Evaluation of the origin of nitrate influencing the Klju? groundwater source, Serbia

This paper describes the use of the dual isotope method involving δ(15)N and δ(18)O measurements of dissolved nitrates to assess the origin and fate of groundwater nitrate at the Klju? groundwater source, Serbia. A sampling campaign was conducted in September 2007 during flow conditions obtaining groundwater from observation wells and river water fed by a shallow aquifer hosted in alluvial (sandy-gravel) sediments. Nitrate isotope ratios ranged from +5.3 to +16.9‰ and δ(18)O(NO(3)) values varied from -2.3 to +5.0‰. Two major contamination sources were identified with isotopic compositions characteristic for nitrate derived from nitrification of soil organic nitrogen (+5.3 to +7.8‰ for δ(15)N) resulting in nitrate concentrations of 33.6 and 78.8 mg/L and nitrate derived from animal wastes or human sewage, e.g. via septic systems, yielding δ(15)N values of +9.9 to +11.9‰ and elevated nitrate concentrations of 31.2-245.8 mg/L. The occurrence of nitrification and denitrification was also revealed based on concentration and isotope data for dissolved nitrate.     

Applications of specialized coils for high-resolution MRI on a whole-body scanner

To investigate the application of a mini-coil surface system for high-resolution MRI, 60 volunteers were examined in a 1.5-T whole-body scanner. Two replaceable probe heads were available: a circular 2.5-cm coil and a quadratic 5-cm coil, both of which were placed directly on the skin. The skin layers, Achilles tendon and finger joints were examined with the 2.5-cm coil and a FOV of 25 × 25 mm². A matrix of 256 × 256 pixels resulted in a pixel size of 0.098 × 0.098 mm². For imaging of the carpal tunnel, the 5-cm coil was used in transverse orientation. The FOV was 50 × 50 mm² so that a matrix of 256 × 256 pixels led to a pixel size of 0.195 × 0.195 mm². The resulting spatial resolution permitted visualization of the epidermis, dermis and subcutis, resulting in clear definition of anatomical detail of the musculoskeletal system. MRI measurement of skin-layer thickness did not correlate with histometric data (p<0.05). This discrepancy was due in part to shrinkage of the tumor specimen on histologic preparation. Other causes include the motion artifacts and the limited accuracy of determining thickness on the MRI display unit.     

Potentiometric determination of the chloride ion activity in cement based materials

The chloride content at the reinforcement is one of the decisive factors for the initiation and propagation of localised corrosion in concrete structures. A monitoring technique for the chloride concentration which is accurate, non-destructive and continuous would thus be highly desirable. For this reason, the performance of ion selective electrodes (ISEs) was investigated both in alkaline solutions and embedded in mortar. The Ag/AgCl electrodes used in this work showed Nernstian behaviour with a slope of –59 ± 1 mV per decade and a detection limit for chloride ions below 10^?2 mol dm^?3 even at pH close to 14; the selectivity coefficient for hydroxide interference was estimated at \( k_{{{\text{Cl}}^{ - } ,{\text{OH}}^{ - } }}^{\text{pot}} \approx 4 \cdot 10^{ - 3} \). The Ag/AgCl membranes show good long-term stability over more than 6 months even in highly alkaline solutions as long as chloride ions are present; in the complete absence of chloride the measured potentials were affected by the pH of the solution. The sensors are, however, able to recover fast as soon as they come into contact with chloride. When using ISEs embedded in concrete, diffusion potentials between the reference electrode and the ISE, as arising e.g. from gradients in pH, significantly affect the potential measurement and present a most important error source for the application of direct potentiometry to concrete. To minimise such errors, the reference electrode has to be positioned as close to the ISE as possible.