Determination of trace metals in waters by FAAS after enrichment as metal-HMDTC complexes using solid phase extraction

A method has been described for the determination of Cu(II), Pb(II), Ni(II), Cd(II), Mn(II) and Fe(III) by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) after preconcentration on Amberlite XAD-16 resin, using hexamethyleneammonium-hexamethylenedithiocarbamate (HMA-HMDTC) as a chelating agent, and NH3/NH4Cl buffer solution (pH 9). Influences of various analytical parameters such as pH, concentration of nitric acid, amount of analytes, diverse ions and sample volume were investigated. The relative standard deviation (RSD) and the detection limit (LOD) were found in the range of 0.8-2.9% and 0.006-0.277 mug/mL, respectively. Recoveries obtained by the column method were quantitative (>95%) at optimum conditions. The method was applied to the determination of some metal ions in seawater and wastewater samples. A high preconcentration factor (about 150 for seawater and 75 for wastewater samples) and simplicity are the main advantages of this suggested method

Sorbent extraction of some metal ions on a gas chromatographic stationary phase prior to their flame atomic absorption determinations

An enrichment/separation system for atomic absorption spectrometric determinations of Cu(II), Fe(III), Ni(II) and Co(II) has been established. The procedure is based on the adsorption of the analytes as calmagite chelates on Chromosorb-102. The effects of some parameters including pH, amount of ligand, salt matrix, flow rates of sample and eluent solutions were investigated. Under optimized conditions, the relative standard deviation of the combined method of sample treatment, preconcentration and determination with FAAS (N=5) is generally lower than 5%. The limit of detection (3σ) was between 6.0-112. 9 μg/L. The results were used for preconcentration of analytes from some sodium and ammonium salt

Extractable trace metals content of dust from vehicle air filters as determined by sequential extraction and flame atomic absorption spectrometry

A modified four-step sequential extraction procedure developed within the Standards, Measurement, and Testing Program (formally the Community Bureau of Reference) of the European Commission was applied to determine the distribution of Cd, Cu, Fe, and Mn in air filter dust samples collected from vehicles. The four fractions were acid-soluble, reducible, oxidizable, and residual. These fractions have the advantage of providing better insight into the mechanism of association of metals in the dust. The determination of trace metals in dust samples was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The results obtained after applying the sequential extraction scheme indicated that Cu was the most abundant metal in the organic and residual fractions of the dust matrix. Fe was found mainly in the residual fraction, and the major amounts of Mn and Cd were present in the acidsoluble and bound-to-carbonate fraction. The mean values of Cd, Cu, Fe, and Mn were found to be 15.58, 33.54,1625, and 180 μg/g, respectively. The results obtained are in agreement with data reported in the literature

Modeling of seawater intrusion in a coastal aquifer of Karaburun Peninsula, western Turkey

Seawater intrusion is a major problem to freshwater resources especially in coastal areas where fresh groundwater is surrounded and could be easily influenced by seawater. This study presents the development of a conceptual and numerical model for the coastal aquifer of Karareis region (Karaburun Peninsula) in the western part of Turkey. The study also presents the interpretation and the analysis of the time series data of groundwater levels recorded by data loggers. The SEAWAT model is used in this study to solve the density-dependent flow field and seawater intrusion in the coastal aquifer that is under excessive pumping particularly during summer months. The model was calibrated using the average values of a 1-year dataset and further verified by the average values of another year. Five potential scenarios were analyzed to understand the effects of pumping and climate change on groundwater levels and the extent of seawater intrusion in the next 10 years. The result of the analysis demonstrated high levels of electrical conductivity and chloride along the coastal part of the study area. As a result of the numerical model, seawater intrusion is simulated to move about 420 m toward the land in the next 10 years under “increased pumping” scenario, while a slight change in water level and TDS concentrations was observed in “climate change” scenario. Results also revealed that a reduction in the pumping rate from Karareis wells will be necessary to protect fresh groundwater from contamination by seawater.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK 113Y042

Fragmentation of Fractal Random Structures

We analyze the fragmentation behavior of random clusters on the lattice under a process where bonds between neighboring sites are successively broken. Modeling such structures by configurations of a generalized Potts or random-cluster model allows us to discuss a wide range of systems with fractal properties including trees as well as dense clusters. We present exact results for the densities of fragmenting edges and the distribution of fragment sizes for critical clusters in two dimensions. Dynamical fragmentation with a size cutoff leads to broad distributions of fragment sizes. The resulting power laws are shown to encode characteristic fingerprints of the fragmented objects.Comment: Thoroughly revised version. Final version published in Physical Review Letter

On the Coupling Time of the Heat-Bath Process for the Fortuin–Kasteleyn Random–Cluster Model

We consider the coupling from the past implementation of the random-cluster heat-bath process, and study its random running time, or coupling time. We focus on hypercubic lattices embedded on tori, in dimensions one to three, with cluster fugacity at least one. We make a number of conjectures regarding the asymptotic behaviour of the coupling time, motivated by rigorous results in one dimension and Monte Carlo simulations in dimensions two and three. Amongst our findings, we observe that, for generic parameter values, the distribution of the appropriately standardized coupling time converges to a Gumbel distribution, and that the standard deviation of the coupling time is asymptotic to an explicit universal constant multiple of the relaxation time. Perhaps surprisingly, we observe these results to hold both off criticality, where the coupling time closely mimics the coupon collector's problem, and also at the critical point, provided the cluster fugacity is below the value at which the transition becomes discontinuous. Finally, we consider analogous questions for the single-spin Ising heat-bath process

A surrogate model for simulation–optimization of aquifer systems subjected to seawater intrusion

This study presents the application of Evolutionary Polynomial Regression (EPR) as a pattern recognition system to predicate the behavior of nonlinear and computationally complex aquifer systems subjected to seawater intrusion (SWI). The developed EPR models are integrated with a multi objective genetic algorithm to examine the efficiency of different arrangements of hydraulic barriers in controlling SWI. The objective of the optimization is to minimize the economic and environmental costs. The developed EPR model is trained and tested for different control scenarios, on sets of data including different pumping patterns as inputs and the corresponding set of numerically calculated outputs. The results are compared with those obtained by direct linking of the numerical simulation model with the optimization tool. The results of the two above-mentioned simulation–optimization (S/O) strategies are in excellent agreement. Three management scenarios are considered involving simultaneous use of abstraction and recharge to control SWI. Minimization of cost of the management process and the salinity levels in the aquifer are the two objective functions used for evaluating the efficiency of each management scenario. By considering the effects of the unsaturated zone, a subsurface pond is used to collect the water and artificially recharge the aquifer. The distinguished feature of EPR emerges in its application as the metamodel in the S/O process where it significantly reduces the overall computational complexity and time. The results also suggest that the application of other sources of water such as treated waste water (TWW) and/or storm water, coupled with continuous abstraction of brackish water and its desalination and use is the most cost effective method to control SWI. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the effects of different external sources of recharge water and different recovery ratios of desalination plant on the optimal results

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge