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Articles 121 - 150 of 171

Full-Text Articles in Geochemistry

Geochemical Investigation Of An Offshore Sewage Sludge Deposit, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Michael A. Kruge, Albert Permanyer, Jordi Serra, Danlin Yu Jan 2010

Geochemical Investigation Of An Offshore Sewage Sludge Deposit, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, Michael A. Kruge, Albert Permanyer, Jordi Serra, Danlin Yu

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

For 20 years ending in the 1990’s the city of Barcelona discharged the products from a large primary sewage treatment plant directly into the Mediterranean Sea via underwater conduits. About ca. 3 million m3 of relict sewage sludge, rich in organic matter and heavy metals, has spread over an elongated area offshore, due to successive ruptures of the conduits. The use of the discharge pipes ceased, but he sludge deposit remains in place for the time being.

To understand the history and present state of the sludge deposit in advance of future remediation, a program of geophysical mapping, sampling, …


Export Of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Matter Along A River To Ocean Transect Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay Investigated By Advanced Analytical Techniques, Rachel Leigh Sleighter Jan 2009

Export Of Terrestrial Dissolved Organic Matter Along A River To Ocean Transect Of The Lower Chesapeake Bay Investigated By Advanced Analytical Techniques, Rachel Leigh Sleighter

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Ultrahigh resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proved essential for the complete separation of the thousands of peaks present in natural organic matter (NOM), a complex assemblage of organic molecules present in water, soils, and sediments. An improved understanding of its composition is crucial to understand how pollutants interact with NOM and how NOM cycles through global carbon cycles.

Optimizing the acquisition and handling of the FTICR mass spectra is the first step to obtaining high quality data. A simple method to internally calibrate the peaks in the complex spectra, using naturally present fatty …


Organic Chemostratigraphic Markers Characteristic Of The (Informally Designated) Anthropocene Epoch, Michael A. Kruge Dec 2008

Organic Chemostratigraphic Markers Characteristic Of The (Informally Designated) Anthropocene Epoch, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Recognizing the tremendous collective impact of humans on the environment in the industrial age, the proposed designation of the current time period as the Anthropocene Epoch has considerable merit. One of the signature activities during this time continues to be the intensive extraction, processing, and combustion of fossil fuels. While fossil fuels themselves are naturally-occurring, they are most often millions of years old and associated with deeply buried strata. They may be found at the surface, for example, as natural oil seeps or coal seam outcrops, but these are relatively rare occurrences. Fossil fuels and their myriad by-products become the …


Determining Chemical Signatures Of Geologic Materials For Establishing Provenience Of Anasazi Red And Gray Wares Using Esem-Eds And Icp-Ms, Champagne Springs Ruins, Co, Steven Mathew Di Naso Dec 2008

Determining Chemical Signatures Of Geologic Materials For Establishing Provenience Of Anasazi Red And Gray Wares Using Esem-Eds And Icp-Ms, Champagne Springs Ruins, Co, Steven Mathew Di Naso

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Compositional analyses of prehistoric ceramics and geological materials allow archaeologists to establish provenience of artifacts through comparative analysis of the materials used in prehistoric ceramic production. Where pottery clay pastes and tempering constituents originate from locally or regionally available geological materials, identifying their chemical composition and their geographic location and distribution facilitates a better understanding of the inter and intra socio-spatial and socioeconomic patterns among neighboring communities. The Champagne Springs Ruins were occupied during the late Pueblo I (A.D. 700 -A.D. 900) to early Pueblo II (A.D. 900 TO A.D. 1100) periods. The traditional view of local ceramic production from …


Soil Chemistry Northwest New Mexico, Larry V. Benson Jan 2008

Soil Chemistry Northwest New Mexico, Larry V. Benson

United States Geological Survey: Datasets

These data result from soil chemistry samples extracted from several regions in northwest New Mexico and were used in the following publications:

Larry V. Benson, J. Stein, H. Taylor, R. Friedman, and T. C. Windes. 2006. The agricultural productivity of Chaco Canyon and the source(s) of pre-Hispanic maize found in the Pueblo Bonito Great House. In: J. E. Staller, R. H. Tykot, and B. F. Benz, eds. Histories of Maize: Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Prehistory, Linguistics, Biogeography, Domestication, and Evolution of Maize, 289–314. Elsevier/Academic Press.

