ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This quarterly report documents significant achievements in the Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation project during the period from 4/03/2001 through 7/02/2001. Most of the achievements are milestones in our efforts to complete the tasks and subtasks that constitute the project objectives. Note that this version of the quarterly technical report is a revision to add the reports from subcontractors Montana State and Oak Ridge National Laboratories The significant accomplishments for this quarter include: Development of an experimental plan and initiation of experiments to create a calibration curve that correlates algal chlorophyll levels with carbon levels (to simplify future experimental procedures); Completion of debugging of the slug flow reactor system, and development of a plan for testing the pressure drop of the slug flow reactor; Design and development of a new bioreactor screen design which integrates the nutrient delivery drip system and the harvesting system; Development of an experimental setup for testing the new integrated drip system/harvesting system; Completion of model-scale bioreactor tests examining the effects of CO{sub 2} concentration levels and lighting levels on Nostoc 86-3 growth rates; Completion of the construction of a larger model-scale bioreactor to improve and expand testing capabilities and initiation of tests; Substantial progress on construction of a pilot-scale bioreactor; and Preliminary economic analysis of photobioreactor deployment. Plans for next quarter's work are included in the conclusions. A preliminary economic analysis is included as an appendix

ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This is the first quarterly report of the project Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation. The official project start date, 10/02/2000, was delayed until 10/31/2000 due to an intellectual property dispute that was resolved. However, the delay forced a subsequent delay in subcontracting with Montana State University, which then delayed obtaining a sampling permit from Yellowstone National Park. However, even with these delays, the project moved forward with some success. Accomplishments for this quarter include: Culturing of thermophilic organisms from Yellowstone; Testing of mesophilic organisms in extreme CO{sub 2} conditions; Construction of a second test bed for additional testing; Purchase of a total carbon analyzer dedicated to the project; Construction of a lighting container for Oak Ridge National Laboratory optical fiber testing; Modified lighting of existing test box to provide more uniform distribution; Testing of growth surface adhesion and properties; Experimentation on water-jet harvesting techniques; and Literature review underway regarding uses of biomass after harvesting. Plans for next quarter's work and an update on the project's web page are included in the conclusions

ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This quarterly report documents significant achievements in the Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation project during the period from 10/2/2001 through 1/01/2003. As indicated in the list of accomplishments below our current efforts are focused on evaluating candidate organisms and growth surfaces, preparing to conduct long-term tests in the bench-scale bioreactor test systems, and scaling-up the test facilities from bench scale to pilot scale. Specific results and accomplishments for the first quarter of 2003 include: Organisms and Growth Surfaces: (1) Additional thermal features with developed cyanobacterial mats, which might be calcium resistant, were found in the West Thumb area of YNP. New samples were isolated and are being cultured in glass tubes. (2) We checked the motile ability of 8.2.1 Synechococcus s.c. (10) and 3.2.2 Synechococcus s.c. 6. It was found that unicellular isolates 8.2.1 Synechococcus s.c. (10) and 3.2.2 Synechococcus s.c. 1 are phototaxic. Isolate 3.2.2 Synechococcus s.c. 1 currently consists of two populations: one population appears to be positive phototaxic, and second population appears negative phototaxis to the same level of light. This means that the character of screen illumination should be uniform and reasonable for cyanobacterial cells. (3) The aeration of growth media with 5% CO{sub 2} in air stimulates cyanobacterial growth 10-20 times over that with air alone. It is possible the rate of the stimulation of cyanobacterial growth in CRF will be higher because cyanobacteria will be grown as a biofilm. We plan to increase the concentration to 15% CO{sub 2} in air. (4) We are continuing the organizing of our collection of the thermophilic cyanobacteria isolated from Yellowstone National Park. During this reporting period we transferred about 160 samples and discarded about 80 samples with weak growth in standard media as BG-11, D or DH. As result of this work we currently have 13 unialgal cultures of thermophilic cyanobacteria. (5) We are screening the cultures to measure the effects of Omnisil on the growth of 2.1 (III) Mastigicladus laminosum, 8.2.1 Synechococcus s.c.10, 1.2 s.c. 6 Chlorogleopsis spp. and 3.3.2 Synechococcus s.c.1. It was found to date that only 1.2 Chlorogleopsis s.c.6 was able to grow in batch culture in the presence of Omnisil. At the moment we have no explanation for the toxic effect of Omnisil, if in fact it is merely spun silica. Nonetheless, we started the selection of Omnisil resistant clones among several cyanobacterial isolates. This process may require several months. Bioreactor support systems and test facilities: (1) A series of tests was run to demonstrate that the initial mass of algae loaded into the CRF-2 system can be accurately determined based on a statistical sampling procedure. Results from the series of tests indicate that the sampling method can be used to reliably estimate the initial algae mass for a CRF-2 test with about 3% uncertainty. (2) Survivability tests for Sc1.2(2) on Omnisil using drilled-hole header inserts are currently underway. Numerous system problems have delayed the testing, but we are hopeful that the debugging of the system is now complete and the current test is proceeding well. Full test results will be provided in the next quarterly report. (3) Initial tests of both ''drilled hole'' and ''pressure shim'' inserts for the integrated wetting/harvesting screens were successful. Both designs showed good flow characteristics and there was no appreciable clogging noticed during and after the test. Test results for flow rate vs. pressure for three header insert designs showed that the performance of the 0.02 inch shim and the drilled hole design are very similar, and thickening the shim to 0.025 inch has the expected effect of reducing the flow at a given pressure for the shim design, but the basic pressure-flow relationship retains the same form. (4) Since the header inserts will likely be manufactured from stainless steel, leaching tests were carried out to find the tolerance of the organisms to SS 316. The organism SC1.2 was very tolerant to SS 316 and it had no effect on the growth of the organism. (5) The pilot-scale bioreactor construction and debugging is continuing on schedule. We are currently waiting for results from the CRF-2 before finalizing the system design

ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This report documents significant achievements in the Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation project during the period from 10/2/2001 through 10/01/2002. This report marks the end of year 2 of a three-year project as well as the milestone date for completion of Phase I activities. This report includes our current status and defines the steps being taken to ensure that we meet the project goals by the end of year 3. As indicated in the list of accomplishments below our current efforts are focused on evaluating candidate organisms and growth surfaces, preparing to conduct long-term tests in the bench-scale bioreactor test systems, and scaling-up the test facilities from bench scale to pilot scale. Specific results and accomplishments for the third quarter of 2002 include: Organisms and Growth Surfaces: (1) Test results continue to indicate that thermophilic cyanobacteria have significant advantages as agents for practical photosynthetic CO{sub 2} mitigation before mesophilic forms. (2) Additional thermal features with developed cyanobacterial mats, which might be calcium resistant, were found in YNP. (3) Back to back tests show that there is no detectable difference in the growth of isolate 1.2 s.c. (2) in standard and Ca-modified BG-11 medium. The doubling time for both cases was about 12 hours. (4) The cultivation of cyanobacteria in Ca-BG medium should proceed in the pH range between 7 and 7.4, but this suggestion requires additional experiments. (5) Cyanobacteria can be grown in media where sodium is present at trace levels. (6) Ca{sup 2+} enriched medium can be used as a sink for CO{sub 2} under alkaline conditions. (7) Cyanobacteria are able to generate cones of filaments on travertine surfaces. [Travertine is a mixture of CaCO{sub 3} and CaSO{sub 4}]. We hypothesize that SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} stimulates the generation of such cones, because they are not almost generated on CaCO3 surface. On the other hand, we know that plant gas contains elevated concentrations of SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}. We may speculate that the introduction of 11.2 isolate in CRF might significantly increase the productivity of such facility. It is possible that a higher colonization potential for the screens may allow a higher surface productivity than some of the other isolates. (8) The colonization of Omnisil surface is an auto-inducible and time-requiring process. (9) Omnisil coupons should be treated under pH control, preferably using KOH. Bioreactor support systems and test facilities: (1) The pilot-scale bioreactor construction and debugging is continuing on schedule. Tests of the ''natural'' lighting system have shown acceptable levels of illumination for the bioreactor screens using only collected sunlight. (2) Flow control inserts have been designed for the CRF-2 screens, which require header pipes for flow distribution and control. A staggered drilled-hole design and a thick shim design have both shown acceptable performance results (little to no clogging, uniform flow, ability to load algae on to the screen). They will both be tested in the CRF-2 to see which performs the best over long durations, and the best performing design will be used for the pilot scale bioreactor screens

Behavior and Impact of Zirconium in the Soil–Plant System: Plant Uptake and Phytotoxicity

Because of the large number of sites they pollute, toxic metals that contaminate terrestrial ecosystems are increasingly of environmental and sanitary concern (Uzu et al. 2010, 2011; Shahid et al. 2011a, b, 2012a). Among such metals is zirconium (Zr), which has the atomic number 40 and is a transition metal that resembles titanium in physical and chemical properties (Zaccone et al. 2008). Zr is widely used in many chemical industry processes and in nuclear reactors (Sandoval et al. 2011; Kamal et al. 2011), owing to its useful properties like hardness, corrosion-resistance and permeable to neutrons (Mushtaq 2012). Hence, the recent increased use of Zr by industry, and the occurrence of the Chernobyl and Fukashima catastrophe have enhanced environmental levels in soil and waters (Yirchenko and Agapkina 1993; Mosulishvili et al. 1994 ; Kruglov et al. 1996)

Global and local sea level during the Last Interglacial: A probabilistic assessment

