Spectroscopic characterization and solubility investigation on the effects of As(V) on mineral structure tooeleite (Fe6(AsO3)4SO4(OH)4·H2O)

Tooeleite is an unique ferric arsenite sulfate mineral, which has the potential significance of directly fixing As(III) as mineral trap. The tooeleite and various precipitates were hydrothermally synthesized under the different of initial As(III)/As(V) molar ratios and characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS and SEM. The crystallinity of tooeleite decreases with the amount of As(V). The precipitate is free of any crystalline tooeleite at the level of that XRD could detect when the ratio of As(III)/As(V) of 7:3 and more. The characteristic bands of tooeleite are observed in 772, 340, 696 and 304 cm−1, which are assigned to the ν1, ν2, ν3 and ν4 vibrations of AsO33−. These intensities of bands gradually decreases with the presence of As(V) and its increasing. An obviously wide band is observed in 830 cm−1, which is the ν1 vibration of AsO4. The result of XPS reveals that the binding energies of As3d increase from 44.0 eV to 45.5 eV, which indicates that the amount of As(V) in the precipitates increases. The concentrations of arsenic released of these precipitates are 350–650 mg/L. The stability of tooeleite decreases by comparison when the presence of coexisting As(V) ions.

The molecular structure of the borate mineral szaibelyite MgBO2(OH): A vibrational spectroscopic study

We have studied the borate mineral szaibelyite MgBO2(OH) using electron microscopy and vibrational spectroscopy. EDS spectra show a phase composed of Mg with minor amounts of Fe. Both tetrahedral and trigonal boron units are observed. The nominal resolution of the Raman spectrometer is of the order of 2 cm−1 and as such is sufficient enough to identify separate bands for the stretching bands of the two boron isotopes. The Raman band at 1099 cm−1 with a shoulder band at 1093 cm−1 is assigned to BO stretching vibration. Raman bands at 1144, 1157, 1229, 1318 cm−1 are attributed to the BOH in-plane bending modes. Raman bands at 836 and 988 cm−1 are attributed to the antisymmetric stretching modes of tetrahedral boron. The infrared bands at 3559 and 3547 cm−1 are assigned to hydroxyl stretching vibrations. Broad infrared bands at 3269 and 3398 cm−1 are assigned to water stretching vibrations. Infrared bands at 1306, 1352, 1391, 1437 cm−1 are assigned to the antisymmetric stretching vibrations of trigonal boron. Vibrational spectroscopy enables aspects of the molecular structure of the borate mineral szaibelyite to be assessed.

Corporate-cooperative management of fisheries: A potential alternative governance structure for low value small fisheries?

While the economic and environmental benefits of fisheries management are well accepted, the costs of effective management in low value fisheries, including the research necessary to underpin such management, may be considerable relative to the total economic benefits they may generate. Co-management is often seen as a panacea in low value fisheries. Increasing fisher participation increases legitimacy of management decision in the absence of detailed scientific input. However, where only a small number of operators exist, the potential benefits of co-management are negated by the high transaction cost to the individual fishers engaging in the management process. From an economic perspective, sole ownership has been identified as the management structure which can best achieve biological and economic sustainability. Moving low value fisheries with a small number of participants to a corporate-cooperative management model may come close to achieving these sole ownership benefits, with lower transaction costs. In this paper we look at the applicability of different management models with industry involvement to low value fisheries with a small number of participants. We provide an illustration as to how a fishery could be transitioned to a corporate-cooperative management model that captures the key benefits of sole management at a low cost and is consistent with societal objectives.

Evaluating unmanned aircraft systems for deployment in plant biosecurity

This report provides a qualitative evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and on-board sensor technology for use in plant biosecurity in the Australian context. The more general term UAS describes both the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and all supporting components required to operate it. This may include a ground station, operator or pilot, and a launch and recovery device for example. The focus is to identify how and under what circumstances UAS may be useful for plant biosecurity. This can be used to help guide future decisions regarding investment in UAS for plant biosecurity.

An Australian native plant: A novel antimicrobial for the treatment of MRSA

Chronic wounds, often associated with venous and arterial ulcers, diabetes and pressure sores, is an area of great concern. In Australia, the cost of treating chronic wounds is conservatively estimated at $285 million/annum for the treatment of pressure ulcers and $654 million annually for the treatment and management of leg ulcers. Current figures indicate that more than seven million people suffer from chronic wounds worldwide with Australians accounting for approximately 600,000 of this number. Bacterial infection of the wound site is a major issue as contamination of a chronic wound with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly delays wound healing. Further, once systemic, current antibiotic therapies capable of treating the infection are limited. Aboriginal bush medicine has been used for thousands of years for the treatment of wounds and sores. Hence, we selected a native Australian plant to evaluate its bactericidal activity against MRSA.