Lead in food and soil from a mining area in Brazil and human exposure

During the last century, several lead mines and a metal smelter were in production in the Upper Ribeira Valley, southeastern Brazil. After fifty years of activity, the refinery was shut down in November 1995 and, thereafter the last mines in production were closed. Since 1998, a multidisciplinary research group has carried out an ambitious investigation among the population of five municipalities in the Ribeira Valley （sampled population of 472 children and 523 adults） to assess the human exposure to lead. The highest blood lead levels were found among the population of two villages in the vicinity of the smelter where soil and indoor-dust are highly contaminated. During the present study, the lead contents of several food species that are part of local population diet were investigated. Greens, vegetables, corn, chicken eggs and cow milk, were sampled in two occasions, July 2004 and February 2005. The analytical procedures included burning of organic matter, pre-concentration of lead and, finally, determination by AAS using background correction. The quantification limit was 0.05 μg/g Pb. Soil samples were also collected and analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy with a quantification limit of 2 μg/g Pb. The results are very impressing since 100% of greens, vegetables and eggs yielded lead concentrations exceeding the upper limits established by Brazilian regulations whereas milk and maize samples presented lead contents below the regulated limit of 0.05 μg/g Pb. Lead concentrations in soil varied between 156 and 1292 μg/g Pb, resembling the results of previous studies and far exceeding the threshold of 200 μg/g Pb indicated as the intervention value. Lead contents in some species vary consistently with lead concentrations in soils, however, other factors may account for the bioavailability of lead and its intake by plants, like the soil pH, its cationic exchange capacity, clay and organic matter contents, characteristics of the plant species itself, climate, among others.     

Formation Depth of Coesite-Bearing Eclogite, Dabie UHPM Zone, China

The plastic deformation of garnet in coesite-bearing eclogite,quartz eclogite and garnet amphibolite of the UHPM complex in Yingshan County in the Dabie Mountains has been studied. The stress generated by the strong tectonic movement was an important component of the total pressure that resulted in the formation of the eclogite in the Dabie UHPM zone. The three-dimensional tectonic principal stresses and additional tectonic stress-induced hydrostatic pressure ［ps=(σ1 σ2 σ3)/3］ are reconstructed according to the differential stress and the strain ratio(α) of the garnet in the minor coesite-bearing eclogite of the Yingshan County. Then the gravity-induced hydrostatic pressure(pg) is calculated following the equation p minus ps,where p is estimated to be 2.8 Gpa based on the quartz-coesite geobarmeter. Therefore,the thickness of the rock column overlying the coesite-bearing eclogite in the Ying-shan County is determined ≥32 km. This estimation,significantly different from ≥100 km,the previous one obtained solely based on the weight/specific weight ratio(W/SW),offers a proper explanation for the puzzle that no tracer of the addition of mantle-derived material has been found in the Dabie UHPM zone during the process of UHPM,although a number of researchers claim that this process took place at the depth of the mantle(≥100 km). It is concluded that attention should be paid to the additional tectonic stress-induced hydrostatic pressure in the study of UHPM zones.     

北祁连东部两类Ⅰ型花岗岩定年及其地质意义

北祁连东部早古生代地层中产出两种特征不同的I型花岗岩类,其一以井子川岩体为代表,暗色矿物以角闪石为主,稀土总量为90×10~(-6)～106×10~(-6),轻重稀土比值小于8,锆石的SHRIMP年龄为464±15Ma,岩体形成的构造环境类似于岛弧;其二是以黄羊河岩体为代表,暗色矿物以黑云母为主,稀土总量为214×10~(-6)～250×10~(-6),轻重稀土比值大于8,锆石的LA-ICP-MS年龄为383±6 Ma,岩体形成于碰撞后环境。     

