Clay with high fluorine and endemic fluorosis caused by indoor combustion of coal in southwestern China

Indoor coal-combustion type fluorosis is the only type of endemic disease that still lacks effective method of prevention and control. By the end of 2000, there had been 33901 thousand peoples living in the indoor coal-combustion-type fluorosis area, including 17695 thousand patients of dental fluorosis, and 1465 thousand patients with skeletal fluorosis. Guizhou is the province that suffers mostly from indoor coal-combustion-type fluorosis. 28.11% of the total population of Guizhou Province, 14489 thousand peoples, including 9910 thousand dental fluorosis patients, are living in indoor coal-combustion-type fluorosis area in Guizhou Province （NSB, 2000）. During the period of 1980-1984, the following results were proved by authors ： （1） there is no positive relationship between fluorine concentrations in foodstuff and in soils and rocks; （2） absorbed fluorine from indoor combustion formed high fluorine content foodstuffs. Fluorine emitted from combustion was acid-soluble fluorine; and （3） of the two factors that induced fluorosis,     

Research on Relationship Between Fluorine in Tap Water and That in Urine of Chinese Residents

In this study, the relationship between fluorine in drinking water and that in urine of urban residents in China is assessed. Fluorine concentrations in tap water and those in urine show a good correlation with a linear regression coefficient of 0. 9798, indicating that the fluorine concentrations in big cities under investigation are extremely low, and the main source of fluorine is tap water. The weather effect on the intake amount of fluorine is also discussed. When air temperature is above 15℃, people would intake more fluorine through drinking water with the rise of air temperature. When temperature is below 15℃, no remarkable relationship is observed between air temperature and the intake amount of fluorine. This phenomenon indicates that the main source of fluorine in China is tap water instead of foodstuff.     

Relationship between fluorine content in drinking water and oral health in some big cities in China

Background： Fluorine is an important element to human health. Overloading of fluorine may cause dental and/or skeletal fluorosis, while in fluorine deficiency distracts, fluoride drinking water supply or other methods of fluoridation may greatly reduce the ratio of dental caries of local residents. The benefit of drinking water fluoridation has been widely accepted as a public sanitation measure in most western countries, but in China it faces big challenges. Method： Investigation of oral health and fluorine level in drinking water, main food and urine in some big cities of China. Result and conclusion： （1） Fluorine content in drinking water in 70% of the whole research cities is lower than 0.3 mg/L, and in 90% of the research cities, it is lower than 0.5 mg/L. （2） Fluorine concentrations in main foodstuff of respective cities in China were low and did not have too much difference. （3） Drinking water was the main source of fluorine intake for Chinese residents. （4） With the data of the epidemiological research by NCOH in 1995, in the range of fluorine content in drinking water below 1.0 mg/L, the ratio of dental caries and DMFT decreases with the increase of fluorine concentration. The relation between fluorine concentration in drinking water and dental index did not have a good linear relationship.     

Environmental Geochemistry of Fluorine in the Rock—Soil—Water System in the Karst Region of Central Guizhou Province

Systematic determination of and adsorption experiment on fluorine in the carbonate rock-soil-water system in the karst region studied in Guzhou Province,in conjunction with the mineral surface and soil chemistry data,have revealed the geochemical characteristics of F and the mechanisms of its transport and entrichment in the rock-soil-water-system of the karst region central guizhou province,Deep-seated underground waters(-100m or lower)and soil layers in the karst region of central Guizhou are characterized by high-F anomalies whereas shallow-level underground and surface waters by low contents of F(mostly lower than 05mg/L).Fluorine in soil and water in the region studied comes largely from Triassic marine strata dominated by gypsum-bearing carbonate rocks.The special adsorption and desorption of F on the surface of geothite in soil layers are the important mechanisms of its transport and enrichment in the rock-soil-water system of the karst region studied.     

