Coagulant proteins identified in Mustard: a potential water treatment agent

The use of natural coagulant protein in drinking water treatment has been discussed for a long time, though the method is still not in practice, probably due to limited knowledge and availability of material. In the present work, different Mustard varieties were tested for the presence of coagulant protein compared with Moringa seed extract and their potential application in water treatment. The coagulation activity of the protein extract was measured using synthetic clay solution as well as water from pond. The protein content was determined by Bradford method, molecular mass determined by Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and peptide sequence was analyzed by Mass spectrometry. Extract of Mustard (large) and Moringa seed showed coagulation activity of ?70 and ?85 % after 90 min, respectively. Interestingly, seed extracts from other Mustard varieties had coagulation activity after heat activation at 95 °C for 5 h. However, the coagulation activity of Mustard seed extract against turbid pond water was higher (?60 %) compared to Moringa seed extract (?50 %). The peptide sequence analysis of 6.5 and 9 kDa proteins was found to be homologous to Moringa coagulant protein and napin3, respectively. To our knowledge, this could be the first report on Mustard seed having coagulant protein. The coagulation activity of Mustard (large) against highly turbid pond water suggested that it could be a potential natural coagulant for water treatment.     

河姆渡文化田螺山遗址古土壤有机质的地球化学特征及其意义

对浙江河姆渡文化田螺山遗址发掘出土的古水稻田沉积有机质开展了详细的有机地球化学分析,从地球化学角度探讨了以田螺山遗址为代表的河姆渡文化稻作农业发展水平以及后期稻田废弃的原因。研究结果揭示,河姆渡文化时期,先民对稻田的开发管理仍处在初级阶段,以原始沼泽型为主。沉积有机质中非挺水水生植物输入指数、平均链长度和藻类输入指数显示,从河姆渡晚期至良渚晚期,田螺山先民耕作区域土壤有机质中藻类等水生生物输入增加,是一个水体逐渐加深的过程,推测生活区周边湖沼环境水体的加深可能是古水稻田废弃的直接原因,甚至有可能是导致整个遗址衰落的直接原因。     

Comparison of the load response of closed-ended and open-ended pipe piles driven in gravelly sand

Slow-maintained static load tests were performed on closed-ended and open-ended steel pipe piles driven side by side in a gravelly sand soil profile. The site investigation consisted of multiple cone penetration tests (CPTs) and standard penetration tests (SPTs), as well as laboratory tests on soil samples collected at various depths from the test site to determine basic soil properties. The test piles were densely instrumented with a combination of electrical-resistance and vibrating-wire strain gauges. The open-ended test pile was a specially fabricated double-wall, fully-instrumented pile, allowing for separation of the measurements of the inner and outer shaft resistances. Detailed comparison of the load test results, in terms of driving resistance, load response and profiles of unit shaft and base resistances for the two test piles, is presented and discussed. The applicability of three CPT-based pile design methods is assessed through a layer-by-layer comparison of the estimated resistances with those measured in the static load tests.

     

Decadal Changes in Water Quality and Net Productivity of a Shallow Danish Estuary Following Significant Nutrient Reductions

We utilized an extensive data set (1977–2013) from a water quality monitoring program to investigate the recovery of a Danish estuary following large reductions in total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) loading. Monthly rates of net transport and biogeochemical transformation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) were computed in two basins of the estuary using a box model approach, and oxygen-based rates of net ecosystem production (NEP) were determined. Since 1990, nutrient loading was reduced by 58 % for nitrogen and 80 % for phosphorus, causing significant decreases in DIN (60 %) and DIP (85 %) concentrations. Reductions in nutrient loadings and concentrations reduced annual chlorophyll levels by 50 % in the inner estuary and improved Secchi depth by approximately 1 m during the same period, particularly in the summer period. In the outer, deeper region of the estuary trends in water quality was less evident. Improvements in the inner estuary were strongly coupled to declines in DIN. Thresholds of DIN and DIP concentrations limiting phytoplankton growth indicated that both regions of the estuary were nitrogen limited. NEP rates indicated the development of more net autotrophic conditions over time that were likely associated with higher benthic primary production stimulated by improved light conditions. Box model computations revealed a modest reduction in summer net production of DIP over time, despite the persistence of elevated fluxes for several years after external loads were reduced. Since the mid-1990s, nutrient loading and transformation were stable while nutrient concentrations continued to decline and water quality improved in the inner estuary. The oligotrophication trajectory involved an initial fast transformation and modest retention of nutrients followed by a gradual decline in the rate of improvement towards a new stable condition.     

