Detecting a sodium chloride ion pair in ice using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.

The hydrogen bond resonance of a sodium chloride (NaCl) ion pair trapped in aqueous ice has been observed by transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The absorption peak of a sodium chloride ion pair in ice is 1.65 THz at 83 K. By investigating the interaction of the cation and anion with other chemical compounds, we deduce that the absorption peak originates from the hydrogen bond resonance of sodium chloride and water molecules. The charge redistribution that occurs when other ion pairs are added to aqueous salt solution changes the absorption spectrum. Furthermore, the results also indicate that simple molecules such as sodium halides have fingerprints in the terahertz region when the ions are trapped in ice. NaCl ion pairs in seawater and in Ringer's solution were examined.     

The protonation of polyacrylate in seawater. Analysis of concentration effects

The protonation of polyacrylate (PAA, MW 2 kDa) was studied potentiometrically at 25 degrees C, in mixed electrolyte aqueous solution simulating the composition of seawater, in the salinity range 30 < or = S < or = 40. The salt composition of different solutions was varied in order to study its effect on apparent protonation constants. Results were analysed using two fairly different approaches: by simple regression analysis on a combination of concentration parameters and salinity, and by canonical correlation analysis. Unexpectedly we found that variations on protonation constants, due to the different relative component concentrations, are fairly low, revealing a sort of buffering capacity of seawater respect to protonation properties of polyacrylate (and likely for other HMW and LMW polycarboxylates). The intrinsic protonation constant of polyacrylate 2 kDa at 25 degrees C and 35 salinity is log K(H*) = log K(int) = 4.399 +/- 0.004. The use of different pH scales and standard seawater compositions is also discussed.     

Preparation,structure characteristics and separation properties of thin-film composite polyamide-urethane seawater reverse osmosis membrane

A novel thin-film composite (TFC) seawater reverse osmosis membrane was developed by the interfacial polymerization of 5-chloroformyloxyisophthaloyl chloride (CFIC) and metaphenylenediamine (MPD) on the polysulphone supporting membrane. The performance of the TFC membrane was optimized by studying the preparation parameters, which included the reaction time, pH of the aqueous-MPD solution, monomer CFIC concentration, additive isopropyl alcohol content in aqueous solution, curing temperature and time. The reverse osmosis performance of the resulting membrane was evaluated through permeation experiment with synthetic seawater, and the structure of the novel membrane was characterized by using SEM, AFM and XPS. Furthermore, the separation properties of the TFC membrane were tested by examining the reverse osmosis performances of various conditions, the boron rejection performance and the long-term stability. The results show that the desired TFC seawater reverse osmosis membrane has a typical salt rejection of 99.4% and a flux of about 35 L/m² h for a feed aqueous solution containing 3.5 wt.% NaCl at 5.5 MPa, and an attractive boron rejection of more than 92% at natural pH of 7–8; that the novel seawater reverse osmosis membrane appears to comprise a thicker, smoother and less cross-linking film structure. Additionally, the TFC membrane exhibits good long-term stability.     

Ion hydration effects in aqueous solutions of strong electrolytes,according to proton magnetic relaxation measurements

The concentration dependences of proton magnetic relaxation (PMR) rates measured at different temperatures in aqueous electrolyte solutions and concentrated seawater (SW) in a wide range of salt concentrations and for different seawater salinities are presented, along with the concentration dependences of PMR rates determined in salts dissolved directly in seawater. The coordination numbers of the basic ions in seawater were determined from the complete solvation limits and compared with those measured in single-component water-salt solutions. The attaining of complete solvation limits was determined using the PMR data for ions of different hydration signs.     

ASV determination of cadmium complexation in seawater. Methodology evaluation

The methodology for using DPASV to study cadmium complexation in seawater is evaluated using EDTA as a model ligand and by analysing natural samples. The results show that the methodology gives an accurate evaluation of metal complexation when inert complexes are studied, both as regards the ligand concentration and the conditional stability constant; the error for both the parameters is lower than 10% at a ligand concentration of about 10(-8) M and a conditional stability constant of 10(9) M-1. Cadmium complexes with ligands present in natural seawater show an evident kinetic lability that may lead to underestimation of the conditional stability constant when a working electrode characterised by a very thick diffusion layer is used. The conditional stability constant in one water sample of the Adriatic coast ranged between 0.14 and 1.4 l/nmol using a rotating disk electrode at rotation rates of 300 and 6000 rpm. The results of cadmium complexation obtained for samples collected in coastal seawater show that the ligands present low specificity for the metal.     

