First data on the uranium content in water of the Yenisei River basin in the area affected by the operation of Rosatom plants

This study is devoted to investigating the content of uranium isotopes in water of the Yenisei River and its tributaries within the territories affected by the operation of Rosatom plants (mining chemical combine, and electrochemical plant). Long-term monitoring of the ²³⁸U content by mass spectrometry carried out in two institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences first revealed the multiple excess of ²³⁸U over the background content in different areas of the Yenisei River basin, such as the region of the Yenisei River near the effluents of the mining and chemical combine (MCC), and the territories of the Bol’shaya Tel’ and Kan rivers. In these regions, the ²³⁸U content in water reaches 2.1–4.0 μg/l, which exceeds its content upstream from the MCC (0.3–0.6 μg/l) by almost an order of magnitude. The studies of the isotopic composition of uranium in water samples, which were carried out at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, showed the presence of a technogenic isotope of uranium ²³⁶U in the samples from the Bolshaya Tel’ River and revealed the deviation of the isotope ratio ²³⁸U/²³⁵U (167 ± 3 and 177 ± 3) from the equilibrium natural ratio (²³⁸U/²³⁵U = 138). These facts attest to the technogenic origin of part of the uranium in water of the Bol’shaya Tel’ River connected with the activity of MCC. The excess uranium content in the Kan River requires additional studies to ascertain the fraction of uranium of technogenic origin connected with the activity of the electrochemical plant (ECP) (Fig. 1, Table 4).     

Geochemistry and health aspects of F-rich mountainous streams and groundwaters from sierras Pampeanas de Cordoba,Argentina

Symptoms of dental fluorosis have been observed in rural communities located in the Sierras Pampeanas de Córdoba, a mountainous area in Central Argentina. The clinical assessment was performed in the Charbonier Department, where the fluoride (F⁻) intake was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.20 mg day⁻¹ (n = 16). In this community, mild and severe fluorosis reach an incidence of 86.7% (total teeth surface = 636 teeth) among the children population. To determine the origin and distribution of fluorine in natural waters from the Charbonier Department and nearby regions, sampling was performed in the area covering the San Marcos River basin. The obtained results show that F⁻ concentrations vary between ~1 to ~2.5 mg l⁻¹, with an outlier value of 8 mg l⁻¹. The spatial distribution of F⁻ shows that the lowest concentrations are found at the basin’s catchments. Maximum values are located in two sectors of the basin: the Charbonier depression in the eastern part and at the San Marcos village, downstream the main collector, in the western part of the basin. In these two regions, the F⁻ contents in ground- and surface waters are >2.0 mg l⁻¹ and nearly constant. Dissolved F⁻ in natural waters from the study area has its origin in the weathering of F-bearing minerals present in the region’s dominant lithology. The extent of mineral weathering is mostly determined by the residence time of water within the aquatic reservoir. Longer residence times and a major solid–water interaction lead to enhanced release of F⁻. This explains the higher F⁻ concentrations found in basin areas with lower run off. The removal of F⁻ from water appears to occur by neither fluorite precipitation, nor by adsorption. Hence, variations in F⁻ concentrations seem to be more related to regional hydrological conditions.     

黑龙江省黑宝山-木耳气盆地环境地质问题及防治对策

文章介绍了黑宝山-木耳气盆地的经济地理秦件，地质环境背景，阐述了盆地的主要环境地质问题。第一环境地质问题即自然环境中存在的与地质有关的各种问题，它是由内动力地质作用和外动力地质作用引起的；区内主要有冻土。第二环境地质问题即由于人类各种工程、经济活动而引起昀与地质环境有关的问题；如水土流失、矿井塌陷、地表水、地下水及土壤污染等。论述了各环境地质问题产生的地区，分析了各主要问题的特征，形成条件及危害。     

