Statistical evaluation of the influence of several sample pretreatment methods on the mercury content detectable by chemical analysis of contaminated soil samples under practical conditions

The estimation of the environmental risk of contaminated sites caused by hazardous components may be obtained, for instance, by means of a soil survey. There unavoidable errors by sampling, sample preparation and chemical analysis occur. Furthermore, in case of mercury contaminations, the mercury content detectable by chemical analysis can be falsified, if between sampling, on the one hand, and sample preparation and sample decomposition for chemical analysis, on the other hand, volatile components or elementary metallic mercury escape from the sample. Thus, in these cases, handling of samples such as air drying, storing in plastic bags or thermal evaporation, generally termed sample pretreatment, is a further source of error in evaluating a material. However, the measuring results are influenced not only by sampling, sample pretreatment, sample preparation by homogenization and splitting, and chemical analysis; they must also reflect the intrinsic properties of the soil sample subject to both global fluctuations and local heterogeneities. The present work shows by example of a non-uniformly contaminated site to what extent the analytically detectable mercury content is changed by the method of handling of soil samples in the period between sampling and chemical analysis. A hierarchical experimental design was realized in order to separately quantify the different sources of variation of the measured mercury contents, which are caused by global variations, local heterogeneities, sample preparation, sample pretreatment as well as chemical analysis. As turned out by variance analysis, the variance portion contributed to the total variance by sample pretreatment is highly significant and lies in the same order of magnitude as the variance caused by local heterogeneities of the soil. That means that the type of sample pretreatment influences the analytical results essentially. In order to quantify the effect of a definite pretreatment method in comparison with the mercury content of the unchanged original soil sample, the probable systematic error of a method was introduced. Investigations were only carried out at two sampling locations of the contaminated site because of the relatively high labour; the mean values and variances obtained cannot be immediately transferred to other sites. However, the general knowledge can be used as methodical basis for further investigations. Particularly, the consequence arises that the regulations existing for the treatment of mercury-contaminated samples between sampling and chemical analysis must be revised to obtain comparable criteria of evaluation.Symbols used level of error in statistical tests, - _i random effect of the i-th sampling location with respect to the mercury content, effect of global fluctuations - _ij random effect of the j-th primary sample (composite sample) at the i-th sampling location, effect of local heterogeneity, sampling error - _ijk random effect of the k-th subsample within the respective j-th primary sample (composite sample) at the i-th sampling location, sample preparation error - _ijkl random effect of the l-th pretreated sample belonging to the respective k-th subsample of the j-th primary or composite sample at the i-th sampling location, sample pretreatment effect - _1– probable relative systematic error of a pretreatment methods as compared with the original material at the coverage probability 1– - overall expected mercury content of the sampling results - _i expected mercury content of the i-th pretreated composite sample at a fixed location - û_{1.1 –} lower limit of a confidence interval for the unknown expected mercury content of unchanged original material at the confidence probability 1– - _i intraclass correlation coefficient - ² , ² , ² , ² , _Z ² variance components caused by global variability, local heterogeneity, sample preparation, sample pretreatment and analytical error, respectively - _total ² total variance of mercury content - D² operator of the variance of a random variable - E operator of the mathematical expectation of a random variable - F_i mean squared sum quotient of the Fisher's F-distribution - F_1–/2(fg_i, fg_j) critical value of the F-distribution at fg_i and fg_j degrees of freedom, respectively - fg_i degree of freedom of a (mean) sum of squared deviations - H_i hypothesis regarding a statistical law - I_1– confidence interval for the unknown expected value difference of two methods compared at the probability 1–, probable systematic error of a pretreatment method as compared with the unchanged original material at the coverage probability 1– - MQ_i, mq_i mean squared deviations as explained in the context - n_i number of sampling locations, primary samples per location, subsamples per primary sample, pretreatment methods and measuring values per pretreated sample, respectively - S _i ² , s _i ² variance estimation obtained by chemical analysis - SQ_i, sq_i sum of squared deviations - S(|Y₁–Y_i|) mean error of the absolute mean value difference |Y₁–Y_i|) - t_1–/2;m critical value of the Student's t-distribution at m degrees of freedom and the probability 1–/2 - Y_ijklm mercury content obtained on the m-th final sample of the l-th pretreated sample belonging to the k-th subsample of the j-th primary sample at the i-th sampling location - Y_i, y_i,... mean values obtained by sampling and chemical analysis - Z_ijklm random error of the ijklm-th measuring value (final sample value) Y_ijklm.     