琼东南盆地晚第三纪浮游有孔虫深度分层意义

依据Ｋｅｌｌｅ１９８５年、Ｇａｓｐｅｒｉ等１９９３年有关中新世印度洋和太平洋浅层水、中层水和深层水浮游有孔虫深度分层组合的划分模式，对南海琼东南盆地崖１３－１－４井晚第三纪浮游有孔虫作了定量研究，并分析了陆架海区浮游有孔虫不同深度分层组合含量的变化与古地理环境变迁的关系。崖１３－１－４并以浅层水、中层水组合为主，深层水组合不发育，反映该区温跃层不发育，不利于深层水浮游有孔虫的生存。滨海区，浮游有孔     

Characteristics of clay minerals in sediments of Hemudu area,Zhejiang, China in Holocene and their environmental significance

The Ningshao Plain experienced sea-level fluctuation and climate change in the Holocene and gave birth to a Neolithic Civilization, the Hemudu Culture (about 5000 BC). Using XRD method, this paper studied the clay mineralogy of sediments in core HMD-1301 from Hemudu Site area in Ningshao Plain. Results show that the clay mineral assemblages in all samples are quite consistent. They are dominated by illite (about 57%) and smectite (about 26%), and a small amount of kaolinite (about 6%) and chlorite (about 9%). In addition, illite, chlorite, and kaolinite are originated mainly from eolian loesses. Smectite is resulted mainly from chemical weathering of local volcanic rocks outcropped. Illite crystallinity indicates the climatic characteristics of the source region, and illite chemistry index reflects the climate nature of the sedimentary area. It is our understanding that water medium properties in a sedimentary environment affect clay mineral assemblage and the distribution, based on which were cognized the Holocene transgression-regression events in the Hemudu Site area. These mineral indices are well comparable with geochemical indicators in identifying the transgression-regression events. We believe that these events affected the ancient civilization of the ancient residential communities at the time.©2019 China Geology Editorial Office.     

抽水引起的含水层水平应变──地裂缝活动新机理

基于Darcy -Gersevanov广义渗流关系式 ,本文首先导出了单井定流量抽水引起的泰斯承压含水层水平运动和应变解析表达式 ,并据此提出了抽水诱发地裂缝活动的含水层水平应变新机理 ,其主要观点为 :受井栅的约束阻挡作用 ,抽水活动将在含水层内部形成近井径向挤压区和远井径向拉张区两个应变区域 ,随着抽水时间的增长 ,近井径向挤压区将逐渐向外扩展 ;当地裂缝及其下伏断层或裂隙位于抽水活动引起的径向拉张应变区域时 ,地裂缝将出现加速活动 ;反之 ,当地裂缝处于抽水活动引起的径向挤压应变区域时 ,地裂缝活动反而受到抑制。上述地裂缝活动机理通过大同机车工厂现场抽水实验得到了初步证实。     

The Influence of Coastal Nutrients on Phytoplankton Productivity in a Shallow Low Inflow Estuary,Drakes Estero,California (USA)