Mercury concentrations in a contaminated river system in Kazakhstan and biomonitoring of the local population

The River Nura in central Kazakhstan has been heavily contaminated by mercury （Hg） from an acetaldehyde plant located in the industrial city of Temirtau. The plant released Hg-containing wastewater into the river from the 1950s until the mid 1990s and strongly contaminated the bed sediments up to 25 km downstream. In addition, a local power station released an estimated 6 million tonnes of fly-ash into the water which has adsorbed much of the Hg and has become mixed with the natural sediments. River water,fish and agricultural land in the floodplain are also contaminated by Hg. Humans are exposed to Hg primarily via the consumption of contaminated fish from the river. A survey was undertaken in June/July 2005 to investigate Hg concentrations in river water, drinking water, sediments and fish. To estimate the risk posed to the local population, approximately 300 hair samples were collected from people living in villages near the most contaminated section of the river, at a distance of between 5 and 30 km downstream of the acetaldehyde plant, and their dietary habits were recorded. Mercury concentrations in river water ranged from 2-3 ng/L upstream of the source of the pollution to 348 ng/L downstream of the factory outfall pipe. Some drinking water wells close to the river were contaminated, but deeper wells had Hg concentrations below the detection limit.     

Genetic Analogy Between Sediment—Hosted Gold Deposits and Sediment—Hosted Copper Deposits in Southwest China

The sediment-hosted copper deposits according to the authors‘ study were formed from connate formation water during the post-sedimentary or diagenetic stage while the sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits are unanimously considered to be of post-sedimentary hydrothermal origin.Therefore,apart from their own individulities.These two types of deposits must share some characters in common.Comparisons are attempted,in this paper,between the sediment-hosted copper deposits in southwest China and the Triassic sediment-hosted disseminated gold deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Triangle in terms of geological and geochemical features.     

Seasonal variations in sulfur isotopic composition of dissolved SO<Subscript>4</Subscript><Superscript>2−</Superscript> in the Aha Lake,Guiyang and their implications

The Aha Lake is a seasonal anoxic water system in the southwest of Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China. Seasonal variations in SO42- concentrations and their isotopic compositions in lake water as well as in the tributaries were investigated in this study. The results showed that sulfate concentrations in river water range from 0.94 to 6.52 mmol/L and their δ34S values range from -14.9‰ and 0.9‰, while lake water has sulfate concentrations ranging from 1.91 to 2.79 mmol/L, and δ34S values from -9.8‰ to -5.9‰. It is suggested that coal mining drainage is the major source of SO42- in the Aha Lake. Rainfall, sewage discharge, sulfide oxidation and gypsum dissolution have made only limited contributions. Different depth-dependent distributions of dissolved SO42- and δ34S were de-veloped for both DB and LJK in summer and winter. Due to water overturn, δ34S values display homogenous vertical distributions in winter and spring. While in summer and autumn, significant positive shifts of δ34S were clearly ob-served in epilimnion and bottom strata as a result of water stratification. High δ34S values in epilimnion may result from the retention of rainwater during water stratification. Dissimilatory sulfate reduction by bacteria was thought to be responsible for the increase of δ34S value in hypolimnion.     

Effects of human activities on mercury in the environment in Xi＇an area, China

Effects of mercury on ecosystems and human health are well documented. Human activities have significant impacts on transport, transformation, and fate of mercury in the natural environment. In this study, a gold mining area （Tongchuan）, an urban area （Xi＇an）, and a historical site （Qinshihuan Tomb） in Shaanxi Province, China, was chosen to study the effects of human activities on the transport, transformation, and fate of mercury in the area. Samples of atmospheric precipitate, soil, sediment, pomegranate, corn and those from wells and the rivers that flow through or flow by the city and from the mining area were collected. The EPA methods were used for sample preparation and analysis of these samples. These methods combine acid digestion, chemical reduction, purge and trap with Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry （CVAFS）. Preliminary results showed high total mercury concentrations in the water samples collected from a river in Tongguan County. The total mercury concentrations ranged from 133 to 188 ng/L in the water samples collected from the rivers flowing through Xi＇an City. The amount of total mercury in the soil/sediment samples which were collected in the vicinity of Xi＇an ranged from 31.8 to 83.2 ng/g. The total mercury concentrations in the samples of atmospheric precipitate （including rain and snow collected from Sep. 2005 to Jan. 2006） ranged from 106-298 ng/L.     

