Salt Lake Research Articles

Asymmetric polyamide nanofilm boosted by protonated dendrimer porous intermediate layer for Li+/Mg2+ separation

Nanofiltration membrane with fine-tuned pore structure and inner charge can achieve the efficient extraction of Li resource from Salt Lake. Herein, we synthesized three water-soluble dendrimers with 128, 256, and 512-aromatic amine groups that enable to be protonated to show positive charge. Protonated dendrimer porous intermediate layer, thus can be designed and fabricated via diazotization-coupling reaction, which imparts polyamide dense layer made by interfacial polymerization with optimized screening pore structure and decreased inner negative charge. Enhanced water/salt permeance was obtained due to the formation of nanostripe structure and thinner thickness of separation layer, as high as 360.87 kg m−2 h−1 MPa−1 for 2000 ppm LiCl. Moreover, the asymmetric polyamide nanofilm with decreased negative charge density provided 11.52 times of Li+/Mg2+ separation selectivity compared to the pristine counterparts. For example, the PSF-160A-PA membrane exhibited a Li+/Mg2+ selectivity of 45.8. Higher cut-off lines between water permeance and Li+/Mg2+ separation selectivity were achieved, while achieving higher Li purity and Li recovery was observed, which was better than some of literature-reported membranes. Such work provides a scalable strategy to fine-tune the structural feature of intermediate layer, then form defect-free polyamide nanofilm for accurate ion sieving.

Intercalation of small molecules in the selective layer of polyamide nanofiltration membranes facilitates the separation of Mg2+/Li+

In addressing lithium supply shortages driven by increased energy demand, nanofiltration membrane technology is crucial for recovering lithium from salt lake brines. Overcoming the challenge of achieving high selectivity for Li+ and water permeability in polymer nanofiltration membranes, this study proposes a simple approach using Aminomalononitrile (AMN) intercalation to modify polyamide layers. Density functional theory simulations predict AMN's superior selectivity and enhanced hydrophilicity. Stable intercalation of AMN between polyethyleneimine (PEI) molecules is demonstrated, synergistically enhancing water permeability and Li+ selectivity. The resulting PEI/AMN-TMC membrane exhibits exceptional Li+ selectivity and improved water permeability (13.1 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1), 2.9 times higher than traditional PEI-TMC membranes. Stable performance for over seven days, along with anti-scaling and anti-bacterial properties, underscores its practicality. This investigation sheds light on membrane structure regulation through small-molecule intercalation, offering insights into precise adjustments for enhanced water permeability and ion selectivity.

Chelativorans salis sp. nov., a slightly halophilic bacterium isolated from an enrichment system with saline lake sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, and slightly halophilic alphaproteobacterium, designated strain EGI FJ00035T, was isolated from enrichment sediment samples of a saline lake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, PR China. The taxonomic position of the isolate was determined using the polyphasic taxonomic and phylogenomic analyses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain EGI FJ00035T formed a distinct clade with 'Chelativorans alearense' UJN715 and 'Chelativorans xinjiangense' lm93 with sequence similarities of 98.44 and 98.22 %, respectively, while sharing less than 96.7 % with other valid type strains. The novel isolate could be distinguished from other species of the genus Chelativorans by its distinct phenotypic, physiological, and genotypic characteristics. Optimal growth of strain EGI FJ00035T occurred on marine agar 2216 at pH 7.0 and 30 °C. The major respiratory quinone was Q-10, while the major fatty acids (>5 %) were C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, summed feature 8 (C17 : 1 ω6c and/or C17 : 1 ω7c), C16 : 0, C18 : 0, and iso-C17 : 0. The detected polar lipids included diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminophospholipids, unidentified glycolipids, and an unidentified lipid. Based on its genome sequence, the G+C content of strain EGI FJ00035T was 63.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain EGI FJ00035T against related members of the genus Chelativorans were below the thresholds for delineation of a novel species. According our polyphasic taxonomic data, strain EGI FJ00035T represents a new species of the genus Chelativorans, for which the name Chelativorans salis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the proposed novel isolate is EGI FJ00035T (=KCTC 92251T=CGMCC 1.19480T).