Seasonal wind-driven upwelling along the U.S. West Coast supplies large concentrations of nitrogen to surface waters that drives high primary production. However, the influence of coastal upwelled nutrients on phytoplankton productivity in adjacent small estuaries and bays is poorly understood. This study was conducted in Drakes Estero, California, a low inflow estuary located in the Point Reyes National Seashore and the site of an oyster mariculture facility that produces 40 % of the oysters harvested in California. Measurements of nutrients, chlorophyll a, phytoplankton functional groups, and phytoplankton carbon and nitrogen uptake were made between May 2010 and June 2011. A sea-to-land gradient in nutrient concentrations was observed with elevated nitrate at the coast and higher ammonium at the landward region. Larger phytoplankton cells (>5 μm diameter) were dominant within the outer and middle Estero where phytoplankton primary productivity was fueled by nitrate and f-ratios were >0.5; the greatest primary production rates were in the middle Estero. Primary production was lowest within the inner Estero, where smaller phytoplankton cells (<5 μm) were dominant, and nitrogen uptake was dominated by ammonium. Phytoplankton blooms occurred at the outer and middle Estero and were dominated by diatoms during the spring and dry-upwelling seasons but dinoflagellates during the fall. Small flagellated algae (>2 μm) were dominant at the inner Estero where no blooms occurred. These results indicate that coastal nitrate and phytoplankton are imported into Drakes Estero and lead to periods of high new production that can support the oyster mariculture; a likely scenario also for other small estuaries and bays.     

Giant plagioclase growth during storage of basaltic magma in Emeishan Large Igneous Province,SW China

Giant plagioclase basalts (GPBs) reflect the storage of flood basalt magma in subvolcanic magma chambers at crustal depths. In this study of the Late Permian Emeishan large igneous province in southwest China, we focus on understanding the plumbing system and ascent of large-volume basaltic magma. We report a quantitative textural analysis and bulk-rock geochemical composition of clustered touching crystals (CT-type) and single isolated crystal (SI-type) GPB samples from 5- to 240-m-thick flows in the Daqiao section. Both types of GPBs are evolved (<6 MgO wt%), but have high Ti/Y ratios (>500) and high total FeO content (11.5–15.2 wt%). The mineral chemistry of the two types of plagioclase displays a small range of anorthite content (<5 mol%), which is consistent with their unzoned characteristics. The two types of GPBs have S-type crystal size distributions but have quite different slopes, intercepts, and characteristic lengths. The characteristic lengths of the five flows are 1.54, 2.99, 1.70, 3.22, and 1.86 mm, respectively. For plagioclase growth rates of 10^?11 to 10^?10 mm/s, steady-state magma chamber models with simple continuous crystal growth suggest that CT-type plagioclase megacrysts have the residence time of about 500–6,000 years, whereas the residence time for SI-type plagioclase is significantly longer, about 1,000–10,000 years. By combining field geology, quantitative textural data with geochemistry, we suggest that CT- and SI-type crystals grew and were coarsened in the outer part and inner part of a magma chamber, respectively. Magma evolution during storage is controlled by crystallization, crystal growth, and magma mixing, and pulsating eruptions occur in response to the continuous supply of hot magma.     

浙江下王渡遗址中晚全新世古环境演变及人类活动初步研究

通过对浙江宁奉平原下王渡遗址剖面样品的孢粉以及地化元素分析,结合5个AMS14C年代数据及考古学文化分层,揭示了河姆渡晚期文化时期及良渚时期该遗址所在区域环境变化及人类活动响应。研究表明：该遗址区温暖湿润的气候条件为河姆渡先民的定居创造了条件,植被面貌以常绿落叶阔叶混交林为主。孢粉及地化元素等证据表明中全新世的海侵使得该遗址区发生了一次文化中断,海洋的影响从河姆渡文化第四期开始逐渐消退。从这一时期开始,草本植物花粉占比很大程度地超过乔灌木植物花粉,特别是粒径不小于37 μm禾本科花粉含量的增加,推测为栽培作物类型。花粉信号揭示了人类活动对自然环境的改造开始逐渐加强,在下王渡遗址区附近可能出现有一定规模的水稻种植区。     

In situ infiltration test using a reclaimed abandoned river bed: managed aquifer recharge in Shijiazhuang City,China