Larry V. Benson. 2017. The Chuska Slope as an agricultural alternative to Chaco …


Origin And Paleoclimatic Significance Of Late Quaternary Loess In Nebraska: Evidence From Stratigraphy, Chronology, Sedimentology, And Geochemistry, Daniel R. Muhs, E. Arthur Bettis Iii, John N. Aleinikoff, John P. Mcgeehin, Jossh Beann, Gary Skipp, Brian D. Marshall, Helen M. Roberts, William C. Johnson, Rachel Benton Jan 2008

Origin And Paleoclimatic Significance Of Late Quaternary Loess In Nebraska: Evidence From Stratigraphy, Chronology, Sedimentology, And Geochemistry, Daniel R. Muhs, E. Arthur Bettis Iii, John N. Aleinikoff, John P. Mcgeehin, Jossh Beann, Gary Skipp, Brian D. Marshall, Helen M. Roberts, William C. Johnson, Rachel Benton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Loess is one of the most extensive surficial geologic deposits in mid-continental North America, particularly in the central Great Plains region of Nebraska. Last-glacial-age loess (Peoria Loess) reaches its greatest known thickness in the world in this area. New stratigraphic, geochronologic, mineralogic, and geochemical data yield information about the age and provenance of Peoria Loess, as well as evaluation of recent climate models.


Organic Geochemical Investigation Of A Highly Contaminated Urban Waterway: The Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, New York, Usa, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Eric A. Stern Sep 2007

Organic Geochemical Investigation Of A Highly Contaminated Urban Waterway: The Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, New York, Usa, Michael A. Kruge, Kevin K. Olsen, Eric A. Stern

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The Gowanus Canal is an industrial waterway constructed in the mid-19th century by widening and deepening a natural tidal channel. It is ca. 3 km in length and empties into Gowanus Bay, an arm of New York Harbor. Its banks, reinforced by bulkheads and piers, became the site of intensive industrial activity, including oil refining, coal gasification, soap making and tanning. Even though much of the industrial activity along the canal has ceased, its sediments remain highly enriched in organic and inorganic contaminants, with combined sewer outfalls continuing to transport pollutants into the canal. The canal area remains densely …


Direct Analysis Of Solid Corrosion Products By Laser Ablation Icp-Ms: Method Development And The Interaction Of Aqueous Uranium, Gadolinium And Neodymium With Iron Shot And Iron (Iii) Oxide, James Cizdziel, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski May 2007

Direct Analysis Of Solid Corrosion Products By Laser Ablation Icp-Ms: Method Development And The Interaction Of Aqueous Uranium, Gadolinium And Neodymium With Iron Shot And Iron (Iii) Oxide, James Cizdziel, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

The purpose of this report is to summarize the work and present conclusions of Project Activity Task ORD-RF-03 conducted under cooperative agreement number DE-FC28-04RW12237 between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies of the University of Nevada Las Vegas from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006. The purpose of the study was to develop a method using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for the direct analysis of iron corrosion products, to evaluate its capabilities, advantages, and limitations, and …


Significance Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) And Petroleum Biomarker Compounds In Contaminated Passaic River Sediments, Michael A. Kruge Sep 2006

Significance Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Pahs) And Petroleum Biomarker Compounds In Contaminated Passaic River Sediments, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The lower Passaic River (northeastern New Jersey) flows through one of the most densely populated regions of the United States. The area’s long history of industrial activity is reflected in the complex and variable hydrocarbon composition of the river sediments. Sediments from river bottom grab samples at Newark and a 30 cm deep core at Kearny were subjected to thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GC/MS). This technique offers a practical alternative for rapid, inexpensive analysis, simply employing milligram quantities of dry, disaggregated sediment, avoiding the use of hazardous organic solvents. For each sample, a total of 181 hydrocarbons and organosulfur compounds …


