Sequestration of organometallic compounds by natural organic matter. binding of trimethyltin(IV) by fulvic and alginic acids

The binding capacity of fulvic and alginic acids towards trimethyl tin(IV) cation was quantitatively determined in order to evaluate the sequestering ability of toxic organometallic compounds by natural organic matter. Investigations were performed in the pH range of natural waters (5–8.5) where the carboxylate groups, largely present in both sequestering agents, are the main binding sites. A chemical interaction model, according to which both the protonation of polyelectrolyte ligands and the hydrolysis of the organotin cation in NaCl aqueous solution were considered, was used to define the speciation of the systems under investigation. Measurements performed at different ionic strength values (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.7 mol L^?1, NaCl) allowed us to consider the dependence of stability constants on the ionic strength, and to calculate the formation constants at infinite dilution. Results obtained show the formation of the complex species TMT(L), TMT(L)₂ and TMT(L)(OH) for L = fulvic acid and TMT(L) for L = alginic acid, respectively. In order to compare the strength of interaction of these natural poly electrolytes with other analogous synthetic polyelectrolytes, measurements were also carried out on the trimethyltin(IV)–polyacrylate (5.1 kDa) system, and in this case the formation of TMT(L), TMT(L)₂ and TMT(L)(OH) species was found. Results show the following trend of stability for the species TMT(L) in the systems investigated: TMT–fulvate ≈ TMT–polyacrylate > TMT–alginate. On the basis of the stability data obtained, the lowest concentration of fulvic and alginic acids, able to act as sequestering agents towards triorganotin(IV) cation in the conditions of natural waters, was also calculated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同分子尺寸溶解性有机物的光解行为研究

研究了三个分子量区间(0.45μm~100kDa,100~5kDa和5kDa)的溶解性有机物(DOM)在不同光源辐照下的光解行为。溶解有机碳(DOC)和UV254的测试结果表明,光解可以有效地减少所有分子量区间的DOM总量,而且UVC光源的存在可以进一步促进DOM的降解。三维荧光光谱测定结合平行因子分析,识别出3个腐殖质类荧光组分(C1:UVA+UVC,C2:UVA+UVB,C3:UVC)。在光解过程中,较大分子腐殖质类(5kDa)的荧光强度相对较稳定,甚至增强;而小分子腐殖质类(5kDa)的荧光组分C1和C2具有显著的光解行为,UVC的存在可以促进两种荧光组分的光解。所有分子量区间的C3组分都发生了光生成现象。     

The application of the OTA of kerogen to the evaluation of the rockmass heating

Oxyreactive thermal analysis (OTA) carried out in the conditions of full access of oxygen to each reacting particle of the sample investigated is a suitable method for the determination of important properties of the organic matter dispersed in the rocks. Its results may be easily evaluated to the form of values to be used in a clear diversification and classification system of organic matter/kerogen, as well as to the evaluation of its transformation process in a rockmass. The OTA also enables the distinguishing of the transformation stages and the investigation of the results of the gaseous products liberation from organic matter and kerogen. The OTA method may be applied as a complementary one for the Rock Eval analysis and be used for the organic geochemical and bituminological studies for geological bitumen prospecting.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

PowerSlicing to determine fluorescence lifetimes of water-soluble organic matter derived from soils,plant biomass,and animal manures

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy was used to characterize water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) which plays an important role in soil ecosystem processes. WSOM was extracted from plant biomass, animal manures, and soils from controlled cropping systems studies with known histories of organic amendments. Lifetime constants were derived using the multi-way PowerSlicing method which provides a non-iterative, multi-exponential fitting of decay profiles. The lifetimes obtained by PowerSlicing were not significantly different from those obtained using the traditional discrete components analysis. The three components attributed to WSOM had lifetimes of 0.38 ± 0.14, 2.11 ± 0.72, and 7.08 ± 1.18 ns which are in agreement with previous lifetimes reported for humic substances. This study provides further support for the new paradigm for the structure of soil organic matter where the organic matter is composed of low-molecular-weight components held together by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions.     

Thermal and spectral properties of halogenosalicylato-Cu(II) complexes

The paper presents the applicability of oxyreactive thermal analysis (OTA) for the investigation of different kinds of resins both natural (recent and fossil) and synthetic. For comparative reasons and a more precise interpretation, along with OTA infrared spectroscopy was used as a method commonly applied for the investigation of fossil resins. The results obtained prove that the OTA method may be very useful for diversification of different kinds of resins. The parameter most valuable for the preliminary characteristics of resins and the evaluation of their transformation was found to be the mass loss recorded on TG curves in three definite temperature ranges. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

大气颗粒物中有机物色谱分析的样品制备技术

大气颗粒物中有机物成分分析对深入研究大气颗粒物对人类健康、环境、气候、生态的影响,解析气溶胶来源,制定颗粒物控制相关法规,以及风险管理方法具有重要意义。由于颗粒物中的有机组分种类繁多,分析复杂,目前仅10%~20%的有机物得到了定性和定量分析。因此,大气细颗粒中有机物的分析已成为环境分析领域的优先发展方向。色谱是大气颗粒物中有机物分析的主要方法,而样品制备则是影响分析速度和精度的关键步骤。本文对颗粒物中有机组分色谱分析前的样品制备方法进行了综述,介绍了索氏提取、超声辅助提取、微波辅助提取、加压溶剂提取等溶剂提取方法以及热解吸提取方法,并重点介绍了这些方法在大气颗粒物样品处理中的应用,总结了各种方法的优缺点。     

Functional speciation of metal-dissolved organic matter complexes by size exclusion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and deconvolution analysis

High performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HP-SEC–ICP-MS), in combination with deconvolution analysis, has been used to obtain multielemental qualitative and quantitative information about the distributions of metal complexes with different forms of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM). High performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry chromatograms only provide continuous distributions of metals with respect to molecular masses, due to the high heterogeneity of dissolved organic matter, which consists of humic substances as well as biomolecules and other organic compounds. A functional speciation approach, based on the determination of the metals associated to different groups of homologous compounds, has been followed. Dissolved organic matter groups of homologous compounds are isolated from the aqueous samples under study and their high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry elution profiles fitted to model Gaussian peaks, characterized by their respective retention times and peak widths. High performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry chromatograms of the samples are deconvoluted with respect to these model Gaussian peaks. This methodology has been applied to the characterization of metal–dissolved organic matter complexes in compost leachates. The most significant groups of homologous compounds involved in the complexation of metals in the compost leachates studied have been hydrophobic acids (humic and fulvic acids) and low molecular mass hydrophilic compounds. The environmental significance of these compounds is related to the higher biodegradability of the low molecular mass hydrophilic compounds and the lower mobility of humic acids. In general, the hydrophilic compounds accounted for the complexation of around 50% of the leached metals, with variable contributions of humic and fulvic acids, depending on the nature of the samples and the metals.     

Effects of adsorbents on membrane fouling by natural organic matter

Fouling by natural organic matter (NOM) is a major impediment to cost-effective operation of membrane processes in water treatment. This research investigated the removal of NOM by three adsorbents: heated iron or aluminum oxide particles (HIOPs and HAOPs, respectively) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). Although PAC removed a larger fraction of the DOC than did either HAOPs or HIOPs, it adsorbed non-fouling molecules preferentially over foulants, whereas the opposite was true for the metal oxide particles. In addition, when the oxide adsorbents were pre-deposited on a microfiltration membrane, foulants that were not adsorbed in batch tests were effectively removed from the solution before it reached the membrane, leading to excellent performance with respect to both NOM removal and fouling. SEM images showed that membranes under a layer of HAOPs and HIOPs were virtually as clean as a pristine membrane.     

Effects of soil pH and organic matter on distribution of thorium fractions in soil contaminated by rare-earth industries

The labilities of thorium fractions including mobility and bioavailability vary significantly with soil properties. The effects of soil pH and soil organic matter on the distribution and transfer of thorium fractions defined by a sequential extraction procedure were investigated. Decrease of soil pH could enhance the phytoavailability and the potential availability of thorium in soil. Increase of organic matter reduced the phytoavailability of thorium, but enhanced the potential availability of it. The reasons why soil pH and soil organic matter affect thorium fractions were discussed, and the behavior of the effects of soil properties on thorium fractions was elucidated. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were employed to reveal the positive relationship between the amounts adsorbed in humic material and/or amorphous oxides and the content of soil organic matter.     

