Plutonium Isotopes in Sediments from the Sudanese Coast of the Red Sea

This paper presents the activity concentrations of Pu isotopes in surface marine sediments collected from the Sudanese coast of the Red Sea. The following concentration ranges were determined: ²³⁸Pu, 4.7–28.6 mBq/kg; ^239+240Pu, 53–343 mBq/kg dry weight. The average activity ratios of ²³⁸Pu/^239+240Pu (0.075±0.045 mBqk/kg) and ^239+240Pu/¹³⁷Cs (0.026±0.025 mBq/kg) are appropriately comparable to the literature values that are characteristic of the global fallout from the atmospheric nuclear weapon tests. However, ^239+240Pu/¹³⁷Cs ratio in sediments collected from the biologically rich fringing reef is an order of magnitude higher compared to other sampling locations.     

On the Determination of the Hold-Up Time in Reversed Phase Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

The determination of the hold-up time in reversed phase liquid chromatography has been studied extensively for the mobile phase system methanol-water. Hold-up times obtained by static methods, linearization of homologous series and so-called “unretained compounds” are discussed and mutually compared. Several n-alkyldimethylsilyl bonded phases have been used for this investigation.

A rough estimate of the hold-up time can be obtained by using components of the mobile phase or highly concentrated salt solutions, but only for mobile phase compositions around 60% (v/v) methanol. Hold-up times accurate to 1% can be obtained over the complete range of mobile phase compositions from the linearization of net retention times of homologous series.     

Plutonium isotopes in the Sea of Japan

Plutonium isotopes in the Sea of Japan were determined to assess radioactive contamination. Concentrations of ^239,240Pu in surface water of the Sea of Japan were maintained at a constant level over the past two decades in contrast to ¹³⁷Cs. A median value of surface ^239,240Pu in the Sea of Japan in this period was 5.6 mBq/m³ with the range between 2.1 and 14.0 mBq/m³, which is slightly higher than that in the western North Pacific. The vertical distribution of ^239,240Pu showed a surface minimum, a subsurface maximum and gradual decrease with increasing depth. The ²⁴¹Pu/^239,240Pu activity ratios in water columns were almost constant except for surface water. In regard to ^239,240Pu in surface water of the Sea of Japan, these findings suggest that rapid recycling of deeper plutonium occurs in the Sea of Japan due to deep convection in winter and biogeochemical processes such as particle scavenging and remineralization.     

四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定沉积物中Pb稳定同位素比率研究

本文采用四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定了玄武湖和莫愁湖,及其相连的河道表层沉积物中Pb稳定同位素的比率.沉积物中208Pb/206Pb和206Pb/207Pb的比率范围分别为2.0931～2.1239和1.1558～1.1845.玄武湖、莫愁湖、护城河等采样点Pb稳定同位素比率,与文献中长江江苏段沉积物相近.其它河道采样点Pb稳定同位素组成与文献中南京市大气、土壤Pb稳定同位素比率相近.     

Plutonium characteristics in sediments of Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea in Japan

Sediment core samples were collected from Hiroshima Bay in the Seto Inland Sea, western Northwest Pacific Ocean, and their ^239+240Pu activities and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios were determined by sector field ICP-MS. The activities of ^239+240Pu ranged from 0.556 ± 0.025 to 0.745 ± 0.023 mBq/g. The atom ratios of ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu were almost constant within the whole depth; the average value was 0.227 ± 0.014. This atom ratio was significantly higher than the mean global fallout ratio of 0.18, proving the presence of close-in fallout Pu that originated from the Pacific Proving Ground (PPG). The water masses exchanges between the Kuroshio Current and the Seto Inland Sea brought the PPG source Pu to this area, then Pu was extensively scavenged into sediment particles supplied by the rivers around the bay. The relative contributions of the global fallout Pu and the PPG close-in fallout Pu were evaluated by the two end-member mixing model. The contribution of the PPG close-in fallout was 38?C41% of the total Pu in sediment. The remaining 59?C62% was attributed to direct global fallout and the land-origin Pu transported by the rivers around the Hiroshima Bay.     

Mapping of the distribution of 137Cs in Irish Sea sediments

The Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant released a total of 41 PBq of ¹³⁷Cs into the Irish Sea in the period 1952–1998. The present work integrates a series of surveys of the ¹³⁷Cs distribution in sediment offshore Sellafield which was aimed at obtaining a detailed picture of the patterns of sediment contamination and their time evolution, and an estimate of the ¹³⁷Cs inventory in sediment. The authors applied NaI(Tl)-based underwater -ray spectrometry to record a series of 1800 one-minute spectra along 14 transects totaling 160 Nm. The dominant feature of the contamination pattern obtained from this survey remains a stripe extending northwestwards along the coast from the discharge point, as reported for previous surveys. Steep gradients are observed perpendicular to the coast, with ¹³⁷Cs countrates decreasing to half the recorded maximum over a distance of less than 2000 m.     

