Assessment of heavy metal background values in the soils of inland coastal areas of Venice,Italy

The main aim of this project was to assess background levels of heavy metals in soil in the inland coastal area of Venice, Italy. The pilot study area is located near the industrial area of Porto Marghera, considered of national interest in terms of contaminated soil remediation (Environmental Ministerial Decree n. 471/1999). The Decree under consideration emphasises the importance of the assessment of background values in soil remediation. Results will show cases (As and Sn) in which background values are greater than concentration limit standards given by legislation.     

Chemical and statistical characterization of selected documents from the archives of the Palazzo Ducale (Venice, Italy)

Inks and paper are the main materials and components of library and archive collections. Since the beginning of paper and ink production empirical recipes have been followed, but in the 19th century with the transformation of Europe during the Industrial Revolution, the continent became the main leader for the discovery of new products and new industrial production processes. The aim of this study is to shed light on paper and ink production processes during this key historical period. In this study we have chosen some documents preserved in the archive of the Soprintendenza dei Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici (B.A.P.) di Venezia e Laguna, held in the Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace) of Venice. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) allowed us to obtain a qualitative and quantitative characterization of the organic and inorganic components in both paper and inks. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed for statistical analysis of the results.     

Chlorobiphenyl (PCB) composition of extracts of subsurface soil, superficial dust and air from a contaminated landfill

Samples of 3 matrices (air, superficial dust and subsurface soil) from an aged PCB-containing landfill were extracted and the extracts refined for bioassay. Acetone:hexane extraction was modestly selected for non-planar compounds. Coplanar PCBs and PCDFs were enriched about 2-fold in the subsequent benzene:methylene chloride extracts of the soil. Extract refinement with Florisil slurry and alumina column chromatography did not appreciably change the composition of the extracts. CB 28 (2,4,4′-triCB) dominated in all extracts. The congener composition of soil and air were surprisingly similar, being enriched in tri- and tetraCBs while dust retained higher proportions of congeners with 4 and 5 chlorines. It is postulated that anaerobic dechlorination in the moist subsurface soil depleted the higher chlorinated congeners; more volatile congeners escaped into the atmosphere while moderately chlorinated congeners were trapped in the superficial dust and debris. The refined extracts represent distinct compositions of environmental PCB mixtures suitable for bioassay. Received: 21 November 1995 / Revised: 9 April 1996 / Accepted: 14 April 1996     

Chlorobiphenyl (PCB) composition of extracts of subsurface soil, superficial dust and air from a contaminated landfill

Samples of 3 matrices (air, superficial dust and subsurface soil) from an aged PCB-containing landfill were extracted and the extracts refined for bioassay. Acetone: hexane extraction was modestly selected for non-planar compounds. Coplanar PCBs and PCDFs were enriched about 2-fold in the subsequent benzene:methylene chloride extracts of the soil. Extract refinement with Florisil slurry and alumina column chromatography did not appreciably change the composition of the extracts. CB 28 (2,4,4′-triCB) dominated in all extracts. The congener composition of soil and air were surprisingly similar, being enriched in tri- and tetraCBs while dust retained higher proportions of congeners with 4 and 5 chlorines. It is postulated that anaerobic dechlorination in the moist subsurface soil depleted the higher chlorinated congeners; more volatile congeners escaped into the atmosphere while moderately chlorinated congeners were trapped in the superficial dust and debris. The refined extracts represent distinct compositions of environmental PCB mixtures suitable for bioassay.     

Effect of water on the ionic-molecular interaction in the acetone-phenol-H2SO4 system

Complexation in the acetone-phenol system and the effect of water on the ionic-molecular interaction in the acetone-phenol-H₂SO₄ system at 30C were investigated by MFTIR (multifrustrated total internal reflection) IR spectroscopy. Acetone and phenol form a 11 complex (PAC-l). In an excess of acetone, all of the phenol is bound with this complex, and a 21 complex (PAC-2) is formed in an excess of phenol. Relatively small amounts of H₂O virtually do not decompose PAC-1. A broad continuous absorption band due to the formation of complexes with a strong quasisymmetric H bond is observed in the IR spectra of solutions with H₂SO₄. Quasi-ion pairs HOSO₂O...H...OC-(CH₃)₂, are formed in an anhydrous system. The acid-solvent complexes decompose and (H₂O...H...OH₂)⁺ ions are formed on addition of water. The continuous absorption coefficients, ₂₀₀₀, of (H₂O...H...OH₂)⁺ ions and quasi-ion pairs were determined.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1001–1006, May, 1991.     

