Short- and long-term monitoring of radon, thoron and carbon dioxide in soil-gas at Altos de pipe, Venezuela

We have measured radon and thoron activities in soil-gases since July 9, 1997 Cariaco earthquake (Mw=6.9) until the end of 2000. Carbon dioxide concentrations were also monitored between 1998–2000. The soil-gas was collected between 50–55 cm depths at two sampling points at Altos de pipe (Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas-IVIC) near Caracas, Venezuela. The radon and thoron measurements were performed daily employing radiation monitors with scintillation cells and the carbon dioxide was monitored with portable gas analyzers. Average weekly and monthly values were calculated and plotted for this three-four year period. In general, both the radon and carbon dioxide values showed sinusoidal trends due to seasonal changes. During the dry season the radon and carbon dioxide values decreased, while the radon activity was relative constant (flat) during the rainy season at one of the sampling points. Only two monthly radon values were seen to be anomalous in the graphs in respect to seven anomalous periods for the average weekly values. No anomalous periods were clearly seen for carbon dioxide. Finally, it was difficult to try to relate these radon anomalous periods with specific earthquakes due to the large number of minor earthquakes during these years, but it seem that the minor earthquake (Mb=5.9) of October 4, 2000 could be associated with the radon anomalous period in September, when there were no other minor earthquakes (Mb≥4.0). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The fluctuations of indoor radon measurements from the building materials in a real situation

In this study, we have investigated the fluctuations of radon levels in two experimental rooms constructed for secondary standard dosimetric calibration. The values over the short-term (the first two weeks) were in the range of 10–14 pCi/L of radon in air, while those of the long-term were between 6–14 pCi/L of radon. Even though the temperature and humidity was relatively constant during the second half of the rainy season, there was a trend towards lower radon values. It is concluded that ventilation is an important factor in indoor radon levels.     

A differential thermal analysis study of phase transitions in some mercury(II) carboxylates

Data are presented on the heats of phase changes and heat capacities for the even chain number mercury(II) carboxylates from octanoate to octadecanoate. The octanoate and dodecanoate melt directly to the liquid, while the decanoate and octadecanoate pass through a solid solid transition before melting to the liquid. The tetradecanoate and hexadecanoate pass through a mesophase before finally melting. It is proposed that this mesophase is aG (smectic) phase. Addition of mercuric oxide to the tetradecanoate and hexadecanoate causes the appearance of an additional mesophase. The results are explained in terms of theR theory of fused micellar phases.

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Zusammenfassung Daten der Phasenübergangswärmen und Wärmekapazitäten der Quecksilber(II)karboxylate mit geradzahligen Kohlenstoffatomen vom Oktanat bis Oktadekanat angegeben. Oktanat und Dodekanat schmelzen unmittelbar zur Flüssigkeit, während Dekanat und Oktadekanat durch einen Fest-Fest-übergang in den flüssigen Zustand übergeführt werden. Tetradekanat und Hexadekanat werden über eine Mesophase endgültig geschmolzen. Es wird für diese Mesophase die Struktur einer smektischen G-Phase vorgeschlagen. Der Zusatz von Quecksilberoxid zum Tetradekanat und Hexadekanat verursacht das Auftreten einer zusätzlichen Mesophase. Die Ergebnisse werden durch die R-Theorie geschmolzener Micellarphasen erklärt.

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Résumé On présente des données sur les chaleurs des changements de phase et les chaleurs spécifiques des carboxylates de mercure(II), mÊme à longue chaÎne carbonée, de l'octylate à l'octadécanoate. L'octylate et le dodécanoate conduisent directement au liquide par fusion tandis que le décanoate et l'octadécanoate subissent une transition solide-solide avant de fondre. Le tétradécanoate et l'hexadécanoate passent par une mésophase avant la fusion finale. On propose pour cette mésophase une structure smectique (G). L'addition d'oxyde de mercure au tétradécanoate et à l'hexadécanoate donne une mésophase additionnelle. On explique les résultats en se référant à la théorie R des phases micellaires fondues.