Distribution patterns and co-occurrence network of eukaryotic algae in different salinity waters of Yuncheng Salt Lake, China

The community structure and co-occurrence pattern of eukaryotic algae in Yuncheng Salt Lake were analyzed based on marker gene analysis of the 18S rRNA V4 region to understand the species composition and their synergistic adaptations to the environmental factors in different salinity waters. The results showed indicated that the overall algal composition of Yuncheng Salt Lake showed a Chlorophyta-Pyrrophyta-Bacillariophyta type structure. Chlorophyta showed an absolute advantage in all salinity waters. In addition, Cryptophyta dominated in the least saline waters; Pyrrophyta and Bacillariophyta were the dominant phyla in the waters with salinity ranging from 13.2 to 18%. Picochlorum, Nannochloris, Ulva, and Tetraselmis of Chlorophyta, Biecheleria and Oxyrrhis of Pyrrophyta, Halamphora, Psammothidium, and Navicula of Bacillariophyta, Guillardia and Rhodomonas of Cryptophyta were not observed in previous surveys of the Yuncheng Salt Lake, suggesting that the algae are undergoing a constant turnover as the water environment of the Salt Lake continues to change. The network diagram demonstrated that the algae were strongly influenced by salinity, NO3−, and pH, changes in these environmental factors would lead to changes in the algal community structure, thus affecting the stability of the network structure.

Genetic structure of ten Artemia populations from China: cumulative effects of ancient geological events, climatic changes, and human activities

This study investigated the population genetics and distribution patterns of Artemia populations from ten inland salt lakes in China. A total of 1,274,698 Artemia single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified. The results showed that these populations could be geographically and genetically divided into four distinct groups, and that the Tibetan populations were further divided into two subpopulations with a trend of decreasing genetic diversity from west to east. The Tibetan population had the highest genetic diversity, whereas the Shanxi population had the lowest. There was moderate genetic differentiation between the Tibetan populations and greater genetic differentiation between the Xinjiang and Shanxi populations. IBD (isolation by distance) suggested that geographical isolation contributes to genetic differentiation. In addition, there was some degree of gene flow among the ten populations, with A. sinica showing unidirectional gene flow in all populations in the eastern Nagri region. Species distribution modeling showed that mean annual temperature, temperature seasonality, and annual precipitation were the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of Artemia populations and suitable habitats for Tibetan populations will be further reduced in the future. It is necessary to strengthen the protection of germplasm resources and formulate scientific protocols for the sustainable development and utilization of Artemia resources.

Insights into Li+ adsorption using H2TiO3 in salt lakes with different hydrochemical types: The activity of OH groups

Adsorption-based lithium (Li) recovery from salt lakes has focused on Li+ selectivity in competitive cations and improving the adsorption capacity, but ignored the effect of different hydrochemical types on its adsorption. Herein, the adsorption behavior of Li+ was comparatively studied in carbonate-type, sulfate-type, and chloride-type salt lakes using H2TiO3 as an adsorbent. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the replacement of O–H by O-Li bond in H2TiO3 sieves drove the Li+ capture. At a salt concentration of 10 g/L, the adsorption of Li+ by H2TiO3 was in the order of SO42− (40.08 mg g−1) > Cl− (36.66 mg g−1) > CO32− (30.18 mg g−1). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrated that the number of activated OH groups in the three salt solutions followed the same order of adsorption capacity. The binding energy of Li+ and anion calculated by density functional theory (DFT) verified the activity of OH groups, further revealing the influence mechanism of hydrochemical types on Li+ adsorption. This study suggests that the activity of Li+ adsorption sites was affected by the specific hydrochemical types of salt lakes, providing theoretical guidance for the Li+ adsorptive recovery from different water matrices.

