Radiocarbon-dated ferricrete provides a record of natural acid rock drainage and paleoclimatic changes

 Ancient deposits of ferricrete (stratified iron oxyhydroxide or clastic sediment cemented by stratified iron oxyhydroxide) are present in headwater streams draining an historic mining district in the Rocky Mountains, USA. These deposits, which form under conditions of low pH and high metal concentrations, are present in streams draining many other mineralized areas. Radiocarbon dating of wood fragments entombed within the ferricrete indicates dates of deposition as old as 8840±50 years before present (b.p.). The ferricrete deposits provide evidence that natural, metal-rich acid rock drainage has been occurring in this mineralized region for thousands of years, due to the weathering and oxidation of exposed or near-surface massive sulfide ore deposits. The dating and chemical composition of the ferricrete deposits have applications to the environmental remediation of historic mining sites and to environmental issues related to natural background chemistry. In addition, the radiocarbon dates of the ferricrete deposits correlate closely with warm–wet periods in the Holocene record, showing that ferricrete deposits may represent a previously untapped source of paleoclimatic information. Received: 6 October 1997 · Accepted: 23 March 1998     

Red spruce canopy response to acid fog exposure

The health of red spruce is adversely affected by exposure to acid fog. Epicuticular wax structure over epistomatal chambers, mesophyll membrane calcium and changes in redox state of glutathione are affected in both chamber and field studies and are correlated with leaf exposure to acid fog, but not with soil or total leaf calcium concentrations. Experiments tracking fog deposition under conditions of illumination or darkness, with or without a metabolic inhibitor, support the mechanism of diffusiophoresis linked with photosynthetic gas exchange. Based on deposition pattern and leaf morphology, a stomatal pathway for water and hydrogen ion penetration to leaf interior is proposed. Ecophysiological parameters are discussed in relation to differential sensitivities of red spruce and white pine to ozone and acid fog.     

Temperature dependence of the reactivity of cemented paste backfill

The environmental performance of cemented paste backfill (CPB; a mixture of tailings, water and binder), which contains sulphide mineral-bearing tailings, is strongly influenced by its reactivity. However, our understanding of the reactivity of CPB under various thermal loading conditions as well as its evolution with time is limited. Hence, a laboratory investigation is conducted to study the effects of curing and ambient (atmospheric) temperatures on the reactivity of CPB. Oxygen consumption (OC) tests are conducted on CPB specimens cured at different temperatures to study their reactivity. Furthermore, microstructural analyses (e.g., x-ray diffraction (XRD), mercury intrusion porosimetry, and thermogravimetry/derivative thermogravimetry) are performed to assess the microstructural characteristics of the tested CPBs. The results show that the reactivity of CPB is temperature-dependent. As the curing temperature increases, the reactivity generally decreases. The reactivity is also affected by the ambient temperature. The reactivity increases as the atmospheric temperature increases. However, the extent of the effect of the temperature depends on the curing time and is generally more pronounced at the early ages. Furthermore, the presence of sulphate in the pore water of CPB can significantly affect the reactivity of CPB cured at high temperatures (50 °C). The findings of this study will therefore help to better assess and predict the environmental behavior of CPB under various field thermal conditions.     

贵州不同等级降水日数气候特征及其与降水量的关系

利用1963 2011年贵州81个测站逐日降水资料,分析了近49年贵州不同等级降水日数的气候特征,探讨了不同等级降水日数在降水变化中的作用。结果表明,随着降水等级的上升,对应该等级的雨日迅速减少;贵州总雨日及小雨日呈西多东少的分布,而中雨日、大雨日及暴雨日则呈南多北少分布;近49年贵州总雨日、小雨日、中雨日、大雨日整体上都呈减少趋势,而暴雨日却呈一定的增加趋势;小雨日与总雨日都是在20世纪80年代初期之后逐步减少,21世纪初期之后降幅更加明显,而中雨日在20世纪60 80年代初多波动,在21世纪初后迅速下降,大雨日和暴雨日均经历了两次较明显的波动;随着降水等级的上升,雨日与降水量的相关系数迅速增大,小雨日与降水量的相关性最差,暴雨日与降水量的相关性最好;降水偏多年各个等级的降水日数明显偏多,小雨日、中雨日及大雨日变化较为显著,暴雨日变化不显著,降水偏少年各个等级雨日则明显减少,中雨日变化最为显著,其次为大雨日、暴雨日,小雨日变化不显著,因此,贵州地区总降水量增加主要是由于小雨日、中雨日、大雨日的增加引起的,降水量减少则主要是由于中雨日、大雨日及暴雨日的减少引起的,比较各个等级的降水日数,无论是在降水偏多年还是偏少年,中雨日和大雨日的变化都较显著。     

Sampling Method for the Determination of Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) in Strongly Acidic Waters

Samples from extremely acidic waters should be taken using the introduced syringe technique avoiding atmospheric contact to minimize CO2 evaporation from the samples. The syringe technique inclusive manual injection enables the determination of TIC in acid waters with high precision and accuracy. If a TOC analyser with a small sample volume is used, the vials should be filled directly inside the water sampler without air bubbles, covered with aluminium foil and transported at ambient water temperatures. If an autosampler is used, partial selection of the vials increases the stability of the results. Care should be taken that samples can be analysed within a short time.     

