The behaviour of dissolved arsenic in the estuary of the River Beaulieu

The chemical forms and distribution of dissolved arsenic species in the estuary of the River Beaulieu (Hampshire, U.K.) are reported. ‘Inorganic arsenic (V)’ in both the marine and riverine estuary inputs are in true solution, passing through ultrafiltration membranes having a nominal molecular weight cut-off of 500 daltons. Extensive removal of dissolved ‘inorganic arsenic (V)’ is apparent from the distribution of arsenic in the estuary, with laboratory mixing experiments indicating that removal is favoured in the low salinity region. ‘Inorganic arsenic (III)’ and methylated arsenic species account for up to 41% and 70% of the dissolved arsenic, respectively, but are only found during the warmer months when water temperatures exceed ca. 12°C.     

Evaluation of aluminum speciation in surface waters in China and its environmental risk assessment

As the ongoing global research on acid precipitation is developing in depth, more and more attention has been paid to the ecological effects of aluminum (Al) due to its toxicity to plants and animals, which is caused by acid precipitation. As a very serious problem of terrestrial and aquatic environmental acidification occurs in China, especially in southwestern China, a systematic investigation of Al speciation in these regions is very important. In this paper, the Al speciation results of surface waters in China are reported and its ecological impacts is evaluated. More than 100 water samples were collected from about twenty provinces of China. Driscoll's Al speciation scheme combined with the modified MINQEL computer model is used for speciation of Al. This study shows that the ecological impacts of acidification are quite different between China and Western countries, because of different geographical environments and geological settings. In Western countries, acidification is mainly caused by NO₂^-. Due to low concentrations of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, the buffer capacities of soil and water are weak. Therefore, natural waters can be acidified to pH<5 very easily, resulting in a considerable mobilization of Al and worsening of the ecological environment. In China, acid precipitation is mainly in the form of sulfuric acid. In northwestern China, concentrations of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ are high in soil and surface waters. This leads to much higher capacity and a high resistance ability to acidification. The pH values of waters in this region are high (around 7) and no serious Al toxicity is found at present. However, in northeastern and southeastern China, the soil is rich in Al (unsaturated aluminosilicates in northeastern China, saturated aluminosilicates in north and central China, aluminum-rich soil in southeastern and southwestern China). The concentrations of K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ in soil and waters are lower than those of northwestern China. Therefore the buffer capacity is limited. Numerous surface waters have already been acidified and pH values declined to 5. The impacts of Al toxicity on ecological systems in these regions are very serious, especially in Jiangxi, Hubei Provinces and Chongqing Municipality.     

Rare-earth element mobility during ore-forming hydrothermal alteration: A case study of Dongping gold deposit Hebei Province,China

REE mobility during hydrothermal ore-forming processes has been extensively investigated in recent years and the potential of REE to provide information about ore forming processes has commonly been recognized.The Dongping gold deposit,which is located in northwestern Hebei Province,China,occurring in the inner contact zone of the Shuiquangou syenite complex,is spatially,and probably genetically,related to the syenite,the deposit was formed under the moderate to high temperature(220℃ to 320℃),weakly acidic to weakly alkaline,rather high fo2(lgfo2=-30～-34)environment.The REE study of the host rocks,altered wall rocks,ores and gangue minerals from the deposit suggests that the REEs have been mobilized and differentiated during K-feldspathization and silicification.The extremely altered syenite enveloping auriferous quartz vein shows positive Ce anomaly and larger LREE/HREE ratio than that of the unaltered syenite.The REE concentrations and patterns of the ores are determined by the ore types and mineral assemblages,LREE/HREE ratios in the gangue quartz and hydrothermal Kfeldspars are relatively low.The most significant observation is that the gangue quartz shows significant positive Eu anomaly,whereas the hydrothermal K-feldspars show less significant or no positive Eu anomaly at all relative to the primary feldspar in the unaltered syenite. It is evident that the REEs are mobile during K-feldspathization and silicification in the ore forming process.Weak to moderate K-feldspathization caused REE mobility without apparent differentiation with the exception of extreme K-feldspathization and silicification which resulted in significant depletion of HREE and Eu and relative enrichment of Ce.The REE,Y,U,Th and Au contents of the syenite decrease as the degrees of K-feldspathization and silicification of the rocks increase towards the auriferous quartz veins.As the ores were deposited under a rather oxidized environment,Ce^4 predominated over Ce^3 .The precipitation of the former in the form of CeO2 or absorpted onto the secondary mineral assemblage resulted in the inconsistent removal of the REE and the relative Ce enrichment in the strongly altered rocks.in contrast,Eu was present mainly in a low valence state (Eu^2 ).The geochemical differences from the other REE^3 and much less sites in the secondary minerals to accommodate the Eu released form the original minerals resulted in the enrichment of Eu in the fluids.The mobility and differentiation of REE and the coherent mobilities of Y,U,Th and Au also support the argument that the syenite is one of the source rocks for gold mineralization.The REE contents and patterns of the altered rocks enveloping the auriferous quartz vein could be used as a guide for locating ore veins in mineral exploration.     

