Pattern and pathways for mercury lifespan bioaccumulation in Carcinus maenas

Carcinus maenas is an important and exploited natural resource in temperate estuaries, being consumed by local populations and also used as fish bait. Through bioaccumulation and bioamplification processes occurring in polluted estuarine ecosystems, this species may directly or indirectly represent a major pathway for Human contamination. No information is available on the overall lifespan bioaccumulation pattern of mercury for this species, which would be an invaluable tool for assessing the risks associated with C. maenas harvest in contaminated areas. Taking that in mind, the main objectives of this work were to clarify the lifespan bioaccumulation pattern of mercury for this species. A consistent lifespan accumulation pattern was found for this species, both for total and organic mercury, and coherent differences were found between genders, suggesting different physiological responses to contamination. From our results two scenarios emerge: (a) for low mercury contamination areas where the diet is the major pathway for metal uptake, with higher levels in muscle and hepatopancreas (twice as high as in gills) and higher organic mercury fractions (as high as 80-90% in muscle), crabs bioaccumulate with age and (b) on high contaminated areas, environmental exposure is predominant, with higher levels found in gills (reaching 0.8 mg kg(-1)), lower organic fractions and no mercury increment with age. Detoxification strategies, dietary differences and species mobility may account for these two accumulation patterns.     

Seasonal fluctuations of tissue mercury contents in the European shore crab Carcinus maenas from low and high contamination areas (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal)

The main objective was to study the seasonal variation of mercury concentrations in different tissues (muscle, hepatopancreas and gills) of Carcinus maenas from low and high Hg contaminated areas, a valuable resource in temperate estuaries and a possible pathway for human uptake. Individuals of two size classes (around 35 and 55 mm cephalothorax wide) were captured monthly between March 1999 and May 2000 in two areas of Ria de Aveiro: in the main navigation channel that connects the lagoon to the sea, and in the inner lagoon area heavily contaminated by mercury (maximum Hg in sediments of 5.4 microg g(-1)). Pronounced decreases in salinity and temperature and reduced food availability in winter seemed to be the responsible for the decline of the crab condition index (0.75-0.45) in larger individuals. Muscle and hepatopancreas exhibited higher mercury concentrations than gills, with concentrations in the contaminated site ranging from 0.03 to 0.63 microg g(-1) and 0.02 to 0.34 microg g(-1), respectively. Linear regressions between muscle and hepatopancreas (r=0.94, p<0.001) and muscle and gills (r=0.97, p<0.001) suggested a rapid redistribution of mercury inside the organism. During winter, a rapid elimination of mercury was found in the three analysed tissues followed by uptake. Larger crabs presented elimination rates from 18 to 34 ng g(-1) per week, while the smaller crabs showed lower elimination rates (10-24 ng g(-1) per week). The uptake was similar in both size classes (11-15 ng g(-1) and 8.1-15 ng g(-1) per week, respectively for large and small crabs). Our results suggest that C. maenas harvested in the contaminated areas must be considered with caution, since Hg concentrations were found to exceed the threshold concentration allowed for human consumption (0.5 microg g(-1)).     

Hydrodynamic regime as a major control on localization of uranium mineralization in sedimentary basins

Uranium deposits in sedimentary basins can be formed at various depths,from near surface to the basement.While many factors may have played a role in controlling the location of mineralization,examination of various examples in the world,coupled with numerical modeling of fluid flow,indicates that the hydrodynamic regime of a basin may have exerted a major control on the localization of uranium deposits.If a basin is strongly overpressured,due to rapid sedimentation,abundance of low-permeability sediments or generation of hydrocarbons,fluid flow is dominantly upward and uranium mineralization is likely limited at shallow depths.If a basin is moderately overpressured,upward moving fluids carrying reducing agents may meet downward moving,oxidizing,uranium-bearing fluids in the middle of the basin,forming uranium deposits at moderate depths.If a basin is weakly or not overpressured,either due to slow sedimentation or dominance of high-permeability lithologies,minor topographic disturbance or density variation may drive oxidizing fluids to the bottom of the basin,leaching uranium either from the basin or the basement,forming unconformity-type uranium deposits.It is therefore important to analyze the hydrodynamic regime of a basin in order to predict the most likely type and location of uranium deposits in the basin.     