Fluorescence as a Tool for Tracing the Organic Contamination from Pulp Mill Effluents in Surface Waters

Three‐dimensional fluorescence spectra of water samples from an eucalyptus bleached kraft pulp mill and from a river, upstream and downstream of the discharge of the effluent, revealed the existence of a peak at δ_exc = 280 nm and δ_em = 340 nm Δδ = 60 nm), characteristic of effluentπs organic matter. Humic substances were isolated from the effluent by sequential adsorption onto resins XAD‐8 and XAD‐4 in series. Their synchronous fluorescence spectra with Δδ = 60 nm do also exhibit an intense signal at δ_exc = 280 nm (≈ 300 nm in the humic acid fraction). The peak is absent in the spectra of humic substances isolated from a non‐polluted site of the river, but it is clearly seen in the spectra of the humic substances from a site downstream of the discharge of the effluent. Synchronous fluorescence spectra (Δδ = 60 nm) of water samples from the river and its lagoon were recorded and revealed to be an easy and fast way of tracing the organic contamination from the effluent.     

Differences between Humic Substances from Riverine,Estuarine, and Marine Environments Observed by Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Sixteen samples of fulvic acids and XAD‐4 fractions of riverine, estuarine, coastal, and open ocean origin have been studied by emission and synchronous molecular fluorescence spectroscopy. Certain features of the molecular fluorescence are related to the nature, the content, and the origin of those aquatic humic substances (HS). Riverine HS appear several times richer in fluorophores than marine HS, which can be well observed by emission fluorescence spectroscopy. Synchronous‐scan spectra of fulvic acids and of XAD‐4 fractions from the aquatic environments studied, emphasized the quality differences of their fluorophores. These features are useful as tracers of humic substances related with their natural environment source or even with their anthropogenic origin.     

The Geochemical Effects of Microbial Humic Substances Reduction

As part of a study on microbial redox alteration of humic substances we investigated the potential effect of this metabolism on the fate of heavy metals and hydrocarbons as a result of conformational alteration of the humic molecular structure due to microbial reduction. Our studies indicate that the microbial reduction of humic acids (HA) results in significant morphological and geochemical alterations. X‐ray microscopy analysis indicate that the conformational structure of the humic colloids is altered as a result of the redox change. In the reduced state, the HA appeared as small dense particles, on reoxidation, large loose aggregates were formed. In addition, spectrofluorometric studies indicated that the binding capacity of the HA for naphthalene was decreased by 10% when the HA was reduced. Similarly, the reduced HA yielded higher surface tension values at all concentrations tested which is indicative of a more hydrophilic and less hydrophobic solute. On reoxidation, the surface tension values reverted back to values similar to those obtained for the untreated oxidized HA. These data indicate that the hydrophobicity of the HA is altered on biological reduction of the HA and that this alteration is reversible. In contrast the reduced HA demonstrated a 15% higher affinity for heavy metals such as divalent cobalt than the oxidized HA. In addition to increasing the binding capacity of HA for heavy metals, the reduction of the HA also decreased the bioavailability and toxicity of bound heavy metals such as chromium. When incubated in the presence of Cr(III) and HA, cells of Escherichia coli grew much more rapidly in the presence of the reduced HA suggesting that the higher metal binding capacity of the reduced humic substances resulted in a removal of the Cr(III) from solution and hence reduced its bioavailability and toxicity. These studies demonstrate that HA redox state and reduction of humic acids by microorganisms can have a significant effect on the molecular morphology and binding constants of HA for heavy metals and hydrocarbons and also directly affects the bioavailability of these compounds in the environment.     

Are temporal variations in the nitrate content of UK upland freshwaters linked to the North Atlantic Oscillation?

Synchronous patterns of variation in NO₃ concentration, observed in upland lakes and streams across gradients of climate, altitude, land use and nitrogen deposition over the last decade, show a strong negative correlation with winter values for the North Atlantic Oscillation Index and mean winter temperature. Variations in a longer term stream NO₃ record validate this relationship, and although mechanisms are yet unclear, may be linked to the length of time the soil profile remains frozen during the winter. These findings are of particular significance to our understanding of the relationship between atmospheric N deposition and concentrations and fluxes of NO₃ in runoff, and the potential response to future climatic changes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.