Hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometric determination of As, Bi, Sb, Se(IV) and Te(IV) in aqua regia extracts from atmospheric particulate matter using multivariate optimization

A highly sensitive and simple method, based on hydride generation and atomic fluorescence detection, has been developed for the determination of As, Bi, Sb, Se(IV) and Te(IV) in aqua regia extracts from atmospheric particulate matter samples. Atmospheric particulates matter was collected on glass fiber filters using a medium volume sampler (PM1 particulate matter). Two-level factorial designs have been used to optimise the hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) procedure. The effects of several parameters affecting the hydride generation efficiency (hydrochloric acid, sodium tetrahydroborate and potassium iodide concentrations and flow rates) have been evaluated using a Plackett-Burman experimental design. In addition, parameters affecting the hydride measurement (delay, analysis and memory times) have been also investigated. The significant parameters obtained (sodium tetrahydroborate concentration, sodium tetrahydroborate flow rate and analysis time for As; hydrochloric acid concentration and sodium tetrahydroborate flow rate for Se(IV); and sodium tetrahydroborate concentration and sodium tetrahydroborate flow rate for Te(IV)) have been optimized by using 2ⁿ + star central composite design. Hydrochloric acid concentration and sodium tetrahydroborate flow rate were the significant parameters obtained for Sb and Bi determination, respectively. Using a univariate approach these parameters were optimized. The accuracy of methods have been verified by using several certified reference materials: SRM 1648 (urban particulate matter) and SRM 1649a (urban dust). Detection limits in the range of 6 × 10⁻³ to 0.2 ng m⁻³ have been achieved. The developed methods were applied to several atmospheric particulate matter samples corresponding to A Coruña city (NW Spain).     

Beer Digestions for Metal Determination by Atomic Spectrometry and Residual Organic Matter

Many standard and official sample digestion procedures for trace metal determination are carried out in open vessels on hot plates. A new procedure for the determination of trace metals by flame atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled plasmaatomic emission spectrometry in beer samples was developed to be performed in closed reactors assisted by microwaves. The results are compared with the ones obtained by other procedures by means of the analysis of the variance. The differences between the procedures are attributed to residual organic matter. Voltammetry, absorption molecular spectrophotometry and high pressure liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector are used to study the nature of these residues. Nitrobenzoic acids, phenolic acids and other organic compounds are often present after digestion. The results obtained are related to the precision in metal determination by atomic spectrometry. The need for elaboration of certified reference materials for trace metals in beer is suggested.     

Some Comments on the Matter Wave-light Wave Hypothesis

From the de Broglie matter wave hypothesis and Planck’s energy quantization law, and assuming conservation of energy in the absorption of a photon and its consequent conversion to kinetic energy of motion by a material particle initially at rest, one can deduce a simple mathematical relationship between the wavelength λ (or frequency ν), of the photon absorbed by the particle at rest, and the resulting de Broglie matter wave length, λ_D, of the particle with kinetic energy of motion of mv²/2. The relationship so deduced, λ_D∝√λ, suggests that visible wavelengths of light, from about 4000 ?, in the violet, to beyond about 7000 ?, in the red, on absorption by an electron at rest, lead to material electron wavelengths, λ_D, of the order of the size of the electron transfer proteins seen in the photosynthetic reaction centers of photosynthesizing organisms, at about a size of 50–100 ?. In addition to understanding the mechanism of photosynthesis as a material wave mediated phenomenon, further areas of importance of the relations pointed out in this paper are in the design of experiments to gain a deeper understanding of the basic tenets of wave mechanics, and in the use of tunable lasers to probe various properties of material waves, and to precisely control their properties for applications including lithography.     

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.     

Topological and fractal properties of turbulent passive scalar fluctuations at small scales

Corrections of Batchelor's spectral law –1 of passive scalar-fluctuations are obtained by taking into account the topological instabilities of small-scale vortex sheets: –4/3 for supercritical and –5/4 for subcritical regimes. The corresponding fractal dimensions of the scalar interface areD =8/3 for supercritical andD =11/4 for subcritical regimes. Good agreement with experimental data is established.     

Vortex rings interacting with a wall

Accurate numerical simulations of vortex rings impinging on flat boundaries have revealed the same features observed in the experiment of Walkeret al. (1987). They observed atRe _v >1250 the formation of azimuthal instabilities in the secondary ring during its compression within the primary ring. In the present numerical simulation the number of waves agrees very well with those observed in the experiment. The distributions of the vorticities together with the distribution of each term in the vorticity equations give insights on the formation of azimuthal instabilities.     

