Method of Non-Destructive Measurement of Natural Radionuclides Concentration in Building Materials

A method for non-destructive monitoring of the content of natural radionuclides in building materials has been developed. Spectrum measurements of gamma radiation are carried out with a pre-calibrated field gamma spectrometer. The calculation of the average specific activity of natural radionuclides in building materials is carried out by comparing the calculated flux density of unscattered gamma quanta normalized to the specific activity, and the experimentally measured count rates in the photopeak. calculated for the geometry of the room under study and the location of the detector. Application of the developed method makes it possible to estimate the average activity of natural radionuclides in building materials without destruction.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls Water Pollution along the River Nile, Egypt

Ten polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were determined in water samples collected along the River Nile using gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). PCB concentrations ranged from 14 to 20 μg/L, which were higher than those reported in previous studies, indicating serious PCB pollution in the River Nile. PCB congener profiles varied depending on the sampling sties. PCB-138 was the predominant congener accounting for more than 18% of total PCBs. The composition of PCB congeners in the water revealed that highly chlorinated PCB technical mixtures such as Aroclor 1254 was the main PCB production historically used in Egypt. An increasing trend in PCB levels from the upper stream to the Nile estuaries was observed. The calculated flux of PCBs indicated that 6.8 tons of PCBs is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea each year from the River Nile. The hazard quotients and carcinogenic risk caused by PCB pollution in the River Nile were above the acceptable level indicating that PCBs in the River Nile water pose adverse health effects for all age groups. Our findings revealed that PCBs possess a serious risk to the Egyptian population that depends mainly on the River Nile as a source of water. Thus, stricter legislation and regulatory controls should be applied to reduce the risk of PCBs in Egypt.

Biases in methane chamber measurements in peatlands

The paper presents results of CH4 emission measurements at peatland with the application of the dynamic chamber technique. The measurements were conducted in two types of chambers differing in shape, height, volume and technology used to assure their tightness. The study tested how the following factors: 1) forced chamber headspace mixing or its absence, 2) mistakes of the person conducting measurements, 3) improper application of linear technique for calculating CH4 fluxes, and 4) simulated air sampling typical for static chambers, influence the significance of errors and the underestimation rate of CH4 fluxes measured in situ. It was indicated that chamber headspace mixing allows estimating methane fluxes with a smaller error than in the case of measurements conducted without mixing, and CH4 fluxes in such conditions can be 47 to 58% higher (depending on the chamber type) than in a chamber without fans. Using dynamic chambers and a fast analyzer to measure methane fluxes allows shortening the methane measurement process to a few minutes. On the other hand, using static chambers for methane flux measurements may lead to 70% underestimation of the calculated flux.

Mobile mini-DOAS measurement of the outflow of NO₂ and HCHO from Mexico City

We here present the results from mobile measurements using two ground-based zenith viewing Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) instruments. The measurement was performed in a cross-section of the plume from the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) on 10 March 2006 as part of the MILAGRO field campaign. The two instruments operated in the UV and the visible wavelength region respectively and have been used to derive the differential vertical columns of HCHO and NO2 above the measurement route. This is the first time the mobile mini-DOAS instrument has been able to measure HCHO, one of the chemically most important and interesting gases in the polluted urban atmosphere. Using a mass-averaged wind speed and wind direction from the WRF model the instantaneous flux of HCHO and NO2 has been calculated from the measurements and the results are compared to the CAMx chemical model. The calculated flux through the measured cross-section was 1.9 (1.5–2.2) kg/s of HCHO and 4.4 (4.0–5.0) kg/s of NO2 using the UV instrument and 3.66 (3.63–3.73) kg/s of NO2 using the visible light instrument. The modeled values from CAMx for the outflow of both NO2 and HCHO, 1.1 and 3.6 kg/s, respectively, show a reasonable agreement with the measurement derived fluxes.

Mobile mini-DOAS measurement of the emission of NO₂ and HCHO from Mexico City

We here present the result of one mobile measurement using two ground based zenith viewing Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) instrument performed in a cross-section of the plume from the MCMA on the 10 March 2006 as part of the MILAGRO field campaign. The two instruments operated in the UV and the visible wavelength region respectively and have been used to derive the differential vertical columns of HCHO and NO2 above the measurement route. Using a mass-averaged wind speed and wind direction from the WRF model the instantaneous flux of HCHO and NO2 has been calculated from the two measurements and the results compared to the CAMx chemical model. The calculated flux through the measured cross-section was 1.9 (1.5–2.2) kg/s of HCHO and 4.4 (4.0–5.0) kg/s of NO2 using the UV instrument and 3.66 (3.63–3.73) kg/s of NO2 using the visible light instrument. The comparison with modeled values from CAMx shows a good agreement for the outflow of both NO2 and HCHO at this occasion.