The Impact Of Acid Mine Drainage On West Little Sugar Creek, Vigo Co., In, Jodie L. Gibson Aug 2006

The Impact Of Acid Mine Drainage On West Little Sugar Creek, Vigo Co., In, Jodie L. Gibson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the degree and extent of contamination in West Little Sugar Creek by analyzing water chemistry in the stream during low and moderate flow conditions. West Little Sugar Creek is located in Vigo County, Indiana and has been severely impacted by AMD discharging from the abandoned Green Valley Mine site. Stream water is commonly acidic (as low as pH 2.4) with elevated concentrations of Fe and Al and elevated trace elements including Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, and others, many of which exceed local and/or national surface water quality standards. Amorphous Fe and Al precipitates also form …


The Composition Of Coexisting Jarosite-Group Minerals And Water From The Richmond Mine, Iron Mountain, California, Heather E. Jamieson, Clare Robinson, Charles N. Alpers, D. Kirk Nordstrom, Alexei Poustovetov, Heather A. Lowers Jan 2005

The Composition Of Coexisting Jarosite-Group Minerals And Water From The Richmond Mine, Iron Mountain, California, Heather E. Jamieson, Clare Robinson, Charles N. Alpers, D. Kirk Nordstrom, Alexei Poustovetov, Heather A. Lowers

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Jarosite-group minerals accumulate in the form of stalactites and fine-grained mud on massive pyrite in the D drift of the Richmond mine, Iron Mountain, California. Water samples were collected by placing beakers under the dripping stalactites and by extracting pore water from the mud using a centrifuge. The water is rich in Fe3+ and SO42–, with a pH of approximately 2.1, which is significantly higher than the extremely acidic waters found elsewhere in the mine. Electron-microprobe analysis and X-ray mapping indicate that the small crystals (<10 > μm in diameter) are compositionally zoned with respect to Na …


2005- 2008 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Valerie Avery, Shana Bachus, Karmen K. Boehlke, Andrea Flores, Alden Kelly, Erick Lopez, Carol Preussler, Heather Shay, Ava Bookatz, Shaun Elsasser, Veronica Hicks, Shaida A. Jetha, Anthony Quinn, Thurithabhani Seneviratne, Teddy Boado Sim Jr., Liza Ward, Amris Henry-Rodgers, Jacquelynn Kaaa-Logan, Jason Orozco, Juan C. Plata, Bonnie Bartlett, Kathleen Bell, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kimberly Hackstock, Julio A. Luna, Charles Mao, Sandra Ramos, Precious Rideout, Benjamin Lee Watrous, Chet R. Whitley Jan 2005

2005- 2008 Unlv Mcnair Journal, Valerie Avery, Shana Bachus, Karmen K. Boehlke, Andrea Flores, Alden Kelly, Erick Lopez, Carol Preussler, Heather Shay, Ava Bookatz, Shaun Elsasser, Veronica Hicks, Shaida A. Jetha, Anthony Quinn, Thurithabhani Seneviratne, Teddy Boado Sim Jr., Liza Ward, Amris Henry-Rodgers, Jacquelynn Kaaa-Logan, Jason Orozco, Juan C. Plata, Bonnie Bartlett, Kathleen Bell, Vacheral M. Carter, Nydia Diaz, Kimberly Hackstock, Julio A. Luna, Charles Mao, Sandra Ramos, Precious Rideout, Benjamin Lee Watrous, Chet R. Whitley

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff


Application Of Pyrolysis-Gc/Ms For Rapid Assessment Of Organic Contamination In Sediments From Barcelona Harbor, Michael A. Kruge, Albert Permanyer Jan 2004

Application Of Pyrolysis-Gc/Ms For Rapid Assessment Of Organic Contamination In Sediments From Barcelona Harbor, Michael A. Kruge, Albert Permanyer

