Air-water partitioning of 222Rn and its dependence on water temperature and salinity

Radon is useful as a tracer of certain geophysical processes in marine and aquatic environments. Recent applications include detection of groundwater discharges into surface waters and assessment of air/sea gas piston velocities. Much of the research performed in the past decade has relied on continuous measurements made in the field using a radon stripping unit connected to a radon-in-air detection system. This approach assumes that chemical equilibrium is attained between the water and gas phases and that the resulting air activity can be multiplied by a partition coefficient to obtain the corresponding radon-in-water activity. We report here the results of a series of laboratory experiments that describes the dependence of the partition coefficient upon both water temperature and salinity. Our results show that the temperature dependence for freshwater closely matches results that were previously available. The salinity effect, however, has largely been ignored and our results show that this can result in an overestimation of radon concentrations, especially in cooler, more saline waters. Related overestimates in typical situations range between 10 (warmer less saline waters) and 20% (cooler, more saline waters).     

The partitioning of diacetyl between food oils and water

The distribution of diacetyl between water and oils has been determined in order to predict whether diacetyl can offer the same level of preservation in fatty foods as it can in non-fatty foods. The partition coefficients were found to be approximately 0·2 for rapeseed oil and 0·3 for olive, sunflower, and blended-vegetable oils. Experimentation showed that the partition coefficient could be used to predict the antimicrobial effect of diacetyl in an oil/medium system. The differences between the oil/water system tested and a food system are discussed.     

Trophic magnification of triphenyltin in a marine food web of Bohai Bay, North China: comparison to tributyltin

Organotins, especially tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT), are of particular concern due to their ubiquity in the aquatic environment and theirtoxicityto aquatic organisms. This study reports field studies on trophic magnification factors (TMF) of TBT and TPT in a marine food web. TBT, TPT, and their metabolites in plankton, five benthic invertebrate species, and six fish species collected from Bohai Bay, North China were determined, and it was found that the concentrations of TPT in marine fish were unexpectedly higherthan those of TBT. A positive relationship was found between trophic levels and concentrations of TPT, indicating trophic magnification of TPT in this food web. The TMF of TPT was calculated to be 3.70. On the other hand, concentrations of TBT, dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) did not exhibit statistically significant trends with trophic levels, and the TMF of TBT was 0.59. Analysis of organotins in the water and surface sediment from Bohai Bay revealed low inputs of TPT to the environment, which indicated that the high concentrations of TPT found in fish from Bohai Bay were due to the food web magnification of TPT.     

pH梯度法制备维生素C脂质体

制备维生素C脂质体,并考察其包封率的影响因素。采用pH梯度法制备维生素C脂质体,以紫外分光光度法和粒度仪分别测定脂质体的包封率和粒径,并考察外水相pH、超声时间、载药温度及药脂比对包封率的影响。结果显示包封率随外水相pH的降低而增加,最佳超声时间为15 min,随着载药温度的增加包封率有提高的趋势,最佳药脂比为1∶5。该条件下pH梯度法制备的维生素C脂质体的包封率为(49.79±1.6)%(n=3),平均粒径为(118.3±9.6)nm。     

Polar fuel constituents: compound identification and equilibrium partitioning between nonaqueous phase liquids and water

Groundwater contamination by fuel constituents from nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) on top of the groundwater table is a widespread problem. While leaching of classical fuel constituents such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) from NAPLs into groundwater has been studied extensively, little is known about the identity and partitioning of polar fuel components. Our work shows that gasoline commonly contains appreciable amounts of aniline, phenol, and their alkyl-substituted homologues as well as a suite of other polar compounds. To assess the potential for leaching of such compounds from NAPLs into groundwater we measured the equilibrium fuel/water partitioning coefficients, Kfw, of some representative constituents in batch systems. Kfw values for the investigated phenols, anilines, benzotriazoles, and S-heterocycles ranged from 0.2 to 1700. These values are up to 3 orders of magnitude lower than the Kfw of benzene. The NAPL--water partitioning of anilines and phenols strongly depends on the compounds' structure as well as on pH and the gasoline composition (e.g., MTBE content). Linear free energy relationships (LFERs) using Kow or Cwsat failed to predict measured Kfw values of polar solutes. In contrast, a polyparameter approach taking into account molecular interactions (van der Waals forces, hydrogen bonds) between solutes and major gasoline components allows precise a-priori predictions of Kfw values of both polar and BTEX fuel constituents without any fit parameters. Since most of the polar fuel constituents studied here are extracted from NAPLs by groundwater much more efficiently than BTEX, such compounds could form contaminant plumes threatening receiving wells before detectable concentrations of BTEX are present.     

