Preparation of candidate certified reference materials for the quality control of EDTA-and acetic acid-extractable trace metal determinations in sewage sludge-amended soil and terra rossa soil

The determination of extractable trace metal contents in soil using single extraction procedures is currently performed in many laboratories to assess the bioavailable metal fraction (and related phytotoxic effects) and the accessability to the environment (e.g. contamination of ground waters). Owing to the need for validation of the extraction schemes used and of the analytical techniques, the EC Measurements and Testing Programme (formerly BCR) has organized a project for improving the quality of determination of extractable trace metal contents in soil, the first step being an interlaboratory study to adopt common extraction procedures and the second being a certification campaign to certify two soils for their extractable trace element contents following these procedures. This paper gives a brief overview of the project organisation and describes the preparation, homogeneity and stability studies of two soil candidate reference materials (sewage sludge-amended and terra rossa soils).     

The electronic structure of FeO 4 2− , RuO4, RuO 4 − , RuO 4 2− and OsO4 by the HFS-DVM method

The electronic structures of FeO ₄ ^2? , RuO₄, RuO ₄ ^? , RuO ₄ ^2? and OsO₄ have been investigated using the Hartree-Fock-Slater Discrete Variational Method. The calculated ordering of the valence orbitals is 2t ₂, 1e, 2a ₁, 3t ₂ andt ₁ with thet ₁ orbital as the highest occupied. The first five charge transfer bands are assigned as:t ₁→2e(v ₁), 3t ₂→2e(v ₂),t ₁→4t ₂(v ₃), 3t ₂→4t ₂(v ₄) and 2a ₁→4t ₂(v ₅). It is suggested that ad-d transition should be observed at 1.5 eV in RuO ₄ ^? and RuO ₄ ^2? .     

Atmospheric chemistry of 4:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (n-C4F9CH2CH2OH): products and mechanism of Cl atom initiated oxidation in the presence of NOx

Smog chamber/FTIR techniques were used to study the Cl atom initiated oxidation of 4:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (C(4)F(9)CH(2)CH(2)OH, 4:2 FTOH) in the presence of NO(x) in 700 Torr of N(2)/O(2) diluent at 296 K. Chemical activation effects play an important role in the atmospheric chemistry of the peroxy, and possibly the alkoxy, radicals derived from 4:2 FTOH. Cl atoms react with C(4)F(9)CH(2)CH(2)OH to give C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(*)HOH radicals which add O(2) to give chemically activated alpha-hydroxyperoxy radicals, [C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(OO(*))HOH]*. In 700 Torr of N(2)/O(2) at 296 K, approximately 50% of the [C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(OO(*))HOH]* radicals decompose "promptly" to give HO(2) radicals and C(4)F(9)CH(2)CHO, the remaining [C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(OO(*))HOH]* radicals undergo collisional deactivation to give thermalized peroxy radicals, C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(OO(*))HOH. Decomposition to HO(2) and C(4)F(9)CH(2)CHO is the dominant atmospheric fate of the thermalized peroxy radicals. In the presence of excess NO, the thermalized peroxy radicals react to give C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(O(*))HOH radicals which then decompose at a rate >2.5 x 10(6) s(-1) to give HC(O)OH and the alkyl radical C(4)F(9)CH(2)(*). The primary products of 4:2 FTOH oxidation in the presence of excess NO(x) are C(4)F(9)CH(2)CHO, C(4)F(9)CHO, and HCOOH. Secondary products include C(4)F(9)CH(2)C(O)O(2)NO(2), C(4)F(9)C(O)O(2)NO(2), and COF(2). In contrast to experiments conducted in the absence of NO(x), there was no evidence (<2% yield) for the formation of the perfluorinated acid C(4)F(9)C(O)OH. The results are discussed with regard to the atmospheric chemistry of fluorotelomer alcohols.     

The GHS and other correlation inequalities for a class of even ferromagnets

We prove the GHS inequality for families of random variables which arise in certain ferromagnetic models of statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. These include spin –1/2 Ising models, ⁴ field theories, and other continuous spin models. The proofs are based on the properties of a classG ^– of probability measures which contains all measures of the form const exp(–V(x))dx, whereV is even and continuously differentiable anddV/dx is convex on [0, ). A new proof of the GKS inequalities using similar ideas is also given.Supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant MPS 71-02838 A 04.Supported by National Science Foundation Grant MPS 74-24696.Supported in part by National Science Foundation Grant MPS 74-04870.