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is necessary for water resources management in arid and semiarid regions. Infiltration rate is often a decisive limiting factor in site selection for MAR. In order to avoid scale effects in the application of infiltration rate parameters, the largest in situ infiltration test in China was undertaken between August 19 and August 30, 2009 to measure the infiltration rate of the field selected for MAR in Shijiazhuang City, China. The in situ test lasted for 10 days, and about 1.82 × 10⁷ m³ of water was introduced into the infiltration field. Groundwater level variations were monitored during the test. Monitoring showed that the infiltration rate of surface water was 1.5 m/day, which means that about 10–15 × 10⁸ m³/a of water could be injected into the target aquifer. Also, groundwater level variations showed that the northern part of the infiltration field had a higher infiltration rate, as predicted, and the test result supplied a sound foundation for validation of the groundwater numerical simulation, which will be of benefit for future predictions of the response of the groundwater level to artificial recharge engineering. Finally, an artificial recharge plan was proposed based on the infiltration test results and the water source conditions, which would be useful for the development of MAR programs and management of local water resources.     

崖19-1-1井晚第三纪浮游有孔虫深度分层及其古海洋学意义

依据ＧｅｒｔａＫｅｌｅｒ和Ｇａｓｐｅｒｉ，Ｋｅｎｎｅｔｔ有关中新世印度洋和太平洋浅层水、中层水和深层水浮游有孔虫深度分层组合的划分模式，对南海琼东南盆地崖１９－１－１井晚第三纪浮游有孔虫作了定量研究，并分析了陆架海区浮游有孔虫不同深度分层组合含量的变化与古地理环境变迁的关系。崖１９－１－１井以浅层水、中层水组合为主，深层水组合不发育，反映本区温跃层不发育，不利深层水浮游有孔虫的生存。滨海区，浮游有孔虫仅为少数几个浅层水的优势种，中层水浮游有孔虫不发育；内浅海区，浅层水浮游有孔虫占绝对优势，中层水浮游有孔虫处于次要地位，所含比例相对较小；外浅海区及陆坡半深海区，浅层水和中层水浮游有孔虫均较发育，中层水浮游有孔虫百分含量相对较高。崖１９－１－１井在上新世早中期曾出现外浅海至陆坡半深海区，为古水深最大时期     

Variable temperature and moisture conditions in Yungang Grottoes,China, and their impacts on ancient sculptures

Deterioration of grottoes induced by the negative impacts of the variable temperature and moisture conditions has been an important issue in the conservation of heritage sites in China. In this case study, the spatial distributions and varying patterns of moisture and temperature in the caves of Yungang Grottoes, China, were investigated. The relative air humidity was approximately 100 % in the deep zone of the unsaturated surrounding rocks of the grottoes where the temperature remained almost steady at around 9.4 °C. However, the indoor air temperature, relative humidity, and rock surface temperature in the caves varied significantly because of the active exchange of the air with the outside atmosphere. The condensation water appeared on cave walls in the summer when the dew point in the air was higher than the rock surface temperature. Preliminary assessments with a special collection device indicated that the thickness of the transient condensation water could reach 0.03–0.10 mm on the back wall of a cave. The occurrence of this condensation water is expected to worsen salt deterioration of the sculptures in the grottoes. As revealed by long-term observations, a wooden building in front of a cave can weaken the indoor air temperature fluctuation and reduce the condensation water, and consequently, prevent the negative effects of the microclimate for the sculptures.     

