Environmental geochemistry of Zarshuran Au-As deposit, NW Iran

Zarshuran deposit is the most famous and important As-Au mine in Iran. However, there is no information on the impact of mining activity on the surrounding environment, especially on water systems. This paper attempts to document the concentration of arsenic and associated elements in waters and sediments resulting from the mining history of Zarshuran, a period covering hundreds of years. Water and sediment samples collected from Zarshuran Stream indicate high content of some potentially toxic elements, especially of As which ranges from 0.028 to 40 ng/l in water and 182 to 36,000 mg/kg in sediment samples. Mining activity, exposure of a large volume of mining wastes to weathering, and the anomalously high background of trace metals in the mining area are considered to be the main sources of heavy metal pollution.     

Environmental geochemistry of the Guanajuato Mining District, Mexico

The Guanajuato Mining District, once one of the major silver producers in the world, has been exploited for silver and gold from low-sulfidation quartz- and calcite-rich epithermal veins since 1548. Currently, there are some 150 million tonnes of low-grade ore piles and mine-waste material (mostly tailings) piles, covering a surface area of 15 to 20 km² scattered in a 100-km² region around the city of Guanajuato. Most of the historic tailings piles were not deposited as formal tailings impoundments. They were deposited as simple valley-filling piles without concern for environmental issues. Most of those historical tailings piles are without any vegetation cover and undergo strong eolian and hydrologic erosion, besides the natural leaching during the rainy season (which can bring strong thunderstorms and flash flows). There is public concern about possible contamination of the local aquifer with heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, As and Se) derived from the mining activities.Experimental and field data from this research provide strong geochemical evidence that most of the mine-waste materials derived from the exploitation of the epithermal veins of the region have very low potential for generation of acid mine drainage due to the high carbonate/sulfide ratio (12:1), and very low potential for leaching of heavy metals into the groundwater system. Furthermore, geochemical evidence (experimental and modeled) indicates that natural processes, like metal adsorption onto Fe-oxy-hydroxides surfaces, control the mobility of dissolved metals. Stable isotope data from surface water, groundwater wells (150-m depth) and mine-water (300- to 500-m depth) define an evaporation line (δD=5.93 δ¹⁸O=13.04), indicating some deep infiltration through a highly anisotropic aquifer with both evaporated water (from the surface reservoirs) and meteoric water (not evaporated). Zinc concentrations in groundwater (0.03 to 0.5 ppm) of the alluvial aquifer, some 15 km from the mineralized zone, are generally higher than Zn concentrations in experimental tailings leachates that average less than 0.1 ppm. Groundwater travel time from the mineralized area to the alluvial valley is calculated to range from 50 to several hundred years. Thus, although there has been enough time for Zn sourced from the tailings to reach the valley, Zn concentrations in valley groundwater could be due to natural dissolution processes in the deep portions of the epithermal veins.     

Geochemistry of beryllium in Bulgarian coals

The beryllium content of about 3000 samples (coal, coaly shales, partings, coal lithotypes, and isolated coalified woods) from 16 Bulgarian coal deposits was determined by atomic emission spectrography. Mean Be concentrations in coal show great variability: from 0.9 to 35 ppm for the deposits studied. There was no clear-cut relationship between Be content and rank. The following mean and confidence interval Be values were measured: lignites, 2.6 ± 0.8 ppm; sub-bituminous coals, 8.2 ± 3.3 ppm; bituminous coals, 3.0 ± 1.2 ppm; and anthracites, 19 ± 9.0 ppm. The Be contents in coal and coaly shales for all deposits correlated positively suggesting a common source of the element. Many samples of the coal lithotypes vitrain and xylain proved to be richer in Be than the hosting whole coal samples as compared on ash basis. Up to tenfold increase in Be levels was routinely recorded in fusain. The ash of all isolated coalified woods was found to contain 1.1 to 50 times higher Be content relative to its global median value for coal inclusions.Indirect evidence shows that Be occurs in both organic and inorganic forms. Beryllium is predominantly organically bound in deposits with enhanced Be content, whereas the inorganic form prevails in deposits whose Be concentration approximates Clarke values.The enrichment in Be exceeding the coal Clarke value 2.4 to 14.5 times in some of the Bulgarian deposits is attributed to subsynchronous at the time of coal deposition hydrothermal and volcanic activity.     