Antimicrobial,anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of natural organic matter extracted from cretaceous shales in district Nowshera-Pakistan

Traditionally, Natural Organic Matter (NOM) derived from cretaceous rocks has been used for treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, inflammation and skin infections. This study evaluated the antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of natural organic matter obtained from cretaceous shales. The shales were collected from Lumshiwal formation; located north of the main Kala Chitta range in district Nowshera-Pakistan. Isolation was done by sonicating crushed rock sample with chloroform, methanol and acetone (70: 15: 15 v/v, respectively). Antibacterial and antifungal activity of sample was determined by agar well diffusion and Agar slanting methods, respectively. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was performed using cyclooxygenase-2 and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes. Antioxidant activity was assessed for scavenging of DPPH, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity was performed using “Carrageenan-induced paw edema model”. The sample showed significant antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli with MIC values 0.82, 0.87 and 0.79 mg/ml, respectively. Considerable inhibition was observed against Bacillus subtilis (MIC; 0.93 mg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC; 1.12 mg/ml) when compared with Imipenem as a standard. Moreover, the sample displayed significant antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata and Fusarium solani with MIC values of 0.60 and 0.68 mg/ml, respectively. Both COX-2 (IC₅₀ 31.34 µg/ml) and 5-LOX (IC₅₀ 38.45 µg/ml) enzymes were inhibited by NOM in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the NOM exhibited significant free radical scavenging, especially against DPPH and superoxide anions; and a moderate effect on hydroxyl and hydrogen peroxide scavenging. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity revealed that the edema volume was significantly (P < 0.001) decreased at all doses when compared with control and maximum activity (33, 47 and 54% at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg dose, respectively) was observed at fifth hr of treatment. Likewise, the inhibition capacity was increased with dose. The present findings showed that cretaceous shales may contain a variety of medicinal agents that are traditionally believed to possess properties useful in the treatment of various ailments particularly skin and inflammatory disorders. Therefore, these shales could be a new source for activity-guided isolation of antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory agents.     

Study of interactions of concentrated marine dissolved organic matter with copper and zinc by pseudopolarography

The interaction of dissolved organic matter (DOM) with copper and zinc in a concentrated seawater sample was characterised by pseudopolarography. Measurements performed at increased concentrations of copper(II) ions showed successive saturation of active DOM sites which indicate possible partition of copper between (i) free or labile complexes, (ii) reduced and released within the potential window of the method, and (iii) electroinactive copper complexes. Pseudopolarograms measured at pH 4 indicate a release of copper which was bound to the active sites of DOM that formed non-labile complexes. Variation of the peak position and half-peak width along the scanned deposition potentials and with the increasing concentration of copper bear the information about the complex electrochemical processes at the electrode surface and in the bulk of the solution. Pseudopolarograms of zinc showed a strong dependence of the peak current and the peak position along the scanned deposition potentials on pH values, indicating preferentially complexation of zinc with carboxylic-like active sites of DOM in the measured sample. Pseudopolarography is a valuable method in the trace metal complexation and speciation studies, serving as a fingerprint of the analysed sample.     

Fluorescence spectroscopy applied to the optimisation of a desalting step by electrodialysis for the characterisation of marine organic matter

The isolation and characterisation of marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) are still not readily achieved today. The study of this chemically complex material is particularly difficult, especially as it is hindered by the high salinity of seawater. It is therefore essential to develop a method in which a sufficient quantity of marine organic matter can be collected for structural analyses. Reverse osmosis (RO) is often used for the concentration of DOM from freshwaters, due to the fact that DOM is not modified during RO and that DOC recoveries are high (about 80%). Unfortunately, RO cannot be used directly to isolate marine DOM, since both salts and organic matter are concentrated during the process. Therefore, marine samples have to be desalted before their concentration by RO.     

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-size exclusion chromatography (SEC) for qualitative detection of humic substances and dissolved organic matter in mineral soils and peats in Lithuania