河姆渡文化的渔猎策略:生物分类生境指数在动物考古学中的应用

河姆渡文化距今约7000~6000年,是长江下游地区重要的新石器时代考古学文化之一。稻作农业的起源和发展是河姆渡文化生业经济研究的核心问题之一,但对动物资源利用的研究相对较少,已经不能满足日益发展的考古学和动物考古学的研究需求。2004年开始发掘的田螺山遗址出土了大量保存状态完好的动植物遗存,为进一步讨论河姆渡文化的生业经济提供了丰富的研究材料。田螺山遗址的动物考古研究发现这是一种渔猎采集为主的经济形态,并从空间、时间、技术和社会层面进行细致分析。本文分析了田螺山遗址2004年至2010年出土的哺乳动物和鱼类遗存,采用了新的研究方法,将"生物分类生境指数"与动物考古的定量统计方法相结合,旨在从空间层面讨论河姆渡文化时期的田螺山遗址对动物资源的利用。分析结果表明,渔猎活动的空间分布得到了较为清晰的划分,其中狩猎活动主要发生在灌丛和草地生境,而湿地是主要的捕鱼地点,这三类生境均分布在遗址附近,大约步行2~4小时以内即可获得,属于日常消费资源。本研究进一步揭示了湿地是田螺山生业经济的核心区域,既是乌鳢等鱼类的栖息地,菱角和芡实等植物性食物的生境,也是早期水稻种植的地点,为田螺山人提供了稳定的食物来源。本研究为动物考古学中对生业经济的讨论提供了新的多学科整合研究方法,并对河姆渡文化时期古人对环境的开发情况提供了更详细的认识。

     

Assessing hyporheic exchange and associated travel times by hydraulic, chemical, and isotopic monitoring at the Steinlach Test Site, Germany

First results of a multi-disciplinary hyporheic monitoring study are presented from the newly established Steinlach Test Site in Southern Germany. The site is located in a bend of the River Steinlach (mean discharge of 1.8 m³/s) underlain by an alluvial sandy gravel aquifer connected to the stream. The overall objective is a better understanding of hyporheic exchange processes at the site and their interrelations with microbial community dynamics and biochemical reactions at the stream–groundwater interface. The present paper focuses on the distribution of lateral hyporheic exchange fluxes and their associated travel times at the Steinlach Test Site. Water level dynamics in various piezometers correspond to the different domains of hydraulic conductivity in the shallow aquifer and confirms hyporheic exchange of infiltrated stream water across the test site. Hydrochemical compositions as well as increased damping of continuous time series of electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature at the respective piezometers confirmed the inferred distribution of hyporheic flowpaths. Mean travel times ranging from 0.5 days close to the stream to more than 8 days in the upstream part of the test site could be estimated from deconvolution of EC and δ¹⁸O–H₂O data. The travel times agree well with the presumed flowpaths. Mg/Ca ratios as well as model fits to the EC and δ¹⁸O data indicate the presence of an additional water component in the western part of the test site which most likely consists of hillslope water or groundwater. Based on the mean travel times, the total lateral hyporheic exchange flux at the site was estimated to be of the order of 1–2 L/s.     

The petrology of a complex sodic and sodic–calcic amphibole association and its implications for the metasomatic processes in the jadeitite area in northwestern Myanmar,formerly Burma

