Rainfall and Spring Discharge Patterns in Two Small Drainage Catchments in the Western Himalayan Mountains, India

Relationship between rainfall and spring discharge study is important to understand hydrological behaviour of springs and water resources management. In the Himalayan mountains springs are the freshwater sources for household consumption. We studied six springs of different recharge area characteristics in two micro-watersheds in western Himalayan mountains in India. Based on the recharge area geology these springs were divided into fracture/joint (FR/JT) and fracture/joint/colluvium (FR/JT/COLL). We found a strong positive relationship between rainfall and spring discharge. Peak spring discharge coincided with peak rainfall in two FR/JT/COLL springs, which was delayed by about one month in FR/JT springs. Mean annual discharge was about two times greater for FR/JT/COLL springs than the FR/JT springs (6.47 vs. 3.94 liter per minute). But spring discharge per 1000 L of rainfall in spring recharge area for FR/JT springs was about 2.3 times greater than the FR/JT/COLL springs (49 vs. 21 liter per minute). In the FR/JT springs, rainfall in spring recharge area and spring discharge were weakly related (r=0.174), while they were strongly related in FR/JT/COLL springs (r=0.595). In the former category of springs decline in discharge was gradual, while it was rapid in the latter category of springs. Therefore, with regard to sustained supply of water for household consumption FR/JT springs can be considered more suitable. Land use and land cover such as moderately grazed pasture, abandoned agricultural terraces and few trees but dense growth of bushes and oak forest in the spring recharge area were found conducive for spring discharge and may be promoted for long-term water resource conservation in this region.     

汶川地震汉源县烈度异常区地质构造背景分析

汉源县是汶川8.0级大地震Ⅵ度区内唯一的Ⅷ度异常区,是十分典型的远震烈度异常区.本文在汉源场地条件科考工作的基础上,对其城区及周边地质构造背景条件进行了分析,内容包括区域地层发育概况、区域主要断裂及其活动性、近场断裂分布状况及其对研究区的影响以及第四纪地质地貌的形态,结果表明研究区处于大渡河与流沙河阶地交汇处,河流阶地发育,地形切割深度差异较大,地质构造条件复杂,新构造运动强烈.对汉源县城区地质构造背景进行分析是对其地震烈度异常做出科学解释的前提和基础,进一步确定烈度异常的原因,因而具有极高的科学价值和重要的工程意义.     

宿州市表层土壤重金属元素环境地球化学基线研究

环境地球化学基线作为能够判别自然和人为环境影响的地球化学指标,不同地区基线值的确定具有重要的现实意义和参考价值。本研究以宿州市为例,通过野外采样和室内测试,对表层土壤中的Cu、Zn、Pb、As、Cr、V六种重金属元素进行总量分析,采用标准化方法和相对累积频率分析方法计算确定宿州市土壤环境地球化学基线,基于确定的地球化学基线值,运用地质累积指数法对宿州市表层土壤重金属污染进行环境地球化学评价。结果表明,研究区表层土壤中Cu、Zn、Pb、As、Cr、V的平均含量分别为18.29、52.61、20.84、10.29、69.83和82.27 mg/kg;确定的环境地球化学基线值分别为16.97、48.66、19.43、9.07、65.22和79.08 mg/kg,获得的基线值符合其定义和实际意义;地质累积指数计算分析结果显示,六种重金属元素大部分处于无污染级别,少量达到无污染到中度污染级别,六种重金属元素在表层土壤中的富集贫化不明显。     

Assessing radon concentrations in areas with few measurements

The New York State Department of Health has estimated and mappedradon concentrations for every town and city in the State. Sincefor many towns there are few indoor radon measurements, the radonestimates for these towns were determined using correlations to surficial geology. A project was conducted to target towns for additional measurements that currently have few data but, based on the surficial geology of the town, are estimated to have elevated levels of indoor radon. The objective of the project wasto obtain at least 30 additional measurements for the targeted towns and to compare the measurement results with the estimates based on geology. The study completed 1606 radon measurements from 9080 detector applications mailed to home owners in 94 underserved towns spread throughout the State. Of the 1115 basement measurements, 43% exceeded 148 Bq m^-3, with a maximum of 6900 Bq m^-3. Three homes measured in one town hadradon concentrations above 2900 Bq m^-3. Of the 491 living-area measurements, 19% exceeded 148 Bq m^-3, with a maximum of 2700 Bq m^-3. About 60% and 86% of measurementresults were within one standard deviation and a factor of two,respectively, of estimated concentrations. Results indicate thatregardless of the magnitude of radon potential, the estimates arein good agreement with measured concentrations.     

