Assessing the control exerted by soil mineralogy in the fixation of potentially harmful elements in the urban soils of Lisbon,Portugal

The main purposes of this study are the textural, chemical and mineralogical characterization of the urban soils of Lisbon and the identification of probable relations between the several soil properties. The results are used to infer which soil properties control the superficial dispersion of potential harmful elements to human health. Soil sampling was carried out in 51 selected sites all through the city, under the criterion that such sites should be spaces usually frequented by children. The concentrations of 42 elements in the >2 mm soil size fraction were determined at a commercial laboratory in Canada (ActLabs, LTD), by ICP-MS/ICP-OES after an acid digestion with aqua regia. The soil mineralogy was determined by X-ray diffraction in the <2 and <62 μm size fractions. The results indicate that the urban soils have mainly a sandy texture and a main mineralogical assemblage of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase and calcite. In terms of clay minerals, smectite, illite and kaolinite are the main clays in the soil. Smectite and illite show a dichotomy in their distribution, with the smectites prevailing in the soils of the volcanic complex of Lisbon, which are classified as being residual, and illite prevailing in the remaining soils, which are considered mainly as man-made soils. Smectite seems to exert an important role in the fixation of Ni and Cr. The results of the geochemical study show that Ni and Cr have concentrations above the soil guideline value established to the UK and pose a probable risk to human health.     

New Constraints on Ages of Glasses Proposed as Reference Materials for Fission-Track Dating

New analyses have been performed in order to enhance the data-set on the independent ages of four glasses that have been proposed as reference materials for fission-track dating. The results are as follows. Moldavite - repeated ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations on samples from deposits from Bohemia and Moravia yielded an average of 14.34 ± 0.08 Ma. This datum agrees with other recent determinations and is significantly younger than the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 15.21 ± 0.15 Ma determined in the early 1980s. Macusanite (Peru) -four K-Ar ages ranging from 5.44 ± 0.06 to 5.72 ± 0.12 Ma have been published previously. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages gave an average of 5.12 ± 0.04 Ma. Plateau fission-track ages determined using the IRMM-540 certified glass and U and Th thin films for neutron fluence measurements agree better with these new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages than the previously published ages. Roccastrada glass (Italy) - a new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age, 2.45 ± 0.04 Ma, is consistent with previous determinations. The Quiron obsidian (Argentina) is a recently discovered glass that has been proposed as an additional reference material for its high spontaneous track density (around 100 000 cm^-2). Defects that might produce "spurious" tracks are virtually absent. An independent ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 8.77 ± 0.09 Ma was determined and is recommended for this glass. We believe that these materials, which will be distributed upon request to fission-track groups, will be very useful for testing system calibrations and experimental procedures.     

Tide circulation patterns in a coastal lagoon under sea-level rise

This study evaluates the patterns and effects of relative sea-level rise on the tidal circulation of the basin of the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon using a process-based model that is solved on an unstructured mesh. To predict the changes in the lagoon tidal circulation in the year 2100, the model is forced by tides and a static sea level. The bathymetry and the basin geometry are updated in response to sea-level rise for three morphological response scenarios: no bed updating, barrier island rollover, and basin infilling. Model results indicate that sea-level rise (SLR) will change the baseline current velocity patterns inside the lagoon over the ~100-year study period, due to a strong reduction in the area of the intertidal basin. The basin infilling scenario is associated with the most important adjustments of the tidal circulation (i.e., increases in the flood velocities and delays in the ebb tide), together with an increase in the cumulative discharges of the tidal inlets. Under sea-level rise and in the basin infilling scenario, the salt marshes and tidal flats experience increases in the tidal range and current asymmetry. Basin infilling changes the sediment flushing capacity of the lagoon, leading to the attenuation of the flood dominance in the main inlet and the strengthening of the flood dominance in the two secondary inlets. The predictions resulting from these scenarios provide very useful information on the long-term evolution of similar coastal lagoons that experience varying degrees of SLR. This study highlights the need for research focusing on the quantification of the physical and socio-economic impacts of SLR on lagoon systems, thus enabling the development of effective adaptation strategies.     

Comparison of Fused Glass Beads and Pressed Powder Pellets for the Quantitative Measurement of Al,Fe, Si and Ti in Bauxite by Laser‐Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Due to matrix interference and sample particle size effects, some of the most important and difficult issues in laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis are the calibration and quantitative measurement of a complex matrix. This study proposes the use of borate fusion as an alternative sample preparation procedure for the quantitative measurement of Al, Fe, Si and Ti in bauxite by LIBS. Analytical calibration curves were made using bauxite certified reference materials (CRM), and the precision and accuracy of the methods were evaluated by analysing an additional bauxite CRM, using two different approaches: pressed powder pellets and fused glass beads. The borate fusion method was the most suitable sample preparation technique, since particle size effects and matrix interference could be minimised, obtaining better linearity on the analytical calibration curves (r²), and more accurate and more precise results for bauxite analysis.     

Species composition and diversity of woody communities along an elevational gradient in tropical Dwarf Cloud Forest

Elucidating woody community diversity and structure change along environmental gradients is still a central issue of tropical forest ecology. We have evaluated changes in alpha and beta diversity, community composition and structure of woody communities along an elevational gradient in Dwarf Cloud Forests, Southeast Brazil. We selected five areas along an elevational gradient(1,300-1,600 m asl), and randomly allocated 10 plots(10 m × 20 m) in each area in the Ibitipoca State Park(ISP), Serra da Mantiqueira, southeastern Brazil. All woody species(diameter at breast height ≥ 5.0 cm) were collected for taxonomic identification. Thus, we analysed the woody communities based on a phytosociological approach. Overall, 147 species and 37 families were recorded, distributed in 2,303 individuals. No differences in the species richness pattern were observed between areas using the rarefaction and extrapolation curves. Significant differences in species composition and structure between areas were observed. The high beta diversity observed, corroborated by the Jaccard coefficient, increases with decreasing altitude. Our results showed that woody communities in the studied Dwarf Cloud Forests have a higher diversity and structural variability along elevational gradient.