The use of multivariate statistical analysis of geochemical data for assessing the spatial distribution of soil contamination by potentially toxic elements in the Aljustrel mining area (Iberian Pyrite Belt,Portugal)

Aljustrel mine is located in SW Portugal, in the western sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The Aljustrel village was developed around the exploitations of massive polymetallic sulphides that occur in the area (4 orebodies mined, 2 in exploration phase). The pyrite ore was extensively exploited from 1850 to 1993, when production was discontinued. A mining restart occurred in 2008, only during a few months. The objectives of the study were to assess the levels of soil contamination, to determine associations between the different chemical elements and their spatial distribution, as well as to identify possible sources of contamination that can explain the spatial patterns of soil pollution in the area. Principal component analysis combined with spatial interpretation successfully grouped the elements according to their sources and provided evidence about their geogenic or anthropogenic origin. From this study, it is possible to conclude that soils around Algares/Feitais tailing deposits, Estéreis and Águas Claras mine dams and S. João mine show severe contamination. The highest concentrations of As (up to 3,936 mg kg^?1) and certain heavy metals (up to 321.7 mg kg^?1 for Bi, 5,414 mg kg^?1 for Cu, 20,000 mg kg^?1 for Pb, 980.6 mg kg^?1 for Sb, and 22 mg kg^?1 Cd) were obtained near Algares area while the highest concentration of Cd (up to 61.6 mg kg^?1) and Zn (up to 20,000 mg kg^?1) were registered in samples collected in the S. João area. The highest pollution load index (>4.0) was recorded at the Algares area where the metal concentrations exceed typical soil background levels by as much as two orders of magnitude.     

Millennial/submillennial-scale sea-level fluctuations in western Mediterranean during the second highstand of MIS 5e

This paper investigates a series of small-scale, short-lived fluctuations of sea level registered in a prograding barrier spit that grew during the MIS 5e. This interglacial includes three highstands (Zazo et al., 2003) and we focus on the second highstand, of assumed duration ～10 ± 2 ka, given that U–Th ages do not provide more accurate data. Geometry and 3D architecture of beach facies, and thin-section petrography were used to investigate eight exposed offlapping subunits separated by seven conspicuous erosion surfaces, all interpreted as the result of repeated small-scale fluctuations of sea level.Each subunit records a relatively rapid rise of sea level that generated a gravelly shoreface with algal bioherms and a sandy uppermost shoreface and foreshore where most sand accumulated. A second range of still smaller-scaled oscillations of sea level has been deduced in this phase of sea-level fluctuation from lateral and vertical shifts of the foreshore-plunge-step-uppermost shoreface facies.Eventually, progradation with gently falling sea level took place and foreshore deposits underwent successive vadose cementation and subaerial dissolution, owing to relatively prolonged exposure. Later recovery of sea level re-established the highstand with sea level at approximately the same elevation, and there began deposition of a new subunit. The minimum sea-level variation (fall and subsequent rise) required to generate the observed features is 4 m. The time span available for the whole succession of events, and comparison with the Holocene prograding beach ridge complex in the nearby Roquetas (Almería) were used to calculate the periodicity of events. A millennial-suborbital time scale is suggested for fluctuations separating subunits and a decadal scale for the minor oscillations inside each subunit.     

Comparative carbon emission assessments of recycled and natural aggregate concrete:Environmental influence of cement content