New Methacrylate Copolymers Based on the Benzofurane Ring: Synthesis,Characterization, Monomer Reactivity Ratios and Biological Activity

The free radical copolymerization of (5-bromo-1-Benzofuran-2-yl)(phenyl)-O-methacrylketoxime (BPMKO) with 2-(4-acetylphenoxy)-2-oxoethyl-2-methylacrylate(AOEMA) has been carried out in 1, 4-dioxane at 65°C ± 1 and was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and gel permeation chromatography. Elemental analysis was used to determine the molar fractions of BPMKO and AOEMA in the copolymers. The monomer–reactivity ratios were calculated according to the general copolymerization equation using Kelen-Tüdõs and Finemann-Ross linearization methods. The reactivity ratios indicated a tendency toward random copolymerization. The polydispersity indices of the polymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography and suggested a strong tendency for chain termination by disproportionation. The thermal behaviors of copolymers with various compositions were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The glass-transition temperature of the copolymers increased with increasing BPMKO content in the copolymers. All the products showed moderate activity against different strains of bacteria and fungi.     

Vertical Profiles, Inventories, and Activity Ratios of 239+240Pu and 137Cs in Sediments from Sagami Bay, Western Northwest Pacific Margin

Marine sediment cores were taken from Sagami Bay of the western Northwest Pacific and analyzed for ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs activities. A significant correlation was observed between ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs activities in sediment cores, i.e., their vertical profiles. The measured activities which were used to obtain the inventories of ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs in the sediment column, showed large variations, ranging from 36 to 474 MBq/km² for ^239+240Pu and 49 to 652 MBq/km² for ¹³⁷Cs. ^239+240Pu inventories in the sediment from one region in the Bay, Sagami Nada were 5–10 times greater than those predicted from atmospheric global fallout 42 MBq/km² at the same latitude. On the other hand, ¹³⁷Cs inventories, with a mean value of 297±168 MBq/km², were much less than predicted, 2040 MBq/km². The activity ratios of ^239+240Pu/¹³⁷Cs obtained, with a mean of 0.65±0.17, were significantly greater than the ratio predicted from fallout, 0.021. Furthermore, there was a clear relationship between both ^239+240Pu and ¹³⁷Cs inventories and the water content, indicating that higher inventories may be attributed principally to concentration in, and scavenging by, fine-grained particles.     

Radioisotopes of thirteen elements in intertidal coastal and estuarine sediments in the Irish Sea

A survey has been carried out of⁴⁰K,⁶⁰Co,⁹⁹Tc,¹⁰⁶Ru,¹²⁵Sb,¹²⁹I,¹³⁴Cs,¹³⁷Cs,¹⁵⁴Eu,²²⁶Ra,²²⁸Ra,²³⁷Np,²³⁸Pu,^239,240Pu,²⁴¹Pu,²⁴¹Am,²⁴²Cm, and^243,244Cm activities in sediments from the Irish Sea. Several of these radionuclides were measured independently at two separate laboratories to enable the intercomparison of the results produced. The comprehensive data set generated allows the present spatial distributions of these radionuclides in coastal sediments to be examined in relation to sediment textural characteristics and by comparison with earlier survey, enables the temporal trends in their activities to be determined. In general all artificial radionuclides showed lower activities in sediments in response to falling discharges from Sellafield and relationships with either grain size, distance from Sellafield or both. Isotope ratios were similar to cumulative weighted activity ratios rather than present day values due to sediment mixing. Pu levels supplied evidence for the lag in response of sediment deposits with increasing distance from Sellafield due to sediment transport.     

Chemical leaching behavior of237Np from intertidal coastal sediment in the Irish Sea

Chemical leaching experiments of²³⁷Np in the sediments from the Esk Estuary and the Ribble Estuary in the Irish Sea, U. K., have been carried out, in comparison with those of^{239, 240}Pu and²⁴¹Am, to understand the geochemical associations of these long-lived radionuclides with sediment. Experimental results show that partitioning behavior of²³⁷Np is obviously different from those of^{239, 240}Pu and²⁴¹Am.     

Quantitative Analysis of Planktonic Foraminifera in Surface Sediments From the South China Sea

Q-mode factor analysis was applied to 99 surface samples from the South China Sea to define four planktonic foraminiferal assemblages: tropical-subtropical assemblage, high-salinity assemblage, transitional assemblage and dissolution resistant assemblage. The tropical-subtropical assemblage is a dominant assemblage. The variation of the planktonic foraminifera of this assemblage reflects the changes of tropical surface water from the west Pacific to South China Sea. These four assemblages reveal that different planktonic foraminiferal assemblages are controlled by different factors in the South China Sea, such as tropical-subtropical assemblage controlled by sea surface temperature (SST), high-sallnity assemblage mainly by salinity besides SST, transitional assemblage by SST and dissolution resistant assemblage by water depth.     