Aquatic ecological risk assessment of OCPs in Huaihe River, Jiangsu section

The Huaihe River Basin, located between the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, is one of the most populated areas in the eastern part of China. The Huaihe River is probably the most heavily polluted one among the three largest rivers in China. The Jiangsu section is the downstream reaches of the Huaihe River, where organochlorine pesticides （OCPs） may come from local discharge due to flourishing industry and agriculture, and also from inflows from upstream. OCPs are usually hazardous organic pollutants, and may endanger the aquatic ecosystem of the Huaihe River, Jiangsu section. Surface water of the Huaihe River, Jiangsu section in both high-flow period and low-flow period was sampled and OCPs were determined using GC-ECD. 15 OCPs were detected, including 2,4＇-DDT, 4,4＇-DDT, 4,4＇-DDD, α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, methoxychlor, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene（HCB）, α-endosulfan, α-Endosulfan and heptachlorepoxide. The span of total OCPs concentration is between 26.27-124.39 ng/L. Among the 15 OCPs detected, aquatic ecological risk assessment was performed for 12 ones except for α-endosulfan, α-endosulfan and heptachlorepoxide due to lack of the relevant toxicity data of the three compounds. The acute toxicities of 12 OCPs to multi aquatic species were collected from AQUIRE database and other sources. Environmental Concentration Distribution （ECD） and Species Sensitivity Distribution （SSD） were achieved after Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The risk quotient distributions were acquired using Monte Carlo simulation. The aquatic ecological risks caused by single OCPs were analyzed. It is shown that endrin and 2,4＇-DDT have the highest risk while HCB and HCHs have the lowest risk. Then the joint ecological risk caused by all 12 OCPs was calculated based on the concept of equivalent concentration and it proves to be significantly higher than risk caused by any single OCP. Furthermore, the probability of aquatic ecological risk was calculated according to different ecological risk criteria （ERC）. The comparative analysis shows that ERC is very important to the result of ecological risk assessment.     

火星陨石和火星表面泥岩中蚀变过程对比研究

火星次生含水蚀变矿物是火星地质历史时期水环境和气候演变历史的真实记录,一直以来都是火星探测、火星陨石研究的重点,是认识火星环境特征和气候演化的重要研究对象。文中对比研究了表土角砾岩NWA7034、火成堆晶岩MIL03346等两块最富蚀变矿物火星陨石,以及Gale撞击坑出露的Sheepbed泥岩3种岩石类型的蚀变程度及其蚀变矿物类型和组合,分析了层状硅酸盐、铁氧化物/氢氧化物、钙硫酸盐等蚀变矿物的成因及环境指示意义。发现这3类岩石的蚀变作用各不相同。火星陨石NWA7034的蚀变作用以氧化和加热作用为主,无蒸发盐类矿物。火星陨石MIL03346的蚀变程度最低,为后期水溶液进入缝隙而引发的,蚀变作用以橄榄石的伊利石化、裂隙和缝隙中填充次生矿物细脉为主。而火星Sheepbed泥岩经历了后期的等化学风化过程(isochemical weathering),次生过程包括成岩蚀变和成岩后蚀变两个阶段。其中,成岩过程中的蚀变以橄榄石蚀变为铁氧化物和蒙皂石矿物为主,成岩后以形成蒸发盐类矿物硫酸钙为主。以上3种岩石蚀变矿物组成差异反映了火星上不同地质背景中、不同气候条件下蚀变过程的复杂性。文中对火星含水矿物及部分典型矿物的形成条件和过程进行系统总结,这对于理解未来火星探测任务、识别含水矿物的形成、揭示火星水环境和地质历史具有重要指导意义。     

A New Non‐Pterodactyloid Pterosaur from Qinglong County,Hebei Province of China

A new basal non-pterodactyloid pterosaur, Changchengopterus pani gen. et sp. nov., is erected, on the basis of a nearly complete postcranial skeleton. The new taxon is distinguished by relatively short extensions of the prezygapophyses, postzygapophyses and haemal arches of the caudal vertebrae; a humerus that has a subtriangular deltopectoral crest; limb elements that decrease in length in the following order: ulna> wing-phalange 2 > wing-phalange 3 = wing-phalange 1>humerus >tibia>femur>wing-metacarpal. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Changchengopterus is a basal member of rhamphorhynchoids, and more closely related to Dorygnathus than to other rhamphorhychoids. The geological age of the Changchengopterus -bearing sediments is no latter than the end of the Late Jurassic and it is possible Middle Jurassic.     

