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Cathodoluminescence, laser ablasion inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, electron probe microanalysis and electron paramagnetic resonance analyses of natural sphalerite

Natural sphalerite associated with copper, silver, lead-zinc, tin and tungsten deposits from various world-famous mineral deposits have been studied by cathodoluminescence (CL), laser ablasion inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to determine the relationship between trace element type and content and the CL properties of sphalerite. In general, sphalerite produces a spectrum of CL colour under electron bombardment that includes deep blue, turquoise, lime green, yellow-orange, orange-red and dull dark red depending on the type and concentration of trace quantities of activator ions. Sphalerite from most deposits shows a bright yellow-orange CL colour with ??max centred at 585 nm due to Mn2+ ion, and the intensity of CL is strongly dependent primarily on Fe2+ concentration. The blue emission band with ??max centred at 470-490 nm correlates with Ga and Ag at the Tsumeb, Horn Silver, Balmat and Kankoy mines. Colloform sphalerite from older well-known European lead-zinc deposits and late Cretaceous Kuroko-type VMS deposits of Turkey shows intense yellowish CL colour and their CL spectra are characterised by extremely broad emission bands ranging from 450 to 750 nm. These samples are characterised by low Mn (<10 ppm) and Ag (<1 ppm), and they are enriched in Tl (1-30 ppm) and Pb (80-1500 ppm). Strong green CL is produced by sphalerite from the Balmat-Edwards district. Amber, lime-green and red-orange sphalerite produced weak orange-red CL at room temperatures, with several emission bands centred at 490, 580, 630, 680, 745, with ??max at 630 nm being the strongest. These emission bands are well correlated with trace quantities of Sn, In, Cu and Mn activators. Sphalerite from the famous Ogdensburg and Franklin mines exhibited brilliant deep blue and orange CL colours and the blue CL may be related to Se. Cathodoluminescence behaviour of sphalerite serves to characterise ore types and help detect technologically important trace elements.

Conference Paper↗

Influence of electron donor on the minimum sulfate concentration required for sulfate reduction in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer

Fluctuations in the availability of electron donor (petroleum hydrocarbons) affected the competition between sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methanogenic bacteria (MB) for control of electron flow in a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer. The data suggest that abundant electron donor availability allowed MB to sequester a portion of the electron flow even when sulfate was present in sufficient concentrations to support sulfate reduction. For example, in an area of abundant electron-donor availability, SRB appeared to be unable to sequester the electron flow from MB in the presence of 1.4 mg/L sulfate. The data also suggest that when electron-donor availability was limited, SRB outcompeted MB for available substrate at a lower concentration of sulfate than when electron donor was plentiful. For example, in an area of limited electron-donor availability, SRB appeared to maintain dominance of electron flow at sulfate concentrations less than 1 mg/L. The presence of abundant electron donor and a limited amount of sulfate reduced competition for available substrate, allowing both SRB and MB to metabolize available substrates concurrently.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

Antibiotic use during the intracoelomic implantation of electronic tags into fish

The use of antibiotics, in particular, the use of a single dose of antibiotics during electronic tag implantation is of unproven value, and carries with it the potential for the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and the alteration of the immune response of the fish. Antibiotic use during electronic tag implantation must conform to relevant drug laws and regulations in the country where work is being done, including the requirements for withdrawal times before human consumption is a possibility. Currently, the choice of antibiotics (most often tetracycline or oxytetracycline) and the use of a single dose of the drug are decisions made without knowledge of the basic need for antibiotic usage and of the bacteria involved in infections that occur following electronic tag implantation. Correct perioperative use of an antibiotic is to apply the drug to the animal before surgery begins, to assure serum and tissue levels of the drug are adequate before the incision is made. However, the most common perioperative application of antibiotics during implantation of an electronic tag is to delay the administration of the drug, injecting it into the coelom after the electronic tag is inserted, just prior to closure of the incision. There is little empirical evidence that the present application of antibiotics in fish being implanted with electronic tags is of value. Improvements should first be made to surgical techniques, especially the use of aseptic techniques and sterilized instruments and electronic tags, before resorting to antibiotics.

