Functional gene array-based analysis of microbial community structure in groundwaters with a gradient of contaminant levels

To understand how contaminants affect microbial community diversity, heterogeneity, and functional structure, six groundwater monitoring wells from the Field Research Center of the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Remediation Science Program (ERSP; Oak Ridge, TN), with a wide range of pH, titrate, and heavy metal contamination were investigated. DNA from the groundwater community was analyzed with a functional gene array containing 2006 probes to detect genes involved in metal resistance, sulfate reduction, organic contaminant degradation, and carbon and nitrogen cycling. Microbial diversity decreased in relation to the contamination levels of the wells. Highly contaminated wells had lower gene diversity but greater signal intensity than the pristine well. The microbial composition was heterogeneous, with 17-70% overlap between differentwells. Metal-resistant and metal-reducing microorganisms were detected in both contaminated and pristine wells, suggesting the potential for successful bioremediation of metal-contaminated groundwaters. In addition, results of Mantel tests and canonical correspondence analysis indicate that nitrate, sulfate, pH, uranium, and technetium have a significant (p < 0.05) effect on microbial community structure. This study provides an overall picture of microbial community structure in contaminated environments with functional gene arrays by showing that diversity and heterogeneity can vary greatly in relation to contamination.

Treatment of nitric acid-, U(VI)-, and Tc(VII)-contaminated groundwater in intermediate-scale physical models of an in situ biobarrier

Metal and hydrogen ion acidity and extreme nitrate concentrations at Department of Energy legacywaste sites pose challenges for successful in situ U and Tc bioimmobilization. In this study, we investigated a potential in situ biobarrier configuration designed to neutralize pH and remove nitrate and radionuclides from nitric acid-, U-, and Tc-contaminated groundwater for over 21 months. Ethanol additions to groundwater flowing through native sediment and crushed limestone effectively increased pH (from 4.7 to 6.9), promoted removal of 116 mM nitrate, increased sediment biomass, and immobilized 94% of total U. Increased groundwater pH and significant U removal was also observed in a control column that received no added ethanol. Sequential extraction and XANES analyses showed U in this sediment to be solid-associated U(VI), and EXAFS analysis results were consistent with uranyl orthophosphate (UO2)3(PO4)2.4H2O(s), which may control U solubility in this system. Ratios of respiratory ubiquinones to menaquinones and copies of dissimilatory nitrite reductase genes, nirS and nirK, were at least 1 order of magnitude greater in the ethanol-stimulated system compared to the control, indicating that ethanol addition promoted growth of a largely denitrifying microbial community. Sediment 16S rRNA gene clone libraries showed that Betaproteobacteria were dominant (89%) near the source of influent acidic groundwater, whereas members of Gamma- and Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased along the flow path as pH increased and nitrate concentrations decreased, indicating spatial shifts in community composition as a function of pH and nitrate concentrations. Results of this study support the utility of biobarriers for treating acidic radionuclide- and nitrate-contaminated groundwater.

Geochemical modeling of reactions and partitioning of trace metals and radionuclides during titration of contaminated acidic sediments

Many geochemical reactions that control aqueous metal concentrations are directly affected by solution pH. However, changes in solution pH are strongly buffered by various aqueous phase and solid phase precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption reactions. The ability to predict acid-base behavior of the soil-solution system is thus critical to predict metal transport under variable pH conditions. This studywas undertaken to develop a practical generic geochemical modeling approach to predict aqueous and solid phase concentrations of metals and anions during conditions of acid or base additions. The method of Spalding and Spalding was utilized to model soil buffer capacity and pH-dependent cation exchange capacity by treating aquifer solids as a polyprotic acid. To simulate the dynamic and pH-dependent anion exchange capacity, the aquifer solids were simultaneously treated as a polyprotic base controlled by mineral precipitation/ dissolution reactions. An equilibrium reaction model that describes aqueous complexation, precipitation, sorption and soil buffering with pH-dependent ion exchange was developed using HydroGeoChem v5.0 (HGC5). Comparison of model results with experimental titration data of pH, Al, Ca, Mg, Sr, Mn, Ni, Co, and SO4(2-) for contaminated sediments indicated close agreement suggesting that the model could potentially be used to predictthe acid-base behavior of the sediment-solution system under variable pH conditions.

