The environmental impact of small-scale gold mining in Ghana: identifying problems and possible solutions

This paper examines the environmental impacts of small-scale gold mining in Ghana, and prescribes a series of recommendations for improving environmental performance in the industry. Since the enactment of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law in 1989, which effectively legalized small-scale gold mining in the country, industrial operations, collectively, have made important contributions to national gold output, foreign exchange earnings and employment. Accompanying this pattern of socio-economic growth, however, have been increased environmental complications – namely, mercury pollution and land degradation. The Ghanaian Minerals Commission has been burdened with most of the jurisdictional responsibilities related to small-scale mining, but with a staff of only 35–40 people working with a pool of highly obsolete research resources, it is clearly incapable of facilitating sufficient environmental improvement on its own. It is concluded that marked environmental improvements can only be achieved if: (1) assistance is provided to the Minerals Commission from local governmental bodies and academic units; (2) industry-specific environmental management tools and strategies are designed and implemented; (3) concerted effort is made to prospect for deposits suitable for small-scale gold mining, a key to preventing unnecessary exploration; and (4) a nation-wide industrial mercury study is commissioned, and a mercury retorting programme is implemented.     

滇西北亚高山针叶林、硬叶栎类林的树种多样性

在滇西北香格里拉地区,以长苞冷杉(Abiesgeorgei)林、丽江云杉(Picealikiangensis)林作为亚高山针叶林的代表,以川滇高山栎(Quercusaquifolioides)林作为硬叶栎类林的代表,分别选择了6块样地,采用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数(H)、Simpson多样性指数的倒数(D')、Pielou均匀度指数(JH、JD)分别测定其树种多样性,并进行了比较研究。结果表明,三个森林类型的Shannon Wiener指数、Simpson指数的倒数、物种丰富度的顺序均为:长苞冷杉林>川滇高山栎林>丽江云杉林;而前两类森林的Pielou均匀度指数差异不大,但都高于丽江云杉林的均匀度指数值。滇西北的川滇高山栎具有很强的萌生能力。人工种植的亚高山针叶林的树种多样性较原始林低,需要较长时间的恢复过程。亚高山针叶林的存在极大地丰富了云南省的树种多样性,使云南植被的垂直地带性得到了充分体现。     

软土结构性破损的孔径分布试验研究

采用压汞法对天然结构性软土压缩过程孔隙大小分布的演化进行了试验研究，结果表明，当荷载超过结构屈服应力后，尺寸较大的团粒间孔隙首先发生破坏，随着荷载的增大，越来越小的孔隙受到影响，但团粒内孔隙在压缩过程中不发生变化；根据试验结果提出了孔隙结构破损势的概念，并用其表征孔隙分布随荷载变化的规律。     

The colonization of periphytic diatom species on artificial substrates in the Ashar canal, Basrah, Iraq

Studies have been conducted between March 1993 and March 1994 in the Ashar canal, a backwater of the Shatt al-Arab River, Iraq. Using artificial substrates, the colonization and development of seventy-five diatom species belonging to twenty genera could be revealed. Taxa apportionment varied seasonally as well as within each season. A few species have been found during all experiments. These are Amphora ovalis, Bacillaria paradoxa, Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta, Cyclotella meneghiniana, Cymbella ventricosa, Navicula tripunctata var. schizonemoides, Rhoicosphenia curvata, and Synedra ulna. The occurrence of B. paradoxa in Experiment 1 (March-April 1993) and Experiment 4 (end of January to beginning of March 1994) was higher than 50%. Similarity of species increased towards the end of each season, and the communities from experiments 1 and 4 were more similar than others. The experiments also suggest that week 4 represents the equilibrium phase while week 6 reflects the increase in biological interactions. The results could also indicate the sequence of primary colonizers and the community development towards the equilibrium.     

