Rocky coast processes: with special reference to the recession of soft rock cliffs

Substantial progress in research on the recession of coastal cliffs composed of soft materials has been made in recent years and data with higher accuracy have been accumulated. This paper provides the state of the art review in the recession studies and highlights two new findings obtained from the reanalysis of existing data. The review topics are: episodic and localized nature of cliff recession; the development of cliffline; the relationship between cliff height and recession rate; mechanisms of cliff toe erosion by waves; a fundamental equation for wave-induced toe erosion; factors controlling toe erosion; and slope instabilities and mass movements. The findings are presented on (1) the temporal change in cliffline recession mode and (2) the effect of beach sediment at the cliff base on the cliff erosion.     

Analysis of saltation characteristics of bed-load transport in flowing water

The study of bed-load transport is of great significance both in theory and in practice. This paper discusses the saltation of bed-load solid grains in flowing water. Experiments and theoretic analysis have been made by means of high-speed photographing and advanced data processing technique with a combined method based on mechanical and statistical theories. It indicates that the saltation is the main form of the bed-load transport under ordinary flowing conditions. In the meantime, taking successive saltation as the model of bed-load transport, systematic analysis has been made with regard to the kinematic properties and mechanism of saltation. The statistical analysis shows that the probability density functions of the relative height and length of saltation are in conformity with Γ-type distribution, while the probability density functions of the relative velocities of saltation are in conformity with the Gaussian distribution. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Influence of humic substances on sorption and methylation processes of inorganic- and organo-tin species

The influence of humic substances on sorption and methylation processes for inorganic- and organotin species is presented. Four sediment samples from different locations of the Rivers Elbe, Mulde and Spittelwasser, Germany, with different organotin and humic contents were selected to extract the humic and fulvic acids. The various fractions—the original sediment, the humic acid, the fulvic acid and the residual sediment—were analysed for their organotin content. The individual buyltin species show quite different distribution patterns. Monobutyltin is found mostly associated with humic acids. Dibutyltin shows a nonunique behaviour. At low total organotin content, dibutyltin is found bonded to humic and fulvic acids, whereas at high organotin content dibutyltin is distributed more with the residual sediment. Most of the tributyltin remains in the sediment unextracted; only small quantities of it are in the fulvic acid fraction. Tetrabutyltin is only in the humic acid fraction when it binds to humic matter; it mostly remains in the sediment. General observations indicate that ionic butyltin species bind to fulvic acids whereas the non-polar tetrabutyltin is not found in the fulvic acid fractions in any of the samples. The appearance of monomethyl- and dimethyl-tin species in the humic and fulvic acid fractions after the alkaline extraction was surprising. There is a correlation between the humic content of the sample and the formation of methyltin species. Evidence is provided by experiments that humic substances act as methylation agents.     

BIOMARKERS INDICATING SEDIMENTARY PALEOENVIRONMENTS

Samples involved in this paper are 35 pieces of crude oils and 43 pieces of source rocks, from which a series of biomarkers, capable of indicating paleoecology and paleoenvironment. This will provide a scientific basis for tracing back to sedimenta-y paleoenvironment and paleoecology.     

超声提取-超高效液相串联质谱分析沉积物中15种抗生素

在现有方法基础上对沉积物中磺胺类、喹诺酮类、大环内脂类和四环素类抗生素的提取、富集、净化以及仪器分析方法进行了优化。以EDTA-Mcllvaine缓冲溶液与乙腈(V:V,1:1)混合液作为提取液,利用超声波细胞破碎仪进行超声提取,串联强阴离子交换柱(SAX)和HLB固相萃取柱进行固相萃取(SPE),通过超高效液相/串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)测定沉积物中抗生素的含量。抗生素基质加标回收率在56.4%~110%,相对标准偏差为1.1%~24.3%,方法检出限0.0055~0.716 ng/g。本方法有效地提高了沉积物中抗生素的提取效率,并应用于实际样品的测定中。     

Pyrite Genesis During Early Diagenesis in Yellow Sea and East China Sea

The content and isotopic compositions of different sulphur species in pore-water and solid phases have been examined on five sediment cores taken from muddy sediment region in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Relationships among these data have been investigated with the combination of morphology of mineral pyrite and organic matter so as to role out the diagenetic behaviour of sulphur species at the early stage of diagenesis in modern marine sediment and the origin of pyrite formation.     

