Lead has a more than three-millennia-long pollution history in Europe. Metal production, burning of coal and use of leaded petrol resulted in a significant pollution of the atmosphere. As a consequence of atmospheric fallout, the Swedish boreal forest is strongly contaminated by airborne lead pollution. High levels of lead in the soil and soil pore water are of concern because the soil fauna, plants and aquatic biota may respond negatively to this toxic element. The fate of the accumulated pool of pollution in the soil is not well known. In this thesis, I determine four variables of importance for increasing our knowledge about the past, present and future lead levels in the boreal forest soil: 1) the pre-pollution atmospheric deposition rate of lead; 2) the upward flux of lead from deeper soil layers to near-surface horizons as a result of plant uptake; 3) the mean residence time of lead in the mor layer (the organic horizon at the surface of forest soils); and 4) the vertical and lateral transport of pollution lead within the mineral soil and to streams. Lead concentration measurements and stable lead isotope analyses were used for distinguishing pollution lead from natural lead in cores from ombrotrophic bogs, forest soil profiles, forest mosses, soil-water and stream-water samples. The results clearly stress that the boreal forest ecosystem is totally dominated by pollution lead. This is proved by low 206Pb/207Pb ratios (mainly between 1.14 and 1.20) in the mor layer, forest plants and stream water, while the local geogenic lead of the mineral soil (C-horizon) has high ratios (> 1.30). The dominance of pollution in the mor layer is caused by high deposition rates of airborne lead pollution, minute transport rates of lead from the mineral soil by forest plants (about 0.02 mg lead m-2 year-1) and a long mean residence time of the deposited lead (~250 years for mature forest). In the pristine pre-pollution environment, lead was a rare element due to low atmospheric deposition rates (0.001 to 0.01 mg m-2 year-1). It is estimated that the present lead inventory in the mor layer is up to 100 times higher than in the pristine environment where ≤ 8 mg m-2 was present in the mor. The levels in this biologically important horizon will decrease at a very slow rate and it will take centuries for the deeper part of the mor layer to fully respond to decreasing atmospheric inputs. In a hypothetic scenario with a ceased atmospheric lead deposition, the pool of pollution lead will ultimately be redistributed to deeper water-saturated soil layers from where a lateral transport to surface waters occurs. In the studied catchment, the export of pollution lead from the soil to the stream is estimated to peak slightly about one thousand years from now.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1940. / The entire thesis text is included in file. Typescript. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed March 9, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-46) and index (p. 47-52).

No description available.

Thesis--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.70-84).

Thesis--University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1909. / The entire thesis text is included in file. Typescript. Illustrated by author. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed )

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1966. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [137]-143).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-107).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Idaho, 2005. / Also available online in PDF format. Abstract. "July, 2005." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 94-98).

Submitted by HENDRYK GEMEINER null (h.gemeiner@gmx.net) on 2016-11-11T17:05:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_mestrado_hendryk_gemeiner.pdf: 13978829 bytes, checksum: 08b385f98431fd9c29309e3aeb7cb1b2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Juliano Benedito Ferreira (julianoferreira@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-11T17:52:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gemeiner_h_me_rcla.pdf: 13978829 bytes, checksum: 08b385f98431fd9c29309e3aeb7cb1b2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-11T17:52:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gemeiner_h_me_rcla.pdf: 13978829 bytes, checksum: 08b385f98431fd9c29309e3aeb7cb1b2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-13 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação para o Desenvolvimento da UNESP (FUNDUNESP) / The toxic metal lead (Pb) can be harmful to human health in various manners, but is also considered as a distinguished tracer of environmental pollution, since the relative abundance of its four stable isotopes with the atomic masses of 204, 206, 207 and 208 varies with the emission source. This study is focused on the lead concentrations and isotope ratios in the particulate matter of the Brazilian cities of Goiânia (GO) and Rio Claro (SP), in order to determine the main Pb pollution sources. Particulate matter samples were collected on clean Teflon filters during the rainy and dry season between 2014 and 2016 on the campus of the State University of São Paulo (UNESP) in Rio Claro city and in the centre of Goiânia city near main roads with a high traffic volume. The Pb concentrations as well as the 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb stable isotope ratios of the particulate matter samples were analysed by Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. To apply this analytical technique successfully, it was necessary to optimize parameters in case of acquisition time, detector dead time and mass discrimination, which affect the measurement accuracy and precision. Results showed that lead concentrations in Goiânia were different between rainy and dry season. In Goiânia, Pb concentrations showed higher values in dry season than in rainy season, while Pb concentrations were more similar in both sampling periods in Rio Claro. Back trajectories were analysed with the HYSPLIT model to investigate associations between Pb concentration levels and the direction of incoming air masses. However, the comparison of the obtained 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb isotope ratios data with data of potential Pb sources from previous studies indicated that gasoline may be considered as main Pb sources in the particulate matter of Goiânia and Rio Claro. Pb isotope ratios in Goiania were slightly different between dry and rainy season, while in Rio Claro, 206Pb/207Pb isotope ratios showed markedly higher values in dry season than in rainy season. Hence, Pb in Rio Claro in dry season also seems to be influenced by industrial emissions. These assumptions were supported by the calculation of 208Pb/206Pb-207Pb/206Pb diagrams and the contribution factor of Pb coming from gasoline by applying binary mixing equations. / CNPq: 372125/2014-0 / FUNDUNESP: 0050.0092854.14.9

Lead Oxide (PbO) is the main material used for the preparation of the active material for the positive and negative electrodes in the lead acid battery where the electrochemical reaction that provides the electrical energy of the battery takes place. The particle size distribution and surface area characteristics of the lead oxide play a major role in the electrical performance of the completed battery. The two most commonly used processes to manufacture PbO in the lead acid battery industry are the Barton pot and the Ball mill processes. These two processes produce oxides that differ in particle size distribution, particle shape and surface area. It is generally accepted that the Ball mill process produces an oxide with a smaller mean particle size with a higher surface area and better initial electrical performance than the Barton pot process to the detriment of an initial higher capital and running cost. The study showed that it is possible to improve the surface area and particle size distribution characteristics of Barton pot oxide, by subsequently hammer milling the oxide particles before the paste manufacturing process. The results showed that there was an initial reduction in the particle size with an increase in the surface area. This increased the electrochemical performance in terms of the high rate discharge. However, further hammering of the oxide reduced the average particle size only slightly with little change in the surface area and a reduction in the electrochemical performance. The study showed that an improvement in Barton pot oxide can be achieved with a hammering of the oxide in order to obtain a uniform particle size with improved surface area and an improved high rate performance of the electrochemical cells made with such an oxide. As a comparison, the particle size and surface area characteristics of Ball mill lead oxide subjected to the hammer milling process was also studied. The results showed a similar effect to the Barton pot oxide on the particle size distribution. However, there was no appreciable change in the surface area due to the hammer milling process.