Sample records for iapso standard seawater

  1. Absolute Salinity, ''Density Salinity'' and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

    2011-01-01

    Salinity plays a key role in the determination of the thermodynamic properties of seawater and the new TEOS-101 standard provides a consistent and effective approach to dealing with relationships between salinity and these thermodynamic properties. However, there are a number of practical issues that arise in the application of TEOS-10, both in terms of accuracy and scope, including its use in the reduction of field data and in numerical models. First, in the TEOS-10 formulation for IAPSO Standard Seawater, the Gibbs function takes the Reference Salinity as its salinity argument, denoted SR, which provides a measure of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution based on the Reference Composition approximation for Standard Seawater. We discuss uncertainties in both the Reference Composition and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale on which Reference Salinity is reported. The Reference Composition provides a much-needed fixed benchmark but modified reference states will inevitably be required to improve the representation of Standard Seawater for some studies. However, the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale should remain unaltered to provide a stable representation of salinity for use with the TEOS-10 Gibbs function and in climate change detection studies. Second, when composition anomalies are present in seawater, no single salinity variable can fully represent the influence of dissolved material on the thermodynamic properties of seawater. We consider three distinct representations of salinity that have been used in previous studies and discuss the connections and distinctions between them. One of these variables provides the most accurate representation of density possible as well as improvements over Reference Salinity for the determination of other thermodynamic properties. It is referred to as "Density Salinity" and is represented by the symbol SAdens; it stands out as the most appropriate representation of salinity for use in dynamical physical

  2. Absolute Salinity, "Density Salinity" and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale: present and future use in the seawater standard TEOS-10

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, D. G.; Pawlowicz, R.; McDougall, T. J.; Feistel, R.; Marion, G. M.

    2010-08-01

    Salinity plays a key role in the determination of the thermodynamic properties of seawater and the new TEOS-101 standard provides a consistent and effective approach to dealing with relationships between salinity and these thermodynamic properties. However, there are a number of practical issues that arise in the application of TEOS-10, both in terms of accuracy and scope, including its use in the reduction of field data and in numerical models. First, in the TEOS-10 formulation for IAPSO Standard Seawater, the Gibbs function takes the Reference Salinity as its salinity argument, denoted SR, which provides a measure of the mass fraction of dissolved material in solution based on the Reference Composition approximation for Standard Seawater. We discuss uncertainties in both the Reference Composition and the Reference-Composition Salinity Scale on which Reference Salinity is reported. The Reference Composition provides a much-needed fixed benchmark but modified reference states will inevitably be required to improve the representation of Standard Seawater for some studies. The Reference-Composition Salinity Scale should remain unaltered to provide a stable representation of salinity for use with the TEOS-10 Gibbs function and in climate change detection studies. Second, when composition anomalies are present in seawater, no single salinity variable can fully represent the influence of dissolved material on the thermodynamic properties of seawater. We consider three distinct representations of salinity that have been used in previous studies and discuss the connections and distinctions between them. One of these variables provides the most accurate representation of density possible as well as improvements over Reference Salinity for the determination of other thermodynamic properties. It is referred to as "Density Salinity" and is represented by the symbol SAdens; it stands out as the most appropriate representation of salinity for use in dynamical physical

  3. Numerical implementation and oceanographic application of the thermodynamic potentials of water, vapour, ice, seawater and air - Part 2: The library routines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, D. G.; Feistel, R.; Reissmann, J. H.; Miyagawa, K.; Jackett, D. R.; Wagner, W.; Overhoff, U.; Guder, C.; Feistel, A.; Marion, G. M.

    2010-03-01

    The SCOR/IAPSO1 Working Group 127 on Thermodynamics and Equation of State of Seawater has prepared recommendations for new methods and algorithms for numerical estimation of the thermophysical properties of seawater. As an outcome of this work, a new International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater (TEOS-10) was endorsed by IOC/UNESCO2 in June 2009 as the official replacement and extension of the 1980 International Equation of State, EOS-80. As part of this new standard a source code package has been prepared that is now made freely available to users via the World Wide Web. This package includes two libraries referred to as the SIA (Sea-Ice-Air) library and the GSW (Gibbs SeaWater) library. Information on the GSW library may be found on the TEOS-10 web site (http://www.TEOS-10.org). This publication provides an introduction to the SIA library which contains routines to calculate various thermodynamic properties as discussed in the companion paper. The SIA library is very comprehensive, including routines to deal with fluid water, ice, seawater and humid air as well as equilibrium states involving various combinations of these, with equivalent code developed in different languages. The code is hierachically structured in modules that support (i) almost unlimited extension with respect to additional properties or relations, (ii) an extraction of self-contained sub-libraries, (iii) separate updating of the empirical thermodynamic potentials, and (iv) code verification on different platforms and between different languages. Error trapping is implemented to identify when one or more of the primary routines are accessed significantly beyond their established range of validity. The initial version of the SIA library is available in Visual Basic and FORTRAN as a supplement to this publication and updates will be maintained on the TEOS-10 web site. 1 SCOR/IAPSO: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research

  4. Numerical implementation and oceanographic application of the thermodynamic potentials of liquid water, water vapour, ice, seawater and humid air - Part 2: The library routines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, D. G.; Feistel, R.; Reissmann, J. H.; Miyagawa, K.; Jackett, D. R.; Wagner, W.; Overhoff, U.; Guder, C.; Feistel, A.; Marion, G. M.

    2010-07-01

    The SCOR/IAPSO1 Working Group 127 on Thermodynamics and Equation of State of Seawater has prepared recommendations for new methods and algorithms for numerical estimation of the the thermophysical properties of seawater. As an outcome of this work, a new International Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater (TEOS-10) was endorsed by IOC/UNESCO2 in June 2009 as the official replacement and extension of the 1980 International Equation of State, EOS-80. As part of this new standard a source code package has been prepared that is now made freely available to users via the World Wide Web. This package includes two libraries referred to as the SIA (Sea-Ice-Air) library and the GSW (Gibbs SeaWater) library. Information on the GSW library may be found on the TEOS-10 web site (http://www.TEOS-10.org). This publication provides an introduction to the SIA library which contains routines to calculate various thermodynamic properties as discussed in the companion paper. The SIA library is very comprehensive, including routines to deal with fluid water, ice, seawater and humid air as well as equilibrium states involving various combinations of these, with equivalent code developed in different languages. The code is hierachically structured in modules that support (i) almost unlimited extension with respect to additional properties or relations, (ii) an extraction of self-contained sub-libraries, (iii) separate updating of the empirical thermodynamic potentials, and (iv) code verification on different platforms and between different languages. Error trapping is implemented to identify when one or more of the primary routines are accessed significantly beyond their established range of validity. The initial version of the SIA library is available in Visual Basic and FORTRAN as a supplement to this publication and updates will be maintained on the TEOS-10 web site. 1SCOR/IAPSO: Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research

  5. Algorithms for Computation of Fundamental Properties of Seawater. Endorsed by Unesco/SCOR/ICES/IAPSO Joint Panel on Oceanographic Tables and Standards and SCOR Working Group 51. Unesco Technical Papers in Marine Science, No. 44.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fofonoff, N. P.; Millard, R. C., Jr.

    Algorithms for computation of fundamental properties of seawater, based on the practicality salinity scale (PSS-78) and the international equation of state for seawater (EOS-80), are compiled in the present report for implementing and standardizing computer programs for oceanographic data processing. Sample FORTRAN subprograms and tables are given…

  6. The density-salinity relation of standard seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Hannes; Seitz, Steffen; Hassel, Egon; Wolf, Henning

    2018-01-01

    The determination of salinity by means of electrical conductivity relies on stable salt proportions in the North Atlantic Ocean, because standard seawater, which is required for salinometer calibration, is produced from water of the North Atlantic. To verify the long-term stability of the standard seawater composition, it was proposed to perform measurements of the standard seawater density. Since the density is sensitive to all salt components, a density measurement can detect any change in the composition. A conversion of the density values to salinity can be performed by means of a density-salinity relation. To use such a relation with a target uncertainty in salinity comparable to that in salinity obtained from conductivity measurements, a density measurement with an uncertainty of 2 g m-3 is mandatory. We present a new density-salinity relation based on such accurate density measurements. The substitution measurement method used is described and density corrections for uniform isotopic and chemical compositions are reported. The comparison of densities calculated using the new relation with those calculated using the present reference equations of state TEOS-10 suggests that the density accuracy of TEOS-10 (as well as that of EOS-80) has been overestimated, as the accuracy of some of its underlying density measurements had been overestimated. The new density-salinity relation may be used to verify the stable composition of standard seawater by means of routine density measurements.

  7. AN ASSESSMENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF COASTAL WATERS SURROUNDING THE GULF OF MEXICO IAPSO INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY MEETING, LA PLATA, ARGENTINA, OCTOBER 2001

    EPA Science Inventory

    Assessment of the Ecological Condition of Coastal Waters Surrounding the Gulf of Mexico (Abstract). To be presented at the Joint IAPSO/IABO Assembly: 2001 An Ocean Odyssey, 21-26 October 2001, Mar del Plata, Argentina. 1 p. (ERL,GB R844).

    The purpose of the Environmental ...

  8. Cookbook Recipe to Simulate Seawater Intrusion with Standard MODFLOW

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaars, F.; Bakker, M.

    2012-12-01

    We developed a cookbook recipe to simulate steady interface flow in multi-layer coastal aquifers with regular groundwater codes such as standard MODFLOW. The main step in the recipe is a simple transformation of the hydraulic conductivities and thicknesses of the aquifers. Standard groundwater codes may be applied to compute the head distribution in the aquifer using the transformed parameters. For example, for flow in a single unconfined aquifer, the hydraulic conductivity needs to be multiplied with 41 and the base of the aquifer needs to be set to mean sea level (for a relative seawater density of 1.025). Once the head distribution is obtained, the Ghijben-Herzberg relationship is applied to compute the depth of the interface. The recipe may be applied to quite general settings, including spatially variable aquifer properties. Any standard groundwater code may be used, as long as it can simulate unconfined flow where the transmissivity is a linear function of the head. The proposed recipe is benchmarked successfully against a number of analytic and numerical solutions.

  9. Standardized seawater rearing of chinook salmon smolts to evaluate hatchery practices showed low statistical power

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Palmisano, Aldo N.; Elder, N.E.

    2001-01-01

    We examined, under standardized conditions, seawater survival of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha at the smolt stage to evaluate the experimental hatchery practices applied to their rearing. The experimental rearing practices included rearing fish at different densities; attempting to control bacterial kidney disease with broodstock segregation, erythromycin injection, and an experimental diet; rearing fish on different water sources; and freeze branding the fish. After application of experimental rearing practices in hatcheries, smolts were transported to a rearing facility for about 2-3 months of seawater rearing. Of 16 experiments, 4 yielded statistically significant differences in seawater survival. In general we found that high variability among replicates, plus the low numbers of replicates available, resulted in low statistical power. We recommend including four or five replicates and using ?? = 0.10 in 1-tailed tests of hatchery experiments to try to increase the statistical power to 0.80.

  10. Direct separation of boron from Na- and Ca-rich matrices by sublimation for stable isotope measurement by MC-ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Wang, Bo-Shian; You, Chen-Feng; Huang, Kuo-Fang; Wu, Shein-Fu; Aggarwal, Suresh Kumar; Chung, Chuan-Hsiung; Lin, Pei-Ying

    2010-09-15

    An improved technique for precise and accurate determination of boron isotopic composition in Na-rich natural waters (groundwater, seawater) and marine biogenic carbonates was developed. This study used a 'micro-sublimation' technique to separate B from natural sample matrices in place of the conventional ion-exchange extraction. By adjusting analyte to appropriate pH, quantitative recovery of boron can be achieved (>98%) and the B procedural blank is limited to <8 pg. An additional mass bias effect in MC-ICP-MS was observed which could not be improved via the standard-sample-standard bracketing or the 'pseudo internal' normalization by Li. Therefore a standard other than NBS SRM 951 was used to monitor plasma condition in order to maintain analytical accuracy. An isotope cross-calibration with results from TIMS shows that the space-charge mass bias on MC-ICP-MS can be successfully corrected using off-line mathematical manipulation. Several reference materials, including the seawater IAPSO and two groundwater standards IAEA-B-2 and IAEA-B-3, were used to validate this approach. We found that the delta(11)B of the reference coral JCp-1 was 24.22+/-0.28 per thousand, corresponding to seawater pH based on the coral delta(11)B-pH function. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Towards quantum communications in free-space seawater.

    PubMed

    Ji, Ling; Gao, Jun; Yang, Ai-Lin; Feng, Zhen; Lin, Xiao-Feng; Li, Zhong-Gen; Jin, Xian-Min

    2017-08-21

    Long-distance quantum channels capable of transferring quantum states faithfully for unconditionally secure quantum communication have been so far confirmed to be feasible in both fiber and free-space air. However, it remains unclear whether seawater, which covers more than 70% of the earth, can also be utilized, leaving global quantum communication incomplete. Here we experimentally demonstrate that polarization quantum states including general qubits of single photon and entangled states can survive well after travelling through seawater. We perform experiments with seawater collected over a range of 36 kilometers in the Yellow Sea. For single photons at 405 nm in a blue-green window, we obtain an average process fidelity above 98%. For entangled photons at 810nm, albeit very high loss, we observe the violation of Bell inequality with 33 standard deviations. Our results confirm the feasibility of a seawater quantum channel, representing the first step towards underwater quantum communication.

  12. Fuel Production from Seawater and Fuel Cells Using Seawater.

    PubMed

    Fukuzumi, Shunichi; Lee, Yong-Min; Nam, Wonwoo

    2017-11-23

    Seawater is the most abundant resource on our planet and fuel production from seawater has the notable advantage that it would not compete with growing demands for pure water. This Review focuses on the production of fuels from seawater and their direct use in fuel cells. Electrolysis of seawater under appropriate conditions affords hydrogen and dioxygen with 100 % faradaic efficiency without oxidation of chloride. Photoelectrocatalytic production of hydrogen from seawater provides a promising way to produce hydrogen with low cost and high efficiency. Microbial solar cells (MSCs) that use biofilms produced in seawater can generate electricity from sunlight without additional fuel because the products of photosynthesis can be utilized as electrode reactants, whereas the electrode products can be utilized as photosynthetic reactants. Another important source for hydrogen is hydrogen sulfide, which is abundantly found in Black Sea deep water. Hydrogen produced by electrolysis of Black Sea deep water can also be used in hydrogen fuel cells. Production of a fuel and its direct use in a fuel cell has been made possible for the first time by a combination of photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide from seawater and dioxygen in the air and its direct use in one-compartment hydrogen peroxide fuel cells to obtain electric power. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Uncertainties in Climatological Seawater Density Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, Hao; Zhang, Xining

    2018-03-01

    In most applications, with seawater conductivity, temperature, and pressure data measured in situ by various observation instruments e.g., Conductivity-Temperature-Depth instruments (CTD), the density which has strong ties to ocean dynamics and so on is computed according to equations of state for seawater. This paper, based on density computational formulae in the Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater 2010 (TEOS-10), follows the Guide of the expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and assesses the main sources of uncertainties. By virtue of climatological decades-average temperature/Practical Salinity/pressure data sets in the global ocean provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), correlation coefficients between uncertainty sources are determined and the combined standard uncertainties uc>(ρ>) in seawater density calculations are evaluated. For grid points in the world ocean with 0.25° resolution, the standard deviations of uc>(ρ>) in vertical profiles cover the magnitude order of 10-4 kg m-3. The uc>(ρ>) means in vertical profiles of the Baltic Sea are about 0.028kg m-3 due to the larger scatter of Absolute Salinity anomaly. The distribution of the uc>(ρ>) means in vertical profiles of the world ocean except for the Baltic Sea, which covers the range of >(0.004,0.01>) kg m-3, is related to the correlation coefficient r>(SA,p>) between Absolute Salinity SA and pressure p. The results in the paper are based on sensors' measuring uncertainties of high accuracy CTD. Larger uncertainties in density calculations may arise if connected with lower sensors' specifications. This work may provide valuable uncertainty information required for reliability considerations of ocean circulation and global climate models.

  14. Evaluation of the leaching behavior of incineration bottom ash using seawater: A comparison with standard leaching tests.

    PubMed

    Lin, Wenlin Yvonne; Heng, Kim Soon; Nguyen, Minh Quan; Ho, Jin Rui Ivan; Mohamed Noh, Omar Ahmad Bin; Zhou, Xue Dong; Liu, Alec; Ren, Fei; Wang, Jing-Yuan

    2017-04-01

    Batch and column tests were conducted on untreated incineration bottom ash (IBA) samples from two incineration plants in Singapore, using seawater as the leachant. The main objective of this study was to investigate the change in the leaching behavior of certain elements (i.e. As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se and Zn) when IBA comes into contact with seawater. Such an investigation using seawater as leachant was not commonly carried out when investigating leaching behavior in IBA. The leaching tests were then carried out on the same IBA samples using DI water, as a comparison. Lower level of leaching was observed for Pb and Zn when seawater was used as the leachant. Cr and Sb showed significant cumulative release at Liquid-to-Solids (L/S) ratio 5 in the seawater column leaching. The influence of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) on Cu leaching seems to decrease after L/S 2 when using seawater in the column test. Although the leaching behavior of IBA was affected when seawater was used, for the column test, there was no significant difference during the initial release when compared to DI water. The initial L/S fractions collected were important as the low L/S ratios represent the pore water concentration and the maximum output in an actual application. The results from this study would be useful for the future study on using IBA in marine applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of estuarial seawater and river water of Bailanghe in Laizhou Bay, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Qiaofeng; Xu, Suning; Wang, Ruijiu; Li, Wenpeng; Wang, Zhiyi; Mei, Junjun; Ding, Zhilei; Yang, Peijie; Yu, Liangju; Lv, Tieying; Bai, Gang; Kang, Wei

    2016-04-01

    In the study of seawater intrusion, seawater is usually taken as an end-member that mixes with other source(s). However, compared to standard seawater, the coastal seawater particularly that near the estuary, can be strongly influenced by the rivers into the sea and by coastal human activities. Their composition can be thus continuously changed and redistributed with space and time. Therefore, before investigating seawater intrusion in a certain area, it is essentially important to determine the features of the estuarine seawater (e.g. the mixture percentage between standard seawater and river water). In this study, we aimed to gain a clear situation of the seawater intrusion in Laizhou Bay, Southern Bohai, China. The issue aforementioned was investigated by comparing the stable isotopic and hydrochemical composition of the marine and river water collected in this area. Samples investigated include 5 surface water samples collected at the downstream of the Bailanghe and 7 seawater samples near the estuary of Laizhou Bay. Inert tracers (δD, δ18O, Cl, Br) and reaction tracers (Na, Mg, SO4, HCO3, Ca, NO3) are particularly analyzed. The major results are as follows: 1) All the river water samples fall below the Global Meteoric Water Line in the δD - δ18O diagram, reflecting evaporation of the upstream reservoir water. The seawater samples fall on the mixing line of standard seawater and the river water in the stable isotopic diagram. 2) The Cl-δ18O diagram indicates widespread dissolution of evaporate into the river, while high concentration of Ca and HCO3-, as well as the SO42- - Cl relation of the river water samples reflect the dissolution of CO2 , carbonate and sulfate in the atmosphere and on the ground. 3) The Br/Cl ratios of seawater samples are closed to the marine ratios. This together with the plots of major ions vs. Cl suggest that the seawater samples are originated from the mixture of standard seawater and river water. Therefore, when referring to the

  16. Nature/culture/seawater.

    PubMed

    Helmreich, Stefan

    2011-01-01

    Seawater has occupied an ambiguous place in anthropological categories of "nature" and "culture." Seawater as nature appears as potentiality of form and uncontainable flux; it moves faster than culture - with culture frequently figured through land-based metaphors - even as culture seeks to channel water's (nature's) flow. Seawater as culture manifests as a medium of pleasure, sustenance, travel, disaster. I argue that, although seawater's qualities in early anthropology were portrayed impressionistically, today technical, scientific descriptions of water's form prevail. For example, processes of globalization - which may also be called "oceanization" - are often described as "currents," "flows," and "circulations." Examining sea-set ethnography, maritime anthropologies, and contemporary social theory, I propose that seawater has operated as a “theory machine” for generating insights about human cultural organization. I develop this argument with ethnography from the Sargasso Sea and in the Sea Islands. I conclude with a critique of appeals to water's form in social theory.

  17. Impacts of seawater rise on seawater intrusion in the Nile Delta Aquifer, Egypt.

    PubMed

    Sefelnasr, Ahmed; Sherif, Mohsen

    2014-01-01

    Several investigations have recently considered the possible impacts of climate change and seawater level rise on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers. All have revealed the severity of the problem and the significance of the landward movement of the dispersion zone under the condition of seawater level rise. Most of the studies did not consider the possible effects of the seawater rise on the inland movement of the shoreline and the associate changes in the boundary conditions at the seaside and the domain geometry. Such effects become more evident in flat, low land, coastal alluvial plans where large areas might be submerged with seawater under a relatively small increase in the seawater level. None of the studies combined the effect of increased groundwater pumping, due to the possible decline in precipitation and shortage in surface water resources, with the expected landward shift of the shore line. In this article, the possible effects of seawater level rise in the Mediterranean Sea on the seawater intrusion problem in the Nile Delta Aquifer are investigated using FEFLOW. The simulations are conducted in horizontal view while considering the effect of the shoreline landward shift using digital elevation models. In addition to the basic run (current conditions), six different scenarios are considered. Scenarios one, two, and three assume a 0.5 m seawater rise while the total pumping is reduced by 50%, maintained as per the current conditions and doubled, respectively. Scenarios four, five, and six assume a 1.0 m seawater rise and the total pumping is changed as in the first three scenarios. The shoreline is moved to account for the seawater rise and hence the study domain and the seaside boundary are modified accordingly. It is concluded that, large areas in the coastal zone of the Nile Delta will be submerged by seawater and the coast line will shift landward by several kilometers in the eastern and western sides of the Delta. Scenario six represents

  18. Accurate Measurements of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater at L Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, Roger; Zhou, Yiwen; Utku, Cuneyt; Le Vine, David

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes measurements of the dielectric constant of seawater at a frequency of 1.413 GHz, the center of the protected band (i.e., passive use only) used in the measurement of sea surface salinity from space. The objective of the measurements is to accurately determine the complex dielectric constant of seawater as a function of salinity and temperature. A resonant cylindrical microwave cavity in transmission mode has been employed to make the measurements. The measurements are made using standard seawater at salinities of 30, 33, 35, and 38 practical salinity units over a range of temperatures from 0 degree C to 35 degree C in 5 degree C intervals. Repeated measurements have been made at each temperature and salinity. Mean values and standard deviations are then computed. The total error budget indicates that the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant have a combined standard uncertainty of about 0.3 over the range of salinities and temperatures considered. The measurements are compared with the dielectric constants obtained from the model functions of Klein and Swift and those of Meissner and Wentz. The biggest differences occur at low and high temperatures.

  19. Secular decline of seawater calcium increases seawater buffering and pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hain, M.; Sigman, D. M.; Higgins, J. A.; Haug, G. H.

    2015-12-01

    Reconstructed changes in seawater calcium and magnesium concentration ([Ca2+], [Mg2+]) predictably affect the ocean's acid/base and carbon chemistry. Yet inaccurate formulations of chemical equilibrium "constants" are currently in use to account for these changes. Here we develop an efficient implementation of the MIAMI Ionic Interaction Model (Millero and Pierrot, 1998) to predict all chemical equilibrium constants required for carbon chemistry calculations under variable [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] (Hain et al., 2015). We investigate the impact of [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] on the relationships among the ocean's pH, CO2, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), saturation state of CaCO3 (Ω), and buffer capacity. Increasing [Ca2+] and/or [Mg2+] enhances "ion pairing," which increases seawater buffering by increasing the concentration ratio of total to "free" (uncomplexed) carbonate ion. An increase in [Ca2+], however, also causes a decline in carbonate ion to maintain a given Ω, thereby overwhelming the ion pairing effect and decreasing seawater buffering. Given the reconstructions of Eocene [Ca2+] and [Mg2+] ([Ca2+]~20mM; [Mg2+]~30 mM), Eocene seawater would have required essentially the same DIC as today to simultaneously explain a similar-to-modern Ω and the estimated Eocene atmospheric CO2 of ~1000 ppm. During the Cretaceous, at ~4 times modern [Ca2+], ocean buffering would have been at a minimum. Overall, during times of high seawater [Ca2+], CaCO3 saturation, pH, and atmospheric CO2 were more susceptible to perturbations of the global carbon cycle. For example, given both Eocene and Cretaceous seawater [Ca2+] and [Mg2+], a doubling of atmospheric CO2 would require less carbon addition to the ocean/atmosphere system than under modern seawater composition. Moreover, increase in seawater buffering since the Cretaceous may have been a driver of evolution by raising energetic demands of biologically controlled calcification and CO2 concentration mechanisms that aid photosynthesis.

  20. User's guide to SEAWAT; a computer program for simulation of three-dimensional variable-density ground-water flow

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guo, Weixing; Langevin, C.D.

    2002-01-01

    This report documents a computer program (SEAWAT) that simulates variable-density, transient, ground-water flow in three dimensions. The source code for SEAWAT was developed by combining MODFLOW and MT3DMS into a single program that solves the coupled flow and solute-transport equations. The SEAWAT code follows a modular structure, and thus, new capabilities can be added with only minor modifications to the main program. SEAWAT reads and writes standard MODFLOW and MT3DMS data sets, although some extra input may be required for some SEAWAT simulations. This means that many of the existing pre- and post-processors can be used to create input data sets and analyze simulation results. Users familiar with MODFLOW and MT3DMS should have little difficulty applying SEAWAT to problems of variable-density ground-water flow.

  1. SRB seawater corrosion project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bozack, M. J.

    1991-01-01

    The corrosion behavior of 2219 aluminum when exposed to seawater was characterized. Controlled corrosion experiments at three different temperatures (30, 60 and 100 C) and two different environments (seawater and 3.5 percent salt solution) were designed to elucidate the initial stages in the corrosion process. It was found that 2219 aluminum is an active catalytic surface for growth of Al2O3, NaCl, and MgO. Formation of Al2O3 is favored at lower temperatures, while MgO is favored at higher temperatures. Visible corrosion products are formed within 30 minutes after seawater exposure. Corrosion characteristics in 3.5 percent salt solution are different than corrosion in seawater. Techniques utilized were: (1) scanning electron microscopy, (2) energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and (3) Auger electron spectroscopy.

  2. Raman Spectroscopic Measurements of Co2 Dissolved in Seawater for Laser Remote Sensing in Water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Somekawa, Toshihiro; Fujita, Masayuki

    2016-06-01

    We examined the applicability of Raman lidar technique as a laser remote sensing tool in water. The Raman technique has already been used successfully for measurements of CO2 gas dissolved in water and bubbles. Here, the effect of seawater on CO2 Raman spectra has been evaluated. A frequency doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) was irradiated to CO2 gas dissolved in a standard seawater. In seawater, the Raman signals at 984 and 1060-1180 cm-1 from SO42- were detected, which shows no spectral interference caused by Raman signals derived from CO2.

  3. Superhydrophobic surfaces for applications in seawater.

    PubMed

    Ferrari, Michele; Benedetti, Alessandro

    2015-08-01

    Technological fields in which seawater is implied are numerorus, working in seawater (shipping, oil industry, marine aquaculture,..), and exploiting seawater in plants (cooling heat-exchange, desalination, power plants,..). All suffer from detrimental effects induced by biofouling mainly enhancing material failures and limiting energetic efficiencies. Among the remediation solutions, technologies coniugating economical, green and efficiency criteria should represent the direction. With the aim to meet these criteria, superhydrophobic (SH) technology attracted many researches for the protection of materials operating in contact with seawater. In this work, the literature focusing on such technology for the protection of surfaces in contact with seawater has been reviewed, mainly focusing on boat and ship hull protection. Despite the growing interest around SH technology in seawater for fouling control and friction drag reduction of hulls, to date literature shows that superhydrophobicity in seawater is still limited if compared with a time window compatible with technological needs (set on years). An evaluation of the causes of early superhydrophobicity loss under operative conditions clearly indicates that, to the best of present knowledge, a SH surface cannot preserve this feature by itself alone (especially in real seawater). Hence, we have considered to highlight the behaviour of SH surfaces in seawater in relation to early stages of biocolonization (conditioning film and pioneering bioslime formation). Considering the annual costs sustained for the biofouling impact control, advantages coming from SH surfaces, in terms of foul control and friction drag reduction, would allow economical savings allowing to cover both the appliance of longevity keeping strategies of the SH surfaces and investments in green technologies of SH coating life cycle (production, storing). In addition a brief outlook is provided on technological fields exploiting seawater in pipelines

  4. Changes in Escherichia coli cells starved in seawater or grown in seawater-wastewater mixtures.

    PubMed Central

    Munro, P M; Gauthier, M J; Laumond, F M

    1987-01-01

    Some metabolic modifications of Escherichia coli cells during starvation in seawater were studied in laboratory microcosms. The apparent die-off of this bacterium under such conditions, as observed by comparing the enumeration of CFU in conventional freshwater media and direct epifluorescence counts, was partially prevented when cells were previously grown in salted organic medium or on seawater-wastewater agar. beta-Galactosidase activity of starved cells disappeared gradually with time, even though some other enzymatic activities, such as that of alkaline phosphatase, increased. Moreover, some modifications of sensitivity to antibiotics, heavy metals, and bacteriophages in seawater- and wastewater-grown cells suggested that the cells undergo structural changes under natural marine conditions. These results provide additional experimental data indicating the possible active adaptation of E. coli cells to seawater. PMID:3116927

  5. Determination of alkylphenols and bisphenol A in seawater samples by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for compliance with environmental quality standards (Directive 2008/105/EC).

    PubMed

    Salgueiro-González, N; Concha-Graña, E; Turnes-Carou, I; Muniategui-Lorenzo, S; López-Mahía, P; Prada-Rodríguez, D

    2012-02-03

    A fast, simple, sensitive and green analytical chemistry method for the simultaneous determination of alkylphenols (4-tert-octylphenol, 4-octylphenol, 4-n-nonylphenol, nonylphenol) and bisphenol A in seawater was developed and validated. The procedure was based on a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) of a small volume of seawater sample (30 mL) using only 100 μL of 1-octanol, combined with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry in negative mode (LC-ESI-MS/MS). The matrix effect was studied and compensated using deuterated labelled standards as surrogate standards for the quantitation of target compounds. The analytical features of the proposed method were satisfactory: repeatability and intermediate precision were <10% and recoveries were around 84-104% for all compounds. Uncertainty assessment of measurement was estimated on the basis of an in-house validation according to EURACHEM/CITAC guide. Quantitation limits of the method (MQL) ranged between 0.005 and 0.03 μg L⁻¹, therefore the levels established in the Directive 2008/105/EC were achieved. The applicability of the proposed method was demonstrated analyzing seawater samples from different sites of A Coruña (Northwest of Spain). The analyses showed the presence of all compounds at levels between 0.035 (bisphenol A) and 0.14 μg L⁻¹ (nonylphenol). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. The major-ion composition of Silurian seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brennan, S.T.; Lowenstein, T.K.

    2002-01-01

    One-hundred fluid inclusions in Silurian marine halite were analyzed in order to determine the major-ion composition of Silurian seawater. The samples analyzed were from three formations in the Late Silurian Michigan Basin, the A-1, A-2, and B Evaporites of the Salina Group, and one formation in the Early Silurian Canning Basin (Australia), the Mallowa Salt of the Carribuddy Group. The results indicate that the major-ion composition of Silurian seawater was not the same as present-day seawater. The Silurian ocean had lower concentrations of Mg2+, Na+, and SO2-4, and much higher concentrations of Ca2+ relative to the ocean's present-day composition. Furthermore, Silurian seawater had Ca2+ in excess of SO2-4. Evaporation of Silurian seawater of the composition determined in this study produces KC1-type potash minerals that lack the MgSO4-type late stage salts formed during the evaporation of present-day seawater. The relatively low Na+ concentrations in Silurian seawater support the hypothesis that oscillations in the major-ion composition of the oceans are primarily controlled by changes in the flux of mid-ocean ridge brine and riverine inputs and not global or basin-scale, seawater-driven dolomitization. The Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio of Silurian seawater was ~1.4, and the K+/Ca2+ ratio was ~0.3, both of which differ from the present-day counterparts of 5 and 1, respectively. Seawaters with Mg2+/Ca2+ 2 (e.g., modern seawater) facilitate the precipitation of aragonite and high-magnesian calcite. Therefore, the early Paleozoic calcite seas were likely due to the low Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio of seawater, not the pCO2 of the Silurian atmosphere. Copyright ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

  7. Comparison of Analytical Methods for the Determination of Uranium in Seawater Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wood, Jordana R.; Gill, Gary A.; Kuo, Li-Jung

    2016-04-20

    Trace element determinations in seawater by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry are analytically challenging due to the typically very low concentrations of the trace elements and the potential interference of the salt matrix. In this study, we did a comparison for uranium analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) of Sequim Bay seawater samples and three seawater certified reference materials (SLEW-3, CASS-5 and NASS-6) using seven different analytical approaches. The methods evaluated include: direct analysis, Fe/Pd reductive precipitation, standard addition calibration, online automated dilution using an external calibration with and without matrix matching, and online automated pre-concentration. The methodmore » which produced the most accurate results was the method of standard addition calibration, recovering uranium from a Sequim Bay seawater sample at 101 ± 1.2%. The on-line preconcentration method and the automated dilution with matrix-matched calibration method also performed well. The two least effective methods were the direct analysis and the Fe/Pd reductive precipitation using sodium borohydride« less

  8. Investigation of groundwater-seawater interactions: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purwoarminta, A.; Moosdorf, N.; Delinom, R. M.

    2018-02-01

    This paper is to review how to investigate the interactions between groundwater and seawater. Those interactions divide into two, which are submarine groundwater discharge and seawater intrusion. This investigation is important because the interactions can give impact to coastal aquifer and marine ecosystem. On land, fresh groundwater is vulnerable to seawater disturbance. Coastal aquifer is under pressure from abstraction caused by population, industry, and agriculture. The pumping can induce seawater intrusion and land subsidence. Then in marine, seawater mixes with freshwater and it decreases salinity. Low salinity will influence marine ecosystem. The ecosystem will be disturbed by groundwater discharge if that water is contaminated. Based on the argue investigation of groundwater-seawater interactions is important and must be accurate because the results are used for coastal water management. To investigate the interactions data, i.e., lithology, pumping tests, hydrochemical data, sea level rise estimates, precipitation data, geophysics, environmental isotopes, and drilling information, should be compiled. The interaction can feed a model to determine how much groundwater extraction happening on coastal areas to prevent seawater intrusion and land subsidence. Water resources management on coasts should consider groundwater-seawater interactions.

  9. A multi-beach study of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, and enterococci in seawater and beach sand.

    PubMed

    Goodwin, Kelly D; McNay, Melody; Cao, Yiping; Ebentier, Darcy; Madison, Melissa; Griffith, John F

    2012-09-01

    Incidences of Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have risen worldwide prompting a need to better understand routes of human exposure and whether standard bacterial water quality monitoring practices adequately account for this potential threat. Beach water and sand samples were analyzed during summer months for S. aureus, enterococci, and MRSA at three southern California beaches (Avalon, Doheny, Malibu Surfrider). S. aureus frequently was detected in samples of seawater (59%, n = 328) and beach sand (53%, n = 358). MRSA sometimes was detected in seawater (1.6%, n = 366) and sand (2.7%, n = 366) at relatively low concentrations. Site specific differences were observed, with Avalon Beach presenting the highest concentrations of S. aureus and Malibu Surfrider the lowest in both seawater and sand. S. aureus concentrations in seawater and sand were correlated to each other and to a variety of other parameters. Multiple linear regression on the combined beach data indicated that significant explanatory variables for S. aureus in seawater were S. aureus in sand, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and the number of swimmers. In sand, S. aureus concentrations were related to S. aureus in seawater, water temperature, enterococci in seawater, and inversely to surf height classification. Only the correlation to water temperature held for individually analyzed beaches and for S. aureus concentrations in both seawater and sand. To provide context for these results, the prevalence of S. aureus in sand was compared to published fomite studies, and results suggested that beach prevalence was similar to that in homes. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Cenozoic seawater Sr/Ca evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sosdian, Sindia M.; Lear, Caroline H.; Tao, Kai; Grossman, Ethan L.; O'Dea, Aaron; Rosenthal, Yair

    2012-10-01

    Records of seawater chemistry help constrain temporal variations in geochemical processes that impact the global carbon cycle and climate through Earth's history. Here we reconstruct Cenozoic seawater Sr/Ca (Sr/Casw) using fossil Conus and turritellid gastropod Sr/Ca. Combined with an oxygen isotope paleotemperature record from the same samples, the gastropod record suggests that Sr/Caswwas slightly higher in the Eocene (˜11.4 ± 3 mmol/mol) than today (˜8.54 mmol/mol) and remained relatively stable from the mid- to late Cenozoic. We compare our gastropod Cenozoic Sr/Casw record with a published turritellid gastropod Sr/Casw record and other published biogenic (benthic foraminifera, fossil fish teeth) and inorganic precipitate (calcite veins) Sr/Caswrecords. Once the uncertainties with our gastropod-derived Sr/Casw are taken into account the Sr/Casw record agrees reasonably well with biogenic Sr/Caswrecords. Assuming a seawater [Ca] history derived from marine evaporite inclusions, all biogenic-based Sr/Casw reconstructions imply decreasing seawater [Sr] through the Cenozoic, whereas the calcite vein Sr/Casw reconstruction implies increasing [Sr] through the Cenozoic. We apply a simple geochemical model to examine the implications of divergence among these seawater [Sr] reconstructions and suggest that the interpretation and uncertainties associated with the gastropod and calcite vein proxies need to be revisited. Used in conjunction with records of carbonate depositional fluxes, our favored seawater Sr/Ca scenarios point to a significant increase in the proportion of aragonite versus calcite deposition in shelf sediments from the Middle Miocene, coincident with the proliferation of coral reefs. We propose that this occurred at least 10 million years after the seawater Mg/Ca threshold was passed, and was instead aided by declining levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

  11. Strontium (Sr) separation from seawater using titanate adsorbents: Effects of seawater matrix ions on Sr sorption behavior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ryu, Jungho; Hong, Hye-jin; Ryu, Taegong; Park, In-Su

    2017-04-01

    Strontium (Sr) which has many industrial applications such as ferrite magnet, ceramic, and fire works exists in seawater with the concentration of approximately 7 mg/L. In previous report estimating economic potential on recovery of various elements from seawater in terms of their commercial values and concentrations in seawater, Sr locates upper than approximate break-even line, which implies Sr recovery from seawater can be potentially profitable. Recently, Sr separation from seawater has received great attention in the environmental aspect after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident which released much amount of radioactive Sr and Cs. Accordingly, the efficient separation of radioactive elements released to seawater has become critical as an important technological need as well as their removal from radioactive wastes. So far, it has been introduced to separate Sr from aqueous media by various methods including solvent extraction, adsorption by solid materials, and ion exchange. Among them, the adsorption technique using solid adsorbents is of great interest for selectively separating Sr from seawater with respect to low concentration level of Sr. In this study, we synthesized titanate nanotube (TiNT) by simple hydrothermal reaction, characterized its physicochemical properties, and systematically evaluated Sr sorption behavior under various reaction conditions corresponding to seawater environment. The synthesized TiNT exhibited the fibril-type nanotube structure with high specific surface area of 260 m2/g. The adsorption of Sr on TiNT rapidly occurred following pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and was in good agreement with Langmuir isotherm model, indicating maximum adsorption capacity of 97 mg/g. Based on Sr uptake and Na release with stoichiometric balance, sorption mechanism of Sr on TiNT was found to be ion-exchange between Na in TiNT lattice and Sr in solution phase, which was also confirmed by XRD and Raman analysis. Among competitive ions, Ca

  12. Rechargeable Seawater Battery and Its Electrochemical Mechanism

    DOE PAGES

    Kim, Jae-Kwang; Lee, Eungje; Kim, Hyojin; ...

    2014-11-25

    Here in this paper, we explore the electrochemical mechanism of a novel rechargeable seawater battery system that uses seawater as the cathode material. Sodium is harvested from seawater while charging the battery, and the harvested sodium is discharged with oxygen dissolved in the seawater, functioning as oxidants to produce electricity. The seawater provides both anode (Na metal) and cathode (O 2) materials for the proposed battery. Based on the discharge voltage (~2.9 V) with participation of O 2 and the charge voltage (~4.1 V) with Cl 2 evolution during the first cycle, a voltage efficiency of about 73% is obtained.more » If the seawater battery is constructed using hard carbon as the anode and a Na super ion conductor as the solid electrolyte, a strong cycle performance of 84% is observed after 40 cycles.« less

  13. Materials for the Recovery of Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abney, Carter W.; Mayes, Richard T.; Saito, Tomonori

    More than 1000× uranium exists in the oceans than exists in terrestrial ores. With nuclear power generation expected to increase over the coming decades, access to this unconventional reserve is a matter of energy security. With origins in the mid-1950’s, materials have been developed for the selective recovery of seawater uranium for more than six decades, with a renewed interest in particular since 2010. This review comprehensively surveys materials developed from 2000 – 2016 for recovery of seawater uranium, in particular including recent developments in inorganic materials, polymer adsorbents and related research pertaining to amidoxime, and nanostructured materials such asmore » metal-organic frameworks, porous-organic polymers, and mesoporous carbons. In conclusion, challenges of performing reliable and reproducible uranium adsorption studies are also discussed, as well as the standardization of parameters necessary to ensure valid comparisons between different adsorbents.« less

  14. Materials for the Recovery of Uranium from Seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Abney, Carter W.; Mayes, Richard T.; Saito, Tomonori; ...

    2017-11-22

    More than 1000× uranium exists in the oceans than exists in terrestrial ores. With nuclear power generation expected to increase over the coming decades, access to this unconventional reserve is a matter of energy security. With origins in the mid-1950’s, materials have been developed for the selective recovery of seawater uranium for more than six decades, with a renewed interest in particular since 2010. This review comprehensively surveys materials developed from 2000 – 2016 for recovery of seawater uranium, in particular including recent developments in inorganic materials, polymer adsorbents and related research pertaining to amidoxime, and nanostructured materials such asmore » metal-organic frameworks, porous-organic polymers, and mesoporous carbons. In conclusion, challenges of performing reliable and reproducible uranium adsorption studies are also discussed, as well as the standardization of parameters necessary to ensure valid comparisons between different adsorbents.« less

  15. Development of an underwater in-situ spectrophotometric sensor for seawater pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waterbury, Robert D.; Byrne, Robert H.; Kelly, John; Leader, Bram; McElligott, Sean; Russell, Randy

    1996-12-01

    A pH sensor based upon spectrophotometric techniques has been developed for in-situ analysis of surface seawater. This sensor utilizes a spectrophotometric pH indicator (Thymol Blue) which has been calibrated for use in seawater as a function of temperature and salinity. Shipboard spectrophotometric pH analyses routinely demonstrate a precision on the order of plus or minus 0.0004 pH units. In- situ analysis of seawater pH has demonstrated a precision on the order of plus or minus 0.001 and an accuracy, using shipboard measurements as a standard, on the order of plus or minus 0.01. The sensor is a self-contained system which pumps seawater, meters in indicator, spectrophotometrically determines indicator absorbance and stores data with a 1 Hz acquisition frequency. The sensor employs two absorbance cells, each with three wavelength channels, to obtain the spectrophotometric absorbance. The sensor system, rated for depths up to 500 m, provides pH, conductivity, temperature and can be operated via computer or in a standalone mode with internal data storage. The sensor utilizes less than 12 watts of power and is packaged in a 29' long by 4.5' diameter aluminum housing.

  16. Freshwater to seawater transitions in migratory fishes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zydlewski, Joseph D.; Michael P. Wilkie,

    2012-01-01

    The transition from freshwater to seawater is integral to the life history of many fishes. Diverse migratory fishes express anadromous, catadromous, and amphidromous life histories, while others make incomplete transits between freshwater and seawater. The physiological mechanisms of osmoregulation are widely conserved among phylogenetically diverse species. Diadromous fishes moving between freshwater and seawater develop osmoregulatory mechanisms for different environmental salinities. Freshwater to seawater transition involves hormonally mediated changes in gill ionocytes and the transport proteins associated with hypoosmoregulation, increased seawater ingestion and water absorption in the intestine, and reduced urinary water losses. Fishes attain salinity tolerance through early development, gradual acclimation, or environmentally or developmentally cued adaptations. This chapter describes adaptations in diverse taxa and the effects of salinity on growth. Identifying common strategies in diadromous fishes moving between freshwater and seawater will reveal the ecological and physiological basis for maintaining homeostasis in different salinities, and inform efforts to conserve and manage migratory euryhaline fishes.

  17. River-derived humic substances as iron chelators in seawater

    PubMed Central

    Krachler, Regina; Krachler, Rudolf F.; Wallner, Gabriele; Hann, Stephan; Laux, Monika; Cervantes Recalde, Maria F.; Jirsa, Franz; Neubauer, Elisabeth; von der Kammer, Frank; Hofmann, Thilo; Keppler, Bernhard K.

    2015-01-01

    The speciation of iron(III) in oxic seawater is dominated by its hydrolysis and sedimentation of insoluble iron(III)-oxyhydroxide. As a consequence, many oceanic areas have very low iron levels in surface seawater which leads to iron deficiency since phytoplankton require iron as a micronutrient in order to grow. Fortunately, iron solubility is not truly as low as Fe(III) solubility measurements in inorganic seawater would suggest, since oceanic waters contain organic molecules which tend to bind the iron and keep it in solution. Various iron-binding organic ligands which combine to stabilize dissolved iron have been detected and thoroughly investigated in recent years. However, the role of iron-binding ligands from terrestrial sources remains poorly constrained. Blackwater rivers supply large amounts of natural organic material (NOM) to the ocean. This NOM (which consists mainly of vascular plant-derived humic substances) is able to greatly enhance iron bioavailability in estuaries and coastal regions, however, breakdown processes lead to a rapid decrease of river-derived NOM concentrations with increasing distance from land. It has therefore been argued that the influence of river-derived NOM on iron biogeochemistry in offshore seawater does not seem to be significant. Here we used a standard method based on 59Fe as a radiotracer to study the solubility of Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide in seawater in the presence of riverine NOM. We aimed to address the question how effective is freshwater NOM as an iron chelator under open ocean conditions where the concentration of land-derived organic material is about 3 orders of magnitude smaller than in coastal regions, and does this iron chelating ability vary between NOM from different sources and between different size fractions of the river-borne NOM. Our results show that the investigated NOM fractions were able to substantially enhance Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide solubility in seawater at concentrations of the NOM ≥ 5

  18. Rapid determination of actinides in seawater samples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maxwell, Sherrod L.; Culligan, Brian K.; Hutchison, Jay B.

    2014-03-09

    A new rapid method for the determination of actinides in seawater samples has been developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory. The actinides can be measured by alpha spectrometry or inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The new method employs novel pre-concentration steps to collect the actinide isotopes quickly from 80 L or more of seawater. Actinides are co-precipitated using an iron hydroxide co-precipitation step enhanced with Ti +3 reductant, followed by lanthanum fluoride co-precipitation. Stacked TEVA Resin and TRU Resin cartridges are used to rapidly separate Pu, U, and Np isotopes from seawater samples. TEVA Resin and DGA Resin were usedmore » to separate and measure Pu, Am and Cm isotopes in seawater volumes up to 80 L. This robust method is ideal for emergency seawater samples following a radiological incident. It can also be used, however, for the routine analysis of seawater samples for oceanographic studies to enhance efficiency and productivity. In contrast, many current methods to determine actinides in seawater can take 1–2 weeks and provide chemical yields of ~30–60 %. This new sample preparation method can be performed in 4–8 h with tracer yields of ~85–95 %. By employing a rapid, robust sample preparation method with high chemical yields, less seawater is needed to achieve lower or comparable detection limits for actinide isotopes with less time and effort.« less

  19. Estimates of ikaite export from sea ice to the underlying seawater in a sea ice-seawater mesocosm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geilfus, Nicolas-Xavier; Galley, Ryan J.; Else, Brent G. T.; Campbell, Karley; Papakyriakou, Tim; Crabeck, Odile; Lemes, Marcos; Delille, Bruno; Rysgaard, Søren

    2016-09-01

    The precipitation of ikaite and its fate within sea ice is still poorly understood. We quantify temporal inorganic carbon dynamics in sea ice from initial formation to its melt in a sea ice-seawater mesocosm pool from 11 to 29 January 2013. Based on measurements of total alkalinity (TA) and total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2), the main processes affecting inorganic carbon dynamics within sea ice were ikaite precipitation and CO2 exchange with the atmosphere. In the underlying seawater, the dissolution of ikaite was the main process affecting inorganic carbon dynamics. Sea ice acted as an active layer, releasing CO2 to the atmosphere during the growth phase, taking up CO2 as it melted and exporting both ikaite and TCO2 into the underlying seawater during the whole experiment. Ikaite precipitation of up to 167 µmol kg-1 within sea ice was estimated, while its export and dissolution into the underlying seawater was responsible for a TA increase of 64-66 µmol kg-1 in the water column. The export of TCO2 from sea ice to the water column increased the underlying seawater TCO2 by 43.5 µmol kg-1, suggesting that almost all of the TCO2 that left the sea ice was exported to the underlying seawater. The export of ikaite from the ice to the underlying seawater was associated with brine rejection during sea ice growth, increased vertical connectivity in sea ice due to the upward percolation of seawater and meltwater flushing during sea ice melt. Based on the change in TA in the water column around the onset of sea ice melt, more than half of the total ikaite precipitated in the ice during sea ice growth was still contained in the ice when the sea ice began to melt. Ikaite crystal dissolution in the water column kept the seawater pCO2 undersaturated with respect to the atmosphere in spite of increased salinity, TA and TCO2 associated with sea ice growth. Results indicate that ikaite export from sea ice and its dissolution in the underlying seawater can potentially hamper

  20. Paleogene Seawater Osmium Isotope Records

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rolewicz, Z.; Thomas, D. J.; Marcantonio, F.

    2012-12-01

    Paleoceanographic reconstructions of the Late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic require enhanced geographic coverage, particularly in the Pacific, in order to better constrain meridional variations in environmental conditions. The challenge with the existing inventory of Pacific deep-sea cores is that they consist almost exclusively of pelagic clay with little existing age control. Pelagic clay sequences are useful for reconstructions of dust accumulation and water mass composition, but accurate correlation of these records to other sites requires improved age control. Recent work indicates that seawater Os isotope analyses provide useful age control for red clay sequences. The residence time of Os in seawater is relatively long compared to oceanic mixing, therefore the global seawater 187Os/188Os composition is practically homogeneous. A growing body of Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic data has constrained the evolution of the seawater Os isotopic composition and this curve is now a viable stratigraphic tool, employed in dating layers of Fe-Mn crusts (e.g., Klemm et al., 2005). Ravizza (2007) also demonstrated that the seawater Os isotopic composition can be extracted reliably from pelagic red clay sediments by analyzing the leached oxide minerals. The drawback to using seawater Os isotope stratigraphy to date Paleogene age sediments is that the compilation of existing data has some significant temporal gaps, notably between ~38 and 55 Ma. To improve the temporal resolution of the seawater Os isotope curve, we present new data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 865 in the equatorial Pacific. Site 865 has excellent biostratigraphic age control over the interval ~38-55Ma. Preliminary data indicate an increase in the seawater composition from 0.427 at 53.4 Ma to 0.499 by 43 Ma, consistent with the apparent trend in the few existing data points. We also analyzed the Os isotopic composition recorded by oxide minerals at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1370

  1. Numerical Study of Groundwater Flow and Salinity Distribution Cycling Controlled by Seawater/Freshwater Interaction in Karst Aquifer Using SEAWAT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Z.; Hu, B.

    2017-12-01

    The interest to predict seawater intrusion and salinity distribution in Woodville Karst Plain (WKP) has increased due to the huge challenge on quality of drinkable water and serious environmental problems. Seawater intrudes into the conduit system from submarine karst caves at Spring Creek Spring due to density difference and sea level rising, nowadays the low salinity has been detected at Wakulla Spring which is 18 km from coastal line. The groundwater discharge at two major springs and salinity distribution in this area is controlled by the seawater/freshwater interaction under different rainfall conditions: during low rainfall periods, seawater flow into the submarine spring through karst windows, then the salinity rising at the submarine spring leads to seawater further intrudes into conduit system; during high rainfall periods, seawater is pushed out by fresh water discharge at submarine spring. The previous numerical studies of WKP mainly focused on the density independent transport modeling and seawater/freshwater discharge at major karst springs, in this study, a SEAWAT model has been developed to fully investigate the salinity distribution in the WKP under repeating phases of low rainfall and high rainfall periods, the conduit system was simulated as porous media with high conductivity and porosity. The precipitation, salinity and discharge at springs were used to calibrate the model. The results showed that the salinity distribution in porous media and conduit system is controlled by the rainfall change, in general, the salinity distribution inland under low rainfall conditions is much higher and wider than the high rainfall conditions. The results propose a prediction on the environmental problem caused by seawater intrusion in karst coastal aquifer, in addition, provide a visual and scientific basis for future groundwater remediation.

  2. Determination of cadmium in seawater by chelate vapor generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Rui; Ma, Guopeng; Duan, Xuchuan; Sun, Jinsheng

    2018-03-01

    A method for the determination of cadmium in seawater by chelate vapor generation (Che-VG) atomic fluorescence spectrometry is described. Several commercially available chelating agents, including ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC), sodium dimethyl dithiocarbamate (DMDTC), ammonium dibutyl dithiophosphate (DBDTP) and sodium O,O-diethyl dithiophosphate (DEDTP), are compared with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) for the Che-VG of cadmium, and results showed that DDTC and DEDTP had very good cadmium signal intensity. The effect of the conditions of Che-VG with DDTC on the intensity of cadmium signal was investigated. Under the optimal conditions, 85 ± 3% Che-VG efficiency is obtained for cadmium. The detection limit (3σ) obtained in the optimal conditions was 0.19 ng ml- 1. The relative standard deviation (RSD, %) for ten replicate determinations at 2 ng ml- 1 Cd was 3.42%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the ultratrace determination of cadmium in seawater samples by the standard addition method.

  3. Bromine isotope ratio measurements in seawater by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with a conventional sample introduction system.

    PubMed

    de Gois, Jefferson S; Vallelonga, Paul; Spolaor, Andrea; Devulder, Veerle; Borges, Daniel L G; Vanhaecke, Frank

    2016-01-01

    A simple and accurate methodology for Br isotope ratio measurements in seawater by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) with pneumatic nebulization for sample introduction was developed. The Br(+) signals could be measured interference-free at high mass resolution. Memory effects for Br were counteracted using 5 mmol L(-1) of NH4OH in sample, standard, and wash solutions. The major cation load of seawater was removed via cation exchange chromatography using Dowex 50WX8 resin. Subsequent Br preconcentration was accomplished via evaporation of the sample solution at 90 °C, which did not induce Br losses or isotope fractionation. Mass discrimination was corrected for by external correction using a Cl-matched standard measured in a sample-standard bracketing approach, although Sr, Ge, and Se were also tested as potential internal standards for internal correction for mass discrimination. The δ(81)Br (versus standard mean ocean bromide (SMOB)) values thus obtained for the NaBr isotopic reference material NIST SRM 977 and for IRMM BCR-403 seawater certified reference material are in agreement with literature values. For NIST SRM 977, the (81)Br/(79)Br ratio (0.97291) was determined with a precision ≤0.08‰ relative standard deviation (RSD).

  4. Determination of four forms of vitamin B12 and other B vitamins in seawater by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Heal, Katherine R; Carlson, Laura Truxal; Devol, Allan H; Armbrust, E Virginia; Moffett, James W; Stahl, David A; Ingalls, Anitra E

    2014-11-30

    Vitamin B(12) is an essential nutrient for more than half of surveyed marine algae species, but methods for directly measuring this important cofactor in seawater are limited. Current mass spectrometry methods do not quantify all forms of B(12), potentially missing a significant portion of the B(12) pool. We present a method to measure vitamins B(1), B(2), B(6), B(7) and four forms of B(12) dissolved in seawater. The method entails solid-phase extraction, separation by ultra-performance liquid chromatography, and detection by triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry using stable-isotope-labeled internal standards. We demonstrated the use of this method in the environment by analyzing B(12) concentrations at different depths in the Hood Canal, part of the Puget Sound estuarine system in Washington State. Recovery of vitamin B(12) forms during the preconcentration steps was >71% and the limits of detection were <0.275 pM in seawater. Standard addition calibration curves in three different seawater matrices were used to determine analytical response and to quantify samples from the environment. Hydroxocobalamin was the main form of B(12) in seawater at our field site. We developed a method for quantifying four forms of B(12) in seawater by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with the option of simultaneous analysis of vitamins B(1), B(2), B(6), and B(7). We validated the method and demonstrated its application in the field. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Physicochemical properties of protein-modified silver nanoparticles in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhong, Hangyue

    2013-10-01

    This study investigated the physicochemical properties of silver nanoparticles stabilized with casein protein in seawater. UV?vis spectrometry, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to measure the stability of silver nanoparticles in seawater samples. The obtained results show an increased aggregation tendency of silver nanoparticles in seawater, which could be attributed its relatively high cation concentration that could neutralize the negatively charges adsorbed on the surface of silver nanoparticles and reduce the electrostatic repulsion forces between nanoparticles. Similarly, due to the surface charge screening process, the zeta potential of silver nanoparticles in seawater decreased. This observation further supported the aggregation behavior of silver nanoparticles. This study also investigated the dissolution of silver nanoparticles in seawater. Result shows that the silver nanoparticle dissolution in DI water is lower than in seawater, which is attributed to the high Cl? concentration present in seawater. As Cl? can react with silver and form soluble AgCl complex, dissolution of silver nanoparticles was enhanced. Finally, this study demonstrated that silver nanoparticles are destabilized in seawater condition. These results may be helpful in understanding the environmental risk of discharged silver nanoparticles in seawater conditions.

  6. Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH

    PubMed Central

    Tambutté, E.; Carpenter, R. C.; Edmunds, P. J.; Evensen, N. R.; Allemand, D.; Ferrier-Pagès, C.; Tambutté, S.; Venn, A. A.

    2017-01-01

    Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pHCF) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pHCF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (AT). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pHCF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [AT], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pHCF. Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pHCF with the seawater [DIC]/[H+] ratio, [AT]/ [H+] ratio and []. Our findings contribute new insights into the mechanisms determining the sensitivity of coral calcification to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, which are needed for predicting effects of environmental change on coral reefs and for robust interpretations of isotopic palaeoenvironmental records in coral skeletons. PMID:28100813

  7. A precise method for the analysis of d18O of dissolved inorganic phosphate in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McLaughlin, K.; Silva, S.; Kendall, C.; Stuart-Williams, Hilary; Paytan, A.

    2004-01-01

    A method for preparation and analysis of the oxygen isotope composition (d18O) of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) has been developed and preliminary results for water samples from various locations are reported. Phosphate is extracted from seawater samples by coprecipitation with magnesium hydroxide. Phosphate is further purified through a series of precipitations and resin separation and is ultimately converted to silver phosphate. Silver phosphate samples are pyrolitically decomposed to carbon monoxide and analyzed for d18O. Silver phosphate samples weighing 0.7 mg (3.5 mol oxygen) can be analyzed routinely with an average standard deviation of about 0.3. There is no isotope fractionation during extraction and blanks are negligible within analytical error. Reproducibility was determined for both laboratory standards and natural samples by multiple analyses. A comparison between filtered and unfiltered natural seawater samples was also conducted and no appreciable difference was observed for the samples tested. The d18O values of DIP in seawater determined using this method range from 18.6 to 22.3, suggesting small but detectable natural variability in seawater. For the San Francisco Bay estuary DIP d18O is more variable, ranging from 11.4 near the San Joaquin River to 20.1 near the Golden Gate Bridge, and was well correlated with salinity, phosphate concentration, and d18O of water.

  8. Technical note: Examining ozone deposition over seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarwar, Golam; Kang, Daiwen; Foley, Kristen; Schwede, Donna; Gantt, Brett; Mathur, Rohit

    2016-09-01

    Surface layer resistance plays an important role in determining ozone deposition velocity over sea-water and can be influenced by chemical interactions at the air-water interface. Here, we examine the effect of chemical interactions of iodide, dimethylsulfide, dissolved organic carbon, and bromide in seawater on ozone deposition. We perform a series of simulations using the hemispheric Community Multiscale Air Quality model for summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. Our results suggest that each chemical interaction enhances the ozone deposition velocity and decreases the atmospheric ozone mixing ratio over seawater. Iodide enhances the median deposition velocity over seawater by 0.023 cm s-1, dissolved organic carbon by 0.021 cm s-1, dimethylsulfide by 0.002 cm s-1, and bromide by ∼0.0006 cm s-1. Consequently, iodide decreases the median atmospheric ozone mixing ratio over seawater by 0.7 ppb, dissolved organic carbon by 0.8 ppb, dimethylsulfide by 0.1 ppb, and bromide by 0.02 ppb. In a separate model simulation, we account for the effect of dissolved salts in seawater on the Henry's law constant for ozone and find that it reduces the median deposition velocity by 0.007 cm s-1 and increases surface ozone mixing ratio by 0.2 ppb. The combined effect of these processes increases the median ozone deposition velocity over seawater by 0.040 cm s-1, lowers the atmospheric ozone mixing ratio by 5%, and slightly improves model performance relative to observations.

  9. Chlorine-36 in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Argento, David C.; Stone, John O.; Keith Fifield, L.; Tims, Stephen G.

    2010-04-01

    Natural cosmogenic 36Cl found in seawater originates from spallation of atmospheric 40Ar, capture of secondary cosmic-ray neutrons by dissolved 35Cl, and river runoff which contains 36Cl produced in situ over the surface of the continents. The long residence time of chloride in the ocean and long half-life of 36Cl compared to the oceanic mixing time should result in a homogenous 36Cl/Cl ratio throughout the ocean. Production by neutron capture in the course of nuclear weapons testing should be insignificant averaged over the oceans as a whole, but may have led to regions of elevated 36Cl concentration. Previous attempts to measure the 36Cl/Cl ratio of seawater have been hindered by interferences, contamination, or insufficient analytic sensitivity. Here we report preliminary measurements on seawater samples, which demonstrate that the 36Cl/Cl ratio is 0.5 ± 0.3 × 10 -15, in reasonable agreement with calculated contributions from the sources listed above.

  10. On the GIBBS thermodynamic potential of seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feistel, Rainer; Hagen, Eberhard

    Free Enthalpy, the GIBBS thermodynamic potential G(S,t,p) of seawater, has been recomputed including the sound speed equation of DEL GROSSO (1974), temperatures of maximum density (TMD) of CALDWELL (1978), freezing point depression measurements of DOHERTY and KESTER (1974), rederived limiting laws and ice properties, and an extended set of dilution heat data of BROMLEY (1968) and MILLERO, HANSEN and HOFF (1973). As a new reference state, the standard ocean state has been chosen. The resulting average deviations are 0.0006 kg m -3 for pure water density at 1 atm, 0.002 kg m -3 for seawater density at 1 atm, 0.02 m/s for sound speed, 0.01 J kgK -1 for heat capacity at 1 atm, 0.4 kJ kg -1 for dilution heats, 0.002°C for freezing points, and 0.04°C for TMDs. Resulting pressure-dependent freezing points are in good agreement with experiments and UNESCO (1978) formulas. Enthalpy as thermodynamic potential has been explicitly determined for easy computation of potential temperature, potential density, and sound speed. All functions are expressed in the new International Temperature Scale ITS-90.

  11. A Water Tank Study of the Effects of Seawater Temperature on Coral Metabolism and Changes in Chemical Compositions in Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujimura, H.; Arakaki, T.; Hamdun, A. M.; Oomori, T.

    2002-12-01

    For the past several years, large-scale coral bleaching has been observed in many coral reef areas around the world. Coral bleaching is considered to be caused mainly by high seawater temperature together with other factors such as strong UV-light and changes in salinity. However, the mechanism of coral bleaching is not clearly understood. We have conducted experiments using water tanks under well-controlled light and temperature conditions to elucidate the effects of seawater temperature on coral_fs metabolism and changes in chemical compositions in the seawater around the coral. Metabolism of coral was studied by analyzing changes in seawater chemical compositions. Coral specimen used in our experiment, Goniastrea aspera, was collected from northern shore of Okinawa island, Japan. pH, nitrate ion, dissolved organic carbon, and alkalinity were measured. Photochemically formed hydroxyl radical was also studied in those seawater samples.

  12. Seawater drinking restores water balance in dehydrated harp seals.

    PubMed

    How, Ole-Jakob; Nordøy, Erling S

    2007-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to answer the question of whether dehydrated harp seals (Phoca groenlandica) are able to obtain a net gain of water from the intake of seawater. Following 24 h of fasting, three subadult female harp seals were dehydrated by intravenous administration of the osmotic diuretic, mannitol. After another 24 h of fasting, the seals were given 1,000 ml seawater via a stomach tube. Urine and blood were collected for measurement of osmolality and osmolytes, while total body water (TBW) was determined by injections of tritiated water. In all seals, the maximum urinary concentrations of Na(+) and Cl(-) were higher than in seawater, reaching 540 and 620 mM, respectively, compared to 444 and 535 mM in seawater. In another experiment, the seals were given ad lib access to seawater for 48 h after mannitol-induced hyper-osmotic dehydration. In animals without access to seawater, the mean blood osmolality increased from 331 to 363 mOsm kg(-1) during dehydration. In contrast, the blood osmolality, hematocrit and TBW returned to normal when the seals were permitted ad lib access to seawater after dehydration. In conclusion, this study shows that harp seals have the capacity to gain net water from mariposa (voluntarily drinking seawater) and are able to restore water balance after profound dehydration by drinking seawater.

  13. Coral calcifying fluid pH is modulated by seawater carbonate chemistry not solely seawater pH.

    PubMed

    Comeau, S; Tambutté, E; Carpenter, R C; Edmunds, P J; Evensen, N R; Allemand, D; Ferrier-Pagès, C; Tambutté, S; Venn, A A

    2017-01-25

    Reef coral calcification depends on regulation of pH in the internal calcifying fluid (CF) in which the coral skeleton forms. However, little is known about calcifying fluid pH (pH CF ) regulation, despite its importance in determining the response of corals to ocean acidification. Here, we investigate pH CF in the coral Stylophora pistillata in seawater maintained at constant pH with manipulated carbonate chemistry to alter dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration, and therefore total alkalinity (A T ). We also investigate the intracellular pH of calcifying cells, photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates under the same conditions. Our results show that despite constant pH in the surrounding seawater, pH CF is sensitive to shifts in carbonate chemistry associated with changes in [DIC] and [A T ], revealing that seawater pH is not the sole driver of pH CF Notably, when we synthesize our results with published data, we identify linear relationships of pH CF with the seawater [DIC]/[H + ] ratio, [A T ]/ [H + ] ratio and [[Formula: see text

  14. Buffer capacity, ecosystem feedbacks, and seawater chemistry under global change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jury, C. P.; Thomas, F. I.; Atkinson, M. J.; Jokiel, P. L.; Onuma, M. A.; Kaku, N.; Toonen, R. J.

    2013-12-01

    Ocean acidification (OA) results in reduced seawater pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), but also reduced seawater buffer capacity. As buffer capacity decreases, diel variation in seawater chemistry increases. However, a variety of ecosystem feedbacks can modulate changes in both average seawater chemistry and diel seawater chemistry variation. Here we model these effects for a coastal, reef flat ecosystem. We show that an increase in offshore pCO2 and temperature (to 900 μatm and +3°C) can increase diel pH variation by as much as a factor of 2.5 and can increase diel pCO2 variation by a factor of 4.6, depending on ecosystem feedbacks and seawater residence time. Importantly, these effects are different between day and night. With increasing seawater residence time and increasing feedback intensity, daytime seawater chemistry becomes more similar to present-day conditions while nighttime seawater chemistry becomes less similar to present-day conditions. Better constraining ecosystem feedbacks under global change will improve projections of coastal water chemistry, but this study shows the importance of considering changes in both average carbonate chemistry and diel chemistry variation for organisms and ecosystems. Further, we will discuss our recent work examining the effects of diel seawater chemistry variation on coral calcification rates.

  15. Proteolytic enzymes in seawater: contribution of prokaryotes and protists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obayashi, Y.; Suzuki, S.

    2016-02-01

    Proteolytic enzyme is one of the major catalysts of microbial processing of organic matter in biogeochemical cycle. Here we summarize some of our studies about proteases in seawater, including 1) distribution of protease activities in coastal and oceanic seawater, 2) responses of microbial community and protease activities in seawater to organic matter amending, and 3) possible contribution of heterotrophic protists besides prokaryotes to proteases in seawater, to clarify cleared facts and remaining questions. Activities of aminopeptidases, trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases were detected from both coastal and oceanic seawater by using MCA-substrate assay. Significant activities were detected from not only particulate (cell-associated) fraction but also dissolved fraction of seawater, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. Hydrolytic enzymes in seawater have been commonly thought to be mainly derived from heterotrophic prokaryotes; however, it was difficult to determine actual source organisms of dissolved enzymes in natural seawater. Our experiment with addition of dissolved protein to subtropical oligotrophic Pacific water showed drastically enhancement of the protease activities especially aminopeptidases in seawater, and the prokaryotic community structure simultaneously changed to be dominant of Bacteroidetes, indicating that heterotrophic bacteria were actually one of the sources of proteases in seawater. Another microcosm experiment with free-living marine heterotrophic ciliate Paranophrys marina together with an associated bacterium showed that extracellular trypsin-type activity was mainly attributed to the ciliate. The protist seemed to work in organic matter digestion in addition to be a grazer. From the results, we propose a system of organic matter digestion by prokaryotes and protists in aquatic environments, although their actual contribution in natural environments should be estimated in future studies.

  16. The major-ion composition of Carboniferous seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holt, Nora M.; García-Veigas, Javier; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Giles, Peter S.; Williams-Stroud, Sherilyn

    2014-06-01

    The major-ion chemistry (Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, SO42-, and Cl-) of Carboniferous seawater was determined from chemical analyses of fluid inclusions in marine halites, using the cryo scanning electron microscopy (Cryo-SEM) X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS) technique. Fluid inclusions in halite from the Mississippian Windsor and Mabou Groups, Shubenacadie Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada (Asbian and Pendleian Substages, 335.5-330 Ma), and from the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation, Utah, USA, (Desmoinesian Stage 309-305 Ma) contain Na+-Mg2+-K+-Ca2+-Cl- brines, with no measurable SO42-, which shows that the Carboniferous ocean was a “CaCl2 sea”, relatively enriched in Ca2+ and low in SO42- with equivalents Ca2+ > SO42- + HCO3-. δ34S values from anhydrite in the Mississippian Shubenacadie Basin (13.2-14.0 ‰) and the Pennsylvanian Paradox Formation (11.2-12.6 ‰) support seawater sources. Br in halite from the Shubenacadie Basin (53-111 ppm) and the Paradox Basin (68-147 ppm) also indicate seawater parentages. Carboniferous seawater, modeled from fluid inclusions, contained ∼22 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Mississippian) and ∼24 mmol Ca2+/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Estimated sulfate concentrations are ∼14 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Mississippian), and ∼12 mmol SO42-/kg H2O (Pennsylvanian). Calculated Mg2+/Ca2+ ratios are 2.5 (Mississippian) and 2.3 (Pennsylvanian), with an estimated range of 2.0-3.2. The fluid inclusion record of seawater chemistry shows a long period of CaCl2 seas in the Paleozoic, from the Early Cambrian through the Carboniferous, when seawater was enriched in Ca2+ and relatively depleted in SO42-. During this ∼200 Myr interval, Ca2+ decreased and SO42- increased, but did not cross the Ca2+-SO42- chemical divide to become a MgSO4 sea (when SO42- in seawater became greater than Ca2+) until the latest Pennsylvanian or earliest Permian (∼309-295 Ma). Seawater remained a MgSO4 sea during the Permian and Triassic, for ∼100 Myr. Fluid inclusions also record

  17. The geologic history of seawater pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halevy, I.; Bachan, A.

    2017-03-01

    Although pH is a fundamental property of Earth’s oceans, critical to our understanding of seawater biogeochemistry, its long-timescale geologic history is poorly constrained. We constrain seawater pH through time by accounting for the cycles of the major components of seawater. We infer an increase from early Archean pH values between ~6.5 and 7.0 and Phanerozoic values between ~7.5 and 9.0, which was caused by a gradual decrease in atmospheric pCO2 in response to solar brightening, alongside a decrease in hydrothermal exchange between seawater and the ocean crust. A lower pH in Earth’s early oceans likely affected the kinetics of chemical reactions associated with the origin of life, the energetics of early metabolisms, and climate through the partitioning of CO2 between the oceans and atmosphere.

  18. Use of Seawater for Air Conditioning at Waikiki Convention Center

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-01-01

    construct heat exchangers of either titanium or zinc-clad aluminum . It is likely that these could be ordered "off the shelf*. Bio-fouling would not be a...Considerations J. Fouling K. Alternative Design: Directional Drilling System Design A. Seawater Heat Exchangers 1. Materials 2. Bio-fouling 3. Design... Heat exchangers are available in a variety of types, sizes and materials . There are standard models available by many manufactures, however, a single

  19. Accurate Measurements of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater at L Band

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, Roger H.; Utku, Cuneyt; Tarkocin, Yalcin; LeVine, David M.

    2010-01-01

    This report describes measurements of the dielectric constant of seawater at a frequency of 1.413 GHz that is at the center of the L-Sand radiometric protected frequency spectrum. Aquarius will be sensing the sea surface salinity from space in this band. The objective of the project is to refine the model function for the dielectric constant as a function of salinity and temperature so that remote sensing measurements can be made with the accuracy needed to meet the measurement goals (0.2 psu) of the Aquarius mission. The measurements were made, using a microwave cavity operated in the transmission configuration. The cavity's temperature was accurately regulated to 0.02 C by immersing it in a temperature controlled bath of distilled water and ethanol glycol. Seawater had been purchased from Ocean Scientific International Limited (OS1L) at salinities of 30, 35 and 38 psu. Measurements of these seawater samples were then made over a range of temperatures, from l0 C to 35 C in 5 C intervals. Repeated measurements were made at each temperature and salinity, Mean values and standard deviations were then computed. Total error budgets indicated that the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant had a relative accuracy of about l%.

  20. Deep seawater inherent optical properties in the Southern Ionian Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riccobene, G.; Capone, A.; Aiello, S.; Ambriola, M.; Ameli, F.; Amore, I.; Anghinolfi, M.; Anzalone, A.; Avanzini, C.; Barbarino, G.; Barbarito, E.; Battaglieri, M.; Bellotti, R.; Beverini, N.; Bonori, M.; Bouhadef, B.; Brescia, M.; Cacopardo, G.; Cafagna, F.; Caponetto, L.; Castorina, E.; Ceres, A.; Chiarusi, T.; Circella, M.; Cocimano, R.; Coniglione, R.; Cordelli, M.; Costa, M.; Cuneo, S.; D'Amico, A.; de Bonis, G.; de Marzo, C.; de Rosa, G.; de Vita, R.; Distefano, C.; Falchini, E.; Fiorello, C.; Flaminio, V.; Fratini, K.; Gabrielli, A.; Galeotti, S.; Gandolfi, E.; Grimaldi, A.; Habel, R.; Leonora, E.; Lonardo, A.; Longo, G.; Lo Presti, D.; Lucarelli, F.; Maccioni, E.; Margiotta, A.; Martini, A.; Masullo, R.; Megna, R.; Migneco, E.; Mongelli, M.; Montaruli, T.; Morganti, M.; Musumeci, M.; Nicolau, C. A.; Orlando, A.; Osipenko, M.; Osteria, G.; Papaleo, R.; Pappalardo, V.; Petta, C.; Piattelli, P.; Raffaelli, F.; Raia, G.; Randazzo, N.; Reito, S.; Ricco, G.; Ripani, M.; Rovelli, A.; Ruppi, M.; Russo, G. V.; Russo, S.; Russo, S.; Sapienza, P.; Sedita, M.; Schuller, J.-P.; Shirokov, E.; Simeone, F.; Sipala, V.; Spurio, M.; Taiuti, M.; Terreni, G.; Trasatti, L.; Urso, S.; Valente, V.; Vicini, P.

    2007-02-01

    The NEMO (NEutrino Mediterranean Observatory) Collaboration has been carrying out since 1998 an evaluation programme of deep sea sites suitable for the construction of the future Mediterranean km3 Čerenkov neutrino telescope. We investigated the seawater optical and oceanographic properties of several deep sea marine areas close to the Italian Coast. Inherent optical properties (light absorption and attenuation coefficients) have been measured as a function of depth using an experimental apparatus equipped with standard oceanographic probes and the commercial transmissometer AC9 manufactured by WETLabs. This paper reports on the visible light absorption and attenuation coefficients measured in deep seawater of a marine region located in the Southern Ionian Sea, 60 100 km SE of Capo Passero (Sicily). Data show that blue light absorption coefficient is about 0.015 m-1 (corresponding to an absorption length of 67 m) close to the one of optically pure water and it does not show seasonal variation.

  1. Seawater-Cultured Botryococcus braunii for Efficient Hydrocarbon Extraction

    PubMed Central

    Furuhashi, Kenichi; Saga, Kiyotaka; Okada, Shigeru; Imou, Kenji

    2013-01-01

    As a potential source of biofuel, the green colonial microalga Botryococcus braunii produces large amounts of hydrocarbons that are accumulated in the extracellular matrix. Generally, pretreatment such as drying or heating of wet algae is needed for sufficient recoveries of hydrocarbons from B. braunii using organic solvents. In this study, the Showa strain of B. braunii was cultured in media derived from the modified Chu13 medium by supplying artificial seawater, natural seawater, or NaCl. After a certain period of culture in the media with an osmotic pressure corresponding to 1/4-seawater, hydrocarbon recovery rates exceeding 90% were obtained by simply mixing intact wet algae with n-hexane without any pretreatments and the results using the present culture conditions indicate the potential for hydrocarbon milking. Highlights Seawater was used for efficient hydrocarbon extraction from Botryococcus braunii. The alga was cultured in media prepared with seawater or NaCl. Hydrocarbon recovery rate exceeding 90% was obtained without any pretreatment. PMID:23799107

  2. Seawater-cultured Botryococcus braunii for efficient hydrocarbon extraction.

    PubMed

    Furuhashi, Kenichi; Saga, Kiyotaka; Okada, Shigeru; Imou, Kenji

    2013-01-01

    As a potential source of biofuel, the green colonial microalga Botryococcus braunii produces large amounts of hydrocarbons that are accumulated in the extracellular matrix. Generally, pretreatment such as drying or heating of wet algae is needed for sufficient recoveries of hydrocarbons from B. braunii using organic solvents. In this study, the Showa strain of B. braunii was cultured in media derived from the modified Chu13 medium by supplying artificial seawater, natural seawater, or NaCl. After a certain period of culture in the media with an osmotic pressure corresponding to 1/4-seawater, hydrocarbon recovery rates exceeding 90% were obtained by simply mixing intact wet algae with n-hexane without any pretreatments and the results using the present culture conditions indicate the potential for hydrocarbon milking. Seawater was used for efficient hydrocarbon extraction from Botryococcus braunii. The alga was cultured in media prepared with seawater or NaCl. Hydrocarbon recovery rate exceeding 90% was obtained without any pretreatment.

  3. Chemical effect on ozone deposition over seawater

    EPA Science Inventory

    Surface layer resistance plays an important role in determining ozone deposition velocity over seawater. Recent studies suggest that surface layer resistance over sea-water is influenced by wind-speed and chemical interaction at the air-water interface. Here, we investigate the e...

  4. Corrosion and Protection of Metal in the Seawater Desalination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Xiangyu; Gao, Lili; Cui, Zhendong; Yin, Jianhua

    2018-01-01

    Seawater desalination develops rapid for it can solve water scarcity efficiently. However, corrosion problem in the seawater desalination system is more serious than that in normal water. So, it is important to pay attention to the corrosion and protection of metal in seawater desalination. The corrosion characteristics and corrosion types of metal in the seawater desalination system are introduced in this paper; In addition, corrosion protect methods and main influencing factors are stated, the latest new technologies about anti-corrosion with quantum energy assisted and magnetic inhibitor are presented.

  5. A method to measure the density of seawater accurately to the level of 10-6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Hannes; Wolf, Henning; Hassel, Egon

    2016-04-01

    A substitution method to measure seawater density relative to pure water density using vibrating tube densimeters was realized and validated. Standard uncertainties of 1 g m-3 at atmospheric pressure, 10 g m-3 up to 10 MPa, and 20 g m-3 to 65 MPa in the temperature range of 5 °C to 35 °C and for salt contents up to 35 g kg-1 were achieved. The realization was validated by comparison measurements with a hydrostatic weighing apparatus for atmospheric pressure. For high pressures, literature values of seawater compressibility were compared with substitution measurements of the realized apparatus.

  6. Precise determination of U isotopic compositions in low concentration carbonate samples by MC-ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Wang, Ruo-Mei; You, Chen-Feng

    2013-03-30

    We developed a fast and simple analytical procedure for precise determination of U isotopic compositions in low concentration natural samples. The main advantage of the new method is that it requires only 12ng U and can obtain all U isotopic ratios without using spike. Five carbonate reference materials (JCp-1, RKM-4, RKM-5, GBW04412 and GBW04413) and 3 international standards with different matrices (IAPSO, IRMM-3184 and CRM-U010) were analyzed for ((234)U/(238)U) and (238)U/(235)U ratios by MC-ICPMS. Using our method, the results for these standards are in close agreement with the certified values, 1.144 ± 0.004, 0.966 ± 0.004 and 0.990 ± 0.003 for ((234)U/(238)U) and 137.72 ± 0.13, 137.64 ± 0.15 and 98.63 ± 0.04 for (238)U/(235)U, in IAPSO, IRMM-3184 and CRM-U010, respectively. The long-term reproducibility of ((234)U/(238)U) and (238)U/(235)U is 0.970 ± 0.002 and 137.56 ± 0.09; 1.144 ± 0.004 and 137.72 ± 0.13, respectively, for in-house U solution and IAPSO. The new ((234)U/(238)U) results for carbonates show much better precision than previous studies and also reflect their age variability. The obtained (238)U/(235)U ratios, representing the first measurements in these carbonate specimens, are rather constant. The method described here requires only 12 ng of U for analysis and can be completed in 5.2 min. The approach provides a fast method to measure ((234)U/(238)U) and (238)U/(235)U ratios in sample matrices commonly encountered in studies of chemical weathering, oceanography and paleoclimatology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The effect of seawater on thermoregulator centers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dontas, S.; Phocas, E.