Analysis of organic matter from witwatersrand basin (South Africa) by OTA and Py-GC-MSPreliminary results

Oxyreactive Thermal Analysis (OTA) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) have been performed on highly matured, uraniferous samples. Organic matter investigated by OTA gives two exothermic peaks on DTA curves. The dominant peak appearing at temperature higher than 500°C, confirm the high maturity of the organic matter. Results of analysis by Py-GC-MS complement the OTA results. The organic matter in all of the samples shows the same general pyrolysis characteristics. The pyrograms are dominated by low molecular mass aromatic hydrocarbons. The samples differ in relative abundances of the compounds. The changes in temperature and intensity of the lower-temperature peak in OTA method and differences in relative abundances of aromatic hydrocarbons were used to investigate differences in thermal maturity of the organic matter. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hydroxyl radical formation upon dark oxidation of reduced iron minerals: Effects of iron species and environmental factors

Dark formation of hydroxyl radical upon oxidation of reduced iron minerals plays an important role in the degradation and transformation of organic and inorganic pollutants. Herein, we compared the hydroxyl radical formation from various reduced iron minerals at different redox conditions. OH production was generally observed from the oxidation of reduced iron minerals, following the order: mackinawite (FeS) > reduced nontronite (iron-bearing smectite clay) > pyrite (FeS₂) > siderite (FeCO₃). Structural Fe²⁺ and dissolved O₂ play critical roles in OH production from reduced iron minerals. OH production increases with decreasing pH, and Cl^? has little effect on this process. More importantly, dissolved organic matter significantly enhances OH production, especially under O₂ purging, highlighting the importance of this process in ambient environments. This sunlight-independent pathway in which OH forms during oxidation of reduced iron minerals is helpful for understanding the degradation and transformation of various inorganic and organic pollutants in the redox-fluctuation environments.     

Thermodynamics of formation of nitrogen bases and d-ribose from mineral substances in light of the problem of origination of simplest elements of living matter

The paper represents a further development of our hydrate hypothesis of simplest living matter origination (SLMO) from inorganic and simplest organic mineral substances. It is supposed that the sources of SLMO are simplest aliphatic hydrocarbons, niters, and phosphates. Thermodynamic calculations demonstrating a principal possibility for simultaneous syntheses of different nitrogen bases, d-ribose, and desoxy-d-ribose from these source substances are presented. The most probable principal mechanism of SLMO and the principal conditions necessary for realization of the proposed chemism of SLMO in the framework of the proposed mechanism are considered. A principal means for testing the hypothesis is proposed.     

Removal of humic matter interference in the determination of Cr(VI) in soil extracts by the diphenylcarbazide method

Alkaline digestion of soil samples, which is recommended for minimizing Cr(III)–Cr(VI) interconversions during the extraction of Cr(VI), may also solubilize humic matter (HM). The latter is responsible for both positive and negative interference in the analysis of Cr(VI) in the extract by the diphenylcarbazide (DPC) method. Humic compounds indeed absorb light at 540 nm as the Cr-DPC product and are also able to rapidly reduce Cr(VI) under the pH conditions of the standard DPC method. To prevent any risk of interference and make the DPC method applicable to soil extracts, a new protocol is proposed. This consists of three successive steps: (1) extraction of Cr(VI) by the U.S.EPA method 3060A in the presence of Mg²⁺; (2) batch removal of solubilised HM by the XAD-7 sorbent at pH 3.0 ± 0.1 with 3–5 min contact time; (3) analysis of Cr(VI) with the DPC method at pH 3.0 ± 0.1. The application of this new protocol to the soil product SQC-012 Lot 4 certified by R.T. Corporation (RTC, USA) gave significantly lower Cr(VI) concentrations and smaller variability compared to certified values (46.5 ± 2.3 instead of 153 ± 32.6 mg/kg). The new protocol was validated by Cr(VI) and Cr(III) spikes either to the soil/extractant suspension or to the exctract. Cr(VI) results in the wide range of acceptance limits (104–202 mg/kg) reported by RTC were only obtained when the U.S.EPA method 3060A without the addition of Mg²⁺ and DPC analysis at pH 1.0 were applied. The latter procedure appears questionable since it leads to largely variable results which reflect the complex role played by humic matter in the determination of Cr(VI) and the instability of Cr(III) during the extraction.