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.     

中国四川2008年5月12日汶川地震的地质与地球物理背景

2008年5月12日, 在青藏高原东缘的龙门山, 发生了MW7.9地震. 这一地震是在青藏高原长期隆升和向东推挤的背景下形成的. 发生地震的区域有以下典型的地质特征: 不是陡峭山前的活动汇聚造山带(包括地形起伏大于4 km的情况), 而是缺少高活动强度的低角度逆冲断层;虽拥有年轻的高地形(距今15 Ma)和加厚的地壳, 但是却只有低的GPS缩短率(小于3 mm/a), 并且缺少同时代的前陆沉积. 在我们看来, 青藏高原东部下面的地壳加厚不是因为上部地壳的大范围缩短, 而是由于位于软弱层(低速层)中的深部地壳的韧性增厚. 横跨龙门山的晚新生代缩短量可能仅有10～20 km, 且伴有主要造成青藏高原和四川盆地差异抬升的褶皱和断裂. 5月12日的地震可能反映了青藏高原东部相对四川盆地的带有缓慢的汇聚和右旋走滑的长期抬升. 5月12日地震邻区内GPS确定的速率表明, 该地震的平均复发间隔大约为2 000～10 000年.     

南黄海NT1孔沉积物稀土元素组成与物源判别

为研究黄河、长江以及韩国河流输运的大陆物质对南黄海沉积的贡献,对南黄海中部泥质区NT1孔沉积物做了稀土元素分析和物源判别。研究发现,南黄海NT1孔沉积物物源主要为长江源和黄河源,NT1孔上部0—7．70m沉积物以长江源为主,中部7．70．16．60m和40．00～50．70m沉积物以黄河源为主,其间夹近24m厚的沉积物则以长江源为主,底部50．70～69．76m沉积物以长江源为主。结果表明,长江从晚更新世早期到现代对南黄海中部泥质区沉积起着主要作用,而黄河则在晚更新世晚期的早玉木冰期时已开始对南黄海陆架沉积作用有明显影响。     

Cenozoic Geology of the Kaolan-Yungteng Area of Central Kansu

Although Kansu province is considered to be one of the less exploredregions, yet many excellent geological works had been done in this areaand its vicinities both by foreigners and by Chinese. The most importantand fundamental works were carried out by Obruschey, von Loczy,     

越南东京湾红河断裂系统

本文利用经过钻井资料校准的地震剖面研究了东京湾海防海域的红河断裂系统。该断裂系统在VinhMirth断层西南部表现为30km宽的狭长的左行走滑带,其运动时间为30Ma-5．5Ma,走滑位移不会超过几十公里,没有识别出5．5Ma之后的右行走滑运动。30Ma之前存在一个100km宽的伸展带,这次伸展作用可能与左行运动有关。30Ma之前,断裂系统在VinhMinh断层东北方向的分叉很可能刻E部湾的裂谷作用所吸收。15．5Ma的不整合将该区张扭体系与晚期的压扭体系分开,这个不整合的年代与南海海底扩张停止的时间是一致的。     

MORPHOLOGY, SEDIMENTARY BEDFORMS AND SAND TRANSPORT ACROSS A RIDGE-AND-RUNNEL BEACH UNDER THE ACTION OF SUMMER WAVES

As part of a collaborative study between the 3rd Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, and the U-K. Universities of East Anglia and St. Andrews, a 4-day experiment was conducted on a ridge- and -runnel beach of north Norfolk on the North Sea coast- Detailed surveys were made of every low water of an area 10m by 30m and electromagnetic current meters were used to measure wave- induced currents over the ridge and in the runnel- The locations of bedform fields were noted, fluorescent sand was used to follow the sand movement and, at the end of the experiment, lacquer peels were taken of the top 0-2 m of a vertical section through the ridge- and- runnel-During the 4 days 0-75 m3 of sand per metre width of beach accreted in the runnel and a similar volume was eroded from the upper foreshore. The dominant shoreward transport, identified qualitatively by the movement of the fluorescent sand, suggests the ridge- and- runnel system migrated shorewards up the general beach slope of 1 by 2 - 3 m. The wave orbital cur     

重新评估新马德里地震带

以新马德里地震带(以下简称NMSZ，图1)而知名的美国大陆中部地区，尽管远离板块边界，但却频繁发生特大地震，其发震机制一直是个未解之谜。NMSZ地区并没有大多数活动形变地区构造运动特征的显著地形起伏，但当面对该整个地区地震危险性在某些概率水平上可以与旧金山湾地区相比的证据时，我们多数人感到需要“拧自已一下以看看我们是否在做梦”。尽管在很多方面，评估NMSZ地区的危险性比评价美国西部地区更具挑战性，不确定性更大，但经过细致地科学研究，已经在地震危险性评估的最关键问题上达成了共识。[这里给出的一致性看法反映了美国地质调查局和美国中部地震中心(一个由国家科学基金会资助的大学协会组织)2000年1月主办的一次讨论会上与会的二十几位科学家在会上及会后在国际互联网和专业会议上公开发表的一些看法。]