Extraction-Spectrophotometric Studies on the Ion-Pairing Between Some 2,3,5-Substituted Monotetrazolium Cations and Anions Deriving from 4-(2-Thiazolylazo)resorcinol or 4-(2-Pyridylazo)resorcinol

The ion-pairing between some 2,3,5-substituted monotetrazolium cations (T+) and anions deriving from 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) or 4-(2-thiazolylazo)resorcinol (TAR) was studied by water-chloroform extraction and spectrophotometry. The following tetrazolium salts (TS) were used as a source of T+: i) 2,3,5-triphenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (TTC); ii) 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazol)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT); iii) 3-(2-naphtyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (Tetrazolium violet, TV); and iv) 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (INT). The spectral characteristics of the extracted species were established at different pH and TS concentration. The composition and stability of the ion-pairs were determined at pH 9, where the extraction of neutral PAR (H2PAR) and TAR (H2TAR) species was negligible. The results showed that the ion-pairs can be expressed with the following formulae (T+)(HTAR–) (where T+ = TT+, MTT+, TV+ or INT+), (T+)(HPAR–) (where T+ = TT+, MTT+ or TV+) and [(INT+)(HPAR–)]2. Relationships involving the molecular masses of the ion-pairs (MIP) or T+ (MT+) and the values of the constants of association (b) or conditional molar absorptivities (e’) were examined, namely Log b = f(Log MIP) and e’ = f(Log MT+). Some practical aspects concerning the investigation of metal complexes with TS-PAR/TS-TAR were discussed

Application of 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol for flotation-spectrophotometric determination of iron

Optimum conditions for flotation-spectrophotometric determination of iron with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) based on a 1:2 FeII-PAR complex were found to be as follows: flotation solvent (chloroform), shaking time (2 min), pH (4.5±0.5), concentration of PAR (2.0×10–4 mol L–1), reducing agent (hydroxylamine hydrochloride), solvent for the floated compound (dimethylsulphoxide, DMSO), wavelength for spectrophotometric measurements (718 nm), and volumes of the organic solvents (5 mL of chloroform and 3 mL of DMSO). Calibration graphs were compared for different volumes of the aqueous phase – 10 mL and 40 mL; the corresponding linear ranges were 0.30–1.3 mg mL–1 and 0.25–1.0 mg mL–1. The iron content was successfully determined in soil samples, reference standard materials (PS-1, COOMET No. 0001-1999 BG, SОD No. 310а-98; PS-2, COOMET No. 0002-1999 BG, SOD No. 311а-98; and PS-3, COOMET No. 0003-1999 BG, SOD No. 312а-98) and zinc sulfide concentrates. KEY WORDS: Iron(II), Fe-PAR complex, Flotation, Spectrophotometry, Soils, Zinc sulfide concentrates Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2016, 30(3), 325-332.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v30i3.

Land use change in Amazonian Dark Earth and Acrisol: responses of organic carbon, organic matter composition and microbial carbon utilisation.

The conversion of tropical forest for cassava cultivation is widely known to decrease the soil organic matter (OM) and nutrient contents of highly weathered soils in the tropics. Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) might be affected less due to their historical anthropogenic amelioration with e.g. charcoal, ceramics and bones, leading to higher soil OM and nutrient concentrations. In this study, we analysed the effect of land use change on the OM dynamics and its composition under tropical conditions, using ADE and an adjacent Acrisol (ACR) as model systems

Consequences of land use change on soil organic matter composition and C-P relationships in Amazonian Dark Earth and Acrisol.

The conversion of tropical forest for cassava cultivation is widely known to decrease the soil organic matter (OM) and nutrient contents of highly weathered soils in the tropics. Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) might be more resistant to this process due to their historical anthropogenic amelioration with e.g. charcoal, ceramics and bones, leading to higher soil OM and nutrient concentrations. In this study, we analyzed the effect of land use change on the OM dynamics under tropical conditions and how this is related with P distribution at the microscale, using ADE and an adjacent Acrisol (ACR) as model systems

Environmental drivers of increased ecosystem respiration in a warming tundra

Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystems are large reservoirs of organic carbon1,2. Climate warming may stimulate ecosystem respiration and release carbon into the atmosphere3,4. The magnitude and persistency of this stimulation and the environmental mechanisms that drive its variation remain uncertain5–7. This hampers the accuracy of global land carbon–climate feedback projections7,8. Here we synthesize 136 datasets from 56 open-top chamber in situ warming experiments located at 28 arctic and alpine tundra sites which have been running for less than 1 year up to 25 years. We show that a mean rise of 1.4 °C [confidence interval (CI) 0.9–2.0 °C] in air and 0.4 °C [CI 0.2–0.7 °C] in soil temperature results in an increase in growing season ecosystem respiration by 30% [CI 22–38%] (n = 136). Our findings indicate that the stimulation of ecosystem respiration was due to increases in both plant-related and microbial respiration (n = 9) and continued for at least 25 years (n = 136). The magnitude of the warming effects on respiration was driven by variation in warming-induced changes in local soil conditions, that is, changes in total nitrogen concentration and pH and by context-dependent spatial variation in these conditions, in particular total nitrogen concentration and the carbon:nitrogen ratio. Tundra sites with stronger nitrogen limitations and sites in which warming had stimulated plant and microbial nutrient turnover seemed particularly sensitive in their respiration response to warming. The results highlight the importance of local soil conditions and warming-induced changes therein for future climatic impacts on respiration