Obsessive and compulsive symptoms in prediagnosed Huntington's disease

OBJECTIVE

Obsessive and compulsive symptoms (OCS) are more prevalent in patients with diagnosed Huntington's disease (HD) than in the general population. Although psychiatric symptoms have been reported in individuals with the HD gene expansion prior to clinical diagnosis (pre-HD), little is known about OCS in this phase of disease.

METHOD

The goal of this study was to assess OCS in 300 pre-HD individuals and 108 non-gene-expanded controls from the Neurobiological Predictors of Huntington's Disease (PREDICT-HD) study (enrolled between November 2002 and April 2007) using a multidimensional, self-report measure of OCS, the Schedule of Compulsions, Obsessions, and Pathologic Impulses (SCOPI). Additionally, pre-HD individuals were classified into 3 prognostic groups on the basis of age and CAG repeat length as "near-to-onset" (< 9 estimated years to onset), "mid-to-onset" (9-15 years to onset), and "far-to-onset" (> 15 years to onset). We compared the 3 pre-HD groups to the controls on SCOPI total score and 5 subscales (checking, cleanliness, compulsive rituals, hoarding, and pathologic impulses), controlling for age and gender.

RESULTS

All models showed a significant (p < .05) group effect except for hoarding, with an inverted-U pattern of increasing symptoms: controls < far-to-onset < mid-to-onset, with the near-to-onset group being similar to controls. Although the mid-to-onset group showed the most pathology, mean scores were below those of patients with diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder. SCOPI items that separated pre-HD individuals from controls were focused on perceived cognitive errors and obsessive worrying.

CONCLUSION

Subclinical OCS were present in pre-HD participants compared to controls. The OCS phenotype in pre-HD may present with obsessive worrying and checking related to cognitive errors and may be a useful target for clinical screening as it could contribute to functional status.

Deposition of uranium precipitates in dolomitic gravel fill

Uranium-containing precipitates have been observed in a dolomitic gravel fill near the Department of Energy (DOE) S-3 Ponds former waste disposal site as a result of exposure to acidic (pH 3.4) groundwater contaminated with U (33 mg L(-1)), Al3+ (900 mg L(-1)), and NO3- (14 000 mg L(-1)). The U containing precipitates fluoresce a bright green under ultraviolet (UV) short-wave light which identify U-rich coatings on the gravel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microprobe analysis show U concentration ranges from 1.6-19.8% (average of 7%) within the coatings with higher concentrations at the interface of the dolomite fragments. X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) indicate that the U is hexavalent and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) shows that the uranyl is coordinated by carbonate. The exact nature of the uranyl carbonates are difficult to determine, but some are best described by a split K(+)-like shell similar to grimselite [K4Na(UO2)(CO3)3 x H2O] and other regions are better described by a single Ca(2+)-like shell similar to liebigite [Ca2(UO2)(CO3)3 x 11(H2O)] or andersonite [Na2CaUO2(CO3)3 x 6H2O]. The U precipitates are found in the form of white to light yellow cracked-formations as coatings on the dolomite gravel and as detached individual precipitates, and are associated with amorphous basalumnite [Al4(SO4)(OH)10 x 4H2O].

Passive sampling and analyses of common dissolved fixed gases in groundwater

An in situ passive sampling and gas chromatographic protocol was developed for analysis of the major and several minor fixed gases (He, Ne, H2, N2, O2, CO, CH4, CO2, and N2O) in groundwater. Using argon carrier gas, a HayeSep DB porous polymer phase, and sequential thermal conductivity and reductive gas detectors, the protocol achieved sufficient separation and sensitivity to measure the mixing ratio of all these gases in a single 0.5 mL gas sample collected in situ, stored, transported, and injected using a gastight syringe. Within 4 days of immersion in groundwater, the simple passive in situ sampler, whether initially filled with He or air, attained an equivalent and constant mixing ratio for five of the seven detected gases. The abundant mixing ratio of N2O, averaging 2.6%, indicated that significant denitrification is likely ongoing within groundwater contaminated with uranium, acidity, nitrate, and organic carbon from a group of four closed radioactive wastewater seepage ponds at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center. Over 1000 passive gas samples from 12 monitoring wells averaged 56% CO2, 32.4% N2, 2.6% O2, 2.6% N2O, 0.21% CH4, 0.093% H2, and 0.025% CO with an average recovery of 95 +/- 14% of the injected gas volume.