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Pyrolysis-GC/MS is advantageous as a tool for rapid sediment contamination assessment because of the small sample size required, minimal sample preparation, and its ability to detect a wide variety of organic pollutants as well as naturally-occurring biological materials. Py-GC/MS was applied, together with determination of organic carbon, and major and minor element concentrations, to evaluate potentially contaminated sediments in the port of Barcelona (Spain) and the adjacent Llobregat River delta. Detected contaminant markers, most evident in the Old Port (Port Vell) area, included hopanes and alkylated PAHs (petroleum), sterenes (sewage), C16-C19 phenylalkanes (detergents) and parent …


Support For The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski Nov 2003

Support For The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This final report details the activities completed for Task 8 of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Cooperative Agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE). Task 8, titled "Support for the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program" provided for a variety of hydrochemical analyses. The requirements of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) Quality Assurance (QA) Program were followed for all work performed on this task. The primary activity performed by the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) for Task 8 was to provide hydrochemical analyses of the groundwater samples collected from …


Preliminary Geochemical Evaluation Of Groundwaters From Wells Of The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski Sep 2002

Preliminary Geochemical Evaluation Of Groundwaters From Wells Of The Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program, Irene Farnham, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

As part of the Yucca Mountain Oversight program, the Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office (NWRPO) has established a groundwater monitoring program to protect groundwater resources for the residents of Nye County in Amargosa and Pahrump Valleys. This groundwater monitoring program, referred to as the Nye County Early Warning Drilling Program (NCEWDP), involves drilling a series of wells down-gradient from Yucca Mountain for long term groundwater monitoring and also to provide much needed geologic and hydrologic information in this area. A comprehensive database of aquifer parameters in the alluvial, volcanic, and carbonate aquifers down-gradient hydrogeologically of Yucca Mountain is …


Organic Geochemical Analysis Of Late-Glacial And Early-Holocene Ecosystem Changes: A Case Study From Northern New England Lakes, Michael A. Kruge, Andrea Lini Jun 2002

Organic Geochemical Analysis Of Late-Glacial And Early-Holocene Ecosystem Changes: A Case Study From Northern New England Lakes, Michael A. Kruge, Andrea Lini

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The lacustrine sedimentary archive of organic remains provides important evidence for the reconstruction of the environmental histories of lakes and their watersheds, recording the response of the Earth's biota to changes on scales varying from the local to the global. The last Glacial-Interglacial transition presents an opportunity to investigate how, and at what rates, watershed and lake ecosystems were established on once glaciated, carbon and nutrient-poor landscapes. The small lakes of northern Vermont (USA) provide an appropriate setting in which to investigate such changes.

As part of a multidisciplinary study of three Vermont lake sediment cores, samples ranging in age …


Strontium Isotopic Signatures Of The Streams And Lakes Of Taylor Valley, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: Chemical Weathering In A Polar Climate, W. B. Lyons, Carmen A. Nezat, Larry V. Benson, Thomas D. Bullen, Elizabeth Y. Graham, Jesicca Kidd, Kathleen A. Welch, James M. Thomas Jan 2002

Strontium Isotopic Signatures Of The Streams And Lakes Of Taylor Valley, Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: Chemical Weathering In A Polar Climate, W. B. Lyons, Carmen A. Nezat, Larry V. Benson, Thomas D. Bullen, Elizabeth Y. Graham, Jesicca Kidd, Kathleen A. Welch, James M. Thomas

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

We have collected and analyzed a series of water samples from three closed-basin lakes (Lakes Bonney, Fryxell, and Hoare) in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, and the streams that flow into them. In all three lakes, the hypolimnetic waters have different 87Sr/86Sr ratios than the surface waters, with the deep water of Lakes Fryxell and Hoare being less radiogenic than the surface waters. The opposite occurs in Lake Bonney. The Lake Fryxell isotopic ratios are lower than modern-day ocean water and most of the whole-rock ratios of the surrounding geologic materials. A conceivable source of Sr to the system …


