Direct equilibration of soil water for delta(18)O analysis and its application to tracer studies

Current methods for stable oxygen isotopic (delta (18)O) analysis of soil water rely on separation of water from the soil matrix before analysis. These separation procedures are not only time consuming and require relatively large samples of soil, but also have been shown to introduce a large potential source of error. Current research at Queen's University Belfast is focused on using direct equilibration of CO(2) with the pore water to eliminate this extraction step using the automated Multiprep system and a Micromass Prism III isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). The findings of this research indicate the method is less time consuming, more reliable, and reproducible to within accepted limits (+/-0.1% per thousand delta (18)O). In this study the direct equilibration method is used to analyse delta (18)O tracer profiles in the unsaturated zone of field soils, concurrently with chloride tracer profiles, which can be used to assess infiltration rates and mechanisms through the unsaturated zone. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Secondary ion yields produced by keV atomic and polyatomic ion impacts on a self-assembled monolayer surface

A suite of keV polyatomic or 'cluster' projectiles was used to bombard unoxidized and oxidized self-assembled monolayer surfaces. Negative secondary ion yields, collected at the limit of single ion impacts, were measured and compared for both molecular and fragment ions. In contrast to targets that are orders of magnitude thicker than the penetration range of the primary ions, secondary ion yields from polyatomic projectile impacts on self-assembled monolayers show little to no enhancement when compared with monatomic projectiles at the same velocity. This unusual trend is most likely due to the structural arrangement and bonding characteristics of the monolayer molecules with the Au(111). Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The study of the changes in the thermal properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> bones due to arsenic exposure

The paper presents the changes in the thermal properties of control, arsenic exposed and DMSA treated Labeo rohita bones by using thermo analytical techniques. The result shows that the mass loss due to the thermal decomposition occurs in three distinct steps due to loss of water, organic and inorganic materials. The arsenic exposed bones present a different thermal behaviour compared to the control bones. The residue masses are increased due to arsenic exposure, while the DMSA treatment reduces the residue mass level. These thermal characteristics can be used as a qualitative method to check the metal accumulation in samples.     

Routine analysis by high precision gas chromatography/mass selective detector/isotope ratio mass spectrometry to 0.1 parts per mil

Stable isotope methods are potentially quite useful for validating natural or enhanced mineral degradation of contaminants. For this reason, a continuous flow gas chromatograph (GC), isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) has been coupled with a quadrupole mass selective detector (MSD) to allow simultaneous mass spectral and stable carbon isotope ratio data to be obtained from a single chromatographic analysis. This allows the target contaminant and any extra-cellular degradation intermediates to be both qualified and quantified. Previously acceptable limits of precision (0.3 parts per mil) are undesirable given the small fractionation observed during aerobic degradation. To further understand the fate of organic contaminants and to gain information about the metabolic degradative pathway employed by a microorganism, routine isotopic analyses on a range of analytes have been performed. Quantities of sample producing mass-44 ion beam signal (I(44)) of 2 x 10(-10) to 1 x 10(-8) A were analysed. When the IRMS was tuned for high sensitivity, ion source nonlinearities were overcome by peak height correction from an algorithm that was produced using known isotopic standards of varying concentrations. This led to sample accuracy of <0.01 per thousand and sample precision of 0.1 per thousand. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Frequency scan for the analysis of high mass ions generated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization in a paul trap

An ion trap has been modified for the analysis of high mass ions generated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization. Samples are deposited on a probe tip and introduced directly onto the hyperbolically shaped surface of one endcap. All three electrodes - both the endcaps and the ring electrode - are insulated so that the radio frequency (Rf) voltage may be applied to the center ring electrode and the inverted Rf voltage to the endcaps. By using low frequencies (below 100 kHz) and low amplitudes (below 200 V), high mass singly charged ions may be trapped and analyzed by a frequency sweep at constant amplitude. In the high mass range (60-160 kDa), this instrument showed good sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratios, and mass resolution. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Onset of sliding friction in incommensurate systems

Interstitial O3 molecules in 7.9 eV photon-irradiated silica are identified. Their optical absorption band at 4.8 eV nearly coincides with the 4.8 eV band of nonbridging oxygen hole centers. The O3-related band is distinguished by a smaller halfwidth (0.84 vs 1. 05 eV), by susceptibility to ultraviolet bleaching, by lack of correlation to the 1.9 eV luminescence band, and by rise of a singlet O2 luminescence band at 0.974 eV during photobleaching. This identification solves a long controversy on the nature of optical bands in silica and gives a tool for studying the mobility of atomic oxygen in SiO2.