Groundwater pollution by arsenic concentration in sedimentary aquifers in the Indo-Gangetic Basin of Nepal

Naturally occurring arsenic （As） in groundwater of sedimentary aquifers has emerged as a global problem, and the Indo-Gangetic Basin of Nepal is no exception. In the sedimentary aquifers of the Indo-Gangetic Basin, arsenic enrichment and mobilization in groundwater by natural processes is considered an issue of major environmental health concern. About 11 million people, 47% of Nepali＇s total population living in the region and approximately 90% of them are relying on groundwater as their major source of drinking water. Moreover, 205555 ha of agricultural land in the basin are irrigated by groundwater through large numbers of deep and shallow irrigation tubewells for extensive cultivation of crops which has lead to creation of other pathways for arsenic ingestion among the people living in the region. It is estimated that around 0.5 million people in the basin are living at risk of arsenic poisoning In addition, some recent research shows the prevalence of dermatosis related to arsenicosis from 1.3% to 5.2 % and the accumulation of arsenic in biological samples like hair and nails much higher than the acceptance level. In these circumstances, the source of the natural arsenic concentration in groundwater of the Indo-Gangetic Basin is quite essential to explore. Therefore, to investigate the source of arsenic and management of arseniferious groundwater used for human consumption and irrigation, along with treatment or avoidance, is clearly an issue of research concern. Present research is carried out to understand the source of natural arsenic and its mobilization in groundwater of the Indo-Gangetic Basin. For this, we have collected bedrock, aquifer sediments and water samples from the study area. Sediment samples were taken from different lithofacies viz. clay, silt, sand and sandy gravels from groundwater aquifer where arsenic concentration is high. Water samples were taken from domestic shallow and deep tubewells in grid pattern. Bedrock samples were collected from source of the aquifer sediment, northern part of the Indo-Gangetic Basin, especially from the Siwalik and Lesser Himalaya. This paper particularly focuses on geology, mineralogy, hydro-geochemistry and sedimentary analysis of the high arsenic affected districts; Rautahat, Sarlahi, Parsa, and Kailali of Nepal.     

Influence of high-fluorine environmental background on crops and human health in hot spring-type fluorosis-diseased areas

Drinking water-type fluorosis is the most harmful endemic disease in China with the largest number of sufferers. Although the implementation of the policy to alter water sources to lower fluoride level has effectively controlled the spread of this kind of endemic disease, its prevalence could not thoroughly be stopped because the high-fluoride environmental background in these endemically diseased areas could still do harm to human health through food chain. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a more deep-going study on the drinking water-type fluorosis. To investigate the effect of high fluorine environmental background on crops and human health in the hot spring-type fluorosis-diseased areas, local water, paddy soil, rice, whole vegetables and soils around their roots were sampled for analysis. The results were compared with those of the control groups in fluorosis-free areas which are similar to the fluorosis-diseased areas both in natural background and in social background. It is indicated that rice and vegetables can accumulate water-soluble fluorine either in soils or in irrigating water, and different crops have different abilities of fixing fluorine. The contents of fluorine in different parts of vegetables in the fluorosis-diseased and fluorosis-free areas were statistically categorized. The results showed that the fluorine contents of roots, tubers, leaves and flowers of vegetables in the fluorosis-diseased areas are 3.56, 1.17, 3.07 and 3.23 mg/kg, respectively. However, comparisons showed that in the fluorosis-free areas, the fluorine contents are 2.17, 0.70, 1.91 and 2.52 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, different parts of a crop also show significantly different fluorine fixation abilities. It is demonstrated that the fluorine contents of the strongly metabolic parts are relatively high. For example, the fluofine contents of roots, leaves and flowers of vegetables are much higher than those of stems. The fluorine fixation ability of seeds is very weak. In order to reduce the risk of human body＇s     

Environmental Isotopic Characterization of Groundwater and Surface Water in Northeast Missan Province,South Iraq

