Assessment of heavy metal contamination levels of street dust in the city of Lublin,E Poland

Heavy metals are constantly emitted into the environment and pose a major threat to human health, particularly in urban areas. The threat is linked to the presence of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in street dust, which consists of mineral and organic particles originating from the soil, industrial emitters, motor vehicles, and fuel consumption. The study objective was to determine the level of street dust contamination with trace metals in Lublin and to indicate their potential sources of origin. The analyses were carried out with an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The sampling sites (49) were located within the city streets characterised by varying intensity of motor traffic. The following mean content values and their variation (SD) were determined: Cd: 5.1?±?1.7 mg kg^?1, Cr: 86.4?±?23.3 mg kg^?1, Cu: 81.6?±?69.2 mg kg^?1, Ni: 16.5?±?3.9 mg kg^?1, Pb: 44.1?±?16.4 mg kg^?1, and Zn: 241.1?±?94.6 mg kg^?1. The level of pollution was assessed with several widely used geochemical indices (geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, pollution index, index of ecological risk, and potential ecological risk index). For most of the indices, the mean (median) values are arranged in the following manner: Zn?>?Cu(or Cd)?>?Pb?>?Ni?>?Cr. In general, street dust in Lublin does not show pollution with Cr, Ni, and Pb. I_geo and EF indices show moderate levels for Cu, Cd, and Zn; their presence in street dust is linked with anthropogenic factors (motor traffic). A significant threat is posed by Cd, and more than half of the samples show considerable pollution with cadmium (median for the index of ecological risk: 151). The spatial pattern of indices and the results of statistical analyses (CA, PCA) indicate three groups of elements: (1) Cr and Ni: natural origin; (2) Pb: mixed origin; and (3) Cd, Cu, and Zn: anthropogenic origin (mainly motor vehicle traffic). Higher content values for metals of anthropogenic origin in street dust indicate that it is a source of pollution of soil and air in the city.     

Study of precipitation chemistry over an industrial city

The growing trend of industrialization has marked impact on the atmospheric chemistry around the globe. Such impacts are also predicted for developing countries like India. Acid precipitation due to secondary pollutants is one of them. The present investigation was conducted with an aim of studying the precipitation chemistry over Asansol city, India during the monsoon season. The rain water samples, collected on event basis during the period of June to September 2006, were analyzed for HCO₃ ^?, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, NH₄ ⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and pH using standard procedures. The study revealed that the precipitation was alkaline in nature with mean pH value of 6.08. Dominant anion in rain water samples was HCO₃ ^? (36 %), whereas Ca²⁺ was highest among the cations (53 %). The observed acidic events, based on pH value, were only 17 %, indicating the alkaline components effectively neutralize rain water over the area. This was also supported by the total alkaline to acid ion ration of 1.05. The ratio of (NO₃-^?+Cl^?) and SO₄ ^2? was >1, indicating that acidic properties were influenced by HNO₃ and HCl. In the ratio between (Ca²++NH₄ ⁺) and (NO₃ ^?+SO₄ ^2?), values >1 were obtained, indicating significant alkaline influence, which effectively prevented acid depositions in the area.     

Multivariate statistical analysis of heavy metals in foliage dust near pedestrian bridges in Guangzhou, South China in 2009

The heavy metal content of particulate matter was investigated in the city of Guangzhou in southern China. Samples of urban foliage near 36 pedestrian bridges were analyzed to determine their Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr, V, Ni, and Co contents after digestion in a mixture of strong acids composed of HNO₃, HCl, HF, and HClO₄. The results revealed a severe heavy metal pollution compared with the background levels in Chinese soils, except for Co and V. The mean concentrations of Zn (1,024 mg kg^?1), Pb (233 mg kg^?1), Cu (203 mg kg^?1), Cr (118 mg kg^?1), V (41.9 mg kg^?1), Ni (41.4 mg kg^?1), and Co (11.3 mg kg^?1) in urban dust were higher than the reference levels, and were highest in samples located near high-traffic areas. Multivariate statistical methods (correlation analysis, principal-components analysis, and clustering analysis) were used to identify the possible sources of the metals. Three main pollutant sources are assigned: Zn, Cu and Ni levels were strongly correlated and were possibly related to combustion processes and vehicles; Pb, Cr and Co were mainly derived from traffic sources, combined with soil sources; and V mainly originated from natural sources.     