海岸横向沙脊表面风沙流结构的野外观测研究

选择中国规模最大、形态最为典型的河北昌黎黄金海岸的横向沙脊,采用野外梯度风速仪和平口式积沙仪对其顶部的风沙流结构进行了观测.观测结果表明,海岸横向沙脊表面的风沙流结构特征基本表现为0～40 cm高程内气流搬运的沙尘物质浓度或质量随高度递减并符合指数分布,20～60 cm高程内符合幂函数分布,40～60 cm高程内输沙量与高度之间则为多项式函数关系.同时,海岸横向沙脊表面的风沙流结构受风速与总输沙量的影响较大,随风速增大或总输沙量的增加,风沙流下层输沙量相对减少、上层则相应增加.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001083

Stable carbon isotope geochemistry provides important information for the recognition of fundamental isotope exchange processes related to the movement of carbon in the lithosphere and permits the elaboration of models for the global carbon cycle.Carbon isotope ratios in fluid-deposited graphite are powerful tools for unravelling the ultimate origin of carbon（organic matter,mantle,or carbonates） and help to constrain the fluid history and the mechanisms involved in graphite deposition.Graphite precipitation in fluid-deposited occurrences results from CO₂- and/or CH₄-bearing aqueous fluids.Fluid flow can be considered as both a closed（without replenishment of the fluid） or an open system（with renewal of the fluid by successive fluid batches）.In closed systems,carbon isotope systematics in graphite is mainly governed by Rayleigh precipitation and/or by changes in temperature affecting the fractionation factor between fluid and graphite.Such processes result in zoned graphite crystals or in successive graphite generations showing,in both cases, isotopic variation towards progressive ^l3C or ¹²C enrichment（depending upon the dominant carbon phase in the fluid.CO₂ or CH₄,respectively）.In open systems,in which carbon is episodically introduced along the fracture systems,the carbon systematics is more complex and individual graphite crystals may display oscillatory zoning because of Rayleigh precipitation or heterogeneous variations of 5’ C values when mixing of fluids or changes in the composition of the fluids are the mechanisms responsible for graphite precipitation.     

Geochronology of the Granitoids Above Nappe Structure in Nanling Scientific Drilling

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details     

Neogene Paleoseismic Events and the Shanwang Biota’s Burial in the Linqu Area, Shandong Province, China

Several paleoseismic events are recorded in the Neogene Linqu Group, exposed in the Linqu area, Shandong Province, China. The events were interpreted on the basis of fieldwork and laboratory analysis, which showed the presence of seismites with plastically deformed soft-sediment deformation structures in the Shanwang Formation, and of seismic volcanic rocks in the Yaoshan Formation which show brittle deformation. The earthquake-triggered soft-sediment deformations in the seismites include load structures, ball-and-pillow structures, flame structures, pillow-like beds, boudinage structures, slump folds, syn-depositional faults, veins of liquefied sand, and dikes of liquefied sandy lime-mud. The seismic activity is also reflected in what might be called ‘brittle seismites'; these originated when, under the influence of seismic vibrations, semi-consolidated conglomerate was shattered. Moreover, volcanic activity is related to intense earthquakes that affected basalts intercalated with sand layers; these successions are known as ‘seismic volcanic rocks', which are characterized by veins of liquefied sand intruding the basalts. All above traces of paleoseismic activity were left from one single time span of 4 Ma with active seismicity that took place 14–10 Ma. This time span is known as ‘the Linqu Neogene Paleoseismic Active Period', which is divided into four paleoseismic episodes, which were responses to tectonic extension and basin rifting in this area. It even includes the activity of the Yishu Fault Zone during the Miocene and the Neogene. The ratios of trace elements in the seismites, w(La)/w(Sc) and w(La)/w(Th) are higher than the average value of the upper crust, but w(Th)/w(Sc) is lower; this is geochemical evidence for the basin rifting that resulted in a high sedimentation rate. The intense and frequent paleo-earthquakes are held responsible for the rapid burial of the Shanwang Biota. Secondary earthquake-induced processes(e.g. slumping of a lake shore and the strongly increased lacustrine sedimentation rate) contributed to the rapid burial of the biota.