The present work studies the environmental isotopes assess groundwater characteristics of the different parts of the main aquifer in the northeast Missan Province in south of Iraq.Water samples of groundwater and surface water were collected for two dry and wet seasons during the water year of 2011–2012.The study shows that most of the groundwater in the aquifer falls above the global meteoric water line,and all the samples fall below the Mediterranean meteoric water line,indicating that these samples are a mixture of two water types.The tritium content of these samples supports this conclusion.The overall conclusion of this study indicates that there are two sources of groundwater recharge in the studied area:the ephemeral streams(Teeb and Dewerge) and major precipitation sources.According to the tritium levels at or below one tritium unit(TU) obtained from the water,supply wells are highly confined or "not vulnerable".Overall,the 3H results imply that recent recharge has taken place during the last four to five decades.In the recharge area,the high tritium content in the southern part of the Teeb area suggests that the recharge originates from rapid infiltration of surface runoff.Therefore,the groundwater resources in the study area should be protected from contamination,because it will influence the aquifer in a relatively short period of time if any contamination enters the recharge areas of the aquifer.     

Distribution of mercury species in water and sediments in Caohai Lake, Guizhou Province

Caohai Lake which is situated in Guizhou Province, has suffered drain project many times since 1958.The main mercury contamination includes industry waste water, litter and waste residue from refine zinc furnace and so on. The water and sediment samples which were collected from Caohai Lake in different seasons using metal clean protocols. Study sites were selected at the upper and down reaches and the tributaries of this lake, respectively. Total mercury （THg）, reactive mercury （RHg） and dissolved mercury （DHg） concentrations were measured by trap pre-concentration and CVAFS detection methods, and the concentrations of particulate mercury （PHg） are equal to difference of THg and DHg. Total methylmercury （MeH） and dissolved methylmercury （DMeHg） concentrations were measured by GC-CVAFS detection method. Mercury in sediment was measured by AAS method. The results in autumn were obtained as follows： the average concentrations of total mercury, reactive mercury,     

Discovery of Pyrrhotite-Chalcopyrite-Bearing Amphibole Megacrysts in Tongling Area, Anhui Province

Some pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-bearing amphibole megacrysts (including pyroxene megacrysts) were discovered in Mesozoic augite diorite-porphyrite at Caoshan in Tongling area, Anhui Province. The amphibole megacrysts, belonging mainly to pargasite and magnesiohastingsite, are characteristic of the amphibole composition derived from mantle and crystallized in lower crust. In general, the aggregates of pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite take the shapes of cylinder and sphere. Three occurrences have been recognized in the amphibole megacrysts: parallel linear, bunchy and scattered. The unique cylinder-like shape of the aggregates and remarkable Ni-poor sulfides in Caoshan are distinctively different from the spherical Ni-rich sulfides in pyroxene megacrysts and any other kinds of megacrysts. In terms of composition, the amphibole megacrysts and their sulfides in Caoshan are similar to those in the pyroxenite xenoliths in Qilin, Guangdong Province. In terms of origin, the pyrrhotite-chalcopyrites as exsolution products resulted from the subsolidus re-equilibration of sulfide solid solution within amphibole megacrysts.amphibole megacrysts were first discovered inside and outside China. This discovery is important for the study of regional magma evolution and its associated mineralizations and ore sources as well.     

Fluoride exposure in the endemic fluorosis area of Guizhou, China

The dental and skeletal fluorosis is highly prevalent in Zhijin, Guizhou, especially at Hualuo Village, Hehua Village and Majiazhuang Village. The contents of fluorine in coal, clay used for coal combustion, mixed fuel of coal and clay, corn, and chili from households of the three villages were determined by the pyrohydrolysis-fluorine ion-selective electrode method. The average contents of fluorine in the above samples respectively are 237 mg/g, 2262 mg/g, 828 mg/g, 1419 mg/g, and 110 mg/g. The clay used for coal combustions is the main fluorine source of endemic fluorosis and the inferior coal and weathered coal are the secondary source of fluorine. During the combustion of mixed fuel of coal and clay, about eighty percent of fluorine was volatilized, approximately two thirds of which was from the clay and the other one third from the coal. The occurrence of fluorine in clay used for coal combustion is closely related to apatite and hornblende. The contents of fluorine in corn and chili, dried by coal-clay mixed fuel are about 1400 and 73 times higher than the permitted level of fluorine in foods according to the Chinese Standard. It is worth paying attention to the high-fluorine indoor surroundings, such as coal, clay, corn, and chili, particularly ash from boiler bottom with the fluorine content of 15738 μg/g. Besides the technologies of fluorine fixation during the combustion,     