Study of 19th century inks from archives in the Palazzo Ducale (Venice, Italy) using various analytical techniques

Inks and paper are the main materials and components of library and archive collections. Since the Third century B.C. there has been a continual succession of ink recipes from all over the world, with varying levels of documentation of the recipes used; however, it was only in the 19th century that Europe became the main producer and industrial leader in the discovery of new products. The aim of this study is to find out more about this last historical period, when new inks were created that had never been known or used in the past. In this study we chose four inks: they belong to documents preserved in the archive of the Superintendence Beni architettonici per il paesaggio e per il patrimonio storico artistico ed etnoantropologico (BAPPDAD) of Venice Lagoon, held in the Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace) of Venice.Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS) and pyrolysis coupled to a gas chromatograph with mass spectrometric detector (Py–GC–MS) allowed us to obtain a qualitative characterization of organic and inorganic elements in three different ink typologies.     

Semiempirical calculations on the interaction between dimethyltin(IV) and DNA model system

The interaction between a dinucleotide triphosphate duplex (DD), mimicking the DNA molecule, and the dimethyltin(IV) cation is studied by the semiempirical PM3 method. The results show that the interaction can occur involving the tin atom and the electron-donor centres of DD, requiring in some cases the presence of water molecules. In particular, the binding of the dimethyltin(IV) moiety with two adjacent phosphate oxygen atoms is allowed by the presence of water molecules coordinating to the tin atom. In this case the tin environment shows a geometry in agreement with ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer and X-ray data.     

Chemometric studies in the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. Annual evolution of sulphur species and relationship to biogeochemical cycles in lagoon water

During the period March 1997-March 1998 dimethyl sulphide (DMS), dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) and carbon disulphide (CS2) were determined weekly in the water of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy (at three stations located in the Giudecca Canal, the San Secondo Canal and the Rio di San Nicolò). At the same time, the following hydrological and biological variables were also measured: tide height, temperature, transmittance, fluorescence, pH, salinity, chlorinity, sulphate, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, silicate, chlorophyll a, phaeopigments, phytoplankton (abundance and biomass). Principal component analysis (PCA), applied as a dimension reduction tool, made it possible to summarize multivariate information in a small number of components, which highlighted the relationships between the temporal evolutions of the sulphur compounds with hydrological and biological variables in the seasonal biogeochemical cycle of the lagoon. In particular the overall temporal cycle, which begins with the development of biological activity in late winter and spring, followed by the predominance of degradation processes during the late summer and the remineralization of nutrients in autumn, is clearly described in the plane of the first two principal components, together with the interrelationships between all the relevant variables.     

Radiochemical characterisation,heavy metal determination and morphologic evolution of coastal sediments in the Ravenna area (Italy)

The basic aim of this work was to achieve a preliminary but integrated characterisation of an area of the Ravenna littoral coastline. The use of suitable computerised procedures has allowed the reconstruction of the morphological evolution of this area by means of historical and recent cartography. Coastal sediments were characterised by sampling 3 cores at about 2 km offshore. The following aspects were studied: 1) Mineralogical characterisation of both the total and the fine fraction of sediments by X-ray Diffraction. 2) Characteristion of sedimentary horizons by radiodating. 3)Magnetic susceptibility profiling. 4) Determination of some heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) by anodic stripping voltammetry.     

Effect of amino acids on the interaction between cobalamin(II) and dehydroascorbic acid

The kinetics of the reaction between one-electron-reduced cobalamin (cobalamin(II), Cb(II)) and the two-electron-oxidized form of vitamin C (dehydroascorbic acid, DHA) with amino acids in an acidic medium is studied by conventional UV–Vis spectroscopy. It is shown that the oxidation of Cbl(II) by dehydroascorbic acid proceeds only in the presence of sulfur-containing amino acids (cysteine, acetylcysteine). A proposed reaction mechanism includes the step of amino acid coordination on the Co(II)-center through the sulfur atom, along with that of the interaction between this complex and DHA molecules, which results in the formation of ascorbyl radical and the corresponding Co(III) thiolate complex.     