Boron reduction performance of reverse osmosis seawater desalination process

In recent years, seawater desalination systems using reverse osmosis (RO) membranes have been constructed to settle the lack of drinking water. RO desalination membranes have high rejection for most of solutes in seawater. Japanese drinking water standards for the water quality of the permeate can be achieved except for boron. Therefore, the boron rejection needs to be considered in the design of the RO process and during the operation of the plant. Luckily, there is a simple and easy method to estimate boron concentration.In this paper, we report measured boron permeabilities and their relation to salt permeabilities using cross-linked polyamide membranes. Chemical degradation of the membranes affected these permeabilities to different degrees. Boron concentrations in the permeate were then calculated using a computer program that was based on the boron permeabilities calculated from the measured salt permeabilities. Results obtained were compared with actual data taken at a RO plant of Toray Industries, Inc., Ehime. The model data fitted the experimental result, well. It was also found that a relationship existed in the permeate between salt and boron concentrations and that the boron concentration can be obtained from measurement of the salt concentration.     

Coupling Effects of Electrostatic Interactions and Salt Concentration Gradient in Polymer Translocation through a Nanopore: A Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations Study

We study the influence of polymer pore interactions and focus on the role played by the concentration gradient of salt in the translocation of polyelectrolytes (PE) through nanopores explicitly using coarse-grained Langevin dynamics simulations. The mean translocation time is calculated by varying the applied voltage, the pH, and the salt concentration gradient. Changing the pH can alter the electrostatic interaction between the protein pore and the polyelectrolyte chain. The polymer pore interaction is weakened by the increase in the strength of the externally applied electric field that drives translocation. Additionally, the screening effect of the salt can reduce the strong charge-charge repulsion between the PE beads which can make translocation faster. The simulation results show there can be antagonistic or synergistic coupling between the salt concentration-induced screening effect and the drift force originating from the salt concentration gradient thereby affecting the translocation time. Our simulation results are explained qualitatively with free energy calculations.     

Onboard determination of submicromolar nitrate in seawater by anion-exchange chromatography with lithium chloride eluent.

Ion-exchange chromatography using a high-capacity anion exchanger with UV detection was applied to the determination of nitrate in seawater. Major ions in seawater samples did not affect the peak shape and the retention time of the nitrate when an alkaline metal cation-chloride solution was used as an eluent at high concentrations (0.5-2 mol/l). At a wavelength of 220 nm, the peak of bromide was very small because of low absorption, while its separation from the nitrate peak was good at high concentrations. Among the eluents tested, lithium chloride gave the best separation of nitrate from bromide. It was estimated that the lithium ion had the least potential for ion-pair formation with nitrate, and its retention time was prolonged compared with the retention times when using other cations; with bromide and nitrite, such an effect was not observed. The results of shipboard seawater nitrate determination by our method in the South Pacific Ocean and Antarctic Sea showed good agreement with those by the conventional photometric method using continuous flow.     

Determination of iodide in seawater and edible salt by microcolumn liquid chromatography with poly(ethylene glycol) stationary phase

An ion chromatography method for rapid and direct determination of iodide in seawater and edible salt is reported. Separation was achieved using a laboratory-made C30 packed column (100 mm x 0.32 mm i.d.) modified with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Effects of eluent composition on retention behavior of inorganic anions have been investigated. Both cation and anion of the eluent affected the retention of analyte anions. The retention time of anions increased with increasing eluent concentration when lithium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate were used as the eluent, while it decreased with increasing eluent concentration when ammonium sulfate was used as the eluent. The detection limit for iodide obtained by injecting 0.2 microl of sample was 9 microg/l (S/N = 3). The present method was successfully applied to the rapid and direct determination of iodide in seawater and edible salt samples. Partition may be involved in the present separation mode.     

pH Transients in hydroxyapatite chromatography columns—Experimental evidence and phenomenological modeling

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) columns, widely used for chromatographic separation of proteins and other biomolecules because of their unique selectivity and ability to resolve complex mixtures, exhibit limited stability at acidic conditions requiring careful control of pH. Even with buffered solutions, however, unintended pH transients can occur when the salt concentration varies. For example, the pH temporarily decreases below the feed value when the salt concentration increases and increases above the feed value when the salt concentration is decreased. The intensity and duration of these transients depend on the particular buffer used and the magnitude of the salt concentration step, but in extreme cases the pH can drop by as much as 1.5 pH units creating conditions where the HAP stability is potentially compromised. This work examines the mechanisms leading to pH transients in HAP columns generated by salt steps. The pH excursions are similar to those observed for weak cation exchange columns, but are accompanied by a transient evolution of phosphate which temporarily decreases below the feed value when the salt concentration is increased and increases sharply when the salt concentration is reduced before returning to the feed value. A phenomenological model is developed to describe this behavior by considering the reversible uptake of sodium ions by the P-sites and binding of phosphate ions by the C-sites. The interplay of these two adsorption mechanisms results in complex pH patterns that are consistent with those observed experimentally. In addition to helping understand the underlying mechanisms, the model also provides a useful tool to predict the effects of different buffers and salt concentration and develop corrective measures that can reduce the intensity and duration of the pH transients such as the addition of unretained co-buffers.     