“西气东输”探明天然气的地球化学特征及资源潜势

"西气东输"是西部大开发宏伟工程之一.第一期输气目标为120×108m3.供气基地主要为西部四大盆地, 特别是其中的塔里木盆地.塔里木盆地剩余可采储量3397×108m3,基本满足了第一期工程对资源储备的要求.但随着西气东输工程的完善和全国对天然气需求的增大,提供更充分的资源保证是地学工作者光荣而艰巨的任务.研究四大盆地主要大中型气田地球化学特征,对此有积极意义.研究表明:塔里木盆地以几个前陆盆地的煤型气为主,四川盆地以川东为过成熟油型为主,鄂尔多斯盆地以台盆型煤型气和高-过熟油型与煤型复合气为主,柴达木盆地则以低演化煤型气为主.特别是前三个盆地,其资源潜势很大,都可能在短期内成为探明储量突破万亿立方米的大气区.它们不仅会为西气东输,而且将我国在今后5至15年间,天然气产能达500×108m3和1000×108m3作出重大贡献。     

柴达木盆地冲湖积平原区深部淡水利用前景分析

柴达木盆地中部湖盐、石油和天然气化工基地淡水资源极度匮乏,供水矛盾日益加剧,淡水资源不足已成为制约湖盐、石油和天然气等矿产资源开发的瓶颈。根据已有勘探资料分析,提出在柴达木盆地较大河流下游冲湖积平原浅部咸卤水分布区,深部沿古河道存在较丰富的淡承压自流水,具有良好的开发利用前景,这对缓解柴达木盆地循环经济试验区湖盐、石油和天然气化工基地供水矛盾具有重要的支撑作用。     

Chemical characteristics of groundwater in parts of mountainous region, Alvand, Hamadan, Iran

Eighty-seven groundwater samples have been collected from a mountainous region (Alvand, Iran) for hydrochemical investigations to understand the sources of dissolved ions and assess the chemical quality of the groundwater. Most water quality parameters are within World Health Organization acceptable limits set for drinking water. The least mineralized water is found closest to the main recharge zones and the salinity of water increased towards the north of the basin. The most prevalent water type is Ca–HCO₃ followed by water types Ca–NO₃, Ca–Cl, Ca–SO₄ and Mg–HCO₃. The Ca–NO₃ water type is associated with high nitrate pollution. Agricultural and industrial activities were associated with elevated level of NO₃⁻. Mineral dissolution/weathering of evaporites dominates the major element hydrochemistry of the area. Chemical properties of groundwater in Alvand region are controlled both by natural geochemical processes and anthropogenic activities.     

Groundwater resources of a multi-layered aquiferous system in arid area: Data analysis and water budgeting

The Maknassy basin in central Tunisia receives insignificant precipitation (207 mm/y), but the hydrological system retain very small quantities of water due to the steep topography and surface water resource partially mobilised witch is evacuated toward the basin outlet. However, the Maknassy plain support agriculture based on ground water irrigation with increasing water demand last decades. These developments have boosted agricultural productivity in the region. While these problems are mainly due to poor surface water management strategies in the region, the groundwater resources in this basin should be properly assessed and suitable measures taken for uniform surface water mobilization. As a first step in this direction, groundwater resources have been assessed. Regional specific yield (0.017) and groundwater recharge have been estimated on the basis of water table fluctuation method. Groundwater recharge amounting to 61.5 10⁶ m³ in a year takes place in the region through infiltration of rainwater (48.1*10⁶ m³ for phreatic aquifer and 13.4*10⁶ m³ for the deep one), and recharge due to the infiltration in the Leben quady bed (1.57*10⁶ m³). Recharge to deeper aquifers has been estimated at 0.1*10⁶ m³ during dry seasons. Assuming that at least 40 % (102.61*10⁶ m³) of the total precipitation water (256.64*10⁶ m³) makes the runoff water, this important resource can be mobilized in order to increase groundwater recharge. Subject to an arid climate, such region requires an integrated water resource management. It permits to keep aquiferous system equilibrium and participate to the sustainable development which integrates natural resource management.     

