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Science for South Africa SCIENCE FOR SOUTH AFRICA VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 2 | 2021 ISSN 1729 - 830X Acid mine drainage Blackwater systems Sinkholes, springs of the southern Cape and early shelters Ocean acidification ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA QUESTONLINE.ORG.ZA Quest Vol. 17 No. 2 | 2021 1 [email protected] www.unisa.ac.za/cset 2 Quest Vol. 17 No. 2 | 2021 QUESTONLINE.ORG.ZA CONTENTS Volume 17 | Number 2 | 2021 THEME FEATURES 5 Acids, alkalis, and the pH 30 Become a shark citizen scale scientist Andy Brunning, aka Compound Chantel Elston introduces us Interest, puts us in the picture to ELMO 12 6 Acidophiles: living in acid! 32 Dating Bokoni Don Cowan gives an overview Ruby-Anne Birin, Alex of microorganisms of acidic Schoeman and Mary Evans environments explain how they dated an ancient settlement 8 AMD Mauro Lourenco tells us about 34 The sky’s the limit for acid mine drainage and its UKZN rocket scientists treatment Sally Frost and Christine Cuénod celebrate their 12 Southern Cape streams achievements Chris Curtis reports on the region’s naturally acidic black 36 Warp drives and white streams Mario Borunda reports on the chances of faster-than-light 14 Acid rain space travel Quest explores how it became a catalyst for cross-border 38 Combing the giraffe cooperation Harriet Box quizzes Jamie Paulse about her MSc study 16 Stream acidification on giraffe in the Klein Karoo Londiwe Khuzwayo shares her research on acid deposition in streams NEWS 28 18 Sinkholes, springs and 28 The evolutionary history of early shelters our oral bacteria Nick Baglow and Ponani Mthembi explain their acid 31 Matie microbiology students connection kick butts 22 Soil acidification 41 Raising awareness on Jean-Pierre Pellissier and indigenous knowledge Pieter Swanepoel discuss its implications for agriculture REGULARS 24 Ocean acidification Carla Edworthy tells us about 42 Books this threat to the marine environment 43 Puzzles 44 Subscription QUESTONLINE.ORG.ZA 38Quest Vol. 17 No. 2 | 2021 3 EDITOR’S NOTE Editor Sue Matthews Editorial Board Himla Soodyall (EO: ASSAf) (Chair) Acid: The bottom end of the scale Lesley Swartz (SAJS) Martin Bucher (UKZN) Don Cowan (UP) Our cover photo shows a couple The humic acids and other organic Amanda Esterhuysen (Wits) canoeing on the Touws River, having compounds imparting the dark colour Marina Joubert (SU) paddled upstream from the Ebb and must first be removed or they would Robin (Ted) Kroon (UFS) Flow Rest Camp in the Wilderness react with the chemicals used for Walter Matli (UFS) Caradee Wright (MRC) section of the Garden Route National disinfection, such as chlorine, calcium Park. The Touws River is one of the hypochlorite, ozone or hydrogen Editorial enquiries blackwater systems of the southern peroxide. This would reduce the The Editor | e-mail: [email protected] Cape, with dark, naturally acidic effectiveness of treatment while Advertising enquiries waters due to the presence of also increasing the concentration of Barbara Spence | Avenue Advertising plant-derived humic acids and the disinfection by-products, many of PO Box 71308, Bryanston 2021 influence of the underlying rock which are toxic. Removal is achieved by Tel: (011) 463 7940 | Cell: 082 881 3454 and soil. coagulation and flocculation – adding e-mail: [email protected] chemicals that cause particles to clump Subscription enquiries In fact, rivers along much of South together into aggregates large enough and back ssues Africa’s coast are naturally acidic to settle out or to be filtered out. Tsepo Majake | Tel: (012) 349 6645 to varying degrees because they e-mail: [email protected] flow over sandstone-derived Before or after disinfection, the water Copyright soils. By contrast, many rivers in must be ‘stabilised’ before it enters the ©2021 Academy of Science inland areas flow through areas distribution system. The pH is raised of South Africa with dolerite-derived soils, where by adding lime so that the water is calcium carbonate and magnesium slightly supersaturated with calcium carbonate dissolved in the water carbonate (CaCO3), which causes raises the pH, resulting in alkaline CaCO3 to precipitate out and form water. The high concentration of a thin ‘eggshell’ layer on the surface Published by the calcium and magnesium cations of concrete pipes, protecting them Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) make this mineral-rich ‘hard water’, from corrosion. If the water is then PO Box 72135, Lynnwood Ridge 0040 while the acidic waters of the Cape too alkaline, carbon dioxide (CO2) is are considered ‘soft’ because the bubbled through the water to adjust Subscription rates concentration of calcium carbonate the pH. (4 issues and postage) is below 60 mg/L. (for other countries, see subscription form) Individuals/Institutions - R145.00 Of course, apart from the naturally Students/schoolgoers - R72.00 What are the implications of naturally acidic rivers and streams in South Africa acidic rivers for our water supplies? and other countries, all watercourses as Design and layout The gastric acid in our stomach is well as soils, plants, animals and even Garnett Design Studio typically more acidic than water our oceans can be affected by human- Printing we might drink directly from a induced acidification. This may be Seriti Printing Digital river, and most people are able to caused by diffuse sources such as rising consume acidic citrus juices and CO2 levels resulting in acid rain and Website and social media carbonated beverages without ill ocean acidification, or point sources https://questonline.org.za effect. But water that is supplied such as pipeline discharge of industrial Twitter:@questSA1 by municipalities and water boards effluents, or both as in the case of acid Facebook: Quest: Science for South Africa must be treated, and both the colour mine drainage. In this and the low pH present problems issue of Quest, we for the water treatment process that explore various need to be addressed. naturally acidic environments Water is treated to destroy and types of microorganisms that could be human-induced harmful to consumers, to remove acidification, suspended solids, and to ensure and consider its chemical composition is not the various damaging to the distribution system. implications. Acidic, soft water may not only corrode water pipes and reservoirs, Sue Matthews Cover image but also contaminate the supply Quest Editor Canoeing on the Touws River with dissolved metals that might be by Sue Matthews dangerous to human health and will affect the water’s taste. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of this publication, but we assume no responsibility for effects arising therefrom. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. Content may be copied or shared with Isihloko salesiqephu se Quest simayelana ne asidi. Sigxila kwizindawo ezine acknowledgement to Quest as well as the author where stated. Copyright of republished material asidi ngokwemvelo noma ngenxa yomshikashika wabantu. and images remains with the original source. Translated by Zamantimande Kunene 4 Quest Vol. 17 No. 2 | 2021 QUESTONLINE.ORG.ZA ACIDS AND ALKALIS | THEME Acid: The bottom end of the scale ACIDS, ALKALIS, AND THE pH SCALE + The pH scale is a way of gauging the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is calculated using: pH = -log10[H ]. Adding an + + - acid to water increases the H (H3O ) concentration, and decreases the OH concentration. An alkali does the opposite. H+ CONCENTRATION OH- CONCENTRATION pH (in moles per litre) (in moles per litre) EVERYDAY EXAMPLE 14 1 × 10-14 1 Drain Cleaner E 13 1 × 10-13 0.1 Bleach N Purple 1 × 10-12 0.01 Ammonia I 12 L -11 Soap Blue 11 1 × 10 0.001 A 10 1 × 10-10 1 × 10-4 Antacid Tablets K Turquoise L 9 1 × 10-9 1 × 10-5 Baking Soda A 8 1 × 10-8 1 × 10-6 Seawater NEUTRAL 1 × 10-7 1 × 10-7 Pure Water Green 7 6 1 × 10-6 1 × 10-8 Urine (average) -5 -9 C 5 1 × 10 1 × 10 Black Coffee I Yellow 4 1 × 10-4 1 × 10-10 Tomato Juice D 3 0.001 1 × 10-11 Soda I Orange 2 0.01 1 × 10-12 Lemon Juice C Red 1 0.1 1 × 10-13 Stomach Acid A 0 1 1 × 10-14 Battery Acid © COMPOUND INTEREST 2015 - WWW.COMPOUNDCHEM.COM | @COMPOUNDCHEM C Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence. BY NC ND QUESTONLINE.ORG.ZA Quest Vol. 17 No. 2 | 2021 5 THEME | ACIDOPHILES Acidophiles: Living in acid! Sue Matthews Don Cowan gives an overview of microorganisms adapted to acidic environments The world has many acidic environments, some man-made the reduced sulphur is in the form of hydrogen sulphide but most natural. The best known of the former would be (H2S), which is why hydrothermal areas always smell of acid mine drainage (AMD), the product of acid-releasing rotten eggs! The reaction can be described as follows: oxidation processes when mineral deposits are exposed + 2- to air as a result of mining activities. The pH of AMD can H2S + 2O2 2H + SO4 vary widely but is mostly between 2 and 6. Given that most terrestrial organisms are not adapted to living in even mild The hot springs and geysers of such hydrothermal areas acid, AMD can have a devastating effect on local vegetation, are created by the mixing of upwelled, superheated as well as on aquatic life in contaminated surface waters, subterranean water with cold surface water to yield such as rivers and wetlands. temperatures ranging from boiling to ambient. Of the natural acidic environments, the human stomach is Life at low pH probably the best known. The human gut, which includes Many organisms have adapted to live comfortably in acidic the stomach, small intestine and colon, is home to a vast environments.
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