    1978-01-01

    Experiments were done on dogs to determine the mechanism of thermoregulation. Results show that natural seawater, injected intravenously (150, 200, and 300 cc ), causes narcosis of the thermic centers and increases temperature. Diluted seawater injection causes an excitation of the thermic centers and an antipyretic effect.

  8. Contribution of Seawater Surfactants to Generated Primary Marine Aerosol Particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frossard, A. A.; Gerard, V.; Duplessis, P.; Kinsey, J. D.; Lu, X.; Zhu, Y.; Bisgrove, J.; Maben, J. R.; Long, M. S.; Chang, R.; Beaupre, S. R.; Kieber, D. J.; Keene, W. C.; Noziere, B.; Cohen, R. C.

    2017-12-01

    Surfactants account for minor fractions of total organic carbon in the ocean but may have major impacts on the surface tension of bursting bubbles at the sea surface that drive the production of primary marine aerosol particles (PMA). Surfactants associated with marine aerosol may also significantly reduce the surface tension of water thereby increasing the potential for cloud droplet activation and growth. During September and October 2016, PMA were produced from bursting bubbles in seawater using a high capacity generator at two biologically productive and two oligotrophic stations in the western North Atlantic, as part of a cruise on the R/V Endeavor. Surfactants were extracted from paired PMA and seawater samples, and their ionic compositions, total concentrations, and critical micelle concentrations (CMC) were quantified and compared for the four hydrographic stations. Higher surfactant concentrations were determined in the aerosol produced from biologically productive seawater compared to oligotrophic seawater, and the surfactants extracted from productive seawater were stronger (had lower CMCs) than those in the oligotrophic seawater. Surfactants associated with PMA and seawater in productive regions also varied over diel cycles, whereas those in the oligotrophic regions did not. This work demonstrates a direct link between surfactants in seawater and those in PMA.

  9. Application of SEAWAT to select variable-density and viscosity problems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dausman, Alyssa M.; Langevin, Christian D.; Thorne, Danny T.; Sukop, Michael C.

    2010-01-01

    SEAWAT is a combined version of MODFLOW and MT3DMS, designed to simulate three-dimensional, variable-density, saturated groundwater flow. The most recent version of the SEAWAT program, SEAWAT Version 4 (or SEAWAT_V4), supports equations of state for fluid density and viscosity. In SEAWAT_V4, fluid density can be calculated as a function of one or more MT3DMS species, and optionally, fluid pressure. Fluid viscosity is calculated as a function of one or more MT3DMS species, and the program also includes additional functions for representing the dependence of fluid viscosity on temperature. This report documents testing of and experimentation with SEAWAT_V4 with six previously published problems that include various combinations of density-dependent flow due to temperature variations and/or concentration variations of one or more species. Some of the problems also include variations in viscosity that result from temperature differences in water and oil. Comparisons between the results of SEAWAT_V4 and other published results are generally consistent with one another, with minor differences considered acceptable.

  10. High Precision Seawater Sr/Ca Measurements in the Florida Keys by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry: Analytical Method and Implications for Coral Paleothermometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khare, A.; Kilbourne, K. H.; Schijf, J.

    2017-12-01

    Standard methods of reconstructing past sea surface temperatures (SSTs) with coral skeletal Sr/Ca ratios assume the seawater Sr/Ca ratio is constant. However, there is little data to support this assumption, in part because analytical techniques capable of determining seawater Sr/Ca with sufficient accuracy and precision are expensive and time consuming. We demonstrate a method to measure seawater Sr/Ca using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry where we employ an intensity ratio calibration routine that reduces the self- matrix effects of calcium and cancels out the matrix effects that are common to both calcium and strontium. A seawater standard solution cross-calibrated with multiple instruments is used to correct for long-term instrument drift and any remnant matrix effects. The resulting method produces accurate seawater Sr/Ca determinations rapidly, inexpensively, and with a precision better than 0.2%. This method will make it easier for coral paleoclimatologists to quantify potentially problematic fluctuations in seawater Sr/Ca at their study locations. We apply our method to test for variability in surface seawater Sr/Ca along the Florida Keys Reef Tract. We are collecting winter and summer samples for two years in a grid with eleven nearshore to offshore transects across the reef, as well as continuous samples collected by osmotic pumps at four locations adjacent to our grid. Our initial analysis of the grid samples indicates a trend of decreasing Sr/Ca values offshore potentially due to a decreasing groundwater influence. The values differ by as much as 0.05 mmol/mol which could lead to an error of 1°C in mean SST reconstructions. Future work involves continued sampling in the Florida Keys to test for seasonal and interannual variability in seawater Sr/Ca, as well as collecting data from small reefs in the Virgin Islands to test the stability of seawater Sr/Ca under different geologic, hydrologic and hydrographic environments.

  11. Online PH measurement technique in seawater desalination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Haibo; Wu, Kaihua; Hu, Shaopeng

    2009-11-01

    The measurement technology of pH is essential in seawater desalination. Glass electrode is the main pH sensor in seawater desalination. Because the internal impedance of glass electrode is high and the signal of pH sensor is easy to be disturbed, a signal processing circuit with high input impedance was designed. Because of high salinity of seawater and the characteristic of glass electrode, ultrasonic cleaning technology was used to online clean pH sensor. Temperature compensation was also designed to reduce the measurement error caused by variety of environment temperature. Additionally, the potential drift of pH sensor was analyzed and an automatic calibration method was proposed. In order to online monitor the variety of pH in seawater desalination, three operating modes were designed. The three modes are online monitoring mode, ultrasonic cleaning mode and auto-calibration mode. The current pH in seawater desalination was measured and displayed in online monitoring mode. The cleaning process of pH sensor was done in ultrasonic cleaning mode. The calibration of pH sensor was finished in auto-calibration mode. The result of experiments showed that the measurement technology of pH could meet the technical requirements for desalination. The glass electrode could be promptly and online cleaned and its service life was lengthened greatly.

  12. Inhibition of Sodium Benzoate on Stainless Steel in Tropical Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seoh, S. Y.; Senin, H. B.; Nik, W. N. Wan; Amin, M. M.

    2007-05-01

    The inhibition of sodium benzoate for stainless steel controlling corrosion was studied in seawater at room temperature. Three sets of sample have been immersed in seawater containing sodium benzoate with the concentrations of 0.3M, 0.6M and 1.0M respectively. One set of sample has been immersed in seawater without adding any sodium benzoate. It was found that the highest corrosion rate was observed for the stainless steel with no inhibitor was added to the seawater. As the concentration of sodium benzoate being increased, the corrosion rate is decreases. Results show that by the addition of 1.0M of sodium benzoate in seawater samples, it giving ≥ 90% efficiencies.

  13. Effects of NaCl and seawater induced salinity on survival and reproduction of three soil invertebrate species.

    PubMed

    Pereira, C S; Lopes, I; Sousa, J P; Chelinho, S

    2015-09-01

    The increase of global mean temperature is raising serious concerns worldwide due to its potential negative effects such as droughts and melting of glaciers and ice caps leading to sea level rise. Expected impacts on soil compartment include floodings, seawater intrusions and use of saltwater for irrigation, with unknown effects on soil ecosystems and their inhabitants. The present study aimed at evaluating the effects of salinisation on soil ecosystems due to sea level rise. The reproduction and mortality of three standard soil invertebrate species (Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus crypticus, Hypoaspis aculeifer) in standard artificial OECD soil spiked with serial dilutions of seawater/gradient of NaCl were evaluated according to standard guidelines. An increased sensitivity was observed in the following order: H. aculeifer≪E. crypticus≈F. candida consistent with the different exposure pathways: springtails and enchytraeids are exposed by ingestion and contact while mites are mainly exposed by ingestion due to a continuous and thick exoskeleton. Although small differences were observed in the calculated effect electrical conductivity values, seawater and NaCl induced the same overall effects (with a difference in the enchytraeid tests where a higher sensitivity was found in relation to NaCl). The adverse effects described in the present study are observed on soils not considered saline. Therefore, the actual limit to define saline soils (4000 μS cm(-1)) does not reflect the existing knowledge when considering soil fauna. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Concentration of enteric virus indicator from seawater using granular activated carbon.

    PubMed

    Cormier, Jiemin; Gutierrez, Miguel; Goodridge, Lawrence; Janes, Marlene

    2014-02-01

    Fecal contamination of shellfish growing seawater with enteric viruses is often associated with human outbreaks of gastroenteritis. Male specific bacteriophage MS2 is correlated with those of enteric viruses in a wide range of water environments and has been used widely as a surrogate for pathogenic waterborne viruses. Since viruses in contaminated water are usually at low levels, the development of methods to concentrate viruses from water is crucial for detection purposes. In the present study, granular activated carbon was evaluated for concentration of MS2 from artificial seawater, and different parameters of the seawater were also compared. Recovery of MS2 from warm seawater (37°C) was found to be significantly greater than from cold seawater (4 and 20°C), and even greater than from fresh water (4, 20 and 37°C); the difference between seawater and fresh water became less profound when the temperatures of both were below 37°C. Although not of statistical significance, recovery of MS2 from low salinity seawater (10 and 20 parts per thousand, ppt) was greater than from high salinity seawater (30 and 40ppt). One gram of granular activated carbon was able to extract 6-log plaque forming units (PFU) of MS2 from 500ml seawater at 37°C. This study demonstrated that granular activated carbon can concentrate an enteric virus indicator from shellfish growing seawater effectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues.

    PubMed

    Fang, Chuanji; Thomsen, Mette Hedegaard; Frankær, Christian Grundahl; Bastidas-Oyanedel, Juan-Rodrigo; Brudecki, Grzegorz P; Schmidt, Jens Ejbye

    2017-12-01

    Seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is an innovative process at research stage. With respect to process optimization, factors affecting seawater-based pretreatment of lignocellulosic date palm residues were studied for the first time in this paper. Pretreatment temperature (180°C-210°C), salinity of seawater (0ppt-50ppt), and catalysts (H 2 SO 4 , Na 2 CO 3 , and NaOH) were investigated. The results showed that pretreatment temperature exerted the largest influence on seawater-based pretreatment in terms of the enzymatic digestibility and fermentability of pretreated solids, and the inhibition of pretreatment liquids to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Salinity showed the least impact to seawater-based pretreatment, which widens the application spectrum of saline water sources such as brines discharged in desalination plant. Sulfuric acid was the most effective catalyst for seawater-based pretreatment compared with Na 2 CO 3 and NaOH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Nucleation from seawater emissions during mesocosm experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, Clémence; Culot, Anais; Pey, Jorge; Schwier, Allison; Mas, Sébastien; Charriere, Bruno; Sempéré, Richard; Marchand, Nicolas; D'Anna, Barbara; Sellegri, Karine

    2015-04-01

    Nucleation and new particle formation in the marine atmosphere is usually associated to the presence of macroalgea emerged at low tides in coastal areas, while these processes were very rarely detected away from coastlines. In the present study, we evidence the formation of new particles from the 1 nm size above the seawater surface in the absence of any macroalgea population. Within the SAM project (Sources of marine Aerosol in the Mediterranean),seawater mesocosms experiments were deployed in May 2013 at the STARESO in western Corsica, with the goal of investigating the relationship between marine aerosol emissions and the seawater biogeochemical properties. Three mesocosms imprisoned 3,3 m3 of seawater each and their emerged part was flushed with aerosol-filtered natural air. One of these mesocosms was left unchanged as control and the two others were enriched by addition of nitrates and phosphates respecting Redfield ratio (N:P = 16) in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. We followed both water and air characteristics of three mesocosms during a period of three weeks by using online water and atmospheric probes as well as seawater daily samples for chemical and biological analysis. Secondary new particle formation was followed on-line in the emerged parts of the mesocosms, using a SMPS for the size distribution above 6 nm and a Particle Size Magnifyer (PSM) for the number of cluster particles between 1 and 6 nm. We will present how the cluster formation rates and early growth rates relate to the gaz-phase emissions from the seawater and to its biogeochemical properties. Aknowledgemnts: The authors want to acknowledge the financial support of the ANR "Source of marine Aerosol in the Mediterranean" (SAM), and the support of MISTRAL CHARMEX and MERMEX programs.

  17. Photodegradation of Dicloran in Freshwater and Seawater.

    PubMed

    Vebrosky, Emily N; Saranjampour, Parichehr; Crosby, Donald G; Armbrust, Kevin L

    2018-03-21

    Dicloran appears to be a model pesticide for investigating photodegradation processes in surface waters. Photodegradation processes are particularly relevant to this compound as it is applied to crops grown in proximity to freshwater and marine ecosystems. The photodegradation of dicloran under simulated sunlight was measured in distilled water, artificial seawater, phosphate buffer, and filter-sterilized estuarine water to determine its half-life, degradation rate, and photodegradation products. The half-life was approximately 7.5 h in all media. There was no significant difference in the rate of degradation between distilled water and artificial seawater for dicloran. For the intermediate products, a higher concentration of 2-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone was measured in artificial seawater versus distilled water, while a slightly higher concentration of 1,4-benzoquinone was measured in distilled water versus artificial seawater. The detection of chloride and nitrate ions after 2 h of light exposure suggests photonucleophilic substitution contributes to the degradation process. Differences in product distributions between water types suggest that salinity impacts on chemical degradation may need to be addressed in chemical exposure assessments.

  18. Herbicide Persistence in Seawater Simulation Experiments

    PubMed Central

    Mercurio, Philip; Mueller, Jochen F.; Eaglesham, Geoff; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P.

    2015-01-01

    Herbicides are detected year-round in marine waters, including those of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The few previous studies that have investigated herbicide persistence in seawater generally reported half-lives in the order of months, and several studies were too short to detect significant degradation. Here we investigated the persistence of eight herbicides commonly detected in the GBR or its catchments in standard OECD simulation flask experiments, but with the aim to mimic natural conditions similar to those found on the GBR (i.e., relatively low herbicide concentrations, typical temperatures, light and microbial communities). Very little degradation was recorded over the standard 60 d period (Experiment 1) so a second experiment was extended to 365 d. Half-lives of PSII herbicides ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone and tebuthiuron were consistently greater than a year, indicating high persistence. The detection of atrazine and diuron metabolites and longer persistence in mercuric chloride-treated seawater confirmed that biodegradation contributed to the breakdown of herbicides. The shortest half-life recorded was 88 d for growth-regulating herbicide 2,4-D at 31°C in the dark, while the fatty acid-inhibitor metolachlor exhibited a minimum half-life of 281 d. The presence of moderate light and elevated temperatures affected the persistence of most of the herbicides; however, the scale and direction of the differences were not predictable and were likely due to changes in microbial community composition. The persistence estimates here represent some of the first appropriate data for application in risk assessments for herbicide exposure in tropical marine systems. The long persistence of herbicides identified in the present study helps explain detection of herbicides in nearshore waters of the GBR year round. Little degradation of these herbicides would be expected during the wet season with runoff and associated flood plumes

  19. Herbicide Persistence in Seawater Simulation Experiments.

    PubMed

    Mercurio, Philip; Mueller, Jochen F; Eaglesham, Geoff; Flores, Florita; Negri, Andrew P

    2015-01-01

    Herbicides are detected year-round in marine waters, including those of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The few previous studies that have investigated herbicide persistence in seawater generally reported half-lives in the order of months, and several studies were too short to detect significant degradation. Here we investigated the persistence of eight herbicides commonly detected in the GBR or its catchments in standard OECD simulation flask experiments, but with the aim to mimic natural conditions similar to those found on the GBR (i.e., relatively low herbicide concentrations, typical temperatures, light and microbial communities). Very little degradation was recorded over the standard 60 d period (Experiment 1) so a second experiment was extended to 365 d. Half-lives of PSII herbicides ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone and tebuthiuron were consistently greater than a year, indicating high persistence. The detection of atrazine and diuron metabolites and longer persistence in mercuric chloride-treated seawater confirmed that biodegradation contributed to the breakdown of herbicides. The shortest half-life recorded was 88 d for growth-regulating herbicide 2,4-D at 31°C in the dark, while the fatty acid-inhibitor metolachlor exhibited a minimum half-life of 281 d. The presence of moderate light and elevated temperatures affected the persistence of most of the herbicides; however, the scale and direction of the differences were not predictable and were likely due to changes in microbial community composition. The persistence estimates here represent some of the first appropriate data for application in risk assessments for herbicide exposure in tropical marine systems. The long persistence of herbicides identified in the present study helps explain detection of herbicides in nearshore waters of the GBR year round. Little degradation of these herbicides would be expected during the wet season with runoff and associated flood plumes

  20. Environmental impact of seawater desalination plants.

    PubMed

    Al-Mutaz, I S

    1991-01-01

    Enormous amounts of seawater are desalted everyday worldwide. The total world production of fresh water from the sea is about 2621 mgd (9.92 million m(3) day(-1) 1985 figures). Desalting processes are normally associated with the rejection of high concentration waste brine from the plant itself or from the pretreatment units as well as during the cleaning period. In thermal processes, mainly multistage flash (MSF) thermal pollution occurs. These pollutants increase the seawater temperature, salinity, water current and turbidity. They also harm the marine environment, causing fish to migrate while enhancing the presence of algae, nematods and tiny molluscus. Sometimes micro-elements and toxic materials appear in the discharged brine.This paper will discuss the impact of the effluents from the desalination plants on the seawater environment with particular reference to the Saudi desalination plants, since they account for about 50% of the world desalination capacity.

  1. Impurities Removal in Seawater to Optimize the Magnesium Extraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natasha, N. C.; Firdiyono, F.; Sulistiyono, E.

    2017-02-01

    Magnesium extraction from seawater is promising way because magnesium is the second abundant element in seawater and Indonesia has the second longest coastline in the world. To optimize the magnesium extraction, the impurities in seawater need to be eliminated. Evaporation and dissolving process were used in this research to remove the impurities especially calcium in seawater. Seawater which has been evaporated from 100 ml to 50 ml was dissolved with variations solution such as oxalic acid and ammonium bicarbonate. The solution concentration is 100 g/l and it variations are 2 ml, 4 ml, 6 ml, 8 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 40 ml and 50 ml. This step will produce precipitate and filtrate then it will be analysed to find out the result of this process. The precipitate was analysed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) but the filtrate was analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). XRD analysis shows that calcium oxalate and calcium carbonate were formed and ICP analysis shows that the remaining calcium in seawater using oxalic acid is about 0.01% and sodium 0.14% but when using ammonium bicarbonate the remaining calcium is 2.5% and sodium still more than 90%. The results show that both oxalic acid and ammonium bicarbonate can remove the impurities but when using oxalic acid, not only the impurities but also magnesium was precipitated. The conclusion of this research is the best solution to remove the impurities in seawater without precipitate the magnesium is using ammonium bicarbonate.

  2. Sporulation and survival of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindsay, D.S.; Collins, M.V.; Mitchell, S.M.; Cole, Rebecca A.; Flick, G.J.; Wetch, C.N.; Lindquist, A.; Dubey, J.P.

    2003-01-01

    We have been collaborating since 1992 in studies on southern sea otters (Enhdyra lutris nereis) as part of a program to define factors, which may be responsible for limiting the growth of the southern sea otter population. We previously demonstrated Toxoplasma gondii in sea otiers. We postulated that cat feces containing oocysts could be entering the marine environment through storm run-off or through municipal sewage since cat feces are often disposed down toilets by cat owners. The present study examined the sporulation of T. gondiioocysts in seawater and the survival of sporulated oocysts in seawater. Unsporulated oocysts were placed in 1.5 ppt artificial seawater, 32 ppt artificial seawater or 2% sulfuric acid (positive control) at 24 C in an incubator. Samples were examined daily for 3 days and development monitored by counting 100 oocysts from each sample. From 75 to 80% of the oocysts were sporulated by 3 days post-inoculation under all treatment conditions. Groups of 2 mice were fed 10,000 oocysts each from each of the 3 treatment groups. All inoculated mice developed toxoplasmosis indicating that oocysts were capable of sporulating in seawater. Survival of sporulated oocysts was examined by placing sporulated T. gondii oocysts in 15 ppt seawater at room temperature 22–24 C (RT) or in a refrigerator kept at 4 C. Mice fed oocysts that had been stored at 4C or RT for 6 months became infected. These results indicate that T. gondii oocysts can sporulate and remain viable in seawater for several months.

  3. Rare earth element scavenging in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byrne, Robert H.; Kim, Ki-Hyun

    1990-10-01

    Examinations of rare earth element (REE) adsorption in seawater, using a variety of surface-types, indicated that, for most surfaces, light rare earth elements (LREEs) are preferentially adsorbed compared to the heavy rare earths (HREEs). Exceptions to this behavior were observed only for silica phases (glass surfaces, acid-cleaned diatomaceous earth, and synthetic SiO 2). The affinity of the rare earths for surfaces can be strongly affected by thin organic coatings. Glass surfaces which acquired an organic coating through immersion in Tampa Bay exhibited adsorptive behavior typical of organic-rich, rather than glass, surfaces. Models of rare earth distributions between seawater and carboxylate-rich surfaces indicate that scavenging processes which involve such surfaces should exhibit a strong dependence on pH and carbonate complexation. Scavenging models involving carboxylate surfaces produce relative REE abundance patterns in good general agreement with observed shale-normalized REE abundances in seawater. Scavenging by carboxylate-rich surfaces should produce HREE enrichments in seawater relative to the LREEs and may produce enrichments of lanthanum relative to its immediate trivalent neighbors. Due to the origin of distribution coefficients as a difference between REE solution complexation (which increases strongly with atomic number) and surface complexation (which apparently also increases with atomic number) the relative solution abundance patterns of the REEs produced by scavenging reactions can be quite complex.

  4. Greening Drylands with Seawater Easily and Naturally.

    PubMed

    Moustafa, Khaled

    2017-03-01

    The sun and sea are inexhaustible sources of energy and water that could be used to transform drylands into more viable ecosystems. A sustainable and cost-effective approach is proposed for greening drylands and restoring wildlife and biodiversity in deserts using seawater desert-houses (or movable seawater ponds) that could offer important environmental advantages. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Fossil black smoker yields oxygen isotopic composition of Neoproterozoic seawater.

    PubMed

    Hodel, F; Macouin, M; Trindade, R I F; Triantafyllou, A; Ganne, J; Chavagnac, V; Berger, J; Rospabé, M; Destrigneville, C; Carlut, J; Ennih, N; Agrinier, P

    2018-04-13

    The evolution of the seawater oxygen isotopic composition (δ 18 O) through geological time remains controversial. Yet, the past δ 18 O seawater is key to assess past seawater temperatures, providing insights into past climate change and life evolution. Here we provide a new and unprecedentedly precise δ 18 O value of -1.33 ± 0.98‰ for the Neoproterozoic bottom seawater supporting a constant oxygen isotope composition through time. We demonstrate that the Aït Ahmane ultramafic unit of the ca. 760 Ma Bou Azzer ophiolite (Morocco) host a fossil black smoker-type hydrothermal system. In this system we analyzed an untapped archive for the ocean oxygen isotopic composition consisting in pure magnetite veins directly precipitated from a Neoproterozoic seawater-derived fluid. Our results suggest that, while δ 18 O seawater and submarine hydrothermal processes were likely similar to present day, Neoproterozoic oceans were 15-30 °C warmer on the eve of the Sturtian glaciation and the major life diversification that followed.

  6. Macroporous monoliths for trace metal extraction from seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Yue, Yanfeng; Mayes, Richard T.; Gill, Gary; ...

    2015-05-29

    The viability of seawater-based uranium recovery depends on the uranium adsorption rate and capacity, since the concentration of uranium in the oceans is relatively low (3.3 gL -1). An important consideration for a fast adsorption is to maximize the adsorption properties of adsorbents such as surface areas and pore structures, which can greatly improve the kinetics of uranium extraction and the adsorption capacity simultaneously. Following this consideration, macroporous monolith adsorbents were prepared from the copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and N,N -methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAAm) based on a cryogel method using both hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers. The monolithic sorbents were tested with simulatedmore » seawater containing a high uranyl concentration (–6 ppm) and the uranium adsorption results showed that the adsorption capacities are strongly influenced by the ratio of monomer to the crosslinker, i.e., the density of the amidoxime groups. Furthermore, the preliminary seawater testing indicates the high salinity content of seawater does not hinder the adsorption of uranium.« less

  7. Characterization of the Structural and Chemical Properties of Copper Chelators in Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-09-30

    are pink). All of the strains that don’t make the ligand contain phycocyanin (the cultures are green). So far we have no explanation for this...thiol that does not co-elute with any of her thiol standards. IMPACT/ APPLICATIONS Successful characterization of this material could lead to new...insight into the sources and chemistry of Cu ligands in seawater. Potential applications could arise if we identify a new class of chelators selective

  8. Calcium extraction from brine water and seawater using oxalic acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Natasha, Nadia Chrisayu; Lalasari, Latifa Hanum

    2017-01-01

    Calcium can be extracted not only from rocks but also from natural liquor such as seawater and brine water. In order to extract the calcium from seawater and brine water, oxalic acid was used in this research. Effect of variations of the volume of the oxalic acid at a constant concentration in seawater and brine water to produce calcium was investigated. The concentration of oxalic acid was 100 g/l and the variations of its volume were 2 ml, 4 ml, 6 ml, 8 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml, 30 ml, 40 ml, and 50 ml. The used seawater and brine water were firstly evaporated from 100 ml into 50 ml and then the oxalic acid was added into them with mixing to produce the calcium precipitates. The precipitates were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the filtrates were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The SEM analysis showed that the precipitates from brine water were consisted of only calcium compound while from seawater sodium one was also found along with calcium compound. The XRD analysis showed that the calcium was present in the form of calcium oxalate for both seawater and brine water. The ICP-OES analysis of the filtrate from seawater precipitation showed that the its calcium content was decreased from 826.20 ppm to 0.04 ppm while from brine water, it decreased from 170.06 ppm to 1.96 ppm. These results showed that both seawater and brine water have the potential to be a raw material for calcium production.

  9. [Flow injection-spectrophotometric determination of total dissolved nitrogen in seawater based on quantificational solenoid valves].

    PubMed

    Han, Bin; Cao, Lei; Zheng, Li; Zang, Jia-ye; Wang, Xiao-ru

    2012-01-01

    Using three pipe clamp solenoid valves to replace the traditional six-port valve for sample quota, a set of multi-channel flow injection analyzer was designed in the present paper. The authors optimized optimum instrumental testing condition, and realized determination and analysis of total dissolved nitrogen in seawaters. The construction of apparatus is simple and it has the potential to be used for analysis of total dissolved nitrogen. The sample throughput of total dissolved nitrogen was 27 samples per hour. The linear range of total dissolved nitrogen was 50.0-1 000.0 microgN x L(-3) (r > or = 0.999). The detection limit was 7.6 microgN x L(-3). The recovery of total dissolved nitrogen was 87.3%-107.2%. The relative standard deviation for total dissolved nitrogen was 1.35%-6.32% (n = 6). After the t-test analysis, it does not have the significance difference between this method and national standard method. It is suitable for fast analysis of total dissolved nitrogen in seawater.

  10. Abiotic Nitrous Oxide Production in Natural and Artificial Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ochoa, H.; Stanton, C. L.; Cavazos, A. R.; Ostrom, N. E.; Glass, J. B.

    2014-12-01

    The ocean contributes approximately one third of global sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere. While nitrification is thought to be the dominant pathway for marine N2O production, mechanisms remain unresolved. Previous studies have carried the implicit assumption that marine N2O originates directly from enzymatic sources. However, abiotic production of N2O is possible via chemical reactions between nitrogenous intermediates and redox active trace metals in seawater. In this study, we investigated N2O production and isotopic composition in treatments with and without added hydroxylamine (NH2OH) and nitric oxide (NO), intermediates in microbial oxidation of ammonia to nitrite, and Fe(III). Addition of substrates to sterile artificial seawater was compared with filtered and unfiltered seawater from Sapelo Island, coastal Georgia, USA. N2O production was observed immediately after addition of Fe(III) in the presence of NH2OH at pH 8 in sterile artificial seawater. Highest N2O production was observed in the presence of Fe(III), NO, and NH2OH. The isotopomer site preference of abiotically produced N2O was consistent with previous studies (31 ± 2 ‰). Higher abiotic N2O production was observed in sterile artificial seawater (salinity: 35 ppt) than filtered Sapelo Island seawater (salinity: 25 ppt) whereas diluted sterile artificial seawater (18 ppt) showed lowest N2O production, suggesting that higher salinity promotes enhanced abiotic N2O production. Addition of Fe(III) to unfiltered Sapelo Island seawater stimulated N2O production. The presence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), which lack known N2O producing enzymes, in Sapelo Island seawater was confirmed by successful amplification of the archaeal amoA gene, whereas ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), which contain N2O-producing enzymes were undetected. Given the few Fe-containing proteins present in AOA, it is likely that Fe(III) addition promoted N2O production via an abiotic vs. enzymatic N2O mechanism

  11. Direct determination of uranium in seawater by laser fluorimetry.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Sanjukta A; Shenoy, Niyoti S; Pandey, Shailaja; Sounderajan, Suvarna; Venkateswaran, G

    2008-10-19

    A method for estimation of uranium in seawater by using steady state laser flourimetry is described. Uranium present in seawater, in concentration of approximately 3 ng ml(-1) was estimated without prior separation of matrix. Quenching effect of major ions (Cl(-), Na(+), SO(4)(-), Mg(+), Ca(+), K(+), HCO(3)(-), Br(-)) present in seawater on fluorescence intensity of uranium was studied. The concentration of phosphoric acid required for maximum enhancement of fluorescence intensity was optimized and was found to be 5%. Similarly the volume of concentrated nitric acid required to eliminate the quenching effect of chloride and bromide completely from 5 ml of seawater were optimized and was found to be 3 ml. A simple equation was derived using steady state fluorescence correction method and was used for calculation of uranium concentration in seawater samples. The method has a precesion of 1% (1s, n=3). The values obtained from laser fluorimetry were validated by analyzing the same samples by linear sweep adsorptive stripping voltametry (LSASV) of the uranium-chloranilic acid (2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone) complex. Both the values are well in agreement.

  12. Enteric neuroplasticity in seawater-adapted European eel (Anguilla anguilla).

    PubMed

    Sorteni, C; Clavenzani, P; De Giorgio, R; Portnoy, O; Sirri, R; Mordenti, O; Di Biase, A; Parmeggiani, A; Menconi, V; Chiocchetti, R

    2014-02-01

    European eels live most of their lives in freshwater until spawning migration to the Sargasso Sea. During seawater adaptation, eels modify their physiology, and their digestive system adapts to the new environment, drinking salt water to compensate for the continuous water loss. In that period, eels stop feeding until spawning. Thus, the eel represents a unique model to understand the adaptive changes of the enteric nervous system (ENS) to modified salinity and starvation. To this purpose, we assessed and compared the enteric neuronal density in the cranial portion of the intestine of freshwater eels (control), lagoon eels captured in brackish water before their migration to the Sargasso Sea (T0), and starved seawater eels hormonally induced to sexual maturity (T18; 18 weeks of starvation and treatment with standardized carp pituitary extract). Furthermore, we analyzed the modification of intestinal neuronal density of hormonally untreated eels during prolonged starvation (10 weeks) in seawater and freshwater. The density of myenteric (MP) and submucosal plexus (SMP) HuC/D-immunoreactive (Hu-IR) neurons was assessed in wholemount preparations and cryosections. The number of MP and SMP HuC/D-IR neurons progressively increased from the freshwater to the salty water habitat (control > T0 > T18; P < 0.05). Compared with freshwater eels, the number of MP and SMP HuC/D-IR neurons significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the intestine of starved untreated salt water eels. In conclusion, high salinity evokes enteric neuroplasticity as indicated by the increasing number of HuC/D-IR MP and SMP neurons, a mechanism likely contributing to maintaining the body homeostasis of this fish in extreme conditions. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

  13. Enteric neuroplasticity in seawater-adapted European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

    PubMed Central

    Sorteni, C; Clavenzani, P; De Giorgio, R; Portnoy, O; Sirri, R; Mordenti, O; Di Biase, A; Parmeggiani, A; Menconi, V; Chiocchetti, R

    2014-01-01

    European eels live most of their lives in freshwater until spawning migration to the Sargasso Sea. During seawater adaptation, eels modify their physiology, and their digestive system adapts to the new environment, drinking salt water to compensate for the continuous water loss. In that period, eels stop feeding until spawning. Thus, the eel represents a unique model to understand the adaptive changes of the enteric nervous system (ENS) to modified salinity and starvation. To this purpose, we assessed and compared the enteric neuronal density in the cranial portion of the intestine of freshwater eels (control), lagoon eels captured in brackish water before their migration to the Sargasso Sea (T0), and starved seawater eels hormonally induced to sexual maturity (T18; 18 weeks of starvation and treatment with standardized carp pituitary extract). Furthermore, we analyzed the modification of intestinal neuronal density of hormonally untreated eels during prolonged starvation (10 weeks) in seawater and freshwater. The density of myenteric (MP) and submucosal plexus (SMP) HuC/D-immunoreactive (Hu-IR) neurons was assessed in wholemount preparations and cryosections. The number of MP and SMP HuC/D-IR neurons progressively increased from the freshwater to the salty water habitat (control > T0 > T18; P < 0.05). Compared with freshwater eels, the number of MP and SMP HuC/D-IR neurons significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the intestine of starved untreated salt water eels. In conclusion, high salinity evokes enteric neuroplasticity as indicated by the increasing number of HuC/D-IR MP and SMP neurons, a mechanism likely contributing to maintaining the body homeostasis of this fish in extreme conditions. PMID:24433383

  14. Corrosion performance of zinc coated steel in seawater environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Shuan; Zhao, Xia; Zhao, Haichao; Sun, Huyuan; Chen, Jianmin

    2017-03-01

    Considering the continuous exploitation of marine resources, it is very important to study the anticorrosion performance and durability of zinc coated streel (ZCS) because its increasing use as reinforcements in seawater. Tafel polarization curves and linear polarization curves combined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were employed to evaluate the corrosion performance of ZCS at Qingdao test station during long-term immersion in seawater. The results indicated that the corrosion rate of the ZCS increased obviously with immersion time in seawater. The corrosion products that formed on the zinc coated steel were loose and porous, and were mainly composed of Zn5(OH)8Cl2, Zn5(OH)6(CO3)2, and ZnO. Pitting corrosion occurred on the steel surface in neutral seawater, and the rate of ZCS corrosion decreased with increasing pH.

  15. Mn solubility tested in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, Peter M.

    It has been known for the past 2 or 3 years that the concentration of manganese in the upper several hundred meters of ocean water is unlike that of other trace metals such as copper, zinc, cadmium, and nickel. Trace metals are needed as a sort of ‘vitamin supplement’ by marine plants and animals; the surface supply is biologically scavenged and regenerated at depth. Thus ocean concentrations of trace metals increase with depth.Manganese, by contrast, appears to be concentrated in the photic zone and becomes relatively depleted in the depth interval 50-100 m from the surface. W. Landing and K. Bruland (Ear. Planet. Sci. Lett. 49, 45-56, 1980) described their observations of vertical distributions of manganese in a study of samples from the north Pacific. Recently, W. Sunda, S. A. Huntsman, and A. Harvey, in a study supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have found similar behavior of manganese in samples of coastal seawater and offshore seawater collected off North Carolina (Nature, 20, January 1983). They suggest on the basis of experiments conducted with these samples that the marine biological community itself serves to condition the surface seawater and, with the assistance of photoreduction, cause manganese to dissolve in the otherwise oxygenated zones.

  16. Reconstruction of secular variation in seawater sulfate concentrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Algeo, T. J.; Luo, G. M.; Song, H. Y.; Lyons, T. W.; Canfield, D. E.

    2015-04-01

    Long-term secular variation in seawater sulfate concentrations ([SO42-]SW) is of interest owing to its relationship to the oxygenation history of Earth's surface environment. In this study, we develop two complementary approaches for quantification of sulfate concentrations in ancient seawater and test their application to late Neoproterozoic (635 Ma) to Recent marine units. The "rate method" is based on two measurable parameters of paleomarine systems: (1) the S-isotope fractionation associated with microbial sulfate reduction (MSR), as proxied by Δ34SCAS-PY, and (2) the maximum rate of change in seawater sulfate, as proxied by &partial; δ 34SCAS/∂ t(max). The "MSR-trend method" is based on the empirical relationship of Δ34SCAS-PY to aqueous sulfate concentrations in 81 modern depositional systems. For a given paleomarine system, the rate method yields an estimate of maximum possible [SO42-]SW (although results are dependent on assumptions regarding the pyrite burial flux, FPY), and the MSR-trend method yields an estimate of mean [SO42-]SW. An analysis of seawater sulfate concentrations since 635 Ma suggests that [SO42-]SW was low during the late Neoproterozoic (<5 mM), rose sharply across the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary (~5-10 mM), and rose again during the Permian (~10-30 mM) to levels that have varied only slightly since 250 Ma. However, Phanerozoic seawater sulfate concentrations may have been drawn down to much lower levels (~1-4 mM) during short (<~2 Myr) intervals of the Cambrian, Early Triassic, Early Jurassic, and Cretaceous as a consequence of widespread ocean anoxia, intense MSR, and pyrite burial. The procedures developed in this study offer potential for future high-resolution quantitative analyses of paleo-seawater sulfate concentrations.

  17. Inhibition of Sodium Benzoate on Stainless Steel in Tropical Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seoh, S. Y.; Senin, H. B.; Nik, W. N. Wan

    2007-05-09

    The inhibition of sodium benzoate for stainless steel controlling corrosion was studied in seawater at room temperature. Three sets of sample have been immersed in seawater containing sodium benzoate with the concentrations of 0.3M, 0.6M and 1.0M respectively. One set of sample has been immersed in seawater without adding any sodium benzoate. It was found that the highest corrosion rate was observed for the stainless steel with no inhibitor was added to the seawater. As the concentration of sodium benzoate being increased, the corrosion rate is decreases. Results show that by the addition of 1.0M of sodium benzoate in seawatermore » samples, it giving {>=} 90% efficiencies.« less

  18. Uranium from Seawater Program Review; Fuel Resources Uranium from Seawater Program DOE Office of Nuclear Energy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    None

    2013-07-01

    For nuclear energy to remain sustainable in the United States, economically viable sources of uranium beyond terrestrial ores must be developed. The goal of this program is to develop advanced adsorbents that can extract uranium from seawater at twice the capacity of the best adsorbent developed by researchers at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), 1.5 mg U/g adsorbent. A multidisciplinary team from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the University of Texas at Austin was assembled to address this challenging problem. Polymeric adsorbents, based on the radiation grafting of acrylonitrile and methacrylicmore » acid onto high surface-area polyethylene fibers followed by conversion of the nitriles to amidoximes, have been developed. These poly(acrylamidoxime-co-methacrylic acid) fibers showed uranium adsorption capacities for the extraction of uranium from seawater that exceed 3 mg U/g adsorbent in testing at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Marine Sciences Laboratory. The essence of this novel technology lies in the unique high surface-area trunk material that considerably increases the grafting yield of functional groups without compromising its mechanical properties. This technology received an R&D100 Award in 2012. In addition, high surface area nanomaterial adsorbents are under development with the goal of increasing uranium adsorption capacity by taking advantage of the high surface areas and tunable porosity of carbon-based nanomaterials. Simultaneously, de novo structure-based computational design methods are being used to design more selective and stable ligands and the most promising candidates are being synthesized, tested and evaluated for incorporation onto a support matrix. Fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic studies are being carried out to improve the adsorption efficiency, the selectivity of uranium over other metals, and the stability of the adsorbents

  19. Thallium isotope variations in seawater and hydrogenetic, diagenetic, and hydrothermal ferromanganese deposits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rehkamper, M.; Frank, M.; Hein, J.R.; Porcelli, D.; Halliday, A.; Ingri, J.; Liebetrau, V.

    2002-01-01

    Results are presented for the first in-depth investigation of TI isotope variations in marine materials. The TI isotopic measurements were conducted by multiple collector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for a comprehensive suite of hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts, diagenetic Fe-Mn nodules, hydrothermal manganese deposits and seawater samples. The natural variability of TI isotope compositions in these samples exceeds the analytical reproducibility (?? 0.05???) by more than a factor of 40. Hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts have ??205TI of + 10 to + 14, whereas seawater is characterized by values as low as -8 (??205TI represents the deviation of the 205TI/203TI ratio of a sample from the NIST SRM 997 TI isotope standard in parts per 104). This ~ 2??? difference in isotope composition is thought to result from the isotope fractionation that accompanies the adsorption of TI onto ferromanganese particles. An equilibrium fractionation factor of ?? ~ 1.0021 is calculated for this process. Ferromanganese nodules and hydrothermal manganese deposits have variable TI isotope compositions that range between the values obtained for seawater and hydrogenetic Fe-Mn crusts. The variability in ??205TI in diagenetic nodules appears to be caused by the adsorption of TI from pore fluids, which act as a closed-system reservoir with a TI isotope composition that is inferred to be similar to seawater. Nodules with ??205TI values similar to seawater are found if the scavenging of TI is nearly quantitative. Hydrothermal manganese deposits display a positive correlation between ??205TI and Mn/Fe. This trend is thought to be due to the derivation of TI from distinct hydrothermal sources. Deposits with low Mn/Fe ratios and low ??205TI are produced by the adsorption of TI from fluids that are sampled close to hydrothermal sources. Such fluids have low Mn/Fe ratios and relatively high temperatures, such that only minor isotope fractionation occurs during adsorption. Hydrothermal

  20. Influence of glacial meltwater on global seawater δ234U

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arendt, Carli A.; Aciego, Sarah M.; Sims, Kenneth W. W.; Das, Sarah B.; Sheik, Cody; Stevenson, Emily I.

    2018-03-01

    We present the first published uranium-series measurements from modern Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) runoff and proximal seawater, and investigate the influence of glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over glacial-interglacial (g-ig) timescales. Climate reconstructions based on closed-system uranium-thorium (U/Th) dating of fossil corals assume U chemistry of seawater has remained stable over time despite notable fluctuations in major elemental compositions, concentrations, and isotopic compositions of global seawater on g-ig timescales. Deglacial processes increase weathering, significantly increasing U-series concentrations and changing the δ234U of glacial meltwater. Analyses of glacial discharge from GrIS outlet glaciers indicate that meltwater runoff has elevated U concentrations and differing 222Rn concentrations and δ234U compositions, likely due to variations in subglacial residence time. Locations with high δ234U have the potential to increase proximal seawater δ234U. To better understand the impact of bulk glacial melt on global seawater δ234U over time, we use a simple box model to scale these processes to periods of extreme deglaciation. We account for U fluxes from the GrIS, Antarctica, and large Northern Hemisphere Continental Ice Sheets, and assess sensitivity by varying melt volumes, duration and U flux input rates based on modern subglacial water U concentrations and compositions. All scenarios support the hypothesis that global seawater δ234U has varied by more than 1‰ through time as a function of predictable perturbations in continental U fluxes during g-ig periods.

  1. Opportunities and Barriers to Address Seawater Intrusion Along California's Coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langridge, R.

    2016-12-01

    In many California coastal areas reliant on groundwater seawater intrusion is a serious problem. This presentation will discuss how particular groundwater management institutions in the state are addressing seawater intrusion issues, how stakeholders are participating in this process, and how scientific information can contribute to policies that support reducing or halting ongoing intrusion. In 2014, the California Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The Act established requirements for 127 high and medium priority groundwater basins to form groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) and develop plans to sustainably manage their basin. Sustainable is defined in SGMA as avoiding specific unacceptable impacts, including significant and unreasonable seawater intrusion. Special Act Districts, created by an act of the legislature, have the option to be the sole GSA in their service area, and they can provide a window into current and potentially future strategies to address seawater intrusion. Additionally, adjudicated basins are often considered one of the best approaches to achieve efficient groundwater management, and these basins are exempt from SGMA and managed pursuant to a court judgment. The strategies utilized to manage seawater intrusion by three special act districts and five adjudicated basins will be discussed. These basins cover significant areas of central and southern California and all have experienced seawater intrusion. Our research team just completed reports for the State Water Resources Control Board on all the adjudicated and special act districts in the state, and this presentation will draw on our findings to better understand the barriers and opportunities to alleviate seawater intrusion and the information required to develop solutions.

  2. Improvement of the analysis of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of Mediterranean seawater by seeding control.

    PubMed

    Simon, F Xavier; Penru, Ywann; Guastalli, Andrea R; Llorens, Joan; Baig, Sylvie

    2011-07-15

    Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a useful parameter for assessing the biodegradability of dissolved organic matter in water. At the same time, this parameter is used to evaluate the efficiency with which certain processes remove biodegradable natural organic matter (NOM). However, the values of BOD in seawater are very low (around 2 mgO(2)L(-1)) and the methods used for its analysis are poorly developed. The increasing attention given to seawater desalination in the Mediterranean environment, and related phenomena such as reverse osmosis membrane biofouling, have stimulated interest in seawater BOD close to the Spanish coast. In this study the BOD analysis protocol was refined by introduction of a new step in which a critical quantity of autochthonous microorganisms, measured as adenosine triphosphate, is added. For the samples analyzed, this improvement allowed us to obtain reliable and replicable BOD measurements, standardized with solutions of glucose-glutamic acid and acetate. After 7 days of analysis duration, more than 80% of ultimate BOD is achieved, which in the case of easily biodegradable compounds represents nearly a 60% of the theoretical oxygen demand. BOD(7) obtained from the Mediterranean Sea found to be 2.0±0.3 mgO(2)L(-1) but this value decreased with seawater storage time due to the rapid consumption of labile compounds. No significant differences were found between two samples points located on the Spanish coast, since their organic matter content was similar. Finally, the determination of seawater BOD without the use of inoculum may lead to an underestimation of BOD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A seawater desalination scheme for global hydrological models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanasaki, Naota; Yoshikawa, Sayaka; Kakinuma, Kaoru; Kanae, Shinjiro

    2016-10-01

    Seawater desalination is a practical technology for providing fresh water to coastal arid regions. Indeed, the use of desalination is rapidly increasing due to growing water demand in these areas and decreases in production costs due to technological advances. In this study, we developed a model to estimate the areas where seawater desalination is likely to be used as a major water source and the likely volume of production. The model was designed to be incorporated into global hydrological models (GHMs) that explicitly include human water usage. The model requires spatially detailed information on climate, income levels, and industrial and municipal water use, which represent standard input/output data in GHMs. The model was applied to a specific historical year (2005) and showed fairly good reproduction of the present geographical distribution and national production of desalinated water in the world. The model was applied globally to two periods in the future (2011-2040 and 2041-2070) under three distinct socioeconomic conditions, i.e., SSP (shared socioeconomic pathway) 1, SSP2, and SSP3. The results indicate that the usage of seawater desalination will have expanded considerably in geographical extent, and that production will have increased by 1.4-2.1-fold in 2011-2040 compared to the present (from 2.8 × 109 m3 yr-1 in 2005 to 4.0-6.0 × 109 m3 yr-1), and 6.7-17.3-fold in 2041-2070 (from 18.7 to 48.6 × 109 m3 yr-1). The estimated global costs for production for each period are USD 1.1-10.6 × 109 (0.002-0.019 % of the total global GDP), USD 1.6-22.8 × 109 (0.001-0.020 %), and USD 7.5-183.9 × 109 (0.002-0.100 %), respectively. The large spreads in these projections are primarily attributable to variations within the socioeconomic scenarios.

  4. Triple Oxygen Isotope Constraints on Seawater δ18O and Temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayles, J.; Shen, B.; Homann, M.; Yeung, L.

    2017-12-01

    One point of contention among geoscientists is whether the 18O/16O ratio of seawater is roughly constant, or if it varies considerably throughout geologic time. On one hand, the oxygen isotope composition of the ocean is thought to be well buffered by high- and low-temperature interactions between seawater and seafloor rocks. If these interactions do not vary on billion-year timescales, the oxygen-isotope compositions of marine sedimentary rocks mostly relate to changes in seawater temperature and global ice volume. On the other hand, long-term cooling of the planetary interior would alter these water-rock interactions leading to a secular change in the oxygen isotope composition of seawater. Models suggest that this secular change would enrich seawater with heavy oxygen isotopes over time. In this study, we present new, high precision, triple-oxygen-isotope (18O/16O, 17O/16O) analyses of marine chert samples from 3.45 Ga to 460Ma. The results of these analyses are paired with a new theoretical quartz-water equilibrium curve and a simplified seawater model to provide possible pairings of δ'18O and Δ'17O for the water which these samples could have formed in equilibrium with. Analysis of the new sample data, in addition to published chert triple oxygen isotope compositions, shows a general trend of older chert samples being progressively incompatible with waters possessing a modern-like seawater triple oxygen isotope composition. Implications on constraining the secular evolution of seawater δ18O and temperature will be discussed.

  5. REACTION PRODUCTS FROM THE CHLORINATION OF SEAWATER. CHAPTER 34

    EPA Science Inventory

    Much of the present information on the products formed when seawater is chlorinated is based on observations of laboratory experiments in which chlorine was added to seawater to stimulate conditions of electricity generating plants. Results are reported for a field study at the P...

  6. Simultaneous determination of iron, cadmium, zinc, copper, nickel, lead, and uranium in seawater by stable isotope dilution spark source mass spectrometry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mykytiuk, A.P.; Russell, D.S.; Sturgeon, R.E.

    Trace concentrations (ng/mL) of Fe, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, U, and Co have been determined in seawater by stable isotope dilution spark source mass spectrometry. The seawater samples were preconcentrated on the ion exchanger Chelex-100 and the concentrate was evaporated on a graphite or silver electrode. The results are compared with those obtained by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry. The technique avoids the use of calibration standards and is capable of producing results in cases where the analyte is only partially recovered. 2 tables.

  7. Quasi-horizontal circulation cells in 3D seawater intrusion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Abarca, E.; Carrera, J.; Sanchez-Vila, X.; Voss, C.I.

    2007-01-01

    The seawater intrusion process is characterized by the difference in freshwater and seawater density that causes freshwater to float on seawater. Many confined aquifers have a large horizontal extension with respect to thickness. In these cases, while buoyancy acts in the vertical direction, flow is confined between the upper and bottom boundaries and the effect of gravity is controlled by variations of aquifer elevation. Therefore, the effective gravity is controlled by the slope and the shape of the aquifer boundaries. Variability in the topography of the aquifer boundaries is one case where 3D analysis is necessary. In this work, density-dependent flow processes caused by 3D aquifer geometry are studied numerically and specifically, considering a lateral slope of the aquifer boundaries. Sub-horizontal circulation cells are formed in the saltwater entering the aquifer. The penetration of the saltwater can be quantified by a dimensionless buoyancy number that measures the lateral slope of the aquifer relative to freshwater flux. The penetration of the seawater intrusion wedge is controlled more by this slope than by the aquifer thickness and dispersivity. Thus, the slope must be taken into account in order to accurately evaluate seawater intrusion. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Graphene-based Recyclable Photo-Absorbers for High-Efficiency Seawater Desalination.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiangqing; Ou, Gang; Wang, Ning; Wu, Hui

    2016-04-13

    Today's scientific advances in water desalination dramatically increase our ability to transform seawater into fresh water. As an important source of renewable energy, solar power holds great potential to drive the desalination of seawater. Previously, solar assisted evaporation systems usually relied on highly concentrated sunlight or were not suitable to treat seawater or wastewater, severely limiting the large scale application of solar evaporation technology. Thus, a new strategy is urgently required in order to overcome these problems. In this study, we developed a solar thermal evaporation system based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) decorated with magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). Because this material can absorb over 95% of sunlight, we achieved high evaporation efficiency up to 70% under only 1 kW m(-2) irradiation. Moreover, it could be separated from seawater under the action of magnetic force by decorated with MNPs. Thus, this system provides an advantage of recyclability, which can significantly reduce the material consumptions. Additionally, by using photoabsorbing bulk or layer materials, the deposition of solutes offen occurs in pores of materials during seawater desalination, leading to the decrease of efficiency. However, this problem can be easily solved by using MNPs, which suggests this system can be used in not only pure water system but also high-salinity wastewater system. This study shows good prospects of graphene-based materials for seawater desalination and high-salinity wastewater treatment.

  9. Seawater infiltration effect on thermal degradation of fiber reinforced epoxy composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Mohd Haziq Izzuddin bin; Hassan, Mohamad Zaki bin; Ibrahim, Ikhwan; Rashidi, Ahmad Hadi Mohamed; Nor, Siti Fadzilah M.; Daud, Mohd Yusof Md

    2018-05-01

    Seawater salinity has been associated with the reduction of polymer structure durability. The aim of this study is to investigate the change in thermal degradation of fiber reinforced epoxy composite due to the presence of seawater. Carbon fiber, carbon/kevlar, fiberglass, and jute that reinforced with epoxy resin was laminated through hand-layup technique. Initially, these specimen was sectioned to 5×5 mm dimension, then immersed in seawater and distilled water at room temperature until it has thoroughly saturated. Following, the thermal degradation analysis using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), the thermic changes due to seawater infiltration was defined. The finding shows that moisture absorption reduces the glass transition temperature (Tg) of fiber reinforced epoxy composite. However, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of seawater infiltrated laminate composite is compareable with distilled water infiltrated laminate composite. The carbon fiber reinfored epoxy has the highest glass transition temperature out of all specimen.

  10. Intensively exploited Mediterranean aquifers: resilience to seawater intrusion and proximity to critical thresholds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazi, K.; Koussis, A. D.; Destouni, G.

    2014-05-01

    We investigate seawater intrusion in three prominent Mediterranean aquifers that are subject to intensive exploitation and modified hydrologic regimes by human activities: the Nile Delta, Israel Coastal and Cyprus Akrotiri aquifers. Using a generalized analytical sharp interface model, we review the salinization history and current status of these aquifers, and quantify their resilience/vulnerability to current and future seawater intrusion forcings. We identify two different critical limits of seawater intrusion under groundwater exploitation and/or climatic stress: a limit of well intrusion, at which intruded seawater reaches key locations of groundwater pumping, and a tipping point of complete seawater intrusion up to the prevailing groundwater divide of a coastal aquifer. Either limit can be reached, and ultimately crossed, under intensive aquifer exploitation and/or climate-driven change. We show that seawater intrusion vulnerability for different aquifer cases can be directly compared in terms of normalized intrusion performance curves. The site-specific assessments show that (a) the intruding seawater currently seriously threatens the Nile Delta aquifer, (b) in the Israel Coastal aquifer the sharp interface toe approaches the well location and (c) the Cyprus Akrotiri aquifer is currently somewhat less threatened by increased seawater intrusion.

  11. Methodological Considerations and Comparisons of Measurement Results for Extracellular Proteolytic Enzyme Activities in Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Obayashi, Yumiko; Wei Bong, Chui; Suzuki, Satoru

    2017-01-01

    Microbial extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that degrade organic matter in aquatic ecosystems play key roles in the biogeochemical carbon cycle. To provide linkages between hydrolytic enzyme activities and genomic or metabolomic studies in aquatic environments, reliable measurements are required for many samples at one time. Extracellular proteases are one of the most important classes of enzymes in aquatic microbial ecosystems, and protease activities in seawater are commonly measured using fluorogenic model substrates. Here, we examined several concerns for measurements of extracellular protease activities (aminopeptidases, and trypsin-type, and chymotrypsin-type activities) in seawater. Using a fluorometric microplate reader with low protein binding, 96-well microplates produced reliable enzymatic activity readings, while use of regular polystyrene microplates produced readings that showed significant underestimation, especially for trypsin-type proteases. From the results of kinetic experiments, this underestimation was thought to be attributable to the adsorption of both enzymes and substrates onto the microplate. We also examined solvent type and concentration in the working solution of oligopeptide-analog fluorogenic substrates using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2-methoxyethanol (MTXE). The results showed that both 2% (final concentration of solvent in the mixture of seawater sample and substrate working solution) DMSO and 2% MTXE provide similarly reliable data for most of the tested substrates, except for some substrates which did not dissolve completely in these assay conditions. Sample containers are also important to maintain the level of enzyme activity in natural seawater samples. In a small polypropylene containers (e.g., standard 50-mL centrifugal tube), protease activities in seawater sample rapidly decreased, and it caused underestimation of natural activities, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. In conclusion, the

  12. Methodological Considerations and Comparisons of Measurement Results for Extracellular Proteolytic Enzyme Activities in Seawater.

    PubMed

    Obayashi, Yumiko; Wei Bong, Chui; Suzuki, Satoru

    2017-01-01

    Microbial extracellular hydrolytic enzymes that degrade organic matter in aquatic ecosystems play key roles in the biogeochemical carbon cycle. To provide linkages between hydrolytic enzyme activities and genomic or metabolomic studies in aquatic environments, reliable measurements are required for many samples at one time. Extracellular proteases are one of the most important classes of enzymes in aquatic microbial ecosystems, and protease activities in seawater are commonly measured using fluorogenic model substrates. Here, we examined several concerns for measurements of extracellular protease activities (aminopeptidases, and trypsin-type, and chymotrypsin-type activities) in seawater. Using a fluorometric microplate reader with low protein binding, 96-well microplates produced reliable enzymatic activity readings, while use of regular polystyrene microplates produced readings that showed significant underestimation, especially for trypsin-type proteases. From the results of kinetic experiments, this underestimation was thought to be attributable to the adsorption of both enzymes and substrates onto the microplate. We also examined solvent type and concentration in the working solution of oligopeptide-analog fluorogenic substrates using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2-methoxyethanol (MTXE). The results showed that both 2% (final concentration of solvent in the mixture of seawater sample and substrate working solution) DMSO and 2% MTXE provide similarly reliable data for most of the tested substrates, except for some substrates which did not dissolve completely in these assay conditions. Sample containers are also important to maintain the level of enzyme activity in natural seawater samples. In a small polypropylene containers (e.g., standard 50-mL centrifugal tube), protease activities in seawater sample rapidly decreased, and it caused underestimation of natural activities, especially for trypsin-type and chymotrypsin-type proteases. In conclusion, the

  13. Impediment to symbiosis establishment between giant clams and Symbiodinium algae due to sterilization of seawater.

    PubMed

    Kurihara, Takeo; Yamada, Hideaki; Inoue, Ken; Iwai, Kenji; Hatta, Masayuki

    2013-01-01

    To survive the juvenile stage, giant clam juveniles need to establish a symbiotic relationship with the microalgae Symbiodinium occurring in the environment. The percentage of giant clam juveniles succeeding in symbiosis establishment ("symbiosis rate") is often low, which is problematic for seed producers. We investigated how and why symbiosis rates vary, depending on whether giant clam seeds are continuously reared in UV treated or non treated seawater. Results repeatedly demonstrated that symbiosis rates were lower for UV treated seawater than for non treated seawater. Symbiosis rates were also lower for autoclaved seawater and 0.2-µm filtered seawater than for non treated seawater. The decreased symbiosis rates in various sterilized seawater suggest the possibility that some factors helping symbiosis establishment in natural seawater are weakened owing to sterilization. The possible factors include vitality of giant clam seeds, since additional experiments revealed that survival rates of seeds reared alone without Symbiodinium were lower in sterilized seawater than in non treated seawater. In conclusion, UV treatment of seawater was found to lead to decreased symbiosis rates, which is due possibly to some adverse effects common to the various sterilization techniques and relates to the vitality of the giant clam seeds.

  14. Seawater sulfate reduction and sulfur isotope fractionation in basaltic systems: interaction of seawater with fayalite and magnetite at 200–350°C

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shanks, Wayne C.; Bischoff, James L.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.

    1981-01-01

    Systematics of sulfur isotopes in the 250 and 350°C experiments indicate that isotopic equilibrium is reached, and can be modeled as a Rayleigh distillation process. Isotopic composition of hydrothermally produced H2S in natural systems is strongly dependent upon the seawater/basalt ratio in the geothermal system, which controls the relative sulfide contributions from the two important sulfur sources, seawater sulfate and sulfide phases in basalt. Anhydrite precipitation during geothermal heating severely limits sulfate ingress into high temperature interaction zones. Quantitative sulfate reduction can thus be accomplished without producing strongly oxidized rocks and resultant sulfide sulfur isotope values represent a mixture of seawater and basaltic sulfur.

  15. Simultaneous Extraction of Lithium and Hydrogen From Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-26

    etc.) References 1. U. Bardi , Extracting minerals from seawater: An energy analysis, Sustainability, 2, 980 (2010). 2. K-S. Chung, J -C. Lee, W...Michele Anderson, ONR Code: 332, michele.anderson1@navy.mil Project Objective: The ultimate goal of the proposed research is to demonstrate a ...novel electrolytic process for extracting Li from seawater, which contains a number of valuable metals (Table1). 1 The technical objectives of this

  16. Impediment to Symbiosis Establishment between Giant Clams and Symbiodinium Algae Due to Sterilization of Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Kurihara, Takeo; Yamada, Hideaki; Inoue, Ken; Iwai, Kenji; Hatta, Masayuki

    2013-01-01

    To survive the juvenile stage, giant clam juveniles need to establish a symbiotic relationship with the microalgae Symbiodinium occurring in the environment. The percentage of giant clam juveniles succeeding in symbiosis establishment (“symbiosis rate”) is often low, which is problematic for seed producers. We investigated how and why symbiosis rates vary, depending on whether giant clam seeds are continuously reared in UV treated or non treated seawater. Results repeatedly demonstrated that symbiosis rates were lower for UV treated seawater than for non treated seawater. Symbiosis rates were also lower for autoclaved seawater and 0.2-µm filtered seawater than for non treated seawater. The decreased symbiosis rates in various sterilized seawater suggest the possibility that some factors helping symbiosis establishment in natural seawater are weakened owing to sterilization. The possible factors include vitality of giant clam seeds, since additional experiments revealed that survival rates of seeds reared alone without Symbiodinium were lower in sterilized seawater than in non treated seawater. In conclusion, UV treatment of seawater was found to lead to decreased symbiosis rates, which is due possibly to some adverse effects common to the various sterilization techniques and relates to the vitality of the giant clam seeds. PMID:23613802

  17. Petroleum hydrocarbon contaminations in the intertidal seawater after the Hebei Spirit oil spill--effect of tidal cycle on the TPH concentrations and the chromatographic characterization of seawater extracts.

    PubMed

    Kim, Moonkoo; Hong, Sang Hee; Won, Jongho; Yim, Un Hyuk; Jung, Jee-Hyun; Ha, Sung Yong; An, Joon Geon; Joo, Changkyu; Kim, Eunsic; Han, Gi Myung; Baek, Seongho; Choi, Hyun-Woo; Shim, Won Joon

    2013-02-01

    In December 2007, the oil tanker Hebei Spirit released approximately 12,547,000 L of crude oil off the west coast of Korea, impacting more than 375 km of coastline. The seawater TPH concentrations immediately after the spill ranged from 1.5 to 7310 μg L⁻¹, with an average of 732 μg L⁻¹. The concentrations appeared to decrease drastically to 2.0-224 μg L⁻¹ in one month after the spill. The TPH concentrations in seawater fluctuated with time thereafter because of the remobilization of oil by continuing shoreline cleanup activities and subsequent wave/tidal actions. Seawater TPH concentrations were much higher during high tide than during low tide due to the resuspension of stranded oil. The variation of TPH levels in seawater also matched the spring-neap tidal cycle in the study areas for the first three weeks of the study. Comparisons of the gas chromatograms of the seawater with the water accommodated fraction and the cargo oil indicated that seawater samples were contaminated mainly by the dispersed droplets of spilled oil. One year of monitoring revealed that the oil content in seawater had clearly decreased at most sites, although some regional fluctuations of oil contamination were noted until June 2008. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Methane-oxidizing seawater microbial communities from an Arctic shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhlig, Christiane; Kirkpatrick, John B.; D'Hondt, Steven; Loose, Brice

    2018-06-01

    Marine microbial communities can consume dissolved methane before it can escape to the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Seawater over the shallow Arctic shelf is characterized by excess methane compared to atmospheric equilibrium. This methane originates in sediment, permafrost, and hydrate. Particularly high concentrations are found beneath sea ice. We studied the structure and methane oxidation potential of the microbial communities from seawater collected close to Utqiagvik, Alaska, in April 2016. The in situ methane concentrations were 16.3 ± 7.2 nmol L-1, approximately 4.8 times oversaturated relative to atmospheric equilibrium. The group of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) in the natural seawater and incubated seawater was > 97 % dominated by Methylococcales (γ-Proteobacteria). Incubations of seawater under a range of methane concentrations led to loss of diversity in the bacterial community. The abundance of MOB was low with maximal fractions of 2.5 % at 200 times elevated methane concentration, while sequence reads of non-MOB methylotrophs were 4 times more abundant than MOB in most incubations. The abundances of MOB as well as non-MOB methylotroph sequences correlated tightly with the rate constant (kox) for methane oxidation, indicating that non-MOB methylotrophs might be coupled to MOB and involved in community methane oxidation. In sea ice, where methane concentrations of 82 ± 35.8 nmol kg-1 were found, Methylobacterium (α-Proteobacteria) was the dominant MOB with a relative abundance of 80 %. Total MOB abundances were very low in sea ice, with maximal fractions found at the ice-snow interface (0.1 %), while non-MOB methylotrophs were present in abundances similar to natural seawater communities. The dissimilarities in MOB taxa, methane concentrations, and stable isotope ratios between the sea ice and water column point toward different methane dynamics in the two environments.

  19. The salinity gradient power generating system integrated into the seawater desalination system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Yongqiang; Wang, Wanjun; Cai, Bingqian; Hao, Jiacheng; Xia, Ruihua

    2017-01-01

    Seawater desalination is an important way to solve the problem of fresh water shortage. Low energy efficiency and high cost are disadvantages existing in seawater desalination. With huge reserve and the highest energy density among different types of marine energy, salinity gradient energy has a bright application prospect. The promotion of traditional salinity gradient power generating systems is hindered by its low efficiency and specific requirements on site selection. This paper proposes a salinity gradient power generating system integrated into the seawater desalination system which combines the salinity gradient power generating system and the seawater desalination system aiming to remedy the aforementioned deficiency and could serve as references for future seawater desalination and salinity gradient energy exploitation. The paper elaborates on the operating principles of the system, analyzes the detailed working process, and estimates the energy output and consumption of the system. It is proved that with appropriate design, the energy output of the salinity gradient power generating system can satisfy the demand of the seawater desalination system.

  20. Metrological traceability of carbon dioxide measurements in atmosphere and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rolle, F.; Pessana, E.; Sega, M.

    2017-05-01

    The accurate determination of gaseous pollutants is fundamental for the monitoring of the trends of these analytes in the environment and the application of the metrological concepts to this field is necessary to assure the reliability of the measurement results. In this work, an overview of the activity carried out at Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica to establish the metrological traceability of the measurements of gaseous atmospheric pollutants, in particular of carbon dioxide (CO2), is presented. Two primary methods, the gravimetry and the dynamic dilution, are used for the preparation of reference standards for composition which can be used to calibrate sensors and analytical instrumentation. At present, research is carried out to lower the measurement uncertainties of the primary gas mixtures and to extend their application to the oceanic field. The reason of such investigation is due to the evidence of the changes occurring in seawater carbonate chemistry, connected to the rising level of CO2 in the atmosphere. The well established activity to assure the metrological traceability of CO2 in the atmosphere will be applied to the determination of CO2 in seawater, by developing suitable reference materials for calibration and control of the sensors during their routine use.

  1. Dynamic Bubble Surface Tension Measurements in Northwest Atlantic Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kieber, D. J.; Long, M. S.; Keene, W. C.; Kinsey, J. D.; Frossard, A. A.; Beaupre, S. R.; Duplessis, P.; Maben, J. R.; Lu, X.; Chang, R.; Zhu, Y.; Bisgrove, J.

    2017-12-01

    Numerous reports suggest that most organic matter (OM) associated with newly formed primary marine aerosol (PMA) originates from the sea-surface microlayer. However, surface-active OM rapidly adsorbs onto bubble surfaces in the water column and is ejected into the atmosphere when bubbles burst at the air-water interface. Here we present dynamic surface tension measurements of bubbles produced in near surface seawater from biologically productive and oligotrophic sites and in deep seawater collected from 2500 m in the northwest Atlantic. In all cases, the surface tension of bubble surfaces decreased within seconds after the bubbles were exposed to seawater. These observations demonstrate that bubble surfaces are rapidly saturated by surfactant material scavenged from seawater. Spatial and diel variability in bubble surface evolution indicate corresponding variability in surfactant concentrations and/or composition. Our results reveal that surface-active OM is found throughout the water column, and that at least some surfactants are not of recent biological origin. Our results also support the hypothesis that the surface microlayer is a minor to negligible source of OM associated with freshly produced PMA.

  2. Henry's law constants for dimethylsulfide in freshwater and seawater

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dacey, J. W. H.; Wakeham, S. G.; Howes, B. L.

    1984-01-01

    Distilled water and several waters of varying salinity were subjected, over a 0-32 C temperature range, to measurements for Henry's law constants for dimethylsulfide. Values for distilled water and seawater of the solubility parameters A and C are obtained which support the concept that the concentration of dimethylsulfide in the atmosphere is far from equilibrium with seawater.

  3. Seawater calcium isotope ratios across the Eocene-Oligocene transition

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Griffith, E.M.; Paytan, A.; Eisenhauer, A.; Bullen, T.D.; Thomas, E.

    2011-01-01

    During the Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT, ca. 34 Ma), Earth's climate cooled significantly from a greenhouse to an icehouse climate, while the calcite (CaCO3) compensation depth (CCD) in the Pacific Ocean increased rapidly. Fluctuations in the CCD could result from various processes that create an imbalance between calcium (Ca) sources to, and sinks from, the ocean (e.g., weathering and CaCO3 deposition), with different effects on the isotopic composition of dissolved Ca in the oceans due to differences in the Ca isotopic composition of various inputs and outputs. We used Ca isotope ratios (??44/40Ca) of coeval pelagic marine barite and bulk carbonate to evaluate changes in the marine Ca cycle across the EOT. We show that the permanent deepening of the CCD was not accompanied by a pronounced change in seawater ??44/40Ca, whereas time intervals in the Neogene with smaller carbonate depositional changes are characterized by seawater ??44/40Ca shifts. This suggests that the response of seawater ??44/40Ca to changes in weathering fluxes and to imbalances in the oceanic alkalinity budget depends on the chemical composition of seawater. A minor and transient fluctuation in the Ca isotope ratio of bulk carbonate may reflect a change in isotopic fractionation associated with CaCO3 precipitation from seawater due to a combination of factors, including changes in temperature and/or in the assemblages of calcifying organisms. ?? 2011 Geological Society of America.

  4. Biogeochemical effects of seawater restoration to diked salt marshes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Portnoy, J.W.; Giblin, A.E.

    1997-01-01

    We conducted greenhouse microcosm experiments to examine the biogeochemical effects of restoring seawater to historically diked Cape Cod salt marshes. Peat cores from both seasonally flooded and drained diked marshes were waterlogged with seawater, and porewater chemistry was subsequently monitored for 21 mo. The addition of seawater to highly organic, seasonally flooded peat caused the death of freshwater wetland plants, 6-8 cm of sediment subsidence, and increased N and P mineralization. Also, sulfides and alkalinity increased 10-fold, suggesting accelerated decomposition by sulfate reduction. Addition of seawater to the low-organic-content acidic peat from the drained marsh increased porewater pH, alkalinity, PO4-P, and Fe(II), which we attribute to the reestablishment of SO4 and Fe(III) mineral reduction. Increased cation exchange contributed to 6-fold increases in dissolved Fe(II) and Al and 60-fold increases in NH4-N within 6 mo of sail-nation. Seawater reintroductions to seasonally flooded diked marshes will cause porewater sulfides to increase, likely reducing the success of revegetation efforts. Sulfide toxicity is of less concern in resalinated drained peats because of the abundance of Fe(II) to precipitate sulfides, and of NH4-N to offset sulfide inhibition of N uptake. Restoration of either seasonally flooded or drained diked marshes could stimulate potentially large nutrient and Fe(II) releases, which could in turn increase primary production and lower oxygen in receiving waters. These findings suggest that tidal restoration be gradual and carefully monitored.

  5. Further research on iodine speciation in seawater by capillary zone electrophoresis with isotachophoresis preconcentration.

    PubMed

    Huang, Zhuo; Ito, Kazuaki; Hirokawa, Takeshi

    2004-11-05

    A novel, simple and highly sensitive CE method was developed to determine total iodine (TI) in seawater. The method is based on the on-capillary reduction of iodine species to iodide by a reductant, introduced into the capillary before sample injection, the preconcentration of iodide using isotachophoresis, followed by its UV detection. Under optimized conditions for reduction and CE separation, the limit of detection for TI (S/N = 3) reached 0.4 microg L(-1) (226 nm). The repeatability of migration time and peak area, expressed by relative standard deviation, was 0.46 and 1.45%, respectively (n = 19). The correlation factor was 0.9991 (n = 10) for the concentration range of 12-115 microg I L(-1). The CE results obtained for the real seawater analysis agreed with the data of ion chromatography. To determine the genuine TI by the proposed method, organic iodinated compounds in the sample were treated with H202 and irradiation with UV light before analysis.

  6. An exploratory study on seawater-catalysed urine phosphorus recovery (SUPR).

    PubMed

    Dai, Ji; Tang, Wen-Tao; Zheng, Yi-Se; Mackey, Hamish R; Chui, Ho Kwong; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Chen, Guang-Hao

    2014-12-01

    Phosphorus (P) is a crucial and non-renewable resource, while it is excessively discharged via sewage, significant amounts originating from human urine. Recovery of P from source-separated urine presents an opportunity not only to recover this precious resource but also to improve downstream sewage treatment works. This paper proposes a simple and economic method to recover urine derived P by using seawater as a low-cost precipitant to form struvite, as Hong Kong has practised seawater toilet flushing as an alternative water resource since 1958. Chemical reactions, process conditions and precipitate composition for P precipitation in urine have been investigated to develop this new urine P recovery approach. This study concluded that ureolysis extent in a urine-seawater mixture determines the reaction pH that in turn influences the P recovery efficiency significantly; 98% of urine P can precipitate with seawater within 10 min when 40-75% of the urea in urine is ureolysed; the urine to seawater ratio alters the composition of the precipitates. The P content in the precipitates was found to be more than 9% when the urine fraction was 40% or higher. Magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) was confirmed to be the predominant component of the precipitates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. XAS and TRLIF spectroscopy of uranium and neptunium in seawater.

    PubMed

    Maloubier, Melody; Solari, Pier Lorenzo; Moisy, Philippe; Monfort, Marguerite; Den Auwer, Christophe; Moulin, Christophe

    2015-03-28

    Seawater contains radionuclides at environmental levels; some are naturally present and others come from anthropogenic nuclear activity. In this report, the molecular speciation in seawater of uranium(VI) and neptunium(V) at a concentration of 5 × 10(-5) M has been investigated for the first time using a combination of two spectroscopic techniques: Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (TRLIF) for U and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) for U and Np at the LIII edge. In parallel, the theoretical speciation of uranium and neptunium in seawater at the same concentration is also discussed and compared to spectroscopic data. The uranium complex was identified as the neutral carbonato calcic complex UO2(CO3)3Ca2, which has been previously described in other natural systems. In the case of neptunium, the complex identified is mainly a carbonato complex whose exact stoichiometry is more difficult to assess. The knowledge of the actinide molecular speciation and reactivity in seawater is of fundamental interest in the particular case of uranium recovery and more generally regarding the actinide life cycle within the biosphere in the case of accidental release. This is the first report of actinide direct speciation in seawater medium that can complement inventory data.

  8. Recalibrating the concentration of Precambrian seawater sulfate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, D. T.; Bradley, A. S.; Hoarfrost, A.; Girguis, P. R.

    2010-12-01

    The isotopic offset between sulfate sulfur and sulfide sulfur (δ34Ssulfate-sulfide) is widely used in the Precambrian as a paleo-indicator of seawater sulfate concentrations. Popularized by experimental work proposing an increase in seawater sulfate at the Archean - Proterozoic boundary, the concept of using a calibrated physiological process (dissimilatory sulfate reduction) to extract environmental information holds the potential to unlock numerous geological questions. To that end, the interpretability of sulfur isotope records relies on the degree to which strict quantitative constraints have been placed on the relationship between sulfate concentrations and sulfate reducing bacteria. Our work serves to extend those constraints. Here we present data from a series of replicate quasi-chemostat microbial reactors, inoculated with marine sediment from Monterey Bay and incubated with artificial seawater ([SO42-]< 5 mM). Our experimental design continuously removes sulfide and allows for systematic tracking of the dependence of δ34Ssulfate-sulfide on seawater sulfate concentration. In addition to expanding the existing δ34S context, we target high-precision multiple sulfur isotope data, which allows for a greater interpretability of both the overall result and its mapping onto environmental records. Further, we use natural abundance and δ18O spiked water within our experiments to assay rates of cellular re-oxidation (within the sulfate reduction pathway) and to constrain natural δ18O effects within these systems. Finally, we use modern molecular biological techniques to track community structure as a function of time and environmental conditions. Together, these data provide an integrated metric with which to interpret complex natural sulfur isotope records.

  9. Cultivation of oleaginous Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in airlift bioreactor by using seawater.

    PubMed

    Yen, Hong-Wei; Liao, Yu-Ting; Liu, Yi Xian

    2016-02-01

    The enormous water resource consumption is a concern to the scale-up fermentation process, especially for those cheap fermentation commodities, such as microbial oils as the feedstock for biodiesel production. The direct cultivation of oleaginous Rhodotorula mucilaginosa in a 5-L airlift bioreactor using seawater instead of pure water led to a slightly lower biomass being achieved, at 17.2 compared to 18.1 g/L, respectively. Nevertheless, a higher lipid content of 65 ± 5% was measured in the batch using seawater as compared to the pure water batch. Both the salinity and osmotic pressure decreased as the cultivation time increased in the seawater batch, and these effects may contribute to the high tolerance for salinity. No effects were observed for the seawater on the fatty acid profiles. The major components for both batches using seawater and pure water were C16:0 (palmitic acid), C18:1 (oleic acid) and C18:2 (linoleic acid), which together accounted for over 85% of total lipids. The results of this study indicated that seawater could be a suitable option for scaling up the growth of oleaginous R. mucilaginosa, especially from the perspective of water resource utilization. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Planktic foraminifera shell chemistry response to seawater chemistry: Pliocene-Pleistocene seawater Mg/Ca, temperature and sea level change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, David; Brierley, Chris; Raymo, Maureen E.; Erez, Jonathan; Müller, Wolfgang

    2016-03-01

    Foraminifera Mg/Ca paleothermometry forms the basis of a substantial portion of ocean temperature reconstruction over the last 5 Ma. Furthermore, coupled Mg/Ca-oxygen isotope (δ18O) measurements of benthic foraminifera can constrain eustatic sea level (ESL) independent of paleo-shoreline derived approaches. However, this technique suffers from uncertainty regarding the secular variation of the Mg/Ca seawater ratio (Mg/Casw) on timescales of millions of years. Here we present coupled seawater-test Mg/Ca-temperature laboratory calibrations of Globigerinoides ruber in order to test the widely held assumptions that (1) seawater-test Mg/Ca co-vary linearly, and (2) the Mg/Ca-temperature sensitivity remains constant with changing Mg/Casw. We find a nonlinear Mg/Catest-Mg/Casw relationship and a lowering of the Mg/Ca-temperature sensitivity at lower than modern Mg/Casw from 9.0% °C-1 at Mg/Casw = 5.2 mol mol-1 to 7.5 ± 0.9% °C-1 at 3.4 mol mol-1. Using our calibrations to more accurately calculate the offset between Mg/Ca and biomarker-derived paleotemperatures for four sites, we derive a Pliocene Mg/Casw ratio of ∼4.3 mol mol-1. This Mg/Casw implies Pliocene ocean temperature 0.9-1.9 °C higher than previously reported and, by extension, ESL ∼30 m lower compared to when one assumes that Pliocene Mg/Casw is the same as at present. Correcting existing benthic foraminifera datasets for Mg/Casw indicates that deep water source composition must have changed through time, therefore seawater oxygen isotope reconstructions relative to present day cannot be used to directly reconstruct Pliocene ESL.