The Influence of Oxalate on Fe-Catalyzed S(IV) Oxidation by Oxygen in Aqueous Solution

This study demonstrates that oxalate has a strong inhibiting effect onFe-catalyzed S(IV) oxidation by oxygen in aqueous solution. While thepseudo-first order rate constant of S(IV) oxidation was determined to be1.6 × 10³ M^-1 s^-1 in experimentswithout oxalate, the oxidation of S(IV) was totally inhibited at a molarconcentration ratio of iron:oxalate = 1:5 at an oxalate concentration of 4M. Under these conditions, the Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio remained nearlyconstant during the observed reaction time. The determined rate constants wereindependent of the initial oxidation state of iron. However, with increasingconcentrations of oxalate, a longer induction period is observed forexperiments with iron initially in the Fe(II) oxidation state.     

Speciation and potential remobilization of heavy metals in sediments of the Taihu Lake, China

The species of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Cr in sediments of the Taihu Lake, China, have been analyzed using the sequential chemical extraction method. Variations in the chemical fractions of these metals and their geographic distributions have also been studied. For all five metals, the residual fraction is highest but the exchangeable fraction is lowest among all the fractions. Compared to other metals, Cd has the highest percentage in the exchangeable fraction, and Cr is associated mainly with the residual fraction. Cu in the organic fraction and Pb in the Fe-Mn fraction are the important species, whereas the lowest percentages are found for Cd in the organic fraction, Cu in the Fe-Mn oxide fraction and Pb in the carbonate fraction. With respect to spatial differences, the total contents in the non-residual fractions of the metals in bay sediments are found to be higher than those in other sediments. The fractions of Cd, Cu and Cr showed significant variations in different regions. The fractions of Pb and Zn, however, did not show significant variations in spatial distribution, suggesting different amounts and different paths of anthropogenic input for the metals. Comparisons of the metal speciation indicated that Cd might be the most bioavailable metal, followed by Pb.     

南岭稀土花岗岩、钨锡花岗岩及其成矿作用的对比

南岭地区的钨锡和稀土矿床都与花岗岩类有直接成因联系,但二者的成矿作用有许多不同之处.钨锡是典型的热液成矿,而稀土则主要形成于风化作用.随着花岗岩类的分异演化,岩石中的W、Sn等元素含量逐渐增加,因此钨锡等矿床主要与高度分异演化的晚阶段小岩体有关;但是稀土的表现与钨锡不同,由于花岗岩类的分异演化导致稀土栽体黑云母及许多副矿物的减少,因此稀土元素含量在晚阶段岩体中反而降低.赣南的五里亭-大吉山岩体、桂东北的花山-姑婆山岩体等提供了很好的范例.因此,南岭地区与风化壳型稀土矿床有关的岩石主要有:印支期准铝质花岗岩,燕山期A型花岗岩,燕山中-晚期黑云母二长花岗岩等.     

四川省康定县三碉金矿床岩矿石化学成分特征及构造环境

康定县境内的三碉金矿床是大渡河金矿成矿集中区内的典型矿床。本文基于野外实地调查取样、实验室分析测试工作,通过对岩矿石地球化学特征及构造环境进行研究,结果表明:1)从无矿石英→含矿石英,SiO_2、Al_2O_3、CaO等含量均有所减少,TiO_2、MnO、K_2O、Na_2O等变化范围不大,Fe_2O_3和FeO等则有明显的增高。2)斜长角闪岩的原岩为基性火山岩,δEu主要表现为正异常特征;黑云母花岗岩具有中钾钙碱性特征,形成于造山晚期,δEu表现为明显的负异常特征。即三碉金矿的形成过程中,硅铝质矿物在减少,载金金属矿物在增多;含矿流体混染和交代长英质岩浆减弱抵消负铕异常导致斜长角闪岩δEu值逐渐过渡为正异常;黑云母花岗岩δEu为负异常,是早期斜长石的晶出带走Eu作用的结果。3)矿区断裂与矿床的形成密切相关,为成矿流体的上升运移提供了有利的通道,并提供含矿石英脉的沉聚空间。     

女山幔源包体及其寄主岩中微量元素和过渡金属元素的研究

对女山碧玄岩、超镁铁岩包体和高压巨晶中微量元素及过渡金属元素进行探讨。研究表明,碧玄岩中ＬＲＥＥ较之ＨＲＥＥ更为富集,其分配型式属ＬＲＥＥ富集型;包体中ＬＲＥＥ较ＨＲＥＥ略显富集之势,分配型式属平坦型,这与地幔具有平缓的ＲＥＥ模式相符,其中略富ＬＲＥＥ与碧玄岩对应。碧玄岩、包体和高压巨晶中过渡金属元素具有不同的分配型式。但是不管在碧玄岩与包体之间,还是在巨晶与碧玄岩之间,某些过渡金属元素的含量都具有相关关系。可见,碧玄岩与包体具有成因联系,巨晶与碧玄岩也具有成因联系。     

凡口铅锌矿床海底热泉喷溢成矿的地质地球化学特征

凡口铅锌矿是发育于海相碳酸盐岩建造中的海底热泉喷溢沉积矿床。在研究矿床地质特征和地球化学特征的基础上,总结了发育于同沉积断裂两侧的矿体的形态、产状,矿石组构,成矿元素、微量元素、稀土元素的组成与分布,成矿温度和流体的性质,提出了热泉成矿作用与海相碳酸盐沉积作用同时演化的结论。