Uranium removal from contaminated groundwater by synthetic resins

Synthetic resins are shown to be effective in removing uranium from contaminated groundwater. Batch and field column tests showed that strong-base anion-exchange resins were more effective in removing uranium from both near-neutral-pH (6.5)- and high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing groundwaters, than metal-chelating resins, which removed more uranium from acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater from the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) Y-12 S-3 Ponds area in Tennessee, USA. Dowex 1-X8 and Purolite A-520E anion-exchange resins removed more uranium from high-pH (8)-low-nitrate-containing synthetic groundwater in batch tests than metal-chelating resins. The Dowex 21K anion-exchange resin achieved a cumulative loading capacity of 49.8 mg g(-1) before breakthrough in a field column test using near-neutral-pH (6.5)-low-nitrate-containing groundwater. However, in an acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater, metal-chelating resins Diphonix and Chelex-100 removed more uranium than anion-exchange resins. In 15 m L of acidic-pH (5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater spiked with 20 mg L(-1) uranium, the uranium concentrations ranged from 0.95 mg L(-1) at 1-h equilibrium to 0.08 mg L(-1) at 24-h equilibrium for Diphonix and 0.17 mg L(-1) at 1-h equilibrium to 0.03 mg L(-1) at 24-h equilibrium for Chelex-100. Chelex-100 removed more uranium in the first 10 min in the 100mL of acidic-(pH 5)-high-nitrate-containing groundwater ( approximately 5 mg L(-1) uranium); however, after 10 min, Diphonix equaled or out-performed Chelex-100. This study presents an improved understanding of the selectivity and sorption kenetics of a range of ion-exchange resins that remove uranium from both low- and high-nitrate-containing groundwaters with varying pHs.

Uranium deposition in a weathered fractured saprolite/shale

Chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microanalysis were carried out on cores of contaminated geological material collected around four closed waste disposal ponds to examine the extent of nitric acid extractable U (U(NA)) association with P, S, and extractable Fe, Al, and Mn oxides within deeply weathered fractured shale. The solid phase in many regimes on the site has been exposed to highly buffered acidic (< 3.5) groundwater and has been aggressively weathered. Higher correlations occur between U(NA) and total P and S (r2 = 0.76, 0.69, respectively), citrate bicarbonate dithionite extractable Fe (Fed) and Al (Ald) (r2 = 0.87, 0.80, respectively), and acid oxalate extractable or amorphous/poorly crystalline Fe (Feo) (r2 = 0.63) in core material from a field plot known as Area 1 compared to core material from another field plot known as Area 3. In Area 3 core material, linear regression analysis of U(NA) and total P and S, and Fed, Ald and Feo gave r2 values of 0.67, 0.4, 0.06, 0.24, and 0.45, respectively. These results showed similar relationships with SEM-wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) mapping of this material. It is noteworthy that Area 1 geological material has not been as aggressively weathered as Area 3 material due to its physical location from the waste source. In all of the cores, most of the Fe and Al oxides were crystalline, while most of the Mn oxides were amorphous. The greater adsorption and/or fixation of anion complexes of P-U (uranium phosphate) and S onto Fe and Al oxides from Area 1 cores compared to Area 3 core material is probably due to a higher amount of crystalline Fe and Al oxides compared to amorphous Fe and Al oxides and higher Al substitution in Fe oxides in Area 1. This unique study illustrates the relationships between U(NA), total P and S, and Al, Fe and Mn oxides in fractured shale under field conditions which can be used in planning remediation of this site and other similar sites.

