Mineral resources appraisal and policy: Controversies,issues and the future

Political-economic events of the 1970s brought mineral resource appraisal to the focus of national policy. Estimates of and methodologies for mineral resources appraisal were scrutinized, revealing deficiencies in method and data and fostering considerable debate about the credibility of estimates and about preferred methodology. Since credibility can be increased through the acquisition of additional geoscience information, questions regarding methodology have more than one formulation and therefore more than one correct solution, depending upon the expected value of additional information and the conditional losses of relevant policy options. When existing information is meagre and the expected value of information is high, the optimum decision may be to defer all policy options until after the acquisition and analysis of- additional information. Decision theory offers an analytical framework that is sufficiently generalized to provide answers for highly varied circumstances of geoscience and resource information and policy issues. Our ability to perform any such analysis is limited by inaccuracies in both geologists' estimates of undiscovered mineral resources, and in economists' calculations of conditional losses of policy options for each of the relevant states of mineral resources.     

洗毛废水治理工艺新探

根据洗羊毛工艺排出废水的特性，用笔者开发研究的ＭＦＭ－９４工艺和ＪＦ－Ⅱ型无机高效凝聚剂处理洗毛废水，可以便利地使处理水ＢＯＤ达４００ｍｇ／ｌ以内，ＣＯＤ在６００ｍｇ／ｌ以内，每吨废水处理费用仅为２．７５元，处理后可直接进污水处理厂再处理，也可经后续生化处理后排放。     

矿物纤维粉尘的环境健康效应研究

研究者运用表面化学，电化学和细胞培养等生化方法，以及IR，XRF，UV等谱学和电子微束手段，通过对主要6类不同形态矿物粉尘的特征，表面官能团和活性位分析以及电化学，溶解，毒性研究等，提出了表面介体的概念并初步验证了它的存在，从表面官能团，表面综合性状探讨了矿物纤维材料的表面化学活性一生物活性－生物持久性－生物毒性－环境安全性；提出界／膜体系来研究矿物生产生物毒性的过程和所依存的条件；对矿物粉尘在Gamble溶液，血清与生物大分子，人体有机酸，氨基酸，维生素中以及动物体内行为的研究，进一步阐明了在氨基酸／蛋白质／功能膜以及含有外露蛋白质的其它有机体单元中粉尘的溶解，反应，络合与破坏，粉尘中的硅成分在体内的残留，溶解，运移方式，选择性吸附体液中的脂－醇类物质，红细胞及其残片，粉尘与体内物质交换及免疫细胞的相互作用过程，提供了降低粉尘毒性的处理方式。     

Sorption of lambda-cyhalothrin,cypermethrin, deltamethrin and fenvalerate to quartz,corundum, kaolinite and montmorillonite

Sorption to mineral surfaces may be important for retention and degradation of hydrophobic pesticides in subsoils and aquifers poor in organic matter. In this work the title pyrethroids have been used to investigate selective interactions with the surfaces of four minerals. Sorption of the four pyrethroids was quantified in batch experiments with initial pyrethroid concentrations of 1–100 μg/l. Sorption to centrifuge tubes used in the batch experiments accounted for 25–60% of total sorption. Net sorption was obtained from total sorption after subtracting the amounts of pyrethroids sorbed to centrifuge tubes used. All isotherms could be fitted by the Freundlich equation with n ranging between 0.9 and 1.1. Bonding affinities per unit surface area decreased in the order: corundum>quartz>montmorillonitekaolinite. A similar sequence as found for the total surface tension of the minerals. All minerals showed the same selectivity order with respect to sorption affinity of the four pyrethroids: lambda-cyhalothrin>deltamethrin>cypermethrin>fenvalerate, which shows that the most hydrophobic compound is sorbed most strongly. Stereochemical properties of the four pyrethroid formulations may also contribute to the selectivity pattern.     