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Determination of radon-222 in a natural thermal water spring shortly before and after the July 9, 1997 earthquake (Ms=6.8) in the State of Sucre, Venezuela

The original purpose of this investigation started in 1996 was to study the radiological impact on the local population of the village of Chichiviriche de La Costa. But, soon after the major earthquake (Ms=6.8) in the state of Sucre on July 9, 1997, the objective was changed to study the fluctuation of radon (²²²Rn) to see if it could be correlated to seismic activity and/or if the amonlous change just before the earthquake can be considered a precusor for it. Measurements of²²²Rn by simply de-gassing about 250 ml of natural thermal water employing a Pylon AB-5 radiation monitor and counting the radiation after it reached equilibrium were performed. The values for four sampling periods in the first half of 1996 were about 17 Bq/l of²²²Rn, a month before the earthquake they were less than 15 Bq/l and increased about 70% to 25 Bq/l two days before the seismic event. In about two weeks, they returned to about 18 Bq/l. But, surprisingly, they have gradually increased to about 35 Bq/l, before leveling off at about 27 Bq/l.     

222Rn content and234U/238U activity ratio in groundwaters

Geochemical radioanalytical studies of groundwater were performed in the valleys of Villa de Reyes and San Luis Potosi (Mexico). The experiments were designed to measure radon and uranium content and²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio in groundwater samples taken from wells in these sites and at the Nuclear Center of Salazar, Mexico.²²²Rn content varied depending on the sample source, reaching a maximum value of 235 pCi/l; uranium concentration results were less than 1 g/1 and²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios were close to equilibrium.     

Year by Year Changes of Indoor Radon Levels

Short-term fluctuations of indoor radon may occur due to weather conditions, seismic activity etc. These average out during the year. According to our measurements, in the very same room the yearly average of radon concentration may also change by 25–50% from year to year. This observation may make the comparison of indoor radon levels of houses measured in different years unjustified; large scale radon maps based upon such data are less reliable. Possible causes of such year-by-year changes are discussed empirically. The conclusions may be helpful to foresee long-term tendencies, implied by changes of living habits and by climatic shifts.     

Temporal variation patterns of radon in mineral waters along the Cota Mil Highway, Caracas, Venezuela

Measurements of radon in potable mineral waters along the Cota Mil Highway at two sites, La Castellana with five sampling points within 20 meters of each other and two collection points at the San Jose site were carried out from November, 1997 to December, 1998. Temporal radon variation patterns will be presented for the seven sampling points, which had very different water flow rates and short-term variations. The extraction of the radon from mineral waters was accomplished in the laboratory a few hours after sampling and the measurements were performed employing a radiation monitor with a scintillation cell 18 hours latter to insure that the radon and its decay products were in equilibrium. The results suggest that the increase of radon from the middle of February to the middle of November can be related to the decrease in atmospheric temperature and rainfall. The large differences in the minimum and maximum values of radon and the short-term variations show the need for many measurements over a year to quantify a correct annual value to be employed in dose calculation for radiological impact studies on human health. Finally, we have also concluded that water sampling points with very low water flow rates are more suitable for investigating the possible relation between radon anomalies and seismic events.     

Monitoring of radon anomalies in South-Eastern part of Romania for earthquake surveillance

South-Eastern part of Romania has a highest potential seismic risk in Europe due to the earthquake-prone Vrancea zone placed at conjunction of four tectonic blocks in the South-Eastern part of Carpathian Arc. This paper is an attempt to analyze the development of radon pre-earthquake anomaly in relation with moderate seismic events in Vrancea area through permanent monitoring with solid state nuclear track detectors CR-39 detectors. Radon in air above the ground was measured during 1?year period (November 2010?COctober 2011) in four selected test sites: Vrancioaia (VRI) and Plostina (PLOR) located in Vrancea zone, and Muntele Rosu-Cheia and Bucharest. During sampling period recorded earthquakes that occurred mostly in Vrancea epicentral region were minor-moderate of moment magnitudes in range of $ 2.0 \le M_{w} \le 4.9 $ . The average radon concentration in air above the ground measured with CR-39 detectors and 10?days period recorded simultaneously at all test sites, registered the following values: (1) in Vrancea area (similar in VRI and PLOR) was 1094.58? $ \pm $ ?150.3?Bq/m³; (2) at Muntele Rosu-Cheia seismic station measured in a mountain tunnel laboratory was 3695.91 ±?440?Bq/m³; (3) at Bucharest station was 380.53? $ \pm $ ?69.17?Bq/m³, and 10?days C_Rn fluctuations in the range of (88? $ \pm $ ?40 to 912 $ \pm $ ?130?Bq/m³). Clear radon anomalies, mostly at VRI and PLOR in Vrancea epicentral area as well as at Muntele Rosu-Cheia have been measured before seven minor earthquakes which were recorded in the range of moment magnitude $ 4 \le M_{w} \le 4.9 $ in Vrancea area. Temporal variation of radon in air near the ground have been examined in relation with meteorological parameters like as air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure and wind velocity. Permanent monitoring of radon concentration anomalies in seismic area Vrancea is an important issue as surveillance tool in the field of earthquake hazard for Romania.     