Biogeochemistry And Contaminant Geochemistry Of Marine And Estuarine Sediments, New Haven, Connecticut (Usa), Michael A. Kruge, Gaboury Benoit Nov 2000

Biogeochemistry And Contaminant Geochemistry Of Marine And Estuarine Sediments, New Haven, Connecticut (Usa), Michael A. Kruge, Gaboury Benoit

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The urbanized shore areas of Long Island Sound in the vicinity of New Haven, Connecticut (USA) have a long history of exposure to point and non-point sources of pollution, New Haven having been one of the birthplaces of the industrial revolution. As an unintended consequence of such activities, the region's sedimentary systems have incorporated a complex mixture of organic and inorganic contaminants. With its long and varied pollution history and the multiplicity of sedimentary environments (fluvial, estuarine, intertidal, marsh, etc.) present in a compact geographical area, the region is ideal natural laboratory for field testing new contamination assessment techniques. The …


Determination Of Thermal Maturity And Organic Matter Type By Principal Components Analysis Of The Distributions Of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, Michael A. Kruge Jan 2000

Determination Of Thermal Maturity And Organic Matter Type By Principal Components Analysis Of The Distributions Of Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The thermal maturity and organofacies sensitivity of polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) distributions was explored by examination of the aromatic fractions of solvent extracts from a diverse set of 53 shales, coals and kerogen macerals which have undergone either natural or artificial maturation and which represent all three principal sedimentary organic matter (OM) types. Systematic changes with maturation were observed in the following groups of isomers: tri- and tetramethylnaphthalenes, methyl- and dimethylphenanthrenes, methyl- and dimethyldibenzothiophenes, methylpyrenes, and methylchrysenes. The maturity differences were quantified by mathematical ratios of the relative concentrations of the more thermally stable isomers to the less stable, on …


Zinc Speculation And Ligand Fluxes In Chesapeake Bay And Elizabeth River Pore Waters, Duncan Glover Byers Jul 1999

Zinc Speculation And Ligand Fluxes In Chesapeake Bay And Elizabeth River Pore Waters, Duncan Glover Byers

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Presented here are the first data on the vertical concentrations, complexation, speciation, and fluxes of total dissolved zinc and zinc complexing ligands, and zinc speciation in sediment pore waters in the Chesapeake Bay and Elizabeth River, Virginia.

Sediment pore waters were collected in mid and southern Chesapeake Bay in November 1997 and in the Elizabeth River (Pinner's Point) in March, April, and July 1998. Flux experiments were conducted in Elizabeth River sediment cores in April and July 1998. [TDZn] and zinc complexation were determined using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a hanging mercury drop electrode (DPASV-HMDE).

[TDZn] in the …


A Biogeochemical Comparison Of Fossil (Carboniferous) And Modern Crustose Red Algae, Michael A. Kruge, John E. Utgaard, William Ferry Jan 1999

A Biogeochemical Comparison Of Fossil (Carboniferous) And Modern Crustose Red Algae, Michael A. Kruge, John E. Utgaard, William Ferry

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The nature of the contribution of the various types of algae to sedimentary organic matter continues to be a topic of research interest. Crustose red algae have however received less attention than other types. The fossil calcareous red algae (Rhodophyta) analyzed in this study are two relatively unrecrystallized specimens of Parachaetetes (Family Solenoporacea) from the lower part of the Ste. Genevieve Formation (Carboniferous, Visean) in Union County, Illinois, USA. They occurred in the patch reef phase of a small carbonate mudmound-patchreef. The three modern specimens (collected and identified by F. Collier) are the crustose algae Lithothamnion, Clathromorphum and Phymatolithon …