Geophysical signatures of uranium mineralization and its subsurface validation at Beldih,Purulia District,West Bengal,India: a case study

The Beldih open cast mine of the South Purulia Shear Zone in Eastern India is well known for apatite deposits associated with Nb–rare‐earth‐element–uranium mineralization within steeply dipping, altered ferruginous kaolinite and quartz–magnetite–apatite rocks with E–W strikes at the contact of altered mafic–ultramafic and granite/quartzite rocks. A detailed geophysical study using gravity, magnetic, and gradient resistivity profiling surveys has been carried out over ～1 km² area surrounding the Beldih mine to investigate further the dip, depth, lateral extension, and associated geophysical signatures of the uranium mineralization in the environs of South Purulia Shear Zone. The high‐to‐low transition zone on the northern part and high‐to‐low anomaly patches on the southeastern and southwestern parts of the Bouguer, reduced‐to‐pole magnetic, and trend‐surface‐separated residual gravity–magnetic anomaly maps indicate the possibility of highly altered zone(s) on the northern, southeastern, and southwestern parts of the Beldih mine. The gradient resistivity survey on either side of the mine has also revealed the correlation of low‐resistivity anomalies with low‐gravity and moderately high magnetic anomalies. In particular, the anomalies and modeled subsurface features along profile P6 perfectly match with subsurface geology and uranium mineralization at depth. Two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional residual gravity models along P6 depict the presence of highly altered vertical sheet of low‐density material up to a depth of ～200 m. The drilling results along the same profile confirm the continuation of uranium mineralization zone for the low‐density material. This not only validates the findings of the gravity model but also establishes the geophysical signatures for uranium mineralization as low‐gravity, moderate‐to‐high magnetic, and low‐resistivity values in this region. This study enhances the scope of further integrated geophysical investigations along the South Purulia Shear Zone to delineate suitable target areas for uranium exploration.     

An evaluation of an enhanced soil erosion and landscape evolution model: a case study assessment of the former Nabarlek uranium mine,Northern Territory,Australia

The assessment of post‐mining landscapes as case studies is an important part of the evaluation of current rehabilitation practices. A necessary part of this assessment is to predict the surface stability of the landform using erosion and landform evolution modelling techniques. In the short term, erosion on a rehabilitated mine site can lead to increased sediment loads and transport of other mine related contaminants in downstream waterways. It is well recognized that in many mine areas the erodibility of surface materials can, and does, vary. This is a particularly significant issue on mine sites, where the surface conditions may range from areas of undisturbed natural surface materials, waste rock dumps constructed with materials exhumed from the sub‐surface, and other areas that have a mix of waste rock and soil to enhance the growth of vegetation. A further significant issue is that when the subsurface materials are exposed to surface conditions they can weather rapidly, changing their erodibility. This paper uses a new version of the SIBERIA landscape evolution and soil erosion model to evaluate the former Nabarlek uranium mine site in the Northern Territory, Australia. This new version of SIBERIA uses spatially variable erosion and hydrology parameters across the study domain to represent different erodibilities of surface materials, thus allowing better representation of catchment heterogeneity. The results demonstrate that the model predicts erosion rates similar to that of other modelled results and independent field data, providing confidence in the model and its parameterization. The tailings, deposited in the mined out pit and capped with waste rock, appear to be safely encapsulated for the modelled period. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Commonwealth of Australia (Department of the Environment and Water Resources Supervising Scientist).     

Cellular diagnostics and coral health: declining coral health in the Florida Keys

Coral reefs within the Florida Keys are disappearing at an alarming rate. Coral cover in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary declined by 38% from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, populations of Montastraea annularis at four sites near Molasses Reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and one reef within Biscayne National Park were sampled on a quarterly basis. Anecdotal observations showed corals at Alina's Reef in Biscayne National Park appeared healthy in March, but experienced an acute loss of coral cover by August. Cellular Diagnostic analysis indicated that Alina's Reef corals were in distress: they had been afflicted with a severe oxidative damaging and protein-denaturing stress that affected both the corals and their symbiotic zooxanthellae. This condition was associated with a significant xenobiotic detoxification response in both species, reflecting probable chemical contaminant exposure. These results demonstrate that applying a Cellular Diagnostic approach can be effective in helping to identify stress and its underlying causes, providing diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of coral health.     