Study on Inclusions in Natural and Synthetic Gems

The characteristics of inclusions in natural and synthetic gems are distinct owing to their different forming mechanisms and can be utilized to distinguish gems from different localities.In addition,intensive studies on inclusion characteristics of natural gems could identify their geographical origins and provide valuable information on gem synthesis,In this paper synthetic gems (synthetic star-spangled sapphire and emerald)and natural gems from various locations including natural sapphire from Thailand and Australia,and natural aquamerine from Mufushan,Hunan Province,and Ailoshan,Yunnan Province,were selected for the comparative study of inclusion.Significant research results have been achieved,thus providing the important basis for distinguishing natural from synthetic gems.     

Vertical distribution, stability and evolution of groundwater composition in granite suitable for storage of spent nuclear fuel

Granite with extremely low permeability has been selected to host a repository of spent nuclear fuel in the Czech Republic. Three boreholes were drilled in a test site of the Podlesi granite stock in the Krusne hory Mts. The holes were located 10 m apart. After hydraulic tests, four sections in one of the boreholes were separated by packers at depth of 69-111, 111-161, 161-220 and 220-300 m. Samples of groundwater from each section were periodically collected for chemical and isotopic analysis. Groundwater from fractures in the granite stock does not belong to a single and uniform groundwater body in spite of that the granite is chemically and mineralogically homogeneous. There are three water bodies, which are only partly hydraulically connected. They are： （1） The groundwater in the oxidation zone to a depth of about 111 m. （2） The groundwater of the zone of hydrolysis of alumosilicates from 111 to 220 m. （3） The groundwater of the zone of hydrolysis of alumosilicates below the depth of 220 m from a different fracture system than the water from the above sections. The total dissolved solids of water increase with depth. The Ca-SO4 component predominates in the near surface water body while Na-HCO3 component predominates in the two deeper water bodies. Water from the oxidation zone contains higher concentrations of iron and other trace metals. The chemical composition of water in the three water bodies changed during the 14 months of sampling. No steady state was reached during this time. The changes displayed systematic trends. The ratio Ca/Na increased and the ratio HCO3/SO4 decreased with time in the shallow water body. In contrast, the ratio CafNa decreased and HCO3/SO4 fluctuated without an obvious trend in the deeper water bodies. An unusually high concentration of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） was found in the lowest section of the test borehole. The concentration of DOC was 150 mg/L at the beginning of sampling. The isotopic composition was δ^13C=-27.6 ‰. The concentration of DOC dropped both towards the surface and with time.     

Human Health Risk Assessment Model of Organic Pollution in Groundwater: Shijiazhuang Industrial Zone

In this study, a risk-based management model is developed and applied to an industrial zone. The models proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Han Bing have been improved by adding a residual ratio of volatile organic compounds (VOC) after boiling and deleting the related parameters in half-life. Using this improved model, an integrated process was used to assess human health risk level in the study area. Compared with water quality analysis, the results highlight the importance of applying an integrated approach for decision making on risk levels and water protection. The results of this study demonstrated that: (1) Compared with these permissible level standards in China (GB 3838-2002) and National Primary Drinking Water Regulations of the United States, the residents’ daily life had not been affected by the groundwater in this area (except for relative bad water quality of HB3-4 and HB3-6); (2) The typical detected organic contaminants of all groundwater samples were chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethene, and the pollution sources were mainly industrial sources by preliminary investigations; (3) As for groundwater, the non-carcinogenic risk values of all samples do not exceed the permissible level of 1.0 and the carcinogenic risk values are relatively lower than the permissible level of 1.00E-06 to 1.00E-04; (4) Drinking water pathway of trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene mainly contribute to increasing the health risk of residents’ in study areas; (5) In terms of non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk, the health risk order for drinking water pathway and dermal contact pathway was: drinking water pathway > dermal contact pathway.     

