Short-term and interannual variability of redox-sensitive chemical parameters in hypoxic/anoxic bottom waters of the Chesapeake Bay

A combination of CTD casts, discrete bottle sampling and in situ voltammetric microelectrode profiling was used to examine changing redox conditions in the water column at a single station south of the Bay Bridge in the upper Chesapeake Bay in late July/early August, 2002–2005. Short-term (2–4 h) fluctuations in the oxic/suboxic/anoxic interface were documented using in situ voltammetric solid-state electrodes. Profiles of dissolved oxygen and sulfide revealed tidally-driven vertical fluctuations of several meters in the depth and thickness of the suboxic zone. Bottom water concentrations of sulfide, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ also varied over the tidal cycle by approximately an order of magnitude. These data indicate that redox species concentrations at this site varied more due to physical processes than biogeochemical processes. Based on analysis of ADCP data, tidal currents at this station were strongly polarized, with the principal axis of tidal currents aligned with the mainstem channel. Together with the chemical data, the ADCP analysis suggests tidal flushing of anoxic bottom waters with suboxic water from north of the site. The present study is thus unique because while most previous studies have focused on processes across relatively stable redox interfaces, our data clearly demonstrate the influence of rapidly changing physical mixing processes on water column redox chemistry.Also noted during the study were interannual differences in maximum bottom water concentrations of sulfide, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺. In 2003, for example, heavy spring rains resulted in severe hypoxia/anoxia in June and early July. While reported storm-induced mixing in late July/early August 2003 partially alleviated the low-oxygen conditions, bottom water concentrations of sulfide, Mn²⁺ and Fe²⁺ were still much higher than in the previous year. The latter implies that the response time of the microbial community inhabiting the suboxic/anoxic bottom waters to changing redox conditions is slow compared to the time scale of episodic mixing events. Bottom water concentrations of the redox-sensitive chemical species should thus be useful as a tracer to infer prior hypoxic/anoxic conditions not apparent from ambient oxygen levels at the time of sampling.     

Combustion Kinetics of Athabasca Bitumen from 1D Combustion Tube Experiments

There are two basic requirements for heavy-oil recovery processes: first, mobilize the bitumen, and second, have a drive mechanism deliver the mobilized bitumen to a production wellbore. In situ combustion has the potential to be an important heavy-oil recovery method. Before design of in situ combustion recovery processes can start, it is necessary as a first step to understand the kinetics of various complex chemical reactions and determine kinetic constants associated with the reactions. Even with modern reservoir simulation capabilities, this is a significant challenge. In this research, an Athabasca bitumen combustion tube experiment, conducted by the ISC Research Group at the University of Calgary, was history matched by using a reservoir thermal simulator to determine a set of kinetic parameters as well as the transport parameters for the system. The main results of the history match was a match of air injection rate, bitumen and gas production volumes, average product gas compositions, temperature profiles along the tube through time, and pressure. Gridding sensitivities were examined to determine if the derived kinetic and transport parameters were dependent on gridblock size. The results revealed that the grid was refined enough to sufficiently capture thermal, mass transfer, and reaction length scales. After this single match was achieved, the same constants were used to successfully predict several other combustion tube experiments. The results suggest that the fuel (coke) for high-temperature oxidation (HTO) originates mainly from low-temperature oxidation (LTO) and not from thermal cracking. This implies that the major control on HTO is upstream oxygen transfer into the LTO region. If LTO does not occur, then a relatively small amount of coke is deposited in the matrix due to thermal cracking and this may be insufficient to start or sustain HTO.     

萃取分离—石墨炉原子吸收光谱法测定铅锌矿中的铟

样品经硝酸、氢氟酸分解除硅,加热硫酸冒烟除尽硝酸、氢氟酸,利用铟与氢溴酸能生成稳定的络合物并被乙酸丁酯萃取的性质,将铟与其它干扰离子分离并富集.使用MOLAARM6（Thermo Electron Corporation）石墨炉原子吸收分光光度计,以钒为机体改进剂,测定铅锌矿中的铟.方法检出限为LD=0.012ug/ml.实验结果令人满意.     