Effect of ethanol on the interaction between poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and sodium dodecyl sulfate

The effect of ethanol on the interaction between the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the nonionic polymer poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) has been investigated using a range of techniques including surface tension, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and viscosity. Surface tension and fluorescence studies show that the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of the surfactant decreases to a minimum value around 15 wt % ethanol; that is, it follows the cosurfactant effect. However, in the presence of PVP, the onset of the interaction, denoted cmc(1), between the surfactant and the polymer is considerably less dependent on ethanol concentration. The saturation point, cmc(2), however, reflects the behavior of the cmc in that it decreases upon addition of ethanol. This results in a decrease in the amount of surfactant bound to the polymer [C(bound) = cmc(2) - cmc] at saturation. The viscosity of simple PVP solutions depends on ethanol concentration, but since SANS studies show that ethanol has no effect on the polymer conformation, the changes observed in the viscosity reflect the viscosity of the background solvent. There are significant increases in bulk viscosity when the surfactant is added, and these have been correlated with the polymer conformation extracted from an analysis of the SANS data and with the amount of polymer adsorbed at the micelle surface. Competition between ethanol and PVP to occupy the surfactant headgroup region exists; at low ethanol concentration, the PVP displaces the ethanol and the PVP/SDS complex resembles that formed in the absence of the ethanol. At higher ethanol contents, the polymer does not bind to the ethanol-rich micelle surface.     

Determination of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) in water by a continuous competitive immunoassay system based on the streptavidin-biotin interaction

A competitive continuous immunoassay system for the determination of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), the major degradation product of the insecticide chlorpyrifos, in water is described. The immunoassay system is based on the transient retention of the specific LIB-MC2 monoclonal antibody anti-TCP as a biotinylated derivative using the streptavidin-biotin interaction. The permanent immobilization of streptavidin on controlled-pore-glass provides an adequate active support for the transient retention of the biotinylated monoclonal antibody anti-TCP. In a subsequent step, the immuno-competitive reaction between the biotinylated LIB-MC2 and the TCP/hapten-POD mixture takes place. This competitive assay relies on the determination of the biocatalytic action of peroxidase, retained in the active support, on a derivatization reaction which yields a fluorescent product. The method exhibits a determination range of 0.01-200 microg L(-1) of TCP (r2=0.9919, n=9) with a precision, expressed as RSD, lower than 4.2% and a sampling frequency of 3 h(-1). The approach has been applied to the determination of TCP in water with recoveries of 89.7-105.6%.     

DFT investigation of the interaction between gold(I) complexes and the active site of thioredoxin reductase

The binding of the [Au(PMe₃)]⁺ fragment to cysteine, selenocysteine and the tetrapeptides H₂NGlyCysAGlyCOOH (A = Cys, Sec) has been investigated by DFT methods as a model for the binding of gold(I) to the selenium-containing active site of thioredoxin reductase. The calculations demonstrate both a higher acidity of Se-H compared to S-H and a stronger binding of gold at the selenium site compared to sulphur. Se-H dissociation at the selenium site increases the reducing power of the tetrapeptide H₂NGlyCysSecGlyCOOH whilst gold coordination at selenium has the opposite effect.     

Calorimetric investigation of temperature effect on the interaction between poly(ethylene oxide) and sodium dodecylsulfate in water

The interaction of four poly(ethylene oxides), with molar masses of 1500, 3350, 10 000 and 100 000 g mol⁻¹ with sodium dodecylsulfate, at 15, 25, 35 and 65 °C was investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry. No significant change of the critical aggregation concentration values or of the amount of surfactant bound was observed within this temperature range. The profiles for the variation of the observed enthalpies with surfactant concentration, however, are quite different for the four studied temperatures, what has been interpreted as a consequence of a change in the mode of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) interaction with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles within this temperature range.     

高岭石与水分子相互作用的理论研究

为从微观角度深入探讨单个水分子与高岭石最易解理晶面不同暴露末端的作用特点,本工作通过密度泛函理论的计算方法对不同吸附形态的水分子与不同暴露末端的稳定作用构型进行几何结构与电子结构分析.吸附能的计算结果表明水分子在铝氧八面体羟基作为暴露末端的表面上最稳定的吸附方式为水分子的氧原子和氢原子分别与相邻两个羟基的氢原子和氧原子...     

