Weathering process at the natural fission reactor of Bangombé

 The uranium deposits in the basin of Franceville (Gabon) host the only natural fission reactors known in the world. Unique geological conditions favoured a natural fission reaction 2 Ga ago. This was detected by anomalous isotopic compositions of uranium and rare earth elements (REE), which are produced by the fission reaction. In total, 16 reactor zones were found. Most of them are mined out. The reactor zone of Bangombé, is only 10–11 m below the surface. This site has been influenced by surface weathering processes. Six drill cores have been sampled at the site of the reactor zone of Bangombé during the course of the study and only one drill core (BAX 08) hit the core of the reactor. From these data and previous drilling campaigns, the reactor size is estimated to be 10 cm thick, 2–3 m wide and 4–6 m long. The migration of fission products can be traced by the anomalous isotope ratios of REE because of the fission process. The ¹⁴⁹Sm/¹⁴⁷Sm ratio close to the reactor zone is only 0.28 (normal: 0.92) because of the intense neutron capture of ¹⁴⁹Sm and subsequent transmutation, whereas ¹⁴⁷Sm is enriched by the fission reaction. Similar changes in isotopic patterns are detectable on other REE. The isotope ratios of Sm and Nd of whole rock and fracture samples surrounding the reactor indicate that fission-genic REE migrated only a few decimetres above and mainly below the reactor zone. Organic matter (bitumen) seems to act as a trap for fission-genic REE. Additional REE-patterns show less intense weathering with increasing depth in the log profile and support a simple weathering model. Received: 26 November 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000     

Neoliberalism and natural resource management: Agri-environmental standards and the governing of farming practices

Private standards and certification schemes are widely acknowledged as playing an increasingly important role in agri-environmental governance. While much of the existing research concludes that these mechanisms consolidate the global extension of neoliberalism – enhancing the power of corporate actors to the detriment of smaller producers – we argue that this overlooks the complex ways in which standards are used by governments and farmers in the governing of farming practices. Focusing specifically on a process standard – Environmental Management Systems (EMS) – promoted by the Australian government as a way of verifying the ‘clean and green’ status of agricultural exports, we examine how one regional group of producers has sought to use EMS standards in practice. Our analysis of a case study in the state of Victoria appears to confirm that EMS was a successful instrument for the extension of neoliberal governance, reinforcing the production of neoliberal subjectivities and practices amongst farmer participants and enabling the government to compensate for gaps in environmental provision. However, it would be a mistake to interpret the development of this EMS scheme as an example of naïve farmers manipulated by the state. In practice, farmers used the opportunities provided by government funding to undertake actions which expressed their own agri-environmental values and practices. Establishment of an EMS and associated eco-label enabled producers to demonstrate and extend their capacity to act as good environmental stewards. Our research highlights how the local application of environmental standards negotiates and shapes, rather than simply contributes to, neoliberal rule.     

Methodology for preliminary assessment of Natech risk in urban areas

Concern for natural hazard-triggered technological disasters (Natech disasters) in densely populated and industrialized areas is growing. Residents living in urban areas subject to high natural hazard risk are often unaware of the potential for secondary disasters such as hazardous materials releases from neighboring industrial facilities, chemical storage warehouses or other establishments housing hazardous materials. Lessons from previous disasters, such as the Natech disaster during the Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey in 1999 call for the need to manage low frequency/high consequence events, particularly in today’s densely populated areas. However, there is little guidance available on how local governments and communities can assess Natech risk. To add to the problem, local governments often do not have the human or economic resources or expertise to carry out detailed risk assessments. In this article, we propose a methodology for preliminary assessment of Natech risk in urban areas. The proposed methodology is intended for use by local government officials in consultation with the public. The methodology considers possible interactions between the various systems in the urban environment: the physical infrastructure (e.g., industrial plants, lifeline systems, critical facilities), the community (e.g., population exposed), the natural environment (e.g., delicate ecosystems, river basins), and the risk and emergency management systems (e.g., structural and nonstructural measures). Factors related to vulnerability and hazard are analyzed and qualitative measures are recommended. Data from hazardous materials releases during the Kocaeli, Turkey earthquake of August 17, 1999 are used as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the methodology. Limitations of the proposed methodology are discussed as well as future research needs.

Natural background levels and threshold values of monitored parameters in the Cambrian-Vendian groundwater body,Estonia

The Cambrian-Vendian groundwater body plays an important role in drinking water supply of capital Tallinn and other settlements in northern Estonia. Water quality in this deep-seated confined groundwater body is influenced by the intrusion of present-day seawater and pumping-induced upward migration of deeper saline groundwater. The aim of this study is to evaluate the threshold values applying the methodology worked out within the EU 6th FP project “Background criteria for the identification of groundwater thresholds (BRIDGE)” and to compare the results with the values proposed by local authorities. A database containing 250 monitoring points was completed and used for the calculation of natural background levels (as the 90 and 97.7 percentile) in groundwater. The calculation of threshold values is based on natural background levels and reference values. In case of Cambrian-Vendian groundwater body the receptor is drinking water, thus limit values set by Estonian drinking water standard were used as reference values. The threshold values proposed by local authorities are more or less the same as calculated by BRIDGE methodology. Exceptionally different values are derived in case of chloride and ammonium.     

