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Microdomains in freshwater sediment as a driving factor in the biogeochemical processes
Duchoslav, Vojtěch ; Falteisek, Lukáš (advisor) ; Beranová, Jana (referee)
A natural arsenic anomaly at Mokrsko is a site of biogenic precipitation of realgar (As4S4) in stream sediment. The extent of the phenomenon in Mokrsko is globally unique. A previous study showed the ability of microorganisms to solubilize arsenic from its secondary minerals and to produce realgar precursors, i.e. sulfides and arsenites, by anaerobic respiration. The study also raised questions about the mechanism of realgar precipitation since physicochemical conditions favoring this reaction were never detected despite significant sampling efforts. We chemically and microbiologically analyzed sedimentary profiles to the depth of ca. 120 cm in order to understand the functioning of the biogeochemical system. The profiles comprised both the unsaturated and the saturated zone. We distinguished six different domains representing environments from the surface soil to anoxic sedimnent containing realgar-encrusted wood. An analysis of phylogenetic dissimilarity revealed that microbial communities from the various domains form distinct clusters. This suggests that different conditions prevail in the various domains, and that different biogeochemical processes take place there. Incubation (microcosm) experiments showed that bioprecipitation of realgar can be conducted in vitro. It requires a suppression...
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A novel AAS atomizer based on a dielectric barrier plasma discharge
Novák, Petr ; Kratzer, Jan (advisor) ; Kanický, Viktor (referee)
Atomization of arsine in a novel hydride atomizer for atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) was thoroughly optimized. This plasma atomizer is based on a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). Sensitivity and detection limit reached 0.48 s ng-1 As and 0.16 ng ml-1 As, respectively, under optimum atomization conditions (Ar discharge using a flow rate of 60 ml min-1 Ar, DBD power 17 W). Analytical figures of merit reached in DBD are comparable to those found in an externally heated quartz tube multiatomizer (MMQTA) that was chosen as a model of conventional approach to hydride atomization in HG-AAS. An extent of interferences (Se, Sb, Bi) during As determination was investigated comparing both MMQTA and DBD atomizers. The later one was found to be more resistant towards interferences. A simple preconcentration of As in a DBD atomizer was reached after oxygen introduction into the Ar plasma in the DBD resulting in analyte retention in the atomizer followed by its volatilization once the oxygen flow is switched off. Preconcentration efficiency of 100 % was reached and detection limit improvement by a factor of ten was achieved (0.01 ng ml-1 As, preconcentration period 300 s).
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Trace and minor elements in coal and methods of their investigation
Páchová, Helena ; Opluštil, Stanislav (advisor) ; Sýkorová, Ivana (referee)
The aim of the bachelor thesis is to provide an overview of the minor and trace elements in coal matter and to characterize their origin, distribution and effect on quality of coal in term of its industrial utilization, including potential environmental impacts. The thesis describes main methods currently used when investigating coal geochemistry and mineralogy. The thesis includes overview of the distribution of these elements in the major coal deposits of the Czech Republic.
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Arsenic in tree rings at As contaminated sites
Svoboda, Ondřej ; Mihaljevič, Martin (advisor) ; Vaněk, Aleš (referee)
Kutná Hora and its surrounding environment was affected by mining Ag, later Pb - Zn ore, lasting several centuries. As a result of mining, extreme concentrations of heavy metals and metalloids, especially As, in waters, soils and plants are. The aim of this work was to study the elemental composition of soils and tree rings, including processes between soil and plants on contaminated and uncontaminated area to describe biogeochemical processes between soil and plants. Elemental composition (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb) were determined in soils and tree rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) using ICP - MS. The measured concentrations of elements indicate contamination of soils and tree rings due to mining and metallurgical activities. The highest concentrations of As in soil (14 977 mg/kg) were found at contaminated site (Kaňk) at depth of 40 - 50 cm. This locality is situated on the heap, where waste from the mining and processing of ores are deposited, together with minerals and weathering products containing As. The uncontaminated area (Sukov) exhibited the maximum concentration of As in soils 124,38 mg/kg at a depth of 5 - 10 cm, due to the contamination by dust from the contamined sites. The highest concentrations of As in tree rings were determined in the contaminated area...
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Determination of selected metals in tea samples and bag materials
Hlávka, Jan ; Nováková, Eliška (advisor) ; Hraníček, Jakub (referee)
This bachelor thesis is dealing with determination of antimony in materials modern pyramid-shape tea bags. Possible presence of antimony in these materials, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or mixed materials, is caused by using it like catalyst in production of polyethylene terphthalete. The goal of this bachelor thesis is the verification of hypothesis, that antimony is present in materials of pyramide tea bags and that it is released to consumed drink, if higher concentration of antimony is present, and that it could pose a health risk to the consumer. At the same time, I studied if tea leaves are contaminated by other toxic elements, from which some can result from intesive agricultural production. They can be used as pesticides or be presnet in industrial fertilizers. In this thesis I examined the content of As, Cd, Cu, Sb and Zn in tea leaves sold in pyramide bags. These pyramide bags were purchased in local supermarkets and shops. The content of Sb in bags was determined too. The applied method included the decomposition of samples in a microwave decomposition device and analysis of the composition of the resulting solution by the ICP-MS method. Determined contents of the investigated elements were expressed like content of element in the sample in dry mass and the results were compared...