A reaction-based paradigm to model reactive chemical transport in groundwater with general kinetic and equilibrium reactions

This paper presents a reaction-based water quality transport model in subsurface flow systems. Transport of chemical species with a variety of chemical and physical processes is mathematically described by M partial differential equations (PDEs). Decomposition via Gauss-Jordan column reduction of the reaction network transforms M species reactive transport equations into two sets of equations: a set of thermodynamic equilibrium equations representing N(E) equilibrium reactions and a set of reactive transport equations of M-N(E) kinetic-variables involving no equilibrium reactions (a kinetic-variable is a linear combination of species). The elimination of equilibrium reactions from reactive transport equations allows robust and efficient numerical integration. The model solves the PDEs of kinetic-variables rather than individual chemical species, which reduces the number of reactive transport equations and simplifies the reaction terms in the equations. A variety of numerical methods are investigated for solving the coupled transport and reaction equations. Simulation comparisons with exact solutions were performed to verify numerical accuracy and assess the effectiveness of various numerical strategies to deal with different application circumstances. Two validation examples involving simulations of uranium transport in soil columns are presented to evaluate the ability of the model to simulate reactive transport with complex reaction networks involving both kinetic and equilibrium reactions.

A catalytic beacon sensor for uranium with parts-per-trillion sensitivity and millionfold selectivity

Here, we report a catalytic beacon sensor for uranyl (UO2(2+)) based on an in vitro-selected UO2(2+)-specific DNAzyme. The sensor consists of a DNA enzyme strand with a 3' quencher and a DNA substrate with a ribonucleotide adenosine (rA) in the middle and a fluorophore and a quencher at the 5' and 3' ends, respectively. The presence of UO2(2+) causes catalytic cleavage of the DNA substrate strand at the rA position and release of the fluorophore and thus dramatic increase of fluorescence intensity. The sensor has a detection limit of 11 parts per trillion (45 pM), a dynamic range up to 400 nM, and selectivity of >1-million-fold over other metal ions. The most interfering metal ion, Th(IV), interacts with the fluorescein fluorophore, causing slightly enhanced fluorescence intensity, with an apparent dissociation constant of approximately 230 microM. This sensor rivals the most sensitive analytical instruments for uranium detection, and its application in detecting uranium in contaminated soil samples is also demonstrated. This work shows that simple, cost-effective, and portable metal sensors can be obtained with similar sensitivity and selectivity as much more expensive and sophisticated analytical instruments. Such a sensor will play an important role in environmental remediation of radionuclides such as uranium.

Measurement of dissolved H2, O2, and CO2 in groundwater using passive samplers for gas chromatographic analyses

A simple in-situ passive dissolved gas groundwater sampler, comprised of a short length of silicone tubing attached to a gastight or other syringe, was adapted and tested for in-situ collection of equilibrium gas samples. Sampler retrieval after several days of immersion in groundwater allowed the direct injection of the sample onto a gas chromatograph (GC), simplifying field collection and sample handling over the commonly used "bubble stripping" method for H2 analyses. A GC was modified by sequencing a thermal conductivity (TC) detector followed by a reductive gas (RG) detector so that linear calibration of H2 over the range 0.2-200,000 ppmv was attained using a 0.5-mL gas sample; inclusion of the TC detector allowed the simultaneous quantification of other fixed gases (O2, CO2, He, and Ne) to which the RG detector was not responsive. Uptake kinetics for H2 and He indicated that the passive sampler reached equilibrium within 12 h of immersion in water. Field testing of these passive samplers revealed unusually large equilibrium gas-phase H2 concentrations in groundwater, ranging from 0.1 to 13.9%, by volume, in 11 monitoring wells surrounding four former radiological wastewater disposal ponds at the Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Distinguishing between hypochondriasis and somatization disorder: a review of the existing literature

A valid classification is important for further understanding of the somatoform disorders. The main disorders in this grouping - somatization disorder and hypochondriasis - have lengthy historical traditions and are defined in a contrasting manner. Various authors point to distinguishing demographic and clinical features, but there have been few direct comparisons of patients with these disorders. A review of the literature indicates those domains where differences are most likely to be found. Research assessing these may serve to refine and validate these key somatoform categories and/or dimensions.