In the Myanmar jadeitite area of Pharkan, amphibole felses occur between jadeitites and serpentinized dunites. These so-called amphibole fels boundary zones were studied optically and by electron microprobe, and found to include the six amphibole species magnesiokatophorite (Mg-kat), nyböite (Nyb), eckermannite (Eck), glaucophane (Gln), richterite (Rich) and winchite (Win). In most samples, the two main amphibole species Mg-kat and Eck coexist with amphiboles containing variable amounts of components of the remaining four species, as well as with the clinopyroxenes jadeite (Jd), omphacite (Omp) and kosmochlor (Ko). However, Mg-kat, Nyb and Eck are also present as separate phases as well as in zoned porphyroblasts with Mg-kat in the core, Nyb in the inner rims, and Eck in the outer rims. The analytical data on such zoned amphiboles reveal that the chemistry changes from core to inner rim by virtue of the substitution NaAlCa _-1Mg _-1 (glaucophane vector), and from the inner to the outer rim along MgSiAl _-1Al _-1 (tschermak vector). The overall substitution from core to outer rim is, therefore, along NaSiCa _-1Al _-1 (plagioclase vector). Based on the Si content, three groups can be distinguished within Eck: Eck coexisting with Nyb has low Si contents of <7.6 a.p.f.u., Eck rimming Nyb has higher Si contents of 7.6–8.0 a.p.f.u., and fine-grained Eck in the matrix has Si contents of 7.9–8.0 a.p.f.u. Plotting the amphibole analyses in a compositional volume with the axes (Na+K) in A, Na in M(4), and tetrahedral Si shows that three groups of amphibole compositions can be distinguished, one being subdivided into three subsets. Group A contains Rich and Mg-kat, B comprises of Win and Gln, whereas the subsets C can be defined as follows: C1: high-Na amphiboles with low tetrahedral Si; these are mainly amphiboles from the Eck field but overlap with the two fields of Gln and Win; C2: high-Na and low-Si Ecks overlapping to high-Si Nybs; this group is midway between Eck and Nyb end members; C3: high-Na Mg-kats. Textural observations indicate three stages of sodic and sodic–calcic amphibole growth: stage 1 are amphiboles of group A (Mg-kat+Rich), stage 2 are amphiboles of group C2 (Nyb+Eck with Si<7.6 a.p.f.u.), and stage 3 are amphiboles of groups C1 and B (Eck with Si>7.6 a.p.f.u., +Gln+Win). Based on the subdivision into the compositional groups A–C, the only hint to a miscibility gap is provided by the large gap in the (Na+K) content on the A site which may point to a possible solvus in the system Eck–Win. Overall, the amphiboles investigated here show discontinuities in their growth compositions, rather than miscibility gaps. Textural observations suggest amphibole formation during fluid infiltration in the contact zone between the jadeitite bodies and the surrounding peridotite under high-pressure conditions (>1.0 GPa) and rather low temperatures of about 250–370 °C. Based on compositional trends within the amphiboles as well as phase-equilibrium constraints between amphibole and coexisting pyroxene solid solutions, the chemical composition of zoned amphibole porphyroblasts indicates two growth episodes—increasing pressures from stage 1 to stage 2 lead to the formation of Nyb from Mg-kat, and subsequently decreasing pressures lead to the formation of stage 3 Eck from Rich.     

浙江余姚田螺山遗址古人类活动的环境背景分析——植硅体、硅藻等化石证据

长江中下游丰富的新石器时代文化遗址,为研究该地区新石器时期气候环境变化、古人类活动和文化演化等提供了丰富的材料。浙江余姚田螺山遗址是河姆渡早期文化保存比较完整的一处新石器时代遗址。文章通过对田螺山遗址剖面植硅体、硅藻和炭屑等的分析,探讨了田螺山遗址河姆渡文化早期的原始农业和古人类活动的文化环境背景。7000～6600cal.aB.P.期间,植硅体和炭屑含量较低,淡水-半咸水硅藻丰富,推测为淡水或泻湖沉积环境,受海水影响较小;  从6600cal.aB.P.开始,水稻植硅体和炭屑含量增加说明田螺山先人已经开始大量种植水稻;  晚期（约6000cal.aB.P.后）海绵骨针和硅藻海水种含量的增长说明该时期田螺山地区明显受到海水影响。研究结果表明,河姆渡文化早期,田螺山地区就已经开始水稻栽培,原始农业形态基本是以稻作农业为主;  田螺山遗址河姆渡文化之前和之后都可能存在相对海面较高或受海水影响的时期,其与河姆渡文化在田螺山地区兴起与消失有着一定的关系。     

Assessment of environmental hazards at abandoned mining sites: A case study in Sardinia,Italy