Chemistry Of Maceral And Groundmass Density Fractions Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Chemistry Of Maceral And Groundmass Density Fractions Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Microscopically, torbanite and cannel coal are composed of coarser macerals set in a fine-grained to amorphous groundmass. It is often assumed that the amorphous groundmass is genetically related to the distinct macerals. The separation of macerals and groundmass from 14 late Paleozoic torbanite, cannel, and humic coals permits the analysis of individual constituents using elemental analysis and flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Cluster and principal component analyses of the Py-GC/MS data further reveal the chemical similarities and differences between the various constituents. Pyrolyzates of Botryococcus-related alginites are characterized by an abundance of normal alkadienes, alkenes, and alkanes. Even their …


Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. Ii. Insights From Organic Geochemical And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Classification Of Torbanite And Cannel Coal. Ii. Insights From Organic Geochemical And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Zhiwen Han, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Petrographic and megascopic criteria have traditionally been used as the basis for the classification of torbanite and cannel coal. For this study, it was hypothesized that modern analytical organic geochemical and multivariate statistical techniques could provide an alternative approach. Towards this end, the demineralized residues of 14 torbanite (rich in Botryococcus-related alginite) and cannel (essentially, rich in organic groundmass and/or sporinite) coal samples were analyzed by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Cluster analysis performed on the Py-GC/MS data clearly distinguished the torbanite from the cannel coal, demonstrating a consistency between the chemical properties and the petrographic composition. All the torbanite …


Molecular Organic Geochemistry Of New York Bight Sediments. Sources Of Biogenic Organic Matter And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1999

Molecular Organic Geochemistry Of New York Bight Sediments. Sources Of Biogenic Organic Matter And Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

As part of a multidisciplinary evaluation of the environmental impact of waste disposal in the New York Bight, a preliminary effort was undertaken to assess the molecular geochemistry of its sedimentary organic matter (OM). For this initial phase of the study, samples were taken from two New York Bight cores collected outside the area of known dumping [in Sandy Hook Bay, NJ], to establish the environmental context for future work on sediments from within dumpsite zones. The method employed was flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS), which is an organic microanalysis technique suitable for solid samples, in this case dried, raw …


Environmental And Botanical Controls On Peatification - A Comparative Study Of Two New Zealand Restiad Bogs Using Py-Gc/Ms, Petrography And Fungal Analysis, Tomasz K. Kuder, Michael A. Kruge, J C. Shearer, S L. Miller Jan 1998

Environmental And Botanical Controls On Peatification - A Comparative Study Of Two New Zealand Restiad Bogs Using Py-Gc/Ms, Petrography And Fungal Analysis, Tomasz K. Kuder, Michael A. Kruge, J C. Shearer, S L. Miller

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study shows that chemical properties of two restiad species, Empodisma minus and Sporadanthus traversii, may contribute to their success as peat-formers in a climate of the North Island of New Zealand which is not conducive to raised mire development. Unlike Sphagnum, the equivalent northern hemisphere peat-former, restiads possess lignin in their tissues. In addition, the presence of non-lignin polyphenols (including tannins and phenolic acids) in restiads may be an important factor in peat formation due to the allelopathic decay retardation. Patterns of degradation of plant biopolymers have been examined and the pathway of degradation of monocotyledons (loss …


A Molecular Evaluation Of Contaminants And Natural Organic Matter In Surface Sediments From Western Lake Ontario, Michael A. Kruge, Prasanta K. Mukhopadhyay, C.F. Michael Lewis Jan 1998

A Molecular Evaluation Of Contaminants And Natural Organic Matter In Surface Sediments From Western Lake Ontario, Michael A. Kruge, Prasanta K. Mukhopadhyay, C.F. Michael Lewis

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) analysis of bottom sediment from Lake Ontario was shown to be effective in assessing organic contaminants, especially attractive as it is a rapid technique requiring little sample preparation. Pyrolyzates of samples richer in organic matter (OM) were relatively enriched in aliphatic hydrocarbons and pyrrolic nitrogen compounds, while leaner samples were more aromatic and pyridinic. Alkylbenzene and alkylphenol distributions in the pyrolyzates were most compatible with derivation from aquatic (algal, bacterial) OM. The organonitrogen compounds indicated the presence of degraded proteinaceous material from aquatic sources and/or sewage. Normal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distributions indicate, at least in …