This work examines the environmental and geochemical impact of recycled aggregate concrete produc-tion with properties representative for structural applications.The environmental influence of cement content,aggregate production,transportation,and waste landfilling is analysed by undertaking a life cycle assessment and considering a life cycle inventory largely specific for the region.To obtain a detailed insight into the optimum life cycle parameters,a sensitivity study is carried out in which supplementary cementitious materials,different values of natural-to-recycled aggregate content ratio and case-specific transportation distances were considered.The results show that carbon emissions were between 323 and 332 kgCO2e per cubic metre of cement only natural aggregate concrete.These values can be reduced by up to 17％by replacing 25％of the cement with fly ash.By contrast,carbon emissions can increase when natural coarse aggregates are replaced by recycled aggregates in proportions of 50％and 100％,and trans-portation is not included in analysis.However,the concrete with 50％recycled aggregate presented lower increase,only 0.3％and 3.4％for normal and high strength concrete,respectively.In some cases,the rel-ative contribution of transportation to the total carbon emissions increased when cement was replaced by fly ash in proportions of 25％,and case-specific transportation distances were considered.In absolute values,the concrete mixes with 100％recycled aggregates and 25％fly ash had lower carbon emissions than concrete with cement and natural aggregates only.Higher environmental benefits can be obtained when the transportation distances of fly ash are relatively short(15-25 km)and the cement replacement by fly ash is equal or higher than 25％,considering that the mechanical properties are adequate for prac-tical application.The observations from this paper show that recycled aggregate concrete with strength characteristics representative for structural members can have lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete,recommending them as an alternative to achieving global sustainability standards in construction.     

Comparative agroenvironmental risks of pesticides in different cropping systems: application of the I-Phy indicator

The green revolution laid the foundations of modern agriculture, by using science and technology to produce more from same resources. The pesticides contributed to agricultural output in the last decades; however, their use has resulted in environmental pollution, health problems, soil and water contamination and negative impact on biota. The impacts of agricultural activities to the environment depended on the practices adopted during the production process. Measurement tools to assess the impacts of those practices are necessary to improve agricultural systems and must be evaluated in different ecosystems. Different soils, climates and crops impose many phytosanitary arrangements. This complex network and the fact that most of the indicators and measurement tools are developed for temperate climates makes it difficult to quantify the environmental impacts under subtropical regions. The I-Phy index is a predictive indicator that assesses the risks of pesticide usage in agriculture and identifies as to which practices generate the main environmental impacts of pesticides. The objective of this study was to test the suitability of the I-Phy index for subtropical conditions and, if suitable, compare the pesticide risk between two regions. Five crops were assessed under three different cropping systems: no-tillage, minimal tillage and conventional tillage. The I-Phy index was sensitive in both regions and capable of identifying that no-tillage generally presented risks of environmental pollution slightly lower than the other tillage systems. The results of I-Phy index showed that high environmental vulnerability of the fields and the numerous applications of active ingredients with high risks resulted in high risks of general contamination. The application of I-Phy on these two case studies showed the indicator can be useful as a support tool to farmers, research and extension institutions pursuing management practices with lower impact on the environment.     

Ecosystem metabolism and carbon fluxes of a tidally-dominated coastal lagoon

The metabolism and carbon flux in the western sector of the highly dynamic coastal lagoon Ria Formosa (south Portugal) were assessed to elucidate the relative importance of the contribution of the main communities, the treated sewage inputs from the adjacent city of Faro, and the exchange with the adjacent coastal waters to the ecosystem metabolism. The results depict the Ria Formosa as being a highly productive ecosystem dominated by the seagrassZostera noltii. The community dominated by the seagrassCymodocea nodosa had half of the gross production ofZ. noltii, followed by bare sediments and phytoplankton. The net contribution of seagrasses to community metabolism was negligible, as bothZ. noltii andC. nodosa showed a production: respiration ratio close to 1. Benthic microalgae emerge as the most important components of the net metabolism. The western sector of Ria Formosa was in metabolic balance during the summer when the study was done. Even though the total net ecosystem production was 7.22 Kmol C d⁻¹, the error associated with this estimate was 8.38 Kmol C d⁻¹, so ecosystem net production was not significantly different from zero. The Ria Formosa ecosystem is shallow and rapidly flushed by the tides, which force an important exchange of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) with the adjacent coastal waters. The daily net export rate to the adjacent coastal waters, 0.98 Kmol d⁻¹, represented 7.6% of the net ecosystem production, suggesting that the bulk of the net ecosystem production accumulates within the ecosystem. The organic carbon retention in the western sector of the Ria Formosa is higher than net production, because the allochthonous carbon inputs from urban sewage enter the carbon mass balance with about 40% of the autochthonous processes, at about 1.6 Kmol d⁻¹ of DOC and 2.8 Kmol d⁻¹ of POC. The western sector of Ria Formosa has an organic carbon sink of about 46.4 tons per year. Most of this is harvested in the form of molluscs (clams, cuttlefish, etc.) and fish (sea bream, sea bass, etc.). The total carbon harvested every year in the form of bivalves is about 40 tons, rendering the Ria Formosa the most productive seafood area in Portugal.     