Influence of natural organic matter and ionic composition on the kinetics and structure of hematite colloid aggregation: implications to iron depletion in estuaries

The stability and aggregation behavior of iron oxide colloids in natural waters play an important role in controlling the fate, transport, and bioavailability of trace metals. Time-resolved dynamic light scattering experiments were carried out in a study of the aggregation kinetics and aggregate structure of natural organic matter (NOM) coated hematite colloids and bare hematite colloids. The aggregation behavior was examined over a range of solution chemistries, by adjusting the concentration of the supporting electrolyte-NaCl, CaCl2, or simulated seawater. With the solution pH adjusted so that NOM-coated and bare hematite colloids were at the same zeta potential, we observed a significant difference in colloid stability which results from the stability imparted to the colloids by the adsorbed NOM macromolecules. This enhanced stability of NOM-coated hematite colloids was not observed with CaCl2. Aggregate form expressed as fractal dimension was determined for both NOM-coated and bare hematite aggregates in both NaCl and CaCl2. The fractal dimensions of aggregates formed in the diffusion-limited regime indicate slightly more loosely packed aggregates for bare hematite than theory predicts. For NOM-coated hematite, a small decrease in fractal dimension was observed when the solution composition changed from NaCl to CaCl2. For systems in the reaction-limited regime, the measured fractal dimensions agreed with those in the literature. Colloid aggregation was also studied in synthetic seawater, a mixed cation system to simulate estuarine mixing. Those results describe the important phenomena of iron oxide aggregation and sedimentation in estuaries. When compared to field data from the Mullica Estuary, U.S.A., it is shown that collision efficiency is a good predictor of the iron removal in this natural system.     

Encapsulation of saline solution by tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrates and inclusion migration by recrystallization

Encapsulation of saline solution as an impurity in tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrates grown in a stoichiometric solution with 3 wt % NaCl and the release of a saline solution during melting along with inclusion migration by hydrate recrystallization during annealing are studied using a directional growth apparatus in combination with a Mach-Zender interferometer. Interferometric observation revealed that the salt concentration increased locally in the solution near the growth interface. The time evolution of salt concentration in the solution was in accordance with the numerical results obtained from the diffusion equation for salt, assuming perfect rejection of salt by the hydrate. However, after the interfacial pattern developed into a serrated pattern (periodical array of trough and crest), the salt concentration in the solution ceased to increase, deviating from the theoretical value. This indicates that the saline solution was encapsulated by the growth hydrate. On the other hand, upon melting of the slowly grown hydrate, the salt concentration near the interface was observed to be locally high at the location of the trough during growth, whereas it was dilute at the location of the growth crest. Furthermore, when the hydrate was annealed under an applied temperature gradient, the inclusions (encapsulated saline solution) in the hydrate migrated toward the bulk solution and were finally expelled by hydrate recrystallization. The migration speed of the inclusions increased with a larger temperature gradient. By melting the sample over a sufficiently long anneal time, the melt was determined to be completely desalinated.     

Increased interfacial thickness of the NaF, NaCl and NaBr salt aqueous solutions probed with non-resonant surface second harmonic generation (SHG)

Specific ion effects on the nonlinear optical response from the water molecules at the air/sodium halide solution interfaces are measured using non-resonant surface second harmonic generation (SHG). Procedures have been developed to monitor and remove the impurities in the salt solution samples to ensure measurement of small changes in the SHG signal. Quantitative polarization analysis of the measured SHG data indicated that the average orientation of the interfacial water molecules changed only slightly around 40 degrees with the increase of the bulk concentration of the three sodium halides, namely NaF, NaCl and NaBr, from that of the neat air/water interface. The observed significant SHG signal increase with the bulk salt concentration is attributed to the overall increase of the thickness of the interfacial water molecular layer, following the order of NaBr > NaCl approximately NaF. The absence of the electric-field-induced SHG (EFISHG) effect indicated that the electric double layer at the salt aqueous solution interface is much weaker than that predicted from the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. These results provided quantitative data to the specific anion effects on the interfacial water molecules of the electrolyte aqueous solution, not only for the larger and more polarizable Br(-) anion, but also for the smaller and less polarizable F(-) and Cl(-) anions.     