The impact of the development of water resources on environment in arid inland river basins of Hexi region, Northwestern China

Water resources use is a key parameter in the hydrological cycle, especially in arid inland of Northwest China, groundwater movement and circulation processes are closely related to the surface water, while recoverable and renewable groundwater mainly comes from the conversion of surface river water, and there is extensive transfer among rainfall, surface water and groundwater. Human activity, in particular, large-scale water resources exploitation and development associated with dramatic population growth in the last decades, has led to tremendous changes in the water regime. There are misuse and wastage of surface water with traditional multi-channel irrigation for most rivers, which in turn leads to over-exploitation of groundwater to augment supplies. This situation has been exacerbated by rapid population growth and socio-economic development, with decreased irrigational systems return to groundwater due to the irrigation system in the middle reaches of rivers in the Hexi region becoming better. The investigations of this study revealed that over the last decades, man-made oases have developed rapidly in various inland river basins. With the increasing human demand for water, the contradiction between water demand and water supply is becoming increasingly acute and the amount of groundwater usage significantly increased. Notwithstanding the annual surface water from mountains is relatively stable in the Hexi region, the recharges of groundwater have been reduced by 11.1%, with a maximum reduction of 50% in the Shiyang River basin. Groundwater abstraction increased by approximately six times, particularly in the Shiyang River basin, groundwater abstraction exceeds recharge by 4.1×10⁸ m³ year⁻¹ in recent decades. Consequently, the groundwater level has declined widely by 3–16 m, with a maximum decline of 45 m in several groundwater observation wells in the Minqin basin on the lower reaches of the Shiyang River basin. These cause serious human activity-induced environmental problems, such as water-quality deterioration, vegetation degradation, soil salinization and land desert desertification, etc. It is suggested that modernized irrigation technology and new regulation to cover water resources management and allocation with the river basins are urgently needed to achieve a sustainable development. The aim of this study is to analyze the impact of the development of water resources on the environment in arid inland river basins in Northwestern China, which were analyzed by comparing the three main river basins (i.e., the Shuilei, the Heihe and the Shiyang River basins) with different water resources development cases.     

Chemical classification of the water in a lowland river basin (Salado River,Buenos Aires,Argentina) affected by hydraulic modifications

The main ions were measured seasonally during two years at 13 sampling stations in the Salado River and its main tributaries. The importance of each ion was assessed by standard methods used to examine ionic composition and by multivariate methods. The K-means clustering and Principal Component Analysis were applied to the percentages of the major ions. The concentration of the major cations are in the order Na⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > K⁺ and the major anions, Cl⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > HCO₃⁻ > CO₃²⁻, and the salinity was high (mean TDS 2,691 mg l⁻¹) due to sodium chloride. Using the proportions of the ions was possible to identify seven types of water within the basin related to discharges of different river sub-catchments and from endorheic catchments (in a sand dune region) actually connected with the basin by canals. The chemical composition of the basin is consequence of surface waters receiving salts from groundwater, evaporation and weathering of Post-Pampeano materials, and of anthropogenic impact by diversion between subcatchments for flood control. These results allowed us to test the marked effects on the ionic balance of basin at the base of a diversion management from endorheic catchments characterized by high salinity waters.     

Integration of surface and groundwater resources for the development of Hamad Basin project

Hamad Basin (166,000 km²) is an extensive basin, inhabited by 219,000 souls. It is located in the arid region within the border of four Arab States: Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Average annual precipitation depth is 78 mm, falling mostly during winter.Integrated studies of the natural resources, (water, soil, range, and animal) were carried out with other complementary studies to formulate a socioeconomic development plan for the promissing areas within the basin.Modern technologies were applied such as remote sensing, isotope analysis, processing, and documenting of basic hydrogeological data within the data bank system using computer facilities.Results revealed that the output of the natural dry plant production amounts to 2.0 × 10⁶ tons. Animal wealth comprise 2 × 10⁶ head mainly of sheep. Average annual surface runoff is 146 × 10⁶ m³, which could be appropriately exploited in water spreading schemes to improve range. Water lost presently through evaporation from vast flat depression (Khabra) could be conserved through deepening the Khabras, and recharging shallow perched aquifer by surface runoff, which could be mined later.Results of regional geology, partial geophysical studies, and hydrogeological, hydrochemical interpretations have concuded the existance of two main aquifer systems, the first lies within the tertiary and quaternary formations, while the second extends to the mesozoic, and paleozoic. Their yield varies quantitively and qualitively, up to 100 × 10⁶ m³ could be safely drawn annually.One compound pilot project was selected within the sector of each of the four Arab States to test the feasibility of the proposed development program for the promissing areas of the basin.     