Chronology of the early transgressive phase of Lake Bonneville

Abstract Radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating of microbialites and penecontemporaneous cements in a microbialite mound at Death Point at Lakeside, Utah, on the shore of Great Salt Lake, Utah, call for a revision of the Lake Bonneville hydrograph. At about 30,000 cal yr BP, the lake experienced an abrupt rise of about 20 m, then dropped back down to levels near or slightly higher than the modern average elevation of Great Salt Lake. Over the ensuing ~6000 yr the lake experienced a series of fluctuations, up to levels a few tens of meters higher than the modern average Great Salt Lake, then down again. The exact timing and amplitudes of those fluctuations are not known, but importantly, the lake did not rise to levels near the Stansbury shoreline (~80 m higher than Great Salt Lake) until after about 24,000 cal yr BP. After the Stansbury shoreline, the lake rose almost 200 m to its highest level at the Bonneville shoreline by about 17,500 cal yr BP. This interpretation is different from previously published hydrographs, many of which show a relatively steady rise to near the Stansbury shoreline between 30,000 and 25,000 cal yr BP.

Separation effect of Li+, Na+, and Mg2+ with alumina–lithium LDH doped with amorphous titanium dioxide

Alumina–lithium layered double hydroxide doped with amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2@AlLi–LDH) was synthesized through the coprecipitation of Li+ and Al3+. The structural characteristics of TiO2@AlLi–LDH were analyzed via XRD, XPS, BET and DSC–TG. Titanium oxide anions could be inserted between layers in TiO2@AlLi–LDH, and TiO2@AlLi–LDH consists of nanoflake-sized particles. The average diameter of the particles is 231.0 nm, and the particle size distribution curve is close to the normal distribution curve. The BET surface area is 174.02 m2·g−1 after recrystallization. The Li+ adsorption process of TiO2@AlLi–LDH can be described by the pseudo–second–order model, and the adsorption capacity is 11.54 mg·g−1. The structure of TiO2@AlLi–LDH was destroyed because of the reaction between Mg2+ and CO32−. The presence of Na+ significantly reduces the Li+ adsorption ability of TiO2@AlLi–LDH without destroying the structure. The separation coefficient of Mg2+/Li+ is 4269.76 when the initial mass ratio of Mg2+/Li+ is 350.20, and the separation coefficient of Na+/Li+ is 226.20 when the initial mass ratio of Na+/Li+ is 329.40. The Li+ adsorption amount of TiO2@AlLi–LDH in Qarhan salt lake brine is 5.66 mg·g−1, suggesting potential for industrial application.

Analysis of the substances migration within the trophic chain “soil — plant — raw meat materials”

The trophic chain, which manifests the correlation at nutritional level between various macro- and microorganisms, is an important factor of the ecosystem; it can show the migration of various substances within the chain “soil — water — plant — animals”. The trophic chain in Borgoy depression area was studied due to the profound correlation between the compositional characteristics of the soil and pronounced organoleptic features of meat of the sheep that feed on grass in this area. For the experiments, control and experimental samples of soil, water, plants and mutton meat were examined. The samples taken near the saline lake within the Borgoy depression on the west of Beloozersk village served as an experimental sample. The samples taken 30 km from the salt lake near Petropavlovsk village in the Republic of Buryatia served as control sample. Experiments have shown that the soil of the Borgoy depression is a saline soil, with a depth of the salt horizon of 0–30 cm, and the salt belongs to chloride-sulfate-soda type of salinity. It is noted that the saline soil is characterized by a much higher content of carbonates, chlorides and cations of sodium, potassium and magnesium. Correlation was found between the isotopic composition in soil, vegetation and the raw meat materials. More profound certain organoleptic features of Borgoy mutton were noted. It’s highly probable that this fact is associated with the peculiarities of the mineral, chemical, and amino acid compositions of meat of the livestock that lives in the pastures of the Borgoy depression, characterized by saline soils. Despite the increased content of heavy metals such as lead and copper in the soil, data on sheep muscle tissue showed that all values of toxic elements content are within the permissible concentration range. The transfer of heavy metals from the soil to the aboveground part of plants is hindered by the underground root part, which serves as barrier.