  11. Sulfate was a trace constituent of Archean seawater.

    PubMed

    Crowe, Sean A; Paris, Guillaume; Katsev, Sergei; Jones, CarriAyne; Kim, Sang-Tae; Zerkle, Aubrey L; Nomosatryo, Sulung; Fowle, David A; Adkins, Jess F; Sessions, Alex L; Farquhar, James; Canfield, Donald E

    2014-11-07

    In the low-oxygen Archean world (>2400 million years ago), seawater sulfate concentrations were much lower than today, yet open questions frustrate the translation of modern measurements of sulfur isotope fractionations into estimates of Archean seawater sulfate concentrations. In the water column of Lake Matano, Indonesia, a low-sulfate analog for the Archean ocean, we find large (>20 per mil) sulfur isotope fractionations between sulfate and sulfide, but the underlying sediment sulfides preserve a muted range of δ(34)S values. Using models informed by sulfur cycling in Lake Matano, we infer Archean seawater sulfate concentrations of less than 2.5 micromolar. At these low concentrations, marine sulfate residence times were likely 10(3) to 10(4) years, and sulfate scarcity would have shaped early global biogeochemical cycles, possibly restricting biological productivity in Archean oceans. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  12. Cell Culture Isolation of Piscine Nodavirus (Betanodavirus) in Fish-Rearing Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Nishi, Shinnosuke; Yamashita, Hirofumi; Kawato, Yasuhiko

    2016-01-01

    Piscine nodavirus (betanodavirus) is the causative agent of viral nervous necrosis (VNN) in a variety of cultured fish species, particularly marine fish. In the present study, we developed a sensitive method for cell culture isolation of the virus from seawater and applied the method to a spontaneous fish-rearing environment. The virus in seawater was concentrated by an iron-based flocculation method and subjected to isolation with E-11 cells. A real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) assay was used to quantify the virus in water. After spiking into seawater was performed, a betanodavirus strain (redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus [RGNNV] genotype) was effectively recovered in the E-11 cells at a detection limit of approximately 105 copies (equivalent to 102 50% tissue culture infective doses [TCID50])/liter seawater. In an experimental infection of juvenile sevenband grouper (Epinephelus septemfasciatus) with the virus, the virus was isolated from the drainage of a fish-rearing tank when the virus level in water was at least approximately 105 copies/liter. The application of this method to sevenband grouper-rearing floating net pens, where VNN prevailed, resulted in the successful isolation of the virus from seawater. No differences were found in the partial sequences of the coat protein gene (RNA2) between the clinical virus isolates of dead fish and the cell-cultured virus isolates from seawater, and the viruses were identified as RGNNV. The infection experiment showed that the virus isolates from seawater were virulent to sevenband grouper. These results showed direct evidence of the horizontal transmission of betanodavirus via rearing water in marine aquaculture. PMID:26896128

  13. Benthic marine calcifiers coexist with CaCO3-undersaturated seawater worldwide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lebrato, M.; Andersson, A. J.; Ries, J. B.; Aronson, R. B.; Lamare, M. D.; Koeve, W.; Oschlies, A.; Iglesias-Rodriguez, M. D.; Thatje, S.; Amsler, M.; Vos, S. C.; Jones, D. O. B.; Ruhl, H. A.; Gates, A. R.; McClintock, J. B.

    2016-07-01

    Ocean acidification and decreasing seawater saturation state with respect to calcium carbonate (CaCO3) minerals have raised concerns about the consequences to marine organisms that build CaCO3 structures. A large proportion of benthic marine calcifiers incorporate Mg2+ into their skeletons (Mg-calcite), which, in general, reduces mineral stability. The relative vulnerability of some marine calcifiers to ocean acidification appears linked to the relative solubility of their shell or skeletal mineralogy, although some organisms have sophisticated mechanisms for constructing and maintaining their CaCO3 structures causing deviation from this dependence. Nevertheless, few studies consider seawater saturation state with respect to the actual Mg-calcite mineralogy (ΩMg-x) of a species when evaluating the effect of ocean acidification on that species. Here, a global dataset of skeletal mole % MgCO3 of benthic calcifiers and in situ environmental conditions spanning a depth range of 0 m (subtidal/neritic) to 5600 m (abyssal) was assembled to calculate in situ ΩMg-x. This analysis shows that 24% of the studied benthic calcifiers currently experience seawater mineral undersaturation (ΩMg-x < 1). As a result of ongoing anthropogenic ocean acidification over the next 200 to 3000 years, the predicted decrease in seawater mineral saturation will expose approximately 57% of all studied benthic calcifying species to seawater undersaturation. These observations reveal a surprisingly high proportion of benthic marine calcifiers exposed to seawater that is undersaturated with respect to their skeletal mineralogy, underscoring the importance of using species-specific seawater mineral saturation states when investigating the impact of CO2-induced ocean acidification on benthic marine calcification.

  14. Chemical Characteristics of Seawater and Sediment in the Yap Trench

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, H.; Sun, C.; Yang, G.

    2017-12-01

    In June 2016, seawater samples at sediment-seawater interface and sediment samples were collected by the he Jiaolong, China's manned submersible, at four sampling sites located in the Yap Trench. Seawater samples from different depths of the trench were also collected by CTD. Chemical parameters, including pH, alkanility, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved and total organic carbon, methane, dimethylsulfoniopropionate, nutrients, carbohydrates, and amino acids were analyzed in the seawater samples. Concentrations of total organic carbon, six constant elements and nine trace elements were determined in the sediment samples. All the vertical profiles of the chemical parameters in the seawater have unique characteristics. Our resluts also showed that the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) was between 4500 m and 5000 m in the trench. The hadal sediment at 6500 m depth under the CCD line was siliceous ooze favored for the burial of orgaic carbon, attributed to accumulation of surface sediment by gravity flow. The abyssal sediment at the 4500 m depth was calcareous ooze. Various microfossils, such as discoasters and diatoms, were identified in different sediment layers of the sediment samples.Based on the ratios of Fe/Al and Ti/Al, and the correlation between different elements, the sediment in the Yap Trench were derived from biogenic, terrestrial, volcanic and autogenic sources. The ratios of Ni/Co and V/Cr showed that the deposition environment of the trench should be oxidative, arributed to inflow of the Antractic bottom oxygen-rich seawater.The high concentraiont of Ca in the sediment from the station 371-Yap-S02 below 4 cm depth indicated that there was no large-scale volcanic eruption in the research area and the volcanic materials in the sediment might orginated from the Mariana Volcanic Arc, and the Carolyn Ridge has been slowly sinking on the east side of the trench due to plate subduction. This study is the first systematic study of

  15. Extracting uranium from seawater: Promising AI series adsorbents

    DOE PAGES

    Das, Sadananda; Oyola, Y.; Mayes, Richard T.; ...

    2015-11-10

    A series of adsorbent (AI10 through AI17) were successfully developed at ORNL by radiation induced graft polymerization (RIGP) of acrylonitrile (AN) and vinylphosphonic acid (VPA) (at different mole/mole ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fiber, with higher degree of grafting which ranges from 110 300%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by reaction with 10 wt% hydroxylamine at 80 C for 72 hours. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44M KOH at 80 C followed by screening at ORNL with simulated seawater spiked with 8 ppm uranium. Uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged frommore » 171-187 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. The performance of the adsorbents for uranium adsorption in natural seawater was also carried out using flow-through-column at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The three hours KOH conditioning was better for higher uranium uptake than one hour. The adsorbent AI11 containing AN and VPA at the mole ration of 3.52, emerged as the potential candidate for higher uranium adsorption (3.35 g-U/Kg-ads.) after 56 days of exposure in the seawater in the flow-through-column. The rate vanadium adsorption over uranium was linearly increased throughout the 56 days exposure. The total vanadium uptake was ~5 times over uranium after 56 days.« less

  16. Skeletal aragonite dissolution from hypersaline seawater: a hypothesis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qing Sun, S.

    1992-05-01

    Hypersaline seawater has often been invoked as a mechanism to explain the pervasive dolomitization of ancient platform carbonates, but its potential in causing skeletal aragonite dissolution of these carbonates has rarely been investigated. Previous experimental and theoretical studies have demonstrated that hypersaline seawater is undersaturated with respect to aragonite when evaporation reaches a certain degree. It is contended here that similar undersaturation could also have occurred in ancient evaporitic seas. Geological evidence from the Miocene carbonates of SE Spain, Gulf of Suez, Red Sea and Iraq suggests that this may have been the case. Despite differences in their geological settings, these carbonates have common diagenetic features including: (1) widespread dissolution of skeletal aragonite with little or no calcite cementation; and (2) pervasive dolomitization. Dolomite occurs as both a replacement of Mg calcite and mouldic pore-filling cement. The association of the dolomites with evaporites, their relatively heavy oxygen isotopic values and widespread distribution suggest a hypersaline seawater origin of these dolomites. Petrographic data indicate that skeletal aragonite was dissolved during dolomitization because the aragonite fossil moulds contain dolomite cements, but no pre-dolomitization calcite cements, implying that the dolomitizing fluids (hypersaline seawater) were probably undersaturated with respect to aragonite. The dissolved calcium may have been subsequently incorporated into the dolomite. This may help to explain the lack of calcite cementation despite the extensive skeletal aragonite dissolution.

  17. Extracting uranium from seawater: Promising AI series adsorbents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Sadananda; Oyola, Y.; Mayes, Richard T.

    A series of adsorbent (AI10 through AI17) were successfully developed at ORNL by radiation induced graft polymerization (RIGP) of acrylonitrile (AN) and vinylphosphonic acid (VPA) (at different mole/mole ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fiber, with higher degree of grafting which ranges from 110 300%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by reaction with 10 wt% hydroxylamine at 80 C for 72 hours. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44M KOH at 80 C followed by screening at ORNL with simulated seawater spiked with 8 ppm uranium. Uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged frommore » 171-187 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. The performance of the adsorbents for uranium adsorption in natural seawater was also carried out using flow-through-column at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The three hours KOH conditioning was better for higher uranium uptake than one hour. The adsorbent AI11 containing AN and VPA at the mole ration of 3.52, emerged as the potential candidate for higher uranium adsorption (3.35 g-U/Kg-ads.) after 56 days of exposure in the seawater in the flow-through-column. The rate vanadium adsorption over uranium was linearly increased throughout the 56 days exposure. The total vanadium uptake was ~5 times over uranium after 56 days.« less

  18. Precise determination of triple Sr isotopes (δ⁸⁷Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr) using MC-ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hou-Chun; You, Chen-Feng; Huang, Kuo-Fang; Chung, Chuan-Hsiung

    2012-01-15

    The non-traditional stable strontium (Sr) isotopes have received increasing attention recently as new geochemical tracers for studying Sr isotopic fractionation and source identification. This has been attributed to the advancement in multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), allows to determine precisely and simultaneously of the triple Sr isotopes. In this study, we applied a modified empirical external normalization (EEN) MC-ICPMS procedure for mass bias correction in Sr isotopic measurement using (92)Zr/(90)Zr. High-purity Zr Standard was spiked into sample solutions and the degree of fractionation was calculated off-line using an exponential law. The long-term external reproducibility for NIST SRM 987 δ(87)Sr and δ(88)Sr was better than 0.040‰ and 0.018‰ (2SD), respectively. The IAPSO standard seawater was used as a secondary standard to validate the analytical protocol and the absolute ratios measured were 0.709161±0.000018 for (87)Sr/(86)Sr, 0.177±0.021‰ for δ(87)Sr, and 0.370±0.026‰ for δ(88)Sr (2SD, n=7). These values are in good agreement with the literature data analyzed by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) double spike technique. Rock standards, BHVO-2, BCR-2 and AGV-2 were also analyzed to validate the robustness of the methodology and showed identical results with literature data. Compared to previous (91)Zr/(90)Zr correction, we obtained improved results based on (92)Zr/(90)Zr, probably due to similar mass difference between (92)Zr/(90)Zr and measured Sr isotopes. The new analytical protocol presented in this study not only improves the analytical precision but also increases sample efficiency by omitting the use of the standard-sample bracketing (SSB) procedure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Uptake of elements from seawater by ferromanganese crusts: Solid-phase associations and seawater speciation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koschinsky, A.; Hein, J.R.

    2003-01-01

    Marine Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide crusts form by precipitation of dissolved components from seawater. Three hydrogenetic crust samples (one phosphatized) and two hydrothermal Mn-oxide samples were subjected to a sequential-leaching procedure in order to determine the host phases of 40 elements. Those host-phase associations are discussed with respect to element speciation in seawater. The partitioning of elements between the two major phases, Mn oxide and Fe oxyhydroxide, can in a first-order approximation be explained by a simple sorption model related to the inorganic speciation of the elements in seawater, as has been proposed in earlier models. Free and weakly complexed cations, such as alkali and alkaline earth metals, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, T1(I), and partly Y, are sorbed preferentially on the negatively charged surface of the MnO2 in hydrogenetic crusts. The driving force is a strong coulombic interaction. All neutral or negatively charged chloro (Cd, Hg, T1), carbonate (Cu, Y, Pb, and U), and hydroxide (Be, Sc, Ti, Fe, Zr, Nb, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hf, Ta, Bi, Th, and T1(III)) complexes and oxyanions (V, Cr, As, Se, Mo, and W) bind to the slightly positively charged surface of the amorphous FeOOH phase. While coulombic interaction can explain the sorption of the negatively charged species, the binding of neutral species is based on specific chemical interaction. Organic complexation of elements in deep-ocean water seems to be at most of minor importance. Surface oxidation can explain some strong metal associations, e.g. of Co and T1 with the MnO2 and Te with the FeOOH. Sorption reactions initially driven by coulombic forces are often followed by the formation of specific bonds between the adsorbate and the atoms of the oxide surface. Differences in the associations of some metals between the non-phosphatized and phosphatized hydrogenetic crusts and between the hydrogenetic and the hydrothermal samples reflect the different physico-chemical environments of formation and

  20. Atmospheric Aerosol Emissions Related to the Mediterranean Seawater Biogeochemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sellegri, K.; Schwier, A.; Rose, C.; Gazeau, F. P. H.; Guieu, C.; D'anna, B.; Ebling, A. M.; Pey, J.; Marchand, N.; Charriere, B.; Sempéré, R.; Mas, S.

    2016-02-01

    Marine aerosols contribute significantly to the global aerosol load and consequently has an important impact on the Earth's climate. Different factors influence the way they are produced at the air/seawater interface. The sea state (whitecap coverage, temperature, etc. ) influence the size and concentration of primarily produced particles but also biogeochemical characteristics of the seawater influence both the physical and chemical primary fluxes to the atmosphere. An additional aerosol source of marine aerosol to the atmosphere is the formation of new particles by gaz-to-particle conversion, i.e. nucleation. How the seawater and surface microlayer biogeochemical compositions influences the aerosol emissions is still a large debate. In order to study marine emissions, one approach is to use semi-controlled environments such as mesocosms. Within the MedSea and SAM projects, we characterize the primary Sea Spray Aerosol (SSA) during mesocosms experiments performed during different seasons in the Mediteranean Sea. Mesocosms were either left unchanged as control or enriched by addition of nutriments in order to create different levels of phytoplanctonic activities. The mesocosms waters were daily analyzed for their chemical and biological composition (DOC, CDOM, TEP, Chl-a, virus, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations). SSA production by bubble bursting was daily simulated in a dedicated set-up. The size segregated SSA number fluxes, cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties, and chemical composition were determined as a function of the seawater characteristics. We show that the SSA organic content was clearly correlated to the seawater Chl-a level, provided that the mesocosm was not enriched to create an artificial phytoplanctonic bloom. In our experiments, the enrichment of the seawater with natural surface microlayer did not impact the SSA organic content nor its CCN properties. At last, nucleation of secondary particles were observed to occur in

  1. Macroporous monoliths for trace metal extraction from seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yue, Yanfeng; Mayes, Richard; Gill, Gary A.

    2015-05-29

    The viability of seawater-based uranium recovery depends on the uranium adsorption rate and capacity, since the concentration of uranium in the oceans is relatively low (3.3 μgL⁻¹). An important consideration for a fast adsorption is to maximize the adsorption properties of adsorbents such as surface areas and pore structures, which can greatly improve the kinetics of uranium extraction and the adsorption capacity simultaneously. Following this consideration, macroporous monolith adsorbents were prepared from the copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and N, N’-methylenebis(acrylamide) (MBAAm) based on a cryogel method using both hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers. The monolithic sorbents were tested with simulated seawatermore » containing a high uranyl concentration (–6 ppm) and the uranium adsorption results showed that the adsorption capacities are strongly influenced by the ratio of monomer to the crosslinker, i.e., the density of the amidoxime groups. The preliminary seawater testing indicates the high salinity content of seawater does not hinder the adsorption of uranium.« less

  2. The mercury isotope composition of Arctic coastal seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Štrok, Marko; Baya, Pascale Anabelle; Hintelmann, Holger

    2015-11-01

    For the first time, Hg isotope composition of seawater in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago is reported. Hg was pre-concentrated from large volumes of seawater sampling using anion exchange resins onboard the research vessel immediately after collection. Elution of Hg was performed in laboratory followed by isotope composition determination by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). For comparison, seawater from two stations was shipped to the laboratory and processed within it. Results showed negative mass-dependent fractionation in the range from -2.85 to -1.10‰ for δ202Hg, as well as slightly positive mass-independent fractionation of odd Hg isotopes. Positive mass-independent fractionation of 200Hg was also observed. Samples that were pre-concentrated in the laboratory showed different Hg isotope signatures and this is most probably due to the abiotic reduction of Hg in the dark by organic matter during storage and shipment after sampling. This emphasizes the need for immediate onboard pre-concentration.

  3. Degradation Products of Benzophenone-3 in Chlorinated Seawater Swimming Pools.

    PubMed

    Manasfi, Tarek; Storck, Veronika; Ravier, Sylvain; Demelas, Carine; Coulomb, Bruno; Boudenne, Jean-Luc

    2015-08-04

    Oxybenzone (2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenone, benzophenone-3) is one of the UV filters commonly found in sunscreens. Its presence in swimming pools and its reactivity with chlorine has already been demonstrated but never in seawater swimming pools. In these pools, chlorine added for disinfection results in the formation of bromine, due to the high levels of bromide in seawater, and leads to the formation of brominated disinfection byproducts, known to be more toxic than chlorinated ones. Therefore, it seems important to determine the transformation products of oxybenzone in chlorinated seawater swimming pools; especially that users of seawater swimming pools may apply sunscreens and other personal-care products containing oxybenzone before going to pools. This leads to the introduction of oxybenzone to pools, where it reacts with bromine. For this purpose, the reactivity of oxybenzone has been examined as a function of chlorine dose and temperature in artificial seawater to assess its potential to produce trihalomethanes and to determine the byproducts generated following chlorination. Increasing doses of chlorine and increasing temperatures enhanced the formation of bromoform. Experiments carried out with excess doses of chlorine resulted in the degradation of oxybenzone and allowed the determination of the degradation mechanisms leading to the formation of bromoform. In total, ten transformation products were identified, based on which the transformation pathway was proposed.

  4. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography and capillary electrochromatography of nitroaromatic explosives in seawater.

    PubMed

    Giordano, Braden C; Copper, Christine L; Collins, Greg E

    2006-02-01

    The ability to separate nitroaromatic and nitramine explosives in seawater sample matrices is demonstrated using both MEKC and CEC. While several capillary-based separations exist for explosives, none address direct sampling from seawater, a sample matrix of particular interest in the detection of undersea mines. Direct comparisons are made between MEKC and CEC in terms of sensitivity and separation efficiency for the analysis of 14 explosives and explosive degradation products in seawater and diluted seawater. The use of high-salt stacking with MEKC results, on average, in a three-fold increase in the number of theoretical plates, and nearly double resolution for samples prepared in 25% seawater. By taking advantage of long injection times in conjunction with stacking, detection limits down to sub mg/L levels are attainable; however, resolution is sacrificed. CEC of explosive mixtures using sol-gels prepared from methyltrimethoxysilane does not perform as well as MEKC in terms of resolving power, but does permit extended injection times for concentrating analyte onto the head of the separation column with little or no subsequent loss in resolution. Electrokinetic injections of 8 min at high voltage allow for detection limits of explosives below 100 microg/L.

  5. Effects of electrode settings on chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Guoo-Shyng Wang; Hsia, Chih-Wei; Hsu, Shun-Yao

    2015-12-01

    Electrolyzed water has significant disinfection effects, can comply with food safety regulations, and is environmental friendly. We investigated the effects of immersion depth of electrodes, stirring, electrode size, and electrode gap on the properties and chlorine generation efficiency of electrolyzing seawater and its storage stability. Results indicated that temperature and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of the seawater increased gradually, whereas electrical conductivity decreased steadily in electrolysis. During the electrolysis process, pH values and electric currents also decreased slightly within small ranges. Additional stirring or immersing the electrodes deep under the seawater significantly increased current density without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Decreasing electrode size or increasing electrode gap decreased chlorine production and electric current of the process without affecting its electric efficiency and current efficiency. Less than 35% of chlorine in the electrolyzed seawater was lost in a 3-week storage period. The decrement trend leveled off after the 1 st week of storage. The electrolyzing system is a convenient and economical method for producing high-chlorine seawater, which will have high potential applications in agriculture, aquaculture, or food processing. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Long-Term Viscoelastic Response of E-glass/Bismaleimide Composite in Seawater Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yian, Zhao; Zhiying, Wang; Keey, Seah Leong; Boay, Chai Gin

    2015-12-01

    The effect of seawater absorption on the long-term viscoelastic response of E-glass/BMI composite is presented in this paper. The diffusion of seawater into the composite shows a two-stage behavior, dominated by Fickian diffusion initially and followed by polymeric relaxation. The Glass transition temperature (Tg) of the composite with seawater absorption is considerably lowered due to the plasticization effect. However the effect of water absorption at 50 °C is found to be reversible after drying process. The time-temperature superposition (TTS) was performed based on the results of Dynamic Mechanical Analysis to construct the master curve of storage modulus. The shift factors exhibit Arrhenius behavior when temperature is well below Tg and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) like behavior when temperature gets close to glass transition region. As a result, a semi-empirical formulation is proposed to account for the seawater absorption effect in predicting long-term viscoelastic response of BMI composites based on temperature dependent storage modulus and TTS. The predicted master curves show that the degradation of storage modulus accelerates with both seawater exposure and increasing temperature. The proposed formulation can be applied to predict the long-term durability of any thermorheologically simple composite materials in seawater environment.

  7. Occurrence of tributyltin-tolerant bacteria in tributyltin- or cadmium-containing seawater.

    PubMed Central

    Suzuki, S; Fukagawa, T; Takama, K

    1992-01-01

    Tributyltin chloride (TBTCl)-tolerant bacteria accounted for 90% of the flora in natural seawater to which TBTCl was added. These tolerant bacteria were insensitive to 250 nmol of TBTCl per disc, and all were Vibrio species. Total counts of viable bacteria did not decrease upon storage of the TBTCl-treated seawater, indicating that enrichment of tolerant strains took place. Addition of CdSO4 to seawater resulted in the occurrence of TBTCl-tolerant bacteria as well as Cd-tolerant bacteria, suggesting some correlation of Cd tolerance and TBTCl tolerance. PMID:1444375

  8. Uranium extraction: Fuel from seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Tsouris, Costas; Oak Ridge National Lab.

    2017-02-17

    Over four billion tonnes of uranium are currently in the oceans that could be harvested for nuclear fuel, but current capture methods have limited performance and reusability. Now, an electrochemical method using modified carbon electrodes is shown to be promising for the extraction of uranium from seawater.

  9. Survival of the North American strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) in filtered seawater and seawater containing ovarian fluid, crude oil and serum-enriched culture medium

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kocan, R.M.; Hershberger, P.K.; Elder, N.E.

    2001-01-01

     The North American strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (NA-VHSV) could be recovered for up to 40 h in natural filtered seawater (27 ppt) with a 50% loss of infectivity after approximately 10 h at 15°C. Addition of 10 ppb North Slope crude oil to the seawater had no effect on virus survival. However, when various concentrations of teleost ovarian fluid were added to seawater, virus could be recovered after 72 h at 0.01% ovarian fluid and after 96 h at 1.0%. When cell culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum was added to the seawater, 100% of the virus could be recovered for the first 15 d and 60% of the virus remained after 36 d. These findings quantify NA-VHSV infectivity in natural seawater and demonstrate that ovarian fluid, which occurs naturally during spawning events, significantly prolongs the survival and infectivity of the virus. The extended stabilization of virus in culture medium supplemented with serum allows for low titer field samples to be collected and transported in an unfrozen state without significant loss of virus titer.

  10. Temperature Dependence of Uranium and Vanadium Adsorption on Amidoxime-Based Adsorbents in Natural Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Gill, Gary A.; Tsouris, Costas

    Recent advances in the development of amidoxime-based adsorbents have made it highly promising for seawater uranium extraction. However, there is a great need to understand the influence of temperature on the uranium sequestration performance of the adsorbents in natural seawater. Here in this work, the apparent enthalpy and entropy of the sorption of uranium (VI) and vanadium (V) with amidoxime-based adsorbents were determined in natural seawater tests at 8, 20, and 31 °C that cover a broad range of ambient seawater temperature. The sorption of U was highly endothermic, producing apparent enthalpies of 57 ± 6.0 and 59 ± 11more » kJ mol -1 and apparent entropies of 314 ± 21 and 320 ± 36 J K-1 mol -1, respectively, for two adsorbent formulations. In contrast, the sorption of V showed a much smaller temperature sensitivity, producing apparent enthalpies of 6.1 ± 5.9 and -11 ± 5.7 kJ mol -1 and apparent entropies of 164 ± 20 and 103 ± 19 J K -1 mol -1, respectively. This new thermodynamic information suggests that amidoxime-based adsorbents will deliver significantly increased U adsorption capacities and improved selectivity in warmer waters. A separate field study of seawater uranium adsorption conducted in a warm seawater site (Miami, FL, USA) confirm the observed strong temperature effect on seawater uranium mining. Lastly, this strong temperature dependence demonstrates that the warmer the seawater where the amidoxime-based adsorbents are deployed the greater the yield for seawater uranium extraction.« less

  11. Temperature Dependence of Uranium and Vanadium Adsorption on Amidoxime-Based Adsorbents in Natural Seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Gill, Gary A.; Tsouris, Costas; ...

    2018-01-16

    Recent advances in the development of amidoxime-based adsorbents have made it highly promising for seawater uranium extraction. However, there is a great need to understand the influence of temperature on the uranium sequestration performance of the adsorbents in natural seawater. Here in this work, the apparent enthalpy and entropy of the sorption of uranium (VI) and vanadium (V) with amidoxime-based adsorbents were determined in natural seawater tests at 8, 20, and 31 °C that cover a broad range of ambient seawater temperature. The sorption of U was highly endothermic, producing apparent enthalpies of 57 ± 6.0 and 59 ± 11more » kJ mol -1 and apparent entropies of 314 ± 21 and 320 ± 36 J K-1 mol -1, respectively, for two adsorbent formulations. In contrast, the sorption of V showed a much smaller temperature sensitivity, producing apparent enthalpies of 6.1 ± 5.9 and -11 ± 5.7 kJ mol -1 and apparent entropies of 164 ± 20 and 103 ± 19 J K -1 mol -1, respectively. This new thermodynamic information suggests that amidoxime-based adsorbents will deliver significantly increased U adsorption capacities and improved selectivity in warmer waters. A separate field study of seawater uranium adsorption conducted in a warm seawater site (Miami, FL, USA) confirm the observed strong temperature effect on seawater uranium mining. Lastly, this strong temperature dependence demonstrates that the warmer the seawater where the amidoxime-based adsorbents are deployed the greater the yield for seawater uranium extraction.« less

  12. Physical and biological characterization of a seawater ultraviolet radiation sterilizer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torrentera, Laura; Uribe, Roberto M.; Rodríguez, Romana R.; Carrillo, Ricardo E.

    1994-03-01

    The physical and biological characterization of a seawater ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer is described. The physical characterization was performed using radiochromic dye films by evaluating the uniformity of the radiant exposure along each lamp, the effect of the radiation from one lamp on the array of adjacent lamps, and by measuring the UV radiation absorption of seawater with respect to distilled water. The biological characterization was performed by measuring the amount of reduction of bacteria in stored seawater after different filtration and UV treatments. Among the filtration methods tested, differential filtration (5, 3 and 0.45 μm filters connected in series) caused the highest bacterial reduction factor of 60%. UV radiant exposures of 212, 424, 636 and 848 J m -2 yielded bacteria reduction factors of 99.86, 99.969, 99.997 and 100%, respectively, for populations of Vibrio and Pseudomonas bacteria present in stored seawater. It is concluded that the system is useful for water disinfection when 1, 2 or 3 lamps are on; when 4 lamps are used the treated water becomes sterile.

  13. Time and the crystallization of apatite in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gulbrandsen, R.A.; Roberson, C.E.; Neil, S.T.

    1984-01-01

    Carbonate fluorapatite has been synthesized in seawater in an experiment of nearly 10-years duration. The addition of phosphate to seawater whose fluoride concentration had been increased to 7.6 mg/l brought about an initial amorphous phosphate precipitate. After 20 months, a crystalline magnesium phosphate phase developed within the amorphous phosphate. Crystallization of apatite, which occurred during the last 3 years of the experiment, was accompanied by dissolution of the crystalline magnesium phosphate phase. The MgO content of the apatite (1.9 percent) is high in comparison to Tertiary and older apatite but similar to some young apatite; the CO2 content (3.6 percent) is medium, and the fluorine content (2.2 percent) is low but again similar to some young apatite. The hydroxyl ion (OH-) likely fills the need for additional fluorine-position atoms. The mole ratio of Ca plus substituent elements to P plus substituent elements (1.50) is low in comparison to the expected ratio of 1.67. The substitution of the hydronium ion (H3O+) for Ca may account for this difference. The synthesis of apatite in seawater demonstrates that the factor of time overcomes the well known inhibiting effect of magnesium upon the crystallization of apatite. It also implies that given an adequate supply of phosphate, apatite can form in most ocean environments and likely plays a major pan in the control of the phosphate content of seawater. ?? 1984.

  14. Accurate L-Band Measurements of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, R.H.; Utku, C.; Tarkocin, Y.; Vine, D.M. Le

    2007-01-01

    A new temperature controlled microwave cavity system to measure the complex dielectric constant of seawater at 1.413 GHz is discussed. The system is being developed to measure seawater for temperatures from O C to 30 C and salinities from 10 to 40 psu, The paper discusses the construction of the measurement system and initial stability tests.

  15. Caldera unrest detected with seawater temperature anomalies at Deception Island, Antarctic Peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berrocoso, M.; Prates, G.; Fernández-Ros, A.; Peci, L. M.; de Gil, A.; Rosado, B.; Páez, R.; Jigena, B.

    2018-04-01

    Increased thermal activity was detected to coincide with the onset of volcano inflation in the seawater-filled caldera at Deception Island. This thermal activity was manifested in pulses of high water temperature that coincided with ocean tide cycles. The seawater temperature anomalies were detected by a thermometric sensor attached to the tide gauge (bottom pressure sensor). This was installed where the seawater circulation and the locations of known thermal anomalies, fumaroles and thermal springs, together favor the detection of water warmed within the caldera. Detection of the increased thermal activity was also possible because sea ice, which covers the entire caldera during the austral winter months, insulates the water and thus reduces temperature exchange between seawater and atmosphere. In these conditions, the water temperature data has been shown to provide significant information about Deception volcano activity. The detected seawater temperature increase, also observed in soil temperature readings, suggests rapid and near-simultaneous increase in geothermal activity with onset of caldera inflation and an increased number of seismic events observed in the following austral summer.

  16. An experimental investigation of barite formation in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ganeshram, R.S.; Francois, R.; Commeau, J.; Brown-Leger, S. L.

    2003-01-01

    We report results from time-series decay and sequential leaching experiments of laboratory cultured and coastal plankton to elucidate the mechanisms controlling barite formation in seawater. Batch-cultured diatoms ( Stephanopyxis palmerina ) and coccolithophorids (Emiliania huxleyi) were let to decay in the dark for 8-10 weeks, suspended in aerated seawater. The development of barite crystals was monitored by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). A similar experiment was conducted with plankton collected during the spring-bloom in Vineyard Sound (MA). In addition to SEM, suspended particles were sequentially leached for Ba (distilled water rinse; 10% (v/v) HNO3 rinse at room temperature; 30% (v/v) HCl at 80??C overnight; 50% (v/v) HNO3 at 80??C overnight) immediately after collection, and after 10-week decay in seawater, in seawater poisoned with HgCl2, and in seawater spiked with 135Ba. Both experiments showed an increase in the number of barite crystals during decay. The spring-bloom plankton had initially a large pool of labile Ba, soluble in distilled water and cold dilute HNO3 that was lost from the plankton after 10-week decay in both axenic and nonaxenic conditions. In contrast, Ba in the decayed plankton samples was predominantly in forms extracted by hot HCl and hot HNO3 acids, which were attributed to presence of barite Ba and refractory organic Ba respectively. The increase in barite crystal counts under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), the increase in HCl extractable Ba relative to organic carbon, and the loss of a large fraction of Ba during plankton decay suggest that living plankton consists of a relatively large pool of labile Ba, which is rapidly released during plankton decomposition and acts as the main source of Ba for barite formation in supersaturated microenvironments. Since mass balance indicates that only a small proportion (2 to 4%) of the labile-Ba pool is converted to barite, the availability of microenvironments that could locally

  17. Effects of Chemical Structure on Hydrolysis Pathways of Small Peptides in Coastal Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, S.; Reyna, N. E.; Hamdan, L. J.; Liu, Z.

    2016-02-01

    Deciphering peptide hydrolysis pathways is key to understanding the mechanism of peptide hydrolysis, in particular the types of extracellular enzymes that are active in seawater. From the hydrolyzed fragments of small peptides, one can estimate the role of amino-, carboxy-, and endopeptidases in a quantitative way. In this study, we incubated several small peptides with different amino acid compositions, alanine-valine-phenylalanine-alanine (AVFA), phenylalanine-alanine-serine-tryptophan-glycine-alanine (FASWGA), VFA, SWGA, VVFA, arginine-valine-phenylalanine-alanine (RVFA), SVFA, aspartic acid-valine-phenylalanine-alanine (DVFA), trialanine (AAA), and AVF in two coastal seawaters (ship channel seawater in the western Gulf of Mexico and Sta. C6 seawater in the northern Gulf of Mexico). In both seawaters, aminopeptidases played a more dominant role (22-67%) in hydrolyzing peptides with hydrophobic amino acid at the N-terminus, such as AVFA, VVFA, VFA, and AAA, or with basic amino acid at the N-terminus (RVFA), as compared to those with N-terminal polar amino acid (SVFA, SWGA) or acidic amino acid (DVFA) (0-24%). This result indicates that amino acid composition in a peptide structure affects how the peptide is hydrolyzed. We also found that peptides in the C6 seawater were hydrolyzed dominantly by aminopeptidases (10-59%), while those in the ship channel seawater also by endo- or carboxypeptidases (9-69%). This pattern suggests that peptide hydrolysis pathways depend on specific environment conditions, such as bacterial community structure, that can lead to variations in abundances or activities among amino-, carboxy- and endopeptidases. Overall, the results provide insights into the effects of chemical structure and seawater environment on peptide hydrolysis pathways.

  18. High-temperature electrolysis of synthetic seawater using solid oxide electrolyzer cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Chee Kuan; Liu, Qinglin; Zhou, Juan; Sun, Qiang; Chan, Siew Hwa

    2017-02-01

    A Ni-YSZ/YSZ/LSCF-GDC solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) is used to investigate the effects of seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production through electrolyzing steam produced from simulated seawater bath. Steam electrolysis using an SOEC with its fuel electrode contaminated by sea salt is also investigated. Steam produced from seawater is found to be free of contaminants, which are present in the seawater. Similar electrochemical performance is observed from the polarization curves and impedance spectra when using steam produced from pure water and seawater. Their short-term degradation rates are similar, which are registered at 15% 1000 h-1 for both cases. For the case of direct sea salt contamination in an SOEC's fuel electrode, both the uncontaminated and contaminated cells exhibit rather similar performance as observed from the polarization curves and impedance spectra. The difference in ASR values from the polarization curves and impedance spectra between the uncontaminated and contaminated cell are all within a 10% range. Rather similar short-term degradation rates of 15% 1000 h-1 and 16% 1000 h-1 are recorded for the uncontaminated and contaminated cells, respectively. Post-mortem analysis shows that the sea salt impregnated into the cell has been vaporized at a typical SOEC operating temperature of 800 °C over the period of operation.

  19. Differential modification of seawater carbonate chemistry by major coral reef benthic communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Page, Heather N.; Andersson, Andreas J.; Jokiel, Paul L.; Rodgers, Ku'ulei S.; Lebrato, Mario; Yeakel, Kiley; Davidson, Charlie; D'Angelo, Sydney; Bahr, Keisha D.

    2016-12-01

    Ocean acidification (OA) resulting from uptake of anthropogenic CO2 may negatively affect coral reefs by causing decreased rates of biogenic calcification and increased rates of CaCO3 dissolution and bioerosion. However, in addition to the gradual decrease in seawater pH and Ω a resulting from anthropogenic activities, seawater carbonate chemistry in these coastal ecosystems is also strongly influenced by the benthic metabolism which can either exacerbate or alleviate OA through net community calcification (NCC = calcification - CaCO3 dissolution) and net community organic carbon production (NCP = primary production - respiration). Therefore, to project OA on coral reefs, it is necessary to understand how different benthic communities modify the reef seawater carbonate chemistry. In this study, we used flow-through mesocosms to investigate the modification of seawater carbonate chemistry by benthic metabolism of five distinct reef communities [carbonate sand, crustose coralline algae (CCA), corals, fleshy algae, and a mixed community] under ambient and acidified conditions during summer and winter. The results showed that different communities had distinct influences on carbonate chemistry related to the relative importance of NCC and NCP. Sand, CCA, and corals exerted relatively small influences on seawater pH and Ω a over diel cycles due to closely balanced NCC and NCP rates, whereas fleshy algae and mixed communities strongly elevated daytime pH and Ω a due to high NCP rates. Interestingly, the influence on seawater pH at night was relatively small and quite similar across communities. NCC and NCP rates were not significantly affected by short-term acidification, but larger diel variability in pH was observed due to decreased seawater buffering capacity. Except for corals, increased net dissolution was observed at night for all communities under OA, partially buffering against nighttime acidification. Thus, algal-dominated areas of coral reefs and increased

  20. Investigations into the Reusability of Amidoxime-Based Polymeric Adsorbents for Seawater Uranium Extraction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Pan, Horng-Bin; Wai, Chien M.

    The ability to re-use amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents is a critical component in reducing the overall cost of the technology to extract uranium from seawater. This report describes an evaluation of adsorbent reusability in multiple re-use (adsorption/stripping) cycles in real seawater exposures with potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3) elution using several amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents. The KHCO3 elution technique achieved ~100% recovery of uranium adsorption capacity in the first re-use. Subsequent re-uses showed significant drops in adsorption capacity. After the 4th re-use with the ORNL AI8 adsorbent, the 56-day adsorption capacity dropped to 28% of its original capacity. FTIR spectra revealed that there wasmore » a conversion of the amidoxime ligands to carboxylate groups during extended seawater exposure, becoming more significant with longer the exposure time. Ca and Mg adsorption capacities also increased with each re-use cycle supporting the hypothesis that long term exposure resulted in converting amidoxime to carboxylate, enhancing the adsorption of Ca and Mg. Shorter seawater exposure (adsorption/stripping) cycles (28 vs. 42 days) had higher adsorption capacities after re-use, but the shorter exposure cycle time did not produce an overall better performance in terms of cumulative exposure time. Recovery of uranium capacity in re-uses may also vary across different adsorbent formulations. Through multiple re-use the adsorbent AI8 can harvest 10 g uranium/kg adsorbent in ~140 days, using a 28-day adsorption/stripping cycle, a performance much better than would be achieved with a single use of the adsorbent through very long-term exposure (saturation capacity = 7.4 g U/kg adsorbent). A time dependent seawater exposure model to evaluate the cost associated with reusing amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater exposures was developed. The cost to extract uranium from seawater ranged from $610-830/kg U was predicted. Model simulation suggests that a

  1. Growth of Bacillus methanolicus in seawater-based media.

    PubMed

    Komives, Claire F; Cheung, Louis Yip-Yan; Pluschkell, Stefanie B; Flickinger, Michael C

    2005-02-01

    Bacillus methanolicus has been proposed as a biocatalyst for the low cost production of commodity chemicals. The organism can use methanol as sole carbon and energy source, and it grows aerobically at elevated temperatures. Methanol can be made available from off-shore conversion of natural gas to methanol, through gas-to-liquid technology. Growth of the organism in seawater-based medium would further reduce the costs of chemical production performed near an off-shore natural gas source. The growth of strain PB1 (ATCC 51375) in shake flask experiments with trypticase soy broth medium showed minimal salt-inhibition at the concentration of NaCl in seawater. The ability of B. methanolicus PB1 to grow in Pacific Ocean water using methanol as a carbon and energy source was also tested. Following a simple adaptation procedure, PB1 was able to grow on methanol in semi-defined medium with 100% seawater with good growth yields and similar growth rates compared with those achieved on media prepared in deionized water.

  2. Continental fragmentation and the strontium isotopic evolution of seawater.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eric, H.; Jean Pascal, C.

    2008-12-01

    The time evolution of the strontium isotopic composition of seawater over the last 600 million years has the form of an asymmetric trough. The values are highest in the Cambrian and recent and lowest in the Jurassic. Superimposed on this trend are a number of smaller oscillations. The mechanisms responsible for these global isotopic fluctuations are subject to much debates. In order to get a quantitative picture of the changing paleogeography, we have characterized land-ocean distributions over Late Proterozoic to Phanerozoic times from measurement of perimeters and areas of continental fragments, based on paleomagnetic reconstructions. These measurements served to calculate geophysically constrainted breakup and scatter indexes of continental land masses from 0 to 1100 Ma (Cogne and Humler, 2008). Both parameters (strontium isotopic ratios of seawater and continental fragmentation indexes) are obviously highly correlated during the last 600 Ma. Low continental dispersion (that is large continental land masses) are associated with low seawater strontium isotopic ratios (that is when the continental inputs to oceans are minimum) and high continental dispersion (that is relatively small and widely distributed continents) with high seawater strontium isotopic ratios (that is when the continental input to ocean is maximum). Importantly, this first order evolution appears to conflict with the common idea of mountains erosion as a source for radiogenic strontium to oceans because high strontium isotopic ratios in seawater correspond to period of maximum dispersion of continents and not with period of general collisions. At first glance, it would seem that continental erosion increases with the degree of continental dispersion. Models showing that continental precipitation increases when continental masses are smaller and more widely dispersed and/or the length of continental margins available for rivers to carry continental material to oceans are thus favoured in order

  3. Potential impact of seawater uranium extraction on marine life

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Park, Jiyeon; Jeters, Robert T.; Kuo, Li-Jung

    A variety of adsorbent materials have been developed to extract uranium from seawater as an alternative traditional terrestrial mining. A large-scale deployment of these adsorbents would be necessary to recover useful quantities of uranium and this raises a number of concerns regarding potential impacts on the surrounding marine environment. Two concerns are whether or not the adsorbent materials are toxic and any potentially harmful effects that may result from depleting uranium or vanadium (also highly concentrated by the adsorbents) from the local environment. To test the potential toxicity of the adsorbent with or without bound metals, Microtox assays were usedmore » to test both direct contact toxicity and the toxicity of any leachate in the seawater. The Microtox assay was chosen because it the detection of non-specific mechanisms of toxicity. Toxicity was not observed with leachates from any of 68 adsorbent materials that were tested, but direct contact with some adsorbents at very high adsorbent con-centrations exhibited toxicity. These concentrations are, however, very unlikely to be seen in the actual marine deployment. Adsor-bents that accumulated uranium and trace metals were also tested for toxicity, and no toxic effect was observed. Biofouling on the adsorbents and in columns or flumes containing the adsorbents also indicates that the adsorbents are not toxic and that there may not be an obvious deleterious effect resulting from removing uranium and vanadium from seawater. An extensive literature search was also performed to examine the potential impact of uranium and vanadium extraction from seawater on marine life using the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) document analysis tool, IN-SPIRE™. Although other potential environmental effects must also be considered, results from both the Microtox assay and the literature search provide preliminary evidence that uranium extraction from seawater could be performed with minimal

  4. Henry's law constant for phosphine in seawater: determination and assessment of influencing factors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fu, Mei; Yu, Zhiming; Lu, Guangyuan; Song, Xiuxian

    2013-07-01

    The Henry's Law constant ( k) for phosphine in seawater was determined by multiple phase equilibration combined with headspace gas chromatography. The effects of pH, temperature, and salinity on k were studied. The k value for phosphine in natural seawater was 6.415 at room temperature (approximately 23°C). This value increases with increases in temperature and salinity, but no obvious change was observed at different pH levels. At the same temperature, there was no significant difference between the k for phosphine in natural seawater and that in artificial seawater. This implies that temperature and salinity are major determining factors for k in marine environment. Double linear regression with Henry's Law constants for phosphine as a function of temperature and salinity confirmed our observations. These results provide a basis for the measurement of trace phosphine concentrations in seawater, and will be helpful for future research on the status of phosphine in the oceanic biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus.

  5. Nanostructured Metal Oxide Sorbents for the Collection and Recovery of Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chouyyok, Wilaiwan; Warner, Cynthia L.; Mackie, Katherine E.

    2016-02-07

    The ability to collect uranium from seawater offers the potential for a long-term green fuel supply for nuclear energy. However, extraction of uranium, and other trace minerals, is challenging due to the high ionic strength and low mineral concentrations in seawater. Herein we evaluate the use of nanostructured metal oxide sorbents for the collection and recovery of uranium from seawater. Chemical affinity, chemical adsorption capacity and kinetics of preferred sorbent materials were evaluated. High surface area manganese and iron oxide nanomaterials showed excellent performance for uranium collection from seawater. Inexpensive nontoxic carbonate solutions were demonstrated to be an effective andmore » environmental benign method of stripping the uranium from the metal oxide sorbents. Various formats for the utilization of the nanostructured metals oxide sorbent materials are discussed including traditional and nontraditional methods such as magnetic separation. Keywords: Uranium, nano, manganese, iron, sorbent, seawater, magnetic, separations, nuclear energy« less

  6. Effect of phytoplankton biomass in seawater on chemical properties of sea spray aerosols.

    PubMed

    Park, Jiyeon; Kim, Dohyung; Lee, Kwangyul; Han, Seunghee; Kim, Hyunji; Williams, Leah R; Joo, Hung Soo; Park, Kihong

    2016-09-15

    This study is to investigate the effect of biological seawater properties on sea spray aerosols (SSA). Concentrations of chlorophyll-a and bacteria were measured at coastal site in Korea in fall and summer seasons. Also, aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) was used to determine chemical constituents (organics, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and chloride) of non-refractory submicrometer aerosols sprayed from seawaters using a bubble bursting system. The average concentration of chlorophyll-a in seawater in fall was 1.75±0.78μg/l, whereas it significantly increased to 5.11±2.16μg/l in summer. It was found that the fraction of organics in the submicrometer SSA was higher in summer (68%) than fall (49%), and that the organic fraction in the SSA increased as the concentration of chlorophyll-a increased in seawater, suggesting that the high phytoplankton biomass in seawater could lead to the enhancement of organic species in the SSA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Lithium sorption properties of HMnO in seawater and wastewater.

    PubMed

    Park, HyunJu; Singhal, Naresh; Jho, Eun Hea

    2015-12-15

    The lithium concentration in seawater is 0.17 mg/L, which is very low, but the overall quantity is approximately 2.5 × 10(14) kg. Therefore, seawater, which contains a vast amount of lithium, could be a major alternative source that might supply the rising demand for lithium. This research was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of a manganese oxide (HMnO) adsorbent, which was produced after leaching lithium from lithium manganese oxide, for lithium collection from seawater. The HMnO was synthesized and deformed to a plastic after wet blending of manganese oxide and lithium hydroxide, and subsequently, the influence of pH, sorption isotherms, sorption rates, sorption energies, and effects of the co-ions were measured. Thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° indicated that the nature of the lithium sorption was both spontaneous and endothermic. The used HMnO could be regenerated by washing it with an HCl solution. The results demonstrated that HMnO could be effectively used for the collection of lithium from seawater with good selectivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A novel determination of calcite dissolution kinetics in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Subhas, Adam V.; Rollins, Nick E.; Berelson, William M.; Dong, Sijia; Erez, Jonathan; Adkins, Jess F.

    2015-12-01

    We present a novel determination of the dissolution kinetics of inorganic calcite in seawater. We dissolved 13 C -labeled calcite in unlabeled seawater, and traced the evolving δ13 C composition of the fluid over time to establish dissolution rates. This method provides sensitive determinations of dissolution rate, which we couple with tight constraints on both seawater saturation state and surface area of the dissolving minerals. We have determined dissolution rates for two different abiotic calcite materials and three different grain sizes. Near-equilibrium dissolution rates are highly nonlinear, and are well normalized by geometric surface area, giving an empirical dissolution rate dependence on saturation state (Ω) of: This result substantiates the non-linear response of calcite dissolution to undersaturation. The bulk dissolution rate constant calculated here is in excellent agreement with those determined in far from equilibrium and dilute solution experiments. Plots of dissolution versus undersaturation indicates the presence of at least two dissolution mechanisms, implying a criticality in the calcite-seawater system. Finally, our new rate determination has implications for modeling of pelagic and seafloor dissolution. Nonlinear dissolution kinetics in a simple 1-D lysocline model indicate a possible transition from kinetic to diffusive control with increasing water depth, and also confirm the importance of respiration-driven dissolution in setting the shape of the calcite lysocline.

  9. Faraday's Law and Seawater Motion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Luca, R.

    2010-01-01

    Using Faraday's law, one can illustrate how an electromotive force generator, directly utilizing seawater motion, works. The conceptual device proposed is rather simple in its components and can be built in any high school or college laboratory. The description of the way in which the device generates an electromotive force can be instructive not…

  10. Variable response of three Trifolium repens ecotypes to soil flooding by seawater.

    PubMed

    White, Anissia C; Colmer, Timothy D; Cawthray, Greg R; Hanley, Mick E

    2014-08-01

    Despite concerns about the impact of rising sea levels and storm surge events on coastal ecosystems, there is remarkably little information on the response of terrestrial coastal plant species to seawater inundation. The aim of this study was to elucidate responses of a glycophyte (white clover, Trifolium repens) to short-duration soil flooding by seawater and recovery following leaching of salts. Using plants cultivated from parent ecotypes collected from a natural soil salinity gradient, the impact of short-duration seawater soil flooding (8 or 24 h) on short-term changes in leaf salt ion and organic solute concentrations was examined, together with longer term impacts on plant growth (stolon elongation) and flowering. There was substantial Cl(-) and Na(+) accumulation in leaves, especially for plants subjected to 24 h soil flooding with seawater, but no consistent variation linked to parent plant provenance. Proline and sucrose concentrations also increased in plants following seawater flooding of the soil. Plant growth and flowering were reduced by longer soil immersion times (seawater flooding followed by drainage and freshwater inputs), but plants originating from more saline soil responded less negatively than those from lower salinity soil. The accumulation of proline and sucrose indicates a potential for solute accumulation as a response to the osmotic imbalance caused by salt ions, while variation in growth and flowering responses between ecotypes points to a natural adaptive capacity for tolerance of short-duration seawater soil flooding in T. repens. Consequently, it is suggested that selection for tolerant ecotypes is possible should the predicted increase in frequency of storm surge flooding events occur. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Ice-nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irish, Victoria E.; Elizondo, Pablo; Chen, Jessie; Chou, Cédric; Charette, Joannie; Lizotte, Martine; Ladino, Luis A.; Wilson, Theodore W.; Gosselin, Michel; Murray, Benjamin J.; Polishchuk, Elena; Abbatt, Jonathan P. D.; Miller, Lisa A.; Bertram, Allan K.

    2017-09-01

    The sea-surface microlayer and bulk seawater can contain ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and these INPs can be emitted into the atmosphere. Our current understanding of the properties, concentrations, and spatial and temporal distributions of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater is limited. In this study we investigate the concentrations and properties of INPs in microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2014. INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk seawater with freezing temperatures in the immersion mode as high as -14 °C. A strong negative correlation (R = -0. 7, p = 0. 02) was observed between salinity and freezing temperatures (after correction for freezing depression by the salts). One possible explanation is that INPs were associated with melting sea ice. Heat and filtration treatments of the samples show that the INPs were likely heat-labile biological materials with sizes between 0.02 and 0.2 µm in diameter, consistent with previous measurements off the coast of North America and near Greenland in the Arctic. The concentrations of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater were consistent with previous measurements at several other locations off the coast of North America. However, our average microlayer concentration was lower than previous observations made near Greenland in the Arctic. This difference could not be explained by chlorophyll a concentrations derived from satellite measurements. In addition, previous studies found significant INP enrichment in the microlayer, relative to bulk seawater, which we did not observe in this study. While further studies are needed to understand these differences, we confirm that there is a source of INP in the microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic that may be important for atmospheric INP concentrations.

  12. Assessment of TBT and organic booster biocide contamination in seawater from coastal areas of South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Nam Sook; Shim, Won Joon; Yim, Un Hyuk; Hong, Sang Hee; Ha, Sung Yong; Han, Gi Myung; Shin, Kyung-Hoon

    2014-01-15

    Seawater samples from major enclosed bays, fishing ports, and harbors of Korea were analyzed to determine levels of tributyltin (TBT) and booster biocides, which are antifouling agents used as alternatives to TBT. TBT levels were in the range of not detected (nd) to 23.9 ng Sn/L. Diuron and Irgarol 1051, at concentration ranges of 35-1360 ng/L and nd to 14 ng/L, respectively, were the most common alternative biocides present in seawater, with the highest concentrations detected in fishing ports. Hot spots were identified where TBT levels exceeded environmental quality targets even 6 years after a total ban on its use in Korea. Diuron exceeded the UK environmental quality standard (EQS) value in 73% of the fishing port samples, 64% of the major bays, and 42% of the harbors. Irgarol 1051 levels were marginally below the Dutch and UK EQS values at all sites. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Seawater Ca2+ concentration influences solar orientation in Talitrus saltator (Crustacea, Amphipoda).

    PubMed

    Ugolini, Alberto; Ungherese, Giuseppe; Mercatelli, Luca; Saer, Doumett; Lepri, Luciano

    2009-03-01

    The role of salinity in the ecophysiology of many intertidal invertebrates has been extensively investigated. Calcium (Ca(2+)), magnesium (Mg(2+)), potassium (K(+)) and sodium (Na(+)) are the major constituents of seawater and it has been demonstrated that sandhoppers tested under the sun in diluted seawater (3.5 per thousand) head seaward, instead of going landward as expected. Therefore, the variation in seawater salinity (from 35 per thousand to 3.5 per thousand) influences their directional choice. This paper investigates the contribution of different cations to the sea-land directional choice of Talitrus saltator (Crustacea, Amphipoda) by the sun compass orientation mechanism. Results of releases carried out in basic seawater selectively deprived of Ca(2+), Mg(2+) or K(+) and containing the same concentration of Na(+) indicate that only the reduction in Ca(2+) concentration affects the capacity of solar orientation. The pH does not influence the directional choice of sandhoppers and nor do small variations in salinity in the range 32-39 per thousand. Moreover, the clear photopositive tendency registered in experiments of phototaxis in Ca(2+)-deprived seawater indicates that the absence of Ca(2+) does not affect the normal functioning of the visual cells. Therefore, our results show that Ca(2+) seawater concentration is important for the correct functioning of one of the principal mechanisms of orientation in supralittoral amphipods and it could affect their survival in the field.

  14. Cardiorespiratory upregulation during seawater acclimation in rainbow trout: effects on gastrointestinal perfusion and postprandial responses.

    PubMed

    Brijs, Jeroen; Gräns, Albin; Ekström, Andreas; Olsson, Catharina; Axelsson, Michael; Sandblom, Erik

    2016-05-01

    Increased gastrointestinal blood flow is essential for euryhaline fishes to maintain osmotic homeostasis during the initial phase of a transition from freshwater to seawater. However, the cardiorespiratory responses and hemodynamic changes required for a successful long-term transition to seawater remain largely unknown. In the present study, we simultaneously measured oxygen consumption rate (ṀO2), cardiac output (CO), heart rate (HR), and gastrointestinal blood flow (GBF) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to either freshwater or seawater for at least 6 wk. Seawater-acclimated trout displayed significantly elevated ṀO2 (day: 18%, night: 19%), CO (day: 22%, night: 48%), and GBF (day: 96%, night: 147%), demonstrating that an overall cardiorespiratory upregulation occurs during seawater acclimation. The elevated GBF was achieved via a combination of increased CO, mediated through elevated stroke volume (SV), and a redistribution of blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract. Interestingly, virtually all of the increase in CO of seawater-acclimated trout was directed to the gastrointestinal tract. Although unfed seawater-acclimated trout displayed substantially elevated cardiorespiratory activity, the ingestion of a meal resulted in a similar specific dynamic action (SDA) and postprandial GBF response as in freshwater-acclimated fish. This indicates that the capacity for the transportation of absorbed nutrients, gastrointestinal tissue oxygen delivery, and acid-base regulation is maintained during digestion in seawater. The novel findings presented in this study clearly demonstrate that euryhaline fish upregulate cardiovascular function when in seawater, while retaining sufficient capacity for the metabolic and cardiovascular changes associated with the postprandial response. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  15. Mining Critical Metals and Elements from Seawater: Opportunities and Challenges.

    PubMed

    Diallo, Mamadou S; Kotte, Madhusudhana Rao; Cho, Manki

    2015-08-18

    The availability and sustainable supply of technology metals and valuable elements is critical to the global economy. There is a growing realization that the development and deployment of the clean energy technologies and sustainable products and manufacturing industries of the 21st century will require large amounts of critical metals and valuable elements including rare-earth elements (REEs), platinum group metals (PGMs), lithium, copper, cobalt, silver, and gold. Advances in industrial ecology, water purification, and resource recovery have established that seawater is an important and largely untapped source of technology metals and valuable elements. This feature article discusses the opportunities and challenges of mining critical metals and elements from seawater. We highlight recent advances and provide an outlook of the future of metal mining and resource recovery from seawater.

  16. Effects of seawater flow rate and evaporation temperature on performance of Sherbet type ice making machine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Son, C. H.; Yoon, J. I.; Choi, K. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, K. S.; Moon, C. G.; Seol, S. H.

    2018-01-01

    This study analyzes performance of the sherbet type ice making machine using seawater with respect to seawater volumetric flow rate, evaporation temperature, cooling water inlet and seawater inlet temperature as variables. Cooling water inlet and seawater inlet temperature are set considering average temperature of South Korea and the equator regions. Volumetric flow rate of seawater range is 0.75-1.75 LPM in this experiment. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows. As the seawater volumetric flow rate increases, or seawater inlet temperature increases, evaporation capacity tends to increase. At the point of seawater inlet temperature of 27°C and volumetric flow rate of 1.0LPM, evaporation capacity is over 2kW. On the other hand, results of COP change tendency are different from that of evaporation capacity. It appears to increase until volumetric flow rate of 1.0LPM, and decrease gradually from volumetric flow rate of 1.5LPM. This is due to the increase of compressor work to keep the evaporation pressure in accordance with the temperature of heat source. As the evaporation temperature decreases from -8 to -15°C, the evaporation capacity increases, but the COP decreases.

  17. A Simulation-Optimization Model for the Management of Seawater Intrusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanko, Z.; Nishikawa, T.

    2012-12-01

    Seawater intrusion is a common problem in coastal aquifers where excessive groundwater pumping can lead to chloride contamination of a freshwater resource. Simulation-optimization techniques have been developed to determine optimal management strategies while mitigating seawater intrusion. The simulation models are often density-independent groundwater-flow models that may assume a sharp interface and/or use equivalent freshwater heads. The optimization methods are often linear-programming (LP) based techniques that that require simplifications of the real-world system. However, seawater intrusion is a highly nonlinear, density-dependent flow and transport problem, which requires the use of nonlinear-programming (NLP) or global-optimization (GO) techniques. NLP approaches are difficult because of the need for gradient information; therefore, we have chosen a GO technique for this study. Specifically, we have coupled a multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) with a density-dependent groundwater-flow and transport model to simulate and identify strategies that optimally manage seawater intrusion. GA is a heuristic approach, often chosen when seeking optimal solutions to highly complex and nonlinear problems where LP or NLP methods cannot be applied. The GA utilized in this study is the Epsilon-Nondominated Sorted Genetic Algorithm II (ɛ-NSGAII), which can approximate a pareto-optimal front between competing objectives. This algorithm has several key features: real and/or binary variable capabilities; an efficient sorting scheme; preservation and diversity of good solutions; dynamic population sizing; constraint handling; parallelizable implementation; and user controlled precision for each objective. The simulation model is SEAWAT, the USGS model that couples MODFLOW with MT3DMS for variable-density flow and transport. ɛ-NSGAII and SEAWAT were efficiently linked together through a C-Fortran interface. The simulation-optimization model was first tested by using a

  18. Different Planctomycetes diversity patterns in latitudinal surface seawater of the open sea and in sediment.

    PubMed

    Shu, Qinglong; Jiao, Nianzhi

    2008-04-01

    The 16S rRNA gene approach was applied to investigate the diversity of Planctomycetes in latitudinal surface seawater of the Western Pacific Ocean. The results revealed that the Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula clade dominated the Planctomycetes community at all surface seawater sites while the minority genera Gemmata and Planctomyces were only found at sites H5 and H2 respectively. Although the clone frequency of the PRB clade seemed stable (between 83.3% and 94.1%) for all surface seawater sites, the retrieved Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula clade presented unexpected diversity. Interestingly, low latitude seawater appeared to have higher diversity than mid-latitudes. integral-LIBSHUFF software analysis revealed significantly different diversity patterns between in latitudinal surface seawater and in the sediment of South China Sea station M2896. Our data suggested that different hydrological and geographic features contributed to the shift of Planctomycetes diversity in marine environments. This is, to our knowledge, the first systematic assessment of Planctomycetes in latitudinal surface seawater of the open sea and the first comparison of diversity pattern between surface seawater and sediments and has broadened our understanding of Planctomycetes diversity in marine environments.

  19. Analytical approximations to seawater optical phase functions of scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haltrin, Vladimir I.

    2004-11-01

    This paper proposes a number of analytical approximations to the classic and recently measured seawater light scattering phase functions. The three types of analytical phase functions are derived: individual representations for 15 Petzold, 41 Mankovsky, and 91 Gulf of Mexico phase functions; collective fits to Petzold phase functions; and analytical representations that take into account dependencies between inherent optical properties of seawater. The proposed phase functions may be used for problems of radiative transfer, remote sensing, visibility and image propagation in natural waters of various turbidity.

  20. Low-Sulfate Seawater Injection into Oil Reservoir to Avoid Scaling Problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merdhah, Amer Badr Bin; Mohd Yassin, Abu Azam

    This study presents the results of laboratory experiments carried out to investigate the formation of calcium, strontium and barium sulfates from mixing Angsi seawater or low sulfate seawater with the following sulfate contents (75, 50, 25, 5 and 1%) and formation water contain high concentration of calcium, strontium and barium ions at various temperatures (40-90°C) and atmospheric pressure. The knowledge of solubility of common oil field scale formation and how their solubilities are affected by changes in salinity and temperatures is also studied. Results show a large of precipitation occurred in all jars containing seawater while the amount of precipitation decreased when the low sulfate seawater was used. At higher temperatures the mass of precipitation of CaSO4 and SrSO4 scales increases and the mass of precipitation of BaSO4 scale decreases since the solubilities of CaSO4 and SrSO4 scales decreases and the solubility of BaSO4 increases with increasing temperature. It can be concluded that even at sulfate content of 1% there may still be a scaling problem.

  1. Extracting uranium from seawater: Promising AF series adsorbents

    DOE PAGES

    Das, Sadananda; Oyola, Y.; Mayes, Richard T.; ...

    2015-11-02

    Here, a new family of high surface area polyethylene fiber adsorbents (AF series) was recently developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The AF series of were synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid (at different monomer/co-monomer mol ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fibers. The degree of grafting (%DOG) of AF series adsorbents was found to be 154 354%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44M KOH at 80 C followed by screening at ORNL with simulated seawater spiked with 8more » ppm uranium. Uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged from 170-200 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. A monomer/co-monomer mol ratio in the range of 7.57-10.14 seemed to be optimum for highest uranium loading capacity. Subsequently, the adsorbents were also tested with natural seawater at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using flow-through exposure uptake experiments to determine uranium loading capacity with varying KOH conditioning time at 80 C. The highest adsorption capacity of AF1 measured after 56 days of marine testing was demonstrated as 3.9 g-U/kg-adsorbent and 3.2 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 1hr and 3hrs of KOH conditioning at 80 C, respectively. Based on capacity values of several AF1 samples, it was observed that changing KOH conditioning from 3hrs to 1hr at 80 C resulted in 22-27% increase in uranium loading capacity in seawater.« less

  2. Extracting uranium from seawater: Promising AF series adsorbents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Sadananda; Oyola, Y.; Mayes, Richard T.

    Here, a new family of high surface area polyethylene fiber adsorbents (AF series) was recently developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The AF series of were synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid (at different monomer/co-monomer mol ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fibers. The degree of grafting (%DOG) of AF series adsorbents was found to be 154 354%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44M KOH at 80 C followed by screening at ORNL with simulated seawater spiked with 8more » ppm uranium. Uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged from 170-200 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. A monomer/co-monomer mol ratio in the range of 7.57-10.14 seemed to be optimum for highest uranium loading capacity. Subsequently, the adsorbents were also tested with natural seawater at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using flow-through exposure uptake experiments to determine uranium loading capacity with varying KOH conditioning time at 80 C. The highest adsorption capacity of AF1 measured after 56 days of marine testing was demonstrated as 3.9 g-U/kg-adsorbent and 3.2 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 1hr and 3hrs of KOH conditioning at 80 C, respectively. Based on capacity values of several AF1 samples, it was observed that changing KOH conditioning from 3hrs to 1hr at 80 C resulted in 22-27% increase in uranium loading capacity in seawater.« less

  3. Seawater spray injury to Quercus acutissima leaves: crystal deposition, stomatal clogging, and chloroplast degeneration.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ki Woo; Koo, Kyosang; Kim, Pan-Gi

    2011-05-01

    Effects of seawater spray on leaf structure were investigated in Quercus acutissima by electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis. Two-year-old seedlings of Q. acutissima were sprayed with seawater and kept in a greenhouse maintained at 25°C. The most recognizable symptoms of seawater-sprayed seedlings included leaf necrosis, crystal deposition, stomatal clogging, and chloroplast degeneration. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the leaf surface was covered with additional layers of remnants of seawater spray. Composed of sodium and chloride, cube-shaped crystals (halite) were prevalently found on trichomes and epidermis, and formed aggregates. Meanwhile, wedge-shaped crystals were deposited on epidermis and consisted of calcium and sulfur. As a result of stomatal clogging by crystal deposition on the abaxial surface, it was conceivable that plant respiration became severely hampered. Transmission electron microscopy showed degenerated cytoplasm of seawater-sprayed leaves. It was common to observe severe plasmolysis and disrupted chloroplasts with a reduced number of thylakoids in grana. These results indicate that foliar applications of seawater were sufficient to induce necrosis of Q. acutissima seedlings as an abiotic disturbance factor. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  4. Fugacity analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons between microplastics and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hwang; Chang, Sein; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Kwon, Jung-Hwan

    2017-03-01

    Recently, the accumulation of plastic debris in the marine environment has become a great concern worldwide. Although plastics are biologically and chemically inert, plastic debris has been suspected of causing adverse effects on ecosystems due to the increase in reactivity by size reduction and/or micropollutants associated with plastics. Because of the high sorption capacity of microplastics toward organic micropollutants, it is suspected that microplastics may play roles in the distribution and fate of micropollutants. In order to quantitatively evaluate the "net flow" of environmental contaminants in water-plastic-organism systems, a fugacity analysis was conducted using concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in open oceans and in polyethylene as a representative material of plastic debris. Ratio of fugacity in polyethylene to that in seawater showed a decreasing trend with increasing partition coefficient between polyethylene and seawater (KPE/sw). This indicates that phase equilibrium between polyethylene and seawater is not attained for higher molecular weight PAHs. Disequilibrium of high molecular weight PAHs suggests that transfer from seawater to plastic debris is thermodynamically driven and the role of plastic debris as a vector to transfer them to living organisms would be minimal. However, additives may slowly migrate from plastics into the environment causing potentially serious effects on ecosystems.

  5. Physiological indices of seawater readiness in postspawning steelhead kelts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Buelow, Jessica; Moffitt, Christine M.

    2015-01-01

    Management goals to improve the recovery of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) stocks at risk of extinction include increasing the proportion of postspawning fish that survive and spawn again. To be successful, postspawning steelhead (kelts) migrating downstream to the ocean must prepare physiologically and physically for a seawater transition. We sampled blood, gill filaments, and evaluated the external condition of migrating kelts from an ESA-listed population in the Snake/Columbia River system over two consecutive years to evaluate their physiological readiness for transition to seawater. We chose attributes often considered as measures of preparation for seawater in juveniles, including gill Na+,K+ ATPase activity, plasma electrolytes and hormones to consider factors related to external condition, size and sex. We found kelts in good external condition had plasma profiles similar to downstream-migrating smolts. In addition, we found more than 80% of kelts ranked in good external condition had smolt-like body silvering. We compared measures from migrating kelts with samples obtained from hatchery fish at the time of spawning to confirm that Na+, K+ ATPase activity in kelts was significantly elevated over spawning fish. We found significant differences in gill Na+, K+ ATPase activity in migrating kelts between the years of sampling, but little indication of influence of fish condition. We conclude that the postspawning steelhead sampled exhibited a suite of behaviours, condition and physiology characteristic of fish prepared for successful transition to a seawater environment.

  6. Uptake of uranium from seawater by amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbent marine testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tsouris, C.; Kim, J.; Oyola, Y.

    2013-07-01

    Amidoxime-based polymer adsorbents in the form of functionalized fibers were prepared at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and screened in laboratory experiments, in terms of uranium uptake capacity, using spiked uranium solution and seawater samples. Batch laboratory experiments conducted with 5-gallon seawater tanks provided equilibrium information. Based on results from 5-gallon experiments, the best adsorbent was selected for field-testing of uranium adsorption from seawater. Flow-through column tests have been performed at different marine sites to investigate the uranium uptake rate and equilibrium capacity under diverse biogeochemistry. The maximum amount of uranium uptake from seawater tests at Sequim, WA, wasmore » 3.3 mg U/g adsorbent after eight weeks of contact of the adsorbent with seawater. This amount was three times higher than the maximum adsorption capacity achieved in this study by a leading adsorbent developed by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), which was 1.1 mg U/g adsorbent at equilibrium. The initial uranium uptake rate of the ORNL adsorbent was 2.6 times higher than that of the JAEA adsorbent under similar conditions. A mathematical model derived from the mass balance of uranium was employed to describe the data. (authors)« less

  7. Monitoring trace metals in seawater using a diffusive gradient in thin film probe in Ulsan Bay, East Sea, Korea: Comparison with transplanted mussels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Mi Seon; Choi, Man Sik; Kim, Chan-Kook

    2016-03-01

    To evaluate the applicability of a diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) probe for monitoring dissolved metals in coastal seawater, DGT-labile metal concentrations were compared with total dissolved metal concentrations using spiked and natural seawater samples in the laboratory and transplanted mussels ( Mytilus galloprovincialis). This was achieved through the simultaneous deployment of DGT probes and transplanted mussels in Ulsan Bay during winter and summer. DGT-labile metal concentrations were 45% (Cu) ~ 90% (Zn) of total dissolved concentrations, and the order of non-labile concentrations was Cu > Pb > Co ~ Ni > Cd ~ Zn in both metal-contaminated and non-contaminated seawater samples, which was similar to the order of stability of metal complexes in the Irving-Williams series. The overall variability of the DGT probe results within and between tanks was less than 10% (relative standard deviation: RSD) for all the metals tested during a 48-h deployment. The accumulation of metals, as determined by DGT probes, represented the spatial gradients better than the transplanted mussels did for all of the metals tested, and the extent of metal accumulation in mussels differed depending on the metal. The comparison of results for the DGT probe and the transplanted mussels in two seasons (winter and summer) suggested that metal accumulation in mussels was controlled by the physiological factors of mussels and partly by their diet (particulate metal loadings). The DGT probe could be used as a monitoring tool for dissolved metals in coastal seawater because its results explained only labile species. When using the DGT probe, slightly more than half of the total dissolved concentration in seawater samples for all the metals investigated displayed timeintegrated properties and distinct spatial gradients from pristine to metal-contaminated seawater.

  8. Do Leached Authigenic Fractions Reflect the Neodymium Seawater Composition?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pimbert, A.; Gourlan, A. T.; Chauvel, C.

    2016-12-01

    Leaching of marine sediment is often used to recover past Nd seawater composition and reconstruct past ocean circulation. It is assumed to reliably extract REE from the authigenic fraction of sediment [1]. However, while most studies assume that the recovered signal is that of past seawater, very few report complete isotopic and trace element data that clearly demonstrate it is the case. We present new ɛNd values and REE contents measured on leachates of sediments from two Cretaceous marine sections deposited at shallow water depth (Taghazoute in Morocco) and at greater depth in the Atlantic (DSDP Site 367). REE patterns of leachates vary according to lithology: bell-shaped patterns or positive Ce anomalies for organic-poor samples and seawater-like patterns (negative Ce anomaly, low Nd/Yb ratio) for black shales. ɛNd values also vary: between -5.6 and -9.6 at Taghazoute and between -10 and -8.1 at Site 367. Interestingly, ɛNd values correlate with Ce anomalies for Taghazoute black shales. Samples with the largest Ce negative anomalies have the highest ɛNd while samples with no Ce anomalies have much lower ɛNd. This suggests the presence in the leached material of detritus mixed up with the authigenic fraction for sediments deposited in shallow environment. This confirms the findings made by Huck et al. [2] for fish teeth in a similar environment. In such environment, recovering the pristine seawater signal requires (a) the acquisition of both Nd isotopes and trace element contents, and (b) selection of the only Nd isotopic compositions associated to clear seawater trace element characteristics. For sediments deposited in open-ocean setting (Site 367), no detrital contamination affects leached fractions. The REE patterns vary depending on the nature of authigenic fraction but ɛNd remains constant. Here, ɛNd values can be used to discuss oceanic reconstructions. [1] Martin et al. (2010), Chem. Geol, 269, 414-431. [2] Huck et al. (2016), G3, 17, 679-698.

  9. Solar irradiance limits the long-term survival of Listeria monocytogenes in seawater.

    PubMed

    NicAogáin, K; Magill, D; O'Donoghue, B; Conneely, A; Bennett, C; O'Byrne, C P

    2018-03-01

    Seafood has often been implicated in outbreaks of food-borne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes but the source of contamination is usually not known. In this study we investigated the possibility that this pathogen could survive in seawater for an extended time period. Freshly collected seawater samples were inoculated with 1 × 10 8  CFU per ml of L. monocytogenes EGD-e and survival was monitored by plate counting for up to 25 days. When incubated in the dark, either at ambient temperatures (4-14°C) or at 16°C, >10 4  CFU per ml survivors were present after 25 days. However, when the seawater cell suspensions were exposed to ambient light (solar irradiation) and temperatures, L. monocytogenes lost viability rapidly and no survivors could be detected after the 80 h time point. Both UV-A and visible light in the blue region of the spectrum (470 nm) were found to contribute to this effect. The stress inducible sigma factor σ B was found to play a role in survival of L. monocytogenes in seawater. Together these data demonstrate that solar irradiation is a critical determinant of L. monocytogenes survival in marine environments. The data further suggest the possibility of controlling this food-borne pathogen in food-processing environments using visible light. Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne bacterial pathogen capable of causing the life-threatening infection, listeriosis. In seafood the route of contamination from the environment is often not well understood as this pathogen is not generally thought to survive well in seawater. Here we provide evidence that L. monocytogenes is capable of surviving for long periods of time in seawater when light is excluded. Sunlight is demonstrated to have a significant effect on the survival of this pathogen in seawater, and both visible (470 nm) and UV-A light are shown to contribute to this effect. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  10. The rate of sulfide oxidation by δMnO 2 in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Wensheng; Millero, Frank J.

    1993-07-01

    The rate of oxidation of hydrogen sulfide by manganese dioxide in seawater was determined as a function of pH (2.0-9.0), temperature (5-45°C), and ionic strength (0-4 M). The overall rate constant, k, in seawater at pH = 8.17 was found to be first order with respect to both sulfide and manganese dioxide: - d[H 2S] T/dt = k[H 2S] τ[MnO 2] . The rate constant, k, for seawater (S = 35.8, pH = 8.17) at 25°C was found to be 436 M -1 min -1, or 0.0244 m -2 1 min -1 when [MnO 2] is expressed in surface area (m 2/L). The energies of activation were found to be 14 ± 1 KJ mol -1 and 10 ± 1 KJ mol -1, respectively, for pH = 8.2 and pH = 5.0 in seawater (S = 35). The rate increased from pH 2.0 to a maximum at a pH of about 5.0 and decreased at higher pH. This pH dependence was attributed to formation of a surface complex between >MnO - and H 2S. As the concentration of HS - increases above pH = 5 the rate of the reaction decreases. The rate of sulfide oxidation by MnO 2 is not strongly dependent on ionic strength. The rates in 0.57 M NaCl were found to be slightly higher than the rates in seawater. Measurements made in solutions of the major sea salts indicated that Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ caused the rates to decrease, apparently by absorbing on the surface of manganese dioxide. Measurements made in artificial seawater (Na +, Mg 2+, Ca 2+, Cl -, and SO 2-4) were found to be in good agreement with the measurements in actual seawater. Phosphate was found to inhibit the reaction significantly.

  11. Symbiotic Role of the Viable but Nonculturable State of Vibrio fischeri in Hawaiian Coastal Seawater.

    PubMed

    Lee, K; Ruby, E G

    1995-01-01

    To achieve functional bioluminescence, the developing light organ of newly hatched juveniles of the Hawaiian squid Euprymna scolopes must become colonized by luminous, symbiosis-competent Vibrio fischeri present in the ambient seawater. This benign infection occurs rapidly in animals placed in seawater from the host's natural habitat. Therefore, it was surprising that colony hybridization studies with a V. fischeri-specific luxA gene probe indicated the presence of only about 2 CFU of V. fischeri per ml of this infective seawater. To examine this paradox, we estimated the total concentration of V. fischeri cells present in seawater from the host's habitat in two additional ways. In the first approach, the total bacterial assemblage in samples of seawater was collected on polycarbonate membrane filters and used as a source of both a crude cell lysate and purified DNA. These preparations were then assayed by quantitative DNA-DNA hybridization with the luxA gene probe. The results suggested the presence of between 200 and 400 cells of V. fischeri per ml of natural seawater, a concentration more than 100 times that revealed by colony hybridization. In the second approach, we amplified V. fischeri-specific luxA sequences from microliter volumes of natural seawater by PCR. Most-probable-number analyses of the frequency of positive PCR results from cell lysates in these small volumes gave an estimate of the concentration of V. fischeri luxA gene targets of between 130 and 1,680 copies per ml. From these measurements, we conclude that in their natural seawater environment, the majority of V. fischeri cells become nonculturable while remaining viable and symbiotically infective. Experimental studies indicated that V. fischeri cells suspended in natural Hawaiian seawater enter such a state within a few days.

  12. Predatory Bacteria as Natural Modulators of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in Seawater and Oysters

    PubMed Central

    Fay, Johnna P.; Dickens, Keyana A.; Parent, Michelle A.; Soroka, Douglas S.; Boyd, E. Fidelma

    2012-01-01

    This study shows that naturally occurring Vibrio predatory bacteria (VPB) exert a major role in controlling pathogenic vibrios in seawater and shellfish. The growth and persistence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus were assessed in natural seawater and in the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. The pathogens examined were V. vulnificus strain VV1003, V. parahaemolyticus O1:KUT (KUT stands for K untypeable), and V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 and corresponding O3:K6 mutants deficient in the toxRS virulence regulatory gene or the rpoS alternative stress response sigma factor gene. Vibrios were selected for streptomycin resistance, which facilitated their enumeration. In natural seawater, oysters bioconcentrated each Vibrio strain for 24 h at 22°C; however, counts rapidly declined to near negligible levels by 72 h. In natural seawater with or without oysters, vibrios decreased more than 3 log units to near negligible levels within 72 h. Neither toxRS nor rpoS had a significant effect on Vibrio levels. In autoclaved seawater, V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 counts increased 1,000-fold over 72 h. Failure of the vibrios to persist in natural seawater and oysters led to screening of the water samples for VPB on lawns of V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 host cells. Many VPB, including Bdellovibrio and like organisms (BALOs; Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus and Bacteriovorax stolpii) and Micavibrio aeruginosavorus-like predators, were detected by plaque assay and electron microscopic analysis of plaque-purified isolates from Atlantic, Gulf Coast, and Hawaiian seawater. When V. parahaemolyticus O3:K6 was added to natural seawater containing trace amounts of VPB, Vibrio counts diminished 3 log units to nondetectable levels, while VPB increased 3 log units within 48 h. We propose a new paradigm that VPB are important modulators of pathogenic vibrios in seawater and oysters. PMID:22904049

  13. Oxidative stress in the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis exposed to CO2-driven seawater acidification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luz, Débora Camacho; Zebral, Yuri Dornelles; Klein, Roberta Daniele; Marques, Joseane Aparecida; Marangoni, Laura Fernandes de Barros; Pereira, Cristiano Macedo; Duarte, Gustavo Adolpho Santos; Pires, Débora de Oliveira; Castro, Clovis Barreira e.; Calderon, Emiliano Nicolas; Bianchini, Adalto

    2018-06-01

    Global impacts are affecting negatively coral reefs' health worldwide. Ocean acidification associated with the increasing CO2 partial pressure in the atmosphere can potentially induce oxidative stress with consequent cellular damage in corals and hydrocorals. In the present study, parameters related to oxidative status were evaluated in the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis exposed to three different levels of seawater acidification using a mesocosm system. CO2-driven acidification of seawater was performed until reaching 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 pH units below the current pH of seawater pumped from the coral reef adjacent to the mesocosm. Therefore, treatments corresponded to control (pH 8.1), mild (pH 7.8), intermediate (pH 7.5) and severe (pH 7.2) seawater acidification. After 0, 16 and 30 d of exposure, hydrocorals were collected and the following parameters were analyzed in the holobiont: antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals (ACAP), total glutathione (GSHt) concentration, reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein carbonyl group (PC) levels. ACAP was increased in hydrocorals after 16 d of exposure to intermediate levels of seawater acidification. GSHt and GSH/GSSG did not change over the experimental period. LPO was increased at any level of seawater acidification, while PC content was increased in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate and severe seawater acidification for 30 d. These findings indicate that the antioxidant defense system of M. alcicornis is capable of coping with acidic conditions for a short period of time (16 d). Additionally, they clearly show that a long-term (30 d) exposure to seawater acidification induces oxidative stress with consequent oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, which could compromise hydrocoral health.