Calorimetric investigation of the interaction between lithium perfluorononanoate and poly(ethylene glycol) oligomers in water

The interaction of lithium perfluorononanoate (LiPFN) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) molecules of different molecular weights (300 < MW < 20000 Da) has been investigated in water at 298.15 and 308.15 K by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Density, viscosity, and conductivity measurements were also performed at 298.15 K. The aggregation process of this surfactant on the PEG polymeric chain was found to be very similar to that exhibited by cesium perfluorooctanoate (CsPFO) and appears to be consistent with the necklace model. ITC titrations indicated that a fully formed LiPFN micellar cluster can be wrapped by a PEG chain having a molecular weight (MW) of approximately 3200 Da, longer than that required by the shorter perfluorooctanoate (MW approximately 2600 Da), and also suggested a stepwise mechanism for the aggregation of successive micelles. Viscosity data indicate that the formation of polymer-surfactant complexes between PEG and LiPFN involves a conformational change of the polymer. The aggregation of preformed micelles of LiPFN or CsPFO or SDS on the PEG polymeric chain always gives rise to further stabilization.     

Long-term sampling system for the measurement of ambient air concentrations of mercury at a contaminated site

 Iodized activated carbon was used as sampling medium for mercury species in ambient air. It showed satisfactory recovery in laboratory adsorption experiments with spiked air. Also, field measurements parallel to a gold trap system were conducted. After optimizing the volume flow, the results of an intermittently sampling gold collector and the continuously sampling iodized activated carbon trap agreed well. Iodized activated carbon is therefore a low cost alternative for the determination of ambient air levels of mercury. Because of the higher loading capacity of the iodized activated carbon compared with gold, it is especially suited for long-term sampling and mean-level assessment. Received: 8 August 1995/Revised: 11 January 1996/Accepted: 19 January 1996     

Long-term sampling system for the measurement of ambient air concentrations of mercury at a contaminated site

 Iodized activated carbon was used as sampling medium for mercury species in ambient air. It showed satisfactory recovery in laboratory adsorption experiments with spiked air. Also, field measurements parallel to a gold trap system were conducted. After optimizing the volume flow, the results of an intermittently sampling gold collector and the continuously sampling iodized activated carbon trap agreed well. Iodized activated carbon is therefore a low cost alternative for the determination of ambient air levels of mercury. Because of the higher loading capacity of the iodized activated carbon compared with gold, it is especially suited for long-term sampling and mean-level assessment. Received: 8 August 1995/Revised: 11 January 1996/Accepted: 19 January 1996     

生物膜脱除方式对受污染源水生物接触氧化修复系统除磷性能的影响

针对生物接触氧化修复工艺存在的生物膜内磷累积导致系统除磷性能恶化的问题,以受污染源水为对象,开展表层生物膜脱除(SBD)和全层生物膜脱除(FBD)两种排泥方式对系统除磷长效性和运行稳定性的影响研究.结果表明,生物接触氧化修复系统启动1周后除磷效率达46.9%,随后系统除磷性能迅速恶化.采用FBD方式后系统除磷效果得以恢复,溶解性磷酸盐(DP)去除率维持在30%以上近1个月,生物膜饱和吸磷量达(318.5±21.5)mgTPm-2填料表面积.相比而言,采用SBD方式处理后系统除磷性能未能得到有效改善,30%以上DP去除率仅维持1周左右,生物膜饱和吸磷量仅为FBD的0.68倍.推测不同脱除方式对生物膜二次成膜过程微生物菌群结构重建和污染物去除性能影响显著,FBD处理后系统二次成膜过程溶解氧扩散不受限制,聚磷菌相对反硝化菌更易定殖、富集.镜检结果表明,FBD处理后填料表面仍附着少量微生物及其分泌物(如胞外多聚物等),与新填料表面光滑特性相比,其较高的孔隙率和较强的生物亲和性有利于微生物快速附着成膜,保证排泥强化除磷后系统氨氮、高锰酸盐指数、总氮去除性能稳定.