Seasonal variation of activity ratios for natural uranium in surface waters

The uranium concentration, and²³⁴U/²³⁸U and²³⁵U/²³⁸U activity ratios were measured by alpha spectrometry of surface water from the neighbourhood of the uranium mines El Lobo and El Pedregal (Badajoz, Spain) before and after the rainy season. Changes were observed in all the three parameters studied. Leaching and dilution are the probable mechanisms for the seasonal changes in the concentration and in the²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio as measured in open and dynamic systems (rivers).     

Approaches to the synthesis of pregn-5-en-3β,21-diol-20-one-[16,17α-d]-2'-methyloxazoline

Conclusions Two independent methods were found for the preparation of pregn-5-en-3,21-diol-[16,-17-d]-2'-methyloxazoline: 1) by cis-opening of the aziridine ring of the 3;16,17;21-triacetate of 16,17-epiminopregn-5-en-3,21-diol-20-one and 2) by the 21-hydroxylation of pregn-5-en-3-o1-20-one-[16,17-d]-2'-methyloxazoline using iodosobenzoyl diacetate.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 2138–2141, September, 1984.     

Metal complexes in catalytic conversions of olefins. 4. Heterogenization of nickel complexes on chemically modified silochrome surface; activity and selectivity in ethylene dimerization

When activated by Et₂AlCl phosphine-containing homogeneous nickel complexes and their heterogenized analogs (HMC) formed on silochrome S-120 modified by NH₂ and N(PPh₂)₂ groups differ significantly in their effectiveness in ethylene dimerization. The catalytic activity of Ni-HMC-Et₂AlCl depends on how the HMC was formed. Ni-HMC-I obtained by ligand exchange on chemically modified silochrome is 5–15 times more effective than Ni-HMC-II synthesized from the gas phase. The selectivity in formation of -olefins (C₄ + C₆) is 4–5 times higher in the presence of Ni-HMC than for its homogeneous analogs.For previous communication, see [1].Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 516–520, March, 1990.     

The incompleteness of Rényi entropies

Since the advent of the notion of mixing character in statistical mechanics, it has been conjectured over and over again that the Rényi entropies provide a mixing isomorphic family, that is: given two probability distributions p and q, the mixing character of q exceeds that of p, m[q]> m[p], if and only if I (q)I (p) for any positive . This conjecture is disproved by means of counterexamples.     

Quality control of the cure process of thermosetting resins by means of differential scanning calorimetry

Calorimetric and rheological characterizations of thermosetting resin formulations containing a novalac epoxy resin hardened with 60 to 120 parts per hundred of methylated maleic acid adduct anhydride are described. The calorimetrically determined epoxy conversion has been related to the gelation limits theoretically calculated from Flory's non-linear copolymerization theory and experimentally verified in rheological tests.

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Zusammenfassung Die kalorimetrische und rheologische Charakterisierung der Ansätze von hitzhärtbarem Harz wird beschrieben. Die Ansätze enthalten ein mit 60–120% methyliertem Maleinsäure-Adduktanhydrid gehärtetes Novolackepoxidharz. Die kalorimetrisch bestimmte Epoxid-konversion wurde auf die theoretisch aus der nicht-linearen Flory'schen Kopolymerisationstheorie berechneten und experimentell durch rheologische Tests bestätigten Erstarrungsgrenzen bezogen.

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Financial and scientific support by the CNR Progetto Chimica Fine e Secondaria and the Societa Italiana Resine (SIR) is gratefully acknowledged.     

