Th-and U-bearing minerals in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain

This paper presents the first specific study of the Th-and U-bearing minerals, which were recently found in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain (El Hoyazo area,Almeria province). These minerals are REE phosphates (mainly monazite) which occur as amoeboidal-to-elongate inclusions,from around 10 120μm to 120μm, hosted in single garnet crystals from dacite lavas and metamorphic rocks from the El Hoyazo Volcanic Complex. Th and U contents are higher than 1 wt%, with 3.04 to 5.62wt% for Th02, and 0.7 to 1.75 wt% for UO2. Both elements are also found in xenotime (ThO2:0.24,UO2:0.27wt%). Given that the erosion of the volcanic source rocks has generated a “placer-type” deposit of monazite sands and that garnets (main carriers of monazite) are being commercialised, an environmental monitoring and management plan should be urgently executed in the area.     

EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE TOTAL LIPID AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SIX STRAINS OF MARINE DIATOMS

The effect of light intensity ( 1500 Ix and 5000 Ix) on the total lipid and fatty acid composition of six strains of marine diatoms Cylindrotheca fusiformis (B211 ), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bl14, Bl18 and B221) Nitzschia closterium (B222) and Chaetoceros gracilis (B13) was investigated.The total lipids of B13, Bl14, and B211 grown at 5000 Ix were lower than those grown at 1500 Ix. No evident changes were observed in Bl18, B221 and B222. Fatty acid composition changed considerably at different light intensity although no consistent correlation between the relative proportion of a single FA and light intensity. The major fatty acids of the 6 strains were 14:0, 16:0, 16:l(n- 7) and 20:5(n-3) . Cylindrothecafusiformis had high percentage of 20:4n - 6 (9.2 - 10.9% ) . The total polyunsaturated fatty acid /rl all 6 strains decreased with increasing light intensity. The percentage of the highly unsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased with increasing light intensity in all strains except Chaetoceros gracilis.