Preliminary Results from the Chemical Records of an 80.4 M Ice Core Recovered from East Rongbuk Glacier, Qomolangma (Mount Everest), Himalaya

High-resolution chemical records from an 80.4 m ice core from the central Himalaya demonstrate climatic and environmental changes since 1844. The chronological net accumulation series shows a sharp decrease from the mid-1950s, which is coincident with the widely observed glacier retreat. A negative correlation is found between the ice-core delta(18)O record and the monsoon precipitation for Indian region 7. The temporal variation of the terrestrial ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) is controlled by both the monsoon precipitation for Indian regions 3,7 and 8, located directly south and west of the Himalaya, and the dust-storm duration and frequency in the northern arid regions, such as the Taklimakan desert, China. The NH4+ profile is fairly flat until the 1940s, then substantially increases until the end of the 1980s, with a slight decrease during the 1990s which may reflect new agricultural practices. The SO42- and NO3- profiles show an apparent increasing trend, especially during the period 1940s-80s. Moreover, SO42- concentrations for the East Rongbuk Glacier core are roughly double that of the nearby Dasuopu core at Xixabangma, Himalaya, due to local human activity including that of climbing teams who use gasoline for cooking, energy and transport.

Chemical Composition of Fresh Snow from Glaciar Marinelli, Tierra Del Fuego, Chile

A fresh-snow sampling campaign was conducted during the late austral summer of 2006 in the accumulation zone of Glaciar Marinelli, located in the Cordillera Darwin, Tierra del Fuego, Chile. Snow samples were analyzed for stable isotopes (delta(18)O, major soluble ions (Na', K', Ca, Mg, a NO(3)(-), SO(4)(2-), MS(-)) and major and trace elements (Na, Mg, Al, Fe, Ca, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Dy, Ho, Er, Bi, U, As, Ti, V, Cr, Mn). The dominance of marine chemistry resembles that in studies from Patagonian glaciers. Snow chemistry was dominantly loaded by marine species (Cl(-), Na(+) and ssSO(4)(2-)), while contributions of crustal species (e.g. Al and Fe) were very low. Empirical orthogonal function analysis suggests two possible dust sources, one represented by Al and Fe and the other by La, Ce and Pr. Enrichment-factor calculations suggest the majority of elements are within average upper-crustal ratios, but major enrichments of Bi and Cd (hundreds of times) suggest possible anthropogenic sources. Linear correlation of delta(18)O and barometric pressure (r = 0.60, p < 0.007) suggests a potential 'amount effect' relationship between depleted delta(18)O ratios and stronger storm conditions (e.g. greater precipitation). The snow-chemistry records from Glaciar Marinelli are the first measured in Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost glaciated region outside Antarctica.

The Chemical Mechanism of a Brown-Rot Decay Mimtic System and its Application in Paper Recycling Processes

This work is aimed at improving our current knowledge of the non-enzymatic inecl~anisins involved in brown-rot decay, as well as the exploration of potential applications of a brown-rot mimetic model system in paper recycling processes. The study was divided into two parts. The first part focussed on the chemical mechanisms involved in chelation and reduction of iron by a low molecular weight chelator (isolated from the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllz~m tmbeum) and its model compound 2,3- dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA). Chelation as well as free radical generation mediated by this system were studied by ESR measurement. The results indicate that the effects of the chelator/iron ratio, the pH, and other reaction parameters on hydroxyl radical generation by a Fenton type system could be determined using ESR spin-trapping techniques. The results also support the hypothesis that superoxide radicals are involved in the chelator-mediated Fenton process. In the second part of the study, the effect of a chelator-mediated Fenton system for the improvement of deinking efficiency and the n~odification of fiber and paper properties was studied. For the deinking study, copy paper was laser printed with an identical standard pattern. Then repulping and flotation operations were performed to remove ink particles. Under properly controlled deinking conditions, the chelator mediated treatment (CMT) resulted in a reduction in dirt count over that of conventional deinking procedures with no significant loss of pulp strength. To study the effect of the chelator system treatment on the quality of pulp with different fines content, a fully bleached hardwood kraft pulp was beaten to different freeness levels and treated with the chelator-mediated free radical system. The result shows that virgin fiber and heavily beaten fiber respond differently to the free radical treatment. Unbeaten fibers become more flexible and easier to collapse after free radical treatment, while beaten fibers show a reduction in fines and small materials after mild free radical treatment.