Isotope tracing of submarine groundwater discharge offshore Ubatuba, Brazil: results of the IAEA–UNESCO SGD project

Results of groundwater and seawater analyses for radioactive (³H, ²²²Rn, ²²³Ra, ²²⁴Ra, ²²⁶Ra, and ²²⁸Ra) and stable (D and ¹⁸O) isotopes are presented together with in situ spatial mapping and time series ²²²Rn measurements in seawater, direct seepage measurements using manual and automated seepage meters, pore water investigations using different tracers and piezometric techniques, and geoelectric surveys probing the coast. This study represents first time that such a new complex arsenal of radioactive and non-radioactive tracer techniques and geophysical methods have been used for simultaneous submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) investigations. Large fluctuations of SGD fluxes were observed at sites situated only a few meters apart (from 0 cm d⁻¹ to 360 cm d⁻¹; the unit represents cm³/cm²/day), as well as during a few hours (from 0 cm d⁻¹ to 110 cm d⁻¹), strongly depending on the tidal fluctuations. The average SGD flux estimated from continuous ²²²Rn measurements is 17 ± 10 cm d⁻¹. Integrated coastal SGD flux estimated for the Ubatuba coast using radium isotopes is about 7 × 10³ m³ d⁻¹ per km of the coast. The isotopic composition (δD and δ¹⁸O) of submarine waters was characterised by significant variability and heavy isotope enrichment, indicating that the contribution of groundwater in submarine waters varied from a small percentage to 20%. However, this contribution with increasing offshore distance became negligible. Automated seepage meters and time series measurements of ²²²Rn activity concentration showed a negative correlation between the SGD rates and tidal stage. This is likely caused by sea level changes as tidal effects induce variations of hydraulic gradients. The geoelectric probing and piezometric measurements contributed to better understanding of the spatial distribution of different water masses present along the coast. The radium isotope data showed scattered distributions with offshore distance, which imply that seawater in a complex coast with many small bays and islands was influenced by local currents and groundwater/seawater mixing. This has also been confirmed by a relatively short residence time of 1–2 weeks for water within 25 km offshore, as obtained by short-lived radium isotopes. The irregular distribution of SGD seen at Ubatuba is a characteristic of fractured rock aquifers, fed by coastal groundwater and recirculated seawater with small admixtures of groundwater, which is of potential environmental concern and has implications on the management of freshwater resources in the region.     

东平湖DOM荧光特征及与氢氧同位素指标的相关性

本研究在运用三维荧光光谱示踪平水期东平湖DOM荧光特征的基础上,进一步分析其与氢氧同位素指标的相关性,并在此基础上尝试对大气降水的DOC贡献进行估算,以期为东平湖的污染控制及治理提供依据.结果表明,东平湖平水期DOM主要由类蛋白组分（C1和C4）和类腐殖质组分（C2和C3）构成,以类酪氨酸组分C1为主,C1所占比重将近50%.平水期东平湖DOM同时受陆源、内源及大气降水的影响,但以内源输入为主;外源输入中大气降水补给与大汶河输入所占比例相当;大气降水中的溶解性有机碳输入可能会对东平湖DOM产生不可忽视的影响,需进一步系统研究.氢氧稳定同位素与溶解态有机碳以及类腐殖质荧光之间呈显著相关关系,可以在一定程度上指示DOM的变化趋势.     

Large-scale mercury variations in Lake Vänern (Sweden) 1974-98

Lake V?nern, the largest lake in Sweden, has been seriously contaminated with mercury during the 20th century. In the 1970's and 80's the direct load, mainly from a chlor-alkali industry in the area, of mercury was drastically reduced as a response to new legislation, from three to five tons down to between five and ten kg yr(-1). Large amounts of the disposed pollutant have accumulated in the sediments. The question posed in this work is now, is the effect of the drastic load reduction after more than two decades visible in the sediments? The question is relevant as large areas still are blacklisted for fishing, but also as a follow-up of a major remedy action. The lake also serves as a freshwater reservoir for even Sweden's second largest city. This work synthesises and compares data of mercury in the sediments from three major field programs, in 1974, 1984 and 1998. The interest is focused on both spatial heterogeneity and temporal trends. In 1974, the surface concentrations are significantly higher than in subsequent surveys. Significant differences are also found between 1984 and 1998. Significant spatial differences within the lake are found for respective year. The most contaminated area is located in the north, close to the major point source (a former chlor-alkali industry). This is also the area with the largest improvement, as a direct response to the reduction in load. Further from the outlet, the recovery is more affected by burial and transport processes out into the deeper basins.     

Exposure Assessment to Mercury Vapor in Chloralkali Industry

The aim of the study was to develop a sampling method aimed at individual sampling of mercury vapor and subsequent individualexposure assessment of the worker. Hopcalite available fromInowrocawskie Zakady Chemiczne (in Poland) was founduseful for mercury vapor sampling in active and passive individual samplers. However the sampling rate determined forpassive sampler in steady-state laboratory chamber cannot be usedunder fluctuating conditions of mercury vapor concentration andair movement typical for field measurement. In order to check comparativeness of passive and active sampling methods, sampleswere taken in the same time and individual samplers fixed toworker's clothes were used. Mercury vapor concentration wasmeasured at two chloralkali industries in Poland and the resultswere presented. Excessive exposure in both industries wasconfirmed by finding elevated mercury concentration in urinesamples from the workers.     