  14. Table Salt from Seawater (Solar Evaporation). What We Take from Our Environment. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Science Education Center.

    This module discusses methods of obtaining table salt from seawater. Topic areas considered include: (1) obtaining salt by solar evaporation of seawater in holes; (2) obtaining salt by boiling seawater in pots; (3) how table salt is obtained from seawater in the Philippines; and (4) methods of making salt by solar evaporation of seawater in the…

  15. Seasonal Levels of the Vibrio Predator Bacteriovorax in Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coast Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Richards, Gary P.; Watson, Michael A.; Boyd, E. Fidelma; Burkhardt, William; Lau, Ronald; Uknalis, Joseph; Fay, Johnna P.

    2013-01-01

    Bacteriovorax were quantified in US Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific seawater to determine baseline levels of these predatory bacteria and possible seasonal fluctuations in levels. Surface seawater was analyzed monthly for 1 year from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; the Gulf Coast of Alabama; and four sites along the Delaware Bay. Screening for Bacteriovorax was performed on lawns of V. parahaemolyticus host cells. Direct testing of 7.5 mL portions of seawater from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts gave mean annual counts ≤12.2 PFU. Spikes in counts were observed at 3 out of 4 sites along the Delaware Bay 1 week after Hurricane Sandy. A comparison of summer versus winter counts showed significantly more Bacteriovorax (P ≤ 0.0001) in the Delaware Bay during the summer and significantly more (P ≤ 0.0001) in the Gulf during the winter, but no significant seasonal differences (P > 0.05) for Hawaiian seawater. Bacteriovorax counts only correlated with seawater salinity and temperature at one Delaware site (r = 0.79 and r = 0.65, resp.). There was a relatively strong negative correlation between temperature and Bacteriovorax levels (r = −0.585) for Gulf seawater. Selected isolates were sequenced and identified by phylogenetic analysis as Bacteriovorax clusters IX, X, XI, and XII. PMID:24454382

  16. Sea-level rise impacts on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Review and integration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ketabchi, Hamed; Mahmoodzadeh, Davood; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad; Simmons, Craig T.

    2016-04-01

    Sea-level rise (SLR) influences groundwater hydraulics and in particular seawater intrusion (SWI) in many coastal aquifers. The quantification of the combined and relative impacts of influential factors on SWI has not previously been considered in coastal aquifers. In the present study, a systematic review of the available literature on this topic is first provided. Then, the potential remaining challenges are scrutinized. Open questions on the effects of more realistic complexities such as gradual SLR, parameter uncertainties, and the associated influences in decision-making models are issues requiring further investigation. We assess and quantify the seawater toe location under the impacts of SLR in combination with recharge rate variations, land-surface inundation (LSI) due to SLR, aquifer bed slope variation, and changing landward boundary conditions (LWBCs). This is the first study to include all of these factors in a single analysis framework. Both analytical and numerical models are used for these sensitivity assessments. It is demonstrated that (1) LSI caused by SLR has a significant incremental impact on the seawater toe location, especially in the flatter coasts and the flux-controlled (FC) LWBCs, however this impact is less than the reported orders of magnitude differences which were estimated using only analytical solutions; (2) LWBCs significantly influence the SLR impacts under almost all conditions considered in this study; (3) The main controlling factors of seawater toe location are the magnitudes of fresh groundwater discharge to sea and recharge rate. Regional freshwater flux entering from the landward boundary and the groundwater hydraulic gradient are the major contributors of fresh groundwater discharge to sea for both FC and head-controlled (HC) systems, respectively; (4) A larger response of the aquifer and larger seawater toe location changes are demonstrable for a larger ratio of the aquifer thickness to the aquifer length particularly in

  17. Measurement of the Dielectric Constant of Seawater at L-Band: Techniques and Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, R.; Utku, C.; Tarkocin, Y.; LeVine, D.

    2009-01-01

    Satellite instruments, that will monitor salinity from space in the near future, require an accurate relationship between salinity/temperature and seawater dielectric constant. This paper will review measurements that were made of the dielectric constant of seawater during the past several years. The objective of the measurements is to determine the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on salinity and on temperature, more accurately than in the past. by taking advantage of modem instrumentation. The measurements of seawater permittivity have been performed as a function of salinity and temperature using a transmission resonant cavity technique. The measurements have been made in the salinity range of 10 to 38 psu and in the temperature range of IOU C to 35 C. These results will be useful in algorithm development for sensor systems such as SMOS and Aquarius. The measurement system consists of a brass microwave cavity that is resonant at 1.413 GHz. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a capillary glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. The diameter of the tube has been made very small so that the amount of seawater introduced in the cavity is small - thus maintaining the sensitivity of the measurements and allowing the use of perturbation theory predicting the seawater permittivity. The change in resonant frequency and the change in cavity Q can be used to determine the real and imaginary pare of the dielectric constant of seawater introduced into the slender tube. The microwave measurements are made by an HPS722D network analyzer. The cavity has been immersed in a uateriethylene-glycol bath which is connected to a Lauda circulator. The circulator keeps the brass cavity at a temperature constant to within 0.01 degrees. The system is automated using a Visual Basic program to control the analyzer and to collect the data. The results of the dielectric constant measurements of seawater will be presented. The measurement results will be

  18. Medication inhibits tolerance to seawater in coho salmon smolts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bouck, Gerald R.; Johnson, David A.

    1979-01-01

    Applications of 10 therapeutic and two anesthetic agents to healthy smolts of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) by conventional methods were followed by two different posttreatment circumstances. In condition I, fish were treated and then transferred directly to 28‰ seawater for 10 days; in condition II, fish were treated and held in fresh water for 4 days before their medium was gradually changed over a 4-hour period to 28‰ seawater. In condition I, no mortality occurred among fish treated with 2,4-D, trichlorofon, simazine, quinaldine, or light to moderate doses of MS-222. About 10% mortality occurred among fish treated with formalin and nifurpirinol. High mortality in seawater followed treatments with copper sulfate, hyamine 1622, potassium permanganate, malachite green (one protocol), and heavy doses of MS-222. In condition II, mortality was reduced but still high for copper sulfate and potassium permanganate, much lower for malachite green and hyamine 1622, and zero for the other agents. The results indicate that additional recovery time in fresh water is necessary between some treatments and exposure to salt water.

  19. Rapid determination of strontium-90 by solid phase extraction using DGA Resin® for seawater monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tazoe, H.; Obata, H.; Yamagata, T.; Karube, Z.; Yamada, M.

    2015-12-01

    Strontium-90 concentrations in seawater exceeding the background level have been observed at the accidents of nuclear facilities, such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. However, analytical procedure for strontium-90 in seawater is still quite complicated and challenging. Here we show a simple and rapid analytical technique for the determination of strontium-90 in seawater samples without time-consuming separation of strontium from calcium. The separation with DGA Resin® is used to determine the abundance of strontium-90, which selectively collects yttrium-90, progeny of strontium-90. Naturally occurring radioactive nuclides (such as potassium, lead, bismuth, uranium, and thorium) and anthropogenic radionuclides (such as cesium, barium, lanthanum, and cerium) were separated from yttrium. Through a sample separation procedure, a high chemical yield of yttrium-90 was achieved at 93.9 % for seawater. The result of IAEA 443 certified seawater analysis was in good agreement with the certified value. At 20 hrs counting a lower detection limit of 1.5 mBq L-1 was obtained from 3 L of seawater. The proposed method can finish analyzing 8 samples per day, which is a reasonably fast throughput in actual seawater monitoring. Reproducibility was found to be 3.4 % according to 10 separate analyses of natural seawater samples from the vicinity of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in September 2013.

  20. Seawater pH at the advent of metazoan calcification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ries, Justin; Gonzalez-Roubaud, Cécile; Douville, Eric; Montagna, Paolo

    2016-04-01

    The boron isotopic composition (δ11B) of bulk limestones provides a potentially powerful tool for reconstructing seawater pH deep into the geologic past (Kasemann et al., 2005; Paris et al., 2010; Ohnemueller et al., 2014). Here, we present δ11B of 35 calcitic limestones derived from a ca. 9 m.y. interval of the terminal Proterozoic Nama Group of southern Namibia. These units immediately precede the so-called Cambrian Radiation - the greatest diversification of metazoans in Earth history marked by the near-simultaneous advent of calcification across most animal phyla. The Nama Group represents one of the best preserved (average [Sr] = 1805 ppm; Mn/Sr < 2; δ18O > -10‰) and most continuous terminal Proterozoic limestone sequences known in the world. The carbonate units investigated here were deposited between ca. 552 and 543 Ma in a semi-divided foreland basin of the Kalahari Craton (Grotzinger and Miller, 2008). Depositional environments were shore-associated and ranged from upper shoreline/tidal flats to below-wave-base lower shoreface, and comprise calcisiltites, calcarenites, heterolithic interbeds, grainstones, and microbialites (Saylor et al., 1998; Grotzinger and Miller, 2008). The δ11B of the 35 sampled Nama Group carbonates were obtained via MC-ICP-MS. Samples were screened for contamination of the δ11B signal by clays (using [Al] as a proxy for clay content) (Paris et al., 2010) and by open-system meteoric diagenesis (δ11B-δ18O correlation). The δ11B values of the limestones ranged from 0.5 to 10.8‰ (avg. = 5.3‰), which is consistent with the previously observed increasing trend in carbonate δ11B (Paris et al., 2010) from the -6.2 to 2.7‰ values reported for Neoproterozoic cap carbonate dolostones (Kasemann et al., 2005) to the ca. 25‰ value reported for most modern marine carbonates. B/Ca ratios for the sampled limestones ranged from 3.4 to 24.0 ppm (avg. = 11.0). Assuming a seawater temperature of 25° C, a salinity of 35, a depth of 10

  1. Distribution and composition of dissolved amino acids in seawater at the Yap Trench

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Y.; Xie, L.; Sun, C.; Yang, G.; Ding, H.

    2017-12-01

    The distributions and compositions of total hydrolyzed amino acids ( THAA) , dissolved combined amino acids ( DCAA) and dissolved free amino acids ( DFAA) were investigated after analyzing seawater samples collected from different depths by CTD and from the sediment-seawater interface by the Jiaolong submersible, at 4 stations located in the Yap Trench in June, 2016. The results showed that the average concentration of THAA was (2.44±0.85) μmol /L, while the average concentrations of DCAA and DFAA were (1.97±0.82) μmol /L and (0.47±0.34)μmol /L, respectively.The concentrations of THAA and DCAA displayed a decreasing trend from surface layer to deep layer. In the vertical distribution, the concentrations of THAA varied differently in superficial layer (above 1000 meters). THAA, DFAA and DCAA had a similar concentrations below 1000 meter depth. In the study area, major constituents of dissolved amino acids were methionine, threonine , histidine, glutamic acid , valine and glycine. At the Yap Trench, neutral dissolved amino acids were dominant in total dissolved amino acids. The trend of vertical distributions of various types of THAA, DFAA, and DCAA were similar with the total THAA, DFAA, and DCAA. In sediment-seawater interface, the seawater in the northwest of the trench has high concentrations of THAA and DCAA, while the concentrations of DFAA were similar in the seawater at the sediment-seawater interface.

  2. Effects of seawater acidification on the early development of sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhan, Yaoyao; Hu, Wanbin; Duan, Lizhu; Liu, Minbo; Zhang, Weijie; Chang, Yaqing; Li, Cong

    2017-10-01

    In this study, we evaluated the effects of CO2-induced seawater acidification on fertilization, embryogenesis and early larval development in the sea urchin Glyptocidaris crenularis, that inhabits subtidal coastal areas in northern China. The range in seawater pH used in experiments was based on the projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to the year 2100. A natural seawater treatment (pHnbs=7.98±0.03) and three laboratory-controlled acidified treatments (OA1, ΔpHnbs=-0.3 units; OA2, ΔpHnbs=-0.4 units; OA3, ΔpHnbs=-0.5 units) were used in experiments. Results show that: (1) there was a negative effect of seawater acidification on fertilization and on the percentage of abnormal fertilized eggs; (2) the size of early cleavage stage embryos decreased in a dose-dependent manner with decreasing pH; (3) both the hatching rate of blastulae and the survival rate of four-armed pluteus larvae decreased as pH declined; (4) larval abnormalities including asymmetrical development, changes in the length of skeletal elements, and corroded spicules were observed in all seawater acidified-treatments compared with the control. These data indicate that seawater acidification has a negative impact on the early development of G. crenularis, and supports the hypothesis that the response of echinoderms to ocean acidification (OA) varies among species. Further research is required to clarify the specific cellular mechanisms involved.

  3. Distribution of cadmium in the pearl oyster following exposure to cadmium in seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Francesconi, K.A.

    1989-08-01

    Laboratory studies on the uptake of cadmium from seawater have shown that bivalve molluscs readily accumulated cadmium from this medium and that the relative concentrations of cadmium between viscera and muscle were always the same as those found in natural populations. These results suggested that in the natural environment seawater was a major source of cadmium for bivalve molluscs. Results of a recent study have indicated that seawater is not always the major contributor of cadmium to bivalve molluscs. These authors reported high levels of cadmium in the pearl oyster Pinctada albina albina, collected from Shark Bay in Western Australia,more » and noted that there was no correlation between cadmium concentrations in the oysters and cadmium concentrations in the surrounding seawater. Australia is one of several countries which have a maximum permissible level of cadmium in molluscs. The possibility that the pearl oyster, and perhaps other molluscs as well, may accumulate cadmium preferentially in different tissues depending upon the source of cadmium has important implications in the area of contaminants in marine foodstuffs. The present study reports the uptake and distribution of cadmium within P. albina albina when subjected to cadmium in seawater alone.« less

  4. Sulphide production and corrosion in seawaters during exposure to FAME diesel.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jason S; Ray, Richard I; Little, Brenda J; Duncan, Kathleen E; Oldham, Athenia L; Davidova, Irene A; Suflita, Joseph M

    2012-01-01

    Experiments were designed to evaluate the corrosion-related consequences of storing/transporting fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) alternative diesel fuel in contact with natural seawater. Coastal Key West, FL (KW), and Persian Gulf (PG) seawaters, representing an oligotrophic and a more organic- and inorganic mineral-rich environment, respectively, were used in 60 day incubations with unprotected carbon steel. The original microflora of the two seawaters were similar with respect to major taxonomic groups but with markedly different species. After exposure to FAME diesel, the microflora of the waters changed substantially, with Clostridiales (Firmicutes) becoming dominant in both. Despite low numbers of sulphate-reducing bacteria in the original waters and after FAME diesel exposure, sulphide levels and corrosion increased markedly due to microbial sulphide production. Corrosion morphology was in the form of isolated pits surrounded by an intact, passive surface with the deepest pits associated with the fuel/seawater interface in the KW exposure. In the presence of FAME diesel, the highest corrosion rates measured by linear polarization occurred in the KW exposure correlating with significantly higher concentrations of sulphur and chlorine (presumed sulphide and chloride, respectively) in the corrosion products.

  5. Plutonium and cesium baseline concentrations in seawater from northern Arabian Gulf.

    PubMed

    Uddin, S; Aba, A; Behbehani, M; Al-Ghadban, A N; Al-Zekri, W; Al-Shammari, H

    2017-07-15

    The Arabian Gulf is a semi-enclosed water body that has witnessed accelerated anthropogenic activity, in terms of commissioning of nuclear power plants, desalination facilities, oil refineries and extensive coastal development. Furthermore, three wars during the past three decades is a potential worry. This study presents the first plutonium baseline in seawater from the Northern Arabian Gulf. The 239+240 Pu concentrations in seawater vary, between 2.9 and 4.9mBqm -3 , a range that is comparable to other water masses at this latitude. The 238 Pu ranged between 0.04 and 0.05mBqm -3 and the 137 Cs concentration between 1.04 and 1.18Bqm -3 . The ratio of 238 Pu/ 239+240 Pu at all eight sampling stations was 0.01, while the ratio of 239+240 Pu/ 137 Cs varied between 0.01 and 0.02. The presence of 137 Cs and 239+240 Pu in seawater from this region can mainly be attributed to the global atmospheric deposition and fluvial transport. The seawater concentration of 239+240 Pu is five order of magnitude lower than bottom sediments in the area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Catalysis and chemical mechanisms of calcite dissolution in seawater.

    PubMed

    Subhas, Adam V; Adkins, Jess F; Rollins, Nick E; Naviaux, John; Erez, Jonathan; Berelson, William M

    2017-07-18

    Near-equilibrium calcite dissolution in seawater contributes significantly to the regulation of atmospheric [Formula: see text] on 1,000-y timescales. Despite many studies on far-from-equilibrium dissolution, little is known about the detailed mechanisms responsible for calcite dissolution in seawater. In this paper, we dissolve 13 C-labeled calcites in natural seawater. We show that the time-evolving enrichment of [Formula: see text] in solution is a direct measure of both dissolution and precipitation reactions across a large range of saturation states. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer profiles into the 13 C-labeled solids confirm the presence of precipitated material even in undersaturated conditions. The close balance of precipitation and dissolution near equilibrium can alter the chemical composition of calcite deeper than one monolayer into the crystal. This balance of dissolution-precipitation shifts significantly toward a dissolution-dominated mechanism below about [Formula: see text] Finally, we show that the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) increases the dissolution rate across all saturation states, and the effect is most pronounced close to equilibrium. This finding suggests that the rate of hydration of [Formula: see text] is a rate-limiting step for calcite dissolution in seawater. We then interpret our dissolution data in a framework that incorporates both solution chemistry and geometric constraints on the calcite solid. Near equilibrium, this framework demonstrates a lowered free energy barrier at the solid-solution interface in the presence of CA. This framework also indicates a significant change in dissolution mechanism at [Formula: see text], which we interpret as the onset of homogeneous etch pit nucleation.

  7. A new physical barrier system for seawater intrusion control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdoulhalik, Antoifi; Ahmed, Ashraf; Hamill, G. A.

    2017-06-01

    The construction of subsurface physical barriers is one of various methods used to control seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal aquifers. This study proposes the mixed physical barrier (MPB) as a new barrier system for seawater intrusion control, which combines an impermeable cutoff wall and a semi-permeable subsurface dam. The effect of the traditionally-used physical barriers on transient saltwater wedge dynamics was first explored for various hydraulic gradients, and the workability of the MPB was thereafter thoroughly analysed. A newly developed automated image analysis based on light-concentration conversion was used in the experiments, which were completed in a porous media tank. The numerical code SEAWAT was used to assess the consistency of the experimental data and examine the sensitivity of the performance of the barriers to various key parameters. The results show that the MPB induced a visible lifting of the dense saline flux upward towards the outlet by the light freshwater. This saltwater lifting mechanism, observed for the first time, induced significant reduction to the saline water intrusion length. The use of the MPB yielded up to 62% and 42% more reduction of the saltwater intrusion length than the semi-permeable dam and the cutoff wall, respectively. The performance achieved by the MPB with a wall depth of 40% of the aquifer thickness was greater than that of a single cutoff wall with a penetration depth of 90% of the aquifer thickness (about 13% extra reduction). This means that the MPB could produce better seawater intrusion reduction than the traditionally used barriers at even lower cost.

  8. Seawater 234U/238U recorded by modern and fossil corals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chutcharavan, Peter M.; Dutton, Andrea; Ellwood, Michael J.

    2018-03-01

    U-series dating of corals is a crucial tool for generating absolute chronologies of Late Quaternary sea-level change and calibrating the radiocarbon timescale. Unfortunately, coralline aragonite is susceptible to post-depositional alteration of its primary geochemistry. One screening technique used to identify unaltered corals relies on the back-calculation of initial 234U/238U activity (δ234Ui) at the time of coral growth and implicitly assumes that seawater δ234U has remained constant during the Late Quaternary. Here, we test this assumption using the most comprehensive compilation to date of coral U-series measurements. Unlike previous compilations, this study normalizes U-series measurements to the same decay constants and corrects for offsets in interlaboratory calibrations, thus reducing systematic biases between reported δ234U values. Using this approach, we reassess (a) the value of modern seawater δ234U, and (b) the evolution of seawater δ234U over the last deglaciation. Modern coral δ234U values (145.0 ± 1.5‰) agree with previous measurements of seawater and modern corals only once the data have been normalized. Additionally, fossil corals in the surface ocean display δ234Ui values that are ∼5-7‰ lower during the last glacial maximum regardless of site, taxon, or diagenetic setting. We conclude that physical weathering of U-bearing minerals exposed during ice sheet retreat drives the increase in δ234U observed in the oceans, a mechanism that is consistent with the interpretation of the seawater Pb-isotope signal over the same timescale.

  9. Lithium in Brachiopods - proxy for seawater evolution?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaspers, Natalie; Magna, Tomas; Tomasovych, Adam; Henkel, Daniela

    2017-04-01

    Marine biogenic carbonates have the potential to serve as a proxy for evolution of seawater chemistry. In order to compile a record of the past and recent δ7Li in the oceans, foraminifera shells, scleractinian corals and belemnites have been used. However, only a foraminifera-based record appears to more accurately reflect the Li isotope composition of ocean water. At present, this record is available for the Cenozoic with implications for major events during this period of time, including K/T event [1]. A record for the entire Phanerozoic has not yet been obtained. In order to extend this record to the more distant past, Li elemental/isotope systematics of brachiopods were investigated because these marine animals were already present in Early Cambrian oceans and because they are less sensitive to diagenesis-induced modifications due to their shell mineralogy (low-Mg calcite). The preliminary data indicates a species-, temperature- and salinity-independent behavior of Li isotopes in brachiopod shells. Also, no vital effects have been observed for different shell parts. The consistent offset of -4‰ relative to modern seawater is in accordance with experimental data [2]. Further data are now being collected for Cenozoic specimens to more rigorously test brachiopods as possible archives of past seawater in comparison to the existing foraminiferal records. [1] Misra & Froelich (2012) Science 335, 818-823 [2] Marriott et al. (2004) Chem Geol 212, 5-15

  10. Development of Novel Sorbents for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lin, Wenbin; Taylor-Pashow, Kathryn

    2014-01-08

    As the uranium resource in terrestrial ores is limited, it is difficult to ensure a long-term sustainable nuclear energy technology. The oceans contain approximately 4.5 billion tons of uranium, which is one thousand times the amount of uranium in terrestrial ores. Development of technologies to recover the uranium from seawater would greatly improve the uranium resource availability, sustaining the fuel supply for nuclear energy. Several methods have been previously evaluated including solvent extraction, ion exchange, flotation, biomass collection, and adsorption; however, none have been found to be suitable for reasons such as cost effectiveness, long term stability, and selectivity. Recentmore » research has focused on the amidoxime functional group as a promising candidate for uranium sorption. Polymer beads and fibers have been functionalized with amidoxime functional groups, and uranium adsorption capacities as high as 1.5 g U/kg adsorbent have recently been reported with these types of materials. As uranium concentration in seawater is only ~3 ppb, great improvements to uranium collection systems must be made in order to make uranium extraction from seawater economically feasible. This proposed research intends to develop transformative technologies for economic uranium extraction from seawater. The Lin group will design advanced porous supports by taking advantage of recent breakthroughs in nanoscience and nanotechnology and incorporate high densities of well-designed chelators into such nanoporous supports to allow selective and efficient binding of uranyl ions from seawater. Several classes of nanoporous materials, including mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), mesoporous carbon nanoparticles (MCNs), meta-organic frameworks (MOFs), and covalent-organic frameworks (COFs), will be synthesized. Selective uranium-binding liagnds such as amidoxime will be incorporated into the nanoporous materials to afford a new generation of sorbent materials that will

  11. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Recycled Aggregate Concrete in Seawater Environment

    PubMed Central

    Yue, Pengjun; Tan, Zhuoying; Guo, Zhiying

    2013-01-01

    This study aims to conduct research about the microstructure and basic properties of recycled aggregate concrete under seawater corrosion. Concrete specimens were fabricated and tested with different replacement percentages of 0%, 30%, and 60% after immersing in seawater for 4, 8, 12, and 16 months, respectively. The basic properties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) including the compressive strength, the elastic modulus, and chloride penetration depth were explicitly investigated. And the microstructure of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) was revealed to find the seawater corrosion by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that higher amount of the RCA means more porosity and less strength, which could lower both the compressive strength and resistance to chloride penetration. This research could be a guide in theoretical and numerical analysis for the design of RAC structures. PMID:24453830

  12. Technical note: Examining ozone deposition over seawater

    EPA Science Inventory

    Surface layer resistance plays an important role in determining ozone deposition velocity over sea-water and can be influenced by chemical interactions at the air-water interface. Here, we examine the effect of chemical interactions of iodide, dimethylsulfide, dissolved organic c...

  13. The evaporation path of seawater and the coprecipitation of Br- and K+ with halite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McCaffrey, M. A.; Lazar, B.; Holland, H. D.

    1987-01-01

    Brines and salt were sampled at the Morton Bahamas solar salt production facility on Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas. The brines were analyzed by ion chromatography to define more precisely than heretofore the evaporation path of seawater to the end of the halite facies. At Inagua, calcium carbonate begins to precipitate at a brine concentration factor of 1.8 times that of seawater. Gypsum begins to precipitate at a brine concentration of 3.8 times seawater, and halite at a concentration factor of 10.6. Three of the most concentrated brines from Inagua (40 times seawater) were evaporated further in the laboratory. Magnesium sulfate first precipitated at brine concentrations about 70 times those of seawater, and potassium-bearing phases began to precipitate for these brines at concentrations greater than 90 times those of seawater. The distribution of coefficients of Br- and K+ between brines and halite were determined by combining analytical data for the Inagua brines with measurements of the Br- and K+ content of halites from Inagua and of halite which had precipitated from Inagua brines during storage. The observed average value of DBr- is 0.032, in good agreement with some of the previous measurements. The measured values of DK+ are highly variable (0.001 to 0.021); DK+ for halite precipitated early in the halite facies is in the vicinity of 0.015.

  14. [Removal of PO4(3-) from solution, wastewater and seawater by modification and granulation magnesium and aluminium layered double hydroxide].

    PubMed

    Xing, Kun; Wang, Hai-Zeng

    2013-04-01

    Powder layered double hydroxide of Mg-Al LDH were prepared by hydrothermal technology with 500 kg x batch(-1), modified and granulated (MG Mg-Al CLDH) by deposition method. After the modification and granulation, the fixed bed can not be accumulated and clogged by the adsorbents. The PO4(3-) is removed from aqueous solution, wastewater and seawater by MG Mg-Al CLDH with column experiments. It shows that MG Mg-Al CLDH is an effective adsorbent. After removal, the water quality can satisfy with the first degree of integrated wastewater discharge or seawater standards. The mechanism of removal PO4(3-) is ion exchange and 'memory effect'. The breakthrough adsorption capacity of PO4(3-) from solution is 13.49 mg x g(-1), more than 6 times higher than that by Mg-Al LDH without modification. The exhausted MG Mg-Al CLDH can be desorbed with 0.1 mol x L(-1) NaOH and 3 mol x L(-1) NaCl and regenerated with 25% MgCl2. The regeneration rate is 126.24%. The breakthrough curves are influenced by bed depth, flow rate, initial concentration and initial pH. The adsorption processes are controlled by film diffusion. When the initial concentration is as low as 0.38 micromol x L(-1), PO4(3-) can be removed from seawater to satisfy with the first degree of seawater quality. So this work is very useful for the practical application of Mg-Al LDH and the removal of phosphorus.

  15. Uranium in sediments, mussels (Mytilus sp.) and seawater of the Krka river estuary.

    PubMed

    Cuculić, Vlado; Cukrov, Neven; Barisić, Delko; Mlakar, Marina

    2006-01-01

    The response of an aquatic environment to the decrease of phosphate discharges from a technologically improved transhipment terminal, situated at the Croatian Adriatic coast in the port of Sibenik, has been assessed based on uranium activity and concentration in sediment, seawater and mussels Mytilus sp. The highest 238U activities (485+/-16Bqkg(-1) dry weight) were found in the sediment sample collected from the sampling site closest to the terminal. The maximum concentrations in the sediment samples are above the natural ranges and clearly indicate the harbour activities' influence. The 238U/226Ra activity ratios in sediment samples demonstrate the decreasing trend of phosphate ore input. Mussel samples showed levels of 238U activities in the range from 12.1+/-2.9 to 19.4+/-7.2 Bqkg(-1) dry weight, thus being slightly higher than in normally consumed mussels. Only the seawater, taken just above the bottom sediment at the sampling site closest to the terminal, shows a slightly higher uranium concentration (3.1+/-0.2 microgL(-1)) when compared to the samples taken in upper seawater layers (2.1+/-0.2 microgL(-1)) but is in the range of the concentration level of uranium in natural seawater. Since the transhipment terminal in the port of Sibenik was modernised in 1988, discharge of phosphate ore into the seawater was drastically reduced and, consequently, uranium concentration levels in seawater have decreased. However, enhanced uranium activity levels are still found in deeper sediment layer samples and in mussel.

  16. Formation of hazardous inorganic by-products during electrolysis of seawater as a disinfection process for desalination.

    PubMed

    Oh, Byung Soo; Oh, Sang Guen; Hwang, Youn Young; Yu, Hye-Weon; Kang, Joon-Wun; Kim, In S

    2010-11-01

    From our previous study, an electrochemical process was determined to be a promising tool for disinfection in a seawater desalination system, but an investigation on the production of several hazardous by-products is still required. In this study, a more intensive exploration of the formation patterns of perchlorate and bromate during the electrolysis of seawater was conducted. In addition, the rejection efficiencies of the targeted by-products by membrane processes (microfiltration and seawater reverse osmosis) were investigated to uncover the concentrations remaining in the final product from a membrane-based seawater desalination system for the production of drinking water. On the electrolysis of seawater, perchlorate did not provoke any problem due to the low concentrations formed, but bromate was produced at a much higher level, resulting in critical limitation in the application of the electrochemical process to the desalination of seawater. Even though the formed bromate was rejected via microfiltration and reverse osmosis during the 1st and 2nd passes, the residual concentration was a few orders of magnitude higher than the USEPA regulation. Consequently, it was concluded that the application of the electrochemical process to seawater desalination cannot be recommended without the control of bromate. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The precipitation of gypsum, celestine, and barite and coprecipitation of radium during seawater evaporation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenberg, Yoav Oved; Sade, Ziv; Ganor, Jiwchar

    2018-07-01

    While the precipitation paths of the major ions (i.e., Ca2+, Na+, K+, Cl- and SO42-) during seawater evaporation have been extensively studied, the precipitation of minor solutes from evaporated seawater was not thoroughly studied. The present study aims to achieve a quantitative understanding of Sr2+, Ba2+ and Ra2+ removal from evaporated seawater, by exploring in-situ evaporation of seawater in a series of ponds of a salt plant. Seawater samples, at various degrees of evaporation, were collected and analyzed for their solute concentrations. Mass balance and thermodynamic calculations were performed for each sample, revealing that the evaporated seawater remained oversaturated with respect to the three sulphate minerals: gypsum, celestine and barite, for a considerable period before precipitation commenced. In view of this observation, the results are discussed within the framework of the classical nucleation theory. It is hypothesized that the precipitation of these minerals is kinetically hindered by surface area starvation which, in turn, causes the nucleation of these minerals to be the rate determining step. The removal of Ra commences in concordance with the precipitation of Sr and Ba, suggesting that Ra removal is controlled by the formation of a solid solution. Although a ternary solid solution of RaxBaySr1-x-ySO4 actually precipitates, the removal of Ra was modeled by the precipitation of a binary solid solution of RaxBa1-xSO4. Using empirical law from the literature, the removal of Ra could be modeled fairly well. The model suggests that the removal of Ra in evaporated seawater is hindered in comparison to low ionic strength solutions. This inhibition is a result of: 1. The high ionic strength (up to 10.8 mol kg-1); and 2. Precipitation kinetics that may be quantified by the degree of supersaturation with respect to end-member barite in the evaporated seawater (up to 51).

  18. The major-ion composition of Cenozoic seawater: the past 36 million years from fluid inclusions in marine halite

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brennan, Sean T.; Lowenstein, Tim K.; Cendon, Dioni I.

    2013-01-01

    Fluid inclusions from ten Cenozoic (Eocene-Miocene) marine halites are used to quantify the major-ion composition (Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Na+, SO42−, and Cl−) of seawater over the past 36 My. Criteria used to determine a seawater origin of the halites include: (1) stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and paleontologic observations; (2) Br− in halite; (3) δ34S of sulfate minerals; (4) 87Sr/86Sr of carbonates and sulfates; and (5) fluid inclusion brine compositions and evaporation paths, which must overlap from geographically separated basins of the same age to confirm a “global” seawater chemical signal. Changes in the major-ion chemistry of Cenozoic seawater record the end of a systematic, long term (>150 My) shift from the Ca2+-rich, Mg2+- and SO42−-poor seawater of the Mesozoic (“CaCl2 seas”) to the “MgSO4 seas” (with higher Mg2+ and SO42−>Ca2+) of the Cenozoic. The major ion composition of Cenozoic seawater is calculated for the Eocene-Oligocene (36-34 Ma), Serravallian-Tortonian (13.5-11.8 Ma) and the Messinian (6-5 Ma), assuming chlorinity (565 mmolal), salinity, and the K+ concentration (11 mmolal) are constant and the same as in modern seawater. Fluid inclusions from Cenozoic marine halites show that the concentrations of Mg2+and SO42− have increased in seawater over the past 36 My and the concentration of Ca2+ has decreased. Mg2+ concentrations increased from 36 mmolal in Eocene-Oligocene seawater (36-34 Ma) to 55 mmolal in modern seawater. The Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio of seawater has risen from ∼2.3 at the end of the Eocene, to 3.4 and 4.0, respectively, at 13.5 to 11.8 Ma and 6 to 5 Ma, and to 5 in modern seawater. Eocene-Oligocene seawater (36-34 Ma) has estimated ranges of SO42− = 14–23 mmolal and Ca2+ = 11–20 mmolal. If the (Ca2+)(SO42−) product is assumed to be the same as in modern seawater (∼300 mmolal2), Eocene-Oligocene seawater had Ca2+ ∼16 mmolal and SO42− ∼19 mmolal. The same estimates of Ca2+ and SO42− for Serravallian

  19. Distributed Memory Parallel Computing with SEAWAT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verkaik, J.; Huizer, S.; van Engelen, J.; Oude Essink, G.; Ram, R.; Vuik, K.

    2017-12-01

    Fresh groundwater reserves in coastal aquifers are threatened by sea-level rise, extreme weather conditions, increasing urbanization and associated groundwater extraction rates. To counteract these threats, accurate high-resolution numerical models are required to optimize the management of these precious reserves. The major model drawbacks are long run times and large memory requirements, limiting the predictive power of these models. Distributed memory parallel computing is an efficient technique for reducing run times and memory requirements, where the problem is divided over multiple processor cores. A new Parallel Krylov Solver (PKS) for SEAWAT is presented. PKS has recently been applied to MODFLOW and includes Conjugate Gradient (CG) and Biconjugate Gradient Stabilized (BiCGSTAB) linear accelerators. Both accelerators are preconditioned by an overlapping additive Schwarz preconditioner in a way that: a) subdomains are partitioned using Recursive Coordinate Bisection (RCB) load balancing, b) each subdomain uses local memory only and communicates with other subdomains by Message Passing Interface (MPI) within the linear accelerator, c) it is fully integrated in SEAWAT. Within SEAWAT, the PKS-CG solver replaces the Preconditioned Conjugate Gradient (PCG) solver for solving the variable-density groundwater flow equation and the PKS-BiCGSTAB solver replaces the Generalized Conjugate Gradient (GCG) solver for solving the advection-diffusion equation. PKS supports the third-order Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) scheme for computing advection. Benchmarks were performed on the Dutch national supercomputer (https://userinfo.surfsara.nl/systems/cartesius) using up to 128 cores, for a synthetic 3D Henry model (100 million cells) and the real-life Sand Engine model ( 10 million cells). The Sand Engine model was used to investigate the potential effect of the long-term morphological evolution of a large sand replenishment and climate change on fresh groundwater resources

  20. Seawater strontium isotopes, acid rain, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Macdougall, J. D.

    1988-01-01

    A large bolide impact at the end of the Cretaceous would have produced significant amounts of nitrogen oxides by shock heating of the atmosphere. The resulting acid precipitation would have increased continental weathering greatly and could be an explanation for the observed high ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 in seawater at about this time, due to the dissolution of large amounts of strontium from the continental crust. Spikes to high values in the seawater strontium isotope record at other times may reflect similar episodes.

  1. Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Al-Sheikhly, Mohamad; Dietz, Travis; Tsinas, Zois

    2016-04-01

    Even at a concentration of 3 μg/L, the world’s oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s.more » Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method’s complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence and will extend the

  2. New insight into the ternary complexes of uranyl carbonate in seawater.

    PubMed

    Beccia, M R; Matara-Aho, M; Reeves, B; Roques, J; Solari, P L; Monfort, M; Moulin, C; Den Auwer, C

    2017-11-01

    Uranium is naturally present in seawater at trace levels and may in some cases be present at higher concentrations, due to anthropogenic nuclear activities. Understanding uranium speciation in seawater is thus essential for predicting and controlling its behavior in this specific environmental compartment and consequently, its possible impact on living organisms. The carbonato calcic complex Ca 2 UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 was previously identified as the main uranium species in natural seawater, together with CaUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- . In this work, we further investigate the role of the alkaline earth cation in the structure of the ternary uranyl-carbonate complexes. For this purpose, artificial seawater, free of Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , using Sr 2+ as a spectroscopic probe was prepared. Combining TRLIF and EXAFS spectroscopy, together with DFT and theoretical thermodynamic calculations, evidence for the presence of Sr alkaline earth counter ion in the complex structure can be asserted. Furthermore, data suggest that when Ca 2+ is replaced by Sr 2+ , SrUO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 2- is the main complex in solution and it occurs with the presence of at least one monodentate carbonate in the uranyl coordination sphere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Development of an Assessment Procedure for Seawater Intrusion Mitigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsi Ting, F.; Yih Chi, T.

    2017-12-01

    The Pingtung Plain is one of the areas with extremely plentiful groundwater resources in Taiwan. Due to that the application of the water resource is restricted by significant variation of precipitation between wet and dry seasons, groundwater must be used as a recharge source to implement the insufficient surface water resource during dry seasons. In recent years, the coastal aquaculture rises, and the over withdrawn of groundwater by private well results in fast drop of groundwater level. Then it causes imbalance of groundwater supply and leads to serious seawater intrusion in the coastal areas. The purpose of this study is to develop an integrated numerical model of groundwater resources and seawater intrusion. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), MODFLOW and MT3D models were applied to analyze the variation of the groundwater levels and salinity concentration to investigate the correlation of parameters, which are used to the model applications in order to disposal saltwater intrusion. The data of groundwater levels, pumping capacity and hydrogeological data to were collected to build an integrated numerical model. Firstly, we will collect the information of layered aquifer and the data of hydrological parameters to build the groundwater numerical model at Pingtung Plain, and identify the amount of the groundwater which flow into the sea. In order to deal with the future climate change conditions or extreme weather conditions, we will consider the recharge with groundwater model to improve the seawater intrusion problem. The integrated numerical model which describes that seawater intrusion to deep confined aquifers and shallow unsaturated aquifers. Secondly, we will use the above model to investigate the weights influenced by different factors to the amount area of seawater intrusion, and predict the salinity concentration distribution of evaluation at coastal area of Pingtung Plain. Finally, we will simulate groundwater recharge/ injection at the coastal

  4. Catalysis and chemical mechanisms of calcite dissolution in seawater

    PubMed Central

    Adkins, Jess F.; Rollins, Nick E.; Naviaux, John; Erez, Jonathan; Berelson, William M.

    2017-01-01

    Near-equilibrium calcite dissolution in seawater contributes significantly to the regulation of atmospheric CO2 on 1,000-y timescales. Despite many studies on far-from-equilibrium dissolution, little is known about the detailed mechanisms responsible for calcite dissolution in seawater. In this paper, we dissolve 13C-labeled calcites in natural seawater. We show that the time-evolving enrichment of 𝜹13C in solution is a direct measure of both dissolution and precipitation reactions across a large range of saturation states. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer profiles into the 13C-labeled solids confirm the presence of precipitated material even in undersaturated conditions. The close balance of precipitation and dissolution near equilibrium can alter the chemical composition of calcite deeper than one monolayer into the crystal. This balance of dissolution–precipitation shifts significantly toward a dissolution-dominated mechanism below about Ω= 0.7. Finally, we show that the enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) increases the dissolution rate across all saturation states, and the effect is most pronounced close to equilibrium. This finding suggests that the rate of hydration of CO2 is a rate-limiting step for calcite dissolution in seawater. We then interpret our dissolution data in a framework that incorporates both solution chemistry and geometric constraints on the calcite solid. Near equilibrium, this framework demonstrates a lowered free energy barrier at the solid–solution interface in the presence of CA. This framework also indicates a significant change in dissolution mechanism at Ω= 0.7, which we interpret as the onset of homogeneous etch pit nucleation. PMID:28720698

  5. Changing of Sumatra backswamp peat properties by seawater and zeolite application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarifuddin; Nasution, Z.; Rauf, A.; Mulyanto, B.

    2018-02-01

    This research attempts to improve the properties of backswamp peatsoil originated from Asahan District, North Sumatra Indonesia by adding sea water and zeolite using factorial randomized block design with volume of sea water as first factor, consisting of without seawater, 500 ml, 1000 ml and 1500 ml and second factor are dosages of zeolite consisting of without zeolite, 100 g, 200 g each 10 kgs of wet peat soil. at green house in faculty of agriculture University of Sumatra Utara (USU) Medan, Indonesia. The result showed that the application of seawater decreased pH, C/N and Cation Exchange Capacity and increased of base saturation of peat soil. Adding of zeolite minerals can buffered the increasing of acidity and Electric Conductivity caused by sea water application. Interaction seawater + zeolite decreased of C/N and increased of percent of base saturation.

  6. Preliminary design studies on a nuclear seawater desalination system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wibisono, A. F.; Jung, Y. H.; Choi, J.

    2012-07-01

    Seawater desalination is one of the most promising technologies to provide fresh water especially in the arid region. The most used technology in seawater desalination are thermal desalination (MSF and MED) and membrane desalination (RO). Some developments have been done in the area of coupling the desalination plant with a nuclear reactor to reduce the cost of energy required in thermal desalination. The coupling a nuclear reactor to a desalination plant can be done either by using the co-generation or by using dedicated heat from a nuclear system. The comparison of the co-generation nuclear reactor with desalination plant, dedicated nuclearmore » heat system, and fossil fueled system will be discussed in this paper using economical assessment with IAEA DEEP software. A newly designed nuclear system dedicated for the seawater desalination will also be suggested by KAIST (Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology) research team and described in detail within this paper. The suggested reactor system is using gas cooled type reactor and in this preliminary study the scope of design will be limited to comparison of two cases in different operating temperature ranges. (authors)« less

  7. Factors That Modulate Properties of Primary Marine Aerosol Generated From Ambient Seawater on Ships at Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keene, William C.; Long, Michael S.; Reid, Jeffrey S.; Frossard, Amanda A.; Kieber, David J.; Maben, John R.; Russell, Lynn M.; Kinsey, Joanna D.; Quinn, Patricia K.; Bates, Timothy S.

    2017-11-01

    Model primary marine aerosol (mPMA) was produced by bubbling clean air through flowing natural seawater in a high-capacity generator deployed on ships in the eastern North Pacific and western North Atlantic Oceans. Physicochemical properties of seawater and mPMA were quantified to characterize factors that modulated production. Differences in surfactant organic matter (OM) and associated properties including surface tension sustained plumes with smaller bubble sizes, slower rise velocities, larger void fractions, and older surface ages in biologically productive relative to oligotrophic seawater. Production efficiencies for mPMA number (PEnum) and mass (PEmass) per unit air detrained from biologically productive seawater during daytime were greater and mass median diameters smaller than those in the same seawater at night and in oligotrophic seawater during day and night. PEmass decreased with increasing air detrainment rate suggesting that surface bubble rafts suppressed emission of jet droplets and associated mPMA mass. Relative to bubbles emitted at 60 cm depth, PEnum for bubbles emitted from 100 cm depth was approximately 2 times greater. mPMA OM enrichment factors (EFs) and mass fractions based on a coarse frit, fine frits, and a seawater jet exhibited similar size-dependent variability over a wide range in chlorophyll a concentrations. Results indicate that the physical production of PMA number and mass from the ocean surface varies systematically as interrelated functions of seawater type and, in biologically productive waters, time of day; bubble injection rate, depth, size, and surface age; and physical characteristics of the air-water interface whereas size-resolved OM EFs and mass fractions are relatively invariant.

  8. The evolution of Phanerozoic seawater - Isotope paleothermometry finds consensus on Early Paleozoic warmth and constant seawater δ18O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grossman, E. L.; Henkes, G. A.; Passey, B. H.; Shenton, B.; Yancey, T. E.; Perez-Huerta, A.

    2015-12-01

    Evolution of metazoan life is closely linked to the Phanerozoic evolution of ocean temperatures and chemistry. Oxygen isotopic evidence for early Phanerozoic paleotemperatures has been equivocal, with decreasing δ18O values with age being interpreted as warmer early oceans, decreasing seawater δ18O with age, or increasing diagenetic alteration in older samples. Here we compare an updated compilation of oxygen isotope data for carbonate and phosphate fossils and microfossils (Grossman, 2012, Geol. Time Scale, Elsevier, 195-220) with a compilation of new and existing clumped isotope data. Importantly, these data are curated based on sample preservation with special consideration given to screening techniques, and tectonic and burial history. Burial history is critical in the preservation of carbonate clumped isotope temperatures in particular, which can undergo reordering in the solid state. We use a model derived for reordering kinetics (Henkes et al., 2014, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 139:362-382) to screen clumped isotope data for the effects of solid-state burial alteration. With minor but significant exceptions (Late Cretaceous, Early Triassic), average δ18O values (4 m.y. window, 2 m.y. steps) for post-Devonian brachiopods, belemnites, and foraminifera, representing tropical-subtropical surface ocean conditions, yield average isotopic temperatures below 30°C (assuming a seawater δ18O value [ -1‰ VSMOW] of an "ice-free" world). In contrast, Ordovician to Devonian data show sustained temperatures of 35-40°C. Likewise, isotopic paleotemperatures from conodont apatite, known to be resistant to isotopic exchange, follow the same pattern. Clumped isotope data derived from Paleozoic brachiopod shells that experienced minimal burial (< 100 °C) and <1% reordering according to the taxon-specific clumped isotope reordering model yield typical temperatures of 25-30°C for the Carboniferous, and 35-40°C for the Ordovician-Silurian. Inserting clumped temperatures and

  9. Impact of Seawater Nonlinearities on Nordic Seas Circulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Helber, R. W.; Wallcraft, A. J.; Shriver, J. F.

    2017-12-01

    The Nordic Seas (Greenland, Iceland, and Norwegian Seas) form an ocean basin important for Arctic-mid-latitude climate linkages. Cold fresh water from the Arctic Ocean and warm salty water from the North Atlantic Ocean meet in the Nordic Seas, where a delicate balance between temperature and salinity variability results in deep water formation. Seawater non-linearities are stronger at low temperatures and salinities making high-latitude oceans highly subject to thermbaricity and cabbeling. This presentation highlights and quantifies the impact of seawater non-linearities on the Nordic Seas circulation. We use two layered ocean circulation models, the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYOCM) and the Modular Ocean Model version 6 (MOM6), that enable accurate representation of processes along and across density or neutral density surfaces. Different equations-of-state and vertical coordinates are evaluated to clarify the impact of seawater non-linearities. Present Navy systems, however, do not capture some features in the Nrodic Seas vertical structure. For example, observations from the Greenland Sea reveal a subsurface temperature maximum that deepens from approximately 1500 m during 1998 to 1800 m during 2005. We demonstrate that in terms of density, salinity is the largest source of error in Nordic Seas Navy forecasts, regional scale models can represent mesoscale features driven by thermobaricity, vertical coordinates are a critical issue in Nordic Sea circulation modeling.

  10. A simple method for the determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in seawater matrix with high performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shu; Liu, Baomin; Yuan, Dongxing; Ma, Jian

    2016-12-01

    Glyphosate (GLYP) is an important herbicide which is also used as the phosphorus source for marine organisms. The wide applications of GLYP can lead to its accumulation in oceans and coastal waters, thus creating environmental issues. However, there is limited methods for detection of GLYP and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in saline samples. Therefore, a simple and fast method for the quantification of GLYP and AMPA in seawater matrix has been developed based on the derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethylchloroformate (FMOC-Cl), separation with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and detection with fluorescence detector (FLD). In order to maximize sensitivity, the derivatization procedure was carefully optimized regarding concentration of FMOC-Cl, volume of borate buffer, pH of borate buffer, mixing and derivatization time. The derivatization reaction could be completed within 30min in seawater samples without any additional clean-up or desalting steps. Under the optimized conditions, the developed HPLC method showed a wide linear response (up to several mg/L, R 2 >0.99). The limits of detection were 0.60μg/L and 0.30μg/L for GLYP and AMPA in seawater matrix, respectively. The relative standard deviation was 14.0% for GLYP (1.00mg/L) and 3.1% for AMPA (100μg/L) in saline samples with three different operators (n=24). This method was applied to determine the concentration of GLYP and AMPA in seawater culture media and the recovery data indicated minimal matrix interference. Due to its simplicity, high reproducibility and successful application in seawater culture media analysis, this method is a potentially useful analytical technique for both marine research and environmental science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Development of coin-type cell and engineering of its compartments for rechargeable seawater batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jinhyup; Hwang, Soo Min; Go, Wooseok; Senthilkumar, S. T.; Jeon, Donghoon; Kim, Youngsik

    2018-01-01

    Cell design and optimization of the components, including active materials and passive components, play an important role in constructing robust, high-performance rechargeable batteries. Seawater batteries, which utilize earth-abundant and natural seawater as the active material in an open-structured cathode, require a new platform for building and testing the cells other than typical Li-ion coin-type or pouch-type cells. Herein, we present new findings based on our optimized cell. Engineering the cathode components-improving the wettability of cathode current collector and seawater catholyte flow-improves the battery performance (voltage efficiency). Optimizing the cell component and design is the key to identifying the electrochemical processes and reactions of active materials. Hence, the outcome of this research can provide a systematic study of potentially active materials used in seawater batteries and their effectiveness on the electrochemical performance.

  12. Kinetics of Inorganic Calcite Dissolution in Seawater under Pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, S.; Subhas, A.; Rollins, N.; Berelson, W.; Adkins, J. F.

    2016-02-01

    While understanding calcium carbonate dissolution is vital in constructing global carbon cycles and predicting the effect of seawater acidification as a result of increasing atmospheric CO2, there is still a major debate over the basic formulation of a dissolution rate law. The kinetics of calcium carbonate dissolution are typically described by the equation: Rate=k(1-Ω)n, while Ω=[Ca2+][CO32-]/Ksp. In this study, 13C-labeled calcite is dissolved in unlabeled seawater and the evolving d13C composition of the fluid is traced over time to establish dissolution rate. Instead of changing ion concentration to obtain varying Ω (as in our previous study; Subhas et al. 2015), we changed Ksp by conducting experiments under different pressures (described in theory as ∂lnKsp/∂P=-ΔV/RT, where ΔV is partial molal volume). This involved the construction of a pressure vessel that could hold our sample bag and provide aliquots while remaining pressurized. Pressure experiments were conducted between 0-2000PSI. Results support the conclusion in our previous study that near-equilibrium dissolution rates are highly nonlinear, but give a disparate relationship between undersaturation and dissolution rate if Ω is calculated assuming the specific ΔV embedded in CO2SYS. A revised ΔV from -37cm3 to -65cm3 would make the dissolution formulation equation agree, but clearly appears unreasonable. Our results are explained by a pressure effect on carbonate dissolution kinetics over and above the influence of pressure on Ω. If this is a phenomenon that occurs in nature, then we would predict that dissolution should be occurring shallower in the water column (as sometimes observed) than indicated by standard Ω calculations.

  13. A chemical model of seawater including dissolved ammonia and the stoichiometric dissociation constant of ammonia in estuarine water and seawater from -2 to 40°C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clegg, Simon L.; Whitfield, Michael

    1995-06-01

    The calculation of the percentage of un-ionised ammonia in estuarine water and seawater requires values of the stoichiometric dissociation constant of ammonia, defined by: K*a/mol kg -1 = mNH 3mH +/ mNH +4, where m denotes molality. A thermodynamic model of seawater, including dissolved NH 3 and NH +4, is developed using an extended Pitzer formalism parameterised from available data. The model is validated using emf measurements for cells containing artificial seawater with added HCl, and NH 4Cl, and NH 3 over a range of temperatures and salinities. Calculated values of K*a are tabulated from 0 to 40 ppt salinity and -2 to 40°C, on both a free ( mH +) and total ( mH + + mHSO -4) hydrogen ion basis for use with pH measurements made on the corresponding scales. Accuracy (in K*a) is likely to be better than 5% at all temperatures and salinities.

  14. Biodegradation of n-alkanes on oil-seawater interfaces at different temperatures and microbial communities associated with the degradation.

    PubMed

    Lofthus, Synnøve; Netzer, Roman; Lewin, Anna S; Heggeset, Tonje M B; Haugen, Tone; Brakstad, Odd Gunnar

    2018-04-01

    Oil biodegradation studies have mainly focused on microbial processes in dispersions, not specifically on the interfaces between the oil and the seawater in the dispersions. In this study, a hydrophobic adsorbent system, consisting of Fluortex fabrics, was used to investigate biodegradation of n-alkanes and microbial communities on oil-seawater interfaces in natural non-amended seawater. The study was performed over a temperature range from 0 to 20 °C, to determine how temperature affected biodegradation at the oil-seawater interfaces. Biodegradation of n-alkanes were influenced both by seawater temperature and chain-length. Biotransformation rates of n-alkanes decreased by reduced seawater temperature. Low rate coefficients at a seawater temperature of 0 °C were probably associated with changes in physical-chemical properties of alkanes. The primary bacterial colonization of the interfaces was predominated by the family Oceanospirillaceae at all temperatures, demonstrating the wide temperature range of these hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria. The mesophilic genus Oleibacter was predominant at the seawater temperature of 20 °C, and the psychrophilic genus Oleispira at 5 and 0 °C. Upon completion of n-alkane biotransformation, other oil-degrading and heterotrophic bacteria became abundant, including Piscirickettsiaceae (Cycloclasticus), Colwelliaceae (Colwellia), Altermonadaceae (Altermonas), and Rhodobacteraceae. This is one of a few studies that describe the biodegradation of oil, and the microbial communities associated with the degradation, directly at the oil-seawater interfaces over a large temperature interval.

  15. The airborne lava-seawater interaction plume at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edmonds, M.; Gerlach, T.M.

    2006-01-01

    Lava flows into the sea at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, and generates an airborne gas and aerosol plume. Water (H2O), hydrogen chloride (HCl), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) gases were quantified in the plume in 2004–2005, using Open Path Fourier Transform infra-red Spectroscopy. The molar abundances of these species and thermodynamic modelling are used to discuss their generation. The range in molar HCl / H2O confirms that HCl is generated when seawater is boiled dry and magnesium salts are hydrolysed (as proposed by [T.M. Gerlach, J.L. Krumhansl, R.O. Fournier, J. Kjargaard, Acid rain from the heating and evaporation of seawater by molten lava: a new volcanic hazard, EOS (Trans. Am. Geophys. Un.) 70 (1989) 1421–1422]), in contrast to models of Na-metasomatism. Airborne droplets of boiled seawater brine form nucleii for subsequent H2O and HCl condensation, which acidifies the droplets and liberates CO2 gas from bicarbonate and carbonate. NO2 is derived from the thermal decomposition of nitrates in coastal seawater, which takes place as the lava heats droplets of boiled seawater brine to 350–400 °C. SO2 is derived from the degassing of subaerial lava flows on the coastal plain. The calculated mass flux of HCl from a moderate-sized ocean entry significantly increases the total HCl emission at Kīlauea (including magmatic sources) and is comparable to industrial HCl emitters in the United States. For larger lava ocean entries, the flux of HCl will cause intense local environmental hazards, such as high localised HCl concentrations and acid rain.

  16. Influence of seawater mixing and curing on strength characteristics and porosity of ground granulated blast-furnace slag concrete

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adiwijaya; Hamada, H.; Sagawa, Y.; Yamamoto, D.

    2017-11-01

    Generally, in the concrete industry, several billion tons of fresh water are annually used for mixing water, curing water and cleaning water. Nevertheless, the utilization of seawater in the concrete industry is prohibited, because it increases the risk of corrosion of steel bars in concrete. This study presents strength characteristics and porosity of seawater mixed concrete and tap water mixed concrete incorporating Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag (GGBS) with water-binder ratio (W/B) of 40%, 50% and 60%. The influence of seawater mixing, GGBS and curing conditions such as tap water curing (TC), seawater curing (SC) and air curing (AC) on the strength and porosity of concrete were evaluated. Based on investigation result, it was shown that there is no significant influence of seawater mixing in improving strength of GGBS concrete up to 365 days in TC and SC. Effectiveness of seawater-mixing on strength enhancement of GGBS concrete is larger in air curing than in water curing. Porosity of seawater-mixed concrete is decreased compared to tap water-mixed concrete in all curing conditions.

  17. [A novel ship-borne positive pressure solid phase extraction device to enrich organo chlorinated and pyrethroid pesticides in seawater].

    PubMed

    Ye, Jianglei

    2017-09-08

    A novel solid phase extraction (SPE) device driven by positive pressure was developed instead of negative pressure from a vacuum pump, in order to enrich organo chlorinated and pyrethroid pesticides in seawater. The water sampling bottles and the pipelines which touch water samples were made of plastic material without chlorine. In order to ensure the sealing and firmness, the whole device were tightened with nut and bolt. The inner pressure (0.1-0.3 MPa) in the water sampling bottle was provided by the small air pump (powered by 12 V cell) controlled by a microprogrammed control unit (MCU) and pressure sensor to keep the water flow rate (4.0-6.0 mL/min). The pre-conditioned SPE column can be used for the enrichment of pesticides within four weeks, and the loaded SPE column can be eluted for detection within six weeks with recoveries greater than 80%. The linearity of the method was good with the correlation coefficient more than 0.9. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.8-6 ng/L. The recoveries of the pesticides at three spiked levels (3 parallel samples) were 86.1%-95.5% with the relative standard deviations less than 10%. The benzene hexachlorides (BHCs) and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs) were detected in seawater samples. The device has good application in enriching organo chlorinated and pyrethroid pesticides in seawater.

  18. Past seawater experience enhances seawater adaptability in medaka, Oryzias latipes.

    PubMed

    Miyanishi, Hiroshi; Inokuchi, Mayu; Nobata, Shigenori; Kaneko, Toyoji

    2016-01-01

    During the course of evolution, fishes have acquired adaptability to various salinity environments, and acquirement of seawater (SW) adaptability has played important roles in fish evolution and diversity. However, little is known about how saline environments influence the acquirement of SW adaptability. The Japanese medaka Oryzias latipes is a euryhaline species that usually inhabits freshwater (FW), but is also adaptable to full-strength SW when transferred through diluted SW. In the present study, we examined how past SW experience affects hyposmoregulatory ability in Japanese medaka. For the preparation of SW-experienced fish, FW medaka were acclimated to SW after pre-acclimation to 1/2 SW, and the SW-acclimated fish were transferred back to FW. The SW-experienced fish and control FW fish (SW-inexperienced fish) were transferred directly to SW. Whereas control FW fish did not survive direct transfer to SW, 1/4 of SW-experienced fish adapted successfully to SW. Although there were no significant differences in blood osmolality and plasma Na(+) and Cl(-) concentrations between SW-experienced and control FW medaka in FW, increments in these parameters following SW transfer were lower in SW-experienced fish than in control FW fish. The gene expression of SW-type Na(+), K(+)-ATPase (NKA) in the gills of SW-experienced medaka increased more quickly after direct SW transfer compared with the expression in control FW fish. Prior to SW transfer, the density of NKA-immunoreactive ionocytes in the gills was higher in SW-experienced fish than in control FW fish. Ionocytes expressing CFTR Cl(-) channel at the apical membrane and those forming multicellular complexes, both of which were characteristic of SW-type ionocytes, were also increased in SW-experienced fish. These results indicate that past SW experience enhances the capacity of Na(+) and Cl(-) secretion in ionocytes and thus hypoosmoregulatory ability of Japanese medaka, suggesting the presence of epigenetic

  19. Nucleophilic substitution rates and solubilities for methyl halides in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elliott, Scott; Rowland, F. Sherwood

    1993-06-01

    Ozone depletion potentials indicate that methyl bromide is among halogen containing gases which may be scheduled for international level regulation. The oceanic component of its global budget is currently unquantifiable because of a lack of surface seawater measurements. Given values for internal removal and for solubility, marine mixed layer modelling can set bounds for air-sea transfer. Rate constants have been measured in seawater, 0.5m NaCl and distilled water for attack on methyl bromide by the chief oceanic nucleophiles chloride ion and H2O, over much of the oceanographic temperature range (0°C to 22°C). Henry's Law constants have been determined for the same conditions. All results are consistent with classical aqueous phase research adjusted for ionic strength effects. The lifetime of methyl bromide with respect to chemical decay in seawater is three weeks at average surface temperatures, and a factor of ten larger and smaller at the extremes. Its dimensionless solubility ranges from 0.1 to 0.3. Analogous experiments are reported for the other natural methyl halides, CH3Cl and CH3I.

  20. PCB impairs smoltification and seawater performance in anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jorgensen, E.H.; Aas-Hansen, O.; Maule, A.G.; Strand, J.E.T.; Vijayan, M.M.

    2004-01-01

    The impacts of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure on smoltification and subsequent seawater performance were investigated in hatchery-reared, anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). The fish were subjected to a 2-month summer seawater residence, after which they were orally dosed with 0 (Control, C), 1 (Low Dose, LD) or 100 mg Aroclor 1254 kg−1 body mass (High Dose, HD) in November. They were then held in fresh water, without being fed (to mimic their natural overwintering in freshwater), until they had smolted in June the next year. The smolts were then transferred to seawater and fed to mimic their summer feeding residence in seawater, followed by a period without food in freshwater from August until maturation in October. Compared with C and LD charr, the HD charr had either a transient or a permanent reduction in plasma growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, and thyroxin and triiodothyronine titers during the period of smoltification. These hormonal alterations in the HD charr corresponded with impaired hyposmoregulatory ability in May and June, as well as reduced growth rate and survival after transference to seawater. Consequently, fewer fish in the HD group matured in October compared to the other two treatments. The HD fish had a liver PCB concentration ranging between 14 and 42 mg kg−1 wet mass, whereas there were similar, and very low, liver PCB concentrations in LD and C fish throughout the smolting period. Our findings suggest that PCB might compromise mechanisms important for fitness in a fish species living in an extreme environment.

  1. Use of microelectrodes for electrochemical measurement of nitric oxide in natural seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Zhengbin; Xing, Lei; Cai, Weijun; Ren, Chunyan; Jiang, Liqing

    2004-12-01

    In this paper, the application of a homemade Nafion and Co(Salen) modified platinum microelectrode and an ISO-NOPMC microsensor (World Precision Instruments, USA) to measure nitric oxide in natural seawater is reported. These two microelectrodes are suitable for the measurement. In natural seawater, the sensitivity and stability of the ISO-NOPMC microsensor are higher than that of the homemade Nafion and Co(Salen) modified platinum microelectrode.

  2. Distribution of oil-degrading bacteria in coastal seawater, Toyama Bay, Japan.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Daisuke; Tanaka, Shunsuke; Yamashiro, Yoko; Nakamura, Shogo

    2008-10-01

    Oil-degrading bacteria are considered to play an important role in the biodegradation of spilled or released oil in the sea. The distribution of indigenous oil-degrading bacteria in the coastal seawater of Toyama Bay, Japan, was examined. Surface seawater samples with or without oil film in fishing port were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the PCR-amplified V3 region of bacterial 16S rDNA. Sequence analysis revealed that several DGGE bands clearly detected only in samples with oil film corresponded to Cyanobacteria. Moreover, we cultured surface seawater samples with oil film in two different liquid culture media, a marine broth and an NSW medium; each culture contained 0.5% (w/v) C-heavy oil. Emulsification of the oil was observed at day 6 in the marine broth and day 9 in the NSW medium. Time-dependent changes of bacterial communities in those culture media were analyzed by DGGE. Interestingly, we found that Alcanivorax sp. became one of the dominant bacteria in each culture medium when emulsification of the oil began. Alcanivorax sp. is one of the well-known oil-degrading bacteria in seawater and is associated with the production of biosurfactants. These results suggest that Cyanobacteria and Alcanivorax play important roles in the bioremediation of oil-contaminated areas in Toyama Bay.

  3. Biotransformation of potentially persistent alkylphenols in natural seawater.

    PubMed

    Lofthus, Synnøve; Almås, Inger K; Evans, Peter; Pelz, Oliver; Brakstad, Odd Gunnar

    2016-08-01

    Produced water (PW) discharged to the marine environment may contain both natural substances and industrial chemicals that are potentially persistent, bioaccumulating and toxic (PBT). Identification of substances as PBT is dependent upon accurate assessment of biodegradation rates, but these measurements can be impeded where substances exhibit inherently low solubility in water. Examples of substances of this kind include some alkylated phenols (APs). Biotransformation of three APs, suspected to be PBT compounds in PW, was investigated by adopting a new methodology in which they were immobilized to hydrophobic adsorbents submerged in natural seawater. These compounds were not ready biodegradable by conventional screening biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) methods at high concentrations (2 mg/L). However, potential biodegradability for two of the three APs were demonstrated by the immobilization method at low concentrations (appr. 100 μg/L), with biotransformation half-lives <50 days. Thus, standard screening tests should be supplemented by biodegradation methods suited for testing of poorly soluble substances before the persistence of potential PBT substances are defined. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Testing alternative conceptual models of seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer using computer simulation, southern California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nishikawa, Tracy

    1997-01-01

    Two alternative conceptual models of the physical processes controlling seawater intrusion in a coastal basin in California, USA, were tested to identify a likely principal pathway for seawater intrusion. The conceptual models were tested by using a two-dimensional, finite-element groundwater flow and transport model. This pathway was identified by the conceptual model that best replicated the historical data. The numerical model was applied in cross section to a submarine canyon that is a main avenue for seawater to enter the aquifer system underlying the study area. Both models are characterized by a heterogeneous, layered, water-bearing aquifer. However, the first model is characterized by flat-lying aquifer layers and by a high value of hydraulic conductivity in the basal aquifer layer, which is thought to be a principal conduit for seawater intrusion. The second model is characterized by offshore folding, which was modeled as a very nearshore outcrop, thereby providing a shorter path for seawater to intrude. General conclusions are that: 1) the aquifer system is best modeled as a flat, heterogeneous, layered system; 2) relatively thin basal layers with relatively high values of hydraulic conductivity are the principal pathways for seawater intrusion; and 3) continuous clay layers of low hydraulic conductivity play an important role in controlling the movement of seawater.

  5. Bicarbonate Elution of Uranium from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pan, Horng-Bin; Wai, Chien M.; Kuo, Li-Jung

    Uranium adsorbed on amidoxime-based polyethylene fibers in simulated seawater can be quantitatively eluted using 3 M KHCO3 at 40°C. Thermodynamic calculations are in agreement with the experimental observation that at high bicarbonate concentrations (3 M) uranyl ions bound to amidoxime molecules are converted to uranyl tris-carbonato complex in the aqueous solution. The elution process is basically the reverse reaction of the uranium adsorption process which occurs at a very low bicarbonate concentration (~10-3 M) in seawater. In real seawater experiments, the bicarbonate elution is followed by a NaOH treatment to remove natural organic matter adsorbed on the polymer adsorbent. Usingmore » the sequential bicarbonate and NaOH elution, the adsorbent is reusable after rinsing with deionized water and the recycled adsorbent shows no loss of uranium loading capacity based on real seawater experiments.« less

  6. Effects of ocean acidification on salinity tolerance and seawater growth of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts.

    PubMed

    Mccormick, S D; Regish, A M

    2018-06-23

    Human activity has resulted in increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which will result in reduced pH and higher levels of CO 2 in the ocean, a process known as ocean acidification. Understanding the effects of ocean acidification (OA) on fishes will be important to predicting and mitigating its consequences. Anadromous species such as salmonids may be especially at risk because of their rapid movements between fresh water and seawater, which could minimize their ability to acclimate. In the present study, we examine the effect of future OA on the salinity tolerance and early seawater growth of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts. Exposure to 61.81 Pa and 102.34 Pa CO 2 did not alter salinity tolerance but did result in slightly lower plasma chloride levels in smolts exposed to seawater compared with controls (39.59 Pa). Gill Na + -K + -ATPase activity, plasma cortisol, glucose and haematocrit after seawater exposure were not altered by elevated CO 2 . Growth rate in the first 2 weeks of seawater exposure was greater at 102.34 Pa CO 2 than under control conditions. This study of the effects of OA on S. salar during the transition from fresh water to seawater indicates that elevated CO 2 is not likely to affect osmoregulation negatively and may improve early growth in seawater. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  7. Microbial ureolysis in the seawater-catalysed urine phosphorus recovery system: Kinetic study and reactor verification.

    PubMed

    Tang, Wen-Tao; Dai, Ji; Liu, Rulong; Chen, Guang-Hao

    2015-12-15

    Our previous study has confirmed the feasibility of using seawater as an economical precipitant for urine phosphorus (P) precipitation. However, we still understand very little about the ureolysis in the Seawater-based Urine Phosphorus Recovery (SUPR) system despite its being a crucial step for urine P recovery. In this study, batch experiments were conducted to investigate the kinetics of microbial ureolysis in the seawater-urine system. Indigenous bacteria from urine and seawater exhibited relatively low ureolytic activity, but they adapted quickly to the urine-seawater mixture during batch cultivation. During cultivation, both the abundance and specific ureolysis rate of the indigenous bacteria were greatly enhanced as confirmed by a biomass-dependent Michaelis-Menten model. The period for fully ureolysis was decreased from 180 h to 2.5 h after four cycles of cultivation. Based on the successful cultivation, a lab-scale SUPR reactor was set up to verify the fast ureolysis and efficient P recovery in the SUPR system. Nearly complete urine P removal was achieved in the reactor in 6 h without adding any chemicals. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis revealed that the predominant groups of bacteria in the SUPR reactor likely originated from seawater rather than urine. Moreover, batch tests confirmed the high ureolysis rates and high phosphorus removal efficiency induced by cultivated bacteria in the SUPR reactor under seawater-to-urine mixing ratios ranging from 1:1 to 9:1. This study has proved that the enrichment of indigenous bacteria in the SUPR system can lead to sufficient ureolytic activity for phosphate precipitation, thus providing an efficient and economical method for urine P recovery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Plan to Develop a Red Tide Warning System for Seawater Desalination Process Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Tae Woo; Yun, Hong Sik

    2017-04-01

    The holt of the seawater desalination process for fifty five days due to the eight-month long red tide in 2008 in the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, had lost about 10 billion KRW. The POSCO Seawater Desalination facility, located in Gwangyang Bay Area in the Southern Sea, has produced 30,000 tons of fresh water per day since 2014. Since there has been an incident of red time in the area for three months in August, 2012, it is necessary to establish a warning system for red tide that threatens the stable operation of the seawater desalination facility. A red tide warning system can offer the seawater desalination facility manager customized services on red tide information and potential red tide inflow to the water intake. This study aimed to develop a red tide warning system in Gwangyang Bay Area by combining RS, modeling and monitoring technologies, which provides red tide forecasting information with which to effectively control the seawater desalination process. Using the proposed system, the seawater desalination facility manager can take phased measures to cope with the inflow of red tide. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was supported by a grant(16IFIP-C088924-03) from Industrial Facilities & Infrastructure Research Program funded by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT) of the Korea government and the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA). This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(NRF-2014R1A1A2054975).

  9. Numerical simulation of freshwater/seawater interaction in a dual-permeability karst system with conduits: the development of discrete-continuum VDFST-CFP model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Zexuan; Hu, Bill

    2016-04-01

    Dual-permeability karst aquifers of porous media and conduit networks with significant different hydrological characteristics are widely distributed in the world. Discrete-continuum numerical models, such as MODFLOW-CFP and CFPv2, have been verified as appropriate approaches to simulate groundwater flow and solute transport in numerical modeling of karst hydrogeology. On the other hand, seawater intrusion associated with fresh groundwater resources contamination has been observed and investigated in numbers of coastal aquifers, especially under conditions of sea level rise. Density-dependent numerical models including SEAWAT are able to quantitatively evaluate the seawater/freshwater interaction processes. A numerical model of variable-density flow and solute transport - conduit flow process (VDFST-CFP) is developed to provide a better description of seawater intrusion and submarine groundwater discharge in a coastal karst aquifer with conduits. The coupling discrete-continuum VDFST-CFP model applies Darcy-Weisbach equation to simulate non-laminar groundwater flow in the conduit system in which is conceptualized and discretized as pipes, while Darcy equation is still used in continuum porous media. Density-dependent groundwater flow and solute transport equations with appropriate density terms in both conduit and porous media systems are derived and numerically solved using standard finite difference method with an implicit iteration procedure. Synthetic horizontal and vertical benchmarks are created to validate the newly developed VDFST-CFP model by comparing with other numerical models such as variable density SEAWAT, couplings of constant density groundwater flow and solute transport MODFLOW/MT3DMS and discrete-continuum CFPv2/UMT3D models. VDFST-CFP model improves the simulation of density dependent seawater/freshwater mixing processes and exchanges between conduit and matrix. Continuum numerical models greatly overestimated the flow rate under turbulent flow

  10. The long-term impact of magnesium in seawater on foraminiferal mineralogy: Mechanism and consequences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dijk, I.; Nooijer, L. J.; Hart, M. B.; Reichart, G.-J.

    2016-03-01

    Foraminifera are unicellular protists, primarily known for their calcium carbonate shells that provide an extensive fossil record. This record, ranging from Cambrian to present shows both major shifts and gradual changes in the relative occurrence of taxa producing different polymorphs of carbonate. Here we present evidence for coupling between shifts in calcite- versus aragonite-producing species and periods with, respectively, low and high seawater Mg/Ca throughout the Phanerozoic. During periods when seawater Mg/Ca is <2 mol/mol, low-Mg calcite-producing species dominate the foraminiferal community. Vice versa, high-Mg calcite- and aragonite-producing species are more abundant during periods with relatively high seawater Mg/Ca. This alteration in dominance of the phase precipitated is due to selective recovery of groups producing the favorable polymorph after shifts from calcite to aragonite seas. In addition, relatively high extinction rates of species producing the mineral phase not favored by the seawater Mg/Ca of that time may be responsible for this alteration. These results imply that the current high seawater Mg/Ca will, in the long term, favor prevalence of high-Mg and aragonite-producing foraminifera over calcite-producing taxa, possibly shifting the balance toward a community in which calcite production is less dominant.

  11. The critical point and two-phase boundary of seawater, 200–500°C

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bischoff, James L.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.

    1984-01-01

    The two-phase boundary of seawater was determined by isothermal decompression of fully condensed seawater in the range of 200–500°C. The pressure at which phase separation occurred for each isotherm was determined by a comparison of the refractive index of fluid removed from the top and bottom of the reaction vessel. The critical point was determined to be in the range of 403–406°C, 285–302 bar and was located by the inflection in the two-phase boundary and by the relative volume of fluid and vapor as a function of temperature. The two-phase boundary of 3.2% NaCl solution was found to coincide exactly with that of seawater over the range tested in the present study. The boundary for both is described by a single seventh-order polynomial equation. The two-phase boundary defines the maximum temperature of seawater circulating at depth in the oceanic crust. Thus the boundary puts a limit of about 390°C for seawater circulating near the seafloor at active ocean ridges (2.5 km water depth), and about 465°C at the top of a magma chamber occurring at 2 km below the seafloor.

  12. Stabilization of arsenic and lead by magnesium oxide (MgO) in different seawater concentrations.

    PubMed

    Kameda, Kentaro; Hashimoto, Yohey; Ok, Yong Sik

    2018-02-01

    Ongoing sea level rise will have a major impact on mobility and migration of contaminants by changing a number of natural phenomena that alter geochemistry and hydrology of subsurface environment. In-situ immobilization techniques may be a promising remediation strategy for mitigating contaminant mobility induced by sea level rise. This study investigated the reaction mechanisms of magnesium oxide (MgO) with aqueous Pb and As under freshwater and seawater using XAFS spectroscopy. Initial concentrations of Pb and As in freshwater strongly controlled the characteristics of the reaction product of MgO. Our study revealed that i) the removal of aqueous Pb and As by MgO was increased by the elevation of seawater concentration, and ii) the removal of As was attributed primarily to (inner-sphere) surface adsorption on MgO, independent on seawater concentrations, and iii) the retention mechanism of Pb was dependent on seawater concentrations where formations of Pb oxides and adsorption on the MgO surface were predominant in solutions with low and high salinity, respectively. The release of As fixed with MgO significantly increased in seawater compared to freshwater, although the amount of As desorbed accounted for <0.2% of total As. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Leaching heavy metals from the surface soil of reclaimed tidal flat by alternating seawater inundation and air drying.

    PubMed

    Guo, Shi-Hong; Liu, Zhen-Ling; Li, Qu-Sheng; Yang, Ping; Wang, Li-Li; He, Bao-Yan; Xu, Zhi-Min; Ye, Jin-Shao; Zeng, Eddy Y

    2016-08-01

    Leaching experiments were conducted in a greenhouse to simulate seawater leaching combined with alternating seawater inundation and air drying. We investigated the heavy metal release of soils caused by changes associated with seawater inundation/air drying cycles in the reclaimed soils. After the treatment, the contents of all heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu), except Zn, in surface soil significantly decreased (P < 0.05), with removal rates ranging from 10% to 51%. The amounts of the exchangeable, carbonate, reducible, and oxidizable fractions also significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Moreover, prolonged seawater inundation enhanced the release of heavy metals. Measurement of diffusive gradients in thin films indicated that seawater inundation significantly increased the re-mobility of heavy metals. During seawater inundation, iron oxide reduction induced the release of heavy metals in the reducible fraction. Decomposition of organic matter, and complexation with dissolved organic carbon decreased the amount of heavy metals in the oxidizable fraction. Furthermore, complexation of chloride ions and competition of cations during seawater inundation and/or leaching decreased the levels of heavy metals in the exchangeable fraction. By contrast, air drying significantly enhanced the concentration of heavy metals in the exchangeable fraction. Therefore, the removal of heavy metals in the exchangeable fraction can be enhanced during subsequent leaching with seawater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Ontogeny of salinity tolerance and evidence for seawater-entry preparation in juvenile green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris.

    PubMed

    Allen, Peter J; McEnroe, Maryann; Forostyan, Tetyana; Cole, Stephanie; Nicholl, Mary M; Hodge, Brian; Cech, Joseph J

    2011-12-01

    We measured the ontogeny of salinity tolerance and the preparatory hypo-osmoregulatory physiological changes for seawater entry in green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris), an anadromous species occurring along the Pacific Coast of North America. Salinity tolerance was measured every 2 weeks starting in 40-day post-hatch (dph) juveniles and was repeated until 100% survival at 34‰ was achieved. Fish were subjected to step increases in salinity (5‰ 12 h(-1)) that culminated in a 72-h exposure to a target salinity, and treatment groups (0, 15, 20, 25, 30, 34‰; and abrupt exposure to 34‰) were adjusted as fish developed. After 100% survival was achieved (134 dph), a second experiment tested two sizes of fish for 28-day seawater (33‰) tolerance, and gill and gastrointestinal tract tissues were sampled. Their salinity tolerance increased and plasma osmolality decreased with increasing size and age, and electron microscopy revealed three types of mitochondria-rich cells: one in fresh water and two in seawater. In addition, fish held on a natural photoperiod in fresh water at 19°C showed peaks in cortisol, thyroid hormones and gill and pyloric ceca Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activities at body sizes associated with seawater tolerance. Therefore, salinity tolerance in green sturgeon increases during ontogeny (e.g., as these juveniles may move down estuaries to the ocean) with increases in body size. Also, physiological and morphological changes associated with seawater readiness increased in freshwater-reared juveniles and peaked at their seawater-tolerant ages and body sizes. Their seawater-ready body size also matched that described for swimming performance decreases, presumably associated with downstream movements. Therefore, juvenile green sturgeon develop structures and physiological changes appropriate for seawater entry while growing in fresh water, indicating that hypo-osmoregulatory changes may proceed by multiple routes in sturgeons.