Petrography and geochemistry of Carboniferous coal seams in the Donets Basin (Ukraine): implications for paleoecology

The Carboniferous succession in the Donets Basin hosts about 130 seams, each with a thickness over 0.45 m. Nine economically important seams from the (south)western Donets Basin are studied using organic petrographical, inorganic geochemical, and organic geochemical techniques. The main aim of the study is the reconstruction of peat facies of Serpukhovian (Mississippian) and Moscovian (Middle Pennsylvanian) coals.Formation of major coal seams commenced during Serpukhovian times. Early Serpukhovian coal accumulated in a relatively narrow shore-zone and is rich in inertinite and liptinite. Very low ash yields, low to moderate sulphur contents, and upward increasing inertinite contents suggest coal deposition in raised mires.Moscovian coal has a significantly wider lateral extension and is generally rich in vitrinite. Coal properties vary widely in response to different peat facies. Low-sulphur, low-ash k₇ coal was formed in a raised mire or in a low-lying mire without detrital input. l₁ and l₃ seams containing several fluvial partings were formed in low-lying mires. Both seams are more than 2 m thick. Seams m₂ and m₃ contain high-sulphur coal, a consequence of deposition in a peat with marine influence. In contrast, syngenetic sulphur content is low in the m₅^{1 upper} seam, which was formed in a lacustrine setting. The late Moscovian n₁ seam, up to 2.4 m thick, accumulated in a swamp with a vegetation rich in bryophytes and pteridophytes. The properties of the n₁ seam are transitional between those of Serpukhovian and other Moscovian seams. Differences in maceral composition between Serpukhovian and Moscovian coals probably reflect changes in climate and vegetation type.Tuff layers are observed in the l₁, l₃, and m₃ seams. The l₃ and m₃ seams contain abundant authigenic quartz. Trace element contents are high in many seams. As contents are especially high in seams c₁₀², k₇, l₃ and m₃. Ash in the l₃ seam contains up to 8000 ppm As. Co is enriched near the base of several seams. Maxima up to 2400 ppm occur in the ash of the k₇ and l₃ seams. Cd contents in ash are frequently as high as 30 or 40 ppm.     

Environmental geochemistry in disaster response and planning

Large volumes of solid, gaseous, or liquid materials that are of potential concern from an environmental or public health perspective are commonly produced by natural or anthropogenic disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, urban fires, landslides, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, windstorms, industrial spills, and terrorist attacks. Geochemical processes play key roles in the environmental and health impacts of these materials. Yet, process-focused environmental geochemistry expertise and characterization methods are often underutilized in disaster response and planning. In part, the scientific studies needed for detailed process characterization are difficult to plan and implement while the events are still underway, and delayed responses can miss key transient processes and byproducts. Further, emergency responders are focused primarily on identifying the types, amounts, and health hazards of contaminants produced by the event, thus the responders do not have the time or the need to collect the full range of appropriate geological, geochemical, microbiological and other data necessary to understand the full range of physical and chemical processes that influence contamination from these extreme events. A thorough characterization and understanding of geochemical and environmental processes that occur during specific disasters can be used to better anticipate effects of and plan for similar future disasters. A broad spectrum of environmental geochemistry capabilities can be applied to help emergency response authorities and the public health community in their initial hazardous materials assessments immediately following disasters.     