Zu Struktur,Bindung und Ligandenaustauschverhalten von Nitrosyltechnetium(II)-Verbindungen Eine. EPR-Untersuchung

Structure, Bonding, and Ligand Exchange Behaviour of Nitrosyl-Technetium (II) Compounds. An EPR Study EPR investigations on the nitrosyltechnetium(II) compounds (Bu₄N)₂[Tc(NO)Cl₅], (Bu₄N)[Tc(NO)Br₄], (Bu₄N)[Tc(NO)I₄], and (Ph₄As)₂[Tc(NO)(NCS)₅] having a 4 t low-spin configuration are reported. The EPR parameters g?, Ã^Tc as well as ligand hyperfine data are used to analyze the bonding properties. The isotropic parameters g₀ and a are found to be clearly correlated to the composition of the coordination sphere. Therefore, they can be used to characterize mixed-ligand complexes unambiguously. The formation of mixed-ligand complexes was investigated for ligand-exchange reactions on [Tc(NO)Cl₅]^2? and [Tc(NO)Br₄]^?. In these investigations unsaturated dichalcogeno ligands are included.     

Near threshold channel selective photodissociation of NO2

The dynamics of the photodissociation of NO₂ into NO(X ²Π_Ω″, ν″=0,J″)+O(³ P _0,1,2) is investigated near the thermodynamic threshold. Cooling the internal degrees of freedom by a supersonic beam expansion provides a nearly complete quantum state selection prior to the predissociation. Measurements of the wavelength dependent dissociation yield into specific product quantum states are reported. At certain wavelengths Λ″ doublet resolved rotational population distributions of the fragments are obtained. Up to an excess energy ofE _exc=121 cm^?1 about 42% of this energy is partitioned into the rotation of the NO molecules, and correspondingly 58% into the translational degree of freedom. The role of electronic and total parity is discussed.     

Temperature-induced structural transitions and vibrational properties of microclusters: ab-initio molecular dynamics studies

We present the results of ab-initio molecular dynamics studies of selected microclusters of sodium, silicon and magnesium at finite temperatures, and especially discuss those obtained around room temperature. In particular, from the analysis of the atomic trajectories we can identify in some cases the existence of different isomers and the isomerization pathways. We have also calculated vibrational spectra at low temperatures and find that they can be used as a very sensitive structural probe also in sodium clusters, where the electronic properties are quite insensitive to the geometry.     

Transformations of Cyclohexane under the Action of in situ Generated Aluminum Halides

Transformations of inert cyclohexane into dimethyldecalins under mild conditions in the presence of a simple catalytic system consisting of aluminum metal and halomethanes were studied.     

Characterisation of fatty acids in biological oil samples using comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography

Comprehensive multidimensional gas chromatography can adequately resolve very complex mixtures of analytes such as the fatty acid mixtures which are contained in, e.g., fish and vegetable oils. Well-ordered patterns are obtained in the two-dimensional separation plane which can be used to tentatively identify peaks when no standard is available. The technique which can also be used for quantification, i.e., quantitative ratio analysis, should be especially useful for fingerprinting purposes. Unravelling the composition of complex mixtures such as fish oils appears to be highly rewarding.     

Multivariate data analysis of trace element content in animal organs measured by simultaneous atomic absorption spectrometry

The simultaneous determination of trace elements in animal organs offers improved possibilities to characterize the geographical origin of the animal by analyzing its pollution characteristics. Pb, Cd, Ni (GF-AAS) and Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn (F-AAS) in kidneys and livers of cows from different sites have been measured using simultaneous AAS. The correct allocation of cows to specific regions shows that multivariate data analysis provides efficient tools for the geographical classification. The consideration of absorbance rather than concentration as the data input simplified the analytical procedures by omitting the calibration step.     

Anomalies in the temperature dependence of the 1.2-μ absorption of liquid water

The weakly absorbed 1.2-μ combination band of water was accurately studied as a function of temperature, in both its profile and first derivative, to obtain information on the bulk properties of liquid water. Arrhenius plots of integrated component intensity ratios showed well aligned experimental points, except for a neatly defined break occurring in the 30 to 40°C temperature interval for pure water A similar break, shifted by some 18°C towards lower temperature, was found in the case of 1M NaClO₄ aqueous solutions. The breaks are tentatively assumed to result from abrupt though subtle changes involving low-frequency modes. This tentative, assumption appears independent of specific models and assignments and, although in agreement with available neutron-scattering and NMR data, needs more direct verification.     

FTIR-screening of carbonyl compounds in metal working fluid aerosols

Due to the complex composition of metal working fluids (MWF) the determination of all individual compounds is sometimes difficult and very expensive. Today the widely used method for the quantification of airborne MWFs consists of a non specific IR analysis of their C-H valence bands. With a new design of sample cell this inexpensive technique was extended to a more detailed screening of the MWF composition, especially the detection of carbonyl compounds in MWFs and their aerosols and vapors. The screening method was evaluated for the determination of concentrations of the aldehyde nonanal and the ketone diacetone alcohol in air in laboratory experiments. In preliminary workplace studies the applicability of this method to the (semi-)quantitative determination of carbonyl compounds in airborne MWFs is shown. The screening method was found to be very useful, specially to detect alterations in the composition of the MWF due to industrial use. Received: 16 January 1997 / Revised: 9 April 1998 / Accepted: 14 April 1998