Characterization of arsenic-contaminated groundwater and human health risk assessment in Vietnam

The characteristics of arsenic-contaminated groundwater were investigated and the potential risks from groundwater were evaluated in Vietnam. Arsenic contamination in groundwater was found in Ha Nam Province in the northern part of Vietnam. Since groundwater has been used as one of the main drinking water sources in this region, groundwater （n=10） and hair （n=15） samples were collected in the Vinh Tru district, Ha Nam Province, during February of 2006. At the site, the concentrations of anions and silica were analyzed and As（Ⅲ） and As（Ⅴ） species in groundwater were separated with disposable arsenic speciation cartridge. The concentrations of arsenic in groundwater ranged from 13 to 582 μg/L （mean=366 μg/L）. According to the results of arsenic speciation, approximately 90% of arsenic in groundwater existed as As（Ⅲ） species. Average concentrations of iron and manganese were 18 and 0.7 mg/L, respectively. All samples exceeded the Vietnamese drinking water standard of 10μg/L for arsenic and 0.5 mg/L for iron. Also 70% of the groundwater samples were above the Vietnamese drinking water standard of 0.5 mg/L for manganese. However, a real intake of arsenic to human is less than analyzed arsenic concentration because sand filtration units are used to remove iron and arsenic in groundwater in this region. After treatment, arsenic concentrations decreased from 〈1 to 82 μg/L （mean=33 μg/L）. The concentrations of arsenic in hair samples and treated groundwater were compared. Especially, arsenic concentrations in female hair samples and treated groundwater had significantly positive correlation with the Spearman correlation of 0.88 and the P-value of 0.001. Based on the arsenic concentrations in treated groundwater, the assessment of human health risks was conducted.     

Geology and Geochemistry of Reworking Gold Deposits in Intrusive Rocks of China—Ⅱ Gold Deposits and Their Genesis

Gold deposits in intrusive masses include the veinlet dissemination,quartz vein and veinlet dissemination vein types,They are distributed in fracture zones along the endocontact zone of a batholith or in the centre and edge of a stock.The metallogenic epochs are Yenshanian,Hercynian,Archean,Proterozoic and Himalayan,The gold deposits are characterized by a big difference in time span between gold mineralization and the formation of host masses Ore-forming materials were derived from the masses and auriferous strata and ore-forming fluids came from meteoric and formation waters.When circulating water was heated by ascending heat flow,gold would be extracted,concentrated and transported from auriferous rocks and then precipitated in the masses during the late tectonic movement,Finally gold deposits were formed in the intrusive masses.     

Early diagenesis of nurtrients （C, N, P and Si） stored in sediments of two reservoirs in southwestern China

Damming is a common anthropogenic intervention along the course of rivers, which is defined as ＂artificial-lake effect＂, both in China and across the world. Today as many as 48000 dams and/or reservoirs are in operation in the Changjiang River （Yangtze River） drainage area, and more are being constructed. While damming is well known to affect riverbome nutrient loads, and thus the riverine ecosystems owing to removal of carbon fixation, and removal of particles in reservoir sediments, there is limited information on the detailed early diagenesis of sediments in reservoirs including the regeneration processes of nutrients deposited in sediments and exchange flux across the sediment-water interface, which is important for mass balance of riverbome nutrients. In the present study, two large-size reservoirs, Wujiangdu Reservoir （WJDR） and Dongfeng Reservoir （DFR）, located on the main steam of the Wujiang River and with uniformity hydrography and discrepancy biogeochemical activity （e. g. primary production）, were selected for a comparative study on the detailed processes of nutrient regeneration. Water, pore water and sediment were sampled from these two reservoirs and dissolved organic carbon （DOC）, NH4^＋, NO3^-, PO4^3-, dissolved silica （DSi） in the overlying water and pore water, and total organic matter in sediments were determined. The results of correlation analysis suggested that in these two reservoirs, processes of nutrient regeneration near the sediment-water interface were significantly different. As a result of rapid decomposition of algae-derived ＂labile＂ organic matter in upper sediments, nutrient regeneration processes and upward fluxes in WJDR are dramatically stronger than those of DFR. NH4^＋ upward flux from sediment in WJDR was about 17 times higher than that in DFR. PO4^3- flux in WJDR is about 13 times above that in DFR. DOC flux in WJDR is larger that in DFR by 5 times, and DSi by 1 time.