Metal binding capacity of northern European surface waters for Cd,Cu, and Pb

Total concentrations of and binding capacities for Cd, Cu, and Pb were measured in selected surface waters from northwestern Europe. Linear multiple regression predictive models explained 97, 93, and 96% of the observed variation in Cd, Cu and Pb binding capacities, respectively. The models constructed used (CO₂^3?) and (SO₂^2?) to predict Cd binding capacity, (OH^?) and (SO₄^2?) to predict Cu binding capacity and (OH^?), (CO₃^2?) and (SO₄^2?) to predict Pb binding capacity. Organic carbon was not significantly correlated with binding capacities for Cd, Cu, and Pb and was unimportant in explaining a significant amount of the variability in binding capacities for the metals of northern European surface waters. Thus, the effects of these organics on trace metal speciation can be ignored and predictive models of trace metal speciation constructed, using inorganic solubility equilibria only. Ratios of total Cd, Cu, and Pb concentrations to their respective binding capacities were much less than unity for all waters studied. Copper exhibited the greatest metal concentrations: binding capacity ratio in all waters investigated.     

玉龙雪山地区大气降水中粉尘颗粒物特征研究

以在玉龙雪山地区采集的大气降水样品为主要研究载体,分析了大气降水中粉尘颗粒物随时间的变化特征和影响大气降水中粉尘含量的潜在因素. 结果表明：大气降水中颗粒物浓度和典型粉尘特征化学离子含量的变化具有很好的一致性,且季风期末大气降水中的微粒含量显著升高,显示了明显的季节性变化特征. 丽江市和甘海子盆地大气降水中粉尘化学离子含量(SO₄^2-,Mg²⁺,Ca²⁺,K⁺,NH₄⁺,NO₃^-,粉尘浓度)之间具有较好的相关性,反映了这些离子共同的来源. 降水中pH值和电导率的变化很大程度上受到粉尘活动的影响,海盐气溶胶粒子对玉龙雪山地区大气降水中典型粉尘微粒(除Cl^-和部分Na⁺之外)的沉降没有贡献. 此外,降水化学和微粒分析表明,丽江市区的大气环境不排除人为活动的影响.     

Mass-size distribution of PM10 and its characterization of ionic species in fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10−2.5) mode, New Delhi, India

Size distribution of PM₁₀ mass aerosols and its ionic characteristics were studied for 2 years from January 2006 to December 2007 at central Delhi by employing an 8-stage Andersen Cascade Impactor sampler. The mass of fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM_10?2.5) mode particles were integrated from particle mass determined in different stages. Average concentrations of mass PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 were observed to be 306 ± 182 and 136 ± 84 μg m^?3, respectively, which are far in excess of annual averages stipulated by the Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM₁₀: 60 μg m^?3 and PM_2.5: 40 μg m^?3). The highest concentrations of PM_10?2.5 (coarse) and PM_2.5 (fine) were observed 505 ± 44 and 368 ± 61 μg m^?3, respectively, during summer (June 2006) period, whereas the lower concentrations of PM_10?2.5 (35 ± 9 μg m^?3) and PM_2.5 (29 ± 13 μg m^?3) were observed during monsoon (September 2007). In summer, because of frequent dust storms, coarse particles are more dominant than fine particles during study period. However, during winter, the PM_2.5 contribution became more pronounced as compared to summer probably due to enhanced emissions from anthropogenic activities, burning of biofuels/biomass and other human activities. A high ratio (0.58) of PM_2.5/PM₁₀ was observed during winter and low (0.24) during monsoon. A strong correlation between PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 (r ² = 0.93) was observed, indicating that variation in PM₁₀ mass is governed by the variation in PM_2.5. Major cations (NH₄ ⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) and anions (F^?, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^?) were analyzed along with pH. Average concentrations of SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? were observed to be 12.93 ± 0.98 and 10.33 ± 1.10 μg m^?3, respectively. Significant correlation between SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? in PM_1.0 was observed indicating the major sources of secondary aerosol which may be from thermal power plants located in the southeast and incomplete combustion by vehicular exhaust. A good correlation among secondary species (NH⁺, NO₃ ^? and SO₄ ^2?) suggests that most of NH₄ ⁺ is in the form of ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate in the atmosphere. During winter, the concentration of Ca²⁺ was also higher; it may be due to entrainment of roadside dust particles, traffic activities and low temperature. The molar ratio (1.39) between Cl^? and Na⁺ was observed to be close to that of seawater (1.16). The presence of higher Cl^? during winter is due to western disturbances and probably local emission of Cl^? due to fabric bleaching activity in a number of export garment factories in the proximity of the sampling site.     