CO2 sequestration utilizing basic-oxygen furnace slag: Controlling factors, reaction mechanisms and V–Cr concerns

Basic-oxygen furnace slag(BOF-slag) contains 35%CaO,a potential component for CO_2sequestration.In this study,slag-water-CO_2 reaction experiments were conducted with the longest reaction duration extending to 96 hr under high CO_2 pressures of 100-300 kg/cm2 to optimize BOF-slag carbonation conditions,to address carbonation mechanisms,and to evaluate the extents of V and Cr release from slag carbonation.The slag carbonation degree generally reached the maximum values after 24 hr slag-water-CO_2 reaction and was controlled by slag particle size and reaction temperature.The maximum carbonation degree of 71%was produced from the experiment using fine slag of0.5 mm under 100℃and a CO_2 pressure of 250 kg/cm~2 with a water/slag ratio of 5.Vanadium release from the slag to water was significantly enhanced(generally 2 orders) by slag carbonation.In contrast,slag carbonation did not promote chromium release until the reaction duration exceeded 24 hr.However,the water chromium content was generally at least an order lower than the vanadium concentration,which decreased when the reaction duration exceeded 24 hr.Therefore,long reaction durations of 48-96 hr are proposed to reduce environmental impacts while keeping high carbonation degrees.Mineral textures and water compositions indicated that Mg-wustite,in addition to CaO-containing minerals,can also be carbonated.Consequently,the conventional expression that only considered carbonation of the CaO-containing minerals undervalued the CO_2 sequestration capability of the BOF-slag by~20%.Therefore,the BOF-slag is a better CO_2 storage medium than that previously recognized.     

Using environmental accounts to promote sustainable development: Experience in southern Africa

Environmental accounts bring together economic and environmental information in a common framework to measure the contribution of the environment to the economy and the impact of the economy on the environment. They enable governments to set priorities, monitor economic policies more precisely, enact more effective environmental regulations and resource management strategies, and design more efficient market instruments for environmental policies. This article uses examples from the regional environmental accounting programme in southern Africa to demonstrate the usefulness of environmental accounts to policy-making and natural resource management. The examples address the contribution of natural capital endowments (minerals and fisheries) to sustainable development in Botswana and Namibia; the economic importance of non-market forest goods and services in South Africa; and the socio-economic impact of current water allocation and pricing policies in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. While there are many additional policy applications, these few provide a powerful argument for the use of environmental accounts in all countries.     

饮用矿泉水中微量钡的测定方法

采用硫酸钡比浊法测定饮用矿泉水中微量的钡。结果如下：１＋１０硫酸用量以５ｍＬ为最佳;标准曲线相关系数达极显著水准;回收率９５—１０７％;变异系数６４８％;最佳比浊时间为停止搅拌后３０ｍｉｎ内     

Geoconservation versus legislation and resources policy: New achievements,new questions—Comment on Cairncross (Resources Policy, 2011) The National Heritage Resource Act (1999): Can legislation protect South Africa's rare geoheritage resources?

In his recent article, Cairncross identified problems with legislation relevant to the conservation of national geological heritage. This permits us to pose some more general questions, which are not addressed in the noted contribution. The example given by Cairncross indicates some pitfalls linked with the “all-inclusive” nature of legislation in which geological heritage is mixed with cultural heritage. Are such laws really helpful? Even if they are inevitable, they should be prepared with great caution. Moreover, it appears sensible to discuss whether particular geological objects or geodiversity as a whole should be legally conserved. Cairncross also proposes the interesting idea of a special fund/agency for purchasing rare mineral specimens for museums. This raises a set of questions about selection criteria for minerals to be purchased, types of market to be dealt with, number of fund/agency staff, necessary financial resources, and the administration of such purchasing schemes. Broad multi-stakeholder debates are necessary in order to establish the proposed fund/agency and to facilitate its efficient work.     

The marginal cost of public funds of mineral and energy taxes in Peru

We estimate the Marginal Cost of Public Funds (MCPF) for Peru using a detailed computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Revenues from all major sources (including taxes on factors of production, natural resources such as energy and minerals, consumption, and imports) are examined. Our focus is on the efficiency implications of mineral and energy taxes, given their importance to Peruvian public finance. The primary data are from the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) as modified to include detailed tax information from the Peruvian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Peruvian Internal Revenue Service. Consistent with the theories of public finance, we find that the MCPF is greater for activities that face high or widely varying tax rates. The taxes on energy and mineral activities represent a clear illustration of this relationship. The results presented in this paper indicate opportunities to improved efficiency in the current tax mix, and also indicate the financing costs of proposed expenditures that would be funded with taxes on energy and natural resources.     

原子吸收光谱法测定多维元素药片中矿物质含量

采用原子吸收光谱法测定了多维元素药片中矿物质含量。样品用硝酸消解,用火焰原子吸收法测定钙、镁、钾、铜、铁、锰,用石墨炉原子吸收法测铬和镍。方法灵敏可靠,测量相对标准偏差<2.4%,回收率在90%～100%之间,能满足药品检测要求。