Effects of dissolved organic matter surrogates on the partitioning of 17beta-estradiol and p-nonylphenol between synthetic membrane vesicles and water

Partition coefficients of two estrogenic compounds, 17beta-estradiol (E2) and p-nonylphenol (NP), between synthetic membrane vesicles (K'lipw values) and water were determined using equilibrium dialysis to evaluate the potential biological uptake of these compounds with and without the presence of dissolved natural organic matter (DOM) surrogates, Suwannee River fulvic acid, dialyzed Aldrich humic acid, and polyphenolic tannic acid. Overall, K'lipw values for E2 and NP reduced by 20-30% with the increase of DOM concentration from 0 to approximately 4 mg of C/L, a typical DOM concentration in the aquatic environment. This trend for E2 and NP is similar to that obtained by other researchers for moderately hydrophobic compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with three or four rings. A three-phase compartment model with three independent interactions, the sorption of E2 or NP by DOM surrogate (Koc), the sorption of DOM surrogates by membrane vesicles (KlipDOM), and the partition of E2 or NP by membrane vesicles (Klipw), was proposed, and K'lipw values for E2 or NP in the presence of DOM were calculated. The model predicted the decrease in Klipw values with the increase of DOM concentration, and the predictions using the three linear interactions agreed satisfactorily with the experimental results at relatively lower concentration of DOM.     

pH dependence of structure and surface properties of microbial EPS

The flocculation of microorganisms plays a crucial role in bioreactors, and is substantially affected by pH. However, the mechanism for such an effect remains unclear. In this work, with an integrated approach, the pH dependence of structure and surface property of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), excreted from Bacillus megaterium TF10, and accordingly its flocculation is elucidated. From the Fourier transform infrared spectra and acid-base titration test results, the main functional groups and buffering zones in the EPS responsible for the microbial flocculation are indentified. The laser light scattering analysis reveals that the deprotonated or protonated states of these functional groups in EPS result in more dense and compact structure at a lower pH because of hydrophobicity and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The zeta potential measurements identify the isoelectric point and indicate that the electrostatic repulsion action of EPS is controlled by pH. The highest flocculation efficiency is achieved near the isoelectric point (pH 4.8). These results clearly demonstrate that the EPS structure, surface properties, and accordingly the microbial flocculation are dependent heavily on pH in solution.     

pH dependence of carbon tetrachloride reductive dechlorination by magnetite

Magnetite is precipitated by dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria or forms through corrosion of zero-valent iron (ZVI) in permeable reactive barriers. Reduction of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) by synthetic magnetite was examined in batch reactors to evaluate the pH dependence of the reaction rates and product distributions. This work presents the first data where magnetite promotes CCl4 dechlorination independent of added sorbed Fe(II) or coexisting minerals that maintained Fe2+ above the magnetite solubility limit. In this system, reaction rate constants increase with increasing pH values between 6 and 10. The pH dependence is explained by acid-base equilibrium between two surface sites, where the more deprotonated exhibits greater dechlorination reactivity. The distribution of reaction products was also found to depend on pH. The primary reaction product is carbon monoxide (CO) followed by chloroform (CHCl3). CHCl3 production is at a minimum at pH 6 but increases through pH 10. Formation rate constants for both products increase with increasing pH, but the values for CHCl3 increase at a much faster rate. A hypothesis is proposed that relates the CHCl3 rate enhancement to the reduced capacity of deprotonated surface sites to stabilize the trichlorocarbanion transition-state complex. These data form a basis to assess the natural attenuation capacity of magnetite formed under iron reducing conditions. Application of this information to permeable barrier technology suggests that, in the long term, oxidation of ZVI to magnetite may be accompanied by a shift toward more benign reaction products as well as a 2 order of magnitude decrease in reaction rate constants.     