Iodine in Chinese coals and its geochemistry during coalification

To determine the I distribution in Chinese coals, a nationwide survey was undertaken based on the distribution, periods of formation, rank and production yields of various coal deposits. A total of 305 coal samples were collected and their I contents were determined by catalytic spectrophotometry with pyrohydrolysis. The geochemistry of I during coalification (including both peat diagenesis and coal metamorphism) was assessed. It was found that the I contents of Chinese coals range from 0.04 mg kg^–1 to 39.5 mg kg^–1 and exhibit a lognormal distribution, with a geometric mean of 1.27 mg kg^–1. Statistical correlation analysis and the observation that I contents increase with coal rank indicate that coal I is chalcophile in nature, and not generally organically bound. When peat developed into lignite through diagenesis, 95–99.9% of the original I was lost. The composition and structure of clay minerals present in the coal were controlled by the original depositional environment. The higher the I content of coals, the more likely the original sediments were affected by a marine environment. Iodine contents increased from lignite through sub-bituminous and bituminous coals to anthracite. This indicates that coal absorbed excess I from hydrothermal fluids during metamorphism (including geothermal metamorphism and telemagmatic metamorphism). The telemagmatic metamorphism was caused by magmatic activities that depended on the specific geological structure of the region. In China, most high-rank coals were formed by telemagmatic metamorphism.     

卧龙泉河流域水环境地球化学

卧龙泉河流域金矿开发在一定程度上对卧龙泉河水及该区的地下产生影响。在近金矿开采区，水的pH、CODCr（化学需氧量）、κ（电导率）、TH（硬度值）、SO4^2-和CN^-明显升高，Eh和DO（溶解氧）明显降低；其中局部河水的pH、CODCr、DO超出国家地表水的三类标准，局部地下水的CN^-含量分别超出国家生活饮用水水质标准（GB5749-85）和世界卫生组织的生活饮用水水质标准（1971）的15倍和80倍；水的重金属含量也明显偏高。局部地下水水质类型由远离金矿开发区的Ca-HCO3^-型变为Na-SO4^2-型。水文地球化学和水系沉积物研究表明，水环境污染主要与金矿开发过程中的人为活动有关，部分与区域水岩交换反应有关。污染源主要为金矿的尾矿渗水和乱弃的尾矿物质。     

淮南朱集井田二叠纪煤中稀土元素地球化学特征

采用电感耦合等离子体-光学发射光谱仪(ICP-OES),系统测定了淮南朱集井田二叠纪3个沉积组11个煤层371个煤样品的稀土元素含量。通过对煤中稀土元素地球化学参数分析,得出以下认识:朱集煤中稀土元素总量位于86×10-6～143×10-6范围内,平均值为112×10-6;稀土元素具有指相意义,靠近物源区的上、下石盒子组煤中稀土元素总量比远离物源区受陆表海影响的山西组煤分别高出38%和25%;上、下石盒子组及山西组煤中稀土元素分配模式总体属于轻稀土富集、重稀土亏损型,轻稀土曲线段呈"右倾"趋势,重稀土曲线段则较为"平坦";样品δEu变化范围为0.52～0.80,平均值为0.59,Eu中度负异常,指示成煤沼泽受陆源碎屑影响较大;样品δCe变化范围为0.93～1.04,平均值为0.99,Ce含量无异常,指示成煤沼泽受海水影响较小;煤中稀土元素总量与煤中灰分呈不太显著的正相关关系(R=0.59),说明成煤过程中陆源碎屑物质所携带的部分稀土元素可能吸附在煤的有机质中。原煤X射线衍射图谱(XRD)和光学煤岩薄片显示煤中矿物以石英和粘土矿物为主,高岭石可能是稀土元素的无机载体。另外,稀土元素与陆源碎屑元素(Si、Al、Ti、Ni、Sc和Se等)相关性较好,而与海相元素(B、Sr和Ca)相关性不明显。     

煤中微量元素研究进展

煤炭是我国的主要能源，在煤炭开采、运输、洗选、淋溶（滤）、燃烧等其它加工利用过程中，煤中的微量元素要发生迁移、析出，并入侵到大气、水、土壤和生态环境中，最终影响人类生存和生活环境。煤中微量元素十分重要，是因为它们与环境问题、动、植物及人类健康密切相关。在研究微量元素时必须考虑微量元素的性质及毒性，它们主要依靠其含量、种类、存在形式、pH值、氧化-还原条件及其它因素。在全面综合国内外研究文献的基础上，分析了煤中微量元素的发现、分布规律、赋存状态、成因机理及微量元素的应用等方面研究的历史、现状，并对今后研究的重点内容和发展方向进行了较为详细的论述和分析，并指出在进一步深入研究煤中微量元素地球化学的基础上，加强微量元素环境学方面的研究是今后煤中微量元素环境地球化学研究的重要内容。     

