Application of sequential extraction for analyzing source and sink of uranium in Huanghe River sediments,China

Geochemical behaviors of heavy metals are closely related to their chemical state that can be divided by sequential extraction into exchangeable(F1),bound to carbonates(F2),bound to Fe-Mn oxides(F3),bound to organic matter or sulfide(F4),and residual(F5).Uranium in sediment of the Huanghe(Yellow)River,China,in different chemical states was extracted using the five-step procedure of Tessier and the source and sink were analyzed.Results show that more than 70%of the total uranium was immobile residual F5 in abundance,followed in order of F4>F3>F2>F1,indicating that the main source of uranium in the sediments was from weathered rock in the drainage basin.In addition,the uranium in the sediments presents potential exogenous input in the Lanzhou,Baotou,and Tongguan reach.Fe-Mn oxides are main carriers of unstable uranium,especially those of F1 and F3.Calcite and illite are secondary adsorption minerals of unstable uranium in sediments under natural conditions.Human activities can also produce an obvious impact on uranium speciation.This study provides a reference for the application of sequential extraction in analyzing the source and sink of uranium in river sediments.

Variations of trace elements under hydrological conditions in the Min River, Eastern Tibetan Plateau

In order to better understand the relative importance of hydrologic variation and anthropogenic disturbance and their complex interactions within the trace elemental geochemical cycle, water samples were collected monthly over 1 year in the Min River, eastern Tibetan Plateau, and analyzed for trace element composition. The dissolved trace elements exhibited different relationships with increasing discharge compared with major elements.The elements analyzed can be divided into three groups according to their behavior in response to changing discharge:(1) elements that showed weak positive correlation with discharge, e.g. Cu, V, and Ba;(2) elements that exhibited weak negative correlation with discharge,including Rb, Sr, Pb, Sb, Zn, Cr, Cd, and U; and(3) elements that displayed no significant correlation with variation in discharge, e.g. Ti, Fe, Co, Ni, and As. Cu was strongly affected by anthropogenic activities and flushed into the river with increasing discharge. Ba has a strong solubility in the terrestrial environment, dissolved quickly,and was released into the river. The positive relationship between V concentration and discharge may be attributed to secondary reactions, such as precipitation and adsorption on oxides and aluminosilicate clays. Conservative behavior had an impact on the geochemical behavior of Sr and Rb across hydrologic variation. Pb, Zn, Sb, Cd, and Cr underwent a mild dilution effect connected with anthropogenic activities. The chemostatic behavior of U was regulated by carbonate dissolution and biological uptake.In addition, higher temperatures enhanced biotic activities,affecting the concentrations of Fe and Ni. The relationship between power law slopes and coefficient of variation for discharge and solute concentration suggests that concentrations of trace elements vary significantly with increasing discharge compared with major elements. Silicate mineral weathering had less effect on the fluvial solutes with increasing discharge. Mining activity may exert an additional control on concentration–discharge dynamics of anthropogenic trace elements.

A 61-mJ,1-kHz cryogenic Yb:YAG laser amplifier

We report a diode-pumped rod-type Yb:YAG laser amplifier operating at 1 kHz.Cryogenic cooling method was adopted to make the Yb:YAG crystal work with four-level behavior.A single-frequency fiber laser acts as the seed in an actively Q-switched Yb:YAG oscillator.The resonator delivers 5.75-mJ pulses at 1 kHz with a pulse duration of approximately 40 ns.The pulses were amplified to 61 mJ in a four-pass rod-type Yb:YAG amplifier with optical-to-optical efficiency of 24%in the main amplifier.The M^(2)parameter of the output laser is<1.4.

Biodegradation of 3,5-dimethyl-2,4-dichlorophenol in saline wastewater by newly isolated Penicillium sp.yz11-22N2

In this study,the performance of 3,5-dimethyl-2,4-dichlorophenol（DCMX） degradation by a screened strain was investigated.18 S r DNA and the neighbor-joining method were used for identification of the isolated strain.The results of phylogenetic analysis and scanning electron micrographs showed that the most probable identity of the screened strain should be Penicillium sp.Growth characteristics of Penicillium sp.and degradation processes of DCMX were examined.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the inoculated DCMX solution was recorded,which supported the capacity of DCMX degradation by the screened Penicillium sp.Under different salinity conditions,the highest growth rate and removal efficiency for DCMX were obtained at p H 6.0.The removal efficiency decreased from 100%to 66% when the DCMX concentration increased from 5 to 60 mg/L,respectively.Using a Box–Behnken design,the maximum DCMX removal efficiency was determined to be 98.4%.With acclimation to salinity,higher removal efficiency could be achieved.The results demonstrate that the screened Penicillium sp.has the capability for degradation of DCMX.

A Yb:KGW dual-crystal regenerative amplifier

This study develops a Yb:KGW dual-crystal based regenerative amplifier.The thermal lensing and gain-narrowing effects are compensated by the dual-crystal configuration.Sub-nanojoule pulses are amplified to 1.5 mJ with 9 nm spectral bandwidth and 1 kHz repetition rate using chirped pulse amplification technology.Consequently,1.2 m J pulses with a pulse duration of 227 fs are obtained after compression.Thanks to the cavity design,the output laser was a near diffraction limited beam with M2 around 1.1.The amplifier has the potential to boost energy above 2 m J after compression and act as a front end for a future kilohertz terawatt-class diode-pumped Yb:KGW laser system.