2D cooperative inversion of direct current resistivity and gravity data: A case study of uranium bearing target rock

Interpretation of a single geophysical data set is not sufficient to get complete subsurface information. Cooperative or joint inversion of geophysical data sets is the preferred method for most case studies. In the present study, we present the results of the cooperative inversion approach of direct current resistivity and gravity data. The algorithm uses fuzzy c-means clustering to determine the petrophysical relationship between density and resistivity to obtain the similarity. Synthetic data set has demonstrated that the cooperative inversion approach can produce more reliable and better resistivity and density models of the subsurface as compared to those obtained through individual inversions. To utilize the presented cooperative inversion algorithm, the number of geologic units (number of clusters) in the study region must be known a priori. As a field study, the cooperative inversion approach was used to identify the extension of uranium-bearing target rock around the Beldih open cast mine. We noted the inconsistencies in both resistivity and density models obtained from the individual inversions. However, the presented cooperative inversion approach was able to produce similar resistivity and density models while maintaining the same error level of the respective individual inversions. We have considered four geologic units in the presented cooperative inversion as a field case study. We have also compared our cooperative results with drilled borehole and found to be a reliable tool to differentiate between the target rocks (kaolinite and quartz–magnetite–apatite rocks) and the ultramafic rock (host rock quartzite/alkaline granite). However, this study is subject to certain limitations such as the inability to differentiate between closely spaced kaolinite and quartz–magnetite–apatite rocks.     

Flow dynamics of groundwater and soil water in the former heap Gessenhalde at the uranium mining area of Ronneburg: a stable isotope approach

Stable isotopes, ²H_water, ¹⁸O_water as well as ¹⁸O_sulphate and ³⁴S_sulphate, were used to study the flow system of shallow groundwater and soil water at the base area of a former leaching heap at the uranium mining area of Ronneburg, Germany. The flow paths and water‐retention times were estimated by comparison of δ²H and δ¹⁸O values in groundwater and soil water to the δ²H and δ¹⁸O signature of precipitation, giving distinctive inputs of summer or winter precipitation. The points of measuring the groundwater were divided into three categories with different flow conditions: rapid flow, stagnant conditions and a transition zone by hierarchical cluster analysis of δ²H and δ¹⁸O values of groundwater. The transit time of groundwater in the rapid flow area is less than 6 months, whereas water in the stagnant zone is stored for at least 1 year. In soil water, a clear response to different input signals is detectable only in the 30‐cm horizon (retention time is about 6 months), whereas at deeper levels a mixing with older water is taking place. The isotopic composition of the dissolved sulphate was used to identify oxidation of sulphides as the source of sulphate. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heat flow studies: Constraints on the distribution of uranium,thorium and potassium in the continental crust

To study the amount of heat generated by radioactive decay in the continental crust, the usual practice in the literature is to fit to the heat flow and radioactivity data a relationship of the form: Q = Q_r + D · A where Q and A are the observed heat flow and radiogenic heat production. Q_r is the “reduced” heat flow and D is a depth scale. This procedure implicitly assumes that uranium, thorium and potassium have identical distributions in the crust. We suggest that significant information may be lost as the three radioelements may in fact be affected by processes operating over different depths.Data published for four heat flow provinces throughout the world are used to estimate the distributions of uranium, thorium and potassium in the continental crust. These distributions are characterized by a depth scales defined as follows: D_i =∫0h C_i(z)C_i(0)dz where h is the thickness of the layer containing the bulk of radioactivity and C_i(z) the concentration of element i at depth z. Three depth scales are computed from a least-squares fit to the following relationship: Q = Q_r + D_U · A_U + D_T · A_T + D_K · A_T where Q is the observed heat flow and Q_r some constant (a reduced heat flow). A_i is the heat generation rate due to the radioactive decay of element i, and D_i is the corresponding depth scale.The analysis suggests that the three distributions are different and that they have the same basic features in the four provinces considered. The depth scale for potassium is large in granitic areas, that for thorium is small and that for uranium lies between the other two.We propose a simple model according to which each radioelement essentially provides a record for one process. Potassium gives a depth scale for the primary differentiation of the crust. Thorium gives the depth scale of magmatic or metamorphic fluid circulation. Finally, the uranium distribution reflects the late effects of alteration due to meteoric water. We show that the heat flow and radioactivity data are compatible with this model.Our analysis and numerical results are supported by data from deep boreholes and by geochemical evidence, such as detailed investigations of plutonic series and studies of U-Th-Pb systematics.     