Antibacterial polyamide nanofiltration membranes with intermediate layers of quaternized cellulose nanocrystal for Mg2+/Li+ separation

Positively charged and non-toxic intermediate layers are highly desirable for the construction of nanofiltration membranes in the field of Mg2+/Li+ separation. Herein, we have prepared dual-electric layer nanofiltration membranes via introducing positively charged quaternized cellulose nanocrystals (Q-CNC) beyond the negatively charged polyamide skin layers. On the one hand, the strong interactions between Q-CNC and piperazine (PIP) could regulate the thickness, roughness, and residual groups of the polyamide (PA) layers, resulting in improved water flux. On the other hand, the Q-CNC has lots of positive charges which are beneficial for enhancing the rejections of negatively charged polyamide skin layers towards divalent cations since the Donnan and electrostatic effects are long-range forces. Moreover, this effect could be amplified by reducing the thickness of skin layers or decreasing the contents of residual carboxyl groups via adjusting the monomer concentrations. The obtained nanofiltration membranes possess high water flux of 51 L/m2/h/bar, and rejection for MgCl2 of 86 %. The separation factor of Mg2+/Li+ is 29 when the Mg2+/Li+ mass ratio in the feed solution is 20:1. Moreover, the nanofiltration membrane with Q-CNC intermediate layers (QNFM) has good antibacterial properties, showing great potential in the fields of lithium extraction from salt lakes.

Hidden fluid dynamics of dry salt lakes

Hidden fluid dynamics of dry salt lakes

Contraceptive uptake among gender-expansive individuals in the HER Salt Lake Contraceptive Initiative

ObjectivesWe examined differences in contraceptive uptake and discontinuation between gender-expansive individuals and cis-women in the HER Salt Lake Contraceptive Initiative. Study DesignWe used self-reported survey data to assess associations between gender identity, contraceptive uptake, and discontinuation. ResultsOf participants (n=4,289), 178/4289(4%) identified as gender-expansive with 157/178(88%) reporting recent sexual activity with men. Selection of IUD or Implant was most common, with 109/178(61%) of gender-expansive individuals choosing these options. We observed similar methods selected (p=0.2) and discontinuation rates at three years between participants (OR: 0.93, p=0.8). ConclusionGender-expansive individuals had similar method selection and discontinuation rates as cis-women.

Effects of conductive agent type on lithium extraction from salt lake brine with LiFePO4 electrodes

Effects of conductive agent type on lithium extraction from salt lake brine with LiFePO4 electrodes

Synthesis of highly porous layered hydrogen titanium oxide(HTO) granule by using carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils(CMCNFs) for effective recovery of Lithium(Li) from low-grade brines

Layered hydrogen titanium oxide (HTO) shows potential for lithium (Li) recovery from low-grade brines, but its practical use is hindered due to its particulate nature. In this study, we developed highly porous HTO granules using carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils (CMCNFs) as a binder (CMCNF@HTOs) and evaluated their Li adsorption efficiency in simulated brines. These granules were produced by combining a 5 wt% CMCNF solution with varying HTO powder weight ratios, followed by freeze-drying and thermal cross-linking. Optimal conditions yielded granules with over 93.48 % mechanical stability and more than 51.22 % porosity, using a 10:1 CMCNF solution to HTO powder ratio. The HTO powder is homogeneously distributed on the granules with 66.60 % of contents.The CMCNF@HTO demonstrated a maximum Li adsorption capacity of 34.72 mg/g, only a 6.77 mg/g reduction compared to pure HTO powder (41.49 mg/g). This minimal decrease in capacity is attributed to the granules' highly porous structure from freeze-drying and the hydrophilic properties of CMCNFs, which mitigated the brine diffusion interference. Furthermore, the effectiveness of CMCNF@HTOs was tested in various simulated brines, including those from the Salton Sea, saline groundwater, and the Great Salt Lake. Notably, in each brine, the CMCNF@HTOs selectively recovered only Li, underscoring their practicality for Li extraction from diverse low-grade brine sources.