  15. Assessing the pollution risk of a groundwater source field at western Laizhou Bay under seawater intrusion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zeng, Xiankui; Wu, Jichun; Wang, Dong, E-mail: wangdong@nju.edu.cn

    Coastal areas have great significance for human living, economy and society development in the world. With the rapid increase of pressures from human activities and climate change, the safety of groundwater resource is under the threat of seawater intrusion in coastal areas. The area of Laizhou Bay is one of the most serious seawater intruded areas in China, since seawater intrusion phenomenon was firstly recognized in the middle of 1970s. This study assessed the pollution risk of a groundwater source filed of western Laizhou Bay area by inferring the probability distribution of groundwater Cl{sup −} concentration. The numerical model ofmore » seawater intrusion process is built by using SEAWAT4. The parameter uncertainty of this model is evaluated by Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation, and DREAM{sub (ZS)} is used as sampling algorithm. Then, the predictive distribution of Cl{sup -} concentration at groundwater source field is inferred by using the samples of model parameters obtained from MCMC. After that, the pollution risk of groundwater source filed is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl{sup -} concentration. The results of model calibration and verification demonstrate that the DREAM{sub (ZS)} based MCMC is efficient and reliable to estimate model parameters under current observation. Under the condition of 95% confidence level, the groundwater source point will not be polluted by seawater intrusion in future five years (2015–2019). In addition, the 2.5% and 97.5% predictive quantiles show that the Cl{sup −} concentration of groundwater source field always vary between 175 mg/l and 200 mg/l. - Highlights: • The parameter uncertainty of seawater intrusion model is evaluated by MCMC. • Groundwater source field won’t be polluted by seawater intrusion in future 5 years. • The pollution risk is assessed by the predictive quantiles of Cl{sup −} concentration.« less

  16. Impact of seawater acidification on pH at the tissue–skeleton interface and calcification in reef corals

    PubMed Central

    Venn, Alexander A.; Tambutté, Eric; Holcomb, Michael; Laurent, Julien; Allemand, Denis; Tambutté, Sylvie

    2013-01-01

    Insight into the response of reef corals and other major marine calcifiers to ocean acidification is limited by a lack of knowledge about how seawater pH and carbonate chemistry impact the physiological processes that drive biomineralization. Ocean acidification is proposed to reduce calcification rates in corals by causing declines in internal pH at the calcifying tissue–skeleton interface where biomineralization takes place. Here, we performed an in vivo study on how partial-pressure CO2-driven seawater acidification impacts intracellular pH in coral calcifying cells and extracellular pH in the fluid at the tissue–skeleton interface [subcalicoblastic medium (SCM)] in the coral Stylophora pistillata. We also measured calcification in corals grown under the same conditions of seawater acidification by measuring lateral growth of colonies and growth of aragonite crystals under the calcifying tissue. Our findings confirm that seawater acidification decreases pH of the SCM, but this decrease is gradual relative to the surrounding seawater, leading to an increasing pH gradient between the SCM and seawater. Reductions in calcification rate, both at the level of crystals and whole colonies, were only observed in our lowest pH treatment when pH was significantly depressed in the calcifying cells in addition to the SCM. Overall, our findings suggest that reef corals may mitigate the effects of seawater acidification by regulating pH in the SCM, but they also highlight the role of calcifying cell pH homeostasis in determining the response of reef corals to changes in external seawater pH and carbonate chemistry. PMID:23277567

  17. Impact of seawater acidification on pH at the tissue-skeleton interface and calcification in reef corals.

    PubMed

    Venn, Alexander A; Tambutté, Eric; Holcomb, Michael; Laurent, Julien; Allemand, Denis; Tambutté, Sylvie

    2013-01-29

    Insight into the response of reef corals and other major marine calcifiers to ocean acidification is limited by a lack of knowledge about how seawater pH and carbonate chemistry impact the physiological processes that drive biomineralization. Ocean acidification is proposed to reduce calcification rates in corals by causing declines in internal pH at the calcifying tissue-skeleton interface where biomineralization takes place. Here, we performed an in vivo study on how partial-pressure CO(2)-driven seawater acidification impacts intracellular pH in coral calcifying cells and extracellular pH in the fluid at the tissue-skeleton interface [subcalicoblastic medium (SCM)] in the coral Stylophora pistillata. We also measured calcification in corals grown under the same conditions of seawater acidification by measuring lateral growth of colonies and growth of aragonite crystals under the calcifying tissue. Our findings confirm that seawater acidification decreases pH of the SCM, but this decrease is gradual relative to the surrounding seawater, leading to an increasing pH gradient between the SCM and seawater. Reductions in calcification rate, both at the level of crystals and whole colonies, were only observed in our lowest pH treatment when pH was significantly depressed in the calcifying cells in addition to the SCM. Overall, our findings suggest that reef corals may mitigate the effects of seawater acidification by regulating pH in the SCM, but they also highlight the role of calcifying cell pH homeostasis in determining the response of reef corals to changes in external seawater pH and carbonate chemistry.

  18. Recovery of uranium from seawater by immobilized tannin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sakaguchi, T.; Nakajima, A.

    1987-06-01

    Tannin compounds having multiple adjacent hydroxy groups have an extremely high affinity for uranium. To prevent the leaching of tannins into water and to improve the adsorbing characteristics of these compounds, the authors tried to immobilize tannins. The immobilized tannin has the most favorable features for uranium recovery; high selective adsorption ability to uranium, rapid adsorption rate, and applicability in both column and batch systems. The immobilized tannin can recover uranium from natural seawater with high efficiency. About 2530 ..mu..g uranium is adsorbed per gram of this adsorbent within 22 h. Depending on the concentration in seawater, an enrichment ofmore » up to 766,000-fold within the adsorbent is possible. Almost all uranium adsorbed is easily desorbed with a very dilute acid. Thus, the immobilized tannin can be used repeatedly in the adsorption-desorption process.« less

  19. Low-magnesium calcite produced by coralline algae in seawater of Late Cretaceous composition

    PubMed Central

    Stanley, Steven M.; Ries, Justin B.; Hardie, Lawrence A.

    2002-01-01

    Shifts in the Mg/Ca ratio of seawater driven by changes in midocean ridge spreading rates have produced oscillations in the mineralogy of nonskeletal carbonate precipitates from seawater on time scales of 108 years. Since Cambrian time, skeletal mineralogies of anatomically simple organisms functioning as major reef builders or producers of shallow marine limestones have generally corresponded in mineral composition to nonskeletal precipitates. Here we report on experiments showing that the ambient Mg/Ca ratio actually governs the skeletal mineralogy of some simple organisms. In modern seas, coralline algae produce skeletons of high-Mg calcite (>4 mol % MgCO3). We grew three species of these algae in artificial seawaters having three different Mg/Ca ratios. All of the species incorporated amounts of Mg into their skeletons in proportion to the ambient Mg/Ca ratio, mimicking the pattern for nonskeletal precipitation. Thus, the algae calcified as if they were simply inducing precipitation from seawater through their consumption of CO2 for photosynthesis; presumably organic templates specify the calcite crystal structure of their skeletons. In artificial seawater with the low Mg/Ca ratio of Late Cretaceous seas, the algae in our experiments produced low-Mg calcite (<4 mol % MgCO3), the carbonate mineral formed by nonskeletal precipitation in those ancient seas. Our results suggest that many taxa that produce high-Mg calcite today produced low-Mg calcite in Late Cretaceous seas. PMID:12399549

  20. Interferometric nanoimmunosensor for label-free and real-time monitoring of Irgarol 1051 in seawater.

    PubMed

    Chocarro-Ruiz, Blanca; Herranz, Sonia; Fernández Gavela, Adrián; Sanchís, Josep; Farré, Marinella; Marco, M Pilar; Lechuga, Laura M

    2018-05-26

    An interferometric nanobiosensor for the specific and label-free detection of the pollutant Irgarol 1051 directly in seawater has been settled. Due to the low molecular weight of Irgarol pollutant and its expected low concentration in seawater, the sensor is based on a competitive inhibition immunoassay. Parameters as surface biofunctionalization, concentration of the selective antibody and regeneration conditions have been carefully evaluated. The optimized immunosensor shows a limit of detection of only 3 ng/L, well below the 16 ng/L set by the EU as the maximum allowable concentration in seawater. It can properly operate during 30 assay-regeneration cycles using the same sensor biosurface and with a time-to-result of only 20 min for each cycle. Moreover, the interferometric nanosensor is able to directly detect low concentrations of Irgarol 1051 in seawater without requiring sample pre-treatments and without showing any background signal due to sea matrix effect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Novel poly(imide dioxime) sorbents: Development and testing for enhanced extraction of uranium from natural seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Sadananda; Brown, Suree; Mayes, Richard T.

    2016-04-09

    We synthesized a new series of amidoxime-based polymer adsorbents at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by electron beam induced grafting of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto polyethylene fiber. We also demonstrate hydroxylamine derivatives of poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) moiety to possess two kinds of functional groups: open-chain amidoxime and cyclic imide dioxime. The open-chain amidoxime is shown to convert to imide dioxime on heat treatment in the presence of an aprotic solvent, like dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Furthermore, the formation of amidoxime and imide dioxime was confirmed by 13C CP-MAS spectra. The adsorbents were evaluated for uranium adsorption efficiency at ORNL with simulatedmore » seawater spiked with 8 ppm uranium and 5 gallon seawater in a batch reactor, and in flow-through columns with natural seawater at the Marine Science Laboratory (MSL) of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at Sequim Bay, WA. The DMSO-heat-treated sorbents adsorbed uranium as high as 4.48 g-U/kg-ads. from seawater. Experimental evidence is presented that the poly(imide dioxime) is primarily responsible for enhanced uranium adsorption capacity from natural seawater. The conjugated system in the imide dioxime ligand possesses increased electron donation ability, which is believed to significantly enhance the uranyl coordination in seawater.« less

  2. Characterization and testing of amidoxime-based adsorbent materials to extract uranium from natural seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Janke, Christopher James; Wood, Jordana; ...

    2015-11-19

    Extraction of uranium (U) from seawater for use as a nuclear fuel is a significant challenge due to the low concentration of U in seawater (~3.3 ppb) and difficulties to selectively extract U from the background of major and trace elements in seawater. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) s Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) has been serving as a marine test site for determining performance characteristics (adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics, and selectivity) of novel amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under natural seawater exposure conditions. This report describes the performance of three formulations (38H, AF1, AI8)more » of amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbent produced at ORNL in MSL s ambient seawater testing facility. The adsorbents were produced in two forms, fibrous material (40-100 mg samples) and braided material (5-10 g samples), exposed to natural seawater using flow-through columns and recirculating flumes. All three formulations demonstrated high 56 day uranium adsorption capacity (>3 gU/kg adsorbent). The AF1 formulation had the best uranium adsorption performance, with 56-day capacity of 3.9 g U/kg adsorbent, saturation capacity of 5.4 g U/kg adsorbent, and ~25 days half-saturation time. The two exposure methods, flow-through columns and flumes were demonstrated to produce similar performance results, providing confidence that the test methods were reliable, that scaling up from 10 s of mg quantities of exposure in flow-through columns to gram quantities in flumes produced similar results, and that the manufacturing process produces a homogenous adsorbent. Adsorption kinetics appear to be element specific, with half-saturation times ranging from minutes for the major cations in seawater to 8-10weeks for V and Fe. Reducing the exposure time provides a potential pathway to improve the adsorption capacity of U by reducing the V/U ratio on the adsorbent.« less

  3. Characterization and Testing of Amidoxime-Based Adsorbent Materials to Extract Uranium from Natural Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Janke, Christopher J.; Wood, Jordana R.

    Extraction of uranium (U) from seawater for use as a nuclear fuel is a significant challenge due to the low concentration of U in seawater (~3.3 ppb) and difficulties to selectively extract U from the background of major and trace elements in seawater. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)’s Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) has been serving as a marine test site for determining performance characteristics (adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics, and selectivity) of novel amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under natural seawater exposure conditions. This manuscript describes the performance of three formulations (38H, AF1, AI8) ofmore » amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents produced at ORNL in MSL’s ambient seawater testing facility. The adsorbents were produced in two forms, fibrous material (40-100 mg samples) and braided material (5-10 g samples), and exposed to natural seawater using flow-through columns and recirculating flumes. All three formulations demonstrated high 56 day uranium adsorption capacity (>3 g U/kg adsorbent). The AF1 formulation had the best uranium adsorption performance, with a 56 day capacity of 3.9 g U/ kg adsorbent, a saturation capacity of 5.4 g U/kg adsorbent, and ~25 days half-saturation time. The two exposure methods, flowthrough columns and flumes, were demonstrated to produce similar performance results, providing confidence that the test methods were reliable, that scaling up from 10’s of mg quantities of exposure in flow-through columns to gram quantities in flumes produced similar results, and confirm that the manufacturing process produces a homogeneous adsorbent. Adsorption kinetics appear to be element specific, with half-saturation times ranging from minutes for the major cations in seawater, to 8-10 weeks for V and Fe. Reducing the exposure time provides a potential pathway to improve the adsorption capacity of U by reducing the V/U ratio on the adsorbent.« less

  4. Characterization and testing of amidoxime-based adsorbent materials to extract uranium from natural seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuo, Li-Jung; Janke, Christopher James; Wood, Jordana

    Extraction of uranium (U) from seawater for use as a nuclear fuel is a significant challenge due to the low concentration of U in seawater (~3.3 ppb) and difficulties to selectively extract U from the background of major and trace elements in seawater. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) s Marine Sciences Laboratory (MSL) has been serving as a marine test site for determining performance characteristics (adsorption capacity, adsorption kinetics, and selectivity) of novel amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under natural seawater exposure conditions. This report describes the performance of three formulations (38H, AF1, AI8)more » of amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbent produced at ORNL in MSL s ambient seawater testing facility. The adsorbents were produced in two forms, fibrous material (40-100 mg samples) and braided material (5-10 g samples), exposed to natural seawater using flow-through columns and recirculating flumes. All three formulations demonstrated high 56 day uranium adsorption capacity (>3 gU/kg adsorbent). The AF1 formulation had the best uranium adsorption performance, with 56-day capacity of 3.9 g U/kg adsorbent, saturation capacity of 5.4 g U/kg adsorbent, and ~25 days half-saturation time. The two exposure methods, flow-through columns and flumes were demonstrated to produce similar performance results, providing confidence that the test methods were reliable, that scaling up from 10 s of mg quantities of exposure in flow-through columns to gram quantities in flumes produced similar results, and that the manufacturing process produces a homogenous adsorbent. Adsorption kinetics appear to be element specific, with half-saturation times ranging from minutes for the major cations in seawater to 8-10weeks for V and Fe. Reducing the exposure time provides a potential pathway to improve the adsorption capacity of U by reducing the V/U ratio on the adsorbent.« less

  5. Overview and Brief History of the Boron Isotope Proxy for Past Seawater pH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoenisch, B.; Hemming, G.

    2007-05-01

    In 1992 Hemming and Hanson (GCA, vol. 56, p. 537-543) showed that a variety of modern marine carbonates revealed a boron isotopic composition close to the isotopic composition of dissolved borate at modern seawater pH, suggesting this was the boron species preferentially adsorbed and incorporated into marine carbonates. With a constant offset between the trigonal and tetrahedrally coordinated boron species and a pH-dependent variation in their fractions, it appeared that this system would be sensitive to pH changes in the natural range of seawater. Accordingly, it was suggested that the boron isotope composition of marine carbonates is a proxy for past seawater pH. Subsequent culture studies with living planktic foraminifers and corals, as well as synthetic precipitation experiments confirmed that the boron isotopic composition follows the isotopic composition of borate across a wide range of seawater pH. In order to use the proxy with confidence, however, all other controls apart from pH need to be thoroughly understood. Recent laboratory and sediment experiments have demonstrated that vital effects and partial shell dissolution have the potential to modify the primary seawater pH signal recorded in the boron isotopic composition of planktic foraminifers. However it has also been shown that careful sample selection allows for avoiding these potential complications. A record of reconstructed surface seawater pH and estimated aqueous PCO2 shows a remarkable match between boron isotope based atmospheric pCO2 estimates and the Vostok ice core CO2 record. This convincingly demonstrates that boron isotopes in planktic foraminifers allow quantitative estimates of atmospheric pCO2 in the past, and confirms that glacial surface ocean pH was ~0.2 units higher compared to interglacial periods. We are going to review and discuss the achievements generated in Gil Hanson's lab over the past 15 years in the light of recent empirical measurements of the boron isotope

  6. Multivariate statistical analysis and hydrogeochemical modelling of seawater-freshwater mixing along selected flow paths: Case of Korba coastal aquifer Tunisia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slama, Fairouz; Bouhlila, Rachida

    2017-11-01

    Groundwater sampling and piezometric measurements were carried out along two flow paths (corresponding to two transects) in Korba coastal plain (Northeast of Tunisia). The study aims to identify hydrochemical processes occurring when seawater and freshwater mix. Those processes can be used as indicators of seawater intrusion progression and freshwater flushing into seawater accompanying Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD). Seawater fractions in the groundwater were calculated using the chloride concentration. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was applied to isolate wells potentially affected by seawater. In addition, PHREEQC was used to simulate the theoretical mixing between two end members: seawater and a fresh-brackish groundwater sample. Geochemical conventional diagrams showed that the groundwater chemistry is explained by a mixing process between two end members. Results also revealed the presence of other geochemical processes, correlated to the hydrodynamic flow paths. Direct cation exchange was linked to seawater intrusion, and reverse cation exchange was associated to the freshwater flushing into seawater. The presence of these processes indicated that seawater intrusion was in progress. An excess of Ca, that could not be explained by only cation exchange processes, was observed in both transects. Dedolomitization combined to gypsum leaching is the possible explanation of the groundwater Ca enrichment. Finally, redox processes were also found to contribute to the groundwater composition along flow paths.

  7. SEAWAT Version 4: A Computer Program for Simulation of Multi-Species Solute and Heat Transport

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langevin, Christian D.; Thorne, Daniel T.; Dausman, Alyssa M.; Sukop, Michael C.; Guo, Weixing

    2008-01-01

    The SEAWAT program is a coupled version of MODFLOW and MT3DMS designed to simulate three-dimensional, variable-density, saturated ground-water flow. Flexible equations were added to the program to allow fluid density to be calculated as a function of one or more MT3DMS species. Fluid density may also be calculated as a function of fluid pressure. The effect of fluid viscosity variations on ground-water flow was included as an option. Fluid viscosity can be calculated as a function of one or more MT3DMS species, and the program includes additional functions for representing the dependence on temperature. Although MT3DMS and SEAWAT are not explicitly designed to simulate heat transport, temperature can be simulated as one of the species by entering appropriate transport coefficients. For example, the process of heat conduction is mathematically analogous to Fickian diffusion. Heat conduction can be represented in SEAWAT by assigning a thermal diffusivity for the temperature species (instead of a molecular diffusion coefficient for a solute species). Heat exchange with the solid matrix can be treated in a similar manner by using the mathematically equivalent process of solute sorption. By combining flexible equations for fluid density and viscosity with multi-species transport, SEAWAT Version 4 represents variable-density ground-water flow coupled with multi-species solute and heat transport. SEAWAT Version 4 is based on MODFLOW-2000 and MT3DMS and retains all of the functionality of SEAWAT-2000. SEAWAT Version 4 also supports new simulation options for coupling flow and transport, and for representing constant-head boundaries. In previous versions of SEAWAT, the flow equation was solved for every transport timestep, regardless of whether or not there was a large change in fluid density. A new option was implemented in SEAWAT Version 4 that allows users to control how often the flow field is updated. New options were also implemented for representing constant

  8. Incorporation of seawater into mid-ocean ridge lava flows during emplacement

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Soule, S.A.; Fornari, D.J.; Perfit, M.R.; Ridley, W.I.; Reed, M.H.; Cann, J.R.

    2006-01-01

    Evidence for the interaction between seawater and lava during emplacement on the deep seafloor can be observed in solidified flows at a variety of scales including rapid quenching of their outer crusts and the formation of lava pillars through the body of the flow. Recently, an additional interaction, incorporation of heated seawater (vapor) into the body of a flow, has been proposed. Large voids and vesicles beneath the surface crusts of mid-ocean ridge crest lobate and sheet lava flows and lava drips found within those cavities have been cited as evidence for this interaction. The voids resulting from this interaction contribute to the high porosity of the shallow ocean crust and play an important role in crustal permeability and hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges, and thus it is important to understand their origin. We analyze lava samples from the fast-spreading East Pacific Rise and intermediate-spreading Galapagos Spreading Center to characterize this process, identify the source of the vapor, and investigate the implications this would have on submarine lava flow dynamics. We find that lava samples that have interacted with a vapor have a zone of increased vesicularity on the underside of the lava crust and a coating of precipitate minerals (i.e., crystal fringe) that are distinct in form and composition from those crystallized from the melt. We use thermochemical modeling to simulate the reaction between the lava and a vapor and find that only with seawater can we reproduce the phase assemblage we observe within the crystal fringes present in the samples. Model results suggest that large-scale contamination of the lava by mass exchange with the vapor is unlikely, but we observe local enrichment of the lava in Cl resulting from the incorporation of a brine phase separated from the seawater. We suggest that high eruption rates are necessary for seawater incorporation to occur, but the mechanism by which seawater enters the flow has yet to be

  9. Interaction of forsterite-91 with distilled water and artificial seawater: a prebiotic chemistry experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Souza, Cláudio M. D.; Carneiro, Cristine E. A.; Baú, João Paulo T.; da Costa, Antonio C. S.; Ivashita, Flávio F.; Paesano, Andrea; di Mauro, Eduardo; de Santana, Henrique; Holm, Nils G.; Neubeck, Anna; Zaia, Cássia T. B. V.; Zaia, Dimas A. M.

    2013-04-01

    In the present work, the interactions between forsterite-91 with distilled water and forsterite-91 with artificial seawater were studied at two pHs (2.0 and 8.0) using different techniques. A large increase in pH was observed for samples incubated at an initially acidic pH (2.0) due to the dissolution of forsterite-91 in distilled water and artificial seawater. Thus, in acidic hydrothermal vents, an increase in the amount of hydrocarbons and magnetite should be expected due to the release of Fe(II). The pHPZC decreased and the pHIEP increased when forsterite-91 was treated with distilled water and artificial seawater. The ions from the artificial seawater had an effect on zeta potential. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and X-ray diffractograms showed halite in the samples of forsterite-91 mixed with artificial seawater. The presence of halite or adsorption of ions on the surface of forsterite-91 could affect the synthesis of magnetite and hydrocarbons in hydrothermal vents, due to a decrease in the dissolution rates of forsterite-91. The dissolution of forsterite-91 yields low concentrations of Fe(III) and Mn(II) as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Microanalysis of forsterite-91 showed a higher amount of Mn, with an oxidation that was likely not +II, as Mn in supernatant solutions was only detected by EPR spectroscopy after mixing with artificial seawater at pH 2.0. As Fe(III) and Mn(II) are catalyst constituents of magnetite and manganese oxide, respectively, their presence is important for synthesis in hydrothermal vents. Etch pits were observed only in the forsterite-91 sample mixed with distilled water at pH 8.0. Na, Cl, S, Ca and K were detected in the samples mixed with artificial seawater by SEM-EDS. Si, Mg, Fe and Al were detected in almost all supernatant samples due to forsterite-91 dissolution. Cr was not dissolved in the experiments, thus Cr in the mineral could serve as an effective catalyst for Fischer Tropsch

  10. Recovery of Uranium from Seawater: Modified Polyacrylonitrile Fibers as Selective Extractants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alexandratos, Spiro D.

    2017-03-15

    A new bifunctional fiber has been prepared and found to have a significant loading capacity of uranium from real seawater. The fiber support is polyacrylonitrile and bifunctionality is provided by amidoxime and either diethylenetriamine (DETA) or ethylenediamine (EDA) ligands. The key feature is adjusting the hydrophilic /lipophilic balance within the fiber and this was best accomplished by partially acetylating or carboxylating EDA ligands. The bifunctional carboxylated EDA /AO fiber had a loading capacity of 3.83 mg U/g fiber at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with a 21 day contact time in real seawater.

  11. Impact of seawater carbonate variables on post-larval bivalve calcification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jiaqi; Mao, Yuze; Jiang, Zengjie; Zhang, Jihong; Bian, Dapeng; Fang, Jianguang

    2017-05-01

    Several studies have demonstrated that shellfish calcification rate has been impacted by ocean acidification. However, the carbonate system variables responsible for regulating calcification rate are controversial. To distinguish the key variables, we manipulated a seawater carbonate system by regulating seawater pH and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Calcification rates of juvenile blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri) were measured in different carbonate systems. Our results demonstrated that neither [HCO{3/-}], DIC, or pH ([H+]) were determining factors for the shellfish calcification rate of blue mussel or Zhikong scallop. However, a significant correlation was detected between calcification rate and DIC/[H+] and [CO{3/2-}] in both species.

  12. Intensively exploited Mediterranean aquifers: resilience and proximity to critical points of seawater intrusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazi, K.; Koussis, A. D.; Destouni, G.

    2013-11-01

    We investigate here seawater intrusion in three prominent Mediterranean aquifers that are subject to intensive exploitation and modified hydrologic regimes by human activities: the Nile Delta Aquifer, the Israel Coastal Aquifer and the Cyprus Akrotiri Aquifer. Using a generalized analytical sharp-interface model, we review the salinization history and current status of these aquifers, and quantify their resilience/vulnerability to current and future sea intrusion forcings. We identify two different critical limits of sea intrusion under groundwater exploitation and/or climatic stress: a limit of well intrusion, at which intruded seawater reaches key locations of groundwater pumping, and a tipping point of complete sea intrusion upto the prevailing groundwater divide of a coastal aquifer. Either limit can be reached, and ultimately crossed, under intensive aquifer exploitation and/or climate-driven change. We show that sea intrusion vulnerability for different aquifer cases can be directly compared in terms of normalized intrusion performance curves. The site-specific assessments show that the advance of seawater currently seriously threatens the Nile Delta Aquifer and the Israel Coastal Aquifer. The Cyprus Akrotiri Aquifer is currently somewhat less threatened by increased seawater intrusion.

  13. Green icebergs formed by freezing of organic-rich seawater to the base of Antarctic ice shelves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Warren, Stephen G.; Roesler, Collin S.; Morgan, Vincent I.; Brandt, Richard E.; Goodwin, Ian D.; Allison, Ian

    1993-01-01

    Samples of Antarctic seawater, basal ice, and green ice from ice cliffs and green icebergs are analyzed in order to examine green icebergs formed by the freezing of organic-rich seawater to the base of Antarctic ice shelves. Spectral reflectance of a green iceberg measured near 67 deg S, 62 deg E confirms that the color is inherent in the ice, not an artifact of the illumination. A constituent that absorbs blue photons is identified by spectrophotometric analysis of core samples from this iceberg and from the Amery basal ice, and of seawater samples from Prydz Bay off the Amery Ice Shelf. Analysis of the samples by fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the blue absorption, and hence the inherent green color, is due to the presence of marine-derived organic matter in the green iceberg, basal ice, and seawater. Thick accumulations of green ice, in icebergs, and at the base of ice shelves indicate that high concentrations of organic matter exist in seawater for centuries at the depth of basal freezing.

  14. Numerical Taxonomy of Some Bacteria Isolated from Antarctic and Tropical Seawaters1

    PubMed Central

    Pfister, Robert M.; Burkholder, Paul R.

    1965-01-01

    Pfister, Robert M. (Lamont Geological Observatory, Palisades, N.Y.), and Paul R. Burkholder. Numerical taxonomy of some bacteria isolated from Antarctic and tropical seawaters. J. Bacteriol. 90:863–872. 1965.—Microorganisms from Antarctic seas and from tropical waters near Puerto Rico were examined with a series of morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. The results of these analyses were coded on punch cards, and similarity matrices were computed with a program for an IBM 1620 computer. When the matrix was reordered by use of the single-linkage technique, and the results were plotted with four symbols for different per cent similarity ranges, nine groups of microorganisms were revealed. The data suggest that organisms occurring in different areas of the open ocean may be profitably studied with standardized computer techniques. PMID:5847807

  15. Synthesis of goethite in solutions of artificial seawater and amino acids: a prebiotic chemistry study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carneiro, Cristine E. A.; Ivashita, Flávio F.; de Souza, Ivan Granemann; de Souza, Cláudio M. D.; Paesano, Andrea; da Costa, Antonio C. S.; di Mauro, Eduardo; de Santana, Henrique; Zaia, Cássia T. B. V.; Zaia, Dimas A. M.

    2013-04-01

    This study investigated the synthesis of goethite under conditions resembling those of the prebiotic Earth. The artificial seawater used contains all the major elements as well as amino acids (α-Ala, β-Ala, Gly, Cys, AIB) that could be found on the prebiotic Earth. The spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, EPR, Raman), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction showed that in any condition Gly and Cys favoured the formation of goethite, artificial seawater plus β-Ala and distilled water plus AIB favoured the formation of hematite and for the other synthesis a mixture of goethite and hematite were obtained. Thus in general no protein amino acids (β-Ala, AIB) favoured the formation of hematite. As shown by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) spectra the interaction between Cys and Fe3+ of goethite is very complex, involving decomposition of Cys producing sulphur, as well as interaction of carboxylic group with Fe3+. SERS spectra also showed that amino/CN and C-CH3 groups of α-Ala are interacting with Fe3+ of goethite. For the other samples the shifting of several bands was observed. However, it was not possible to say which amino acid groups are interacting with Fe3+. The pH at point of zero charge of goethites increased with artificial seawater and decreased with amino acids. SEM images showed when only goethite was synthesized the images of the samples were acicular and when only hematite was synthesized the images of the samples were spherical. SEM images for the synthesis of goethite with Cys were spherical crystal aggregates with radiating acicular crystals. The highest resonance line intensities were obtained for the samples where only hematite was obtained. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Mössbauer spectra showed for the synthesis of goethite with artificial seawater an isomorphic substitution of iron by seawater cations. Mössbauer spectra also showed that for the synthesis goethite in distilled water plus Gly only goethite was

  16. Why do local communities support or oppose seawater desalination?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirza Ordshahi, B.; Heck, N.; Faraola, S.; Paytan, A.; Haddad, B.; Potts, D. C.

    2016-12-01

    Freshwater shortages have become a global problem due to increasing water consumption and environmental changes which are reducing the reliability of traditional water resources. One option to address water shortages in coastal areas is the use of seawater desalination. Desalination technology is particularly valued for the production of high quality drinking water and consistent production. However, seawater desalination is controversial due to potential environmental, economic, and societal impacts and lack of public support for this water supply method. Compared to alternative potable water production methods, such as water recycling, little is known about public attitudes towards seawater desalination and factors that shape local support or rejection. Our research addresses this gap and explores variables that influence support for proposed desalination plants in the Monterey Bay region, where multiple facilities have been proposed in recent years. Data was collected via a questionnaire-based survey among a random sample of coastal residents and marine stakeholders between June-July, 2016. Findings of the study identify the influence of socio-demographic variables, knowledge about desalination, engagement in marine activities, perception of the environmental context, and the existence of a National Marine Sanctuary on local support. Research outcome provide novel insights into public attitudes towards desalination and enhances our understanding of why communities might support or reject this water supply technology.

  17. Does chlorination of seawater reverse osmosis membranes control biofouling?

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Tariq; Hong, Pei-Ying; Nada, Nabil; Croue, Jean Philippe

    2015-07-01

    Biofouling is the major problem of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes used for desalting seawater (SW). The use of chlorine is a conventional and common practice to control/prevent biofouling. Unlike polyamide RO membranes, cellulose triacetate (CTA) RO membranes display a high chlorine tolerance. Due to this characteristic, CTA membranes are used in most of the RO plants located in the Middle East region where the elevated seawater temperature and water quality promote the risk of membrane biofouling. However, there is no detailed study on the investigation/characterization of CTA-RO membrane fouling. In this investigation, the fouling profile of a full-scale SWRO desalination plant operating with not only continuous chlorination of raw seawater but also intermittent chlorination of CTA-RO membranes was studied. Detailed water quality and membrane fouling analyses were conducted. Profiles of microbiological, inorganic, and organic constituents of analysed fouling layers were extensively discussed. Our results clearly identified biofilm development on these membranes. The incapability of chlorination on preventing biofilm formation on SWRO membranes could be assigned to its failure in effectively reaching throughout the different regions of the permeators. This failure could have occurred due to three main factors: plugging of membrane fibers, chlorine consumption by organics accumulated on the front side fibers, or chlorine adaptation of certain bacterial populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessment of regional management strategies for controlling seawater intrusion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reichard, E.G.; Johnson, T.A.

    2005-01-01

    Simulation-optimization methods, applied with adequate sensitivity tests, can provide useful quantitative guidance for controlling seawater intrusion. This is demonstrated in an application to the West Coast Basin of coastal Los Angeles that considers two management options for improving hydraulic control of seawater intrusion: increased injection into barrier wells and in lieu delivery of surface water to replace current pumpage. For the base-case optimization analysis, assuming constant groundwater demand, in lieu delivery was determined to be most cost effective. Reduced-cost information from the optimization provided guidance for prioritizing locations for in lieu delivery. Model sensitivity to a suite of hydrologic, economic, and policy factors was tested. Raising the imposed average water-level constraint at the hydraulic-control locations resulted in nonlinear increases in cost. Systematic varying of the relative costs of injection and in lieu water yielded a trade-off curve between relative costs and injection/in lieu amounts. Changing the assumed future scenario to one of increasing pumpage in the adjacent Central Basin caused a small increase in the computed costs of seawater intrusion control. Changing the assumed boundary condition representing interaction with an adjacent basin did not affect the optimization results. Reducing the assumed hydraulic conductivity of the main productive aquifer resulted in a large increase in the model-computed cost. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management ?? ASCE.

  19. Interpretation FTIR spectrum of seawater and sediment in the Ambon Bay (TAD)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patty, Diana Julaidy; Loupatty, Grace; Sopalauw, Fitria

    2017-01-01

    Research has done to interpretated FTIR spectrum of seawaters and sediment of the Ambon Bay (TAD). Analysis of samples of sediment and seawater using FTIR spectroscopy. The results showed the sand sediment samples identified Stretch bond OH group (3600-3500 cm-1), N-H Stretch (3400-3300 cm-1), C≡N (2250 cm-1), and NH bending (1640 to 1550 cm-1). And for seawater samples identified bonding group that is N-H Stretch (3400-3350 cm-1), N-H bending (1640 to 1550 cm-1) and C=O (1670-1640 cm-1). The existence of functional groups, carbonyl (C=O), alcohol (OH), carboxyl (COOH) can cause the complexation of metal cations. And the results showed analysis group N-O bond-containing compounds Nitro indicate heavy metal content of Lead (Pb) and group N-H bond-containing compound Amina indicate heavy metal content of Cadmium (Cd).

  20. L-band Dielectric Constant Measurements of Seawater (Oral presentation and SMOS Poster)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, Roger H.; Utku, Cuneyt; LeVine, David M.

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a resonant cavity technique for the measurement of the dielectric constant of seawater as a function of its salinity. Accurate relationships between salinity and dielectric constant (which determines emissivity) are needed for sensor systems such as SMOS and Aquarius that will monitor salinity from space in the near future. The purpose of the new measurements is to establish the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on salinity in contemporary units (e.g. psu) and to take advantage of modern instrumentation to increase the accuracy of these measurements. The measurement device is a brass cylindrical cavity 16cm in diameter and 7cm in height. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a slender glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. By assuming that this small amount of seawater slightly perturbs the internal fields in the cavity, perturbation theory can be employed. A simple formula results relating the real part of the dielectric constant to the change in resonant frequency of the cavity. In a similar manner, the imaginary part of the dielectric constant is related to the change in the cavity s Q. The expected accuracy of the cavity technique is better than 1% for the real part and 1 to 2% for the imaginary part. Presently, measurements of methanol have been made and agree with precision measurements in the literature to within 1% in both real and imaginary parts. Measurements have been made of the dielectric constant of seawater samples from Ocean Scientific in the United Kingdom with salinities of 10, 30, 35 and 38 psu. All measurements were made at room temperature. Plans to make measurements at a range of temperatures and salinities will be discussed.

  1. Neutral poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in air and seawater of the North Sea.

    PubMed

    Xie, Zhiyong; Zhao, Zhen; Möller, Axel; Wolschke, Hendrik; Ahrens, Lutz; Sturm, Renate; Ebinghaus, Ralf

    2013-11-01

    Concentrations of neutral poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), such as fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs), perfluoroalkane sufonamidoethanols (FASEs), and fluorotelomer acrylates (FTACs), have been simultaneously determined in surface seawater and the atmosphere of the North Sea. Seawater and air samples were taken aboard the German research vessel Heincke on the cruise 303 from 15 to 24 May 2009. The concentrations of FTOHs, FASAs, FASEs, and FTACs in the dissolved phase were 2.6-74, <0.1-19, <0.1-63, and <1.0-9.0 pg L(-1), respectively. The highest concentrations were determined in the estuary of the Weser and Elbe rivers and a decreasing concentration profile appeared with increasing distance from the coast toward the central part of the North Sea. Gaseous FTOHs, FASAs, FASEs, and FTACs were in the range of 36-126, 3.1-26, 3.7-19, and 0.8-5.6 pg m(-3), which were consistent with the concentrations determined in 2007 in the North Sea, and approximately five times lower than those reported for an urban area of Northern Germany. These results suggested continuous continental emissions of neutral PFASs followed by transport toward the marine environment. Air-seawater gas exchanges of neutral PFASs were estimated using fugacity ratios and the two-film resistance model based upon paired air-seawater concentrations and estimated Henry's law constant values. Volatilization dominated for all neutral PFASs in the North Sea. The air-seawater gas exchange fluxes were in the range of 2.5×10(3)-3.6×10(5) pg m(-2) for FTOHs, 1.8×10(2)-1.0×10(5) pg m(-2) for FASAs, 1.1×10(2)-3.0×10(5) pg m(-2) for FASEs and 6.3×10(2)-2.0×10(4) pg m(-2) for FTACs, respectively. These results suggest that the air-seawater gas exchange is an important process that intervenes in the transport and fate for neutral PFASs in the marine environment.

  2. Biodegradation of dispersed oil in Arctic seawater at -1°C.

    PubMed

    McFarlin, Kelly M; Prince, Roger C; Perkins, Robert; Leigh, Mary Beth

    2014-01-01

    As offshore oil and gas exploration expands in the Arctic, it is important to expand the scientific understanding of arctic ecology and environmental impact to mitigate operational risks. Understanding the fate of oil in arctic seawater is a key factor for consideration. Here we report the chemical loss due to the biodegradation of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil that would occur in the water column following the successful dispersion of a surface oil slick. Primary biodegradation and mineralization were measured in mesocosms containing Arctic seawater collected from the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, incubated at -1°C. Indigenous microorganisms degraded both fresh and weathered oil, in both the presence and absence of Corexit 9500, with oil losses ranging from 46-61% and up to 11% mineralization over 60 days. When tested alone, 14% of 50 ppm Corexit 9500 was mineralized within 60 days. Our study reveals that microorganisms indigenous to Arctic seawater are capable of performing extensive biodegradation of chemically and physically dispersed oil at an environmentally relevant temperature (-1°C) without any additional nutrients.

  3. Biodegradation of Dispersed Oil in Arctic Seawater at -1°C

    PubMed Central

    McFarlin, Kelly M.; Prince, Roger C.; Perkins, Robert; Leigh, Mary Beth

    2014-01-01

    As offshore oil and gas exploration expands in the Arctic, it is important to expand the scientific understanding of arctic ecology and environmental impact to mitigate operational risks. Understanding the fate of oil in arctic seawater is a key factor for consideration. Here we report the chemical loss due to the biodegradation of Alaska North Slope (ANS) crude oil that would occur in the water column following the successful dispersion of a surface oil slick. Primary biodegradation and mineralization were measured in mesocosms containing Arctic seawater collected from the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, incubated at −1°C. Indigenous microorganisms degraded both fresh and weathered oil, in both the presence and absence of Corexit 9500, with oil losses ranging from 46−61% and up to 11% mineralization over 60 days. When tested alone, 14% of 50 ppm Corexit 9500 was mineralized within 60 days. Our study reveals that microorganisms indigenous to Arctic seawater are capable of performing extensive biodegradation of chemically and physically dispersed oil at an environmentally relevant temperature (−1°C) without any additional nutrients. PMID:24416211

  4. Routine and active metabolic rates of migrating adult wild sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka Walbaum) in seawater and freshwater.

    PubMed

    Wagner, G N; Kuchel, L J; Lotto, A; Patterson, D A; Shrimpton, J M; Hinch, S G; Farrell, A P

    2006-01-01

    We present the first data on the differences in routine and active metabolic rates for sexually maturing migratory adult sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that were intercepted in the ocean and then held in either seawater or freshwater. Routine and active oxygen uptake rates (MO2) were significantly higher (27%-72%) in seawater than in freshwater at all swimming speeds except those approaching critical swimming speed. During a 45-min recovery period, the declining postexercise oxygen uptake remained 58%-73% higher in seawater than in freshwater. When fish performed a second swim test, active metabolic rates again remained 28%-81% higher for fish in seawater except at the critical swimming speed. Despite their differences in metabolic rates, fish in both seawater and freshwater could repeat the swim test and reach a similar maximum oxygen uptake and critical swimming speed as in the first swim test, even without restoring routine metabolic rate between swim tests. Thus, elevated MO2 related to either being in seawater as opposed to freshwater or not being fully recovered from previous exhaustive exercise did not present itself as a metabolic loading that limited either critical swimming performance or maximum MO2. The basis for the difference in metabolic rates of migratory sockeye salmon held in seawater and freshwater is uncertain, but it could include differences in states of nutrition, reproduction, and restlessness, as well as ionic differences. Regardless, this study elucidates some of the metabolic costs involved during the migration of adult salmon from seawater to freshwater, which may have applications for fisheries conservation and management models of energy use.

  5. Seawater Polluted with Highly Concentrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Suppresses Osteoblastic Activity in the Scales of Goldfish, Carassius auratus.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Nobuo; Sato, Masayuki; Nassar, Hossam F; Abdel-Gawad, Fagr Kh; Bassem, Samah M; Yachiguchi, Koji; Tabuchi, Yoshiaki; Endo, Masato; Sekiguchi, Toshio; Urata, Makoto; Hattori, Atsuhiko; Mishima, Hiroyuki; Shimasaki, Youhei; Oshima, Yuji; Hong, Chun-Sang; Makino, Fumiya; Tang, Ning; Toriba, Akira; Hayakawa, Kazuichi

    2016-08-01

    We have developed an original in vitro bioassay using teleost scale, that has osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and bone matrix as each marker: alkaline phosphatase (ALP) for osteoblasts and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) for osteoclasts. Using this scale in vitro bioassay, we examined the effects of seawater polluted with highly concentrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) on osteoblastic and osteoclastic activities in the present study. Polluted seawater was collected from two sites (the Alexandria site on the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal site on the Red Sea). Total levels of PAHs in the seawater from the Alexandria and Suez Canal sites were 1364.59 and 992.56 ng/l, respectively. We were able to detect NPAHs in both seawater samples. Total levels of NPAHs were detected in the seawater of the Alexandria site (12.749 ng/l) and the Suez Canal site (3.914 ng/l). Each sample of polluted seawater was added to culture medium at dilution rates of 50, 100, and 500, and incubated with the goldfish scales for 6 hrs. Thereafter, ALP and TRAP activities were measured. ALP activity was significantly suppressed by both polluted seawater samples diluted at least 500 times, but TRAP activity did not change. In addition, mRNA expressions of osteoblastic markers (ALP, osteocalcin, and the receptor activator of the NF-κB ligand) decreased significantly, as did the ALP enzyme activity. In fact, ALP activity decreased on treatment with PAHs and NPAHs. We conclude that seawater polluted with highly concentrated PAHs and NPAHs influences bone metabolism in teleosts.

  6. Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Attenuates Seawater Instillation-Induced Acute Lung Injury via the Nrf2 Pathway in Rabbits.

    PubMed

    Diao, Mengyuan; Zhang, Sheng; Wu, Lifeng; Huan, Le; Huang, Fenglou; Cui, Yunliang; Lin, Zhaofen

    2016-12-01

    Seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury involves oxidative stress and apoptosis. Although hydrogen gas inhalation is reportedly protective in multiple types of lung injury, the effect of hydrogen gas inhalation on seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of hydrogen gas on seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury and explored the mechanisms involved. Rabbits were randomly assigned to control, hydrogen (2 % hydrogen gas inhalation), seawater (3 mL/kg seawater instillation), and seawater + hydrogen (3 mL/kg seawater instillation + 2 % hydrogen gas inhalation) groups. Arterial partial oxygen pressure and lung wet/dry weight ratio were detected. Protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 levels were determined. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to monitor changes in lung specimens, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were assayed. In addition, NF-E2-related factor (Nrf) 2 and heme oxygenase (HO)-1 mRNA and protein expression were measured, and apoptosis was assessed by measuring caspase-3 expression and using terminal deoxy-nucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining. Hydrogen gas inhalation markedly improved lung endothelial permeability and decreased both MDA content and MPO activity in lung tissue; these changes were associated with decreases in TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in BALF. Hydrogen gas also alleviated histopathological changes and cell apoptosis. Moreover, Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions were significantly activated and caspase-3 expression was inhibited. These results demonstrate that hydrogen gas inhalation attenuates seawater instillation-induced acute lung injury in rabbits and that the protective effects observed may be related to the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.

  7. Predatory bacteria as natural modulators of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in seawater and oysters

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This study shows that naturally occurring Vibrio predatory bacteria (VPB) exert a major role in controlling pathogenic vibrios in seawater and shellfish. The growth and persistence of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) and Vibrio vulnificus (Vv) were assessed in natural seawater and in the Eastern oyster...

  8. Dolomitization in a mixing zone of near-seawater composition, Late Pleistocene, northeastern Yucatan Peninsula

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ward, W. C.; Halley, Robert B.

    1985-01-01

    18O compositions of Yucatecan dolomite and of modern ground water suggest dolomite precipitation from mixed water ranging from about 75% seawater, 25% freshwater to nearly all seawater. (Isotope analyses are for the most stable calcian dolomites; more soluble, calcium-rich dolomite presumably is analyzed with calcite and thought to be isotopically lighter than the less soluble dolomite.) In the cement sequence, the most stable dolomite is followed by more soluble dolomite as ground water becomes less saline. Isotope analyses, together with position of dolomite in the cement sequence, suggest the most stable calcian dolomite (including limpid dolomite) precipitated from mixed water with large proportions of seawater, and the less stable, more calcian dolomite precipitated from fresher mixed water.

  9. Simultaneous effects of environmental factors on motile Aeromonas dynamics in an urban effluent and in the natural seawater.

    PubMed

    Maalej, Sami; Mahjoubi, Amira; Elazri, Chafai; Dukan, Sam

    2003-07-01

    Seasonal dynamics of motile Aeromonas in a treated urban effluent and in natural seawater along the Sfax coast (Mediterranean sea, Tunisia) were measured over a year concurrently with seven environmental factors, and compared with those of faecal coliforms. Counts for Aeromonas from a standard plate count method, ranged from 1.48 x 10(5)CFU.100 ml(-1) to 2.2 x 10(8)CFU.100 ml(-1) in the effluent and from 7.9 x 10(3)CFU.100 ml(-1) to undetectable level in the surface marine waters. Contrary to faecal coliforms, the Aeromonas dynamics exhibited a seasonal distribution in seawater which was inverse of the seasonal distribution in the sewage: From the end of November 1998 to April 1999 (cold period), Aeromonas counts increased in the treated effluent, while it decreased very rapidly in seawater. From May to October (warm period), Aeromonas abundance decreased in the effluent but showed an increasing fluctuating trend in the marine waters with a maximum in late summer/early autumn when the temperatures were around 22-23 degrees C. Multiple correlation and regression analyses suggest, by the coefficient of determination (R(2)), that 42% of variance in Aeromonas number changes in the treated effluent, may be explained by only turbidity, radiation and Aeromonas density in the previous sample, while 37% of variance in marine ecosystem were explained by radiance and conductivity. Furthermore, the t statistics and their p values and the coefficient of partial determination (r(2)) indicated that radiance contributed the most (r(2)=0.3184, t=-3.2, p=0.0041) to the dynamics of motile Aeromonas in seawater, when combined with conductivity. The models relevant for changes in faecal coliforms abundance incorporated turbidity, radiance in the effluent and conductivity, pH, radiance, turbidity in coastal marine environment. These models explain 66% and 73% of the observed cell number fluctuation, with turbidity (r(2)=0.529, t=5.08, p=0.0001) and conductivity (r(2)=0.5407, t=4.97, p=0

  10. Manganese in the shell of the bivalve Mytilus edulis: Seawater Mn or physiological control?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freitas, Pedro S.; Clarke, Leon J.; Kennedy, Hilary; Richardson, Christopher A.

    2016-12-01

    Manganese in the shell calcite of marine bivalves has been suggested to reflect ambient seawater Mn concentrations, thus providing a high-resolution archive of past seawater Mn concentrations. However, a quantitative relationship between seawater Mn and shell Mn/Ca ratios, as well as clear understanding of which process(es) control(s) shell Mn/Ca, are still lacking. Blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were grown in a one-year duration field experiment in the Menai Strait, U.K., to study the relationship between seawater particulate and dissolved Mn2+ concentrations and shell calcite Mn/Ca ratios. Shell Mn/Ca showed a well-defined intra-annual double-peak, with maximum values during early spring and early summer and low values during autumn and winter. Seawater particulate Mn peaked during winter and autumn, with a series of smaller peaks during spring and summer, whereas dissolved Mn2+ exhibited a marked single maximum during late-spring to early-summer, being low during the remainder of the year. Consequently, neither seawater particulate Mn nor dissolved Mn2+ concentrations explain the intra-annual variation of shell Mn/Ca ratios. A physiological control on shell Mn/Ca ratios is evident from the strong similarity and timing of the double-peaked intra-annual variations of Mn/Ca and shell growth rate (SGR), the latter corresponding to periods of increased metabolic activity (as indicated by respiration rate). It is thus likely that in M. edulis SGR influences shell Mn/Ca by altering the concentration or activity of Mn2+ within the extra-pallial fluid (EPF), by changing the flux of Mn into or the proportion of protein bound Mn within the EPF. By linking shell Mn/Ca ratios to the endogenous and environmental factors that determine growth and metabolic activity, this study helps to explain the lack of a consistent relationship between shell Mn/Ca in marine bivalve shell calcite and seawater particulate and dissolved Mn2+ concentrations. The use of Mn content from M. edulis

  11. Major components of seawater and hydrothermal plumes in the Okinawa Trough, East China Sea, and Yellow Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeng, Z.; Rong, K.; Chen, C. T. A.; Wang, X.; Qi, H.

    2017-12-01

    Analyses of the major components of seawater and hydrothermal plumes in hydrothermal fields are essential for an improved understanding of ocean carbonate system, element solubility and redox reactions (e.g., iron and copper). The composition of major components in seawater and hydrothermal plume samples from 118 stations have been investigated in the Okinawa Trough (OT), East China Sea (ECS), and Yellow Sea (YS). At least seven water masses take part in the mixing processes: the Kuroshio water, OT water, ECS water, YS water, Taiwan Strait water, vent fluid and hydrothermal plume water. About 6 - 16 % of the plume water comes from the Kuroshio deep water, 50 - 64% of the hydrothermal plume water comes from the vent fluid in the wet and dry season. In addition, the calculated SHVF (36 and 36.8) and SHPW (35 and 35.8) values are higher than the measured salinity values (34.4) of hydrothermal plumes in the OT. Major elements exhibit linear correlation in seawater (e.g., B3+ and Sr2+) of the OT, the ECS, and the YS. Element ratios (e.g., Sr/Ca, Ca/Cl) in OT water column are similar to that in average seawater, indicating that Sr/Ca and Ca/Cl ratios might be a useful proxy for chemical properties of seawater. Furthermore, from the southern and middle OT to the northern OT, ECS, and YS, the salinity, potential density, Cl/salinity ratio of seawater tend to decrease. The positive correlations between major components (e.g., SO42-, Cl-), physical properties (e.g., salinity, temperature, potential density) and current (velocity) in the seawater column suggests that the physical and chemical properties of seawater in the OT are affected by input of the Kuroshio current. In the Iheya North knoll, Clam, Yonaguni Knoll IV, and Tangyin hydrothermal fields of the OT, anomalous layers of seawater in the water column have higher Ca/SO42-, Mn/Mg ratios and higher optical anomalies than other layers, suggesting that the chemical variations of hydrothermal plumes result in the

  12. Determination of trace zinc in seawater by coupling solid phase extraction and fluorescence detection in the Lab-On-Valve format.

    PubMed

    Grand, Maxime M; Chocholouš, Petr; Růžička, Jarda; Solich, Petr; Measures, Christopher I

    2016-06-07

    By virtue of their compactness, long-term stability, minimal reagent consumption and robustness, miniaturized sequential injection instruments are well suited for automation of assays onboard research ships. However, in order to reach the sensitivity and limit of detection required for open-ocean determinations of trace elements, it is necessary to preconcentrate the analyte prior its derivatization and subsequent detection by fluorescence. In this work, a novel method for the determination of dissolved zinc (Zn) at subnanomolar levels in seawater is described. The proposed method combines, for the first time, automated matrix removal, extraction of the target element, and fluorescence detection within a miniaturized flow manifold, based on the Lab-On-Valve (LOV) concept. The key feature of the microfluidic manipulation of the sample is flow programming, designed to pass sample through a mini-column where the target analyte and other complexable cations are retained, while the seawater matrix is washed out. Next, zinc is eluted and merged with a Zn selective fluorescent probe (FluoZin-3) at the confluence point of the LOV central channel using two high-precision stepper motor driven pumps that are operated in concert. Finally, the thus formed Zn complex is transported to the LOV flow cell for selective fluorescence measurement. This work describes the characterization and optimization of the method including Solid Phase Extraction using the Toyopearl AF-Chelate-650M resin, and detailed assay protocol controlled by a commercially available software and instrument. The proposed method features a LOD of 0.02 nM, high precision (<3% at 0.1 and 2 nM Zn levels), an assay cycle of 13 min and a reagent consumption of 150 μL FluoZin-3 per sample, which makes the method highly suitable for oceanographic shipboard analysis. The accuracy of the method has been validated through the analysis of seawater reference standards and comparison with ICP-MS determinations on

  13. Impact of seawater carbonate variables on post-larval bivalve calcification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jiaqi; Mao, Yuze; Jiang, Zengjie; Zhang, Jihong; Bian, Dapeng; Fang, Jianguang

    2018-03-01

    Several studies have demonstrated that shellfish calcification rate has been impacted by ocean acidification. However, the carbonate system variables responsible for regulating calcification rate are controversial. To distinguish the key variables, we manipulated a seawater carbonate system by regulating seawater pH and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Calcification rates of juvenile blue mussel ( Mytilus edulis) and Zhikong scallop ( Chlamys farreri) were measured in different carbonate systems. Our results demonstrated that neither [HCOˉ3], DIC, or pH ([H+]) were determining factors for the shellfish calcification rate of blue mussel or Zhikong scallop. However, a significant correlation was detected between calcification rate and DIC/[H+] and [CO3 2ˉ] in both species.

  14. Seawater/Saline Agriculture for Energy, Warming, Water, Rainfall, Land, Food and Minerals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bushnell, Dennis

    2006-01-01

    The combination of the incipient demise of cheap oil and increasing evidence of Global Warming due to anthropogenic fossil carbon release has reinvigorated the need for and efforts on Renewable energy sources, especially for transportation applications. Biomass/Bio-diesel appears to have many benefits compared to Hydrogen, the only other major renewable transportation fuel candidate. Biomass Production is currently limited by available arable land and fresh water. Halophyte Plants and seawater irrigation proffer a wholly new biomass production mantra using wastelands and very plentiful seawater. Such an approach addresses many-to-most of the major emerging Societal Problems including Land, Water, Food, Warming and Energy. For many reasons, including seawater agriculture, portions of the Sahara appear to be viable candidates for future Biomass Production. The apparent nonlinearity between vegetation cover and atmospheric conditions over North Africa necessitates serious coupled boundary layer Meteorology and Global Circulation Modeling to ensure that this form of Terra Forming is Favorable and to avoid adverse Unintended Consequences.

  15. Alternative Alkaline Conditioning of Amidoxime Based Adsorbent for Uranium Extraction from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, S.; Liao, W. -P.; Flicker Byers, M.

    2016-04-20

    Alkaline conditioning of the amidoxime based adsorbents is a significant step in the preparation of the adsorbent for uranium uptake from seawater. The effects of various alkaline conditioning parameters such as the type of alkaline reagent, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated with respect to uranium adsorption capacity from simulated seawater (spiked with 8 ppm uranium) and natural seawater (from Sequim Bay, WA). An adsorbent (AF1) was prepared at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) with acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto high-surface-area polyethylene fibers. For the AF1 adsorbent, sodium hydroxide emerged as a better reagentmore » for alkaline conditioning over potassium hydroxide, which has typically been used in previous studies, because of higher uranium uptake capacity and lower cost over the other candidate alkaline reagents investigated in this study. Use of sodium hydroxide in place of potassium hydroxide is shown to result in a 21-30% decrease in the cost of uranium recovery.« less

  16. Fast and sensitive determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in seawater.

    PubMed

    Concha-Graña, Estefanía; Fernández-Martínez, Gerardo; López-Mahía, Purificación; Prada-Rodríguez, Darío; Muniategui-Lorenzo, Soledad

    2018-06-22

    In this work, a novel, fast, and sensitive method was developed for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and PFOS precursor's determination in seawater. The proposed method consists in a vortex-assisted liquid-liquid microextraction (VALLME) combined with liquid chromatography (LC) and LTQ-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (LTQ-Orbitrap HRMS) determination. Several parameters affecting both the HPLC-LTQ Orbitrap HRMS determination and the VALLME were studied, with special attention to blank contamination problem. The use of LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS in full mode, quantifying the target analytes using the exact mass, provides a very powerful detection in terms of sensitivity and specificity maintaining all the information provided by the full mass spectra, allowing, also, the identification of non-target substances. The use of matrix-matched calibration, together with labelled surrogate standards, minimize matrix effects and compensate potential recovery losses, resulting in recoveries between 95 and 105%, with excellent sensitivity (quantitation limit between 0.7 and 6 ng L -1 ) and precision (4-10%). The proposed method requires only 35 mL of sample and 100 μL of extracting solvent, is fast and avoids the use of other solvents to obtain the dispersive cloudy solution, simplifying the procedure and improving the existing procedures for the determination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in seawater in terms of green analytical chemistry. The method was successfully validated by participating in a proficiency test assay provided by the National Measurement Institute of the Australian Government for the determination of PFOA, total PFOS and linear PFOS in waters. A revision of the state of the art in the last twelve years of methods for the analysis of PFASs in seawater and other types of water was performed, and a critical comparison between the developed method and the previously published was included. Finally

  17. Distinct freshwater and seawater isoforms of Na+/K+-ATPase in gill chloride cells of Atlantic salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCormick, Stephen D.; Regish, A.M.; Christensen, A.K.

    2009-01-01

    Gill Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) in teleost fishes is involved in ion regulation in both freshwater and seawater. We have developed and validated rabbit polyclonal antibodies specific to the NKA alpha1a and alpha1b protein isoforms of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar Linnaeus), and used western blots and immunohistochemistry to characterize their size, abundance and localization. The relative molecular mass of NKA alpha1a is slightly less than that for NKA beta1b. The abundance of gill NKA alpha1a was high in freshwater and became nearly undetectable after seawater acclimation. NKA alpha1b was present in small amounts in freshwater and increased 13-fold after seawater acclimation. Both NKA isoforms were detected only in chloride cells. NKA alpha1a was located in both filamental and lamellar chloride cells in freshwater, whereas in seawater it was present only as a faint background in filamental chloride cells. In freshwater, NKA alpha1b was found in a small number of filamental chloride cells, and after seawater acclimation it was found in all chloride cells on the filament and lamellae. Double simultaneous immunofluorescence indicated that NKA alpha1a and alpha1b are located in different chloride cells in freshwater. In many chloride cells in seawater, NKA alpha1b was present in greater amounts in the subapical region than elsewhere in the cell. The combined patterns in abundance and immunolocalization of these two isoforms can explain the salinity-related changes in total NKA and chloride cell abundance. The results indicate that there is a freshwater and a seawater isoform of NKA alpha-subunit in the gills of Atlantic salmon and that they are present in distinct chloride cells.

  18. Effects of drinking desalinated seawater on cell viability and proliferation.

    PubMed

    Macarrão, Camila Longhi; Bachi, André Luis Lacerda; Mariano, Mario; Abel, Lucia Jamli

    2017-06-01

    Desalination of seawater is becoming an important means to address the increasing scarcity of freshwater resources in the world. Seawater has been used as drinking water in the health, food, and medical fields and various beneficial effects have been suggested, although not confirmed. Given the presence of 63 minerals and trace elements in drinking desalinated seawater (63 DSW), we evaluated their effects on the behavior of tumorigenic and nontumorigenic cells through the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay and annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining. Our results showed that cell viability and proliferation in the presence of 63 DSW were significantly greater than in mineral water and in the presence of fetal bovine serum in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, 63 DSW showed no toxic effect on murine embryonic fibroblast (NIH-3T3) and murine melanoma (B16-F10) cells. In another assay, we also showed that pre-treatment of non-adherent THP-1 cells with 63 DSW reduces apoptosis incidence, suggesting a protective effect against cell death. We conclude that cell viability and proliferation were improved by the mineral components of 63 DSW and this effect can guide further studies on health effects associated with DSW consumption.

  19. A study of marine pollution caused by the release of metals into seawater following acid spills.

    PubMed

    Cabon, Jean-Yves; Giamarchi, Philippe; Le Floch, Stephane

    2010-07-01

    This study examined the potential metal pollution induced by the accidental spill of different acids into seawater. The acids sink to the bottom according to their densities and subsequently react with marine sediments. The acids selected for this study were acetic, hydrochloric, nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acids; the metallic elements selected were Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The sediment was collected in Brest Harbour. The percentages of metals released from this sediment in the presence of various concentrations of acids in seawater were important; concentrations of approximately 7 mg L(-1) for Mn and 60 mg L(-1) for Zn were observed under our experimental conditions. We also examined the rate of release of these metals from the sediment into the seawater in the presence of the different acids and under different experimental conditions. We found that most of the metallic elements were released from the sediments into the seawater during the first fifteen minutes of exposure. After this time, a high degree of pollution was induced if acids leached into seawater were not rapidly diluted. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Acidified seawater impacts sea urchin larvae pH regulatory systems relevant for calcification

    PubMed Central

    Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y.; Melzner, Frank; Gutowska, Magdalena A.; Dorey, Narimane; Himmerkus, Nina; Holtmann, Wiebke C.; Dupont, Sam T.; Thorndyke, Michael C.; Bleich, Markus

    2012-01-01

    Calcifying echinoid larvae respond to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry with reduced growth and developmental delay. To date, no information exists on how ocean acidification acts on pH homeostasis in echinoderm larvae. Understanding acid–base regulatory capacities is important because intracellular formation and maintenance of the calcium carbonate skeleton is dependent on pH homeostasis. Using H+-selective microelectrodes and the pH-sensitive fluorescent dye BCECF, we conducted in vivo measurements of extracellular and intracellular pH (pHe and pHi) in echinoderm larvae. We exposed pluteus larvae to a range of seawater CO2 conditions and demonstrated that the extracellular compartment surrounding the calcifying primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) conforms to the surrounding seawater with respect to pH during exposure to elevated seawater pCO2. Using FITC dextran conjugates, we demonstrate that sea urchin larvae have a leaky integument. PMCs and spicules are therefore directly exposed to strong changes in pHe whenever seawater pH changes. However, measurements of pHi demonstrated that PMCs are able to fully compensate an induced intracellular acidosis. This was highly dependent on Na+ and HCO3−, suggesting a bicarbonate buffer mechanism involving secondary active Na+-dependent membrane transport proteins. We suggest that, under ocean acidification, maintained pHi enables calcification to proceed despite decreased pHe. However, this probably causes enhanced costs. Increased costs for calcification or cellular homeostasis can be one of the main factors leading to modifications in energy partitioning, which then impacts growth and, ultimately, results in increased mortality of echinoid larvae during the pelagic life stage. PMID:23077257

  1. Acidified seawater impacts sea urchin larvae pH regulatory systems relevant for calcification.

    PubMed

    Stumpp, Meike; Hu, Marian Y; Melzner, Frank; Gutowska, Magdalena A; Dorey, Narimane; Himmerkus, Nina; Holtmann, Wiebke C; Dupont, Sam T; Thorndyke, Michael C; Bleich, Markus

    2012-10-30

    Calcifying echinoid larvae respond to changes in seawater carbonate chemistry with reduced growth and developmental delay. To date, no information exists on how ocean acidification acts on pH homeostasis in echinoderm larvae. Understanding acid-base regulatory capacities is important because intracellular formation and maintenance of the calcium carbonate skeleton is dependent on pH homeostasis. Using H(+)-selective microelectrodes and the pH-sensitive fluorescent dye BCECF, we conducted in vivo measurements of extracellular and intracellular pH (pH(e) and pH(i)) in echinoderm larvae. We exposed pluteus larvae to a range of seawater CO(2) conditions and demonstrated that the extracellular compartment surrounding the calcifying primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) conforms to the surrounding seawater with respect to pH during exposure to elevated seawater pCO(2). Using FITC dextran conjugates, we demonstrate that sea urchin larvae have a leaky integument. PMCs and spicules are therefore directly exposed to strong changes in pH(e) whenever seawater pH changes. However, measurements of pH(i) demonstrated that PMCs are able to fully compensate an induced intracellular acidosis. This was highly dependent on Na(+) and HCO(3)(-), suggesting a bicarbonate buffer mechanism involving secondary active Na(+)-dependent membrane transport proteins. We suggest that, under ocean acidification, maintained pH(i) enables calcification to proceed despite decreased pH(e). However, this probably causes enhanced costs. Increased costs for calcification or cellular homeostasis can be one of the main factors leading to modifications in energy partitioning, which then impacts growth and, ultimately, results in increased mortality of echinoid larvae during the pelagic life stage.

  2. Relaxed selection causes microevolution of seawater osmoregulation and gene expression in landlocked Alewives

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Velotta, Jonathan P.; McCormick, Stephen D.; O'Neill, Rachel J.; Schultz, Eric T.

    2014-01-01

    Ecological transitions from marine to freshwater environments have been important in the creation of diversity among fishes. Evolutionary changes associated with these transitions likely involve modifications of osmoregulatory function. In particular, relaxed selection on hypo-osmoregulation should strongly affect animals that transition into novel freshwater environments. We used populations of the Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) to study evolutionary shifts in hypo-osmoregulatory capacity and ion regulation associated with freshwater transitions. Alewives are ancestrally anadromous, but multiple populations in Connecticut have been independently restricted to freshwater lakes; these landlocked populations complete their entire life cycle in freshwater. Juvenile landlocked and anadromous Alewives were exposed to three salinities (1, 20 and 30 ppt) in small enclosures within the lake. We detected strong differentiation between life history forms: landlocked Alewives exhibited reduced seawater tolerance and hypo-osmoregulatory performance compared to anadromous Alewives. Furthermore, gill Na+/K+-ATPase activity and transcription of genes for seawater osmoregulation (NKCC—Na+/K+/2Cl− cotransporter and CFTR—cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) exhibited reduced responsiveness to seawater challenge. Our study demonstrates that adaptations of marine-derived species to completely freshwater life cycles involve partial loss of seawater osmoregulatory performance mediated through changes to ion regulation in the gill.

  3. Screening methods for assessment of biodegradability of chemicals in seawater--results from a ring test

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nyholm, N.; Kristensen, P.

    1992-04-01

    An international ring test involving 14 laboratories was organized on behalf of the Commission of the European Economic Communities (EEC) with the purpose of evaluating two proposed screening methods for assessment of biodegradability in seawater: (a) a shake flask die-away test based primarily on analysis of dissolved organic carbon and (b) a closed bottle test based on determination of dissolved oxygen. Both tests are performed with nutrient-enriched natural seawater as the test medium and with no inoculum added other than the natural seawater microflora. The test methods are seawater versions of the modified OECD screening test and the closed bottlemore » test, respectively, adopted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and by the EEC as tests for ready biodegradability.' The following five chemicals were examined: sodium benzoate, aniline, diethylene glycol, pentaerythritol, and 4-nitrophenol. Sodium benzoate and aniline, which are known to be generally readily biodegradable consistently degraded in practically all tests, thus demonstrating the technical feasibility of the methods. Like in previous ring tests with freshwater screening methods variable results were obtained with the other three compounds, which is believed primarily to be due to site-specific differences between the microflora of the different seawater samples used and to some extent also to differences in the applied concentrations of test material. A positive result with the screening methods indicates that the test substance will most likely degrade relatively rapidly in seawater from the site of collection, while a negative test result does not preclude biodegradability under environmental conditions where the concentrations of chemicals are much lower than the concentrations applied for analytical reasons in screening tests.« less

  4. Facile Preparation of Porous WO3 Film for Photoelectrochemical Splitting of Natural Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shi, Yonghong; Li, Yuangang; Wei, Xiaoliang; Feng, Juan; Li, Huajing; Zhou, Wanyi

    2017-12-01

    Sunlight-driven natural seawater splitting provides a promising way for large-scale conversion and storage of solar energy. Here, we develop a facile and low-cost method via a deposition-annealing technique to fabricate porous WO3 film and demonstrate its application as a photoanode for natural seawater splitting. The WO3 film yields a photocurrent density of 1.95 mA cm-2 and possesses excellent stability at 1.23 V (versus RHE), under the illumination of 100 mW cm-2 (AM 1.5G). The photoelectrochemical performance is ascribed to the large surface area and good permeation of the electrolyte into the porous film. Furthermore, the photocurrent density remains almost the same during 3 h continuous light irradiation. The evolution of chlorine gas from seawater splitting was determined with qualitative and quantitative analyses, with a Faradic efficiency of about 56%.

  5. Seawater Chemistry Across Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Misra, S.; Turchyn, A. V.

    2016-12-01

    Continental weathering is recognized as one of the primary mechanisms moderating the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Past carbon cycle perturbations, often associated with mass extinction events, recovered on a timescale of hundreds of thousands of years, broadly consistent with enhanced chemical weathering being the key moderating process. Since chemical weathering of continental rocks controls the delivery of cations to the oceans, records of seawater cation chemistry provide a powerful archive of this interplay and feedback between climate and weathering.The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary at 65.6 Ma is the last major mass extinction event. The two accepted drivers of K-Pg events were the geologically coeval eruption of Deccan Trap continental flood basalts and the meteorite impact at Chicxulub. The Chicxulub impact happened during a second pulse of Deccan traps volcanism. Thus, teasing apart the timing and dominant driver of the mass extinction and the recovery remains enigmatic. A key feature of the K-Pg event is the transient acidification of the global surface ocean that drove the collapse of the oceanic ecosystem. This surface ocean acidification was caused by `geologically instantaneous' influx of large quantities of acidic gases (viz. CO2, SO2) to the ocean-atmosphere system. We will present high-resolution records of Li, B, Mg, and Ca isotope (δ7Li, δ11B, δ26Mg, and δ44Ca, respectively) measured in single species foraminifera across the K-Pg boundary to assess the perturbation and the subsequent continental weathering feedback. The unique aspect of the proposed research is in the first direct reconstruction of seawater isotopic composition of elements intimately linked to the continental weathering cycle (Li, Mg, and Ca), and the carbon budget of the ocean-atmosphere system (Boron) across an event of rapid climate transition and recovery. Moreover, this will allow to fingerprint the timing of the acidic gas input to the atmosphere and to

  6. Assessment of seawater intrusion and nitrate contamination on the groundwater quality in the Korba coastal plain of Cap-Bon (North-east of Tunisia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zghibi, Adel; Tarhouni, Jamila; Zouhri, Lahcen

    2013-11-01

    cations exchange. Second, a common contaminant identified in groundwater is dissolved nitrogen in the form of nitrate. The average nitrate concentration of the aquifer is about 30.44 mg/l, but contents as great as about 50 mg/l occur in the central region where seawater has been identified. Nitrate survey reveals that nitrate concentration above the drinking water standard (50 mg/l) covered an area of 122.64 km2, which accounts for 28% of the whole area. Irrigation with the nitrogen fertilizers, domestic sewage, industrial wastewater and movement of contaminants in areas of high hydraulic gradients within the drawdown cones probably are responsible for localized peaks of the nitrate concentration. It is suggested that risk assessment of nitrate pollution is useful for a better management of groundwater resources, preventing soil salinisation and minimizing nitrate pollution in groundwater.

  7. Extracting Uranium from Seawater: Promising AF Series Adsorbents

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, S.; Oyola, Y.; Mayes, Richard T.

    A new family of high-surface-area polyethylene fiber adsorbents named the AF series was recently developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The AF series adsorbents were synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid (at different monomer/comonomer mol ratios) onto high surface area polyethylene fibers. The degree of grafting (%DOG) of AF series adsorbents was found to be 154-354%. The grafted nitrile groups were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with 0.44 M KOH at 80 °C followed by screening at ORNL with sodium-based synthetic aqueous solution, spiked withmore » 8 ppm uranium. The uranium adsorption capacity in simulated seawater screening ranged from 170 to 200 g-U/kg-ads irrespective of %DOG. A monomer/comonomer molar ratio in the range of 7.57-10.14 seemed to be optimum for highest uranium loading capacity. Subsequently, the adsorbents were also tested with natural seawater at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using flow-through column experiments to determine uranium loading capacity with varying KOH conditioning times at 80 °C. The highest adsorption capacity of AF1 measured after 56 days of marine testing was demonstrated as 3.9 g-U/kg-adsorbent and 3.2 g-U/kg-adsorbent for 1 and 3 h of KOH conditioning at 80 °C, respectively. Based on capacity values of several AF1 samples, it was observed that changing KOH conditioning from 1 to 3 h at 80 °C resulted in a 22-27% decrease in uranium adsorption capacity in seawater.« less

  8. Seawater cultivation of freshwater cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 drastically alters amino acid composition and glycogen metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Iijima, Hiroko; Nakaya, Yuka; Kuwahara, Ayuko; Hirai, Masami Yokota; Osanai, Takashi

    2015-01-01

    Water use assessment is important for bioproduction using cyanobacteria. For eco-friendly reasons, seawater should preferably be used for cyanobacteria cultivation instead of freshwater. In this study, we demonstrated that the freshwater unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 could be grown in a medium based on seawater. The Synechocystis wild-type strain grew well in an artificial seawater (ASW) medium supplemented with nitrogen and phosphorus sources. The addition of HEPES buffer improved cell growth overall, although the growth in ASW medium was inferior to that in the synthetic BG-11 medium. The levels of proteins involved in sugar metabolism changed depending on the culture conditions. The biosynthesis of several amino acids including aspartate, glutamine, glycine, proline, ornithine, and lysine, was highly up-regulated by cultivation in ASW. Two types of natural seawater (NSW) were also made available for the cultivation of Synechocystis cells, with supplementation of both nitrogen and phosphorus sources. These results revealed the potential use of seawater for the cultivation of freshwater cyanobacteria, which would help to reduce freshwater consumption during biorefinery using cyanobacteria. PMID:25954257

  9. Performance of OTEC Heat Exchanger Materials in Tropical Seawaters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsen-Basse, Jorn

    1985-03-01

    The corrosion of several aluminum alloys in flowing Hawaiian surface seawater and water from 600 m depth for exposure periods up to three years has been studied. The alloys tested in cold water were Alclad (7072) 3003 and 3004; and bare 3004 and 5052). All show some pitting. Pit growth is slow, and pits do not penetrate the cladding. In the warm water, only uniform corrosion has been found. All alloys corrode at the same, low rate of˜3 μm/year after an initial short period of more rapid corrosion. This behavior is closely linked to the formation of a protective inorganic scale film on the surface. It consists of precipitated scale minerals from the seawater and aluminum corrosion products. The results indicate that OTEC evaporator heat exchangers constructed of aluminum alloys should have acceptable service lives.

  10. Simulation-Optimization Model for Seawater Intrusion Management at Pingtung Coastal Area, Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, P. S.; Chiu, Y.

    2015-12-01

    In 1970's, the agriculture and aquaculture were rapidly developed at Pingtung coastal area in southern Taiwan. The groundwater aquifers were over-pumped and caused the seawater intrusion. In order to remedy the contaminated groundwater and find the best strategies of groundwater usage, a management model to search the optimal groundwater operational strategies is developed in this study. The objective function is to minimize the total amount of injection water and a set of constraints are applied to ensure the groundwater levels and concentrations are satisfied. A three-dimension density-dependent flow and transport simulation model, called SEAWAT developed by U.S. Geological Survey, is selected to simulate the phenomenon of seawater intrusion. The simulation model is well calibrated by the field measurements and replaced by the surrogate model of trained artificial neural networks (ANNs) to reduce the computational time. The ANNs are embedded in the management model to link the simulation and optimization models, and the global optimizer of differential evolution (DE) is applied for solving the management model. The optimal results show that the fully trained ANNs could substitute the original simulation model and reduce much computational time. Under appropriate setting of objective function and constraints, DE can find the optimal injection rates at predefined barriers. The concentrations at the target locations could decrease more than 50 percent within the planning horizon of 20 years. Keywords : Seawater intrusion, groundwater management, numerical model, artificial neural networks, differential evolution

  11. Loma salmonae (Protozoa: Microspora) infections in seawater reared coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kent, M.L.; Elliott, D.G.; Groff, J.M.; Hedrick, R.P.

    1989-01-01

    Loma salmonae (Putz et al., 1965) infections were observed in five groups of coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, reared in seawater net-pens in Washington State, U.S.A. in 1984–1986. Ultrastructural characteristics, size of spores, tissues and host infected, and geographical location identified the microsporidium as Loma salmonae. Preserved spores measured 4.4×2.3 (4–5.6×2–2.4) μm and exhibited 14–17 turns of the polar filament. Infections were evident in the gills of some fish before seawater entry, but few parasites were observed and they caused little tissue damage. Infections observed in fish after transfer to seawater were associated with significant pathological changes in the gills. A mixed inflammatory infiltrate was associated with ruptured microsporidian xenomas within the vessels and interstitium of the primary lamellae. Microsporidian spores were dispersed throughout the lesions and were often seen inside phagocytes. The parasite was also observed in the heart, spleen, kidney and pseudobranchs; however, the inflammatory lesions were common only in the heart.Monthly examination of fish after transfer to seawater showed peak prevalences (33–65%) of gill infections during the summer. Although moribund fish were often infected with other pathogens, the high prevalence of L. salmonae infections and the severity of the lesions it caused, suggested that this parasite significantly contributed to the recurrent summer mortalities observed at this net-pen site.

  12. Meta-Cresol Purple Reference Material® (RM) for Seawater pH Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Easley, R. A.; Waters, J. F.; Place, B. J.; Pratt, K. W.

    2016-02-01

    The pH of seawater is a fundamental quantity that governs the carbon dioxide - carbonate system in the world's oceans. High quality pH measurements for long-term monitoring, shipboard studies, and shorter-term biological studies (mesocosm and field experiments) can be ensured through a reference material (RM) that is compatible with existing procedures and which is traceable to primary pH measurement metrology. High-precision spectrophotometric measurements of seawater pH using an indicator dye such as meta-cresol purple (mCP) are well established. However, traceability of these measurements to the International System of Units (SI) additionally requires characterizing the spectrophotometric pH response of the dye in multiple artificial seawater buffers that themselves are benchmarked via primary pH (Harned cell) measurements at a range of pH, salinity, and temperature. NIST is currently developing such a mCP pH RM using this approach. This material will also incorporate new procedures developed at NIST for assessing the purity and homogeneity of the mCP reagent itself. The resulting mCP will provide long-term (years) stability and ease of shipment compared to artificial seawater pH buffers. These efforts will provide the oceanographic user community with a NIST issued mCP (RM), characterized as to its molar absorptivity values and acid dissociation constants (pKa), with uncertainties that comply with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM).

  13. An Earth-Abundant Catalyst-Based Seawater Photoelectrolysis System with 17.9% Solar-to-Hydrogen Efficiency.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Shao-Hui; Miao, Jianwei; Zhang, Liping; Gao, Jiajian; Wang, Hongming; Tao, Huabing; Hung, Sung-Fu; Vasileff, Anthony; Qiao, Shi Zhang; Liu, Bin

    2018-05-01

    The implementation of water splitting systems, powered by sustainable energy resources, appears to be an attractive strategy for producing high-purity H 2 in the absence of the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). However, the high cost, impractical operating conditions, and unsatisfactory efficiency and stability of conventional methods restrain their large-scale development. Seawater covers 70% of the Earth's surface and is one of the most abundant natural resources on the planet. New research is looking into the possibility of using seawater to produce hydrogen through electrolysis and will provide remarkable insight into sustainable H 2 production, if successful. Here, guided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict the selectivity of gas-evolving catalysts, a seawater-splitting device equipped with affordable state-of-the-art electrocatalysts composed of earth-abundant elements (Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo) is demonstrated. This device shows excellent durability and specific selectivity toward the oxygen evolution reaction in seawater with near 100% Faradaic efficiency for the production of H 2 and O 2 . Powered by a single commercial III-V triple-junction photovoltaic cell, the integrated system achieves spontaneous and efficient generation of high-purity H 2 and O 2 from seawater at neutral pH with a remarkable 17.9% solar-to-hydrogen efficiency. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Tidal Boundary Conditions in SEAWAT

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mulligan, Ann E.; Langevin, Christian; Post, Vincent E.A.

    2011-01-01

    SEAWAT, a U.S. Geological Survey groundwater flow and transport code, is increasingly used to model the effects of tidal motion on coastal aquifers. Different options are available to simulate tidal boundaries but no guidelines exist nor have comparisons been made to identify the most effective approach. We test seven methods to simulate a sloping beach and a tidal flat. The ocean is represented in one of the three ways: directly using a high hydraulic conductivity (high-K) zone and indirect simulation via specified head boundaries using either the General Head Boundary (GHB) or the new Periodic Boundary Condition (PBC) package. All beach models simulate similar water fluxes across the upland boundary and across the sediment-water interface although the ratio of intertidal to subtidal flow is different at low tide. Simulating a seepage face results in larger intertidal fluxes and influences near-shore heads and salinity. Major differences in flow occur in the tidal flat simulations. Because SEAWAT does not simulate unsaturated flow the water table only rises via flow through the saturated zone. This results in delayed propagation of the rising tidal signal inland. Inundation of the tidal flat is delayed as is flow into the aquifer across the flat. This is severe in the high-K and PBC models but mild in the GHB models. Results indicate that any of the tidal boundary options are fine if the ocean-aquifer interface is steep. However, as the slope of that interface decreases, the high-K and PBC approaches perform poorly and the GHB boundary is preferable.

  15. Efficient purification and concentration of viruses from a large body of high turbidity seawater.

    PubMed

    Sun, Guowei; Xiao, Jinzhou; Wang, Hongming; Gong, Chaowen; Pan, Yingjie; Yan, Shuling; Wang, Yongjie

    2014-01-01

    Marine viruses are the most abundant entities in the ocean and play crucial roles in the marine ecological system. However, understanding of viral diversity on large scale depends on efficient and reliable viral purification and concentration techniques. Here, we report on developing an efficient method to purify and concentrate viruses from large body of high turbidity seawater. The developed method characterizes with high viral recovery efficiency, high concentration factor, high viral particle densities and high-throughput, and is reliable for viral concentration from high turbidity seawater. Recovered viral particles were used directly for subsequent analysis by epifluorescence microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and metagenomic sequencing. Three points are essential for this method:•The sampled seawater (>150 L) was initially divided into two parts, water fraction and settled matter fraction, after natural sedimentation.•Both viruses in the water fraction concentrated by tangential flow filtration (TFF) and viruses isolated from the settled matter fraction were considered as the whole viral community in high turbidity seawater.•The viral concentrates were re-concentrated by using centrifugal filter device in order to obtain high density of viral particles.

