ABSTRACT
Performance of the Helix MC Plus noble gas mass spectrometer installed at the Australian National University (ANU) is reported. Results for sensitivity, mass discrimination and their linearity against partial pressure of noble gases, and mass resolution of the mass spectrometer are presented, and the results are compared with those of conventional noble gas mass spectrometers. The application of the five detectors on the Helix MC Plus in measuring various noble gas isotopes in multi-collector modes and the integration of the software drivers of peripheral hardware devices into the controlling program Qtegra of the mass spectrometer are discussed. High mass resolution (>1800) and mass resolving power (>8000) make this mass spectrometer unique in noble gas cosmo-geochemistry. It provides the capability to measure isobaric interference-free noble gas isotopes in multi-collector mode, significantly improves the accuracy to determine isotopic ratios, and greatly increases the efficiency of data acquisition. Graphical Abstract á .
ABSTRACT
The closure of swine farms requires decommissioning of lagoons that contain large amounts of swine solids (sludge). Sludge is typically transported and land applied to soils. However, in some cases this process could be economically prohibitive and/or unpractical. An alternative idea is to encase sludge with lagoon soil berms after removing overlying effluent, followed by establishment of forages or short-rotation woody crops on the encased sludge. The objective of this study was to investigate growth potential for several forages and tree species into a pure layer of swine sludge. Alfalfa (Meticago sativa), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) were established in 40 cm deep pots consisting of a lagoon berm soil overlaying a sludge layer for 12 w followed by analysis of aboveground and belowground biomass production. "New" and "old" sludge was collected from an active 10 year old lagoon and decommissioned 50 year old lagoon, respectively. A control (soil only) was used. Encased sludge treatments increased forage biomass production. Sycamore and green ash were sensitive to new sludge but not old sludge as these species had less biomass production in new sludge than control and showed tissue trace nutrient deficiencies. While both sludge materials contained adequate nutrients, the new sludge had a salt concentration 1.8 times higher than old sludge as indicated by electrical conductivity (12.4 mS). Thus, the forage crops and black locust were able to thrive in new sludge due to their salt tolerance.