Some scientific problems facing research on hydrological processes in an inland river basin

The challenge is put forward to scientific hydrology by the advancement of water sciences; that is, how should we carry out a multidisciplinary, integrated and cooperative research on hydrological processes in the basin, regional and global scales, in order to better understand the role water plays in the changes of the natural resources and environment of the earth, and to understand the hydrosphere and its interactions with the atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. How the changes and transformation of the components of the water cycle and water balance occur in an inland river basin has yet to be understood. We also need to understand what the interactions of water cycle, ecosystems and environment are, and what the responses and feedback of the changes to global change and to human activities are. The water cycle in an inland river basin characterizes the runoff generation region of the mountains upstream, the artificial oases region of water resources exploitation and utilization midstream and the natural desert oases region of runoff dissipating downstream. The mountain hydrological processes are discussed from water cycle, energy balance, water balance and ecological processes. The interactions of water and vegetation are discussed in relation to ecohydrology, and the hydrological processes in the ground water-soil-vegetation layer are discussed from the concept of the critical zone newly put forward abroad. The basic frame is put forward to carry out the field measurement, experiment and studies of hydrological processes in a typical inland river basin. __________ Translated from Advances in Earth Science, 2007, 22(9): 940–953 [译自: 地球科学进展]     

Geochemical distribution and removal of As,Fe, Mn and Al in a surface water system affected by acid mine drainage at a coalfield in Southwestern China

The chemical characteristics, formation and natural attenuation of pollutants in the coal acid mine drainage (AMD) at Xingren coalfield, Southwest China, are discussed in this paper based on the results of a geochemical investigation as well as geological and hydrogeological background information. The chemical composition of the AMD is controlled by the dissolution of sulfide minerals in the coal seam, the initial composition of the groundwater and the water–rock interaction. The AMD is characterized by high sulfate concentrations, high levels of dissolved metals (Fe, Al, Mn, etc.) and low pH values. Ca²⁺ and SO₄ ²⁻ are the dominant cation and anion in the AMD, respectively, while Ca²⁺ and HCO₃ ⁻ are present at significant levels in background water and surface water after the drainage leaves the mine site. The pH and alkalinity increase asymptotically with the distance along the flow path, while concentrations of sulfate, ferrous iron, aluminum and manganese are typically controlled by the deposition of secondary minerals. Low concentrations of As and other pollutants in the surface waters of the Xingren coalfield could be due to relatively low quantities being released from coal seams, to adsorption and coprecipitation on secondary minerals in stream sediments, and to dilution by unpolluted surface recharge. Although As is not the most serious water quality problem in the Xingren region at present, it is still a potential environmental problem. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Assessment of groundwater quality for irrigation use and evolution of hydrochemical facies in the Markanda river basin,northwestern India

The Markanda river basin occupying an area of about 1547 km² is a part of the alluvial deposits of the Indo- Gangetic plain near the Himalayan foothills in the northwest India. The region is associated with active agricultural activities and makes significant contribution to the country’s agricultural products. Assessment of groundwater quality for irrigation use and hydrochemical evolution of groundwater has been studied. Hydrochemical analysis has been carried out based on concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, CO₃ ²⁻ and HCO₃ ⁻. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (%Na), permeability index (PI) and Trilinear diagram have been studied to evaluate suitability of irrigation use. Hydrochemical evolution has been analyzed based on the Chebotarev sequence and expanded Durov diagram. SAR, %Na and PI results indicate that the groundwater in the basin is suitable for irrigation use. Analysis on Trilinear diagram reveals that hydrochemical facies are dominated by HCO₃ ⁻- Ca²⁺- Mg²⁺ facies indicating that the groundwater is associated with recharge waters percolating through sandstone and limestone rocks which are exposed in the northern part of the basin. Studies based on Chebotarev anion sequence and expanded Durov diagram indicate that the evolution of groundwater belongs to initial to intermediate stage indicating fresh water quality. Thus, the present work reveals that groundwater in the Markanda basin is of good quality and is suitable for all uses including interbasin water transfer in the region.     