Chemistry and source identification of wet precipitation in a rural watershed of subtropical China

South China is one of the regions severely suffering from acid rain in the world.However,few systematic studies of rural precipitation chemistry have been performed in comparison with the extensive studies on their urban counterparts of this region.In order to characterize the current acid rain status and identify its possible sources in the rural area of South China,we analyzed precipitation collected event by event from a rural forested watershed in southern Anhui Province between March 2007 and February 2010.The results showed that the concentrations of major ions within precipitation in the studied rural area were significantly lower than those reported for the urban areas of the same latitude in China.Nevertheless,the precipitation acidity(with an average pH value of 4.49) and the frequency of acid rain(95%) were considerably high.The relatively high ratio of(SO42+ NO 3)/(Ca2+ +NH4+) was the main cause of acid rain in this rural area,as SO 2 and NO x were the main precursors of acid rain,while Ca2+ and NH4+acted as the dominant neutralizers to the acidity.Source identification indicated that Ca2+ and Mg2+ mainly were derived from alkaline dust,SO42,NO 3 and NH4+originated mainly from anthropogenic sources such as industrial and agricultural activities,most Na +,Cl,K + and some of Mg2+ were derived from the sea.The results suggested that the major ions within precipitation in the rural area of South China were related to the meso-scale and long-range transport of particles and aerosols in the air.     

Aerosol-trace gases interactions and their role in air quality control of Delhi city (India)

Atmospheric dust is considered to be the major cause of poor air quality due to its contribution to high particulate levels, but their interaction with the acidic gases helps in controlling the level of SO₂ and NO₂ through ambient neutralization reactions. In the present study, the interaction of acidic gases such as SO₂ and NO₂ with alkaline dust was investigated during October, 2013–July, 2014 at a site named as Babarpur located at the Trans-Yamuna region of Delhi. The concentration of SO₂ ranged from 10 to 170 μg/m³ with an average of 36 μg/m³ while that of NO₂ ranged from 15 to 54 μg/m³ with an average of 26?±?8 μg/m³. The results were observed to be well within the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) limits prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The average concentrations of SO₂ during day and night time were recorded as 31?±?18 and 43?±?53 μg/m³ respectively while the mean concentrations of NO₂ during day and night time were recorded as 26?±?7 and 27?±?12 μg/m³ respectively. A positive correlation between SO₄^2? and NO₃^? was also observed indicating their secondary aerosol formation. In aerosol phase, average concentrations of SO₄^2? during day and night time were 3.9?±?0.3 and 6.5?±?2.3 μg/m³ respectively while that of NO₃^? were 9.5?±?1.5 and 7.3?±?0.5 μg/m³ respectively. Molar ratios of Ca²⁺/SO₄^2?, NH₄⁺/SO₄^2?, and NH₄⁺/NO₃^? were observed as 8, 5, and 1.7 during daytime and 1.5, 0.4, and 0.8 during nighttime respectively. Such molar ratios confirmed high concentrations of sulphate (SO₄)^2? and low concentrations of nitrate (NO₃^?) during night time, thereby indicating different pathway of aerosol formation during day and night time. Surface morphology and elemental composition of aerosol samples showed various oval, globular, and platy shapes where the diameter varied from few nm to ~5 μm depending on their precursors. There were certain shapes like grossularite, irregular aggregate, grape-like, triangular, and flattened which indicate the crustal origin of aerosols and their possible role in SO₂ and NO₂ adsorption.     