Earthquake-induced damage detection and localization in masonry structures using smart bricks and Kriging strain reconstruction: A numerical study

The intrinsic vulnerability of masonry structures to seismic events makes structural health monitoring of the utmost importance for the conservation of the built heritage. The development of piezoresistive bricks, also termed smart bricks, is an innovative technology recently proposed by the authors for the monitoring of such structures. Smart bricks exhibit measurable variations in their electrical properties when subjected to external loads or, alternatively, strain self-sensing capabilities. Therefore, the deployment of a network of smart bricks into a masonry structure confers self-diagnostic properties to the host structure. In this light, this paper presents a theoretical investigation on the application of smart bricks to full-scale masonry structures for seismic assessment. This includes the study of the convenience of providing electrical isolation conditions to the sensors, as well as the effectiveness of smart bricks when installed into either new constructions or in pre-existing structures. Secondly, numerical results are presented on the seismic analysis of a three-dimensional masonry building equipped with a network of smart bricks. Finally, in order to map the strain field throughout the structure exploiting the outputs of a limited number of sensors, an interpolation-based strain reconstruction approach is proposed.     

Isotopic feature and uranium dating of the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough

1 Introduction The Okinawa Trough(OT) extends for ~1200 km between Taiwan and Kyushu, and is an incipient back-arc basin bounded by the Ryukyu Arc to the south and east, and by Diaoyudao Uplift Belt[1,2] (Tai- wan-Sinzi Belt[3]) to the north and west. Drastic faults and volcanic activities are the typical features in the OT. Generally, the OT is divided into three segments (north, middle and south) by the Tokara Strait and Kerama Gap[4]. The geological features, such as tec- tonics, m…     

Wind-forced dispersion of blue crab larvae in the Middle Atlantic Bight

Blue crab larvae are advected out of Middle Atlantic Bight estuaries immediately after spawning occurs in the estuary entrance. For the next 30 to 50 days the larvae are found offshore and mainly at the surface where they are influenced by wind-driven currents. Using a previously derived circulation model and winds from Norfolk (VA) airport, a backward trace is made from where relatively dense concentrations of megalopae were found in the Chesapeake Bight during 1983 to a point of origin (spawning).During 1983, the megalopae encountered on the shelf had their origin in Chesapeake Bay and took, at minimum, 31 to 36 days to grow to the megalopae stage. Wind forcing dominated the inner shelf region in the summer of 1983 and the resulting dispersion of Chesapeake Bay megalopae occurred briefly in the southern sector early in the season, but toward the northern sector over most of the season. Although no firm conclusions could be drawn regarding the mechanism for return, it did not seem likely that wind advection back to the point of origin would be effective.     

Fluxes of uranium and thorium series isotopes in the Santa Barbara Basin

Samples from the MANOP Santa Barbara Basin sediment trap intercomparison were analyzed for the isotopes of uranium, thorium, radium, lead, and polonium. All of the traps showed approximately the same compositions and isotopic ratios, indicating that they trapped similar materials. The²³⁴Th flux via falling particles was very close to the flux predicted from the production and scavenging rates of²³⁴Th from the water column. The²¹⁰Pb content of the trapped particles and the surface sediments were the same, however, the measured flux of²¹⁰Pb was seven times greater than the predicted flux. Predicted and measured fluxes of²²⁸Th and²¹⁰Po were similarly out of balance. To explain this apparent inconsistency, we suggest (as others have done) that the Santa Barbara Basin is an area where scavenging from the water column is intensified and where sediments deposited initially on the margins may be physically remobilized on a short time scale. These two effects increase the apparent area from which the basin derives the longer-lived isotopes but does not increase significantly the supply of the short-lived²³⁴Th.     