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries↗

Hydrogen concentrations as an indicator of the predominant terminal electron-accepting reactions in aquatic sediments

Factors controlling the concentration of dissolved hydrogen gas in anaerobic sedimentary environments were investigated. Results, presented here or previously, demonstrated that, in sediments, only microorganisms catalyze the oxidation of H2 coupled to the reduction of nitrate, Mn(IV), Fe(III), sulfate, or carbon dioxide. Theoretical considerations suggested that, at steady-state conditions, H2 concentrations are primarily dependent upon the physiological characteristics of the microorganism(s) consuming the H2 and that organisms catalyzing H2 oxidation, with the reduction of a more electrochemically positive electron acceptor, can maintain lower H2 concentrations than organisms using electron acceptors which yield less energy from H2 oxidation. The H2 concentrations associated with the specified predominant terminal electron-accepting reactions in bottom sediments of a variety of surface water environments were: methanogenesis, 7-10 nM; sulfate reduction, 1-1.5 nM; Fe(III) reduction, 0.2 nM; Mn(IV) or nitrate reduction, less than 0.05 nM. Sediments with the same terminal electron acceptor for organic matter oxidation had comparable H2 concentrations, despite variations in the rate of organic matter decomposition, pH, and salinity. Thus, each terminal electron-accepting reaction had a unique range of steady-state H2 concentrations associated with it. Preliminary studies in a coastal plain aquifer indicated that H2 concentrations also vary in response to changes in the predominant terminal electron-accepting process in deep subsurface environments. These studies suggest that H2 measurements may aid in determining which terminal electron-accepting reactions are taking place in surface and subsurface sedimentary environments.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

Uncovering the nonadiabatic response of geosynchronous electrons to geomagnetic disturbance

We describe an energy spectrum method for scaling electron integral flux, which is measured at a constant energy, to phase space density at a constant value of the first adiabatic invariant which removes much of the variation due to reversible adiabatic effects. Applying this method to nearly a solar cycle (1995 - 2006) of geosynchronous electron integral flux (E>2.0MeV) from the GOES satellites, we see that much of the diurnal variation in electron phase space density at constant energy can be removed by the transformation to phase space density at constant μ (4000 MeV/G). This allows us a clearer picture of underlying non-adiabatic electron population changes due to geomagnetic activity. Using scaled phase space density, we calculate the percentage of geomagnetic storms resulting in an increase, decrease or no change in geosynchronous electrons as 38%, 7%, and 55%, respectively. We also show examples of changes in the electron population that may be different than the unscaled fluxes alone suggest. These examples include sudden electron enhancements during storms which appear during the peak of negative Dst for μ-scaled phase space density, contrary to the slow increase seen during the recovery phase for unscaled phase space density for the same event.

Journal of Geophysical Research↗

Thick target bremsstrahlung spectra for 1.00-, 1.25-, and 1.40-Mev electrons

The spectrum of radiation produced by 1.0-, 1.25-, and 1.40-Mev electrons incident on a thick tungsten target was measured at 0° and 90° with the incident beam by a method involving the magnetic analysis of Compton electrons. The effects of electron scattering and energy loss in the target preclude any simple interpretation of this data to yield a differential bremsstrahlung cross section. However, an estimate of the spectra to be expected at 0° and 90° was obtained by combining the Sauter expression for the bremsstrahlung cross section with the available information on electron scatter and energy loss in the target and backscatter from the target. The reliability of the estimate is limited because the Sauter formula was calculated by using the Born approximation, the electron scattering calculations are applicable to an infinite medium only, and the backscatter was estimated empirically from Bothe's experimental data which were obtained with lower energy electrons (370 kev). Furthermore electron energy straggling was neglected. Nevertheless, the predicted spectral shapes at 0° and 90° and the relative intensities at these two angles are in qualitative agreement with the measured values. The absolute magnitudes of the measured intensities at both angles are about a factor of two greater than the predicted values.