Regulation of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase and PDH at varying exercise power outputs

This study investigated the transformational and posttransformational control of skeletal muscle glycogen phosphorylase and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) at three exercise power outputs [35, 65, and 90% of maximal oxygen uptake (V˙o 2 max)]. Seven untrained subjects cycled at one power output for 10 min on three separate occasions, with muscle biopsies at rest and 1 and 10 min of exercise. Glycogen phosphorylase in the more active ( a) form was not significantly different at any time across power outputs (21.4–29.6%), with the exception of 90%, where it fell significantly to 15.3% at 10 min. PDH transformation increased significantly from rest (average 0.53 mmol ⋅ kg wet muscle−1 ⋅ min−1) to 1 min of exercise as a function of power output (1.60 ± 0.26, 2.77 ± 0.29, and 3.33 ± 0.31 mmol ⋅ kg wet muscle−1 ⋅ min−1at 35, 65, and 90%, respectively) with a further significant increase at 10 min (4.45 ± 0.35) at 90%V˙o 2 max. Muscle lactate, acetyl-CoA, acetylcarnitine, and free ADP, AMP, and Pi were unchanged from rest at 35% V˙o 2 max but rose significantly at 65 and 90%, with accumulations at 90% being significantly higher than 65%. The results of this study indicate that glycogen phosphorylase transformation is independent of increasing power outputs, despite increasing glycogenolytic flux, suggesting that flux through glycogen phosphorylase is matched to the demand for energy by posttransformational factors, such as free Pi and AMP. Conversely, PDH transformation is directly related to the increasing power output and the calculated flux through the enzyme. The rise in PDH transformation is likely due to increased Ca2+concentration and/or increased pyruvate. These results demonstrate that metabolic signals related to contraction and the energy state of the cell are sensitive to the exercise intensity and coordinate the increase in carbohydrate use with increasing power output.

Use of labeling pattern of liver glutamate to calculate rates of citric acid cycle and gluconeogenesis

The use of the labeling pattern of hepatic glutamate during infusion of L-[3-13C]- or [3-14C]lactate to calculate rates of citric acid cycle activity and gluconeogenesis has been proposed. We tested the validity of this approach by perfusing isolated rat livers (48 h starved) with pyruvate and lactate (10% enriched with [3-13C]lactate) without (control) or with infusion of glucagon (to inhibit pyruvate kinase), mercaptopicolinate (to inhibit phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), or dichloroacetate (to stimulate pyruvate dehydrogenase). Compared with control experiments, glucagon increased glucose output (P < 0.05) and decreased the calculated flux through pyruvate kinase (P < 0.05). Mercaptopicolinate almost totally suppressed glucose production and dramatically reduced the calculated gluconeogenic rate and flux through phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (P < 0.001). Dichloroacetate moderately increased the calculated flux through pyruvate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). In experiments with perfused livers from fed rats, the calculated gluconeogenic rate and flux through phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were very low compared with control experiments (P < 0.001), whereas the pyruvate dehydrogenase flux was increased (P < 0.05). Therefore, the expected modifications of the citric acid cycle activity and gluconeogenic rate were clearly detected using the labeling pattern of glutamate to calculate these metabolic rates. Except for the perfusions with mercaptopicolinate, the dilution by isotopic exchange in the oxaloacetate pool calculated from the model agreed with the actual dilution of enrichment between liver pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate. The present results support the validity of this approach to trace liver metabolism.

Flux of PCBs into Water in Little Lake, Peterborough, Ontario

The Otonabee River downstream of Peterborough, Ontario, has been contaminated with PCBs as a result of a history of industrial discharges into Little Lake. It has been suggested that downstream sites have become contaminated as a result of desorption of PCBs from contaminated Little Lake sediments, In a laboratory microcosm study, the PCB flux from Little Lake sediments into water was calculated to be 0.4 µg/m2/d, which, when extrapolated to the sediment area of Little Lake, corresponds to a total PCB flux of 0.09 g/d. However, from analysis of water samples upstream and downstream of Little Lake, the total flux of PCBs from Little Lake was calculated to be 13.2 g/d. This discrepancy between calculated flux rates indicates that either the laboratory microcosm study underestimated PCB flux, or there is another source of PCBs in Little Lake other than contaminated sediments. The preponderance of highly chlorinated PCB congeners in water samples collected downstream of Little Lake lends support to the latter hypothesis.

Flux-limiting effects in a quasisteady plasma corona with nonclassic heat flux

The quasisteady expansion of a plasma ablated from a laser-irradiated pellet with classic (Spitzer) heat flux is reconsidered with a nonclassic heat flux law. The nonphysical flux factor (calculated flux vs. free streaming), going to infinity as one goes away from the pellet in the above transition regime, is corrected.

Characteristic X-ray flux from sealed Cr, Cu, Mo, Ag and W tubes

The flux of characteristic Kα radiation from sealed X-ray tubes with Cr, Cu, Mo, Ag and W targets is determined on an absolute scale by measuring integrated intensities of Bragg reflections from well characterized powder samples. The values of the flux are corrected for absorption in the tube target. The tube voltage is varied, and the flux is observed to vary as (U 0−1) p , where U 0 is the ratio of tube voltage to the excitation voltage of characteristic Kα radiation (over-voltage). The exponent p is very close to the theoretical value of 1.67 in the cases of Cr, Cu, Mo and Ag, while in the case of W the value of p is 1.45. The absolute values of the flux are close to the theoretical estimates of Green & Cosslett [Proc. Phys. Soc. (London) (1961), 78, 1206–1214] for Cr and Cu, 10 to 20% higher for Mo and Ag, but only about 1/3 of the calculated flux of W Kα radiation. This is due to an inadequate calculation of the indirect production of characteristic X-rays. A simple formula for the flux per unit solid angle is given in terms of the atomic number of the target, the tube voltage and the K excitation voltage.