MERCURY EMISSION INVENTORY IN ONTARIO

Mercury is released to the environment from various anthropogenic and natural sources. This work is a compilation of mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources in Ontario, Canada. The goal of our study was to identify all sources of mercury, and develop an emission inventory of anthropogenic mercury in Ontario. The result of our investigation revealed that combustion of fossil fuels and emissions from landfill sites are two primary sources of mercury to the atmosphere. Other sources of significance are emissions from waste incinerators, various industrial activities, and cement production. Total mercury emission in Ontario is estimated as 4100 kg per year.     

Status of mercury pollution during resources development in Guizhou Province, China

1　ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＧｕｉｚｈｏｕＰｒｏｖｉｎｃｅｉｓｌｏｃａｔｅｄｉｎｓｏｕｔｈｗｅｓｔＣｈｉｎａｗｉｔｈａｔｏｔａｌａｒｅａｏｆ 176.2 8ｔｈｏｕｓａｎｄｓｑｕａｒｅｋｉｌｏｍｅｔｅｒｓ,ｏｆｗｈｉｃｈ 87%ｉｓｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎ ,10 %ｉｓｈｉｌｌｓ,3%ｉｓｒｉｖｅｒ,ｂａｓｉｎａｎｄｐｌａｉｎ .Ｇｕｉｚｈｏｕｉｓａｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎｏｕｓｐｒｏｖｉｎｃｅｗｉｔｈｒｉｃｈｍｉｎｅｒａｌｒｅｓｏｕｒｃｅｓ,ａｍｏｎｇｗｈｉｃｈｍｅｒｃｕｒｙｒｅｓｅｒｖｅｒａｎｋｓｆｉｒｓｔｉｎＣｈｉｎａ,ｅｖｅｎｉ…     

镉、汞、铅在体内对氨基酸掺入微粒体的特异性抑制作用

本实验采用DL-(~3H)-亮氨酸作为蛋白质合成的原料,从亚细胞水平观察镉、汞、铅在动物体内对肝脏各亚细胞组分蛋白合成的影响。实验结果表明,给雄性大鼠腹腔一次注入2.4mg/kg醋酸镉后72h和一次注给2.0mg/kg氯化汞或100mg/kg醋酸铅后24h,均可不同程度地抑制DL-(~3H)-亮氨酸掺入微粒体蛋白,而对其它组分包括细胞核、线粒体、去微粒体后上清液蛋白中DL-(~3H)-亮氨酸的掺入无明显影响。     

贵州省万山汞矿区地表水中不同形态汞的空间分布特点

利用两次金汞齐-冷原子荧光光谱法,对贵州省废弃汞矿山万山矿区地表水不同形态汞(活性态、溶解态、颗粒态)的含量进行测定。样品活性态汞为1.04~402 ng／L;溶解态汞为12.5~426 ng／L;颗粒态汞变化很大,最低只有1.38 ng／L,最高达4 427 ng／L。研究表明:(1)直接与矿山冶炼活动排放物炉渣接触的溪流水污染程度最高,总汞高达4.46μg／L;(2)与矿山开采活动排放的废石或贫矿石接触的溪流水污染程度较低;(3)远离汞矿开采、冶炼活动区的地表水总汞接近汞矿化带背景参考值。     

Gold mining in Siberia and the Far East as a source of mercury contamination of the environment

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＳｉｂｅｒｉａａｎｄｔｈｅＦａｒＥａｓｔａｒｅｔｈｅｏｌｄｅｓｔａｎｄｔｈｅｒｉｃｈｅｓｔｇｏｌｄ ｍｉｎｉｎｇａｒｅａｓｏｆＲｕｓｓｉａ .Ｉｎｔｅｎｓｉｖｅｇｏｌｄ ｍｉｎｉｎｇｈｅｒｅｓｔａｒｔｅｄｉｎｔｈｅｂｅｇｉｎｎｉｎｇｏｆｔｈｅ 19ｔｈｃｅｎｔｕｒｙ(Ｖｙａｚｅｌｓｈｃｈｉｋｏｖ ,1963) .Ｆｏｒｔｈｅｍｏｓｔｐａｒｔｇｏｌｄ ｂｅａｒｉｎｇｏｒｅｓａｎｄｓａｎｄｓｗｅｒｅｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｅｄｗｉｔｈｔｈｅｕｓｅｏｆａｍａｌｇａｍａｔｉｏｎｍｅｔｈｏｄｆｏｒｇｏｌｄｅ…     

Effects of atmospheric mercury pollution on terrestrial ecosystem in Chongqing, China

1　ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＭｅｒｃｕｒｙ(Ｈｇ)ａｓａｇｌｏｂａｌｐｏｌｌｕｔａｎｔｈａｓｃａｕｓｅｄｃｏｎｃｅｒｎｗｏｒｌｄｗｉｄｅｓｉｎｃｅｔｈｅｅｎｄｏｆ 1980ｓ.Ｉｔｉｓｅｍｉｔｔｅｄｔｏｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅｆｒｏｍｂｏｔｈａｎｔｈｒｏｐｏｇｅｎｉｃａｎｄｎａｔｕｒａｌｓｏｕｒｃｅｓ.Ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｓｏｕｒｃｅｏｆｔｈｅｆｏｒｍｅｒｉｓｔｈｅｄｉｓｃｈａｒｇｅｆｒｏｍ ｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎａｎｄｕｓｅｏｆＨｇａｓｗｅｌｌａｓｔｈｅｃｏｍｂｕｓｔｉｏｎｏｆｆｏｓｓｉｌｆｕｅｌｓ(Ｎｒｉ…