河蟹生态养殖池浮游植物功能类群的结构特征

为探究河蟹生态养殖池浮游植物群落的结构及动态,2013年4-10月对上海松江泖港地区河蟹养殖池的浮游植物进行了调查,分析其种类构成、密度、生物量和生物多样性.共检测到浮游植物105种,其中河蟹生态养殖池优势种11种,分别属于B、D、J、LO、X1、WO、X2、S1和MP功能群.河蟹养殖池浮游植物平均密度为282.58×10~4cells/L,平均生物量为1.59 mg/L,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数变化范围为2.11~3.09.水源浮游植物平均密度为175.13×104cells/L,平均生物量为0.99 mg/L,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数变化范围为1.70~2.79.河蟹养殖池浮游植物平均密度分别于5月14日-6月14日和7月29日-8月29日与水源差异显著;河蟹养殖池浮游植物平均生物量分别于5月30日、6月14日和7月29日-8月29日与水源差异显著;河蟹养殖池浮游植物Shannon-Wiener生物多样性指数分别于5月14日-6月14日和8月14日-9月15日与水源差异显著.河蟹养殖池浮游植物的平均密度、平均生物量和生物多样性指数与水源水体变化趋势基本一致,均高于水源,群落稳定.     

Nuclide analyses of rare earth elements of the Oklo uranium ore samples: a new method to estimate the neutron fluence

Isotopic ratios and abundances of all REE in two Oklo ore samples have been measured. We have succeeded in developing a new method to estimate the neutron fluence, the conversion factor of uranium and the average neutron energy (or temperature) based on Gd and U isotopic ratios. This new calculation is found to be useful in evaluating those parameters for the natural nuclear reactors at Oklo. Comparison is made between the neutron fluence values evaluated by our new method employing Gd isotopes and a previous one [11] employing Sm and Nd isotopes. The relative agreement becomes better with the increase of fluence. A relationship between the abundances of fissiongenic nuclides of La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Gd and their mass numbers is also presented.     

Oxygen in the Earth's core: a first-principles study

First-principles electronic structure calculations based on DFT have been used to study the thermodynamic, structural and transport properties of solid solutions and liquid alloys of iron and oxygen at Earth's core conditions. Aims of the work are to determine the oxygen concentration needed to account for the inferred density in the outer core, to probe the stability of the liquid against phase separation, to interpret the bonding in the liquid, and to find out whether the viscosity differs significantly from that of pure liquid iron at the same conditions. It is shown that the required concentration of oxygen is in the region 25–30 mol%, and evidence is presented for phase stability at these conditions. The Fe/O bonding is partly ionic, but with a strong covalent component. The viscosity is lower than that of pure liquid iron at Earth's core conditions. It is shown that earlier first-principles calculations indicating very large enthalpies of formation of solid solutions may need reinterpretation, since the assumed crystal structures are not the most stable at the oxygen concentration of interest.     

Marine debris from the Oregon Dungeness crab fishery recovered in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: identification and oceanic drift paths

Two Dungeness crab trap tags and floats lost off the State of Oregon, USA during the 2006-2007 fishing season were recovered 4years later in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI): on Lisianski Island on July 15, 2010; and on Kure Atoll on December 10, 2010. This is the first documented recovery of marine debris from Oregon fisheries in the NWHI. We simulate the oceanic drift tracks of the derelict fishing gear with the Ocean Surface Current Simulator (OSCURS) model using estimated loss dates in Oregon based on interviews with the crab trap owners and known recovery sites and dates in the NWHI. These data confirm the US Pacific Northwest as a source of marine debris deposited in the NWHI and provide enhanced understanding of the oceanic drift pathways of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean.     

Total and subcellular distribution of trace elements in the liver of a mother-fetus pair of Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli)

Total and subcellular hepatic Zn, Cu, Se, Mn, V, Hg, Cd, and Ag were determined in a mother-fetus pair of Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli). Except for higher fetal Cu concentration, all maternal elements were higher. Elements existed mostly in the cytosol of both animals except in the case of maternal Ag in the microsome and fetal Cu and Ag in the nuclei and mitochondria. In the maternal cytosol, Zn, Mn, Hg, and Ag were present in the high-molecular-weight substances (HMW); Se and V were present in the low-molecular-weight substances (LMW); Cu and Cd were mostly sequestered by metallothionein (MT). In the fetal cytosol, Zn, Se, Mn, Hg, Cd, and Ag were present in the HMW and V in the LMW, while Cu and Ag were mostly associated with MT. MT isoforms were characterized using the HPLC/ICP-MS. Two and four obvious peaks appeared in the maternal and fetal MT fractions, respectively. The highest elemental ion intensities were at a retention time of 7.8 min for the mother, and for the fetus the peak elemental ion intensities occurred at a retention time of 4.3 min, suggesting that different MT isoforms may be involved in elemental accumulation in maternal and fetal hepatocytosols.