New NIST sediment SRM for inorganic analysis

NIST maintains a portfolio of more than 1300 standard reference materials (SRM), more than a third of these relating to measurements in the biological and environmental fields. As part of the continuous renewal and replacement efforts, a set of new marine sediments has been recently developed covering organic and inorganic determinations. This paper describes the steps taken in sample preparation, homogeneity assay, and analytical characterization and certification with specific emphasis on SRM 2702 inorganics in marine sediment. Neutron activation analysis showed the SRM to be highly homogeneous, opening the possibility for use with solid sampling techniques. The certificate provides certified mass fraction values for 25 elements, reference values for eight elements, and information values for 11 elements, covering most of the priority pollutants with small uncertainties of only several percent relative. The values were obtained by combining results from different laboratories and techniques using a Bayesian statistical model. An intercomparison carried out in field laboratories with the material before certification illustrates a high commutability of this SRM.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at     

Determination of mercury in soils and sediments by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry with slurry sampling

A graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric procedure for the determination of mercury is presented, in which the samples are suspended in a solution containing hydrofluoric and nitric acids. Silver nitrate (4% m/v) and potassium permanganate (3%) are incorporated, in the order specified, and aliquots are directly introduced into the graphite furnace. A fast heating programme with no conventional pyrolysis step is used. The detection limit for mercury in a 125 mg ml⁻¹ suspension is 0.1 μg g⁻¹. Calibration is performed by using aqueous standards. The reliability of the procedure is proved by analysing certified reference materials.     

The Employ of Multiple Voltammetric Pulses for the Study of the Adsorption of Bipyridilium Pesticides in River Sediment

The multiple square‐wave voltammetry (MSWV) allied to gold microelectrode (Au‐ME) was used to establish an electroanalytical procedure for the determination of the paraquat and diquat pesticides in river sediment samples. For both pesticides, two reduction peaks, at around ?0.70 V (peak 1) and around ?1.00 V vs. Ag/AgCl 3.00 mol L^?1 (peak 2), with profile of the totally reversible redox process, were observed. The experimental and voltammetric conditions showed that the best conditions to reduce paraquat and diquat were a pH of 6.0, a frequency of 250 s^?1, a scan increment 2 mV, a square‐wave amplitude of 50 mV and pulse number of 8 pulses of potential in each step of staircase of potential. Under such conditions, the detection limit of 0.044 μg L^?1 (0.044 ppb) and 0.360 μg L^?1 (0.360 ppb ) for peak 1 and peak 2 of paraquat and 0.159 μg L^?1 (0.159 ppb) and 0.533 μg L^?1 (0.533 ppb) for peak 1 and peak 2 of diquat, respectively, were obtained. These results are an order of magnitude of about two less than those obtained and published in the literature. Also, the electroanalytical procedure proposed was applied for the determination of adsorption isotherms of pesticides on river sediments samples collected from Mogi‐Guaçu River in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The experimental data were fitted using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms models; and the results indicated low intensities of adsorption process of the pesticides in the samples employed with distribution coefficients (K_d) lower 5.0, and paraquat showed slightly higher affinity than diquat in the sediments. The increase in organic matter and organic carbon leads to an increase in the K_d values, and consequently an increase in the organic matter constant (K_OM) organic carbon constant (K_OC) values. All results demonstrated that isotherms “L” type in the Giles classification were obtained, indicating that sediments have a medium affinity for the pesticides, and no strong competition from the solvent used (in this case Na₂SO₄) for adsorption sites occurs.     

Metal furnace heated by flame as a hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry: Sb determination in environmental and pharmaceutical samples

The present work describes a metallic hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry, by evaluating the performance of the Inconel 600^® tube. For this purpose, stibine was used as the model volatile compound and antimony determination in river and lake sediments and in pharmaceutical samples was carried out to assess the metal furnace performance. Some parameters are evaluated such as those referring to the generation and transport of the hydride (such as KBH₄ and acid concentrations, carrier gas flow rate, injected volume, etc.), as well as those referring to the metal furnace (such as tube hole area, flame composition, long-term stability, etc.). The method presents linear Sb concentration from 2 to 80 μg L⁻¹ range (r > 0.998; n = 3) and the analytical frequency of ca. 140 h⁻¹. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.23 μg L⁻¹ and the precision, expressed as R.S.D., is less than 5% (40 μg L⁻¹; n = 10). The accuracy is evaluated through the reference materials, and the results are similar at 95% confidence level according to the t-test.