Difference in tenderness and pH decline between water buffalo meat and beef during postmortem aging

The objective of this research was to determine the difference in tenderness and some characteristics of water buffalo meat and beef during postmortem aging. Five female crossbred water-buffalo (Philippine Carabao×Bulgarian Murrah) and five female crossbred cattle (Brahman×Philippine Native), were finished on the same diet for 6 months and slaughtered at 30 months of age. The muscle pH was measured at 40min, 3h, 7h, 24h, and 48h postmortem. Longissimus thoracis (LT) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles were excised at 2d postmortem, and shear force was measured at 2, 4, 7, and 14d postmortem. Glycogen and lactate concentrations were determined from 0, 2, and 4d LT samples, and myosin heavy chain type of buffalo and cattle LT was determined by ELISA methods. Myofibrillar protein degradation was also observed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of fast-type troponin T. Results showed that the buffalo meat had significantly lower shear force values compared to beef for LT and SM muscles, which was supported by a difference in troponin T degradation. Postmortem pH decline of buffalo meat was significantly slower than that of beef, which was confirmed by lactic acid concentrations, but was not explained by glycogen content. In addition, there was no significant difference in the ratio of slow to fast type muscle fibers in buffalo and cattle, indicating that myosin heavy chain type was not responsible for the difference in pH decline and tenderness between the buffalo meat and beef. This study demonstrated that the tenderness of water buffalo meat was superior to that of Brahman beef, which may have been due to the difference in pH decline and the subsequent effect on muscle protease activity.     

Relationship between water content, NaCl content, pH and texture parameters in dry-cured muscles

The aim of the present study was to describe the effect of NaCl and pH on the relationship between water content and hardness, cohesiveness and springiness in dry-cured muscles. The experiment was undertaken using 18 hams, selected in a commercial slaughterhouse. Half of the hams had a pH < 5.7 and the rest a pH > 6.2, measured on the semimembranosus muscle at 24-h postmortem. The semimembranosus and biceps femoris muscles were cut from hams, cured and individually packaged in bags and were laid in trays in a room at 2 ± 2 °C for 45 days. Thereafter nine samples from each muscle were shaped like a parallelepiped and dried until different levels of drying, ranging from 28.5% to 59.7% water content, were attained. The rest of the muscle was ground and packaged until its subsequent physicochemical analysis. At the end of the drying period, a Texture Profile Analysis was used to determine textural parameters. The results indicated that for a range of X (kg H₂O/kg dry matter) between 0.8 and 1.3 the hardness remains practically unchanged while for X < 0.6 the hardness increases substantially. The samples from hams with low pH_SM had greater hardness, cohesiveness and springiness than those from hams with high pH_SM. Dry-cured muscles with lower NaCl content showed lower hardness, cohesiveness and springiness, especially in those with pH_SM > 6.2. At X values lower than 0.6 the hardness was more influenced by water content than by NaCl content or pH_SM.     

pH dependence of Fenton reagent generation and As(III) oxidation and removal by corrosion of zero valent iron in aerated water

Corrosion of zerovalent iron (ZVI) in oxygen-containing water produces reactive intermediates that can oxidize various organic and inorganic compounds. We investigated the kinetics and mechanism of Fenton reagent generation and As(III) oxidation and removal by ZVI (0.1m2/g) from pH 3-11 in aerated water. Observed half-lives for the oxidation of initially 500 microg/L As(III) by 150 mg Fe(0)/L were 26-80 min at pH 3-9. At pH 11, no As(III) oxidation was observed during the first two hours. Dissolved Fe(III) reached 325, 140, and 6 microM at pH 3, 5, and 7. H2O2 concentrations peaked within 10 min at 1.2, 0.4, and < 0.1 microM at pH 3, 5, and 7, and then decreased to undetectable levels. Addition of 2,2'-bipyridine (1-3 mM), prevented Fe(II) oxidation by O2 and H2O2 and inhibited As(III)oxidation. 2-propanol (14 mM), scavenging OH-radicals, quenched the As(III) oxidation at pH 3, but had almost no effect at pH 5 and 7. Experimental data and kinetic modeling suggest that As(III) was oxidized mainly in solution by the Fenton reaction and removed by sorption on newly formed hydrous ferric oxides. OH-radials are the main oxidant for As(III) at low pH, whereas a more selective oxidant oxidizes As(III) at circumneutral pH.     

猪PSE肉的pH值判定及其与汁液流失关系的研究

研究了猪体不同部位肌肉的pH值变化规律及其汁液流失状况。结果表明较高的pH值下降速率和较低的最终pH值,将导致较高的汁液流失率,并促进PSE肉的发生。     

High-performance planar pH fluorosensor for two-dimensional pH measurements in marine sediment and water

