楚科奇海陆架重金属沉积研究

采用Pb-Po法测定了楚科奇海陆架沉积物中210Pb的垂直剖面.应用双层模型研究210Pb分布,得到沉积速率(S)为0.145cm/a,沉积物堆积通量(FM)为78mg/(cm2·a),过剩210Pbex的沉积通量为6×10-3Bq/(cm2·a)[即0.36dpm/(cm2·a)].用中子活化分析方法和火焰原子吸收法分析测定了沉积物岩芯12个层段的重金属Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Co、Fe、Mn和V的含量,发现各层段之间重金属含量没有显著的区别.将本次分析结果和北冰洋其他一些陆架区的研究结果及页岩标准值相比较,发现楚科奇海沉积物中大部分重金属含量都相对较低.基于此可以推断,楚科奇海沉积物中重金属是源于地球化学过程的作用,没有表现出受到明显的人为重金属污染影响.     

Metal distribution in sediment cores from São Paulo State Coast, Brazil

Ten sediment core samples with lengths ranging from 35 to 100 cm were collected in the Baixada Santista region and analyzed to determine As, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sb, Ta, Th, U, Zn and rare earths (Sc, Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb) level concentrations using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The studied region is located in the southeastern coast of São Paulo State and is comprised of a densely urbanized area, the largest industrial complex of the country, with a predominance of petrochemical and fertilizer plants. It is also home to Brazil’s most important and busiest port. The conclusions found that the As, La, Sm, Ne, Ce, Eu, Hf, Ta, Th, and U elements have a high background level in the region and that Fe and Zn were the main indicators of anthropogenic contribution in the sediments.     

Geochemical characterization of marker tephra layers from major Holocene eruptions,Kamchatka Peninsula,Russia

Kamchatka Peninsula is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. Many Holocene explosive eruptions have resulted in widespread dispersal of tephra-fall deposits. The largest layers have been mapped and dated by the ¹⁴C method. The tephra provide valuable stratigraphic markers that constrain the age of many geological events (e.g. volcanic eruptions, palaeotsunamis, faulting, and so on). This is the first systematic attempt to use electron microprobe (EMP) analyses of glass to characterize individual tephra deposits in Kamchatka. Eighty-nine glass samples erupted from 11 volcanoes, representing 27 well-identified Holocene key-marker tephra layers, were analysed. The glass is rhyolitic in 21 tephra, dacitic in two, and multimodal in three. Two tephra are mixed with glass compositions ranging from andesite/dacite to rhyolite. Tephra from the 11 eruptive centres are distinguished by their glass K₂O, CaO, and FeO contents. In some cases, individual tephra from volcanoes with multiple eruptions cannot be differentiated. Trace element compositions of 64 representative bulk tephra samples erupted from 10 volcanoes were analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) as a pilot study to further refine the geochemical characteristics; tephra from these volcanoes can be characterized using Cr and Th contents and La/Yb ratios.

Unidentified tephra collected at the islands of Karaginsky (3), Bering (11), and Attu (5) as well as Uka Bay (1) were correlated to known eruptions. Glass compositions and trace element data from bulk tephra samples show that the Karaginsky Island and Uka Bay tephra were all erupted from the Shiveluch volcano. The 11 Bering Island tephra are correlated to Kamchatka eruptions. Five tephra from Attu Island in the Aleutians are tentatively correlated with eruptions from the Avachinsky and Shiveluch volcanoes.     

Neutron Activation Analysis,Atomic Absorption and X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Review for 2006–2007

These mature analytical techniques do not show any change in publication level from the previous two years and AAS remains dominant in terms of the number of publications. The last two years have seen fewer technical improvements than in the previous review period. Some interesting papers dealing with uncertainty and quality assurance in INAA were published during 2006–2007. It is suggested that photon activation should be reconsidered because the source of electron accelerators has recently improved. A technique to preconcentrate Se for INAA determination has also been proposed. In the case of AAS, papers on analyte preconcentration continue to be more abundant than those relating to instrumental modification. Sample preparation for AAS is also active and ultrasound‐assisted leaching shows some promising applications. There were an unusual number of reviews concerned with AAS and those important to geological samples are cited here. A technique to preconcentrate Cr in water is presented and a new device to determine As and Se is showing some potential uses. Confocal X‐ray mapping continues to show interesting developments. One group developed a technique to perform XRF inside an oyster and an interesting application of μ‐XRF mapping of sediments is presented. Determination of platinum‐group elements (at μg g¹ concentrations) can be carried out very quickly with an improved XRF technique.     

Trace Element Data for Gold, Iridium and Silver in Seventy Geochemical Reference Materials

New concentrations for Au, Ir and Ag obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis are presented for seventy geochemical reference materials. Results in agreement with literature values for Au and Ir down to concentrations of a few ng g⁻¹ were obtained. For Au and Ir concentrations above 10 ng g⁻¹, the repeatability of replicate analyses of reference materials was mostly better than 10%. For concentrations between 1 and 10 ng g⁻¹ the RSD for Ir was 10–30%, whereas for Au it was higher and more variable (20–50%). In addition, concentrations for Cd and Hg are presented for some of the same reference materials. The high RSD at relatively high concentrations seen in gold for some RMs (e.g., WMG-1, WMS-1) did not exist for Ir and suggests homogeneity for this platinum-group element at the sub-sample size used in this study. For the following eight RMs, mostly ultramafic rocks (CHR-Pt+, OREAS-13P, OREAS-14P, PCC-1, UMT-1, WMG-1, WMS-1, WPR-1), Ir measurements agreed within ± 10% of mostly certified or recommended concentrations, which ranged from 2 ng g⁻¹ to 6 μg g⁻¹. For the reference material UB-N, iridium concentration compared favourably to published results obtained by isotope dilution ICP-MS methods and a previously unrecognised heterogeneity is inferred for Au, Hg and Sb, but not for the other measured elements.