Physical Review↗

Evaluation of three electronic report processing systems for preparing hydrologic reports of the U.S Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

In 1987, the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey undertook three pilot projects to evaluate electronic report processing systems as a means to improve the quality and timeliness of reports pertaining to water resources investigations. The three projects selected for study included the use of the following configuration of software and hardware: Ventura Publisher software on an IBM model AT personal computer, PageMaker software on a Macintosh computer, and FrameMaker software on a Sun Microsystems workstation. The following assessment criteria were to be addressed in the pilot studies: The combined use of text, tables, and graphics; analysis of time; ease of learning; compatibility with the existing minicomputer system; and technical limitations. It was considered essential that the camera-ready copy produced be in a format suitable for publication. Visual improvement alone was not a consideration. This report consolidates and summarizes the findings of the electronic report processing pilot projects. Text and table files originating on the existing minicomputer system were successfully transformed to the electronic report processing systems in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format. Graphics prepared using a proprietary graphics software package were transferred to all the electronic report processing software through the use of Computer Graphic Metafiles. Graphics from other sources were entered into the systems by scanning paper images. Comparative analysis of time needed to process text and tables by the electronic report processing systems and by conventional methods indicated that, although more time is invested in creating the original page composition for an electronically processed report , substantial time is saved in producing subsequent reports because the format can be stored and re-used by electronic means as a template. Because of the more compact page layouts, costs of printing the reports were 15% to 25% less than costs of printing the reports prepared by conventional methods. Because the largest report workload in the offices conducting water resources investigations is preparation of Water-Resources Investigations Reports, Open-File Reports, and annual State Data Reports, the pilot studies only involved these projects. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Mineralogical applications of electron diffraction. 1. Theory and techniques

The small wavelengths used in electron-diffraction experiments and the thinness of the crystals necessary for the transmission of the electron beam combine to require a somewhat different diffraction geometry for the interpretation of electron-diffraction patterns than is used in the interpretation of X-ray diffraction patterns. This geometry, based on the reciprocal lattice concept and geometrical construction of Ewald, needed for the interpretation. of transmission electron-diffraction single-crystal patterns is here reviewed. Transmission electron-diffraction single-crystal patterns of two monoclinic substances, colemanite [CaB 3 O 3 (OH) 3 •H 2 O] and potassium chlorate (KC10 3 ), are examined and the .theory necessary for their interpretation is given in detail. The study of these patterns furnishes a basis for the interpretation of single-crystal patterns of materials belonging to any crystal system. It is shown that useful unit-cell data, accurate to a few tenths of a percent, can be obtained from the patterns of colemanite and KClO 3 . A method of evaluating unit-cell data from measurements of such single-crystal patterns is given. The transmission electron-diffraction powder pattern obtained from an oriented aggregate of thin crystals gives the same unit-cell data as are given by the electron-diffraction single-crystal pattern obtained from one crystal of the aggregate., A graphical method is given for precisely evaluating unit-cell constants from measurements of such a powder pattern.

Trace Elements Investigations↗

Standards for the Analysis and Processing of Surface-Water Data and Information Using Electronic Methods

Surface-water computation methods and procedures are described in this report to provide standards from which a completely automated electronic processing system can be developed. To the greatest extent possible, the traditional U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) methodology and standards for streamflow data collection and analysis have been incorporated into these standards. Although USGS methodology and standards are the basis for this report, the report is applicable to other organizations doing similar work. The proposed electronic processing system allows field measurement data, including data stored on automatic field recording devices and data recorded by the field hydrographer (a person who collects streamflow and other surface-water data) in electronic field notebooks, to be input easily and automatically. A user of the electronic processing system easily can monitor the incoming data and verify and edit the data, if necessary. Input of the computational procedures, rating curves, shift requirements, and other special methods are interactive processes between the user and the electronic processing system, with much of this processing being automatic. Special computation procedures are provided for complex stations such as velocity-index, slope, control structures, and unsteady-flow models, such as the Branch-Network Dynamic Flow Model (BRANCH). Navigation paths are designed to lead the user through the computational steps for each type of gaging station (stage-only, stagedischarge, velocity-index, slope, rate-of-change in stage, reservoir, tide, structure, and hydraulic model stations). The proposed electronic processing system emphasizes the use of interactive graphics to provide good visual tools for unit values editing, rating curve and shift analysis, hydrograph comparisons, data-estimation procedures, data review, and other needs. Documentation, review, finalization, and publication of records are provided for with the electronic processing system, as well as archiving, quality assurance, and quality control.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

Mechanisms of electron acceptor utilization: Implications for simulating anaerobic biodegradation