A new plate fluorosensor foil was developed for two-dimensional pH measurement in marine sediments and overlying waters. The fluorescent dye 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt (HPTS) was covalently linked onto a transparent poly(vinyl alcohol) membrane backed by polyester sheet. Both excitation and emission bands of the immobilized HPTS showed large red shifts in comparison to HPTS in free solution. The ratio of fluorescence emission intensities at 540 nm following successive excitation at 506 and 428 nm was pH-sensitive and correlated with pH changes from 5.5 to 8.6. These properties are robust and insensitive to factors such as intensity of light source, temperature, and oxygen concentration. The plate sensor responded rapidly (< 2 min), reversibly, and with high precision to pH changes in solution and in sediment. The stability of the sensor was also tested by continually changing the pH between 6 and 8. Performance of the sensor did not vary after > 200 pH cycles. Furthermore, the sensor foil retained its original properties after continuous exposure to natural marine sedimentfor 2 months. The plate optode has been successfully used to measure two-dimensional pH distributions in intertidal flat and subtidal sediment. Images are readily obtained with inexpensive light-emitting diode (LED) excitation and commercial-grade digital cameras with typical pixel resolution of approximately 50 x 50 microm over areas > 150 cm2.     

试述pH值与葡萄酒的关系

葡萄酒中的许多生化反应取决于pH值，正常葡萄酒的pH值变化范围为2．7－3．8，控制适宜的pH值有利于葡萄酒的质量。     

浅谈饮用水pH

pH是水质重要参考指标,不同类别的饮用水pH略有不同。水质pH对水处理和传输过程存在影响,应结合实际情况对其进行调整。探讨了饮用水pH与人体健康的关系。     

pH梯度结合逆相蒸发法制备黑米麸皮花青素脂质体的研究

以大豆卵磷脂和胆固醇混合物为壁材,采用p H梯度结合逆相蒸发法制备黑米麸皮花青素脂质体,利用单因素实验,得到影响花青素脂质体包封率的三个显著性因素:大豆卵磷脂与胆固醇摩尔比（nSPC/nCH）、有机相与水相体积比（VOP/VAP）和磷酸缓冲液浓度（mmol/L）。根据中心组合（Box-Behnken）实验设计原理,采用响应面分析法对花青素脂质体的制备工艺进行了优化,结果得到花青素脂质体最佳制备工艺参数为:nSPC/nCH=3.29/1,VOP/VAP=3.16/1,磷酸缓冲液浓度为5.21 mmol/L。在最优条件下进行验证实验,得到花青素脂质体包封率达54.97%,所制备的花青素脂质体平均粒径为234 nm,Zeta电位为-25.0 m V。      

The anaerobic conversion of methanol under thermophilic conditions: pH and bicarbonate dependence

The thermophilic (55 degrees C) anaerobic conversion of methanol was studied in an unbuffered medium (pH 4+/-0.2) and in a phosphate buffered medium (pH 6.4+/-0.1), in both cases without bicarbonate addition. Our cultivated sludge consortium was unable to degrade methanol under acidic conditions. During the 160 d of continuous operation of an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor (R1), at an organic loading rate (ORL) of 6 gCOD/(l.d) and pH around 4, only 5% of the applied methanol load was consumed and no methane (CH4) was detected. However, hydrogenotrophic methanogens were found to be resistant to exposure to such conditions. At the end of the trial, the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic activity of the sludge was 1.23+/-0.16 gCOD/(gVSS.d) at neutral pH. With methanol as the test substrate, the addition of bicarbonate led to acetate accumulation. A second reactor (R2) was operated for 303 d at OLRs ranging from 5.5 to 25.4 gCOD/(l.d) in order to assess the conversion of methanol at neutral pH (phosphate buffered) in a bicarbonate deprived medium. The reactor performance was poor with a methanol-COD removal capacity limited to about 9.5 gCOD/(l.d). The system appeared to be quite susceptible to any type of disturbance, even at low OLR. The fraction of methanol-COD converted to CH4 and acetate was found to be unaffected by the OLR applied. At the end of the trial, the outcome of the competition was about 50% methanogenesis and 50% homoacetogenesis.     

Effect of pH on the taste of alkaline electrolyzed water

ABSTRACT:  The pH dependence of the taste of alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) made by electrolyzing bottled mineral waters was examined by sensory evaluation. For water with a calcium concentration of 79 or 93 mg/L, the taste of AEW with a pH of 9.5 was considered better than that of the unelectrolyzed water. In contrast, for water with a calcium concentration of 10 mg/L, the taste of the unelectrolyzed water was preferred to that of AEW with a pH of 9.5. Electrolysis reduced the calcium concentrations in waters with calcium concentrations of 79 or 93 mg/L, but did not change the calcium concentration in water with a calcium concentration of 10 mg/L. Electrolysis probably improved the taste of water with a higher calcium concentration by reducing the calcium concentration; however, the effect of electrolysis on water with a calcium concentration of 10 mg/L is likely to be the result of the pH increase alone.