  16. Trace analysis of surfactants in Corexit oil dispersant formulations and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Place, Benjamin J.; Perkins, Matt J.; Sinclair, Ewan; Barsamian, Adam L.; Blakemore, Paul R.; Field, Jennifer A.

    2016-07-01

    After the April 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, and subsequent release of millions of barrels of oil, two Corexit oil dispersant formulations were used in unprecedented quantities both on the surface and sub-surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Although the dispersant formulations contain four classes of surfactants, current studies to date focus on the anionic surfactant, bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (DOSS). Factors affecting the integrity of environmental and laboratory samples for Corexit analysis have not been systematically investigated. For this reason, a quantitative analytical method was developed for the detection of all four classes of surfactants, as well as the hydrolysis products of DOSS, the enantiomeric mixture of α- and β-ethylhexyl sulfosuccinate (α-/β-EHSS). The analytical method was then used to evaluate which practices for sample collection, storage, and analysis resulted in high quality data. Large volume, direct injection of seawater followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) minimized analytical artifacts, analysis time, and both chemical and solid waste. Concentrations of DOSS in the seawater samples ranged from 71 to 13,000 ng/L, while the nonionic surfactants including Span 80, Tween 80, Tween 85 were detected infrequently (26% of samples) at concentrations from 840 to 9100 ng/L. The enantiomers α-/β-EHSS were detected in seawater, at concentrations from 200 to 1900 ng/L, and in both Corexit dispersant formulations, indicating α-/β-EHSS were applied to the oil spill and may be not unambiguous indicator of DOSS degradation. Best practices are provided to ensure sample integrity and data quality for environmental monitoring studies and laboratory that require the detection and quantification of Corexit-based surfactants in seawater.

  17. Comparative ecotoxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in natural seawater and reconstituted seawater using the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis.

    PubMed

    Manfra, L; Rotini, A; Bergami, E; Grassi, G; Faleri, C; Corsi, I

    2017-11-01

    The impact of nanoplastics using model polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs), anionic (PS-COOH) and cationic (PS-NH 2 ), has been investigated on the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, a major component of marine zooplanktonic species. The role of different surface charges in affecting PS NP behaviour and toxicity has been considered in high ionic strength media. To this aim, the selected media were standardized reconstituted seawater (RSW) and natural sea water (NSW), the latter resembling more natural exposure scenarios. Hatched rotifer larvae were exposed for 24h and 48h to both PS NPs in the range of 0.5-50μg/ml using PS NP suspensions made in RSW and NSW. No effects on lethality upon exposure to anionic NPs were observed despite a clear gut retention was evident in all exposed rotifers. On the contrary, cationic NPs caused lethality to rotifer larvae but LC 50 values resulted lower in rotifers exposed in RSW (LC 50 =2.75±0.67µg/ml) compared to those exposed in NSW (LC 50 =6.62±0.87µg/ml). PS NPs showed similar pattern of aggregation in both high ionic strength media (RSW and NSW) but while anionic NPs resulted in large microscale aggregates (Z-average 1109 ± 128nm and 998±67nm respectively), cationic NP aggregates were still in nano-size forms (93.99 ± 11.22nm and 108.3 ± 12.79nm). Both PDI and Z-potential of PS NPs slightly differed in the two media suggesting a role of their different surface charges in affecting their behaviour and stability. Our findings confirm the role of surface charges in nanoplastic behaviour in salt water media and provide a first evidence of a different toxicity in rotifers using artificial media (RSW) compared to natural one (NSW). Such evidence poses the question on how to select the best medium in standardized ecotoxicity assays in order to properly assess their hazard to marine life in natural environmental scenarios. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Inverse modeling for seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Insights about parameter sensitivities, variances, correlations and estimation procedures derived from the Henry problem

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sanz, E.; Voss, C.I.

    2006-01-01

    Inverse modeling studies employing data collected from the classic Henry seawater intrusion problem give insight into several important aspects of inverse modeling of seawater intrusion problems and effective measurement strategies for estimation of parameters for seawater intrusion. Despite the simplicity of the Henry problem, it embodies the behavior of a typical seawater intrusion situation in a single aquifer. Data collected from the numerical problem solution are employed without added noise in order to focus on the aspects of inverse modeling strategies dictated by the physics of variable-density flow and solute transport during seawater intrusion. Covariances of model parameters that can be estimated are strongly dependent on the physics. The insights gained from this type of analysis may be directly applied to field problems in the presence of data errors, using standard inverse modeling approaches to deal with uncertainty in data. Covariance analysis of the Henry problem indicates that in order to generally reduce variance of parameter estimates, the ideal places to measure pressure are as far away from the coast as possible, at any depth, and the ideal places to measure concentration are near the bottom of the aquifer between the center of the transition zone and its inland fringe. These observations are located in and near high-sensitivity regions of system parameters, which may be identified in a sensitivity analysis with respect to several parameters. However, both the form of error distribution in the observations and the observation weights impact the spatial sensitivity distributions, and different choices for error distributions or weights can result in significantly different regions of high sensitivity. Thus, in order to design effective sampling networks, the error form and weights must be carefully considered. For the Henry problem, permeability and freshwater inflow can be estimated with low estimation variance from only pressure or only

  19. Acute Illness Among Surfers After Exposure to Seawater in Dry- and Wet-Weather Conditions

    PubMed Central

    Arnold, Benjamin F.; Schiff, Kenneth C.; Ercumen, Ayse; Benjamin-Chung, Jade; Steele, Joshua A.; Griffith, John F.; Steinberg, Steven J.; Smith, Paul; McGee, Charles D.; Wilson, Richard; Nelsen, Chad; Colford, John M.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rainstorms increase levels of fecal indicator bacteria in urban coastal waters, but it is unknown whether exposure to seawater after rainstorms increases rates of acute illness. Our objective was to provide the first estimates of rates of acute illness after seawater exposure during both dry- and wet-weather periods and to determine the relationship between levels of indicator bacteria and illness among surfers, a population with a high potential for exposure after rain. We enrolled 654 surfers in San Diego, California, and followed them longitudinally during the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 winters (33,377 days of observation, 10,081 surf sessions). We measured daily surf activities and illness symptoms (gastrointestinal illness, sinus infections, ear infections, infected wounds). Compared with no exposure, exposure to seawater during dry weather increased incidence rates of all outcomes (e.g., for earache or infection, adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27, 2.71; for infected wounds, IRR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.54, 5.98); exposure during wet weather further increased rates (e.g., for earache or infection, IRR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.95, 5.51; for infected wounds, IRR = 4.96, 95% CI: 2.18, 11.29). Fecal indicator bacteria measured in seawater (Enterococcus species, fecal coliforms, total coliforms) were strongly associated with incident illness only during wet weather. Urban coastal seawater exposure increases the incidence rates of many acute illnesses among surfers, with higher incidence rates after rainstorms. PMID:28498895

  20. Opposing Seasonal Trends in Seawater pH and Aragonite Saturation State on the Bermuda Coral Reef Platform Reveal Complex Controls on Seawater Chemistry by Biological and Physical Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andersson, A. J.; Bates, N. R.; dePutron, S.; Collins, A.; Neely, K.; Best, M.; Noyes, T.

    2011-12-01

    To accurately predict future consequences of ocean acidification on coastal environments and ecosystems, it is critical to understand present conditions and variability. As part of the Bermuda ocean acidification and coral reef investigation (BEACON), significant efforts have been dedicated to characterize the complete surface seawater carbonic-acid system at different temporal and spatial scales on the Bermuda coral reef platform to understand current levels and variability in seawater CO2 parameters, reef metabolism, and future potential changes arising from ocean acidification. A four years monthly time-series of seawater carbonic-acid parameters at eight different locations on the Bermuda coral reef platform reveals strong seasonal patterns in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TA), pH, pCO2, and [HCO3-], and somewhat weaker trends in [CO32-] and saturation state with respect to CaCO3 minerals. Strong spatial gradients are also observed in DIC and TA during summertime owing to reef metabolism, but no or weak spatial gradients of these parameters are observed in the wintertime. Interestingly, maximum pH-sws (~8.15) is observed during wintertime when minimum aragonite saturation state (<3.0) is observed. In contrast, minimum pH-sws (~7.95) is observed in the summertime when maximum aragonite saturation state (>3.70) is observed. The observed trends and gradients point to complex relationships and interactions between seawater chemistry, biology and physics that need to be considered in the context of ocean acidification and in making future predictions on the effects of this perturbation on coral reefs and coastal ecosystems.

  1. Viral lysis of photosynthesizing microbes as a mechanism for calcium carbonate nucleation in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lisle, John T.; Robbins, Lisa L.

    2016-01-01

    Removal of carbon through the precipitation and burial of calcium carbonate in marine sediments constitutes over 70% of the total carbon on Earth and is partitioned between coastal and pelagic zones. The precipitation of authigenic calcium carbonate in seawater, however, has been hotly debated because despite being in a supersaturated state, there is an absence of persistent precipitation. One of the explanations for this paradox is the geochemical conditions in seawater cannot overcome the activation energy barrier for the first step in any precipitation reaction; nucleation. Here we show that virally induced rupturing of photosynthetic cyanobacterial cells releases cytoplasmic-associated bicarbonate at concentrations ~23-fold greater than in the surrounding seawater, thereby shifting the carbonate chemistry toward the homogenous nucleation of one or more of the calcium carbonate polymorphs. Using geochemical reaction energetics, we show the saturation states (Ω) in typical seawater for calcite (Ω = 4.3), aragonite (Ω = 3.1), and vaterite (Ω = 1.2) are significantly elevated following the release and diffusion of the cytoplasmic bicarbonate (Ωcalcite = 95.7; Ωaragonite = 68.5; Ωvaterite = 25.9). These increases in Ω significantly reduce the activation energy for nuclei formation thresholds for all three polymorphs, but only vaterite nucleation is energetically favored. In the post-lysis seawater, vaterite's nuclei formation activation energy is significantly reduced from 1.85 × 10−17 J to 3.85 × 10−20 J, which increases the nuclei formation rate from highly improbable (<<1.0 nuclei cm−3 s−1) to instantaneous (8.60 × 1025 nuclei cm−3 s−1). The proposed model for homogenous nucleation of calcium carbonate in seawater describes a mechanism through which the initial step in the production of carbonate sediments may proceed. It also presents an additional role of photosynthesizing microbes and their viruses in marine carbon cycles and

  2. Assessment of the Presence of Pharmaceutical Compounds in Seawater Samples from Coastal Area of Gran Canaria Island (Spain)

    PubMed Central

    Afonso-Olivares, Cristina; Torres-Padrón, Mª Esther; Sosa-Ferrera, Zoraida; Santana-Rodríguez, José Juan

    2013-01-01

    This study presents the evaluation of seven pharmaceutical compounds belonging to different commonly used therapeutic classes in seawater samples from coastal areas of Gran Canaria Island. The target compounds include atenolol (antihypertensive), acetaminophen (analgesic), norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin (antibiotics), carbamazepine (antiepileptic) and ketoprofen and diclofenac (anti-inflammatory). Solid phase extraction (SPE) was used for the extraction and preconcentration of the samples, and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used for the determination of the compounds. Under optimal conditions, the recoveries obtained were in the range of 78.3% to 98.2%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 11.8%. The detection and quantification limits of the method were in the ranges of 0.1–2.8 and 0.3–9.3 ng·L−1, respectively. The developed method was applied to evaluate the presence of these pharmaceutical compounds in seawater from four outfalls in Gran Canaria Island (Spain) during one year. Ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin were found in a large number of samples in a concentration range of 9.0–3551.7 ng·L−1. Low levels of diclofenac, acetaminophen and ketoprofen were found sporadically. PMID:27029304

  3. Stratigraphic controls on seawater intrusion and implications for groundwater management, Dominguez Gap area of Los Angeles, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nishikawa, T.; Siade, A.J.; Reichard, E.G.; Ponti, D.J.; Canales, A.G.; Johnson, T.A.

    2009-01-01

    Groundwater pumping has led to extensive water-level declines and seawater intrusion in coastal Los Angeles, California (USA). A SUTRA-based solute-transport model was developed to test the hydraulic implications of a sequence-stratigraphic model of the Dominguez Gap area and to assess the effects of water-management scenarios. The model is two-dimensional, vertical and follows an approximate flow line extending from the Pacific Ocean through the Dominguez Gap area. Results indicate that a newly identified fault system can provide a pathway for transport of seawater and that a stratigraphic boundary located between the Bent Spring and Upper Wilmington sequences may control the vertical movement of seawater. Three 50-year water-management scenarios were considered: (1) no change in water-management practices; (2) installation of a slurry wall; and (3) raising inland water levels to 7.6 m above sea level. Scenario 3 was the most effective by reversing seawater intrusion. The effects of an instantaneous 1-m sea-level rise were also tested using water-management scenarios 1 and 3. Results from two 100-year simulations indicate that a 1-m sea-level rise may accelerate seawater intrusion for scenario 1; however, scenario 3 remains effective for controlling seawater intrusion. ?? Springer-Verlag 2009.

  4. A Comparative study on the nonspecific immunity of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei ever inhabiting freshwater and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Xuying; Ding, Sen; Wang, Fang; Dong, Shuanglin

    2014-06-01

    A study on the nonspecific immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei ever inhabiting freshwater and seawater was carried out at different molt stages by comparing their total hemocyte count (THC) and respiratory burst (RB) and activity of phenol oxidase (PO), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and lysozyme (LY). Two-way ANOVA showed that salinity and molt stage independently affected THC and RB and the activity of PO, NOS and LY of juvenile L. vannamei significantly ( P < 0.05). The THC and RB and the activity of NOS gradually increased from the post-molt stages (A and B) to the pre-molt stages (D0-D3), which were common in shrimps inhabiting freshwater and seawater. The activity of PO peaked at the inter-molt stage (C), and touched the lowest at the post-molt stage in freshwater and pre-molt stage in seawater. The activity of LY was stable over the molt cycle. The RB and the activity of PO, NOS and LY of juvenile L. vannamei were significantly lower in freshwater than in seawater; whereas THC was significantly higher in freshwater than in seawater ( P < 0.05). It was concluded that the post-molt stage (especially stage A) was critical to shrimp culture, which should be intensively attended when L. vannamei was cultured in freshwater.

  5. Net loss of CaCO3 from coral reef communities due to human induced seawater acidification

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Andersson, A.J.; Kuffner, I.B.; MacKenzie, F.T.; Jokiel, P.L.; Rodgers, K.S.; Tan, A.

    2009-01-01

    Acidification of seawater owing to oceanic uptake of atmospheric CO2 originating from human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and land-use changes has raised serious concerns regarding its adverse effects on corals and calcifying communities. Here we demonstrate a net loss of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) material as a result of decreased calcification and increased carbonate dissolution from replicated subtropical coral reef communities (n=3) incubated in continuous-flow mesocosms subject to future seawater conditions. The calcifying community was dominated by the coral Montipora capitata. Daily average community calcification or Net Ecosystem Calcification (NEC=CaCO3 production – dissolution) was positive at 3.3 mmol CaCO3 m−2 h−1 under ambient seawater pCO2 conditions as opposed to negative at −0.04 mmol CaCO3 m−2h−1 under seawater conditions of double the ambient pCO2. These experimental results provide support for the conclusion that some net calcifying communities could become subject to net dissolution in response to anthropogenic ocean acidification within this century. Nevertheless, individual corals remained healthy, actively calcified (albeit slower than at present rates), and deposited significant amounts of CaCO3 under the prevailing experimental seawater conditions of elevated pCO2.

  6. Marshes on the Move: Testing effects of seawater intrusion on ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Northeastern United States is a hotspot for sea level rise (SLR), subjecting coastal salt marshes to erosive loss, shifts in vegetation communities, and altered biogeochemistry due to seawater intrusion. Salt marsh plant community zonation is driven by tradeoffs in stress tolerance and interspecific interactions. As seawater inundates progressively higher marsh elevations, shifts in marsh vegetation communities landward may herald salt marsh “migration”, which could allow continuity of marsh function and ecosystem service provision. To elucidate possible effects of seawater intrusion on marsh-upland edge plant communities, a space-for-time approach was replicated at two Rhode Island salt marshes. At each site, peat blocks (0.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m, n=6) with intact upland-marsh edge vegetation were transplanted downslope into the regularly-inundated mid-marsh. Procedural controls (n=3) were established at each elevation by removing and replacing peat blocks, and natural controls (n=3) consisted of undisturbed plots. During peak productivity, each plot was assessed for species composition, percent cover and average height. Results demonstrate stunting of marsh-upland edge vegetation in response to increased inundation, and the beginnings of colonization of the transplanted plots by salt marsh species. The extent of colonization differed between the two sites, suggesting that site-specific factors govern vegetation responses to increased inundation.

  7. Ability of sea-water bacterial consortium to produce electricity and denitrify water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maruvada, Nagasamrat V. V.; Tommasi, Tonia; Kaza, Kesava Rao; Ruggeri, Bernardo

    Sea is a store house for varied types of microbes with an ability to reduce and oxidize substances like iron, sulphur, carbon dioxide, etc. Most of these processes happen in the sea water environment, but can be applied for purification of wastewater. In the present paper, we discuss the use of a consortium of seawater bacteria in a fuel cell to produce electricity by oxidizing organic matter and reducing nitrates. We also discuss how the growth of the bacterial consortium can lead to an increased electricity production and decreased diffusional resistance in the cell. The analysis was done using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Here, we use bicarbonate buffered solution, which is the natural buffering agent found in sea. We show that the seawater bacterial consortium can be used in both the anode and cathode parts of the cell. The results confirm the adaptability of the seawater bacteria to different environments and can be used for various applications. Heritage, Erasmus Mundus Programme, European Commission.

  8. Alternative alkaline conditioning of amidoxime based adsorbent for uranium extraction from seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Das, Sadananda; Liao, Wei -Po; Byers, Maggie Flicker; ...

    2015-10-18

    Alkaline conditioning of the amidoxime based adsorbents is a significant step in the preparation of the adsorbent for uranium uptake from seawater. The effects of various alkaline conditioning parameters such as the type of alkaline reagent, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated with respect to uranium adsorption capacity from simulated seawater (spiked with 8 ppm uranium) and natural seawater (from Sequim Bay, WA). An adsorbent (AF1) was prepared at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) with acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto high-surface-area polyethylene fibers. For the AF1 adsorbent, sodium hydroxide emerged as a better reagentmore » for alkaline conditioning over potassium hydroxide, which has typically been used in previous studies, because of higher uranium uptake capacity and lower cost over the other candidate alkaline reagents investigated in this study. Furthermore, the use of sodium hydroxide in place of potassium hydroxide is shown to result in a 21–30% decrease in the cost of uranium recovery.« less

  9. Alternative alkaline conditioning of amidoxime based adsorbent for uranium extraction from seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, Sadananda; Liao, Wei -Po; Byers, Maggie Flicker

    Alkaline conditioning of the amidoxime based adsorbents is a significant step in the preparation of the adsorbent for uranium uptake from seawater. The effects of various alkaline conditioning parameters such as the type of alkaline reagent, reaction temperature, and reaction time were investigated with respect to uranium adsorption capacity from simulated seawater (spiked with 8 ppm uranium) and natural seawater (from Sequim Bay, WA). An adsorbent (AF1) was prepared at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by radiation-induced graft polymerization (RIGP) with acrylonitrile and itaconic acid onto high-surface-area polyethylene fibers. For the AF1 adsorbent, sodium hydroxide emerged as a better reagentmore » for alkaline conditioning over potassium hydroxide, which has typically been used in previous studies, because of higher uranium uptake capacity and lower cost over the other candidate alkaline reagents investigated in this study. Furthermore, the use of sodium hydroxide in place of potassium hydroxide is shown to result in a 21–30% decrease in the cost of uranium recovery.« less

  10. Energy Implications of Seawater Desalination (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooley, H.; Heberger, M. G.

    2013-12-01

    Freshwater has traditionally come from rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater aquifers. As demand increases and climate change alters the location and timing of water supply, these traditional sources are becoming unavailable, more difficult, or increasingly expensive to develop. As a result, many communities are switching to alternative sources of water. Interest in pursuing seawater desalination is high in many coastal communities. In California, for example, 17 plants are proposed for development along the California coast and two in Mexico. Water managers are pursing desalination because is a local supply that can help diversify the water supply portfolio. Additionally, it is a reliable supply, which can be especially valuable during a drought. But removing the salt from seawater is an energy-intensive process that consumes more energy per gallon than most other water supply and treatment options. These energy requirements are key factors that will impact the extent and success of desalination in California. Energy requirements for seawater desalination average about 4.0 kWh per cubic meter (m3) of water produced. By comparison, the least energy-intensive options of local sources of groundwater and surface water require 0 - 0.90 kWh per m3; wastewater reuse, depending on treatment levels, may require from 0.26 - 2.2 kWh per m3. Beyond the electricity required for the desalination facility itself, producing any new source of water, including through desalination, increases the amount of energy required to deliver and use the water produced as well as collect, treat, and dispose of the wastewater generated. Energy is the largest single variable cost for a desalination plant, varying from one-third to more than one-half the cost of produced water. Building a desalination plant may reduce a water utility's exposure to water reliability risks at the added expense of an increase in exposure to energy price risk. In dependent on hydropower, electricity prices tend to

  11. Elution of Uranium and Transition Metals from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pan, Horng-Bin; Kuo, Li-Jung; Wai, Chien M.

    2015-11-30

    High-surface-area amidoxime and carboxylic acid grafted polymer adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were tested for sequestering uranium in a flowing seawater flume system at the PNNL-Marine Sciences Laboratory. FTIR spectra indicate that a KOH conditioning process is necessary to remove the proton from the carboxylic acid and make the sorbent effective for sequestering uranium from seawater. The alkaline conditioning process also converts the amidoxime groups to carboxylate groups in the adsorbent. Both Na 2CO 3-H 2O 2 and hydrochloric acid elution methods can remove ~95% of the uranium sequestered by the adsorbent after 42 days of exposure inmore » real seawater. The Na 2CO 3-H 2O 2 elution method is more selective for uranium than conventional acid elution. Iron and vanadium are the two major transition metals competing with uranium for adsorption to the amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater.« less

  12. Effect of seawater salinity on pore-size distribution on a poly(styrene)-based HP20 resin and its adsorption of diarrhetic shellfish toxins.

    PubMed

    Fan, Lin; Sun, Geng; Qiu, Jiangbing; Ma, Qimin; Hess, Philipp; Li, Aifeng

    2014-12-19

    In the present study, okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) were spiked into artificial seawater at low, medium and high estuarine salinities (9‰, 13.5‰ and 27‰). Passive samplers (HP20 resin) used for solid phase adsorption toxin tracking (SPATT) technology were exposed in these seawaters for 12-h periods. Adsorption curves well fitted a pseudo-secondary kinetics model. The highest initial sorption rates of both toxins occurred in the seawater of medium salinity, followed by seawater of low and high estuarine salinity. Pore volumes of micropores (<2 nm) and small mesopores (2 nmseawater at high and low salinity but not in seawater at medium salinity, which demonstrated that the toxin molecules entered into micropores and mesopores (below 10nm in size) in seawaters of high and low salinity. More toxin or other matrix agglomerates were displayed on the surface of resin deployed in the seawater of medium salinity. Taking into consideration the pore-size distribution and surface images, it appears that intra-particle diffusion governs toxin adsorption in seawater at high salinity while film diffusion mainly controls the adsorption process in seawater at medium salinity. This is the first study to confirm that molecules of OA and DTX1 are able to enter into micropores (<2nm) and small mesopores (2-10nm) of HP20 resin in estuarine seawater with high salinity (∼27‰). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Buffering of potassium in seawater by alteration of basalt in low-temperature, off-axis, hydrothermal systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laureijs, C. T.; Coogan, L. A.

    2016-12-01

    It is generally accepted that the composition of seawater has varied through the Phanerzoic and that the variation is linked to changes in the same global fluxes that control the long-term carbon cycle. However, K is observed to be stable at a value of 10 mmol/L despite variable river and hydrothermal fluxes [1]. Secondary K-bearing phases are widely observed in altered upper oceanic crust, suggesting that reactions between seawater and basalt in low-temperature, off-axis, oceanic hydrothermal systems could buffer the K concentration of seawater [2]. As K-feldspar is a common secondary K-bearing mineral in Cretaceous and rare in Cenozoic oceanic crust, the formation of K-feldspar by breakdown of plagioclase reacting with a model Cretaceous seawater was modeled at 15 ºC using the PhreeqC code (version 3.2) and the associated llnl.dat database. A fluid with a K-content of 11 mmol/L in equilibrium with K-feldspar and calcite was generated, consistent with K-feldspar acting as a buffer for the K-content in Cretaceous seawater and the production of alkalinity stabilizing atmospheric CO2 levels on the long-term timescales. A compilation of the K2O content of lavas from DSDP and ODP drill cores (from: http://www.earthchem.org/petdb) shows that the average K-content of altered crust was higher in the Cretaceous than the Cenozoic. This data is inconsistent with the model for the composition of seawater presented in [2], but is consistent with an updated and modified version of this model, that uses more realistic fluxes [3]. We conclude that oceanic off-axis hydrothermal systems probably do buffer the K-content of seawater. [1] Timofeeff et al. (2006), Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 70, 1977-1994; [2] Demicco et al. (2005), Geology 33, 877-880. [3] Coogan & Dosso (2012), Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 323-324, 92-101.

  14. Effects of CO2-driven acidification of seawater on the calcification process in the calcareous hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Barros Marangoni, Laura Fernandes; Calderon, Emiliano Nicolas; Marques, Joseane Aparecida; Duarte, Gustavo Adolpho Santos; Pereira, Cristiano Macedo; e Castro, Clovis Barreira; Bianchini, Adalto

    2017-12-01

    Ocean acidification is expected to intensify due to increasing levels in the partial pressure of atmospheric CO2 ( pCO2). This could negatively affect major calcifying reef organisms. In this study, the effects of different levels of CO2-driven acidification of seawater (control: pH 8.1; moderate: pH 7.8; intermediate: pH 7.5; and severe: pH 7.2) on the net calcification rate and activity of enzymes related to the calcification process (Ca-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase) were evaluated in the calcareous hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis. The experiment was run for 30 d using a marine mesocosm system. Net calcification ratio was significantly reduced in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate seawater acidification for 16 d and to severe seawater acidification for 16 d or 30 d, compared to animals at control conditions. However, only hydrocorals exposed to severe seawater acidification showed lower net calcification rates than those exposed to control conditions for 30 d. In accordance, the activities of enzymes involved in the calcification process markedly increased in hydrocorals exposed to reduced pH. Ca-ATPase seemed to be more sensitive to seawater acidification than carbonic anhydrase as it increased in hydrocorals exposed to intermediate and severe seawater acidification for 30 d, while carbonic anhydrase activity was only stimulated under severe seawater acidification. Therefore, our findings clearly show that the hydrocoral M. alcicornis is able to cope, to some extent, with long-term CO2-driven acidification of seawater (pH ≥ 7.5). In addition, they show that Ca-ATPase plays a key role in the maintenance of calcification rate under scenarios of moderate and intermediate levels of seawater acidification. However, the observed increase in Ca-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase activity was not enough to compensate for the effects of CO2-driven reduction in seawater pH on the net calcification rate of the hydrocoral M. alcicornis under a scenario of severe ocean

  15. Degradation of Organic UV filters in Chlorinated Seawater Swimming Pools: Transformation Pathways and Bromoform Formation.

    PubMed

    Manasfi, Tarek; Coulomb, Bruno; Ravier, Sylvain; Boudenne, Jean-Luc

    2017-12-05

    Organic ultraviolet (UV) filters are used in sunscreens and other personal-care products to protect against harmful effects of exposure to UV solar radiation. Little is known about the fate of UV filters in seawater swimming pools disinfected with chlorine. The present study investigated the occurrence and fate of five commonly used organic UV filters, namely dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, avobenzone, 2-ethylhexyl-4-methoxycinnamate, and octocrylene, in chlorinated seawater swimming pools. Pool samples were collected to monitor the variation of UV filter concentrations during pool opening hours. Furthermore, laboratory-controlled chlorination experiments were conducted in seawater spiked with UV filters to investigate the reactivity of UV filters. Extracts of chlorination reaction samples were analyzed using high-resolution mass spectrometry and electron-capture detection to identify the potentially formed byproducts. In the collected pool samples, all the UV filters except dioxybenzone were detected. Chlorination reactions showed that only octocrylene was stable in chlorinated seawater. The four reactive UV filters generated brominated transformation products and disinfection byproducts. This formation of brominated products resulted from reactions between the reactive UV filters and bromine, which is formed rapidly when chlorine is added to seawater. Based on the identified byproducts, the transformation pathways of the reactive UV filters were proposed for the first time. Bromoform was generated by all the reactive UV filters at different yields. Bromal hydrate was also detected as one of the byproducts generated by oxybenzone and dioxybenzone.

  16. Determination of low (137)Cs concentration in seawater using ammonium 12-molybdophosphate adsorption and chemical separation method.

    PubMed

    Park, J H; Chang, B U; Kim, Y J; Seo, J S; Choi, S W; Yun, J Y

    2008-12-01

    A new method has been developed for analyzing (137)Cs in a small volume of seawater. Ammonium 12-molybdophosphate (AMP) was used two times during pretreatment procedure. The first step was to adsorb (137)Cs in seawater samples into AMP in order to reduce sample volume, and the second was to remove (87)Rb, interference nuclide for beta counting. The AMP adsorbing (137)Cs was dissolved by sodium hydroxide solution, and then (137)Cs was finally formed to be cesium chloroplatinate precipitate by adding 10% hexachloroplatinic acid. The beta rays emitted from (137)Cs were measured with a low background gas-proportional alpha/beta counter. This method was applied to several seawater samples taken in the East Sea of Korea. Compared to the routinely used gamma-spectrometry method, this new AMP method was reliable and suitable for analyzing (137)Cs in deep seawater.

  17. Rapid and simultaneous determination of Strontium-89 and Strontium-90 in seawater.

    PubMed

    Tayeb, Michelle; Dai, Xiongxin; Sdraulig, Sandra

    2016-03-01

    A rapid method has been developed for the direct determination of radiostrontium ((89)Sr and (90)Sr) released in seawater in the early phase of an accident. The method employs a fast and effective pre-concentration of radiostrontium by Sr-Ca co-precipitation followed by separation of radiostrontium using extraction chromatography technique. Radiostrontium is effectively separated in the presence of excessive dominant salts of seawater. Čerenkov and liquid scintillation assay (LSA) techniques are used to determine (89)Sr and (90)Sr. Sample preparation time is approximately 4 h for a set of 10 samples. The method was validated using spiked seawater samples at various activity ratios of (89)Sr:(90)Sr ranging from 1:10 to 9:1. The mean chemical recovery of Sr was 85 ± 3%. (90)Sr showed variable relative bias which enhanced with increasing ratio of (89)Sr:(90)Sr and was in the range ± 21%. The highest biases of (90)Sr determination were due to lower activity concentrations of (90)Sr and are regarded as acceptable in emergency situations with elevated levels of radiostrontium in the sample. The minimum detectable concentration (MDC) of (90)Sr and (89)Sr varied at different (89)Sr:(90)Sr ratios. For 0.1 L seawater and 15 min counting time on a low background Hidex liquid scintillation counter (LSC), the MDC of (90)Sr was in the range of 1.7-3.5 Bq L(-1) and MDC of (89)Sr was in the range 0.5-2.4 Bq L(-1). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. In situ glass antifouling using Pt nanoparticle coating for periodic electrolysis of seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xue, Yuxi; Zhao, Jin; Qiu, Ri; Zheng, Jiyong; Lin, Cunguo; Ma, Bojiang; Wang, Peng

    2015-12-01

    In situ electrochemical chlorination is a promising way to prohibit the biofouling on glass used for optical devices in seawater. To make this approach practical, a conductive glass should have low overpotential to generate Cl2, so that the electrical energy consumption, a critical issue for field application, will be low. Moreover, a long sustainability should also be taken into consideration from the application perspective. Following these criteria, we propose Pt/ITO surface to electrochemically generate Cl2, which immunizes biofouling for glass substrate. In this report, firstly, Pt nanoparticle/ITO is prepared via an electrodeposition approach. Secondly, electrocatalysis capability of Pt/ITO is elucidated, which shows the catalysis for Cl2 generation from NaCl solution and seawater has been sparked with Pt on the surface. Also, Pt/ITO is more sustainable and efficient than the bare ITO in natural seawater. Thirdly, the antifouling property is evaluated taking diatom as the target organism. Electrochemical chlorination on Pt/ITO can efficiently prevent the glass from fouling.

  19. Potentiodynamic study of Al-Mg alloy with superhydrophobic coating in photobiologically active/not active natural seawater.

    PubMed

    Benedetti, Alessandro; Cirisano, Francesca; Delucchi, Marina; Faimali, Marco; Ferrari, Michele

    2016-01-01

    Superhydrophobic coating technology is regarded as an attractive possibility for the protection of materials in a sea environment. DC techniques are a useful tool to characterize metals' behavior in seawater in the presence/absence of coatings and/or corrosion inhibitors. In this work, investigations concerning Al-5%Mg alloy with and without a sprayed superhydrophobic coating were carried out with potentiodynamic scans in photobiologically active and not active seawater (3 weeks of immersion). In not photobiologically active seawater, the presence of the superhydrophobic coating did not prevent pitting corrosion. With time, the coating underwent local exfoliations, but intact areas still preserved superhydrophobicity. In photobiologically active seawater, on samples without the superhydrophobic coating (controls) pitting was inhibited, probably due to the adsorption of organic compounds produced by the photobiological activity. After 3 weeks of immersion, the surface of the coating became hydrophilic due to diatom coverage. As suggested by intermediate observations, the surface below the diatom layer is suspected of having lost its superhydrophobicity due to early stages of biofouling processes (organic molecule adsorption and diatom attachment/gliding). Polarization curves also revealed that the metal below the coating underwent corrosion inhibiting phenomena as observed in controls, likely due to the permeation of organic molecules through the coating. Hence, the initial biofouling stages (days) occurring in photobiologically active seawater can both accelerate the loss of superhydrophobicity of coatings and promote corrosion inhibition on the underlying metal. Finally, time durability of superhydrophobic surfaces in real seawater still remains the main challenge for applications, where the early stages of immersion are demonstrated to be of crucial importance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. New Dielectric Measurement Data to Determine the Permittivity of Seawater at 1.4313 Hz

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, R.; Zhou, Y.; Utku, C.; Levine, D.

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes the new measurements - made in 2010-2011 - of the dielectric constant of seawater at 1.413 GHz using a resonant cavity technique. The purpose of these measurements is to develop an accurate relationship concerning the dependence of the dielectric constant of seawater on temperature and salinity for use by the Aquarius inversion algorithm. Aquarius is a NASA/CONAE satellite mission launched in June of 2011 with the primary mission of measuring global sea surface salinity with a 1.413 GHz radiometer to an accuracy of 0.2 psu. A brass microwave cavity resonant at 1.413 GHz has been used to measure the dielectric constant of seawater. The seawater is introduced into the cavity through a capillary glass tube having an inner diameter of 0.1 mm. The change of resonant frequency and the cavity Q value are used to determine the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant of seawater. Measurements are automated with Visual Basic software developed at the George Washington University. In this paper, new results from measurements made since September 2010 will be presented for salinities of 30, 35 and 38 psu with a temperature range of 0 C to 35 C in intervals of 5 C. These measurements are more accurate than earlier measurements made in 2008. The new results will be compared to the Klein-Swift (KS) and Meissner-Wentz (MW) model functions. The importance of an accurate model function will be illustrated by using these model functions to invert the Aquarius brightness temperature to retrieve the salinity values. The salinity values will be compared to co-located in situ data collected by Argo buoys.

  1. Acute Illness Among Surfers After Exposure to Seawater in Dry- and Wet-Weather Conditions.

    PubMed

    Arnold, Benjamin F; Schiff, Kenneth C; Ercumen, Ayse; Benjamin-Chung, Jade; Steele, Joshua A; Griffith, John F; Steinberg, Steven J; Smith, Paul; McGee, Charles D; Wilson, Richard; Nelsen, Chad; Weisberg, Stephen B; Colford, John M

    2017-10-01

    Rainstorms increase levels of fecal indicator bacteria in urban coastal waters, but it is unknown whether exposure to seawater after rainstorms increases rates of acute illness. Our objective was to provide the first estimates of rates of acute illness after seawater exposure during both dry- and wet-weather periods and to determine the relationship between levels of indicator bacteria and illness among surfers, a population with a high potential for exposure after rain. We enrolled 654 surfers in San Diego, California, and followed them longitudinally during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 winters (33,377 days of observation, 10,081 surf sessions). We measured daily surf activities and illness symptoms (gastrointestinal illness, sinus infections, ear infections, infected wounds). Compared with no exposure, exposure to seawater during dry weather increased incidence rates of all outcomes (e.g., for earache or infection, adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27, 2.71; for infected wounds, IRR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.54, 5.98); exposure during wet weather further increased rates (e.g., for earache or infection, IRR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.95, 5.51; for infected wounds, IRR = 4.96, 95% CI: 2.18, 11.29). Fecal indicator bacteria measured in seawater (Enterococcus species, fecal coliforms, total coliforms) were strongly associated with incident illness only during wet weather. Urban coastal seawater exposure increases the incidence rates of many acute illnesses among surfers, with higher incidence rates after rainstorms. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

  2. Solid State Sensor for Simultaneous Measurement of Total Alkalinity and pH of Seawater.

    PubMed

    Briggs, Ellen M; Sandoval, Sergio; Erten, Ahmet; Takeshita, Yuichiro; Kummel, Andrew C; Martz, Todd R

    2017-09-22

    A novel design is demonstrated for a solid state, reagent-less sensor capable of rapid and simultaneous measurement of pH and Total Alkalinity (A T ) using ion sensitive field effect transistor (ISFET) technology to provide a simplified means of characterization of the aqueous carbon dioxide system through measurement of two "master variables": pH and A T . ISFET-based pH sensors that achieve 0.001 precision are widely used in various oceanographic applications. A modified ISFET is demonstrated to perform a nanoliter-scale acid-base titration of A T in under 40 s. This method of measuring A T , a Coulometric Diffusion Titration, involves electrolytic generation of titrant, H + , through the electrolysis of water on the surface of the chip via a microfabricated electrode eliminating the requirement of external reagents. Characterization has been performed in seawater as well as titrating individual components (i.e., OH - , HCO 3 - , CO 3 2- , B(OH) 4 - , PO 4 3- ) of seawater A T . The seawater measurements are consistent with the design in reaching the benchmark goal of 0.5% precision in A T over the range of seawater A T of ∼2200-2500 μmol kg -1 which demonstrates great potential for autonomous sensing.

  3. Microbial Degradation Behavior in Seawater of Polyester Blends Containing Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx)

    PubMed Central

    Sashiwa, Hitoshi; Fukuda, Ryuji; Okura, Tetsuo; Sato, Shunsuke; Nakayama, Atsuyoshi

    2018-01-01

    The microbial degradation behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and its compound with several polyesters such as poly(butylene adipate-co-telephtharate) (PBAT), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), and polylactic acid (PLA) in seawater was tested by a biological oxygen demand (BOD) method. PHBHHx showed excellent biodegradation in seawater in this study. In addition, the biodegradation rate of several blends was much influenced by the weight ratio of PHBHHx in their blends and decreased in accordance with the decrement of PHBHHX ratio. The surface morphology of the sheet was important factor for controlling the biodegradation rate of PHBHHx-containing blends in seawater. PMID:29342118

  4. Effects of elevated seawater pCO2 on early development of scallop Argopecten irradias (Lamarck, 1819)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Weimin; Liu, Guangxing; Zhang, Tianwen; Chen, Hongju; Tang, Liao; Mao, Xuewei

    2016-12-01

    To investigate the effects of elevated seawater pCO2 on the early developmental stages of marine benthic calcifying organisms, we exposed the eggs and larvae of Argopecten irradias, an important bivalve species in Chinese aquaculture, in seawater equilibrated with CO2-enriched (1000 ppm) gas mixtures. We demonstrated that elevated seawater pCO2 significantly interfered with fertilization and larval development and resulted in an increased aberration rate. Fertilization in the treatment (pH 7.6) was 74.3% ± 3.8%, which was 9.7% lower than that in the control (pH 8.3) (84.0% ±3.0%). Hatching success decreased by 23.7%, and aberration rate increased by 30.3% under acidic condition. Larvae in acidified seawater still developed a shell during the post-embryonic phase. However, the shell length and height in the treatment were smaller than those in the control. The development of embryos differed significantly at 12 h after fertilization between the two experimental groups. Embryos developed slower in acidified seawater. Nearly half of the embryos in the control developed into D-shaped larvae at 48 h after fertilization, which were considerably more than those in the treatment (11.7%). Results suggest that future ocean acidification (OA) would cause detrimental effects on the early development of A. irradias.

  5. Accurate and self-consistent procedure for determining pH in seawater desalination brines and its manifestation in reverse osmosis modeling.

    PubMed

    Nir, Oded; Marvin, Esra; Lahav, Ori

    2014-11-01

    Measuring and modeling pH in concentrated aqueous solutions in an accurate and consistent manner is of paramount importance to many R&D and industrial applications, including RO desalination. Nevertheless, unified definitions and standard procedures have yet to be developed for solutions with ionic strength higher than ∼0.7 M, while implementation of conventional pH determination approaches may lead to significant errors. In this work a systematic yet simple methodology for measuring pH in concentrated solutions (dominated by Na(+)/Cl(-)) was developed and evaluated, with the aim of achieving consistency with the Pitzer ion-interaction approach. Results indicate that the addition of 0.75 M of NaCl to NIST buffers, followed by assigning a new standard pH (calculated based on the Pitzer approach), enabled reducing measured errors to below 0.03 pH units in seawater RO brines (ionic strength up to 2 M). To facilitate its use, the method was developed to be both conceptually and practically analogous to the conventional pH measurement procedure. The method was used to measure the pH of seawater RO retentates obtained at varying recovery ratios. The results matched better the pH values predicted by an accurate RO transport model. Calibrating the model by the measured pH values enabled better boron transport prediction. A Donnan-induced phenomenon, affecting pH in both retentate and permeate streams, was identified and quantified. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. On the classification of seawater intrusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werner, Adrian D.

    2017-08-01

    Seawater intrusion (SWI) arising from aquifer depletion is often classified as ;active; or ;passive;, depending on whether seawater moves in the same direction as groundwater flow or not. However, recent studies have demonstrated that alternative forms of active SWI show distinctly different characteristics, to the degree that the term ;active SWI; may be misleading without additional qualification. In response, this article proposes to modify hydrogeology lexicon by defining and characterizing three classes of SWI, namely passive SWI, passive-active SWI and active SWI. The threshold parameter combinations for the onset of each form of SWI are developed using sharp-interface, steady-state analytical solutions. Numerical simulation is then applied to a hypothetical case study to test the developed theory and to provide additional insights into dispersive SWI behavior. The results indicate that the three classes of SWI are readily predictable, with the exception of active SWI occurring in the presence of distributed recharge. The key characteristics of each SWI class are described to distinguish their most defining features. For example, active SWI occurring in aquifers receiving distributed recharge only creates watertable salinization downstream of the groundwater mound and only where dispersion effects are significant. The revised classification of SWI proposed in this article, along with the analysis of thresholds and SWI characteristics, provides coastal aquifer custodians with an improved basis upon which to expect salinization mechanisms to impact freshwater availability following aquifer depletion.

  7. Microbial specificity of metallic surfaces exposed to ambient seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zaidi, B.R.; Bard, R.F.; Tosteson, T.R.

    1984-09-01

    High-molecular-weight materials associated with the extracellular matrix and film found on titanium and aluminum surfaces after exposure to flowing coastal seawater were isolated. This material was purified by hydroxylapatite chromatography and subsequently employed to produce antibodies in the toad, Bufo marinus. The antibodies were immobilized on a solid support and employed to isolate adhesion-enhancing, high-molecular-weight materials from the laboratory culture media of bacterial strains recovered from the respective metallic surfaces during the course of their exposure to seawater. The adhesion-enhancing materials produced by the surface-associated bacterial strains were immunologically related to the extracellular biofouling matrix material found on the surfacesmore » from which these bacteria were isolated. The surface selectivity of these bacterial strains appeared to be based on the specificity of the interaction between adhesion-enhancing macromolecules produced by these bacteria and the surfaces in question. 30 references, 6 tables.« less

  8. Rare earth element behavior during groundwater–seawater mixing along the Kona Coast of Hawaii

    DOE PAGES

    Johannesson, Karen H.; Palmore, C. Dianne; Fackrell, Joseph; ...

    2016-11-14

    Groundwater and seawater samples were collected from nearshore wells and offshore along the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii to investigate rare earth element (REE) behavior in local subterranean estuaries. Previously we saw that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the predominant flux of terrestrial waters to the coastal ocean along the arid Kona Coast of Hawaii. Groundwater and seawater samples were filtered through 0.45 μm and 0.02 μm pore-size filters to evaluate the importance of colloidal and soluble (i.e., truly dissolved ionic species and/or low molecular weight [LMW] colloids) fractions of the REEs in the local subterranean estuaries.more » Mixing experiments using groundwater collected immediately down gradient from a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) proximal to the Kaloko-Hanokohau National Historic Park, and more “pristine” groundwater from a well constructed in a lava tube at Kiholo Bay, were conducted with local seawater to study the effect of solution composition (i.e., pH, salinity) on the concentrations and fractionation behavior of the REEs as groundwater mixes with seawater in Kona Coast subterranean estuaries. The mixed waters were also filtered through 0.45 or 0.02 μm filters to ascertain the behavior of colloidal and soluble fractions of the REEs across the salinity gradient in each mixing experiment. Concentrations of the REEs were statistically identical (two-tailed Student t-test, 95% confidence) between the sequentially filtered sample aliquots, indicating that the REEs occur as dissolved ionic species and/or LMW colloids in Kona Coast groundwaters. The mixing experiments revealed that the REEs are released to solution from suspended particles or colloids when Kona Coast groundwater waters mix with local seawater. The order of release that accompanies increasing pH and salinity follows light REE (LREE) > middle REE (MREE) > heavy REE (HREE). Release of REEs in the mixing experiments is driven by decreases in the

  9. Rare earth element behavior during groundwater–seawater mixing along the Kona Coast of Hawaii

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johannesson, Karen H.; Palmore, C. Dianne; Fackrell, Joseph

    Groundwater and seawater samples were collected from nearshore wells and offshore along the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii to investigate rare earth element (REE) behavior in local subterranean estuaries. Previously we saw that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the predominant flux of terrestrial waters to the coastal ocean along the arid Kona Coast of Hawaii. Groundwater and seawater samples were filtered through 0.45 μm and 0.02 μm pore-size filters to evaluate the importance of colloidal and soluble (i.e., truly dissolved ionic species and/or low molecular weight [LMW] colloids) fractions of the REEs in the local subterranean estuaries.more » Mixing experiments using groundwater collected immediately down gradient from a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) proximal to the Kaloko-Hanokohau National Historic Park, and more “pristine” groundwater from a well constructed in a lava tube at Kiholo Bay, were conducted with local seawater to study the effect of solution composition (i.e., pH, salinity) on the concentrations and fractionation behavior of the REEs as groundwater mixes with seawater in Kona Coast subterranean estuaries. The mixed waters were also filtered through 0.45 or 0.02 μm filters to ascertain the behavior of colloidal and soluble fractions of the REEs across the salinity gradient in each mixing experiment. Concentrations of the REEs were statistically identical (two-tailed Student t-test, 95% confidence) between the sequentially filtered sample aliquots, indicating that the REEs occur as dissolved ionic species and/or LMW colloids in Kona Coast groundwaters. The mixing experiments revealed that the REEs are released to solution from suspended particles or colloids when Kona Coast groundwater waters mix with local seawater. The order of release that accompanies increasing pH and salinity follows light REE (LREE) > middle REE (MREE) > heavy REE (HREE). Release of REEs in the mixing experiments is driven by decreases in the

  10. Next generation in-situ optical Raman sensor for seawater investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolomijeca, A.; Kwon, Y.-H.; Ahmad, H.; Kronfeldt, H.-D.

    2012-04-01

    We introduce the next generation of optical sensors based on a combination of surfaced enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and shifted excitation Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS) suited for investigations of tiny concentrations of pollutions in the seawater. First field measurements were carried out in the Arctic area which is of global interest since it is more affected by global warming caused climatic changes than any other areas of our planet and it is a recipient for many toxic organic pollutants. A significant long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants to Svalbard is mainly originated from industrialized countries in Europe and North America during the last decades. Therefore, the main interest is to investigate the Arctic water column and also the sediments. Standard chemical methods for water/sediment analysis are extremely accurate but complex and time-consuming. The primary objective of our study was to develop a fast response in-situ optical sensor for easy to use and quick analysis. The system comprises several components: a handheld measurement head containing a 671 nm microsystem diode laser and the Raman optical bench, a laser driver electronics board, a custom-designed miniature spectrometer with an optical resolution of 8 cm-1 and a netbook to control the spectrometer as well as for data evaluation. We introduced for the first time the portable Raman sensor system on an Artic sea-trial during a three week cruise on board of the James Clark Ross research vessel in August 2011. Numerous Raman and SERS measurements followed by SERDS evaluations were taken around locations 78° N and 9° E. Different SERS substrates developed for SERS measurements in sea-water were tested for their capability to detect different substances (PAHs) in the water down to very small (nmol/l) concentrations. Stability tests of the substrates were carried out also for the applicability of our system e.g. on a mooring. Details of the in-situ Raman sensor were presented

  11. Branchial ionocyte organization and ion-transport protein expression in juvenile alewives acclimated to freshwater or seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Christensen, A.K.; Hiroi, J.; Schultz, E.T.; McCormick, S.D.

    2012-01-01

    The alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) is a clupeid that undergoes larval and juvenile development in freshwater preceding marine habitation. The purpose of this study was to investigate osmoregulatory mechanisms in alewives that permit homeostasis in different salinities. To this end, we measured physiological, branchial biochemical and cellular responses in juvenile alewives acclimated to freshwater (0.5p.p.t.) or seawater (35.0p.p.t.). Plasma chloride concentration was higher in seawater-acclimated than freshwater-acclimated individuals (141mmoll -1 vs 134mmoll -1), but the hematocrit remained unchanged. In seawateracclimated individuals, branchial Na +/K +-ATPase (NKA) activity was higher by 75%. Western blot analysis indicated that the abundance of the NKA subunit and a Na+/K+/2Cl- cotransporter (NKCC1) were greater in seawater-acclimated individuals by 40% and 200%, respectively. NKA and NKCC1 were localized on the basolateral surface and tubular network of ionocytes in both acclimation groups. Immunohistochemical labeling for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) was restricted to the apical crypt of ionocytes in seawater-acclimated individuals, whereas sodium/hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3) labeling was present on the apical surface of ionocytes in both acclimation groups. Ionocytes were concentrated on the trailing edge of the gill filament, evenly distributed along the proximal 75% of the filamental axis and reduced distally. Ionocyte size and number on the gill filament were not affected by salinity; however, the number of lamellar ionocytes was significantly lower in seawater-acclimated fish. Confocal z-series reconstructions revealed that mature ionocytes in seawater-acclimated alewives occurred in multicellular complexes. These complexes might reduce paracellular Na + resistance, hence facilitating Na+ extrusion in hypo-osmoregulating juvenile alewives after seaward migration. ?? 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  12. Seawater Acidification and Elevated Temperature Affect Gene Expression Patterns of the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Wenguang; Huang, Xiande; Lin, Jianshi; He, Maoxian

    2012-01-01

    Oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide results in decrease in seawater pH and increase in temperature. In this study, we demonstrated the synergistic effects of elevated seawater temperature and declined seawater pH on gene expression patterns of aspein, calmodulin, nacrein, she-7-F10 and hsp70 in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata. Under ‘business-as-usual’ scenarios, four treatments were examined: (1) ambient pH (8.10) and ambient temperature (27°C) (control condition), (2) ambient pH and elevated temperature (+3°C), (3) declined pH (7.70) and ambient temperature, (4) declined pH and elevated temperature. The results showed that under warming and acidic seawater conditions, expression of aspein and calmodulin showed no significant differences among different time point in condition 8.10 T. But the levels of aspein and calmodulin in conditions 8.10 T+3, 7.70 T and 7.70 T+3, and levels of nacrein, she-7-F10 in all the four treatments changed significantly. Low pH and pH×temperature interaction influenced the expression of aspein and calmodulin significantly after hours 48 and 96. Significant effects of low pH and pH×temperature interaction on the expression of nacrein were observed at hour 96. The expression level of she-7-F10 was affected significantly by pH after hours 48 and 96. The expression of hsp70 was significantly affected by temperature, pH, temperature×pH interaction at hour 6, and by temperature×pH interaction at hour 24. This study suggested that declined pH and pH×temperature interaction induced down regulation of calcification related genes, and the interaction between declined seawater pH and elevated temperature caused up regulation of hsp70 in P. facata. These results demonstrate that the declined seawater pH and elevated temperature will impact the physiological process, and potentially the adaptability of P. fucata to future warming and acidified ocean. PMID:22438983

  13. Durability of Geopolymer Lightweight Concrete Infilled LECA in Seawater Exposure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razak, R. A.; Abdullah, M. M. A. B.; Yahya, Z.; Hamid, M. S. A.

    2017-11-01

    This paper describes a development of lightweight concrete using lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) in fly ash (FA) based geopolymer immersed in seawater. The objective of this research is to compare the performance of geopolymer concrete (GPC) with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete infilled lightweight expanded clay aggregate (LECA) in seawater exposure. Geopolymer concrete is produced by using alkaline activator to activate the raw material, FA. The highest compressive strength of this study is 42.0 MPa at 28 days and 49.8 MPa at 60 days. The density for this concrete is in the range of 1580 kg/m3 to 1660 kg/m3. The result for water absorption is in the range of 6.82% to 14.72%. However, the test results of weight loss is in the range between 0.30% to 0.43%.

  14. Mitigation of biofouling using electromagnetic fields in tubular heat exchangers-condensers cooled by seawater.

    PubMed

    Trueba, Alfredo; García, Sergio; Otero, Félix M

    2014-01-01

    Electromagnetic field (EMF) treatment is presented as an alternative physical treatment for the mitigation of biofouling adhered to the tubes of a heat exchanger-condenser cooled by seawater. During an experimental phase, a fouling biofilm was allowed to grow until experimental variables indicated that its growth had stabilised. Subsequently, EMF treatment was applied to seawater to eliminate the biofilm and to maintain the achieved cleanliness. The results showed that EMFs precipitated ions dissolved in the seawater. As a consequence of the application of EMFs, erosion altered the intermolecular bonding of extracellular polymers, causing the destruction of the biofilm matrix and its detachment from the inner surface of the heat exchanger-condenser tubes. This detachment led to the partial removal of a mature biofilm and a partial recovery of the efficiency lost in the heat transfer process by using a physical treatment that is harmless to the marine environment.

  15. Bicarbonate Elution of Uranium from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pan, Horng-Bin; Wai, Chien M.; Kuo, Li-Jung

    Uranium adsorbed on amidoxime-based polyethylene fibers in simulated seawater can be quantitatively eluted using 3 M KHCO 3 at 40°C. Thermodynamic calculations are in agreement with the experimental observation that at high bicarbonate concentrations (3 M) uranyl ions bound to amidoxime molecules are converted to uranyl tris-carbonato complex in the aqueous solution. The elution process is basically the reverse reaction of the uranium adsorption process which occurs at a very low bicarbonate concentration (~10 -3 M) in seawater. The bicarbonate elution is followed by a NaOH treatment to remove natural organic matter adsorbed on the polymer adsorbent, in real seawatermore » experiments. Furthermore, by using the sequential bicarbonate and NaOH elution, the adsorbent is reusable after rinsing with deionized water and the recycled adsorbent shows no loss of uranium loading capacity based on real seawater experiments.« less

  16. Bicarbonate Elution of Uranium from Amidoxime-Based Polymer Adsorbents for Sequestering Uranium from Seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Pan, Horng-Bin; Wai, Chien M.; Kuo, Li-Jung; ...

    2017-05-02

    Uranium adsorbed on amidoxime-based polyethylene fibers in simulated seawater can be quantitatively eluted using 3 M KHCO 3 at 40°C. Thermodynamic calculations are in agreement with the experimental observation that at high bicarbonate concentrations (3 M) uranyl ions bound to amidoxime molecules are converted to uranyl tris-carbonato complex in the aqueous solution. The elution process is basically the reverse reaction of the uranium adsorption process which occurs at a very low bicarbonate concentration (~10 -3 M) in seawater. The bicarbonate elution is followed by a NaOH treatment to remove natural organic matter adsorbed on the polymer adsorbent, in real seawatermore » experiments. Furthermore, by using the sequential bicarbonate and NaOH elution, the adsorbent is reusable after rinsing with deionized water and the recycled adsorbent shows no loss of uranium loading capacity based on real seawater experiments.« less

  17. Calcification responses to diurnal variation in seawater carbonate chemistry by the coral Acropora formosa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, W. Y.; Eggins, S. M.

    2017-09-01

    Significant diurnal variation in seawater carbonate chemistry occurs naturally in many coral reef environments, yet little is known of its effect on coral calcification. Laboratory studies on the response of corals to ocean acidification have manipulated the carbonate chemistry of experimental seawater to compare calcification rate changes under present-day and predicted future mean pH/Ωarag conditions. These experiments, however, have focused exclusively on differences in mean chemistry and have not considered diurnal variation. The aim of this study was to compare calcification responses of branching coral Acropora formosa under conditions with and without diurnal variation in seawater carbonate chemistry. To achieve this aim, we explored (1) a method to recreate natural diurnal variation in a laboratory experiment using the biological activities of a coral-reef mesocosm, and (2) a multi-laser 3D scanning method to accurately measure coral surface areas, essential to normalize their calcification rates. We present a cost- and time-efficient method of coral surface area estimation that is reproducible within 2% of the mean of triplicate measurements. Calcification rates were compared among corals subjected to a diurnal range in pH (total scale) from 7.8 to 8.2, relative to those at constant pH values of 7.8, 8.0 or 8.2. Mean calcification rates of the corals at the pH 7.8-8.2 (diurnal variation) treatment were not statistically different from the pH 8.2 treatment and were 34% higher than the pH 8.0 treatment despite similar mean seawater pH and Ωarag. Our results suggest that calcification of adult coral colonies may benefit from diurnal variation in seawater carbonate chemistry. Experiments that compare calcification rates at different constant pH without considering diurnal variation may have limitations.

  18. Summary of Research 1997 Department of Oceanography.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    M., Zambianchi, E., Sellschopp, J., and Ribera , M., "Lagrangian Measurements of Surface Circulation in the Straits of Sicily," Joint IAMAS/IAPSO...Meeting, San Francisco, CA, December 1997. 71 PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS Poulain, P.-M., Zambianchi, E., Sellschopp, J., and Ribera , M

  19. Seawater and Detrital Marine Pb Isotopes as Monitors of Antarctic Weathering Following Ice Sheet Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenn, C.; Martin, E. E.; Basak, C.

    2011-12-01

    Comparisons of seawater and detrital Pb isotopes from sites proximal to Antarctica at the Eocene/Oligocene transition (EOT) are being used to understand variations in continental weathering associated with the development of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). Previous work has shown that seawater and detrital archives yield similar isotopic values during Eocene warmth, which is interpreted to record congruent chemical weathering of the continent. In contrast, distinct isotopic values for the two phases at the EOT represents increased incongruent mechanical weathering during growth of the ice sheet. For this study we expanded beyond the initial glaciation at the EOT to determine whether less dramatic changes in ice volume and climate also produce variations in weathering and intensity that are recorded by seawater and detrital Pb isotopes. We collected Nd and Pb isotope data from extractions of Fe-Mn oxide coatings of bulk decarbonated marine sediments, which preserve seawater isotopic values, and from complete dissolutions of the remaining silicate fraction for Ocean Drilling Program Site 748 on Kerguelen Plateau (1300 m modern water depth). The data spans an interval of deglaciation from ~23.5-27 Ma documented by δ18O that has been equated to a ~30% decrease in ice volume on Antarctica (Pekar and Christie-Blick, 2008, Palaeogeogr., Palaeoclim., Palaeoecol.). Initial results from Site 748 include the first ɛNd values for intermediate waters in the Oligocene Southern Ocean and reveal a value of ~-8 over the entire 3.5 my interval, which is consistent with values reported for deep Indian Ocean sites at this time and similar to deeper Southern Ocean sites. Corresponding detrital ɛNd values are less radiogenic and decrease from -9 to -13 during the study interval. Detrital 206Pb/204Pb values also decrease during the warming interval, while seawater 206Pb/204Pb values increase. The decrease in detrital values indicates the composition of source materials entering

  20. A STRATEGY FOR PROTECTING CIRCULATING SEAWATER SYSTEMS FROM OIL SPILLS

    EPA Science Inventory

    A strategy is described for establishing a simple, inexpensive monitoring program for determining approximate levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in ambient water collected near intake structures of circulating seawater systems. The ambient water is obtained from the depth of intake...

  1. Modeling of Water-Breathing Propulsion Systems Utilizing the Aluminum-Seawater Reaction and Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    ABSTRACT Title of Document: MODELING OF WATER-BREATHING PROPULSION SYSTEMS UTILIZING THE ALUMINUM-SEAWATER REACTION AND SOLID...Hybrid Aluminum Combustor (HAC): a novel underwater power system based on the exothermic reaction of aluminum with seawater. The system is modeled ...using a NASA-developed framework called Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) by assembling thermodynamic models developed for each component

  2. Comparison of the effects of thermal stress and CO₂-driven acidified seawater on fertilization in coral Acropora digitifera.

    PubMed

    Iguchi, Akira; Suzuki, Atsushi; Sakai, Kazuhiko; Nojiri, Yukihiro

    2015-08-01

    Global warming (GW) and ocean acidification (OA) have been recognized as severe threats for reef-building corals that support coral reef ecosystems, but these effects on the early life history stage of corals are relatively unknown compared with the effects on calcification of adult corals. In this study, we evaluated the effects of thermal stress and CO2-driven acidified seawater on fertilization in a reef-building coral, Acropora digitifera. The fertilization rates of A. digitifera decreased in response to thermal stress compared with those under normal seawater conditions. In contrast, the changes of fertilization rates were not evident in the acidified seawater. Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) predicted that sperm/egg crosses and temperature were explanatory variables in the best-fitted model for the fertilization data. In the best model, interactions between thermal stress and acidified seawater on the fertilization rates were not selected. Our results suggested that coral fertilization is more sensitive to future GW than OA. Taking into consideration the previous finding that sperm motility of A. digitifera was decreased by acidified seawater, the decrease in coral cover followed by that of sperm concentration might cause the interacting effects of GW and OA on coral fertilization.

  3. Presence, infectivity, and stability of enteric viruses in seawater: Relationship to marine water quality in the Florida Keys

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wetz, J.J.; Lipp, E.K.; Griffin, Dale W.; Lukasik, J.; Wait, D.; Sobsey, M.D.; Scott, T.M.; Rose, J.B.

    2004-01-01

    Concerns about the presence of enteric viruses in the surface waters of the Florida Keys prompted analyses of virus stability and persistence in these waters. In an in vitro study we evaluated the survival of poliovirus and stability of viral RNA in filtered natural seawater (FSW), unfiltered natural seawater (USW), artificial seawater (ASW) and DI water. This study compared cell culture infectivity with direct reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis. Attenuated poliovirus was seeded in the above water types and incubated in the dark at 22 and 30??C for 60 days. At 22??C, enhanced poliovirus survival and enhanced detection of viral RNA was observed in the seeded DI water control, artificial seawater and FSW samples. Detection of viruses in unfiltered seawater decreased rapidly at both temperatures by both methods of detection, suggesting that in the natural environment detection of enteroviral RNA may indicate a recent contamination event. In addition, in situ sampling in the Florida Keys during the late winter of 2000 revealed the presence of infectious enteroviruses at two sites and no sites exceeded recommended levels of microbial water quality indicators (enterococci or fecal coliform bacteria). ?? 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. In vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and the mineral glushinskite by fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolo, K.; Claeys, Ph.

    2005-04-01

    This study investigates the in vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and glushinskite through fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater. In the first experiment, thin-sections prepared from dolomitic rock samples of Terwagne Formation (Carboniferous, Viséan, northern France) served as substrates. The thin sections placed in Petri dishes were exposed to fungi grown from naturally existing airborne spores. In the second experiment, fungal growth and mineral formation was monitored using only standard seawater (SSW) as substrate. Fungal growth media consisted of a high protein/carbohydrates and sugar diet with demineralised water for irrigation. Fungal growth process reached completion under uncontrolled laboratory conditions. The fungal interaction and attack on the carbonate substrates resulted in the formation of Ca-oxalates (weddellite CaC2O4·2(H2O), whewellite (CaC2O4·(H2O)) and glushinskite MgC2O4·2(H2O) associated with the destruction of the original substrate and its replacement by the new minerals. The seawater substrate resulted also in the formation of glushinskite and Ca-oxalates. Both of Ca and Mg were mobilized from the experimental substrates by fungi. The newly formed minerals and textural changes caused by fungal attack on the carbonate substrate were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The results document the role of microorganisms in biomineralization, neo-mineral formation and sediment diagenesis. They also reveal the capacity of living fungi to interact with liquid substrates and precipitate new minerals. This work is the first report on the in vitro formation of the mineral glushinskite through fungal-carbonate and sea water substrates interactions processes.

  5. Bioavailability and Environmental Regulation - Integrating a Fate & Effects Model with a Biotic Ligand Model for Copper in Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rivera, I.; Chadwick, B.; Rosen, G.; Wang, P. F.; Paquin, P.; Santore, R.; Ryan, A.

    2015-12-01

    Understanding the bioavailability of metals in the aquatic environment is important for defining appropriate regulatory constraints. A failure to recognize the importance of bioavailability factors on metal toxicity can result in criteria that are over- or under-protective. USEPA addresses the tendency of the national Water Quality Criterion (WQC) for regulation of copper in marine waters to underestimate the natural attenuation of copper toxicity in harbors by the application of site-specific Water Quality Standards (WQS). Which provides the level of protection intended by the WQC, and establishes realistic regulatory objectives. However, development of site-specific WQS involves a long-term effort, and does not account for temporal variation. The toxicity model seawater-Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) was developed and integrated with the existing Curvilinear Hydrodynamics in 3 Dimensions (CH3D) transport & fate model to create an efficient tool for development of site-specific WQS in harbors. The integrated model was demonstrated at a harbor-wide scale in San Diego Bay and Pearl Harbor, and accounted for the natural physical, chemical, biological and toxicological characteristics of the harbor to achieve more scientifically based compliance. In both harbors the spatial and temporal distributions of copper species, toxic effects, and Water Effect Ratio predicted by the integrated model are comparable to previous data. The model was further demonstrated in Shelter Island Yacht Basin (SIYB) marina in San Diego Bay. The integrated model agreed with toxicological and chemical approaches by indicating negligible bioavailability as well as no toxicity; but for a single event, even though an increasing gradient in Cu was observed both horizontally and vertically, with concentrations that reached levels well above current regulatory thresholds. These results support the incorporation by USEPA of the seawater-BLM in a full-strength seawater criterion.

  6. The effect of changing seawater Ca and Mg concentrations upon the distribution coefficients of Mg and Sr in the skeletons of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giri, Sharmila J.; Swart, Peter K.; Devlin, Quinn B.

    2018-02-01

    The skeletal composition of calcifying organisms, in particular Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios, have been widely used to understand fluctuations in seawater chemistry throughout the Phanerozoic. While the success of applying these data to the geologic record depends on a knowledge of the distribution coefficients for these elements (DMg and DSr), there are scarcely any studies which have described how these values vary as a result of changing seawater Mg/Ca ratios. To address this, we have cultured the scleractinian coral, Pocillopora damicornis, in seawater with ranges of Mg and Ca concentrations. Here, we demonstrate that Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios of coral skeletons correlate with total seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca molar ratios, but that apparent DMg and DSr values do not remain constant across the range of experimental seawater treatments, with DMg values significantly increasing with seawater Mg/Ca ratios and DSr values significantly increasing with seawater Ca concentrations. These trends are not rate dependent and may be best explained by a Rayleigh distillation model, in which the calcifying space is semi-isolated from seawater during skeletogenesis (i.e. leaky). As there is a slight increase in DMg and decrease in DSr values between our "Jurassic" and "Modern" seawater treatments, the application of a constant distribution coefficient to estimate changes in ancient seawater chemistry may underestimate seawater Mg/Ca ratios and overestimate Sr/Ca throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. We suggest that interpretations of seawater chemistry from fossil corals may be improved by using the relationships derived for skeletal and seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios established by our experiments, as they incorporate the effect of seawater Mg/Ca ratios on skeletal Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios.

  7. Analysis of seawater flow through optical fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernández López, Sheila; Carrera Ramírez, Jesús; Rodriguez Sinobar, Leonor; Benitez, Javier; Rossi, Riccardo; Laresse de Tetto, Antonia

    2015-04-01

    The relation between sea and coastal aquifer is very important to the human populations living in coastal areas. The interrelation involves the submarine ground water discharge of relatively fresh water to the sea and the intrusion of sea water into the aquifer, which impairs the quality of ground water. The main process in seawater intrusion is managed by fluid-density effects which control the displacement of saline water. The underlain salinity acts as the restoring force, while hydrodynamic dispersion and convection lead to a mixing and vertical displacement of the brine. Because of this, a good definition of this saltwater-freshwater interface is needed what is intimately joined to the study of the movements (velocity fields) of fresh and salt water. As it is well known, the flow of salt water studied in seawater intrusion in stationary state, is nearly null or very low. However, in the rest of cases, this flux can be very important, so it is necessary its study to a better comprehension of this process. One possible manner of carry out this analysis is through the data from optical fiber. So, to research the distribution and velocity of the fresh and saltwater in the aquifer, a fiber optic system (OF) has been installed in Argentona (Baix Maresme, Catalonia). The main objective is to obtain the distributed temperature measurements (OF-DTS) and made progress in the interpretation of the dynamic processes of water. For some applications, the optical fiber acts as a passive temperature sensor but in our case, the technique Heated Active Fiber Optic will be used. This is based on the thermal response of the ground as a heat emission source is introduced. The thermal properties of the soil, dependent variables of soil water content, will make a specific temperature distribution around the cable. From the analyzed data we will deduce the velocity field, the real objective of our problem. To simulate this phenomenon and the coupled transport and flow problem

  8. Influences of Scavenging and Removal of Surfactants by Bubble Processing on Primary Marine Aerosol Production from North Atlantic Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duplessis, P.; Chang, R.; Frossard, A. A.; Keene, W. C.; Maben, J. R.; Long, M. S.; Beaupre, S. R.; Kieber, D. J.; Kinsey, J. D.; Zhu, Y.; Lu, X.; Bisgrove, J.

    2017-12-01

    Primary marine aerosol particles (PMA) are produced by bursting bubbles from breaking waves at the air-sea interface and significantly modulate atmospheric chemical transformations and cloud properties. Surfactants in bulk seawater rapidly (seconds) adsorb onto fresh bubble surfaces forming organic films that influence size, rise velocity, bursting behavior, and associated PMA emissions. During a cruise on the R/V Endeavor in September and October 2016, PMA production from biologically productive and oligotrophic seawater was investigated at four stations in the western North Atlantic Ocean. PMA were produced in a high-capacity generator via turbulent mixing of seawater and clean air in a Venturi nozzle. When the flow of fresh seawater through the generator was turned off, surfactant depletion via bubble processing resulted in greater PMA mass production efficiencies per unit air detrained but had no consistent influence on number production efficiencies. The greater (factor of 3) production efficiencies of organic matter associated with PMA generated with the Venturi relative to those generated with frits during previous campaigns contributed to a faster depletion of surfactants from the seawater reservoir and corresponding divergence in response.

  9. Seawater usable for production and consumption of hydrogen peroxide as a solar fuel

    PubMed Central

    Mase, Kentaro; Yoneda, Masaki; Yamada, Yusuke; Fukuzumi, Shunichi

    2016-01-01

    Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in water has been proposed as a promising solar fuel instead of gaseous hydrogen because of advantages on easy storage and high energy density, being used as a fuel of a one-compartment H2O2 fuel cell for producing electricity on demand with emitting only dioxygen (O2) and water. It is highly desired to utilize the most earth-abundant seawater instead of precious pure water for the practical use of H2O2 as a solar fuel. Here we have achieved efficient photocatalytic production of H2O2 from the most earth-abundant seawater instead of precious pure water and O2 in a two-compartment photoelectrochemical cell using WO3 as a photocatalyst for water oxidation and a cobalt complex supported on a glassy-carbon substrate for the selective two-electron reduction of O2. The concentration of H2O2 produced in seawater reached 48 mM, which was high enough to operate an H2O2 fuel cell. PMID:27142725

  10. Seawater usable for production and consumption of hydrogen peroxide as a solar fuel.

    PubMed

    Mase, Kentaro; Yoneda, Masaki; Yamada, Yusuke; Fukuzumi, Shunichi

    2016-05-04

    Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in water has been proposed as a promising solar fuel instead of gaseous hydrogen because of advantages on easy storage and high energy density, being used as a fuel of a one-compartment H2O2 fuel cell for producing electricity on demand with emitting only dioxygen (O2) and water. It is highly desired to utilize the most earth-abundant seawater instead of precious pure water for the practical use of H2O2 as a solar fuel. Here we have achieved efficient photocatalytic production of H2O2 from the most earth-abundant seawater instead of precious pure water and O2 in a two-compartment photoelectrochemical cell using WO3 as a photocatalyst for water oxidation and a cobalt complex supported on a glassy-carbon substrate for the selective two-electron reduction of O2. The concentration of H2O2 produced in seawater reached 48 mM, which was high enough to operate an H2O2 fuel cell.

  11. Brood stock segregation for the control of bacterial kidney disease can affect mortality of progeny chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in seawater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elliott, Diane G.; Pascho, Ronald J.; Palmisano, Aldo N.

    1995-01-01

    Segregation of spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) brood stock based on the measurement of maternal Renibacterium salmoninarum infection levels by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) was previously shown to affect the prevalence and levels of bacterial kidney disease (BKD) in progeny fish during hatchery rearing. Smolts from that study were subjected to standardized fish health and condition evaluation procedures 2 weeks before the conclusion of hatchery rearing and release of the fish for migration to the Pacific Ocean. The results suggested that the general health of the smolts in the progeny group from parents that had low R. salmoninarum infection levels or tested negative for R. salmoninarum (low-BKD group) was better than that of the smolts in the progeny group from female parents with high R. salmoninarum infection levels (high-BKD group). Testing by the ELISA showed that the overall severity of R. salmoninarum infection also was lower in the smolts from the low-BKD group. Subgroups of smolts from the study were acclimated to tanks of seawater for extended holding. After a 22-day acclimation period and 98 days in full-strength (29 ppt salinity) seawater, total mortality was 12% in the low-BKD group and 44% in the high-BKD group. All of the mortality in the low-BKD group and 85% of the mortality in the high-BKD group occurred after the fish were transferred to full-strength seawater. Testing of kidney tissues from all dead fish by the FAT revealed that 85% of the fish that died in the high-BKD group had high R. salmoninarum numbers, indicating that BKD was the cause of death. In contrast, none of the fish that died in the low-BKD group had detectable numbers of R. salmoninarum. We concluded that brood stock segregation by use of the ELISA and the FAT can affect mortality and the R. salmoninarum status of progeny chinook salmon for as long as 21 months after hatching, even after the fish have

  12. MULTIELEMENT SOLID PHASE PRECONCENTRATION USING A CHELATING RESIN OF STYRENE DIVINYLBENZENE COPOLYMER AND APPLICATION TO ANALYSIS OF SEAWATER AND FISH OTOLITHS BY INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLASMA MASS SPECTROMETRY (ICP�MS)

    PubMed Central

    Zereen, Fahmida; Yilmaz, Vedat; Arslan, Zikri

    2013-01-01

    A new chelating resin has been synthesized by immobilizing 4–(2–thiazolylazo) resorcinol (TAR) onto styrene divinlybenzene copolymer and examined for on-line solid phase extraction/preconcentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in seawater and fish otoliths for determination by inductively plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A volume of 5.0 mL sample solution was loaded onto the mini column of TAR immobilized resin at 2.0 mL min−1 via a sequential injection system. The optimum pH for multielement preconcentration was around pH 5.5. Recoveries were better than 96% in artificial seawater. Elution was achieved with 1.0 mL of 0.75 mol L−1 HNO3. The resin possesses large sorption capacity ranging from 82.0 µmol g−1 for Pb to 319 µmol g−1 for Cu. The detection limits (3s) varied between 0.0016 µg L−1 (Cd) and to 0.015 µg L−1 (Zn) for preconcentration of 5.0 mL blank solutions (pH 5.5). Relative standard deviation (RSD)for three replicate runs was between 0.3% (Cd) and 6% (Zn) at 1.0 µg L−1 level. The procedure was validated by analysis of Nearshore Seawater certified reference material (CASS–4), and then successfully applied to the determination of the trace elements in fish otoliths (CRM 22) and in coastal seawater and estuarine water samples. PMID:24976635

  13. The Cenozoic seawater 87Sr/86Sr curve: Data review and implications for correlation of marine strata

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koepnick, R. B.; Denison, R. E.; Dahl, D. A.

    1988-12-01

    The strontium isotopic ratio (87Sr/86Sr) in seawater changes slowly over geologic time. This variation is caused by changes in the relative contribution of Sr from various isotopically distinct sources within the crust. The most important of these are high-ratio sialic rocks from continents and low-ratio mafic volcanic and mafic intrusive rocks from continental margins and ocean basins. A plot of Sr isotope ratio versus age for Phanerozoic marine samples produces a curve exhibiting many episodes of increasing and decreasing values. This variation can be used as a basis for temporal correlation of marine carbonate, sulfate, and phosphate sediments. Temporal correlations can be made between high-latitude and low-latitude sequences, deepwater and shallow-water sequences, and normal-marine and restricted-marine (hypersaline/hyposaline) sequences. Satisfactory biostratigraphic correlations between such sequences are often hampered by either the absence of age-diagnostic fossils or by the provinciality of faunal and floral assemblages. Rapid change that took place in the 87Sr/86Sr of seawater during most of the Cenozoic makes this era particularly well suited for precise temporal correlation. The seawater curve for the Cenozoic is subdivided into three segments: Quaternary to mid-Miocene, mid-Miocene to late Eocene, and late Eocene to early Paleocene. The mid-Miocene to late Eocene curve segment exhibits a particularly steep slope, making this a promising interval for high-resolution stratigraphic correlation. Although current data generally support the present configuration of the seawater curve, some revision of the curve is probably required in the vicinity of the Oligocene-Eocene boundary. Establishment of the general configuration of the seawater curve for the Cenozoic has promoted efforts to refine the curve on the basis of construction of detailed Sr isotope profiles within individual stratigraphic sequences. A Sr isotope profile at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP

  14. Enhancement of Extraction of Uranium from Seawater – Final Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dietz, Travis Cameron; Tsinas, Zois; Tomaszewski, Claire

    2016-05-16

    Even at a concentration of 3 μg/L, the world’s oceans contain a thousand times more uranium than currently know terrestrial sources. In order to take advantage of this stockpile, methods and materials must be developed to extract it efficiently, a difficult task considering the very low concentration of the element and the competition for extraction by other atoms in seawater such as sodium, calcium, and vanadium. The majority of current research on methods to extract uranium from seawater are vertical explorations of the grafting of amidoxime ligand, which was originally discovered and promoted by Japanese studies in the late 1980s.more » Our study expands on this research horizontally by exploring the effectiveness of novel uranium extraction ligands grafted to the surface of polymer substrates using radiation. Through this expansion, a greater understanding of uranium binding chemistry and radiation grafting effects on polymers has been obtained. While amidoxime-functionalized fabrics have been shown to have the greatest extraction efficiency so far, they suffer from an extensive chemical processing step which involves treatment with powerful basic solutions. Not only does this add to the chemical waste produced in the extraction process and add to the method’s complexity, but it also significantly impacts the regenerability of the amidoxime fabric. The approach of this project has been to utilize alternative, commercially available monomers capable of extracting uranium and containing a carbon-carbon double bond to allow it to be grafted using radiation, specifically phosphate, oxalate, and azo monomers. The use of commercially available monomers and radiation grafting with electron beam or gamma irradiation will allow for an easily scalable fabrication process once the technology has been optimized. The need to develop a cheap and reliable method for extracting uranium from seawater is extremely valuable to energy independence, and will extend the

  15. Status of trace metals in surface seawater of the Gulf of Aqaba, Saudi Arabia.

    PubMed

    Al-Taani, Ahmed A; Batayneh, Awni; Nazzal, Yousef; Ghrefat, Habes; Elawadi, Eslam; Zaman, Haider

    2014-09-15

    The Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) is of significant ecological value with unique ecosystems that host one of the most diverse coral communities in the world. However, these marine environments and biodiversity have been threatened by growing human activities. We investigated the levels and distributions of trace metals in surface seawater across the eastern coast of the Saudi GoA. Zn, Cu, Fe, B and Se in addition to total dissolved solids and seawater temperature exhibited decreasing trends northwards. While Mn, Cd, As and Pb showed higher average levels in the northern GoA. Metal input in waters is dependent on the adjacent geologic materials. The spatial variability of metals in water is also related to wave action, prevailing wind direction, and atmospheric dry deposition from adjacent arid lands. Also, water discharged from thermal desalination plants, mineral dust from fertilizer and cement factories are potential contributors of metals to seawater water, particularly, in the northern GoA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Highly improved voltage efficiency of seawater battery by use of chloride ion capturing electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyoungho; Hwang, Soo Min; Park, Jeong-Sun; Han, Jinhyup; Kim, Junsoo; Kim, Youngsik

    2016-05-01

    Cost-effective and eco-friendly battery system with high energy density is highly desirable. Herein, we report a seawater battery with a high voltage efficiency, in which a chloride ion-capturing electrode (CICE) consisting of Ag foil is utilized as the cathode. The use of Ag as the cathode leads to a sharp decrease in the voltage gaps between charge and discharge curves, based on reversible redox reaction of Ag/AgCl (at ∼2.9 V vs. Na+/Na) in a seawater catholyte during cycling. The Ag/AgCl reaction proves to be highly reversible during battery cycling. The battery employing the Ag electrode shows excellent cycling performance with a high Coulombic efficiency (98.6-98.7%) and a highly improved voltage efficiency (90.3% compared to 73% for carbonaceous cathode) during 20 cycles (total 500 h). These findings demonstrate that seawater batteries using a CICE could be used as next-generation batteries for large-scale stationary energy storage plants.

  17. Seawater intrusion mapping using electrical resistivity tomography and hydrochemical data. An application in the coastal area of eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece.

    PubMed

    Kazakis, N; Pavlou, A; Vargemezis, G; Voudouris, K S; Soulios, G; Pliakas, F; Tsokas, G

    2016-02-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the extent and geometrical characteristics of seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer of the eastern Thermaikos Gulf, Greece. Hydrochemical data and geoelectrical measurements were combined and supplemented to determine the hydrochemical regime of the study site in regard to seawater phenomena. Chemical analysis of groundwater was performed in 126 boreholes and fifteen electrical resistivity tomographies (ERT) were measured, whereas in two sites the ERT measurements were repeated following the wet season. The Cl(-) concentrations recorded reached 2240 mg/L indicating seawater intrusion which was also verified by ionic ratios. The ionic ratios were overlapped and a seawater intrusion map (SWIM) was produced. A significant part of the coastal aquifer (up to 150 km(2)) is influenced by seawater intrusion. The areas with the most intensive salinization are located between Nea Kallikratia-Epanomi and Aggelochori-Peraia. According to the ERTs, in the influenced areas the salinization of the aquifer exceeds 1 km toward the mainland and its depth reaches 200 m. In the area surrounding Thessaloniki airport, the ERTs revealed salinization of the upper aquifer to depths of up to 40 m, whereas the lower aquifer is uninfluenced. This abnormal distribution of seawater intrusion demonstrates the value of geoelectrical methods in the study of seawater intrusion especially in areas with limited available hydrochemical data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Diversity of bacterioplankton in the surface seawaters of Drake Passage near the Chinese Antarctic station.

    PubMed

    Xing, Mengxin; Li, Zhao; Wang, Wei; Sun, Mi

    2015-07-01

    The determination of relative abundances and distribution of different bacterial groups is a critical step toward understanding the functions of various bacteria and its surrounding environment. Few studies focus on the taxonomic composition and functional diversity of microbial communities in Drake Passage. In this study, marine bacterioplankton communities from surface seawaters at five locations in Drake Passage were examined by 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. The results indicated that psychrophilic bacteria were the most abundant group in Drake Passage, and mainly made up of Bacillus, Aeromonas, Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas and Halomonas. Diversity analysis showed that surface seawater communities had no significant correlation with latitudinal gradient. Additionally, a clear difference among five surface seawater communities was evident, with 1.8% OTUs (only two) belonged to Bacillus consistent across five locations and 71% OTUs (80) existed in only one location. However, the few cosmopolitans had the largest population sizes. Our results support the hypothesis that the dominant bacterial groups appear to be analogous between geographical sites, but significant differences may be detected among rare bacterial groups. The microbial diversity of surface seawaters would be liable to be affected by environmental factors. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Application of micro-solid-phase extraction for the on-site extraction of heterocyclic aromatic amines in seawater.

    PubMed

    Basheer, Chanbasha

    2018-04-01

    An efficient on-site extraction technique to determine carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines in seawater has been reported. A micro-solid-phase extraction device placed inside a portable battery-operated pump was used for the on-site extraction of seawater samples. Before on-site applications, parameters that influence the extraction efficiency (extraction time, type of sorbent materials, suitable desorption solvent, desorption time, and sample volume) were investigated and optimized in the laboratory. The developed method was then used for the on-site sampling of heterocyclic aromatic amines determination in seawater samples close to distillation plant. Once the on-site extraction completed, the small extraction device with the analytes was brought back to the laboratory for analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Based on the optimized conditions, the calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.05-20 μg/L with correlation coefficients up to 0.996. The limits of detection were 0.004-0.026 μg/L, and the reproducibility values were between 1.3 and 7.5%. To evaluate the extraction efficiency, a comparison was made with conventional solid-phase extraction and it was applied to various fortified real seawater samples. The average relative recoveries obtained from the spiked seawater samples varied in the range 79.9-95.2%. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Genome-wide transcriptional responses of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 to contaminated seawater and marine tidal flat sediment.

    PubMed

    Jin, Hyun Mi; Jeong, Hye Im; Kim, Kyung Hyun; Hahn, Yoonsoo; Madsen, Eugene L; Jeon, Che Ok

    2016-02-18

    A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 was performed to investigate its ecophysiological behavior in contaminated tidal flats and seawater. The experimental design mimicked these habitats that either added naphthalene or pyruvate; tidal flat-naphthalene (TF-N), tidal flat-pyruvate (TF-P), seawater-naphthalene (SW-N), and seawater-pyruvate (SW-P). The transcriptional profiles clustered by habitat (TF-N/TF-P and SW-N/SW-P), rather than carbon source, suggesting that the former may exert a greater influence on genome-wide expression in strain SN2 than the latter. Metabolic mapping of cDNA reads from strain SN2 based on KEGG pathway showed that metabolic and regulatory genes associated with energy metabolism, translation, and cell motility were highly expressed in all four test conditions, probably highlighting the copiotrophic properties of strain SN2 as an opportunistic marine r-strategist. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that strain SN2 displayed specific cellular responses to environmental variables (tidal flat, seawater, naphthalene, and pyruvate) and exhibited certain ecological fitness traits -- its notable PAH degradation capability in seasonally cold tidal flat might be reflected in elevated expression of stress response and chaperone proteins, while fast growth in nitrogen-deficient and aerobic seawater probably correlated with high expression of glutamine synthetase, enzymes utilizing nitrite/nitrate, and those involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species.

  1. Genome-wide transcriptional responses of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 to contaminated seawater and marine tidal flat sediment

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Hyun Mi; Jeong, Hye Im; Kim, Kyung Hyun; Hahn, Yoonsoo; Madsen, Eugene L.; Jeon, Che Ok

    2016-01-01

    A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of Alteromonas naphthalenivorans SN2 was performed to investigate its ecophysiological behavior in contaminated tidal flats and seawater. The experimental design mimicked these habitats that either added naphthalene or pyruvate; tidal flat-naphthalene (TF-N), tidal flat-pyruvate (TF-P), seawater-naphthalene (SW-N), and seawater-pyruvate (SW-P). The transcriptional profiles clustered by habitat (TF-N/TF-P and SW-N/SW-P), rather than carbon source, suggesting that the former may exert a greater influence on genome-wide expression in strain SN2 than the latter. Metabolic mapping of cDNA reads from strain SN2 based on KEGG pathway showed that metabolic and regulatory genes associated with energy metabolism, translation, and cell motility were highly expressed in all four test conditions, probably highlighting the copiotrophic properties of strain SN2 as an opportunistic marine r-strategist. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that strain SN2 displayed specific cellular responses to environmental variables (tidal flat, seawater, naphthalene, and pyruvate) and exhibited certain ecological fitness traits –– its notable PAH degradation capability in seasonally cold tidal flat might be reflected in elevated expression of stress response and chaperone proteins, while fast growth in nitrogen-deficient and aerobic seawater probably correlated with high expression of glutamine synthetase, enzymes utilizing nitrite/nitrate, and those involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species. PMID:26887987

  2. Predicting Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Groundwater Boreholes Using Self-Potential Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graham, M.; MacAllister, D. J.; Jackson, M.; Vinogradov, J.; Butler, A. P.

    2017-12-01

    Many coastal groundwater abstraction wells are under threat from seawater intrusion: this is exacerbated in summer by low water tables and increased abstraction. Existing hydrochemistry or geophysical techniques often fail to predict the timing of intrusion events. We investigate whether the presence and transport of seawater can influence self-potentials (SPs) measured within groundwater boreholes, with the aim of using SP monitoring to provide early warning of saline intrusion. SP data collection: SP data were collected from a coastal groundwater borehole and an inland borehole (> 60 km from the coast) in the Seaford Chalk of southern England. The SP gradient in the inland borehole was approximately 0.05 mV/m, while that in the coastal borehole varied from 0.16-0.26 mV/m throughout the monitoring period. Spectral analysis showed that semi-diurnal fluctuations in the SP gradient were several orders of magnitude higher at the coast than inland, indicating a strong influence from oceanic tides. A characteristic decrease in the gradient, or precursor, was observed in the coastal borehole several days prior to seawater intrusion. Modelling results: Hydrodynamic transport and geoelectric modelling suggest that observed pressure changes (associated with the streaming potential) are insufficient to explain either the magnitude of the coastal SP gradient or the semi-diurnal SP fluctuations. By contrast, a model of the exclusion-diffusion potential closely matches these observations and produces a precursor similar to that observed in the field. Sensitivity analysis suggests that both a sharp saline front and spatial variations in the exclusion efficiency arising from aquifer heterogeneities are necessary to explain the SP gradient observed in the coastal borehole. The presence of the precursor in the model depends also on the presence and depth of fractures near the base of the borehole. Conclusions: Our results indicate that SP monitoring, combined with hydrodynamic

  3. Salinity/temperature ranges for application of seawater SA-T-P models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marion, G. M.; Millero, F. J.; Feistel, R.

    2009-01-01

    At the present time, little is known about how broad salinity and temperature ranges are for seawater thermodynamic models that are functions of absolute salinity (SA), temperature (T) and pressure (P). Such models rely on fixed compositional ratios of the major components (e.g. Na/Cl, Mg/Cl, Ca/Cl, SO4/Cl, etc.). As seawater evaporates or freezes, solid phases (e.g. CaCO3(s) or CaSO42H2O(s)) will eventually precipitate. This will change the compositional ratios, and these salinity models will no longer be applicable. A future complicating factor is the lowering of seawater pH as the atmospheric concentrations of CO2 increase. A geochemical model (FREZCHEM) was used to quantify the SA-T boundaries at P=0.1 MPa and the range of these boundaries for future atmospheric CO2 increases. An omega supersaturation model for CaCO3 minerals based on homogeneous nucleation was extended from 25-40°C to 3°C. CaCO3 minerals were the boundary defining minerals (first to precipitate) between 3°C (at SA=104 g kg-1 and 40°C (at SA=66 g kg-1. At 2.82°C, calcite(CaCO3) transitioned to ikaite(CaCO36H2O) as the dominant boundary defining mineral for colder temperatures, which culminated in a low temperature boundary of -4.93°C. Increasing atmospheric CO2 from 385 μatm (in Year 2008) to 550 μatm (in Year 2100) would increase the SA and t boundaries as much as 11 g kg-1 and 0.66°C, respectively. The model-calculated calcite-ikaite transition temperature of 2.82°C is in excellent agreement with ikaite formation in natural environments that occurs at temperatures of 3°C or lower. Furthermore, these results provide a quantitative theoretical explanation (FREZCHEM model calculations) for why ikaite is the solid phase CaCO3 mineral that precipitates during seawater freezing.

  4. Groundwater salinization processes and reversibility of seawater intrusion in coastal carbonate aquifers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Dongmei; Post, Vincent E. A.; Song, Xianfang

    2015-12-01

    Seawater intrusion (SWI) has led to salinization of fresh groundwater reserves in coastal areas worldwide and has forced the closure of water supply wells. There is a paucity of well-documented studies that report on the reversal of SWI after the closure of a well field. This study presents data from the coastal carbonate aquifer in northeast China, where large-scale extraction has ceased since 2001 after salinization of the main well field. The physical flow and concomitant hydrogeochemical processes were investigated by analyzing water level and geochemical data, including major ion chemistry and stable water isotope data. Seasonal water table and salinity fluctuations, as well as changes of δ2H-δ18O values of groundwater between the wet and dry season, suggest local meteoric recharge with a pronounced seasonal regime. Historical monitoring testifies of the reversibility of SWI in the carbonate aquifer, as evidenced by a decrease of the Cl- concentrations in groundwater following restrictions on groundwater abstraction. This is attributed to the rapid flushing in this system where flow occurs preferentially along karst conduits, fractures and fault zones. The partially positive correlation between δ18O values and TDS concentrations of groundwater, as well as high NO3- concentrations (>39 mg/L), suggest that irrigation return flow is a significant recharge component. Therefore, the present-day elevated salinities are more likely due to agricultural activities rather than SWI. Nevertheless, seawater mixing with fresh groundwater cannot be ruled out in particular where formerly intruded seawater may still reside in immobile zones of the carbonate aquifer. The massive expansion of fish farming in seawater ponds in the coastal zone poses a new risk of salinization. Cation exchange, carbonate dissolution, and fertilizer application are the dominant processes further modifying the groundwater composition, which is investigated quantitatively using hydrogeochemical

  5. Study of CO2 bubble dynamics in seawater from QICS field Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Dewar, M.; Sellami, N.; Stahl, H.; Blackford, J.

    2011-12-01

    One of the concerns of employing CCS at engineering scale is the risk of leakage of storage CO2 on the environment and especially on the marine life. QICS, a scientific research project was launched with an aim to study the effects of a potential leak from a CCS system on the UK marine environment [1]. The project involves the injection of CO2 from a shore-based lab into shallow marine sediments. One of the main objectives of the project is to generate experimental data to be compared with the developed physical models. The results of the models are vital for the biogeochemical and ecological models in order to predict the impact of a CO2 leak in a variety of situations. For the evaluation of the fate of the CO2 bubbles into the surrounding seawater, the physical model requires two key parameters to be used as input which are: (i) a correlation of the drag coefficient as function of the CO2 bubble Reynolds number and (ii) the CO2 bubble size distribution. By precisely measuring the CO2 bubble size and rising speed, these two parameters can be established. For this purpose, the dynamical characteristics of the rising CO2 bubbles in Scottish seawater were investigated experimentally within the QICS project. Observations of the CO2 bubbles plume rising freely in the in seawater column were captured by video survey using a ruler positioned at the leakage pockmark as dimension reference. This observation made it possible, for the first time, to discuss the dynamics of the CO2 bubbles released in seawater. [1] QICS, QICS: Quantifying and Monitoring Potential Ecosystem Impacts of Geological Carbon Storage. (Accessed 15.07.13), http://www.bgs.ac.uk/qics/home.html

  6. Study of CO2 bubble dynamics in seawater from QICS field Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, B.; Dewar, M.; Sellami, N.; Stahl, H.; Blackford, J.

    2013-12-01

    One of the concerns of employing CCS at engineering scale is the risk of leakage of storage CO2 on the environment and especially on the marine life. QICS, a scientific research project was launched with an aim to study the effects of a potential leak from a CCS system on the UK marine environment [1]. The project involves the injection of CO2 from a shore-based lab into shallow marine sediments. One of the main objectives of the project is to generate experimental data to be compared with the developed physical models. The results of the models are vital for the biogeochemical and ecological models in order to predict the impact of a CO2 leak in a variety of situations. For the evaluation of the fate of the CO2 bubbles into the surrounding seawater, the physical model requires two key parameters to be used as input which are: (i) a correlation of the drag coefficient as function of the CO2 bubble Reynolds number and (ii) the CO2 bubble size distribution. By precisely measuring the CO2 bubble size and rising speed, these two parameters can be established. For this purpose, the dynamical characteristics of the rising CO2 bubbles in Scottish seawater were investigated experimentally within the QICS project. Observations of the CO2 bubbles plume rising freely in the in seawater column were captured by video survey using a ruler positioned at the leakage pockmark as dimension reference. This observation made it possible, for the first time, to discuss the dynamics of the CO2 bubbles released in seawater. [1] QICS, QICS: Quantifying and Monitoring Potential Ecosystem Impacts of Geological Carbon Storage. (Accessed 15.07.13), http://www.bgs.ac.uk/qics/home.html

  7. Desorption of radioactive cesium by seawater from the suspended particles in river water.

    PubMed

    Onodera, Masaki; Kirishima, Akira; Nagao, Seiya; Takamiya, Kouichi; Ohtsuki, Tsutomu; Akiyama, Daisuke; Sato, Nobuaki

    2017-10-01

    In 2011, the accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant dispersed radioactive cesium throughout the environment, contaminating the land, rivers, and sea. Suspended particles containing clay minerals are the transportation medium for radioactive cesium from rivers to the ocean because cesium is strongly adsorbed between the layers of clay minerals, forming inner sphere complexes. In this study, the adsorption and desorption behaviors of radioactive cesium from suspended clay particles in river water have been investigated. The radioactive cesium adsorption and desorption experiments were performed with two kinds of suspended particulate using a batch method with 137 Cs tracers. In the cesium adsorption treatment performed before the desorption experiments, simulated river water having a total cesium concentration ([ 133+137 Cs + ] total ) of 1.3 nM (10 -9  mol/L) was used. The desorption experiments were mainly conducted at a solid-to-liquid ratio of 0.17 g/L. The desorption agents were natural seawater collected at 10 km north of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant, artificial seawater, solutions of NaCl, KCl, NH 4 Cl, and 133 CsCl, and ultrapure water. The desorption behavior, which depends on the preloaded cesium concentration in the suspended particles, was also investigated. Based on the cesium desorption experiments using suspended particles, which contained about 1000 ng/g loaded cesium, the order of cesium desorption ratios for each desorption agent was determined as 1 M NaCl (80%) > 470 mM NaCl (65%) > 1 M KCl (30%) ≈ seawater (natural seawater and Daigo artificial seawater) > 1 M NH 4 Cl (20%) > 1 M 133 CsCl (15%) ≫ ultrapure water (2%). Moreover, an interesting result was obtained: The desorption ratio in the 470 mM NaCl solution was much higher than that in seawater, even though the Na + concentrations were identical. These results indicate that the cesium desorption mechanism is not a simple ion exchange reaction

  8. The Index of Refraction of Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1976-01-01

    1� 1-35207 1�" 1� 1" 31138 1055 k1,/1 1-35953 1.35891 1,35835 135763 1 5 3 1.35631 135560 13c952 135892 1-35832 1t3576h 1i3p5696 1-35633...SEAWATER Roswell W. Austin and George Halika! 5 TECHNICAL REPORT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited SIO Ref. No. 76-1 I ;January 1976 P...ohrstudies to demonstrate the degree of agreement. This we have done in Section 5 . Considering the variety of sources and the span of years involved, we

  9. Effect of Greenhouse Gases Dissolved in Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Matsunaga, Shigeki

    2015-01-01

    A molecular dynamics simulation has been performed on the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane dissolved in a sodium chloride aqueous solution, as a simple model of seawater. A carbon dioxide molecule is also treated as a hydrogen carbonate ion. The structure, coordination number, diffusion coefficient, shear viscosity, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of the solutions have been discussed. The anomalous behaviors of these properties, especially the negative pressure dependence of thermal conductivity, have been observed in the higher-pressure region. PMID:26729101

  10. Effect of Greenhouse Gases Dissolved in Seawater.

    PubMed

    Matsunaga, Shigeki

    2015-12-30

    A molecular dynamics simulation has been performed on the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane dissolved in a sodium chloride aqueous solution, as a simple model of seawater. A carbon dioxide molecule is also treated as a hydrogen carbonate ion. The structure, coordination number, diffusion coefficient, shear viscosity, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of the solutions have been discussed. The anomalous behaviors of these properties, especially the negative pressure dependence of thermal conductivity, have been observed in the higher-pressure region.

  11. Elution of uranium and transition metals from amidoxime-based polymer adsorbents for sequestering uranium from seawater

    DOE PAGES

    Pan, Horng-Bin; Kuo, Li-Jung; Miyamoto, Naomi; ...

    2015-11-30

    High-surface-area amidoxime and carboxylic acid grafted polymer adsorbents developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory were tested for sequestering uranium in a flowing seawater flume system at the PNNL-Marine Sciences Laboratory. FTIR spectra indicate that a KOH conditioning process is necessary to remove the proton from the carboxylic acid and make the sorbent effective for sequestering uranium from seawater. The alkaline conditioning process also converts the amidoxime groups to carboxylate groups in the adsorbent. Both Na 2CO 3 H 2O 2 and hydrochloric acid elution methods can remove ~95% of the uranium sequestered by the adsorbent after 42 days of exposuremore » in real seawater. The Na 2CO 3 H 2O 2 elution method is more selective for uranium than conventional acid elution. Iron and vanadium are the two major transition metals competing with uranium for adsorption to the amidoxime-based adsorbents in real seawater. Tiron (4,5-Dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonic acid disodium salt, 1 M) can remove iron from the adsorbent very effectively at pH around 7. The coordination between vanadium (V) and amidoxime is also discussed based on our 51V NMR data.« less

  12. Green icebergs formed by freezing of organic-rich seawater to the base of Antarctic ice shelves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Warren, Stephen G.; Roesler, Collin S.; Morgan, Vincent I.; Brandt, Richard E.; Goodwin, Ian D.; Allison, Ian

    1993-01-01

    Although most icebergs are blue, green icebergs are seen occasionally in the Antarctic ocean. Chemical and isotopic analysis of samples from green icebergs indicate that the ice consists of desalinated frozen seawater, as does the basal ice from the Amery Ice Shelf. Spectral reflectance of a green iceberg measured near 67°S, 62°E, confirms that the color is inherent to the ice, not an artifact of the illumination. Pure ice appears blue owing to its absorption of red photons. Addition of a constituent that absorbs blue photons can shift the peak reflectance from blue to green. Such a constituent was identified by spectrophotometric analysis of core samples from this iceberg and from the Amery basal ice, and of seawater samples from Prydz Bay off the Amery Ice Shelf. Analysis of the samples by fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the blue absorption, and hence the inherent green color, is due to the presence of marine-derived organic matter in the green iceberg, basal ice, and seawater. Thick accumulations of green ice, in icebergs and at the base of ice shelves, indicate that high concentrations of organic matter exist in seawater for centuries at the depth of basal freezing.

  13. Ultrasensitive determination of cadmium in seawater by hollow fiber supported liquid membrane extraction coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Jin-feng; Liu, Rui; Liu, Jing-fu; He, Bin; Hu, Xia-lin; Jiang, Gui-bin

    2007-05-01

    A new procedure, based on hollow fiber supported liquid membrane preconcentration coupled with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) detection, was developed for the determination of trace Cd in seawater samples. With 1-octanol that contained a mixture of dithizone (carrier) and oleic acid immobilized in the pores of the polypropylene hollow fiber as a liquid membrane, Cd was selectively extracted from water samples into 0.05 M HNO 3 that filled the lumen of the hollow fiber as a stripping solution. The main extraction related parameters were optimized, and the effects of salinity and some coexisting interferants were also evaluated. Under the optimum extraction conditions, an enrichment factor of 387 was obtained for a 100-mL sample solution. In combination with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, a very low detection limit (0.8 ng L - 1 ) and a relative standard deviation (2.5% at 50 ng L - 1 level) were achieved. Five seawater samples were analyzed by the proposed method without dilution, with detected Cd concentration in the range of 56.4-264.8 ng L - 1 and the relative spiked recoveries over 89%. For comparison, these samples were also analyzed by the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method after a 10-fold dilution for matrix effect elimination. Statistical analysis with a one-way ANOVA shows no significant differences (at 0.05 level) between the results obtained by the proposed and ICP-MS methods. Additionally, analysis of certified reference materials (GBW (E) 080040) shows good agreement with the certified value. These results indicate that this present method is very sensitive and reliable, and can effectively eliminate complex matrix interferences in seawater samples.

  14. Rare earth element behavior during groundwater – seawater mixing along the Kona Coast of Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johannesson, Karen H.; Palmore, C. Dianne; Fackrell, Joseph; Prouty, Nancy G.; Swarzenski, Peter W.; Chevis, Darren A.; Telfeyan, Katherine; White, Christopher D.; Burdige, David J.

    2017-01-01

    Groundwater and seawater samples were collected from nearshore wells and offshore along the Kona Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii to investigate rare earth element (REE) behavior in local subterranean estuaries. Previous investigations showed that submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is the predominant flux of terrestrial waters to the coastal ocean along the arid Kona Coast of Hawaii. Groundwater and seawater samples were filtered through 0.45 μm and 0.02 μm pore-size filters to evaluate the importance of colloidal and soluble (i.e., truly dissolved ionic species and/or low molecular weight [LMW] colloids) fractions of the REEs in the local subterranean estuaries. Mixing experiments using groundwater collected immediately down gradient from a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) proximal to the Kaloko-Hanokohau National Historic Park, and more “pristine” groundwater from a well constructed in a lava tube at Kiholo Bay, were mixed with local seawater to study the effect of solution composition (i.e., pH, salinity) on the concentrations and fractionation behavior of the REEs as groundwater mixes with seawater in Kona Coast subterranean estuaries. The mixed waters were also filtered through 0.45 or 0.02 μm filters to ascertain the behavior of colloidal and soluble fractions of the REEs across the salinity gradient in each mixing experiment. Concentrations of the REEs were statistically identical (two-tailed Student t-test, 95% confidence) between the sequentially filtered sample aliquots, indicating that the REEs occur as dissolved ionic species and/or LMW colloids in Kona Coast groundwaters. The mixing experiments revealed that the REEs are released to solution from suspended particles or colloids when Kona Coast groundwater waters mix with local seawater. The order of release that accompanies increasing pH and salinity follows light REE (LREE) > middle REE (MREE) > heavy REE (HREE). Release of REEs in the mixing experiments is driven by decreases in the

  15. SEAWAT: A Computer Program for Simulation of Variable-Density Groundwater Flow and Multi-Species Solute and Heat Transport

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Langevin, Christian D.

    2009-01-01

    SEAWAT is a MODFLOW-based computer program designed to simulate variable-density groundwater flow coupled with multi-species solute and heat transport. The program has been used for a wide variety of groundwater studies including saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, aquifer storage and recovery in brackish limestone aquifers, and brine migration within continental aquifers. SEAWAT is relatively easy to apply because it uses the familiar MODFLOW structure. Thus, most commonly used pre- and post-processors can be used to create datasets and visualize results. SEAWAT is a public domain computer program distributed free of charge by the U.S. Geological Survey.

  16. Isolation and Characterization of Surface and Subsurface Bacteria in Seawater of Mantanani Island, Kota Belud, Sabah by Direct and Enrichment Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benard, L. D.; Tuah, P. M.; Suadin, E. G.; Jamian, N.

    2015-04-01

    The distribution of hydrocarbon-utilizing bacterial may vary between surface and subsurface of the seawater. One of the identified contributors is the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon. The isolation and characterization of bacteria using Direct and Enrichment techniques helps in identifying dominant bacterial populations in seawater of Mantanani Island, Kota Belud, Sabah, potential of further investigation as hydrocarbon degrader. Crude oil (5% v/v) was added as the carbon source for bacteria in Enrichment technique. For surface seawater, the highest population of bacteria identified for both Direct and Enrichment technique were 2.60 × 107 CFU/mL and 3.84 × 106 CFU/mL respectively. Meanwhile, for subsurface seawater, the highest population of bacteria identified for both Direct and Enrichment technique were 5.21 × 106 CFU/mL and 8.99 × 107 CFU/mL respectively. Dominant species in surface seawater were characterized as Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus-RMSF-C1 and RMSF-C2 and Alcanivorax borkumensis-RMSF-C3, RMSF-C4 and RMSF-C5. As for subsurface seawater, dominant species were characterized as Pseudomonas luteola-SSBR-W1, Burkholderia cepacia-SSBR-C1, Rhizobium radiobacter- SSBR-C3 and Leuconostoc-cremois -SSBR-C4.

  17. Phosphate determination in seawater: toward an autonomous electrochemical method.

    PubMed

    Jońca, Justyna; León Fernández, Violeta; Thouron, Danièle; Paulmier, Aurélien; Graco, Michelle; Garçon, Véronique

    2011-12-15

    Initial steps to create an autonomous in situ electrochemical sensor for orthophosphate determination in seawater are presented. First, the optimal conditions to form the molybdophosphate complex in artificial seawater medium were determined by addition of sulphuric acid and sodium molybdate to the solution containing orthophosphate. Secondly, the anodic oxidation of molybdenum to form molybdate ions and protons was used to create the molybdophosphate complex without addition of any liquid reagents. The molybdophosphate complex is detectable by amperometry with an average precision of 2.2% for the concentration range found in the open ocean and the detection limit is 0.12 μM. Three solutions are proposed to address the silicate interferences issue and one of these methods is used for the natural samples collected in the coastal waters offshore Peru during the Pelagico 1011-12-BIC OLAYA cruise in November-December 2010. Results showed a good precision with an average of 2.5% and a reasonable deviation of the amperometric analysis as compared with colorimetric measurements (4.9%). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Differential regulation of sodium-potassium pump isoforms during smolt development and seawater exposure of Atlantic salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCormick, Stephen D.; Regish, Amy M.; Christensen, Arne K.; Björnsson, Björn Thrandur

    2013-01-01

    Freshwater and seawater isoforms of the alpha subunit of Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) have previously been identified in gill ionocytes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). In the present study we examine the abundance and cellular localization of these isoforms during the parr–smolt transformation, a developmental process that is preparatory for seawater entry. The abundance of NKAα1a was lower in smolts than in parr, remained relatively constant during spring and decreased in summer. NKAα1b increased tenfold in smolts during spring, peaking in late April, coincident with downstream migration and increased salinity tolerance. NKAα1b increased a further twofold after seawater exposure of smolts, whereas NKAα1a decreased by 98%. The abundance of NKAα1b-positive, and NKAα1b and NKAα1a co-labeled ionocytes increased during smolt development, whereas the number of NKAα1a cells decreased. After seawater exposure of smolts, NKAα1b-positive ionocytes increased, NKAα1a-positive cells decreased, and co-labeled cells disappeared. Plasma growth hormone and cortisol increased during spring in smolts, but not in parr, peaking just prior to the highest levels of NKAα1b. The results indicate that the increase in the abundance of NKAα1b during smolt development is directly linked to the increase in salinity tolerance that occurs at this stage, but that significant changes also occur after seawater exposure. Spring increases in circulating levels of growth hormone and cortisol indicate that these hormones may be instrumental in upregulating NKAα1b during smolt development.

  19. Rapid enhancement of chemical weathering recorded by extremely light seawater lithium isotopes at the Permian–Triassic boundary

    PubMed Central

    Sun, He; Xiao, Yilin; Zhang, Guijie; Casey, John F.; Shen, Yanan

    2018-01-01

    Lithium (Li) isotope analyses of sedimentary rocks from the Meishan section in South China reveal extremely light seawater Li isotopic signatures at the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB), which coincide with the most severe mass extinction in the history of animal life. Using a dynamic seawater lithium box model, we show that the light seawater Li isotopic signatures can be best explained by a significant influx of riverine [Li] with light δ7Li to the ocean realm. The seawater Li isotope excursion started ≥300 Ky before and persisted up to the main extinction event, which is consistent with the eruption time of the Siberian Traps. The eruption of the Siberian Traps exposed an enormous amount of fresh basalt and triggered CO2 release, rapid global warming, and acid rains, which in turn led to a rapid enhancement of continental weathering. The enhanced continental weathering delivered excessive nutrients to the oceans that could lead to marine eutrophication, anoxia, acidification, and ecological perturbation, ultimately resulting in the end-Permian mass extinction. PMID:29581278

  20. Coastal Residents Ocean Literacy about Seawater Desalination and its Impacts on Marine Ecosystems in the Monterey Bay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faraola, S.; Heck, N.; Mirza Ordshahi, B.; Paytan, A.; Petersen, K. L.; Haddad, B.; Potts, D. C.

    2016-12-01

    The current lack of available freshwater in California has brought about the consideration of utilizing seawater desalination to provide a consistent drinking water source for local residents of coastal areas. Public literacy about this technology and its impacts on the ocean is vital to making informed policy decisions about marine resources and ecosystems, which may empower local communities to become more involved stewards of the ocean. Our study evaluates public literacy about seawater desalination and its impacts on the ocean. Data was collected using a questionnaire-based survey from a randomly selected sample of residents and marine stakeholders in coastal communities around Monterey Bay. The study explored (1) self-assessed and accurate knowledge about marine impacts from seawater desalination and (2) what shapes public literacy concerning pertinent ocean issues in communities near a National Marine Sanctuary. Our findings show to what extent the public is prepared to engage in meaningful discussions about marine issues and seawater desalination and if an understanding of the ocean shapes perceptions on saltwater desalination.

  1. Rapid enhancement of chemical weathering recorded by extremely light seawater lithium isotopes at the Permian-Triassic boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, He; Xiao, Yilin; Gao, Yongjun; Zhang, Guijie; Casey, John F.; Shen, Yanan

    2018-04-01

    Lithium (Li) isotope analyses of sedimentary rocks from the Meishan section in South China reveal extremely light seawater Li isotopic signatures at the Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB), which coincide with the most severe mass extinction in the history of animal life. Using a dynamic seawater lithium box model, we show that the light seawater Li isotopic signatures can be best explained by a significant influx of riverine [Li] with light δ7Li to the ocean realm. The seawater Li isotope excursion started ≥300 Ky before and persisted up to the main extinction event, which is consistent with the eruption time of the Siberian Traps. The eruption of the Siberian Traps exposed an enormous amount of fresh basalt and triggered CO2 release, rapid global warming, and acid rains, which in turn led to a rapid enhancement of continental weathering. The enhanced continental weathering delivered excessive nutrients to the oceans that could lead to marine eutrophication, anoxia, acidification, and ecological perturbation, ultimately resulting in the end-Permian mass extinction.

  2. Comparison of Key West and Persian Gulf Seawaters

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-07-18

    D. A. Eden, R. A. Davis, J. E. McElhiney, C. Di lorio, "The effects of desulphated seawater injection on microbiological hydrogen sulphide generation... Mercury Hg (5.0 x 10-6) 5.6 x 102 Gallium Ga (3.0 x 10-4) 9.0 x 103 Bismuth al (1.0 x 10-4) - Niobium Nb (ɝ x 10-5) - Thallium Ti 6.0 x 10- - Gold Au

  3. Seasonal variation in diffusive exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons across the air-seawater interface in coastal urban area.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seung-Kyu; Chae, Doo Hyun

    2016-08-15

    Concentrations of 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air-seawater interface were measured over 1year in the coastal region of Incheon, South Korea. Most individual PAHs and total PAHs in air displayed statistically significant negative correlations with temperature, but not significant in seawater. Less hydrophobic compounds with three rings were at or near equilibrium in summer, while PAHs with four to six rings were in disequilibrium in all seasons, with higher fugacity gradients in colder seasons and for more hydrophobic compounds. Differently from fugacity gradients, the highest net fluxes occurred for some three- and four-ring PAHs showing the highest atmospheric concentrations. Net gaseous exchange, which was higher in winter, occurred from air to seawater with an annual cumulative flux of 2075μg/m(2)/year (for Σ15PAHs), indicating that atmospheric PAHs in this region, originating from coal/biomass combustion, can deteriorate the quality of seawater and sediment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Effect of the scale inhibitor on ion content in reverse osmosis system for seawater desalination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Yuhua; Liu, Zhenfa; Zhang, Lihui; Li, Haihua

    2017-09-01

    A scale inhibitor was synthesized from polysuccinimide with 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid and aspartic acid. The effect of scale inhibitor on ion content in reverse osmosis system for seawater desalination was studied. The results showed that the ion content of permeate water is lower with the scale inhibitor added in RO system for seawater desalination than without scale inhibitor. On the contrary, the ion content of concentrate water is higher when with scale inhibitor in RO system.

  5. Seawater-flooding events and impact on freshwater lenses of low-lying islands: Controlling factors, basic management and mitigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gingerich, Stephen B.; Voss, Clifford I.; Johnson, Adam G.

    2017-08-01

    An unprecedented set of hydrologic observations was collected after the Dec 2008 seawater-flooding event on Roi-Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. By two days after the seawater flooding that occurred at the beginning of dry season, the observed salinity of water withdrawn by the island's main skimming well increased to 100% seawater concentration, but by ten days later already decreased to only 10-20% of seawater fraction. However, the damaging impact on the potability of the groundwater supply (when pumped water had concentrations above 1% seawater fraction) lasted 22 months longer. The data collected make possible analyses of the hydrologic factors that control recovery and management of the groundwater-supply quality on Roi-Namur and on similar low-lying islands. With the observed data as a guide, three-dimensional numerical-model simulation analyses reveal how recovery is controlled by the island's hydrology. These also allow evaluation of the efficacy of basic water-quality management/mitigation alternatives and elucidate how groundwater withdrawal and timing of the seawater-flooding event affect the length of recovery. Simulations show that, as might be expected, by adding surplus captured rainwater as artificial recharge, the freshwater-lens recovery period (after which potable groundwater may again be produced) can be shortened, with groundwater salinity remaining lower even during the dry season, a period during which no artificial recharge is applied. Simulations also show that the recovery period is not lengthened appreciably by groundwater withdrawals during recovery. Simulations further show that had the flooding event occurred at the start of the wet season, the recovery period would have been about 25% (5.5 months) shorter than actually occurred during the monitored flood that occurred at the dry-season start. Finally, analyses show that artificial recharge improves freshwater-lens water quality, making possible longer use of

  6. Seawater-flooding events and impact on freshwater lenses of low-lying islands: Controlling factors, basic management and mitigation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gingerich, Stephen B.; Voss, Clifford I.; Johnson, Adam G.

    2017-01-01

    An unprecedented set of hydrologic observations was collected after the Dec 2008 seawater-flooding event on Roi-Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. By two days after the seawater flooding that occurred at the beginning of dry season, the observed salinity of water withdrawn by the island’s main skimming well increased to 100% seawater concentration, but by ten days later already decreased to only 10–20% of seawater fraction. However, the damaging impact on the potability of the groundwater supply (when pumped water had concentrations above 1% seawater fraction) lasted 22 months longer. The data collected make possible analyses of the hydrologic factors that control recovery and management of the groundwater-supply quality on Roi-Namur and on similar low-lying islands.With the observed data as a guide, three-dimensional numerical-model simulation analyses reveal how recovery is controlled by the island’s hydrology. These also allow evaluation of the efficacy of basic water-quality management/mitigation alternatives and elucidate how groundwater withdrawal and timing of the seawater-flooding event affect the length of recovery. Simulations show that, as might be expected, by adding surplus captured rainwater as artificial recharge, the freshwater-lens recovery period (after which potable groundwater may again be produced) can be shortened, with groundwater salinity remaining lower even during the dry season, a period during which no artificial recharge is applied. Simulations also show that the recovery period is not lengthened appreciably by groundwater withdrawals during recovery. Simulations further show that had the flooding event occurred at the start of the wet season, the recovery period would have been about 25% (5.5 months) shorter than actually occurred during the monitored flood that occurred at the dry-season start. Finally, analyses show that artificial recharge improves freshwater-lens water quality, making possible longer

  7. Enhancing Uranium Uptake by Amidoxime Adsorbent in Seawater: An investigation for optimum alkaline conditioning parameters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Das, S.; Tsouris, Constantinos; Zhang, C.

    2016-04-20

    A high-surface-area polyethylene-fiber adsorbent (AF160-2) has been developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid. The grafted nitriles were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with potassium hydroxide (KOH) by varying different reaction parameters such as KOH concentration (0.2, 0.44, and 0.6 M), duration (1, 2, and 3 h), and temperature (60, 70, and 80 ºC). Adsorbent screening was then performed with simulated seawater solutions containing sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, at concentrations found in seawater, and uranium nitrate at a uranium concentrationmore » of ~ 7-8 ppm and pH 8. FTIR and solid state NMR indicated that a fraction of amidoxime groups was hydrolyzed to carboxylate during KOH conditioning. The uranium adsorption capacity in the simulated seawater screening solution gradually increased with conditioning time and temperature for all KOH concentrations. It was also observed that the adsorption capacity increased with an increase in concentration of KOH for all the conditioning times and temperatures. AF160-2 adsorbent samples were also tested with natural seawater using flow-through experiments to determine uranium adsorption capacity with varying KOH conditioning time and temperature. Based on uranium loading capacity values of several AF160-2 samples, it was observed that changing KOH conditioning time from 3 to 1 h at 60, 70, and 80 ºC resulted in increase of the uranium loading capacity in seawater, which did not follow the trend found in laboratory screening with stimulated solutions. Longer KOH conditioning times lead to significantly higher uptake of divalent metal ions, such as calcium and magnesium, which is a result of amidoxime conversion into less selective carboxylate. Scanning electron microscopy showed that long conditioning times may also lead to adsorbent

  8. Eco-friendly Energy Storage System: Seawater and Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jae-Kwang; Mueller, Franziska; Kim, Hyojin; Jeong, Sangsik; Park, Jeong-Sun; Passerini, Stefano; Kim, Youngsik

    2016-01-08

    As existing battery technologies struggle to meet the requirements for widespread use in the field of large-scale energy storage, novel concepts are urgently needed concerning batteries that have high energy densities, low costs, and high levels of safety. Here, a novel eco-friendly energy storage system (ESS) using seawater and an ionic liquid is proposed for the first time; this represents an intermediate system between a battery and a fuel cell, and is accordingly referred to as a hybrid rechargeable cell. Compared to conventional organic electrolytes, the ionic liquid electrolyte significantly enhances the cycle performance of the seawater hybrid rechargeable system, acting as a very stable interface layer between the Sn-C (Na storage) anode and the NASICON (Na3 Zr2 Si2 PO12) ceramic solid electrolyte, making this system extremely promising for cost-efficient and environmentally friendly large-scale energy storage. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. In vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and the mineral glushinskite by fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolo, K.; Claeys, Ph.

    2005-10-01

    This study investigates the in vitro formation of Ca-oxalates and glushinskite through fungal interaction with carbonate substrates and seawater as a process of biologically induced metal recycling and neo-mineral formation. The study also emphasizes the role of the substrates as metal donors. In the first experiment, thin sections prepared from dolomitic rock samples of Terwagne Formation (Carboniferous, Viséan, northern France) served as substrates. The thin sections placed in Petri dishes were exposed to fungi grown from naturally existing airborne spores. In the second experiment, fungal growth and mineral formation was monitored using only standard seawater (SSW) as a substrate. Fungal growth media consisted of a high protein/carbohydrates and sugar diet with demineralized water for irrigation. Fungal growth process reached completion under uncontrolled laboratory conditions. The newly formed minerals and textural changes caused by fungal attack on the carbonate substrates were investigated using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The fungal interaction and attack on the dolomitic and seawater substrates resulted in the formation of Ca-oxalates (weddellite CaC2O4·2(H2O), whewellite (CaC2O4·(H2O)) and glushinskite MgC2O4·2(H2O) associated with the destruction of the original hard substrates and their replacement by the new minerals. Both of Ca and Mg were mobilized from the experimental substrates by fungi. This metal mobilization involved a recycling of substrate metals into newly formed minerals. The biochemical and diagenetic results of the interaction strongly marked the attacked substrates with a biological fingerprint. Such fingerprints are biomarkers of primitive life. The formation of glushinskite is of specific importance that is related, besides its importance as a biomineral bearing a recycled Mg, to the possibility of its transformation through diagenetic pathway into an Mg carbonate

  10. Tanshinone IIA suppresses lung injury and apoptosis, and modulates protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase pathways in rats challenged with seawater exposure.

    PubMed

    Li, Jia-Huan; Xu, Min; Xie, Xiao-Yan; Fan, Qi-Xin; Mu, De-Guang; Zhang, Yong; Cao, Fa-Le; Wang, Yan-Xia; Zhao, Peng-Tao; Zhang, Bo; Jin, Fa-Guang; Li, Zhi-Chao

    2011-04-01

    1. Tanshinone IIA (TIIA) is one of the main active components of the Chinese herb, Danshen. In the present study, we investigated the role of apoptosis in seawater exposure-induced acute lung injury (ALI), and explored the effects of TIIA on lung injury, apoptosis, and protein kinase B (Akt) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathways in seawater-challenged rats. The rats were randomly divided into four groups: (i) naive group, no drug was given; (ii) TIIA control group, TIIA (50 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally; (iii) seawater (SW) group, seawater (4 mL/kg) was given; and (iv) TIIA/SW group, TIIA (50 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 10 min after seawater instillation. 2. The results showed that TIIA treatment significantly improved seawater exposure-induced lung histopathological changes, alleviated the decrease in PaO(2) , and reduced lung oedema, vascular leakage and cell infiltration. As shown by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) assay, seawater exposure induced apoptosis in lung tissue cells. Furthermore, seawater exposure also changed apoptosis-related factors Bcl-2 and caspase-3, and caused a reduction in the activation of Akt and ERK1/2 pathways. Furthermore, TIIA treatment decreased the number of apoptotic cells, reversed changes in Bcl-2 and caspase-3, and upregulated the activation of Akt and ERK1/2 in seawater-challenged rats. 3. In conclusion, the data suggest that apoptosis might play an important role in seawater exposure-induced lung injury and that TIIA could significantly attenuate the severity of ALI and apoptosis in seawater-challenged rats, which is possibly through modulation of Akt and ERK1/2 pathways. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  11. Surface Functionalized Nanostructured Ceramic Sorbents for the Effective Collection and Recovery of Uranium from Seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chouyyok, Wilaiwan; Pittman, Jonathan W.; Warner, Marvin G.

    2016-05-02

    The ability to collect uranium from seawater offers the potential for a nearly limitless fuel supply for nuclear energy. We evaluated the use of functionalized nanostructured sorbents for the collection and recovery of uranium from seawater. Extraction of trace minerals from seawater and brines is challenging due to the high ionic strength of seawater, low mineral concentrations, and fouling of surfaces over time. We demonstrate that rationally assembled sorbent materials that integrate high affinity surface chemistry and high surface area nanostructures into an application relevant micro/macro structure enables collection performance that far exceeds typical sorbent materials. High surface area nanostructuredmore » silica with surface chemistries composed of phosphonic acid, phosphonates, 3,4 hydroxypyridinone, and EDTA showed superior performance for uranium collection. A few phosphorous-based commercial resins, specifically Diphonix and Ln Resin, also performed well. We demonstrate an effective and environmentally benign method of stripping the uranium from the high affinity sorbents using inexpensive nontoxic carbonate solutions. The cyclic use of preferred sorbents and acidic reconditioning of materials was shown to improve performance. Composite thin films composed of the nanostructured sorbents and a porous polymer binder are shown to have excellent kinetics and good capacity while providing an effective processing configuration for trace mineral recovery from solutions. Initial work using the composite thin films shows significant improvements in processing capacity over the previously reported sorbent materials.« less

  12. Corrosion of carbon steel by bacteria from North Sea offshore seawater injection systems: laboratory investigation.

    PubMed

    Stipanicev, Marko; Turcu, Florin; Esnault, Loïc; Rosas, Omar; Basseguy, Régine; Sztyler, Magdalena; Beech, Iwona B

    2014-06-01

    Influence of sulfidogenic bacteria, from a North Sea seawater injection system, on the corrosion of S235JR carbon steel was studied in a flow bioreactor; operating anaerobically for 100days with either inoculated or filtrated seawater. Deposits formed on steel placed in reactors contained magnesium and calcium minerals plus iron sulfide. The dominant biofilm-forming organism was an anaerobic bacterium, genus Caminicella, known to produce hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Open Circuit Potentials (OCP) of steel in the reactors was, for nearly the entire test duration, in the range -800seawater though they varied significantly on both reactors. Initial and final corrosion rates were virtually identical, namely initial 1/(Rp/Ω)=2×10(-6)±5×10(-7) and final 1/(Rp/Ω)=1.1×10(-5)±2.5×10(-6). Measured data, including electrochemical noise transients and statistical parameters (0.0545), suggested pitting on steel samples within the inoculated environment. However, the actual degree of corrosion could neither be directly correlated with the electrochemical data and nor with the steel corrosion in the filtrated seawater environment. Further laboratory tests are thought to clarify the noticed apparent discrepancies. © 2013.

  13. Assessment of parasitic pollution in the coastal seawater of Gaza city

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The main objective of the study was the assessment of the prevalence and the identification of species of human gastrointestinal parasites as an indicator of the pollution of the seashore of Gaza City. Methods The investigation was conducted by analysis of the parasitic contamination of seawater along the study area. A total of 52 samples of seawater were analyzed during the summer period; from June to October 2011. The study area was divided into six zones (A, B, C, D, E and F) according to specific criteria such as the presence of the wastewater discharge points and other geographical characteristics. Results The results show that about 48% of the seawater samples from the shoreline region of Gaza City were contaminated with parasites. Zones A, B and D (mouth of Wadi Gaza, Al Sheikh Ejleen discharge and Al Shalehat discharge points respectively) have the highest level of parasitic contamination, while, zones C and E (From Al-Baydar restaurant to Khalel Alwazer Mosque and the basin of the Gaza marina respectively) had a lower level of contamination and zone F (From the northern part of the Gaza marina to the Intelligence Building) was uncontaminated. The parasitic species found were: Ascaris lumbricoides, Giardia lamblia, Strongyloides stercoralis, Hymenolepis nana, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar and Cryptosporidium parvum. Conclusions The present study revealed a high level of contamination with parasites at most of the points which were investigated along the Gaza City coast line. PMID:24410999

  14. Geochemical Processes During Managed Aquifer Recharge With Desalinated Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganot, Y.; Holtzman, R.; Weisbrod, N.; Russak, A.; Katz, Y.; Kurtzman, D.

    2018-02-01

    We study geochemical processes along the variably-saturated zone during managed aquifer recharge (MAR) with reverse-osmosis desalinated seawater (DSW). The DSW, post-treated at the desalination plant by calcite dissolution (remineralization) to meet the Israeli water quality standards, is recharged into the Israeli Coastal Aquifer through an infiltration pond. Water quality monitoring during two MAR events using suction cups and wells inside the pond indicates that cation exchange is the dominant subsurface reaction, driven by the high Ca2+ concentration in the post-treated DSW. Stable isotope analysis shows that the shallow groundwater composition is similar to the recharged DSW, except for enrichment of Mg2+, Na+, Ca2+, and HCO3-. A calibrated variably-saturated reactive transport model is used to predict the geochemical evolution during 50 years of MAR for two water quality scenarios: (i) post-treated DSW (current practice) and (ii) soft DSW (lacking the remineralization post-treatment process). The latter scenario was aimed to test soil-aquifer-treatment (SAT) as an alternative post-treatment technique. Both scenarios provide an enrichment of ˜2.5 mg L-1 in Mg2+ due to cation exchange, compared to practically zero Mg2+ currently found in the Israeli DSW. Simulations of the alternative SAT scenario provide Ca2+ and HCO3- remineralization due to calcite dissolution at levels that meet the Israeli standard for DSW. The simulated calcite content reduction in the sediments below the infiltration pond after 50 years of MAR was low (<1%). Our findings suggest that remineralization using SAT for DSW is a potentially sustainable practice at MAR sites overlying calcareous sandy aquifers.

  15. Effects of seawater pCO2 and temperature on calcification and productivity in the coral genus Porites spp.: an exploration of potential interaction mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cole, C.; Finch, A. A.; Hintz, C.; Hintz, K.; Allison, N.

    2018-06-01

    Understanding how rising seawater pCO2 and temperatures impact coral aragonite accretion is essential for predicting the future of reef ecosystems. Here, we report 2 long-term (10-11 month) studies assessing the effects of temperature (25 and 28 °C) and both high and low seawater pCO2 (180-750 μatm) on the calcification, photosynthesis and respiration of individual massive Porites spp. genotypes. Calcification rates were highly variable between genotypes, but high seawater pCO2 reduced calcification significantly in 4 of 7 genotypes cultured at 25 °C but in only 1 of 4 genotypes cultured at 28 °C. Increasing seawater temperature enhanced calcification in almost all corals, but the magnitude of this effect was seawater pCO2 dependent. The 3 °C temperature increase enhanced calcification rate on average by 3% at 180 μatm, by 35% at 260 μatm and by > 300% at 750 μatm. The rate increase at high seawater pCO2 exceeds that observed in inorganic aragonites. Responses of gross/net photosynthesis and respiration to temperature and seawater pCO2 varied between genotypes, but rates of all these processes were reduced at the higher seawater temperature. Increases in seawater temperature, below the thermal stress threshold, may mitigate against ocean acidification in this coral genus, but this moderation is not mediated by an increase in net photosynthesis. The response of coral calcification to temperature cannot be explained by symbiont productivity or by thermodynamic and kinetic influences on aragonite formation.

  16. Influence of Magnesium Ions in the Seawater Environment on the Improvement of the Corrosion Resistance of Low-Chromium-Alloy Steel.

    PubMed

    Song, Sol-Ji; Kim, Jung-Gu

    2018-01-20

    This study examined the synergic effect of alloying the element Cr and the environmental element Mg 2+ ions on the corrosion property of a low-alloy steel in seawater at 60 °C, by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear polarization resistance (LPR) tests and weight-loss tests. The Mg 2+ ions in seawater played an important role in lowering the electron transfer of the rust layer in the Cr-containing steel. The corrosion resistance of the Cr-containing steel is superior to that of blank steel in Mg 2+ ions containing seawater. XPS and XRD results indicated that the formation of MgFe₂O₄ and a mixed layer (Cr oxide + FeCr₂O₄ + MgCr₂O₄) improved the corrosion resistance of the low-alloy steel in the seawater.

  17. Ion chromatography for determination of nitrite and nitrate in seawater using monolithic ODS columns.

    PubMed

    Ito, Kazuaki; Takayama, Yohichi; Makabe, Nobuyuki; Mitsui, Ryo; Hirokawa, Takeshi

    2005-08-12

    A fast and highly sensitive ion chromatographic method using monolithic ODS columns was developed for the determination of nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) in seawater. Two monolithic ODS columns (50 mm x 4.6 mm i.d. + 100 mm x 4.6 mm i.d.) connected in series were coated and equilibrated with 5 mM cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) aqueous solution. The column efficiency with 0.5 M NaCl as the mobile phase did not decrease in spite of the increase in flow rate of the mobile phase. Thus, good chromatograms were obtained within 3 minutes for NO2- and NO3 in artificial seawater without interferences by coexisting ions. The detection limit (S/N = 3) with UV detection at 225 nm was 0.8 and 1.6 microg/L for NO2- and NO3-, respectively. The characteristics of the monolithic CTA(+)-coated ODS columns were discussed. The present method was successfully applied to the fast and sensitive determination of NO2- and NO3- in real seawater samples.

  18. Design and Implementation of a Coastal-Mounted Sensor for Oil Film Detection on Seawater

    PubMed Central

    Hou, Yongchao; Li, Ying; Liu, Yu; Wang, Tong

    2017-01-01

    The routine surveillance of oil spills in major ports is important. However, existing techniques and sensors are unable to trace oil and micron-thin oil films on the surface of seawater. Therefore, we designed and studied a coastal-mounted sensor, using ultraviolet-induced fluorescence and fluorescence-filter systems (FFSs), to monitor oil spills and overcome the disadvantages of traditional surveillance systems. Using seawater from the port of Lingshui (Yellow Sea, China) and six oil samples of different types, we found that diesel oil’s relative fluorescence intensity (RFI) was significantly higher than those of heavy fuel and crude oils in the 180–300 nm range—in the 300–400 nm range, the RFI value of diesel is far lower. The heavy fuel and crude oils exhibited an opposite trend in their fluorescence spectra. A photomultiplier tube, employed as the fluorescence detection unit, efficiently monitored different oils on seawater in field experiments. On-site tests indicated that this sensor system could be used as a coastal-mounted early-warning detection system for oil spills. PMID:29283412

  19. The Thermodynamics of the Carbonate System in Seawater,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-03-08

    ionization of water at various water by potentiometric titration . Deep-Sea Res. 17, temperatures from molal volume data. J. Soln. Chem. 737-750. 1... titration alkalinity, AT, givcn by not available at low salinities and molal volume cal- A, = [HCO/] + 2[CO2-] + [B(OH-] culations (MILLERO et al...used to characterize obtained by a computer titration improves, pH the parameters of the carbonate system in seawater. measurements should be made. This

  20. Understanding Marine Biocorrosion: Experiments with Artificial and Natural Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-11-04

    study of microbiologically infl uenced marine corrosion (MIMC) and the consideration of nutrients for microorganisms. Recent MIMC investigations have...conclusion of the experiment the concentration of sulphide was below the detection limit (Figure 13.3 ). Generally, KW seawater had higher numbers of...sulphides. Supporting their hypothesis, diagnostic catechols, which are known aerobic degradation products of hydrocarbons, were detected in the NRL

  1. Retrieving marine inherent optical properties from satellites using temperature and salinity-dependent backscattering by seawater.

    PubMed

    Werdell, P Jeremy; Franz, Bryan A; Lefler, Jason T; Robinson, Wayne D; Boss, Emmanuel

    2013-12-30

    Time-series of marine inherent optical properties (IOPs) from ocean color satellite instruments provide valuable data records for studying long-term time changes in ocean ecosystems. Semi-analytical algorithms (SAAs) provide a common method for estimating IOPs from radiometric measurements of the marine light field. Most SAAs assign constant spectral values for seawater absorption and backscattering, assume spectral shape functions of the remaining constituent absorption and scattering components (e.g., phytoplankton, non-algal particles, and colored dissolved organic matter), and retrieve the magnitudes of each remaining constituent required to match the spectral distribution of measured radiances. Here, we explore the use of temperature- and salinity-dependent values for seawater backscattering in lieu of the constant spectrum currently employed by most SAAs. Our results suggest that use of temperature- and salinity-dependent seawater spectra elevate the SAA-derived particle backscattering, reduce the non-algal particles plus colored dissolved organic matter absorption, and leave the derived absorption by phytoplankton unchanged.

  2. Retrieving Marine Inherent Optical Properties from Satellites Using Temperature and Salinity-dependent Backscattering by Seawater

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werdell, Paul J.; Franz, Bryan Alden; Lefler, Jason Travis; Robinson, Wayne D.; Boss, Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    Time-series of marine inherent optical properties (IOPs) from ocean color satellite instruments provide valuable data records for studying long-term time changes in ocean ecosystems. Semi-analytical algorithms (SAAs) provide a common method for estimating IOPs from radiometric measurements of the marine light field. Most SAAs assign constant spectral values for seawater absorption and backscattering, assume spectral shape functions of the remaining constituent absorption and scattering components (e.g., phytoplankton, non-algal particles, and colored dissolved organic matter), and retrieve the magnitudes of each remaining constituent required to match the spectral distribution of measured radiances. Here, we explore the use of temperature- and salinity-dependent values for seawater backscattering in lieu of the constant spectrum currently employed by most SAAs. Our results suggest that use of temperature- and salinity-dependent seawater spectra elevate the SAA-derived particle backscattering, reduce the non-algal particles plus colored dissolved organic matter absorption, and leave the derived absorption by phytoplankton unchanged.

  3. Documentation of the seawater intrusion (SWI2) package for MODFLOW

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bakker, Mark; Schaars, Frans; Hughes, Joseph D.; Langevin, Christian D.; Dausman, Alyssa M.

    2013-01-01

    The SWI2 Package is the latest release of the Seawater Intrusion (SWI) Package for MODFLOW. The SWI2 Package allows three-dimensional vertically integrated variable-density groundwater flow and seawater intrusion in coastal multiaquifer systems to be simulated using MODFLOW-2005. Vertically integrated variable-density groundwater flow is based on the Dupuit approximation in which an aquifer is vertically discretized into zones of differing densities, separated from each other by defined surfaces representing interfaces or density isosurfaces. The numerical approach used in the SWI2 Package does not account for diffusion and dispersion and should not be used where these processes are important. The resulting differential equations are equivalent in form to the groundwater flow equation for uniform-density flow. The approach implemented in the SWI2 Package allows density effects to be incorporated into MODFLOW-2005 through the addition of pseudo-source terms to the groundwater flow equation without the need to solve a separate advective-dispersive transport equation. Vertical and horizontal movement of defined density surfaces is calculated separately using a combination of fluxes calculated through solution of the groundwater flow equation and a simple tip and toe tracking algorithm. Use of the SWI2 Package in MODFLOW-2005 only requires the addition of a single additional input file and modification of boundary heads to freshwater heads referenced to the top of the aquifer. Fluid density within model layers can be represented using zones of constant density (stratified flow) or continuously varying density (piecewise linear in the vertical direction) in the SWI2 Package. The main advantage of using the SWI2 Package instead of variable-density groundwater flow and dispersive solute transport codes, such as SEAWAT and SUTRA, is that fewer model cells are required for simulations using the SWI2 Package because every aquifer can be represented by a single layer of cells

  4. Net Loss of CaCO3 from a subtropical calcifying community due to seawater acidification: Mesocosm-scale experimental evidence

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Andersson, A.J.; Kuffner, I.B.; MacKenzie, F.T.; Jokiel, P.L.; Rodgers, K.S.; Tan, A.

    2009-01-01

    Acidification of seawater owing to oceanic uptake of atmospheric CO 2 originating from human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and land-use changes has raised serious concerns regarding its adverse effects on corals and calcifying communities. Here we demonstrate a net loss of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) material as a result of decreased calcification and increased carbonate dissolution from replicated subtropical coral reef communities (N=3) incubated in continuous-flow mesocosms subject to future seawater conditions. The calcifying community was dominated by the coral Montipora capitata. Daily average community calcification or Net Ecosystem Calcification (NECC=CaCO3 production - dissolution) was positive at 3.3 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1 under ambient seawater pCO2 conditions as opposed to negative at -0.04 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1 under seawater conditions of double the ambient pCO2. These experimental results provide support for the conclusion that some net calcifying communities could become subject to net dissolution in response to anthropogenic ocean acidification within this century. Nevertheless, individual corals remained healthy, actively calcified (albeit slower than at present rates), and deposited significant amounts of CaCO3 under the prevailing experimental seawater conditions of elevated pCO2.

  5. Gill Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter abundance and location in Atlantic salmon: Effects of seawater and smolting

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pelis, Ryan M.; Zydlewski, Joseph D.; McCormick, Stephen D.

    2001-01-01

    Na+-K+-2Cl−cotransporter abundance and location was examined in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during seawater acclimation and smolting. Western blots revealed three bands centered at 285, 160, and 120 kDa. The Na+-K+-2Cl−cotransporter was colocalized with Na+-K+-ATPase to chloride cells on both the primary filament and secondary lamellae. Parr acclimated to 30 parts per thousand seawater had increased gill Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter abundance, large and numerous Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter immunoreactive chloride cells on the primary filament, and reduced numbers on the secondary lamellae. Gill Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter levels were low in presmolts (February) and increased 3.3-fold in smolts (May), coincident with elevated seawater tolerance. Cotransporter levels decreased below presmolt values in postsmolts in freshwater (June). The size and number of immunoreactive chloride cells on the primary filament increased threefold during smolting and decreased in postsmolts. Gill Na+-K+-ATPase activity and Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter abundance increased in parallel during both seawater acclimation and smolting. These data indicate a direct role of the Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter in salt secretion by gill chloride cells of teleost fish.

  6. An Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor-Membrane Distillation System for Simultaneous Wastewater Reuse and Seawater Desalination: Performance and Implications.

    PubMed

    Luo, Wenhai; Phan, Hop V; Li, Guoxue; Hai, Faisal I; Price, William E; Elimelech, Menachem; Nghiem, Long D

    2017-12-19

    In this study, we demonstrate the potential of an osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR)-membrane distillation (MD) hybrid system for simultaneous wastewater reuse and seawater desalination. A stable OMBR water flux of approximately 6 L m -2 h -1 was achieved when using MD to regenerate the seawater draw solution. Water production by the MD process was higher than that from OMBR to desalinate additional seawater and thus account for draw solute loss due to the reverse salt flux. Amplicon sequencing on the Miseq Illumina platform evidenced bacterial acclimatization to salinity build-up in the bioreactor, though there was a reduction in the bacterial community diversity. In particular, 18 halophilic and halotolerant bacterial genera were identified with notable abundance in the bioreactor. Thus, the effective biological treatment was maintained during OMBR-MD operation. By coupling biological treatment and two high rejection membrane processes, the OMBR-MD hybrid system could effectively remove (>90%) all 30 trace organic contaminants of significant concern investigated here and produce high quality water. Nevertheless, further study is necessary to address MD membrane fouling due to the accumulation of organic matter, particularly protein- and humic-like substances, in seawater draw solution.

  7. Paleozoic and Mesozoic silica-rich seawater: Evidence from hematitic chert (jasper) deposits

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Grenne, Tor; Slack, J.F.

    2003-01-01

    Laterally extensive beds of highly siliceous, hematitic chert (jasper) are associated with many volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of Late Cambrian to Early Cretaceous age, yet are unknown in analogous younger (including modern) settings. Textural studies suggest that VMS-related jaspers in the Ordovician Løkken ophiolite of Norway were originally deposited as Si- and Fe-rich gels that precipitated from hydrothermal plumes as colloidal silica and iron-oxyhydroxide particles. Rare earth element patterns and Ge/Si ratios of the jaspers reflect precipitation from plumes having seawater dilution factors of 103 to 104, similar to modern examples. We propose that silica in the ancient jaspers is not derived from submarine hydrothermal fluids-as suggested by previous workers-but instead was deposited from silic-rich sea-water. Flocculation and precipitation of the silica were triggered inorganically by the bridging effect of positively charged iron oxyhydroxides in the hydrothermal plume. A model involving amorphous silica (opal-A) precursors to the jaspers suggests that silica contents of Cambrian-Early Cretaceous oceans were at least 110 mg/L SiO2, compared to values of 40-60 mg/L SiO2 estimated in other studies. The evolution of ancient silica-rich to modern Fe-rich precipitates in submarine-hydrothermal plumes reflects a changeover from silica-saturated to silica-depleted seawater through Phanerozoic time, due mainly to ocean-wide emergence of diatoms in the Cretaceous.

  8. Determination of strontium-90 from direct separation of yttrium-90 by solid phase extraction using DGA Resin for seawater monitoring.

    PubMed

    Tazoe, Hirofumi; Obata, Hajime; Yamagata, Takeyasu; Karube, Zin'ichi; Nagai, Hisao; Yamada, Masatoshi

    2016-05-15

    It is important for public safety to monitor strontium-90 in aquatic environments in the vicinity of nuclear related facilities. Strontium-90 concentrations in seawater exceeding the background level have been observed in accidents of nuclear facilities. However, the analytical procedure for measuring strontium-90 in seawater is highly demanding. Here we show a simple and high throughput analytical technique for the determination of strontium-90 in seawater samples using a direct yttrium-90 separation. The DGA Resin is used to determine the abundance of strontium-90 by detecting yttrium-90 decay (beta-emission) in secular equilibrium. The DGA Resin can selectively collect yttrium-90 and remove naturally occurring radionuclides such as (40)K, (210)Pb, (214)Bi, (238)U, and (232)Th and anthropogenic radionuclides such as (140)Ba, and (140)La. Through a sample separation procedure, a high chemical yield of yttrium-90 was achieved at 95.5±2.3%. The result of IAEA-443 certified seawater analysis (107.7±3.4 mBq kg(-1)) was in good agreement with the certified value (110±5 mBq kg(-1)). By developed method, we can finish analyzing 8 samples per day after achieving secular equilibrium, which is a reasonably fast throughput in actual seawater monitoring. By processing 3 L of seawater sample and applying a counting time of 20 h, minimum detectable activity can be as low as 1.5 mBq kg(-1), which could be applied to monitoring for the contaminated marine environment. Reproducibility was found to be 3.4% according to 10 independent analyses of natural seawater samples from the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in September 2013. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Application of a bacterial whole cell biosensor for the rapid detection of cytotoxicity in heavy metal contaminated seawater.

    PubMed

    Cui, Zhisong; Luan, Xiao; Jiang, Huichao; Li, Qian; Xu, Guangfei; Sun, Chengjun; Zheng, Li; Song, Yizhi; Davison, Paul A; Huang, Wei E

    2018-06-01

    A toxicity biosensor Acinetobacter baylyi Tox2 was constructed with the host strain A. baylyi ADP1 harboring a new and medium-copy-number plasmid pWH1274_lux, and was applied to detect the cytotoxicity of heavy metal contaminated seawater. The gene cassette luxCDABE was controlled by constitutively expressed promoter P tet on pWH1274_lux and the bioluminescence intensity of the biosensor reduces in proportional to the concentrations of toxic compounds. A. baylyi Tox2 exhibits tolerance to salinity, hence it is applicable to seawater samples. A. baylyi Tox2 and Mugilogobius chulae were exposed to different concentrations of heavy metals (Hg 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Cd 2+ ) in artificial seawater for performance comparison and Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation (p < 0.01) between A. baylyi Tox2 toxicity detection and the fish (M. chulae) exposure test. This suggests that the performance of A. baylyi Tox2 is comparable to the conventional fish toxicity test in terms of cytotoxicity detection of heavy metal contaminated seawater. Furthermore, A. baylyi Tox2 was used to evaluate cytotoxicity of field-collected seawater samples. The results indicate that there was a significant correlation between the luminescence inhibition ratio (IR) of A. baylyi Tox2 and heavy metal concentrations detected by ICP-MS in the samples. Two seawater samples, which contained a high concentration of total heavy metals, exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than the samples containing low concentrations of heavy metals. In conclusion, A. baylyi Tox2 can be used as an alternative tool to aquatic animals for the evaluation of the cytotoxicity of heavy metal contamination in the marine environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Progress on Oceanographic Tables and Standards 1983-1986: Work and Recommendations of the Unesco/SCOR/ICES/IAPSO Joint Panel. Unesco Technical Papers in Marine Science No. 50.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Marine Sciences.

    The present document covers activities carried out by and under the auspices of the Joint Panel on Oceanographic Tables and Standards (JPOTS) over the period of 1983-1986. The first part is the report of the Chairman of JPOTS on the activities of the Panel during the period 1983-1985. Two major topics were considered by the Panel: (1) the…

  11. Development of procedure for measurement of Pb isotope ratios in seawater by application of seaFAST sample pre-treatment system and Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vassileva, Emilia; Wysocka, Irena

    2016-12-01

    Anthropogenic Pb in the oceans, derived from high-temperature industrial processes, fuel combustion and incineration can have an isotopic signature distinct from naturally occurring Pb, supplied by rock weathering. To identify the different pollution sources accurately and to quantify their relative contributions, Pb isotope ratios are widely used. Due to the high salt content (approximately 3.5% of total dissolved solids) and very low levels of Pb (typically from 1 to 100 ng L- 1) in seawater the determination of Pb isotope ratios requires preliminary matrix separation and analyte preconcentration. An analytical protocol for the measurements of Pb isotope ratios in seawater combining seaFAST sample pre-treatment system and Sector Field Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (SF ICP-MS) was developed. The application of seaFAST system was advantageous, because of its completely closed working cycle and small volumes of chemicals introduced in pre-treatment step, resulting in very low detection limits and procedural blanks. The preconcentration/matrix separation step was also of crucial importance for minimizing the isobaric and matrix interferences, coming from the seawater. In order to differentiate between anthropogenic and natural Pb sources, particular attention was paid to the determination of 204Pb isotope because of its implication in some geological interpretations. The validation of the analytical procedure was effectuated according to the recommendations of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The method was validated by processing the common Pb isotope reference material NIST SRM 981. All major sources of uncertainty were identified and propagated together following the ISO/GUM guidelines. The estimation of the total uncertainty associated to each measurement result was fundamental tool for sorting the main sources of possible biases. The developed analytical procedure was applied to the coastal and open seawater samples, collected in different regions of

  12. Combined effects of seawater acidification and salinity changes in Ruditapes philippinarum.

    PubMed

    Velez, Catia; Figueira, Etelvina; Soares, Amadeu M V M; Freitas, Rosa

    2016-07-01

    Due to human activities, predictions for the coming years indicate increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (rainy and drought periods) and pollution levels, leading to salinity shifts and ocean acidification. Therefore, several authors have assessed the effects of seawater salinity shifts and pH decrease on marine bivalves, but most of these studies evaluated the impacts of both factors independently. Since pH and salinity may act together in the environment, and their impacts may differ from their effects when acting alone, there is an urgent need to increase our knowledge when these environmental changes act in combination. Thus, the present study assessed the effects of seawater acidification and salinity changes, both acting alone and in combination, on the physiological (condition index, Na and K concentrations) and biochemical (oxidative stress related biomarkers) performance of Ruditapes philippinarum. For that, specimens of R. philippinarum were exposed for 28days to the combination of different pH levels (7.8 and 7.3) and salinities (14, 28 and 35). The results obtained showed that under control pH (7.8) and low salinity (14) the physiological status and biochemical performance of clams was negatively affected, revealing oxidative stress. However, under the same pH and at salinities 28 and 35 clams were able to maintain/regulate their physiological status and biochemical performance. Moreover, our findings showed that clams under low pH (7.3) and different salinities were able to maintain their physiological status and biochemical performance, suggesting that the low pH tested may mask the negative effects of salinity. Our results further demonstrated that, in general, at each salinity, similar physiological and biochemical responses were found in clams under both tested pH levels. Also, individuals under low pH (salinities 14, 28 and 25) and exposed to pH 7.8 and salinity 28 (control) tend to present a similar response pattern. These

  13. Seawater Circulation and Thermal Sink at OCEAN Ridges - FIELD Evidence in Oman Ophiolite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicolas, A. A.; Boudier, F. I.; Cathles, L. M.; Buck, W. R.; Celerier, B. P.

    2014-12-01

    Exceptionally, the lowermost gabbros in the Oman ophiolite are black and totally fresh, except for minute traces of impregnation by seawater fluids at very high temperature (~1000°C). These black gabbros sharply contrast with normal, whitish gabbros altered down to Low-T~500-350°C. These hydrous alterations are ascribed to an unconventional model of seawater circulation and cooling of the permanent magma chambers of fast spreading ocean ridges. In this model, gabbros issued from the magma chamber cross a ~100 m thick thermal boundary layer (TBL) before reaching a narrow, Low-T high permeability channel where the heated return seawater is flowing towards black smokers and the local gabbros are altered. Uprising mantle diapirs in Oman diverge at ~5 km on each side of the palaeo-ridge axis and feed an overlying magma chamber that closes at this distance from axis. Preservation of black gabbros along the Moho implies that the loop of seawater alteration locally does not reach Moho beyond this ~5km distance (otherwise black gabbros would be altered in whitish gabbros). This defines an internal "thermal sink" within ~5 km to the ridge axis. There, the sink is efficiently cooled by the active hydrothermal convection that is ridge transverse. This has been documented near the Galapagos ridge by marine geophysical data, within the same distance. Beyond this critical distance, the cooling system becomes dominantly conductive and ridge-parallel. The TBL and attached return flow channels must be rising into the overcooled, accreted crust. Beyond the thermal sink, the 500°C isotherm rebounds into the crust. It is only after ~ 1My of crustal drift that this isotherm penetrates into the uppermost mantle in a sustained fashion, developing serpentinites at the expense of peridotites.

  14. Influence of Magnesium Ions in the Seawater Environment on the Improvement of the Corrosion Resistance of Low-Chromium-Alloy Steel

    PubMed Central

    Song, Sol-Ji; Kim, Jung-Gu

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the synergic effect of alloying the element Cr and the environmental element Mg2+ ions on the corrosion property of a low-alloy steel in seawater at 60 °C, by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear polarization resistance (LPR) tests and weight-loss tests. The Mg2+ ions in seawater played an important role in lowering the electron transfer of the rust layer in the Cr-containing steel. The corrosion resistance of the Cr-containing steel is superior to that of blank steel in Mg2+ ions containing seawater. XPS and XRD results indicated that the formation of MgFe2O4 and a mixed layer (Cr oxide + FeCr2O4 + MgCr2O4) improved the corrosion resistance of the low-alloy steel in the seawater. PMID:29361710

  15. Barium-isotopic fractionation in seawater mediated by barite cycling and oceanic circulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horner, Tristan J.; Kinsley, Christopher W.; Nielsen, Sune G.

    2015-11-01

    The marine biogeochemical cycle of Ba is thought to be controlled by particulate BaSO4 (barite) precipitation associated with the microbial oxidation of organic carbon and its subsequent dissolution in the BaSO4-undersaturated water column. Despite many of these processes being largely unique to Ba cycling, concentrations of Ba and Si in seawater exhibit a strong linear correlation. The reasons for this correlation are ambiguous, as are the depth ranges corresponding to the most active BaSO4 cycling and the intermediate sources of Ba to particulate BaSO4. Stable isotopic analyses of dissolved Ba in seawater should help address these issues, as Ba-isotopic compositions are predicted to be sensitive to the physical and biogeochemical process that cycle Ba. We report a new methodology for the determination of dissolved Ba-isotopic compositions in seawater and results from a 4500 m depth profile in the South Atlantic at 39.99° S, 0.92° E that exhibit oceanographically-consistent variation with depth. These data reveal that water masses obtain their [Ba] and Ba-isotopic signatures when at or near the surface, which relates to the cycling of marine BaSO4. The shallow origin of these signatures requires that the substantial Ba-isotopic variations in the bathypelagic zone were inherited from when those deep waters were last ventilated. Indeed, the water column below 600 m is well explained by conservative mixing of water masses with distinct [Ba] and Ba-isotopic compositions. This leads us to conclude that large scale oceanic circulation is important for sustaining the similar oceanographic distributions of Ba and Si in the South Atlantic, and possibly elsewhere. These data demonstrate that the processes of organic carbon oxidation, BaSO4 cycling, and Ba-isotopic fractionation in seawater are closely coupled, such that Ba-isotopic analyses harbor great potential as a tracer of the carbon cycle in the modern and paleo-oceans.

  16. Assimilation of water and dietary ions by the gastrointestinal tract during digestion in seawater-acclimated rainbow trout.

    PubMed

    Bucking, Carol; Fitzpatrick, John L; Nadella, Sunita R; McGaw, Iain J; Wood, Chris M

    2011-07-01

    Recent studies focusing on the consequences of feeding for ion and water balance in freshwater fish have revealed the need for similar comparative studies in seawater fish. A detailed time course sampling of gastrointestinal (GI) tract contents following the ingestion of a single meal of a commercial diet revealed the assimilation of both water and dietary ions (Na(+), Cl(-), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+)) along the GI tract of seawater-acclimated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) which had been fasted for 1 week. Consumption of the meal did not change the drinking rate. There was a large secretion of fluid into the anterior intestine and caecae (presumably bile and/or pancreatic secretions). As a result, net assimilation (63%) of the ingested water along the GI tract was lower than generally reported for fasted trout. Mg(2+) was neither secreted into nor absorbed from the GI tract on a net basis. Only K(+) (93% assimilated) and Ca(2+) (43% assimilated) were absorbed in amounts in excess of those provided by ingested seawater, suggesting that dietary sources of K(+) and Ca(2+) may be important to seawater teleosts. The oesophagus-stomach served as a major site of absorption for Na(+), Cl(-), K(+), Ca(2+), and Mg(2+), and the anterior intestine and caecae as a major site of net secretion for all of these ions, except Cl(-). Despite large absorptive fluxes of these ions, the ionic composition of the plasma was maintained during the digestion of the meal. The results of the present study were compared with previous work on freshwater-acclimated rainbow trout, highlighting some important differences, but also several similarities on the assimilation of water and ions along the gastrointestinal tract during digestion. This study highlights the complicated array of ion and water transport that occurs in the intestine during digestion while revealing the importance of dietary K(+) and Ca(2+) to seawater-acclimated rainbow trout. Additionally, this study reveals that digestion

  17. A bacterial method for the nitrogen isotopic analysis of nitrate in seawater and freshwater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sigman, D.M.; Casciotti, K.L.; Andreani, M.; Barford, C.; Galanter, M.; Böhlke, J.K.

    2001-01-01

    We report a new method for measurement of the isotopic composition of nitrate (NO3-) at the natural-abundance level in both seawater and freshwater. The method is based on the isotopic analysis of nitrous oxide (N2O) generated from nitrate by denitrifying bacteria that lack N2O-reductase activity. The isotopic composition of both nitrogen and oxygen from nitrate are accessible in this way. In this first of two companion manuscripts, we describe the basic protocol and results for the nitrogen isotopes. The precision of the method is better than 0.2‰ (1 SD) at concentrations of nitrate down to 1 μM, and the nitrogen isotopic differences among various standards and samples are accurately reproduced. For samples with 1 μM nitrate or more, the blank of the method is less than 10% of the signal size, and various approaches may reduce it further.

  18. Survival of Poliovirus in Flowing Turbid Seawater Treated with Ultraviolet Light

    PubMed Central

    Hill, W. F.; Hamblet, F. E.; Akin, E. W.

    1967-01-01

    The effectiveness of a model ultraviolet (UV) radiation unit for treating flowing turbid seawater contaminated with poliovirus was determined. At a turbidity of 70 ppm, the observed survival ratios ranged from 1.9 × 10-3 (99.81% reduction) to 1.5 × 10-4 (99.98% reduction) at flow rates ranging from 25 to 15 liters/min; no virus was recovered at flow rates of 10 and 5 liters/min. At a turbidity of 240 ppm, the observed survival ratios ranged from 3.2 × 10-2 (96.80% reduction) to 2.1 × 10-4 (99.98% reduction) at flow rates ranging from 25 to 5 liters/min. As expected, turbidity had an adverse influence on the effectiveness of UV radiation; however, by adjusting the flow rate of the seawater through the treatment unit, adequate disinfection was shown to be predictable. Images Fig. 1 PMID:4291955

  19. Slow fatigue testing of titanium grade 29 in air and seawater

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Atteraas, L.; Hersvik, G.; Solbakken, H.