Simulation of biodegradation reactions within a reactive transport framework requires information on mechanisms of terminal electron acceptor processes (TEAPs). In initial modeling efforts, TEAPs were approximated as occurring sequentially, with the highest energy-yielding electron acceptors (e.g. oxygen) consumed before those that yield less energy (e.g., sulfate). Within this framework in a steady state plume, sequential electron acceptor utilization would theoretically produce methane at an organic-rich source and Fe(II) further downgradient, resulting in a limited zone of Fe(II) and methane overlap. However, contaminant plumes often display much more extensive zones of overlapping Fe(II) and methane. The extensive overlap could be caused by several abiotic and biotic processes including vertical mixing of byproducts in long-screened monitoring wells, adsorption of Fe(II) onto aquifer solids, or microscale heterogeneity in Fe(III) concentrations. Alternatively, the overlap could be due to simultaneous utilization of terminal electron acceptors. Because biodegradation rates are controlled by TEAPs, evaluating the mechanisms of electron acceptor utilization is critical for improving prediction of contaminant mass losses due to biodegradation. Using BioRedox-MT3DMS, a three-dimensional, multi-species reactive transport code, we simulated the current configurations of a BTEX plume and TEAP zones at a petroleum- contaminated field site in Wisconsin. Simulation results suggest that BTEX mass loss due to biodegradation is greatest under oxygen-reducing conditions, with smaller but similar contributions to mass loss from biodegradation under Fe(III)-reducing, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic conditions. Results of sensitivity calculations document that BTEX losses due to biodegradation are most sensitive to the age of the plume, while the shape of the BTEX plume is most sensitive to effective porosity and rate constants for biodegradation under Fe(III)-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Using this transport model, we had limited success in simulating overlap of redox products using reasonable ranges of parameters within a strictly sequential electron acceptor utilization framework. Simulation results indicate that overlap of redox products cannot be accurately simulated using the constructed model, suggesting either that Fe(III) reduction and methanogenesis are occurring simultaneously in the source area, or that heterogeneities in Fe(III) concentration and/or mineral type cause the observed overlap. Additional field, experimental, and modeling studies will be needed to address these questions. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology↗

The value of electronic tagging and tracking studies for understanding fish–hypoxia interactions

Objective Hypoxia (i.e., low dissolved oxygen availability) is a natural phenomenon but can also be induced by human activities (e.g., nutrient enrichment from runoff). Given that dissolved oxygen is essential for aquatic life, periods of hypoxia tend to have negative consequences (e.g., sublethal disturbances, mortality) for most fishes. Extensive laboratory research has documented hypoxia thresholds and physiological and behavioral outcomes for a variety of freshwater and marine fishes and there is also an extensive body of fieldwork assessing population-level responses (e.g., survival, distribution). Yet, studying how individual fish respond to hypoxia in the wild has proved challenging; electronic tagging and tracking tools (e.g., biotelemetry, biologging) have made it easier to study individual responses to hypoxia and complement other tools like hydroacoustics that tend to focus on population-level responses. Methods We review what has been learned from contemporary studies that employ electronic tagging and tracking tools to understand how fish respond to hypoxia in the wild. Topics explored include identifying and validating hypoxia thresholds, habitat compression, connectivity, mortality, physiological and bioenergetic consequences, and extreme weather conditions. We also consider what we have learned about evaluating various management plans for hypoxia and reflect on how electronic tags have also been used in aquaculture systems and in hybrid studies that combine laboratory and field research. We highlight fishes in Lake Erie as a research narrative to demonstrate how electronic tagging and tracking have markedly improved our understanding of a longstanding hypoxia issue. Results Our synthesis revealed that electronic tagging and tracking have provided critical information on how fish respond to hypoxia in the field, revealing complex trade-offs and compensatory mechanisms as well as cryptic hypoxia-induced mortality. Beyond just illuminating space use and mortality, tags equipped with various sensors are revealing how fish deal with hypoxia in real time in terms of physiology, bioenergetics, and behavior. Conclusions As electronic tagging and tracking methods experience further innovation and are increasingly applied to understand the effects of hypoxia on fish, we expect more unanticipated findings about the effects of hypoxia on fish in all aquatic ecosystems, which will strengthen our ability to manage and mitigate hypoxia. Combining tools and approaches (e.g., lab and field) is perhaps the best way to generate comprehensive understanding.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

A comparison of electronic particle counting and pipette techniques in routine mud analysis

Electronic particle counting and pipette size-analysis techniques are compared for their relative effectiveness in large-scale routine mud analysis. Optimum laboratory procedures for conducting electronic analyses with a Model TA Coulter Counter are presented. Comparative electronic and pipette analyses conducted on the same samples resulted in equivalent precision for both techniques. Results of electronic analyses consistently showed size distributions significantly coarser than those obtained by pipette analyses. The laboratory efficiency of the relatively rapid electronic technique is far superior to that of the pipette technique, although more extensive precautionary measures are required to maintain a high level of analytical accuracy and precision. The quality of electronic analyses largely depends upon the effectiveness of standardized operational procedures established within the laboratory.