Continuous recovery of lithium and boron from Jezechake Salt Lake brine using fixed-bed adsorbers

Jezechake Salt Lake brine in China is rich in lithium ions coexisting with relatively high concentrations of carbonate and borate anions. Both carbonate and borate anions have a pH-buffering ability to accept the exchanged H+ ions of lithium ion sieves, enhancing the adsorption process of Li+ ions. When Jezechake Salt Lake brine passes through a titanium-type ion-sieve-packed column, good lithium breakthrough occurs owing to the pH-buffering action in the brine, which is of great significance for effective lithium recovery from brines in industrial production. In addition, the boron content of Jezechake Salt Lake brine is high, and its recovery is valuable for industrial applications. Here, an N-methylglucamine resin-packed column was connected in series behind a titanium-type ion-sieve-packed column to obtain boron simultaneously with the aim of lowering the energy consumption and cost of lithium recovery. During the adsorption process, Jezechake Salt Lake brine was successively fed into the lithium and boron adsorption columns. The two packed columns were then desorbed independently through acidic solution washing to obtain the Li and B eluents. The breakthrough behavior and elution performance of Li and B in the packed columns were investigated experimentally, and the practicability and efficacy of the proposed process were assessed.

Methane Emissions From the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau Ponds and Lakes: Roles of Ice Thaw and Vegetation Zone

AbstractComprehensive seasonal observation is essential for accurately quantifying methane (CH4) emissions from ponds and lakes in permafrost regions. Although CH4 emissions during ice thaw are important and highly variable in high‐latitude freshwater ponds and lakes (north of ∼50°N), their contribution is seldom included in estimates of aquatic‐atmospheric CH4 exchange across different alpine ecosystems. Here, we characterized annual CH4 emissions, including emissions during ice thaw, from ponds and lakes across four alpine vegetation zones in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) permafrost region. We observed significant spatial variability in annual CH4 emission rates (8.44−421.05 mmol m−2 yr−1), CH4 emission rates during ice thaw (0.26−144.39 mmol m−2 yr−1), and the contribution of CH4 emissions during ice thaw to annual emissions (3−33%) across different vegetation zones. Dissolved oxygen concentration under ice, along with substrate availability and water salinity, played critical roles in influencing CH4 flux during ice thaw. We estimated annual CH4 emissions from ponds and lakes in the QTP permafrost region as 0.04 (0.03−0.05) Tg CH4 yr−1 (median (first quartile−third quartile)), with approximately 20% occurring during ice thaw. Notably, the average areal CH4 emission rate from ponds and lakes in the QTP permafrost region amounts to only 8% of that from high‐latitude waterbodies, primarily due to the dominance of large saline lakes with lower CH4 emission rates in the alpine permafrost region. Our findings emphasize the significance of incorporating comprehensive seasonal observation of CH4 emissions across different vegetation zones in better predicting CH4 emissions from alpine ponds and lakes.

Hierarchical electroactive ion permselective membrane with electrochemical switched ion pump effect for continuous lithium-ion recovery

Highly selective extraction of lithium ions (Li+) from salt-lake brines is crucial to mitigate lithium supply shortages. In this work, a novel electrochemically switched lithium ion permselective membrane (ESLPM) was rationally designed through an ingenious tactic with an electroactive layer of lithium manganate (LiMn2O4) as the active radical and a dense and positively charged polyamide (PA) on each side of polyethersulfone (PES) substrate for the rapid and selective separation of Li+ from salt-lake brines with high Mg/Li ratios. Here, the reversible uptake/release and enhancement electro-sorption selectivity of Li+ are controlled by changing the electrochemical potential of the membrane with an ion-pump effect coupling with the electric field to achieve the continuous recovery of Li+. As a result, the flux of Li+ in the optimum hierarchical ESLPM-240 of the electrochemically switched ion permselective (ESIP) membrane separation system reached 0.032 mol m−2 h−1 for the separation of Li+ from the salt lake brine with a high Mg/Li ratio (Mg2+/Li+ = 20), which is 25% higher than in electrodialysis (ED) system. Meanwhile, by constructing a hierarchical structure, the separation factor of Li+/Mg2+ was increased to 7.8 under the ESIP system, which is about 3.5 times higher that of PA layer, and about 2.2 times higher than that of the electroactive layer. In addition, theoretical calculation confirmed that electroactive LiMn2O4 and positively charged PA layers are more favorable for Li+ transport when compared to Mg2+. Besides, the ESLPM-240 exhibited excellent long-term stability, indicating that the proposed strategy is promising for large-scale industrial applications in the Li+ extraction from salt lakes.