Relationship between soil physiochemistry and land degradation in the lower Heihe River basin of northwestern China

Monitoring of soil-water physiochemistry (pH, total salt content, ion types, and ion ratios) across the lower Heihe River basin of northwestern China indicated that the distribution of different soil hydrochemical types typically correlated with that of different levels of soil desertification, specifically: 1) lands with the potential for desertification showed a Cl⁻-SO₄²⁻-Na⁺-Mg²⁺ soil-water ion complement, 2) those under on-going desertification a SO₄²⁻-Cl⁻-Mg²⁺-Na⁺ ion complement, 3) those under severe desertification a HCO₃⁻-Cl⁻-Ca²⁺-Na⁺ ion complement, and 4) those under very severe desertification a Cl⁻-SO₄²⁻-Mg²⁺-Na⁺ ion complement. The total soil N, P, and K, pH and organic matter of desertified lands tend to be relatively spatially concentrated, whereas available N, P and K are scattered. Based on an analysis of the main nutrients, the cumulative percent contribution of total N, total P, organic matter, and available N reached 76.24% of ecosystem needs and basically reflect the level of soil fertility. According to a low-dimensional cluster analysis of principal components and the differentiation and alikeness of integrated nutrient gradients, the soils in the study region were classified into four types, which coincided spatially with the four desertification land types. With a decrease in the quantity of water exiting the upper and middle reaches of the Heihe River basin, the salinity of surface waters and shallow water table depth (WTD) in the lower reaches have significantly increased through evaporation. The changes in the hydrological process have caused an imbalance in water distribution across the basin, and altered the state of oasis-supporting water resources. The deterioration of soil water and expansion of desertification progress from non-salinized soils in the oasis, to soils slightly salinized through periodic salt accumulation, salinized Chao soils, and salinized forest shrub meadow soils along the riverbanks and on lake shores. These can then evolve into moderately to heavily salinized soils and eventually into alkali lands. All together, these degradative processes constitute the complex dynamics of oasis desertification, whereby the natural oases’ surface biotic productivity system is degraded, leading to oasis shrinkage, ecosystem deterioration, and land desertification. Consequently, there is an urgent need to extend the study of soil and surface water chemistry in the region.     

Stochastic water balance model for rainfall recharge quantification in Ruataniwha Basin,New Zealand

Quantification of groundwater recharge is important for water resources management. Different methods can be used to estimate groundwater recharge. The most suitable approach depends on site characteristics. Water balance model was used in this study to quantify groundwater recharge from rainfall in Ruataniwha Basin, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Because it is a closed basin, this method was determined to be more suitable than any other method. The basin is fed by surface water flow and rainfall, without any lateral groundwater flow. Records of surface water inflow and outflow are available with a certain degree of reliability. To cope with uncertainty in different components of water balance, different sampling methods were used. The Mean Value Latin Hypercube Sampling (MVLHS) was used and compared with Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS), and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). It was found the groundwater recharge from rainfall is about 415 million m³/year. Results of this study have revealed that MVLHS converges faster and with lower variance than LHS and MCS.     

Water geochemical characteristic variations in and around a karst-dominated natural reserve area,southwestern China