Parameters of the temperature dependence of the rate of magnetic relaxation of protons in water and its solutions including seawater

The results of measurements of the temperature dependence of the relaxation rate (1/T ₁) of protons in seawater with 35‰ salinity and salt solutions with different concentrations at temperatures from ?22°C to +120°C are presented. The possibility of approximating the temperature dependence of the magnetic relaxation rate by different functions in pure water, seawater, and solutions of the salts of the latter was studied. The parameters of this dependence and their variation under the influence of salt components are given. The least mean square deviation was obtained, and the best convergence was determined according to the statistical criteria for aqueous electrolytes of moderate concentrations for the function in the form of the sum of exponentials, in which the number of terms depended on the solution concentration. It is shown that the parameters of the thermal dependence of the relaxation rate represented by different functions can be used in combination for studying the dynamic properties of the solutions of low and moderate concentrations.     

Determination of magnesium and calcium ions in seawater by capillary zone electrophoresis

Capillary zone electrophoresis is proposed for the determination of magnesium and calcium ions in seawater. A carrier solution containing EDTA was adopted for the complexation of these ions and the effect of sodium chloride concentration in the sample solutions on the results was examined. It was found that magnesium and calcium ions could be determined without any pretreatment by injecting 100-fold diluted seawater samples. Linear calibration graphs were obtained for standard solutions containing up to 10.0 mg/l of calcium ion when both peak area and peak height were used. On the other hand, a linear calibration graph was obtained for standard solutions containing up to 20.0 mg/l of magnesium ion when the peak area was used, while a curved one was obtained when the peak height was used. Relative standard deviations were 0.8 and 1.2% when a standard solution containing 5.0 mg/l of magnesium and 8.0 mg/l of calcium ions was analysed 8 times using the peak area. Limits of detection for magnesium and calcium ions were 0.13 and 0.26 mg/l, respectively. The proposed method was applied to the determination of magnesium and calcium ions in surface and bottom seawater samples.     

Effect of protein solution components in the adsorption of Herbaspirillum seropedicae GlnB protein on mica

The adsorption of proteins and its buffer solution on mica surfaces was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Different salt concentration of the Herbaspirillum seropedicae GlnB protein (GlnB-Hs) solution deposited on mica was investigated. This protein is a globular, soluble homotrimer (36 kDa), member of PII-like proteins family involved in signal transducing in prokaryote. Supramolecular structures were formed when this protein was deposited onto bare mica surface. The topographic AFM images of the GlnB-Hs films showed that at high salt concentration the supramolecular structures are spherical-like, instead of the typical doughnut-like shape for low salt concentration. AFM images of NaCl and Tris from the buffer solution showed structures with the same pattern as those observed for high salt protein solution, misleading the image interpretation. XPS experiments showed that GlnB protein film covers the mica surface without chemical reaction.     

Concentration of potassium cations in the permeate solution in the presence of N,N-dimethyl-N-2-propenyl-2-propen-1-aminium chloride homopolymer using dead-end nano-or ultrafiltration

The investigation is based on the nano-or ultrafiltration of inorganic salts in the presence of a polyelectrolyte in the feed solution. Cellulose acetate membranes are selected with a pore size of 10–20 nm. The membranes are imaged using atomic force microscope. The membrane is completely impermeable to the polyelectrolyte. Polyelectrolyte concentrations are taken in the range of 0.5–1 g/l to avoid a gel layer formation over the membrane. It is discovered that, at such low polyelectrolyte concentration, inorganic salt concentration in the permeate is higher than in the feed solution. This process therefore deviates from conventional membrane separation processes, where the permeate salt concentration is lower or equal to the salt concentration in the feed solution. It is shown that during the nano-or ultrafiltration of inorganic salts in the presence of polyelectrolyte, the ratio of salt concentration in the permeate to feed increases when the initial salt concentration in the feed solution is low. Concentration polarization has a negative impact on this concentrating effect. In the case of this investigation, KCl, KNO₃, K₂SO₄ are taken as inorganic salts, N,N-dimethyl-N-2-propenyl-2-propen-1-aminium chloride homopolymer is selected as a polyelectrolyte. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Improving boron isotope ratio measurement precision with quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