Mercury mobility at the Carson River Superfund Site, west-central Nevada, USA: Interpretation of mercury speciation data in mill tailings, soils, and sediments

The Carson River Superfund Site in west-central Nevada is an area of Hg-contaminated soil, sediment, water, air, and biola resulting from the amalgamation milling of Ag-Au ores of the Comstock lode worked approximately a century ago. In order to develop an understanding of the behavior, transport, and fate of Hg at this site, a technique was developed to estimate the proportions of total, elemental, exchangeable, organic, and sulfide Hg in soils, sediments, and tailings.Results of this analysis performed on active Carson River sediments indicate that Hg is selectively dissolved out of Hg-Au amalgam particles and subsequently adsorbed to fine-grained sediments which are then deposited in downstream, low-energy reaches of the Carson River and Labontan Reservoir. In the relatively more-reducing environment of the reservoir Hg appears to be converted, in large part, to relatively-insoluble HgS.The original elemental form of Hg released to the environment is the chemical form which is still dominant in most highly-contaminated soils, sediments, and tailings. Deeper, more-reducing soil horizons, however, appear to fix a significant portion of the Hg as HgS, analogous to the Lahontan Reservoir example described above. This fixation as HgS is documented to be largely limited to higher-sulfur areas where sulfide minerals from the Comstock ores increase the total sulfur concentrations of contaminated soils, sediments, and tailings.     

Amelioration of soil fertility by woody perennials in cropping fields: evaluation of three tree species in the semi-arid zone of Nigeria

Soil was sampled from cropping fields in radial patterns from beneathAcacia albida, Parkia bigloboza(Jacq.) Benth. andEucalyptus camaldulensisDehnh. near Zaria, Nigeria. Results of analysis show a significant coarsening of soil texture and a decrease in organic matter and cation exchange capacity with increasing distance from all three tree species at a depth of 0–15 cm. Concentrations of nitrogen and some exchangeable cations decreased significantly with increasing distance from beneath acacia and parkia, and soil pH decreased with increasing distance from eucalyptus. The implication of the results for land management are discussed in relation to increasing productivity and soil use sustainability.     

正态化克立格法在路腊汞矿储量计算中的应用

正态化克立格法是对传统储量计算方法的改革和创新。其计算过程的科学性和计算结果的正确性在路腊汞矿作了探采对比试算，取得了良好的结果。     

酸性污染物欧拉型输送转化模式的研究

数值模式是研究酸性污染及其长距离输送特性的一种重要方法。７０年代以来，国内外发展了许多欧拉型的输送转化模式，我国在欧拉型酸性污染物长距离输送模式的研究中也取得了重要进展。主要介绍了国内外的欧拉酸性污染物输送转化模式，并就模式的发展方向进行了讨论。     

夏季红枫湖地区农田土壤-大气界面汞交换通量的初步研究

采用动力学通量箱法(Dynamic Flux Chamber)与高时间分辨率大气测汞仪联用技术对贵州红枫湖地区土壤-大气界面间汞交换通量进行了初步研究.结果显示,红枫湖地区土壤-大气界面间汞交换通量变化范围为-8.6 ng～215.3 ng@m-2@h-1,平均27.4士40.1 ng/m2@h(n=255);且土壤与大气界面间的汞交换是双向的既有土壤汞的释放,又有大气汞的沉降,主要以土壤汞的释放为主(n释放=253,n沉降=2n).土壤汞的释放通量与土壤温度、气温、光照强度有强相关关系,相关系数分别为0.80、0.83、0.74.     

Towards a long-term monitoring of Central European water mite faunas (Acari: Hydrachnidia and Halacaridae) – considerations on the background of data from 1900 to 2000

The state of knowledge of the Central European water mite fauna and the research history are briefly surveyed. Several areas for which we are provided with rich data sets are of high value for the monitoring of faunistic trends on the background of local and global environmental change. The need for a database combining historical and actual faunistic information is stressed. It should facilitate the access to all data from former times, give a survey on actual activities by regular updates, and help for a better organization of future research activities. On the base of an update of the Limnofauna Europaea (K.O. Viets 1978, Gerecke in www.watermite.org) a first attempt is made to (1) recognize changes in the Central European fauna during the past 100 years; (2) emphasize species which may be endangered or have disappeared during the past 100 years. At the present state of knowledge, the degree of threat to water mite species in this area is best calculated from their preference for particular habitat types which are rare and in danger to disappear in cultivated landscapes. Our knowledge concerning neozoic water mites in the study area is discussed.