祁连山大雪山地区大气PM2.5细粒子中可溶性离子特征

为了研究祁连山大雪山地区大气PM_2.5细粒子中可溶性无机离子组分的变化特征, 于2010年7月至2011年7月在祁连山冰川与生态环境综合观测站附近采集46个大气PM_2.5的Telfon滤膜样品, 并应用离子色谱对可溶性离子进行了分析.结果显示: 所测样品的阴、 阳离子中, SO₄^2-、 NO^-₃、 Ca²⁺和NH⁺₄的质量浓度分别为1.54μg·m^-3、 0.38μg·m^-3、 0.73μg·m^-3和0.22μg·m^-3, 累计约占到水溶性离子总量的88%.可溶性离子浓度呈现出春夏季节明显高于秋冬季节的特征, 夏季的浓度最高, 其次是春季、 冬季和秋季. Cl^-、 Ca²⁺、 Na⁺和Mg²⁺之间的相关性极高, SO₄^2-和NO^-₃与大部分阳离子的相关性都很高, 说明大部分硫酸盐是来自于中亚沙尘源区的自然源, 而并非是通过人类活动造成的一次污染物通过二次反应过程得到的. NH⁺₄仅与SO₄^2-通过相关性检验说明, 该地区NH₃主要中和了大气中硫酸并生成(NH₄)₂SO₄.该地区的大气环境主要来源于自然源的影响, 但夏季风期间人为污染排放已经不可忽视, 这也得到HYSPLIT后向轨迹模式的计算验证.     

The crucial role of deep-sourced methane in maintaining the subseafloor sulfate budget

Methane (CH₄) is a powerful greenhouse gas and its largest reservoir on Earth is held in marine sediments. CH₄ in marine sediments is mainly stored in gas-hydrate reservoirs and deep sedimentary strata along continental margins, where large amounts of deep-sourced CH₄ ascend to different degrees toward the seafloor. However, the amount of deep-sourced CH₄ and its role in subseafloor carbon and sulfur cycling remains poorly constrained. We analyzed sulfate (SO₄^2?) profiles of 157 sites along with previous published 85 sites to determine the regional distribution and amount of SO₄^2? reduction for an area of 1.23 × 10⁵ km² of the northern South China Sea. Then we compared these obtained results with estimates based on sedimentation rates from the same area. Significantly higher regional SO₄^2? flux estimates based on SO₄^2? profiles (4.26 × 10^?3 Tmol a^?1), compared to lower estimates based on sedimentation rates (1.23 × 10^?3 Tmol a^?1), reflect abundant ascending deep-sourced CH₄. The difference of the regional SO₄^2? flux estimates (3.03 × 10^?3 Tmol a^?1) represents the amount of SO₄^2? reduced by CH₄ through the anaerobic oxidation of CH₄ (AOM). Deep-sourced CH₄ contributes 71% to total SO₄^2? consumption in the study area, largely exceeding SO₄^2? consumption by organoclastic sulfate reduction. Our findings substantiate that deep-sourced CH₄ governs subseafloor carbon and sulfur cycling to a previously underrated extent, fueling extensive chemosynthesis-based ecosystems along continental slope and rise.     