Open-File Report↗

Vulnerability of nontarget goose species to hunting with electronic snow goose calls

Since 1999, use of electronic calls has been legal for hunting lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens; hereafter snow geese) during special seasons or times of day when other waterfowl species could not be hunted in prairie Canada. Prior to expanding the use of electronic calls for hunting snow geese during fall hunting seasons, effects of these calls on nontarget goose species must be examined. Accordingly, we examined the vulnerability of Canada (Branta canadensis) and white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) (dark geese) to electronic snow goose calls and 3 goose decoy sets (dark, mixed, and white) during the 1999 fall hunting seasons in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Canada geese were 2.3 times more likely to fly within gun range (P<0.001) and the mean number killed/hour/hunter was 2.5 times greater (P=0.043) during control periods when hunters were silent or used traditional calling methods (i.e., hand-held and voice calls) than when hunters used electronic snow goose calls. Flock response and kill rate for Canada geese declined as proportions of white decoys increased in decoy sets (P<0.001). White-fronted geese were 1.8 times more likely to fly within gun range (P=0.050) and the mean number killed/hour/hunter was 5.0 times greater (P=0.022) during control periods than during periods when electronic snow goose calls were used. Flock response for white-fronted geese also declined as the proportion of white decoys increased in decoy sets (P<0.001). The legalization of electronic snow goose calls during fall hunting seasons in prairie Canada should not result in increased harvest of nontarget dark geese.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗

Distribution of terminal electron-accepting processes in an aquifer having multiple contaminant sources

Concentrations of electron acceptors, electron donors, and H2 in groundwater were measured to determine the distribution of terminal electron-accepting processes (TEAPs) in an alluvial aquifer having multiple contaminant sources. Upgradient contaminant sources included two separate hydrocarbon point sources, one of which contained the fuel oxygenate methyl tertbutyl ether (MTBE). Infiltrating river water was a source of dissolved NO31 SO4 and organic carbon (DOC) to the downgradient part of the aquifer. Groundwater downgradient from the MTBE source had larger concentrations of electron acceptors (dissolved O2 and SO4) and smaller concentrations of TEAP end products (dissolved inorganic C, Fe2+ and CH4) than groundwater downgradient from the other hydrocarbon source, suggesting that MTBE was not as suitable for supporting TEAPs as the other hydrocarbons. Measurements of dissolved H2 indicated that SO4 reduction predominated in the aquifer during a period of high water levels in the aquifer and river. The predominant TEAP shifted to Fe3+ reduction in upgradient areas after water levels receded but remained SO4 reducing downgradient near the river. This distribution of TEAPs is the opposite of what is commonly observed in aquifers having a single contaminant point source and probably reflects the input of Dec and SO4 to the aquifer from the river. Results of this study indicate that the distribution of TEAPs in aquifers having multiple contaminant sources depends on the composition and location of the contaminants and on the availability of electron acceptors.

Applied Geochemistry↗

The concept of electron activity and its relation to redox potentials in aqueous geochemical systems

The definition of a formal thermodynamic activity of electrons in redox reactions appears in the literature of the 1920's. The concept of pe as -log (electron activity) was introduced by Jorgensen in 1945 and popularized in the geochemical literature by Sillen, who considered pe and pH as master variables in geochemical reactions. The physical significance of the concept of electron activity was challenged as early as 1928. However, only in the last two decades have sufficient thermodynamic data become available to examine this question quantitatively. The chemical nature of hydrated electrons differs greatly from that of hydrated protons, and thermodynamic data show that hydrated electrons cannot exist at physically meaningful equilibrium concentrations under natural conditions. This has important consequences for the understanding of redox processes in natural waters. These are: (1) the analogy between pe and pH as master variables is generally carried much further than is justified; (2) a thermodynamically meaningful value of redox potential cannot be assigned to disequilibrium systems; (3) the most useful approach to the study of redox characteristics is the analysis and study of multiple redox couples in the system; and (4) for all practical purposes, thermodynamically defined redox potentials do not exist (and thus cannot be measured) in natural waters. The overall implication for natural systems is that, in terms of redox reactions, each case must be considered on an individual and detailed basis. Field studies would appear to be a mandatory part of any site-specific study; conclusions regarding redox processes cannot be based solely on electrode measurements or thermodynamic stability calculations. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Legal, ethical, and procedural bases for the use of aseptic techniques to implant electronic devices

