Relationships between radionuclides, metals, and sediment properties in sediment of a bay exposed to anthropogenic pressure and mixed sediment sources (Kaštela Bay, Adriatic Sea, Croatia).

Natural and anthropogenic radionuclides, metals, organic matter, sediment grain size, mineral composition, and sediment sources were studied in marine sediment of Kaštela Bay up to a depth of 0.5 m. Deposition of man-modified material into the sea was evidenced in sediment mineral composition.

Study of thermal stability of (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane-grafted titanate nanotubes for application as nanofillers in polymers.

Protonated titanate nanotubes (TiNT-H) were surface-modified with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxy silane (APTMS) by a novel method suitable for the syntheses of large amounts of materials at a low cost. The usage of prepared nanotubes for polymer reinforcement was studied. Since the thermal stability of the nanofiller was important to preserve its functional properties, its stability was studied by in situ high-temperature measurements.

Copper and zinc fractionation in apple orchard soil in the village of Bukevje (Croatia) using the revised four-step BCR extraction procedure.

The aim of this study was to establish the fractionation of copper and zinc in a small apple orchard using the revised (four-step) Bureau Communautaire de Référence (BCR) sequential extraction procedure and assess their potential mobility in soil. Soil samples were collected at the depth of 10 cm to 25 cm, sixteen from the orchard and five control samples from a meadow located some 200 m away from the orchard. As the distribution of trace-element concentrations in the control samples was normal, they were used for comparison as background levels.

The determination of the extractability of selected elements from agricultural soil.

Concentrations of Ag, Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn-isolated by sequential extraction steps from apple orchard soil-were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy and compared to the total amount of metal in soil determined by XRF. The extractable amount of each metal was calculated by the extraction yields of the four steps. The LODs of the different elements in all extracts ware below 3 μg/L except for Ba (steps 1 and 2), Cu (step 1), Fe (all steps), K (steps 1-3), Mn (step 2), Na (steps 1-3), Ni (step 1), Pb (steps 1 and 4), and Zn (steps 1 and 2).

Characterization and treatment of the phosphoric gypsum transport water.

This paper presents a new treatment procedure applied on phosphogypsum transport water. Untreated transport water is highly acidic (pH 1.79), having fluoride content of 1540 mg/L and elevated values of phosphates (215 mg/L) and heavy metals (Fe=25.