This paper reports original data on the physical and chemical parameters of precipitation, river water and groundwater in and around the Longhushan Nature Reserve Area, located in southwestern China karst region, and provides a preliminary characterization of the hydrogeochemical process governing the natural water evolution in this area. The rainfall and river water mainly pertain to the HCO₃ ⁻–Ca²⁺ type and groundwater mainly pertain to the HCO₃ ⁻–Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ type. The HCO₃ ⁻ was the predominant anion and Ca²⁺ was the predominant cation in all waters, respectively. The Gibbs Boomerang Envelop model, the 1:1 relationship of Na⁺ plus K⁺ versus Cl⁻ as well as the 1:1 relationship of Ca²⁺ plus Mg²⁺ versus HCO₃ ⁻ all suggested geochemical weathering is the main controlling factor for the geochemical compositions of this natural water. In surface water, the Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios ranged from 0.32 to 0.42 and the Na⁺/Ca²⁺ varied between 0.04 and 0.05. In the groundwater, the Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios varied from 0.37 to 0.62 and were below the ideal ratio of 0.8. These ratios showed the presence of a dolomite source. Analysis of trace elements showed that As, B, Pb, Se, Sr, V and Zn elements were abundant in the natural water during summer in this region.     

Modelling phosphorus inputs from agricultural sources and urban areas in river basins

An area-differentiated model approach (MEPhos) for the quantification of mean annual P-inputs from point and diffuse sources is presented. The following pathways are considered: artificial drainage, wash-off, groundwater outflow, soil erosion, rainwater sewers, combined sewer overflows, municipal waste water treatment plants and industrial effluents. Two retention functions for rivers and reservoirs are included in order to model P-sinks within a river basin. This allows a complete record of P-loads in heterogeneous meso- and macroscale river basins and enables validation of modeling results with water quality data on a load basis. The model is applied to the River Ruhr basin (4,485 km²) in Germany, which includes contrasting natural conditions, land use patterns as well as population and industry densities. Based on validated modelling results sub-areas of high P-loads are localized and management options for the reduction of P-inputs to surface waters are proposed taking into account the site conditions of the sub-areas relevant for high P-inputs into surface waters.     

Trace element and isotopic studies of Permo-Carboniferous carbonate nodules from Talchir sediments of peninsular India: Environmental and provenance implications

Syngenetic carbonate nodules constitute an interesting feature of the glaciogene sediments of various Talchir basins in peninsular India. Petrographic, cathodoluminescence and sedimentary results suggest that many of these nodules contain primary carbonate precipitates whose geochemical signatures can be used for determining environment of deposition and provenance of the sediments and drainage source. Several nodules were collected from Gondwana basins of east-central India and analyzed for stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, REE and trace element composition, and Sr isotope ratio. The mean δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values of the calcites in the nodules are — 19.5% and-9.7% (w.r.t. PDB) respectively suggesting a freshwater environment (probably lacustrine) for formation of these objects. Trace element ratios (Eu/Eu * and La/Yb) of the nodule samples show that the source of the sediments in the Damodar valley basin was the granites, gneisses and intrusives in the Chotanagpur region. The sediments in the Mahanadi valley were derived from granulites, charnockites and granites of the eastern ghat region. The Sr concentration of the carbonate phase of the nodules is low, ranging from 10–60 ng/g. The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the samples from the west Bokaro basin and Ramgarh basin vary from 0.735 to 0.748 (mean: 0.739) and from 0.726 to 0.733 (mean: 0.730) respectively. These values are consistent with our proposition that water of these basins drained through the granitic rocks of the Chotanagpur region. In contrast, the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the samples from the Talchir basin (Type area) of Mahanadi valley vary from 0.718 to 0.723 (mean: 0.719). These⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are close to those of the granulites in the adjoining eastern ghat belt suggesting that area as the drainage source.     

辽河盆地西部凹陷稠油分布区地层水化学特征

地层水特征是研究盆地演化及稠油分布的重要因素.稠油在辽河盆地已探明的石油储量中占有重要比例, 地层水化学场研究是预测稠油分布的基础,利用地层水地球化学特征和同位素资料研究地层水来源,分析水介质条件对原油降解稠化的影响.研究表明:西部凹陷地层水的矿化度和离子构成受深度控制,具有“垂向流”特征;其化学组成及变化规律的差异反映了不同地区地表水注入强度及局部地下水运动特征的变化,地表水注入强度及运动特征的差异是原油生物降解程度不同的主要原因,地下水的循环特征决定了其化学条件和原油生物降解程度,地表水淋滤作用是降解型稠油发育的必要条件.