Sources and processes governing rainwater chemistry in New Delhi,India

Rainwater plays an important role in scavenging of aerosols and gases from atmosphere, and its chemistry helps to understand the relative contributions of atmospheric pollution sources. The present work is aimed to understand and explain the sources, seasonal patterns and the processes thereof affecting rainwater chemistry in an urban environment of Delhi, India. Rainwater samples (n = 111) collected throughout the year in New Delhi showed alkalinity in general. Eight rainwater samples, collected in late monsoon and winter season, had pH less than 5.6 indicating that Delhi continues to face the prospects of acid rain despite the introduction of compressed natural gas as the clean fuel in city transport. Organic acids could be the possible contributors of acidity in rainwater samples having the fractional acidity (FA) value of 0.174, which is greater than the annual average FA (0.011) and the (Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ + NH₄ ⁺)/(SO₄ ^2? + NO₃ ^?) ration of more than one. Average acid neutralization factors of cations decrease in the order Ca²⁺ (1.01) > NH₄ ⁺ (0.77) > Mg²⁺ (0.10). However, neutralization by Ca²⁺ dominates only in summer season as cation-rich dust is transported from the Great Indian Thar Desert to this region by strong summer S–SW winds, while NH₄ ⁺ dominates in rainwater of other three sampling seasons. Identified dominant sources for soluble ions in rainwater are (1) non-silicate crustal source for carbonates and sulfates of Ca and Mg, (2) emissions from catalytic convertor-fitted vehicles and agriculture fields for NH₃ and (3) mixed anthropogenic sources for SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^? and Cl^?. Rainwater chemistry showed significant seasonal variations. This could be due to the changes in relative proportions of natural and anthropogenic sources of soluble ions to rainwater. Dominance of anthropogenic sources over crustal sources can result in acidic rains, which can adversely affect the environment and human health in this region.     

The last interglacial as represented in the glaciochemical record from Mount Moulton Blue Ice Area,West Antarctica

Understanding climate during the last interglacial is critical for understanding how modern climate change differs from purely naturally forced climate change. Here we present the first high-resolution ice core record of the last interglacial and transition to the subsequent glacial period from Antarctica and the first glaciochemical record for this period from West Antarctica. Samples were collected from a horizontal ice trench in the Mt. Moulton Blue Ice Area (BIA) in West Antarctica and analyzed for their soluble major anions (Cl^?, NO₃^?, SO₄^2-), major and trace elements (Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Al, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn) and water hydrogen isotopes (δD). The last interglacial is characterized by warmer temperatures (δD), weakened atmospheric circulation (dust elements, seasalts aerosols), decreased sea ice extent (Na, nssSO₄^2-) and decreased oceanic productivity (nssSO₄^2-). A combined examination of Mt. Moulton seasalts, dust, nssSO₄^2- and δD records indicates that the last interglacial was extremely stable compared to glacial age climate events and it ended through a long period of gradual cooling unlike that projected for future Holocene climate.     

Characterization and source of fog water contaminants in central India

In the present work, chemical characterization and sources of fog water contaminants in the most polluted area of central India, Raipur, and its surroundings are described. The fog water (n = 22) was collected during 2010–2011 from six sites. The physical (i.e., pH, fog amount, electrical conductivity and TDS) and chemical (i.e., F^?, Cl^?, NO₃ ^?, SO₄ ^2?, NH₄ ⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb and Hg) parameters of the fog water were investigated. The effect of meteorology, i.e., temperature, humidity and wind speed, on the precipitation of the fog water contaminants is discussed. The cluster and factor analysis are used to apportion the sources of the contaminants in the fog water.     

Hydrogeochemical characterization and groundwater quality assessment in Al-Hasa,Saudi Arabia

Fifty groundwater samples were collected from Al-Hasa to analyze the pH, electrical conductivity (EC, dS m^?1), total dissolved solids (TDS), major anions (HCO₃^?, CO₃^2?, Cl^?, SO₄^2?, and NO₃^?), major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺), and total hardness. The analyzed data plotted in the Piper, Gibbs, and Durov diagrams, and water quality index (WQI) were calculated to evaluate the groundwater geochemistry and its water quality. The results reveal that most of the investigated samples are Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄^2?, Cl^? and Na⁺, and HCO₃^? water types using the Piper diagram. Na⁺?>?Ca²⁺?>?Mg²⁺ are the dominant cations, while Cl^??>?HCO₃^??>?SO₄^2??>?CO₃^2? are the dominant anions. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values varied from 0.79 to 10; however, the Kelly ratio (KR) ranged between 0.1 and 2.2. The permeability index (PI) showed that well water is suitable for irrigation purposes with 75% or more of maximum permeability. The US salinity diagram revealed that the water quality classes of studied waters were CIII-SI, CIII-SII, and CIV-SII, representing height hazards of salinity and medium- to low-sodium hazard. The water quality index (WQI) results indicated that total dissolved solids are out of the drinking water standard limits in Saudi Arabia. The WQI revealed that 38% of the studied wells were considered as poor water (class III), 52% are found as very poor water class (IV), and 10% are unsuitable water for drinking class (V).     