Evidence of scavenging on remains of the gomphothere Haplomastodon waringi (Proboscidea: Mammalia) from the Pleistocene of Brazil: Taphonomic and paleoecological remarks

This study reports implications of different tooth marks left by carnivorous mammals on long bones of Haplomastodon waringi from the Quaternary of Águas de Araxá, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Analyses of gnawing damage by ursids, felids, and canids have shown that these groups produce pits on bone surfaces when the gnawing is superficial, and punctures more often when the prey is intensely consumed. Scratches or scoring marks are most often associated with gnawing by canids, which may spend a long time gnawing the bones, leading to differential tooth marking. The gomphothere bones at Águas de Araxá did not result from predation, but are a consequence of a local mass mortality in a period of low environmental humidity, with little water and a scarcity of food. Canids frequently act as opportunistic scavengers during periods when herbivores face food shortages. Previous studies of necrophagous dermestid larvae indicate that the gomphothere carcasses of Águas de Araxá were exposed for a long period of time after death. These insects are the last consumers of a carcass because they act only when the body fat is completely lost. Thus, the gomphothere carcasses at Águas de Araxá suffered canid necrophagy in the early stages of decomposition, possibly during a drought period. Thereafter, the gomphothere carcasses would have been exposed for a period about 230 days until the final burial event.     

Rare-earth elements in groundwaters from the Osamu Utsumi mine and Morro do Ferro analogue study sites, Poços de Caldas, Brazil

Data are presented on rare-earth elements (REE) in prefiltered (<450 nm) near-surface and deeper groundwaters and in corresponding particulate matter (>450 nm) from the Osamu Utsumi uranium mine and the Morro do Ferro thorium-REE-deposit. Groundwaters from both sites typically contain between 1–50 μg/l of total REE, but can reach values of up to 160 μg/l in the deepest borehole F4 (U-Mine: 150–415 m). Even higher REE concentrations of up to 29 mg/l were measured in acidic, sulfate-rich near-surface waters of the same site. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns in deeper, more reducing groundwaters and in their corresponding suspended particle fractions are similar to those observed in the bedrock (phonolites), indicating that bedrock leaching and secondary mineral sorption occurred without significant fractionation between these elements, in accordance with the only small variations in the stability constants of the expected REE-sulfate complexes in these waters. Groundwaters from the unsaturated zone of both sites show a very characteristic cerium depletion (less pronounced than that observed in the corresponding suspended particulate fractions), which is most probably related to the oxidation of Ce (III) under the prevailing E_h-conditions of these waters (600 to 800 mV), and to sorption/precipitation reactions of the much less soluble Ce(IV) species. Coarse particulate matter (>450 nm), composed mainly of amorphous ferric hydrous oxides, has a strong capacity for sorption of REE. This is shown by its very high REE concentrations, in some boreholes > 8,000 μg/g (total REE), and by the calculated association ratios R_a (ml/g), which are in the order of 10⁵ to 10⁶. The implications of these findings for the migration behavior of REE in both environments are discussed.     

Distributions of total,inorganic and organic phosphorus in surface and recent sediments of the sub-tropical and semi-pristine Guaratuba Bay estuary,SE Brazil