Seasonal and altitudinal changes of culturable bacterial and yeast diversity in Alpine forest soils

The effect of altitude and season on abundance and diversity of the culturable heterotrophic bacterial and yeast community was examined at four forest sites in the Italian Alps along an altitude gradient (545–2000 m). Independently of altitude, bacteria isolated at 0 °C (psychrophiles) were less numerous than those recovered at 20 °C. In autumn, psychrophilic bacterial population increased with altitude. The 1194 bacterial strains were primarily affiliated with the classes Alpha-, Beta-, Gammaproteobacteria, Spingobacteriia and Flavobacteriia. Fifty-seven of 112 operational taxonomic units represented potential novel species. Strains isolated at 20 °C had a higher diversity and showed similarities in taxa composition and abundance, regardless of altitude or season, while strains isolated at 0 °C showed differences in community composition at lower and higher altitudes. In contrast to bacteria, yeast diversity was season-dependent: site- and altitude-specific effects on yeast diversity were only detected in spring. Isolation temperature affected the relative proportions of yeast genera. Isolations recovered 719 strains, belonging to the classes Dothideomycetes, Saccharomycetes, Tremellomycetes and Mycrobotryomycetes. The presence of few dominant bacterial OTUs and yeast species indicated a resilient microbial population that is not affected by season or altitude. Soil nutrient contents influenced significantly abundance and diversity of culturable bacteria, but not of culturable yeasts. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00792-016-0874-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Isotopic analysis of cyanobacterial nitrogen fixation associated with subarctic lichen and bryophyte species.

Dinitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria is of particular importance for the nutrient economy of cold biomes, constituting the main pathway for new N supplies to tundra ecosystems. It is prevalent in cyanobacterial colonies on bryophytes and in obligate associations within cyanolichens. Recent studies, applying interspecific variation in plant functional traits to upscale species effects on ecosystems, have all but neglected cryptogams and their association with cyanobacteria. Here we looked for species-specific patterns that determine cryptogam-mediated rates of N-2 fixation in the Subarctic. We hypothesised a contrast in N-2 fixation rates (1) between the structurally and physiologically different lichens and bryophytes, and (2) within bryophytes based on their respective plant functional types. Throughout the survey we supplied N-15-labelled N-2 gas to quantify fixation rates for monospecific moss, liverwort and lichen turfs. We sampled fifteen species in a design that captures spatial and temporal variations during the growing season in Abisko region, Sweden. We measured N-2 fixation potential of each turf in a common environment and in its field sampling site, in order to embrace both comparativeness and realism. Cyanolichens and bryophytes differed significantly in their cyanobacterial N-2 fixation capacity, which was not driven by microhabitat characteristics, but rather by morphology and physiology. Cyanolichens were much more prominent fixers than bryophytes per unit dry weight, but not per unit area due to their low specific thallus weight. Mosses did not exhibit consistent differences in N-2 fixation rates across species and functional types. Liverworts did not fix detectable amounts of N-2. Despite the very high rates of N-2 fixation associated with cyanolichens, large cover of mosses per unit area at the landscape scale compensates for their lower fixation rates, thereby probably making them the primary regional atmospheric nitrogen sink

Does Sendivogius’ alchemy cancel the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the discovery of oxygen?

Most chemistry textbooks claim that oxygen was discovered almost simultaneously by Carl Scheele and Joseph Priestley about 250 years ago. Priestley obtained oxygen by heating mercuric oxide (1774), and Scheele by heating NaNO3, as well as by dissolving pyrolusite in sulfuric acid (1772). The name “oxygen” was given a few years later (1779) by Antoine Lavoisier. This great scientist, often accused of taking advantage of the discoveries of others, conducted experiments related to the decomposition of water vapour over heated iron, as well as the synthesis of water from hydrogen and oxygen. His work was of great importance because it revealed the elemental nature of oxygen and its role in the processes of combustion and respiration. The present article draws attention to the prehistory of the “oxygen theory”. It emphasises the natural philosophy of a forgotten alchemist, healer, and diplomat - Michael Sendivogius (1566-1636) - who popularised his belief that the substance (“Water of life that does not wet the hands”) obtained by heating the “Central Salt” (nitre, KNO3) is part of the air. It is the “secret food of life” used invisibly by every living thing