Distribution of uranium contamination in weathered fractured saprolite/shale and ground water

The objective of this study was to determine how structure, stratigraphy, and weathering influence fate and transport of contaminants (particularly U) in the ground water and geologic material at the Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Remediation Sciences Department (ERSD) Field Research Center (FRC). Several cores were collected near four former unlined adjoining waste disposal ponds. The cores were collected, described, analyzed for U, and compared with ground water geochemistry from surrounding multilevel wells. At some locations, acidic U-contaminated ground water was found to preferentially flow in small remnant fractures weathering the surrounding shale (nitric acid extractable U [U(NA)] usually < 50 mg kg(-1)) into thin (<25 cm) Fe oxide-rich clayey seams that retain U (U(NA) 239 to 375 mg kg(-1)). However, greatest contaminant transport occurs in a 2 to 3 m thick more permeable stratigraphic transition zone located between two less permeable, and generally less contaminated zones consisting of (i) overlying unconsolidated saprolite (U(NA) < 0.01 to 200 mg kg(-1)) and (ii) underlying less-weathered bedrock (U(NA) generally < 0.01 to 7 mg kg(-1)). In this transition zone, acidic (pH < 4) U-enriched ground water (U of 38 mg L(-1)) has weathered away calcite veins resulting in greater porosity, higher hydraulic conductivity, and higher U contamination (U(NA) 106 to 745 mg kg(-1)) of the weathered interbedded shale and sandstone. These characteristics of the transition zone produce an interval with a high flux of contaminants that could be targeted for remediation.

Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of soil-saprolite cores from a field research site, Tennessee

Site characterization is an essential initial step in determining the feasibility of remedial alternatives at hazardous waste sites. Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of U-contaminated soils in deeply weathered saprolite at Area 2 of the DOE Field Research Center (FRC) site, Oak Ridge, TN, was accomplished to examine the feasibility of bioremediation. Concentrations of U in soil-saprolite (up to 291 mg kg(-1) in oxalate-extractable U(o)) were closely related to low pH (ca. 4-5), high effective cation exchange capacity without Ca (64.7-83.2 cmol(c) kg(-1)), amorphous Mn content (up to 9910 mg kg(-1)), and the decreased presence of relative clay mineral contents in the bulk samples (i.e., illite 2.5-12 wt. %, average 32 wt. %). The pH of the fill material ranged from 7.0 to 10.5, whereas the pH of the saprolite ranged from 4.5 to 8. Uranium concentration was highest (about 300 mg kg(-1)) at around 6 m below land surface near the saprolite-fill interface. The pH of ground water at Area 2 tended to be between 6 and 7 with U concentrations of about 0.9 to 1.7 mg L(-1). These site specific characteristics of Area 2, which has lower U and nitrate contamination levels and more neutral ground water pH compared with FRC Areas 1 and 3 (ca. 5.5 and <4, respectively), indicate that with appropriate addition of electron donors and nutrients bioremediation of U by metal reducing microorganisms may be possible.

Impacts on microbial communities and cultivable isolates from groundwater contaminated with high levels of nitric acid-uranium waste

Microbial communities were characterized at contaminated sites that had elevated levels of nitrate, nickel, aluminum, and uranium (up to 690 mM, 310 microM, 42 mM, and 30 microM, respectively). The bacterial community structure based upon clonal libraries of the SSU rRNA genes (screened clones = 876) was diverse at the background site, but the three acidic samples had decreased diversity and the majority of clones were closely related to Azoarcus and Pseudomonas species. Arthrobacter and Novosphingobium sequences were recovered from the background samples but not the acidic sites, and similar pseudomonad populations were present at the background and acidic sites albeit at different relative abundances. Heterologous sequence coverage analyses indicated the microbial communities at the contaminated sites were very similar (p = 0.001) but different from the background site. Bacterial isolates (n = 67) classified as beta-or gamma-Proteobacteria, high G+C Gram-positive or low G+C Gram-positive were obtained from the background and one contaminated sample, and some of the isolates had less than 95% sequence identity with previously observed microorganisms. Despite variations in nitrate and heavy metal levels and different proximities to the source ponds, the three acidic samples had similar microbial populations. However, the least contaminated site (lowest nitrate and aluminum) had increased diversity compared to the other acidic samples. The results suggested that the combined contamination has decreased the microbial diversity, and Azoarcus populations were observed at a drastically increased frequency compared to the background site that had a more even distribution of multiple taxa.