Geochemistry of sulfur and hazardous trace elements in coals and its bearing on human health

Hazardous air pollutants, including compounds of sulfur and toxic trace elements, are emitted during coal combustion. Geochemical studies of these constituents in coals provide information about their species, regional distribution and origins. The data are useful in understanding the cause and scope of human health problems related to these hazardous elements and in designing preventive or remedial measures. Sulfur in coal is a problem because sulfur dioxide emitted during coal combustion is a main source of acid rain. The sulfur isotopic evidence shows that sulfur in low-sulfur coal is derived primarily from parent plant materials. Sulfur enrichment in medium- and high-sulfur coals is caused by the sulfate in seawater that flooded the peat swamp during coal formation. The sulfur content of a coal is controlled primarily by the depositional environment of coal seams. Only pyritic sulfur can be removed by physical coal cleaning processes （coal preparation）. Sulfur dioxide emission can be reduced using clean coal technologies, such as flue-gas desulfurization, fluidized-bed combustion, and integrated gasification and combined cycle.     

粤北大宝山矿酸性排水中铅元素环境地球化学

粤北大宝山铁多金属矿床的开发给环境带来了严重的危害。采选冶产生的酸性排水及固体废弃物堆积的淋滤酸水,携带浸滤出的大量重金属离子流入下游河道,严重影响矿区及酸水流域的生态环境。结果表明,河流水中高Pb含量直接源于尾砂,并受水体pH值的显著影响。河流底泥能够大量聚集水体中的Pb,在水体pH值降低时,相对稳定存在的Pb会被再次从河流底泥中释放出来,形成河流二次污染。土壤中Pb含量受土壤pH值和土壤粒度的影响,食用蔬菜中Pb的高含量由土壤Pb高含量决定,并受土壤pH值的影响,通过改善农业灌溉水质,提高土壤pH值,可以降低蔬菜重金属Pb含量。     

青岛城区土壤重金属环境地球化学研究

为研究青岛城区土壤的环境地球化学特征,对青岛市南区、市北区、四方区、李沧区、崂山区5区进行了广泛的土壤地质调查。在每1km2一个样品的取样密度下取得表层土样(0～10cm深度)319个,经前期处理后,利用多种仪器如X射线荧光光谱(XRF)、等离子体发射光谱(ICP-OES)和等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)等分析测得所有样品的72种元素的含量,本文探讨了重金属元素Cd、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb和Zn及类金属元素As的含量分布。结果表明,人类活动导致表层土壤中元素Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn含量的增加,而元素As、Cr和Ni主要是地质起源,但也会受到人类活动的影响。其中Zn的含量值变化较大,Zn元素含量值增高的地区是工业、交通密集处等人类活动频繁的地区。     

Environmental geochemistry of arsenic in sediment-water interface of Poyang Lake, China

Environmental pollution is one of the vertical problems faced in the 21 century. There are numbers of lakes located in China. Poyang Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in China, is the famous representation. The environmental geochemistry of trace and ultra-trace element As in the sediment-water interface （SWI） of Poyang Lake was investigated in detail. Solutions presented in the project can be summarized as follows： it is the first time to discover that the ：nasking agent of 8-hydroxyquinoline was found to be an efficient agent to eliminate the interference of transition metals in the determination of arsenic species, especially to eliminate As （Ⅴ） emission with high selection in the matrix of As （Ⅲ） and As （Ⅴ） coexisting solution. A sensitive and interference-free procedure has been successfully established for the arsenic speciation on As （Ⅲ）, As （Ⅴ）, Asorg in pore water samples using flowing injection hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry （FI-HG-AFS）. It was observed that the concentrations of arsenic species in porewaters were relatively high. With the variation of the redox in sediments, it is easy to cause the second pollution in overlying waters for their upward diffusion. Arsenic is mainly absorbed onto iron and manganese oxyhydroxides in controlling the behavior of As. The effect factors of the transfer, cycle of arsenic are the redox condition at SWI, disturbance, and microbial action, etc.     