锡-银多金属成矿系统的基本特征、研究进展与展望

锡-银多金属成矿系统主要产于主动大陆边缘、板内伸展和造山后伸展等构造背景中。全球典型成矿带包括玻利维亚南部带、俄罗斯远东Sikhote-Alin带、我国大兴安岭南段、南岭和欧洲Erzgebirge地区。成矿相关岩浆岩主要为浅成中酸性侵入体或次火山岩体,包括流纹英安-流纹质火山/次火山岩、石英斑岩、花岗斑岩、花岗闪长斑岩等,并与同期火山岩和碱性基性岩脉密切共生。岩浆源区不仅有大量地壳物质的参与,还普遍存在不同比例地幔物质成分的加入。围岩蚀变由早到晚、由成矿中心向外依次发育电气石化/云英岩化、绢云母化、伊利石化和高级泥化,金属矿化组合相应的依次为Sn(-W)→Zn-CuPb-Sn→Ag-Pb-Zn-Sb-Sn→Ag-Sb-Pb,锡矿化产于电气石和云英岩化带内,银矿化产于伊利石化和高级泥化带内。以银为主矿体多在浅部呈多条陡立脉状产出,以锡为主的矿体在深部呈大脉状和热液角砾岩体产出,也可呈浸染状或细网脉状产出(此时称为斑岩型锡矿)。此类矿床还常伴生In、Cd、Ga等矿化,主要产于闪锌矿、黄铜矿和方铅矿为主的硫化物成矿阶段。对成矿金属起源的研究显示锡可能主要来自中上地壳富锡的变质沉积岩,但银的来源尚无明确解释,沉积岩、地幔、围岩地层可能都有贡献。岩浆较低的氧逸度条件和富Cl的成分有利于形成富锡和其它金属的成矿流体,成矿早期流体常具有较高的盐度,伴随温度的降低和天水流体的稀释过程,流体由早期的高温高盐度逐渐演化到晚期的低温低盐度,并伴随不同金属的依次沉淀,这一过程中,可能多期次流体的叠加作用对大型矿床的形成起重要作用。在前人研究基础上,提出了本类型矿床研究中存在的一些关键问题:(1)普遍存在的壳幔相互作用在成矿过程中的作用尚不明确,地幔物质可能是重要的热源、硫和金属的来源;(2)火山作用与成矿之间的关系及其所起的作用;(3)在同一锡-银多金属成矿带中,富锡贫银、富银贫锡、富锡又富银这三类矿床之间的成因联系如何?造成它们金属组合差异的原因如何?可能需要从岩体侵位深度、矿床剥蚀程度、成矿流体性质等方面进行研究探讨;(4)不同金属元素的起源与耦合成矿作用,Sn-Ag-In等重要的成矿元素可能不是相同的起源,其进入流体的时间及沉淀的物理化学条件也是有差异的,它们在同一矿床中耦合成矿的详细过程与机制尚不清楚,原位微区流体包裹体成分分析、硫化物微量元素和同位素原位分析和面扫描技术可能是解决这一难题的重要手段。上述问题的解决不仅有助于提高对锡-银多金属矿床成矿过程的认识,还可为相关矿床的勘查找矿工作提供理论支持。     

伊犁盆地南缘可地浸砂岩型铀矿床远景地段影像特征及识别

本文阐述了科学试验卫星像片的二次开发研究,计算机三维立体模拟显示及多参数特征提取的原理、方法和步骤;综合研究了伊犁盆地南缘可地浸砂岩型铀矿不同级别的远景地段在不同类型影像上的特征,分析了远景地段影像特征的内涵及地质意义,并据此对远景地段影像特征进行了识别。在此基础上,采用层层剥笋、步步深入、逐次缩小范围的方法,对伊犁盆地从区域成矿远景、有利地段（靶区）的优选到矿区范围有利勘探地段进行了逐步分级预测,取得了良好的验证效果。     

Application of bioassays in toxicological hazard, risk and impact assessments of dredged sediments