The Last Interglacial (LIG) stage, with polar temperatures likely 3-5 C warmer than today, serves as a partial analogue for low-end future warming scenarios. Based upon a small set of local sea level indicators, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) inferred that LIG global sea level (GSL) was about 4-6 m higher than today. However, because local sea levels differ from GSL, accurately reconstructing past GSL requires an integrated analysis of globally distributed data sets. Here we compile an extensive database of sea level indicators and apply a novel statistical approach that couples Gaussian process regression of sea level to Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of geochronological errors. Our analysis strongly supports the hypothesis that LIG GSL was higher than today, probably peaking at 6-9 m. Our results highlight the sea level hazard associated with even relatively low levels of sustained global warming.Comment: Preprint version of what has since been published in Natur

Biogeographic problem-solving reveals the Late Pleistocene translocation of a short-faced bear to the California Channel Islands

An accurate understanding of biodiversity of the past is critical for contextualizing biodiversity patterns and trends in the present. Emerging techniques are refining our ability to decipher otherwise cryptic human-mediated species translocations across the Quaternary, yet these techniques are often used in isolation, rather than part of an interdisciplinary hypothesis-testing toolkit, limiting their scope and application. Here we illustrate the use of such an integrative approach and report the occurrence of North America’s largest terrestrial mammalian carnivore, the short-faced bear, Arctodus simus, from Daisy Cave (CA-SMI-261), an important early human occupation site on the California Channel Islands. We identified the specimen by corroborating morphological, protein, and mitogenomic lines of evidence, and evaluated the potential natural and anthropogenic mechanisms of its transport and deposition. While representing just a single specimen, our combination of techniques opened a window into the behavior of an enigmatic species, suggesting that A. simus was a wide-ranging scavenger utilizing terrestrial and marine carcasses. This discovery highlights the utility of bridging archaeological and paleontological datasets to disentangle complex biogeographic scenarios and reveal unexpected biodiversity for island systems worldwide.Open Access fees paid for in whole or in part by the University of Oklahoma Libraries Radiocarbon and isotope laboratory work was supported in part by the NSF Archaeometry Program BCS-1460369 (to D.J.K. and B.J.C). M.B was supported by a Royal Society fellowship. Additional funding was provided by the University of Oklahoma, the University of Oregon, and the Smithsonian Institution.Ye

ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This quarterly report documents significant achievements in the Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation project during the period from 1/2/2003 through 4/01/2003. As indicated in the list of accomplishments below we are progressing with long-term model scale bioreactor tests and are completing final preparations for pilot scale bioreactor testing. Specific results and accomplishments for the first quarter of 2003 are included

ENHANCED PRACTICAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC CO2 MITIGATION

This report documents significant achievements in the Enhanced Practical Photosynthetic CO{sub 2} Mitigation project during the period from 10/03/2000 through 10/02/2001. Most of the achievements are milestones in our efforts to complete the tasks and subtasks that constitute the project objectives. This is the fourth quarterly report for this project, so it also serves as a year-1 project review. We have made significant progress on our Phase I objectives, and our current efforts are focused on fulfilling these research objectives ''on time'' relative to the project timeline. Overall, we believe that we are on schedule to complete Phase I activities by 10/2002, which is the milestone date from the original project timeline. Our results to date concerning the individual factors which have the most significant effect on CO{sub 2} uptake are inconclusive, but we have gathered useful information about the effects of lighting, temperature and CO{sub 2} concentration on one particular organism (Nostoc) and significant progress has been made in identifying other organisms that are more suitable for use in the bioreactor due to their better tolerance for the high temperatures likely to be encountered in the flue gas stream. Our current tests are focused on one such thermophilic organism (Cyanidium), and an enlarged bioreactor system (CRF-2) has been prepared for testing this organism. Tests on the enhanced mass transfer CO{sub 2} absorption technique are underway and useful information is currently being collected concerning pressure drop. The solar collectors for the deep-penetration hybrid solar lighting system have been designed and a single solar collector tracking unit is being prepared for installation in the pilot scale bioreactor system currently under construction. Much progress has been made in designing the fiber optic light delivery system, but final selection of the ''optimum'' delivery system design depends on many factors, most significantly the configuration and orientation of the growth surfaces in the bioreactor. For the growth surface subsystem we have identified advantages and disadvantages for several candidate growth surface materials, we have built and tested various ''screen'' systems and fluid delivery systems, and we continue to test compatibility of the candidate materials with the organisms and with the moisture delivery and harvesting system designs. These tests will be ongoing until an ''optimum'' combination of growth surface material/organism type/harvesting system is identified. For the harvesting system, a nozzle-based water jet system has been shown to be effective, but it has disadvantages for the overall system design in terms of space utilization. A streamlined and integrated screen wetting/harvesting system design is currently under development and will be the focus of harvesting system tests in the foreseeable future. This report addresses each of the key project tasks as defined in the statement of work, giving both a summary of key accomplishments over the past year and a plan for future work