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Speciation analysis of arsenic and mercury using postcolumn generation of their volatile compounds for needs of atomic spectroscopic methods
Linhart, Ondřej
The presented dissertation thesis deals with the use of UV-photochemical generation of volatile compounds (UV-PVG) as a derivatization technique for the combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) detection. Two model elements arsenic and mercury and their compounds were selected for the speciation analysis. The work was divided into several parts that follow. In the first part of the research, the apparatus for the UV-photochemical generation of the volatile mercury compounds and their detection with a new continuum source and high-resolution atomic absorption spectrometer (HR-CS AAS) with an externally heated detection tube was constructed. The analytical method was adapted for use with atomic fluorescence detection with the aim to improve sensitivity of the determination. Furthermore, apparatus for the electrochemical generation of cold mercury vapor with AAS detection was built. The construction of the apparatus was followed by optimization of the reaction conditions (concentration and flow of electrochemical reagents: sulfuric and hydrochloric acid, mobile phase, carrier medium, flow rate of the carrier gas and localization of its introduction), determination of the analytical figures of merit, and comparation of the methods. Both...
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Arsenic toxicity and hyperaccumulation in plants and their potentail use in phytoremediation
Gímeš, Lukáš ; Mašková, Petra (advisor) ; Podlipná, Radka (referee)
Arsenic is classified as a heavy metalloid. Small amounts of arsenic can be found in the environment naturally, but human activity constantly increases the amount of arsenic in the soil. Increasing arsenic contamination of the soil causes serious health problems for both animals and humans. Due to its toxicity, it can also cause considerable problems for plants. Arsenic negatively affects a number of processes in the body of plants, such as oxidative stress or the metabolism of important macromolecules. Photosynthesis is a physiological process that is the most affected by arsenic toxicity. Closely related to photosynthesis are the growth properties of plants. Negative effects that arsenic has on many biochemical, physiological and morphological processes in the plant body, we must understand the uptake, translocation and detoxification of arsenic in the plant body. Arsenic hyperaccumulators are plants that can accumulate orders of magnitude higher concentrations of As and better manage the phytotoxicity of this contaminant than non-hyperaccumulating plants. Hyperaccumulation of heavy metals is associated with changes in the physiological properties of plants. A common characteristic of hyperaccumulators is that they can accumulate the higher concentrations of metals they in the aboveground parts...
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Contamination of Peruvian drinking water by arsenic and boron - origin, properties and treatment
Sadloň, Matúš ; Stejskal, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Cencarová, Vendula (referee)
Excessive arsenic and boron concentrations determined in natural waters within the Department of Tacna in southern Peru are associated with active Andean volcanism, being further exacerbated by the ongoing mining activity in the area. Both arsenic and boron concentrations at five investigated sites significantly exceed the maximum permissible limits determined by the World Health Organisation and the Peruvian legislation for drinking water, thus affecting the health and wellbeing of the local population. Due to the remoteness of the area of interest, which lacks infrastructure, skilled human resources as well as capital, Photon Water Technology s.r.o. has come up with a solution based on the use of small water treatment plants operating on the principle of reverse osmosis in combination with a commercial remediation product Katalox Light® . This product enables the formation of alkaline conditions needed for proper complexation of boron into B(OH)4 - (aq), which is better remediated by the proposed technology. Reverse osmosis can remediate arsenic, although the efficiency of As removal depends on the chemical composition of natural waters at the investigated sites. Laboratory experiments have been focused to prove the viability of Katalox Light® for enhancing the rate of boron removal within the designed...
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Speciation of arsenic in fluvial systems
Jaxylykova, Anastassiya ; Drahota, Petr (advisor) ; Peřestá, Magdaléna (referee)
4 Summary This bachelor work is devoted to the distribution of the increased concentrations of arsenic in fluvial systems near the villages of Mokrsko and Smolotely in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. Arsenic in these areas is found in sulfidic minerals associated with gold- bearing mineralizations in the bedrock. Due to the toxicity of arsenic, natural weathering of the mineralized rocks represents a danger for the population of these sites. The theoretical part of the work is devoted to general concepts of the occurrence and concentrations of arsenic in different environments. In the practical part, a small separate study is presented, which studies the concentration of arsenic in fluvial sediments and stream water of the study sites. The results show that the highest arsenic concentrations in the fluvial sediments are almost the same (500- 550 mg/kg). The highest dissolved arsenic concentration was found at Mokrsko (360 g/l), while the highest aqueous arsenic at Smolotely was 160 g/l. Keywords: Arsenic, fluvial sediments, stream water, arsenic contamination
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Analysis of unstable complexes for study of enzymatic methylation of arsenic
Albrecht, Michal ; Petry-Podgórska, Inga (advisor) ; Červený, Václav (referee)
The main aim of this thesis was the development of conjugation of existing methods for analysis of arsenic-glutathione complexes (As-GS complexes) together with simple arsenic species (iAs, MMAs, DMAs) during simple run. The basic technique for analysis of As-GS complexes was the HPLC-ICP-MS method with a reverse phase separation column (C18). The separation problem of simple species has been overcome by extending of system by postcolumn hydride generation with cryotrapping system (HG-CT). The resulting HPLC/HG-CT-ICP-MS system provides a complex analysis of all the above-mentioned analytes. According to the currently available resources, it is an innovative system, where for the first time all the simple arsenic species (iAs, MMAs, DMAs) and the As-GS complexes were separated. Under the given conditions, the detection limit for the As-GS complexes of 1.9 pg cm-3 in the RP-HPLC-ICP-MS system (a quantification limit of 6.5 pg cm-3 ) was achieved at a sensitivity of 468 CPS s pg-1 . The HG-CT-ICP-MS system provided a detection limit for iAs of 1.2 pg cm-3 at a sensitivity of 1121 CPS s pg-1 , for MMAs of 0.043 pg cm-3 at a sensitivity of 895 CPS s pg-1 and for DMAs of 0.076 pg.cm-3 at a sensitivity of 926 CPS s pg-1 . This method was applied to achieve another aim, studying the pathways of enzymatic...
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