Highly hydrophilic H2TiO3 ion sieve with neodymium (Nd) doping enables fast and high-efficiency Li extraction

The metatitanic acid H2TiO3 (HTO) with high selectivity shows potential in lithium extraction from salt lake brine. Nevertheless, the sluggish adsorption kinetics and unsatisfying actual adsorption capacity hinder H2TiO3 industrial application. Herein, a rare earth element Nd-doped H2TiO3 (Nd-HTO-1 %) was synthesized. The crystallinity, morphology, hydrophilicity, adsorption property and mechanism of Nd-HTO-1 % were systematically characterized by a series of techniques. Interestingly, Nd-doping promotes the generation of oxygen vacancies, thereby increasing the density of surface hydroxyl groups and making the surface high-hydrophilic and particle size decreased. After 1 % Nd-doping, high-hydrophilic HTO was obtained with a contact angle of 16.5°. The adsorption capacity of Nd-HTO-1 % increased by 12.5 % compared with HTO, and the equilibrium time of adsorption reduced by half to 4 h. After eight cycles, Nd-HTO-1 % still showed a considerable adsorption capacity of 39.69 mg·g−1. In the meantime, the dissolution loss of titanium is merely 0.14 %, showing excellent cycling stability. Combined with the considerable selectivity exhibiting in Qarhan salt lake brine, it demonstrates potential in utilization of Nd-doped H2TiO3 for lithium extraction from salt lake brine.

Dental implant failures in Utah and US veteran cohorts.

Approximately, 5.5 million dental implants are estimated to be surgically placed in the United States yearly, with an anticipated long-term failure rate ranging from 3% to 10%. At the Salt Lake City Dental Clinic within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VHA), specific protocols have been established to mandate that clinicians present every dental implant case for review by a committee. To understand the effectiveness of this approach, a comparative data analysis was undertaken to compare local dental implant failure data against national VHA data. Leveraging electronic health records of veterans spanning from 2000 to 2021, we gathered procedural records related to dental implant placement or failure, demographic information, and medical history for individuals who received dental care at various dental clinics within the nationwide VHA network. Subsequently, statistical analyses were conducted using mixed-effects Poisson regression models with cluster-robust standard errors. Incident rate ratios (IRRs) for Utah-specific and nationwide cohorts were ascertained. The Utah VHA dental clinical data showed that there was a slightly lower prevalence of implant failure at 6.7% compared to the national cohort, which had a rate of 6.9%. The implant level failure rates were also low, with 4.20 (confidence interval [CI]: 3.68, 4.81) per 1000 implant placements per year for Utah cohorts. The adjusted IRR indicated a relative 16% reduction in risk among Utah Veterans (IRR 0.84, 95% CI [0.76-0.92]; p < 0.001). The stringent protocols in place at Salt Lake City, which integrate evidence-based practices and expert opinion for evaluating patient suitability for dental implant placement and subsequent care, contributed to the reduced risk among Utah Dental Clinic veterans pool compared to veterans of other states.

Inclusion, Access, and Intersectionality in the Outdoors: A Rock Climbing Case Study of the Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers (SLAQC) Organization

Summary In this case study, we explore our experiences as three of the co-organizers of the Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers (SLAQC) organization, a rock climbing queer advocacy organization based in Salt Lake City. Matty is a queer, cisgender white man, Lea is a queer/pansexual Latina, and Rue is a queer Chinese-American. All of us have been climbing for several years, and Lea and Matty were both active in the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance organization, as well. Utah is a predominantly white, conservative, and religious state, and in spite of obstacles, we have created a homeplace for queer climbers. Our organization breaks down access barriers, gear barriers, and more through partnerships with local gyms, local climbing affinity groups such as Color the Wasatch, gear organizations, and queer climbing guides. In this case study, we explore best practices that we utilize to frame our events and our community outreach, rooted within principles of intersectionality, and reflect upon the 1-year anniversary of SLAQC. Information © CAB International 2024