Phylogenetic and functional biomakers as indicators of bacterial community responses to mixed-waste contamination

Few studies have demonstrated changes in community structure along a contaminant plume in terms of phylogenetic, functional, and geochemical changes, and such studies are essential to understand how a microbial ecosystem responds to perturbations. Clonal libraries of multiple genes (SSU rDNA, nirK, nirS, amoA, pmoA, and dsrAB) were analyzed from groundwater samples (n = 6) that varied in contaminant levels, and 107 geochemical parameters were measured. Principal components analyses (PCA) were used to compare the relationships among the sites with respect to the biomarker (n = 785 for all sequences) distributions and the geochemical variables. A major portion of the geochemical variance measured among the samples could be accounted for by tetrachloroethene, 99Tc, No3, SO4, Al, and Th. The PCA based on the distribution of unique biomarkers resulted in different groupings compared to the geochemical analysis, but when the SSU rRNA gene libraries were directly compared (deltaC(xy) values) the sites were clustered in a similar fashion compared to geochemical measures. The PCA based upon functional gene distributions each predicted different relationships among the sites, and comparisons of Euclidean distances based upon diversity indices for all functional genes (n = 432) grouped the sites by extreme or intermediate contaminant levels. The data suggested that the sites with low and high perturbations were functionally more similar than sites with intermediate conditions, and perhaps captured the overall community structure better than a single phylogenetic biomarker. Moreover, even though the background site was phylogenetically and geochemically distinct from the acidic sites, the extreme conditions of the acidic samples might be more analogous to the limiting nutrient conditions of the background site. An understanding of microbial community-level responses within an ecological framework would provide better insight for restoration strategies at contaminated field sites.

A nested-cell approach for in situ remediation

We characterize the hydraulics of an extraction-injection well pair in arbitrarily oriented regional flow by the recirculation ratio, area, and average residence time in the recirculation zone. Erratic regional flow conditions may compromise the performance of the reactor between a single well pair. We propose an alternative four-well system: two downgradient extraction and two upgradient injection wells creating an inner cell nested within an outer cell. The outer cell protects the inner cell from the influence of regional flow. Compared to a two-well system, the proposed four-well system has several advantages: (1) the recirculation ratio within the nested inner cell is less sensitive to the regional flow direction; (2) a transitional recirculation zone between the inner and outer cells can capture flow leakage from the inner cell, minimizing the release of untreated contaminants; and (3) the size of the recirculation zone and residence times can be better controlled within the inner cell by changing the pumping rates. The system is applied at the Field Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where experiments on microbial in situ reduction of uranium (VI) are under way.

Mass-transfer limitations for nitrate removal in a uranium-contaminated aquifer

A field test on in situ subsurface bioremediation of uranium(VI) is underway at the Y-12 National Security Complex in the Oak Ridge Reservation, Oak Ridge, TN. Nitrate has a high concentration at the site, which prevents U(VI) reduction, and thus must be removed. An acidic-flush strategy for nitrate removal was proposed to create a treatment zone with low levels of accessible nitrate. The subsurface at the site contains highly interconnected fractures surrounded by matrix blocks of low permeability and high porosity and is therefore subject to preferential flow and matrix diffusion. To identify the heterogeneous mass transfer properties, we performed a novel forced-gradient tracer test, which involved the addition of bromide, the displacement of nitrate, and the rebound of nitrate after completion of pumping. The simplest conceptualization consistent with the data is that the pore-space consists of a single mobile domain, as well as a fast and a slowly reacting immobile domain. The slowly reacting immobile domain (shale matrix) constitutes over 80% of the pore volume and acts as a long-term reservoir of nitrate. According to simulations, the nitrate stored in the slowly interacting immobile domain in the fast flow layer, at depths of about 12.2-13.7 m, will be reduced by an order of magnitude over a period of about a year. By contrast, the mobile domain rapidly responds to flushing, and a low average nitrate concentration can be maintained if the nitrate is removed as soon as it enters the mobile domain. A field-scale experiment in which the aquifer was flushed with acidic solution confirmed our understanding of the system. For the ongoing experiments on microbial U(VI) reduction, nitrate concentrations must be low in the mobile domain to ensure U(VI) reducing conditions. We therefore conclude that the nitrate leaching out of the immobile pore space must continuously be removed by in situ denitrification to maintain favorable conditions.