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with size exclusion (SEC) separation function was used to isolate and examine the molecular mass (MM) distributions and polydispersity of humic substances (HSs) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from mineral soils and peats. The aim was to improve their detailed characterisation and to inform of their soil carbon (C) sequestration and environmental quality. This is the first study conducted in Lithuania in which HSs and DOM, separated from two soil types, have been used to characterise soil at the molecular level. The HPLC-SEC, as a separation method, was coupled with diode-array detection (DAD), thus enabling the separation of molecular fractions. Results showed that HPLC-SEC can be used to determine the MM of HSs in soil, provided that the relation between retention time and MM is known and a suitable method for fitting the HS peak is available. The UV-spectra analysis showed that DOM has a larger MM (M_w = 2439–3436 Da), which contains more aliphatic C. The HS fraction has a smaller MM (M_w = 2776 Da), with aromatic structures that reflect a higher aromaticity. Separated fractions had characteristic MMs of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) and DOM. The HSs separated from peat samples were characterised by higher aromaticity, humification and stability. The HSs extracted from mineral soil samples showed a higher degradability level. The results also show the MM distribution and polydispersity of HS and DOM fractions (M_w/M_n = 1.009–1.252) are relatively homogenous in both soil types. Findings confirm that chromatographic and spectrometric parameters can be used for characterisation of both HSs and DOM, and for detecting changes in organic matter quality. Moreover, they can also be used for a further understanding the C-cycle and could be applied for enhancing soil C-sequestration and informing environmental quality management.     

Comparison of two calorimetric methods to determine the loss of organic matter in Galician soils (NW Spain) due to forest wildfires

Seven forest soils, Cambisols under pinus, located at Galicia (NW Spain) and affected by forest wildfires were collected to determine the loss of organic matter due to the effect of burning, using calorimetric methods. The enthalpy of combustion, ΔH, of the organic matter of the burnt and the corresponding unburnt soils was calculated from the thermograms obtained with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC-7, Perkin-Elmer). From these data, the loss of organic matter during the fires was calculated. On the other hand, the organic matter content for each burnt and unburnt soil studied was determined by thermogravimetry (TG) and, in the same way, the loss of organic matter was obtained. High linear, significant correlations were found between the enthalpy of combustion of the soil organic matter (SOM) and the organic matter content measured by thermogravimetry. Consequently, comparison of the loss of organic matter obtained by both methods indicated that the quantitative results are similar. Both techniques allow to determine the degradation level of the soils affected by forest wildfires, taking the loss of organic matter during the fire as a degradation index.     

氯化亚铬脱除黄铁矿对桦甸油页岩有机质结构的影响

采用元素分析、~(13)C NMR、XPS和TG-MS技术考察了氯化亚铬(CrCl_2)脱除黄铁矿对桦甸油页岩有机质结构的影响。结果表明,CrCl_2可有效脱除有机质中的黄铁矿,脱除率为96.19%。CrCl_2对有机质的碳骨架结构影响较小,脱除黄铁矿前后有机质中脂碳、芳碳和羧基/羰基碳的相对含量以及有机质的热解特征温度基本保持不变,但CrCl_2可破坏有机质中的C-O键,使C-O/C-OH和O=C-O的含量减少,造成0.98%的有机碳损失和12.54%的有机质损失。CrCl_2处理后,有机质的C含量显著增加,H含量稍有增加,O含量显著降低,使得H/C略微降低,O/C明显降低。另外,CrCl_2处理后,单位质量有机质中脂碳的含量增加了5.28%,使其热解过程中产生了更多的挥发分,残留的氧化铬对有机质的热分解可能也具有促进作用。     

Simple,quantitative method for low molecular weight dissolved organic matter extracted from natural waters based upon high performance counter-current chromatography

A simple, high-performance counter-current chromatography method with sequential UV absorbance (254 nm) and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) was developed for the quantification of pre-extracted low molecular weight dissolved organic matter (DOM) extracted from natural waters. The method requires solid-phase extraction (SPE) extraction of only small volumes of water samples, here using poly(styrenedivinylbenzene)-based extraction cartridges (Varian PPL). The extracted and concentrated DOM was quantified using reversed-phase high-performance counter-current chromatography (HPCCC), with a water/methanol (5:5) mobile phase and hexane/ethyl acetate (3:7) stationary phase. The critical chromatographic parameters were optimised, applying a revolution speed of 1900 rpm and a flow-rate of 1 mL min⁻¹. Under these conditions, 50 μL of extracted DOM solution could be injected and quantified using calibration against a reference natural dissolved material (Suwannee River), based upon UV absorbance at 254 nm and ELSD detection. Both detection methods provided excellent linearity (R² > 0.995) for DOM across the concentration ranges of interest, with limits of detection of 4 μg ml⁻¹ and 7 μg ml⁻¹ for ELSD and UV absorbance, respectively. The method was validated for peak area precision (<5%), and accuracy and recovery based upon spiking seawater samples prior to extraction, together with DOM solutions post-extraction (>95% recovery). The developed method was applied to the determination of the concentration of DOM in seawater, based upon initial sample volumes as small as 20 mL.     