Chemical characteristics of PM<Subscript>10</Subscript> aerosols and airmass trajectories over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea during ICARB

For the first time, chemical characterization of PM₁₀ aerosols was attempted over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and Arabian Sea (AS) during the ICARB campaign. Dominance of SO ₄ ^2? , NH ₄ ⁺ and NO ₃ ^? was noticed over both the regions which indicated the presence of ammonium sulphate and ammonium nitrate as major water soluble particles playing a very important role in the radiation budget. It was observed that all the chemical constituents had higher concentrations over Bay of Bengal as compared to Arabian Sea. Higher concentrations were observed near the Indian coast showing influence of landmass indicating that gaseous pollutants like SO₂, NH₃ and NO _x are transported over to the sea regions which consequently contribute to higher SO ₄ ^2? , NH ₄ ⁺ and NO ₃ ^? aerosols respectively. The most polluted region over BoB was 13°?19°N and 70°?90°E while it was near 11°N and 75°E over AS. Although the concentrations were higher over Bay of Bengal for all the chemical constituents of PM₁₀ aerosols, per cent non-sea salt (nss) fraction (with respect to Na) was higher over Arabian Sea. Very low Ca2+ concentration was observed at Arabian Sea which led to higher atmospheric acidity as compared to BoB. Nss SO ₄ ^2? alone contributed 48% of total water soluble fraction over BoB as well as AS. Ratios SO ₄ ^2? /NO _? ³ over both the regions (7.8 and 9 over BoB and AS respectively) were very high as compared to reported values at land sites like Allahabad (0.63) and Kanpur (0.66) which may be due to very low NO.3 over sea regions as compared to land sites. Air trajectory analysis showed four classes: (i) airmass passing through Indian land, (ii) from oceanic region, (iii) northern Arabian Sea and Middle East and (iv) African continent. The highest nss SO ₄ ^2? was observed during airmasses coming from the Indian land side while lowest concentrations were observed when the air was coming from oceanic regions. Moderate concentrations of nss SO2. 4 were observed when air was seen moving from the Middle East and African continent. The pH of rainwater was observed to be in the range of 5.9–6.5 which is lower than the values reported over land sites. Similar feature was reported over the Indian Ocean during INDOEX indicating that marine atmosphere had more free acidity than land atmosphere.     

Chemistry of snow and lake water in Antarctic region

Surface snow and lake water samples were collected at different locations around Indian station at Antarctica, Maitri, during December 2004–March 2005 and December 2006–March 2007. Samples were analyzed for major chemical ions. It is found that average pH value of snow is 6.1. Average pH value of lake water with low chemical content is 6.2 and of lake water with high chemical content is 6.5. The Na⁺ and Cl^? are the most abundantly occurring ions at Antarctica. Considerable amount of SO ₄ ^2? is also found in the surface snow and the lake water which is attributed to the oxidation of DMS produced by marine phytoplankton. Neutralization of acidic components of snow is mainly done by NH ₄ ⁺ and Mg²⁺. The Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and K⁺ are nearly equally effective in neutralizing the acidic components in lake water. The NH ₄ ⁺ and SO ₄ ^2? occur over the Antarctica region mostly in the form of (NH₄)₂SO₄.     

Heavy metal concentrations in sultana-cultivation soils and sultana raisins from Manisa (Turkey)

