Mercury stable isotope signatures of world coal deposits and historical coal combustion emissions.

Mercury (Hg) emissions from coal combustion contribute approximately half of anthropogenic Hg emissions to the atmosphere. With the implementation of the first legally binding UNEP treaty aimed at reducing anthropogenic Hg emissions, the identification and traceability of Hg emissions from different countries/regions are critically important. Here, we present a comprehensive world coal Hg stable isotope database including 108 new coal samples from major coal-producing deposits in South Africa, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, former USSR, and the U.S. A 4.7‰ range in δ(202)Hg (-3.9 to 0.8‰) and a 1‰ range in Δ(199)Hg (-0.6 to 0.4‰) are observed. Fourteen (p < 0.05) to 17 (p < 0.1) of the 28 pairwise comparisons between eight global regions are statistically distinguishable on the basis of δ(202)Hg, Δ(199)Hg or both, highlighting the potential application of Hg isotope signatures to coal Hg emissions tracing. A revised coal combustion Hg isotope fractionation model is presented, and suggests that gaseous elemental coal Hg emissions are enriched in the heavier Hg isotopes relative to oxidized forms of emitted Hg. The model explains to first order the published δ(202)Hg observations on near-field Hg deposition from a power plant and global scale atmospheric gaseous Hg. Yet, model uncertainties appear too large at present to permit straightforward Hg isotope source identification of atmospheric forms of Hg. Finally, global historical (1850-2008) coal Hg isotope emission curves were modeled and indicate modern-day mean δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg values for bulk coal emissions of -1.2 ± 0.5‰ (1SD) and 0.05 ± 0.06‰ (1SD).

Iron- and 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinoline-containing periplasmic inclusion bodies of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: a chemical analysis.

Dark aggregated particles were seen on pellets of iron-rich, mid-logarithmic phase Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Transmission electron microscopy of these cells showed inclusion bodies in periplasmic vacuoles. Aggregated particles isolated from the spent medium of these cells contained iron as indicated by atomic absorption spectroscopy and by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy that revealed Fe(3+). Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis of whole cells revealed the presence of iron-containing particles beneath the surface of the cell, indicating that the isolated aggregates were the intracellular inclusion bodies. Collectively, mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the isolated inclusion bodies revealed the presence of 3,4-dihydroxy-2-heptylquinoline which is the Pseudomonas quinolone signaling compound (PQS) and an iron chelator; 4-hydroxy-2-heptylquinoline (pseudan VII), which is an iron chelator, antibacterial compound and precursor of PQS; 4-hydroxy-2-nonylquinoline (pseudan IX) which is an iron chelator and antibacterial compound; 4-hydroxy-2-methylquinoline (pseudan I), and 4-hydroxy-2-nonylquinoline N-oxide.