Geochemistry of coals from the Elk Valley coalfield, British Columbia, Canada

The Elk Valley coalfield of British Columbia is one of the major coal producing areas in Canada. The coals are of Cretaceous and Jurassic–Cretaceous age and range in rank from high-volatile to low-volatile bituminous (%Ro_max: 0.8–1.6). Coal seams from outcrops and active mines in this coalfield were analysed for rank and maceral composition using reflected light microscopy, for geochemistry using AAS, INAA, and ICPES, and also by proximate and ultimate analyses. The Elk Valley coal seams contain low average concentrations of hazardous elements such as As, Mo, Pb, and Se. However, there are seams that contain relatively high concentrations of some of these elements, such as 8 mg/kg and 108 mg/kg of arsenic. When the geochemistry of coal seams is compared within the different parts of the coalfield, the elemental composition amongst the seams from various sections located in the central area of the coalfield is similar. Coal seams in the northern area of the coalfield have different geochemistry than coal seams in other areas of the coalfield; seams in the northern area have much higher As, Br, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, and Na content, but contain less Ca.     

Environmental and health risk assessment in abandoned mining area, Zlata Idka, Slovakia

The Zlata Idka village is a typical mountainous settlement. As a consequence of more than 500 years of mining activity, its environment has been extensively affected by pollution from potentially toxic elements. This paper presents the results of an environmental-geochemical and health research in the Zlata Idka village, Slovakia. Geochemical analysis indicates that arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) are enriched in soils, groundwater, surface water and stream sediments. The average As and Sb contents are 892 mg/kg and 818 mg/kg in soils, 195 mg/kg and 249 mg/kg in stream sediments, 0.028 mg/l and 0.021 mg/l in groundwater and 0.024 mg/l and 0.034 mg/l in surface water. Arsenic and Sb concentrations exceed upper permissible limits in locally grown vegetables. Within the epidemiological research the As and Sb contents in human tissues and fluids have been observed (blood, urine, nails and hair) in approximately one third of the village’s population (120 respondents). The average As and Sb concentrations were 16.3 μg/l and 3.8 μg/l in blood, 15.8 μg/l and 18.8 μg/l in urine, 3,179 μg/kg and 1,140 μg/kg in nails and 379 μg/kg and 357 μg/kg in hair. These concentrations are comparatively much higher than the average population. Health risk calculations for the ingestion of soil, water, and vegetables indicates a very high carcinogenic risk (>1/1,000) for as content in soil and water. The hazard quotient [HQ=average daily dose (ADD)/reference dose (RfD)] calculation method indicates a HQ>1 for groundwater As and Sb concentrations.     

The geochemistry of tungsten in Bulgarian coals

This paper discusses the tungsten geochemistry in coal, based on the behavior of this element in 14 Bulgarian deposits. The W contents range from 0.5–4335 ppm in the ash and from 0.01–784 ppm in the coals. In four of the deposits the tungsten content proved to be 16 to 100 times higher than the Clarke value for sedimentary rocks. No correlation has been found between the W concentration and either the age of the coal-bearing strata or the coal rank. The deposits were divided in three groups on the basis of the relationship between tungsten and ash content. The role of sorption ash and terrigenous ash in tungsten binding was evaluated for each group. The correlation between tungsten and organic matter is demonstrated by the increased contents of tungsten in the ash of the low-ash coals, its concentration in the lighter coal fractions, its extraction from the coals by HF and NaOH only, and by model experiments. Sorption ash concentrates tungsten; terrigenous ash is a carrier of tungsten.Of the petrographic constituents of coal, vitrain was found to concentrate the largest amounts of tungsten.In two of the deposits richest in tungsten, there is a very distinct zonality in its vertical distribution — tungsten concentration decreases from the bottom to the top of the coal bed. This zonality might be explained by the diffusion (syngenetic or diagenetic with respect to the coal-forming process) through the coal bed of aqueous solutions enriched in tungsten.The wide range of variation of the tungsten concentrations, the considerable differences in the mean contents and the dispersions between the individual deposits show that tungsten is very sensitive to the differences of the source area.Coal deposits enriched in tungsten may be expected in the following favourable environments: (1) in areas with nitrogen-bearing thermal waters containing increased amounts of tungsten; (2) source areas with tungsten mineralizations; and (3) country rocks consisting of acid granitoids whose Clarke values of tungsten are the highest as compared to the other types of rocks.     