A method was developed to improve the precision of inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) for the determination of boron isotope ratios (¹¹B/¹⁰B) in various environmental materials including seawater. This approach is based on the common analyte internal standardization (CAIS) chemometric algorithm. The sample solution obtained after digestion is spiked with lithium, and both ⁷Li/⁶Li and ¹¹B/¹⁰B values are measured using long-counting periods (20 min). The CAIS algorithm corrects the measured ¹¹B/¹⁰B values for (a) statistical fluctuations resulting from short-term noise; (b) drift in ¹¹B-to-¹⁰B ratio as a result of long-term deviation in instrumental parameters likely to occur during long counting times; (c) change in ¹¹B-to-¹⁰B ratio caused by variation in matrix elements concentrations; and (d) drift in mass bias correction factor. Comparing boron isotopic ratios in seawater measured by conventional and the new isotope ratio methods validates the procedure. A synthetic isotopic mixture of boron SRM 951 and enriched ¹⁰B SRM 952 also was examined. The CAIS method provided a measured boron isotopic ratio precision of 0.05% R.S.D. while eliminating 5.1% matrix concentration error and 0.25% instrumental drift error.     

Determination of arsenite, arsenate, and monomethylarsonic acid in seawater by ion-exclusion chromatography combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry using reaction cell and hydride generation techniques

This paper describes a robust and sensitive method for the determination of arsenic species in seawater by ion-exclusion liquid chromatography (LC) combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using reaction cell and hydride generation (HG) techniques. A good separation of arsenite, arsenate, and monomethylarsonic acid was achieved using an ion-exclusion column packed with a sulfonated polystyrene resin and a dilute nitric acid at pH 2.0 as the eluent, even when a large volume, i.e. 200 mul, of seawater samples containing a large amount of matrix was repeatedly injected. Separations of the chloride ion due to the matrix and arsenic species were partially performed; however, the extensive peak of ArCl due to high content of Cl(-) in a sample overlapped peaks of the three arsenic species on (75)As measurement by ICP-MS. This ArCl polyatomic interference was efficiently eliminated by collision of ArCl molecules with helium in an octopole reaction cell which was introduced prior to a mass spectrometer. Detection limits of the three arsenic species in a sample containing 2% Cl(-), the concentration of which is comparable to that in a seawater sample, by LC-ICP-MS with the octopole reaction system (ORS), ranged from 21 to 25 pg As ml(-1); these values were three-six times lower than those by LC-ICP-MS without ORS. As another technique for ArCl interference elimination, HG prior to ICP-MS was also successfully used not only to reduce the interference but also to improve the detection limits to 3.4-4.5 pg As ml(-1). The developed LC-ICP-ORS-MS and LC-HG-ICP-MS were validated by analyzing a certified reference material (CRM) of seawater. In addition, no serious decrease in analytical performance of present methods was observed in the experimental periods of half a year for LC-ICP-ORS-MS and 1 year for LC-HG-ICP-MS, respectively. The latter method was successfully applied to characterize seasonal variations of three arsenic species in deep seawater and surface seawater.     

Determination of heavy metals at sub-ppm levels in seawater and dialysis solutions by FAAS after tetrakis(pyridine)-nickel(II)bis(thiocyanate) coprecipitation.

A coprecipitation method has been developed for the determination of Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) ions in aqueous samples by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) with the combination of pyridine, nickel(II) as a carrier element and potassium thiocyanate as an auxiliary complexing agent. The obtained coprecipitates were dissolved with nitric acid and measured by FAAS. The coprecipitation conditions, such as the effect of the pH, amounts of nickel, pyridine and potassium thiocyanate, sample volume, and the standing time of the precipitate formation were examined in detail. It was found that the metal ions studied were quantitatively coprecipitated with tetrakis(pyridine)-nickel(II)bis(thiocyanate) precipitate (TP-Ni-BT) in the pH range of 9.0 - 10.5. The reliability of the results was evaluated by recovery tests, using synthetic seawater solutions spiked with the analyte metal ions. The obtained recoveries ranged from 96 to 101% for all of the metal ions investigated. The proposed method was validated by analyses of two certified reference materials (NIST SRM 2711 Montana soil and HPS Certified Waste Water Trace Metals Lot #D532205). It was also successfully applied to seawater and dialysis solution samples. The detection limits (n = 25, 3s) were in the range of 0.01-2.44 microg l(-1) for the studied elements and the relative standard deviations were < or =6%, which indicated that this method could fully satisfy the requirements for analysis of such samples as seawater and dialysis solution having high salt contents.