The popularity of implanting electronic devices such as transmitters and data loggers into captive and free-ranging animals has increased greatly in the past two decades. The devices have become smaller, more reliable, and more capable (Printz 2004; Wilson and Gifford 2005; Metcalfe et al. 2012). Compared with externally mounted devices, implanted devices are largely invisible to external viewers such as tourists and predators; exist in a physically protected, thermally stable environment in mammals and birds; and greatly reduce drag and risk of entanglement. An implanted animal does not outgrow its device or attachment method as can happen with collars and harnesses, which allows young animals to be more safely equipped. However, compared with mounting external devices, implantation requires greater technical ability to perform the necessary anesthesia, analgesia, and surgery. More than 83% of publications in the 1990s that used radiotelemetry on animals assumed that there were no adverse effects on the animal (Godfrey and Bryant 2003). It is likely that some studies using implanted electronic devices have not been published due to a high level of unexpected mortality or to aberrant behavior or disappearance of the implanted animals, a phenomenon known as the “file drawer” problem (Rosenthal 1979; Scargle 2000). The near absence of such studies from the published record may be providing a false sense of security that procedures being used are more innocuous than they actually are. Similarly, authors sometimes state that it was unlikely that device implantation was problematic because study animals appeared to behave normally, or authors state that previous investigators used the same technique and saw no problems. Such statements are suppositions if no supporting data are provided or if the animals were equipped because there was no other way to follow their activity. Moreover, such suppositions ignore other adverse effects that affect behavior indirectly, and animals often mask the signs of infection to avoid attracting predators (Wobeser 2006). Guidance specific to sterilization of electronic devices for implantation is limited in the wildlife record (Burger et al. 1994; Mulcahy 2003). Few biologists have been formally trained in aseptic technique, but most biologists know that electronic devices should be treated in some way to reduce the chance for infection of the host animal by bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Most biologists (73%) who implant devices into fishes believe aseptic techniques are important (Wagner and Cooke 2005). However, I maintain that many biologists find it difficult to place the concept of asepsis into practice in their work because of confusion about what constitutes aseptic technique, a lack of surgical knowledge and training, the perception of increased costs, or the belief that aseptic surgeries are impractical or unnecessary for their application. Some have even argued that, while compromising surgical techniques in the field might result in complications or mortalities, the money saved would allow for a compensatory increase in sample size (Anderson and Talcott 2006). In this paper I define aseptic surgical techniques, document the legal and professional guidance for performing aseptic surgeries on wild animals, and present options for sterilizing electronic devices and surgical instruments for field use.

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management↗

Examining industry vulnerability: A focus on mineral commodities used in the automotive and electronics industries

Automotive manufacturing is material-intensive and dependent on a broad range of mineral commodities. Moreover, the automotive manufacturing industries are reliant on complex and sometimes opaque multi-tiered global supply chains. Among the many industries on which automotive supply chains depend are the electronics and semiconductor industries , which are themselves material-intensive and reliant on opaque global supply chains. A linear programming model built on mineral end-use data and input-output tables provides a tool for investigating inter-industry relationships between the two sets of industry sectors and industrial vulnerability to mineral commodity supply disruptions. Supply disruptions in aluminum, magnesium metal, and zinc—metals used in the body-in-white, wheels and other parts—have significant potential to disrupt the automotive industries. On the other hand, supply disruptions in gallium, tellurium, and indium for example—semiconductor elements used in power electronics, screen coatings and other parts—have significant potential to impact the electronics and computer industries. More interestingly, case studies of the automotive and electronics industries show how supply disruptions in mineral commodities that are generally considered semiconductor materials, such as gallium, can significantly impact the automotive sector.

Resources Policy↗