Search results for "elements"
showing 10 items of 799 documents
Developing a Pedagogical Framework and Design Principles for STEM Learning Environment Design
2020
The need for effective and attractive learning environments (LEs) for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been internationally recognized. Additionally, the connection between STEM learning and cross-curricular skills such as creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship has garnered attention. A deep theoretical and empirical understanding is required when designing STEM LEs. In this study, a pedagogical framework for STEM LEs has been developed based on feedback from students, aged 10–18 years old, teachers, school directors, parents, and STEM professionals, and supported by the literature. First, representatives of key stakeholder groups in Belarus, Finland, Germa…
Trace elemental alterations of bivalve shells following transgenerational exposure to ocean acidification: Implications for geographical traceability…
2020
Trace elements of bivalve shells can potentially record the physical and chemical properties of the ambient seawater during shell formation, thereby providing valuable information on environmental conditions and provenance of the bivalves. In an acidifying ocean, whether and how seawater acidification affects the trace elemental composition of bivalve shells is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the transgenerational effects of OA projected for the end of the 21st century on the incorporation of trace elements into shells of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum. Neither seawater pH nor transgenerational exposure affected the Mg and Sr composition of the shells. Compared with clams g…
Rare earths and trace elements contents in leaves: A new indicator of the composition of atmospheric dust
2017
The relationship between the trace element distribution in atmospheric particles and leaves of some exposed plants in the environment was recently demonstrated. This indication would suggest that the trace element analysis of leaves in these plants could provide information about the composition, nature and origin of the atmospheric dust dispersed in the environment. In order to corroborate this hypothesis, the distribution of trace elements and Rare Earths were studied in leaves of some endemic plants, in the atmospheric fallout and in soils of rural, urban and industrial ecosystems in Sicily. These elements have been chosen to discriminate the source and nature of different source on atmo…
Rare earths release from dissolving atmospheric dust and their accumulation into crystallising halite. The dead-sea example
2023
: The industrial extraction of Y and lanthanides (hereafter defined as Rare Earth Elements, REE) often requires the achievement of leaching procedures removing these metals from primary rocks and their transfer in aqueous leachates or incorporated in newly forming soluble solids. These procedures are the most dangerous to the environment in relation to the composition of leachates. Hence, the recognition of natural settings where these processes currently occur, represents a worthy challenge for learning how to carry out similar industrial procedures under natural and more eco-friendly conditions. Accordingly, the REE distribution was studied in the brine of Dead Sea, a terminal evaporating…
Spontaneous ecological recovery of vegetation in a red gypsum landfill: Betula pendula dominates after 10 years of inactivity
2019
International audience; Red gypsum is the product of the neutralization of titanium dioxide (TiO 2) extraction residue from ilmenite and anatase. The disposal of red gypsum creates heterogeneous plots with layers that may include Fe, Ca, Al, Mg, Mn, S, and other elements and an alkaline pH that makes revegetation complicated and slow. The vertical and horizontal dispersion of the sediment particles are the main concern. Therefore, the establishment of precise vegetation cover is needed to address this issue. One of the aims of this study was (1) to explore the distribution of the spontaneous vegetation found along a red gypsum-formed landfill located at the Ochsenfeld site in eastern France…
Desulfurization: Critical step towards enhanced selenium removal from industrial effluents
2017
Abstract Selenium (Se) removal from synthetic solutions and from real Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) wastewater generated by a coal-fired power plant was studied for the first time using a commercial iron oxide impregnated strong base anion exchange resin, Purolite ® FerrIX A33E. In synthetic solutions, the resin showed high affinity for selenate and selenite, while sulfate exhibited a strong competition for both oxyanions. The FGD wastewater investigated is a complex system that contains Se (∼1200 μg L −1 ), SO 4 2− (∼1.1 g L −1 ), Cl − (∼9.5 g L −1 ), and Ca 2+ (∼5 g L −1 ), alongside a broad spectrum of toxic trace metals including Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Zn. The resin performed poorly again…
Treatment of leachate from MSWI bottom ash landfilling with anaerobic sulphate-reducing process
2007
Abstract Removal of sulphate and toxic elements from the leachate of a field landfill lysimeter ( 112 m 3 ) , containing municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash, was studied. The leachate was treated in two parallel laboratory upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors without and with ethanol as additional carbon source. With ethanol more than 65% of sulphate was removed, while without ethanol removal was negligible. The treatment removed Ba, Ca, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Tl, Sb, Se, Sr, and Zn of the studied 35 trace and other elements. The sequential extraction of the reactor sludge at the end of runs confirmed that with a few exceptions (Ba, Ca, and Cu) the main mechanism by…
Vertical Distribution and Speciation of Trace Metals in Weathering Flotation Residues of a Zinc/Lead Sulfide Mine
2007
Sulfide-bearing mine tailings are a serious environmental problem around the world. In this study, the vertical distribution and speciation of Zn and Pb in the fine-grained flotation residues of a former sulfide ore mine in Germany were investigated to assess the inorganic weathering processes that effect the environmental risk arising from this site. Total metal contents were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Mobilizable fractions of Zn, Pb, Fe, and Mn were quantified by sequential chemical extractions (SCE). Furthermore, the speciation of Zn was analyzed by Zn K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) to identify the residual Zn species. The v…
The distribution of Rare Earth Elements discriminates the growth substrate of Vitis vinifera L.
2021
Sustainable agricultural, food-related strategies and geographic traceability require understanding of the plant physiological response to stress potentially generated by contaminated soils. Here, we have investigated the effect of contaminated substrate on growth of Vitis vinifera L. plants analysing the distribution of full Rare Earth Elements (REE) spectra in different parts of the plant. Experiments were carried out using pristine plants growing in a handmade substrate (blank experiment) and in REE artificially-enriched soil (spiked experiment). Our results show that both plant mass and REE amount in leaves are not influenced by the substrate enrichment while roots are by one-order of m…
Vides apstākļu ietekme uz mikro- un makroelementu saturu pārtikas produktos Latvijā
2014
Bez vitāli svarīgo mikro- un makroelementu ieneses pārtikā no vides (augsnes, ūdens un gaisa) ir iespējams arī barības ķēdes, t. sk., pārtikas piesārņojums ar toksiskiem vai potenciāli toksiskiem elementiem, piemēram, As, Cd, Hg, Pb. Promocijas darba mērķa ietvaros tika veikta Latvijā iegūtu pārtikas produktu paraugu mikro- un makroelementu sastāva kvantitatīvā analīze, lai noskaidrotu vides apstākļu ietekmi uz elementu koncentrāciju un ieneses ceļiem pārtikā. Papildus, lai vērtētu elementu biopieejamību barības ķēdē, tika veikta eksperimentāla pārtikas kultūraugu audzēšana mākslīgi piesārņotā augsnē. Iegūtie dati liecina par vairāku dabiskas un antropogēnas izcelsmes vides apstākļu, piemēr…