Relationship of environmental geochemistry to soil degradation in Helwan catchment, Egypt

Environmental geochemistry plays an important role in understanding the distribution of major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) in Helwan catchment, south Cairo, Egypt. Evaluation of soil mechanical erosion rate, depletion rate, exchangeable rates of base cations and sodium adsorption ratios are essential for understanding soil degradation problems in the representative Helwan catchment. Soil erosion is a natural process. It often becomes a problem when human activity causes it to occur much faster than under natural conditions. The results of the mechanical erosion rate of soil and the exchangeable rates of base cations are 1845 and 80.3 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. The high intensity of the mechanical erosion rate is probably attributed to the high specific surface area of the studied type of Vertisol, intensive application of fertilizer and industrial activities. Mechanical erosion of soil, exchangeable rate of base cations and the depletion rate of base cations are almost inexhaustible sources of sodium, and all these increase the problem of sodic soils and may affect plant productivity in Helwan catchment.     

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.     

Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at western Hetao plain, Inner Mongolia

Environmental geochemistry of high arsenic groundwater at Hetao plain was studied on the basis of geochemical survey of the groundwater and a core sediment. Arsenic concentration in groundwater samples varies from 76 to 1093 μg/L. The high arsenic groundwater mostly appears to be weakly alkaline. The concentrations of NO₃⁻ and SO₄²⁻ are relatively low, while the concentrations of DOC, NH₄⁺, dissolved Fe and sulfide are relatively great. Analysis of arsenic speciation in 21 samples shows that arsenic is present in the solution predominantly as As(III), while particulate arsenic constitutes about 10% of the total arsenic. Methane is detected in five samples with the greatest content being 5107 μg/L. The shallow aquifer in Hangjinhouqi of western Hetao plain is of strongly reducing condition. The arsenic content in 23 core sediment samples varies from 7.7 to 34.6 mg/kg, with great value in clay and mild clay layer. The obvious positive relationship in content between Fe₂O₃, Mn, Sb, B, V and As indicates that the distribution of arsenic in the sediments may be related to Fe and Mn oxides, and the mobilization of Sb, B and V may be affected by similar geochemical processes as that of As.     

黔西晚二叠世煤地球化学性质变异及特殊组构的火山灰成因

运用仪器中子活化分析(INAA)、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICP—AES)、X射线衍射(XRD)、带能谱仪的扫描电镜(SEM—EDX)及光学显微镜等手段，对黔西晚二叠世煤地球化学性质变异及其特殊组构的火山灰成因进行了研究。结果表明，贵州西部织金矿区9煤层中异常高含量的Fe(4．24％)、Cu(369．90μg／g)、U(49．6μg／g)、Mo(63．10μg／g)、Zn(33．97μg／g)等是来源于同沉积基性火山灰降落到泥炭沼泽中所致；高含量的Fe、Cu并非以通常意义的煤中硫化物状态存在；除煤中有机质和陆源碎屑外，发现了由火山灰、有机质和陆源碎屑所形成的煤层中的特殊组构，暂定名为沉碳质火山胶凝物，它是一种有机—无机高度混合物质，根据沉碳质火山胶凝物的形态特征和物质组成，厘定出6种组构类型，分别是：网状组构、细屑组构、基质组构、孔腔组构、均质组构和碎屑组构。