Determination of arsenic(III) and copper(II) by stripping voltammetry in a mixed EDTA-phosphoric acid supporting electrolyte

The effect of the composition of a supporting electrolyte containing EDTA and H₃PO₄, the parameters of the analytical cycle, and the concentration of a depolarizer on the electrochemical behavior of arsenic(III) and copper(II) was studied by anodic stripping voltammetry at a gold-graphite electrode. The optimum conditions for determining these elements were found. Different techniques are proposed for the isolation of the analytical signals from the total voltammetric signal using postelectrolysis and subtracting voltammograms. It is shown that 0.007 µg/mL arsenic(III) can be determined in the presence of 30-fold amounts of copper(II) and 0.007 µg/mL copper(II) can be found in the presence of 40-fold amounts of arsenic(III).Translated from Zhurnal Analiticheskoi Khimii, Vol. 60, No. 2, 2005, pp. 179–186.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Kamenev, Lyakhov, Orlov.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with corrections to the author names and book review format.     

Liquid chromatographic studies for essential fatty acids on a commercial alkyl phenyl bonded silica column

Summary Retention studies on arachidonic acid 5, 8, 11, 14 all cis eicosatetraenoic acid, C20:46), eicosapentaenoic acid (5, 8, 11, 14, 17 all cis eicosapentaenoic acid, C2053) and docosahexaenoic acid (4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19 all cis docosahexaenoic acid C2263) were performed on a commercial Bondapak free fatty acid analysis column. The ternary mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, water and tetrahydrofuran was used in an isocratic mode with differential refractometry detection. Retention data were mesured at various flow rates with two different, mobile-phase compositions. Capacity factors and enthalpy of adsorption were calculated from the retention data. Finally the retention mechanism is explained.     

Steroid glycosides from the starfish Crossaster papposus

The following have been isolated from the starfishCrossaster papposus and characterized: the new glycoside (24S)-5-cholestane-3,4,6,8,15,24-hexaol 24-O-[O-(2,4-di-O-methyl--D-xylopyranosyl)-(1 5)--L-arabinofuranoside] (crossasteoside P₄) and the previously known attenuatoside B-1.Pacific Ocean Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far-Eastern Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 257–260, March–April, 1993.     

Influence of lanthanum on K/Fe/silicalite-2 catalyst in CO+H2

The promotion of a K/Fe/silicalite-2 catalyst with lanthanum increases the selectivity of C₂–C₄ olefin and conversion of carbon monoxide. The influence of lanthanum on the catalyst has been characterized by TPR, TPD and XPS techniques. The suitable lanthanum content in the chemical composition of the catalyst is determined.

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K/Fe/-2 C₂–C₄ . , . .

     

Determination of226Ra and uranium in fish samples from waters of the Grand Canyon by alpha spectroscopy without electrodeposition

A previous paper reported the application of a method for determining²²⁶Ra by -spectroscopy. This paper presents important improvements which permit the determination of²²⁶Ra in the presence of large amounts of Ca. The method was applied to the analysis of²²⁶Ra and U isotopes in fish samples from the waters of the Grand Canyon.²²⁶Ra ranged from 0.05 Bq kg^–1 /1.4 pCi kg^–1/ to 0.17 Bq k^–1 /4.7 pCi kg^–1/.²³⁸U values ranged from 0.13 Bq kg^–1 /3.5 pCi kg^–1/ to 0.52 Bq kg^–1 /14 pCi kg^–1/ and²³⁴U values were between 0.23 Bq kg^–1 /6.2 pCi kg^–1/ and 12 Bq kg^–1/ /326. pCi kg^–1/.     

Radon measurement by coincidence gamma-ray spectrometry

A method of radon measurement by a multidetector -ray spectrometer,based on coincidence counting of 609 keV photons from two-step cascade transitionsthat follow â – decay of 214 Bi, is proposed. Besides a good accuracy,the method has better sensitivity than some standard methods of radon measurementcurrently in use. Applying this method to the PRIPJAT-2M spectrometer with6 NaI(Tl) detectors, and counting a 1 l sample of well water for 30 minutes,a minimum detectable radon activity of 0.25 Bq/l is experimentally determined.     

Selective hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in aprotic media

The kinetics of hydrogenation of nitrobenzene in aprotic media was studied, and a scheme of the mechanism and a kinetic equation, corresponding to it, for the initial reaction rate are proposed. High selectivity with respect to N-phenylhydroxylamine is apparently due to the aprotic nature and donor properties of the solvent and also to the functioning of the catalyst as a unique hydrogen electrode.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 1, pp. 45–48, January, 1991.The author thanks V. V. Strelets for useful discussion.