北黄海中部晚第四纪沉积物来源的稀土元素示踪

对北黄海中部DLC70-2孔166个沉积物样品进行了稀土元素测定,结合粒度参数研究,以探讨北黄海中部DLC70-2孔稀土元素地球化学特征和物质来源。结果表明:DLC70-2孔岩心稀土元素分布特征分别反映了末次间冰期(暖期)晚期以来北黄海海面波动以及沉积物物源的变化。判别函数和稀土元素配分模式表明北黄海DLC70-2孔沉积物物源主要为黄河源和鸭绿江源。La/Yb判别图解揭示DLC70-2孔上部0~32.10 m和下部37.60~60.72 m沉积物以黄河源为主,中部32.10~37.60 m和底部60.72~70.45 m沉积物以鸭绿江源为主。研究表明晚更新世以来黄河对北黄海中部沉积起着重要作用,而鸭绿江物质对北黄海中部沉积作用也有明显影响。     

Determination of Trace Metals in Antarctic Sediments from Terra Nova Bay - Ross Sea

Abstract

Trace metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, Mn) and iron concentration were determined in several sediments collected in the Antarctica (Terra Nova Bay—Ross Sea). Samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES) after selective and total extraction. The results are in good agreement with the data previously collected in the same area.     

The measurement of the isotopic composition of plutonium in an Irish Sea sediment by mass spectrometry

Samples from sediment cores, collected from a site close to the Sellafield outfall and dated using conventional - and -spectrometry, have been analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Thermal Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (TIMS). This has provided information on the isotopic composition of plutonium in the liquid discharges from Sellafield; such information is not available using conventional -spectrometry alone. There was very good agreement between the²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratios obtained by the two MS methods. More recent discharges have been characterised by a progressive decrease in the relative proportion of²³⁹Pu.     

Plutonium and americium in sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²³⁸Pu,^239,240Pu and²⁴¹Am were determined in eight sediment samples, collected from the bed of the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast during 1994 and 1995. Fusion with potassium carbonate was used to achieve complete dissolution of the samples. Tracers,²⁴²Pu and²⁴³Am, were added and the separation of plutonium from americium, uranium and thorium was performed by anion exchange. Americium was separated from uranium in two steps, using a conventional anion exchange resin and an extraction chromatographic resin for transuranics. After electrodeposition on stainless steel discs the nuclides were counted with -spectrometry with -PIPS detectors. The total plutonium concentrations obtained by this method were compared with the acid leachable plutonium concentrations reported for the same samples in a previous paper.     

高效液相色谱法测定海洋水体与沉积物中光合色素

建立了海洋水体与沉积物中30种光合色素的反相高效液相色谱检测方法。海水滤膜和沉积物分别采用95%甲醇和95%丙酮超声萃取。萃取液混合一定比例的超纯水后,采用Eclipse XDB C8反相柱进行分离,以乙腈(A)、甲醇(B)和四丁基羟胺-甲醇(C)混合液为流动相进行洗脱,检测波长为430,440和450nm,柱温为50℃。色谱分离梯度为:0min,100%C;22min,25%A,45%B和30%C;28～38min,70%A,20%B和10%C;38.1～40min,100%C。对23种已知浓度色素的线性关系、检出限和加标回收率进行分析。结果表明,相关系数范围为0.9972～0.9998,检出限范围为0.0305～0.7740ng,加标回收率范围为88.6%～103.3%。     

Relationships Between Biological Activity of N-Phenylamides of Benzoylacetic Acid and Their Capacity Ratios in Reversed-Phase Systems

Abstract

The relationships between lipophilicity of N-phenylamides of benzylacetic acid derivatives and their biological activity were investigated. Experimental R_M and k′ values for systems of the type water + methanol-octadecyl silica were determined by HPTLC and HPLC, respectively. The equations describing the activity relationships confirm the importance of hydrophobic character of the compounds in determining their pharmacological properties.     

Plutonium disproportionation: maxima in the fractions of two oxidation states

The equilibrium fractions of soluble tri- and hexavalent Pu depend on the pH and the Pu oxidation number. Both fractions can exhibit maxima as the pH changes at constant N. A fraction at maximum can be used to estimate the equilibrium constant of the first hydrolysis reaction of tetravalent Pu. A new formula that renders least-squares estimates of this constant is illustrated.     

Plutonium concentration distribution in bed load sediment samples along the Romanian sector of the Danube river and the Black Sea coast

The concentrations of²³⁸Pu and^{239, 240}Pu were determined in 12 sediment samples collected from the bed of the Romanian Danube river and Black Sea coast during June–September 1994. After the sample material has been properly prepared and²⁴²Pu tracer added, plutonium was separated from americium and curium by anion exchange. After electrodeposition on stainless steel discs the elements were counted with an -spectrometry system with silicon surface-barrier detectors. The^{239, 240}Pu concentrations range between 150 and 800 mBq kg^–1 dry, while the²³⁸Pu concentrations rise up to max 150 mBq kg^–1 dry. Although the chemical yields are rather low (51%) we appreciate the results as valuable since they report for the first time the distribution of the plutonium contamination along the Danube river and the Black Sea coast-Romanian sector.