Microbial Communities Present in Hydrothermal Sediments from Deception Island, Antarctica

Deception Island is a geothermal location in Antarctica that presents active fumaroles, which confers unique characteristics to this habitat. Several studies about microbial communities in Antarctica have been carried out, nevertheless, Antarctic microbiota is still partially unknown. Here we present a multidisciplinary study about sediments obtained by deposition during 4 years in which several approaches have been considered for their characterization. First, a physicochemical characterization, using ionic chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of most abundant ions (chloride and sulphate) and elements (mainly silicon), was conducted. In addition, the total microbial community was studied using a metataxonomical approach, revealing a bacterial community dominated by Proteobacteria and Thaumarchaeota as the main archaeal genera and a fungal community mainly composed by Aspergillaceae. Culture-dependent studies showed low microbial diversity, only achieving the isolation of Bacillus-related species, some of them thermophilic, and the isolation of common fungi of Aspergillus or Penicillium spp. Furthermore, diatoms were detected in the sediment and characterized attending to their morphological characteristics using scanning electron microscopy. The study reveals a high influence of the physicochemical conditions in the microbial populations and their distribution, offering valuable data on the interaction between the island and water microbiota.

Increasing Dietary Potassium Chloride Promotes Urine Dilution and Decreases Calcium Oxalate Relative Supersaturation in Healthy Dogs and Cats

Urine dilution is a strategy used to decrease the risk of crystallization in cats and dogs at risk of urolithiasis. Sodium chloride has been used in prescription diets to effectively promote urine dilution, but the effect of the salt-substitute potassium chloride (KCl) on urine parameters has not been extensively investigated. Two diets differing only in KCl (Diet A; K 0.44 g/MJ, Diet B; K 1.03 g/MJ) were fed to 17 cats and 22 dogs for seven days, followed by three days of urine collection. Urinary ion concentrations were determined by ionic chromatography, and SUPERSAT software was used to calculate the relative supersaturation (RSS) value for struvite and calcium oxalate. Water intake and urine volume increased, and USG decreased on diet B (p < 0.001). Urine concentration of potassium increased on diet B, but concentrations of all other ions did not change or decrease in line with urine dilution. Calcium oxalate RSS decreased on diet B (p < 0.05). This short-term study showed that increased dietary KCl in a dry extruded diet effectively dilutes the urine of cats and dogs and therefore offers a novel nutritional strategy for the prevention of urolithiasis. This finding is of interest for patients that would benefit from dietary sodium restriction.

Chromium(VI) compounds – inhalable fraction. Determining in workplace air with ionic chromatography

The metallurgical, mining and tanning industries are, among others, very important sources of chromium compounds emission to the environment. Moreover, chromium is widely used in the production of dyes, pigments, paints and wood preservatives. Welding processes are one of the sources of exposure to chromium compounds under occupational conditions. Long-term occupational exposure to Cr(VI) chromium compounds increases the risk of developing lung or nasal cancer. The aim of the study was to develop a method for selective determination of Cr(VI) compounds in the workplace air with a combination of ion chromatography technique and post-column derivatisation. The method is based on separating the inhalable fraction of chromium(VI) compounds on a filter using an I.O.M. type probe, extraction with 10 mL of 2% sodium hydroxide/3% sodium carbonate solution and further analysis with ionic chromatography with a post-column reaction of Cr(VI) with 1.5-diphenyl carbazide (DPC) and spectrophotometric determination of the formed Cr(VI)-DPC complex. The measuring range for chromium (VI) compounds is 0.072–1.44 µg/mL. Precision, chromium recovery from filters, limit of detection and quantification were calculated. The overall uncertainty was 12.2 %. The expanded uncertainty for Cr(VI) was 24.3%. The developed method enables the separation and quantification of Cr(VI) compounds in the presence of Cr(III) compounds in air samples (avoiding adverse reactions of one form of chromium to another) at a level of 0.0009 mg/m3 for Cr(VI) compounds converted into Cr at 720-L intake of air. The procedure for determining chromium(VI) compounds is included in the annex.

Effect of Phosphate and Sulfate on the Solubility of Na2SO4 in Supercritical Water

The solubility of Na2SO4 mixed with K2SO4 and K3PO4 were investigated by a continuous kettle-reactor system at temperature within the range of 320°C to 420°C, 24MPa. The solubility of Na2SO4 showed a drastic reduce at a temperature of about 360°C. Ionic chromatography was used to determine the concentration of Na2SO4 in effluent. Among 355°C to 380°C, the presence of K2SO4 reduced the solubility of Na2SO4, due to common-ion effect. The addition of K3PO4 could inhibit the salts deposition in the supercritical water system, effectively. The variation degree is more remarkable as the addition of K2SO4 and K3PO4 increased.

Multiple Effect of pH on Photocatalytic Degradation of Orange II Using TiO2

The performance of UV/TiO2 (100 mg/L TiO2) process for Orange II degrdation was emphatically compared at pH 2.3, 6.9 and 11.5 by means of UV-Visible spectra, ionic chromatography, TOC, and HPLC analyses. The results revealed that the reaction intermediates were produced in different contents with the increasing reaction time due to the different pH conditions. The dye was oxidized more completely at pH 2.3 while the highest color removal percentage was achieved at pH 11.5. It was proved that active electrons, which is photo-generated along with positive holes on TiO2, not only contribute to the discoloration and mineralization of the dye due to the producing of oxidative species such as O2•- and •OOH, but also contribute to the discoloration of Orange II as reductive species. The most possible mechanism was put forward to explain the key roles of active electrons in dye degradation by UV/TiO2 process at pH 2.3 and 11.5.

Interactions of ammonium smectite with low-molecular-weight carboxylic acids

The percolation of water through waste landfill sites produces leachates with large amounts of pollutants. Clay barriers are often used to limit soil and underground water pollution. A better understanding of the interaction between ammonium smectite and carboxylic acids would contribute significantly to our understanding of such systems. The SWy-2 (Wyoming smectite) was exchanged with NH4+ and then batched with carboxylic acids (acetic, formic, chloroacetic and oxalic) in concentrations between 0.01 M and 1 M. The solid phases obtained were analysed chemically and characterized by infrared absorption spectroscopy (IR) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Ionic chromatography was used for the quantitative measurement of ammonium ions in the solution after the interaction. For the four acids, the interaction was characterized by a cationic exchange of NH4+ to H3O+. A partial exchange to Al3+ due to a partial dissolution of the sample in strong acidic medium was observed with chloroacetic and oxalic acids for which adsorption of molecules on the clay sample occurs, mainly through H-bonding with the cation. Moreover, the intercalation of oxalic acid in the interlayer space was highlighted.