Chemical Variation of Chromian Spinel Compositions in a Serpentinized Peridotites: Implications for Evolution of the Neoproterozoic Ophiolites

Tectonic setting of the Neoproterozoic ophiolites is poorly understood.Because of extensive serpentinization/metamorphism in the mantle section,accessory chromian spinel has been used as an important geotectonic indicator.

CHEMICAL VARIATION OF ESSENTIAL OILCONSTITUENTS OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM LINN FROM BENIN AND INFLUENCE ON ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIPARASITIC PROPERTIES

Previous work has shown great variations in the chemical composition of Ocimum gratissimum Linn essential oils(EOs).Our aim was to study the influence of this variation on their antimicrobial,anti-parasitic effects and toxicity.Methods:EOs from aerial part collected in two vegetative stages and three moments of harvest were isolated by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC/MS and GC/FID.

Natural variability of essential oil and antioxidants in the medicinal plant Turnera diffusa

Objective:To evaluate differences in yield and composition of the essential oil and antioxidant contents in T.diffusa plants from localities in central region of Tamaulipas.Methods:Samples were collected in Tamaulipas,Mexico in the arid zone.Essential oil was obtained through steam distillation and analyzed using GC-MS.Polyphenol contents,antioxidant activities using ABTS and ferric reducing antioxidant power(FRAP) methods also were evaluated.Results:A total of 21 compunds were identified in the essential oils;nevertheless,only Eucalyptol,1,4-Methanocycloocta[d]pyridazine,1,4,4a,5,6,9,10,10a-octahydro-11,11-dimethyl-,(1à,4à,4aà,10aà) y Ethanone,1-(1,3-dimethyl-3-cyclohexen-1-yl) were detected in the three sites.Highest contents were registered in the sample from Padrón y Juárez with phenolic content of 33.85 mg GAE/g of dry material and antioxidant activities with ABTS 72.32% and with FRAP 21.33 mg GAE/g of dry material.Statistical differences were observed in essential oil,phenolics and antioxidants contents between populations.Conclusions:Results suggest that climatic differences and origin influence the phytochemicals in the medicinal plant T.diffusa,and thus,it is worth to consider such effects for industrial and medicinal purposes.

Fluid-Rock Interaction of Shear Zones in Continental Crust:as Evidenced by Xincheng-Xishui and Hetai Shear Zones

There is a coupling of thermal, mechanical, chemical and fluidal processes in a continental shear zone. Both Xincheng - Xishui and Hetai shear zones are typical continental crust shear zones of greenschist facies environment. The representative mylonite zones of the shear zones are studied with whole rock major and trace element analyses. The chemical compositional variation tendencies in both shear zones are very similar and the gain - loss ratios of various components in the mylonitic rocks are reflected in the mass balance equations. The enrichment of those immobile high - field- strengh elements is considered to be related to the volume loss of the mylonitic rocks in a shear zone. Based on the volume loss expression Cs /Co = 1/(1- V), the fractional volume losses (V) are 37.5% and 36.5%-42.3% respectively for mylonites and ultramylonites in the Xincheng-Xishui shear zone and 11 % and 28% respectively for mylonites and phyllonites in the Hetai shear zone. The high volume loss and large removal of SiO2 from the system imply that there is a large amount of percolating fluids in the shear zones. From the SiO2 loss, the fluid/rock ratios (N) are calculated as Nmyl = 113 - 563, Nultramyl= 133-664 for the Xincheng-Xishui shear zone and Nmyl=42-208, Nphyl=110-550 for the Hetai shear zone. Such a large amount of percolating fluid must have profoundly affected the rheological behavior, chemical behavior and metallogenesis of the shear zones.

Chemical and optical properties of aerosols and their interrelationship in winter in the megacity Shanghai of China

A field campaign on air quality was carried out in Shanghai in winter of 2012. The concentrations of NO, NO2, NOx, SO2, CO, and PM2.5increased during haze formation. The average masses of SO4^2-, NO3^-and NH4^＋were 10.3, 11.7 and 6.7 μg/m^3 during the haze episodes, which exceeded the average（9.2, 7.9, and 3.4 μg/m3） of these components in the non-haze days. The mean values for the aerosol scattering coefficient（b sp）, aerosol absorption coefficient（b ap） and single scattering albedo（SSA） were 288.7, 27.7 and0.91 Mm-1, respectively. A bi-peak distribution was observed for the mass concentrations of CO, NO, NO2, and NOx. More sulfate was produced during daytime than that in the evening due to photochemical reactions. The mass concentration of NH4＋achieved a small peak at noontime. NO3-showed lower concentrations in the afternoon and higher concentrations in the early morning. There were obvious bi-peak diurnal patterns for b sp and b ap as well as SSA. b sp and b ap showed a positive correlation with PM2.5mass concentration.（NH4）2SO4, NH4NO3, organic mass, elemental carbon and coarse mass accounted for 21.7%, 19.3%, 31.0%, 9.3% and 12.3% of the total extinction coefficient during non-haze days, and 25.6%, 24.3%, 30.1%, 8.1% and 8.2% during hazy days. Organic matter was the largest contributor to light extinction. The contribution proportions of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate to light extinction were significantly higher during the hazy time than during the non-haze days.

Chemical characterization of size-resolved aerosols in four seasons and hazy days in the megacity Beijing of China

Size-resolved aerosol samples were collected by MOUDI in four seasons in 2007 in Beijing. The PM10 and PM1.8mass concentrations were 166.0 ± 120.5 and 91.6 ± 69.7 μg/m^3, respectively,throughout the measurement, with seasonal variation： nearly two times higher in autumn than in summer and spring. Serious fine particle pollution occurred in winter with the PM1.8/PM10 ratio of 0.63, which was higher than other seasons. The size distribution of PM showed obvious seasonal and diurnal variation, with a smaller fine mode peak in spring and in the daytime. OM（organic matter = 1.6 × OC（organic carbon）） and SIA（secondary inorganic aerosol） were major components of fine particles, while OM, SIA and Ca^2＋were major components in coarse particles. Moreover, secondary components, mainly SOA（secondary organic aerosol） and SIA,accounted for 46%-96% of each size bin in fine particles, which meant that secondary pollution existed all year. Sulfates and nitrates, primarily in the form of（NH4）2SO4, NH4NO3, Ca SO4, Na2SO4 and K2SO4, calculated by the model ISORROPIA II, were major components of the solid phase in fine particles. The PM concentration and size distribution were similar in the four seasons on non-haze days, while large differences occurred on haze days, which indicated seasonal variation of PM concentration and size distribution were dominated by haze days. The SIA concentrations and fractions of nearly all size bins were higher on haze days than on non-haze days, which was attributed to heterogeneous aqueous reactions on haze days in the four seasons.