Given the potential environmental consequences of dumped dredged harbour sediments it is vital to establish the potential risks from exposure before disposal at sea. Currently, European legislation for disposal of contaminated sediments at sea is based on chemical analysis of a limited number of well-known contaminants for which maximum acceptable concentrations, action levels (ALs), have been set. The present paper addresses the issue of the applicability of in vitro and in vivo bioassays for hazard, risk and local impact assessment of dredged polluted sediments to be disposed of at sea. It discusses how and to what extent selected bioassays can fill in the gaps left open by chemical analysis and the way in which the bioassays may contribute to the present licensing system for disposal. Three different purposes for application were distinguished: the most basic application (A) is a rapid determination of the hazard (potential toxicity) of dredged sediments which is then compared to ALs in a licensing system. As with chemical analysis on whole sediment extracts, the bioavailability of the chemicals is not taken into account. As in vitro assays with sediment extracts are not sensitive to matrix effects, a selection of specific in vitro bioassays can be suitable fast and standardized additions for the licensing system. When the outcome of (A) does not convincingly demonstrate whether the sediment is clean enough or too polluted, further bioanalysis can help the decision making process (B). More aspects of the mostly unknown complex chemical mixtures are taken into account, including the bioavailability and chronic toxicity focusing on ecologically relevant endpoints. The ecotoxicological pressure imposed by the dredged sediments can be quantified as the potentially affected fraction (PAF) based on chemical or biological analysis of levels of contaminants in sediment or biota. To validate the predicted risk, the actual impact of dumped harbour sediments on local ecosystems (C) can be determined using a dedicated set of in vitro and in vivo bioassays as well as bio-indicators selected based on the information obtained from (A) and (B) and on the characteristics of the local ecosystem. Conversely, the local sediment impact assessment (C) can direct fine-tuning of the selection of chemical and bioassay analyses and for setting safe levels in the licensing system. It is concluded that in vitro and in vivo bioassays and biological indicators are useful tools in the process of hazard, ecotoxicological risk and impact assessment of dredged harbour sediments, provided they are consciously chosen and quality criteria for assay performance are defined.     

Stability analysis of Llerin Rockfill Dam: An in situ direct shear test

This paper analyzes the stability of the Llerin rockfill dam using Barton–Kjaernsli's shear criterion. To fit the parameters of this criterion, a direct shear test was designed that allows in situ calculation, using large-size samples of the shear stress at which failure is produced for different normal loads. These experimental values are then used to obtain more reliable values for the friction angle and the equivalent roughness of the rockfill material.The rockfill of Llerin dam is formed by a suitably ground gonfolite limestone rockfill that serves as a contention dam for a lagoon of mine tailings. The experimental results obtained in in situ tests were compared with those predicted by the shear criterion, subsequently determining the safety coefficient of the rockfill dam using the SLOPE computer program. We conclude that the values estimated via in situ testing permit the behaviour of the containment dam to be predicted more accurately.     

Significance of an In Vivo Genotoxicity Test for Surface Waters Is Increased when the Physiological Characteristics of the Test Organism (Bivalvia: Mollusca) Are Taken into Account?

The alkaline filter elution assay using the gills of the freshwater clam species Corbicula fluminea detects breaks in single‐stranded DNA and is thus a good method for determining the genotoxic potential of surface waters. In attempting to standardize the procedure, a wide range of factors which could have an influence on the uptake of genotoxic substances by the exposed clams were studied. The most important parameters of the static exposure in relation to the rate of filtration by the animals turned out to be the temperature, the volume of the water, and the exposure time. Differences in body size and in the amount of suspended particles in surface waters did not play a significant role. The results demonstrate that the in vivo test system can be quite sensitive and its results reproducible when the relevant species‐specific characteristics of the test organisms are brought into consideration, even if the test organism belongs to a biologically more advanced group. A clear dose‐response relationship to the reference substances 4‐nitroquinoline‐1‐oxide (NQO) and N‐methyl‐N‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) can be observed even after a short exposure time of between four and twenty hours. No genotoxic effects were observed when using this method on surface waters from the area of Cologne (including water from the Rhine River and within the protection zone 2 of the Cologne waterworks).