南黄海表层沉积物天然湿容重和含水量的分布及其与粒度之间的关系

本文论述了南黄海表层沉积物天然湿容重和含水量的分布,并利用回归分析的方法讨论了容重和含水量与粒度之间的关系。结果表明,容重和含水量与粘土粒级相关性最好,容重与粘土粒级含量(相似文献   

山东近海牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)自然和养殖群体10个微卫星基因座位的遗传多态性分析

采用微卫星遗传标记技术对山东近海牙鲆自然群体和养殖群体的遗传多样性进行了研究。实验所用牙鲆于2003年5月分别采自山东近海和青岛胶南养鱼场，各20尾，取全血或肌肉组织，以酚-仿抽提方法提取基因组DNA，利用筛选获得的10对微卫星引物进行PCR扩增，反应产物经8％非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离、EB显色，用ImageMasterl D Elite(Version 3．01)软件分析电泳结果，并计算了相应的遗传学参数。结果表明，在自然和养殖群体中，10个基因座位的等位基因平均数(α)分别为6．7和6．1，每个基因座位有效等位基因数(αe)分别为1．8—6．8和2．5—6．7，群体平均杂合度(H)分别为0．8120和0．7310；两个群体间的遗传相似性系数、遗传距离和基因分化系数为0．8558、0．1557和0．0558；自然群体内每个座位上的多态信息含量(PIC)为0．59—0．84、个体识别率(DP)为0．54—0．86、非父排除率(PPE)为0．41—0．72，其累积个体识别率和非父排除率均达到0．9999，表明所选座位属中高识别力的遗传标记，可以将它们应用于今后牙鲆雌核发育群体的遗传变异分析以及进一步的遗传育种的研究中。     

An alternative approach to the structural motion analysis of wedge-beam offshore structures supporting a load

For convenience of dynamic analysis, some offshore structures such as fixed-type platforms are often modeled as the wedge beams supporting tip lumped masses. It is well-known that, due to the effect of the surrounding water, the natural frequencies of a beam in air (or dry beam) are different from those of the same beam immersed in water (or wet beam). However, if the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of a dry beam are calculated by taking account of the “added mass” for the immersed beam, then the last natural frequencies and mode shapes will be equal to the corresponding ones of the wet beam. Based on the last concept, the closed form solutions for natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the dry beam were determined first, then the partial differential equation of motion for the wet beam was transformed into a matrix equation by using the expansion theorem and the foregoing closed form solutions of free vibration responses for the dry beam. Solving the last matrix equation will give the required natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the wet beam. The formulation of this paper is available for the fully or partially immersed double tapered beams with either circular, square or rectangular cross-sections. The taper ratio for width and that for depth may be equal or unequal. The numerical results of this paper were compared with the existing results or the finite-element-method results and good agreement was achieved.     

大亚湾微表层和次表层海水营养盐的研究

根据1998年秋季（10、11月）、1999年春、秋季（4、5、10月）5个航次对大亚湾海区微、次表层的调查结果，分析了微表层海水对氮、磷、硅营养盐的富集概况，讨论了营养盐与环境因子的关系。结果表明：大亚湾海区微表层海水对氮、磷、硅营养盐均有富集作用，因海况及季节不同，富集因数（EF）与其他海区的有所差别；无论夏季或秋季，大亚湾海区微表层海水中无机氮都以NH4－N为主要存在形态；其余水层则以NO3－N为主要存在形态。结果还表明，微表层、次表层海水中NH4－N与BOD5、COD测值都呈高度显著正相关，与PO4－P和SiO3-Si含量均无相关，说明大亚湾海区水中含氮有机物较含磷有机物丰富。     

Determination of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) species in Antarctic seawater with complexing resins

The strong species of cadmium(II), copper(II), manganese(II) and nickel(II) in an Antarctic seawater sample are investigated by a method based on the sorption of metal ions on complexing resins. The resins compete with the ligands present in the sample to combine with the metal ions. Two resins with different adsorbing strengths were used. Very stable metal complexes were investigated with the strong sorbent Chelex 100 and weaker species with the less strong resin, Amberlite CG-50. Strong species were detected for three of the considered metal ions, but not for Mn(II). Cu(II) is completely linked to species with a side reaction coefficient as high as log α_M(I) = 11.6 at pH = 7.3. The ligand concentration was found to be similar to that of the metal ion, and the conditional stability constant was around 10²⁰ M^− 1. In the considered sample, only a fraction of the metal ions Cd(II) and Ni(II) is bound to the strong ligands, with side reaction coefficients equal to log α_M(I) = 5.5 and 6.5 at pH = 7.3 for Cd(II) and Ni(II), respectively. These findings were confirmed by the test with the weaker sorbent Amberlite CG-50. It can be calculated from the sorption equilibria that neither Mn(II) nor Ni(II) is adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50 under the considered conditions and, in fact, only a negligible fraction of Mn(II) and Ni(II) was adsorbed. A noticeable fraction of Cd(II) was adsorbed on Amberlite CG-50, meaning that cadmium(II) is partially linked to weak ligands, possibly chloride, while no copper(II) was adsorbed on this resin, confirming that copper(II) is only combined in strong species. These results are similar, but not identical, to those obtained for other seawater samples examined in previous investigations.