Mineralogy and chemistry of urinary stones: patients from North Jordan

Urinary stone diseases are increasing in the Middle East. The majority of urinary stone cases are found in the northern part of the country. Stone samples taken from patients living in the Irbid area were collected from Princess Basma Hospital. The present study concentrates on the mineralogical and chemical composition of the urinary stones and on the effective environmental factors that assist in developing the different types of urinary stones. Using X-ray diffraction techniques, the mineralogical composition of the urinary stones was found to be as follows: oxalate, cholesten, and uric acid, with cystine stones occuring more frequently than the others. Cholesten and calcium oxalate stones are the most dominant types of stones. Calcium oxalate is the most common type of oxalate stone. Calcium oxalate is represented in: whewellite, wheddellite, and calcium carbonate oxalate hydrate minerals, in addition to other minerals such as brushite, ammonium phosphate, vaterite, valleriite, and bobierrite from other types of stones. Bobierrite (phosphate group) is a new mineral reported in urinary stones, and this has not been determined in any previous study worldwide. Apatite (calcium phosphate) is deduced using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The SEM technique determined crystal forms and systems, shapes, morphological features, and the names of the minerals forming urine stones, while optical properties are studied by polarizing microscope. X-ray fluorescence technique determined the concentrations of major and some trace elements. It revealed that Ca is the main constituent of the urinary stones, especially those composed of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. The concentration of trace elements was Ba = 1.57, P = 3.61, Fe = 1.78, S = 2.08, Zr = 4.63, Mo = 3.92, Cu = 1.89, Co = 1.56, and F = 4.2% and was higher in the urinary stones of Jordanian patients than in foreigners in the country. Questionnaires completed by patients suggest that the most significant factors directly effecting the formation of stones are water, climate conditions, food rich in protein and rich in different chemicals. Moreover, some drugs and diseases might also help in developing other stones.     

Soil lead (Pb) in residential transects through Lubbock,Texas: a preliminary assessment

Residential lead (Pb) contamination, resulting from decades-long use of leaded gasoline and lead-based paint, is likely to be present in soils in most urban areas. A screening level sampling effort demonstrated that Lubbock, Texas, USA, like other cities of its age and size, has areas of elevated soil Pb. This effort was based on soil sampling performed on residential, commercial and thoroughfare properties. The focus of this study was to investigate that component of soil contamination due to combustion of leaded gasoline. Soils were collected from the 1–2 cm surface layer from street-side property borders, well away from buildings that might lead to soil contamination from leaded paint chips. All samples were analyzed for Pb after a 1 M HNO₃ mild extraction to determine the amount of bioavailable Pb. Two of three transects through the city demonstrated significant trends of decreasing Pb concentrations with distance from the city center, paralleling a decrease in developed property age. Peak soil Pb concentrations outside city development was 4.9 ± 0.6 mg/kg while the median concentration for the city was 35.4 mg/kg. Peak soil Pb concentrations in the city center ranged from 90.0 to 174.0 mg/kg and decreased exponentially to 6.0–9.0 mg/kg at the furthest terminus of the residential transects.     

福建省胃癌高发区环境地质、地球化学特征分析

采用多元统计方法,从福建省14个市、县的52个乡、镇、市区调查结果表明,胃癌死亡率以40/10万为界,分为胃癌高发区和中低发区,两者间地理分布差异明显。胃癌高发区位于中部沿海平原,地质背景以第四纪海积层为主,四周为中生代酸性－中酸性火山岩及花岗岩类侵入体。区内断裂构造发育。环境地球化学以缺乏铁、钴、镍、钒与异常富集的汞、金、钡为特征,其中,铁、钴的协同抑制胃癌高发区有明显的作用,金、汞协同诱发胃癌的作用值得进一步研究。     

试论环境工程地质学的科学性质与学科发展

环境工程地质学是一门新兴的边缘学科,发展历史较短,理论体系尚不够成熟。本文分析了环境工程地质学产生的动因与研究现状,探讨了环境工程地质学的科学性质与学科发展。     

焦作市市区地下水水质现状评价

在分析焦作市市区孔隙水赋存情况的基础上 ,运用模糊综合评判和灰色聚类评价相结合的方法 ,对该市市区地下水水质进行了现状评价 ,克服了目前传统的指数评价法和单独运用模糊综合评判法存在的弊端 ,使评价结果更为客观。     

川南鲁班山矿瓦斯地质系统

鲁班山矿是我国西南地区重要的大型矿山,属于高瓦斯矿。应用瓦斯地质系统理论,对鲁班山矿煤层瓦斯的生成、储集和保存地质条件和作用进行了研究。研究表明,地质构造、煤层厚度、煤层埋藏深度、煤层顶底板岩性、煤变质程度和煤中水份等是影响鲁班山矿瓦斯赋存的主要地质因素。瓦斯灾害预测应注意这些地质因素,尤其要重视各项地质因素的组合效应。