This paper describes the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and in raisins (sultanas) cultivated upon the Gediz Plain (Manisa), western Turkey, which is cut by major roads from ?zmir to ?stanbul and ?zmir to Ankara. A total of 212 samples of surface soil and 82 raisin samples were analysed. Soil samples have nearly same mineralogy, quartz, calcite, magnetite, pseudo-rutile and clay minerals. Dolomite is seen especially in areas close to Neogene sediments. Clay minerals are mainly mica (illite?Cmuscovite), chlorite/kaolinite, smectite and mixed layers (Sm-Il). The concentrations of 21 elements (Ba, Ni, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Co, Mn, As, U, Sr, Cd, Sb, Bi, Cr, B, W, Hg, Sn, Li and organic C) were determined in the surface soils. The degree of element enrichment in soil can be measured in many ways, the most common of which are the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor and the pollution index. Arsenic and Sb showed the highest Igeo values, corresponding to Igeo classes 3?C4. Hence, the area is characterised as ??being heavily contaminated to polluted?? by As and Sb. Arsenic contamination has been reported from all over world. Arsenic-related pollutants enter the groundwater system by gradually moving with the flow of groundwater from rains and irrigation. Gediz Plain forms the main groundwater supply of ?zmir city. The enrichment factor (EF_arsenic) of the analysed soil samples is around 76, which corresponds to ??extremely high enrichment??. The concentrations of 33 elements (Al, Sb, As, Ba, Be, Bi, B, Cd, Ca, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Li, Mg, Mn, Hg, Mo, Ni, K, Se, Ag, Na, Sr, Ta, Th, Sn, Ti, U, V, Zn and Zr) were determined in the raisin samples. The Pb and Cd contents of raisins are of great concern due to their toxicity. Pb contents ranged between 0.05 and 0.46?mg?kg^?1, and average Cd content was 0.04?mg?kg^?1. Only one sample contained high level of Cd, 0.23?mg?kg^?1. After cleaning the raisins, the heavy metal concentrations were low as in the European Community (EC) regulation No: 466/2001 for allowable levels of Pb (0.2?mg?kg^?1) and Cd (0.05?mg?kg^?1).     

Characteristics of aerosol dust in fresh snow in the Asian dust and non-dust periods at Urumqi glacier no. 1 of eastern Tian Shan,China

Windblown mineral aerosol dust derived from the crustal surface is an important atmospheric component affecting the earth’s radiation budget. Deposition of atmospheric dust was measured in the fresh snow on glacier no. 1 at the headwater of the Urumqi River in eastern Tian Shan, central Asia. An analysis of seasonal variation of concentrations of dust particles in the snow suggests that the number concentration of dust particle is significantly high from April to June, which may be caused by Asian dust storms in the spring. The comparison of mass-size distribution of dust particles from April to August shows an obvious seasonal change trend. The distribution of particles changes from single model (3–21 μm) in the non-dust period before dust events in April, to bi-model (3–21 and 20–80 μm) during the Asian dust period, and to single model (3–21 μm) after July in the non-dust period again. The Ca²⁺ concentration in the fresh snow is also very high from April to June, while NH₄ ⁺ and SO₄ ²⁻, as water-soluble constituents, have concentration changes that are different from each other. Backward trajectory was also employed to examine the transport process of air mass in this region.     

The geochemistry of salt marshes: Sedimentary ion diffusion,sulfate reduction,and pyritization

A series of seasonal cores was taken in a high marsh near the terminus of Delaware Bay, U.S.A. A seasonal harmonic diffusion model was successfully fit to the concentration profiles of chloride ion in the salt marsh pore waters yielding a calculated sedimentary diffusion coefficient.Virtually all other chemical reactions within salt marsh sediments are directly linked to the rate and stoichiometry of organic decomposition. The rich organic input from the grass Spartina alterniflora is oxidized anaerobically through the process of sulfate reduction. Over 90% of this net decomposition of organic matter takes place in the uppermost 20 cm. The model for sulfate reduction proposed yields an internally consistent set of both pore water (HCO^?₃, NH⁺₄, HPO^2?₄, HS^?, SO^2?₄) and solid phase (FeS₂) distribution profiles for these sediments. Steady state assumptions and the use of mean annual constants can be employed to model the net rates of diagenetic processes in salt marshes. The pore water concentrations of sulfate ion as well as those ions released by sulfate reduction (HCO^?₃, NH⁺₄, HPO^2?₄, HS^?) are modeled by a system composed of an upper zone, where extensive reconsumption of these metabolite ions occurs, and a lower zone where steady state production and no ion reconsumption occurs.A major product of the sulfate reduction is pyrite, whose accumulation rate is greatest between 7 and 9 cm depth, where it equals the net rate of sulfate reduction. Above this zone little pyrite accumulates due to extensive reoxidation. Below 9 cm the rate of pyritization is controlled by the rate of sulfidation of a refractory iron phase.