In the last two centuries, several Pb–Zn mines were active in the Rio Mannu basin near Narcao (SW Sardinia, Italy), but are now abandoned. These abandoned mines pose a serious risk to the population and required an assessment of the hazard sources and the contaminant pathways in the area. The characterization plan of the Rio Mannu basin was carried out according to Italian protocols. Specifically, samples of soil, stream sediment, fine-grained ore-processing waste (from washery and flotation processes), surface water and groundwater have been analyzed in order to assess the levels of contamination in each mine area and the risks in the plains surrounding the site. Several potential chemical contaminants were considered both in solid materials and water samples. The Rosas mine was recognized as the most contaminated area in the basin, due to the presence of a large tailing pond, some fine-grained waste piles and two mine adits with concentrations of the toxic elements As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn exceeding Italian regulatory standards. The dispersion of contaminants occurs downstream from the small stream draining the area. In case of heavy rain the runoff into the streamlet transports the contaminated material far into the plain. The results of this study show that the characterization plan is a relatively cheap tool for establishing mitigation actions, prior to the realization of a complete, and usually expensive, remediation project at abandoned mine sites. Urgent recommended actions in the Rio Mannu basin include the treatment of the adit water prior to its discharge into the Rio Barisonis; the construction of drainage barriers on waste piles to reduce runoff and solid transport into the Rio Barisonis; the consolidation of the earthen dam containing the tailing pond of Rosas to avoid the deepening of erosion furrows that may threaten its stability.     

Long-term TNT and DNT contamination: 1-D modeling of natural attenuation in the vadose zone: case study,Portugal

The vadose zone of a trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) contaminated site was investigated to assess the mobility of those explosives under natural conditions. Located in the left margin of the River Tejo Basin, Portugal, the site is located on unconsolidated sediments. Wastewaters associated with the 50-year explosives production were disposed in excavated ponds, from where water would infiltrate and pollute the unsaturated and saturated parts of the local aquifers. Two boreholes were drilled to 9 m depth in such a former waste pond to investigate the contaminant’s fate in the vadose zone. Sediment samples were taken every 1–2 m for analysis of the poly-nitroaromatics (p-NACs) and organic volatile compounds, pH, organic carbon content, cation exchange capacity and grain size analysis. The main contaminant was TNT representing >70 % of the total p-NACs concentration that peaked approximately 7 mg/kg in one borehole, even if the median in both boreholes was of ~1 mg/kg. DNT was 4–30 % of the total p-NACs and nitrotoluene (NT), up to 5 %. No other (volatile) organic compound was detected. The predominance of TNT as the main contaminant implies that any natural mass reduction has been inefficient to clean the site. Several 1-D model simulations of p-NACs cleaning of the vadose zone under natural conditions indicated that the most probable scenario of combined advection and partitioning will only remove TNT after 10’s of years, whereas DNT and NT will hardly be removed. Such low concentrations and long times for the p-NACs removal, suggest that by now those compounds have been washed-out to a level below standard limits.     

Application of geochemical methods in the search for geothermal fields

From 1983 to 1985, an orientation study was carried out in about 20 geothermal fields in China. Semi-detailed and detailed surveys were conducted in an area of 90 km² in Yangbajing, Tibet. Hg, As, Sb and Bi were used as indicators to extend the promising area of known geothermal fields to 16 km². In the northern part of the extended promising area, three drill holes were sunk and high-temperature thermal water of 160°C was obtained. In the southern part, outside the geochemical anomaly, two holes were drilled but no thermal water was found. The inner zone of the Hg anomaly coincides closely with the distribution of drill holes that met thermal water with temperatures higher than 140°C. The distribution of Bi values may indicate that the thermal water in the southern part is at shallower depth. A semi-regional survey in an area of 200 km² in Tengchong, Yunnan Province delineated several new prospects, which will possibly extend the resources of the Rehai geothermal field. An element zoning pattern similar to that of hydrothermal mineral deposits was discovered in the Rehai geothermal field. A semi-regional survey conducted in Xiaotangshan near Beijing indicated that the possible extent of the Xiaotangshan geothermal field may reach 30 km². Drilling confirmed that the outer zone of the Hg anomaly is in accordance with the distribution of 40°C thermal water, and the intermediate and inner zones of the Hg anomaly are associated with higher temperature thermal water. Research during the three years 1983–1985 demonstrated that exploration geochemistry is an effective tool for finding geothermal fields.