Petrographic And Chemical Properties Of Carboniferous Resinite From The Herrin No. 6 Coal Seam, John C. Crelling, Michael A. Kruge Jan 1998

Petrographic And Chemical Properties Of Carboniferous Resinite From The Herrin No. 6 Coal Seam, John C. Crelling, Michael A. Kruge

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Resinite is a naturally occurring substance found in coal and derived from original plant resins. It is ubiquitous in North American coals and comprises 1 to 4% by volume of most Illinois coals. It has been commercially exploited in the western USA for use in adhesives, varnishes and thermal-setting inks. The major objectives of this study were: (1) to separate resinite macerals from the Herrin No. 6 coal seam and to carefully verify, by petrographic and fluorescence microspectrophotometric methods, that the separated material was indeed resinite; (2) to characterize the chemical composition of the separated resinite by Py–GC–MS techniques; and …


Estimation Of Groundwater Velocities From Yucca Flat To The Amargosa Desert Using Geochemistry And Environmental Isotopes, Ronald L. Hershey, Steve Y. Acheampong Jun 1997

Estimation Of Groundwater Velocities From Yucca Flat To The Amargosa Desert Using Geochemistry And Environmental Isotopes, Ronald L. Hershey, Steve Y. Acheampong

Publications (WR)

Geochemical modeling techniques were applied to groundwater flowpaths from Yucca Flat on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to the Amargosa Desert, south of the NTS to estimate groundwater flow velocities for independent comparison to velocities calculated by other methods. The groundwater flowpaths examined considered flow in the carbonate aquifer beneath Yucca and Frenchman flats mixing with flow from carbonate aquifers east and southeast of the NTS and discharging at wells south of the NTS border. The approach used the computer codes WATEQ4F and NETPATH to calculate chemical speciation, determine the saturation state of mineral phases, and simulate mixing and the …


Application Of Environmental Organic Petrology And Geochemistry To Fingerprint Organic Pollutants In The Recent Sediments Of Lake Ontario, Prasanta K. Mukhopadhyay, Michael A. Kruge, C.F. Michael Lewis Jan 1997

Application Of Environmental Organic Petrology And Geochemistry To Fingerprint Organic Pollutants In The Recent Sediments Of Lake Ontario, Prasanta K. Mukhopadhyay, Michael A. Kruge, C.F. Michael Lewis

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Selected surface sediment samples (sediment depth 0-10 cm) collected in the Niagara basin (western Lake Ontario) were chosen for organic matter characterization using organic petrological and geochemical techniques normally reserved for the study of coal, petroleum source rock and crude oil. The study was performed to assess the effectiveness of these techniques in discriminating between natural and anthropogenic organic matter and to determine the extent of organic pollution of the lake sediments. The organic carbon contents of the samples vary from 1.5 to 3.5%, with upper layer (0-5 cm) samples have higher TOC values than those from the lower layer …


Separation And Artificial Maturation Of Macerals From Type Ii Kerogen, Michael A. Kruge, Patrick Landais, David F. Bensley, B Artur Stankiewicz, Marcel Elie, Olivier Ruau Jan 1997

Separation And Artificial Maturation Of Macerals From Type Ii Kerogen, Michael A. Kruge, Patrick Landais, David F. Bensley, B Artur Stankiewicz, Marcel Elie, Olivier Ruau

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Immature Type II kerogen (HI= 660 mg/g) from the Lower Toarcian of the Paris Basin was separated into an alginite concentrate (HI = 952 mg/g) and an amorphous organic matter (AOM) concentrate (HI = 573 mg/g) by density centrifugation. The flash pyrolyzate of the alginite is characterized by high relative concentrations of several series of n-alkanones and n-alkenones (including mid-chain alkyl ketones), in addition to n-alkanes, n-alk-1-enes and n-alkadienes. To our knowledge, this Toarcian alginite is the oldest example of marine organic matter whose pyrolyzate contains mid-chain alkanones in such high relative concentrations. In sharp …