This study addresses the distribution of total phosphorus (TP) and its inorganic (IP) and organic (OP) fractions, grain-size and organic matter of surface and recent sediments, coupled to the behavior of total and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (TP and DIP) of the water column, of the semi-pristine Guaratuba Bay estuary, SE Brazil. Surface sediment samples were taken at 43 sites spread along the estuarine gradient and recent sediments from 3 short (35 cm long) cores from the upper, central and lower portions of the estuary, respectively. Highest TP and IP concentrations of surface sediments were detected within the upper sector and the transition zone between the upper and central sectors, all characterized by fine sediments, low salinities and water depths. In contrast, the lower sector and its narrow and deep tidal channel, subject to more intense tidal forcing, exhibited a higher fraction of sandy sediments with lower TP, IP and OP contents. In spite of the spatial variability in sediment grain size, IP corresponded to the major fraction of TP in all estuarine sectors and both TP and IP correlated significantly with the fine sedimentary (silt + clay) grain-size fraction. The fine surface sediments acted as a trap for IP at the fresh water–low salinity interface, which also corresponded to the region of a DIP sink in surface waters. In general, the short sediment cores showed that TP and IP contents increased from 15 cm depths to the top layer. Published sedimentation rates from additional cores taken at the sites of the short cores of this study, implied that depositional alterations of TP and IP increased during the early 1970s, which corresponded to the onset of anthropogenic disturbances from crop plantations in the lowland plains of the river end-member and urbanization at the estuary’s mouth and along the adjacent coast.     

Environmental fragility evaluation and guidelines for environmental zoning: a study case on Ibiuna (the Southeastern Brazilian region)

Environmental fragility models are important decision tools for policy makers as they help quantify environmental sensitivity and understand the relationship between human activities and environmental quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate three different environmental fragility models within the Brazilian rainforest region and to use the results to develop environmental zone classes. Two rural river basins located in Ibiuna, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, were studied. Input variables, including slope class, relief dissection rate, soil class, lithology, land cover, and climate data, were used to compute environmental fragility classes using three standard models. The model outputs were evaluated on their ability to accurately predict the most sensitive and least sensitive areas. The best models for each region were used to derive environmental zoning maps, including restoration priorities, best regions for agriculture, and areas with high needs for soil management. These maps will help support land use strategies for environmental restoration. This study provides insight into territorial ordering and management of environmental services with a regional perspective.     

Geology of Santa Rita Coal Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Data on the sedimentology, stratigraphy, palynology, coal petrography and geochemistry of the Santa Rita Coal Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are presented. The investigations were carried out on samples obtained from drill cores of the sedimentary rocks of Tubarão Supergroup, Lower Permian of Paraná Basin.The sequence comprises more than 10 coal layers, three sets of which — SR₁, SR₂ and SR₃ — are correlated with the SB+MB, I₁F and I₂B+I₃B coal seams, respectively, of the Charqueadas Coal Basin, southwest of Santa Rita. The lower, as well as the upper contacts of the sedimentary sequences are transitional and very difficult to trace.The Itararé sequences (basal group) comprise pelites, conglomerates and sandstones. The pelites are the most representative lithologies. The overlying Rio Bonito Formation comprises pelites and coal seams with subordinate para- conglomerates.Palynological analysis has unravelled a rich microfloristic association with a predominance of specimens related to the Infraturma laevigati, apiculati and cingulicavati of the Turma Triletes (Pteridophyta) either in the coal seams or in the associated rocks. Monosaccites, Disaccites and Striatiti (Gymnospermae) are accessory forms in the palynological assemblage. Botryococcus and algae-like elements are less abundant.Comparative studies of cuticular fragments collected from boreholes N₃ and P₄ showed better preservation and greater concentration in the latter, which may indicate that borehole N₃ is located closer to the margin of the swamp.Reflectance measurements ranging from 0.43 Rr% to 0.50 Rr% allow the coal seams to be classified as sub-bituminous B and A, according to the ASTM classification. Microlithotype analyses have shown the predominance of carbominerite, trimacerite and vitrite. Vitrinite is the most prominent maceral group (20–50%), inertinite and exinite are subordinate. The mineral content is about 40%.Results from geochemical analyses, from either coal or associated pelites, show the association of boron and vanadium with the organic matter; gallium is related to the inorganic material.The available sedimentological, palaeontological and petrographical data suggest a paludal environment related to swamps and the coal seams present characteristics of “reed” moor limnotelmatic facies of an authochthonous/hypautochthonous origin.