Solid-phase extraction gold from alkaline cyanide solution with quaternary ammonium surfactant

The solid-phase extraction（SPE） technique applied to the extraction of organic compound was creatively used as the extraction of inorganic gold in the paper.Two types of techniques were proposed and explored,namely the SPE and the liquid–liquid extraction（LLE） of the quaternary ammonium surfactant [cetytrimethyl ammonium bromide（CTMAB）,cetyl pyridine bromide（CPB）,benzyl dimethyl dodecyl ammonium chloride（BDMDAC）,and dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride（DTMAC）].The surfactant could react with Au（CN）2^- to form the ionic complex,and the compound could be extracted by SPE column of reversed-phase bonded silica gel.Hence,a new method of SPE was proposed to extract gold with these features of the high selectivity,the reliability,and the simplicity.The experimental result shows that the recovery rate of gold is more than 98 %,and the solid-phase extraction column is not easily damaged and it can be repeatedly used.The new method can be used as the extraction process of gold from alkaline cyanide solution as well.Besides,the paper also puts forward a new process of gold extraction.

Determining the influence of the physicochemical parameters of urban soils on As availability using chemometric methods：A preliminary study

An initial exploration was conducted using mathematical and statistical methods to obtain relevant information about the determination of the physicochemical parameters capable of controlling As uptake by ryegrass grown on contaminated topsoils.Concentrations of As in the soils were from 10 to 47 mg/kg,mainly in the As（V） form（57%–73%）.Concentrations of As in water extracts were very low（61–700 μg/kg）.It was suggested that As（Ⅲ） was mainly in the uncharged species and As（V） in the charged species.Chemometric methods revealed that the values of the ratio As（Ⅲ）/As（V） depended on the assimilated-phosphorus,the pseudo-total and water-extractable Fe contents and the soil p H.Arsenic concentrations measured in ryegrass shoots ranged from 119 to 1602 μg/kg.Positive linear correlations were obtained between As in ryegrass shoots and water extractable-As.The transfer coefficient of As correlated well with the ratio assimilated-phosphorus/Fe-oxides.As（Ⅲ）uptake by the shoot of ryegrass was controlled by the organic matter and Fe-oxide contents.

Adsorption and Desorption of Cry1Ab Proteins on Differently Textured Paddy Soils

In recent years, selected cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt） encoding the production of Cry proteins（Bt toxins） have been engineered into crop plants（Bt-crops）. Through the cultivation of Bt crops and the application of Bt pesticides, Cry proteins could be introduced into arable soils. The interaction between the proteins and soils was analyzed in this study to investigate the affinity of Cry proteins in paddy soil ecosystems. Four Paddy soils were selected to represent different soil textures. Cry proteins were spiked in soils, and the amount of protein adsorbed was measured over 24 h. Desorption of Cry1Ab proteins from paddy soils was performed by washing with sterile Milli-Q water（H_2O_（MQ））, and subsequently extracted with an extraction buffer. The paddy soils had a strong affinity for Cry1Ab proteins. Most of the Cry1Ab proteins added（＆gt; 98%） were rapidly adsorbed on the paddy soils tested. More Cry1Ab proteins were adsorbed on non-sterile soils than on sterile soils. Less than 2% of the adsorbed Cry1Ab proteins were desorbed using H2 OMQ, while a considerable proportion of the adsorbed proteins could be desorbed with the buffer, ranging from 20% to 40%.The amount of proteins desorbed increased with the increases in the initial amount of Cry1Ab proteins added to the paddy soils. The concentration of Cry1Ab proteins desorbed from the paddy soils was higher for sterile soils than non-sterile ones. Our results indicate that Bt toxins released via the cultivation of Bt crops, the application of Bt pesticides can be adsorbed on paddy soils, and soil texture could impose an impact on the adsorption capability.

Integration of Chemical Methods and Biomarkers for Assessment of Chlorimuron-Ethyl Bioavailability in Soil

Bioavailability is a critical factor for assessing the environmental risk of organic pollutants in soil. In this study, extractions with 3 different solvents, including 2 aqueous solutions, calcium chloride(CaCl_2) and a phosphate buffer solution(PBS), and a mixture of aqueous solution and organic solvent, a PBS-methanol(8:2,volume/volume) mixture(PBS-M), were performed to assess the bioavailability of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil in comparison to a battery of toxicity tests in wheat seedlings. The results indicated that the peroxidase(POD) activity in wheat leaves after 7 d of exposure was one of the sensitive biomarkers of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil.The extractability of chlorimuron-ethyl by all the 3 solvents decreased with exposure time, and the rate of decrease of the PBS-M extraction between 1 and 7 d of exposure was substantially higher than those of the aqueous solution extractions. Chlorimuron-ethyl gradually changed from a water-soluble form into a soil organic matter(SOM)-bound form in the soil. The PBS extraction correlated best with the POD activity in the leaves after 7 d of exposure.