed technique, which combines the Ludox HS 40 density centrifugation and quantitative protargol stain, to enumerate marine ciliates with good taxonomic resolution. We tested the method for simultaneous enumeration of diatoms, protozoa and meiobenthos and compared its extraction efficiency for meiobenthos with that of the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation and a modified protocol using Ludox HS 40. We conducted the evaluation with a sample size of 8.3 ml each from sandy, muddy-sand and muddy sediments collected from the intertidal area of the Yellow Sea in summer 2006 and spring 2007. The Ludox-QPS method not only produced high extraction efficiencies of 97±1.3% for diatoms and 97.6±0.8% for ciliates, indicating a reliable enumeration for eukaryotic microbenthos, but also produced excellent extraction efficiencies of on average 97.3% for total meiobenthos, 97.9% for nematodes and 97.8% for copepods from sands, muddy sands and mud. By contrast, the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation obtained only about 74% of total meiobenthos abundance with one extraction cycle, and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation yielded on average 93% of total meiobenthos: 89.4±2.0% from sands, 93±4.1% from muddy sands and 97.1±3.0% from mud. Apart from the sediment type, sample volume was another important factor affecting the extraction efficiency for meiobenthos. The extraction rate was increased to about 96.4% when using the same modified Ludox centrifugation for a 4 ml sediment sample. Besides the excellent extraction efficiency, the Ludox-QPS method obtained higher abundances of meiobenthos, in particular nematodes, than the routine Ludox centrifugation, which frequently resulted in an uncertain loss of small meiobenthos during the sieving process. Statistical analyses demonstrated that there were no significant differences between the meiobenthos communities revealed by the Ludox-QPS method and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation, showing the high efficiency of the Ludox-QPS method for simultaneous enumeration of diatom, protozoa and meiobenthos. Moreover, the comparatively high taxonomic resolution of the method, especially for diatoms and ciliates, makes it feasible to investigate microbial ecology at community level.     

Recovery and concentration of suspended solids in the upper rhone river by continuous flow centrifugation

Six stations along the Rhône River from the Rhône Glacier to Lake Geneva were sampled by continuous flow centrifuge for recovery of suspended sediment. The samples were taken four times in the year in both 1982 and 1983. In addition, the mouth of the river was sampled in a like manner every two weeks during 1982 until August 1983. Concentration of sediment and composition did not vary as a function of depth or location across the river. Concentrations varied in time and as a function of flow and samples showed both increasing concentration in suspension and an increase in the proportion of finer particles moving downstream from source to mouth. Only slight variations in texture could be observed down the river as a function of time and appeared to relate to freezing and melting of the Rhône and other headwater glaciers as the primary sediment source. Little variation was observed annually in the texture and composition of the sediment at the river mouth despite large changes in concentration between the high flow summer and low flow winter discharges. These findings are consistent with a well-mixed system in which the suspended sediments are directly related to the primary supply of material from the glaciers.     

A comparison of instrumental dewatering methods for the separation and concentration of suspended sediment for subsequent trace element analysis

A comparison involving both field and laboratory trials was performed to evaluate the utility of two continuous-flow centrifuges and a tangential-flow filtration system for dewatering suspended sediments for subsequent trace element analysis. Although recovery efficiencies for the various devices differ, the analytical results from the separated suspended sediments indicate that any of the tested units can be used effectively and precisely for dewatering. Further, the three devices appear to concentrate and dewater suspended sediments in such a manner as to be equivalent to that which could be obtained by in-line filtration. Only the tangential-flow filtration system appears capable of providing both a dewatered sediment sample and a potentially usable effluent, which can be analysed for dissolved trace elements. The continuous-flow centrifuges can process whole water at an influent feed rate of 41 per minute; however, when suspended sediment concentrations are low (<30mg^?1), when small volumes of whole water are to be processed (30 to 401), or when suspended sediment mean grain size is very fine (<10 μm), influent feed rates of 21 per minute may be more efficient. Tangential-flow filtration can be used to process samples at the rate of 11 per minute.     

武汉地区建筑废弃泥浆泥水分离试验研究

针对武汉地区不同地层、不同工艺产生的建筑工程废弃泥浆,通过光谱仪分析了其主要化学成分,并通过过滤、真空抽滤、离心以及不同絮凝剂的正交试验,以上清液浊度和清液率为主要指标对废弃泥浆泥水分离效果进行评价。试验发现：废弃泥浆固相颗粒以有机质为主;采用过滤方式取得的清液浊度较低,但清液率较少;采用真空抽滤方式处理废弃泥浆可以获得较多的上清液;采用离心方式能处理除含特细颗粒外的多数废弃泥浆;正交试验表明阳离子絮凝剂（PAM）处理废弃泥浆效果较好。