Natural humics impact uranium bioreduction and oxidation

Although humic substances occur ubiquitously in soil and groundwater, their effect on the biological reduction of uranium(VI) and subsequent reoxidation of U(IV) is poorly understood. This study investigated the role of humics in enhancing the bioreduction of U(VI) in laboratory kinetic studies, in field push-pull tests, and in the presence or absence of metal ions such as Ca2+ and Ni2+, which are known to inhibit the biological reduction of U(VI). Results from laboratory experiments indicate that, under strict anaerobic conditions, the presence of humic materials enhanced the U(VI) reduction rates (up to 10-fold) and alleviated the toxicity effect of Ni2+ on microorganisms. Humic acid was found to be more effective than fulvic acid in enhancing the reduction of U(VI). Such an enhancement effect is attributed to the ability of these humics in facilitating electron-transfer reactions and/or in complexing Ca2+ and Ni2+ ions. Similarly, field push-pull tests demonstrated a substantially increased rate of U(VI) reduction when humic acid was introduced into the site groundwater. However, humics were also found to form complexes with reduced U(IV) and increased the oxidation of U(IV) (when exposed to oxygen) with an oxidation halflife on the order of a few minutes. Both of these processes render uranium soluble and potentially mobile in groundwater, depending on site-specific and dynamic geochemical conditions. Future studies must address the stability and retention of reduced U(IV) under realistic field conditions (e.g., in the presence of dissolved oxygen and low concentrations of complexing organics).

Plume and lithologic profiling with surface resistivity and seismic tomography

Improved surface-based geophysical technologies that are commercially available provide a new level of detail that can be used to guide ground water remediation. Surface-based multielectrode resistivity methods and tomographic seismic refraction techniques were used to image to a depth of approximately 30 m below the surface at the Natural and Accelerated Bioremediation Research Field Research Center. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established the research center on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to conduct in situ field-scale studies on bioremediation of metals and radionuclides. Bioremediation studies are being conducted on the saprolite, shale bedrock, and ground water at the site that have been contaminated with nitrate, uranium, technetium, tetrachloroethylene, and other contaminants (U.S. DOE 1997). Geophysical methods were effective in imaging the high-ionic strength plume and in defining the transition zone between saprolite and bedrock zones that appears to have a significant influence on contaminant transport. The geophysical data were used to help select the location and depth of investigation for field research plots. Drilling, borehole geophysics, and ground water sampling were used to verify the surface geophysical studies.

Relationship between hypochondriacal concerns and personality dimensions and traits in a military population

Our aim was to examine the relationship between personality dimensions and hypochondriacal concerns and somatic symptoms in a military population. The Schedule of Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality along with measures of hypochondriacal concerns and somatic symptoms were administered to 602 military veterans who had been on active duty during the 1991 Gulf War. Factor analyses identified six separable dimensions-two of hypochondriacal concerns, two of somatic symptoms, and two of possible mechanisms of symptom generation-for study. Multiple regression models determined the proportion of variation in these measures of somatic distress explained by personality scales. Personality measures explained between 26% and 38% of the variance in hypochondriacal concerns and somatic symptoms, and Negative Temperament accounted for most of this. Moderately strong positive correlations were observed between trait scales Mistrust, Low Self-Esteem, and Eccentric Perceptions and the various measures of somatic distress. Thus, when Negative Temperament was taken into account, few significant correlations between personality measures and hypochondriacal concerns or somatic symptoms remained. Negative temperament or neuroticism is strongly associated with hypochondriacal concerns. Important features of hypochondriasis and somatic distress appear to lie within the domain of personality. It remains for future research to show whether negative temperament is a vulnerability factor for hypochondriasis or hypochondriasis is itself a personality disorder.