    1999-07-01

    ASTM Grade 29 titanium has been fatigue tested in air and seawater at 110 C at a low frequency. The possible influence of seawater is completely masked by the fact that all the specimens of welded titanium, and most of the parent metal samples, had internal fracture initiations. Compared to the parent metal, the welded pipe specimens (5G orbital TIG) had a significantly lower fatigue life at the relatively high cyclic stress levels employed ({sigma}{sub max} = 0.85 {sigma}{sub y}). This is attributed to the presence of pores. Fractographic studies of failed weld metal specimens indicate that the fracture initiationmore » takes place in the material immediately surrounding a pore, with an abrupt crack formation, marking the beginning of the crack growth phase. The duration of the crack initiation phase shows large variations, whereas the growth phase duration varies little.« less

  20. Adsorbent Alkali Conditioning for Uranium Adsorption from Seawater. Adsorbent Performance and Technology Cost Evaluation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tsouris, Costas; Mayes, Richard T.; Janke, Christopher James

    The Fuel Resources program of the Fuel Cycle Research and Development program of the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is focused on identifying and implementing actions to assure that nuclear fuel resources are available in the United States. An immense source of uranium is seawater, which contains an estimated amount of 4.5 billion tonnes of dissolved uranium. This unconventional resource can provide a price cap and ensure centuries of uranium supply for future nuclear energy production. NE initiated a multidisciplinary program with participants from national laboratories, universities, and research institutes to enable technical breakthroughs related to uranium recovery from seawater.more » The goal is to develop advanced adsorbents to reduce the seawater uranium recovery technology cost and uncertainties. Under this program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a new amidoxime-based adsorbent of high surface area, which tripled the uranium capacity of leading Japanese adsorbents. Parallel efforts have been focused on the optimization of the physicochemical and operating parameters used during the preparation of the adsorbent for deployment. A set of parameters that need to be optimized are related to the conditioning of the adsorbent with alkali solution, which is necessary prior to adsorbent deployment. Previous work indicated that alkali-conditioning parameters significantly affect the adsorbent performance. Initiated in 2014, this study had as a goal to determine optimal parameters such as base type and concentration, temperature, and duration of conditioning that maximize the uranium adsorption performance of amidoxime functionalized adsorbent, while keeping the cost of uranium production low. After base-treatment at various conditions, samples of adsorbent developed at ORNL were tested in this study with batch simulated seawater solution of 8-ppm uranium concentration, batch seawater spiked with uranium nitrate at 75-100 ppb uranium, and

  1. Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater and Hydrocarbon Production Therefrom

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-05

    extracted from the acidified seawater. Optionally, the ion exchange reaction can be conducted under conditions which produce hydrogen as well as carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide and hydrogen may be used to produce hydrocarbons.

  2. Simultaneous Extraction of Lithium and Hydrogen from Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-26

    chromatography . Anions were analyzed by Anion Ion Chromatography (Instrument Dionex ICS-1500, Column Dionex AS9-HC; AG9-HC Guard, eluent: 9.00 mM Na2CO3, flow...rate: 1.25 mL/min, and sample loop was 25 μL). Cations were analyzed by Cation Ion Chromatography (Instrument Dionex DX-500, Cation Column Dionex ...the amount was measured volumetrically. Ion chromatography : Ions in seawater diffused from/to the anode and cathode were determined by ion

  3. The isotope composition of inorganic germanium in seawater and deep sea sponges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guillermic, Maxence; Lalonde, Stefan V.; Hendry, Katharine R.; Rouxel, Olivier J.

    2017-09-01

    Although dissolved concentrations of germanium (Ge) and silicon (Si) in modern seawater are tightly correlated, uncertainties still exist in the modern marine Ge cycle. Germanium stable isotope systematics in marine systems should provide additional constraints on marine Ge sources and sinks, however the low concentration of Ge in seawater presents an analytical challenge for isotopic measurement. Here, we present a new method of pre-concentration of inorganic Ge from seawater which was applied to measure three Ge isotope profiles in the Southern Ocean and deep seawater from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Germanium isotopic measurements were performed on Ge amounts as low as 2.6 ng using a double-spike approach and a hydride generation system coupled to a MC-ICP-MS. Germanium was co-precipitated with iron hydroxide and then purified through anion-exchange chromatography. Results for the deep (i.e. >1000 m depth) Pacific Ocean off Hawaii (nearby Loihi Seamount) and the deep Atlantic off Bermuda (BATS station) showed nearly identical δ74/70Ge values at 3.19 ± 0.31‰ (2SD, n = 9) and 2.93 ± 0.10‰ (2SD, n = 2), respectively. Vertical distributions of Ge concentration and isotope composition in the deep Southern Ocean for water depth > 1300 m yielded an average δ74/70Ge = 3.13 ± 0.25‰ (2SD, n = 14) and Ge/Si = 0.80 ± 0.09 μmol/mol (2SD, n = 12). Significant variations in δ74/70Ge, from 2.62 to 3.71‰, were measured in the first 1000 m in one station of the Southern Ocean near Sars Seamount in the Drake Passage, with the heaviest values measured in surface waters. Isotope fractionation by diatoms during opal biomineralization may explain the enrichment in heavy isotopes for both Ge and Si in surface seawater. However, examination of both oceanographic parameters and δ74/70Ge values suggest also that water mass mixing and potential contribution of shelf-derived Ge also could contribute to the variations. Combining these results with new Ge isotope data

  4. Extraction of Uranium from Seawater: Design and Testing of a Symbiotic System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Slocum, Alex

    The U.S. Department of Energy in October 2014 awarded the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a Nuclear Energy University Program grant (DE-NE0008268) to investigate the design and testing of a symbiotic system to harvest uranium from seawater. As defined in the proposal, the goals for the project are: 1. Address the design of machines for seawater uranium mining. 2. Develop design rules for a uranium harvesting system that would be integrated into an offshore wind power tower. 3. Fabricate a 1/50th size scale prototype for bench and pool-testing to verify initial analysis and theory. 4. Design, build, and test amore » second 1/10th size scale prototype in the ocean for more comprehensive testing and validation. This report describes work done as part of DE-NE0008268 from 10/01/2014 to 11/30/2017 entitled, “Extraction of Uranium from Seawater: Design and Testing of a Symbiotic System.” This effort is part of the Seawater Uranium Recovery Program. This report details the publications and presentations to date on the project, an introduction to the project’s goals and background research into previous work done to achieve these goals thus far. From there, the report describes an algorithm developed during the project used to optimize the adsorption of uranium by changing mechanical parameters such as immersion time and adsorbent reuses is described. Next, a design tool developed as part of the project to determine the global feasibility of symbiotic uranium harvesting systems. Additionally, the report details work done on shell enclosures for uranium adsorption. Moving on, the results from the design, building, and testing of a 1/50th physical scale prototype of a highly feasible symbiotic uranium harvester is described. Then, the report describes the results from flume experiment used to determine the affect of enclosure shells on the uptake of uranium by the adsorbent they enclose. From there the report details the design of a Symbiotic Machine for

  5. Characterization and calibration of seawater intrusion models using electrical resistivity tomography (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, F. H.; Kemna, A.; Antonsson, A.; Engesgaard, P. K.; Beaujean, J.

    2009-12-01

    The urban development of coastal regions create seawater intrusion (SWI) problems which threatens groundwater quality and coastal ecosystems. To study SWI, one needs both robust measuring technologies, and reliable predictions. A key aspect in the calibration of SWI models involves reproducing measured groundwater chloride concentrations. Drilling such multi-screen wells to obtain a whole concentration profile is a risky task if reliable information about the position of the salt wedge is not available. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is increasingly being used to characterize seawater intrusion and constrain corresponding models, given its high sensitivity to ion concentration in groundwater and its relatively high spatial resolution. We have investigated the potential of ERT using field data from a site in Almeria, SE Spain and synthetic data. Simulations have been run for several scenarios, with a simple hydrogeological model reflecting the local site conditions. The simulations showed that only the lower salt concentrations of the seawater-freshwater transition zone could be recovered, due to the loss of resolution with depth. We quantified this capability in terms of image appraisal indicators (cumulative sensitivity) associated with the measurement setup and showed that the mismatch between the targeted and imaged parameter values occurs from a certain threshold. Similarly, heterogeneity may only be determined accurately if located in an adequately sensitive area. Inversion of the synthetic data was performed by coupling an inversion code (PEST) with a finite-difference density-dependent flow and transport modeling code (HTS). The numerical results demonstrate the capacity of sensitivity-filtered ERT images to constrain transverse hydraulic dispersivity and longitudinal hydraulic conductivity of homogeneous seawater intrusion models. At the field site, we identified SWI at the scale of a few kilometers down to a hundred meters. Borehole logs show a

  6. Investigation of tribological properties of graphene oxide reinforced ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene under artificial seawater lubricating condition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pang, Wenchao; Ni, Zifeng; Wu, JiaLiang; Zhao, Yongwu

    2018-03-01

    A range of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were fabricated using liquid-phase ultrasonication mixing followed by hot-pressing. The wettability, water absorption and corrosion resistance of composites were studied to prove the composites were suitable for application in liquid environment. The tribological properties of composites under dry, deionized water and seawater lubricating condition were investigated. The results showed that the incorporation of GO decreased the wear rate of UHMWPE under different lubricating conditions and with the increase of GO addition, the wear rate of UHMWPE/GO composites decreased. UHMWPE/GO composites exhibited better tribological behaviors under seawater lubricating condition than other conditions, because good corrosion resistance and excellent wear resistance of UHMWPE/GO composites, and the lubricating effect of seawater is also indispensable.

  7. Uptake of Uranium from Seawater by Amidoxime-Based Polymeric Adsorbent: Field Experiments, Modeling, and Updated Economic Assessment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Jungseung; Tsouris, Constantinos; Oyola, Yatsandra

    2014-04-09

    Uranium recovery from seawater has been investigated for several decades for the purpose of securing nuclear fuel for energy production. In this study, field column experiments have been performed at the Marine Sciences Laboratory of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) using a laboratory-proven, amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbent developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The adsorbent was packed either in in-line filters or in flow-through columns. The maximum amount of uranium uptake from seawater was 3.3 mg of U/g of adsorbent after 8 weeks of contact between the adsorbent and seawater. This uranium adsorption amount was about 3 timesmore » higher than the maximum amount achieved in this study by a leading adsorbent developed at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).« less

  8. Concentrations and chemical forms of trace metals in coastal seawater on coral reef and their seasonal variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganaha, S.; ITOH, A.

    2011-12-01

    Coastal seawater on coral reef near Okinawa island in Japan, which is in oligotrophic condition, has a diverse and unique ecosystem. It is possible that nutritive sals and trace metals, classified into nutrient type, are effectively supplied to marine phytoplankton and zooxanthellae from seawater. However, the concentrations and chemical forms of trace metals in coastal seawater on coral reef have been scarcely reported so far. In the present study, the characteristics of the concentrations and chemical forms of trace metals in such a seawater were investigated with seasonal variation by analyzing the coastal seawater at every month, after an analytical method for a simple chemical speciation including on-site treatment was established. The analytical method using a chelating resin and a disposable syringe was employed for de-salt and preconcentration of trace metals in costal seawater. After that, trace metals in the concentrated solution were measured by ICP-MS. Three types of chemical forms of an ionic, a dissolved, and an acid-soluble were separated without any treatment, by filtering with membrane filter of 0.45 μm, and by filtering after adding nitric acid, respectively. Then, a monitoring investigation of the coastal seawater on coral reef, located at Sesoko island near the northern part of Okinawa island, was carried out once at every month from Sep. 2010 to Aug. 2011. As a result, 10 elements in the dissolved form in each sample could be determined. The average concentrations for all samples from Sep. 2010 to Apr. 2011 were as follows: Mo:10.7 ppb, U:3.2 ppb, V:1.5 ppb, Mn:0.17 ppb, Ni:0.16 ppb, Zn:0.13 ppb, Cu:0.070 ppb, Pb:0.024 ppb, Co:0.0022 ppb, Cd:0.0016ppb. The concentrations for most trace metals were almost close to ones in open surface seawater of the Pacific ocean. For the acid-soluble form, the concentrations of V, Mo, and U were almost same with those of the dissolved form, and ones of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Cd were slightly larger than ones in

  9. A miniature and field-applicable multipumping flow analyzer for ammonium monitoring in seawater with fluorescence detection.

    PubMed

    Horstkotte, Burkhard; Duarte, Carlos M; Cerdà, Víctor

    2011-07-15

    In this article, a simple, economic, and miniature flow analyzer for ammonium in seawater based on the solenoid micropumps is presented. A single reagent of sodium tetraborate, ortho-phthaldialdehyde (OPA), and sodium sulfite was used and optimized applying the modified SIMPLEX method. A special-made detection cell for fluorescence detection of the reaction product isoindol-1-sulfonat was made and combined with a commercial photomultiplier tube, a long-pass optical filter, and an UV-LED as excitation light source. A LOD down to 13 nmol/L was achieved. The fabrication and application of a miniature reaction coil heating device for reaction rate enhancement is further described. The system featured an injection frequency of 32 h(-1) at average standard deviation of 3%. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Cation hydrolysis and the regulation of trace metal composition in seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, M. Dileep

    1987-08-01

    Thermodynamic calculations have been performed for cation hydrolysis, including temperatures from 2°C to the high values of significance near Mid-Oceanic Ridge Systems (MORS). Eighteen elements with wide range of residence times ( t) in seawater (Mn, Th, Al, Bi, Ce, Co, Cr(III), Fe, Nd, Pb, Sc, Sm, Ag, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn) have been considered. A model for the regulation of trace metal composition in seawater by cation hydrolytic processes, including those at MORS, is presented. Results show an increase in the abundance of neutral metal hydroxyl species with increase in temperature. During hydrothermal mixing, as the temperature increases, transformation from lower positive hydroxyl complexes to higher or neutral complexes would occur for Cd, Ce, Co, Cr(III), Cu, Mn, Nd, Ni, Pb, Sm and Zn. pH values for adsorption of the metal ion onto solid surfaces have direct relation with pH values of hydrolysis. Co, Mn and Pb could be oxidized to higher states (at Mn-oxide surfaces) that would occur even at MORS. Ce can also be oxidized at 25°C. Solubility calculations show that Al, Bi, Cr(III), Sc, Fe and Th are saturated while Ce, Nd and Sm are not with respect to their oxyhydroxide solids at their concentrations in seawater at 25°C. Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn reach saturation equilibrium at 250°C, whereas Co, Mn and Pb exhibit unsaturation. The results suggest an increase in scavenging capacity of a cation with rise in temperature.

  11. Occurrence of perchlorate in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Her, Namguk; Jeong, Hyunchan; Kim, Jongsung; Yoon, Yeomin

    2011-08-01

    Concentrations of perchlorate were determined by both liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS) in 520 tap-water, 48 bottled-water, and 9 seawater samples obtained or purchased from >100 different locations in South Korea. The method detection limits were 0.013 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.005 μg/L for IC-MS/MS, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.10 μg/L for LC-MS and 0.032 μg/L for IC-MS/MS. Perchlorate was detected in most (80%) of the tap-water samples, with concentrations higher than the LOQ; the concentrations ranged from <1.0 to 6.1 μg/L (mean 0.56). Perchlorate was detected by IC-MS/MS in many (n = 23) of the bottled-water samples, with concentrations higher then the LOQ, ranging from 0.04 to 0.29 μg/L (mean 0.07 ± 0.01). The concentrations of perchlorate in all seawater samples collected from the various locations were higher than the LOQ, with a mean concentration of 1.15 ± 0.01 μg/L (maximum 6.11 and minimum 0.11). This study provides further evidence that drinking-water sources have been contaminated by perchlorate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on perchlorate assessment in drinking water and seawater in South Korea.

  12. Influence of Current Velocity on Uranium Adsorption from Seawater Using an Amidoxime-based Polymer Fiber Adsorbent

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ladshaw, Austin; Kuo, Li-Jung; Strivens, Jonathan

    2017-02-08

    Passive adsorption using amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents is being developed for uranium recovery from seawater. The local oceanic current velocity where the adsorbent is deployed is a key variable in determining locations that will maximize uranium adsorption rates. Two independent experimental approaches using flow-through columns and recirculating flumes were used to assess the influence of linear velocity on uranium uptake kinetics by the adsorbent. Little to no difference was observed in the uranium adsorption rate vs. linear velocity for seawater exposure in flow-through columns. In contrast, adsorption results from seawater exposure in a recirculating flume showed a nearly linear trend withmore » current velocity. The difference in adsorbent performance between columns and flume can be attributed to (i) flow resistance provided by the adsorbent braid in the flume and (ii) enhancement in braid movement (fluttering) with increasing linear velocity.« less

  13. Influence of Current Velocity on Uranium Adsorption from Seawater Using an Amidoxime-Based Polymer Fiber Adsorbent

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ladshaw, Austin; Kuo, Li-Jung; Strivens, Jonathan

    2017-02-17

    Passive adsorption using amidoxime-based polymeric adsorbents is being developed for uranium recovery from seawater. The local oceanic current velocity where the adsorbent is deployed is a key variable in determining locations that will maximize uranium adsorption rates. Two independent experimental approaches using flow-through columns and recirculating flumes were used to assess the influence of linear velocity on uranium uptake kinetics by the adsorbent. Little to no difference was observed in the uranium adsorption rate vs. linear velocity for seawater exposure in flow-through columns. In contrast, adsorption results from seawater exposure in a recirculating flume showed a nearly linear trend withmore » current velocity. The difference in adsorbent performance between columns and flume can be attributed to (i) flow resistance provided by the adsorbent braid in the flume and (ii) enhancement in braid movement (fluttering) with increasing linear velocity.« less

  14. Experimental investigation and modeling of dissolved organic carbon removal by coagulation from seawater.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Sanghyun; Sathasivan, Arumugam; Kastl, George; Shim, Wang Geun; Vigneswaran, Saravanamuthu

    2014-01-01

    Coagulation removes colloidal matters and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which can cause irreversible membrane fouling. However, how DOC is removed by coagulant is not well-known. Jar test was used to study the removal of hydrophobic and hydrophilic DOC fractions at various doses (0.5-8.0 mg-Fe(+3) L(-1)) of ferric chloride (FeCl3) and pH (5.0-9.0). Natural organic matter (NOM) in seawater and treated seawater were fractionated by liquid chromatography-organic carbon detector (LC-OCD). Compared to surface water, the removal of DOC in seawater by coagulation was remarkably different. Majority of DOC could be easily removed with very low coagulant dose (<5.0 mg-Fe(+3) L(-1)) and the removal efficiency did not vary with pH, but the DOC composition in treated water had significantly changed. Hydrophobic fraction (HB) was better removed at high pH while hydrophilic fraction (HF) was better removed at low pH. A modified model of Kastl et al. (2004) which assumed that the removal occurred by adsorption of un-dissociated compounds onto ferric hydroxide was formulated and successfully validated against the jar test data. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The effect of sea-water intrusion due to the large scale construction in a coastal region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyun, S.; Jin, S.; Woo, N. C.; Lee, J.; Lee, H.; Kim, Y.

    2010-12-01

    This study was carried out for estimating the seawater intrusion at the disturbed aquifer by a large scale construction when building a power plant in a coastal region, located in southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. Groundwater sampling and vertical profiling of electrical conductivity(EC) for 8 monitoring wells were carried. EC profiling results shows that maximum EC for PW-5, 6 and 7 is over 40 mS/cm, for PZ-1, 3, 4 and 8 is 18.76, 4.46, 26.16, 21.42 mS/cm and for PZ-2 is 0.79 mS/cm,respectively. Chemical composition of water samples shows that water types of Na-Cl for PZ-5, 6, and 7 (excavated and backfilled area), Na-Cl-SO4 for PZ-4 and PZ-8, Na-Ca-Mg-Cl for PZ-1, Ca-Na-SO4-Cl for PZ-2, and Mg-Ca-Na-SO4 for PZ-3. In addition, the bivariate plot of SO4/Cl(meq ratios) and SO4(mmol/L) indicates that PZ-4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 appear to be seawater, PZ-1 is located at mixing zone between freshwater and seawater, and PZ-2 is freshwater. However, based on the high SO42- level and (HCO3-/Sum anions} ratio less than 0.8, groundwater at PZ-3 seems to show the gypsum dissolution. The gypsum dissolution was attributed to the effect of sea-water intrusion on ageing of lean concrete that was used for backfill around the PZ-3. Key words : large scale construction, EC profiling, hydrochemistry, sea-water intrusion, concrete ageing Acknowledgement This study has been carried out under the Nuclear R&D Program [No. 2010-0001070] supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Korea.

  16. An evaluation of microbial growth and corrosion of 316L SS in glycol/seawater mixtures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, Jason S.; Ray, Richard I.; Lowe, Kristine L.; Jones-Meehan, Joanne; Little, Brenda J.

    2003-01-01

    Glycol/seawater mixtures containing > 50% glycol inhibit corrosion of 316L stainless steel and do not support bacterial growth. The results indicate bacteria are able to use low concentrations of glycol (10%) as a growth medium, but bacterial growth decreased with increasing glycol concentration. Pitting potential, determined by anodic polarization, was used to evaluate susceptibility of 316L SS to corrosion in seawater-contaminated glycol. Mixture containing a minimum concentration of 50% propylene glycol-based coolant inhibited pitting corrosion. A slightly higher minimum concentration (55%) was needed for corrosion protection in ethylene glycol mixtures.

  17. An approach to determination of phenolic compounds in seawater using SPME-GC-MS based on SWCNTs coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Jia; Wang, Ying; Zeng, Lin

    2016-08-01

    Phenolic compounds have become one kind of the important pollutants of the marine environment. Single-walled Carbon nanotubes, as one-dimensional nano materials, have light weight and perfect hexagonal structure of connections, with many unusual mechanical, chemical and electrical properties. In recent years, with the research of carbon nanotubes and other nano materials, the application prospect is also constantly discussed. In this paper, homemade single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) coating was used for establishing an analytical approach to the determination of five kinds of phenolic compounds in seawater using SPME-GC-MS. Optimal conditions: After saturation was conducted with NaCl, and pH was adjusted to 2.0 with H2SO4, the extract was immersed in a water bath at 40°C for GC-MS determination through 40-min agitating extraction at 500 rmin-1 and 3-min desorption at 280°C. The liniearities ranged between 0.01-100 μg L-1, and the determination limits ranged between 1.5-10 ng L-1. The relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 5) was less than 6.5%. For the phenolic compounds obtained from the spiked recovery test for actual seawater samples, the rates of recovery were 87.5%-101.7%, and the RSDs were less than 8.8%, which met the requirements of determination. Due to its simplicity, high efficiency and low consumption, this approach is suitable for the analysis of trace amounts of phenolic compounds in marine waters.

  18. Fluorescent microarray for multiplexed quantification of environmental contaminants in seawater samples

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The development of a fluorescent multiplexed microarray platform able to detect and quantify a wide variety of pollutants in seawater is reported. The microarray platform has been manufactured by spotting 6 different bioconjugate competitors and it uses a cocktail of 6 monoclonal and polyclonal anti...

  19. Constraining Δ33S signatures of Archean seawater sulfate with carbonate-associated sulfate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Y.; Bao, H.; Bekker, A.; Hofmann, A.

    2017-12-01

    Non-mass dependent sulfur isotope deviation of S-bearing phases in Archean sedimentary strata, and expressed as Δ33S, has a consistent pattern, i.e., sulfide (pyrite) predominantly bear positive Δ33S values, while Paleoarchean sulfate (barite) has negative Δ33S values. This pattern was later corroborated by observations of negative Δ33S values in Archean volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits and negative Δ33S values in early diagenetic nodular pyrite with a wide range of δ34S values, which is thought to be due to microbial sulfate reduction. These signatures have provided a set of initial conditions for a mechanistic interpretation at physical chemistry level. Unlike the younger geological times when large bodies of seawater evaporite deposits are common, to expand seawater sulfate records, carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS) was utilized as a proxy for ancient seawater sulfate. CAS extracted from the Archean carbonates carries positive Δ33S values. However, CAS could be derived from pyrite oxidation following exposure to modern oxidizing conditions and/or during laboratory extraction procedures. It is, therefore, important for us understanding context of the overall early earth atmospheric condition to empirically confirm whether Archean seawater sulfate was generally characterized by negative Δ33S signatures. Combined δ18O, Δ17O, δ34S, and Δ33S analyses of sequentially extracted water-leachable sulfate (WLS) and acid-leachable sulfate (ALS = CAS) and δ34S and Δ33S analyses of pyrite can help to identify the source of extracted sulfate. We studied drill-core samples of Archean carbonates from the 2.55 Ga Malmani and Campell Rand supgroups, South Africa. Our preliminary results show that 1) neither WLS nor ALS were extracted from samples with extremely low pyrite contents (less than 0.05 wt.%); 2) extractable WLS and ALS is present in samples with relatively high pyrite contents (more than 1 wt.%), and that δ34S and Δ33S values of WLS, ALS, and

  20. Enhancing uranium uptake by amidoxime adsorbent in seawater: An investigation for optimum alkaline conditioning parameters

    DOE PAGES

    Das, Sadananda; Tsouris, Costas; Zhang, Chenxi; ...

    2015-09-07

    A high-surface-area polyethylene-fiber adsorbent (AF160-2) has been developed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory by radiation-induced graft polymerization of acrylonitrile and itaconic acid. The grafted nitriles were converted to amidoxime groups by treating with hydroxylamine. The amidoximated adsorbents were then conditioned with potassium hydroxide (KOH) by varying different reaction parameters such as KOH concentration (0.2, 0.44, and 0.6 M), duration (1, 2, and 3 h), and temperature (60, 70, and 80 °C). Adsorbent screening was then performed with simulated seawater solutions containing sodium chloride and sodium bicarbonate, at concentrations found in seawater, and uranium nitrate at a uranium concentration ofmore » ~7–8 ppm and pH 8. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid-state NMR analyses indicated that a fraction of amidoxime groups was hydrolyzed to carboxylate during KOH conditioning. The uranium adsorption capacity in the simulated seawater screening solution gradually increased with conditioning time and temperature for all KOH concentrations. It was also observed that the adsorption capacity increased with an increase in concentration of KOH for all the conditioning times and temperatures. AF160-2 adsorbent samples were also tested with natural seawater using flow-through experiments to determine uranium adsorption capacity with varying KOH conditioning time and temperature. Based on uranium loading capacity values of several AF160-2 samples, it was observed that changing KOH conditioning time from 3 to 1 h at 60, 70, and 80 °C resulted in an increase of the uranium loading capacity in seawater, which did not follow the trend found in laboratory screening with stimulated solutions. Longer KOH conditioning times lead to significantly higher uptake of divalent metal ions, such as calcium and magnesium, which is a result of amidoxime conversion into less selective carboxylate. The scanning electron microscopy showed that long

  1. Understanding cold bias: Variable response of skeletal Sr/Ca to seawater pCO2 in acclimated massive Porites corals

    PubMed Central

    Cole, Catherine; Finch, Adrian; Hintz, Christopher; Hintz, Kenneth; Allison, Nicola

    2016-01-01

    Coral skeletal Sr/Ca is a palaeothermometer commonly used to produce high resolution seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) records and to investigate the amplitude and frequency of ENSO and interdecadal climate events. The proxy relationship is typically calibrated by matching seasonal SST and skeletal Sr/Ca maxima and minima in modern corals. Applying these calibrations to fossil corals assumes that the temperature sensitivity of skeletal Sr/Ca is conserved, despite substantial changes in seawater carbonate chemistry between the modern and glacial ocean. We present Sr/Ca analyses of 3 genotypes of massive Porites spp. corals (the genus most commonly used for palaeoclimate reconstruction), cultured under seawater pCO2 reflecting modern, future (year 2100) and last glacial maximum (LGM) conditions. Skeletal Sr/Ca is indistinguishable between duplicate colonies of the same genotype cultured under the same conditions, but varies significantly in response to seawater pCO2 in two genotypes of Porites lutea, whilst Porites murrayensis is unaffected. Within P. lutea, the response is not systematic: skeletal Sr/Ca increases significantly (by 2–4%) at high seawater pCO2 relative to modern in both genotypes, and also increases significantly (by 4%) at low seawater pCO2 in one genotype. This magnitude of variation equates to errors in reconstructed SST of up to −5 °C. PMID:27241795

  2. Understanding cold bias: Variable response of skeletal Sr/Ca to seawater pCO2 in acclimated massive Porites corals.

    PubMed

    Cole, Catherine; Finch, Adrian; Hintz, Christopher; Hintz, Kenneth; Allison, Nicola

    2016-05-31

    Coral skeletal Sr/Ca is a palaeothermometer commonly used to produce high resolution seasonal sea surface temperature (SST) records and to investigate the amplitude and frequency of ENSO and interdecadal climate events. The proxy relationship is typically calibrated by matching seasonal SST and skeletal Sr/Ca maxima and minima in modern corals. Applying these calibrations to fossil corals assumes that the temperature sensitivity of skeletal Sr/Ca is conserved, despite substantial changes in seawater carbonate chemistry between the modern and glacial ocean. We present Sr/Ca analyses of 3 genotypes of massive Porites spp. corals (the genus most commonly used for palaeoclimate reconstruction), cultured under seawater pCO2 reflecting modern, future (year 2100) and last glacial maximum (LGM) conditions. Skeletal Sr/Ca is indistinguishable between duplicate colonies of the same genotype cultured under the same conditions, but varies significantly in response to seawater pCO2 in two genotypes of Porites lutea, whilst Porites murrayensis is unaffected. Within P. lutea, the response is not systematic: skeletal Sr/Ca increases significantly (by 2-4%) at high seawater pCO2 relative to modern in both genotypes, and also increases significantly (by 4%) at low seawater pCO2 in one genotype. This magnitude of variation equates to errors in reconstructed SST of up to -5 °C.

  3. Simultaneous Extraction of Lithium and Hydrogen from Seawater

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-08-22

    to the anode and cathode were determined by ion chromatography . Anions were analyzed by Anion Ion Chromatography (Instrument Dionex ICS-1500, Column...and oxygen gases coming out of the cell were collected and the amount was measured volumetrically. Ion chromatography : Ions in seawater diffused from... Dionex AS9-HC; AG9-HC Guard, eluent: 9.00 mM Na2CO3, flow rate: 1.25 mL/min, and sample loop was 25 μL). Cations were analyzed by Cation Ion

  4. Stability and Decay Properties of Foam in Seawater.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-04-24

    DECAY PROPERTIES OF FOAM IN SEAWATER FMRODUCTION Foam is formed by the entrainment of air in the form of small bubbles at and just beneath the...181 has examined how the size distributions of foam patches formed by wave action on a sandy beach vary with time. It was found that the mean diameter...typical foam patch was 25 seconds. Zheng et al [25] also measured the average lifetime of a foam layer formed at the surface by wave breaking on a

  5. Tropical cyclones cause CaCO3 undersaturation of coral reef seawater in a high-CO2 world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manzello, Derek; Enochs, Ian; Musielewicz, Sylvia; Carlton, Renée.; Gledhill, Dwight

    2013-10-01

    Ocean acidification is the global decline in seawater pH and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation state (Ω) due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the world's oceans. Acidification impairs CaCO3 shell and skeleton construction by marine organisms. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable, as they are constructed by the CaCO3 skeletons of corals and other calcifiers. We understand relatively little about how coral reefs will respond to ocean acidification in combination with other disturbances, such as tropical cyclones. Seawater carbonate chemistry data collected from two reefs in the Florida Keys before, during, and after Tropical Storm Isaac provide the most thorough data to-date on how tropical cyclones affect the seawater CO2 system of coral reefs. Tropical Storm Isaac caused both an immediate and prolonged decline in seawater pH. Aragonite saturation state was depressed by 1.0 for a full week after the storm impact. Based on current "business-as-usual" CO2 emissions scenarios, we show that tropical cyclones with high rainfall and runoff can cause periods of undersaturation (Ω < 1.0) for high-Mg calcite and aragonite mineral phases at acidification levels before the end of this century. Week-long periods of undersaturation occur for 18 mol % high-Mg calcite after storms by the end of the century. In a high-CO2 world, CaCO3 undersaturation of coral reef seawater will occur as a result of even modest tropical cyclones. The expected increase in the strength, frequency, and rainfall of the most severe tropical cyclones with climate change in combination with ocean acidification will negatively impact the structural persistence of coral reefs.

  6. Tropical Cyclones Cause CaCO3 Undersaturation of Coral Reef Seawater in a High-CO2 World

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manzello, D.; Enochs, I.; Carlton, R.; Musielewicz, S.; Gledhill, D. K.

    2013-12-01

    Ocean acidification is the global decline in seawater pH and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation state (Ω) due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 by the world's oceans. Acidification impairs CaCO3 shell and skeleton construction by marine organisms. Coral reefs are particularly vulnerable, as they are constructed by the CaCO3 skeletons of corals and other calcifiers. We understand relatively little about how coral reefs will respond to ocean acidification in combination with other disturbances, such as tropical cyclones. Seawater carbonate chemistry data collected from two reefs in the Florida Keys before, during, and after Tropical Storm Isaac provide the most thorough data to-date on how tropical cyclones affect the seawater CO2-system of coral reefs. Tropical Storm Isaac caused both an immediate and prolonged decline in seawater pH. Aragonite saturation state was depressed by 1.0 for a full week after the storm impact. Based on current 'business-as-usual' CO2 emissions scenarios, we show that tropical cyclones with high rainfall and runoff can cause periods of undersaturation (Ω < 1.0) for high-Mg calcite and aragonite mineral phases at acidification levels before the end of this century. Week-long periods of undersaturation occur for 18 mol% high-Mg calcite after storms by the end of the century. In a high-CO2 world, CaCO3 undersaturation of coral reef seawater can occur as a result of even modest tropical cyclones. The expected increase in the strength, frequency, and rainfall of the most severe tropical cyclones with climate change in combination with ocean acidification will negatively impact the structural persistence of coral reefs over this century.

  7. A simulation/optimization study to assess seawater intrusion management strategies for the Gaza Strip coastal aquifer (Palestine)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dentoni, Marta; Deidda, Roberto; Paniconi, Claudio; Qahman, Khalid; Lecca, Giuditta

    2015-03-01

    Seawater intrusion is one of the major threats to freshwater resources in coastal areas, often exacerbated by groundwater overexploitation. Mitigation measures are needed to properly manage aquifers, and to restore groundwater quality. This study integrates three computational tools into a unified framework to investigate seawater intrusion in coastal areas and to assess strategies for managing groundwater resources under natural and human-induced stresses. The three components are a three-dimensional hydrogeological model for density-dependent variably saturated flow and miscible salt transport, an automatic calibration procedure that uses state variable outputs from the model to estimate selected model parameters, and an optimization module that couples a genetic algorithm with the simulation model. The computational system is used to rank alternative strategies for mitigation of seawater intrusion, taking into account conflicting objectives and problem constraints. It is applied to the Gaza Strip (Palestine) coastal aquifer to identify a feasible groundwater management strategy for the period 2011-2020. The optimized solution is able to: (1) keep overall future abstraction from municipal groundwater wells close to the user-defined maximum level, (2) increase the average groundwater heads, and (3) lower both the total mass of salt extracted and the extent of the areas affected by seawater intrusion.

  8. Effects of somatostatin on the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis and seawater adaptation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Poppinga, J.; Kittilson, J.; McCormick, S.D.; Sheridan, M.A.

    2007-01-01

    Growth hormone (GH) has been shown to contribute to the seawater (SW) adaptability of euryhaline fish both directly and indirectly through insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). This study examined the role of somatostatin-14 (SS-14), a potent inhibitor of GH, on the GH-IGF-1 axis and seawater adaptation. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were injected intraperitoneally with SS-14 or saline and transferred to 20??ppt seawater. A slight elevation in plasma chloride levels was accompanied by significantly reduced gill Na+, K+-ATPase activity in SS-14-treated fish compared to control fish 12??h after SW transfer. Seawater increased hepatic mRNA levels of GH receptor 1 (GHR 1; 239%), GHR 2 (48%), and IGF-1 (103%) in control fish 12??h after transfer. Levels of GHR 1 (155%), GHR 2 (121%), IGF-1 (200%), IGF-1 receptor A (IGFR1A; 62%), and IGFR1B (157%) increased in the gills of control fish 12??h after transfer. SS-14 abolished or attenuated SW-induced changes in the expression of GHR, IGF-1, and IGFR mRNAs in liver and gill. These results indicate that SS-14 reduces seawater adaptability by inhibiting the GH-IGF-1 axis. ?? 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Long distance seawater intrusion through a karst conduit network in the Woodville Karst Plain, Florida

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Zexuan; Bassett, Seth Willis; Hu, Bill; Dyer, Scott Barrett

    2016-08-01

    Five periods of increased electrical conductivity have been found in the karst conduits supplying one of the largest first magnitude springs in Florida with water. Numerous well-developed conduit networks are distributed in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP), Florida and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. A composite analysis of precipitation and electrical conductivity data provides strong evidence that the increases in conductivity are directly tied to seawater intrusion moving inland and traveling 11 miles against the prevailing regional hydraulic gradient from from Spring Creek Spring Complex (SCSC), a group of submarine springs at the Gulf Coast. A geochemical analysis of samples from the spring vent rules out anthropogenic contamination and upwelling regional recharge from the deep aquifer as sources of the rising conductivity. The interpretation is supported by the conceptual model established by prior researchers working to characterize the study area. This paper documents the first and longest case of seawater intrusion in the WKP, and also indicates significant possibility of seawater contamination through subsurface conduit networks in a coastal karst aquifer.

  10. Long distance seawater intrusion through a karst conduit network in the Woodville Karst Plain, Florida.

    PubMed

    Xu, Zexuan; Bassett, Seth Willis; Hu, Bill; Dyer, Scott Barrett

    2016-08-25

    Five periods of increased electrical conductivity have been found in the karst conduits supplying one of the largest first magnitude springs in Florida with water. Numerous well-developed conduit networks are distributed in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP), Florida and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. A composite analysis of precipitation and electrical conductivity data provides strong evidence that the increases in conductivity are directly tied to seawater intrusion moving inland and traveling 11 miles against the prevailing regional hydraulic gradient from from Spring Creek Spring Complex (SCSC), a group of submarine springs at the Gulf Coast. A geochemical analysis of samples from the spring vent rules out anthropogenic contamination and upwelling regional recharge from the deep aquifer as sources of the rising conductivity. The interpretation is supported by the conceptual model established by prior researchers working to characterize the study area. This paper documents the first and longest case of seawater intrusion in the WKP, and also indicates significant possibility of seawater contamination through subsurface conduit networks in a coastal karst aquifer.

  11. Long distance seawater intrusion through a karst conduit network in the Woodville Karst Plain, Florida

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Zexuan; Bassett, Seth Willis; Hu, Bill; Dyer, Scott Barrett

    2016-01-01

    Five periods of increased electrical conductivity have been found in the karst conduits supplying one of the largest first magnitude springs in Florida with water. Numerous well-developed conduit networks are distributed in the Woodville Karst Plain (WKP), Florida and connected to the Gulf of Mexico. A composite analysis of precipitation and electrical conductivity data provides strong evidence that the increases in conductivity are directly tied to seawater intrusion moving inland and traveling 11 miles against the prevailing regional hydraulic gradient from from Spring Creek Spring Complex (SCSC), a group of submarine springs at the Gulf Coast. A geochemical analysis of samples from the spring vent rules out anthropogenic contamination and upwelling regional recharge from the deep aquifer as sources of the rising conductivity. The interpretation is supported by the conceptual model established by prior researchers working to characterize the study area. This paper documents the first and longest case of seawater intrusion in the WKP, and also indicates significant possibility of seawater contamination through subsurface conduit networks in a coastal karst aquifer. PMID:27557803

  12. Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cole, Matthew; Webb, Hannah; Lindeque, Pennie K.; Fileman, Elaine S.; Halsband, Claudia; Galloway, Tamara S.

    2014-03-01

    Microplastic litter is a pervasive pollutant present in aquatic systems across the globe. A range of marine organisms have the capacity to ingest microplastics, resulting in adverse health effects. Developing methods to accurately quantify microplastics in productive marine waters, and those internalized by marine organisms, is of growing importance. Here we investigate the efficacy of using acid, alkaline and enzymatic digestion techniques in mineralizing biological material from marine surface trawls to reveal any microplastics present. Our optimized enzymatic protocol can digest >97% (by weight) of the material present in plankton-rich seawater samples without destroying any microplastic debris present. In applying the method to replicate marine samples from the western English Channel, we identified 0.27 microplastics m-3. The protocol was further used to extract microplastics ingested by marine zooplankton under laboratory conditions. Our findings illustrate that enzymatic digestion can aid the detection of microplastic debris within seawater samples and marine biota.

  13. Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms

    PubMed Central

    Cole, Matthew; Webb, Hannah; Lindeque, Pennie K.; Fileman, Elaine S.; Halsband, Claudia; Galloway, Tamara S.

    2014-01-01

    Microplastic litter is a pervasive pollutant present in aquatic systems across the globe. A range of marine organisms have the capacity to ingest microplastics, resulting in adverse health effects. Developing methods to accurately quantify microplastics in productive marine waters, and those internalized by marine organisms, is of growing importance. Here we investigate the efficacy of using acid, alkaline and enzymatic digestion techniques in mineralizing biological material from marine surface trawls to reveal any microplastics present. Our optimized enzymatic protocol can digest >97% (by weight) of the material present in plankton-rich seawater samples without destroying any microplastic debris present. In applying the method to replicate marine samples from the western English Channel, we identified 0.27 microplastics m−3. The protocol was further used to extract microplastics ingested by marine zooplankton under laboratory conditions. Our findings illustrate that enzymatic digestion can aid the detection of microplastic debris within seawater samples and marine biota. PMID:24681661

  14. Acid-base responses to feeding and intestinal Cl- uptake in freshwater- and seawater-acclimated killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, an agastric euryhaline teleost.

    PubMed

    Wood, Chris M; Bucking, Carol; Grosell, Martin

    2010-08-01

    Marine teleosts generally secrete basic equivalents (HCO(3)(-)) and take up Na(+) and Cl(-) in the intestine so as to promote absorption of H(2)O. However, neither the integration of these functions with feeding nor the potential role of the gut in ionoregulation and acid-base balance in freshwater have been well studied. The euryhaline killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) is unusual in lacking both an acid-secreting stomach and a mechanism for Cl(-) uptake at the gills in freshwater. Responses to a satiation meal were evaluated in both freshwater- and seawater-acclimated killifish. In intact animals, there was no change in acid or base flux to the external water after the meal, in accord with the absence of any post-prandial alkaline tide in the blood. Indeed, freshwater animals exhibited a post-prandial metabolic acidosis ('acidic tide'), whereas seawater animals showed no change in blood acid-base status. In vitro gut sac experiments revealed a substantially higher rate of Cl(-) absorption by the intestine in freshwater killifish, which was greatest at 1-3 h after feeding. The Cl(-) concentration of the absorbate was higher in preparations from freshwater animals than from seawater killifish and increased with fasting. Surprisingly, net basic equivalent secretion rates were also much higher in preparations from freshwater animals, in accord with the 'acidic tide'; in seawater preparations, they were lowest after feeding and increased with fasting. Bafilomycin (1 micromol l(-1)) promoted an 80% increase in net base secretion rates, as well as in Cl(-) and fluid absorption, at 1-3 h post-feeding in seawater preparations only, explaining the difference between freshwater and seawater fish. Preparations from seawater animals at 1-3 h post-feeding also acidified the mucosal saline, and this effect was associated with a marked rise in P(CO(2)), which was attenuated by bafilomycin. Measurements of chyme pH from intact animals confirmed that intestinal fluid (chyme) pH and

  15. Carbon degradation in agricultural soils flooded with seawater after managed coastal realignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sjøgaard, Kamilla S.; Treusch, Alexander H.; Valdemarsen, Thomas B.

    2017-09-01

    Permanent flooding of low-lying coastal areas is a growing threat due to climate change and related sea-level rise. An increasingly common solution to protect coastal areas lying below sea level is intentional flooding by "managed coastal realignment". However, the biogeochemical implications of flooding agricultural soils with seawater are still not well understood. We conducted a 1-year mesocosm experiment to investigate microbial carbon degradation processes in soils flooded with seawater. Agricultural soils were sampled on the northern coast of the island Fyn (Denmark) at Gyldensteen Strand, an area that was subsequently flooded in a coastal realignment project. We found rapid carbon degradation to TCO2 1 day after experimental flooding and onwards and microbial sulfate reduction established quickly as an important mineralization pathway. Nevertheless, no free sulfide was observed as it precipitated as Fe-S compounds with Fe acting as a natural buffer, preventing toxic effects of free sulfide in soils flooded with seawater. Organic carbon degradation decreased significantly after 6 months, indicating that most of the soil organic carbon was refractory towards microbial degradation under the anoxic conditions created in the soil after flooding. During the experiment only 6-7 % of the initial soil organic carbon pools were degraded. On this basis we suggest that most of the organic carbon present in coastal soils exposed to flooding through sea-level rise or managed coastal realignment will be permanently preserved.

  16. Characterization and prediction of carbon steel corrosion in diluted seawater containing pentaborate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukaya, Yuichi; Watanabe, Yutaka

    2018-01-01

    This study addresses the influence of Na2B10O16, which may be used for criticality control of fuel debris in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in diluted artificial seawater. The corrosion forms of carbon steel were categorized as uniform corrosion, localized corrosion, and passivity based on the balance between the dilution ratio of artificial seawater and the concentration of Na2B10O16. The changes in corrosion forms were arranged on a water quality region map. Passivity was maintained by adding 3.7 × 10-2 M or more of Na2B10O16 to artificial seawater with a dilution ratio of 100-fold or more. The criticality control of the fuel debris and corrosion mitigation of the carbon steel components may be achieved simultaneously in the water quality. The prediction of the corrosion form of carbon steel was attempted by the extended Larson-Skold Index (LSI) = ([Cl-] + 2[SO42-])/([HCO3-] + 2[B10O162-]). However, because the passivating action of B10O162- was remarkably stronger than that of HCO3-, the prediction was difficult under the simple addition of equivalent concentrations. The localized corrosion of carbon steel under the addition of Na2B10O16 preferentially occurred from the crevices of the test specimens, as was the case in stainless steel.

  17. Coulometric sodium chloride removal system with Nafion membrane for seawater sample treatment.

    PubMed

    Grygolowicz-Pawlak, Ewa; Sohail, Manzar; Pawlak, Marcin; Neel, Bastien; Shvarev, Alexey; de Marco, Roland; Bakker, Eric

    2012-07-17

    Seawater analysis is one of the most challenging in the field of environmental monitoring, mainly due to disparate concentration levels between the analyte and the salt matrix causing interferences in a variety of analytical techniques. We propose here a miniature electrochemical sample pretreatment system for a rapid removal of NaCl utilizing the coaxial arrangement of an electrode and a tubular Nafion membrane. Upon electrolysis, chloride is deposited at the Ag electrode as AgCl and the sodium counterions are transported across the membrane. This cell was found to work efficiently at potentials higher than 400 mV in both stationary and flow injection mode. Substantial residual currents observed during electrolysis were found to be a result of NaCl back diffusion from the outer side of the membrane due to insufficient permselectivity of the Nafion membrane. It was demonstrated that the residual current can be significantly reduced by adjusting the concentration of the outer solution. On the basis of ion chromatography results, it was found that the designed cell used in flow injection electrolysis mode reduced the NaCl concentration from 0.6 M to 3 mM. This attempt is very important in view of nutrient analysis in seawater where NaCl is a major interfering agent. We demonstrate that the pretreatment of artificial seawater samples does not reduce the content of nitrite or nitrate ions upon electrolysis. A simple diffusion/extraction steady state model is proposed for the optimization of the electrolysis cell characteristics.

  18. Distribution of trace metals in surface seawater and zooplankton of the Bay of Bengal, off Rushikulya estuary, East Coast of India.

    PubMed

    Srichandan, Suchismita; Panigrahy, R C; Baliarsingh, S K; Rao B, Srinivasa; Pati, Premalata; Sahu, Biraja K; Sahu, K C

    2016-10-15

    Concentrations of trace metals such as iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), vanadium (V), and selenium (Se) were determined in seawater and zooplankton from the surface waters off Rushikulya estuary, north-western Bay of Bengal. During the study period, the concentration of trace metals in seawater and zooplankton showed significant spatio-temporal variation. Cu and Co levels in seawater mostly remained non-detectable. Other elements were found at higher concentrations and exhibited marked variations. The rank order distribution of trace metals in terms of their average concentration in seawater was observed as Fe>Ni>Mn>Pb>As>Zn>Cr>V>Se>Cd while in zooplankton it was Fe>Mn>Cd>As>Pb>Ni>Cr>Zn>V>Se. The bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of Fe was highest followed by Zn and the lowest value was observed with Ni. Results of correlation analysis discerned positive affinity and good relationship among the majority of the trace metals, both in seawater and zooplankton suggesting their strong affinity and coexistence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Solid phase extraction of rare earth elements in seawater and estuarine water with 4-(2-thiazolylazo) resorcinol immobilized Chromosorb 106 for determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Zereen, Fahmida; Yilmaz, Vedat; Arslan, Zikri

    2013-01-01

    A solid phase preconcentration method has been developed using new chelating resin prepared by immobilization of 4-(2-thiazolylazo) resorcinol (TAR) on Chromosorb 106. The method was optimized for determination of rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater and estuarine water samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The effects of various experimental parameters, such as load pH, eluent concentration, sample and eluent flow rates were examined to find the optimum operating conditions. The REEs were quantitatively retained from saline solutions on a minicolumn Chromosorb 106-TAR resin at pH 5.0 and then eluted with 1.0 mL of 1% (v/v) HNO3. The resin possesses large sorption capacity for REEs ranging from 81.1 µmol g−1 for Lu and 108 µmol g−1 for Nd. Detection limits (3s) varied between 0.06 ng L−1 for Pr to 0.31 for Ce for preconcentration of 5.0 mL blank solutions (pH 5.0). The relative standard deviation for triplicate measurements was less than 5% at 0.1 µg L−1 level. The method was validated by analysis Nearshore seawater certified reference material (CASS–4). The elemental results were comparable with the values reported in literature. The method was verified by analysis of spiked and unspiked coastal seawater and estuarine water samples. PMID:24000264

  20. Solid phase extraction of rare earth elements in seawater and estuarine water with 4-(2-thiazolylazo) resorcinol immobilized Chromosorb 106 for determination by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Zereen, Fahmida; Yilmaz, Vedat; Arslan, Zikri

    2013-09-01

    A solid phase preconcentration method has been developed using new chelating resin prepared by immobilization of 4-(2-thiazolylazo) resorcinol (TAR) on Chromosorb 106. The method was optimized for determination of rare earth elements (REEs) in seawater and estuarine water samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The effects of various experimental parameters, such as load pH, eluent concentration, sample and eluent flow rates were examined to find the optimum operating conditions. The REEs were quantitatively retained from saline solutions on a minicolumn Chromosorb 106-TAR resin at pH 5.0 and then eluted with 1.0 mL of 1% (v/v) HNO 3 . The resin possesses large sorption capacity for REEs ranging from 81.1 µmol g -1 for Lu and 108 µmol g -1 for Nd. Detection limits (3s) varied between 0.06 ng L -1 for Pr to 0.31 for Ce for preconcentration of 5.0 mL blank solutions (pH 5.0). The relative standard deviation for triplicate measurements was less than 5% at 0.1 µg L -1 level. The method was validated by analysis Nearshore seawater certified reference material (CASS-4). The elemental results were comparable with the values reported in literature. The method was verified by analysis of spiked and unspiked coastal seawater and estuarine water samples.

  1. Enhanced Indirect Somatic Embryogenesis of Date Palm Using Low Levels of Seawater.

    PubMed

    Taha, Rania A

    2017-01-01

    Date palm tolerates salinity, drought, and high temperatures. Arid and semiarid zones, especially the Middle East region, need a huge number of date palms for cultivation. To meet this demand, tissue culture techniques have great potential for mass production of plantlets, especially using the indirect embryogenesis technique; any improvement of these techniques is a worthy objective. Low levels of salinity can enhance growth and development of tolerant plants. A low level of seawater, a natural source of salinity, reduces the time required for micropropagation processes of date palm cv. Malkaby when added to MS medium. Medium containing seawater at 500 ppm total dissolved solid (TDS) (12.2 mL/L) improves callus proliferation, whereas 1500 ppm (36.59 mL/L) enhances plant regeneration including multiplication of secondary embryos, embryo germination, and rooting.

  2. Selected current-use and historic-use pesticides in air and seawater of the Bohai and Yellow Seas, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhong, Guangcai; Tang, Jianhui; Xie, Zhiyong; Möller, Axel; Zhao, Zhen; Sturm, Renate; Chen, Yingjun; Tian, Chongguo; Pan, Xiaohui; Qin, Wei; Zhang, Gan; Ebinghaus, Ralf

    2014-01-01

    Consumption of pesticides in China has increased rapidly in recent years; however, occurrence and fate of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in China coastal waters are poorly understood. Globally banned pesticides, so-called historic-use pesticides (HUPs), are still commonly observed in the environment. In this work, air and surface seawater samples taken from the Bohai and Yellow Seas in May 2012 were analyzed for CUPs including trifluralin, quintozene, chlorothalonil, dicofol, chlorpyrifos, and dacthal, as well as HUPs (hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and endosulfan). CUP profile in both air and seawater samples generally reflected their consumption patterns in China. HUPs in the air and seawater samples were in comparable levels as those of CUPs with high concentrations. α-Endosulfan, dicofol, and chlorothalonil showed strong net deposition likely resulting from their intensive use in recent years, while CUPs with low consumption amount (quintozene and dacthal) were close to equilibrium at most samplings sites. Another CUP with high usage amout (i.e., chlorpyrifos) underwent volatilization possibly due to its longer half-life in seawater than that in air. α-HCH and γ-HCH were close to equilibrium in the Bohai Sea, but mainly underwent net deposition in the Yellow Sea. The net deposition of α-HCH could be attributed to polluted air pulses from the East China identified by air mass back trajectories. β-HCH showed net volatilization in the Bohai Sea, which was driven by its relative enrichment in seawater. HCB either slightly favored net volatilization or was close to equilibrium in the Bohai and Yellow Seas.

  3. Integrated luminometer for the determination of trace metals in seawater using fluorescence, phosphorescence and chemiluminescence detection

    PubMed Central

    Achterberg, E. P.; Bowie, A. R.; Cannizzaro, V.; Charles, S.; Costa, J. M.; Dubois, F.; Pereiro, R.; San Vicente, B.; Sanz-Medel, A.; Vandeloise, R.; Donckt, E. Vander; Wollast, P.; Yunus, S.

    2002-01-01

    The paper describes an integrated luminometer able to perform fluorescence (FL), room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) and chemiluminescence (CL) measurements on seawater samples. The technical details of the instrumentation are presented together with flow injection (FI) manifolds for the determination of cadmium and zinc (by FL), lead (RTP) and cobalt (CL). The analytical figures of merit are given for each manifold and results are presented for the determination of the four trace metals in seawater reference materials (NASS-5, SLEW-2) and Scheldt estuarine water samples. PMID:18924742

  4. Analytical analysis of the temporal asymmetry between seawater intrusion and retreat

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathore, Saubhagya Singh; Zhao, Yue; Lu, Chunhui; Luo, Jian

    2018-01-01

    The quantification of timescales associated with the movement of the seawater-freshwater interface is useful for developing effective management strategies for controlling seawater intrusion (SWI). In this study, for the first time, we derive an explicit analytical solution for the timescales of SWI and seawater retreat (SWR) in a confined, homogeneous coastal aquifer system under the quasi-steady assumption, based on a classical sharp-interface solution for approximating freshwater outflow rates into the sea. The flow continuity and hydrostatic equilibrium across the interface are identified as two primary mechanisms governing timescales of the interface movement driven by an abrupt change in discharge rates or hydraulic heads at the inland boundary. Through theoretical analysis, we quantified the dependence of interface-movement timescales on porosity, hydraulic conductivity, aquifer thickness, aquifer length, density ratio, and boundary conditions. Predictions from the analytical solution closely agreed with those from numerical simulations. In addition, we define a temporal asymmetry index (the ratio of the SWI timescale to the SWR timescale) to represent the resilience of the coastal aquifer in response to SWI. The developed analytical solutions provide a simple tool for the quick assessment of SWI and SWR timescales and reveal that the temporal asymmetry between SWI and SWR mainly relies on the initial and final values of the freshwater flux at the inland boundary, and is weakly affected by aquifer parameters. Furthermore, we theoretically examined the log-linearity relationship between the timescale and the freshwater flux at the inland boundary, and found that the relationship may be approximated by two linear functions with a slope of -2 and -1 for large changes at the boundary flux for SWI and SWR, respectively.

  5. High rates of intestinal bicarbonate secretion in seawater tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).

    PubMed

    Ruiz-Jarabo, I; Gregório, S F; Gaetano, P; Trischitta, F; Fuentes, J

    2017-05-01

    Osmoregulation in fish is a complex process that requires the orchestrated cooperation of many tissues. In fish facing hyperosmotic environments, the intestinal absorption of some monovalent ions and the secretion of bicarbonate are key processes to favor water absorption. In the present study, we showed that bicarbonate levels in the intestinal fluid are several fold higher in seawater than in freshwater acclimated tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). In addition, we analyzed gene expression of the main molecular mechanisms involved in HCO 3 - movements i.e. slc26a6, slc26a3, slc4a4 and v-type H-ATPase sub C in the intestine of tilapia acclimated to both seawater and freshwater. Our results show an anterior/posterior functional regionalization of the intestine in tilapia in terms of expression patterns, which is affected by environmental salinity mostly in the anterior and mid intestine. Analysis of bicarbonate secretion using pH-Stat in tissues mounted in Ussing chambers reveals high rates of bicarbonate secretion in tilapia acclimated to seawater from anterior intestine to rectum ranging between ~900 and ~1700nmolHCO 3 - cm -2 h -1 . However, a relationship between the expression of slc26a6, slc26a3, slc4a4 and the rate of bicarbonate secretion seems to be compromised in the rectum. In this region, the low expression of the bicarbonate transporters could not explain the high bicarbonate secretion rates here described. However, we postulate that the elevated v-type H-ATPase mRNA expression in the rectum could be involved in this process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Some effects of ingested petroleum on seawater-adapted ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holmes, W.N.; Cronshaw, J.; Gorsline, J.

    1978-01-01

    Male Pekin ducks adapted to seawater and maintained under sheltered conditions (27?C) in the laboratory may consume considerable volumes of petroleum without showing overt symptoms of distress. Under these conditions, birds consuming petroleum-contaminated food have shown a persistent hyperphagia; this was most apparent among those given food contaminated with South Louisiana crude oil, least apparent among birds given No. 2 fuel oil, and intermediate among those that consumed food contaminated with Kuwait crude oil. When maintained at 27?C, some mortality occurred among the birds given South Louisiana crude oil (22.2%) and No. 2 fuel oil (35.7%), whereas none of the freshwater- and seawater-maintained birds given uncontaminated food and none of the birds given Kuwait crude oil died during this period. Following their exposure to chronic mild cold stress (3?C), mortality occurred in all groups of birds; the birds that had consumed petroleum-contaminated food tended to die earlier and in larger numbers than either the seawater- or freshwater-maintained control birds. These effects suggest that the mortality in all groups of birds was due primarily to the additive effects of a series of nonspecific stressors. Thus, at autopsy, birds that had succumbed to the effects of these stressors frequently showed adrenal hypertrophy and severe involution of the lymphoepithelial tissues. The consumption of petroleum-contaminated food seemed to constitute only one of a series of environmental stressors, and, among birds that were already exposed to stressors such as hypertonic drinking water and persistent cold, the ingestion of petroleum seemed to render them more vulnerable and death frequently ensued.

  7. Some effects of ingested petroleum on seawater-adapted ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Holmes, W.N.; Cronshaw, J.; Gorsline, J.

    1978-10-01

    Male Pekin ducks adapted to seawater and maintained under sheltered conditions (27{degrees}C) in the laboratory may consume considerable volumes of petroleum without showing overt symptoms of distress. Under these conditions, birds consuming petroleum-contaminated food have shown a persistent hyperphagia; this was most apparent among those given food contaminated with South Louisiana crude oil, least apparent among birds given No. 2 fuel oil, and intermediate among those that consumed food contaminated with Kuwait crude oil. When maintained at 27{degrees}C, some mortality occurred among the birds given South Louisiana crude oil (22.2%) and No. 2 fuel oil (35.7%), whereas none of themore » freshwater- and seawater-maintained birds given uncontaminated food and none of the birds given Kuwait crude oil died during this period. Following their exposure to chronic mild cold stress (3{degrees}C), mortality occurred in all groups of birds; the birds that had consumed petroleum-contaminated food tended to die earlier and in larger numbers than either the seawater- or freshwater-maintained control birds. These effects suggest that the mortality in all groups of birds was due primarily to the additive effects of a series of nonspecific stressors. Thus, at autopsy, birds that had succumbed to the effects of these stressors frequently showed adrenal hypertrophy and severe involution of the lymphoepithelial tissues. The consumption of petroleum-contaminated food seemed to constitute only one of a series of environmental stressors, and, among birds that were already exposed to stressors such as hypertonic drinking water and persistent cold, the ingestion of petroleum seemed to render them more vulnerable and death frequently ensued.« less

  8. The effect of artificial seawater on SERS spectra of amino acids-Ag colloids: an experiment of prebiotic chemistry.

    PubMed

    Nascimento, Fernanda C; Carneiro, Cristine E A; de Santana, Henrique; Zaia, Dimas A M

    2014-01-24

    The large enhancement of signal observed in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could be helpful for identifying amino acids on the surface of other planets, in particular for Mars, as well as in prebiotic chemistry experiments of interaction minerals/amino acids. This paper reports the effect of several substances (NaCl, MgCl2, KBr, CaSO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, KI, NH4Cl, SrCl2, CaCl2, Na2SO4, KOH, NaOH, H3BO3) on the SERS spectra of colloid of sodium citrate-CSC and colloid of sodium borohydride-CSB. The effect of four different artificial seawaters and these artificial seawaters plus amino acids (α-Ala-alanine, Gly-glycine, Cys-cysteine, AIB-2-aminoisobutiric acid) on SERS spectra using both CSC and CSB was also studied. For CSC, the effect of water, after dilution of the colloid, was the appearance of several absorption bands belonging to sodium citrate in the SERS spectrum. In general, artificial seawaters enhanced several bands in SERS spectra using CSC and CSB and CSC was more sensitive to those artificial seawaters than CSB. The identification of Gly, α-Ala and AIB using CSC or CSB was not possible because several bands belonging to artificial seawaters, sodium citrate or sodium borohydride were enhanced. On the other hand, artificial seawaters did not interfere in the SERS spectra of Cys using CSC or CSB, although the interaction of Cys with each colloid was different. For CSC the band at 2568 cm(-1) (S-H stretching) of Cys vanished and for CSB the intensity of this band decreased, indicating the -SH of Cys was bonded to Ag to form -S-Ag. Thus SERS spectroscopy could be used for Cys detection on Mars soils using Mars land rovers as well as to study the interaction between Cys and minerals in prebiotic chemistry experiments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The effect of artificial seawater on SERS spectra of amino acids-Ag colloids: An experiment of prebiotic chemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nascimento, Fernanda C.; Carneiro, Cristine E. A.; Santana, Henrique de; Zaia, Dimas A. M.

    2014-01-01

    The large enhancement of signal observed in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) could be helpful for identifying amino acids on the surface of other planets, in particular for Mars, as well as in prebiotic chemistry experiments of interaction minerals/amino acids. This paper reports the effect of several substances (NaCl, MgCl2, KBr, CaSO4, K2SO4, MgSO4, KI, NH4Cl, SrCl2, CaCl2, Na2SO4, KOH, NaOH, H3BO3) on the SERS spectra of colloid of sodium citrate-CSC and colloid of sodium borohydride-CSB. The effect of four different artificial seawaters and these artificial seawaters plus amino acids (α-Ala-alanine, Gly-glycine, Cys-cysteine, AIB-2-aminoisobutiric acid) on SERS spectra using both CSC and CSB was also studied. For CSC, the effect of water, after dilution of the colloid, was the appearance of several absorption bands belonging to sodium citrate in the SERS spectrum. In general, artificial seawaters enhanced several bands in SERS spectra using CSC and CSB and CSC was more sensitive to those artificial seawaters than CSB. The identification of Gly, α-Ala and AIB using CSC or CSB was not possible because several bands belonging to artificial seawaters, sodium citrate or sodium borohydride were enhanced. On the other hand, artificial seawaters did not interfere in the SERS spectra of Cys using CSC or CSB, although the interaction of Cys with each colloid was different. For CSC the band at 2568 cm-1 (S-H stretching) of Cys vanished and for CSB the intensity of this band decreased, indicating the -SH of Cys was bonded to Ag to form -S-Ag. Thus SERS spectroscopy could be used for Cys detection on Mars soils using Mars land rovers as well as to study the interaction between Cys and minerals in prebiotic chemistry experiments.

  10. Modeling secular changes in seawater chemistry accurately requires inclusion of environmental controls on low-temperature, off-axis, hydrothermal fluxes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coogan, L. A.; Dosso, S. E.; Higgins, J. A.

    2014-12-01

    There are sharp rises in the Sr- and Li-isotopic composition of seawater at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary that are generally thought to be associated with Himalayan uplift and associated climatic changes and continental weathering variability. In modeling such data the norm is to hold the chemical fluxes associated with off-axis hydrothermal circulation through the oceanic crust constant while varying the river fluxes (and/or isotopic ratios). There is, however, no a priori reason to assume the chemical fluxes (or isotopic compositions) associated with off-axis hydrothermal systems should stay constant. Instead, changing environmental conditions (e.g. seawater composition and bottom water temperature) will lead to changes in these fluxes. An alternative model to explain the sharp rise in the Sr- and Li-isotopic composition of seawater at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary is cooling of the deep ocean. Decreased reaction rates in the oceanic crust, due to decreasing temperature, can be shown to lead to a decrease in the flux of unradiogenic Sr into the ocean. The magnitude matches, within uncertainty, that required to explain the increase in seawater Sr-isotopic composition [Coogan and Dosso, in review]. The story for Li is more uncertain. Two factors may lead to smaller effective fractionation factors between seawater and the (large) Li sink in the oceanic crust when bottom water is warmer: (i) higher temperature will decrease the isotopic fractionation factor; (ii) the more extensive fluid-rock reaction in the ocean crust when bottom water is warmer will make Li uptake by the oceanic crust more efficient. All other things being equal this will lead to a lower Li content of seawater. In turn, a lower Li content in seawater will mean that for a given Li-uptake rate by the crust the effective fractionation factor is smaller, due to Rayleigh distillation of Li-isotopes during fluid-rock reaction in the oceanic crust. In combination these factors predict a significant (many

  11. Intrinsic viscosity and rheological properties of natural and substituted guar gums in seawater.

    PubMed

    Wang, Shibin; He, Le; Guo, Jianchun; Zhao, Jinzhou; Tang, Hongbiao

    2015-05-01

    The intrinsic viscosity and rheological properties of guar gum (GG), hydroxypropyl guar (HPG) and carboxymethyl guar (CMG) in seawater and the effects of shear rate, concentration, temperature and pH on these properties were investigated. An intrinsic viscosity-increasing effect was observed with GG and HPG in seawater (SW) compared to deionized water (DW), whereas the intrinsic viscosity of CMG in seawater was much lower than that in DW due to a screening effect that reduced the repulsion between the polymer chains. Regardless of the functional groups, all sample solutions was well characterized by a modified Cross model that exhibited the transition from Newtonian to pseudoplastic in the low shear rate range at the concentrations of interest to industries, and their viscosity increased with the increase in their concentration but decreased with the increase in temperature. In contrast to nonionic GG or HPG, anionic CMG had a slightly decreased viscosity property in SW, exhibiting polyelectrolyte viscosity behavior. The α value in the zero-shear rate viscosity vs. concentration power-law equation for the samples gave the order of CMG>HPG>GG while the SW solution of CMG had the lowest viscous flow activation energy and exhibited a strong pH-dependent viscosity by a different shear rate. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Spectrophotometric Calibration of pH Electrodes in Seawater Using Purified m-Cresol Purple

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    This work examines the use of purified meta-cresol purple (mCP) for direct spectrophotometric calibration of glass pH electrodes in seawater. The procedures used in this investigation allow for simple, inexpensive electrode calibrations over salinities of 20–40 and temperatures of 278.15–308.15 K without preparation of synthetic Tris seawater buffers. The optimal pH range is ∼7.0–8.1. Spectrophotometric calibrations enable straightforward, quantitative distinctions between Nernstian and non-Nernstian electrode behavior. For the electrodes examined in this study, both types of behavior were observed. Furthermore, calibrations performed in natural seawater allow direct determination of the influence of salinity on electrode performance. The procedures developed in this study account for salinity-induced variations in liquid junction potentials that, if not taken into account, would create pH inconsistencies of 0.028 over a 10-unit change in salinity. Spectrophotometric calibration can also be used to expeditiously determine the intercept potential (i.e., the potential corresponding to pH 0) of an electrode that has reliably demonstrated Nernstian behavior. Titrations to ascertain Nernstian behavior and salinity effects can be undertaken relatively infrequently (∼weekly to monthly). One-point determinations of intercept potential should be undertaken frequently (∼daily) to monitor for stable electrode behavior and ensure accurate potentiometric pH determinations. PMID:22463815

  13. The co-evolution of seawater δ18O and δD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pope, E. C.

    2017-12-01

    The δ18O of marine carbonate and silica precipitates has increased by 15‰ over the last ca. 3.5 billion years. Whether this shift reflects a parallel increase in oxygen isotope compositions of seawater with time, Precambrian atmospheric temperatures >55°C, or complete alteration of ancient samples during diagenesis, remains controversial despite nearly a half-century of debate. Early mass balance models of the modern ocean system suggested near constant δ18OSEAWATER over time due to the buffering capacity of fresh oceanic crust. However, fluxes controlling 18O sources and sinks to the ocean (high-temperature alteration of the seafloor, and low-temperature weathering of continental and ocean crust, respectively) have not remained fixed throughout Earth history. I adapted published mass balance models for δ18OSEAWATER to evaluate how continental growth, the subaerial emergence of continents, and decreasing mantle temperature affect the magnitude of 18O sources and sinks, and thus the evolution of seawater δ18O since the early Archean. These factors also affect the δD of seawater, which is controlled by the flux of water between mantle, crustal and glacial reservoirs, such that its evolution can be used as an independent constraint on the magnitude that these variables have had on δ18O evolution. The models indicate that a key parameter controlling δ18OSEAWATER is the flux of water between the mantle and free water of the exosphere. Recent geophysical models suggest that the capacity for subducting slabs to sequester water into the deep ocean has increased as the mantle has cooled. Hydrous minerals in subducted oceanic crust have a net δ18O lower than seawater. Incomplete recycling of water from these phases in subduction zones results in progressive removal of 16O from the ocean and thus can explain a significant portion of the increase in δ18O recorded in the marine sediment record. However, mass balance constraints on the global hydrogen budget limits

  14. Understanding Spatial and Temporal Variations of Arctic Circulation Using Oxygen Isotopes of Seawater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, L.; Kopans-Johnson, C. R.; LeGrande, A. N.; Kelly, S.

    2015-12-01

    The isotopic ratio of 18O to 16O in seawater (2005ppm in ocean water is defined as 𝛿18Oseawater≡0 permil or 0‰) is a fundamental ocean tracer due to its distinct linear relationship with salinity(𝛿18O -S) from regional inland freshwater sources. As opposed to salinity alone, 𝛿18O distinguishes river runoff from sea-ice melt and traces ocean circulation pathways from coastal to open waters and surface to deep waters. Observations from the past 60 years of 𝛿18O seawater were compiled into a database by Schimdt et al. (1999), and subsequently used to calculate a 3-dimensional 1°x1° 𝛿18O global gridded dataset by LeGrande and Schmidt (2006). Although the Schmidt et al. (1999) Global Seawater Oxygen-18 Database (𝛿18Oobs) contains 25,514 measurements used to calculate the global gridded dataset, LeGrande and Schmidt (2006) point out that, "data coverage varies greatly from region to region," with seasonal variability creating biases in areas where sea ice is present. Python Pandas is used to automate the addition of 2,942 records to the Schmidt et al. (1999) Global Seawater Oxygen-18 Database (𝛿18Oobs), and examine the spatial and temporal distributions of 18O in the Arctic Ocean. 10 initial water masses are defined using spatial and temporal trends, clusters of observations, and Arctic surface circulation. Jackknife slope analysis of water mass 𝛿18O -S is used to determine anomalous data points and regional hydrology, resulting in 4 distinct Arctic water masses. These techniques are used to improve the gridded 𝛿18Oseawater dataset by distinguishing unique water masses, and accounting for seasonal variability of complex high latitude areas.

  15. [Formation and Variation of Brominated Disinfection By-products in A Combined Ultrafiltration and Reverse Osmosis Process for Seawater Desalination].

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhe; Sun, Ying-xue; Shi, Na; Hu, Hong-ying

    2015-10-01

    The characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and brominated disinfection by-products ( Br-DBPs ) during a seawater desalination ultrafiltration (UF) combined reverse osmosis (RO) process were studied. The seawater contained high level of bromide ion (45.6-50.9 mg x L(-1)) and aromatic compounds with specific ultraviolet absorbance ( SUVA) of 3.6-6.0 L x (mg x m)(-1). The tryptophan-like aromatic protein, fulvic acid-like and soluble microbial by-product-like were the main fluorescent DOM in the seawater. After pre-chlorination of the seawater, the concentrations of DBPs was significantly increased in the influent of UF, which was dominantly the Br-DBPs. Bromoform (CHBr3) accounted for 70.48% - 91.50% of total trihalomethanes (THMs), dibromoacetic acid (Br2CHCO2H) occupied 81.14% - 100% of total haloacetic acids (HAAs) and dibromoacetonitrile (C2HBr2N) occupied 83.77% - 87.45% of total haloacetonitriles ( HANs). The removal efficiency of THMs, HAAs and HANs by the UF membrane was 36.63% - 40.39%, 73.83% - 95.38% and 100%, respectively. The RO membrane could completely remove the HAAs, while a little of the THMs was penetrated. The antiestrogenic activity in the seawater was 0.35 - 0.44 mg x L(-1), which was increased 32% - 69% after the pre-chlorination. The DBPs and other bio-toxic organics which formed during the UF-RO process were finally concentrated in the UF concentrate and RO concentrate.

  16. A negative excursion at 14-16 Ma in seawater osmium isotope record: Implications for paleoceanographic studies using Fe-Mn crusts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goto, K. T.; Tejada, M. L. G.; Suzuki, K.

    2017-12-01

    Osmium isotope stratigraphy is a recently proposed method to determine the depositional age of Fe-Mn crusts [1, 2]. Seawater Os isotope (187Os/188Os) is roughly determined by the balance of riverine Os inputs with radiogenic value (187Os/188Os = 1.4), and mantle-derived and extra-terrestrial Os inputs with non-radiogenic value (187Os/188Os = 0.12) [3]. Secular variation of global seawater Os isotope (seawater Os isotope curve) has been reconstructed by the analysis of pelagic sediments and exhibits large variations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 with several negative excursions [3]. Hence, the depositional age of Fe-Mn crusts can be approximately estimated by fitting their Os isotope depth profiles to the seawater Os isotope curve (Osmium isotope stratigraphy). However, this method allows multiple interpretations which are partly due to the lack of high-resolution seawater Os isotope curve [1, 2]. For example, the available seawater Os isotope curve does not exhibit negative anomaly during the Miocene, which contrasts with Os isotope records of Fe-Mn crusts [4]. In the present study, we obtained a high-resolution Os isotope record of Miocene seawater using hemipelagic sediments from IODP Expedition 351 SiteU1438. We found a small negative Os isotope anomaly as low as 0.7 from sediments deposited at 14-16 Ma. The magnitude of this anomaly is similar to those reported from Fe-Mn crusts. Although the extrapolation of Be-10 ages for Fe-Mn crust indicate a younger age for the anomaly ( 11 Ma) [4], we could not find any discernable isotope anomaly at 11 Ma. Our finding is consistent with the timing of major eruption of the Columbia River flood basalts (CFRB) which could provide non-radiogenic Os to seawater at 14-16 Ma [5]. Hence, we suggest that the observed isotope anomaly reflect eruption and subsequent weathering of the CFRB. As the similar Os isotope anomaly is commonly found from Fe-Mn crusts, the Os isotope anomaly at 14-16 Ma could be used as a key event to constrain

  17. Evolution of Nd and Pb isotopes in Central Pacific seawater from ferromanganese crusts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ling, H.F.; Burton, K.W.; O'Nions, R. K.; Kamber, B.S.; Von Blanckenburg, F.; Gibb, A.J.; Hein, J.R.

    1997-01-01

    Hydrogenetic ferromanganese crusts incorporate elements from ambient seawater during their growth on seamounts. By analysing Nd, Pb and Be isotope profiles within crusts it is possible to reconstruct seawater tracer histories. Depth profiles of 10Be/9Be ratios in three Pacific ferromanganese crusts have been used to obtain growth rates which are between 1.4 and 3.8 mm/Ma. Nd and Pb isotopes provide intact records of isotopic variations in Pacific seawater over the last 20 Ma or more. There were only small changes in Pb isotope composition in the last 20 Ma. This indicates a constant Pb composition for the erosional sources and suggests further that erosional Nd inputs may have been uniform too. ??ND values vary considerably with time and most probably reflect changes in ocean circulation. The ??ND values of the crusts not only vary as a function of age but also as a function of water depth. From 25 to 0 Ma, crust VA13/2 from 4.8 km water depth has a similar pattern of ??ND variation to the two shallower crusts from 1.8 and 2.3 km, but about 1.0 to 1.5 units more negative. This suggests that ??ND stratification in Pacific seawater, as demonstrated for the present day, has been maintained for at least 20 Ma. Each crust shows a decrease in ??ND from 3-5 Ma to the present, which is interpreted in terms of an increase in the NADW component present in the Pacific. From 10 to 3-5 Ma ago the crusts show an increase in ??ND. This suggests a decreasing role for a deep water source with ??ND less than circum-Pacific sources. In this regard the Panamanian gateway restriction from ???10 Ma with final closure at 3-5 Ma may have played an important role in reducing access of Atlantic-derived Nd to the Pacific.

  18. Detection of a Diverse Marine Fish Fauna Using Environmental DNA from Seawater Samples

    PubMed Central

    Iversen, Lars Lønsmann; Møller, Peter Rask; Rasmussen, Morten; Willerslev, Eske

    2012-01-01

    Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat with many fish species and populations suffering from human over-exploitation. This is greatly impacting global biodiversity, economy and human health. Intriguingly, marine fish are largely surveyed using selective and invasive methods, which are mostly limited to commercial species, and restricted to particular areas with favourable conditions. Furthermore, misidentification of species represents a major problem. Here, we investigate the potential of using metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) obtained directly from seawater samples to account for marine fish biodiversity. This eDNA approach has recently been used successfully in freshwater environments, but never in marine settings. We isolate eDNA from ½-litre seawater samples collected in a temperate marine ecosystem in Denmark. Using next-generation DNA sequencing of PCR amplicons, we obtain eDNA from 15 different fish species, including both important consumption species, as well as species rarely or never recorded by conventional monitoring. We also detect eDNA from a rare vagrant species in the area; European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus). Additionally, we detect four bird species. Records in national databases confirmed the occurrence of all detected species. To investigate the efficiency of the eDNA approach, we compared its performance with 9 methods conventionally used in marine fish surveys. Promisingly, eDNA covered the fish diversity better than or equal to any of the applied conventional methods. Our study demonstrates that even small samples of seawater contain eDNA from a wide range of local fish species. Finally, in order to examine the potential dispersal of eDNA in oceans, we performed an experiment addressing eDNA degradation in seawater, which shows that even small (100-bp) eDNA fragments degrades beyond detectability within days. Although further studies are needed to validate the eDNA approach in varying environmental conditions, our

  19. Detection of a diverse marine fish fauna using environmental DNA from seawater samples.

    PubMed

    Thomsen, Philip Francis; Kielgast, Jos; Iversen, Lars Lønsmann; Møller, Peter Rask; Rasmussen, Morten; Willerslev, Eske

    2012-01-01

    Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat with many fish species and populations suffering from human over-exploitation. This is greatly impacting global biodiversity, economy and human health. Intriguingly, marine fish are largely surveyed using selective and invasive methods, which are mostly limited to commercial species, and restricted to particular areas with favourable conditions. Furthermore, misidentification of species represents a major problem. Here, we investigate the potential of using metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) obtained directly from seawater samples to account for marine fish biodiversity. This eDNA approach has recently been used successfully in freshwater environments, but never in marine settings. We isolate eDNA from ½-litre seawater samples collected in a temperate marine ecosystem in Denmark. Using next-generation DNA sequencing of PCR amplicons, we obtain eDNA from 15 different fish species, including both important consumption species, as well as species rarely or never recorded by conventional monitoring. We also detect eDNA from a rare vagrant species in the area; European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus). Additionally, we detect four bird species. Records in national databases confirmed the occurrence of all detected species. To investigate the efficiency of the eDNA approach, we compared its performance with 9 methods conventionally used in marine fish surveys. Promisingly, eDNA covered the fish diversity better than or equal to any of the applied conventional methods. Our study demonstrates that even small samples of seawater contain eDNA from a wide range of local fish species. Finally, in order to examine the potential dispersal of eDNA in oceans, we performed an experiment addressing eDNA degradation in seawater, which shows that even small (100-bp) eDNA fragments degrades beyond detectability within days. Although further studies are needed to validate the eDNA approach in varying environmental conditions, our

  20. Extraction of Carbon Dioxide from Seawater by an Electrochemical Acidification Cell. Part 1 - Initial Feasibility Studies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-07-23

    approximately 142 ppm (0.0023 M), therefore approximately 23 mL of 0.100 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) acid is required per liter of seawater where Cl- is...deionized water to a total volume of 140 liters, and pH adjusted to 7.6 using hydrochloric acid (HCl); approximately 20 mLs of diluted HCl (5 mL of... hydrochloric acid was required to reduce pH in a 20 mL sample of Key West seawater to 6.0. This required 4.05E-05 moles of hydrogen ions. Based on