A comparison of direct thermal desorption with solvent extraction for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of semivolatile organic compounds in diesel particulate matter

Direct thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DTD-GC-MS) is a technique that is finding application in the characterisation of the semivolatile organic carbon fraction of ambient and combustion source particulate matter (PM) collected on filters. In this study, three DTD-GC-MS methods were assessed and compared to a conventional solvent extraction method for analysis of a mixture of target analytes in solution and of diesel PM collected on quartz filters. The target analytes included n-alkanes, hopanes, steranes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This study showed that while the three DTD-GC-MS methods were generally comparable to the solvent extraction method, (1) the choice of calibration strategy and calibration materials has a significant impact on the measured accuracy of a method; (2) very large variations were seen in all methods for the more volatile compounds such as C₁₀ to C₁₃ n-alkanes and naphthalene; (3) accuracy, defined as difference from the known concentration of a liquid sample, ranged from 5% to 32%; (4) precision, defined as the relative standard deviation, ranged from 4% to 16%. The average difference of DTD-GC-MS results from the solvent extraction results for the diesel PM filters ranged from 20% to 40%. This difference was driven by the large number of target analytes present at relatively low concentrations (<25 pg/mm²) and their corresponding higher variability. Differences in performance among the compound classes were noted. Minimum detection limits for the DTD-GC-MS methods were on the order of 0.1 to 1 pg/mm² and were as good as or better than those obtained for the solvent extraction method.     

Analysis of aquatic‐phase natural organic matter by optimized LDI‐MS method

The composition and physiochemical properties of aquatic‐phase natural organic matter (NOM) are most important problems for both environmental studies and water industry. Laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry facilitated successful examinations of NOM, as humic and fulvic acids in NOM are readily ionized by the nitrogen laser. In this study, hydrophobic NOMs (HPO NOMs) from river, reservoir and waste water were characterized by this technique. The effect of analytical variables like concentration, solvent composition and laser energy was investigated. The exact masses of small molecular NOM moieties in the range of 200–1200 m/z were determined in reflectron mode. In addition, spectra of post‐source‐decay experiments in this range showed that some compounds from different natural NOMs had the same fragmental ions. In the large mass range of 1200–15 000 Da, macromolecules and their aggregates were found in HPO NOMs from natural waters. Highly humic HPO exhibited mass peaks larger than 8000 Da. On the other hand, the waste water and reservoir water mainly had relatively smaller molecules of about 2000 Da. The LDI‐MS measurements indicated that highly humic river waters were able to form large aggregates and membrane foulants, while the HPO NOMs from waste water and reservoir water were unlikely to form large aggregates. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of a novel magnetic resin for effective removal of both natural organic matter and organic micropollutants

A novel,bifunctional,hypercrosslinked.magnetic resin W2 was prepared using divinylbenzene(DVB) and glycidyl methacrylate(GMA) as comonomers in three steps(i.e.,suspension polymerization, amination and post-crosslinking reactions).To evaluate the adsorption of natural organic matter(NOM) and organic micropollutants(OMPs) on the obtained resin W2,two magnetic resins Wl(the precursor of W2 before post-crosslinking) and WO(the precursor of Wl before amination) were chosen for comparison.The results indicated that W2 would be a promising material for the removal of both NOM and OMPs from aquatic environments.     

Influence of inorganic scalants and natural organic matter on nanofiltration membrane fouling

The influence of inorganic scalants and NOM on nanofiltration (NF) membrane fouling was investigated by a crossflow bench-scale test cell. Mathematical fouling models were used to determine kinetics and fouling mechanisms of NF membrane. It was observed that, with natural organic matter (NOM) at a concentration of 10 mg L⁻¹, divalent cation, i.e. calcium (Ca²⁺), exhibited greater flux decline than monovalent cation, i.e. sodium (Na⁺), while solution flux curves dominated cake formation model, especially at high ionic strength. For inorganic scalants of polyanions, i.e. carbonate (CO₃²⁻), sulphate (SO₄²⁻), and phosphate (PO₄³⁻), solution flux curves were relatively fitted well with pore blocking model, possibly due to precipitated species formed and blocked on membrane surface and/or pores. For different divalent cations (i.e. calcium and magnesium (Mg²⁺)), calcium showed greater flux decline than magnesium, possibly due to higher concentration of precipitated calcium species than that of precipitated magnesium species based on the pC (−log concentration) and pH diagram.